CONcreTEXT @ EVALITA2020: The Concreteness in Context Task

Focus of the CONcreTEXT task is conceptual concreteness: systems were solicited to compute a value expressing to what extent target concepts are concrete (i.e., more or less perceptually salient) within a given context of occurrence. To these ends, we have developed a new dataset which was annotated with concreteness ratings and used as gold standard in the evaluation of systems. Four teams participated in this first edition of the task, with a total of 15 runs submitted.Interestingly, these works extend information on conceptual concreteness available in existing (non contextual) norms derived from human judgments with new knowledge from recently developed neural architectures, in much the same multidisciplinary spirit whereby the CONcreTEXT task was organized

Evaluación nutricional e ingesta de macronutrientes de taekwondistas

Taekwondo (TKD) is a Korean combat modality, which is based on techniques of great fluidity, speed and explosiveness. For optimal health and performance, an adequate energy intake must be achieved for each age group and sport discipline. The nutritional status of 20 children and the body composition of 6 adults were evaluated. Weight and height were measured in minors from the WHO BMI / Age Growth Standards, and 20 anthropometric variables in adults according to the ISAK protocol. Macronutrient intake was estimated through 3 non-consecutive day food records. The intake analysis was quantitative-qualitative. It was concluded that half of the children / adolescents were overweight and obese and only one was underweight. While two adults were weighted overweight. Regarding the intake, most of the children / adolescents, adults had an inadequate consumption of carbohydrates. Protein intake was adequate in almost all those evaluated. Interdisciplinary work is promoted for the evaluation, monitoring and comprehensive preparation of the athlete, especially at an early age.El taekwondo (TKD) es una modalidad de combate coreana, que se basa en técnicas de mucha fluidez, velocidad y explosividad. Para un óptimo estado de salud y rendimiento, se debe lograr un adecuado aporte de energía para cada grupo etario y disciplina deportiva Se evaluó el estado nutricional de 20 niños/as y la composición corporal de 6 adultos. Se midió peso y talla en menores a partir de los Patrones de Crecimiento IMC/Edad de la OMS, y 20 variables antropométricas en adultos según protocolo ISAK. Se estimó ingesta de macronutrientes mediante registros alimentarios de 3 días no consecutivos. El análisis de la ingesta fue cuanti-cualitativo. Se concluyó que la mitad de los niños/adolescentes presentaron sobrepeso y obesidad y solo uno bajo peso. Mientras que dos adultos fueron ponderados con sobrepeso. En cuanto a la ingesta, la mayoría de los niños/adolescentes, adultos tuvieron  un consumo inadecuado de hidratos de carbono. La ingesta de proteínas fue adecuada en casi todos los evaluados. Se promueve el trabajo interdisciplinario para la evaluación, seguimiento y preparación integral del deportista, sobre todo a edades temprana

Apatinib for the treatment of gastric cancer

Apatinib, a small-molecule inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, has demonstrated encouraging anti-cancer activity in gastric cancer within both in vitro and in vivo models. AREAS COVERED: Apatinib's efficacy, tolerability and safety have been evaluated in one Phase II and one Phase III study in metastatic/advanced gastric cancer. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of action of apatinib, its pharmacokinetic profile and its clinical activity in the treatment of advanced/metastatic gastric cancer. Expert commentary: Unfortunately, as yet, there is no definitive biomarker data for apatinib in gastric cance

