Smoke Pollution Research Articles

Burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease attributable to non-optimal temperature from 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been the third leading cause of death worldwide. As the traditional risk factors (like smoking and ambient air pollution) on the burden of COPD being well characterized, the burden of COPD due to non-optimal temperature has been widely concerned. In this study, we extracted the relevant burden data of COPD attributable to non-optimal temperature from GBD 2019 and adopted estimated annual percent changes, Gaussian process regression (GPR), and age-period-cohort model to evaluate the spatiotemporal patterns, relationships with socio-demographic level, and the independent effects of age, period and cohort from 1990 to 2019. In brief, the global COPD burden attributable to non-optimal temperatures showed declining trends but was still more severe in the elderly, males, Asia, and regions with low socio-demographic index (SDI). And cold had a greater burden than heat. The inverted U-shape is expected for the relationship between SDI and the burden of COPD caused by non-optimal temperatures according to the GPR model, with the inflection point around SDI 0.45. Besides, the improvements were observed in period and cohort effects but were relatively limited in low and low-middle SDI regions. Public health managers should execute more targeted programs to lessen this burden predominantly among lower SDI countries.

Investigation and Analysis on the Present Situation of Rural Residential Buildings and Environment in Northeast China

In order to realize the overall goal of energy saving and emission reduction in rural residential buildings and rural energy fields under the double-carbon goal and to promote the process of rural revitalization strategy, this paper analyzes the basic situation and existing problems of rural residential buildings, energy and other aspects by investigating and studying the basic situation of rural areas in Northeast China. The results show that the current rural residential buildings in Northeast China have been built for a long time, and the use of different rooms in the buildings is quite different, which greatly affects the indoor thermal environment and energy consumption under different heating forms. Rural heating equipment is more traditional, the utilization rate of clean energy is low, and there are some problems in the heating process, such as smoke pollution and uneven indoor temperature. The process of agricultural straw resource utilization is slow, and the problem of straw open burning is severe. Through the analysis and summary of the above problems, it will lay the foundation for the subsequent solution and improvement of rural residential buildings and energy problems in Northeast China.

Abstract 703: Dioxin-induced Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Modulation And Atherosclerosis Worsens In The Absence Of AHR

Background: Dioxin (TCDD, 2, 3, 7, 8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) is an active constituent of tobacco smoke and air pollution that activates the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Dioxin has been linked to an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the corresponded molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Smooth muscle cells (SMC) play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque remodeling due to their phenotypic plasticity. In this study, we aimed to understand the role of AHR in modulating the effect of dioxin on vascular SMC and atherosclerosis phenotype. Methods: SMC lineage-tracing (SMC Lin ) mice ( Tg Myh11-CreERT2 , ROSA tdT/tdT , ApoE -/- ) without any TCDD injection were used as control. TCDD were injected to both SMC Lin mice, and SMC-specific Ahr knockout mice. High fat diet (HFD) and TCDD injection started at 8 weeks of age and aortic roots were harvested at 24 weeks of age for either histology or single-cell sequencing (10X Genomics, triplicates). Histology analysis was performed at the aortic sinus of control mice (n=9), TCDD injected SMC Lin mice (n=12) and TCDD injected SMC-specific Ahr knockout mice (n=9). Immunohistochemistry was performed with anti-SM22α antibody and CD68 antibody. Results: The histological analysis of the aortic sinus showed increased lesion area after TCDD treatment in the SMC Lin control mice. In the SMC-specific knockout of Ahr , the lesion area was significantly larger compared to the SMC Lin control mice when treated with TCDD along with significantly increased presence of Tagln + cells in the lesion. These results indicated TCDD leads to adverse remodeling of atherosclerosis and that the presence of Ahr gene is protective against the athero-promoting effects of dioxin. The scRNA-seq of SMC Lin control mice treated with TCDD exposure showed that the SMC phenotypic modulation was markedly inhibited, leading to the presence of fewer fibromyocytes (FMC). Increased FMC to chondromyocytes (CMC) modulation resulted in further reduction of FMC population in the Ahr -KO mice treated with TCDD. Conclusion: Dioxin adversely remodels atherosclerotic plaque, and the lack of AHR in SMC can exacerbate the atherosclerotic process, suggesting that dioxin may exhibit its harmful effect via non-AHR dependent pathway.

