Sonographic demonstration of fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma

Six cases of sonographically diagnosed fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) are presented and illustrate the variable features of fetal SCT. The sonographic findings assisted the parents and perinatal team in making decisions, and in two of the cases the children survived after elective Cesarean section and prompt neonatal resection of the tumors. None of the patients showed signs of malignant degeneration of the teratoma or metastases. Fetal SCT no longer should be considered a uniformly fatal condition. The literature on sacrococcygeal teratoma detected after birth indicates that the mortality rate is correlated with the degree of extension of the tumor. Therefore, the classification of sonographically diagnosed fetal SCT according to its size and position is important for decisions regarding pregnancy management.     

Metabolic fate of dichloromethyl-O,O-diphenyl phosphonate (I) and dichloromethyl-O,O-Di-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphonate (II) in/on rice plants.

Metabolic fate of two dichloromethyl diaryl phosphonates (32P labelled) in/on rice plants was investigated. The test compounds were found to be less persistent on the surface of rice leaves with half lives 7.4 and 6.7 days respectively. Main degradation product from both the phosphonates were dichloromethyl phosphonic acid with trace of dichloromethyl-O-aryl phosphonate as a transitory intermediate product.     

Medical aspects of volcanic disasters: An outline of the hazards and emergency response measures

The health and safety hazards posed by volcanic eruptions are outlined with special reference to experience gained from the eruptions of Mount St. Helens in 1980. The ability of volcanologists to predict the timing and the impact on local communities of an impending eruption are limited, some recent devastating eruptions having occurred without apparent warning. With the expansion of world populations into hazardous volcanic areas there is a growing need to develop appropriate emergency response measures. This paper describes the main preventive public and occupational health measures that are now a necessary part in dealing with volcanic emergencies.     

Objectives for management of socio-ecological systems in the Great Barrier Reef region,Australia

A wide range of goals and objectives have to be taken into account in natural resources management. Defining these objectives in operational terms, including dimensions such as sustainability, productivity, and equity, is by no means easy, especially if they must capture the diversity of community and stakeholder values. This is especially true in the coastal zone where land activities affect regional marine ecosystems. In this study, the aim was firstly to identify and hierarchically organise the goals and objectives for coastal systems, as defined by local stakeholders. Two case study areas are used within the Great Barrier Reef region being Mackay and Bowen–Burdekin. Secondly, the aim was to identify similarities between the case study results and thus develop a generic set of goals to be used as a starting point in other coastal communities. Results show that overarching high-level goals have nested sub-goals that contain a set of more detailed regional objectives. The similarities in high-level environmental, governance, and socio-economic goals suggest that regionally specific objectives can be developed based on a generic set of goals. The prominence of governance objectives reflects local stakeholder perceptions that current coastal zone management is not achieving the outcomes they feel important and that there is a need for increased community engagement and co-management. More importantly, it raises the question of how to make issues relevant for the local community and entice participation in the local management of public resources to achieve sustainable environmental, social, and economic management outcomes.     

An assessment of urban vulnerability in the Amazon Delta and Estuary: a multi-criterion index of flood exposure,socio-economic conditions and infrastructure

The Amazon Delta and Estuary (ADE) is a region of continental and global ecological importance. Controversy, many of the basic infrastructure and services essential for quality of life and sustainable development of this delta are absent. Using a conceptual model to define socio-economic vulnerability in the urban ADE, a thorough assessment of indicators including sanitation services, housing conditions, household income, population, flood risk and unplanned settlements was conducted in 41 cities at the census sector scale (n = 2938). A multi criterion index was applied to classify urban vulnerability from three dimensions: flood exposure, socio-economic sensitivity and infrastructure. This is the first study to examine urban vulnerability within and between urban areas of the ADE. Results indicated that most of the urban sectors of the ADE are exposed to potential risks due to a combination of flood hazards, poverty and basic structural deficiencies such as insufficient drinking water or inadequate waste water collection, with several sectors being afflicted by similar problems. The assessment of vulnerability indicates that 60–90 % of the urban population live in conditions of moderate to high degree of vulnerability. The ADE cities presented a pattern where vulnerability increases from city center to their newly developed urban areas. Inadequate planning coupled with rapid urbanization has contributed to the development of unplanned settlements in almost half of the urban sectors of the ADE. Combined, these factors contribute to widespread socio-economic vulnerability along the urban spaces of the ADE, increasing exposure to health risks and more frequent seasonal and stochastic events such as storm surges and high flooding levels.     

Determination of the effective density and fractal dimension of PM emissions from an aircraft auxiliary power unit

Gas turbine particulate matter (PM) emissions contribute to air quality degradation and are dangerous to both human health and the environment. Currently, PM mass concentrations determined from gravimetric measurements are the default parameter for gas turbine emissions compliance with PM regulations. The measurement of particle size however, is of significant interest due to its specific effects on health and climate science. The mass concentration can be determined from the number-size distribution measurement but requires the experimental evaluation of effective density of a number of particles to establish the power-law relationship. In this study, the effective density of PM emissions from an aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) with petroleum diesel, conventional aviation fuel (Jet A-1) and a multicomponent surrogate fuel (Banner NP 1014) as combusting fuels have been compared. An experimental configuration consisting of a Differential Mobility Analyzer, a Centrifugal Particle Mass Analyzer and a Condensation Particle Counter (DMA-CPMA-CPC) was deployed for this purpose. Overall, a decrease in the effective density (220–1900 km? 3) with an increase in the particle size was observed and found to depend on the engine operating condition and the type of fuel undergoing combustion. There was a change in the trend of the effective densities between the PM emissions generated from the fuels burnt and the engine operating conditions with increasing particle size.     

Reduction of stream sediment concentration by a riparian buffer: filtering of road runoff in disturbed headwater basins of montane mainland southeast Asia

We determined the extent that a riparian buffer reduces stream suspended sediment concentrations by filtering road runoff during 18 rain events in a 2.5-ha, multi-use watershed in northern Thailand. The dominant buffer species was the perennial sedge Fimbristylis aphylla Zoll. ex Steud. (Cyperaceae). We monitored stream sediment concentration for situations where road runoff either flowed into the riparian buffer or was diverted directly into the stream (buffer and no buffer scenarios). These data were used to develop the following relationships between instantaneous stream sediment concentration (Ci) and discharge (Qi): Ci= 28.329Qi(0.851) (buffer scenario) and Ci= 22.265Qi(1.579) (no buffer scenario). Using these functions to calculate total event suspended concentrations, we determined that the buffer reduced suspended sediment concentration by 34 to 87%, for the range of events monitored. Removal of sediment from runoff generated on a 2.4-m-wide, 165-m-long unpaved road section was achieved principally via ponding, which reduced the transport capacity as flow entered the relatively flat, saturated buffer. Sediment deposition occurred primarily within the first 10 m of the buffer. Some sediment was also deposited on the fillslope leading to the buffer. Maximum road sediment concentration during the largest buffer event approached 100,000 mg L(-1). Meanwhile, the corresponding maximum stream suspended sediment concentration was <4000 mg L(-1). In contrast, maximum stream concentrations when flow bypassed the buffer during smaller events were commonly 4000 to 7000 mg L(-1). Naturally occurring buffers represent an economical means of mitigating road-related impacts in upland basins in Southeast Asia, particularly if combined with measures limiting sediment and runoff production on contributing road sections.