New polyimide polymer has excellent processing characterisitcs with improved thermo-oxidative and hydrolytic stabilities

Polyimide P10P and its processing technique apply to most high temperature plastic products, devices and castings. Prepolymer, when used as varnish, impregnates fibers directly and is able to be processed into advanced composities. Material may also be used as molding powder and adhesive

Fluorescent probes of the orientation of myosin regulatory light chains in relaxed, rigor, and contracting muscle.

The orientation of the light-chain region of myosin heads in relaxed, rigor, and isometrically contracting fibers from rabbit psoas muscle was studied by fluorescence polarization. Cysteine 108 of chicken gizzard myosin regulatory light chain (cgRLC) was covalently modified with iodoacetamidotetramethylrhodamine (iodo-ATR). Native RLC of single glycerinated muscle fibers was exchanged for labeled cgRLC in a low [Mg2+] rigor solution at 30 degrees C. Troponin and troponin C removed in this procedure were replaced. RLC exchange had little effect on active force production. X-ray diffraction showed normal structure in rigor after RLC exchange, but loss of axial and helical order in relaxation. In isolated myofibrils labeled cgRLC was confined to the regions of the sarcomere containing myosin heads. The ATR dipoles showed a preference for orientations perpendicular to the fiber axis, combined with limited nanosecond rotational motion, in all conditions studied. The perpendicular orientation preference was more marked in rigor than in either relaxation or active contraction. Stretching relaxed fibers to sarcomere length 4 microns to eliminate overlap between actin- and myosin-containing filaments had little effect on the orientation preference. There was no change in orientation preference when fibers were put into rigor at sarcomere length 4.0 microns. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with ATR-labeled rabbit skeletal RLC

Thermally stable laminating resins Final report

Polyimide resin and resin reinforced composite

Dystrophin and utrophin: the missing links!

AbstractThere is considerable sequence homology between dystrophin and utrophin, both at the protein and DNA level, and consequently it was assumed that their domain structures and functions would be similar. As more of the detailed biochemical and cell biological properties of these two proteins become known, so it becomes clear that there are subtle if not significant differences between them. We review recent findings and present new hypotheses into the structural and functional properties of the actin-binding domain, central coiled-coil region and regulatory/membrane protein-binding regions of dystrophin and utrophin

Reinforced structural plastics

Reinforced polyimide structures are described. Reinforcing materials are impregnated with a suspension of polyimide prepolymer and bonded together by heat and pressure to form a cured, hard-reinforced, polyimide structure

Myosins, Actin and Autophagy.

Myosin motor proteins working together with the actin cytoskeleton drive a wide range of cellular processes. In this review, we focus on their roles in autophagy - the pathway the cell uses to ensure homeostasis by targeting pathogens, misfolded proteins and damaged organelles for degradation. The actin cytoskeleton regulated by a host of nucleating, anchoring and stabilizing proteins provides the filament network for the delivery of essential membrane vesicles from different cellular compartments to the autophagosome. Actin networks have also been implicated in structurally supporting the expanding phagophore, moving autophagosomes and enabling efficient fusion with the lysosome. Only a few myosins have so far been shown to play a role in autophagy. Non-muscle myosin IIA functions in the early stages delivering membrane for the initial formation of the autophagosome, whereas myosin IC and myosin VI are involved in the final stages providing specific membranes for autophagosome maturation and its fusion with the lysosome.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tra.1241

New rapid-curing, stable polyimide polymers with high-temperature strength and thermal stability

Additive-type polymerization reaction forms thermally stable polyimide polymers, thereby eliminating the volatile matter attendant with the condensation reaction. It is based on the utilization of reactive alicyclic rings positioned on the ends of polyimide prepolymers having relatively low molecular weights

Child injury prevention: a survey of local authorities and health boards

Aims: Unintentional home injuries are a significant global public health issue and are a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Within each country, injuries disproportionately affect children from low income families. Recent guidance issued in the UK recommends actions to be taken by local authorities to reduce injury rates and inequalities. This study aimed to describe and quantify child home injury prevention activities of local authorities (LAs) in England and health boards (HBs) in Wales. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to Directors of Public Health (DsPH) in all 153 upper-tier LAs in England and 7 HBs in Wales. The questionnaire covered the five broad areas recommended for injury prevention activities by NICE guidelines. Results: A response rate of 58% was achieved. NICE guidance (75%) and Public Health England guidance (57%) were most commonly used to support child injury prevention decision making. Half (50%) of respondents had a child injury prevention alliance in their area. One fifth (19%) reported that their area had a written child injury prevention strategy. Fewer than half of responders provided training to practitioners about child unintentional injury prevention (43%), home safety assessments (43%) or an equipment scheme (43%). Of the 43% of areas with equipment schemes, most (59%) were small scale, supplying up to 200 families per year with equipment. Conclusions: Although some LAs/HBs show implementation of recent guidance on preventing home injuries in childhood, most do not. LAs/HBs are likely to need support to implement guidance in order that child injury rates and inequalities can be reduced

Phosphorylation site sequence of smooth muscle myosin light chain (Mr = 20 000)

AbstractThe amino terminal sequence of the myosin light chain (Mr = 20 000) isolated from chicken gizzards was found to be acetyl-Ser-Ser-Lys-Arg-Ala-Lys-Ala-Lys-Thr-Thr-Lys-Lys-Arg-Pro-Gln-Arg-Ala-Thr-Ser(P)-Asn-Val-Phe. This sequence assignment differs from that reported by Maita et al. [(1981) European J. Biochem. 117, 417] in the order of the tryptic peptides. The revised amino acid sequence exhibits greater homology with the phosphorylation site sequences of the regulatory light chains from cardiac and skeletal muscle. Moreover it is now apparent why synthetic peptides corresponding to the previously reported sequence were very poor substrates for the myosin light chain kinase

The localization of myosin VI at the golgi complex and leading edge of fibroblasts and its phosphorylation and recruitment into membrane ruffles of A431 cells after growth factor stimulation.

Myosin VI is an unconventional myosin that may play a role in vesicular membrane traffic through actin rich regions of the cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. In this study we have cloned and sequenced a cDNA encoding a chicken intestinal brush border myosin VI. Polyclonal antisera were raised to bacterially expressed fragments of this myosin VI. The affinity purified antibodies were highly specific for myosin VI by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation and were used to study the localization of the protein by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy. It was found that in NRK and A431 cells, myosin VI was associated with both the Golgi complex and the leading, ruffling edge of the cell as well as being present in a cytosolic pool. In A431 cells in which cell surface ruffling was stimulated by EGF, myosin VI was phosphorylated and recruited into the newly formed ruffles along with ezrin and myosin V. In vitro experiments suggested that a p21-activated kinase (PAK) might be the kinase responsible for phosphorylation in the motor domain. These results strongly support a role for myosin VI in membrane traffic on secretory and endocytic pathways