Analysis of Pre Test and Post Test Performance of Students in a Learning Center Model at the Elementary School Level

Many students are struggling in school academically. These students do not qualify for additional resources. Typically these students continue to struggle in their classroom, year after year. Additionally, teachers tend to socially promote these students. These students continue to fail because they are lacking foundational skills. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of small group instruction using select reading comprehension strategies on student reading achievement comparing Measures of Academic Progress (MAPs) assessments from September 2014 to February 2015. The literature suggests that reading comprehension strategies and phonetic awareness improvements are only noted in small group instruction, grammar needs to be taught explicitly, and teachers need to understand individuals backgrounds and use that knowledge to motivate and encourage their students learning. This is a teacher action research project. Pretest and posttest quantitative data will be collected and analyzed. The results indicated that approximately 50% of students who received explicated small group instruction in reading comprehension performed higher on their reading section of the MAPs statewide assessment in February 2015

Karl Marx und Wilhelm Schulz. Zur offenen Frage der Marxschen Rezeption von Wilhelm Schulz' "Die Bewegung der Production" (1843) und ihrer Bedeutung für die Herausbildung des historischen Materialismus und der Kritik der politischen Ökonomie

Karl Marx und Wilhelm Schulz. Zur offenen Frage der Marxschen Rezeption von Wilhelm Schulz' "Die Bewegung der Production" (1843) und ihrer Bedeutung für die Herausbildung des historischen Materialismus und der Kritik der politischen Ökonomie Von der Fakultät für Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften der Universität Hannover zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie - Dr. phil. - genehmigte Dissertation von Michael Schalich. geboren am 1.5.1964 in Stadthagen. Referent: Prof. Dr. Ernst Theodor Mohl, Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Oskar Negt, Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 25.1.199

Arenavirus budding resulting from viral-protein-associated cell membrane curvature

Viral replication occurs within cells, with release (and onward infection) primarily achieved through two alternative mechanisms: lysis, in which virions emerge as the infected cell dies and bursts open; or budding, in which virions emerge gradually from a still living cell by appropriating a small part of the cell membrane. Virus budding is a poorly understood process that challenges current models of vesicle formation. Here, a plausible mechanism for arenavirus budding is presented, building on recent evidence that viral proteins embed in the inner lipid layer of the cell membrane. Experimental results confirm that viral protein is associated with increased membrane curvature, whereas a mathematical model is used to show that localized increases in curvature alone are sufficient to generate viral buds. The magnitude of the protein-induced curvature is calculated from the size of the amphipathic region hypothetically removed from the inner membrane as a result of translation, with a change in membrane stiffness estimated from observed differences in virion deformation as a result of protein depletion. Numerical results are based on experimental data and estimates for three arenaviruses, but the mechanisms described are more broadly applicable. The hypothesized mechanism is shown to be sufficient to generate spontaneous budding that matches well both qualitatively and quantitatively with experimental observations

Analysis of Epitopes on Dengue Virus Envelope Protein Recognized by Monoclonal Antibodies and Polyclonal Human Sera by a High Throughput Assay

Dengue virus is the leading cause of arboviral diseases worldwide. The envelope protein is the major target of neutralizing antibodies and vaccine development. While previous studies have reported several epitopes on envelope protein, the possibility of interdomain epitopes and the relationship of epitopes to neutralizing potency remain unexplored. We developed a high throughput dot blot assay by using 67 alanine mutants of surface-exposed envelope residues as a systematic approach to identify epitopes recognized by mouse monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal human sera. Our results suggested the presence of interdomain epitopes more frequent than previously appreciated. Compared with monoclonal antibodies generated by traditional protocol, the potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies generated by a new protocol showed several unique features of their epitopes. Moreover, the predominant epitopes of antibodies against envelope protein in polyclonal sera can be identified by this assay. These findings have implications for future development of epitope-specific diagnostics and epitope-based dengue vaccine, and add to our understanding of humoral immune responses to dengue virus at the epitope level

ANALYSIS OF ASPECTS OF THE UTERINE ENVIRONMENT AND OF EARLY MAMMARY SECRETIONS CRITICAL FOR EMBRYONIC, FETAL AND NEONATAL DEVELOPMENT IN CATTLE

