Adequacy and tolerance to ass's milk in an Italian cohort of children with cow's milk allergy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The therapy for cow's milk proteins allergy (CMPA) consists in eliminating cow's milk proteins (CMP) from the child's diet. Ass's milk (AM) has been recently considered as substitute of CMP. This prospective study investigated tolerance and nutritional adequacy of AM in children with CMPA from Southern Italy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty children (aged 6 months to 11 years) with suspected CMPA were enrolled. They underwent skin prick tests and bouble-blind, placebo controlled food challenge to CMP. After confirming the diagnosis of CMPA, patients received fresh AM in a open challenge. Specific serum CMP and AM IgE, and biochemical parameters in blood were also assessed. Auxological evaluations were performed in all subjects at entry (T0) and after 4–6 months (T1) of AM intake.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-five children resulted elegible for the study, and 24 out of 25 subjects (96%) tolerated AM at the food challenge. Auxological data resulted improved by the end of the study in all patients, while blood biochemical parameters did not vary during the follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data confirm the high rate of AM tolerability in children with moderate symptoms of CMPA. Moreover, we found that AM seems to have nutritional adequacy in subjects with a varied diet.</p

L3DAS21 Challenge: Machine Learning for 3D Audio Signal Processing

The L3DAS21 Challenge is aimed at encouraging and fostering collaborative research on machine learning for 3D audio signal processing, with particular focus on 3D speech enhancement (SE) and 3D sound localization and detection (SELD). Alongside with the challenge, we release the L3DAS21 dataset, a 65 hours 3D audio corpus, accompanied with a Python API that facilitates the data usage and results submission stage. Usually, machine learning approaches to 3D audio tasks are based on single-perspective Ambisonics recordings or on arrays of single-capsule microphones. We propose, instead, a novel multichannel audio configuration based multiple-source and multiple-perspective Ambisonics recordings, performed with an array of two first-order Ambisonics microphones. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that a dual-mic Ambisonics configuration is used for these tasks. We provide baseline models and results for both tasks, obtained with state-of-the-art architectures: FaSNet for SE and SELDNet for SELD. This report is aimed at providing all needed information to participate in the L3DAS21 Challenge, illustrating the details of the L3DAS21 dataset, the challenge tasks and the baseline models.Comment: Documentation paper for the L3DAS21 Challenge for IEEE MLSP 2021. Further information on www.l3das.com/mlsp202

Drugs and Vaccines Hypersensitivity in Children with Mastocytosis

Mastocytosis, a heterogeneous mastcell disease, include three different entities: cutaneous mastocytosis, systemic mastocytosis (SM) and mast-cell sarcoma. Tryptase levels can differentiate cutaneous mastocytosis from SM. In mastocytosis, quick onset drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) that are facilitated by mastcell mediators, are investigated in adults. Due to the limited number of children with mastcell disease and increased serum tryptase levels, the role of drugs in this age group is less studied. In this review, we critically assessed relevant papers related with immediate DHRs in children with mastocytosis and discuss practical issues of the management. In childhood mastocytosis, anaphylaxis is frequently idiopathic, and elevated level of basal tryptase, and high burden of disease may increase the risk. Among drugs, antibiotics, NSAIDs and opioids can potentially induce anaphylaxis, anyway avoidance should be recommended only in case of previous reactions. Moreover, vaccinations are not contraindicated in patients with mastocytosis. The risk of severe systemic reactions after drugs intake seems to be extremely low and in general lower in children than in adults. Anyway, studies on this topic especially focusing on children, are missing to state final recommendations

COVID-19 Vaccines in Children with Cow’s Milk and Food Allergies

The COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging global health crisis of our times. Vaccination against COVID-19 plays a key role to control the current pandemic situation. The risk of allergic reactions to new COVID-19 vaccines is low. However, there is a debate on the safety in allergic patients following post marketing findings by different agencies. Our aim is to understand from current experiences whether children with cow’s milk or food allergy are at higher risk than a general population for allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. Current data indicate that patients with a history of allergy to cow’s milk or other foods, even if severe, should receive COVID-19 vaccine in a setting with availability of treatments for anaphylactic reactions and under medical supervision. Recipients should be discharged after a protracted observation period of 30 min if no reaction developed

Radiocontrast Media Hypersensitivity Reactions in Children

Hypersensitivity reactions to radiocontrast media seem to be rare in children. Furthermore, the use of radiocontrast media in children remains quite safe in terms of the severity of reactions. Since pediatric guidelines are lacking, the diagnostic workup employed in adults could be adapted to children, taking into account that results have not yet been validated in this age group. Specific protocols for risk stratification and management of severe reactions have been proposed so far

