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This article looks to the form of the puppet, both an oral and aural entity, as a receptacle or instrument which allows for a ventriloquism to take place in partnership with the puppeteer. In the work of South African Handspring Puppet Company, the puppet is a receptacle for sound, but also for the human body itself - a chamber within a chamber - highlighting the instrumentalisation of the body. In this regard, the article looks to Handspring's I Love You When You're Breathing, particularly in reference to a comment once made by an audience member at a performance of the show that I watched in relation to the title; 'If you love me when I'm breathing; you don't love me when I'm dead?' In the practice of puppetry there is a focus on the ways the puppeteer conveys life in the puppet. Here, breath is significant as a sound, but more so as a movement, passed from puppeteer to puppet, a kind of bellows or organ. The 'life' of the puppet is discerned through the rhythmic breathing motions of the puppeteer. Here the aural is conveyed through movement, rather than through sound itself, which is further a reminder that sound is at its core a movement anyway, a vibration. What can be opened up if we are to think the oral/aural through the puppet in its relation to movement and stillness, life and death?

Summary: Ventilator‐associated pneumonia commonly occurs in critically ill patients. Clinical suspicion results in overuse of antibiotics, which in turn promotes antimicrobial resistance. Detection of volatile organic compounds in the exhaled breath of critically ill patients might allow earlier detection of pneumonia and avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescription. We report a proof of concept study for non‐invasive diagnosis of ventilator‐associated pneumonia in intensive care (the BRAVo study). Mechanically ventilated critically ill patients commenced on antibiotics for clinical suspicion of ventilator‐associated pneumonia were recruited within the first 24 h of treatment. Paired exhaled breath and respiratory tract samples were collected. Exhaled breath was captured on sorbent tubes and then analysed using thermal desorption gas chromatography–mass spectrometry to detect volatile organic compounds. Microbiological culture of a pathogenic bacteria in respiratory tract samples provided confirmation of ventilator‐associated pneumonia. Univariable and multivariable analyses of volatile organic compounds were performed to identify potential biomarkers for a ‘rule‐out’ test. Ninety‐six participants were enrolled in the trial, with exhaled breath available from 92. Of all compounds tested, the four highest performing candidate biomarkers were benzene, cyclohexanone, pentanol and undecanal with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranging from 0.67 to 0.77 and negative predictive values from 85% to 88%. Identified volatile organic compounds in the exhaled breath of mechanically ventilated critically ill patients show promise as a useful non‐invasive ‘rule‐out’ test for ventilator‐associated pneumonia.

My our voice, a sound-narrative scenic experience with tales by Oscar Wilde, the first production of the Delicate Creatures collective, is presented here by two of its creators, Nara Keiserman and Marcus Fritsch. His reflections and analyzes expose aspects such as spatialization, sound-corporal construction, interactions between performers and relations with the audience, conceived as listeners, due to the primordial emphasis on Listening, since they are blindfolded throughout the performance. The different points of view exposed reveal the complexity of the experience, when its visual communicability is removed from the Scene., Mi nuestra voz, una experiencia escénica narrativa sonora con cuentos de Oscar Wilde, la primera producción del colectivo Delicadas Criaturas, es presentada aquí por dos de sus creadores, Nara Keiserman y Marcus Fritsch. Sus reflexiones y análisis aportan aspectos como la espacialización, la construcción cuerpo-sonido, la interacción entre los intérpretes y las relaciones con el público, concebido como oyentes, debido al énfasis primordial en la Escucha, ya que tienen los ojos vendados durante toda la actuación. Los diferentes puntos de vista expuestos revelan la complejidad de la experiencia, cuando se sustrae a la Escena su comunicabilidad visual., A minha nossa voz, experiência cênica sonoro-narrativa com contos de Oscar Wilde, primeira produção do coletivo Delicadas Criaturas, é aqui apresentada por dois de seus criadores, Nara Keiserman e Marcus Fritsch. Suas reflexões e análises expõem aspectos como espacialização, construção sonoro-corporal, interações entre performers e relações com a plateia, concebida como escutadoras/escutadores, pela ênfase primordial na Escuta, já que se encontram com os olhos vendados durante toda a performance. Os diferentes pontos de vista expostos revelam a complexidade da experiência, quando é retirada da Cena a sua comunicabilidade visual.

Firefighters are at an increased risk of cancer due to their occupational exposure to combustion byproducts, especially when those compounds penetrate the firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) ensemble. This has led to questions about the impact of base layers (i.e., shorts vs. pants) under PPE ensembles. This study asked 23 firefighters to perform firefighting activities while wearing one of three different PPE ensembles with varying degrees of protection. Additionally, half of the firefighters unzipped their jackets after the scenario while the other half kept their jackets zipped for five additional minutes. Several volatile organic compound (VOC) and naphthalene air concentrations outside and inside of hoods, turnout jackets, and turnout pants were evaluated; biological (urinary and exhaled breath) samples were also collected. VOCs and naphthalene penetrated the three sampling areas (hoods, jackets, pants). Significant (p-value < 0.05) increases from pre- to post-fire for some metabolites of VOCs (e.g., benzene, toluene) and naphthalene were found. Firefighters wearing shorts and short sleeves absorbed higher amounts of certain compounds (p-value < 0.05), and the PPE designed with enhanced interface control features appeared to provide more protection from some compounds. These results suggest that firefighters can dermally absorb VOCs and naphthalene that penetrate the PPE ensemble.

Emotions are one of the most fascinating and difficult aspects of human experience, and have received significant attention in biblical studies. This paper explores how one Hebrew lexeme, rûaḥ, provides a point of entry into the complex world of how emotions are expressed in ancient texts. Drawing from some insights of Cognitive Linguistics, it examines the use of rûaḥ to express the experience of impatience and patience, and arrogance and humility. This paper then challenges a long-held but simplistic equation of rûaḥ with anger, and argues that a more nuanced and complex relationship exists between lexeme and emotion than most citations in scholarship suggest.

This article examines Japanese novelist Natsume Sōseki’s (1867–1916) memoir Recollecting and Such (Omoidasu koto nado; 1910). I argue that Sōseki invites the reader to imagine breath through his literary representation of both physiological and metaphysical experience and the rhythm of the narrative’s experimental poetic form. In concert with the theme of this special issue, I show how Recollecting and Such self-reflexively restores and evokes the corporeal experience of sensation beyond just visual perception: the narrative reveals itself as a poetic form of measurement and its first-person narrator a “rhythmanalyst”, someone who listens to the internal rhythms of his own body and then to that of the external world (Henri Lefebvre). The narrator’s awareness of the duration, frequency, and intensity of sensation as well as his regular compositions of metered verse—haiku and kanshi (traditional Chinese poetry as practiced in Japan; Sinitic verse)—are ways that the narrative measures the limits of life, memory, and sensory experience. The oscillation between prose and poetry in the narrative generates an organic rhythm, simulating the long and short breaths of a convalescing body, which invites the reader to breathe together—“to conspire” in the literal sense—with the text as a form of sympathy.

