scholarly journals Multiple Sclerosis: A Global Concern with Multiple Challenges in an Era of Advanced Therapeutic Complex Molecules and Biological Medicines

Biomedicines ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Complex Molecules ◽  
Mcdonald Criteria ◽  
The World ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Anti Cd20 ◽  
The Impact

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has become a common neurological disorder involving populations previously considered to be infrequently affected. Genetic dissemination from high- to low-risk groups is a determining influence interacting with environmental and epigenetic factors, mostly unidentified. Disease modifying therapies (DMT) are effective in treating relapsing MS in variable degrees; one agent is approved for primary progressive disease, and several are in development. In the era of high-efficacy medications, complex molecules, and monoclonal antibodies (MAB), including anti-VLA4 (natalizumab), anti-CD52 (alemtuzumab), and anti-CD20 (ocrelizumab), obtaining NEDA (no evidence of disease activity) becomes an elusive accomplishment in areas of the world where access to MS therapies and care are generally limited. Countries’ income and access to public MS care appear to be a shared socioeconomic challenge. This disparity is also notable in the utilization of diagnostic tools to adhere to the proposed elements of the McDonald Criteria. The impact of follow-on medications (“generics”); injectable non-biological complex drugs (NBCD), oral sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators, and biosimilars (interferon 1-a and 1-b), utilized in many areas of the world, is disconcerting considering these products generally lack data documenting their efficacy and safety. Potential strategies addressing these concerns are discussed from an international point of view.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on multiple sclerosis care and management: Results from the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 135245852110053
Author(s):  
Emilio Portaccio ◽  
Mattia Fonderico ◽  
Bernhard Hemmer ◽  
Tobias Derfuss ◽  
Bruno Stankoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Access To Care ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Dimethyl Fumarate ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Treatment Practices ◽  
European Committee ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Anti Cd20 ◽  
The Impact

Background: The spread of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) poses unique challenges in the management of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Objectives: To collect data about the impact of COVID-19 emergency on access to care for PwMS and on MS treatment practices. Methods: Between March and July 2020, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) promoted an online survey covering patient access to care, management of relapses and visits, disease-modifying therapy (DMT) and experience with COVID-19. Results: Three-hundred and sixty neurologists from 52 countries (68% from Europe) completed the survey. 98% reported COVID-19-related restrictions. Telemedicine was adopted to overcome the limited access to care and was newly activated (73%) or widely implemented (17%). 70% reported changes in DMT management. Interferons and glatiramer were considered safe. Dimethyl fumarate, teriflunomide and fingolimod were considered safe except for patients developing lymphopenia. No modifications were considered for natalizumab in 64%, cladribine in 24%, anti-CD20 in 22% and alemtuzumab in 17%; 18% (for alemtuzumab and cladribine) and 43% (for anti-CD20) considered postponing treatment. Conclusion: The ECTRIMS survey highlighted the challenges in keeping standards of care in clinical practice. Telemedicine clearly needs to be implemented. Gathering data on DMT safety will remain crucial to inform treatment decisions.

scholarly journals Validation survey of the impact of urinary incontinence (IIQ-7) and inventory of distress urogenital (UDI-6) – the short scales – in patients with multiple sclerosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lívia Palma Stievano ◽  
Guilherme Sciascia do Olival ◽  
Raquel Ataíde Peres da Silva ◽  
Vania Balardin Toller ◽  
Eduardo Gregorin Carabetta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Alpha Coefficient ◽  
Urogenital Distress Inventory ◽  
Mcdonald Criteria ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Review Criteria

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Impact Questionnaire of Urinary Incontinence (IIQ-7) and Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) - short scale - in the Brazilian population with multiple sclerosis. The IIQ-7 and UDI-6 were translated into Portuguese, called IIQ-7-BR and UDI-6-BR. The questionnaires were administered in 211 individuals selected randomly. Of these, 140 had MS according to McDonald criteria and 71 were included in the control group. In both questionnaires, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was above 0.7. The IIQ-7-BR showed 94.31% concordance between the evaluated studies and UDI-6-BR, 93.33%. Thus, the instruments of this study were presented according to the standards proposed by the Instrument Review Criteria, reliability, validity and sensitivity, maintaining the original scales characteristics.

