Effects of Traffic-Related Air Pollution on Exercise Endurance, Dyspnea, and Cardiorespiratory Responses in Health and COPD: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial.

Background: Individuals with COPD have increased sensitivity to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) such as diesel exhaust (DE), but little is known about the acute effects of TRAP on exercise responses in COPD.

Research Question: Does exposure before exercise to TRAP (DE titrated to 300 μg/m particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter [DE]) show greater adverse effects on exercise endurance, exertional dyspnea, and cardiorespiratory responses to exercise in participants with mild to moderate COPD compared with former smokers with normal spirometry and healthy control participants?

Study Design And Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 11 healthy control participants, nine former smokers without COPD, and nine former smokers with COPD were separately exposed to filtered air (FA) and DE for 2 h separated by a minimum of 4 weeks.

Evaluation of the Vibe Actigraph in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Pilot Study.

Study Objective: To validate the Vibe actigraph in assessing sleep-wake patterns compared to polysomnography (PSG) in patients with COPD.

Methods: Nine stable COPD patients wore actigraphs while undergoing PSG. The correlation between total sleep time (TST), total sleep period (TSP), sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency was determined for corresponding measurements from the actigraph and PSG.

Exercise Telemonitoring and Telerehabilitation Compared with Traditional Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Despite exercise capacity and quality-of-life benefits, pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes are not easily accessed because of several barriers. A solution may be telerehabilitation (TR), in which patients exercise in their communities while they are monitored via teletechnology. However, the benefits of TR for the purposes of PR and CR have not been systematically reviewed.

High Oxygen Delivery to Preserve Exercise Capacity in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Treated with Nintedanib. Methodology of the HOPE-IPF Study.

Rationale: Pulmonary rehabilitation improves dyspnea and exercise capacity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); however, it is unknown whether breathing high amounts of oxygen during exercise training leads to further benefits.

Objectives: Herein, we describe the design of the High Oxygen Delivery to Preserve Exercise Capacity in IPF Patients Treated with Nintedanib study (the HOPE-IPF study). The primary objective of this study is to determine the physiological and perceptual impact of breathing high levels of oxygen during exercise training in patients with IPF who are receiving antifibrotic therapy.

Diaphragm Recruitment Increases during a Bout of Targeted Inspiratory Muscle Training.

Purpose: The extent to which the diaphragm is targeted during a bout of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to characterize the relative activation patterns of the diaphragm and extradiaphragmatic inspiratory muscles during a bout of IMT and to determine whether diaphragmatic recruitment can be increased by giving subjects specific diaphragmatic breathing instructions (IMTdi).

Methods: Ten healthy men were instrumented with surface EMG electrodes on the sternocleidomastoid (EMGscm), scalenes (EMGsca), parasternal intercostals (EMGpic), and seventh intercostal space (EMG7ic).

Combined effects of mild-to-moderate obesity and asthma on physiological and sensory responses to exercise.

Despite the close link between asthma and obesity, there are no studies that have evaluated the sensory and physiological responses to exercise in obese asthmatics. We recently demonstrated that normal weight asthmatics with well controlled disease have preserved cardiorespiratory and sensory responses to exercise relative to non-asthmatic controls. However, these similarities may not hold true in patients with combined obesity and asthma.

Physical Activity Measurement Accuracy in Individuals With Chronic Lung Disease: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of Method Comparison Studies.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of physical activity measurement strategies in adults with chronic lung disease.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched from inception to September 30, 2014.

Study Selection: Studies reporting validity data for devices measuring energy expenditure in comparison with indirect calorimetry or doubly labeled water measurements in chronic lung disease were included.

Plantar pressures in diabetes with no known neuropathy.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate associations of arch type and gender with plantar pressure distribution in non-diabetic subjects and subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without peripheral neuropathy (PN).

Methods: Plantar pressures were recorded in 62 subjects with T2DM but without PN (mean [±SD] age 63.6 ± 7.

Study of Nurses' Knowledge about Palliative Care: A Quantitative Cross-sectional Survey.

Context: Studies have documented that nurses and other health care professionals are inadequately prepared to care for patients in palliative care. Several reasons have been identified including inadequacies in nursing education, absence of curriculum content related to pain management, and knowledge related to pain and palliative care.

Aims: The objective of this paper was to assess the knowledge about palliative care amongst nursing professionals using the palliative care knowledge test (PCKT).

A review on assessment and treatment of the trunk in stroke: A need or luxury.

Trunk function has been identified as an important early predictor of functional outcome after stroke and the same deteriorates on both contralateral and ipsilateral sides of the body following stroke. The primary contribution of the trunk muscles is to allow the body to remain upright, adjust weight shifts, and control movements against constant pull of gravity and is considered central key point of the body. Proximal stability of the trunk is a pre-requisite for distal limb mobility, balance, gait and functional activities and its positive correlation in hemiplegia has been demonstrated in a cross-sectional study.

Plantar pressure distribution among asymptomatic individuals: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to establish normative data on pressure distribution under the feet (plantar pressure) in standing using a free-mapping device and to find out the association of arch type to that of the plantar pressures.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 628 participants aged between 6 and 81 years with no known foot problems or other ailments such as type 2 diabetes or neuropathy, which are known to have an impact on plantar pressures. Plantar pressure measurements were quantitatively recorded using a baropodometric platform (i-Step).