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Women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and in STEM leadership positions. According to the most recent data available from the National Science Foundation, in academia only 31% of full-time STEM faculty and 27% of STEM deans and department heads are women. By comparison at Stevenson University (SU), 71% of the full-time STEM faculty members are female and 100% of the academic leadership in STEM is provided by women, which sets the university apart from the national norm. Together with an informed, innovative approach to curriculum reform, synergistic leadership and management principles and practices have allowed the School of the Sciences (SOS) at SU to do more with less in STEM education. Total enrollment in the SOS has grown dramatically in recent years and now represents 29% of the total full-time undergraduate population. Local and national STEM outreach programs led by the SOS serve to complement the undergraduate programs and to strengthen the STEM workforce and education pipelines at multiple points. By sharing strategies and results in a case study format, this paper will demonstrate a model for "what works" with regard to female leaders building and sustaining successful and effective academic programs in STEM. An important element of the model is the mentoring web that has been developed to support and sustain the leaders, faculty, staff, and students in the SOS. The SOS network includes both formal and informal structures in which one-on-one and group mentoring occurs on a regular basis. The nature of the mentoring is tailored to the position of the participants involved, but in each case the mentoring contributes to professional growth and development. The emphasis on mentoring has contributed to an increased sense of community and collegiality in the SOS and has enabled the School of the Sciences to make rapid progress in STEM curricular reform and program improvement. (Contains 4 tables.)

Rationale: There is limited evidence of the effect of exposure to heat on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) morbidity, and the interactive effect between indoor heat and air pollution has not been established.Objectives: To determine the effect of indoor and outdoor heat exposure on COPD morbidity and to determine whether air pollution concentrations modify the effect of temperature.Methods: Sixty-nine participants with COPD were enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study, and data from the 601 participant days that occurred during the warm weather season were included in the analysis. Participants completed home environmental monitoring with measurement of temperature, relative humidity, and indoor air pollutants and simultaneous daily assessment of respiratory health with questionnaires and portable spirometry.Measurements and Main Results: Participants had moderate to severe COPD and spent the majority of their time indoors. Increases in maximal indoor temperature were associated with worsening of daily Breathlessness, Cough, and Sputum Scale scores and increases in rescue inhaler use. The effect was detected on the same day and lags of 1 and 2 days. The detrimental effect of temperature on these outcomes increased with higher concentrations of indoor fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide (P < 0.05 for interaction terms). On days during which participants went outdoors, increases in maximal daily outdoor temperature were associated with increases in Breathlessness, Cough, and Sputum Scale scores after adjusting for outdoor pollution concentrations.Conclusions: For patients with COPD who spend the majority of their time indoors, indoor heat exposure during the warmer months represents a modifiable environmental exposure that may contribute to respiratory morbidity. In the context of climate change, adaptive strategies that include optimization of indoor environmental conditions are needed to protect this high-risk group from the adverse health effects of heat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:This study aimed to describe food and nutrient intake for low-income, urban African American children and adolescents, to highlight the need for further nutrition intervention programs and appropriate tools to address overweight and obesity. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study using interviewer-administered single 24-hour dietary recalls. Participants were low-income African American boys and girls aged 5–16 years or their caregivers in Baltimore City. Frequency of food consumption and dietary intakes were analyzed by gender and age groups. Results:Eighty-one participants were included for analysis. Mean daily energy intakes exceeded Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) from 10% to 71% across all gender-age groups: 2304 kcal for children aged 5–8 years; 2429 kcal and 2732 kcal for boys and girls aged 9–13 years, respectively; and 3339 kcal and 2846 kcal for boys and girls aged 14–16 years, respectively. The most frequently reported consumed foods were sweetened drinks, chips, candies, and milk across all age groups. The majority of participants (79–100%) did not meet the DRIs for dietary fiber and vitamin E across all gender-age groups. Milk accounted for 14%, 17%, and 21% of energy, fat, and protein intake, respectively, among children 5–8 years of age, while pizza was the top source of energy, fat, and protein (11%, 13%, and 18%, respectively) among 14-to 16-year-old adolescents. Sweetened drinks and sweetened juices were major sources of sugar, contributing 33% for 5–8 year olds, 29% for 9–13 year olds, and 35% for 14–16 year olds. Conclusions:Mean daily energy intake exceeded dietary recommendations across all gender-age groups. This study has provided previously unavailable information on diet and highlights foods to be targeted in nutrition intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

