Elementary Teachers’ Ideologies On The Experience Of A Mixed-Race Student

With bi/multi-racial students existing within a nebulous racial categorization that has been historically defined to support an economic agenda, creating a positive self-identity for students in this group can be challenging. This article examined those challenges by exploring the reflections of elementary level teachers’ classroom practices and perceptions of the collective elementary educational experience of one bi-racial student in a southeastern U.S. public school

Why we need to support Aboriginal women's choice to give birth on country

[Extract] Around 9.6 out of every 1000 Aboriginal babies are stillborn, or die in childbirth or the first 28 days of life, compared with 8.1 non-Aboriginal babies. Getting maternity care right for Aboriginal women if critical to closing the gap

Self-esteem, relationship threat, and dependency regulation:Independent replication of Murray, Rose, Bellavia, Holmes, and Kusche (2002) Study 3

Across three studies, Murray, Rose, Bellavia, Holmes, and Kusche (2002) found that low self-esteem individuals responded in a negative manner compared to those high in self-esteem in the face of relationship threat, perceiving their partners and relationships less positively. This was the first empirical support for the hypothesized dynamics of a dependency regulation perspective, and has had a significant impact on the field of relationship science. In the present research, we sought to reproduce the methods and procedures of Study 3 of Murray et al. (2002) to further test the two-way interaction between individual differences in self-esteem and situational relationship threat. Manipulation check effects replicated the original study, but no interaction between self-esteem and experimental condition was observed for any primary study outcomes

Building, scaling, and sustaining a learning health system for surgical quality improvement: A toolkit

This article describes how to start, replicate, scale, and sustain a learning health system for quality improvement, based on the experience of the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative (MSQC). The key components to operationalize a successful collaborative improvement infrastructure and the features of a learning health system are explained. This information is designed to guide others who desire to implement quality improvement interventions across a regional network of hospitals using a collaborative approach. A toolkit is provided (under Supporting Information) with practical information for implementation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156156/3/lrh210215.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156156/2/lrh210215-sup-0001-supinfo.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156156/1/lrh210215_am.pd

Using Administrative Data to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Home Visiting Programs for Improving the Well-Being of First Nations Children and Parents

Introduction The province-wide Families First Home Visiting Program (FFHV) provides home visiting to families with children living in conditions of risk. It remains unknown if First Nations families are benefiting from the program. Using existing administrative and population-wide data is an innovative practice to evaluate programs that have been scaled up. Objectives and Approach The objective is to determine FFHV’s effectiveness at improving outcomes for First Nations children and parents. The partnership with First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba facilitated access to First Nations identifiers and provided guidance in conducting the study. Program data from 4,010 First Nations children and parents were linked at an individual-level to administrative data housed at the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. We compared the predictive probability of outcomes of program and non-program families. Inverse probability of treatment weights were used to adjust for confounders related to both entry into FFHV and the outcomes under study. Results The cohort of First Nations children and parents was successfully linked through an individual scrambled health identifier. FFHV was associated with higher rates of child immunization at age one (71% versus 66%) and age two (47% versus 41%) and parental involvement in community support groups (21% versus 17%). It was also associated with lower rates of being in care of child welfare at age one (10% versus 14%) and age two (15% versus 19%); maltreatment-related hospitalizations at age three (0.4% versus 1.0%); and child victimization as measured by justice system records (1.7% versus 3.0%). However, there were no differences in being “not ready for school” between the two groups of children, nor between the groups of mothers in physician visits for mental health reasons. Conclusion/Implications Home visiting services can play a role in supporting healthy development of First Nations children by providing support to parents and connecting children to health and social services, however, there also remains an urgent need for long term strategies to address structural inequality and the ongoing effects of colonization

Requirement For C-terminal Sequences in Regulation of Ect2 Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Specificity and Transformation

Ect2 was identified originally as a transforming protein and a member of the Dbl family of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Like all Dbl family proteins, Ect2 contains a tandem Dbl homology (DH) and pleckstrin homology (PH) domain structure. Previous studies demonstrated that N-terminal deletion of sequences upstream of the DH domain created a constitutively activated, transforming variant of Ect2 (designated DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH/C), indicating that the N terminus served as a negative regulator of DH domain function in vivo. The role of sequences C-terminal to the DH domain has not been established. Therefore, we assessed the consequences of mutation of C-terminal sequences on Ect2-transforming activity. Surprisingly, in contrast to observations with other Dbl family proteins, we found that mutation of the invariant tryptophan residue in the PH domain did not impair DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH/C transforming activity. Furthermore, although the sequences C-terminal to the PH domain lack any known functional domains or motifs, deletion of these sequences (DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH) resulted in a dramatic reduction in transforming activity. Whereas DeltaN-Ect2 caused formation of lamellipodia, DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH enhanced actin stress fiber formation, suggesting that C-terminal sequences influenced Ect2 Rho GTPase specificity. Consistent with this possibility, we determined that DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH activated RhoA, but not Rac1 or Cdc42, whereas DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH/C activated all three Rho GTPases in vivo. Taken together, these observations suggest that regions of Ect2 C-terminal to the DH domain alter the profile of Rho GTPases activated in vivo and consequently may contribute to the enhanced transforming activity of DeltaN-Ect2 DH/PH/C

Our Children, Our Future: The Health and Well-being of First Nations Children in Manitoba, Canada.

