How and to What Extent Immunological Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Shape Pulmonary Function in COVID-19 Patients

COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, primarily impacting the respiratory system. COVID-19 can result in mild illness or serious disease leading to critical illness and requires admission to ICU due to respiratory failure. There is intense discussion around potential factors predisposing to and protecting from COVID-19. The immune response and the abnormal respiratory function with a focus on respiratory function testing in COVID-19 patients will be at the center of this Perspective article of the Frontiers in Physiology Series on “The Tribute of Physiology for the Understanding of COVID-19 Disease.” We will discuss current advances and provide future directions and present also our perspective in this field

The clinical value of cardiopulmonary exercise testing in the modern era

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) has long been used as diagnostic tool for cardiac diseases. During recent years CPET has been proven to be additionally useful for 1) distinguishing between normal and abnormal responses to exercise; 2) determining peak oxygen uptake and level of disability; 3) identifying factors contributing to dyspnoea and exercise limitation; 4) differentiating between ventilatory (respiratory mechanics and pulmonary gas exchange), cardiovascular, metabolic and peripheral muscle causes of exercise intolerance; 5) identifying anomalies of ventilatory (respiratory mechanics and pulmonary gas exchange), cardiovascular and metabolic systems, as well as peripheral muscle and psychological disorders; 6) screening for coexistent ischaemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and arterial hypoxaemia; 7) assisting in planning individualised exercise training; 8) generating prognostic information; and 9) objectively evaluating the impact of therapeutic interventions. As such, CPET is an essential part of patients’ clinical assessment. This article belongs to the special series on the “Ventilatory efficiency and its clinical prognostic value in cardiorespiratory disorders”, addressed to clinicians, physiologists and researchers, and aims at encouraging them to get acquainted with CPET in order to help and orient the clinical decision concerning individual patients

Comparing e-Fuels and Electrification for Decarbonization of Heavy-Duty Transports

The freight sector is expected to keep, or even increase, its fundamental role for the major modern economies, and therefore actions to limit the growing pressure on the environment are urgent. The use of electricity is a major option for the decarbonization of transports; in the heavy-duty segment, it can be implemented in different ways: besides full electric-battery powertrains, electricity can be used to supply catenary roads, or can be chemically stored in liquid or gaseous fuels (e-fuels). While the current EU legislation adopts a tailpipe Tank-To-Wheels approach, which results in zero emissions for all direct uses of electricity, a Well-To-Wheels (WTW) method would allow accounting for the potential benefits of using sustainable fuels such as e-fuels. In this article, we have performed a WTW-based comparison and modelling of the options for using electricity to supply heavy-duty vehicles: e-fuels, eLNG, eDiesel, and liquid Hydrogen. Results showed that the direct use of electricity can provide high Greenhouse Gas (GHG) savings, and also in the case of the e-fuels when low-carbonintensity electricity is used for their production. While most studies exclusively focus on absolute GHG savings potential, considerations of the need for new infrastructures, and the technological maturity of some options, are fundamental to compare the different technologies. In this paper, an assessment of such technological and non-technological barriers has been conducted, in order to compare alternative pathways for the heavy-duty sector. Among the available options, the flexibility of using drop-in, energy-dense liquid fuels represents a clear and substantial immediate advantage for decarbonization. Additionally, the novel approach adopted in this paper allows us to quantify the potential benefits of using e-fuels as chemical storage able to accumulate electricity from the production peaks of variable renewable energies, which would otherwise be wasted due to grid limitations

Physical activity, nutritional status and systemic inflammation in COPD

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How to get the most out of the ERS International Congress 2021 and an overview of the Early Career Member session

Sociedad Respiratoria Europea (ERS); Ayudar a los asistentesSocietat Respiratòria Europea (ERS); Ajudar els assistentsEuropean Respiratory Society (ERS); Help attendeesThis article provides a brief description of the Early Career Member session and guidance on how to get the most out of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress 2021, to help attendees plan their Congress in advance

The degree of arm elevation impacts the endurance and cardiopulmonary adaptations of COPDpatients performing upper-limb exercise: A cross-over study

In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), upper limb exercise is widely recommended. However, how the degree of shoulder flexion may influence the exercise response is unknown

Tidal breathing parameters measured using structured light plethysmography in healthy children and those with asthma before and after bronchodilator

Structured light plethysmography (SLP) is a light‐based, noncontact technique that measures tidal breathing by monitoring displacements of the thoracoabdominal (TA) wall. We used SLP to measure tidal breathing parameters and their within‐subject variability (v) in 30 children aged 7–16 years with asthma and abnormal spirometry (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec [FEV1] <80% predicted) during a routine clinic appointment. As part of standard care, the reversibility of airway obstruction was assessed by repeating spirometry after administration of an inhaled bronchodilator. In this study, SLP was performed before and after bronchodilator administration, and also once in 41 age‐matched controls. In the asthma group, there was a significant increase in spirometry‐assessed mean FEV1 after administration of bronchodilator. Of all measured tidal breathing parameters, the most informative was the inspiratory to expiratory TA displacement ratio (IE50SLP, calculated as TIF50SLP/TEF50SLP, where TIF50SLP is tidal inspiratory TA displacement rate at 50% of inspiratory displacement and TEF50SLP is tidal expiratory TA displacement rate at 50% of expiratory displacement). Median (m) IE50SLP and its variability (vIE50SLP) were both higher in children with asthma (prebronchodilator) compared with healthy children (mIE50SLP: 1.53 vs. 1.22, P < 0.001; vIE50SLP: 0.63 vs. 0.47, P < 0.001). After administration of bronchodilators to the asthma group, mIE50SLP decreased from 1.53 to 1.45 (P = 0.01) and vIE50SLP decreased from 0.63 to 0.60 (P = 0.04). SLP‐measured tidal breathing parameters could differentiate between children with and without asthma and indicate a response to bronchodilator

How to get the most out of the ERS International Congress 2021 and an overview of the Early Career Member session

The annual European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress will take place in a virtual format, from 5 to 8 September 2021. As in previous years, the programme will be full of outstanding scientific sessions in the field of respiratory medicine and enriching opportunities for Early Career Members (ECMs). In this article, we provide an overview of the structure and content of the Congress, as well as tips on how to navigate the programme and get the most out of it. We also provide a brief description of the ECM session which will focus on the keys to success in science.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio