immunocytochemical localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in lewis lung carcinoma

The invasively growing and metasizing Lewis lung carcinoma consistently contained urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) enzyme activity. When investigated immunocytochemically with antibodies against u-PA, different parts of individual tumors showed a pronounced heterogeneity in staining intensity. Strong staining was found in areas with invasive growth and degradation of surrounding normal tissue, while other areas were completely devoid of staining. Immunoreactivity occurred both with a perinuclear cytoplasmic localization in tumor cells and associated with apparently extracellular material. SDS PAGE of tumor extracts, under both reducing and nonreducing conditions, followed by immunoblotting, showed only one immunocytochemically stainable band with an electrophoretic mobility corresponding to that of purified proenzyme to u-PA, while no two-chain u-PA was detected. This indicates that the major part of the activator in Lewis lung carcinoma is present as one-chain pro-u-PA.     

Leaf architecture of some acanthaceae

Leaf architectural pattern has been studied in 27 genera and 35 species of the Acanthaceae. The major venation pattern conforms to pinnate camptodromous with eucamptodromous or festooned brochidodromous secondaries, pinnate craspedodromous inAcanthus ilicifolius and acrodromous inLepidagathis trinervis. Intersecondary veins are common. The marginal ultimate venation is looped. The areoles are variable in size. The vein endings are usually simple, linear or cuved or divide once or twice dichotomously. Isolated vein endings, tracheids, isolated free vein endings and extension cells are observed. Transfusion tracheids are seen inDicliptera verticillata. Miniature vessel elements with simple perforation plates are noticed lying free in the areole or at the end of tracheids inSeriocalyx scaber andThunbergia grandiflora.Elytraria acaulis, Nelsonia canescens andStaurogynae zeylanica exhibit venation pattern shown by majority of the taxa studied, of the Acanthaceae.     

School racial segregation and long-term cardiovascular health among Black adults in the US: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) disproportionately affects Black adults in the United States. This is increasingly acknowledged to be due to inequitable distribution of health-promoting resources. One potential contributor is inequities in educational opportunities, although it is unclear what aspects of education are most salient. School racial segregation may affect cardiovascular health by increasing stress, constraining socioeconomic opportunities, and altering health behaviors. We investigated the association between school segregation and Black adults’ CVD risk.Methods and findingsWe leveraged a natural experiment created by quasi-random (i.e., arbitrary) timing of local court decisions since 1991 that released school districts from court-ordered desegregation. We used the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) (1991 to 2017), linked with district-level school segregation measures and desegregation court order status. The sample included 1,053 Black participants who ever resided in school districts that were under a court desegregation order in 1991. The exposure was mean school segregation during observed schooling years. Outcomes included several adult CVD risk factors and outcomes. We fitted standard ordinary least squares (OLS) multivariable linear regression models, then conducted instrumental variables (IV) analysis, using the proportion of schooling years spent in districts that had been released from court-ordered desegregation as an instrument. We adjusted for individual- and district-level preexposure confounders, birth year, and state fixed effects. In standard linear models, school segregation was associated with a lower probability of good self-rated health (−0.05 percentage points per SD of the segregation index; 95% CI: −0.08, −0.03; p < 0.001) and a higher probability of binge drinking (0.04 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.07; p = 0.04) and heart disease (0.01 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.002, 0.15; p = 0.007). IV analyses also found that school segregation was associated with a lower probability of good self-rated health (−0.09 percentage points; 95% CI: −0.17, −0.02, p = 0.02) and a higher probability of binge drinking (0.17 percentage points; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.30, p = 0.008). For IV estimates, only binge drinking was robust to adjustments for multiple hypothesis testing. Limitations included self-reported outcomes and potential residual confounding and exposure misclassification.ConclusionsSchool segregation exposure in childhood may have longstanding impacts on Black adults’ cardiovascular health. Future research should replicate these analyses in larger samples and explore potential mechanisms. Given the recent rise in school segregation, this study has implications for policies and programs to address racial inequities in CVD.

Min Hee Kim and colleagues investigate the association between exposure to school racial segregation in childhood and long-term cardiovascular health among Black adults in the United States.     

