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Advanced technology could aid stroke victims

Post author By admin
Post date December 2, 2013

Advanced technology could aid stroke victims

New technology has been developed that could aid recovering stroke victims.

The innovative device is designed to convert a patient's thoughts into electrical impulses that can help the person move parts of their upper body.

It has been tested in the US and the results of the study have been presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Researchers have essentially paired a functional electrical stimulation system – which is commonly used to rehabilitate stroke victims – with a neurological control interface, allowing for direct communication with the brain.

The team in Wisconsin asked eight volunteers who had suffered a stroke to use the device over a period between three to six weeks.

They also underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging before, during and after the experiments, which gave the scientists a good idea of how much progress was being made.

It emerged that patients who had a stroke of "moderate severity" displayed the biggest improvement in motor function after using the device for a prolonged period.

People whose strokes were described as "mild" and "severe" also found it easier to complete everyday tasks after using the gadget.

According to the Stroke Association, around 152,000 people suffer a stroke every year in the UK and there are approximately 1.1 million patients living with the after-effects of a stroke. This underlines the point that this kind of technology – if it is eventually rolled out on a wide scale – can make a huge difference.

Vivek Prabhakaran – director of functional neuroimaging in radiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison – said 50 per cent of US citizens who suffer a stroke tend to have lasting mobility issues in their upper body.

"Our hope is that this device not only shortens rehabilitation time for stroke patients, but also that it brings a higher level of recovery than is achievable with the current standard of care," he commented.

"We believe brain imaging will be helpful in both planning and tracking a stroke patient's therapy, as well as learning more about neuroplastic changes during recovery."

HR Information

HR specialists must adapt to new parental leave reforms

Post author By admin
Post date November 29, 2013

HR specialists must adapt to new parental leave reforms

One of the biggest tasks facing HR professionals is staying up to date on the UK's latest employment law reforms.

The government is always looking for new ways to improve conditions for workers without placing businesses under undue strain.

One issue that has been put under the spotlight in recent years is the allocation of leave for employees who have just had a baby.

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg announced today (November 29th) that a new system will take effect in April 2015, which will allow men and women to share the responsibility of looking after their child for the first 12 months.

At the moment, men are severely restricted when it comes to paternity leave, with women expected to stay at home and care for their baby. This, Mr Clegg stated, is an outdated approach.

"Women deserve the right to pursue their goals and not feel they have to choose between having a successful career or having a baby," he commented.

"They should be supported by their employers, rather than being made to feel less employable or under pressure to take unchallenging jobs."

With men and women set to benefit from shared parental leave, HR departments will need to familiarise themselves with the new regulations and possibly introduce new policies to ensure they are compliant with the law.

Mr Clegg said flexibility is key in the modern workplace and many businesses that have introduced measures such as remote working and less rigid working hours have already reported an upturn in productivity.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) has welcomed the reforms, although the organisation's employment relations adviser Mike Emmott warned that HR departments must do much more if they are to attract the very best talent.

He also suggested there may be one or two teething problems once the parental changes are enforced and the CIPD will keep a close eye on the situation – offering guidance on best practice as time progresses.

Life Sciences

Scientists find a way to replace injections with tablets

Post author By admin
Post date November 28, 2013

Scientists find a way to replace injections with tablets

Scientists in the US may have found a way to administer nanoparticle therapeutics orally, rather than through injections.

At the moment, these treatments can only be given to a patient via a needle, as the nanoparticles have trouble penetrating the intestinal lining when consumed in tablet form.

However, researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new kind of treatment that can be absorbed through the digestive system.

This could eventually provide doctors with a much easier way to treat people who have cancer and other diseases. The discovery might also revolutionise the way type-1 diabetics receive insulin.

According to Diabetes.co.uk, the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes – both type-1 and type-2 – in Britain has risen from 1.4 million in 1996 to 2.9 million in 2013, which represents 4.5 per cent of the population. This figure could rise to four million by 2025.

On a global scale, it is estimated that 360 million people are living with the disease.

Most type-1 diabetics have to inject insulin, but these new studies have the potential to change this.

