Review
Environmental Sciences
Adekunle Gregory Fakunle, Nkosana Jafta, Rajen N. Naidoo, Lidwien A. M. Smit
Summary: This study found that indoor microbial exposures are associated with respiratory symptoms in children, particularly with exposure to Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria species. Future research is needed to comprehensively study the indoor microbiome and investigate the mechanisms behind these associations.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dan Norback, Xin Zhang, Li Tian, Yifei Zhang, Zefei Zhang, Liu Yang, Xingyi Chen, Zhaohua Zeng, Chan Lu, Zhuohui Zhao
Summary: The study found that exposure to substances emitted during renovation and new furniture before and after birth may increase the onset of childhood asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. Additionally, indoor mold, mold odor, window condensation, and poor indoor air quality during birth may be associated with the onset of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in preschoolers in northern China.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Patrick Poulin, Axelle Marchand, Benoit Levesque, Marjolaine Dube, Daniel Aubin, Boualem Ouazia, Caroline Duchaine, Mario Brisson
Summary: A study was conducted to assess the impact of poor indoor air quality on respiratory health in children. The results showed that hospitalization rates for respiratory diseases in children under 1 year old in Nunavik were significantly higher compared to the whole province of Quebec. The study also found that optimizing ventilation systems had a positive effect on reducing respiratory infection episodes in children.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Insung Kang, Anna McCreery, Parham Azimi, Amanda Gramigna, Griselda Baca, Kari Abromitis, Mingyu Wang, Yicheng Zeng, Rachel Scheu, Tim Crowder, Anne Evens, Brent Stephens
Summary: Mechanical ventilation systems are used to introduce ventilation air and dilute indoor-generated pollutants in residences. A study on 40 existing homes in Chicago found that different types of ventilation systems reduced indoor/outdoor pollutant concentrations ratios, with continuous ventilation systems showing the most significant benefits.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jonathan Groot, Amelie Keller, Marie Pedersen, Torben Sigsgaard, Steffen Loft, Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen
Summary: Housing and indoor home environments are associated with the risk of infections and asthma in children. Parental health and socioeconomic position are strongly related to housing and indoor home environments, and several factors in these environments correlate strongly and cluster together.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rashmi Yadav, Aditya Nagori, Aparna Mukherjee, Varinder Singh, Rakesh Lodha, Sushil Kumar Kabra, Geetika Yadav, Jitendra Kumar Saini, Kamal Kumar Singhal, Kana Ram Jat, Karan Madan, Mohan P. George, Kalaivani Mani, Parul Mrigpuri, Raj Kumar, Randeep Guleria, Ravindra Mohan Pandey, Rohit Sarin, Rupinder Singh Dhaliwal
Summary: The study revealed a correlation between increasing levels of daily ambient air pollution and rising emergency room visits for acute respiratory symptoms in children in Delhi, with particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide being the main influencing factors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Brandon Bottorff, Chen Wang, Emily Reidy, Colleen Rosales, Delphine K. Farmer, Marina E. Vance, Jonathan P. D. Abbatt, Philip S. Stevens
Summary: Despite the lack of full understanding of the chemistry of nitrous acid (HONO) in the indoor environment, this study presents results from comparing measurements of HONO using different instruments. The findings indicate that HONO has a long enough lifetime to be quickly distributed indoors and mix throughout the house, contributing to the oxidative capacity indoors.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Sabrina Westgate, Nga Lee Ng
Summary: This study used low-cost sensors to continuously measure size-resolved particulate matter and carbon dioxide in a university classroom. The decay time constant of each pollutant was determined using occupant-generated emissions, and the results showed that quantifying metabolic CO2 decay is a viable method to estimate the timescale of indoor aerosol decay. Both CO2 and particulate matter provided comparable air change rate estimates.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Tsz Wun Tsang, Ling Tim Wong, Kwok Wai Mui, Ching Yi Poon
Summary: Despite the lack of attention, kitchen indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important issue as cooking can generate significant amounts of pollutants. This study investigated the impact of kitchen design on ventilation strategies for reducing IAQ exposure. Natural ventilation largely depends on window and door positions, and combining natural and mechanical ventilation did not improve air quality. The use of an exhaust fan with natural ventilation was ineffective in reducing cooking pollutants, while a range hood effectively removed pollutants from the source. The study recommends using a range hood alone or with single-side natural ventilation for acceptable IAQ in the kitchen.
