The Association of Ethnic Minority Density with Late Entry into Antenatal Care in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, non-Western ethnic minority women make their first antenatal visit later than native Dutch women. Timely entry into antenatal care is important as it provides the opportunity for prenatal screening and the detection of risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this study we explored whether women''s timely entry is influenced by their neighborhood. Moreover, we assessed whether ethnic minority density (the proportion of ethnic minorities in a neighborhood) influences Western and non-Western ethnic minority women''s chances of timely entry into care differently. We hypothesized that ethnic minority density has a protective effect against non-Western women''s late entry into care. Data on time of entry into care and other individual-level characteristics were obtained from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry (2000-2008; 97% of all pregnancies). We derived neighborhood-level data from three other national databases. We included 1,137,741 pregnancies of women who started care under supervision of a community midwife in 3422 neighborhoods. Multi-level logistic regression was used to assess the associations of individual and neighborhood-level determinants with entry into antenatal care before and after 14 weeks of gestation. We found that neighborhood characteristics influence timely entry above and beyond individual characteristics. Ethnic minority density was associated with a higher risk of late entry into antenatal care. However, our analysis showed that for non-Western women, living in high ethnic minority density areas is less detrimental to their risk of late entry than for Western women. This means that a higher proportion of ethnic minority residents has a protective effect on non-Western women''s chances of timely entry into care. Our results suggest that strategies to improve timely entry into care could seek to create change at the neighborhood level in order to target individuals likely of entering care too late.     

这里包容了多样的民族习俗

民间习俗是人们在长期生产生活中相沿成习的一种社会文化．属民俗学范畴。按广义的民俗学定义．是泛指城乡民间生活。既如此．其包括的内容就很广泛精神的、物质的．不一而足．包罗万象。我们在进行“照片之声”项目的过程中．农民照相员们所拍摄的照片及其故事,有关农村社会生活的民俗占了绝大部分。是民族学、民俗学、历史学及文化旅游部门不可多得的、直接来自民间的第一手资料。     

Ethnic disparities in estimated cardiovascular disease risk in Amsterdam,the Netherlands

Background

Ethnic differences have been reported in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. It is still unclear which ethnic groups are most at risk for CVD when all traditional CVD risk factors are considered together as overall risk.

Objectives

To examine ethnic differences in overall estimated CVD risk and the risk factors that contribute to these differences.

Design

Using data of the multi-ethnic HELIUS study (HEalthy LIfe in an Urban Setting) from Amsterdam, we examined whether estimated CVD risk and risk factors among those eligible for CVD risk estimation differed between participants of Dutch, South Asian Surinamese, African Surinamese, Ghanaian, Turkish and Moroccan origin. Using the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) algorithm, we estimated risk of fatal CVD and risk of fatal plus non-fatal CVD. These risks were compared between ethnic groups via age-adjusted linear regression analyses.

Results

The SCORE algorithm was applicable to 9,128 participants. Relative to the fatal CVD risk of participants of Dutch origin, South Asian Surinamese participants showed a higher fatal CVD risk, Ghanaian males a lower fatal CVD risk, and participants of other ethnic origins a similar fatal CVD risk. For fatal plus non-fatal CVD risk, African Surinamese and Turkish men also showed a higher risk. When diabetes was incorporated in the CVD risk algorithm, all but Ghanaian men showed a higher CVD risk relative to the participants of Dutch origin (betas ranging from 0.98–3.10%). The CVD risk factors that contribute the most to these ethnic differences varied between ethnic groups.

Conclusion

Ethnic minority groups are at a greater estimated risk of fatal plus non-fatal CVD relative to the group of native Dutch. Further research is necessary to determine whether this will translate to ethnic differences in CVD incidence and, if so, whether ethnic-specific CVD prevention strategies are warranted.

