Profiling the Chemical Exposomic Landscape of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

While the cancer genome is well-studied, the nongenetic exposome of cancer remains elusive, particularly for regionally prevalent cancers with poor prognosis. Here, by employing a combined knowledge- and data-driven strategy, we profile the chemical exposome of plasma from 53 healthy controls, 14 esophagitis and 101 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, and 46 esophageal tissues across 12 Chinese provinces, integrating inorganic, endogenous, and exogenous chemicals. We first show that components of the ESCC chemical exposome mediate the relationship between ESCC-related dietary/lifestyle factors and clinic health status indicators.

Identification of the exposure pathway to micro-scaled biogenic silica debris via diet and its potential effect in promoting esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has remained highly prevalent for decades in certain regions, such as the Taihang Mountains in China, though its etiology remains unclear. The previous study unveiled silica fragments in resected ESCC tissues in this region, raising a hypothesis about their relationship with ESCC. Yet, the exposure pathway of these silica fragments and their role in the high incidence of ESCC remain unclear.

Urine volatile organic compounds in predicting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease risk in a national observational study.

: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease caused by genetic and environmental factors, but the contribution of urine volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to the risk of COPD remains unclear. This study aims to use the NHANES data to explore the potential value of urine VOCs in predicting COPD. : an epidemiological study including 782 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2018 was performed to evaluate the association between urine VOCs and COPD.

Beneficial effect of residential greenness on sperm quality and the role of air pollution: A multicenter population-based study.

Background: Poor sperm quality is a major cause of male infertility. However, evidence remains scarce on how greenness affects male sperm quality.

Objectives: To assess the associations of residential greenness with male sperm quality and the modification effect of air pollution exposure on the relationship.

Ozone as an environmental driver of influenza.

Under long-standing threat of seasonal influenza outbreaks, it remains imperative to understand the drivers of influenza dynamics which can guide mitigation measures. While the role of absolute humidity and temperature is extensively studied, the possibility of ambient ozone (O) as an environmental driver of influenza has received scant attention. Here, using state-level data in the USA during 2010-2015, we examined such research hypothesis.

Understanding paediatric COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic: a prospective cohort and a population-based registry study.

Background: Despite the early demonstrated safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in children, uptake was slow throughout the pandemic and remains low globally. Understanding vaccine refusal could provide insights to improving vaccine uptake in future pandemics.

Methods: In a population-wide registry of all COVID-19 paediatric vaccination appointments, we used interrupted time series analysis to evaluate the impact of public policies.

Overview of Risk Factors for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in China.

(1) Background: China has the highest esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) incidence areas in the world, with some areas of incidence over 100 per 100,000. Despite extensive public health efforts, its etiology is still poorly understood. This study aims to review and summarize past research into potential etiologic factors for ESCC in China.

COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness and Reasons for Vaccine Refusal.

Importance: Hong Kong was held as an exemplar for pandemic response until it recorded the world's highest daily COVID-19 mortality, which was likely due to vaccine refusal. To prevent this high mortality in future pandemics, information on underlying reasons for vaccine refusal is necessary.

Objectives: To track the evolution of COVID-19 vaccination willingness and uptake from before vaccine rollout to mass vaccination, to examine factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine refusal and compare with data from Singapore, and to assess the population attributable fraction for vaccine refusal.

Contributions of residential traffic noise to depression and mental wellbeing in Hong Kong: A prospective cohort study.

Prior studies on the association between traffic noise and mental health have been mostly conducted in settings with lower population densities. However, evidence is lacking in high population-density settings where traffic noise is more pervasive and varies by topography and the vertical elevation of the residential unit. This study aimed to assess the mental health impact of residential traffic noise in one of the world's most urbanised populations.

Impact of alcohol taxes on violence in Hong Kong: a population-based interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Interpersonal violence is a major public health concern with alcohol use a known risk factor. Despite alcohol taxation being an effective policy to reduce consumption; Hong Kong, contrary to most developed economies, embarked on an alcohol tax reduction and elimination policy.

Methods: To assess the impact of the alcohol tax reductions, we analysed population-based hospitalisation data for assault from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, and violent and sexual crimes recorded by the Hong Kong Police Force (2004-2018).

Childhood Wheeze, Allergic Rhinitis, and Eczema in Hong Kong ISAAC Study from 1995 to 2015.

Background: The prevalence of allergic diseases has been increasing in developing areas but has reached a plateau in many developed areas. Regular surveys are imperative to assess the disease burden for the prioritization of resource allocation.

Objectives: We examined the change in the prevalence of wheezing, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema in school-aged children with possible associative factors and possible health effects of school air quality.

A Systematic Review on Modeling Methods and Influential Factors for Mapping Dengue-Related Risk in Urban Settings.

Dengue fever is an acute mosquito-borne disease that mostly spreads within urban or semi-urban areas in warm climate zones. The dengue-related risk map is one of the most practical tools for executing effective control policies, breaking the transmission chain, and preventing disease outbreaks. Mapping risk at a small scale, such as at an urban level, can demonstrate the spatial heterogeneities in complicated built environments.

