Detecting neural tube defects by amniocentesis between 11 and 15 weeks' gestation

Forty-two open neural tube defects (NTDs) were identified in our series of 7440 amniocenteses tested between 11 and 15 weeks of gestation. Using a cut-off of ≥2.0 MOM, the detection rate for open NTDs was 95 per cent; 100 per cent each for anencephaly and spina bifida; and 78 per cent for encephalocele. Two encephaloceles had AFP levels less than 2.0 MOM and negative AChEs. Thirty-four (81 per cent) of these NTDs were tested between 13 and 15 weeks and 8 (19 per cent) before 13 weeks. There were 0.6 per cent false positives by AFP (excluding serious abnormalities and fetal death) and 0.1 per cent after AChE. The likelihood of an open NTD after an elevated AFP (≥2.0 MOM) was 24 and 77 per cent for any serious abnormality. These results, when combined with an earlier study, indicate that amniotic fluid AFP appears to be as sensitive a test for open NTDs between 13 and 15 weeks as between 16 and 20 weeks. Additional experience is necessary to determine this before 13 weeks.     

Second-trimester cancer antigen 125 and Down's syndrome

This study explores if assay of cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) in maternal serum might aid the detection of Down's syndrome in the second trimester of pregnancy. CA 125 levels were determined retrospectively in stored maternal serum samples from ten Down's syndrome pregnancies and 78 controls matched for gestational and maternal age. In addition, second-trimester amniotic fluid samples from nine Down's syndrome and 109 unaffected pregnancies were analysed for CA 125. Maternal serum CA 125 values for Down's syndrome pregnancies were lower, with the median being 0.72 multiples of the unaffected population median. The medians for affected and unaffected pregnancies did not differ significantly and there was a considerable overlap in the range of values of cases and controls. The distribution of amniotic fluid CA 125 levels for Down's syndrome pregnancies resembled that for controls. From our present results, we could not find an association between Down's syndrome and second-trimester maternal serum or amniotic fluid CA 125 levels.     

Recent application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in process safety and loss prevention: A review

In recent years, significant progress has been made to ensure that process industries are among the safest workplaces in the world. However, with the increasing complexity of existing technologies and new problems brought about by emerging technologies, a strong need still exists to study the fundamentals of process safety and predict possible scenarios. This is attained by conducting the corresponding consequence modeling and risk assessments. As a result of the continuous advancement of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools and exponentially increased computation capabilities along with better understandings of the underlying physics, CFD simulations have been applied widely in the areas of process safety and loss prevention to gain new insights, improve existing models, and assess new hazardous scenarios. In this review, 126 papers from 2010 to 2020 have been included in order to systematically categorize and summarize recent applications of CFD for fires, explosions, dispersions of flammable and toxic materials from accidental releases, incident investigations and reconstructions, and other areas of process safety. The advantages of CFD modeling are discussed and the future of CFD applications in this research area is outlined.     

东亚钳蝎抑制型神经毒素基因在昆虫细胞中的表达及活性鉴定

基因BmKIT3R 是根据东亚钳蝎 (ButhusmartensiiKarsch)抑制型神经毒素基因BmKIT3 优化而得的 .将优化过的蝎毒素基因BmKIT3R 通过Bac to Bac操作技术 ,使重组杆状病毒基因组DNA转染到草地粘虫sf2 1细胞中对IT3R 基因进行表达 ,经SDS PAGE检测在 8.7× 10 3 处有一表达条带 .表达产物经生物鉴定 ,证明具有很高的活性 ,它对昆虫具有非常明显的致死作用 .图 3参 5     

三相生物流化床处理含油废水的试验研究

我国油田含油废水利用传统的隔油、混凝、过滤（老三套）处理工艺,出水指标达不到国家的二级排放标准。为提高含油废水处理水平,在“老三套”基础上添加了生物处理部分,即三相生物流化床。为强化生物处理,采取了投加漂浮填料和悬浮填料的强化处理措施,出水能达到国家二级排放标准。     

镉胁迫下大豆中镉的分布状况及其籽粒品质

溶液培养中0.5μmol·L-1镉胁迫浓度下,大豆表现出轻微受害症状,籽粒减产25 . 7%,而籽粒中粗脂肪和粗蛋白含量变化不大.镉在大豆中的积累分布状况为根>叶>籽>油,比例为32.100:1.690:1.000:0.003.大豆籽粒含镉4.89mg/kg,超过了国家环境标准规定的最高容许量.而大豆粗脂肪中含镉仅0.015mg/kg,远低于国家食品环境卫生标准.豆粕中含镉6.17mg/kg,表明大豆籽粒中的镉主要存在于粗蛋白和淀粉中.     

