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Aims: To investigate the nephrotoxic potential of trichloroethylene in a currently exposed population using sensitive urinary markers of kidney toxicity. Methods: Renal dysfunction was monitored in a cross-sectional study of [...]

ABSTRACTDisaster recovery is not a time of exception, it is a time when existing social, economic, and racial inequalities are reproduced and exacerbated. Housing institutions can amplify inequality during disaster recovery. We use quantitative methods to ask whether evictions increase during disaster recovery periods in four states. We stratify our case selection by the type of statutory protections for landlords and tenants in state law. In three cases that have pro-business or a mixture of pro-business and tenant protections, we find strong, significant increases in eviction rates in disaster-affected neighborhoods relative to neighborhoods in adjacent areas with no disaster declaration. By contrast, in the case that has primarily tenant protections, there is no statistically significant rise in evictions following the disaster. We conclude that tenant protections are not sufficient to prevent swift increases in evictions following disasters in states with a policy environment that is also characterized by landlord protections. We close with policy recommendations to prevent evictions after disasters, and suggestions for further research.

In the electrodeposition of metal and alloys by pulse plating, the importance of the pulse off-time is often neglected. Traditionally it is considered an electrochemically inactive period, allowing, for example, the relaxation of concentration gradients, desorption of additives, recrystallisation and discharge of the double layer capacitance. However, more recent studies have shown that it is possible to have corrosion processes occurring in the off-time which can significantly influence the deposit properties and current efficiency. This has been observed in both aqueous and non-aqueous systems, and appears a very general phenomenon. Typically, in these systems, corrosion is caused by dissolved oxygen or via comproportionation reactions. Similarly, during the pulse electrodeposition of binary and ternary alloys from aqueous and non-aqueous solutions, displacement (corrosion) reactions have been observed in the off-time that can alter the alloy composition and microstructure. The main aim of this paper is to review these various types of corrosion, establish the conditions under which they occur, and quantify their effects related to deposit characteristics, current efficiency and alloy composition.

In the previously-reported Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled EPITOPE study, 12 months of epicutaneous immunotherapy with a patch containing 250 µg peanut protein (VP250) resulted in a statistically significant treatment response vs placebo in 1-3-year-old peanut-allergic toddlers (n=362). Here we report interim analyses from the first year of the open-label extension study, EPOPEX.

In the 12-month EPITOPE Phase 3 study, daily treatment with a peanut patch containing 250 µg peanut protein (VP250) was statistically superior in desensitizing peanut-allergic toddlers aged 1 through 3 years vs placebo (responder rate: 67.0% vs 33.5%).1Here we aimed to understand the relationship between patch average daily wear time and efficacy, including if wear times in the first 3 months predict wear times over 12 months.

AFTER one of the driest Septembers recorded, wet weather prompted us to house cows at night from Oct 16 and, as our ground conditions deteriorated, during the day, writes Tim […]

About-face on 2001... THIS spring is in complete contrast to last year when we experienced the latest turnout to grass in our 18 years at Vimer, writes Tim Green. This […]

The control of syphilis in the United Kingdom and United States has been managed in different ways in each country over the course of the last century. Older more established [...]

EDITOR,--Lesions that fail to heal despite appropriate therapy should always be biopsied to look for an underlying diagnosis. We have seen a 44 year old woman who presented with genital [...]

ABSTRACTGenerally, it is assumed that the well-being of rural communities is linked to their level of resilience. However, despite the importance of community resilience, and its potential to underpin long-term economic development, assessing community perspectives regarding local conditions necessary to support resilience are often ignored during the planning phases of tourism development projects in many areas of the world, especially in countries such as Vietnam, which generally employ top-down planning processes. The purpose of this study is to address this oversight by using household survey techniques to investigate residents’ attitudes toward three components of community resilience, environmental, social, and economic resilience, in the context of a tourism development planning process in Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark in northern Vietnam. The results of the study highlight how understanding community resilience can be used to inform future tourism development efforts including infrastructure development, capacity building, and environment resource management.

