Prenatal diagnosis of omphalocele and gastroschisis by ultrasonography

As the use of ultrasonography has become a routine procedure in the care of pregnant women, fetal congenital malformations have been frequently diagnosed prenatally. During a 4-year period abdominal wall defects (AWD) were diagnosed in 14 cases, five were gastroschises and nine were omphaloceles, seven females and seven males. Concomitant malformations were present in one case of gastroschisis and in five cases of omphalocele. Eleven AWD's were diagnosed in the second trimester and six pregnancies were interrupted. Eight children with AWD were born; two boys with omphalocele and one girl and one boy with gastroschisis are still alive. Alpha-fetoprotein was determined in amniotic fluid in 11 cases and also in maternal serum prior to the amniocentesis in eight cases. Chromosomal investigations were performed in 13 cases, 11 on amniotic fluid cells and two on lymphocytes from a blood sample made postnatally. Two abnormal karyotypes, 47,XX + 18 were found.     

The influence of obstetricians on the utilization of amniocentesis

A study of 173 Western New York State obstetricians was undertaken to study referral patterns for second-trimester amniocentesis in 1974–1978. Referral patterns were analysed in relation to obstetrician age, religion, board certification, hospital affiliation and practice location. Forty-seven per cent of the obstetricians had never referred a patient for amniocentesis. Those referring were overall younger than those not referring and were significantly more often board certified. Obstetrician religion was significantly related to referral with fewer Catholic obstetricians referring. Hospital affiliation (teaching versus non-teaching) and obstetrician practice location (urban versus rural) were not important factors after controlling for religion and board certification. Obstetrician factors account for a small but important part of the variability in referral, and other factors, such as cost and access to laboratory and obstetric care need further investigation.     

Unexpected structural chromosome rearrangements in prenatal diagnosis

Among 5315 prenatal diagnoses performed for various indications (maternal age, neural tube defect, metabolic diseases, X-linked diseases, pathologic pregnancies) 29 unexpected structural chromosome rearrangements were found in fetal cells. Fourteen were de novo chromosome rearrangements, six unbalanced, and eight balanced. Fifteen were inherited and balanced rearrangements. This high frequency of structural anomalies is discussed.     

Aseptically collected calf serum as an effective alternative to fetal calf serum in the culture of amniotic fluid cells

The growth-promoting activities of three different bovine sera have been compared in primary and secondary amniotic fluid cell cultures. In secondary amniotic fluid cell micro- cultures, aseptically collected calf serum (CS) was slightly, though not significantly more effective than fetal calf serum (FCS) in promoting DNA synthesis, while newborn calf serum (NCS) was significantly less effective than either CS or FCS. All three sera were optimally effective at concentrations of 10 per cent (v/v). Significant variation in quality occurred within four batches of each of CS and FCS, but not within four batches of NCS. A selected batch of CS was significantly more effective in promoting the growth of primary amniotic fluid cell cultures than were a number of batches of FCS then in routine laboratory use. It is suggested that CS may serve as an effective and economical alternative to FCS in the culture of amniotic fluid cells, thereby expanding the scope of serum batch testing. A possible explanation for the varying growth-promoting activities of different sera is discussed.     

Mucolipidosis IV: Prenatal diagnosis by electron microscopy

Mucolipidosis IV (ML 1V) is a lysosomal storage disease presenting in infancy with cloudy cornea and psychomotor retardation. Our experience with 12 pregnancies at risk for ML IV, monitored by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies of cultured amniotic fluid cells, is presented. The prenatal diagnoses were confirmed in the 3 affected and the 8 un- affected pregnancies. In the one pregnancy where no definite diagnosis was reached the pregnancy was terminated. TEM examination of fetal tissues from this pregnancy showed no abnormal lysosomal storage bodies and a review of the cultured amniotic fluid cell sections revealed that the diagnosis of a normal fetus could have been made.     

Prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip and palate by ultrasound

Bilateral cleft lip and cleft palate can be diagnosed by ultrasonography prior to 20 weeks of pregnancy. The anomaly produces an abnormal facial profile and, on cross-section, the clefts in the maxilla are demonstrable. The method is illustrated by sonograms from a fetus in which the defect was diagnosed before trisomy 13 became known by karyotyping.     

水质氨氮在线监测仪发展现状

水中氨氮作为"十二五"国家重点控制污染指标,其在线监测设备的发展至关重要,本文主要介绍了目前中国市场上存在的主要水质氨氮在线监测仪的原理情况,并按照国家标准对其进行基本性能和实际水样测试的比较试验,为水质氨氮在线监测仪的应用提供参考。     

湖北省油菜测土配方施肥下N2O减排潜力估算

以油菜种植大省-湖北省为案例地,在分析农田氮肥施用与油菜籽产量的基础上,依据氮肥利用率变化,估算测土配方施肥技术在湖北省全面推广的情况下,带来的N2O减排潜力.结果表明,在湖北省油菜种植中,测土配方施肥技术的推广将带来646.32ktCO2-eq的理论减排.以2012年湖北省油菜测土配方推广情况为基础,进一步全面实施该项技术,将产生173.91ktCO2-eq的减排量,占油菜种植因氮肥使用而产生的N2O排放总量的13.98%.测土配方施肥通过优化营养元素配比,提高油菜氮肥利用效率,是一项控制与减少农业N2O排放、减少氮素在环境中盈余量的有效措施.     

固定源细颗粒物稀释测试法现场应用存在问题及影响因素分析研究

对基于大气环境的稀释测试法在现场应用中存在的主要问题进行了归纳总结,并对若干影响细颗粒物测试结果的重要因素进行了分析,诸如停留时间、稀释比、采样时间等因素,期望能够对该法测试系统的后续改进或重新设计提供实际问题导向,同时也能够对该领域现场工作的科研人员提供非常有用的经验。     

超高速瞬态测试系统软硬件构架设计研究

目的研究采样频率为2~10 MHz的64通道超高速同步瞬态测试系统的设计技术,实现两类典型超高速瞬态测试系统的硬件架构设计与软件架构设计。方法一类采用PXI-Express高带宽总线和高速RAID磁盘阵列架构构建持续流盘存储的连续高速测试系统,另一类是采用大容量板载数据缓存和PXI总线事后下载传输数据的架构构造高速测试系统。在高性能测试软件设计方面,主要应用生产者/消费者结构与有限状态机相结合的软件架构进行高性能测试系统软件设计。结果目前64通道下基于持续流盘架构的测试系统受数据记录的速度限制系统最高采样频率仅达2.5 MHz,而基于板载缓存数据与PXI总线事后下载数据架构的测试系统最高采样频率可达10 MHz,测试时长可达5 s。结论当前两类架构的测试系统均可满足超高速瞬态测试需求,设计时需根据需求的最高采样频率决定使用的架构形式。