The Effectiveness of Boosting Public Health Insurance Enrollment Through Community Events

Examines the effectiveness of outreach efforts at festivals and other community events to enroll children in Family Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program Plus. Includes case summaries. Suggests venues and factors that garner more applications

An analysis of factors linked to the decline in maternal mortality in Nepal

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Closing the Gap: How Improving Information Flow Can Help Community-Based Organizations Keep Uninsured Kids From Falling Through the Cracks

Evaluates how community-based organizations used a tool for systematic, ongoing data exchange with the state to monitor children's enrollment and redetermination status in public health insurance. Explores its potential to boost outreach and enrollment

Trusted Hands: The Role of Community-Based Organizations in Enrolling Children in Public Health Insurance Programs

Trusted Hand is a new approach to enrolling traditionally hard-to-reach children in public health insurance programs. While the most common locations for enrollment assistance are state and local social service agencies and health clinics, many states are increasing their network to include a variety of community-based organizations that typically have not been involved in public health insurance. This Issue Brief, prepared by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver, details the advantages, as well as the challenges of this promising new strategy

Effects of probiotics on child growth : a systematic review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

IMPACT: The Journal of the Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning. Volume 8, Issue 2, Summer 2019

Many of us look for ways to help students forge concrete connections between their academic studies and the real world. Universities encourage professors to develop community-based learning, allowing students to contribute to the community beyond their campus in a way that enhances their academic studies and enables them to create these connections. Scholars have theorized the many benefits of community-based learning, but professors have many questions about how to implement community-based learning in practice. What does a successful community-based learning assignment look like? What are the different ways to assess students’ learning experiences in community-based learning assignments? How can one build effective partnerships with community organizations? In these pages, you will find practical advice, theoretical framework, and firsthand accounts of community-engaged teaching across disciplines. Learn from professors who have designed assignments allowing students to complete community projects with refugees, prisoners, veterans, elementary school children, science museums, nursing homes, public libraries, and ESL populations. Students in an Anthropology course, for instance, conduct oral history interviews with refugees, and provide written transcriptions of the interviews that the refugees can then use as a learning tool in ESL classes. In a Science Methods class, students collaborate with an aquarium to produce meaningful exhibits that educate the public. First-year writing students work with veterans to create autobiographical films and write papers related to the project

Abdominal Ultrasound and Abdominal Radiograph to Diagnose Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Extremely Preterm Infants

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an important contributor towardmortality in extremely premature infants and Very Low Birth Weight(VLBW) infants. The incidence of NEC was 9% in VLBW infants(birth weight 401 to 1,500 grams) in the Vermont Oxford Network(VON, 2006 to 2010, n = 188,703).1 The incidence of NEC was 7%in 1993, increased to 13% in 2008, and decreased to 9% in extremelypreterm infants (22 to 28 weeks gestation) in the Neonatal ResearchNetwork Centers (1993 to 2012).2 The incidence of surgically treatedNEC varies from 28 to 50% in all infants who develop NEC.3 SurgicalNEC occurred in 52% in the VON cohort.1 In this cohort, the odds ofsurgery decreased by 5% for each 100 gram increase in birth.The incidence of surgical NEC has not decreased in the pastdecade.4 The mortality from NEC is significantly higher in infantswho need surgery compared to those who did not (35% versus 21%).1The case fatality rate among patients with NEC is higher in thosesurgically treated (23 to 36%) compared to those medically treated (5to 24%).3 In addition to surgery, NEC mortality rates are influencedby gestational age, birth weight,1,2,5 assisted ventilation on the day ofdiagnosis of NEC, treatment with vasopressors at diagnosis of NEC,and black race.6,7Extremely preterm infants who survive NEC are at risk for severeneurodevelopmental disability and those with surgical NEC have asignificantly higher risk of such delays (38% surgical NEC versus 24%medical NEC).8 Diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis is challengingand it is usually suspected based on non-specific clinical signs. Bell’scriteria and Vermont-Oxford Network criteria help in the diagnosisof NEC.Bell’s criteria, commonly used for diagnosis, staging, and planningtreatment of NEC, were described in 1978 and modified in 1986.9,10Bell’s stage I signs are non-specific: temperature instability, lethargy,decreased perfusion, emesis or regurgitation of food, abdominal distension,recurrent apnea, and on occasion, increased support withmechanical ventilation. Abdominal distension and emesis are morecommon than bloody stools in very preterm infants compared to terminfants.7 Abdominal radiographic findings are an integral part of Bell’scriteria. Identification of Bell’s stage I NEC (early NEC) with abdominalradiograph is challenging, as the features on abdominal radiograph(normal gas pattern or mild ileus) are non-specific. With progressionof NEC to Bell Stage IIA, the symptoms (grossly bloody stools,prominent abdominal distension, absent bowel sounds) and featureson abdominal radiographs (one or more dilated loops and focal pneumatosis)are more specific.On the other hand, the Vermont Oxford Network criteria for NECconsist of at least one physical finding (bilious gastric aspirate oremesis, abdominal distension or occult/gross blood in the stool inthe absence of anal fissure) and at least one feature on abdominalradiograph (pneumatosis intestinalis, hepatobiliary gas, or pneumoperitoneum).1 These features correspond to Bell Stage IIA or StageIIB and are not features of early NEC. Thus relying solely on abdominalradiograph for diagnosis of early NEC, as is practiced currently,has significant drawbacks especially in extremely premature infants.7Ultrasound has been suggested to improve the percentage of infantsdiagnosed with early NEC.11 However, this imaging modality is notused routinely in the diagnosis or management of NEC.As the incidence of surgical NEC and mortality from NEC continuesto be high, the literature to demonstrate the shortcomings ofabdominal radiographs and promise of abdominal ultrasound in diagnosisof NEC is reviewed

