Allergoids conjugated to nonoxidized mannan represent suitable vaccines for AIT. Our findings might also be of the utmost relevance to development of therapeutic interventions in other immune tolerance-related diseases.

Final kernel number in maize (Zea mays L.) is closely associated with the physiological condition of the crop during the critical period bracketing silking. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a common underlying relationship between kernel number per plant (KNP) and plant growth rate (PGR) during that critical period when plant growth varies because of different abiotic stresses. A relationship between KNP and PGR obtained from a previous study of variation in plant density and incident radiation was used as reference. KNP and PGR were measured in experiments in which incident radiation per plant, nitrogen (N), and water availabilities were the experimental sources of variation. The equation fitted to the data obtained at different radiation levels explained 72% of the variation in the data obtained at different levels of N or water availability. Moreover, different models for each set of data did not provide a significantly better fit than a single model for the two sets of data combined. A common relationship between KNP and PGR was also obtained when N supply and water availability were variable. The relationship between KNP and PGR obtained for treatments in which PGR was varied through plant density and shading also could predict KNP for conditions in which PGR was affected by water and/or N deficiencies. The PGR during the critical period of kernel set is a good predictor of the capacity of the maize plant to set kernels under a wide range of environmental and management practices.

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Rationale: Recurrent wheezing in children represents a severe public health concern. Wheezing attacks (WA), mainly associated with viral infections, lack effective preventive therapies. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mucosal sublingual immunotherapy based on whole inactivated bacteria (MV130) in preventing WA in children. Methods: A Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial including a cohort of 120 children <3 years old with ⩾3 WA during the previous year was conducted. Children with a positive skin test to common aeroallergens in the area where the clinical trial was performed were excluded from the trial. Subjects received MV130 or placebo daily for 6 months. The primary endpoint was the number of WA within 1 year after the first dose comparing MV130 and placebo. Measurements and Main Results: There was a significant lower number of WA in MV130 versus the placebo group, 3.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 2.0–4.0) versus 5.0 (IQR, 3.0–7.0) ( P < 0.001). As secondary outcomes, a decrease in the duration of WA and a reduction in symptoms and medication scores in the MV130 versus placebo group were found. No adverse events were reported related to the active treatment. Conclusions: Mucosal bacterial immunotherapy with MV130 shows safety and clinical efficacy against recurrent WA in children.Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01734811).