Preparation and Properties of Flame Retardant and Antistatic Foamed Wood–Plastic Composite with APP/ZB System

With the aggravation of fire and smoke pollution, it is urgent to develop green, lower-cost and high-performance Foamed Wood–Plastic Composite (FWPC) to meet the standards of antistatic and flame retardant in practical application. Therefore, the flame retardant and antistatic FWPCs were prepared by compression molding in this study. High-density polyethylene (PE-HD) and Salix wood flour were used as main raw materials, and azodicarbonamide (AC) was used as foaming agent; Nano-carbon black (Nano-CB) was used as antistatic filler, and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and zinc borate (ZB) were used as flame retardants. The static bending strength and elastic modulus of FWPC-20 were up to 30.01 MPa and 2636 MPa, respectively, which can meet the commercial application of wood–plastic decorative board. The logarithm of surface resistivity and volume resistivity of FWPC-20 was kept at eight, indicating that it has antistatic effect. The residual carbon rate of FWPC-20 increased to 38.58% at 800 °C, indicating that FWPC had high thermal stability. The minimum heat release rate of FWPC-20 was 226.75 kw/m2, and the average heat release rate was 110.53 kw/m2. The total heat release was 66.96 MJ/m2, and the Limit Oxygen Index was 27.3%, which indicated that FWPC-20 had flame retardant and smoke suppression effects. This study provides a low-cost and simple method for the design of flame retardant, antistatic and high-performance FWPC, and has broad application prospects in the fields of packaging and construction.

Progress in Reducing Indoor Tobacco Smoke Pollution Toward the Establishment of Kabupaten/Kota Layak Anak: Evidence From the 2012 and 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys

In 2017, only about 26.68 percent of Indonesian households were smoke-free. Previous research established a relationship between the health of children under five and indoor tobacco smoke pollution. According to Presidential Regulation 25 of 2021, some indicators that should be met for establishing a child-friendly city/ regency (KLA) are the child's rights to health and family environment. Data from the Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys (IDHS) 2012 and 2017 assessed progress toward smoke-free homes by evaluating the interaction between child age and indoor tobacco smoking at the urban-rural area and regional levels. T-test analysis was used to determine the statistical significance. Findings revealed a higher prevalence of indoor tobacco smoking in rural areas. Over time, the prevalence of indoor tobacco smoking in Indonesian rural areas decreased by 0.84 percent. There was no significant reduction in Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, or Maluku-Papua. Furthermore, Sulawesi experienced a significant increase of approximately 4.54 percent. From 2012 to 2017, the prevalence of indoor tobacco smoking was higher in households with children under five, home crowding, poor households, and households with a low education household head. Therefore, interventions should focus on rural areas. City/regency governments in Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, and Maluku-Papua should be more concerned about indoor tobacco smoke pollution. Raising family awareness about the dangers of indoor tobacco smoke pollution could be targeted at households with children under the age of five, overcrowded households, low-income households, and households with a low-education household head.

VS BRIKET ARANG (Studi Kelayakan Pendirian Usaha Briket Arang Kelapa Di Kota Palembang)

VS Charcoal Briquettes is a business engaged in trading that sells charcoalbriquettes from coconut shells, which are planned to be marketed to restaurants and UMKM thatuse charcoal as a cooking medium for their products, VS Charcoal Briquettes are trying tointroduce this coconut charcoal briquettes to be used in restaurants , UMKM and evensupermarkets in the city of Palembang, this is done not without reason, judging from theadvantages of this coconut charcoal briquette, it is very much compared to the use of ordinarycharcoal. Other things that burn easily or quickly burn, coconut shell charcoal briquettes have along usability because they don't run out quickly when burned, in the process of burning charcoalbriquettes do not have flying powder and also the smoke produced by charcoal briquettes is not asmuch as ordinary charcoal. reduce smoke pollution in the city of Palembang, the use of briquetteset coconut shell charcoal is also considered safer than ordinary charcoal, because it has a slowburning power.