Hypersensitivity Reactions to Monoclonal Antibodies in Children

Biologic drugs are widely used in pediatric medicine. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in particular are a therapeutic option for rheumatic, autoinflammatory and oncologic diseases. Adverse drug reactions and hypersensitivity reactions (HSR) to mAbs may occur in children. Clinical presentation of HSRs to mAbs can be classified according to phenotypes in infusion-related reactions, cytokine release syndrome, both alpha type reactions and type I (IgE/non-IgE), type III, and type IV reactions, all beta-type reactions. The aim of this review is to focus on HSRs associated with the most frequent mAbs in childhood, with particular attention to beta-type reactions. When a reaction to mAbs is suspected a diagnostic work-up including in-vivo and in-vitro testing should be performed. A drug provocation test is recommended only when no alternative drugs are available. In selected patients with immediate IgE-mediated drug allergy a desensitization protocol is indicated. Despite the heavy use of mAbs in childhood, studies evaluating the reliability of diagnostic test are lacking. Although desensitization may be effective in reducing the risk of reactions in children, standardized pediatric protocols are still not available

Astrobio cubesat: Enabling technologies for astrobiology research in space

AstroBio CubeSat (ABCS) is a 3U CubeSat that will operate within the internal Van Allen belt and it should be the first attempt to conduct biochemical experiments on a nanosatellite platform and in a so extremely harsh environment. Performing astrobiology research in space is surely challenging due to limited volumes, limited access, and stressors such as ionizing radiation and lack of convection. Moreover, experiments should be performed autonomously especially on CubeSat missions. This interdisciplinary field requires also a comprehensive, integrated understanding of biological, biochemical and planetary phenomena. To meet the requirements arising from this scenario, ABCS satellite integrates several innovative solutions ranging from optimized experimental protocol to peculiar system level arrangements. The core of ABCS payload will be a lab-on-chip device consisting of a glass substrate on which a series of lateral flow immuno-assay (LFIA) strips on nitrocellulose support are attached. LFIA strips will be functionalized with biomolecules, immobilized in specific test areas, that will be sensed by means of chemiluminescent (CL) reactions. To avoid degradation of assay chemicals these will be deposited in a non-permanent fashion in a dry form in the initial part of the strips. On-chip detection of the analytical chemiluminescent signal, that occurs at test areas, is performed by means of hydrogenated amorphous silicon photodiodes. A custom low noise front-end readout board is employed for the biasing of the photodiode array and the readout of the photocurrents signal that contains the analytical information. In addition, it allows to interface the chip with the on-board computer. To carry out experiments in a stand-alone fashion, a third electronic board, stacked over the former, hosts a set of micropumps for the delivery of reagents across the device. Payload operation requires an ambient-pressure environment which is ensured by an aluminium box, hermetically sealed with an indium wire gasket. The box also provides shielding capability from the environment ionizing radiation. In this work an over-view of the engineering solutions employed to meet the requirements of a CubeSat application is presented

Hypersensitivity to Intravenous Iron Preparations

Intravenous iron is widely used for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia when adherence to oral iron replacement is poor. Acute hypersensitivity reactions during iron infusions are very rare but can be life threatening. Major risk factors for hypersensitivity reactions include a previous reaction to an iron infusion, a fast iron infusion rate, multiple drug allergies, atopic diseases, high serum tryptase levels, asthma, and urticaria. The management of iron infusions requires meticulous observation, and, in the event of an adverse reaction, prompt recognition and severity-related interventions by well-trained medical and nursing staff. Avoidance of IV iron products in patients with iron hypersensitivity reactions may not be considered as a standard practice

L3DAS21 challenge: machine learning for 3D audio signal processing

The L3DAS21 Challenge11www.13das.com/mlsp2021 is aimed at encouraging and fostering collaborative research on machine learning for 3D audio signal processing, with particular focus on 3D speech enhancement (SE) and 3D sound localization and detection (SELD). Alongside with the challenge, we release the L3DAS21 dataset, a 65 hours 3D audio corpus, accompanied with a Python API that facilitates the data usage and results submission stage. Usually, machine learning approaches to 3D audio tasks are based on single-perspective Ambisonics recordings or on arrays of single-capsule microphones. We propose, instead, a novel multichannel audio configuration based multiple-source and multiple-perspective Ambisonics recordings, performed with an array of two first-order Ambisonics microphones. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that a dualmic Ambisonics configuration is used for these tasks. We provide baseline models and results for both tasks, obtained with state-of-The-Art architectures: FaSNet for SE and SELDnet for SELD