Squeaky Wheel: Thomas Bernhard and A Party for Boris

Though productions of his plays are extremely rare in North America, Austrian Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) is one of the pillars of the European repertory, especially in theatrically progressive Germany. His bellicose, radically composed comedies teem with a discontentment tempered by sophisticated humor and astonishingly realistic relationships, all within the framework of a vehement non-Realism. This document chronicles my research into geo-political events and societal elements that shaped Bernhard, and my inquiries into the subject matter and style of his play A Party for Boris (Ein Fest fr Boris), which I have chosen to direct as my thesis production at York University

Performance Characteristics of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Modified Asphalt

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is utilized primarily in food and beverage packaging. Although a portion of waste PET is recycled, the majority of the waste is buried in landfills. Therefore, the use of ground PET particles in asphalt may provide an environmentally friendly solution for the disposal of large quantities of PET waste. This study evaluated the performance of PET as an asphalt modifier with both asphalt binder and asphalt mixture testing. The binder testing was conducted on wet process blends produced with a high shear mixer at PET contents of 5, 10, and 15 percent by weight of the binder. Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) and Rotational Viscosity (RV) tests were performed on the unaged and Rolling Thin Film Oven (RTFO) aged mixtures. The mixture tests were conducted on the PET modified mixtures in both wet and dry process, and an unmodified control mixture. The wet and dry process mixtures contained 10% PET by weight of the binder. The mixture performance tests included Asphalt Pavement Analyzer (APA) rutting test, retrofitted APA Hamburg test, Indirect Tensile Strength (ITS), and Asphalt mixture Performance Tester (AMPT) dynamic modulus. The results showed: 1) the addition of PET increased the high temperature performance resulting in a bump in PG grade. Additionally, the viscosity and resulting workability of the modified binders were not adversely affected. 2) PET modified mixtures have higher maximum specific gravity and lower bulk specific gravity than the control mixture. 3) The wet process mixture exhibited better rutting resistance and a higher TSR than the control in ITS testing. 4) The dry process mixture exhibited better resistance to permanent moisture damage in APA Hamburg testing and also exhibited a higher TSR than the control in ITS testing. 5) The modified mixtures exhibited lower E* and higher phase angles than the control in AMPT modulus testing

Multiplex qPCR Discriminates Variants of Concern to Enhance Global Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2

With the emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants that may increase transmissibility and/or cause escape from immune responses, there is an urgent need for the targeted surveillance of circulating lineages. It was found that the B.1.1.7 (also 501Y.V1) variant, first detected in the United Kingdom, could be serendipitously detected by the Thermo Fisher TaqPath COVID-19 PCR assay because a key deletion in these viruses, spike Δ69-70, would cause a spike gene target failure (SGTF) result. However, a SGTF result is not definitive for B.1.1.7, and this assay cannot detect other variants of concern (VOC) that lack spike Δ69-70, such as B.1.351 (also 501Y.V2), detected in South Africa, and P.1 (also 501Y.V3), recently detected in Brazil. We identified a deletion in the ORF1a gene (ORF1a Δ3675-3677) in all 3 variants, which has not yet been widely detected in other SARS-CoV-2 lineages. Using ORF1a Δ3675-3677 as the primary target and spike Δ69-70 to differentiate, we designed and validated an open-source PCR assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 VOC. Our assay can be rapidly deployed in laboratories around the world to enhance surveillance for the local emergence and spread of B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1

Combining genomic and epidemiological data to compare the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha and Iota.

SARS-CoV-2 variants shaped the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the discourse around effective control measures. Evaluating the threat posed by a new variant is essential for adapting response efforts when community transmission is detected. In this study, we compare the dynamics of two variants, Alpha and Iota, by integrating genomic surveillance data to estimate the effective reproduction number (Rt) of the variants. We use Connecticut, United States, in which Alpha and Iota co-circulated in 2021. We find that the Rt of these variants were up to 50% larger than that of other variants. We then use phylogeography to show that while both variants were introduced into Connecticut at comparable frequencies, clades that resulted from introductions of Alpha were larger than those resulting from Iota introductions. By monitoring the dynamics of individual variants throughout our study period, we demonstrate the importance of routine surveillance in the response to COVID-19

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201

Fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin with gemtuzumab ozogamicin improves event-free survival in younger patients with newly diagnosed aml and overall survival in patients with npm1 and flt3 mutations

