O teste de exercício cardiopulmonar incremental (TECP) tem sido utilizado para avaliar o impacto global da doença em pacientes com DPOC. Considerando que as avaliações de exercício em laboratório são demoradas, caras e muitas vezes indisponíveis, o teste de caminhada de seis minutos (TC6min) não exige equipamentos caros e sofisticados, e pode ser facilmente realizado. Embora, a principal medida comumente utilizada no teste de caminhada seja a distância percorrida durante os 6 minutos (D), esta medida não leva em conta as diferenças de peso corpóreo, que podem influenciar o desempenho do exercício. Além disso, estudos anteriores correlacionaram o trabalho realizado durante o TC6min com TECP incremental pedalando, modalidade de exercício comumente associada a fadiga de quadríceps e menor consumo de oxigênio de pico ( O2) do que o TECP caminhando. O principal objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a correlação entre a distância percorrida no TC6min (D) e o produto distância percorrida - peso corporal (DxP), uma estimativa do trabalho realizado durante o TC6min, com o O2 de pico obtido durante o TECP incremental em esteira ergométrica. Foram estudados trinta pacientes (19 homens), apresentando média (± DP) de idade de 66,3 ± 7,5 anos, com DPOC estável de moderada a grave intensidade (VEF1 médio de 1,1 ± 0,4L e 39 ± 13% predito) que realizaram TECP incremental em esteira ergométrica até o limite máximo de tolerância e o TC6min. Os testes foram realizados com pelo menos 48 horas de intervalo. A correlação de Pearson foi utilizada para avaliar o nível de associação entre o O2 pico, a distância e o trabalho executado durante o TC6min. Os pacientes percorreram 425,1 ± 78,6 m e realizaram um trabalho de 28166,4 ± 8368,4 Kg-m durante o TC6min, enquanto que o O2 de pico atingido foi 965,6 ± 370,1 mL/min (68,7 ± 17,4% do previsto) no TCPE. Ao final do exercício, em ambos os testes, a dispnéia foi a principal queixa e maior percepção de dispnéia e maior frequência cardíaca foi observado ao final do TECP comparativamente ao TC6min. O trabalho da caminhada (DxP) durante o TC6min demonstrou maior correlação com o O2 pico do que a distância (D) isoladamente. O mesmo ocorreu para VEF1, CVF, CI, DLCO, CO2, E e duplo produto (uma estimativa do trabalho do miocárdio), (r = 0,57; r = 0,57; r = 0,73; r = 0,7; r = 0,75; r = 0,65; r = 0,51; r = 0,4 respectivamente, todos com p <0,05). Dessa forma, esse estudo corrobora a melhor associação entre o trabalho estimado a partir da TC6min e o O2 pico atingido durante TECP, neste caso em esteira ergométrica, em comparação à distância isoladamente. / Incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is increasingly used to evaluate the overall impact of the illness in patients with COPD. Whereas laboratory tests of exercise performance are often time-consuming, costly and frequently unavailable, the six-minute walk test (6MWT) does not require expensive or sophisticated equipments, and can be easily performed. Although, the main outcome measure commonly used in this field test is the distance walked during the predetermined 6 minutes (6MWD), this measure does not account for differences in body weight that are known to influence exercise performance. Furthermore, previous studies correlated the working performed during 6MWT with incremental cycling CPET, an exercise modality more associated with quadriceps fatigability and lower peak oxygen consumption ( O2) than incremental walking tests. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the correlation between 6MWD and its derivative walking distance-body weight product, an estimation of the work performed during 6MWT, with peak O2 obtained during a treadmill incremental CPET. The study enrolled thirty patients (19 males), with a mean (± SD) age of 66.3 ± 7.5 years and a stable moderate-to-severe COPD (ie, mean FEV1 1.1 ± 0.4L and 39 ± 13 % predicted) performed a ramp incremental CPET to the limit of tolerance on a treadmill and 6MWT. Tests were performed at least 48 h apart. Pearson´s correlation was used to assess the level of association between peak O2 and the distance and work executed during 6MWT. The patients walked 425.1 ± 78.6 m and performed a work of 28,166.4 ± 8368.4 (Kg-m) during the 6MWT while achieved a peak O2 of 965.6 ± 370.1 mL/min (68.7 ± 17.4% of predicted) in the treadmill CPET. They mainly stopped exercise due to dyspnea in both tests and reported a greater perception of dyspnea and higher heart rate was observed at the end of the CPET. The work of walking during the 6-MWT (DxW) provided greater and more frequent significant correlation with peak O2 than that observed with 6MWD.This was the case for FEV1, FVC, IC, DLCO, CO2, E, and double product (an estimate of myocardial work) (r=0.57; r=0.57; r=0.73; r=0.7; r=0.75; r=0.65; r=0.51 and r= 0.4, respectively; all p<0.05). This study provides evidence to corroborate the better association between the work estimated from the 6MWT and peak O2 achieved during CPET, in this case with a treadmill, than the 6MWD on isolation.

