High protein intake in human/maternal milk fortification for ≤1250 gr infants: intrahospital growth and neurodevelopmental outcome at two years

Background and aim of the study: Extrauterine growth restriction and failure to thrive remain a major problem in Extremely Low Birth Weight infants. Nutritional support in preterm babies has the objective to improve the achieve rate of growth similar to those of the fetus in utero at the equivalent gestational age. The aim of the study was to evaluate feeding tolerance, intrahospital growth, neurological outcome and anthropometric data until 24 months of corrected age (mca) from different protein intake assumed by preterm babies <1250 g during their stay in NICU. Methods: The study evaluates auxological/neurodevelopmental outcomes until 24 months of corrected age (mca) in preterm infants with different protein intake (control group-CG: 3,5g Kg‾¹ perday; intervention group-PSG: 4,8g Kg‾¹ per day). Results: PSG group showed a significant higher length growth at 9 mca (p 0,04) and hearing/language score of Griffiths Mental Development Score (GMDS) at 12 (p 0,03) and 18 mca (p<0,05) comparing with CG. PSG-ELBW preterms showed an higher intrahospital head circumference (p 0,02) and length growth rate (p 0,04), greater Performance (p 0,04) and Hearing/Language (p 0,03) scores of GMDS at 3 and 12 mca. PSG-SGA preterms showed significantly higher scores in GMDS scores at 18 and 24 mca except for the locomotor domain. Conclusions: Supplemental enteral proteins lead to benefits of reduced postnatal growth restriction and better neurological outcome in preterm infants <1000 g and in those SGA <1250 g

Overview of the RFX-mod fusion science activity

This paper reports the main recent results of the RFX-mod fusion science activity. The RFX-mod device is characterized by a unique exibility in terms of accessible magnetic con gurations. Axisymmetric and helically shaped reversed- eld pinch equilibria have been studied, along with tokamak plasmas in a wide range of q(a) regimes (spanning from 4 down to 1.2 values). The full range of magnetic con gurations in between the two, the so-called ultra-low q ones, has been explored, with the aim of studying speci c physical issues common to all equilibria, such as, for example, the density limit phenomenon. The powerful RFX-mod feedback control system has been exploited for MHD control, which allowed us to extend the range of experimental parameters, as well as to induce speci c magnetic perturbations for the study of 3D effects. In particular, transport, edge and isotope effects in 3D equilibria have been investigated, along with runaway mitigations through induced magnetic perturbations. The rst transitions to an improved con nement scenario in circular and D-shaped tokamak plasmas have been obtained thanks to an active modi cation of the edge electric eld through a polarized electrode. The experiments are supported by intense modeling with 3D MHD, gyrokinetic, guiding center and transport codes. Proposed modi cations to the RFX-mod device, which will enable further contributions to the solution of key issues in the roadmap to ITER and DEMO, are also brie y presented