Prenatal demonstration of a cervical myelocystocele

Myelocystocele is a rare spinal cord disorder and has not been described prenatally. We report a case in which prenatal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a posterior cervical mass which was initially thought to be a meningocele or an atypical cystic hygroma. Surgery performed at 1 day of age showed this to be a myelocystocele. Therefore, the differential diagnosis of an extracranial cystic mass in the posterior cervical region should be expanded to include myelocystoceles.     

Clock-shift experiments with Savannah sparrows, Passerculus sandwichensis, at high northern latitudes

Orientation can be difficult for nocturnal bird migrants at high northern latitudes because of the large changes of magnetic declinations, rapid longitudinal time-shifts experienced during a long-distance flight and the invisibility of stars during the polar summer. Both sunset cues as well as geomagnetic cues have been shown to be of great importance in the orientation system of Savannah sparrows, Passerculus sandwichensis. We used clock-shift experiments to investigate whether geomagnetic and sunset cues were used for migratory orientation by wild-caught young Savannah sparrows at high geomagnetic latitudes in Northern Canada. We exposed birds to a 4-h slow clock-shift, expecting a 60° clock-wise shift in orientation after the treatment. Under natural clear skies in the local geomagnetic field, the birds responded by showing a significant axial mean orientation directed towards the position of the setting sun in the NW and towards their preferred migratory direction in the SE. After exposure to the clock-shift for 6 days and nights the birds showed a clear response to the treatment and shifted significantly towards NNE. Birds that first oriented towards NW in the experiments before clock-shift tended to shift clock-wise, thus reacted to the clock-shift in the expected way. The reaction of the individual birds that originally oriented towards SE seems to vary. In summary, our birds did not select a constant angle (menotaxis) in relation to the sun's position during the experiments, but presumably were affected by the sun showing phototaxis or followed their magnetic compass. Possible explanations of the unexpected experimental results are discussed. Electronic Publication     

Prenatal diagnosis of anatomical connections in conjoined twins by use of contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Omphalopagus conjoined twins were diagnosed by ultrasonography in a pregnant woman at 21 weeks' gestation. In order to clarify the anatomical connections, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, having achieved fetal paralysis by intravascular injection of 100 mg of pancuronium into each twin. Prior to MRI, 2 ml of a 0.0001 mmol/ml solution of gadolinium DTPA was also injected into the stomach of one twin. The contrast agent opacified the bowel loops of both twins, indicating bowel to bowel anastomosis. Following pregnancy termination, autopsy confirmed the prenatal diagnosis.     

玉米芯生物炭对含盐污水中氨氮的吸附特性

以玉米芯为原料制备生物炭,并采用"盐酸+超声波"改性,研究了其对含盐污水中氨氮的吸附特性。结果表明,改性玉米芯生物炭的比表面积和酸性含氧官能团含量较改性前分别提高了7.5、18.2倍,在氨氮初始质量浓度为40 mg/L、盐度为0.45%、p H值为5.0、投加量为2.5 g时,对氨氮的吸附率可达79.4%。改性玉米芯生物炭在含盐条件下对氨氮的吸附过程更符合准二级动力学模型和Langmuir模型,理论最大吸附量为2.538 2~2.842 6 mg/g,显著高于改性前。热力学分析表明,玉米芯生物炭对含盐污水中氨氮的吸附主要为物理吸附,且是自发、放热及熵增加的过程。以HCl为解吸剂,改性前后玉米芯生物炭的最佳吸附-解吸循环次数分别为3、7次,再生后对氨氮的平衡吸附量分别为解吸前的85.1%、93.8%。     

