Respiratory Disease Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Context Evidence on the health risks associated with short-term exposure to fine particles (particulate matter Յ2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter [PM 2.5 ]) is limited. Results from the new national monitoring network for PM 2.5 make... more

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- Risk, Air pollution, Respiratory Disease, Hospitalization

Influence of a pig respiratory disease on the pharmacokinetic behaviour of amoxicillin after oral ad libitum administration in medicated feed. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 34, 265-276. The pharmacokinetic properties of amoxicillin in healthy and respiratorydiseased pigs were studied, after ad libitum administration of medicated feed. In addition, amoxicillin dose linearity and drug penetration into respiratory tract tissues were evaluated in diseased animals. The respiratory disease involves porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and bacterial agents such as Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Streptococcus suis. Typical clinical signs and gross lesions of respiratory disease were observed. The plasma pharmacokinetic analysis was performed by means of a noncompartmental approach. After single intravenous bolus administration of amoxicillin to healthy pigs, the steady-state volume of distribution was 0.61 L ⁄ kg, the total plasma clearance was 0.83 L ⁄ h ⁄ kg and the mean residence time was 0.81 h. After oral bolus administration, the mean absorption time was 1.6 h and the peak plasma concentration (3.09 lg ⁄ mL) reached at 1.1 h postadministration. The oral bioavailability was 34%. For oral ad libitum administration, plasma concentration-time profiles were related to the feeding behaviour. Plasma concentrations at steady-state were established between 12 and 120 h. The pharmacokinetic parameters calculated (C maxss , C minss , C avss and AUC 24ss) showed significantly lower values in healthy pigs compared to diseased animals. This was in accordance with the significantly higher amoxicillin bioavailability (44.7% vs. 14.1%) and longer absorption period observed in diseased pigs. Amoxicillin dose linearity in diseased animals was established in a dose range of 4-18 mg ⁄ kg. On the other hand, tissue distribution ratio in diseased animals was 0.65 for bronchial mucosa, 0.48 for lung tissue and 0.38 for lymph nodes. Our results suggest that the pharmacokinetic properties and disposition of amoxicillin can be influenced by the disease state or by related factors such as changes in the gastrointestinal transit.

- by H. Colom
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- Medicine, Respiratory Disease, Animal Feed, Absorption

Avian influenza is a contagious respiratory disease caused by strain A of influenza viruses also known as bird flu viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild, aquatic birds in their intestines without making them sick. Among 144 subtypes of influenza A virus, H5N1 is highly pathogenic and possess threat of becoming a pandemic disease. Viral strains can be detected and compared to each other on the basis of genes segments coding for proteins: Hemagglutinin(H) and Neuraminidase(N). There are different direct and indirect methods for detection of presence of these gene segments. For the purpose of the research, RT PCR technique was used because of its high sensitivity with additional benefit of less time consumption. 35 samples of different type from different bird species were collected from different regions of Nepal. Extraction of RNA from samples and their RT PCR reaction were performed as par the protocols provided with commercial kits from Quagen and Invitrogen respectively. Final results were depicted by performing agarose gel electrophoresis. Among all the samples, none showed any band equivalent to molecular weight of 150kb corresponding to that of band of H5. Thus, based on study done at Central Veterinary Lab, it was affirmed that there was not prevalence of bird flu at least at the suspected areas of Nepal till date.

- by Janardan Lamichhane
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- Respiratory Disease, Avian Influenza, Bird Flu, influenza A virus

jnci.oxfordjournals.org JNCI | Articles 533

- by Eric Holowaty
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- Respiratory Disease, Survivors, Follow-up studies, The
- by Augusto Sousa
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- Asthma, European Union, European Commission, Clinical research

Examination of lung lesions at the slaughterhouse is a useful tool to estimate the importance of respiratory disease at farm, regional or national level. The objective of the present work was to describe the prevalence of gross lung lesions at slaughter, with a special focus on pleuritis and cranio-ventral pulmonary consolidation, and to identify major risk factors for these lesions. Data from 107 farms involving approximately 11,000 pigs enabled gross lung lesions to be correlated with serology to different swine respiratory pathogens as well as with production system characteristics and vaccination schedules.

