Background And Objectives: The diagnosis, assessment and management of a wide range of respiratory diseases rely on accurate interpretation of lung function tests through the use of reference equations to generate predicted values. This paper ascertains the suitability of reference equations currently used in New Zealand through comparison with newly derived equations from the Wellington Respiratory Survey, and discusses the relevance of the findings to the Asia Pacific region.
Methods: A survey of lung function testing facilities determined the reference equations in common usage. Pulmonary function test results from healthy, lifelong non-smoking subjects (n = 180) were expressed as percentage predicted values, with comparisons made between the currently used and Wellington Respiratory Survey reference equations. Differences in disease severity classification in subjects with COPD (n = 46) and asthma (n = 61) were determined, using the different reference equations.
Results: Currently used equations significantly underpredict measured values for FEV(1), PEF, TLC and RV by up to 20%. Severity classification of COPD and asthma based on per cent predicted FEV(1) was substantially altered by the choice of reference equation.
Conclusion: Many reference equations in current usage in New Zealand are no longer suitable for use. The applicability of reference equations used in other populations and countries within the Asia Pacific region requires further investigation. We recommend that up-to-date reference equations are derived and implemented if those currently used are shown to be unsatisfactory.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1843.2007.01071.x | DOI Listing |
BMC Public Health
January 2025
Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman.
Background: Understanding the determinants of life expectancy (LE) is essential for effective policy planning and enhancing public health in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This study aims to elucidate the complex interactions among sociodemographic (SD), macroeconomic (ME), and health resource (HR) factors that influence LE among the GCC countries.
Methods: We employed a Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling to develop a comparative model across six GCC countries using annual data from 1990 to 2020.
Environ Monit Assess
January 2025
School of Earth Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China.
Rocky desertification (RD) is a severe phenomenon in karst areas, often referred to as "ecological cancer." However, studies on RD rarely include comparative analysis of different man-land relationship areas. This lack of analysis leads to difficulties in preventing and controlling RD in local areas with complex man-land relationships.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Thermophys
January 2024
Applied Chemicals and Materials Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
Sound speed data measured using a dual-path pulse-echo instrument are reported for pure -1,2-dichloroethene (R-1130(E)) and an azeotropic blend of -1,1,1,4,4,4-hexafluorobutene (R-1336mzz(Z)) and R-1130(E) with a composition of 74.8 mass % R-1336mzz(Z) with the balance being R-1130(E). The azeotropic blend of R-1336mzz(Z)/1130(E) is classified as R-514A in ANSI/ASHRAE standard 34.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis
January 2025
Faculdade de Medicina, Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
This study aimed to standardize qPCR techniques using these molecular markers kDNA and 18S rDNA across three sample types: peripheral blood, guanidine-treated blood, and tissue. The secondary objective is to evaluate the performance of 18S rDNA target in samples from 46 patients with confirmed tegumentary leishmaniasis. After obtaining the standard curve from reference strains with Leishmania, qPCR curves were standardizations and the Cts results of the patient samples were described using abstract measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Musculoskelet Disord
January 2025
Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, No. 566 East of Qianjin Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215300, China.
Objective: Research on the link between inflammatory indicators and markers of bone metabolism is currently lacking, especially the interaction between Procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), the β-C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (β-CTX), and the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR). This study intends to fill that knowledge gap by investigating the possible link between inflammatory indicators and bone metabolism.
Methods: This observational study included 718 individuals diagnosed with osteoporotic fractures from Kunshan Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University between January 2017 and July 2022.
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