Prenatal analyses in a pregnancy at risk for β-mannosidosis

Prenatal analyses were performed in the pregnancy of the mother of a patient with β-mannosidase deficiency. Partial deficiency of β-mannosidase activity in the chorionic villi indicated a heterozygous fetus and this first-trimester diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by amniocentesis.     

Prenatal diagnosis of haemoglobin disorders by cordocentesis at 12 weeks' gestation

Prenatal diagnosis of haemoglobin disorders is accepted to be a useful procedure to avoid births of infants with homozygous diseases. Advances in sampling and molecular techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), have made earlier and safer first-trimester prenatal diagnosis possible. However, these procedures need previous studies of at-risk couples, which can be very time-consuming when a number of different β-thalassaemia mutations occur in the region. We describe the possibility of making a first-trimester prenatal diagnosis by cordocentesis and fetal blood analysis at the 12th week of gestation. We found no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between β/γ values in fetuses at the 12th and 18th weeks of gestation. In seven affected fetuses aborted at the 12th week of gestation, the diagnosis was confirmed in all cases by PCR analysis. These findings suggest that early cordocentesis could be an alternative procedure to CVS and PCR analysis.     

β-glucuronidase deficiency: Identification of an affected fetus with simultaneous sampling of chorionic villus and amniotic fluid

Four pregnancies at risk for mucopolysaccharidosis VII were monitored by chorionic villus sampling obtained in the first or second trimester of gestation. One fetus showed reduced β-glucuronidase activity following simultaneous sampling of chorionic villus and amniotic fluid at 17 weeks of gestation. The pregnancy was terminated. Subsequent assay of β-glucuronidase activity in the fetal tissues was consistent with a diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis VII, thus confirming that chorionic villus samples provide useful information for diagnosis of this condition.     

Use of 4-methylumbelliferyl-6-sulpho-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside for prenatal diagnosis of tay-sachs disease using chorionic villi

Prenatal diagnosis of Tay-Sachs disease was performed using the sulphated substrate 4- methylumbelliferyl-6-sulpho-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranoside to detect hexosaminidase A in chorionic villi. The presence or absence of hexosaminidase A in villi was detected by both a quantitative enzyme assay, and by a rapid, novel procedure which permitted visual discrimination between normal and affected villi.     

β-环糊精增敏催化动力学光度法测定亚硝酸根

在磷酸介质中利用亚硝酸根催化条件下溴酸钾氧化甲基红的褪色反应,建立了β-环糊精（β-CD）增敏催化动力学光度法,对亚硝酸根进行测定。该方法最佳反应条件为：0.05 mol/L甲基红溶液加入量8.0%（φ,下同）,0.1 mol/L溴酸钾溶液加入量12.0%,1.0 mol/L稀磷酸加入量12.0%,0.15 mol/L β-CD溶液加入量16.0%,反应温度40 ℃,反应时间15 min。亚硝酸根测定的线性范围为8.0×10^-6~6.0×10^-4 g/L,线性回归方程的相关系数为0.996 6,检出限为4.0×10^-7 g/L。亚硝酸根的加标回收率为99.0%~102.0%,水样测定结果的相对标准偏差为2.4%~3.2%。加入β-CD后测定亚硝酸根的灵敏度增加了2.5倍。     

固定化毛霉对工业和农田污染土壤中多环芳烃的降解和生物有效性评价

为了探讨微生物修复不同类型多环芳烃污染土壤的可行性,应用固定化毛霉对多环芳烃污染工业土壤及农田土壤进行微生物修复,用羟丙基-β-环糊精(HPCD)提取模拟评价多环芳烃的微生物可利用性,并分析多环芳烃微生物降解和生物可利用性的相关关系.焦化厂污染土壤中多环芳烃的30 d降解率为77.6%,沈抚灌区污染土壤中多环芳烃的30 d降解率为54.2%,焦化厂土壤和污灌区农田土壤中多环芳烃降解差异明显.焦化厂土壤和污灌区土壤中多环芳烃的30 d降解量和多环芳烃的环糊精可提取量具有相关性,各环数多环芳烃的环糊精可提取量变化解释了焦化厂和污灌区土壤中多环芳烃降解的差异机制,说明可用环糊精提取量预测微生物降解土壤多环芳烃的情况.     

Preparation and characterization of β-FeOOH-coated sand and its adsorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions

Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to explore the adsorption of Cr(VI) in aqueous solutions by β-FeOOH-coated sand. We investigated the key factors which affected the adsorption process such as adsorbent dosage, initial pH, initial Cr(VI) ion concentration, contact time and temperature. The uptake of Cr(VI) was very rapid and 44.3%, 51.6%, 58.9% of the adsorption happened during the first 180 minutes at 293K, 303K and 313K, respectively. The pseudo-second-order rate equation successfully described the adsorption kinetics. To study the adsorption isotherm, two equilibrium models, the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, were adopted. At 293K, 303K and 313K, the adsorption capacities obtained from the Langmuir isotherm were 0.060, 0.070 and 0.076 mg Cr(VI) per gram of the adsorbent, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters such as the change of energy, enthalpy and entropy were calculated using the equilibrium constants. The negative value of ΔG0 and the positive value of ΔH0 showed that the adsorption of Cr(VI) in aqueous solutions by β-FeOOH-coated sand was spontaneous, endothermic and occurred by physisorption.     

