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Small landscape features (i.e., trees outside forest, small woody features) and linear vegetation such as hedgerows, riparian vegetation, and green lanes are vital ecological structures in agroecosystems, enhancing the biodiversity, landscape diversity, and protecting water bodies. Therefore, their monitoring is fundamental to assessing a specific territory's arrangement and verifying the effectiveness of strategies and financial measures activated at the local or European scale. The size of these elements and territorial distribution make their identification extremely complex without specific survey campaigns; in particular, remote monitoring requires data of considerable resolution and, therefore, is very costly. This paper proposes a methodology to map these features using a combination of open-source or low-cost high-resolution orthophotos (RGB), which are typically available to local administrators and are object-oriented classification methods. Additionally, multispectral satellite images from the Sentinel-2 platform were utilized to further characterize the identified elements. The produced map, compared with the other existing layers, provided better results than other maps at the European scale. Therefore, the developed method is highly effective for the remote and wide-scale assessment of SWFs, making it a crucial tool for defining and monitoring development policies in rural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly being integrated into computer-aided diagnosis systems that can be applied to improve the recognition and clinical and molecular characterization of allergic diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). This review aims to systematically evaluate current applications of AI, machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) methods in EoE characterization and management. Methods: We conducted a systematic review using a registered protocol published in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023451048). The risk of bias and applicability of eligible studies were assessed according to the prediction model study risk of bias assessment tool (PROBAST). We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science to retrieve the articles. The literature review was performed in May 2023. We included original research articles (retrospective or prospective studies) published in English in peer-reviewed journals, studies whose participants were patients with EoE, and studies assessing the application of AI, ML, or DL models. Results: A total of 120 articles were found. After removing 68 duplicates, 52 articles were reviewed based on the title and abstract, and 34 were excluded. Eleven full texts were assessed for eligibility, met the inclusion criteria, and were analyzed for the systematic review. The AI models developed in three studies for identifying EoE based on endoscopic images showed high score performance with an accuracy that ranged from 0.92 to 0.97. Five studies developed AI models that histologically identified EoE with high accuracy (87% to 99%). We also found two studies where the AI model identified subgroups of patients according to their clinical and molecular features. Conclusions: AI technologies could promote more accurate evidence-based management of EoE by integrating the results of molecular signature, clinical, histology, and endoscopic features. However, the era of AI application in medicine is just beginning; therefore, further studies with model validation in the real-world environment are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory, disabling disorder characterized by prominent eosinophilic inflammation of the esophagus, leading to troublesome symptoms including dysphagia and food impaction. The natural history of EoE is poorly known, but it may lead to esophageal strictures. The therapeutic armamentarium is expected to grow in the near future, especially due to the availability of novel biological therapies targeting crucial inflammatory pathways of EoE. In this review, we discuss the main clinical features and natural history of EoE, focusing on the current therapeutic strategies, as well as past and current trials investigating biologics for its treatment. Dupilumab has been the first approved biologic drug for the treatment of EoE; long-term studies assessing how it could change the natural history of EoE are awaited. Novel biological drugs or other molecules are currently under study and could change the current treatment algorithms in the near future. Proper drug positioning and long term 'exit strategies' are yet to be defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hazelnuts are a leading trigger of food allergy. To date, several molecular components of hazelnut are available for component-resolved diagnosis. However, little is known about how simultaneous sensitization to multiple allergens affects the severity of the hazelnut-induced reaction. In a previous study, our group demonstrated a lower risk of systemic reactions to peach in patients sensitized to both Pru p 3 and Pru p 1 than in the patient monosensitized to peach LTP. We aimed to assess whether this was also true in hazelnut allergy in a cohort of adult patients. Methods: Patients were selected based on a history of symptoms such as urticaria, vomiting, diarrhea, asthma, and anaphylaxis indicative of hazelnut IgE-mediated food allergy and graded according to a clinical severity scale. For all patients, specific IgE was determined for Cor a 1 and Cor a 8 and, for most patients, also Cor a 9. Patients were offered an oral food challenge in open format (OFC) with a cocoa-based roasted hazelnut spread on a voluntary basis in order to prescribe an appropriate diet. Results: A total of two hundred and fourteen patients were recruited. Among these, 43 patients were monosensitized to Cor a 8. One hundred and seventy-one patients were sensitized to Cor a 1 (79.9%), and, among them, 48/171 (28.1%) were also Cor a 8 positive. Cor a 9 was evaluated in 124/214 patients, testing positive in 21/124 (16.9%). Patients monosensitized to Cor a 8 experienced systemic reactions more frequently than those sensitized to Cor a 1 ± Cor a 8 (p < 0.00001), with significantly more severe reactions (p < 0.0005) and testing more frequently positive at OFC (p < 0.0001). Regarding Cor a 9, the sensitized patients were significantly younger (p = 0.0013) and showed reactions of similar severity to patients who tested Cor a 9 negative, and these reactions were milder than in patients monosensitized only to Cor a 8. Discussion/Conclusion: Sensitization to Cor a 1 seems to protect from the development of the severe systemic reactions induced by Cor a 8 sensitization, Cor a 9 does not influence the severity of symptoms in adult patients. The OFC with roasted hazelnut may help in dietary guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Wheat is the most important cereal for human nutrition but its high consumption is associated to an increasing complaint of wheat-related disorders, many of which are allergic in nature and different in respect to the involved allergens. In this study, we compared the clinical aspects of wheat allergy presented by patients sensitized to Tri a 19 in respect to those presented by patients sensitized to Tri a 14. Methods: With this aim, we selected patients sensitized to 1 or both of the 2 allergens, and among these we identified those who were really wheat allergic and reactive on the basis of a standardized methodology. We evaluated the clinical features such as the kind and severity of symptoms, the coexistence of triggering factors such as physical exercise and NSAIDs and alcohol consumption, and the association with other allergens and with various immunologic parameters. Wheat allergy in Tri a 19 sensitized patients was confirmed through a questionnaire while the patients sensitized to Tri a 14 underwent wheat challenge with 100 g of pasta followed by exercise on a treadmill. Results: Seventy-nine patients sensitized to Tri a 14 and 40 patients sensitized to Tri a 19 were recruited. The 2 sensitizations were independent with a significant inverse relation (p < 0.00001). The Tri a 19 sensitized patients presented, in respect to the Tri a 14 sensitized ones, an older age (p = 0.0017), a higher risk to be wheat allergic (p < 0.0001), a higher severity of the reactions (p < 0.00001) and a higher association with some cofactors, namely alcohol (p < 0.0005) and physical exercise (p = 0.003). On the contrary, Tri a 14 sensitization was associated with atopy (p < 0.0001), with a higher probability of patients being asymptomatic (p < 0.0001) and being sensitized to other foods, in particular to nuts and cereals (p < 0.00001). Conclusions: Sensitization to Tri a 19 or Tri a 14 determines different clinical pictures. In particular, sensitization to Tri a 19 implies a higher probability of severe reactions, even dependent on daily triggers, while that to Tri a 14 implies a higher cross-reactivity with other foods but it's more frequently asymptomatic, making a food challenge necessary to prevent useless food avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]