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Proportional reasoning is a key topic both at school and in everyday life. However, students are often misled by their preconceptions regarding proportions. Our hypothesis is that these limitations can be mitigated by working on alternative ways of categorizing situations that enable more adequate inferences. Multiple categorization triggers flexibility, which enables reinterpreting a problem statement and adopting a more relevant point of view. The present study aims to show the improvements in proportional reasoning after an intervention focusing on such a multiple categorization. Twenty-eight 4th and 5th grade classes participated in the study during one school year. Schools were classified by the SES of their neighborhood. The experimental group received 12 math lessons focusing on flexibly envisioning a situation involving proportional reasoning from different points of view. At the end of the school year, compared to a control group, the experimental group had better results on the posttest when solving proportion word problems and proposed more diverse solving strategies. The analyses also show that the performance gap linked to the school's SES classification was reduced. This offers promising perspectives regarding multiple categorization as a path to overtake preconceptions and develop cognitive flexibility at school.

La téléconsultation est un acte médical pris en charge par la sécurité sociale pour le suivi des patients depuis 2018 mais qui a connu un essor phénoménal avec la crise COVID de 2020. Le Conseil National Professionnel d'Allergologie a souhaité enquêter auprès de ses membres à ce propos. 82,1 % n'utilisait pas cet outil avant la crise mais pendant celle-ci 86,4 % des médecins l'ont fait et 66,8 % le font encore en 2021. La téléconsultation leur sert principalement pour le renouvellement d'une immunothérapie allergénique, de traitements symptomatiques et pour annoncer un bilan biologique. Un allergologue sur deux trouve "intéressant" le fait de pouvoir recevoir ainsi des nouveaux patients, notamment pour des patients dans un désert médical, une histoire d'allergie médicamenteuse ou une urticaire chronique. 57,3 % pensent gagner du temps grâce à la téléconsultation. On note ainsi que cet exercice de la médecine à distance est rentré dans les habitudes des allergologues qui ont su se l'approprier et l'adapter à leur pratique. Teleconsultation has been a reimbursed tool for monitoring patients since 2018 but which experienced a phenomenal boom with the COVID crisis of 2020. The National Professional Council of Allergology wanted to survey its members in this regard. 82.1% did not use this tool before the crisis but during it 86.4% of the doctors did it and 66.8% still do it in 2021. The teleconsultation is used mainly for the renewal of an allergen immunotherapy, symptomatic treatments and to announce a biological assessment. One in two allergists find it "interesting" to be able to receive new patients in this way, especially for patients in a medical desert, with a history of drug allergy or chronic urticaria. 57.3% think they save time thanks to teleconsultation. We note that this tool has become a habit of allergists who have known how to appropriate and adapt it to their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La biologie est un outil incontournable dans le diagnostic et la prise en charge des patients allergiques. L'apprentissage à l'interprétation d'un bilan biologique est essentiel pour le praticien. En raison de la diversité des cursus, les jeunes allergologues n'ont pas tous la même formation. À la demande du Conseil Scientifique de la Société française d'allergologie (SFA), le Groupe de Travail Biologie de l'Allergie a réalisé une enquête auprès des jeunes allergologues afin d'évaluer leur niveau de formation en biologie de l'allergie et de connaître leurs attentes en termes de formation continue. Au total, 162 allergologues ont été contactés et 36 ont répondu. Les répondants étaient majoritairement des femmes (78 %), allergologues exclusifs (83 %) et 69 % étaient issus du DES d'Allergologie. La moitié estimait avoir eu une formation suffisante en biologie de l'allergie et 50 % ont effectué un stage dans un laboratoire de biologie médicale. Soixante-trois pour cent se considéraient comme compétents pour l'interprétation des bilans. Pour leur formation continue, ils utilisaient les sites internet des sociétés savantes, les revues scientifiques et des webinaires qu'ils jugeaient satisfaisants. Aucune personne n'avait recours à un système d'évaluation des compétences. Plus de 95 % des répondants sont en faveur d'une mise à disposition de documents synthétiques de référence et tous les consulteraient s'ils étaient accessibles en ligne sur le site de la SFA. En conclusion, la formation des jeunes allergologues sur la biologie de l'allergie a besoin d'être complétée et harmonisée, sur le plan théorique et pratique. Plusieurs outils pédagogiques sont plébiscités pour le maintien des compétences. Blood tests are an essential tool for the diagnosis and management of allergy. Learning how to interpret test results is therefore essential for the physician. Due to the diversity of their education, young allergists do not all have the same training. At the request of the French Society of Allergology (SFA) Scientific Committee, the In vitro Diagnosis Working Group carried out a survey for young allergists in order to evaluate their level of initial training in allergy in vitro diagnosis and to know their expectations in terms of continuing medical education. A total of 162 allergists were consulted and 36 responded. Half of them considered that they had sufficient training in allergy in vitro diagnosis and 50% considered themselves competent in the interpretation of tests. For their continuing medical education, they use the websites of learned societies (SFA, EEACI), scientific journals and webinars and consider them satisfactory or very satisfactory. More than 95% of them are in favour of the online availability of summary sheets or reference documents in in vitro diagnosis, and all of them would consult these tools if they were accessible on the SFA website. In conclusion, the training of young allergists in allergy blood tests needs to be completed and standardised, both theoretically and practically. Several educational tools are available and popular to achieve this and help them to keep valuable skills up to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize tortilla is the best-recognized food product of Mexican gastronomy. Artisanal maize tortillas (AMT) are prepared with native maize varieties and a traditional process. The aims of this study were to identify sensory attributes, texture, and color in AMT that allow them to be differentiated from commercial tortillas, and to determine the chemical and mineral composition of both types of tortillas. Six landraces related to four Mexican maize races were used. Two commercial tortillas were included as references (tortillería and supermarket). Tortillas were subjected to sensory analysis by the modified Flash technique, texture and color were measured objectively and chemical and mineral analysis of all tortillas were evaluated. Lime taste and lime smell attributes were relevant to differentiate AMT from commercial tortillas; aftertaste and fracturability attributes were highly associated to supermarket tortillas. The fracturability attribute of tortillas is consider undesirable for taco preparation. Five of the six AMT were characterized by the presence of a layer, a characteristic that is associated with traditional tortilla made by Mexican consumer. Regarding chemical composition, supermarket tortillas exhibited the highest dietary fiber content (17.09%), but showed 30% more Na than AMT, with the exception of tortillas from Purepecha native variety. Besides, supermarket tortilla had 48.9% less Ca than AMT. The sensory attributes relevant to differentiate native maize tortillas from the commercial maize tortilla references were appearance, smell, and taste, while textural and color attributes played a lesser role.

