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For the integration of reinforcement directly into additively manufactured structures a Dynamic Winding Machine (DWM) is developed, in which fibre material is consolidated to a strand and provided with a surface structuring. The produced reinforcement strands are formed into reinforcement structures with the help of an end effector attached to a robot. In combination with robotic integration strategies additively manufactured structures can be reinforced by this process. Results from mechanical, chemical and optical investigations presented in this paper aims to gain fundamental knowledge about the properties of the reinforcement strands produced by the newly developed process., Paper 130

For general practitioners there have been important novelties in the treatment of asthma due to recent modifications of the international guidelines from Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA). In Step 1, use of short-acting beta2-agonists (SABA) without concomitant inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) as controller is no longer recommended for lack of efficacy and safety reasons. Instead, low dose ICS-formoterol as needed is recommended. In Step 5, in patients with severe uncontrolled asthma GINA recommends targeted biologic therapies like interleukin antibodies. Asthma patients presenting simultaneously with symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should receive treatment containing ICS. Independent of the current corona pandemic, GINA recommendations stay in place.

Michael Furian,1,* Deborah Flueck,1,* Tsogyal D Latshang,1 Philipp M Scheiwiller,1 Sebastian Daniel Segitz,1 Séverine Mueller-Mottet,1 Christian Murer,1 Adrian Steiner,1 Silvia Ulrich,1 Thomas Rothe,2 Malcolm Kohler,1 Konrad E Bloch1 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 2Zuercher RehaZentrum Davos, Davos Clavadel, Switzerland *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: To evaluate the effects of altitude travel on exercise performance and symptoms in lowlanders with COPD. Design: Randomized crossover trial. Setting: University Hospital Zurich (490 m), research facility in mountain villages, Davos Clavadel (1,650 m) and Davos Jakobshorn (2,590 m). Participants: Forty COPD patients, Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grade 2–3, living below 800 m, median (quartiles) age 67 y (60; 69), forced expiratory volume in 1 second 57% predicted (49; 70). Intervention: Two-day sojourns at 490 m, 1,650 m, and 2,590 m in randomized order. Outcome measures: Six-minute walk distance (6MWD), cardiopulmonary exercise tests, symptoms, and other health effects. Results: At 490 m, days 1 and 2, median (quartiles) 6MWD were 558 m (477; 587) and 577 m (531; 629). At 2,590 m, days 1 and 2, mean changes in 6MWD from corresponding day at 490 m were -41 m (95% CI -51 to -31) and -40 m (-53 to -27), n=40, P

Norbert Meyer,1,2 Sarah Janine Nuss,1 Thomas Rothe,1 Alexander Siebenhüner,1 Cezmi A Akdis,2 Günter Menz11Hochgebirgsklinik Davos, Davos-Wolfgang, Switzerland; 2Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), Davos Platz, SwitzerlandBackground: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by different clinical phenotypes and the involvement of multiple inflammatory pathways. During airway inflammation, many cytokines and chemokines are released and some are detectable in the sera.Objective: Serum chemokines and cytokines, involved in airway inflammation in asthma patients, were investigated.Methods: A total of 191 asthma patients were classified by hierarchical cluster analysis, including the following parameters: forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) serum levels, blood eosinophils, Junipers asthma symptom score, and the change in FEV1, ECP serum levels, and blood eosinophils after 3 weeks of asthma therapy. Serum proteins were measured by multiplex analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the validity of serum proteins for discriminating between asthma clusters.Results: Classification of asthma patients identified one cluster with high ECP serum levels, increased blood eosinophils, low FEV1 values, and good FEV1 improvement in response to asthma therapy (n=60) and one cluster with low ECP serum levels, low numbers of blood eosinophils, higher FEV1 values, and no FEV1 improvement in response to asthma therapy (n=131). Serum interleukin (IL)-8, eotaxin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine (CTACK), growth-related oncogene (GRO)-α, and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were significantly different between the two clusters of asthma patients. ROC analysis for serum proteins calculated a sensitivity of 55.9% and specificity of 75.8% for discriminating between them.Conclusion: Serum cytokine and chemokine levels might be predictors for the severity of asthmatic inflammation, asthma control, and response to therapy, and therefore might be useful for treatment optimization.Keywords: asthma, cluster, phenotype, serum cytokines

