Sample records for bag support frame

  1. Untethered Crewlock Bag Drifts Away from ISS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-11-18

    S126-E-008155 (18 Nov. 2008) --- An extravehicular activity (EVA) tool bag drifts away from the International Space Station during the mission's first scheduled spacewalk for STS-126. About halfway into the spacewalk, one of the grease guns that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (out of frame), mission specialist, was preparing to use on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint released some Braycote grease into her crew lock bag, which is the tool bag the spacewalkers use during their activities. As she was cleaning the inside of the bag, it drifted away from her and toward the aft and starboard portion of the International Space Station. Inside the bag were two grease guns, a scraper, a scraper debris container, several wipes in a caddy and tethers.

  2. Untethered Crewlock Bag Drifts Away from ISS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-11-18

    S126-E-008143 (18 Nov. 2008) --- An extravehicular activity (EVA) tool bag drifts away from the International Space Station during the mission's first scheduled spacewalk for STS-126. About halfway into the spacewalk, one of the grease guns that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (out of frame), mission specialist, was preparing to use on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint released some Braycote grease into her crew lock bag, which is the tool bag the spacewalkers use during their activities. As she was cleaning the inside of the bag, it drifted away from her and toward the aft and starboard portion of the International Space Station. Inside the bag were two grease guns, a scraper, a scraper debris container, several wipes in a caddy and tethers.

  3. Untethered Crewlock Bag Drifts Away from ISS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-11-18

    S126-E-008146 (18 Nov. 2008) --- An extravehicular activity (EVA) tool bag drifts away from the International Space Station during the mission's first scheduled spacewalk for STS-126. About halfway into the spacewalk, one of the grease guns that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (out of frame), mission specialist, was preparing to use on the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint released some Braycote grease into her crew lock bag, which is the tool bag the spacewalkers use during their activities. As she was cleaning the inside of the bag, it drifted away from her and toward the aft and starboard portion of the International Space Station. Inside the bag were two grease guns, a scraper, a scraper debris container, several wipes in a caddy and tethers.

  4. Caul and method for bonding and curing intricate composite structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Willden, Kurtis S. (Inventor); Goodno, Kenneth N. (Inventor)

    1993-01-01

    The invention disclosed here is a method for forming and curing an intricate structure of criss-crossing composite stringers and frames that are bonded to a skin panel. A structure constructed in accordance with the invention would be well-suited for use as a portion of an aircraft fuselage, a boat hull, or the like. The method is preferably practiced by applying uncured composite stringers to an uncured composite sheet panel. This is followed by placing cured frames crosswise over the stringers. The frames have openings at the locations where they intersect with the stringers which enables the frames to come into direct contact with the skin along most of their length. During the forming and curing process, the stringers are covered with a plurality of cauls, and the entire assembly of skin panel, stringers, frames and cauls is subjected to a vacuum bagging and curing process. The cauls serve to maintain both part shape and to control the flow of resin within the stringers as they are cured. Further, they probably eliminate the need for intermediate protective materials between the vacuum bag and the stringers.

  5. Bagging system, soil stabilization mat, and tent frame for a lunar base

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    Georgia Tech's School of Textile and Fiber Engineering and School of Mechanical Engineering participated in four cooperative design efforts this year. Each of two interdisciplinary teams designed a system consisting of a lunar regolith bag and an apparatus for filling this bag. The third group designed a mat for stabilization of lunar soil during takeoff and landing, and a method for packaging and deploying this mat. Finally, the fourth group designed a sunlight diffusing tent to be used as a lunar worksite. Summaries of these projects are given.

  6. Bagging system, soil stabilization mat, and tent frame for a lunar base

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1990-11-01

    Georgia Tech's School of Textile and Fiber Engineering and School of Mechanical Engineering participated in four cooperative design efforts this year. Each of two interdisciplinary teams designed a system consisting of a lunar regolith bag and an apparatus for filling this bag. The third group designed a mat for stabilization of lunar soil during takeoff and landing, and a method for packaging and deploying this mat. Finally, the fourth group designed a sunlight diffusing tent to be used as a lunar worksite. Summaries of these projects are given.

  7. High-Level Event Recognition in Unconstrained Videos

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    frames per- forms well for urban soundscapes but not for polyphonic music. In place of GMM, Lu et al. [78] adopted spectral clustering to generate...Aucouturier JJ, Defreville B, Pachet F (2007) The bag-of-frames approach to audio pattern recognition: a sufficientmodel for urban soundscapes but not

  8. The bag-of-frames approach: A not so sufficient model for urban soundscapes.

    PubMed

    Lagrange, Mathieu; Lafay, Grégoire; Défréville, Boris; Aucouturier, Jean-Julien

    2015-11-01

    The "bag-of-frames" (BOF) approach, which encodes audio signals as the long-term statistical distribution of short-term spectral features, is commonly regarded as an effective and sufficient way to represent environmental sound recordings (soundscapes). The present paper describes a conceptual replication of a use of the BOF approach in a seminal article using several other soundscape datasets, with results strongly questioning the adequacy of the BOF approach for the task. As demonstrated in this paper, the good accuracy originally reported with BOF likely resulted from a particularly permissive dataset with low within-class variability. Soundscape modeling, therefore, may not be the closed case it was once thought to be.

  9. 78 FR 79391 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 22-Chicago, Illinois, Notification of Proposed Production Activity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-30

    ...; cable clamps; locks; belts; O-rings; sealing gaskets; support packages; filter bags; disposable bags; assembly bags; dust bags; maintenance packs; paper bags; dirt tube kits; paper adaptor bags; filters...; wire racks; bake pans; pizza pans; coffee water filters; water filters; base assemblies; dust cup...

  10. Acceptance test report, 241-SY-101 Flexible Receiver System, Phase 2 testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ritter, G.A.

    1995-02-06

    This document summarizes the results of the Phase 2 acceptance test of the 241-SY-101 Flexible Receiver System (FRS). The FRS is one of six major components of the Equipment Removal System, which has been designed to retrieve, transport, and store the test mixer pump currently installed in Tank 241-SY-101. The purpose of this acceptance test is to verify the strength of the containment bag and bag bottom cinching mechanism. It is postulated that 68 gallons of waste could be trapped inside the pump internals. The bag must be capable of supporting this waste if it shakes loose and drains tomore » the bottom of the bag after the bag bottom has been cinched closed. This acceptance test was performed at the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MASF) Facility in the 400 area on January 23, 1995. The bag assembly supported the weight of 920 kg (2,020 lbs) of water with no leakage or damage to the bag. This value meets the acceptance criteria of 910 kg of water and therefore the results were found to be acceptable. The maximum volume of liquid expected to be held up in the pump internals is 258 L (68 gallons), which corresponds to 410 kg. This test weight gives just over a safety factor of 2. The bag also supported a small shock load while it was filled with water when the crane hoisted the bag assembly up and down. Based on the strength rating of the bag components, the bag assembly should support 2--3 times the test weight of 910 kg.« less

  11. Ecological value of submerged breakwaters for habitat enhancement on a residential scale.

    PubMed

    Scyphers, Steven B; Powers, Sean P; Heck, Kenneth L

    2015-02-01

    Estuarine shorelines have been degraded since humans arrived in the coastal zone. In recent history, a major cause of habitat degradation has been the armoring of shorelines with vertical walls to protect property from erosive wave energy; however, a lack of practical alternatives that maintain or enhance ecological function has limited the options of waterfront residents and coastal zone managers. We experimentally investigated the habitat value of two configurations of submerged breakwaters constructed along an eroding shoreline in northwest Mobile Bay, AL (USA). Breakwaters comprised of bagged oyster shell or Reef Ball™ concrete domes were built by a community-based restoration effort. Post-deployment monitoring found that: bagged oyster breakwaters supported much higher densities of live ribbed mussels than Reef Ball breakwaters; both breakwater configurations supported increased species richness of juvenile and smaller fishes compared to controls; and that larger fishes did not appear to be affected by breakwater presence. Our study demonstrates that ecologically degraded shorelines can be augmented with small-scale breakwaters at reasonable cost and that these complex structures can serve as habitat for filter-feeding bivalves, mobile invertebrates, and young fishes. Understanding the degree to which these structures mitigate erosive wave energy and protect uplands will require a longer time frame than our 2-year-long study.

  12. Whole exome sequencing identified 1 base pair novel deletion in BCL2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) gene associated with severe dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) requiring heart transplant in multiple family members.

    PubMed

    Rafiq, Muhammad Arshad; Chaudhry, Ayeshah; Care, Melanie; Spears, Danna A; Morel, Chantal F; Hamilton, Robert M

    2017-03-01

    Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by dilation and impaired contraction of the left ventricle or both ventricles. Among hereditary DCM, the genetic causes are heterogeneous, and include mutations encoding cytoskeletal, nucleoskeletal, mitochondrial, and calcium-handling proteins. We report three severely affected males, in a four-generation pedigree, with DCM phenotype who underwent cardiac transplant. Cardiomegaly with marked biventricular dilation and fibrosis were noticeable histopathological findings. The affected males had tested negative on a 46-gene pancardiomyopathy panel. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was performed to reveal mutation in the gene responsible in generation of DCM phenotypes. The 1-bp (Chr10:121435979delC; c.913delC) novel heterozygous deletion in exon 4 of BAG3, was identified in three affected males, resulted in frame-shift and a premature termination codon (p.Met306-Stop) producing a truncated BAG3 protein lacking functionally important PXXP and BAG domains. WES data were further utilized to map 10 SNP markers around the discovered mutation to generate shared disease haplotype in all affected individuals encompassing 11 Mb on 10q25.3-26.2 harboring BAG3. Finally genotypes were inferred for the unavailable/deceased individuals in the pedigrees. Here we propose that Chr10:121435979delC in BAG3 is a causal mutation in these subjects. Our and earlier studies indicate that BAG3 mutations are associated with DCM phenotypes. BAG3 should be added to cardiomyopathy gene panels for screening of DCM patients, and patients previously considered gene elusive should undergo sequencing of the BAG3 gene. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. The bag-of-frames approach: A not so sufficient model for urban soundscapes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lagrange, Mathieu; Lafay, Grégoire; Défréville, Boris; Aucouturier, Jean-Julien

    2015-11-01

    The "bag-of-frames" approach (BOF), which encodes audio signals as the long-term statistical distribution of short-term spectral features, is commonly regarded as an effective and sufficient way to represent environmental sound recordings (soundscapes) since its introduction in an influential 2007 article. The present paper describes a concep-tual replication of this seminal article using several new soundscape datasets, with results strongly questioning the adequacy of the BOF approach for the task. We show that the good accuracy originally re-ported with BOF likely result from a particularly thankful dataset with low within-class variability, and that for more realistic datasets, BOF in fact does not perform significantly better than a mere one-point av-erage of the signal's features. Soundscape modeling, therefore, may not be the closed case it was once thought to be. Progress, we ar-gue, could lie in reconsidering the problem of considering individual acoustical events within each soundscape.

  14. How hunter perceptions of wildlife regulations, agency trust, and satisfaction affect attitudes about duck bag limits

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schroeder, Susan A.; Fulton, David C.; Lawrence, Jeffrey S.; Cordts, Steven D.

    2017-01-01

    This study explored how factors, including the function of bag limits, agency trust, satisfaction, hunting participation, and demographics, related to opinions about duck bag limits. The results are from a survey of 2014 Minnesota resident waterfowl hunters. Analyses identified four dimensions of attitudes about functions of bag limits, including that they: (a) are descriptive in defining the acceptable number of ducks that can be bagged, (b) are injunctive in establishing how many ducks should be allowed to be bagged, (c) ensure fair opportunities for all hunters to bag ducks, and (d) reflect biological limitations to protect waterfowl populations. Descriptive and fairness functions of bag limits were related to opinions about bag limits, as were factors related to agency trust, satisfaction, ducks bagged, experience with more restrictive bag limits, hunter age, and hunting group membership. Agencies may increase support by building trust and emphasizing the descriptive and fairness functions of regulations.

  15. The bag-of-frames approach to audio pattern recognition: a sufficient model for urban soundscapes but not for polyphonic music.

    PubMed

    Aucouturier, Jean-Julien; Defreville, Boris; Pachet, François

    2007-08-01

    The "bag-of-frames" approach (BOF) to audio pattern recognition represents signals as the long-term statistical distribution of their local spectral features. This approach has proved nearly optimal for simulating the auditory perception of natural and human environments (or soundscapes), and is also the most predominent paradigm to extract high-level descriptions from music signals. However, recent studies show that, contrary to its application to soundscape signals, BOF only provides limited performance when applied to polyphonic music signals. This paper proposes to explicitly examine the difference between urban soundscapes and polyphonic music with respect to their modeling with the BOF approach. First, the application of the same measure of acoustic similarity on both soundscape and music data sets confirms that the BOF approach can model soundscapes to near-perfect precision, and exhibits none of the limitations observed in the music data set. Second, the modification of this measure by two custom homogeneity transforms reveals critical differences in the temporal and statistical structure of the typical frame distribution of each type of signal. Such differences may explain the uneven performance of BOF algorithms on soundscapes and music signals, and suggest that their human perception rely on cognitive processes of a different nature.

  16. An interaction study in mammalian cells demonstrates weak binding of HSPB2 to BAG3, which is regulated by HSPB3 and abrogated by HSPB8.

    PubMed

    Morelli, Federica F; Mediani, Laura; Heldens, Lonneke; Bertacchini, Jessika; Bigi, Ilaria; Carrà, Arianna Dorotea; Vinet, Jonathan; Carra, Serena

    2017-07-01

    The ten mammalian small heat shock proteins (sHSPs/HSPBs) show a different expression profile, although the majority of them are abundant in skeletal and cardiac muscles. HSPBs form hetero-oligomers and homo-oligomers by interacting together and complexes containing, e.g., HSPB2/HSPB3 or HSPB1/HSPB5 have been documented in mammalian cells and muscles. Moreover, HSPB8 associates with the Hsc70/Hsp70 co-chaperone BAG3, in mammalian, skeletal, and cardiac muscle cells. Interaction of HSPB8 with BAG3 regulates its stability and function. Weak association of HSPB5 and HSPB6 with BAG3 has been also reported upon overexpression in cells, supporting the idea that BAG3 might indirectly modulate the function of several HSPBs. However, it is yet unknown whether other HSPBs highly expressed in muscles such as HSPB2 and HSPB3 also bind to BAG3. Here, we report that in mammalian cells, upon overexpression, HSPB2 binds to BAG3 with an affinity weaker than HSPB8. HSPB2 competes with HSPB8 for binding to BAG3. In contrast, HSPB3 negatively regulates HSPB2 association with BAG3. In human myoblasts that express HSPB2, HSPB3, HSPB8, and BAG3, the latter interacts selectively with HSPB8. Combining these data, it supports the interpretation that HSPB8-BAG3 is the preferred interaction.

  17. Involvement of JNK and NF-κB pathways in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BAG3 expression in human monocytic cells.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hua-Qin; Meng, Xin; Liu, Bao-Qin; Li, Chao; Gao, Yan-Yan; Niu, Xiao-Fang; Li, Ning; Guan, Yifu; Du, Zhen-Xian

    2012-01-01

    Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an outer-membrane glycolipid component of Gram-negative bacteria known for its fervent ability to activate monocytic cells and for its potent proinflammatory capabilities. Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is a survival protein that has been shown to be stimulated during cell response to stressful conditions, such as exposure to high temperature, heavy metals, proteasome inhibition, and human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection. In addition, BAG3 regulates replication of Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) replication, suggesting that BAG3 could participate in the host response to infection. In the current study, we found that LPS increased the expression of BAG3 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Actinomycin D completely blocked the LPS-induced BAG3 accumulation, as well as LPS activated the proximal promoter of BAG3 gene, supported that the induction by LPS occurred at the level of gene transcription. LPS-induced BAG3 expression was blocked by JNK or NF-κB inhibition, suggesting that JNK and NF-κB pathways participated in BAG3 induction by LPS. In addition, we also found that induction of BAG3 was implicated in monocytic cell adhesion to extracellular matrix induced by LPS. Overall, the data support that BAG3 is induced by LPS via JNK and NF-κB-dependent signals, and involved in monocytic cell-extracellular matrix interaction, suggesting that BAG3 may have a role in the host response to LPS stimulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Misurkin in Node 1

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-03-30

    ISS035-E-010396 (30 March 2013) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Expedition 35 flight engineer, and the other two new arrivals (out of frame) to the International Space Station wasted little time in moving and stowage operations. During the second day of their stay, Misurkin can be seen inspecting a bag of pantry-type items in the Unity node.

  19. 16 CFR 1201.4 - Test procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... (but are not limited to): Nominal thickness or thicknesses, method of manufacture (in appropriate cases... rigidity. (ii) The structural framing shall be welded or securely bolted at the corners and braced by one... figure 5 on this section. The bag shall be filled with No. 71/2 chilled lead shot to a total weight of...

  20. 16 CFR § 1201.4 - Test procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... (but are not limited to): Nominal thickness or thicknesses, method of manufacture (in appropriate cases... rigidity. (ii) The structural framing shall be welded or securely bolted at the corners and braced by one... figure 5 on this section. The bag shall be filled with No. 71/2 chilled lead shot to a total weight of...

  1. 16 CFR 1201.4 - Test procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... (but are not limited to): Nominal thickness or thicknesses, method of manufacture (in appropriate cases... rigidity. (ii) The structural framing shall be welded or securely bolted at the corners and braced by one... figure 5 on this section. The bag shall be filled with No. 71/2 chilled lead shot to a total weight of...

  2. Soft container for explosive nuts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glenn, D. C.; Drummond, W. E.; Miller, G.

    1981-01-01

    Flexible fabric fits over variety of assembly shapes to contain debris produced by detonations or safety tests. Bag material is woven multifilament polyamide or aramid. Belt loops hold bag to clamp. Ring supports explosive nut structure and detonator wires, and after nut is mounted, bag and clamp are slipped over ring and fastened.

  3. Risk of Potential Exposure Incident in Non-healthcare Workers in Contact with Infectious and Municipal Waste

    PubMed Central

    Kanisek, Sanja; Gmajnić, Rudika; Barać, Ivana

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Introduction The proper classification of sharp and infectious waste in situ by the healthcare workers is an important measure of prevention of sharps and other exposure incidents in non-healthcare workers, who handle such waste. The aim was to examine the practice of classifying sharp and infectious waste in family and dental practices. Methods An analysis of 50 bags of infectious and 50 bags of municipal waste from five family and five dental practices for five days in October 2016 at the Health centre Osijek. Results Healthcare workers in 70% of the practices deposited sharps in infectious waste. In 56% of infectious waste bags, sharp object were found. More risky bags of infectious waste were produced by family practices (64%), but with no significant differences in relation to dental practices (48%), (P=0.143). Disposing of infectious into municipal waste was the case in 90% of the practitioners, where in 60% of municipal waste bags, infectious waste was disposed. Dental practices produced more risky bags of municipal waste (76%) in relation to family practices (44%), but with no significant difference (P=0.714). Conclusions The results of this research point to importance of performing audits of proper disposal of sharps and infectious waste to reduce the risks of injury to non-healthcare workers who come into contact with the said waste. Given results could be used for framing written protocols of proper disposal of sharps and infectious waste that should be visibly available in family and dental practices and for education of healthcare workers. PMID:29651317

  4. Inspection In Overhead Spaces Containing Asbestos

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bell, Jacque; Hartwick, George; Hutcherson, Jerry

    1989-01-01

    Procedure for inspection in spaces above dropped ceilings that contain asbestos saves time and effort without sacrificing safety. With new method, only items of safety equipment needed are glove bag, storage bag, and roll of adhesive tape. Inspector tapes glove bag tightly to support grid around ceiling tile to be removed. With hands in gloves inspector lifts tile gently and places it aside. Extending head and shoulders into bag, inspector examines space above ceiling with help of flashlight.

  5. STS-125 Crew Members on the Middeck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-05-19

    S125-E-011491 (18 May 2009) --- Astronauts Mike Massimino (left), Michael Good and Megan McArthur (mostly out of frame at right), all STS-125 mission specialists, are pictured in their sleeping bags, which are attached to the lockers on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis at the end of flight day eight.

  6. 16 CFR 1201.4 - Test procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... rigidity. (ii) The structural framing shall be welded or securely bolted at the corners and braced by one... figure 5 on this section. The bag shall be filled with No. 71/2 chilled lead shot to a total weight of... durability test equipment—(i) Boil test. Two containers of water shall be provided with means to maintain one...

  7. 16 CFR 1201.4 - Test procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... rigidity. (ii) The structural framing shall be welded or securely bolted at the corners and braced by one... figure 5 on this section. The bag shall be filled with No. 71/2 chilled lead shot to a total weight of... durability test equipment—(i) Boil test. Two containers of water shall be provided with means to maintain one...

  8. 50 CFR 648.51 - Gear and crew restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... possession on board such vessels shall not exceed 31 ft (9.4 m) measured at the widest point in the bail of..., i.e., the metal ring bag and the mouth frame, or bail, of the dredge are not attached, and such that... through issuance of a letter of authorization. (4) A certified at-sea observer is on board, as required by...

  9. Development of a Universal Waste Management System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baccus, Shelley; Broyan, James L., Jr.

    2013-01-01

    A concept for a Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) has been developed based on the knowledge gained from over 50 years of space travel. It is being designed for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and Multi ]Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and is based upon the Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) commode. The UMWS was modified to enhance crew interface and reduce volume and cost. The UWMS will stow waste in fecal canisters, similar to the EDO, and urine will be stowed in bags for in orbit change out. This allows the pretreated urine to be subsequently processed and recovered as drinking water. The new design combines two fans and a rotary phase separator on a common shaft to allow operation by a single motor. This change enhances packaging by reducing the volume associated with an extra motor, associated controller, harness, and supporting structure. The separator pumps urine to either a dual bag design for COTS vehicles or directly into a water reclamation system. The commode is supported by a concentric frame, enhancing its structural integrity while further reducing the volume from the previous design. The UWMS flight concept development effort is underway and an early output of the development will be a ground based UMWS prototype for manned testing. Referred to as the Gen 3 unit, this prototype will emulate the crew interface included in the UWMS and will offer a great deal of knowledge regarding the usability of the new design, allowing the design team the opportunity to modify the UWMS flight concept based on the manned testing.

  10. Beyond the Degree Checklist: What's the Real Point of College?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demetriou, Cynthia

    2007-01-01

    Natasha is a nursing student with a 4.0 grade point average, a first-generation East Indian American, and the first woman in her family to go to college. Lugging a twenty-five-pound book bag of texts that cause her slight frame to slump forward under the weight, she carries a far heavier burden of familial expectation and pride. She has expressed…

  11. Non-Flammable Containment Bag and Enclosure Development for International Space Station Use

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Inamdar, Sunil; Cadogan, Dave; Worthy, Erica

    2014-01-01

    Work conducted on the International Space Station (ISS) requires the use of a significant quantity of containment bags to hold specimens, equipment, waste, and other material. The bags are in many shapes and sizes, and are typically manufactured from polyethylene materials. The amount of bags being used on ISS has grown to the point where fire safety has become a concern because of the flammability of polyethylene. Recently, a new re-sealable bag design has been developed that is manufactured from a specialized non-flammable material called Armorflex 301 that was designed specifically for this application. Besides being non-flammable, Armorflex 301 is also FDA compliant, clear, flexible, and damage tolerant. The bags can be made with closure mechanisms that resemble ZipLoc® bags, or can be open top. Sample bags have been laboratory tested by NASA to verify materials properties, and evaluated by astronauts on the ISS in 2012. Flexloc bag manufacturing will commence in 2014 to support a transition away from polyethylene on ISS. In addition to re-sealable bags, other larger containment systems such as flexible gloveboxes, deployable clean rooms, and other devices manufactured from Armorflex 301 are being explored for use on ISS and in similar confined space locations where flammability is an issue. This paper will describe the development of the Armorflex 301 material, the Flexloc bag, and other containment systems being explored for use in confined areas

  12. 4. BUNKER HILL LEAD SMELTER. VIEW IS FROM RIDGE ABOVE ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    4. BUNKER HILL LEAD SMELTER. VIEW IS FROM RIDGE ABOVE GOVERNMENT GULCH LOOKING TO THE EAST. IN THE RIGHT MID GROUND, CARPENTER SHOP BUILDINGS AND FRAMING SHEDS ARE VISIBLE. THE BACKGROUND FACILITIES VISIBLE FROM L. TO R. ARE: SMELTER OFFICE, REFINERIES, SLAG FUMING STACKS, HIGH VELOCITY FLUE, BAG HOUSE, 200-FOOT STACK, AND 715-FOOT STACK. - Bunker Hill Lead Smelter, Bradley Rail Siding, Kellogg, Shoshone County, ID

  13. A Language-Independent Approach to Automatic Text Difficulty Assessment for Second-Language Learners

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-08-01

    best-suited for regression. Our baseline uses z-normalized shallow length features and TF -LOG weighted vectors on bag-of-words for Arabic, Dari...length features and TF -LOG weighted vectors on bag-of-words for Arabic, Dari, English and Pashto. We compare Support Vector Machines and the Margin...football, whereas they are much less common in documents about opera). We used TF -LOG weighted word frequencies on bag-of-words for each document

  14. Video-modelling to improve task completion in a child with autism.

    PubMed

    Rayner, Christopher Stephen

    2010-01-01

    To evaluate the use of video modelling as an intervention for increasing task completion for individuals with autism who have high support needs. A 12-year-old-boy with autism received video modelling intervention on two routines (unpacking his bag and brushing his teeth). Use of the video modelling intervention led to rapid increases in the percentage of steps performed in the unpacking his bag sequence and these gains generalized to packing his bag prior to departure from school. There was limited success in the use of the video modelling intervention for teaching the participant to brush his teeth. Video modelling can be successfully applied to enhance daily functioning in a classroom environment for students with autism and high support needs.

  15. Astronaut Story Musgrave during STS-6 EVA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1983-04-07

    STS006-45-124 (7 April 1983) --- Astronaut F. Story Musgrave, STS-6 mission specialist, translates down the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Challenger’s payload bay door hinge line with a bag of latch tools. This photograph is among the first five still frames that recorded the April 7 extravehicular activity (EVA) of Dr. Musgrave and Donald H. Peterson, the flight’s other mission specialist. It was photographed with a handheld 70mm camera from inside the cabin by one of two crew members who remained on the flight deck during the EVA. Dr. Musgrave’s task here was to evaluate the techniques required to move along the payload bay’s edge with tools. In the lower left foreground are three canisters containing three getaway special (GAS) experiments. Part of the starboard wind and orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod are seen back dropped against the blackness of space. The gold-foil protected object partially out of frame on the right is the airborne support equipment for the now vacated inertial upper stage (IUS) which aided the deployment of the tracking and data relay satellite on the flight’s first day. Astronauts Paul J. Weitz, command and Karol J. Bobko, pilot, remained inside the Challenger during the EVA. Photo credit: NASA

  16. Development of 2 underseat energy absorbers for application to crashworthy passenger seats for general aviation aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Warrick, J. C.; Desjardins, S. P.

    1979-01-01

    This report presents the methodology and results of a program conducted to develop two underseat energy absorber (E/A) concepts for application to nonadjustable crashworthy passenger seats for general aviation aircraft. One concept utilizes an inflated air bag, and the other, a convoluted sheet metal bellows. Prototypes of both were designed, built, and tested. Both concepts demonstrated the necessary features of an energy absorber (load-limiter); however, the air bag concept is particularly encouraging because of its light weight. Several seat frame concepts also were investigated as a means of resisting longitudinal and lateral loads and of guiding the primary vertical stroke of the underseat energy absorber. Further development of a seat system design using the underseat energy absorbers is recommended because they provide greatly enhanced crash survivability as compared with existing general aviation aircraft seats.

  17. BAG3 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma growth by activating stromal macrophages

    PubMed Central

    Rosati, Alessandra; Basile, Anna; D'Auria, Raffaella; d'Avenia, Morena; De Marco, Margot; Falco, Antonia; Festa, Michelina; Guerriero, Luana; Iorio, Vittoria; Parente, Roberto; Pascale, Maria; Marzullo, Liberato; Franco, Renato; Arra, Claudio; Barbieri, Antonio; Rea, Domenica; Menichini, Giulio; Hahne, Michael; Bijlsma, Maarten; Barcaroli, Daniela; Sala, Gianluca; di Mola, Fabio Francesco; di Sebastiano, Pierluigi; Todoric, Jelena; Antonucci, Laura; Corvest, Vincent; Jawhari, Anass; Firpo, Matthew A; Tuveson, David A; Capunzo, Mario; Karin, Michael; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Turco, Maria Caterina

    2015-01-01

    The incidence and death rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have increased in recent years, therefore the identification of novel targets for treatment is extremely important. Interactions between cancer and stromal cells are critically involved in tumour formation and development of metastasis. Here we report that PDAC cells secrete BAG3, which binds and activates macrophages, inducing their activation and the secretion of PDAC supporting factors. We also identify IFITM-2 as a BAG3 receptor and show that it signals through PI3K and the p38 MAPK pathways. Finally, we show that the use of an anti-BAG3 antibody results in reduced tumour growth and prevents metastasis formation in three different mouse models. In conclusion, we identify a paracrine loop involved in PDAC growth and metastatic spreading, and show that an anti-BAG3 antibody has therapeutic potential. PMID:26522614

  18. BAG3 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma growth by activating stromal macrophages.

    PubMed

    Rosati, Alessandra; Basile, Anna; D'Auria, Raffaella; d'Avenia, Morena; De Marco, Margot; Falco, Antonia; Festa, Michelina; Guerriero, Luana; Iorio, Vittoria; Parente, Roberto; Pascale, Maria; Marzullo, Liberato; Franco, Renato; Arra, Claudio; Barbieri, Antonio; Rea, Domenica; Menichini, Giulio; Hahne, Michael; Bijlsma, Maarten; Barcaroli, Daniela; Sala, Gianluca; di Mola, Fabio Francesco; di Sebastiano, Pierluigi; Todoric, Jelena; Antonucci, Laura; Corvest, Vincent; Jawhari, Anass; Firpo, Matthew A; Tuveson, David A; Capunzo, Mario; Karin, Michael; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Turco, Maria Caterina

    2015-11-02

    The incidence and death rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have increased in recent years, therefore the identification of novel targets for treatment is extremely important. Interactions between cancer and stromal cells are critically involved in tumour formation and development of metastasis. Here we report that PDAC cells secrete BAG3, which binds and activates macrophages, inducing their activation and the secretion of PDAC supporting factors. We also identify IFITM-2 as a BAG3 receptor and show that it signals through PI3K and the p38 MAPK pathways. Finally, we show that the use of an anti-BAG3 antibody results in reduced tumour growth and prevents metastasis formation in three different mouse models. In conclusion, we identify a paracrine loop involved in PDAC growth and metastatic spreading, and show that an anti-BAG3 antibody has therapeutic potential.

  19. Asymmetric bagging and feature selection for activities prediction of drug molecules.

    PubMed

    Li, Guo-Zheng; Meng, Hao-Hua; Lu, Wen-Cong; Yang, Jack Y; Yang, Mary Qu

    2008-05-28

    Activities of drug molecules can be predicted by QSAR (quantitative structure activity relationship) models, which overcomes the disadvantages of high cost and long cycle by employing the traditional experimental method. With the fact that the number of drug molecules with positive activity is rather fewer than that of negatives, it is important to predict molecular activities considering such an unbalanced situation. Here, asymmetric bagging and feature selection are introduced into the problem and asymmetric bagging of support vector machines (asBagging) is proposed on predicting drug activities to treat the unbalanced problem. At the same time, the features extracted from the structures of drug molecules affect prediction accuracy of QSAR models. Therefore, a novel algorithm named PRIFEAB is proposed, which applies an embedded feature selection method to remove redundant and irrelevant features for asBagging. Numerical experimental results on a data set of molecular activities show that asBagging improve the AUC and sensitivity values of molecular activities and PRIFEAB with feature selection further helps to improve the prediction ability. Asymmetric bagging can help to improve prediction accuracy of activities of drug molecules, which can be furthermore improved by performing feature selection to select relevant features from the drug molecules data sets.

  20. HSPB8 and BAG3 cooperate to promote spatial sequestration of ubiquitinated proteins and coordinate the cellular adaptive response to proteasome insufficiency.

    PubMed

    Guilbert, Solenn M; Lambert, Herman; Rodrigue, Marc-Antoine; Fuchs, Margit; Landry, Jacques; Lavoie, Josée N

    2018-02-05

    BCL2-associated athanogene (BAG)-3 is viewed as a platform that would physically and functionally link distinct classes of molecular chaperones of the heat shock protein (HSP) family for the stabilization and clearance of damaged proteins. In this study, we show that HSPB8, a member of the small heat shock protein subfamily, cooperates with BAG3 to coordinate the sequestration of harmful proteins and the cellular adaptive response upon proteasome inhibition. Silencing of HSPB8, like depletion of BAG3, inhibited targeting of ubiquitinated proteins to the juxtanuclear aggresome, a mammalian system of spatial quality control. However, aggresome targeting was restored in BAG3-depleted cells by a mutant BAG3 defective in HSPB8 binding, uncoupling HSPB8 function from its binding to BAG3. Depletion of HSPB8 impaired formation of ubiquitinated microaggregates in an early phase and interfered with accurate modifications of the stress sensor p62/sequestosome (SQSTM)-1. This impairment correlated with decreased coupling of BAG3 to p62/SQSTM1 in response to stress, hindering Kelch-like ECH-associated protein (KEAP)-1 sequestration and stabilization of nuclear factor E2-related factor (Nrf)-2, an important arm of the antioxidant defense. Notably, the myopathy-associated mutation of BAG3 (P209L), which lies within the HSPB8-binding motif, deregulated the association between BAG3 and p62/SQSTM1 and the KEAP1-Nrf2 signaling axis. Together, our findings support a so-far-unrecognized role for the HSPB8-BAG3 connection in mounting of an efficient stress response, which may be involved in BAG3-related human diseases.-Guilbert, S. M., Lambert, H., Rodrigue, M.-A., Fuchs, M., Landry, J., Lavoie, J. N. HSPB8 and BAG3 cooperate to promote spatial sequestration of ubiquitinated proteins and coordinate the cellular adaptive response to proteasome insufficiency.

  1. A Turbine-Driven Ventilator Improves Adherence to Advanced Cardiac Life Support Guidelines During a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Simulation.

    PubMed

    Allen, Scott G; Brewer, Lara; Gillis, Erik S; Pace, Nathan L; Sakata, Derek J; Orr, Joseph A

    2017-09-01

    Research has shown that increased breathing frequency during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is inversely correlated with systolic blood pressure. Rescuers often hyperventilate during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Current American Heart Association advanced cardiac life support recommends a ventilation rate of 8-10 breaths/min. We hypothesized that a small, turbine-driven ventilator would allow rescuers to adhere more closely to advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) guidelines. Twenty-four ACLS-certified health-care professionals were paired into groups of 2. Each team performed 4 randomized rounds of 2-min cycles of CPR on an intubated mannikin, with individuals altering between compressions and breaths. Two rounds of CPR were performed with a self-inflating bag, and 2 rounds were with the ventilator. The ventilator was set to deliver 8 breaths/min, pressure limit 22 cm H 2 O. Frequency, tidal volume (V T ), peak inspiratory pressure, and compression interruptions (hands-off time) were recorded. Data were analyzed with a linear mixed model and Welch 2-sample t test. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) frequency with the ventilator was 7.98 (7.98-7.99) breaths/min. Median (IQR) frequency with the self-inflating bag was 9.5 (8.2-10.7) breaths/min. Median (IQR) ventilator V T was 0.5 (0.5-0.5) L. Median (IQR) self-inflating bag V T was 0.6 (0.5-0.7) L. Median (IQR) ventilator peak inspiratory pressure was 22 (22-22) cm H 2 O. Median (IQR) self-inflating bag peak inspiratory pressure was 30 (27-35) cm H 2 O. Mean ± SD hands-off times for ventilator and self-inflating bag were 5.25 ± 2.11 and 6.41 ± 1.45 s, respectively. When compared with a ventilator, volunteers ventilated with a self-inflating bag within ACLS guidelines. However, volunteers ventilated with increased variation, at higher V T levels, and at higher peak pressures with the self-inflating bag. Hands-off time was also significantly lower with the ventilator. (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT02743299.). Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.

  2. No bacterial growth found in spiked intravenous fluids over an 8-hour period.

    PubMed

    Haas, Richard E; Beitz, Edwin; Reed, Amy; Burtnett, Howard; Lowe, Jason; Crist, Arthur E; Stierer, Kevin A; Birenberg, Allan M

    2017-04-01

    Protocol changes prompted by the Joint Commission mandating intravenous (IV) fluid bags to be used within 1 hour of spiking because of possible bacterial contamination have sparked clinical and economic concerns. This study investigated the degree of bacterial growth in which samples were obtained from spiked IV fluid bags at the time of spiking and 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours after spiking. No bacterial growth occurred in any of the 80 bags of Lactated Ringer's (LR) IV solutions sampled. This study demonstrated that LR IV bags do not support any bacterial growth for up to 8 hours after spiking. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Rapid simulation of X-ray transmission imaging for baggage inspection via GPU-based ray-tracing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Qian; Stoian, Razvan-Ionut; Coccarelli, David S.; Greenberg, Joel A.; Vera, Esteban; Gehm, Michael E.

    2018-01-01

    We present a pipeline that rapidly simulates X-ray transmission imaging for arbitrary system architectures using GPU-based ray-tracing techniques. The purpose of the pipeline is to enable statistical analysis of threat detection in the context of airline baggage inspection. As a faster alternative to Monte Carlo methods, we adopt a deterministic approach for simulating photoelectric absorption-based imaging. The highly-optimized NVIDIA OptiX API is used to implement ray-tracing, greatly speeding code execution. In addition, we implement the first hierarchical representation structure to determine the interaction path length of rays traversing heterogeneous media described by layered polygons. The accuracy of the pipeline has been validated by comparing simulated data with experimental data collected using a heterogenous phantom and a laboratory X-ray imaging system. On a single computer, our approach allows us to generate over 400 2D transmission projections (125 × 125 pixels per frame) per hour for a bag packed with hundreds of everyday objects. By implementing our approach on cloud-based GPU computing platforms, we find that the same 2D projections of approximately 3.9 million bags can be obtained in a single day using 400 GPU instances, at a cost of only 0.001 per bag.

  4. The Ep152R ORF of African swine fever virus strain Georgia encodes for an essential gene that interacts with host protein BAG6.

    PubMed

    Borca, Manuel V; O'Donnell, Vivian; Holinka, Lauren G; Rai, Devendra K; Sanford, Brenton; Alfano, Marialexia; Carlson, Jolene; Azzinaro, Paul A; Alonso, Covadonga; Gladue, Douglas P

    2016-09-02

    African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the etiological agent of a contagious and often lethal disease of domestic pigs that has significant economic consequences for the swine industry. The viral genome encodes for more than 150 genes, and only a select few of these genes have been studied in some detail. Here we report the characterization of open reading frame Ep152R that has a predicted complement control module/SCR domain. This domain is found in Vaccinia virus proteins that are involved in blocking the immune response during viral infection. A recombinant ASFV harboring a HA tagged version of the Ep152R protein was developed (ASFV-G-Ep152R-HA) and used to demonstrate that Ep152R is an early virus protein. Attempts to construct recombinant viruses having a deleted Ep152R gene were consistently unsuccessful indicating that Ep152R is an essential gene. Interestingly, analysis of host-protein interactions for Ep152R using a yeast two-hybrid screen, identified BAG6, a protein previously identified as being required for ASFV replication. Furthermore, fluorescent microscopy analysis confirms that Ep152R-BAG6 interaction actually occurs in cells infected with ASFV. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Interference with the HSF1/HSP70/BAG3 Pathway Primes Glioma Cells to Matrix Detachment and BH3 Mimetic-Induced Apoptosis.

    PubMed

    Antonietti, Patrick; Linder, Benedikt; Hehlgans, Stephanie; Mildenberger, Iris C; Burger, Michael C; Fulda, Simone; Steinbach, Joachim P; Gessler, Florian; Rödel, Franz; Mittelbronn, Michel; Kögel, Donat

    2017-01-01

    Malignant gliomas exhibit a high intrinsic resistance against stimuli triggering apoptotic cell death. HSF1 acts as transcription factor upstream of HSP70 and the HSP70 co-chaperone BAG3 that is overexpressed in glioblastoma. To specifically target this resistance mechanism, we applied the selective HSF1 inhibitor KRIBB11 and the HSP70/BAG3 interaction inhibitor YM-1 in combination with the pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor AT-101. Here, we demonstrate that lentiviral BAG3 silencing significantly enhances AT-101-induced cell death and reactivates effector caspase-mediated apoptosis in U251 glioma cells with high BAG3 expression, whereas these sensitizing effects were less pronounced in U343 cells expressing lower BAG3 levels. KRIBB11 decreased protein levels of HSP70, BAG3, and the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein Mcl-1, and both KRIBB11 and YM-1 elicited significantly increased mitochondrial dysfunction, effector caspase activity, and apoptotic cell death after combined treatment with AT-101 and ABT-737. Depletion of BAG3 also led to a pronounced loss of cell-matrix adhesion, FAK phosphorylation, and in vivo tumor growth in an orthotopic mouse glioma model. Furthermore, it reduced the plating efficiency of U251 cells in three-dimensional clonogenic assays and limited clonogenic survival after short-term treatment with AT-101. Collectively, our data suggest that the HSF1/HSP70/BAG3 pathway plays a pivotal role for overexpression of prosurvival Bcl-2 proteins and cell death resistance of glioma. They also support the hypothesis that interference with BAG3 function is an effective novel approach to prime glioma cells to anoikis. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(1); 156-68. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  6. Novel composite implant in craniofacial bone reconstruction.

    PubMed

    Peltola, Matti J; Vallittu, Pekka K; Vuorinen, Ville; Aho, Allan A J; Puntala, Antti; Aitasalo, Kalle M J

    2012-02-01

    Bioactive glass (BAG) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) have been used in clinical applications. Antimicrobial BAG has the ability to attach chemically to surrounding bone, but it is not possible to bend, drill or shape BAG during the operation. PMMA has advantages in terms of shaping during the operation, but it does not attach chemically to the bone and is an exothermic material. To increase the usefulness of BAG and PMMA in skull bone defect reconstructions, a new composite implant containing BAG and PMMA in craniofacial reconstructions is presented. Three patients had pre-existing large defects in the calvarial and one in the midface area. An additive manufacturing (AM) model was used preoperatively for treatment planning and custom-made implant production. The trunk of the PMMA implant was coated with BAG granules. Clinical and radiological follow-up was performed postoperatively at 1 week, and 3, 6 and 12 months, and thereafter annually up to 5 years. Computer tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET-CT) were performed at 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Uneventful clinical recovery with good esthetic and functional outcome was seen. CT and PET-CT findings supported good clinical outcome. The BAG-PMMA implant seems to be a promising craniofacial reconstruction alternative. However, more clinical experience is needed.

  7. STS-32 OV-102 air revitalization system (ARS) humidity separator problem

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1990-01-20

    During STS-32, onboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, a leakage problem at environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) air revitalization system (ARS) humidity separator A below the middeck is solved with a plastic bag and a towel. The towel inserted inside a plastic bag absorbed the water that had collected at the separator inlet.

  8. STS-32 OV-102 air revitalization system (ARS) humidity separator problem

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    During STS-32, onboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, a leakage problem at environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) air revitalization system (ARS) humidity separator A below the middeck is solved with a plastic bag and a towel. The towel inserted inside a plastic bag absorbed the water that had collected at the separator inlet.

  9. Bag-breakup control of surface drag in hurricanes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Troitskaya, Yuliya; Zilitinkevich, Sergej; Kandaurov, Alexander; Ermakova, Olga; Kozlov, Dmitry; Sergeev, Daniil

    2016-04-01

    Air-sea interaction at extreme winds is of special interest now in connection with the problem of the sea surface drag reduction at the wind speed exceeding 30-35 m/s. This phenomenon predicted by Emanuel (1995) and confirmed by a number of field (e.g., Powell, et al, 2003) and laboratory (Donelan et al, 2004) experiments still waits its physical explanation. Several papers attributed the drag reduction to spume droplets - spray turning off the crests of breaking waves (e.g., Kudryavtsev, Makin, 2011, Bao, et al, 2011). The fluxes associated with the spray are determined by the rate of droplet production at the surface quantified by the sea spray generation function (SSGF), defined as the number of spray particles of radius r produced from the unit area of water surface in unit time. However, the mechanism of spume droplets' formation is unknown and empirical estimates of SSGF varied over six orders of magnitude; therefore, the production rate of large sea spray droplets is not adequately described and there are significant uncertainties in estimations of exchange processes in hurricanes. Herewith, it is unknown what is air-sea interface and how water is fragmented to spray at hurricane wind. Using high-speed video, we observed mechanisms of production of spume droplets at strong winds by high-speed video filming, investigated statistics and compared their efficiency. Experiments showed, that the generation of the spume droplets near the wave crest is caused by the following events: bursting of submerged bubbles, generation and breakup of "projections" and "bag breakup". Statistical analysis of results of these experiments showed that the main mechanism of spray-generation is attributed to "bag-breakup mechanism", namely, inflating and consequent blowing of short-lived, sail-like pieces of the water-surface film. Using high-speed video, we show that at hurricane winds the main mechanism of spray production is attributed to "bag-breakup", namely, inflating and consequent breaking of short-lived, sail-like pieces of the water-surface film - "bags". On the base of general principles of statistical physics (model of a canonical ensemble) we developed statistics of the "bag-breakup" events: their number and statistical distribution of geometrical parameters depending on wind speed. Basing on the developed statistics, we estimated the surface stress caused by bags as the average sum of stresses caused by individual bags depending on their eometrical parameters. The resulting stress is subjected to counteracting impacts of the increasing wind speed: the increasing number of bags, and their decreasing sizes and life times and the balance yields a peaking dependence of the bag resistance on the wind speed: the share of bag-stress peaks at U10  35 m/s and then reduces. Peaking of surface stress associated with the "bag-breakup" explains seemingly paradoxical non-monotonous wind-dependence of surface drag coefficient peaking at winds about 35 m/s. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (14-05-91767, 13-05-12093, 16-05-00839, 14-05-91767, 16-55-52025, 15-35-20953) and experiment and equipment was supported by Russian Science Foundation (Agreements 14-17-00667 and 15-17-20009 respectively), Yu.Troitskaya, A.Kandaurov and D.Sergeev were partially supported by FP7 Collaborative Project No. 612610.

  10. Views of EVA performed during STS-6

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1983-01-01

    Two STS-6 mission specialists busy near the aft bulkhead were photographed with a 70mm camera. Astronauts F. Story Musgrave (at winch device near center) and Donald H. Peterson are setting up winch operations at the aft bulkhead as a simulation for a contingency extravehicular activity (EVA). The orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods are seen in the background (30211); Musgrave translates down the Challenger's payload bay door hinge line with a bag of latch tools. In the lower left foreground are three canisters containing three getaway special (GAS) experiments. Part of the starboard wing and OMS pod are seen in the background. The gold-foil protected object on the right is the airborne support equipment for the inertial upper stage (IUS) (30212); Peterson (starboard side) and Musgrave evaluate the handrail system on the starboard longeron and aft bulkhead during an EVA. Behind them the vertical stabilizer and OMS pods frame a portion of Mexico's state of Jalisco (30213); Musgrave sus

  11. Citizen science based monitoring of Greylag goose (Anser anser) in Bavaria (Germany): combining count data and bag data to estimate long-term trends between 1988/89 and 2010/11.

    PubMed

    Grauer, Andreas; König, Andreas; Bunnefeld, Nils

    2015-01-01

    Numbers of large grazing bird (geese, swans, cranes) have increased all over Europe, but monitoring these species, e.g. for management purposes, can be time consuming and costly. In Bavaria, sedentary Greylag geese (Anser anser) are monitored during the winter by two different citizen-based monitoring schemes: the International Waterbird Census [IWC] and hunting bag statistics. We compared the results of both schemes for the seasons 1988/89 to 2010/11 by analysing annual indices calculated using the software TRends and Indices for Monitoring Data-TRIM. We identified similar, highly significant rates of increase in both data sets for the entire region of Bavaria (IWC 14% [13-15%], bag 13% [12-14%]). Furthermore, in all of the seven Bavarian regions, trends in annual indices of both data sets correlated significantly. The quality of both datasets as indicators of abundances in Greylag geese populations in Bavaria was not undermined by either weaknesses typically associated with citizen based monitoring or problems generally assumed for IWC and bag data. We also show that bag data are, under the German system of collecting bag statistics, a reliable indicator of species' distribution, especially for detecting newly colonized areas. Therefore, wildlife managers may want to consider bag data from citizen science led monitoring programmes as evidence supporting the decision making processes. We also discuss requirements for any bag monitoring schemes being established to monitor trends in species' distribution and abundance.

  12. Dynamic analysis of forces in the lumbar spine during bag carrying.

    PubMed

    Gómez, Lessby; Díaz, Carlos A; Orozco, Gustavo A; García, José J

    2017-09-07

    The intervertebral disc supports axial and shear forces generated during tasks such as lifting and carrying weights. The objective of this study was to determine the forces in the lumbar spine of workers carrying a bag on the head, on the shoulder and on the anterior part of the trunk. Kinematic measurements were recorded for 10 subjects carrying bags of 10, 20 and 25 kg on each of the three aforementioned positions. A simple dynamic model implemented in a custom program was then developed to determine the lumbar forces using the accelerations and positions obtained from the kinematic analysis. The analyses yielded a maximum compressive force of 2338.4 ± 422 N when a 25-kg bag was carried on the anterior part of the trunk. Carrying bags on the anterior part of the trunk generated higher lumbar forces compared to those developed by carrying the bag on the head or on the shoulder. Force levels suggest that this activity represents a moderate risk for the subjects. However, future biomechanical models should be developed to analyze the cumulative effect in the discs when longer periods of time are spent in this activity.

  13. Fine-tuning of actin dynamics by the HSPB8-BAG3 chaperone complex facilitates cytokinesis and contributes to its impact on cell division.

    PubMed

    Varlet, Alice Anaïs; Fuchs, Margit; Luthold, Carole; Lambert, Herman; Landry, Jacques; Lavoie, Josée N

    2017-07-01

    The small heat shock protein HSPB8 and its co-chaperone BAG3 are proposed to regulate cytoskeletal proteostasis in response to mechanical signaling in muscle cells. Here, we show that in dividing cells, the HSPB8-BAG3 complex is instrumental to the accurate disassembly of the actin-based contractile ring during cytokinesis, a process required to allow abscission of daughter cells. Silencing of HSPB8 markedly decreased the mitotic levels of BAG3 in HeLa cells, supporting its crucial role in BAG3 mitotic functions. Cells depleted of HSPB8 were delayed in cytokinesis, remained connected via a disorganized intercellular bridge, and exhibited increased incidence of nuclear abnormalities that result from failed cytokinesis (i.e., bi- and multi-nucleation). Such phenotypes were associated with abnormal accumulation of F-actin at the intercellular bridge of daughter cells at telophase. Remarkably, the actin sequestering drug latrunculin A, like the inhibitor of branched actin polymerization CK666, normalized F-actin during cytokinesis and restored proper cell division in HSPB8-depleted cells, implicating deregulated actin dynamics as a cause of abscission failure. Moreover, this HSPB8-dependent phenotype could be corrected by rapamycin, an autophagy-promoting drug, whereas it was mimicked by drugs impairing lysosomal function. Together, the results further support a role for the HSPB8-BAG3 chaperone complex in quality control of actin-based structure dynamics that are put under high tension, notably during cell cytokinesis. They expand a so-far under-appreciated connection between selective autophagy and cellular morphodynamics that guide cell division.

  14. Classification and Weakly Supervised Pain Localization using Multiple Segment Representation.

    PubMed

    Sikka, Karan; Dhall, Abhinav; Bartlett, Marian Stewart

    2014-10-01

    Automatic pain recognition from videos is a vital clinical application and, owing to its spontaneous nature, poses interesting challenges to automatic facial expression recognition (AFER) research. Previous pain vs no-pain systems have highlighted two major challenges: (1) ground truth is provided for the sequence, but the presence or absence of the target expression for a given frame is unknown, and (2) the time point and the duration of the pain expression event(s) in each video are unknown. To address these issues we propose a novel framework (referred to as MS-MIL) where each sequence is represented as a bag containing multiple segments, and multiple instance learning (MIL) is employed to handle this weakly labeled data in the form of sequence level ground-truth. These segments are generated via multiple clustering of a sequence or running a multi-scale temporal scanning window, and are represented using a state-of-the-art Bag of Words (BoW) representation. This work extends the idea of detecting facial expressions through 'concept frames' to 'concept segments' and argues through extensive experiments that algorithms such as MIL are needed to reap the benefits of such representation. The key advantages of our approach are: (1) joint detection and localization of painful frames using only sequence-level ground-truth, (2) incorporation of temporal dynamics by representing the data not as individual frames but as segments, and (3) extraction of multiple segments, which is well suited to signals with uncertain temporal location and duration in the video. Extensive experiments on UNBC-McMaster Shoulder Pain dataset highlight the effectiveness of the approach by achieving competitive results on both tasks of pain classification and localization in videos. We also empirically evaluate the contributions of different components of MS-MIL. The paper also includes the visualization of discriminative facial patches, important for pain detection, as discovered by our algorithm and relates them to Action Units that have been associated with pain expression. We conclude the paper by demonstrating that MS-MIL yields a significant improvement on another spontaneous facial expression dataset, the FEEDTUM dataset.

  15. ADHD classification using bag of words approach on network features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solmaz, Berkan; Dey, Soumyabrata; Rao, A. Ravishankar; Shah, Mubarak

    2012-02-01

    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is receiving lots of attention nowadays mainly because it is one of the common brain disorders among children and not much information is known about the cause of this disorder. In this study, we propose to use a novel approach for automatic classification of ADHD conditioned subjects and control subjects using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data of resting state brains. For this purpose, we compute the correlation between every possible voxel pairs within a subject and over the time frame of the experimental protocol. A network of voxels is constructed by representing a high correlation value between any two voxels as an edge. A Bag-of-Words (BoW) approach is used to represent each subject as a histogram of network features; such as the number of degrees per voxel. The classification is done using a Support Vector Machine (SVM). We also investigate the use of raw intensity values in the time series for each voxel. Here, every subject is represented as a combined histogram of network and raw intensity features. Experimental results verified that the classification accuracy improves when the combined histogram is used. We tested our approach on a highly challenging dataset released by NITRC for ADHD-200 competition and obtained promising results. The dataset not only has a large size but also includes subjects from different demography and edge groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to propose BoW approach in any functional brain disorder classification and we believe that this approach will be useful in analysis of many brain related conditions.

  16. Multi-instance learning based on instance consistency for image retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Miao; Wu, Zhize; Wan, Shouhong; Yue, Lihua; Yin, Bangjie

    2017-07-01

    Multiple-instance learning (MIL) has been successfully utilized in image retrieval. Existing approaches cannot select positive instances correctly from positive bags which may result in a low accuracy. In this paper, we propose a new image retrieval approach called multiple instance learning based on instance-consistency (MILIC) to mitigate such issue. First, we select potential positive instances effectively in each positive bag by ranking instance-consistency (IC) values of instances. Then, we design a feature representation scheme, which can represent the relationship among bags and instances, based on potential positive instances to convert a bag into a single instance. Finally, we can use a standard single-instance learning strategy, such as the support vector machine, for performing object-based image retrieval. Experimental results on two challenging data sets show the effectiveness of our proposal in terms of accuracy and run time.

  17. Air bags and passenger fatality according to passenger age and restraint use.

    PubMed

    Cummings, Peter; Koepsell, Thomas D; Rivara, Frederick P; McKnight, Barbara; Mack, Christopher

    2002-09-01

    Some children have been killed by air bags, leading to advice that young children should not sit in front of an active air bag. We conducted a case-control study to estimate the association of passenger air bag presence with death, according to passenger age and seat belt use. We used data from crashes on U.S. public roads in 1992 through 1998. Cases (N = 20,987) were front seat passengers who died, and controls (N = 69,277) were a sample of survivors. Among restrained passengers, the adjusted relative risk of death for those with a passenger air bag was 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66-0.94); for children 12 years or younger, the adjusted relative risk was 1.04 (0.65-1.67) [corrected], and for adults 20 years or older it was 0.75 (0.62-0.91) [corrected]. Among unrestrained passengers, the adjusted relative risk was 1.03 (CI = 0.81-1.30); for children 12 years or younger the adjusted relative risk was 1.37 (0.84-2.21) [corrected], and for adults 20 years or older it was 0.96 (0.75-1.24). Passenger air bags may be a hazard to unrestrained children and of little benefit to unrestrained adults. Our results support the advice that children younger than 13 years should not sit in front of an active air bag.

  18. Sea spray production by bag breakup mode of fragmentation of the air-water interface at strong and hurricane wind

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Troitskaya, Yuliya; Kandaurov, Alexander; Ermakova, Olga; Kozlov, Dmitry; Sergeev, Daniil; Zilitinkevich, Sergej

    2016-04-01

    Sea sprays is a typical element of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) of large importance for marine meteorology, atmospheric chemistry and climate studies. They are considered as a crucial factor in the development of hurricanes and severe extratropical storms, since they can significantly enhance exchange of mass, heat and momentum between the ocean and the atmosphere. This exchange is directly provided by spume droplets with the sizes from 10 microns to a few millimeters mechanically torn off the crests of a breaking waves and fall down to the ocean due to gravity. The fluxes associated with the spray are determined by the rate of droplet production at the surface quantified by the sea spray generation function (SSGF), defined as the number of spray particles of radius r produced from the unit area of water surface in unit time. However, the mechanism of spume droplets' formation is unknown and empirical estimates of SSGF varied over six orders of magnitude; therefore, the production rate of large sea spray droplets is not adequately described and there are significant uncertainties in estimations of exchange processes in hurricanes. Experimental core of our work comprise laboratory experiments employing high-speed video-filming, which have made it possible to disclose how water surface looks like at extremely strong winds and how exactly droplets are torn off wave crests. We classified events responsible for spume droplet, including bursting of submerged bubbles, generation and breakup of "projections" or liquid filaments (Koa, 1981) and "bag breakup", namely, inflating and consequent blowing of short-lived, sail-like pieces of the water-surface film, "bags". The process is similar to "bag-breakup" mode of fragmentation of liquid droplets and jets in gaseous flows. Basing on statistical analysis of results of these experiments we show that the main mechanism of spray-generation is attributed to "bag-breakup mechanism On the base of general principles of statistical physics (model of a canonical ensemble) we developed statistics of the "bag-breakup" events and constructed sea spray generation function (SSGF) for the mechanism of "bag-breakup". The "bag breakup" SSGF is shown to be in reasonable agreement in magnitude with SSFGs considered as the most reliable source function for spume droplets. The new SSGF is employed for estimate of the new"bag-breakup" mechanism to momentum and energy exchange in marine atmospheric boundary layer at hurricane conditions. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation of Basic Research (14-05-91767, 13-05-12093, 16-05-00839, 14-05-91767, 16-55-52025) and experiment and equipment was supported by Russian Science Foundation (Agreements 14-17-00667 and 15-17-20009 respectively), Yu.Troitskaya, A.Kandaurov and D.Sergeev were partially supported by FP7 collaborative Project No. 612610.

  19. [Staff accreditation in parenteral nutrition production in hospital pharmacy].

    PubMed

    Vrignaud, S; Le Pêcheur, V; Jouan, G; Valy, S; Clerc, M-A

    2016-09-01

    This work aims to provide staff accreditation methodology to harmonize and secure practices for parenteral nutrition bags preparation. The methodology used in the present study is inspired from project management and quality approach. Existing training supports were used to produce accreditation procedure and evaluation supports. We first defined abilities levels, from level 1, corresponding to accredited learning agent to level 3, corresponding to expert accredited agent. Elements assessed for accreditation are: clothing assessment either by practices audit or by microbiologic test, test bags preparation and handling assessment, bag production to assess aseptic filling for both manual or automatized method, practices audit, number of days of production, and non-conformity following. At Angers Hospital, in 2014, production staff is composed of 12 agents. Staff accreditation reveals that 2 agents achieve level 3, 8 agents achieve level 2 and 2 agents are level 1. We noted that non-conformity decreased as accreditation took place from 81 in 2009 to 0 in 2014. To date, there is no incident due to parenteral bag produced by Angers hospital for neonatal resuscitation children. Such a consistent study is essential to insure a secured nutrition parenteral production. This also provides a satisfying quality care for patients. Copyright © 2016 Académie Nationale de Pharmacie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Biological filter capable of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification for Aquatic Habitat in International Space Station

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uemoto, H.; Shoji, T.; Uchida, S.

    2014-04-01

    The biological filter capable of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification was constructed for aquatic animal experiments in the International Space Station (ISS). The biological filter will be used to remove harmful ammonia excreted from aquatic animals in a closed water circulation system (Aquatic Habitat). The biological filter is a cylindrical tank packed with porous glass beads for nitrification and dual plastic bags for denitrification. The porous beads are supporting media for Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter winogradskyi. The N. europaea cells and N. winogradskyi cells on the porous beads, oxidize the excreted ammonia to nitrate via nitrite. On the other hand, the dual bag is composed of an outer non-woven fabric bag and an inner non-porous polyethylene film bag. The outer bag is supporting media for Paracoccus pantotrophus. The inner bag, in which 99.5% ethanol is packed, releases the ethanol slowly, since ethanol can permeate through the non-porous polyethylene film. The P. pantotrophus cells on the outer bag reduce the produced nitrate to nitrogen gas by using the released ethanol as an electron donor for denitrification. The biological filter constructed in this study consequently removed the ammonia without accumulating nitrate. Most of the excess ethanol was consumed and did not affect the nitrification activity of the N. europaea cells and N. winogradskyi cells severely. In accordance with the aquatic animal experiments in the ISS, small freshwater fish had been bred in the closed water circulation system equipped with the biological filter for 90 days. Ammonia concentration daily excreted from fish is assumed to be 1.7 mg-N/L in the recirculation water. Under such conditions, the harmful ammonia and nitrite concentrations were kept below 0.1 mg-N/L in the recirculation water. Nitrate and total organic carbon concentrations in the recirculation water were kept below 5 mg-N/L and 3 mg-C/L, respectively. All breeding fish were alive and ate the feed well. The results show that the nitrification and denitrification abilities of the biological filter sufficed to keep water quality for aquatic animal experiments in the ISS. This simple and effective system is certainly applicable to aquarium systems and aquaculture systems.

  1. Barriers and benefits to desired behaviors for single use plastic items in northeast Ohio's Lake Erie basin.

    PubMed

    Bartolotta, Jill F; Hardy, Scott D

    2018-02-01

    Given the growing saliency of plastic marine debris, and the impact of plastics on beaches and aquatic environments in the Laurentian Great Lakes, applied research is needed to support municipal and nongovernmental campaigns to prevent debris from reaching the water's edge. This study addresses this need by examining the barriers and benefits to positive behavior for two plastic debris items in northeast Ohio's Lake Erie basin: plastic bags and plastic water bottles. An online survey is employed to gather data on the use and disposal of these plastic items and to solicit recommendations on how to positively change behavior to reduce improper disposal. Results support a ban on plastic bags and plastic water bottles, with more enthusiasm for a bag ban. Financial incentives are also seen as an effective way to influence behavior change, as are location-specific solutions focused on education and outreach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Structural evaluation of curved stiffened composite panels fabricated using a THERM-Xsm process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kassapoglou, Christos; Dinicola, Albert J.; Chou, Jack C.; Deaton, Jerry W.

