Giving a good lecture

Good teachers are role models as well as educators and there is no doubt that they can inspire their students to go along certain career paths. The definition of what makes a good teacher is still being debated. Most students describe a good teacher as accessible, enthusiastic, passionate, humorous, caring and nonjudgmental. Good teachers put learning into context and they actively engage their students in the learning process. Giving a good lecture is like a theatre performance in which the lecturer plays the leading role. The skills involved in giving a good lecture, just as with acting, must be learnt and the performance must be thoroughly rehearsed. Good lectures are well-planned, well-structured, well-delivered and properly timed. Good teachers welcome feedback and act on it to continue developing their skills.     

Myelofibrosis--what's in a name? Consensus on definition and EUMNET grading.

OBJECTIVE: Myelofibrosis (MF) implies an increase in the bone marrow (BM) fiber content without referring to quantity or quality (reticulin vs. collagen). METHODS: This review on chronic myeloproliferative disorders is based on initial and sequential BM biopsies, clinical data and follow-up examinations. A semiquantitative grading system for MF approved by a panel of experts was applied. RESULTS: In chronic myelogenous leukemia, minimal reticulin to advanced collagen MF is detectable at presentation in about 30% of patients. Significant correlations between BM and clinical features, but especially prognosis, are evident. Chronic idiopathic MF includes a prodromal stage showing no or little reticulin and no relevant MF with myeloid metaplasia (MMM). A stepwise evolution is demonstrable and associated with corresponding clinical data. Usually MMM is the diagnostic guideline for this disorder and consequently early stages with accompanying thrombocytosis may clinically mimic essential thrombocythemia. MF of various degrees may be observed in polycythemia vera depending on the progress of disease. Terminal stages (spent phase) reveal overt collagen corresponding with MMM. If diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia regards characteristic BM features, no relevant MF is seen at presentation and transformation into MMM is neglectable for many years. CONCLUSION: To recognize dynamics of the disease process in chronic myeloproliferative disorders, an easily to reproduce scoring system for MF has been proposed. The clinical diagnosis of MMM does not include initial-early reticulin MF and therefore fails to detect prodromal stages.     

Desmoplasia: not always a bad thing

Abbas O & Mahalingam M
(2011) Histopathology 58 , 643–659
Desmoplasia: not always a bad thing Desmoplasia describes a histological pattern characterized by a hyalinized stroma and a minimal cellular infiltrate. In non‐cutaneous neoplasms, this pattern of stromal response is classically associated with malignancy, whereas in cutaneous pathology, desmoplasia is observed in malignant as well as benign neoplasms. Given this, the obvious question is whether desmoplasia associated with a benign neoplasm is any different from that associated with malignant tumours. Is the stromal response a mere epiphenomenon, or does it actually contribute to the biological behaviour of the neoplasm? What happens at the tumour–host interface? Which molecules are involved in mediating the desmoplastic reaction pattern? This review is an attempt to answer these questions. Examples of benign and malignant cutaneous neoplasms associated with the desmoplastic reaction pattern will be included.     

不良孕产史妇女的巨细胞病毒感染

随着对巨细胞病毒(CMV)认识的深入,对孕妇CMV活动性感染引起胎儿宫内感染导致对胎儿的危害越来越引起人们的注意.此病毒是宫内感染最常见的病毒,其先天感染率是风疹病毒的两倍.有报道新生儿中的先天性CMV感染率为0.5-2.2%.有资料显示,CMV引起的宫内感染可导致自然流产、胎儿畸形、死胎、新生儿死亡、CMV包涵体病等,即使有幸存活的婴儿也均有严重智力低下、耳聋、失明等异常情况.为了研究自然流产史、生畸形儿史、死胎史的人群与正常人群之间是否有CMV感染的差异,我们对此进行了调查研究.     

Understanding what makes a good versus a bad vaccine

The majority of the HIV vaccines under development are aimed at stimulating T cell responses. Therefore, it is critical to delineate the factors regulating the generation of the T cell responses and to develop strategies maximizing vaccine-induced T cell responses. The identification of these factors and the delineation of the kinetics of the generation of vaccine-induced immune responses have been hard to investigate, due to the limited number of precursor naive antigen-specific T cells. To overcome these obstacles, Estcourt and collaborators have developed an elegant strategy that consists of an in vivo mouse model employing transfer of naive CFSE-labeled TCR-transgenic T lymphocytes into syngeneic nontransgenic recipients prior to vaccination. Using this model, the authors demonstrate that the dose, the route of administration and the type of vaccine determine the magnitude, the dissemination and the kinetics of vaccine-induced T cell responses. Furthermore, the mouse model of Estcourt and collaborators may represent the basis for the development of powerful in vivo experimental strategies to evaluate vaccine candidates.