Influence of respiratory syncytial virus strain differences on pathogenesis and immunity

Molecular epidemiology studies have provided convincing evidence of antigenic and sequence variability among respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) isolates. Circulating viruses have been classified into two antigenic groups (A and B) that correlate with well-delineated genetic groups. Most sequence and antigenic differences (both inter- and intra-groups) accumulate in two hypervariable segments of the G-protein gene. Sequences of the G gene have been used for phylogenetic analyses. These studies have shown a worldwide distribution of RSV strains with both local and global replacement of dominant viruses with time. Although data are still limited, there is evidence that strain variation may contribute to differences in pathogenicity. In addition, there is some but limited evidence that RSV variation may be, at least partially, immune (antibody) driven. However, there is the paradox in RSV that, in contrast to other viruses (e.g., influenza viruses) the epitopes recognized by the most effective RSV-neutralizing antibodies are highly conserved. In contrast, antibodies that recognize strain-specific epitopes are poorly neutralizing. It is likely that this apparent contradiction is due to the lack of a comprehensive knowledge of the duration and specificities of the human antibody response against RSV antigens. Since there are some data supporting a group- (or clade-) specific antibody response after a primary infection in humans, it may be wise to consider the incorporation of strains representative of groups A and B (or their antigens) in future RSV vaccine development.Work in the Madrid laboratory is currently funded by grants GR09/0039 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III and SAF2009-11632 and SAF2012-31217 from Plan Nacional de I+D+i. Work in the Atlanta laboratory is supported by the following grants: NIH 1R01AI087798 and NIH 1U19AI095227.S

Time Management Matters: Online Faculty Perceptions of Helpfulness of Time Management Strategies

This study examined 256 faculty survey responses to determine perceptions of helpfulness of 24 time management strategies grouped into four categories defined by Berge (1995) as managerial, pedagogical, technical, and social. Findings indicate that establishing clear and specific expectations (M = 4.32) was perceived as the most helpful, followed by organizing content into modules or units (M = 4.28), which were both pedagogical time management strategies. Participants additionally responded to two open-ended items regarding the most and least helpful time management strategies. The open-ended responses were consistent with the survey findings. The relationship between faculty demographic factors and strategies showed that receiving training to teach online affected the faculty perceptions of technical time management strategies

Systematic Review of Adaptive Learning Research Designs, Context, Strategies, and Technologies From 2009 to 2018

This systematic review of research on adaptive learning used a strategic search process to synthesize research on adaptive learning based on publication trends, instructional context, research methodology components, research focus, adaptive strategies, and technologies. A total of 61 articles on adaptive learning were analyzed to describe the current state of research and identify gaps in the literature. Descriptive characteristics were recorded, including publication patterns, instructional context, and research methodology components. The count of adaptive learning articles published fluctuated across the decade and peaked in 2015. During this time, the largest concentration of adaptive learning articles appeared in Computers and Education. The majority of the studies occurred in higher education in Taiwan and the United States, with the highest concentration in the computer science discipline. The research focus, adaptive strategies, and adaptive technologies used in these studies were also reviewed. The research was aligned with various instructional design phases, with more studies examining design and development, and implementation and evaluation. For examining adaptive strategies, the authors examined both adaptive sources based on learner model and adaptive targets based on content and instructional model. Learning style was the most observed learner characteristic, while adaptive feedback and adaptive navigation were the most investigated adaptive targets. This study has implications for adaptive learning designers and future researchers regarding the gaps in adaptive learning research. Future studies might focus on the increasing availability and capacities of adaptive learning as a learning technology to assist individual learning and personalized growth

Professional Development Support for the Online Instructor: Perspectives of U.S. and German Instructors

With the increase in number of courses being offered online, there is an increase in the need for professional development support for instructors to teach online. The purpose of this study is to examine faculty perceptions on professional development needs for online teaching, specifically in the U.S. and in Germany. Based on a qualitative open-ended survey, four themes emerged on the professional development needs of instructors for administrative support, personnel support, pedagogical support and technology support. This study discusses specific areas of support in these themes and provides implications for administrators, faculty, and support staff

