Klimaateffectschetsboek Zuid-Holland

In het klimaateffectschetsboek worden de primaire en secundaire effecten van klimaatverandering op kaart gezet. Primaire effecten zijn de veranderingen in temperatuur, neerslag, wind en zeespiegel. Secundaire effecten zijn verdroging, vernatting, overstromingskansen of verzilting. Deze hangen af van de fysisch-geografische aspecten van een gebied, zoals hoogteligging, bodemtype, rivier- en bekenstelsels, en van de manier waarop een gebied is ingericht met (af)wateringssystemen, dijken, verharding en begroeiing. In de praktijk betekent dit dat de primaire effecten door het KNMI naar het provinciale schaalniveau geïnterpoleerd zijn, en dat veel van de secundaire effecten alleen beschreven worden. Daar waar relevant worden deze effecten in 2050 gerelateerd aan de ruimtelijke functies van dit momen

Klimaateffectschetsboek Drenthe en Groningen

In het klimaateffectschetsboek worden de primaire en secundaire effecten van klimaatverandering op kaart gezet. Primaire effecten zijn de veranderingen in temperatuur, neerslag, wind en zeespiegel. Secundaire effecten zijn verdroging, vernatting, overstromingskansen of verzilting. Deze hangen af van de fysisch-geografische aspecten van een gebied, zoals hoogteligging, bodemtype, rivier- en bekenstelsels, en van de manier waarop een gebied is ingericht met (af)wateringssystemen, dijken, verharding en begroeiing. In de praktijk betekent dit dat de primaire effecten door het KNMI naar het provinciale schaalniveau geïnterpoleerd zijn, en dat veel van de secundaire effecten alleen beschreven worden. Daar waar relevant worden deze effecten in 2050 gerelateerd aan de ruimtelijke functies van dit momen

Klimaateffectschetsboek Gelderland

In het klimaateffectschetsboek worden de primaire en secundaire effecten van klimaatverandering op kaart gezet. Primaire effecten zijn de veranderingen in temperatuur, neerslag, wind en zeespiegel. Secundaire effecten zijn verdroging, vernatting, overstromingskansen of verzilting. Deze hangen af van de fysisch-geografische aspecten van een gebied, zoals hoogteligging, bodemtype, rivier- en bekenstelsels, en van de manier waarop een gebied is ingericht met (af)wateringssystemen, dijken, verharding en begroeiing. In de praktijk betekent dit dat de primaire effecten door het KNMI naar het provinciale schaalniveau geïnterpoleerd zijn, en dat veel van de secundaire effecten alleen beschreven worden. Daar waar relevant worden deze effecten in 2050 gerelateerd aan de ruimtelijke functies van dit momen

Klimaateffectschetsboek Noord-Brabant

In het klimaateffectschetsboek worden de primaire en secundaire effecten van klimaatverandering op kaart gezet. Primaire effecten zijn de veranderingen in temperatuur, neerslag, wind en zeespiegel. Secundaire effecten zijn verdroging, vernatting, overstromingskansen of verzilting. Deze hangen af van de fysisch-geografische aspecten van een gebied, zoals hoogteligging, bodemtype, rivier- en bekenstelsels, en van de manier waarop een gebied is ingericht met (af)wateringssystemen, dijken, verharding en begroeiing. In de praktijk betekent dit dat de primaire effecten door het KNMI naar het provinciale schaalniveau geïnterpoleerd zijn, en dat veel van de secundaire effecten alleen beschreven worden. Daar waar relevant worden deze effecten in 2050 gerelateerd aan de ruimtelijke functies van dit momen

The presence of extracellular matrix degrading metalloproteinases during fetal development of the intervertebral disc

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) regulate connective tissue architecture and cell migration through extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and are associated with both physiological and pathological processes. Although they are known to play a role in skeletal development, little is known about the role of MMPs in intervertebral disc (IVD) development. Sixteen fetal human lumbar spine segments, obtained at autopsy, were compared with five normal, non-fetal L4–L5 IVDs. Intensity and/or localization of immunohistochemical staining for MMP-1, -2, -3 and -14 were evaluated by three independent observers. MMP-2 production and activation was quantified by gelatin zymography. MMP-1 and -14 were abundantly present in the nucleus pulposus (NP) and notochordal (NC) cells of the fetal IVDs. In non-fetal IVDs, MMP-1 and -14 staining was significantly less intense (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). MMP-3 was found in almost the entire IVD with no significant difference from non-fetal IVDs. MMP-2 staining in the NC and NP cells of the fetal IVD was moderate, but weak in the non-fetal IVD. Gelatin zymography showed a negative correlation of age with MMP-2 activity (p < 0.001). MMP-14 immunostaining correlated positively with MMP-2 activity (p = 0.001). For the first time, the presence of MMP-1, -2, -3 and -14 in the fetal human IVD is shown and the high levels of MMP-1, -2 and -14 suggest a role in the development of the IVD. In particular, the gradual decrease in MMP-2 activation during gestation pinpoints this enzyme as key player in fetal development, possibly through activation by MMP-1 and -14