Background/Objectives:: Zinc is a negative acute-phase reactant; hence, its concentration decreases in the presence of inflammation. There is no current consensus on how to control for the effect of inflammation on serum zinc, which has implications for accurate estimates of population-level zinc status. We aimed to measure the association between inflammation and serum zinc concentrations and to compare the means and the prevalence of zinc deficiency using unadjusted and inflammation-adjusted serum zinc concentrations among Congolese children. Subjects/Methods:: Non-fasting blood was collected in the afternoon in trace element-free vacutainers from 744 apparently healthy children aged 6–59 months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Serum was analyzed for zinc, C-reactive protein (CRP) and α-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) for 665 children with complete data for all three biomarkers. Linear regression was used to generate correction factors (CFs) based on three stages of inflammation: incubation (CRP >5 mg/l and normal AGP), early convalescence (CRP >5 mg/l and AGP >1 g/l) and late convalescence (AGP >1 g/l and normal CRP), relative to no inflammation. Results:: Overall unadjusted mean±s.d. serum zinc concentration was 9.4±2.1 μmol/l. Study-generated CFs (95% confidence interval) for incubation, early and late convalescence were 1.01 (0.88, 1.14), 1.15 (1.11, 1.21) and 1.07 (1.03, 1.11), respectively. After applying the CFs, overall adjusted mean±s.d. serum zinc concentration was 10.1±2.2 μmol/l, and prevalence of zinc deficiency (<8.7 μmol/l) decreased from 35% (n=234/665) to 24% (n=160/665). Conclusions:: Adjustment of zinc concentrations for inflammation is warranted when assessing population-level zinc status.

Most myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients lacking JAK2 mutations harbour somatic CALR mutations that are thought to activate cytokine signalling although the mechanism is unclear. To identify kinases important for survival of CALR-mutant cells, we developed a novel strategy (KISMET) that utilizes the full range of kinase selectivity data available from each inhibitor and thus takes advantage of off-target noise that limits conventional small-interfering RNA or inhibitor screens. KISMET successfully identified known essential kinases in haematopoietic and non-haematopoietic cell lines and identified the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway as required for growth of the CALR-mutated MARIMO cells. Expression of mutant CALR in murine or human haematopoietic cell lines was accompanied by myeloproliferative leukemia protein (MPL)-dependent activation of MAPK signalling, and MPN patients with CALR mutations showed increased MAPK activity in CD34 cells, platelets and megakaryocytes. Although CALR mutations resulted in protein instability and proteosomal degradation, mutant CALR was able to enhance megakaryopoiesis and pro-platelet production from human CD34+progenitors. These data link aberrant MAPK activation to the MPN phenotype and identify it as a potential therapeutic target in CALR-mutant positive MPNs.

This study comprised an investigation of the characteristics of commercial nickel anode materials routinely employed in sulfamate-based electroforming processes. These included examples of sulfur depolarised anodes containing a relatively high sulfur content and those with much lower levels. Electrochemical studies indicate that the sulfur depolarised anodes underwent dissolution in the active region and were capable of sustaining large current densities at low potentials without passivating, and with current efficiencies approaching 100%. In contrast, low-sulfur containing anodes could only sustain low current densities in the active region, and were prone to passivation. These materials could only undergo high rate dissolution in the transpassive region, but this required relatively high anode potentials and was accompanied by various side reactions which lowered the current efficiency. Additional studies were performed to characterise the sulfamate oxidation products which generates a distinct UV absorption band at 245 nm. These species were produced only when low-sulfur content or inert (platinum) anodes were used, and were absent when sulfur depolarised anodes were employed. The principal anode product was azodisulfonate, but trace amounts of other sulfonate species and sulfur-containing anions may also be present.

