Results-Significant associations were found between hospital admissions for all respiratory diseases, all cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and heart failure and the concentrations of all four pollutants. Admissions for asthma, pneumonia, and influenza were significantly associated with NO 2 , O 3, and PM 10 . Relative risk (RR) for admissions for respiratory disease for the four pollutants ranged from 1.013 (for SO 2 ) to 1.022 (for O 3 ), and for admissions for cardiovascular disease, from 1.006 (for PM 10 ) to 1.016 (for SO 2 ). Those aged >65 years were at higher risk. Significant positive interactions were detected between NO 2 , O 3 , and PM 10 , and between O 3 and winter months. Conclusions-Adverse health eVects are evident at current ambient concentrations of air pollutants. Further reduction in air pollution is necessary to protect the health of the community, especially that of the high risk group. (Occup Environ Med 1999;56:679-683)

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Sialosyl-Tn antigen and its immediate precursor, Tn antigen, are carbohydrate structures associated with the earliest steps of mucin 0-linked glycosylation. Both antigens have been shown previously to be highly sensitive and specific markers of colorectal cancer. One hundred and three colorectal polyps (79 adenomatous; 24 hyperplastic) were examined for expression ofTn antigen using vicia villosa isolectin B4, and for sialosyl-Tn antigen by monoclonal antibody TKH2. Tn antigen was expressed by all ofthe polyps studied. SialosylTn, on the other hand was expressed weakly by a few cells in 7 of 24 (29%) hyperplastic polyps. Amongtheadenomatouspolyps, 56%expressed sialosyl-Tn and expression correlated with larger adenoma size, greater villous component, and more severe grades of dysplasia. In individuals with two or more synchronous adenomas, the level of sialosyl-Tn expression within an adenoma was associated with the severity ofcytological atypia. All the adenomas that contained a focus of invasive carcinoma expressed sialosyl-Tn. These results indicate that colorectal polyps manifest incomplete glycosylation, exposing antigens in the innermost region of mucin oligosaccharides. In addition, the correlation of sialosyl-Tn antigen expression with the adenoma-carcinoma sequence may make this a useful marker for studying malignant progression in the colon. 4 In another study that focused on T antigen expression, we observed that 48% of hyperplastic polyps and 54% of adenomatous polyps reacted with monoclonal anti-T antibody, and in the adenomas, T antigen expression correlated with conventional histopathological parameters of malignant potential.5With the recent availability of reagents that recognise Tn and sialosyl-Tn antigens, the present study aimed to elucidate the pattern of expression of these antigens in hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps and to determine whether expression might correlate with malignant potential in adenomas. Methods TISSUE SPECIMENSA total of 103 polyps were obtained by endoscopic polypectomy. There were 24 hyperplastic polyps, each measuring less than 1 cm in diameter, and 79 adenomatous polyps with the following size distribution: .0S5 cm (n= 12); 0-6-0 9 cm (n=35); 1-0-1'9 cm (n=24); and -2 0 cm (n=8). Using haematoxylin and eosin stained slides, polyps were classified as to histological type and grade of dysplasia according to the criteria of Konishi

In this paper, we consider the application of the empirical likelihood method to partially linear model. Unlike the usual cases, we first propose an approximation to the residual of the model to deal with the nonparametric part so that Owen's (1990) empirical likelihood approach can be applied. Then, under quite general conditions, we prove that the empirical log-likelihood ratio statistic is asymptotically chisquared distributed. Therefore, the empirical likelihood confidence regions can be constructed accordingly. Academic PressAMS 1991 subject classifications: 62J99, 62G20, 62G15.

This is the first daily time series study of childhood admissions for asthma and air pollution in Hong Kong. The results support that current levels of air pollution contribute to the respiratory morbidity in asthmatic children in Hong Kong.