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Accurate measurement of body temperature is an important indicator of the status of critically ill patients and is therefore essential. While axillary temperature is not considered accurate, it is still the conventional method of measurement in Asian intensive care units. There is uncertainty about the accuracy of thermometers for the critically ill. We compared the accuracy and precision of bladder, axillary and tympanic temperature measurements in critically ill patients. A total of 73 critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a teaching hospital were prospectively enrolled. Every four hours, we measured body temperature at three sites (bladder, axillary and tympanic). If the patient had received an indwelling pulmonary artery catheter, blood temperature was also recorded and this was compared with bladder, axillary and tympanic temperature readings. For all patients, axillary and tympanic temperature readings were compared with bladder temperature readings. Accuracy and precision were analysed using Bland-Altman analysis. When blood temperature data was available, the mean difference between blood and bladder temperature readings was small (0.02±0.21°C). Compared with bladder temperature, mean difference for axillary temperature was -0.33±0.55°C and for tympanic temperature it was -0.51±1.02°C. For critically ill patients, recorded axillary temperature was closer to bladder temperature than tympanic temperature.

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Daily sedative interruption (DSI) may reduce excessive sedation and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation. It is not clear, however, how DSI affects sleep characteristics. For patients receiving mechanical ventilation, we compared the effect on sleep quality of DSI and continuous sedation (CS). Twenty-two mechanically ventilated patients who were receiving midazolam by infusion were randomly assigned to two groups, DSI (n = 11) or CS (n = 11). In the DSI group, sedatives were interrupted until the patients awoke and expressed discomfort, after which midazolam or opioids were administered intermittently as needed during the daytime (0600 to 2100 hours); during the night (2100 to 0600) midazolam was administered intravenously to maintain Ramsay sedation scale 4 to 5. In the CS group, the sedatives were titrated to obtain Ramsay sedation scale 4 to 5 throughout the day. The polysomnography of each patient was recorded continuously over a 24 hour period. Sleep stages were analysed using Rechtschaffen and Kales criteria. In the DSI group, the amount of stage 3 and 4 non-rapid eye movement sleep (slow wave sleep) was longer (6 vs 0 minutes, P = 0.04) and rapid eye movement sleep was longer than in CS (54 vs 0 minutes, P = 0.02). In the CS group, total sleep time during night-time was longer (8.7 vs 7.3 hours, P = 0.047) and frequency of arousal was lower (2.2 vs 4.4 event/hour, P = 0.03) than those in the DSI group. All mechanically ventilated patients demonstrated abnormal sleep architecture, but, compared with CS, DSI increased the amount of slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep.

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Patients with chronic thromboembolism with pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) often develop severe hypoxaemia after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. There is reluctance to apply high positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to those patients, whereas high PEEP is important for acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure due to alveolar collapse. Open lung approach (OLA) policy, a combination of recruitment manoeuvre and PEEP titration, may improve oxygenation and lung mechanics in acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure, but the effect of OLA on the outcome is unknown. We designed a case-matched, retrospective study to investigate whether OLA policy improved the outcome of postoperative patients with CTEPH. Among 113 postoperative patients with CTEPH, 40 were chosen before and after the introduction of an OLA policy to create 1:1 ratio of case-match according to gender, age and preoperative total pulmonary resistance index (conventional treatment group vs. OLA group). In the OLA group, recruitment manoeuvre was applied and then PEEP was titrated to maintain oxygenation every 12 hours. Gas exchange and duration of mechanical ventilation were compared between the groups. The OLA group showed higher PaO2/FiO2 ratio at 12 hours after the surgery than the conventional group (P = 0.0021). In the OLA group, duration of mechanical ventilation was shorter than the conventional treatment group (median, 23.5 hours vs. 43 hours, P = 0.0064). The OLA group showed lower cardiac index, higher pulmonary artery pressure and higher total pulmonary resistance index after the surgery than the conventional group. The introduction of the OLA policy may have shortened mechanical ventilation duration despite what appeared to be less favorable early postoperative hemodynamics in patients after the surgery for CTEPH.

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A new type of economical neutral beam source has been developed by using a single washer gun, pulsed operation, and a simple electrode system. We replaced the conventional hot filaments for arc-discharge-type plasma formation with a single stainless-steel washer gun, eliminating the entire dc power supply for the filaments and the cooling system for the electrodes. Our initial experiments revealed successful beam extraction up to 10 kV and 8.6 A, based on spatial profile measurements of density and temperature in the plasma source. The system also shows the potential to control the beam profile by controlling the plasma parameters in the ion accumulation chamber.

