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Indoor air quality is closely related to human health, and increasing studies have highlighted that poor indoor air quality presents a threat to occupants' health in office and school buildings. This paper aims to analyze the exposure levels and health effects of indoor air pollutants in office and school buildings in the Yangtze River Delta, China. The published studies from 1980 to 2020 concerning indoor pollutants (including formaldehyde, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, TVOC, benzene, toluene, xylene, ammonia, microbial pollutants, and radon) in this zone were systematically reviewed. The Composite Index Method was used to evaluate indoor air quality, and DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) were evaluated by the IND and ID methods to quantify the health effects of inhaled air pollutants. The review found that PM2.5 concentrations exceeded current standards in China in 57% of the study samples in office buildings, while formaldehyde, benzene, TVOC, and ammonia exceeded existing standards in 60%, 62%, 61%, and 86% of the samples, respectively. In school buildings, 55% and 100% of the samples with the formaldehyde and ammonia concentrations exceeded the limits in standards, respectively. The evaluation of indoor air quality showed that office and school buildings in the Yangtze River Delta were at a medium and light pollution level, respectively. Furthermore, based on the DALYs value, the health risks of studied pollutants were ranked as PM2.5 > formaldehyde > ammonia > benzene > toluene > xylene. This review pointed out that in over half of the studies, the levels of pollutants (PM2.5, formaldehyde, benzene, TVOC, and ammonia) in office and school buildings exceeded the limits set by the current indoor air quality standard. PM2.5 and formaldehyde played important roles in impacting human health. Additionally, the levels of pollution varied among cities, and there were differences in health effects caused by different air pollutants, which should be noticed. This review provides valuable information on the levels and health effects of major pollutants, contributing to the control of main pollutants in school and office buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to accurately measure the air exchange rate (AER) in residential and office buildings during occupation via on-site field measurement. The tracer gas method was widely applied to estimate the AER in these buildings, and human metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) was often used as a tracer gas in different models. This study introduced three models (the ASHRAE model, the ASHRAE China-specific modified model, and the BMR model), which were proposed to estimate the AER based on exhaled CO2. We verified these models by comparing the exhaled CO2-based AER with AER from field measurements using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) as a tracer gas. We also analyzed the potential factors that could affect the uniformity of the indoor tracer gas distribution. Our results indicate that the ASHRAE China-specific modified model has the best performance with an average deviation of −6.67% and a maximum deviation of −14.6% with multiple measurement points, a stable personnel activity, and proper Parameter settings in a single room in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor radon exposure is thought to be associated with adverse health effect as lung cancer. Lung cancer incidences in China have been the highest worldwide during the past two decades. It is important to quantitively address indoor radon exposure and its health effect, especially in countries like China. In this paper, we have conducted a meta‐analysis based on indoor radon and its health effect studies from a systematic review between 2000 and 2020. A total of 8 studies were included for lung cancer. We found that the relative risk (RR) was 1.01 (95% CI: 1.01–1.02) per 10 Bq/m3 increase of indoor radon for lung cancer in China. The subgroup analysis found no significant difference between the conclusions from the studies from China and other regions. The health effect of indoor radon exposure is relatively consistent for the low‐exposure and high‐exposure groups in the subgroup analysis. With a better understanding of exposure level of indoor radon, the outcomes and conclusions of this study will provide supports for next phase of researches on estimation of environmental burden of disease by indoor radon exposures in countries like China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of self-assembled nano-ridged (SANR) structures in PTB7-Th:PC70BM:PC60BM ternary organic blend film with the specific component ratio was experimentally clarified, and the light-trapping effect of the SANR structures was demonstrated. On this basis, the light-trapping characteristics of the PTB7-Th:PC70BM:PC60BM ternary blend film with the SANR structures were investigated by using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm. The results showed that the SANR structures have a light-trapping effect, which can effectively reduce the transmittance and reflectance of the incident photons at the specific wavelengths and thus exhibit stronger photon