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We present a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of a newly developed introductory course, Geology of Mexico, in attracting Hispanic students, encouraging them to take more geology courses, and recruiting them to the major. The student population in the Geology of Mexico course was 93% Hispanic compared with 18.5% in Physical Geology. We found that Hispanic students in Physical Geology earned lower grades than did nonminority students, while Hispanic students in Geology of Mexico earned grades comparable with nonminority students in Physical Geology. Overall, Geology of Mexico students also showed more positive attitude changes and were more likely to take another geology course. The recruitment rate into the major for Hispanic students in Geology of Mexico was 4.7% compared with 3% in Physical Geology. The recruitment rate for nonminority students in Physical Geology was 4.9%. We believe the difference in outcome for Hispanic students is due to a strong cohort effect enhanced by (1) the required lab component and (2) many students knowing one another because they belong to the Hispanic-serving organizations on campus that promote our course.

Hysterectomy is one of the most commonly performed surgeries in women. Surgical-site infections (SSI) after hysterectomy can lead to increased morbidity and mortality as well as readmission, which is associated with increased costs for health systems. The aim of the project was to improve standardization of preoperative education on infection prevention and incorporate the use of preoperative chlorhexidine (CHG) bathing for patients undergoing hysterectomy to decrease rates of SSI. Data on SSI after hysterectomy were reviewed. Tracer methodology was used to identify gaps in the preoperative process by comparing the current process to the Council on Patient Safety in Women's Health Care Patient Safety Bundle "Prevention of Surgical Site Infection after Gynecologic Surgery." After implementation, survey data were collected on adherence to the washing protocol, and SSI data were monitored. Survey results reflected high compliance with the CHG washing protocol, provision of patient education, and overall patient satisfaction with the process. Before implementation in 2016, we reported 8 deep or organ/space SSI to the National Healthcare Safety Network. After implementation in 2018, we reported 3 deep or organ/space SSI. Standardizing infection prevention processes to align with safety bundles improves the quality of care provided to patients.

Background: For countries to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 of reducing the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030, identifying the drivers of maternal mortality is critically important. The ability of countries to identify the key drivers is however hampered by the lack of data sources with sufficient observations of maternal death to allow a rigorous analysis of its determinants. This paper overcomes this problem by utilising census data. In the context of Indonesia, we merge individual-level data on pregnancy-related deaths and households' socio-economic status from the 2010 Indonesian population census with detailed data on the availability and quality of local health services from the Village Census. We use these data to test the hypothesis that health service access and quality are important determinants of maternal death and explain the differences between high maternal mortality and low maternal mortality provinces., Methods: The 2010 Indonesian Population Census identifies 8075 pregnancy-related deaths and 5,866,791 live births. Multilevel logistic regression is used to analyse the impacts of demographic characteristics and the existence of, distance to and quality of health services on the likelihood of maternal death. Decomposition analysis quantifies the extent to which the difference in maternal mortality ratios between high and low performing provinces can be explained by demographic and health service characteristics., Findings: Health service access and characteristics account for 23% (CI: 17.2% to 28.5%) of the difference in maternal mortality ratios between high and low-performing provinces. The most important contributors are the number of doctors working at the community health centre (8.6%), the number of doctors in the village (6.9%) and distance to the nearest hospital (5.9%). Distance to health clinics and the number of midwives at community health centres and village health posts are not significant contributors, nor is socio-economic status. If the same level of access to doctors and hospitals in lower maternal mortality Java-Bali was provided to the higher maternal mortality Outer Islands of Indonesia, our model predicts 44 deaths would be averted per 100,000 pregnancies., Conclusion: Indonesia has employed a strategy over the past several decades of increasing the supply of midwives as a way of decreasing maternal mortality. While there is evidence of reductions in maternal mortality continuing to accrue from the provision of midwife services at village health posts, our findings suggest that further reductions in maternal mortality in Indonesia may require a change of focus to increasing the supply of doctors and access to hospitals. If data on maternal death is collected in a subsequent census, future research using two waves of census data would prove a useful validation of the results found here. Similar research using census data from other countries is also likely to be fruitful., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Serotonin modulates various physiological processes and behaviors. This study investigates the role of 5-HT in locomotion and feeding behaviors as well as in modulation of sensory-motor circuits. The 5-HT biosynthesis was dysregulated by feeding Drosophila larvae 5-HT, a 5-HT precursor, or an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase during early stages of development. The effects of feeding fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, during early second instars were also examined. 5-HT receptor subtypes were manipulated using RNA interference mediated knockdown and 5-HT receptor insertional mutations. Moreover, synaptic transmission at 5-HT neurons was blocked or enhanced in both larvae and adult flies. The results demonstrate that disruption of components within the 5-HT system significantly impairs locomotion and feeding behaviors in larvae. Acute activation of 5-HT neurons disrupts normal locomotion activity in adult flies. To determine which 5-HT receptor subtype modulates the evoked sensory-motor activity, pharmacological agents were used. In addition, the activity of 5-HT neurons was enhanced by expressing and activating TrpA1 channels or channelrhodopsin-2 while recording the evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in muscle fibers. 5-HT2 receptor activation mediates a modulatory role in a sensory-motor circuit, and the activation of 5-HT neurons can suppress the neural circuit activity, while fluoxetine can significantly decrease the sensory-motor activity.