水葫芦/污泥共热解法制备生物炭粒及其对Cr3+的吸附特性

为了促进水葫芦和污泥的资源化利用,探究水葫芦/污泥生物炭粒的基本理化性质及其对水中Cr3+的吸附机制,以水葫芦、污泥为原料,在300~500℃热解温度下制得生物炭粒,通过产率分析、灰分分析、比表面积和孔径分析及SEM（扫描电镜）分析,同时利用吸附动力学模型和等温吸附模型对生物炭粒吸附水中Cr3+的内在机制进行研究,最后采用TCLP（毒性浸出法）测定了不同生物炭粒中重金属的浸出毒性.结果表明:随着热解温度从300℃升至500℃,生物炭粒的产率从14.93%降至11.75%,生物炭粒的灰分含量逐渐升高,比表面积增大.SEM结果显示,水葫芦与污泥质量比为1:10时,生物炭粒比表面积较大,孔隙结构明显.当水葫芦与污泥质量比为1:10、热解温度为500℃时生物炭粒对Cr3+的吸附量最大,为44.96 mg/g.热力学分析显示,生物炭粒对溶液中Cr3+的吸附以化学吸附为主,且为单层吸附.TCLP试验表明,水葫芦/污泥生物炭粒中各重金属（Cd、Zn、Cu、Pb、Ni、Cr）的浸出浓度均低于GB 5085.3-2007《危险废物鉴别标准浸出毒性鉴别》的限值.研究显示,添加水葫芦能改善生物炭粒的理化性质,使得生物炭粒对Cr3+的吸附量增大,以化学吸附为主,且为单层吸附,水葫芦/污泥生物炭粒浸出毒性较低,可为生物炭类环境功能材料的研制提供选材依据.      

浒苔生物炭促进土壤Pb固定并缓解植物Pb毒性

本文利用浒苔在不同温度下制备的生物炭（400℃和600℃,记为BC400与BC600）,以30g/kg生物炭添加量对1200mg/kg的Pb污染土壤进行香根草盆栽实验,研究浒苔生物炭对土壤中Pb固定和植物中Pb毒性的影响.结果表明,浒苔生物炭与香根草能协同促进土壤中Pb固定,较生物炭组提高了16.89%和14.82%,比植物组提高17.40%和15.02%.生物炭理化性质影响Pb固定,BC400的pH值（8.97）低于BC600（10.59）,但BC400固定Pb的效果优于BC600,因为羟基（—OH）、羰基（C═O）等基团较BC600丰富,且微孔结构完整.浒苔生物炭可抑制香根草对Pb的吸收,促进香根草生长,其中BC400有助于植物地上部分及根部Pb浓度降低（分别降低23.50%和22.92%）,同时降低富集系数,提高香根草的生物量、叶绿素含量及根系活力,提高抗氧化酶SOD、CAT和POD活性,丙二醛含量可降低13.40%.总之,浒苔生物炭通过高pH值和微孔结构吸附Pb,并通过官能团增加与金属的结合位点固定Pb,以降低Pb的毒性,提高香根草生存能力.鉴于滨海地区浒苔生物质资源丰富,生物炭与植物联合作用可作为Pb污染土壤修复的技术措施之一.     

Ultra-low concentration of total organic carbon in ultrapure water using ion-exchange resin embedding silanized magnetic nanoparticles

Regeneration of pure water is an important issue not only for the healthy life but also for the fine control of precise processes in various industries.One important issue in ultrahigh purified water is to reduce the amount of total organic carbon(TOC).Herein,we introduce a new approach to reduce the TOC using the surface silanized nanoparticles,in which the magnetic nanoparticles(mNPs) are silanized and then complexed with ion exchange resin(IER) beads.The Fe_3O_4 mNPs are surface modified by using high concentrated vinyltrimethoxysilane(VTMS) and then adhered on the surface of IER beads.The surface modified mNPs have a thick-shell of polysiloxane layer varying from 5 to 22 nm depending on the amount of VTMS used,which leads the significant increase of specific surface area.The IER beads embedding VTMS-silanized mNPs achieves about 7 μg/L of the TOC level in ultrapure water system,which is two orders less than 228 μg/L of the feeding water and one order less than 96 μg/L from the system using pristine IER beads.This result is mainly attributed to the polysiloxane layer forming broccoli-like surface structure and some part by the vinyl group of VTMS exposed to the amines in the water.     