Combined Inhibition of CDK4/6 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathways Induces a Synergistic Anti-Tumor Effect in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Cells.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a progressive malignancy associated to the exposure of asbestos fibers. The most frequently inactivated tumor suppressor gene in MPM is CDKN2A/ARF, encoding for the cell cycle inhibitors p16INK4a and p14ARF, deleted in about 70% of MPM cases. Considering the high frequency of alterations of this gene, we tested in MPM cells the efficacy of palbociclib (PD-0332991), a highly selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6. The analyses were performed on a panel of MPM cell lines and on two primary culture cells from pleural effusion of patients with MPM. All the MPM cell lines, as well as the primary cultures, were sensitive to palbociclib with a significant blockade in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and with the acquisition of a senescent phenotype. Palbociclib reduced the phosphorylation levels of CDK6 and Rb, the expression of myc with a concomitant increased phosphorylation of AKT. Based on these results, we tested the efficacy of the combination of palbociclib with the PI3K inhibitors NVP-BEZ235 or NVP-BYL719. After palbociclib treatment, the sequential association with PI3K inhibitors synergistically hampered cell proliferation and strongly increased the percentage of senescent cells. In addition, AKT activation was repressed while p53 and p21 were up-regulated. Interestingly, two cycles of sequential drug administration produced irreversible growth arrest and senescent phenotype that were maintained even after drug withdrawal. These findings suggest that the sequential association of palbociclib with PI3K inhibitors may represent a valuable therapeutic option for the treatment of MPM

Proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles in synovial fluid and plasma from Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis patients reveals novel immunopathogenic biomarkers

IntroductionNew early low-invasive biomarkers are demanded for the management of Oligoarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (OJIA), the most common chronic pediatric rheumatic disease in Western countries and a leading cause of disability. A deeper understanding of the molecular basis of OJIA pathophysiology is essential for identifying new biomarkers for earlier disease diagnosis and patient stratification and to guide targeted therapeutic intervention. Proteomic profiling of extracellular vesicles (EVs) released in biological fluids has recently emerged as a minimally invasive approach to elucidate adult arthritis pathogenic mechanisms and identify new biomarkers. However, EV-prot expression and potential as biomarkers in OJIA have not been explored. This study represents the first detailed longitudinal characterization of the EV-proteome in OJIA patients.MethodsFourty-five OJIA patients were recruited at disease onset and followed up for 24 months, and protein expression profiling was carried out by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in EVs isolated from plasma (PL) and synovial fluid (SF) samples.ResultsWe first compared the EV-proteome of SF vs paired PL and identified a panel of EV-prots whose expression was significantly deregulated in SF. Interaction network and GO enrichment analyses performed on deregulated EV-prots through STRING database and ShinyGO webserver revealed enrichment in processes related to cartilage/bone metabolism and inflammation, suggesting their role in OJIA pathogenesis and potential value as early molecular indicators of OJIA development. Comparative analysis of the EV-proteome in PL and SF from OJIA patients vs PL from age/gender-matched control children was then carried out. We detected altered expression of a panel of EV-prots able to differentiate new-onset OJIA patients from control children, potentially representing a disease-associated signature measurable at both the systemic and local levels with diagnostic potential. Deregulated EV-prots were significantly associated with biological processes related to innate immunity, antigen processing and presentation, and cytoskeleton organization. Finally, we ran WGCNA on the SF- and PL-derived EV-prot datasets and identified a few EV-prot modules associated with different clinical parameters stratifying OJIA patients in distinct subgroups.DiscussionThese data provide novel mechanistic insights into OJIA pathophysiology and an important contribution in the search of new candidate molecular biomarkers for the disease

Comparação dos métodos de Papanicolaou e Gram para diagnóstico laboratorial de vaginose bacteriana em material coletado da região cervical e fundo de saco vaginal/ Comparison of Papanicolaou and Gram methods for laboratory diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in material collected from the cervical region and vaginal fornix