Objectives Given the impact of colonization and responding to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, we aimed to provide baseline measures of First Nations children’s health and social outcomes in Manitoba, Canada. We also aimed to create a research process where Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers work collaboratively and in culturally safe ways. Approach We formed a team consisting of members of First Nation organizations and academic researchers.  Knowledge Keepers from Anishinaabe, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota and Dene Nations guided the study, interpreted results and ensured meaningful knowledge translation.  This retrospective cohort study utilized population-based health, social services, education and justice administrative data that allowed de-identified individual-level linkages across all databases through a scrambled health number.  Adjusted rates and rate ratios were calculated using a generalized liner modeling approach to compare First Nations children (n=61,726) and all other Manitoba children (n=279,087) and comparing First Nations children living on and off-reserve. Results Large disparities between First Nations and other Manitoba children were found in birth outcomes, physical and mental health, health services, education, social services, justice system involvement and mortality. First Nations infants had higher rates of preterm births, large-for-gestational-age births, newborn readmissions to hospital and lower rates of breastfeeding initiation compared with other Manitoba infants. Suicide rates among First Nations adolescents were ten times higher than among other adolescents in Manitoba, yet we found few differences in diagnosis of mood and anxiety disorders between the groups. First Nations children were also seven times more likely to apprehended by child protection services and youth were ten times more likely to be criminally accused.  Knowledge Keepers offered their perspectives on these findings. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that an enormous amount of work is required in virtually every area – health, social, education and justice – to improve First Nations children’s lives. There is an urgent need for equitable access to services, and these services should be self-determined, planned and implemented by First Nations people

No Strings Attached: The Impact of an Unconditional Prenatal Income Supplement on First Nations Birth and Early Childhood Outcomes

Introduction In Manitoba, low-income pregnant women are eligible for the Healthy Baby Prenatal Benefit (HBPB), an unconditional income supplement provided during the second and third trimester of pregnancy. HBPB is associated with improved birth outcomes for Manitoba women; its association with birth outcomes for First Nations (Indigenous) women is unknown. Objectives and Approach To determine the association between HBPB and First Nations’ (FN) newborn and early childhood outcomes, we linked whole-population data from health, public health, family services and education. We included only FN women receiving income assistance during pregnancy (n=7074) to develop comparable treatment (received HBPB; n=5283) and comparison (no HBPB; n=1791) groups. Propensity score weighting adjusted for differences in maternal characteristics between groups. Multi-variable regressions compared groups on breastfeeding initiation, low birth weight, preterm birth, small- and large-for-gestational age, Apgar scores, complete immunizations at 1 and 2 years, and developmental vulnerability in kindergarten measured with the Early Development Instrument (EDI). Results Receipt of the HBPB was associated with reductions in low birth weight births (adjusted Relative Risk (aRR): 0.77; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.93) and preterm births (aRR: 0.78 (0.68, 0.90)), and increases in breastfeeding initiation (aRR: 1.05 (1.00, 1.09)) and large-for-gestational age births (aRR: 1.11 (1.01, 1.23)). HBPB receipt during pregnancy was also associated with increases in 1- and 2-year immunizations for FN children (aRR: 1.14 (1.09, 1.19), and aRR: 1.28 (1.19, 1.36), respectively). Reductions in the risk of being developmentally vulnerable in the language and cognitive domain of the EDI were also found for FN children whose mothers had received the HBPB during pregnancy (aRR: 0.85 (0.74, 0.97). Conclusion/Implications A modest unconditional income supplement during pregnancy was associated with improved birth outcomes, increased immunization rates, and improved language and cognitive development at kindergarten for children born to low-income First Nations women. Long-term strategies to address structural inequities and the ongoing effects of colonization are also needed

MOSAIC (MOthers' Advocates In the Community): protocol and sample description of a cluster randomised trial of mentor mother support to reduce intimate partner violence among pregnant or recent mothers

Background : Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent globally, experienced by a significant minority of women in the early childbearing years and is harmful to the mental and physical health of women and children. There are very few studies with rigorous designs which have tested the effectiveness of IPV interventions to improve the health and wellbeing of abused women. Evidence for the separate benefit to victims of social support, advocacy and non-professional mentoring suggested that a combined model may reduce the levels of violence, the associated mental health damage and may increase a woman\u27s health, safety and connection with her children. This paper describes the development, design and implementation of a trial of mentor mother support set in primary care, including baseline characteristics of participating women.Methods/Design : MOSAIC (MOtherS\u27 Advocates In the Community) was a cluster randomised trial embedded in general practice and maternal and child health (MCH) nursing services in disadvantaged suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Women who were pregnant or with infants, identified as abused or symptomatic of abuse, were referred by IPV-trained GPs and MCH nurses from 24 general practices and eight nurse teams from January 2006 to December 2007. Women in the intervention arm received up to 12 months support from trained and supported non-professional mentor mothers. Vietnamese health professionals also referred Vietnamese women to bilingual mentors in a sub-study. Baseline and follow-up surveys at 12 months measured IPV (CAS), depression (EPDS), general health (SF-36), social support (MOS-SF) and attachment to children (PSI-SF). Significant development and piloting occurred prior to trial commencement. Implementation interviews with MCH nurses, GPs and mentors assisted further refinement of the intervention. In-depth interviews with participants and mentors, and follow-up surveys of MCH nurses and GPs at trial conclusion will shed further light on MOSAIC\u27s impact.Discussion : Despite significant challenges, MOSAIC will make an important contribution to the need for evidence of effective partner violence interventions, the role of non-professional mentors in partner violence support services and the need for more evaluation of effective health professional training and support in caring for abused women and children among their populations.<br /