A survey of diagnostic amniocenteses in Oxford from 1974–1981

A survey was conducted of the results of mid-trimester diagnostic amniocenteses in the Oxford Region from 1974 to 1981. The survey used data relating to all 4357 singleton pregnancies in which an amniocentesis was performed during this period. Follow-up information on outcome was obtained in respect of 4284 (98 per cent) pregnancies. A cell culture to determine karyotype and an alpha-fetoprotein determination was carried out in all cases. From 1974 to 1981 amniocenteses became increasingly common, rising from 2 to 32 per 1000 births. The most common indication for amniocentesis was a high risk of a chromosome abnormality–56 per cent of all amniocenteses. Within this group advanced maternal age was responsible for 89 per cent of the cases. The next most common indication was a high risk of a neural tube defect (37 per cent of all amniocenteses)–in 1974 a raised maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein level accounted for only 4 per cent of these; by 1981 this had risen to 67 per cent. There were seven false-positive and 132 true-positive diagnoses of neural tube defect; since 1981, with the introduction of amniotic fluid acetylocholinesterase determination as a secondary diagnostic test for neural tube defects, there have been no further false-positive diagnoses. In 1981 76 per cent of women aged 35 years or more did not have an amniocentesis. It is not known to what extent this was due to not offering women in this age group amniocentesis or to women not accepting such an offer.     

Prenatal exclusion of Hurler's disease by leucocyte α-L-iduronidase assay

Hurler's disease was excluded in a fetus at 23 weeks' gestation by demonstrating normal iduronidase activity in fetal leucocytes following failure of amniotic cell culture after amnic-centesis at 16 and 19 weeks' gestation. The diagnosis was confirmed in the neonate.     

A strategic design approach to develop sustainable product service systems: examples taken from the ‘environmentally friendly innovation’ Italian prize

The product service systems’ (PSS) sustainability potential is described in the framework of the new types of stakeholder relationships and/or partnerships, producing new convergence of economic interests, and a potential concomitant systemic resources optimization.In this perspective, it is argued that the design competencies should move towards those of the ‘strategic design’, thus introducing the concept of ‘strategic design for sustainability’: the design of an innovation strategy, shifting the business focus from designing (and selling) physical products only, to designing (and selling) a system of products and services which are jointly capable of fulfilling specific client demands, while re-orienting current unsustainable trends in production and consumption practices.Some examples of PSS are presented and discussed using the PSS categories ‘services providing added value to the product life cycle’, ‘services providing final results to customers’, and ‘services providing enabling platforms for customers’. The cases derive from an analysis of the ‘environmental friendly innovation’ yearly endowed prize submissions. The Politecnico di Milano University together with the Bocconi University and Legambiente (an environmental NGO) promotes the initiative in Italy.     

DNA链断裂作为醛类污染物接触标志物的研究

应用单细胞凝胶电泳技术 ,通过对小鼠脾淋巴细胞染毒试验 ,测定了甲醛、乙醛、丙稀醛单独及联合作用下对细胞DNA分子链断裂损伤。结果表明 ,3种醛均能引起DNA分子发生链断裂 ,对于乙醛和丙稀醛存在明确的剂量 -反应关系 ,3种化合物还还存在着一定的协同作用。上述结果提示醛类污染物潜在致癌性的一个可能机制以及DNA断裂作为醛类化合物接触标志物的可能性。     

“赛力奇”的致突变性研究

选用Ａｍｅｓ试验、小鼠骨髓细胞微核实验和小鼠显性致死突变试验对新型食品添加剂“赛力奇”的致突变性进行了检验。结果表明：三项试验的结果均生。根据国家《食品安全性毒理学评价程序（试行）》的规定，认为“赛力奇”无致突变性。     

呼和浩特市大气中酞酸酯的初步研究

通过对呼和浩特市不同功能区和不同季度的大气中酞酸酯污染物的采样监测调查，证实了酞酯不仅存在于大气中，且浓度比较高，为５３１ｎｇ／ｍ＾３，是草原地区背景值（１０－３３ｎｇ／ｍ＾３）的１６倍以上。根据调查表明，不同功能区中大气中酞酸酯（ＤＮＢＰ和ＤＥＨＰ）的浓度差异较大；相同功能区的不同季节，酞酸酯浓度也存在较大差异，但酞酸酯浓度与大气颗粒物呈现出良好的相关性，冬、夏季的相关系数分别为０．９７１和０．     

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with terminal deletion of chromosome 1 (q41)

Many authors have suggested that individuals affected by a terminal 1q deletion display a phenotypically definable and recognizable syndrome. In all of the 27 cases reported to date, the breakpoints were at band q42 or distally to it. To our knowledge, we report the first case of a terminal 1q41 deletion. Diagnosis was made prenatally by amniocentesis, following ultrasonographic diagnosis of omphalocele, cerebral ventriculomegaly, and increased nuchal fold thickness in a 19-week female fetus. Multiple facial and extremity features were consistent with the proposed distal 1q deletion syndrome; omphalocele, however, has not been reported previously. The absence of liver herniation into the omphalocele sac in this case supports the previously reported association of this finding with chromosomal anomalies.     

Effectiveness evaluation of water-sprinkling in controlling urban fugitive road dust based on TRAKER method: A case study in Baoding, China

Fugitive road dust (FRD) contributes a great deal to urban rainwater and air pollution and is commonly controlled by water-sprinkling in most Chinese cities. However, there is a lack of information on its effectiveness. We used the Testing Re-entrained Aerosol Kinetic Emissions from Roads (TRAKER) method to monitor different types of roads in Baoding city before and within 1 hr after water-sprinkling and obtained the road dirtiness index (a) and PM concentration in the road environment ($T_{\mathrm{T}}^{*}$), to evaluate the removal efficiency for PM deposited on the road surface (${\eta }_a$) and the reduction efficiency for the PM concentration in the road environment (${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$). The results give that the ${\eta }_a$ for three types of roads is ranked: branch road (87%-–100%) > major arterial road (80%-83%) > minor arterial road (68%-77%), and the ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ ranked: minor arterial road (70%) > branch road (46%-58%) > major arterial road (37%-53%). The ${\eta }_a$ and ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ varied non-linearly with time and presented a quadratic curve. The average effective control time (${\eta }_{\mathit{a}}$> 0) was 62 min on the major and minor arterial roads, and much longer than 1 hr on branch roads. The ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ values diminished completely by 72 min on average from the end of sprinkling for the three types of roads. Water-sprinkling can remove PM₁₀ particles from the road surface and reduce their concentration in the road environment more thoroughly than PM_2.5. Our findings could be helpful for controlling urban FRD emissions more efficiently and precisely.