Studies onCabomba aquatica (Cabombaceae)

Cabomba aquatica has been found for the first time in India. Both, submerged and floating leaves are epistomatic. The stomata are anomocytic and perigenous in their development. The metaxylem vessel elements have simple perforation plates and spiral side wall thickening. Vessel elements are found in roots, rhizomes and aerial stems. The venation pattern is of two types like the dimorphic leaves. On the basis of these and other featuresCabomba deserves family rank.     

Post-construction avian mortality monitoring at Project West Wind

Abstract

Post-construction avifauna investigations were undertaken at Project West Wind, Meridian Energy Limited's 62-turbine wind farm on the Wellington south coast. These investigations were required in accordance with the resource consent conditions to quantify the level of avian mortalities occurring at the wind farm, particularly in regard to New Zealand falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae), kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). This is the first comprehensive study at a New Zealand operating wind farm. The methods included three field components necessary to calculate annual estimates of mortalities across the wind farm site: routine turbine searches; carcass detection trials; and carcass removal trials. Results from years 1 and 2 of a three-year programme are presented. To date, mortalities have been recorded for 17 taxa at 18 of the 24 study turbines. There have been no recorded mortalities of falcon, kākā or kererū. Australasian harrier (Circus approximans) has been the species for which the most mortalities have been recorded. Overall estimated annual mortality rates for years 1 and 2 were calculated to be approximately six and five birds per turbine respectively.     

Genetic architecture of survival and fitness-related traits in two populations of Atlantic salmon

The additive genetic effects of traits can be used to predict evolutionary trajectories, such as responses to selection. Non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects can also change evolutionary trajectories and influence phenotypes, but these effects have received less attention by researchers. We partitioned the phenotypic variance of survival and fitness-related traits into additive genetic, non-additive genetic and maternal environmental effects using a full-factorial breeding design within two allopatric populations of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Maternal environmental effects were large at early life stages, but decreased during development, with non-additive genetic effects being most significant at later juvenile stages (alevin and fry). Non-additive genetic effects were also, on average, larger than additive genetic effects. The populations, generally, did not differ in the trait values or inferred genetic architecture of the traits. Any differences between the populations for trait values could be explained by maternal environmental effects. We discuss whether the similarities in architectures of these populations is the result of natural selection across a common juvenile environment.     

Spectroscopic investigation of alloyed quantum dot‐based FRET to cresyl violet dye

Quantum dots (QDs), bright luminescent semiconductor nanoparticles, have found numerous applications ranging from optoelectronics to bioimaging. Here, we present a systematic investigation of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from hydrophilic ternary alloyed quantum dots (CdSeS/ZnS) to cresyl violet dye with a view to explore the effect of composition of QD donors on FRET efficiency. Fluorescence emission of QD is controlled by varying the composition of QD without altering the particle size. The results show that quantum yield of the QDs increases with increase in the emission wavelength. The FRET parameters such as spectral overlap J(λ), Förster distance R₀, intermolecular distance (r) , rate of energy transfer k_T (r), and transfer efficiency (E) are determined by employing both steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Additionally, dynamic quenching is noticed to occur in the present FRET system. Stern–Volmer (K_D) and bimolecular quenching constants (k_q) are determined from the Stern–Volmer plot. It is observed that the transfer efficiency follows a linear dependence on the spectral overlap and the quantum yield of the donor as predicted by the Förster theory upon changing the composition of the QD. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selected anthropometric variables and aerobic fitness as predictors of cardiovascular disease risk in children

The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and aerobic fitness as predictors of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in children. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 290 school boys and girls from 6 to 10 years old, randomly selected. Blood was collected after a 12-hour fasting period. Blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), height and weight were evaluated according to international standards. Aerobic fitness (AF) was assessed by the 20-metre shuttle-run test. Clustering was considered when three of these factors were present: high systolic or diastolic blood pressure, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high plasma glucose, high insulin concentrations and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. A ROC curve identified the cut-off points of body mass index (BMI), WC, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and AF as predictors of risk factor clustering. BMI, WC and WHR resulted in significant areas under the ROC curves, which was not observed for AF. The anthropometric variables were good predictors of cardiovascular risk factor clustering in both sexes, whereas aerobic fitness should not be used to identify cardiovascular risk factor clustering in these children.