ABSTRACTBiological soil crusts (BSCs) are small-scale communities of lichens, mosses, algae, and cyanobacteria that cover much of the surface area in regions where vascular plant growth is restricted due to harsh environmental conditions, such as perpetually ice-free areas in terrestrial Antarctic environments and alpine areas above the tree line. To our knowledge, none of the available studies provides a direct Antarctic-alpine comparison of BSC activity periods and the water use, both key traits to understand their physiological behavior and therefore related growth and fitness. Here, activity patterns and water relations were studied at two sites, one in continental Antarctica (Garwood Valley 78°S) and one in the High Alps of Austria (Hochtor, Großglockner 2350m). BSCs in continental Antarctica were only rarely active, and if so, then during melt after snowfalls and by fog. In the Austrian Alps, BSCs were continuously active and additionally activated by rainfall, fog, and dew. Consequently, high alpine BSCs can be expected to have much higher photosynthetic productivity supporting higher growth rates than the same functional vegetation unit has in continental Antarctica.

The FOXP1 (forkhead box P1) transcription factor is a marker of poor prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here microarray analysis of FOXP1-silenced DLBCL cell lines identified differential regulation of immune response signatures and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) genes as some of the most significant differences between germinal center B-cell (GCB)-like DLBCL with full-length FOXP1 protein expression versus activated B-cell (ABC)-like DLBCL expressing predominantly short FOXP1 isoforms. In an independent primary DLBCL microarray data set, multiple MHC II genes, including human leukocyte antigen DR alpha chain (HLA-DRA), were inversely correlated with FOXP1 transcript expression (P<0.05). FOXP1 knockdown in ABC-DLBCL cells led to increased cell-surface expression of HLA-DRA and CD74. In R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone)-treated DLBCL patients (n=150), reduced HLA-DRA (<90% frequency) expression correlated with inferior overall survival (P=0.0003) and progression-free survival (P=0.0012) and with non-GCB subtype stratified by the Hans, Choi or Visco–Young algorithms (all P<0.01). In non-GCB DLBCL cases with <90% HLA-DRA, there was an inverse correlation with the frequency (P=0.0456) and intensity (P=0.0349) of FOXP1 expression. We propose that FOXP1 represents a novel regulator of genes targeted by the class II MHC transactivator CIITA (MHC II and CD74) and therapeutically targeting the FOXP1 pathway may improve antigen presentation and immune surveillance in high-risk DLBCL patients.

The etching of gold is a key enabling technology in the fabrication of many microdevices and is widely used in the electronic, optoelectronic and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industries. In this review, we examine some of the available methods for patterning gold thin films using dry and wet etching techniques. Dry methods which utilise reactive ion etching (RIE) have a number of important advantages over other methods, but the low volatility of gold etch products has made the development of suitable processes problematic. More recently, the adoption of high-density plasma reactors with optimised chlorine-based chemistries has allowed improved processes to be developed, and etching in hydrogen plasmas also shows promise. Wet etching methods for gold have also been critically reviewed. Traditionally, iodine- and cyanide-based etch processes have been used, but in the last decade, a number of alternative etchants have been studied. Of particular interest is the recent development of a range of novel non-aqueous-based gold etchants, and the suitability of these etchants for microfabrication is assessed.

Controversy remains regarding the optimal post-operative analgesic regimen following total knee replacement. A delicate balance is required between the provision of adequate pain relief and early mobilisation. By reviewing 29 randomised trials we sought to establish whether local infiltration of analgesia directly into the knee during surgery provides better pain relief and a more rapid rehabilitation. Although we were able to conclude that local infiltration can provide improved post-operative pain relief, and to suggest the most promising technique of administration, there is no evidence that it reduces hospital stay.

The flow field inside and downstream of an open channel placed near the surface of a free flow (such as the tail water of a turbine) is characterized in detail. The channel cross‐section is U‐shaped and in the downstream end is placed a ramp on the bottom which accelerates the flow passing through the channel. This flow is intended to catch the attention of fish and improve their entrance to fishways, which has also been successfully demonstrated in field tests.