     

Peer-Led Team Learning Helps Minority Students Succeed

Active learning methods have been shown to be superior to traditional lecture in terms of student achievement, and our findings on the use of Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) concur. Students in our introductory biology course performed significantly better if they engaged in PLTL. There was also a drastic reduction in the failure rate for underrepresented minority (URM) students with PLTL, which further resulted in closing the achievement gap between URM and non-URM students. With such compelling findings, we strongly encourage the adoption of Peer-Led Team Learning in undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses.Recent, extensive meta-analysis of over a decade of education research has revealed an overwhelming consensus that active learning methods are superior to traditional, passive lecture, in terms of student achievement in post-secondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses [1]. In light of such clear evidence that traditional lecture is among the least effective modes of instruction, many institutions have been abandoning lecture in favor of “flipped” classrooms and active learning strategies. Regrettably, however, STEM courses at most universities continue to feature traditional lecture as the primary mode of instruction.Although next-generation active learning classrooms are becoming more common, large instructor-focused lecture halls with fixed seating are still the norm on most campuses—including ours, for the time being. While there are certainly ways to make learning more active in an amphitheater, peer-interactive instruction is limited in such settings. Of course, laboratories accompanying lectures often provide more active learning opportunities. But in the wake of commendable efforts to increase rigorous laboratory experiences at the sophomore and junior levels at Syracuse University, a difficult decision was made for the two-semester, mixed-majors introductory biology sequence: the lecture sections of the second semester course were decoupled from the laboratory component, which was made optional. There were good reasons for this change, from both departmental and institutional perspectives. However, although STEM students not enrolling in the lab course would arguably be exposed to techniques and develop foundational process skills in the new upper division labs, we were concerned about the implications for achievement among those students who would opt out of the introductory labs. Our concerns were apparently warranted, as students who did not take the optional lab course, regardless of prior achievement, earned scores averaging a letter grade lower than those students who enrolled in the lab. However, students who opted out of the lab but engaged in Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) performed at levels equivalent to students who also took the lab course [2].Peer-Led Team Learning is a well-defined active learning model involving small group interactions between students, and it can be used along with or in place of the traditional lecture format that has become so deeply entrenched in university systems (Fig 1, adapted from [3]). PLTL was originally designed and implemented in undergraduate chemistry courses [4,5], and it has since been implemented in other undergraduate science courses, such as general biology and anatomy and physiology [6,7]. Studies on the efficacy of PLTL have shown improvements in students’ grade performance, attitudes, retention in the course [6–11], conceptual reasoning [12], and critical thinking [13], though findings related to the critical thinking benefits for peer leaders have not been consistent [14].Open in a separate windowFig 1The PLTL model.In the PLTL workshop model, students work in small groups of six to eight students, led by an undergraduate peer leader who has successfully completed the same course in which their peer-team students are currently enrolled. After being trained in group leadership methods, relevant learning theory, and the conceptual content of the course, peer leaders (who serve as role models) work collaboratively with an education specialist and the course instructor to facilitate small group problem-solving. Leaders are not teachers. They are not tutors. They are not considered to be experts in the content, and they are not expected to provide answers to the students in the workshop groups. Rather, they help mentor students to actively construct their own understanding of concepts.     

Ethnic Variations in Central Corneal Thickness in a Rural Population in China: The Yunnan Minority Eye Studies

Purpose

To describe the ethnic differences in central corneal thickness (CCT) in population-based samples of ethnic Bai, Yi and Han people living in rural China.

Methods

6504 adults (2119 ethnic Bai, 2202 ethnic Yi and 2183 ethnic Han) aged 50 years or older participated in the study. Each subject underwent standardized ocular examinations and interviewer-administered questionnaires for risk factor assessment. CCT was measured for both eyes using an ultrasound pachymeter. Regression and principal component analysis were performed to examine the relationship of ethnicity and other factors with CCT.

Results

The mean CCT readings were 536.4 ± 34.2 μm in ethnic Bai, 532.1 ± 32.1 μm in ethnic Yi and 529.6 ± 32.7 μm in ethnic Han adults (P<0.001), respectively. There was a decreasing trend of mean CCT with increasing age across all ethnic groups. In multivariate linear regression models, increasing CCT was associated with younger age (P<0.001), male gender (P<0.001), Bai (P<0.001) or Yi (P<0.001) ethnicity, greater body mass index (P<0.001), higher systolic blood pressure (P<0.001), greater corneal curvature (P<0.001), deeper anterior chamber (P < 0.001), and thicker lens (P<0.001). Ethnicity contributed significantly to presence of thin cornea (60%; P< 0.001) compared with other factors. CCT had similar impact on intraocular pressure readings across all ethnic groups.

