Cost-effectiveness analysis on meningococcal serogroup C vaccination

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenMeningococci C are bacteria that can cause meningitis and severe bacteremia. In Iceland 8-15 cases of meningococcal disease can be expected annually. The case fatality ratio is approximately 10%. After the approval of the Icelandic government The State Epidemiologist started a vaccination campaign for all individuals from 6 months to 19 years of age in the country. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the vaccination programme. The cost effectiveness is made from the viewpoint of the Icelandic state. The cost per year saved is used as a marker for success. The cost effectiveness analysis reveals that the cost per case avoided is 618.000 Icelandic kronas and the cost per life year saved is 101.000 Icelandic kronas. In comparison the cost per case avoided is 2.481.334 Icelandic kronas and the cost per life saved is 857.483 Icelandic kronas in England and Wales. We conclude that vaccination against meningococci C is very cost effective but lower cost in Iceland can mainly be explained by lower cost of distributing and administering the vaccine to the vaccinees in Iceland compared to England and Wales

RNA sequencing suggests that non-coding RNAs play a role in the development of acquired haemophilia

Funding Information: Adrian Bogdan Tigu and Ionut Hotea contributed equally to the current manuscript and are both considered first author. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the support of Sergiu Pasca, M.D. – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, United States, for his contribution on the statistical analysis. Funding Information: IH is funded by an internal grant of the Iuliu Hatieganu University – School of Doctoral Studies. BT is supported by a national grant of the Romanian Academy of Scientists (Academia Oamenilor de Stiinta din Romania) 2023–2024. ABT, DG, JTB and VG are supported by an international collaborative grant of the European Economic Space between Romania and Iceland 2021–2023: ‘Cooperation strategy for knowledge transfer, internationalization and curricula innovation in the field of research education at the 3rd level of study –AURORA.’. The experiments were funded by an international grant awarded by the Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation to the Romanian Haematology Society—Romania 4. CT is supported by a grant by grants awarded by the Romanian National Ministry of 350 Research, Innovation, and Digitalisation: Project PN‐III‐P4‐ID‐PCE‐2020‐1118. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Acquired haemophilia (AH) is a rare disorder characterized by bleeding in patients with no personal or family history of coagulation/clotting-related diseases. This disease occurs when the immune system, by mistake, generates autoantibodies that target FVIII, causing bleeding. Small RNAs from plasma collected from AH patients (n = 2), mild classical haemophilia (n = 3), severe classical haemophilia (n = 3) and healthy donors (n = 2), for sequencing by Illumina, NextSeq500. Based on bioinformatic analysis, AH patients were compared to all experimental groups and a significant number of altered transcripts were identified with one transcript being modified compared to all groups at fold change level. The Venn diagram shows that haemoglobin subunit alpha 1 was highlighted to be the common upregulated transcript in AH compared to classical haemophilia and healthy patients. Non-coding RNAs might play a role in AH pathogenesis; however, due to the rarity of HA, the current study needs to be translated on a larger number of AH samples and classical haemophilia samples to generate more solid data that can confirm our findings.Peer reviewe

Modeling Historic Rangeland Management and Grazing Pressures in Landscapes of Settlement

Defining historic grazing pressures and rangeland management is vital if early landscape threshold crossing and long–term trajectories of landscape change are to be properly understood. In this paper we use a new environmental simulation model, Búmodel, to assess two contrasting historical grazing landscapes in Mývatnssveit Iceland for two key periods—the colonization period (ca. Landnám, A.D. 872–1000) and the early eighteenth century A.D. Results suggest that there were spatial and temporal variations in productivity and grazing pressure within and between historic grazing areas and indicate that land degradation was not an inevitable consequence of the livestock grazing introduced with settlement. The results also demonstrate the significance of grazing and livestock management strategies in preventing overgrazing, particularly under cooler climatic conditions. The model enables detailed consideration of historic grazing management scenarios and their associated landscape pressures

Design and preclinical testing of an anti-CD41 CAR T cell for the treatment of acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia

