1,308 research outputs found
Low percentage of clinically relevant pistachio nut and mango co-sensitisation in cashew nut sensitised children
Background: Cashew nut, pistachio nut and mango belong to the Anacardiaceae family and are botanically related. Therefore, cashew nut sensitised children are frequently advised to eliminate cashew nuts and pistachio nuts from their diet. The âImprovement of Diagnostic mEthods for ALlergy assessment (IDEAL trial number NTR3572) study showed that cashew nut sensitised children were co-sensitised to pistachio nut in 98% of cases and to mango in 21% of cases. The aim of this follow-up study to IDEAL is to assess the clinical relevance of co-sensitisation to pistachio nut and mango in cashew nut sensitised children. Methods: Children were recruited from the study: âImprovement of Diagnostic mEthods for ALlergy assessment (IDEAL trial number NTR3572). Inclusion criterion for the IDEAL study was sensitization to cashew nut as demonstrated by either SPT or sIgE, and a clinical history of reactions to cashew nuts or no previous (known) exposure. Sensitized children who were tolerant to cashew nuts were excluded. Inclusion criterion for this IDEAL follow-up study was co-sensitization to pistachio nut, regardless the result of the DBPCFC with cashew nut. In this follow-up study a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge with pistachio nut and an open food challenge with mango were performed. Results: Twenty-nine children (mean age of 11.6 years, 62% male) were included. Pistachio nut sensitisation was clinically relevant in only 34% of cashew-sensitised children and only 31% of cashew challenge positive children. None of the children was challenge positive to mango. Conclusion: Although co-sensitisation between cashew nut and pistachio nut was observed in 98%, pistachio nut sensitisation was only clinically relevant in 34% of the children. Therefore, a challenge test with pistachio nut is recommended in children with cashew nut and pistachio nut sensitisation.</p
Effect of Fluticasone propionate Aqueous Nasal Spray Treatment on Platelet Activating Factor and Eicosanoid Production By nasal Mucosa in Patients with A house Dust Mite Allergy
The relationship between the release of platelet activating factor
(PAF), leukotriene C4/D4/EE
(LTC4/D4/E4) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2)
from nasal mucosa in vivo was examined in 24 rhinitis patients
allergic to the house dust mite (HDM). During a double blind placebo
controlled cross-over study 200 ÎŒg fluticasone propionate aqueous
nasal spray (FPANS) was administered twice daily for two weeks. In
response to allergen provocation (100, 1 000, 10 000 Bu/ml) and
during the 9.5 h after this challenge the nasal fluid was obtained
by washing the nose with saline and the levels of PAF, LTC4/D4/E4 and
PGD2, as indicators of mediator release, were measured at the
following time-points: baseline (t = â 1/2), allergen provocation with
10 000 Bu/ml (t = 0), 3.5 and 7.5 h (late phase). After allergen
provocation the levels of the mediators increased in the nasal
fluids of placebo treated patients (x-fold increase to baseline:
PAF, 15; LTC4/D4/E4, 12; PGD2, 1.5). In fluids of patients treated
with FPANS these levels tended to decrease. At the time of
provocation the levels of PAF, LTC4/D4/E4 and PGD2 showed a significant
correlation. The results indicate that these mediators can be used
as markers of allergic reactions against house dust mites and that
fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray tended to reduce the
release of mediators of inflammation correlated with beneficial
effects on clinical symptoms in this type of allergic reactions
Steering in computational science: mesoscale modelling and simulation
This paper outlines the benefits of computational steering for high
performance computing applications. Lattice-Boltzmann mesoscale fluid
simulations of binary and ternary amphiphilic fluids in two and three
dimensions are used to illustrate the substantial improvements which
computational steering offers in terms of resource efficiency and time to
discover new physics. We discuss details of our current steering
implementations and describe their future outlook with the advent of
computational grids.Comment: 40 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Contemporary
Physic
Dutch and German 3-year-oldsâ representations of voicing alternations
The voicing contrast is neutralised syllable and word finally in Dutch and German, leading to alternations within the morphological paradigm (e.g. Dutch âbed(s)â, be[t] be[d]en, German âdog(s)â, Hun[t]-Hun[d]e). Despite structural similarity, language-specific morphological, phonological and lexical properties impact on the distribution of this alternation in the two languages. Previous acquisition research has focused on one language only, predominantly focusing on childrenâs production accuracy, concluding that alternations are not acquired until late in the acquisition process in either language. This paper adapts a perceptual method to investigate how voicing alternations are represented in the mental lexicon of Dutch and German 3-year-olds. Sensitivity to mispronunciations of voicing word-medially in plural forms was measured using a visual fixation procedure. Dutch children exhibited evidence of overgeneralising the voicing alternation, whereas German children consistently preferred the correct pronunciation to mispronunciations. Results indicate that the acquisition of voicing alternations is influenced by language-specific factors beyond the alternation itself
