Although vaccine preventable, the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) increased in Germany from 2001 to 2021 by on average 2% each year, with a peak of more than 700 TBE infections documented ...in 2020. TBE-risk areas, as designated by district based on incidence of human cases, expanded north- and northeastward, present in 11 of the 16 Federal States as of 2022. Using claims data from a German statutory health insurance in the Federal States of Saxony and Thuringia (AOK PLUS), we aimed to assess whether official assignment of a district to a risk area had an impact on vaccination rates in Germany.
The data covered the period from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2018 and included information on vaccine administrations from outpatient physicians. Yearly incident vaccination rates were reported overall and by district. To investigate the association between a new designation of an incident TBE-risk area and vaccination rates, a difference-in-difference analysis was conducted.
Overall, the incident vaccination rates increased from 6.2 to 9.5 per 1,000 person-years between 2012 and 2018, with a peak of 12.2 in 2015. While districts that had been risk-areas for the whole study period had always a higher vaccination rate compared to districts that were never categorized as risk areas, the increase between 2012 and 2018 was comparable in the two groups (3.0 and 3.2 per 1,000 person-years, respectively). In contrast, districts that were newly designated risk districts during the study period experienced a significantly larger increase in vaccination rates, going from 5.8 to 14.7 per 1,000 person-years between 2012 and 2018, with a peak of 19.6 in 2015.
The results suggest that the new designation of a district as risk area has a significant positive impact on vaccination rates, which is strongest immediately after designation of risk area.
Germany introduced routine varicella vaccination for all infants aged 11-14 months in 2004; since 2009, a second dose was recommended for toddlers aged 15-23 months. In Bavaria, vaccination with ...combined MMRV vaccine has been routinely reimbursed since the introduction of the 2-dose vaccination schedule. We investigated varicella vaccination coverage and factors associated with parental acceptance of varicella vaccination in the area of Munich from 2009 to 2011, within the frame of the 'Bavarian Varicella Surveillance Project' (2006-2011).
Annual cross-sectional parent survey of random samples of 600 children aged 18-36 months in Munich on the child's vaccination status for varicella and measles, socio-demographic data and parental attitude towards varicella vaccination.
During 2009-2011, the first dose varicella vaccination (VV) coverage increased from 53% (2009) to 68% (2011) while the second dose VV increased from 29% (2009) to 59% (2011). First-dose measles vaccination coverage was 88-91% (2009-2011). In 2009, 51% of all vaccinated children received the combined MMRV vaccine as first dose; in 2011, 94% (p<0.001). In 2009, 27% of all parents considered varicella vaccination as superfluous. This percentage had decreased to 15% by 2011. Recommendation of varicella vaccination by the physician was the most important explanatory factor and was significantly associated with parental acceptance of varicella vaccination in 2009 to 2011 (adjusted OR 11.5; 95%CI 3.6-36.3 (2009), 26.7; 95%CI 5.4-132.2 (2010) and 12.7; 95%CI 3.9-41.4 (2011)).
From 2009 to 2011, first dose VV coverage further increased by approximately 15% up to 68%, corresponding with the increased use of MMRV. Although parental acceptance had increased, first dose coverage for varicella was still considerably lower than coverage for measles in 2011. Physician's recommendation of VV was the only independent factor significantly associated with parental acceptance in all study years. A further increase in varicella vaccination coverage is necessary in order to avoid potential negative effects such as an increase in the mean age of children getting infected with varicella. Therefore, information campaigns for both parents and physicians are urgently needed.
We present first evidence for the so-called head–tail directional signature of neutron-induced nuclear recoil tracks at energies down to 1.5
keV/amu using the DRIFT-IIc dark matter detector. This ...regime is appropriate for recoils induced by Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMPs) but one where the differential ionization is poorly understood. We show that the distribution of recoil energies and directions induced here by
252Cf neutrons matches well that expected from massive WIMPs. The results open a powerful new means of searching for a galactic signature from WIMPs.
OBJECTIVE: Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are suspected to be involved in oncogenesis and tumor progression. Transcripts of HERV-K have been detected in a multitude of human cancers as e.g., ...teratocarcinoma, mamma carcinoma or melanoma. The HERV-K splice variants env, rec, 1.5 kb transcript and Np9 have been suggested to be tumorigenic. To date, no reports about HERV-K expression are available concerning glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common malignant brain tumor in adults, rapidly progressing and with a limited prognosis of 14.6 months in median. Therefore, we elucidated whether HERV-K transcripts could be detected in these tumors and serve as new molecular targets for treatment. METHODS: Five human GBM cell lines (U87, U138, U251, U343 and GaMG), a panel of patients' tissue samples (13 astrocytoma WHO degree II, 17 GBM WHO degree IV and 3 normal brain biopsies) and primary cell cultures of passages 2 and 6 were analyzed for the expression of HERV-K full length mRNA and env, rec and 1.5 kb transcripts by semiquantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Full length mRNA was strongly expressed in the GBM cell line U87, but weakly expressed in the GBM cell lines U138, U251, U343 and GaMG. The splice products could not be detected, despite a weak expression of env mRNA in U87 cells. Very few samples of the tissue panel showed weak expression of env mRNA, but none of the rec or 1.5 kb transcripts. Primary cells expressed the 1.5 kb transcript weakly in early passages, but lost HERV-K expression with extended culture time. CONCLUSIONS: Although expression of different splice variants of HERV-K have been reported to play a role in several malignancies and they were found in variable amounts in GBM cell lines, the lack of their expression in human tumor-biopsies confirms that HERV-K splice products do not play a role in human malignant gliomas and therefore, are not suitable as targets for new therapy regimen.
