Association of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children With Preterm Birth and Infant Mortality

Importance: Nearly 4 in 10 expectant mothers in the United States received Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits during pregnancy between 2011 and 2017. Despite public support for the program, empirical evidence of the success of the program varies substantially. Objective: To assess the association of WIC program participation during pregnancy by low-income expectant mothers covered by Medicaid with infant mortality by gestational age at birth and by maternal race/ethnicity in comparison with their counterparts who did not receive WIC benefits. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study obtained data from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2017, from US live birth certificates. Data were from 11 148 261 expectant mothers who delivered live births in states that have implemented the 2003 revision of the US live birth certificate and whose insurance coverage and receipt of WIC benefits were recorded on the birth certificates. Data analysis was performed from June 2019 to October 2019. Exposures: Receipt of WIC benefits during pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The first outcome was gestational age at birth: extremely preterm (<28 weeks), very preterm (28-32 weeks), moderate-to-late preterm (32-37 weeks), and normal term (≥37 weeks) births. The second outcome was death within the first year of life. Results: Among the 11 148 261 expectant mothers who delivered live births between 2011 and 2017 and were covered by Medicaid during pregnancy, the modal age at delivery was 20 to 24 years, the predominant race/ethnicity was non-Hispanic white (4 257 790 [38.2%]), and 8 145 770 (73.1%) received WIC benefits during pregnancy. The proportion of expectant mothers covered by Medicaid who also received WIC benefits decreased from 2011 to 2017 (79.3% to 67.9%; P < .001). The odds of preterm birth compared with normal term birth were lower among expectant mothers covered by Medicaid who received WIC benefits during pregnancy compared with their counterparts who did not receive WIC benefits during pregnancy (adjusted proportional odds ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.86-0.87). The odds of mortality within 1 year of birth were lower for infants whose mothers were covered by Medicaid and received WIC benefits during pregnancy compared with those who did not receive WIC benefits during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.83-0.86). Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that receipt of WIC benefits among expectant mothers with Medicaid coverage was associated with lower risk of preterm birth and infant mortality

Compositional analysis of InAs-GaAs-GaSb heterostructures by low-loss electron energy loss spectroscopy

As an alternative to Core-Loss Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy, Low-Loss EELS is suitable for compositional analysis of complex heterostructures, such as the InAs-GaAs-GaSb system, since in this energy range the edges corresponding to these elements are better defined than in Core-Loss. Furthermore, the analysis of the bulk plasmon peak, which is present in this energy range, also provides information about the composition. In this work, compositional information in an InAs-GaAs-GaSb heterostructure has been obtained from Low-Loss EEL spectra

Assessing progress in reducing the burden of cancer mortality, 1985-2005

Purpose: Measuring the effect of cancer interventions must take into account rising cancer incidence now that people live longer because of declines in mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cancer mortality rates in the population do not accomplish this objective. We sought a measure that would reveal the effects of changing mortality rates from other diseases. Methods: We obtained annual breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer mortality rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries; we obtained noncancer mortality rates from national death certificates, 1975 to 2005. We used life-table methods to calculate the burden of cancer mortality as the average person-years of life lost (PYLL) as a result of cancer (cancer-specific PYLL) and quantify individual - and perhaps offsetting - contributions of the two factors that affect cancer-specific PYLL: mortality rates as a result of cancer and othercause mortality. Results: Falling cancer mortality rates reduced the burden of mortality from leading cancers, but increasing cancer incidence as a result of decreasing other-cause mortality rates partially offset this progress. Between 1985 and 1989 and between 2000 and 2004, the burden of lung cancer in males declined by 0.1 year of life lost. This decline reflects the sum of two effects: decreasing lung cancer mortality rates that reduced the average burden of lung cancer mortality by 0.33 years of life lost and declining other-cause mortality rates that raised it by 0.23 years. Other common cancers showed similar patterns. Conclusion: By using a measure that accounts for increased cancer incidence as a result of improvements in CVD mortality, we find that prior assessments have underestimated the impact of cancer interventions

Quantum interference in the resonance fluorescence of a J=1/2J=1/2-J′=1/2J'=1/2 atomic system: Quantum beats, nonclassicality, and non-Gaussianity

We study theoretically quantum statistical and spectral properties of the resonance fluorescence of a single atom or system with angular momentum $J=1/2 - J'=1/2$ driven by a monochromatic linearly polarized laser field, due to quantum interference among its two antiparallel, $\pi$ transitions. A magnetic field parallel to the laser polarization is applied to break the degeneracy (Zeeman effect). In the nondegenerate case, the $\pi$ transitions evolve at different generalized Rabi frequencies, producing quantum beats in the intensity and the dipole-dipole, intensity-intensity, and quadrature-intensity correlations. For a strong laser and large Zeeman splitting the beats have mean and modulation frequencies given by the average and difference, respectively, of the Rabi frequencies, unlike thebeats studied in many spectroscopic systems, characterized by a modulated exponential-like decay. Further, the Rabi frequencies are those of the pairs of sidebands of the Mollow-like spectrum of the system. In the two-time correlations, the cross contributions, i.e., those with products of probability amplitudes of the two $\pi$ transitions, have a lesser role than those from the interference of the probability densities. In contrast, there are no cross terms in the total intensity. We also consider nonclassical and non-Gaussian properties of the phase-dependent fluorescence for the cases of weak to moderate excitation and in the regime of beats. The fluorescence in the beats regime is nonclassical, mainly from third-order dipole fluctuations, which reveal them to be also strongly non-Gaussian, and their quadrature spectra show complex features around the Rabi frequencies. For small laser and Zeeman detunings, a weak to moderate laser field pumps the system partially to one of the ground states, showing slow decay in the two time correlations and a narrow peak in the quadrature spectra.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figure

Three intermediate-mass YSOs with different properties emerging from the same natal cloud in IRAS 00117+6412

We observed with the VLA, PdBI, and SMA the centimeter and millimeter continuum, N2H+(1-0), and CO(2-1) emission associated with a dusty cloud harboring a nascent cluster with intermediate-mass protostars. At centimeter wavelengths we found a strong source, tracing a UCHII region, at the eastern edge of the dusty cloud, with a shell-like structure, and with the near-infrared counterpart falling in the center of the shell. This is presumably the most massive source of the forming cluster. About 15'' to the west of the UCHII region and well embedded in the dusty cloud, we detected a strong millimeter source, MM1, associated with centimeter and near-infrared emission. MM1 seems to be driving a prominent high-velocity CO bipolar outflow, and is embedded in a ridge of dense gas traced by N2H+. We estimated that MM1 is an intermediate-mass source in the Class 0/I phase. About 15'' to the south of MM1, and still more deeply embedded in the dusty cloud, we detected a compact millimeter source, MM2, with neither centimeter nor near-infrared emission, but with water maser emission. MM2 is associated with a clump of N2H+, whose kinematics reveal a clear velocity gradient and additionally we found signposts of infall motions. MM2, being deeply embedded within the dusty cloud, with an associated water maser but no hints of CO outflow emission, is an intriguing object, presumably of intermediate mass. In conclusion, the UCHII region is found at the border of a dusty cloud which is currently undergoing active star formation. Two intermediate-mass protostars in the dusty cloud seem to have formed after the UCHII region and have different properties related to the outflow phenomenon.Comment: accepted to Astronomy and Astrophysic

An integrated approach to cause-of-death analysis: Cause-deleted life tables and decompositions of life expectancy

This article integrates two methods that analyze the implications of various causes of death for life expectancy. One of the methods attributes changes in life expectancy to various causes of death; the other method examines the effect of removing deaths from a particular cause on life expectancy. This integration is accomplished by new formulas that make clearer the interactions among causes of death in determining life expectancy. We apply our approach to changes in life expectancy in the United States between 1970 and 2000. We demonstrate, and explain analytically, the paradox that cancer is responsible for more years of life lost in 2000 than in 1970 despite the fact that declines in cancer mortality contributed to advances in life expectancy between 1970 and 2000

Occurrence and potential transfer of mycotoxins in gilthead sea bream and Atlantic salmon by use of novel alternative feed ingredients

Plant ingredients and processed animal proteins (PAP) are suitable alternative feedstuffs for fish feeds in aquaculture practice, although their use can introduce contaminants that are not previously associated with marine salmon and gilthead sea bream farming. Mycotoxins are well known natural contaminants in plant feed material, although they also could be present on PAPs after fungi growth during storage. The present study surveyed commercially available plant ingredients (19) and PAP (19) for a wide range of mycotoxins (18) according to the EU regulations. PAP showed only minor levels of ochratoxin A and fumonisin B1 and the mycotoxin carry-over from feeds to fillets of farmed Atlantic salmon and gilthead sea bream (two main species of European aquaculture) was performed with plant ingredient based diets. Deoxynivalenol was the most prevalent mycotoxin in wheat, wheat gluten and corn gluten cereals with levels ranging from 17 to 814 and μgkg-1, followed by fumonisins in corn products (range 11.1-4901μgkg-1 for fumonisin B1+B2+B3). Overall mycotoxin levels in fish feeds reflected the feed ingredient composition and the level of contaminant in each feed ingredient. In all cases the studied ingredients and feeds showed levels of mycotoxins below maximum residue limits established by the Commission Recommendation 2006/576/EC. Following these guidelines no mycotoxin carry-over was found from feeds to edible fillets of salmonids and a typically marine fish, such as gilthead sea bream. As far we know, this is the first report of mycotoxin surveillance in farmed fish species. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.This work has been (partly) funded under the EU Seventh Framework Programme by ARRAINA Project 288925: Advanced Research Initiatives for Nutrition and Aquaculture. The views expressed in this work are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. The authors also acknowledge the financial support (partly) of the project SAFE-PAP, Research Council Research and Development Project (227387) National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES, Norway). The authors acknowledge the financial support of Generalitat Valenciana, as research group of excellence (PROMETEO II/2014/023, PROMETEO II/2014/085, and Collaborative Research on Environment and Food-Safety, ISIC/2012/016).Peer Reviewe

