A longitudinal cohort study of damp and mouldy housing and children's respiratory health in Bradford, UK.

The US Air Quality Index (AQI) is the most widely reported tool for public communication of air pollution health risks in the United States, yet its effectiveness in protecting individuals with respiratory conditions remain poorly understood. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) convened an ad hoc multidisciplinary committee, including participation from relevant officials, to assess the current evidence and define research priorities related to the AQI and respiratory health. The committee conducted a systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature and held a meeting to discuss key topics. Subsequent engagement refined the findings and established consensus on priority research questions. The systematic search indicated significant gaps in the literature, including limited evaluation of AQI effectiveness in changing behavior, few studies assessing health outcomes associated with AQI use, and minimal research on how people with respiratory disease interpret and respond to AQI messaging. Priority research areas span key domains: AQI structure, sub-daily exposure estimation, communication strategies, clinical and community implementation, and evaluation of health and exposure reductions. Specific research recommendations include evaluating AQI structures that better reflect cumulative and multi-pollutant exposures, developing methods to assess how patients with respiratory conditions interpret and act on AQI messaging, and measuring whether AQI-informed behaviors result in meaningful reductions in exposure and improvements in health outcomes. This research statement outlines a framework for strengthening the scientific foundation of the AQI and improving its effectiveness as a respiratory health protection tool.

Upper respiratory microbiome composition and associations with air pollution and infant respiratory health: a longitudinal study in Guatemala.

Aerodigestive Disease and Respiratory Health.

Diversity analysis of indoor and outdoor fungal bioaerosols in UK households: a prospective, observational, longitudinal study.

de Morais Ferreira, AB, Halson, S, Galvão-Coelho, NL, de Almeida, RN, Nakamura, FY, and Mortatti, AL. Impact of sleep restriction and intensified training on mucosal immunity and psychological responses in young soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 40(7): e703-e713, 2026-This study analyzed the effects of training intensification during a period of sleep restriction (SR) on mucosal immunity (salivary IgA), upper respiratory tract health, mood states, and stress tolerance in young soccer players. Sixteen male youth soccer players completed 7 weeks of training with varied workloads. Weeks 3 and 5 involved a 75% increase in internal training load (ITL); however, although sleep was unrestricted in week 3, allowing for an increase in total sleep time (TST) (+53 minutes vs. baseline), week 5 included a ∼10% reduction in TST (-44 minutes vs. baseline). Internal training load was assessed using session-rating of perceived exertion, and sleep was monitored via actigraphy. Salivary IgA, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) severity (Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey), perceived recovery status (PRS), stress tolerance (Daily Analysis of Life Demands of Athletes), and mood states (Brunel Mood Scale) were evaluated weekly. Salivary IgA concentrations significantly decreased in both intensified training weeks (week 3: β = -87.41, p = 0.007; week 5: β = -114.04, p < 0.001). However, only in week 5, this reduction was accompanied by a significant increase in URTI severity ( p = 0.001), heightened fatigue (χ 2 (6) = 42.499, p < 0.001), reduced vigor (χ 2 (6) = 49.422, p < 0.001), impaired PRS ( p < 0.001), and lower stress tolerance ( p = 0.001). In contrast, during week 3, despite the intensified training, PRS, mood states, and stress tolerance remained stable. These findings emphasize the protective role of adequate sleep during intensified training, as greater sleep availability in week 3 may have mitigated the negative effects observed in week 5. Ensuring sufficient sleep during periods of high training loads is essential to maintain physical and psychological health.

Jal Neti, a traditional yogic nasal cleansing technique, is widely practiced for its benefits in improving respiratory health and overall well-being. However, there is no consensus on the optimal temperature of water used in this practice, with recommendations varying between 37°C and 42°C. This study aimed to explore the preferences of experts in naturopathy and yoga regarding water temperature during Jal Neti and to determine whether these preferences correlate with years of experience. A total of 38 practitioners, categorized by experience levels (<5 years, 5-10 years, 10-15 years, and >15 years), participated in the study. Each participant performed Jal Neti using a 9% saline solution at both 37°C and 42°C and reported their comfort level. The results revealed that 60.52% of participants preferred 37°C, while 36.84% favored 42°C, with 2.63% reporting no preference. Preferences varied across experience levels: 75% of practitioners with <5 years of experience preferred 37°C, whereas 71.3% of those with 5-10 years of experience favored 42°C. There was no statistically significant association between years of experience and temperature preference. These findings suggest that the choice of water temperature in Jal Neti is subjective and may be influenced by individual comfort rather than professional experience. The study highlights the need for further research to establish evidence-based guidelines for standardizing Jal Neti practices, ensuring optimal therapeutic outcomes when accommodating individual preferences.

