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.     

Fatty acids and algal lipids as precursors of chlorination by-products

Six common algal fatty acids (FAs) with different numbers of double bonds, lipophilic fractions and proteins extracted from the diatom Navicula pelliculosa and algal cells were chlorinated to evaluate their potential in generating disinfection by-products (DBPs). The result showed that the more double bonds in the FAs, the higher the amounts of chloroform and dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) produced, but such a pattern was not observed for trichloroacetic acid (TCAA). Based on the previously reported composition of fatty acids in algal lipids, the DBP generation potentials of algal lipids were calculated. These predicted values were much lower than those measured in the chlorinated algal lipophilic fraction, suggesting unknown lipophilic fraction(s) served as potent DBPs precursors. Another calculation attempted to predict DBP production in algal cells based on algal lipid and protein composition, given quantified measured DBP production per unit algal lipid and proteins. The analysis showed that the observed DBP production was similar to that predicted (< 35% difference), suggesting that algal biochemical compositions may serve as a bioindicator for preliminary estimation of chloroform, DCAA and TCAA formation upon chlorinating algae.     

三峡库区大宁河沉积物营养盐时空分布及其与叶绿素的相关性分析

为研究大宁河底泥营养盐时空分布与藻细胞分布的关系,本研究在大宁河选择4个代表性的取样点:菜子坝、白水河、双龙和大昌,利用垂直重力采泥器,按照2 cm厚度分层选取底泥,检测底泥中总氮,氨氮、硝态氮、亚硝态氮、总磷、无机磷、有机磷和叶绿素的垂向分布,分析叶绿素与营养盐的相关性.结果表明,菜子坝底泥0.0~2.0 cm总氮浓度最高,白水河底泥2.0~4.0 cm的总氮浓度最高;菜子坝底泥2.0~4.0 cm氨氮浓度最高,1和2月白水河底泥4.0~6.0 cm浓度较高;硝酸氮和亚硝酸氮(除3月)在菜子坝底泥2.0~4.0 cm浓度最高;氨氮、硝酸氮和亚硝酸氮浓度在同一个采样点底泥4.0 cm以下分层差异不显著;白水河底泥总磷0.0~6.0 cm呈增加趋势,菜子坝底泥表层的总磷和无机磷的浓度显著高于其它分层,而且每一分层中总磷、无机磷浓度都高于其他3个取样点相应的分层;有机磷在菜子坝和大昌的浓度高于白水河和双龙的浓度,但是同一采样点底泥不同分层的有机磷浓度差异不显著;同一深层底泥中的叶绿素a浓度在大昌最高,其次是白水河,再次菜子坝,双龙处的叶绿素浓度最低;只有1月在大昌取样点处无机磷和叶绿素a的浓度显著正相关,相关系数为0.87,底泥中的营养盐不是影响底泥藻细胞分布的主要影响因素.     

香溪河库湾水质特征与非回水区水华响应关系

为探究香溪河在受倒灌影响较弱的河段水华暴发征兆及机理,于水华高发期5~8月对香溪河进行监测,分析电导率、水温、叶绿素a（Chl-a）以及流速.结果表明,在6~8月,香溪河倒灌现象于XX05点（峡口镇）处基本结束,XX06~XX09受倒灌来水影响较弱;香溪河于7月暴发水华,各个监测点位上Chl-a含量均值达到100μg/L以上,XX05~XX06与XX07-XX09点位上暴发不同种水华;在水华暴发前后,水体温度无显著变化,且并无明显分层现象,说明水温分层是水华暴发的主要原因这一理论并不能很好的适用于非回水区;通过对电导率数值的研究发现,数值在垂向上出现显著拐点,而拐点出现在临界层与光补偿层之间,同时与叶绿素a含量分布呈现显著负相关性.香溪河总氮（TN）、总磷（TP）平均值为1.849mg/L和0.157mg/L,均超过富营养化的阈值,水体氮磷含量与Chl-a浓度无显著相关性,水体中除N、P营养盐外的其它离子对香溪河水华的暴发起着重要作用.在水华消退后,电导率数值又逐渐恢复表层高底层低的垂向线性分布特性,与水华的暴发、消退有着明显的响应.     

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.     

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.