280 pagesThe bovine uterine microenvironment is a niche biological site in which the early embryo must complete several key developmental events before progressing on towards implantation and a successful pregnancy. From fertilization (Day 0) to hatching from the zona pellucida (~Day 10), embryo development is semi-autonomous. After hatching, the blastocyst stage embryo becomes completely dependent on endometrial secretions for survival and development, as evidenced in vivo by embryo death when the secretory uterine glands are ablated and by the inability to recapitulate embryo elongation in vitro. From hatching to implantation (~Day 30), the bovine embryo undergoes remarkable growth from an ovoid blastocyst 350 _m to a >20 cm filamentous embryo in the span of just ~25 days, driven by the rapid proliferation of mononuclear undifferentiated trophoblast cells. Amongst mammals, this extended period of preimplantation embryo elongation and delayed implantation until almost 1 month of pregnancy is unique and highlights the generative role of endometrial secretions for early ruminant embryo development. Notably, the timeframe for elongation is concurrent with high rates of early embryonic mortality (EEM) amongst high producing dairy cattle breeds such as the Holstein. Still, despite its biological interest to reproductive physiologists and economic importance to the dairy industry, little is known about the early life-sustaining uterine secretome, how the secretions change in profile and abundance across the estrous cycle, or their effects on embryos. My studies span the timeframe in which preimplantation embryo development takes place and address related questions about pregnancy. First, while my study on methods to enrich the low abundant bovine serum proteome was the most successful published to date, it demonstrates the need for antibody based depletion methods for future bovine serum pregnancy biomarker discovery. Second, my uterine research offers a new perspective on the uterine microenvironment by characterizing the cyclical endometrial secretions that compose uterine milk. By analyzing transcriptomics of endometrial biopsies through a secretory bioinformatics pipeline, I have profiled the stage-specific endometrial secretions that define the luminal fluid from sperm transit to embryo elongation. In parallel, I have complemented predicted endometrial protein secretions by characterizing the uterine fluid proteome at the same timepoints. Together, my endometrial transcriptomics and proteomics datasets are complementary to build a framework for understanding uterine derived factors influencing in utero embryo development. In addition to secretions, I have also considered the role of uterine luminal oxygen tension on embryonic development and measured the dissolved oxygen (pO2) in the uterine lumen across the estrous cycle and in bred heifers. From this, I learned that the uterine lumen is quasi-anoxic, and that the embryo develops in the presence of virtually no oxygen, a condition maintained by the uterine spiral artery vasculature. Finally, my research on reproductive physiology has extended to neonatal calf health by examining the postpartum kinetics of colostrum IgG secretion by the Holstein mammary gland demonstrates that 75% of all IgG is secreted after the first milking (within 2 hours postpartum), which in the context of the co-evolution of cow-calf physiology would suggest a second and third colostrum feeding at four and sixteen hours post-partum could impart immunological and developmental benefits to the neonatal calf. In sum, my systems biology research on bovine reproductive physiology improves our understanding of the temporal endometrial secretions that direct preimplantation embryo development in utero, and precisely defines the kinetics of postpartum IgG secretion and provides opportunities for sustained colostrum feeding for optimized neonatal calf health.2023-01-1

Why there is no such thing as colostrum quality

Ultimately, we believe that that our results are exciting because they indicate producers do not need to measure colostrum Brix scores, or have to worry about having enough colostrum above a “cut-off” Brix score. We now know such cut offs are quite arbitrary. For the first meal we recommend just feeding four liters of colostrum. It is much better for neonatal calves than any replacement formula. Colostrum, irrespective of its Brix score, is still the finest choice for feeding calves.This research was funded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NE-SARE) grant GNE19-220-33243, the Cornell CALS Charitable Trust Research Fund, and startup funds from Cornell CALS

Transition milk has a lot of immunoglobulins

Antibodies in the dam’s colostrum, specifically immunoglobulins G and A, are the reason why newborn calves are able to immediately combat bacterial and viral pathogens in the environment. Based on early research, the predominant recommendation to improve calf survival rates and health has been to feed newborn calves first-milking colostrum to obtain maternal IgG.This research was funded by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NE-SARE) grant GNE19-220-33243, the Cornell CALS Charitable Trust Research Fund, and startup funds from Cornell CALS

Geospatial Fluid Milk Processing Preferences: Is Consumer Taste Perception the Key Factor?

Consumption of ultrapasteurized milk is marked by extensive global variability; in the U.S. and U.K., less than 10% of fluid milk is marketed as ultrapasteurized, compared to >80% in France, Spain and Portugal. Fluid milk taste perception amongst U.S. consumers is that high-heat treatment of milk, as in ultrapasteurization, generates undesirable differences in taste compared to low-temperature/conventional pasteurized treatment. Although highly trained experts can distinguish characteristics in controlled studies, it remains unknown if general consumers can detect a difference or are subject to confirmation bias. In testing sensory perception in a defined untrained population, our findings indicate that the general consumer is unable to distinguish ultrapasteurized from pasteurized milk. On this basis, we conclude that presumptive “consumer taste perception” that speciously impacts fluid milk processing types in the U.S. market precludes noted benefits to ultrapasteurization not only in flexibility for storage and distribution, but also in reduction of public health risks

Membrane Interactions of the Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Fusion Protein E at Low pH

Membrane fusion of the flavivirus tick-borne encephalitis virus is triggered by the mildly acidic pH of the endosome and is mediated by envelope protein E, a class II viral fusion protein. The low-pH trigger induces an oligomeric rearrangement in which the subunits of the native E homodimers dissociate and the monomeric subunits then reassociate into homotrimers. Here we provide evidence that membrane binding is mediated by the intermediate monomeric form of E, generated by low-pH-induced dissociation of the dimer. Liposome coflotation experiments revealed that association with target membranes occurred only when liposomes were present at the time of acidification, whereas pretreating virions at low pH in the absence of membranes resulted in the loss of their ability to stably attach to liposomes. With the cleavable cross-linker ethylene glycolbis(succinimidylsuccinate), it was shown that a truncated soluble form of the E protein (sE) could bind to membranes only when the dimers were free to dissociate at low pH, and binding could be blocked by a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the fusion peptide, which is at the distal tip of the E monomer but is buried in the native dimer. Surprisingly, analysis of the membrane-associated sE proteins revealed that they had formed trimers. This was unexpected because this protein lacks a sequence element in the C-terminal stem-anchor region, which was shown to be essential for trimerization in the absence of a target membrane. It can therefore be concluded that the formation of a trimeric form of sE is facilitated by membrane binding. Its stability is apparently maintained by contacts between the ectodomains only and is not dependent on sequence elements in the stem-anchor region as previously assumed.