Standardizing Extracted Data Using Automated Application of Controlled Vocabularies.

BACKGROUND: Extraction of toxicological end points from primary sources is a central component of systematic reviews and human health risk assessments. To ensure optimal use of these data, consistent language should be used for end point descriptions. However, primary source language describing treatment-related end points can vary greatly, resulting in large labor efforts to manually standardize extractions before data are fit for use. OBJECTIVES: To minimize these labor efforts, we applied an augmented intelligence approach and developed automated tools to support standardization of extracted information via application of preexisting controlled vocabularies. METHODS: We created and applied a harmonized controlled vocabulary crosswalk, consisting of Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) codes, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) DevTox harmonized terms, and The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) end point vocabularies, to roughly 34,000 extractions from prenatal developmental toxicology studies conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and 6,400 extractions from European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) prenatal developmental toxicology studies, all recorded based on the original study report language. RESULTS: We automatically applied standardized controlled vocabulary terms to 75% of the NTP extracted end points and 57% of the ECHA extracted end points. Of all the standardized extracted end points, about half (51%) required manual review for potential extraneous matches or inaccuracies. Extracted end points that were not mapped to standardized terms tended to be too general or required human logic to find a good match. We estimate that this augmented intelligence approach saved >350 hours of manual effort and yielded valuable resources including a controlled vocabulary crosswalk, organized related terms lists, code for implementing an automated mapping workflow, and a computationally accessible dataset. DISCUSSION: Augmenting manual efforts with automation tools increased the efficiency of producing a findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) dataset of regulatory guideline studies. This open-source approach can be readily applied to other legacy developmental toxicology datasets, and the code design is customizable for other study types. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13215.

Computational application of internationally harmonized defined approaches to skin sensitization: DASS App.

BACKGROUND: Chemically induced skin sensitization, or allergic contact dermatitis, is a common occupational and public health issue. Regulatory authorities require an assessment of potential to cause skin sensitization for many chemical products. Defined approaches for skin sensitization (DASS) identify potential chemical skin sensitizers by integrating data from multiple non-animal tests based on human cells, molecular targets, and computational model predictions using standardized data interpretation procedures. While several DASS are internationally accepted by regulatory agencies, the data interpretation procedures vary in logical complexity, and manual application can be time-consuming or prone to error. RESULTS: We developed the DASS App, an open-source web application, to facilitate user application of three regulatory testing strategies for skin sensitization assessment: the Two-out-of-Three (2o3), the Integrated Testing Strategy (ITS), and the Key Event 3/1 Sequential Testing Strategy (KE 3/1 STS) without the need for software downloads or computational expertise. The application supports upload and analysis of user-provided data, includes steps to identify inconsistencies and formatting issues, and provides predictions in a downloadable format. CONCLUSION: This open-access web-based implementation of internationally harmonized regulatory guidelines for an important public health endpoint is designed to support broad user uptake and consistent, reproducible application. The DASS App is freely accessible via https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/952311 and all scripts are available on GitHub ( https://github.com/NIEHS/DASS ).

Application of Defined Approaches to Assess Skin Sensitization Potency of Isothiazolinone Compounds.

Introduction: Isothiazolinones (ITs) are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics and as additives for preservation of consumer and industrial products to control bacteria, fungi, and algae. Although they are effective biocides, they have the potential to produce skin irritation and sensitization, which poses a human health hazard. In this project, we evaluated nonanimal defined approaches (DAs) for skin sensitization that can provide point-of-departure estimates for use in quantitative risk assessment for ITs. Materials and Methods: The skin sensitization potential of six ITs was evaluated using three internationally harmonized nonanimal test methods: the direct peptide reactivity assay, KeratinoSens™, and the human cell line activation test. Results from these test methods were then applied to two versions of the Shiseido Artificial Neural Network DA. Results: Sensitization hazard or potency predictions were compared with those of the in vivo murine local lymph node assay (LLNA). The nonanimal methods produced skin sensitization hazard and potency classifications concordant with those of the LLNA. EC3 values (the estimated concentration needed to produce a stimulation index of three, the threshold positive response) generated by the DAs had less variability than LLNA EC3 values, and confidence limits from the DAs overlapped those of the LLNA EC3 for most substances. Conclusion: The application of in silico models to in chemico and in vitro skin sensitization data is a promising data integration procedure for DAs to support hazard and potency classification and quantitative risk assessment.

HIV infection and aging: a personal journey.

This personal account of living with HIV infection/AIDS was written by Jim Truax, a gay man living in Toronto who is 67 years old. His discourse briefly chronicles his health, life, and AIDS activism since testing HIV seropositive in 1991.

Synthesis and evaluation of 7-substituted-3-cyclobutylamino-4H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide derivatives as K(ATP) channel agonists.

A series of 7-substituted-3-cyclobutylamino-4H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine-1,1-dioxide derivatives has been synthesized and evaluated as K(ATP) channel agonists using the inside-out excised patch clamp technique. The most active compounds were approximately 20-fold more potent than diazoxide in opening K(ATP) channels. A linear relationship exists between the potency of the compound and the sigma value of the 7-substituent with electron-withdrawing groups exhibiting higher activity. These compounds may be useful in modulating insulin release from pancreatic beta-cells and in diseases associated with hyperinsulinemia.