absorption, especially for the photons in the wavelength range of 550–650 nm. The light-trapping effect of the SANR structures does not depend on the direction of photon incidence, and the active layer traps the photons incident from both its top and bottom. The dimensional variation of the SANR has a significant effect on the light-trapping characteristics of the active layer, and the effect caused by the height variation is overwhelmingly superior compared with that of the width variation. In addition, the higher the density of the SANR, the more significant the light-trapping effect of the active layer. This work provides a theoretical basis for the further experimental enhancement of the photon absorption capacity of the PTB7-Th:PC70BM:PC60BM active layer with SANR structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have reported that childhood prevalence of eczema has been increasing worldwide. However, none study quantitatively evaluated prevalence trends of eczema among children and adults in the last 30 years in China.Methods and Findings: Via a systematic review of literature databases in English and Chinese, we summarized all studies reporting eczema prevalences from 1985 to 2015 in China as well as diagramed prevalence and eczematous population trends against year for different age groups. A total of 93 studies and 17 studies (16 for children and one for adults) were selected for qualitative and quantitative synthesis, respectively. Childhood lifetime-ever eczema prevalences ranged from 10.0% to 30.0%. Prevalences among 3-12-year-olds children showed increasing trends in most specific cities, but national lifetime-ever eczema prevalences among 13-14-year-olds children decreased from 10.6% in 2001 to 8.6% in 2009 in mainland China. We estimated that about 1.5 million children aged 13-14-year-olds in 2009 and 15.5 million children aged 3-6-year-olds in 2012 had lifetime-ever eczema in mainland China. Similar studies were too few to ascertain time-trends of eczema prevalence among adults. About 39.4, 20.0, and 11.6 million adults aged 15-86-year-olds in 2010 had contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis in the mainland China, respectively.Conclusions: The burden of eczema became heavier in young children, whereas perhaps had been reduced in adolescent in China. More studies for eczema prevalence in adults are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing an economical, superior activity, excellent stability, and earth-rich catalysts is of crucial significance in the progress of electrochemical water splitting and still remains huge challenge to overcome. In this work, amorphous MoO2 with a porous nanostructure as a novel bifunctional electrocatalyst has been prepared by the hydrothermal method. This nanostructure has excellent HER/OER properties, in which the amorphous and porous states have a large number of vacancies and active sites exposed to the electrolyte. The as-prepared sample has been researched in detail via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Electrochemical experiments show that when the current density reaches − 10 mA cm−2, the as-prepared samples need an overpotential of only about − 0.930 V (vs. RHE) in 1 M H2SO4 and − 0.777 V (vs. RHE) in 1 M KOH for HER, respectively. Furthermore, MoO2 exhibits an extremely overpotential of 2.414 V (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH for OER. It is believed that the amorphous and porous nanostructure remains a promising and efficient hydrolytic electrocatalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) have been identified to be associated with children's health. Present study was conducted to assess associations between PAEs in household dust and childhood rhinitis. Methods: Based on phase II of CCHH study (China, Children, Home, Health) conducted in Shanghai, China, 266 indoor dust samples were collected from participants' families. Concentrations of PAEs in dust samples were measured by chemical treatment and gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer. Information about individuals and residences was surveyed by questionnaires. Logistic regression models were applied to obtain the associations between PAEs and childhood rhinitis. Results: Higher concentrations of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) were found in those families with children who had diagnosed rhinitis. Significantly higher concentrations of bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and PAEs with high molecular weight (HMW-PAEs) were found in the positive group of lifetime rhinitis. Using the multiple and ordinal logistic regression models adjusted by covariates, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), DEHP, and HMW-PAEs were found to be significantly associated with diagnosed rhinitis. Boys who exposure to higher concentrations of DBP, DEHP, HMW-PAEs, and total PAEs have significant associations with diagnosed rhinitis compared with girls who exposure to lower concentration of PAEs. Conclusions: Present observational study indicated that exposure to high concentrations of DBP, DEHP, and HMW-PAEs in house settled dust was a risk factor for rhinitis for children, especially for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's profoundly rapid