Background Air pollution exposure has a significant impact on maternal and child health. However, the research on the association between ambient ozone (O₃) exposure during pregnancy and the risk of premature birth in newborns is limited, and the conclusions are inconsistent. Objective To investigate the association of ambient O₃ exposure during pregnancy with the risk of preterm birth in Guangdong Province. Methods Data of pregnant women in Guangzhou from 2013 to 2019 and Foshan from 2018 to 2023 were collected, and O₃ concentrations during different trimesters were assessed according to maternal residential addresses. Bilinear interpolation was used to evaluate the concentrations of air pollution. A cohort study design was adopted in our study. Restricted cubic spline curves were used to evaluate the exposure-response relationship between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk and explore potential exposure threshold of O₃. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of O₃ exposure with preterm birth. Results A total of 702 924 pregnant women were included in this study, of whom 43 051 (6.12%) were preterm. The average O₃ exposure concentrations of pregnant women during the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 95.51, 97.51, 100.60, and 97.87 μg·m⁻³, respectively. We observed J-shaped associations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy using restricted cubic spline curves. This study found that there were threshold concentrations between O₃ exposure and preterm birth risk during different gestational periods, and the threshold concentrations in the first, second, third, and whole trimesters were 112.32, 99.83, 111.74, and 112.46 μg·m⁻³, respectively. During the second, third, and whole trimesters of pregnancy, after adjusting for maternal age, baby sex, pre-pregnancy body mass index, mode of delivery, baby birth weight, gestational diabetes, and gestational hypertension, the odds ratios (OR) of preterm birth were 1.02 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.04), 1.02 (95%CI: 1.00, 1.03), and 1.17 (95%CI: 1.13, 1.21) for each 10 μg·m⁻³ increase in O₃ concentration above the O₃ threshold. No significant association was found between O₃ exposure and the risk of preterm birth during the first trimester. Conclusion There is a nonlinear association between the risk of preterm birth and O₃ exposure during pregnancy, and higher concentrations of O₃ exposure during pregnancy are associated with the risk of preterm birth. Above the O₃ threshold concentration during pregnancy, especially during the second, third, and whole trimesters, the risk of preterm birth elevates with the increase of O₃ exposure concentrations.

Objective To investigate the impact of gaseous pollutants (SO2,NO2,CO,O3) on hospital admissions,hospitalization costs,and length of stay for cardiovascular diseases in seven cities of Guangdong Province. Methods A total of 2,010,905 patients with cardiovascular diseases from seven cities in Guangdong Province between January 2017 and December 2019 were included. Demographic characteristics and hospitalization data for cardiovascular disease inpatients were obtained from the Guangdong Province Electronic Healthcare Information System. Daily exposure concentrations of SO2,NO2,CO and O3 were extracted from the China High-Air-Pollution Dataset. The impact of air pollutants on cardiovascular diseases in the seven cities of Guangdong Province was estimated using a multi-step time-series analysis. Results SO2,NO2,and CO concentrations on the day of admission (lag0) were positively associated with the risk of cardiovascular admissions,hospitalization costs,and length of stay,with NO2 exhibiting the strongest effect. Additionally,there was a lagged negative impact of NO2 and CO,while O3 concentrations were inversely correlated with the number of cardiovascular admissions,hospitalization costs,and length of stay over the lag0-7 period. Conclusions Short-term exposures to SO2,NO2,and CO are likely positively associated with the disease burden in CVD patients. Furthermore,given the more substantial adverse effects of NO2,enhanced monitoring of NO2 remains essential. However,as this study is retrospective,additional research is warranted.

