The purpose of this investigation is to determine if clothing fabrics act as passive pollen collectors, and to determine if different fabrics vary with regard to the abundance and type of pollen trapped. Five of the most common fabrics in the United States (cotton, wool, polyester, silk and linen) were used to trap pollen. The pollen collecting apparatus was constructed of a 30 cm diameter circular needlepoint hoop, which vertically rotated freely, and was mounted on a dowel that was driven into the soil to chest height. Five pollen collectors, each with one of the five fabrics were placed at a collection site in rural, suburban, and urban habitats in Rhode Island for a 24 h period at weekly or biweekly intervals throughout 2002-2003. Pollen was washed from each of the fabrics and acetolysed. Total pollen per cm2 removed from each of the fabric types was estimated using a haemocytometer. The pollen types were identified, and 200 grains were counted to determine the relative abundance of the various pollen types recovered from the fabrics. Clothing fabrics act as passive pollen collectors and the flora recovered from the fabric represent the qualitative and quantitative components of the pollen rain for that specific day. There are quantitative differences among the relative abundance of pollen types from the three habitats (urban, suburban, and rural). Washing with water and a detergent eliminates a majority of the pollen from the fabrics.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Kainate receptor knockout mice have unique differences within their immune system. They exhibit an attenuated TH2 branch, while maintaining a robust TH1 response. Specifically, blocking the formation of functional kainate receptors affects mast cells and their related pathologies. While they seem to develop and activate normally in vivo and in vitro, KAR KO mast cells release more inflammatory mediators upon degranulation. These mice experience severe anaphylactic shock due to two compounding abnormalities. First, KAR KO mast cells release significantly more histamine in vivo upon IgE-mediated activation. Second, the animals over-respond to exogenous histamine with drastic temperature drops compared to WT. This report shows that the kainate receptor plays an important role in mast cell-mediated immune responses.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