The big 5 respiratory diseases give insight into respiratory health and beyond

In the latest report on global causes of death by the World Health Organization in 2019, COPD ranked the third highest, while lower respiratory diseases ranked fourth and lung cancer ranked sixth, following ischemic heart disease and stroke as the top and the second, respectively (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death). The situation is different when we look at low-income countries where lower respiratory infections ranked the second in mortality while tuberculosis comes in as the eighth highest cause of mortality. Non-communicable diseases like COPD and lung cancer contribute more to the mortality in high-income countries, reflecting the impact of lifestyle factors, such as smoking, playing significant roles in mortality in high-income countries. Although asthma is not a significant cause of mortality, it is still the most common respiratory disease, affecting up to 18% of people, including both children and adults, in different countries. It is not good enough to know how common are these big 5 respiratory diseases. It is important for health care professionals to know how to manage them and to understand what could be driving them to become ‘big’. The differences in mortality between low- and high-income countries are important reflections of the impact of poverty on communicable diseases, accounting for the high incidences and mortality rates of respiratory infections and tuberculosis in low-income countries. Climate change from global warming is believed to make an increasing impact on food supply and hence population immunity, and eventually prevention of communicable diseases. There are other important ‘over-arching’ risk factors contributing to the prevalence of respiratory diseases, namely tobacco smoking and air pollution. Tobacco smoking is a firmly established cause for most cases of COPD and lung cancer. Health care workers are faced with increasing difficulties in persuading people, especially the younger generation, not to smoke or not to pick up the habit of smoking, with the ever-increasing varieties of newer products from the tobacco industry, namely vaping with electronic cigarettes and an increasing variety of newer types of tobacco products. The impact of air pollution, both indoor and outdoor, on respiratory diseases is often considered inevitable at regional or population levels. There is accumulating evidence to support the association of ambient air pollution with increasing exacerbations of asthma and COPD. Some components of air pollutants, such as particulate matters (PM2.5), are believed to contribute to lung carcinogenesis. As a respiratory physician and the President of APSR and FIRS, I would urge respirologists and health care professionals be prepared for opportunities to counteract the health care burden of these big 5 respiratory diseases and the risk factors behind them, namely air pollution, tobacco smoking, poverty and climate change, through more collaborative research, education and advocacy. None declared.

Spatial distribution of unscheduled hospital admissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the central area of Asturias, Spain

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major causes of mortality worldwide and also reports high morbidity rates and the global burden COPD has continued to rise over the last several decades. The best-known COPD risk factors are tobacco smoke and air pollution, but genetics, age, sex, and socioeconomic status are additional factors. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of unscheduled COPD hospital admissions of men and women in the central area of Asturias during 2016–2018 and identify trends, spatial patterns, or clusters in the area.MethodsUnscheduled COPD hospital admissions in the central area of Asturias were registered, geocoded, and grouped by census tracts (CTs), age, and sex. Standardized admission ratio, smoothed relative risk, posterior risk probability, and spatial clusters between relative risks throughout the study area were calculated and mapped.ResultsThe spatial distribution of COPD hospital admissions differed between men and women. For men, high-risk values were located primarily in the northwestern area of the study, whereas for women the cluster pattern was not as clear and high-risk CTs also reached central and southern areas. In both men and women, the north-northwest area included the majority of CTs with high-risk values.ConclusionsThe present study showed the existence of a spatial distribution pattern of unscheduled COPD hospital admissions in the central area of Asturias that was more pronounced for men than for women. This study could provide a starting point for generating knowledge about COPD epidemiology in Asturias.

