Use Of Breath Research Articles

On the Use of Breath in the Performance of Yangqin Song "Loess Sentiment"

The dulcimer's timbre is clear, the expressive force is rich, the smooth breath is the perfect work presents the premise. However, whether the breath is unblocked does not directly affect the playing effect, but indirectly through the player's physical coordination and psychological state to the player's playing effect. breath is unblocked does not directly affect the playing effect, but indirectly through the player's physical coordination and psychological state to However, whether the breath is unblocked does not directly affect the playing effect, but indirectly through the player's physical coordination and psychological state to affect the playing effect. the influence of breath in dulcimer performance, the embodiment of breath in dulcimer works, The advantages and disadvantages of breath in dulcimer performance and the ways to avoid the disadvantages performance and the ways to avoid the disadvantages of breath in dulcimer performance are expounded.

A user preference analysis of commercial breath ketone sensors to inform the development of portable breath ketone sensors for diabetes management in young people.

BackgroundPortable breath ketone sensors may help people with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) avoid episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis; however, the design features preferred by users have not been studied. We aimed to elucidate breath sensor design preferences of young people with T1DM (age 12 to 16) and their parents to inform the development of a breath ketone sensor prototype that would best suit their diabetes management needs.Research designs and methodsTo elicit foundational experiences from which design preference ideas could be generated, two commercially available breath ketone sensors, designed for ketogenic diet monitoring, were explored over one week by ten young people with T1DM. Participants interacted with the breath ketone sensing devices, and undertook blood ketone testing, at least twice daily for five days to simulate use within a real life and ambulatory care setting. Semi-structured interviews were conducted post-testing with the ten young participants and their caregivers (n = 10) to elicit preferences related to breath sensor design and use, and to inform the co-design of a breath ketone sensor prototype for use in T1DM self-management. We triangulated our data collection with key informant interviews with two diabetes educators working in pediatric care about their perspectives related to young people using breath ketone sensors.ResultsParticipants acknowledged the non-invasiveness of breath sensors as compared to blood testing. Affordability, reliability and accuracy were identified as prerequisites for breath ketone sensors used for diabetes management. Design features valued by young people included portability, ease of use, sustainability, readability and suitability for use in public. The time required to use breath sensors was similar to that for blood testing. The requirement to maintain a 10-second breath exhalation posed a challenge for users. Diabetes educators highlighted the ease of use of breath devices especially for young people who tended to under-test using blood ketone strips.ConclusionsBreath ketone sensors for diabetes management have potential that may facilitate ketone testing in young people. Our study affirms features for young people that drive usability of breath sensors among this population, and provides a model of user preference assessment.

Healing minds, moving bodies: measuring the mental health effects of online dance during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Use of breath, close physical proximity, and tactile cues are some of the unique facets of dance training. In March of 2020, as COVID-19 lockdowns occurred, these aspects were removed from the lexicon of dance educators as virtual learning took the place of in-person training. This data-driven project explores the benefits and challenges of virtual dance, examining whether online dance can acutely improve mental health and enhance social connectivity. We explore our findings from an education perspective, focusing on learning style, class experience, and dance history. Our findings suggest that online dance can improve mood and increase community connectedness in healthy adults. Importantly, we found that an individual’s trait learning style can influence the effectiveness of online learning, with tactile learners benefitting the most in terms of mood state and visual learners benefitting the most in terms of social connectivity. Additionally, we found that greater levels of experienced enjoyment provided the greatest benefits to mood state, whereas greater levels of perceived difficulty may have detrimental effects. We suggest best practices for online dance learning, provide future areas of research, and highlight the importance of using online learning to increase dance accessibility to diverse populations.

