Articles: function.
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Observational Study
Filter lifespan in critically ill adults receiving continuous renal replacement therapy: the effect of patient and treatmentrelated variables.
To examine the effects of patient and treatment-related variables on filter lifespan in critically ill adults receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). ⋯ Our study found that an increased CRRT filter lifespan is associated with higher blood flow rates and lower platelet count. Vascular catheter design may also be a factor.
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Observational Study
B-Mode ultrasound assessment of diaphragm structure and function in patients with COPD.
Electromyographic evaluation of diaphragmatic neuromuscular disease in patients with COPD is technically difficult and potentially high risk. Defining standard values for diaphragm thickness and thickening ratio using B-mode ultrasound may provide a simpler, safer means of evaluating these patients. ⋯ In patients with COPD presenting for evaluation of coexisting neuromuscular respiratory weakness, the same values established for healthy control subjects serve as the baseline for comparison. This knowledge expands the role of ultrasound in evaluating neuromuscular disease in patients with COPD.
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Multiple studies have investigated the relationship between asbestos-related pleural plaques (PPs) and lung function, with disparate and inconsistent results. Most use chest radiographs to identify PPs and simple spirometry to measure lung function. High-resolution CT (HRCT) scanning improves the accuracy of PP identification. Complete pulmonary function tests (PFTs), including spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide, provide a more definitive assessment of lung function. The goal of this study was to determine, using HRCT scanning and complete PFTs, the effect of PPs on lung function in Libby vermiculite miners. ⋯ Asbestos-related PPs alone have no significant effect on lung function in Libby vermiculite miners.
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Caveolae are a nexus for protective signaling. Trafficking of caveolin to mitochondria is essential for adaptation to cellular stress though the trafficking mechanisms remain unknown. The authors hypothesized that G protein-coupled receptor/inhibitory G protein (Gi) activation leads to caveolin trafficking to mitochondria. ⋯ Gi proteins are involved in trafficking caveolin to mitochondria to enhance stress resistance. Agents that target Gi activation and caveolin trafficking may be viable cardioprotective agents.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2014
Is exercise used as medicine? Association of meeting strength training guidelines and functional limitations among older US adults.
To determine the association between meeting strength training guidelines (≥2 times per week) and the presence of functional limitations among older adults. ⋯ Strength training is uncommon among older adults and even less common among those who need it the most. The potential for strength training to improve the public's health is therefore substantial, as those who have the most to gain from strength training participate the least.