    1991-01-01

    The use of composites in aircraft structures is often limited by material and manufacturing costs which, for some designs and applications, are prohibitively high. To increase the frequency of application of composites in primary airframe components alternative manufacturing processes are sought that reduce cost and/or enhance structural efficiency. One alternative process involves the use of THERM-Xsm as the pressure transfer medium during autoclave curing. THERM-Xsm, a silicon-based flow able polymer which behaves like a liquid under autoclave presssure, transmits quasi-hydrostatic pressure to all contacting surfaces of the part to be cured. Once the autoclave pressure is relieved, THERM-Xsm reverts back to the powdery solid state and can be reused many times. The THERM-Xsm process to be evaluated is depicted and consists of (1) enclosing the tool and part to be cured by a set of frames that create a box, (2) pouring THERM-Xsm powder onto the part and filling the box, and (3) placing a vacuum bag over the box assembly. In this program, a separating non-porous film (Teflon) was placed between the part to be cured and THERM-Xsm powder to avoid any contamination. The use of THERM-Xsm has two significant advantages over conventional manufacturing procedures. First, it eliminates complicated hard tooling since it guarantees uniform pressure transfer and thus, good compaction at complex structural details (such as frame-stiffener intersections and corners). Second, it greatly simplifies vacuum bagging, since once the part to be cured is covered by THERM-Xsm powder, the vacuum bag need only conform to a relatively flat shape reducing significantly the number of pleats required. A program is on-going at Sikorsky Aircraft to evaluate the structural performance of complex composite fuselage structures made with this THERM-Xsm process and to quantify the impact of THERM-Xsm on manufacturing labor hours and cost. The program involves fuselage panel optimization analysis, a building block test program where structural details representative of the full-scale article are analyzed and tested, and static and fatigue test/analysis of the full-scale test articles. The main results of this program are reported.

  3. Skylab

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1972-05-01

    This wide-angle view is of the Orbital Workshop (OWS) sleep compartment, located in the lower level of the OWS. Each crewman was assigned a small space for sleeping and zipped themselves into sleeping bags stretched against the wall. Because of the absence of gravity, sleeping comfort was achieved in any position relative to the spacecraft; body support was not necessary. Sleeping could be accommodated quite comfortably in a bag that held the body at a given place in Skylab.

  4. 78 FR 31867 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-28

    ... fitting, frame supports, forward and aft inner chords, and floor support; doing an inspection for cracking... if necessary; for certain airplanes, support frame modification and support frame inspections, and... frame post-modification inspections and inspections for cracking in the hinge support, and related...

  5. Introduction of vincristine mini-bags and an assessment of the subsequent risk of extravasation.

    PubMed

    Nurgat, Z A; Smythe, M; Al-Jedai, A; Ewing, S; Rasheed, W; Belgaumi, A; Ahmed, S O; Ashour, M; Al Agil, A; Siddiqui, K; Aljurf, M

    2015-10-01

    Numerous international organisations have advocated the preparation of vincristine in small volume intravenous bags in order to eliminate inadvertent intrathecal administration. However, the risk of extravasation is a significant deterrent, and adoption of this practice has been variable and only hesitantly accepted in the clinical setting. We carried out a study with the aims of establishing the incidence of reported extravasation of vincristine administration to paediatric and adult patients in mini-bags; here we describe motivating factors and barriers faced by clinical staff. The secondary aim was to support the need for change and implementation of the international recommendations. Chemotherapy-certified nurses completed a survey spanning August 2009 to August 2011, to ascertain the incidence of extravasation associated with the administration of vincristine in mini-bags. This period captured 421 occasions of vincristine administration in 25-ml or 50-ml mini-bags (in 0.9% sodium chloride). The median age of patients was 13 years (range 2.5 months to 99 years). Vincristine was administered through peripheral lines (26.4%), portacath (52.0%), PICC line (15.9%) and Hickman line (5.7%). The majority of infusions were over at least 10 minutes (50.1%). There were no cases of extravasation reported. The administration of vincristine in small volume intravenous bags was safe, practical, and feasible in all patient groups. The successful implementation of the international recommendations for vincristine administration in mini-bags to eliminate potential inadvertent intrathecal administration was dependent on stakeholder buy-in. © The Author(s) 2014.

  6. The Orbital Workshop Sleep Compartment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    This wide-angle view is of the Orbital Workshop (OWS) sleep compartment, located in the lower level of the OWS. Each crewman was assigned a small space for sleeping and zipped themselves into sleeping bags stretched against the wall. Because of the absence of gravity, sleeping comfort was achieved in any position relative to the spacecraft; body support was not necessary. Sleeping could be accommodated quite comfortably in a bag that held the body at a given place in Skylab.

  7. Information Regarding the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test

    MedlinePlus

    ... you”), a disposal bag and phone numbers for consumer support. This approved test uses oral fluid to ... step instructions, and there is also an OraQuick Consumer Support Center to assist users in the testing ...

  8. Dynamic PIV measurement of a compressible flow issuing from an airbag inflator nozzle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Sang Joon; Jang, Young Gil; Kim, Seok; Kim, Chang Soo

    2006-12-01

    Among many equipment for passenger safety, the air bag system is the most fundamental and effective device for an automobile. The inflator housing is a main part of the curtain-type air bag system, which supplies high-pressure gases in pumping up the air bag-curtain which is increasingly being adapted in deluxe cars for protecting passengers from the danger of side clash. However, flow information on the inflator housing is very limited. In this study, we measure the instantaneous velocity fields of a high-speed compressible flow issuing from the exit nozzle of an inflator housing using a dynamic PIV system. From the velocity field data measured at a high frame-rate, we evaluate the variation of the mass flow rate with time. The dynamic PIV system consists of a high-repetition Nd:YLF laser, a high-speed CMOS camera, and a delay generator. The flow images are taken at 4000 fps with synchronization of the trigger signal for inflator ignition. From the instantaneous velocity field data of flow ejecting from the airbag inflator housing at the initial stage, we can see a flow pattern of broken shock wave front and its downward propagation. The flow ejecting from the inflator housing is found to have very high velocity fluctuations, with the maximum velocity at about 700 m/s. The time duration of the high-speed flow is very short, and there is no perceptible flow after 100 ms.

  9. Removable Window System for Space Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grady, James P. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A window system for a platform comprising a window pane, a retention frame, and a biasing system. The window pane may be configured to contact a sealing system. The retention frame may be configured to contact the sealing system and hold the window pane against the support frame. The biasing system may be configured to bias the retention frame toward the support frame while the support frame and the retention frame are in a configuration that holds the window pane. Removal of the biasing system may cause the retention frame and the window pane to be removable.

  10. How the design of a sleeping bag can support counter-measuring fatigue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imhof, Barbara; Hoheneder, Waltraut; Vogel, Kaspar; Drudi, Laura

    2013-10-01

    The paper discusses six case studies of sleeping bag design, one used by astronauts onboard the Space Shuttle and another currently being used on the ISS, which was developed by a Russian company. Two inflatable designs, one by Wubbo Ockels for ESA and one by the University of Technology in Munich in cooperation with NASA are chosen as case studies as well. Two recent designs set a new paradigm and option of sleeping in zero-g. The cut of the sleeping bag of these two design case studies allows the person to relax and sleep in the neutral body position. They were developed by Toshiroh Ikegami from Kyoto City University of Arts and astronaut Chiaki Mukai for JAXA, and by the Vienna based team LIQUIFER Systems Group in cooperation with ESA-astronaut Gerhard Thiele. Currently there is an increased interest in astronauts' and cosmonauts' sleep quality and related comfort because analysis of their sleep quality showed that sleep during long exposure to microgravity does not always ensure good recovery of cognitive and functional capabilities. Present research in the area of sleep and performance preservation include studies by the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) in Moscow and the NASA-JSC study from the Behavioral Health and Performance Element Human Research Program about improving sleep quality on ISS. In the context of the paper the operational medical challenges of sleep quality will be described in order to establish the relevance of effective sleeping bag designs to support spaceflight crewmembers' well-being.

  11. Vacuum structure and gravitational bags produced by metric-independent space-time volume-form dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guendelman, Eduardo; Nissimov, Emil; Pacheva, Svetlana

    2015-07-01

    We propose a new class of gravity-matter theories, describing R + R2 gravity interacting with a nonstandard nonlinear gauge field system and a scalar “dilaton,” formulated in terms of two different non-Riemannian volume-forms (generally covariant integration measure densities) on the underlying space-time manifold, which are independent of the Riemannian metric. The nonlinear gauge field system contains a square-root -F2 of the standard Maxwell Lagrangian which is known to describe charge confinement in flat space-time. The initial new gravity-matter model is invariant under global Weyl-scale symmetry which undergoes a spontaneous breakdown upon integration of the non-Riemannian volume-form degrees of freedom. In the physical Einstein frame we obtain an effective matter-gauge-field Lagrangian of “k-essence” type with quadratic dependence on the scalar “dilaton” field kinetic term X, with a remarkable effective scalar potential possessing two infinitely large flat regions as well as with nontrivial effective gauge coupling constants running with the “dilaton” φ. Corresponding to each of the two flat regions we find “vacuum” configurations of the following types: (i) φ = const and a nonzero gauge field vacuum -F2≠0, which corresponds to a charge confining phase; (ii) X = const (“kinetic vacuum”) and ordinary gauge field vacuum -F2 = 0 which supports confinement-free charge dynamics. In one of the flat regions of the effective scalar potential we also find: (iii) X = const (“kinetic vacuum”) and a nonzero gauge field vacuum -F2≠0, which again corresponds to a charge confining phase. In all three cases, the space-time metric is de Sitter or Schwarzschild-de Sitter. Both “kinetic vacuums” (ii) and (iii) can exist only within a finite-volume space region below a de Sitter horizon. Extension to the whole space requires matching the latter with the exterior region with a nonstandard Reissner-Nordström-de Sitter geometry carrying an additional constant radial background electric field. As a result, we obtain two classes of gravitational bag-like configurations with properties, which on one hand partially parallel some of the properties of the solitonic “constituent quark” model and, on the other hand, partially mimic some of the properties of MIT bags in QCD phenomenology.

  12. Prediction of Weather Impacted Airport Capacity using Ensemble Learning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Yao Xun

    2011-01-01

    Ensemble learning with the Bagging Decision Tree (BDT) model was used to assess the impact of weather on airport capacities at selected high-demand airports in the United States. The ensemble bagging decision tree models were developed and validated using the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation System Performance Metrics (ASPM) data and weather forecast at these airports. The study examines the performance of BDT, along with traditional single Support Vector Machines (SVM), for airport runway configuration selection and airport arrival rates (AAR) prediction during weather impacts. Testing of these models was accomplished using observed weather, weather forecast, and airport operation information at the chosen airports. The experimental results show that ensemble methods are more accurate than a single SVM classifier. The airport capacity ensemble method presented here can be used as a decision support model that supports air traffic flow management to meet the weather impacted airport capacity in order to reduce costs and increase safety.

  13. Lunar surface vehicle model competition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    During Fall and Winter quarters, Georgia Tech's School of Mechanical Engineering students designed machines and devices related to Lunar Base construction tasks. These include joint projects with Textile Engineering students. Topics studied included lunar environment simulator via drop tower technology, lunar rated fasteners, lunar habitat shelter, design of a lunar surface trenching machine, lunar support system, lunar worksite illumination (daytime), lunar regolith bagging system, sunlight diffusing tent for lunar worksite, service apparatus for lunar launch vehicles, lunar communication/power cables and teleoperated deployment machine, lunar regolith bag collection and emplacement device, soil stabilization mat for lunar launch/landing site, lunar rated fastening systems for robotic implementation, lunar surface cable/conduit and automated deployment system, lunar regolith bagging system, and lunar rated fasteners and fastening systems. A special topics team of five Spring quarter students designed and constructed a remotely controlled crane implement for the SKITTER model.

  14. It's in the Bag!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Renfro, Nancy

    1983-01-01

    Thirteen ideas for using paper bags for class art activities are given. Directions for making bag barracudas, bionic bags, bigfoot bags, bag sculptures, bag beads, and body bag superstars are included. (PP)

  15. An augmented aging process in brain white matter in HIV.

    PubMed

    Kuhn, Taylor; Kaufmann, Tobias; Doan, Nhat Trung; Westlye, Lars T; Jones, Jacob; Nunez, Rodolfo A; Bookheimer, Susan Y; Singer, Elyse J; Hinkin, Charles H; Thames, April D

    2018-06-01

    HIV infection and aging are both associated with neurodegeneration. However, whether the aging process alone or other factors associated with advanced age account for the progression of neurodegeneration in the aging HIV-positive (HIV+) population remains unclear. HIV+ (n = 70) and HIV-negative (HIV-, n = 34) participants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and metrics of microstructural properties were extracted from regions of interest (ROIs). A support vector regression model was trained on two independent datasets of healthy adults across the adult life-span (n = 765, Cam-CAN = 588; UiO = 177) to predict participant age from DTI metrics, and applied to the HIV dataset. Predicted brain age gap (BAG) was computed as the difference between predicted age and chronological age, and statistically compared between HIV groups. Regressions assessed the relationship between BAG and HIV severity/medical comorbidities. Finally, correlation analyses tested for associations between BAG and cognitive performance. BAG was significantly higher in the HIV+ group than the HIV- group F (1, 103) = 12.408, p = .001). HIV RNA viral load was significantly associated with BAG, particularly in older HIV+ individuals (R 2  = 0.29, F(7, 70) = 2.66, p = .021). Further, BAG was negatively correlated with domain-level cognitive function (learning: r = -0.26, p = .008; memory: r = -0.21, p = .034). HIV infection is associated with augmented white matter aging, and greater brain aging is associated with worse cognitive performance in multiple domains. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. NASA Bioreactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) will cultivate cells until their turn in the bioreactor; it can also be used in culturing experiments that do not require the bioreactor. The BSTC comprises four incubation/refrigeration chambers individually set at 4 to 50 deg. C (near-freezing to above body temperature). Each chamber holds three rugged tissue chamber modules (12 total), clear Teflon bags holding 30 ml of growth media, all positioned by a metal frame. Every 7 to 21 days (depending on growth rates), an astronaut uses a shrouded syringe and the bags' needleless injection ports to transfer a few cells to a fresh media bag, and to introduce a fixative so that the cells may be studied after flight. The design also lets the crew sample the media to measure glucose, gas, and pH levels, and to inspect cells with a microscope. The controller is monitored by the flight crew through a 23-cm (9-inch) color computer display on the face of the BSTC. This view shows the BTSC with the front panel open. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators.

  17. NASA Bioreactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) will cultivate cells until their turn in the bioreactor; it can also be used in culturing experiments that do not require the bioreactor. The BSTC comprises four incubation/refrigeration chambers individually set at 4 to 50 degreesC (near-freezing to above body temperature). Each chamber holds three rugged tissue chamber modules (12 total), clear Teflon bags holding 30 ml of growth media, all positioned by a metal frame. Every 7 to 21 days (depending on growth rates), an astronaut uses a shrouded syringe and the bags' needleless injection ports to transfer a few cells to a fresh media bag, and to introduce a fixative so that the cells may be studied after flight. The design also lets the crew sample the media to measure glucose, gas, and pH levels, and to inspect cells with a microscope. The controller is monitored by the flight crew through a 23-cm (9-inch) color computer display on the face of the BSTC. This view shows the BTSC with the front panel open. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators.

  18. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-01-01

    Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) will cultivate cells until their turn in the bioreactor; it can also be used in culturing experiments that do not require the bioreactor. The BSTC comprises four incubation/refrigeration chambers individually set at 4 to 50 deg. C (near-freezing to above body temperature). Each chamber holds three rugged tissue chamber modules (12 total), clear Teflon bags holding 30 ml of growth media, all positioned by a metal frame. Every 7 to 21 days (depending on growth rates), an astronaut uses a shrouded syringe and the bags' needleless injection ports to transfer a few cells to a fresh media bag, and to introduce a fixative so that the cells may be studied after flight. The design also lets the crew sample the media to measure glucose, gas, and pH levels, and to inspect cells with a microscope. The controller is monitored by the flight crew through a 23-cm (9-inch) color computer display on the face of the BSTC. This view shows the BTSC with the front panel open. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators.

  19. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-01-01

    Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (BSTC) will cultivate cells until their turn in the bioreactor; it can also be used in culturing experiments that do not require the bioreactor. The BSTC comprises four incubation/refrigeration chambers individually set at 4 to 50 degreesC (near-freezing to above body temperature). Each chamber holds three rugged tissue chamber modules (12 total), clear Teflon bags holding 30 ml of growth media, all positioned by a metal frame. Every 7 to 21 days (depending on growth rates), an astronaut uses a shrouded syringe and the bags' needleless injection ports to transfer a few cells to a fresh media bag, and to introduce a fixative so that the cells may be studied after flight. The design also lets the crew sample the media to measure glucose, gas, and pH levels, and to inspect cells with a microscope. The controller is monitored by the flight crew through a 23-cm (9-inch) color computer display on the face of the BSTC. This view shows the BTSC with the front panel open. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators.

  20. Innovative fabrication processing of advanced composite materials concepts for primary aircraft structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kassapoglou, Christos; Dinicola, Al J.; Chou, Jack C.

    1992-01-01

    The autoclave based THERM-X(sub R) process was evaluated by cocuring complex curved panels with frames and stiffeners. The process was shown to result in composite parts of high quality with good compaction at sharp radius regions and corners of intersecting parts. The structural properties of the postbuckled panels fabricated were found to be equivalent to those of conventionally tooled hand laid-up parts. Significant savings in bagging time over conventional tooling were documented. Structural details such as cocured shear ties and embedded stiffener flanges in the skin were found to suppress failure modes such as failure at corners of intersecting members and skin stiffeners separation.

  1. Computation of Unsteady Flow in Flame Trench For Prediction of Ignition Overpressure Waves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kwak, Dochan; Kris, Cetin

    2010-01-01

    Computational processes/issues for supporting mission tasks are discussed using an example from launch environment simulation. Entire CFD process has been discussed using an existing code; STS-124 conditions were revisited to support wall repair effort for STS-125 flight; when water bags were not included, computed results indicate that IOP waves with the peak values have been reflected from SRB s own exhaust hole; ARES-1X simulations show that there is a shock wave going through the unused exhaust hole, however, it plays a secondary role; all three ARES-1X cases and STS-1 simulations showed very similar IOP magnitudes and patters on the vehicle; with the addition of water bags and water injection, it will further diminish the IOP effects.

  2. Analysis of the design and performance characteristics of pumpable roof supports

    PubMed Central

    Timothy, Batchler

    2017-01-01

    Pumpable roof supports are currently being used to provide a safe working environment for longwall mining. Because different pumpable supports are visually similar and installed fundamentally in the same manner as other supports, there is a tendency to believe they all perform the same way. However, there are several design parameters that can affect their performance, including the cementitious material properties and the bag construction practices that influence the degree of confinement provided. A full understanding of the impact of these design parameters is necessary to optimize the support application and to provide a foundation for making further improvements in the support performance. This paper evaluates the impact of various support design parameters by examining full-scale performance tests conducted using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mine Roof Simulator (MRS) as part of manufacturers’ developmental and quality control testing. These tests were analyzed to identify correlations between the support design parameters and the resulting performance. Based on more than 160 tests over 7 years, quantifiable patterns were examined to assess the correlation between the support dimensions, cementitious material type, wire pitch, and single-wall vs. dual-walled bag designs to the support capacity, stiffness, load shedding events, and yield characteristics. PMID:28775910

  3. Performance tests of three types of air-sampling bags on organic solvent vapor retention.

    PubMed

    Fukui, Yoshinari; Kanemaru, Ai; Nagasawa, Yasuhiro; Kawakami, Takuya; Iwata, Toyoto; Murata, Katsuyuki; Ohashi, Fumiko; Ikeda, Masayuki

    2013-01-01

    Performance of two new air sampling bags [the transparent bag (TP bag) and the semi-transparent bag (ST bag)] was examined as possible surrogates for the traditional PVF bag (the Ref bag). Solvent vapor mixture of butyl acetate, chloroform, ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol and toluene at administrative control levels were introduced to each bag (n=5 for each of the three types), and the decay in the concentrations (by%) was followed by use of a gas auto-sampler - FID-GC system. A trend of time-dependent decay was noted for all types including the Ref bag. When the performance was compared, the TP bag was equal to or even better than the Ref bag. In contrast, the performance of the ST bag was comparable to that of the other two types of bags with regard to toluene and chloroform when the storage time was short, but poorer than others for the other three solvents throughout the test period. The TP bag may be a bag of choice when the storage time is extended (e.g., up to 48 h) although this bag is physically less robust and requires careful handling. The ST bag may be used when analysis will be completed within 24 h.

  4. Type 1 Diabetes Facts

    MedlinePlus

    ... Infants Online Diabetes Support Team TypeOneNation Community Forum Health Insurance Guide Bag of Hope® T1D Connections Program T1D Care Kit Toolkits For Healthcare Providers (PEAK) Get Involved ...

  5. Subcellular localisation of BAG-1 and its regulation of vitamin D receptor-mediated transactivation and involucrin expression in oral keratinocytes: Implications for oral carcinogenesis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, San San; Crabb, Simon J.; Janghra, Nari

    2007-09-10

    In oral cancers, cytoplasmic BAG-1 overexpression is a marker of poor prognosis. BAG-1 regulates cellular growth, differentiation and survival through interactions with diverse proteins, including the vitamin D receptor (VDR), a key regulator of keratinocyte growth and differentiation. BAG-1 is expressed ubiquitously in human cells as three major isoforms of 50 kDa (BAG-1L), 46 kDa (BAG-1M) and 36 kDa (BAG-1S) from a single mRNA. In oral keratinocytes BAG-1L, but not BAG-1M and BAG-1S, enhanced VDR transactivation in response to 1{alpha},25-dihydroxyvitamin D{sub 3.} BAG-1L was nucleoplasmic and nucleolar, whereas BAG-1S and BAG-1M were cytoplasmic and nucleoplasmic in localisation. Having identified themore » nucleolar localisation sequence in BAG-1L, we showed that mutation of this sequence did not prevent BAG-1L from potentiating VDR activity. BAG-1L also potentiated transactivation of known vitamin-D-responsive gene promoters, osteocalcin and 24-hydroxylase, and enhanced VDR-dependent transcription and protein expression of the keratinocyte differentiation marker, involucrin. These results demonstrate endogenous gene regulation by BAG-1L by potentiating nuclear hormone receptor function and suggest a role for BAG-1L in 24-hydroxylase regulation of vitamin D metabolism and the cellular response of oral keratinocytes to 1{alpha},25-dihydroxyvitamin D{sub 3}. By contrast to the cytoplasmic BAG-1 isoforms, BAG-1L may act to suppress tumorigenesis.« less

  6. Communicating Inequalities to Enhance Support for Obesity-Prevention Policies: The Role of Social Comparisons, Age Frames, and Emotion.

    PubMed

    Skurka, Chris

    2017-11-28

    With certain populations in the United States at higher risk for obesity than other populations, public health advocates have attempted to draw attention to these inequalities to galvanize support for obesity-mitigation policies. Yet research comparing different messages about social inequalities indicates that not all social comparisons are persuasive. Drawing on Weiner's (1986) theory of perceived responsibility and social motivation, I experimentally tested promising message frames about obesity disparities. Participants (N = 653) read one of six messages following a 3 (social comparison frame: geographic vs. racial vs. no-comparison) × 2 (age frame: child vs. adult) between-subjects design. Unexpectedly, geographic frames (rural/urban) indirectly decreased policy support relative to the control frame by way of increased counterarguing. Compared to adult frames about obesity inequalities, childhood frames evoked more sympathy and less internal attribution, which in turn positively predicted support for obesity-prevention policies. Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

  7. Inverter power module with distributed support for direct substrate cooling

    DOEpatents

    Miller, David Harold [San Pedro, CA; Korich, Mark D [Chino Hills, CA; Ward, Terence G [Redondo Beach, CA; Mann, Brooks S [Redondo Beach, CA

    2012-08-21

    Systems and/or methods are provided for an inverter power module with distributed support for direct substrate cooling. An inverter module comprises a power electronic substrate. A first support frame is adapted to house the power electronic substrate and has a first region adapted to allow direct cooling of the power electronic substrate. A gasket is interposed between the power electronic substrate and the first support frame. The gasket is configured to provide a seal between the first region and the power electronic substrate. A second support frame is adapted to house the power electronic substrate and joined to the first support frame to form the seal.

  8. Preharvest bagging with wavelength-selective materials enhances development and quality of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Nam Dok Mai #4.

    PubMed

    Chonhenchob, Vanee; Kamhangwong, Damrongpol; Kruenate, Jittiporn; Khongrat, Krittaphat; Tangchantra, Nantavat; Wichai, Uthai; Singh, S Paul

    2011-03-15

    Preharvest bagging has been shown to improve development and quality of fruits. Different light transmittance bags showed different effects on fruit quality. This study presents the benefits of using newly developed plastic bagging materials with different wavelength-selective characteristics for mangoes (cv. Nam Dok Mai #4). Mangoes were bagged at 45 days after full bloom (DAFB) and randomly harvested at 65, 75, 85, 95, and 105 DAFB. The bags were removed on the harvest days. The wavelength-selective bags (no pigment, yellow, red, blue/violet, blue) were compared with the Kraft paper bag with black paper liner, which is currently used commercially for several fruits, and with non-bagging as a control. Bagging significantly (p⩽0.05) reduced diseases and blemishes. Mango weight at 95 DAFB was increased approximately 15% by VM and V plastic bagging, as compared to paper bagging and control. Plastic bagging accelerated mango ripening as well as growth. Plastic-bagged mangoes reached maturity stage at 95 DAFB, while non-bagged mangoes reached maturity stage at 105 DAFB. Paper bagging resulted in a pale-yellow peel beginning at 65 DAFB, while plastic bagging improved peel glossiness. Preharvest bagging with different wavelength-selective materials affected mango development and quality. Bagging mangoes with VM and V materials could reduce peel defects and diseases, increase weight, size, and sphericity, improve peel appearance, and shorten the development periods of mangoes. The results suggest a favorable practice using the newly developed VM and V plastic bags in the production of mangoes, and possibly other fruits as well. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

  9. Thermal barrier skylight

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Couture, P.A.

    1984-08-21

    The skylight may be of the domed-type or flat-type and of single or double glass (acrylic or other transparent or translucent plastic) construction. The skylight fits within an opening in a roof or the like and has a peripheral base that may be constructed of a metal material such as aluminum, and which is fixed to the roof about the opening. The base comprises inner and outer base frames separated by a thermal break, a peripheral curb frame disposed over the base, and a retainer for securing the skylight cover over the curb frame. The curb frame or support framemore » has inner and outer sections connected by a heat insulating thermal barrier. The curb frame is constructed by welding at the corners of the support frame but eliminating the welding in the area of the thermal barrier thus alleviating a caulking operation at the top and the bottom of the curb frame. The base frame and curb frame have therebetween a compliant sealing means extending contiguously about and overlying the base frame and for sealing between the base frame and support frame.« less

  10. Effectiveness of the ZeroFly® storage bag fabric against stored-product insects

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The ZeroFly® Storage Bag is a polypropylene bag (PP) which has deltamethrin incorporated in its fibers, and represents a novel approach to reducing stored-product insect pest-related postharvest losses. Fabric samples from ZeroFly bags, polypropylene (PP) bags, jute bags, malathion-treated PP bags, ...

  11. BAG-1 enhances cell-cell adhesion, reduces proliferation and induces chaperone-independent suppression of hepatocyte growth factor-induced epidermal keratinocyte migration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hinitt, C.A.M.; Wood, J.; Lee, S.S.

    2010-08-01

    Cell motility is important in maintaining tissue homeostasis, facilitating epithelial wound repair and in tumour formation and progression. The aim of this study was to determine whether BAG-1 isoforms regulate epidermal cell migration in in vitro models of wound healing. In the human epidermal cell line HaCaT, endogenous BAG-1 is primarily nuclear and increases with confluence. Both transient and stable p36-Bag-1 overexpression resulted in increased cellular cohesion. Stable transfection of either of the three human BAG-1 isoforms p36-Bag-1 (BAG-1S), p46-Bag-1 (BAG-1M) and p50-Bag-1 (BAG-1L) inhibited growth and wound closure in serum-containing medium. However, in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)more » in serum-free medium, BAG-1S/M reduced communal motility and colony scattering, but BAG-1L did not. In the presence of HGF, p36-Bag-1 transfectants retained proliferative response to HGF with no change in ERK1/2 activation. However, the cells retained E-cadherin localisation at cell-cell junctions and exhibited pronounced cortical actin. Point mutations in the BAG domain showed that BAG-1 inhibition of motility is independent of its function as a chaperone regulator. These findings are the first to suggest that BAG-1 plays a role in regulating cell-cell adhesion and suggest an important function in epidermal cohesion.« less

  12. Storage of Maize in Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) Bags

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Interest in using hermetic technologies as a pest management solution for stored grain has risen in recent years. One hermetic approach, Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags, has proven successful in controlling the postharvest pests of cowpea. This success encouraged farmers to use of PICS bags for storing other crops including maize. To assess whether maize can be safely stored in PICS bags without loss of quality, we carried out laboratory studies of maize grain infested with Sitophilus zeamais (Motshulsky) and stored in PICS triple bags or in woven polypropylene bags. Over an eight month observation period, temperatures in the bags correlated with ambient temperature for all treatments. Relative humidity inside PICS bags remained constant over this period despite the large changes that occurred in the surrounding environment. Relative humidity in the woven bags followed ambient humidity closely. PICS bags containing S. zeamais-infested grain saw a significant decline in oxygen compared to the other treatments. Grain moisture content declined in woven bags, but remained high in PICS bags. Seed germination was not significantly affected over the first six months in all treatments, but declined after eight months of storage when infested grain was held in woven bags. Relative damage was low across treatments and not significantly different between treatments. Overall, maize showed no signs of deterioration in PICS bags versus the woven bags and PICS bags were superior to woven bags in terms of specific metrics of grain quality. PMID:28072835

  13. Analysis and evaluation of single-use bag extractables for validation in biopharmaceutical applications.

    PubMed

    Pahl, Ina; Dorey, Samuel; Barbaroux, Magali; Lagrange, Bertille; Frankl, Heike

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes an approach of extractables determination and gives information on extractables profiles for gamma-sterilized single-use bags with polyethylene inner contact surfaces from five different suppliers. Four extraction solvents were chosen to capture a broad spectrum of extractables. An 80% ethanol extraction was used to extract compounds that represent the bag resin and the organic additives used to stabilize or process the polymer films which would not normally be water-soluble. Extractions with1 M HCl extract, 1 M NaOH extract, and 1% polysorbate 80 were used to bracket potential leachables in biopharmaceutical process fluids. The objective of this study was to obtain extractables data from different bags under identical test conditions. All the bags had a nominal capacity of 5 L, were gamma-irradiated prior to testing, and were tested without modification except that connectors, if any, were removed prior to filling. They were extracted at 40 °C for 30 days. Extractables from all bag extracts were identified and the concentration estimated using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and flame ionization detection for volatile compounds and for semi-volatile compounds, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for targeted compounds. Metals and other elements were detected and quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. The results showed a variety of extractables, some of which are not related to the inner polyethylene contact layer. Detected organic compounds included oligomers from polyolefins, additives and their degradation products, and oligomers from the fill tubing. The concentrations of extractables were in the range of parts-per-billion to parts-per-million per bag under the applied extraction conditions. Toxicological effects of the extractables are not addressed in this paper. Extractables and leachables characterization supports the validation and the use of single-use bags in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process. This paper describes an approach for the identification and quantification of extractable substances for five commercially available single-use bags from different suppliers under identical analytical conditions. Four test formulations were used for the extraction, and extractables were analyzed with appropriately qualified analytical techniques, allowing for the detection of a broad range of released chemical compounds. Polymer additives such as antioxidants and processing aids and their degradation products were found to be the source of most of the extracted compounds. The concentration of extractables ranged from parts-per-billion to parts-per-million under the applied extraction conditions. © PDA, Inc. 2014.

  14. 49 CFR 178.520 - Standards for textile bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... for a sift-proof textile bag; and (3) 5L3 for a water-resistant textile bag. (b) Construction... bag. (2) Bags, sift-proof, 5L2: The bag must be made sift-proof, by appropriate means, such as by the...

  15. Unit-Dose Bags For Formulating Intravenous Solutions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Finley, Mike; Kipp, Jim; Scharf, Mike; Packard, Jeff; Owens, Jim

    1993-01-01

    Smaller unit-dose flowthrough bags devised for use with large-volume parenteral (LVP) bags in preparing sterile intravenous solutions. Premeasured amount of solute stored in such unit-dose bag flushed by predetermined amount of water into LVP bag. Relatively small number of LVP bags used in conjunction with smaller unit-dose bags to formulate large number of LVP intravenous solutions in nonsterile environment.

  16. [Effects of bagging on the microenvironment, yield and quality of overwintering tomato].

    PubMed

    Wang, Lei; Xu, Kun; Bei, Feng; Gao, Fang-Sheng

    2007-04-01

    Taking overwintering tomato variety "L402" as test material, this paper studied the effects of bagging with different texture bags on its fruit enlarging and quality, and the microenvironment within the bags. The results showed that bagging could change the microenvironment of fruit development, promote fruit maturing in advance, and improve fruit mass and quality. The light intensity and humidity in parchment bag were at the intermediate of those in plastic and no-spinning cloth bags, and the temperature was the highest among all treatments, except that it was lower than that in plastic bag at forenoon. The fruit enlarging rate in parchment bag was also the highest, and the single fruit mass increased by 15.34%, compared with the control. However, the fruit soluble solid, soluble sugar, and vitamine C contents and the sugar/acid ratio in all bagging treatments were lower than those of the control, suggesting that bagging debased the nutritive quality and the tastiness of tomato fruit. Due to the fact that bagging prevented the direct contact of fruit with pesticides, the fruit chlorpyrifos and betacypermethrin contents in parchment and plastic bags were lower than the control, except that the chlorpyrifos content in no-spinning cloth bag was higher.

  17. Motivating parent support for physical activity: the role of framed persuasive messages.

    PubMed

    Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca; Stone, Rachael; Jarvis, Jocelyn; Latimer-Cheung, Amy

    2017-10-01

    Parent support for physical activity (PA) is a behavior unto itself that requires motivation. Persuasive messages may be one method for motivating parent support for their children's PA. Message framing is one strategy for optimizing the impact of messages. The current study examined the relative effectiveness of gain- versus loss-framed messages for encouraging parent support for children's PA. Regardless of message frame, parents had an increase in social cognitive antecedents (e.g. perceived behavioral control, intentions) and support for children's PA following message exposure. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  18. How have changes in front air bag designs affected frontal crash death rates? An update.

    PubMed

    Teoh, Eric R

    2014-01-01

    Provide updated death rates comparing latest generations of frontal air bags in fatal crashes. Rates of driver and right-front passenger deaths in frontal crashes per 10 million registered vehicle years were compared using Poisson marginal structural models for passenger vehicles equipped with air bags certified as advanced and compliant (CAC), sled-certified air bags with advanced features, and sled-certified air bags without any advanced features. Analyses of driver death rates were disaggregated by age group, gender, and belt use. CAC air bags were associated with slightly elevated frontal crash death rates for both drivers and right-front passengers compared to sled-certified air bags with advanced features, but the differences were not statistically significant. Sled-certified air bags with advanced features were associated with significant benefits for drivers and for right-front passengers compared to sled-certified air bags without advanced features. CAC air bags were associated with a significant increase in belted driver death rate and a comparable but nonsignificant decrease in unbelted driver death rate compared to sled-certified air bags with advanced features. Sled-certified air bags with advanced features were associated with a nonsignificant 2 percent increase in belted driver death rate and a significant 26 percent decrease in unbelted driver death rate, relative to sled-certified air bags without advanced features. Implementing advanced features in sled-certified air bags was beneficial overall to drivers and right-front passengers with sled-certified air bags. No overall benefit was observed for CAC air bags compared to sled-certified air bags with advanced features. Further study is needed to understand the apparent reduction in belted driver protection observed for CAC air bags.

  19. BAG3 affects the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HSF1 upon heat stress

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jin, Young-Hee; Ahn, Sang-Gun; Kim, Soo-A., E-mail: ksooa@dongguk.ac.kr

    2015-08-21

    Bcl2-associated athoanogene (BAG) 3 is a member of the co-chaperone BAG family. It is induced by stressful stimuli such as heat shock and heavy metals, and it regulates cellular adaptive responses against stressful conditions. In this study, we identified a novel role for BAG3 in regulating the nuclear shuttling of HSF1 during heat stress. The expression level of BAG3 was induced by heat stress in HeLa cells. Interestingly, BAG3 rapidly translocalized to the nucleus upon heat stress. Immunoprecipitation assay showed that BAG3 interacts with HSF1 under normal and stressed conditions and co-translocalizes to the nucleus upon heat stress. We alsomore » demonstrated that BAG3 interacts with HSF1 via its BAG domain. Over-expression of BAG3 down-regulates the level of nuclear HSF1 by exporting it to the cytoplasm during the recovery period. Depletion of BAG3 using siRNA results in reduced nuclear HSF1 and decreased Hsp70 promoter activity. BAG3 in MEF(hsf1{sup −/−}) cells actively translocalizes to the nucleus upon heat stress suggesting that BAG3 plays a key role in the processing of the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HSF1 upon heat stress. - Highlights: • The expression level of BAG3 is induced by heat stress. • BAG3 translocates to the nucleus upon heat stress. • BAG3 interacts with HSF1 and co-localizes to the nucleus. • BAG3 is a key regulator for HSF1 nuclear shuttling.« less

  20. 49 CFR 178.520 - Standards for textile bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...) 5L2 for a sift-proof textile bag; and (3) 5L3 for a water-resistant textile bag. (b) Construction... bag. (2) Bags, sift-proof, 5L2: The bag must be made sift-proof, by appropriate means, such as by the...

  1. Framing messages about weight discrimination: impact on public support for legislation.

    PubMed

    Puhl, R M; Heuer, C; Sarda, V

    2011-06-01

    To assess the public support for potential legislation to prohibit weight-based discrimination against obese individuals in the United States, and to examine whether certain message frames about weight discrimination influence public support. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of the four paragraphs that framed the topic of weight discrimination in a distinct way (or a control condition with no paragraph). Participants were then asked to indicate their level of support for six antidiscrimination laws. A national sample of 1114 participants (48% women, 52% men), mean age 44.78 years (s.d. = 15.93). There was moderate support for several laws to prohibit weight-based discrimination, but gender differences were observed across experimental conditions indicating that some message frames may increase support for certain laws among women, but not men. However, message frames had no effect on support for laws with specific provisions to prohibit weight discrimination in the workplace, suggesting that public support for these particular legal measures is consistent and high (65% of men and 81% of women expressed support) regardless of how the issue of weight discrimination is framed to the public. The present findings provide evidence of current levels of public support for legislation to prohibit weight-based discrimination, and offer potential ways for policy makers and interest groups to communicate messages about weight discrimination in efforts to increase support.

  2. Breaking BAG: The Co-Chaperone BAG3 in Health and Disease.

    PubMed

    Behl, Christian

    2016-08-01

    Human BAG (Bcl-2-associated athanogene) proteins form a family of antiapoptotic proteins that currently consists of six members (BAG1-6) all sharing the BAG protein domain from which the name arises. Via this domain, BAG proteins bind to the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), thereby acting as a co-chaperone regulating the activity of Hsp70. In addition to their antiapoptotic activity, all human BAG proteins have distinct functions in health and disease, and BAG3 in particular is the focus of many investigations. BAG3 has a modular protein domain composition offering the possibility for manifold interactions with other proteins. Various BAG3 functions are implicated in disorders including cancer, myopathies, and neurodegeneration. The discovery of its role in selective autophagy and the description of BAG3-mediated selective macroautophagy as an adaptive mechanism to maintain cellular homeostasis, under stress as well as during aging, make BAG3 a highly interesting target for future pharmacological interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. An Engineer's Physics Lab -- using a Large Force Frame

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heid, Christy; Rampolla, Donald

    2009-03-01

    We have constructed very economical, easy to assemble force frames that are used by students in our general physics laboratory at Chatham University. The force frame is used at the beginning of the semester to study vector properties of forces. The force frame can be used as a horizontal or vertical force table. Angles of forces are measured using a large movable (rotation and translation) Cartesian coordinate board attached to the frame with large binder clips. The force frame is a versatile device which is used for a number of other experiments, including beam bending and torsion, mechanical resonance, projectile trajectories, torque, mechanical equilibrium, an isolated non-magnetic support for magnetic field experiments, easily adjustable support for inclined plane experiments, support for traveling wave experiments with heavy rope, and support for large scale fluid flow experiments. One advantage to a wood frame is that things can be easily stapled, nailed, screwed or glued just about anywhere on the frame, and damaged frame members can be replaced easily. As one of the few remaining women's undergraduate institutions, we have found the use of these frames to provide an additional advantage in helping women overcome their fear of simple power tools and assembly of mechanical parts as they become comfortable with these through working with the force frames throughout the semester. We intend to describe and model these applications during the session.

  4. Topical video object discovery from key frames by modeling word co-occurrence prior.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Gangqiang; Yuan, Junsong; Hua, Gang; Yang, Jiong

    2015-12-01

    A topical video object refers to an object, that is, frequently highlighted in a video. It could be, e.g., the product logo and the leading actor/actress in a TV commercial. We propose a topic model that incorporates a word co-occurrence prior for efficient discovery of topical video objects from a set of key frames. Previous work using topic models, such as latent Dirichelet allocation (LDA), for video object discovery often takes a bag-of-visual-words representation, which ignored important co-occurrence information among the local features. We show that such data driven co-occurrence information from bottom-up can conveniently be incorporated in LDA with a Gaussian Markov prior, which combines top-down probabilistic topic modeling with bottom-up priors in a unified model. Our experiments on challenging videos demonstrate that the proposed approach can discover different types of topical objects despite variations in scale, view-point, color and lighting changes, or even partial occlusions. The efficacy of the co-occurrence prior is clearly demonstrated when compared with topic models without such priors.

  5. Literacy in a Bag: Colorado School for the Deaf Sends Reading Home

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Branch, Deborah

    2009-01-01

    To assist parents with deaf or hard of hearing children who may need help supporting their child's learning, the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind developed Family Literacy Packs. These literacy packs, available to families within the state of Colorado, provide fun, interactive activities that help parents support their children's…

  6. WW domain of BAG3 is required for the induction of autophagy in glioma cells.

    PubMed

    Merabova, Nana; Sariyer, Ilker Kudret; Saribas, A Sami; Knezevic, Tijana; Gordon, Jennifer; Turco, M Caterina; Rosati, Alessandra; Weaver, Michael; Landry, Jacques; Khalili, Kamel

    2015-04-01

    Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved, selective degradation pathway of cellular components that is important for cell homeostasis under healthy and pathologic conditions. Here we demonstrate that an increase in the level of BAG3 results in stimulation of autophagy in glioblastoma cells. BAG3 is a member of a co-chaperone family of proteins that associates with Hsp70 through a conserved BAG domain positioned near the C-terminus of the protein. Expression of BAG3 is induced by a variety of environmental changes that cause stress to cells. Our results show that BAG3 overexpression induces autophagy in glioma cells. Interestingly, inhibition of the proteasome caused an increase in BAG3 levels and induced autophagy. Further analysis using specific siRNA against BAG3 suggests that autophagic activation due to proteosomal inhibition is mediated by BAG3. Analyses of BAG3 domain mutants suggest that the WW domain of BAG3 is crucial for the induction of autophagy. BAG3 overexpression also increased the interaction between Bcl2 and Beclin-1, instead of disrupting them, suggesting that BAG3 induced autophagy is Beclin-1 independent. These observations reveal a novel role for the WW domain of BAG3 in the regulation of autophagy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. WW domain of BAG3 is required for the induction of autophagy in glioma cells

    PubMed Central

    Merabova, Nana; Sariyer, Ilker Kudret; Saribas, A Sami; Knezevic, Tijana; Gordon, Jennifer; Weaver, Michael; Landry, Jacques; Khalili, Kamel

    2015-01-01

    Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved, selective degradation pathway of cellular components that is important for cell homeostasis under healthy and pathologic conditions. Here we demonstrate that an increase in the level of BAG3 results in stimulation of autophagy in glioblastoma cells. BAG3 is a member of a co-chaperone family of proteins that associate with Hsp70 through a conserved BAG domain positioned near the C-terminus of the protein. Expression of BAG3 is induced by a variety of environmental changes that cause stress to cells. Our results show that BAG3 overexpression induces autophagy in glioma cells. Interestingly, inhibition of the proteasome caused an increase in BAG3 levels and induced autophagy. Further analysis using specific siRNA against BAG3 suggests that autophagic activation due to proteosomal inhibition is mediated by BAG3. Analyses of BAG3 domain mutants suggest that the WW domain of BAG3 is crucial for the induction of autophagy. BAG3 overexpression also increased the interaction between Bcl2 and Beclin-1, instead of disrupting them, suggesting that BAG3 induced autophagy is Beclin-1 independent. These observations reveal a novel role for the WW domain of BAG3 in the regulation of autophagy. PMID:25204229

  8. An Improved Ensemble Learning Method for Classifying High-Dimensional and Imbalanced Biomedicine Data.

    PubMed

    Yu, Hualong; Ni, Jun

    2014-01-01

    Training classifiers on skewed data can be technically challenging tasks, especially if the data is high-dimensional simultaneously, the tasks can become more difficult. In biomedicine field, skewed data type often appears. In this study, we try to deal with this problem by combining asymmetric bagging ensemble classifier (asBagging) that has been presented in previous work and an improved random subspace (RS) generation strategy that is called feature subspace (FSS). Specifically, FSS is a novel method to promote the balance level between accuracy and diversity of base classifiers in asBagging. In view of the strong generalization capability of support vector machine (SVM), we adopt it to be base classifier. Extensive experiments on four benchmark biomedicine data sets indicate that the proposed ensemble learning method outperforms many baseline approaches in terms of Accuracy, F-measure, G-mean and AUC evaluation criterions, thus it can be regarded as an effective and efficient tool to deal with high-dimensional and imbalanced biomedical data.

  9. Influence of colorant and film thickness on thermal aging characteristics of oxo-biodegradable plastic bags

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leuterio, Giselle Lou D.; Pajarito, Bryan B.; Domingo, Carla Marie C.; Lim, Anna Patricia G.

    2016-05-01

    Functional, lightweight, strong and cheap plastic bags incorporated with pro-oxidants undergo accelerated degradation under exposure to heat and oxygen. This work investigated the effect of colorant and film thickness on thermal aging characteristics of commercial oxo-biodegradable plastic bag films at 70 °C. Degradation is monitored through changes in infrared absorption, weight, and tensile properties of thermally aged films. The presence of carbonyl band in infrared spectrum after 672 h of thermal aging supports the degradation behavior of exposed films. Results show that incorporation of colorant and increasing thickness exhibit low maximum weight uptake. Titanium dioxide as white colorant in films lowers the susceptibility of films to oxygen uptake but enhances physical degradation. Higher amount of pro-oxidant loading also contributes to faster degradation. Opaque films are characterized by low tensile strength and high elastic modulus. Decreasing the thickness contributes to lower tensile strength of films. Thermally aged films with colorant and low thickness promote enhanced degradation.

  10. Voluntary or Mandatory? The Valence Framing Effect of Attitudes Regarding HPV Vaccination.

    PubMed

    Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat; Walter, Nathan; Shir-Raz, Yaffa; Green, Manfred S

    2015-01-01

    This study addresses the issue of valence framing effect in the context of immunization, a preventive behavior often addressed by the equation of benefit versus risk. The authors examined how framing (support vs. oppose) the issue of HPV vaccination in Israel's immunization routine affects attitudes regarding vaccine regulations. The study also examined issue involvement as a moderator of valence framing effect. The results demonstrate that participants in the positive framing condition tended to express greater support for voluntary immunization than participants in the negative framing condition (77.5% and 48.5%, respectively). Among those who supported the mandatory HPV immunization policy, the negative framing condition was more prominent than the positive condition (51.5% and 22.5%, respectively). The analysis of interaction between valence framing and issue involvement showed that the latter tends to moderate the direct effect of framing on attitudes towards vaccination. Findings indicate that even attitudes towards such consequential preventive behaviors as vaccination could be affected by different framing of the issue, especially for those who are less involved. Implications of predilection for freedom of choice regarding vaccination are also discussed.

  11. Strain Gage Loads Calibration Testing with Airbag Support for the Gulfstream III SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed (SCRAT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lokos, William; Miller, Eric; Hudson, Larry; Holguin, Andrew; Neufeld, David; Haraguchi, Ronnie

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes the design and conduct of the strain gage load calibration ground test of the SubsoniC Research Aircraft Testbed, Gulfstream III aircraft, and the subsequent data analysis and its results. The goal of this effort was to create and validate multi-gage load equations for shear force, bending moment, and torque for two wing measurement stations. For some of the testing the aircraft was supported by three air bags in order to isolate the wing structure from extraneous load inputs through the main landing gear. Thirty-two strain gage bridges were installed on the left wing. Hydraulic loads were applied to the wing lower surface through a total of 16 load zones. Some dead weight load cases were applied to the upper wing surface using shot bags. Maximum applied loads reached 54,000 pounds.

  12. Acid Neutralizing Ability and Shear Bond Strength Using Orthodontic Adhesives Containing Three Different Types of Bioactive Glass.

    PubMed

    Yang, Song-Yi; Kim, Seong-Hwan; Choi, Se-Young; Kim, Kwang-Mahn

    2016-02-24

    The objective of the study was to compare the acid neutralizing ability and shear bond strength (SBS) of three different types of orthodontic adhesives containing bioactive glasses (BAGs). 45S5, 45S5F and S53P4 BAGs were prepared using the melting technique and ground to fine particles. Orthodontic adhesives containing three types of BAGs were prepared as follows: 52.5% 45S5 BAG + 17.5% glass (45S5_A); 61.25% 45S5 BAG + 8.75% glass (45S5_B); 52.5% 45S5F BAG + 17.5% glass (45S5F_A); 61.25% 45S5F BAG + 8.75% glass (45S5F_B); 52.5% S53P4 BAG + 17.5% glass (S53P4_A); 61.25% S53P4 BAG + 8.75% glass (S53P4_B); and 70.0% glass (BAG_0). To evaluate the acid neutralizing properties, specimens were immersed in lactic acid solution, and pH changes were measured. SBS was measured with a universal testing machine. For all of the BAG-containing adhesives, the one with 61.25% of BAG showed a significantly greater increase of pH than the one with 52.5% of BAG ( p < 0.05). Groups with 61.25% of BAG showed lower SBS than samples with 52.5% of BAG. 45S5F_A showed no significant difference of SBS compared to BAG_0 ( p > 0.05). The adhesive containing 61.25% of 45S5F BAG exhibited clinically acceptable SBS and acid neutralizing properties. Therefore, this composition is a suitable candidate to prevent white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment.

  13. Differential gene expression analysis of ‘Chili’ (Pyrus bretschneideri) fruit pericarp with two types of bagging treatments

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yuling; Zhang, Xinfu; Wang, Ran; Bai, Yingxin; Liu, Chenglian; Yuan, Yongbing; Yang, Yingjie; Yang, Shaolan

    2017-01-01

    Preharvest bagging is a simple, grower-friendly and safe physical protection technique commonly applied to many fruits, and the application of different fruit bags can have various effects. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the fruit quality effects of different bagging treatments, digital gene expression (DGE) profiling of bagged and unbagged ‘Chili’ (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.) pear pericarp during development was performed. Relative to unbagged fruit, a total of 3022 and 769 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the polyethylene (PE)-bagged and non-woven fabric-bagged fruit, respectively. DEGs annotated as photosynthesis-antenna proteins and photosynthesis metabolism pathway were upregulated in non-woven fabric-bagged fruit but downregulated in the PE-bagged fruit. Non-woven fabric bagging inhibited lignin synthesis in ‘Chili’ pear pericarp by downregulating DEGs involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis; consequently, the fruit lenticels in non-woven fabric-bagged fruit were smaller than those in the other treatments. The results indicate that the non-woven fabric bagging method has a positive effect on the appearance of ‘Chili’ pear fruit but neither of the two bagging treatments is conducive to the accumulation of soluble sugar. PMID:28280542

  14. The OPEnSampler: A Low-Cost, Low-Weight, Customizable and Modular Open Source 24-Unit Automatic Water Sampler

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelke, M.; Selker, J. S.; Udell, C.

    2017-12-01

    Reliable automatic water samplers allow repetitive sampling of various water sources over long periods of time without requiring a researcher on site, reducing human error as well as the monetary and time costs of traveling to the field, particularly when the scale of the sample period is hours or days. The high fixed cost of buying a commercial sampler with little customizability can be a barrier to research requiring repetitive samples, such as the analysis of septic water pre- and post-treatment. DIY automatic samplers proposed in the past sacrifice maximum volume, customizability, or scope of applications, among other features, in exchange for a lower net cost. The purpose of this project was to develop a low-cost, highly customizable, robust water sampler that is capable of sampling many sources of water for various analytes. A lightweight aluminum-extrusion frame was designed and assembled, chosen for its mounting system, strength, and low cost. Water is drawn from two peristaltic pumps through silicone tubing and directed into 24 foil-lined 250mL bags using solenoid valves. A programmable Arduino Uno microcontroller connected to a circuit board communicates with a battery operated real-time clock, initiating sampling stages. Period and volume settings are programmable in-field by the user via serial commands. The OPEnSampler is an open design, allowing the user to decide what components to use and the modular theme of the frame allows fast mounting of new manufactured or 3D printed components. The 24-bag system weighs less than 10kg and the material cost is under $450. Up to 6L of sample water can be drawn at a rate of 100mL/minute in either direction. Faster flowrates are achieved by using more powerful peristaltic pumps. Future design changes could allow a greater maximum volume by filling the unused space with more containers and adding GSM communications to send real time status information.

  15. BAG3 induces the sequestration of proteasomal clients into cytoplasmic puncta

    PubMed Central

    Minoia, Melania; Boncoraglio, Alessandra; Vinet, Jonathan; Morelli, Federica F; Brunsting, Jeanette F; Poletti, Angelo; Krom, Sabine; Reits, Eric; Kampinga, Harm H; Carra, Serena

    2014-01-01

    Eukaryotic cells use autophagy and the ubiquitin–proteasome system as their major protein degradation pathways. Upon proteasomal impairment, cells switch to autophagy to ensure proper clearance of clients (the proteasome-to-autophagy switch). The HSPA8 and HSPA1A cochaperone BAG3 has been suggested to be involved in this switch. However, at present it is still unknown whether and to what extent BAG3 can indeed reroute proteasomal clients to the autophagosomal pathway. Here, we show that BAG3 induces the sequestration of ubiquitinated clients into cytoplasmic puncta colabeled with canonical autophagy linkers and markers. Following proteasome inhibition, BAG3 upregulation significantly contributes to the compensatory activation of autophagy and to the degradation of the (poly)ubiquitinated proteins. BAG3 binding to the ubiquitinated clients occurs through the BAG domain, in competition with BAG1, another BAG family member, that normally directs ubiquitinated clients to the proteasome. Therefore, we propose that following proteasome impairment, increasing the BAG3/BAG1 ratio ensures the “BAG-instructed proteasomal to autophagosomal switch and sorting” (BIPASS). PMID:25046115

  16. BAG3 induces the sequestration of proteasomal clients into cytoplasmic puncta: implications for a proteasome-to-autophagy switch.

    PubMed

    Minoia, Melania; Boncoraglio, Alessandra; Vinet, Jonathan; Morelli, Federica F; Brunsting, Jeanette F; Poletti, Angelo; Krom, Sabine; Reits, Eric; Kampinga, Harm H; Carra, Serena

    2014-09-01

    Eukaryotic cells use autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system as their major protein degradation pathways. Upon proteasomal impairment, cells switch to autophagy to ensure proper clearance of clients (the proteasome-to-autophagy switch). The HSPA8 and HSPA1A cochaperone BAG3 has been suggested to be involved in this switch. However, at present it is still unknown whether and to what extent BAG3 can indeed reroute proteasomal clients to the autophagosomal pathway. Here, we show that BAG3 induces the sequestration of ubiquitinated clients into cytoplasmic puncta colabeled with canonical autophagy linkers and markers. Following proteasome inhibition, BAG3 upregulation significantly contributes to the compensatory activation of autophagy and to the degradation of the (poly)ubiquitinated proteins. BAG3 binding to the ubiquitinated clients occurs through the BAG domain, in competition with BAG1, another BAG family member, that normally directs ubiquitinated clients to the proteasome. Therefore, we propose that following proteasome impairment, increasing the BAG3/BAG1 ratio ensures the "BAG-instructed proteasomal to autophagosomal switch and sorting" (BIPASS).

  17. Dimerization Products of Chloroprene are Background Contaminants Emitted from ALTEF (Polyvinylidene Difluoride) Gas Sampling Bags.

    PubMed

    Kwak, Jae; Fan, Maomian; Martin, Jennifer A; Ott, Darrin K; Grigsby, Claude C

    2017-01-01

    Gas sampling bags have been used for collecting air samples. Tedlar bags are most commonly used, but bleed background chemicals such as N,N-dimethylacetamide and phenol. It is often necessary to remove the contaminant by flushing the bags with pure nitrogen or air. In this study, we identified four chloroprene dimerization products as background contaminants emitted from ALTEF bags that are made of a proprietary polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF). No monomer chloroprene was detected in the bags analyzed. All of the dimers gradually increased once bags were filled with nitrogen due to diffusion from the bag surface. Flushing the bags with nitrogen reduced their concentrations, but was not effective for removing the contaminants. When the bags that had been flushed with nitrogen 5 times were left for 24 h, they increased again, indicating that the dimers were constantly emitted from the ALTEF bag surface. To our knowledge, these compounds have never been demonstrated in ALTEF or other PVDF bags. Our finding indicates that ALTEF might be incorporated with Neoprene (chloroprene-based polymer) during its manufacturing process.

  18. Motivating Parent Support for Physical Activity: The Role of Framed Persuasive Messages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca; Stone, Rachael; Jarvis, Jocelyn; Latimer-Cheung, Amy

    2017-01-01

    Parent support for physical activity (PA) is a behavior unto itself that requires motivation. Persuasive messages may be one method for motivating parent support for their children's PA. Message framing is one strategy for optimizing the impact of messages. The current study examined the relative effectiveness of gain- versus loss-framed messages…

  19. Reductions in deaths in frontal crashes among right front passengers in vehicles equipped with passenger air bags.

    PubMed

    Braver, E R; Ferguson, S A; Greene, M A; Lund, A K

    1997-11-05

    Virtually all new cars now are equipped with passenger air bags. Determining whether passenger air bags are saving lives is important, particularly because passenger air bags have caused some deaths among children and adults. To assess the effectiveness of passenger air bags in reducing the risk of death in frontal crashes for right front passengers. Air bags are designed to protect occupants in frontal crashes. Using Fatality Analysis Reporting System data for calendar years 1992 through 1995, the relative frequency of right front passenger deaths in frontal vs nonfrontal fatal crashes was compared for cars with dual air bags and for cars with driver-only air bags. Odds of right front passengers dying in frontal compared with nonfrontal fatal crashes were computed for 1992 through 1995 model year cars with dual air bags and for cars with driver-only air bags. Percentage reductions in right front passenger deaths in dual air bag vehicles were estimated. Right front passenger fatalities were 18% lower than expected in frontal crashes of cars with dual air bags and 11% lower in all crashes. An estimated 73 fewer than expected right front passengers died in 1992 through 1995 model cars with dual air bags during 1992 through 1995. The risk of frontal crash death for right front passengers in cars with dual air bags was reduced 14% among those reported to be using belts and 23% among belt nonusers. Children younger than 10 years in cars with dual air bags had a 34% increased risk of dying in frontal crashes. Passenger air bags were associated with substantial reductions in fatalities among right front passengers in frontal crashes. However, more children are being killed than are being saved by air bags. Immediate countermeasures to reduce the dangers of air bags to children and adults are suggested.

  20. Study of the suitability of DUO plastic bags for the storage of dynamites.

    PubMed

    Sáiz, Jorge; Ferrando, José-Luis; Atoche, Juan-Carlos; García-Ruiz, Carmen

    2013-10-10

    A comparative study on the retentiveness of two plastic bags (DUO and Royal Pack) has been carried out by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. Two types of dynamites were packed in both plastic bags. The bags were placed into glass jars and headspace analyses were performed over 11 weeks to detect whether the volatile constituents of the dynamites were released from the bags. DUO plastic bags showed much better retentiveness than Royal Pack plastic bags. Ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN) was quickly detected in the headspace of the glass jars containing Royal Pack plastic bags after 1 week of storage. On the contrary, only a weak signal of EGDN, which was not detectable in the total ion chromatogram, was detected after 11 weeks of storage. Moreover, DUO plastic bags have shown less background signals than the Royal Pack bags, being the former bags much more suitable for the storage of dynamites. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. 42 CFR 84.88 - Breathing bag test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Apparatus § 84.88 Breathing bag test. (a) Breathing bags will be tested in an air atmosphere saturated with... Institute upon request. (d) The air within the bag(s) shall not contain more than 100 parts per million of... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Breathing bag test. 84.88 Section 84.88 Public...

  2. Catastrophic failures of freezing bags for cellular therapy products: description, cause, and consequences.

    PubMed

    Khuu, H M; Cowley, H; David-Ocampo, V; Carter, C S; Kasten-Sportes, C; Wayne, A S; Solomon, S R; Bishop, M R; Childs, R M; Read, E J

    2002-01-01

    Container integrity is critical for maintaining sterility of cryopreserved cellular therapy products. We investigated a series of catastrophic bag failures, first noticed in early 2001. Process records were reviewed for all PBPC and lymphocyte products cryopreserved in bags from January 2000 through April 2002. Patient charts were also reviewed. One thousand two hundred and four bags were removed from storage for infusion to 261 patients. All products had been cryopreserved in Cryocyte poly(ethylene co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) bags in either 10% DMSO or 5% DMSO and 6% pentastarch. Product volumes were 25-75 mL, and bags were stored with overwrap bags in a liquid nitrogen tank. From January 2000 to April 2001, failure occurred in 10 of 599 (1.7%) bags. From May 2001 to April 2002, 58 of 605 (9.6%) bags failed, typically with extensive fractures that were visible before thaw. Of the 58 that failed, 24 were salvaged by aseptic methods and infused to patients under antibiotic coverage; 10 of those 24 (42%) had positive bacterial cultures. Bag failures were not related to product type, cryoprotectant solution, liquid versus vapor storage, or freezer location. Failures were linked to use of four Cryocyte bag lots manufactured in 2000 and 2001. After replacing these lots with a 1999 Cryocyte lot and with KryoSafe polyfluoroethylene polyfluoropropylene (FEP) bags, no more failures occurred in 75 and 102 bags, respectively, thawed through April 2002. High rates of bag failure were associated with four Cryocyte bag lots. No serious adverse patient effects occurred, but bag failures led to microbial contamination, increased product preparation time, increased antibiotic use, and increased resource expenditure to replace products.

