Peeps, beemers and scooby-doos: exploring community value among Scottish cruisers

Using an ethnographic approach which combines impromptu interviews, participant observation and analysis of online computer mediated communication we explore the consumer culture which surrounds the Scottish cruiser community. The on-going study uses the conceptual framework of neo-tribal consumption, exploring forms of ephemeral and emotional communities which cohere around the car. Our analysis suggests that the cultural practices of customization and the performance of the cruise make explicit a shared sense of collective consciousness which expresses the construction of community value which emerges from such ephemeral gatherings

A Selective Prostaglandin E₂ Receptor Subtype 2 (EP2) Antagonist Increases the Macrophage-Mediated Clearance of Amyloid-Beta Plaques

A high-throughput screen resulted in the discovery of benzoxazepine <b>1</b>, an EP2 antagonist possessing low microsomal stability and potent CYP3A4 inhibition. Modular optimization of lead compound <b>1</b> resulted in the discovery of benzoxazepine <b>52</b>, a molecule with single-digit nM binding affinity for the EP2 receptor and significantly improved microsomal stability. It was devoid of CYP inhibition and was ∼4000-fold selective against the other EP receptors. Compound <b>52</b> was shown to have good PK properties in CD-1 mice and high CNS permeability in C57Bl/6s mice and Sprague–Dawley rats. In an ex vivo assay, it demonstrated the ability to increase the macrophage-mediated clearance of amyloid-beta plaques from brain slices in a dose-dependent manner

Simulation Study of the Effect of Influenza and Influenza Vaccination on Risk of Acquiring Guillain-Barre Syndrome

It is unclear whether seasonal influenza vaccination results in a net increase or decrease in the risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). To assess the effect of seasonal influenza vaccination on the absolute risk of acquiring GBS, we used simulation models and published estimates of age- and sex-specific risks for GBS, influenza incidence, and vaccine effectiveness. For a hypothetical 45-year-old woman and 75-year-old man, excess GBS risk for influenza vaccination versus no vaccination was –0.36/1 million vaccinations (95% credible interval –1.22% to 0.28) and –0.42/1 million vaccinations (95% credible interval, –3.68 to 2.44), respectively. These numbers represent a small absolute reduction in GBS risk with vaccination. Under typical conditions (e.g. influenza incidence rates >5% and vaccine effectiveness >60%), vaccination reduced GBS risk. These findings should strengthen confidence in the safety of influenza vaccine and allow health professionals to better put GBS risk in context when discussing influenza vaccination with patients