Objective:To investigate the pathogen distribution, temporal trends in the rates of antimicrobial resistance, and susceptibility of bloodstream isolates and comparatively explore the epidemiological characteristics of bloodstream infections in hematology departments across 56 healthcare facilities in Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2024.Methods:A multicenter analysis was conducted to evaluate the constituent ratio of different pathogens isolated from clinical isolate data from bloodstream specimens in hematology, respiratory, and intensive care unit (ICU) departments across 56 healthcare facilities in Guangdong Province (2020-2024), and antimicrobial resistance trends in pathogens with high-detection rate over 5 years were assessed. Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative organisms (CRO) were randomly sampled for carbapenemase gene detection and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility tests with novel antimicrobial agents.Results:From 2020 to 2024, a total of 8 968, 6 440, and 25 511 bloodstream isolates were identified in the hematology, respiratory, and ICU departments, respectively, across 56 participating facilities in Guangdong Province, with significant differences in the pathogen constituent ratio among departments ( P<0.001). Notably, the hematology department demonstrated a predominance of Escherichia coli (24.1%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.7%), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (15.2%), and Staphylococcus aureus (5.1%). In the resistance analysis, the rates of meropenem resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia increased from 6.7% and 5.8% (2020) to 14.0% and 15.8% (2024), respectively. Conversely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited a declining trend in the rate of meropenem resistance (6.2% to 1.9%) and imipenem (10.2% to 6.1%) during the same period. Acinetobacter baumannii demonstrated a biphasic resistance pattern to common antimicrobial agents, characterized by an initial decline, followed by a rebound. In this study, the susceptibility rates to conventional antimicrobial agents were significantly higher in Staphylococcus aureus versus coagulase-negative Staphylococci, with no glycopeptide- or linezolid-resistant strains detected. Notably, the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium increased from 0 in 2020 to 23.1% in 2024. CRO carbapenemase phenotypes through active surveillance revealed that 80% Escherichia coli isolates were carrying blaNDM, 90% Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were carrying blaKPC, 10% Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were carrying blaVIM, and 100% Acinetobacter baumannii were carrying blaOXA-23. The results of the antimicrobial susceptibility test in CRO revealed that carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CRECO) demonstrated a 0 resistance rate to tigecycline, polymyxin B, and aztreonam/avibactam, whereas carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited a 0 resistance rate to aztreonam/avibactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, and imipenem/relebactam. Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited a 95.0% susceptibility rate to amikacin and polymyxin B, with a 45.0% resistance rate to ceftazidime/avibactam. In contrast, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii demonstrated complete susceptibility (100.0%) to sulbactam/durlobactam (MIC90=2 μg/ml), whereas eravacycline showed MIC50 and MIC90 values of 1 and 2 μg/ml, respectively. Conclusion:The pathogen constituent ratio of bloodstream isolates differed significantly among hematology, respiratory, and ICU departments. Notably, although CRO exhibited an escalating prevalence, it sustained high susceptibility to novel antimicrobial agents.

Objective To investigate the impact of gaseous pollutants (SO2,NO2,CO,O3) on hospital admissions,hospitalization costs,and length of stay for cardiovascular diseases in seven cities of Guangdong Province. Methods A total of 2,010,905 patients with cardiovascular diseases from seven cities in Guangdong Province between January 2017 and December 2019 were included. Demographic characteristics and hospitalization data for cardiovascular disease inpatients were obtained from the Guangdong Province Electronic Healthcare Information System. Daily exposure concentrations of SO2,NO2,CO and O3 were extracted from the China High-Air-Pollution Dataset. The impact of air pollutants on cardiovascular diseases in the seven cities of Guangdong Province was estimated using a multi-step time-series analysis. Results SO2,NO2,and CO concentrations on the day of admission (lag0) were positively associated with the risk of cardiovascular admissions,hospitalization costs,and length of stay,with NO2 exhibiting the strongest effect. Additionally,there was a lagged negative impact of NO2 and CO,while O3 concentrations were inversely correlated with the number of cardiovascular admissions,hospitalization costs,and length of stay over the lag0-7 period. Conclusions Short-term exposures to SO2,NO2,and CO are likely positively associated with the disease burden in CVD patients. Furthermore,given the more substantial adverse effects of NO2,enhanced monitoring of NO2 remains essential. However,as this study is retrospective,additional research is warranted.