  3. Design and development of pressure and repressurization purge system for reusable space shuttle multilayer insulation system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1972-01-01

    The experimental determination of purge bag materials properties, development of purge bag manufacturing techniques, experimental evaluation of a subscale purge bag under simulated operating conditions and the experimental evaluation of the purge pin concept for MLI purging are discussed. The basic purge bag material, epoxy fiberglass bounded by skins of FEP Teflon, showed no significant permeability to helium flow under normal operating conditions. Purge bag small scale manufacturing tests were conducted to develop tooling and fabrication techniques for use in full scale bag manufacture. A purge bag material layup technique was developed whereby the two plys of epoxy fiberglass enclosed between skins of FEP Teflon are vacuum bag cured in an oven in a single operation. The material is cured on a tool with the shape of a purge bag half. Plastic tooling was selected for use in bag fabrication. A model purge bag 0.6 m in diameter was fabricated and subjected to a series of structural and environmental tests simulating various flight type environments. Pressure cycling tests at high (450 K) and low (200 K) temperature as well as acoustic loading tests were performed. The purge bag concept proved to be structurally sound and was used for the full scale bag detailed design model.

  4. BAG3 affects the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HSF1 upon heat stress.

    PubMed

    Jin, Young-Hee; Ahn, Sang-Gun; Kim, Soo-A

    2015-08-21

    Bcl2-associated athoanogene (BAG) 3 is a member of the co-chaperone BAG family. It is induced by stressful stimuli such as heat shock and heavy metals, and it regulates cellular adaptive responses against stressful conditions. In this study, we identified a novel role for BAG3 in regulating the nuclear shuttling of HSF1 during heat stress. The expression level of BAG3 was induced by heat stress in HeLa cells. Interestingly, BAG3 rapidly translocalized to the nucleus upon heat stress. Immunoprecipitation assay showed that BAG3 interacts with HSF1 under normal and stressed conditions and co-translocalizes to the nucleus upon heat stress. We also demonstrated that BAG3 interacts with HSF1 via its BAG domain. Over-expression of BAG3 down-regulates the level of nuclear HSF1 by exporting it to the cytoplasm during the recovery period. Depletion of BAG3 using siRNA results in reduced nuclear HSF1 and decreased Hsp70 promoter activity. BAG3 in MEF(hsf1(-/-)) cells actively translocalizes to the nucleus upon heat stress suggesting that BAG3 plays a key role in the processing of the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HSF1 upon heat stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Integrated seat frame and back support

    DOEpatents

    Martin, Leo

    1999-01-01

    An integrated seating device comprises a seat frame having a front end and a rear end. The seat frame has a double wall defining an exterior wall and an interior wall. The rear end of the seat frame has a slot cut therethrough both the exterior wall and the interior wall. The front end of the seat frame has a slot cut through just the interior wall thereof. A back support comprising a generally L shape has a horizontal member, and a generally vertical member which is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal member. The horizontal member is sized to be threaded through the rear slot and is fitted into the front slot. Welded slat means secures the back support to the seat frame to result in an integrated seating device.

  6. Field evaluation of the long-lasting treated storage bag, deltamethrin-incorporated (ZeroFly® Storage Bag) as a barrier to insect pest infestation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The deltamethrin-incorporated polypropylene (PP) bag, ZeroFly® Storage Bag, is a new technology to reduce postharvest losses caused by stored-product insect pests. ZeroFly bags filled with untreated maize were compared to PP bags filled with maize treated with Betallic Super (80 g pirimiphos-methyl ...

  7. Support and maneuvering apparatus for solar energy receivers

    DOEpatents

    Murphy, L.M.

    1988-07-28

    A support and maneuvering apparatus is disclosed for a solar energy receiving device adapted for receiving and concentrating solar energy and having a central axis extending through the center thereof. The apparatus includes a frame for mounting the perimeter of said solar energy receiving device. A support member extends along the central axis of the receiving device and has a base end passing through the center of the receiving device and an outer distal end adapted for carrying a solar energy receiving and conversion mechanism. A variable tension mechanism interconnects the support member with the frame to provide stiffening for the support member and the frame and to assist in the alignment of the frame to optimize the optical efficiency of the solar energy receiving device. A rotatable base is provided, and connecting members extend from the base for pivotable attachment to the frame at spaced positions therealong. Finally, an elevation assembly is connected to the receiving device for selectively pivoting the receiving about an axis defined between the attachment positions of the connecting members on the frame. 4 figs.

  8. Support and maneuvering apparatus for solar energy receivers

    DOEpatents

    Murphy, Lawrence M.

    1989-01-01

    A support and maneuvering apparatus is disclosed for a solar energy receiving device adpated for receiving and concentrating solar energy and having a central axis extending through the center thereof. The apparatus includes a frame for mounting the perimeter of said solar energy receiving device. A support member extends along the central axis of the receiving device and has a base end passing through the center of the receiving device and an outer distal end adapted for carrying a solar energy receiving and conversion mechanism. A variable tension mechanism interconnects the support member with the frame to provide stiffening for the support member and the frame and to assist in the alignment of the frame to optimize the optical efficiency of the solar energy receiving device. A rotatable base is provided, and connecting members extend from the base for pivotable attachment to the frame at spaced positions therealong. Finally, an elevation assembly is connected to the receiving device for selectively pivoting the receiving device about an axis defined between the attachment positions of the connecting members on the frame.

  9. Bag-1 and Bcl-2 gene transfer in malignant glioma: modulation of cell cycle regulation and apoptosis.

    PubMed

    Roth, W; Grimmel, C; Rieger, L; Strik, H; Takayama, S; Krajewski, S; Meyermann, R; Dichgans, J; Reed, J C; Weller, M

    2000-04-01

    Bag-1 is a heat shock 70 kDa (Hsp70)-binding protein that can collaborate with Bcl-2 in suppressing apoptosis under some conditions. Here, we report that 11 of 12 human glioma cell lines express Bag-1 protein in vitro. Moreover, 15 of 19 human glioblastomas expressed Bag-1 as assessed by immunohistochemistry in primary tumor specimens. To examine the biological effects of Bag-1 in glioma cells, we expressed Bag-1 or Bcl-2 transgenes in 2 human malignant glioma cell lines, LN-18 and LN-229. Bag-1 significantly slowed glioma cell growth and reduced clonogenicity of both cell lines in vitro. Coexpressed Bcl-2 abrogated these effects of Bag-1. Intracranial LN-229 glioma xenografts implanted into nude mice revealed a substantial growth advantage afforded by Bcl-2. Bag-1 had no such effect, either in the absence or presence of Bcl-2. Upon serum starvation in vitro, Bcl-2 prevented cell death whereas Bag-1 did not. Both Bcl-2 and Bag-1 slowed proliferation of serum-starved cells when expressed alone. Importantly, coexpression of Bcl-2 and Bag-1 provided a distinct growth advantage under conditions of serum starvation that is probably the result of (i) the death-preventing activity of Bcl-2 and (ii) the property of Bag-1 to overcome a Bcl-2-mediated enhancement of exit from the cell cycle. In contrast to these Bcl-2/Bag-1 interactions observed under serum starvation conditions, Bag-1 did not further enhance the strong protection from staurosporine-, CD95 (Fas/Apo1) ligand-, Apo2 ligand (TRAIL)- or chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis afforded by Bcl-2. Taken together, these results indicate a role for Bag-1/Bcl-2 interactions in providing a survival advantage to cancer cells in a deprived microenvironment that may be characteristic of ischemic/hypoxic tumors such as human glioblastoma multiforme, and suggest that Bcl-2/Bag-1 interactions also modulate cell proliferation.

  10. Bcl-2–associated athanogene 3 protects the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury

    PubMed Central

    Su, Feifei; Myers, Valerie D.; Knezevic, Tijana; Wang, JuFang; Gao, Erhe; Madesh, Muniswamy; Tahrir, Farzaneh G.; Gupta, Manish K.; Gordon, Jennifer; Rabinowitz, Joseph; Tilley, Douglas G.; Khalili, Kamel; Cheung, Joseph Y.

    2016-01-01

    Bcl-2–associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is an evolutionarily conserved protein expressed at high levels in the heart and the vasculature and in many cancers. While altered BAG3 expression has been associated with cardiac dysfunction, its role in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is unknown. To test the hypothesis that BAG3 protects the heart from reperfusion injury, in vivo cardiac function was measured in hearts infected with either recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 9–expressing (rAAV9-expressing) BAG3 or GFP and subjected to I/R. To elucidate molecular mechanisms by which BAG3 protects against I/R injury, neonatal mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes (NMVCs) in which BAG3 levels were modified by adenovirus expressing (Ad-expressing) BAG3 or siBAG3 were exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). H/R significantly reduced NMVC BAG3 levels, which were associated with enhanced expression of apoptosis markers, decreased expression of autophagy markers, and reduced autophagy flux. The deleterious effects of H/R on apoptosis and autophagy were recapitulated by knockdown of BAG3 with Ad-siBAG3 and were rescued by Ad-BAG3. In vivo, treatment of mice with rAAV9-BAG3 prior to I/R significantly decreased infarct size and improved left ventricular function when compared with mice receiving rAAV9-GFP and improved markers of autophagy and apoptosis. These findings suggest that BAG3 may provide a therapeutic target in patients undergoing reperfusion after myocardial infarction. PMID:27882354

  11. Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is an enhancer of small heat shock protein turnover via activation of autophagy in the heart.

    PubMed

    Inomata, Yui; Nagasaka, Shouta; Miyate, Kazuki; Goto, Yuta; Hino, Chizuru; Toukairin, Chihiro; Higashio, Rieko; Ishida, Kinji; Saino, Tomoyuki; Hirose, Masamichi; Tsumura, Hideki; Sanbe, Atsushi

    2018-02-19

    Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is strongly expressed in both cardiac and skeletal muscle. A recent study showed that BAG3 may play a protective role in muscles. Little is known, however, regarding the detailed role of BAG3 in cardiac muscle. To better understand the functional role of cardiac BAG3 in the heart, we generated transgenic (TG) mice that overexpress BAG3. A decrease in fractional shortening, and the induction of cardiac atrial natriuretic peptide, were observed in BAG3 TG mice. Moreover, a marked reduction in the protein level of small HSPs was detected in BAG3 TG mouse hearts. We analyzed the cardiac small HSP levels when either the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) or the autophagy system (AS) was inhibited in BAG3 TG mice. The protein turnovers of small HSPs by the AS were activated in BAG3 TG mouse hearts. Thus, BAG3 is critical for the protein turnover of small HSPs via activation of autophagy in the heart. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Bagworm bags as portable armour against invertebrate predators.

    PubMed

    Sugiura, Shinji

    2016-01-01

    Some animals have evolved the use of environmental materials as "portable armour" against natural enemies. Portable bags that bagworm larvae (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) construct using their own silk and plant parts are generally believed to play an important role as a physical barrier against natural enemies. However, no experimental studies have tested the importance of bags as portable armour against predators. To clarify the defensive function, I studied the bagworm Eumeta minuscula and a potential predator Calosoma maximoviczi (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Under laboratory conditions, all bagworm larvae were attacked by carabid adults, but successfully defended themselves against the predators' mandibles using their own bags. The portable bags, which are composed mainly of host plant twigs, may function as a physical barrier against predator mandibles. To test this hypothesis, I removed the twig bags and replaced some with herb leaf bags; all bag-removed larvae were easily caught and predated by carabids, while all bag-replaced larvae could successfully defend themselves against carabid attacks. Therefore, various types of portable bags can protect bagworm larvae from carabid attacks. This is the first study to test the defensive function of bagworm portable bags against invertebrate predators.

  13. BAG3 regulates contractility and Ca(2+) homeostasis in adult mouse ventricular myocytes.

    PubMed

    Feldman, Arthur M; Gordon, Jennifer; Wang, JuFang; Song, Jianliang; Zhang, Xue-Qian; Myers, Valerie D; Tilley, Douglas G; Gao, Erhe; Hoffman, Nicholas E; Tomar, Dhanendra; Madesh, Muniswamy; Rabinowitz, Joseph; Koch, Walter J; Su, Feifei; Khalili, Kamel; Cheung, Joseph Y

    2016-03-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is a 575 amino acid anti-apoptotic protein that is constitutively expressed in the heart. BAG3 mutations, including mutations leading to loss of protein, are associated with familial cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, BAG3 levels have been found to be reduced in end-stage non-familial failing myocardium. In contrast to neonatal myocytes in which BAG3 is found in the cytoplasm and involved in protein quality control and apoptosis, in adult mouse left ventricular (LV) myocytes BAG3 co-localized with Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and L-type Ca(2+) channels in the sarcolemma and t-tubules. BAG3 co-immunoprecipitated with β1-adrenergic receptor, L-type Ca(2+) channels and phospholemman. To simulate decreased BAG3 protein levels observed in human heart failure, we targeted BAG3 by shRNA (shBAG3) in adult LV myocytes. Reducing BAG3 by 55% resulted in reduced contraction and [Ca(2+)]i transient amplitudes in LV myocytes stimulated with isoproterenol. L-type Ca(2+) current (ICa) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) content but not Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchange current (INaCa) or SR Ca(2+) uptake were reduced in isoproterenol-treated shBAG3 myocytes. Forskolin or dibutyryl cAMP restored ICa amplitude in shBAG3 myocytes to that observed in WT myocytes, consistent with BAG3 having effects upstream and at the level of the receptor. Resting membrane potential and action potential amplitude were unaffected but APD50 and APD90 were prolonged in shBAG3 myocytes. Protein levels of Ca(2+) entry molecules and other important excitation-contraction proteins were unchanged in myocytes with lower BAG3. Our findings that BAG3 is localized at the sarcolemma and t-tubules while modulating myocyte contraction and action potential duration through specific interaction with the β1-adrenergic receptor and L-type Ca(2+) channel provide novel insight into the role of BAG3 in cardiomyopathies and increased arrhythmia risks in heart failure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. BAG3 regulates contractility and Ca2+ homeostasis in adult mouse ventricular myocytes

    PubMed Central

    Feldman, Arthur M.; Gordon, Jennifer; Wang, JuFang; Song, Jianliang; Zhang, Xue-Qian; Myers, Valerie D.; Tilley, Douglas G.; Gao, Erhe; Hoffman, Nicholas E.; Tomar, Dhanendra; Madesh, Muniswamy; Rabinowitz, Joseph; Koch, Walter J.; Su, Feifei; Khalili, Kamel; Cheung, Joseph Y.

    2016-01-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is a 575 amino acid anti-apoptotic protein that is constitutively expressed in the heart. BAG3 mutations, including mutations leading to loss of protein, are associated with familial cardiomyopathy. Furthermore, BAG3 levels have been found to be reduced in end-stage non-familial failing myocardium. In contrast to neonatal myocytes in which BAG3 is found in the cytoplasm and involved in protein quality control and apoptosis, in adult mouse left ventricular (LV) myocytes BAG3 co-localized with Na+-K+-ATPase and L-type Ca2+ channels in the sarcolemma and t-tubules. BAG3 co-immunoprecipitated with β1-adrenergic receptor, L-type Ca2+ channels and phospholemman. To simulate decreased BAG3 protein levels observed in human heart failure, we targeted BAG3 by shRNA (shBAG3) in adult LV myocytes. Reducing BAG3 by 55% resulted in reduced contraction and [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes in LV myocytes stimulated with isoproterenol. L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ content but not Na+/Ca2+ exchange current (INaCa) or SR Ca2+ uptake were reduced in isoproterenol-treated shBAG3 myocytes. Forskolin or dibutyrl cAMP restored ICa amplitude in shBAG3 myocytes to that observed in WT myocytes, consistent with BAG3 having effects upstream and at the level of the receptor. Resting membrane potential and action potential amplitude were unaffected but APD50 and APD90 were prolonged in shBAG3 myocytes. Protein levels of Ca2+ entry molecules and other important excitation-contraction proteins were unchanged in myocytes with lower BAG3. Our findings that BAG3 is localized at the sarcolemma and t-tubules while modulating myocyte contraction and action potential duration through specific interaction with the β1-adrenergic receptor and L-type Ca2+ channel provide novel insight into the role of BAG3 in cardiomyopathies and increased arrhythmia risks in heart failure. PMID:26796036

  15. A new possible picture of the hadron structure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pokrovsky, Yury E.

    A new chiral-scale invariant version of the bag model (CSB) is developed and applied to calculations of masses and radii for single bag states. The mass formula of the CSB model contains no free parameters and connects masses and radii of the bags with fundamental QCD scales, namely with {lambda}{sub QCD}, , , and quark masses. For high angular momentum states the CSB model well describes hadron Regge trajectories and predicts thin flux tubes with R{sub tube}{approx_equal}0.25 fm close to the small tube radii introduced a posteriori in modern models. For low angular momentum states this model predicts smallmore » radii of the bags R{sub bag}{approx_equal}0.25 fm close to the radii associated with constituent quarks. Masses of the lowest angular momentum bags are obtained close to the data for well known hadron resonances ({pi}(1300), {omega}(1420), N(1440),{delta}(1600), etc.). These resonances are predicted to be almost single bag states. But ground states of SU(3) hadrons (N(940), {pi}(140), etc.) are treated as strongly bounded multi bag states--BagBag-mesons, and BagBagBag-baryons like in the old Fermi, Yang, and Sakata models. As well, this model predicts the low mass excitations of SU(3) hadrons newly observed for nucleons at the following masses 1004, 1044, and 1094 MeV.« less

  16. Dark matter admixed strange quark stars in the Starobinsky model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopes, Ilídio; Panotopoulos, Grigoris

    2018-01-01

    We compute the mass-to-radius profiles for dark matter admixed strange quark stars in the Starobinsky model of modified gravity. For quark matter, we assume the MIT bag model, while self-interacting dark matter inside the star is modeled as a Bose-Einstein condensate with a polytropic equation of state. We numerically integrate the structure equations in the Einstein frame, adopting the two-fluid formalism, and we treat the curvature correction term nonperturbatively. The effects on the properties of the stars of the amount of dark matter as well as the higher curvature term are investigated. We find that strange quark stars (in agreement with current observational constraints) with the highest masses are equally affected by dark matter and modified gravity.

  17. Effectiveness of methyl bromide as a cargo fumigant for brown treesnakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Savarie, P.J.; Wood, W.S.; Rodda, G.H.; Bruggers, R.L.; Engeman, R.M.

    2005-01-01

    The effectiveness of methyl bromide as a fumigant for brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) management was evaluated on Guam. Eighteen snakes in secured cloth bags were randomly positioned in a 47.7-m3 tarpaulin-covered cargo container for each fumigation treatment. Methyl bromide treatments tested were: 24 g m−3 and and 12 g m−3, both for 2-h and 1-h exposures. All treatments, except for 12 g m−3 for 1 h, resulted in 100% mortality. Two-hour exposures to methyl bromide at 24 and 12 g m−3 appear to be effective in killing brown treesnakes within reasonable time-frames for shippers under Guam field conditions.

  18. Zebrafish models of BAG3 myofibrillar myopathy suggest a toxic gain of function leading to BAG3 insufficiency.

    PubMed

    Ruparelia, Avnika A; Oorschot, Viola; Vaz, Raquel; Ramm, Georg; Bryson-Richardson, Robert J

    2014-12-01

    Mutations in the co-chaperone Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) can cause myofibrillar myopathy (MFM), a childhood-onset progressive muscle disease, characterized by the formation of protein aggregates and myofibrillar disintegration. In contrast to other MFM-causing proteins, BAG3 has no direct structural role, but regulates autophagy and the degradation of misfolded proteins. To investigate the mechanism of disease in BAG3-related MFM, we expressed wild-type BAG3 or the dominant MFM-causing BAG3 (BAG3(P209L)) in zebrafish. Expression of the mutant protein results in the formation of aggregates that contain wild-type BAG3. Through the stimulation and inhibition of autophagy, we tested the prevailing hypothesis that impaired autophagic function is responsible for the formation of protein aggregates. Contrary to the existing theory, our studies reveal that inhibition of autophagy is not sufficient to induce protein aggregation. Expression of the mutant protein, however, did not induce myofibrillar disintegration and we therefore examined the effect of knocking down Bag3 function. Loss of Bag3 resulted in myofibrillar disintegration, but not in the formation of protein aggregates. Remarkably, BAG3(P209L) is able to rescue the myofibrillar disintegration phenotype, further demonstrating that its function is not impaired. Together, our knockdown and overexpression experiments identify a mechanism whereby BAG3(P209L) aggregates form, gradually reducing the pool of available BAG3, which eventually results in BAG3 insufficiency and myofibrillar disintegration. This mechanism is consistent with the childhood onset and progressive nature of MFM and suggests that reducing aggregation through enhanced degradation or inhibition of nucleation would be an effective therapy for this disease.

  19. Effects of multilayered bags vs ethylvinyl-acetate bags on oxidation of parenteral nutrition.

    PubMed

    Balet, Antònia; Cardona, Daniel; Jané, Salvador; Molins-Pujol, Antoni M; Sánchez Quesada, José Luís; Gich, Ignasi; Mangues, Ma Antònia

    2004-01-01

    We evaluate the effects of multilayered bags vs ethylvinyl-acetate bags on peroxidate formation of various emulsions for all-in-one total parenteral nutrition solutions (TPN) during storage. Twenty-four parenteral nutritions were prepared with 4 commercial i.v. lipid emulsions (Soyacal 20%, Grifols; Intralipid 20%, Fresenius-Kabi; Lipofundina 20%, Braun; and Clinoleic 20%, Clintex) and 2 different bags (multilayered [ML] bag, Miramed; and 1 ethylvinyl-acetate [EVA] bag, Miramed). Each kind of TPN was prepared in triplicate. Samples were taken at 3 different times: immediately after preparation (time 0), after 6 days at 4 degrees C and 48 hours at 37 degrees C (time 1), and finally after a total of 14 days at 37 degrees C (time 2). Oxidation of TPN was evaluated by analysis of hydroperoxides by ferrous oxidation-xylenol orange (FOX) reactive, lipoperoxides by thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), alpha-tocopherol by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid by HPLC. TPN admixtures in ML bag showed less oxidation evaluated by peroxide determination using FOX than EVA bag. Lipoperoxides by TBARS did not show significant differences between 2 bags. Ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid disappeared in EVA bags at time 1. No important differences were found in alpha-tocopherol content. Multilayered bags minimize oxidation.

  20. How have changes in air bag designs affected frontal crash mortality?

    PubMed

    Braver, Elisa R; Shardell, Michelle; Teoh, Eric R

    2010-07-01

    To determine whether front air bag changes have affected occupant protection, frontal crash mortality rates were compared among front outboard occupants in vehicles having certified-advanced air bags (latest generation of air bags) or sled-certified air bags with and without advanced features. Poisson marginal structural models were used to calculate standardized mortality rate ratios (MRRs) for front occupants per registered vehicle. Vehicle age-corrected mortality rates were lower for drivers of vehicles having sled-certified air bags with advanced features than for drivers having sled-certified air bags without advanced features (MRR = 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81-0.95), including unbelted men and drivers younger than 60. The mortality rate was higher, though not statistically significant, for drivers having certified-advanced air bags compared with sled-certified air bags with advanced features (vehicle age-corrected MRR = 1.13; 95% CI: 0.97-1.32) and significantly higher for belted drivers (MRR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04-1.39). Advanced air bag features appeared protective for some occupants. However, increased mortality rates among belted drivers of vehicles having certified-advanced air bags relative to those having sled-certified air bags with advanced features suggest that further study is needed to identify any potential problems with requirements for certification. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Overexpressed BAG3 is a potential therapeutic target in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Huayuan; Wu, Wei; Fu, Yuan; Shen, Wenyi; Miao, Kourong; Hong, Min; Xu, Wei; Young, Ken H; Liu, Peng; Li, Jianyong

    2014-03-01

    Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), a member of BAG family, is shown to sustain cell survival and underlie resistance to chemotherapy in human neoplastic cells. We aimed to determine the exact role and underlying mechanisms of BAG3 in human chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). One hundred human CLL samples and 20 normal B-cell samples from healthy controls were collected. We measured the BAG3 expression in these cells and explored its relationship with known prognostic factors for CLL. The roles of BAG3 in cell apoptosis and migration were evaluated by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of BAG3 in primary CLL cells. We showed that BAG3 expression level was increased in CLL cells compared with normal B cells. Moreover, BAG3 expression was particularly upregulated in CD38 positive, unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain patients and those with lymphadenopathy and/or splenomegaly. Importantly, patients with increased BAG3 expression level have poor overall survival in subgroups with positive ZAP-70 or those without any "p53 abnormality". In addition, knocking down of BAG3 expression resulted in increased apoptotic ratio and decreased migration in primary CLL cells. Our data indicate that BAG3 is a marker of poor prognostic in specific subgroups of CLL patients and may be a potential therapeutic target for this disease.

  2. Ammonia Diffusion through Nalophan Double Bags: Effect of Concentration Gradient Reduction

    PubMed Central

    Capelli, Laura; Boiardi, Emanuela; Del Rosso, Renato

    2014-01-01

    The ammonia loss through Nalophan bags has been studied. The losses observed for storage conditions and times as allowed by the reference standard for dynamic olfactometry (EN 13725:2003) indicate that odour concentration values due to the presence of small molecules may be significantly underestimated if samples are not analysed immediately after sampling. A diffusion model was used in order to study diffusion through the bag. The study discusses the effect of concentration gradient (ΔC) across the polymeric membrane of the analyte. The ΔC was controlled by using a setup bag called “double bags.” Experimental data show a reduction of ammonia percentage losses due to the effect of the external multibarrier. The expedient of the double bag loaded with the same gas mixture allows a reduced diffusion of ammonia into the inner bag. Comparing the inner bag losses with those of the single bag stored in the same conditions (T, P, u) and with equal geometrical characteristics (S/V, z), it was observed that the inner bag of the double bag displays a 16% loss while the single bag displays a 37% loss. Acting on the ΔC it is possible to achieve a gross reduction of 57% in the ammonia leakage due to diffusion. PMID:25506608

  3. When are support and opposition not opposites? Depth of processing as a moderator of the valence-framing effect.

    PubMed

    Bizer, George Y; Žeželj, Iris L; Luguri, Jamie B

    2013-03-01

    Prior research has demonstrated the valence-framing effect, in which leading people to frame a preference negatively (e.g., 'I oppose Romney') yields stronger attitudes than does leading people to frame that same preference positively (e.g., 'I support Obama'). Three studies tested whether or not depth of processing (as operationalized by manipulations of motivation and ability to cognitively process) moderate the effect. The valence-framing effect was replicated, such that opposers manifested stronger attitudes than did supporters, but only when attitudes were relevant to the participants (Experiments 1 and 3), and when participants were not under cognitive load (Experiment 2). Our results thus identify depth of processing as an important moderator of the valence-framing effect and provide potential insight into the effect's mechanism. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

  4. Impact of storage environment on the efficacy of hermetic storage bags.

    PubMed

    Lane, Brett; Woloshuk, Charles

    2017-05-01

    Small hermetic bags (50 and 100 kg capacities) used by smallholder farmers in several African countries have proven to be a low-cost solution for preventing storage losses due to insects. The complexity of postharvest practices and the need for ideal drying conditions, especially in the Sub-Sahara, has led to questions about the efficacy of the hermetic bags for controlling spoilage by fungi and the potential for mycotoxin accumulation. This study compared the effects of environmental temperature and relative humidity at two locations (Indiana and Arkansas) on dry maize (14% moisture content) in woven polypropylene bags and Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) hermetic bags. Temperature and relative humidity data loggers placed in the middle of each bag provided profiles of environmental influences on stored grain at the two locations. The results indicated that the PICS bags prevented moisture penetration over the three-month storage period. In contrast, maize in the woven bags increased in moisture content. For both bag types, no evidence was obtained indicating the spread of Aspergillus flavus from colonized maize to adjacent non-colonized maize. However, other storage fungi did increase during storage. The number of infected kernels did not increase in the PICS bags, but the numbers in the woven bags increased significantly. The warmer environment in Arkansas resulted in significantly higher insect populations in the woven bags than in Indiana. Insects in the PICS bags remained low at both locations. This study demonstrates that the PICS hermetic bags are effective at blocking the effects of external humidity fluctuations as well as the spread of fungi to non-infected kernels.

  5. Performance comparison of plastic shopping bags in modern and traditional retail

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Radini, F. A.; Wulandari, R.; Nasiri, S. J. A.; Winarto, D. A.

    2017-07-01

    Followed by implementation of paid plastic bag policy in Indonesia’s modern and traditional retail, community question related to plastic shopping bag performance arise. But, there is limited information about it. Therefore, the assessment of the performance to compare between plastic shopping bags in modern retail and traditional retail should be interesting. The observation performance of plastic shopping bag were weight holding capacity, tear resistant and elongation. This performance were tested using Universal Testing Machine. Physical and physico-chemical properties also identified to determine factor affecting the performance of plastic shopping bag. The physical properties were analysed using visual and thickness gauge to see the colour and measure the thickness. The analysis of physico-chemical properties were carried out using DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), TGA (Thermal Gravimetry Analysis), Furnace and FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy) to identify the materials, also its melting and decomposition temperature. The result showed that the performance difference between modern retail plastic bag with traditional retail plastic bag appears only in the performance of elongation. The elongation of modern retail plastic bag is 121 - 413%, while traditional has 170 - 609%. According to physico-chemical test result, modern retail and traditional retail plastic bag contain polyethylene as main material and has melting temperature in the range of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) melting temperature. However, modern retail plastic bag has 18.31 - 33.87% of inorganic filler percentage, whereas the traditional retail plastic bag has 0.35 - 9.85%. This inorganic filler percentage probably a contributing factor in the elongation performance difference between modern retail plastic bag with traditional retail plastic bag.

  6. Bcl2-associated Athanogene 3 Interactome Analysis Reveals a New Role in Modulating Proteasome Activity*

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Ying; Yang, Li-Na; Cheng, Li; Tu, Shun; Guo, Shu-Juan; Le, Huang-Ying; Xiong, Qian; Mo, Ran; Li, Chong-Yang; Jeong, Jun-Seop; Jiang, Lizhi; Blackshaw, Seth; Bi, Li-Jun; Zhu, Heng; Tao, Sheng-Ce; Ge, Feng

    2013-01-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), a member of the BAG family of co-chaperones, plays a critical role in regulating apoptosis, development, cell motility, autophagy, and tumor metastasis and in mediating cell adaptive responses to stressful stimuli. BAG3 carries a BAG domain, a WW domain, and a proline-rich repeat (PXXP), all of which mediate binding to different partners. To elucidate BAG3's interaction network at the molecular level, we employed quantitative immunoprecipitation combined with knockdown and human proteome microarrays to comprehensively profile the BAG3 interactome in humans. We identified a total of 382 BAG3-interacting proteins with diverse functions, including transferase activity, nucleic acid binding, transcription factors, proteases, and chaperones, suggesting that BAG3 is a critical regulator of diverse cellular functions. In addition, we characterized interactions between BAG3 and some of its newly identified partners in greater detail. In particular, bioinformatic analysis revealed that the BAG3 interactome is strongly enriched in proteins functioning within the proteasome-ubiquitination process and that compose the proteasome complex itself, suggesting that a critical biological function of BAG3 is associated with the proteasome. Functional studies demonstrated that BAG3 indeed interacts with the proteasome and modulates its activity, sustaining cell survival and underlying resistance to therapy through the down-modulation of apoptosis. Taken as a whole, this study expands our knowledge of the BAG3 interactome, provides a valuable resource for understanding how BAG3 affects different cellular functions, and demonstrates that biologically relevant data can be harvested using this kind of integrated approach. PMID:23824909

  7. An investigation of red blood cell concentrate quality during storage in paediatric-sized polyvinylchloride bags plasticized with alternatives to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP).

    PubMed

    Serrano, K; Levin, E; Chen, D; Hansen, A; Turner, T R; Kurach, J; Reidel, A; Boecker, W F; Acker, J P; Devine, D V

    2016-04-01

    Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is a blood bag plasticizer. It is also a toxin, raising concerns for vulnerable populations, for example, neonates and infants. Here, the in vitro quality of red cell concentrates (RCC) stored in paediatric bags formulated with alternative plasticizers to DEHP was compared. RCC were pooled and split into polyvinylchloride (PVC)/DEHP, PVC/1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH) or PVC/butyryl trihexyl citrate (BTHC) bags. Quality was assessed on storage days 5, 21, 35 and 43. Metabolism differed among the bags: pCO2 levels were lowest and pO2 were highest in BTHC bags. Glucose consumption and lactate production suggested higher metabolic rates in BTHC bags. ATP levels were best maintained in DINCH bags (day 43 mean level: 2·86 ± 0·29 μmol/g Hb). RCC in BTHC bags had the greatest potassium release (54·6 ± 3·0 mm on day 43). From day 21, haemolysis was higher in BTHC bags (P < 0·01) and by day 43 had exceeded 0·8% (0·85 ± 0·10%). RCC in BTHC bags showed more microparticle formation than RCC in DEHP or DINCH bags. The results suggest that the BTHC formulation used was detrimental to RBC quality. DINCH bags could be a viable alternative to DEHP: they outperformed DEHP bags energetically, with better maintenance of ATP levels. © 2015 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

  8. Putting a Frame on Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dexter, Robin R.; Berube, William B.; Perry, Suzanne M.; Stader, David L.

    2005-01-01

    Teachers are learning more about the theories that support conceptual frameworks as a learning tool. A literature review revealed that frame theory is an accepted principle used to describe how the brain organizes experiences and new information. Frame theory supports the understanding that individuals can organize their thoughts to better…

  9. Distinct Transcriptional Profiles and Phenotypes Exhibited by Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolates Related to the 2006 Spinach-Associated Outbreak

    PubMed Central

    Kyle, Jennifer L.; Huynh, Steven; Carter, Michelle Q.; Brandl, Maria T.; Mandrell, Robert E.

    2012-01-01

    In 2006, a large outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was linked to the consumption of ready-to-eat bagged baby spinach in the United States. The likely sources of preharvest spinach contamination were soil and water that became contaminated via cattle or feral pigs in the proximity of the spinach fields. In this study, we compared the transcriptional profiles of 12 E. coli O157:H7 isolates that possess the same two-enzyme pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile and are related temporally or geographically to the above outbreak. These E. coli O157:H7 isolates included three clinical isolates, five isolates from separate bags of spinach, and single isolates from pasture soil, river water, cow feces, and a feral pig. The three clinical isolates and two spinach bag isolates grown in cultures to stationary phase showed decreased expression of many σS-regulated genes, including gadA, osmE, osmY, and katE, compared with the soil, water, cow, feral pig, and the other three spinach bag isolates. The decreased expression of these σS-regulated genes was correlated with the decreased resistance of the isolates to acid stress, osmotic stress, and oxidative stress but increases in scavenging ability. We also observed that intraisolate variability was much more pronounced among the clinical and spinach isolates than among the environmental isolates. Together, the transcriptional and phenotypic differences of the spinach outbreak isolates of E. coli O157:H7 support the hypothesis that some variants within the spinach bag retained characteristics of the preharvest isolates, whereas other variants with altered gene expression and phenotypes infected the human host. PMID:22081562

  10. Automatic classification and detection of clinically relevant images for diabetic retinopathy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xinyu; Li, Baoxin

    2008-03-01

    We proposed a novel approach to automatic classification of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) images and retrieval of clinically-relevant DR images from a database. Given a query image, our approach first classifies the image into one of the three categories: microaneurysm (MA), neovascularization (NV) and normal, and then it retrieves DR images that are clinically-relevant to the query image from an archival image database. In the classification stage, the query DR images are classified by the Multi-class Multiple-Instance Learning (McMIL) approach, where images are viewed as bags, each of which contains a number of instances corresponding to non-overlapping blocks, and each block is characterized by low-level features including color, texture, histogram of edge directions, and shape. McMIL first learns a collection of instance prototypes for each class that maximizes the Diverse Density function using Expectation- Maximization algorithm. A nonlinear mapping is then defined using the instance prototypes and maps every bag to a point in a new multi-class bag feature space. Finally a multi-class Support Vector Machine is trained in the multi-class bag feature space. In the retrieval stage, we retrieve images from the archival database who bear the same label with the query image, and who are the top K nearest neighbors of the query image in terms of similarity in the multi-class bag feature space. The classification approach achieves high classification accuracy, and the retrieval of clinically-relevant images not only facilitates utilization of the vast amount of hidden diagnostic knowledge in the database, but also improves the efficiency and accuracy of DR lesion diagnosis and assessment.

  11. Efficacy, Safety, and Preparation of Standardized Parenteral Nutrition Regimens: Three-Chamber Bags vs Compounded Monobags-A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial.

    PubMed

    Yu, Jianchun; Wu, Guohao; Tang, Yun; Ye, Yingjiang; Zhang, Zhongtao

    2017-08-01

    Parenteral nutrition (PN) covering the need for carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids can either be compounded from single nutrients or purchased as an industrially manufactured ready-to-use regimen. This study compares a commercially available 3-chamber bag (study group) with a conventionally compounded monobag regarding nutrition efficacy, safety, and regimen preparation time. This prospective, randomized, single-blind study was conducted at 5 Chinese hospitals from October 2010-October 2011. Postsurgical patients requiring PN for at least 6 days were randomly assigned to receive the study or control regimen. Plasma concentrations of prealbumin and C-reactive protein (CRP), regimen preparation time, length of hospital stay (LOS), 30-day mortality, safety laboratory parameters, and adverse events (AEs) were recorded. In total, 240 patients (121 vs 119 in study and control groups) participated in this study. Changes in prealbumin concentrations during nutrition support (Δ Prealb(StudyGroup) = 2.65 mg/dL, P < .001 vs Δ Prealb(ControlGroup) = 0.27 mg/dL, P = .606) and CRP values were comparable. Regimen preparation time was significantly reduced in the study group by the use of 3-chamber bags (t (StudyGroup) = 4.90 ± 4.41 minutes vs t (ControlGroup) = 12.13 ± 5.62 minutes, P < .001). No differences were detected for LOS, 30-day mortality, safety laboratory parameters, and postoperative AEs (37 vs 38 in study and control groups). The PN regimen provided by the 3-chamber bag was comparable to the compounded regimen and safe in use. Time savings during regimen preparation indicates that use of 3-chamber bags simplifies the process of regimen preparation.

  12. Thrust-isolating mounting. [characteristics of support for loads mounted in spacecraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wetzler, D. G. (Inventor)

    1974-01-01

    A supporting frame for a load, such as one or more telescopes, is isolated from all multi-gravitational forces, which will be developed within that load as that load is propelled into space, by using a shroud to fully and solidly hold that load until that load has been propelled into space. Thereafter, that shroud will be jettisoned; and then supports which are on, and which are movable with, that load will have surfaces thereon moved into supporting engagement with complementary surfaces on that supporting frame to enable that supporting frame and those supports to fully and solidly hold that load.

  13. Reduction of plastic carrier bag use: An analysis of alternatives in Israel.

    PubMed

    Ayalon, Ofira; Goldrath, Tal; Rosenthal, Gad; Grossman, Michal

    2009-07-01

    Plastic carrier bags have been drawing the attention of the public and politicians. Different policy measures to reduce the environmental burden of these bags have been implemented and more are planned. The research analyzed the actual environmental aspects of consumption and use of plastic carrier bags and assessed the effectiveness of the proposed regulation in Israel. Since plastic bags are provided free of charge, people have a tendency to use these bags excessively, therefore a rigorous educational program should address this trend. However, the environmental load imposed by the bags is more a politically correct issue than an actual environmental hazard, and therefore the means for reducing their use should not include a high levy or total elimination of these bags.

  14. Comparison of cryopreservation bags for hematopoietic progenitor cells using a WBC-enriched product.

    PubMed

    Dijkstra-Tiekstra, Margriet J; Hazelaar, Sandra; Gkoumassi, Effimia; Weggemans, Margienus; de Wildt-Eggen, Janny

    2015-04-01

    Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) are stored in cryopreservation bags that are resistant to liquid nitrogen. Since Cryocyte bags of Baxter (B-bags) are no longer available, an alternative bag was sought. Also, the influence of freezing volume was studied. Miltenyi Biotec (MB)- and MacoPharma (MP)-bags passed the integrity tests without failure. Comparing MB- and MP-bags with B-bags, no difference in WBC recovery or viability was found when using a WBC-enriched product as a "dummy" HPC product. Further, a freezing volume of 30 mL resulted in better WBC recovery and viability than 60 mL. Additonal studies using real HPC might be necessary. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Some Insights into Analytical Bias Involved in the Application of Grab Sampling for Volatile Organic Compounds: A Case Study against Used Tedlar Bags

    PubMed Central

    Ghosh, Samik; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Sohn, Jong Ryeul

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we have examined the patterns of VOCs released from used Tedlar bags that were once used for the collection under strong source activities. In this way, we attempted to account for the possible bias associated with the repetitive use of Tedlar bags. To this end, we selected the bags that were never heated. All of these target bags were used in ambient temperature (typically at or below 30°C). These bags were also dealt carefully to avoid any mechanical abrasion. This study will provide the essential information regarding the interaction between VOCs and Tedlar bag materials as a potential source of bias in bag sampling approaches. PMID:22235175

  16. Some insights into analytical bias involved in the application of grab sampling for volatile organic compounds: a case study against used Tedlar bags.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, Samik; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Sohn, Jong Ryeul

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we have examined the patterns of VOCs released from used Tedlar bags that were once used for the collection under strong source activities. In this way, we attempted to account for the possible bias associated with the repetitive use of Tedlar bags. To this end, we selected the bags that were never heated. All of these target bags were used in ambient temperature (typically at or below 30°C). These bags were also dealt carefully to avoid any mechanical abrasion. This study will provide the essential information regarding the interaction between VOCs and Tedlar bag materials as a potential source of bias in bag sampling approaches.

  17. Legitimization of regulatory norms: Waterfowl hunter acceptance of changing duck bag limits

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schroeder, Susan A.; Fulton, David C.; Lawrence, Jeffrey S.; Cordts, Steven D.

    2014-01-01

    Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restrictive than the maximum set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), but then increased to match federal limits. Results are from four mail surveys that examined attitudes about bag limits over time. Following two bag limit increases, a greater proportion of hunters rated the new bag limit “too high” and a smaller proportion rated it “too low.” Several years following the first bag limit increase, the proportion of hunters who indicated that the limit was “too high” had declined, suggesting hunter acceptance of the new regulation. Results suggest that waterfowl bag limits may represent legal norms that influence hunter attitudes and gain legitimacy over time.

  18. Silencing of BAG3 inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human cervical cancer.

    PubMed

    Song, Fei; Wang, Geng; Ma, Zhifang; Ma, Yuebing; Wang, Yingying

    2017-11-10

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) has been reported to be involved in aggressive progression of many tumors. In the present study, we examined the expression of BAG3 in human cervical cancer (CC) tissues and investigated the role of BAG3 in SiHa and HeLa cell growth, migration, and invasion. Here, we found that most of CC tissues highly expressed the protein and mRNA of BAG3, while their expression was obviously lower in paired normal tissues (all p<0.001). BAG3 expression was associated with FIGO stage and metastasis (all p<0.05). In-vitro analysis demonstrated that BAG3 siRNAs inhibited SiHa and HeLa cell growth, invasion and migration. Mechanically, BAG3 siRNAs inhibited the expression of EMT-regulating markers, involving MMP2, Slug and N-cadherin, and increased the expression of E-cadherin. In a xenograft nude model, BAG3 siRNAs inhibited tumor growth and the expression of EMT biomarkers. In conclusion, BAG3 is involved in the EMT process, including cell growth, invasion and migration in the development of CC. Thus, BAG3 target might be recommended as a novel therapeutic approach.

  19. Silencing of BAG3 inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human cervical cancer

    PubMed Central

    Song, Fei; Wang, Geng; Ma, Zhifang; Ma, Yuebing; Wang, Yingying

    2017-01-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) has been reported to be involved in aggressive progression of many tumors. In the present study, we examined the expression of BAG3 in human cervical cancer (CC) tissues and investigated the role of BAG3 in SiHa and HeLa cell growth, migration, and invasion. Here, we found that most of CC tissues highly expressed the protein and mRNA of BAG3, while their expression was obviously lower in paired normal tissues (all p<0.001). BAG3 expression was associated with FIGO stage and metastasis (all p<0.05). In-vitro analysis demonstrated that BAG3 siRNAs inhibited SiHa and HeLa cell growth, invasion and migration. Mechanically, BAG3 siRNAs inhibited the expression of EMT-regulating markers, involving MMP2, Slug and N-cadherin, and increased the expression of E-cadherin. In a xenograft nude model, BAG3 siRNAs inhibited tumor growth and the expression of EMT biomarkers. In conclusion, BAG3 is involved in the EMT process, including cell growth, invasion and migration in the development of CC. Thus, BAG3 target might be recommended as a novel therapeutic approach. PMID:29221135

  20. Bagworm bags as portable armour against invertebrate predators

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Some animals have evolved the use of environmental materials as “portable armour” against natural enemies. Portable bags that bagworm larvae (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) construct using their own silk and plant parts are generally believed to play an important role as a physical barrier against natural enemies. However, no experimental studies have tested the importance of bags as portable armour against predators. To clarify the defensive function, I studied the bagworm Eumeta minuscula and a potential predator Calosoma maximoviczi (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Under laboratory conditions, all bagworm larvae were attacked by carabid adults, but successfully defended themselves against the predators’ mandibles using their own bags. The portable bags, which are composed mainly of host plant twigs, may function as a physical barrier against predator mandibles. To test this hypothesis, I removed the twig bags and replaced some with herb leaf bags; all bag-removed larvae were easily caught and predated by carabids, while all bag-replaced larvae could successfully defend themselves against carabid attacks. Therefore, various types of portable bags can protect bagworm larvae from carabid attacks. This is the first study to test the defensive function of bagworm portable bags against invertebrate predators. PMID:26893969

  1. Warming preterm infants in the delivery room: polyethylene bags, exothermic mattresses or both?

    PubMed

    McCarthy, Lisa K; O'Donnell, Colm P F

    2011-12-01

    To compare the admission temperature of infants treated with polyethylene bags alone to infants treated with exothermic mattresses in addition to bags in the delivery room. We prospectively studied infants born at <31 weeks' gestation who were placed in bags at birth. Some infants were also placed on mattresses. Admission axillary temperatures were measured in all infants on admission to the neonatal intensive care. We compared the temperatures of infants treated with bags alone to those treated with mattresses and bags. We studied 43 infants: 15 were treated with bags while 28 were treated with a bag and mattress. Mean admission temperature was similar between the groups. Hypothermia and hyperthermia occurred more frequently in infants treated with a bag and mattress, and more infants treated with a bag had admission temperatures 36.5-37.5°C. The use of exothermic mattresses in addition to polyethylene bags, particularly in younger, smaller newborns, may result in more hypothermia and hyperthermia on admission. A randomised controlled trial is necessary to determine which strategy results in more infants having admission temperatures in the normal range. © 2011 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica © 2011 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

  2. High expression of BAG3 predicts a poor prognosis in human medulloblastoma.

    PubMed

    Yang, Dong; Zhou, Ji; Wang, Hao; Wang, Yutao; Yang, Ge; Zhang, Yundong

    2016-10-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), a co-chaperone of the heat shock protein (Hsp) 70, regulates various physiological and pathological processes. However, its role in human medulloblastoma has not been clarified. First of all, the expression of BAG3 was examined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens by immunohistochemical staining. And then, the prognostic role of BAG3 was analyzed in 51 medulloblastoma samples. Finally, the roles of BAG3 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Daoy medulloblastoma cell were investigated using a specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The expression of BAG3 in medulloblastoma tissues was higher than nontumorous samples. Furthermore, BAG3 overexpression significantly correlated with poor prognosis of patients with medulloblastoma. The overall survival and tumor-free survival in patients with BAG3 low expression were higher than high expression. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that BAG3 overexpression was an independent prognostic marker for medulloblastoma. After the BAG3 knockdown, the Daoy cells exhibited decreased the ability to proliferate and form neurosphere. The preliminary mechanism study showed that overexpression of BAG3 might facilitate the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase by modulating the cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and cyclin E expression. Additionally, we found that BAG3 might enhance the medulloblastoma cell migratory and invasive ability. In summary, BAG3 overexpression may regulate the survival and invasive properties of medulloblastoma and may serve as a potential therapy target for medulloblastoma.

  3. BAG3: a multifaceted protein that regulates major cell pathways

    PubMed Central

    Rosati, A; Graziano, V; De Laurenzi, V; Pascale, M; Turco, M C

    2011-01-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) protein is a member of BAG family of co-chaperones that interacts with the ATPase domain of the heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 through BAG domain (110–124 amino acids). BAG3 is the only member of the family to be induced by stressful stimuli, mainly through the activity of heat shock factor 1 on bag3 gene promoter. In addition to the BAG domain, BAG3 contains also a WW domain and a proline-rich (PXXP) repeat, that mediate binding to partners different from Hsp70. These multifaceted interactions underlie BAG3 ability to modulate major biological processes, that is, apoptosis, development, cytoskeleton organization and autophagy, thereby mediating cell adaptive responses to stressful stimuli. In normal cells, BAG3 is constitutively present in a very few cell types, including cardiomyocytes and skeletal muscle cells, in which the protein appears to contribute to cell resistance to mechanical stress. A growing body of evidence indicate that BAG3 is instead expressed in several tumor types. In different tumor contexts, BAG3 protein was reported to sustain cell survival, resistance to therapy, and/or motility and metastatization. In some tumor types, down-modulation of BAG3 levels was shown, as a proof-of-principle, to inhibit neoplastic cell growth in animal models. This review attempts to outline the emerging mechanisms that can underlie some of the biological activities of the protein, focusing on implications in tumor progression. PMID:21472004

  4. [Expression of BAG3 Gene in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Its Prognostic Value].

    PubMed

    Zhu, Hua-Yuan; Fu, Yuan; Wu, Wei; Xu, Jia-Dai; Chen, Ting-Mei; Qiao, Chun; Li, Jian-Yong; Liu, Peng

    2015-08-01

    To investigate the expression of BAG3 gene in acue myeloid leukemia (AML) and its prognostic value. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of BAG3 mRNA in 88 previously untreated AML patients. The corelation of BAG3 expression level with clinical characteristics and known prognostic markers of AML was analyzed. In 88 patients with AML, the expression of BAG3 mRNA in NPMI mutated AML patients was obviously lower than that in NPMI unmutated patients (P = 0.018). The expression level of BAG3 mRNA did not related to clinical parameters, such as age, sex, FAB subtype, WBC count, extra-modullary presentation, and to prognostic factors including cytogenetics, FLT3-ITD, c-kit and CEBPα mutation status (P > 0.05). The expression level of BAG3 had no obvious effect on complete remission (CR) of patients in first treatment. The expression level of BAG3 in non-M3 patients was higher than that in relapsed patients (P = 0.036). The expression level of BAG3 had no effect on overall survival (OS) of patients. The expression level of BAG3 does not correlated with known-prognostic markers of AML, only the expression level of BAG3 in NPM1 mutated patients is lower than that in NPM1 unmutated patients. The expression level of BAG3 has no effect on OS of AML patients, the BAG3 can not be difined as a prognostic marker in AML.

  5. Mixing of two solutions combined by gravity drainage.

    PubMed

    Leuptow, R M; Smith, K; Mockros, L F

    1995-01-01

    A variety of medical therapies require the mixing of solutions from two separate bags before use. One scenario for the mixing is to drain the solution from one bag into the other by gravity through a short connecting tube. The degree of mixing in the lower bag depends on the relative densities of the two solutions, the geometry of the two bags and the connecting tube, and the placement of the connecting tube. Solutions with densities differing by as much as 12% were mixed by draining the solution from an upper bag into a lower bag for a particular geometric configuration. The two solutions had different electrical conductivities, and the conductivity of the combined solution as it exited from the lower bag was used as a measure of the effectiveness of mixing. When the more dense solution was drained from the upper bag into the less dense solution in a lower bag, mixing was very effective. The incoming jet of high density solution entrained the low density solution. Flow visualization indicated that the incoming jet penetrated to the bottom of the lower bag, and resulting large vortical structures enhanced mixing. When the less dense solution was drained from the upper bag into the more dense solution in the lower bag mixing was less effective. The buoyancy force reduced the momentum of the incoming jet such that it did not penetrate to the bottom of the lower bag, resulting in stratification of the solutions.

  6. Processes to Open the Container and the Sample Catcher of the Hayabusa Returned Capsule in the Planetary Material Sample Curation Facility of JAXA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fujimura, A.; Abe, M.; Yada, T.; Nakamura, T.; Noguchi, T.; Okazaki, R.; Ishibashi, Y.; Shirai, K.; Okada, T.; Yano, H.; hide

    2011-01-01

    Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa, which returned from near-Earth-asteroid Itokawa, successfully returned its reentry capsule to the Earth, the Woomera Prohibited Area in Australia in Jun 13th, 2010, as detailed in another paper [1]. The capsule introduced into the Planetary Material Sample Curation Facility in the Sagamihara campus of JAXA in the early morning of June 18th. Hereafter, we describe a series of processes for the returned capsule and the container to recover gas and materials in there. A transportation box of the recovered capsule was cleaned up on its outer surface beforehand and introduced into the class 10,000 clean room of the facility. Then, the capsule was extracted from the box and its plastic bag was opened and checked and photographed the outer surface of the capsule. The capsule was composed of the container, a backside ablator, a side ablator, an electronic box and a supporting frame. The container consists of an outer lid, an inner lid, a frame for latches, a container and a sample catcher, which is composed of room A and B and a rotational cylinder. After the first check, the capsule was packed in a plastic bag with N2 again, and transferred to the Chofu campus in JAXA, where the X-ray CT instrument is situated. The first X-ray CT analysis was performed on the whole returned capsule for confirming the conditions of latches and O-ring seal of the container. The analysis showed that the latches of the container should have worked normally, and that the double Orings of the container seemed to be sealed its sample catcher with no problem. After the first X-ray CT, the capsule was sent back to Sagamihara and introduced in the clean room to exclude the electronic box and the side ablator from the container by hand tools. Then the container with the backside ablator was set firmly to special jigs to fix the lid of container tightly to the container and set to a milling machine. The backside ablator was drilled by the machine to expose heads of bolts, which combined the ablator to the outer lid of the container, and after the drilling had been finished, all the bolts were unscrewed and the backside ablator was removed from the container. Then, the container was sent to the Chofu X-ray facility again to examine in detail by a micro X-ray CT instrument in order to reconfirm that the condition of the latches of the lid of container was normal and that its double O-ring seemed to have been sealed after the last X-ray CT analysis.

  7. Calculation of parameters of combined frame and roof bolting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ivanov, S. I.; Titov, N. V.; Privalov, A. A.; Trunov, I. T.; Sarychev, V. I.

    2017-10-01

    The paper presents the method of calculation of the combined frame and roof bolting. Recommendations on providing joint operation of roof bolting with steel support frames are given. Graphs for determining standard rock movement, as well as for defining proof load on the yielding support, were developed.

  8. Analysis of Media Coverage on Breastfeeding Policy in Washington State.

    PubMed

    DeMarchis, Alessandra; Ritter, Gaelen; Otten, Jennifer; Johnson, Donna

    2018-02-01

    Media coverage and message framing about breastfeeding polices can influence important policy decisions in institutional and governmental settings. Research aim: This study aimed to describe the media coverage of breastfeeding policies and the message frames that are found in print newspapers and web-only news publications in Washington State between 2000 and 2014. For this retrospective media analysis study, 131 news articles published from January 2000 through June 2014 in Washington State that specifically discussed breastfeeding policy were identified, coded, and analyzed to explore the content of the sample and examine how arguments supporting or opposing breastfeeding policy were framed. The coding scheme was developed cooperatively and found to be reliable across coders. The number of articles published each year about breastfeeding policy grew overall between 2000 and 2014 and peaked during periods of specific policy development. Seventy-four articles had a neutral tone, 49 supported breastfeeding policy, and 4 were in opposition. Nine distinct supporting frames and six distinct opposing frames were identified. Common supporting frames were health benefits of breastfeeding and the need for policies because of challenges of breastfeeding in public. The most common opposing frame was indecency of breastfeeding in public. There is limited but growing media coverage of breastfeeding policies. For the most part, coverage is supportive of the need for policies. Breastfeeding advocates can apply information about media message frames to craft effective policy development strategies that counteract negative perceptions and promote the benefits of breastfeeding policies.

  9. Lateralized goal framing: How health messages are influenced by valence and contextual/analytic processing.

    PubMed

    McCormick, Michael; Seta, John J

    2016-05-01

    The effectiveness of health messages has been shown to vary due to the positive or negative framing of information, often known as goal framing. In two experiments we altered, the strength of the goal framing manipulation by selectively activating the processing style of the left or right hemisphere (RH). In Experiment 1, we found support for the contextual/analytic perspective; a significant goal framing effect was observed when the contextual processing style of the RH - but not the analytic processing style of the left hemisphere (LH) - was initially activated. In Experiment 2, support for the valence hypothesis was found when a message that had a higher level of personal involvement was used than that in Experiment 1. When the LH was initially activated, there was an advantage for the gain- vs. loss-framed message; however, an opposite pattern - an advantage for the loss-framed message - was obtained when the RH was activated. These are the first framing results that support the valence hypothesis. We discuss the theoretical and applied implications of these experiments.

  10. Compliant walker

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerley, James J. (Inventor); Eklund, Wayne D. (Inventor); Crane, J. Allen (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    A compliant walker is provided for humans having limited use of their legs and lower back. It includes an upright wheel frame which at least partially surrounds an upright user wearing a partial body harness. It is attached to the frame by means of cable compliant apparatus consisting of sets of cable segments and angle bracket members connected between opposite side members of the frame and adjacent side portions of the harness. Novelty is believed to exist in the combination of a wheeled frame including a side support structure, a body harness, and compliance means connecting the body harness to the side support structure for flexibility holding and supporting a person in a substantially upright position when the user sags in the frame when taking weight off the lower extremities.

  11. BAG3 promotes chondrosarcoma progression by upregulating the expression of β-catenin

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Huijuan; Chen, Wenfang; Dong, Yu; Lu, Xiaofang; Zhang, Wenhui; Wang, Liantang

    2018-01-01

    To investigate the roles of B-cell lymphoma-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) in human chondrosarcoma and the potential mechanisms, the expression levels of BAG3 were detected in the present study, and the associations between BAG3 and clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage as well as the survival of patients were analyzed. The present study detected BAG3 mRNA and protein expression in the normal cartilage cell line HC-a and in SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The BAG3 protein expression in 59 cases of chondrosarcoma, 30 patients with endogenous chondroma and 8 cases of normal cartilage was semi-quantitatively analyzed using the immunohistochemical method. In addition, the BAG3 protein expression level, the clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage and the survival time of patients with chondrosarcoma were analyzed. The plasmid transfection method was employed to upregulate the expression BAG3 and small RNA interference to downregulate the expression of BAG3 in SW1353 cells. The expression levels of BAG3 protein and mRNA were significantly increased in the chondrosarcoma cell line when compared with the normal cartilage cell line. The immunohistochemistry results indicated that BAG3 protein was overexpressed in the tissue of human chondrosarcoma. Statistical analysis showed that the expression level of BAG3 was significantly increased in the different Enneking staging of patients with chondrosarcoma and Tumor staging, and there were no statistical differences in age, gender, histological classification and tumor size. In the in vitro experiments, the data revealed that BAG3 significantly promoted chondrosarcoma cell proliferation, colony-formation, migration and invasion; however, it inhibited chondrosarcoma cell apoptosis. It was observed that BAG3 upregulated β-catenin expression at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, BAG3 induced the expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in chondrosarcoma cells by upregulating β-catenin. These clinical analyses revealed a positive association between β-catenin and BAG3 in chondrosarcoma tumors. BAG3 was significantly increased in chondrosarcoma cells and tissues compared with the normal cartilage cells, tissue and cartilage benign tumors. Thus, BAG3 may serve as an oncogene in the development of chondrosarcoma via the induction of RUNX2 expression. The results of the present study contribute to further research on the biological development of chondrosarcoma. PMID:29484408

  12. Apparatus for supporting contactors used in extracting nuclear materials from liquids

    DOEpatents

    Leonard, Ralph A.; Frank, Robert C.

    1991-01-01

    Apparatus is provided for supporting one or more contactor stages used to remove radioactive materials from aqueous solutions. The contactor stages include a housing having an internal rotor, a motor secured to the top of the housing for rotating the rotor, and a drain in the bottom of the housing. The support apparatus includes two or more vertical members each secured to a ground support that is horizontal and perpendicular to the frame member, and a horizontally disposed frame member. The frame member may be any suitable shape, but is preferably a rectangular tube having substantially flat, spaced top and bottom surfaces separated by substantially vertical side surfaces. The top and bottom surfaces each have an opening through which the contactor housing is secured so that the motor is above the frame and the drain is below the frame during use.

  13. A Beginning Reading Strategy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aldridge, Jerry T.; Rust, Debra

    1987-01-01

    First-graders (identified as high-risk for reading difficulties) were taught to read examples of "environmental print" (words on candy wrappers, grocery bags, newspaper advertisements) and were able to identify and write words when logos and supporting detail were removed, indicating that activities using environmental print can…

  14. Differential Effects of Message Framing on Obesity Policy Support Between Democrats and Republicans.

    PubMed

    Lee, Tae Kyoung; Kim, Hye Kyung

    2017-12-01

    This study tests whether gain- and loss-framed messages about establishing obesity-reducing policies have different persuasive effects on Republicans and Democrats. In a randomized between-subject experiment, participants (N = 384) read a message emphasizing either benefits to a society by establishing policies aimed to reduce obesity (i.e., gain-framed message) or costs to a society that fails to establish those policies (i.e., loss-framed message). Results indicated that Democrats perceived the gain-framed message as more persuasive than the loss-framed message and the perceived argument strength fully mediated the framing effect on Democrats' policy support; however, there was no framing effect on perceived argument strength among Republicans. On the other hand, the gain-framed message led Republicans to attribute the cause of obesity less to the individual level compared to the loss-framed message and the no-message condition. We observed no framing difference among Democrats on causal attributions. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

  15. Investigating reduced bag weight as an effective risk mediator for mason tenders.

    PubMed

    Davis, Kermit G; Kotowski, Susan E; Albers, James; Marras, William S

    2010-10-01

    Masonry workers face some of the highest physical demands in the construction industry where large bags of masonry material weighing 42.7 kg are commonly handled by mason tenders who mix the mortar, distribute mortar and bricks/blocks, and erect/dismantle scaffolding throughout the day. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using half-weight bags (21.4 kg) on reducing the biomechanical loading, physiological response, and perceived exertions. Ten male subjects performed asymmetric lifting tasks simulating unloading bags from a pallet. Muscle activity, trunk kinematics, heart rate, blood pressure and subjective rating data were collected. Spine loads were predicted from a well-validated EMG-assisted model. Bag weight, lift type, bag height at origin, and asymmetry at destination significantly impacted the spine loads. While there was a 50% reduction in bag weight, the peak loads for the half-weight bags were only 25% less than the more available full-weight bags (a reduction of about 320 N of shear and 1000 N of compression). Lifts allowing movement of the feet reduced the loads by about 22% in shear and 27% in compression compared to constrained postures. Interestingly, cumulative spine loads were greater for the lighter bags than the heavy bags ( approximately 40%). The subjective ratings of exertion and risk were significantly lower for the lighter bags. RELEVANCE TO INDUSTRY: The reduction in peak spine loading for the half-weight bags, particularly at the higher heights and when the feet were allowed to move could significantly reduce the injuries of masonry workers. However, there were trade-offs with cumulative loads that may minimize the reduced risk. Overall, given the limited amount of time lifting bags, the reduction of peak loads.

