Computer security for data collection technologies.

Many organizations in the developing world (e.g., NGOs), include digital data collection in their workflow. Data collected can include information that may be considered sensitive, such as medical or socioeconomic data, and which could be affected by computer security attacks or unintentional mishandling. The attitudes and practices of organizations collecting data have implications for confidentiality, availability, and integrity of data. This work, a collaboration between computer security and ICTD researchers, explores security and privacy attitudes, practices, and needs within organizations that use Open Data Kit (ODK), a prominent digital data collection platform. We conduct a detailed threat modeling exercise to inform our view on potential security threats, and then conduct and analyze a survey and interviews with technology experts in these organizations to ground this analysis in real deployment experiences. We then reflect upon our results, drawing lessons for both organizations collecting data and for tool developers.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to tuberculosis in pharmacy workers in a cross-sectional survey in El Agustino, Peru.

INTRODUCTION: Although the worldwide incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is slowly decreasing, annual infection rates in Peru remain among the highest in the Americas. Pharmacies could play an important role in facilitating early detection of TB. However, the awareness, expertise and cooperation of pharmacy workers is fundamental. This study explored the TB-related knowledge, attitudes and practices of pharmacy workers in a district with one of the highest incidences of TB in Peru. METHODS: This cross-sectional study applied a questionnaire that was administered face to face using smartphones with one pharmacy worker at each of 45 randomly selected pharmacies in the El Agustino district of Lima, Peru. RESULTS: Participants were primarily female (78%) and had an average age of 31.3 years old (range 18-57 years old). Only 11% of participants were pharmacists with complete university training. The pharmacy workers' knowledge was adequate; however, workers had important knowledge gaps and myths regarding prevention of TB transmission. Most pharmacy workers (77%) reported they would send a client with a history of cough for more than two weeks to a healthcare center, while 23% reported they would offer them antitussive medication or antibiotics. Almost all workers reported talking with clients about diseases and reported respiratory symptoms as one of the most common causes for consultation (60%). Most participants expressed interest in learning more about TB and expanding their involvement in the fight against TB in their community. CONCLUSION: Pharmacy workers have adequate knowledge about TB. However, we identified gaps in knowledge with respect to prevention of TB transmission. Pharmacy workers commonly see patients with respiratory symptoms and some offer recommendations, including for treatment. Pharmacy workers are willing to learn more and contribute to TB control and could be a valuable asset in the control and prevention of TB in Peru. To achieve this integration of pharmacy workers into TB control and prevention, more research is needed.

P53 is required for the developmental restriction in Müller glial proliferation in mouse retina.

Müller glia are normally mitotically quiescent cells, but in certain pathological states they can re-enter the mitotic cell cycle. While several cell cycle regulators have been shown to be important in this process, a role for the tumor suppressor, p53, has not been demonstrated. Here, we investigated a role for p53 in limiting the ability of Müller glia to proliferate in the mature mouse retina. Our data demonstrate that Müller glia undergo a developmental restriction in their potential to proliferate. Retinal explants or dissociated cultures treated with EGF become mitotically quiescent by the end of the second postnatal week. In contrast, Müller glia from adult trp53-/+ or trp53-/- mice displayed a greater ability to proliferate in response to EGF stimulation in vitro. The enhanced proliferative ability of trp53 deficient mice correlates with a decreased expression of the mitotic inhibitor Cdkn1a/p21(cip) and an increase in c-myc, a transcription factor that promotes cell cycle progression. These data show that p53 plays an essential role in limiting the potential of Müller glia to re-enter the mitotic cycle as the retina matures during postnatal development.