Funding Information: Adrian Bogdan Tigu and Catalin Constantinescu contributed equally to the current manuscript. Catalin Constantinescu is funded by an internal grant of the Iuliu Hatieganu University – School of Doctoral Studies. David Kegyes is funded by an internal grant of the Iuliu Hatieganu University – School of Medicine. Mareike Peters is funded by a national grant of the Romanian Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation. Ciprian Tomuleasa is also supported by a grant awarded by the Romanian National Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization: PN‐III‐P4‐ID‐PCE‐2020‐1118 within PNCDI IV, Projects for Exploratory Medicine; Projects for Exploratory Medicine—PCE 225/2021; as well as a national grant awarded to Young Research Teams (PN‐III‐PI‐1.1‐TE‐2019‐0271 –‘Supporting a team of young researchers to create an independent research program based on the use of Sleeping Beauty protocol f or the development of CAR T Cells – SEATTLE’). Diana Gulei, Diana Cenariu, Adrian Bogdan Tigu, Jon Thor Bergthorsson and Victor Greiff are supported by an international collaborative grant of the European Economic Space between Romania and Iceland 2021–2023: ‘Cooperation strategy for knowledge transfer, internationalization and curricula innovation in the field of research education at the 3rd level of study –AURORA.’ Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (AMkL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) representing 5% of all reported cases, and frequently diagnosed in children with Down syndrome. Patients diagnosed with AMkL have low overall survival and have poor outcome to treatment, thus novel therapies such as CAR T cell therapy could represent an alternative in treating AMkL. We investigated the effect of a new CAR T cell which targets CD41, a specific surface antigen for M7-AMkL, against an in vitro model for AMkL, DAMI Luc2 cell line. The performed flow cytometry evaluation highlighted a percentage of 93.8% CAR T cells eGFP-positive and a limited acute effect on lowering the target cell population. However, the interaction between effector and target (E:T) cells, at a low ratio, lowered the cell membrane integrity, and reduced the M7-AMkL cell population after 24 h of co-culture, while the cytotoxic effect was not significant in groups with higher E:T ratio. Our findings suggest that the anti-CD41 CAR T cells are efficient for a limited time spawn and the cytotoxic effect is visible in all experimental groups with low E:T ratio.Peer reviewe

Klefalausir fangar : fullnusta refsidóma, málsmeðferðarreglur og grundvallarmannréttindi dómþola

Í þessari ritgerð er fjallað um bið eftir afplánun og réttarstöðu dómþola á boðunarlista Fangelsismálastofnunar. Ætíð hefur verið unnið eftir þeirri meginreglu að afplánun hefjist í beinu framhaldi af því er dómur verður fullnustuhæfur. Skilvirkt refsivörslukerfi hefur verið talið eitt af grundvallareinkennum lýðræðisríkja en nú er svo komið að fangelsiskerfið annar með engu móti þeim fjölda einstaklinga sem dæmdir hafa verið til óskilorðsbundinnar fangelsisrefsinga. Í upphafi ritgerðarinnar er fjallað um hugtökin afbrot og refsingar, ásamt því að fara yfir réttarheimspekilegar kenningar um tilgang og markmið refsinga. Því næst er fjallað um upphaf boðunarlistans sem má rekja til stefnubreytinga í alþjóðlegri refsipólitík sem skilaði sér í fleiri dómum og þyngri refsingum. Að því loknu er fjallað um þróun boðunarlistans á síðustu árum og hún borin saman við stöðu mála í Noregi áður en vikið er að þeim úrræðum sem stjórnvöld hafa stuðst við til að draga úr þenslu boðunarlistans. Því næst er fjallað um hæfilegan málsmeðferðartíma samkvæmt kröfum fullnustulaga nr. 15/2016 og stjórnsýslulaga nr. 37/1993. Í þeirri umfjöllun eru fyrirmæli fullnustulaganna jafnframt borin saman við samhljóða ákvæði í norrænum rétti og röksemdir færðar fyrir því að undirliggjandi hagsmunir leiði til þess að ríkari kröfur verði gerðar til málsmeðferðar við framkvæmd fullnustu óskilorðsbundinna fangelsisrefsinga. Þá verður vikið að grundvallarmannréttindum dómþola til réttlátrar málsmeðferðar í skilningi 1. mgr. 70. gr. stjórnarskrárinnar og 6. gr. MSE ásamt banni við ómannúðlegri og vanvirðandi meðferð samkvæmt 3. gr. MSE og 1. mgr. 68. gr. stjórnarskrárinnar, þar sem kannað er hvort löng bið eftir afplánun kunni að brjóta gegn þeim grundvallarrétti. Að því loknu er farið yfir þau einkaréttarúrræði sem dómþolar á boðunarlista geta gripið til og loks verða niðurstöður ritgerðarinnar dregnar saman og ályktanir af þeim dregnar. Helstu niðurstöður ritgerðarinnar eru að núverandi framkvæmd við fullnustu refsidóma endurspegli ekki gildandi rétt og kunni að brjóta gegn grundvallarmannréttindum dómþola.The objective of this thesis is to discuss the legal status of the convicted whilst on the Prison and Probation Administration’s waiting list as well as the procedures during the waiting time for sentencing. As a general principle, sentencing usually takes place immediately after a judgement becomes enforceable. It is accepted that one of the main characteristic of a democratic society is an effective criminal justice system. However at present, our prison system is ill equipped to handle the number of convicted persons ordered to serve non-conditional sentences. To begin with, this thesis defines the concept crime and punishment as well as examines the philosophical theories in respect of the purpose and objective of sentencing. Following this, the paper discusses the commencement of the use of waiting lists, which can be attributed to policy changes in international criminal politics, which resulted in an increase in judgement and harsher punishments. Next, the paper discusses recent developments in respect of the use of the waiting list as compared with the situation in Norway, before state authorities resort to available alternatives aimed at reducing the expansion of the waiting list. The paper then discusses the reasonable processing time for the execution of non-conditional sentences, pursuant to the Act on Execution of Sentences no 15/2016 and the Administrative Act no 37/1993. Further, a comparative analysis is carried out between the stipulations of the Act on Execution of Sentences and identical provisions under Scandinavian law as well as present arguments that the underlying interests necessitate stricter conditions in respect of the procedures for the enforcement of judgments for non-conditional sentences. The paper furthermore raises questions on whether delays in the execution of a final judgment may violate the human rights of the convicted. In particular, the right to fair trial within the meaning of Article 70(1) of the Constitution no 33/1944, Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights along with Article 68(1) of the Constitution, cf. Article 3 of the Convention on the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment. Following this, the paper discusses the exclusive remedies available to the convicted whilst on Prison and Probation Administration’s waiting list and finally the conclusions of the paper is assessed and summarised. The main findings of the thesis are that the current procedure in respect of executing enforceable criminal judgments does not reflect applicable law and may possibly violate the basic human rights of the convicted