Detection of Gas-Phase Cannabinoids

Recent changes in the legal status of cannabis augmented by a rapidly evolving social acceptance towards its consumption, highlight the immediate need for a reliable, non-invasive, point-of-use detection method for cannabis intoxication. Marijuana intoxication reduces motor coordination, slows reaction time, and impairs peripheral vision, concentration, and decision making. The rise in access and consumption of marijuana is anticipated to lead to an increase in drivers and workers impaired from its effects. Current tests for marijuana consumption are invasive (rely on blood/urine), logistically challenging (require weeks to analyze), and can only conclusively confirm use within the past month (not real-time detection). In the absence of a portable, non-invasive analytical tool to quantify marijuana intoxication, real-time THC sobriety tests rely heavily on subjective techniques that are prone to human error and/or bias. Consequently, these methods are inadequate for law enforcement, who need who need to quickly and accurately determine an individual’s state of impairment, and employers, who forbid “working under the influence”, but would allow responsible “off-duty” cannabis consumption to go unpenalized, so long as it does not affect job performance.Although there is no federal legislative consensus on the definition of marijuana intoxication, it is known that Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principle psychotropic in marijuana, has an approximate 3-hour detection window in the body that roughly correlates with symptoms of peak cannabis impairment. A small, but detectable, concentration of THC remains in equilibrium in the lungs during this 3-hour window, allowing the use of breath to be leveraged as a non-invasive method to determine recent cannabis consumption. After 3 hours, cannabinoid metabolites are rapidly diminished from the blood and lungs and absorbed into fatty tissue and the brain, reducing the efficacy of breath for use in non-invasive detection methods. While the low concentration of cannabinoids in breath ( µg/L – pg/L ) complicates detection, and there is ongoing debate as to how chronic marijuana use, gender, and body type affect baseline THC levels, there is a growing consensus that a breathalyzer will ultimately provide the best solution for a non-invasive, point-of-use detector for cannabis intoxication.Seacoast Science, Inc. is co-developing a hand-held marijuana breathalyzer in collaboration with Professors Nathaniel Lynd and Feng Zhang of UT Austin. This device will allow for the real-time, point-of-use detection and quantification of cannabinoids measured in the gas-phase. The underlying detection technology is based on the use of smart, biomimetic polymers with enhanced cannabinoid affinity measured by Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) transducers (ie. chemicapacitors and chemiresistors). We will present results confirming reliable detection of a panel of gas-phase cannabinoids measured using this system in a controlled environmental chamber. The use of chemometric analysis to identify selected cannabinoids vs. common interferents will also be discussed. This technology allows a roadmap for the non-invasive analytical detection of cannabinoids in breath, which serve as biomarkers for marijuana intoxication.

Breathing in and out with Blow-Up

Abstract This analysis focuses on Blow-Up's play with synchronous and asynchronous sound; the use of breath and frame size to join the visual and sonic dimensions of the concept of blowing up; and its commitment to the embodiment of both viewer and the material of cinema.

Spoken Word and Spirit’s Breath: A Theopoetics of Performance Poetry

Abstract Stanley Romaine Hopper defined theopoiesis as a performative form of thinking that ‘effect[s] disclosure through the crucial nexus of event’. Unlike theology which seeks an explanation of the revelatory through the tools of rational discourse, this poetic and participatory activity is ‘a breathing with the inhale and exhale of Being … that “the god” may breathe through us’. Following Hopper, this article addresses the performative ‘event’ of the spoken word as a window into a discussion of creative breath, exploring its implications for a theology that seeks to ‘breathe with’ the Spirit. The use of breath in the work of contemporary poets Tony Walsh and Kate Tempest demonstrates a perhaps largely unacknowledged form of poetic ‘difficulty’ (one of Geoffrey Hill’s criteria for good poetry) in the spoken word. Their intriguing practices of creative breath may contribute to a theopoetics of the Spirit that takes poetic performance seriously as a means of revelatory disclosure.

Nonpharmacologic Interventions for the Self-Management of Anxiety in Parkinson's Disease: A Comprehensive Review.

Anxiety in Parkinson's disease (aPD) is underdiagnosed, undertreated, and understudied. As many as 50% of persons diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) are reported to suffer from anxiety. Current treatment is largely pharmacologic, which can result in a myriad of undesirable and unsafe side effects. The aim of this paper is to examine intervention studies of self-managed nonpharmacological strategies for the treatment of anxiety. A comprehensive review was conducted on experimental or quasi-experimental trials that included self-management approaches for the nonpharmacologic treatment of anxiety as a primary or secondary aim or outcome measure. Thirteen studies were identified from four databases. Study quality demonstrated variability in design and delivery of self-managed interventions; sample sizes were small; anxiety was most commonly a secondary aim; and the use of anxiety measures varied widely. Statistical significance was evident in slightly more than 50% of the anxiety intervention studies. A common element in the interventions in all studies was the focused use of breath. Further research is needed to determine the feasibility of using focused breathing, alone, as an intervention for the self-management of anxiety in Parkinson's disease.

