Prenatal diagnosis of Apert syndrome: report of two cases

Two de novo cases with Apert Syndrome detected prenatally are presented herein. In the first, fetal ultrasound findings of syndactyly of the hands, craniosynostosis and proptosis resulted in a prenatal diagnosis in the nineteenth week of gestation. This is the earliest prenatal diagnosis of this syndrome in a not-at-risk case. Following counseling, this pregnancy was terminated and subsequent pathological examination and DNA analysis confirmed the diagnosis of Apert Syndrome and coarctation of the aorta. In the second case, fetal ultrasound at 21 weeks' gestation revealed a hypoplastic left heart and clover-leaf skull. Following counseling, this pregnancy was also terminated. Further examination of the fetus and DNA analysis led to a diagnosis of Apert Syndrome. These cases emphasize the need to complete a thorough fetal ultrasound in cases with potentially lethal cardiac abnormality and the importance of incorporating a fetal pathologist, as well as a medical geneticist, in the investigations performed after delivery or pregnancy termination when a fetal abnormality is detected on ultrasound. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of new technologies in reducing energy demand

Energy efficiency is often stated to be the most cost-effective measure for satisfying our energy demand with minimal environmental damage. However, the potential energy savings attainable in 'the real world' are frequently overestimated, as is shown in an industrial case study of the glass industry. Nevertheless, there are significant energy savings to be realized, and the role of new technologies in this is important. However, the key to the effective use of new technology for improved energy efficiency is good management and. for best effect, it must be integrated into the normal resource management activities of a company.     

Taking Sustainable Cities Seriously: a comparative analysis of twenty-four US cities

After briefly reviewing some conceptual underpinnings of sustainable cities, this paper analyses and compares sustainable cities initiatives in 24 US cities. The central question addressed in the paper is why some cities seem to take sustainability more seriously than others. Numerous demographic, socioeconomic and other characteristics of the cities are correlated with an Index of Taking Sustainability Seriously, which is a composite of some 34 different variables indicating whether each city engages in specific sustainability programmes, policies or activities. Many of the standard explanations, such as the income and wealth of the community, the liberalness of the city and the growth pressures placed on the city, are found to exhibit no correlation with the seriousness of the sustainability effort. What do correlate with the Index are: reliance on manufacturing, where having more residents employed in manufacturing industries is associated with less seriousness; and, the age of the population, where cities with older populations take sustainability more seriously. This has three implications for the future development of sustainable cities. First, some of the cities that might be said to need sustainability programmes the most--cities with heavy manufacturing that are more prone to pollution production--are the least likely to take such programmes seriously. Secondly, as cities' manufacturing bases decline, they should find it increasingly feasible to engage in sustainability initiatives. And, thirdly, as the populations of cities age, policy-makers should also find it easier to support, develop and take seriously sustainability programmes.     

全球粮食生产的预测问题

本文讨论了全球粮食生产体系能力预测模型的研发问题，文章特别对影响粮食生产的各种因素进行了鉴定和分析，并且对它们的相对影响和可预测性进行了估计。     

Total quality practitioner. Improving environmental process

Quick fix. Putting out firs. Do it over. Fix it again. Bottlenecks. Come back to it later. Out of stock. Back order. Not what we ordered. Is that the best you can do? It's the contractor's fault. Not within specs. Defective. Nobody's perfect. Lost in the system. Over budget. Delayed. Late penalities. Fines.     

Biological monitoring of particulate pollutants during exploration work at a niobium mineralization in Greenland

The purpose of this investigation was to monitor airborne dipersion of particulates in connection with exploration activities at a niobium-mineralization in the Sarfartoq area, SW Greenland, during the summer of 1989, and to provide a basis for monitoring strategies in later phases of the development of the mining site. During three periods moss bags were exposed at 9 stations close to the outcrop and at 3 background stations, and indigenous lichens and mosses were sampled before and after the exploration work.Analyses of element concentrations showed that the natural enrichment of elements in the indigenous vegetation is restricted to areas immediately at or on the outcrop. The elements found in elevated concentrations were Nb, La, Ce, Th and U.The moss bags and the indigenous monitor organisms showed rises in concentrations of the elements Nb, Ce, Cd, Pb and Zn after the exploration activities during the summer. This shows that some dispersion of dust has occurred in the area.     

Composition of Floating Debris in Harbours of the United States

As part of a programme to characterize floating anthropogenic debris in the aquatic environment, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted 18 field surveys in the harbours of major metropolitan cities of the east, west, and Gulf coasts of the United States and the Mid-Atlantic Bight. the surveys were designed to provide information on the types, relative amounts, and distributions of aquatic debris in different geographic regions of the United States. Neuston nets (0.33 mm mesh) were used to collect surface debris during outgoing tides on two or three consecutive days in selected areas of each city. After each net tow, the debris, which ranged in size from small resin pellets to large plastic sheeting pieces, was identified, categorized, and counted. the data are being used to qualitatively characterize aquatic debris in coastal metropolitan areas, to examine potential regional variations, and to tentatively identify potential sources.