Maternal Serum CA 125 for aneuploidy detection in early pregnancy

Maternal serum CA 125 levels were determined at 9–11 menstrual weeks for 26 cases of trisomy 13 (n = 4), trisomy 18 (n = 7), trisomy 21 (n = 15), and appropriate controls. There were no statistically significant differences between groups.     

Reproductive behaviour and prenatal diagnosis following genetic termination of pregnancy in women of advanced maternal age

One hundred and fifty-one women of advanced maternal age who underwent genetic termination of pregnancy (TOP) were studied for their reproductive behaviour and the type of procedure for prenatal diagnosis in a subsequent pregnancy. A total of 59 women (39 per cent) had a further pregnancy. In all continuing pregnancies prenatal diagnosis was performed, of which 75 per cent consisted of chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Reproductive behaviour following a genetic termination was negatively correlated with maternal age and parity. Both reproductive behaviour and the choice to undergo a diagnostic procedure in the next pregnancy were independent of the type of diagnostic procedure in the previous affected pregnancy.     

Isolation and characterization of a Rhodococcus strain with phenol-degrading ability and its potential use for tannery effluent biotreatment

Introduction

Wastewater derived from leather production may contain phenols, which are highly toxic, and their degradation could be possible through bioremediation technologies.

Materials, methods and results

In the present work, microbial degradation of phenol was studied using a tolerant bacterial strain, named CS1, isolated from tannery sediments. This strain was able to survive in the presence of phenol at concentrations of up to 1,000?mg/L. On the basis of morphological and biochemical properties, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis, the isolated strain was identified as Rhodococcus sp. Phenol removal was evaluated at a lab-scale in Erlenmeyer flasks and at a bioreactor scale in a stirred tank reactor. Rhodococcus sp. CS1 was able to completely remove phenol in a range of 200 to 1,000?mg/L in mineral medium at 30 ± 2?°C and pH 7 as optimal conditions. In the stirred tank bioreactor, we studied the effect of some parameters, such as agitation (200?C600 rpm) and aeration (1?C3?vvm), on growth and phenol removal efficiency. Faster phenol biodegradation was obtained in the bioreactor than in Erlenmeyer flasks, and maximum phenol removal was achieved at 400?rpm and 1 vvm in only 12?h. Furthermore, Rhodococcus sp. CS1 strain was able to grow and completely degrade phenols from tannery effluents after 9?h of incubation.

Conclusion

Based on these results, Rhodococcus sp. CS1 could be an appropriate microorganism for bioremediation of tannery effluents or other phenol-containing wastewaters.     

沂北水稻主产区田间土—水磷素流失潜能

选取嘉善、余姚、德清、余杭4个具有代表性浙北水稻主产区，研究了水田土－水磷素流失潜能及环境意义。4稻区高水平磷肥投入促进了土壤高磷化，土壤Olsen-P积累的同时,相应地提高了土壤生物性有效磷、水浸提磷，并提高了土壤磷素的流失潜能。稻区土壤在富磷化过程中，存在着土壤磷素的农学意义向环境意义方向演变的趋势。在非植稻期，稻区农田水体，包括沟渠水、田表水、排渠水、暗管排水等总磷（TP）平均超过了易诱发水体富营养化临界值，其中溶解磷（DRP）占总磷40％；主要是源于绿肥田表水及部分排渠中的溶解磷对稻区外水体构成了直接危害。在非植稻期，因稻区间农耕措施的差异导致了土壤富磷水平与对应田表水磷素水平不具相关性；在植稻期，施磷措施促进水田土壤富磷，相应地提高了田表水磷素水平。