Could Open Research benefit Cambridge University researchers?

This is a write-up of the discussions had during the “Improving the research process: discussing an ‘open research’ policy” event held by the Office of Scholarly Communication on the 8th of June 2016. A corrected version of this write-up was added to this record on the 3rd of August 2016. A correction has been made to Alasdair Russell's affiliation

The Framework Catalogue of Digital Competences

The Framework Catalogue of Digital Competences Justyna Jasiewicz, Mirosław Filiciak, Anna Mierzecka, Kamil Śliwowski, Andrzej Klimczuk, Małgorzata Kisilowska, Alek Tarkowski & Jacek Zadrożny Centrum Cyfrowe Projekt: Polska (2015

Endothelial function assessment in atherosclerosis: Comparison of brachial artery flow‑mediated vasodilation and peripheral arterial tonometry

INTRODUCTION Endothelial dysfunction, characterized by the loss of nitric oxide bioavailability, is a key element in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and an important prognostic factor in cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the development of reliable, safe, and noninvasive methods of endothelial function assessment is important for their use in cardiovascular risk stratification. Brachial artery flow‑mediated dilation (FMD) is widely used in research but technical difficulties and problems with calibration between laboratories limit its clinical use. Reactive hyperemia–peripheral artery tonometry (RH‑PAT, EndoPAT) has been developed as a simpler, cheaper, and potentially more reproducible method. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate associations between RH‑PAT and FMD in relation to atherosclerotic risk factor profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study involved 80 subjects (52 men, 28 women) aged 43.6 ±14.8 years, with moderate‑to‑low cardiovascular risk (mean SCORE, 2.2% ±2%), in whom FMD, RH‑PAT, and intima–media thickness (IMT) were determined. RESULTS The reactive hyperemia index (RHI) measured by RH‑PAT correlated with FMD (r = 0.35, P <0.01). However, no significant correlation was observed between RHI and IMT, SCORE, or the number of classical atherosclerotic risk factors (hypertension, smoking, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia), while FMD was significantly correlated with IMT (r = –0.53, P <0.001), risk factors (r = –0.55, P <0.05), and SCORE (r = –0.4, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Despite its technical requirements, FMD is a more sensitive method than RH‑PAT in evaluating the effect of classical atherosclerotic risk factors on vascular endothelial function. Microvasculature response during RH‑PAT needs to be further studied, including the assessment of nonendothelial factors that may affect the measurements, before RH‑PAT becomes the universal tool for the evaluation of the endothelial cells

Analiza środowiskowych uwarunkowań lokalizacji osadnictwa ze starszej i środkowej epoki kamienia na Pojezierzu Lubuskim. Zastosowanie drzew klasyfikacyjno-regresyjnych

The article presents results of the study of environmental variables influencing location of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic settlement in Pojezierze Lubuskie. A new method of predicting archaeological sites location has been suggested, based on classification and regression trees (CART), including nine natural variables. A detailed model has been designed illustrating dependency between these natural variables and intensity of prehistoric activity. The study, results have been also presented on the map, which systematisies and presents, in a coherent manner, a model of human presence in Palaeolithic and esolithic periods

Marina El-Alamein Polish-Egyptian conservation mission : research and conservation in the 2011 season

In 2011, the program of the Polish-Egyptian Conservation Mission to Marina el-Alamein included research and conservation in the public quarter of the ancient town, at the necropolis and in a few houses. The mission focused on the anastylosis of the superstructure of a large tomb (T17), and continued work in the area south of the Forum, where remains of Roman public baths from the 2nd to the 4th century AD have survived. Current maintenance and conservation work was carried out as usual in some of the ancient Roman houses in the eastern part of the site

A “new” late medieval stronghold in the region of the Bnin lakes (Błażejewo, Kórnik commune, Wielkopolska voivodeship)

The document from 1422, published in Codex Diplomatics Maioris Poloniae (volume VIII, 1989, No. 935), refers to a fortified mansion from Błażejewo at the Bnin Lake, located about 25 km SE from Poznań. The article presents results of archaeological and geological search of this construction that was undertaken in the year 2000. It was further confronted with other written sources referring to medieval history of two Wielkopolska magnate’s houses: Grzymała and Łodzia-Bniński. The article is an important contribution to the recognition of the late medieval fortified architecture in the Wielkopolska region.The document from 1422, published in Codex Diplomatics Maioris Poloniae (volume VIII, 1989, No. 935), refers to a fortified mansion from Błażejewo at the Bnin Lake, located about 25 km SE from Poznań. The article presents results of archaeological and geological search of this construction that was undertaken in the year 2000. It was further confronted with other written sources referring to medieval history of two Wielkopolska magnate’s houses: Grzymała and Łodzia-Bniński. The article is an important contribution to the recognition of the late medieval fortified architecture in the Wielkopolska region

Th17 responses are not altered by natural exposure to seasonal allergens in pollen-sensitive patients

Background: Allergic rhinitis affects 10–30 % of the global population and this number is likely to increase in the forthcoming years. Moreover, it commonly co-exists with allergic asthma as a chronic allergic respiratory syndrome. While the involvement of Th2 cells in allergy is well understood, alterations of pro-inflammatory Th17 responses remain poorly characterized. The aim of our study was to determine whether natural seasonal allergen exposure causes changes in T cell subset characteristics in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. Methods: Sixteen patients with allergic rhinitis/atopic asthma (9M, 7F; age 31.8 ± 12.1) and 16 healthy controls were recruited into the study (9M, 7F; age 31.2 ± 5.3). Blood samples were collected from the patients 1–3 months before pollen season (visit 1), within 7 days of the appearance of pollen/initiation of allergic symptoms (visit 2) and 2 weeks after visit 2 following the introduction of symptomatic treatment with antihistamines (visit 3). Flow cytometry was used to assess major T cell subsets (naïve, central memory, effector memory and CD45RA+ effector) and key T cell cytokine production (IFNγ, IL-17A, TNF and IL-4) using intracellular staining. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and paired t test. Results: As expected, an increase in the percentage of IL‐4+ CD4+ cells was observed during natural pollen exposure in patients with allergic respiratory syndrome. No significant changes were observed in the production of other cytokines, including Th17 cells, which tended to be lower than in the control population but unchanged during pollen exposure. Introduction of antihistamine treatment led to only moderate changes in cytokine production from CD4 and CD8 T cells. Selective changes in CD8+ T cells were observed during natural pollen exposure including a decrease in transient cells (with features of CD45RA+ and CD45RO+ cells) and a decrease in the percentage of central memory cells in the peripheral circulation. Within the CD4 cell group the total percentage of CD45RA positive CD4 cells was increased during pollen exposure. Conclusions: Th1 and Th17 responses are not altered during pollen season but allergen exposure affects T cell activation and memory cell status in patients with allergic respiratory syndrome

Ramowy Katalog Kompetencji Cyfrowych

Ramowy Katalog Kompetencji Cyfrowych Justyna Jasiewicz, Mirosław Filiciak, Anna Mierzecka, Kamil Śliwowski, Andrzej Klimczuk, Małgorzata Kisilowska, Alek Tarkowski & Jacek Zadrożny Centrum Cyfrowe Projekt: Polska (2015