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Objective: To evaluate the association between mother's own milk (MOM) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) preterm infants <32 weeks. Methods: Clinical data of AGA preterm infants (24+0/7–31+6/7 weeks) were reviewed. Infants with ≥66% of cumulative prescribed enteral volumes as MOM from birth to 36 weeks were allocated to the high provision of MOM group (H-MOM), whereas those with <66% were assigned to the low provision of MOM group (L-MOM). Multiple regressions were used to assess the association of H-MOM with BPD and oxygen saturation to fraction inspired oxygen ratio (SFR) at 36 weeks. Results: A total of 1041 infants met the inclusion criteria, with a median provision of cumulative enteral nutrition volumes of 5721 (IQR 2616) mL/kg. Among them, 517 (49.7%) were H-MOM and 524 (50.3%) L-MOM infants. H-MOM showed a reduction in the incidence of BPD to 31.6% compared to L-MOM infants. H-MOM had a lower risk of BPD than L-MOM infants after the adjustment for gestational age, sex, cesarean section, mean SFR at the first hours of life, surfactant administration, patent ductus arteriosus, sepsis, prolonged ventilatory supports/oxygen exposure, and cumulative energy intakes from birth to 36 weeks [aOR: 0.613, p = 0.047]. H-MOM was also associated with a lower risk of SFR in the first quartile at 36 weeks [aOR: 0.616, p = 0.028] than L-MOM. Conclusion: A high provision (≥66%) of enteral volume as MOM from birth to 36 weeks is associated with a reduced risk of both BPD and low SFR at 36 weeks in AGA preterm infants <32 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia, the macrophage-like glial cells, behave as sentinels against exogenous pathogens invading the neural tissue. Their commitment is not only confined to the defensive function, but they also perform balancing trophic activities such as neuronal postnatal development, remodeling and pruning of synapses. Likewise, microglia-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) can play strategic roles in maintaining a healthy brain by modulating neuronal activity and by controlling neurite outgrowth as well as innate immune response. Nevertheless, strong evidence also points to their role in the development of neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we explored EV protein content released by BV2 microglial cells in a resting state and after stimulation with beta-amyloid peptides (Aβ), mimicking conditions occurring in AD. In the resting BV2 cells, we extended the list of proteins present in mouse microglia EV cargo with respect to those reported in the Vesiclepedia exosome database while, in amyloid-triggered microglia, we highlighted a pronounced drop in EV protein content. Focusing on Rab11A, a key factor in the recycling routes of amyloid species, we observed a dramatic decrease of this protein in Aβ-treated microglia EV cargo with respect to the EVs from the untreated sample. This decrease might affect the delivery of Rab11A to neurons thus increasing the harmful amyloid burden in neuronal cells that eventually may lead to their death. We tentatively proposed that alterations observed in EVs derived from Aβ-treated microglia may represent molecular features that, among others, shape the disease-associated microglial phenotype, a recently proposed subset of microglial population, present in neurodegenerative pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To analyze the need for parenteral nutrition (PN) in infants with a birth weight (BW) between 1250 and 1499 g. Methods: Retrospective evaluation of clinical, nutritional, growth and neurodevelopmental data of infants with a BW between 1250 and 1499 g consecutively admitted to our institution between 2004 and 2020. Results: Of the 503 infants admitted during the study period, 130 (26%) received PN: in 97 (19%) PN was medically indicated, while in 33 (7%) there was no clear indication. Patients who received medically indicated PN were younger, smaller, and sicker than the 373 infants who were managed with enteral nutrition, and their weight gain was lower (14.6 ± 4.1 vs 16.9 ± 4.2 g∙kg−1 ∙ d−1, p = 0.000). Body size at 36 weeks and 2-year anthropometry and neurodevelopment of the infants managed with enteral nutrition were not different from our reference values. Conclusions: After lowering the BW threshold for bridging PN from 1500 to 1250 g, we found that PN was started in only 20% of infants with a BW between 1250 and 1500 g. Withholding PN if not medically indicated did not result neither in growth faltering nor in reduced neurodevelopment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by empirical evidence on firm networks in Italy, this paper explores the relationship between the nature of goods produced by firms operating in the same R&D network and their strategic location. We consider a two-firm spatial Cournot model deriving the conditions under which two firms create a cooperative link in order to share R&D cost-reducing investments. We show that the cooperative link is formed irrespective of the nature of goods produced by participating firms. However, the nature of goods produced affects the distance between firms belonging to the same networks; this distance tends to be greater when firms produce substitute goods. We also discuss the stability of the cooperative link. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variability in the efficacy, safety, and quality of probiotic formulations depends on many factors, including process conditions used by manufacturers. Developing reliable analytical tools is therefore essential to quickly monitor manufacturing differences in probiotic samples for their quality assessment. Here, multi-strain probiotics from two production sites and countries were investigated by proteomics and physico-chemistry approaches in relation to the protective effect on gut barrier. Proteomic analyses showed differences in protein abundances, identities, and origins of two series of VSL#3 samples from different sites. Even though both formulations were qualitatively similar in thermal and colloidal profiles, significant differences were quantitatively observed in terms of maximum decomposition temperature Tmax (p < 0.05) and phase transition temperature Tm (p < 0.01). Such variability in physical and biochemical features impacts on probiotic functionalities and translates into a differential modulation of gut permeability in mice. Physico-chemical scans provide coherent data with proteomics and represent a new tool for time and cost effective quality control of probiotic-based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the economic consequences of migration in the Ramsey-type dynamic optimizing context. In contrast to Hazari and Agro (J Econ Dyn Control 28:141-151, ) conclusions, we show that migration unambiguously reduces the per-capita domestic consumption growth, whereas necessarily raises the long-run per-capita consumption of domestic residents when production is 'sufficiently' reactive to capital changes. Our findings are consistent with several empirical studies and simulation analyses, suggesting that changes in technological adjustment in response to migrants inflows may take some years to translate into productivity, generating some crowding out effects. The gains for natives are likely to materialize in the long run when the specialization of natives adjusts, firms invest in capital and adopt appropriate technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the role of cooperation between firms through a model of growth and social capital. In a growth model à la Solow we incorporate the set of resources that a relational network has at its disposals, as a distinct production factor, and thus examine its dissemination through evolutionary type processes in firm interactions. Dynamic analysis of the model demonstrates that cooperation is able to increase the productivity of factors, fostering a higher rate of growth in the long term. The most significant result is that scarcity of social capital can produce a general collapse of the economic system in areas in which long term growth is usually sustained by the learning by doing and spillover of knowledge phenomena. This conclusion leads to reconsider the role of local development economic policies that should concentrate on activities that promote repeated interaction between firms proven to be cooperative or that encourage the formation of technological consortia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to provide designers and developers of Web applications with support to obtain systems that are usable for vision-impaired users. To this end, a number of design criteria to improve Web site navigation through screen readers or other similar devices have been defined. A user test by blind and vision-impaired subjects showed that such criteria improve Web site usability both qualitatively and quantitatively. An inspection-based tool has been developed to ease the application of the defined criteria. Its main features are presented in this article along with examples of applications and related discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]