Conclusions

This study of more than 6500 multiethnic participants demonstrates significant ethnic variations in CCT, with Han ethnicity having the thinnest cornea compared with ethnic minorities. These data are essential to guide future multiethnic clinical trials on CCT-related ocular conditions such as glaucoma.     

Meiofauna assemblages discharged by springs from a phreatic aquifer system in the Netherlands

Groundwater meiofauna washed out of springs was studied by means of spring water filtration. The principal interest was a quantitative analysis of the number and diversity of outwash fauna in relationship to hydrological conditions. In addition, a comparative analysis was made of outwash fauna of different outlets of the same hydrological system. The spring complex studied is part of the Centraal Plateau in the southern-most part of The Netherlands. This area is characterized by, for The Netherlands, relatively high hydraulic heads and large permeability of aquifers. Influence of human activities (agriculture) in the recharge area was demonstrated by elevated concentrations of nitrate, chloride, and sulphate in the spring waters. No traces of groundwater pollution by heavy metals or pesticides were found. Temporal variation of meiofauna outwash was studied in a single rheocrene spring during one year. This rheocrene had a relatively large and constant discharge (1300±8 ¦h^–1). Meiofauna numbers fluctuated between 110–240 ind. m^–3. Considerable differences in meiofauna numbers in a one-off analysis of different springs (rheocrenes and helocrenes) were found. Numbers ranged from 140 to 5800 org. m^–3 and an inverse relationship with the amount of water discharged was shown. Organisms in the water filtrates were of multiple origin: aquifer(e.g. Niphargus, Parastenocaris), benthic spring head habitats (e.g. Gammarus, Chironomidae), and (saturated) soils near the outlets (e.g. Criconomatidae). Meiofauna abundance and composition is discussed in relation to hydrology and spring head morphology. A semi-quantitative analysis of outwash aquifer fauna was masked by the presence of epigean elements or elements of unclear origin. The outwash fauna of rheocrenes of large discharge supposedly is the most representative for the aquifer. Adaptations of hypogean populations to oligotrophic porous environments and the consequences for drift of juvenile stages is discussed.     

The Educational Experience and Performance of Immigrant and Minority Students in Israel

The educational needs of Jewish and Arab primary and secondary school-age student populations are provided by two separate and parallel educational systems. The immigrant context is discussed first, then educational issues pertaining to the Arab minority are examined. Emphasis is placed on emerging trends in the educational treatment of immigrant children as well as on shifts in educational policy and practice in the Arab sector. The educational experience and performance of immigrant students and Israeli Arab students are discussed within this broader context.     

Comparative abundance-frequency assessment exampled by data from the Bergumermeer,a lake in the Netherlands

Summary In the years 1969–1978 chemical and plankton samples were collected monthly in the Bergumermeer, province of Friesland. The samples were analysed by biologists of the KEMA, a company for testing of electrical equipment, who were interested in the environmental impact of heat discharge from the electricity power plant at the lake side. The observations were compiled in three reports and they offered an opportunity to try out a particular method for the presentation of the results. This method is described as comparative abundance-frequency assessment for the characterization of surface water as derived from plankton investigation (LEENTVAAR and VAN DE MECHE-JACOBI, 1984).In the case of the Bergumermeer the method showed also good results. The influence of Lake De Leyen, which in the south is connected to the Bergumermeer by a small canal, was demonstrated by finding other maxima and minima of chlorid, phosphate, nitrate and plankton algae. At the other sampling stations the values did not differ essentially, which means that in the Bergumermeer the water is mixed and the algal distribution is homogeneous. This may be related to the rather short retention time of the water. The temperature data are interesting in relation to the heat discharge from the power plant. After the use of cooling water which started in 1974 the sampling station at the outlet showed every month higher temperatures than the other stations. Plankton and chemistry was not affected at this station.     

Neighborhood Street Scale Elements,Sedentary Time and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Inactive Ethnic Minority Women

Background

Cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, excess percent body fat, high blood pressure, elevated resting heart rate and sedentary behavior have increased in recent decades due to changes in the environment and lifestyle. Neighborhood micro-environmental, street scale elements may contribute to health above and beyond individual characteristics of residents.

