A new paradigm for SpeckNets:inspiration from fungal colonies

In this position paper, we propose the development of a new biologically inspired paradigm based on fungal colonies, for the application to pervasive adaptive systems. Fungal colonies have a number of properties that make them an excellent candidate for inspiration for engineered systems. Here we propose the application of such inspiration to a speckled computing platform. We argue that properties from fungal colonies map well to properties and requirements for controlling SpeckNets and suggest that an existing mathematical model of a fungal colony can developed into a new computational paradigm

Broad-host range expression vectors containing manipulated meta-cleavage pathway regulatory elements of the TOL plasmid

AbstractThe construction of pERD20 and pERD21, two broad-host range expression vectors, is described. The vectors contain the Pm promoter of the meta-cleavage pathway operon of the TOL plasmid pWWO; this promoter is present within a polylinker which provides a number of downstream cloning sites close to the transcription initiation site. Transcription from the Pm promoter in these vectors is controlled not by the natural positive regulator of Pm, the Xy1S protein, but by an Xy1S mutant analogue, Xy1S2tr6, which ??hibits an altered effector specificity and can mediate a 3–8-fold higher level of transcription than can Xy1S in a wide range of temperatures. Controlled expression of cloned genes can be achieved in a broad spectrum of Gram negative bacteria grown at a wide range of temperatures

Type and timing of heralding in ST-elevation and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: an analysis of prospectively collected electronic healthcare records linked to the national registry of acute coronary syndromes.

AIMS: It is widely thought that ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is more likely to occur without warning (i.e. an unanticipated event in a previously healthy person) than non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), but no large study has evaluated this using prospectively collected data. The aim of this study was to compare the evolution of atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular risk between people going on to experience STEMI and NSTEMI. METHODS: We identified patients experiencing STEMI and NSTEMI in the national registry of myocardial infarction for England and Wales (Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project), for whom linked primary care records were available in the General Practice Research Database (as part of the CALIBER collaboration). We compared the prevalence and timing of atherosclerotic disease and major cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia, between patients later experiencing STEMI to those experiencing NSTEMI. RESULTS: A total of 8174 myocardial infarction patients were included (3780 STEMI, 4394 NSTEMI). Myocardial infarction without heralding by previously diagnosed atherosclerotic disease occurred in 71% STEMI (95% CI 69-72%) and 50% NSTEMI patients (95% CI 48-51%). The proportions of myocardial infarctions with no prior atherosclerotic disease, major risk factors, or chest pain was 14% (95% CI 13-16%) in STEMI and 9% (95% CI 9-10%) in NSTEMI. The rate of heralding coronary diagnoses was particularly high in the 12 months before infarct; 4.1-times higher (95% CI 3.3-5.0) in STEMI and 3.6-times higher (95% CI 3.1-4.2) in NSTEMI compared to the rate in earlier years. CONCLUSIONS: Acute myocardial infarction occurring without prior diagnosed coronary, cerebrovascular, or peripheral arterial disease was common, especially for STEMI. However, there was a high prevalence of risk factors or symptoms in patients without previously diagnosed disease. Better understanding of the antecedents in the year before myocardial infarction is required

Effect of β blockers on mortality after myocardial infarction in adults with COPD: Population based cohort study of UK electronic healthcare records

Objectives: To investigate whether the use and timing of prescription of β blockers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) having a first myocardial infarction was associated with survival and to identify factors related to their use. Design: Population based cohort study in England. Setting: UK national registry of myocardial infarction (Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP)) linked to the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), 2003-11. Participants: Patients with COPD with a first myocardial infarction in 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2008 as recorded in MINAP, who had no previous evidence of myocardial infarction in their GPRD or MINAP record. Data were provided by the Cardiovascular Disease Research using Linked Bespoke studies and Electronic Health Records (CALIBER) group at University College London. Main outcome measure: Cox proportional hazards ratio for mortality after myocardial infarction in patients with COPD in those prescribed β blockers or not, corrected for covariates including age, sex, smoking status, drugs, comorbidities, type of myocardial infarction, and severity of infarct. Results: Among 1063 patients with COPD, treatment with β blockers started during the hospital admission for myocardial infarction was associated with substantial survival benefits (fully adjusted hazard ratio 0.50, 95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.69; P<0.001; median follow-up time 2.9 years). Patients already taking a β blocker before their myocardial infarction also had a survival benefit (0.59, 0.44 to 0.79; P<0.001). Similar results were obtained with propensity scores as an alternative method to adjust for differences between those prescribed and not prescribed β blockers. With follow-up started from date of discharge from hospital, the effect size was slightly attenuated but there was a similar protective effect of treatment with β blockers started during hospital admission for myocardial infarction (0.64, 0.44 to 0.94; P=0.02). Conclusions: The use of β blockers started either at the time of hospital admission for myocardial infarction or before a myocardial infarction is associated with improved survival after myocardial infarction in patients with COPD. Registration: NCT01335672