The small size and the lack of recombination set the fourth chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster apart from the other chromosomes. I have shown that the Minute gene on chromosome 4, earlier named Minute-4, encodes the ribosomal protein RpS3A. Two Pax6 genes, eyeless (ey) and twin of eyeless (toy) are also located on chromosome 4. Pax6 genes are important in head and eye development in both mammals and Drosophila. I have focused much of the study on ey and toy. The first mutant of toy that was characterized showed a headless phenotype. This indicates that Toy is important for the development of both the eye and antennal discs. The phenotype of the null mutation in toy is temperature sensitive due to that transcription of ey is temperature dependent in the eye-antennal primordium in absence of Toy. This temperature dependence was used to find out that the phenocritical period for ey in the adult head development is during embryonic stage 12-16 when ey first is expressed in the eye-antennal primordium. I also conclude that ey is activated by Toy in the eye-antennal primordium. The strong eyD mutation was molecularly characterized and it was finally settled that it is an allele in the ey locus. I also show that eyD homozygotes have a headless phenotype, much stronger than the earlier ey mutations.

The Au-Al bond is a commonly used interconection in IC package.The different composition for Au wire will change the different IMC growth. In this study, we will discuss the pure Au wire, and little Pd or Cu addition in Au wire reacted with Al pad for thermal aging, and we will give the models for these cases.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-183). Also available on the Internet.

The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the use of Doppler echocardiography markers ofglobal dyssynchrony [total isovolumic time (t-IVT)] in the following 6 studies: 1) Its prognostic role in predicting cardiac events in patients undergoing CABG surgery,compared with conventional global systolic and diastolic measurements. 2) Its additional value in predicting six minute walk test (6-MWT) in patients with leftventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) &lt;45%. 3) Its prognostic value in comparison with other clinical, biochemical and echocardiographicvariables in patients with chronic systolic heart failure (HF). 4) The relationship between 6-MWT and cardiac function measurements in a consecutivegroup of patients, irrespective of EF and to identify predictors of exercise capacity. 5) To investigate the effect of age on LV t-IVT and Tei index compared with conventionalsystolic and diastolic parameters. 6) To assess potential additional value of markers of global LV dyssynchrony in predictingcardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response in HF patients. Study I Methods: This study included 74 patients before routine CABG who were followed up for18±12 months. Results: At follow-up, 29 patients were hospitalized for a cardiac event or died. LV-ESD wasgreater (P=0.003), fractional shortening (FS) lower (p&lt;0.001), E:A ratio and Tei index higher(all P&lt;0.001), and t-IVT longer (P&lt;0.001) in patients with events. Low FS [0.66 (0.50–0.87),P&lt;0.001], high E:A ratio [l4.13 (1.17–14.60), P=0.028], large LV-ESD [0.19 (0.05–0.84),P=0.029], and long t-IVT [1.37 (1.02–1.84), P=0.035] predicted events and deaths. Conclusion: Despite satisfactory surgical revascularization, long t-IVT and systolicdysfunction suggest persistent ventricular dyssynchrony that contributes to post-CABGcardiac events. Study II Methods: We studied 77 patients (60±12 year, and 33.3% females) with stable HF using 6-MWT.iii Results: E’ wave (r=0.61, p&lt;0.001), E/e’ ratio (r=-0.49, p&lt;0.001), t-IVT (r=-0.44, p&lt;0.001),Tei index (r=-0.43, p&lt;0.001) and NYHA class (r=-0.53, p&lt;0.001) had the highest correlationwith the 6-MWT distance. In multivariate analysis, only E/e’ ratio [0.800 (0.665-0.961),p=0.017], and t-IVT [0.769 (0.619-0.955), p=0.018] independently predicted poor 6-MWTperformance (&lt;300m). Conclusions: In HF, the higher the filling pressures and the more dyssynchronous the LV, thepoorer is the patient’s exercise capacity. Study III Methods: We studied 107 systolic HF patients; age 68±12 year, 25% females and measuredplasma NT-pro-BNP. Results: Over a follow-up period of 3718 months, t-IVT ≥12.3 sec/min, mean E/Em ratio≥10, log NT-pro-BNP levels ≥2.47 pg/ml and LV EF ≤32.5% predicted clinical events. Theaddition of t-IVT and NT-pro-BNP to conventional clinical and echocardiographic variablessignificantly improved the χ2 for the prediction of outcome from 33.1 to 38.0, (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Prolonged t-IVT adds to the prognostic stratification of patients with systolicHF. Study IV Methods: We studied 147 HF patients (61±11 year, 50.3% male) with 6-MWT.Results: The 6-MWT correlated with t-IVT (r=-0.49, p&lt;0.001) and Tei index (r=-0.43,p&lt;0.001) but not with any of the other clinical or echocardiographic parameters. Group Ipatients (&lt;300m) had lower Hb (p=0.02), lower EF (p=0.003), larger left atrium (p=0.02),thicker septum (p=0.02), lower A wave (p=0.01) and lateral wall a’ (p=0.047), longerisovolumic relaxation time (r=0.003) and longer t-IVT (p= 0.03), compared with Group II(&gt;300m). Only t-IVT ratio [1.257 (1.071-1.476), p=0.005], LV EF [0.947 (0.903-0.993),p=0.02], and E/A ratio [0.553 (0.315-0.972), p=0.04] independently predicted poor 6-MWTperformance. Conclusion: In HF, the limited 6-MWT is related mostly to severity of global LVdyssynchrony, more than EF or raised filling pressures. Study V Methods: We studied 47 healthy individuals (age 62±12 year, 24 female), arbitrarilyclassified into: M (middle age), S (seniors), and E (elderly). Results: Age strongly correlated with t-IVT (r=0.8, p&lt;0.001) and with Tei index (r=0.7,p&lt;0.001), E/A ratio (r=-0.6, p&lt;0.001), but not with global or segmental systolic function measurements or QRS duration. The normal upper limit of the t-IVT (95% CI) for the three groups was 8.3 s/min, 10.5 s/min and 14.5 s/min, respectively, being shorter in the S compared with the E group (p=0.001). T-IVT correlated with A wave (r=0.66, p&lt;0.001), E/Aratio (r=-0.56, p&lt;0.001), septal e’ (r=-0.49, p=0.001) and septal a’ (r=0.4, p=0.006), but notwith QRS. Conclusions: In normals, age is associated with exaggerated LV global dyssynchrony anddiastolic function disturbances, but systolic function remains unaffected. Study VI Methods: We studied 103 HF patients (67±12 year, 82.5% male) recruited for CRTtreatment. Results: Prolonged t-IVT [0.878 (0.802-0.962), p=0.005], long QRS duration [0.978 (0.960-0.996), p=0.02] and high tricuspid regurgitation pressure drop (TRPD) [1.047 (1.001-1.096),p=0.046] independently predicted response to CRT. A t-IVT ≥11.6 s/min was 67% sensitiveand 62% specific (AUC 0.69, p=0.001) in predicting CRT response. Respective values for aQRS ≥ 151ms were 66% and 62% (AUC 0.65, p=0.01). Combining the two variables had asensitivity of 67% but higher specificity of 88% in predicting CRT response. In atrialfibrillation (AF) patients, only prolonged t-IVT ≥11 s/min [0.690 (0.509-0.937), p=0.03]independently predicted CRT response with a sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 79% (AUC0.78, p=0.015). Conclusion: Combining prolonged t-IVT and broad QRS had higher specificity in predictingresponse to CRT, with the former the sole predictor of response in AF patients.

