Is there a role for fetal interventions in gastroschisis management? – An updated comprehensive review

We conducted a comprehensive evidence-based review on the epidemiology and current standard of care of gastroschisis management as well as the pathophysiology, rationale and feasibility of fetal therapy as a viable alternative. Gastroschisis is a periumbilical abdominal wall defect characterized by abdominal viscera herniation in utero. It affects 4 in 10 000 live births, but the prevalence has steadily increased in recent years. Gastroschisis is typically diagnosed on routine second-trimester ultrasound. The overall prognosis is favorable, but complex gastroschisis, which accounts for about 10% to 15% of cases, is associated with a higher mortality, significant disease burden and higher healthcare costs due to long- and short-term complications. The current standard of care has yet to be established but generally involves continued fetal surveillance and multidisciplinary perinatal care. Postnatal surgical repair is achieved with primary closure, staged silo closure or sutureless repair. Experimental animal studies have demonstrated the feasibility of in utero closure, antiinflammatory therapy and prenatal regenerative therapy. However, reports of early preterm delivery and amnioinfusion trials have failed to show any benefit in humans. Further experimental studies and human trials are necessary to demonstrate the potential benefit of fetal therapy in gastroschisis.     

Prenatal diagnosis of de novo (7;19)(q11.2;q13.3) translocation associated with a thick corpus callosum and Wilms tumor of the kidneys

We present a case of prenatal diagnosis of a de novo (7;19)(q11.2;q13.3) translocation associated with ultrasound features, including enlarged cisterna magna, normal vermis, thick corpus callosum, micrognathia, small and low-set ears and right hyperechogenic kidney. Karyotyping was performed at 24 weeks of gestation. Termination of pregnancy was accepted at the parents' request. Postmortem examination confirmed the prenatal findings, but revealed bilateral Wilms tumors of the kidneys. Parental karyotype was normal. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Small‐Capacity Gold Production Tests From Waste Desktop Computers

This article describes a procedure for the hydrometallurgical recovery of gold from waste computer printed circuit boards (PCBs) and central processing units (CPUs). The wastes processed within the recovery installation described in this article were derived from desktop computers, the parts of which were manually sorted to select those components found to be rich in gold content. X‐ray fluorescence measurements showed that considerable amounts of gold are contained in the “finger” terminals of the PCBs as well as in the CPUs. This article describes the chemical processes for recovering gold from these parts. In addition, the article covers the emissions control apparatus that is capable of eliminating the nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions produced by the recovery process. The main costs arising from the overall procedure are for personnel utilization. Approximately 60 work hours from one worker are required to process 1.75–1.85 tons of unprocessed desktop computer waste to produce gold in the form of sediments. The quantity of gold recovered from this amount of waste computers can reach up to 35 grams with a standardized purity of 21 karats. The overall recovery procedure takes eight consecutive calendar days to accomplish.