Humerus and femur length in fetuses with down syndrome

The aim of the study was to assess the value of sonographic measurement of fetal humerus and femur lengths in the second trimester as a screening tool for Down syndrome (DS). We reviewed retrospectively fetal sonographic biometry made at the time of amniocentesis between 15 and 19 weeks. The study group consisted of 27 DS fetuses. The control group comprised 500 normal fetuses chosen randomly. The expected humeral and femoral lengths for a given biparietal diameter were estimated by linear regression equations from the 500 normal fetuses. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate both the detection rate and the false-positive rate of different cut-off values of measured to expected lengths ratios. The median femur and humeral lengths in DS fetuses were 0·91 times the expected values. No significant differences in the detection rate and false-positive rate were found between the humerus and femur lengths. When the humeral and femoral lengths were combined, we observed a remarkable reduction in the false-positive rate. A measured to expected length ratio of 0·91 detected 44·4 per cent of DS fetuses with 7·6 per cent false positives. These results suggest that the combination of femoral and humeral lengths may permit a more efficient use of ultrasound in screening for Down syndrome than the use of either alone.     

车辆阻塞效应下隧道火灾烟气温度及烟气逆流长度变化规律研究

通过数值模拟方法对车辆阻塞效应下的隧道火灾烟气温度及烟气逆流长度的变化规律进行了研究。主要分两种车辆阻塞效应讨论:1辆设定大小车辆障碍物阻塞;2辆设定大小车辆障碍物阻塞,且在同一车道。通过改变火源高度、纵向通风速度探究了车辆阻塞效应下隧道火灾烟气温度及烟气逆流长度的变化规律。结果表明:两种车辆阻塞效应下,随着火源高度的升高,隧道内顶棚烟气温度的变化规律相同:随火源高度的升高而增大。2辆车辆阻塞下的隧道顶棚烟气温度略低;两种车辆阻塞效应下,随着火源高度的升高,隧道内烟气逆流长度的变化规律不同。1辆车辆阻塞下烟气逆流长度随火源高度的升高而增大,而2辆车辆阻塞效应下烟气逆流长度随火源高度的升高而减小。     

Administrative license suspension: Does length of suspension matter?

Objective: Administrative license revocation (ALR) laws, which provide that the license of a driver with a blood alcohol concentration at or over the illegal limit is subject to an immediate suspension by the state department of motor vehicles, are an example of a traffic law in which the sanction rapidly follows the offense. The power of ALR laws has been attributed to how swiftly the sanction is applied, but does the length of suspension matter? Our objectives were to (a) determine the relationship of the ALR suspension length to the prevalence of drinking drivers relative to sober drivers in fatal crashes and (b) estimate the extent to which the relationship is associated to the general deterrent effect compared to the specific deterrent effect of the law.

Methods: Data comparing the impact of ALR law implementation and ALR law suspension periods were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques on the ratio of drinking drivers to nondrinking drivers in fatal crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Results: States with an ALR law with a short suspension period (1–30 days) had a significantly lower drinking driver ratio than states with no ALR law. States with a suspension period of 91–180 days had significantly lower ratios than states with shorter suspension periods, while the three states with suspension lengths of 181 days or longer had significantly lower ratios than states with shorter suspension periods.

Discussion: The implementation of any ALR law was associated with a 13.1% decrease in the drinking/nondrinking driver fatal crash ratio but only a 1.8% decrease in the intoxicated/nonintoxicated fatal crash ratio. The ALR laws and suspension lengths had a significant general deterrent effect, but no specific deterrent effect.

Practical Implications: States might want to keep (or adopt) ALR laws for their general deterrent effects and pursue alternatives for specific deterrent effects. States with short ALR suspension periods should consider lengthening them to 91 days or longer.     

