Objectives: With increasing utilization of cone beam computed tomography for diagnosis and treatment planning of complex dentomaxillofacial rehabilitation, more incidental findings of pathology in the maxillary sinus have been identified by clinicians. Part one of this article discusses the association between age, gender, ethnicity and dentition status in relation to prevalence of sinus pathology. The aim of this study is to expand the current knowledge base in regards to the prevalence of maxillary sinus pathologies in patients of Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry and to determine if smoking and allergies have relationship with the prevalence of pathology. Materials and Methods: : Three hundred and sixty-three cone beam computed tomography scans taken were evaluated at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology between 2009 to July 31, 2013. Scans were classified into 1 of 5 categories based upon the type of sinus pathology detected. The categories of sinus findings were: healthy, mucosal thickening > 3-4 mm, polypoidal mucosal thickening, partial opacification and complete opacification. Medical health questionnaires were reviewed for patient's social history such as smoking and systemic factors such as allergies. Chi-square statistical analysis using SAS was done to examine the relationship. Results: This study included a total of 363 subjects subdivided by gender into 203 females and 160 males. The subjects were further subdivided by ethnicity into 217 Caucasians, 86 African Americans, 35 Asians, and 25 Hispanics. Also, 129 of the subjects had a history of smoking, 98 had seasonal allergies, and 50 had environmental allergies. In addition 129 of the subjects had at least 1 type of sinus pathology. Chi-square analyses showed that there was no relationship between the prevalence of sinus pathology and allergy or smoking status. History of allergies was marginally higher in females and significantly higher in African Americans (p=0.007). History of smoking was higher in older subjects (p=0.0004), males (p=0.01) and Caucasians (p<0.0001). Conclusions: This CBCT cross sectional study shows that there is no statistically significant correlation between prevalence of sinus pathology and smoking or allergy status. Further cohort studies are needed to determine if smoking or allergies may or may not contribute to sinus pathology. / Oral Biology

Contexte : L’allergie alimentaire est une réaction excessive du système immunitaire en présence d'un aliment ou d'un additif alimentaire. Chez les enfants d’âge scolaire, sa prévalence varie entre 1 et 10%. Sachant qu’il est impossible de garantir un milieu scolaire sans allergène et que des pratiques très diversifiées de gestion des allergies sont actuellement en place, un guide de bonnes pratiques pour la gestion des allergies alimentaires en milieu scolaire primaire à Montréal a été développé. Objectifs : L’objectif général était d’évaluer l’implantation du Guide à partir de l’expérience vécue par les intervenants impliqués dans la phase pilote. Le contexte d’implantation, les facilitateurs et les limites, les raisons de non-implantation, les adaptations apportées, le niveau d’implantation, la participation des intervenants et leur satisfaction ont également été documentés. Méthodologie : La collecte de données fut réalisée dans 10 écoles primaires de 3 commissions scolaires de Montréal selon une méthode de recherche mixte : des méthodes qualitatives ont été utilisées avec entrevues semi-dirigées et observations ainsi que des méthodes quantitatives avec questionnaires autoadministrés. Résultats : Bien que le Guide n’ait pas été implanté intégralement dans les milieux participants, des changements de pratique ont été notés. Une meilleure sensibilisation aux allergies alimentaires chez le personnel et l’ajout de nouvelles mesures préventives font partie des améliorations remarquées. De plus, grâce au projet-pilote, la gestion des allergies alimentaires n’est plus uniquement associée à l’interdiction des noix et des arachides, mais plutôt à l’importance de la prévention sur plusieurs plans. Conclusion : Les données récoltées permettront d’améliorer le Guide pour diffusion éventuelle des bonnes pratiques de gestion des allergies en milieu scolaire dans toutes les écoles primaires de Montréal. Il est aussi raisonnable d’espérer son adoption au niveau provincial. / Context: A food allergy is an excessive reaction of the immune system in the presence of a certain food or food additive. Among school-aged children, its prevalence varies between 1 and 10%. Knowing it is impossible to guaranty that a school is allergen-free and that very diversified allergy management practices are currently in place, a Best practice guide for the management of food allergy in Montreal primary schools has been developed. Objectives: The general objective was to evaluate the implementation of the Guide based on the providers’ experience involved in the pilot phase. The implementation context, facilitators and limits, reasons of non-implementation, adaptations, level of implementation, and providers’ participation and satisfaction were also documented. Methodology: The data was collected in 10 primary schools among 3 Montreal school boards following a mixed research method: qualitative methods were used with semi-directed interviews and observations, as well as quantitative methods with self-administered questionnaires. Results: Even though the Guide was not entirely implemented in participating schools, some improvement was noted. For example, a better awareness regarding food allergies among the school staff and the addition of new preventive measures were noticed. Also, because of the pilot-project, food allergy management is no longer associated with banning nuts and peanuts anymore, but with the importance of prevention in a more global way. Conclusion: The collected data will allow the improvement of the Guide in order to spread the best practice in food allergy management among all Montreal primary schools. We can also reasonably hope for its adoption at the provincial level.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

