Tolerance and Safety Evaluation in a Large Cohort of Healthy Infants Fed an Innovative Prebiotic Formula: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: the addition of oligosaccharides to infant formula has been shown to mimic some of the beneficial effects of human milk. The aim of the study was to assess the tolerance and safety of a formula containing an innovative mixture of oligosaccharides in early infancy. Methodology/Principal Findings: this study was performed as a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial including healthy term infants. Infants were recruited before the age of 8 weeks, either having started with formula feeding or being fully breast-fed (breastfeeding group). Formula-fed infants were randomized to feeding with a regular formula containing a mixture of neutral oligosaccharides and pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides (prebiotic formula group) or regular formula without oligosaccharides (control formula group). Growth, tolerance and adverse events were assessed at 8, 16, 24 and 52 weeks of age. The prebiotic and control groups showed similar mean weight, length and head circumference, skin fold thicknesses, arm circumference gains and stool frequency at each study point. As far as the anthropometric parameters are concerned, the prebiotic group and the control group did not attain the values shown by the breastfeeding group at any study point. The skin fold thicknesses assessed in the breastfeeding group at 8 weeks were strikingly larger than those in formula fed infants, whereas at 52 weeks were strikingly smaller. The stool consistency in the prebiotic group was softer than in the control group at 8, 16 and 24 weeks (p <0.001) and closer to that of the breastfeeding group. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two formula groups. Conclusions: our findings demonstrate the tolerability and the long term safety of a formula containing an innovative mixture of oligosaccharides in a large cohort of healthy infants

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Affibody-based nanoprobes for HER2-expressing cell and tumor imaging

This article reports the affibody-based nanoprobes specifically target and image human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-expressing cells and tumors. The affibody molecules are a promising class of targeting ligands with simple, robust, and precise structure and high affinity. Using near-infrared (NIR) quantum dots (QDs) and iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles as two representative nanomaterials, we designed anti HER2 affibody molecules with a N-terminus cysteine residue (Cysteine-Z(HER2:342)) and precisely conjugated with maleimide-functionalized nanoparticles to make nanoparticle-affibody conjugates. The in vitro and in vivo study showed the conjugates are highly specific to target and image HER2-expressing cells and tumors. This work indicated the nanoparticle-affibody conjugates may be excellent candidates as targeting probes for molecular imaging and diagnosis. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.NCI/NIH[R21 CA121842]; NCI of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence[U54 CA119367

Luminous circumstellar envelopes in M31

We have peformed point source extraction from a Spitzer/MIPS survey of the largest galaxy in the Local Group, M31. The MIPS-24 micron image shows with unprecedented clarity the distribution of evolved stars with circumstellar envelopes in M31. These sources have typical luminosities of 103-104 solar, which are consistent with asymptotic giant branch and red supergiant stars with circumstellar envelopes. Our catalog is cross-correlated with 2MASS and with a recently published catalog of Long Period Variable stars. We interpret the distribution of 24 micron point sources in the context of galactic structure, identifying sources in the nucleus/bulge, arms/rings, and interarm regions. The point sources are superposed on newly revealed structures in diffuse emission emanating from the bulge and nuclear region as well as from the star forming rings seen by ISO and IRAS

The Spitzer Space Telescope/MIPS View of M31 - zooming in on the nucleus

Spitzer Space Telescope/MIPS observations of M31 provide an unprecedented opportunity to study the structure and composition of the inner few kpc of the Andromeda Galaxy (one 24um field of view is about 1 kpc at the distance of M31). There is abundant data in the literature on the structure and kinematics of the gas for M31, and for other nearby spirals. But, prior to Spitzer it has not been possible to study the morphology of the dust and stellar components at such high sensitivity and spatial resolution. We present the MIPS imaging of the central region of M31. The data are extremely rich and provide information relating to many types of studies, ranging from stellar populations and distribution to the composition and structure of the interstellar medium. Early results are presented from our studies of the stellar and dust components - distribution, composition, and temperature structure