  16. Depletion of the cellular levels of Bag-1 proteins attenuates phorbol ester-induced downregulation of I{kappa}B{alpha} and nuclear accumulation of NF-{kappa}B

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maier, Jana V., E-mail: Jana.maier@kit.edu; Volz, Yvonne; Berger, Caroline

    2010-10-22

    Research highlights: {yields}Bag-1 depletion only marginally affects the action of the glucocorticoid receptor but strongly regulates the activity of NF-{kappa}B. {yields}Bag-1 depletion attenuates phosphorylation and degradation of I{kappa}B{alpha} and nuclear accumulation of NF-{kappa}B p65 and p50. {yields}Bag-1 interacts with I{kappa}B{alpha} and partially restores I{kappa}B{alpha} and NF-{kappa}B activation in Bag-1 depleted cells. -- Abstract: Bag-1 consists in humans of four isoforms generated from the same RNA by alternative translation. Overexpression of single Bag-1 isoforms has identified Bag-1 as a negative regulator of action of many proteins including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Here we have analysed the ability of Bag-1 to regulatemore » the transrepression function of the GR. Silencing Bag-1 expression only marginally affects the transrepression action of the GR but decreased the action of the transcription factor NF-{kappa}B. Furthermore phosphorylation and degradation of the inhibitor protein I{kappa}B{alpha} and nuclear accumulation of p65 and p50 NF-{kappa}B proteins in response to phorbol ester was attenuated following Bag-1 depletion in HeLa cells. Reconstitution of Bag-1 in depleted cells partially restored I{kappa}B{alpha} and NF-{kappa}B activation. Knock-down of Bag-1 expression also did not significantly alter GR-mediated transactivation but affected the basal transcription of some of the target genes. Thus Bag-1 proteins function as regulators of the action of selective transcription factors.« less

  17. Does the 'old bag' make a good 'wind bag'?: Comparison of four fabrics commonly used as exclusion bags in studies of pollination and reproductive biology.

    PubMed

    Neal, Paul R; Anderson, Gregory J

    2004-05-01

    Fabrics used in pollination bags may exclude pollen carried by biotic vectors, but have varying degrees of permeability to wind-borne pollen. The permeability of bags to wind-borne pollen may have important consequences in studies of pollination and reproductive biology. The permeability of four fabrics commonly used in the construction of pollination bags was examined. Deposition of wind-borne pollen on horizontally and vertically oriented microscope slides was assessed on slides enclosed in pollination bags, as well as on control slides. It was found that the permeability of fabrics to wind-borne pollen, as measured by deposition on both horizontally and vertically oriented slides, decreased with pore size. However, deposition on horizontal slides was always greater than on vertical slides for a given fabric; this could manifest itself as differential success of pollination of flowers in bags-dependent on flower orientation. Obviously, bags with mesh size smaller than most pollen grains are impermeable to pollen. However, material for such bags is very expensive. In addition, it was also observed that bags with even moderately small pore size, such as pores (approx. 200 microm) in twisted fibre cotton muslin, offered highly significant barriers to passage of wind-borne pollen. Such bags are sufficiently effective in most large-sample-size reproductive biology studies.

  18. BAG3 down-modulation reduces anaplastic thyroid tumor growth by enhancing proteasome-mediated degradation of BRAF protein.

    PubMed

    Chiappetta, Gennaro; Basile, Anna; Arra, Claudio; Califano, Daniela; Pasquinelli, Rosa; Barbieri, Antonio; De Simone, Veronica; Rea, Domenica; Giudice, Aldo; Pezzullo, Luciano; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Botti, Gerardo; Losito, Simona; Conforti, Daniela; Turco, Maria Caterina

    2012-01-01

    Anaplastic thyroid tumors (ATC) express high levels of BAG3, a member of the BAG family of cochaperone proteins that is involved in regulating cell apoptosis through multiple mechanisms. The objective of the study was the investigation of the influence of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) on ATC growth. We investigated the effects of BAG3 down-modulation, obtained by using a specific small interfering RNA, on in vitro and in vivo growth of the human ATC cell line 8505C. Because BRAF protein plays an important role in ATC cell growth, we analyzed the effects of BAG3 down-modulation on BRAF protein levels. Furthermore, by using a proteasome inhibitor, we verified whether BAG3-mediated regulation of BRAF levels involved a proteasome-dependent mechanism. BAG3 down-modulation significantly inhibits ATC growth in vitro and in vivo. BAG3 coimmunoprecipitates with BRAF protein, and its down-modulation results in a significant reduction of BRAF protein levels, which can be reverted by incubation with the proteasome inhibitor MG132. BAG3 protein sustains ATC growth in vitro and in vivo. The underlying molecular mechanism appears to rely on BAG3 binding to BRAF, thus protecting it from proteasome-dependent degradation. These results are in line with the reported ability of BAG3 to interfere with the proteasomal delivery of a number of other client proteins.

  19. The anti-apoptotic BAG3 protein is expressed in lung carcinomas and regulates small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) tumor growth.

    PubMed

    Chiappetta, Gennaro; Basile, Anna; Barbieri, Antonio; Falco, Antonia; Rosati, Alessandra; Festa, Michelina; Pasquinelli, Rosa; Califano, Daniela; Palma, Giuseppe; Costanzo, Raffaele; Barcaroli, Daniela; Capunzo, Mario; Franco, Renato; Rocco, Gaetano; Pascale, Maria; Turco, Maria Caterina; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Arra, Claudio

    2014-08-30

    BAG3, member the HSP70 co-chaperones family, has been shown to play a relevant role in the survival, growth and invasiveness of different tumor types. In this study, we investigate the expression of BAG3 in 66 specimens from different lung tumors and the role of this protein in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumor growth. Normal lung tissue did not express BAG3 while we detected the expression of BAG3 by immunohistochemistry in all the 13 squamous cell carcinomas, 13 adenocarcinomas and 4 large cell carcinomas. Furthermore, we detected BAG3 expression in 22 of the 36 SCLCs analyzed. The role on SCLC cell survival was determined by down-regulating BAG3 levels in two human SCLC cell lines, i.e. H69 and H446, in vitro and measuring cisplatin induced apoptosis. Indeed down-regulation of BAG3 determines increased cell death and sensitizes cells to cisplatin treatment. The effect of BAG3 down-regulation on tumor growth was also investigated in an in vivo xenograft model by treating mice with an adenovirus expressing a specific bag3 siRNA. Treatment with bag3 siRNA-Ad significantly reduced tumor growth and improved animal survival. In conclusion we show that a subset of SCLCs over express BAG3 that exerts an anti-apoptotic effect resulting in resistance to chemotherapy.

  20. Effect of drug precursors and chemicals relevant to clandestine laboratory investigation on plastic bags used for collection and storage.

    PubMed

    Michelot, Harmonie; Fu, Shanlin; Stuart, Barbara; Shimmon, Ronald; Raymond, Tony; Crandell, Tony; Roux, Claude

    2017-04-01

    In the area of clandestine laboratory investigations, plastic bags are used to collect and store evidence, such as solvents, precursors, and other compounds usually employed for the manufacturing of drugs (although liquids may be stored in glass containers within the bags first). In this study, three different types of plastic bags were provided by the NSW Police Force and investigated for their suitability for evidence collection: two different types of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) bags and one type of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bag. Three different experiments were carried out: (1) storing relevant chemicals in the bags for up to three months; (2) exposing the bags including their content to accelerated conditions using a weatherometer, and (3) simulating an expected real case scenario. This study indicates that drugs and related chemicals stored in plastic bags may lead to a change in the composition of the chemical and an alteration or degradation of the plastic bag. All experiments led to the same conclusion: the polyvinyl chloride bags appeared to be the most affected. LDPE bags seem to be more appropriate for routine use, although it has been established they are not suitable for the collection of liquids (unless pre-packaged in, for instance, a glass container). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Urine drainage bags

    MedlinePlus

    ... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000142.htm Urine drainage bags To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Urine drainage bags collect urine. Your bag will attach ...

  2. 76 FR 70965 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Correction to the Amended Final Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-16

    ... Bags From Thailand: Correction to the Amended Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review... bags from Thailand for the period August 1, 2009, through July 31, 2010. The notice did not include the... bags from Thailand. See Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Amended Final Results of...

  3. 49 CFR 178.519 - Standards for plastic film bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standards for plastic film bags. 178.519 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.519 Standards for plastic film bags. (a) The identification code for a plastic film bag is 5H4. (b) Construction requirements for plastic film bags are as...

  4. 16 CFR 255.1 - General considerations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... an uncooked chicken in the oven roasting bag and places the bag in one oven. He then takes a chicken roasting bag from a second oven, removes from the bag what appears to be a perfectly cooked chicken, tastes... conduct. Example 4: A well-known celebrity appears in an infomercial for an oven roasting bag that...

  5. 49 CFR 173.166 - Air bag inflators, air bag modules and seat-belt pretensioners.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... an inflatable bag assembly. A seat-belt pre-tensioner contains similar hazardous materials and is... manufacturer has submitted each design type air bag inflator, air bag module, or seat-belt pretensioner to a... or pretensioner design type for which approval is sought and details on the complete package. The...

  6. 49 CFR 173.166 - Air bag inflators, air bag modules and seat-belt pretensioners.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... an inflatable bag assembly. A seat-belt pre-tensioner contains similar hazardous materials and is... manufacturer has submitted each design type air bag inflator, air bag module, or seat-belt pretensioner to a... or pretensioner design type for which approval is sought and details on the complete package. The...

  7. 49 CFR 173.166 - Air bag inflators, air bag modules and seat-belt pretensioners.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... an inflatable bag assembly. A seat-belt pre-tensioner contains similar hazardous materials and is... manufacturer has submitted each design type air bag inflator, air bag module, or seat-belt pretensioner to a... or pretensioner design type for which approval is sought and details on the complete package. The...

  8. 49 CFR 178.519 - Standards for plastic film bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Standards for plastic film bags. 178.519 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.519 Standards for plastic film bags. (a) The identification code for a plastic film bag is 5H4. (b) Construction requirements for plastic film bags are as...

  9. 49 CFR 178.519 - Standards for plastic film bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Standards for plastic film bags. 178.519 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.519 Standards for plastic film bags. (a) The identification code for a plastic film bag is 5H4. (b) Construction requirements for plastic film bags are as...

  10. 49 CFR 178.519 - Standards for plastic film bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Standards for plastic film bags. 178.519 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.519 Standards for plastic film bags. (a) The identification code for a plastic film bag is 5H4. (b) Construction requirements for plastic film bags are as...

  11. 78 FR 45880 - Hazardous Materials: Approval and Communication Requirements for the Safe Transportation of Air...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-30

    ... Communication Requirements for the Safe Transportation of Air Bag Inflators, Air Bag Modules, and Seat-Belt... Materials Regulations applicable to air bag inflators, air bag modules, and seat-belt pretensioners. The... amending the current approval and documentation requirements for a material classified as a UN3268 air bag...

  12. The assisted prediction modelling frame with hybridisation and ensemble for business risk forecasting and an implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hui; Hong, Lu-Yao; Zhou, Qing; Yu, Hai-Jie

    2015-08-01

    The business failure of numerous companies results in financial crises. The high social costs associated with such crises have made people to search for effective tools for business risk prediction, among which, support vector machine is very effective. Several modelling means, including single-technique modelling, hybrid modelling, and ensemble modelling, have been suggested in forecasting business risk with support vector machine. However, existing literature seldom focuses on the general modelling frame for business risk prediction, and seldom investigates performance differences among different modelling means. We reviewed researches on forecasting business risk with support vector machine, proposed the general assisted prediction modelling frame with hybridisation and ensemble (APMF-WHAE), and finally, investigated the use of principal components analysis, support vector machine, random sampling, and group decision, under the general frame in forecasting business risk. Under the APMF-WHAE frame with support vector machine as the base predictive model, four specific predictive models were produced, namely, pure support vector machine, a hybrid support vector machine involved with principal components analysis, a support vector machine ensemble involved with random sampling and group decision, and an ensemble of hybrid support vector machine using group decision to integrate various hybrid support vector machines on variables produced from principle components analysis and samples from random sampling. The experimental results indicate that hybrid support vector machine and ensemble of hybrid support vector machines were able to produce dominating performance than pure support vector machine and support vector machine ensemble.

  13. BAG3 promotes stem cell-like phenotype in breast cancer by upregulation of CXCR4 via interaction with its transcript.

    PubMed

    Liu, Bao-Qin; Zhang, Song; Li, Si; An, Ming-Xin; Li, Chao; Yan, Jing; Wang, Jia-Mei; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2017-07-13

    BAG3 is an evolutionarily conserved co-chaperone expressed at high levels and has a prosurvival role in many tumor types. The current study reported that BAG3 was induced under specific floating culture conditions that enrich breast cancer stem cell (BCSC)-like cells in spheres. Ectopic BAG3 overexpression increased CD44 + /CD24 - CSC subpopulations, first-generation and second-generation mammosphere formation, indicating that BAG3 promotes CSC self-renewal and maintenance in breast cancer. We further demonstrated that mechanically, BAG3 upregulated CXCR4 expression at the post-transcriptional level. Further studies showed that BAG3 interacted with CXCR4 mRNA and promoted its expression via its coding and 3'-untranslational regions. BAG3 was also found to be positively correlated with CXCR4 expression and unfavorable prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Taken together, our data demonstrate that BAG3 promotes BCSC-like phenotype through CXCR4 via interaction with its transcript. Therefore, this study establishes BAG3 as a potential adverse prognostic factor and a therapeutic target of breast cancer.

  14. Mine Planning for Asteroid Orebodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gertsch, L. S.; Gertsch, R. E.

    2000-01-01

    Given that an asteroid (or comet) has been determined to contain sufficient material of value to be potentially economic to exploit, a mining method must be selected and implemented. This paper discusses the engineering necessary to bring a mine online, and the opportunities and challenges inherent in asteroid mineral prospects. The very important step of orebody characterization is discussed elsewhere. The mining methods discussed here are based on enclosing the asteroid within a bag in some fashion, whether completely or partially. In general, asteroid mining methods based on bags will consist of the following steps. Not all will be required in every case, nor necessarily in this particular sequence. Some steps will be performed simultaneously. Their purpose is to extract the valuable material from the body of the asteroid in the most efficient, cost-effective manner possible. In approximate order of initiation, if not of conclusion, the steps are: 1. Tether anchoring to the asteroid. 2. Asteroid motion control. 3. Body/fragment restraint system placement. 4. Operations platform construction. 5. Bag construction. 6. Auxiliary and support equipment placement. 7. Mining operations. 8. Processing operations. 9. Product transport to markets.

  15. Analysis of BAG3 plasma concentrations in patients with acutely decompensated heart failure.

    PubMed

    Gandhi, Parul U; Gaggin, Hanna K; Belcher, Arianna M; Harisiades, Jamie E; Basile, Anna; Falco, Antonia; Rosati, Alessandra; Piscione, Federico; Januzzi, James L; Turco, M Caterina

    2015-05-20

    BCL-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is a protein implicated in the cardiomyocyte stress response and genesis of cardiomyopathy. Extracellular BAG3 is measurable in patients with heart failure (HF), but the relationship of BAG3 with HF prognosis is unclear. BAG3 plasma concentrations were measured in 39 acutely decompensated HF patients; the primary endpoint was death at 1 year. Baseline characteristics were compared by vital status and median BAG3 concentration. Correlation of BAG3 with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and other biomarkers was performed. Prognostic value was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis. At baseline, median BAG3 was significantly higher in decedents (N=11) than survivors (N=28; 1489 ng/mL versus 50 ng/mL; P=0.04); decedents also had worse renal function and higher median natriuretic peptide (NP) and sST2. BAG3 was not significantly correlated with NPs, mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin, sST2, or eGFR, however. Mortality was increased in patients with supra-median BAG3 (>336 ng/mL; 42.1% versus 15.0%, P=0.06). In age and LVEF-adjusted Cox proportional hazards, BAG3 remained a significant mortality predictor (HR=3.20; 95% CI=1.34-7.65; P=0.02); those with supra-median BAG3 had significantly shorter time-to-death (P=0.04). The stress response protein BAG3 is measurable in patients with ADHF and may be prognostic for death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. 2'-Hydroxycinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis through HSF1-mediated BAG3 expression.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Hai-Anh; Kim, Soo-A

    2017-01-01

    BAG3, a member of BAG co-chaperone family, is induced by stressful stimuli such as heat shock and heavy metals. Through interaction with various binding partners, BAG3 is thought to play a role in cellular adaptive responses against stressful conditions in normal and neoplastic cells. 2'-Hydroxycinnamaldehyde (HCA) is a natural derivative of cinnamaldehyde and has antitumor activity in various cancer cells. In the present study, for the first time, we identified that HCA induced BAG3 expression and BAG3-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells. The apoptotic cell death induced by HCA was demonstrated by caspase-7, -9 and PARP activation, and confirmed by Annexin V staining in both SW480 and SW620 colon cancer cells. Notably, both the mRNA and protein levels of BAG3 were largely induced by HCA in a dose- and time-dependent manner. By showing transcription factor HSF1 activation, we demonstrated that HCA induces the expression of BAG3 through HSF1 activation. More importantly, knockdown of BAG3 expression using siRNA largely inhibited HCA-induced apoptosis, suggesting that BAG3 is actively involved in HCA-induced cancer cell death. Considering the importance of the stress response mechanism in cancer progression, our results strongly suggest that BAG3 could be a potential target for anticancer therapy.

  17. 49 CFR 178.520 - Standards for textile bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... for a sift-proof textile bag; and (3) 5L3 for a water-resistant textile bag. (b) Construction requirements for textile bags are as follows: (1) The textiles used must be of good quality. The strength of... use of paper bonded to the inner surface of the bag by a water-resistant adhesive such as bitumen...

  18. 49 CFR 178.520 - Standards for textile bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... for a sift-proof textile bag; and (3) 5L3 for a water-resistant textile bag. (b) Construction requirements for textile bags are as follows: (1) The textiles used must be of good quality. The strength of... use of paper bonded to the inner surface of the bag by a water-resistant adhesive such as bitumen...

  19. 49 CFR 178.520 - Standards for textile bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... for a sift-proof textile bag; and (3) 5L3 for a water-resistant textile bag. (b) Construction requirements for textile bags are as follows: (1) The textiles used must be of good quality. The strength of... use of paper bonded to the inner surface of the bag by a water-resistant adhesive such as bitumen...

  20. Plastic, Fantastic? What We Make. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Inst. for Science and Mathematics Education Development.

    This module provides information about plastics, focusing on the uses of plastic bags in particular. Topic areas considered include: (1) making plastic bags; (2) transparency of plastic bags; (3) plastic bags and food odors; (4) food containers (before and since plastics); and (5) disposing of plastic bags and other plastic products. The text is…

  1. Industrial filter bags cleaned by high-frequency vibration: A concept

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kooy, A. V.

    1973-01-01

    System holds filter bag around fine-mesh metal screen and vibrates screen at its resonant frequency. This removes deposited byproducts and protects bag fibers from damaging forces. Because filter bags represent 20 to 40% of any industrial filtering investment, this method of extending bag life should be of interest to those responsible for plant maintenance.

  2. 76 FR 47641 - Pagani Automobili SpA; Denial of Application for Temporary Exemption From Advanced Air Bag...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-05

    ... regarding the availability of advanced air bag technology. Docket Nos. NHTSA-2011-0030-0006, NHTSA-2011-0006... advanced air bag technology.\\9\\ Accordingly, NHTSA concludes that the expense of advanced air bag... belief that advanced air bag technology has become more accessible to small volume manufacturers in...

  3. The Influence of News Framing on Support for Charter School Reform

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feuerstein, Abe

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the influence of media framing on attitudes toward charter school reform. Participants in an Internet-based experiment were presented, at random, with one of three manipulated news articles framing charter school reform as (a) supportive of values such as freedom, choice, and innovation; (b) conflicting with values such as…

  4. BAG3 elevation inhibits cell proliferation via direct interaction with G6PD in hepatocellular carcinomas

    PubMed Central

    Kong, De-Hui; Li, Si; Du, Zhen-Xian; Liu, Chuan; Liu, Bao-Qin; Li, Chao; Zong, Zhi-Hong; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2016-01-01

    Bcl-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) contains multiple protein-binding motifs to mediate potential interactions with chaperons and/or other proteins, which is possibly ascribed to the multifaceted functions assigned to BAG3. The current study demonstrated that BAG3 directly interacted with glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). BAG3 suppressed the PPP flux, de novo DNA synthesis and cell growth in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). The growth defect of HCCs with forced BAG3 expression can be rescued by enforced G6PD expression. However, BAG3 elevation did not cause a reduction in cellular NADPH concentrations, another main product of G6PD. In addition, supplement of nucleosides alone was sufficient to recover the growth defect mediated by BAG3 elevation. Collectively, the current study established a tumor suppressor-like function of BAG3 via direct interaction with G6PD in HCCs at the cellular level. PMID:26621836

  5. BAG3 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Heng; Cheng, Shaobing; Tong, Rongliang; Lv, Zheng; Ding, Chaofeng; Du, Chengli; Xie, Haiyang; Zhou, Lin; Wu, Jian; Zheng, Shusen

    2014-03-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) protein is a co-chaperone of heat-shock protein (Hsp) 70 and may regulate major physiological and pathophysiological processes. However, few reports have examined the role of BAG3 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we show that BAG3 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis in HCC. BAG3 was overexpressed in HCC tissues and cell lines. BAG3 knockdown resulted in reduction in migration and invasion of HCC cells, which was linked to reversion of EMT by increasing E-cadherin expression and decreasing N-cadherin, vimentin and slug expression, as well as suppressing matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) expression. In a xenograft tumorigenicity model, BAG3 knockdown effectively inhibited tumor growth and metastasis through reduction in CD34 and VEGF expression and reversal of the EMT pathway. In conclusion, BAG3 is associated with the invasiveness and angiogenesis in HCC, and the BAG3 gene may be a novel therapeutic approach against HCC.

  6. BAG3 elevation inhibits cell proliferation via direct interaction with G6PD in hepatocellular carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Kong, De-Hui; Li, Si; Du, Zhen-Xian; Liu, Chuan; Liu, Bao-Qin; Li, Chao; Zong, Zhi-Hong; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2016-01-05

    Bcl-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) contains multiple protein-binding motifs to mediate potential interactions with chaperons and/or other proteins, which is possibly ascribed to the multifaceted functions assigned to BAG3. The current study demonstrated that BAG3 directly interacted with glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). BAG3 suppressed the PPP flux, de novo DNA synthesis and cell growth in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). The growth defect of HCCs with forced BAG3 expression can be rescued by enforced G6PD expression. However, BAG3 elevation did not cause a reduction in cellular NADPH concentrations, another main product of G6PD. In addition, supplement of nucleosides alone was sufficient to recover the growth defect mediated by BAG3 elevation. Collectively, the current study established a tumor suppressor-like function of BAG3 via direct interaction with G6PD in HCCs at the cellular level.

  7. Multiple-Instance Regression with Structured Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Lane, Terran; Roper, Alex

    2008-01-01

    We present a multiple-instance regression algorithm that models internal bag structure to identify the items most relevant to the bag labels. Multiple-instance regression (MIR) operates on a set of bags with real-valued labels, each containing a set of unlabeled items, in which the relevance of each item to its bag label is unknown. The goal is to predict the labels of new bags from their contents. Unlike previous MIR methods, MI-ClusterRegress can operate on bags that are structured in that they contain items drawn from a number of distinct (but unknown) distributions. MI-ClusterRegress simultaneously learns a model of the bag's internal structure, the relevance of each item, and a regression model that accurately predicts labels for new bags. We evaluated this approach on the challenging MIR problem of crop yield prediction from remote sensing data. MI-ClusterRegress provided predictions that were more accurate than those obtained with non-multiple-instance approaches or MIR methods that do not model the bag structure.

  8. Comparative efficacy of storage bags, storability and damage potential of bruchid beetle.

    PubMed

    Harish, G; Nataraja, M V; Ajay, B C; Holajjer, Prasanna; Savaliya, S D; Gedia, M V

    2014-12-01

    Groundnut during storage is attacked by number of stored grain pests and management of these insect pests particularly bruchid beetle, Caryedon serratus (Oliver) is of prime importance as they directly damage the pod and kernels. In this regard different storage bags that could be used and duration up to which we can store groundnut has been studied. Super grain bag recorded minimum number of eggs laid and less damage and minimum weight loss in pods and kernels in comparison to other storage bags. Analysis of variance for multiple regression models were found to be significant in all bags for variables viz, number of eggs laid, damage in pods and kernels, weight loss in pods and kernels throughout the season. Multiple comparison results showed that there was a high probability of eggs laid and pod damage in lino bag, fertilizer bag and gunny bag, whereas super grain bag was found to be more effective in managing the C. serratus owing to very low air circulation.

  9. Testing odorants recovery from a novel metallized fluorinated ethylene propylene gas sampling bag.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Wenda; Koziel, Jacek A; Cai, Lingshuang; Wright, Donald; Kuhrt, Fred

    2015-12-01

    Industry-standard Tedlar bags for odor sample collection from confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have been challenged by the evidence of volatile organic compound (VOC) losses and background interferences. Novel impermeable aluminum foil with a thin layer of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) film on the surface that is in contact with a gas sample was developed to address this challenge. In this research, Tedlar and metallized FEP bags were compared for (a) recoveries of four characteristic CAFO odorous VOCs (ethyl mercaptan, butyric acid, isovaleric acid and p-cresol) after 30 min and 24 hr sample storage time and for (b) chemical background interferences. All air sampling and analyses were performed with solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Mean target gas sample recoveries from metallized FEP bags were 25.9% and 28.0% higher than those in Tedlar bags, for 30 min and 24 hr, respectively. Metallized FEP bags demonstrated the highest p-cresol recoveries after 30-min and 24-hr storage, 96.1±44.5% and 44.8±10.2%, respectively, among different types of sampling bags reported in previous studies. However, a higher variability was observed for p-cresol recovery with metallized FEP bags. A 0% recovery of ethyl mercaptan was observed with Tedlar bags after 24-hr storage, whereas an 85.7±7.4% recovery was achieved with metallized FEP bags. Recoveries of butyric and isovaleric acids were similar for both bag types. Two major impurities in Tedlar bags' background were identified as N,N-dimethylacetamide and phenol, while backgrounds of metallized FEP bags were significantly cleaner. Reusability of metallized FEP bags was tested. Caution is advised when using polymeric materials for storage of livestock-relevant odorous volatile organic compounds. The odorants loss with storage time confirmed that long-term storage in whole-air form is ill advised. A focused short-term odor sample containment should be biased toward the most inert material available relative to the highest impact target odorant. Metallized FEP was identified as such a material to p-cresol as the highest impact odorant from confined animal feeding operations. Metallized FEP bags have much cleaner background than commercial Tedlar bags do. Significantly higher recoveries of methyl mercaptan and p-cresol were also observed with metallized FEP bags.

  10. Attribute Framing and Goal Framing Effects in Health Decisions.

    PubMed

    Krishnamurthy, Parthasarathy; Carter, Patrick; Blair, Edward

    2001-07-01

    Levin, Schneider, and Gaeth (LSG, 1998) have distinguished among three types of framing-risky choice, attribute, and goal framing-to reconcile conflicting findings in the literature. In the research reported here, we focus on attribute and goal framing. LSG propose that positive frames should be more effective than negative frames in the context of attribute framing, and negative frames should be more effective than positive frames in the context of goal framing. We test this framework by manipulating frame valence (positive vs negative) and frame type (attribute vs goal) in a unified context with common procedures. We also argue that the nature of effects in a goal-framing context may depend on the extent to which the research topic has "intrinsic self-relevance" to the population. In the context of medical decision making, we operationalize low intrinsic self-relevance by using student subjects and high intrinsic self-relevance by using patients. As expected, we find complete support for the LSG framework under low intrinsic self-relevance and modified support for the LSG framework under high intrinsic self-relevance. Overall, our research appears to confirm and extend the LSG framework. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

  11. View of parking (resting) frame that supported the Shuttle assembly ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    View of parking (resting) frame that supported the Shuttle assembly when the hydrodynamic supports were not engaged (removed from structure). - Marshall Space Flight Center, Saturn V Dynamic Test Facility, East Test Area, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

  12. The Portuguese plastic carrier bag tax: The effects on consumers' behavior.

    PubMed

    Martinho, Graça; Balaia, Natacha; Pires, Ana

    2017-03-01

    Marine litter from lightweight plastic bags is a global problem that must be solved. A plastic bag tax was implemented in February 2015 to reduce the consumption of plastic grocery bags in Portugal and in turn reduce the potential contribution to marine litter. This study analyzes the effect of the plastic bag tax on consumer behavior to learn how it was received and determine the perceived effectiveness of the tax 4months after its implementation. In addition, the study assessed how proximity to coastal areas could influence behaviors and opinions. The results showed a 74% reduction of plastic bag consumption with a simultaneously 61% increase of reusable plastic bags after the tax was implemented. Because plastic bags were then reused for shopping instead of garbage bags, however, the consumption of garbage bags increased by 12%. Although reduction was achieved, the tax had no effect on the perception of marine litter or the impact of plastic bags on environment and health. The majority of respondents agree with the tax but view it as an extra revenue to the State. The distance to the coast had no meaningful influence on consumer behavior or on the perception of the tax. Although the tax was able to promote the reduction of plastics, the role of hypermarkets and supermarkets in providing alternatives through the distribution of reusable plastic bags was determinant to ensuring the reduction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. BAG3 promotes chondrosarcoma progression by upregulating the expression of β-catenin.

    PubMed

    Shi, Huijuan; Chen, Wenfang; Dong, Yu; Lu, Xiaofang; Zhang, Wenhui; Wang, Liantang

    2018-04-01

    To investigate the roles of B‑cell lymphoma‑2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) in human chondrosarcoma and the potential mechanisms, the expression levels of BAG3 were detected in the present study, and the associations between BAG3 and clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage as well as the survival of patients were analyzed. The present study detected BAG3 mRNA and protein expression in the normal cartilage cell line HC‑a and in SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. The BAG3 protein expression in 59 cases of chondrosarcoma, 30 patients with endogenous chondroma and 8 cases of normal cartilage was semi-quantitatively analyzed using the immunohistochemical method. In addition, the BAG3 protein expression level, the clinical pathological parameters, clinical stage and the survival time of patients with chondrosarcoma were analyzed. The plasmid transfection method was employed to upregulate the expression BAG3 and small RNA interference to downregulate the expression of BAG3 in SW1353 cells. The expression levels of BAG3 protein and mRNA were significantly increased in the chondrosarcoma cell line when compared with the normal cartilage cell line. The immunohistochemistry results indicated that BAG3 protein was overexpressed in the tissue of human chondrosarcoma. Statistical analysis showed that the expression level of BAG3 was significantly increased in the different Enneking staging of patients with chondrosarcoma and Tumor staging, and there were no statistical differences in age, gender, histological classification and tumor size. In the in vitro experiments, the data revealed that BAG3 significantly promoted chondrosarcoma cell proliferation, colony‑formation, migration and invasion; however, it inhibited chondrosarcoma cell apoptosis. It was observed that BAG3 upregulated β‑catenin expression at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, BAG3 induced the expression of runt‑related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in chondrosarcoma cells by upregulating β‑catenin. These clinical analyses revealed a positive association between β‑catenin and BAG3 in chondrosarcoma tumors. BAG3 was significantly increased in chondrosarcoma cells and tissues compared with the normal cartilage cells, tissue and cartilage benign tumors. Thus, BAG3 may serve as an oncogene in the development of chondrosarcoma via the induction of RUNX2 expression. The results of the present study contribute to further research on the biological development of chondrosarcoma.

  14. 40 CFR 63.1184 - What do I need to know about the design specifications, installation, and operation of a bag leak...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... design specifications, installation, and operation of a bag leak detection system? 63.1184 Section 63... bag leak detection system? A bag leak detection system must meet the following requirements: (a) The bag leak detection system must be certified by the manufacturer to be capable of detecting PM...

  15. 49 CFR 178.521 - Standards for paper bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standards for paper bags. 178.521 Section 178.521...-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.521 Standards for paper bags. (a) The following are identification codes for paper bags: (1) 5M1 for a multi-wall paper bag; and (2) 5M2 for a multi-wall water-resistant paper...

  16. 49 CFR 178.521 - Standards for paper bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standards for paper bags. 178.521 Section 178.521...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.521 Standards for paper bags. (a) The following are identification codes for paper bags: (1) 5M1 for a multi-wall paper bag; and (2) 5M2 for a multi-wall water...

  17. 75 FR 59674 - Make Inoperative Exemptions; Vehicle Modifications To Accommodate People With Disabilities, Side...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-28

    ... that many vehicles will depend on side impact air bag technology to meet all of the injury criteria of... ``lead to the installation of new technologies, such as side curtain air bags and torso side air bags... is side air bag technology incorporated in the vehicle's roof rail (side air bag curtain), door, and...

  18. Evaluation of advanced air bag deployment algorithm performance using event data recorders.

    PubMed

    Gabler, Hampton C; Hinch, John

    2008-10-01

    This paper characterizes the field performance of occupant restraint systems designed with advanced air bag features including those specified in the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 for advanced air bags, through the use of Event Data Recorders (EDRs). Although advanced restraint systems have been extensively tested in the laboratory, we are only beginning to understand the performance of these systems in the field. Because EDRs record many of the inputs to the advanced air bag control module, these devices can provide unique insights into the characteristics of field performance of air bags. The study was based on 164 advanced air bag cases extracted from NASS/CDS 2002-2006 with associated EDR data. In this dataset, advanced driver air bags were observed to deploy with a 50% probability at a longitudinal delta-V of 9 mph for the first stage, and at 26 mph for both inflator stages. In general, advanced air bag performance was as expected, however, the study identified cases of air bag deployments at delta-Vs as low as 3-4 mph, non-deployments at delta-Vs over 26 mph, and possible delayed air bag deployments.

  19. Evaluation of Advanced Air Bag Deployment Algorithm Performance using Event Data Recorders

    PubMed Central

    Gabler, Hampton C.; Hinch, John

    2008-01-01

    This paper characterizes the field performance of occupant restraint systems designed with advanced air bag features including those specified in the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208 for advanced air bags, through the use of Event Data Recorders (EDRs). Although advanced restraint systems have been extensively tested in the laboratory, we are only beginning to understand the performance of these systems in the field. Because EDRs record many of the inputs to the advanced air bag control module, these devices can provide unique insights into the characteristics of field performance of air bags. The study was based on 164 advanced air bag cases extracted from NASS/CDS 2002-2006 with associated EDR data. In this dataset, advanced driver air bags were observed to deploy with a 50% probability at a longitudinal delta-V of 9 mph for the first stage, and at 26 mph for both inflator stages. In general, advanced air bag performance was as expected, however, the study identified cases of air bag deployments at delta-Vs as low as 3-4 mph, non-deployments at delta-Vs over 26 mph, and possible delayed air bag deployments. PMID:19026234

  20. In vitro blood and fibroblast responses to BisGMA-TEGDMA/bioactive glass composite implants.

    PubMed

    Abdulmajeed, Aous A; Kokkari, Anne K; Käpylä, Jarmo; Massera, Jonathan; Hupa, Leena; Vallittu, Pekka K; Närhi, Timo O

    2014-01-01

    This in vitro study was designed to evaluate both blood and human gingival fibroblast responses to bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate-triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (BisGMA-TEGDMA)/bioactive glass (BAG) composite, aimed to be used as composite implant abutment surface modifier. Three different types of substrates were investigated: (a) plain polymer (BisGMA 50 wt%-TEGDMA 50 wt%), (b) BAG-composite (50 wt% polymer + 50 wt% fraction of BAG-particles, <50 μm), and (c) plain BAG plates (100 wt% BAG). The blood response, including the blood-clotting ability and platelet adhesion morphology were evaluated. Human gingival fibroblasts were plated and cultured on the experimental substrates for up to 10 days, then the cell proliferation rate was assessed using AlamarBlue assay™. The BAG-composite and plain BAG substrates had a shorter clotting time than plain polymer substrates. Platelet activation and aggregation were most extensive, qualitatively, on BAG-composite. Analysis of the normalized cell proliferation rate on the different surfaces showed some variations throughout the experiment, however, by day 10 the BAG-composite substrate showed the highest (P < 0.001) cell proliferation rate. In conclusion, the presence of exposed BAG-particles enhances fibroblast and blood responses on composite surfaces in vitro.

  1. BAG3 directly stabilizes Hexokinase 2 mRNA and promotes aerobic glycolysis in pancreatic cancer cells.

    PubMed

    An, Ming-Xin; Li, Si; Yao, Han-Bing; Li, Chao; Wang, Jia-Mei; Sun, Jia; Li, Xin-Yu; Meng, Xiao-Na; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2017-12-04

    Aerobic glycolysis, a phenomenon known historically as the Warburg effect, is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. In this study, we characterized the role of BAG3 in aerobic glycolysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and its molecular mechanisms. Our data show that aberrant expression of BAG3 significantly contributes to the reprogramming of glucose metabolism in PDAC cells. Mechanistically, BAG3 increased Hexokinase 2 (HK2) expression, the first key enzyme involved in glycolysis, at the posttranscriptional level. BAG3 interacted with HK2 mRNA, and the degree of BAG3 expression altered recruitment of the RNA-binding proteins Roquin and IMP3 to the HK2 mRNA. BAG3 knockdown destabilized HK2 mRNA via promotion of Roquin recruitment, whereas BAG3 overexpression stabilized HK2 mRNA via promotion of IMP3 recruitment. Collectively, our results show that BAG3 promotes reprogramming of glucose metabolism via interaction with HK2 mRNA in PDAC cells, suggesting that BAG3 may be a potential target in the aerobic glycolysis pathway for developing novel anticancer agents. © 2017 An et al.

  2. BAG3 promotes proliferation of ovarian cancer cells via post-transcriptional regulation of Skp2 expression.

    PubMed

    Yan, Jing; Liu, Chuan; Jiang, Jing-Yi; Liu, Hans; Li, Chao; Li, Xin-Yu; Yuan, Ye; Zong, Zhi-Hong; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2017-10-01

    Bcl-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) contains a modular structure, through which BAG3 interacts with a wide range of proteins, thereby affording its capacity to regulate multifaceted biological processes. BAG3 is often highly expressed and functions as a pro-survival factor in many cancers. However, the oncogenic potential of BAG3 remains not fully understood. The cell cycle regulator, S-phase kinase associated protein 2 (Skp2) is increased in various cancers and plays an important role in tumorigenesis. The current study demonstrated that BAG3 promoted proliferation of ovarian cancer cells via upregulation of Skp2. BAG3 stabilized Skp2 mRNA via its 3'-untranslated region (UTR). The current study demonstrated that BAG3 interacted with Skp2 mRNA. In addition, miR-21-5p suppressed Skp2 expression, which was compromised by forced BAG3 expression. These results indicated that at least some oncogenic functions of BAG3 were mediated through posttranscriptional regulation of Skp2 via antagonizing suppressive action of miR-21-5p in ovarian cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. BAG3 promotes stem cell-like phenotype in breast cancer by upregulation of CXCR4 via interaction with its transcript

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Bao-Qin; Zhang, Song; Li, Si; An, Ming-Xin; Li, Chao; Yan, Jing; Wang, Jia-Mei; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2017-01-01

    BAG3 is an evolutionarily conserved co-chaperone expressed at high levels and has a prosurvival role in many tumor types. The current study reported that BAG3 was induced under specific floating culture conditions that enrich breast cancer stem cell (BCSC)-like cells in spheres. Ectopic BAG3 overexpression increased CD44+/CD24− CSC subpopulations, first-generation and second-generation mammosphere formation, indicating that BAG3 promotes CSC self-renewal and maintenance in breast cancer. We further demonstrated that mechanically, BAG3 upregulated CXCR4 expression at the post-transcriptional level. Further studies showed that BAG3 interacted with CXCR4 mRNA and promoted its expression via its coding and 3′-untranslational regions. BAG3 was also found to be positively correlated with CXCR4 expression and unfavorable prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Taken together, our data demonstrate that BAG3 promotes BCSC-like phenotype through CXCR4 via interaction with its transcript. Therefore, this study establishes BAG3 as a potential adverse prognostic factor and a therapeutic target of breast cancer. PMID:28703799

  4. Snap-lock bags with red band: A study of manufacturing characteristics, thermal and chemical properties.

    PubMed

    Sim, Yvonne Hui Ying; Koh, Alaric C W; Lim, Shing Min; Yew, Sok Yee

    2015-10-01

    Drug packaging is commonly submitted to the Forensic Chemistry and Physics Laboratory of the Health Sciences Authority, Singapore, for examination. The drugs seized are often packaged in plastic bags. These bags are examined for linkages to provide law enforcement with useful associations between the traffickers and drug abusers. The plastic bags submitted may include snap-lock bags, some with a red band located above the snap-lock closure and some without. Current techniques for examination involve looking at the physical characteristics (dimensions, thickness and polarising patterns) and manufacturing marks of these bags. In cases where manufacturing marks on the main body of the bags are poor or absent, the manufacturing characteristics present on the red band can be examined. A study involving approximately 1000 bags was conducted to better understand the variations in the manufacturing characteristics of the red band. This understanding is crucial in helping to determine associations/eliminations between bags. Two instrumental techniques, namely differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were explored to evaluate the effectiveness of examining the chemical composition to discriminate the bags. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The effect of air bags on pregnancy outcomes in Washington State: 2002-2005.

    PubMed

    Schiff, Melissa A; Mack, Christopher D; Kaufman, Robert P; Holt, Victoria L; Grossman, David C

    2010-01-01

    To estimate whether air-bag deployment is associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. We performed a retrospective cohort study to assess the effect of air-bag availability and air-bag deployment on the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant, front-seat occupants in motor vehicle crashes in Washington State. Pregnant women involved in motor vehicle crashes were identified by linking birth and fetal death certificate data with Washington State Patrol crash data, which reported air-bag availability and deployment. We calculated relative risks (RRs) of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using Poisson regression, adjusted for maternal age, seatbelt use, and vehicle model year. We found no increased risk of adverse maternal or perinatal pregnancy outcomes among occupants of air-bag-equipped vehicles in all collisions (n=2,207) compared with those in vehicles without air bags (n=1,141). Among crashes in which air-bag deployment would be likely, we found a nonsignificant 70% increased risk of preterm labor (RR 1.7, 95% CI 0.9-3.2) and a nonsignificant threefold increased risk (RR 3.1, 95% CI 0.4-22.1) of fetal death among occupants in vehicles with air-bag deployment compared with occupants in vehicles without air bags, although fetal death results were limited by small numbers (2/198 [1.0%] in pregnant women whose air bags deployed; 2/622 [0.3%] in pregnant women whose air bags did not deploy). Our findings provide clinicians with evidence to advise women that air bags do not seem to elevate risk of most potential adverse outcomes during pregnancy. II.

  6. BAG3 Expression in Glioblastoma Cells Promotes Accumulation of Ubiquitinated Clients in an Hsp70-dependent Manner*

    PubMed Central

    Gentilella, Antonio; Khalili, Kamel

    2011-01-01

    Disposal of damaged proteins and protein aggregates is a prerequisite for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and impairment of this disposal can lead to a broad range of pathological conditions, most notably in brain-associated disorders including Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases, and cancer. In this respect, the Protein Quality Control (PQC) pathway plays a central role in the clearance of damaged proteins. The Hsc/Hsp70-co-chaperone BAG3 has been described as a new and critical component of the PQC in several cellular contexts. For example, the expression of BAG3 in the rodent brain correlates with the engagement of protein degradation machineries in response to proteotoxic stress. Nevertheless, little is known about the molecular events assisted by BAG3. Here we show that ectopic expression of BAG3 in glioblastoma cells leads to the activation of an HSF1-driven stress response, as attested by transcriptional activation of BAG3 and Hsp70. BAG3 overexpression determines an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins and this event requires the N-terminal region, WW domain of BAG3 and the association of BAG3 with Hsp70. The ubiquitination mainly occurs on BAG3-client proteins and the inhibition of proteasomal activity results in a further accumulation of ubiquitinated clients. At the cellular level, overexpression of BAG3 in glioblastoma cell lines, but not in non-glial cells, results in a remarkable decrease in colony formation capacity and this effect is reverted when the binding of BAG3 to Hsp70 is impaired. These observations provide the first evidence for an involvement of BAG3 in the ubiquitination and turnover of its partners. PMID:21233200

  7. Proteomic Analysis Reveals a Role for Bcl2-associated Athanogene 3 and Major Vault Protein in Resistance to Apoptosis in Senescent Cells by Regulating ERK1/2 Activation*

    PubMed Central

    Pasillas, Martina P.; Shields, Sarah; Reilly, Rebecca; Strnadel, Jan; Behl, Christian; Park, Robin; Yates, John R.; Klemke, Richard; Gonias, Steven L.; Coppinger, Judith A.

    2015-01-01

    Senescence is a prominent solid tumor response to therapy in which cells avoid apoptosis and instead enter into prolonged cell cycle arrest. We applied a quantitative proteomics screen to identify signals that lead to therapy-induced senescence and discovered that Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (Bag3) is up-regulated after adriamycin treatment in MCF7 cells. Bag3 is a member of the BAG family of co-chaperones that interacts with Hsp70. Bag3 also regulates major cell-signaling pathways. Mass spectrometry analysis of the Bag3 Complex revealed a novel interaction between Bag3 and Major Vault Protein (MVP). Silencing of Bag3 or MVP shifts the cellular response to adriamycin to favor apoptosis. We demonstrate that Bag3 and MVP contribute to apoptosis resistance in therapy-induced senescence by increasing the level of activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2). Silencing of either Bag3 or MVP decreased ERK1/2 activation and promoted apoptosis in adriamycin-treated cells. An increase in nuclear accumulation of MVP is observed during therapy-induced senescence and the shift in MVP subcellular localization is Bag3-dependent. We propose a model in which Bag3 binds to MVP and facilitates MVP accumulation in the nucleus, which sustains ERK1/2 activation. We confirmed that silencing of Bag3 or MVP shifts the response toward apoptosis and regulates ERK1/2 activation in a panel of diverse breast cancer cell lines. This study highlights Bag3-MVP as an important complex that regulates a potent prosurvival signaling pathway and contributes to chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer. PMID:24997994

  8. Reducing single-use plastic shopping bags in the USA.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Travis P

    2017-12-01

    In the USA, local governments have the primary responsibility to manage MSW. However, local governments lack the authority to explicitly shift costs or responsibility back onto the producer for specific problem wastes. A particularly problematic waste for local governments is the single-use plastic bag. In 2014, in the USA, 103.465 billion single-use plastic shopping bags were consumed. Because of their extremely low recyclability rate, plastic bags remain a significant source of land-based litter and marine debris and impair stormwater management systems. They also reduce the effectiveness of automated recycling systems. In response, local governments increasingly have adopted a variety of measures specifically intended to reduce the store-level consumption of single-use shopping bags in 5 major categories: bans, imposition of fees and taxes, establishing minimum product design of bags, requiring consumer education, and mandating retailer take-back programs. As of September 2017, there were 271 local governments in the USA with plastic bag ordinances covering 9.7% of the nation's population. The majority (95%) of the ordinances is a ban on single-use plastic bags; 56.9% of these bans also include a mandatory fee on paper and/or reusable bags. For the fee-based ordinances, the mode is $0.10 per bag; every tax/fee ordinance allows retailers to retain some or all the collected fee. As local governments continue to increase their actions on plastic bags, 11 states have enacted laws to prohibit local governments from regulating single-use plastic bags. Because of the success with single-use bags, local governments are also enacting similar ordinances on single-use expanded polystyrene consumer products and other single-use plastic products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Vapor pressure measured with inflatable plastic bag

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1965-01-01

    Deflated plastic bag in a vacuum chamber measures initial low vapor pressures of materials. The bag captures the test sample vapors and visual observation of the vapor-inflated bag under increasing external pressures yields pertinent data.

  10. A randomized experiment of issue framing and voter support of tax increases for health insurance expansion.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Hector P; Laugesen, Miriam J; Watts, Carolyn A

    2010-12-01

    To assess the effect of issue framing on voter support of tax increases for health insurance expansion. During October 2008, a random sample of registered voters (n=1203) were randomized to a control and two different 'framing' groups prior to being asked about their support for tax increases. The 'framing' groups listened to one of two statements: one emphasized the externalities or negative effects of the uninsured on the insured, and the other raised racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance coverage as a problem. All groups were asked the same questions: would they support tax increases to provide adequate and reliable health insurance for three groups, (1) all American citizens, (2) all children, irrespective of citizenship, and (3) all military veterans. Support for tax increases varied substantially depending on which group benefited from the expansion. Consensus on coverage for military veterans was highest (83.3%), followed by all children, irrespective of citizenship (64.7%), and all American citizens (60.1%). There was no statistically significant difference between voter support in the 'framing' and control groups or between the two frames. In multivariable analyses, political party affiliation was the strongest predictor of support. Voters agree on the need for coverage of military veterans, but are less united on the coverage of all children and American citizens. Framing was less important than party affiliation, suggesting that voters consider coverage expansions and related tax increases in terms of the characteristics of the targeted group, and their own personal political views and values rather than the broader impact of maintaining the status quo. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Air bags: an update.

    PubMed

    Mikhail, J N; Huelke, D F

    1997-10-01

    Overwhelming evidence shows that air bags save lives and reduce morbidity associated with MVCs. The resulting benefits far outweigh the risks of air bag injury or death. Emergency nurses play a pivotal role in educating the public about active seat belt use in conjunction with passive restraint systems such as air bags. Air bags cannot be viewed as a single solution or panacea to occupant protection. Air bags are designed as supplemental devices to be used with seat belts and require the active participation of the user for maximum benefit and safety.

  12. Protection against head injuries should not be optional: a case for mandatory installation of side-curtain air bags.

    PubMed

    Stuke, Lance E; Nirula, Raminder; Gentilello, Larry M; Shafi, Shahid

    2010-10-01

    More than 9,000 vehicle occupants die each year in side-impact vehicle collisions, primarily from head injuries. The authors hypothesized that side-curtain air bags significantly improve head and neck safety in side-impact crash testing. Side-impact crash-test data were obtained from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which ranks occupant protection as good, acceptable, marginal, or poor. Vehicles of the same make and model that underwent side-impact crash testing both with and without side-curtain air bags were compared, as well as the protective effect of these air bags on occupants' risk for head and neck injury. Of all the passenger vehicles, 25 models have undergone side-impact crash testing with and without side-curtain air bags by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Only 3 models without side-curtain air bags (12%) provided good head and neck protection for drivers, while 21 cars with side-curtain air bags (84%) provided good protection (P < .001). For rear passengers, the added protection from side-curtain air bags was less dramatic but significant (84% without vs 100% with side-curtain air bags, P = .04). Side-curtain air bags significantly improve vehicle occupant safety in side-impact crash tests. Installation of these air bags should be federally mandated in all passenger vehicles. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Efficacy of side air bags in reducing driver deaths in driver-side collisions.

    PubMed

    Braver, Elisa R; Kyrychenko, Sergey Y

    2004-03-15

    Side air bags, a relatively new technology designed to protect the head and/or torso in side-impact collisions, are becoming increasingly common in automobiles. Their efficacy in preventing US driver deaths among cars struck on the near (driver's) side was examined using data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the General Estimates System. Risk ratios for driver death per nearside collision during 1999-2001 were computed for head/torso and torso-only side air bags in cars from model years 1997-2002, relative to cars without side air bags. Confounding was addressed by adjusting nearside risk ratios for front- and rear-impact mortality, which is unaffected by side air bags. Risk ratios were 0.55 (95% confidence interval: 0.43, 0.71) for head/torso air bags and 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.79, 1.01) for torso-only air bags. Risk was reduced when cars with head/torso air bags were struck by cars/minivans (significant) or pickup trucks/sport utility vehicles (nonsignificant). Risk was reduced in two-vehicle collisions and among male drivers and drivers aged 16-64 years. Protective effects associated with torso-only air bags were observed in single-vehicle crashes and among male and 16- to 64-year-old drivers. Head/torso side air bags appear to be very effective in reducing nearside driver deaths, whereas torso-only air bags appear less protective.

  14. A role of BAG3 in regulating SNCA/α-synuclein clearance via selective macroautophagy.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yu-Lan; Yang, Ya-Ping; Mao, Cheng-Jie; Zhang, Xiao-Qi; Wang, Chen-Tao; Yang, Jing; Lv, Dong-Jun; Wang, Fen; Hu, Li-Fang; Liu, Chun-Feng

    2017-12-01

    Many studies reveal that BAG3 plays a critical role in the regulation of protein degradation via macroautophagy. However, it remains unknown whether BAG3 affects the quality control of α-synuclein (SNCA), a Parkinson's disease-related protein. In this study, we demonstrated the increases of BAG3 expression in the ventral midbrain of SNCA A53T transgenic mice and also in MG132-treated PC12 cells overexpressing wild-type SNCA (SNCA WT -PC12). Moreover, we showed that BAG3 overexpression was sufficient to enhance the autophagy activity while knockdown of Bag3 reduced it in SNCA WT -PC12 cells. Immunoprecipitation revealed that BAG3 interacted with heat shock protein 70 and sequestosome 1. The immunostaining also showed the perinuclear accumulation and colocalization of BAG3 with these 2 proteins, as well as with LC3 dots in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the midbrain of SNCA A53T mice. BAG3 overexpression was able to modulate SNCA degradation via macroautophagy which was prevented by Atg5 knockdown. Taken together, these results indicate that BAG3 plays a relevant role in regulating SNCA clearance via macroautophagy, and the heat shock protein 70-BAG3-sequestosome 1 complex may be involved in this process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. BAG3 protects bovine papillomavirus type 1-transformed equine fibroblasts against pro-death signals.

    PubMed

    Cotugno, Roberta; Gallotta, Dario; d'Avenia, Morena; Corteggio, Annunziata; Altamura, Gennaro; Roperto, Franco; Belisario, Maria Antonietta; Borzacchiello, Giuseppe

    2013-07-22

    In human cancer cells, BAG3 protein is known to sustain cell survival. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate the expression of BAG3 protein both in equine sarcoids in vivo and in EqS04b cells, a sarcoid-derived fully transformed cell line harbouring bovine papilloma virus (BPV)-1 genome. Evidence of a possible involvement of BAG3 in equine sarcoid carcinogenesis was obtained by immunohistochemistry analysis of tumour samples. We found that most tumour samples stained positive for BAG3, even though to a different grade, while normal dermal fibroblasts from healthy horses displayed very weak staining pattern for BAG3 expression. By siRNA technology, we demonstrate in EqS04b the role of BAG3 in counteracting basal as well as chemical-triggered pro-death signals. BAG3 down-modulation was indeed shown to promote cell death and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. In addition, we found that BAG3 silencing sensitized EqS04b cells to phenethylisothiocyanate (PEITC), a promising cancer chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agent present in edible cruciferous vegetables. Notably, such a pro-survival role of BAG3 was less marked in E. Derm cells, an equine BPV-negative fibroblast cell line taken as a normal counterpart. Altogether our findings might suggest a mutual cooperation between BAG3 and viral oncoproteins to sustain cell survival.

  16. BAG3 protects Bovine Papillomavirus type 1-transformed equine fibroblasts against pro-death signals

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    In human cancer cells, BAG3 protein is known to sustain cell survival. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate the expression of BAG3 protein both in equine sarcoids in vivo and in EqS04b cells, a sarcoid-derived fully transformed cell line harbouring bovine papilloma virus (BPV)-1 genome. Evidence of a possible involvement of BAG3 in equine sarcoid carcinogenesis was obtained by immunohistochemistry analysis of tumour samples. We found that most tumour samples stained positive for BAG3, even though to a different grade, while normal dermal fibroblasts from healthy horses displayed very weak staining pattern for BAG3 expression. By siRNA technology, we demonstrate in EqS04b the role of BAG3 in counteracting basal as well as chemical-triggered pro-death signals. BAG3 down-modulation was indeed shown to promote cell death and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. In addition, we found that BAG3 silencing sensitized EqS04b cells to phenethylisothiocyanate (PEITC), a promising cancer chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic agent present in edible cruciferous vegetables. Notably, such a pro-survival role of BAG3 was less marked in E. Derm cells, an equine BPV-negative fibroblast cell line taken as a normal counterpart. Altogether our findings might suggest a mutual cooperation between BAG3 and viral oncoproteins to sustain cell survival. PMID:23876161

  17. BAG3 sensitizes cancer cells exposed to DNA damaging agents via direct interaction with GRP78.

    PubMed

    Kong, De-Hui; Zhang, Qiang; Meng, Xin; Zong, Zhi-Hong; Li, Chao; Liu, Bao-Qin; Guan, Yifu; Wang, Hua-Qin

    2013-12-01

    Bcl-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) has a modular structure that contains a BAG domain, a WW domain, a proline-rich (PxxP) domain to mediate potential interactions with chaperons and other proteins that participate in more than one signal transduction. In search for novel interacting partners, the current study identified that 78kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) was a novel partner interacting with BAG3. Interaction between GRP78 and BAG3 was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown. We also identified that the ATPase domain of GRP78 and BAG domain of BAG3 mediated their interaction. Counterintuitive for a prosurvival protein, BAG3 was found to promote the cytotoxicity of breast cancer MCF7, thyroid cancer FRO and glioma U87 cells subjected to genotoxic stress. In addition, the current study demonstrated that BAG3 interfered with the formation of the antiapoptotic GRP78-procaspase-7 complex, which resulted in an increased genotoxic stress-induced cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Furthermore, overexpression of GRP78 significantly blocked the enhancing effects of BAG3 on activation of caspase-7 and induction of apoptosis by genotoxic stress. Overall, these results suggested that through direct interaction BAG3 could prevent the antiapoptotic effect of GRP78 upon genotoxic stress. © 2013.

  18. Design of Control System for Flexible Packaging Bags Palletizing Production Line Based on PLC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Huiping; Chen, Lin; Zhao, Xiaoming; Liu, Zhanyang

    Flexible packaging bags palletizing production line is to put the bags in the required area according to particular order and size, in order to finish handling, storage, loading and unloading, transportation and other logistics work of goods. Flexible packaging bags palletizing line is composed of turning bags mechanism, shaping mechanism, indexing mechanism, marshalling mechanism, pushing bags mechanism, pressing bags mechanism, laminating mechanism, elevator, tray warehouse, tray conveyor and loaded tray conveyor. Whether the whole production line can smoothly run depends on each of the above equipment and precision control among them. In this paper the technological process and the control logic of flexible packaging bags palletizing production line is introduced. Palletizing process of the production line realized automation by means of a control system based on programmable logic controller (PLC). It has the advantages of simple structure, reliable and easy maintenance etc.

  19. Expression of Anti-apoptotic Protein BAG3 in Human Sebaceous Gland Carcinoma of the Eyelid.

    PubMed

    Yunoki, Tatsuya; Tabuchi, Yoshiaki; Hayashi, Atsushi

    2017-04-01

    Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), a co-chaperone of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), has been shown to play a role in anti-apoptosis of various malignant tumors. In this study, the expression of BAG3 was examined in human sebaceous gland carcinoma of the eyelid. The expression of BAG3 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry of surgical samples from 5 patients with sebaceous gland carcinoma in the eyelid. BAG3 was positive diffusely in the cytoplasm in all patients. The average positive rate of BAG3 was 73.0±26.0% in tumor cells of all patients. BAG3 was highly expressed in sebaceous gland carcinoma of the eyelid. BAG3 may play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of sebaceous gland carcinoma of the eyelid. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  20. Benefits of a new pediatric triple-chamber bag for parenteral nutrition in preterm infants.

    PubMed

    Rigo, Jacques; Marlowe, Monica L; Bonnot, Denis; Senterre, Thibault; Lapillonne, Alexandre; Kermorvant-Duchemin, Elsa; Hascoet, Jean Michel; Desandes, Roxane; Malfilâtre, Geneviève; Pladys, Patrick; Beuchée, Alain; Colomb, Virginie

    2012-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety, flexibility, and ease of handling and use of the Ped3CB-A 300  mL, the first ready-to-use multichamber parenteral nutrition (PN) system, with optional lipid bag activation, specially designed for administration to preterm infants. In this prospective, open-label, multicenter, noncomparative, phase III clinical trial, preterm infants were treated with Ped3CB-A for 5 to 10 consecutive days. A total of 113 preterm infants were enrolled in the study and 97 (birth weight 1382 ± 520 g; gestational age 31.2 ± 2.5 weeks; postnatal age administration 5.6 ± 6.1 days) were included in the per protocol analysis accounting for 854 perfusion days. Double-chamber bag activation was used for 32 perfusion days. Macronutrient, electrolyte, and mineral supplements were primarily administered through a Y-line or directly in the activated bag. In all, 199 additions (mainly sodium, 95%) were made to the Ped3CB-A bags on 197 infusion days (23.1%) in 43 infants (44.3%). More than 1 of these nutrients was added to the bag on only 1 perfusion day. Mean and maximum parenteral nutrient intakes were 2.8 ± 0.7 and 3.6 ± 0.8  g amino acids per kilogram per day, and 80 ± 20 and 104 ± 22  kcal · kg(-1) · day(-1). Mean weight gain represented 10.0, 21.5, and 22. 6 g · kg(-1) · day(-1) according to age at inclusion (0-3, 4-7, or >7 days of life). A visual analog scale was completed and produced positive results. No adverse events were attributable to the design of the Ped3CB-A system. Ped3CB-A provides easy-to-use, well-balanced, and safe nutritional support. Nutritional intakes and weight gain were within the recent PN recommendations in preterm infants.

  1. NASA Dryden technicians (Dave Dennis, Freddy Green and Jeff Doughty) position a support cylinder und

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    NASA Dryden technicians (Dave Dennis, Freddy Green and Jeff Doughty) position a support cylinder under the right wing of the Active Aeroelastic Wing F/A-18 test aircraft prior to ground vibration tests. The cylinder contains an 'air bag' that allows vibrations induced by an electro-mechanical shaker device to propagate through the airframe as they would if the aircraft were flying.

  2. Commercial liquid bags as a potential source of venous air embolism in shoulder arthroscopy.

    PubMed

    Austin, Luke; Zmistowski, Benjamin; Tucker, Bradford; Hetrick, Robin; Curry, Patrick; Williams, Gerald

    2010-09-01

    Venous air embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of arthroscopy. Fatal venous air embolism has been reported with as little as 100 mL of air entering the venous system. During liquid-only arthroscopy, avenues for air introduction into the joint are limited. Therefore, we hypothesized that commercially prepared 3-L saline-solution bags are a source of potentially fatal amounts of gas that can be introduced into the joint by arthroscopic pumps. Eight 3-L arthroscopic saline-solution bags were obtained and visually inspected for air. The air was aspirated from four bags, and the volume of the air was recorded. A closed-system pump was prepared, and two 3-L bags were connected to it. The pump emptied into an inverted graduated cylinder immersed in a water bath. Both bags were allowed to run dry. Two more bags were then connected and also allowed to run dry. The air was quantified by the downward displacement of water. The experiment was then repeated with the four bags after the air had been aspirated from them. This experiment was performed at three institutions, with utilization of three pump systems and two brands of 3-L saline-solution bags. Air was visualized in all bags, and the bags contained between 34 and 85 mL of air. Arthroscopic pumps can pump air efficiently through the tubing. The total volumes of gas ejected from the tubing after the four 3-L bags had been emptied were 75, 80, and 235 mL. When bags from which the air had been evacuated were used, no air exited the system. Because a saline-solution arthroscopic pump is theoretically a closed system, venous air embolism has not been a concern. However, this study shows that it is possible to pump a fatal amount of air from 3-L saline-solution bags into an environment susceptible to the creation of emboli. Evacuation of air from the 3-L bags prior to use may eliminate this risk.

  3. Simplification of the standard three-bag intravenous acetylcysteine regimen for paracetamol poisoning results in a lower incidence of adverse drug reactions.