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between neighborhood street scale elements and cardiometabolic risk factors among inactive ethnic minority women.

Method

Women (N = 410) completed measures of BMI, percent body fat, blood pressure, resting heart rate, sedentary behavior and demographics. Trained field assessors completed the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan in participants’ neighborhoods. Data were collected from 2006–2008. Multiple regression models were conducted in 2011 to estimate the effect of environmental factors on cardiometabolic risk factors.

Results

Adjusted regression models found an inverse association between sidewalk buffers and blood pressure, between traffic control devices and resting heart rate, and a positive association between presence of pedestrian crossing aids and BMI (ps<.05). Neighborhood attractiveness and safety for walking and cycling were related to more time spent in a motor vehicle (ps<.05).

Conclusions

Findings suggest complex relationships among micro-environmental, street scale elements that may confer important cardiometabolic benefits and risks for residents. Living in the most attractive and safe neighborhoods for physical activity may be associated with longer times spent sitting in the car.     

Human Chronotypes from a Theoretical Perspective

The endogenous circadian timing system has evolved to synchronize an organism to periodically recurring environmental conditions. Those external time cues are called Zeitgebers. When entrained by a Zeitgeber, the intrinsic oscillator adopts a fixed phase relation to the Zeitgeber. Here, we systematically study how the phase of entrainment depends on clock and Zeitgeber properties. We combine numerical simulations of amplitude-phase models with predictions from analytically tractable models. In this way we derive relations between the phase of entrainment to the mismatch between the endogenous and Zeitgeber period, the Zeitgeber strength, and the range of entrainment. A core result is the “180° rule” asserting that the phase varies over a range of about 180° within the entrainment range. The 180° rule implies that clocks with a narrow entrainment range (“strong oscillators”) exhibit quite flexible entrainment phases. We argue that this high sensitivity of the entrainment phase contributes to the wide range of human chronotypes.     

Independence Training from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Studies relating age of independence training with achievement motivation and achievement have resulted in contradictory findings. The responses of fifty-two Chinese mothers in Hawaii to the independence training questionnaire were analyzed in conjunction with ethnographic data on child rearing practices. The lack of significant relationships between the index of independence training and measures of boys' achievement motivation and achievement behaviors was explained by the failure of the questionnaire to tap the mother's underlying motives for stating particular ages. The Chinese data revealed that cultural factors, such as values, strongly affect the mothers' responses.     

Sand dwelling Turbellaria from the Netherlands Delta area

Sand dwelling Turbellaria from the Delta of the Rivers Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt have been investigated. Thirty-eight samples taken from littoral and sublittoral stations in the Grevelingen, Eastern and Western Scheldt have been analysed.Thirty-three species were recorded (Acoela were not considered); twenty-four of them are new for the area and seven new species are described.Density and diversity of Turbellaria were higher in the Eastern Scheldt than in the Western Scheldt or in the Lake Grevelingen. A maximum density of 82 ind./100 cm³ was noted. A tentative calculation on relative abundance of the representatives of the different Turbellaria orders is established. Proseriata seem to be dominant in the localities studied.Abbreviations acg : accessory glands - aco : accessory organ - ad : atrial diverticle - b : bursa - br : brain - cil : cilia - cm : circular muscle - cn : cnidosac - co : copulatory organ - cs : cuticular spines - css : cuticular stylet sheat - de : ejaculatory duct - di : ductus intervesicularis - ds : seminal duct - dsp : spermatic duct - en : enteron - fd : female duct - fp : femal pore - ga : genital atrium - gf : glands in female duct - gg : glands - gp : genital pore - hp : adhesive papillae - ivs : intra capsular seminal vesicle - lm : longitudinal muscle - m : mouth - mp : male pore - ov : ovary - p : proboscis - pg : proboscisglands - ph : pharynx - phg : pharyngial glands - r : retractor muscle - rh : rhabdites - rhg : rhabdite glands - rs : seminal receptacle - s : stylet - sta : statocyst - ut : uterus - t : testis - v : vagina - vg : prostate vesicle - vi : vitellary - vs : seminal vesicle