Predicting mortality after acute coronary syndromes in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Objective To assess the accuracy of Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores in predicting mortality at 6 months for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to investigate how it might be improved. Methods Data were obtained on 481 849 patients with acute coronary syndrome admitted to UK hospitals between January 2003 and June 2013 from the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP) database. We compared risk of death between patients with COPD and those without COPD at 6 months, adjusting for predicted risk of death. We then assessed whether several modifications improved the accuracy of the GRACE score for people with COPD. Results The risk of death after adjusting for GRACE score predicted that risk of death was higher for patients with COPD than that for other patients (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.33). Adding smoking into the GRACE score model did not improve accuracy for patients with COPD. Either adding COPD into the model (relative risk (RR) 1.00, 0.94 to 1.02) or multiplying the GRACE score by 1.3 resulted in better performance (RR 0.99, 0.96 to 1.01). Conclusions GRACE scores underestimate risk of death for people with COPD. A more accurate prediction of risk of death can be obtained by adding COPD into the GRACE score equation, or by multiplying the GRACE score predicted risk of death by 1.3 for people with COPD. This means that one third of patients with COPD currently classified as low risk should be classified as moderate risk, and could be considered for more aggressive early treatment after non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina

Weaponising microbes for peace

There is much human disadvantage and unmet need in the world, including deficits in basic resources and services considered to be human rights, such as drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, healthy nutrition, access to basic healthcare, and a clean environment. Furthermore, there are substantive asymmetries in the distribution of key resources among peoples. These deficits and asymmetries can lead to local and regional crises among peoples competing for limited resources, which, in turn, can become sources of discontent and conflict. Such conflicts have the potential to escalate into regional wars and even lead to global instability. Ergo: in addition to moral and ethical imperatives to level up, to ensure that all peoples have basic resources and services essential for healthy living and to reduce inequalities, all nations have a self-interest to pursue with determination all available avenues to promote peace through reducing sources of conflicts in the world. Microorganisms and pertinent microbial technologies have unique and exceptional abilities to provide, or contribute to the provision of, basic resources and services that are lacking in many parts of the world, and thereby address key deficits that might constitute sources of conflict. However, the deployment of such technologies to this end is seriously underexploited. Here, we highlight some of the key available and emerging technologies that demand greater consideration and exploitation in endeavours to eliminate unnecessary deprivations, enable healthy lives of all and remove preventable grounds for competition over limited resources that can escalate into conflicts in the world. We exhort central actors: microbiologists, funding agencies and philanthropic organisations, politicians worldwide and international governmental and non-governmental organisations, to engage – in full partnership – with all relevant stakeholders, to ‘weaponise’ microbes and microbial technologies to fight resource deficits and asymmetries, in particular among the most vulnerable populations, and thereby create humanitarian conditions more conducive to harmony and peace.Natural History Museum; Indian National Science Academ

Difficult at dusk? Illuminating the debate on cricket ball visibility

Objectives: Investigate the visibility of new and old red, white and pink cricket balls under lighting and background conditions experienced during a day–night cricket match. Design: We modelled the luminance contrast signals available for a typical observer for a ball against backgrounds in a professional cricket ground, at different times of day. Methods: Spectral reflectance (light reflected as a function of wavelength) was derived from laboratory measurements of new and old red, white and pink balls. We also gathered spectral measurements from backgrounds (pitch, grass, sightscreens, crowd, sky) and spectral illuminance during a day–night match (natural afternoon light, through dusk to night under floodlights) from Lord's Cricket Ground (London, UK). The luminance contrast of the ball relative to the background was calculated for each combination of ball, time of day, and background surface. Results: Old red and old pink balls may offer little or no contrast against the grass, pitch and crowd. New pink balls can also be of low contrast against the crowd at dusk, as can pink and white balls (of any age) against the sky at dusk. Conclusions: Reports of difficulties with visibility of the pink ball are supported by our data. However, our modelling also shows that difficulties with visibility may also be expected under certain circumstances for red and white balls. The variable conditions in a cricket ground and the changing colour of an ageing ball make maintaining good visibility of the ball a challenge when playing day–night matches

Data Resource Profile: Cardiovascular disease research using linked bespoke studies and electronic health records (CALIBER)

The goal of cardiovascular disease (CVD) research using linked bespoke studies and electronic health records (CALIBER) is to provide evidence to inform health care and public health policy for CVDs across different stages of translation, from discovery, through evaluation in trials to implementation, where linkages to electronic health records provide new scientific opportunities. The initial approach of the CALIBER programme is characterized as follows: (i) Linkages of multiple electronic heath record sources: examples include linkages between the longitudinal primary care data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, the national registry of acute coronary syndromes (Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project), hospitalization and procedure data from Hospital Episode Statistics and cause-specific mortality and social deprivation data from the Office of National Statistics. Current cohort analyses involve a million people in initially healthy populations and disease registries with ∼105 patients. (ii) Linkages of bespoke investigator-led cohort studies (e.g. UK Biobank) to registry data (e.g. Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project), providing new means of ascertaining, validating and phenotyping disease. (iii) A common data model in which routine electronic health record data are made research ready, and sharable, by defining and curating with meta-data >300 variables (categorical, continuous, event) on risk factors, CVDs and non-cardiovascular comorbidities. (iv) Transparency: all CALIBER studies have an analytic protocol registered in the public domain, and data are available (safe haven model) for use subject to approvals. For more information, e-mail [email protected]