Non-mosaic trisomy 22: a report of 2 cases

Non-mosaic trisomy 22 is a common cause of first trimester miscarriage and has a livebirth incidence of 1 in 30 000–50 000. Consequently there is a paucity of information for counselling parents. Detection in the second trimester is rare. It is commonly associated with severe growth retardation and multiple structural abnormalities. Oligohydramnios is frequently seen and can make detection of other abnormalities difficult. The outlook is uniformly poor and survival beyond the first trimester may present management dilemmas. A thorough fetal assessment including high-resolution cytogenetics with or without FISH is required for counselling. Careful plans for intrapartum and neonatal management may be necessary. The recurrence risk is thought to be low but information is very limited as there have been no reported cases of recurrence. We present two case of non-mosaic trisomy 22 including the first to be diagnosed subsequent to investigation for a high serum screening Down's risk. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reuse of municipal effluent with drip irrigation and evaluation the effect on soil properties in a semi-arid area

Irrigation with municipal effluent was evaluated during 25 months in Southern Iran from 2003 to 2005 in which 14 tree species were irrigated with effluent and borehole water at an annual supply rate of 3,940 and 5,395 m(3) ha(-1), respectively. To mitigate the environmental effects, a drip irrigation system was designed and the amount of applied water based on pan evaporation was measured by flow meters and soil properties were monitored. The statistical results showed that the applied effluent had no adverse effect on soil properties. The soil salinity was reduced from 8.2, 6.8 and 7.0 dSm(-1) to 1.07, 1.12 and 3.5 dSm(-1 )in the soil layers 0-30, 30-60 and 60-90 cm, respectively. The SAR decreased significantly, while soil pH increased by 0.8 and 0.6 units in the layers 0-30 and 30-60 cm. A total application of 9,335 m(3)ha(-1 )of effluent with a nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of 7.9 and 10.3 mg l(-1), added 73 and 101 kg ha(-1) of nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil. Organic carbon also increased significantly. Twenty-five months irrigation with effluent caused a slight increase in soil bulk density and a slight decrease in mean permeability. Because of an efficient filtration and high discharge rate of bubblers (drippers), no considerable sign of clogging was observed.     

Equilibrium sampling used to monitor malodors in a Swine waste lagoon

The concentrations of malodorous compounds in a 0.4-ha anaerobic lagoon that received waste from approximately 2000 sows were monitored during the late summer to late fall of 2006 to gain insight into the factors influencing their concentrations. Selected malodorous compounds were measured by the use of equilibrium samplers consisting of submersible stir plates and stir bar sorbtive sampling with polydimethylsiloxane-coated magnetic stir bars. During the same period, air and water temperatures, suspended solids, total organic carbon and nitrogen content, and wastewater pH were recorded. Concentrations of malodorous compounds were higher at the surface of the lagoon than at the middle or bottom of the lagoon. Skatole concentration, for instance, averaged 54, 24, and 38 microg L(-1) near the surface, in the middle, and at the lowest sampling depths, respectively. While the lagoon was being pumped down during field application of wastewater, concentrations of malodorous compounds fluctuated widely, increased 16-fold as compared with the sampling period before pumping, and continued to increase as fall progressed and temperatures cooled. Suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, and total organic carbon increased near the bottom of the lagoon during this same period. The increases in the concentrations of malodorous compounds in the wastewater during the fall could have been due to a combination of several factors. These factors include reduced degradation by lagoon bacteria, less wind stripping of volatile compounds from the lagoon surface due to lowering of the lagoon surface after crop application, and/or reduced evaporation of malodorous compounds due to falling temperatures.     

Characterization of ionic composition of TSP and PM10 during the Middle Eastern Dust (MED) storms in Ahvaz, Iran

Because of the recent frequent observations of major dust storms in southwestern cities in Iran such as Ahvaz, and the importance of the ionic composition of particulate matters regarding their health effects, source apportionment, etc., the present work was conducted aiming at characterizing the ionic composition of total suspended particles (TSP) and particles on the order of ～10?μm or less (PM(10)) during dust storms in Ahvaz in April-September 2010. TSP and PM(10) samples were collected and their ionic compositions were determined using an ion chromatography. Mean concentrations of TSP and PM(10) were 1,481.5 and 1,072.9?μg/m(3), respectively. Particle concentrations during the Middle Eastern Dust (MED) days were up to four times higher than those in normal days. Ionic components contributed to only 9.5% and 11.3% of the total mass of TSP and PM(10), respectively. Crustal ions were most abundant during dust days, while secondary ions were dominant during non-dust days. Ca(2+)/Na(+) and Cl(-)/Na(+) ratios can be considered as the indicators for identification of the MED occurrence. It was found that possible chemical forms of NaCl, (NH(4))(2)SO(4), KCl, K(2)SO(4), CaCl(2), Ca(NO(3))(2), and CaSO(4) may exist in TSP. Correlation between the anionic and cationic components suggests slight anion and cation deficiencies in TSP and PM(10) samples, though the deficiencies were negligible.     

Bioremediation of toxic metals mercury and cesium using three types of biosorbent: bacterial exopolymer,gall nut,and oak fruit particles

Cesium and mercury are two mono-valent elements which can be found in toxic industrial, medical, and nuclear wastes. Their presence in the environment has deleterious effects on the ecosystem, living organisms including humans. Due to the chemical nature of these metals, bioremediation by conventional methods is more difficult to achieve compared to other metals. In this study, we used three biosorbents (oak powder, gall nut, and bacterial exopolymer) for the bioremediation of Hg and Cs. Bio-polymer was produced in the GMS mineral broth. Synthetic wastes of Hg(NO₃)₂ and isotope Cs-133 as the single-metal solutions were used. The biorefining process was carried out in glass columns, made of Pyrex, with dimensions 20?×?7/2?cm² with a V-shaped bottom. The samples were analyzed using atomic absorption. The experimental results showed that eliminated metal percent by oak powder, gall nut, and bacterial exopolymer were, respectively, of 94.8%, 96%, and 13.8% for Hg and 7.8%, 4.4%, and 69.4% for Cs. The tests revealed that Ca⁺⁺, when used as flocculant, played a key role in both biosorption and bio-precipitation rates. Consequently, it was concluded that the investigated biosorbents could be use as an integrated biosorption system for the refinement of mixed wastes.     

Do transportation taxes promote pro-environmental behaviour? An empirical investigation

The transportation sector is a crucial driver of energy intensity and environmental degradation. Therefore, we aim to explore the nexus of transportation taxes, energy intensity, and CO₂ emissions for the BICS economies. The econometric approaches, CS-ARDL and PMG-ARDL, have been employed to compute the estimates. The long-run estimates of the green transportation tax variable are negatively significant in both energy intensity and CO₂ emissions models irrespective of the estimation technique. These findings imply that green transportation taxes help reduce energy intensity and CO₂ emissions in BICS economies. Conversely, in the short-run, the effects of transportation taxes on energy intensity and CO₂ emissions are mixed and inconclusive. Hence, transportation taxes are necessary to keep the polluters under control not only from the transport sector but also serve as a deterrent for other sectors as well.

     

Foliar application of aspartic acid lowers cadmium uptake and Cd-induced oxidative stress in rice under Cd stress

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Cadmium (Cd) contamination of farmland soils is a widespread problem around the globe, and rice (Oryza sativa L.) tends to accumulate more Cd and is...