Outcomes in symptomatic preterm infants with postnatal cytomegalovirus infection.

Premature infants are at risk for developing symptomatic postnatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, including sepsis-like syndrome. We performed a retrospective case-control study including infants born before 32 weeks of gestation and diagnosed with symptomatic postnatal CMV infection during the neonatal period. Neurodevelopmental outcome was evaluated using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development 2001 at 18 months of corrected age and at 3 years of age. Twenty-four infants were diagnosed with postnatal CMV infection; of them, 14 had sepsis-like symptoms and 10 had laboratory test abnormalities only. Home oxygen therapy was used significantly higher in the CMV-positive group compared with the control group at hospital discharge (52% vs 21%, P=0.032). The incidence of neurodevelopmental impairment was not significantly different between the two groups at 18 months of corrected age (29% vs 17%, P=0.48) and at 3 years of age (43% vs 29%, P=0.34). Postnatal CMV infection did not have a significant influence on neurodevelopmental outcomes of symptomatic preterm infants, although those in the CMV-positive group appeared worse. Larger studies with long-term follow-up are needed for a better understanding of continued neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants with postnatal CMV infection.

Factors related to home health-care transition in trisomy 13.

Trisomy 13 (T13) is accompanied by severe complications, and it can be challenging to achieve long-term survival without aggressive treatment. However, recently, some patients with T13 have been receiving home care. We conducted this study to investigate factors related to home health-care transition for patients with T13.We studied 28 patients with T13 born between January 2000 and December 2014. We retrospectively compared nine home care transition patients (the home care group) and 19 patients that died during hospitalization (the discharge at death group). The median gestational age of the patients was 36.6 weeks, with a median birth weight of 2,047 g. Currently, three patients (11%) have survived, and 25 (89%) have died. The home care group exhibited a significantly longer gestational age (38.9 vs. 36.3 weeks, p = 0.039) and significantly larger occipitofrontal circumference Z score (-0.04 vs. -0.09, p = 0.019). Congenital heart defects (CHD) was more frequent in the discharge at death group, with six patients in the home care group and 18 patients in the discharge at death group (67% vs. 95%, p = 0.047), respectively. Survival time was significantly longer in the home care group than in the discharge at death group (171 vs. 19 days, p = 0.012). This study has shown that gestational age, occipitofrontal circumference Z score at birth, and the presence of CHD are helpful prognostic factors for determining treatment strategy in patients with T13.

Progressive aortic root and pulmonary artery aneurysms in a neonate with Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 1B.

Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS) is an autosomal dominant aortic aneurysm syndrome with multisystem involvement, caused by heterozygous mutations of transforming growth factor beta receptor type 1 (TGFBR1) or type 2 (TGFBR2) genes. We report on a neonate with the disorder caused by a known TGFBR2 mutation, who developed neonatal-onset progressive dilation of the aortic valve and aneurysms of the aortic root and main pulmonary artery (PA) associated with a large left-to-right shunt via a ventricular septal defect (VSD) and an atrial septal defect. He also had skeletal features (flexion contractures of the fingers, talipes equinovarus, a cleft palate, and joint laxity), mild facial dysmorphisms, and developmental delay. The dilation and aneurysms progressed after PA banding at age 12 days; and the patient received an intracardiac repair of the defects and PA plasty at age 42 days, followed by no further progression of the dilation and the aneurysms. Neonates with generalized hypotonia, a cleft palate, inguinal herniae, musculoskeletal features such as camptodactyly and talipes equinovarus, and a cardiac murmur should be suspected to have LDS, and extensive cardiovascular evaluation and testing of TGFBR1 and TGFBR2 are recommended. LDS patients with cardiac defects that lead to a large left-to-right shunt and congestive heart failure such as VSD should be considered for intracardiac repair even in early infancy.

Water at interfaces.

Electrolyte cations and anions in aqueous solutions are hydrogen bond breaker. We found that most of anions are strong hydrogen bond breaker whereas cations are not. Further, the electro-reduction of Mg(H2O)6(2+) to Mg(OH)2 and the growth of the Mg(OH)2 were observed on Au electrode surface at negative electrode potential. Water molecules in an electric double layer exhibit an ordered and a disordered structure at negative and pzc (point of zero charge) potentials, respectively. Therefore, electrode potential polarization (negative or pzc potential application) from an equilibrium potential operates an electrified interface to cause increased or decreased ordering, orientation and charge transfer of water molecules as well as dissociation of water on the electrode surface.

Methanol oxidation on a Pt(111)-OH/O surface.

The methanol oxidation on a hydroxylated Pt (Pt(111)-OH) surface has been investigated by means of infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and in acidic solution. The Pt(111)-OH surface in UHV was prepared by introducing water molecules on a Pt(111)-(2 x 2)-O surface and annealed at temperature higher than 160 K. Methanol was then, introduced to the Pt(111)-OH surface to show the dependence of the reaction intermediate on the annealing temperature. At an annealing temperature below 160 K, IR bands assignable to methanol overlayer were observed and no detectable intermediates, such as CO, formaldehyde and formate, were formed, suggesting that methanol molecules remain stable on Pt(111) surface without dissociation at this temperature region. At an annealing temperature above 160 K, on the other hand, CO and formate were observed. In addition, the oxidation of CO on Pt(111)-OH showed no sign of formate formation, indicating that formate is not derived from CO, but from a direct oxidation of methanol. Methanol oxidation was carried out in 0.1 mol dm(-3) HClO(4) solution on Pt(111) with a flow cell configuration and showed the formation of formate. These results indicate that the formate is the dominant non-CO intermediate both in UHV and in acidic solution, and the preadsorbed oxygen-containing species, in particular OH adsorbates, on Pt(111) surface plays a very important role in the formate formation process in methanol oxidation reaction.

A new structure of water layer on Cu(111) electrode surface during hydrogen evolution.

A layered structure of water molecules formed on a Cu(111) electrode surface during hydrogen evolution in sulfuric acid solution was studied by surface X-ray diffraction and infrared reflection absorption methods. Water molecules in the surface layers take a closest pack-like stacking structure with nearest-neighbor oxygen-oxygen distances in intra-(0.322(5) nm) and inter-(0.275(15) nm) layers of multi-domains; the infrared spectra of the layered water on the Cu electrode surface showed the existence of free OH(OD) and hydrogen-bonded OH(OD) of water molecule.

Monomer structures of water adsorbed on p(2 x 2)-Ni(111)-O surface at 25 and 140 K studied by surface X-ray diffraction.

The structures of a monomeric water molecule adsorbed on p(2 x 2)-Ni(111)-O surface were determined by difference Fourier calculations. At temperatures of 25 K, water molecules chemisorb predominantly at 2 x 2 oxygen atom sites, forming an OH---O(ad) (2 x 2) hydrogen bond. A 2 x 2 oxygen atom (O(ad)) is surrounded by one to three monomeric water molecules, which take statistically disordered positions with threefold symmetry. At temperatures of 140 K, monomeric water molecules occupy a top site of Ni atoms via an oxygen lone pair and are stabilized as a singleton molecule on the surface.