Analysis Factors of The Physical Environment on The Risk of Stunting in Pregnant Women

Background: Stunting can occur before delivery due to inadequate nutrition during pregnancy, the causes of stunting also include social, physical, and biological environmental factors. Based onthe results of the study, it was found that 52 pregnant women in the second and third trimesters with high-risk pregnancies had the potential to give birth to children at risk of stunting. Purpose: This study aims to determine the relationship between physical environmental factorssuch as sanitation, clean water, family latrines, residential settings, and cigarette smoke pollutantswith the risk of stunting in the working area of the Batu City Health Center, Bogor Regency. Methods: This type of research is an analytic survey with a cross sectional approach. The research sample was 100 pregnant women. The research was conducted in September 2022 usinga questionnaire. Data analysis was performed univariately and bivariately using the Chi Squere statistical test. The frequency distribution of high-risk pregnant women is 52.0%, physicalenvironmental factors are not good sanitation is 68.0%, water is not clean 61.0%, does not have atoilet 55.0%, residential settings are at risk 55.0%, and cigarette smoke pollutants are 67.0%. Result: The results of statistical tests showed that there was a significant relationship between physical environmental factors and the risk of stunting with a p-value below 0.05. Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between sanitation, clean water, family latrines, residential settings, cigarette smoke pollutants with a high risk of pregnancy which has the potential for mothers to give birth to children at risk of stunting. It is expected to improve health education for pregnant women even before conception to create a superior generation free from stunting.

Pericytes: The lung-forgotten cell type.

Pericytes are a heterogeneous population of mesenchymal cells located on the abluminal surface of microvessels, where they provide structural and biochemical support. Pericytes have been implicated in numerous lung diseases including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and allergic asthma due to their ability to differentiate into scar-forming myofibroblasts, leading to collagen deposition and matrix remodelling and thus driving tissue fibrosis. Pericyte-extracellular matrix interactions as well as other biochemical cues play crucial roles in these processes. In this review, we give an overview of lung pericytes, the key pro-fibrotic mediators they interact with, and detail recent advances in preclinical studies on how pericytes are disrupted and contribute to lung diseases including PAH, allergic asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several recent studies using mouse models of PAH have demonstrated that pericytes contribute to these pathological events; efforts are currently underway to mitigate pericyte dysfunction in PAH by targeting the TGF-β, CXCR7, and CXCR4 signalling pathways. In allergic asthma, the dissociation of pericytes from the endothelium of blood vessels and their migration towards inflamed areas of the airway contribute to the characteristic airway remodelling observed in allergic asthma. Although several factors have been suggested to influence this migration such as TGF-β, IL-4, IL-13, and periostin, recent evidence points to the CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway as a potential therapeutic target. Pericytes might also play an essential role in lung dysfunction in response to ageing, as they are responsive to environmental risk factors such as cigarette smoke and air pollutants, which are the main drivers of COPD. However, there is currently no direct evidence delineating the contribution of pericytes to COPD pathology. Although there is a lack of human clinical data, the recent available evidence derived from in vitro and animal-based models shows that pericytes play important roles in the initiation and maintenance of chronic lung diseases and are amenable to pharmacological interventions. Therefore, further studies in this field are required to elucidate if targeting pericytes can treat lung diseases.

