The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) has been recommended as a cost-effective method to assess physical activity. Several studies validating the IPAQ-SF have been ...conducted with differing results, but no systematic review of these studies has been reported.
The keywords "IPAQ", "validation", and "validity" were searched in PubMed and Scopus. Studies published in English that validated the IPAQ-SF against an objective physical activity measuring device, doubly labeled water, or an objective fitness measure were included.
Twenty-three validation studies were included in this review. There was a great deal of variability in the methods used across studies, but the results were largely similar. Correlations between the total physical activity level measured by the IPAQ-SF and objective standards ranged from 0.09 to 0.39; none reached the minimal acceptable standard in the literature (0.50 for objective activity measuring devices, 0.40 for fitness measures). Correlations between sections of the IPAQ-SF for vigorous activity or moderate activity level/walking and an objective standard showed even greater variability (-0.18 to 0.76), yet several reached the minimal acceptable standard. Only six studies provided comparisons between physical activity levels derived from the IPAQ-SF and those obtained from objective criterion. In most studies the IPAQ-SF overestimated physical activity level by 36 to 173 percent; one study underestimated by 28 percent.
The correlation between the IPAQ-SF and objective measures of activity or fitness in the large majority of studies was lower than the acceptable standard. Furthermore, the IPAQ-SF typically overestimated physical activity as measured by objective criterion by an average of 84 percent. Hence, the evidence to support the use of the IPAQ-SF as an indicator of relative or absolute physical activity is weak.
Summary Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of mortality in China, where the population is also exposed to high levels of passive smoking, yet little ...information exists on the effects of such exposure on COPD. We examined the relation between passive smoking and COPD and respiratory symptoms in an adult Chinese population. Methods We used baseline data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. Of 20 430 men and women over the age of 50 recruited in 2003–06, 15 379 never smokers (6497 with valid spirometry) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. We measured passive smoking exposure at home and work by two self-reported measures (density and duration of exposure). Diagnosis of COPD was based on spirometry and defined according to the GOLD guidelines. Findings There was an association between risk of COPD and self-reported exposure to passive smoking at home and work (adjusted odds ratio 1·48, 95% CI 1·18–1·85 for high level exposure; equivalent to 40 h a week for more than 5 years). There were significant associations between reported respiratory symptoms and increasing passive smoking exposure (1·16, 1·07–1·25 for any symptom). Interpretation Exposure to passive smoking is associated with an increased prevalence of COPD and respiratory symptoms. If this association is causal, we estimate that 1·9 million excess deaths from COPD among never smokers could be attributable to passive smoking in the current population in China. Our findings provide strong evidence for urgent measures against passive smoking in China.
Indwelling pleural catheter and talc pleurodesis are established treatments for malignant pleural effusions among patients with poor prognosis.
To determine whether indwelling pleural catheters are ...more effective than talc pleurodesis in reducing total hospitalization days in the remaining lifespan of patients with malignant pleural effusion.
This open-label, randomized clinical trial included participants recruited from 9 centers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong between July 2012 and October 2014; they were followed up for 12 months (study end date: October 16, 2015). Patients (n = 146) with symptomatic malignant pleural effusion who had not undergone indwelling pleural catheter or pleurodesis treatment were included.
Participants were randomized (1:1) to indwelling pleural catheter (n = 74) or talc pleurodesis (n = 72), minimized by malignancy (mesothelioma vs others) and trapped lung (vs not), and stratified by region (Australia vs Asia).
The primary end point was the total number of days spent in hospital from procedure to death or to 12 months. Secondary outcomes included further pleural interventions, patient-reported breathlessness, quality-of-life measures, and adverse events.
