The relevance of a digital system based on nanop particles biosensors in assessing the antioxidant potential of some foods

Image analysis is a highly topical and perspective method in biomedical research and practice that underlies the development of portable tests for the autonomous detection of external energy sources outside the laboratory. The purpose of this paper is to implement a new method of detecting antioxidants in food, based on digital image acquisition and processing, using an experimental device with a paper-based biochemical sensor, marked with silver nanoparticles. The research consisted of evaluating the antioxidant potential of some teas (no = 5) and commercial red wines (no = 5), using the LabVIEW device and the LabVIEW graphical programming environment for data processing in linear 3D regression, referencing the RGB spatial vector. The results obtained in the testing of tea and red wine varieties had the following hierarchy regarding their antioxidant concentration (expressed in μg / mL gallic equivalents): Twinings traditional afternoon black tea (10.945); Lipton Green Tea (20.450); Lipton forest fruit tea (20.450); Fares forest fruit tea (29.956); Green Tea Earl Gray (34.708) or Recaş wine (15.698); Pinot Noir Folonari wine (15.698); Chateau Malpere wine (20.450); Cabernet Souvignon wine and Fetească Neagră wine (25.203). In conclusion, we appreciate the great outlook of this fast and cheap method, which can be accessed through software installed on your laptop or smartphone, allowing you to read the result with one click, including by non-experts

Periodic fever syndromes in Eastern and Central European countries: results of a pediatric multinational survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To analyze the prevalence of diagnosed and suspected autoinflammatory diseases in Eastern and Central European (ECE) countries, with a particular interest on the diagnostic facilities in these countries.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two different strategies were used to collect data on patients with periodic fever syndromes from ECE countries- the Eurofever survey and collection of data with the structured questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data from 35 centers in 14 ECE countries were collected. All together there were 11 patients reported with genetically confirmed familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), 14 with mevalonate-kinase deficiency (MKD), 11 with tumor necrosis factor receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and 4 with chronic infantile neurological cutaneous and articular syndrome (CINCA). Significantly higher numbers were reported for suspected cases which were not genetically tested. All together there were 49 suspected FMF patients reported, 24 MKD, 16 TRAPS, 7 CINCA and 2 suspected Muckle-Wells syndrome (MWS) patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The number of genetically confirmed patients with periodic fever syndromes in ECE countries is very low. In order to identify more patients in the future, it is important to organize educational programs for increasing the knowledge on these diseases and to establish a network for genetic testing of periodic fever syndromes in ECE countries.</p

Proposal for a definition for response to treatment, inactive disease and damage for JIA associated uveitis based on the validation of a uveitis related JIA outcome measures from the Multinational Interdisciplinary Working Group for Uveitis in Childhood (MIWGUC)

Correction: PEDIATRIC RHEUMATOLOGY Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Article Number: 14 DOI: 10.1186/s12969-019-0396-4Background JIA-associated uveitis (JIAU) is a serious, sight-threatening disease with significant long-term complications and risk of blindness, even with improved contemporary treatments. The MIWGUC was set up in order to propose specific JIAU activity and response items and to validate their applicability for clinical outcome studies. Methods The group consists of 8 paediatric rheumatologists and 7 ophthalmologists. A consensus meeting took place on November 2015 in Barcelona (Spain) with the objective of validating the previously proposed measures. The validation process was based on the results of a prospective open, international, multi-centre, cohort study designed to validate the outcome measures proposed by the initial MIWGUC group meeting in 2012. The meeting used the same Delphi and nominal group technique as previously described in the first paper from the MIWGUC group (Arthritis Care Res 64:1365-72, 2012). Patients were included with a diagnosis of JIA, aged less than 18 years, and with active uveitis or an uveitis flare which required treatment with a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug. The proposed outcome measures for uveitis were collected by an ophthalmologist and for arthritis by a paediatric rheumatologist. Patient reported outcome measures were also measured. Results A total of 82 patients were enrolled into the validation cohort. Fifty four percent (n = 44) had persistent oligoarthritis followed by rheumatoid factor negative polyarthritis (n = 15, 18%). The mean uveitis disease duration was 3.3 years (SD 3.0). Bilateral eye involvement was reported in 65 (79.3%) patients. The main findings are that the most significant changes, from baseline to 6 months, are found in the AC activity measures of cells and flare. These measures correlate with the presence of pre-existing structural complications and this has implications for the reporting of trials using a single measure as a primary outcome. We also found that visual analogue scales of disease activity showed significant change when reported by the ophthalmologist, rheumatologist and families. The measures formed three relatively distinct groups. The first group of measures comprised uveitis activity, ocular damage and the ophthalmologists' VAS. The second comprised patient reported outcomes including disruption to school attendance. The third group consisted of the rheumatologists' VAS and the joint score. Conclusions We propose distinctive and clinically significant measures of disease activity, severity and damage for JIAU. This effort is the initial step for developing a comprehensive outcome measures for JIAU, which incorporates the perspectives of rheumatologists, ophthalmologists, patients and families.Peer reviewe

Recommendations for collaborative paediatric research including biobanking in Europe: a Single Hub and Access point for paediatric Rheumatology in Europe (SHARE) initiative