As doenças alérgicas representam um problema de saúde pública mundial, sendo a rinite e a asma as doenças mais comuns. Essas doenças exigem o uso contínuo de medicamentos cujos efeitos colaterais comprometem a qualidade de vida dos alérgicos e justifica a busca por novos fármacos, ou formulações, relevantes no tratamento das alergias. Neste contexto, destaca-se a planta medicinal Mangifera indica L. cujo extrato aquoso, o Vimang®, tem sido utilizado para o tratamento de diversas patologias. O estudo fitoquímico deste extrato levou ao isolamento de vários compostos fenólicos, dentre os quais a mangiferina (Mgf) é a majoritária (~46 %) e responsável por propriedades farmacológicas importantes tal como a antialérgica. Esta molécula é metabolizada no intestino e transformada na sua aglicona, o noratiriol (Nrt), que é encontrada no plasma em maior concentração que a Mgf. Como a relação estrutura-atividade destas substâncias ainda é pouco explorada, este estudo propôs a síntese de novas moléculas, a partir do esqueleto da Mgf, com modificações estruturais em seus substituintes para avaliação, in vitro, do potencial antialérgico. Foram sintetizadas moléculas análogas da Mgf (compostos 4, 5 (Nrt) e 6), através de modificações pontuais de hidroxilas do anel xantônico, por meio de uma estratégia sintética que proporcionou maior rendimento reacional. O Nrt apresentou maior potencial antialérgico que a Mgf sugerindo que o açúcar, de fato, interfere na biodisponibilidade. A presença de hidroxilas nas posições 6 e 7 do anel xantônico (grupo catecol) é crucial para a bioatividade, pois estes substituintes influenciam consideravelmente a solubilidade da molécula. Os grupos hidroxila nas posições 1 e 3 do anel xantônico também são importantes, uma vez que a substituição da hidroxila, apenas na posição 3, inibiu totalmente a bioatividade. Como a Mgf e o Nrt (os mais bioativos) são pouco solúveis em água e susceptíveis à oxidação química, ou degradação enzimática, foi planejada a incorporação em nanocarreadores lipossomais, a fim de melhorar a biodisponibilidade. O estudo da melhor formulação foi desenvolvido para a Mgf pela maior quantidade disponível e por seu merecido destaque nas mais diversas aplicações biológicas. Os lipossomos de PC:PE:COL (52:28:20), nas concentrações lipídicas de 2,9; 14,5 e 29 mmol/L, foram preparados pelo método de hidratação do filme lipídico em diferentes razões Mgf/lipídeo (0,01; 0,02; 0,04 e 0,10), nos pHs 6,5; 7,0 e 7,4. Todas as formulações foram estáveis no período de 29 dias, com tamanhos ao redor de 100 nm e índices de polidispersividade ao redor de 0,3, apropriados para aplicação intravenosa. A formulação com maior capacidade de carga (3,4 %) foi a de 2,9 mmo/L de lipídeos totais e razão Mgf/lipídeo de 0,1 a qual foi mantida nos ensaios biológicos. A formulação lipossomal manteve o perfil de inibição da desgranulação observado para os bioativos livres. Este resultado é relevante para a aplicação biológica, uma vez que o bioativo está protegido de degradação química e ainda exerce suas propriedades farmacológicas. Como os lipossomos são sistemas que mimetizam a membrana biológica, a localização da Mgf e os efeitos na membrana foram estudados por anisotropia de fluorescência, DSC e RPE, no pH 7,4. Os resultados mostraram que a Mgf interage com a membrana lipídica, aumentado sua fluidez e diminuindo a cooperatividade lipídica, reforçando a bioatividade dessa molécula vinculada à sua ação em proteínas de membrana, o que é comum para moléculas polifenólicas. / Allergic diseases represent a worldwide public health issue, being asthma and rhinitis the most common ones. These diseases demand the continuous use of medications whose side effects impinge on the affected people´s quality of life, justifying the search for new drugs, or formulations, relevant to the treatment of allergies. In this context, we highlight the medicinal plant Mangifera indica L., whose aqueous extract, Vimang®, has been utilized for the treatment of several pathologies. The phytochemical study of this extract led to the isolation of various phenolic compounds, among which Mangiferin (Mgf) is predominant (~46 %) and responsible for important pharmacological properties, such as the antiallergic one. This molecule is metabolized in the intestine and transformed into its aglycone, norathyriol (Nrt), which is found in the plasma in a higher concentration than Mgf. Seeing as the structure-activity relationship of these substances is still little explored, this study proposed the synthesis of new molecules from the core structure of Mgf, with structural modifications in its substituent groups for in vitro evaluation of the antiallergic potential. Analogous molecules to Mgf were synthesized (compounds 4, 5 (Nrt) and 6), through specific modifications of hydroxyl groups of the xanthonic ring, by means of a synthesis strategy that allowed for a greater reactional yield. Nrt showed a higher antiallergic potential than Mgf, suggesting that sugar does in fact interfere in bioavailability. The presence of hydroxyl groups in the 6 and 7 positions of the xanthonic ring (catechol group) is crucial for bioavailability, because these substituents considerably influence the molecule´s water solubility. The hydroxyl groups in the 1 and 3 positions of the xanthonic ring are also important, seeing as the substitution of the hydroxyl group only in position 3 completely inhibited bioactivity. Seeing as Nrt and Mgf (the most bioactive) are slightly soluble in water and susceptible to chemical oxidation or enzymatic degradation, the incorporation in liposomal nanocarriers was planned to improve bioavailability. The study for the best formulation was developed for Mgf due to the greater quantity available and its well-earned spotlight in various biological applications. The liposomes of PC:PE:COL (52:28:20), in the lipid concentrations of 2.9, 14.5 and 29 mmol/L, were prepared by the lipid film hydration method in different Mgf/lipid ratios (0.01, 0.02, 0.04 and 0,10), in pHs 6.5, 7.0 and 7.4. All the formulations were stable in the period of 29 days, with sizes around 100 nm and polydispersity indexes around 0.3, appropriate for intravenous application. The formulation with the highest loading capacity (3.4 %) was the one with 2.9 mmol/L of total lipids, and a Mgf/lipid ratio of 0.1, which was used in the biological essays. The liposomal formulation maintained the antiallergic potential profiles observed for free drugs. This result is relevant for biological application since the drugs are protected from chemical degradation and still exerts its pharmacological properties. Seeing as liposomes are systems that mimic the biological membrane, the location of Mgf and its effects on the membrane were studied by fluorescence anisotropy, DSC and EPR, in pH 7.4. The results showed that Mgf interacts with the lipid membrane, increasing its fluidity and reducing the lipid cooperation, reinforcing the bioactivity of Mgf linked to its action on membrane proteins, which is common for polyphenolic molecules.