- by Miquel Nofrarias
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- Veterinary, Multivariate Analysis, Biological Sciences, Respiratory Disease

Nevertheless, it could be stated that dampness and moulds are cases of pollution sources that could, in theory, be totally removed. This would enable the elimination of those sources and effects by the use of a source control strategy. In fact, if the control of a few physical parameters could be guaranteed, the occurrence of dampness and moulds would be

- by E. Fernandes
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- Respiratory Disease, Mass Transport, Building Envelope, Microstructures

Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) whole fruit extracts, have been used in Cuban traditional medicine as an effective drug for the treatment of respiratory diseases. This species showed interesting anti-viral activity, e.g. aqueous or hydroalcoholic extracts of whole fruits have proved highly active against the influenza virus. However, some toxic properties of this extract have also been reported and, to date, very little is known about its genotoxic properties. In the present study, the genotoxicity of a Punica granatum (pomegranate) whole fruit extract was assessed using different in vitro and in vivo assays that detect DNA damage at different expression levels. Results from reversion and gene-conversion test in microorganisms, sister chromatid exchanges, micronuclei and sperm-shape abnormality assays in mice, clearly showed that the hydroalcoholic extract of P. granatum whole fruits is genotoxic when tested both in vitro and in vivo.

- by Angel Sánchez-lamar and +3
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- Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Traditional Medicine, Plant Biology, Ethnopharmacology

The effect of environmental factors and management routines on the risk of diarrhoea, respiratory disease and other infectious diseases was investigated in 3081 heifer calves 0-90 days old in 122 Swedish dairy herds. The farmers kept records on cases of diseases in their heifer calves and in addition, project veterinarians clinically examined all calves every 2-3 months. At each visit, the veterinarians also measured the ammonia concentration and relative air humidity in the housing facilities for the calves. The cleanliness of the animals and their environment was recorded as a measure of the hygienic status of the farm. The presence or absence of draught (i.e. wind velocity > 0.5 m/s) was recorded twice during the study period. The effect of these factors, as well as the placing of the calf pens, the nature of the pen walls, air volume per animal, management factors (such as the status of the caretaker and feeding routines) and presence or absence of a bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) infection in the herd, was evaluated by means of a two-level variance component logistic model. The placing of calf pens along an outer wall was significantly associated with the risk of diarrhoea (odds ratio (OR): 1.92, P < 0.01). The risk for respiratory disease was significantly associated with an ammonia concentration below 6 ppm (OR: 0.42, P < 0.05) while the odds ratio for moderately to severely increased respiratory sounds was significantly associated with a BVDV infection in the herd (OR: 2.39, P < 0.05) and draught (OR: 3.7, P < 0.02). Absence of www.elsevier.com/locate/prevetmed Preventive Veterinary Medicine 68 draught was significantly associated with the risk for infectious diseases other than diarrhoea and respiratory disease (OR: 0.42, P < 0.01).

- by Catarina Svensson
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- Animal Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sweden

Objectives This report summarizes the results of a cross-sectional study in Cameron Park in 2000-2001 to identify disease prevalence and health concerns among colonia residents and to identify environmental exposures to potentially adverse environmental conditions. Results Asthma and allergies were among the most prevalent respiratory diseases reported in both adults and children of Cameron Park. Other diseases affecting the community in higher numbers included diabetes and heart disease/high blood pressure. Among children, the most prevalent health conditions were asthma, followed by lung diseases, allergies, and to a lesser degree, skin rashes. Conclusions These data can be useful in developing education and intervention programs to address the public health and medical issues impacting residents in the Cameron Park Colonia of Texas.

- by Marlynn May
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- Public Health, Diabetes mellitus, Respiratory Disease, High Blood Pressure
- by Jean Bousquet
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- Primary Care, Immunology, Evidence Based Medicine, Evidence Based Practice
- by Jan Tecklin
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- Cystic Fibrosis, Tobacco, Family history, Physical Therapy
- by Joseph Elborn
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- Cystic Fibrosis, Forecasting, Hypoxia, Comparative Study

To ascertain whether the implementation of a paced feeding protocol in a sample of preterm infants with respiratory diagnoses will result in the development of more efficient sucking patterns, increased weight gain, decreased incidence of... more

- by Ramasubbareddy Dhanireddy
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- Clinical Trial, CONTINUING EDUCATION, Birth Weight, Respiratory Disease

Mechanical ventilation (MV) in chronic situations is commonly used, either delivered invasively or by means of non-invasive interfaces, to control hypoventilation in patients with chest wall, neuromuscular or obstructive lung diseases (either in adulthood or childhood). The global prevalence of ventilator-assisted individuals (VAI) in Europe ranges from 2 to 30 per 100 000 population according to different countries.

