Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung by fetal lung biopsy

A case of type III congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung was successfully diagnosed prenatally by fetal lung biopsy. We performed this procedure at 22 weeks of gestation, using a biopsy gun system under ultrasound guidance. The pregnancy was undisturbed by the procedure but as the condition was incompatible with life, an abortion was performed. The diagnosis was confirmed at post-mortem examination. Fetal lung biopsy appears to be a useful method for prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung disorders.     

Production of hydrogen by steam gasification of dehydrochlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) or activated carbon in the presence of various alkali compounds

Steam gasification of dehydrochlorinated poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) or activated carbon was carried out in the presence of various alkali compounds at 3.0 MPa and 560°C–660°C in a batch reactor or in a semi-batch reactor with a flow of nitrogen and steam. Hydrogen and sodium carbonate were the main products, and methane and carbon dioxide were the minor products. Yields of hydrogen were high in the presence of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. The acceleration effect of the alkali compounds on the gasification reaction was as follows: KOH > NaOH > Ca(OH)₂ > Na₂CO₃. The rate of gasification increased with increasing partial steam pressure and NaOH/C molar ratio. However, the rate became saturated at a molar ratio of NaOH/C greater than 2.0.     

Impact of gamma irradiation on the transformation efficiency for extracellular plasmid DNA

Extracellular DNA is omnipresent in aquatic environments and is thought to be a genetic material for horizontal gene transformation between microorganisms. We studied the impact of gamma irradiation on the transformation efficiency (transformants number per ng of DNA per ml) of extracellular DNA. Plasmid pEGFP as a model extracellular DNA was irradiated by gamma rays. The transformation efficiency decreased with the increase in radiation dose. A total dose of 10Gy is normally not lethal for microorganisms but certainly affects the transformation efficiency of extracellular DNA. The decrease in the efficiency would be induced by strand breaks of extracellular DNA because the yield of both single-strand breaks (SSBs) and double-strand breaks (DSBs) increased with the increase in radiation dose. The relative transformation efficiency of SSBs and DSBs to that of covalently closed circles (CCCs) was 30.3% and 0.2%, respectively. This impact on natural transformation suggests an inability of microorganisms to acquire new characteristics which should be normally acquired.     

Impacts of converting from leaded to unleaded gasoline on ambient lead concentrations in Jakarta metropolitan area

Total suspended particulate mater （TSP） concentrations were monitored for one year from July 2000 and for one year from April 2003 in Jakarta City. Thirteen elemental TSP components, aluminum （Al）, sodium （Na）, iron （Fe）, lead （Pb）, potassium （K）, zinc （Zn）, titanium （Ti）, manganese （Mn）, bromine （Br）, copper （Cu）, chromium （Cr）, nickel （Ni）, and vanadium （V） were analyzed by a sequential X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Al, Na, Fe, K, and Pb were major components at most of the sampling locations in 2000. However, only Pb in 2003 dramatically decreased to one tenth. The phase-out of leaded gasoline began on July 1, 2001 in Jakarta City and lead content in gasoline decreased to one tenth, too. The decrease in Pb concentration was a result of the phase-out of leaded gasoline, as lead emissions mainly are exhaust gas from vehicles.     

Carbon emission reduction and cost–benefit of methane digester systems on hog farms in China

Three different sizes of hog farms were selected to analyze the carbon emissions reduction and the cost–benefit of three methane digester systems. The sizes of the digesters are 2,200, 2,200 and 800 m³, respectively. The sales of slaughter hogs from them are 50,000, 35,000 and 10,000 head, respectively. The carbon emissions reductions were 5,237, 4,017, and 1,334 tons, respectively. The results show that while the methane digester systems have a significant effect on carbon emissions reduction, it is difficult to operate the systems sustainably. If the carbon emissions reduction can be traded at high enough prices in the carbon offset markets, then the systems will be profitable and sustainable. Newly established China's domestic carbon offset market could provide this possibility, but more government support is needed. In addition, this study shows that scale economies make the digester adoption relatively more profitable for larger farms than smaller ones.     

Japan’s waste management policies for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls

We summarize the measures taken by the Japanese government to prevent the emission of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the environment. Because incineration is the main method of waste management in Japan, reducing the amount of dioxins emitted from waste incinerators is an essential aspect of proper waste treatment. Intensive measures to prevent the formation of dioxins at the source have been implemented, with a focus on waste treatment methods and improving comprehensive management. The efforts have been very successful, with a 95% reduction in the amount of dioxins emitted between 1997 and 2003. The toxicity of PCBs has been monitored with keen interest since the Yusho incident. Unfortunately, treatment facilities for PCB wastes were not built until long after PCBs had been removed from use, and PCB wastes remained in storage in an untreated state. The Japanese government has promoted the construction of facilities for treating PCB wastes, and five such facilities have commenced operations. To more completely eradicate dioxins, a future challenge will be to reduce the amount of PCB-derived dioxins, which are persistent in the environment and have a long exposure pathway from the environment media to the organism and the human body.     

Effects of potassium alkalis and sodium alkalis on the dechlorination of o-chlorophenol in supercritical water

Effects of potassium alkalis and sodium alkalis on the dechlorination of o-chlorophenol (o-CP) in supercritical water (SCW) were studied in this paper under the conditions of 450 degrees C and 25 MPa. Experimental results indicated that the dechlorination of o-CP can be accelerated significantly by all alkalis investigated. The dechlorination of o-CP proceeded mainly via two pathways: hydrodechlorination and hydrolysis. Both of the two pathways can be promoted by alkalis, and the dechlorination of o-CP can be accelerated by both the cations and hydroxide ion dissociated from alkalis. The overall dechlorination of o-CP can be accelerated by cations via promoting the hydrodechlorination pathway, while, hydroxide ion via promoting the hydrolysis pathway. In addition, the hydrodechlorination can be accelerated faster by sodium alkalis than that by potassium ones, while, the hydrolysis can be promoted faster by potassium alkalis. This difference may be caused by the different charge density between potassium ion and sodium ion, and the different solubility and dissociation constant between potassium alkalis and sodium alkalis in SCW. Dechlorination of o-CP with addition of alkalis prior to supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process not only can avoid the reactor corrosion caused by the generated hydrochloric acid in direct SCWO of o-CP, but also can reduce the formation of toxic chlorinated byproducts compared with direct SCWO process or SCWO of o-CP with addition of alkali.     

Spatial distribution and vertical profile of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecanes in sediment core from Tokyo Bay, Japan

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) and polybrominated diethyl ethers (PBDEs) were detected in three sediment cores and six surface sediments of Tokyo Bay, Japan. HBCDs were detected for the first time in this region with concentrations ranging from 0.056 to 2.3 ng/g dry wt, implying their widespread contamination, even though their concentrations were lower than summation operatorPBDEs (di- to nona-BDEs) and BDE-209. Levels of these compounds were higher near to the highly populated industrial area of the bay implicating industrial and human activities as sources of these compounds. Summation operatorPBDEs increased in the sediment layer up to the mid-1990s and decreased afterwards, whereas BDE-209 showed an increasing trend until now, following the usage of different commercial BDE mixtures. HBCDs first appeared in the mid-1970s and increased until today. The annual surficial flux of HBCDs (0.62-2.4 ng/cm2/yr) is equal to summation operatorPBDEs (0.95-2.6 ng/cm2/yr) but lower than that of BDE-209 (17-58 ng/cm2/yr).