There has been wide recognition for a number of years that psychological components played a part in the etiology and treatment of some cases of chronic urticaria. Divergent opinion has been expressed regarding the importance of these components and their specific indentification. Most contentions in this area are supported by meager experimental evidence and the formulations are too often based on the superficial observation of a large number of cases or on the intensive study of the individual case. The hypothesis of this research is that siqnificant psvchological components exist in patients with chronic urticaria and that these components are amenable to precise delineation. This study presents a combined statistical, psychometric and clinical approach to the field of psychosomatic disorders in general and to the problem of chronic urticaria particularly. Hypnotic and psychoanalytic procedures were utilized to supplement evidence procured by traditional objective instruments. The sample of twenty-two cases is large enouqh to minimize the criticism of the individual case.

The respiratory system is a target for environmental oxidants from airborne pollution and other contaminants. Chronic exposure may result in inflammatory conditions such as allergies and asthma. The ability of the body to counteract oxidation is dependent on the oxidative status of the individual, and can also benefit from the use of medicinal plant preparations such as Withania somnifera (WS), which is accredited with antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. Selenium is an important cofactor of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase. A deficiency of Se will result in decreased antioxidant enzymes levels and a poor response to oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant content and activity of WS, as well as its in vitro effects with seleno-L-methionine (Se-Met), the major component of dietary selenium, in a physiologically relevant cell model system. Little is known about the combinational effects of non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants i.e., WS in combination with Se-Met, and these effects were also quantified. The antioxidant content (total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC)) and activity (2,2- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of a water extract of WS, as traditionally prepared and used, was determined. The intracellular and total protection of WS alone (0-33.33 mg/ml) and in combination with Se-Met (0-33.33 pg/ml) (range: ½-100x RDA) was evaluated in a standard cell line, the SC-1 fibroblast cell line and in physiologically relevant primary cultures of chick embryo lung cells (CELC) using the 2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay. Water extracts of WS, as traditionally consumed, were found to possess significant antioxidant content and activity. For TPC and TFC, WS was found to contain 4.84 g CE/100 g DW, and 355 mg CE/100 g DW respectively. For DPPH, the IC50 of WS was 56.34 mg/ml, and the antioxidant activity of WS was 274.8 μmol TE/g. For TEAC, the IC50 of WS was 60.3 mg/ml, and the antioxidant activity of WS was 2.2 mmol TE/g. Using ORAC, the antioxidant activity of WS was found to be 15.05 μM TE/g. WS and Se-Met exhibited both pro-oxidant and antioxidant effects in the DCFH-DA assay and this may be a function of concentration, as well as combinations of WS and Se-Met ratios. Data indicates that both WS and Se-Met, alone and in combination, elicit protection via the intracellular (at all concentrations) and extracellular (at higher concentrations) compartment of the SC-1 cell. A synergistic interaction is observed extracellularly between WS and Se-Met, with mostly additive effects occurring intracellularly. For CELC, WS and Se-Met alone both demonstrated total protective effects at almost all concentrations, and intracellular protective effects at higher concentrations. The combination of WS and Se-Met provided total and intracellular protection to the CELC at the highest concentration combination. Antagonism between WS and Se-Met was observed at low concentrations in the total protection assay, with weak synergism and antagonism occurring at higher concentrations. Synergism between WS and Se-Met was observed at low concentrations intracellularly, with antagonistic interactions occurring at higher concentrations. In conclusion, WS and Se-Met, alone and in combination at non-cytotoxic concentrations, displayed significant cellular protection against oxidative damage and this was a function of cell line, concentration and ratios between WS and Se-Met. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Anatomy / unrestricted

