DNA confirmation of congenital myotonic dystrophy in non-immune hydrops fetalis

We report on the prenatal diagnosis of congenital myotonic dystrophy in a case of nonimmune hydrops fetalis. DNA analysis of amniocytes revealed expansion of the trinucleotide (CTG) repeat within the myotonin PK gene, associated with myotonic dystrophy. The fetus was found to have approximately 1730 copies, while the normal population has between 5 and 27 copies, and minimally affected individuals have at least 50 copies.     

Organic carbon diminution and estimates of carbon dioxide release from plantation soil

Summary This paper evaluates the rates of organic carbon diminution in the soil under monospecific tree plantations of teak, gmelina, rubber, oil palm, cashew and coffee. The differences between the organic carbon status of their soils and soil under nearby natural rain forest vegetation are compared. Annual rates of organic carbon decrease for the 0–10 cm soil layer, varied from 82.1 kg ha^–1 for cashew to 316.7 kg ha^–1 for oil palm. The tree plantations appear to release more carbon dioxide from the soil into the atmosphere than the natural forest. They therefore, appear to have the potential of contributing towards global warming — a threat they are supposed to mitigate.     

Ocean trench conservation

Considerable concern has been recently expressed in conservation circles about the potential threat to oceanic trench ecosystems. Here, the geological origin in environmental characteristics and biological significance of the trenches are reviewed. Each trench provides a unique and isolated habitat, consequently endemicity has been found to be high at the specific level in each trench that has been adequately studied. However, the remoteness from primary food sources greatly reduces the richness of the fauna. The physical instability of trench habitats deriving from their high level of seismic activity, will result in the organisms being pre-adapted to mechanical disturbance. The main threats are either direct through poisoning by toxic chemicals or indirect through the decoupling of the trench habitat from its primary food source, or reduction in oxygen levels caused either by eutrophication or reduction in flushing rates. Only direct threats are considered as being at all dangerous, and any incident would be restricted to a single trench system. these threats could be reduced by rerouting vessels carrying toxic cargoes and by improving the effectiveness of the London Dumping Convention. The internationally agreed criteria for the selection of sites for any proposed seabed disposal of radioactive waste exclude the use of trenches for this purpose.