Drawing Breath: Breathing into the Rhythm and Form of Art Therapy: Exercises and Workbook for Psychotherapists and Educators

Drawing Breath: Breathing into the Rhythm and Form of Art TherapyExercises and Workbook for Psychotherapists and Educators Linda Siegel (bio) Sitting in dignity, we bring our awareness to the object of our awareness. The breath is that object. —The Buddha Introduction Breath, which pumps healthy oxygen into our bodies more than 20,000 times a day, is common to all living things. Developing a deep understanding of the process of breathing can reveal to us our inherent connectedness with all of life. Breathing, which has long been known to aid in relaxation and pre-exercise during stretching, is a focus in most meditation practices and serves as a vital reference point from which the mind wanders and is drawn back. Breath work can expand the uses of breathing to include rhythms that speak to both our life forces and our creative processes. I offer both theoretical background and experiential exercises in this paper. As a child I suffered from a myriad of respiratory problems and allergies, which frequently landed me in the doctor's office to have my nose drained. Memories of gasping for air became more vivid years later when, as an adult, I took up more serious swimming to increase my lung capacity after quitting a long habit of smoking. In the beginning, I barely made it through one lap, but, as I moved through the water, one stroke at a time, the water held me in a womb-like weightlessness, allowing my body to move, pain-free, through the silence, except for [End Page 251] the sound of my own breath. That I began smoking at all, confounds me now. My curiosity about smoking surely came from the many smokers around me at the time; it seemed sensual and sophisticated then, before knowledge of the dangers of smoking. Looking back, I realize that smoking may have been a way to take in a deep breath, something that eluded me as a child. Over the years, I have expanded my lung capacity and have enjoyed a significant decrease in breathing problems. My experience of how breathing can improve overall health sparked my exploration of what it means to breathe life into a person's existence, both literally and figuratively, something that we do for ourselves and others as therapists and educators. I am particularly interested in how a breathing practice can promote relaxation, provide more space within the body boundaries, and loosen up the artist at the beginning of a creative project. All the examples explored here have been used with psychotherapists, patients, and students in group settings, but may also be used individually and with children. Just Breathe First, let's take a moment to become conscious of the breathing process. If one were to attend to breathing, one would become aware of the simple facts about it, including one's breathing speed, rhythms, and normal irregularities, as well as the urges and counter-urges to shorten, quicken, or extend one's breath. One would find breathing stimulates many kinds of body sensations in diverse body regions. As one breathes more deeply into one's tensions, streams of erotic sensations may be triggered, and one may forget about one's breathing entirely. As Eigen (1993) observes, "feelings of power and energy rise and fall; some become concentrated in specific body zones while others remain unpredictably fluid" (p. 44). Breathing practice can be used as a technique for bringing a person into the present moment, and later, as a starting point for optimizing engagement in the creative process. Breathing is inherently connected to a rhythm which influenced our beginning experiences of the world, including our first experiences [End Page 252] of human creativity. The practice of breathing with art-making can increase expression and promote the experience of connecting mind and body in a more fluid way, and gives us a multi-modal experience of integration. Breathing connects us with our human identity, both our individual identity and the collective identity that we share with others. Many meditation teachers believe that the use of breath offers us all a chance to begin again. A more comprehensive psychological exploration reveals that breathing is inherently connected to one's...

Towards the use of breath for detecting mycobacterial infection: a case study in a murine model

In the present research, the potential of breath analysis by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS) was investigated for the discrimination between healthy and infected mice. A pilot study employing a total of 16 animals was used to develop a method for breath analysis in a murine model for studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) using the M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin. Breath was collected in Tedlar bags and concentrated onto thermal desorption tubes for subsequent analysis by GC×GC-MS. Immunological test and bacterial cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and mice lung homogenate confirmed the presence of bacteria in the infected group. From the GC×GC-MS analysis, 23 molecules were found to mainly drive the separation between control and infected mice and their tentative identification is provided.This study shows that the overall used methodology is able to differentiate breath between healthy and infected animals, and the information herein can be used to further develop the mouse breath model to study MTBC pathogenesis, evaluate pre-clinical drug regimen efficacy, and to further develop the concept of breath-based diagnostics.