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Organic macromolecules ("complex tholins") were synthesized from a 0.95 N(2)/0.05 CH(4) atmosphere in a high-voltage AC flow discharge reactor. When placed in liquid water, specific water soluble compounds in the macromolecules demonstrated Arrhenius type first order kinetics between 273 and 313 K and produced oxygenated organic species with activation energies in the range of approximately 60+/-10 kJ mol(-1). These reactions displayed half lives between 0.3 and 17 days at 273 K. Oxygen incorporation into such materials--a necessary step toward the formation of biological molecules--is therefore fast compared to processes that occur on geologic timescales, which include the freezing of impact melt pools and possible cryovolcanic sites on Saturn's organic-rich moon Titan.

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A 5-month-old boy with hypoplastic left heart syndrome developed chylothorax and oedema of the left upper arm more than 2 months after recovering from a Norwood stage II operation. Venography showed occlusion of the innominate vein with abundant collaterals crossing the midline to join the right internal jugular vein. The occlusion was caused by a peripherally inserted central catheter under systemic heparinisation. This case highlights the importance of a patent venous pathway, especially in patients with a cavopulmonary connection in the upper extremities.

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In Sjögren syndrome, purpura is one of its various well known eruptions. Although this disease state is assumed to be based on hypergammaglobulinemia, the details of its mechanism are unknown. We experienced a case involving a female patient with primary Sjögren syndrome showing repeated purpura on the legs, and examined her blood viscosity and histopathology. This girl developed Sjögren syndrome and was admitted to our hospital at 12-years-old. She underwent steroid treatment because of aggravation of the xerosis state and prominent purpura on the legs. Hypergammaglobulinemia was improved during the course; however, purpura appeared repeatedly. Although her blood viscosity was slightly higher than normal, this had no relation to purpura and serum gamma globulin values. Skin biopsy revealed necrotizing angiitis. These results suggest that the purpura of this case was caused not only by hyperviscosity from the hypergammaglobulinemia but also involvement of vasculitis by the primary disease.

