Longitudinal strain and myocardial work in symptomatic patients having recovered from COVID-19 and possible associations with the severity of the disease.

COVID-19 may have residual consequences in multiple organs, including the cardiovascular system. The purpose of the present investigation is to quantify myocardial function in symptomatic individuals with long COVID and investigate the association between illness severity and myocardial function. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in which symptomatic individuals with previous COVID-19 underwent echocardiographic analysis of left ventricle global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and myocardial work (MW).

Left ventricular global longitudinal strain and cardiorespiratory fitness in patients with heart failure: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is no definition for strain deformation values in relation to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in different heart failure (HF) phenotypes.

Aim: To identify the relationship between echocardiographic systolic function measurements and CRF in HF patients.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA recommendations.

Translation, transcultural adaptation, and validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes (OSAKA) questionnaire.

Purpose: To analyse the psychometric properties of the translated and cross-culturally adapted version of the OSAKA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea Knowledge and Attitudes) questionnaire in the Brazilian Portuguese language.

Methods: The OSAKA instrument was translated by two independent translators, and the back-translated conciliated version was presented and approved by Washington University, which holds the intellectual property for the OSAKA questionnaire. Physicians from different specialties electronically completed the OSAKA instrument and the ASKME (Assessment of Sleep Knowledge in Medical Education) questionnaire, which was used as an auxiliary instrument to analyse the construct validity.

Relationship of Lung Function and Inspiratory Strength with Exercise Capacity and Prognosis in Heart Failure.

Background: Spirometry is underused in heart failure (HF) and the extent to which each defect associates with exercise capacity and prognosis is unclear.

Objective: To determine the distinct relationship of continuous %predicted FVC (ppFVC) and FEV1/FVC with: 1) maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), exercise performance; and 2) prognosis for the composite of cardiovascular death, heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device implant.

Methods: A cohort of 111 HF participants (AHA stages C/D) without diagnosed pneumopathy, spirometry, manovacuometry and maximum cardiopulmonary test.

Adjunctive inspiratory muscle training for patients with COVID-19 (COVIDIMT): protocol for randomised controlled double-blind trial.

Introduction: A significant number of patients with COVID-19 may experience dyspnoea, anxiety, depression, pain, fatigue and physical impairment symptoms, raising the need for a multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach, especially for those with advanced age, obesity, comorbidities and organ failure. Traditional pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), including exercise training, psychosocial counselling and education, has been employed to improve pulmonary function, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with COVID-19. However, the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) in PR programmes remain unclear.

Ankle-brachial index and subclinical atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetes.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of altered ankle-brachial index (<0.9 or >1.3) in patients with type 1 diabetes and to compare it with the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis by carotid ultrasound.

Moderate-intensity exercise with blood flow restriction on cardiopulmonary kinetics and efficiency during a subsequent high-intensity exercise in young women: A cross-sectional study.

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training applied prior to a subsequent exercise has been used as a method to induce changes in oxygen uptake pulmonary kinetics (O2P) and exercise performance. However, the effects of a moderate-intensity training associated with BFR on a subsequent high-intensity exercise on O2P and cardiac output (QT) kinetics, exercise tolerance, and efficiency remain unknown.This prospective physiologic study was performed at the Exercise Physiology Lab, University of Brasilia.

SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating in northeastern Brazil since February 2020: evidence for antibody detection in asymptomatic patients.

We screened stored samples collected before COVID-19 had been reported in Brazil. 989 samples were tested for SAR-CoV-2 antibodies using two different methods; 16 (1.6%) were positive (7 (43.

Maximal Dynamic Inspiratory Pressure Evaluation in Heart Failure: A Comprehensive Reliability and Agreement Study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the reliability (interrater and intrarater) and agreement (repeatability and reproducibility) properties of tapered flow resistive loading (TFRL) measures in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited from the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program at the University of Brasilia from July 2015 to July 2016. All patients participated in the study, and 10 were randomly chosen for intrarater and interrater reliability testing.

A arte de nascer (The art of being born).

In 2008, this project began with a small group of volunteers in a poor rural community in northeastern Brazil using art therapy to increase the knowledge of pregnant women about gestation, birth, and care of their babies. After positive results were seen within that community, the methodology was published as a book to be replicated in other states of Brazil. In 2010/2011, after being selected as a "Young Champions of Maternal Health" winner by Ashoka and Maternal Task Force competition, the project was adapted for the local culture in Mali and replicated in villages in West Africa with workshops using songs, poems, stories, crafts, and cinema.

