Data infrastructures for AI in medical imaging: a report on the experiences of five EU projects.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the field of medical imaging and has the potential to bring medicine from the era of 'sick-care' to the era of healthcare and prevention. The development of AI requires access to large, complete, and harmonized real-world datasets, representative of the population, and disease diversity. However, to date, efforts are fragmented, based on single-institution, size-limited, and annotation-limited datasets.

Anti-Rheumatic Drugs May Ameliorate the Clinical Course and Outcome of COVID-19 In Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

Current data demonstrated that in patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), there is a dysregulation of the immune system during the severe form of the disease. This dysregulation is expressed with an uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-17, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and chemokines, associated with increased serum ferritin levels and other acute phase reactants. On the other side, these cytokines play a pivotal role in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD), mostly in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the spondyloarthropathies.

Colchicine Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection: What is the Evidence?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a matter of concern worldwide and a huge challenge for rheumatologists. Indeed, several antirheumatic drugs are currently used at different stages of COVID-19, such as several cytokine inhibitors and colchicine. Colchicine is one of the oldest medicines with potent anti-inflammatory properties.

The Intertemporal Role of Respiratory Support in Improving Neonatal Outcomes: A Narrative Review.

Defining improvements in healthcare can be challenging due to the need to assess multiple outcomes and measures. In neonates, although progress in respiratory support has been a key factor in improving survival, the same degree of improvement has not been documented in certain outcomes, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. By exploring the evolution of neonatal respiratory care over the last 60 years, this review highlights not only the scientific advances that occurred with the application of invasive mechanical ventilation but also the weakness of the existing knowledge.

COVID-19 in patients with gout on colchicine.

Current data demonstrated that severe cases of coronavirus-disease-19 (COVID-19) require treatment with antiviral therapy, dexamethasone, supportive care, as well as some anti-rheumatic drugs, among them, cytokine inhibitors and colchicine. Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that is being used in rheumatology for many years to treat mostly gout, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, and Familial Mediterranean Fever. Here, we present for the first time, two patients suffering from gout being treated with colchicine, who were affected from severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) syndrome.

Can we delineate brain injury in full-term neonates using serum biomarkers?

: Early identification of neonates at risk of neurological impairment is particularly important for the bedside clinician. Clinical value of S100b and neuron-specific enolase in neonates has not been yet established. We investigated their kinetics and possible early clinical utility in neonatal encephalopathy (NE).

Use of conventional synthetic and biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatic diseases contracting COVID-19: a single-center experience.

To examine whether patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) treated with conventional synthetic (cs) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and/or biologic (b) DMARDs, could be affected from SARS-CoV-2 infection and to explore the COVID-19 disease course and outcome in this population. This is a prospective observational study. During the period February-December 2020, 443 patients with IA who were followed-up in the outpatient arthritis clinic were investigated.

Anti-Rheumatic Drugs for the Fight Against the Novel Coronavirus Infection (SARSCoV-2): What is the Evidence?

SARS-CoV-2 is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that causes the COVID-19 infection. Spike proteins are the most important proteins found on its capsule using the host's ACE2 receptors to invade respiratory cells. The natural course of the COVID-19 infection is variable, from asymptomatic to severe and potentially fatal.

Urine metabolomics in neonates with late-onset sepsis in a case-control study.

Although late-onset sepsis (LOS) is a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, biomarkers evaluated in LOS lack high diagnostic accuracy. In this prospective, case-control, pilot study, we aimed to determine the metabolic profile of neonates with LOS. Urine samples were collected at the day of initial LOS evaluation, the 3 and 10 day, thereafter, from 16 septic neonates (9 confirmed and 7 possible LOS cases) and 16 non-septic ones (controls) at respective time points.

Urine metabolomic profile in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopa-thy.

Background: Metabolomics could provide valuable insights into hypoxemic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) revealing new disease-associated biochemical derangements. The study aimed to investigate urine metabolic changes in neonates with HIE compared to healthy controls, using targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Patients And Methods: In this prospective, single-center study we enrolled neonates born at ≥ 36 weeks gestation with HIE (HIE group) and healthy controls (control group).

Bayley-III scales at 12 months of corrected age in preterm infants: Patterns of developmental performance and correlations to environmental and biological influences.

Background And Aims: Premature infants are at high risk for neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) even in the absence of known brain complications of prematurity. Evaluation of the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions in association to neurodevelopmental outcome is required to improve or prevent the neurodevelopmental consequences of prematurity. The Bayley-III is currently the most commonly applied measurement tool for assessing early development both in clinical practice and research settings.

Urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin to predict acute kidney injury in preterm neonates. A pilot study.

Background: The efficacy of urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) as an early acute kidney injury (AKI) biomarker in preterm neonates was evaluated.

Methods: Thirty-five preterm neonates were prospectively evaluated for serum creatinine (sCre)-documented AKI during the first 14 days of life. Urine samples were collected daily throughout the study period.

Adverse drug event prevention in neonatal care: a rule-based approach.

Adverse drug events (ADE) in a neonatal unit can be of great importance due to the underlying nature and the special characteristics of the patients. This paper presents our work on the development of a knowledge base (KB) for supporting the identification and prevention of ADEs. First, a literature review was conducted to identify ADEs observed through the use of the most commonly-used drugs in a specific neonatal unit.

