Estimated Effects of Air Pollution and Space-Time-Activity on Cardiopulmonary Outcomes in Healthy Adults: A Repeated-measures Study

Environmental factors, such as air pollution, can affect the composition of exhaled breath, and should be well understood before biomarkers in exhaled breath can be used in clinical practice. Our objective was to investigate whether short-term exposures to air pollution can be detected in the exhaled breath profile of healthy adults. In this study, 20 healthy young adults were exposed 2–4 times to the ambient air near a major airport and two highways. Before and after each 5 h exposure, exhaled breath was analyzed using an electronic nose (eNose) consisting of seven different cross-reactive metal-oxide sensors. The discrimination between pre and post-exposure was investigated with multilevel partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA), followed by linear discriminant and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, for all data (71 visits), and for a training (51 visits) and validation set (20 visits). Using all eNose measurements and the training set, discrimination between pre and post-exposure resulted in an area under the ROC curve of 0.83 (95% CI = 0.76–0.89) and 0.84 (95% CI = 0.75–0.92), whereas it decreased to 0.66 (95% CI = 0.48–0.84) in the validation set. Short-term exposure to high levels of air pollution potentially influences the exhaled breath profiles of healthy adults, however, the effects may be minimal for regular daily exposures.

Download Full-text

The Effect of Different Turn Speeds on Whole-Body Coordination in Younger and Older Healthy Adults

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21082827 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (8) ◽

pp. 2827

Author(s):

Fuengfa Khobkhun ◽

Mark Hollands ◽

Jim Richards

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Whole Body ◽

Onset Latency ◽

Step Frequency ◽

Step Size ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Mixed Model Analysis

Difficulty in turning is prevalent in older adults and results in postural instability and risk of falling. Despite this, the mechanisms of turning problems have yet to be fully determined, and it is unclear if different speeds directly result in altered posture and turning characteristics. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of turning speeds on whole-body coordination and to explore if these can be used to help inform fall prevention programs in older adults. Forty-two participants (21 healthy older adults and 21 younger adults) completed standing turns on level ground. Inertial Measurement Units (XSENS) were used to measure turning kinematics and stepping characteristics. Participants were randomly tasked to turn 180° at one of three speeds; fast, moderate, or slow to the left and right. Two factors mixed model analysis of variance (MM ANOVA) with post hoc pairwise comparisons were performed to assess the two groups and three turning speeds. Significant interaction effects (p < 0.05) were seen in; reorientation onset latency of head, pelvis, and feet, peak segmental angular separation, and stepping characteristics (step frequency and step size), which all changed with increasing turn speed. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed the main effects of speeds within the older adults group on those variables as well as the younger adults group. Our results suggest that turning speeds result in altered whole-body coordination and stepping behavior in older adults, which use the same temporospatial sequence as younger adults. However, some characteristics differ significantly, e.g., onset latency of segments, peak head velocity, step frequency, and step size. Therefore, the assessment of turning speeds elucidates the exact temporospatial differences between older and younger healthy adults and may help to determine some of the issues that the older population face during turning, and ultimately the altered whole-body coordination, which lead to falls.

Download Full-text

Impact of air pollution on pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms in children. Longitudinal repeated-measures study

BMC Pulmonary Medicine ◽

10.1186/1471-2466-10-62 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Benigno Linares ◽

Juan M Guizar ◽

Norma Amador ◽

Alfonso Garcia ◽

Victor Miranda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Pulmonary Function ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Respiratory Symptoms

Download Full-text

Household air pollution and the lung microbiome of healthy adults in Malawi: a cross-sectional study

BMC Microbiology ◽

10.1186/s12866-016-0803-7 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Jamie Rylance ◽

Anstead Kankwatira ◽

David E. Nelson ◽

Evelyn Toh ◽

Richard B. Day ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lung Microbiome

Download Full-text

Acute Inositol-Stabilized Arginine Silicate Improves Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Adults

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13124272 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 4272

Author(s):

Joshua L. Gills ◽

Anthony Campitelli ◽

Megan Jones ◽

Sally Paulson ◽

Jennifer Rae Myers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Cognitive Outcomes ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Double Blind ◽

