Production cross-sections and momentum distributions of fragments from neutron-deficient 36Ar at 1.05 A.GeV

We have measured production cross sections and longitudinal momentum distributions of fragments from neutron-deficient 36Ar at 1.05 A.GeV. The production cross-sections show excellent agreement with the predictions of the semiempirical formula EPAX. We have compared these results, involving extremly neutron deficient nuclei, with model calculations to extract informa tion about the response of these models close to the driplines. The longitudinal momentum distributions have also been extracted and are compared with the Goldhaber and Morrissey systematics.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure

Hispanic Oral Tradition: Form and Content

The nineteenth-century humanist Johann Gottfried von Herder distinguished "art poetry" from "natural poetry," and he discovered in the latter "the heart and soul of a people" (Bluestein). Scholars aligned with the nationbuilding process all around the v\/orld have frequently turned to the traditions that issue directly from the life of human communities in the effort to capture their true character, to establish their authentic identities. Oral tradition emerges from the fabric of everyday existence; it responds to the immediate and ultimate problems posed by life in human societies. Its insights and artistry derive from individual genius tempered by collective assent. More than any other expressive product, oral literature provides access to the wisdom and resolve of a people acting within and sometimes against the confines of their historical destiny

Maternal Risk Factors for Small-for-Gestational-Age Newborns in Mexico: Analysis of a Nationwide Representative Cohort

Background: Small for gestational age (SGA) is a key contributor to premature deaths and long-term complications in life. Improved characterization of maternal risk factors associated with this adverse outcome is needed to inform the development of interventions, track progress, and reduce the disease burden. This study aimed to identify socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical factors associated with SGA in Mexico. Methods: We analyzed administrative data from 1,841,477 singletons collected by the National Information Subsystem of Livebirths during 2017. Small-for-gestational-age was defined as being 12 years (aOR 0.63; 95% CI:0.6,0.66) compared with those without education. SGA was particularly likely to occur among primiparous (aOR 1.42; 95% CI: 1.39, 1.43), mothers living in very high deprivation localities (aOR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.36, 1.43), young (aOR 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.06), advanced age (aOR 1.14; 95% CI 1.09, 1.19), and mothers living in areas above 2,000 m (aOR 1.69; 95% CI: 1.65, 1.73). Antenatal care was associated with a reduced risk of SGA by 30% (aOR 0.7; 95% CI:0.67,0.73), 23% (OR 0.77; 95% CI:0.74,0.8), and 21% (OR 0.79; 95% CI:0.75,0.83), compared with those mothers who never received antenatal care, when women visited the clinic at the first, second and third trimester, respectively. Conclusion: Almost 7% of live births were found to be SGA. Parity, maternal age, education, place of residence, and social deprivation were significantly associated with this outcome. Antenatal care was protective. These findings imply that interventions focusing on early and adequate contact with health care facilities, reproductive health counseling, and maternal education should reduce SGA in Mexico

Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in pregnant women delivering live-born infants in North Thames, England in 2012

To estimate HCV seroprevalence in subpopulations of women delivering live-born infants in the North Thames region in England in 2012, an unlinked anonymous (UA) cross-sectional survey of neonatal dried blood spot samples was conducted. Data were available from 31467 samples from live-born infants received by the North Thames screening laboratory. Thirty neonatal samples had HCV antibodies, corresponding to a maternal seroprevalence of 0·095% (95% confidence interval 0·067-0·136). Estimated HCV seroprevalences in women born in Eastern Europe, Southern Asia and the UK were 0·366%, 0·162% and 0·019%, respectively. For women born in Eastern Europe seroprevalence was highest in those aged around 27 years, while in women born in the UK and Asia-Pacific region, seroprevalence increased significantly with age. HCV seroprevalence in UK-born women whose infant's father was also UK-born was 0·016%. One of the 30 HCV-seropositive women was HIV-1 seropositive. Estimated HCV seroprevalence for women delivering live-born infants in North Thames in 2012 (0·095%) was significantly lower than that reported in an earlier UA survey in 1997-1998 (0·191%). Data indicate that the cohort of UK-born HCV-seropositive women is ageing and that, in this area of England, most perinatally HCV-exposed infants were born to women themselves born in Southern Asia or Eastern Europe

