(Press-News.org) Ulcerative colitis assessment could be improved after new research shows that an artificial intelligence model could predict flare-ups and complications after reading biopsies.
In a new paper published in Gastroenterology today (Friday 3 March), researchers supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre have trialled an AI diagnostic tool that can read digitised biopsies taken during colonoscopy.
The Computer-Aided Diagnostic model was able to predict the risk of flare-ups for ulcerative colitis, which is a relapsing-remitting condition and makes the prognosis for the disease uncertain. In the trial, the model was able to predict patients at risk of a flare in the disease as well as humans.
The system was trained on existing digitised biopsies and was able to detect activity related to ulcerative colitis with 89% accuracy for positive results. It was also able to identify markers of inflammation activity and healing in the same area as biopsies were taken with 80% accuracy, similar to human pathologists.
Professor Marietta Iacucci from the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham and University College Cork in Ireland, and co-lead author of the paper said:
“The power of AI in healthcare is evident in trials like these, where a model can be used to standardize in real-time histological assessment of Ulcerative Colitis disease activity. But most importantly it provides analytical support and enables clinicians to support those at the greatest risk of relapsing symptoms and disease course.
“Ulcerative Colitis is a complex condition to predict, and developing machine learning-derived systems to make this diagnostic job quicker and more accurate could be a game changer. As models like this further develop, the predictive quality is likely to improve even more, and our paper demonstrates how beneficial such technology could be for clinicians and, crucially patients.”
END
AI used to predict future flares of ulcerative colitis activity
2023-03-03
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Uncovering the voice of toothed whales: A distinct nasal structure helps produce diverse sounds
2023-03-02
Toothed whales like dolphins, orcas, and sperm whales produce their diverse repertoire of sounds through a distinct structure in the nasal passages, but in a way that is strikingly similar to the way terrestrial animals use the larynx or syrinx for vocalization. In a new study, researchers who employed four different techniques to get to the bottom of how these animals make the sounds they do describe this novel sound production system and show how it enables toothed whales to use different vocal registers for echolocation and communication. To date, vocal registers have been confirmed only in humans and crows. Odontocetes (toothed whales) navigate and hunt ...
Study reveals record-high carbon dioxide emissions from boreal fires in 2021
2023-03-02
Boreal fires, which typically account for 10% of global fire carbon dioxide emissions, contributed 23% in 2021, a new study reports. “Boreal forests could be a time bomb of carbon, and the recent increases in wildfire emissions we see make me worry the clock is ticking,” said study author Steven Davis, who will participate in an embargoed briefing on this study this week. Extreme wildfires – which impact the climate through the carbon dioxide they emit – have become more common. Wildfires in tropical forests ...
Largest-ever genetic analysis of grapevine varieties reveals how glacial cycles shaped grape domestication and the rise of wine
2023-03-02
In the largest ever genetic analysis of grapevine varieties, including samples from previously undocumented specimens in private collections, researchers provide new insights into how, when, and where wine and table grapevines were domesticated, which has been a longstanding question. “This work represents a major international collaborative effort, challenging to do in any circumstances but especially so given that we conducted it during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns,” said author Wei Chen, who will also participate in an embargoed briefing ...
Ecological improvement of freshwater ecosystems benefits fish and people
2023-03-02
Biodiversity is declining rapidly. Many conservation actions focus on single species. An alternative approach is to comprehensively improve ecological processes and habitats, thereby supporting entire species communities. This so-called ecosystem-based management is however rarely implemented because it is costly. There is also a lack of evidence that ecosystem-based habitat management is more effective than obvious alternatives, such as releasing animals to enhance stocks.
Important lesson for fish conservation
A research team based in Berlin, in close cooperation with numerous angling clubs organized in ...
Most detailed geological model reveals Earth’s past 100 million years
2023-03-02
Climate, tectonics and time combine to create powerful forces that craft the face of our planet. Add the gradual sculpting of the Earth’s surface by rivers and what to us seems solid as rock is constantly changing.
However, our understanding of this dynamic process has at best been patchy.
Scientists today have published new research revealing a detailed and dynamic model of the Earth’s surface over the past 100 million years.
Working with scientists in France, University of Sydney geoscientists have published this new model in the prestigious journal Science.
For the first time, it ...
Animals best to supress personalities for group efficiency
2023-03-02
Social animals should limit individuality to conform with the behaviour of the group, a University of Bristol study has found.
Scientists at Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences observed that group safety was improved when animals paid attention to the behaviours of each other.
Their findings, published today in PLoS Computational Biology, reveal that simple social behavioural rules can drive conformity behaviour in groups, eroding consistent behavioural differences shown by individual animals.
Lead author Dr Sean Rands said: “Personality suppression may ...
Possible treatment strategy identified for bone marrow failure syndrome
2023-03-02
Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside bone responsible for making red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Bone marrow failure syndromes lead to an increased risk of developing dangerous infections, anemia and an increased risk of blood cancers.
Research led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has identified a possible treatment strategy for a rare bone marrow failure syndrome that is named poikiloderma with neutropenia. The work also may have implications for treating other bone marrow failure syndromes with similar underlying dysfunctions.
The research is published March 3 in the journal ...
Stick to your lane: Hidden order in chaotic crowds
2023-03-02
Have you ever wondered how pedestrians ‘know’ to fall into lanes when they are moving through a crowd, without the matter being discussed or even given conscious thought?
A new theory developed by mathematicians at the University of Bath in the UK led by Professor Tim Rogers explains this phenomenon, and is able to predict when lanes will be curved as well as straight. The theory can even describe the tilt of a wonky lane when people are in the habit of passing on one side rather than the other (for instance, in a situation where they are often reminded to ‘pass on the right’).
This mathematical ...
Crowdsourced reports can quickly identify an earthquake’s impact
2023-03-02
Within minutes, a statistical model based on a global database of public reports of ground shaking can be used to identify an earthquake as a high- or low-impact event, according to a new study published in The Seismic Record.
High-impact earthquakes, as defined by the study, are those associated with at least one destroyed building, at least 50 damaged buildings, at least two deaths, or any documented financial losses.
The researchers were able to provide impact results for 393 global earthquake events from 2021 within 10 minutes. Their model was developed using more than 1.5 million globally collected felt ...
Ocean surface tipping point could accelerate climate change
2023-03-02
The oceans help to limit global warming by soaking up carbon dioxide emissions. But scientists have discovered that intense warming in the future could lessen that ability, leading to even more severe warming.
The discovery comes from a study led by The University of Texas at Austin in which researchers analyzed a climate simulation configured to a worst-case emissions scenario and found that the oceans’ ability to soak up carbon dioxide (CO2) would peak by 2100, becoming only half as efficient at absorbing the greenhouse gas by 2300.
The decline happens because of the emergence of a surface layer of low-alkalinity water ...