Nightlife activity and crime: The impact of COVID-19 related nightlife restrictions on violent crime.

Objectives: The present study examines how varying levels of restrictions on the nightlife economy have impacted violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent to which the crime preventive side-effects of restrictions are associated with the density of alcohol outlets.

Methods: The Data stems from geocoded locations of violent crimes combined with data on the density of on-premises alcohol outlets and the level of COVID-19 restrictions in Copenhagen, Denmark. We use a negative binomial count model with cluster robust standard error to assess the effect of the interaction between alcohol outlet density and COVID-related restriction levels on the nightlife economy on the frequency of violent crime.

A quasi-experimental study of ethnic and gender bias in university grading.

This paper contributes to the debate on race- and gender-based discrimination in grading. We apply a quasi-experimental research design exploiting a shift from open grading in 2018 (examinee's name clearly visible on written assignments), to blind grading in 2019 (only student ID number visible). The analysis thus informs name-based stereotyping and discrimination, where student ethnicity and gender are derived from their names on written assignments.

IgE-mediated allergen presentation and blocking antibodies: regulation of T-cell activation in allergy.

It is well established that both the production of IgE by B lymphocytes and the maturation and recruitment of eosinophils in late-phase reactions are dependent on the activation of allergen-specific type-2 T-helper cells. What is less well known is the fact that efficient activation of allergen-specific T cells upon low-dose exposure to allergens is critically dependent on IgE-mediated or -facilitated allergen presentation. In fact, changes in the level of IgE-mediated allergen presentation may account for many of the immunological effects described for specific immunotherapy or anti-IgE treatment.

Inhibition of rBet v 1-induced basophil histamine release with specific immunotherapy -induced serum immunoglobulin G: no evidence that FcgammaRIIB signalling is important.

Background: Human basophils and mast cells express the low-affinity immunoglobulin (Ig)G receptor FcgammaRIIB. It has previously been shown in artificial model systems that cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor FcepsilonRI and FcgammaRIIB leads to inhibition of FcepsilonRI signalling.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether cross-linking of FcepsilonRI and FcgammaRIIB contributes to IgG-mediated inhibition of histamine release in human basophils in a system using the sera from specific immunotherapy (SIT) patients and the major allergen from birch pollen, Bet v 1.

Is immunotherapy-induced birch-pollen-specific IgG4 a marker for decreased allergen-specific sensitivity?

Background: The role of IgG4 during allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) is still controversial. The available studies present paramount differences in in vitro techniques, allergens, and clinical outcome parameters. By implementing a sensitive method, and pivotal clinical outcome parameters, we wanted to ascertain the utility of IgG4 as a clinical marker of decreased allergen-specific sensitivity to a common aeroallergen.

The blocking activity of birch pollen-specific immunotherapy-induced IgG4 is not qualitatively superior to that of other IgG subclasses.

Allergen-specific IgG antibodies induced by specific immunotherapy (SIT) interfere with the allergen-IgE interaction, and act as blocking antibodies in vitro. It has been hypothesised that IgG4, as opposed to other IgG subclasses, is particularly important in this function, which may play a role for the clinical efficacy of SIT. In this study, fractionated serum samples from 14 SIT-treated birch pollen allergic individuals enabled determination of the inhibitory capacity of IgG4 alone versus non-IgG4 IgG.