    PubMed

    Wong, Anselm; Graudins, Andis

    2016-01-01

    Adverse reactions to intravenous (IV) acetylcysteine treatment in paracetamol overdose, are common. Previous studies suggest the incidence and severity of non-allergic anaphylactic reactions (NAARs) are influenced by the rate of acetylcysteine infusion. We compared the incidence of adverse drug events of a two-bag IV acetylcysteine regimen with that of the traditional three-bag regimen. This was a retrospective analysis of patients presenting with paracetamol overdose requiring treatment with acetylcysteine to three emergency departments. We prospectively identified all presentations where IV acetylcysteine was administered using a 20 h, two-bag regimen (200 mg/kg over 4 h followed by 100 mg/kg over 16 h) from February 2014 to June 2015. We compared this to an historical cohort treated with the 21 h three-bag IV regimen (150 mg/kg over 1 h, 50 mg/kg over 4 h and 100 mg/kg over 16 h) from October 2009 to October 2013. Medical and nursing notes were searched retrospectively for entries suggesting the presence of an adverse reaction. The primary outcome was incidence of NAARs and gastrointestinal reactions in each group. 389 presentations were treated with the three-bag regimen and 210 presentations received the two-bag regimen. NAARs were recorded more commonly with the three-bag acetylcysteine regimen than the two-bag regimen (10% vs 4.3%, p = 0.02, OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.8). There was no difference in reports of gastrointestinal reactions between cohorts (three-bag 39% vs two-bag 41%, p = 0.38, OR 1.17 95% CI (0.83-1.65)). The incidence of NAARs was significantly reduced by combining the first two bags of the traditional three-bag regimen and infusing these over 4 h at 50 mg/kg/hr. Simplifying the administration of acetylcysteine may have other benefits such as better utilisation of nursing time and reduced infusion administration errors. A two-bag 20 h acetylcysteine regimen was well tolerated and resulted in significantly fewer and milder NAARs than the standard three-bag regimen.

  4. Physical and thermal properties of blood storage bags: implications for shipping frozen components on dry ice.

    PubMed

    Hmel, Peter J; Kennedy, Anthony; Quiles, John G; Gorogias, Martha; Seelbaugh, Joseph P; Morrissette, Craig R; Van Ness, Kenneth; Reid, T J

    2002-07-01

    Frozen blood components are shipped on dry ice. The lower temperature (-70 degrees C in contrast to usual storage at -30 degrees C) and shipping conditions may cause a rent in the storage bag, breaking sterility and rendering the unit useless. The rate of loss can reach 50 to 80 percent. To identify those bags with lower probability of breaking during shipment, the thermal and physical properties of blood storage bags were examined. Blood storage bags were obtained from several manufacturers and were of the following compositions: PVC with citrate, di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), or tri-2-ethylhexyl-tri-mellitate (TEHTM) plasticizer; polyolefin (PO); poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA); or fluorinated polyethylene propylene (FEP). The glass transition temperature (Tg) of each storage bag was determined. Bag thickness and measures of material strength (tensile modulus [MT] and time to achieve 0.5 percent strain [T0.5%]) were evaluated. M(T) and T0.5% measurements were made at 25 and -70 degrees C. Response to applied force at -70 degrees C was measured using an impact testing device and a drop test. The Tg of the bags fell into two groups: 70 to 105 degrees C (PO, FEP) and -50 to -17 degrees C (PVC with plasticizer, EVA). Bag thickness ranged from 0.14 to 0.41 mm. Compared to other materials, the ratios of M(T) and T0.5% for PVC bags were increased (p < or = 0.001) indicating that structural changes for PVC were more pronounced upon cooling from 25 to -70 degrees C. Bags containing EVA were more shock resistant, resulting in the lowest rate of breakage (10% breakage) when compared with PO (60% breakage, p = 0.0573) or PVC (100% breakage, p = 0.0001). Blood storage bags made of EVA appear better suited for shipping frozen blood components on dry ice and are cost-effective replacements for PVC bags. For the identification of blood storage bags meeting specific storage requirements, physical and thermal analyses of blood storage bags may be useful and remove empiricism from the process.

  5. In-the-Bag Intraocular Lens Placement via Secondary Capsulorhexis with Radiofrequency Diathermy in Pediatric Aphakic Eyes

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chunxiao; Zhang, Xinyu; Tang, Xiangchen; Liu, Jianping; Congdon, Nathan; Chen, Jingjing; Lin, Zhuoling; Liu, Yizhi

    2013-01-01

    Pediatric ophthalmologists increasingly recognize that the ideal site for intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is in the bag for aphakic eyes, but it is always very difficult via conventional technique. We conducted a prospective case series study to investigate the success rate and clinical outcomes of capsular bag reestablishment and in-the-bag IOL implantation via secondary capsulorhexis with radiofrequency diathermy (RFD) in pediatric aphakic eyes, in which twenty-two consecutive aphakic pediatric patients (43 aphakic eyes) enrolled in the Childhood Cataract Program of the Chinese Ministry of Health were included. The included children underwent either our novel technique for secondary IOL implantation (with RFD) or the conventional technique (with a bent needle or forceps), depending on the type of preoperative proliferative capsular bag present. In total, secondary capsulorhexis with RFD was successfully applied in 32 eyes (32/43, 74.4%, age 5.6±2.3 years), of which capsular bag reestablishment and in-the-bag IOL implantation were both achieved in 30 eyes (30/43, 70.0%), but in the remaining 2 eyes (2/32, 6.2%) the IOLs were implanted in the sulcus with a capsular bag that was too small. Secondary capsulorhexis with conventional technique was applied in the other 11 eyes (11/43, 25.6%, age 6.9±2.3 years), of which capsular bag reestablishment and in-the-bag IOL implantation were both achieved only in 3 eyes(3/43, 7.0%), and the IOLs were implanted in the sulcus in the remaining 8 eyes. A doughnut-like proliferative capsular bag with an extensive Soemmering ring (32/43, 74.4%) was the main success factor for secondary capsulorhexis with RFD, and a sufficient capsular bag size (33/43, 76.7%) was an additional factor in successful in-the-bag IOL implantation. In conclusion, RFD secondary capsulorhexis technique has 70% success rate in the capsular bag reestablishment and in-the-bag IOL implantation in pediatric aphakic eyes, particularly effective in cases with a doughnut-like, extensively proliferative Soemmering ring. PMID:23638058

  6. Effects of Valenced Media Frames of Cancer Diagnoses and Therapies: Quantifying the Transformation and Establishing of Evaluative Schemas.

    PubMed

    Guenther, Lars; Froehlich, Klara; Milde, Jutta; Heidecke, Gitte; Ruhrmann, Georg

    2015-01-01

    Journalists portray health issues within different frames, which may shape news recipients' evaluations, attitudes, and behaviors. As the research on framing continues to face theoretical challenges and methodological concerns, this study examines the transformation and establishing of evaluative schemas, which are steps in the process toward attitudinal change. The study measures recipients' evaluations of actual television clips dealing with cancer diagnoses and cancer therapies. Two valenced (positive vs. negative) media frames were tested in a 3-week online panel (n = 298) using a pretest-posttest design with a German sample. The results offer limited support for the hypothesis that media frames transform participants' schemas, but do not support the hypothesis that new schemas are established in response to media frames. The study also investigates interactions between framing and participants' issue involvement, as well as between framing and topic-specific interest and media use.

  7. Vehicle for carrying an object of interest

    DOEpatents

    Zollinger, W.T.; Ferrante, T.A.

    1998-10-13

    A vehicle for carrying an object of interest across a supporting surface including a frame having opposite first and second ends; a first pair of wheels fixedly mounted on the first end of the frame; a second pair of wheels pivotally mounted on the second end of the frame; and a pair of motors borne by the frame, each motor disposed in driving relation relative to one of the pairs of wheels, the motors propelling the vehicle across the supporting surface. 8 figs.

  8. Vehicle for carrying an object of interest

    DOEpatents

    Zollinger, W. Thor; Ferrante, Todd A.

    1998-01-01

    A vehicle for carrying an object of interest across a supporting surface including a frame having opposite first and second ends; a first pair of wheels fixedly mounted on the first end of the frame; a second pair of wheels pivotally mounted on the second end of the frame; and a pair of motors borne by the frame, each motor disposed in driving relation relative to one of the pairs of wheels, the motors propelling the vehicle across the supporting surface.

  9. Cryogenic performance of slotted brazed Rene 41 honeycomb panels

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hepler, A. K.; Swegle, A. R.

    1982-01-01

    Two brazed Rene 41 honeycomb panels that would incorporate a frame element were designed, fabricated and tested. The panels were representative of the lower surface of an advanced space transportation vehicle. The first panel was a two span panel supported by a center frame and on edges parallel to it. The second panel was a two span panel supported by a center frame and on edges parallel to it. The second panel was a three span panel supported on two frames and on edges parallel to the frames. Each panel had its outer skin slotted to reduce the thermal stresses of the panel skins. The first panel was tested under simulated boost conditions that included liquid hydrogen exposure of the frame and inner skin and radiant heat to 478K on the outer skins. The first panel was tested to investigate the effect of thermal stresses in skins and core caused by the panel being restrained by a cold integral frame and to observe the effects of frost formation and possible liquid air development in and around outer skin slots.

  10. Lipid globule size in total nutrient admixtures prepared in three-chamber plastic bags.

    PubMed

    Driscoll, David F; Thoma, Andrea; Franke, Rolf; Klütsch, Karsten; Nehne, Jörg; Bistrian, Bruce R

    2009-04-01

    The stability of injectable lipid emulsions in three-chamber plastic (3CP) bags, applying the globule-size limits established by United States Pharmacopeia ( USP ) chapter 729, was studied. A total of five premixed total nutrient admixture (TNA) products packaged in 3CP bags from two different lipid manufacturers containing either 20% soybean oil or a mixture of soybean oil and medium-chain-triglyceride oil as injectable lipid emulsions were tested. Two low-osmolarity 3CP bags and three high-osmolarity 3CP bags were studied. All products were tested with the addition of trace elements and multivitamins. All additive conditions (with and without electrolytes) were tested in triplicate at time 0 (immediately after mixing) and at 6, 24, 30, and 48 hours after mixing; the bags were stored at 24-26 degrees C. All additives were equally distributed in each bag for comparative testing, applying both globule sizing methods outlined in USP chapter 729. Of the bags tested, all bags from one manufacturer were coarse emulsions, showing signs of significant growth in the large-diameter tail when mixed as a TNA formulation and failing the limits set by method II of USP chapter 729 from the outset and throughout the study, while the bags from the other manufacturer were fine emulsions and met these limits. Of the bags that failed, significant instability was noted in one series containing additional electrolytes. Injectable lipid emulsions provided in 3CP bags that did not meet the globule-size limits of USP chapter 729 produced coarser TNA formulations than emulsions that met the USP limits.

  11. Development of Spray on Bag for manufacturing of large composites parts: Diffusivity analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dempah, Maxime Joseph

    Bagging materials are utilized in many composites manufacturing processes. The selection is mainly driven by cost, temperature requirements, chemical compatibility and tear properties of the bag. The air barrier properties of the bag are assumed to be adequate or in many cases are not considered at all. However, the gas barrier property of a bag is the most critical parameter, as it can negatively affect the quality of the final laminate. The barrier property is a function of the bag material, uniformity, thickness and temperature. Improved barrier properties are needed for large parts, high pressure consolidated components and structures where air stays entrapped on the part surface. The air resistance property of the film is defined as permeability and is investigated in this thesis. A model was developed to evaluate the gas transport through the film and an experimental cell was implemented to characterize various commercial films. Understanding and characterizing the transport phenomena through the film allows optimization of the bagging material for various manufacturing processes. Spray-on-Bag is a scalable alternative bagging method compared to standard films. The approach allows in-situ fabrication of the bag on large and complex geometry structures where optimization of the bag properties can be varied on a local level. An experimental setup was developed and implemented using a six axis robot and an automated spraying system. Experiments were performed on a flat surface and specimens were characterized and compared to conventional films. Air barrier properties were within range of standard film approaches showing the potential to fabricate net shape bagging structures in an automated process.

  12. Comparison of storage stability of odorous VOCs in polyester aluminum and polyvinyl fluoride Tedlar® bags.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yong-Hyun; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Jo, Sang-Hee; Jeon, Eui-Chan; Sohn, Jong Ryeul; Parker, David B

    2012-01-27

    Whole air sampling using containers such as flexible bags or rigid canisters is commonly used to collect samples of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in air. The objective of this study was to compare the stability of polyester aluminum (PEA) and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF, brand name Tedlar(®)) bags for gaseous VOC sampling. Eight VOC standards (benzene, toluene, p-xylene, styrene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, butyl acetate, and isobutyl alcohol) were placed into each bag at storage times of 0, 2, and 3 days prior to analyses by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). From each bag representing each storage day, samples of 3 different mass loadings were withdrawn and analyzed to derive response factors (RF) of each chemical between the slope of the GC response (y-axis) vs. loaded mass (x-axis). The relative recoveries (RR) of VOC, if derived by dividing RF value of a given storage day by that of 0 day, varied by time, bag type, and VOC type. If the RR values after three days are compared, those of methyl isobutyl ketone were the highest with 96 (PVF) and 99% (PEA); however, the results of isobutyl alcohol were highly contrasting between the two bags with 31 and 94%, respectively. Differences in RR values between the two bag types increased with storage time, such that RR of PEA bags (88±10%) were superior to those of PVF bags (73±22%) after three days, demonstrating that VOC in PEA bags were more stable than in PVF bags. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. General Walton H. Walker: A Talent for Training

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-19

    history that enriched my understanding and appreciation of our profession. Dr. Wilson Heefner’s graciousness and kind words enabled me to conduct a more in...Support Command provided invaluable air-ground integration training by bombing tanks with flour bags and providing realistic strafing runs on troops

  14. STS-37 crewmembers watch Pilot Cameron juggle cassettes on OV-104's middeck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1991-04-11

    STS037-54-004 (5-11 April 1991) --- Four crew members have fun with weightlessness on the Space Shuttle Atlantis' middeck. Astronaut Kenneth D. Cameron, pilot, performs a "quick hands" feat with three tape cassettes -- obviously a feat much more difficult on Earth. Looking on, left to right, are astronauts Linda M. Godwin, mission specialist; Steven R. Nagel, mission commander; and Jerry L. Ross, mission specialist. Ross later used the microgravity environment to have some fun with the bag of malted milk balls in his hands. This 35mm frame was exposed by astronaut Jerome (Jay) Apt, mission specialist. This was one of the visuals used by the crew members during their April 19 Post Flight Press Conference (PFPC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC).

  15. 50 CFR 622.456 - Bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands § 622.456 Bag limits. (a) Applicability. Section 622.11(a... fishing license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. (b) Bag limit. The bag limit for spiny...

  16. Classroom Discourse Frames.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennington, Martha C.

    An analysis of classroom discourse proposes four frames, modeled as concentric circles. The inner most circle is the lesson frame, removed or sheltered from outside influences and most likely, in a language class, to maintain second-language usage. The next frame from the center is the lesson-support frame, an intermediate layer of classroom…

  17. Enamel Surface with Pit and Fissure Sealant Containing 45S5 Bioactive Glass.

    PubMed

    Yang, S-Y; Kwon, J-S; Kim, K-N; Kim, K-M

    2016-05-01

    Enamel demineralization adjacent to pit and fissure sealants leads to the formation of marginal caries, which can necessitate the replacement of existing sealants. Dental materials with bioactive glass, which releases ions that inhibit dental caries, have been studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the enamel surface adjacent to sealants containing 45S5 bioactive glass (BAG) under simulated microleakage between the material and the tooth in a cariogenic environment. Sealants containing 45S5BAG filler were prepared as follows: 0% 45S5BAG + 50.0% glass (BAG0 group), 12.5% 45S5BAG + 37.5% glass (BAG12.5 group), 25.0% 45S5BAG + 25.0% glass (BAG25.0 group), 37.5% 45S5BAG + 12.5% glass (BAG37.5 group), and 50.0% 45S5BAG + 0% glass (BAG50.0 group). A cured sealant disk was placed over a flat bovine enamel disk, separated by a 60-µm gap, and immersed in lactic acid solution (pH 4.0) at 37 °C for 15, 30, and 45 d. After the storage period, each enamel disk was separated from the cured sealant disk, and the enamel surface was examined with optical 3-dimensional surface profilometer, microhardness tester, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed a significant increase in roughness and a decrease in microhardness of the enamel surface as the proportion of 45S5BAG decreased (P< 0.05). In the scanning electron microscopy images, enamel surfaces with BAG50.0 showed a smooth surface, similar to those in the control group with distilled water, even after prolonged acid storage. Additionally, an etched pattern was observed on the surface of the demineralized enamel with a decreasing proportion of 45S5BAG. Increasing the 45S5BAG filler contents of the sealants had a significant impact in preventing the demineralization of the enamel surface within microgaps between the material and the tooth when exposed to a cariogenic environment. Therefore, despite some marginal leakage, these novel sealants may be effective preventive dental materials for inhibiting secondary caries at the margins. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2016.

  18. Triple bag hermetic technology for controlling a bruchid (Spermophagus sp.) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in stored Hibiscus sabdariffa grain.

    PubMed

    Amadou, L; Baoua, I B; Baributsa, D; Williams, S B; Murdock, L L

    2016-10-01

    We assessed the performance of hermetic triple layer Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags for protecting Hibiscus sabdariffa grain against storage insects. The major storage pest in the grain was a bruchid, Spermophagus sp.. When we stored infested H. sabdariffa grain for six months in the woven polypropylene bags typically used by farmers, the Spermophagus population increased 33-fold over that initially present. The mean number of emergence holes per 100 seeds increased from 3.3 holes to 35.4 holes during this time period, while grain held for the same length of time in PICS bags experienced no increase in the numbers of holes. Grain weight loss in the woven control bags was 8.6% while no weight loss was observed in the PICS bags. Seed germination rates of grain held in woven bags for six months dropped significantly while germination of grain held in PICS bags did not change from the initial value. PICS bags can be used to safely store Hibiscus grain after harvest to protect against a major insect pest.

  19. Cordyceps sinensis attenuates renal fibrosis and suppresses BAG3 induction in obstructed rat kidney.

    PubMed

    Du, Feng; Li, Si; Wang, Tian; Zhang, Hai-Yan; Zong, Zhi-Hong; Du, Zhen-Xian; Li, De-Tian; Wang, Hua-Qin; Liu, Bo; Miao, Jia-Ning; Bian, Xiao-Hui

    2015-01-01

    BAG3 regulates a number of cellular processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion and migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the role of BAG3 in renal tubular EMT and renal interstitial fibrosis remains elusive. This study aimed to examine the dynamic expression of BAG3 during renal fibrosis, and to investigate the efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis (C. sinensis) on renal fibrosis. A rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) was established, and the expression of BAG3 and α-SMA, and the efficacy of C. sinensis on renal fibrosis induced by UUO were examined. The results showed that UUO led to collagen accumulation, which was significantly suppressed by C. sinensis. UUO increased the expression of BAG3 and α-SMA, a mesenchymal marker, while UUO induced BAG3 and α-SMA expression was significantly inhibited by C. sinensis. In addition, immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that BAG3 immunoreactivity was restricted to tubular epithelium. In conclusion, BAG3 is a potential target for the prevention and/or treatment of renal fibrosis, and C. Sinensis is a promising agent for renal fibrosis.

  20. Prospecting Agro-waste Cocktail: Supplementation for Cellulase Production by a Newly Isolated Thermophilic B. licheniformis 2D55.

    PubMed

    Kazeem, Muinat Olanike; Shah, Umi Kalsom Md; Baharuddin, Azhari Samsu; AbdulRahman, Nor' Aini

    2017-08-01

    Bacteria isolated from thermophilic environment that can produce cellulase as well as utilise agro-waste biomass have a high potential for developing thermostable cellulase required in the biofuel industry. The cost for cellulase represents a significant challenge in converting lignocellulose to fermentable sugars for biofuel production. Among three potential bacteria examined, Bacillus licheniformis 2D55 (accession no. KT799651) was found to produce the highest cellulolytic activity (CMCase 0.33 U/mL and FPase 0.09 U/mL) at 18-24 h fermentation when grown on microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as a carbon source in shake flask at 50 °C. Cellulase production process was further conducted on the untreated and NaOH pretreated rice straw (RS), rice husk (RH), sugarcane bagasse (BAG) and empty fruit bunch (EFB). Untreated BAG produced the highest FPase (0.160 U/mL), while the highest CMCase (0.150 U/mL) was supported on the pretreated RH. The mixture of untreated BAG and pretreated RH as agro-waste cocktail has remarkably improved CMCase (3.7- and 1.4-fold) and FPase (2.5- and 11.5-fold) compared to the untreated BAG and pretreated RH, respectively. The mechanism of cellulase production explored through SEM analysis and the location of cellulase enzymes of the isolate was also presented. Agro-waste cocktail supplementation provides an alternative method for an efficient production of cellulase.

  1. Assessing the appropriateness of parenteral nutrition use in hospitalized patients. A comparison on parenteral nutrition bag prescription in different wards and nutritional outcomes.

    PubMed

    Ponta, Monica Laura; Rabbione, Laura; Borgio, Cristina; Quirico, Eliana; Patrito, Elena; Petrachi, Maria Novella; Girotto, Elisabetta; Sillano, Marisa; Geninatti, Silvio; Zanardi, Michela; Pezzana, Andrea

    2018-06-01

    Our aim is to assess parenteral nutrition (PN) bag prescription in hospitalized patients and evaluate clinical outcomes linked to PN therapy. We performed an observational longitudinal retrospective study on PN prescription in a General Public Hospital in Turin, Italy, on ninety-five patients receiving PN prescribed by the Nutrition Support Team (NST). We described patients' demography and assessed nutritional outcomes, as well as PN bag prescription in different wards. Medians were calculated for several clinical parameters before and after PN therapy. A z-test for proportions has been performed to better understand the impact of various conditions on clinical outcomes and to compare differences between administered nutrients and required amounts. The NST resulted responsible for only 18% of bags prescribed in the geriatrics ward and for 48% in the surgery wards. PN was not able to fulfill nutritional requirements resulting in a median lack of 3.1 calories and 0.23 g of proteins per kilogram of reference body weight per day. Despite this, PN therapy was able to improve total blood proteins and calcium blood levels in our cohort. The NST changed the prescription in 55.8% of the pre-existing PN regimens. More strict adherence to guidelines is needed in order to maximize effectiveness of PN and observe a positive impact on clinical parameters. Copyright © 2018 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Frame for a firearm

    DOEpatents

    Crandall, David L [Idaho Falls, ID; Watson, Richard W [Blackfoot, ID

    2008-03-04

    A firearm frame which is adapted to be disposed in operative relationship as a component part of a firearm, the firearm having disposed in operative relationships each with one or more of the others, a barrel, a receiver, and at least one firing mechanism; wherein the barrel and receiver form operative parts of a movable assembly and the at least one firing mechanism is disposed in a substantially stationary operative relationship therewith; the firearm frame including at least one elongated support structure discrete from the barrel and receiver, the elongated support structure being adapted to directly support the movable assembly in an operative movable relationship therewith; whereby at least one of the barrel and receiver is in direct contact with and movable on the elongated support structure; and, a firing mechanism support structure connected to the at least one elongated support structure, the firing mechanism support structure being adapted to have the firing mechanism connected thereto; the firearm frame also directly supporting the movable assembly and the firing mechanism in corresponding movable and stationary operative relationships each with the other.

  3. Photovoltaic module and module arrays

    DOEpatents

    Botkin, Jonathan; Graves, Simon; Lenox, Carl J. S.; Culligan, Matthew; Danning, Matt

    2013-08-27

    A photovoltaic (PV) module including a PV device and a frame, The PV device has a PV laminate defining a perimeter and a major plane. The frame is assembled to and encases the laminate perimeter, and includes leading, trailing, and side frame members, and an arm that forms a support face opposite the laminate. The support face is adapted for placement against a horizontal installation surface, to support and orient the laminate in a non-parallel or tilted arrangement. Upon final assembly, the laminate and the frame combine to define a unitary structure. The frame can orient the laminate at an angle in the range of 3.degree.-7.degree. from horizontal, and can be entirely formed of a polymeric material. Optionally, the arm incorporates integral feature(s) that facilitate interconnection with corresponding features of a second, identically formed PV module.

  4. Photovoltaic module and module arrays

    DOEpatents

    Botkin, Jonathan [El Cerrito, CA; Graves, Simon [Berkeley, CA; Lenox, Carl J. S. [Oakland, CA; Culligan, Matthew [Berkeley, CA; Danning, Matt [Oakland, CA

    2012-07-17

    A photovoltaic (PV) module including a PV device and a frame. The PV device has a PV laminate defining a perimeter and a major plane. The frame is assembled to and encases the laminate perimeter, and includes leading, trailing, and side frame members, and an arm that forms a support face opposite the laminate. The support face is adapted for placement against a horizontal installation surface, to support and orient the laminate in a non-parallel or tilted arrangement. Upon final assembly, the laminate and the frame combine to define a unitary structure. The frame can orient the laminate at an angle in the range of 3.degree.-7.degree. from horizontal, and can be entirely formed of a polymeric material. Optionally, the arm incorporates integral feature(s) that facilitate interconnection with corresponding features of a second, identically formed PV module.

  5. The use of parent involved take-home science activities during student teaching: Understanding the challenges of implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zarazinski, Jill

    The purpose of this study was to identify student teachers use and implementation of Science in a Bag when it was no longer a required course-based assessment. This take-home science activity acted as the elaboration component of the 5Es lesson teacher candidates designed and taught in the classroom, utilized household items, and directly involved parents in their child's education. The purposeful sample was comprised of six teacher candidates during their student teaching practicum, the last semester of the childhood education teacher certification program. This collective case study centered on student teachers' use of the focused activity, Science in a Bag, in order to gain knowledge of challenges faced in applying take-home science kits and working with parents. Data collection was comprised of student teacher and parent interviews, candidate reflections, as well as in-class observations and discussions carried out during weekly seminars. Data collection occurred throughout the seven-week student teaching practicum. The four research questions were: 1) What factors do teacher candidates identify as interfering with their ability to implement Science in a Bag during student teaching placements? 2) What factors do teacher candidates identify as enhancing their ability to carry out Science in a Bag? 3) What forms of support do teacher candidates believe are important to their success in implementing Science in a Bag during student teaching? 4) How do teacher candidates deal with obstacles when implementing Science in a Bag? Despite the fact that no student teacher was prohibited from implementing Science in a Bag, the level to which candidates valued and utilized this instructional strategy varied compared to how they were taught and practiced it during the science methods course. Some student teachers attempted to hide their feelings toward Science in a Bag, however their actions revealed that they were simply carrying out the instructional strategy because they had agreed to implement it, not because they appreciated its worth to students and their families. Altering candidate beliefs in one semester prior to student teaching proved difficult, especially when cooperating teachers were demonstrating and encouraging methodologies which were frowned upon during the science methods coursework. Therefore, this study also raised issues with teacher education and identified the need to better align educational philosophies taught throughout the program and those showcased by cooperating teachers if science education reform is to transpire. Teacher candidates very often abandoned the inquiry-based modes of instruction taught to them during the science methods course prior to student teaching and replaced them with ideas and suggestions from their cooperating teacher, approaches which were more traditional and teacher-centered. Cooperating teacher opinions and suggestions appeared to take precedence over what was taught and practiced during their preparation coursework. Candidates' prior beliefs and experiences with education appeared to dominate their teaching repertoire. The culmination of their own K-12 education and much of their undergraduate courses made altering their beliefs toward inquiry-based methodologies difficult during only one semester prior to student teaching. Therefore, all candidates reverted back to some level of teacher-centered, recipe-like science lessons and tasks. It was also noted that the candidates' understanding of hands-on versus inquiry learning was often blurred. Hands-on learning was often demonstrated and applauded by cooperating teachers, as well as parents, once they responded to Science in a Bag surveys and interviews, further supporting this misconception by praising hands-on learning and in some cases stating it was the way students learned best. Most parents were willing to and enjoyed performing these take-home family activities. Some of the most frequent parent comments related to family time, being informed about the content their child was learning in school and the child taking on the role of teacher. The level to which candidates acknowledged and embraced student and parent feedback of Science in a Bag differed. Finally, it became apparent that teacher educators need to acknowledge components of instruction outside content and pedagogy. Many candidates had issues when it came to designing lesson materials which were aesthetically pleasing with proper writing quality and conventions. It is clear that this component of teaching is absent and needs to be addressed throughout the program's coursework and during field experience placements. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

  6. Lunar regolith bagging system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cannon, Reuben; Henninger, Scott; Levandoski, Mark; Perkins, Jim; Pitchon, Jack; Swats, Robin; Wessels, Roger

    1990-01-01

    A design of a lunar regolith bag and bagging system is described. The bags of regolith are to be used for construction applications on the lunar surface. The machine is designed to be used in conjunction with the lunar SKITTER currently under development. The bags for this system are 1 cu ft volume and are made from a fiberglass composite weave. The machinery is constructed mostly from a boron/aluminum composite. The machine can fill 120 bags per hour and work for 8 hours a day. The man hours to machine hours ratio to operate the machine is .5/8.

  7. A BAG3 chaperone complex maintains cardiomyocyte function during proteotoxic stress

    PubMed Central

    Judge, Luke M.; Perez-Bermejo, Juan A.; Truong, Annie; Ribeiro, Alexandre J.S.; Yoo, Jennie C.; Jensen, Christina L.; Mandegar, Mohammad A.; Huebsch, Nathaniel; Kaake, Robyn M.; So, Po-Lin; Srivastava, Deepak; Krogan, Nevan J.

    2017-01-01

    Molecular chaperones regulate quality control in the human proteome, pathways that have been implicated in many diseases, including heart failure. Mutations in the BAG3 gene, which encodes a co-chaperone protein, have been associated with heart failure due to both inherited and sporadic dilated cardiomyopathy. Familial BAG3 mutations are autosomal dominant and frequently cause truncation of the coding sequence, suggesting a heterozygous loss-of-function mechanism. However, heterozygous knockout of the murine BAG3 gene did not cause a detectable phenotype. To model BAG3 cardiomyopathy in a human system, we generated an isogenic series of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with loss-of-function mutations in BAG3. Heterozygous BAG3 mutations reduced protein expression, disrupted myofibril structure, and compromised contractile function in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs). BAG3-deficient iPS-CMs were particularly sensitive to further myofibril disruption and contractile dysfunction upon exposure to proteasome inhibitors known to cause cardiotoxicity. We performed affinity tagging of the endogenous BAG3 protein and mass spectrometry proteomics to further define the cardioprotective chaperone complex that BAG3 coordinates in the human heart. Our results establish a model for evaluating protein quality control pathways in human cardiomyocytes and their potential as therapeutic targets and susceptibility factors for cardiac drug toxicity. PMID:28724793

  8. Evidence for the Role of BAG3 in Mitochondrial Quality Control in Cardiomyocytes

    PubMed Central

    Tahrir, Farzaneh G.; Knezevic, Tijana; Gupta, Manish K.; Gordon, Jennifer; Cheung, Joseph Y.; Feldman, Arthur M.; Khalili, Kamel

    2017-01-01

    Mitochondrial abnormalities impact the development of myofibrillar myopathies. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria from cells is of great importance toward understanding the molecular events involved in the genesis of cardiomyopathy. Earlier studies have ascribed a role for BAG3 in the development of cardiomyopathy in experimental animals leading to the identification of BAG3 mutations in patients with heart failure which may play a part in the onset of disease development and progression. BAG3 is co-chaperone of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), which has been shown to modulate apoptosis and autophagy, in several cell models. In this study, we explore the potential role of BAG3 in mitochondrial quality control. We demonstrate that siRNA mediated suppression of BAG3 production in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVCs) significantly elevates the level of Parkin, a key component of mitophagy. We found that both BAG3 and Parkin are recruited to depolarized mitochondria and promote mitophagy. Suppression of BAG3 in NRVCs significantly reduces autophagy flux and eliminates expression of Tom20, an essential import receptor for mitochondria proteins, after induction of mitophagy. These observations suggest that BAG3 is critical for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis under stress conditions, and disruptions in BAG3 expression impact cardiomyocyte function. PMID:27381181

  9. A BAG3 chaperone complex maintains cardiomyocyte function during proteotoxic stress.

    PubMed

    Judge, Luke M; Perez-Bermejo, Juan A; Truong, Annie; Ribeiro, Alexandre Js; Yoo, Jennie C; Jensen, Christina L; Mandegar, Mohammad A; Huebsch, Nathaniel; Kaake, Robyn M; So, Po-Lin; Srivastava, Deepak; Pruitt, Beth L; Krogan, Nevan J; Conklin, Bruce R

    2017-07-20

    Molecular chaperones regulate quality control in the human proteome, pathways that have been implicated in many diseases, including heart failure. Mutations in the BAG3 gene, which encodes a co-chaperone protein, have been associated with heart failure due to both inherited and sporadic dilated cardiomyopathy. Familial BAG3 mutations are autosomal dominant and frequently cause truncation of the coding sequence, suggesting a heterozygous loss-of-function mechanism. However, heterozygous knockout of the murine BAG3 gene did not cause a detectable phenotype. To model BAG3 cardiomyopathy in a human system, we generated an isogenic series of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with loss-of-function mutations in BAG3. Heterozygous BAG3 mutations reduced protein expression, disrupted myofibril structure, and compromised contractile function in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs). BAG3-deficient iPS-CMs were particularly sensitive to further myofibril disruption and contractile dysfunction upon exposure to proteasome inhibitors known to cause cardiotoxicity. We performed affinity tagging of the endogenous BAG3 protein and mass spectrometry proteomics to further define the cardioprotective chaperone complex that BAG3 coordinates in the human heart. Our results establish a model for evaluating protein quality control pathways in human cardiomyocytes and their potential as therapeutic targets and susceptibility factors for cardiac drug toxicity.

  10. Two cases of death due to plastic bag suffocation.

    PubMed

    Nadesan, K; Beng, O B

    2001-01-01

    Deaths due to plastic bag suffocation or plastic bag asphyxia are not reported in Malaysia. In the West many suicides by plastic bag asphyxia, particularly in the elderly and those who are chronically and terminally ill, have been reported. Accidental deaths too are not uncommon in the West, both among small children who play with shopping bags and adolescents who are solvent abusers. Another well-known but not so common form of accidental death from plastic bag asphyxia is sexual asphyxia, which is mostly seen among adult males. Homicide by plastic bag asphyxia too is reported in the West and the victims are invariably infants or adults who are frail or terminally ill and who cannot struggle. Two deaths due to plastic bag asphyxia are presented. Both the autopsies were performed at the University Hospital Mortuary, Kuala Lumpur. Both victims were 50-year old married Chinese males. One death was diagnosed as suicide and the other as sexual asphyxia. Sexual asphyxia is generally believed to be a problem associated exclusively with the West. Specific autopsy findings are often absent in deaths due to plastic bag asphyxia and therefore such deaths could be missed when some interested parties have altered the scene and most importantly have removed the plastic bag. A visit to the scene of death is invariably useful.

  11. [Impact of storage conditions and time on herb of Lonicera macranthoides].

    PubMed

    Ma, Peng; Li, Long-Yun; Zhang, Ying

    2014-03-01

    To study the effect of different storage conditions and storage time on herb quality of Lonicera macranthoides, different packaging materials including vacuum plastic bags, plastic bags, woven bags, sealed with endometrial bags, paper bags, sack bags were selected for the study under different storage conditions including room temperature, 5 degrees C refrigerator, low temperature of - 20 degrees C refrigerator and desiccator. Twenty-four batches of samples were used for the study, and active ingredients were determined. The experimental results showed that the ingredients in each storage group changed with the storage time, storage conditions (storage environment, packaging). Under the same storage time, the storage environment (temperature, humidity) had effect on the stability of herb quality. Low temperature had less effect on herb quality. The effect of packaging on herb quality was as following: plastic vacuum packaging > woven with endometrial sealed packaging > plastic bag > woven bag > sack bags > paper bags. Under the same storage conditions, with the increase of storage time, caffeic acid content increased slowly, and other five ingredients content decreased gradually. Storage time affected significantly on the intrinsic quality (chemical composition) and appearance of herb. It is suggested that low temperature (5 degrees C), dark and sealed storage are suitable for storage of L. macranthoides herb, the storage time should be not more than 24 months.

  12. Association of first- and second-generation air bags with front occupant death in car crashes: a matched cohort study.

    PubMed

    Olson, Carin M; Cummings, Peter; Rivara, Frederick P

    2006-07-15

    First-generation air bags entail a decreased risk of death for most front seat occupants in car crashes but an increased risk for children. Second-generation air bags were developed to reduce the risks for children, despite the possibility of decreasing protection for others. Using a matched cohort design, the authors estimated risk ratios for death for use of each generation of air bag versus no air bag, adjusted for seat position, restraint use, sex, age, and all vehicle and crash characteristics, among 128,208 automobile occupants involved in fatal crashes on US roadways during 1990-2002. The authors then compared adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) between the two generations of air bags. Among front seat occupants, the aRR for death with a first-generation air bag was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 0.94); the aRR with a second-generation air bag was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.79, 1.00) (p = 0.83 for comparison of aRRs). Among children under age 6 years, the aRR with a first-generation air bag was 1.66 (95% CI: 1.20, 2.30), while the aRR with a second-generation air bag was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.63, 1.93) (p = 0.20 for comparison of aRRs). The differences in aRRs between first- and second-generation air bags among other subgroups were small and not statistically significant.

  13. The field performance of frontal air bags: a review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Kent, Richard; Viano, David C; Crandall, Jeff

    2005-03-01

    This article presents a broad review of the literature on frontal air bag field performance, starting with the initial government and industry projections of effectiveness and concluding with the most recent assessments of depowered systems. This review includes as many relevant metrics as practicable, interprets the findings, and provides references so the interested reader can further evaluate the limitations, confounders, and utility of each metric. The evaluations presented here range from the very specific (individual case studies) to the general (statistical analyses of large databases). The metrics used to evaluate air bag performance include fatality reduction or increase; serious, moderate, and minor injury reduction or increase; harm reduction or increase; and cost analyses, including insurance costs and the cost of life years saved for various air bag systems and design philosophies. The review begins with the benefits of air bags. Fatality and injury reductions attributable to the air bag are presented. Next, the negative consequences of air bag deployment are described. Injuries to adults and children and the current trends in air bag injury rates are discussed, as are the few documented instances of inadvertent deployments or non-deployment in severe crashes. In the third section, an attempt is made to quantify the influence of the many confounding factors that affect air bag performance. The negative and positive characteristics of air bags are then put into perspective within the context of societal costs and benefits. Finally, some special topics, including risk homeostasis and the performance of face bags, are discussed.

  14. Using head-on collisions to compare risk of driver death by frontal air bag generation: a matched-pair cohort study.

    PubMed

    Braver, Elisa R; Kufera, Joseph A; Alexander, Melvin T; Scerbo, Marge; Volpini, Karen; Lloyd, Joseph P

    2008-03-01

    US air bag regulations were changed in 1997 to allow tests of unbelted male dummies in vehicles mounted and accelerated on sleds, resulting in longer crash pulses than rigid-barrier crashes. This change facilitated depowering of frontal air bags and was intended to reduce air bag-induced deaths. Controversy ensued as to whether sled-certified air bags could increase adult fatality risk. A matched-pair cohort study of two-vehicle, head-on, fatal collisions between drivers involving first-generation versus sled-certified air bags during 1998-2005 was conducted by using Fatality Analysis Reporting System data. Sled certification was ascertained from public information and a survey of automakers. Conditional Poisson regression for matched-pair cohorts was used to estimate risk ratios adjusted for age, seat belt status, vehicle type, passenger car size, and model year for driver deaths in vehicles with sled-certified air bags versus first-generation air bags. For all passenger-vehicle pairs, the adjusted risk ratio was 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.77, 0.98). In head-on collisions involving only passenger cars, the adjusted risk ratio was 1.04 (95% confidence interval: 0.85, 1.29). Increased fatality risk for drivers with sled-certified air bags was not observed. A borderline significant interaction between vehicle type and air bag generation suggested that sled-certified air bags may have reduced the risk of dying in head-on collisions among drivers of pickup trucks.

  15. Automobile air bags: friend or foe? A case of air bag-associated ocular trauma and a related literature review.

    PubMed

    Kenney, Kristin S; Fanciullo, Lisa M

    2005-07-01

    Although air bags are placed in automobiles to act as safety devices, they have been shown to carry a risk of injury themselves. Ocular injury, in particular, can often be a direct consequence of air bag deployment. A case of ocular air bag injury is presented. A discussion and review of the current literature on this issue follows. A 63-year-old man was transferred to our clinic after sustaining injuries related to a motor vehicle accident, during which the automobile's air bag was deployed. Initial examination revealed many signs of blunt ocular trauma of the O.D., including iridodialysis, dislocated lens with traumatic cataract, and traumatic/inflammatory glaucoma. Initial B-scan showed an attached retina O.D. One month later, the patient underwent an attempted pars plana vitrectomy with lensectomy, iris repair, and insertion of an anterior chamber intraocular lens. Complications arose during the procedure, and a total retinal detachment developed. Resultant acuity is no light perception O.D. Although ocular morbidity can be a direct consequence of air bag deployment, most eye injuries are minimal, and seem to be outweighed by the benefits of air bags. Drivers, as well as passengers, can minimize associated injuries by adhering to specific safety guidelines. This, as well as continual modification and improvement in air bag design, will maximize the safety of air bags and decrease the incidence of vision-threatening ocular injury caused by air bag deployment.

  16. PKCδ-mediated phosphorylation of BAG3 at Ser187 site induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhances invasiveness in thyroid cancer FRO cells.

    PubMed

    Li, N; Du, Z-X; Zong, Z-H; Liu, B-Q; Li, C; Zhang, Q; Wang, H-Q

    2013-09-19

    Protein kinase C delta (PKCδ) is a serine (Ser)/threonine kinase, which regulates numerous cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. In the current study, Chinese hamster ovary cells were transfected with either a constitutively activated PKCδ or a dominant negative PKCδ, phosphoprotein enrichment, two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was combined to globally identified candidates of PKCδ cascade. We found that Bcl-2 associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) was one of the targets of PKCδ cascade, and BAG3 interacted with PKCδ in vivo. In addition, we clarified that BAG3 was phosphorylate at Ser187 site in a PKCδ-dependent manner in vivo. BAG3 has been implicated in multiple cellular functions, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, macroautophagy and so on. We generated wild-type (WT)-, Ser187Ala (S187A)- or Ser187Asp (S187D)-BAG3 stably expressing FRO cells, and noticed that phosphorylation state of BAG3 influenced FRO morphology. Finally, for the first time, we showed that BAG3 was implicated in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) procedure, and phosphorylation state at Ser187 site had a critical role in EMT regulation by BAG3. Collectively, the current study indicates that BAG3 is a novel substrate of PKCδ, and PKCδ-mediated phosphorylation of BAG3 is implicated in EMT and invasiveness of thyroid cancer cells.

  17. The prosurvival protein BAG3: a new participant in vascular homeostasis.

    PubMed

    Carrizzo, Albino; Damato, Antonio; Ambrosio, Mariateresa; Falco, Antonia; Rosati, Alessandra; Capunzo, Mario; Madonna, Michele; Turco, Maria C; Januzzi, James L; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Vecchione, Carmine

    2016-10-20

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), is constitutively expressed in a few normal cell types, including myocytes, peripheral nerves and in the brain, and is also expressed in certain tumors. To date, the main studies about the role of BAG3 are focused on its pro-survival effect in tumors through various mechanisms that vary according to cellular type. Recently, elevated concentrations of a soluble form of BAG3 were described in patients affected by advanced stage of heart failure (HF), identifying BAG3 as a potentially useful biomarker in monitoring HF progression. Despite the finding of high levels of BAG3 in the sera of HF patients, there are no data on its possible role on the modulation of vascular tone and blood pressure levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible hemodynamic effects of BAG3 performing both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Through vascular reactivity studies, we demonstrate that BAG3 is capable of evoking dose-dependent vasorelaxation. Of note, BAG3 exerts its vasorelaxant effect on resistance vessels, typically involved in the blood pressure regulation. Our data further show that the molecular mechanism through which BAG3 exerts this effect is the activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway leading to nitric oxide release by endothelial cells. Finally, we show that in vivo BAG3 administration is capable of regulating blood pressure and that this is dependent on eNOS regulation since this ability is lost in eNOS KO animals.

  18. A Comparison of Product Realization Frameworks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-10-01

    software (integrated FrameMaker ). Also included are BOLD for on-line documentation delivery, printer/plotter support, and 18 network licensing support. AMPLE...are built with DSS. Documentation tools include an on-line information system (BOLD), text editing (Notepad), word processing (integrated FrameMaker ...within an application. FrameMaker is fully integrated with the Falcon Framework to provide consistent documentation capabilities within engineering

  19. 77 FR 17394 - Hazardous Materials: Approval and Communication Requirements for the Safe Transportation of Air...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-26

    ... Communication Requirements for the Safe Transportation of Air Bag Inflators, Air Bag Modules, and Seat-Belt... Regulations applicable to air bag inflators, air bag modules, and seat-belt pretensioners. The proposed... classified as a [[Page 17395

  20. Bag molding processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slobodzinsky, A.

    Features, materials, and techniques of vacuum, pressure, and autoclave FRP bag molding processes are described. The bags are used in sealed environments, inflated to flexibly force a curing FRP laminate to conform to a stiff mold form which defines the shape of the finished product. Densification is achieved as the bag presses out the voids and excess resin from the laminate, and consolidation occurs as the plies and adherends are bonded by the bag pressure. Curing techniques nominally involved room temperature or high temperature, and investigations of alternative techniques, such as induction, dielectric, microwave, xenon flash, UV, electron beam, and gamma radiation heating are proceeding. Polysulfone is the most common thermoplastic. Details are given of mold preparations, peel plies or release films and fabrics, bagging techniques, and reusable venting blankets and silicone rubber bags.

  1. Advanced Air Bag Technology Assessment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Phen, R. L.; Dowdy, M. W.; Ebbeler, D. H.; Kim. E.-H.; Moore, N. R.; VanZandt, T. R.

    1998-01-01

    As a result of the concern for the growing number of air-bag-induced injuries and fatalities, the administrators of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) agreed to a cooperative effort that "leverages NHTSA's expertise in motor vehicle safety restraint systems and biomechanics with NASAs position as one of the leaders in advanced technology development... to enable the state of air bag safety technology to advance at a faster pace..." They signed a NASA/NHTSA memorandum of understanding for NASA to "evaluate air bag to assess advanced air bag performance, establish the technological potential for improved technology (smart) air bag systems, and identify key expertise and technology within the agency (i.e., NASA) that can potentially contribute significantly to the improved effectiveness of air bags." NASA is committed to contributing to NHTSAs effort to: (1) understand and define critical parameters affecting air bag performance; (2) systematically assess air bag technology state of the art and its future potential; and (3) identify new concepts for air bag systems. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was selected by NASA to respond to the memorandum of understanding by conducting an advanced air bag technology assessment. JPL analyzed the nature of the need for occupant restraint, how air bags operate alone and with safety belts to provide restraint, and the potential hazards introduced by the technology. This analysis yielded a set of critical parameters for restraint systems. The researchers examined data on the performance of current air bag technology, and searched for and assessed how new technologies could reduce the hazards introduced by air bags while providing the restraint protection that is their primary purpose. The critical parameters which were derived are: (1) the crash severity; (2) the use of seat belts; (3) the physical characteristics of the occupants; (4) the proximity of the occupants to the airbag module; (5) the deployment time, which includes the time to sense the need for deployment, the inflator response parameters, the air bag response, and the reliability of the air bag. The requirements for an advanced air bag technology is discussed. These requirements includes that the system use information related to: (1) the crash severity; (2) the status of belt usage; (3) the occupant category; and (4) the proximity to the air bag to adjust air bag deployment. The parameters for the response of the air bag are: (1) deployment time; (2) inflator parameters; and (3) air bag response and reliability. The state of occupant protection advanced technology is reviewed. This review includes: the current safety restraint systems, and advanced technology characteristics. These characteristics are summarized in a table, which has information regarding the technology item, the potential, and an date of expected utilization. The use of technology and expertise at NASA centers is discussed. NASA expertise relating to sensors, computing, simulation, propellants, propulsion, inflatable systems, systems analysis and engineering is considered most useful. Specific NASA technology developments, which were included in the study are: (1) a capacitive detector; (2) stereoscopic vision system; (3) improved crash sensors; (4) the use of the acoustic signature of the crash to determine crash severity; and (5) the use of radar antenna for pre-crash sensing. Information relating to injury risk assessment is included, as is a summary of the areas of the technology which requires further development.

  2. Comparison of bacterial attachment to platelet bags with and without preconditioning with plasma.

    PubMed

    Loza-Correa, M; Kalab, M; Yi, Q-L; Eltringham-Smith, L J; Sheffield, W P; Ramirez-Arcos, S

    2017-07-01

    Canadian Blood Services produces apheresis and buffy coat pooled platelet concentrates (PCs) stored in bags produced by two different manufacturers (A and B, respectively), both made of polyvinyl chloride-butyryl trihexyl citrate. This study was aimed at comparing Staphylococcus epidermidis adhesion to the inner surface of both bag types in the presence or absence of plasma factors. Sets (N = 2-6) of bags type A and B were left non-coated (control) or preconditioned with platelet-rich, platelet-poor or defibrinated plasma (PRP, PPP and DefibPPP, respectively). Each bag was inoculated with a 200-ml S. epidermidis culture adjusted to 0·5 colony-forming units/ml. Bags were incubated under platelet storage conditions for 7 days. After culture removal, bacteria attached to the plastic surface were either dislodged by sonication for bacterial quantification or examined in situ by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Higher bacterial adhesion was observed to preconditioned PC bags than control containers for both bag types (P < 0·0001). Bacterial attachment to preconditioned bags was confirmed by SEM. Bacteria adhered equally to both types of containers in the presence of PRP, PPP and DefibPPP residues (P > 0·05). By contrast, a significant increase in bacterial adherence was observed to type A bags compared with type B bags in the absence of plasma (P < 0·05) [Correction added on 16 June 2017, after first online publication: this sentence has been corrected]. The ability of S. epidermidis to adhere to preconditioned platelet collection bags depends on the presence of plasma factors. Future efforts should be focused on reducing plasma proteins' attachment to platelet storage containers to decrease subsequent bacterial adhesion. © 2017 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

  3. Strategy for selecting disposable bags for cell culture media applications based on a root-cause investigation.

    PubMed

    Wood, Joseph; Mahajan, Ekta; Shiratori, Masaru

    2013-01-01

    The use of disposable bags for cell culture media storage has grown significantly in the past decade. Some of the key advantages of using disposable bags relative to non-disposable containers include increased product throughput, decreased cleaning validation costs, reduced risk of cross contamination and lower facility costs. As the scope of use of disposable bags for cell culture applications increases, problematic bags and scenarios should be identified and addressed to continue improving disposables technologies and meet the biotech industry's needs. In this article, we examine a cell culture application wherein media stored in disposable bags is warmed at 37°C before use for cell culture operations. A problematic bag film was identified through a prospective and retrospective cell culture investigation. The investigation provided information on the scope and variation of the issue with respect to different Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines, cell culture media, and application-specific parameters. It also led to the development of application-specific test methods and enabled a strategy for disposable bag film testing. The strategy was implemented for qualifying an alternative bag film for use in our processes. In this test strategy, multiple lots of 13 bag film types, encompassing eight vendors were evaluated using a three round, cell culture-based test strategy. The test strategy resulted in the determination of four viable bag film options based on the technical data. The results of this evaluation were used to conclude that a volatile or air-quenched compound, likely generated by gamma irradiation of the problematic bag film, negatively impacted cell culture performance. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  4. ECLSS ARS humidifier separator repair onboard Atlantis, OV-104, during STS-44

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    During STS-44, the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Air Revitalization System (ARS) humidifier separator is repaired using a towel and a plastic bag underneath the middeck subfloor of Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104. Problems with the humidifier separator began about midway through the mission.

  5. Bioactive glass fillers reduce bacterial penetration into marginal gaps for composite restorations

    PubMed Central

    Khvostenko, D.; Hilton, T. J.; Ferracane, J. L.; Mitchell, J. C.; Kruzic, J. J.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Bioactive glass (BAG) is known to possess antimicrobial and remineralizing properties; however, the use of BAG as a filler for resin based composite restorations to slow recurrent caries has not been studied. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of 15 wt% BAG additions to a resin composite on bacterial biofilms penetrating into marginal gaps of simulated tooth fillings in vitro during cyclic mechanical loading. Methods Human molars were machined into approximately 3 mm thick disks of dentin and 1.5–2 mm deep composite restorations were placed. A narrow 15–20 micrometer wide dentin-composite gap was allowed to form along half of the margin by not applying dental adhesive to that region. Two different 72 wt% filled composites were used, one with 15 wt% BAG filler (15BAG) and the balance silanated strontium glass and one filled with OX-50 and silanated strontium glass without BAG (0BAG – control). Samples of both groups had Streptococcus mutans biofilms grown on the surface and were tested inside a bioreactor for two weeks while subjected to periods of cyclic mechanical loading. After post-test biofilm viability was confirmed, each specimen was fixed in glutaraldehyde, gram positive stained, mounted in resin and cross-sectioned to reveal the gap profile. Depth of biofilm penetration for 0BAG and 15BAG was quantified as the fraction of gap depth. The data were compared using a Student’s t-test. Results The average depth of bacterial penetration into the marginal gap for the 15BAG samples was significantly smaller (~61%) in comparison to 0BAG, where 100% penetration was observed for all samples with the biofilm penetrating underneath of the restoration in some cases. Significance BAG containing resin dental composites reduce biofilm penetration into marginal gaps of simulated tooth restorations. This suggests BAG containing composites may have the potential to slow the development and propagation of secondary tooth decay at restoration margins. PMID:26621028

  6. Surface pre-conditioning with bioactive glass air-abrasion can enhance enamel white spot lesion remineralization.

    PubMed

    Milly, Hussam; Festy, Frederic; Andiappan, Manoharan; Watson, Timothy F; Thompson, Ian; Banerjee, Avijit

    2015-05-01

    To evaluate the effect of pre-conditioning enamel white spot lesion (WSL) surfaces using bioactive glass (BAG) air-abrasion prior to remineralization therapy. Ninety human enamel samples with artificial WSLs were assigned to three WSL surface pre-conditioning groups (n=30): (a) air-abrasion with BAG-polyacrylic acid (PAA-BAG) powder, (b) acid-etching using 37% phosphoric acid gel (positive control) and (c) unconditioned (negative control). Each group was further divided into three subgroups according to the following remineralization therapy (n=10): (I) BAG paste (36 wt.% BAG), (II) BAG slurry (100 wt.% BAG) and (III) de-ionized water (negative control). The average surface roughness and the lesion step height compared to intra-specimen sound enamel reference points were analyzed using non-contact profilometry. Optical changes within the lesion subsurface compared to baseline scans were assessed using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Knoop microhardness evaluated the WSLs' mechanical properties. Raman micro-spectroscopy measured the v-(CO3)(2-)/v1-(PO4)(3-) ratio. Structural changes in the lesion were observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX). All comparisons were considered statistically significant if p<0.05. PAA-BAG air-abrasion removed 5.1 ± 0.6 μm from the lesion surface, increasing the WSL surface roughness. Pre-conditioning WSL surfaces with PAA-BAG air-abrasion reduced subsurface light scattering, increased the Knoop microhardness and the mineral content of the remineralized lesions (p<0.05). SEM-EDX revealed mineral depositions covering the lesion surface. BAG slurry resulted in a superior remineralization outcome, when compared to BAG paste. Pre-conditioning WSL surfaces with PAA-BAG air-abrasion modified the lesion surface physically and enhanced remineralization using BAG 45S5 therapy. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Adeno-associated Virus Serotype 9 – Driven Expression of BAG3 Improves Left Ventricular Function in Murine Hearts with Left Ventricular Dysfunction Secondary to a Myocardial Infarction

    PubMed Central

    Knezevic, Tijana; Myers, Valerie D.; Su, Feifei; Wang, JuFang; Song, Jianliang; Zhang, Xue-Qian; Gao, Erhe; Gao, Guofeng; Muniswamy, Madesh; Gupta, Manish K.; Gordon, Jennifer; Weiner, Kristen N.; Rabinowitz, Joseph; Ramsey, Frederick V.; Tilley, Douglas G.; Khalili, Kamel; Cheung, Joseph Y.; Feldman, Arthur M.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that gene delivery of BCL2-Associated Athanogene 3 (BAG3) to the heart of mice with left ventricular dysfunction secondary to a myocardial infarction could enhance cardiac performance. Background BAG3 is a 575 amino acid protein that has pleotropic functions in the cell including pro-autophagy and anti-apoptosis. Mutations in BAG3 have been associated with both skeletal muscle dysfunction and familial dilated cardiomyopathy and BAG3 levels are diminished in non-familial heart failure. Methods Eight-week-old C57/BL6 mice underwent ligation of the left coronary artery (MI) or sham surgery (Sham). Eight weeks later, mice in both groups were randomly assigned to receive either a retro-orbital injection of rAAV9-BAG3 (MI-BAG3 or Sham-BAG3) or rAAV9-GFP (MI-GFP or Sham GFP). Mice were sacrificed at 3 weeks post-injection and myocytes were isolated from the left ventricle. Results MI-BAG3 mice demonstrated a significantly (p < 0.0001) higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 9 days after rAAV9-BAG3 injection with further improvement in LVEF, fractional shortening and stroke volume at 3 weeks post-injection without changes in LV mass or LV volume. Injection of rAAV9-BAG3 had no effect on LVEF in Sham mice. The salutary benefits of rAAV9-BAG3 were also observed in myocytes isolated from MI hearts including improved cell shortening (p<0.05), increased systolic [Ca2+]i, increased [Ca2+]i transient amplitudes and increased maximal ICa amplitude. Implications The results suggest that BAG3 gene therapy may provide a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of heart failure. PMID:28164169

  8. BAG3 promotes the phenotypic transformation of primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells via TRAIL.

    PubMed

    Fu, Yao; Chang, Ye; Chen, Shuang; Li, Yuan; Chen, Yintao; Sun, Guozhe; Yu, Shasha; Ye, Ning; Li, Chao; Sun, Yingxian

    2018-05-01

    Under normal physiological condition, the mature vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) show differentiated phenotype. In response to various environmental stimuluses, VSMCs convert from the differentiated phenotype to dedifferentiated phenotype characterized by the increased ability of proliferation/migration and the reduction of contractile ability. The phenotypic transformation of VSMCs played an important role in atherosclerosis. Both Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) and tumor necrosis factor-related apopt-osis inducing ligand (TRAIL) involved in apoptosis. The relationship between BAG3 and TRAIL and their effects the proliferation and migration in VSMCs are rarely reported. This study investigated the effects of BAG3 on the phenotypic modulation and the potential underlying mechanisms in primary rat VSMCs. Primary rat VSMCs were extracted and cultured in vitro. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting, real-time cell analyzer (RTCA) and EdU incorporation. Cell migration was detected by wound healing, Transwell and RTCA. BAG3 and TRAIL were detected using real-time PCR and western blotting and the secreted proteins in the cultured media by dot blot. The expression of BAG3 increased with continued passages in cultured primary VSMCs. BAG3 promoted the proliferation and migration of primary rat VSMC in a time-dependent manner. BAG3 significantly increased the expression of TRAIL while had no effects on its receptors. TRAIL knockdown or blocking by neutralizing antibody inhibited the proliferation of VSMCs induced by BAG3. TRAIL knockdown exerted no obvious influence on the migration of VSMCs. Based on this study, we report for the first time that BAG3 was expressed in cultured primary rat VSMCs and the expression of BAG3 increased with continued passages. Furthermore, BAG3 promoted the proliferation of VSMCs via increasing the expression of TRAIL. In addition, we also demonstrated that BAG3 promoted the migration of VSMCs independent of TRAIL upregulation.

  9. Adeno-associated Virus Serotype 9 - Driven Expression of BAG3 Improves Left Ventricular Function in Murine Hearts with Left Ventricular Dysfunction Secondary to a Myocardial Infarction.

    PubMed

    Knezevic, Tijana; Myers, Valerie D; Su, Feifei; Wang, JuFang; Song, Jianliang; Zhang, Xue-Qian; Gao, Erhe; Gao, Guofeng; Muniswamy, Madesh; Gupta, Manish K; Gordon, Jennifer; Weiner, Kristen N; Rabinowitz, Joseph; Ramsey, Frederick V; Tilley, Douglas G; Khalili, Kamel; Cheung, Joseph Y; Feldman, Arthur M

    2016-12-01

    The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that gene delivery of BCL2-Associated Athanogene 3 (BAG3) to the heart of mice with left ventricular dysfunction secondary to a myocardial infarction could enhance cardiac performance. BAG3 is a 575 amino acid protein that has pleotropic functions in the cell including pro-autophagy and anti-apoptosis. Mutations in BAG3 have been associated with both skeletal muscle dysfunction and familial dilated cardiomyopathy and BAG3 levels are diminished in non-familial heart failure. Eight-week-old C57/BL6 mice underwent ligation of the left coronary artery (MI) or sham surgery (Sham). Eight weeks later, mice in both groups were randomly assigned to receive either a retro-orbital injection of rAAV9-BAG3 (MI-BAG3 or Sham-BAG3) or rAAV9-GFP (MI-GFP or Sham GFP). Mice were sacrificed at 3 weeks post-injection and myocytes were isolated from the left ventricle. MI-BAG3 mice demonstrated a significantly (p < 0.0001) higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 9 days after rAAV9-BAG3 injection with further improvement in LVEF, fractional shortening and stroke volume at 3 weeks post-injection without changes in LV mass or LV volume. Injection of rAAV9-BAG3 had no effect on LVEF in Sham mice. The salutary benefits of rAAV9-BAG3 were also observed in myocytes isolated from MI hearts including improved cell shortening (p<0.05), increased systolic [Ca 2+ ] i , increased [Ca 2+ ] i transient amplitudes and increased maximal I Ca amplitude. The results suggest that BAG3 gene therapy may provide a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of heart failure.

  10. 49 CFR 178.518 - Standards for woven plastic bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... plastic bag; (2) 5H2 for a sift-proof woven plastic bag; and (3) 5H3 for a water-resistant woven plastic... other equally strong method of closure. (3) Bags, sift-proof, 5H2 must be made sift-proof by appropriate...

  11. Vented spikes improve delivery from intravenous bags with no air headspace.

    PubMed

    Galush, William J; Horst, Travis A

    2015-07-01

    Flexible plastic bags are the container of choice for most intravenous (i.v.) infusions. Under certain circumstances, however, the air-liquid interface present in these i.v. bags can lead to physical instability of protein biopharmaceuticals, resulting in product aggregation. In principle, the air headspace present in the bags can be removed to increase drug stability, but experiments described here show that this can result in incomplete draining of solution from the bag using gravity delivery, or generation of negative pressure in the bag when an infusion pump is used. It is expected that these issues could lead to incomplete delivery of medication to patients or pump-related problems, respectively. However, here it is shown that contrary to the standard pharmacy practice of using nonvented spikes with i.v. bags, the use of vented spikes with i.v. bags that lack air headspace allows complete delivery of the dose solution without impacting the physical stability of a protein-based drug. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  12. HIV-1 Tat protein induces glial cell autophagy through enhancement of BAG3 protein levels.

