Analyzing sex imbalance in EGA and dbGaP biological databases: Recommendations for better practices.

Precision medicine aims at tailoring treatments to individual patient's characteristics. In this regard, recognizing the significance of sex and gender becomes indispensable for meeting the distinct healthcare needs of diverse populations. To this end, continuing a trend of improving data quality observed since 2014, the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) established a policy in 2018 that mandates data providers to declare the sex of donor samples, aiming to enhance data accuracy and prevent imbalance in sex classification. We analyzed sex classification imbalance in human data from EGA and the U.S. counterpart, the database of genotypes and phenotypes (dbGaP). Our findings show a significant decrease in samples classified as unknown in EGA, potentially promoting better sex reporting during data collection. Based on our findings, we raise awareness of sample imbalance problems and provide a list of recommendations for enhancing biomedical research practices.

Investing in AI for social good: an analysis of European national strategies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a driving force in modern research, industry and public administration and the European Union (EU) is embracing this technology with a view to creating societal, as well as economic, value. This effort has been shared by EU Member States which were all encouraged to develop their own national AI strategies outlining policies and investment levels. This study focuses on how EU Member States are approaching the promise to develop and use AI for the good of society through the lens of their national AI strategies. In particular, we aim to investigate how European countries are investing in AI and to what extent the stated plans contribute to the good of people and society as a whole. Our contribution consists of three parts: (i) a conceptualization of AI for social good highlighting the role of AI policy, in particular, the one put forward by the European Commission (EC); (ii) a qualitative analysis of 15 European national strategies mapping investment plans and suggesting their relation to the social good (iii) a reflection on the current status of investments in socially good AI and possible steps to move forward. Our study suggests that while European national strategies incorporate money allocations in the sphere of AI for social good (e.g. education), there is a broader variety of underestimated actions (e.g. multidisciplinary approach in STEM curricula and dialogue among stakeholders) that can boost the European commitment to sustainable and responsible AI innovation.

Raising awareness of sex and gender bias in artificial intelligence and health.

Historically, biomedical research has been led by and focused on men. The recent introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in this area has further proven this practice to be discriminatory for other sexes and genders, more noticeably for women. To move towards a fair AI development, it is essential to include sex and gender diversity both in research practices and in the workplace. In this context, the Bioinfo4women (B4W) program of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (i) promotes the participation of women scientists by improving their visibility, (ii) fosters international collaborations between institutions and programs and (iii) advances research on sex and gender bias in AI and health. In this article, we discuss methodology and results of a series of conferences, titled â€Å“Sex and Gender Bias in Artificial Intelligence and Health, organized by B4W and La Caixa Foundation from March to June 2021 in Barcelona, Spain. The series consisted of nine hybrid events, composed of keynote sessions and seminars open to the general audience, and two working groups with invited experts from different professional backgrounds (academic fields such as biology, engineering, and sociology, as well as NGOs, journalists, lawyers, policymakers, industry). Based on this awareness-raising action, we distilled key recommendations to facilitate the inclusion of sex and gender perspective into public policies, educational programs, industry, and biomedical research, among other sectors, and help overcome sex and gender biases in AI and health.

The ethical use of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence: fighting COVID-19 at Barcelona Supercomputing Center.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an extraordinary medical, economic and humanitarian emergency. Artificial intelligence, in combination with other digital technologies, is being used as a tool to support the fight against the viral pandemic that has affected the entire world since the beginning of 2020. Barcelona Supercomputing Center collaborates in the battle against the coronavirus in different areas: the application of bioinformatics for the research on the virus and its possible treatments, the use of artificial intelligence, natural language processing and big data techniques to analyse the spread and impact of the pandemic, and the use of the MareNostrum 4 supercomputer to enable massive analysis on COVID-19 data. Many of these activities have included the use of personal and sensitive data of citizens, which, even during a pandemic, should be treated and handled with care. In this work we discuss our approach based on an ethical, transparent and fair use of this information, an approach aligned with the guidelines proposed by the European Union.

