OBJECTIVES To assess whether there is a correlation between oxygen uptake (VO2) and heart rate (HR) on-kinetics in the constant-load cycle-ergometer test (CLT) and the BODE index and its isolated variables in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHOD Fourteen male patients between 55 and 78 years of age with moderate to severe COPD were evaluated. Each patient underwe...

BACKGROUND Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a lung-specific protein proposed to predict clinical outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the changes in serum SP-D during acute exacerbation (AECOPD) episodes and the relationship of serum SP-D with the overall severity of the disease in stable COPD (SCOPD) remain unclear. METHODS Serum SP-D levels were ana...

BACKGROUND In the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), marked variability in response to lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) was observed. We sought to identify genetic differences which may explain some of this variability. METHODS In 203 subjects from the NETT Genetics Ancillary Study, four outcome measures were used to define response to LVRS at six months: modified BODE index, post...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), although frequent in older individuals, can also occur at younger age; this latter population has not been well described. We reviewed the functional progression of 1708 patients with COPD attending pulmonary clinics. Those with three or more annual spirometries were divided into those who, at enrolment, were ≤ 55 (n = 103) or ≥ 65 (n = 463) years o...

This paper offers a critical commentary on the launch process for a large commercial aircraft (LCA). Using the Boeing 7e7 as an example, we argue that the contemporary launch process bears little resemblance to previous practices. Specifically, the launch process involves both domestic and foreign subsidies because US production is now organized under a ‘systems integration’ basis. Under system...

An organization with its capacity to endure, add value and promote value chain could be seen as a sustainable organization. Sustainability could be in the form of short-medium-and-long term effect to an entity. To an organization, in this global economic crisis and increased competition, long term sustainability means to be able to compete, gain margin, and add knowledge, notwithstanding mere s...

The Titius-Bode law for planetary distances is reviewed. A model describing the basic features of this law in the ”quantum-like” language of a wave equation is proposed. Some considerations about the ’t Hooft idea on the quantum behaviour of deterministic systems with dissipation are discussed.