    PubMed

    Bruno, Anna Paola; De Simone, Francesca Isabella; Iorio, Vittoria; De Marco, Margot; Khalili, Kamel; Sariyer, Ilker Kudret; Capunzo, Mario; Nori, Stefania Lucia; Rosati, Alessandra

    2014-01-01

    BAG3 protein has been described as an anti-apoptotic and pro-autophagic factor in several neoplastic and normal cells. We previously demonstrated that BAG3 expression is elevated upon HIV-1 infection of glial and T lymphocyte cells. Among HIV-1 proteins, Tat is highly involved in regulating host cell response to viral infection. Therefore, we investigated the possible role of Tat protein in modulating BAG3 protein levels and the autophagic process itself. In this report, we show that transfection with Tat raises BAG3 levels in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, BAG3 silencing results in highly reducing Tat- induced levels of LC3-II and increasing the appearance of sub G0/G1 apoptotic cells, in keeping with the reported role of BAG3 in modulating the autophagy/apoptosis balance. These results demonstrate for the first time that Tat protein is able to stimulate autophagy through increasing BAG3 levels in human glial cells.

  13. Effectiveness of oxygen barrier oven bags in low temperature cooking on reduction of warmed-over flavor in beef roasts.

    PubMed

    Lepper-Blilie, A N; Berg, E P; Buchanan, D S; Keller, W L; Maddock-Carlin, K R; Berg, P T

    2014-03-01

    A 3×3×2 factorial was utilized to determine if roast size (small, medium, large), cooking method (open-pan, oven bag, vacuum bag), and heating process (fresh, reheated) prevented warmed-over flavor (WOF) in beef clod roasts. Fresh vacuum bag and reheated open-pan roasts had higher cardboardy flavor scores compared with fresh open-pan roast scores. Reheated roasts in oven and vacuum bags did not differ from fresh roasts for cardboardy flavor. Brothy and fat intensity were increased in reheated roasts in oven and vacuum bags compared with fresh roasts in oven and vacuum bags. Differences in TBARS were found in the interaction of heating process and roast size with the fresh and reheated large, and reheated medium roasts having the lowest values. Based on TBARS data, to prevent WOF in reheated beef roasts, a larger size roast in a cooking bag is the most effective method. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Large thermal protection system panel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weinberg, David J. (Inventor); Myers, Franklin K. (Inventor); Tran, Tu T. (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    A protective panel for a reusable launch vehicle provides enhanced moisture protection, simplified maintenance, and increased temperature resistance. The protective panel includes an outer ceramic matrix composite (CMC) panel, and an insulative bag assembly coupled to the outer CMC panel for isolating the launch vehicle from elevated temperatures and moisture. A standoff attachment system attaches the outer CMC panel and the bag assembly to the primary structure of the launch vehicle. The insulative bag assembly includes a foil bag having a first opening shrink fitted to the outer CMC panel such that the first opening and the outer CMC panel form a water tight seal at temperatures below a desired temperature threshold. Fibrous insulation is contained within the foil bag for protecting the launch vehicle from elevated temperatures. The insulative bag assembly further includes a back panel coupled to a second opening of the foil bag such that the fibrous insulation is encapsulated by the back panel, the foil bag, and the outer CMC panel. The use of a CMC material for the outer panel in conjunction with the insulative bag assembly eliminates the need for waterproofing processes, and ultimately allows for more efficient reentry profiles.

  15. BAG3 Directly Interacts with Mutated alphaB-Crystallin to Suppress Its Aggregation and Toxicity

    PubMed Central

    Hishiya, Akinori; Salman, Mortada Najem; Carra, Serena; Kampinga, Harm H.; Takayama, Shinichi

    2011-01-01

    A homozygous disruption or genetic mutation of the bag3 gene causes progressive myofibrillar myopathy in mouse and human skeletal and cardiac muscle disorder while mutations in the small heat shock protein αB-crystallin gene (CRYAB) are reported to be responsible for myofibrillar myopathy. Here, we demonstrate that BAG3 directly binds to wild-type αB-crystallin and the αB-crystallin mutant R120G, via the intermediate domain of BAG3. Peptides that inhibit this interaction in an in vitro binding assay indicate that two conserved Ile-Pro-Val regions of BAG3 are involved in the interaction with αB-crystallin, which is similar to results showing BAG3 binding to HspB8 and HspB6. BAG3 overexpression increased αB-crystallin R120G solubility and inhibited its intracellular aggregation in HEK293 cells. BAG3 suppressed cell death induced by αB-crystallin R120G overexpression in differentiating C2C12 mouse myoblast cells. Our findings indicate a novel function for BAG3 in inhibiting protein aggregation caused by the genetic mutation of CRYAB responsible for human myofibrillar myopathy. PMID:21423662

  16. BAG3 regulates ECM accumulation in renal proximal tubular cells induced by TGF-β1.

    PubMed

    Du, Feng; Li, Si; Wang, Tian; Zhang, Hai-Yan; Li, De-Tian; Du, Zhen-Xian; Wang, Hua-Qin; Wang, Yan-Qiu

    2015-01-01

    Previously we have demonstrated that Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is increased in renal fibrosis using a rat unilateral ureteral obstruction model. The current study investigated the role of BAG3 in renal fibrosis using transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-treated human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. An upregulation of BAG3 in vitro models was observed, which correlated with the increased synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and expression of tissue-type plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1. Blockade of BAG3 induction by shorting hairpin RNA suppressed the expression of ECM proteins but had no effect on PAI-1 expression induced by TGF-β1. Forced overexpression of BAG3 selectively increased collagens. TGF-β1-induced BAG3 expression in HK-2 cells was attenuated by ERK1/2 and JNK MAPK inhibitors. In addition, forced BAG3 overexpression blocked attenuation of collagens expression by ERK1/2 and JNK inhibitors. These data suggest that ERK1/2 and JNK signaling events are involved in modulating the expression of BAG3, which would ultimately contribute to renal fibrosis by enhancing the synthesis and deposition of ECM proteins.

  17. BAG3 regulates ECM accumulation in renal proximal tubular cells induced by TGF-β1

    PubMed Central

    Du, Feng; Li, Si; Wang, Tian; Zhang, Hai-Yan; Li, De-Tian; Du, Zhen-Xian; Wang, Hua-Qin; Wang, Yan-Qiu

    2015-01-01

    Previously we have demonstrated that Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is increased in renal fibrosis using a rat unilateral ureteral obstruction model. The current study investigated the role of BAG3 in renal fibrosis using transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-treated human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. An upregulation of BAG3 in vitro models was observed, which correlated with the increased synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and expression of tissue-type plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1. Blockade of BAG3 induction by shorting hairpin RNA suppressed the expression of ECM proteins but had no effect on PAI-1 expression induced by TGF-β1. Forced overexpression of BAG3 selectively increased collagens. TGF-β1-induced BAG3 expression in HK-2 cells was attenuated by ERK1/2 and JNK MAPK inhibitors. In addition, forced BAG3 overexpression blocked attenuation of collagens expression by ERK1/2 and JNK inhibitors. These data suggest that ERK1/2 and JNK signaling events are involved in modulating the expression of BAG3, which would ultimately contribute to renal fibrosis by enhancing the synthesis and deposition of ECM proteins. PMID:26885277

  18. Overhead work and shoulder-neck pain in orchard farmers harvesting pears and apples.

    PubMed

    Sakakibara, H; Miyao, M; Kondo, T; Yamada, S

    1995-04-01

    The effects of overhead work were studied by comparing orchard farmers' musculoskeletal symptoms while bagging pears with those same symptoms while bagging apples. The subjects were 52 Japanese female farmers, who were examined twice an evening in late June for bagging pears, and during another evening of late July for bagging apples, when each task had been almost finished. They were questioned about musculoskeletal complaints of stiffness and pain during each job, and examined for muscle tenderness and pain from joint movement. Arm elevation angles during the work were measured for each type of bagging. The prevalence of stiffness and pain in the neck and shoulder, muscle tenderness in the shoulder regions, and pain in neck motion were found to be significantly higher when bagging pears than apples. Musculoskeletal symptoms of parts other than the neck and shoulder did not differ between the two types of bagging. The working posture of elevating the arm more than 90 degrees was assumed to account for 75% of the time bagging pears, against 40% for bagging apples. Overhead work requiring arm elevation and head extension was considered to be closely related with shoulder-neck disorders among farmers.

  19. An overview of frontal air bag performance with changes in frontal crash-test requirements: findings of the Blue Ribbon Panel for the evaluation of advanced technology air bags.

    PubMed

    Ferguson, Susan A; Schneider, Lawrence W

    2008-10-01

    In the mid-1990s, evidence emerged that air bag deployments could result in deaths to vulnerable vehicle occupants who were very close to air bag modules when they deployed. In 1997, federal frontal crash test requirements were modified to allow crash testing with unbelted dummies to be performed using sled tests. As a result, vehicle manufacturers were able to redesign air bags to deploy with less force and energy, thereby reducing the toll of air bag-induced deaths. However, there was concern that depowered air bags may not provide the same level of protection to unbelted occupants in severe frontal crashes, particularly occupants of large stature and body mass. This paper provides a summary of recent studies addressing this issue. To expedite the accrual of data regarding air bag performance, the collection of additional crash data was funded by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. A panel of experts was commissioned to oversee the process and evaluate the data. During the past 6 years, a series of studies has been undertaken by panel members and others to evaluate the performance of redesigned air bags and the data are summarized here. There is now convincing evidence that the combination of air bag redesign and public education have resulted in dramatic reductions in air bag-induced infant and child deaths. In addition, the frontal crash fatality risks among children sitting in front seats have been reduced by as much as half, with younger children showing the greatest benefits. Among adult drivers and right-front passengers, there is no evidence for the predicted overall loss of protection with sled-certified air bags and there are far fewer air bag-induced deaths among this population. However, despite exhaustive analyses of frontal-crash data, the possibility of a somewhat elevated fatality risk among a subset of unbelted drivers in sled-certified 1998-1999 model vehicles cannot be ruled out. There also is some evidence that the risks of serious chest injury may be higher among unbelted drivers in frontal crashes in sled-certified vehicles with redesigned air bags. Further research is warranted to determine whether these differences remain in newer model vehicles designed to the advanced air bag rule, which took effect in 2003.

  20. Vehicle safety : technologies, challenges, and research and development expenditures for advanced air bags

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-06-01

    One hundred seventy five fatalities - primarily children and small women - have been attributed to the deployment of an air bag in relatively low-speed crashes as of April 2001. Advanced air bag systems tailor the deployment of the bags to the charac...

  1. Evidence for the Role of BAG3 in Mitochondrial Quality Control in Cardiomyocytes.

    PubMed

    Tahrir, Farzaneh G; Knezevic, Tijana; Gupta, Manish K; Gordon, Jennifer; Cheung, Joseph Y; Feldman, Arthur M; Khalili, Kamel

    2017-04-01

    Mitochondrial abnormalities impact the development of myofibrillar myopathies. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying the removal of dysfunctional mitochondria from cells is of great importance toward understanding the molecular events involved in the genesis of cardiomyopathy. Earlier studies have ascribed a role for BAG3 in the development of cardiomyopathy in experimental animals leading to the identification of BAG3 mutations in patients with heart failure which may play a part in the onset of disease development and progression. BAG3 is co-chaperone of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), which has been shown to modulate apoptosis and autophagy, in several cell models. In this study, we explore the potential role of BAG3 in mitochondrial quality control. We demonstrate that siRNA mediated suppression of BAG3 production in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVCs) significantly elevates the level of Parkin, a key component of mitophagy. We found that both BAG3 and Parkin are recruited to depolarized mitochondria and promote mitophagy. Suppression of BAG3 in NRVCs significantly reduces autophagy flux and eliminates clearance of Tom20, an essential import receptor for mitochondria proteins, after induction of mitophagy. These observations suggest that BAG3 is critical for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis under stress conditions, and disruptions in BAG3 expression impact cardiomyocyte function. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 797-805, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry and physical comparison for the forensic examination of grip-seal plastic bags.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Erica; Carter, James F; Hill, Jenny C; Morton, Carolyn; Daeid, Niamh Nic; Sleeman, Richard

    2008-05-20

    Plastic bags are frequently used to package drugs, explosives and other contraband. There exists, therefore, a requirement in forensic casework to compare bags found at different locations. This is currently achieved almost exclusively by the use of physical comparisons such as birefringence patterns. This paper discusses some of the advantages and shortcomings of this approach, and presents stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) as a supplementary tool for effecting comparisons of this nature. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic data are presented for sixteen grip-seal plastic bags from a wide range of sources, in order to demonstrate the range of values which is likely to be encountered. Both isotopic and physical comparison (specifically birefringence) techniques are then applied to the analysis of rolls of bags from different manufacturing lots from a leading manufacturer. Both approaches are able to associate bags from a common production batch. IRMS can be applied to small fragments which are not amenable to physical comparisons, and is able to discriminate bags which could be confused using birefringence patterns alone. Similarly, in certain cases birefringence patterns discriminate bags with similar isotopic compositions. The two approaches are therefore complementary. When more than one isotopically distinct region exists within a bag (e.g. the grip-seal is distinct from the body) the ability to discriminate and associate bags is greatly increased.

  3. Improved extension of platelet storage in a polyolefin container with higher oxygen permeability.

    PubMed

    Yuasa, Takeshi; Ohto, Hitoshi; Yasunaga, Reiko; Kai, Takanori; Shirahama, Noriaki; Ogata, Takashi

    2004-07-01

    This study evaluated a newly developed polyolefin bag, which has a 50%/m(2) higher oxygen permeability to extend the shelf-life of platelets. Single-donor aphaeresis platelets were pooled, separated equally into two bags, PO-80 (0.8 l capacity) and KBP-PO (1 l capacity) for control, and stored in plasma for up to 7 d. Platelet biochemical and functional parameters were monitored in bags containing high (4.2 x 10(11)/250 ml/bag, n = 9) and low (2.0 x 10(11)/200 ml/bag, n = 3) concentrations of platelets over the storage period. After 7 d of storage, the PO-80 bags containing high concentrations of platelets had a better pH (mean pH 6.74) than those stored in KBP-PO (pH 6.32, P < 0.01); none of the nine PO-80 bags with a high platelet concentration had a pH below 6.2, compared with four of nine controls (P < 0.05). Similarly, lactate values were 20.19 mmol/l and 28.09 mmol/l respectively (P < 0.05). Aerobic metabolism was maintained better with greater O(2) consumption and less lactate generation in high-platelet concentration PO-80 bags than in the control bags. A significant difference was also found in pH, pCO(2) and lactate levels between the two bags containing low concentrations of platelets during the 7-d period. The in vitro characteristics of platelets declined less over 7 d when stored in a higher oxygen permeable container than in a marketed bag.

  4. The prosurvival protein BAG3: a new participant in vascular homeostasis

    PubMed Central

    Carrizzo, Albino; Damato, Antonio; Ambrosio, Mariateresa; Falco, Antonia; Rosati, Alessandra; Capunzo, Mario; Madonna, Michele; Turco, Maria C; Januzzi, James L; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Vecchione, Carmine

    2016-01-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), is constitutively expressed in a few normal cell types, including myocytes, peripheral nerves and in the brain, and is also expressed in certain tumors. To date, the main studies about the role of BAG3 are focused on its pro-survival effect in tumors through various mechanisms that vary according to cellular type. Recently, elevated concentrations of a soluble form of BAG3 were described in patients affected by advanced stage of heart failure (HF), identifying BAG3 as a potentially useful biomarker in monitoring HF progression. Despite the finding of high levels of BAG3 in the sera of HF patients, there are no data on its possible role on the modulation of vascular tone and blood pressure levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible hemodynamic effects of BAG3 performing both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Through vascular reactivity studies, we demonstrate that BAG3 is capable of evoking dose-dependent vasorelaxation. Of note, BAG3 exerts its vasorelaxant effect on resistance vessels, typically involved in the blood pressure regulation. Our data further show that the molecular mechanism through which BAG3 exerts this effect is the activation of the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway leading to nitric oxide release by endothelial cells. Finally, we show that in vivo BAG3 administration is capable of regulating blood pressure and that this is dependent on eNOS regulation since this ability is lost in eNOS KO animals. PMID:27763645

  5. BAG3-mediated Mcl-1 stabilization contributes to drug resistance via interaction with USP9X in ovarian cancer.

    PubMed

    Habata, Shutaro; Iwasaki, Masahiro; Sugio, Asuka; Suzuki, Miwa; Tamate, Masato; Satohisa, Seiro; Tanaka, Ryoichi; Saito, Tsuyoshi

    2016-07-01

    Paclitaxel in combination with carboplatin improves survival among patients with susceptible ovarian cancers, but no strategy has been established against resistant ovarian cancers. BAG3 (Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3) is one of six BAG family proteins, which are involved in such cellular processes as proliferation, migration and apoptosis. In addition, expression of BAG3 with Mcl-1, a Bcl-2 family protein, reportedly associates with resistance to chemotherapy. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the functional role of BAG3 and Mcl-1 in ovarian cancer chemoresistance and explore possible new targets for treatment. We found that combined expression of BAG3 and Mcl-1 was significantly associated with a poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. In vitro, BAG3 knockdown in ES2 clear ovarian cancer cells significantly increased the efficacy of paclitaxel in combination with the Mcl-1 antagonist MIM1, with or without the Bcl-2 family antagonist ABT737. Moreover, BAG3 was found to positively regulate Mcl-1 levels by binding to and inhibiting USP9X. Our data show that BAG3 and Mcl-1 are key mediators of resistance to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. In BAG3 knockdown ES2 clear ovarian cancer cells, combination with ABT737 and MIM1 enhanced the efficacy of paclitaxel. These results suggest that inhibiting BAG3 in addition to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins may be a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of chemoresistant ovarian cancers.

  6. 76 FR 59999 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-28

    ... Bags From Thailand: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review AGENCY: Import... antidumping duty order on polyethylene retail carrier bags from Thailand. We gave interested parties an... Bags From Thailand: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 76 FR 30102 (May 24...

  7. 21 CFR 870.3650 - Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. 870.3650 Section 870...) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3650 Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. (a) Identification. A pacemaker polymeric mesh bag is an implanted device used to hold a...

  8. 21 CFR 870.3650 - Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. 870.3650 Section 870...) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3650 Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. (a) Identification. A pacemaker polymeric mesh bag is an implanted device used to hold a...

  9. 21 CFR 870.3650 - Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. 870.3650 Section 870...) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3650 Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. (a) Identification. A pacemaker polymeric mesh bag is an implanted device used to hold a...

  10. 21 CFR 870.3650 - Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. 870.3650 Section 870...) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3650 Pacemaker polymeric mesh bag. (a) Identification. A pacemaker polymeric mesh bag is an implanted device used to hold a...

  11. 50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

  12. 50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

  13. 50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

  14. 50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

  15. 50 CFR 660.721 - Recreational fishing bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Recreational fishing bag limits. 660.721... Migratory Fisheries § 660.721 Recreational fishing bag limits. This section applies to recreational fishing... daily bag limit of fishing during one calendar day. Federal recreational HMS regulations are not...

  16. 21 CFR 868.5320 - Reservoir bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Reservoir bag. 868.5320 Section 868.5320 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ANESTHESIOLOGY DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 868.5320 Reservoir bag. (a) Identification. A reservoir bag is a...

  17. 21 CFR 868.5320 - Reservoir bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Reservoir bag. 868.5320 Section 868.5320 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ANESTHESIOLOGY DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 868.5320 Reservoir bag. (a) Identification. A reservoir bag is a...

  18. 49 CFR 552.12 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... of an air bag system that automatically controls whether or not the air bag deploys during a crash by: (1) Sensing the location of an occupant, moving or still, in relation to the air bag; (2) Interpreting the occupant characteristics and location information to determine whether or not the air bag...

  19. 49 CFR 552.12 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... of an air bag system that automatically controls whether or not the air bag deploys during a crash by: (1) Sensing the location of an occupant, moving or still, in relation to the air bag; (2) Interpreting the occupant characteristics and location information to determine whether or not the air bag...

  20. 49 CFR 552.12 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... of an air bag system that automatically controls whether or not the air bag deploys during a crash by: (1) Sensing the location of an occupant, moving or still, in relation to the air bag; (2) Interpreting the occupant characteristics and location information to determine whether or not the air bag...

  1. 49 CFR 552.12 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... of an air bag system that automatically controls whether or not the air bag deploys during a crash by: (1) Sensing the location of an occupant, moving or still, in relation to the air bag; (2) Interpreting the occupant characteristics and location information to determine whether or not the air bag...

  2. Framing of Uncertainty in Scientific Publications: Towards Recommendations for Decision Support

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guillaume, J. H. A.; Helgeson, C.; Elsawah, S.; Jakeman, A. J.; Kummu, M.

    2016-12-01

    Uncertainty is recognised as an essential issue in environmental decision making and decision support. As modellers, we notably use a variety of tools and techniques within an analysis, for example related to uncertainty quantification and model validation. We also address uncertainty by how we present results. For example, experienced modellers are careful to distinguish robust conclusions from those that need further work, and the precision of quantitative results is tailored to their accuracy. In doing so, the modeller frames how uncertainty should be interpreted by their audience. This is an area which extends beyond modelling to fields such as philosophy of science, semantics, discourse analysis, intercultural communication and rhetoric. We propose that framing of uncertainty deserves greater attention in the context of decision support, and that there are opportunities in this area for fundamental research, synthesis and knowledge transfer, development of teaching curricula, and significant advances in managing uncertainty in decision making. This presentation reports preliminary results of a study of framing practices. Specifically, we analyse the framing of uncertainty that is visible in the abstracts from a corpus of scientific articles. We do this through textual analysis of the content and structure of those abstracts. Each finding that appears in an abstract is classified according to the uncertainty framing approach used, using a classification scheme that was iteratively revised based on reflection and comparison amongst three coders. This analysis indicates how frequently the different framing approaches are used, and provides initial insights into relationships between frames, how the frames relate to interpretation of uncertainty, and how rhetorical devices are used by modellers to communicate uncertainty in their work. We propose initial hypotheses for how the resulting insights might influence decision support, and help advance decision making to better address uncertainty.

  3. Determining Cutoff Point of Ensemble Trees Based on Sample Size in Predicting Clinical Dose with DNA Microarray Data.

    PubMed

    Yılmaz Isıkhan, Selen; Karabulut, Erdem; Alpar, Celal Reha

    2016-01-01

    Background/Aim . Evaluating the success of dose prediction based on genetic or clinical data has substantially advanced recently. The aim of this study is to predict various clinical dose values from DNA gene expression datasets using data mining techniques. Materials and Methods . Eleven real gene expression datasets containing dose values were included. First, important genes for dose prediction were selected using iterative sure independence screening. Then, the performances of regression trees (RTs), support vector regression (SVR), RT bagging, SVR bagging, and RT boosting were examined. Results . The results demonstrated that a regression-based feature selection method substantially reduced the number of irrelevant genes from raw datasets. Overall, the best prediction performance in nine of 11 datasets was achieved using SVR; the second most accurate performance was provided using a gradient-boosting machine (GBM). Conclusion . Analysis of various dose values based on microarray gene expression data identified common genes found in our study and the referenced studies. According to our findings, SVR and GBM can be good predictors of dose-gene datasets. Another result of the study was to identify the sample size of n = 25 as a cutoff point for RT bagging to outperform a single RT.

  4. Magnetic biomonitoring by moss bags for industry-derived air pollution in SW Finland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salo, Hanna; Mäkinen, Joni

    2014-11-01

    We provide the first detailed case study using Sphagnum papillosum moss bags for active magnetic monitoring of airborne industrial pollution in order to evaluate the actual role of various emission sources and the competence of current environmental protection actions relative to the air quality. The origin and spatial spreading of particulate matter (PM) based on magnetic, chemical, and SEM-EDX analyses was studied around the Industrial Park in Harjavalta, SW Finland. The data was collected during two 6-month sampling periods along 8 km transects in 2010-2011. The results support our hypothesis that the main emission source of PM is not the Cu-Ni smelter's pipe as presumed in previous chemical monitorings. We argue that the hot spot area within the severe impact pollution zone is related to slag processing and/or other unidentified industrial activity. At short distances various dust-providing sources outweigh the fly-ash load from the Cu-Ni smelter's pipe. Active magnetic monitoring by moss bags will help in planning environmental actions as well as in improvement of health conditions for industrial staff and town residents living next to the Industrial Park.

  5. Effect of metronome rates on the quality of bag-mask ventilation during metronome-guided 30:2 cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A randomized simulation study.

    PubMed

    Na, Ji Ung; Han, Sang Kuk; Choi, Pil Cho; Shin, Dong Hyuk

    2017-01-01

    Metronome guidance is a feasible and effective feedback technique to improve the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The rate of the metronome should be set between 100 to 120 ticks/minute and the speed of ventilation may have crucial effect on the quality of ventilation. We compared three different metronome rates (100, 110, 120 ticks/minute) to investigate its effect on the quality of ventilation during metronome-guided 30:2 CPR. This is a prospective, randomized, crossover observational study using a RespiTrainer○ r . To simulate 30 chest compressions, one investigator counted from 1 to 30 in cadence with the metronome rate (1 count for every 1 tick), and the participant performed 2 consecutive ventilations immediately following the counting of 30. Thirty physicians performed 5 sets of 2 consecutive (total 10) bag-mask ventilations for each metronome rate. Participants were instructed to squeeze the bag over 2 ticks (1.0 to 1.2 seconds depending on the rate of metronome) and deflate the bag over 2 ticks. The sequence of three different metronome rates was randomized. Mean tidal volume significantly decreased as the metronome rate was increased from 110 ticks/minute to 120 ticks/minute (343±84 mL vs. 294±90 mL, P =0.004). Peak airway pressure significantly increased as metronome rate increased from 100 ticks/minute to 110 ticks/minute (18.7 vs. 21.6 mmHg, P =0.006). In metronome-guided 30:2 CPR, a higher metronome rate may adversely affect the quality of bag-mask ventilations. In cases of cardiac arrest where adequate ventilation support is necessary, 100 ticks/minute may be better than 110 or 120 ticks/minute to deliver adequate tidal volume during audio tone guided 30:2 CPR.

  6. Effect of metronome rates on the quality of bag-mask ventilation during metronome-guided 30:2 cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A randomized simulation study

    PubMed Central

    Na, Ji Ung; Han, Sang Kuk; Choi, Pil Cho; Shin, Dong Hyuk

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Metronome guidance is a feasible and effective feedback technique to improve the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The rate of the metronome should be set between 100 to 120 ticks/minute and the speed of ventilation may have crucial effect on the quality of ventilation. We compared three different metronome rates (100, 110, 120 ticks/minute) to investigate its effect on the quality of ventilation during metronome-guided 30:2 CPR. METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, crossover observational study using a RespiTrainer○r. To simulate 30 chest compressions, one investigator counted from 1 to 30 in cadence with the metronome rate (1 count for every 1 tick), and the participant performed 2 consecutive ventilations immediately following the counting of 30. Thirty physicians performed 5 sets of 2 consecutive (total 10) bag-mask ventilations for each metronome rate. Participants were instructed to squeeze the bag over 2 ticks (1.0 to 1.2 seconds depending on the rate of metronome) and deflate the bag over 2 ticks. The sequence of three different metronome rates was randomized. RESULTS: Mean tidal volume significantly decreased as the metronome rate was increased from 110 ticks/minute to 120 ticks/minute (343±84 mL vs. 294±90 mL, P=0.004). Peak airway pressure significantly increased as metronome rate increased from 100 ticks/minute to 110 ticks/minute (18.7 vs. 21.6 mmHg, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: In metronome-guided 30:2 CPR, a higher metronome rate may adversely affect the quality of bag-mask ventilations. In cases of cardiac arrest where adequate ventilation support is necessary, 100 ticks/minute may be better than 110 or 120 ticks/minute to deliver adequate tidal volume during audio tone guided 30:2 CPR. PMID:28458759

  7. Seat belt use in cars with air bags.

    PubMed Central

    Williams, A F; Wells, J K; Lund, A K

    1990-01-01

    Seat belt use was observed in 1,628 cars with air bags and manual belts and 34,223 cars with manual seat belts only. Sixty-six percent of drivers in cars with air bags wore seat belts compared to 63 percent of drivers in cars with manual belts only. The study found no evidence for the speculation that drivers with air bags will reduce their seat belt use because they believe an air bag alone provides sufficient protection. PMID:2240346

  8. Underwater seismic source. [for petroleum exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, L. C. (Inventor)

    1979-01-01

    Apparatus for generating a substantially oscillation-free seismic signal for use in underwater petroleum exploration, including a bag with walls that are flexible but substantially inelastic, and a pressured gas supply for rapidly expanding the bag to its fully expanded condition is described. The inelasticity of the bag permits the application of high pressure gas to rapidly expand it to full size, without requiring a venting mechanism to decrease the pressure as the bag approaches a predetermined size to avoid breaking of the bag.

  9. Air bag-mediated fatal craniocervical trauma: a case report.

    PubMed

    Büyük, Yalçin; Uzün, Ibrahim; Erkol, Zerrin; Ağritmiş, Hasan; Ustündağ, Kasim T

    2010-07-01

    This case report describes a four-year-old girl (102 cm, 17 kg) who sustained fatal craniocerebral injuries as a result of an inflating automobile air bag. The car struck the lid of the sewer system, which was 15 cm above the ground level, at a low speed, and both the driver and passenger air bags inflated. Despite the fact that air bag usage has lessened both the possibility and severity of occupant injuries in frontal collisions, case reports of serious injuries and even deaths especially in children due to air bag deployment, particularly during low speed impacts, highlight the need for changes in both system design and possibly the threshold speed of air bag deployment.

  10. Performance of advanced resuscitation skills by pediatric housestaff.

    PubMed

    White, J R; Shugerman, R; Brownlee, C; Quan, L

    1998-12-01

    To describe pediatric housestaff resuscitation experience and their ability to perform key resuscitation skills. Cohort study of 63 pediatric residents in a university-based training program. Investigators observed, scored, and timed resident performance on 4 key resuscitation skills. Cognitive ability was tested with 4 written scenarios. Housestaff provided self-reports of the number of months since their last American Heart Association Pediatric Advanced Life Support course, number of mock and actual codes attended, number of times skills were performed, and self-confidence with respect to resuscitation. A total of 45 pediatric residents (71%) participated. Median cognitive score was 5 (range, 1-5). Of all residents, 44 (97%) successfully bag mask-ventilated the mannequin; 24 (53%) and 36 (80%) used the correct bag and mask size, respectively. Thirty-nine residents (87%) placed a tube in the mannequin trachea, 12 (27%) checked that suction was working prior to intubation, and 30 (67%) chose the correct endotracheal tube size. Forty residents (89%) discharged the defibrillator, and 25 (56%) and 32 (71%) correctly chose asynchronous mode and infant paddles, respectively. Thirty-eight residents (84%) inserted an intraosseous line; 35 (78%) had correct placement. Median times for successful skill completion were 83 seconds for bag mask ventilation, 136 seconds for intubation, 149 seconds for defibrillation, and 68 seconds for intraosseous line placement. Pediatric housestaff previously trained in pediatric advanced life support were generally able to reach the end point of 4 key resuscitation skills but less frequently performed the specific subcomponents of each skill. This poor performance and the prolonged time to skill completion suggest the need for greater attention to detail during training.

  11. BAG3 and HIF-1 α coexpression detected by immunohistochemistry correlated with prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Heng; Tong, Rongliang; Cheng, Shaobing; Lv, Zhen; Ding, Chaofeng; Du, Chengli; Xie, Haiyang; Zhou, Lin; Wu, Jian; Zheng, Shusen

    2014-01-01

    The objective is to determine the effects of BAG3 and HIF-1 α expression on the prognosis of HCC patients after liver transplantation. Samples from 31 patients with HCC receiving liver transplantation were collected for this study. The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of BAG3 and HIF-1 α of HCC samples. According to the immunohistochemistry results, BAG3 and HIF-1 α staining were significantly associated with tumor TNM stage (P = 0.004, P = 0.012). A significant association between high BAG3/HIF-1 α levels and a shorter overall survival was detected, so as the combined BAG3 and HIF-1 α analysis. The results suggested that the expression level of BAG3 and HIF-1 α is efficient prognostic parameters in patients with HCC after liver transplantation.

  12. Role of BAG3 in cancer progression: A therapeutic opportunity.

    PubMed

    De Marco, Margot; Basile, Anna; Iorio, Vittoria; Festa, Michelina; Falco, Antonia; Ranieri, Bianca; Pascale, Maria; Sala, Gianluca; Remondelli, Paolo; Capunzo, Mario; Firpo, Matthew A; Pezzilli, Raffaele; Marzullo, Liberato; Cavallo, Pierpaolo; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Turco, Maria Caterina; Rosati, Alessandra

    2018-06-01

    BAG3 is a multifunctional protein that can bind to heat shock proteins (Hsp) 70 through its BAG domain and to other partners through its WW domain, proline-rich (PXXP) repeat and IPV (Ile-Pro-Val) motifs. Its intracellular expression can be induced by stressful stimuli, while is constitutive in skeletal muscle, cardiac myocytes and several tumour types. BAG3 can modulate the levels, localisation or activity of its partner proteins, thereby regulating major cell pathways and functions, including apoptosis, autophagy, mechanotransduction, cytoskeleton organisation, motility. A secreted form of BAG3 has been identified in studies on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Secreted BAG3 can bind to a specific receptor, IFITM2, expressed on macrophages, and induce the release of factors that sustain tumour growth and the metastatic process. BAG3 neutralisation therefore appears to constitute a novel potential strategy in the therapy of PDAC and, possibly, other tumours. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Short peptides derived from the BAG-1 C-terminus inhibit the interaction between BAG-1 and HSC70 and decrease breast cancer cell growth.

    PubMed

    Sharp, Adam; Cutress, Ramsey I; Johnson, Peter W M; Packham, Graham; Townsend, Paul A

    2009-11-03

    BAG-1, a multifunctional protein, interacts with a plethora of cellular targets where the interaction with HSC70 and HSP70, is considered vital. Structural studies have demonstrated the C-terminal of BAG-1 forms a bundle of three alpha-helices of which helices 2 and 3 are directly involved in binding to the chaperones. Here we found peptides derived from helices 2 and 3 of BAG-1 interfered with BAG-1:HSC70 binding. We confirmed that a 12 amino-acid peptide from helix 2 directly interacted with HSC70 and when introduced into MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 cells, these peptides inhibited their growth. In conclusion, we have identified a small domain within BAG-1 which appears to play a critical role in the interaction with HSC70.

  14. 75 FR 36679 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From China, Malaysia, and Thailand; Determinations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-28

    ... Carrier Bags From China, Malaysia, and Thailand; Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed... antidumping duty orders on polyethylene retail carrier bags from China, Malaysia, and Thailand would be likely... Retail Carrier Bags from China, Malaysia, and Thailand: Investigation Nos. 731-TA-1043-1045 (Review). By...

  15. 75 FR 36359 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-25

    ... Bags From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative... polyethylene retail carrier bags from Thailand. See Antidumping Duty Order: Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand, 69 FR 48204 (August 9, 2004). On September 22, 2009, we published a notice of initiation...

  16. 75 FR 75454 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for the Final Results of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-03

    ... Bags From Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for the Final Results of the Antidumping Duty... preliminary results of review of the antidumping duty order on polyethylene retail carrier bags from Thailand. See Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty...

  17. 75 FR 23673 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-04

    ... Bags from Thailand: Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative... Thailand. See Antidumping Duty Order: Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand, 69 FR 48204 (August 9... Co., Ltd., Landblue (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Sahachit Watana Plastics Ind. Co., Ltd., Thai Plastic Bags...

  18. 49 CFR 178.519 - Standards for plastic film bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standards for plastic film bags. 178.519 Section... PACKAGINGS Non-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.519 Standards for plastic film bags. (a) The identification code for a plastic film bag is 5H4. (b) Construction requirements for plastic film...

  19. 40 CFR 63.10899 - What are my recordkeeping and reporting requirements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... of each inspection, and the results of any maintenance performed on the bag filters. (ii) The date... applicable, you must keep records for bag leak detection systems as follows: (i) Records of the bag leak detection system output; (ii) Records of bag leak detection system adjustments, including the date and time...

  20. 75 FR 16431 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Indonesia: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-01

    ... Bags From Indonesia: Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value AGENCY: Import Administration...) has determined that imports of polyethylene retail carrier bags (PRCBs) from Indonesia are being, or... Retail Carrier Bags from Indonesia: Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and...

  1. 49 CFR 178.518 - Standards for woven plastic bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standards for woven plastic bags. 178.518 Section... PACKAGINGS Non-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.518 Standards for woven plastic bags. (a) The following are identification codes for woven plastic bags: (1) 5H1 for an unlined or non-coated...

  2. 49 CFR 178.518 - Standards for woven plastic bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Standards for woven plastic bags. 178.518 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.518 Standards for woven plastic bags. (a) The following are identification codes for woven plastic bags: (1) 5H1 for an unlined or non-coated woven...

  3. 49 CFR 178.518 - Standards for woven plastic bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Standards for woven plastic bags. 178.518 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.518 Standards for woven plastic bags. (a) The following are identification codes for woven plastic bags: (1) 5H1 for an unlined or non-coated woven...

  4. 49 CFR 178.518 - Standards for woven plastic bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Standards for woven plastic bags. 178.518 Section...-bulk Performance-Oriented Packaging Standards § 178.518 Standards for woven plastic bags. (a) The following are identification codes for woven plastic bags: (1) 5H1 for an unlined or non-coated woven...

  5. 75 FR 30900 - Fisker Automotive; Receipt of Application for Temporary Exemption From Advanced Air Bag...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-02

    ...-0069] Fisker Automotive; Receipt of Application for Temporary Exemption From Advanced Air Bag... temporary exemption from certain advanced air bag requirements of FMVSS No. 208. The basis for the... air bag requirements. Fisker has requested an exemption for the Karma model, and that the exemption...

  6. 50 CFR 622.456 - Bag limits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND SOUTH ATLANTIC Spiny Lobster Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands § 622.456 Bag limits. (a) Applicability. Section 622.11(a... fishing license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. (b) Bag limit. The bag limit for spiny...

  7. 50 CFR 622.494 - Bag limit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND SOUTH ATLANTIC Queen Conch Resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands § 622.494 Bag limit. (a) Applicability. Section 622.11(a... fishing license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. (b) Bag limit. The bag limit for queen...

  8. 50 CFR 622.494 - Bag limit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND SOUTH ATLANTIC Queen Conch Resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands § 622.494 Bag limit. (a) Applicability. Section 622.11(a... fishing license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. (b) Bag limit. The bag limit for queen...

  9. 14 CFR 223.24 - Transportation of empty mail bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Transportation of empty mail bags. Any carrier authorized to engage in foreign air transportation may transport in foreign air transportation empty air mail bags from any country to the country of origin of such... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Transportation of empty mail bags. 223.24...

  10. 14 CFR 223.24 - Transportation of empty mail bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Transportation of empty mail bags. Any carrier authorized to engage in foreign air transportation may transport in foreign air transportation empty air mail bags from any country to the country of origin of such... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Transportation of empty mail bags. 223.24...

  11. 49 CFR 176.405 - Stowage of charcoal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... bags and offered for transportation on board a vessel in a quantity over 1016 kg (2240 pounds) must be loaded so that the bags are laid horizontally and stacked with space for efficient air circulation. If... repaired bags restowed. (d) Charcoal “screenings” packed in bags must be stowed to provide spaces for air...

  12. 49 CFR 176.405 - Stowage of charcoal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... bags and offered for transportation on board a vessel in a quantity over 1016 kg (2240 pounds) must be loaded so that the bags are laid horizontally and stacked with space for efficient air circulation. If... repaired bags restowed. (d) Charcoal “screenings” packed in bags must be stowed to provide spaces for air...

  13. 14 CFR 223.24 - Transportation of empty mail bags.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Transportation of empty mail bags. Any carrier authorized to engage in foreign air transportation may transport in foreign air transportation empty air mail bags from any country to the country of origin of such... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Transportation of empty mail bags. 223.24...

  14. 49 CFR 176.405 - Stowage of charcoal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... bags and offered for transportation on board a vessel in a quantity over 1016 kg (2240 pounds) must be loaded so that the bags are laid horizontally and stacked with space for efficient air circulation. If... repaired bags restowed. (d) Charcoal “screenings” packed in bags must be stowed to provide spaces for air...

  15. ATP hydrolysis is essential for Bag-1M-mediated inhibition of the DNA binding by the glucocorticoid receptor

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hong, Wei, E-mail: hongwei@tijmu.edu.cn; Chen, Linfeng; Liu, Yunde

    2009-12-04

    The 70-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp70) is involved in providing the appropriate conformation of various nuclear hormone receptors, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The Bcl-2 associated athanogene 1M (Bag-1M) is known to downregulate the DNA binding by the GR. Also, Bag-1M interacts with the ATPase domain of Hsp70 to modulate the release of the substrate from Hsp70. In this study, we demonstrate that ATP hydrolysis enhances Bag-1M-mediated inhibition of the DNA binding by the GR. However, the inhibitory effect of Bag-1M was abolished when the intracellular ATP was depleted. In addition, a Bag-1M mutant lacking the interaction with Hsp70 didmore » not influence the GR to bind DNA, suggesting the interaction of Bag-1M with Hsp70 in needed for its negative effect. These results indicate that ATP hydrolysis is essential for Bag-1M-mediated inhibition of the DNA binding by the GR and Hsp70 is a mediator for this process.« less

  16. Air bags alone compared with the combination of mechanical restraints and air bags: implications for the emergency evaluation of crash victims.

    PubMed

    Sutyak, J P; Passi, V; Hammond, J S

    1997-09-01

    Air bags (ABs) may be perceived by the public and physicians as protection for thoracoabdominal injuries. This study compares injury patterns when air bags are used alone with injury patterns when air bags plus mechanical restraints (MRs) are used. Patients treated over a 4-year period with emergency medical services-documented AB deployment alone (n = 16) or AB plus MR (n = 22) were identified by trauma registry query. Medical records were reviewed and injuries recorded. Air bag-alone users had more severe overall (injury severity score > or = 15:9 vs 5), chest (abbreviated injury score [AIS] > or = 3:5 vs 1), and abdominal injuries (AIS > or = 3:6 vs 0). They required more tube thoracostomies (5 vs 0) and laparotomies (6 vs 0), longer hospitalizations (11.9 +/- 3.2 vs 5.3 +/- 1.4 days), and more intensive care unit admissions (8 vs 1). Craniofacial injuries (AIS > or = 3:6 vs 6) and fractures were similar. More victims using air bags alone required impatient rehabilitation and some patients died (6 vs 1). Crash victims using air bags alone (vs AB plus MR) had increased injury severity, hospitalizations, thoracoabdominal procedures, and rehabilitation. Physicians must be aware of the incomplete protection by air bags alone.

  17. Sodium azide-associated laryngospasm after air bag deployment.

    PubMed

    Francis, David; Warren, Samuel A; Warner, Keir J; Harris, William; Copass, Michael K; Bulger, Eileen M

    2010-09-01

    The advent and incorporation of the air bag into motor vehicles has resulted in the mitigation of many head and truncal injuries in motor vehicle collisions. However, air bag deployment is not risk free. We present a case of sodium azide-induced laryngospasm after air bag deployment. An unrestrained male driver was in a moderate-speed motor vehicle collision with air bag deployment. Medics found him awake, gasping for air with stridorous respirations and guarding his neck. The patient had no external signs of trauma and was presumed to have tracheal injury. The patient was greeted by the Anesthesiology service, which intubated him using glidescope-assisted laryngoscopy. The patient was admitted for overnight observation and treatment of alkaline ocular injury and laryngospasm. Although air bags represent an important advance in automobile safety, their use is not without risk. Bruising and tracheal rupture secondary to air bag deployment have been reported in out-of-position occupants. Additionally, alkaline by-products from the combustion of sodium azide in air bags have been implicated in ocular injury and facial burns. Laryngospasm after sodium azide exposure presents another diagnostic challenge for providers. Therefore, it is incumbent to maintain vigilance in the physical examination and diagnosis of occult injuries after air bag deployment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. BAG3 promoted starvation-induced apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells via attenuation of autophagy.

    PubMed

    Li, Si; Zhang, Hai-Yan; Wang, Tian; Meng, Xin; Zong, Zhi-Hong; Kong, De-Hui; Wang, Hua-Qin; Du, Zhen-Xian

    2014-11-01

    BAG3 plays a regulatory role in a number of cellular processes. Recent studies have attracted much attention on its role in activation of selective autophagy. In addition, we have very recently reported that BAG3 is implicated in a BECN1-independent autophagy, namely noncanonical autophagy. The current study aimed to investigate the potential involvement of BAG3 in canonical autophagy triggered by Earle's Balanced Salt Solution (EBSS) starvation. Replacement of complete medium with EBSS was used to trigger canonical autophagy. BAG3 expression was measured using real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. Autophagy was monitored using LC3-II transition and p62/SQSTM1 accumulation by Western blot, as well as punctate distribution of LC3 by immunofluorescence staining. Cell growth and apoptotic cell death was investigated using real-time cell analyzer and flowcytometry, respectively. BAG3 expression was potently reduced by EBSS starvation. Forced expression of BAG3 suppressed autophagy and promoted apoptotic cell death of thyroid cancer cells elicited by starvation. In addition, in the presence of autophagy inhibitor, the enhancing effect of BAG3 on apoptotic cell death was attenuated. These results suggest that BAG3 promotes apoptotic cell death in starved thyroid cancer cells, at least in part by autophagy attenuation.

  19. Bag free in the Bay State.

    PubMed

    Hurwitz, Anita Gupta; Farrow, Phillip R; Preer, Genevieve; Philipp, Barbara L

    2014-06-01

    The deleterious effect of formula company-sponsored discharge bags on breastfeeding is well established. As of July 2012, all 49 maternity facilities in Massachusetts had banned these bags, making it the second "bag-free" state in the United States. Obstacles to changing this long-standing practice were numerous, including concerns regarding the cost of a substitute gift. This study was designed to describe what practices maternity facilities in Massachusetts have adopted in place of giving out a formula company-sponsored discharge bag. Maternity facilities in Massachusetts were surveyed regarding discharge gift practices. Information was collected regarding gifts given and cost. The response rate was 100%. Fifty-nine percent of the facilities replaced the formula company-sponsored bag with their own gift bag carrying the hospital's logo. Bags were either given empty or contained educational materials and/or a gift such as a T-shirt, hat, or baby book. Fourteen percent of the facilities gave a gift that did not include a bag. Twenty-seven percent of facilities gave no gift. Cost of the gifts ranged from $1 to $35, with a mean cost of $10.67. The hospital budget was used to partially or fully fund 58% of gifts; 22% were covered in part by donations. Although most maternity facilities surveyed replaced the formula company-sponsored discharge bag with a different gift, one-quarter gave no replacement. These data indicate that discontinuing discharge gifts can be a readily accepted, cost-neutral step toward evidence-based breastfeeding best practice.

  20. A Role for the Chaperone Complex BAG3-HSPB8 in Actin Dynamics, Spindle Orientation and Proper Chromosome Segregation during Mitosis

    PubMed Central

    Fuchs, Margit; Lambert, Herman; Jetté, Alexandra; Elowe, Sabine; Landry, Jacques; Lavoie, Josée N.

    2015-01-01

    The co-chaperone BAG3, in complex with the heat shock protein HSPB8, plays a role in protein quality control during mechanical strain. It is part of a multichaperone complex that senses damaged cytoskeletal proteins and orchestrates their seclusion and/or degradation by selective autophagy. Here we describe a novel role for the BAG3-HSPB8 complex in mitosis, a process involving profound changes in cell tension homeostasis. BAG3 is hyperphosphorylated at mitotic entry and localizes to centrosomal regions. BAG3 regulates, in an HSPB8-dependent manner, the timely congression of chromosomes to the metaphase plate by influencing the three-dimensional positioning of the mitotic spindle. Depletion of BAG3 caused defects in cell rounding at metaphase and dramatic blebbing of the cortex associated with abnormal spindle rotations. Similar defects were observed upon silencing of the autophagic receptor p62/SQSTM1 that contributes to BAG3-mediated selective autophagy pathway. Mitotic cells depleted of BAG3, HSPB8 or p62/SQSTM1 exhibited disorganized actin-rich retraction fibres, which are proposed to guide spindle orientation. Proper spindle positioning was rescued in BAG3-depleted cells upon addition of the lectin concanavalin A, which restores cortex rigidity. Together, our findings suggest the existence of a so-far unrecognized quality control mechanism involving BAG3, HSPB8 and p62/SQSTM1 for accurate remodelling of actin-based mitotic structures that guide spindle orientation. PMID:26496431

  1. miR-206 inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting BAG3 in human cervical cancer.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yingying; Tian, Yongjie

    2018-01-02

    miR-206 and bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) have been suggested as important regulators in various cancer types. However, the biological role of miR-206 and BAG3 in cervical cancer (CC) remains unclear. Here, we investigated the expressions and mechanisms of miR-206 and BAG3 in cervical cancer using in vitro and in vivo assays. In the present study, miR-206 expression was expressed at a lower level in CC tissues and cells than adjacent normal tissues and NEEC cells. By contrast, BAG3 mRNA and protein were expressed at higher levels in CC tissues and cells. Furthermore, miR-206 overexpression repressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of BAG3 was a direct target of miR-206. miR-206 overexpression also inhibited EGFR, Bcl-2 and MMP2/9 protein expression, but promoted Bax protein expression. Besides, BAG3 over-expression partially abrogated miR-206-inhibited cell proliferation and invasion, while BAG3 silencing enhanced miR206-mediated inhibition. In vivo assay revealed that miR-206 repressed tumor growth in nude mice xenograft model. In conclusion, miR-206 inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting BAG3 in human cervical cancer. Thus, miR-206-BAG3 can be used as a useful target for cervical cancer.

  2. Bag3 promotes resistance to apoptosis through Bcl-2 family members in non-small cell lung cancer.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yong; Wang, Jian-Hua; Lu, Qiang; Wang, Yun-Jie

    2012-01-01

    In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) certain molecular characteristics, which are related to molecular alterations have been investigated. These are responsible for both the initiation and maintenance of the malignancy in lung cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of Bag3 (Bcl-2 associated athanogene 3) in the regulation of apoptosis on NSCLC. Bag3 and Hsp70 expression were examined by immunohistochemistry to confirm their potential roles in the prevalence of NSCLC. We also established human normal bronchial epithelial cells and HOP-62 cell line as the model to analyze cell apoptosis and the expression of Hsp70, Bcl-XL and Bcl-2, which were affected by Bag3. In this study, we found that Bag3 and Hsp70 are highly expressed in few tissues and cell lines of NSCLC. Bag3 inhibits apoptosis in human normal bronchial epithelial cell lines and sustain the survival of NSCLC cells. Bag3, Hsp70, Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 are up-regulated in NSCLC cell lines. At the same time, the silencing of Bag3 results in diminishing protein levels of Bcl-XL and Bcl-2. The results of immunoprecipitation identified that Bag3 could interact with Hsp70, Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 NSCLC cells directly or indirectly. We conclude that NSCLC cells were protected from apoptosis through increasing Bag3 expression and consequently promoted the expression of Bcl-XL and Bcl-2.

  3. Loss-of-function mutations in co-chaperone BAG3 destabilize small HSPs and cause cardiomyopathy

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Xi; Wu, Tongbin; Liu, Canzhao; Veevers, Jennifer; Stroud, Matthew J.; Zhang, Zhiyuan; Ma, Xiaolong; Mu, Yongxin; Lao, Dieu-Hung; Dalton, Nancy D.; Gu, Yusu; Wang, Celine; Wang, Michael; Liang, Yan; Ouyang, Kunfu; Peterson, Kirk L.; Evans, Sylvia M.

    2017-01-01

    Defective protein quality control (PQC) systems are implicated in multiple diseases. Molecular chaperones and co-chaperones play a central role in functioning PQC. Constant mechanical and metabolic stress in cardiomyocytes places great demand on the PQC system. Mutation and downregulation of the co-chaperone protein BCL-2–associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) are associated with cardiac myopathy and heart failure, and a BAG3 E455K mutation leads to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the role of BAG3 in the heart and the mechanisms by which the E455K mutation leads to DCM remain obscure. Here, we found that cardiac-specific Bag3-KO and E455K-knockin mice developed DCM. Comparable phenotypes in the 2 mutants demonstrated that the E455K mutation resulted in loss of function. Further experiments revealed that the E455K mutation disrupted the interaction between BAG3 and HSP70. In both mutants, decreased levels of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) were observed, and a subset of proteins required for cardiomyocyte function was enriched in the insoluble fraction. Together, these observations suggest that interaction between BAG3 and HSP70 is essential for BAG3 to stabilize sHSPs and maintain cardiomyocyte protein homeostasis. Our results provide insight into heart failure caused by defects in BAG3 pathways and suggest that increasing BAG3 protein levels may be of therapeutic benefit in heart failure. PMID:28737513

  4. BAG3 regulates cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in human colorectal cancer.

    PubMed

    Shi, Huiyong; Xu, Haidong; Li, Zengjun; Zhen, Yanan; Wang, Bin; Huo, Shoujun; Xiao, Ruixue; Xu, Zhongfa

    2016-04-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) has been reported to be elevated in various tumors. However, it is unclear whether BAG3 has a functional role in the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we collected CRC samples and cell lines to validate the pathway by using gene and protein assays. RT-PCR showed that the expression of BAG3 mRNA in CRC tissues was obviously higher than that in non-tumor tissues (p < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that immunoreactivity of BAG3 was found in most CRC tissues and strongly correlated with TNM stage (p = 0.001), differentiation (p = 0.003), and metastasis (p = 0.010). Low expression of BAG3 in HCT-8 significantly reduced cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion. The analysis of in vitro cell showed that HCT-8 cells were exposed to si-BAG3, and its growth was inhibited depending on modulation of cell cycle G1/S checkpoints and cell cycle regulators, involving cyclin D1, cyclin A2, and cyclin B1. Furthermore, suppression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by si-BAG3 is linked to the decreased expression of E-cadherin and the increased expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, and MMP9. In conclusion, in the present study, we demonstrated that BAG3 overexpression plays a critical role in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer. Our data suggests targeted inhibition of BAG3 may be useful for patients with CRC.

  5. A Role for the Chaperone Complex BAG3-HSPB8 in Actin Dynamics, Spindle Orientation and Proper Chromosome Segregation during Mitosis.

    PubMed

    Fuchs, Margit; Luthold, Carole; Guilbert, Solenn M; Varlet, Alice Anaïs; Lambert, Herman; Jetté, Alexandra; Elowe, Sabine; Landry, Jacques; Lavoie, Josée N

    2015-10-01

    The co-chaperone BAG3, in complex with the heat shock protein HSPB8, plays a role in protein quality control during mechanical strain. It is part of a multichaperone complex that senses damaged cytoskeletal proteins and orchestrates their seclusion and/or degradation by selective autophagy. Here we describe a novel role for the BAG3-HSPB8 complex in mitosis, a process involving profound changes in cell tension homeostasis. BAG3 is hyperphosphorylated at mitotic entry and localizes to centrosomal regions. BAG3 regulates, in an HSPB8-dependent manner, the timely congression of chromosomes to the metaphase plate by influencing the three-dimensional positioning of the mitotic spindle. Depletion of BAG3 caused defects in cell rounding at metaphase and dramatic blebbing of the cortex associated with abnormal spindle rotations. Similar defects were observed upon silencing of the autophagic receptor p62/SQSTM1 that contributes to BAG3-mediated selective autophagy pathway. Mitotic cells depleted of BAG3, HSPB8 or p62/SQSTM1 exhibited disorganized actin-rich retraction fibres, which are proposed to guide spindle orientation. Proper spindle positioning was rescued in BAG3-depleted cells upon addition of the lectin concanavalin A, which restores cortex rigidity. Together, our findings suggest the existence of a so-far unrecognized quality control mechanism involving BAG3, HSPB8 and p62/SQSTM1 for accurate remodelling of actin-based mitotic structures that guide spindle orientation.

  6. Loss-of-function mutations in co-chaperone BAG3 destabilize small HSPs and cause cardiomyopathy.

    PubMed

    Fang, Xi; Bogomolovas, Julius; Wu, Tongbin; Zhang, Wei; Liu, Canzhao; Veevers, Jennifer; Stroud, Matthew J; Zhang, Zhiyuan; Ma, Xiaolong; Mu, Yongxin; Lao, Dieu-Hung; Dalton, Nancy D; Gu, Yusu; Wang, Celine; Wang, Michael; Liang, Yan; Lange, Stephan; Ouyang, Kunfu; Peterson, Kirk L; Evans, Sylvia M; Chen, Ju

    2017-08-01

    Defective protein quality control (PQC) systems are implicated in multiple diseases. Molecular chaperones and co-chaperones play a central role in functioning PQC. Constant mechanical and metabolic stress in cardiomyocytes places great demand on the PQC system. Mutation and downregulation of the co-chaperone protein BCL-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) are associated with cardiac myopathy and heart failure, and a BAG3 E455K mutation leads to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). However, the role of BAG3 in the heart and the mechanisms by which the E455K mutation leads to DCM remain obscure. Here, we found that cardiac-specific Bag3-KO and E455K-knockin mice developed DCM. Comparable phenotypes in the 2 mutants demonstrated that the E455K mutation resulted in loss of function. Further experiments revealed that the E455K mutation disrupted the interaction between BAG3 and HSP70. In both mutants, decreased levels of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) were observed, and a subset of proteins required for cardiomyocyte function was enriched in the insoluble fraction. Together, these observations suggest that interaction between BAG3 and HSP70 is essential for BAG3 to stabilize sHSPs and maintain cardiomyocyte protein homeostasis. Our results provide insight into heart failure caused by defects in BAG3 pathways and suggest that increasing BAG3 protein levels may be of therapeutic benefit in heart failure.

  7. BAG3 is involved in neuronal differentiation and migration.

    PubMed

    Santoro, Antonietta; Nicolin, Vanessa; Florenzano, Fulvio; Rosati, Alessandra; Capunzo, Mario; Nori, Stefania L

    2017-05-01

    Bcl2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) protein belongs to the family of co-chaperones interacting with several heat shock proteins. It plays a key role in protein quality control and mediates the clearance of misfolded proteins. Little is known about the expression and cellular localization of BAG3 during nervous system development and differentiation. Therefore, we analyze the subcellular distribution and expression of BAG3 in nerve-growth-factor-induced neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells and in developing and adult cortex of mouse brain. In differentiated PC12 cells, BAG3 was localized mainly in the neuritic domain rather than the cell body, whereas in control cells, it appeared to be confined to the cytoplasm near the nuclear membrane. Interestingly, the change of BAG3 localization during neuronal differentiation was associated only with a slight increase in total BAG3 expression. These data were coroborated by transmission electron microscopy showing that BAG3 was confined mainly within large dense-core vesicles of the axon in differentiated PC12 cells. In mouse developing cortex, BAG3 appeared to be intensely expressed in cellular processes of migrating cells, whereas in adult brain, a diffuse expression of low to medium intensity was detected in neuronal cell bodies. These findings suggest that BAG3 expression is required for neuronal differentiation and migration and that its role is linked to a change in its distribution pattern rather than to an increase in its protein expression levels.

  8. Comparison of the effects of 45S5 and 1393 bioactive glass microparticles on hMSC behavior

    PubMed Central

    Qazi, Taimoor H.; Hafeez, Shahzad; Schmidt, Jochen; Duda, Georg N.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Bioactive glasses (BAGs) are highly interesting materials for bone regeneration applications in orthopedic and dental defects. It is quite well known that ionic release from BAGs influences cell behavior and function. Mindful of the clinical scenario, we hypothesized that local cell populations might additionally physically interact with the implanted BAG particles and respond differently than to just the ionic stimuli. We therefore studied the biological effect of two BAG types (45S5 and 1393) applied to human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) in three distinct presentation modes: (a) direct contact; and to dissolution products in (b) 2D, and (c) 3D culture. We furthermore investigated how the dose‐dependence of these BAG particles, in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 2.5 w/v %, influenced hMSC metabolic activity, proliferation, and cell spreading. These cellular functions were significantly hampered when hMSCs were exposed to high concentrations of either glasses, but the effects were more pronounced in the 45S5 groups and when the cells were in direct contact with the BAGs. Furthermore the biological effect of 1393 BAG outperformed that of 45S5 BAG in all tested presentation modes. These outcomes highlight the importance of investigating cell–BAG interactions in experimental set‐ups that recapitulate host cell interactions with BAG particles. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2772–2782, 2017. PMID:28571113

  9. Support time-dependent transformations for surveying and GIS : current status and upcoming challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahmoudabadi, H.; Lercier, D.; Vielliard, S.; Mein, N.; Briggs, G.

    2016-12-01

    The support of time-dependent transformations for surveying and GIS is becoming a critical issue. We need to convert positions from the realizations of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame to any national reference frame. This problem is easy to solve when all of the required information is available. But it becomes really complicated in a worldwide context. We propose an overview of the current ITRF-aligned reference frames and we describe a global solution to support time-dependent transformations between them and the International Terrestrial Reference Frame. We focus on the uncertainties of station velocities used. In a first approximation, we use a global tectonic plate model to calculate point velocities. We show the impact of the velocity model on the coordinate accuracies. Several countries, particularly in active regions, are developing semi-dynamic reference frames. These frames include local displacement models updated regularly and/or after major events (such as earthquakes). Their integration into surveying or GIS applications is an upcoming challenge. We want to encourage the geodetic community to develop and use standard formats.

  10. The cost-effectiveness of air bags by seating position.

    PubMed

    Graham, J D; Thompson, K M; Goldie, S J; Segui-Gomez, M; Weinstein, M C

    1997-11-05

    Motor vehicle crashes continue to cause significant mortality and morbidity in the United States. Installation of air bags in new passenger vehicles is a major initiative in the field of injury prevention. To assess the net health consequences and cost-effectiveness of driver's side and front passenger air bags from a societal perspective, taking into account the increased risk to children who occupy the front passenger seat and the diminished effectiveness for older adults. A deterministic state transition model tracked a hypothetical cohort of new vehicles over a 20-year period for 3 strategies: (1) installation of safety belts, (2) installation of driver's side air bags in addition to safety belts, and (3) installation of front passenger air bags in addition to safety belts and driver's side air bags. Changes in health outcomes, valued in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs (in 1993 dollars), were projected following the recommendations of the Panel on Cost-effectiveness in Health and Medicine. US population-based and convenience sample data were used. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Safety belts are cost saving, even at 50% use. The addition of driver's side air bags to safety belts results in net health benefits at an incremental cost of $24000 per QALY saved. The further addition of front passenger air bags results in an incremental net benefit at a higher incremental cost of $61000 per QALY saved. Results were sensitive to the unit cost of air bag systems, their effectiveness, baseline fatality rates, the ratio of injuries to fatalities, and the real discount rate. Both air bag systems save life-years at costs that are comparable to many medical and public health practices. Immediate steps can be taken to enhance the cost-effectiveness of front passenger air bags, such as moving children to the rear seat.

  11. Preoperative and postoperative size and movements of the lens capsular bag: ultrasound biomicroscopy analysis.

    PubMed

    Modesti, Marina; Pasqualitto, Giacomo; Appolloni, Rossella; Pecorella, Irene; Sourdille, Philippe

    2011-10-01

    To evaluate capsular bag size and accommodative movement before and after cataract surgery using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Ophthalmology Unit, Fabia Mater Clinic, Rome, Italy. Cohort study. Eyes having cataract surgery and monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation were studied using UBM. The following parameters were measured preoperatively and 1, 2, and 12 months postoperatively: anterior chamber depth (ACD) (also by AS-OCT), capsular bag thickness, capsular bag diameter, ciliary ring diameter, sulcus-to-sulcus (STS) diameter, ciliary process-capsular bag distance, ciliary apex-capsular bag plane, and IOL tilting. The preoperative and postoperative capsular bag volumes were calculated at 12 months. The results were compared with the changes during accommodation. The study comprised 24 eyes. With the exception of the ciliary apex-capsular bag plane, which appeared to be unmodified postoperatively, all measured parameters showed significant variation after IOL implantation. Only the ACD did not change significantly during accommodation. After cataract surgery, the capsular bag stretched horizontally and with reduced vertical diameter as a result of adaptation to the implanted IOL. The capsular bag-IOL complex filled all available space, compressing the zonular fibers and almost abolishing the space between the ciliary apex and the capsular bag. There was anterior chamber deepening and a decrease in the ciliary ring diameter and STS diameter. In the absence of zonular fiber tension, the shape of the ciliary processes may be modified. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Additional disclosures are found in the footnotes. Copyright © 2011 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Knockdown of BAG3 sensitizes bladder cancer cells to treatment with the BH3 mimetic ABT-737.

