CRP, Fibrinogen, White Blood Cells, and Blood Cell Indices as Prognostic Biomarkers of Future COPD Exacerbation Frequency: The TIE Cohort Study.

: Systemic inflammation is common in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and evidence suggests that inflammatory biomarkers can predict acute exacerbations (AECOPDs). The aim of this study was to analyse whether C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, white blood cell count (WBC), or the blood cell indices PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio), SII (systemic immune inflammation index), SIRI (systemic inflammation response index), and AISI (aggregate index of systemic inflammation) can predict future AECOPDs. In the Tools Identifying Exacerbations (TIE) cohort study, participants with spirometry-confirmed COPD were recruited from primary and secondary care in three Swedish regions and assessed during a stable phase of COPD.

One leg testing in hip and knee osteoarthritis: A comparison with a two-leg oriented functional outcome measure and self-reported functional measures.

Objective: To compare the responsiveness of two unilateral lower-limb performance-based tests, the one-leg rise test and the maximal step-up test, with the bilateral 30-second chair-stand test and the self-reported measure of physical function (HOOS/KOOS). Specific aims were to evaluate responsiveness, floor/ceiling effect and association between the instruments.

Method: Data was included from 111 participants, mean age 61.

Follow-up of individualised physical activity on prescription and individualised advice in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis: A randomised controlled trial.

Objective: Compare the long-term effects of two different individualised physical activity interventions in hip or knee osteoarthritis patients.

Design: Randomised, assessor-blinded, controlled trial.

Setting: Primary care.

Process evaluation of an implementation intervention to facilitate the use of the Swedish Physical Activity on Prescription in primary healthcare.

Background: The Swedish Physical Activity on Prescription (PAP-S) is a method for healthcare to promote physical activity for prevention and treatment of health disorders. Despite scientific support and education campaigns, the use has been low. The aim of this study was to perform a process evaluation of an implementation intervention targeting the use of the PAP-S method in primary healthcare (PHC).

Alveolar Nitric Oxide in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-A Two-Year Follow-Up.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects the airways and gas exchange areas. Nitric oxide (NO) production from the airways is presented as FENO50 and from the gas exchange areas as alveolar NO (CANO). We aimed to evaluate, over two years, the consistency of the CANO estimations in subjects with COPD.

Changes in critical inhaler technique errors in inhaled COPD treatment - A one-year follow-up study in Sweden.

Background: Critical inhaler technique errors have been associated with lower treatment efficacy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to assess and follow-up critical inhaler technique errors, and to investigate their association with COPD symptoms and exacerbations.

Methods: COPD-diagnosed primary and secondary care outpatients (n = 310) demonstrated inhaler technique with inhaler devices they were currently using.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, blood eosinophils and COPD exacerbations: a cohort study.

Background: Blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and blood eosinophils (B-Eos) are emerging biomarkers in COPD. This study examined whether they could predict acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs), and determined their longitudinal stability.

Methods: In this closed cohort study, Swedish subjects with spirometry-verified COPD attended three yearly visits in a stable phase of the disease.

Physical activity on prescription in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate whether physical activity on prescription, comprising five sessions, was more effective in increasing physical activity than a one-hour advice session after six months.

Design: Randomized, assessor-blinded, controlled trial.

Setting: Primary care.

Censoring Trace-Level Environmental Data: Statistical Analysis Considerations to Limit Bias.

Trace-level environmental data typically include values near or below detection and quantitation thresholds where health effects may result from low-concentration exposures to one chemical over time or to multiple chemicals. In a cook stove case study, bias in dibenzo[a,h]anthracene concentration means and standard deviations (SDs) was assessed following censoring at thresholds for selected analysis approaches: substituting threshold/2, maximum likelihood estimation, robust regression on order statistics, Kaplan-Meier, and omitting censored observations. Means and SDs for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-determined concentrations were calculated after censoring at detection and calibration thresholds, 17% and 55% of the data, respectively.

Critical inhaler technique errors in Swedish patients with COPD: a cross-sectional study analysing video-recorded demonstrations.

A correct use of inhaler devices is essential in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment. Critical errors were studied by analysing 659 video-recorded demonstrations of inhaler technique from 364 COPD patients using six different inhaler device models. The majority of the included patients used two (55%) or more (20%) device models.

A Cross-Sectional Study Assessing Appropriateness Of Inhaled Corticosteroid Treatment In Primary And Secondary Care Patients With COPD In Sweden.

Purpose: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are often more widely prescribed in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than what is recommended in the guidelines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of ICS treatment in COPD patients using the algorithm proposed by the International Primary Care Respiratory Group (IPCRG) and to identify factors associated with ICS treatment.

Patients And Methods: Appropriateness of ICS therapy was studied with respect to concomitant asthma, history of exacerbations and blood eosinophils (B-Eos) in a Swedish cohort of primary and secondary care patients with COPD.

Subjective swallowing symptoms and related risk factors in COPD.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of subjective ( self-reported) swallowing symptoms in a large cohort of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to identify potential related risk factors.

Methods: A total of 571 patients with COPD, investigated in a stable phase, participated in this multicentre study (335 females, 236 males; mean age: 68.6 years (sd 7.

Different Relationships between FNO and COPD Characteristics in Smokers and Ex-Smokers.

Exhaled nitric oxide (FNO) is a marker of type-2 inflammation in asthma and is used in its management. However, smokers and ex-smokers have lower FNO values, and the clinical use of FNO values in COPD patients is unclear. Therefore, we investigated if FNO had a relationship to different COPD characteristics in smoking and ex-smoking subjects.

