Lung cancer risk and its potential association with PM in Bagmati province, Nepal-A spatiotemporal study from 2012 to 2021.

Background: Despite examining the role of an association between particulate matter and lung cancer in low-income countries, studies on the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter and lung cancer risk are still contradictory. This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution patterns of lung cancer incidence and potential association with particulate matter (PM) in Bagmati province, Nepal.

Methods: We performed a spatiotemporal study to analyze the LC - PM association, using LC and annual mean PM concentration data from 2012 to 2021.

A systematic review of spatial and temporal epidemiological approaches, focus on lung cancer risk associated with particulate matter.

Background: Particulate matter (PM), including the major risk factor for lung cancer (LC), greatly impacts human health. Although numerous studies have highlighted spatiotemporal patterns and PM-LC associations, these studies have not been well-reviewed. Thus, we examined epidemiological studies linked with PM-LC and provided concise, up-to-date data.

Psychological Status of Nepalese Young Adults During The End of First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Psychological problems increased during the period of COVID-19. Lockdown" is adopted in many countries of the world. It has also been seen that COVID-19 has led not only to an increase of infection and death but also vast change in the lifestyles of every individual especially in young adults causing various mental health issues.

Spatial Variations and Determinants of Anemia among Under-five Children in Nepal, DHS (2006-2016).

Anemia among under-five children is the major health problem in Nepal. The lack of nutritional supplementation and lack of healthcare facilities are influential factors of anemia. Thus, the main objective of this study is to explore spatial variations and determinants of anemia among under-five children in Nepal.

Empirical dynamic modeling of the association between ambient PM and under-five mortality across 2851 counties in Mainland China, 1999-2012.

Background: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) pollution has been associated with mortality from various diseases, however, its association with under-five mortality rate (U5MR) has remained largely unknown.

Methods: Based on the U5MR data across 2851 counties in Mainland China from 1999 to 2012, we employed approximate Bayesian latent Gaussian models to assess the association between ambient PM and U5MR at the county level for the whole nation and sub-regions. GDP growth rate, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), temperature, and night-time light were included as covariates using a smoothing function.

Ambient air pollution exposure associated with glucose homeostasis during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background: To investigate the effects of air pollution exposure during pregnancy on the indicators of glucose homeostasis and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: We conducted a birth cohort study in Foshan, China during 2015-2019. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was administered to each participant during pregnancy.

The mediation effect of maternal glucose on the association between ambient air pollution and birth weight in Foshan, China.

Maternal blood glucose level is associated with fetal growth, therefore, its role in the associations between air pollution and birth weight deserves investigation. We examined the mediation effect of maternal blood glucose on the associations between maternal air pollution exposure and birth weight. A total of 10,904 pregnant women in Foshan, China during 2015-2019 were recruited.

How longer can people live by achieving the daily ambient fine particulate pollution standards in the Pearl River Delta region, China?

Background: Previous research has reported the effects of long-term fine particulate matter (PM) pollution on years of life lost (YLL), but these effects may not represent the full impact. This study aims to estimate potential benefits in life time from adhering to daily ambient PM concentration standards/guidelines.

Methods: This study evaluated the relationship between daily ambient PM level and YLL using a two-stage approach with generalized additive models and meta-analysis.

Potential gains in life expectancy by attaining daily ambient fine particulate matter pollution standards in mainland China: A modeling study based on nationwide data.

Background: Ambient fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) is one leading cause of disease burden, but no study has quantified the association between daily PM2.5 exposure and life expectancy.

Maternal air pollution exposure associated with risk of congenital heart defect in pre-pregnancy overweighted women.

Objectives: Prenatal exposure to air pollutant has been associated with congenital heart defect (CHD). However, no study has investigated this effect in pre-pregnancy overweighted women. This study aimed to evaluate gestational exposure to particulate pollutant (PM) and gaseous air pollutants (O and NO) on the risk of CHD, and explore the potential effect modifiers including maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI and pregestational diseases.