modernization in the past two decades has resulted in dramatic changes in indoor environmental exposures. Among these changes, exposure to phthalates has attracted increasing attention. We aimed to characterize indoor phthalate exposure and to estimate the disease burden attributable to indoor phthalate pollution from 2000 to 2017 in China. We integrated the national exposure level of indoor phthalates from literature through systematic review and Monte Carlo simulation. Dose‐response relationships between phthalate exposure and health outcomes were obtained by systematic review and meta‐analysis. Based on existing models for assessing probabilities of causation and a comprehensive review of available data, we calculated the disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) among the general Chinese population resulting from exposure to indoor phthalate pollution. We found that DnBP, DiBP, and DEHP were the most abundant phthalates in indoor environments of residences, offices, and schools with medians of national dust phase concentration from 74.5 µg/g to 96.3 µg/g, 39.6 µg/g to 162.5 µg/g, 634.2 µg/g to 1,394.7 µg/g, respectively. The national equivalent exposure for children to phthalates in settled dust was higher than that of adults except for DiBP and DnOP. Dose‐response relationships associated with DEP, DiBP, DnBP, BBzP, and DEHP exposures were established. Between 2000 and 2017, indoor phthalate exposure in China has led to 3.32 million DALYs per year, accounting for 0.90% of total DALYs across China. The annual DALY associated with indoor phthalate pollution in China was over 2000 people per million, which is about 2~3 times of the DALY loss due to secondhand smoke (SHS) in six European countries or the sum of the DALY loss caused by indoor radon and formaldehyde in American homes. Our study indicates a considerable socioeconomic impact of indoor phthalate exposure for a modernizing human society. This suggest the need for relevant national standard and actions to reduce indoor phthalate exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After decades of development, the indoor environment in China has changed. A systematic review was conducted from peer‐reviewed scientific papers with field test data of indoor radon in China from 2000 to 2020 for three types of buildings. The mean concentrations of indoor radon for dwellings, school buildings, and office buildings are 54.6, 56.1, and 54.9 Bq/m3. The indoor radon concentration was related to seasons, climate regions, ventilation, decoration, and other factors such as soil and outdoor air. Colder seasons, especially in severe colder areas of China, newer decorated buildings, closed windows, and doors were all associated with higher indoor radon concentrations. Variables like climate region and ventilation showed statistical significance in the correlation analysis. Regarding the increasing trend of indoor radon concentration in China during the last two decades, further study of indoor radon is necessary especially for school buildings and office buildings, and will help access its environmental burden of disease in China more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor ammonia (NH3) pollution has been paid more and more attention in view of its health risk. However, few studies have investigated the exposure level in the non‐occupational environment in China. This study systematically reviewed the indoor ammonia exposure level in different regions, the equivalent exposure concentration of different populations, and the factors that influence indoor air ammonia in residences, offices, and schools in China. The literature published in 1980–2019 from main databases was searched and detailed screened, and finally, 56 related studies were selected. The results illustrated that the median concentration of indoor air ammonia in residences, offices, and school buildings was 0.21 mg/m3, 0.26 mg/m3, and 0.15 mg/m3. There were 46.4%, 71.4%, and 40% of these samples exceeding the NH3 standard, respectively. The national concentrations and the equivalent exposure levels of adults and children were calculated and found to be higher than 0.20 mg/m3. The concentration of ammonia varied greatly in different climate zones and economic development regions. Higher concentrations were found in the severe cold zone and the regions with higher economic level. This review reveals a high exposure risk of indoor air ammonia and the crucial impact of human emission, indoor air temperature, new concrete, and economic level, suggesting further investigation on indoor air ammonia evaluation and health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of occupant-exhaled CO2 as the tracer gas enables the actual indoor infiltration rate to be measured, but the number and location of measuring points have a great impact on the accuracy of the results. This paper compares the experimental results from two tracer gas measurement techniques, decay with SF6 and constant injection with CO2 (exhaled by occupant). The results show a deviation of –9.0 to 7.4% between these two methods. This paper compares the result of this study with previous ones, and it confirmed that the CO2 method is an effective technique to calculate the infiltration rate in a room