Umbilical cord haematoma as a complication of intrauterine intravascular blood transfusion

Between October 1985 and February 1989, 49 ultrasound-guided intravascular fetal blood transfusions were performed in 16 patients (14 with rhesus (Rh) isoimmunization, 2 with non-immunologic hydrops fetalis (NIHF)). As an intra-operative complication, perivascular haematoma of the cord occurred in three patients (7 per cent). In two cases, fetal bradycardia necessitated delivery by Caesarean section at 30 and 32 weeks' gestation, respectively. In the third case, fetal bradycardia developed during transfusion, at 31 weeks' gestation, but normalized within 3 min. The baby was delivered as planned at 36 weeks of gestation, after another transfusion at 34 weeks. Dislodgement of the needle tip into perivascular tissue, caused by sudden fetal or maternal movements, is the reason for this complication. The haematoma develops as a result of delayed recognition and continuous transfusion into Wharton' s jelly. Cord haematoma may be diagnosed in time by continuous ultrasound imaging, as illustrated in case 3. To minimize the risk of needle dislodgement during transfusion, sedation of the mother and complete immobilization of the fetus by injecting a short-acting muscle relaxant into the umbilical vessel are recommended.     

Einsatz des Biolumineszenz-Hemmtests zur Untersuchung kontaminierter Böden

The luminescence inhibition test was applied to contaminated soils. Two different methods were used: The standard sediment elutriate test and the so-called “solid-phase test”. Cadmium sulfate, p-cresol and o-nitroanisole were used as model substances for the contamination of two different soils that show significant differences in grain size. While five of six elutriates acted toxically in the standard elutriate test, the solid-phase test detected only the heavy metal clearly. The interpretation of the solid-phase test results, unlike those of the standard sediment test, is problematic because of the high and varied ground inhibitions of the uncontaminated soils. This suggests that the rate of adsorption of the bacteria depends on the type of soil. An interpretation without an uncontaminated reference seems impossible. A good correlation between the portion of elutriated contaminants and the values of inhibition was only obtained by using the standard elutriate test.     

Transformations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkanes from petroleum pollutants in alluvial groundwaters

Investigations presented in this paper were aimed at defining the alterations of n-alkane composition in cases of oil-polluted alluvial sediments. Therefore, oil-polluted groundwater samples, taken in five different time intervals during a period of 28 months, were investigated. Samples of alluvial sediments were taken from two boreholes within an oil refinery at Pancevo, Yugoslavia. In both boreholes significant alterations with characteristic degradation of "oil" n-alkanes with no odd- or even-member predominance were observed, as well as subsequent synthesis of new ones with pronounced even-member predominance, and with maxima at C₁₆ and C₁₈. Since no additional contamination of boreholes was observed by analyses of steranes and triterpanes, the observed changes can only be attributed to microbial activity. It is assumed that for the degradation of oil n-alkanes, as well as for the synthesis of "new" n-alkanes, algae such as dinoflagellates are responsible. This assumption was confirmed by identification of n-alcohols with even-member predominance (C₁₄–C₂₀), by identification of cholesterol, as well as of n-fatty acids with even-member predominance (C₁₄–C₁₈) in the extract with n-alkane even-member predominance. Electronic Publication     

Sex ratio dynamics and fluctuating selection pressures in natural populations of the Trinidadian guppy,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Poecilia reticulata</Emphasis>

In many species, population sex ratios have far-reaching consequences for a wide variety of population-level and behavioural processes and can directly influence sexual selection through differential effects on male and female mating behaviour. Although sex ratios are often treated as more or less stable population characteristics, recent theoretical evidence suggests that sex ratios fluctuate under many conditions, and that the amplitude of these fluctuations can be considerable. Few studies have attempted to quantify this variation in systems with prominent, sex ratio-dependent sexual conflict. One of the species with the greatest potential to integrate these factors in the wild is the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata. In this study, we quantified natural sex ratio variation both as detailed longitudinal studies of focal guppy populations and as snapshot estimates across a range of freshwater habitats. In line with theoretical predictions, we expected to detect significant sex ratio variation over time. We also investigated the association between juvenile and adult sex ratios to quantify a possible compensatory feedback implied in standard models of sex ratio evolution. Our results confirm that population-level sex ratios in wild guppy populations have a range of dynamic features, with all four focal populations showing significant variation in sex ratio over time. The survey showed that juveniles were generally close to equal (50:50) sex ratios whereas 7 out of 11 adult sex ratios differed significantly from equality. We found no evidence that a surplus of juveniles of the locally rarer sex had been produced. The results indicate that sex ratios and hence the balance between sexual selection and sexual coercion is normally fluctuating in nature, despite juvenile ratios being close to equality.Communicated by J. Krause     

Development and validation of a method for determination of trace levels of alkylphenols and bisphenol A in atmospheric samples

A method has been developed and validated in order to assess the occurrence of the alkylphenols tert-octylphenol and the isomers of technical nonylphenol as well as bisphenol A in gasphase and aerosol samples of a remote area. Gasphase samples were adsorbed to XAD2 resin, aerosol samples were taken on glass fiber filters. After ultrasonic extraction, clean-up by column chromatography and silylation of the analytes, ten nonylphenol peaks were quantified separately using a GC-MSD-SIM method. The absolute limits of detection and determination are in the range of a few pg per compound, which is a prerequisite for the quantification of the analytes in relatively unpolluted air. The precision of the whole analytical method is in the range of 1-17% and the recoveries range from 57% to 80%. Problems were encountered during method development due to the tendency of the analytes to sorb to glass surfaces. Silanisation of glassware was crucial to achieve acceptable recoveries. The widespread use of the analytes in plastic resins resulted in sample contamination. For this reason a careful choice of sampling material was necessary. Measured concentrations in gasphase samples (lower nanogram per m3 range) and aerosol samples (upper picogram per m3 range) are one to three orders of magnitude below already published concentrations.