Noninvasive detection of fetal sex: the laboratory diagnostician's view

Toward the end of the twentieth century it was discovered that cell-free fetal DNA sequences could be detected in maternal blood plasma. Initially, Y-chromosome sequences originating from male fetuses were targeted in cell-free DNA extracted from maternal plasma in order to demonstrate proof of this concept towards the development of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis methods. Clinical application of this approach is now possible. Fetal sex can be detected through a procedure that is noninvasive with respect to the fetus. Specifically, the presence of Y-chromosome sequences in maternal blood plasma indicates that the fetus is male, whereas lack of a signal will indicate that the fetus is female. Fetal sex can be detected very early, from at least the 7th week of pregnancy (and even earlier, according to several studies), about two months before this information is available through ultrasound scanning. Although the controversial issue of fetal sexing is not new, it is expected that with the availability of an accurate noninvasive test, public interest will rise. It is therefore imperative that an authorized committee of experts in each country generates an official policy regarding application of the test. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of Y chromosome-specific DNA in the plasma and urine of pregnant women using nested polymerase chain reaction

The present study was undertaken to evaluate a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Y chromosome-specific fetal DNA in maternal plasma and urine of pregnant women during different gestational stages. DNA isolated from plasma and urine samples of 80 pregnant women (between 7 and 40 weeks' gestation) underwent amplification for Y chromosome-specific 198 bp DNA by nested PCR. The postpartum analysis of fetal gender showed that 55 women carried male and 25 female fetuses. Among the 55 women bearing male fetuses, Y chromosome-specific signals were detected in 53 (96%) plasma and 21 (38%) urine samples. Moreover, out of 25 women bearing female fetuses, 3 (12%) and 1 (4%) women had Y chromosome-specific signal in plasma and urine, respectively. Analysis of results with respect to gestational age revealed that there was no significant difference in the detection of Y chromosome-specific DNA between different trimesters in maternal plasma of women bearing male fetuses. These results showed that fetus-specific DNA was detected with high sensitivity (96%) and specificity (88%) in the maternal plasma by nested PCR, and therefore the method could be useful as a non-invasive procedure for fetal sex determination and prenatal diagnosis. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

上海大气总悬浮颗粒物中金属的可溶性特征

大气颗粒物中金属的可溶性对于评估金属的生物可利用性和环境迁移性具有重要意义.采集上海大气总悬浮颗粒物(TSP)样品,利用高分辨率电感耦合等离子体质谱,测定经微循环淋溶提取的金属水、酸(p H=2)可溶含量,并计算水、酸溶解度.结果表明,大气TSP中金属的溶出是一个快速过程,仅需几分钟就达到溶解度最大值.Co、Cr和Cd的可溶含量较低,V、Ni、Cu处于中间,Fe、Al、Zn、Mn和Mg较高.结合大气后向轨迹分析,金属可溶含量受到气团来源的显著影响.多种金属的水、酸溶解度差异性较大,Fe水溶解度最小仅为2.0%,其次为Al、Cr、V、Pb、Co、Ni、Cu、Cd、Mn、Mg和Zn.金属溶解度随溶剂p H值的减小而增大.元素本身性质是影响金属溶解度的内在原因,且金属的离子势与水溶解度呈一定的负相关性.     

不同孔径HZSM-5协同低温等离子体催化降解甲苯性能研究

研究了HZSM-5分子筛孔径对其在等离子体场内催化降解甲苯的影响.采用化学液相沉积法对HZSM-5分子筛进行改性,利用XRD、氮气吸附脱附等方法表征样品的骨架结构和表面性质,并用择形吸附实验对样品孔径进行表征.同时,评价了HZSM-5分子筛体系中降解甲苯的性能,研究了分子筛吸附甲苯性能及臭氧的产量,并采用飞行时间质谱(TOF-MS)和气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)分析了反应产生的有机副产物.结果表明:液相沉积法成功调控了HZSM-5孔径,样品孔径随沉积剂用量增加而减小;同时,样品均具有相同的MFI骨架结构,比表面积和孔容相差不大.HZSM-5的孔径尺寸对甲苯去除率影响不大,但对碳平衡有影响,孔径越大,碳平衡越好.孔径较大的HZSM-5分子筛对甲苯具有更大的吸附速率和吸附容量,同时更多臭氧参与反应,生成·OH和O·,促进甲苯深度氧化,减少副产物,提高碳平衡.     

Maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin and pregnancy-associated plasma protein a,markers for fetal down syndrome at 8–14 weeks

Maternal serum levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin and its subunits (intact, α, and free βhCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) were measured in 279 women between 8 and 14 weeks' gestation. This group included 23 pregnancies in which the fetus had Down syndrome (DS), diagnosed either at birth or during the second trimester (n=17) or from chorionic villus sampling (CVS) (n=6). Normal medians were determined from the 258 apparently normal pregnancies. The median levels of intact hCG (1·4 MOM) and free βhCG (2·1 MOM) were significantly raised, whereas the median level of PAPP-A (0·39 MOM) was significantly lower in the DS pregnancies when compared with the control group. Levels of αhCG were similar in both the control and the DS pregnancies. Analysis of samples taken prior to 14 weeks' gestation demonstrated that only PAPP-A (0·34 MOM) was significantly altered in DS pregnancies. However, after the exclusion of DS cases diagnosed at CVS, the median intact hCG (1·56 MOM), free βhCG (2·27 MOM), and αhCG (1·8 MOM) were all raised in DS pregnancies. This emphasizes the problem of the interpretation of biochemical markers when DS cases are diagnosed at CVS.     

微波诱导技术用于氧烛制氧的理论研究

传统的氧烛是将氯酸盐或高氯酸盐与金属燃料、催化剂混合后压缩所制得。其产氧原理是利用燃料燃烧所释放的热量来促成氯酸盐或高氯酸盐分解,释放出氧气。氧烛不仅因燃料燃烧而消耗所产生的氧气,而且在产氧过程中往往会产生少量的氯气等有害副产品。为解决上述两个缺陷,笔者提出一种新的微波诱导催化技术来代替传统的燃料加热方法。即在氧烛配方中舍弃燃料,而使用外加的微波作为氯酸盐分解的热源。具体方法是先对氯酸钠氧烛的热过程进行数值模拟,通过反应温度的差异解释氯气作为副产品产生的机理;为验证利用微波诱导加热代替燃料加热的可行性,对TE10基模微波场中氯酸钠的热过程进行数值模拟。计算结果表明,氯酸钠在微波场中升温均匀。因此,微波诱导是抑制产氧过程中有害副产品产生的一种有效途径。     

Influence of H<Subscript>2</Subscript> on the decomposition of halides by nonthermal plasma incorporated with in situ alkaline absorption

To control the emission of halides into the environment, an experiment on the nonthermal plasma decomposition of the halides CF₄, CHF₃, C₂HCl₃, and CHClF₂ was conducted in a wire-in-tube corona reactor. It was found that the decomposition of C₂HCl₃ and CHClF₂ was easy compared with the decomposition of CF₄ and CHF₃. With the addition of H₂ in N₂ gas, the decomposition ratio of CF₄, C₂HCl₃, and CHClF₂ increased. In contrast, the decomposition ratio of CHF₃ in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere was lower than that in an N₂ atmosphere. It was demonstrated that the yields of HF and/or HCl formed during halide decomposition clearly increased in the presence of H₂ in N₂ gas. Furthermore, in order to prevent the production of unwanted products from halide decomposition, a combination of plasma decomposition and in situ alkaline absorption was devised by coating a layer of Ca(OH)₂ onto the surface of the grounding electrode. It was demonstrated that the Ca(OH)₂ sorbent played an effective role as a scavenger, participating in halide decomposition by capturing reaction products such as HCl and HF, therefore resulting in increased halide decomposition.