Relationship between air quality and asthma-related emergency hospital admissions in Mexico City 2017-2019.

Background: Previous studies found exposure to air pollution leads to exacerbations of asthma in paediatric and adult patients and increases asthma-related emergency hospital admissions (AREHA).

Methods: AREHAs and levels of air pollutants (PM, PM and NO) were obtained from Mexico City for the period 2017-2019. A time-series approach was used to explore the relationship between air pollutants and AREHA.

Exploring the role of human-following robots in supporting the mobility and wellbeing of older people.

With the ever-pressing challenges of societal ageing, robotic technologies for older people are increasingly portrayed as a solution for better independent living for longer. However, the application of human-following robots for elderly citizens has not yet been considered, and any prospective benefits offered by the technology for active ageing have previously been overlooked. This qualitative research aimed to explore older people's needs and requirements towards the human-following robot through the reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data from 17 independent older adults, supported by a video-based demonstration of the robot.

Driving factors behind the continuous increase of long-term PM-attributable health burden in India using the high-resolution global datasets from 2001 to 2020.

Air pollution is the fourth leading global risk factor, whereas in India air pollution is reported as the highest risk factor with millions of premature deaths every year. Despite implementation of several air pollution control plans, PM levels over India have not noticeably reduced. PM-associated health burdens in India have increased significantly in past decades.

Analysing the effect of gender on the human-machine interaction in level 3 automated vehicles.

The emergence of the level 3 automated vehicles (L3 AVs) can enable drivers to be completely disengaged from driving and safely perform other non-driving related tasks, but sometimes their takeover of control of the vehicle is required. The takeover of control is an important human-machine interaction in L3 AVs. However, little research has focused on investigating the effect of gender on takeover performance.

Analysis of fine particulates from fuel burning in a reconstructed building at Çatalhöyük World Heritage Site, Turkey: assessing air pollution in prehistoric settled communities.

The use of wood, dung and other biomass fuels can be traced back to early prehistory. While the study of prehistoric fuel use and its environmental impacts is well established, there has been little investigation of the health impacts this would have had, particularly in the Neolithic period, when people went from living in relatively small groups, to living in dense settlements. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Çatalhöyük, Turkey, is one of the earliest large 'pre-urban' settlements in the world.

Unprecedented reduction in air pollution and corresponding short-term premature mortality associated with COVID-19 lockdown in Delhi, India.

Countries around the world introduced strict restrictions on movement and activities known as 'lockdowns' to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from the end of 2019. A sudden improvement in air quality was observed globally as a result of these lockdowns. To provide insight into the changes in air pollution levels in response to the COVID-19 restrictions we have compared surface air quality data in Delhi during four phases of lockdown and the first phase of the restriction easing period (25 March to 30 June 2020) with data from a baseline period (2018-2019).

Continuous increases of surface ozone and associated premature mortality growth in China during 2015-2019.

Ambient ozone (O) pollution has become a big issue in China. Recent studies have linked long- and short-term O exposure to several public health risks. In this study, we (1) characterize the long-term and short-term O-attributed health metric in China from 2015 to 2019; (2) estimate the surface O trends; and (3) quantify the long-term and short-term health impacts (i.

Short-term effects of air pollution on daily asthma-related emergency department visits in an industrial city.

Background: Epidemiological studies from Europe and North America have provided evidence that exposure to air pollution can aggravate symptoms in asthmatic patients.

Methods: Daily number of AEDv, air pollution levels (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and CO) and meteorological variables was obtained from Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia, for the period of 2007-11.

Prevalence, risk factors and clinical correlates of COPD in a rural setting in Tanzania.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes substantial burden of disease in developed countries, but there are limited data from Africa. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of COPD in Tanzania and identify the risk factors associated with it.This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey involving adults aged ≥35 years.

Feasibility of an incentive scheme to promote active travel to school: a pilot cluster randomised trial.

Background: In Great Britain, 19% of trips to primary school within 1 mile, and 62% within 1-2 miles, are by car. Active travel to school (ATS) offers a potential source of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study tested the feasibility of an intervention to promote ATS in 9-10 year olds and associated trial procedures.

