Application of clusterization algorithms for analysis of semivolatile pollutants in Arkhangelsk snow.

The best way to understand the environmental status of a certain region involves thorough non-target analysis, which will result in a list of pollutants under concern. Arkhangelsk (64° 32' N 40° 32' E, pop. ~ 344,000) is the largest city in the world to the north of the 60th parallel. Several industrial enterprises and the "cold finger" effect represent the major sources of air contamination in the city. Analysis of snow with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry allows detecting and quantifying the most hazardous volatile and semivolatile anthropogenic pollutants and estimating long-term air pollution. Target analysis, suspect screening, and non-target analysis of snow samples collected from ten sites within the city revealed the presence of several hundreds of organic compounds including 18 species from the US EPA list of priority pollutants. Fortunately, the levels of these compounds appeared to be much lower than the safe levels established in Russia. Phenol and dioctylphthalate could be considered as the pollutants of concern because their levels were about 20% of the safe thresholds. ChromaTOF® Tile, MetaboAnalyst software platform, and open-source software protocols were applied to process the obtained data. The obtained clusterization results of the samples were generally similar for various tools; however, each of them had certain peculiarities. Bis(2-ethylhexyl) hexanedioate, benzyl alcohol, phthalates, aniline, dinitrotoluenes, and fluoranthene showed the strongest influence on the clusterization of the studied samples. Possible sources of the major pollutants were proposed: car traffic and pulp and paper mills.

The role of social media for patients and consumer health. Contribution of the IMIA Consumer Health Informatics Working Group.

OBJECTIVES: : To provide an overview on social media for consumers and patients in areas of health behaviours and outcomes. METHODS: A directed review of recent literature. RESULTS: : We discuss the limitations and challenges of social media, ranging from social network sites (SNSs), computer games, mobile applications, to online videos. An overview of current users of social media (Generation Y), and potential users (such as low socioeconomic status and the chronically ill populations) is also presented. Future directions in social media research are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: : We encourage the health informatics community to consider the socioeconomic class, age, culture, and literacy level of their populations, and select an appropriate medium and platform when designing social networked interventions for health. Little is known about the impact of second-hand experiences faciliated by social media, nor the quality and safety of social networks on health. Methodologies and theories from human computer interaction, human factors engineering and psychology may help guide the challenges in designing and evaluating social networked interventions for health. Further, by analysing how people search and navigate social media for health purposes, infodemiology and infoveillance are promising areas of research that should provide valuable insights on present and emergening health behaviours on a population scale.

Studying the place of technology to lower financial barriers for dietary change.

BACKGROUND: Current dietary self-monitoring systems assume users have access to healthy foods and resources to effectively implement and monitor dietary behavioral change. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the specific financial-related barriers that caregivers of low socioeconomic status encounter when attempting to make dietary behavior change. METHODS: In this qualitative study, we conducted a focus group and 14 in-person interviews with the primary caregivers of low socioeconomic families. Participants were recruited from a community considered to be 'at risk' through high levels of exposure to multiple modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. All participants were English-speaking caregivers, who had children under eight years old. The families lived in an urban, public housing community. The focus group and interviews were transcribed and coded during data analysis sessions, then analyzed for emergent themes. RESULTS: We abstracted three main themes from the data. The caregivers of 17 families: 1) feared trying healthier food alternatives because of possibly wasting the food; 2) planned meals only when they had enough time, space, and financial security; and 3) defined produce as luxury items and often could only afford staple food items, such as meat and grains. CONCLUSION: We challenge the community to design technological interventions to lower the financial barriers presented with existing information and communication technology available to low socioeconomic populations. In addition, we encourage interventions to foster a community's social capital to decrease feelings of isolation and increase opportunities for cooperation.

Biofilm formation by avian Escherichia coli in relation to media, source and phylogeny.

AIMS: To assess the abilities of 105 avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and 103 avian faecal commensal E. coli (AFEC) to form biofilms on a plastic surface and to investigate the possible association of biofilm formation with the phylotype of these isolates. METHODS AND RESULTS: Biofilm production was assessed in 96-well microtitre plates using three different media, namely, M63 minimal medium supplemented with glucose and casamino acids, brain-heart infusion broth, and diluted tryptic soy broth. Avian E. coli are highly variable in their ability to form biofilms. In fact, no strain produced a strong biofilm in all three types of media; however, most (75.7% AFEC and 55.2% APEC) were able to form a moderate or strong biofilm in at least one medium. Biofilm formation in APEC seems to be mostly limited to nutrient deplete media; whereas, AFEC are able to form biofilms in both nutrient deplete and replete media. Also, biofilm formation in E. coli from phylogenetic groups B2, D and B1 was induced by nutrient deplete conditions; whereas, biofilm formation by members of phylogenetic group A was strongest in a rich medium. CONCLUSIONS: Biofilm formation by APEC and phylotypes B2, D and B1 is induced by nutrient deplete conditions, while AFEC are able to form biofilms in both nutrient rich and deplete media. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first study to investigate biofilm formation by a large sample of avian E. coli isolates, and it provides insight into the conditions that induce biofilm formation in relation to the source (APEC or AFEC) and phylogenetic group (A, B1, B2 and D) of an isolate.

[Raising physically and psychologically disabled children and non-disabled children within the family]. / Zur gemeinsamen Erziehung von physisch-psychisch geschädigten und nichtgeschädigten Kindern in der Familie.

The formation of close fraternal relations is of great importance for the personality development of the children as well as of their parents and for the relations arising between brothers and sisters with advancing age. With regard to these relations the parents can be partly relieved from the care, troubling them possibly all their life for their disabled child. This has to be considered more thoroughly in the educational advice for the parents of physically-mentally disabled children.

[The knowledge of disabled and non-disabled children of the respective other group]. / Vom Wissen geschädigter und nichtgeschädigter Kinder über die jeweils andere Gruppe.

The knowledge of 9-10 years old disabled pupils and the knowledge of not-disabled pupils of the same age about the respective other group does not only differ with regard to its extent but also to its contents from the knowledge of 11-12 years old disabled and not-disabled pupils, respectively.

[Various family problems of early education of early treated children with clefts]. / Zu einigen Problemen der Früherziehung frühbehandelter Spaltkinder in der Familie.

To prevent retardation in personality development of physically and mentally handicapped children and adolescents, more attention should be paid to the qualification of parents, kindergarten teachers and teachers to educate handicapped children, and so those with cleft lips and palates. This is corroborated by findings obtained of 21 mothers of early-treated cleft children who had been involved in the present study. To qualify parents and co-educators to educate and care cleft children, they are needing sympathetic guidance by, and paedagogical advice from, all those who are contributing to rehabilitation.