Current-Controlled Nanospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The hypothesis that direct determination of electrospray current would provide a viable method for maintaining spray stability to enable optimal nanospray analysis was tested by building a feedback apparatus capable of reading the current and readjusting the emitter voltage in real time. The apparatus consists of a current-sensing circuit that reads the voltage drop across a resistor located between the high-voltage power supply and the nanospray emitter. A low voltage proportional to the observed current is generated and sent to a data acquisition card. The information is used by a proportional-derivative-integral (PID) algorithm to calculate the magnitude of a low-voltage signal that is used to control the power supply output. Any variation of current across the sensing resistor is thus counteracted by an opposite-direction variation of the high voltage applied to the nanospray emitter. In this way, the apparatus adjusts the emitter voltage to achieve a preset value of current, which it strives to maintain over time in spite of any possible variation of the parameters influencing the spray regime. Preliminary results have shown that the feedback apparatus is capable of establishing and maintaining stable spray for samples that are usually considered challenging in traditional voltage-controlled analysis, such as those consisting of nucleic acid solutions with high salt loads. For these types of samples, the total ion count recorded in current-controlled mode was significantly more stable than that observed in voltage-controlled mode. At the same time, overall signal intensities and signal-to-noise ratios were also significantly improved. Setting the target nanospray current to a predefined value and letting the apparatus reach the target without operator intervention enabled the acquisition of viable data from solutions containing up to 2.5 M ammonium acetate, which are ordinarily difficult by traditional manual tuning. A deeper understanding of the current–voltage relationships for samples of very different compositions is expected to enable one not only to predict the target current that should be used for a certain analysis, but also to devise algorithms to change such target as a function of predictable variations of sample properties and analytical conditions. This will allow for optimal performance to be maintained during on-line gradient chromatography in which the nature of the sprayed solution may vary very widely during the course of the analysis

Determination of anaerobic threshold through heart rate and near infrared spectroscopy in elderly healthy men

BACKGROUND:Aging leads to low functional capacity and this can be reversed by safe and adequate exercise prescription. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to identify the anaerobic threshold (AT) obtained from the V-slope method as well as visual inspection of oxyhemoglobin ( O2Hb) and deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) curves and compare findings with the heteroscedastic (HS) method applied to carbon dioxide production ( CO2), heart rate (HR), and HHb data in healthy elderly men. A secondary aim was to assess the degree of agreement between methods for AT determination. METHOD:Fourteen healthy men (61.4±6.3 years) underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) on a cycle ergometer until physical exhaustion. Biological signals collected during CPX included: ventilatory and metabolic variables; spectroscopy quasi-infrared rays - NIRS; and HR through a cardio-frequency meter. RESULTS:We observed temporal equivalence and similar values of power (W), absolute oxygen consumption (O2 - mL/min), relative O2 ( mL.Kg - 1.min -1), and HR at AT by the detection methods performed. In addition, by the Bland-Altman plot, HR confirmed good agreement between the methods with biases between -1.3 and 3.5 beats per minute. CONCLUSIONS:(i) all detection methods were sensitive in identifying AT, including the HS applied to HR and (ii) the methods showed a good correlation in the identification of AT. Thus, these results support HR as valid and readily available parameter in determining AT in healthy elderly men.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro School of Medicine Physical Therapy DepartmentUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Department of MedicineUniversity of Illinois College of Applied Health Sciences Physical Therapy DepartmentUniversidade Federal de Sao Carlos Physical Therapy Department Nucleus of Research in Physical ExerciseUNIFESP, Department of MedicineSciEL

Armadilhas na interpretação de testes de função pulmonar nas doenças neuromusculares

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Gasometria arterial no diagnóstico diferencial de hipoxemia

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Obesidade : como os testes de função pulmonar podem nos trair

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Integrando medidas de troca gasosa pulmonar para responder a perguntas clinicamente relevantes

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Ventricular arrhythmias in young competitive athletes: Prevalence, determinants, and underlying substrate