An evaluation of the U.S. EPA's correction equation for PurpleAir sensor data in smoke, dust, and wintertime urban pollution events

Abstract. PurpleAir sensors (PASs) are low-cost tools to measure fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations and are now widely used, especially in regions with few regulatory monitors. However, the raw PAS data have significant biases, so the sensors must be calibrated to generate accurate data. The U.S. EPA recently developed a national correction equation and has integrated corrected PAS data onto its AirNow website. This integration results in much better spatial coverage for PM2.5 (particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 µm) across the US. The goal of our study is to evaluate the EPA correction equation for three different types of aerosols: typical urban wintertime aerosol, smoke from biomass burning, and mineral dust. We identified 50 individual pollution events, each having a peak hourly PM2.5 concentration of at least 47 µg m−3 and a minimum of 3 h over 40 µg m−3 and characterized the primary aerosol type as either typical urban, smoke, or long-range transported dust. For each event, we paired a PAS sampling outside air with a nearby regulatory PM2.5 monitor to evaluate the agreement. All 50 events show statistically significant correlations (R values between 0.71–1.00) between the hourly PAS and regulatory data but with varying slopes. We then corrected the PAS data using either the correction equation from Barkjohn et al. (2021) or a new equation that is now being used by the U.S. EPA for the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map (U.S. EPA, 2022b). Both equations do a good job at correcting the data for smoke and typical pollution events but with some differences. Using the Barkjohn et al. (2021) equation, we find mean slopes of 1.00 and 0.99 for urban and smoke aerosol events, respectively, for the corrected data versus the regulatory data. For heavy smoke events, we find a small change in the slope at very high PM2.5 concentrations (> 600 µg m−3), suggesting a ∼ 20 % underestimate in the corrected PAS data at these extremely high concentrations. Using the new EPA equation, we find slopes of 0.95 and 0.88 for urban and smoke events, respectively, indicating a slight underestimate in PM2.5 using this equation, especially for smoke events. For dust events, while the PAS and regulatory data still show significant correlations, the PAS data using either correction equation underestimate the true PM2.5 by a factor of 5–6. We also examined several years of co-located regulatory and PAS data from a site near Owens Lake, California (CA), which experiences high concentrations of PM2.5 due to both smoke and locally emitted dust. For this site, we find similar results as above; the corrected PAS data are accurate in smoke but are too low by a factor of 5–6 in dust. Using these data, we also find that the ratios of PAS-measured PM10 / PM1 mass and 0.3 µm / 5 µm particle counts are significantly different for dust compared to smoke. Using this difference, we propose a modified correction equation that improves the PAS data for some dust events, but further work is needed to improve this algorithm.

Extreme Wildfires Make Their Own Weather

Extreme fires in the western United States and Southeast Asia influenced the local weather in ways that make fires and smoke pollution worse.

Investigatory Studies on Pattern in Enhancement in Fine Particulate Matter in the Delhi during winters

Smog is a harmful mixture of fog, smoke, dust and air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds etc. Ground ozone can cause distressing health effect. Smog is a complex atmospheric pollutant mixture consisting of ozone, a pollutant with adverse effects on human health, vegetation, and materials; other eye-irritant and phytotoxic pollutants (such as aldehydes and peroxyacetyl nitrates); nitrogen dioxide (cause of the “whiskey-brown” color in the Los-Angeles atmosphere); and fine particles that cause adverse health effects, reduce visibility, and cause the “brown cloud” phenomenon. Photochemical smog is produced by vehicular emission mainly. Here we are discussing chemistry of formation of PAN (Peroxyacetyl nitrate), its impact environment & human health.

Socioeconomic determinants of asthma health.

The current review provides an assessment of the recent pediatric literature evaluating socioeconomic drivers of asthma incidence and morbidity. The review addresses the specific social determinants of health related to housing, indoor and outdoor environmental exposures, healthcare access and quality, and the impact of systematic racism. Many social risk factors are associated with adverse asthma outcomes. Children living in low-income, urban neighborhoods have greater exposure to both indoor and outdoor hazards, including molds, mice, second-hand smoke, chemicals, and air pollutants, all of which are associated with adverse asthma outcomes. Providing asthma education in the community - via telehealth, school-based health centers, or peer mentors - are all effective methods for improving medication adherence and asthma outcomes. The racially segregated neighborhoods created by the racist 'redlining' policies implemented decades ago, persist today as hotspots of poverty, poor housing conditions, and adverse asthma outcomes. Routine screening for social determinants of health in clinical settings is important to identify the social risk factors of pediatric patients with asthma. Interventions targeting social risk factors can improve pediatric asthma outcomes, but more studies are needed related to social risk interventions.

