Evolution of the solar wind structure in the outer heliosphere

Shocks and interaction regions play very important roles in the evolution of large-scale solar wind structure in the outer heliosphere. This study is based on (1) plasma and magnetic field data observed from Voyager and Pioneer spacecraft, and (2) a quantitative magnetohydrodynamic simulation model. Interaction regions bounded by a forward and a reverse shock begin to form near 1 AU at the leading edges of a large-scale stream. The total pressure in the region is greater than the ambient pressure by a factor of ten or more. Large jumps in pressure remain as a prominant feature of the interplanetary structure even as the jumps in flow speed become less visible in the outer heliosphere. The propagation of the forward and reverse shocks widens the dimension of an interaction region. As a result, two interaction regions belonging to neighboring streams coalesce to form a merged interaction region (MIR). Collision and merging of shocks take place during the coalescence process. Two MIRs can themselves merge again at greater heliocentric distances. Simulation results agree well with spacecraft observations, and they explain major restructuring of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere

Coalescence of two pressure waves associated with stream interactions

An MHD unsteady 1-D model is used to simulate the interaction and coalescence of two pressure waves in the outer heliosphere. Each of the two pressure waves was a compression region bounded by a shock pair. Computer simulation using Voyager data as input demonstrates the interaction and coalescence process involving one pressure wave associated with a fast stream and the other pressure wave without a fast stream. The process produced a significant change in the magnetic field and plasma signatures. The propagation of the forward and reverse shocks first widened the radial dimension of the shock compression region with increasing heliocentric distances. The shocks belonging to two neighboring compression regions eventually collided and two compression regions began to overlap with each other. This type of interaction is a dominant dynamical process in the outer heliosphere, and significantly and irreversible alters the structure of the medium

Behavioral Assessment of Job-Related Skills: Implications for Learning Disabled Young Adults

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.Th is study, using direct observation and measurement techniques, analyzed the occupational skills of these two groups. The results showed that the employed adults performed significantly better on each of the thirteen job-related skills involved in the occupational skills assessment . These differences were found consistent across job-finding and job-retention skills. These findings suggest that an important role for employment counselors might be to teach the skills involved in finding and retaining employment to unemployed persons

Behavioral Assessment of Occupational Skills of Learning Disabled Adolescents

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.This study, using direct observation and measurement techniques, analyzed the differences in occupational skills among learning disabled youths and their non-learning disabled peers . The results showed low levels of employment-related skills for both groups of high school adolescents . However, the non-LD high school students performed significantly better on the job-related skills. These differences were more marked for non-social interaction skills. These findings suggest the need for the development of employment preparation methods designed to teach the skills involved in finding and retaining employment

Development and Validation of an Occupational Skills Assessment Instrument

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.The development and validation of an occupational skills assessment instrument is described. The instrument was designed to describe accurately a participant's actual level of occupational skills in a variety of job-related situations. The results showed that: (a) the situations involved in the assessment were considered by participants and employment experts to be important and representative, (b) the satisfaction ratings of employment experts were correlated with the observed performance of participants, and (c) participant performance as observed with the behavioral assessment instrument was correlated with observations using another method of measuring job-related behavior. These findings suggest that the occupational skills assessment instrument is a reliable and valid method of determining a person's skill in job-related situations

Teaching Job-Related Social Skills to Learning Disabled Adolescents

This research was published by the KU Center for Research on Learning, formerly known as the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.Previous research has indicated that LD adolescents perform poorly on a test of employment-related social skills (Mathews, Whang, & Fawcett, in press). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of training procedures designed to teach various job-related social skills to learning disabled adolescents. Six job-related social skills were trained using written instructional materials and role-playing practice to criterion. The results showed that the learning disabled adolescents performed the skills in role-playing situations better after training than before training. Generalization measures taken at the adolescents place of employment also suggest the generality of the training effects to actual work environments

Risk Factors for Arthralgias or Myalgias Associated with Quinupristin‐Dalfopristin Therapy

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90134/1/phco.23.2.159.32078.pd

Synthetic DNA immunotherapy in biochemically relapsed prostate cancer

Background: INO-5150 (PSA and PSMA) +/- INO-9012 (IL-12), a synthetic DNA immunotherapy, was assessed for safety, immunogenicity and efficacy in biochemically recurrent prostate cancer patients (pts). Methods: Phase I, open-label, multi-center study in the US included pts with rising PSA after surgery and/or RT, PSA doubling time (PSADT) \u3e3 months (mos), testosterone \u3e150 ng/dL and no concurrent ADT. Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy (PSA kinetics, PFS) were evaluated in 4 treatment arms of 15 pts each. Arms A: 2mg INO-5150, B: 8.5 mg INO-5150, C: 2mg INO-5150 + 1mg INO-9012 and D: 8.5mg INO-5150 + 1mg INO-9012. Pts received 4 IM doses of vaccine followed by electroporation on day 0, wks 3, 12 and 24 and were followed for 72 wks. Results: 50/61 (82%) pts completed all visits and treatments were well tolerated with no safety concerns. Median PFS for overall population [N = 61, baseline (D0) PSADT range (mos) 1.5-217.1, median 9.8] and for a subset of pts with D0 PSADT ≤12mos (N = 36) has not yet been reached (FU 3-19 mos). 86% of pts with D0 PSADT ≤12 mos were progression free through 19mos FU. 27 out of 36 (75%) pts with D0 PSADT≤ 12 mos had disease stabilization at wks 27 evidenced by significant improvement in log2PSA change over time (slope) and PSADT from D0 (Slope=0.19 declined to 0.1, PSADT=5.3 improved to 10.1 mos, p = \u3c0.0001). This effect was maintained at wk 72 (Slope=0.09, PSADT=10.6, p = \u3c0.0001). Immunogenicity was observed in 77% (47/61) of pts by multiple immunologic assessments. Patient immunogenicity to INO-5150 as determined by CD38 and Perforin + CD8 T cell immune reactivity correlated with attenuated % PSA rise compared to pts without reactivity (p = 0.05, n = 50). Conclusions: INO-5150 +/- INO-9012 was safe, well tolerated and immunogenic. Clinical efficacy was observed in the patients with D0 PSADT≤ 12 mos as evidenced by a significant dampening of log2PSA change over time and increased PSADT up to 72 weeks FU. Additional genomic analyses are ongoing to further elucidate the correlation of immunologic efficacy and clinical benefit. (NCT02514213)