Sympathetic hyperactivity and parasympathetic withdrawal may cause and sustain hypertension. This autonomic imbalance is in turn related to a reduced or reset arterial baroreflex sensitivity and chemoreflex-induced hyperventilation. Slow breathing at 6 breaths/min increases baroreflex sensitivity and reduces sympathetic activity and chemoreflex activation, suggesting a potentially beneficial ef...

We report a microfluidic (MF) approach to studies of temperature mediated carbon dioxide (CO(2)) transfer between the gas and the liquid phases. Micrometre-diameter CO(2) bubbles with a narrow size distribution were generated in an aqueous or organic liquid and subsequently were subjected to temperature changes in the downstream channel. In response to the cooling-heating-cooling cycle the bubb...

Background: Conventional pulmonary rehabilitation programs improve exercise tolerance but have no effect on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The role of controlled breathing using respiratory biofeedback during rehabilitation of patients with COPD remains unclear. Objectives: To compare the effects of a conventional 4-week pulmonary rehabilitatio...

The laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) is indispensible for the vocal motor control of speech and song production. Patients with bilateral lesions in this region are unable to speak and sing, although their nonverbal vocalizations, such as laughter and cry, are preserved. Despite the importance of the LMC in the control of voluntary voice production in humans, the literature describing its connection...

Apneustic breathing is an abnormal breathing pattern characterized by a prolonged inspiratory time with an endinspiratory pause versus a shorter expiratory time.1 The termination of respiration is considered to be controlled by the pontine respiratory group (PRG). The apneustic breathing pattern is very rare in humans. Patients with autonomic breathing failure have an impaired autonomic control...

Introduction Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a current cause of morbidity in premature infants resulted from surfactant deficiency. The primary aim of this randomized study was to describe the feasibility of early administration of surfactant via a thin catheter during spontaneous breathing (TEC) and compare its outcomes with the InSurE (Intubate, Surfactant, Extubate) procedure Material...