Erwinia chrysanthemi veel aangetroffen

Om de grote problemen met Erwinia, vooral in de hyacint en Zantedeschia, het hoofd te bieden is PPO bezig met een omvangrijk onderzoek naar beheersmaatregelen tegen deze bacteriën. In samenwerking met Plant Resarch International en met medewerking van een aantal bedrijven is in het afgelopen jaar informatie verzameld over Erwinia's in bloembollen en andere teelten. Een eerste stap naar een adequate aanpa

Erwinia chrysanthemi veel aangetroffen

Om de grote problemen met Erwinia, vooral in de hyacint en Zantedeschia, het hoofd te bieden is PPO bezig met een omvangrijk onderzoek naar beheersmaatregelen tegen deze bacteriën. In samenwerking met Plant Resarch International en met medewerking van een aantal bedrijven is in het afgelopen jaar informatie verzameld over Erwinia's in bloembollen en andere teelten. Een eerste stap naar een adequate aanpa

Ethnic diversity within Australian homes: Has television caught up to social reality?

Inter-ethnic intimacy is on the rise in Australia, bringing an unprecedented level of ethnic diversity into our homes. Yet analyses of media representations of ethnic diversity have concentrated on the community level, neglecting the intimate sphere of family life. This paper explores the possibilities and limits of love within and across ethnic boundaries on fictional Australian television programmes. The results of a nine-week content analysis reveal a mixed picture. Inter-ethnic intimacy was regularly portrayed; but committed, long-term relationships across ethnic boundaries (marriage and co-habitation) were scarce. And although Australian television producers did not shy away from portraying physical intimacy across ethnic boundaries, emotional intimacy was often absent. Overt stereotyping of ethnic minority characters involved in inter-ethnic relationships was rare - instead, ethnic differences were downplayed or erased. Storylines were underpinned by the assimilation of inter-ethnic couples - in all their diversity - into the (white) mainstream

ACE and sIL-2R correlate with lung function improvement in sarcoidosis during methotrexate therapy

Introduction In sarcoidosis, the search for disease activity markers that correlate with treatment response is ongoing. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of two proposed markers, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) during methotrexate (MTX) therapy in sarcoidosis patients. Materials and methods We analysed 114 sarcoidosis patients who used MTX for six months, consisting of a subgroup of 76 patients with a pulmonary indication for treatment and a subgroup of 38 patients with an extra-pulmonary indication. ACE and sIL-2R serum levels were measured at baseline and after six months of treatment. Correlation coefficients (R) and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to study the correlation and predictive effect of serum ACE and sIL-2R levels for pulmonary improvement. Results High baseline levels of ACE correlated significantly with lung function improvement after treatment (R = 0.45, p 90 U/l predicted a 10% improvement in overall lung function (OR 3.55; CI 1.34-9.38), with the highest prediction level for 10% improvement in DLCO (OR 4.63; CI 1.23-17.4). After six months of MTX, mean ACE decreased with 17.2 U/l (p < 0.0001) and sIL-2R with 1850 pg/ml (p < 0.0001). Decreases in both ACE and sIL-2R correlated with an increase in lung function. The strongest correlation was found with change in DLCO in the pulmonary subgroup (ACE R = 0.63, P < 0.0001; sIL-2R R = 0.56, P < 0.0001). Conclusion Baseline and serial serum ACE and sIL-2R levels correlate well with lung function improvement during MTX treatment. Serial measurements of these biomarkers are helpful in monitoring treatment effects in sarcoidosis patients