Background: Mental illness can impact all stages of labour market engagement: lower rates of participation in the labour market, higher rates of unemployment and employment in low-skill or low-earning occupations relative to qualifications. Systematic mental health surveys provide an opportunity to examine the scale of such impacts. Though usually cross sectional in nature, such surveys commonly include historical data by self report that can be used to construct a retrospective cohort study, within which it is possible to examine temporal sequence of illness and employment experience and thereby explore issues of causality., Methods: The 1997 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing of Adults contains comprehensive questions relating to prevalence and level of disability associated with major mental disorders. Here we employ secondary analyses of the survey data to develop three models capturing workforce participation, unemployment and occupational level. Different versions of these models employ either broad diagnostic classes or numbers of disorders as indicators of mental disorder status. After reporting findings from these models we use them in combination to estimate labour market costs for Australia., Results: Each disorder reduces the chance of participation in the labour market by 1.3 percentage points, an appreciable amount given that most individuals suffering from mental disorders have multiple disorders. There is a strongly significant effect of mental illness on employment and clear evidence of reduced occupational skill level., Discussion: The impact of mental illness is very strong at every stage of engagement. Limitations include the self report nature of the assessments and lack of specific income data collection within the survey instrument., Implications for Health Care Provision and Use: Other work based on this survey shows poor accessibility of recovery based and rehabilitation orientated services. These are the very services that have a role to play in increasing workforce participation, employment and occupational level., Implications for Health Policies: This assessment of these labour market effects suggests that increasing mental health care funding could yield substantial benefits to the economy., Implications for Further Research: In 2007 a further survey of the Australian population was carried out that will provide an updated data set against which to re-examine this issue. The issue of comparability of the instrumentation between the two surveys will be complex, but valid comparisons across the two surveys should be feasible.

We studied the effects of self-administered neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on changes in strength, endurance, selected anthropometric measures, and subject's perceived shape and satisfaction of the abdominal wall. Twenty-four adults (experimental group) stimulated their abdominals 5 days per week (20-40 minutes per session) for 8 weeks and refrained from engaging in any additional exercise during the study. A control group (N=16) refrained from exercising the abdominals or engaging in any other exercise training during the study. Subjects were tested at the beginning, mid-point, and end of the study. Isometric strength of the abdominal muscles was tested using a isokinetic dynamometer, endurance was measured using the ACSM curl-up test, abdominal circumference was measured using a steel tape measure, and body shape and satisfaction were assessed via questionnaire. The stimulation group had a 58% increase in abdominal strength, whereas the control group did not change. The stimulation group also had a 100% increase in abdominal endurance versus a 28% increase in the control group. Waist circumference decreased by of 3.5 cm in the stimulation group compared to no significant change in the control group. All 24 subjects in the stimulation group felt that their midsections were more "toned" and "firmed" and 13/24 (54%) felt that their posture had improved as a result of the stimulation. None of the control group subjects reported changes in these parameters. There were no significant differences in body weight, BMI, or skinfold thickness over the course of the study in either group. NMES, as used in the current study, resulted in significant improvements in the muscular strength and endurance of the abdominal region, as well as subject's perceived shape and satisfaction of the mid-section. Key PointsElectrical muscle stimulation (EMS) was effective in increasing muscle strength and enduranceAll subjects perceived their abdominal muscles to be firmer and more toned as a result of EMSAbdominal and waist girth was also significantly reduced, despite no changes in body weight or subcutaneous fat.

The rational design of future bioengineered skin substitutes requires an understanding of the mechanisms by which the three-dimensional microarchitecture of tissue scaffolds modulates keratinocyte function. Microtextured basal lamina analogs were developed to investigate the relationship between the characteristic topography at the dermal-epidermal interface of native skin and keratinocyte function. Microfabrication techniques were used to create master patterns, negative replicates, and collagen membranes with ridges and channels of length scales (e.g., grooves of 50-200 microm in depth and width) similar to the invaginations found in basal lamina at the dermal-epidermal junction of native skin. Keratinocytes were seeded on the surfaces of basal lamina analogs, and histological analyses were performed after 7 days of tissue culture at the air-liquid interface. The keratinocytes formed a differentiated and stratified epidermis that conformed to the features of the microtextured membranes. Morphometric analyses of immunostained skin equivalents suggest that keratinocyte stratification and differentiation increases as channel depth increases and channel width decreases. This trend was most pronounced in channels with the highest depth-to-width ratios (i.e., 200 microm deep, 50 microm wide). It is anticipated that the findings from these studies will elucidate design parameters to enhance the performance of future bioengineered skin substitutes.