Soil water content is often determined using various permittivity sensors. The Hydra Probe reports both the real (ε′) and imaginary (ε″) components of complex permittivity (ε*) and estimates electrical conductivity (σ′). Previously, a 12‐wire probe was used with a vector network analyzer to determine ε′ and ε″ and σ′ and σ″ in undisturbed soil cores. The purpose of this study was to compare results from the Hydra Probe and the 12‐wire probe for fluids as well as for soil samples taken from six locations, to better understand the interrelations of ε′, ε″, and σ′ from the Hydra Probe. Undisturbed soil cores were collected from an Iowa prairie and adjacent soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] field, an Iowa forest and adjacent soybean field, Idaho burned and unburned sites, Colorado grassland and dryland wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) sites, Ohio grassed areas, and Texas rangeland and an irrigated field. Because of their density, some of the Texas samples were sieved and repacked. The reported σ′, ε′, and ε″ values of fluids were compared between the two measurement systems and with theoretical values. Because the theoretical values for soils are not known, the measured values were compared between systems. Both probes showed σ′, ε′, and ε″ close to the theoretical values for fluids. In soils, we showed that an adjustment was needed in the calculated σ′ from the Hydra Probe to account for dielectric relaxation. The soil σ′ of the Hydra Probe matched σ′ from the 12‐wire probe better after the adjustment was made.

We describe a cryptoendolithic community from a light, coarse grained calcite marble found on Nussbaum Riegel in the central Taylor Valley, Dry Valleys. The community lives 3-4 (5) mm underneath the rock surface and is by the unicellular genus Chroococcidiopsis (C. cf. thermalis), a genus that is well known from endolithic habitats all over the world. Low biomass and chlorophyll-a content indicate that this community is less well developed than others described from Antarctica.

This study evaluated the accuracy of pressure plate apparatus for measuring soil water retention at −0.5 and −1.5 MPa matric potential. Samples from 35 contrasting Australian soils were wetted with distilled water and drained on pressure plate apparatus at −0.5 and −1.5 MPa. The soil matric potential of each sample was then determined using a thermocouple psychrometer, and water content was measured. Water content at exactly −0.5 and −1.5 MPa matric potential was determined independently by interpolating between replicates of matric potential–water content data measured using a thermocouple psychrometer. Water content of the soil samples at apparent equilibrium on pressure plates was compared with these “target” water contents. The 35 samples on pressure plates at −1.5 MPa equilibrated, on average, to 0.3% (w/w) wetter than the target water content, with mean matric potential of −1.10 MPa. Fifteen samples were significantly wetter than the target values. Soil samples on pressure plates at −0.5 MPa equilibrated, on average, to 0.2% (w/w) wetter than the target water content, attaining a mean matric potential of −0.48 MPa. Mean error in water content at −1.5 MPa on pressure plates was reduced from >0.5 to <0.1% (w/w) in a subset of 10 samples prone to dispersion by wetting with 0.01 mol L−1CaCl2Water contents of samples equilibrated on pressure plates at −1.5 MPa were good estimates of “true” −1.5 MPa water content for the nonswelling soils tested, provided CaCl2was used to minimize dispersion. Vapor equilibrium measurement methods are recommended for swelling soils.

Abstract: An inertial vibration scavenging micro-generator is described which is suitable for biomedical applications. MEMS fabrication techniques have been used to construct a variable capacitor having one moving plate on which a proof mass is attached. Energy is extracted when the plates separate at constant charge. This device is non-resonant, so can operate over a wide range of excitation frequencies and amplitudes. The energy extracted per cycle, 120 nJ, is well above previous reports. The fabrication techniques employed are described, and test data are given and compared to modeling results, showing good agreement.