Maternal obesity in Africa : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Maternal obesity is emerging as a public health problem, recently highlighted together with maternal under-nutrition as a ‘double burden’, especially in African countries undergoing social and economic transition. This systematic review was conducted to investigate the current evidence on maternal obesity in Africa. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched (up to August 2014) and identified 29 studies. Prevalence, associations with socio-demographic factors, labour, child and maternal consequences of maternal obesity were assessed. Pooled risk ratios comparing obese and non-obese groups were calculated. Results: Prevalence of maternal obesity across Africa ranged from 6.5 to 50.7%, with older and multiparous mothers more likely to be obese. Obese mothers had increased risks of adverse labour, child and maternal outcomes. However, non-obese mothers were more likely to have low-birthweight babies. The differences in measurement and timing of assessment of maternal obesity were found across studies. No studies were identified either on the knowledge or attitudes of pregnant women towards maternal obesity; or on interventions for obese pregnant women. Conclusions: These results show that Africa's levels of maternal obesity are already having significant adverse effects. Culturally adaptable/sensitive interventions should be developed while monitoring to avoid undesired side effects

Pengaruh Quenching pada Derajat Kristalinitas dan Sifat Mekanik Polietilena dan Polipropilena

PENGARUH QUENCHING PADA DERAJAT KRISTALINITAS DAN SIFAT MEKANIK POLIETILENA DAN POLIPROPILENA. Telah dipelajari pengaruh quenching pada derajat kristalinitas dan sifat mekanik polietilena dan polipropilena. Quenching dilakukan pada beberapa variabel yaitu waktu quenching 10 detik, 60 detik dan 300 detik serta suhu quenching 10 oC, 20 oC, 28 oC dan 30 oC. Hasil percobaan menunjukkan Perubahan titik transien ke steady state terjadi pada waktu quenching 60 detik pada berbagai suhu quenching dan berbagai sifat bahan yang telah dipelajari, ditandai dengan adanya pembelokan gradien tinggi ke rendah. Akibat quenching derajat kristalinitas berpengaruh pada sifat mekanik (kuat luluh dan kuat tarik). Polietilena yang berderajat kristalinitas sekitar 17% menunjukkan kuat luluh sekitar 100 kg/cm2 dan kuat tarik 140 kg/cm2. Polipropilena berindeks Melt Flow 2 (PPMF2) memiliki derajat kristalinitas 47 % menunjukkan kuat luluh 267 kg/cm2 dan kuat tarik 267 kg/cm2, sedangkan contoh bahan polipropilena dengan indeks Melt Flow 35 (MF35) berderajat kristalinitas 39 %, menunjukkan kuat luluh 207 kg/cm2 dan kuat tarik 260 kg/cm2