We describe the development and validation of the Relationship Self Inventory (RSI), which assesses 2 general self-orientations, (a) the Separate Self (SS) and (b) the Connected Self (CS), as well as two manifestations of connection, (a) Primacy of Other Care and (b) Self and Other Care. The CS reflects the importance of interconnectedness with others and a "voice of caring," whereas the SS reflects autonomy, independence, and a "voice of justice." Adequate reliability was demonstrated for the RSI on samples consisting of 927 women and 218 men ranging in age from 26 to 78. Construct validity of the RSI was also explored in a subsample (n = 604) by comparing its scales with measures of personality, temperament, and psychological adjustment. Although mean scores of men and women differed minimally on the CS and SS scales, gender differences in patterns of correlation with validity measures suggested that the meanings of the scales differed for men and women. The RSI appears to be an adequate survey tool for assessing these self-orientations.

Photosynthetic carbon metabolism of isolated spinach mesophyll cells was characterized under conditions favoring photorespiratory (PR; 0.04% CO(2) and 20% O(2)) and nonphotorespiratory (NPR; 0.2% CO(2) and 2% O(2)) metabolism, as well as intermediate conditions. Comparisons were made between the metabolic effects of extracellularly supplied NH(4) (+) and intracellular NH(4) (+), produced primarily via PR metabolism. The metabolic effects of (14)CO(2) fixation under PR conditions were similar to perturbations of photosynthetic metabolism brought about by externally supplied NH(4) (+); both increased labeling and intracellular concentrations of glutamine at the expense of glutamate and increased anaplerotic synthesis through alpha-ketoglutarate. The metabolic effects of added NH(4) (+) during NPR fixation were greater than those during PR fixation, presumably due to lower initial NH(4) (+) levels during NPR fixation. During PR fixation, addition of ammonia caused decreased pools and labeling of glutamate and serine and increased glycolate, glyoxylate, and glycine labeling. The glycolate pathway was thus affected by increased rates of carbon flow and decreased glutamate availability for glyoxylate transamination, resulting in increased usage of serine for transamination. Sucrose labeling decreased with NH(4) (+) addition only during PR fixation, suggesting that higher photosynthetic rates under NPR conditions can accommodate the increased drain of carbon toward amino acid synthesis while maintaining sucrose synthesis.

The effects of added glycine hydroxamate on the photosynthetic incorporation of (14)CO(2) into metabolites by isolated mesophyll cells of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) was investigated under conditions favorable to photorespiratory (PR) metabolism (0.04% CO(2) and 20% O(2)) and under conditions leading to nonphotorespiratory (NPR) metabolism (0.2% CO(2) and 2.7% O(2)). Glycine hydroxamate (GH) is a competitive inhibitor of the photorespiratory conversion of glycine to serine, CO(2) and NH(4) (+). During PR fixation, addition of the inhibitor increased glycine and decreased glutamine labeling. In contrast, labeling of glycine decreased under NPR conditions. This suggests that when the rate of glycolate synthesis is slow, the primary route of glycine synthesis is through serine rather than from glycolate. GH addition increased serine labeling under PR conditions but not under NPR conditions. This increase in serine labeling at a time when glycine to serine conversion is partially blocked by the inhibitor may be due to serine accumulation via the "reverse" flow of photorespiration from 3-P-glycerate to hydroxypyruvate when glycine levels are high. GH increased glyoxylate and decreased glycolate labeling. These observations are discussed with respect to possible glyoxylate feedback inhibition of photorespiration.

The number and complexity of dental restorations has decreased for younger Americans. Since the presence and extent of restorations are important data for forensic science identification purposes, the Computer-Assisted Postmortem Identification (CAPMI) system was used to assess the practical effect of the decreased selectivity expected as a result of improved dental health. Dental examination data from 7030 soldiers were recorded on optical mark read forms and entered into a database. The data were reorganized and analyzed to generate summary statistics about the incidence of each type of restoration (divided into 16 categories) for both anterior, posterior, upper, lower, and combined segments. Patients' ages ranged from 17 to 49 with a mean of 24 years 5 months. Sixty percent were from 18 to 25 years old. A characteristic is defined as any situation other than a virgin tooth; for example, extracted, missing, unerupted, or restored. The average subject had 7 dental characteristics with approximately 75% having 4 or more. Within the entire population, 9% had 32 unrestored teeth. 3.6% had only one characteristic. To test the selectivity and uniqueness of various combinations of dental characteristics, 363 simulations using the CAPMI system were made against the entire 7030 subject database. Sample records (33 per group) with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18, and 19+ characteristics were chosen at random from the database and searches were made.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)