Physical therapy in addition to occlusal splint in myogenic temporomandibular disorders: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Myogenic temporomandibular disorders (M-TMD) commonly involve occlusal splint (OS) therapy and musculoskeletal physiotherapy (MPT).

Objectives: To compare the effects of combining OS with MPT and education (EG) against OS and education (CG), in chronic M-TMD patients.

Methods: In this double-blind randomised controlled trial, 62 participants were assigned to either EG or CG.

Morpho-functional analysis of the temporomandibular joint following mandible-first bimaxillary surgery with mandible-only patient-specific implants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate condylar and glenoid fossa remodeling after bimaxillary orthognathic surgery guided by patient-specific mandibular implants. In total, 18 patients suffering from dentofacial dysmorphism underwent a virtually planned bimaxillary mandibular PSI-guided orthognathic procedure. One month prior to surgery, patients underwent a CBCT scan and optical scans of the dental arches; these datasets were re-acquired 1 month and at least 9 months postsurgery.

Three-dimensional cephalometric outcome predictability of virtual orthodontic-surgical planning in surgery-first approach.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to introduce a novel 3D cephalometric analysis (3DCA) and to validate its use in evaluating the reproducibility of virtual orthodontic-surgical planning (VOSP) in surgery-first approach (SF) comparing VOSP and post-operative outcome (PostOp).

Methods: The cohort of nineteen patients underwent bimaxillary orthognathic surgery following the VOSP designed in SimPlant O&O software by processing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans and intraoral digital scanning of the dental arches. Said records were re-acquired once the post-operative orthodontic treatment was completed.

Role of hyperpnea in the relaxant effect of inspired CO on methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction.

Inhaling carbon dioxide (CO) in humans is known to cause inconsistent effects on airway function. These could be due to direct effects of CO on airway smooth muscle or to changes in minute ventilation (V̇e). To address this issue, we examined the responses of the respiratory system to inhaled methacholine in healthy subjects and subjects with mild asthma while breathing air or gas mixtures containing 2% or 4% CO.

A heuristic international glimpse at SARS-CoV-2 effects on work-home equilibrium and women.

This article takes a condensed look at the impact that SARS-CoV-2 has had on the work-life balance of women engineers across the world in industry, military and academia. The same impact has been felt by all women, not only in science, as it is this gender status that inevitably ties women together, facing the same challenges, and cannot be separated by category of employment, or lack thereof. Studies from around the world give us insight into how the pandemic has instigated changes and influenced choices made between work and domestic demands.

Distinct Mechanical Properties of the Respiratory System Evaluated by Forced Oscillation Technique in Acute Exacerbation of COPD and Acute Decompensated Heart Failure.

Discriminating between cardiac and pulmonary dyspnea is essential for patients' management. We investigated the feasibility and ability of forced oscillation techniques (FOT) in distinguishing between acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD), and acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in a clinical emergency setting. We enrolled 49 patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) for dyspnea and acute respiratory failure for AECOPD, or ADHF, and 11 healthy subjects.

Tobacco Smoke Exposure, Urban and Environmental Factors as Respiratory Disease Predictors in Italian Adolescents.

Risk monitoring in childhood is useful to estimate harmful health effects at later stages of life. Thus, here we have assessed the effects of tobacco smoke exposure and environmental pollution on the respiratory health of Italian children and adolescents using spirometry and the forced oscillation technique (FOT). For this purpose, we recruited 188 students aged 6-19 years living in Chivasso, Italy, and collected from them the following data: (1) one filled out questionnaire; (2) two respiratory measurements (i.

Severity grading of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the confounding effect of phenotype and thoracic gas compression.

Current guidelines recommend severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease be graded by using forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). But this measurement is biased by thoracic gas compression depending on lung volume and airflow resistance. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the effect of thoracic gas compression on FEV1 is greater in emphysema than chronic bronchitis because of larger lung volumes, and this influences severity classification and prognosis.

Dependence of bronchoconstrictor and bronchodilator responses on thoracic gas compression volume.

Background And Objective: During forced expiration, alveolar pressure (PALV ) increases and intrathoracic gas is compressed. Thus, 1-s forced expiratory volume measured by spirometry (FEV1-sp ) is smaller than 1-s forced expiratory volume measured by plethysmography (FEV1-pl ). Thoracic gas compression volume (TGCV) depends on the amount of gas within the lung when expiratory flow limitation occurs in the airways.

Mechanical correlates of dyspnea in bronchial asthma.

We hypothesized that dyspnea and its descriptors, that is, chest tightness, inspiratory effort, unrewarded inspiration, and expiratory difficulty in asthma reflect different mechanisms of airflow obstruction and their perception varies with the severity of bronchoconstriction. Eighty-three asthmatics were studied before and after inhalation of methacholine doses decreasing the 1-sec forced expiratory volume by ~15% (mild bronchoconstriction) and ~25% (moderate bronchoconstriction). Symptoms were examined as a function of changes in lung mechanics.

Ventilation heterogeneity in obesity.