This phenomenological inquiry delved into the lived experience of what it is like to have anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially fatal allergy, for those in the teacher education context. Hence, an understanding of the phenomenon of living with a severe allergy as well as the impact it has on the professional development of teachers emerged. Three pre-service teachers with first-hand experience of anaphylaxis participated in a series of in-depth interviews over the course of five months. Guided by the hermeneutic approach to phenomenological research outlined by Max van Manen as well as the philosophical writings of Bernd Jager on the social experiences of eating, several essential themes surfaced. The lived experience of anaphylaxis can thus be understood through two actions: ‘The Inhale’ which is associated with perceived barriers of anaphylaxis and ‘The Exhale’ which is a sense of relief one experiences when one is managing an anaphylactic allergy. The three most significant contexts where these actions notably hindered or empowered pre-service teachers were: ‘The Habi(table) Environment’, the concept of safe spaces for those with anaphylactic allergies, ‘The Confron(table) Environment’, represented by spaces beyond a safe environment where there is a need to confront the allergy, and ‘The Respec(table) Environment’ which is an inter-subjective space between those with allergies and those without who are able to negotiate their needs with one another, allowing for the creation of respectable community. These themes, comprised of two actions and three contexts, thus serve to offer a sense of what it is like to live with and manage anaphylaxis. They also sensitize educators toward developing thoughtful, pedagogical responses to the increasing rates of anaphylaxis in the classroom.

This investigation deals with the study of a possible hypersensitivity to the oleoresins of fifty common plants indigenous to Hunt County, Texas.

Xanthan gum is one of the most common thickening agents used worldwide.The industrial manufacturing process of xanthan gum uses cheap, carbohydrate rich mediums for fermentation of the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. The objective of this study was to compare different fermentation mediums based on grain powder for small scale fermentation of Xanthomonas campestris. Culture mediums containing wheat or cornstarch and the less allergen prone medium containing potato starch and oat flour were investigated. All four fermentation mediums of this study showed signs of thickening, indicating the presence of alive and growing Xanthamonas campetris. Based on the growth on MacConkey and NA-agar plates, all four fermentation products showed the presence of bacteria. The fermentation product from  a culture medium containing both potato starch and oat flour showed a higher concentration of bacteria compared to a culture medium containing wheat flour or cornstarch. The fermentation product in the presence of oat flour showed more than 100 times higher bacterial concentration in the fermentation product compared to wheat flour. Data suggests that potato starch and oat flour fermentation performed better than wheat flour and cornstarch and these less allergen prone mediums can be used as an alternative for fermentation of Xanthamonas campetris in the production of xanthan gum. / Xantangummi är ett av de vanligast förkommande förtjockningsmedlen som används i världen.I den industriella tillverkningsprocessen av xantangummi används billiga, kolhydratrika medier för fermentering av bakterien Xanthomonas campestris. Syftet med denna studie var att jämföra olika fermenteringsmedier innehållande vetemjöl, majsstärkelse, potatisstärkelse, och  havremjöl för småskalig fermentation av Xanthomonas campestris. Alla fyra fermentationsmedierna som användes i denna studie visade tecken på förtjockning, vilket indikerar närvaron av levande och växande Xanthamonas campetris. Baserat på tillväxten på MacConkey- och NA-agarplattor visade alla fyra fermenteringprodukterna närvaron av bakterium. Fermenteringsprodukten från odling i mediums innehållande både potatisstärkelse och havremjöl uppvisade en högre koncentration av bakterier jämfört med odlingsmedium innehållande vetemjöl eller majsstärkelse. Fermenteringprodukten i närvaro av havremjöl visade en mer än 100 gånger högre bakteriekoncentration jämfört med vetemjöl. Data tyder på att fermentering med potatisstärkelse och havremjöl ger bättre tillväxt än medium innehållande vetemjöl och majsstärkelse och att mindre allergenbenägna medium kan användas som alternativ för fermentering av Xanthamonas campetris vid produktion av xantangummi.