What is required to facilitate implementation of Swedish physical activity on prescription? - interview study with primary healthcare staff and management.

Background: The method, Swedish Physical Activity on Prescription (SPAP), has been launched in Swedish healthcare to promote physical activity for prevention and treatment of lifestyle related health disorders. Despite scientific support for the method, and education campaigns, it is used to a limited extent by health professionals. The aim of the study was to describe the views of health professionals on perceived facilitators, barriers and requirements for successful implementation of SPAP in primary healthcare.

2017 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease reclassifies half of COPD subjects to lower risk group.

Background: Unlike the 2014 guidelines, the 2017 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) guidelines have removed lung function from the risk assessment algorithm of patients with COPD. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the proportion of subjects who would change to a lower risk group when applying GOLD and determine if they exhibit different characteristics in terms of inflammation, symptoms and comorbidity compared to the subjects who would remain in a high-risk group.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 571 subjects with physician-diagnosed and spirometry-verified COPD were included in the present study.

The basis function approach for modeling autocorrelation in ecological data.

Analyzing ecological data often requires modeling the autocorrelation created by spatial and temporal processes. Many seemingly disparate statistical methods used to account for autocorrelation can be expressed as regression models that include basis functions. Basis functions also enable ecologists to modify a wide range of existing ecological models in order to account for autocorrelation, which can improve inference and predictive accuracy.

Model selection and assessment for multi-species occupancy models.

While multi-species occupancy models (MSOMs) are emerging as a popular method for analyzing biodiversity data, formal checking and validation approaches for this class of models have lagged behind. Concurrent with the rise in application of MSOMs among ecologists, a quiet regime shift is occurring in Bayesian statistics where predictive model comparison approaches are experiencing a resurgence. Unlike single-species occupancy models that use integrated likelihoods, MSOMs are usually couched in a Bayesian framework and contain multiple levels.

Dynamic occupancy models for explicit colonization processes.

The dynamic, multi-season occupancy model framework has become a popular tool for modeling open populations with occupancies that change over time through local colonizations and extinctions. However, few versions of the model relate these probabilities to the occupancies of neighboring sites or patches. We present a modeling framework that incorporates this information and is capable of describing a wide variety of spatiotemporal colonization and extinction processes.

Spatial segregation in eastern North Pacific skate assemblages.

Skates (Rajiformes: Rajoidei) are common mesopredators in marine benthic communities. The spatial associations of individual species and the structure of assemblages are of considerable importance for effective monitoring and management of exploited skate populations. This study investigated the spatial associations of eastern North Pacific (ENP) skates in continental shelf and upper continental slope waters of two regions: central California and the western Gulf of Alaska.

Spatial occupancy models applied to atlas data show Southern Ground Hornbills strongly depend on protected areas.

Determining the range of a species and exploring species--habitat associations are central questions in ecology and can be answered by analyzing presence--absence data. Often, both the sampling of sites and the desired area of inference involve neighboring sites; thus, positive spatial autocorrelation between these sites is expected. Using survey data for the Southern Ground Hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri) from the Southern African Bird Atlas Project, we compared advantages and disadvantages of three increasingly complex models for species occupancy: an occupancy model that accounted for nondetection but assumed all sites were independent, and two spatial occupancy models that accounted for both nondetection and spatial autocorrelation.

Prevalence and co-occurrence of parentally reported possible asthma and allergic manifestations in pre-school children.

Background: The aim of this study was to make an in-depth analysis of the prevalence and co-occurrence in pre-school children of possible asthma and atopic manifestations.

Methods: In Sweden 74%-84% of preschool children, depending on age, attend municipality organised day-care centres. Parents of 5,886 children 1-6 years of age, sampled from day-care centres in 62 municipalities all over Sweden, responded to a postal questionnaire regarding symptoms indicating prevalent possible asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, and food, furred pet and pollen allergy and other data in their children.

Using detection dogs to conduct simultaneous surveys of northern spotted (Strix occidentalis caurina) and barred owls (Strix varia).

State and federal actions to conserve northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) habitat are largely initiated by establishing habitat occupancy. Northern spotted owl occupancy is typically assessed by eliciting their response to simulated conspecific vocalizations. However, proximity of barred owls (Strix varia)-a significant threat to northern spotted owls-can suppress northern spotted owl responsiveness to vocalization surveys and hence their probability of detection.

A nationwide study of asthma incidence rate and its determinants in Swedish pre-school children.

While many studies on asthma prevalence have been published, the number of studies on asthma incidence in pre-school children is limited. In this project, a nationwide sample of pre-school children was followed with the aim of estimating cumulative 5-year asthma incidence and its determinants. Parents of 5,886 children 1-6 years of age, sampled from day-care centres in 62 municipalities all over Sweden, responded in 2002 to a baseline postal questionnaire with questions regarding symptoms indicating possible asthma or atopic conditions, and a number of other variables.

Novel methods reveal shifts in migration phenology of barn swallows in South Africa.

Many migratory bird species, including the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), have advanced their arrival date at Northern Hemisphere breeding grounds, showing a clear biotic response to recent climate change. Earlier arrival helps maintain their synchrony with earlier springs, but little is known about the associated changes in phenology at their non-breeding grounds. Here, we examine the phenology of barn swallows in South Africa, where a large proportion of the northern European breeding population spends its non-breeding season.