This panel is a celebration of artificial intelligence (AI). Basing its claims to interest on the past accomplishments of AI, it highlights some of the new exciting concepts and technologies that compete for the title The Next Big Thing. 1 Introduction It is well-known among artificial

The recent introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the routine immunisation schedule for girls in the UK has reaffi rmed the possibility of widespread adolescent immunisation, assuming appropriate prior consultation and resource allocation. On the back of this success, it is timely to consider the case for extending the programme of school-based adolescent immunisations to include the provision of both additional primary immunisations as well as important booster doses of vaccines given earlier in childhood. Such a programme, if well designed, would ensure that individual protection from vaccine preventable disease was maximised prior to school leaving and, of equal importance in some cases, that herd immunity was sustained more effectively in the population as a whole. The possible contents of a re-invigorated adolescent immunisation programme are discussed considering those vaccines which are already available and for which costbenefi t calculation may therefore be of prime importance, as well as vaccines which may become available in the future and for which the issues may be more complicated. The importance of providing balanced, accurate, appropriate and accessible information regarding adolescent immunisation is also highlighted. The introduction of routine human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for 12-yearold girls in 2008 represented a return to a public health strategy which had been abandoned in the UK with the discontinuation of routine BCG: namely the use of a rolling school-based adolescent immunisation programme. Although not without problems, 1 the programme has been very successful to date, with uptake rates

Television programmers as well as advertising agencies and their clients have expressed varying levels of concerns regarding the introduction of digital video recorders. These devices enable viewers to create their own schedules of programs and to remove commercials from those programs. Using elite interviews, this paper investigates whether advertising agency executives believe advertising models will need to change in response to this technology. Some of the approaches that agencies and their clients are currently testing include increased product placement, sponsorship, brand integration and interactivity. While it’s too soon to tell definitely what impact the DVR will have, it is a virtual certainty that this and other technologies will spur the development of more personalized, targeted, and entertaining methods of reaching consumers.

Back in the early 1980s, a numberof teachers and students aroundthe country simultaneously and

The Next Big Thing? Why religion may (not) shape international relations in the 21 st century 1

interest in inflammation as a target for treatment, with the possibility that it could be the “next big thing ” in managing atherosclerosis. See accompanying article on page 2256 With this information as a backdrop, the model of vascular injury used by Sarov-Blat et al2 allows initial testing of the

The world is full of data. It’s everywhere and increasing rapidly even as we read this line. Search engines are trying to accumulate this influx of information commonly referred as Big Data. That’s where Hadoop comes in. Hadoop provides OS level abstraction. India provides both Big Data and a

Nanotechnology encompasses an increasingly sophisticated ability to manipulate matter at the nanoscale, resulting in new materials, products and devices that demonstrate new and unusual behaviour. While emerging nanotechnologies have great potential for good, there are increasing concerns that the selfsame attributes that make them attractive will also lead to new risks to human health. Research to date suggests that some purposely made nanomaterials will present hazards based on their structure—as well as their chemistry—thus challenging many conventional approaches to risk assessment and management. People involved in making and using these materials need to know what the risks are and how to manage them, if safe nanotechnology-based businesses are to emerge. Yet the challenges faced by the occupational hygiene community in ensuring safe nano-workplaces are substantial. We currently know enough to suggest that some engineered nanomaterials will present new and unusual risks, but there is very little information on how these risks can be identified, assessed and controlled. And many nanomaterials are in production and use now. Good occupational hygiene practices and existing knowledge on working with hazardous substances provide a useful basis for working safely with nanomaterials. But where existing knowledge fails, new research is needed to fill the gaps: this must be strategically administered and targeted to addressing specific issues in a timely manner. Failing to take these steps will ultimately lead to people’s health being endangered and emerging nanotechnologies floundering. However, with foresight, sound science and strategic research, we have the opportunity to ensure that emerging nanotechnologies are as safe as possible, while reaching their full potential.

Abstract. A recent study by Aviles-Olmos and colleagues suggests that 12 months of treatment with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist exenatide improves motor and cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and that the effect persists as long as 12 months after termination of the treatment. Due to the lack of a placebo control, one cannot exclude that the observed differences between patients receiving daily injections of exenatide and non-treated controls are due to a placebo effect. We discuss that large group differences in two independent functional measures remain for at least 12 months following the cessation of exenatide treatment and that this warrants a double-blind placebo-controlled trial with exenatide in PD. While substantial progress has been made in the development of effective symptomatic therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD), no drug therapies have been proven to slow or halt the progression of symptoms. Several clinical trials have been undertaken at breath-takingly great financial cost, yet disease-modifying treatments remain the most important unmet need in PD. Experimental research from the past decade has highlighted the possibility that exendin-4 has multi-ple beneficial effects in damaged or disease-stricken brains [1]. For example, exendin-4 has been suggested to interact with the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor to improve mitochondrial function, modu-late neuroinflammation, increase neurogenesis, and enhance synaptic function. In this issue, Aviles-Olmos

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