64 research outputs found

    Coercion in Bioethics

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    This paper will define human enhancement and coercion in the context of this discussion; explain separately how Bioconservatives and Transhumanists use the concept of coercion; and demonstrate how coercion is used improperly as a critique of enhancement

    Maternal Weight and Diet as Protective Factors Against the Adverse Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

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    Background: Alcohol is a known teratogen, and the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in the Western Cape Province of South Africa is estimated to be 17 - 28%. Yet the individual variation in child outcomes is not fully explained by the quantity, frequency, or gestational timing of prenatal alcohol exposure. Methods: We examined the influence of maternal weight on the physical and neurocognitive development of infants with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. We compared the physical growth, dysmorphology, and neurocognitive trajectories of infants to understand similarities and differences in birth measurements and rate of change, from birth to 9 months, associated with alcohol exposure and maternal weight. We also examined the role of alcohol consumption and maternal dietary intake on infant physical development in early life.Results: In this population where stunting remains a concern, higher maternal weight was associated with larger, less dysmorphic, infants with better neurodevelopmental outcomes. But the rate of change over time was similar among all infants regardless of maternal weight. Alcohol exposure consistently resulted in poorer growth and more dysmorphic infants. Most women in this population were not achieving adequate micronutrient intake for pregnant women and malnutrition remains a concern for this population. Alcohol had a direct adverse effect on maternal dietary intake.Conclusion: This research attempted to better understand maternal weight and dietary intake as factors which may mitigate some of the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure in the early infancy period. Alcohol was adversely associated with maternal dietary intake and infant outcomes. Maternal weight may be somewhat protective and may partially explain some of the individual variation in infant physical and neurocognitive outcomes, but higher maternal weight does not overcome the majority of the negative, teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. These studies affirm that there is no known safe level of alcohol exposure during pregnancy.Doctor of Philosoph

    STEM Problem-Based Learning for a Diverse Classroom of Learners

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    Engage in a hands-on, minds-on activity to engage ALL learners in the practices and concepts of science while employing a culturally responsive project-based learning framework. Session for middle school and high school science teachers

    NC Latina BEAUTY: Formative Research, Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Salon-based Health Promotion Pilot Program in a Latino Salon in the NC Triangle Area

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    Background: Latino beauty salons have the potential to provide a unique opportunity to reach the U.S. Latino population with information and activities that will promote healthy behaviors, reduce risk, prevent chronic disease and improve quality of life. Methods: By conducting a pilot test in a Latino salon, the Capstone team explored the feasibility of a physical activity intervention, adapted from a previous physical activity campaign included as part of the NC BEAUTY and Health Project. The adaptation was informed by engaging with multiple community members, conducting formative research, and a literature review. Results: The formative research aided the team in developing an intervention and evaluation plan including: evaluation and intervention materials and trainings of lay health educators and salon stylists. Results from the implementation of the pilot intervention, which includes 3 weeks of recruitment and baseline assessment, 6 weeks of intervention activities, and 2-3 weeks of post-intervention assessment, will likely be used in the development of a grant proposal and a manuscript, helping to fill the gap in evidence-based literature about health interventions in Latino beauty salons. Discussion: Although this Capstone project succeeded at developing a pilot test study and engaging with a Latino beauty salon, ongoing challenges include time constraints, insufficient formative research, language barriers, lack of entrée into the community, and threats to sustainability. Recommendations for next steps are discussed.Master of Public Healt

    Science Innovation in 45 Minutes or Less

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    Join this interactive session to learn how to engage your students in science innovation to solve real-world problems. This takeaway activity illustrates how science progresses from idea generation to solution development. Along the way, see how students engage in the NGSS practices and processes of science and engineering. The innovation process develops students’ workforce and college-ready skills and mindsets. Hear from a Muscatine secondary science educator on how she is implementing innovation in her science classroom

    Maternal nutritional status as a contributing factor for the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

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    Compare nutritional status of 57 South African mothers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) with 148 mothers of controls

    Untargeted Metabolome Analysis of Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies Reveals Metabolite Differences That Are Associated with Infant Birth Outcomes

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    Prenatal alcohol exposure can produce offspring growth deficits and is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disability. We used untargeted metabolomics to generate mechanistic insight into how alcohol impairs fetal development. In the Western Cape Province of South Africa, 52 women between gestational weeks 5–36 (mean 18.5 ± 6.5) were recruited, and they provided a finger-prick fasting bloodspot that underwent mass spectrometry. Metabolomic data were analyzed using partial least squares-discriminant analyses (PLS-DA) to identify metabolites that correlated with alcohol exposure and infant birth outcomes. Women who consumed alcohol in the past seven days were distinguished by a metabolite profile that included reduced sphingomyelins, cholesterol, and pregnenolones, and elevated fatty acids, acyl and amino acyl carnitines, and androsterones. Using PLS-DA, 25 of the top 30 metabolites differentiating maternal groups were reduced by alcohol with medium-chain free fatty acids and oxidized sugar derivatives having the greatest influence. A separate ortho-PLS-DA analysis identified a common set of 13 metabolites that were associated with infant length, weight, and head circumference. These included monoacylglycerols, glycerol-3-phosphate, and unidentified metabolites, and most of their associations were negative, implying they represent processes having adverse consequences for fetal development

    The continuum of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in four rural communities in south africa: Prevalence and characteristics

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    Prevalence and characteristics of the continuum of diagnoses within fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) were researched in previously unstudied rural, agricultural, lower socioeconomic populations in South Africa (ZA)
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