Search Results (3)

Following successful oral immunotherapy (OIT) for peanut allergy using boiled peanuts (BOPI trial), this study investigated the potential of wet-thermal-processing-induced allergen modification, specifically soaking and boiling (1–4 h) to reduce the allergenicity of cashew and pistachio allergens. In addition, this study provides a foundation of understanding for developing safer forms of cashew/pistachio administration for application in OIT by gradual exposure to increasing doses of modified allergens with reduced potency as an “allergen ladder”. An SDS-PAGE analysis and an intrinsic-fluorescence spectroscopy revealed altered tertiary structures of the allergens, leading to their denaturation and even degradation. Notably, the reduction in both allergen-specific polyclonal IgG and human-specific IgE (sIgE) binding correlated with the treatment time, with the most significant decrease observed after 4 h of boiling. In contrast, shorter soaking treatments showed negligible effects on the IgE-binding capacity of these nuts, therefore indicating a further need for optimization. These findings indicate that extended boiling effectively reduced the amounts of the highly potent allergenic component Ana o 3 in cashew and Pis v 1 in pistachio, as confirmed by ELISA using polyclonal anti-Ana o 3 antibodies, and an immunoblot showed decreased IgE epitope binding in cashew and pistachio allergens, which further modified their allergenic profiles. This approach shows promise as a viable method for offering a safer therapeutic option for cashew/pistachio allergy. Full article

In recent years, fashion brands and retailers have been advancing rapidly to provide U.S. consumers more seamless omni-channel shopping experiences. The pandemic has further accelerated the growth of omni-channel shopping. This study aimed to explore the effects of channel integration in six aspects (i.e., promotion, product and price, transaction information, information access, order fulfillment, and customer service) on the U.S. consumers’ intentions to use three omni-channel shopping methods: buy online pick-up in-store (BOPI), buy online curbside pickup (BOCP), and buy in-store home delivery (BIHD). We proposed a mediation model to test the effects through consumer perceived values (hedonic value, utilitarian value), perceived risk, and perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, this study explored the moderating effect of perceived COVID-19 vulnerability on the relationships between consumers’ internal evaluations of channel integration and their shopping method selection intentions. A total of 516 eligible responses were gathered through a survey of U.S. consumers. Multiple regressions were applied to test the hypotheses. Six types of channel integration showed significant effects on the U.S. consumers’ internal evaluations, which in turn influence their intentions to use certain types of omni-channel shopping methods. Overall, the proposed model exhibits a satisfactory explanatory power. Full article

We studied the effect of the antecedents of the buy-online-pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) service on consumer’s BOPIS choice and shopping behaviour. The convenience of BOPIS benefits retailers and consumers; therefore, we used online surveys of consumers and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) model. The results of the study show that performance expectancy, trust, compatibility with BOPIS shopping, hedonic motivation and social influence affected the behavioural intentions in omni-channel BOPIS. However, price value and effort expectancy were not considered to be important factors in choosing BOPIS shopping. A moderating effect of the different age generations was analysed in the model. The managerial implications and the limitations of the study are also discussed. Full article