Changes in the short-term relationship between air pollution and mortality in New York City, 1990-2019.

Background: Few studies have examined how short-term associations between air pollution and mortality have evolved over recent decades when air quality has improved. Public health policy can benefit from timely information.

Methods: We applied time-series models to estimate the mortality impacts of ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone (warm season only), and fine particulate matter (PM) in 5-year moving time windows between 1990 and 2019 (2000–2019 for PM) in New York City (NYC).

ZIP Code-Level Estimation of Air Quality and Health Risk Due to Particulate Matter Pollution in New York City.

Exposure to PM is associated with hundreds of premature mortalities every year in New York City (NYC). Current air quality and health impact assessment tools provide county-wide estimates but are inadequate for assessing health benefits at neighborhood scales, especially for evaluating policy options related to energy efficiency or climate goals. We developed a new ZIP Code-Level Air Pollution Policy Assessment (ZAPPA) tool for NYC by integrating two reduced form models─Community Air Quality Tools (C-TOOLS) and the Co-Benefits Risk Assessment Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool (COBRA)─that propagate emissions changes to estimate air pollution exposures and health benefits.

A prospective phase II study of multimodal prophylactic treatment for afatinib-induced adverse events in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (Niigata Lung Cancer Treatment Group 1401).

Background: Afatinib has shown clinical benefits in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor () mutations. Many patients treated with afatinib experience skin or gastrointestinal toxicity. However, an effective management strategy has not been established.

Power Outage Preparedness and Concern among Vulnerable New York City Residents.

Power outages can impact health, and certain populations may be more at risk. Personal preparedness may reduce impacts, but information on power outage preparedness and risk perception among vulnerable populations is limited. We examined power outage preparedness and concern among New York City residents, including vulnerable populations defined as older adults (≥ 65 years), and respondents with household members who require assistance with daily activities or depend on electric medical devices.

Health Impacts of Citywide and Localized Power Outages in New York City.

Background: Previous studies investigated potential health effects of large-scale power outages, including the massive power failure that affected the northeastern United States and Ontario, Canada, in August 2003, and outages associated with major storms. However, information on localized outages is limited.

Objective: The study sought to examine potential health impacts of citywide and localized outages in New York City (NYC).

Hot Weather Impacts on New York City Restaurant Food Safety Violations and Operations.

Previous studies have shown that higher ambient air temperature is associated with increased incidence of gastrointestinal illnesses, possibly as a result of leaving potentially hazardous food in the temperature danger zone for too long. However, little is known about the effect of hot weather on restaurant practices to maintain safe food temperatures. We examined hot weather impacts on restaurant food safety violations and operations in New York City using quantitative and qualitative methods.

Burden and Risk Factors for Cold-Related Illness and Death in New York City.

Exposure to cold weather can cause cold-related illness and death, which are preventable. To understand the current burden, risk factors, and circumstances of exposure for illness and death directly attributed to cold, we examined hospital discharge, death certificate, and medical examiner data during the cold season from 2005 to 2014 in New York City (NYC), the largest city in the United States. On average each year, there were 180 treat-and-release emergency department visits (average annual rate of 21.

Updated survival outcomes of NEJ005/TCOG0902: a randomised phase II study of concurrent versus sequential alternating gefitinib and chemotherapy in previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer with sensitive mutations.

Background: The North-East Japan Study Group (NEJ) 005/Tokyo Cooperative Oncology Group (TCOG) 0902 study has reported that first-line concurrent and sequential alternating combination therapies of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (gefitinib) plus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy (carboplatin/pemetrexed) offer promising efficacy with predictable toxicities for patients with -mutant non-small cell lung cancer. However, overall survival (OS) data were insufficient in the primary report because of the lack of death events.

Patients And Methods: Progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were re-evaluated at the final data cut-off point (March 2017) for the entire population (n=80).

Real-time surveillance of heat-related morbidity: Relation to excess mortality associated with extreme heat.

The impact of heat on mortality is well documented but deaths tend to occur after (or lag) extreme heat events, and mortality data is generally not available for timely surveillance during extreme heat events. Recently, systems for near-real time surveillance of heat illness have been reported but have not been validated as predictors of non-external cause of deaths associated with extreme heat events. We analyzed associations between daily weather conditions, emergency medical system (EMS) calls flagged as heat-related by EMS dispatchers, emergency department (ED) visits classified as heat-related based on chief complaint text, and excess non-external cause mortality in New York City.

Histological Transformation to Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma from Lung Adenocarcinoma Harboring an EGFR Mutation: An Autopsy Case Report.

