TracMyAir smartphone application for modeling exposures to PM and ozone - Integration with air quality networks and location-activity sensors.

Epidemiologic studies of ambient fine particulate matter (PM) and ozone (O) often use outdoor concentrations from central-site monitors or air quality model estimates as exposure surrogates, which can result in exposure errors. We previously developed an exposure model called TracMyAir, which is an iPhone application that determines seven tiers of individual-level exposure metrics for ambient PM and O using outdoor concentrations, home building characteristics, weather, time-activities. The exposure metrics with increasing information needs and complexity include: outdoor concentration (C, Tier 1), building infiltration factor (F, Tier 2), indoor concentration (C, Tier 3), time spent in microenvironments (ME) (T, Tier 4), personal exposure factor (F, Tier 5), exposure (E, Tier 6), and inhaled dose (D, Tier 7).

Combining tissue biomarkers with mpMRI to diagnose clinically significant prostate cancer. Analysis of 21 biomarkers in the PICTURE study.

Background: Serum PSA and digital rectal examination remain the key diagnostic tools for detecting prostate cancer. However, due to the limited specificity of serum PSA, the applicability of this marker continues to be controversial. Recent use of image-guided biopsy along with pathological assessment and the use of biomarkers has dramatically improved the diagnosis of clinically significant cancer.

Diverging trends in aerosol sulfate and nitrate measured in the remote North Atlantic in Barbados are attributed to clean air policies, African smoke, and anthropogenic emissions.

Sulfate and nitrate aerosols degrade air quality, modulate radiative forcing and the hydrological cycle, and affect biogeochemical cycles, yet their global cycles are poorly understood. Here, we examined trends in 21 years of aerosol measurements made at Ragged Point, Barbados, the easternmost promontory on the island located in the eastern Caribbean Basin. Though the site has historically been used to characterize African dust transport, here we focused on changes in nitrate and non-sea-salt (nss) sulfate aerosols from 1990-2011.

Phage diversity in One Health.

One Health aims to bring together human, animal, and environmental research to achieve optimal health for all. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that kill bacteria and their utilisation as biocontrol agents in the environment and as therapeutics for animal and human medicine will aid in the achievement of One Health objectives. Here, we assess the diversity of phages used in One Health in the last 5 years and place them in the context of global phage diversity.

Temperature-dependent composition of summertime PM in observations and model predictions across the Eastern U.S.

Throughout the U.S., summertime fine particulate matter (PM) exhibits a strong temperature (T) dependence.