Echocardiographic diagnosis of fetal marfan syndrome at 34 weeks' gestation

Fetal echocardiography was performed during the third trimester in a normal primigravida. The fetal heart was severely affected with the typical cardiac manifestations of Marfan syndrome. The medical history of the father was investigated and a mild form of the syndrome was diagnosed. The neonate died at 2 months of age of congestive heart failure.     

Antibiotic exposure and potential risk of depression in the Chinese elderly: a biomonitoring-based population study

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - To examine the associations between urinary antibiotics from various sources and depression in the elderly using the biomonitoring method. In the...     

Integrative trophic network assessments of a lentic ecosystem by key ecological approaches of water chemistry, trophic guilds, and ecosystem health assessments along with an ECOPATH model

The objective of this study was to describe the trophic structure and energy flow in a lentic ecosystem in South Korea. Physicochemical water conditions were evaluated along with the reservoir ecosystem health using a multimetric IBI model. Nutrient analyses of the reservoir showed a nutrient rich and hypereutrophic system. Guild analysis revealed that tolerant and omnivorous species dominated the ecosystem. Tolerant fish, as a proportion of the number of individuals, were associated (R² > 0.90, p < 0.01) with TN and TP, the key indicators of trophic state in lentic ecosystems. The mean Reservoir Ecosystem Health Assessment (REHA) score was 19.3 during the study, which was judged as in ‘fair to poor’ condition. A trophic analysis of the reservoir estimated by the ECOPATH model shows that most activity in terms of energy flow occurred in the lower part of the trophic web, where there was intensive use of primary producers as a food source. Consequently, of the 10 consumer groups, nine fell within trophic levels <2.8. Trophic levels (TL) estimated from the weighted average of prey trophic levels varied from 1.0 for phytoplankton, macrophytes, and detritus to 3.25 for the top predator, Pseudobagrus fulvidraco. Our integrated approach to trophic network analysis may provide a key tool for determining the effects of nutrient influx on energy flow pathways in lentic ecosystems.     

Coking wastewater increases micronucleus frequency in mouse in vivo via oxidative stress

Coking wastewater has caused serious health risk in coal-producing areas of China, however its toxic effects have not been well understood. The genotoxicity induced by coking wastewater on mice in vivo and its possible oxidative mechanisms were investigated via observing the induction of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes of mouse bone marrow, and subsequently determining the antioxidative enzyme activities （superoxide dismutase Cu, Zn-SOD, Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase, and catalase）, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance contents and protein carbonyl levels in brains and livers of mice. Results showed that the tested coking wastewater caused a significant increase of micronucleus frequencies in a concentration-dependent manner. Also, the sample increased lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation levels, which was accompanied by changes in antioxidative status. Interestingly, pre-treatment with an antioxidant （vitamin C） led to a statistical reduction in the micronucleus frequency caused by coking wastewater. This implies that coking wastewater induces evident genetic damage in mammalian cells, and exposure to polluted areas might pose a potential genotoxic risk to human beings; in the process, oxidative stress played a crucial role.     

Effects of solar geometry and operation period on stability of solar desalination systems: a review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The sun is the primary source of life on the earth. The heating effect of the sun provides a more fruitful environment for mankind. In addition, solar...     

Removal of N,N-dimethylformamide by dielectric barrier discharge plasma combine with manganese activated carbon

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Manganese activated carbon (Mn-AC) was successfully prepared by the incipient wetness method and characterized by SEM, XRD, and FTIR. This study chose...     

雅鲁藏布江中游河流生态系统健康状态对水环境因子的响应

河流生态健康评价是保护河流生物多样性、遏制河流水环境恶化趋势的前提,为探究雅鲁藏布江中游河流生态系统健康状态及其对水环境因子响应机制,于2021年的7月和10月在雅鲁藏布江中游进行浮游植物样品的采集和水环境因子的测定,鉴定浮游植物物种并计算其细胞丰度和生物量,构建浮游植物完整性指数评价该河段河流生态健康状态,分析水环境因子和浮游植物群落时空分布特征、P-IBI值和群落参数与水环境因子的相关性.结果表明,水环境因子在时间上差异不明显,在空间上有显著的差异;浮游植物平均细胞丰度和平均生物量大小为：丰水期>枯水期以及干流>支流,硅藻在群落中占绝对优势,pH和WT是驱动浮游植物时空分布的主要水环境因子;雅鲁藏布江中游生态健康状态整体为"健康-亚健康",河流健康状态枯水期优于丰水期、支流优于干流,EC、TUR、WT、NO₃^--N和NH₄⁺-N是影响该河段生态健康状态的主要水环境因子,可通过影响水体中浮游植物群落演替的方向和速率,参与和影响河流生态系统的物质循环和能量流动过程,驱动了雅鲁藏布江中游河流生态健康状态.     

Emission of particulate and gaseous pollutants from household laser processing machine

Indoor air quality (IAQ) directly affects the health of occupants. Household manufacturing equipment (HME) used for hobbies or educational purposes is a new and unexplored source of air pollution. In this study, we evaluated the characteristics of particulate and gaseous pollutants produced by a household laser processing equipment (HLPE). Various target materials were tested using a commercial HLPE under various operating conditions of laser power and sheath air flow rate. The mode diameters of the emitted particles gradually decreased as laser power increased, while the particle number concentration (PNC) and particle emission rate (PER) increased. In addition, as the sheath air flow rate quadrupled from 10 to 40 L/min, the mode diameter of the emitted particles decreased by nearly 25%, but the effect on the PNC was insignificant. When the laser induced the target materials at 53 mW, the mode diameters of particles were <150 nm, and PNCs were >2.0 × 10⁴ particles/cm³. Particularly, analyses of sampled aerosols indicated that harmful substances such as sulfur and barium were present in particles emitted from leather. The carcinogenic gaseous pollutants such as acrylonitrile, acetaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and C₈ aromatics (ethylbenzene) were emitted from all target materials. In an actual indoor environment, the PNC of inhalable ultrafine particles (UFPs) was >5 × 10⁴ particles/cm³ during 30 min of HLPE operation. Our results suggest that more meticulous control methods are needed, including the use of less harmful target materials along with filters or adsorbents that prevent emission of pollutants.