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The aim of a new survey project is to collect data on the link between leisure contacts and leisure activities. The paper introduces briefly into former studies that applied the methods of social network analysis in transport planning. Using these projects as starting points the methodology and background of the new project are presented in detail. This is followed by first descriptive analyses checking how representative the data are for the Swiss population. The paper finishes by giving an outlook on further work and next steps to analyze the data.

Empty capsids from adenovirus, that is, virus particles lacking DNA, are well documented in the published literature. They can be separated from complete virus by CsCl density gradient centrifugation. Here we characterize the presence of empty capsids in recombinant adenovirus preparations purified by column chromatography. The initial purified recombinant adenovirus containing the p53 tumor suppressor gene was produced from 293 cells grown on microcarriers and purified by passage through DEAE-Fractogel and gel-filtration chromatography. Further sequential purification of the column-purified virus by CsCl and glycerol density gradient centrifugations yielded isolated complete virus and empty capsids. The empty capsids were essentially noninfectious and free of DNA. Analysis of empty capsids by SDS-PAGE or RP-HPLC showed the presence of only three major components: hexon, IIIa, and a 31K band. This last protein was identified as the precursor to protein VIII (pVIII) by mass spectrometric analysis. No pVIII was detected from the purified complete virus. Analysis by electron microscopy of the empty capsids showed particles with small defects. The amount of pVIII was used to determine the level of empty capsid contamination. First, the purified empty capsids were used to quantify the relation of pVIII to empty capsid particle concentration (as estimated by either light scattering or hexon content). They were then used as a standard to establish the empty capsid concentration of various recombinant adenovirus preparations. Preliminary research showed changes in empty capsid concentration with variations in the infection conditions. While virus purification on anion-exchange or gel-filtration chromatography has little effect on empty capsid contamination, other chromatographic steps can substantially reduce the final concentration of empty capsids in column-purified adenovirus preparations.

The objectives of the study were to calculate the costs of postoperative complications and to evaluate whether the use of perioperative enteral immunonutrition, may lead to a saving in health care resources consumed. The economic analysis was based on data from a randomized doubleblind trial that include 206 cancer patients who received perioperatively either enteral immunonutrition treatment group, n 102 or a standard enteral diet control group, n 104. Estimates of costs were based on resource use for treatment of complications, which were valued according to the National List of Sanitary Costs of the Italian Ministry of Health and on the medical DiagnosisRelatedGroup DRG reimbursement rates. Costs of nutrition were also calculated. Cost comparison and cost effectiveness analyses were then carried out. Intenttotreat analysis showed that the total costs of 52 postoperative complications were 322,218 euros, with a consumption of the DRG reimbursement rate of 15.4. The costs of nutrition were 35,437 euros in the treatment group versus 10,768 euros in the control group. The total costs nutrition plus treating complications amounted to 113,778 euros in the treatment group versus 254,450 euros in the control group. The mean total costs per patient were 1,115 euros in the treatment group versus 2,447 euros in the control group P0.04. Effectiveness was 83.3 in the treatment group versus 68.3 in the control group P0.009. Cost effectiveness analysis showed a net saving of 2,386 euros per complicationfree patient in favor of the treatment group. In conclusion, the perioperative use of immunonutrition appears cost effective due to a substantial saving of resources used to treat postoperative complications.

Current standard second-line regimens for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are administered over a period of 3–6 months, generating substantial treatment costs. In Switzerland, Yttrium-90 (90Y)-ibritumomab tiuxetan was introduced in 2004 as the first-in-class radioimmunotherapy for the treatment of relapsed or refractory indolent NHL. It is delivered in an outpatient setting over a period of 8 days. In Switzerland, just as in the United States, assessment of the biodistribution of the antibody is required one week prior to the actual treatment (this step is not required in the European Union). This analysis compared the costs of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan with 8 cycles of rituximab (R), 6 or 8 cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone), and 6 or 8 cycles of R-CVP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone), respectively. Direct medical treatment costs and costs of absence from work (indirect costs) were included. For each treatment option, the number of cycles per treatment and the total medical resources used to care for the patient throughout the treatment were assessed for a theoretical standard patient, defined as 60 years old with therapy refractory, grade 1–2, stage III-IV NHL. The resources used were valued with unit costs or prices gained from the Swiss national fee schedule for medical services, lists of administered prices for laboratory tests and pharmaceuticals, and purchasing prices for all other relevant items. Total lost productivity due to absence from work was estimated by multiplying the days absent from work with average income per day. Results are summarized in Table 1. Direct treatment costs for 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan were lower than 8 x R, 8 x R-CHOP, and 8 x R-CVP but higher than 6 x R-CHOP or 6 x R-CVP. When indirect costs were taken into account, total 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan cost was lower than for all other regimens except 6 x R-CVP. The only sensitivity analysis that changed the ranking of the treatment options was omitting the biodistribution study and thus adopting the EU regimen for 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan. This reduced the costs of radioimmunotherapy to CHF 27,766. In conclusion, 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan is not more expensive than other established treatments for relapsed or refractory indolent NHL. Table 1. Per-patient costs by treatment in Switzerland.

Hair samples of psychiatric patients were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) for the neuroleptics clozapine, flupentixol, haloperidol, penfluridol, thioridazine, and zuclopenthixol. In the study, these neuroleptics were administered to the patients regularly for a minimum of six months. Sample preparation was performed by washing, powdering with a ball mill, extraction of drugs from hair by ultrasonication with methanol, cleanup by solid-phase extraction and subsequent LC-MS-MS analysis using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Calibration was performed for all drugs in the range of 0.05 to 10 ng/mg using spiked hair powder and doxepin-d3 as internal standard. Twenty to 50 mg of hair powder was used and the detection limits of LC-MS-MS were below 0.05 ng/mg for all drugs tested. Therapeutic dosage, number of subjects, hair color, and detected amounts of drugs were as follows: dozapine (150–400 mg/day; n = 3, light brown, medium brown, black; 0.47–0.92 ng/mg), haloperidol (150 mg/3 weeks; n = 1, black/gray; 12.2 ng/mg), penfluridol (20–30 mg/week; n = 2, medium brown, black; 0.08 ng/mg; not detected in one case), thioridazine (100–400 mg/day; n = 4, light brown, medium brown, black; 0.33–9.91 ng/mg, not detected in one case). Besides the active drugs also the desmethyl-metabolites of clozapine and thioridazine were detected by LC-MS-MS. However, flupentixol (5 mg/day; light brown hair) and zuclopenthixol (350 mg/3 weeks; light brown hair) were not detected by these methods in one case each, although the drugs were administered regularly to these patients. The comparison of dosage and hair color in two cases with thioridazine and penfluridol suggests that other interindividual factors may have an influence on drug concentration in hair.