The cluster of neuropeptidergic bag cells in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia is able to generate a long lasting afterdischarge of compound action potentials following brief electrical stimulation of the pleurovisceral connective nerve or extracellular addition of cyclic adenosine 3’:5’-monophosphate (CAMP) analogues. We have now examined the response of individual cultured bag cells to the CA...

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...

Mineral crystal nucleation in UMR 106-01 osteoblastic cultures occurs within 15-25-microm extracellular vesicle-containing biomineralization foci (BMF) structures. We show here that BAG-75 and BSP, biomarkers for these foci, are specifically enriched in laser capture microscope-isolated mineralized BMF as compared with the total cell layer. Unexpectedly, fragments of each protein (45-50 kDa in ...

The bag cell neurons of Aplysia are neurosecretory cells which control egg-laying behavior. In their resting state, the cells have a high resting potential and show no spontaneous activity. In response to brief stimulation of a neural input, the cells depolarize and fire repetitively for up to 60 min. This afterdischarge is thought to be controlled by elevations of intracellular adenosine 3':5'...

A urinary catheter is an indispensable tool use in patient’s care. The study is a descriptive study aimed at examining the relationship of factors such as sex, age, volume of urine inside drainage bag, and catheter related factors with the development of urinary tract infection and also to determine the organism responsible for urinary tract infection among catheterized patients. 57 patients we...

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare condition in which there is purple discoloration of the urine with its collecting bag and associated tubing occurs. It is considered a benign condition. We report an unusual case of PUBS in an 87-year-old female from nursing home who had a history of recurrent UTI. She also had a history of ureteral obstruction requiring left nephrostomy tube. She was ...