- by Enrico Clini
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- Respiratory Medicine, Nutrition, Long Term Care, Malnutrition

A patient was admitted for fever and acute respiratory failure (ARF), rapidly progressive tetraparesis, delirium, behavioral abnormalities, and diplopia. Leukocytosis and a rise in C-reactive protein were present. A syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) was also diagnosed. Lumbar puncture yielded colorless CFS with mononuclear pleocytosis and protein rise. Electrodiagnosis revealed demyelinating polyneuropathy and axonal degeneration. Serum IgG and IgM for mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) was consistent with acute infection, and erythromycin was started with rapid resolution of symptoms. Contrarily to most reports, an associated respiratory disease was not present and SIADH in association with MP has been reported only once, in a patient without direct central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Differential diagnosis and possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed.

- by M. Coelho and +1
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- Respiratory Disease, Central Nervous System, Fever of Unknown Origin, Differential Diagnosis

2 0 0 5 ) Journal of Advanced Nursing 50(3), 262-271 Body care experienced by people hospitalized with severe respiratory disease Aim. The paper gives a theoretical account of experiences of assisted personal body care (APBC) in hospitalized patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Background. Body care has been identified as a central but underestimated area of nursing. Hospitalized patients with severe COPD suffer from breathlessness on exertion and are dependent on help with personal body care. Studies have described patient strategies for managing breathlessness and preferences regarding nursing care during hospitalization. Yet the problems that patients can experience because of their inability to manage personal body care by themselves have not previously been explored. This study explored patients' experiences of being assisted with personal body care. Methods. A grounded theory methodology was used with a convenience sample of 12 patients. Data were gathered from participant observation of sessions of APBC, in-depth interviews after the observed sessions and measurement of breathlessness perceived by patients before and after the sessions. Findings. The patients perceived body care as a significant daily activity that needed to be carried out in order to preserve their integrity. Dependency and breathlessness, however, impeded the performance of body care activities and patients were struggling for self-preservation. They managed APBC by using a threefold strategy of not letting go, coping with dependency, and minimizing the risk of escalating breathlessness. Two dilemmas were identified as being inherent to the strategy. Conclusion. Increased knowledge of the complexities involved in providing assistance might improve nurses' ability to facilitate patients in managing APBC. Dependency is a central issue to address in order to support patients' efforts to preserve integrity and resolve dilemmas inherent to the strategy they use.

- by Kirsten Lomborg and +1
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- Nursing, Advanced Nursing Practice, Respiratory Disease, Hospitalization

The prevalence of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) biotypes and subgenotypes was determined from 131 BVDV positive samples from a diagnostic laboratory. The majority of the isolates were from Oklahoma; however, other states including Kansas, Texas, and Arkansas were represented. These BVDV samples were from submissions of 76 live animals and 55 necropsy samples. There were 131 BVDV samples represented by 117 noncytopathic (NCP), 11 cytopathic (CP) and 3 cases with mixed NCP and CP biotypes. The NCP isolates were more common (P < 0.05) than the CP and NCP/CP combination. The BVDV samples were segregated into three subgenotypes by differential PCR and sequencing of a viral genomic region, 5 0 -untranslated region (5 0 -UTR). There were more BVDV1b subgenotypes 60/131 (45.8%) than BVDV1a, 37/131 (28.2%) or BVDV2a, 34/131 (26.0%) (P < 0.05). The organ system involvement included the major categories such as respiratory, digestive, mixed/multiple organs, abortions, and persistent infections (PI). All three BVDV subgenotypes were found in persistently infected (PI) cattle and respiratory diseases, both major requests for BVDV diagnosis. Only one of the 131 viruses was genetically similar to the strains present in U.S. vaccines. #

- by Julia Ridpath
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- Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary, Phylogeny

The influence of the mode of anaesthesia on outcome of geriatric patients with hip fractures is a controversial issue in the medical literature. In the light of an ageing society, a conclusive answer to this question is of growing importance. The purpose of this review was to assess the effect of neuroaxial and general anaesthesia on mortality and morbidity in geriatric patients sustaining a hip fracture. Following a current literature search within the Pubmed and Cochrane database (1967–2010), 34 randomised controlled trials, 14 observational studies and eight reviews/meta-analysis publications were included. Potentially outcome-influencing factors such as mortality, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, postoperative confusion and other anaesthesia-related outcomes were evaluated. After analysing the current literature with 56 references, covering 18,715 patients with hip fracture, it can be concluded that spinal anaesthesia is associated with significantly reduced early mortality, fewer incidents of deep vein thrombosis, less acute postoperative confusion, a tendency to fewer myocardial infarctions, fewer cases of pneumonia, fatal pulmonary embolism and postoperative hypoxia. General anaesthesia has the advantages of having a lower incidence of hypotension and a tendency towards fewer cerebrovascular accidents compared to neuroaxial anaesthesia. Otherwise, general anaesthesia and respiratory diseases were significant predictors of morbidity in hip fracture patients. These data suggest that regional anaesthesia is the preferred technique, but the limited evidence available does not permit a definitive conclusion to be drawn for mortality or other outcomes. For hip fracture surgery, the choice of anaesthesia (general or neuroaxial) is made by the anaesthesiologist and is based on the patient’s preference, comorbidities, potential general postoperative complications and the clinical experience of the anaesthesiologist. The overall therapeutic approach in hip fracture care should be determined jointly by the orthopaedic surgeon, the geriatrician and the anaesthesiologist (multidisciplinary approach).

