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Purpose: To address minority health disparities in maternal and child health (MCH), increasing the diversity of the MCH workforce is an important strategy. Description: Guided by the MCH Leadership Competencies, we developed an undergraduate pipeline program for disadvantaged students. Our target population is minority undergraduates who are interested in entering health professions but have academic challenges. We identify these students early in their undergraduate careers and expose them to the field of MCH through a 4-unit course, summer field practicum at an MCH community-based organization or agency, and volunteer experience in a student-run organization focused on helping children and families. We also provide academic advising and personal counseling by a faculty mentor and leadership training opportunities. Assessment: Since 2006, 75 students have participated in our program, of which 36 are still enrolled and 39 have graduated. Among the graduates, three (8 %) have completed graduate school and are working in a health field; 11 (28 %) are enrolled in graduate school; and 13 (33 %) are currently applying to graduate school. Of the remaining graduates, seven (18 %) are employed in a health field, and five (13 %) are working in an unrelated field. Conclusion: Pipeline programs should attempt to reach students as early as possible in their undergraduate careers to more effectively influence their academic trajectories. Many minority students face academic and personal challenges; therefore, intensive academic advising and one-on-one faculty mentoring are important components of pipeline programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the perspectives of Latino young people with respect to their food environment and their perceptions and involvement with the market conversion project. Topics discussed include the initial involvement of students in the corner store project, the students' concern over low levels of awarenes of the conversions and how it is detrimental to the adoption of healthful eating habits and how young people perceive the role of social environment in community health.

The Pathways for Students into Health Professions program is one of four nationally funded programs by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services to support the training of undergraduate students, particularly from under-represented minority groups to pursue maternal and child health professions. To assess the program's impact on student ratings, knowledge, and interest in maternal and child health professions. A baseline survey on student ratings and knowledge in maternal and child health topics and careers, public health topics, and career development topics was provided to 32 students at the beginning of their first year in the program and approximately 1 year after participation. Half of the students (16 students) in the program from 2009-2011 were from traditionally underrepresented minority groups. After participation, students reported significantly higher ratings of interest in maternal and child health topics and careers and in receiving adequate academic and career guidance. Students also reported significantly higher knowledge of public health, childhood and maternal morbidity and mortality, health care disparities, and life course health development. The program's didactic, experiential, and mentorship activities are changing student ratings and knowledge in a favorable direction toward maternal and child health careers and topics. Undergraduate training programs may be an important mechanism to strengthen the pipeline of a diverse healthcare workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of internists in the transition from pediatric to adult health care. Topics include factors associated with adolescent-to-adult care transition, pediatric and adult care practices in an ideal system, and effects of the inattention received by emerging adults from either adult or pediatric clinicians.

Despite higher risk for school failure, few school-based mentoring (SBM) studies have focused on low-income at-risk Latino children. We describe the development and evaluation of the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP), a sustainable, high-quality, SBM program among urban Latino students. Based on evidence from work in other communities, YEP was created as a partnership between the 4th and 5th grades at a Los Angeles Title I elementary school and university undergraduates. We tested the feasibility of applying a previously validated relationship quality assessment tool in this population. Since 2008, 61 mentor and mentee pairs have participated in YEP, with an average relationship length of 1.5 years. Through 2010, over 95 % of pairs had relationships lasting at least 1 year, while 47 % lasted 2 or more years. Seventy-percent of mentees and 85 % of mentors were female, and an increased trend for early relationship termination was observed among male mentees. Through 2011, relationships lasted under 1 year among 29 % of male mentees compared to 7 % of female mentees ( p = 0.15). A previously validated relationship quality assessment tool was easily incorporated into YEP, with relationships exhibiting youth-centeredness, emotional engagement and low dissatisfaction. After 5 years, YEP has become a feasible and sustainable SBM program providing long-term relationships for low-income Latino children. These relationships may improve youth health through fewer risky behaviors and attitude improvements. Future work should focus on supporting male mentors and mentees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing of the first introduction of solid food during infancy may have potential effects on life-long health. To understand the characteristics that are associated with the timing of infants' initial exposure to solid foods. The 2000 National Survey of Early Childhood Health (NSECH) was a nationally representative telephone survey of 2,068 parents of children aged 4-35 months, which profiled content and quality of health care for young children. African-American and Latino families were over-sampled. Analyses in this report include bivariate tests and logistic regressions. 