scholarly journals The Impact of Covid-19 to Indonesian Education and Its Relation to the Philosophy of “Merdeka Belajar”

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azmil Abidah ◽  
Hasan Nuurul Hidaayatullaah ◽  
Roy Martin Simamora ◽  
Daliana Fehabutar ◽  
Lely Mutakinati
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Position Paper ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Official Information

The Covid-19 pandemic is now beginning to spread to the world of education. The Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) is currently based on official information, ready with all scenarios, including encouraging online learning for students. This article is a kind of position paper—it clearances one side of a debatable opinion about a hot issue. The aim of a position paper is to persuade the reader that our opinion is valid and defensible. In regards to our position as researchers, then, the point of view is separated into four parts: The philosophy of “Merdeka Belajar”, physical distancing, social distancing and self-quarantine, digital learning in Indonesia to face Covid-19, ‘Merdeka Belajar’, digital learning, Covid-19, and authors’ view.

scholarly journals Results of Expert Council meeting on modern principles of treatment optimization in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis using anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-136
Author(s):  
A. N. Boyko ◽  
N. V. Khachanova ◽  
D. S. Korobko ◽  
D. S. Kasatkin ◽  
Ya. V. Vlasov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Plasma Cells ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Treatment Optimization ◽  
Correct Treatment ◽  
Neuron Damage ◽  
Single Standard ◽  
Anti Cd20 ◽  
Myelin Antigens

The article presents the results of the discussion of the use of anti-B-cell therapy in multiple sclerosis (MS). These cells play a significant role in immunoregulation in MS, not only by producing antibodies to myelin antigens after transformation into plasma cells, but also by presenting the antigen to T cells, producing activation cytokines, and forming laminar follicles. The article provides an expert consensus statement on different drugs of this class in the MS treatment. In addition, the possibilities of determining the disease prognosis for the initially correct treatment choice are highlighted. Undoubtedly, there is a need for confirmation of the MS diagnosis, possible stratification of patients into different risk groups, and evaluation of the response to therapy. Potential additional research methods included evoked potentials and optical coherence tomography, baseline vitamin D3 level as a prognostic marker of the disease course, neurofilament levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid to confirm neuron damage. However, it takes much time to study, determine the methodology, reference values, and develop a single standard approach to identify and implement a biomarker, which should then be implemented in routine clinical practice.

Photometric Normalization Techniques for Illumination Invariance

2010 ◽  
pp. 279-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitomir Štruc ◽  
Vitomir Štruc ◽  
Nikola Pavešic ◽  
Nikola Pavešic
Keyword(s):  
Face Recognition ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Histogram Equalization ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Illumination Variation ◽  
Variation Problem ◽  
Total Variation Model ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Anisotropic Smoothing

Face recognition technology has come a long way since its beginnings in the previous century. Due to its countless application possibilities, it has attracted the interest of research groups from universities and companies around the world. Thanks to this enormous research effort, the recognition rates achievable with the state-of-the-art face recognition technology are steadily growing, even though some issues still pose major challenges to the technology. Amongst these challenges, coping with illumination-induced appearance variations is one of the biggest and still not satisfactorily solved. A number of techniques have been proposed in the literature to cope with the impact of illumination ranging from simple image enhancement techniques, such as histogram equalization, to more elaborate methods, such as anisotropic smoothing or the logarithmic total variation model. This chapter presents an overview of the most popular and efficient normalization techniques that try to solve the illumination variation problem at the preprocessing level. It assesses the techniques on the YaleB and XM2VTS databases and explores their strengths and weaknesses from the theoretical and implementation point of view.

Review of research on the impact of physical activity on mental state of the elderly

Physiotherapy ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulina Morga ◽  
Justyna Traczyk ◽  
Klaudyna Wittenbeck ◽  
Agnieszka Zygmont
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental State ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
The World ◽  
Analysis Of Results ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

AbstractThe aim of the review was to find the factors correlated to the state of mental and physical health of the elderly as well as the factors, behaviours and activities that can be influenced and potentially modified. We performed an analysis of results of research conducted in many places all across the world among the persons after the age of 50. The results of this research indicate a significant role of physical activity in functioning of the elderly. They show how it influences their performance of everyday activities, their mood and health. We discuss the research taking into account the diagnostic tools used, the interventions performed and their effectiveness.