Covid-19 and tracing methodologies: A lesson for the future society.

As the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) surged across the globe, new technical solutions have supported policy makers and health authorities to plan and modulate containment measures. The introduction of these solutions provoked a large debate which has focused on risks for privacy and data protection. In this paper we offer an analysis of the available technical approaches and provide new arguments to move beyond the ongoing discussions. In particular, we argue that the past debate missed the opportunity to highlight the societal aspects of privacy and to stimulate a broader reflection on the actions needed to serve the good of society. With this paper, as well as providing an accessible review of the technical and legal aspects of the proposed solutions, we aim to offer new stimuli to reconsider contact tracing and its role in helping countries navigate the current pandemic.

A Web-Based Platform for People With Memory Problems and Their Caregivers (CAREGIVERSPRO-MMD): Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Usability.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of people with dementia (PwD) drives research exploring Web-based support interventions to provide effective care for larger populations. In this concept, a Web-based platform (CAREGIVERSPRO-MMD, 620911) was designed to (1) improve the quality of life for PwD, (2) reduce caregiver burden, (3) reduce the financial costs for care, and (4) reduce administration time for health and social care professionals. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the usability and usefulness of CAREGIVERSPRO-MMD platform for PwD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), informal caregivers, and health and social care professionals with respect to a wider strategy followed by the project to enhance the user-centered approach. A secondary aim of the study was to collect recommendations to improve the platform before the future pilot study. METHODS: A mixed methods design was employed for recruiting PwD or MCI (N=24), informal caregivers (N=24), and professionals (N=10). Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction, the perceived usefulness, and ease of use of each function of the platform. Qualitative questions about the improvement of the platform were asked when participants provided low scores for a function. Testing occurred at baseline and 1 week after participants used the platform. The dropout rate from baseline to the follow-up was approximately 10% (6/58). RESULTS: After 1 week of platform use, the system was useful for 90% (20.75/23) of the caregivers and for 89% (5.36/6) of the professionals. When users responded to more than 1 question per platform function, the mean of satisfied users per function was calculated. These user groups also provided positive evaluations for the ease of use (caregivers: 82%, 18.75/23; professionals: 97%, 5.82/6) and their satisfaction with the platform (caregivers: 79%, 18.08/23; professionals: 73%, 4.36/6). Ratings from PwD were lower than the other groups for usefulness (57%, 13/23), ease of use (41%, 9.4/23), and overall satisfaction (47%, 11/23) with the platform (P<.05). Qualitative comments related to both improvements for functionality and the platform interface. CONCLUSIONS: Although caregivers and professionals were overall satisfied with the platform, further adaptations were recommended by PwD. This reiterates the importance of the involvement of end users in the development of Web-based interventions. Recommendations from users in this paper apply for the interface and functionality of a wider range of Web-based support interventions.

Reducing Fall Risk with Combined Motor and Cognitive Training in Elderly Fallers.

BACKGROUND: Falling is a major clinical problem in elderly people, demanding effective solutions. At present, the only effective intervention is motor training of balance and strength. Executive function-based training (EFt) might be effective at preventing falls according to evidence showing a relationship between executive functions and gait abnormalities. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of a motor and a cognitive treatment developed within the EU co-funded project I-DONT-FALL. METHODS: In a sample of 481 elderly people at risk of falls recruited in this multicenter randomised controlled trial, the effectiveness of a motor treatment (pure motor or mixed with EFt) of 24 one-hour sessions delivered through an i-Walker with a non-motor treatment (pure EFt or control condition) was evaluated. Similarly, a 24 one-hour session cognitive treatment (pure EFt or mixed with motor training), delivered through a touch-screen computer was compared with a non-cognitive treatment (pure motor or control condition). RESULTS: Motor treatment, particularly when mixed with EFt, reduced significantly fear of falling (F(1,478) = 6.786, p = 0.009) although to a limited extent (ES -0.25) restricted to the period after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the effectiveness of motor treatment empowered by EFt in reducing fear of falling.