Two blind British men have regained partial sight after light receptors developed by Oxford researchers were implanted into their retinas.

Chris James and Robin Millar were fitted with eletronic retinas during a trial coordinated by Oxford University. Both men have retinitis pigmentosa, a rare hereditary condition which causes the light sensing cells in the retina to degrade over time eventually leading to blindness. 3,000 to 4,000 people in Europe suffer from the disease.

The retinal implants were developed in Germany. The method consists of 1,500 light sensing diodes sending impulses through the healthy optic nerve. This is a low resolution compared to a natural retina, which has tens of millions of light sensitive ‘rod’ and ‘cone’ cells. Previous implants produced by US ‘Second Sight’ depended upon an external camera attached to sunglasses.

The sight differs to normal sight, consisting of horizontal and vertical flashes of light. It takes several days for the brain to meaningfully interpret the information being received.

The 3 millimetre microchips were researched by Merton Fellow and Professor of Ophthalmology, Robert MacLaren. James Ramsden of University Hospitals and Markus Groppe, an academic clinical lecturer, performed the operation.

Chris James, who received his implant in Oxford, could identify the curve of a plate after 10 years of blindness. The other recipient, Robin Millar, called the implant “an extraordinary thing” and has begun dreaming in colour for the first time in 15 years. The results have exceeded the expectations of Professor MacLaren, who had hoped that under best conditions patients might see the top letter of an eye chart.

If trial success continues the retinal implant may join the cochlear implant, which has helped over 150,000 people worldwide regain some hearing. ‘The blind shall see and the deaf shall hear’ used to be gospel miracles, now for some it will be a bionic success.

The two men are first among 12 trial operations, some of which will take place at the Oxford Eye Hospital. 

Former US president Bill Clinton, Oscar-winning film director James Cameron, and documentary maker and environmentalist Sir David Attenborough are among the speakers attending a conference at Oxford next week.

The convention, ReSource 2012, which will be hosted by the University on July 12th-13th, hopes to find a solution to the problem of resource scarcity and volatility through commercial investment.

The convention and its 250 thinkers and leaders will meet in Exam Schools and the Ashmolean for two days, in association with the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and The Rothschild Foundation.

ReSource 2012 aims to overcome the problem that our current model of growth is unsustainable. The event looks to “generate new ways of thinking about critical global issues” and to do this in collaboration with industry, creating an economy striving toward a long term goal of efficient and profitable resource use.

The array of speakers will include John Brock, CEO and Chairman of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Peter Brabeck, Chairman of Nestlé, Jeremy Grantham, the founder of GMO, a large investment fund, and the University’s own Chancellor, Baron Patten of Barnes. James Cameron will give a presentation as the participants dine in the Ashmolean.

Sir David King, Co-Director of the event, said “CEOs and investors must realise now more than ever that profitability need not rely on increased resource use.

The international financial community has the power to enact huge change to the current global system. Companies need to address these issues head-on and understand that resource efficiency and longer term thinking are potent drivers of shareholder value.’ Sir David King is
former Chief Scientific adviser to the Government.

Whilst the convention is academically focused, there is still an appeal to the public. But King was keen to add the event hopes to “move away from the scaremongering and negative perceptions” sometimes associated with environmentalism.

It is perhaps an untimely moment to appeal to the leaders of industry to take a role in what is sometimes perceived as a charitable cause as Bob Diamond was forced to resign from Barclays this week. However, the event hopes to demonstrate that an appreciation of the problem can
open up opportunities that need not require a magnanimous attitude, but a traditional capitalist one.

The fusion of industry and academics at Oxford University shows a keenness for the institution to use its theoretical power with industry to realise the potential to solve global problems.

When asked about this merger, a second year PPE student said “The coalition of industry and academia at Oxford can only be a good thing for the economy. Furthermore, closer ties may make graduation jobs easier to come by, never a bad thing.”

The lifelines for the survival of Kensal Rise library continue to persist as a petition for the restoration of library ownership to the local community nears it target of 500 signatures.

On 6th June the famous library, opened in 1900 by Mark Twain, was stripped of its books, furniture and even the plaque commemorating Twain’s involvement, by the council of the London Borough of Brent.

Originally founded as a library for the amelioration of working class residents, it was closed following the decision by Brent council in 2010 to close 6 of the 12 libraries in the borough due to £100m of government spending cuts.

The land was originally gifted by All Souls’ College to Brent council to be used as “a Free public library and Reading Room and for no other purpose whatsoever”. With the closure of the library, the building’s ownership reverted to All Souls’ College. Despite the council’s decision to talk with campaigners about a possible community run project, All Souls’ are currently preparing the building for an open bidding process.

Since the initial closure of the library the local community has been fighting under local leadership for the library to remain open. Previously used by people of all ages from the local community as a resource for the local special needs school through to adult computer
classes, the library’s closure led to local outcry.

The campaign, ‘Save Kensal Rise Library’ was started to lead the fight, with the charity ‘Friends of Kensal Rise Library’ set up to raise funds to support the campaign and pay for future maintenance of the building. This campaign has developed and gained attention nationwide.

Local campaigner Jodi Gramigni, one of the fight’s leading figures, commented, ‘Kensal Rise is changing, but at its heart is an urban diversity that needs to be cherished and nurtured. The library was, and is, at the heart of this community. Its value to us is incalculable, and cannot
be measured against the fleeting monetary gains that might be made by the sale or lease of the building.