An integrated approach identifying seasonal variation in allergenic grass pollen in southern Australia.

To evaluate the recent literature on differential exposure to and health risks from wildfire smoke across subpopulations, whether wildfire-derived PM2.5 affects health differently from non-wildfire-derived PM2.5, and how wildfire smoke composition affects health. We found inconsistent evidence of differential exposure to and health risks from wildfire PM2.5 by population subgroups. This could be due to variation in wildfire PM2.5 infiltration into buildings and ability to take individual protective actions, both of which have been noted to be related to socio-economic status in the recent scientific literature. Respiratory health endpoints have been the most consistent and commonly evaluated health outcome in studies of wildfire smoke; additional research is needed to resolve conflicting findings for non-respiratory health outcomes (e.g., cardiovascular disease). Although some recent studies have documented larger health risks from wildfire-derived as compared to non-wildfire-derived PM2.5, we document how further research could evaluate whether these findings are confounded by type of fuel burned, due to methodological concerns, or are true. We also conclude that more research is necessary to elucidate potential differences in health risks of constituents of wildfire smoke other than PM2.5 or from burning of different fuels. Wildfire smoke is projected to continue to increase. We encourage future research to move away from further documentation of respiratory health impacts of wildfire smoke, which has been very well established, into studies of other health endpoints that have been less well studied to date, more exploration into health effects from wildfire smoke constituents other than PM2.5 and from different types of fires (i.e., wildland urban interface (WUI) fires versus wildland fires), and additional exploration of remaining uncertainties with a goal of further supporting public health protection from wildfire smoke.

Background: Rounded shoulder posture is a common postural deviation characterized by anterior displacement of the shoulder girdle, scapular protraction, and forward positioning of the acromion relative to the vertical axis. It is frequently associated with prolonged sitting, smartphone use, and computer-based activities, leading to predictable muscular imbalances. Objective: To determine the relationship between rounded shoulder posture and pulmonary function parameters among undergraduate physical therapy students. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 undergraduate physical therapy students aged 19–25 years from universities in the Malakand division. Participants were equally divided into two groups based on postural assessment: Group A (normal shoulder posture, n=100) and Group B (rounded shoulder posture, n=100). Pulmonary function was evaluated using spirometry, with measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Postgraduate students, faculty members, and administrative staff, and individuals with known systemic or metabolic disorders, a recent history of trauma or injury, or individuals with any physical disability or structural deformity were excluded from the study. An independent-samples t-test was used for group comparisons, with statistical significance set at p &lt; 0.05. Results: Significant differences were observed between groups across all pulmonary parameters. Students with rounded shoulder posture demonstrated lower mean FEV₁ (3.07±0.59 L vs. 3.26±0.29 L, p=0.003), FVC (3.40±0.57 L vs. 3.74±0.36 L, p&lt;0.001), and PEFR (5.68±0.69 L/s vs. 6.57±0.67 L/s, p&lt;0.001). Demographic variables were comparable, minimizing confounding effects. Conclusion: Rounded shoulder posture is significantly associated with reduced pulmonary function in young adults. These findings underscore the importance of early postural assessment, targeted corrective strategies, and preventive ergonomic education within academic environments to optimize respiratory health outcomes and long-term functional capacity.