Scaffolds with a standardized macro-architecture fabricated from several calcium phosphate ceramics using an indirect rapid prototyping technique

Calcium phosphate ceramics, commonly applied as bone graft substitutes, are a natural choice of scaffolding material for bone tissue engineering. Evidence shows that the chemical composition, macroporosity and microporosity of these ceramics influences their behavior as bone graft substitutes and bone tissue engineering scaffolds but little has been done to optimize these parameters. One method of optimization is to place focus on a particular parameter by normalizing the influence, as much as possible, of confounding parameters. This is difficult to accomplish with traditional fabrication techniques. In this study we describe a design based rapid prototyping method of manufacturing scaffolds with virtually identical macroporous architectures from different calcium phosphate ceramic compositions. Beta-tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite (at two sintering temperatures) and biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds were manufactured. The macro- and micro-architectures of the scaffolds were characterized as well as the influence of the manufacturing method on the chemistries of the calcium phosphate compositions. The structural characteristics of the resulting scaffolds were remarkably similar. The manufacturing process had little influence on the composition of the materials except for the consistent but small addition of, or increase in, a beta-tricalcium phosphate phase. Among other applications, scaffolds produced by the method described provide a means of examining the influence of different calcium phosphate compositions while confidently excluding the influence of the macroporous structure of the scaffolds

Shaping Skeletal Growth by Modular Regulatory Elements in the Bmp5 Gene

Cartilage and bone are formed into a remarkable range of shapes and sizes that underlie many anatomical adaptations to different lifestyles in vertebrates. Although the morphological blueprints for individual cartilage and bony structures must somehow be encoded in the genome, we currently know little about the detailed genomic mechanisms that direct precise growth patterns for particular bones. We have carried out large-scale enhancer surveys to identify the regulatory architecture controlling developmental expression of the mouse Bmp5 gene, which encodes a secreted signaling molecule required for normal morphology of specific skeletal features. Although Bmp5 is expressed in many skeletal precursors, different enhancers control expression in individual bones. Remarkably, we show here that different enhancers also exist for highly restricted spatial subdomains along the surface of individual skeletal structures, including ribs and nasal cartilages. Transgenic, null, and regulatory mutations confirm that these anatomy-specific sequences are sufficient to trigger local changes in skeletal morphology and are required for establishing normal growth rates on separate bone surfaces. Our findings suggest that individual bones are composite structures whose detailed growth patterns are built from many smaller lineage and gene expression domains. Individual enhancers in BMP genes provide a genomic mechanism for controlling precise growth domains in particular cartilages and bones, making it possible to separately regulate skeletal anatomy at highly specific locations in the body

Analysis of a Panel of 48 Cytokines in BAL Fluids Specifically Identifies IL-8 Levels as the Only Cytokine that Distinguishes Controlled Asthma from Uncontrolled Asthma, and Correlates Inversely with FEV1

We sought to identify cells and cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids that distinguish asthma from healthy control subjects and those that distinguish controlled asthma from uncontrolled asthma. Following informed consent, 36 human subjects were recruited for this study. These included 11 healthy control subjects, 15 subjects with controlled asthma with FEV1≥80% predicted and 10 subjects with uncontrolled asthma with FEV1 2.4%) were a higher BAL fluid IL-8 levels, and a lower FEV1 in the latter group. By contrast, compared to eosinophil-normal asthma (eosinophils≤0.3%), eosinophil-high asthma (eosinophils>0.3%) had higher levels of IL-5, IL-13, IL-16, and PDGF-bb, but same neutrophil percentage, IL-8, and FEV1. Our results identify neutrophils and IL-8 are the only inflammatory components in BAL fluids that distinguish controlled asthma from uncontrolled asthma, and both correlate inversely with FEV1