Health economic evaluation of introducing a PPSV23-based vaccination programme to adults aged 65 and above, and an extension to the 60-64 age group in Denmark.

Background: To estimate the health economic consequences of the recently introduced PPSV23 vaccination programme for persons aged 65+ in Denmark and of a potential extension of the programme to include persons aged 60-64 years.

Research Design And Methods: A Markov model was adapted to the Danish healthcare setting to simulate the epidemiological and economic burden of invasive pneumococcal disease and non-bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia using information from published sources and Danish databases.

Results: We found that the recent introduction of an age-based vaccination programme offering PPSV23 vaccination to the population of persons aged 65+ in Denmark will lead to a societal gain of EUR 72.

Neuroscience and Global Learning.

Traditional study abroad experiences take a variety of forms with most incorporating extensive cultural emersion and a focus on global learning skills. Here we ask the question: Can this type of experience co-exist with a quality scientific experience and continued progression through a typically rigorous undergraduate neuroscience curriculum? What are the potential costs and benefits of this approach? How do we increase student awareness of study abroad opportunities and inspire them to participate? We outline programs that have done this with some success and point out ways to cultivate this approach for future programs. These programs represent a variety of approaches in both their duration and role in a given curriculum.

Relationship among seminal quality measures and field fertility of young dairy bulls using low-dose inseminations.

Optimal use of genetically superior bulls through artificial insemination (AI) is highly dependent on precise assessment of seminal quality which allows for reasonable estimations of field fertility with normal or low-dose inseminations. In the present study, seminal measures such as sperm motility and morphology, sperm viability, sperm DNA fragmentation, and the ability of the sperm to display an acrosome reaction were tested. The relationships between field fertility and the seminal measures were investigated using 3 ejaculates from each of 195 bulls (156 Holstein and 39 Jersey) participating in a progeny test program.

In vitro induction of the acrosome reaction in bull sperm and the relationship to field fertility using low-dose inseminations.

The acrosome reaction (AR) is a prerequisite for normal sperm fertilizing capability and can be studied in vitro after induction by various agents. The efficacy of a sperm population to undergo the AR in vivo is expected to influence male fertilizing potential. During the past two decades, a number of attempts have been made to relate the in vitro-induced AR to field fertility in several species.

Dynamics of the induced acrosome reaction in boar sperm evaluated by flow cytometry.

The present study investigated the dynamics of the in vitro induced acrosome reaction (AR) in boar sperm in response to medium composition, incubation time and ionophore concentration. The AR is a prerequisite for normal sperm fertilizing capability and can be studied in vitro following induction by various agents. The ability of a sperm population to undergo the AR in vivo is expected to influence male fertilizing potential, and attempts to relate the in vitro induced AR to fertility has been reported.

[Impact of preoperative outpatient evaluation clinic on performance indicators.].

Background And Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the effects of implementing a Preoperative Outpatient Evaluation Clinic (POEC) based on operating center performance indicators.

Methods: The following data were prospectively followed for five years: total POEC evaluations and surgeries performed; total and reasons for surgeries cancellation; inpatient or outpatient surgeries performed; procedures cancellation rate and mean hospital stay of admitted patients. Reasons for procedure cancellations were divided in medical and administrative reasons.

Mutation and allelic loss of the PTEN/MMAC1 gene in primary and metastatic melanoma biopsies.

The PTEN/MMAC1 gene on chromosome 10q23 encodes a lipid phosphatase with tumor-suppressive properties. Germline PTEN/MMAC1 mutations have been implicated as the predisposing factor in Cowden disease and other hamartoma syndromes, and somatic mutations and deletions have been identified in a wide range of human cancers, including 30-40% of metastatic melanoma cell lines. To study further the possible role of PTEN/MMAC1 in the pathogenesis and progression of malignant melanoma, we examined uncultured specimens from 16 primary and 61 metastatic tumors from 67 patients.

Expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in primary and metastatic melanoma from the same patients.

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are both recognized as stimulators of migration and angiogenesis during the progression of melanoma. However, the timepoints during tumour progression at which the expression of these angiogenic factors is most essential is still controversial. Using immunohistochemical analyses, melanoma cells were found to express bFGF in 18 out of 19 primary tumours and in 13 out of 20 metastases.

Disruption of the MMAC1/PTEN gene by deletion or mutation is a frequent event in malignant melanoma.

The MMAC1/PTEN gene, located at 10q23.3, is a candidate tumor suppressor commonly mutated in glioma. We have studied the pattern of deletion, mutation, and expression of MMAC1/PTEN in 35 unrelated melanoma cell lines.

Analysis of T cell receptor AV and BV chain gene expression by infiltrating lymphocytes in Spitz naevi and in halo naevi.

Spitz naevi and halo naevi are benign melanocytic lesions that share many histological features with malignant melanoma. All lesions are characterized by a brisk infiltration of lymphocytes, mainly of the T cell subtype, and halo naevi are known to undergo spontaneous regression. Since the benign nature of Spitz naevi and halo naevi might therefore be caused by specific T cell responses against tumour-associated antigens, it was found of interest to characterize this T cell response in detail.

Analysis of T cell receptor alpha beta variability in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in primary and metastatic melanoma.

The T cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta variable (V) gene family usage of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in different primary human malignant melanomas and corresponding metastatic lesions were characterized using a recently developed method using the reverse transcription coupled polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This semiquantitative RT-PCR method could be adapted to analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded histopathological samples of primary tumor material and demonstrated to be reproducible and to be useful for the assessment of V alpha- and V beta-gene family usage in tumor samples. The TIL in primary tumors were observed to preferentially express certain TCR V alpha- and V beta-gene families: V alpha 4, and V beta 8 were highly expressed in several of the primary tumors analyzed using this method.

Analysis of T cell receptor alpha beta variability in lymphocytes infiltrating melanoma primary tumours and metastatic lesions.

The T cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta variable (V) gene family usage of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in four different primary human malignant melanomas and their corresponding metastatic lesions was characterized using a recently developed method based on the reverse-transcription-coupled polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All patients were typed for HLA-A1 and -A2, either serologically or by a newly developed RT-PCR method. Two of these patients expressed HLA-A2, one the HLA-A1 haplotype and one further patient was heterozygous HLA-A1/-A2.