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.     

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.     

Climate adaptation management and institutional erosion: insights from a major Canadian port

This paper performs an institutional analysis of the adaptation to climate change by ports, through a case study of the port of Vancouver, Canada. While previous literature has demonstrated the value of informal institutions for filling gaps left by formal institutions, the role of failed informal institutions has received less attention. Our analysis reveals how, in the case of an unprecedented challenge like climate adaptation, relying on informal institutions with less agency can actually erode the strength of existing institutions in a form of negative institutional plasticity. In this case, emerging polycentric governance was unsuccessful, unable to construct clearly demarcated responsibilities due to impedance by the path dependence of the current federalist system. The latter works well for traditional infrastructure investments with a closed pool of stakeholders, but not for ports where multiple scales of embeddedness, both horizontally and vertically, produce a collective action problem with no mechanism for resolution.