Introdução: Vaginose bacteriana é definida como uma síndrome clínica polimicrobiana envolvendo a substituição de Lactobacillus spp. por microrganismos de vários gêneros, incluindo bactérias anaeróbias como Prevotella sp., Mobiluncus sp., Atopobium vaginae; Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum entre outras bactérias. O diagnóstico laboratorial de escolha para pesquisa de VB é a bacterioscopia pelo Gram, método simplificado por Nugent. No entanto, a VB e outras alterações relacionadas às infecções do trato genital feminino podem ser determinadas método de Papanicolaou, pela evidência de base nebulosa de pequenos cocobacilos, presença de clue cells e ausência notável de lactobacilos. Método: estudo transversal, com 102 mulheres, das quais foram examinados esfregaços da região ecto e endocervical do colo do útero pelo método de Papanicolaou, e de fundo de saco vaginal pelo método de Gram interpretados pelo escore de Nugent. Resultados: parâmetros indicadores de vaginose pelo PapaClue e Bethesda pelo Papanicolaou, comparado com o método de Gram segundo os critérios de Nugent mostrou que a maior parte dos resultados dos dois testes (Gram e Pap) é discordante na população estudada, concordância ruim (Kappa = 0,349) e concordância boa (Kappa = 0,489), respectivamente (p < 0,001). Quando os parâmetros do Papanicolaou são comparados entre si, a combinação PapaClue/Bethesda apresentou concordância boa (Kappa < 0,539),  também com significância estatística (p < 0,001). Conclusão: Esta pesquisa demonstrou baixa detecção de VB pelo Pap (5 %) em relação ao Gram (19%), em maioria (75%) de mulheres na fase reprodutiva

Outcomes of MIS-C patients treated with anakinra: a retrospective multicenter national study

BackgroundThe treatment of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children unresponsive to first-line therapies (IVIG and/or steroids) is challenging. The effectiveness of IL-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra, is debated.Patients and methodsWe conducted an anonymous retrospective multicenter study on MIS-C patients treated with anakinra in Italy from January 2020 to February 2021. Our study outcomes included the percentage of patients who required further therapeutic step-up, the percentage of patients who experienced fever resolution within 24 h and a reduction of CRP by half within 48 h, and the percentage of patients who developed Coronary Artery Anomalies (CAA) during follow-up.Results35 cases of MIS-C were treated in 10 hospitals. Of these, 13 patients started anakinra while in the ICU, and 22 patients started anakinra in other wards. 25 patients (71.4%) were treated with corticosteroids at a starting dose 2–30 mg/Kg/day plus IVIG (2 g/Kg), 10 patients (28.6%) received only corticosteroids without IVIG. Anakinra was administered intravenously to all patients in Group A (mean dose 8 mg/Kg/day), and subcutaneously in Group B (mean dose 4 mg/Kg/day). Only two patients required further treatment step-up and no patients developed CAA after receiving anakinra. The most commonly observed side effect was an increase in ALT, occurring in 17.1% of patients.ConclusionsIn this retrospective cohort of severe MIS-C patients treated with anakinra we report favorable clinical outcomes with a low incidence of side effects. The simultaneous use of steroids ± IVIG in these patients hinders definitive conclusions regarding the need of IL-1 inhibition in MIS-C treatment

Use of Telemedicine Healthcare Systems in Pediatric Assistance at Territorial Level: Consensus Document of the Italian Society of Telemedicine (SIT), of the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (SIPPS), of the Italian Society of Pediatric Primary Care (SICuPP), of the Italian Federation of Pediatric Doctors (FIMP) and of the Syndicate of Family Pediatrician Doctors (SIMPeF)

Technological innovation can contribute to a reorganization of healthcare, particularly by supporting the shift in the focus of care from the hospital to the territory, through innovative citizen-centered models, and facilitating access to services in the territory. Health and social care delivery modalities, enabled by telemedicine, are crucial in this regard. The objective of this Consensus document, written by the main Italian Scientific Societies involved in the use of telemedicine in pediatrics, is to define a standard for its use at the territorial level in various declinations in the pediatric field; this paper also identifies priority areas for its application and the types of services that most require intervention and investment. The changes that are underway in digital transformation in all sectors are unstoppable, and for the digital transformation to take place in a productive sense, the contribution of not only all health professionals, but also of patients, is necessary. From this perspective, authors from different backgrounds were involved in the drafting of this Consensus and, in the future, other figures, primarily patients, are expected to be involved. In fact, this belongs to the vision of connected care, in which the citizen/patient actively participates in the treatment path so that they are assisted in a personalized, predictive and preventive way. The future scenario must be able to provide for the involvement of patients from the initial stages of planning any treatment path, even in the pediatric age, and increasing, where possible, the proximity of the health service to the families