Development of a sensitive cost-effective capture ELISA for detection of murine monoclonal antibodies: correlation with SPR biosensor technology.

The development of antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in inflammatory diseases is a major focus for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Production of monoclonal antibodies requires the development of fast, high-throughput methodologies for screening and selecting appropriate candidate antibodies for development. Capture (sandwich) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) provides a quick and reliable method that could be used for hybridoma screening of potential candidates accompanied with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technology for identifying high affinity biomolecular interactions.

Visual function in preterm infants without major retinopathy of prematurity or neurological complications.

Objective: Early exposure of preterm infants to visual stimulation could affect the process of visual maturation. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of prematurity on visual function at 15 months post-term.

Subjects And Methods: Visual function was assessed in 102 preterm (PTI) and 50 full-term infants (FTI) without major cerebral pathology or retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) of grade 2 to 5, at 15 months' corrected age.

Serum and urine acute kidney injury biomarkers in asphyxiated neonates.

Background: We evaluated serum (s) cystatin C (CysC) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and urine (u) CysC, NGAL and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as markers of acute kidney injury (AKI) in asphyxiated neonates.

Methods: AKI biomarkers were measured in 13 asphyxiated neonates born at ≥ 36 weeks gestational age (eight with AKI and five without AKI) and 22 controls. AKI was defined as serum creatinine ≥ 1.

Early abnormal amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is associated with adverse short-term outcome in premature infants.

Background: In preterm infants with IVH the electrocortical background activity is affected and there is a correlation between the severity of cerebral injury to the degree of depression, however the usefulness of the early aEEG recordings has hardly been determined.

Aim: To identify early aEEG features that could be used as prognostic markers for severe brain injury in prematures.

Methods: In 115 infants, 25-32 wk GA, aEEG recordings during the first 72 h of life were correlated with head ultrasound findings.

Effect of gestational diabetes and intrauterine growth restriction on the offspring's circulating galanin at birth.

Context: Experimental studies linked gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) with altered expression of the offspring's hypothalamic galanin mRNA, possibly contributing to the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome in later life. We hypothesized that plasma galanin levels at birth would reflect presumably altered hypothalamic galanin expression and production that cannot be assessed in the human offspring.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether neonates born to GDM mothers or being IUGR differ from healthy ones in circulating galanin at birth.

Comparable effect of conventional ventilation versus early high-frequency oscillation on serum CC16 and IL-6 levels in preterm neonates.

Objective: Clara cell 16 kD protein (CC16) and interleukin (IL)-6 have been used as peripheral blood biomarkers of alveolar leakage and inflammation, respectively. Thus, their measurement in the bloodstream could be used to assess ventilator-induced lung injury. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of optimized synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) and high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) on circulating CC16 and IL-6 levels when used as the initial ventilation modes in preterm neonates.

The influence of extrauterine life on the aEEG maturation in normal preterm infants.

Objective: To study, the maturational changes of the amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) in preterm infants without neurological disorders and especially the influence of the duration of extrauterine life, over this process.

Methods: 96 preterm infants, 25-34weeks' gestational age (GA) at birth, clinically stable and without ultrasonographic evidence of neurological abnormalities, were studied. The aEEG recordings were obtained within 72 h of life and then weekly until discharge.

Impact of European legislation on marketed pesticides--a view from the standpoint of health impact assessment studies.

The very significant impact of European legislation (Directive 91/414/EEC) on the authorization of plant protection products is reviewed herein, which has resulted in withdrawal of 704 active substances (AS) out of 889 assessed so far. The list of currently approved 276 AS includes 194 AS "existing" in the market before 1993 and 82 "new" AS introduced during the last 15 years. Results of toxicity characterization of the approved AS are also summarized, utilizing several well-known databases.

Clara cell secretory protein (CC16) as a peripheral blood biomarker of lung injury in ventilated preterm neonates.

The aim of this study was to assess the serum concentrations of Clara cell secretory protein (CC16) in association with acute and chronic lung injury in mechanically ventilated preterm neonates. Thirty-five preterm neonates (gestational age [GA] View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Effects of macrophage colony-stimulating factor on antifungal activity of neonatal monocytes against Candida albicans.

The effects of recombinant macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) on antifungal activities of monocytes (MNC) from healthy neonates and adults against Candida albicans were compared. Pretreatment of adult and neonatal MNC with 15 ng/ml of M-CSF for 4 days significantly increased superoxide anion (O(-2)) production in response to phorbol myristate acetate. While M-CSF-treated MNC from adults produced significantly higher O(-2) in response to Candida blastoconidia, M-CSF-treated neonatal MNC did not show a similar response.

Impact of prematurity, stress and sepsis on the neutrophil respiratory burst activity of neonates.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of prematurity, sepsis and stress on the neutrophil respiratory burst activity (NRBA) of neonates. For this purpose 122 healthy neonates (89 term and 33 preterm), 33 preterm stressed neonates, 59 septic neonates (12 term and 47 preterm) and 26 healthy adults were studied. The NRBA was assessed after in vitro stimulation by PMA using a whole blood flow cytometric microassay with dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHR 123).