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BACKGROUND: Synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) is commonly used in infants and adults. However, few investigations have examined how SIMV reduces respiratory workload in infants. The authors evaluated how infants' changing respiratory patterns when reducing SIMV rate increased respiratory load. The authors also investigated whether SIMV reduces infant respiratory workload in proportion to the rate of mandatory breaths and which rate of SIMV provides respiratory workloads similar to those after tracheal extubation. METHODS: When 11 post-cardiac surgery infants aged 2-11 months were to be weaned with SIMV, the authors randomly applied five levels of mandatory breathing: 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 breaths/min. All patients underwent ventilation with SIMV mode: pressure control ventilation, 16 cm H2O; inspiratory time, 0.8 s; triggering sensitivity, 0.6 l/min; and positive endexpiratory pressure, 3 cm H2O. After establishing steady-state conditions at each SIMV rate, arterial blood gases were analyzed, and esophageal pressure, airway pressure, and airflow were measured. Inspiratory work of breathing, pressure-time products, and the negative deflection of esophageal pressure were calculated separately for assisted breaths, for spontaneous breaths, and for total breaths per minute. Measurements were repeated after extubation. RESULTS: As the SIMV rate decreased, although minute ventilation and arterial carbon dioxide tension were maintained at constant values, spontaneous breathing rate and tidal volume increased. Work of breathing, pressure-time products, and negative deflection of esophageal pressure increased as the SIMV rate decreased. Work of breathing and pressure-time products after extubation were intermediate between those at a SIMV rate of 5 breaths/min and those at 0 breaths/min. CONCLUSION: When the load to breathing was increased progressively by decreasing the SIMV rate in post-cardiac surgery infants, tidal volume and spontaneous respiratory rate both increased. In addition, work of breathing and pressure-time products were increased depending on the SIMV rate.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether transtracheal open ventilation (TOV), pressure control ventilation (PCV) through a minitracheotomy tube (internal diameter 4 mm), is an effective method of inspiratory assistance under high upper airway resistance in postextubation patients; to compare, in a lung model study, TOV with other methods. DESIGN: Clinical study: A prospective, controlled, crossover study. Lung model study: A prospective laboratory trial. SETTING: Clinical study: A six-bed general intensive care unit in a teaching hospital. Lung model study: Animal research laboratory. PATIENTS: Clinical study: Eleven postextubation patients, who had undergone minitracheotomy for sputum retention between January 1997 and December 1997. SUBJECT: Lung model study: Two-bellows-in-a-box lung model, which included ordinary and high levels of upper airway resistance. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical study: Ventilatory settings were: assist/control (A/C) mode, 2 breaths/min of A/C back-up rate, 35-40 cm H2O of PCV, 0.6-0.8 secs of inspiratory time, and 0 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure. The ventilatory parameters of TOV were compared with those of spontaneous breathing (SB). Lung model study: Effect of TOV on inspiratory assistance was compared with those of SB, open minitracheotomy, 5 L/min of transtracheal gas insufflation, and 5 and 10 cm H2O of pressure support ventilation (PSV), which simulated noninvasive positive ventilation. TOV ventilatory settings were: A/C mode; 30, 40, and 50 cm H2O of PCV, 0.9 secs of inspiratory time, and 0 cm H2O of positive end-expiratory pressure. At each ventilatory setting, we adjusted the inspiratory effort of the model to give a tidal volume of 0.5 L. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Clinical study: TOV was performed for 76.6 +/- 38.6 hrs (mean +/- sd) over 5.6 +/- 2.6 days without major complication. Peak tracheal pressure, which was measured distal to the minitracheotomy tube in six patients by a catheter pressure transducer, was 4.33 +/- 0.59 cm H2O. Inspiratory tidal volume delivered by the ventilator was 0.51 +/- 0.06 L. Respiratory rate during TOV was lower than during SB. According to esophageal pressure and respiratory inductive plethysmography, TOV reduced the patient's inspiratory work and improved the breathing pattern. Lung model study: Mean tracheal pressure during TOV and 10 cm H2O of PSV were positive values and they had larger inspiratory assistance according to the pressure-time product of pleural pressure. Although high upper airway resistance reduced the inspiratory assistance of PSV, it did not change the effects of TOV. CONCLUSIONS: TOV effectively reduced patient's inspiratory work and was more useful than open minitracheotomy and transtracheal gas insufflation. TOV also improved the breathing pattern. TOV may be useful for resolving some postextubation respiratory problems and avoiding the need for reintubation.

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Inspiratory drive and work of breathing provided by a ventilator (WOBv) during pressure support ventilation (PSV) were examined in 15 patients. At PSV 10 and 15 cm H2O during CPAP 5 cm H2O, patients with low P0.1 (<4.2 cm H2O, n=9) showed WOBv 0.57 and 0.92 J/l, those with high P0.1 (>4.2 cm H2O, n=6) showed 0.31 and 0.62 J/l respectively. WOBv was smaller and pressure-time product of oesophageal pressure (PTP) was significantly larger in high P0.1 patients. Peak inspiratory flow for low P0.1 patients increased as PSV level increased but high P0.1 patients showed no significant change. In a lung model, effects of inspiratory rise time (IRT) and PSV were studied at high and low inspiratory drives by using ventilators with (Servo 300) and without (Mallinckrodt 7200a) adjustable IRT. With 7200a, PSV 10 cm H2O during low drive was compared with PSV 10 and 15 cm H20 during high drive. In Servo 300, PSV 10 cm H2O (IRT 0.6 and 0.0 sec) during low drive was compared with PSV 10 cm H20 (IRT 0.6 and 0.0 sec) and PSV 15 cm H2O (IRT 0.6 sec) during high drive. Raising PSV and shortening IRT both increased peak inspiratory flow. Initial inspiratory flow increased in inverse proportion to IRT, but higher PSV had a little effect. WOBv with high drive was less than with low drive. Higher PSV preserved WOBv by increasing tidal volume. Shortening IRT recruited WOBv by increasing initial inspiratory flow without changing airway pressure and tidal volume. Compared with higher PSV, shorter IRT reduced PTP more. In conclusion, WOBv decreased as inspiratory drive increased due to inability to increase inspiratory flow. Increasing initial inspiratory flow was more effective than raising PSV to preserve inspiratory assistance of PSV at high inspiratory drive.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate, in a rat model, the role of the Mac-1/ICAM-1 pathway and the anti-inflammatory activity of steroid in ventilator-induced lung injury. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled study. SETTING: Animal investigation using Wistar rats. INTERVENTION: Rats in three randomly assigned groups of 18, a total of 54 animals, were subject to the following: Two groups received high peak inspiratory pressure (35 cm H2O) ventilation after pretreatment with methylprednisolone (high-methylprednisolone group) or pretreatment with methylprednisolone vehicle (high-vehicle group). The third group of animals received low peak inspiratory pressure (7 cm H2O) ventilation after pretreatment with methylprednisolone vehicle (low-vehicle group). Except for animals previously killed to establish baseline values, after 40 mins of mechanical ventilation, the animals in each group were killed. Some animals provided histological samples, and the rest received total lung lavage. MEASUREMENT: We measured flow cytometry of lavage fluid, cell counts of tissue samples, and pressure-volume curves before and after mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: In the groups that received high peak inspiratory pressure ventilation, both the number of neutrophils that infiltrated the lungs and the expression of Mac-1 and ICAM-1 on neutrophils and macrophages increased significantly more than in the low-vehicle group. Static lung compliance was reduced in the high peak inspiratory pressure groups. In the high peak inspiratory pressure groups, there were significantly fewer neutrophils in samples from the high-methylprednisolone group (0.412 +/- 0.1 x 10(5)) than from the high-vehicle group (1.10 +/- 0.1 x 10(5); p < .05). The high-vehicle group showed greater expression of CD11b on neutrophils, but this was significantly decreased by methylprednisolone (mean fluorescence intensity: high-vehicle, 118.4 +/- 34.3; high-methylprednisolone, 25.8 +/- 4.2; p < .05). The lung mechanics measured by pressure-volume curve analysis were deteriorated less in the high-methylprednisolone group. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that a neutrophil-endothelium interaction via the Mac-1/ICAM-1 pathway is involved in the activation and recruitment of neutrophils in ventilator-induced lung injury. Activation and recruitment of neutrophils were lessened by pretreatment with methylprednisolone, which might have contributed to the improvement of lung dysfunction after mechanical ventilation.