Les objectifs de cette thèse est d'examiner l'hypothèses selon laquelle les caractéristiques psychologiques constituent modificateur de la relation entre l'exposition aux polluants atmosphériques et l'asthme infantile. A cet effet, nous avons utilisé les données de l'Etude des 6 villes avec dessein transversale, et l'étude de cohorte mère-enfant de type longitudinale EDEN (Étude sur les Déterminants pré et postnatalsdu développement de la santé l'ENfant) pour examiner cette hypothèse.Les données ont montré qu'à la fois les polluants atmosphériques mesurés subjectivement et les polluants atmosphériques mesurés objectivement étaient associés à l'asthme infantile. Les analyses sur les relations entre les facteurs psychologiques et de l'asthme infantile ont montré une association entre les problèmes comportementaux et la prévalence de l'asthme et de l'eczéma, l'asthme sévère et l'apparition de l'asthme précoce dans l'Etude des 6 villes et la dépression pendant la grossesse était associée au developpement de la rhino-conjonctivite allergique au cours des 5 premières années de vie chez les enfants de l'étude EDEN. La prise en compte des interactions entre les polluants de l'air et les facteurs psychologiques ont montré que les relations entre les polluants de l'air et l'asthme infantile étaient modifiées par les facteurs psychologiques. En conclusion, nos résultats fournissent de nouvelles données sur les relations entre les polluants atmosphériques mesurés subjectivement et objectivement et/ou des facteurs psychologiques (problèmes comportementaux et de dépression maternelle pendant la grossesse) et l'asthme infantile, ce qui suggère de considérer les enfants ayant des problèmes psychologiques comme une population sensible aux effets néfastes des polluants atmosphériques et de prendre en compte ces ces facteurs simultanément dans le paradigme de la prévention de l'asthme infantile . / The purposes of this thesis are to examine the hypothesis according to which psychological features are a modifier of the relation between exposure to air pollution and childhood asthma. To this extent, we used the data from the cross-sectional French 6 Cities Study and the longitudinal EDEN (Study of pre- and post-natal determinants of children?s growth and development) mother-child cohort study to examine the hypothesis. The data show that both subjectively and objectively measured air pollutants were related to childhood asthma. The analyses on the relationships between psychological factors and childhood asthma and allergies yielded that children with behavioral problems had a higher odds ratio in relation to prevalences of asthma and eczema, asthma severity and early asthma onset in the French 6 Cities study and maternal depression during pregnancy was associated with the development of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis in the first 5 years of life in children of the EDEN mother-child cohort study. Taking into account the interactions between air pollutants and psychological factors, results showed that the relationships between air pollutants and childhood asthma were modified by psychological factors. In conclusion, our results add new evidence on the relationships between subjectively and objectively measured air pollutants and/or psychological factors (behavioral problems and maternal depression during pregnancy) and childhood asthma and imply to consider children with psychological problems as a population susceptible to the detrimental effects of air pollutants and take into account these factors simultaneously into the paradigm of childhood asthma prevention.

The purpose of this study was to delineate those variables which are indicative of the patient whose health may be adversely affected by sensitivity to chemicals. In stage One analysis, the files of 10 chemically sensitive and 10 non-chemically sensitive patients were used to establish criterion variables as previously defined by legal proceedings prior to the study. Chemically sensitive and non-chemically sensitive patients were compared on all variables included in the study to empirically determine those variables which demonstrated significant differences by chi square analysis.