    PubMed

    Mani, Jens; Antonietti, Patrick; Rakel, Stefanie; Blaheta, Roman; Bartsch, Georg; Haferkamp, Axel; Kögel, Donat

    2016-02-01

    BAG3 is overexpressed in several malignancies and mediates a non-canonical, selective form of (macro)autophagy. By stabilizing pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins in complex with HSP70, BAG3 can also exert an apoptosis-antagonizing function. ABT-737 is a high affinity Bcl-2 inhibitor that fails to target Mcl-1. This failure may confer resistance in various cancers. Urothelial cancer cells were treated with the BH3 mimetics ABT-737 and (-)-gossypol, a pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor which inhibits also Mcl-1. To clarify the importance of the core autophagy regulator ATG5 and BAG3 in ABT-737 treatment, cell lines carrying a stable lentiviral knockdown of ATG5 and BAG3 were created. The synergistic effect of ABT-737 and pharmaceutical inhibition of BAG3 with the HSF1 inhibitor KRIBB11 or sorafenib was also evaluated. Total cell death and apoptosis were quantified by FACS analysis of propidium iodide, annexin. Target protein analysis was conducted by Western blotting. Knockdown of BAG3 significantly downregulated Mcl-1 protein levels and sensitized urothelial cancer cells to apoptotic cell death induced by ABT-737, while inhibition of bulk autophagy through depletion of ATG5 had no discernible effect on cell death. Similar to knockdown of BAG3, pharmacological targeting of the BAG3/Mcl-1 pathway with KRIBB11 was capable to sensitize both cell lines to treatment with ABT-737. Our results show that BAG3, but not bulk autophagy has a major role in the response of bladder cancer cells to BH3 mimetics. They also suggest that BAG3 is a suitable target for combined therapies aimed at synergistically inducing apoptosis in bladder cancer.

  13. Overexpression of BAG3 Attenuates Hypoxia-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis by Inducing Autophagy.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jiankai; He, Zhangyou; Xiao, Wenjian; Na, Qingqing; Wu, Tianxiu; Su, Kaixin; Cui, Xiaojun

    2016-01-01

    Hypoxia is a well-known factor in the promotion of apoptosis, which contributes to the development of numerous cardiac diseases, such as heart failure and myocardial infarction. Inhibiting apoptosis is an important therapeutic strategy for the treatment of related heart diseases caused by ischemia/hypoxic injury. Previous studies have demonstrated that BAG3 plays an important role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis and survival. However, the role of BAG3 in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis remains to be clarified. Here, we demonstrate that BAG3 is induced by hypoxia stimuli in cultured cardiomyocytes. BAG3 expression level was measured in H9c2 cells treated with hypoxia for 48 h. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were tested using MTT assay and Annexin V FITC-PI staining assay, respectively. The mRNA or protein expression level of BAG3, LC3-I, LC3-II, Atg5, NF-x03BA;B p65 and phosphorylated NF-x03BA;B p65 were assessed by qRT-PCR and western blot assay, respectively. Resluts: Overexpression of BAG3 inhibited cell apoptosis and promoted proliferation in hypoxia-injured H9c2 cells. Furthermore, autophagy and NF-x03BA;B were activated by BAG3 overexpression, and the NF-x03BA;B inhibitor PDTC could inhibit the activation of autophagy induced by BAG3 overexpression. In addition, the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA partly impeded the inhibitory effect of BAG3 on hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. these results suggested that overexpression of BAG3 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis by activating autophagy though the NF-x03BA;B signaling pathway in hypoxia-injured cardiomyocytes. © 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. Triple-Layer Plastic Bags Protect Dry Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) Against Damage by Acanthoscelides obtectus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) During Storage.

    PubMed

    Mutungi, C; Affognon, H D; Njoroge, A W; Manono, J; Baributsa, D; Murdock, L L

    2015-10-01

    Fumigated dry common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) that were artificially infested with Acanthoscelides obtectus Say, and others that were not artificially infested, were stored in hermetic triple-layer PICS (Lela Agro, Kano, Nigeria) or woven polypropylene (PP) bags for 6 mo at ambient laboratory temperature conditions of 22.6 ± 1.9°C and 60.1 ± 4.3% relative humidity. In an additional trial, beans contained in PP bags were treated with Actellic Super dust before introducing A. obtectus. Moisture content, number of live adult A. obtectus, seed damage, weight loss, and seed germination were determined at monthly intervals. At 6 mo, beans stored in PICS bags retained higher moisture than those stored in PP bags, but in all treatments the moisture level remained below that recommended for safe storage of beans. In the PICS bags, proliferation of A. obtectus did not proceed and at 6 mo, beans stored in these bags did not have insect-inflicted seed damage or weight loss. In contrast, seed damage and weight loss in PP bags exceeded economic threshold after 1 mo in the absence of Actellic Super dust (Syngenta Crop protection AG, Basle, Switzerland), and after 2 mo in the presence of it. Germination of beans stored in PP bags decreased greatly whereas the beans stored in PICS bags did not show reduced germination. Chemical free storage of common beans in PICS bags protects them against damage by A. obtectus. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Evaluation of sample recovery of malodorous livestock gases from air sampling bags, solid-phase microextraction fibers, Tenax TA sorbent tubes, and sampling canisters.

    PubMed

    Koziel, Jacek A; Spinhirne, Jarett P; Lloyd, Jenny D; Parker, David B; Wright, Donald W; Kuhrt, Fred W

    2005-08-01

    Odorous gases associated with livestock operations are complex mixtures of hundreds if not thousands of compounds. Research is needed to know how best to sample and analyze these compounds. The main objective of this research was to compare recoveries of a standard gas mixture of 11 odorous compounds from the Carboxen/PDMS 75-microm solid-phase microextraction fibers, polyvinyl fluoride (PVF; Tedlar), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP; Teflon), foil, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET; Melinex) air sampling bags, sorbent 2,b-diphenylene-oxide polymer resin (Tenax TA) tubes, and standard 6-L Stabilizer sampling canisters after sample storage for 0.5, 24, and 120 (for sorbent tubes only) hrs at room temperature. The standard gas mixture consisted of 7 volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from acetic to hexanoic, and 4 semivolatile organic compounds including p-cresol, indole, 4-ethylphenol, and 2'-aminoacetophenone with concentrations ranging from 5.1 ppb for indole to 1270 ppb for acetic acid. On average, SPME had the highest mean recovery for all 11 gases of 106.2%, and 98.3% for 0.5- and 24-hr sample storage time, respectively. This was followed by the Tenax TA sorbent tubes (94.8% and 88.3%) for 24 and 120 hr, respectively; PET bags (71.7% and 47.2%), FEP bags (75.4% and 39.4%), commercial Tedlar bags (67.6% and 22.7%), in-house-made Tedlar bags (47.3% and 37.4%), foil bags (16.4% and 4.3%), and canisters (4.2% and 0.5%), for 0.5 and 24 hr, respectively. VFAs had higher recoveries than semivolatile organic compounds for all of the bags and canisters. New FEP bags and new foil bags had the lowest and the highest amounts of chemical impurities, respectively. New commercial Tedlar bags had measurable concentrations of N,N-dimethyl acetamide and phenol. Foil bags had measurable concentrations of acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric, and hexanoic acids.

  16. How to aggregate health? Separability and the effect of framing.

    PubMed

    Turpcu, Adam; Bleichrodt, Han; Le, Quang A; Doctor, Jason N

    2012-01-01

    Unweighted summation or quality-adjusted life year (QALY) utilitarianism is the most common way to aggregate health benefits in a cost-effectiveness analysis. A key qualitative principle underlying QALY utilitarianism is separability: those individuals unaffected by a policy choice should not influence the policy choice. Separability also underlies several of the alternatives for QALY utilitarianism that have been proposed. To test separability and to test whether the support for separability is affected by the framing of the choice questions. In 2 experiments, 345 student subjects (162 in the first experiment, and 183 in the second experiment) were asked to select 1 of 2 possible treatments, with each treatment resulting in a different distribution of health across individuals. The only aspect that varied across choice questions was the state of the patients whose health was unaffected by the act of choosing a policy. In each experiment, we used 2 frames. In the implicit frame, it was implied but not plainly expressed what outcomes the treatments had in common. In the explicit frame, common outcomes of the 2 treatments were directly stated. The 2 experiments differed in the way the explicit frame was presented (verbal v. numerical). The support for separability was significantly greater in the explicit frame. The proportion of violations in the implicit frame was 44% in Experiment 1 and 31% in Experiment 2, while in the explicit frame, the proportion of violations was 28% in Experiment 1 and 8% in Experiment 2. Framing affected the support for separability, raising issues as to whether it is possible to achieve a canonical representation of social choices.

  17. High-frame-rate infrared and visible cameras for test range instrumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ambrose, Joseph G.; King, B.; Tower, John R.; Hughes, Gary W.; Levine, Peter A.; Villani, Thomas S.; Esposito, Benjamin J.; Davis, Timothy J.; O'Mara, K.; Sjursen, W.; McCaffrey, Nathaniel J.; Pantuso, Francis P.

    1995-09-01

    Field deployable, high frame rate camera systems have been developed to support the test and evaluation activities at the White Sands Missile Range. The infrared cameras employ a 640 by 480 format PtSi focal plane array (FPA). The visible cameras employ a 1024 by 1024 format backside illuminated CCD. The monolithic, MOS architecture of the PtSi FPA supports commandable frame rate, frame size, and integration time. The infrared cameras provide 3 - 5 micron thermal imaging in selectable modes from 30 Hz frame rate, 640 by 480 frame size, 33 ms integration time to 300 Hz frame rate, 133 by 142 frame size, 1 ms integration time. The infrared cameras employ a 500 mm, f/1.7 lens. Video outputs are 12-bit digital video and RS170 analog video with histogram-based contrast enhancement. The 1024 by 1024 format CCD has a 32-port, split-frame transfer architecture. The visible cameras exploit this architecture to provide selectable modes from 30 Hz frame rate, 1024 by 1024 frame size, 32 ms integration time to 300 Hz frame rate, 1024 by 1024 frame size (with 2:1 vertical binning), 0.5 ms integration time. The visible cameras employ a 500 mm, f/4 lens, with integration time controlled by an electro-optical shutter. Video outputs are RS170 analog video (512 by 480 pixels), and 12-bit digital video.

  18. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101823 for a version without labels, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic.

  19. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101816 for a version without labels, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic.

  20. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101825 for a version with major elements labeled, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic. 0101816

  1. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101824 for a version with labels, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic.

  2. Commercially premixed 3-chamber bags for pediatric parenteral nutrition are available for hospitalized children.

    PubMed

    Colomb, Virginie

    2013-12-01

    Hospitalized children are vulnerable to malnutrition during serious illness or recovery from injury and are at subsequent risk of increased morbidity and growth retardation. In cases in which enteral nutrition is not possible, parenteral nutrition (PN) can be used to ensure that patients at nutritional risk receive appropriate amounts of macro- and micronutrients. Nutritional needs cannot be met by 1 standard PN formulation in pediatric patients (term to 18 y) because of the wide range of needs according to age, weight, degree of maturity, and disease state. Preparation of individualized PN is associated with several limitations, including prescribing errors, stability issues, and risk of infection. These risks may be avoided by the availability of a range of pediatric PN formulations provided as commercial premixed 3-chamber bags (3-CBs). These 3-CBs were developed in conjunction with experienced neonatologists and pediatricians in accordance with international guidelines. A prospective study has previously shown the practical handling and ease of use of 2 formulations of these 3-CBs, 1 designed for term infants and toddlers up to 2 y of age and 1 for children and adolescents aged 2-18 y. The majority of pharmacists and nurses described the 3-CB as easy to use and favored it over individual bottles, bags compounded on the ward, ready-to-use compounded bags, and premixes prepared by the pharmacy and tailored to patient needs. These formulations offer a means of improving the quality of care in hospital pediatric units, particularly in the absence of a nutrition support team.

  3. NASA Bioreactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101825 for a version with major elements labeled, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic. 0101816

  4. NASA Bioreactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101816 for a version without labels, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic.

  5. NASA Bioreactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101823 for a version without labels, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic.

  6. NASA Bioreactor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS) comprises an electronics module, a gas supply module, and the incubator module housing the rotating wall vessel and its support systems. Nutrient media are pumped through an oxygenator and the culture vessel. The shell rotates at 0.5 rpm while the irner filter typically rotates at 11.5 rpm to produce a gentle flow that ensures removal of waste products as fresh media are infused. Periodically, some spent media are pumped into a waste bag and replaced by fresh media. When the waste bag is filled, an astronaut drains the waste bag and refills the supply bag through ports on the face of the incubator. Pinch valves and a perfusion pump ensure that no media are exposed to moving parts. An Experiment Control Computer controls the Bioreactor, records conditions, and alerts the crew when problems occur. The crew operates the system through a laptop computer displaying graphics designed for easy crew training and operation. The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Cartilage, bone marrow, heart muscle, skeletal muscle, pancreatic islet cells, liver and kidney are just a few of the normal tissues being cultured in rotating bioreactors by investigators. See No. 0101824 for a version with labels, and No. 0103180 for an operational schematic.

  7. 76 FR 20659 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-13

    ... visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will... your comments: 1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples. 2. Describe... that support your views. 4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the...

  8. 76 FR 49471 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-10

    ... visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will... your comments: 1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples. 2. Describe... that support your views. 4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the...

  9. Innovating affordable neonatal care equipment for use at scale.

    PubMed

    Sashi Kumar, V; Paul, V K; Sathasivam, K

    2016-12-01

    The care of small and sick neonates requires biomedical technologies, such as devices that can keep babies warm (radiant warmers and incubators), resuscitate (self-inflating bags), track growth (weighing scales), treat jaundice (phototherapy units) and provide oxygen or respiratory support (hoods, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and ventilators). Until the 1990s, most of these products were procured through import at a high cost and with little maintenance support. Emerging demand and an informal collaboration of neonatologists, engineers and entrepreneurs has led to the production of good quality equipment of several high-volume categories at affordable cost in India. Radiant warmers, resuscitation bags, phototherapy units, weighing scales and other devices manufactured by Indian small-scale companies have enabled an expansion of neonatal care in the country, particularly in district hospitals, medical college hospitals and subdistrict facilities in the public sector as a part of the National Rural Health Mission. Indian products have acquired international quality standards and are even exported to developed nations. This paper captures this story of innovation and entrepreneurship in neonatal care.

  10. Innovating affordable neonatal care equipment for use at scale

    PubMed Central

    Sashi Kumar, V; Paul, V K; Sathasivam, K

    2016-01-01

    The care of small and sick neonates requires biomedical technologies, such as devices that can keep babies warm (radiant warmers and incubators), resuscitate (self-inflating bags), track growth (weighing scales), treat jaundice (phototherapy units) and provide oxygen or respiratory support (hoods, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices and ventilators). Until the 1990s, most of these products were procured through import at a high cost and with little maintenance support. Emerging demand and an informal collaboration of neonatologists, engineers and entrepreneurs has led to the production of good quality equipment of several high-volume categories at affordable cost in India. Radiant warmers, resuscitation bags, phototherapy units, weighing scales and other devices manufactured by Indian small-scale companies have enabled an expansion of neonatal care in the country, particularly in district hospitals, medical college hospitals and subdistrict facilities in the public sector as a part of the National Rural Health Mission. Indian products have acquired international quality standards and are even exported to developed nations. This paper captures this story of innovation and entrepreneurship in neonatal care. PMID:27924105

  11. Photovoltaic module with removable wind deflector

    DOEpatents

    Botkin, Jonathan [El Cerrito, CA; Graves, Simon [Berkeley, CA; Danning, Matt [Oakland, CA; Culligan, Matthew [Berkeley, CA

    2012-08-07

    A photovoltaic (PV) module assembly including a PV module, a deflector, and a clip. The PV module includes a PV device and a frame. A PV laminate is assembled to the frame, and the frame includes a support arm forming a seat. The deflector defines a front face and a rear face, with the clip extending from either the trailing frame member or the rear face of the deflector. In a mounted state, the deflector is nested within the seat and is releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip. In some embodiments, the support arm forms a second seat, with the PV module assembly providing a second mounted state in which the deflector is in a differing orientation/slope, nested within the second seat and releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip.

  12. Photovoltaic module with removable wind deflector

    DOEpatents

    Botkin, Jonathan; Graves, Simon; Danning, Matt; Culligan, Matthew

    2014-02-18

    A photovoltaic (PV) module assembly including a PV module, a deflector, and a clip. The PV module includes a PV device and a frame. A PV laminate is assembled to the frame, and the frame includes a support arm forming a seat. The deflector defines a front face and a rear face, with the clip extending from either the trailing frame member or the rear face of the deflector. In a mounted state, the deflector is nested within the seat and is releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip. In some embodiments, the support arm forms a second seat, with the PV module assembly providing a second mounted state in which the deflector is in a differing orientation/slope, nested within the second seat and releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip.

  13. Photovoltaic module with removable wind deflector

    DOEpatents

    Botkin, Jonathan; Graves, Simon; Danning, Matt; Culligan, Matthew

    2013-05-28

    A photovoltaic (PV) module assembly including a PV module, a deflector, and a clip. The PV module includes a PV device and a frame. A PV laminate is assembled to the frame, and the frame includes a support arm forming a seat. The deflector defines a front face and a rear face, with the clip extending from either the trailing frame member or the rear face of the deflector. In a mounted state, the deflector is nested within the seat and is releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip. In some embodiments, the support arm forms a second seat, with the PV module assembly providing a second mounted state in which the deflector is in a differing orientation/slope, nested within the second seat and releasably mounted to the trailing frame member via the clip.

  14. Program and Management Support for the Office for Military Performance Assessment Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-03-01

    AD-A270 790 AD_ _ _ _ CONTRACT NO: DAMDI7-90-C-0061 TITLE: PROGRAM AND MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR THE OFFICE FOR MILITARY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT... the Office of Military Performance Assessment Technology (OMPAT). 1.1 Bag-kg n m. The OMPAT evolved from the Joint Working Group on Drug Dependent...facility was located, leased and occupied by Morgan Management Systems, Inc. staff and designated as the OMPAT Field Office. The office was located at 12075B

  15. Integrated Cognitive-neuroscience Architectures for Understanding Sensemaking (ICArUS): A Computational Basis for ICArUS Challenge Problem Design

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-11-01

    Kullback , S., & Leibler , R. (1951). On information and sufficiency. Annals of Mathematical Statistics, 22, 79...cognitive challenges of sensemaking only informally using conceptual notions like "framing" and "re-framing", which are not sufficient to support T&E in...appropriate frame(s) from memory. Assess the Frame: Evaluate the quality of fit between data and frame. Generate Hypotheses: Use the current

  16. 40 CFR 86.146-96 - Fuel dispensing spitback procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... or methanol. The bag shall be designed and used so that liquid fuel does not spit back onto the... the orifice of the filler pipe. The bag must be designed to permit passage of the dispensing nozzle through the bag. If the bag has been used for previous testing, sufficient time shall be allowed for the...

  17. 40 CFR 86.146-96 - Fuel dispensing spitback procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... or methanol. The bag shall be designed and used so that liquid fuel does not spit back onto the... the orifice of the filler pipe. The bag must be designed to permit passage of the dispensing nozzle through the bag. If the bag has been used for previous testing, sufficient time shall be allowed for the...

  18. 40 CFR 86.1246-96 - Fuel dispensing spitback procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... or methanol. The bag shall be designed and used so that liquid fuel does not spit back onto the... the orifice of the filler pipe. The bag must be designed to permit passage of the dispensing nozzle through the bag. If the bag has been used for previous testing, sufficient time shall be allowed for the...

  19. 40 CFR 86.1246-96 - Fuel dispensing spitback procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... or methanol. The bag shall be designed and used so that liquid fuel does not spit back onto the... the orifice of the filler pipe. The bag must be designed to permit passage of the dispensing nozzle through the bag. If the bag has been used for previous testing, sufficient time shall be allowed for the...

  20. 40 CFR 86.146-96 - Fuel dispensing spitback procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... or methanol. The bag shall be designed and used so that liquid fuel does not spit back onto the... the orifice of the filler pipe. The bag must be designed to permit passage of the dispensing nozzle through the bag. If the bag has been used for previous testing, sufficient time shall be allowed for the...

  1. 40 CFR 63.11553 - What are my notification, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... operator that installs bag leak detection systems: “This facility has installed a bag leak detection system in accordance with § 63.11552(b)(3) or (c), has prepared a bag leak detection system monitoring plan in accordance with § 63.11552(c), and will operate each bag leak detection system according to the...

  2. What's in the Bag (and Why?): Tangibilia for the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogier, James M.

    A classroom technique designed for developing German second language vocabulary is expanded on for additional classroom functions and activities. The method uses a bag containing a variety of objects. The objects are drawn out of the bag and discussed in class. The contents of the bag should be unpredictable and unusual, and they should be changed…

  3. 78 FR 72628 - Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags From Thailand: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-03

    ... from Thailand on November 3, 2011.\\3\\ Both Thai Plastic Bags Industries Co., Ltd. and Polyethylene.../exporter margin (percent) Thai Plastic Bags Industries Company 35.79 Landblue (Thailand) Co., Ltd 25.60 In... Bags From Thailand: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With Final Results of Administrative Review...

  4. 76 FR 14049 - Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: California State University, Sacramento...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-15

    .... Three additional unassociated funerary objects (one baked clay artifact and two beads) are missing. From... bags of baked clay, 1 bead, 2 bags of carbonized material, 13 bags of faunal material, 1 piece of... County, CA, by the university. The 510 unassociated funerary objects are 11 bags of baked clay, 420 beads...

  5. 77 FR 39564 - Group Lotus Plc, Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption From an Advanced Air Bag Requirement...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-03

    ... went into effect, low volume manufacturers now have access to advanced air bag technology. Accordingly, NHTSA has concluded that the expense of advanced air bag technology is not now sufficient, in and of...-0086] Group Lotus Plc, Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption From an Advanced Air Bag Requirement...

  6. 78 FR 15114 - Group Lotus plc; Grant of Petition for a Temporary Exemption From an Advanced Air Bag Requirement...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-08

    ... went into effect, low volume manufacturers now have access to advanced air bag technology. Accordingly, NHTSA has concluded that the expense of advanced air bag technology is not now sufficient, in and of... into effect, low volume manufacturers now have access to advanced air bag technology.\\14\\ Accordingly...

  7. 77 FR 52619 - Make Inoperative Exemptions; Retrofit On-Off Switches for Air Bags

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-30

    ... improved frontal crash protection for all occupants, by means that include advanced air bag technology. In... of advanced air bag technology and the retrofit switch brochures and forms that were included in Part.... We will also reexamine the at-risk groups in light of advanced air bag technology, the brochures and...

  8. Air bags and children: a potentially lethal combination.

    PubMed

    McCaffrey, M; German, A; Lalonde, F; Letts, M

    1999-01-01

    Air bags have been responsible for saving thousands of lives since their introduction in the early 1970s. Now, however, it has become apparent that under certain conditions, these restraint mechanisms designed to save lives have in fact been the cause of needless morbidity and mortality in children. We reviewed 13 children injured by air bags in Canada, where seat belt wear is mandatory for all occupants. Although 12 of the children sustained relatively minor air bag trauma, one child was killed by the air bag deployment, sustaining an occipital-C1 dislocation. The pediatric population is at particular risk as many parents continue to unwittingly place their children in the front seat and thus in jeopardy of sustaining air bag-induced injuries should a collision occur.

  9. STS-44 Defense Support Program (DSP) / IUS during preflight operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    STS-44 Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite atop the inertial upper stage (IUS) is prepared for transfer in a processing facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Clean-suited technicians overseeing the operation are dwarfed by the size of the 5,200-pound DSP satellite and the IUS. The underside of the IUS (bottom) mounted in the airborne support equipment (ASE) aft frame tilt actuator (AFTA) table and ASE forward frame is visible at the base. The umbilical boom between the two ASE frames and the forward frame keel trunnion are visible. DSP, a surveillance satellite that can detect missle and space launches as well as nuclear detonations will be boosted into geosynchronous Earth orbit by the IUS. View provided by KSC with alternate number KSC-91PC-1749.

  10. Characterization of Volume F Trash from the Three FY11 STS Missions: Trash Weights and Categorization and Microbial Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strayer, Richard F.; Hummerick, Mary E.; Richards, Jeffrey T.; McCoy, LaShelle E.; Roberts, Michael S.; Wheller, Raymond M.

    2011-01-01

    The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems (WMS) element of NASA's Life Support and Habitation Systems (LSHS) program. Conventional microbiological methods were used to detect and enumerate microorganisms in STS Volume F Compartment trash for three shuttle missions: STS 133, 134, and 135. This trash was usually made available within 2 days of landing at KSC. The Volume F bag was weighed, opened and the contents were cataloged and placed into categories: personal hygiene items - inclUding EVA maximum absorbent garments (MAGs) and Elbow packs (daily toilet wipes, etc), drink containers, food waste (and containers), office waste (paper), and packaging materials - plastic film and duct tape. The average wet trash generation rate for the three STS missions was 0.362 % 0.157 kgwet crew 1 d-1 . This was considerably lower and more variable than the average rate for 4 STS missions reported for FY10. Trash subtotals by category: personal hygiene wastes, 56%; drink items, 11 %; food wastes, 18%; office waste, 3%; and plastic film, 12%. These wastes have an abundance of easily biodegraded compounds that can support the growth of microorganisms. Microbial characterization of trash showed that large numbers of bacteria and fungi have taken advantage of this readily available nutrient source to proliferate. Exterior and interior surfaces of plastic film bags containing trash were sampled and counts of cultivatable microbes were generally low and mostly occurred on trash bundles within the exterior trash bags. Personal hygiene wastes, drink containers, and food wastes and packaging all contained high levels of, mostly, aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and lower levels of yeasts and molds. Isolates from plate count media were obtained and identified .and were mostly aerobic heterotrophs with some facultative anaerobes. These are usually considered common environmental isolates on Earth. However, several pathogens were also isolated: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

  11. Ensuring Safety of Navigation: A Three-Tiered Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, S. D.; Thompson, M.; Brazier, D.

    2014-12-01

    The primary responsibility of the Hydrographic Department at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) is to support US Navy surface and sub-surface Safety of Navigation (SoN) requirements. These requirements are interpreted, surveys are conducted, and accurate products are compiled and archived for future exploitation. For a number of years NAVOCEANO has employed a two-tiered data-basing structure to support SoN. The first tier (Data Warehouse, or DWH) provides access to the full-resolution sonar and lidar data. DWH preserves the original data such that any scale product can be built. The second tier (Digital Bathymetric Database - Variable resolution, or DBDB-V) served as the final archive for SoN chart scale, gridded products compiled from source bathymetry. DBDB-V has been incorporated into numerous DoD tactical decision aids and serves as the foundation bathymetry for ocean modeling. With the evolution of higher density survey systems and the addition of high-resolution gridded bathymetry product requirements, a two-tiered model did not provide an efficient solution for SoN. The two-tiered approach required scientists to exploit full-resolution data in order to build any higher resolution product. A new perspective on the archival and exploitation of source data was required. This new perspective has taken the form of a third tier, the Navigation Surface Database (NSDB). NSDB is an SQLite relational database populated with International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), S-102 compliant Bathymetric Attributed Grids (BAGs). BAGs archived within NSDB are developed at the highest resolution that the collection sensor system can support and contain nodal estimates for depth, uncertainty, separation values and metadata. Gridded surface analysis efforts culminate in the generation of the source resolution BAG files and their storage within NSDB. Exploitation of these resources eliminates the time and effort needed to re-grid and re-analyze native source file formats.

  12. Water and coffee: a systems approach to improving coffee harvesting work in Nicaragua.

    PubMed

    Silverstein, Barbara A; Bao, Stephen S; Russell, Steven; Stewart, Kate

    2012-12-01

    The aim of this study was to reduce the physical load on coffee-harvesting workers while maintaining productivity. Coffee is second to oil in commodity trading. Water is becoming scarce worldwide. The global virtual water footprint for one cup of coffee is 140 liters. Shade-grown coffee is one approach to reducing the water footprint. A participatory ergonomics approach was used during two Nicaraguan shade-grown coffee harvesting seasons to reduce the physical load on harvesters with the use of a newly designed bag instead of a basket strapped around the waist. Productivity in the mountainous, shade-grown coffee farms was maintained while physical load on the worker was improved somewhat.Among basket users, 84.2% reported pain in at least one body area compared with 78.9% of bag users (ns). Nonetheless, 74% of participants liked the bag "much better" than the basket. Workers identified ways the bag could be improved further with the use of local materials.These suggestions included (a) reducing the horizontal distance of the bag to reduce reach and (b) having waterproof material on the bag between the worker and the bag to reduce moisture and damage to the berries.There was no difference in productivity between using the bag and using the small basket. Workers are extending this participatory approach to how to get the harvested coffee cherries down the mountain other than carrying 40-kg bags on their backs. The ultimate goal is to make the coffee-harvesting bag design available to harvesters around the world.

  13. BAG3 promotes tumour cell proliferation by regulating EGFR signal transduction pathways in triple negative breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Shields, Sarah; Conroy, Emer; O'Grady, Tony; McGoldrick, Alo; Connor, Kate; Ward, Mark P; Useckaite, Zivile; Dempsey, Eugene; Reilly, Rebecca; Fan, Yue; Chubb, Anthony; Matallanas, David Gomez; Kay, Elaine W; O'Connor, Darran; McCann, Amanda; Gallagher, William M; Coppinger, Judith A

    2018-03-20

    Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), is a heterogeneous disease characterised by absence of expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and lack of amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). TNBC patients can exhibit poor prognosis and high recurrence stages despite early response to chemotherapy treatment. In this study, we identified a pro-survival signalling protein BCL2- associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) to be highly expressed in a subset of TNBC cell lines and tumour tissues. High mRNA expression of BAG3 in TNBC patient cohorts significantly associated with a lower recurrence free survival. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is amplified in TNBC and EGFR signalling dynamics impinge on cancer cell survival and disease recurrence. We found a correlation between BAG3 and EGFR expression in TNBC cell lines and determined that BAG3 can regulate tumour cell proliferation, migration and invasion in EGFR expressing TNBC cells lines. We identified an interaction between BAG3 and components of the EGFR signalling networks using mass spectrometry. Furthermore, BAG3 contributed to regulation of proliferation in TNBC cell lines by reducing the activation of components of the PI3K/AKT and FAK/Src signalling subnetworks. Finally, we found that combined targeting of BAG3 and EGFR was more effective than inhibition of EGFR with Cetuximab alone in TNBC cell lines. This study demonstrates a role for BAG3 in regulation of distinct EGFR modules and highlights the potential of BAG3 as a therapeutic target in TNBC.

  14. BAG3 promotes tumour cell proliferation by regulating EGFR signal transduction pathways in triple negative breast cancer

    PubMed Central

    Shields, Sarah; Conroy, Emer; O’Grady, Tony; McGoldrick, Alo; Connor, Kate; Ward, Mark P.; Useckaite, Zivile; Dempsey, Eugene; Reilly, Rebecca; Fan, Yue; Chubb, Anthony; Matallanas, David Gomez; Kay, Elaine W.; O’Connor, Darran; McCann, Amanda; Gallagher, William M.; Coppinger, Judith A.

    2018-01-01

    Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), is a heterogeneous disease characterised by absence of expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and lack of amplification of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). TNBC patients can exhibit poor prognosis and high recurrence stages despite early response to chemotherapy treatment. In this study, we identified a pro-survival signalling protein BCL2- associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) to be highly expressed in a subset of TNBC cell lines and tumour tissues. High mRNA expression of BAG3 in TNBC patient cohorts significantly associated with a lower recurrence free survival. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is amplified in TNBC and EGFR signalling dynamics impinge on cancer cell survival and disease recurrence. We found a correlation between BAG3 and EGFR expression in TNBC cell lines and determined that BAG3 can regulate tumour cell proliferation, migration and invasion in EGFR expressing TNBC cells lines. We identified an interaction between BAG3 and components of the EGFR signalling networks using mass spectrometry. Furthermore, BAG3 contributed to regulation of proliferation in TNBC cell lines by reducing the activation of components of the PI3K/AKT and FAK/Src signalling subnetworks. Finally, we found that combined targeting of BAG3 and EGFR was more effective than inhibition of EGFR with Cetuximab alone in TNBC cell lines. This study demonstrates a role for BAG3 in regulation of distinct EGFR modules and highlights the potential of BAG3 as a therapeutic target in TNBC. PMID:29644001

  15. The microbiological quality of drinking water sold on the streets in Kumasi, Ghana.

    PubMed

    Obiri-Danso, K; Okore-Hanson, A; Jones, K

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of Ghanaian bottled and plastic-bagged drinking water sold on the streets of Metropolitan Kumasi, Ghana. Eight bottled, 88 factory-filled plastic sachet and 40 hand-filled hand-tied polythene-bagged drinking waters were examined for the presence of heterotrophic bacteria total viable counts (TVCs), indicators of faecal contamination (total coliforms, faecal coliforms and enterococci) and for lead, manganese and iron. Heterotrophic bacteria were found in all three types of water with TVCs per millilitre ranging from 1 to 460 for bottled water, 2-6.33 x 10(5) for factory-bagged sachet water and 2.33 x 10(3)-7.33 x 10(12) for hand-filled hand-tied bagged water. None of the microbial indicators of faecal contamination were detected in bottled water, whereas 4.5% of the factory-bagged sachets contained total coliforms and 2.3% faecal coliforms, and 42.5% of the hand-filled hand-tied bags contained total coliforms, 22.5% faecal coliforms and 5% enterococci. Iron was found in all three types of drinking water but at concentrations well within the WHO recommendations. Lead and manganese were not detected. Ghanaian bottled water is of good microbiological quality but some factory-bagged sachet and hand-filled hand-tied polythene-bagged drinking water are of doubtful quality. Factory-bagged sachets and hand-filled hand-tied bags of drinking water sold in Ghana should be monitored for microbiological contamination, with the aim of raising standards in the industry and re-assuring the public.

  16. Can laptops be left inside passenger bags if motion imaging is used in X-ray security screening?

    PubMed

    Mendes, Marcia; Schwaninger, Adrian; Michel, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes a study where a new X-ray machine for security screening featuring motion imaging (i.e., 5 views of a bag are shown as an image sequence) was evaluated and compared to single view imaging available on conventional X-ray screening systems. More specifically, it was investigated whether with this new technology X-ray screening of passenger bags could be enhanced to such an extent that laptops could be left inside passenger bags, without causing a significant impairment in threat detection performance. An X-ray image interpretation test was created in four different versions, manipulating the factors packing condition (laptop and bag separate vs. laptop in bag) and display condition (single vs. motion imaging). There was a highly significant and large main effect of packing condition. When laptops and bags were screened separately, threat item detection was substantially higher. For display condition, a medium effect was observed. Detection could be slightly enhanced through the application of motion imaging. There was no interaction between display and packing condition, implying that the high negative effect of leaving laptops in passenger bags could not be fully compensated by motion imaging. Additional analyses were carried out to examine effects depending on different threat categories (guns, improvised explosive devices, knives, others), the placement of the threat items (in bag vs. in laptop) and viewpoint (easy vs. difficult view). In summary, although motion imaging provides an enhancement, it is not strong enough to allow leaving laptops in bags for security screening.

  17. Suction forces generated by passive bile bag drainage on a model of post-subdural hematoma evacuation.

    PubMed

    Tenny, Steven O; Thorell, William E

    2018-05-05

    Passive drainage systems are commonly used after subdural hematoma evacuation but there is a dearth of published data regarding the suction forces created. We set out to quantify the suction forces generated by a passive drainage system. We created a model of passive drainage after subdural hematoma evacuation. We measured the maximum suction force generated with a bile bag drain for both empty drain tubing and fluid-filled drain tube causing a siphoning effect. We took measurements at varying heights of the bile bag to analyze if bile bag height changed suction forces generated. An empty bile bag with no fluid in the drainage tube connected to a rigid, fluid-filled model creates minimal suction force of 0.9 mmHg (95% CI 0.64-1.16 mmHg). When fluid fills the drain tubing, a siphoning effect is created and can generate suction forces ranging from 18.7 to 30.6 mmHg depending on the relative position of the bile bag and filled amount of the bile bag. The suction forces generated are statistically different if the bile bag is 50 cm below, level with or 50 cm above the experimental model. Passive bile bag drainage does not generate significant suction on a fluid-filled rigid model if the drain tubing is empty. If fluid fills the drain tubing then siphoning occurs and can increase the suction force of a passive bile bag drainage system to levels comparable to partially filled Jackson-Pratt bulb drainage.

  18. Can laptops be left inside passenger bags if motion imaging is used in X-ray security screening?

    PubMed Central

    Mendes, Marcia; Schwaninger, Adrian; Michel, Stefan

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes a study where a new X-ray machine for security screening featuring motion imaging (i.e., 5 views of a bag are shown as an image sequence) was evaluated and compared to single view imaging available on conventional X-ray screening systems. More specifically, it was investigated whether with this new technology X-ray screening of passenger bags could be enhanced to such an extent that laptops could be left inside passenger bags, without causing a significant impairment in threat detection performance. An X-ray image interpretation test was created in four different versions, manipulating the factors packing condition (laptop and bag separate vs. laptop in bag) and display condition (single vs. motion imaging). There was a highly significant and large main effect of packing condition. When laptops and bags were screened separately, threat item detection was substantially higher. For display condition, a medium effect was observed. Detection could be slightly enhanced through the application of motion imaging. There was no interaction between display and packing condition, implying that the high negative effect of leaving laptops in passenger bags could not be fully compensated by motion imaging. Additional analyses were carried out to examine effects depending on different threat categories (guns, improvised explosive devices, knives, others), the placement of the threat items (in bag vs. in laptop) and viewpoint (easy vs. difficult view). In summary, although motion imaging provides an enhancement, it is not strong enough to allow leaving laptops in bags for security screening. PMID:24151457

  19. Association of driver air bags with driver fatality: a matched cohort study.

    PubMed

    Cummings, Peter; McKnight, Barbara; Rivara, Frederick P; Grossman, David C

    2002-05-11

    To estimate the association of driver air bag presence with driver fatality in road traffic crashes. Matched pair cohort study. All passenger vehicle crashes in the United States during 1990-2000 inclusive. 51 031 driver-passenger pairs in the same vehicle. Relative risk of death within 30 days of a crash. Drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than drivers without an air bag (adjusted relative risk 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.88 to 0.96)). This estimate was nearly the same whether drivers wore a seat belt (adjusted relative risk 0.93) or not (0.91). Air bags were associated with more protection for women (0.88 (0.82 to 0.93)), than for men (0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)). Drivers wearing a seat belt were less likely to die than unbelted drivers (0.35 (0.33 to 0.36)). Belted drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than unbelted drivers without an air bag (0.32 (0.30 to 0.34)). If the associations are causal the average risk of driver death was reduced 8% (95% confidence interval 4% to 12%) by an air bag. Benefit was similar for belted and unbelted drivers and was slightly greater for women. However, seat belts offered much more protection than air bags.

  20. The effect of frontal air bags on eye injury patterns in automobile crashes.

    PubMed

    Duma, Stefan M; Jernigan, M Virginia; Stitzel, Joel D; Herring, Ian P; Crowley, John S; Brozoski, Fred T; Bass, Cameron R

    2002-11-01

    To investigate eye injuries resulting from frontal automobile crashes and to determine the effects of frontal air bags. The National Automotive Sampling System database files from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1999, were examined in a 3-part study that included an investigation of 22 236 individual crashes that occurred in the United States. A new 4-level eye injury severity scale that quantifies injuries based on recovery time, need for surgery, and possible loss of sight was developed. Of all occupants who were exposed to an air bag deployment, 3% sustained an eye injury. In contrast, 2% of occupants not exposed to an air bag deployment sustained an eye injury. A closer examination of the type of eye injuries showed that there was a statistically significant increase in the risk of corneal abrasions for occupants who were exposed to an air bag compared with those who were not (P =.03). Of occupants exposed to an air bag deployment, 0.5% sustained a corneal abrasion compared with 0.04% of occupants who were not exposed to an air bag. Using the new injury levels, it was shown that although occupants exposed to an air bag deployment had a higher risk of sustaining minor eye injuries, the air bag appears to have provided a beneficial exchange by reducing the number of severe eye injuries.

  1. Identification of BAG3 target proteins in anaplastic thyroid cancer cells by proteomic analysis.

    PubMed

    Galdiero, Francesca; Bello, Anna Maria; Spina, Anna; Capiluongo, Anna; Liuu, Sophie; De Marco, Margot; Rosati, Alessandra; Capunzo, Mario; Napolitano, Maria; Vuttariello, Emilia; Monaco, Mario; Califano, Daniela; Turco, Maria Caterina; Chiappetta, Gennaro; Vinh, Joëlle; Chiappetta, Giovanni

    2018-01-30

    BAG3 protein is an apoptosis inhibitor and is highly expressed in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. We investigated the entire set of proteins modulated by BAG3 silencing in the human anaplastic thyroid 8505C cancer cells by using the Stable-Isotope Labeling by Amino acids in Cell culture strategy combined with mass spectrometry analysis. By this approach we identified 37 up-regulated and 54 down-regulated proteins in BAG3-silenced cells. Many of these proteins are reportedly involved in tumor progression, invasiveness and resistance to therapies. We focused our attention on an oncogenic protein, CAV1, and a tumor suppressor protein, SERPINB2, that had not previously been reported to be modulated by BAG3. Their expression levels in BAG3-silenced cells were confirmed by qRT-PCR and western blot analyses, disclosing two novel targets of BAG3 pro-tumor activity. We also examined the dataset of proteins obtained by the quantitative proteomics analysis using two tools, Downstream Effect Analysis and Upstream Regulator Analysis of the Ingenuity Pathways Analysis software. Our analyses confirm the association of the proteome profile observed in BAG3-silenced cells with an increase in cell survival and a decrease in cell proliferation and invasion, and highlight the possible involvement of four tumor suppressor miRNAs and TP53/63 proteins in BAG3 activity.

  2. [Effects of Two Placement Ways for Storage of Blood Bag on Biochemical Indexes of Leukodepleted Red Blood Cells].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Rui-Jun; Duan, Bing-Zheng; Ju, Chun-Mei; Sui, Su-Qin; Bai, Yan; Cao, Huan

    2016-04-01

    To investigate the effects of 2 different ways of storage bag placement on some biochemical indexes of leukodepleted red blood cells (LD-RBC) to as to ensure the efficacy and safety of clinical blood transfusion. The whole blood samples of 20 donors (400 ml/donor) were selected for preparating the LP-RBC, which were divided evenly into 10 bags. The 10 bags were randomly divided into 2 groups; the bags in 1 group were placed uprightly, while the bags in another group were placed horizontally. The bags of 2 groups were stored in the same conditions. One storage bag from each group was taken randomly on day 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 respectively, and then the biochemical indexes of samples were detected and analyzed. The values of K(+) and LAC on day 14, the value of LDH on day 28 in the uprightly placed group were higher than those in the horizontally placed group (P < 0.05), the value of Na(+) on day 28, and the value of Glu on day 35 in the uprightly placed group were lower than those in horizontally placed group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in Cl(-) level between 2 groups (P > 0.05). The storage bags placed by different ways during the storage show different influence on some biochemical indexes of LD-RBC in the storage period.

  3. The effects of operator position, pallet orientation, and palletizing condition on low back loads in manual bag palletizing operations

    PubMed Central

    Gallagher, Sean; Heberger, John R.

    2015-01-01

    Many mining commodities are packaged and shipped using bags. Small bags are typically loaded onto pallets for transport and require a significant amount of manual handling by workers. This specific task of manual bag handling has been associated with the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), especially low back disorders. This study evaluates the biomechanical demands of different work layouts when performing manual palletizing of small bags, and evaluates the biomechanical stresses associated with different stacking techniques. Results indicate that peak forward bending moments as well as spinal compression and shear forces are higher when the pallet is situated at the side of the conveyor as opposed to the end of the conveyor. At low levels of the pallet, controlled bag placement results in higher peak forward bending moments than stacking at higher levels and when dropping the bag to lower levels. The results of this study will be used to inform the development of an audit tool for bagging operations in the mining industry. Relevance to industry In many cases for workers loading small bags, compression forces exceed the NIOSH criterion of 3400 N. Orientation of the pallet has a significant impact on spinal compression, and positioning the pallet at the end of the conveyor reduces the estimated compressive loading on the lumbar spine by approximately 800 N. PMID:26190879

  4. Effects of competing news media frames of weight on antifat stigma, beliefs about weight and support for obesity-related public policies.

    PubMed

    Frederick, D A; Saguy, A C; Sandhu, G; Mann, T

    2016-03-01

    In the popular news media, public health officials routinely emphasize the health risks of obesity and portray weight as under personal control. These messages may increase support for policies designed to reduce rates of obesity, but can also increase antifat stigma. Less often, the media cover 'Health at Every Size' or 'Fat Rights' perspectives that may have the opposite effects. We investigated how exposure to different 'fat frames' shifts attitudes about weight and support for obesity policies. Across four experiments (n=2187), people read constructed news articles framing fatness as negative (unhealthy, controllable, acceptable to stigmatize) or positive (healthy, uncontrollable, unacceptable to stigmatize). Compared with people who read fat-positive frames, people who read fat-negative frames expressed more: belief in the health risks of being fat (d=0.95-1.22), belief weight is controllable (d=0.38-0.55), support for charging obese people more for health insurance (d=0.26-0.77), antifat prejudice (in three out of four experiments, d=0.28-0.39), willingness to discriminate against fat people (d=0.39-0.71) and less willingness to celebrate body size diversity (d=0.37-0.64). They were also less willing to say that women at the lower end of the obese range could be healthy at their weights. Effects on support for public policies, however, were generally small and/or nonsignificant. Compared with a control condition, exposure to fat-positive frames generally shifted attitudes more than fat-negative frames. In experiment 4, adding a message about the unacceptability of weight-based discrimination to unhealthy/controllable news articles only reduced antifat stigma on one of three measures compared with articles adding a discrimination-acceptable message. Exposure to different news frames of fat can shift beliefs about weight-related health risks and weight-based stigma. Shifting policy attitudes, however, is more challenging.

  5. 40 CFR 63.7833 - How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the emission limitations that apply to me?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... baghouse equipped with a bag leak detection system, operating and maintaining each bag leak detection... requirements. If you increase or decrease the sensitivity of the bag leak detection system beyond the limits... event of a bag leak detection system alarm or when the hourly average opacity exceeded 5 percent, the...

  6. 76 FR 14052 - Notice of Inventory Completion: California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-15

    ... associated funerary object is a baked clay net sinker. Eight additional associated funerary objects (seven... individuals were identified. The 2,867 associated funerary objects are 2 bone awls, 22 bags of baked clay, 2... awls, 2 bags of baked clay, 2 beads, 1 biface, 1 bone tube, 1 bag of carbonized material, 1 bag of...

  7. Dangers of collapsible ventricular drainage systems. Technical note.

    PubMed

    Kaye, A H; Wallace, D

    1982-02-01

    Ventricular drainage systems employing a collapsible plastic bag for fluid collection were postulated to cause an increasing back-pressure produced in part by the elasticity of the bag. This postulate was shown to be correct in an experimental situation. There was a logarithmic rise in cerebrospinal fluid pressure as the bag filled. By increasing the size of the bag, the problem was overcome.

  8. 21 CFR 880.6050 - Ice bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Ice bag. 880.6050 Section 880.6050 Food and Drugs....6050 Ice bag. (a) Identification. An ice bag is a device intended for medical purposes that is in the form of a container intended to be filled with ice that is used to apply dry cold therapy to an area of...

  9. 21 CFR 880.6050 - Ice bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ice bag. 880.6050 Section 880.6050 Food and Drugs....6050 Ice bag. (a) Identification. An ice bag is a device intended for medical purposes that is in the form of a container intended to be filled with ice that is used to apply dry cold therapy to an area of...

  10. 21 CFR 880.6050 - Ice bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Ice bag. 880.6050 Section 880.6050 Food and Drugs....6050 Ice bag. (a) Identification. An ice bag is a device intended for medical purposes that is in the form of a container intended to be filled with ice that is used to apply dry cold therapy to an area of...

  11. 21 CFR 880.6050 - Ice bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Ice bag. 880.6050 Section 880.6050 Food and Drugs....6050 Ice bag. (a) Identification. An ice bag is a device intended for medical purposes that is in the form of a container intended to be filled with ice that is used to apply dry cold therapy to an area of...

  12. 21 CFR 880.6050 - Ice bag.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ice bag. 880.6050 Section 880.6050 Food and Drugs....6050 Ice bag. (a) Identification. An ice bag is a device intended for medical purposes that is in the form of a container intended to be filled with ice that is used to apply dry cold therapy to an area of...

  13. Utilizing Sediment Tracer Studies to Evaluate Transport Pathways at the Mouth of the Columbia River, USA

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    native sediment and placed in dissolving starch bags weighing ~ 20 kg each. Each bag of tracer:sediment mix was placed within a 50-75 m radius of the DZ...with the XY coordinate recorded for each bag release point via DGPS. The starch bags dissolved within 4 minutes of making contact with water

  14. 75 FR 9633 - Reports, Forms and Record Keeping Requirements; Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-03

    ... Administration Title: Part 585--Advanced Air Bag Phase-In Reporting Requirements. OMB Number: 2127-0599. Type of... requirements of this FMVSS related to the implementation of advanced air bags. Phase 1 of the advanced air bag... advanced air bag phase-in begins September 1, 2007 with 100 percent compliance by September 1, 2009. Phase...

  15. Inadvertent venous air embolism during cesarean section: collapsible intravenous fluid bags without self-sealing outlet have risks. Case report.

    PubMed

    Bakan, Mefkur; Topuz, Ufuk; Esen, Asim; Basaranoglu, Gokcen; Ozturk, Erdogan

    2013-01-01

    The anesthesiologist must be aware of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of venous air embolism and adopt the practice patterns to prevent its occurrence. Although venous air embolism is a known complication of cesarean section, we describe an unusual inattention that causes iatrogenic near fatal venous air embolism during a cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. One of the reasons for using self-collapsible intravenous (IV) infusion bags instead of conventional glass or plastic bottles is to take precaution against air embolism. We also demonstrated the risk of air embolism for two kinds of plastic collapsible intravenous fluid bags: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene-based. Fluid bags without self-sealing outlets pose a risk for air embolism if the closed system is broken down, while the flexibility of the bag limits the amount of air entry. PVC-based bags, which have more flexibility, have significantly less risk of air entry when IV administration set is disconnected from the outlet. Using a pressure bag for rapid infusion can be dangerous without checking and emptying all air from the IV bag. 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  16. Automobile driver fatalities in frontal impacts: air bags compared with manual belts.

    PubMed Central

    Zador, P L; Ciccone, M A

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVES. The effectiveness of air bags was estimated in this study by comparing driver fatalities in frontal crashes with driver fatalities in nonfrontal crashes, for cars with air bags and manual belts and cars with manual belts only. METHODS. Fatal Accident Reporting System data for drivers fatally injured during 1985 to 1991 in 1985 to 1991 model year cars that were equipped with air bags in or before model year 1991 were analyzed. RESULTS. Driver fatalities in frontal crashes in air bag cars were 28% lower than those in comparable cars with manual belts only. This percentage was used for estimating the overall fatality reduction in air bag cars. The reduction was greater in large cars (50%) than in midsize cars (19%) or in small cars (14%). Air bags reduced driver fatalities in frontal crashes involving ejection by about 9%. Fatalities in frontal crashes among drivers who were reportedly using manual belts at the time of the crash were reduced by about 15%. The comparable reduction among drivers who were reportedly not using manual belts was 31%. CONCLUSION. It was estimated that air bags reduced the total number of all driver fatalities by about 19%. PMID:8484445

  17. Inadvertent venous air embolism during cesarean section: Collapsible intravenous fluid bags without self-sealing outlet have risks. Case report.

    PubMed

    Bakan, Mefkur; Topuz, Ufuk; Esen, Asim; Basaranoglu, Gokcen; Ozturk, Erdogan

    2013-01-01

    The anesthesiologist must be aware of the causes, diagnosis and treatment of venous air embolism and adopt the practice patterns to prevent its occurrence. Although venous air embolism is a known complication of cesarean section, we describe an unusual inattention that causes iatrogenic near fatal venous air embolism during a cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. One of the reasons for using self-collapsible intravenous (IV) infusion bags instead of conventional glass or plastic bottles is to take precaution against air embolism. We also demonstrated the risk of air embolism for two kinds of plastic collapsible intravenous fluid bags: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene-based. Fluid bags without self-sealing outlets pose a risk for air embolism if the closed system is broken down, while the flexibility of the bag limits the amount of air entry. PVC-based bags, which have more flexibility, have significantly less risk of air entry when IV administration set is disconnected from the outlet. Using a pressure bag for rapid infusion can be dangerous without checking and emptying all air from the IV bag. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  18. Gambling Disorder Due to Brazilian Animal Game ("Jogo do bicho"): Gambling Behavior and Psychopathology.

    PubMed

    Medeiros, Gustavo; Grant, Jon; Tavares, Hermano

    2016-03-01

    Gambling is currently widespread across the globe and despite legally restricted, it is significantly common in Brazil. A traditional and common form of gambling in Brazil is the Brazilian animal game (BAG)--"Jogo do bicho" in Portuguese. In 2013, BAG activities collected approximately 19 billion Brazilian reais--equivalent to more than 8 billon American dollars, a figure almost 60 % higher than legal lotteries. Although a common form of gambling, the gambling behavior and psychopathology of gambling disorder (GD) associated with BAG has never been systematically studied. The aim of this study is to conduct, the first research approaching GD due to BAG. We assessed 897 participants of whom 63 subjects (7.0 %) presented with GD due to BAG and 834 with GD associated with other forms of gambling. After comparing these two groups, major differences were found in demographics, gambling behavior elements and psychopathological variables. This research reinforces the need for further research on BAG and the need for specific approaches in GD. The particularities of BAG may affect treatment strategies as, for example, suggest some adaptations in social and psychotherapeutic approaches. We also highlight the need to acknowledge the "hidden" BAG as a potential addictive game.

  19. 78 FR 21854 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-12

    ...) inspections for cracks in the splice fitting, support frame, forward and aft inner chords, floor support... frame, floor support, forward and aft inner chords, and the bulkhead upper and lower webs of the body... in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http...

  20. Homemade specimen retrieval bag for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A solution in the time of fiscal crisis.

    PubMed

    Stavrou, George; Fotiadis, Kyriakos; Panagiotou, Dimitrios; Faitatzidou, Afroditi; Kotzampassi, Katerina

    2015-05-01

    Due to the current economic crisis in Greece, major cutbacks on healthcare costs have been imposed, resulting in a shortage of surgical supplies, including laparoscopic materials. In an attempt to reduce costs, we developed a homemade specimen retrieval bag for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We used the polyethylene bag containing the catheter of a Redon drainage set. The bag was cut in half and pleated longitudinally; then, the gallbladder was placed in the bag and removed through the umbilicus with a grasping forceps. From September 2011 to June 2012, we used our homemade bag on 85 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. No rupture, accidental opening, or bile leak was observed. The learning curve was found to be five cases. Our homemade specimen retrieval bag seems to be a safe, effective, and easy tool for tissue extraction. Further studies need to be conducted to evaluate its full potential. © 2015 Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Asia Endosurgery Task Force and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  1. Microbial colonization and degradation of polyethylene and biodegradable plastic bags in temperate fine-grained organic-rich marine sediments.

    PubMed

    Nauendorf, Alice; Krause, Stefan; Bigalke, Nikolaus K; Gorb, Elena V; Gorb, Stanislav N; Haeckel, Matthias; Wahl, Martin; Treude, Tina

    2016-02-15

    To date, the longevity of plastic litter at the sea floor is poorly constrained. The present study compares colonization and biodegradation of plastic bags by aerobic and anaerobic benthic microbes in temperate fine-grained organic-rich marine sediments. Samples of polyethylene and biodegradable plastic carrier bags were incubated in natural oxic and anoxic sediments from Eckernförde Bay (Western Baltic Sea) for 98 days. Analyses included (1) microbial colonization rates on the bags, (2) examination of the surface structure, wettability, and chemistry, and (3) mass loss of the samples during incubation. On average, biodegradable plastic bags were colonized five times higher by aerobic and eight times higher by anaerobic microbes than polyethylene bags. Both types of bags showed no sign of biodegradation during this study. Therefore, marine sediment in temperate coastal zones may represent a long-term sink for plastic litter and also supposedly compostable material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Engine protection system for recoverable rocket booster

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shelby, Jr., Jerry A. (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    A rocket engine protection system for a recoverable rocket booster which is arranged to land in a salt water body in substantially a nose down attitude. The system includes an inflatable bag which is stowed on a portion of a flat annular rim of the aft skirt of the booster. The bag is hinged at opposing sides and is provided with springs that urge the bag open. The bag is latched in a stowed position during launch and prior to landing for recovery is unlatched to permit the bag to be urged open and into sealing engagement with the rim. A source of pressurized gas further inflates the bag and urges it into sealing engagement with the rim of the skirt where it is locked into position. The gas provides a positive pressure upon the interior of the bag to preclude entry of salt water into the skirt and into contact with the engine. A flotation arrangement may assist in precluding the skirt of the booster from becoming submerged.

  3. BAG3 controls angiogenesis through regulation of ERK phosphorylation.

    PubMed

    Falco, A; Festa, M; Basile, A; Rosati, A; Pascale, M; Florenzano, F; Nori, S L; Nicolin, V; Di Benedetto, M; Vecchione, M L; Arra, C; Barbieri, A; De Laurenzi, V; Turco, M C

    2012-12-13

    BAG3 is a co-chaperone of the heat shock protein (Hsp) 70, is expressed in many cell types upon cell stress, however, its expression is constitutive in many tumours. We and others have previously shown that in neoplastic cells BAG3 exerts an anti-apoptotic function thus favoring tumour progression. As a consequence we have proposed BAG3 as a target of antineoplastic therapies. Here we identify a novel role for BAG3 in regulation of neo-angiogenesis and show that its downregulation results in reduced angiogenesis therefore expanding the role of BAG3 as a therapeutical target. In brief we show that BAG3 is expressed in endothelial cells and is essential for the interaction between ERK and its phosphatase DUSP6, as a consequence its removal results in reduced binding of DUSP6 to ERK and sustained ERK phosphorylation that in turn determines increased levels of p21 and p15 and cell-cycle arrest in the G1 phase.

  4. BAG-6 is essential for selective elimination of defective proteasomal substrates

    PubMed Central

    Minami, Ryosuke; Hayakawa, Atsuko; Kagawa, Hiroki; Yanagi, Yuko; Yokosawa, Hideyoshi

    2010-01-01

    BAG-6/Scythe/BAT3 is a ubiquitin-like protein that was originally reported to be the product of a novel gene located within the human major histocompatibility complex, although the mechanisms of its function remain largely obscure. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of BAG-6 in the degradation of a CL1 model defective protein substrate in mammalian cells. We show that BAG-6 is essential for not only model substrate degradation but also the ubiquitin-mediated metabolism of newly synthesized defective polypeptides. Furthermore, our in vivo and in vitro analysis shows that BAG-6 interacts physically with puromycin-labeled nascent chain polypeptides and regulates their proteasome-mediated degradation. Finally, we show that knockdown of BAG-6 results in the suppressed presentation of MHC class I on the cell surface, a procedure known to be affected by the efficiency of metabolism of defective ribosomal products. Therefore, we propose that BAG-6 is necessary for ubiquitin-mediated degradation of newly synthesized defective polypeptides. PMID:20713601

  5. Leaf litter bags as an index to populations of northern two-lined salamanders (Eurycea bislineata)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chalmers, R.J.; Droege, S.

    2002-01-01

    Concern about recent amphibian declines has led to research on amphibian populations, but few statistically tested, standardized methods of counting amphibians exist. We tested whether counts of northern two-lined salamander larvae (Eurycea bislineata) sheltered in leaf litter bags--a relatively new, easily replicable survey technique--had a linear correlation to total number of larvae. Using experimental enclosures placed in streams, we compared number of salamanders found in artificial habitat (leaf litter bags) with total number of salamanders in each enclosure. Low numbers of the animals were found in leaf litter bags, and the relative amount of variation in the index (number of animals in leaf litter bags compared to total number of animals in stream enclosures) was high. The index of salamanders in leaf litter bags was not significantly related to total number of salamanders in enclosures for two-thirds of the replicates or with pooled replicates (P= 0.066). Consequently, we cannot recommend using leaf litter bags to index populations of northern two-lined salamanders.

  6. Efficacy of humidity retention bags for the reduced adsorption and improved cleaning of tissue proteins including prion-associated amyloid to surgical stainless steel surfaces.

    PubMed

    Secker, T J; Pinchin, H E; Hervé, R C; Keevil, C W

    2015-01-01

    Increasing drying time adversely affects attachment of tissue proteins and prion-associated amyloid to surgical stainless steel, and reduces the efficacy of commercial cleaning chemistries. This study tested the efficacy of commercial humidity retention bags to reduce biofouling on surgical stainless steel and to improve subsequent cleaning. Surgical stainless steel surfaces were contaminated with ME7-infected brain homogenates and left to dry for 15 to 1,440 min either in air, in dry polythene bags or within humidity retention bags. Residual contamination pre/post cleaning was analysed using Thioflavin T/SYPRO Ruby dual staining and microscope analysis. An increase in biofouling was observed with increased drying time in air or in sealed dry bags. Humidity retention bags kept both protein and prion-associated amyloid minimal across the drying times both pre- and post-cleaning. Therefore, humidity bags demonstrate a cheap, easy to implement solution to improve surgical instrument reprocessing and to potentially reduce associated hospital acquired infections.

  7. Support Vector Feature Selection for Early Detection of Anastomosis Leakage From Bag-of-Words in Electronic Health Records.

    PubMed

    Soguero-Ruiz, Cristina; Hindberg, Kristian; Rojo-Alvarez, Jose Luis; Skrovseth, Stein Olav; Godtliebsen, Fred; Mortensen, Kim; Revhaug, Arthur; Lindsetmo, Rolv-Ole; Augestad, Knut Magne; Jenssen, Robert

    2016-09-01

    The free text in electronic health records (EHRs) conveys a huge amount of clinical information about health state and patient history. Despite a rapidly growing literature on the use of machine learning techniques for extracting this information, little effort has been invested toward feature selection and the features' corresponding medical interpretation. In this study, we focus on the task of early detection of anastomosis leakage (AL), a severe complication after elective surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, using free text extracted from EHRs. We use a bag-of-words model to investigate the potential for feature selection strategies. The purpose is earlier detection of AL and prediction of AL with data generated in the EHR before the actual complication occur. Due to the high dimensionality of the data, we derive feature selection strategies using the robust support vector machine linear maximum margin classifier, by investigating: 1) a simple statistical criterion (leave-one-out-based test); 2) an intensive-computation statistical criterion (Bootstrap resampling); and 3) an advanced statistical criterion (kernel entropy). Results reveal a discriminatory power for early detection of complications after CRC (sensitivity 100%; specificity 72%). These results can be used to develop prediction models, based on EHR data, that can support surgeons and patients in the preoperative decision making phase.