We herein report a 58-year-old Japanese woman who survived 14 years after surgery for lung adenocarcinoma harboring an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion. She developed recurrence, for which she underwent multimodal therapy, including EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) administration. She ultimately died from a rapidly progressive right lung tumor that was resistant to EGFR-TKI.

The contribution of motor vehicle emissions to ambient fine particulate matter public health impacts in New York City: a health burden assessment.

Background: On-road vehicles are an important source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in cities, but spatially varying traffic emissions and vulnerable populations make it difficult to assess impacts to inform policy and the public.

Methods: We estimated PM2.

Intraurban Variation of Fine Particle Elemental Concentrations in New York City.

Few past studies have collected and analyzed within-city variation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) elements. We developed land-use regression (LUR) models to characterize spatial variation of 15 PM2.

Excess Mortality Attributable to Extreme Heat in New York City, 1997-2013.

Extreme heat event excess mortality has been estimated statistically to assess impacts, evaluate heat emergency response, and project climate change risks. We estimated annual excess non-external-cause deaths associated with extreme heat events in New York City (NYC). Extreme heat events were defined as days meeting current National Weather Service forecast criteria for issuing heat advisories in NYC based on observed maximum daily heat index values from LaGuardia Airport.

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Preterm Birth in New York City.

Background: Recent studies have suggested associations between air pollution and various birth outcomes, but the evidence for preterm birth is mixed.

Objective: We aimed to assess the relationship between air pollution and preterm birth using 2008-2010 New York City (NYC) birth certificates linked to hospital records.

Methods: We analyzed 258,294 singleton births with 22-42 completed weeks gestation to nonsmoking mothers.

Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality and Long-Term Exposure to Source-Related Components of U.S. Fine Particle Air Pollution.

Background: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution exposure has been identified as a global health threat. However, the types and sources of particles most responsible are not yet known.

Particulate Air Pollution and Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors.

Background: Long-term exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollution is associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, the impact of PM on clinical risk factors for CVD in healthy subjects is unclear. We examined the relationship of PM with levels of circulating lipids and blood pressure in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a large nationally representative US survey.

Methods: This study was based on 11,623 adult participants of NHANES III (1988-1994; median age 41.

Area-level socioeconomic deprivation, nitrogen dioxide exposure, and term birth weight in New York City.

Numerous studies have linked air pollution with adverse birth outcomes, but relatively few have examined differential associations across the socioeconomic gradient. To evaluate interaction effects of gestational nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and area-level socioeconomic deprivation on fetal growth, we used: (1) highly spatially-resolved air pollution data from the New York City Community Air Survey (NYCCAS); and (2) spatially-stratified principle component analysis of census variables previously associated with birth outcomes to define area-level deprivation. New York City (NYC) hospital birth records for years 2008-2010 were restricted to full-term, singleton births to non-smoking mothers (n=243,853).

The associations between daily spring pollen counts, over-the-counter allergy medication sales, and asthma syndrome emergency department visits in New York City, 2002-2012.

Background: Many types of tree pollen trigger seasonal allergic illness, but their population-level impacts on allergy and asthma morbidity are not well established, likely due to the paucity of long records of daily pollen data that allow analysis of multi-day effects. Our objective in this study was therefore to determine the impacts of individual spring tree pollen types on over-the-counter allergy medication sales and asthma emergency department (ED) visits.

Methods: Nine clinically-relevant spring tree pollen genera (elm, poplar, maple, birch, beech, ash, sycamore/London planetree, oak, and hickory) measured in Armonk, NY, were analyzed for their associations with over-the-counter allergy medication sales and daily asthma syndrome ED visits from patients' chief complaints or diagnosis codes in New York City during March 1st through June 10th, 2002-2012.

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in New York City.

Background: Previous studies suggested a possible association between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, but effect sizes have been small and methodologic weaknesses preclude firm conclusions.

Methods: We linked birth certificates in New York City in 2008-2010 to hospital discharge diagnoses and estimated air pollution exposure based on maternal address.

Drinking water turbidity and emergency department visits for gastrointestinal illness in New York City, 2002-2009.

Background: Studies have examined whether there is a relationship between drinking water turbidity and gastrointestinal (GI) illness indicators, and results have varied possibly due to differences in methods and study settings.

Objectives: As part of a water security improvement project we conducted a retrospective analysis of the relationship between drinking water turbidity and GI illness in New York City (NYC) based on emergency department chief complaint syndromic data that are available in near-real-time.

Methods: We used a Poisson time-series model to estimate the relationship of turbidity measured at distribution system and source water sites to diarrhea emergency department (ED) visits in NYC during 2002-2009.