Rationale: There is limited evidence from population-based studies demonstrating incidence of spirometric-defined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in association with occupational exposures. Objectives: We evaluated the association between occupational exposures and incidence of COPD in the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA). Measurements and Main Results: Prebronchodilator ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second over forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) was measured in 4,267 nonasthmatic SAPALDIA participants ages 18–62 at baseline in 1991 and at follow-up in 2001–2003. COPD was defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criterion (FEV1/FVC < 0.70) and Quanjer reference equation (FEV1/FVC < lower limit of normal [LLN]), and categorized by severity (≥80% and

Asthma und COPD werden im klinischen Alltag häufig ungenügend auseinander gehalten [1]. Die nachfolgende Kasuistik stellt einen Asthma-Phänotyp vor, der die COPD imitiert. In diesem Kontext werden Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede beider Krankheitsbilder beleuchtet. Die Definitionen der Krankheitsbilder erweisen sich dabei teilweise als unscharf.

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit greift aktuelle bildungspolitische Entwicklungen auf und leistet einen Beitrag zur Strukturierung der historisch gewachsenen Ausgangslage der Hochschuldidaktik in Deutschland. Besondere Berücksichtigung finden aktuelle bildungspolitische Entwicklungen und damit einhergehende Forderungen auf Ebene der Hochschullehre. Detailliert wird auf die Beschlüsse im Rahmen der Bologna-Reform eingegangen und aus einer erwachsenenpädagogischen Perspektive folgende Fragestellung diskutiert: Welche Rückschlüsse lassen sich aus den Diskursen im europäischen Bildungsraum unter Berücksichtigung des historisch gewachsenen Kontextes von Hochschuldidaktik für die Konstruktionsebene einer modernen Hochschuldidaktik ableiten? Es wird analysiert, welche Konsequenzen sich aus den bildungspolitischen Forderungen für die Ebene der Gestaltung und Organisation universitärer Hochschullehre ableiten lassen. Dazu zählen besonders didaktischen Forderungen, die sich aus der angestrebten Kompetenz- bzw. Lernergebnisorientierung ergeben.

Das Verständnis der pathophysiologischen Mechanismen der COPD ist in den letzten Jahren gewachsen. Parallel dazu sind auch die therapeutischen Optionen grösser geworden, so dass therapeutischer Nihilismus nicht mehr angesagt ist. Die konsequente Nikotinkarenz ist weiterhin erstes Ziel, sowohl in der primären als auch sekundären Prophylaxe. Langwirkende Bronchodilatatoren sind von grosser Wichtigkeit und helfen auch mit, einer dynamischen Lungenüberblähung bei körperlicher Belastung vorzubeugen. Die GOLD-Richtlinien erlauben eine Evidenz-basierte standardisierte Therapie, in der die pulmonale Rehabilitation eine wichtige Rolle einnimmt.

1. High-voltage-activated Ca2+ currents [ICa(HVA)] were studied in immunolabeled mouse retinal ganglion neurons (RGNs) to elucidate channel-specific components and their developmental changes in vitro. 2. Neurons were dissociated at postnatal day 5. RGNs were selected for electrophysiological measurements by vital labeling with an antibody against Thy-1.2. ICa(HVA) were recorded with patch electrodes in the whole cell configuration at a holding voltage (Vh) of -90 mV. 3. A total of 111 neurons was studied. On average, 13% of ICa(HVA) was reversibly blocked by 10 microM nifedipine, approximately 30% of the compound current displayed an irreversible block by 2.5 microM omega-conotoxin (omega-CTX) GVIA. The remainder current was resistant to both drugs, suggesting that the total ICa(HVA) was a mixture of at least three different components. 4. Developmental analysis revealed a significant increase of the omega-CTX-GVIA/nifedipine-resistant component of ICa(HVA) (31% at day in vitro (DIV) 0–2, 70% at DIV 18–26) mainly at the expense of the omega-CTX-GVIA-sensitive current. No significant change was found in the nifedipine-sensitive component of ICa(HVA). 5. To characterize the Ca2+ current component that was resistant to both omega-CTX-GVIA and nifedipine at Vh -90 mV, three tests were performed. The P channel antagonist omega-agatoxin IVA (omega-Aga-IVA, 200 nM) completely failed to block ICa(HVA) in mouse RGNs. The novel Ca2+ channel blocker omega-CTX-MVIIC (5 microM) decreased the ICa(HVA) remaining after omega-CTX-GVIA treatment by only approximately 10%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)