Innovative research in childhood rheumatic diseases mandates international collaborations. However, researchers struggle with significant regulatory heterogeneity; an enabling European Union (EU)-wide framework is missing. The aims of the study were to systematically review the evidence for best practice and to establish recommendations for collaborative research. The Paediatric Rheumatology European Single Hub and Access point for paediatric Rheumatology in Europe (SHARE) project enabled a scoping review and expert discussion, which then informed the systematic literature review. Published evidence was synthesised; recommendations were drafted. An iterative review process and consultations with Ethics Committees and European experts for ethical and legal aspects of paediatric research refined the recommendations. SHARE experts and patient representatives vetted the proposed recommendations at a consensus meeting using Nominal Group Technique. Agreement of 80% was mandatory for inclusion. The systematic literature review returned 1319 records. A total of 223 full-text publications plus 22 international normative documents were reviewed; 85 publications and 16 normative documents were included. A total of 21 recommendations were established including general principles (1-3), ethics (4-7), paediatric principles (8 and 9), consent to paediatric research (10-14), paediatric databank and biobank (15 and 16), sharing of data and samples (17-19), and commercialisation and third parties (20 and 21). The refined recommendations resulted in an agreement of >80% for all recommendations. The SHARE initiative established the first recommendations for Paediatric Rheumatology collaborative research across borders in Europe. These provide strong support for an urgently needed European framework and evidence-based guidance for its implementation. Such changes will promote research in children with rheumatic diseases

Intravenous dosing of tocilizumab in patients younger than two years of age with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The anti-interleukin-6 receptor-alpha antibody tocilizumab was approved for intravenous (IV) injection in the treatment of patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) aged 2 to 17 years based on results of a randomized controlled phase 3 trial. Tocilizumab treatment in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) patients younger than 2 was investigated in this open-label phase 1 trial and compared with data from the previous trial in patients aged 2 to 17 years.Patients younger than 2 received open-label tocilizumab 12 mg/kg IV every 2 weeks (Q2W) during a 12-week main evaluation period and an optional extension period. The primary end point was comparability of pharmacokinetics during the main evaluation period to that of the previous trial (in patients aged 2-17 years), and the secondary end point was safety; pharmacodynamics and efficacy end points were exploratory. Descriptive comparisons for pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and efficacy were made with sJIA patients aged 2 to 17 years weighing < 30 kg (n = 38) who received tocilizumab 12 mg/kg IV Q2W in the previous trial (control group).Eleven patients (mean age, 1.3 years) received tocilizumab during the main evaluation period. The primary end point was met: tocilizumab exposures for patients younger than 2 were within the range of the control group (mean [±SD] μg/mL concentration at the end-of-dosing interval [Cmin]: 39.8 [±14.3] vs 57.5 [±23.3]; maximum concentration [Cmax] postdose: 288 [±40.4] vs 245 [±57.2]). At week 12, pharmacodynamic measures were similar between patients younger than 2 and the control group; mean change from baseline in Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score-71 was - 17.4 in patients younger than 2 and - 28.8 in the control group; rash was reported by 14.3 and 13.5% of patients, respectively. Safety was comparable except for the incidence of serious hypersensitivity reactions (27.3% in patients younger than 2 vs 2.6% in the control group).Tocilizumab 12 mg/kg IV Q2W provided pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy in sJIA patients younger than 2 comparable to those in patients aged 2 to 17 years. Safety was comparable except for a higher incidence of serious hypersensitivity events in patients younger than 2 years.Juvenile idiopathic arthritis.ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01455701 . Registered, October 20, 2011, Date of enrollment of first participant: October 26, 2012

Efficacy and safety of open-label etanercept on extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, enthesitis-related arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: part 1 (week 12) of the CLIPPER study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of etanercept (ETN) in paediatric subjects with extended oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (eoJIA), enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: CLIPPER is an ongoing, Phase 3b, open-label, multicentre study; the 12-week (Part 1) data are reported here. Subjects with eoJIA (2-17 years), ERA (12-17 years), or PsA (12-17 years) received ETN 0.8 mg/kg once weekly (maximum 50 mg). Primary endpoint was the percentage of subjects achieving JIA American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 30 criteria at week 12; secondary outcomes included JIA ACR 50/70/90 and inactive disease. RESULTS: 122/127 (96.1%) subjects completed the study (mean age 11.7 years). JIA ACR 30 (95% CI) was achieved by 88.6% (81.6% to 93.6%) of subjects overall; 89.7% (78.8% to 96.1%) with eoJIA, 83.3% (67.2% to 93.6%) with ERA and 93.1% (77.2% to 99.2%) with PsA. For eoJIA, ERA, or PsA categories, the ORs of ETN vs the historical placebo data were 26.2, 15.1 and 40.7, respectively. Overall JIA ACR 50, 70, 90 and inactive disease were achieved by 81.1, 61.5, 29.8 and 12.1%, respectively. Treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), infections, and serious AEs, were reported in 45 (35.4%), 58 (45.7%), and 4 (3.1%), subjects, respectively. Serious AEs were one case each of abdominal pain, bronchopneumonia, gastroenteritis and pyelocystitis. One subject reported herpes zoster and another varicella. No differences in safety were observed across the JIA categories. CONCLUSIONS: ETN treatment for 12 weeks was effective and well tolerated in paediatric subjects with eoJIA, ERA and PsA, with no unexpected safety findings