The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence rates of symptoms of several sleep disorders in young children, and the relationship between symptoms of pediatric sleep disorders and other childhood problems. Two-hundred-seventy-six children aged 2 to 5 years were studied through examination of a pre-existing database. Children rated as high risk for having a sleep disorder displayed significantly more aggressive behavior and attention problems, as compared to children whose sleep was rated in the normal range. However, no relationship was found between symptoms of sleep disorders and body mass index, asthma, or allergies. In addition, no relationship was found between symptoms of sleep disorders and social skills. Twenty-six percent of children in this sample were at high risk for having at least one type of sleep disorder. Results are discussed with regard to implications for prevention and early identification of students who are at-risk for developing sleep disorders, as well as direct interventions for those students who have a diagnosed sleep disorder.

Allergies are considered atopic diseases, or diseases that cause the immune system to create an abnormal amount of IgE antibodies when the body is exposed to an allergen. Allergies affect many people around the world, however many studies have shown a higher rate of allergy in developed countries when compared to developing countries. This discrepancy is hypothesized to be in part because of a decrease in parasitic infections, which have shown to have a protective effect for autoimmune-type diseases, like allergies. There are not many long-term, effective allergy treatments, however a promising allergen-specific immunotherapy technique uses a vaccine that targets B cell epitopes with the hope of increasing the amount of IgG antibodies as opposed to IgE specific antibodies to decrease the likelihood of an allergic reaction. This paper proposes a study that combines the protective effects of a parasite infection with a helminth infection and a B cell epitope vaccination, an already studied BM32 vaccine, to improve allergy symptoms of those with grass pollen allergy. This combination treatment will aim to decrease the number of symptomatic days, eosinophil count found at a scratch test site, and IgE antibodies found within the blood in grass pollen allergic people during peak grass pollen season.

Les Récepteurs Toll-Like (TLR) permettent d'initier et d'orienter les réponses immunes dirigées contre les pathogènes. Ils participent également à la régulation des réponses induites, comme en témoigne leur implication dans de nombreuses maladies du système immunitaire.<br />Notre recherche a eu pour objectif d'étudier le rôle des voies de signalisation TLR en situation normale et immunopathologique. Nous avons démontré que : 1) les agonistes des TLR protègent efficacement de l'apparition du diabète spontané chez la souris NOD via l'activation et/ou le recrutement de cellules régulatrices et la production de cytokines immunorégulatrices; 2) Les cellules iNKT sont activées par l'agoniste TLR7 ; 3) La signalisation via TLR7 protège de l'asthme allergique. 4) la voie signalisation via TLR2/MyD88 a un effet majeur sur le développement de l'athérosclérose, ainsi que sur la production de chimiokines et cytokines ; 5) la voie de signalisation MyD88 est impliquée dans le développement et la fonction des lymphocytes iNKT. En conclusion, notre travail met en évidence les propriétés immunomodulatrices des voies de signalisation TLR.

Around 2.5% of the world population are affected by allergies. Children and their families are part of that affected group. However, there seems to be lack of research and tools that would help and provide valuable designs for these families. This thesis explored if and how interaction design might contribute to make the everyday life easier for families with allergic children.  A design process was conducted based upon both theoretical and qualitative research. With the help of methods from interaction design, this thesis has analyzed and brainstormed possible concepts. The final result is a wearable called All-gen that helps children to scan and get feedback if their food is safe or not.

No description available.