Whether ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) represent a feature of the adaptive changes of the athlete's heart remains elusive. We aimed to assess the prevalence, determinants, and underlying substrates of VAs in young competitive athletes.Background--Whether ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) represent a feature of the adaptive changes of the athlete's heart remains elusive. We aimed to assess the prevalence, determinants, and underlying substrates of VAs in young competitive athletes. Method and Results--We studied 288 competitive athletes (age range, 16-35 years; median age, 21 years) and 144 sedentary individuals matched for age and sex who underwent 12-lead 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. VAs were evaluated in terms of number, complexity (ie, couplet, triplet, or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia), exercise inducibility, and morphologic features. Twenty-eight athletes (10%) and 13 sedentary individuals (11%) showed > 10 isolated premature ventricular beats (PVBs) or 651 complex VA (P=0.81). Athletes with > 10 isolated PVBs or 651 complex VA were older (median age, 26 versus 20 years; P=0.008) but did not differ with regard to type of sport, hours of training, and years of activity compared with the remaining athletes. All athletes with > 10 isolated PVBs or 651 complex VA had a normal echocardiographic examination; 17 of them showing > 500 isolated PVBs, exercise-induced PVBs, and/or complex VA underwent additional cardiac magnetic resonance, which demonstrated nonischemic left ventricular late gadolinium enhancement in 3 athletes with right bundle branch block PVBs morphologic features. Conclusions--The prevalence of > 10 isolated PVBs or 651 complex VA at 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring did not differ between young competitive athletes and sedentary individuals and was unrelated to type, intensity, and years of sports practice. An underlying myocardial substrate was uncommon and distinctively associated with right bundle branch block VA morphologic features

Inspiratory resistance decreases limb blood flow in COPD patients with heart failure

Hosp Clin Porto Alegre, Exercise Pathophysiol Res Lab, BR-90035007 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHosp Clin Porto Alegre, Div Cardiol, BR-90035007 Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilSerra Gaucha Coll, Phys Therapy Dept, Caxias Do Sul, RS, BrazilHosp Clin Porto Alegre, Pulmonary Div, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilFed Univ Rio Grande, Fac Med, Dept Med, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Resp Dis, Pulmonary Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, São Paulo, BrazilQueens Univ, Dept Med, Div Respirol, LACEP, Kingston, ON, CanadaKingston Gen Hosp, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Resp Dis, Pulmonary Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Sildenafil improves microvascular O-2 delivery-to-utilization matching and accelerates exercise O-2 uptake kinetics in chronic heart failure

Sperandio PA, Oliveira MF, Rodrigues MK, Berton DC, Treptow E, Nery LE, Almeida DR, Neder JA. Sildenafil improves microvascular O-2 delivery-to-utilization matching and accelerates exercise O-2 uptake kinetics in chronic heart failure. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 303: H1474-H1480, 2012. First published September 28, 2012; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00435.2012.-Nitric oxide (NO) can temporally and spatially match microvascular oxygen (O-2) delivery (QO(2mv)) to O-2 uptake (VO2) in the skeletal muscle, a crucial adjustment-to-exercise tolerance that is impaired in chronic heart failure (CHF). To investigate the effects of NO bioavailability induced by sildenafil intake on muscle QO(2mv)-to-O-2 utilization matching and VO2 kinetics, 10 males with CHF (ejection fraction = 27 +/- 6%) undertook constant work-rate exercise (70-80% peak). Breath-by-breath VO2, fractional O-2 extraction in the vastus lateralis {similar to deoxy-genated hemoglobin + myoglobin ([deoxy-Hb + Mb]) by near-infrared spectroscopy}, and cardiac output (CO) were evaluated after sildenafil (50 mg) or placebo. Sildenafil increased exercise tolerance compared with placebo by similar to 20%, an effect that was related to faster on-and off-exercise VO2 kinetics (P 0.05). On-exercise [deoxy-Hb + Mb] kinetics were slowed by sildenafil (similar to 25%), and a subsequent response overshoot (n = 8) was significantly lessened or even abolished. in contrast, [deoxy-Hb + Mb] recovery was faster with sildenafil (similar to 15%). Improvements in muscle oxygenation with sildenafil were related to faster on-exercise VO2 kinetics, blunted oscillations in ventilation (n = 9), and greater exercise capacity (P < 0.05). Sildenafil intake enhanced intramuscular QO(2mv)-to-VO2 matching with beneficial effects on VO2 kinetics and exercise tolerance in CHF. the lack of effect on CO suggests that improvement in blood flow to and within skeletal muscles underlies these effects.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Resp Dis, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilQueens Univ, Dept Med, Div Resp & Crit Care Med, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Resp Dis, Pulm Funct & Clin Exercise Physiol Unit, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, BR-04020050 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc