Geographic Distribution of Environmental Relative Moldiness Index Molds in USA Homes

Objective. The objective of this study was to quantify and describe the distribution of the 36 molds that make up the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI). Materials and Methods. As part of the 2006 American Healthy Homes Survey, settled dust samples were analyzed by mold-specific quantitative PCR (MSQPCR) for the 36 ERMI molds. Each species' geographical distribution pattern was examined individually, followed by partitioning analysis in order to identify spatially meaningful patterns. For mapping, the 36 mold populations were divided into disjoint clusters on the basis of their standardized concentrations, and First Principal Component (FPC) scores were computed. Results and Conclusions. The partitioning analyses failed to uncover a valid partitioning that yielded compact, well-separated partitions with systematic spatial distributions, either on global or local criteria. Disjoint variable clustering resulted in seven mold clusters. The 36 molds and ERMI values themselves were found to be heterogeneously distributed across the United States of America (USA)

The Rutgers Presbyterian, Syracuse University School of Architecture Design Studio Project, Spring 1988

The School wishes to give special thanks to Mr. James Britton, a member of the Rutgers Presbyterian Church and friend of the School of Architecture at Syracuse University. It was in May of 1986 that Mr. Britton suggested this project to Dean Werner Seligmann and myself as a possible studio project for our students. His belief that this project could be of educational benefit to our students was accurate, and all those who participated have a sense of indebtedness to him for his insights and encouragement. The Rutgers Presbyterian Church located on West 73rd Street wishes to develop the parcel of land that it owns adjacent to its sanctuary space. The site is presently occupied by buildings of five and two-story heights and could be considered underdeveloped in light of recent real estate developments in this area of Manhattan. The land use in the area is mixed, basically comprised of residential streets with commercial, office and institutional uses on the avenues. The development strategy of this parcel is seen as one which should continue the existing rich mixture of the surrounding urban environment and neighborhood qualities. In its development plans for this site, the church wishes to house all of its administrative offices in the new building along with an expanded program of spaces for public assembly. The purpose of these assembly spaces will be to provide the church and its congregation with new and improved facilities for church-related activities and to provide an opportunity to better serve the neighborhood as a community center. Hence the visibility of the church and its ancillary facilities is a very important issue in the proposed new structure. The present first two stories of the corner building on West 73rd Street and Broadway are leased to Chase Manhattan Bank for a main branch banking space. It is anticipated that the bank will remain as a tenant with new facilities built for their purposes. Rentable office space and housing will complete the proposed building program. A portion of the office space might be given over to the future needs of the church, should its programs outgrow the planned accommodations. The housing will most likely be middle-income apartments ranging from studio type to three-bedroom units. The current zoning regulations for this site and the building codes of New York City will provide the guidelines and governing restrictions for the proposed building. In addition, the acceptable standards of practice that apply in the design of the proposed building will provide information and methods of construction which shall act as determinants for systems such as structural, mechanical, enclosure, vertical circulation, and all-dimensional criteria

What Do We Know About Adherence and Self-care?

Despite advances in healthcare, heart failure patients continue to experience complications that could have been prevented or treated. This occurs because the only way that a therapeutic or preventive regimen can be effective, assuming that the patient’s condition has been accurately diagnosed and appropriately treated, is if the patient implements self-care behaviors and adheres to the treatment regimen. However, it is widely accepted that this does not occur in many or even most instances. This article provides an overview of the current evidence related to adherence and self-care behaviors among heart failure patients and describes the state of the science on interventions developed and tested to enhance self-care maintenance in this population. Our review of literature shows that effective interventions integrate strategies that motivate, empower, and encourage patients to make informed decisions and assume responsibility for self-care. Gaps in current evidence support the need for additional research on ways to improve adherence and self-care for patients who are at an increased risk of poor adherence, including those with cognitive and functional impairments and low health literacy

Knowledge of gestational diabetes among a multi-ethnic cohort in Australia

Objective: to explore knowledge about gestational diabete(GDM)among a multi-ethnic sample of women who were receiving antenatal care in Melbourne,Australia

Caregivers’ Health Literacy and Gaps in Children’s Medicaid Enrollment: Findings from the Carolina Oral Health Literacy Study

<div><p>Background and Objectives</p><p>Recent evidence supports a link between caregivers’ health literacy and their children’s health and use of health services. Disruptions in children’s health insurance coverage have been linked to poor health care and outcomes. We examined young children’s Medicaid enrollment patterns in a well-characterized cohort of child/caregivers dyads and investigated the association of caregivers’ low health literacy with the incidence of enrollment gaps.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We relied upon Medicaid enrollment data for 1208 children (mean age = 19 months) enrolled in the Carolina Oral Health Literacy project during 2008–09. The median follow-up was 25 months. Health literacy was measured using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Analyses relied on descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate methods based on Poisson modeling.</p><p>Findings</p><p>One-third of children experienced one or more enrollment gaps; most were short in duration (median = 5 months). The risk of gaps was inversely associated with caregivers’ age, with a 2% relative risk decrease for each added year. Low health literacy was associated with a modestly elevated risk increase [Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) = 1.17 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88–1.57)] for enrollment disruptions; however, this estimate was substantially elevated among caregivers with less than a high school education [IRR = 1.52 (95% CI 0.99–2.35); homogeneity p<0.2].</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Our findings provide initial support for a possible role of caregivers’ health literacy as a determinant of children’s Medicaid enrollment gaps. Although the association between health literacy and enrollment gaps was not confirmed statistically, we found that it was markedly stronger among caregivers with low educational attainment. This population, as well as young caregivers, may be the most vulnerable to the negative effects of low health literacy.</p></div