OBJECTIVE: Low grade astrocytoma WHO grade II (LGA) display an increased expression of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor. The epidermal growth factor receptor is overexpressed in 60% of ...glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and amplified in 40%. Both of these tyrosine kinase receptors signal to the mitogen activated Ras-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. RAF proteins are well known oncogenes, comprised by a family of three members: A-RAF, B-RAF and C-RAF. Especially B-RAF has been defined to be mutationally activated in a high percentage of melanomas, ovarial, thyroidal and colon carcinomas. C-RAF is discussed to be involved in lung cancer development. However, the role of Raf proteins during development of astrocytic tumors has only rarely been addressed in the literature. METHODS: The mutational status of A-RAF and B-RAF was assessed by sequencing in 66 and 44 human GBM, respectively. A panel of three normal brain samples, 15 LGA and 15 GBM was analyzed for gene amplification by dot blot hybridization, for mRNA expression by semiquantitative RT-PCR and for protein expression by Western blotting. The results were correlated with patients' prognosis. Finally, we performed functional assays using transient overexpression and siRNA mediated knock-down to address a putative function of A-RAF in glioma cell proliferation and migration. RESULTS: RAF mutations are rare events in GBM. No mutations were found in the A-RAF gene and only 2% of the tumors contained activating B-RAF mutations. A-RAF gene amplification could be detected more often. However, all three Raf proteins were overexpressed in astrocytic tumors. Both, A-RAF and C-RAF expression was negatively correlated with the patients' survival. In contrast, B-RAF expression had a positive effect. Neither A-RAF, nor C-RAF had any influence on proliferation or migration of GBM cells in functional assays. There are hints for an involvement of A-RAF in the regulation of the tumor cells metabolism and of C-RAF in angiogenesis. CONCLUSION: Raf proteins are clearly overexpressed in GBM and play a role during progression of these tumors. Therefore, the RAF-isoforms are possible candidates for small molecule therapies in conjunction with targeting parallel signaling cascades. However, initially specific functions of RAF during tumorigenesis of human gliomas have to be elucidated.
Intestinal infection with the mouse pathogen Citrobacter rodentium induces a strong local Th17 response in the colon. Although this inflammatory immune response helps to clear the pathogen, it also ...induces inflammation-associated pathology in the gut and thus, has to be tightly controlled. In this project, we therefore studied the impact of Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) on the infectious and inflammatory processes elicited by the bacterial pathogen C. rodentium. Surprisingly, we found that depletion of Treg by diphtheria toxin in the Foxp3(DTR) (DEREG) mouse model resulted in impaired bacterial clearance in the colon, exacerbated body weight loss, and increased systemic dissemination of bacteria. Consistent with the enhanced susceptibility to infection, we found that the colonic Th17-associated T-cell response was impaired in Treg-depleted mice, suggesting that the presence of Treg is crucial for the establishment of a functional Th17 response after the infection in the gut. As a consequence of the impaired Th17 response, we also observed less inflammation-associated pathology in the colons of Treg-depleted mice. Interestingly, anti-interleukin (IL)-2 treatment of infected Treg-depleted mice restored Th17 induction, indicating that Treg support the induction of a protective Th17 response during intestinal bacterial infection by consumption of local IL-2.
Data from a nationwide survey of the year 2000 were used to investigate the level and distribution of political knowledge among the Dutch population. The influences of four demographic and ...socio-economic characteristics on political knowledge were estimated as well as the associations of the latter with the use of various media contents. In order to measure political knowledge adequately, a so-called Mokken scale was constructed contending five cumulative items. The empirical results indicated that political knowledge is not equally distributed among the Dutch population by a long way. A large part of that population, about 40 per cent, is hardly or not aware of simple political facts. Education, and to a lesser extent sex, age, and income appeared to be substantial determinants of political knowledge. The results also showed that citizens, independently of their level of education, age, sex, and income do use specifically politically oriented media-contents more frequently to the extent that they have more political knowledge.
Methods 18 right-handed, healthy participants (9 female; age range: 21-35 years) underwent functional MRI at 3 T (Siemens, Trio) while they performed a 1-back working memory task on visual, auditory ...or tactile stimuli.
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