62% of parents reported introducing solids to their child between 4-6 months of age. African-American mothers (OR = 0.5 [0.3, 0.9]), English-speaking Latino mothers (OR = 0.4 [0.2, 0.7]), White mothers with more than high school education (OR = 0.5 [0.2, 1.0]), and mothers who breastfed for 4 months or longer (OR = 0.4 [0.3, 0.7]) were less likely to introduce solids early. Most parents (92%) of children 4-9 months of age reported that their pediatric provider had discussed introduction of solids with them since the child's birth, and provider discussion of feeding was not associated with the timing of introduction of solids. Although most parents recall discussing the introduction of solid foods with their child's physician, several subgroups of mothers introduce solid foods earlier than the AAP recommendation of 4-6 months. More effective discussion of solid food introduction linked to counseling and support of breastfeeding by the primary health care provider may reduce early introduction of solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand Latina mothers' definitions of health and obesity in their children and perceptions of physician weight assessments. 24 low-income Spanish speaking Mexican mothers of children ages 2-5 years were recruited to participate in 4 focus groups. Half of the mothers had overweight or obese children and half had healthy weight children. Focus group comments were transcribed and analyzed using grounded theory. Themes and supporting comments were identified independently by 3 reviewers for triangulation. A fourth reader independently confirmed common themes. Mothers define health as a function of their child's ability to play and engage in all aspects of life. Obesity was defined with declining physical abilities. Mothers state health care provider assessments help determine a child's overweight status. Causative factors of obesity included family role-modeling and psycho-social stress, physical inactivity, and high-fat foods consumed outside the home. Controlling food intake was the primary approach to preventing and managing obesity but mothers described family conflict related to children's eating habits. These findings held constant with mothers regardless of whether their children were overweight, obese, or at a healthy weight. Mothers utilize physical limitations and health care professional's assessment of their child's weight as indicators of an overweight status. These results highlight the importance of calculating and communicating body mass indices (BMI) for Latino children. Eliminating non-nutritive foods from the home, increasing physical activity, and involving family members in the discussion of health and weight maintenance are important strategies for the prevention and management of childhood obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (urokinase, uPA) and its receptor, uPAR, have been implicated in cell adhesion, migration, tissue remodelling and tumour-cell invasion, uPAR has three domains and is anchored to membranes by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)anchor. Recombinant uPAR without GPI anchor, soluble uPAR (suPAR), tends to oligomerize, making it difficult to crystallize. The amino-terminal fragment (ATF) of uPA is the major receptor-binding determinant in suPAR and binds to suPAR with nanomolar affinity, indistinguishable from membrane-bound uPAR. It is shown that uPA is capable of dissociating the oligomerization of suPAR and the crystallization of the suPAR-ATF complex is reported here. The resulting crystals diffract to 3.1 Å using a synchrotron X-ray source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native bovine factor V exhibits a molecular weight of 300 000 as determined by gel filtration of untreated plasma. Highly purified factor V exhibits multiple molecular weight forms which range from small active fragments to aggregates of several million which are generated during the purification on cellulose phosphate. Isoelectric focusing of a single high-molecular-weight species produced a single protein and activity peak at pH 4.65. Factor V activity is associated with each protein band observed following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Antisera to factor V prepared in rabbits produces a time-dependent and concentration-dependent inhibition of factor V activity in plasma and purified factor V. The multiple molecular weight forms of factor V appear equivalent upon immunodiffusion and on immunoelectrophoresis migrate as an alpha globulin between albumin and fibrinogen. Immunoprecipitation arcs are equivalent in plasma and serum. Factor V consists of two major types of subunits, a light chain (73 000), aggregates of which form the higher-molecular-weight species, and a heavy chain (125 000). Using preparations containing one or both chains isolated by disc gel electrophoresis, antiserum was shown to contain two families of antibodies, one against each subunit. Cross reactivity with both light and heavy chain antigens is observed in sheep and goat but not monkey or human plasma. The antisera also neutralized goat and sheep factor V activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers collaborated with undergraduate minority students to quantitatively and qualitatively investigate college students' mental health during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were two convenience samples of diverse college students surveyed in June (n = 128; M age = 21.7, SD = 1.7) and December (n = 242; M age = 20.3, SD = 1.7) of 2020. This study administered items from the California Health Interview Survey and open-ended qualitative items via Qualtrics. Across both waves, students reported significant mental health challenges and psychological distress. Students surveyed in December were three to four times more likely to report depression and anxiety. Female and older students reported heightened odds of mental health challenges. Qualitative findings elaborated on contributing factors. During the pandemic, college students have experienced pronounced mental health challenges, potentially exacerbated by academic, professional, relational, and environmental stressors and uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]