Suchergebnisse

The objective of this study was to evaluate the recovery from nitrogen (N) saturation in forests under high N deposition in Flanders, northern Belgium. Deposition and soil solution concentrations of inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and total N were measured at five ICP Forests intensive monitoring plots (1 Pinus sylvestris, 1 P. nigra subsp. laricio, 2 Fagus sylvatica and 1 mixed F. sylvatica – Quercus robur) from 1996 till 2013 (DIN) and from 2005 till 2013 (total N). Deposition and soil solution concentrations of organic nitrogen (DON) were calculated as total N - DIN. The sodium mass balance approach was used to calculate N fluxes through the soil. In 1996 all forests were strongly N saturated, indicated by year-round elevated nitrate (NO3-) leaching. Despite an overall decrease of DIN depositions, DIN + DON depositions still amounted to 22-32 kg N ha-1 y-1 in 2013. This coincided with a decline of NO3--leaching, and an increase of the DON/DIN ratio in deposition and soil solution. Though, the recovery rates varied among the plots. In the two beech plots NO3--leaching decreased rapidly around 2004. Coniferous plots showed a more gradual recovery, with actual NO3--concentrations below 2 mg N l-1 in the deeper mineral soil during most part of the year. Only the mixed oak-beech plot remained highly N saturated, probably due to elevated humus desintegration in the mineral topsoil. This study points out that chemical recovery of forest soil solution could also be expected under high N deposition, and that NO3--leaching may cease rapidly when the retention capacity of the forest ecosystem is no longer exceeded.

Introduction Based on the advances in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), currently available disease-modifying treatments (DMT) have positively influenced the disease course of MS. However, the efficacy of DMT is highly variable and increasing treatment efficacy comes with a more severe risk profile. Hence, the unmet need for safer and more selective treatments remains. Specifically restoring immune tolerance towards myelin antigens may provide an attractive alternative. In this respect, antigen-specific tolerisation with autologous tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDC) is a promising approach. Methods and analysis Here, we will evaluate the clinical use of tolDC in a well-defined population of MS patients in two phase I clinical trials. In doing so, we aim to compare two ways of tolDC administration, namely intradermal and intranodal. The cells will be injected at consecutive intervals in three cohorts receiving incremental doses of tolDC, according to a best-of-five design. The primary objective is to assess the safety and feasibility of tolDC administration. For safety, the number of adverse events including MRI and clinical outcomes will be assessed. For feasibility, successful production of tolDC will be determined. Secondary endpoints include clinical and MRI outcome measures. The patients' immune profile will be assessed to find presumptive evidence for a tolerogenic effect in vivo. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained for the two phase I clinical trials. The results of the trials will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal, at scientific conferences and to patient associations. ; A FACTT network (Cost Action) [BM1305]; EU Framework Program Horizon 2020; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program [779316]; applied biomedical research project of the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders [IWT-TBM 140191]; Platform for Clinical Research and Clinical Trial Units, Spanish Clinical Research Network, SCReN [PI11/02416, PI14/01175, PI16/01737, PT13/0002/0038]; Health Institute Carlos III -Subdireccion General de Evaluacion y Fomento de la Investigacion of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness; Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER)European Union (EU); Fundacio La Marato de TV3 [07/2410]; Sanofi Genzyme, Belgium; Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)FWO; Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol ('Germans Trias Talents 2016-2018'); University of Antwerp; Research Foundation FlandersFWO [FWO 1701919N]; Spanish Patient association 'Treball de Vida' (Associacio d'Afectats d'Esclerosi Multiple del Barcelones Nord i Maresme)