Centering Pregnancy and Traditional Prenatal Care: A Comparison of Health Practices

Centering Pregnancy is an alternative method of providing prenatal care with increased education and social support with health assessment in a group setting. This study, a cross-sectional, correlational, convenience-sample design, sought to determine the difference between women who receive prenatal care in Centering Pregnancy prenatal care and those in traditional prenatal care in regards to health behaviors. Adult pregnant women (n = 125) were surveyed from at least 28 weeks gestation. The sample comprised primarily White low-income women. Using multiple linear regression, it was determined that women in Centering Pregnancy had significantly lower index health behavior scores compared with the traditional care group (p = .01); those in Centering Pregnancy reported engaging in fewer health-promoting behaviors. Furthermore, those in Centering Pregnancy reported a lower perceived value of prenatal care in the current study. No differences were observed for smoking and weight gain behaviors between groups. A number of health behaviors changed during pregnancy for both groups but no significant differences were found

50. The Pleasing of the God Thangjing

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Health Insurance Availability

My presentation focuses on health insurance availability. Primarily, how much it costs and who is covered—or not covered—by third-party contributors (eg. employers). I also discuss the correlation between insurance-included benefits and higher education.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/1068/thumbnail.jp

Mathematics Dictionary: Enhancing Students’ Geometrical Vocabulary and Terminology

Students’ understanding of geometric vocabulary and terminology is still an area of concern when teaching and learning geometry. The chapter addresses the benefits of integrating mathematics dictionary and polygon pieces into the teaching and learning in order for students to be proficient in geometry. However, there is little evidence in the literature regarding teachers’ integration of mathematics dictionary and polygon pieces in the teaching and learning of geometry with an aim to support students’ geometrical vocabulary and terminology. Consequently, the aim of the chapter is to provide an overview of how the integration of mathematics dictionary into the teaching and learning can be promoted. Also it provides the empirical and theoretical evidence of how mathematics dictionary influences students’ understandings of geometrical vocabulary and terminology. The uses of mathematics dictionary and polygon pieces modify how learners learn, from passive to hands-on, and promote visualisation, respectively. The chapter recommends that mathematics teachers integrate mathematics dictionary and polygon pieces into the teaching and learning of geometry to all students to promote independent learning

Astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-200a-3p prevents MPP+-induced apoptotic cell death through down-regulation of MKK4

博士（医学）福島県立医科大

Muscle-strengthening exercise and public health assessment and monitoring

Participation in muscle-strengthening exercise (MSE), e.g., using weight machines, free weights, or bodyweight, improves health and independently reduces the risks associated with many non-communicable diseases. While MSE is included in national/global physical activity guidelines, participation in MSE is low. Moreover, methods assessing MSE participation vary considerably leading to a potential misunderstanding of the relationship between MSE and health. Therefore, this thesis by publication aims to (i) review the assessment of MSE within public health surveillance (Study 1), (ii) examine relationships between MSE and health (Study 2 and 3), and (iii) describe the development, reliability/validity testing (Study 4) of a new survey instrument to assess multiple MSE participation components and influencing factors (Study 5). Study 1 comprised a systematic review of MSE surveillance studies (k=156). Secondary data analyses explored the relationship between adult MSE participation and five chronic health conditions (Study 2, N = 16,301); and hypertension (Study 3, N = 10,519). Study 4 describes the development of the Muscle-Strengthening Exercise Questionnaire (MSEQ) and its test-retest reliability (n = 85) and concurrent validity (n = 54). Factors influencing adult MSE participation (N = 435) were analysed in Study 5. Study 1 identified the under-representation of key MSE guideline components and highlighted the need for standardisation. Studies 2 and 3 showed, compared to doing none, adults who reported any MSE (~19%) had a reduced prevalence of having a chronic condition. Study 4 showed ‘acceptable’ reliability and validity of five key MSE components. Study 5 identified five behavioural factors that significantly influenced the odds of meeting the MSE guidelines. Overall, the data presented in this thesis increases the body of knowledge regarding the relationship between MSE and health. Moreover, this PhD has developed a new valid and reliable questionnaire to assess population-level MSE participation. Current findings could aid campaigns targeting populations most at risk of chronic disease and increase MSE uptake and adherence at the population level

An analytical model of the response of the meridional overturning circulation to changes in wind and buoyancy forcing

An analytical model of the full-depth ocean stratification and meridional overturning circulation for an idealized Atlantic basin with a circumpolar channel is presented. The model explicitly describes the ocean response to both Southern Ocean winds and the global pattern and strength of prescribed surface buoyancy fluxes. The construction of three layers, defined by the two isopycnals of overturning extrema, allows the description of circulation and stratification in both the upper and abyssal ocean. The system is fully solved in the adiabatic limit to yield scales for the surface layer thickness, buoyancies of each layer, and overturning magnitudes. The analytical model also allows scaling of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) transport. The veracity of the three-layer framework and derived scales is confirmed by applying the analytical model to an idealized geometry, eddy-permitting ocean general circulation model. Consistent with previous results, the abyssal overturning is found to scale inversely with wind stress, whereas the North Atlantic overturning and surface-layer thickness scale linearly with wind stress. In terms of the prescribed surface buoyancy fluxes, increased negative fluxes (buoyancy removal) in the North Atlantic increase the North Atlantic overturning and surface-layer thickness, whereas increased positive fluxes in the middle and low latitudes lead to a decrease in both parameters. Increased negative surface buoyancy fluxes to the south of Drake Passage increase the abyssal overturning and reduce the abyssal buoyancy. The ACC transport scales to first order with the sum of the Ekman transport and the abyssal overturning and thus increases with both wind stress and southern surface buoyancy flux magnitude

Gender Disparities in High School Mathematics Achievement: Factors and Interventions

Gender disparities in mathematics achievement persist in high school settings, influenced by many factors, including sociocultural norms, teaching methodologies, and student self-efficacy. This paper is based on the literature review investigating the underlying factors contributing to these disparities and evaluating effective interventions that can bridge the achievement gap between genders. The study was grounded in social cognitive, social cognitive career theory and gender role socialisation theories. Content analysis was utilised to analyse data collected from various literature on gender disparities. Findings indicated that while girls often exhibit higher self-efficacy in mathematics, systemic biases and stereotype threats significantly hinder their performance. The findings of this study further indicate that a combination of individual, familial, and educational factors significantly influences gender disparities in high school mathematics achievement. Math anxiety, self-efficacy and the quality of teacher-student interactions emerged as key determinants of these disparities. Furthermore, the study identified targeted interventions, such as fostering a growth mindset and enhancing parental involvement, as effective strategies for reducing the gender gap in mathematics achievement. The study recommended implementing comprehensive educational policies and programmes that address the cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions of mathematics learning. It highlights underexplored constructs, such as stereotype threat and gender-specific affective experiences, broadening the scope of academic investigation. The study offers a systematic methodology for literature reviews while also examining context-sensitive interventions through content analysis for pattern recognition. Moreover, it also informs educational policy and practice, laying a foundation for future empirical research and promoting equitable mathematics achievement across diverse educational contexts