EFSA NDA Panel (EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies), 2013. Scientific Opinion on nutrient requirements and dietary intakes of infants and young children in the European Union.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) was asked to deliver a Scientific Opinion on the nutrient requirements and dietary intakes of infants and young children in the European Union. This Opinion describes the dietary requirements of infants and young children, compares dietary intakes and requirements in infants and young children in Europe and, based on these findings, concludes on the potential role of young-child formulae in the diets of infants and young children, including whether they have any nutritional benefits when compared with other foods that may be included in the normal diet of infants and young children. The Panel concluded on the levels of nutrient and energy intakes that are considered adequate for the majority of infants and young children, and evaluated the risk of inadequate nutrient intakes in infants and young children in living Europe. Dietary intakes of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), iron, vitamin D and iodine (in some European countries) are low in infants and young children living in Europe, and particular attention should be paid to ensuring an appropriate supply of ALA, DHA, iron, vitamin D and iodine in infants and young children with inadequate or at risk of inadequate status of these nutrients. No unique role of young -child formulae with respect to the provision of critical nutrients in the diet of infants and young children living in Europe can be identified, so that they cannot be considered as a necessity to satisfy the nutritional requirements of young children when compared with other foods that may be included in the normal diet of young children (such as breast milk, infant formulae, follow-on formulae and cow\u2018s milk)

The Incidence of and Predictors for Severe Perineal Trauma and Intact Perineum in Women Having a Waterbirth in England: A Hospital-Based Study

Background: To determine the incidence of and predictors for obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) and intact perineum in women giving birth in the water and compare with the general obstetric population. Materials and Methods: Data were retrospectively collected for women who had singleton cephalic presentation vaginal births in the water and the general obstetric population between August 2007 and December 2017. Results: We identified 1,007 women who had a waterbirth and 36,924 women from the general obstetric population. There was no significant difference in the incidence of OASIS between waterbirths and the general obstetric population (2.3% vs. 2.0%). Having a waterbirth was associated with a lower probability for an intact perineum (odds ratio [OR] = 0.83; confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.73-0.94) when compared with the general obstetric population (44.7% vs. 51.3%). Nulliparous women with a waterbirth when compared with multiparous women had an eightfold higher likelihood for the occurrence of OASIS (OR = 8.28; 95% CI: 2.64-25.86). The risk for a higher degree of OASIS was associated with increased maternal age in the total sample (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.06-1.11) and with a lower body mass index (BMI) at booking in multiparous women (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.92-0.99). The risk for any type of perineal trauma was associated with increased maternal age in the total sample (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.07-1.13) and with a lower BMI at booking in multiparous women (OR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91-0.99). Conclusions: We found that giving birth in the water reduced the chance of having an intact perineum. We have also shown that nulliparity, increased maternal age in all women, and a lower BMI at booking in multiparous were associated with OASIS and lower rates of intact perineum in waterbirths. © 2021 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

The Effect of Ethnic Variation on the Success of Induced Labour in Nulliparous Women with Postdates Pregnancies

Objective. To identify the potential effect of ethnic variation on the success of induction of labour in nulliparous women with postdates pregnancies. Study Design. This was an observational cohort study of women being induced for postdates pregnancies (≥41 weeks) between 2007 and 2013. Women induced for stillbirths and with multiple pregnancies were excluded. The primary objective was to identify the effect of ethnicity on the caesarean section (CS) delivery rates in this cohort of women. Results. 1,636 nulliparous women were identified with a mean age of 27.2 years. 95.8% of the women were of White ethnic origin, 2.6% were Asian, and 1.6% were of Black ethnic origin. The CS delivery rate was 24.4% in the total sample. Women of Black ethnic origin had a 3.26 times greater likelihood for CS in comparison to White women, after adjusting for maternal age, BMI, smoking, presence of meconium, use of epidural analgesia, fetal gender, birth weight, and head circumference (adjusted OR = 3.26; 95% CI: 1.31-8.08, p = 0.011). Conclusion. We have found that nulliparous women of Black ethnicity demonstrate an almost threefold increased risk of caesarean section delivery when induced for postdates pregnancy. © 2016 Dimitrios Papoutsis et al

The SaTH risk-assessment tool for the prediction of emergency cesarean section in women having induction of labor for all indications: a large-cohort based study

Purpose: To develop a risk-assessment model for the prediction of emergency cesarean section (CS) in women having induction of labor (IOL). Methods: This was an observational cohort study of women with IOL for any indication between 2007 and 2013. Women induced for stillbirths and with multiple pregnancies were excluded. The primary objective was to identify risk factors associated with CS delivery and to construct a risk-prediction tool. Results: 6169 women were identified with mean age of 28.9 years. Primiparity involved 47.1 %, CS rate was 13.3 % and post-date pregnancies were 32.4 %. Risk factors for CS were: age >30 years, BMI >25 kg/m2, primiparity, black-ethnicity, non post-date pregnancy, meconium-stained liquor, epidural analgesia, and male fetal gender. Each factor was assigned a score and with increasing scores the CS rate increased. The CS rate was 5.4 % for a score <11, while for a score ≥11 it increased to 25.0 %. The model had a sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value of 75.8, 65.1, 93.8 and 25.0 %, respectively. Conclusion: We have constructed a risk-prediction tool for CS delivery in women with IOL. The risk-assessment tool for the prediction of emergency CS in induced labor has a high negative-predictive value and can provide reassurance to presumed low-risk women. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Production and characterization of bio-oil from catalytic biomass pyrolysis