Brief Report: Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies After Exposure to Raltegravir or Elvitegravir During Pregnancy in the United Kingdom and Ireland, 2008–2018

BACKGROUND: The indisputable benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the reduction of mother-to-child-transmission of HIV (MTCT) have to be carefully balanced with the risks of embryo-foetal toxicities due to foetal exposure to maternal ART.The recent report of a potential safety signal with Dolutegravir use in pregnancy and potential increased rate of neural tube defects (NTDs), has raised the question of a potential class effect for Integrase Strand Inhibitors. To contribute real-world evidence we evaluated data on pregnant women receiving Raltegravir (RAL) or Elvitegravir (EVG) in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: The National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood (NSHPC) is a comprehensive population-based surveillance study collecting data on all HIV-positive pregnant women and their children. We collected data on all pregnancies exposed to an ART regimen containing RAL or EVG resulting in livebirth, stillbirth and induced abortion with an expected date of delivery between September 2008 and April 2018. Pregnancies were stratified into three groups of earliest exposure. RESULTS: A total of 908 pregnancies were exposed to a RAL or EVG-based regimen (875 to RAL and 33 to EVG). There were 886 live-born infants exposed to RAL, eight pregnancies ended in stillbirth and nine in induced abortions. Among the 886 live-born infants there were 23 (2.59% 95% CI 1.65, 3.86) reported congenital anomalies, two nervous system defects but no reported NTDs. Of the 33 pregnancies exposed to EVG, 31 resulted in live-born infants with no congenital anomaly and the remaining two pregnancies ended in induced abortion. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of congenital anomalies is consistent with national population estimates for 2008-2016 in the UK. More data are needed on safety of RAL and EVG in pregnancy

Gestational diabetes in women living with HIV in the UK and Ireland: insights from population-based surveillance data

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of gestational diabetes (GD) is increasing globally. While universal risk factors for GD are reasonably well understood, questions remain regarding risks for women living with HIV (WLWH). We aimed to describe GD prevalence, evaluate associated maternal risk factors and assess specific birth outcomes in WLWH in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: We analysed all pregnancies (≥24 weeks' gestation) in women diagnosed with HIV before delivery, reported to the UK-based Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service between 2010 and 2020. Every report of GD was considered as a case. A multivariable logistic regression model, adjusted for women with more than one pregnancy fitted with generalized estimating equations (GEE) assessed the effect of independent risk factors. RESULTS: There were 10,553 pregnancies in 7916 women, of which 460 (4.72%) pregnancies had reported GD. Overall, the median maternal age was 33 years (Q1:29-Q3:37), and 73% of pregnancies were in Black African women. WLWH with GD (WLWH-GD) were older (61% vs. 41% aged ≥35 years, p 350 cells/μl (GEE-aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.50-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: GD prevalence increased over time among WLWH but was not significantly different from the general population. Maternal age, ethnicity and CD4 count were risk factors based on available data. Stillbirth and preterm delivery were more common in WLWH-GD than other WLWH over the study period. Further studies are required to build upon these results

Gestational diabetes in women living with HIV in the UK and Ireland: insights from population-based surveillance data

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of gestational diabetes (GD) is increasing globally. While universal risk factors for GD are reasonably well understood, questions remain regarding risks for women living with HIV (WLWH). We aimed to describe GD prevalence, evaluate associated maternal risk factors and assess specific birth outcomes in WLWH in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: We analysed all pregnancies (≥24 weeks' gestation) in women diagnosed with HIV before delivery, reported to the UK-based Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service between 2010 and 2020. Every report of GD was considered as a case. A multivariable logistic regression model, adjusted for women with more than one pregnancy fitted with generalized estimating equations (GEE) assessed the effect of independent risk factors. RESULTS: There were 10,553 pregnancies in 7916 women, of which 460 (4.72%) pregnancies had reported GD. Overall, the median maternal age was 33 years (Q1:29-Q3:37), and 73% of pregnancies were in Black African women. WLWH with GD (WLWH-GD) were older (61% vs. 41% aged ≥35 years, p 350 cells/μl (GEE-aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.50-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: GD prevalence increased over time among WLWH but was not significantly different from the general population. Maternal age, ethnicity and CD4 count were risk factors based on available data. Stillbirth and preterm delivery were more common in WLWH-GD than other WLWH over the study period. Further studies are required to build upon these results

Estimating the number of livebirths to Hepatitis C seropositive women in England in 2013 and 2018 using Bayesian modelling.