Among the 146 patients who were randomized (median age, 70.5 years; 56.2% male), 2 withdrew before receiving the randomized intervention and were excluded. The indwelling pleural catheter group spent significantly fewer days in hospital than the pleurodesis group (median, 10.0 interquartile range IQR, 3-17 vs 12.0 IQR, 7-21 days; P = .03; Hodges-Lehmann estimate of difference, 2.92 days; 95% CI, 0.43-5.84). The reduction was mainly in effusion-related hospitalization days (median, 1.0 IQR, 1-3 day with the indwelling pleural catheter vs 4.0 (IQR, 3-6) days with pleurodesis; P < .001; Hodges-Lehmann estimate, 2.06 days; 95% CI, 1.53-2.58). Fewer patients randomized to indwelling pleural catheter required further ipsilateral invasive pleural drainages (4.1% vs 22.5%; difference, 18.4%; 95% CI, 7.7%-29.2%). There were no significant differences in improvements in breathlessness or quality of life offered by indwelling pleural catheter or talc pleurodesis. Adverse events were seen in 22 patients in the indwelling pleural catheter group (30 events) and 13 patients in the pleurodesis group (18 events).
Among patients with malignant pleural effusion, treatment with an indwelling pleural catheter vs talc pleurodesis resulted in fewer hospitalization days from treatment to death, but the magnitude of the difference is of uncertain clinical importance. These findings may help inform patient choice of management for pleural effusion.
anzctr.org.au Identifier: ACTRN12611000567921.
What was once a science fiction fantasy, virtual reality (VR) technology has evolved and come a long way. Together with augmented reality (AR) technology, these simulations of an alternative ...environment have been incorporated into rehabilitation treatments. The introduction of head-mounted displays has made VR/AR devices more intuitive and compact, and no longer limited to upper-limb rehabilitation. However, there is still limited evidence supporting the use of VR and AR technology during locomotion, especially regarding the safety and efficacy relating to walking biomechanics. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the limitations of such technology through gait analysis. In this study, thirteen participants walked on a treadmill in normal, virtual and augmented versions of the laboratory environment. A series of spatiotemporal parameters and lower-limb joint angles were compared between conditions. The center of pressure (CoP) ellipse area (95% confidence ellipse) was significantly different between conditions (p = 0.002). Pairwise comparisons indicated a significantly greater CoP ellipse area for both the AR (p = 0.002) and VR (p = 0.005) conditions when compared to the normal laboratory condition. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in stride length (p<0.001) and cadence (p<0.001) between conditions. No statistically significant difference was found in the hip, knee and ankle joint kinematics between the three conditions (p>0.082), except for maximum ankle plantarflexion (p = 0.001). These differences in CoP ellipse area indicate that users of head-mounted VR/AR devices had difficulty maintaining a stable position on the treadmill. Also, differences in the gait parameters suggest that users walked with an unusual gait pattern which could potentially affect the effectiveness of gait rehabilitation treatments. Based on these results, position guidance in the form of feedback and the use of specialized treadmills should be considered when using head-mounted VR/AR devices.
The interactions of plants with environment and insects are bi-directional and dynamic. Consequently, a myriad of mechanisms has evolved to engage organisms in different types of interactions. These ...interactions can be mediated by allelochemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which include volatile terpenes (VTs). The emission of VTs provides a way for plants to communicate with the environment, including neighboring plants, beneficiaries (e.g., pollinators, seed dispersers), predators, parasitoids, and herbivores, by sending enticing or deterring signals. Understanding terpenoid distribution, biogenesis, and function provides an opportunity for the design and implementation of effective and efficient environmental calamity and pest management strategies. This review provides an overview of plant-environment and plant-insect interactions in the context of terpenes and terpenoids as important chemical mediators of these abiotic and biotic interactions.
Vashist et al explore the immobilization of antibodies and enzymes on 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane-functionalized bioanalytical platforms for biosensors and diagnostics. They focus on topics such as ...the preparation of APTES-functionalized bioanalytical platforms, antibody-enzyme immobilization, and applications in biosensors and diagnostics.