Obesity is associated with important decrements in lung volumes. Despite this, ventilation remains normally or near normally distributed at least for moderate decrements in functional residual capacity (FRC). We tested the hypothesis that this is because maximum flow increases presumably as a result of an increased lung elastic recoil.

Short-term variability in respiratory impedance and effect of deep breath in asthmatic and healthy subjects with airway smooth muscle activation and unloading.

Inspiratory resistance (RINSP) and reactance (XINSP) were measured for 7 min at 5 Hz in 10 subjects with mild asymptomatic asthma and 9 healthy subjects to assess the effects of airway smooth muscle (ASM) activation by methacholine (MCh) and unloading by chest wall strapping (CWS) on the variability of lung function and the effects of deep inspiration (DI). Subjects were studied at control conditions, after MCh, with CWS, and after MCh with CWS. In all experimental conditions XINSP was significantly more negative in subjects with asthma than in healthy subjects, suggesting greater inhomogeneity in the former.

Role of alveolar β2-adrenergic receptors on lung fluid clearance and exercise ventilation in healthy humans.

Background: In experimental conditions alveolar fluid clearance is controlled by alveolar β2-adrenergic receptors. We hypothesized that if this occurs in humans, then non-selective β-blockers should reduce the membrane diffusing capacity (DM), an index of lung interstitial fluid homeostasis. Moreover, we wondered whether this effect is potentiated by saline solution infusion, an intervention expected to cause interstitial lung edema.

Contribution of β-adrenergic receptors to exercise-induced bronchodilatation in healthy humans.

Exercise in healthy subjects is usually associated with progressive bronchodilatation. Though the decrease in vagal tone is deemed to be the main underlying mechanism, activation of bronchial β(2)-receptors may constitute an additional cause. To examine the contribution of β(2)-adrenergic receptors to bronchodilatation during exercise in healthy humans, we studied 15 healthy male volunteers during maximum exercise test at control conditions and after a non-selective β-adrenergic blocker (carvedilol 12.

Acute effects of indacaterol on lung hyperinflation in moderate COPD: a comparison with tiotropium.

Background: Evidence has been provided that high-dose indacaterol (300 μg) can reduce lung hyperinflation in moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Aim: To study whether low-dose indacaterol (150 μg) also reduces lung hyperinflation in comparison with the recommended dose of tiotropium (18 μg) in moderate COPD.

Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, blinded, 3-period cross-over, placebo-controlled study.

Airway distensibility and volume recruitment with lung inflation in COPD.

The effects of full lung inflation on respiratory conductance (Grs) and reactance (Xrs) were measured in 15 subjects with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 11 matched healthy control subjects. Airway distensibility was estimated from the ratio of the difference of Grs between functional residual capacity and total lung capacity to the relevant changes in lung volume (ΔGrs/ΔVl) or transpulmonary pressure (ΔGrs/ΔPtp). Similar analysis was applied to Xrs to estimate lung volume recruitment (ΔXrs/ΔVl or ΔXrs/ΔPtp).

Italian real-life experience of omalizumab.

Omalizumab is a humanized murine monoclonal antibody directed toward a portion of the IgE indicated in Europe for the treatment of severe persistent allergic asthma, inadequately controlled despite high-dose of ICS (mean BDP equivalent dose of inhaled corticosteroid 2224.68microg/die) in association with long-acting beta(2) agonists. Our aim was to describe the experience, efficacy and safety in a cohort of Italian patients treated with omalizumab in a real-life clinical setting.

Exercise ventilatory inefficiency and mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objective: Surgical resection is the treatment of choice to cure patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC); nevertheless, the assessment of the lower limit of surgical tolerance remains difficult. Ventilatory inefficiency (measured as the ventilation to CO(2) production ratio (V'(E)/V'(CO2) slope) is a survival predictor in pulmonary hypertension (PH) and chronic heart failure (CHF) and is considered a marker of PH in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of V'(E)/V'(CO2) slope as preoperative mortality and morbidity predictor in COPD patients submitted to lung resection for NSCLC and considered operable according to current standards.

Nasal and lung function in competitive swimmers.

Nasal and sinusal complaints are considered common among swimmers. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the nasal and bronchial functions, before and after swimming, and the relationship between nasal resistances and FEV1 in competitive swimmers. A group of 30 competitive swimmers were examined: spirometry and nasal respiratory tests were carried out before and after swimming.

Treatment outcomes for severe feeding problems in children with autism spectrum disorder.

There is abundant research to support that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit challenging feeding behaviors. Despite increase in empirical evidence supporting the role of behavior analysis in treating severe feeding problems, evaluation of the short- and long-term effects of these treatments for a large group of children with ASD is warranted. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate treatment outcomes of an interdisciplinary feeding program for 46 children with ASD.

Mechanical effects of obesity on airway responsiveness in otherwise healthy humans.

We investigated whether obesity is associated with airway hyperresponsiveness in otherwise healthy humans and, if so, whether this correlates with a restrictive lung function pattern or a decreased number of sighs at rest and/or during walking. Lung function was studied before and after inhaling methacholine (MCh) in 41 healthy subjects with body mass index ranging from 20 to 56. Breathing pattern was assessed during a 60-min rest period and a 30-min walk.