Occurrence and potential transfer of mycotoxins in gilthead sea bream and Atlantic salmon by use of novel alternative feed ingredients

Plant ingredients and processed animal proteins (PAP) are suitable alternative feedstuffs for fish feeds in aquaculture practice, although their use can introduce contaminants that are not previously associated with marine salmon and gilthead sea bream farming. Mycotoxins are well known natural contaminants in plant feed material, although they also could be present on PAPs after fungi growth during storage. The present study surveyed commercially available plant ingredients (19) and PAP (19) for a wide range of mycotoxins (18) according to the EU regulations. PAP showed only minor levels of ochratoxin A and fumonisin B1 and the mycotoxin carry-over from feeds to fillets of farmed Atlantic salmon and gilthead sea bream (two main species of European aquaculture) was performed with plant ingredient based diets. Deoxynivalenol was the most prevalent mycotoxin in wheat, wheat gluten and corn gluten cereals with levels ranging from 17 to 814 and μg kg−1, followed by fumonisins in corn products (range 11.1–4901 μg kg−1 for fumonisin B1 + B2 + B3). Overall mycotoxin levels in fish feeds reflected the feed ingredient composition and the level of contaminant in each feed ingredient. In all cases the studied ingredients and feeds showed levels of mycotoxins below maximum residue limits established by the Commission Recommendation 2006/576/EC. Following these guidelines no mycotoxin carry-over was found from feeds to edible fillets of salmonids and a typically marine fish, such as gilthead sea bream. As far we know, this is the first report of mycotoxin surveillance in farmed fish species.EU Seventh Framework Programme by ARRAINA Project, 288925. project SAFE-PAP, Research Council Research and Development Project National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES, Norway), 227387. Generalitat Valenciana, PROMETEO II/2014/023 PROMETEO II/2014/085 ISIC/2012/01

A necklace of dense cores in the high-mass star forming region G35.20-0.74N: ALMA observations

The present study aims at characterizing the massive star forming region G35.20N, which is found associated with at least one massive outflow and contains multiple dense cores, one of them recently found associated with a Keplerian rotating disk. We used ALMA to observe the G35.20N region in the continuum and line emission at 350 GHz. The observed frequency range covers tracers of dense gas (e.g. H13CO+, C17O), molecular outflows (e.g. SiO), and hot cores (e.g. CH3CN, CH3OH). The ALMA 870 um continuum emission map reveals an elongated dust structure (0.15 pc long and 0.013 pc wide) perpendicular to the large-scale molecular outflow detected in the region, and fragmented into a number of cores with masses 1-10 Msun and sizes 1600 AU. The cores appear regularly spaced with a separation of 0.023 pc. The emission of dense gas tracers such as H13CO+ or C17O is extended and coincident with the dust elongated structure. The three strongest dust cores show emission of complex organic molecules characteristic of hot cores, with temperatures around 200 K, and relative abundances 0.2-2x10^(-8) for CH3CN and 0.6-5x10^(-6) for CH3OH. The two cores with highest mass (cores A and B) show coherent velocity fields, with gradients almost aligned with the dust elongated structure. Those velocity gradients are consistent with Keplerian disks rotating about central masses of 4-18 Msun. Perpendicular to the velocity gradients we have identified a large-scale precessing jet/outflow associated with core B, and hints of an east-west jet/outflow associated with core A. The elongated dust structure in G35.20N is fragmented into a number of dense cores that may form massive stars. Based on the velocity field of the dense gas, the orientation of the magnetic field, and the regularly spaced fragmentation, we interpret this elongated structure as the densest part of a 1D filament fragmenting and forming massive stars.Comment: 24 pages, 26 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (abstract modified to fit arXiv restrictions