The Ultimate Value of Information Technology

2006 ◽  
pp. 180-195
Author(s):  
Robert A. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Value Of Information ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Human Consciousness ◽  
The World ◽  
Ecosystem Level ◽  
Positive Feature ◽  
The Impact

In order to conclude our discussion of the value of information technology, we need to answer these questions: What characteristics does IT share with modern technology generally? What is its place with respect to the rest of technology and with respect to the rest of the world? The goal of this chapter is to formulate how information technology might interact with ethical principles required at the species level, ecosystem level, and the level of being as a whole. I also want to consider the impact of these ethical principles on our responsibilities as IT professionals. The most positive feature of information technology is its potential to contribute to the increase in human consciousness by making more knowledge more widely available. Yet it can just as easily enable questionable applications of technology that further our extinction as a species or the destruction of the ecosystem. Let us begin by asking of information technology the questions we asked about technology generally: Is information technology a neutral means? Does it have its own ends and point of view?

scholarly journals Potential Impact of B Cells on T Cell Function in Multiple Sclerosis

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Ireland ◽  
Nancy Monson
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Cell Function ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Anti Cd20 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Ms Pathogenesis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic debilitating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The contribution of B cells in the pathoetiology of MS has recently been highlighted by the emergence of rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that specifically depletes B cells, as a potent immunomodulatory therapy for the treatment of MS. However, a clearer understanding of the impact B cells have on the neuro-inflammatory component of MS pathogenesis is needed in order to develop novel therapeutics whose affects on B cells would be beneficial and not harmful. Since T cells are known mediators of the pathology of MS, the goal of this review is to summarize what is known about the interactions between B cells and T cells, and how current and emerging immunotherapies may impact B-T cell interactions in MS.

«Quanta» Language Consciousness and Problems in the Functioning of the Communicative Norms

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30
Author(s):  
Татьяна Черкашина ◽  
Tatiana Cherkashina ◽  
Н. Новикова ◽  
N. Novikova ◽  
О. Трубина ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Cultural Phenomenon ◽  
Globalizing World ◽  
The World ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

The article considers the conceptualization of the world from the point of view of its methodological paradigm assessment in the context of the globalizing world. A retrospective analysis of the relationship between language and human speech activity is given. The authors explain the role of language as a socio-cultural phenomenon in the formation of worldview systems that develop in the consciousness with the help of minimal units of human experience in their ideal meaningful representation in special concepts, which allows the individual to think within the boundaries of a certain linguistic picture of the world. Analyzes the problems of the functioning of communicative norms with regard to the hierarchy of the spiritual representations of the world. The article attempts to consider the impact of the “blurring” of the information boundaries of the globalizing world on the cognitive abilities of the individual in the nomination, qualification of the subject, phenomenon, process.

Application and a proposed modification of the 2010 McDonald criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in a Canadian cohort of patients with clinically isolated syndromes

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 458-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Kang ◽  
LM Metz ◽  
AL Traboulsee ◽  
M Eliasziw ◽  
GJ Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Mri Scan ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Clinically Isolated Syndromes ◽  
Mcdonald Criteria ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Proposed Modification ◽  
The Impact

Background: The 2005 and 2010 McDonald criteria utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide evidence of disease dissemination in space (DIS) and time (DIT) for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients who have clinically isolated syndromes (CIS). Methods: Data from 109 CIS patients not satisfying the 2005 criteria at entry into a randomized controlled minocycline trial were analyzed to determine the proportion who would have been diagnosed with MS at screening based on 2010 criteria. The impact of including symptomatic, as well as asymptomatic, MRI lesions to confirm DIT was also explored. Results: Thirty percent (33/109) of patients, retrospectively, met the 2010 criteria for a diagnosis of MS at baseline. When both symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions were used to confirm DIT, three additional patients met the 2010 criteria. There was a significant 10.1% increase in the proportion of patients who met the 2010 DIS criteria, compared with the 2005 DIS criteria; however, two patients satisfied the 2005 DIS but not 2010 DIS criteria. Conclusion: Using 2010 McDonald criteria, 30% of the CIS patients could be diagnosed with MS using a single MRI scan. Inclusion of symptomatic lesions in the DIT criteria further increases this proportion to 33%.

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