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Aim: To explore the association between maternal dietary fat and fatty acid (FA) intake during lactation, and the risk of asthma in the offspring by the age of 5 years. Methods: The subjects comprised 1798 mother-child pairs from the Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Nutrition Study. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated 181-item food frequency questionnaire, which covered the third month of lactation. The cumulative incidence of asthma was assessed at the age of 5 years with a questionnaire modified from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Cox proportional hazards regression was used for statistical analysis. Results: The maternal use of margarines during lactation was associated with a marginally increased risk of asthma [hazard ratio (HR) for user vs. nonuser 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-3.82, p = 0.047] after adjusting for putative confounders. The maternal intakes of n-3 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and fish during lactation were not associated with the risk of asthma. Conclusion: Maternal use of margarines during lactation was weakly associated with an increased risk of asthma in the offspring at the age of 5 years. Other fats or FAs during lactation were not associated with the risk of asthma. However, the nonadherence to dietary recommendations regarding especially fats of our study population may restrict the generalizability of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This preliminary study evaluates a real-time syndromic surveillance system to track occupationally-related emergency room visits throughout New Jersey., Methods: Emergency Department (ED) chief complaint fields were evaluated from 79 of 80 hospitals in NJ in 2014, using work-related keywords and ICD-9 E-codes, to determine its ability to capture non-fatal work-related injuries. Sensitivity analysis and descriptive statistics, were used to evaluate and summarize the occupational injuries identified., Results: Overall, 11 919 (0.3%) possible work-related ED visits were identified from all ED visits. Events with the greatest number of ED visits were slips, trips, and falls (1679, 14%). Nature of injury included cuts, lacerations (1041, 9%). The part of the body most affected was the back (1414, 12%). This work-related classifier achieved a sensitivity of 5.4%, a specificity of 99.8%, and a PPV of 2.8%., Conclusions: This evaluation demonstrated that the syndromic surveillance reporting system can yield real-time knowledge of work-related injuries., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Isocyanates remain a leading cause of work-related asthma (WRA)., Methods: Two independent data systems were analyzed for the period 1993-2008: (1) State-based WRA case surveillance data on persons with isocyanate-induced WRA from four states, and (2) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) isocyanate air sampling results., Results: We identified 368 cases of isocyanate-induced WRA from 32 industries and 678 OSHA isocyanate air samples with detectable levels from 31 industries. Seventeen industries were unique to one or the other dataset., Conclusion: Isocyanate-induced WRA continues to occur in a wide variety of industries. Two data systems uncovered industries with isocyanate exposures and/or illness. Improved control measures and standards, including medical surveillance, are needed. More emphasis is needed on task-specific guidance, spill clean-up procedures, skin and respiratory protection, and targeted medical monitoring to mitigate the hazards of isocyanate use., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)