Sequential anti-cytomegalovirus response monitoring may allow prediction of cytomegalovirus reactivation after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

Background: Reconstitution of cytomegalovirus-specific CD3+CD8+ T cells (CMV-CTLs) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is necessary to bring cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation under control. However, the parameters determining protective CMV-CTL reconstitution remain unclear to date. Design and Methods: In a prospective tri-center study, CMV-CTL reconstitution was analyzed in the peripheral blood from 278 patients during the year following HSCT using 7 commercially available tetrameric HLA-CMV epitope complexes. All patients included could be monitored with at least CMV-specific tetramer. Results: CMV-CTL reconstitution was detected in 198 patients (71%) after allogeneic HSCT. Most importantly, reconstitution with 1 CMV-CTL per µl blood between day +50 and day +75 post-HSCT discriminated between patients with and without CMV reactivation in the R+/D+ patient group, independent of the CMV-epitope recognized. In addition, CMV-CTLs expanded more daramtaically in patients experiencing only one CMV-reactivation than those without or those with multiple CMV reactivations. Monitoring using at least 2 tetramers was possible in 63% (n = 176) of the patients. The combinations of particular HLA molecules influenced the numbers of CMV-CTLs detected. The highest CMV-CTL count obtained for an individual tetramer also changed over time in 11% of these patients (n = 19) resulting in higher levels of HLA-B*0801 (IE-1) recognizing CMV-CTLs in 14 patients. Conclusions: Our results indicate that 1 CMV-CTL per µl blood between day +50 to +75 marks the beginning of an immune response against CMV in the R+/D+ group. Detection of CMV-CTL expansion thereafter indicates successful resolution of the CMV reactivation. Thus, sequential monitoring of CMV-CTL reconstitution can be used to predict patients at risk for recurrent CMV reactivation

Transnational Encounters with British Screen Entertainment:The Experiences of young audiences in Denmark and Germany and the implications for public service media

A broad interpretation of public service has always included entertainment as a vital component of the public service remit, that is not separate from education and information, but integral to a holistic understanding of public service. If public service providers are unable to entertain the public across their drama, factual and education offerings, they risk alienating audiences, and the legitimacy of public funding. In this sense, entertainment as part of culture is indicative of a way of life (Raymond Williams) where fictional and factual entertainment can simultaneously inform and entertain bringing diverse communities together and contributing to the public conversation (BRU). Yet across Europe we know that audiences are engaging less with public service providers, and this is particularly true of younger generations. However, we know very little about how and where young Europeans find screen content, how they experience and interpret it, what It is that they value about screen narratives, and how these encounters affect their understanding of the world. What we do know is that younger audiences are avid consumers of screen entertainment on transnational platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime , Disney Plus and YouTube, and that increasingly content offered by domestic public service providers such as the BBC, ARD, ZDF and DRTV is no longer appealing to them. For example, while 90% of our Danish respondents aged 16-19 regularly used Netflix, this dropped to 26% for the public service streaming service, DRTV, and 10% for broadcast channels (Screen Encounters with Britain – Interim Report Denmark, 2023).Concentrating on young people aged 16-34 living in Denmark and Germany this paper provides insights into this generation’s engagement with entertainment by focusing on how they engage with British screen content in a radically changing landscape of digital encounters. Our findings are based on surveys (800 plus), digital activities (50) and interviews with young people (numbering 40) aged 16-34. The findings are relevant because much of the British content young people encounter has been commissioned by the UK’s publicly funded public service broadcaster, the BBC, but also commercially funded broadcasters with public service remits, notably ITV and Channel 4. Traditionally UK distributors like BBC Studios and ITV Studios have sold UK content to other public service providers, including ARD and ZDF in Germany and DRTV and TV2 in Denmark. But this content is now available in greater volume (e.g., Red Rose, Peaky Blinders, Luther, Sherlock, Dr Who) on subscription video-on-demand platforms where public service associations are no longer visible or apparent. Additionally, SVODs are also commissioning their own “public service” British entertainment (e.g. The Crown, Sex Education) in efforts to appeal to both older and younger viewers. Focusing on encounters with British content and drawing on survey and interview findings with audiences aged 16-34, this chapter will provide insights into how young people in Germany and Denmark find, access and experience screen entertainment from their home country, the UK, and the US. What motivates them to watch (including social media and recommendations) and how do they rank English-language entertainment against the offerings of Danish or German providers including public service broadcasters? How does British content, with its strong public-service roots, compare to US-American content in their eyes? What entertainment genres does this generation prioritise, and what role does language play? Are we seeing a shift away from domestic language programming to programming in English with English sub-titles, even in countries like Germany where all foreign-language content has traditionally been dubbed ? Findings will identify what young audiences believe they do not find at home, and why they seek out overseas entertainment, offering potential lessons about what younger generations look for, what they value and why. <br/

Global platforms, new media generations and Anglo-American hegemony:An exploration of young audience viewing and language preferences in four European countries

This article examines British screen content consumption among young audiences aged 16-34 in four European countries: Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. It suggests a reconsideration of content flow theories that maintain ‘home advantage’ for domestic content, followed by shows from culturally or linguistically proximate countries. The research reveals a shift among younger viewers towards a re-asserted Anglo-American hegemony, driven by the accessibility of English-language content, declining interest in domestic content and growing English-language proficiency. This favours global streamers with English-language productions, primarily from the United States, even in Italy and Germany where dubbed shows have been the dominant viewing option

Young Danish audiences and British screen content:A critical reflection on transnational consumption, geo-linguistic regions, and cultural proximity

Drawing on survey and interview data from a pilot study undertaken online in Denmark (March-July 2020), this article provides exploratory insights about how young audiences in Denmark (aged 16-34, with a background in higher education) engage with British television and film as viewing shifts from broadcast television to online on-demand services. First, drawing on survey data, we concentrate on consumption habits and genre preferences regarding British content and compare it to Danish, Nordic, and American content. Second, drawing on interviews, we address the significance of cultural and particularly linguistic proximity in determining the consumption and reception of British content. Revealing that young Danes in the pilot study feel greater linguistic proximity to English than to other Scandinavian languages, the research suggests the need for more nuanced theorisations of cultural and linguistic proximity, along with the revision of cultural distance and geo-linguistic regions theory.</p