Implications of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein elevation caused by transabdominal and transcervical CVS

Of 2882 women allocated to either transabdominal CVS (TA) or transcervical CVS (TC) at two large obstetric centres in Denmark, 2707 had blood samples drawn before and 30 min after CVS for maternal serum-alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) measurement. 2535 of these women had cytogenetically normal pregnancies and 2091 of them went on to have samples drawn at the 18–20 week follow-up. Post-procedure MSAFP values were correlated to the biopsy method used, with mean MSAFP values significantly higher after TA than TC, 33 and 15 kU/l, respectively (P<0·001). Following TA procedures, 18 per cent of cases had feto-maternal transfusion higher than 0·1 ml; this occurred in only 5 per cent of TC cases. MSAFP levels were associated with spontaneous fetal loss in the TA group but not in the TC group. TC, however, was followed by more losses than TA. The post-CVS MSAFP value was positively correlated with the amount of villi aspirated. The difference in post-procedure elevation in MSAFP 30 min later (average 18 kU/l higher for TA than for TC) was not reflected in raised levels at the 18–20 week follow-up. Study medians at mid-trimester did not differ from reference group medians established from a group of singleton pregnancies with sonographically determined gestational age who did not experience invasive procedures and delivered normal infants. Our findings suggest that CVS does not compromise mid-trimester MSAFP for screening for neural tube defects (NTDs). Extremely high mid-trimester MSAFP values in the TC group could predict imminent loss.     

5种磺胺类抗生素在土壤中的吸附和淋溶特性

分别利用振荡平衡法和柱淋溶法研究了5种磺胺类抗生素(磺胺嘧啶,磺胺甲嘧啶,磺胺二甲嘧啶,磺胺二甲氧嘧啶,磺胺甲恶唑)在5种不同土壤中的吸附和淋溶特性及其影响因素.结果表明,磺胺类抗生素在5种供试土壤上的吸附等温线较好地符合Freundlich方程,吸附常数K_d为 0.10~4.39 μg^1-1/n (cm³)^1/n g ^-1;5种磺胺类抗生素在供试土壤中吸附性大致排列顺序为:东北黑土≈无锡水稻土>江西红壤>南京黄棕壤≈陕西潮土.吸附的主要影响因素为土壤pH值和有机质含量:土壤pH值增高,磺胺类抗生素大量转变为阴离子态,吸附减弱;土壤有机质含量增加,吸附增强.5种磺胺抗生素在5种供试土壤中的吸附自由能为 -12.5~-5.3 kJ·mol^-1,表明吸附机理主要是物理吸附.磺胺类抗生素在土壤中具有较强的淋溶性, 淋溶性能从大到小依次为:陕西潮土>南京黄棕壤>江西红壤>无锡水稻土>东北黑土,与吸附试验结果相一致.畜禽养殖使用磺胺类抗生素对地下水污染具有潜在风险,应该引起足够重视.     

斜发沸石在废水处理中的应用研究进展

天然斜发沸石是一种廉价矿物,经改性后可有效去除废水中氨氮、有机物、重金属离子、砷及放射性物质,并可用作杀菌剂。文章简述了天然斜发沸石的主要改性技术,并着重论述了近年来天然斜发沸石及各种改性斜发沸石在废水处理中的应用研究动态。同时,展望了其应用前景,探讨了目前应用斜发沸石处理废水时仍亟待解决的一些问题。     

Runoff and sediment losses from 27 upland catchments in Southeast Asia: Impact of rapid land use changes and conservation practices