with a certain air volume when one measuring point is provided, and this is more accurate with good mixing of the indoor air. The impact of the measurement duration and distribution of indoor air on the measurement accuracy are also analysed. It is found that an extended monitoring period can reduce the impact of indoor air distribution. In actual measurements in residential building, it is recommended to select the data after occupants have been in the room for half an hour and to take measurements over 1 h after that. Practical application : Accurate air change per hour (ACH) is beneficial to the study of building energy consumption and indoor air quality. This paper explores the effectiveness of CO2 method, which provides useful reference for the large sample measurements of infiltration rates in residential buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associations of household airborne fungi with allergies in childhood were inconsistent in the epidemiologic studies. During 2013–2014, we conducted a case-control study (phase two), which was nested in a cross-sectional study (phase one) during 2011–2012 in Shanghai, China. We inspected indoor air quality of 454 residences for 5–10 years old children. We defined cases as those children who were reported illnesses in the questionnaire of phase one or phase two and defined controls as those children who were not reported illnesses in both phases. A total of 436 living rooms and 445 bedrooms had valid data of household airborne fungi, and their mean concentrations were 301 cfu/m3 and 310 cfu/m3, respectively. In the multiple logistic regression analyses with adjusting for potential confounders, most associations of 16 studied illnesses with airborne fungi concentration were not statistically significant. Taking children in the 1st quartile that was stratified according to airborne fungi concentration in the living room as reference, only children in the 3rd quartile were significantly associated with a higher odd of lifetime-ever ear infections (adjusted OR, 95% CI 3.05, 1.29–7.21), and children in the 4th quartile were significantly associated with a higher odd of lifetime-ever wheeze (2.72, 1.28–5.75); but children in the 3rd quartile (0.33, 0.17–0.68) and in the 4th quartile (0.47, 0.23–0.97) were significantly associated with a lower odd of rhinitis in the past 12 months prior to the home inspection. Our results indicate that exposures to indoor airborne fungi in low concentrations seemingly have no significant impacts on the risks of most allergic and airway illnesses in childhood. Since families with sick participants might pay more attention to improve indoor air quality, effects of "avoidance behavior" on associations between indoor pollutants and childhood health should be considered in the data analysis and design of the nested case-control study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 2010‐2012, we surveyed 40,010 3‐ to 6‐year‐old children in seven Chinese cities (Beijing, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, and Chongqing). Their parents reported information on household renovation, including the timing of renovation and the choice of materials for walls and floors in the child's room, and the incidence of their child's rhinitis. Multivariate and two‐level (city‐child) logistic regression analyses yielding adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals were performed. Sensitivity analyses stratifying data for location and economic level were also performed. About 48.0% of the children had ever had allergic rhinitis, 41.2% had current allergic rhinitis, and 9.0% had had doctor‐diagnosed rhinitis. Exposure to household renovation during early lifetime (birth to 1‐year‐old) had an AOR of 1.43 (1.04‐1.9) for allergic rhinitis. The incidence of allergic rhinitis was significantly different in children exposed to different floor and wall covering materials. Floor or wall covering material composed of organic materials significantly increased the risk of childhood allergic rhinitis compared with tile flooring or lime wall covering. Oil paint had an AOR of 1.66 (1.28‐2.14) for diagnosed rhinitis compared with lime wall covering. Adding new furniture the year before pregnancy was associated with an AOR of 1.18 (1.10‐1.27) and 1.18 (1.11‐1.25) for lifetime and current rhinitis. Solid wood or tiles/ceramic as floor materials, and using wallpaper, oil paint, or emulsion panels as wall materials were risk factors for doctor‐diagnosed rhinitis. Sensitivity analyses showed that children living in southern or higher economic level China cities were more likely to have allergic rhinitis with household renovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we propose an effective strategy to stabilize small sulfur species by using aminomethyl‐functionalized carbon nanotubes (AM‐CNT) without impairing the conductive channel of the carbon nanotube (CNT) cathode. The linear Sn clusters can be anchored strongly to the AM‐CNT for the favorable size of n=5 and the maximum size of n=6 in the production of the cathode, which depresses the mass loss of active sulfur effectively and eliminates the formation of high‐order polysulfides completely during the discharge process. The most stable 3 D cross‐linked Inter‐S5‐AM‐CNT