Heterogeneity in fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS): autopsy confirmation in three 20–21-week fetuses

Fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS) is a rare condition characterized by intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), congenital limb contractures, pulmonary hypoplasia, hydramnios and craniofacial abnormalities. The present report comprises an autopsy study of three fetuses to illustrate the variable clinical manifestations and neuropathological findings. Fetus 1 had arthrogryposis and no movement on fetal ultrasound examination. Aborted at 21 weeks, the fetus showed micrognathia, bilateral joint contracture with pterygia at the elbow and axilla. Growth retardation and pulmonary hypoplasia were not major features. Neuropathologic examination revealed anterior horn cell loss and lateral corticospinal tract degeneration in spinal cord, with marked muscular atrophy. Fetus 2, 20 weeks' gestation, had fetal akinesia, nuchal thickening, left pleural effusion, and Dandy-Walker malformation on ultrasound examination. Autopsy showed low-set ears, ocular hypertelorism, cleft palate, flexion contractures with pterygia over axilla, elbow and groin, pulmonary hypoplasia, Dandy-Walker malformation, unremarkable spinal cord and skeletal muscle. Fetus 3, 21 weeks' gestation, was aborted for fetal akinesia, neck and limb webbing and severe arthrogryposis. At autopsy, similar facial abnormalities, contracture and pterygia in neck and multiple major joints were found. Borderline pulmonary hypoplasia and severe lumbar scoliosis were also present. The brain, spinal cord and muscle were unremarkable. In these three fetuses, the prenatal ultrasound and autopsy findings were characteristic of FADS. Neurogenic spinal muscular atrophy was the basis of fetal akinesia in Case 1. Dandy-Walker malformation was present in Case 2, but the pathogenetic mechanism of fetal akinesia was not clear as spinal cord and muscle histology appeared normal. The etiology of akinesia was undetermined in Case 3; no extrinsic or intrinsic cause was identified. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于半经验模型对大面积染料敏化太阳电池性能影响因素的研究

以影响大面积染料敏化太阳电池性能的几个物理参量和几何参量为切入点,分析了内部电阻对电池性能的影响,针对几种构型不同的大面积电池,建立了效率的半经验模型.根据并联、串联、和各单元独立式串并联的大面积电池的相关物理参量和几何参量,对电池效率进行了计算.通过比较计算值与测试值的偏差,分析了半经验模型的适用性.在半经验模型的基础上,分析了相关物理参量和几何参量对电池性能的影响.结果表明,在实际应用中,通过半经验模型分析物理参量和几何参量的影响,可以优化大面积电池的性能.     

城市不同源雾霾颗粒物健康风险差异评估比较

通过研究不同来源霾颗粒物对大鼠气管上皮细胞（RTE cells）电阻抗变化和细胞自噬因子的影响,评价不同来源霾颗粒物对人体健康风险的差异性.分别将RTE暴露于从居民区（I）,高架交通源（Ⅱ）和化工园区（Ⅲ）采集的3种雾霾颗粒物中,统一暴露浓度和时间分别为100mg/L和24h.通过电子细胞基质阻抗检测（ECIS）细胞增长引起的阻抗变化和细胞电损伤恢复时间;通过蛋白免疫印迹测定p62,Atg5,Atg7,Beclin1,LC3B和mTOR蛋白表达量来分析比较不同来源雾霾颗粒物对RTE细胞自噬的影响.结果表明,与空白对照组相比,不同雾霾颗粒物处理组细胞电损伤恢复时间分别延长了34.6%,63.2%和78.0%;p62蛋白表达量差异显著性下降,Atg5,Atg7,Beclin1,LC3B蛋白表达量差异显著性上升.此外,mTOR相关蛋白表达量差异显著性下降,分别下降了4.38%,3.34%和2.36%;p-mTOR蛋白表达量与空白组相比,实验组I下降24.2%,实验组Ⅱ下降37.0%,实验组Ⅲ下降60.9%.由以上结果可知,不同来源雾霾颗粒物对RTE细胞均有一定的毒性损伤作用,能够减小细胞增长速度和削弱细胞修复能力,增强细胞自噬因子蛋白的表达,且化工园区采集的雾霾颗粒物毒性强于居民区和高架交通源.不同来源雾霾颗粒物的细胞毒性存在明显差异,基于细胞电损伤恢复时间的测定以及自噬相关蛋白的检测方法能够为雾霾颗粒物健康风险评价提供一种快速的生物学手段.     

Application of interface material and effects of oxygen gradient on the performance of single-chamber sediment microbial fuel cells (SSMFCs)

Single-chamber sediment microbial fuel cells(SSMFCs) have received considerable attention nowadays because of their unique dual-functionality of power generation and enhancement of wastewater treatment performance. Thus, scaling up or upgrading SSMFCs for enhanced and efficient performance is a highly crucial task. Therefore, in order to achieve this goal, an innovative physical technique of using interface layers with four different pore sizes embedded in the middle of SSMFCs was utilized in this study.Experimental results showed that the performance of SSMFCs employing an interface layer was improved regardless of the pore size of the interface material, compared to those without such layers. The use of an interface layer resulted in a positive and significant effect on the performance of SSMFCs because of the effective prevention of oxygen diffusion from the cathode to the anode. Nevertheless, when a smaller pore size interface was utilized, better power performance and COD degradation were observed. A maximum power density of 0.032 mW/m~2 and COD degradation of 47.3% were obtained in the case of an interface pore size of 0.28 μm. The findings in this study are of significance to promote the future practical application of SSMFCs in wastewater treatment plants.     

太阳跟踪聚光高加速老化试验系统特性研究

目的对自主研制的基于"冷光"反射镜户外高加速光老化系统特性展开研究。方法利用大气环境条件监测技术获得系统样机关键性能数据。结果"冷光"反射镜在295～700 nm波长范围内的反射率达到90%以上,增强了系统样机在该波长范围内的反射太阳光谱,在310nm波段处获得约3.5倍太阳直射辐照强度。聚光太阳辐照分布均匀,靶板处平均辐照强度最大可达0.655 W/(m2·nm),标准偏差为2.6%。白天样品表面温度不超过直接暴露样品表面温度10℃,样品周围空气湿度与大气相对湿度接近,并可通过喷淋系统控制样品周围空气的相对湿度,以模拟多种自然气候环境。结论经过对比系统太阳光谱、辐照强度及温湿度等特性数据,系统增强了紫外辐照强度,并有效控制了试验样品的温度和湿度,可为系统自然加速试验老化机理及相关性研究提供数据支持。     

Rare cell isolation using antibodies covalently linked to slides: application to fetal cells in maternal blood

We describe here a new type of method for isolation of rare cell populations in biological fluids. The method is based on the anthraquinone technology for covalent binding of molecules to a polymer surface. An anthraquinone molecule conjugated via a linker to an electrophilic group (AQ Immobilizer™ reagent, Exiqon A/S) is covalently bound to a polymer surface by UV irradiation. The electrophilic group of this AQ reagent can covalently bind a specific antibody directed against a specific cell marker. Applying a cell sample to the functional surface, the cells having the specific cell marker on the cell surface will bind to the antibody on the functional surface. Using this technique, even extremely small cell populations may be isolated. We succeeded in isolating fetal cells from maternal blood samples in the first trimester for chromosome defects genetic diagnosis. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

利用百合(Lilium davidii)根尖细胞的微核细胞率作为环境监测指标的探讨

首次报道了利用百合根尖细胞微核细胞率作为环境监测指标的可行性和优越性。实验证明,百合根尖比蚕豆根尖细胞的微核细胞率更敏感。