Malachite green in synthetic medium for the isolation ofFusarium spp. from plant tissues

The Science of Nature -     

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with partial monosomy 7(q34→qter) and partial trisomy 18(q21→qter)

Ultrasound examination of a 31-year-old woman at 27 weeks' gestation revealed fetal growth retardation, a bilateral cleft lip and palate, and the absence of median cerebral structures. Chromosome analysis after cordocentesis showed an abnormal karyotype with a structural abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 7: 46,XX,—7,+der(7), t(7;18) (q34;q21.3)mat. The pregnancy was terminated at week 29. The ultrasound findings were confirmed by post-mortem examination, which also revealed a semilobar holoprosencephaly.     

A prospective study of spontaneous miscarriage in ultrasonically normal pregnancies and relevance to chorion villus sampling

A total of 1068 patients were examined by ultrasound to ensure normality of pregnancy and followed prospectively from booking until 28 weeks. The spontaneous miscarriage rate was 2.7 per cent occuring within the first 16 weeks. Threatened miscarriage was associated with a 38 per cent fetal loss. Miscarriage was less likely as pregnancy advanced. The reduction in subsequent miscarriage rate before 11 weeks and from 11 weeks onwards is statistically significant (p<0.001). Gravidity, maternal age and a history of previous fetal loss did not contribute significantly to the miscarriage rate. Patients with a history of fetal loss were more likely to experience a threatened miscarriage. The relevance of these findings to chorion villus sampling is discussed.     

A normal 46,XX infant with a 46,XX/ 69.XXY placenta: A major contribution to the placenta is from a resorbed twin

A predominantly triploid 69,XXY placenta was found associated with a normal 46,XX infant. Therefore, a triploid placenta is apparently capable of supporting normal fetal development. The chromosome and pathological results support the conclusion that the triploid placenta originates from a ‘vanishing twin’ pregnancy. This case is unusual in that persistence of the placenta from the vanished twin has virtually replaced most of the normal placenta.     

日本东京湾地区冬季飘尘污染研究

对东京湾地区冬季高浓度飘尘污染进行了分析，研究结果表明，日本某些特定地区也存在着与中国严重污染城市相当的飘尘污染；分析指出高浓度的飘尘污染主要来自于人为污染，其中废弃物焚烧和汽车排气的贡献占重要地位，这与中国大气煤烟型污染截然不同。     

Combined effects of two sulfonylurea herbicides on soil microbial biomass and N-mineralization

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Ultrasound evaluation of pregnancies at risk for homozygous α-thalassaemia-1

Twenty-six pregnant Chinese women who were at risk of giving birth to a fetus affected with homozygous α-thalassaemia-1 were examined serially by ultrasound. Six of these 26 pregnancies were affected. In one third of the affected pregnancies progressive fetal ascites appeared before 24 weeks gestation and these pregnancies were terminated. In the remaining two thirds abnormal estimated fetal weight-placental volume (EFW-PV) ratio and fetal growth retardation as evidenced by a falling biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL) but a normal abdominal circumference (AC) was apparent by 28 weeks gestation. Increased transverse cardiac (TC) diameter was another consistent finding but appeared late. All these features appeared before the onset of fetal ascites. A normal EFW-PV ratio and fetal growth until 28 weeks gestation was a reassuring sign of normality. Abnormal EFW-PV ratio was the earliest sign to appear in affected pregnancies and a normal ratio until 28 weeks gestation had a 100 per cent predictive value.     

Mesoscale meteorological modelling for Hong Kong-application of the MC2 model

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｉｓｐａｐｅｒｃｏｎｃｅｒｎｓｔｈｅａｄａｐｔａｔｉｏｎａｎｄａｐｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎｏｆａｍｅｓｏｓｃａｌｅｍｅｔｅｏｒｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｍｏｄｅｌｆｏｒｇｅｎｅｒａｔｉｎｇｔｈｅｗｉｎｄｆｉｅｌｄｓａｎｄｏｔｈｅｒｍｅｔｅｏｒｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｐａｒａｍｅｔｅｒｓｆｏｒｆｕｔｕｒｅｓｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｆａｉｒｐｏｌｌｕｔｉｏｎｉｎｔｈｅｃｏｍｐｌｅｘｔｅｒｒａｉｎｏｆＨｏｎｇＫｏｎｇＳｐｅｃｉａｌＡｄｍｉｎｉｓｔｒａｔｉｖｅＲｅｇｉｏｎ (ＨＫＳＡＲ) .Ｔｈｅｍａｉｎａｒｅａ…     

Model calculating annual mean atmospheric dispersion factor for coastal site of nuclear power plant

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＡｎａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅｄｉｓｐｅｒｓｉｏｎｆｉｅｌｄｅｘｐｅｒｉｍｅｎｔｗａｓｄｏｎｅｏｎｔｈｅｃｏａｓｔａｌｓｉｔｅｏｆｎｕｃｌｅａｒｐｏｗｅｒｐｌａｎｔ (ＮＰＰ)ｉｎｔｈｅｅａｓｔｐａｒｔｏｆＣｈｉｎａｄｕｒｉｎｇ 1995— 1996 Ｔｈｅｃｏｎｔｅｎｔｏｆｔｈｉｓｅｘｐｅｒｉｍｅｎｔｉｎｃｌｕｄｅｓ:ｈｏｕｒｌｙｏｂｓｅｒｖａｔｉｏｎｏｆｗｉｎｄａｎｄｔｅｍｐｅｒａｔｕｒｅｏｎｔｈｅｔｏｗｅｒｏｆ10 0ｍ ;Ｏｂｓｅｒｖａｔｉｏｎｏｆｓｕｒｆａｃｅｗｉｎｄａｎｄｓｅｅａｎｄｌ…     

Virus-like particles in Heterosigma akashiwo (Raphidophyceae): a possible red tide disintegration mechanism

Electron microscopical observations on algal samples collected in 1992 in the middle or final stages of a red tide in Hiroshima Bay, Japan, revealed virus-like particles (VLPs) in the red tide alga Heterosigma akashiwo (Class Raphidophyceae). The host cells appeared moribund and the VLPs were located in and around the nuclear area. The VLPs were icosahedral, ca. 185 nm in diameter, and generated from the periphery of several viroplasms. VLPs were also observed in three other types of H. akashiwo-like cells, which were morphologically distinguishable from each other. The appearance of VLPs in the red tide alga could explain the dramatically rapid termination of this red tide.