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The role of maternal colostrum to infant development has been extensively studied and presented. Among the main factors which contribute to breast milk composition are maternal diet, age and body mass index, parity, duration of pregnancy and stage of lactation. This study aims to investigate the potential impact of several factors including demographic (i.e. maternal age and nationality) on the colostrum fatty acid profile. Colostrum was collected the third day postpartum in a Greek maternity hospital. Certain lipid quality indices and fatty acid ratios were estimated and results were statistically processed. The main identified fatty acids were palmitic (C16:0), oleic (C18:1ω-9), and linoleic (C18:2ω-6) acids. Among fatty acids, saturated fatty acids predominated (47.61%), followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (39.26%), while polyunsaturated fatty acids had the lowest proportion (13.13%). Values of lipid quality indices were within the reported in the literature ranges. Maternal body mass index, nationality, age, mode of delivery, gender and fetal weight percentile were studied in respect to their potential influence on the fatty acid profile of colostrum fat. Results suggest that colostrum fatty acid profile was mainly dependent on maternal nationality and age rather than mode of delivery and maternal BMI. Regarding the effect of maternal nationality, significant differences were found for saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Of the most interesting findings is that colostrum fat from older (≥35 years) mothers had less saturated fat and more appropriate LQIs values. Finally, a reversed correlation was observed between the customized centile of the infants and the colostrum fat content.

The present study aimed at identifying the acoustic pattern of vocalizations, produced by 7- to 11-month-old infants, that were interpreted by their mothers as expressing emotions or communicative functions. Participants were 6 healthy, first-born English infants, 3 boys and 3 girls, and their mothers. The acoustic analysis of the vocalizations was performed using a pattern recognition (PR) software system. A PR system not only calculates signal features, it also automatically detects patterns in the arrangement of such features. The following results were obtained: (a) the PR system distinguished vocalizations interpreted as emotions from vocalizations interpreted as communicative functions with an overall accuracy of 87.34%; (b) the classification accuracy of the PR system for vocalizations that convey emotions was 85.4% and for vocalizations that convey communicative functions was 89.5%; and (c) compared to vocalizations that express emotions, vocalizations that express communicative functions were shorter, displayed lower fundamental frequency values, and had greater overall intensity. These findings suggest that in the second half of the first year, infants possess a vocal repertoire that contributes to regulating cooperative interaction with their mothers, which is considered one of the major prerequisites for language acquisition.

Information on fatty acid (FA) profile is critical for the production and promotion of sheep milk and derivative dairy products. The presence of the essential ω-3 and ω-6 FA in milk fat as well as other less common FA, like linoleic acid isomers, has gained an increasing interest due to the consumer demand for a healthy diet. This research assesses the FA profile and estimates the lipid quality indices (ratio between hypocholesterolaemic and hypercholesterolaemic fatty acids, peroxidisability index, atherogenic index, and thrombogenic index) of raw milk and cream fat from two indigenous Greek sheep breeds (Karagouniko and Chios) at different lactation stages. Raw milk and cream fat presented a favorable ω-6/ω-3 ratio below 4:1. Atherogenic and thrombogenic indices of all studied milk fat fluctuated in sufficiently low levels (<3). The FA profile and lipid quality indices in both raw milk and cream samples differed significantly depending more on the lactation stage compared to the breed type. Raw milk fat from late lactation had more beneficial fatty acid profile compared to early and middle lactation stages. Differences among breeds were highlighted when raw milk and cream samples were compared within the same lactation stage. Raw milk and cream fat from Karagouniko breed were characterised by higher ω-3 proportion, lower ω-6/ω-3 ratio and lower thrombogenic index value compared to those from Chios breed.

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The size of the normal spleen was estimated by CT in 153children, examined with indication unrelated to splenic disease. In each patient the width, thickness, length and volume of the spleen were calculated. Measurements were also normalized to the transverse diameter of the body of the first lumbar vertebra. The spleen underwent significant growth during the first 4 years of life and reached maximum size at the age of 13. There were no differences in splenic volume between boys and girls. Splenic thickness correlated best with normal splenic volume. The strongest correlation was also found between splenic thickness and volume in a group of 45 children with clinically evident splenomegaly. Splenic thickness, an easy-to-use measurement, may be employed in everyday practice to represent splenic volume on CT.

The aim of this study was to quantify the intra- and extraventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces in children with benign enlargement of the frontal subarachnoid space (BE). The infra- and supratentorial CSF compartments were measured in 61 CT examinations of children with BE, 3-27 months old, and compared with those of 96 CT examinations considered normal. Measurements of the ventricular system, and the pontine and chiasmatic cisterns were related to cranial size. In all children with BE the lateral and third ventricles were dilated and the chiasmatic cistern was widened. The subarachnoid space was wider than the upper limits in the control group, in the frontal region (4 mm), and the anterior interhemispheric (4 mm) and Sylvian (3 mm) fissures. The infratentorial CSF compartments, the occipital subarachnoid space, the posterior part of the interhemispheric fissure and, in most cases, the cortical sulci were normal in size in children with BE. The majority were macrocephalic or had rapid head growth but there were also normocephalic children with normal head growth. The size of the posterior fossa was within the normal range in all children with BE. Idiopathic BE is not uncommon in children up to about 3 years old who are healthy or have minimal neurological disturbance and is characterised by a specific pattern of widening of the supratentorial CSF compartments.

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