畜禽粪便改良土壤中E1和E2自然降解的影响因素

研究了E1(雌酮)和E2(17β-雌二醇)在牛粪、猪粪和鸡粪改良土壤自然降解过程中灭菌、光照和温度的影响以及泰乐菌素与吐温80的复合影响. 对比灭菌和未灭菌环境中E1和E2的降解效果表明,灭菌能显著抑制E1的降解,而对E2的降解影响不显著;对比光照和黑暗环境中E1和E2的降解可知,光照对二者的影响不大;在前2种条件下,E1和E2的降解效果(以去除率计)不受粪便类型的影响. 在0～35 ℃,雌激素E1和E2的去除率随温度的升高呈增大趋势,其中E1在牛粪改良土壤中的去除率由1.21%增至58.04%,E2的去除率由1.24%增至48.93%;环境中共存的吐温80能促进E1和E2的降解,当泰乐菌素与吐温80共存时,可有效促进E2的降解.      

混合碳源浓度对单级好氧生物脱氮除磷的影响

以乙酸钠和丙酸钠1:2混合作为碳源,进水COD浓度分别为200,400,600,800mg/L,研究混合碳源浓度对单级好氧生物脱氮除磷的影响,并通过比较微生物体内储能物质的变化,探讨混合碳源浓度对生物脱氮除磷性能影响的机理.结果表明,当进水磷和氨氮浓度分别为12,30mg/L时,随着进水COD由200增加至800mg/L,磷去除率由39.9%提升至86.4%(氮去除率从13.5%提升至96.4%).进水COD为400mg/L时单位挥发性悬浮固体(VSS)的磷和氮去除量达到最高[分别为(4.31±0.08)和(6.15±0.22)mg/g].当进水COD由200增加至400mg/L时生物除磷活性增强,而COD继续增加会使污泥沉降性能变差,脱氮除磷生物活性降低.好氧吸磷和同步硝化反硝化主要由微生物体内储能物质多β羟基烷酸盐(PHA)驱动,当进水COD为400mg/L时单位VSS消耗的PHA最多.混合碳源浓度通过影响碳源的好氧代谢,使微生物体内储能物质的积累/转化量不同,进而影响系统的脱氮除磷性能.     

Liver and renal histopathology of North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) contaminated with heavy metals and organochlorine compounds

Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) from the Faroe Islands are known to be heavily polluted with contaminants, such as mercury (Hg) and organochlorine compounds (OC). This is postulated to exert adverse health effects on whales as well as the human population who rely on its meat and blubber as food sources. It was therefore decided to conduct a screening pilot study to determine contaminant concentrations and histopathology of liver and renal tissues in a total of 14 specimens from this subpopulation. In blubber, the mean ∑OC concentration was 31,887 ng g^?1 lw (range: 18,170–47,425 ng g^?1 lw) of which ∑PCB concentration was 23,416 ng g^?1 lw (range: 13,947–34,543 ng g^?1 lw; n = 3). In liver, mean Hg concentration was 138 µg^?1 ww (range: 54–351 µg g^?1 ww; n = 7) and mean cadmium (Cd) concentration 15 µg g^?1 ww (range: 7–31 µg g^?1 ww; n = 7). In the kidney, the mean Cd concentration was 36 µg g^?1 ww (range: 23–47 µg g^?1 ww; n = 7). Of the liver Hg concentrations, two were at the suggested toxic threshold levels of 60 µg g^?1 ww and five were 2–6-fold above. Liver selenium (Se) : Hg was on average 1.11 (range: 0.97–1.41; n = 7) indicating that Se was in excess, which decreased the risk of acute Hg poisoning. Histopathological examinations showed high prevalence (>35%) of renal glomerular arteriosclerosis, glomerular capillary dilatation, dilatation and hyalinization of Bowman's space/capsule and tubular hyaline casts. In liver tissue, high prevalence was found for portal cell infiltrates, lipid granulomas, hepatocytic lipid accumulation, bile duct proliferation, lipid-filled Ito cells, and focal necrosis. In a single juvenile male, 4 of 8 renal and 3 of 7 liver lesions were present. Cadmium concentrations increased significantly in the presence of glomerular arteriosclerosis and a similar trend was found for tubular hyaline casts. Based on these findings, as well as the nature of the lesions, data indicate that the histopathological changes were a result of age and that contaminants are likely to be the co-factors in the development in at least three renal and four liver lesions.