The behavior of heptakis(2,3-di-O-methyl-6-O-sulfopropyl)-β-cyclodextrin as inverse phase transfer catalyst in biphasic Tsuji–Trost and hydroformylation reactions has been investigated. In terms of activity, this methylated sulfopropyl ether β-cyclodextrin is much more efficient than the randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin, which was the most active cyclodextrin known to date. From a selectivity point of view, the intrinsic properties of the catalytic system are fully preserved in the presence of this cyclodextrin as the chemo- or regioselectivity was found to be identical to that observed without a mass transfer promoter in the hydroformylation reaction. The efficiency of this cyclodextrin was attributed to its high surface activity and to the absence of interactions with the catalytically active species and the water-soluble phosphane used to dissolve the organometallic catalyst in the aqueous phase.

Objective:Having previously demonstrated release of histamine from mast-cell-deficient rat aorta, the objective of this study was to determine and localize histamine synthesis capability in the aorta by detecting histidine decarboxylase (HDC), the enzyme that catalyzes histamine formation. Materials and methods:Experiments were conducted with nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR) to detect HDC mRNA and with immunofluorescence and western blot analysis to detect HDC protein in rat aorta, cultured rat aortic smooth muscle (RASMC) and endothelial cells (RAEC). Results:Gel electrophoresis of nRT-PCR products indicated HDC mRNA in liver, aorta and RASMC but not in RAEC or kidney. Sequence analysis confirmed that the band observed in RASMC was the target HDC amplicon. Immunofluorescence indicated the presence of HDC protein in RASMC and not in RAEC. Western Blot analysis revealed HDC protein (55 kDa) in liver, aorta, RASMC but not in RAEC or kidney. Conclusions:The results of this study are the first to demonstrate the presence of HDC mRNA and protein in rat aorta and more specifically in RASMC, indicative of their capability to synthesize histamine.

Deregulated activity of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase c-Src is believed to result in signal transduction, cytoskeletal and adhesion changes, ultimately promoting a tumor-invasive phenotype. We report here the discovery of a new class of anilinoquinazoline inhibitors with high affinity and specificity for the tyrosine kinase domain of the c-Src enzyme. Special attention was directed toward finding inhibitors selective against KDR tyrosine kinase in order to ensure that the in vivo profile of a specific Src inhibitor could be determined. The 4-aminobenzodioxole quinazoline series gave compounds with excellent potency and selectivity. The most interesting compounds were evaluated in vivo and displayed good pharmacokinetics following oral dosing. Compounds such as the aminobenzodioxoles were shown to be potent inhibitors of tumor growth in a c-Src-transformed 3T3 xenograft model in vivo, resulting in more than 90% growth inhibition at doses as low as 6 mg/kg po once daily. Src tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as these may provide a novel therapeutic modality for targeting cancer invasion and metastasis.

The discharge-flow technique coupled with UV-absorption spectroscopy has been used to study the production of dichlorine trioxide, Cl₂O₃, from the reaction between ClO and OClO radicals. The absorption cross section of Cl₂O₃ was determined to be (1.44 ± 0.10) × 10−17 cm2 molecule−1 at λ_max = 267 nm (all errors reported are two standard deviations of the statistical error). The equilibrium constant for the process ClO + OClO + M ⇌ Cl₂O₃ + M was measured in the temperature range 243–298 K. A Second-Law analysis yielded values of Δ_rH&z.ccsh; = −57.9 ± 2.1 kJ mol−1 and Δ_rS&z.ccsh; = −132.6 ± 7.9 J K−1 mol−1. The rate coefficient for the formation of Cl₂O₃ was measured with helium as the third body at a concentration of ~7.3 ± 1016 molecule cm−3 over the temperature range 243–283 K. Analysis of these data employing the conventional form of the rate equation for the low-pressure limit, k0(T) = k0(300)·(T/300)−n, resulted in values of k0(300) = (2.83 ± 0.04) × 10−32 cm6 molecule−2 s−1 and n = −4.32 ± 0.1. These spectroscopic, thermochemical and kinetic data are compared with previously reported values.