Osteopathic manual therapy in heart failure patients: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Heart Failure (HF) patients usually present with increased arterial resistance and reduced blood pressure (BP) leading to an impaired functional capacity. Osteopathic Manual Therapy (OMT) focused on myofascial release techniques (MRT) and in the balancing of diaphragmatic tensions, has been shown to improve blood flow in individuals using the resistive index (RI). However, its effects in HF patients have not been examined.

Resistance exercise enhances oxygen uptake without worsening cardiac function in patients with systolic heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Recent literature suggests that resistance training (RT) improves peak oxygen uptake ([Formula: see text] peak), similarly to aerobic exercise (AE) in patients with heart failure (HF), but its effect on cardiac remodeling is controversial. Thus, we examined the effects of RT and AE on [Formula: see text] peak and cardiac remodeling in patients with heart failure (HF) via a systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and CINAHL, AMEDEO and PEDro databases search were extracted study characteristics, exercise type, and ventricular outcomes.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on peripheral to central blood pressure ratio in healthy subjects.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the arterial stiffness in healthy young adult and middle-aged men using the augmentation index (AI-x) and hemodynamic measures.

Methods: Twenty-four men (12 aged 27·25 ± 5·53 years and 12 aged 54·83 ± 5·10 years) were randomly allocated to two subgroups: TENS or placebo in ganglion region for 45 min. The AI-x and hemodynamic measures [late systolic blood pressure (SBP), central blood pressure (CBP), difference between P1 and P2 (ΔP) and tension time index (TTI)] were determined before and after protocols.

DNA barcoding assessment of genetic variation in two widespread skinks from Madagascar, Trachylepis elegans and T. gravenhorstii (Squamata: Scincidae).

Trachylepis elegans and T. gravenhorstii are two of the most widespread reptiles in Madagascar, inhabiting a wide variety of habitats. Previous studies have indicated a considerable mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation within these species, but the geographic distribution of the major haplotype lineages is poorly known.

Noninvasive ventilation improves the cardiovascular response and fatigability during resistance exercise in patients with heart failure.

Purpose: Noninvasive ventilation may improve cardiovascular function and exercise performance. We evaluated the physiologic impact of noninvasive ventilation during isokinetic knee extension resistance exercise in patients with heart failure.

Methods: This clinical trial included 10 male compensated patients with ischemic heart failure (age, 57 ± 9.

Aerobic exercise effect on prognostic markers for systolic heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

From previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there is consensus about the positive effect of exercise training on exercise capacity for systolic heart failure (HF); however, the effect on actual prognostic markers such as NTproBNP and minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope has not been evaluated. The primary aim of the proposed study is to determine the effect of aerobic exercise training (AEX) on the VE/VCO2 slope and NTproBNP. The following databases (up to February 30, 2013) were searched with no language limitations: CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2013, issue 2), MEDLINE (from January 1966), EMBASE (from January 1980), and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) (from January 1929).

Association between physical activity measurements and key parameters of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with heart failure.

Background: A hallmark characteristic of heart failure (HF) is reduced physical activity (PA) patterns. The relationship between key cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) variables and PA patterns has not been investigated. Therefore, we evaluated PA patterns in patients with ischemic HF and its relationship to peak oxygen consumption (VO2), the minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) slope, and the oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES).

Phylogenetic relationships of Trachylepis skink species from Madagascar and the Seychelles (Squamata: Scincidae).

Lizards of the genus Trachylepis are a species-rich group of skinks mainly inhabiting Africa, Madagascar, and several other islands in the western Indian Ocean. All except one probably introduced species of Madagascan Trachylepis are endemic. Two species groups have been distinguished on the basis of subocular scale shape but their phylogenetic relationships remained unclear.

Influence of ferrule preparation with or without glass fiber post on fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of ferrule preparation (Fp) on the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth, restored with composite resin cores with or without glass fiber posts.

Material And Methods: Forty-four bovine teeth were sectioned 19 or 17 mm (2 mm ferrule) from the apex, endodontically treated and assigned to four groups (n = 11): Group 1: Fp and post; Group 2: Fp and without post; Group 3: without Fp and with post; Group 4: without Fp and without post. All specimens were restored with composite resin core and metal crown.