Airborne nanoplastic (NP) pollution is an emerging threat to respiratory health. Although inhaled NPs rapidly acquire a protein corona that shapes their bioactivity, the consequences of this process in cancer-susceptible lungs remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether NPs form a disease-specific pathogenic protein corona in lung adenocarcinoma that rewires immune signaling and accelerates tumor progression. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) NPs were generated by mechanical fragmentation and extensively characterized. In tumor-bearing mice, inhaled PET NPs accelerated tumor growth relative to controls. Proteomic analysis of PET NPs incubated with bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with lung adenocarcinoma identified lysozyme (LYZ) as a selectively enriched corona component associated with tumor stage and metastasis. Corona formation induced conformational remodeling of LYZ, enhanced its enzymatic activity, and prolonged its membrane retention. Mechanistically, corona-bound LYZ engaged Toll-like receptor 4 and activated a PGRN-LXRα signaling axis, thereby increasing lysosomal acidification-dependent efferocytosis, promoting M2 macrophage polarization, and reducing CD8+ T-cell infiltration. In vivo, AAV9-mediated knockdown of LYZ or PGRN attenuated PET NP-induced efferocytosis, reversed immunosuppressive reprogramming, restored CD8+ T-cell infiltration, and suppressed tumor growth, demonstrating the functional requirement for this corona pathway. These findings establish disease-derived PET NP coronas as active nano-bio interfaces that connect environmental PET NP exposure with efferocytosis-driven immune evasion in lung adenocarcinoma. This work provides a mechanistic link between airborne NPs and tumor progression in susceptible hosts and highlights corona-mediated signaling as a potential therapeutic target and environmental health concern.

This interdisciplinary longitudinal study examines the association between PM2.5 levels at sites downwind of a coal-fired thermal power plant (TPP) near the India-Bangladesh border and respiratory health in the exposed population, assessed using spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels. Pulmonary function tests indicate significantly worse lung health at downwind sites in both India and Bangladesh compared with an upwind location. With averaged forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) values < 80% of predicted, evidence of preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm), and significantly lower forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of vital capacity (FEF25-75), the population at the Indian downwind site is clearly at risk of developing obstructive pulmonary and related diseases. Although PM2.5 concentrations decline sharply during the monsoon across all sites, this does not translate into a recovery in lung health at the downwind location, consistent with chronic, irreversible effects potentially related to long-term exposure to TPP-associated PM2.5. Moreover, poorer socioeconomic conditions and exposure to emissions from biomass-based indoor cooking are associated with exacerbated respiratory effects. Overall, the study advocates transitioning to cleaner fuels for power generation and household use and recommends locating power plants away from densely populated areas to minimize health impacts.

A CFPD-FSI analysis of the impact of nasal hairs on airflow patterns, nasal resistance, and particle filtration in a realistic human nasal airway.

Environmentally relevant aged nanoplastics amplify oxidative stress-associated inhalation toxicity and delay lung clearance.

An integrated approach combining transcriptomics, network pharmacology, and experimental validation are used to investigate the mechanism of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Forsythiae Fructus extracts against acute lung injury in chickens.

The pervasive environmental contamination of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) has raised significant public health concerns, with the respiratory tract being a critical route of exposure. While a growing body of evidence suggests adverse pulmonary effects, a comprehensive synthesis of systematic reviews (SRs) is lacking. This umbrella review systematically consolidates evidence from published SRs to evaluate the impact of MP and NP exposure on human pulmonary health. Accordingly, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases. Fifteen SRs meeting the inclusion criteria were critically appraised using the AMSTAR-2 tool and included for narrative synthesis. The evidence unequivocally links MP/NP exposure to a spectrum of respiratory pathologies. Key determinants of toxicity can include particle size, shape, and polymer chemistry. NPs penetrate deeply into alveoli, causing oxidative stress, inflammation, and translocation, while MPs act as persistent irritants in the airways. Exposure is associated with acute conditions (airway inflammation, alveolar damage) and chronic diseases, including chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation, and pulmonary fibrosis. These effects lead to functional impairments such as reduced gas exchange and a progressive decline in lung function. Urban residents, occupational workers, and children are identified as high-risk populations due to heightened exposure and susceptibility. This synthesis study establishes MPs and NPs as a significant and multifaceted hazard to respiratory health. Addressing the global plastic pollution crisis at its source is paramount for protecting respiratory health.

Lower respiratory tract disease as an indicator of childhood health in the post-medieval Low Countries.