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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of anti-alpha-fodrin antibody specific for adult Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in patients with juvenile onset SS. METHODS: Serum anti-alpha-fodrin antibody was examined in 15 patients with juvenile SS (11 cases of primary SS and 4 secondary SS) and in 16 children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by Western blot analysis using a recombinant 120 kDa alpha-fodrin fusion protein. RESULTS: All the 15 serum samples from patients with SS reacted with a recombinant alpha-fodrin fusion protein in Western blot analysis. In contrast, reactivity was found in only 2 of the 16 patients with SLE. The clinical features of the 15 patients with juvenile onset SS were very specific; only 4 patients complained of dryness, while 6 had abnormal excretion ability. Salivary gland enlargement was the most common clinical manifestation. Characteristic laboratory findings in juvenile onset SS included a higher prevalence of antinuclear antibodies, anti-SSA/Ro antibodies, and rheumatoid factor, as well as increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and hypergammaglobulinemia. CONCLUSION: The pathogenesis of juvenile SS seems to be the same as that of adult SS, although subjective symptoms of dryness are less frequent in juvenile cases. This discrepancy may indicate that SS is a slowly progressive disease with a long time span. The anti-alpha-fodrin antibody is likely to be a reliable diagnostic marker for juvenile SS.

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Activated neutrophils contribute to the development of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) caused by high-pressure mechanical ventilation. However, exact cellular and molecular mechanisms have not been conclusively studied. Our investigation aimed to examine expression of adhesion molecules by both neutrophils and macrophages in lung lavage fluids of rats with VILI. Further, involvement of proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and profibrogenetic (transforming growth factor-beta 1) mediators was analyzed at mRNA level in lung tissue. Wistar rats were ventilated by high pressure (45 cm H(2)O of peak inspiratory pressure, n = 23) or low pressure (7 cm H(2)O, n = 13) with 0 positive end-expiratory pressure. After 40 min of comparative ventilation, lung lavage was performed in 20 rats from the experimental group and 10 from the control for immunofluorescence analysis with anti-Mac-1 and anti-ICAM-1 monoclonal antibodies. The lung tissues from remaining rats were subjected to pathological and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction examinations. Although there was no significant change of PaO(2) in the low-pressure group, PaO(2) was decreased in the high-pressure group. The high-pressure group also had greater neutrophil infiltration into alveolar spaces, upregulation of CD54 and CD11b on alveolar macrophages, and more transforming growth factor-beta 1 mRNA in lung tissues. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha was not involved in the pathogenesis of the severe VILI observed. Histologic findings also demonstrated more infiltrating neutrophils, destructive change of the alveolar wall, and deposition of matrix in the high-pressure group. These results suggest that a series of proinflammatory reactions and profibrogenetic process may be involved in the course of VILI.