‘Two centuries ago, All Souls owned most of the land in Kensal Rise. In honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, the fellows gifted a small area for a public reading room. Now, almost 112 years later, that gift has been returned to them, albeit against the wishes of the
community. And while All Souls had no part in the Library’s closing they are now in control of its fate and bear the burden of ultimate responsibility for its future.

It seems only fair that the Fellows grant us this small consideration in light of our shared history. And while our Library holds little significance to them, in the scale of the college’s wealth, it is an
irreplaceable asset to us.’

Boyd Tonkin, literary editor of the Independent, in an article that referred to All Souls’ College, added, “All Souls should comply, prove its lavish assets serve a greater purpose than the upkeep of a favoured few, and do its bit towards mitigating the chaos and error
that Brent as sown”.

The campaign has further gained official support from the MP for Rotherham, Denis MacShane, as well as backing from writers such as Alan Bennett, Jacqueline Wilson and Phillip Pullman.

The signature total for the petition on change.org continues to increase with its count at 403 signatures on 7th July.

Oxford University’s academic publishing arm, Oxford University Press (OUP), has been ordered by the High Court to pay a fine of almost £1.9 million, following the discovery that two of its African subsidiaries had been involved in corrupt activity.

An investigation found that Oxford University Press East Africa (OUPEA) and Oxford University Press Tanzania (OUPT) had made unlawful payments to government officials between 2007 and 2010, with intent to win two contracts to supply school textbooks.

Chief executive of OUP, Nigel Portwood, condemned the dealings, asserting, “We do not tolerate such behaviour. As soon as these matters came to light we acted immediately.

“The improper behaviour was confined to a small part of the global organisation but of course such conduct should not happen at all. We have strengthened our management in the region and are taking appropriate disciplinary action in respect of those involved in this conduct.’

The contracts were financed by the World Bank, which provides loans to finance infrastructure in developing countries. As part of separate remedial conditions, OUP must pay the Bank $500,000 (over £320,000), and the two subsidiaries will not be permitted to do business with it
for the next three years.

The company was approached in May 2011 after World Bank investigators raised concerns about possible misconduct. OUP immediately called upon external lawyers and forensic accountants to identify any wrongdoing.

An action was brought against OUP by the director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), resulting in an agreed penalty of £1,895,435.

OUP remain “absolutely committed to the highest standards of integrity”, highlighting that a compliance course of business ethics had been taken by all employees before the allegations emerged.

An OUP spokesperson told Cherwell, “OUP’s mission is to further research, scholarship, and education by publishing and disseminating high quality resources across the world. For that reason, it is important that we continue to operate as internationally as possible.”

She said that the University, of which OUP is a department, “fully supported the speed and comprehensiveness of OUP’s actions to resolve this matter”.

On top of the fine, OUP have announced a contribution of £2 million to not-for-profit organisations for educational schemes in sub-Saharan Africa.

Leonard McCarthy, World Bank Integrity Vice-President, praised the example set by OUP in the “thoroughness” of its investigation, but also stressed that, “This debarment is testimony to the Bank’s continued commitment to protecting the integrity of its projects.”

The World Bank has debarred more than 80 other errant firms and individuals this fiscal year, and fined publishers Macmillan £11 million in 2010 over similar allegations in Sudan.

History and English student Jack Ramsden commented that it was “refreshing to see a company committed to openly rooting out its corrupt elements”, but added, “I do wonder how OUP’s board can have failed to be aware of its subsidiaries’ practices, and why it took an
external authority to compel the central board to monitor its fringes.

“OUP needs to promote greater transparency and closer scrutiny of its devolved agencies, and demonstrate ethical and sustainable business practices. If they instigate institutional changes to their subsidiaries then this scandal should not significantly affect its reputation.”

Robin McGhee, lately of St Anne’s College, remarked, “OUP seem to have had little to actually do with the bribery directly. But it’s a shame that an otherwise wonderful organisation succumbed to the temptation of stooping far lower than they ought.”

A research project led by scientists at Oxford University has been awarded almost £180,000 by Target Ovarian Cancer UK.

Dr Ahmed Ashour Ahmed and Professor Stefan Knapp have been granted £175,299 over three years to establish whether the inhibition of the enzymes FES and FER improves the efficacy of paclitaxel (Taxol) based chemotherapy.

Paclitaxel offers a treatment for ovarian and breast cancer by interfering with microtubules which are involved in cell division, although some tumours become resistant to the therapy and can start to grow again. However, inhibiting certain proteins stabilises these microtubules and so appears to make ovarian cancer cells more sensitive to the drug.

Dr Ahmed, a Fellow of St Hugh’s College, said, “This funding will allow us to test whether amplifying the effect of paclitaxel on microtubules may result in greater cancer cell death as this could potentially be translated to better therapies for ovarian cancer patients”.

Target Ovarian Cancer is a national charity which aims to support those with ovarian cancer and to further research into treatment of the disease. In this latest funding scheme, a total of £380,296 was split between three projects, which also included an investigation into whether chemotherapy can be effective in palliative care.

The winning projects were selected by the trustees of the charity, on the advice of its Scientific Advisory Board, peer reviewers and lay reviewers, including women diagnosed with the disease. The SAB is chaired by Professor Henry Kirchener, an expert in gynaecological oncology from the University of Manchester.

In the UK, 6,500 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed each year, and 12 affected women die every day. Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women.