Prenatal assessment and management of sacrococcygeal teratoma

Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is one of the most common tumors in newborns with a birth prevalence of up to 1 in 21 700 births. Routine fetal anomaly screening programs allow for prenatal diagnosis in many cases. Fetal ultrasound with Doppler evaluation and more recently magnetic resonance imaging may be used to document the extent of the tumor as well as identifying the population at risk for serious fetal complications. Rapidly growing SCT and highly vascularized tumors are more likely to have hemodynamic repercussions. Fetal hydrops is usually considered as a poor prognostic marker and a potential indicator for fetal intervention. Newborns with SCT require stabilization prior to early surgical resection. In case of malignancy additional chemotherapy may be required. SCT may result in significant morbidity, either directly or as a consequence of surgical therapy. Careful postnatal follow-up is required for timely identification and treatment of complications as well as recurrence. This paper aims to review the perinatal management of this condition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional visualization and quantification of non-aqueous phase liquid volumes in natural porous media using a medical X-ray Computed Tomography scanner

This study demonstrates the capabilities of a typical medical X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scanner to non-destructively quantify non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) volumes, saturation levels, and three-dimensional spatial distributions in packed soil columns. Columns packed with homogeneous sand, heterogeneous sand, or natural soil, were saturated with water and injected with known quantities of gasoline or tetrachloroethene and scanned. A methodology based on image subtraction was implemented for computing soil porosity and NAPL volumes in each 0.35 mm x 0.35 mm x 1 mm voxel of the columns. Elimination of sample positioning errors and instrument drift artifacts was essential for obtaining reliable estimates of above parameters. The CT data-derived total NAPL volume was in agreement with the measured NAPL volumes injected into the columns. CT data-derived NAPL volume is subject to a 2.6% error for PCE and a 15.5% error for gasoline, at average NAPL saturations as low as 5%, and is mainly due to instrument noise. Non-uniform distributions of NAPL due to preferential flow, and accumulation of NAPL above finer-grained layers could be observed from the data on 3-D distributions of NAPL volume fractions.     

2001～2017年全国气溶胶光学厚度时空分布及变化趋势

为探究全国大气气溶胶光学厚度（AOD）的分布及变化特征,利用最新的MODIS/Terra C6.1 550 nm AOD月数据分析了2001~2017年全国AOD的时空分布及变化趋势.结果表明,空间特征：年均AOD空间分布呈现两个显著的高值中心和低值中心,第一高值中心位于以人为气溶胶为主的华北平原、华中地区、长三角地区、珠三角地区和四川盆地,第二高值中心位于以尘埃气溶胶为主的塔克拉玛干沙漠地区,两个低值中心分别位于内蒙古地区东部至东北地区北部以及青藏高原.时间特征：各区域AOD峰值主要出现在春、夏季,塔克拉玛干沙漠地区、四川盆地和珠三角地区AOD在3~4月达到峰值,华北平原、华中地区和长三角地区AOD在5~7月达到峰值.趋势特征：2001~2006年,我国西北地区和内蒙古地区AOD呈现减少趋势,我国中东部地区和西南地区东部AOD呈现增长趋势.2007~2012年,青藏高原和塔克拉玛干沙漠地区AOD变化趋势由减少转为增长,华北平原和四川盆地AOD的增幅减弱,长三角地区AOD呈现弱的下降趋势.2013~2017年,我国大部地区AOD呈显著地下降趋势.     

MODIS C006气溶胶光学厚度产品在京津冀典型环境背景下的适用性

选取3个代表京津冀地区典型环境背景下的站点——北京、香河和兴隆,利用AERONET地基观测的气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)数据,研究了MODIS针对暗地表的C051暗像元法(DT C051)和C006暗像元法(DT C006),针对亮地表的C006深蓝算法(DB C006),以及融合了暗像元法和深蓝算法的融合产品(Combined C006),探讨了基于上述算法的AOD产品在京津冀地区的适应性.结果表明:(1)C006算法的改进对北京和香河站点反演AOD的精度改善较大,而在兴隆站点改善不明显;北京站点,C006深蓝算法AOD适用性最佳;位于城郊的香河站,C006暗像元法AOD最接近AERONET AOD;植被茂盛的兴隆站,Combined C006 AOD反演精度最高.(2)MODIS DT C006在北京站点的反演误差可能是由气溶胶模型与地表反照率共同造成的;MODIS DB C006在香河站点反演误差主要来源于春季的地表反照率和冬季的气溶胶模型两方面.(3)相较于DT C051AOD,DT C006有效数据覆盖率有所降低,但DB C006和Combined C006的数据覆盖率有所增加,且Combined C006 AOD产品数据覆盖率最广;结合MODIS AOD与各站点AERONET的对比验证,结果表明,Combined AOD产品在京津冀地区适用性最佳.     

