Meeting the mammography screening needs of underserved women: the performance of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in 2002–2003 (United States)

OBJECTIVE: To examine the extent to which the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (Program) has helped to meet the mammography screening needs of underserved women. METHODS: Low-income, uninsured women aged 40–64 are eligible for free mammography screening through the Program. We used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to estimate the number of women eligible for services. We obtained the number of women receiving Program-funded mammograms from the Program. We then calculated the percentage of eligible women who received mammograms through the Program. RESULTS: In 2002–2003, of all U.S. women aged 40–64, approximately 4 million (8.5%) had no health insurance and had a family income below 250% of the federal poverty level, meeting Program eligibility criteria. Of these women, 528,622 (13.2%) received a Program-funded mammogram. Rates varied substantially by race and ethnicity. The percentage of eligible women screened in each state ranged from about 2% to approximately 79%. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Program provided screening services to over a half-million low-income, uninsured women for mammography, it served a small percentage of those eligible. Given that in 2003 more than 2.3 million uninsured, low-income, women aged 40–64 did not receive recommended mammograms from either the Program or other sources, there remains a substantial need for services for this historically underserved population

Determinants of Minority-White Differentials in Child Poverty

This paper uses data from the 1993-2001 March Current Population Survey to estimate the extent to which child living arrangements, parental work patterns, and immigration attributes shape racial and ethnic variation in child poverty. Results from multivariate analyses and a standardization technique reveal that parental work patterns as well as child living arrangements are especially consequential for black and Puerto-Rican economic circumstances. Child immigration generation and parental length of residence seem to play a detrimental role in shaping poverty among Asian, Mexican, and Central/South American children. We also found that the extent to which differences in the composition of and returns to parental resources determine white-minority economic gaps varies substantially across racial and ethnic lines. The social and economic implications of the findings for understanding racial and ethnic inequality are discussed in the final section of the article

Interruption of CXCL13-CXCR5 Axis Increases Upper Genital Tract Pathology and Activation of NKT Cells following Chlamydial Genital Infection

Peer reviewe

THE ARCTIC AND SEABED MINING

Marine resources in the Arctic and the regulations that govern their exploration and exploitation have been largely affected, and limited to a great extent, by ice and darkness. These extreme conditions may explain why the regulation of and interest in deep sea mining activities in the Arctic is at an earlier stage than in other regions of the world. Much of the marine Arctic is covered by ice, especially in the winter months. However, due to climate change the ice coverage in the Arctic is decreasing rapidly. All Arctic coastal states have declared maritime zones in accordance with United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This includes the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf. The Arctic council has facilitated the negotiation and adoption of three legally binding agreements: the agreement on cooperation on aeronautical and maritime search and rescue in the Arctic, the agreement on cooperation on marine oil pollution preparedness