Understanding active school travel through the Behavioural Ecological Model.

Active school travel (AST) is an important source of physical activity for children and a conceptual understanding of AST is necessary to inform promotion efforts. The aim of this article is to provide a conceptual analysis of AST. All currently identified AST formulations include intra-individual variables which are often recommended as intervention targets.

Investigating the traffic-related environmental impacts of hydraulic-fracturing (fracking) operations.

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) has been used extensively in the US and Canada since the 1950s and offers the potential for significant new sources of oil and gas supply. Numerous other countries around the world (including the UK, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia and Argentina) are now giving serious consideration to sanctioning the technique to provide additional security over the future supply of domestic energy. However, relatively high population densities in many countries and the potential negative environmental impacts that may be associated with fracking operations has stimulated controversy and significant public debate regarding if and where fracking should be permitted.

Systems scale assessment of the sustainability implications of emerging green initiatives.

This paper demonstrates a systems framework for assessment of environmental impacts from 'green initiatives', through a case study of meso-scale, anthropogenic-biogenic interactions. The following cross-sectoral green initiatives, combining the emerging trends in the North East region of the United Kingdom, have been considered - increasing the vegetation cover; decarbonising road transport; decentralising energy production through biomass plants. Two future scenarios are assessed - Baseline_2020 (projected emissions from realisation of policy instruments); Aggressive_2020 (additional emissions from realisation of green initiatives).

A novel approach for investigating the trends in nitrogen dioxide levels in UK cities.

This paper investigates the variations in levels of nitrogen dioxide, NO2, monitored over the decade 2001-2010, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK) city centre, to develop fundamental understanding of the periods of persistence of levels of NO2 greater than 40 μg m(-3) (~21 ppb) defined as air pollution event duration. The appropriateness of the hazard theory as a mechanism to understand failure rate of the duration of poor air pollution events was explored. The results revealed two types of air quality events.

Air flow and concentration fields at urban road intersections for improved understanding of personal exposure.

This paper reviews the state of knowledge on modelling air flow and concentration fields at road intersections. The first part covers the available literature from the past two decades on experimental (both field and wind tunnel) and modelling activities in order to provide insight into the physical basis of flow behaviour at a typical cross-street intersection. This is followed by a review of associated investigations of the impact of traffic-generated localised turbulence on the concentration fields due to emissions from vehicles.

Estimation of age-related vulnerability to air pollution: assessment of respiratory health at local scale.

This paper demonstrates association of short-term variation in pollution and health outcomes within the same geographical area for a typical urban setting in the northern part of the UK from time series analysis. It utilises publicly available datasets for regulated air pollutants (PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO and O₃), meteorology and respiratory hospital admissions (and mortality) between April 2002 and December 2005 to estimate the respiratory health effect of pollution exposure, mainly in the elderly. Our results show that PM₁₀ and O₃ are positively associated with respiratory hospital admissions in the elderly, specifically in the age group 70-79.

Investigating the relationship between air pollution, health and social deprivation in Leeds, UK.

This study examines the relationship between air pollution, social deprivation and health in the city of Leeds, UK under a baseline and three distance-based road user charging (RUC) scenarios set at 2 pence, 10 pence and 20 pence/km. Through application of a series of linked models of traffic, emission and pollutant dispersion, air quality was modelled in response to RUC scenarios. The pollutant modelled were NO(2), PM(10), CO, benzene and 1,3-butadiene, though results of NO(2) are used in this study.

An empirical study of estimating vehicle emissions under cordon and distance based road user charging in Leeds, UK.

This paper presents the impact of road user charging (RUC) on vehicle emissions through application of traffic assignment and pollutant emission models. It presents results of an analysis of five RUC schemes on vehicle emissions in Leeds, UK for 2005. The schemes were: a 3 pound sterling inner ring road cordon charge; a double cordon with a 2 pound sterling inner ring road and a 1 pound sterling outer ring road charge; and distance charges of 2, 10 and 20 p/km levied for travel within the outer cordon.