Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) still represents an important burden of neonatal care. The definition of the disease is currently undergoing several revisions, and, to date, BPD is actually defined by its treatment rather than diagnostic or clinic criteria. BPD is associated with many prenatal and postnatal risk factors, such as maternal smoking, chorioamnionitis, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), parenteral nutrition, sepsis, and mechanical ventilation. Various experimental models have shown how these factors cause distorted alveolar and vascular growth, as well as alterations in the composition and differentiation of the mesenchymal cells of a newborn’s lungs, demonstrating a multifactorial pathogenesis of the disease. In addition, inflammation and oxidative stress are the common denominators of the mechanisms that contribute to BPD development. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) constitutes the most prominent and best studied candidate for vascular development. Animal models have confirmed the important regulatory roles of epithelial-expressed VEGF in lung development and function. This educational review aims to discuss the inflammatory pathways in BPD onset for preterm newborns, focusing on the role of VEGFA and providing a summary of current and emerging evidence.

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as “the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age which remains unexplained after thorough investigation including a complete autopsy, death scene investigation, and detailed clinical and pathological review”. A significant decrease of SIDS deaths occurred in the last decades in most countries after the beginning of national campaigns, mainly as a consequence of the implementation of risk reduction action mostly concentrating on the improvement of sleep conditions. Nevertheless, infant mortality from SIDS still remains unacceptably high. There is an urgent need to get insight into previously unexplored aspects of the brain system with a special focus on high-risk groups. SIDS pathogenesis is associated with a multifactorial condition that comprehends genetic, environmental and sociocultural factors. Effective prevention of SIDS requires multiple interventions from different fields. Developing brain susceptibility, intrinsic vulnerability and early identification of infants with high risk of SIDS represents a challenge. Progress in SIDS research appears to be fundamental to the ultimate aim of eradicating SIDS deaths. A complex model that combines different risk factor data from biomarkers and omic analysis may represent a tool to identify a SIDS risk profile in newborn settings. If high risk is detected, the infant may be referred for further investigations and follow ups. This review aims to illustrate the most recent discoveries from different fields, analyzing the neuroanatomical, genetic, metabolic, proteomic, environmental and sociocultural aspects related to SIDS.

The recent increase in international fish trade leads to the need for improving the traceability of fishery products. In relation to this, consistent monitoring of the production chain focusing on technological developments, handling, processing and distribution via global networks is necessary. Molecular barcoding has therefore been suggested as the gold standard in seafood species traceability and labelling. This review describes the DNA barcoding methodology for preventing food fraud and adulteration in fish. In particular, attention has been focused on the application of molecular techniques to determine the identity and authenticity of fish products, to discriminate the presence of different species in processed seafood and to characterize raw materials undergoing food industry processes. In this regard, we herein present a large number of studies performed in different countries, showing the most reliable DNA barcodes for species identification based on both mitochondrial (COI, cytb, 16S rDNA and 12S rDNA) and nuclear genes. Results are discussed considering the advantages and disadvantages of the different techniques in relation to different scientific issues. Special regard has been dedicated to a dual approach referring to both the consumer’s health and the conservation of threatened species, with a special focus on the feasibility of the different genetic and genomic approaches in relation to both scientific objectives and permissible costs to obtain reliable traceability.