ARIA 2016: Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma a

Some remarks on the variability of Spergularia marginata and Spergularia salina in the Netherlands

The variability of the principal differentiating characters of Spergularia marginata and S. salina was studied by means of analyses of population samples. Both species proved to be sharply definable in the Netherlands; no intermediates were found. In certain habitats a form of S. marginata occurs with exclusively unwinged seeds. It seems that S. salina, on the other hand, has a form with broadly winged seeds only. So far it was found in but a single Dutch station

Classificatie en sexualiteit bij Taraxacum

The history of classification of the genus Taraxacum is shortly discussed and attention is paid to the significance of the taxonomical and phytogeographical studies of Professor Van Soest. The mode of reproduction and the occurrence of sexuality and hybridization in Europe is described. The results of an investigation of sexuality in about 70 populations found in the northern parts of Switzerland and Austria and in the southern part of Germany (B.R.D.) are concisely reported. It appears that sexuals are of common occurrence in this area and that there is a transitional zone from about Stuttgart to Passau in which the diploids in the populations are gradually replaced by polyploids. The diploids belong to the section Vulgaria and include a great number of forms. It is unknown whether these forms are the products of hybridization or if they indeed belong to genetically isolated (micro)species. The causes of the distribution of the diploid sexuals are unknown. They appear to have a slight preference for less disturbed habitats as compared with the polyploids. The transition from the diploids to polyploids in the populations may be caused by a more intensive agriculture in the area concerned and by climatic factors and may be influenced by historic phytogeographical factors. The distribution of the diploids and polyploids is shown in fig. 1; the percentage of the diploids are indicated in black, the polyploids in white

Flexible and elastic porous poly(trimethylene carbonate) structures for use in vascular tissue engineering

Biocompatible and elastic porous tubular structures based on poly(1,3-trimethylene carbonate), PTMC, were developed as scaffolds for tissue engineering of small-diameter blood vessels. High-molecular-weight PTMC (Mn = 4.37 × 105) was cross-linked by gamma-irradiation in an inert nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting networks (50–70% gel content) were elastic and creep resistant. The PTMC materials were highly biocompatible as determined by cell adhesion and proliferation studies using various relevant cell types (human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)). Dimensionally stable tubular scaffolds with an interconnected pore network were prepared by particulate leaching. Different cross-linked porous PTMC specimens with average pore sizes ranging between 55 and 116 μm, and porosities ranging from 59% to 83% were prepared. These scaffolds were highly compliant and flexible, with high elongations at break. Furthermore, their resistance to creep was excellent and under cyclic loading conditions (20 deformation cycles to 30% elongation) no permanent deformation occurred. Seeding of SMCs into the wall of the tubular structures was done by carefully perfusing cell suspensions with syringes from the lumen through the wall. The cells were then cultured for 7 days. Upon proliferation of the SMCs, the formed blood vessel constructs had excellent mechanical properties. Their radial tensile strengths had increased from 0.23 to 0.78 MPa, which is close to those of natural blood vessels