Adverse outcome in pregnancy following amniotic fluid isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum

Infections in pregnancy with Ureaplasma urealyticum have been associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, such as early abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Causality has been difficult to demonstrate secondary to the high prevalence of asymptomatic lower genital tract (LGT) colonization and culture data from inaccessible or potentially contaminated sites. Between 1985 and 1989, 2461 second-trimester genetic amniocenteses were evaluated at the cytogenetics section of the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron. All were cultured for the genital mycoplasmas: Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum. A total of nine patients were positive, all for Ureaplasma urealyticum, with one patient excluded because of subsequent therapeutic abortion. In addition, complete follow-up data, such as indication for amniocentesis, serum alpha-fetoprotein levels, gestational age at parturition, and out- come of pregnancy, were available on 86 Ureaplasma-negative (U –) patients during an approximate 2-year span within the time-frame of the study. This was in part due to physician response to a questionnaire sent after amniocentesis. Of the eight positive cultures, 100 per cent were associated with an adverse outcome, defined as fetal loss or premature delivery. This was significant compared with the U–group (p<0.001) with a more than eight times greater risk of adverse outcome. Six (75 per cent) resulted in spontaneous miscarriage within 4 weeks of amniocentesis and at less than 21 weeks' gestation. Two (25 per cent) delivered prematurely, with one (12.5 per cent) neonatal death at 24+ weeks. Histological examination of all eight placentae and the seven fetuses revealed a 100 per cent incidence of chorioamnionitis and pneumonia, respectively. In addition, in four of the five cases (80 per cent), cultures were positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum in pure culture from either placenta, fetal lung, or both tissues. The remaining case (20 per cent) was negative for aerobes, anaerobes, and mycoplasmas. The study demonstrates a significant association and supports a causal relationship between isolation of Ureaplasma from mid-trimester amniotic fluid with fetal wastage and premature birth.     

Atmospheric pollution in Beijing, China, as recorded in sediments of the Kunming Lake

The fluxes of heavy metals and magnetite, a fly-ash component, from coal burning, to sediments of the Kunming Lake in Beijing have increased measurably over the last fifty years. Ages were introduced to the sediment strata through Pb-210 geochronologies. Even with a doubling of coal usage by the year 2000, the anthropogenic metal fluxes will still be less than those recorded in metropolitan Tokyo and U.S. lakes.     

酸雨和SO2对蔬菜生长和产量的影响

应用开顶式熏气装置,以油菜和白菜为材料,分别将其暴露于模拟酸雨(pH2.8—5.6)和模拟酸雨与0.1ppmSO_2环境中,测定单独污染与复合污染对蔬菜生长反应和产量的影响。结果表明,酸雨(pH2.8)和酸雨(pH4.6)与0.1ppmSO_2复合处理均对LAR有明显抑制,LAR最多可减少37.5%。模拟酸雨(pH2.8,3.6)使蔬菜减产1.4—8.7%,而模拟酸雨与SO_2复合污染可使蔬菜产量减少7.9—28.9%(P<0.05)。     

国产十种合成洗衣粉诱发华西大蟾蜍(Bufo bufo andrewsi)蝌蚪红细胞微核的研究

研究了国产10种洗衣粉对华西大蟾蜍(Bufo bufo andrewsi)蝌蚪红细胞微核的诱变,结果表明“活力28超浓缩无泡加香”洗衣粉,“TM”及“SD”洗衣粉(1.2,6.0及12.0ppm)诱发蝌蚪微核率增高。在我们实验条件下,另外7种合成洗衣粉中的5种在12.0ppm浓度组也引起微核率升高。