Exhaled breath temperature (EBT) is a known biomarker of inflammation and airways blood flow. As opposed to previous studies, we were able to measure temperature of separate fractions of exhaled breath (fEBT) (those from the peripheral and central airways). The aim was to validate the fEBT measurement method to determine the reference values and the influence of endogenous and exogenous factors on fEBT in healthy subjects. This cross-sectional study included 55 healthy adults in whom fEBT was repeatedly measured, two days in a row, using a FractAir® device. Also, basal metabolic rate, level of physical activity, distance from the main road, outdoor and ambient temperature, air pressure and humidity, haematology and inflammation markers, lung function, cumulative EBT and body temperature at characteristic points on the body were measured. The results showed that fEBT from central airways was lower compared to fEBT from the periphery and that fEBTs were not related to body temperature (p > 0.05 for all). We also showed repeatability of fEBT measurements for two consecutive days. All EBT fractions correlated significantly with ambient temperature (

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the need for improved technologies to help control the spread of contagious pathogens. While rapid point-of-need testing plays a key role in strategies to rapidly identify and isolate infectious patients, current test approaches have significant shortcomings related to assay limitations and sample type. Direct quantification of viral shedding in exhaled particles may offer a better rapid testing approach, since SARS-CoV-2 is believed to spread mainly by aerosols. It assesses contagiousness directly, the sample is easy and comfortable to obtain, sampling can be standardized, and the limited sample volume lends itself to a fast and sensitive analysis. In view of these benefits, we developed and tested an approach where exhaled particles are efficiently sampled using inertial impaction in a micromachined silicon chip, followed by an RT-qPCR molecular assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 shedding. Our portable, silicon impactor allowed for the efficient capture (>85%) of respiratory particles down to 300 nm without the need for additional equipment. We demonstrate using both conventional off-chip and in-situ PCR directly on the silicon chip that sampling subjects' breath in less than a minute yields sufficient viral RNA to detect infections as early as standard sampling methods. A longitudinal study revealed clear differences in the temporal dynamics of viral load for nasopharyngeal swab, saliva, breath, and antigen tests. Overall, after an infection, the breath-based test remains positive during the first week but is the first to consistently report a negative result, putatively signalling the end of contagiousness and further emphasizing the potential of this tool to help manage the spread of airborne respiratory infections. ispartof: BIOSENSORS & BIOELECTRONICS vol:217 ispartof: location:England status: published

U ovome radu će se obraditi pitanje o konceptu duše od samog početka grčke filozofije do Sokrata. Predsokratovci su odbacili mitološke interpretacije o svijetu i razumski pokušali objasniti od čega sve nastaje te kako se dogaĎaju promjene u svijetu, stoga s njima počinje i europska filozofija. Jednako tako odbacuju rane interpretacije o tome što je to duša, odakle dolazi i kamo odlazi nakon smrti. Škole koje su se bavile takvim pitanjima su: miletska, pitagorejska, efeška (Heraklit), elejska (Parmenid), pluralistička i atomistička škola. In this final paper, the concept of the soul will be examined as expressed from the very beginning of Greek philosophical thought until Socrates. Pre-Socratics rejected mythical interpretations of the world and attempted to explain in a reasonable manner the origin of all matter and how the world changes; therefore, European philosophy begins with them. They also rejected early interpretations of the definition of the soul, where it comes from, and where it goes after death. Philosophical schools that dealt with this question are the following: Miletus, Pythagorean, Ephesian (Heraclitus), Eleanor (Parmenides), Pluralistic and Atomistic.

COVID-19 control efforts have been hampered by transmission from pre-symptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV2. Prolonged asymptomatic respiratory viral shedding in children has been described and may be another important reservoir for ongoing transmission. The primary diagnostic approach to identify SARS-CoV2 infection relies on qPCR of specific viral sequences from respiratory samples, which is expensive, uncomfortable, relatively slow, and susceptible to false-negative results. A rapid non-invasive method to detect mild or asymptomatic infection would have a major impact on public health campaigns to control COVID-19. We hypothesize that candidate biomarkers characterize the exhaled breath of children with SARS-CoV2 infection. To test this hypothesis, we enrolled SARS-CoV-2-infected and -uninfected children admitted to a major pediatric academic medical center and analyzed their breath volatile composition. Targeted volatiles analysis revealed that six volatile organic compounds increased significantly in SARS-CoV-2-infected children. Three aldehydes (octanal, nonanal, and heptanal) drew special attention as candidate biomarkers, because viral infections have previously been shown to induce aldehyde production. Together, these biomarkers demonstrated 100% sensitivity and 66.6% specificity. Our work provides a solid framework upon which to build a future "breathalyzer" test for SARS-CoV-2 infection in children.

Background & aims: Ageing is associated with an increased risk of frailty, intestinal microbiota perturbations, immunosenescence and oxidative stress. Prebiotics such as galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) may ameliorate these ageing-related alterations. We aimed to compare the faecal microbiota composition, metabolite production, immune and oxidative stress markers in prefrail elderly and younger adults, and investigate the effects of GOS supplementation in both groups. Methods: In a randomised controlled cross-over study, 20 prefrail elderly and 24 healthy adults received 21.6 g/day BiotisTM GOS (containing 15.0 g/day GOS) or placebo. Faecal 16S rRNA gene-based microbiota and short-chain fatty acids were analysed at 0,1 and 4 weeks of intervention.Volatile organic compounds were analysed in breath, and stimulated cytokine production, CRP, malondialdehyde, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and uric acid (UA) in blood at 0 and 4 weeks. Results: Principle coordinate analysis showed differences in microbial composition between elderly and adults (P

We propose an objective stress assessment method based on the extraction of features from physiological time series and their classification using Support Vector Machine and K-Nearest Neighbors algorithms. For this purpose, we used an open dataset consisting of multiparametric physiological signals (electrocardiogram, electromyogram, galvanic skin response and breath signal) obtained during the execution of a driving route within the city of Boston with restful, highway and city driving periods indicative of three different stress states. To predict the driver stress level, 21 features were extracted from 122 chunks of raw signals and were subsequently managed by classification algorithms. Our analysis showed a prediction accuracy of 98.4% when all features were used, decreasing when signals from specific physiological systems were not considered. Our results highlighted that multidomain data acquisition by wearable sensors combined with appropriate classification models may represent a promising strategy to detect drivers’ stress status in an unobtrusive and objective way that can in perspective be applicable in several other fields such as in the clinics.

2022 IEEE International Symposium on Olfaction and Electronic Nose (ISOEN), 29 May 2022 - 01 June 2022, Aveiro, Portugal 3 páginas, 4 figuras, 1 tabla, In this communication, we present a versatile, home-developed, and portable electronic nose used to discriminate biomarkers of different diseases through the breath. The electronic nose is equipped with embedded control, support 16 different micro-sensors (8 commercial sensors and 8 home-made sensors), instrumentation electronics, rechargeable batteries, pump and electrovalve to control the way of the sampling gas, touch screen and IEEE 802.11 transceiver for wireless communication. We have used samples corresponding with different levels of gravity of illnesses. Several measurements were made to check the performance of the prototype in the discrimination of different biomarkers of diseases.

Bu tez çalışması Pamukkale Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri birimi tarafından 2021FEBE004 nolu proje ile desteklenmiştir Eski zamanlardan bu yana nefes, farklı hastalık türlerinin teşhisinde bir araç olarak kullanılmıştır. Literatüre göre insan nefesinde çeşitli uçucu organik bileşikler (VOC) rapor edilmiştir. Bu VOC'ler vücudun metabolik süreçlerinin ürünleridir. Bu nedenle nefes, tıbbi teşhis ve terapötik izleme için önemli bir potansiyel oluşturmaktadır. Ayrıca non-invaziv bir yöntem olduğu için nefes örnekleme işlemi ağrısız bir şekilde yapılabilmektedir. Ayrıca, analiz için sınırsız bir kaynaktır. Birçok çalışmada, araştırmacılar nefes örnekleri toplamak için Tedlar torbalarını kullanırlar. Tedlar torbaları nefes numunelerini saklamak için kullanışlı olsa da torbalar maliyetlidir ve Tedlar torbasının duvarındaki nem birikimi analiz sonucunu etkiler. Kantitatif analiz için, Tedlar torbasının bilinen bir hacmi olmasına rağmen, ondan VOC'leri örneklemek hala büyük bir zorluktur. Dolayısıyla Tedlar torbası kullanımından kaynaklanan bu sorunların üstesinden gelmek için alternatif yeni bir sisteme ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Burada, nefes örneklemesi ve analizi için 3 boyutlu basılan bir nefes toplama aparatı tasarlanmıştır. Nefesteki VOC'ler, 3 boyutlu basılan toplama aparatı kullanılarak bir SPME fiberi tarafından toplandı, ardından GC-MS kullanılarak tespit edilmeleri takip edildi. Covid-19 pandemisi nedeniyle, küçük bir sağlıklı gönüllü grubu seçildi (farklı cinsiyetlerden sigara içenler ve içmeyenler). 20 kişiden alınan nefes örnekleri Lineer Diskriminant Analiz (LDA) ile incelendi. LDA, aralarında herhangi bir ilişki olup olmadığını gözlemlemek için sonuçları ayırt eden istatistiksel bir tekniktir. Sonuçlar, cinsiyet ve sigara içme farklılıklarının belirgin bir şekilde ayrıldığını ve bu istatistiksel analiz kullanılarak tanımlandığını göstermiştir. From old times until now, breath has been used as a tool for diagnosing different types of diseases. According to the literature, various volatile organic compounds (VOC) in human breath have been reported. These VOCs are products of the body's metabolic processes. For this reason, the breath composes significant potential for medical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. In addition, since it is a non-invasive method, breath sampling can be done painlessly. Also, it is an endless resource for analysis. In many studies, researchers use Tedlar bags to collect breath samples. Although the Tedlar bags are handy for storing the breath samples, the bags are costly, and the moisture accumulation on the wall of the Tedlar bag affects the result of the analysis. For quantitative analysis, even though the Tedlar bag has a known volume, sampling VOCs from it is still a big challenge. Thus, an alternative new system is required to overcome these problems faced due to the use of the Tedlar bag. Here, a 3D printed breath collection apparatus is designed for breath sampling and analysis. The VOCs in breath were collected by an SPME fiber using the 3D printed collection apparatus, then followed by their determination using GC-MS. Due to the pandemic of Covid-19, a small group of healthy volunteers was selected (smokers and nonsmokers of different genders). The breath samples collected from 20 individuals were examined with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). LDA is an statistical technique that discriminates the results to observe if there is any relationship between them. The results indicated that the gender and smoking differences are distinctly separated and identified using this statistical analysis.

During respiration-based activities, possibly ejected microorganisms such as viruses pass from an infected subject to a target person through aerosol droplets. Research focused mostly on the mechan...

It is a challenging and important time to breathe together. A reflection on the timeliness and resonance of the thematic collection "Breathing Late Industrialism."

Breakdown, trespass, seepage, degradation: this is late industrialism. Over the past decade, the term has become synonymous with collapse, describing everything from crumbling infrastructure to outmoded paradigms. But the “late” in “late industrial” carries radical potential, too. It points toward the possibility of another world taking shape within the wreckage as people retrofit broken systems, build flexible coalitions, and work creatively with time. In this collection, we train our eyes on these refashionings, asking how late industrial systems might be put to life-affirming work. Specifically, we track cases where breath, air, and atmosphere help inaugurate a “phase shift” (Choy and Zee 2015) from breakdown toward worlds otherwise. Breath has sentinel qualities: it can warn of trouble in the air. But it is also an animating force. Taking conceptual cues from this duality, contributors attend to late industrialism as it is sensed and transformed into something vital.

Si les mots font voir, on pourra se demander que sont les voix du voir ? Comment représenter la voix en peinture et aussi quels sont les rapports entre le texte littéraire et l’image comme si le silence obstiné de l’image représentait un défi lancé à l’écrivain. Comment alors dire le voir, dire dans le voir, quand le voir fait entendre comme une voix. Afin de mettre en question les rapports entre le lisible et le visible, la voix et sa représentation, je proposerai de partir de la voix figurée en peinture avant d’en venir, dans une seconde partie, à la synesthésie du texte/image et aux « voix du voir ». Beaucoup d’interrogations seront posées et de questions soulevées. Retournant le visuel vers le verbal et l’écrit, on renversera alors le point de vue critique afin d’examiner un texte littéraire avec les outils des arts visuels. Ce faisant on appliquera à la lettre la formule d’Horace, ut pictura poesis, « la poésie comme la peinture… ». C’est un autre point de vue critique alors, proprement intermédial qui permettra d’envisager une poïétique du texte/image dans l’étude de leur relation d’échange et de transposition au sens plein de changement de position, de transmédiation. Cette inquiétude qui provient de l’instabilité du sujet, de son hybridité, n’est pas pour déplaire à qui aime être surpris voire inquiété par son sujet, préférant l’intranquillité aux certitudes. Alors c’est à la voix qu’il faut laisser le champ libre et elle montera, elle, « l’absente de tout bouquet ». If words convey visions, one could ask then what are the voices conveying them like? How can a voice be represented by painting? What are the relationships between a literary text and an image as if the obstinate silence of image represented a challenge for the writer. So how can one write a voice? How can a voice be seen and the visual—painting—represent a voice? So as to examine the relationships between the visible and the readable, the voice and its representation, I will offer to study how the human voice may be figured in painting before analysing the text/image synesthesia and the ways for a writer and a painter to make a voice seen. Many topics and questions will be raised. By going from the visual to the verbal and the written word, the critical point of view will be reversed and the literary text will be scrutinized thanks to the instruments borrowed from the visual arts. Thus we will be applying Horace’s celebrated fomula “ut pictura poesis”, ”poetry like painting”. This verges on another critical point of view, truly an intermedial one, which will enable the critic to resort to a poïetics of the text/image apparatus constituted of its customary exchanges and “trans-positions”, truly meaning a case of positions-changing—a case of trans-mediation. The unrest provoked by the instability of the subject, its constitutive hybridity, suits the amateur who enjoys being surprised by art, preferring unrest to a restful position, “disquiet” to ease. Then the voice of art will make itself heard arising out of the text or the image, as the “absente de tout bouquet” (what is absent from any bouquet), that is poetry as defined by Mallarmé.

This research work describes the development of a novel bioanalytical method for the assessment of food impact on selected exhaled breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a fast and portable screening VOC prototype sensor based on membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). Method and sensor prototype functionality was verified by obtaining good response times, linearity in the examined concentration ranges, and sensitivity and repeatability for several breath VOCs—acetone, ethanol, n-pentane, and isoprene. A new VOC sensor prototype was also proven to be sensitive enough for selected breath VOC quantification with limits of detection at low part per billion (ppb) levels—5 ppb for n-pentane, 10 ppb for acetone and ethanol, and 25 ppb for isoprene. Food impact assessment was accomplished by tracking the levels of acetone, ethanol, n-pentane, and isoprene in exhaled breath samples collected from 50 healthy participants before the meal and 60 min and 120 min after the meal. For acetone, isoprene, and n-pentane, a larger impact was noticed 120 min after the meal, while for ethanol, it was after 60 min. Obtained VOC levels were in the expected concentration ranges. Mean values at all time points were ~ 500–900 ppb for acetone and ~ 400–600 ppb for ethanol. Most of the results for n-pentane were below 5 ppb, but the mean value for those which were detected was ~ 30 ppb. Along with samples, data about participants’ lifestyle were collected via a short questionnaire, which were compared against obtained VOC levels in order to reveal some significant correlations between habits of participants and their breath VOC levels., Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 414 (20), ISSN:1618-2650, ISSN:1618-2642

Breath, the ephemeral materialization of air at the interface of body and world, engages with and alters the quality of both. As a process of inhalation and exhalation that signals its physiological universality, breath is an invisible prerequisite for life, an automated and functional necessity. Yet it is more than simply a reflexive action and can at times be controlled or manipulated. It can also affect or be affected by experiences, environments and relationships. In this essay, like the contributors to the special issue it prefaces, we aim to address the lacuna that exists in the examination of the meanings and embodiment of breath as a central theme in the humanitics and social sciences. Interdisciplinary perspectives that explore breath as a multifaceted phenomenon, both intrinsically shared and contextually distinct, open new directions in the field of breath and body studies.

Breath is invisible and yet ever present and vital for living beings. The concept of invisibility in relation to breath operates in concrete and metaphorical ways to extend ideas about breath and breathlessness across disciplines, in clinical spaces and in life experience. Using a critical medical humanities approach, I demonstrate that the poverty of narrative accounts and language for breath outside the health context have had a crucial influence enabling clinically mediated interpretations and accounts to dominate. These third-person accounts are important in the articulation of the ‘lived body’, but I balance this with a consideration of the subjective sensation of interoception, which has important implications for the visibility of breathlessness in both clinical and lay contexts. This article illustrates the rich potential of the subjects of breath and breathlessness within body studies and this special issue is a key step in making breath such an emergent topic.

The somatic effects of empire emerge for both the Global South and its supposed beneficiaries in the Global North. Such effects are to be found in Tim Winton’s “pneumatic materialism,” an aesthetic preoccupation in his novels with moments of anoxia, or the deprivation of oxygen to the brain. This essay will disrupt clear distinctions between South and North by considering how Winton’s novels engage with pneumatic materialism to intervene in questions of uneven development traditionally associated with the Global South. By blurring his concerns across the North-South divide, Winton shows a willingness to think of empire as a series of relations that are not bound by national or territorial borders, so much as by substances in the air. He does this, I argue, in his use of the breath.

Introduction: The globalization in progress brings cultures and religions, that were once distant, ever more close, sometimes in a conflictual way. Often, the discussion has a superficial character because knowledge of the roots of one's own culture is being lost. Therefore, it is difficult to study other cultures in depth. In particular, in studying yoga, it seems appropriate to refer to the texts that are at the basis of both Western and Indian civilizations. The comparison of texts could add a little more understanding of a practice that has recently become an intangible heritage of humanity. Material and Methods: In this article, texts in hand, we intend to offer an example of how two cultures, the Hindu one, with particular reference to yoga, and the Jewish–Christian one, present common contents. For reasons of space, the Jewish and Christian traditions have come together in that they, although present very different characters, share a good part of the same sacred book, the Holy Bible, as their foundation. For Hinduism, yoga and Vedānta have come together in that aimed, in different ways and languages, to the same purpose: the realization of the identity between ātman and Brahman. The texts taken as an example in this case were the Bṛhad-Āraṇyaka-Upaniṣad and Yoga Yājñavalkya. Results: We found textual evidence of commonality between the concepts of vital breath and speech, present in both traditions. In addition, the functions attributed by the texts to both these concepts – that is, to give life, remove demons and blot out sins – appear to be common. Discussion: Yoga has been defined by Sri Krishnamacharya as the “India's biggest gift to the world.” However, in the West, it is increasingly becoming “simply” a sporting practice. The comparison between the two traditions therefore appears necessary to recover the knowledge of both, the common traits and, ultimately, to deepen all that yoga has to offer regarding the understanding of life itself. The short comparison of texts we made in the present article reveals similar conceptions regarding fundamental concepts, such as vital breath and speech, and suggests the possibility of finding broader commonalities.

Smokers are known to have a characteristic smelling and long-lasting breath after the consumption of a cigarette. However, the responsible compounds for this malodour have not been fully explored yet. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to characterise key aroma compounds in the breath of cigarette smokers and compare the resulting aroma profile to electronic cigarette (EC) users’- and non-smokers’ (NS) breath before and after product consumption by application of aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) in combination with gas chromatography olfactometry (GC-O). Interestingly, the breath of cigarette smokers revealed a significantly higher intensity in the overall aroma, resulting in higher flavour dilution factors, in comparison to the breath of non-smokers or electronic cigarette users. This was predominantly caused by a high number of aroma-active pyrazines. Exhibiting an earthy, musty smell, these combustion products can still be found in breath one hour after smoking and are hypothesised to be responsible for the characteristic ‘ashtray’ smell. These findings align well with results of a study on cigar smokers’ breath by Bazemore et al. who suggest that due to their structure, pyrazines are trapped in both mucosa and saliva leading to a long-lasting ‘smokers-breath. In comparison, the breath of EC users revealed similar aroma profiles to the ones of NS even immediately after consumption. In doing so, these data suggest that EC use may have personal and social consideration benefits.

Cet essai explore la relation entre les mots, le souffle et les sons de l’époque classique à l’époque médiévale. Les conceptions médiévales des vibrations sonores, voyageant jusqu’au cerveau grâce aux soi-disant « esprit animaux », furent transformées en images qui pouvaient ensuite être comprises et mémorisées. L’imagination (création d’images) est, de ce point de vue, une forme complexe d’activités cérébrales. Les sons remémorés pouvaient ainsi être notés, soit sous forme de mots, soit sous forme de musique., This essay explores the relationship between words, breath and sounds from Classical to Medieval times. Medieval conceptions of sound vibrations, travelling through the so-called ‘animating spirit’ to the brain, were transformed into images which could then be understood and remembered. Imagination (image-making) is, in this view, a complex of brain activities. Remembered sounds could thus be notated, either as words or as music.

There is a growing need to measure respiratory rate (RR) in a variety of applications, including in clinical and occupational settings, as well as during physical exercises. Fiber optic sensors (FOSs) is an attractive solution for wearable RR monitoring because of their small size, multiplexing capability, chemical inertness, and immunity to electromagnetic fields. Here, we review recent advances in FOSs for breath monitoring. We presented the sensing mechanisms of state-of-the-art sensors and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. We classified recently reported FOSs based on sensing principles and then critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of representative recent works. Finally, we summarized the challenges and future prospects of breath FOSs, with the aim of applying them to real applications.

Music and emotion are deeply connected in the human experience. From the physiological realm to the cultural perspective, music is known for its capability to modify and drive human emotions, mood and movement. Thereby, music, in combination with technology, can effectively supply powerful tools to raise awareness of internal processes, and provide access to physiological data. This thesis explores the main physiological responses to musical sounds, with a special focus on the breathing mechanisms. The first part contains a literature review of relevant research on human psychophysiological responses to different types of music, and how these responses relate to attributes of the auditory stimuli. The second part presents a prototype design of a visual interactive application based on the user's respiration response to music. The visualizations generated by the application "Breath Painting" have the potential to feature music apps focused on relaxation and wellness. It integrates gamification tools for mental health support applications. It can also be utilized for educational purposes by raising awareness of the importance of music and respiration for the human mental health. The prototype shows how it is possible to make physiological data and musical features accessible to the general public in a visually appealing design.

Introduction:An early diagnosis is crucial in reducing mortality among people who have breast cancer (BC). There is a shortfall of characteristic early clinical symptoms in BC patients, highlighting the importance of investigating new methods for its early detection. A promising novel approach is the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced and emitted through the metabolism of cancer cells.Methods:The purpose of this systematic review is to outline the published research regarding BC-associated VOCs. For this, headspace analysis of VOCs was explored in patient-derived body fluids, animal model-derived fluids, and BC cell lines to identify BC-specific VOCs. A systematic search in PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines.Results:Thirty-two studies met the criteria for inclusion in this review. Results highlight that VOC analysis can be promising as a potential novel screening tool. However, results of in vivo, in vitro and case-control studies have delivered inconsistent results leading to a lack of inter-matrix consensus between different VOC sampling methods.Discussion:Discrepant VOC results among BC studies have been obtained, highly due to methodological discrepancies. Therefore, methodological issues leading to disparities have been reviewed and recommendations have been made on the standardisation of VOC collection and analysis methods for BC screening, thereby improving future VOC clinical validation studies.

The artistry of singer-songwriters is often described in the language of intimacy. This is observed in public perceptions of singer-songwriter performance, in the academic discourse on singer-songwriter creative practice, and in the way singer-songwriters themselves discuss their creative work. While literature on the singer-songwriter has done much to map the craft of the artists, foregrounding discussions of narrative and particular performance practices, less work has been done in exploring the influences of singer songwriters on other genres of music making. This thesis examines how the frameworks of a singer-songwriter “performative disposition” can be applied to the creation of contemporary classical music. This creative approach is illuminated through five case studies of works presented in the composition portfolio of this thesis: two string quartets, one orchestral work, one choral work and one work solo for vibraphone and crotales. In the analysis of my composition portfolio, I demonstrate how characteristics of singer-songwriter craft are at play in my artistic practice through narrative intimacy, intimacy through concepts of breath and breathing, and intimacy through orchestration.

Ушбу мақолада Темурийлар даврида Чағаниёндаги маънавий ҳаётнинг ривожланишида нақшбандия таълимотининг ўрни ва машҳур мутасаввиф шайх Алоуддин Атторнинг ижтимоий-маънавий фаолиятида нафс ва “ҳуш ҳар дам” талқини, шунингдек, нафсни тарбиялашнинг энг мукаммал йўл “даст ба кор”лик(ҳалол меҳнат қилиш)нинг “дил ба ёр”лик билан уйғун бўлишининг ижтимоий моҳияти ҳақида сўз юритилади., The role of the Nakshbandi teaching in the development of the spiritual life of Chagani in the Timurid era and the interpretation of the nafs and "khush khar dam" in the social and spiritual activities of the famous Sufi sheikh Alouddin Attor, as well as the best way to cultivate the nafs "honest work" The social significance of language harmony with "dil ba" is discussed. yor".

Die Erkenntnisse zur Wirksamkeit des Zungenbandes und dessen Einfluss auf die oberen Atemwege sowie die Prävention von DDSP bei Rennpferden ist bisher sehr umstritten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit sollte untersucht werden, ob die Anwendung des Zungenbandes den Pharynxdurchmesser und die Öffnung des Kehlkopfes beeinflussen. Des Weiteren sollte mit dieser Arbeit geprüft werden, ob ein DDSP durch das Tragen eines Zungenbandes verhindert werden kann. Die Studie wurde in einem prospektiven, verblindeten Crossover-Design durchgeführt. Insgesamt wurden mittels endoskopischer Bildgebung 38 Rennpferde (30 Galopprennpferde und acht Trabrennpferde) auf pathologische Funktionsveränderungen der oberen Atemwege untersucht. Alle Studienteilnehmer befanden sich im aktiven Renntraining oder hatten bereits an regionalen Rennen teilgenommen. Alle Pferde litten laut Vorgeschichte an Leistungsinsuffizienz oder an Atemgeräuschen unter Belastung. 20 Tieren war die Anwendung des Zungenbandes bereits bekannt. Die übrigen 18 Tiere wurden im Rahmen der Studie zum ersten Mal mit dem Zungenband trainiert. Die Untersuchung der Tiere wurde stets paarweise unter den gewohnten Bedingungen im Renntrainingsstall vor Ort vorgenommen. Es erfolgten drei Untersuchungseinheiten für jedes Tier an einem Untersuchungstag. Zunächst wurde nach Anlegen des Equipments die Endoskopiephase „in Ruhe“ (Kontrolle) aufgezeichnet. Nach einer kurzen Adaptations- und Aufwärmphase folgten im Anschluss zwei Beobachtungseinheiten bei maximalem Renntempo auf der Trainingsrennstrecke: eine Phase mit Zungenband und eine Rennphase ohne Zungenband. Das Bildmaterial der drei Beobachtungseinheiten wurde miteinander verglichen. Alle pathologischen Funktionsstörungen des Pharynx und Larynx aus den Beobachtungsphasen wurden dokumentiert. Aus den drei Beobachtungsphasen „Ruhe“, „maximale Belastung mit Zungenband“ und „maximale Belastung ohne Zungenband“ wurden jeweils fünf Standbilder extrahiert. Insgesamt wurde der Einflusses des Zungenbandes auf den Pharynxdurchmesser von 30 Rennpferden ausgewertet. Die gemessene Breite der Epiglottis (a) sowie die senkrechte Länge (b) von einem dorsalen Fixpunkt im Pharynxdach auf die Breite, (a) wurden gemessen. Das Verhältnis der Strecken zueinander wurde als Maß für den Öffnungsgrad des Pharynx (Pharynx-Epiglottis-Ratio b/a) berechnet. Für die Beurteilung des Einflusses des Zungenbandes auf die Öffnungsfläche des Kehlkopfes, wurden folgende Larynxparameter gemessen: Maximale Höhe der Öffnungsfläche (a), Maximale Breite der Öffnungsfläche (b), Breite auf Mitte der Stimmfalten (c), relativer Öffnungswinkel (d) und die Öffnungsfläche (e). Die Larynx-Öffnungsflächen-Ratio wurde ermittelt, indem ebenso die Quotienten (LarynxÖffnungsflächen-Ratio = b/a, c/a, d/a, e/a) berechnet wurden. Die Dorsalverlagerung des Gaumensegels trat insgesamt viermal unter Belastung auf. Davon wurde bei drei von vier Malen das Zungenband getragen. Nur bei einem Pferd trat das DDSP ohne Anwendung des Zungenbandes unter Belastung auf. Die durchschnittliche Pharynx-Epiglottis-Ratio (b/a) der Beobachtungsphase "Belastung ohne Zungenband" war signifikant größer als "in Ruhe". Im paarweisen Vergleich der Beobachtungsgruppen "Belastung mit Zungenband" war die durchschnittliche Pharynx-Epiglottis-Ratio (b/a) niedriger, als "in Belastung ohne Zungenband". Die durchschnittliche Larynx-Öffnungsflächen-Ratio der maximalen Breite auf Höhe der Stimmtaschen (c)/maximale Höhe der Kehlkopföffnungsfläche (a) war im Vergleich "Ruhe" vs. "Belastung mit Zungenband", unter Anwendung des Zungenbandes größer als in "Ruhe". Bei der Gegenüberstellung der Beobachtungsgruppen "in Belastung" konnte für die Larynx-Öffnungsflächen-Ratio (c/a) festgestellt werden, dass sie "mit Zungenbandanwendung" größer war, als "ohne Zungenbandanwendung". Für die durchschnittliche Larynx-Öffnungsflächen-Ratio des Öffnungswinkels der Aryknorpel (d)/maximale Höhe der Kehlkopföffnungsfläche (a) konnte festgestellt werden, dass "in Belastung mit Zungenband" die Differenz größer war, als in Ruhe. Zusammenfassend wurde in dieser Studie kein positiver Effekt auf den Durchmesser des Pharynx durch das Tragen von Zungenbändern festgestellt. Lediglich die Larynxöffnungsflächen-Ratio auf Höhe der Stimmtaschen und der Winkel der Aryknorpel waren unter Belastung mit Zungenband größer als ohne dessen Anwendung. Weitere Studien sollten sich auf den Tierschutz konzentrieren, da die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie einen objektiven Nachweis für zukünftige Entscheidungen von Pferdesportorganisationen bezüglich der Vorschriften für die Zungenbandanwendung liefern. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit unterstützen nicht die Anwendung von Zungenbändern im Rennsport. Ein positiver Einfluss auf die Funktion der oberen Atemwege sowie als Prävention gegen das Auftreten von DDSPs konnte hier nicht nachgewiesen werden und gilt somit weiterhin als fraglich., The effect of the tongue tie and the influence on the upper airway and the prevention of DDSP in racehorses has been controversial. The present work aimed to investigate whether the application of the tongue tie affects the pharyngeal diameter and the opening of the larynx. Furthermore, this work aimed to test whether DDSP can be prevented by wearing the tongue tie. The study was conducted in a prospective, blinded crossover design. 38 racehorses were examined for pathological functional changes in the function of the upper airway using endoscopic imaging. All study participants were in active race training or had already taken part in regional races. All horses had a history of poor performance or respiratory noise during exercise. The use of the tongue tie was already known to 20 animals. The remaining 18 animals were trained with the tongue tie for the first time as part of the study. The animals were always examined in pairs under the usual conditions in the racing training stable on site. There were three examination units for each animal on one examination day. First, the endoscopy phase was recorded "at rest" (control) after the equipment was put on. After a short adaptation and warm-up phase, two observation units followed at maximum racing speed on the training racetrack: a phase with tongue tie and a racing phase without tongue tie. The image material of the three observation units was compared with each other. All pathological dysfunctions of the pharynx and larynx from the observation phases were documented. Five freeze frames were extracted from each observation phases, „rest,“ „maximum stress with tongue tie,“ and „maximum stress without tongue tie.“ The influence of the tongue tie on the pharyngeal diameter was evaluated for 30 racehorses. The measured width of the epiglottis (a) and the perpendicular length (b) from the dorsal fixed point in the pharyngeal roof to the width (a) were measured. The ratio of the distances to each other was calculated as a measure of the degree of opening of the pharynx (pharynx-epiglottis-ratio b/a). To assess the influence of the tongue tie on the opening area of the larynx, the following laryngeal parameters were measured: Maximum height of the opening area (a), maximum width of the opening area (b), width at the centre of the vocal folds (c), relative opening angle (d), and the opening area (e). The „laryngeal opening-area-ratio“ was determined by calculating quotients (laryngeal-opening-area-ratio = b/a, c/a, d/a, e/a) in the same way. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate occurred a total of four times under race loading. Of these, the tongue tie was worn in three of four times. Only in one horse did DDSP occur without application of the tongue tie under racing load. The average pharyngeal-epiglottis-ratio (b/a) of the observation phase "race load without tongue tie" was significantly higher than "rest". In the pair wise comparison of the observation groups "race load with tongue tie" the average pharyngeal-epiglottis-ratio (b/a) was lower than "race load without tongue tie". The average laryngeal opening area ratio of the maximum width at the level of the vocal sacs (c)/maximum height of the laryngeal opening area (a) was greater in the comparison "rest" vs. "race load with tongue tie", using the tongue tie than at "rest". When comparing the observation groups "race load", it was found for the laryngeal opening area ratio (c/a) that it was larger "with tongue tie application" than "without tongue tie application". For the average laryngeal opening area ratio of the opening angle of the laryngeal cartilage (d)/maximum height of the laryngeal opening area (a), it was found that the difference was greater in "race load with tongue tie" than at "rest". In conclusion, no positive effect on the diameter of the pharynx was found by wearing tongue ties in this study. Only the laryngeal opening area ratio at the level of the voice pockets and the angle of the arycartilages were larger under "stress with tongue tie" than without its application. Further studies should focus on animal welfare, as the results of the present study provide objective evidence for future decisions by equine organizations regarding the regulations for the tongue-tie use. The results of this work do not support the use of tongue ties in racing. A positive influence of the upper respiratory tract and as a prevention against the occurrence of DDSPs could not proven here and is therefore still questionable.