Recibido el 13 de enero de 2011; aceptado el 22 de junio de 2011 Disponible en Internet el 3 de septiembre de 2011 PALABRAS CLAVE Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica; Enfermedad respiratoria; Ejercicio; Hidroterapia; Evidencia;... more

- by Antonio Cuesta-Vargas
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- Quality of life, School Psychology, Respiratory Disease, Systematic review

Background: The use of biomass for cooking and heating is considered an important factor associated with respiratory diseases. However, few studies evaluate the amount of particulate matter less than 2.5 mm in diameter (PM2.5), symptoms... more

- by Marisa Dolhnikoff
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- Biomass, Brazil, Biological Sciences, Lung Function
- by Giuseppe Pizzo
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- Dentistry, Periodontics, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cardiovascular disease
- by Cecilia Galosi
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- Respiratory Disease, Perinatal mortality, Clinical Signs

Background Air pollution in Darwin, Northern Australia, is dominated by smoke from seasonal fires in the surrounding savanna that burn during the dry season from April to November. Our aim was to study the association between particulate matter less than or equal to 10 microns diameter (PM10) and daily emergency hospital admissions for cardio-respiratory diseases for each fire season from 1996 to 2005. We also investigated whether the relationship differed in indigenous Australians; a disadvantaged population sub-group. Methods Daily PM10 exposure levels were estimated for the population of the city from visibility data using a previously validated model. We used over-dispersed Poisson generalized linear models with parametric smoothing functions for time and meteorology to examine the association between admissions and PM10 up to three days prior. An interaction between indigenous status and PM10 was included to examine differences in the impact on indigenous people. Results We found both positive and negative associations and our estimates had wide confidence intervals. There were generally positive associations between respiratory disease and PM10 but not with cardiovascular disease. An increase of 10 μg/m3 in same-day estimated ambient PM10 was associated with a 4.81% (95%CI: -1.04%, 11.01%) increase in total respiratory admissions. When the interaction between indigenous status and PM10 was assessed a statistically different association was found between PM10 and admissions three days later for respiratory infections of indigenous people (15.02%; 95%CI: 3.73%, 27.54%) than for non-indigenous people (0.67%; 95%CI: -7.55%, 9.61%). There were generally negative estimates for cardiovascular conditions. For non-indigenous admissions the estimated association with total cardiovascular admissions for same day ambient PM10 and admissions was -3.43% (95%CI: -9.00%, 2.49%) and the estimate for indigenous admissions was -3.78% (95%CI: -13.4%, 6.91%), although ambient PM10 did have positive (non-significant) associations with cardiovascular admissions of indigenous people two and three days later. Conclusion We observed positive associations between vegetation fire smoke and daily hospital admissions for respiratory diseases that were stronger in indigenous people. While this study was limited by the use of estimated rather than measured exposure data, the results are consistent with the currently small evidence base concerning this source of air pollution.

- by Ivan Hanigan
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- Time Series, Environmental Health, Air pollution, Cardiovascular disease
- by Samiullah KHAN
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- Mass Spectrometry, Respiratory Disease, Virus, Eggshell Colouration

Non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) is a common disorder, which can be defined as chronic nasal inflammation, independent of systemic IgE-mediated mechanisms. Symptoms of NAR patients mimic those of allergic rhinitis (AR) patients. However, AR patients can easily be diagnosed with skin prick test or allergen-specific IgE measurements in the serum, whereas NAR patients form a heterogeneous group and are difficult to diagnose because of an extensive list of different phenotypes, all varying in severity, underlying etiology and type of inflammation. Characterization of those phenotypes, mechanisms and management of NAR represents one of the major unmet needs in the field of allergic and non-allergic diseases. This review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the state of the art in classifying the NAR patients and focuses on the neuro-immune mechanisms involved in allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, including reflections on the pathophysiology and the currently available treatment opti...