Mapping Environmental Suitability of Scrub Typhus in Nepal Using MaxEnt and Random Forest Models.

Being a globally emerging mite-borne zoonotic disease, scrub typhus is a serious public health concern in Nepal. Mapping environmental suitability and quantifying the human population under risk of the disease is important for prevention and control efforts. In this study, we model and map the environmental suitability of scrub typhus using the ecological niche approach, machine learning modeling techniques, and report locations of scrub typhus along with several climatic, topographic, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and proximity explanatory variables and estimated population under the risk of disease at a national level.

Hourly associations between ambient air pollution and emergency ambulance calls in one central Chinese city: Implications for hourly air quality standards.

Background: Most studies on the short-term health effects of air pollution have been conducted on a daily time scale, while hourly associations remain unclear.

Methods: We collected the hourly data of emergency ambulance calls (EACs), ambient air pollution, and meteorological variables from 2014 to 2016 in Luoyang, a central Chinese city in Henan Province. We used a generalized additive model to estimate the hourly effects of ambient air pollutants (PM, PM, SO, and NO) on EACs for all natural causes and cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity, with adjustment for potential confounding factors.

Ambient fine particulate matter and ozone higher than certain thresholds associated with myopia in the elderly aged 50 years and above.

Although myopia has been largely ignored among the elderly population, there is an increased risk of myopia with advancing age. Ambient air pollution is one potential contributor to vision impairments, but few epidemiological studies have demonstrated such an association. This cross-sectional survey collected the information of 33,626 subjects aged ≥50 years in six developing countries during 2007-2010.

Applying the concept of "number needed to treat" to the formulation of daily ambient air quality standards.

The World Health Organization sets up the Ambient Air Quality Guidelines mainly based on short-term and long-term health effects of air pollution. Previous studies, however, have generally revealed a non-threshold concentration-response relationship between air pollution and health, making it difficult to determine a concentration, below which no obvious health effects can be observed. Here we proposed a novel approach based on the concept of "number needed to treat", specifically, we calculated the reduction in air pollution concentrations needed to avoid one death corresponding to different hypothetical concentration standards; the one with the smallest value would be the most practical concentration standard.

Modeling the spatially varying risk factors of dengue fever in Jhapa district, Nepal, using the semi-parametric geographically weighted regression model.

Dengue fever is expanding rapidly in many tropical and subtropical countries since the last few decades. However, due to limited research, little is known about the spatial patterns and associated risk factors on a local scale particularly in the newly emerged areas. In this study, we explored spatial patterns and evaluated associated potential environmental and socioeconomic risk factors in the distribution of dengue fever incidence in Jhapa district, Nepal.

Spatiotemporal Distribution and Geospatial Diffusion Patterns of 2013 Dengue Outbreak in Jhapa District, Nepal.

This study describes spatiotemporal distribution and geospatial diffusion patterns of dengue outbreak of 2013 in Jhapa district, Nepal. Laboratory-confirmed dengue cases were collected from the District Public Health Office, Government of Nepal. Choropleth mapping technique, Global Moran's Index, SaTScan, and standard deviational ellipse were used to map and quantify the outbreak dynamics.

Present and Future of Dengue Fever in Nepal: Mapping Climatic Suitability by Ecological Niche Model.

Both the number of cases of dengue fever and the areas of outbreaks within Nepal have increased significantly in recent years. Further expansion and range shift is expected in the future due to global climate change and other associated factors. However, due to limited spatially-explicit research in Nepal, there is poor understanding about the present spatial distribution patterns of dengue risk areas and the potential range shift due to future climate change.

Spatiotemporal analysis of dengue fever in Nepal from 2010 to 2014.

Background: Due to recent emergence, dengue is becoming one of the major public health problems in Nepal. The numbers of reported dengue cases in general and the area with reported dengue cases are both continuously increasing in recent years. However, spatiotemporal patterns and clusters of dengue have not been investigated yet.