The shortage of high quantum yield (QY) organic fluorophores in the second near‐infrared window (NIR‐II) has become a bottleneck in bioimaging field. Now, a simple strategy is proposed to address ...this: constitutional isomerization on the basis of the molecular design philosophy of aggregation‐induced emission. With the combination of backbone distortion and rotor twisting, the resultant NIR‐II fluorophore 2TT‐oC6B displays an emission peak at 1030 nm and a QY of 11% in nanoparticles, one of the highest reported so far. Control molecules confirm that the distorted backbone and twisted rotors play equally important roles in determining the fluorescence properties of the NIR‐II fluorophores. To allow for the targeting ability to reach deeply located diseases, neutrophils (NEs) are used to penetrate the brain tissues and accumulate in the inflammation site. Herein, it is shown that NEs carrying 2TT‐oC6B nanoparticles can penetrate the blood‐brain‐barrier and visualize the deeply located inflammation through an intact scalp and skull. Notably, the bright 2TT‐oC6B contributes to a significantly enhanced signal‐to‐background ratio of 30.6 in the brain inflammation site.
On the basis of the molecular design philosophy for aggregation‐induced emission (AIE), here, a constitutional isomerization strategy involving the combination of backbone distortion and rotor twisting is demonstrated. The resultant AIEgen displays a high quantum yield of 11% with an emission peak of 1030 nm. Further, neutrophils are creatively used as carriers to detect brain inflammation with a high signal‐to‐background ratio of 30.6.
This study introduced a novel but simple method to continuously measure footstrike patterns in runners using inexpensive force sensors. Two force sensing resistors were firmly affixed at the heel and ...second toe of both insoles to collect the time signal of foot contact. A total of 109 healthy young adults (42 males and 67 females) were recruited in this study. They ran on an instrumented treadmill at 0°, +10°, and -10° inclinations and attempted rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot landings using real time visual biofeedback. Intra-step strike index and onset time difference between two force sensors were measured and analyzed with univariate linear regression. We analyzed 25,655 footfalls and found that onset time difference between two sensors explained 80-84% of variation in the prediction model of strike index (R-squared = 0.799-0.836, p<0.001). However, the time windows to detect footstrike patterns on different surface inclinations were not consistent. These findings may allow laboratory-based gait retraining to be implemented in natural running environments to aid in both injury prevention and performance enhancement.
•Pemetrexed-carbo plus bevacizumab and atezolizumab was effective in EGFR mutated lung cancer.•Median PFS of 9.4 months, 1 year OS 72.5% in this heavily pretreated population were remarkable.•Having ...similar efficacy, this regimen gave less toxicity compared with IMPower150 regimen.•QoL was well preserved in patients which used pemetrexed as chemotherapy backbone.•Post-trial rechallenge with EGFR TKI was effective with median PFS 4–6 months.
Acquired resistance to TKI is an important unmet need in the management of EGFR mutated lung cancer. Recent clinical trial IMPower150 suggested that combination approach with VEGF inhibitor, check point inhibitor immunotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy was effective in oncogene driven lung cancer. The current trial examined the efficacy of a modified regimen in an EGFR mutated cohort.
An open-labelled, single arm, phase II study was conducted in patients with EGFR mutated NSCLC who had progressed on at least one EGFR TKI. For those with T790M mutation, radiological progression on osimertinib was required for enrolment. Patients were treated with combination atezolizumab (1200 mg), bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg), pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 5) given once every 3 weeks until progression.
Forty patients were enrolled. Median age was 62 (range 45–76) years. More than one half (23/40, 57.5%) had progressed on osimertinib. PD-L1 expression was < 1% in 52.5%. Median follow-up time was 17.8 months. ORR was 62.5%. Median PFS was 9.4 months (95% CI: 7.6 – 12.1). One year OS was 72.5% (95% CI: 0.56–0.83). Treatment related grade 3 or above adverse events (AE) occurred in 37.5% (15/40). Immune-related AE occurred in 32.5% (13/40) patients. Quality of life measures of function and symptoms did not change significantly throughout the course of treatments. Post-trial rechallenge with EGFR TKI containing regimen resulted in PFS of 5.8 months (95% CI 3.9–10.0 months).
Combination approach of atezolizumab, bevacizumab, pemetrexed and carboplatin achieved promising efficacy in metastatic EGFR mutated NSCLC after TKI failure. The results were comparable with taxane based regimen of IMPower150 while toxicity profile was improved.
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