Raw Materials Information System (RMIS): 2019 Roadmap & Progress Report - Context, content & foreseen priorities

The European Commission's (EC) Raw Materials Initiative (RMI) emphasises that raw materials are essential for the sound and sustainable functioning of Europe’s industries and, in a broader context, of Europe’s economy and society. The EC is committed to promote the competitiveness of industries related to raw materials. These industries play an important role in many downstream sectors in the European Union (EU) such as construction, chemicals, automotive, aerospace, machinery, pharmacy, equipment, renewable energy devices, and defence. These sectors have a combined added-value of around EUR 1,000 billion and provide employment for some 30 million people. Securing an undistorted supply of raw materials and, in particular, Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) is thus crucial and requires a sound and continuously developed knowledge base, namely the European Union Raw Materials Knowledge Base (EURMKB), as highlighted in the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials. In this context, and responding to a specific action of the 2015 Circular Economy Communication, the JRC is further advancing the EC's Raw Materials Information System (RMIS), which was first released in March 2015. The markedly upgraded second version (hereinafter “RMIS 2.0”, or simply “RMIS”) was announced in the 2017 JRC “RMIS Roadmap & Progress Report” and officially launched during the 2017 “Raw Materials Week”, organised by DG GROW in Brussels. RMIS 2.0 broadened goal and scope of the first version, significantly expanded the network of its knowledge providers, and responded – often in quantitative terms – to the latest policy and knowledge needs on raw materials. In particular, important thematic sections such as “raw materials’ profiles”, “country profiles”, “supply chain viewer” and “raw materials knowledge gateway” were included. Since its conception and first release in 2015, RMIS has been developed in close cooperation with DG GROW. DG GROW helps the JRC to recognise policy and knowledge needs related to raw materials, and supports the JRC in identifying how RMIS can best meet these needs. RMIS development is supported by (and should be intended as part of) a well-established and extensive network of knowledge providers in the area of raw materials, which includes – among others – EC-funded projects, European Agencies (EASME, EEA, etc.), academia, European Geological Surveys, industry and business associations. Interactions and knowledge exchanges among the various stakeholders of this network are promoted in the yearly “RMIS Workshop” events, held at the JRC in Ispra, Italy, which attracts every year an increasing number of participants. Today, the RMIS is the EC’s reference web-based knowledge platform on non-fuel, non-agriculture raw materials from primary (extracted/harvested) and secondary (recycled/recovered) sources. RMIS responds to the need of strengthening the European Union Raw Materials Knowledge Base (EURMKB) and acts as the core access point to such knowledge and as interface for policy support. The knowledge accessible through RMIS is, to the extent possible, made available for the European Union (from regional, national and EU data), with the ambition of providing it in a harmonized way. This 2019 “RMIS Roadmap & Progress Report” presents RMIS in its latest form, highlights the progress made since 2017, connects this with most recent and relevant policy and knowledge needs on raw materials, and provides an overview of the development goals that could help fulfil such needs.JRC.D.3-Land Resource

Educational initiatives and training for paediatric rheumatology in Europe

The Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) has over many years, developed a portfolio of educational activities to address increasing educational needs of workforce and support young clinicians to acquire skills to develop new knowledge and deliver clinical care in the future. These educational activities aim to facilitate growth of paediatric rheumatology and ultimately improve the clinical care for children and families. This article describes the current portfolio of PReS educational activities and their relevance to the international paediatric rheumatology community

Consensus-based recommendations for the management of juvenile dermatomyositis

Background In 2012, a European initiative called Single Hub and Access point for pediatric Rheumatology in Europe (SHARE) was launched to optimise and disseminate diagnostic and management regimens in Europe for children and young adults with rheumatic diseases. Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is a rare disease within the group of paediatric rheumatic diseases (PRDs) and can lead to significant morbidity. Evidence-based guidelines are sparse and management is mostly based on physicians' experience. Consequently, treatment regimens differ throughout Europe. Objectives To provide recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of JDM. Methods Recommendations were developed by an evidence-informed consensus process using the European League Against Rheumatism standard operating procedures. A committee was constituted, consisting of 19 experienced paediatric rheumatologists and 2 experts in paediatric exercise physiology and physical therapy, mainly from Europe. Recommendations derived from a validated systematic literature review were evaluated by an online survey and subsequently discussed at two consensus meetings using nominal group technique. Recommendations were accepted if > 80% agreement was reached. Results In total, 7 overarching principles, 33 recommendations on diagnosis and 19 recommendations on therapy were accepted with > 80% agreement among experts. Topics covered include assessment of skin, muscle and major organ involvement and suggested treatment pathways. Conclusions The SHARE initiative aims to identify best practices for treatment of patients suffering from PRD. Within this remit, recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of JDM have been formulated by an evidenceinformed consensus process to produce a standard of care for patients with JDM throughout Europe.Peer reviewe