Vitamins,folic acid and neural tube defects: Comments on investigations in the United States

No clear answer concerning whether multivitamin/folate supplementation prevents neural tube defects (NTDs) is provided by three studies in the United States. All these studies are occurrence in nature, no recurrence studies having been conducted. The Atlanta Birth Defects Study is subject to pronounced memory and recall biases, the length between event and interview being as long as 16 years. In a second study (Boston University), objections can be raised to certain aspects of the experimental design, and the claim that 22 per cent of women started vitamins sufficiently early after pregnancy diagnosis to influence NTD formation is suspicious. Our NICHD case control study of 541 women in California and Illinois revealed no evidence for multivitamins or folic acid preventing NTDs. U.S. public policy-makers face difficulties in applying results of recurrence or occurrence studies in high-risk areas to low-risk areas in the U.S.     

S-100 protein and neuron-specific enolase in amniotic fluid as markers of abdominal wall and neural tube defects in the fetus

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is increased leakage of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S-100 protein into amniotic fluid in pregnancies with neural tube defects, since both these proteins are produced by neural tissue, and to compare the value of these substances for detecting such defects with that of the more conventional techniques of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gel electrophoresis. Amniotic samples from 25 mid-pregnancies (15–17 weeks' gestation) with neural tube defects (14 with open spina bifida and 11 with anencephaly) and from seven mid-pregnancies with abdominal wall defects were compared with a control material consisting of 80 amniotic fluid samples from 80 consecutive mid-pregnancy amniocenteses, with normal karyotypes and AFP concentrations. All of the above cases of abnormalities were primarily detected through increased AFP levels in the amniotic fluid. Amniotic fluid samples from 13 pregnancies with fetuses with autosomal chromosomal abnormalities and seven amniotic fluid samples contaminated with blood were also included in the investigation. It is concluded from the results that the conventional AFP assay combined with AChE gel electrophoresis is the best method for screening amniotic fluid for neural tube defects and defects of the abdominal wall. Neither NSE nor S-100 assay alone proved to be superior for the detection of these cases in mid-trimester amniotic fluid. The S-100 assay, however, could give additional information in cases where AChE gel electrophoresis is not decisive; for example, in samples contaminated with blood.     

Evaluation of inorganic pyrophosphate in amniotic fluid as a mode of prenatal diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta

Using a modified procedure by Solomons and Styner (1969), an evaluation of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) was performed on the amniotic fluid of two fetuses at risk for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) at 14½ weeks gestation. The parents of both cases had a previous child with OI, Type II. The normal control group at 14–16 weeks gestation had PPi values ranging from 22.0–59.2 ug/100 ml, with a mean of 38.6±9.51 ug/100 ml. In each at-risk fetus, the amniotic fluid PPi value was within normal range. The first baby was born phenotypically normal at term. Intrauterine radiographic and fetal sonograms were done on the second fetus at approximately 19 weeks gestation. Both showed evidence of OI, Type II. The pregnancy was terminated at 21 weeks. Radiologic studies of the aborted fetus were consistent with OI, Type II. Our results indicate that the evaluation of PPi levels in amniotic fluid is not the method of choice for prenatal diagnosis of IO.     

Acid resistance of methanogenic bacteria in a two-stage anaerobic process treating high concentration methanol Wastewater

In this study, the two-stage upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) system and batch experiments were employed to evaluate the performance of anaerobic digestion for the treatment of high concentration methanol wastewater. The acid resistance of granular sludge and methanogenic bacteria and their metabolizing activity were investigated. The results show that the pH of the first UASB changed from 4.9 to 5.8 and 5.5 to 6.2 for the second reactor. Apparently, these were not the advisable pH levels that common methanogenic bacteria could accept. The methanogenic bacteria of the system, viz. Methanosarcina barkeri, had some acid resistance and could still degrade methanol at pH 5.0. If the methanogenic bacteria were trained further, their acid resistance would be improved somewhat. Granular sludge of the system could protect the methanogenic bacteria within its body against the impact of the acidic environment and make them degrade methanol at pH 4.5. The performance of granular sludge was attributed to its structure, bacteria species, and the distribution of bacterium inside the granule. Translated from Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 2004, 24(4): 633–636 [译自: 环境科学学报]     

处理重金属废水技术的研究进展

如何消除工业废水中重金属对环境和人类健康的危害,并且能够有效地回收废水中的贵重金属离子是环境保护工作者需解决的热点问题之一.详细地介绍了近十几年来国内外,处理重金属废水的技术方法,包括传统方法中的化学沉淀法、电化学法、吸附法和膜分离法,新出现的技术方法如分子印迹法和光催化法,并对以上各种技术方法的机理、研究进展、优点和所面临的主要问题进行了综合评述,同时阐述了处理重金属废水的技术和方法的发展趋势和应用前景.