Efficacy of some anthelmintics against the swimbladder nematode <i>Anguillicola crassus</i> of eel <i>Anguilla anguilla</i> under saltwater conditions

Six anthelmintic drugs, Ivermectin, Closantel, Safewormer, Masoten, Oxfendazole and L-Levamisol·HCL were screened for their efficacy against Anguillicola crassus, a swimbladder nematode of European eel Anguilla anguilla. All experiments were carried out under saltwater conditions. Of the 6 drugs, L-Levamisole·HCL used in a bath treatment gave the most promising results. Evaluation of the curative dose of L-Levamisole·HCL showed that a long-term treatment (24h). Dosages lower than 20 mg 1-1 showed a lower efficacy against Anguillicola crassus. However, even with a long-term, high-dosage treatment, some recovery of adult nematodes with sublethal damage and/or migration of viable juveniles into the swimbladder lumen could not be excluded. When examined 35d after treatment, the percentage of mobile adults had increased, while a decrease in percentage of dead worms was noticed compared to values obtained immediately after treatment

Three-Dimensional Dose Prediction for Lung IMRT Patients with Deep Neural Networks: Robust Learning from Heterogeneous Beam Configurations

The use of neural networks to directly predict three-dimensional dose distributions for automatic planning is becoming popular. However, the existing methods only use patient anatomy as input and assume consistent beam configuration for all patients in the training database. The purpose of this work is to develop a more general model that, in addition to patient anatomy, also considers variable beam configurations, to achieve a more comprehensive automatic planning with a potentially easier clinical implementation, without the need of training specific models for different beam settings

Informing decision makers seeking to improve vaccination programs:case-study Serbia

Background: The optimisation of vaccine policies before their implementation is beholden upon public health decision makers, seeking to maximise population health. In this case study in Serbia, the childhood vaccines under consideration included pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV), rotavirus (RV) vaccination and varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccination.Objective: The objective of this study is to define the optimal order of introduction of vaccines to minimise deaths, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, or hospitalisation days, under budget and vaccine coverage constraints.Methods: A constrained optimisation model was developed including a static multi-cohort decision-tree model for the three infectious diseases. Budget and vaccine coverage were constrained, and to rank the vaccines, the optimal solution to the linear programming problem was based upon the ratio of the outcome (deaths, QALYs or hospitalisation days) per unit of budget. A probabilistic decision analysis Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to test the robustness of the rankings.Results: PCV was the vaccine ranked first to minimise deaths, VZV vaccination for QALY loss minimisation and RV vaccination for hospitalisation day reduction. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the most robust ranking was that for PCV minimizing deaths.Conclusion: Constrained optimisation modelling, whilst considering all potential interventions currently, provided a comprehensive and rational approach to decision making. (Figure presented.).</p

Informing decision makers seeking to improve vaccination programs:case-study Serbia

Background: The optimisation of vaccine policies before their implementation is beholden upon public health decision makers, seeking to maximise population health. In this case study in Serbia, the childhood vaccines under consideration included pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV), rotavirus (RV) vaccination and varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccination.Objective: The objective of this study is to define the optimal order of introduction of vaccines to minimise deaths, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, or hospitalisation days, under budget and vaccine coverage constraints.Methods: A constrained optimisation model was developed including a static multi-cohort decision-tree model for the three infectious diseases. Budget and vaccine coverage were constrained, and to rank the vaccines, the optimal solution to the linear programming problem was based upon the ratio of the outcome (deaths, QALYs or hospitalisation days) per unit of budget. A probabilistic decision analysis Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to test the robustness of the rankings.Results: PCV was the vaccine ranked first to minimise deaths, VZV vaccination for QALY loss minimisation and RV vaccination for hospitalisation day reduction. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the most robust ranking was that for PCV minimizing deaths.Conclusion: Constrained optimisation modelling, whilst considering all potential interventions currently, provided a comprehensive and rational approach to decision making. (Figure presented.).</p

Informing decision makers seeking to improve vaccination programs:case-study Serbia

Background: The optimisation of vaccine policies before their implementation is beholden upon public health decision makers, seeking to maximise population health. In this case study in Serbia, the childhood vaccines under consideration included pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV), rotavirus (RV) vaccination and varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccination.Objective: The objective of this study is to define the optimal order of introduction of vaccines to minimise deaths, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, or hospitalisation days, under budget and vaccine coverage constraints.Methods: A constrained optimisation model was developed including a static multi-cohort decision-tree model for the three infectious diseases. Budget and vaccine coverage were constrained, and to rank the vaccines, the optimal solution to the linear programming problem was based upon the ratio of the outcome (deaths, QALYs or hospitalisation days) per unit of budget. A probabilistic decision analysis Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to test the robustness of the rankings.Results: PCV was the vaccine ranked first to minimise deaths, VZV vaccination for QALY loss minimisation and RV vaccination for hospitalisation day reduction. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the most robust ranking was that for PCV minimizing deaths.Conclusion: Constrained optimisation modelling, whilst considering all potential interventions currently, provided a comprehensive and rational approach to decision making. (Figure presented.).</p

Informing decision makers seeking to improve vaccination programs:case-study Serbia

Background: The optimisation of vaccine policies before their implementation is beholden upon public health decision makers, seeking to maximise population health. In this case study in Serbia, the childhood vaccines under consideration included pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV), rotavirus (RV) vaccination and varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccination.Objective: The objective of this study is to define the optimal order of introduction of vaccines to minimise deaths, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, or hospitalisation days, under budget and vaccine coverage constraints.Methods: A constrained optimisation model was developed including a static multi-cohort decision-tree model for the three infectious diseases. Budget and vaccine coverage were constrained, and to rank the vaccines, the optimal solution to the linear programming problem was based upon the ratio of the outcome (deaths, QALYs or hospitalisation days) per unit of budget. A probabilistic decision analysis Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to test the robustness of the rankings.Results: PCV was the vaccine ranked first to minimise deaths, VZV vaccination for QALY loss minimisation and RV vaccination for hospitalisation day reduction. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the most robust ranking was that for PCV minimizing deaths.Conclusion: Constrained optimisation modelling, whilst considering all potential interventions currently, provided a comprehensive and rational approach to decision making. (Figure presented.).</p

Informing decision makers seeking to improve vaccination programs:case-study Serbia

Background: The optimisation of vaccine policies before their implementation is beholden upon public health decision makers, seeking to maximise population health. In this case study in Serbia, the childhood vaccines under consideration included pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV), rotavirus (RV) vaccination and varicella zoster virus (VZV) vaccination.Objective: The objective of this study is to define the optimal order of introduction of vaccines to minimise deaths, quality adjusted life years (QALYs) lost, or hospitalisation days, under budget and vaccine coverage constraints.Methods: A constrained optimisation model was developed including a static multi-cohort decision-tree model for the three infectious diseases. Budget and vaccine coverage were constrained, and to rank the vaccines, the optimal solution to the linear programming problem was based upon the ratio of the outcome (deaths, QALYs or hospitalisation days) per unit of budget. A probabilistic decision analysis Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to test the robustness of the rankings.Results: PCV was the vaccine ranked first to minimise deaths, VZV vaccination for QALY loss minimisation and RV vaccination for hospitalisation day reduction. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the most robust ranking was that for PCV minimizing deaths.Conclusion: Constrained optimisation modelling, whilst considering all potential interventions currently, provided a comprehensive and rational approach to decision making. (Figure presented.).</p