Particle-ozone complex pollution under diverse synoptic weather patterns in the Yangtze River Delta region: Synergistic relationships and the effects of meteorology and chemical compositions.

There is considerable academic interest in the particle-ozone synergistic relationship (PO) between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3). Using various synoptic weather patterns (SWPs), we quantitatively assessed the variations in the PO, which is relevant to formulating policies aimed at controlling complex pollution in the air. First, based on one-year sampling data from March 2018 to February 2019, the SWPs classification of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) was conducted using the sum-of-squares technique (SS). Five dominant SWPs can be found in the YRD region, including the Aleutian low under SWP1 (occurring 45 % of the year), a tropical cyclone under SWP2 (21 %), the tropical cyclone and western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) under SWP3 (15.4 %), the WPSH under SWP4 (6.9 %), and a continental high pressure under SWP5 (3.1 %). The phenomenon of a "seesaw" between PM2.5 and O3 concentrations exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity, which was influenced by meteorological mechanisms. Second, the multi-linear regression (MLR) model and the partial correlation (PCOR) analysis were employed to quantify the effects of dominant components and meteorological factors on the PO. Meteorological variables could collectively explain only 33.0 % of the PM2.5 variations, but 58.0 % for O3. O3 promoted each other with low concentrations of PM2.5 but was inhibited by high concentrations of PM2.5. High relative humidity (RH) was conducive to the generation of PM2.5 secondary components and enhanced the radiative effects of aerosols and the negative correlation of PO. In addition, attention should be paid to assessing the combined effects of precursor levels, weather, and chemical reactions on the particle-ozone complex pollution. The control of O3 pollutants should be intensified in summer, while the focus should be on reducing PM2.5 pollutants in winter. Prevention and control measures need to reflect the differences in weather conditions and pollution characteristics, with a focus on RH and secondary components of PM2.5.

Socioeconomic disparities in treatment and survival in patients with hypopharyngeal malignancy.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study utilizes The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to investigate socioeconomic factors leading to treatment disparities in hypopharyngeal malignancy. METHODS: Treatment was compared to National Cancer Care Network guidelines. Novel analyses, including logistic modeling, allowed survival analysis and identification of socioeconomic variables not previously considered in staging and management guidelines. RESULTS: Black and older patients, and residence in low-income areas predict lower likelihood of standard therapy (p < 0.05). Early-stage disease and standard therapy correlate with improved survival (p < 0.001). Medicaid, advanced age, advanced disease, and treatment outside of consensus guidelines correlated with lower survival (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: There are clear socioeconomic factors impacting treatment and survival in hypopharyngeal malignancies. Standard therapy affords superior survival rate. Black, low socioeconomic status, and older patients are less likely to receive standard therapy. Education and language isolation do not predict treatment or survival. Understanding these discrepancies is paramount to palliating disparities in healthcare.

The impact of dietary and lifestyle interventions on blood pressure management in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and metanalysis.

OBJECTIVES: Current literature is lacking a comprehensive review of data on dietary interventions in blood pressure (BP) management in sub-Saharan African countries. We assessed the association of dietary and other lifestyle interventions with BP-lowering effects in populations within sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis to determine the impact of dietary and lifestyle interventions on SBP and DBP in sub-Saharan Africa. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. We included intervention studies that were randomized and nonrandomized conducted in Africans residing in sub-Saharan Africa investigating diet and other lifestyle, physical activity, weight loss, tobacco, and alcohol cessation modifications. We determined the effect of diet and other lifestyle interventions on SBP and DBP. We expressed effect size as weighted mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI). MAIN RESULTS: : We identified six studies with a total of 1412 individuals, 38% males, mean age of 52.8 years (SD = 11.5). The weighted mean difference of dietary and other lifestyle interventions on SBP and DBP was -7.33 mmHg, (95% CI: -9.90 to -4.76, P  < 0.001) and -2.98 mmHg, (95% CI: -4.28 to -1.69, P  < 0.001), respectively. In the metaregression analyses, the duration of the interventions did not have any effect on changes in SBP and DBP. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSION: : Dietary modifications showed a beneficial overall improvement in SBP and DBP in Africans. However, aside from low-salt interventions, studies on dietary potassium, healthy dietary patterns, and lifestyle modifications have not been investigated extensively in Africans and are in critical need. In addition, researchers will need to consider the settings (rural, urban, or semiurban) and the predominant existing dietary habits while designing studies on dietary interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42020207923.