network shows a fast electron transfer redox reaction through the CNT skeleton that possesses a theoretical capacity of 1337 mA h g−1 (based on sulfur) or 592 mA h g−1 (based on the cathode). The discharge products of the linear S5 cluster tend to form a hyperbranched tight structure through N⋅⋅⋅S⋅⋅⋅Li bridges that are fully impregnated in the AM‐CNT bundles, and thus stabilize the entire system. Importantly, this study provides vital guidance into how to design cathodes based on small sulfur clusters for Li‐S batteries to depress the shuttle effect intrinsically during charge–discharge cycles, which can be extended to the other small‐sulfur‐cluster‐based batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous research reports have demonstrated that the supply air volumes of cleanrooms areusuallyover-designed to satisfy air cleanliness classes, which may lead to enormous energy waste. In this study, five well-recognised international mathematical models for calculating cleanroom particle concentration were analysed, which are all based on uniform particle distribution in the cleanroom, indoor particle conservation, and mass airflow balance, and an improved and more general model has been established for calculating the minimum air change rates according to the expected air cleanliness class. Following the introduction of non-dimensional concentration correction factors, based on the least-squares method, the average relative error between the model-predicted and measured particle concentration is approximately 13.5%. Based on the improved model with correction factor, the test results demonstrate that the particle concentration depends mainly on the air change rate, particle emission rate and return airflow patterns, among others. When the air change rate per hour and ratio of particle concentrations between the return airflow and room average were varied from 40 h−1 to 120 h−1 and 0.7–1.3, respectively, the concentration consequently decreased by approximately 65% and 46%. The particle deposition caused by gravity can be neglected for small particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We surveyed 40 010 three‐ to six‐year‐old children in seven Chinese cities (Beijing, Taiyuan, Urumqi, Shanghai, Nanjing, Changsha, and Chongqing) during 2010‐2012 so as to investigate possible links between home renovation and childhood eczema. Their parents responded to questions on home renovation and childhood eczema. Multivariate and two‐level (city‐child) logistic regression analyses yielding odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were performed. Sensitivity analyses stratifying data for region, climate, and income level were also performed. The prevalences of childhood eczema in children with different floor and wall covering materials were significantly different and were significantly higher with home renovation during early lifetime. Exposure to synthetic materials significantly increased the risk of childhood eczema by 20%‐25%. The risks (AOR, 95% CI) of current eczema among children in families with solid wood flooring and oil paint wall covering were 1.25 (1.04‐1.49) and 1.35 (1.14‐1.60), respectively. Home renovation during pregnancy was related to children's lifetime and current eczema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, photoelectric responses of nanocrystalline WO film to humidity under UV light irradiation were investigated. Nanocrystalline WO film with porous structure was prepared on AlO substrate by the technology of screen printing and the subsequent heat treatment. The as-prepared nanocrystalline WO film was characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The time-dependent photoelectric responses of nanocrystalline WO film were studied by exposing it to a wide humidity range of 20-80% relative humidity (RH) at room temperature under UV light irradiation. High performance photoelectric responses of nanocrystalline WO film to humidity were observed. To illustrate it, a possible explanation for the photoelectric responses to humidity was proposed. On the basis of the results, the high performance photoelectric responses of WO to humidity will provides a new insight into the design and fabrication of advanced photo-activated humidity sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We investigated patterns of multimorbidities among asthma, allergies, and respiratory illnesses in preschool children. We investigated multimorbidities of lifetime asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, food allergy, pneumonia, and ear infections; and multimorbidities of current (in the last year before the survey) wheeze, dry cough, rhinitis, eczema, and common cold during childhood. We further analyzed whether prevalences of these multimorbidities were due to chance.