Prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis after transabdominal chorionic villus sampling in the first trimester

First trimester prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis was attempted in 350 pregnancies after trans-abdominal chorionic villus sampling. The cytogenetic investigation was performed using both a short-term method (24 h incubation) and cell culture. Adequate samples were obtained in 99·1 per cent and in all these cases the fetal karyotype was established. A chromosome abnormality was found in 2·0 per cent of cases. A discrepancy between the karyotype obtained after 24 h incubation and the karyotype in cell culture was observed in 2·3 per cent. Maternal cell contamination in the cultures was confirmed in 13 of 181 cases where the 24 h incubation revealed a male karyotype. Studies of culture morphology showed that colonies of convoluted cells may serve as a marker for contamination with maternal cells in culture. For the present, we recommend using a short-term method as well as cell culture for cytogenetic investigation until the problems with karyotype discrepancy and maternal cell contamination have been further clarified.     

A routine method for storing lymphocytes for repeated isolation of DNA

A protocol for easy storage and later expansion of lymphocyte populations is given. Compared with methods using transformed cell lines, the method has a number of advantages for repeated production of cells for the isolation of DNA in amounts sufficient for use in diagnostic DNA technology.     

城市草坪温室气体排放特征及影响因素

草坪作为城市绿地的重要组成部分，其温室气体的吸收或排放不容忽视.然而当前对亚热带城市草坪温室气体通量的研究相对匮乏.采用静态箱-气相色谱法，对杭州市城区典型城市草坪的多种温室气体（CO₂、CH₄、N₂O和CO）地气交换通量进行了连续观测研究.结果表明，城市草坪的温室气体月平均通量变化明显，而其日变化特征并不明显.城市草地和土壤（无植被生长的裸土）是大气N₂O的源，平均通量分别为（0.66±0.17）μg·（m²·min）^-1和（0.58±0.20）μg·（m²·min）^-1；是CH₄和CO的汇，其中CH₄平均通量分别为（-0.21±0.078）μg·（m²·min）^-1和（-0.26±0.10）μg·（m²·min）^-1，CO分别为（-6.36±1.28）μg·（m²·min）^-1和（-6.55±1.69）μg·（m²·min）^-1.城市草地和土壤CO₂平均通量分别为（5.28±0.75） mg·（m²·min）^-1和（4.83±0.91） mg·（m²·min）^-1.基于相关性分析研究发现，草地和土壤的CO₂和N₂O通量均与降水量呈显著的负相关，而CH₄和CO通量与降水量呈显著的正相关；除草地CH₄通量与土壤温度无显著相关、草地N₂O通量与土壤温度呈显著负相关外，其余各温室气体通量与土壤温度均呈显著正相关.另外，城市草坪的草地和土壤CO₂（R²为0.371和0.314）和N₂O （R²为0.371和0.284）通量季节变化受降水量的影响要大于其它温室气体，而土壤温度对CO通量的影响（R²为0.290和0.234）要显著于其它温室气体.     

First observation of different diffusion coefficients for two conformers in a neat liquid

 Self-diffusion coefficients were studied for the highly polar liquid N-methylformamide at pressures up to 200 MPa between the melting pressure curves and 420 K by the spin-echo method. N-Methylformamide exists as a mixture of two conformers in the neat liquid. These conformers have large differences at lower temperatures in their dynamic and structural properties. The self-diffusion coefficient of the cis-conformer being 17% lower than that of the trans-conformer at the same T and p. This is the first observation of such an effect. The experimental study is supported by Monte Carlo (MC) calculations which show that the first neighbors around a cis conformer are arranged differently than in an all trans liquid. The difference leads in the simulations to a much lower dielectric constant for the trans-cis mixture and might also explain the retardation of diffusion for the cis conformer. Received: 15 November 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 28 February 2000