Falls in people aged over 65 years account for the largest proportion of all injury-related deaths and hospitalisations within Australia. Falls contributed to 1,000 deaths and 50,000 hospitalisations in older people during 1998 (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 2001). It has been predicted that by 2016, 16% of the Australian population will be aged over 65 years (Australian Bureau of Statistics 1999) placing considerable pressure on the health care system. Furthermore, prospective studies have shown that 30-50% of people aged 65 years and over, will experience a fall (Tinetti et al. 1988b; Campbell et al. 1989; Lord et al. 1994b; Hill 1999; Brauer et al. 2000; Stalenhoef et al. 2002) and this figure increases exponentially with age (Lord et al. 1994b). Many physiological falls risk factors have been established including reduced leg strength, poor balance, impaired vision, slowed reaction time and proprioception deficits. However, little research has been conducted to determine whether performance on aerobic fitness tasks is also a physiological falls risk factor. Aerobic fitness has previously been related to an individual's ability to perform activities of daily living, which in turn has been linked to falls. It was therefore proposed that aerobic fitness might also be a risk factor for falls among community dwelling older people. This research aimed to provide clinical evidence to inform public health practice. This thesis comprised of four objectives: the first to find suitable measures of aerobic fitness for older people; the second investigated relationships between existing clinical tests and future falls; the third explored relationships between aerobic fitness tests and future falls; the final objective was to examine the independent relationships between falls and clinical and physiological characteristics. The participants were recruited through a random sample from the local electoral roll, with an average age of 73 ±6 years. Of the 87 participants who completed the prospective component of the study, 37% were male and 63% were female. Sixty-three participants (65%) reported no previous falls, 19 (20%) reported a single fall, and 16 (15%) reported two or more falls in the previous 12 months. The first objective required participants recruited from the community to take part in submaximal and maximal fitness tests in order to find suitable measures of aerobic fitness. A further objective was to determine whether older people were able to fulfil the 'standard' criteria for completion of a maximum oxygen consumption test. The measures used in this research included: maximum oxygen consumption, peak oxygen consumption, ventilatory threshold, oxygen uptake kinetics, oxygen deficit, efficiencies, oxygen consumption at zero, 30 and 50 watts, predicted max and Six-Minute Walk Test distance. Only weak relationships were observed between submaximal aerobic measures and peak oxygen consumption. Furthermore, only 54% of participants were able to fulfil the criteria to complete a test of maximum oxygen consumption, indicating it was not a suitable measure for use among a sample of community dwelling older people. Therefore submaximal aerobic variables were used in the following chapters. The second objective investigated the relationship between clinical measures and falls among older people and was carried out to enable comparisons between the population in this study and those described in the literature. This research found that the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test was the most sensitive of all clinical tests (including the Berg Balance Scale, Function Reach, Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment and Physiological Profile Assessment) for the assessment of future falls. The TUG requires participants to stand up, walk 3m, turn, walk back, and sit down. Time taken to complete the test is the recorded value. For this study, a cut-off value of 7-seconds was established, above which individuals were at increased risk of falls. Previous research suggested cut-off times of over 10s were appropriate for older people. However, this is the first study to assess falls prospectively and definitively find that