Publications by authors named "Runming Yao"

Green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) offers environmental benefits in urban areas, yet its impact on air pollution is under-researched, and the literature fragmented. This review evaluates quantitative studies on GBGI's capability to mitigate air pollution, compares their specific pollutant removal processes, and identifies areas for further investigation. Of the 51 GBGI types reviewed, only 22 provided quantitative pollution reduction data.

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Environmental pollutants including ultrafine particulate matter (UFPs) and adverse meteorological conditions pose significant public health impacts, particularly affecting respiratory health. This study aims to elucidate the synergistic effects of cold-humid conditions and UFPs exposure on respiratory health, utilizing Carbon Black Nanoparticles (CB-NPs) as surrogates for UFPs. Through comprehensive lung function tests, histopathological examinations, and biomarker analyses, this research focuses on the modulation of oxidative stress signaling pathways and NF-κB activation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Polystyrene microplastics and dibutyl phthalate are common pollutants that can worsen asthma symptoms, as shown in a study using mice.
  • The study found that exposure leads to significant airway tissue damage, increased oxidative stress, and inflammation, which collectively aggravate eosinophilic allergic asthma.
  • Treatment with deferoxamine alleviated some symptoms, highlighting the role of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory pathways in the process, and offering insights into health risks associated with plastic pollution.
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This paper investigates the impact of children's recess activity patterns on particulate matter (PM) resuspension in indoor environments, highlighting the complex, multi-dimensional nature of these activities and their interaction with environmental parameters. Despite the recognized role of indoor human activity in PM resuspension, research specifically addressing the effects of children's movements has been sparse. Through experimental scenarios that account for the characteristics of student activities, such as movement speed, trajectory, the number of participants, aisle widths, and varying humidity levels, this study uncovers significant differences in PM resuspension rates.

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Given the increasing aging population and rising living standards in China, developing an accurate and straightforward thermoregulation model for the elderly has become increasingly essential. To address this need, an existing one-segment four-node thermoregulation model for the young was selected as the base model. This study developed the base model considering age-related physical and physiological changes to predict mean skin temperatures of the elderly.

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Article Synopsis
  • Urbanization and climate change are exacerbating extreme heat events in cities, but urban green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) like parks and wetlands can help cool summer temperatures.
  • A systematic review analyzed 202 studies on 51 types of GBGI, highlighting that while some (like green walls and street trees) are well-researched for cooling effects, others (like zoological gardens and private gardens) have been largely overlooked.
  • Future climate shifts may reduce the effectiveness of current GBGI, so it's important to consider multiple benefits and enhance planning for these infrastructures to maximize their cooling potential.
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Article Synopsis
  • Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is a chemical often used in plastics that can make asthma worse, especially for people who are already allergic.
  • In a study, mice were exposed to DBP and allergens to see how it affected their asthma and lung health, focusing on a molecule called CGRP.
  • The results showed that DBP increases CGRP levels in lungs, and using a specific medicine called olcegepant can help reduce the harmful effects caused by DBP.
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Background: The potential role of dermal exposure diisononyl phthalate (DINP) as an adjuvant in allergic inflammation and asthma has been suggested. However, the current findings do not provide enough evidence to support this claim.

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the impact and mechanisms of allergic asthma exacerbation through the dermal exposure to DINP.

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Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that particulate matter (PM) can induce or exacerbate hypertension. High relative humidity has been associated with elevated blood pressure in certain regions. However, the coupling effect of humidity and PM on elevated blood pressure and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

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Many primary schools in the UK are situated in close proximity to heavily-trafficked roads, yet long-term air pollution monitoring around such schools to establish factors affecting the variability of exposure is limited. We co-designed a study to monitor particulate matter in different size fractions (PM, PM, PM), gaseous pollutants (NO, O and CO) and meteorological parameters (ambient temperature, relative humidity) over a period of one year. The period included phases of national COVID-19 lockdown and its subsequent easing and removal.

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The presence of dampness and visible molds leads to concerns of poor indoor air quality which has been consistently linked with increased exacerbation and development of allergy and respiratory diseases. Due to the limitations of epidemiological surveys, the actual fungal exposure characteristics in residences has not been sufficiently understood. This study aimed to characterize household fungal diversity and its annual temporal and spatial variations.

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The changing climate is one of the most important factors affecting public health. Older people are particularly threatened due to their less efficient immune systems. To evaluate the potential benefits of short-term indoor dehumidification on their circulation and cardiopulmonary health, we conducted a random, cross-over experiment with 36 healthy residents of an aged-care center in Chongqing, China in 2020.

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Exposure to indoor air particulate pollution increases respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly. To assess a short-term, indoor air filtration's potential benefit on circulatory and cardiopulmonary health among healthy older people, a randomized, double-blind crossover trial was conducted with 24 healthy residents of an aged-care center in Chongqing, China in 2020. Each room received a high-efficiency particulate air filter air purifier and a placebo air purifier for two days.

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The extensive research interests in environmental temperature can be linked to human productivity/performance as well as comfort and health; while the mechanisms of physiological indices responding to temperature variations remain incompletely understood. This study adopted a physiological sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) as a temperature-sensitive biomarker to explore the thermoregulatory mechanisms of human responding to annual temperatures. The measurements of subjects' SCV (over 600 samples) were conducted in a naturally ventilated environment over all four seasons.

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Thermoregulation models of the human body have been widely used in thermal comfort studies. The existing models are complicated and not fully verified for application in China. This paper presents a simplified thermoregulation model which has been statistically validated by the predicted and measured mean skin temperature in warm environments, including 21 typical conditions with 400 Chinese subjects.

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