Recruitment in a research study via chatbot versus telephone outreach: a randomized trial at a minority-serving institution.

Chatbots are software applications to simulate a conversation with a person. The effectiveness of chatbots in facilitating the recruitment of study participants in research, specifically among racial and ethnic minorities, is unknown. The objective of this study is to compare a chatbot versus telephone-based recruitment in enrolling research participants from a predominantly minority patient population at an urban institution.

Why is adiabatic compressed air energy storage yet to become a viable energy storage option?

Recent theoretical studies have predicted that adiabatic compressed air energy storage (ACAES) can be an effective energy storage option in the future. However, major experimental projects and commercial ventures have so far failed to yield any viable prototypes. Here we explore the underlying reasons behind this failure.

Planning for sustainable cities by estimating building occupancy with mobile phones.

Accurate occupancy is crucial for planning for sustainable buildings. Using massive, passively-collected mobile phone data, we introduce a novel framework to estimate building occupancy at unprecedented scale. We show that, at urban-scale, occupancy differs widely from current estimates based on building types.

A glutamatergic network mediates lithium response in bipolar disorder as defined by epigenome pathway analysis.

Aim: A regulatory network in the human brain mediating lithium response in bipolar patients was revealed by analysis of functional SNPs from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and published gene association studies, followed by epigenome mapping.

Methods: An initial set of 23,312 SNPs in linkage disequilibrium with lead SNPs, and sub-threshold GWAS SNPs rescued by pathway analysis, were studied in the same populations. These were assessed using our workflow and annotation by the epigenome roadmap consortium.

Diagnostic Prediction of Von Willebrand Disease using Multiple Bleeding Phenomics Datasets.

The rigorous assessment of bleeding symptoms is a key component in establishing a diagnosis in patients suspected of having von Willebrand disease (VWD) and other inherited bleeding disorders. Multiple bleeding questionnaires have been developed and validated to capture bleeding history phenotypes for assessing patients with bleeding disorders. In this study we developed a prediction model based on Naïve Bayes decision tree classifier by analyzing various phenotypic attributes derived from multiple bleeding questionnaires.

Creating an ontology-based human phenotyping system: The Rockefeller University bleeding history experience.

The lack of standardized methods for human phenotyping is a major obstacle in translational science. We have developed a bleeding history phenotyping system comprising an ontology, a questionnaire, a Web-based phenotype recording instrument (PRI), and a database. The ontology facilitates transparency, collaboration, aggregation of data, and data analysis.

Development and evaluation of a study design typology for human research.

A systematic classification of study designs would be useful for researchers, systematic reviewers, readers, and research administrators, among others. As part of the Human Studies Database Project, we developed the Study Design Typology to standardize the classification of study designs in human research. We then performed a multiple observer masked evaluation of active research protocols in four institutions according to a standardized protocol.