Rapid changes in upland farming systems in Southeast Asia generated predominantly by increased population pressure and ‘market forces’ have resulted in widespread land degradation that has been well documented at the plot scale. Yet, the links between agricultural activities in the uplands and downstream off-site effects remain largely unknown because of the difficulties in transferring results from plots to a larger scale. Many authors have thus pointed out the need for long-term catchment studies. The objective of this paper is to summarize the results obtained by the Management of Soil Erosion Consortium (MSEC) over the last 5 years from 27 catchments in five countries (Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam). The purpose of the study was to assess the impacts of cultivation practices on annual runoff and erosion rates. Initial surveys in each catchment included topography, soils and land use. Monitoring included climatic, hydrologic and erosion (total sediment yield including bed load and suspended sediment load) data, land use and crop yields, and farmers’ income. In addition, new land management options were introduced through consultations with farmers and evaluated in terms of runoff and erosion. These included tree plantations, fruit trees, improved fallow with legumes, maize intercropped with legumes, planted fodder, native grass strips and agro-ecological practices (direct sowing and mulch-based conservation agriculture). Regressions analyses showed that runoff during the rainy season, and normalized runoff flow coefficient based on erosive rainfall during the rainy season (rainfall with intensity exceeding 25 mm h⁻¹) increase with the percentage of the catchment covered by maize. Both variables decrease with increasing soil depth, standard deviation of catchment slope (that reflects terrain roughness), and the percentages of the catchment covered by fallow (regular and improved), tree plantations and planted fodder. The best predictors of sediment yield were the surface percentages of maize, Job's tears, cassava and footpaths. The main conclusions generated from this study were: (i) soil erosion is predominantly influenced by land use rather than environmental characteristics not only at the plot scale but also at the catchment scale; (ii) slash-and-burn shifting cultivation with sufficiently long rotations (1 year of cultivation, 8 years of fallow) is too often unjustly blamed for degradation; (iii) in its place, continuous cropping of maize and cassava promotes high rates of soil erosion at the catchment scale; (iv) conservation technologies are efficient in reducing runoff and total sediment yield at the catchment scale; (v) the adoption of improved soil management technologies by upland farmers is not a function of the degree of intensification of their farming system and/or of their incomes. The results suggest that if expansion of maize and cassava into already degraded upland systems were to occur due to increased demand for biofuels, there is a risk of higher runoff and sediment generation. A failure to adopt appropriate land use management strategies will result in further rapid resource degradation with negative impacts to downstream communities.     

升温速率对医疗垃圾热解机理的影响

用TGA-DTA差热失重联用分析仪研究升温速率对输液瓶、一次性医用手套、敷料内心和白鼠肌肉4种典型医疗垃圾热解过程的影响规律.结果表明:在其他试验条件都相同的情况下,随着升温速率的提高,热解反应起始温度、终止温度、峰温升高,反应区间ΔT变宽,发生最大热失重速率的温度也升高,热失重峰的峰高也随之增加;升温速率对热失重率的影响随医疗垃圾种类而不同,对较难分解的医疗垃圾（如敷料内心和白鼠肌肉等）影响大,对容易分解的医疗垃圾（如输液瓶和一次性医用手套等）影响较小.      

镉诱导长江华溪蟹肝胰腺细胞凋亡研究

应用显微与亚显微技术和琼脂糖凝胶电泳方法,研究了不同浓度Cd2+(0、7.25、14.50、29.00、58.00和116.00mg·L-1)处理不同时间(24、48、72和96h)对长江华溪蟹(Sinopotamon yangtsekiense)肝胰腺细胞凋亡的影响.结果显示,29.00mg·L-1Cd2+处理48h,光镜下肝胰腺细胞凋亡主要表现为染色质不规则凝聚、固缩和边集;58.00mg·L-1Cd2+处理72h,细胞核碎裂,形成凋亡小体;116mg·L-1Cd2+处理96h,出现坏死细胞;电镜下48h和72h处理组肝胰腺细胞呈现典型的细胞凋亡特征,与光镜检测结果一致,具体表现为核边集、核膜折叠、核裂解形成凋亡小体.琼脂糖凝胶电泳图谱中48和72h处理组出现凋亡细胞所特有的DNA梯状条带,58.00mg·L-1Cd2+处理72h后条带尤为清晰.随着Cd2+浓度的增加和处理时间的延长,肝胰腺中凋亡细胞所占比例呈现先升后降的趋势,凋亡指数的变化表现出显著的剂量和时间效应关系.研究表明,镉能够诱导长江华溪蟹肝胰腺出现细胞凋亡.细胞凋亡的检测及凋亡指数的变化能够灵敏地反映出镉对水生动物的胁迫程度及毒性大小,可作为水生态环境镉污染的生物评估指标.