- by Sachin Pawar
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- Genetics, Cystic Fibrosis, Rhinology, Child

Smoking cessation is the one of the most important ways to improve the prognosis of patients with respiratory disease. The Task Force on guidelines for smoking cessation in patients with respiratory diseases was convened to provide... more

- by Carlo Lazzaro
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- Smoking Cessation, Respiratory Disease, Smoking, European

Les infections virales respiratoires communautaires sont fréquentes et le plus souvent bénignes. Beaucoup d'agents différents comme les virus influenza, ou para-influenza, le virus respiratoire syncitial, les rhinovirus, coronavirus, adénovirus et les herpès virus peuvent être isolés chez les patients immunocompétents. Parmi ces virus, le cytomégalovirus (CMV) peut être responsable de pneumonie nosocomiale en réanimation. Le diagnostic des infections virales est difficile car les signes cliniques sont non spécifiques et l'isolement du virus responsable difficile. Cependant, une symptomatologie clinique associant fièvre, myalgies, céphalées, pharyngite est fréquente dans les infections à Inflenza qui peuvent aboutir à des tableaux sévères. Enfin, le virus plus récent responsable d'infection respiratoire est un virus nouvellement découvert de la famille des coronavirus, le SRAS-CoV qui a été responsable d'une épidémie d'infections respiratoires sévères. Les pneumonies virales sont fréquentes mais probablement non diagnostiquées chez les patients immunocompétents. Cependant le diagnostic est nécessaire car pour la plupart des pathogènes il existe un traitement efficace. Le diagnostic repose sur l'histologie mais de nouvelles techniques comme la PCR doivent devenir d'utilisation courante pour améliorer le rendement diagnostique. © 2004 Société de réanimation de langue française. Publié par Elsevier SAS. Tous droits réservés.

- by Karine Faure
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- Respiratory Disease, Cytomegalovirus, Gold Standard, Viral Infection

Mycotoxins can cause various toxic effects in humans. Acute and chronic respiratory diseases were reported after inhalation of organic dust containing toxigenic moulds and mycotoxins, respectively. To gain first insights into health effects from airborne exposure to these compounds, five toxigenic airborne moulds of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium collected at composting plants and eight reference mycotoxins were tested for cytotoxicity in four established cell lines as a surrogate of tissues known or suspected to be targets of toxic effects of mycotoxins. The known mycotoxins sterigmatocystin, fumagillin, verruculogen, penitrem A, and roquefortine C were detected in extracts of the moulds. All five extracts caused serious toxic effects in the cell lines. Sterigmatocystin caused a 80-fold higher toxicity in the A-549 lung cell line compared to Hep-G2 liver cells indicating a specific susceptibility of A-549 to this agent. Since only a minor part of the toxic effects of the extracts in A-549 cells and-to a lesser extent-in the other cell lines could be explained by contents of the identified mycotoxins, the presence of additional mycotoxins or other toxic principles is assumed in the mould extracts. However, the detected mycotoxins in the mould extracts and their distinctive cytotoxicity support the hypothesis that mycotoxins may be involved in the aetiology of lung diseases due to the inhalation of organic dust.

- by Götz Westphal
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- Toxicology, Fungi, Cell line, Respiratory Disease

Background: Breathlessness is a debilitating and distressing symptom in a wide variety of diseases and still a difficult symptom to manage. An integrative review of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions for breathlessness in non-malignant disease was undertaken to identify the current state of clinical understanding of the management of breathlessness and highlight promising interventions that merit further investigation. Methods: Systematic reviews were identified via electronic databases between July 2007 and September 2009. Reviews were included within the study if they reported research on adult participants using either a measure of breathlessness or some other measure of respiratory symptoms.

- by Richard Wagland
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- Asthma, Respiratory Disease, Dyspnea, Systematic review

A respiratory health study of fly-in-fly-out workers potentially exposed to airborne contaminants, and a control group, was conducted at the Murrin-Murrin mine site in Western Australia. Lung function was measured in terms of validated protocols (American Thoracic Society, 1995; Miller et al., 2005). The effect of length of service, as well as work area/department on lung function was established. Repeat lung function tests were conducted after approximately two years, in order to measure decrements over time. Furthermore testing was conducted on a cohort of refinery workers, prior to commencement and upon completion of their work period on-site (swing), in order to detect if there were decrements in lung function over this period. No significant decrements were detected in any of the work areas. Length of service was not related to a decrease in lung function however, effects of smoking were detected in the cohort.