La biologie est un outil incontournable dans le diagnostic et la prise en charge des patients allergiques. Pour compléter l'enquête auprès des jeunes allergologues publiée en 2022, le Groupe de travail biologie de l'Allergie (GTBA) en partenariat avec l'ANAFORCAL a réalisé une nouvelle enquête auprès des allergologues seniors afin d'évaluer leur formation en biologie de l'allergie et de connaître leurs attentes en termes d'information et formation continue. Au total, 1092 allergologues ont été contactés (avec des doublons entre les deux listes) et 219 ont répondu. Les allergologues s'estiment être bien formés. Plus de 70 % estiment avoir de bonnes connaissances sur le sujet et 94 % se forment régulièrement sur le sujet, en congrès tout d'abord, par la lecture d'articles scientifiques puis en réunions de formation locales. Sur cet échantillon, 69,4 % ont lu les recommandations sur la biologie de l'allergie publiées en 2021. Parmi ceux qui l'ont lu, 90 % en sont satisfaits. Cependant sur cet échantillon, 89 % n'ont jamais fait de stage dans un laboratoire d'immunoallergologie pendant leurs études. Cette enquête rapporte que 95 % des répondants veulent plus de formation et information, à propos des nouveaux allergènes moléculaires, puis de l'exploration des angiœdèmes bradykiniques, des puces à allergènes, à propos de la tryptase et enfin pour le suivi de l'immunothérapie allergénique (ITA). Ces thématiques sont souhaitées en formation DPC en ligne, au congrès francophone d'allergologie (CFA), ou sous forme de fiches sur le site de la Société française d'allergologie (SFA). Biology is an essential tool in the diagnosis and management of allergic patients. To complete the survey of young allergists published in 2022, the Allergy Biology Working Group (GTBA) in partnership with ANAFORCAL has carried out a new survey of senior allergists to assess their training in allergy biology and to know their expectations in terms of information and continuing education. A total of 1095 allergists were contacted (with duplicates between the two lists) and 219 responded. Allergists consider themselves to be well trained. More than 70% believe they have a good knowledge of the subject and 94% receive regular training on the subject, first at congresses, by reading scientific articles and then at local training meetings. Of this sample, 69.4% have read the recommendations on the biology of allergy published in 2021. Of those who have read it, 90% are satisfied with it. However, of this sample, 89% had never done an internship in an immuno-allergology laboratory during their studies. This survey reports that 95% of respondents want more training and information, about new Activé par Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® about Aries Systems Corporation molecular allergens, then the exploration of bradykine angioedema, allergen chips, about tryptase and finally for the follow-up of immunotherapy allergen (ITA). These themes are desired in online CPD training, at the French-speaking congress of allergology (CFA), or in the form of sheets on the site of the French Society of Allergology (SFA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guidelines recommend to explore mild delayed hypersensitivity reactions to beta-lactams (BL) in children with direct drug provocation tests (DPTs). The optimal duration of these DPTs remains unknown and DPTs lasting 1 to 10 days are proposed. No study has directly compared the frequency of positivity of directs DPTs according to their duration. To compare the frequency of positivity of DPTs of different duration performed to explore mild delayed hypersensitivity reactions to beta-lactams (BL) in children in different centers. Data from children explored between January 2019 and December 2021 for delayed mild reactions (isolated urticaria, maculopapular exanthema or non-specific skin rashes) to oral BL in six different pediatric centers performing DPTs of varying duration (1 day or 3 days or 2 days more than the index reaction) were analysed. In total, 673 children were included. The duration of the DPTs were 1 day in 60 cases (8.9%), 3 days in 69 cases (10.3%), and 2 days more than the index reaction in 544 cases (80.8%). The median age at the index reaction was 1.7 years [0.8–3.7] in the "group 1 day", 1.9 [1–3.6] years in the group "3 days" and 1.5 [1–3.3] in the group "2 days more". Amoxicillin was the main BL involved (72.8%). The median age at workup was 4.6 years [2.7–8.7] in the "group 1 day", 3.8 years [1.8–8.3] in the "group 3 days" and 3 years [1.7–7] in the group "2 days more". General characteristics of patients in the 3 groups were similar. Fifty-eight DPTs were positive (8.6%); reactions occurring during DPTs were all mild and delayed isolated skin rashes resolving spontaneously or with H1-antihistamines. One DPT was positive in the "group 1 day" (1.5%), 4 (5.8%) in the "group 3 days", and 53 (9,7%) in the "group 2 days more than the index reaction" (P = 0.08). The frequency of positive DPTs was higher for long DPT ("2 days more") than short DPT (1 or 3 days) (3.9% vs. 9.7%, P < 0.05). Our results support that increasing the duration of DPTs to explore mild delayed reactions to BL in children may improve their diagnosis performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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