Er hagkvæmt að ráðast í framkvæmd Urðarfellsvirkjunar

Lokuð til 1.6.2016Verkefni þetta er unnið með það að markmiði að gagnast eigendum Urðarfellsvirkjunnar við mat á því hvort hagkvæmt sé að ráðast fjárfestingu hennar. Verkefnið gefur grunnhugmyndir um hvað verðmat er ásamt einkennum þess og mismunandi aðferðum. Einnig er fjallað um þau fjármálahugtök sem þarf að kunna skil á við notkun verðmata. Verkefnið útskýrir einnig hvernig SVÓT ‐og Pestelgreining eru notaðar við mat á markaðsaðstæðum fyrirtækja ásamt því að fimm krafta líkan Porters skýrir þá samkeppni sem ný fyrirtæki á markaði þurfa að kljást við. Eftir að skýrsluhöfundur hafði farið ítarlega yfir þessar greiningar kom í ljós að hagkvæmt er að ráðast í framkvæmd Urðarfellsvirkjunnar út frá kenningum fjármálafræðinnar og mati á markaðsaðstæðum

Trúnaðarsamband sakbornings og verjanda

Réttur sakbornings til að halda uppi vörnum með aðstoð löglærðs verjanda er órjúfanlegur þáttur réttlátrar málsmeðferðar og er meðal mikilvægustu réttinda sakbornings í sakamálum. Til þess að aðstoð verjanda hafi raunhæfa þýðingu og hann geti sinnt hlutverki sínu á viðunandi hátt, er nauðsynlegt að traust trúnaðarsamband ríki milli hans og sakbornings. Í þessari ritgerð er fjallað á heildstæðan hátt um þær reglur sem lúta að trúnaðarsambandi þeirra á milli, þau sjónarmið sem búa þeim að baki og þýðingu þeirra í réttarframkvæmd en meginmarkmið ritgerðarinnar er að kanna hvort löggjöfin tryggi trúnaðarsambandinu nægilega vernd. Uppbygging ritgerðarinnar er með þeim hætti að í öðrum kafla er gerð grein fyrir grundvallarmannréttindum sakbornings til að halda uppi vörnum með aðstoð löglærðs verjanda. Því næst er fjallað almennt um sókn og vörn í sakamálum þar sem hlutverki ákæranda er gerð almenn skil og ljósi varpað á það hvernig íslensk réttarfarslöggjöf útfærir þau réttindi sem fjallað er um öðrum kafla. Að því frágengnu er sjónum beint að lögbundnu hlutverki verjanda í sakamálum, til að leggja grunn að umfjöllun um trúnaðarsamband sakbornings og verjanda, en það er viðfangsefni fjórða kafla sem er þungamiðja ritgerðarinnar. Meginatriðin í trúnaðarsambandi verjanda og sakbornings er réttur þeirra til samræðna í einrúmi, þagnarskylda verjanda og sjálfstæði hans í starfi og tekur kaflaskipan mið af því, þar sem fjallað verður sér í lagi um hvern þátt sambandsins. Að því frágengnu er sjónum beint að viðurlögum vegna brota verjanda í starfi tengdum trúnaðarsambandi hans við sakbornings og að lokum verða helstu efnisatriðin dregin saman og leitast við að draga ályktanir af umfjölluninni.  The right of a defendant to conduct his defence with the aid of a legal counsel is an integral part of fair proceedings and among the most important rights of a defendant in criminal cases. A sound confidential relation between the counsel and the defendant is necessary in order allow for a practical and adequately performed aid on the part of the legal counsel. This essay provides a comprehensive discussion of the rules applicable to the confidential relation between the two, the considerations underlying those rules and their significance in practice, the main objective of the essay being to explore whether the confidential relation is guaranteed adequate protection by legislation. As regards the structure of the essay, the second chapter deals with the basic rights of the defendant as an individual to conduct his defence with the aid of a legal counsel. This is followed by a general discussion of prosecution and defence in criminal cases where the role of the prosecutor is considered in general terms and a light shed on the way Icelandic legislation on legal procedure realises the rights discussed in the second chapter. The focus is then directed at the statutory role of the defendant in criminal cases, in order to form the basis for a discussion on the confidential relation between the defendant and the counsel, which is the topic of the fourth chapter containing the central point of the essay. The main aspects of the confidential relation between the defendant and the counsel are their right to converse in private, the counsel’s obligation of professional secrecy and his professional independence. The division into chapters is made with regard to those aspects, discussing each of them separately. The focus is then diverted to penalties due to the counsel’s professional misconduct related to his confidential relation with the defendant and, finally, the main points are summarised in an effort to draw conclusions from the discussion.