Andromeda's Parachute: A Bright Quadruply Lensed Quasar at z=2.377

We present Keck Cosmic Web Imager spectroscopy of the four putative images of the lensed quasar candidate J014709+463037 recently discovered by Berghea et al. (2017). The data verify the source as a quadruply lensed, broad absorption-line quasar having z_S = 2.377 +/- 0.007. We detect intervening absorption in the FeII 2586, 2600, MgII 2796, 2803, and/or CIV 1548, 1550 transitions in eight foreground systems, three of which have redshifts consistent with the photometric-redshift estimate reported for the lensing galaxy (z_L ~ 0.57). By virtue of their positions on the sky, the source images probe these absorbers over transverse physical scales of ~0.3-21 kpc, permitting assessment of the variation in metal-line equivalent width W_r as a function of sight-line separation. We measure differences in W_r,2796 of <40% across all sight-line pairs subtending 7-21 kpc, suggestive of a high degree of spatial coherence for MgII-absorbing material. W_r,2600 is observed to vary by >50% over the same scales across the majority of sight-line pairs, while CIV absorption exhibits a wide range in W_r,1548 differences of ~5-80% within transverse distances less than ~3 kpc. J014709+463037 is one of only a handful of z > 2 quadruply lensed systems for which all four source images are very bright (r = 15.4-17.7 mag) and are easily separated in ground-based seeing conditions. As such, it is an ideal candidate for higher-resolution spectroscopy probing the spatial variation in the kinematic structure and physical state of intervening absorbers.Comment: Submitted to ApJL. 9 pages, 3 figures. Uses aastex61 forma

Regular oscillations and random motion of glass microspheres levitated by a single optical beam in air

We experimentally report on optical binding of many glass particles in air that levitate in a single optical beam. A diversity of particle sizes and shapes interact at long range in a single Gaussian beam. Our system dynamics span from oscillatory to random and dimensionality ranges from 1 to 3D. The low loss for the center of mass motion of the beads could allow this system to serve as a standard many body testbed, similar to what is done today with atoms, but at the mesoscopic scale

Wedge states in string field theory

The wedge states form an important subalgebra in the string field theory. We review and further investigate their various properties. We find in particular a novel expression for the wedge states, which allows to understand their star products purely algebraically. The method allows also for treating the matter and ghost sectors separately. It turns out, that wedge states with different matter and ghost parts violate the associativity of the algebra. We introduce and study also wedge states with insertions of local operators and show how they are useful for obtaining exact results about convergence of level truncation calculations. These results help to clarify the issue of anomalies related to the identity and some exterior derivations in the string field algebra.Comment: 40 pages, 9 figures, v3: section 3.3 rewritten, few other corrections, set in JHEP styl

Long-term evaluation of a hospital-based violence intervention program using a regional health information exchange

BACKGROUND: Hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIP) aim to reduce violent-injury recidivism by providing intensive case management services to high-risk patients who were violently injured. Although HVIP have been found effective at reducing recidivism, few studies have sought to identity how long their effects last. Additionally, prior studies have been limited by the fact that HVIP typically rely on self-report or data within their own healthcare system to identify new injuries. Our aim was to quantify the long-term recidivism rate of participants in an HVIP program using more objective and comprehensive data from a regional health information exchange. METHODS: The study included 328 patients enrolled in Prescription for Hope (RxH), an HVIP, between January 2009 and August 2016. We obtained RxH participants' emergency department (ED) encounter data from a regional health information exchange database from the date of hospital discharge to February 2017. Our primary outcome was violent-injury recidivism rate of the RxH program. We also examined reasons for ED visits that were unrelated to violent injury. RESULTS: We calculated a 4.4% recidivism rate based on 8 years of statewide data, containing 1,575 unique encounters. More than 96% of participants were matched in the state database. Of the 15 patients who recidivated, only five were admitted for their injury. More than half of new violence-related injuries were treated outside of the HVIP-affiliated trauma center. The most common reasons for ED visits were pain (718 encounters), followed by suspected complications or needing additional postoperative care (181 encounters). Substance abuse, unintentional injuries, and suicidal ideation were also frequent reasons for ED visits. CONCLUSION: The low, long-term recidivism rate for RxH indicates that HVIPs have enduring positive effects on the majority of participants. Our results suggest that HVIP may further benefit patients by partnering with organizations that work to prevent suicide, substance use disorders, and other unintentional injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level III

Spectral aerosol extinction (SpEx): a new instrument for in situ ambient aerosol extinction measurements across the UV/visible wavelength range

We introduce a new instrument for the measurement of in situ ambient aerosol extinction over the 300– 700 nm wavelength range, the spectral aerosol extinction (SpEx) instrument. This measurement capability is envisioned to complement existing in situ instrumentation, allowing for simultaneous measurement of the evolution of aerosol optical, chemical, and physical characteristics in the ambient environment. In this work, a detailed description of the instrument is provided along with characterization tests performed in the laboratory. Measured spectra of NO2 and polystyrene latex spheres (PSLs) agreed well with theoretical calculations. Good agreement was also found with simultaneous aerosol extinction measurements at 450, 530, and 630 nm using CAPS PMex instruments in a series of 22 tests including nonabsorbing compounds, dusts, soot, and black and brown carbon analogs. SpEx measurements are expected to help identify the presence of ambient brown carbon due to its 300 nm lower wavelength limit compared to measurements limited to longer UV and visible wavelengths. Extinction spectra obtained with SpEx contain more information than can be conveyed by a simple power law fit (typically represented by Ångström exponents). Planned future improvements aim to lower detection limits and ruggedize the instrument for mobile operation