Travel-related Importation and Exportation Risks of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant in 367 Prefectures (Cities) - China, 2022.

Introduction: Minimizing the importation and exportation risks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a primary concern for sustaining the "Dynamic COVID-zero" strategy in China. Risk estimation is essential for cities to conduct before relaxing border control measures.

Methods: Informed by the daily number of passengers traveling between 367 prefectures (cities) in China, this study used a stochastic metapopulation model parameterized with COVID-19 epidemic characteristics to estimate the importation and exportation risks.

Understanding the impact of rapid antigen tests on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong in early 2022.

The fast-spreading Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 overwhelmed Hong Kong, causing the fifth wave of COVID-19. It remains to be determined what mitigation measures might have played a role in reversing the rising trend of confirmed cases in this major outbreak. The government of Hong Kong has launched the mass rapid antigen tests (RAT) in the population and the StayHomeSafe scheme since February 2022.

Reproduction Number of the Omicron Variant Triples That of the Delta Variant.

COVID-19 remains a persistent threat, especially with the predominant Omicron variant emerging in early 2022, presenting with high transmissibility, immune escape, and waning. There is a need to rapidly ramp up global vaccine coverage while enhancing public health and social measures. Timely and reliable estimation of the reproduction number throughout a pandemic is critical for assessing the impact of mitigation efforts and the potential need to adjust for control measures.

The impact of road safety policies in a deregulated alcohol tax environment in Hong Kong: a 15-year time series analysis.

Background And Aims: Hong Kong reduced beer and wine tax in 2007, eliminated taxes on beer and wine and strengthened drink-driving legislation in 2008, and increased police traffic enforcement after the 2014 social unrest. This study aimed to measure the effects of implementing road safety policies on road traffic harm in the context of deregulated alcohol control policy in Hong Kong.

Design: Population-based interrupted time series analysis using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (sARIMA) models.

Community-level ambient fine particulate matter and seasonal influenza among children in Guangzhou, China: A Bayesian spatiotemporal analysis.

Background: Influenza is a major preventable infectious respiratory disease. However, there is little detailed long-term evidence of its associations with PM among children. We examined the community-level associations between exposure to ambient PM and incident influenza in Guangzhou, China.

Effects of Urban Green Space on Cardiovascular and Respiratory Biomarkers in Chinese Adults: Panel Study Using Digital Tracking Devices.

Background: The health benefits of urban green space have been widely reported in the literature; however, the biological mechanisms remain unexplored, and a causal relationship cannot be established between green space exposure and cardiorespiratory health.

Objective: Our aim was to conduct a panel study using personal tracking devices to continuously collect individual exposure data from healthy Chinese adults aged 50 to 64 years living in Hong Kong.

Methods: A panel of cardiorespiratory biomarkers was tested each week for a period of 5 consecutive weeks.

Targeting mitochondrial permeability transition pore ameliorates PM-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in airway epithelial cells.

Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter not larger than 2.5 μm (PM) escalated the risk of respiratory diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction may play a pivotal role in PM-induced airway injury.

Influenza seasonality and its environmental driving factors in mainland China and Hong Kong.

Background: Influenza epidemics occur during winter in temperate zones, but have less regular seasonality in the subtropics and tropics. Here we quantified the role of environmental drivers of influenza seasonality in temperate and subtropical China.

Methods: We used weekly surveillance data on influenza virus activity in mainland China and Hong Kong from 2005 through 2016.

Seasonality of tuberculosis in intermediate endemicity setting dominated by reactivation diseases in Hong Kong.

Summer-spring predominance of tuberculosis (TB) has been widely reported. The relative contributions of exogenous recent infection versus endogenous reactivation to such seasonality remains poorly understood. Monthly TB notifications data between 2005 and 2017 in Hong Kong involving 64,386 cases (41% aged ≥ 65; male-to-female ratio 1.

Beyond the mean: Quantile regression to differentiate the distributional effects of ambient PM constituents on sperm quality among men.

Ambient PM (particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) constituents have been related to mean changes in semen quality, but focusing on the mean response may not well capture distributional and heterogeneous effects of PM constituents on semen quality. In this study, 2314 semen samples of 622 men between Jan 1, 2019 and Dec 31, 2019 from Guangdong Human Sperm Bank were subjected to semen quality analysis.

Associations of seasonal variations and meteorological parameters with incidences of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the seasonal variations of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), but there is scanty data on lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) and the association with other meteorological parameters.

Methods: We included all patients hospitalized for UGIB and LGIB between 2009 and 2018 in Hong Kong. The monthly age-standardized and sex-standardized GIB incidences were fitted to meteorological data including average temperature (AT), maximum temperature (MaxT), minimum temperature (MinT), temperature range (TR), average precipitation, average atmospheric pressure (AtomP), and average relative humidity after adjusting for prescriptions of aspirin, proton pump inhibitors, and Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy using the autoregressive integrated moving average model.

Dietary potato intake and risks of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background & Aims: Evidence regarding associations between potato consumption and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risks is accumulating. This study aims to synthesize the evidence by conducting a meta-analysis of available studies.

Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched (up to August 2020) to retrieve all eligible studies on the associations of interest.