Heart rate variability helps classify phenotype in systemic sclerosis.

We aimed to develop a systemic sclerosis (SSc) subtypes classifier tool to be used at the patient's bedside. We compared the heart rate variability (HRV) at rest (5-min) and in response to orthostatism (5-min) of patients (n = 58) having diffuse (n = 16, dcSSc) and limited (n = 38, lcSSc) cutaneous forms. The HRV was evaluated from the beat-to-beat RR intervals in time-, frequency-, and nonlinear-domains.

Interest of thoracic ultrasound after cardiac surgery or interventional cardiology.

Thoracic ultrasound has attracted much interest in detecting pleural effusion or pulmonary consolidation after cardiac surgery. In 2016, Trovato reported, in the , the interest of using, in addition to echocardiography, thoracic ultrasound. In this editorial, we highlight the value of assessing diaphragm function after cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology procedures.

Evaluation of computed tomography in the diagnosis of ultrasound-proven diaphragm dysfunction.

Introduction: Computed tomography (CT) is routinely employed on the evaluation of dyspnea, yet limited data exist on its assessment of diaphragmatic muscle. This study aimed to determine the capability of CT in identifying structural changes in the diaphragm among patients with ultrasound-confirmed diaphragmatic dysfunction.

Methods: Diaphragmatic ultrasounds conducted between 2018 and 2021 at our center in Marseille, France, were retrospectively collected.

Ultrasound evaluation of diaphragmatic function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a retrospective observational study.

Introduction: The diaphragm function assessed by ultrasound has been well-studied in COPD, asthma, and intensive care. However, there are only a few studies on diffuse interstitial lung disease, while dyspnea and quality of life are major issues in the management that may depend on the diaphragm.

Methods: We retrospectively included idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients followed in our center (Marseille, France) between January 2020 and February 2023 who underwent diaphragmatic ultrasound.

Ultrasound assessment of the respiratory system using diaphragm motion-volume indices.

Background: Although previous studies have determined limit values of normality for diaphragm excursion and thickening, it would be beneficial to determine the normal diaphragm motion-to-inspired volume ratio that integrates the activity of the diaphragm and the quality of the respiratory system.

Methods: To determine the normal values of selected ultrasound diaphragm motion-volume indices, subjects with normal pulmonary function testing were recruited. Ultrasound examination recorded diaphragm excursion on both sides during quiet breathing and deep inspiration.

Contribution of Adenosine in the Physiological Changes and Injuries Secondary to Exposure to Extreme Oxygen Pressure in Healthy Subjects.

Climbers and aviators are exposed to severe hypoxia at high altitudes, whereas divers are exposed to hyperoxia at depth. The aim of this study was to report changes in the adenosinergic system induced by exposure to extreme oxygen partial pressures. At high altitudes, the increased adenosine concentration contributes to brain protection against hypoxia through various mechanisms such as stimulation of glycogenolysis for ATP production, reduction in neuronal energy requirements, enhancement in 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate production, and increase in cerebral blood flow secondary to vasodilation of cerebral arteries.

Diaphragm dysfunction after severe COVID-19: An ultrasound study.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection can impair diaphragm function at the acute phase but the frequency of diaphragm dysfunction after recovery from COVID-19 remains unknown.

Materials And Methods: This study was carried out on patients reporting persistent respiratory symptoms 3-4 months after severe COVID-19 pneumonia. The included patients were selected from a medical consultation designed to screen for recovery after acute infection.

Ultrasound Assessment of Diaphragm Thickness and Thickening: Reference Values and Limits of Normality When in a Seated Position.

Diagnosing diaphragm dysfunction in the absence of complete paralysis remains difficult. The aim of the present study was to assess the normal values of the thickness and the inspiratory thickening of both hemidiaphragms as measured by ultrasonography in healthy volunteers while in a seated position. Healthy volunteers with a normal pulmonary function test were recruited.

Low Dose Chest CT and Lung Ultrasound for the Diagnosis and Management of COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to use low- and non-radiating chest imaging techniques on a large scale in the context of an infectious disease, which has never been done before. Previously, low-dose techniques were rarely used for infectious diseases, despite the recognised danger of ionising radiation.

Method: To evaluate the role of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) and lung ultrasound (LUS) in managing COVID-19 pneumonia, we performed a review of the literature including our cases.

Diaphragmatic motion recorded by M-mode ultrasonography: limits of normality.

