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This paper studies the mechanisms linking urbanisation and industrial SO2 emissions using panel data that enable us to trace the environmental impact of the urban transformation of China's economy from a rural to a largely urban society. We provide evidence of stylised facts on spatial patterns and temporal changes of industrial SO2 emissions in China. Over time, industrial SO2 emissions show increasing levels in small and medium-sized cities but slightly decreasing levels in some large cities. The results show that urbanisation is one of the main driving forces behind emissions and the increase in the urbanisation level is likely to exacerbate emissions. Emissions are more sensitive to industrialisation than urbanisation, indicating that industrialisation remains a key industrial SO2 pollution contributor in China. Industrial emissions abatement policies in China should be designed by considering the spatial differences of emissions and the pace of urbanisation, although the increase of urbanisation is associated with benefits such as poverty reduction and economic growth. The reduction of industrial SO2 emissions requires coordinated approaches by adjusting the pace of urbanisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Krüppel-like factor 7 (KLF7) is a member of the KLF family of zinc finger transcription factors, and was the first KLF cloned using complementary DNA and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques with human vascular endothelial cells as a template. In addition, KLF7 is known as the ubiquitous Krüppel-like factor, as it is widely expressed in numerous human tissues at low levels. In the present study, the function of KLF7 in migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which are associated with tumor progression, was investigated in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. Genes that were differentially expressed in normal vs. OSCC tissue were identified in the Gene Expression Omnibus database, which identified upregulation of KLF7 in OSCC. The expression and subcellular location of KLF7 was then analyzed using immunohistochemistry. KLF7 expression was measured in three OSCC cell lines, and the two cell lines with the highest (HN13) and lowest (CAL27) KLF7 expression were selected for further analysis. Subsequently, HN13 cells with reduced KLF7 expression (sh-HN13) and CAL27 cells overexpressing KLF7 (OE-CAL27) were constructed. Transwell migration and wound healing assays were then used to analyze the migration of the cells. In addition, mRNA and protein expression levels of the EMT markers E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin and snail were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. KLF7 overexpression in OSCC was validated using tissue immunohistochemistry, which identified moderate to high cytoplasmic staining of KLF7 in OSCC cells. KLF7 knockdown and overexpression altered the migration ability of sh-HN13 and OE-CAL27 cells, which decreased and increased significantly respectively. Expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin and snail was markedly altered in sh-HN13 and OE-CAL27 cells, indicating changes in EMT status. The results of the present study suggest that KLF7 overexpression changes the migratory behavior of OSCC cells, and induces EMT and lymph node metastasis through the expression of snail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) concerning Housing Choice Voucher (HCV, formerly called Section 8) recipients, the authors provide a spatial analysis in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. 'Hot spot' analysis is utilized to detect areas with significant densities of voucher recipients compared with the surrounding environs. Results show that the implementation of Cincinnati's HCV program between 2000 and 2005 in conjunction with public housing transformation has not led to a greater dispersion of voucher recipients and either poverty or racial deconcentration. Many HCV households remain concentrated in hot spots. The implications for US low-income housing policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that blocking DLL4 signaling reduced tumor growth by disrupting productive angiogenesis. We developed selective anti-human and anti-mouse DLL4 antibodies to dissect the mechanisms involved by analyzing the contributions of selectively targeting DLL4 in the tumor or in the host vasculature and stroma in xenograft models derived from primary human tumors. We found that each antibody inhibited tumor growth and that the combination of the two antibodies was more effective than either alone. Treatment with anti-human DLL4 inhibited the expression of Notch target genes and reduced proliferation of tumor cells. Furthermore, we found that specifically inhibiting human DLL4 in the tumor, either alone or in combination with the chemotherapeutic agent irinotecan, reduced cancer stem cell frequency, as shown by flow cytometric and in vivo tumorigenicity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In human breast cancers, a phenotypically distinct minority population of tumorigenic (TG) cancer cells (sometimes referred to as cancer stem cells) drives tumor growth when transplanted into immunodeficient mice. Our objective was to identify a mouse model of breast cancer stem cells that could have relevance to the study of human breast cancer. To do so, we used breast tumors of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-Wnt-1 mice. MMTV-Wnt-1 breast tumors were harvested, dissociated into single-cell suspensions, and sorted by flow cytometry on Thy1, CD24, and CD45. Sorted cells were then injected into recipient background FVB/NJ female syngeneic mice. In six of seven tumors examined, Thy1 + CD24 + cancer cells, which constituted approximately 1%-4% of tumor cells, were highly enriched for cells capable of regenerating new tumors compared with cells of the tumor that did not fit this profile ("not-Thy1+CD24+"). Resultant tumors had a phenotypic diversity similar to that of the original tumor and behaved in a similar manner when passaged. Microarray analysis comparing Thy1 + CD24+ tumor cells to not-Thy1 + CD24+ cells identified a list of differentially expressed genes. Orthologs of these differentially expressed genes predicted survival of human breast cancer patients from two different study groups. These studies suggest that there is a cancer stem cell compartment in the MMTV-Wnt-1 murine breast tumor and that there is a clinical utility of this model for the study of cancer stem cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent observations indicate that, in several types of human cancer, only a phenotypic subset of cancer cells within each tumor is capable of initiating tumor growth. This functional subset of cancer cells is operationally defined as the ‘cancer stem cell’ (CSC) subset. Here we developed a CSC model for the study of human colorectal cancer (CRC). Solid CRC tissues, either primary tissues collected from surgical specimens or xenografts established in nonobese d abet c/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice, were disaggregated into single-cell suspensions and analyzed by flow cytometry. Surface markers that displayed intratumor heterogeneous expression among epithelial cancer cells were selected for cell sorting and tumorigenicity experiments. Individual phenotypic cancer cell subsets were purified, and their tumor-initiating properties were investigated by injection in NOD/SCID mice. Our observations indicate