Influence of aldo–keto reductase 1C3 polymorphisms in early-onset female psoriasis patients

The principal pathology of psoriasis is impaired skin barrier function, epidermal thickening, and granular layer loss. Exposure to extrinsic factors such as tobacco smoke and air pollutants is associated with the development of psoriasis. Aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AHRs) are activated by extrinsic factors associated with the development of psoriasis and act as transcriptional regulators. Expression of aldo–keto reductase (AKR) 1C3 in the epidermal spinous layer regulates epidermal keratinocyte differentiation via the AHR signaling pathway. We investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AKR1C3 are associated with the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The proportions of rs12529 G/C, C/C variants, and rs12387 A/A, A/G variants were twofold higher in Japanese psoriasis patients (n = 231) compared with a Japanese healthy cohort. The SNPs were significantly more common than the majority variants in female patients with disease onset ≤ 22 years of age. Patients with rs12529 G > C and rs12387 A > G SNPs exhibited significantly lower AKR1C3 expression and higher expression of late differentiation markers. In conclusion, AKR1C3 downregulation caused by rs12529 G > C and rs12387 A > G SNPs in the epidermis induces abnormal early differentiation of keratinocytes and skin barrier dysfunction, which may contribute to the genetic pathogenesis of psoriasis in young females.

Particulate Levels Underneath Landscape Fire Smoke Plumes in the Sydney Region of Australia

Smoke pollution from landscape fires is a major health problem, but it is difficult to predict the impact of any particular fire. For example, smoke plumes can be mapped using remote sensing, but we do not know how the smoke is distributed in the air-column. Prescribed burning involves the deliberate introduction of smoke to human communities but the amount, composition, and distribution of the pollution may be different to wildfires. We examined whether mapped plumes produced high levels of particulate pollution (PM2.5) at permanent air quality monitors and factors that influenced those levels. We mapped 1237 plumes, all those observed in 17 years of MODIS imagery over New South Wales, Australia, but this was only ~20% of known fires. Prescribed burn plumes tended to occur over more populated areas than wildfires. Only 18% of wildfire plumes and 4% of prescribed burn plumes passed over a monitor (n = 115). A minority of plumes caused a detectable increase in PM2.5: prescribed burn plumes caused an air quality exceedance for 33% of observations in the daytime and 11% at night, wildfire plumes caused exceedances for 48% and 22% of observations in the day and night-time, respectively. Thus, most plumes remained aloft (did not reach the surface). Statistical modelling revealed that wind speed, temperature, and mixing height influenced whether a plume caused an exceedance, and there was a difference between prescribed and wild fires. In particular, in wind speeds below 1 kmhr−1, exceedance was almost certain in prescribed burns. This information will be useful for planning prescribed burning, preparing warnings, and improving our ability to predict smoke impacts.

Impact of Smog on Wheat Productivity and Determinants of Smog Adaptation Options: A Case Study of Layyah and Lodhran

Smog is very harmful to agricultural productivity as it directly affects the growth and yield of crops. This study investigates the impact of smog on the wheat crop. For the present analysis, the study chose two agricultural districts (Layyah and Lodhran) of Pakistan. A survey was conducted from July to September 2019, by 400 farmers. Fully structured questionnaire is used for data collection while logit regression is used for empirical estimation. The results reveal that smog has a negative effect on wheat productivity as the size and weight of wheat grains decrease due to smog. The results also depict that the farmers’ perception regarding adaptations options improves productivity. The results show that education, extension services, irrigation source, and credit services significantly impact adaptation options. The study suggests that government should take serious steps to get rid of smog as it adversely affects theproductivity of crops. For this purpose, strict enforcement of National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) for the reduction of emission of smoke and other pollutants in the air by industry and other sectors can be useful. Additionally, government policy should target improving farmers’ education (training and refresher courses), extension services, and credit facilities to increase farmers’ adaptations.

