Impact of comorbidities and inflammatory markers on mortality of COVID-19 patients.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious global health concern. The severity of the disease can be determined by serologic indicators such as C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer, ferritin, and interleukin-6. (IL-6).

Effect of somatotypes on lung volumes, capacities and respiratory impedance: A pilot study.

Background: The current morphological condition of an individual is described by a somatotype, which is a three-number scale. The endomorph, mesomorph and ectomorph components are presented in the same sequence, and each number corresponds to one of the three basic components of body composition.

Methods: We recruited 50 healthy male subjects with a mean age of 24.

Phenotypic Profiling of Immune Cells and Their Mediators in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory disorder and has been proposed to have an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors.

Methods: This study was conducted on 41 participants {18 COPD patients (smokers, COPD S ( = 9); reformed smokers, COPD RS ( = 9)) and 23 controls (non-smokers, CNS ( = 14); smokers, CS ( = 9))}. Flow cytometry was used to identify circulatory immune cells and correlated with serum cytokines.

Effect of Obesity on Airway Mechanics.

Background: Obesity is known to induce lung function impairment. Previous studies of decline in lung function associated with obesity are well established.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, to evaluate the effects of different obesity indices on lung mechanics, healthy subjects (males-23 and females-22) were recruited.

Respiratory Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: Relation with Dysautonomia.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease perceived as a motor disorder. It is most commonly associated with autonomic dysfunction, affecting multiple systems. This altered autonomic control might be reflected by a parallel change in the airway caliber of these patients.

Comparative study of the effect of N95 facemask and Powered Air-purifying Respirator (2 fans, N95 filter) on cardiovascular parameters of healthy individuals during exercise.

N95 masks filter 95% of the small particles and respiratory droplets (>0.3 µm diameter). Therefore, they are widely used both by general public and health workers during pandemic.

Pulmonary Functions and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Post-Pulmonary Tuberculosis Sequelae.

Background: Post-tuberculosis (TB) sequelae is a commonly encountered clinical entity, especially in high TB burden countries. This may represent chronic anatomic sequelae of previously treated TB, with frequent symptomatic presentation. This pilot study was aimed to investigate the pulmonary functions and systemic inflammatory markers in patients with post-TB sequelae (PTBS) and to compare them with post-TB without sequelae (PTBWS) participants and healthy controls.

Effect of Smoking and Its Cessation on the Transcript Profile of Peripheral Monocytes in COPD Patients.

Rationale: Smoking is the primary cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); however, only 10-20% of smokers develop the disease suggesting possible genomic association in the causation of the disease. In the present study, we aimed to explore the whole genome transcriptomics of blood monocytes from COPD smokers (COPD-S), COPD Ex-smokers (COPD-ExS), Control smokers (CS), and Control Never-smokers (CNS) to understand the differential effects of smoking, COPD and that of smoking cessation.

Methods: Exploratory analyses in form of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical component analysis (uHCA) were performed to evaluate the similarity in gene expression patterns, while differential expression analyses of different supervised groups of smokers and never smokers were performed to study the differential effect of smoking, COPD and smoking cessation.

Exhaled Breath Temperature and Systemic Biomarkers for Assessment of Airway Inflammation in Asthmatics.

Objectives: Asthma is characterised by chronic airway inflammation and remodelling. Inflammation may alter the thermal balance of the affected tissues secondary to changes in the blood flow. Measurement of exhaled breath temperature (EBT) is a simple, safe and non-invasive technique to detect airway inflammation.

Orchestration of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (Nets), a Unique Innate Immune Function during Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Development.

Morbidity, mortality and economic burden caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a significant global concern. Surprisingly, COPD is already the third leading cause of death worldwide, something that WHO had not predicted to occur until 2030. It is characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airway limitation due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities usually caused by significant exposure to noxious particles of gases.

Effect of Disease Severity on Respiratory Impedance in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. PD has been traditionally perceived as a motor disorder. However, it is frequently associated with pulmonary dysfunction which has been assessed by Spirometry, an effort-dependent technique.

Effects of Exercise Intervention Program on Bone Mineral Accretion in Children and Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To evaluate effect of one year exercise intervention program on bone mineral accrual in children and adolescent with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods: Fifty-two CF children (mean age 149.79 mo) were randomized into experimental (15 boys and 10 girls) and control groups (15 boys and 12 girls).