Computed tomography-guided lung biopsy: Association between biopsy needle angle and pneumothorax development.

Computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy is a well-established diagnostic method for pulmonary lesions. However, the use of this technique often results in pneumothorax development. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between biopsy needle angle and pneumothorax development associated with computed tomography-guided lung biopsy. We retrospectively analyzed the results of CT-guided lung biopsies for 325 cases to investigate physical risk factors for pneumothorax development. Biopsy needle angle and patient positioning were included in the analysis. Pneumothorax occurred in 160 of 325 procedures (49.2%). Discontinuation of the procedure as a result of pneumothorax occurred in 18 of 160 procedures (11.2%). Upper lung lobe pneumothorax occurred in 40.8% (58/142), middle lobe in 17.6% (25/142), and lower lobe pneumothorax occurred in 41.5% (59/142) of these procedures. Discontinuation of the procedure occurred in 2.5% of the upper lobe (4/160), 0.6% of the middle lobe (1/160), and 8.1% of the lower lobe (13/160) biopsies. Mild pneumothorax occurred in 59.4% (95/160), moderate in 25.0% (40/160), and severe in 7.5% (12/160) of the affected cases, and biopsy was discontinued in 11.2% (18/160) of the affected cases. When the needle angle was <90°, 40.3% (131/325) of the patients experienced no pneumothorax development, 40.0% (130/325) developed pneumothorax, and 4.3% (14/325) of the procedures were discontinued. The results showed that use of CT-guided lung biopsy can reduce the rate of pneumothorax development that occurs when other procedures are used. The access route is simple and easy to puncture, and proper use of breath holding reduces diaphragmatic movement.

Asian elephants acquire inaccessible food by blowing.

Many animals acquire otherwise inaccessible food with the aid of sticks and occasionally water. As an exception, some reports suggest that elephants manipulate breathing through their trunks to acquire inaccessible food. Here, we report on two female Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Kamine Zoo, Japan, who regularly blew to drive food within their reach. We experimentally investigated this behaviour by placing foods in inaccessible places. The elephants blew the food until it came within accessible range. Once the food was within range, the elephants were increasingly less likely to blow as the distance to the food became shorter. One subject manipulated her blowing duration based on food distance: longer when the food was distant. These results suggest that the elephants used their breath to achieve goals: that is, they used it not only to retrieve the food but also to fine-tune the food position for easy grasping. We also observed individual differences in the elephants' aptitude for this technique, which altered the efficiency of food acquisition. Thus, we added a new example of spontaneous behaviour for achieving a goal in animals. The use of breath to drive food is probably unique to elephants, with their dexterous trunks and familiarity with manipulating the act of blowing, which is commonly employed for self-comfort and acoustic communication.

Immediate biofeedback for energy balance via expired breath δ(13)CO2.

Expired breath δ(13)CO2 measured in real time serves as a useful biomarker of altered macronutrient metabolism in response to changes in energy balance. Altered breath δ(13)CO2 is believed to be a result of changes in macronutrient oxidation and the kinetic isotope effect where enzymatic processes discriminate against metabolites naturally enriched with (13)C. Use of breath δ(13)CO2 as a rapid biofeedback of energy balance status will enhance an individual's ability to modify behavior during weight loss efforts. Herein we describe a novel approach for immediate biofeedback for energy deficit using a moderate exercise challenge. Our new mid-infrared isotope ratio-meter for δ(13)CO2 is a step toward miniaturization of a personal device for instant biofeedback for people attempting to lose weight.

Breathwork in body psychotherapy: Clinical applications

The use of conscious breathing practices for the purpose of physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual healing has a long and extremely varied history, yet little work has been done to bring these practices into a coherent and unified form that contributes to the field of body psychotherapy (BP). This article focuses on translating theoretical themes developed in a previous publication (Caldwell & Victoria, 2011. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy, 6(2), 89–101) into practical applications in the BP profession. The authors propose six clinical themes for the use of breath in BP, a balanced breathing exercise, and four clinical models for integration into BP practice. Recommendations are made for future research and training in this crucial area of BP.