  8. VIRTUAL FRAME BUFFER INTERFACE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolfe, T. L.

    1994-01-01

    Large image processing systems use multiple frame buffers with differing architectures and vendor supplied user interfaces. This variety of architectures and interfaces creates software development, maintenance, and portability problems for application programs. The Virtual Frame Buffer Interface program makes all frame buffers appear as a generic frame buffer with a specified set of characteristics, allowing programmers to write code which will run unmodified on all supported hardware. The Virtual Frame Buffer Interface converts generic commands to actual device commands. The virtual frame buffer consists of a definition of capabilities and FORTRAN subroutines that are called by application programs. The virtual frame buffer routines may be treated as subroutines, logical functions, or integer functions by the application program. Routines are included that allocate and manage hardware resources such as frame buffers, monitors, video switches, trackballs, tablets and joysticks; access image memory planes; and perform alphanumeric font or text generation. The subroutines for the various "real" frame buffers are in separate VAX/VMS shared libraries allowing modification, correction or enhancement of the virtual interface without affecting application programs. The Virtual Frame Buffer Interface program was developed in FORTRAN 77 for a DEC VAX 11/780 or a DEC VAX 11/750 under VMS 4.X. It supports ADAGE IK3000, DEANZA IP8500, Low Resolution RAMTEK 9460, and High Resolution RAMTEK 9460 Frame Buffers. It has a central memory requirement of approximately 150K. This program was developed in 1985.

  9. Renewable energy policy design and framing influence public support in the United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stokes, Leah C.; Warshaw, Christopher

    2017-08-01

    The United States has often led the world in supporting renewable energy technologies at both the state and federal level. However, since 2011 several states have weakened their renewable energy policies. Public opinion will probably be crucial for determining whether states expand or contract their renewable energy policies in the future. Here we show that a majority of the public in most states supports renewable portfolio standards, which require a portion of the electricity mix to come from renewables. However, policy design and framing can strongly influence public support. Using a survey experiment, we show that effects of renewable portfolio standards bills on residential electricity costs, jobs and pollution, as well as bipartisan elite support, are all important drivers of public support. In many states, these bills' design and framing can push public opinion above or below majority support.

  10. The existing situation and challenges regarding the use of plastic carrier bags in Europe.

    PubMed

    Kasidoni, Maria; Moustakas, Konstantinos; Malamis, Dimitris

    2015-05-01

    Since day one, retailers and consumers have favoured plastic carrier bags. However, owing to the numerous environmental disadvantages, lightweight plastic carrier bags have been drawing the attention of the European Union competent authorities. Therefore, many European Union member states have taken action so as to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags. Based on the existing legislation and voluntary initiatives for the reduction of lightweight plastic carrier bags, the challenges and achieved outcomes from the implemented policy options in the various European Union member states are discussed and commented regarding the forthcoming transposition of the 'Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags' into the European Union member states' national law. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. News Media Framing of New York City's Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Portion-Size Cap.

    PubMed

    Donaldson, Elisabeth A; Cohen, Joanna E; Truant, Patricia L; Rutkow, Lainie; Kanarek, Norma F; Barry, Colleen L

    2015-11-01

    We assessed news media framing of New York City's proposed regulation to prohibit the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages greater than 16 ounces. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of print and television news from within and outside New York City media markets. We examined support for and opposition to the portion-size cap in the news coverage from its May 31, 2012, proposal through the appellate court ruling on July 31, 2013. News coverage corresponded to key events in the policy's evolution. Although most stories mentioned obesity as a problem, a larger proportion used opposing frames (84%) than pro-policy frames (36%). Mention of pro-policy frames shifted toward the policy's effect on special populations. The debate's most prominent frame was the opposing frame that the policy was beyond the government's role (69%). News coverage within and outside the New York City media market was more likely to mention arguments in opposition to than in support of the portion-size cap. Understanding how the news media framed this issue provides important insights for advocates interested in advancing similar measures in other jurisdictions.

  12. Air bags and the skin.

    PubMed

    Corazza, Monica; Trincone, Silvana; Zampino, Maria Rosaria; Virgili, Annarosa

    2004-01-01

    Air bags, fitted in the majority of new automobiles, are safety devices activated when a sudden deceleration causes the ignition of a propellant cartridge containing sodium azide. The bag is inflated by nitrogen liberated during the combustion. Deployment releases various high-temperature gases, including nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and produces sodium hydroxide, a highly irritant alkaline substance. In about 7%-8% of cases, air bags cause dermatologic injuries such as traumatic lesions, irritant dermatitis, and chemical and thermal burns. Nondermatologic lesions, such as ocular damage (alkali keratitis, corneal abrasions), ear lesions, bone fractures, and contusive damage can also be caused by air bag deployment.

  13. Indwelling catheter care

    MedlinePlus

    ... it overnight. You will be shown how to disconnect the bags from the Foley catheter in order ... bags through a separate valve without needing to disconnect the bag from the Foley catheter. Making Sure ...

  14. Bag-Tanks for Your Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wulfson, Stephen E.

    1981-01-01

    Suggests using plastic bags as aquaria and terraria. Describes techniques for converting plastic sheets into aquaria, how to set them up for classroom use, and other uses for plastic bag aquaria. (DS)

  15. An in vitro evaluation of the Anew Zephyr open-bag IOL in the prevention of posterior capsule opacification using a human capsular bag model.

    PubMed

    Eldred, Julie A; Spalton, David J; Wormstone, I Michael

    2014-09-18

    During cataract surgery an IOL is placed within the capsular bag. Clinical studies show that IOLs with a square edge profile and complete contact between the IOL and the anterior capsule (AC) are currently the best way to prevent posterior capsule opacification (PCO). This has been challenged by recent clinical and experimental observations, which suggest that if the capsular bag is kept open with separation of contact between the AC and posterior capsule (PC) by an "open-bag device" PCO is dramatically reduced. Therefore, the current study set out to evaluate the putative merits of an open-bag IOL (Anew Zephyr) in a human capsular bag model. An in vitro organ culture model using the bag-zonular-ciliary body complex isolated from fellow human donor eyes was prepared. A capsulorhexis and lens extraction were performed, and an Alcon Acrysof IOL or Anew Zephyr IOL implanted. Preparations were secured by pinning the ciliary body to a silicone ring and maintained in 6 mL Eagle's minimum essential medium (EMEM) or EMEM supplemented with 2% vol/vol human serum (HS) and 10 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 28 days. Cell growth and capsular modifications were monitored with phase-contrast and modified dark-field microscopy. In serum-free EMEM culture conditions, cells were observed growing onto the PC of preparations implanted with an Anew Zephyr IOL, but this was retarded relative to observations in match-paired capsular bags implanted with an Alcon Acrysof IOL. In the case of cultures maintained in 2% HS-EMEM plus TGF-β2, the movement on to the PC was again delayed with the presence of an Anew Zephyr IOL. Differences in the degree of growth on the PC and matrix modifications were apparent with the different donors, but in each case the match-paired Alcon Acrysof implanted bag exhibited significantly greater coverage and modification of the capsule. The Anew Zephyr open-bag IOL performs consistently better than the Alcon Acrysof IOL in the human capsular bag model. We propose that the benefits observed with the Anew Zephyr result from a reduction in growth factor levels available within the capsular bag and a barrier function imposed by the ring haptic. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

  16. Method of reusably sealing a silicone rubber vacuum bag to a mold for composite manufacture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinbach, John (Inventor)

    1989-01-01

    A silicone rubber vacuum bag for use in composite article manufacture is reusably sealed to a mold, without mechanical clamping means. The mold-mating portion of the bag is primed with a silicone rubber adhesive, which is cured thereto, and a layer of semiadhesive sealer is applied between the primed mold-mating portion of the bag and the mold.

  17. Bag For Formulating And Dispersing Intravenous Solution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kipp, Jim; Owens, Jim; Scharf, Mike; Finley, Mike; Dudar, Tom; Veillon, Joe; Ogle, Jim

    1993-01-01

    Large-volume parenteral (LVP) bag in which predetermined amount of sterile solution formulated by combining premeasured, prepackaged amount of sterile solute with predetermined amount of water. Bag designed to hold predetermined amount, typically 1 L, of sterile solution. Sterility of solution maintained during mixing by passing water into bag through sterilizing filter. System used in field or hospitals not having proper sterile facilities, and in field research.

  18. 49 CFR 563.7 - Data elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... cycle, download At time of download 3 N/A Safety belt status, driver −1.0 sec N/A Frontal air bag warning lamp, on/off 2 −1.0 sec N/A Frontal air bag deployment, time to deploy, in the case of a single stage air bag, or time to first stage deployment, in the case of a multi-stage air bag, driver Event N/A...

  19. 49 CFR 563.7 - Data elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... cycle, download At time of download 3 N/A Safety belt status, driver −1.0 sec N/A Frontal air bag warning lamp, on/off 2 −1.0 sec N/A Frontal air bag deployment, time to deploy, in the case of a single stage air bag, or time to first stage deployment, in the case of a multi-stage air bag, driver Event N/A...

  20. 49 CFR 563.7 - Data elements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... cycle, download At time of download 3 N/A Safety belt status, driver −1.0 sec N/A Frontal air bag warning lamp, on/off 2 −1.0 sec N/A Frontal air bag deployment, time to deploy, in the case of a single stage air bag, or time to first stage deployment, in the case of a multi-stage air bag, driver Event N/A...

  1. Association of driver air bags with driver fatality: a matched cohort study

    PubMed Central

    Cummings, Peter; McKnight, Barbara; Rivara, Frederick P; Grossman, David C

    2002-01-01

    Objective To estimate the association of driver air bag presence with driver fatality in road traffic crashes. Design Matched pair cohort study. Setting All passenger vehicle crashes in the United States during 1990-2000 inclusive. Subjects 51 031 driver-passenger pairs in the same vehicle. Main outcome measures Relative risk of death within 30 days of a crash. Results Drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than drivers without an air bag (adjusted relative risk 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.88 to 0.96)). This estimate was nearly the same whether drivers wore a seat belt (adjusted relative risk 0.93) or not (0.91). Air bags were associated with more protection for women (0.88 (0.82 to 0.93)), than for men (0.94 (0.90 to 0.99)). Drivers wearing a seat belt were less likely to die than unbelted drivers (0.35 (0.33 to 0.36)). Belted drivers with an air bag were less likely to die than unbelted drivers without an air bag (0.32 (0.30 to 0.34)). Conclusions If the associations are causal the average risk of driver death was reduced 8% (95% confidence interval 4% to 12%) by an air bag. Benefit was similar for belted and unbelted drivers and was slightly greater for women. However, seat belts offered much more protection than air bags. What is already known on this topicStudies have estimated that driver air bags reduce the risk of death in a road vehicle crash by 10-14%These studies disagree as to whether benefit is greater for drivers wearing a seat belt or for unbelted driversWhat this study addsHaving an air bag was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of death, whether the driver was belted or notThe reduction in risk was greater for women (12%) than for men (6%)Seat belts provided much greater protection, with seat belt use reducing the risk of death by 65% (or by 68% in combination with an air bag) PMID:12003882

  2. BAG3 (Bcl-2-Associated Athanogene-3) Coding Variant in Mice Determines Susceptibility to Ischemic Limb Muscle Myopathy by Directing Autophagy.

    PubMed

    McClung, Joseph M; McCord, Timothy J; Ryan, Terence E; Schmidt, Cameron A; Green, Tom D; Southerland, Kevin W; Reinardy, Jessica L; Mueller, Sarah B; Venkatraman, Talaignair N; Lascola, Christopher D; Keum, Sehoon; Marchuk, Douglas A; Spangenburg, Espen E; Dokun, Ayotunde; Annex, Brian H; Kontos, Christopher D

    2017-07-18

    Critical limb ischemia is a manifestation of peripheral artery disease that carries significant mortality and morbidity risk in humans, although its genetic determinants remain largely unknown. We previously discovered 2 overlapping quantitative trait loci in mice, Lsq-1 and Civq-1 , that affected limb muscle survival and stroke volume after femoral artery or middle cerebral artery ligation, respectively. Here, we report that a Bag3 variant (Ile81Met) segregates with tissue protection from hind-limb ischemia. We treated mice with either adeno-associated viruses encoding a control (green fluorescent protein) or 2 BAG3 (Bcl-2-associated athanogene-3) variants, namely Met81 or Ile81, and subjected the mice to hind-limb ischemia. We found that the BAG3 Ile81Met variant in the C57BL/6 (BL6) mouse background segregates with protection from tissue necrosis in a shorter congenic fragment of Lsq-1 (C.B6- Lsq1-3 ). BALB/c mice treated with adeno-associated virus encoding the BL6 BAG3 variant (Ile81; n=25) displayed reduced limb-tissue necrosis and increased limb tissue perfusion compared with Met81- (n=25) or green fluorescent protein- (n=29) expressing animals. BAG3 Ile81 , but not BAG3 Met81 , improved ischemic muscle myopathy and muscle precursor cell differentiation and improved muscle regeneration in a separate, toxin-induced model of injury. Systemic injection of adeno-associated virus-BAG3 Ile81 (n=9), but not BAG3 Met81 (n=10) or green fluorescent protein (n=5), improved ischemic limb blood flow and limb muscle histology and restored muscle function (force production). Compared with BAG3 Met81 , BAG3 Ile81 displayed improved binding to the small heat shock protein (HspB8) in ischemic skeletal muscle cells and enhanced ischemic muscle autophagic flux. Taken together, our data demonstrate that genetic variation in BAG3 plays an important role in the prevention of ischemic tissue necrosis. These results highlight a pathway that preserves tissue survival and muscle function in the setting of ischemia. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  3. Influence of biofilm formation on the optical properties of novel bioactive glass-containing composites

    PubMed Central

    Hyun, Hong-Keun; Ferracane, Jack L.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Bioactive glass (BAG) has been suggested as a possible additive for dental restorative materials because of its antimicrobial effect and potential for promoting apatite formation in body fluids. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of bacterial biofilm on the change of colorimetric value and translucency of novel BAG-containing composites having different initial surface roughness. Methods Composites with 72 wt% total filler load were prepared by replacing 15% of the silanized Sr glass with BAG (65 mole% Si; 4% P; 31% Ca), BAG-F (61% Si; 31% Ca; 4% P; 3% F; 1% B), or silanized silica. Light-cured discs of 2-mm thickness (n=10/group) were divided into 4 different surface roughness subgroups produced by wet polishing with 600 and then up to 1200, 2400, or 4000 grit SiC. CIE L*a*b* were measured and the color difference and translucency parameter (TP) were calculated before and after incubating in media with or without a S. mutans (UA 159) biofilm for 2 wks (no agitation). Results were analyzed using ANOVA/Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Results All the color differences for BAG and BAG-F composite showed significant decreases with bacterial biofilm compared to media-only. The mean TP (SD) of BAG and BAG-F composite before aging [10.0 (2.8) and 8.5 (1.4)] was higher than that of the control composite [4.9 (0.8)], while the change in TP with aging was greater compared to the control with or without bacteria. BAG-F composites with the smoothest surfaces showed a greater decrease in TP under bacterial biofilm compared to the BAG composite. Significance Highly polished dental composites containing bioactive glass additives may become slightly rougher and show reduced translucency when exposed to bacterial biofilms, but do not discolor any more than control composites that do not contain the BAG. PMID:27394086

  4. Usage of Plastic Bags and Health Hazards: A Study to Assess Awareness Level and Perception about Legislation Among a Small Population of Mangalore City.

    PubMed

    Joseph, Nitin; Kumar, Aswin; Majgi, Sumanth Mallikarjuna; Kumar, Ganesh S; Prahalad, Raghavendra Babu Yellapur

    2016-04-01

    Plastic bag users are at risk of number of health hazards. There is paucity of data with regard to awareness of health hazards among general population in India. This study was done to find out the status of awareness of the health hazards associated with the usage of plastic bags among people and their perception towards the legislation prohibiting the usage of plastic bags. This cross-sectional study conducted in Mangalore city in August 2013. Data was collected by interviewing any adult member (aged above 18 years) in each of the selected households using an interview schedule. Mean age of the 250 participants was 32.8±10.8 years. Majority 160(64%) were females educated up to undergraduate level or above 187(74.8%). Among the participants 216(86.4%) were aware of the health hazards associated with the use of plastic bags. Awareness was significantly more amongst females (p=0.027), well-educated participants (p=0.004) and among professionals and semi-professionals (p<0.001). There were 50(20%) participants reusing plastic bags for shopping after initial usage. The cloth bags were used for shopping in place of plastic bags by 13(5.2%) participants. Among the participants 213(85.2%) were aware of the legislation banning the use of plastic bags and out of which 166(77.9%) were in its favour. Semi-professionals and students favoured the ban on plastic bags whereas unskilled and semiskilled workers were against the ban (p=0.01). Most of the participants in the settings had the awareness of hazards of plastic bag usage. However, there is a need for spreading the awareness of using alternative strategies and effective implementation of legislation in order to minimize the usage of plastics in the community.

  5. Front air bag nondeployments in frontal crashes fatal to drivers or right-front passengers.

    PubMed

    Braver, Elisa R; McCartt, Anne T; Sherwood, Christopher P; Zuby, David S; Blanar, Laura; Scerbo, Marge

    2010-04-01

    Public concern has arisen about the reliability of front air bags because Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data indicate many nondeployed air bags in fatal frontal crashes. However, the accuracy of air bag deployment, the variable in question, is uncertain. This study aimed to provide more certain estimates of nondeployment incidence in fatal frontal crashes. Fatally injured passenger vehicle drivers and right-front passengers in frontal crashes were identified in two U.S. databases for calendar years 1998-2006 and model years 1994-2006: FARS, a census of police-reported fatal crashes on public roads, and National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS), a probability sample of tow-away crashes. NASS/CDS contains subsets of fatal crashes in FARS and collects detailed data using crash investigators. Front air bag deployment coding for front-seat occupant fatalities was compared in FARS and NASS/CDS, and case reviews were conducted. Among FARS frontal deaths with available deployment status (N = 43,169), front air bags were coded as not deployed for 18 percent of front occupants. In comparison, NASS/CDS (N = 628) reported 9 percent (weighted estimate) nondeployment among front occupants killed. Among crashes common to both databases, NASS/CDS reported deployments for 45 percent of front occupant deaths for which FARS had coded nondeployments. Detailed case reviews of NASS/CDS crashes indicated highly accurate coding for deployment status. Based on this case review, 8 percent (weighted estimate) of front occupant deaths in frontal crashes appeared to involve air bag nondeployments; 1-2 percent of front occupant deaths represented potential system failures where deployments would have been expected. Air bag deployments appeared unwarranted in most nondeployments based on crash characteristics. FARS data overstate the magnitude of the problem of air bag deployment failures; steps should be taken to improve coding. There are inherent uncertainties in judgments about whether or not air bags would be expected to deploy in some crashes. Continued monitoring of air bag performance is warranted.

  6. Advanced glycation end products promote the proliferation and migration of primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells via the upregulation of BAG3

    PubMed Central

    Li, Cunshu; Chang, Ye; Li, Yuan; Chen, Shuang; Chen, Yintao; Ye, Ning; Dai, Dongxue; Sun, Yingxian

    2017-01-01

    The present study was aimed to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on advanced glycation end product (AGE)-induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and whether Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is involved in the process. Primary rat VSMCs were extracted and cultured in vitro. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay and cell proliferation was detected by EdU incorporation assay. Cell migration was detected by wound healing and Transwell assays. BAG3 was detected using qPCR and western blot analysis. Transcriptional and translational inhibitors (actinomycin D and cycloheximide, respectively) were used to study the effect of AGEs on the expression of BAG3 in VSMCs. Lentiviral plasmids containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against rat BAG3 or control shRNA were transduced into VSMCs. Cellular ROS were detected by 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRE) staining. AGEs significantly increased the expression of BAG3 in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, AGEs mainly increased the expression of BAG3 mRNA by increasing the RNA synthesis rather than inhibiting the RNA translation. BAG3 knockdown reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by AGEs. BAG3 knockdown reduced the generation of ROS and sustained the mitochondrial membrane potential of VSMCs. Reduction of ROS production by N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, also reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. On the whole, the present study demonstrated for the first time that AGEs could increase ROS production and promote the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by upregulating BAG3 expression. This study indicated that BAG3 should be considered as a potential target for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular complications of diabetes. PMID:28350077

  7. Advanced glycation end products promote the proliferation and migration of primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells via the upregulation of BAG3.

    PubMed

    Li, Cunshu; Chang, Ye; Li, Yuan; Chen, Shuang; Chen, Yintao; Ye, Ning; Dai, Dongxue; Sun, Yingxian

    2017-05-01

    The present study was aimed to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on advanced glycation end product (AGE)-induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and whether Bcl-2‑associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is involved in the process. Primary rat VSMCs were extracted and cultured in vitro. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay and cell proliferation was detected by EdU incorporation assay. Cell migration was detected by wound healing and Transwell assays. BAG3 was detected using qPCR and western blot analysis. Transcriptional and translational inhibitors (actinomycin D and cycloheximide, respectively) were used to study the effect of AGEs on the expression of BAG3 in VSMCs. Lentiviral plasmids containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against rat BAG3 or control shRNA were transduced into VSMCs. Cellular ROS were detected by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRE) staining. AGEs significantly increased the expression of BAG3 in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, AGEs mainly increased the expression of BAG3 mRNA by increasing the RNA synthesis rather than inhibiting the RNA translation. BAG3 knockdown reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by AGEs. BAG3 knockdown reduced the generation of ROS and sustained the mitochondrial membrane potential of VSMCs. Reduction of ROS production by N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, also reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. On the whole, the present study demonstrated for the first time that AGEs could increase ROS production and promote the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by upregulating BAG3 expression. This study indicated that BAG3 should be considered as a potential target for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular complications of diabetes.

  8. Usage of Plastic Bags and Health Hazards: A Study to Assess Awareness Level and Perception about Legislation Among a Small Population of Mangalore City

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Aswin; Majgi, Sumanth Mallikarjuna; Kumar, Ganesh S; Prahalad, Raghavendra Babu Yellapur

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Plastic bag users are at risk of number of health hazards. There is paucity of data with regard to awareness of health hazards among general population in India. Aim This study was done to find out the status of awareness of the health hazards associated with the usage of plastic bags among people and their perception towards the legislation prohibiting the usage of plastic bags. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study conducted in Mangalore city in August 2013. Data was collected by interviewing any adult member (aged above 18 years) in each of the selected households using an interview schedule. Results Mean age of the 250 participants was 32.8±10.8 years. Majority 160(64%) were females educated up to undergraduate level or above 187(74.8%). Among the participants 216(86.4%) were aware of the health hazards associated with the use of plastic bags. Awareness was significantly more amongst females (p=0.027), well-educated participants (p=0.004) and among professionals and semi-professionals (p<0.001). There were 50(20%) participants reusing plastic bags for shopping after initial usage. The cloth bags were used for shopping in place of plastic bags by 13(5.2%) participants. Among the participants 213(85.2%) were aware of the legislation banning the use of plastic bags and out of which 166(77.9%) were in its favour. Semi-professionals and students favoured the ban on plastic bags whereas unskilled and semiskilled workers were against the ban (p=0.01). Conclusion Most of the participants in the settings had the awareness of hazards of plastic bag usage. However, there is a need for spreading the awareness of using alternative strategies and effective implementation of legislation in order to minimize the usage of plastics in the community. PMID:27190841

  9. Abundance of non-native crabs in intertidal habitats of New England with natural and artificial structure

    PubMed Central

    Lovely, Christina M.; Judge, Michael L.

    2015-01-01

    Marine habitats containing complex physical structure (e.g., crevices) can provide shelter from predation for benthic invertebrates. To examine effects of natural and artificial structure on the abundance of intertidal juvenile crabs, 2 experiments were conducted in Kingston Bay, Massachusetts, USA, from July to September, 2012. In the first experiment, structure was manipulated in a two-factor design that was placed in the high intertidal for 3 one-week periods to test for both substrate type (sand vs. rock) and the presence or absence of artificial structure (mesh grow-out bags used in aquaculture, ∼0.5 m2 with 62 mm2 mesh openings). The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, and small individuals of the green crab, Carcinus maenas, were observed only in the treatments of rocks and mesh bag plus rocks. Most green crabs were small (<6 mm in carapace width) whereas H. sanguineus occurred in a wide range of sizes. In the second experiment, 3 levels of oyster-shell treatments were established using grow-out bags placed on a muddy sand substrate in the low intertidal zone: mesh grow-out bags without shells, grow-out bags with oyster shells, and grow-out bags containing live oysters. Replicate bags were deployed weekly for 7 weeks in a randomized complete block design. All crabs collected in the bags were juvenile C. maenas (1–15 mm carapace width), and numbers of crabs differed 6-fold among treatments, with most crabs present in bags with live oysters (29.5 ± 10.6 m−2 [mean ± S.D.]) and fewest in bags without shells (4.9 ± 3.7 m−2). Both C. maenas and H. sanguineus occurred in habitats with natural structure (cobble rocks). The attraction of juvenile C. maenas to artificial structure consisting of plastic mesh bags containing both oyster shells and living oysters could potentially impact oyster aquaculture operations. PMID:26401456

  10. Promoting fertilizer use via controlled release of a bacteria-encapsulated film bag.

    PubMed

    Wu, Chin-San

    2010-05-26

    A phosphate-solubilizing bacterium ( Burkholderia cepacia isolate) encapsulated in maleic anhydride (MA) grafted onto poly(butylene succinate adipate) (PBSA) and then combined with starch as film bag material (PBSA-g-MA/starch) incubated in a saline solution required approximately 20 days to deplete the starch in the film bags. Thereafter, the cell concentration in the saline solution increased significantly because of the release of cells from the severely destroyed film bags and also their growth by use of depolymerized PBSA-g-MA fragments as a substrate. The incubation proceeded for 60 days, by which time the PBSA-g-MA/starch composite had suffered a >80% weight loss. For practical application, effectiveness of the above-mentioned film bags was demonstrated because it could improve the absorbability of a fertilizer for plants and promote the growth of plants. As a result, it can avoid the accumulation of the phosphate in excess fertilizer that lead to the phenomenon of poor soils. These results demonstrate that PBSA-g-MA/starch can be used to encapsulate cells of an indigenous phosphate-solubilizing bacterium ( B. cepacia isolate) to form a controlled release of bacteria-encapsulated film bag (BEFB). The B. cepacia isolate was able to degrade the film bags material, causing cell release. Biodegradability of the film bags depended upon the type of material used, because the PBSA film bags were also degraded but to a lesser degree. The addition of starch made the film bags more biodegradable. The decrease in intrinsic viscosity was also higher for the starch composite, suggesting a strong connection between the biodegradability and these characteristics. The results suggest that the release of fertilizer-promoted bacteria might be controllable via a suitable film bag material formulation. In addition, this work adopted live bacteria to promote the absorption of phosphate, which is superior to the phosphate used in the traditional way.

  11. Abundance of non-native crabs in intertidal habitats of New England with natural and artificial structure.

    PubMed

    Lovely, Christina M; O'Connor, Nancy J; Judge, Michael L

    2015-01-01

    Marine habitats containing complex physical structure (e.g., crevices) can provide shelter from predation for benthic invertebrates. To examine effects of natural and artificial structure on the abundance of intertidal juvenile crabs, 2 experiments were conducted in Kingston Bay, Massachusetts, USA, from July to September, 2012. In the first experiment, structure was manipulated in a two-factor design that was placed in the high intertidal for 3 one-week periods to test for both substrate type (sand vs. rock) and the presence or absence of artificial structure (mesh grow-out bags used in aquaculture, ∼0.5 m(2) with 62 mm(2) mesh openings). The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus, and small individuals of the green crab, Carcinus maenas, were observed only in the treatments of rocks and mesh bag plus rocks. Most green crabs were small (<6 mm in carapace width) whereas H. sanguineus occurred in a wide range of sizes. In the second experiment, 3 levels of oyster-shell treatments were established using grow-out bags placed on a muddy sand substrate in the low intertidal zone: mesh grow-out bags without shells, grow-out bags with oyster shells, and grow-out bags containing live oysters. Replicate bags were deployed weekly for 7 weeks in a randomized complete block design. All crabs collected in the bags were juvenile C. maenas (1-15 mm carapace width), and numbers of crabs differed 6-fold among treatments, with most crabs present in bags with live oysters (29.5 ± 10.6 m(-2) [mean ± S.D.]) and fewest in bags without shells (4.9 ± 3.7 m(-2)). Both C. maenas and H. sanguineus occurred in habitats with natural structure (cobble rocks). The attraction of juvenile C. maenas to artificial structure consisting of plastic mesh bags containing both oyster shells and living oysters could potentially impact oyster aquaculture operations.

  12. BAG3 protects against hyperthermic stress by modulating NF-κB and ERK activities in human retinoblastoma cells.

    PubMed

    Yunoki, Tatsuya; Tabuchi, Yoshiaki; Hayashi, Atsushi; Kondo, Takashi

    2015-03-01

    BCL2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3), a co-chaperone of HSP70, is a cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic protein that acts against various stresses, including heat stress. Here, we examined the effect of BAG3 on the sensitivity of human retinoblastoma cells to hyperthermia (HT). We examined the effects of BAG3 knockdown on the sensitivity of Y79 and WERI-Rb-1cells to HT (44 °C, 1 h) by evaluating apoptosis and cell proliferation using western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), flow cytometry, and a WST-8 assay kit. Furthermore, we examined the effects of activating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) using western blotting and real time qPCR. HT induced considerable apoptosis along with the activation of caspase-3 and chromatin condensation. The sensitivity of Y79 and WERI-Rb-1 cells to HT was significantly enhanced by BAG3 knockdown. Compared to HT alone, the combination of BAG3 knockdown and HT reduced phosphorylation of the inhibitors of kappa B α (IκBα) and p65, a subunit of NF-κB, and degraded IκB kinase γ (IKKγ) during the recovery period after HT. Furthermore, BAG3 knockdown increased the HT-induced phosphorylation of ERK after HT treatment, and the ERK inhibitor U0126 significantly improved the viability of the cells treated with a combination of BAG3 knockdown and HT. The silencing of BAG3 seems to enhance the effects of HT, at least in part, by maintaining HT-induced inactivity of NF-κB and the phosphorylation of ERK. These findings indicate that BAG3 may be a potential molecular target for modifying the outcomes of HT in retinoblastoma.

  13. Effect of Salted Ice Bags on Surface and Intramuscular Tissue Cooling and Rewarming Rates.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Eric J; Ostrowski, Jennifer; Donahue, Matthew; Crowley, Caitlyn; Herzog, Valerie

    2016-02-01

    Many researchers have investigated the effectiveness of different cryotherapy agents at decreasing intramuscular tissue temperatures. However, no one has looked at the effectiveness of adding salt to an ice bag. To compare the cooling effectiveness of different ice bags (wetted, salted cubed, and salted crushed) on cutaneous and intramuscular temperatures. Repeated-measures counterbalanced design. University research laboratory. 24 healthy participants (13 men, 11 women; age 22.46 ± 2.33 y, height 173.25 ± 9.78 cm, mass 74.51 ± 17.32 kg, subcutaneous thickness 0.63 ± 0.27 cm) with no lower-leg injuries, vascular diseases, sensitivity to cold, compromised circulation, or chronic use of NSAIDs. Ice bags made of wetted ice (2000 mL ice and 300 mL water), salted cubed ice (intervention A; 2000 mL of cubed ice and 1/2 tablespoon of salt), and salted crushed ice (intervention B; 2000 mL of crushed ice and 1/2 tablespoon of salt) were applied to the posterior gastrocnemius for 30 min. Each participant received all conditions with at least 4 d between treatments. Cutaneous and intramuscular (2 cm plus adipose thickness) temperatures of nondominant gastrocnemius were measured during a 10-min baseline period, a 30-min treatment period, and a 45-min rewarming period. Differences from baseline were observed for all treatments. The wetted-ice and salted-cubed-ice bags produced significantly lower intramuscular temperatures than the salted-crushed-ice bag. Wetted-ice bags produced the greatest temperature change for cutaneous tissues. Wetted- and salted-cubed-ice bags were equally effective at decreasing intramuscular temperature at 2 cm subadipose. Clinical practicality may favor salted-ice bags over wetted-ice bags.

  14. Hemagglutinating virus of Japan-artificial viral envelope liposome-mediated cotransfer of bag-1 and bcl-2 genes protects hepatic cells against ischemic injury through BAG-1-assisted preferential enhancement of bcl-2 protein expression.

    PubMed

    Yanada, Shinobu; Sasaki, Masao; Takayama, Shinichi; Kaneda, Yasufumi; Miwa, Nobuhiko

    2005-05-01

    Hepatic injury subsequent to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) was demonstrated in our previous study to be prevented by hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ)-artificial viral envelope (AVE) liposome-mediated gene transfer of the antiapoptotic gene, human bcl-2 (h-bcl-2). In the present study, we introduced simultaneously both mouse Bcl-2-associated athanogene 1 (m-bag-1) and the h-bcl-2 gene by the same HVJ-AVE liposome transfection method, and found that I/R-induced hepatic injuries such as release of hepatic marker enzymes into blood, cell morphological degeneration, and cellular DNA strand cleavage were suppressed more effectively than by transfection with either gene singly. In addition, the h-Bcl-2 expression level in the ischemic state, but not in the nonischemic state, was markedly higher in h-bcl-2/m-bag-1-cotransfected liver than in h-bcl-2-transfected liver. In contrast, the m-BAG-1 expression level in the ischemic state, but not in the nonischemic state, was only slightly higher in h-bcl-2/m-bag-1-cotransfected liver than in m-bag-1-transfected liver. Thus, with dual gene cotransfer, coexistent Bcl-2 protein exerts no activity to assist a marked enhancement of BAG-1 protein, whereas the function of overexpressed BAG-1 as a Bcl-2-binding protein may lead to the enhancement of efficient expression of h-Bcl-2 in I/R-treated liver as compared with nonischemic liver, which results in repression of diverse I/R-induced cell death symptoms, presumably through the formation of functional complexes of BAG-1 and Bcl-2.

  15. Effects of Aeration of Sawdust Cultivation Bags on Hyphal Growth of Lentinula edodes.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hwa-Yong; Ham, Eun-Ju; Yoo, Young-Jin; Kim, Eui-Sung; Shim, Kyu-Kwang; Kim, Myung-Kon; Koo, Chang-Duck

    2012-09-01

    The effects of aeration through lid filters on the hyphal growth of Lentinula edodes (oak mushroom) in sawdust cultivation bags were investigated. The aeration treatment levels were traditional 27 mm hole cotton plugs, cotton balls and combinations of seven hole sizes × two hole positions (up and under) in the lids covering plastic bags containing 1.4 kg sawdust medium at 63% moisture that had been autoclaved for one hour and inoculated with sawdust spawn of L. edodes strain 921. Aeration treatment effects were measured based on the CO(2) concentration at the 15th wk, as well as the hyphal growth rate and degree of weight loss of bags every 14 days for 15 wk. In bags with traditional cotton plugs, the CO(2) concentration was 3.8 ± 1.3%, daily mean hyphal growth was 2.3 ± 0.6 mm and daily mean weight loss was 0.84 ± 0.26 g. In the bags with 15 mm diameter holes, the CO(2) concentration was 6.0 ± 1.6%, daily hyphal growth was 2.8 ± 0.2 mm and daily weight loss was 0.86 ± 0.4 g. The bags with 15 mm holes had a higher CO(2) concentration and lower water loss than bags with other hole sizes, but the hyphal growth was not significantly different from that of other bags. The weight loss of bags increased proportionally relative to the lid hole sizes. Taken together, these results indicate that traditional cotton plugs are economically efficient, but 15 mm hole lids are the most efficient at maintaining hyphal growth and controlling water loss while allowing CO(2) emissions.

  16. Best options for the exposure of traditional and innovative moss bags: A systematic evaluation in three European countries.

    PubMed

    Capozzi, F; Giordano, S; Aboal, J R; Adamo, P; Bargagli, R; Boquete, T; Di Palma, A; Real, C; Reski, R; Spagnuolo, V; Steinbauer, K; Tretiach, M; Varela, Z; Zechmeister, H; Fernández, J A

    2016-07-01

    To develop an internationally standardized protocol for the moss bag technique application, the research team participating in the FP7 European project "MOSSclone" focused on the optimization of the moss bags exposure in terms of bag characteristics (shape of the bags, mesh size, weight/surface ratio), duration and height of exposure by comparing traditional moss bags to a new concept bag, "Mossphere". In particular, the effects of each variable on the metal uptake from the air were evaluated by a systematic experimental design carried out in urban, industrial, agricultural and background areas of three European countries with oceanic, Mediterranean and continental climate. The results evidenced that the shape, the mesh size of the bags and the exposure height (in the tested ranges), did not significantly influence the uptake capacity of the transplanted moss. The aspects more affecting the element uptake were represented by the density of the moss inside the bags and the relative ratio between its weight and the surface area of the bag. We found that, the lower the density, the higher the uptake recorded. Moreover, three weeks of exposure were not enough to have a consistent uptake signal in all the environments tested, thus we suggest an exposure period not shorter than 6 weeks, which is appropriate in most situations. The above results were confirmed in all the countries and scenarios tested. The adoption of a shared exposure protocol by the research community is strongly recommended since it is a key aspect to make biomonitoring surveys directly comparable, also in view of its recognition as a monitoring method by the EU legislation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Effects of Aeration of Sawdust Cultivation Bags on Hyphal Growth of Lentinula edodes

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hwa-Yong; Ham, Eun-Ju; Yoo, Young-Jin; Kim, Eui-Sung; Shim, Kyu-Kwang; Kim, Myung-Kon

    2012-01-01

    The effects of aeration through lid filters on the hyphal growth of Lentinula edodes (oak mushroom) in sawdust cultivation bags were investigated. The aeration treatment levels were traditional 27 mm hole cotton plugs, cotton balls and combinations of seven hole sizes × two hole positions (up and under) in the lids covering plastic bags containing 1.4 kg sawdust medium at 63% moisture that had been autoclaved for one hour and inoculated with sawdust spawn of L. edodes strain 921. Aeration treatment effects were measured based on the CO2 concentration at the 15th wk, as well as the hyphal growth rate and degree of weight loss of bags every 14 days for 15 wk. In bags with traditional cotton plugs, the CO2 concentration was 3.8 ± 1.3%, daily mean hyphal growth was 2.3 ± 0.6 mm and daily mean weight loss was 0.84 ± 0.26 g. In the bags with 15 mm diameter holes, the CO2 concentration was 6.0 ± 1.6%, daily hyphal growth was 2.8 ± 0.2 mm and daily weight loss was 0.86 ± 0.4 g. The bags with 15 mm holes had a higher CO2 concentration and lower water loss than bags with other hole sizes, but the hyphal growth was not significantly different from that of other bags. The weight loss of bags increased proportionally relative to the lid hole sizes. Taken together, these results indicate that traditional cotton plugs are economically efficient, but 15 mm hole lids are the most efficient at maintaining hyphal growth and controlling water loss while allowing CO2 emissions. PMID:23115508

  18. Plastic bag clip discovered in partial colectomy accompanying proposal for phylogenic plastic bag clip classification

    PubMed Central

    Lehmer, Larisa M; Ragsdale, Bruce D; Daniel, John; Hayashi, Edwin; Kvalstad, Robert

    2011-01-01

    A plastic bag clip was incidentally found anchored in the mucosa of a partial colectomy specimen 2.6 cm proximal to a ruptured diverticulum for which the patient, a mentally retarded, diabetic, 58-year-old man, underwent surgery. Over 20 cases of accidental ingestion of plastic bag clips have been published. Known complications include small bowel perforation, obstruction, dysphagia, gastrointestinal bleeding and colonic impaction. Preoperative diagnosis of plastic clips lodged in the gastrointestinal tract is frustrated due to radiographic translucency. This occult threat could likely be prevented by the design of gastrointestinally safe, plastic-bag-sealing devices. Presented here is a morphologically based classification of bag clips as a possible guide for determining the most hazardous varieties and to aid further discussions of their impact on health. PMID:22679182

  19. Stability of the lepton bag model based on the Kerr–Newman solution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burinskii, A., E-mail: bur@ibrae.ac.ru

    2015-11-15

    We show that the lepton bag model considered in our previous paper [10], generating the external gravitational and electromagnetic fields of the Kerr–Newman (KN) solution, is supersymmetric and represents a BPS-saturated soliton interpolating between the internal vacuum state and the external KN solution. We obtain Bogomolnyi equations for this phase transition and show that the Bogomolnyi bound determines all important features of this bag model, including its stable shape. In particular, for the stationary KN solution, the BPS bound provides stability of the ellipsoidal form of the bag and the formation of the ring–string structure at its border, while formore » the periodic electromagnetic excitations of the KN solution, the BPS bound controls the deformation of the surface of the bag, reproducing the known flexibility of bag models.« less

  20. The anti-apoptotic BAG3 protein is involved in BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma cells.

    PubMed

    Guerriero, Luana; Palmieri, Giuseppe; De Marco, Margot; Cossu, Antonio; Remondelli, Paolo; Capunzo, Mario; Turco, Maria Caterina; Rosati, Alessandra

    2017-10-06

    BAG3 protein, a member of BAG family of co-chaperones, has a pro-survival role in several tumour types. BAG3 anti-apoptotic properties rely on its characteristic to bind several intracellular partners, thereby modulating crucial events such as apoptosis, differentiation, cell motility, and autophagy. In human melanomas, BAG3 positivity is correlated with the aggressiveness of the tumour cells and can sustain IKK-γ levels, allowing a sustained activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, BAG3 is able to modulate BRAFV600E levels and activity in thyroid carcinomas. BRAFV600E is the most frequent mutation detected in malignant melanomas and is targeted by Vemurafenib, a specific inhibitor found to be effective in the treatment of advanced melanoma. However, patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma may result insensitive ab initio or, mostly, develop acquired resistance to the treatment with this molecule. Here we show that BAG3 down-modulation interferes with BRAF levels in melanoma cells and sensitizes them to Vemurafenib treatment. Furthermore, the down-modulation of BAG3 protein in an in vitro model of acquired resistance to Vemurafenib can induce sensitization to the BRAFV600E specific inhibition by interfering with BRAF pathway through reduction of ERK phosphorylation, but also on parallel survival pathways. Future studies on BAG3 molecular interactions with key proteins responsible of acquired BRAF inhibitor resistance may represent a promising field for novel multi-drugs treatment design.

  1. BAG3 facilitates the clearance of endogenous tau in primary neurons.

    PubMed

    Lei, Zhinian; Brizzee, Corey; Johnson, Gail V W

    2015-01-01

    Tau is a microtubule associated protein that is found primarily in neurons, and in pathologic conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) it accumulates and contributes to the disease process. Because tau plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of AD and other tauopathies, and in AD mouse models reducing tau levels improves outcomes, approaches that facilitate tau clearance are being considered as therapeutic strategies. However, fundamental to the development of such interventions is a clearer understanding of the mechanisms that regulate tau clearance. Here, we report a novel mechanism of tau degradation mediated by the co-chaperone BAG3. BAG3 has been shown to be an essential component of a complex that targets substrates to the autophagy pathway for degradation. In rat primary neurons, activation of autophagy by inhibition of proteasome activity or treatment with trehalose resulted in significant decreases in tau and phospho-tau levels. These treatments also induced an upregulation of BAG3. Proteasome inhibition activated JNK, which was responsible for the upregulation of BAG3 and increased tau clearance. Inhibiting JNK or knocking down BAG3 blocked the proteasome inhibition-induced decreases in tau. Further, BAG3 overexpression alone resulted in significant decreases in tau and phospho-tau levels in neurons. These results indicate that BAG3 plays a critical role in regulating the levels of tau in neurons, and interventions that increase BAG3 levels could provide a therapeutic approach in the treatment of AD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The anti-apoptotic BAG3 protein is involved in BRAF inhibitor resistance in melanoma cells

    PubMed Central

    Guerriero, Luana; Palmieri, Giuseppe; De Marco, Margot; Cossu, Antonio; Remondelli, Paolo; Capunzo, Mario; Turco, Maria Caterina; Rosati, Alessandra

    2017-01-01

    BAG3 protein, a member of BAG family of co-chaperones, has a pro-survival role in several tumour types. BAG3 anti-apoptotic properties rely on its characteristic to bind several intracellular partners, thereby modulating crucial events such as apoptosis, differentiation, cell motility, and autophagy. In human melanomas, BAG3 positivity is correlated with the aggressiveness of the tumour cells and can sustain IKK-γ levels, allowing a sustained activation of NF-κB. Furthermore, BAG3 is able to modulate BRAFV600E levels and activity in thyroid carcinomas. BRAFV600E is the most frequent mutation detected in malignant melanomas and is targeted by Vemurafenib, a specific inhibitor found to be effective in the treatment of advanced melanoma. However, patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma may result insensitive ab initio or, mostly, develop acquired resistance to the treatment with this molecule. Here we show that BAG3 down-modulation interferes with BRAF levels in melanoma cells and sensitizes them to Vemurafenib treatment. Furthermore, the down-modulation of BAG3 protein in an in vitro model of acquired resistance to Vemurafenib can induce sensitization to the BRAFV600E specific inhibition by interfering with BRAF pathway through reduction of ERK phosphorylation, but also on parallel survival pathways. Future studies on BAG3 molecular interactions with key proteins responsible of acquired BRAF inhibitor resistance may represent a promising field for novel multi-drugs treatment design. PMID:29113311

  3. Does the ‘Old Bag’ Make a Good ‘Wind Bag’?: Comparison of Four Fabrics Commonly Used as Exclusion Bags in Studies of Pollination and Reproductive Biology

    PubMed Central

    NEAL, PAUL R.; ANDERSON, GREGORY J.

    2004-01-01

    • Background and Aims Fabrics used in pollination bags may exclude pollen carried by biotic vectors, but have varying degrees of permeability to wind‐borne pollen. The permeability of bags to wind‐borne pollen may have important consequences in studies of pollination and reproductive biology. The permeability of four fabrics commonly used in the construction of pollination bags was examined. • Methods Deposition of wind‐borne pollen on horizontally and vertically oriented microscope slides was assessed on slides enclosed in pollination bags, as well as on control slides. • Key Results It was found that the permeability of fabrics to wind‐borne pollen, as measured by deposition on both horizontally and vertically oriented slides, decreased with pore size. However, deposition on horizontal slides was always greater than on vertical slides for a given fabric; this could manifest itself as differential success of pollination of flowers in bags—dependent on flower orientation. • Conclusions Obviously, bags with mesh size smaller than most pollen grains are impermeable to pollen. However, material for such bags is very expensive. In addition, it was also observed that bags with even moderately small pore size, such as pores (approx. 200 µm) in twisted fibre cotton muslin, offered highly significant barriers to passage of wind‐borne pollen. Such bags are sufficiently effective in most large‐sample‐size reproductive biology studies. PMID:15037446

  4. 75 FR 82007 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; PCBs...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-29

    ... visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will... your comments: 1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples. 2. Describe... that support your views. 4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the...

  5. 76 FR 4657 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; TSCA Section 402...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-26

    ... visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will... your comments: 1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples. 2. Describe... that support your views. 4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the...

  6. 75 FR 66087 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Residential Lead...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-27

    ... visitor log. All visitor bags are processed through an X-ray machine and subject to search. Visitors will... your comments: 1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific examples. 2. Describe... that support your views. 4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you arrived at the...

  7. Structural design and performance of a rear support walking frame.

    PubMed

    Woollam, P J; Miller, K; McLeod, N; Batty, D; Stallard, J

    2002-01-01

    Rear support walking frames provide predetermined vertical support for patients with dysfunctional lower limbs that have limited active control; the support is provided through a spring-loaded boom hinged on an upright stanchion mounted at the rear of a wheeled frame within which the patient ambulates. The application of these frames for total-body-involved cerebral palsy patients, in combination with a walking orthosis, has highlighted a number of practical problems that need to be addressed for the system to become fully viable. A composite material prototype walking frame has been developed that permits the patient to be transferred by a single carer without the need to use inappropriate manual handling techniques. The frame has improved structural properties, with stiffness in the sagittal and coronal planes increasing by between 50 and 100 per cent. Evaluation with patients showed that the greater structural stiffness permitted the objective of improved continuity of walking to be achieved. The strength of the frame is such that it can accommodate patients of up to 80 kg, more than twice that possible in the earlier system. Since the structural yield point is approximately twice the maximum working load, the device should not be prone to unacceptable fatigue characteristics. Despite the use of carbon composite materials (which have brittle failure characteristics), the mode of failure is of progressive collapse and is therefore inherently safe. The successful outcome of prototype testing has justified production development. Work is now proceeding on a design that incorporates further improvements in structural performance and ease of manufacture.

  8. Portable, space-saving medical patient support system

    DOEpatents

    Bzorgi,; Fariborz, [Knoxville, TN

    2011-02-01

    A support platform having a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration on a floor. The support platform is related to stretcher devices that are used for transporting, confining, or conducting medical procedures on medical patients in medical emergencies. The support platform typically includes a work surface that has a geometric extent. A base that typically includes a plurality of frame members is provided, and the frame members are disposed across the geometric extent of, and proximal to, the work surface in the stowed configuration. The frame members are typically disposed on the floor in the deployed configuration. There is a foldable bracing system engaged with the work surface and engaged with the base. At least a portion of the foldable bracing system is disposed substantially inside at least a portion of the plurality of frame members in the stowed configuration. Further, the foldable bracing system is configured for translocation of the work surface distal from the base in the deployed configuration.

  9. Air Bag Applies Uniform Bonding Pressure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gillespie, C. A.

    1982-01-01

    Air-bag box applies constant uniform pressure to tiles and other objects undergoing adhesive bonding. Box is basically a compliant clamp with adjustable force and position. Can be used on irregular surfaces as well as on flat ones. Pressurized air is fed to bag through a tube so that it expands, filling the box and pressing against work. Bag adopts a contour that accommodates surface under open side of box.

  10. Evaluation of the environmental impact of portion bag for food packaging: a case study of Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruangrit, Chaniporn; Usapein, Parnuwat; Limphitakphong, Nantamol; Chavalparit, Orathai

    2017-05-01

    This study applied life cycle assessment methodology in evaluating environmental impact of portion bag. The objective of this study was to identify the hotspot of environmental impact through life cycle of portion bag. The options were proposed for improving environmental performance of the product. The system boundary was defined as cradle-to-grave which included the ethylene production, LDPE and LLDPE resins production, portion bag production, disposal, and transportation. All materials and emissions were calculated based on 1 piece of portion bag which weighed 2.49 g. IMPACT 2002+ was used for assessing environmental impact on SimaPro V8.2 software. The result found that the most of environmental impact was generated from LDPE and LLDPE resins which was used as raw material for producing portion bag. After normalization, non-renewable energy showed the highest potential to concern. This impact related directly to the natural gas drilling, ethane production, ethylene production, resin productions, and energy in all process. In conclusion, it should be suggested that the selection of bio-material for producing portion bag can play an important role to reduce the environmental impact. The research demonstrates the possible way and benefits in improving cleaner raw material and suitable way of product's end-of-life for producing green portion bag in the future.

  11. BAG3 Protein Is Over-Expressed in Endometrioid Endometrial Adenocarcinomas.

    PubMed

    Esposito, Veronica; Baldi, Carlo; Zeppa, Pio; Festa, Michelina; Guerriero, Luana; d'Avenia, Morena; Chetta, Massimiliano; Zullo, Fulvio; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; Turco, Maria Caterina; Rosati, Alessandra; Guida, Maurizio

    2017-02-01

    Endometrioid endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological tumor in developed countries, and its incidence is increasing. The definition of subtypes, based on clinical and endocrine features or on histopathological characteristics, correlate to some extent with patient's prognosis, but there is substantial heterogeneity within tumor types. The search for molecules and mechanisms implied in determining the progression and the response to therapy for this cancer is still ongoing. BAG3 protein, a member of BAG family of co-chaperones, has a pro-survival role in several tumor types. BAG3 anti-apoptotic properties rely on its characteristic to bind several intracellular partners, thereby, modulating crucial events such as apoptosis, differentiation, cell motility, and autophagy. BAG3 expression in human endometrial cancer tissues was not investigated so far. Here, we show that BAG3 protein levels are elevated in tumoral and hyperplastic cells in respect to normal glands. Furthermore, BAG3 subcellular localization appears to be changed in tumoral compared to normal cells. Our results indicate a possible role for BAG3 protein in the maintenance of cell survival in endometrioid endometrial cancer and suggest that this field of studies is worthy of further investigations. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 309-311, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Bias of Tedlar bags in the measurement of agricultural odorants.

    PubMed

    Trabue, Steven L; Anhalt, Jennifer C; Zahn, James A

    2006-01-01

    Odor regulations typically specify the use of dynamic dilution olfactometery (DDO) as a method to quantify odor emissions, and Tedlar bags are the preferred holding container for grab samples. This study was conducted to determine if Tedlar bags affect the integrity of sampled air from animal operations. Air samples were collected simultaneously in both Tedlar bags and Tenax thermal desorption tubes. Sample sources originated from either a hydrocarbon-free air tank, dynamic headspace chamber (DHC), or swine-production facility, and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (GC-MS-O). Several background contaminants were identified from Tedlar bags, which included the odorous compounds N,N-dimethyl acetamide (DMAC), acetic acid, and phenol. Samples from the DHC demonstrated that recovery of malodor compounds was dependent on residence time in the Tedlar bag with longer residence time leading to lower recovery. After 24 h of storage, recovery of C3-C6 volatile fatty acids (VFA) averaged 64%, 4-methylphenol and 4-ethylphenol averaged 10%, and indole and 3-methylindole were below the detection limits of GC-MS-O. The odor activity value (OAV) of grab samples collected in Tedlar bags were 33 to 65% lower following 24 h of storage. These results indicate that significant odorant bias occurs when using Tedlar bags for the sampling of odors from animal production facilities.

  13. Effects of packaging materials on storage quality of peanut kernels

    PubMed Central

    Fu, Xiaoji; Xing, Shengping; Xiong, Huiwei; Min, Hua; Zhu, Xuejing; He, Jialin; Mu, Honglei

    2018-01-01

    In order to obtain optimum packaging materials for peanut kernels, the effects of four types of packaging materials on peanut storage quality (coat color, acid value, germination rate, relative damage, and prevention of aflatoxin contamination) were examined. The results showed that packaging materials had a major influence on peanut storage quality indexes. The color of the peanut seed coat packaged in the polyester/aluminum/polyamide/polyethylene (PET/AL/PA/PE) composite film bag did not change significantly during the storage period. Color deterioration was slower with polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) packaging materials than with polyethylene (PE) film bags and was slower in PE bags than in the woven bags. The use of PET/AL/PA/PE and PA/PE bags maintained peanut quality and freshness for more than one year and both package types resulted in better germination rates. There were significant differences between the four types of packaging materials in terms of controlling insect pests. The peanuts packaged in the highly permeable woven bags suffered serious invasion from insect pests, while both PET/AL/PA/PE and PA/PE bags effectively prevented insect infection. Peanuts stored in PET/AL/PA/PE and PA/PE bags were also better at preventing and controlling aflatoxin contamination. PMID:29518085

  14. Ensemble Feature Learning of Genomic Data Using Support Vector Machine

    PubMed Central

    Anaissi, Ali; Goyal, Madhu; Catchpoole, Daniel R.; Braytee, Ali; Kennedy, Paul J.

    2016-01-01

    The identification of a subset of genes having the ability to capture the necessary information to distinguish classes of patients is crucial in bioinformatics applications. Ensemble and bagging methods have been shown to work effectively in the process of gene selection and classification. Testament to that is random forest which combines random decision trees with bagging to improve overall feature selection and classification accuracy. Surprisingly, the adoption of these methods in support vector machines has only recently received attention but mostly on classification not gene selection. This paper introduces an ensemble SVM-Recursive Feature Elimination (ESVM-RFE) for gene selection that follows the concepts of ensemble and bagging used in random forest but adopts the backward elimination strategy which is the rationale of RFE algorithm. The rationale behind this is, building ensemble SVM models using randomly drawn bootstrap samples from the training set, will produce different feature rankings which will be subsequently aggregated as one feature ranking. As a result, the decision for elimination of features is based upon the ranking of multiple SVM models instead of choosing one particular model. Moreover, this approach will address the problem of imbalanced datasets by constructing a nearly balanced bootstrap sample. Our experiments show that ESVM-RFE for gene selection substantially increased the classification performance on five microarray datasets compared to state-of-the-art methods. Experiments on the childhood leukaemia dataset show that an average 9% better accuracy is achieved by ESVM-RFE over SVM-RFE, and 5% over random forest based approach. The selected genes by the ESVM-RFE algorithm were further explored with Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) which reveals significant clusters with the selected data. PMID:27304923

  15. How do paramedics manage the airway during out of hospital cardiac arrest?

    PubMed Central

    Voss, Sarah; Rhys, Megan; Coates, David; Greenwood, Rosemary; Nolan, Jerry P.; Thomas, Matthew; Benger, Jonathan

    2014-01-01

    Aim The best method of initial airway management during resuscitation for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is unknown. The airway management techniques used currently by UK paramedics during resuscitation for OHCA are not well documented. This study describes the airway management techniques used in the usual practice arm of the REVIVE-Airways feasibility study, and documents the pathway of interventions to secure and sustain ventilation during OHCA. Method Data were collected from OHCAs attended by paramedics participating in the REVIVE-Airways trial between March 2012 and February 2013. Patients were included if they were enrolled in the usual practice arm of the study, fulfilled the main study eligibility criteria and did not receive either of the intervention supraglottic airway devices during the resuscitation attempt. Results Data from 196 attempted resuscitations were included in the analysis. The initial approach to airway management was bag-mask for 108 (55%), a supraglottic airway device (SAD) for 39 (20%) and tracheal intubation for 49 (25%). Paramedics made further airway interventions in 64% of resuscitations. When intubation was the initial approach, there was no further intervention in 76% of cases; this compares to 16% and 44% with bag-mask and SAD respectively. The most common reason cited by paramedics for changing from bag-mask was to carry out advanced life support, followed by regurgitation and inadequate ventilation. Inadequate ventilation was the commonest reason cited for removing a SAD. Conclusion Paramedics use a range of techniques to manage the airway during OHCA, and as the resuscitation evolves. It is therefore desirable to ensure that a range of techniques and equipment, supported by effective training, are available to paramedics who attend OHCA. PMID:25260723

  16. Prediction of air temperature for thermal comfort of people using sleeping bags: a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Jianhua

    2008-11-01

    Six models for determining air temperatures for thermal comfort of people using sleeping bags were reviewed. These models were based on distinctive metabolic rates and mean skin temperatures. All model predictions of air temperatures are low when the insulation values of the sleeping bag are high. Nevertheless, prediction variations are greatest for the sleeping bags with high insulation values, and there is a high risk of hypothermia if an inappropriate sleeping bag is chosen for the intended conditions of use. There is, therefore, a pressing need to validate the models by wear trial and determine which one best reflects ordinary consumer needs.

  17. Air bag restraint device

    DOEpatents

    Marts, Donna J.; Richardson, John G.

    1995-01-01

    A rear-seat air bag restraint device is disclosed that prevents an individual, or individuals, from continuing violent actions while being transported in a patrol vehicle's rear seat without requiring immediate physical contact by the law enforcement officer. The air bag is activated by a control switch in the front seat and inflates to independently restrict the amount of physical activity occurring in the rear seat of the vehicle while allowing the officer to safely stop the vehicle. The air bag can also provide the officer additional time to get backup personnel to aid him if the situation warrants it. The bag is inflated and maintains a constant pressure by an air pump.

  18. Prediction of air temperature for thermal comfort of people using sleeping bags: a review.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jianhua

    2008-11-01

    Six models for determining air temperatures for thermal comfort of people using sleeping bags were reviewed. These models were based on distinctive metabolic rates and mean skin temperatures. All model predictions of air temperatures are low when the insulation values of the sleeping bag are high. Nevertheless, prediction variations are greatest for the sleeping bags with high insulation values, and there is a high risk of hypothermia if an inappropriate sleeping bag is chosen for the intended conditions of use. There is, therefore, a pressing need to validate the models by wear trial and determine which one best reflects ordinary consumer needs.

  19. Degradation of Oxo-Biodegradable Plastic by Pleurotus ostreatus

    PubMed Central

    da Luz, José Maria Rodrigues; Paes, Sirlaine Albino; Nunes, Mateus Dias; da Silva, Marliane de Cássia Soares; Kasuya, Maria Catarina Megumi

    2013-01-01

    Growing concerns regarding the impact of the accumulation of plastic waste over several decades on the environmental have led to the development of biodegradable plastic. These plastics can be degraded by microorganisms and absorbed by the environment and are therefore gaining public support as a possible alternative to petroleum-derived plastics. Among the developed biodegradable plastics, oxo-biodegradable polymers have been used to produce plastic bags. Exposure of this waste plastic to ultraviolet light (UV) or heat can lead to breakage of the polymer chains in the plastic, and the resulting compounds are easily degraded by microorganisms. However, few studies have characterized the microbial degradation of oxo-biodegradable plastics. In this study, we tested the capability of Pleurotus ostreatus to degrade oxo-biodegradable (D2W) plastic without prior physical treatment, such as exposure to UV or thermal heating. After 45 d of incubation in substrate-containing plastic bags, the oxo-biodegradable plastic, which is commonly used in supermarkets, developed cracks and small holes in the plastic surface as a result of the formation of hydroxyl groups and carbon-oxygen bonds. These alterations may be due to laccase activity. Furthermore, we observed the degradation of the dye found in these bags as well as mushroom formation. Thus, P. ostreatus degrades oxo-biodegradable plastics and produces mushrooms using this plastic as substrate. PMID:23967057

  20. Degradation of oxo-biodegradable plastic by Pleurotus ostreatus.

    PubMed

    da Luz, José Maria Rodrigues; Paes, Sirlaine Albino; Nunes, Mateus Dias; da Silva, Marliane de Cássia Soares; Kasuya, Maria Catarina Megumi

    2013-01-01

    Growing concerns regarding the impact of the accumulation of plastic waste over several decades on the environmental have led to the development of biodegradable plastic. These plastics can be degraded by microorganisms and absorbed by the environment and are therefore gaining public support as a possible alternative to petroleum-derived plastics. Among the developed biodegradable plastics, oxo-biodegradable polymers have been used to produce plastic bags. Exposure of this waste plastic to ultraviolet light (UV) or heat can lead to breakage of the polymer chains in the plastic, and the resulting compounds are easily degraded by microorganisms. However, few studies have characterized the microbial degradation of oxo-biodegradable plastics. In this study, we tested the capability of Pleurotus ostreatus to degrade oxo-biodegradable (D2W) plastic without prior physical treatment, such as exposure to UV or thermal heating. After 45 d of incubation in substrate-containing plastic bags, the oxo-biodegradable plastic, which is commonly used in supermarkets, developed cracks and small holes in the plastic surface as a result of the formation of hydroxyl groups and carbon-oxygen bonds. These alterations may be due to laccase activity. Furthermore, we observed the degradation of the dye found in these bags as well as mushroom formation. Thus, P. ostreatus degrades oxo-biodegradable plastics and produces mushrooms using this plastic as substrate.

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