INDOOR AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Sun, Yi Meng, Zheyuan Ou, Yanling Li, Mei Zhang, Yang Chen, Zefei Zhang, Xingyi Chen, Peiqiang Mu, Dan Norback, Zhuohui Zhao, Xin Zhang, Xi Fu
Summary: The study revealed a significant increase in the number of observed species in bacterial and fungal communities in classrooms from 2012 to 2019, with drastic changes in microbial community compositions. The temporal microbiome variation was found to be more significant than the spatial variation within the city. Additionally, indoor microorganisms were shown to play a mediating role in the association between environmental characteristics and health effects, indicating the importance of incorporating both biological and chemical exposure in comprehensive exposure assessments.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Torie Grant, Travis Lilley, Meredith C. McCormack, Paul J. Rathouz, Roger Peng, Corinne A. Keet, Ana Rule, Meghan Davis, Susan Balcer-Whaley, Michelle Newman, Elizabeth C. Matsui
Summary: This study investigated the association between indoor exposures and air trapping in urban children with asthma. The results showed that mouse allergen exposure was associated with air trapping, while other indoor exposures were not.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Aleksandra Ratajczak, Artur Badyda, Piotr Oskar Czechowski, Adam Czarnecki, Michal Dubrawski, Wojciech Feleszko
Summary: This study found a positive association between children's upper respiratory tract symptoms (URTS) and concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10, with symptoms increasing significantly in areas with higher PM concentrations. It is recommended to improve air quality to protect children's health.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dan Norback, Zailina Hashim, Faridah Ali, Jamal Hisham Hashim
Summary: The study investigated the associations between asthma and respiratory infections in Malaysian students and chemical exposure at home and at school. It found that certain harmful substances such as para-dichlorobenzene can increase the risk of respiratory issues.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Hooseung Na, Haneul Choi, Haseong Kim, Dongjun Park, Joosang Lee, Taeyeon Kim
Summary: This study proposes an operating method to minimize noise while improving indoor air quality in school classrooms by using CONTAM simulations. The method involves operating the heat recovery ventilation (HRV) in low wind mode during class time and strong wind mode during break time. The study findings provide an effective and feasible approach to satisfying both noise and indoor air quality requirements and can be valuable for developing appropriate air purifier facility capacities in different schools.
JOURNAL OF BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linchen He, Christina Norris, Xiaoxing Cui, Zhen Li, Karoline K. Barkjohn, Yanbo Teng, Lin Fang, Lili Lin, Qian Wang, Xiaojian Zhou, Jianguo Hong, Feng Li, Yinping Zhang, James J. Schauer, Marilyn Black, Michael H. Bergin, Junfeng (Jim) Zhang
Summary: Exposure to PM2.5 and O-3 may cause inflammation and oxidative damage in the oral cavity, which could contribute to the worsening of airway inflammation and asthma symptoms. The study found a positive association between PM2.5 exposure and salivary IL-6 concentration, but no clear association between O-3 exposure and salivary biomarkers. Increased salivary IL-6 was related to increased pulmonary inflammation and worsening asthma symptoms. Salivary IL-6 mediated a portion of the association between PM2.5 exposure and FeNO as well as C-ACT scores.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Francine Monique Ducharme, Megan Jensen, Genevieve Mailhot, Nathalie Alos, John White, Elizabeth Rousseau, Sze Man Tse, Ali Khamessan, Benjamin Vinet
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
P. G. Middleton, M. A. Mall, P. Drevinek, L. C. Lands, E. F. McKone, D. Polineni, B. W. Ramsey, J. L. Taylor-Cousar, E. Tullis, F. Vermeulen, G. Marigowda, C. M. Mckee, S. M. Moskowitz, N. Nair, J. Savage, C. Simard, S. Tian, D. Waltz, F. Xuan, S. M. Rowe, R. Jain
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2019)
Article
Allergy
Laura May Miles, Francine M. Ducharme, Johanne Collin, Lucie Blais, Simon L. Bacon, Kim L. Lavoie, Martha L. McKinney, Sandra Pelaez
Summary: Physicians generally perceive optimal guided self-management for asthma as patients' adherence to their instructions and pharmaceutical therapy adjustment based on patient's symptoms, but the actual guidance offered remains primarily directive and paternalistic. Non-pharmacological approaches are given little consideration by physicians.