Chest ultrasonography has proven to be useful in the diagnosis of diaphragm dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to determine the normal values of the motion of both hemidiaphragms recorded by M-mode ultrasonography. Healthy volunteers were studied while in a seated position.

Detection of and in Lower Respiratory Tract Microbiota.

Methanogens, the sole microbes producing methane, are archaea commonly found in human anaerobic microbiota. Methanogens are emerging as opportunistic pathogens associated with dysbiosis and are also detected and cultured in anaerobic abscesses. Their presence in the respiratory tract is yet unknown.

Assessment of diaphragmatic function by ultrasonography: Current approach and perspectives.

This article reports the various methods used to assess diaphragmatic function by ultrasonography. The excursions of the two hemidiaphragms can be measured using two-dimensional or M-mode ultrasonography, during respiratory maneuvers such as quiet breathing, voluntary sniffing and deep inspiration. On the zone of apposition to the rib cage for both hemidiaphragms, it is possible to measure the thickness on expiration and during deep breathing to assess the percentage of thickening during inspiration.

Translocation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis after experimental ingestion.

Human tuberculosis is a life-threatening infection following the inhalation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, while the closely related bacteria Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium canettii are thought to be transmitted by ingestion. To explore whether M. tuberculosis could also infect individuals by ingestion, male BALBc mice were fed 2 x 106 CFUs of M.

Quorum Quenching Lactonase Strengthens Bacteriophage and Antibiotic Arsenal Against Clinical Isolates.

Many bacteria use quorum sensing (QS), a bacterial communication system based on the diffusion and perception of small signaling molecules, to synchronize their behavior in a cell-density dependent manner. QS regulates the expression of many genes associated with virulence factor production and biofilm formation. This latter is known to be involved in antibiotic and phage resistance mechanisms.

Successful Lung Volume Reduction Surgery after Endobronchial Coils Treatment in a Severe Emphysematous Patient.

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in emphysema has demonstrated improvement in both overall survival and clinical/functional outcomes. Endobronchial coil treatment (ECT) has also demonstrated improvement in pulmonary function, exercise performance, and quality of life, although predictive factors of responders remain to be determined. We describe the first successful LVRS in an emphysematous patient who displayed no benefit, either clinically or functionally, from a previous ECT.

Staphylococcus aureus nasal decolonization strategies: a review.

: () infections are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and health-care costs. Persistent nasal carriage of found in 10-30% of the general population, constitutes a risk factor for these infections. Nasal decolonization is one of the used strategies to prevent this risk in some situations.

Nasal Colonization: An Update on Mechanisms, Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Subsequent Infections.

Up to 30% of the human population are asymptomatically and permanently colonized with nasal . To successfully colonize human nares, needs to establish solid interactions with human nasal epithelial cells and overcome host defense mechanisms. However, some factors like bacterial interactions in the human nose can influence colonization and sometimes prevent colonization.

Characteristics of the paralysed diaphragm studied by M-mode ultrasonography.

Background: M-mode ultrasonography might be useful for detecting hemidiaphragm paralysis. The objective of the present study was to describe the motion recorded by M-mode ultrasonography of both diaphragmatic leaves in patients with a pre-established diagnosis of hemidiaphragm paralysis.

Methods: A study was conducted in 26 patients (18 men, 8 women) with unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.

Coxiella burnetii: A Hidden Pathogen in Interstitial Lung Disease?

We report 7 patients with interstitial lung disease seen at computed tomographic scan review. Coxiella burnetii infection was diagnosed in situ in 1 lung biopsy specimen. Q fever may be a cofactor of interstitial lung disease, especially in endemic areas.

Experimental Inoculation in Rats and Mice by the Giant Marseillevirus Leads to Long-Term Detection of Virus.

The presence of the giant virus of amoeba Marseillevirus has been identified at many different sites on the human body, including in the bloodstream of asymptomatic subjects, in the lymph nodes of a child with adenitis, in one adult with Hodgkin's disease, and in the pharynx of an adult. A high seroprevalence of the Marseillevirus has been recorded in the general population. Whether Marseillevirus can disseminate and persist within a mammal after entry remains unproven.

Ready Experimental Translocation of Mycobacterium canettii Yields Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

, which has a smooth colony morphology, is the tuberculous organism retaining the most genetic traits from the putative last common ancestor of the rough-morphology complex. To explore whether can infect individuals by the oral route, mice were fed phosphate-buffered saline or 10 mycobacteria and sacrificed over a 28-day experiment. While no was detected in negative controls, -infected mice yielded granuloma-like lesions for 4/4 lungs at days 14 and 28 postinoculation (p.