Impact of the lipid-based nutrient supplements on prevention and treatment of childhood moderate undernutrition

Purpose: This review aims at assessing the effectiveness of LNS interventions for prevention and/or treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), stunting and other anthropometric indicators for undernutrition in children younger than 5 years. Methodology: Eighteen clinical trials on LNS (soybased or milk-based) supplementation in children were compared with habitual diet/control or corn-soy blend (CSB). Mean changes in height for age (HAZ), weight for age (WAZ) and weight for height z-scores (WHZ) were assessed as primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes included: weight gain, height, mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), recovery from MAM, occurrence of fever, diarrhoea and cough. Findings: The pooled estimate revealed a statistically significant increase in WAZ (weighted mean difference [WMD] =0.09; 95%CI= 0.02, 0.15; p=0.01), WHZ (WMD=0.14; 95%CI= 0.01, 0.26; p=0.000) and improved recovery from MAM (Risk Ratio [RR] = 1.37; 95%CI= 1.14, 1.65; p=0.000) in children receiving LNS compared with control or CBS. No significant effect was observed in HAZ (WMD=0.00;95%CI=-0.02,0.03: p=0.578). Children fed with milk-based LNS (RR=1.68; 95%CI=1.17, 2.39; p=0.005) were more likely to recover significantly from MAM when compared with CSB. Conclusion: Although there is evidence that LNS yield better nutritional outcomes than CSB and control, it is impossible to conclude that the milk-based LNS are superior to soy-based LNS and whether age and duration of intervention significantly affect the effectiveness of LNS on childhood undernutrition. Further research is required before these products can be recommended at scale

Testing the Equivalence Principle using Atomic Vacuum Energy Shifts

We consider possible tests of the Einstein Equivalence Principle for quantum-mechanical vacuum energies by evaluating the Lamb shift transition in a class of non-metric theories of gravity described by the \tmu formalism. We compute to lowest order the associated red shift and time dilation parameters, and discuss how (high-precision) measurements of these quantities could provide new information on the validity of the equivalence principle.Comment: 4 pages, latex, epsf, 1 figur

Election Day Voter Registration in Nebraska

We have analyzed the likely impact on voter turnout should Nebraska adopt Election Day Registration (EDR). Under the system proposed in Nebraska, eligible voters who miss the 18-day deadline for registering by mail may be able to register to vote on Election Day. Availability of Election Day Registration (EDR) procedures should give voters who have not previously registered the opportunity to vote. Consistent with existing research on the impact of EDR in the other states that use this process, we find that EDR would likely lead to substantial increases in voter turnout. Thisreport presents the following estimates of increases in turnout for Nebraska, and for specific groups of Nebraska citizens under EDR. Overall turnout could go up by 5.4 percent. Turnout among those aged 18 to 25 could increase by 10.6 percent. Turnout for those who have moved in the last six months could increase by 9.5 percent. Turnout for Latinos could increase by 9.0 percent Turnout for African Americans could increase by 6.0 percent. Turnout among poor and middle-income citizens could increase by 8.1 and 6.4 percent, respectively, while turnout among the wealthiest citizens would likely increase by 3.7 percent

Same Day Voter Registration in North Carolina

R. Michael Alvarez of the California Institute of Technology and Jonathan Nagler of NYU analyze the likely impact of Election Day Registration on voter turnout in North Carolina

Election Day Voter Registration in Massachusetts

R. Michael Alvarez of the California Institute of Technology and Jonathan Nagler of NYU analyze the likely impact of Election Day Registration on voter turnout in Massachusetts