Respiratory symptoms, disease and lung function were studied in 376 families with 816 children who participated in a survey in three USA towns. Parental smoking had no effect on children's symptoms and lung function. Also, there was no evidence that passive smoking affected either lung function or symptoms of adults. There was no association between prevalence of self-reported cough and/or phlegm in parents and their children. There was a highly significant association between the prevalence of wheeze in parents and their younger children, for whom parents reported this symptom. Wheeze in children was also significantly associated with a parental history of asthma, and lung function was lower in children with a family history of asthma. Even after accounting for height, weight, age, sex and race, children's lung function correlated significantly with parents' lung function. However, the contribution of familial factors (i.e., parents' lung function, smoking, and history of asthma) to children's lung function is small compared to the effects of height, weight and age.

This article investigates the "three digital platforms" of Hangzhou Public Library 杭州图书馆 through a discussion of information inequality, the digital divide, and community informatics. After an introduction to the context of contemporary China, and in particular Hangzhou, the authors consider the resources themselves with special reference to their ability to reduce information inequality. These resources—the "Three Platforms" referenced in the title of this essay—are: the library's Website (which can be accessed through standard browser applications), a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) service that is available to mobile users, and a unique digital television service (that is supplied in collaboration with a local cable television company). As part of this discussion, the authors provide data on the number of users and views each service has had in the time since their implementation; offer detailed information on the profile of Website use and the numbers of library patrons taking part in library activities; assess the impact of these services; and debate their implications for community informatics and digital inequality in Hangzhou. Finally, the authors discuss potential future developments.