BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants

 This document details some of the support you can receive from Loughborough University Library regarding the BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants. </p

NIHR position on the sharing of research data: support from the Library

This document details some of the support you can receive from Loughborough University Library regarding the NIHR position on the sharing of research data.</p

Which clinical parameters predict a CSF diagnosis of meningitis in a population with high HIV prevalence?

Background. The HIV epidemic has changed the aetiology of meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa, and frontline clinicians are faced with a variety of meningitic presentations. Doctors working in resource-limited settings have the challenge of appropriately selecting patients for lumbar puncture (LP), a potentially risky procedure that requires laboratory analysis.Methods. In a rural South African hospital, the practice of performing LPs was audited against local guidelines. Data were collected retrospectively between February and June 2013. Symptoms and signs of meningitis, HIV status, investigations performed prior to LP and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results were recorded. With the aim of determining statistically significantclinical predictors of meningitis, parameters were explored using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.Results. A total of 107 patients were included, of whom 43% had an  abnormal CSF result. The majority (76%) of patients were HIV-positive (CD4+ cell count &lt;200 cells/ìl in 46%). Cryptococcal meningitis (CCM) was the most prevalent microbiological diagnosis, confirmed in 10 out of 12 patients. Of the non-microbiological diagnoses, lymphocytic predominance was the most common abnormality, present in 17 out of 33 patients. Confusion (p=0.011) was the most statistically significant predictor of anabnormal CSF result. Headache (p=0.355), fever (p=0.660) and  photophobia (p=0.634) were not statistically predictive.Conclusion. The high incidence of CCM correlates with previous data from sub-Saharan Africa. In populations with high HIV prevalence, the classic meningitic symptoms of headache, fever and photophobia, while common presenting symptoms, are significantly less predictive of a meningitis diagnosis than confusion

Exploring the concept of scope to provide better security for internet services.

The Internet was originally designed to support universal reachability by allowing any host to communicate with any end server over the globe. Unfortunately, this feature has been abused by attackers to overload the servers with malicious traffic. In order to deal with this situation, many mechanisms such as Firewalls and Access Lists have been introduced to restrict servers’ accessibility only to legitimate users. This paper discusses some of these mechanisms, highlights their pros and cons and then proposes a new mechanism that attempts to limit a server’s reachability based on its operational scope

Financial Report, 2007

https://irl.umsl.edu/cab/1185/thumbnail.jp

Providing security in 4G systems: unveiling the challenges

Several research groups are working on designing new security architectures for 4G networks such as Hokey and Y-Comm. Since designing an efficient security module requires a clear identification of potential threats, this paper attempts to outline the security challenges in 4G networks. A good way to achieve this is by investigating the possibility of extending current security mechanisms to 4G networks. Therefore, this paper uses the X.805 standard to investigate the possibility of implementing the 3G’s Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) protocol in a 4G communication framework such as YComm. The results show that due to the fact that 4G is an open, heterogeneous and IP-based environment, it will suffer from new security threats as well as inherent ones. In order to address these threats without affecting 4G dynamics, Y-Comm proposes an integrated security module to protect data and security models to target security on different entities and hence protecting not only the data but, also resources, servers and users

Simulating electromagnetic field inside small aircraft from wireless camera equipment

This work forms part of the project HIRF SE which is financially supported under the European Union 7th Framework Programme (FP7). The authors are solely responsible for the contents of the paper which does not represent the opinion of the European Commission.The proliferation of wireless systems has urged the aviation industry to consider the exploitation of such a technology to introduce new services and to curtail its cabling weight requirements. Nevertheless, prior to implementing such communication systems, manufactures must ensure that the paramount criterion of aircraft safety is unaffected and thus the potential electromagnetic (EM) field posed on aircraft equipment must be carefully assessed and respective countermeasures taken. To this end, this paper adopts a frequency-domain based three-dimensional ray tracing algorithm, based on geometrical optics to compute the EM field generated from the use of wireless camera equipment transmitting at 2.4 GHz inside the cabin of a typical business jet. The model comprehensively considers the various propagation methodologies utilized by multipath signals to provide a holistic understanding of the resultant average field strength incident at each location inside the fuselage.peer-reviewe

Default Effects, Transaction Costs, and Imperfect Information

経済学 / EconomicsWe develop a decision framework with imperfect information to analyze the effects of transaction costs on the tendency for individuals to remain with a default option. We demonstrate how transaction costs can be a more important source of such default effects than commonly thought. A further, potentially surprising result shows that transaction costs are able to explain why some forms of default effects increase with the number of options.JEL Classification Codes: D03, D83http://www.grips.ac.jp/list/jp/facultyinfo/munro_alistair

Enabling human pluripotent stem cell derived megakaryocyte

Annually 4.5 million platelet units are transfused in Europe and the United States. These are obtained solely from allogeneic donations and have a shelf life of 5-7 days. To address the corresponding supply challenge, Moreau et al. have devised a novel process for producing megakaryocytes (MKs, the platelet precursor cell) in vitro. A transcription-factor driven, forward-programming approach converts human pluripotent stem cells into MKs. This strategy has the unique advantage of generating high yields of pure MKs in chemically defined medium through the establishment of 2-3 month long-term cultures. This could lead to the production of a consistent, reliable supply of platelets which overcomes the logistical, financial and biosafety challenges for health organisations worldwide. However to enable commercialisation of platelet manufacture, process optimisation and scale-up are essential. Medium can contribute a significant proportion of the cost of a cell based product. We have used tissue culture flasks to represent static culture and compared this to a scaled-down automated bioreactor system (ambr15, Sartorius) to evaluate feasibility and optimisation factors for the growth of forward programmed (FoP) MKs in scalable stirred-suspension culture. The medium supply and exchange strategy were analysed using high temporal resolution growth curves for three medium exchange regimes. We assessed the productivity of the medium, showing that approximately 1.3 million cells are produced per millilitre of medium. Common metabolites lactate and ammonium were unlikely to be limiting proliferation and only 20% of glucose was depleted. Using novel deterministic modelling software developed by our group, we have constructed a model of forward-programmed MKs growth. Based on inhibitor production, the model demonstrates the most efficient expansion strategy using the exchange strategies and observed growth characteristics of proliferating populations. Cell populations were identified using flow cytometry and phenotype analysis. This type of mechanistic modelling can be used to inform and optimise manufacturing strategy for scaled production of FoPMKs for platelet production and more generally for the manufacturing of cell based therapies