What we know now : education, neuroscience and transdisciplinary autism research

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Big Data and Data Ownership Rights: The Case of Car Insurance

Customers’ data points sources are growing, through the Internet of Things (IoT), telematics and interfacing with third parties’ platforms. Third parties provide either by-product data about their clients, or data that are generated for the specific task of a more accurate measurement of behaviour. One of the core building blocks in insurance is understanding risk – therefore, innovation around data points (sources and analytics) to proxy risk is the engine behind its digital transformation. While the value of data points is clear for the providers of insurance products and services, the customers have not only less control over their data, but also hardly benefit from the creation of those data points. In this paper we provide a case study from the British car insurance industry, about a data-driven product that pivoted into a re-designed personal data right architecture, which included transparency, traceability and usability of customers’ digital traces, and enabled customers’ ownership rights over their data.publishedVersionPaid open Acces

Natural Resource Conservation: Clothing

Clothing, Textiles and Merchandisin

An investigation to determine the cause of haemorrhagic enteritis in commercial pig grower units in the northern parts of South Africa

Necropsies were performed on 36 grower pigs that died peracutely on farms in the northern parts of South Africa. All these pigs were suffering from haemorrhagic enteritis and suspected toxaemia. Samples of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were taken for histopathological examination and a section of ileum was collected for microbiological examination from each animal. Histological lesions characteristic of enterotoxigenic Clostridium infection were found. Large, Gram-positive bacilli were sometimes abundant in sections and mucosal smears of the intestine. However, only 40% of the cultures were positive for Clostridium perfringens

Isolation of Plasmodium berghei ookinetes in culture using Nycodenz density gradient columns and magnetic isolation

BACKGROUND: Large scale in vitro production of the mosquito stages of malaria parasites remains elusive, with only limited success for complete sporogonic development and only one report of development through to infective sporozoites. The initial step in this process is the production, in vitro, of ookinetes from gametocytaemic blood. Methods for isolation of these ookinetes from blood cells have been described; however, in addition to yield often being low, processing time and potential for contamination by erythrocytes remain high. METHODS: This study compares two procedures for retaining mature ookinetes from blood stage cultures, whilst removing red blood cells and other contaminants prior to further culture of the parasite. The well established method of isolation on Nycodenz cushions is compared with a novel method utilizing the innate magnetic properties of the haem pigment crystals found in the cytoplasm of ookinetes. RESULTS: Yield and viability of ookinetes were similar with both isolation methods. However, in our hands magnetic isolation produced a cleaner ookinete preparation much more quickly. Moreover, decreasing the flow rate through the magnetic column could further enhance the yield. CONCLUSION: We recommend the enrichment of an ookinete preparation prior to further culture being performed using the magnetic properties of Plasmodium berghei ookinetes as an alternative to their density. The former technique is faster, removes more erythrocytes, but day-to-day costs are greater

Trends in HIV testing and recording of HIV status in the UK primary care setting: a retrospective cohort study 1995-2005

Objectives: To provide nationally representative data on trends in HIV testing in primary care and to estimate the proportion of diagnosed HIV positive individuals known to general practitioners (GPs). Methods: We undertook a retrospective cohort study between 1995 and 2005 of all general practices contributing data to the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD), and data on persons accessing HIV care (Survey of Prevalent HIV Infections Diagnosed). We identified all practice-registered patients where an HIV test or HIV positive status is recorded in their general practice records. HIV testing in primary care and prevalence of recorded HIV positive status in primary care were estimated. Results: Despite 11-fold increases in male testing and 19-fold increases in non-pregnant female testing between 1995 and 2005, HIV testing rates remained low in 2005 at 71.3 and 61.2 tests per 100 000 person years for males and females, respectively, peaking at 162.5 and 173.8 per 100 000 person years at 25–34 years of age. Inclusion of antenatal tests yielded a 129-fold increase in women over the 10-year period. In 2005, 50.7% of HIV positive individuals had their diagnosis recorded with a lower proportion in London (41.8%) than outside the capital (60.1%). Conclusion: HIV testing rates in primary care remain low. Normalisation of HIV testing and recording in primary care in antenatal testing has not been accompanied by a step change in wider HIV testing practice. Recording of HIV positive status by GPs remains low and GPs may be unaware of HIV-related morbidity or potential drug interactions

Professional Organizations for Pharmacy Students on Satellite Campuses

Objective. To evaluate the structure and impact of student organizations on pharmacy school satellite campuses

Protracted Protection to \u3ci\u3ePlasmodium berghei\u3c/i\u3e Malaria Is Linked to Functionally and Phenotypically Heterogeneous Liver Memory CD\u3csup\u3e8+\u3c/sup\u3e T Cells\u3csup\u3e1\u3c/sup\u3e

We previously demonstrated that protection induced by radiation-attenuated (y) Plasmodium berghei sporozoites is linked to MHC class I-restricted CD8+ T cells specific for exoerythrocytic-stage Ags, and that activated intrahepatic memory CD8+ T cells are associated with protracted protection. In this study, we further investigated intrahepatic memory CD8+ T cells to elucidate mechanisms required for their maintenance. Using phenotypic markers indicative of activation (CD44, CD45RB), migration (CD62L), and IFN-y production, we identified two subsets of intrahepatic memory CD8+ T cells: the CD44highCD45RBlowCD62LlowCD122low phenotype, representing the dominant effector memory set, and the CD44highCD45RBhighCD62Llow/highCD122high phenotype, representing the central memory set. Only the effector memory CD8+ T cells responded swiftly to sporozoite challenge by producing sustained IFN-y; the central memory T cells responded with delay, and the IFN-y reactivity was short-lived. In addition, the subsets of liver memory CD8+ T cells segregated according to the expression of CD122 (IL-15R) in that only the central memory CD8+ T cells were CD122high, whereas the effector memory CD8+ T cells were CD122low. Moreover, the effector memory CD8+ T cells declined as protection waned in mice treated with primaquine, a drug that interferes with the formation of liver-stage Ags. We propose that protracted protection induced by P. berghei radiation-attenuated sporozoites depends in part on a network of interactive liver memory CD8+ T cell subsets, each representing a different phase of activation or differentiation, and the balance of which is profoundly affected by the repository of liver-stage Ag and IL-15