Purpose To determine the optimal induction chemotherapy regimen for younger adults with newly diagnosed AML without known adverse risk cytogenetics. Patients and Methods One thousand thirty-three patients were randomly assigned to intensified (fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and idarubicin [FLAG-Ida]) or standard (daunorubicin and Ara-C [DA]) induction chemotherapy, with one or two doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO). The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Results There was no difference in remission rate after two courses between FLAG-Ida + GO and DA + GO (complete remission [CR] + CR with incomplete hematologic recovery 93% v 91%) or in day 60 mortality (4.3% v 4.6%). There was no difference in OS (66% v 63%; P = .41); however, the risk of relapse was lower with FLAG-Ida + GO (24% v 41%; P < .001) and 3-year event-free survival was higher (57% v 45%; P < .001). In patients with an NPM1 mutation (30%), 3-year OS was significantly higher with FLAG-Ida + GO (82% v 64%; P = .005). NPM1 measurable residual disease (MRD) clearance was also greater, with 88% versus 77% becoming MRD-negative in peripheral blood after cycle 2 (P = .02). Three-year OS was also higher in patients with a FLT3 mutation (64% v 54%; P = .047). Fewer transplants were performed in patients receiving FLAG-Ida + GO (238 v 278; P = .02). There was no difference in outcome according to the number of GO doses, although NPM1 MRD clearance was higher with two doses in the DA arm. Patients with core binding factor AML treated with DA and one dose of GO had a 3-year OS of 96% with no survival benefit from FLAG-Ida + GO. Conclusion Overall, FLAG-Ida + GO significantly reduced relapse without improving OS. However, exploratory analyses show that patients with NPM1 and FLT3 mutations had substantial improvements in OS. By contrast, in patients with core binding factor AML, outcomes were excellent with DA + GO with no FLAG-Ida benefit

A two-zone model to predict inhalation exposure to toxic chemicals in cleaning products

textThe use of cleaning products can lead to indoor concentrations of toxic air contaminants above regulatory levels. Studies show that the use of cleaning products is related to adverse respiratory health effects in adults ranging from irritation to asthma. Yet exposure to these chemicals is poorly understood. This thesis summarizes the current state of knowledge of inhalation exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer cleaning products. A new two-compartment model that treats personal air space as distinct from bulk room air is presented. The model accounts for air exchange between the two compartments and fresh air, dynamic source characteristics (i.e., the time-varying liquid concentrations and emission rates of pollutants within a mixture), the characteristics of chemical use (e.g., how frequently a cleaning chemical is applied to a new area), and reactive chemistry with ozone. The model’s applicability is restricted by limited data available for parameterization. Key components that are missing include composition data for consumer cleaning products and activity patterns. Extensive effort went into calculating the air exchange rate between the two zones. Twelve computational fluid dynamic simulations and two model scenarios were completed. The predicted concentration in the inner-zone (Cin) was divided by the room concentration predicted by the traditional well-mixed model (Cwm). Concentration ratios (Cin/Cwm) ranged from 1.1 to 700. In terms of real cleaning events, results indicate that the beginning (where the only emission source is near the person) of events taking place in large indoor environments with high air exchange rates are the situations for which well-mixed models are most likely to fail in predicting actual exposures.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin

Inhalation exposures during cleaning activities

textStudies show that the use of cleaning products is related to adverse respiratory health effects ranging from irritation to asthma. Yet exposure to these chemicals is poorly understood. This dissertation summarizes the current state of knowledge of inhalation exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer cleaning products. An improved two-zone model that treats personal air space as distinct from bulk room air is presented. The model accounts for air exchange between the two zones, dynamic source characteristics (i.e., the time-varying liquid concentrations and emission rates of pollutants within a mixture), and the characteristics of chemical use (e.g., how frequently a cleaning chemical is applied to a new area). To assess exposure to cleaning products and validate the improved two-zone model twenty-three experiments, encompassing six cleaning scenarios, were completed in an environmentally-controlled chamber with a thermal mannequin. Then, the model was used to predict exposure for four hypothetical cleaning scenarios and compared against other models. The model's applicability is restricted by limited data available for parameterization. At low air exchange rates gas-phase experimental results show concentrations in the breathing-zone of the mannequin exceeded concentrations predicted by the well-mixed model by factors up to 2.1. Breathing-zone concentrations also exceed those measured at centralized room monitors by factors up to 6.1. Thus, studies that use the centralized room monitors or the well-mixed model as a surrogate for breathing-zone concentrations could potentially underpredict exposure at low air exchange rates. The two-zone model provides the best prediction of exposure to cleaning tasks, at low air exchange rates. The next best model is the well-mixed model with an exponentially decreasing emission rate, followed by the well-mixed model with a constant emission rate. At high air exchange rates the well-mixed assumption appears to be valid. The inner-zonal volume and inter-zonal air exchange were independent of fresh air ventilation rate. But both were dependant on the mannequin's body position, with standing having the highest inner-zonal volume and lowest intra-zonal air exchange rate of the three body positions investigates (standing, bent over 45°, and hands and knees).Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin