Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a widely accepted method for analysing the environmental aspects of goods and services. Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) datasets document the various involved material and energy flows, forming the basis of every LCA study. Today, a plurality of databases providing LCI data exists. Data delivered by these databases has to be sound as well as suitable for the specific a...

OCT is a high resolution imaging modality that uses low coherence interferometry (LCI) techniques (in situ and real time) with axial resolution of 1–15μm to perform high resolution imaging of biological tissues [1]. OCT is suitable for real time imaging modality of transparent tissues up to depth limit of ~2 mm by scanning the reference mirror. [2,3]. Initially, LCI was applied in measurement o...

BACKGROUND An increased prevalence of asthma/recurrent wheeze (RW), clinical allergy and allergic sensitisation up to age 13 years has previously been reported in subjects hospitalised with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis in their first year of life compared with matched controls. A study was undertaken to examine whether these features persist into early adulthood, to re...

RATIONALE Small airways function studies in lung disease have used three promising multiple breath washout (MBW) derived indices: indices of ventilation heterogeneity in the acinar (S(acin)) and conductive (S(cond)) lung zones, and the lung clearance index (LCI). Since peripheral lung structure is known to change with age, ventilation heterogeneity is expected to be affected too. However, the a...

The functional outcome in preschool severe wheezers with eosinophilic airway inflammation and increased reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickness is unknown. We investigated the relationship between airway pathology at age 2 yrs and lung function at age 4-6 yrs in previous severe wheezers. Severe wheezers previously investigated by endobronchial biopsy and healthy children aged 4-6 yrs were r...

BACKGROUND Congenital thoracic malformations (CTM) are rare lung lesions that are managed with surgical resection or active surveillance. The objective of this study was to comprehensively assess large and small airway function in children with CTM who underwent lobectomy in early life. We hypothesise that sensitive measures of lung function will demonstrate residual impairments in CTM compared...

This study focuses on Livelihood Capital Index ( LCI ) as a useful tool in assessing the livelihood assets of rubber-based agroforestry farm households. It evaluates systematically all capitals rubber households through developing an LCI. A total 10 variables were broadly classified into five capital indicators namely; human, financial, physical, natural, and social. Data collected from 220 que...

BACKGROUND Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease starts in the first months of life often before the onset of clinical symptoms. Multiple breath washout (MBW) detects abnormal lung function in infants and young children in the laboratory setting. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of MBW in 0- to 4-year-old children with CF and non-CF controls in the clinical setting...

Measures of ventilation distribution are promising for monitoring early lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF). This study describes the cross-sectional and longitudinal impacts of pulmonary inflammation and infection on ventilation homogeneity in infants with CF.Infants diagnosed with CF underwent multiple breath washout (MBW) testing and bronchoalveolar lavage at three time points during the fi...

BACKGROUND AND AIM In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) the architecture of the developing lungs and the ventilation of lung units are progressively affected, influencing intrapulmonary gas mixing and gas exchange. We examined the long-term course of blood gas measurements in relation to characteristics of lung function and the influence of different CFTR genotype upon this process. METHODS ...