Total cholesterol was used instead of LDL cholesterol measurements because of its more common availability; values were measured using enzymatic analytic chemistry on a Beckman Synchron.
A vacuum manometer was used for measurement of maximum inspiratory pressure, and the patients' Tobin index values were measured using a ventilometer.
OD405 values were measured using a microplate reader StatFax-2100.
Minimum, maximum, standard deviation (SD) and standard error values were measured using SAS package.
The electromotive force (EMF) values were measured using an accurate digital voltmeter.
Zeta potential (ZP) values were measured using a Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern, Great Britain).
Minimum, maximum, standard deviation and standard error values were measured using SAS package.
Zeta potential values were measured using the laser zeta meter (Malvern zeta seizer).
Blood gas values were measured using ABL505 blood gas analyser (Radiometer, Copenhagen, Denmark).
Density values were measured using an AccuPyc II 1340 Micromeritics helium picnometer (Micromeritics, Norcross, GA, USA).
The R values were measured using ImageJ software, following the above-described methodology.
