Objective: This study examines the quality of evaluation studies using qualitative research methods in the social work literature in terms of a number of criteria commonly adopted in the field of qualitative research. Method: Using qualitative and evaluation as search terms, relevant qualitative evaluation studies from 1990 to 2003 indexed by Social Work Abstracts were examined, and their quality was evaluated. Results: The review shows that the quality of published evaluation studies using qualitative research methods in the social work field is not high and that many of the reviewed studies are not sensitive to the following issues: philosophical base of the study, auditability, bias, truth value, consistency, and critical interpretations of the data. Conclusions: Social workers using findings arising from published evaluation studies using qualitative research methods in social work should be cautious and social workers conducting qualitative evaluation studies should be sensitive to the issue of quality. Adequate training for social workers on qualitative evaluation should also be carried out.

The Maillard reaction was established to reduce the sensitization of tropomyosin (TM) and arginine kinase (AK) from Scylla paramamosain, and the mechanism of the attenuated sensitization was investigated. In the present study, the Maillard reaction conditions were optimized for heating at 100 °C for 60 min (pH 8.5) with arabinose. A low level of allergenicity in mice was shown by the levels of allergen-specific antibodies, and more Th1 and less Th2 cells cytokines produced and associated transcription factors with the Maillard reacted allergen (mAllergen). The tolerance potency in mice was demonstrated by the increased ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokines. Moreover, mass spectrometry analysis showed that some key amino acids of IgE-binding epitopes (K, R, R of TM; K, K, R of AK) were modified by the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction with arabinose reduced the sensitization of TM and AK, which may be due to the masked epitopes.

The enzymatic cross-linking of proteins to form high-molecular-weight compounds may alter their sensitization potential. The IgG-/IgE-binding activity, digestibility, allergenicity, and oral tolerance of cross-linked tropomyosin with tyrosinase (CTC) or horseradish peroxidase (CHP) were investigated. ELISA results demonstrated CTC or CHP reduced its IgE-binding activity by 34.5 ± 1.8 and 63.5 ± 0.6%, respectively. Compared with native tropomyosin or CTC, CHP was more easily digested into small fragments; CHP decreased the degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells and increased endocytosis by dendritic cells. CHP can induce oral tolerance and reduce allergenicity in mice by decreasing IgE and IgG1 levels in serum, the production of T-cell cytokines, and the percentage composition of dendritic cells. These findings demonstrate CHP has more potential of reducing the allergenicity than CTC via influencing the morphology of protein, changing the original method of antigen presentation, modulating the Th1/Th2 immunobalance, and inducing the oral tolerance of the allergen tropomyosin.

Scallop (Chlamys nobilis) cause IgE mediated food allergy, however, studies on allergens in its musculus are not comprehensive enough. In this connection, the target protein was purified from scallop and...

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