Commentary: The federal ‘Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act’

The recently enacted federal law, the ‘Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act’ (United States Public Law 110–374) seeks to improve opportunities for parents and pregnant women to anticipate and understand the likely life course of children born with Down syndrome and other (unspecified) conditions. The law is in part a response to the continued growth of prenatal screening and testing. For example, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Practice Bulletin 77 recommends that ‘Screening and invasive diagnostic testing for aneuploidies be available to all women who present for prenatal care before 20 weeks of gestation regardless of maternal age.’ Emerging technologies anticipate an era in which the scope of prenatal screening and testing will be much larger than it is today. Inevitably, more women will find themselves facing the hard question of whether to continue or end a pregnancy in which a fetus has been found to have a significant abnormality. While the new federal law is not likely to have a major impact on obstetric practice, it may be a harbinger of renewed wide-scale public debate concerning the ethics of prenatal screening. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

海河流域土壤中碳的分布特征

通过对海河流域土壤中碳及其形态含量的分析,研究了该区不同土壤类型的水平与垂直分布规律,普遍具有表层含量高于下层含量的垂直分布,盐化湖士>潮土>褐土含量的水平分耵特点;并探讨了影响其含量的地貌特征和施肥因素,具有西部丘陵地区含量分散,冲积淤积区元素富积,以及施用农家肥的蔬菜地含量增高的规律;并探讨了各形态间相互制约的相关牲;同时参照其它地区该元素含量,确立本区基本没受人为干扰的含量水平,在此基础上,作出该区土壤中总碳、无机碳、有机碳,有机质含量分布图。为研究本区碳的生物地球化学循环奠定基础。     

煤矿环境噪声对居民健康影响的调查

参照国家环境噪声标准,在西山官地矿,选择了噪声在５０ｄＢ（Ａ）以下两类居民区,对１６岁上的居民选２５６名为本次调查对象。监测结果,户外最７５ｄＢ（Ａ）,均超过国家规定标准。在５０ｄＢ（Ａ）以上的环境下生活、工作和学习的居民神经系统和听力均有不同程度的损伤,而且损伤程度与居住年限有密切关系。神衰阳性率１０年以上者,５０ｄＢ（Ａ）以上３４．２８％,５０ｄＢ（Ａ）以下为１３．５５％。语频听损检出率５０ｄ     

地下水中H酸衍生污染物的对照分析

对地下水中一种染料中间体Ｈ酸的污染进行了提取,分离,碱熔融试验,并与已知的污染物进行薄层色谱和红外光谱对照分析,确定该地下水中棕红色污染物的Ｈ酸长期氧化的衍生产物。     

黄土高原区煤矿排土场复垦及区域生态恢复示范工程

黄土高原资源开发后物生态恢复问题是该区域生态环境中亟待解决的重要问题,以内蒙古准格尔露天矿排土地复垦及区域环境生态恢复示范工程为实例,研究了在黄土高原资源开发区搞生态恢复工程的技术,方法和效果。研究结果表明,该生态恢复的技术关键是在必要的土地处理和工程措施基础上,选择适宜的植物种类,依不同的立半条件和功能划分,建立与之适应的生态结构模式。该研究中选出了６０余种适宜植物种和８种适宜生态结构类型,使其