Recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women in "The South": A position paper from the SNRS minority health research interest & implementation group.

Black women in the United States experience a higher maternal mortality rate compared to other racial groups. The maternal mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black women is 3.5 times that of non-Hispanic White women and is higher in the South compared to other regions. The majority of pregnancy-related deaths in Black women are deemed to be preventable. Healthy People 2030 directs healthcare providers to advance health equity through societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and healthcare disparities. The Southern Nursing Research Society has put forward this position paper to provide recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women. Recommendations for nurses, multidisciplinary healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.

Barriers and facilitators to cord blood banking among pregnant women at a university obstetric clinic.

BACKGROUND: Cord blood (CB) is a cell source for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In 2019, the percentage of births with CB collected for banking was only 3% nationally and 0.05% in our state. To increase CB donations, we need to understand pregnant women's awareness and knowledge of, plus barriers and facilitators to, CB banking (CBB). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We recruited 289 women in their third trimester from an academic obstetric clinic between October 2020 and May 2021. Women attending this clinic come from all parts of the state in addition to local city residents. After agreeing to participate, participants completed a survey using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.4. RESULTS: Exactly 58.9% of participants had heard of CBB, but only 26.53% understood its purpose; 10.03% indicated someone had discussed CBB with them, and 61.3% were undecided about it. The preferred source of information was the clinic provider (82.1%), followed by CB bank staff (36.8%). The requested mode for receiving information was face-to-face with their provider, including written materials. Income, education, and marital status did not have a significant influence on information preferences. DISCUSSION: Lack of knowledge continues to be a major barrier to CBB. Developing educational interventions based on womens' preferences may increase understanding of CBB. Study participants preferred that the healthcare provider deliver this information. This study was done in a primarily rural, southern state, while previous studies were in larger metropolitan areas, yet results are comparable.

Overcoming barriers and enhancing facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination in the Hispanic community.

BACKGROUND: Hispanic communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and death. Vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for controlling the pandemic; however, higher levels of vaccine hesitancy and reduced vaccine uptake constrain efforts to mitigate the pandemic and could perpetuate disparities. The aim of this study was to understand barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination through the lived experiences of Hispanic persons living in Arkansas. METHODS: Bilingual community partners facilitated recruitment, made initial contact with potential participants, and scheduled interviews and focus groups. Individuals over the age of 18 who identified as Hispanic were invited to participate. Data was collected from 49 participants in 10 individual interviews and five focus groups. This study used a qualitative exploratory design and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Five themes emerged as barriers for Hispanic participants: technological literacy and pre-registration, language and literacy, health insurance/health care costs, immigration status, and location and transportation. Three themes emerged as facilitators: workplace vaccination, health care provider recommendations, and engagement through schools. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this study, a multi-modal and flexible approach will be implemented by the authors to address barriers to vaccine uptake among the Hispanic community in Arkansas.

Alzheimer's disease modifies progenitor cell expression of monoamine oxidase B in the subventricular zone.

In the adult brain, progenitor cells remaining in the subventricular zone (SVZ) are frequently identified as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells that retain attributes reminiscent of radial glia. Because the very high expression of monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) in the subventricular area has been related to epithelial and astroglial expression, we sought to ascertain whether it was also expressed by progenitor cells of human control and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. In the SVZ, epithelial cells and astrocyte-like cells presented rich MAO-B activity and immunolabeling. Nestin-positive cells were found in the same area, showing a radial glia-like morphology. When coimmunostaining and confocal microscopy were performed, most nestin-positive cells showed MAO-B activity and labeling. The increased progenitor activity in SVZ proposed for AD patients was confirmed by the positive correlation between the SVZ nestin/MAO-B ratio and the progression of the disease. Nestin/GFAP-positive cells, devoid of MAO-B, can represent a distinct subpopulation of an earlier phase of maturation. This would indicate that MAO-B expression takes place in a further step of nestin/GFAP-positive cell differentiation. In the early AD stages, the discrete MAO-B reduction, different from the severe GFAP decrease, would reflect the capacity of this population of MAO-B-positive progenitor cells to adapt to the neurodegenerative process.