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BACKGROUND: Patient-triggered ventilation (PTV) is commonly used in adults to avoid dyssynchrony between patient and ventilator. However, few investigations have examined the effects of PTV in infants. Our objective was to determine if pressure-control PTV reduces infants' respiratory workloads in proportion to the level of pressure control. We also explored which level of pressure control provided respiratory workloads similar to those after the extubation of the trachea. METHODS: When seven post-cardiac surgery infants, aged 1 to 11 months, were to be weaned with the pressure-control PTV, we randomly applied five levels of pressure control: 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 cm H2O. All patients were ventilated with assist-control mode, triggering sensitivity of 1 l/min, and positive end-expiratory pressure of 3 cm H2O. After establishing steady state conditions at each level of pressure control, arterial blood gases were analyzed and esophageal pressure (Pes), airway pressure, and airflow were measured. Inspiratory work of breathing (WOB) was calculated using a Campbell diagram. A modified pressure-time product (PTPmod) and the negative deflection of Pes were calculated from the Pes tracing below the baseline. The measurement was repeated after extubation. RESULTS: Pressure-control PTV supported every spontaneous breath. By decreasing the level of pressure control, respiratory rate increased, tidal volume decreased, and as a result, minute ventilation and arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure were maintained stable. The WOB, PTPmod, and negative deflection of Pes increased as pressure control level was decreased. The WOB and PTPmod at 4 cm H2O pressure control and 0 cm H2O pressure control and after extubation were significantly greater than those at the pressure control of 16, 12, and 8 cm H2O (P < 0.05). The WOB and PTPmod were almost equivalent after extubation and at 4 cm H2O pressure control. CONCLUSIONS: Work of breathing and PTPmod were changed according to the pressure control level in post-cardiac surgery infants. PTV may be feasible in infants as well as in adults.

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STUDY OBJECTIVES: To examine the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO) inhalation improves hemodynamics and gas exchange in patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. DESIGN: Prospective crossover clinical study. SETTING: : Surgical ICU in a national education and research hospital. PATIENTS: : Seven patients (mean age +/- SD, 54 +/- 11 years) who underwent elective pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism. INTERVENTIONS: Patients breathed 20 parts per million of NO gas for 30 min at 12-h intervals until extubation of the trachea. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Hemodynamics and arterial blood gas levels were analyzed before, during, and after NO inhalation. Waveform of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was evaluated using fractional pulse pressure (PPf): (systolic PAP - diastolic PAP)/mean PAP. After surgery, pulmonary vascular resistance decreased, PPf decreased, and cardiac index increased significantly. At the first trial, NO inhalation resulted in a slight improvement in arterial oxygen tension (from 173 +/- 33 to 196 +/- 44 mm Hg; p < 0.05), while hemodynamics did not change significantly. Twelve hours later, NO inhalation decreased pulmonary vascular resistance index (from 312 +/- 98 to 277 +/- 93 dyne.s. cm(-5)/m(2); p < 0.01), while the change in oxygenation was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Immediately after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, NO inhalation improved oxygenation; at 12 h after surgery, NO inhalation resulted in decreased pulmonary vascular resistance, although both changes were small.