The nanoparticles created by the scientists are "decorated with antibodies", which attach themselves to receptors found on the walls of the intestines. Once they have latched onto these cells, they are able to permeate the intestinal wall and enter into the bloodstream.

Robert Langer of MIT played a leading role in the research and he reiterated how crucial the discoveries could be in the long run.

"Being able to deliver nanomedicine orally would offer clinicians broad and novel ways to treat today's many chronic diseases that require daily therapy, such as diabetes and cancer. Imagine being able to take RNA or proteins orally; that would be paradigm shift," he commented.

Plenty of work needs to be done before doctors and patients can directly benefit from the new nanoparticles and researchers are now looking to develop nanomedicine that can cross other borders, such as the blood-brain barrier.

HR Information

Can British HR departments overcome skills shortages?

Post author By admin
Post date November 27, 2013

Can British HR departments overcome skills shortages?

One of the biggest challenges facing British HR departments heading into 2014 is coping with widening skills gaps.

There are certain sectors of the economy where this is a particular concern, most notably scientific engineering.

Although the UK government has already introduced measures to address this issue, such as new engineering apprenticeship schemes, some companies are struggling to find talented employees who can make an instant impact within their organisation.

While the apparent shortfall of experienced workers obviously makes life much harder for HR professionals, the situation is expected to improve.

A new study conducted by business school INSEAD has suggested that Britain is well placed in the global talent race.

The study assessed the quality of universities and talent management processes in more than 100 economies around the world and the UK secured a place in the top ten.

According to the first edition of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index, Britain is the seventh best place on earth for developing highly-skilled workers – only beaten by Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Encouragingly, the UK finished higher than the US – one of the biggest economic powerhouses on the planet.

Bruno Lanvin, executive director for global indices at INSEAD and co-author of the report, explained: "Talent attractiveness is becoming the true currency by which countries, regions and cities compete with each other."

Clearly, the British economy has a much brighter future than many people had originally thought.

That said, there is still plenty of work for HR departments to do. It does not matter how talented a new recruit is, their impact will be limited if they are not integrated into an organisation as quickly as possible.

HR specialists must ensure their onboarding processes are effective and that training programmes are fit for purpose.

Strong induction policies that focus on helping new employees get fully up to speed with what they need to be doing are hugely important and this is unlikely to change.

Micro-biology

Britain to place greater emphasis on synthetic biology

Post author By admin
Post date November 27, 2013

Britain to place greater emphasis on synthetic biology

British companies are being urged to support the UK's burgeoning synthetic biology industry.

The government wants firms to develop new tools and services that will help this increasingly important sector grow.

On a global scale, the market for synthetic biology technology is expected to be worth $10 billion (£6.17 billion) by 2016 and the British authorities are planning to increase their investment in this area.

Up to £3.8 million is being made available to organisations through a campaign supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Technology Strategy Board, Welsh government and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Synthetic biology is the term given to the use of engineering tools and approaches to whole organisms, biological cells and biochemical pathways.

There are a multitude of potential benefits to be had from investing in this kind of scientific research, not least the development of more effective pharmaceuticals. It can also lead to increased agricultural production and the creation of renewable energy sources.

UK science minister David Willetts said: "As one of the eight great technologies, synthetic biology has the potential to create exciting products, such as new antibiotics, helping to boost growth and keeping the UK ahead in the global race.

"Establishing new tools and services for the development of synthetic biology will significantly increase the rate of commercialisation in this emerging sector."

Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, added that the development of new tools and processes will ensure British businesses are at the forefront of the international synthetic biology sector.

A number of projects are already ongoing, including a collaboration between the BBSRC-funded John Innes Centre and antibiotic discovery firm Demuris, which is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of antibiotics used to tackle hospital-acquired infections.

Although figures published by the Office for National Statistics showed the number of people dying from MRSA infections continues to fall in the UK, the NHS is understandably keen to ensure patients receive maximum protection when they stay in hospitals, so these studies could prove to be vital.

HR Information

HR are ‘using zero-hours contracts for the right reasons’

Post author By admin
Post date November 26, 2013

HR are 'using zero-hours contracts for the right reasons'

Zero-hours contracts have been unfairly stigmatised, the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) has claimed.