- by Martyn F Cross and +1
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- Statistical Analysis, Environmental Health, Experience Design, Literature Review
- by Nick Bob
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- Genetics, Cystic Fibrosis, Rhinology, Child

The European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2012 is the update of similar evidence based position papers published in 2005 and 2007. The document contains chapters on definitions and classification, we now also proposed definitions for difficult to treat rhinosinusitis, control of disease and better definitions for rhinosinusitis in children. More emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and treatment of acute rhinosinusitis. Throughout the document the terms chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) are used to further point out differences in pathophysiology and treatment of these two entities. There are extensive chapters on epidemiology and predisposing factors, inflammatory mechanisms, (differential) diagnosis of facial pain, genetics, cystic fibrosis, aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease, immunodeficiencies, allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and the relationship between upper and lower airways. The ...

- by Mike Thomas and +4
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- Genetics, Cystic Fibrosis, Rhinology, Child

Exposure to particulate matter (PM) like nanoparticles (NPs) has increased in the last century due to increased combustion processes, road traffic, etc. In addition, the progress in chemical and cosmetic industry led to many new compounds, e.g. fragrances, which humans are exposed to every day. Many chemicals are known to act as contact and some as respiratory sensitizers, causing allergic reactions. Exposure to small particles of less than 100 nm in diameter is linked with an increased risk of respiratory diseases, such as asthma or rhinitis. To date already more than 1000 customer products contain eNPs without knowing much about the health effects. In comparison to chemicals, the mechanisms by which PM and eNPs can cause sensitization are still not fully understood. Validated and regulatory accepted in vitro models to assess this hazard in its full range are still missing. While a huge number of animal studies contributed to our knowledge about sensitization processes, knowledge on involved cellular mechanisms is still limited. In this review relevant in vitro models to study and elucidate these mechanisms in more detail are presented and their potential to serve as part of a tiered testing strategy is discussed.

- by arno gutleb
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- Animal Studies, Nanoparticles, Cell line, Respiratory Disease

Anxiety and Depression Short Scale: norms for its use in rehabilitatio n. L. Moroni, O. Bettinardi, G. Vidotto, G. Balestroni, G. Bruletti, I. Giorgi, G. Bertolotti. In the rehabilitation setting it is important to identify clinically significant conditions of distress so as to be able to provide, in addition to the conventional multidisplinary re- habilitation treatment, specific psychotherapeutic interven- tions

- by Giorgio Bertolotti and +1
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- Standard Deviation, Respiratory Disease, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Statistical Significance
- by Elizabeth Ward
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- Epidemiology, Death, Cardiovascular disease, Respiratory Disease
- by Paul Lanken
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- Pain, Palliative Care, Critical Care, Respiratory Disease

El presente trabajo muestra los resultados obtenidos en dos estudios transversales realizados en los meses de julio de 2001 y diciembre de 2003 en la comunidad Almeya ubicada al del Norte del estado de Puebla, los cuales tuvieron como fin identificar las características y limitaciones de la avicultura familiar en la comunidad. La evaluación incluyó parámetros productivos, costos de producción, consumo y mercado. También se realizó un muestreo serológico para determinar las enfermedades de mayor importancia epidemiológica en las aves de la comunidad. La finalidad principal de la producción de huevo y carne de pollo es el autoconsumo. Entre 2001 -2003 se presentó una reducción del 14.2 % en el número de familias que crían aves y de 43.3 % en el total de aves. Todos los sueros analizados en 2003 resultaron positivos a Influenza aviar y enfermedad de Newcastle. Las principales causas de mortalidad fueron los problemas respiratorios y los depredadores. Los costos de producción son competitivos en el caso del huevo pero no en carne de pollo. Finalmente, las principales limitaciones identificadas son las deficiencias en la alimentación, la ausencia de asistencia técnica veterinaria, la presencia de enfermedades y depredadores y la falta de una estructura organizada de mercado. Los resultados sugieren que la avicultura familiar representa una oportunidad para contribuir al mejoramiento de las condiciones de vida de las familias campesinas, especialmente de las mujeres, para lo cual se requiere que la actividad ocupe un lugar relevante en la agenda de las instituciones de desarrollo e investigación agropecuaria en México. ABSTRACT This paper shows results of a research project related to household poultry production carried out in the peasant community of Almeya in the north of the state of Puebla, to characterize backyard poultry production and to identify major diseases and other factors limiting production. To this end, two surveys were performed, the first in July 2001 and the second in December 2003. Information on poultry production, marketing, technological level, consumption, costs and contribution in cash to household income was collected through identified farmer interviews. Blood samples were collected to determine which fowl diseases were predominant. The main purpose of this production system is as food for the household. in the number of households raising poultry and in the total flock (43.3 %). All of the 2003 serum samples showed positive for Newcastle and Avian Influenza. Several respiratory diseases and attacks by predators were mentioned as the main causes of mortality. Costs are competitive only in egg production. Finally, shortcomings in poultry feeding and nutrition, a scarcity of veterinary advice, the presence of diseases and predators and the lack of an organized market structure were identified as the most important constraints of household poultry production. Results suggest that backyard poultry production contributes to improve the living standard of peasant households, especially that of women, and therefore should be included as a priority in the research agenda of Mexico's agricultural research and development organizations.