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OBJECTIVES: We noticed that in some patients after cardiac surgery, when flow triggering was used, cardiogenic oscillation might be autotriggering the ventilatory support. In a prospective study, we evaluated the degree of cardiogenic oscillation and the frequency rate of autotriggering. We suspected that autotriggering caused by cardiogenic oscillation was more common than clinically appreciated. DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized, clinical study. SETTING: Surgical intensive care unit in a national heart institute. PATIENTS: A total of 104 adult patients were enrolled after cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: During the study period, patients were paralyzed and ventilated with intermittent mandatory ventilation at a rate of 10 breaths/min, pressure support of 10 cm H2O, and flow triggering with a sensitivity of 1 L/min. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Because the patients would not be able to breathe spontaneously, we counted pressure-support (PS) breaths as instances of autotriggering. Then, we classified the patients into two groups according to the number of PS breaths: an "AT group" (PS breaths of >5/min) and a "non-AT group" (PS breaths of < or =5/min). If autotriggering occurred, we decreased the sensitivity so autotriggering disappeared (threshold triggering sensitivity). The intensity of cardiogenic oscillation was assessed as the flow and airway pressure at the airway opening. A total of 23 patients (22%) demonstrated more than five autotriggered breaths/min. During mechanical ventilation, the inspiratory flow fluctuation caused by cardiogenic oscillation was significantly greater in the AT group than in the non-AT group (4.67+/-1.26 L/min vs. 2.03+/-0.86 L/min; p<.01). The AT group also showed larger cardiac output, higher ventricular filling pressures, larger heart size, and lower respiratory system resistance than the non-AT group. As the inspiratory flow fluctuation caused by cardiogenic oscillation increased, the level of triggering sensitivity also was increased to avoid autotriggering. In the AT group with 1 L/min of sensitivity, the respiratory rate increased (19.9+/-2.7 vs. 10+/-0 breaths/min, p<.01), Paco2 decreased (30.8+/-4.0 torr [4.11+/-0.36 kPa] vs. 37.6+/-4.3 torr [5.01+/-0.57 kPa]; p < .01), and mean esophageal pressure increased (7.7+/-3.0 vs. 6.9+/-3.0 cm H2O; p<.01) compared with the threshold triggering sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Autotriggering caused by cardiogenic oscillation is common in postcardiac surgery patients when flow triggering is used. Autotriggering occurred more often in patients with more dynamic circulation. Autotriggering caused respiratory alkalosis and hyperinflation of the lungs.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an optimal level of pressure support ventilation (PSV) for recovery from acute diaphragmatic fatigue. DESIGN: Prospective laboratory trial. SETTING: Experimental laboratory. SUBJECTS: Twenty healthy adult New Zealand White rabbits. INTERVENTIONS: Diaphragmatic fatigue was induced with 50 Hz of phrenic nerve stimulation for 30 mins. Recovery was compared between inspiratory load + PSV of 0 cm H2O (L0), inspiratory load + PSV of 60 cm H2O (L60), inspiratory load + PSV of 80 cm H2O (L80), and PSV of 0 cm H2O without inspiratory load (SB) for 90 mins immediately after the end of the fatigue-inducing procedure. To add inspiratory load during the recovery phase, three pressure threshold valves, each having an opening pressure of -20 cm H2O, were used. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: After the fatigue-inducing procedure, diaphragmatic electromyogram and transdiaphragmatic pressure remained at baseline in both SB and L60, decreased in L80, and increased in L0. Recovery was assessed by abdominal cavity pressure (Pabd) generated by high-frequency (100 Hz) and low-frequency (20 Hz) stimulation. Pabd at 100 Hz recovered to baseline in L60 and SB but not in L0 and L80 (69.1%, 81.3%, 100.3%, and 100.7% of the baseline at 90 mins for L0, L80, L60, and SB, respectively). Pabd at 20 Hz did not differ among ventilatory settings. CONCLUSION: There is an optimal range of PSV assist level to improve recovery from diaphragmatic fatigue. Recovery was hampered not only by inadequate PSV but also by excessive PSV.

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An in vitro selection was carried out with Zn2+ to isolate novel RNA molecules, zinc-dependent aptamers, that bind to HIV-1 Tat protein. RNAs bound to Tat were collected by using a nitrocellulose filter from a library of random RNAs and regenerated to the next generation of the RNA library by subsequent reverse transcription, polymerase chain reaction, and transcription. Sequences of the selected RNAs were determined after 6 and 12 rounds of the selection. The control clones after normal selection procedure with Mg2+ had a consensus UUG that resembled essential sequences of TAR or Arg aptamers. On the other hand, many unique sequences were revealed from a library selected with Zn2+ and the RNA with most abundant sequence (clone 31) bound to Tat tightly only when Zn2+ existed. The secondary structure of clone 31 RNA was predicted by using a computational prediction with our thermodynamic parameters and enzymatic scission of the RNA. Several model RNAs were prepared and the binding property of these RNAs to Tat were investigated. As a result, all the model RNAs did not reproduce the binding property of clone 31. Therefore, the Tat aptamer that acts with Zn2+ should require a relatively longer region of the sequence which is able to offer tertiary cooperation of several motifs for the binding.

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