基于叶绿素荧光成像技术的藻毒性检测法的建立及在环境监测中的应用

应用新型大面积调制叶绿素荧光成像系统(Maxi-Imaging-PAM),以蛋白核小球藻作为指示生物,以典型的光合作用抑制剂敌草隆和莠灭净为测试物质,建立了微孔板式藻毒性检测方法,确定了实验参数对结果的影响,并将该方法应用于检测石油废水的藻毒性.结果表明,最适实验条件为:藻细胞的暴露浓度在3.45×10~6～5.28×10~6 cell·mL~(-1)范围内,暴露时间为2 h时,毒性检测最灵敏,获得的敌草隆和莠灭净的半最大效应浓度(EC_(50))分别为(4.33±0.38)μg·L~(-1)和(3.87±0.27)μg·L~(-1).将该方法成功应用于某石油废水的藻毒性检测,确定其EC_(50)值为1.03%±0.07%(稀释百分数),相当于414.96μg·L~(-1)的敌草隆的毒性.本研究建立的微孔板式藻毒性检测方法具有灵敏度高、所需样品量少、可大批量测试等优点,对毒理学发展具有重要意义.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of the fetus: A study of 20 cases performed without curarization

Twenty patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a mean gestational age of 32 weeks. There were 12 patients with suspected fetal brain abnormality and four with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), while the remaining four cases were studied for other reasons. The MRI examinations were performed on a 0.5 Tesla machine, with surface coils. One minute acquisition time T1 sequences were used. All the studies were performed without fetal curarization, and only under maternal sedation using flunitrazepam given per os 1 h before MRI examination. Three examinations were incomplete because of fetal movement artefacts. In the remaining cases, MRI allowed the examination of fetal brain anatomy. In five cases, it helped to differentiate isolated hydrocephalus and corpus callosum agenesis. Sub-ependymal nodules were depicted in a case of fetal tuberous sclerosis. One suspected arachnoid cyst was proved to be an ultrasound artefact. Decreased fetal fat on MR images was correlated with low birth weight in cases of IUGR. Due to its better spatial resolution, ultrasonography was more accurate for the diagnosis of facial and lumbar anomalies. Fetal MRI may be performed without curarization. Surface coils allow the detailed analysis of brain parenchyma, and thus MRI is especially useful in the difficult prenatal diagnosis of fetal brain abnormalities.     

基于热像技术的电力变压器热故障的诊断方法

提出了一种基于变压器表面的红外热像对变压器热故障进行在线诊断的方法.根据变压器的表面温度、结构参数、物性参数和环境温度通过建立其传热模型,对变压器内部热故障温度进行反演计算,并与DGA诊断结果进行比较,证明了该方法的可行性,实现了变压器热故障的非接触、在线诊断.     

Prenatal diagnosis of a craniopharyngioma using ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging

We report an infant with a craniopharyngioma which was detected in utero. Maternal uterine ultrasonography, done at 27 weeks because of polyhydramnios, revealed a 4 cm midline mass near the base of the fetal skull. At 31 weeks, magnetic resonance imaging of the maternal abdomen confirmed the presence of a mass in the region of the third ventricle and revealed hydrocephalus. Two days post-partum a computed tomography (CT)-guided needle biopsy of the mass was performed and recovered tissue which was histologically consistent with a craniopharyngioma. The infant' s postnatal period was complicated by seizures, which were treated with phenobarbital, and by progressive hydrocephalus, necessitating placement of a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. He also received therapy for central hypothyroidism and diabetes insipidus. The infant' s parents refused permission for attempted resection of the tumour and he died at 8 weeks of age. This represents the second reported case of an antenatally detected craniopharyngioma. Four other cases of different intracranial tumours have been detected in utero using ultrasound, with no reported survivors past 3 days of age. There is a uniformly poor prognosis of such infants, but earlier diagnosis and intervention may change this result.     

CLASSIFYING STORM RUNOFF POTENTIAL WITH PASSIVE MICROWAVE MEASUREMENTS1

ABSTRACT: The average microwave temperature of the watershed surface as detected by an airborne Passive Microwave Imaging Scanner (PMIS) was compared with the measured Soil Conservation Service (SCS) watershed storm runoff coefficient (CN). Previous laboratory work suggested that microwave response to the watershed surface is influenced by some of the same surface characteristics that affect runoff, i.e., soil moisture, surface roughness, vegetative cover, and soil texture. In order to field test and develop relations between runoff potentfal and microwave response, several highly instrumented watersheds of approximately 1.5 to 17 km2 were scanned under wet- and dry-soil conditions in April and June 1973. The polarized (horizontal and vertical) scans at 2.8 cm wavelength provided the data base from which other values were calculated. The best relationship between runoff coefficients (CN) and PMIS temperatures was observed when horizontally polarized temperatures from the near-dormant, early-growing season flight were used. Lower SCS runoff coefficients seem to be correlated with the cross-polarized response under dry watershed conditions late in the growing season and the difference in horizontal polarized response between wet conditions early in the growing season and dry conditions late in the growing season. To apply the results, the relationships need to be verified further.