Contribution of systemic vascular reactivity to variability in pulse volume amplitude response during reactive hyperemia.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate why the magnitude of reactive hyperemia (RH) observed by pulse volume amplitude (PVA) after arm occlusion differs greatly among study subjects.

Methods: Healthy subjects (n = 12) in the age range of 22-30 years participated in this study. Vascular reactivity was assessed by measuring the changes in finger PVA simultaneously in the test (occluded arm) and control arm (contralateral non-occluded arm) using two separate Photoplethysmographic sensors.

Postural variation of pulmonary diffusing capacity as a marker of lung microangiopathy in Indian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by the presence of chronic hyperglycemia and formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Interaction between AGE and its receptor leads to endothelial damage and microangiopathy. This study was undertaken to investigate the possibility of using a postural variation of diffusing capacity as an early marker of lung microangiopathy and its correlation with the level of adhesion molecules, HbA1c, duration of diabetes, and insulin resistance in type 2 DM (T2DM) patients with and without microangiopathy.

Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) leaf extract enhances specific cognitive parameters in healthy adult volunteers: A placebo controlled study.

Introduction: Ocimum sanctum (OS), known as Holy basil, has been documented to possess neuroprotective, cognition-enhancing and stress relieving effects in animal models. However there is paucity of clinical studies to document these effects.

Materials And Methods: Effect of OS on parameters related to cognition and stress in humans was evaluated with administration of 300 milligram capsules of ethanolic leaf extracts of Ocimum sanctum (EtOS) or placebo per day, over 30 days.

Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure on Respiratory Resistance in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease With a Small Amount of Secretion: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

This study aims to evaluate the acute effects of an oscillating positive expiratory pressure device (flutter) on airways resistance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Randomized crossover study: 15 COPD outpatients from Asthma Lab-Royal Brompton Hospital underwent spirometry, impulse oscillometry (IOS) for respiratory resistance (R) and reactance (X), and fraction exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measures.Thirty minutes of flutter exercises: a "flutter-sham" procedure was used as a control, and airway responses after a short-acting bronchodilator were also assessed.

FFT transformed quantitative EEG analysis of short term memory load.

Background: The EEG is considered as building block of functional signaling in the brain. The role of EEG oscillations in human information processing has been intensively investigated.

Purpose: To study the quantitative EEG correlates of short term memory load as assessed through Sternberg memory test.

Slower rise of exhaled breath temperature in cystic fibrosis.

Objective: To measure exhaled breath temperature in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Methods: 17 patients (6-18 years) with cystic fibrosis and 15 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited in this cross sectional study. Exhaled breath temperature was measured in subjects recruited in both the groups with a device X-halo and analyzed as plateau temperature achieved and rate of temperature rise.

Serum cytokine profiling and enrichment analysis reveal the involvement of immunological and inflammatory pathways in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major global health problem. It results from chronic inflammation and causes irreversible airway damage. Levels of different serum cytokines could be surrogate biomarkers for inflammation and lung function in COPD.

Cardiopulmonary exercise performance after total cavopulmonary connection with or without prior superior cavopulmonary connection.

Objective: To compare cardiopulmonary exercise capacity of patients undergoing primary total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) with those undergoing TCPC after a prior bidirectional Glenn (BDG).

Methods: Out of 42 patients in this study, 24 had undergone primary TCPC while 18 had undergone staged TCPC. The peak oxygen consumption (O(2) peak), O(2) pulse, chronotropic index, and other exercise parameters were studied.

Immediate and long-term effects of meditation on acute stress reactivity, cognitive functions, and intelligence.

Context: With the current globalization of the world's economy and demands for enhanced performance, stress is present universally. Life's stressful events and daily stresses cause both deleterious and cumulative effects on the human body. The practice of meditation might offer a way to relieve that stress.

Evaluation of hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect ofOcimum sanctum.

Ocimum sanctum leaves have been traditionally used in treatment of diabetes mellitus. Dietary supplementation of fresh tulsi leaves in a dose of 2 gm/kg BW for 30 days led to significant lowering of blood glucose levels in test group. Intake ofOcimum sanctum also led to significant increase in levels of superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and total thiols, but marked reduction in peroxiodised lipid levels as compared to untreated control group.