Publications by authors named "Eugene Dempsey"

The αβ integrin LFA-1 plays a key role in T-cell adhesion to the endothelial vasculature and migration into both secondary lymphoid organs and peripheral tissues via interactions with its target protein ICAM-1, but the pathways that regulate LFA-1-mediated T-cell polarity and migration are not fully understood. In this study we screened two RNAi libraries targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR)/GPCR-associated proteins and kinases in a HuT 78 T cell line model of LFA-1-stimulated T-cell migration. Based on staining of the actin cytoskeleton, multiple parameters to measure cell morphology were used to assess the contribution of 1109 genes to LFA-1-mediated T-cell polarity and migration.

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Infants requiring admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are particularly vulnerable to developing brain injury. The severity of the underlying clinical conditions and the complexity of care call for continuous, cot-side, non-invasive monitoring tools. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measures the regional tissue oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (rStO) and provides continuous information on the net-result of several factors.

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The present study was designed to test the potential utility of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rcSO) in detecting term infants with brain injury. The study also examined whether quantitative rcSO features are associated with grade of hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE). We analysed 58 term infants with HIE (>36 weeks of gestational age) enrolled in a prospective observational study.

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Diet has a pivotal role in shaping the composition, function and diversity of the gut microbiome, with various diets having a profound impact on the stability, functionality and diversity of the microbial community within our gut. Understanding the profound impact of varied diets on the microbiome is crucial, as it will enable us not only to make well-informed dietary decisions for better metabolic and intestinal health, but also to prevent and slow the onset of specific diet-related diseases that stem from suboptimal diets. In this Review, we explore how geographical location affects the gut microbiome and how different diets shape its composition and function.

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Article Synopsis
  • Non-invasive cardiac output monitoring using electrical biosensing technology (EBT) allows for continuous monitoring of hemodynamic variables in neonates, helping to identify instability early for potential interventions.
  • The use of thoracic (TEBT) and whole body (WBEBT) monitoring methods has grown in neonatology, although TEBT is not a reliable measure of cardiac output, it may track changes in individual patients over time.
  • Recommendations suggest avoiding WBEBT for cardiac output monitoring and highlight the need for further research to address variations in technology and methodology before EBT can become routine in clinical practice.
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  • The study aimed to create percentile charts for arterial oxygen saturation (SpO), heart rate (HR), and cerebral oxygen saturation (crSO) in very or extremely preterm neonates during their first 15 minutes after birth.
  • It analyzed data from the COSGOD III trial, focusing on neonates with favorable outcomes, excluding those with early inflammatory issues, and utilized various methods for measuring the oxygen and heart metrics.
  • The findings revealed specific percentiles for SpO, HR, and crSO at 2, 5, 10, and 15 minutes post-birth, providing a new reference that could aid in better managing oxygen levels during the critical stabilization period after delivery.
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  • The study focuses on creating an early predictive model for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) or death in premature infants at risk due to patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).
  • Researchers evaluated 99 infants born before 29 weeks of gestation or weighing under 1500g, using echocardiographic data collected shortly after birth.
  • The developed model includes birth weight, respiratory severity score, and PDA flow pattern, showing high predictive accuracy (AUC 0.98) and can serve as a practical bedside tool for early risk assessment.
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Background: Blood pressure is a vital hemodynamic marker during the neonatal period. However, normative values are often derived from small observational studies. Understanding the normative range would help to identify ideal thresholds for intervention to treat hypotension or hypertension.

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Background: Immediately after birth, the oxygen saturation is between 30 and 50%, which then increases to 85-95% within the first 10 min. Over the last 10 years, recommendations regarding the ideal level of the initial fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO) for resuscitation in preterm infants have changed from 1.0, to room air to low levels of oxygen (< 0.

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Background: Infant gut microbiota is highly malleable, but the long-term longitudinal impact of antibiotic exposure in early life, together with the mode of delivery on infant gut microbiota and resistome, is not extensively studied.

Methods: Two hundred and eight samples from 45 infants collected from birth until 2 years of age over five time points (week 1, 4, 8, 24, year 2) were analysed. Based on shotgun metagenomics, the gut microbial composition and resistome profile were compared in the early life of infants divided into three groups: vaginal delivery/no-antibiotic in the first 4 days of life, C-section/no-antibiotic in the first 4 days of life, and C-section/antibiotic exposed in first 4 days of life.

