Search

This study aimed to determine whether a specific portable capnometer (EMMA™) can facilitate the maintenance of an appropriate partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2) in intubated preterm infants in the delivery room. This study included preterm infants with a gestational age of 26 + 0 to 31 + 6 weeks who required intubation in the delivery room. We prospectively identified 40 infants who underwent the EMMA™ monitoring intervention group and 43 infants who did not undergo monitoring (historical control group). PaCO2 was evaluated either at admission in the neonatal intensive care unit or at 2 h after birth. The proportion of infants with an appropriate PaCO2 (35–60 mmHg) was greater in the intervention group than in the control group (80% vs. 42%; p = 0.001). There were no significant differences in the rate of accidental extubation (5.0% vs. 7.0%, p = 1.00) or in the proportion of infants with an appropriate PaCO2 among infants whose birth weight was < 1000 g (54% vs. 40%, p = 0.49). However, among infants whose birth weight was ≥ 1000 g, the PaCO2 tended to be more appropriate in the intervention group than in the control group (93% vs. 44%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The EMMA™ facilitated the maintenance of an appropriate PaCO2 for mechanically ventilated preterm infants, especially infants with birth weight ≥1000 g, in the delivery room. What is Known: • An inappropriate partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide has been associated with intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants. • There is a need to appropriately control the partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide in preterm infants. What is New: • This is the first report regarding the feasibility of a portable capnometer, the EMMA™, in the delivery room. • The EMMA™ may be considered a feasible monitoring device in the delivery room for intubated preterm infants, especially infants with birth weight ≥1000 g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) refers to the three important contributors to the sustainable growth of firms. Firms publish corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports that include quantitative and qualitative information concerning ESG activities. Although these reports are easily accessed, their qualitative information is hard to apply because manual analyses are difficult. We develop a text mining model that visualizes ESG activities from the structure of ESG-related words in CSR reports. This model quickly, effectively, and objectively facilitates processing CSR reports and comparing them with reports from peer firms. We analyze Japanese CSR reports and present an example. Further, we propose scores to evaluate the quantity and specificity of ESG activities. From the result, we obtain the following findings. First, large quantity and high specificity of ESG activities indicate a higher current ESG quantitative performance. Second, the high specificity of E-related and the large quantity of S and G-related activities portend subsequent improvement of ESG quantitative performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the effect of dopamine on the development of infections after birth in extremely preterm infants. We retrospectively identified 258 extremely preterm infants (born at < 28 gestational weeks) between July 2009 and December 2018 in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We extracted data on potential risk factors for infection, total amount of dopamine, and infection history during NICU stay for each infant. We compared the infection group with the non-infection group, and used the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to identify risk factors for infection during NICU stay. After adjustment for all potential risk factors, factors that significantly affected development of infection were gestational age (hazard ratio [HR], 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.89; p = 0.004) and total amount of dopamine (HR, 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.07; p = 0.002). The receiver operating characteristic curve of total amount of dopamine for infection suggested that total amount of dopamine greater than 7.271 mg/kg predicted infection development with 80.4% sensitivity and 41.7% specificity.Conclusion: A large amount of dopamine can increase infections in extremely preterm infants. We should avoid using a large amount of dopamine and remain aware of the potential development of infections in extremely preterm infants. What is Known: • Inotropes are often used for extremely preterm infants and dopamine is the most commonly used inotrope. • However, it is suggested that dopamine affects the immune system and related infections. What is New: • This is the first study of the association between the amount of dopamine and infection in extremely preterm infants. • We should avoid using a large amount of dopamine in extremely preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigated the hypothesis that ceftriaxone preconditioning ameliorates brain damage in neonatal animals through glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) upregulation. Study design: Sprague Dawley rats were pretreated with ceftriaxone, erythromycin, minocycline, or saline for 5 consecutive days starting from postnatal day 2 (P2), and GLT-1/glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels were examined in the P7 brains. After ceftriaxone or saline preconditioning, the P7 rats underwent hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) procedure or sham operation. One week after the procedure (P14), hematoxylin-eosin staining, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) immunostaining, and transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were used to examine neuronal damage and possible neurotoxicity. Results: Repeated ceftriaxone injections significantly increased GLT-1 mRNA and protein levels but not GLAST. Following such treatment and H-I procedure, the MAP-2-positive area increased and TUNEL-positive cells decreased. Conclusion: Antenatal ceftriaxone may help to provide neuroprotection in the immature brain and become a new prophylactic strategy to reduce neonatal encephalopathy in clinical perinatal medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The increasing use of nanomaterials has raised concerns about their potential risks to human health. Recent studies have shown that nanoparticles can cross the placenta barrier in pregnant mice and cause neurotoxicity in their offspring, but a more detailed understanding of the effects of nanoparticles on pregnant animals remains elusive. Here, we show that silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles with diameters of 70 nm and 35 nm, respectively, can cause pregnancy complications when injected intravenously into pregnant mice. The silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles were found in the placenta, fetal liver and fetal brain. Mice treated with these nanoparticles had smaller uteri and smaller fetuses than untreated controls. Fullerene molecules and larger (300 and 1,000 nm) silica particles did not induce these complications. These detrimental effects are linked to structural and functional abnormalities in the placenta on the maternal side, and are abolished when the surfaces of the silica nanoparticles are modified with carboxyl and amine groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]