Potential of breath and skin analysis for monitoring blood glucose concentration in diabetes

The ability to monitor blood glucose noninvasively has long been a goal of those with diabetes, due to the pain and inconvenience of current blood glucose monitoring devices. This article investigates the potential for monitoring compounds in breath and emitted through skin for inferring blood glucose concentration. Potential markers and an assessment of their suitability for noninvasive monitoring are discussed. The varying technologies developed for monitoring volatile organic compounds in breath and from the skin of diabetics and their suitability for development as a hand-held device is reviewed. The potential exists for the use of breath and skin monitoring as an alternative to blood glucose, but it may take years to collect sufficient clinical data for robust correlations to be possible.

Reflective practice in practice

Reflective practice in practice

Ethyl Glucuronide Discloses Recent Covert Alcohol Use Not Detected by Standard Testing in Forensic Psychiatric Inpatients

Considerable lives and money could be saved if one could detect early stages of lapsing/relapsing behavior in addicted persons (e.g., in safety-sensitive workplaces) and could disclose harmful drinking in social drinkers. Due to the serious public health problem of alcohol use and abuse worldwide, markers of alcohol use have been sought. Both ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth) appear to have high sensitivity and specificity and a time frame of detection that may elucidate alcohol use not detected by standard testing. Our aim was to assess their potential for detecting recent covert alcohol use under controlled conditions. Thirty-five forensic psychiatric inpatients in a closed ward who had committed a substance-related offense ( section sign 64 StGB), were followed for 12 months. The complete time spectrum of possible alcohol consumption was covered by the complementary use of breath and urinary ethanol (hours), urinary EtG (days), %carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT)/PEth (weeks), and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT)/mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (weeks-months). Fourteen of the 146 urine samples examined were positive for EtG. In all EtG-positive cases, patients reported alcohol consumption of between 40 and 200 g of ethanol 12-60 hr prior to testing. Urinary and breath ethanol were positive in only one case. In the blood samples, PEth was not positive in any case and %CDT did not exceed the reference value. Isoelectric focusing showed no abnormal Tf subtypes. The findings emphasize the diagnostic and therapeutic usefulness, specificity, and sensitivity of EtG as a marker of recent alcohol use. Such a test is needed in numerous settings, including alcohol and drug treatment (to detect lapse/relapse), in safety-sensitive work settings where use is dangerous or in other settings where use may be inappropriate (e.g., such as driving, workplace, pregnancy, or monitoring physicians or other professionals who are in recovery and working), or for testing other groups (such as children or those with medical problems) where alcohol use would be unhealthy or unsafe. The health, social and socioeconomic benefits arising from the future use of these markers is hard to overestimate.

Biological monitoring of workers exposed to benzene in the coke oven industry.

Workers in the coke oven industry are potentially exposed to low concentrations of benzene. There is a need to establish a well validated biological monitoring procedure for low level benzene exposure. The use of breath and blood benzene and urinary phenol has been explored in conjunction with personal monitoring data. At exposures of about 1 ppm benzene, urinary phenol is of no value as an indicator of uptake/exposure. Benzene in blood was measured by head space gas chromatography but the concentrations were only just above the detection limit. The determination of breath benzene collected before the next shift is non-specific in the case of smokers. The most useful monitor at low concentrations appears to be breath benzene measured at the end-of-shift.

On the teaching of breathing for the singing voice

<h2>Summary</h2> Training the use of breath is the single most important component in the development of the singing voice. The voice teacher is responsible for the creation of imagery that will bring about the achievement of a singing technique based upon the efficient management of the muscles involved in breathing. This imagery can be varied and presented differently to singers depending upon their ages and particular point in training. The training is partially sequential, but must continue throughout a singer's career to meet the particular conditions under which the singer performs. Proper breath control is crucial to the minimalization of tension in the muscles of the throat and cannot be separated from the successful expression of the musical phrase. Breathing technique is capable of ongoing improvement and refinement.