Around one million workers are employed in this manner, which represents approximately 3.1 per cent of the overall UK workforce.

A survey undertaken by the professional body for HR and people development has shown that these controversial employment arrangements are working well for companies and workers.

HR departments have been using zero-hours contracts more frequently in recent years and some people think they are infringing employees' rights by only offering work when it becomes available.

However, the CIPD believes these contracts allow for greater flexibility and those who operate in this way enjoy a good work-life balance.

According to the survey – which covered 2,500 employees from various professions – 60 per cent of zero-hours workers are satisfied with their job, which is slightly higher than the overall average of 59 per cent.

In addition to this, 80 per cent of respondents said they were not penalised for not being able to work when their boss calls.

While there are some examples of businesses abusing the system, the CIPD insisted employers are generally using flexible contracts "for the right reasons".

Chief executive of the organisation Peter Cheese remarked: "The use of zero-hours contracts in the UK economy has been underestimated, oversimplified and in some cases, unfairly demonised.

"Our research shows that the majority of people employed on these contracts are satisfied with their jobs."

The CIPD has published new guidelines on the use of zero-hours contracts that HR professionals are advised to follow.

More than 1,000 employers also took part in the study and two-thirds said they relied on flexible working arrangements in order to cope with peaks and troughs in demand.

Around 47 per cent of the poll stated they introduced zero-hours contracts for their employees' benefit, as they had been under growing pressure to offer more flexible conditions.

"The reality of today's globally competitive economy and increasingly complex and age diverse workforce is that flexibility is here to stay," Mr Cheese concluded.

Lab Technology

X-ray lasers can generate 3D protein models

Post author By admin
Post date November 25, 2013

X-ray lasers can generate 3D protein models

Researchers have hailed the results of a recent international study that showed X-ray lasers can be used to map out the structure of various proteins from scratch.

The team conducted the lion's share of their work at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where they discovered the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray laser and sophisticated computer analysis tools could be used to generate a 3D model of a protein.

They utilised the equipment to create an accurate replica of lysozyme, which is an enzyme found in egg whites.

Crucially, the scientists found that they could create these models without having any prior information on the protein in question.

This, researcher Thomas Barends said, could prove to be a vital breakthrough.

A staff scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Germany, Mr Barends was one of a number of experts to work on the project.

"Determining protein structures using X-ray lasers requires averaging a gigantic amount of data to get a sufficiently accurate signal, and people wondered if this really could be done," he commented.

"Now we have experimental evidence. This really opens the door to new discoveries."

The findings – which have been published in the November 24th edition of Nature – show the concept of X-ray crystallography has been used for over a century and has produced results that have led to Nobel Prizes.

John Helliwell, emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Manchester, said the use of computers to automate the X-ray process is a "triumph".

It is hoped that LCLS can now be used to identify the structure of enzymes that are prominent in a wide range of diseases.

The research team said more than half of all new drugs currently in development are aimed at targeting membrane proteins, which provides further evidence as to how important these latest discoveries could be in the long run.

With drug R&D costing huge sums of money and providing no guarantees of success, it is vital that scientists garner as much information on proteins and enzymes as possible.

Life Sciences

Investment will help nurture next generation of scientists

Post author By admin
Post date November 22, 2013

Investment will help nurture next generation of scientists

The UK government has announced plans to invest £350 million into the training of the next generation of scientists and engineers.

Much has been made about skills shortages in these sectors and the authorities are keen to encourage more youngsters to take vocational courses at university.

The money – which is being provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council – will be shared across 24 universities around the country.

A total of 70 new centres for doctoral training will be established as part of the scheme and it is hoped that 3,500 graduates will benefit from the investment.

Universities minister David Willetts said it is important that educational institutions form closer relationships with businesses in the long term.

"Scientists and engineers are vital to our economy and society. It is their talent and imagination, as well as their knowledge and skills, that inspire innovation and drive growth across a range of sectors, from manufacturing to financial services," he commented.

