Kepler's optical phase curve of the exoplanet HAT-P-7b.

Ten days of photometric data were obtained during the commissioning phase of the Kepler mission, including data for the previously known giant transiting exoplanet HAT-P-7b. The data for HAT-P-7b show a smooth rise and fall of light from the planet as it orbits its star, punctuated by a drop of 130 +/- 11 parts per million in flux when the planet passes behind its star. We interpret this as the phase variation of the dayside thermal emission plus reflected light from the planet as it orbits its star and is occulted. The depth of the occultation is similar in photometric precision to the detection of a transiting Earth-size planet for which the mission was designed.

Spectrophotometry of pluto-charon mutual events: individual spectra of pluto and charon.

Time-resolved spectra of the 3 March and 4 April 1987 mutual events of Pluto and its satellite Charon were obtained with spectral coverage from 5,500 to 10,000 angstroms with 25 angstrom spectral resolution. Since both events were total occultations of Charon by Pluto, spectra were obtained of the anti-Charon-facing hemisphere of Pluto, with no contribution from Charon during totality. On 4 April, a combined spectrum of Pluto and Charon immediately before first contact was also obtained. The spectrum of the Pluto-facing hemisphere of Charon was extracted by differencing the pre-event and totality spectra. The spectra were reduced to reflectances by ratioing them to spectra of solar analog stars. Charon has a featureless reflectance spectrum, with no evidence of methane absorption. Charon's reflectance appears neutral in color and corresponds to a geometric albedo of approximately 0.37 at 6000 angstroms. The Pluto reflectance spectrum displays methane absorption bands at 7300, 7900, 8400, 8600, and 8900 angstroms and is red in color, with a geometric albedo of approximately 0.56 at 6000 angstroms. The signal-to-noise ratios of the eclipse spectra were not high enough to unambiguously identify the weaker methane band at 6200 angstroms.

Association of Ureaplasma urealyticum in the placenta with perinatal morbidity and mortality.

We investigated the presence of ureaplasmas, mycoplasmas, chlamydiae, fungi, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and cytomegalovirus in fetal membranes and evaluated their association with perinatal morbidity and mortality. We cultured 801 placentas from three groups of subjects (144 who died in the perinatal period, 452 neonates admitted to the intensive-care unit, and 205 controls). Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, or both were isolated from 21 per cent of placentas of premature and term infants who died in the perinatal period, 25 per cent of those admitted to intensive care, and 11 per cent of controls. Gestational age and birth weight were inversely related to isolation of ureaplasma, and chorioamnionitis was positively related to isolation. The presence of ureaplasmas in the placenta suggests the transcervical migration of these microorganisms from the lower genitourinary tract. These data show a strong association between ureaplasma infection of the placenta and low birth weight of the neonate and suggest that the association is causal.

Treatment of a neonate with propionic acidaemia and severe hyperammonaemia by peritoneal dialysis.

A moribund newborn infant with propionic acidaemia and severe hyperammonaemia was successfully treated by peritoneal dialysis. The removal of ammonia and possibly additional toxic metabolites by peritoneal dialysis may be life-saving in newborn infants with propionic acidaemia or other hyperammonaemic syndromes.

Patterns of breath intervals during non-nutritive sucking in full-term and 'at risk' preterm infants with normal neurological examinations.

The interaction between respiration and non-nutritive sucking rhythms was investigated in 12 sleeping, normal full-term, newborn infants and in 14 preterm infants were were examined repeatedly at 34, 40 and 46 wk of conceptional age. Full-term infants showed a shortening of breath intervals in the middle of sucking bursts and a lengthening of the breath interval spanning the end of sucking bursts. The differences were more marked in females than males. A rhythm interaction between sucking and respiration was also observed in preterm infants as young as 34 wk of conceptional age. Clinical neurological examinations did not discriminate between preterm infants above and below a median score for optimal obstetric conditions, but the interaction between breathing and sucking rhythms made such discrimination, most clearly in females. Preterm infants with lower optimal obstetric scores showed less change of breath durations during sucking than preterms with higher scores. It was concluded that interaction of concurrent motor rhythms may be a sensitive index of central nervous system integrity in newborn infants, even when there are no clinical neurological signs of nervous system dysfunction.