Journal of breath research
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Foreword The International Association of Breath Research (IABR) meetings are an eclectic gathering of researchers in the medical, environmental and instrumentation fields; our focus is on human health as assessed by the measurement and interpretation of trace chemicals in human exhaled breath. What may have escaped our notice is a complementary field of research that explores the creation and maintenance of artificial atmospheres practised by the submarine air monitoring and air purification (SAMAP) community. SAMAP is comprised of manufacturers, researchers and medical professionals dealing with the engineering and instrumentation to support human life in submarines and spacecraft (including shuttlecraft and manned rockets, high-altitude aircraft, and the International Space Station (ISS)). ⋯ We will let the IABR community know when the next meeting is scheduled, and will certainly make the SAMAP people aware of IABR meetings and the Journal of Breath Research. This article has been subjected to EPA Agency review and approved for publication. Statements do not necessarily reflect official Agency policy.
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Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) has been implicated in the worsening of several respiratory disorders. Current methods of diagnosis lack accuracy, are invasive and can be costly. Recently, novel methods of analysing lung pathophysiology have been developed including the use of an electronic nose and analysis of components of exhaled breath condensate (EBC). ⋯ This pilot study has shown that exhaled breath profiling can be used for detecting GORD in obstructive lung diseases. While the electronic nose was useful in asthma, EBC pepsin was more helpful in COPD. In this study, several different confounders could potentially have affected results and larger prospective interventional studies are needed.