Medical progress in a remote archipelago.

Just how long has the lag been in local acceptance of medical progress? Five major innovations are examined: vaccination, anesthesia, antiseptic and aseptic surgery, x-rays, and antibiotics. Hawaii has not always been in the forefront of medical progress, but generally has been quick to adopt new treatments and technologies.

Military personnel and dependents in population analysis and projection.

"Concentrations of [U.S.] armed forces and their dependents create some unusual (and little recognized) problems for applied demographers, both in analysis and projection.... Their presence complicates both the collection and interpretation of data, and has special impact on the preparation of projections." The authors discuss possible ways of resolving these problems.

Estimating Hawaii's de facto population.

PIP: Methods for estimating de facto population figures for Hawaii are described and illustrated using official data for the period 1951-1990. Other applications for these methods are also discussed.^ieng

Differential nuclear localization of the major adenovirus type 2 E1a proteins.

The localization in infected and transformed cells of the two major adenovirus type 2 E1a proteins, of 289 and 243 amino acid residues, was studied with antisera raised against synthetic peptides or a TrpE-E1a fusion protein. Both E1a proteins were detected only in the nucleus of infected cells as determined by immunofluorescence analysis of cells infected with wild-type virus or with the mutants pm975 or dl1500, which produce, respectively, only the 289-residue or only the 243-residue E1a protein. However, the 289-residue protein was more tightly associated with the nucleus than was the 243-residue protein, as determined by the stability of nuclear fluorescence to different fixation procedures and by the use of radioimmunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis to analyze fractions extracted from the nucleus by detergent and other treatments. The latter experiments revealed that only the 289-residue protein, and only a fraction of that protein present in the nucleus, is associated with the nuclear matrix, both in infected HeLa cells and in the transformed human cell line 293.

Mechanism of copper transport from plasma to hepatocytes.

The effects of plasma components on the kinetics of copper transport by rat hepatocytes were examined in an attempt to determine how copper is mobilized from plasma for uptake by the liver. Specific protein-facilitated transport was indicated by saturation kinetics, competition by related substrates, and similar kinetic parameters for uptake and efflux. For copper uptake, Km = 11 +/- 0.6 microM and Vmax = 2.7 +/- 0.6 nmol Cu/(min X mg protein). Zinc is a competitive inhibitor of copper uptake, and copper competes for zinc uptake. Copper efflux from preloaded cells is biphasic. The kinetic parameters for the initial rapid phase are similar to the parameters for uptake. Copper transport by hepatocytes is strictly passive. A variety of metabolic inhibitors have no effect on uptake and initial rates are solely dependent on extracellular-intracellular concentration gradients. Albumin markedly inhibits copper uptake by a substrate removal mechanism, and histidine facilitates albumin-inhibited copper uptake. The active species that delivers copper to hepatocytes under conditions of excess albumin and excess histidine is the His2Cu complex. Experiments with [3H]His2 64Cu showed that the transported species is free ionic copper. The kinetic parameters of copper transport by hepatocytes isolated from the brindled mouse model of Menkes' disease are normal. However, these cells show a decreased capacity to accumulate copper on prolonged incubation. An intracellular metabolic defect seems to be involved.

Early region 1B of adenovirus 2 encodes two coterminal proteins of 495 and 155 amino acid residues.

Partial sequence analysis of tryptic peptides has identified the E1B-495R (E1b-57K) (early transcription region 1B of 495 amino acid residues, with an approximate molecular weight of 57,000) protein of adenovirus 2 as encoded by the 495 amino acid open reading frame located in the adenovirus 2 DNA sequence between nucleotides 2016 and 3500. Additional proteins of 16,000 Mr and 18,000 Mr that are related to the E1B-495R protein were identified by cell-free translation of hybridization-selected mRNA. Analysis of [35S]methionine-containing amino terminal tryptic peptides by thin-layer chromatography showed that the E1B-495R, E1B-18K, and E1B-16K proteins all begin at the same initiation codon. The E1B-495R protein from 293 cells also has the same initial tryptic peptide, acetyl-methionyl-glutamyl-arginine. Sequence analysis of E1B-18K tryptic peptides indicated that this protein also has the same carboxy terminus as the E1B-495R protein and that it is derived from an mRNA that is spliced to remove sequences between nucleotides 2250 and 3269, resulting in a protein product of 155 amino acid residues. Analysis of E1B-16K tryptic peptides has not yet revealed the carboxy terminal structure of this protein. Both the E1B-495R and the E1B-155R (E1B-18K) proteins, as well as the E1B-16K protein, were precipitated from cell-free translations and from extracts of infected cells by antiserum against an amino terminal nonapeptide common to these proteins.

Population characteristics of Hawaii, 1982.

PIP: This report, based on a 16,309 person sample of the 6 major islands, presents demographic, social, and economic charateristics for Hawaii in 1982. The Hawaii Health Surveillance Program survey, conducted by the Hawaii State Department of Health, collects health information principally and differs from the 1980 census since it does not include 37,600 persons living in Kalawao and Niihao. Hawaii's household population includes 956,100 persons, with 857,300 civilians, and 98,800 military or military related persons. The median age is 28.9 years; the ratio is 100.6 males to 100 females. More than 1/4 of the household population is of mixed race. The major ethnic groups include 25.5% Caucasian (although 24.7% of this group are military related), 22.3% Japanese, 18.3% Hawaiian, and 11.8% Filipino. 66.6% of the population was born in Hawaii, with 23.6% from other states or US territories, and 14.8% are of foreign birth (chiefly from the Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China). The average length of residence in Hawaii is 16.5 years. 86.6% of the population are native born and 7% are aliens. Mobility rates are high, largely due to the military presence. The population makes up 303,200 households, with an average household size of 3.15, and an average family size of 3.61. The median years of education for persons 25 and over is 12.7; most people work in technical occupations, sales, and administration, followed by managerial and professional speciality jobs. Service jobs and wholesale and retail trade dominate employment; the median income is $23,900 for families and $12,100 for unrelated individuals.^ieng

Copper efflux kinetics from rat hepatocytes.