- by Marco Antonio Estrada
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- Market Structure, Research Agenda, Respiratory Disease, Avian Influenza

Respiratory health effects of short-term exposure to ambient air pollution have been examined in 120 'asthma-like' school-aged children in some areas of Emilia-Romagna (urban-industrial and rural area). They kept a daily diary, through 12 weeks, for respiratory symptoms, PEF measurements, drug consumption and daily activity. The average daily concentrations of air pollutants in the same period (TSP, NO 2 , CO, PM 2.5 ) were higher in the industrial than the rural area. Asthma was diagnosed in 77% of cases, 85% of subjects took medical treatments for respiratory disease in the last year and 90% used medicine for respiratory diseases. Significantly lower variations in PEF, between morning and evening, were observed in the rural area, considering only the asthmatic or cough subsets of children. Symptom prevalence was higher in the urban-indus-trial area than the rural area; the most frequent symptoms were cough, phlegm and stuffed nose. The two area populations are homogeneous in individual features, family susceptibility, passive smoking exposure and atopy. The differences observed in the frequency of daily reported symptoms could be attributed to external situations like the different reported exposures to pollutants. Although most analyses revealed non-significant associations, panel analysis showed a significant statistical risk for the cough and phlegm group by an increase of 10 lg of TSP (RR 1.0017, 95% CI: 1.0002-1.0033) in the entire group. In the urban-industrial panel we observed a significant association between cough and phlegm together and PM 2.5 (RR 1.0044, 95% CI: 1.0011-1.0077). The results of this investigation should be used in orienting local political decisions.

- by Andrea Ranzi
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- Asthma, Air pollution, Urban Health, Italy

Objective The aim of this case control study was to evaluate which cephalometric variables related to craniofacial morphology discriminate between snoring and non-snoring or any other respiratory disease subjects. Materials and Methods Total 42(21 snoring and 21 non-snoring) cephalometric measurements were determined to study the craniofacial morphology. Non-snoring subjects were matched to snoring subjects by age, sex, and body mass index. Snoring was assessed using a sleep behavior questionnaire administered to the patients. The cephalometric radiographs of the study subjects were traced by a single investigator, and 1 angular measurement and 13 linear measurements of hard and soft tissues were recorded. The paired Student’s t test was used to analyze the cephalometric data. Results Vertical position of the hyoid (MP-H) was significantly longer (P<0.05) in snoring subjects (23.44±14.892mm) than non-snoring subjects (12.89±4.540mm). Anterior overbite and anterior over-jet of snoring group ((4.81± 3.265 and 5.83±8.59) were significantly higher (P<0.05) than non-snoring group (0.67±1.441 and 0.54±1.138). No significant differences of the other [11] cephalometric variables were found within groups. Conclusion Snoring subjects appear to present craniofacial factors that differ from those of non-snoring subjects, and we suggest obtaining cephalogram for diagnosis and following up of them.

- by Fakher Rahim
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- Cephalometry, Respiratory Disease, Body Mass Index, Soft Tissue

Background: There is a plethora of assessment tools available to measure breathlessness, the most common and disabling symptom of advanced cardio-respiratory disease. The aim of this systematic review was to identify all measures available via standard search techniques and review their usefulness for patients with advanced disease. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in Medline. All studies focusing on the development or evaluation of tools for measuring breathlessness in chronic respiratory disease, cardiac disease, cancer, or MND were identified. Their characteristics with regard to validity, reliability, appropriateness and responsiveness to change were described. The tools were then examined for their usefulness in measuring significant aspects of breathlessness in advanced disease. Results: Thirty-five tools were initially identified, two were excluded. Twenty-nine were multidimensional of which 11 were breathlessness-specific and 18 disease-specific. Four tools were unidimensional, measuring the severity of breathlessness. The majority of disease-specific scales were validated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), few were applicable in other conditions. No one tool assessed all the dimensions of this complex symptom, which affects the psychology and social functioning of the affected individual and their family-most focused on physical activity. Conclusion: As yet there is no one scale that can accurately reflect the far-reaching effects of breathlessness on the patient with advanced disease and their family. Therefore, at present, we would recommend combining a unidimensional scale (e.g. VAS) with a

- by Morag Farquhar
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- Respiratory Medicine, Evidence Based Medicine, Physical Activity, Evolution