菌渣中青霉素对蔬菜种子萌发的生态毒性效应

为推动青霉素菌渣环境安全利用技术规范的建立,以油麦菜、油菜、白菜和生菜4种蔬菜为研究对象,以种子发芽率、幼苗鲜质量、芽长和根长为毒性敏感指标,研究了不同处理组〔ρ（PG）分别为10、100、200、400、800、1 200、1 600、2 000、2 400、3 200和4 000 mg/L〕和对照组的青霉素（Penicillin,简称“PG”）对4种蔬菜种子萌发的生态毒性响应关系.结果表明:①与对照组相比,各处理组4种蔬菜种子发芽率之间均无显著性差异（P>0.05）;当ρ（PG）≥1 200 mg/L时,油菜种子的芽长增长率在60%左右,且与对照组相比具有显著差异（P < 0.05）;在ρ（PG）为200 mg/L时,生菜鲜质量达到最大值（0.29 g）,较对照组增加了10.37%,白菜鲜质量在ρ（PG）为400 mg/L时达到最大值,较对照组增加了5.76%,而在试验浓度范围内,各处理组4种蔬菜种子的根长均随着ρ（PG）的增大表现出逐渐增强的抑制作用.②PG对4种蔬菜的根长抑制率剂量-效应关系均符合Allometric模型,即y=axb〔其中,x为ρ（PG）,y为根长抑制率,a和b均为常数〕.③油麦菜、油菜、白菜和生菜4种蔬菜对PG的根长半抑制浓度（IC₅₀）分别为1 675.11、995.67、3 736.40和2 510.24 mg/L,4种蔬菜根长抑制率对PG的敏感程度表现为油菜>油麦菜>生菜>白菜（P < 0.05）.研究显示,与油麦菜、白菜和生菜相比,油菜更适合作为PG的生态毒性指示植物.      

外源Mo降低As(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅴ)对水稻的毒性及As的积累

通过溶液培养试验,研究外源添加Mo对2种价态砷(As(Ⅲ)和As(Ⅴ))胁迫下水稻吸收积累Mo和As的影响。结果表明,这2种价态的As对水稻生长均有抑制作用,As(Ⅲ)比As(Ⅴ)对水稻毒害更明显,添加Mo可缓解As对水稻的毒害。As添加可影响水稻根系和茎叶对Mo的吸收积累,但是不同价态As对Mo积累量的影响不一致。同时,Mo的添加也可以显著地降低水稻根系和茎叶对2个价态As的吸收积累。在100μmol·L~(-1)As(Ⅲ)处理下,添加0.1和0.5 mg·L~(-1)的Mo可导致水稻根系As积累量分别比对照处理降低38.8%和52.8%,茎叶As积累量分别降低5.1%和10.6%;当As(V)浓度为100μmol·L~(-1)时,添加0.1和0.5 mg·L~(-1)的Mo可导致水稻根系As积累量分别比对照处理降低15.4%和62.4%,茎叶As积累量分别降低11.9%和23.7%。Mo的添加还能显著地降低2种价态As在水稻根系和茎叶中的富集系数。因此,通过施用适量的Mo肥可以用来防治农田As污染,降低As对人体健康的危害。     

基于电磁感应和位移传感原理的电梯门锁啮合长度检测研究

电梯门锁锁紧元件啮合状态可靠性是确保电梯门系统安全运行的重要保障。针对现有电梯门锁啮合长度检验方法存在的测量精度不足、自动化程度低、通用性不强等问题,提出了一种基于传感器的检测方法。分析了电磁感应开关通断检测原理和接触式位移传感工作原理,在此基础上开发了门锁啮合长度检測装置,并介绍了使用该装置的检验步骤。实测结果表明:该检验方法和检验装置可以实现门锁啮合长度的快速准确检验,数据可重复性高。     

Competition and group size in Thomas’s langurs (Presbytis thomasi): the folivore paradox revisited

Among primates, group size is highly variable. The standard ecological model assumes that better predation avoidance as group size increases favours living in larger groups, whereas increased travel costs and reduced net food intake due to within-group competition for resources set the upper limit. Folivorous primates, however, tend to defy this generalisation in that some live in small groups despite low costs of feeding competition. To resolve this ’folivore paradox’, it has been suggested that folivore group size is limited by social factors such as male harassment or infanticide, or that females can disperse more easily and thus maintain group size near optimum levels. In this paper, we examine the effects of group size on home range size, day-journey length, activity budget and diet in wild Thomas’s langurs (Presbytis thomasi), which live in one-male multi-female groups with a limited life cycle. We examined only data from the stable middle tenure phase when factors such as the strength of the breeding male or the way in which groups were formed did not influence ranging and activities. During this phase, group size affected day-journey length and home range size, and had a minor effect on diet, but did not influence time spent feeding or resting, allogrooming or birth rates. Hence the upper limit to group size during the middle tenure phase in Thomas’s langurs is not set by feeding competition. The folivore paradox is not due to frequent female dispersal in Thomas’s langurs. The timing of female dispersal is not as expected if it serves to keep group sizes near the ecological optimum, and groups seem to be below this optimum. Instead, female reproductive success is presumably maximised in small to mid-sized groups because larger groups show a clear trend to experience higher risk of take-over, often accompanied by infanticide. Because females can redistribute themselves among nearby groups when groups reorganise each time a new male starts up a new group, females can keep the group small. Thus, a social factor, risk of infanticide, seems to provide the selective advantage to small group size in Thomas’s langurs. Received: 29 July 1999 / Revised: 17 November 1999 / Accepted: 15 October 2000     