A pre-conception cohort study of fertility and its related factors among couples with the intention of conception

Objective: To describe fertility and explore factors associated with it among pre-conception couples of childbearing age. Methods: Based on the pre-conceptional offspring trajectory study of the School of Public Health of Fudan University, couples of childbearing age who participated in the pre-conception physical examination in Shanghai Jiading District from 2016 to 2021 were recruited and followed up. Couples' time to pregnancy (TTP) was analyzed and Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to explore the factors associated with TTP. Kaplan-Meier was used to calculate each menstrual cycle's cumulative pregnancy rate. Results: A total of 1 095 preconception couples were included in the analysis, the M(Q1,Q3)of TTP was 4.33 (2.41, 9.78) menstrual cycles. Age of women (FR=0.90, 95%CI: 0.85-0.95, P<0.001), women who were overweight or obese before pregnancy (FR=0.36, 95%CI: 0.24-0.55, P<0.001), women who were exposed to second-hand smoking (FR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.44-0.92, P=0.016), women whose home or office had been renovated in the past 2 years and had a particular smell (FR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.26-0.81, P=0.008) were risk factors for impaired fertility. Regular menstrual cycles (FR=1.64, 95%CI: 1.16-2.31, P=0.005), females who often drank tea/coffee (FR=1.55, 95%CI: 1.11-2.17, P=0.011) and males who took folic acid before conception (FR=2.35, 95%CI: 1.38-4.23, P=0.002) were associated with better fertility. The cumulative pregnancy rate of 3, 6, and 12 menstrual cycles was 37.6%, 64.4%, and 78.4%, respectively. Conclusion: Older couples, overweight or obesity before pregnancy, irregular menstruation, exposure to secondhand smoke and decoration pollutants in females are associated with impaired fertility. Frequent tea/coffee drinking before pregnancy in females and taking folic acid before pregnancy in males are associated with shortened conception time.

Common Respiratory Infections in Children Admitted to Aboozar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz City in the First Semester 2021: Frequency, Risk Factors and Clinical Subgroups

Background and Objectives The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of respiratory infections in children admitted to Aboozar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz and the associated risk factors. Subjects and Methods A total of147 children aged 12 years and below admitted to the emergency department were selected for this case-control study, including 96 children with respiratory infections and 51 children without respiratory and/or digestive infections as a control group. Their demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded and statistically compared between the two groups. Results Pneumonia (80.2%), especially pneumonia caused by coronavirus 2019, was the most common type of respiratory infection in children. The prevalence and risk of respiratory complications were significantly higher in boys than in girls (p=0.003). The mean age of children with respiratory infections was also higher than that of the control group (p&lt;0.05). In addition, high body mass index, underlying diseases, low birth weight, reduced or no breastfeeding, a family with many children, parental smoking and air pollution were significantly associated with the high risk of infection (p&lt;0.05). Compared to the control group, the children with respiratory infections had lower levels of red blood cells and lymphocytes, but higher levels of neutrophils (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion Knowledge of diagnostic markers and possible risk factors for respiratory infections in children at the beginning of admission to the ward can play a key role in timely diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Early Origins of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Prenatal and Early Life Risk Factors.

The main risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is active smoking. However, a considerable amount of people with COPD never smoked, and increasing evidence suggests that adult lung disease can have its origins in prenatal and early life. This article reviews some of the factors that can potentially affect lung development and lung function trajectories throughout the lifespan from genetics and prematurity to respiratory tract infections and childhood asthma. Maternal smoking and air pollution exposure were also analyzed among the environmental factors. The adoption of preventive strategies to avoid these risk factors since the prenatal period may be crucial to prevent, delay the onset or modify the progression of COPD lung disease throughout life.