Respiratory health during childhood is crucial for optimal growth and long-term well-being. Early lung function impairment may remain clinically silent, yet predispose to chronic respiratory morbidity. While spirometry is the standard for assessing airway function, its routine use in children is often limited. Simple bedside tests such as Single Breath Count (SBC), Breath Holding Time (BHT), and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) are non-invasive, inexpensive, and feasible in outpatient and community settings, and may serve as practical screening tools for early detection of ventilatory dysfunction. This hospital-based observational study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics at a tertiary care teaching hospital in North-Western Uttar Pradesh after ethical approval and informed consent. Children aged 7-18 years attending the outpatient department were enrolled; those with acute respiratory illness or severe systemic disease were excluded. Anthropometry was recorded, and respiratory function was assessed using SBC, BHT, and PEFR following standardized protocols. These respiratory parameters were analyzed in relation to age, height, and BMI using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Among 190 children (mean age 11.5 ± 2.1 years), mean SBC, BHT, and PEFR were 32.4 ± 12.9, 30.4 ± 10.9, and 170.8 ± 60.4L/min, respectively. All respiratory parameters increased with age, with PEFR peaking at 13 years. SBC and BHT showed significant positive associations with PEFR; There was a statistically significant positive correlation between SBC, BHT, PEFR and anthropometric parameters. On regression analysis, age and height were found to significantly influence the PEFR reading. Breath-holding time and height are significant predictors of PEFR in children. Simple bedside respiratory measures, SBC and BHT, may serve as practical adjuncts for assessing pulmonary function in resource-limited settings.

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a marked decline in respiratory infections and asthma exacerbations in children. Following the easing of restrictions, a rebound in respiratory morbidity was observed. However, the long-term impact on paediatric asthma remains unclear. We conducted a retrospective study using data from the largest healthcare provider in Israel. Children aged 2-18 years with recurrent wheezing or clinician-diagnosed asthma were included. Healthcare utilisation between January 2019 and July 2023 was analysed. A total of 209 954 children, mean age 6.8 years (56.9% male), were included. During winter 2020-2021, compared with winter 2019-2020, healthcare utilisation declined significantly for chest radiographs (CXR) (RR = 0.69), asthma medication dispensing (RR = 0.67), and emergency department (ED) visits (RR = 0.61). After restrictions were lifted, all outcomes rose sharply, peaking in summer 2021. By winter 2022-2023, rates of CXR (RR = 1.30), asthma medication dispensing (RR = 1.03), ED visits (RR = 1.04), and hospitalisations (RR = 1.30) remained significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels across all age groups. Paediatric respiratory-related healthcare utilisation exceeded pre-pandemic levels during the first and second post-pandemic winters. These findings highlight the unpredictable, long-lasting, and indirect consequences of pandemic-era interventions on respiratory health.

Modern coffee processing generates a complex, co-localized mixture of respiratory hazards, such as carbon monoxide (CO), volatile α-diketones (principally diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione), and bio-reactive coffee dust, that challenge single-agent risk paradigms. This systematic review synthesizes quantitative exposure data, exposure-response relationships, mechanistic plausibility, and control efficacy to characterize the occupational respiratory burden associated with simultaneous exposure to these agents. A systematic search of literature (in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses - PRISMA 2020) was conducted choosing eligible studies reported quantitative exposure metrics (CO in ppm, α-diketones in ppb, particulate matter in mg/m3) and respiratory health outcomes among coffee industry workers. Task-based monitoring identified grinding, flavoring, and packaging as peak emission events. Epidemiological findings included sentinel clusters of obliterative bronchiolitis, increased prevalence of obstructive spirometric abnormalities, and measurable forced expiratory volume (FEV1) declines associated with cumulative α-diketone exposure; organic dust exposure correlated with chronic cough, dyspnea, and reduced FEV1/forced vital capacity. Co-exposure to CO, α-diketones, and coffee dust in roasting, grinding, and packaging operations produces a substantive occupational respiratory risk profile, including both acute systemic hazards and chronic small-airway injury. Preventing occupational risk requires prioritizing engineering controls, task-specific ventilation design for peak emissions, and longitudinal exposure and health surveillance to define dose-response relationships for complex mixtures and to inform evidence-based occupational exposure limits. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2026;77(3).