Article
Respiratory System
M. Diane Lougheed, Alison Morra, Emma Bullock, Noah Tregobov, Dave Barber, Louis-Philippe Boulet, Sharon Dell, Francine M. Ducharme, Madonna Ferrone, J. Mark FitzGerald, Samir Gupta, Christopher Licskai, Delanya Podgers, Parameswaran Nair, Dhenuka Radhakrishnan, Mohsen Sadatsafavi, Itamar E. Tamari, Teresa To, Brandie Walker, Connie L. Yang, Catherine Lemiere
Summary: The study aimed to develop an algorithm to identify severe asthma patients in primary care EMRs and establish EMR data standards for specialists. A working group of experts reached consensus on algorithm steps, elements, and definitions, with revisions based on external stakeholder review. The initiative has identified unique elements for severe asthma and proposed a method for identification in primary care EMRs.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE AND SLEEP MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Pediatrics
Francine M. Ducharme, Anna Smyrnova, Christiane C. Lawson, Laura May Miles
Summary: This study demonstrated that oscillometry measurements are highly feasible in children aged 3 years and older, with device-specific reference equations derived for the multiethnic Canadian pediatric population.
PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Banafsheh Hosseini, Asmae El Abd, Francine M. Ducharme
Summary: Vitamin D supplementation has no significant impact on the risk of COVID-19 infection, but it shows protective effects against mortality and ICU admission in COVID-19 patients.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Bennet Desormeau, Anna Smyrnova, Olivier Drouin, Francine Monique Ducharme
Summary: In preschoolers, adding oscillometry to clinical assessment can lead to a more accurate diagnosis of persistent asthma phenotype and better control over the next year. However, it does not significantly impact the prescription of maintenance therapy. The study emphasizes the clinical utility of oscillometry in assessing and managing asthma in preschoolers but highlights the need for further research.
RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Banafshe Hosseini, Cecile L. Tremblay, Cristina Longo, Shirin Glochi, John H. White, Caroline Quach, Louis-Georges Ste-Marie, Robert W. Platt, Francine M. Ducharme
Summary: The study aims to investigate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D levels and the effectiveness of virtual and in-person trials. The results demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation can rapidly and safely increase vitamin D levels to biologically effective concentrations. High adherence to study procedures was observed regardless of virtual or in-person participation.
Editorial Material
Nutrition & Dietetics
Banafshe Hosseini, Asmae El Abd, Francine M. Ducharme
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Francine Monique Ducharme, Cecile Tremblay, Shirin Golchi, Banafsheh Hosseini, Cristina Longo, John H. White, Decio Coviello, Caroline Quach, Louis-Georges Ste-Marie, Robert W. Platt
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers were at high risk of infection. Vitamin D insufficiency is common and supplementation has been found to reduce respiratory infections. This study aimed to determine the impact of high dose vitamin D supplementation on COVID-19 incidence and severity in healthcare workers.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Olivier Drouin, Tamara Perez, Tracie A. Barnett, Francine M. Ducharme, Eric Fleegler, Arvin Garg, Kim Lavoie, Patricia Li, Marie-Elaine Metras, Serge Sultan, Sze Man Tse, Jiaying Zhao
Summary: This project aims to investigate the relationship between unmet social needs, scarcity, and future discounting and their predictive power on medication adherence in children with asthma. The study will measure unmet social needs, scarcity, and future discounting using validated instruments, and compare adherence to medication between families with and without unmet social needs. This research will contribute to improving medication adherence in children with asthma and inform public policy.
JMIR RESEARCH PROTOCOLS
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Pamela Mondragon, Francine M. Ducharme
Summary: This study assessed the real-life impact of asthma education and specialized asthma care in children. Results showed that children who received AEC or SAC after an emergency department visit had a lower likelihood of subsequent ED visits, highlighting the importance of asthma education.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE AND SLEEP MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Christiane C. Lawson, Pamela Mondragon, Francisco J. Noya, Pierre Ernst, Francine M. Ducharme
Summary: In children with recurrent visits to the emergency department, promoting asthma education, medical follow-up visits, asthma control awareness, and self-monitoring increased attendance to asthma education and medical follow-up within 4 weeks of the index visit, without reducing exacerbations requiring health care resources.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE AND SLEEP MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Respiratory System
Francois Despres, Francine M. Ducharme, Amelie Forget, Sze Man Tse, Fatima-Zohra Kettani, Lucie Blais
Summary: This study aimed to develop and validate a pharmacoepidemiologic pediatric asthma control index (PPACI) based on dispensed medications and health care utilization. The results show that the PPACI appears as a valid index to assess asthma control over 6 months in children, with different levels of control identified in the population-based application cohort.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE AND SLEEP MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Respiratory System
Francine M. Ducharme, Imane Jroundi, Guillaume Jean, Guillaume Lavoie Boutin, Christiane Lawson, Benjamin Vinet
