Is Mental Health Competence in Childhood Associated With Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescence? Findings From the UK Millennium Cohort Study

PURPOSE: Promoting positive mental health, particularly through enhancing competencies (such as prosocial behaviors and learning skills), may help prevent the development of health risk behaviors in adolescence and thus support future well-being. Few studies have examined how mental health competencies in childhood are associated with adolescent health risk behaviors, which could inform preventative approaches. METHODS: Using UK Millennium Cohort Study data (n = 10,142), we examined how mental health competence (MHC) measured at the end of elementary school (11 years) is associated with self-reported use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, alcohol, illegal drugs, antisocial behavior, and sexual contact with another young person at age 14 years. A latent measure of MHC was used, capturing aspects of prosocial behavior and learning skills, categorized as high MHC, high-moderate MHC, moderate MHC, and low MHC. Logistic and multinomial regression estimated odds ratios and relative risk ratios for binary and categorical outcomes, respectively, before and after adjusting for confounders. Weights accounted for sample design and attrition and multiple imputation for item missingness. RESULTS: Those with low, moderate, or high-moderate MHC at age 11 years were more likely to have taken part in health risk behaviors at age 14 years compared with those with high MHC. The largest associations were seen for low MHC with binge drinking (relative risk ratio: 1.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.4]), having tried cigarettes (odds ratio: 2.2 [95% confidence interval: 1.6-3.1]) and tried illegal drugs (odds ratio: 2.0 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.1) after adjusting for confounders (which attenuated results but largely maintained significant findings). CONCLUSIONS: MHC in late childhood is associated with health risk behaviors in midadolescence. Interventions that increase children's MHC may support healthy development during adolescence, with the potential to improve health and well-being through to adulthood

L’usage des tablettes interactives chez les personnes âgées : une analyse ergonomique

International audienc

Physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of microbial mats (KOPARA) in the South Pacific atolls of French Polynesia

Microbial mats that develop in shallow brackish and hyposaline ponds in the rims of two French polynesian atolls (Rangiroa and Tetiaroa) were intensively investigated during the past three years. Comparative assessment of these mats (called kopara in polynesian language) showed remarkable similarities in their composition and structure. Due to the lack of iron, the color of the cyanobacterial pigments produced remained visible through the entire depth of the mats (20–40 cm depth), with alternate green, purple, and pink layers. Profiles of oxygen, sulfide, pH, and redox showed the anoxia of all mats from a depth of 2–3 mm. Analyses of bacterial pigments and bacterial lipids showed that all mats consisted of stratified layers of cyanobacteria (mainly Phormidium, Schizothrix, Scytonema) and purple and green phototrophic bacteria. The purple and green phototrophic bacteria cohabit with sulfate reducers (Desulfovibrio and Desulfobacter) and other heterotrophic bacteria. The microscopic bacterial determination emphasized the influence of salinity on the bacterial diversity, with higher diversity at low salinity, mainly for purple nonsulfur bacteria. Analyses of organic material and of exopolymers were also undertaken. Difference and similarities between mats from geomorphological, microbiological, and chemical points of view are discussed to provide multicriteria of classification of mats. Les tapis microbiens qui se développent dans des mares saumâtres et hyposalines en pourtour de deux atolls de la Polynésie Française (Rangiroa et Tetiaroa) ont été étudiés intensivement au cours des trois dernières années. Un suivi comparatif de ces tapis (appelés kopara en Polynésien) a montré des similitudes remarquables dans leur composition et leur structure. À cause de l'absence de fer, la couleur des pigments reste visible dans toute la profondeur des tapis (20 à 40 cm de profondeur), avec des alternances de vert, pourpre et rose. Les profils d'oxygène, de sulfure et de redox montrèrent l'anoxie des tapis dès 2 à 3 mm de profondeur. Les analyses des pigments et des lipides bactériens ont montré que tous les tapis consistaient en des couches stratifiées de cyanobactéries (principalement Phormidium, Schizothrix et Scytonema) et de bactéries phototrophes pourpres et vertes. Ces dernières cohabitent avec des bactéries sulfato-réductrices (Desulfovibrio et Desulfobacter) ainsi que d'autres bactéries hétérotrophes. Les observations microscopiques ont montré l'influence de la salinité sur la diversité bactérienne des différents tapis principalement pour les bactéries pourpres non sulfureuses. Des analyses de matériaux organiques et d'exopolymères ont également été réalisées. Les différences et les similitudes entre les tapis sont discutées du point de vue géomorphologique, chimique et microbiologique de façon à fournir des critères de classification des tapis microbiens de Polynésie

Production of Hydrogen from α-1,4- and β-1,4-Linked Saccharides by Marine Hyperthermophilic Archaea ▿ †

Nineteen hyperthermophilic heterotrophs from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, plus the control organism Pyrococcus furiosus, were examined for their ability to grow and produce H2 on maltose, cellobiose, and peptides and for the presence of the genes encoding proteins that hydrolyze starch and cellulose. All of the strains grew on these disaccharides and peptides and converted maltose and peptides to H2 even when elemental sulfur was present as a terminal electron acceptor. Half of the strains had at least one gene for an extracellular starch hydrolase, but only P. furiosus had a gene for an extracellular β-1,4-endoglucanase. P. furiosus was serially adapted for growth on CF11 cellulose and H2 production, which is the first reported instance of hyperthermophilic growth on cellulose, with a doubling time of 64 min. Cell-specific H2 production rates were 29 fmol, 37 fmol, and 54 fmol of H2 produced cell−1 doubling−1 on α-1,4-linked sugars, β-1,4-linked sugars, and peptides, respectively. The highest total community H2 production rate came from growth on starch (2.6 mM H2 produced h−1). Hyperthermophilic heterotrophs may serve as an important alternate source of H2 for hydrogenotrophic microorganisms in low-H2 hydrothermal environments, and some are candidates for H2 bioenergy production in bioreactors

Exopolysaccharides Isolated from Hydrothermal Vent Bacteria Can Modulate the Complement System

The complement system is involved in the defence against bacterial infection, or in the elimination of tumour cells. However, disturbances in this system contributes to the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. The efficiency of therapeutic anti-tumour antibodies is enhanced when the complement system is stimulated. In contrast, cancer cells are able to inhibit the complement system and thus proliferate. Some marine molecules are currently being developed as new drugs for use in humans. Among them, known exopolyssacharides (EPSs) generally originate from fungi, but few studies have been performed on bacterial EPSs and even fewer on EPSs extracted from deep-sea hydrothermal vent microbes. For use in humans, these high molecular weight EPSs must be depolymerised. Furthermore, the over-sulphation of EPSs can modify their biological activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunodulation of the complement system by either native or over-sulphated low molecular weight EPSs isolated from vent bacteria in order to find pro or anti-activators of complement