Nitrate removal from aqueous solutions by magnetic cationic hydrogel: Effect of electrostatic adsorption and mechanism

Excessive nitrate(NO_3~-) is among the most problematic surface water and groundwater pollutants.In this study,a type of magnetic cationic hydrogel(MCH) is employed for NO_3~-adsorption and well characterized herein.Its adsorption capacity is considerably pHdependent and achieves the optimal adsorption(maximum NO_3~--adsorption capacity is95.88±1.24 mg/g) when the pH level is 5.2-8.8.The fitting result using the homogeneous surface diffusion model indicates that the surface/film diffusion controls the adsorption rate,and NO_3~-approaches the center of MCH particles within 30 min.The diffusion coefficient(D_s) and external mass transfer coefficient(k_F) in the liquid phase are1.15 × 10~(-6) cm~2/min and 4.5 × 10~(-6) cm/min,respectively.The MCH is employed to treat surface water that contains 10 mg/L of NO_3~-,and it is found that the optimal magnetic separation time is 1.6 min.The high-efficiency mass transfer and magnetic separation of MCH during the adsorption-regeneration process favors its application in surface water treatment.Furthermore,the study of the mechanism involved reveals that both-N~+(CH_3)_3 groups and NO_3~-are convoluted in adsorption via electrostatic interactions.It is further found that ion exchange between NO_3~-and chlorine occurs.     

稻草生物炭对土壤中Cd2+和Pb2+的吸附特性

为了探究稻草生物炭对土壤中重金属Cd2+和Pb2+的吸附机制,采用水稻秸秆在500℃下热解制备稻草生物炭,设置不同吸附时间、Na+和Ca2+离子强度、pH等影响因素,拟合稻草生物炭对重金属的吸附动力学、吸附等温线;在此基础上,采用黄沙模拟土柱试验得出稻草生物炭固定Cd2+和Pb2+的穿透曲线,着重分析比较pH和Na+离子强度对稻草生物炭吸附固定重金属的影响.结果表明:在高pH、低离子强度下,稻草生物炭对重金属的吸附效果较好;当pH为6时,稻草生物炭对Pb2+、Cd2+的吸附效率分别为92.58%、63.36%;当离子强度为10 mmol/L时,稻草生物炭对Pb2+、Cd2+的最高吸附效率分别为97.58%、68.35%;准二级动力学模型能很好地拟合稻草生物炭对Pb2+、Cd2+的吸附规律,拟合系数（R2）均大于0.995 8,表明稻草生物炭吸附速率主要由化学吸附机制决定;此外,稻草生物炭对Pb2+的吸附规律适合采用Langmuir等温吸附模型进行描述,而对Cd2+的吸附规律采用Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附模型均能进行很好的模拟,表明稻草生物炭对Pb2+的吸附是近似单分子层吸附,而对Cd2+的吸附存在多分子层吸附.由黄沙土柱模拟试验结果得出,稻草生物炭对Pb2+和Cd2+的滞留率随着pH的升高和离子强度的降低而增强.在Pb2+和Cd2+同时存在条件下,当pH为6、离子强度为1 mmol/L、稻草生物炭按黄沙质量的0.5%投加时,稻草生物炭对土柱中Pb2+、Cd2+的滞留效果最好.研究显示,高pH对稻草生物炭吸附固定重金属起到促进作用,而高离子强度对稻草生物炭吸附固定重金属起到抑制作用.      

炭基-Co3O4复合材料活化过一硫酸盐降解阿特拉津

利用水热浸渍法制备了生物炭基-Co₃O₄复合材料（Co-OB）,采用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、X射线衍射仪（XRD）、傅里叶变换衰减全反射红外光谱仪（ATR-IR）等手段对Co-OB进行表征,并研究了其活化过一硫酸盐（PMS）降解阿特拉津（ATZ）的性能,探究了PMS投加量、腐殖酸（HA）和Cl^-对ATZ降解的影响.结果表明,在Co-OB活化投加量0.025g/L,PMS浓度200μmol/L,ATZ浓度20μmol/L,室温条件下10min内ATZ的去除率为86.3%,与生物炭（OB）和Co₃O₄相比,其去除率为后两者之和的2.2倍.随着PMS浓度增加,ATZ去除率显著提高.Cl^-、HA的存在抑制了ATZ的降解,且随Cl^-、HA浓度增加,抑制程度增大.自由基猝灭实验表明·OH和SO₄·^-是ATZ降解的主要活性物种.通过液相色谱-质谱联用仪（LC-MS）分析出6种中间产物,并推测出ATZ的降解途径.稳定性实验表明Co-OB具有重复使用性及低Co²⁺溶出.