Extraction of DNA from amniotic fluid cells for the early prenatal diagnosis of genetic disease

Ten-ml samples of amniotic fluid were taken from pregnancies being terminated at 8–14 weeks' gestation. DNA was extracted from the amniotic cells by sequential centrifugation and analysed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Fifteen samples were analysed for evidence of maternal contamination using Mfd5 oligo-nucleotide primers for repeat polymorphisms. Ten amniotic fluid samples were tested for the Delta-F₅₀₈ deletion characteristic of cystic fibrosis to demonstrate a diagnostic application for the technique. In each case, DNA extracted from fetal tissue from the same pregnancy was included in the controls. In 14 of the 15 cases tested with the Mfd5 primers, both the amniotic fluid DNA and the fetal DNA showed no evidence of contaminating DNA. In one case, neither the amniotic fluid cells nor the fetal cells yielded results. In nine of the ten cases tested with the Delta-F₅₀₈ primers, the amniotic fluid cell DNA provided accurate information about the genetic status of the fetus; in the tenth, the fetal DNA failed to amplify. The results indicate that adequate DNA can be extracted from amniotic fluid from 8 weeks' gestation onward and these samples are suitable for prenatal diagnosis using PCR.     

预防煤炭自燃的注砂技术实验研究

山砂是我国西北部矿区地表的主要自然资源之一,但如用其直接作为煤矿注浆防灭火的原料,不仅会造成输送管路的堵塞,还会引起输送管路的严重磨损。为此,首先研究了常见增稠剂羧甲基纤维素、聚丙烯酰胺和聚丙烯酸钠等对砂粒的悬浮性能,实验结果表明它们只能延缓砂粒的沉降。进而从理论上分析了砂粒悬浮的条件,发现具有一定屈服应力的假塑性流体特性的液体才能悬浮砂粒;并且悬浮砂粒粒径越大,所需屈服应力也越大。基于理论分析,研制了具有该特性的浆液,山砂在该浆液中不仅具有良好的悬浮性能,浆液还具有输送阻力小的特性。管道输送试验表明,浆液稳定性和流动阻力符合实际要求。     

Association of generalized dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa with positive acetylcholinesterase and markedly elevated maternal serum and amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein

A case of fatal generalized dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is described in a prematurely born female whose mother had strikingly elevated mid-trimester serum and amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein concentrations, a positive amniotic fluid acetylcholinesterase band, and negative serial ultrasound studies. This case lends further support to an association between autosomal recessive generalized dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and increased levels of alpha-fetoprotein, positive amniotic fluid acetylcholines'terase, and normal ultrasound findings.     

混合酶强化剩余污泥微生物燃料电池性能

为了提高剩余污泥为燃料的微生物燃料电池(SMFC)产电性能以及污泥减量化效果,在不同的温度(40、45和50℃)研究单室无膜微生物燃料电池中酶对SMFC产电特性的强化效果.加入单一酶(蛋白酶或α-淀粉酶)的结果表明,随着温度的上升,SMFC功率密度均上升,但40℃时强化效果最明显,与加入失活酶的对照组相比分别增加198％和130％.在40℃下,混合酶比(蛋白酶浓度:淀粉酶浓度)为2∶3时,SMFC最大功率密度为776 mW/m2.随着混合酶中淀粉酶的比例提高,SMFC库伦效率逐渐增加,当混合酶比为4∶1时,CE(库伦效率)可达18.3％,同时TCOD、TSS和VSS去除率分别为70.3％、66.7％和80.4％.因此,温度相对较低时,外加酶强化效果更明显;与单种酶相比,混合酶对SMFC产电性能和污泥减量化的强化效果更显著.