that, in six of six human CRC tested, the ability to engraft in vivo in immunodeficient mice was restricted to a minority subpopulation of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)high/CD44+ epithelial cells. Tumors originated from EpCAMhigh/CD44+ cells maintained a differentiated phenotype and reproduced the full morphologic and phenotypic heterogeneity of their parental lesions. Analysis of the surface molecule repertoire of EpCAMhigh/CD44+ cells led to the identification of CD166 as an additional differentially expressed marker, useful for CSC isolation in three of three CRC tested. These results validate the stem cell working model in human CRC and provide a highly robust surface marker profile for CRC stem cell isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this article is to report on the methodological approach taken in a project which was to create a Facilities Master Plan for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in the United States. Libraries are changing drastically: they function as community centers, where programs and classes are held; they provide access to the internet to socio-economically weaker groups; and they accommodate the needs of different age groups, such as children, teens, adults and seniors. Design/methodology/approach — Innovative in the approach to the project is the combination of geographic information system (GIS) and building performance evaluation (BPE) methods. This project assigned comprehensive scores for each of the libraries and grouped them into groups of high, medium and low performing libraries. The rankings are based on composite scores made up of eight weighted performance indicators: staff survey, facility evaluation, service area, usage, building, site, staffing output, and capacity. Project data are benchmarked and compared with those of library systems around the USA in similarly sized cities. Findings — The outcomes of the project are recommendations, as well as medium- to long-term projections, with primary emphasis on branch libraries. Specific recommendations for each branch focused on: needed improvements; closure and/or consolidation with other branch libraries; and the creation of new full-service "hub" libraries. Practical implications — Practical implications of this project include a rational decision making tool for library facility master planning in the future. Originality/value — The data gathering and analysis approach applied in this project shows promise as an innovative way of combining quantitative and qualitative methods in evaluation research measuring library performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater plays a critical role in arid West China where water is the limiting factor for development. This paper first describes groundwater characteristics in a region of four arid inland river watersheds and the problems associated with groundwater consumption. This region exhibits a unique alternating pattern of high mountains and depressions, which results in extensive interactions of surface water and groundwater. Then the authors propose six strategies to support adequate exploitation and use of groundwater in the region. These strategies are: 1) setting up a groundwater monitoring system; 2) forming a unified watershed authority, 3) protecting mountain ecology; 4) increasing the efficiency of groundwater usage; 5) protecting groundwater; and 6) supporting advanced research. The implementation of these strategies should be built upon the promotion of sustainable economic development and broad public support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the utility of AnswerTree, a computer learning system that is part of the SPSS package. The program creates classification systems, displayed in decision trees, to identify the subgroups within public housing that might be targeted for housing or housing-related programs in order to raise satisfaction levels. We applied the AnswerTree program to a pooled data set containing telephone interview results from approximately 1,900 Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) tenants who were interviewed over six waves between 1995 and 2000. Among households living in CMHA housing, differences in levels of housing/neighborhood satisfaction varied most in relation to the presence or absence of children, age of household head, CMHA project type (e.g., family developments; elderly housing developments; clustered, scattered-site developments; or individual, scattered-site units), and education (for neighborhood satisfaction only). The gains summary results from AnswerTree were particularly helpful, identifying "winning nodes" -subgroups that might be targeted for housing/neighborhood programs. For the housing dissatisfaction tree, all three of the subgroups with high proportions of dissatisfied householders were ones with children. In contrast, one of the "winning nodes" for neighborhood dissatisfaction consisted of non-elderly, childless householders with some college education. The implications of these results for public housing revitalization efforts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultimate purpose of this study was to identify broad relationships that may have relevance for the risk assessment of chemicals and materials that are discharged to receiving streams via municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents (e.g., consumer product ingredients). The effects of municipal wastewaters occurring in high population density (>500 persons per square mile, urban) and low population density (<500 persons per square mile, rural) environments were determined via analysis of biological, habitat, and water chemistry data collected both immediately upstream and downstream of 221 WWTPs in Ohio, USA. Several biological and chemistry indicators demonstrated poorer water quality in urban areas compared to rural areas. After considering the effect of river size, adverse effects downstream of WWTPs for both fish and macroinvertebrate communities were clearly identified for only urban areas. These data indicate that WWTP potency may be greater in urban areas compared to rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a geographic information system-based river water quality model (GIS-ROUT) to predict chemistry changes in river water as a result of sewage water discharge changes in a watershed. Examination of the dynamic linkages between water quality and human activities in a watershed; Discussion on how this view of the watershed can help government agencies make informed decisions.

In this article, we present a study of electron irradiation effect on $\alpha $ -In2Se3-based transistors for near-infrared photodetection. The dark current ($I_{\mathrm {dark}}$), photocurrent $(I_{\mathrm {ph}})$ , responsivity ($R$), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and specific detectivity ($D\ast$) of the photodetector have been investigated systematically after the irradiation. The defects induced by electron irradiation and the $\alpha $ -In2Se3/air interface modified by the physical adsorption and chemical reaction have an important impact on the time annealing process. Compared with the parameters before irradiation, $R$ and $D\ast $ for a wavelength of 1064 nm have been increased by 46.24% and 53.08%, respectively, when the optical power intensity is $81.5~\mu \text{W}$ /cm2. Our results show that $\alpha $ -In2Se3-based photodetectors have a potential application in the aerospace and nuclear industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]