Be-SAFE: Responding to Opioid Overdose Victims Outside the Emergency Department

The Be-SAFE process originated as a question this author posed in regard to scene safety when attempting to extricate an opioid overdose victim from a private vehicle outside the emergency department (ED) entrance. No such safe standard of care for ED nurses currently existed. Through a collaborative team effort, a process titled Be-SAFE was developed to serve as a standard of care in regard to this dilemma while using law enforcement as an additional aide towards securing the scene. An iBook was developed and research was conducted using this technology as a method to train members of ED teams in the Be-SAFE process. Multiple educational offerings were delivered at ED’s across an organizational service line in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pre and post-tests were evaluated after utilizing the iBook and performing hands on demonstrations. The research has been disseminated in a variety of ways, being presented at local, regional, and national conferences. The research has been published in two scholarly articles. The iBook is offered free to members of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) around the world

Création automatique d'un dictionnaire des régimes des verbes du français

Les dictionnaires de valence sont utiles dans plusieurs tâches en traitement automatique des langues. Or, les dictionnaires de qualité de ce type sont créés au moins en partie manuellement; ils nécessitent donc beaucoup de ressources et sont difficiles à mettre à jour. De plus, plusieurs de ces ressources ne prennent pas en compte les différents sens des lemmes, qui sont pourtant importants puisque les arguments sélectionnés ont tendance à varier selon le sens du verbe. Dans ce mémoire, nous créons automatiquement un dictionnaire de valence des verbes du français qui tient compte de la polysémie. Nous extrayons 20 000 exemples de phrases pour chacun des 2 000 verbes les plus fréquents du franc¸ais. Nous obtenons ensuite les plongements lexicaux de ces verbes en contexte à l’aide d’un modèle de langue monolingue et de deux modèles de langue multilingues. Puis, nous utilisons des algorithmes de regroupement pour induire les différents sens de ces verbes. Enfin, nous analysons automatiquement les phrases à l’aide de différents analyseurs syntaxiques afin de trouver leurs arguments. Nous déterminons que la combinaison du modèle de langue français CamemBERT et d’un algorithme de regroupement agglomératif offre les meilleurs résultats dans la tâche d’induction de sens (58,19% de F1 B3), et que pour l’analyse syntaxique, Stanza est l’outil qui a les meilleures performances (83,29% de F1). En filtrant les cadres syntaxiques obtenus à l’aide d’une estimation de la vraisemblance maximale, une méthode statistique très simple qui permet de trouver les paramètres les plus vraisemblables d’un modèle de probabilité qui explique nos données, nous construisons un dictionnaire de valence qui se passe presque complètement d’intervention humaine. Notre procédé est ici utilisé pour le français, mais peut être utilisé pour n’importe quelle autre langue pour laquelle il existe suffisamment de données écrites.Valency dictionaries are useful for many tasks in automatic language processing. However, quality dictionaries of this type are created at least in part manually; they are therefore resource-intensive and difficult to update. In addition, many of these resources do not take into account the different meanings of lemmas, which are important because the arguments selected tend to vary according to the meaning of the verb. In this thesis, we automatically create a French verb valency dictionary that takes polysemy into account. We extract 20 000 example sentences for each of the 2 000 most frequent French verbs. We then obtain the lexical embeddings of these verbs in context using a monolingual and two multilingual language models. Then, we use clustering algorithms to induce the different meanings of these verbs. Finally, we automatically parse the sentences using different parsers to find their arguments. We determine that the combination of the French language model CamemBERT and an agglomerative clustering algorithm offers the best results in the sense induction task (58.19% of F1 B3), and that for syntactic parsing, Stanza is the tool with the best performance (83.29% of F1). By filtering the syntactic frames obtained using maximum likelihood estimation, a very simple statistical method for finding the most likely parameters of a probability model that explains our data, we build a valency dictionary that almost completely dispenses with human intervention. Our procedure is used here for French, but can be used for any other language for which sufficient written data exists

Feasibility study on the use of side channel pumps for low viscosity fluids, with fracking or other hydrocarbon processing applications

LectureSide channel pumps typically are used in applications with low specific speed. The ratio of the low flow and high head tends to result in this niche product, located in between the classical displacement and centrifugal pumps, but uniting the advantages of both. Best experience in the design of these multistage ring section pumps is in using bearing bushings in the stages that are lubricated by the pumping media itself. This guarantees them to be low in service and maintenance time and cost and the pump has no need for another lubricant which contaminates the pumped media. The side channel pumps are a good solution for use with low density (below 5.8 lb/gal / 700 kg/m3), and low viscosity hydrocarbons (lower than 4.3e-8 lbf s/in2 / 0.3 cP), e.g. in fracking applications or petro- chemical use. The investigated side channel pump is able to generate and handle high pressures at low flows, but in a number of hydrocarbon applications with low viscosities, low NPSH-values or with relatively high percentage of entrained gas, some material failure in the bearings is discovered. The working principle of the pump and the performance characteristic is briefly explained. One of those characteristics is a highly transient pulsating pressure, resulting in high forces on the shaft and the impeller. The reasons for the pulsation and some methods to deal with the resulting forces are shown and explained. The high radial load, together with the low viscosity, could lead to an overload of the standard bearings and material failure. New journal bearings have to be designed. Some other possible solutions and ways to deal with the high forces are shown. The head and efficiency curves are tested on a test rig and the results are compared to numerical investigations. The pulsations and the force are determined in numerical investigations. The NPSH-value is measured and an optimized NPSH-impeller is designed and manufactured using Rapid-Prototyping. The newly manufactured impeller is compared to the original design, manufactured in two different ways (sand casting and investment casting). In the end, a modified pump, ready for the use in hydrocarbon-processing and fracking applications with amounts of gas and a low NPSH requirement is presented and the characteristics are tested on a test-rig, applying affinity laws