Objective:To investigate the pathogen distribution, temporal trends in the rates of antimicrobial resistance, and susceptibility of bloodstream isolates and comparatively explore the epidemiological characteristics of bloodstream infections in hematology departments across 56 healthcare facilities in Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2024.Methods:A multicenter analysis was conducted to evaluate the constituent ratio of different pathogens isolated from clinical isolate data from bloodstream specimens in hematology, respiratory, and intensive care unit (ICU) departments across 56 healthcare facilities in Guangdong Province (2020-2024), and antimicrobial resistance trends in pathogens with high-detection rate over 5 years were assessed. Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative organisms (CRO) were randomly sampled for carbapenemase gene detection and in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility tests with novel antimicrobial agents.Results:From 2020 to 2024, a total of 8 968, 6 440, and 25 511 bloodstream isolates were identified in the hematology, respiratory, and ICU departments, respectively, across 56 participating facilities in Guangdong Province, with significant differences in the pathogen constituent ratio among departments ( P<0.001). Notably, the hematology department demonstrated a predominance of Escherichia coli (24.1%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (17.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.7%), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (15.2%), and Staphylococcus aureus (5.1%). In the resistance analysis, the rates of meropenem resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia increased from 6.7% and 5.8% (2020) to 14.0% and 15.8% (2024), respectively. Conversely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited a declining trend in the rate of meropenem resistance (6.2% to 1.9%) and imipenem (10.2% to 6.1%) during the same period. Acinetobacter baumannii demonstrated a biphasic resistance pattern to common antimicrobial agents, characterized by an initial decline, followed by a rebound. In this study, the susceptibility rates to conventional antimicrobial agents were significantly higher in Staphylococcus aureus versus coagulase-negative Staphylococci, with no glycopeptide- or linezolid-resistant strains detected. Notably, the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium increased from 0 in 2020 to 23.1% in 2024. CRO carbapenemase phenotypes through active surveillance revealed that 80% Escherichia coli isolates were carrying blaNDM, 90% Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates were carrying blaKPC, 10% Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were carrying blaVIM, and 100% Acinetobacter baumannii were carrying blaOXA-23. The results of the antimicrobial susceptibility test in CRO revealed that carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CRECO) demonstrated a 0 resistance rate to tigecycline, polymyxin B, and aztreonam/avibactam, whereas carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited a 0 resistance rate to aztreonam/avibactam, ceftazidime/avibactam, and imipenem/relebactam. Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited a 95.0% susceptibility rate to amikacin and polymyxin B, with a 45.0% resistance rate to ceftazidime/avibactam. In contrast, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii demonstrated complete susceptibility (100.0%) to sulbactam/durlobactam (MIC90=2 μg/ml), whereas eravacycline showed MIC50 and MIC90 values of 1 and 2 μg/ml, respectively. Conclusion:The pathogen constituent ratio of bloodstream isolates differed significantly among hematology, respiratory, and ICU departments. Notably, although CRO exhibited an escalating prevalence, it sustained high susceptibility to novel antimicrobial agents.

Relative Risk ( RR), Hazard Ratio ( HR), and Odds Ratio ( OR) are commonly used statistical measures in the field of public health to assess the magnitude of the effect of exposure factors on outcomes. These indicators have different calculation principles and implications in public health. However, a few researchers misused or misinterpreted RR, HR, and OR values when interpreting study results. Therefore, this article explores the relationships and differences among these measures, as well as the correct selection and application of RR, HR, and OR in both cohort study and case-control study.

In environmental epidemiological research, extensive non-random environmental exposures and complex confounding biases pose significant challenges when attempting causal inference. In recent years, the introduction of causal inference methods into observational studies has provided a broader range of statistical tools for causal inference research in environmental epidemiology. The instrumental variable (IV) approach, as a causal inference technique for effectively controlling unmeasured confounding factors, has gradually found application in the field of environmental epidemiological research. This article reviewed the basic principles of IV and summarized the current research progress and limitations of applying IV for causal inference in environmental epidemiology. IV application in the field of environmental epidemiology is still in the initial stage. Rational use of IV and effective integration with other causal inference methods will become the focus of the development of causal inference in environmental epidemiology. The aim of this paper is to provide a methodological reference and basis for future studies involving causal inference to target population health effects of environmental exposures in China.

Relative Risk ( RR), Hazard Ratio ( HR), and Odds Ratio ( OR) are commonly used statistical measures in the field of public health to assess the magnitude of the effect of exposure factors on outcomes. These indicators have different calculation principles and implications in public health. However, a few researchers misused or misinterpreted RR, HR, and OR values when interpreting study results. Therefore, this article explores the relationships and differences among these measures, as well as the correct selection and application of RR, HR, and OR in both cohort study and case-control study.

