Atelosteogenesis type II: Sonographic and radiological correlation

Atelosteogenesis type II is a lethal chondrodysplasia characterized by severe micromelia, spinal abnormalities, talipes equinovarus, and abducted thumbs and toes. We present a case diagnosed at 21 weeks of gestation in which antenatal sonographic and post-mortem radiological findings were correlated. The patient had a recurrence of this disorder in a subsequent pregnancy which was terminated at 15 weeks, supporting previous reports of an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The feasibility of diagnosing the following morphological features by prenatal ultrasonography is demonstrated: coronal clefts of the vertebral bodies, metaphyseal and epiphyseal abnormalities, spinal deviations such as cervical kyphosis and a horizontal sacrum, additional ossification centres in the pelvis, and preaxial deviation of the thumbs and toes. The differential diagnosis of this disorder from other skeletal dysplasias with similar features is discussed.     

Cystic hygromata in trisomy 18 and 21

Prenatal diagnosis of cystic hygromata by means of ultrasound examination is possible and highly accurate. Although this is usually associated with Turner's syndrome especially if there is co-existent hydrops fetalis we report three cases in which cystic hygromata were associated with trisomies; two cases of trisomy 21 and one of trisomy 18.     

Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of macroglossia in the Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome

We report the ultrasound prenatal diagnosis at the 30th week of macroglossia in two sibs with the Wiedemann-Beekwith syndrome; the syndrome was also present in their mother. A study of high resolution chromosomes did not show any anomaly.     

Umbilical cord pseudocyst in trisomy 18

Prenatal diagnosis of cord defects by means of ultrasound examination is possible and highly accurate. Although this is a rare pathological finding, we report two cases in which umbilical cord pseudocysts were associated with trisomy 18. These observations underscore the need of umbilical blood sampling for establishing the karyotype in fetuses with such umbilical cord anomalies and the importance of careful examination of placentas and infants born with such defects.     

Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of radial-ray aplasia and renal anomalies (acro-renal syndrome)

Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of a rare case of radial ray aplasia and crossed renal ectopy is described in an affected sibling of a family where the father and his son suffer from this rare syndrome. The prenatal diagnosis enabled early pregnancy termination.     

Prenatal diagnosis of distal arthrogryposis type I by ultrasonography

Two consecutive pregnancies in a woman with initially undiagnosed type I distal arthrogryposis (DA) are reported. A prenatal diagnosis of the condition was made by ultrasound in the 17th week of gestation in one of the pregnancies, whereas in the subsequent pregnancy the disorder was excluded as early as 13 weeks' gestation. The diagnoses were verified at birth. The feasibility of prenatal diagnosis of DA type I in the second trimester is thus confirmed and its possibility in the late first trimester is suggested.     

Recent trends in the decomposition of chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons by ultrasound irradiation and Fenton's reagent

Over the past few years, a large number of studies have been conducted on the use of ultrasound for decomposition of harmful organic pollutants, particularly chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (CAH) in wastewater. The published reports cover a variety of applications, including both ultrasonic treatment alone and in combination with other methods, e.g., advanced chemical oxidation processes. This article presents a review of recent work on ultrasonic-based methods of CAH decomposition, with emphasis on the applications of ultrasound alone and in combination with Fenton's reagent, as attractive advanced oxidation systems. In the first part of this review, the basic principles of sonochemical treatment are presented, followed by a review of the applications of ultrasound alone for CAH degradation. In the second part, the mechanisms of CAH degradation with Fenton's reagent and its application for CAH degradation are summarized. In the final part, studies on the applications of ultrasound together with Fenton's reagent are reviewed. The reported results suggest that a combination of ultrasound and Fenton's reagent is more attractive for practical application than the use of either method separately. Further studies, however, are required in this area because the reaction mechanism and the relationship between the reaction rates and process parameters for such a combined process are not yet well established.     

辐射技术强化污泥沉降与脱水特性的实验研究

主要研究辐射技术对污泥沉降与脱水特性的影响,实验采用某污水处理厂的样品经过微波、超声辐射改性后,对毛细吸水时间(CST)、粘度、污泥沉降比(SV)、含水率、上清液的COD浓度、Zeta电位、形态学特征的变化情况进行了研究。实验结果表明,微波辐射后污泥颗粒的平均粒度由33.551μm降低到28.979μm,分形维数在2.8左右,图像显微分析表明微波调质后污泥有粗大化现象;超声辐射后污泥的粒度由33.551μm降低到9.435μm,分形维数在2.9左右,超声调质后污泥颗粒较小;利用Origin8.0软件对污泥脱水特性与污泥含水率进行分析,建立了污泥脱水特性的模型有助于在线预测污泥含水率。     

What’s the buzz? Ultrasonic and sonic warning signals in caterpillars of the great peacock moth (Saturnia pyri)

Caterpillars have many natural enemies and, therefore, have evolved a diversity of antipredator strategies. Most research focuses on those strategies (crypsis, countershading, and warning coloration) targeting visually guided predators. In contrast, defensive sounds, although documented for more than a century, have been poorly studied. We report on a novel form of sound production—chirping—in caterpillars of the common European Great Peacock moth (Saturnia pyri). Chirps are broadband, with dominant peaks ranging between the sonic (3.7 kHz) and ultrasonic (55.1 kHz) and are generated by a rapid succession of mandibular “tooth strikes.” Chirp trains are induced by simulated predator attacks and precede or accompany the secretion of a defensive chemical from integumental bristles, supporting our hypothesis that these sounds function in acoustic aposematism. We propose that these caterpillars generate multimodal warning signals (visual, chemical, and acoustic) to target the dominant sensory modalities of different predators, including birds, bats, and invertebrates. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Transesterification of waste vegetable oil under pulse sonication using ethanol,methanol and ethanol–methanol mixtures

This study reports on the effects of direct pulse sonication and the type of alcohol (methanol and ethanol) on the transesterification reaction of waste vegetable oil without any external heating or mechanical mixing. Biodiesel yields and optimum process conditions for the transesterification reaction involving ethanol, methanol, and ethanol–methanol mixtures were evaluated. The effects of ultrasonic power densities (by varying sample volumes), power output rates (in W), and ultrasonic intensities (by varying the reactor size) were studied for transesterification reaction with ethanol, methanol and ethanol–methanol (50%-50%) mixtures. The optimum process conditions for ethanol or methanol based transesterification reaction of waste vegetable oil were determined as: 9:1 alcohol to oil ratio, 1% wt. catalyst amount, 1–2 min reaction time at a power output rate between 75 and 150 W. It was shown that the transesterification reactions using ethanol–methanol mixtures resulted in biodiesel yields as high as >99% at lower power density and ultrasound intensity when compared to ethanol or methanol based transesterification reactions.