The first High Kinetic Energy-Ion Mobility Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry (HiKE-IMS-MS) studies involving six volatiles (acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and 1-butanol) and their fully deuterated analogues are reported. The goal is to further our understanding of the ion–molecule chemistry occurring in the HiKE-IMS. This is needed for its full analytical potential to be reached. Product ions are identified as a function of the reduced electric field (30–115 Td) and the influence of sample air humidity in the reaction region on deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) exchange reactions is discussed. Reagent ions include H3O+(H2O)m (n = 0, 1, 2 or 3), NO+(H2O)n (m = 0 or 1) and O2+·. Reactions with H3O+(H2O)m lead to protonated monomers (through either proton transfer or ligand switching). Reactions with NO+ involve association with acetone and acetonitrile, hydride anion abstraction from ethanol, 2-propanol, and 1-butanol, and hydroxide abstraction from 2-propanol and 1-butanol. With the exception of acetonitrile, O2+· predominantly reacts with the volatiles via dissociative charge transfer. A number of sequential secondary ion-volatile processes occur leading to the formation of dimer and trimer-containing ion species, whose intensities depend on a volatile’s concentration and the reduced electric field in the reaction region. Deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) exchange does not occur for product ions from acetone-d6 and acetonitrile-d3, owing to their inert methyl functional groups. For the deuterated alcohols, rapid D/H-exchange reaction at the hydroxy group is observed, the amount of which increased with the increasing humidity of the sample air and/or lowering of the reduced electric field. Graphical abstract

In this work, the design and the realization of a pocket-size sensor for breath rate detection are presented. Exploiting the self-injection locking radar technique, it is possible to perform FM-to-AM demodulation that allows the detection of the voltage peaks at the output of the sensor's receiving part. If compared with existing solutions, this device is of reduced dimensions and fully wearable; in fact, it can be worn by the user at a certain distance from the body at the chest position, and work without the need of any dedicated remotely synchronized anchor nodes nor bulky analyzers to be carried close by. As a more distinctive peculiarity, the receiving circuit is designed as an RF-to-DC rectifier in order to also enable the possibility to harvest energy that can be exploited, for instance, to feed a microcontroller unit and a transceiver with the aim of sending wirelessly the breath rate data to a laptop or a smartphone. Circuit simulations are corroborated by measurements in order to ensure the feasibility of the proposed solution.

We present an experimental investigation into the effectiveness of transfer learning and bottleneck feature extraction in detecting COVID-19 from audio recordings of cough, breath and speech. This type of screening is non-contact, does not require specialist medical expertise or laboratory facilities and can be deployed on inexpensive consumer hardware such as a smartphone. We use datasets that contain cough, sneeze, speech and other noises, but do not contain COVID-19 labels, to pre-train three deep neural networks: a CNN, an LSTM and a Resnet50. These pre-trained networks are subsequently either fine-tuned using smaller datasets of coughing with COVID-19 labels in the process of transfer learning, or are used as bottleneck feature extractors. Results show that a Resnet50 classifier trained by this transfer learning process delivers optimal or near-optimal performance across all datasets achieving areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC AUC) of 0.98, 0.94 and 0.92 respectively for all three sound classes: coughs, breaths and speech. This indicates that coughs carry the strongest COVID-19 signature, followed by breath and speech. Our results also show that applying transfer learning and extracting bottleneck features using the larger datasets without COVID-19 labels led not only to improved performance, but also to a marked reduction in the standard deviation of the classifier AUCs measured over the outer folds during nested cross-validation, indicating better generalisation. We conclude that deep transfer learning and bottleneck feature extraction can improve COVID-19 cough, breath and speech audio classification, yielding automatic COVID-19 detection with a better and more consistent overall performance.

Background: Effective and reliable monitoring of asthma at home is a relevant factor that may reduce the need to consult a doctor in person.Aim: We analyzed the possibility to determine intensities of pathological breath phenomena based on artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of sounds recorded during standard stethoscope auscultation.Methods: The evaluation set comprising 1,043 auscultation examinations (9,319 recordings) was collected from 899 patients. Examinations were assigned to one of four groups: asthma with and without abnormal sounds (AA and AN, respectively), no-asthma with and without abnormal sounds (NA and NN, respectively). Presence of abnormal sounds was evaluated by a panel of 3 physicians that were blinded to the AI predictions. AI was trained on an independent set of 9,847 recordings to determine intensity scores (indexes) of wheezes, rhonchi, fine and coarse crackles and their combinations: continuous phenomena (wheezes + rhonchi) and all phenomena. The pair-comparison of groups of examinations based on Area Under ROC-Curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of each index in discrimination between groups.Results: Best performance in separation between AA and AN was observed with Continuous Phenomena Index (AUC 0.94) while for NN and NA. All Phenomena Index (AUC 0.91) showed the best performance. AA showed slightly higher prevalence of wheezes compared to NA.Conclusions: The results showed a high efficiency of the AI to discriminate between the asthma patients with normal and abnormal sounds, thus this approach has a great potential and can be used to monitor asthma symptoms at home.

This paper presents sensor nanotechnologies that can be used for the skin-based gas “smelling” of disease. Skin testing may provide rapid and reliable results, using specific “fingerprints” or unique patterns for a variety of diseases and conditions. These can include metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and cholesterol-induced heart disease; neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; quality of life conditions, such as obesity and sleep apnea; pulmonary diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; gastrointestinal tract diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome and colitis; cancers, such as breast, lung, pancreatic, and colon cancers; infectious diseases, such as the flu and COVID-19; as well as diseases commonly found in ICU patients, such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and infections of the blood stream. Focusing on the most common gaseous biomarkers in breath and skin, which is nitric oxide and carbon monoxide, and certain abundant volatile organic compounds (acetone, isoprene, ammonia, alcohols, sulfides), it is argued here that effective discrimination between the diseases mentioned above is possible, by capturing the relative sensor output signals from the detection of each of these biomarkers and identifying the distinct breath print for each disease.

Yogic and meditative traditions have long held that the fluctuations of the breath and the mind are intimately related. While respiratory modulation of cortical activity and attentional switching are established, the extent to which electrophysiological markers of attention exhibit synchronization with respiration is unknown. To this end, we examined (1) frontal midline theta-beta ratio (TBR), an indicator of attentional control state known to correlate with mind wandering episodes and functional connectivity of the executive control network, (2) pupil diameter (PD), a known proxy measure of locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic activity, and (3) respiration for evidence of phase synchronization and information transfer (multivariate Granger causality) during quiet restful breathing. Our results indicate that both TBR and PD are simultaneously synchronized with the breath, suggesting an underlying oscillation of an attentionally relevant electrophysiological index that is phase-locked to the respiratory cycle which could have the potential to bias the attentional system into switching states. We highlight the LC’s pivotal role as a coupling mechanism between respiration and TBR, and elaborate on its dual functions as both a chemosensitive respiratory nucleus and a pacemaker of the attentional system. We further suggest that an appreciation of the dynamics of this weakly coupled oscillatory system could help deepen our understanding of the traditional claim of a relationship between breathing and attention.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the last year many researchers have focused their efforts on limiting the spread of the virus. Along with the rush in the developing of vaccines, wearable technologies appeared to be excellent candidates for the early detection of infected individuals and the remote monitoring in hospitals and homes, by fostering the reduction of the contacts between caregivers and patients, while ensuring their safety. The wearable and epidermal Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) sensors offer nowadays a wide selection of comfortable devices, able to wirelessly monitor a significant set of physiological parameters. In particular, this short review will focus on the monitoring of body temperature and respiratory function, highly affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, providing an overview of the current state of the art of RFID sensors, thus envisaging the benefits they can offer for the current and future pandemics.

Liver diseases are currently diagnosed through liver biopsy. Its invasiveness, costs, and relatively low diagnostic accuracy require new techniques to be sought. Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human bio-matrices has received a lot of attention. It is known that a musty odour characterises liver impairment, resulting in the elucidation of volatile chemicals in the breath and other body fluids such as urine and stool, which may serve as biomarkers of a disease. Aims: This study aims to review all the studies found in the literature regarding VOCs in liver diseases, and to summarise all the identified compounds that could be used as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers. The literature search was conducted on ScienceDirect and PubMed, and each eligible publication was qualitatively assessed by two independent evaluators using the SANRA critical appraisal tool. Results: In the search, 58 publications were found, and 28 were kept for inclusion: 23 were about VOCs in the breath, one in the bile, three in urine, and one in faeces. Each publication was graded from zero to ten. A graphical summary of the metabolic pathways showcasing the known liver disease-related VOCs and suggestions on how VOC analysis on liver impairment could be applied in clinical practice are given.

Liver diseases are currently diagnosed through liver biopsy. Its invasiveness, costs, and relatively low diagnostic accuracy require new techniques to be sought. Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in human bio-matrices has received a lot of attention. It is known that a musty odour characterises liver impairment, resulting in the elucidation of volatile chemicals in the breath and other body fluids such as urine and stool, which may serve as biomarkers of a disease. Aims: This study aims to review all the studies found in the literature regarding VOCs in liver diseases, and to summarise all the identified compounds that could be used as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers. The literature search was conducted on ScienceDirect and PubMed, and each eligible publication was qualitatively assessed by two independent evaluators using the SANRA critical appraisal tool. Results: In the search, 58 publications were found, and 28 were kept for inclusion: 23 were about VOCs in the breath, one in the bile, three in urine, and one in faeces. Each publication was graded from zero to ten. A graphical summary of the metabolic pathways showcasing the known liver disease-related VOCs and suggestions on how VOC analysis on liver impairment could be applied in clinical practice are given.

International audience; Tanz ist eine universelle menschliche Ausdrucksform, die eine körperliche Aktivität und eine Körpersprache darstellt, die motorisches, kognitives, visuospatiales, emotionales und soziales Engagement beinhaltet. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit dem therapeutischen Nutzen des Tanzes für die Gesundheit von Körper und Geist. Nach einer Einführung wird die Verbindung zwischen Körperbewegungen und dem Nervensystem erörtert, wobei die neuronalen Korrelate des Tanzes hervorgehoben werden, die kürzlich durch neue Methoden in der Neurowissenschaft des Tanzes nachgewiesen wurden, und gezeigt wird, wie der Tanz positiv auf das Gehirn und die Nerven wirken kann. Anschließend geben wir einen Überblick über wissenschaftliche Studien, die sich mit den therapeutischen Wirkungen verschiedener Tanzpraktiken befassen, die sehr stark auf den Aspekt der Verkörperung oder des Körperbewusstseins des Tanzes ausgerichtet sind. Der letzte Abschnitt veranschaulicht einige klinisch-psychologische Vorteile der Tanztherapie in Kliniken, wenn sie am Krankenbett eingesetzt wird, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf den psychologischen und emotionalen Gesichtspunkten liegt. Abschließend gibt dieser Artikel einen Überblick über die jüngsten Methoden, die es ermöglichen, den therapeutischen Nutzen verschiedener Tanzansätze zu demonstrieren, die eng mit der wesentlichen Rolle des Körperbewusstseins zusammenhängen, das durch den Tanz gefördert wird.; Dance is a universal form of human expression that constitutes a physical activity and a body language that involves motor, cognitive, visuospatial, emotional and social engagement. This article is focusing on the therapeutic benefits of dance regarding body-mind health. After an introduction, we discuss the connection between body movements and the nervous system, highlighting the neuronal correlates of dance recently evidenced by new methods in neuroscience of dance, showing how dance can positively act on the brain and the nerves and opening a wide range of opportunities to deal with body-mind health based in therapeutic dance approaches. We then present a review of scientific studies addressing the therapeutic effects of different practices involving dance, which are very structured on the embodiment or body consciousness aspect of the dance. The last section illustrates some clinical psychological benefits of dance therapy in clinics, when used at the bedside, focusing on the psychological and emotional points of view. In conclusion, this article reviews how recent methods allow demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of different dance approaches, that appear closely related to the essential role of body consciousness promoted by dancing.; La danse est une forme universelle d'expression humaine qui constitue une activité physique et un langage corporel impliquant un engagement moteur, cognitif, visuospatial, émotionnel et social. Cet article se concentre sur les bienfaits thérapeutiques de la danse sur la santé corps-esprit. Après une introduction, nous discutons de la connexion entre les mouvements du corps et le système nerveux, en soulignant les corrélats neuronaux de la danse récemment mis en évidence par les nouvelles méthodes de la neuroscience de la danse, en montrant comment la danse peut agir positivement sur le cerveau et les nerfs et en ouvrant un large éventail de possibilités pour traiter la santé corps-esprit sur la base d'approches thérapeutiques de la danse. Nous présentons ensuite une revue des études scientifiques traitant des effets thérapeutiques de différentes pratiques impliquant la danse, qui sont très structurées sur l'aspect incarnation ou conscience du corps de la danse. La dernière section illustre certains bénéfices psychologiques cliniques de la danse thérapeutique, lorsqu'elle est utilisée au chevet du patient, en se concentrant sur les points de vue psychologique et émotionnel. En conclusion, cet article examine comment les méthodes récentes permettent de démontrer les avantages thérapeutiques de différentes approches de la danse, qui semblent étroitement liées au rôle essentiel de la conscience corporelle promue par la danse.

