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Interaction between dioxin and HLA gene variant activates events associated with rheumatoid arthritis

It has been known for more than three decades that individuals with a particular version of a gene -; human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -; have an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis.

19 Apr 2018

Study reveals increased risks for Alzheimer's, suicide among youth in polluted cities

A University of Montana researcher and her collaborators have published a new study that reveals increased risks for Alzheimer's and suicide among children and young adults living in polluted megacities.

16 Apr 2018

Brief elevation of airborne particulate matter linked to respiratory infection in children

Even the briefest increase in airborne fine particulate matter PM2.5, pollution-causing particles that are about 3 percent of the diameter of human hair, is associated with the development of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in young children, according to newly published research.

16 Apr 2018

Brief exposure to pollution-causing particles triggers lung infections in children

Even the briefest increase in airborne fine particulate matter PM2.5, pollution-causing particles that are about 3% of the diameter of human hair, is associated with the development of acute lower respiratory infection in young children, according to newly published research.

13 Apr 2018

Study finds high COPD prevalence among China's adult population

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is widespread in China with 8.6 percent of the country's adult population - almost 100 million people -suffering from the chronic lung disease, according to a new Tulane University study published in The Lancet.

10 Apr 2018

Use of cooking and heating fuels in rural China linked to greater risk of death

Use of coal, wood or charcoal for cooking and heating in rural China was associated with a greater risk of death, with that risk decreased by having switched to gas, electricity or central heating, or using ventilation.

3 Apr 2018

Delhi pollution can be attributed to agricultural fires during peak burning season

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have demonstrated that in October and November, a peak burning season in nearby Punjab, about half of all pollution in Delhi can be attributed to agricultural fires on some days.

2 Apr 2018

UC researcher granted patent for potential pulmonary infection treatment

A researcher in the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine has been granted a U.S. patent for a potential treatment for a pulmonary infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

27 Mar 2018

Blacks often have higher air pollution exposure elevating their risk for heart disease, death

Blacks often have higher exposure to air pollution than whites, which may partially explain their higher risk heart disease and death compared to whites, according to new research in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, an American Heart Association journal.

15 Mar 2018

Air pollution exposure during fetal life related to brain abnormalities, cognitive impairment in children

A new study performed in the Netherlands has linked exposure to residential air pollution during fetal life with brain abnormalities that may contribute to impaired cognitive function in school-age children. The study, published in Biological Psychiatry, reports that the air pollution levels related to brain alterations were below those considered to be safe.

8 Mar 2018

When wildfire smoke invades, who should pay to clean indoor air?

As dense smoke from wildfires spread through communities across western Montana last summer, public health agencies faced an indoor problem, too: Residents suddenly needed filters to clean the air inside homes and public spaces, but there was no obvious funding source to pay for it.

8 Mar 2018

Environmental exposures affect genes linked to respiratory diseases much more than genetic ancestry

Researchers have found strong evidence that environmental exposures, including air pollution, affect gene expressions associated with respiratory diseases much more than genetic ancestry.

6 Mar 2018

Following the fire: Montana scientists seize chance to scrutinize smoke exposure

Jean Loesch and her family live in Seeley Lake, Mont., which saw the longest and most intense smoke from Montana’s wildfires last summer. Loesch has 10 children, adopted or in her foster care, and they are learning what it’s like to have lingering respiratory problems.

27 Feb 2018

Early life exposure to green space could have beneficial effects on cognitive function

Primary schoolchildren who have been raised in homes surrounded by more greenspace tend to present with larger volumes of white and grey matter in certain areas of the brain.

23 Feb 2018

Excess emissions can make serious contributions to air pollution, study shows

When Hurricane Harvey struck Texas in August, industrial facilities in the state shut down, then reopened a few days later. In doing so, they produced nearly 2,000 tons of "excess emissions" -- air pollutants in addition to what was allowed as part of their normal operation.

14 Feb 2018

Cleaner shipping fuels will result in reduction of childhood asthma, study finds

Marine shipping fuels will get a whole lot cleaner in 2020 when a regulation by the International Maritime Organization requires fuels to contain 80-86 percent less sulfur.

7 Feb 2018

Air pollution associated with menstrual irregularity in teen girls

The air your teenage daughter breathes may be causing irregular menstrual cycles. Well documented negative health effects from air pollution exposure include infertility, metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome.

25 Jan 2018

Study shows impact of wildfire smoke on air quality in the U.S.

Smoke plumes emanating from wildfires are swept high up into the air and spread over thousands of kilometers even days after a fire has been put out.

9 Jan 2018

Coarse particulate matter exposure linked to increased asthma risk in children

Children exposed to coarse particulate matter may be more likely to develop asthma and to be treated in an ER or be hospitalized for the condition, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

15 Dec 2017

Air pollution exposure before or after conception linked to increased risk of birth defects in children

Women exposed to air pollution just prior to conception or during the first month of pregnancy face an increased risk of their children being born with birth defects, such as cleft lip or palate or abnormal hearts.

11 Dec 2017