Objective:To analyze the association between air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).Methods:AF patients aged between 40-69 years old registered in the United Kingdom Biobank from 2006 to 2010 were included. After excluding those lost to follow-up or with incomplete data during follow-up, 5 814 subjects were analyzed. Long-term exposure to air pollution was estimated at the geocoded residential address of each participant. Genetic risk scores for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke were constructed separately for each object to assess the corresponding genetic susceptibility. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the association between air pollution, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in AF patients.Results:During a median follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 929 of all-cause mortality (15.98%) and 1 772 of cardiovascular events (30.48%). Multivariable-adjusted analyses revealed that higher exposure to PM 2.5, PM 10, NO x, and NO 2 was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke, with hazard ratios ( HRs) ranging from 1.26 to 1.48. Specifically, for each interquartile range ( IQR) increase in PM 2.5 exposure, the HRs for the outcomes mentioned above were 1.33 (95% CI: 1.14-1.54), 1.42 (95% CI: 1.31-1.54), 1.46 (95% CI: 1.30-1.64), and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.27-1.61), respectively. Both NO x and NO 2 exposures were associated with a 9% increased risk of all-cause mortality per IQR increment, with corresponding HRs of 1.09 (95% CI: 1.02-1.17) and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.01-1.17), respectively. Individuals with high genetic susceptibility to AF had a higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke compared to those with low genetic susceptibility, with corresponding HRs of 1.39 (95% CI: 1.04-1.87) and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.09-1.95), respectively. Compared to AF patients with low air pollution exposure, those with high air pollution exposure have adjusted population attributable fractions of up to 33.57% (95% CI: 17.87%-46.26%) for cardiovascular mortality, 28.61% (95% CI: 20.67%-35.75%) for heart failure, 33.35% (95% CI: 20.97%-43.79%) for myocardial infarction, and 42.29% (95% CI: 30.05%-52.71%) for stroke. Furthermore, there was an additive interaction between PM 2.5, NO x, and NO 2 exposure and high genetic susceptibility on the incidence of myocardial infarction. An additive interaction was also observed between NO x, NO 2 exposure, and high genetic susceptibility on the incidence of heart failure (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Both air pollution and genetic susceptibility increase the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in AF patients.

Background Front-line power grid workers are required to face a variety of occupational hazards (such as aerial work), which make them susceptible to psychological problems and further reduce their performance efficiency and safety level. Objective To investigate the mental health status of front-line power grid workers and explore the influence of personality traits on mental health and the potential mediating role of work-family support between them. Methods This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. From January to June 2019, a cluster random sampling method was used to select two of the 20 power supply stations owned by a Guangdong power company. A total of 485 front-line power grid workers were included in the study. Sociodemographic characteristics were investigated, and NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Work-Family Support Scale, and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were used in the survey. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the correlations between measured variables. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships of personality traits, work-family support, and mental health, and Bootstrap analysis was used to test the mediating effect of work-family support on the relationship of personality traits and mental health. Results The M (P₂₅, P₇₅) of total SCL-90 score was 134.00 (110.00, 167.00）, and 139 (28.66%) front-line power grid workers showed positive mental health symptoms. The correlation analysis indicated that among the front-line power grid workers, neuroticism score was negatively correlated with work-family support total score (r_s=−0.356, P<0.001), and positively correlated with the total score of SCL-90 (r_s=0.557, P<0.001) as well as all the scores of its sub-dimensions (r_s=0.436-0.550, P<0.001). Openness score was positively correlated with work-family support total score (r_s=0.269, P<0.001), and except for paranoid ideation (P>0.05), openness score was negatively correlated with the scores of all the other sub-dimensions of SCL-90 (r_s=−0.091-−0.147, P<0.05). The scores of the other three personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) were positively correlated with work-family support total score (r_s=0.331-0.466, P<0.001), and negatively correlated with the total score of SCL-90 as well as the scores of all its sub-dimensions (P<0.001). The modified structural equation modeling indicated that the direct effect of work-family support on mental health symptoms was −0.225 (P<0.001). The direct effects of extraversion and openness on work-family support were 0.241 (P<0.001) and 0.123 (P<0.05), respectively, while the effect on mental health symptoms was not statistically significant. The direct effects of neuroticism on work-family support and mental health symptoms were -0.152 (P<0.01) and 0.467 (P<0.001), respectively. The direct effects of conscientiousness on work-family support and mental health symptoms were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The direct effect of agreeableness on work-family support was not statistically significant (P>0.05), while the direct effect on mental health symptoms was −0.180 (P<0.001). Conclusion The front-line power grid workers show a high score of SCL-90. Workers with higher neuroticism are more vulnerable to mental health symptoms. Work-family support fully mediates the effects of extraversion and openness on mental health symptoms, and partially mediates the effects of neuroticism on mental health symptoms, while does not mediate the effects of agreeableness on mental health symptoms. Sufficient work-family support may improve mental health status.