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Forecasting asthma-causing fungal spores from climate
November 17, 2003The latest research into a weather phenomenon that affects UK wheat quality could have a knock-on effect in the fight against asthma.
Researchers at Harper Adams University College working with MAARA, the Midlands Asthma and Allergy Research Association, and the University of Reading, believe fluctuations in air pressure, known as the North Atlantic Oscillation or NAO, may contribute to the presence of fungal spores in the air. These spores can then cause summer asthma.
The fungi that release these spores, such as Cladosporium, grow on plants, including wheat, in the summer and release spores into the air. Wet weather causes the wheat grains to sprout, which makes the grains unsuitable for bread making, devalues the crop, and also reduces the number of Cladosporium spores released.
Research into the NAO during the winter was initially carried out to monitor its effect on summer rainfall levels in the UK and provide an early prediction about whether or not the wheat grain will have sprouted by the time it is ready to harvest.
Further research, due to be published in the International Journal of Biometeorology in December, has now revealed that the number of Cladosporium spores released during summer may be linked to the NAO.
Dr Peter Kettlewell said: "Our results show that some types of spores causing asthma increase as the NAO rises, and we are currently working on developing an early warning of a high spore year."
Harper Adams University College
Asthma News and Current Asthma Events RSSObese people with asthma have nearly 5 times greater risk of hospitalization for asthma
Obese people who have asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the condition than non-obese people with asthma, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the September issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Innate immune system targets asthma-linked fungus for destruction
A new study shows that the innate immune system of humans is capable of killing a fungus linked to airway inflammation, chronic rhinosinusitis and bronchial asthma.
Physical and sexual abuse linked to asthma in Puerto Rican kids
Children who are physically or sexually abused are more than twice as likely to have asthma as their peers, according to a recent study of urban children in Puerto Rico. In fact, physical and sexual abuse was second only to maternal asthma in all the risk factors tested, including paternal asthma and indicators of socioeconomic status.
Heavy breathing -- an obscure link in asthma and obesity
There is a strong link between obesity and asthma and as the prevalence of both conditions has been increasing steadily, epidemiologists have speculated that there is an underlying condition that connects the two.
Asthma monitoring on the Web
An inexpensive web-enabled device for measuring lung function in patients with asthma and other disorders is being developed by researchers at Texas Instruments, in Bangalore, India, and co-workers. Writing in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, the team explains how the devise could allow physicians to monitor their patients remotely and quickly instigate medical attention in an emergency.
Seeing through tooth decay
Dental caries afflict at least 90% of the world's population at some time in their lives. Detecting the first signs of this disease, which can be lethal in extreme cases, just got easier thanks to work by researchers in India discussed in the latest issue of the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology.
UC Davis researchers define characteristics, treatment options for XXYY syndrome
Researchers at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute and The Children's Hospital in Denver have conducted the largest study to date describing the medical and psychological characteristics of a rare genetic disorder in which males have two "X" and two "Y" chromosomes, rather than the normal one of each.
Infection Blocks Lung's Protective Response Against Tobacco Smoke
An infection that often goes undetected can block the lung's natural protective response against tobacco smoke, according to researchers at National Jewish Health.
Many U.S. Public Schools in 'Air Pollution Danger Zone'
One in three U.S. public schools are in the "air pollution danger zone," according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC).
Asthma in boys may be just a phase, but for girls it may be there to stay
Boys may be more apt than girls to have childhood asthma, but, when compared to girls, they are also more likely to grow out of it in adolescence and have a decreased incidence of asthma in the post-pubertal years. This indicates that there may be a buried mechanism in asthma development, according to a prospective study that analyzed airway responsiveness (AR) in more than 1,000 children with mild to moderate asthma over a period of about nine years.
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