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The Science of Nature -     

Parental response to mid-trimester therapeutic abortion following amniocentesis

This article reports the results of a retrospective study designed to examine the responses of couples to genetic amniocentesis and subsequent therapeutic abortions due to birth defects. Fourteen women and 12 men were interviewed by experienced interviewers using a structured format designed by the authors, and each interview was audiotaped for later rating. The 5 raters (all women) were instructed to independently rate each interview using forms designed by the authors to elicit information about many aspects of the participant's individual responses as well as perceptions of spouse's responses to the process of pregnancy, amniocentesis, therapeutic abortion, and sequelae. Ratings of all 5 raters were conjoined and an homogeneous narrative was constructed for each interview. Results indicate, in general, that the respondent couples coped well with this experience. In fact 70 per cent of the respondent couples described their marital relationships as becoming closer as a result of their experience. Only a few participants reported long-term deleterious effects. Most couples coped by relying on relatives, friends, and occasionally, professional counsellors. In addition, most participants in this study suggested ways to improve the medical and psychological aspects of this experience.     

通过调节汽油中铅的使用来控制人体血铅浓度

在20世纪60～70年代,铅排放一直保持着最大速率,之后,由于工业国家采取了日益严格的政策来限制铅作为防爆剂在汽油中使用,使得含铅汽油已经变得很少见了.我们利用欧洲铅排放量(PbE)和空气浓度(PbC)的重建及对约1980年以来德国人体血铅浓度(PbB)的重复测定,建立了一个可由铅排放量(PbE)估计人体血铅浓度(PbB)的经验模型.采用这一模型有两种用途[1]估计六七十年代德国的PbB水平,当时铅排放量最大而人体血铅水平监测尚未开始.结果显示,血铅峰值已经达到了卫生官员认为对胎儿和儿童有潜在危害的平均水平.[2]估计PbB水平将如何因有关汽油中铅使用的法规的实施而变化.模型估计,如果没有或延迟法规,PbB水平将远远超过临界水平.因此,自20世纪70年代以来,德国制定的法规已经明显降低了铅对健康的危害.     

非洲中部生态系统的碳排放及碳截留潜力

<京都议定书>中的<气候变化框架公约共同行动计划>和<清洁开发机制>要求对目前生态系统的碳蓄积、碳通量及碳截留潜力进行科学的理解,特别是对于碳贮库大但碳排放显著的、存在大面积和可重新造林土地的热带生态系统的了解.非洲中部拥有世界上10%的现有热带湿润森林,但有关该地区的碳研究甚少.1980年,非洲中部生态系统地上部分的碳蓄积为28.92Pg,到1990年则减少到24.79Pg.以增加生物量碳密度为目标而改善的森林管理能够截留18.32Pg的碳,到2050年还有超过50万km2原为森林的土地可以重新造林,从而增加截留10Pg的碳.了解生物量碳蓄积及其潜在截留量的空间分布对于通过<共同行动计划>和<清洁开发机制>所启动的碳贸易行动具有重大的意义.