BACKGROUND: Although outdoor particulate matter (PM) has been linked to mortality and asthma morbidity, the impact of indoor PM on asthma has not been well established. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the effect of in-home PM on asthma morbidity. METHODS: For a cohort of 150 asthmatic children (2--6 years of age) from Baltimore, Maryland, a technician deployed environmental monitoring equipment in the children's bedrooms for 3-day intervals at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Caregivers completed questionnaires and daily diaries during air sampling. Longitudinal data analyses included regression models with generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Children were primarily African Americans (91%) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and spent most of their time in the home. Mean (± SD) indoor PM2.5--10 (PM with aerodynamic diameter 2.5--10 µm) and PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 µm) concentrations were 17.4 ± 21.0 and 40.3 ± 35.4 micro;g/m3. In adjusted models, 10-µg/m3 increases in indoor PM2.5--10 and PM2.5 were associated with increased incidences of asthma symptoms: 6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1 to 12%] and 3% (95% CI, --1 to 7%), respectively; symptoms causing children to slow down: 8% (95% CI, 2 to 14%) and 4% (95% CI, 0 to 9%), respectively; nocturnal symptoms: 8% (95% CI, 1 to 14%) and 6% (95% CI, 1 to 10%), respectively; wheezing that limited speech: 11% (95% CI, 3 to 19%) and 7% (95% CI, 0 to 14%), respectively; and use of rescue medication: 6% (95% CI, 1 to 10%) and 4% (95% CI, 1 to 8%), respectively. Increases of 10 µg/m3 in indoor and ambient PM2.5 were associated with 7% (95% CI, 2 to 11%) and 26% (95% CI, 1 to 52%) increases in exercise-related symptoms, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Among preschool asthmatic children in Baltimore, increases in in-home PM2.5--10 and PM2.5 were associated with respiratory symptoms and rescue medication use. Increases in in-home and ambient PM2.5 were associated with exercise-related symptoms. Although reducing PM outdoors may decrease asthma morbidity, reducing PM indoors, especially in homes of inner-city children, may lead to improved asthma health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The effect of indoor nitrogen dioxide concentrations on asthma morbidity among inner-city preschool children is uncertain. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to estimate the effect of indoor NO2 concentrations on asthma morbidity in an inner-city population while adjusting for other indoor pollutants. METHODS: We recruited 150 children (2--6 years of age) with physician-diagnosed asthma from inner-city Baltimore, Maryland. Indoor air was monitored over a 72-hr period in the children's bedrooms at baseline and 3 and 6 months. At each visit, the child's caregiver completed a questionnaire assessing asthma symptoms over the previous 2 weeks and recent health care utilization. RESULTS: Children were 58% male, 91% African American, and 42% from households with annual income < $25,000; 63% had persistent asthma symptoms. The mean (± SD) in-home NO2 concentration was 30.0 ± 33.7 (range, 2.9--394.0) ppb. The presence of a gas stove and the use of a space heater or oven/stove for heat were independently associated with higher NO2 concentrations. Each 20-ppb increase in NO2 exposure was associated significantly with an increase in the number of days with limited speech [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05--1.25], cough (IRR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02--1.18), and nocturnal symptoms (IRR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02--1.16), after adjustment for potential confounders. NO2 concentrations were not associated with increased health care utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Higher indoor NO2 concentrations were associated with increased asthma symptoms in preschool inner-city children. Interventions aimed at lowering NO2 concentrations in inner-city homes may reduce asthma morbidity in this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Evidence for environmental causes of asthma is limited, especially among African Americans. To look for systematic differences in early life domestic exposures between inner-city preschool children with and without asthma, we performed a study of home indoor air pollutants and allergens. METHODS: Children 2-6 years of age were enrolled in a cohort study in East Baltimore, Maryland. From the child's bedroom, air was monitored for 3 days for particulate matter ≤ 2.5 and ≤ 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5, PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. Median baseline values were compared for children with (n = 150) and without (n = 150) asthma. Housing characteristics related to indoor air pollution were assessed by caregiver report and home inspection. In addition, indoor allergen levels were measured in settled dust. RESULTS: Children were 58% male, 91% African American, and 88% with public health insurance. Housing characteristics related to pollutant exposure and bedroom air pollutant concentrations did not differ significantly between asthmatic and control subjects [median: PM2.5, 28.7 vs. 28.5 μg/m³ PM10, 43.6 vs. 41.4 μg/m³ NO2, 21.6 vs. 20.9 ppb; O3, 1.4 vs. 1.8 ppb; all p > 0.05]. Settled dust allergen levels (cat, dust mite, cockroach, dog, and mouse) were also similar in bedrooms of asthmatic and control children. CONCLUSIONS: Exposures to common home indoor pollutants and allergens are similar for inner-city preschool children with and without asthma. Although these exposures may exacerbate existing asthma, this study does not support a causative role of these factors for risk of developing childhood asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]