Four of the centres have been allocated to the University of Manchester, much to the delight of Professor Colin Bailey, vice-president and dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

He said the university's strength in engineering, as well as physical, medical and life sciences was a major factor behind the government's decision to award the facility with four of the new training complexes.

"This additional funding will mean we can train more of the UK's scientists and engineers of the future," Mr Bailey remarked.

Meanwhile, Glasgow's University of Strathclyde will host three of the centres and will be a partner in two others.

Students will now be able to learn more about future power networks and smart grids, wind and marine energy systems and medical devices and health technologies.

It is hoped this latest government initiative will help to establish Britain as a world leader in engineering and pharmaceutical research and development in particular, which will give the nation's economy a real shot in the arm.

Life Sciences

New research may explain malaria drug resistance

Post author By admin
Post date November 21, 2013

New research may explain malaria drug resistance

Scientific studies carried out in the US may help to explain why some people build up resistance to antimalarial drugs.

Findings published in the online journal PLOS ONE showed that autophagy – the process of cells removing damaged parts of themselves to restore normal function – can be linked to the ineffectiveness of malaria treatments.

Paul Roepe – a Georgetown University professor who authored the study – said these tests are particularly timely, as malaria is a growing problem.

The disease killed more than 650,000 people in 2010 alone, according to figures provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), while reported cases in the US have recently reached a 40-year high.

This study, Mr Roepe added, is the first of its kind, as it separates the types of drug actions used to prevent malaria.

While some drugs slow down the onset of the disease, higher doses can be administered to kill off the parasites completely.

Before now, researchers had not differentiated between these two forms of therapy.

"Our study found genetic and cell biological evidence linking autophagy to resistance to the parasite, which kills the effects of drugs," Mr Roepe commented.

"These results have important implications in the ongoing development of new antimalarial drug therapy."

He hopes that by publishing this work in an open access journal, drug developers from across the globe will be able to produce more targeted treatments.

Resistance to antimalarial drugs potentially places half of the world's population at risk, so this research – which also featured work conducted by experts at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Kentucky – could prove to be crucial.

WHO estimates that 219 million cases of malaria are reported around the world each year, with African children said to be the most vulnerable.

In fact, 80 per cent of all malaria deaths occur in just 14 countries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria account for 40 per cent of the world's malaria fatalities, so it is clear where new treatments should be targeted first.

HR Information

Major workplace gender survey launched in the UK

Post author By admin
Post date November 20, 2013

Major workplace gender survey launched in the UK

A landmark study aimed at finding reasons for the apparent gender imbalance in British boardrooms has been launched.

Opportunity Now, Business in the Community's gender campaign, is hoping to gauge the views of more than 100,000 women aged between 28 and 40 in the coming weeks.

Chair of Opportunity Now Helena Morrissey said 'Project 28-40' is the biggest survey of its kind in the world and it could help employers to find new ways to improve levels of gender diversity.

She confirmed the study has been limited to this particular age group because this is a critical period for career development.

"We're asking women to share their experiences candidly and to provide their own perspectives about harder-to-measure aspects such as culture and attitudes, so better initiatives can be developed for everyone's benefit," Ms Morrissey remarked.

Kathryn Nawrockyi – a director at the organisation – labelled the research as "pioneering".

"[It] will help us understand the nature of female ambition and give greater clarity around why and how women leave the workforce," she commented.

The study will be hosted by PwC and women will be able to share their views until December 15th.

Opportunity Now will analyse the results in the first quarter of 2014 and Business in the Community will publish the initial findings during Responsible Business Week, which will run between March 31st and April 4th.

Achieving greater levels of gender diversity throughout a workforce is one of the biggest challenges facing HR professionals at the moment.

This problem is not exclusive to the UK and it has emerged this week (November 18th) that Germany is planning to introduce gender quotas for blue chip companies.

Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that firms will have to allot 30 per cent of their non-executive board seats to females by 2016.

The concept of gender quotas has divided opinion, with some people suggesting that directorships and other top jobs should be awarded to the most suitable candidates, regardless of their sex.

Others believe there is a glass ceiling for women in certain sectors and gender quotas will help to remove this.