BackgroundThe electronic nose (e nose) provides distinctive breath fingerprints for selected respiratory diseases. Both reproducibility and respiratory function correlates of breath fingerprint are poorly known.ObjectivesTo measure reproducibility of breath fingerprints and to assess their correlates among respiratory function indexes in elderly healthy and COPD subjects.Method25 subjects (5 COPD patients for each GOLD stage and 5 healthy controls) over 65 years underwent e-nose study through a seven sensor system and respiratory function tests at times 0, 7, and 15 days. Reproducibility of the e nose pattern was computed. The correlation between volatile organic compound (VOC) pattern and respiratory function/clinical parameters was assessed by the Spearman's rho.Measurements and Main ResultsVOC patterns were highly reproducible within healthy and GOLD 4 COPD subjects, less among GOLD 1–3 patients.VOC patterns significantly correlated with expiratory flows (Spearman's rho ranging from 0.36 for MEF25% and sensor Co-Buti-TPP, to 0.81 for FEV1% and sensor Cu-Buti-TPP p<0.001)), but not with residual volume and total lung capacity.ConclusionsVOC patterns strictly correlated with expiratory flows. Thus, e nose might conveniently be used to assess COPD severity and, likely, to study phenotypic variability. However, the suboptimal reproducibility within GOLD 1–3 patients should stimulate further research to identify more reproducible breath print patterns.
Sustainability has been considered essential for the future consumption of biofuels in large scale and, thus, assessing the impacts on water resources is one of the priorities. The aim of this study is to assess the potential impacts of sugarcane expansion both on the quality and on the quantity of water resources, but using a publicly available database and well‐established statistic procedures. The case studies were defined in São Paulo state, where the bulk of sugarcane production in Brazil is, and more specifically three regions where significant expansion recently occurred: Palmares Paulista, Pontal, and Ribeirão Preto. Time series of streamflows and precipitations (1974–2011) and water quality parameters (1989–2011) were evaluated using non‐parametric tests for detecting trends and abrupt changes. Quality parameters analyzed were concentrations of potassium, total phosphorus, nitrite, nitrate, ammoniacal nitrogen, total solids, dissolved oxygen, and biochemical oxygen demand. Sugarcane cropping data were correlated with streamflows and water quality parameters. Water quality parameters were analyzed vis‐à‐vis sugarcane production and population growth. Significant impacts due to sugarcane cropping were detected only in the case of the smallest basin. In the three studied regions a significant increasing trend of nitrogen and biochemical oxygen demand was observed, but these results can be explained either by sugarcane–ethanol production or by the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents without appropriate treatment. Based on data availability it was not possible to rigorously determine the contribution of large‐scale production of sugarcane cropping to both the quantity and the quality of water resources. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
A ata de defesa, com as respectivas assinaturas dos membros da Comissão Julgadora, encontra-se no processo de vida acadêmica do aluno Dedico, com muito carinho, este trabalho à
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