the TUG can discriminate between future fallers and non-fallers. This research also investigated the differences in falls risk factors for functionally different subsamples, as defined by their ability to undertake and complete the cycle test. The participants who could complete the test had significantly better balance ability and strength than those unable to undertake or complete the cycle test. However, this inability to undertake or complete the cycle test was not itself a predictor of future falls. These two groups also differed in the relationships between clinical test results and falls risk. Participants in the no-cycle group had very similar results to that of the entire cohort. Even after adjustment for age, the TUG, foot and hand reaction times and knee flexion strength were all performed better by non-fallers than fallers. However, none of these differed between fallers and non-fallers for participants in the cycle group. This group had better balance ability and strength than the no-cycle group. These results indicated that the cycle group differed from the no-cycle group and the entire sample, further indicating that factors other than the physiological variables measured in this research influence falls risk in strong participants with good balance ability. Similar results were reported when aerobic tests and falls were investigated in the third objective. In the whole sample, the fallers walked significantly less distance than non-fallers for the 6-MWT. Similar results were found for participants in the no-cycle group but not the cycle group. All participants were able to complete the Six-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT) although only 74% were able to undertake and complete the cycle test. The fourth objective was to consider all measures from the previous chapters as potential predictors of falls. The variables most predictive of future falls were the TUG and having experienced one or more falls in the previous 12 months. As a result they could be used as screening tools for the identification of high-risk fallers who require referral for further assessment. This could be completed by a General Practitioner or Practice Nurse, which would ensure that screening is being undertaken in the wider population. If the patient is at high risk they should be referred for falls risk factor assessment to determine an optimal tailored intervention to reduce future falls. Low risk patients should be referred for preventive evidence-based activities. These steps can potentially improve quality of life for individuals, and if effective in preventing future falls, will result in reduced costs to the individual and the Australian public. The results of this work demonstrate that the best screening tests are simple tasks like the TUG and asking an individual if they have experienced a fall in the last 12 months. This research also found that strong, mobile older people who could undertake and complete a submaximal cycle ergometer test, still experienced falls in the following 12 months, although the causes of this are currently unknown. This research showed that physiological falls risk factors are less relevant as these highly functional older people do not have physiological deficits. However, this research found that the 6-MWT showed promise as a predictor of falls in a group who could not complete a submaximal cycle ergometer test, who had lower strength, balance and functional fitness scores than a group who could complete this cycle test. The results showed that physiological falls risk factors are still very important for older people with lower physical abilities, and this is where aerobic fitness may still be related to falls. While the association between aerobic fitness and falls remains unclear, these are novel and provocative findings highlighting the need for future falls risk investigations to consider aerobic fitness as a contributing factor.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1998. / "July 1998." Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-225). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 111-119). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-104). Also available on the Internet.

O teste de exercício cardiopulmonar incremental (TECP) tem sido utilizado para avaliar o impacto global da doença em pacientes com DPOC. Considerando que as avaliações de exercício em laboratório são demoradas, caras e muitas vezes indisponíveis, o teste de caminhada de seis minutos (TC6min) não exige equipamentos caros e sofisticados, e pode ser facilmente realizado. Embora, a principal medida comumente utilizada no teste de caminhada seja a distância percorrida durante os 6 minutos (D), esta medida não leva em conta as diferenças de peso corpóreo, que podem influenciar o desempenho do exercício. Além disso, estudos anteriores correlacionaram o trabalho realizado durante o TC6min com TECP incremental pedalando, modalidade de exercício comumente associada a fadiga de quadríceps e menor consumo de oxigênio de pico ( O2) do que o TECP caminhando. O principal objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar a correlação entre a distância percorrida no TC6min (D) e o produto distância percorrida - peso corporal (DxP), uma estimativa do trabalho realizado durante o TC6min, com o O2 de pico obtido durante o TECP incremental em esteira ergométrica. Foram estudados trinta pacientes (19 homens), apresentando média (± DP) de idade de 66,3 ± 7,5 anos, com DPOC estável de moderada a grave intensidade (VEF1 médio de 1,1 ± 0,4L e 39 ± 13% predito) que realizaram TECP incremental em esteira ergométrica até o limite máximo de tolerância e o TC6min. Os testes foram realizados com pelo menos 48 horas de intervalo. A correlação de Pearson foi utilizada para avaliar o nível de associação entre o O2 pico, a distância e o trabalho executado durante o TC6min. Os pacientes percorreram 425,1 ± 78,6 m e realizaram um trabalho de 28166,4 ± 8368,4 Kg-m durante o TC6min, enquanto que o O2 de pico atingido foi 965,6 ± 370,1 mL/min (68,7 ± 17,4% do previsto) no TCPE. Ao final do exercício, em ambos os testes, a dispnéia foi a principal queixa e maior percepção de dispnéia e maior frequência cardíaca foi observado ao final do TECP comparativamente ao TC6min. O trabalho da caminhada (DxP) durante o TC6min demonstrou maior correlação com o O2 pico do que a distância (D) isoladamente. O mesmo ocorreu para VEF1, CVF, CI, DLCO, CO2, E e duplo produto (uma estimativa do trabalho do miocárdio), (r = 0,57; r = 0,57; r = 0,73; r = 0,7; r = 0,75; r = 0,65; r = 0,51; r = 0,4 respectivamente, todos com p <0,05). Dessa forma, esse estudo corrobora a melhor associação entre o trabalho estimado a partir da TC6min e o O2 pico atingido durante TECP, neste caso em esteira ergométrica, em comparação à distância isoladamente. / Incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is increasingly used to evaluate the overall impact of the illness in patients with COPD. Whereas laboratory tests of exercise performance are often time-consuming, costly and frequently unavailable, the six-minute walk test (6MWT) does not require expensive or sophisticated equipments, and can be easily performed. Although, the main outcome measure commonly used in this field test is the distance walked during the predetermined 6 minutes (6MWD), this measure does not account for differences in body weight that are known to influence exercise performance. Furthermore, previous studies correlated the working performed during 6MWT with incremental cycling CPET, an exercise modality more associated with quadriceps fatigability and lower peak oxygen consumption ( O2) than incremental walking tests. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the correlation between 6MWD and its derivative walking distance-body weight product, an estimation of the work performed during 6MWT, with peak O2 obtained during a treadmill incremental CPET. The study enrolled thirty patients (19 males), with a mean (± SD) age of 66.3 ± 7.5 years and a stable moderate-to-severe COPD (ie, mean FEV1 1.1 ± 0.4L and 39 ± 13 % predicted) performed a ramp incremental CPET to the limit of tolerance on a treadmill and 6MWT. Tests were performed at least 48 h apart. Pearson´s correlation was used to assess the level of association between peak O2 and the distance and work executed during 6MWT. The patients walked 425.1 ± 78.6 m and performed a work of 28,166.4 ± 8368.4 (Kg-m) during the 6MWT while achieved a peak O2 of 965.6 ± 370.1 mL/min (68.7 ± 17.4% of predicted) in the treadmill CPET. They mainly stopped exercise due to dyspnea in both tests and reported a greater perception of dyspnea and higher heart rate was observed at the end of the CPET. The work of walking during the 6-MWT (DxW) provided greater and more frequent significant correlation with peak O2 than that observed with 6MWD.This was the case for FEV1, FVC, IC, DLCO, CO2, E, and double product (an estimate of myocardial work) (r=0.57; r=0.57; r=0.73; r=0.7; r=0.75; r=0.65; r=0.51 and r= 0.4, respectively; all p<0.05). This study provides evidence to corroborate the better association between the work estimated from the 6MWT and peak O2 achieved during CPET, in this case with a treadmill, than the 6MWD on isolation.