Storytelling tradition

Íslenskar Þjóðsögur Hreyfimyndagerð Menningararfur GagnvirkhönnunSagnahefð er vefsíða sem miðlar íslenskum þjóðsögum, mikilvægum menningararfi Íslendinga, úr formi bókbands yfir í stafrænan miðil. Með stafrænni tækni er unnið með samspil hreyfimynda, texta og hljóðs sem magnar upplifun notandans. Í verkinu eru teknar fyrir valdar þjóðsögur, tengdar Rangárþingi og Bláskógabyggð, í nágrenni við uppeldisslóðir hönnuðar. Sögurnar hafa ekki verið myndskreyttar áður en með því að blása lífi í þær með þessum hætti munu sögunar vonandi lifa áfram í hugum nýrra Íslendinga.Sagnahefð (Storytelling tradition) is a website that communicates Icelandic folklore—an important cultural heritage of the Icelandic nation—from bookbinding to the artificial digital world. With digital technology, artists can open space for the interplay of animation, text and audio which amplifies the experience of the user. In this project, the main focus is folklore stories from Rangárþing and Bláskógabyggð; areas that are close to the hometown of the designer. The stories have not been illustrated before, but by breathing life into them in this way, it is possible that the stories will continue to be preserved in the memory of new Icelanders

Þróun þjóðsagna í sjónrænum miðlum : frá munnmælum til tölvuleikja

Í þessari ritgerð er þjóðsagnaheimur Íslendinga skoðaður út frá tilkomu hans og þróunar í sjónrænum miðlum. Líkt og heimur norrænu goðsagnanna er þjóðsagnaheimurinn ríkur af efnivið sem þó hefur ekki verið nýttur jafn markvisst í miðlum í seinni tíð. Íslenski þjóðsagnarfurinn hefur varðveist í munnmælum, á prenti, í myndlýsingum og nokkrum efnislegum hlutum sem varðveist hafa á söfnum. Í ritgerðinni er rýnt í þessa sjónrænu þætti og jafnframt er skoðað hvernig vissir atburðir í íslensku samfélagi hafa mótað eða haft áhrif á þjóðsögurnar. Einnig er skoðað hvernig þjóðsögur hafa haft áhrif á hegðun fólks eða skynjun þess á umhverfi og þær afleiðingar sem af því spretta. Íslenskir þjóðsagnavættir hafa birst sjónrænt í verkum þekktra íslenska listamanna, eins og í verkum Ásgríms Jónssonar og Halldórs Péturssonar. Nokkur verk úr þeirra smiðju eru tekin sem dæmi. Í framhaldi af því er skoðað hvernig nýrri miðlar nota íslenskar þjóðsögur til hönnunar tölvuleikja, þar sem þjóðsagnararfinn er nýttur og myndheimur hans ýtir þeim aftur inn í sviðsljósið og dægurmenninguna. Niðurstaða ritgerðarinnar er sú að nú séu tækifæri að verða til, til að taka þennan efnivið enn lengra og inn í fleiri sjónræna miðla, líkt og fyrirtækið Parity Games er að gera um mundir með leiknum Island of the Winds. Líklega er sú notkun fyrirtækisins aðeins upphafið af enn markvissari endurnýtingu á þessum áhugaverða efnivið