University of Bedfordshire

About: University of Bedfordshire is a education organization based out in Luton, Bedford, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 3860 authors who have published 6079 publications receiving 143448 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Luton.

Gene expression analysis of mTOR pathway: association with human longevity

Abstract: Summary mTOR signalling is implicated in the development of disease and in lifespan extension in model organisms. This pathway has been associated with human diseases such as diabetes and cancer, but has not been investigated for its impact on longevity per se. Here, we investigated whether transcriptional variation within the mTOR pathway is associated with human longevity using wholeblood samples from the Leiden Longevity Study. This is a unique cohort of Dutch families with extended survival across generations, decreased morbidity and beneficial metabolic profiles in middle-age. By comparing mRNA levels of nonagenarians and middle-aged controls, the mTOR signalling gene set was found to associate with old age (P = 4.6 3 10 7 ). Single gene analysis showed that seven of 40 mTOR pathway genes had a significant differential expression of at least 5%. Of these, the RPTOR (Raptor) gene was found to be differentially expressed also when the offspring of nonagenarians was compared with their spouses, indicating association with familial longevity in middle-age. This association was not explained by variation between the groups in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and cancer or glucose levels. Thus, the mTOR pathway not only plays a role in the regulation of disease and aging in animal models, but also in human health and longevity.

A novel risk assessment and optimisation model for a multi-objective network security countermeasure selection problem

Abstract: Budget cuts and the high demand in strengthening the security of computer systems and services constitute a challenge. Poor system knowledge and inappropriate selection of security measures may lead to unexpected financial and data losses. This paper proposes a novel Risk Assessment and Optimisation Model (RAOM) to solve a security countermeasure selection problem, where variables such as financial cost and risk may affect a final decision. A Multi-Objective Tabu Search (MOTS) algorithm has been developed to construct an efficient frontier of non-dominated solutions, which can satisfy organisational security needs in a cost-effective manner.

Inflatable compression garment

Abstract: An inflatable garment applies compression to a limb for the treatment of vascular disorders. The garment is made with an inflatable chamber formed from a blank of superimposed layers of sheet material. Side portions of the blank are joined together in the garment to encompass the foot. An inflatable tongue is located to lie under the foot. The side portions of the blank and the tongue form intercommunicating inflatable sacs. The tongue itself is not laterally joined to the side portions of the blank. The resulting inflatable garment is more comfortable to wear and more effective therapeutically.