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 72 kindergartens of Shanghai, China. Parents of preschool children were surveyed with a modified ISAAC questionnaire. Observed prevalences (OPs), expected prevalences (EPs), absolute excess comorbidities (AECs), and relative excess comorbidities (RECs) of various combinations of illnesses were calculated to indicate whether the combined illnesses were related.Results: We analyzed questionnaires for children aged 4–6 years, whose 13,335 questionnaires were the majority of the total 15,266 returned questionnaires (response rate: 85.3%). The studied illnesses were common. For children who had more than three lifetime or current illnesses, OPs tended to be higher than EPs. Most OPs and EPs were higher in boys than in girls, and were higher in children with a family history of atopy (FHA) than in children without FHA. AECs and RECs between boys and girls as well as between children with and without FHA were substantially different.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that multimorbidities among childhood asthma, allergies, and respiratory illnesses are likely not random, but rather share etiology. Specific patterns of childhood asthma multimorbidities perhaps differ between boys and girls and between children with and without FHA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: We investigated associations of breastfeeding (BF) durations and patterns and of timing of other dietary introductions with prevalence of asthma, wheeze, hay fever, rhinitis, pneumonia, and eczema among preschool children.Methods: During April 2011-April 2012, we conducted a cross-sectional study in 72 kindergartens from five districts of Shanghai, China and obtained 13,335 questionnaires of children 4–6-years-old. We used multiple logistic regression models to evaluate the target associations.Results: Compared to children who were never BF, children who were exclusively breastfed 3–6 months had the lowest risk of asthma (adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval: 0.81, 0.72–0.91) and wheeze (0.93, 0.87–0.99); and exclusive BF >6 months was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hay fever (0.93, 0.89–0.97), rhinitis (0.97, 0.94–0.99), pneumonia (0.97, 0.94–0.99), and eczema (0.96, 0.93–0.99). No significant associations were found between time when fruits or vegetables were introduced and the studied diseases. Associations were independent of the child's sex and parent's ownership of the current residence. Longer duration BF was only significantly protective when there was no family history of atopy.Conclusions: This study suggests that heredity, but not sex and socioeconomic status, may negatively impact the effect of BF on childhood airway and allergic diseases. Our findings support China's national recommendation that mothers provide exclusive BF for the first four months, and continue partial BF for more than 6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: We aim to investigate associations of the child's individual characteristics, building characteristics, home environmental exposures, family lifestyle behaviors, and dietary habits on childhood eczema during lifetime-ever and in the last year before the survey. Methods: During April 2011-April 2012, we conducted a cross-sectional study and collected 13,335 parents-reported questionnaires of 4-6-year-old children from 72 kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Logistic regression model was used to investigate associations. Results: After adjusted for sex, age, family history of atopy, and questionnaire reporter, the factors which were strongly associated (increased odds >30% and p value <0.05) with lifetime-ever eczema included mother employed during pregnancy (adjusted OR 1.33), residence renovated during pregnancy (1.49) and in the child's first year of life (1.31), using laminate (1.58) and solid (1.42) wood as material of floor covering (compared to using cement), residence located in urban district (1.38), and dampness-related exposures in the early residence (mold spots/stains: 1.41; mold odor: 1.41) and in the current residence (water damage: 1.33; damp stains: 1.34; mold spots: 1.32; and windows pane condensation: 1.31). Parental smoking, pet-keeping, and incense-burning had no significant associations with childhood eczema. Similar associations were found for eczema in the last year before the survey. Families with sick children likely changed lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits. Conclusions: Childhood eczema could be influenced by many household environmental and non-environmental factors. Exposures during early lifetime likely have greater impact on childhood eczema than current exposures. Associations of lifestyle behaviors and dietary habits with childhood eczema could be modified by family avoidance behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, photoelectric responses of TiO and CdS/TiO devices to formaldehyde under UV light irradiation were investigated. Pure TiO film was firstly prepared by screen printing and CdS/TiO hybrid film by the subsequent successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process. Fundamental characterizations of the as-prepared samples were measured by X-ray diffraction analysis, field-emission gun scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrum and high-resolution transmission electron microscope. Photocurrent measurements were utilized to study the photoelectric properties of the as-prepared devices. In comparison with pure TiO, CdS modified TiO hybrid device exhibited an improved UV-irradiated photoelectric response to formaldehyde. It is attributed to the hybrid structure which could increase the separation and restrain