Biomass flash pyrolysis is a very promising thermochemical process for the production of bio-fuels and/or chemicals. However, large-scale applications are still under careful consideration, because of the high bio-liquid upgrading cost. In this paper the production of bio-liquids from biomass flash pyrolysis in a single stage catalytic process is being investigated using a novel once through fluid bed reactor. This biomass pyrolysis unit was constructed in Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute and comprises of a catalyst regenerator, a biomass-vibrating hopper, a fluidization reactor (that consists of an injector and a riser reactor), a product stripper along with a hot cyclone and a filter housing and finally a product condensation/recovery section. The unit can process up to 20 g/min. of biomass (50-800 mm) and can circulate up to 300 g/min. of catalyst or inert material. The experiments performed in the pilot plant showed that the unit operates without problems and with satisfactory mass balances in a wide range of experimental conditions both in the absence and presence of catalyst. With the incorporation of an FCC catalyst in the pyrolysis, the physical properties of the bio-oil produced changed, while more stable bio-oil was produced.

Erratum to: Breast milk fat concentration and fatty acid pattern during the first six months in exclusively breastfeeding Greek women (Eur J Nutr, (2013), 52, (963-973), 10.1007/s00394-012-0403-8)

In Table 3 of the original version of this article, there is an error in line 19: By mistake, C22:1ω9 is recorded as cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid, while it should have been recorded as cis-13-docosenoic acid. This mistake does not interfere with any of the fatty acids sums or proportions recorded, and it is not found anywhere else in the text or the tables. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Sonographic measurement of cervical volume in nonpregnant women using the geometric formula for a cylinder versus the three-dimensional automated virtual organ computer-aided analysis (VOCAL)

Background.: To sonographically evaluate the volume of uterine cervix in nonpregnant women with use of the geometric formula for a cylinder and to assess agreement with the reference Virtual Organ Computer-Aided AnaLysis (VOCAL) method. Methods.: Three-dimensional ultrasound volume datasets of the uterine cervix from 81 women were obtained prospectively within a 1-year period. Volume measurements were performed using VOCAL and the geometric formula for a cylinder. Reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots were produced to examine intermethod agreement. Time needed to perform measurements was compared with Student's t test. Results.: There was good agreement between VOCAL and the geometric formula for a cylinder (mean percentage difference, -0.78%; 95% limits of agreement, -17.59-16.03%). Measurements made by the formula for a cylinder were slightly greater than VOCAL by a mean (±SE) of 0.78% (±0.95%). A high degree of reliability was observed between the two methods (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.97; 95%CI, 0.95-0.98). Cervical volume estimation with the geometric formula for a cylinder was faster to obtain. Conclusions.: This method comparison study shows that the geometric formula for a cylinder has good agreement with VOCAL and can determine the volume of the cervix in a faster way. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Engramma n. 174. Navi della libert\ue0

Engramma issue no. 174 Navi della libert\ue0 is dedicated to the \u201cShip of Freedom\u201d, a figure and symbol that sailed the Mediterranean Sea from the 5th century BCE to contemporary times. The volume includes contributions by Danae Antonakou, Maria Bergamo, Silvia Burini, Monica Centanni, Misha Davidoff, Lucia Nadin, Francesco Monticini, Alessandra Pedersoli and Christian Toson, Silvia Ronchey, and a new edition of the Diary of Exile by Mimica Cranaki published in 1950 in \u201cLes Temps Modernes\u201d, the review directed by Jean Paul Sartre

PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERISATION OF BIO-OIL FROM CATALYTIC BIOMASS PYROLYSIS by

Bio mass flash py rol y sis is a very prom is ing thermochemical pro cess for the pro duc tion of bio-fu els and/or chem i cals. How ever, large-scale ap pli ca-tions are still un der care ful con sid er ation, be cause of the high bio-liq uid up grad ing cost. In this pa per the pro duc tion of bio-liq uids from bio mass flash py rol y sis in a sin gle stage cat a lytic pro cess is be ing in ves ti gated us ing a novel once through fluid bed re ac tor. This bio mass py rol y sis unit was con-structed in Chem i cal Pro cess En gi neer ing Re search In sti tute and com-prises of a cat a lyst re gen er a tor, a bio mass-vi brat ing hop per, a fluidization re ac tor (that con sists of an in jec tor and a riser re ac tor), a prod uct strip per along with a hot cy clone and a fil ter hous ing and fi nally a prod uct con den-sa tion/re cov ery sec tion. The unit can pro cess up to 20 g/min. of bio mass (50-800 mm) and can cir cu late up to 300 g/min. of cat a lyst or in ert ma te rial. The ex per i ments per formed in the pi lot plant showed that the unit op er ates with out prob lems and with sat is fac tory mass bal ances in a wide range of ex-per i men tal con di tions both in the ab sence and pres ence of cat a lyst. With the in cor po ra tion of an FCC cat a lyst in the py rol y sis, the phys i cal prop er ties of the bio-oil pro duced changed, while more sta ble bio-oil was pro duced. Key words: biomass, catalytic pyrolysis, bio-oil characterisatio