Tanz ist eine universelle menschliche Ausdrucksform, die eine körperliche Aktivität und eine Körpersprache darstellt, die motorisches, kognitives, visuospatiales, emotionales und soziales Engagement beinhaltet. Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit dem therapeutischen Nutzen des Tanzes für die Gesundheit von Körper und Geist. Nach einer Einführung wird die Verbindung zwischen Körperbewegungen und dem Nervensystem erörtert, wobei die neuronalen Korrelate des Tanzes hervorgehoben werden, die kürzlich durch neue Methoden in der Neurowissenschaft des Tanzes nachgewiesen wurden, und gezeigt wird, wie der Tanz positiv auf das Gehirn und die Nerven wirken kann. Anschließend geben wir einen Überblick über wissenschaftliche Studien, die sich mit den therapeutischen Wirkungen verschiedener Tanzpraktiken befassen, die sehr stark auf den Aspekt der Verkörperung oder des Körperbewusstseins des Tanzes ausgerichtet sind. Der letzte Abschnitt veranschaulicht einige klinisch-psychologische Vorteile der Tanztherapie in Kliniken, wenn sie am Krankenbett eingesetzt wird, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf den psychologischen und emotionalen Gesichtspunkten liegt. Abschließend gibt dieser Artikel einen Überblick über die jüngsten Methoden, die es ermöglichen, den therapeutischen Nutzen verschiedener Tanzansätze zu demonstrieren, die eng mit der wesentlichen Rolle des Körperbewusstseins zusammenhängen, das durch den Tanz gefördert wird., Dance is a universal form of human expression that constitutes a physical activity and a body language that involves motor, cognitive, visuospatial, emotional and social engagement. This article is focusing on the therapeutic benefits of dance regarding body-mind health. After an introduction, we discuss the connection between body movements and the nervous system, highlighting the neuronal correlates of dance recently evidenced by new methods in neuroscience of dance, showing how dance can positively act on the brain and the nerves and opening a wide range of opportunities to deal with body-mind health based in therapeutic dance approaches. We then present a review of scientific studies addressing the therapeutic effects of different practices involving dance, which are very structured on the embodiment or body consciousness aspect of the dance. The last section illustrates some clinical psychological benefits of dance therapy in clinics, when used at the bedside, focusing on the psychological and emotional points of view. In conclusion, this article reviews how recent methods allow demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of different dance approaches, that appear closely related to the essential role of body consciousness promoted by dancing., La danse est une forme universelle d'expression humaine qui constitue une activité physique et un langage corporel impliquant un engagement moteur, cognitif, visuospatial, émotionnel et social. Cet article se concentre sur les bienfaits thérapeutiques de la danse sur la santé corps-esprit. Après une introduction, nous discutons de la connexion entre les mouvements du corps et le système nerveux, en soulignant les corrélats neuronaux de la danse récemment mis en évidence par les nouvelles méthodes de la neuroscience de la danse, en montrant comment la danse peut agir positivement sur le cerveau et les nerfs et en ouvrant un large éventail de possibilités pour traiter la santé corps-esprit sur la base d'approches thérapeutiques de la danse. Nous présentons ensuite une revue des études scientifiques traitant des effets thérapeutiques de différentes pratiques impliquant la danse, qui sont très structurées sur l'aspect incarnation ou conscience du corps de la danse. La dernière section illustre certains bénéfices psychologiques cliniques de la danse thérapeutique, lorsqu'elle est utilisée au chevet du patient, en se concentrant sur les points de vue psychologique et émotionnel. En conclusion, cet article examine comment les méthodes récentes permettent de démontrer les avantages thérapeutiques de différentes approches de la danse, qui semblent étroitement liées au rôle essentiel de la conscience corporelle promue par la danse.

We analyzed size of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) aerosol particles shed by experimentally infected cynomolgus monkeys. Most exhaled particles were small, and virus was mainly released early during infection. By postinfection day 6, no virus was detected in breath, but air in the isolator contained large quantities of aerosolized virus.

The places in which we live have a direct influence on our health and wellbeing. The interest in human health and experience of a space was apparent in the work of 20th century architects such as Le-Corbusier and Alvar Aalto during the tuberculosis epidemic. The Paimio Sanatorium, which was a collaboration between doctors and architect by Alvar Aalto in 1929-33, was one of the most famous projects that shows the tuberculosis influence on architecture. Therefore, the need to redesign spaces in order to live a happier and healthier life began to influence modern architecture from the early 20th century. The change of body perception because of disease impacted architecture, reconfiguring it in a way that the building could function as a medical tool. However, after years of living in a world without pandemics, designers just about to forget the importance of the design and its influence on human health. Although, the new restrictions placed on society due to Covid-19 outbreak, played an important role to reconsider the functional connection between the built environment and human wellness. This thesis explores the ways that the built environment and its surroundings can affect human physical and mental wellbeing by examining the ways that the world has adapted to the new trends and strategies through the design of an assisted living facility in Oldtown, Alexandria, Virginia. Master of Architecture In the early months of 2020, the World Health Organization announced a pandemic due to Covid-19 which was first reported in China. Following the WHO declaration, people were forced to be quarantined for months. The fear of the contagious airborne disease became the most important factor in determining which spaces people can safely frequent. Therefore, space became an essential component of concern during the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to play a role in architecture thereafter. These issues are examined through the design of an assisted living facility in Oldtown Alexandria, Virginia.

Background Metabolic carts measure the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced and oxygen consumed by an individual when breathing to assess metabolic fuel usage (carbohydrates versus fats). However, these systems are expensive, time-consuming, and only available in health care laboratory settings. A small handheld device capable of determining metabolic fuel usage via CO2 from exhaled air has been developed. Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of a novel handheld device (Lumen) for measuring metabolic fuel utilization in healthy young adults. Methods Metabolic fuel usage was assessed in healthy participants (n=33; mean age 23.1 years, SD 3.9 years) via respiratory exchange ratio (RER) values obtained from a metabolic cart as well as % CO2 from the Lumen device. Measurements were performed at rest in two conditions: fasting, and after consuming 150 grams of glucose, in order to determine changes in metabolic fuel usage. Reduced major axis regression and simple linear regression were performed to test for agreement between RER and Lumen % CO2. Results Both RER and Lumen % CO2 significantly increased after glucose intake (P Conclusions This study shows the validity of Lumen for detecting changes in metabolic fuel utilization in a comparable manner with a laboratory standard metabolic cart, providing the ability for real-time metabolic information for users under any circumstances.