the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. On the basis of the results, the improved photoelectric response of CdS modified TiO should be valuable for the practical applications in fabricating photoelectric gas sensors working at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, nanocrystalline ZnO film with porous structure was successfully prepared on alumina substrate by the technology of screen printing and the subsequent heat treatment. The fundamental characteristics of the as-prepared sample were examined through XRD, FE-SEM, EDX and PL spectra measurements. Meanwhile, photoelectric responses of it were tested under UV and white light irradiation, respectively. Different photocurrent curves were obtained. Under UV light, the photocurrent with comparatively high amplitude of each cycle could mostly recover upon the light off. While for white light, the photocurrent with low amplitude just partially recovered when the light was turned off. This phenomenon indicated that, after the white light off, a large number of free electrons still remained within the materials. To calculate the amount of the remained free electrons, three photocurrent parameters, which are related to the density of free electrons in ZnO, were defined for the first time. Furthermore, the explanations for the different photoelectric responses of ZnO based on the double Schottky barrier model were also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of asthma among Shanghai children has increased over time. This increase might be associated with changes in environmental exposures. Investigation of the time-trend of asthma and current prevalences is essential to understanding the causes. Objective: To estimate the current prevalences of asthma, allergies and other respiratory symptoms among Shanghai preschool children, and to investigate the time-trend of childhood asthma prevalence of from 1990 to 2011. Methods: From April 2011 to April 2012, the CCHH (China, Children, Homes, Health) cross-sectional study was conducted in Shanghai. Questionnaires were distributed to 17,898 parents or guardians of preschool children from 72 kindergartens in 5 districts. Previous similar studies were also summarized by a systematic literature review. Results: From a total of 14,884 questionnaires for 3–7 year old children, prevalences of the following diseases and symptoms were calculated: asthma 10.2%, wheeze (ever) 28.1%, pneumonia (ever) 33.5%, otitis media 11.0%, rhinitis (ever) 54.1%, hay fever 12.2%, eczema (ever) 22.7%, and food allergy 15.7%. Urban children had higher prevalences of most symptoms than suburban children. The prevalence of asthma has increased significantly, almost five-fold, from 2.1% in 1990 to 10.2% in the present study. The prevalence of asthma in boys was higher than in girls in the present study and in all reviewed studies. Conclusions: Asthma, allergy and airway symptoms are common among preschool children in Shanghai. The prevalence of childhood asthma in Shanghai has increased rapidly from 1990 to 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A China, Children, Homes, Health (CCHH) study was conducted in Shanghai to investigate the associations between residential characteristics and childhood asthma, wheeze and dry cough of 4- to 6-year-old children. In the present study, 13,335 children participated in the questionnaire survey, and the questionnaires were completed by children’s parents with a response rate of 85.3%. Multiple logistic regression analysis was the main method for analyses. Using wood as fuel for cooking was shown to have a strong positive association with asthma (adjusted odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 2.84, 1.24–6.54). Existence of a highway within 200 m of the residence could have a positive association with wheeze ever (1.20, 1.02–1.41) and dry cough (1.22, 1.02–1.40). Children having suffered wheeze symptom ever was negatively associated with the use of fume exhaust ventilator in the kitchen (0.85, 0.73–0.99) and exhaust fan in the bathroom (0.86, 0.78–0.95) but positively associated with the use of home air purifier (1.22, 1.05–1.41). The results indicated that the residential characteristics such as surrounding environment and household equipments could have notable association with children’s health in Shanghai. Using clean fuel for home cooking, living far away from a highway or increasing home ventilation could possibly reduce the children’s risk of suffering asthmatic symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Whether indoor environmental smoke is harmful for preschool children’s respiratory health in a society where female smoking is rare has not been determined. This study is part of a cross-sectional study (CCHH study-phase one in Shanghai) and investigated associations between parental smoking and incense-burning and respiratory symptoms among 4–6 year old children in Shanghai, China. A number of 13335 valid questionnaires (response rate: 85.3%) were analyzed. A number of 56.1% (as reported by a parent) of preschool children in Shanghai are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). A number of 40.3% of fathers and 0.9% of mothers are smokers. A number of 53.7% and 12.6% of Shanghai residents have used mosquito-repellent