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Background: Despite extensive research on neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, detailed information about electrographic seizures during active cooling and rewarming of therapeutic hypothermia is sparse. We aimed to describe temporal evolution of seizures and determine whether there is a correlation of seizure evolution with 2-year outcome.

Methods: This secondary analysis included newborn infants recruited from eight European tertiary neonatal intensive care units for two multicentre studies (a randomised controlled trial [NCT02431780] and an observational study [NCT02160171]).

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Background: Of the 15 million preterm births that occur worldwide each year, approximately 80% occur between 32 and 36 + 6 weeks gestational age (GA) and are defined as moderate to late preterm (MLP) infants. This percentage substantiates a need for a better understanding of the neurodevelopmental outcome of this group.

Aim: To describe neurodevelopmental outcome at 18 months in a cohort of healthy low-risk MLP infants admitted to the neonatal unit at birth and to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome to that of a healthy term-born infant group.

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Objective: To assess the haemodynamic consequences of cord clamping (CC) in healthy term infants.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary maternity hospital.

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Objective: To evaluate the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and tolerability of brivaracetam (BRV) in neonates with repeated electroencephalographic seizures not controlled with previous antiseizure medications (ASMs).

Methods: Phase 2/3, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study (N01349/NCT03325439) in neonates with repeated electroencephalographic seizures (lasting ≥10 s) confirmed by video-electroencephalography, and inadequate seizure control with at least one ASM. A screening period (up to 36 h) was followed by a 48-h evaluation period during which patients received 0.

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Objectives: To determine whether rate of severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) or death among preterm infants receiving placental transfusion with UCM is noninferior to delayed cord clamping (DCC).

Methods: Noninferiority randomized controlled trial comparing UCM versus DCC in preterm infants born 28 to 32 weeks recruited between June 2017 through September 2022 from 19 university and private medical centers in 4 countries. The primary outcome was Grade III/IV IVH or death evaluated at a 1% noninferiority margin.

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Background: The SafeBoosC project aims to test the clinical value of non-invasive cerebral oximetry by near-infrared spectroscopy in newborn infants. The purpose is to establish whether cerebral oximetry can be used to save newborn infants' lives and brains or not. Newborns contribute heavily to total childhood mortality and neonatal brain damage is the cause of a large part of handicaps such as cerebral palsy.

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Article Synopsis
  • The SafeBoosC-III trial studied extremely preterm infants to see if monitoring brain oxygen levels helped reduce death or brain injury, but it didn't show a difference compared to regular care.
  • Researchers are now following up with these infants when they turn 2 years old to check on their health and development.
  • They plan to gather information from health records and parents to see how many children have died or developed disabilities.
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Background: Many drugs are used off-label or unlicensed in neonates. This does not mean they are used without evidence or knowledge. We aimed to apply and evaluate the Grading and Assessment of Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Studies (GAPPS) scoring system for the level of evidence of two commonly used anti-epileptic drugs.

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Introduction: Very preterm infants are at risk of abnormal microbiome colonisation in the first weeks to months of life. Several important associated factors have been identified including gestational age, mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure and feeding. Preterm infants are at risk of a number of pathologies for which the microbiome may play a central role, including necrotising enterocolitis and sepsis.

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Aim: To evaluate the combined outcome of death and/or severe grade necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) in very preterm infants admitted to Cork University Maternity Hospital, Ireland, before and after introduction of routine supplementation with Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus probiotics (Infloran®).

Methods: A retrospective study of infants <32 weeks gestation and < 1500 g surviving beyond 72 h of life was performed. Two 6-year epochs; pre-probiotics (Epoch 1: 2008-2013) and with probiotics (Epoch 2: 2015-2020), were evaluated.

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Objective: To test the potential utility of applying machine learning methods to regional cerebral (rcSO) and peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO) signals to detect brain injury in extremely preterm infants.

Study Design: A subset of infants enrolled in the Management of Hypotension in Preterm infants (HIP) trial were analysed ( = 46). All eligible infants were <28 weeks' gestational age and had continuous rcSO measurements performed over the first 72 h and cranial ultrasounds performed during the first week after birth.

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