Red blood cell membrane conductance in hereditary haemolytic anaemias
Congenital haemolytic anaemias are inherited disorders caused by red blood cell membrane and cytoskeletal protein defects, deviant hemoglobin synthesis and metabolic enzyme deficiencies. In many cases, although the causing mutation might be known, the pathophysiology and the connection between the particular mutation and the symptoms of the disease are not completely understood. Thus effective treatment is lagging behind. As in many cases abnormal red blood cell cation content and cation leaks go along with the disease, by direct electrophysiological measurements of the general conductance of red blood cells, we aimed to assess if changes in the membrane conductance could be a possible cause. We recorded whole-cell currents from 29 patients with different types of congenital haemolytic anaemias: 14 with hereditary spherocytosis due to mutations in α-spectrin, ÎČ-spectrin, ankyrin and band 3 protein; 6 patients with hereditary xerocytosis due to mutations in Piezo1; 6 patients with enzymatic disorders (3 patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, 1 patient with pyruvate kinase deficiency, 1 patient with glutamate-cysteine ligase deficiency and 1 patient with glutathione reductase deficiency), 1 patient with ÎČ-thalassemia and 2 patients, carriers of several mutations and a complex genotype. While the patients with ÎČ-thalassemia and metabolic enzyme deficiencies showed no changes in their membrane conductance, the patients with hereditary spherocytosis and hereditary xerocytosis showed largely variable results depending on the underlying mutation
Insights from practice: A handbook for supervisors of modern doctorate candidates
Doctoral degrees are no longer simply a training ground for the next generation of academics. Different forms have evolved to encompass multi-and trans-disciplinary study by practitioners within their work context (Lester, 2004). The designation has also changed to include terms such as professional, industrial or practice-based PhDs or Doctorates (Fillery-Travis, 2012). For the rest of this handbook we will identify these doctorate types as the modern doctorates. These developments in doctoral education are driven by the contribution to knowledge exchange that these degrees can make and how they are perceived as facilitating innovation and growth within diverse sectors.
But supervision of modern doctorates is not fully codified although it requires a number of capabilities (academic and professional) that are recognised as being beyond those needed for conventional PhD supervision such as advising and facilitation (Boud & Costley, 2007)
Intra- and interrater reliability of the Chicago Classification of achalasia subtypes in pediatric High Resolution Esophageal Manometry (HRM) recordings
This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving'.
© 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (June 2017) in accordance with the publisherâs archiving policyBackground
Subtyping achalasia by highâresolution manometry (HRM) is clinically relevant as response to therapy and prognosis have shown to vary accordingly. The aim of this study was to assess interâ and intrarater reliability of diagnosing achalasia and achalasia subtyping in children using the Chicago Classification (CC) V3.0.
Methods
Six observers analyzed 40 pediatric HRM recordings (22 achalasia and 18 nonâachalasia) twice by using dedicated analysis software (ManoView 3.0, Given Imaging, Los Angeles, CA, USA). Integrated relaxation pressure (IRP4s), distal contractile integral (DCI), intrabolus pressurization pattern (IBP), and distal latency (DL) were extracted and analyzed hierarchically. Cohen's Îș (2 raters) and Fleissâ Îș (>2 raters) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for categorical and ordinal data, respectively.
Results
Based on the results of dedicated analysis software only, intraâ and interrater reliability was excellent and moderate (Îș=0.89 and Îș=0.52, respectively) for differentiating achalasia from nonâachalasia. For subtyping achalasia, reliability decreased to substantial and fair (Îș=0.72 and Îș=0.28, respectively). When observers were allowed to change the softwareâdriven diagnosis according to their own interpretation of the manometric patterns, intraâ and interrater reliability increased for diagnosing achalasia (Îș=0.98 and Îș=0.92, respectively) and for subtyping achalasia (Îș=0.79 and Îș=0.58, respectively).
Conclusions
Intraâ and interrater agreement for diagnosing achalasia when using HRM and the CC was very good to excellent when results of automated analysis software were interpreted by experienced observers. More variability was seen when relying solely on the softwareâdriven diagnosis and for subtyping achalasia. Therefore, diagnosing and subtyping achalasia should be performed in pediatric motility centers with significant expertise
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