Mouse Models of Heterologous Flavivirus Immunity: A Role for Cross-Reactive T Cells

Most of the world is at risk of being infected with a flavivirus such as dengue virus, West Nile virus, yellow fever virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and Zika virus, significantly impacting millions of lives. Importantly, many of these genetically similar viruses co-circulate within the same geographic regions, making it likely for individuals living in areas of high flavivirus endemicity to be infected with multiple flaviviruses during their lifetime. Following a flavivirus infection, a robust virus-specific T cell response is generated and the memory recall of this response has been demonstrated to provide long-lasting immunity, protecting against reinfection with the same pathogen. However, multiple studies have shown that this flavivirus specific T cell response can be cross-reactive and active during heterologous flavivirus infection, leading to the question: How does immunity to one flavivirus shape immunity to the next, and how does this impact disease? It has been proposed that in some cases unfavorable disease outcomes may be caused by lower avidity cross-reactive memory T cells generated during a primary flavivirus infection that preferentially expand during a secondary heterologous infection and function sub optimally against the new pathogen. While in other cases, these cross-reactive cells still have the potential to facilitate cross-protection. In this review, we focus on cross-reactive T cell responses to flaviviruses and the concepts and consequences of T cell cross-reactivity, with particular emphasis linking data generated using murine models to our new understanding of disease outcomes following heterologous flavivirus infection

Raster zur Evaluation von Software für das Sprachenlernen

Die informelle Arbeitsgruppe "Medial gestütztes, selbstorganisiertes Lernen" im Bereich Fremdsprachenunterricht trifft sich seit rund drei Jahren regelmässig (unter dem Namen "Nachtclub") und beschäftigt sich mit medial unterstütztem Sprachenlernen. Die Arbeitsgruppe ist breit zusammengesetzt: länderübergreifend (Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz), zielgruppenübergreifend (Erwachsenenbildung und Universität) und sprachenübergreifend (Software für Deutsch, Englisch, Französisch usw.). Das gemeinsame Ziel des "Nachtclub" ist es, Kriterien für die Beurteilung von mediengestützten Angeboten (Lernsoftware, Webseiten) für das Lernen von Fremdsprachen zu entwickeln und auf dieser Grundlage unabhängige Rezensionen zu erstellen. Die Beurteilungen werden in der Form einer Online-Datenbank der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht und sollen als Nachschlagewerk und Entscheidungshilfe für Lehrpersonen, LernberaterInnen, MediathekarInnen usw. dienen. Vorgesehen ist die Publikation der Rezensionen unter der Internetadresse www.nachtclub.org. Dort findet man auch das leere Raster in elektronischer Form auf Deutsch, Französisch und Englisch (Winword-Datei / PDF-Datei) sowie Beispiele von Rezensionen, die mit dem Raster erstellt worden sind. (Diese Dateien sind auch von hier abzurufen

Zika virus pathogenesis in rhesus macaques is unaffected by pre-existing immunity to dengue virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a re-emerging virus that has recently spread into dengue virus (DENV) endemic regions and cross-reactive antibodies (Abs) could potentially affect ZIKV pathogenesis. Using DENV-immune serum, it has been shown in vitro that antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of ZIKV infection can occur. Here we study the effects of pre-existing DENV immunity on ZIKV infection in vivo. We infect two cohorts of rhesus macaques with ZIKV; one cohort has been exposed to DENV 2.8 years earlier and a second control cohort is naïve to flaviviral infection. Our results, while confirming ADE in vitro, suggest that pre-existing DENV immunity does not result in more severe ZIKV disease. Rather our results show a reduction in the number of days of ZIKV viremia compared to naïve macaques and that the previous exposure to DENV may result in modulation of the immune response without resulting in enhancement of ZIKV pathogenesis

Inhibition of CaMKK2 Enhances Fracture Healing by Stimulating Indian Hedgehog Signaling and Accelerating Endochondral Ossification

Approximately 10% of all bone fractures do not heal, resulting in patient morbidity and healthcare costs. However, no pharmacological treatments are currently available to promote efficient bone healing. Inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) reverses age-associated loss of trabecular and cortical bone volume and strength in mice. In the current study, we investigated the role of CaMKK2 in bone fracture healing and show that its pharmacological inhibition using STO-609 accelerates early cellular and molecular events associated with endochondral ossification, resulting in a more rapid and efficient healing of the fracture. Within 7 days postfracture, treatment with STO-609 resulted in enhanced Indian hedgehog signaling, paired-related homeobox (PRX1)-positive mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) recruitment, and chondrocyte differentiation and hypertrophy, along with elevated expression of osterix, vascular endothelial growth factor, and type 1 collagen at the fracture callus. Early deposition of primary bone by osteoblasts resulted in STO-609–treated mice possessing significantly higher callus bone volume by 14 days following fracture. Subsequent rapid maturation of the bone matrix bestowed fractured bones in STO-609–treated animals with significantly higher torsional strength and stiffness by 28 days postinjury, indicating accelerated healing of the fracture. Previous studies indicate that fixed and closed femoral fractures in the mice take 35 days to fully heal without treatment. Therefore, our data suggest that STO-609 potentiates a 20% acceleration of the bone healing process. Moreover, inhibiting CaMKK2 also imparted higher mechanical strength and stiffness at the contralateral cortical bone within 4 weeks of treatment. Taken together, the data presented here underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting CaMKK2 to promote efficacious and rapid healing of bone fractures and as a mechanism to strengthen normal bones