Reporting of confidence intervals, achievement of intended sample size, and adjustment for multiple primary outcomes in randomised trials of physical therapy interventions: an analysis of 100 representatively sampled trials.

Background: The physical therapy profession has made efforts to increase the use of confidence intervals due to the valuable information they provide for clinical decision-making. Confidence intervals indicate the precision of the results and describe the strength and direction of a treatment effect measure.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of reporting of confidence intervals, achievement of intended sample size, and adjustment for multiple primary outcomes in randomised trials of physical therapy interventions.

Preoperative respiratory muscle training reduces the risk of pulmonary complications and the length of hospital stay after cardiac surgery: a systematic review.

Questions: What is the effect of preoperative respiratory muscle training (RMT) on the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after open cardiac surgery? What is the effect of RMT on the duration of mechanical ventilation, postoperative length of stay and respiratory muscle strength?

Design: Systematic review of randomised trials with meta-analysis.

Participants: Adults undergoing elective open cardiac surgery.

Intervention: The experimental groups received preoperative RMT and the comparison groups received no intervention.

Myofascial stiffness of plantar fascia and Achilles tendon in individuals with plantar fasciopathy: An observational cross-sectional study.

Background: Assessment of myofascial tissue stiffness have a role in identifying physical impairments in plantar fasciopathy (PF). It is still unclear which specific functional and tissue differences exist between individuals with PF.

Aim: To compare myofascial stiffness of plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, and triceps surae between symptomatic and asymptomatic limbs in individuals with PF and between individuals with and without PF.

Isotemporal Substitution of Sedentary Behavior by Different Physical Activity Intensities on Pain and Disability of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To investigate the association of isotemporal substitution modeling (ISM) of time spent in sedentary activities with physical activity in different intensities on pain and disability of patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).

Design: Observational and cross-sectional study. Device-measured physical activity levels were assessed using an actigraph.

Body image in COPD and its relation with physical activity levels, lung function and body composition: An observational study.

Introduction: Body image has been previously defined as the mental figure we have of the contours and shape of our body; and the feelings concerning these characteristics. A change in body perception can influence one's feelings of self-worth and compromise functional abilities. Thus, the detection of distortions in body image could be important data for clinical evaluation of subjects with COPD.

Resistance training using different elastic components offers similar gains on muscle strength to weight machine equipment in Individuals with COPD: A randomized controlled trial.

: To compare the effects of three modalities of resistance training, two using elastic components and one using conventional weight machine on peripheral muscle strength in Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Effects on exercise capacity, impact of disease on health status, body composition and daily level of physical activity were investigated as secondary endpoints.: Forty-eight participants were randomly allocated (Trials Registry #RBR-6V9SJJ) into Elastic band group (Theraband®) (EBG), Elastic tubes training using Lemgruber® (ETG), and Conventional training with weight machine equipment (CG).

Analysis of the heart rate deflection point as a tool for exercise prescription in subjects with COPD - a cross-sectional study.

: Prescription of exercise training in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains a challenge in clinical practice. The heart rate deflection point (HRDP) is an option to reduce costs, reflects the anaerobic threshold and it is noninvasive; however its applicability in COPD is still unknown. : To compare HRDP with gas exchange threshold values (GET) in subjects with COPD.

Elastic resistance training improved glycemic homeostasis, strength, and functionality in sarcopenic older adults: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to verify the effects of 12 weeks of elastic resistance training on the glucose homeostasis, strength and functionally in sarcopenic older adults. Seven sarcopenic subjects (age, 70.71± 8.

Analysis of Autonomic Modulation in Response to a Session of Aerobic Exercise at Different Intensities in Patients With Moderate and Severe COPD.

Despite the many benefits of performing physical exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), information on the response of acute cardiac autonomic modulation in subjects with moderate and severe COPD during and after an aerobic exercise session at different intensities is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of cardiac autonomic modulation in patients with moderate and severe COPD during and after an aerobic exercise session at different intensities. Twenty-seven patients with COPD, divided into: Moderate Group and Severe Group, underwent an aerobic exercise sessions with intensities equivalent to 60% and 90% of velocity corresponding to peak oxygen consumption.

Use of 95% confidence intervals in the reporting of between-group differences in randomized controlled trials: analysis of a representative sample of 200 physical therapy trials.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of the use of 95% confidence intervals in the reporting of between-group differences in randomized controlled trials of physical therapy interventions and to determine if the prevalence is changing over time.

Methods: Observational study, including an analysis of 200 trials from the Physiotherapy Evidence Database: 50 from each of the years 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016. The primary outcome used was the prevalence of the between-group difference presented with 95% confidence intervals.

Burnt sugarcane harvesting is associated with rhinitis symptoms and inflammatory markers.

Introduction: Burnt sugarcane harvesting requires intense physical exertion in an environment of high temperature and exposure to particulate matter.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of burnt sugarcane harvesting on rhinitis symptoms and inflammatory markers in sugarcane workers.

Methods: A total of 32 male sugarcane workers were evaluated with questionnaire for rhinitis symptoms, and for inflammatory markers on peripheral blood and nasal lavage, in the non-harvesting, and 3 and 6 months into the sugarcane harvesting period.

Critical Velocity Determined by a Non-Exhaustive Method in Subjects With COPD.

Background: Exercise training is an effective and low-cost tool for COPD rehabilitation. Thus, validating a non-exhaustive method to determine a patient's anaerobic threshold would be a very interesting tool in practical settings. We aimed to test the reproducibility of critical velocity values determined in a non-exhaustive manner (CV) and tolerance for exercise performed at this physiological marker in subjects with COPD.

The quality of clinical practice guidelines for chronic respiratory diseases and the reliability of the AGREE II: an observational study.

Objectives: To survey the quality of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for chronic respiratory diseases relevant to physiotherapy practice using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation version II instrument (AGREE II) and to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of AGREE II.

Design: Observational survey.

Procedures: Guidelines indexed in the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) on chronic respiratory diseases were evaluated by four assessors using AGREE II.

Influence of Smoking Consumption and Nicotine Dependence Degree in Cardiac Autonomic Modulation.

Background: Smoking consumption alters cardiac autonomic function.

Objective: Assess the influence of the intensity of smoking and the nicotine dependence degree in cardiac autonomic modulation evaluated through index of heart rate variability (HRV).

Methods: 83 smokers, of both genders, between 50 and 70 years of age and with normal lung function were divided according to the intensity of smoking consumption (moderate and severe) and the nicotine dependency degree (mild, moderate and severe).

Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic training on autonomic modulation, mucociliary clearance, and aerobic parameters in patients with COPD.

Introduction: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exhibit aerobic function, autonomic nervous system, and mucociliary clearance alterations. These parameters can be attenuated by aerobic training, which can be applied with continuous or interval efforts. However, the possible effects of aerobic training, using progressively both continuous and interval sessions (ie, linear periodization), require further investigation.