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Experts focus on scientific complexities of individual and population health at iCOMOS 2016

How do we balance the needs for individualized health care with the public health programs serving communities - especially in the context of environmental pollution and climate change? Given a fixed set of resources, maximizing the potential of both is challenging, indeed.

22 Apr 2016

Green vegetation near homes plays important role in reducing mortality

Women live longer in areas with more green vegetation, according to new research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. Women with the highest levels of vegetation, or greenness, near their homes had a 12 percent lower death rate compared to women with the lowest levels of vegetation near their homes. The results were published Apr. 14, 2016 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

18 Apr 2016

Scientists develop graphene-based sensor that can detect harmful air pollution in home

Scientists from the University of Southampton, in partnership with the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, have developed a graphene-based sensor and switch that can detect harmful air pollution in the home with very low power consumption.

18 Apr 2016

Study finds link between low pollution levels and stronger lungs in California kids

A USC study that tracked Southern California children over a 20-year period has found they now have significantly fewer respiratory symptoms as a result of improved air quality.

13 Apr 2016

Air pollution reduction linked to decrease in bronchitic symptoms in children

Decreases in ambient air pollution levels over the past 20 years in Southern California were associated with significant reductions in bronchitic symptoms in children with and without asthma, according to a study appearing in the April 12 issue of JAMA.

13 Apr 2016

Low-level exposures to air pollution may affect normal lung function in children

Dramatic improvements in air quality in U.S. cities since the 1990s may not be enough to ensure normal lung function in children, according to new research published in the April 15 American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, a journal of the American Thoracic Society.

12 Apr 2016

Respiratory filter mask helps reduce impact of pollution on people with heart failure

The use of a respiratory filter mask, a common practice in China and Japan, among other countries, helps minimize the impact of pollution on people with heart failure during rush-hour traffic in cities such as São Paulo, Brazil.

7 Apr 2016

Unhealthy BMIs, smoking, drinking alcohol and solid fuel use increase asthma risk in women

Underweight and obese women who also drank alcohol and smoked tobacco had a two-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with asthma than women with a healthy body mass index who did not drink or smoke, a St. Michael's Hospital study found.

7 Apr 2016

Health inequities become a persistent challenge as world’s urban population continues to grow

New data on the health of city-dwellers in almost 100 countries show that as the world’s urban population continues to grow, health inequities - especially between the richest and poorest urban populations - are a persistent challenge, according to a report by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

31 Mar 2016

Annual economic cost of U.S. premature births linked to air pollution reaches $4.33 billion

The annual economic cost of the nearly 16,000 premature births linked to air pollution in the United States has reached $4.33 billion, according to a report by scientists at NYU Langone Medical Center.

29 Mar 2016

Air pollution can lead to premature death

People who live where there are high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of dying prematurely. Air pollution levels in Gothenburg have, however, decreased by half in the past few decades.

25 Mar 2016

Public health benefits of using more recycled water

Expanding the use of recycled water would reduce water and energy use, cut greenhouse gas emissions and benefit public health in California -- which is in the midst of a severe drought -- and around the world.

21 Mar 2016

Study: Prenatal exposure to PAH leads to mental health problems in children

Exposure to common air pollutants during pregnancy may predispose children to problems regulating their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors later on, according to a new study led by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health within Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and New York State Psychiatric Institute.

17 Mar 2016

Data traffic may help people better cope with pollution

Heavy city traffic contributes significantly to air pollution and health problems such as asthma, but University of Texas at Dallas researchers think another kind of traffic -- data traffic -- might help citizens better cope with pollution.

8 Mar 2016

Research shows nighttime lights may affect sleeping habits

If your neighborhood is well-lit at night, you may not be sleeping well, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

2 Mar 2016

Air pollution increases risk of preterm birth for asthmatic pregnant women

Pregnant women with asthma may be at greater risk of preterm birth when exposed to high levels of certain traffic-related air pollutants, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

2 Mar 2016

Major survey provides essential insight into our perception of quality of life day-to-day

A major 'flash barometer' survey conducted by the European Union every three years has given an essential insight into our perception of quality of life day-to-day. Importantly for REMOURBAN cities and stakeholders, issues like air and noise pollution and climate change also complement satisfaction with infrastructure and facilities.

27 Feb 2016

New method for measuring particulate emissions from aircraft engines

Thanks to a close collaboration between the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, SR Technics and the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, Switzerland is setting an international benchmark by developing a method for measuring emissions of fine particulate matter from aircraft engines.

27 Feb 2016

Air pollution exposure increases obesity risk

Laboratory rats who breathed Beijing's highly polluted air gained weight and experienced cardio-respiratory and metabolic dysfunctions after three to eight weeks of exposure.

22 Feb 2016

Early life factors contribute to aging of lungs

Smoking mothers, respiratory infections and the date you were born contribute to determine how fast your lungs are aging.

17 Feb 2016