incense and incensation respectively. Children exposed to any parental smoking have higher prevalence of wheeze and croup than those not exposed. Current maternal smoking has a significant and positive association with wheeze (in the last 12 months, AOR, 95% CI: 1.83, 1.11–2.99). However, paternal smoking either currently or at child’s birth had only weak associations with wheeze and croup. Incense-burning (mosquito-repellent incense and incensation) had significant and negative association with doctor-diagnosed asthma (AOR, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.73–0.99) and hay fever (AOR, 95% CI: 0.80, 0.70–0.93). The results indicate that maternal smoking perhaps is a stronger risk factor for children’s respiratory health than paternal smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether early pet-keeping is a risk factor for children’s asthma and allergies remains controversial. To investigate associations between asthma, allergies and airway symptoms among children and the indoor environment, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 districts of Shanghai. A number of 13335 questionnaires (response rate: 85.3%) of 4-6 year old children were analyzed. Families in urban areas have more pets except for dogs than families in suburbs. Fish are the most common pets in urban districts. The prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma was 10.3%, wheeze (ever) 28.3%, rhinitis (ever) 54.1%, doctor-diagnosed hay fever 12.6% and eczema (ever) 22.9%. In logistic regression analyses, early furred pet-keeping was positively associated with most of the symptoms and significantly with rhinitis (ever, adjusted OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.14–1.76) and doctor-diagnosed hay fever (1.38, 1.02–1.88). Current furred pet-keeping was significantly negatively associated with doctor-diagnosed asthma (0.57, 0.39–0.83). Persistent furred pet-keeping was significantly positively associated with rhinitis on pet or pollen exposure. However, current pet-keeping is not randomly distributed in the population. Children in families with “allergy” or with “pet avoidance behavior” (due to allergies in the family) have more symptoms, but have avoided cats and dogs, leading to the conclusion that such animals are “protective”, namely the “Healthy Pet-Keeping” effect. Moreover, rodents and birds are risks for children’s health. Fish-keeping is also seemingly a risk. This study indicates that early pet-keeping is a risk factor for asthma and allergies in families with a history of allergies, and part of residents in Shanghai have pet-avoidance behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied plain TiO and CdS/TiO nanocomposite photoelectrode by testing their photocurrent response in gas phase. The CdS/TiO nanocomposite photoelectrode was prepared by the technology of screen printing and the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction process. In comparison with the plain TiO photoelectrode, the CdS/TiO nanocomposite photoelectrode showed an extraordinary enhancement on the photocurrent amplitude. Under the irradiation of UV light and under 1, 5, and 10 V bias, respectively, the photocurrent amplitude of CdS/TiO nanocomposite photoelectrode was 37, 95, and 151 times higher than that of the plain TiO. To explain these distinctive phenomenon, we conclude that CdS not only acts as a sensitizer in the CdS/TiO nanocomposite, but also acts as a hole capturer. This conclusion was clearly demonstrated by the subsequent reproducible photocurrent response experiments of the on-off cycles of illumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a non-invasive biomarker of airway inflammation. Our aim was to analyze the interrelationship and differentiate the predicting effects of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD) on the FeNO levels in children from mainland China. Methods. A case-control study with age- and gender matched 1:1 was designed based on a larger cross-sectional survey on asthma, AR, and AD in Shanghai. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on children’s health information. Children with positive reports on physician-diagnosed asthma and/or AR and/or AD were recruited as cases, and children with no report of any of the diseases were designated as controls. The FeNO measurement was performed online, using the NIOX MINO® instrument (Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden) at 50 ml/min. Results. A total of 130 subjects (65 cases and 65 controls, average age = 10 years) were recruited in this study. The average FeNO level was significantly higher in the cases (29.8 ± 1.9 ppb) than that in the controls (13.3 ± 1.7 ppb) (p < .001). Using multiple linear regression analysis controlling for confounding factors, including parental asthma/allergic diseases and home exposure, asthma (β = 0.330, p < .001) and AR (β = 0.157, p = .006) showed significant predicting effects for high FeNO levels, whereas AD was not related to the FeNO levels. Conclusions. Both asthma and AR could independently increase the FeNO levels in Chinese schoolchildren. Other diseases besides asthma should be considered when applying FeNO as a screening tool for asthma in Chinese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]