Development of a SWAT Patch for Better Estimation of Sediment Yield in Steep Sloping Watersheds1

Abstract: The watershed scale Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model divides watersheds into smaller subwatersheds for simulation of rainfall‐runoff and sediment loading at the field level and routing through stream networks. Typically, the SWAT model first needs to be calibrated and validated for accurate estimation through adjustment of sensitive input parameters (i.e., Curve Number values, USLE P, slope and slope‐length, and so on). However, in some instances, SWAT‐simulated results are greatly affected by the watershed delineation and Digital Elevation Models (DEM) cell size. In this study, the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II was developed for steep sloping watersheds, and its performance was evaluated for various threshold values and DEM cell size scenarios when delineating subwatersheds using the SWAT model. The SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II was developed using the ArcView GIS Avenue program and Spatial Analyst libraries. The SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II improves upon the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch I because it reflects the topographic factor in calculating the field slope‐length of Hydrologic Response Units in the SWAT model. The simulated sediment value for 321 subwatersheds (watershed delineation threshold value of 25 ha) is greater than that for 43 subwatersheds (watershed delineation threshold value of 200 ha) by 201% without applying the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II. However, when the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II was applied, the difference in simulated sediment yield decreases for the same scenario (i.e., difference in simulated sediment with 321 subwatersheds and 43 subwatersheds) was 12%. The simulated sediment value for DEM cell size of 50 m is greater than that for DEM cell size of 10 m by 19.8% without the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II. However, the difference becomes smaller (3.4% difference) between 50 and 10 m with the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II for the DEM scenarios. As shown in this study, the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II can reduce differences in simulated sediment values for various watershed delineation and DEM cell size scenarios. Without the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II, variations in the SWAT‐simulated results using various watershed delineation and DEM cell size scenarios could be greater than those from input parameter calibration. Thus, the results obtained in this study show that the SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II should be used when simulating hydrology and sediment yield for steep sloping watersheds (especially if average slope of the subwatershed is >25%) for more accurate simulation of hydrology and sediment using the SWAT model. The SWAT ArcView GIS Patch II is available at http://www.EnvSys.co.kr/~swat for free download.     

外源Mo降低As(III)和As(V)对水稻的毒性及As的积累

通过溶液培养试验，研究外源添加Mo对2种价态砷(As(III)和As(V))胁迫下水稻吸收积累Mo和As的影响。结果表明，这2种价态的As对水稻生长均有抑制作用，As(III)比As(V)对水稻毒害更明显，添加Mo可缓解As对水稻的毒害。As添加可影响水稻根系和茎叶对Mo的吸收积累，但是不同价态As对Mo积累量的影响不一致。同时，Mo的添加也可以显著地降低水稻根系和茎叶对2个价态As的吸收积累。在100 μmol?L^-1 As(III)处理下，添加0.1和0.5 mg?L^-1的Mo可导致水稻根系As积累量分别比对照处理降低38.8%和52.8%，茎叶As积累量分别降低5.1%和10.6%；当As(V)浓度为100 μmol?L^-1时，添加0.1和0.5 mg?L^-1的Mo可导致水稻根系As积累量分别比对照处理降低15.4%和62.4%，茎叶As积累量分别降低11.9%和23.7%。Mo的添加还能显著地降低2种价态As在水稻根系和茎叶中的富集系数。因此，通过施用适量的Mo肥可以用来防治农田As污染，降低As对人体健康的危害。     

风帘长度对采空区瓦斯体积分数及自燃“三带”分布的影响

采用Fluent软件,对工作面进风侧无风帘、风帘长度20 m、30m、40m四种情况下的采空区流场进行了数值模拟,分析了不同风帘长度下采空区瓦斯和自燃“三带”的分布情况.结果表明:随风帘长度增加,采空区瓦斯爆炸范围虽变化不明显,但距工作面越来越近;采空区自燃带逐渐向工作面靠近,能使窒息带在采空区走向方向上变宽,覆盖原本位于采空区自燃带中后部(靠近窒息带)的高温点,降低采空区自燃发火的危险性.