This paper is concerned with optimization of continuous-dress creep-reed grinding processes to reduce cycle time and wheel consumption by adaptively adjusting workspeed and dress infeed based on grinding models and in-process power monitoring. Heat flux is kept below the fluid burnout limits to avoid thermal damage to the ground surface. Grinding forces are controlled below the allowable values to avoid coating cracks caused by excessive strain on the blade. By implementing this approach, 40% cycle time reduction was demonstrated while maintaining the heat flux and grinding forces below their allowable critical values.

The addition of dodecanethiol to a polydisperse platinum colloidal aqueous solution capped with acrylic acid leads to self-assembled monolayers which not only contain various sizes, but also various shapes of nanoparticles. Assembled monolayers arranged in hcp arrays are achieved for mixed shape samples. In the case of the assembly of cubic nanoparticles, cubic closest packing is achieved when the size difference between the nanoparticles is less than 25% (or between 6 and 8 nm). The ccp array is disrupted when the size difference is between 25 and 60% or there is a mixture of shapes. Finally, size segregation is seen in regions where the size difference is more than 60% with the resultant assembly being hcp no matter what the shape.

The response of three human monocytic cell lines (Monomac-1, U937 and THP-1) to challenge with polyethylene particles of known size and dose was evaluated. Particles with a mean size of 0.21, 0.49, 4.3, 7.2, and 88 μm were co-cultured with the cells for 24 hours prior to the assessment of cell viability and production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα. Additionally, GM-CSF and prostaglandin E2were measured in culture supernatants from particle stimulated U937 cells. All particle fractions were evaluated at particle volume (μm3) to cell number ratios of 100 : 1, 10 : 1, 1 : 1 and 0.1 : 1. None of the test fractions had any effect on cell viability. Only the response of the U937 cell line was demonstrated to be comparable to that of primary macrophages as determined in a previous study. Furthermore only particle volume to cell number ratios of 10 : 1 or greater consistently stimulated significantly enhanced levels of cytokine secretion with particles within the phagocytosable size range (0.1 to 10 μm) being the most biologically active. No response was observed when U937 macrophages were stimulated with the largest (88 μm) particles at any of the volume ratios tested in this study. These results suggest that the size and volume of polyethylene particles are critical factors in macrophage activation. In addition, the U937 cell line has been shown to be a suitable model for the in vitro study of macrophage-particle interactions. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers

The herbicide acetochlor, and its analogue alachlor, have similar toxicological properties, the most significant being the induction of nasal adenomas in rats in 2-year feeding studies. Previous investigations have proposed a mode of action involving metabolism to a quinone-imine, the formation of protein adducts, cell death, and compensatory hyperplasia leading to the observed adenomas. Comparisons between rats and humans of the metabolic cascade leading to the quinone-imine indicate that these chemicals do not pose a threat to humans. Further investigations with acetochlor, presented here, have revealed an additional activation pathway in which a sulfoxide metabolite of acetochlor plays a key role. The sulfoxide was found to be the major plasma metabolite in rats dosed with acetochlor. Whole-body autoradiography studies established that this metabolite selectively accumulates and persists in the olfactory epithelium of rats. Radiolabeling of the sulfoxide molecule in the phenyl ring and in the sulfoxide side-chain demonstrated that the metabolite accumulating in nasal tissues retains the sulfoxide side-chain. The formation of a quinone-imine from the sulfoxide was facilitated by hydroxylation of the phenyl ring by a cytochrome P450 isoenzyme which was specific to the nasal epithelium in the rat. This metabolic conversion could not be detected in 33 fresh human nasal tissue samples, supporting the earlier view that the acetochlor-induced rat nasal tumors do not represent a hazard for humans.