Chatbot Language - crowdsource perceptions and reactions to dialogue systems to inform dialogue design decisions.

Conversational User Interfaces (CUI) are widely used, with about 1.8 billion users worldwide in 2020. For designing and building CUI, dialogue designers have to decide on how the CUI communicates with users and what dialogue strategies to pursue (e.g. reactive vs. proactive). Dialogue strategies can be evaluated in user tests by comparing user perceptions and reactions to different dialogue strategies. Simulating CUI and running them online, for example on crowdsourcing websites, is an attractive avenue to collecting user perceptions and reactions, as they can be gathered time- and cost-effectively. However, developing and deploying a CUI on a crowd sourcing platform can be laborious and requires technical proficiency from researchers. We present Chatbot Language (CBL) as a framework to quickly develop and deploy CUI on crowd sourcing platforms, without requiring a technical background. CBL is a library with specialized CUI functionality, which is based on the high-level language JavaScript. In addition, CBL provides scripts that use the API of the crowd sourcing platform Mechanical Turk (MT) in order to (a) create MT Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs) and (b) retrieve the results of those HITs. We used CBL to run experiments on MT and present a sample workflow as well as an example experiment. CBL is freely available and we discuss how CBL can be used now and may be further developed in the future.

Choice of parvovirus model for validation studies influences the interpretation of the effectiveness of a virus filtration step.

Different parvoviruses are used interchangeably as models in validation studies to demonstrate effective clearance of small viruses by filtration in the manufacturing of biotherapeutics. The aim of these experiments was to determine if filtration of different parvoviruses (canine parvovirus [CPV], minute virus of mice [MVM], and porcine parvovirus [PPV]) results in similar virus retention. While filtration with a Planova™ 20 N filter (mean pore size: 19 ±â€¯2 nm) completely removed PPV and MVM from the filtrate (mean log reduction factors [LRFs] ≥5.8 to ≥7.3 log10), CPV was only partly retained (3.6 log10) in a series of single and co-spike experiments. Additional co-spike experiments in 2 different feedstreams using 10 commercially available small pore filters confirmed these results; the LRF for CPV was around 2 log10 lower than for MVM and PPV. A sizing study using filters with mean pore sizes between 16.5 and 19 nm resulted in complete removal of CPV only with smaller pore sizes (17 and 16.5 nm). CPV behaves differently to MVM and PPV in viral filtration due to its apparent smaller size, suggesting CPV represents a worst-case model for other parvoviruses. Interpretation of efficacy and robustness of virus filtration thus depends on the choice of model virus.

Effective inactivation of a wide range of viruses by pasteurization.

BACKGROUND: Careful selection and testing of plasma reduces the risk of blood-borne viruses in the starting material for plasma-derived products. Furthermore, effective measures such as pasteurization at 60°C for 10 hours have been implemented in the manufacturing process of therapeutic plasma proteins such as human albumin, coagulation factors, immunoglobulins, and enzyme inhibitors to inactivate blood-borne viruses of concern. A comprehensive compilation of the virus reduction capacity of pasteurization is presented including the effect of stabilizers used to protect the therapeutic protein from modifications during heat treatment. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The virus inactivation kinetics of pasteurization for a broad range of viruses were evaluated in the relevant intermediates from more than 15 different plasma manufacturing processes. Studies were carried out under the routine manufacturing target variables, such as temperature and product-specific stabilizer composition. Additional studies were also performed under robustness conditions, that is, outside production specifications. RESULTS: The data demonstrate that pasteurization inactivates a wide range of enveloped and nonenveloped viruses of diverse physicochemical characteristics. After a maximum of 6 hours' incubation, no residual infectivity could be detected for the majority of enveloped viruses. Effective inactivation of a range of nonenveloped viruses, with the exception of nonhuman parvoviruses, was documented. CONCLUSION: Pasteurization is a very robust and reliable virus inactivation method with a broad effectiveness against known blood-borne pathogens and emerging or potentially emerging viruses. Pasteurization has proven itself to be a highly effective step, in combination with other complementary safety measures, toward assuring the virus safety of final product.

Pathogen safety and characterisation of a highly purified human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor preparation.

Alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (A1PI) deficiency is a genetic condition predisposing to emphysema. Respreeza/Zemaira, a therapeutic preparation of A1PI, is prepared from human plasma. This article describes the purity and stability of Respreeza/Zemaira and the capacity of virus and prion reduction steps incorporated into its manufacturing process. Purity and stability of Respreeza/Zemaira were analysed using established methods. To test pathogen clearance capacity, high levels of test viruses/prions were spiked into aliquots of production intermediates and clearance studies were performed for selected manufacturing steps, under production and robustness conditions, using validated scale-down models. Respreeza/Zemaira had a purity of 99% A1PI and consisted of 96% monomers. It remained stable after storage for 3 years at 25 °C. Specific activity was 0.895 mg active A1PI/mg protein. Pasteurisation inactivated enveloped viruses and the non-enveloped hepatitis A virus. 20 N/20 N virus filtration was highly effective and robust at removing all tested viruses, including parvoviruses, to below the limit of detection. Cold ethanol fractionation provided substantial reduction of prions. The manufacturing process of Respreeza/Zemaira ensures the production of a stable and pure product. Taking into consideration the donor selection process, the testing of donations, and the highly effective virus and prion reduction, Respreeza/Zemaira has a high safety margin.

Pathogen safety of a pasteurized four-factor human prothrombin complex concentrate preparation using serial 20N virus filtration.

BACKGROUND: Beriplex P/N/Kcentra/Coaplex/Confidex is a four-factor human prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC). Here, we describe the pathogen safety profile and biochemical characteristics of an improved manufacturing process that further enhances the virus safety of Beriplex P/N. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Samples of product intermediates were spiked with test viruses, and prions were evaluated under routine production and robustness conditions of the scale-down version of the commercial manufacturing process for their capacity to inactivate or remove pathogens. The PCC was characterized by determining the activity of Factor (F)II, FVII, FIX, FX, protein C, and protein S and the concentration of heparin and antithrombin III in nine product lots. RESULTS: The manufacturing process had a very high virus reduction capacity for a broad variety of virus challenges (overall reduction factors ≥15.5 to ≥18.4 log for enveloped viruses and 11.5 to ≥11.9 log for nonenveloped viruses). The high virus clearance capacity was provided by two dedicated virus reduction steps (pasteurization and serial 20N virus filtration) that provided effective inactivation and removal of viruses and a purification step (ammonium sulfate precipitation and adsorption to calcium phosphate) that contributed to the overall virus removal capacity. The diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) chromatography and ammonium sulfate precipitation steps removed prions to below the limit of detection. The levels of different clotting factors in the final product were well balanced. CONCLUSION: The improved manufacturing process of Beriplex P/N further enhances the margin of pathogen safety based on its capacity to remove and inactivate a wide range of virus challenges.