The use of magnetic resonance imaging in the prediction of birthweight

Extremes of fetal growth can increase adverse pregnancy outcomes, and this is equally applicable to single and multiple gestations. Traditionally, these cases have been identified using simple two-dimensional ultrasound which is quite limited by its low precision. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has now been used for many years in obstetrics, mainly as an adjunct to ultrasound for congenital abnormalities and increasingly as part of the post-mortem examination. However, MRI can also be used to accurately assess fetal weight as first demonstrated by Baker et al in 1994, using body volumes rather than standard biometric measurements. This publication was followed by several others, all of which confirmed the superiority of MRI; however, despite this initial promise, the technique has never been successfully integrated into clinical practice. In this review, we provide an overview of the literature, detail the various techniques and formulas currently available, discuss the applicability to specific high-risk groups and present our vision for the future of MRI within clinical obstetrics.     

生物磁效应在环境污染治理与修复中的应用

磁场是一种具有特殊能量的场,是影响生物体生理过程的物理因素之一。所有生物体自身均具有磁场,外加磁场可对生物体组织和代谢过程产生影响。磁场通过对生物体内重要物质——生物酶的改变进而影响生物从生长到衰亡的全过程;磁场对微生物的影响较为复杂,会对微生物产生不同程度的促进或抑制作用;同时,施加磁场会对细胞结构、基因表达、细胞膜通透性等产生影响。近年来,磁场诱导生物磁效应在水体、土壤、固体废物等污染治理过程中的作用受到了普遍关注。系统梳理了外加磁场对生物酶活性、微生物特性及生物细胞等产生的生物磁效应影响,总结了生物磁效应在废水处理、土壤环境治理及固体废物处理等领域的研究现状,并提出了未来生物磁效应在环境领域的应用展望。

     

Holoprosencephaly: Prenatal diagnosis by sonography and magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed on two women at the 33rd and 34th pregnancy week, respectively, after ultrasonographic detection of a brain malformation. Fetal neuromuscular blockade was induced by pancuronium bromide injected into the umbilical vein under continuous ultrasound (US) guidance. MR images supported the echotomographic diagnosis of holoprosencephaly, improving the image quality and offering additional information in such cases of difficult differential fetal diagnosis. Holoprosencephaly was finally confirmed by neonatal US and autopsy (case 1), US, CT and MR (case 2).     

Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging detection of temporal lobes and hippocampal anomalies in hypochondroplasia

Hypochondroplasia (HCH) is a genetic skeletal dysplasia, inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. About 50–70% of HCH patients have a mutation in FGFR3 gene and in the majority of cases it is a de novo mutation. Recent magnetic resonance imaging studies on relative large cohorts of HCH patients have showed a central nervous system involvement with a high incidence of characteristic temporal lobe and hippocampal abnormalities. To the best of our knowledge, this report shows the first magnetic resonance imaging prenatal detection of characteristic brain anomalies in a case of HCH, molecularly confirmed through postnatal FGFR3 analysis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Schizencephaly: Prenatal diagnosis by computed sonography and magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed at 29 weeks of pregnancy after ultrasonographic detection of an abnormal cleft in the fetal brain. Fetal neuromuscular blockade was induced by pancuronium bromide injected into the umbilical vein under continuous ultrasound (US) guidance. MR images supported the echotomographic diagnosis of schizencephaly improving the visualization of symmetrical broad clefts connecting the lateral ventricles with the subarachnoid space. Schizencephaly was finally confirmed by neonatal US, computed tomography, and MR.     

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.     

污水生物处理系统中内源过程的研究进展

污水生物处理系统的内源过程涉及到一系列微生物学、生态学机制和过程,因而对处理系统的各个方面都有重要影响.然而-目前对内源过程的认识还相当有限.本文首先在总结现有知识的基础上对污水生物处理系统中的内源过程作了定义,并对其区分为细胞和群落两个水平-随后,分别对内源过程中的细胞维持、解偶联、程序化细胞死亡、饥饿状态、高等微生物捕食等过程作了综述,总结了其在污水生物处理领域的研究进展.此外.文章还概述了细胞维持能量和细胞衰减速率的测定方法及其研究进展和存在的问题.本文的目的是通过综述现有的知识,推动对污水生物处理系统中内源过程研究的进一步发展.     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital epulis by three-dimensional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging

Congenital epulis is a benign intraoral tumor that has rarely been diagnosed prenatally. We report a fetus with congenital epulis diagnosed by three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound and fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 35 weeks' gestation. We show an image of congenital epulis using a new ultrasound technique, the 3-D multislice view, which shows images similar to CT or MRI. This is a short case report of congenital epulis diagnosed prenatally by 3-D ultrasound using multislice view and MRI. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.