More sugar with your “T”: The title candidates comprising per‐glycosylated MUC1 peptides, a T‐cell helper peptide, and an immunoadjuvant were assembled in high yields using iterative pentafluorophenyl ester‐mediated fragment condensations. Following immunological evaluation, a tricomponent vaccine bearing clustered glycosylation with the T‐antigen was identified (see structure) which elicited high IgG antibody titers in murine models without an external adjuvant.

In this study, we investigated fifth-graders’ (n=52) fall literacy, academic language, and motivation, and how these skills predicted fall and spring comprehension monitoring on an eye movement task. Comprehension monitoring was defined as the identification and repair of misunderstandings when reading text. In the eye movement task, children read two sentences; the second included either a plausible or implausible word in the context of the first sentence. Stronger readers had shorter reading times overall suggesting faster processing of text. Generally fifth-graders reacted to the implausible word (i.e., longer gaze duration on the implausible v. the plausible word, which reflects lexical access). Students with stronger academic language, compared to those with weaker academic language, generally spent more time re-reading the implausible target compared to the plausible target. This difference increased from fall to spring. Results support the centrality of academic language for meaning integration, setting standards of coherence, and utilizing comprehension repair strategies.

SummaryThe immunomodulatory effects of probiotics were assessed following exposure of normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) ,

The type I IFNs exert a range of activities that include antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory effects. To study this further, we have constructed recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing HIV or hemagglutinin (HA) Ags along with murine type I IFNs, IFN-α4 (HA-VV-IFN-α4), IFN-β (HA-VV-IFN-β), or IFN-ε (HIV-VV-IFN-ε), a recently discovered member of this family. Our aims were to characterize IFN-ε functionality as a type I IFN and also to study the biological properties of these factors toward the development of safer and more effective vector-based vaccines. HIV-VV-IFN-ε and HA-VV-IFN-β grew to lower titers than did their parental controls in murine cell lines. In vivo, however, HIV-VV-IFN-ε growth was not attenuated, while IFN-β demonstrated potent local antiviral activity with no replication of HA-VV-IFN-β detected. Flow cytofluorometric analysis of B lymphocytes incubated with virally encoded IFN-ε showed up-regulation of activation markers CD69 and CD86, while RT-PCR of IFN-ε-treated cells revealed that gene expression levels of antiviral proteins were elevated, indicating the induction of an antiviral state. The use of these constructs in a poxvirus prime-boost immunization regime led to robust humoral and cellular immune responses against the encoded Ags, despite the lack of replication in the case of HA-VV-IFN-β. Thus, coexpression of these factors may be beneficial in the design of safer vector-based vaccines. Our data also indicate that while IFN-ε exhibits certain biological traits similar to other type I IFNs, it may also have a specific role in mucosal immune regulation that is quite distinct.

We examined classrooms as complex systems that affect students’ literacy learning through interacting effects of content and amount of time individual students spent in literacy instruction along with the global quality of the classroom-learning environment. We observed 27 third grade classrooms serving 315 target students using two different observation systems. The first assessed instruction at a more micro-level; specifically, the amount of time individual students spent in literacy instruction defined by the type of instruction, role of the teacher, and content. The second assessed the quality of the classroom-learning environment at a more macro level focusing on classroom organization, teacher responsiveness, and support for vocabulary and language. Results revealed that both global quality of the classroom learning environment and time individual students spent in specific types of literacy instruction covering specific content interacted to predict students’ comprehension and vocabulary gains whereas neither system alone did. These findings support a dynamic systems model of how individual children learn in the context of classroom literacy instruction and the classroom-learning environment, which can help to improve observations systems, advance research, elevate teacher evaluation and professional development, and enhance student achievement.