Prenatal diagnosis and post-mortem study of a fetus with mosaic trisomy 14 due to a dic(14)(p11)

Amniocentesis at 17 weeks' gestation revealed a mosaic karyotype—46,XX/46,XX, — 14,+dic(14)(p11). No abnormalities were detected on ultrasound. Growth and placentation were normal. The fetus was examined after termination of pregnancy and micrognathia and pulmonary hyperlobation were the only abnormalities detected. Several tissues were set up for cytogenetics, including fetal skin, kidney, ovary, and placenta. The diagnosis was confirmed by these studies. The level of mosaicism varied between tissues, with the trisomy 14 cell line highest in amniotic fluid.     

电场耦合高效液相色谱柱改善极性芳烃分离的研究

从燃烧的煤和油中排放出来的极性污染物,包含有多种含氮、氧和硫的极性多环芳烃(PAH),这些极性组分比非极性组分常具有更强的致癌和致突变性。目前,正相高效液相色谱(NP-HPLC)常被用来分离分析这类极性组分。 但是,要提高这些极性组分分离的选择性,现大多采用梯度洗脱的方法。也就是改变流动相极性的方法。本文介绍了一种高压电场耦合色谱柱的新方法。这种技术除了具     

Spontaneous abortion after transcervical chorionic villus sampling: A case report

A case of spontaneous abortion after transcervical CVS is presented. Despite no evidence of bacteria in the vagina and cervix prior to sampling and the prophylactic use of Metronidazole, pathological evidence of chorioamnionitis was found. The implications of this are discussed.     

Control of ammonia toxicity to Hyalella azteca by sodium, potassium and pH

The toxicity of ammonia to Hyalella azteca at constant pH in artificial media was controlled by sodium and potassium, and not by calcium, magnesium, or anions. Small increases in the LC50 for total ammonia (from 0.15 to 0.5 mM) occurred as sodium was increased from 0.1 to 1 mM and above, but major increases in the LC50 (to over 10 mM total ammonia) required the addition of potassium. Potassium was, however, more effective at reducing ammonia toxicity at high (1 mM) sodium than at low (0.1 mM) sodium. Ammonia toxicity was independent of pH at low sodium and potassium concentrations, when ammonia toxicity appeared to be associated primarily with aqueous ammonium ion concentrations. At high sodium and potassium concentrations, the toxicity of ammonia was reduced to the point where un-ionized ammonia concentrations also affected toxicity, and the LC50 became pH dependent. A mathematical model was produced for predicting ammonia toxicity from sodium and potassium concentrations and pH.     

Effects of air pollutants on the growth and antioxidative system of Norway spruce exposed in open-top chambers

Grafted Norway spruce trees were subjected to exposure beginning in April 1988, to one of four different air treatments in open-top chambers: Charcoal filtered air (CF), non-filtered air (NF), non-filtered air with the addition of O(3) during summer (NFO), and SO(2) plus NO(2) during winter (NFOSN). CF trees were considered as the reference group. No effects on growth parameters were observed. Samples of the two youngest needle year classes were taken late in November 1989 for enzyme determinations. The activity of ascorbic acid peroxidase (A-POD) increased the same level in all treatments, and activities of catalase and dehydroascorbic acid reductase (DHA-R) increased only in NF and NFO treatments. A higher level of activity in the NFOSN treatment was observed only for glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (Glc-6-P-DH) and non-specific peroxidase (POD). Isoelectric focusing of POD showed a changed pattern in the NFOSN treatment. Neither activity nor isoelectric focusing of superoxidase dismutase (SOD) was changed in any of the treatments.     

In situ observations of foraging,feeding, and escape behavior in three orders of oceanic ctenophores: Lobata,Cestida, and Beroida

The foraging, feeding, and escape behaviors of members of four genera of oceanic ctenophores were studied by direct observation in the field during the summer of 1987 (7 July to 7 September) on R. V. Oceanus Cruise 191 to the Northern Sargasso and Slope water, in an area bounded by 34° to 39°N and 67° and 74°W. Patterns of water movement around these ctenophores were studied using fluorescein dye. Bolinopsis infundibulum forages vertically, capturing prey with mucus-covered oral lobes. Species of Ocyropsis forage horizontally and produce a reduced wake, due to the extreme compression of the body and the aboral location of the ctene rows. Prey are trapped by the muscular oral lobes and ingested by the prehensile mouth. In both genera, the auricles are held rigidly, and apparently are used both to reduce the pressure wave as they forage and to startle prey onto the surfaces of the oral lobes. Cestum veneris also forages horizontally, but continually reverses direction. Prey startled by the turbulent wake produced in the previous pass are captured by tentilla that stream over the sides of the body. All three species of Beroe studied swim in a spiral while foraging and produce similar wakes. Prey are ingested by the negative pressure produced by the rapid expansion of the mouth, and with the macrocilia that line the oral portion of the stomodaeum. The escape behavior of species of Bolinopsis, Ocyropsis, and Cestum appears to function primarily to elude nonvisual predators such as Beroe spp. Species of Beroe bend and swim rapidly during the escape response, and will turn themselves inside-out when repeatedly stimulated. The types of prey captured depend in part on an interplay of foraging and feeding mechanisms.     

Susceptibility of different yeast species to environmental toxic metals

The purpose of the study reported here was to investigate the relative resistance of yeast species to various metallic and metalloid ions, with a view to gaining more knowledge on this subject, as resistant species may become dominant in habitats contaminated with the relevant metals. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were grown in media containing different concentrations of mercury (as HgCl(2)), cadmium (as CdCl(2)), lead (as Pb(CH(3)COO)(2)), arsenic (as Na(2)HAsO(4)) and selenium (as Na(2)SeO(3)) for various intervals. Invariably, the two Candida species turned out to be more resistant to all the metals studied than S. cerevisiae. The metal showing the highest toxicity for these species was mercury, with cadmium being the second, lead, the third and arsenic and selenium being the least toxic elements. Strains showing resistance to mercury were isolated, even in the case of S. cerevisiae.     

Regional Variations in the Implementation of the Local Air Quality Management Process within Great Britain

The UK National Air Quality Strategy has required local authorities to review and assess air quality in their area of jurisdiction and determine locations in their areas where concentrations of specific air quality pollutants are predicted to exceed national air quality objectives in the future. Statutory air quality management areas (AQMAs) are designated where air quality is predicted to be above specified objective concentrations by specific target dates, and statutory air quality action plans will be necessary to improve the local air quality within these areas. Over 124 local authorities in England (including London), Wales and Scotland anticipate declaring AQMAs following the conclusion of the statutory air quality review and assessment process. However, other influences are being exerted on the local air quality management process and AQMA decision-making processes. Such influences include regional and sub- regional collaborative working between local authorities and government agencies and wider political decision-making processes. Some regions of Great Britain (encompassing England (including London), Scotland and Wales) anticipate many AQMA designations, whilst other regions are not anticipating any such designations despite apparently similar air quality circumstances. Evidence for regional or sub-regional variations in the locations of anticipated AQMAs are examined through an evaluation of the outcomes of the scientific review and assessment process undertaken by local authorities declaring AQMAs, and through a local authority survey to identify influences on decision-making processes at a level above that of the local authority. Regional variation is reported in the type of pollutant causing AQMAs to be declared, in the numbers of AQMAs in regions and in the spatial distribution of AQMAs across Great Britain.