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease causing increasing healthcare costs worldwide. Another respiratory disease causing high costs and morbidity is community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Because of the constant growth in the population with both diseases (CAP and COPD), analyzing their clinical characteristics is important. Several cellular factors are known to contribute to differences in clinical expression: some lead to COPD exacerbations while others lead to symptoms of pneumonia. The use of new biomarkers (procalcitonin, pro-adrenomedullin and copeptin) help to distinguish among these clinical pictures. To decrease morbidity and mortality, clinical guidelines on antibiotic therapy must be followed and this therapy should be prescribed to patients with CAP and COPD. There are also prevention measures such as the pneumococcal vaccine whose role in the prevention of pneumococcal CAP should be further studied. The present review aims to elucidate some of the above-mentioned issues.

- by Arturo Huerta
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- Respiratory Disease, Chronic Disease, Pneumonia, Risk factors
- by Pascale salameh
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- Water, Lebanon, Health Education, Informed Consent
- by G. Swaen
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- Arsenic, Pneumoconiosis, Lung Cancer, Respiratory Disease
- by Chris Compton and +1
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- Asthma, European Union, European Commission, Clinical research

Cough can be a biomarker in case of respiratory diseases. By monitoring and analyzing cough sounds through automatic devices, the farmer can obtain an early warning about a developing outbreak of respiratory infections. Cough sounds can be characterized by particular acoustic features (amplitude, frequency and duration) that are obtained by sound recording, labeling and analytic procedures. Based on these features, it might be possible to develop an automated cough recognition system. The aim of the study described in this paper is to investigate whether it is possible to discriminate cough sounds from other frequently occurring sounds in youngstock stables. Nasal swabs and blood were taken to identify the microbiological agents responsible for the respiratory problems. The collected cough sounds were compared to metal rack sounds, which are very common sounds in cattle farming, to identify acoustic differences between them. Results show that the length of cough sounds was significantly different from metal rack sounds (0.34 versus 0.37 s, P < 0.05). Also, the analysis of amplitude and fundamental frequency showed significant differences between both types of sounds (resp. 0.21 and 0.18; 1326 and 3868 HZ). This indicates that it is possible discriminate cough sounds from other sounds and that cough sound can be used as a non-invasively diagnostic tool for respiratory diseases in youngstock groups.

Background: Several studies have indicated a significant association between marital status and mortality risks. However, most of these studies have compared married and unmarried people without differentiating among single, divorced and widowed status. Moreover, gender differences in mortality rates associated with marital status have not been sufficiently clarified. With significant increases in the percentages of divorced and widowed people and a corresponding drop in the marriage rate in Japan during the past two or three decades, it can be expected that these changes will have a significant impact on mortality rates.

- by Yoshihisa Fujino
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- Life Style, Social Support, Risk assessment, Japan

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a novel virus of the Circoviridae family which is considered the cause of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). PCV2 has also been associated to a number of pathological conditions of pigs, including porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome, reproductive failure, porcine respiratory disease complex, proliferative and necrotising pneumonia and congenital tremor type AII. Pathological studies have been used to describe and characterise PMWS and these emerging conditions associated with PCV2. The objective of this review is to concentrate on the gross, microscopic and ultrastructural pathology associated with natural cases of PCV2 associated disease, along with some speculations on the pathogenesis of naturally occurring PMWS.

- by Mariano Domingo
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- Microbiology, Veterinary Microbiology, Immunohistochemistry, Respiratory Disease

Cryptosporidium species are coccidian parasites with a large capacity to reproduce and to disseminate. Several species are known to infect farm animals, although the economic importance of cryptosporidiosis is highly host species dependent. This paper reviews the impact of cryptosporidial infections in livestock and poultry. For dierent farm animals, the Cryptosporidium spp. that occur, as well as their clinical and pathological features, and their interactions with other pathogens, are described. In addition, data concerning the prevalence, the transmission and the epidemiology of the disease are mentioned and a description of the economic losses associated with cryptosporidiosis in each of the hosts is given. Cryptosporidiosis seems to be mainly a problem in neonatal ruminants. Cryptosporidium parvum is considered to be an important agent in the aetiology of the neonatal diarrhoea syndrome of calves, lambs and goat kids, causing considerable direct and indirect economic losses. Avian cryptosporidiosis is an emerging health problem in poultry, associated with respiratory disease in chickens and other Galliformes, and with intestinal disease in turkeys and quails. Because of limited availability of eective drugs, the control of cryptosporidiosis relies mainly on hygienic measures and good management. #

- by Dirk C de Graaf
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- Microbiology, Zoology, Respiratory Disease, Goats