The kinetics of copper efflux from rat hepatocytes were determined to further characterize the hepatic Cu(II) transport system. Efflux was biphasic. Net efflux was rapid for 1-5 min, and 35-45% of preloaded copper was lost by 40 min. Efflux was negligible after 40 min. The retained percentage was independent of the preloading concentration, but the total amount of intracellular copper that was available for efflux gradually decreased as the duration of the preloading period increased. Unlabeled extracellular Cu(II) displaced 64Cu from intracellular pools, but exchange with intracellular Cu was not required for uptake. Zinc also displaced copper but less effectively than copper. This implies some specificity in intracellular binding components. No transstimulation of uptake or efflux was detected. Copper efflux was strictly passive. Extracellular Cu(II) decreased the rate of efflux and preloading inhibited Cu(II) uptake. Metabolic inhibitors had no effect on the rate or total amount of 64Cu efflux, and significant efflux occurred at 4 degrees C. Moreover, when a steady state was attained at the end of a preloading period, the effective intracellular concentration of free copper approximated the Cu(II) concentration in the extracellular medium. By use of this estimate for the intracellular concentration of free copper, efflux kinetic parameters were obtained from initial (1-min) rate data (Km = 5.5 +/- 0.8 microM; Vmax = 1.1 +/- 0.1 nmol X min-1 X mg prot-1). These parameters are similar to those obtained for Cu(II) uptake, and the saturation kinetics observed are consistent with specific facilitated efflux by this copper transport system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Mobilization of copper(II) from plasma components and mechanisms of hepatic copper transport.

The effects of plasma Cu(II) ligands on the kinetics of Cu(II) transport by rat liver parenchymal cells were determined to examine how Cu(II) is mobilized from plasma and transported into liver cells. Albumin markedly inhibited Cu(II) uptake at Cu(II)-to-albumin molar ratios of 3:1 or less. Kinetic analyses showed that albumin inhibits Cu(II) uptake by reducing the concentration of free Cu(II) in solution. Under conditions of excess albumin to Cu(II), histidine facilitated albumin-inhibited uptake of Cu(II). Threonine, glutamine, and most other amino acids were without effect. Moreover, the facilitation effect of a low-molecular-weight plasma fraction (less than or equal to 5,000) was largely accounted for by its histidine concentration. The tripeptide Gly-His-Lys also inhibited Cu(II) uptake into hepatocytes by the same mechanism as albumin. The inhibitory effects of albumin and Gly-His-Lys were additive with or without histidine. The active species in the Cu(II), albumin, and histamine mixtures was shown to be the His2Cu(II) complex. Vmax for this complex was identical to the Vmax for free Cu(II), but the Km was slightly higher [15 microM vs. 11 microM for free Cu(II)]. Concurrent determinations of [3H]-histidine and 64Cu(II) uptake showed that histidine was not transported with Cu(II) from His X Cu(II) or His2Cu(II) complexes. The data are consistent with histidine mobilizing Cu(II) from albumin by competing for Cu(II), interaction of the His2Cu(II) complex with the putative hepatic copper transport protein, and transport of copper as free ionic copper.

Copper transport kinetics by isolated rat hepatocytes.

Uptake and efflux of 64Cu were examined to determine whether hepatic parenchymal cells exhibit the kinetic criteria of a specific transport system for copper and related trace metals. Saturation kinetics were clearly indicated by both v versus [Cu] and 1/v versus 1/[Cu] plots (Km = 11 +/- 0.6 microM and Vmax = 2.7 nmol Cu X min-1 X mg prot-1). Identical results were obtained by cold-copper analyses, and contributions from simple diffusion or nonspecific binding were not detected. Virtually all of the accumulated 64Cu was intracellular by 0.5 min (the initial velocity period), with approximately 40% in the cytosolic fraction. Several related trace metals inhibited 64Cu uptake, but Ni(II) at a 10:1 molar excess did not. Zn(II) acted as a simple competitive inhibitor of 64Cu uptake (Ki = 16 microM). Efflux from preloaded cells was biphasic, with an initial rapid phase of approximately 5 min. Approximately 35% of preloaded 64Cu was transported out of the cells by 40 min, and little efflux occurred thereafter. Thus, hepatocytes exhibit saturation kinetics, competition by related substrates, and countertransport criteria of specific facilitated transport. A wide variety of metabolic inhibitors have no effect on 64Cu uptake under the same conditions that inhibit the active transport of bile acids. Specific inhibitor tests for electrogenic coupling were also negative. Because the identical kinetic parameters were obtained for free 64Cu and the 1:1 64Cu-histidine complex, it is inferred that copper is probably transported as the free ion. Cells incubated with greater than or equal to 10 microM 64Cu showed a net loss of copper after 40- to 60-min incubation, which may involve specific hepatic mechanisms in copper homeostasis.

Density, health, and social disorganization revisited.

A 1966 article by the senior, based on 1948--1952 census tract data for the Honolulu SMSA, reported a colse correlation between resident population densities and various health and social disorganization rates, even when persons per room, educational level, and income were controlled. The present study, based largely on 1974 tract data for the same SMSA, finds that the simple, multiple, and partial correlations previously reported have declined sharply in the intervening years. Newly developed census tract data on daytime and de facto population densities proved little better as indicators of health and welfare levels.