BACKGROUND: The UK National Screening Committee currently recommends against antenatal screening for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in England due to lack of HCV prevalence data and treatment licensed for use in pregnancy. We aimed to produce regional and national estimates of the number and proportion of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in England in 2013 and 2018. METHODS: A logistic regression model fitted in the Bayesian framework estimated probabilities of HCV seropositivity among 24,599 mothers delivering in the North Thames area of England in 2012 adjusted by maternal age and region of birth. These probabilities were applied to the underlying population structures of women delivering livebirths in England in 2013 and 2018 to estimate the number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in these years nationally and by region. The Bayesian approach allowed the uncertainty associated with all estimates to be properly quantified. RESULTS: Nationally, the estimated number of livebirths to women seropositive for HCV for England was 464 (95% credible interval [CI] 300-692) in 2013 and 481 (95%CI 310-716) in 2018, or 70.0 (95%CI 45.0-104.1) per 100,000 and 76.9 (95%CI 49.5-114.4) per 100,000 in these years respectively. Regions with the highest estimated number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in 2013 and 2018 included London with 118.5 and 124.4 and the South East with 67.0 and 74.0 per 100,000 livebirths. CONCLUSION: Few previous studies have investigated HCV among pregnant women in England. These findings complement and supplement existing research by providing national and regional estimates for the number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in England. Bayesian modelling allows future national and regional estimates to be produced and the associated uncertainty to be properly quantified

Recovery of rare earth elements from acidic mine waters: An unknown secondary resource

Acidic mine Drainage (AMD) is still considered one of the greatest mining sustainability challenges due to the large volumes of wastes generated and the high associated treatment cost. New regulation initiatives on sustainable development, circular economy and the need for strategic elements as Rare Earth Elements (REE) may overcome the traditional research initiatives directed to developing low cost treatment options and to develop research initiatives to identify the potential benefit of considering such AMD as a potential secondary resource. As an example, this study develops the integration of a three-stage process where REE are selectively separated from base metals (e.g. Fe, Al, Mn, Ca, Mg, Cd, Pb) and then concentrate to produce a rich REE by-product recovered as REE-phosphates. Selective separation of Fe (>99%) was achieved by total oxidation to Fe(III) and subsequent precipitation as schwertmannite at pH 3,6 ± 0.2. REE were then extracted from AMD using a sulfonic ion-exchange resin to produce concentrated REE sulfuric solutions up to 0.25 gREE/L. In a final stage selective separation of REE from Al(III), Ca(II) and Mg(II) and transitions elements (Cu, Zn, Ni) was achieved by precipitation with phosphate solutions under optimized pH control and total phosphate concentration. XRD analysis identified low-crystalline minerals. By using a thermal treatment the presence of PrPO4(s) and Cheralite (CePO4(s)) where Ce is substituted by La and Ca and Xenotime (YPO4(s)) were found as main minerals AlPO4(s) Ca,MgYPO4(s) were also identified

Production of new neutron-rich isotopes of heavy elements in fragmentation reactions of 238^{238}U projectiles at 1 A GeV

The production of heavy neutron-rich nuclei has been investigated using cold fragmentation reactions of $^{238}$U projectiles at relativistic energies. The experiment performed at the high-resolving-power magnetic spectrometer FRS at GSI allowed to identify 45 new heavy neutron-rich nuclei: $^{205}$Pt, $^{207-210}$Au, $^{211-216}$Hg, $^{213-217}$Tl, $^{215-220}$Pb, $^{219-224}$Bi, $^{221-227}$Po, $^{224-229}$At, $^{229-231}$Rn and $^{233}$Fr. The production cross sections of these nuclei were also determined and used to benchmark reaction codes that predict the production of nuclei far from stability.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure