'Maybe I will give some help . maybe not to help the eyes but different help': an analysis of care and support of children with visual impairment in community settings in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Visual impairment in children is common in low and middle-income settings. Whilst visual impairment (VI) can impact on the development of children, many reach full potential with appropriate early intervention programmes. Although there is increased emphasis on early child development globally, it is not yet clear how to provide specific programmes for children with VI in low and middle-income settings. This study aims to identify facilitators and barriers to the provision of a developmental stimulation programme for children with VI in rural and urban Malawi. METHODS: We undertook 6 focus groups, 10 home observations and 20 in-depth interviews with carers of children with VI under 6 years in urban and rural Southern Malawi. We utilised topic guides relating to care, play, communication and feeding. Qualitative data were subject to thematic analysis that included placing themes within Bronfenbrenner's ecological framework. We established authenticity of themes through feedback from participants. RESULTS: We identified themes within Bronfenbrenner's framework at five levels: (1) blindness acting as a barrier to stimulation and communication, health and complex needs all affecting the individual child; (2) understanding of VI, ability to be responsive at the microsystem level of the carer; (3) support from other carers at microsystem level within a mesosystem; (4) support from other professionals (knowledge of, identification and management of children with VI, responsibilities and gender roles, environmental safety and prejudice, stigma and child protection all at the level of the exosystem. DISCUSSION: This study has revealed the requirements needed in order to produce meaningful and appropriate programmes to support nutrition, care and early stimulation for children with VI in this and similar African settings. This includes supporting carers to understand their child's developmental needs, how to better communicate with, feed and stimulate their child; offering advice sensitive to carers' responsibilities and professional training to better support carers and challenge community stigma.

Autonomous field measurements of CO2 in the atmospheric column with the miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer (Mini-LHR).

We present column CO2 measurements taken by the passive miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer (Mini-LHR) at 1611.51 nm at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. The Mini-LHR was operated autonomously, during the month of May 2013 at this site, working in tandem with an AERONET sun photometer that measures aerosol optical depth at 15-min intervals during daylight hours. Laser heterodyne radiometry has been used since the 1970s to measure atmospheric gases such as ozone, water vapor, methane, ammonia, chlorine monoxide, and nitrous oxide. This iteration of the technology utilizes distributed feedback lasers to produce a low-cost, small, portable sensor that has potential for global deployment. Applications of this instrument include supplementation of existing monitoring networks to provide denser global coverage, providing validation for larger satellite missions, and targeting regions of carbon flux uncertainty. Also presented here are preliminary retrieval analysis and the performance analysis that demonstrate that the Mini-LHR responds extremely well to changes in the atmospheric absorption.

Mediating haptic exploratory strategies in children who have visual impairment and intellectual disabilities.

This article provides a synthesis of literature pertaining to the development of haptic exploratory strategies in children who have visual impairment and intellectual disabilities. The information received through such strategies assumes particular significance for these children, given the restricted information available through their visual modality, often in combination with additional sensory and/or physical impairments. The literature reviewed from early child development highlights the importance of independent activity in the development of exploratory strategies, as well as the pivotal role of vision in 'mediating' information received through the haptic modality. In translating these findings to children who have visual impairment and intellectual disabilities, the role of the child's learning partner assumes greater significance in ensuring that haptic information is appropriately 'mediated' to meet the child's individual needs. The implications for developing appropriate developmentally paced intervention approaches are considered. A framework is outlined that seeks to account for the role of the child's adult partner in mediating haptic learning experiences to ensure they are appropriately structured and progressive.

Chromium exposure assessment of outdoor workers in Hudson County, NJ.

A large quantity of chromate chemical production waste, containing hexavalent chromium, has been used as fill at over 150 sites in Hudson County, New Jersey. One site is in a state park, and several other sites are adjacent to the park. Blood and urinary chromium levels were compared between 17 employees at the Hudson County park and 35 employees from two other state parks. A limited number of soil and personal air samples were also taken. Urinary and RBC chromium levels between the two groups were similar, even after adjusting for potentially confounding variables. The air sampling results demonstrated slightly higher chromium levels at Hudson County, but these were still very low level in nature (mean = 0.18 micrograms/m3). These results call into question the utility of chromium biomonitoring under environmental exposure conditions.