Cognitive Domains ◽

Immediate Memory ◽

Neuropsychological Status

Inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (ASI) is an ergogenic aid that upregulates nitric oxide. Acute ASI supplementation improves working memory and processing speed in young adults but there is a lack of data examining other cognitive tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine acute ASI effects on young healthy adults by assessing multiple cognitive domains. Nineteen young adults (20.9 ± 3.2 years) completed this randomized, double-blind, crossover study consuming ASI (1.5 g ASI + 12 g dextrose) and placebo (12 g dextrose). The participants completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and two digital cognitive assessments before consuming the supplement and then completed the same battery of tests 60 min post-supplementation. Repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated that ASI consumption significantly improved total RBANS and immediate memory scores compared to the placebo (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were displayed between trials for other cognitive domains (p > 0.05). Acute ASI ingestion increased overall RBANS scores and immediate memory scores in young adults. More research is needed to examine the acute effects of ASI on other domains of cognition, in older populations, and its long-term effects on cognition.

Download Full-text

Increasing Children’s School Time Physical Activity Using Structured Fitness Breaks

Pediatric Exercise Science ◽

10.1123/pes.15.2.156 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 156-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Philip W. Scruggs ◽

Sandy K. Beveridge ◽

Doris L. Watson

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Fifth Grade ◽

Traditional Model ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Time Activity ◽

Fifth Grade Students ◽

School Time ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Viable Method

Fifth-grade students’ physical activity levels were examined via heart rate telemetry and pedometry during school fitness and recess breaks. Twenty-seven students with a mean age of 11.03 (-.32) years participated in morning recess (MR), lunch recess (LR), and fitness breaks (FB) for three days. Structured FB’s consisted of students engaging in locomotor and nonlocomotor activities within an obstacle course framework, while recess breaks followed a traditional model. Results from repeated measures ANOVAs indicated students engaged in significantly more physical activity during FB than MR and LR. Fitness breaks provided a viable method for increasing children’s school time activity levels.

Download Full-text

Abstract 299: Low Calorie Cranberry Juice Lowers Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults

Hypertension ◽

10.1161/hyp.60.suppl_1.a299 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 60 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Janet A Novotny ◽

David J Baer ◽

Christina Khoo ◽

Sarah K Gebauer

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Body Weight ◽

Diastolic Blood Pressure ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Cranberry Juice ◽

Low Calorie ◽

Dietary Polyphenols

Dietary polyphenols have been shown to have a beneficial impact on blood pressure. To investigate the effect of daily consumption of a low calorie cranberry juice beverage (a rich source of polyphenols) on blood pressure of healthy adults (n=56), we conducted a parallel arm, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Volunteers were men (n=26) and women (n=30), aged 51+11 years, with a body weight of 79.3+8.8 kg and BMI of 28.4+4.3 (mean+SD). Treatments were a low calorie cranberry juice beverage or a color/flavor/calorie-matched placebo beverage, both of which were incorporated into a controlled diet for 8 weeks. During the controlled diet, volunteers consumed a base diet, consisting of typical American foods, scaled to meet their individual energy requirement such that body weight did not change during the study. Blood pressure was measured by a standardized protocol at the beginning of the intervention, after 4 weeks of treatment, and after 8 weeks of treatment. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values for placebo and cranberry juice treatments at 4 weeks and 8 weeks were compared with a mixed model ANOVA. Blood pressure measures at 4 and 8 weeks of treatment for placebo and cranberry juice were also compared to baseline using a repeated measures ANOVA. After 8 weeks, diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower for the cranberry juice group compared to the placebo group (LSmeans + SEM of 72.2+1.1 mm Hg for placebo vs. 68.6+1.1 mm Hg for cranberry juice, respectively, p=0.029). When 8 week blood pressure values were compared to baseline, cranberry juice was associated with a significant decrease in diastolic BP (73.9+1.6 mm Hg at baseline vs. 70.9+1.6 mm Hg at 8 wk, p=0.049) and a trend toward decreased systolic BP (121.9+3.2 mm Hg at baseline vs. 118.6+3.1 mm Hg at 8 wk, p=0.12), while the placebo was associated with no change from baseline (systolic of 111.5+2.4 mm Hg at baseline vs. 112.3+2.2 mm Hg at 8 wk, p=0.89; diastolic of 68.1+1.5 mm Hg at baseline vs. 68.6+1.5 mm Hg at 8 wk, p=0.37). In conclusion, incorporation of a low calorie cranberry juice beverage into the diet of healthy adults appears to result in improvements in blood pressure.

Download Full-text