Unilateral atelectasis in a preterm infant monitored with electrical impedance tomography: a case report.

UNLABELLED: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive, radiation-free tool to monitor regional changes in ventilation. This report describes, for the first time, that unilateral atelectasis in an extremely low birth weight infant results in a loss of regional ventilation measured by EIT in the affected lung. CONCLUSION: EIT is currently the most promising technique to monitor regional lung aeration continuously at the bedside in this vulnerable population.

Effects of repetitive lifting on kinematics: inadequate anticipatory control or adaptive changes?

In the present study, the effects of repetition on the kinematics in discrete lifting were studied in 10 subjects who lifted a barbell weighing 10% of body mass at a determined speed and along a determined trajectory 630 times during about 40 min. Three-dimensional (3-D) kinematics of the feet, lower and upper legs, pelvis, and trunk were recorded in the first 3 and the final 3 lifting movements of each set of 70 lifts. Over time, trunk extension velocity in the initial 250 ms of the lifting movement decreased, reaching negative (increasing flexion) values in most subjects. In contrast, hip extension velocity increased. Those changes resulted in an increased phase lag between hip and trunk extension. Also, over time, subjects started the lifting movement with their legs more extended and their trunks further flexed. Finally, the motion of the trunk around its longitudinal axis (twisting) increased. The increase in phase lag between hip and trunk extension is interpreted as a consequence of fatigue-more specifically, as the result of a decreased rate of force development of the back muscles. The change in initial posture more likely is an adaptation that functions to retard further fatigue development.

A combined immunodeficiency with oligoclonal CD8+, V beta 3-expressing, cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood.

The diagnosis severe combined immunodeficiency was made in a male infant at the age of 18 wk. Known causes of severe combined immunodeficiency were excluded. The activity of total 5'-nucleotidase (E.C. 3.1.3.5) in the PBMC was found to be strongly decreased. Analysis of the peripheral blood revealed a lymphocytosis, mainly of CD8+ T cells. These lymphocytes expressed high levels of CD29, CD38, CD45RA, and MHC class II molecules but no CD25, CD26, CD27, or CD28 Ag. The cells proliferated poorly to all T cell stimulants tested and no helper activity for IgM secretion could be induced. In contrast to the poor proliferative responses, high levels of TCR-induced cytolytic activity, without lymphokine-activated killer-cell outgrowth, were induced by CD3 mAb. Analysis of TCR-beta gene rearrangements indicated that two clonal populations constituted the majority of the E-rosette+ peripheral blood fraction. Moreover, the vast majority of the CD8+ cells were found to react with a mAb to V beta 3. Polymerase chain reaction on cDNA from peripheral blood cells with primers that amplify TCR V beta elements showed, in agreement with the fluorescence data, an overrepresentation of V beta 3 but absence of usage of approximately 50% of the other V beta elements. Thus, in a severe combined immunodeficiency patient, CD8+ T cells with limited T cell receptor usage and restricted effector functions were found. The observed alterations in the 5'-nucleotidase levels may be secondary to the outgrowth of this population.