Transportation Box Research Articles

Critical Aspects of Material Selection in the Packaging and Transporting of Returned Extraterrestrial Samples.

In the framework of the EU-funded EURO-CARES project, aimed at determining the actions to develop a European facility for curation of extraterrestrial samples returned by space missions, we identified the requirements (mainly in terms of materials selection) of the transportation containment facility which should contain the Sample Return Capsule (SRC), which in turn contains the extraterrestrial material returned to Earth. Transportation box design for restricted (i.e., possibly related to biological life) and unrestricted samples is different. Packaging and transport of restricted samples must guarantee the samples' preservation from the terrestrial environment and the safety of people performing these operations and, hence, must be done according to World Health Organization (WHO) rules. In the case of unrestricted samples, the only requirement is sample preservation. We propose a triple packaging as follows: (1) primary receptacle; (2) secondary package (plastic material), optional for unrestricted samples; (3) rigid, cushioned outer layer. Only for restricted samples, an additional layer is proposed, that is, the overpack. The primary receptacle coincides with the SRC. The plastic material of the secondary package must have a low outgassing rate (i.e., <10-7 torr/s) and preferably low permeability and cost. Teflon and Neoflon would be the best choices. The outer package must be rigid and resistant to breakage, and our trade-off analysis identified stainless steel and aluminum alloys as best options. The outer should be filled with an inert atmosphere to inhibit oxidation within the sample in case of leak: argon is more inert than nitrogen, but the latter is easily available. The overpack allows the box environment control (e.g., real-time contamination monitoring); ISO containers could be used to this end. Contamination of the environment inside the box can be monitored by different instruments, which should be selected on the basis of mission requirements. There are no mass limitations for box transport by ground or ship, but these solutions imply a long journey duration. Any aircraft might be used for transporting unrestricted samples. Only cargo aircraft may be used for transporting restricted samples, unless the total sample mass is lower than 50 g (WHO guidelines).

Influence of perforations on the reduction of the compressive strength of corrugated cardboard

Perforations on corrugated cardboard boxes serve as a separation line for converting the transport packaging into the shelf-ready display tray. Various perforations placed on different sides of the case affect the structural integrity of the transportation box. The objective of this paper is to determine how much the compressive strength decreases under the influence of perforations and which of the explanatory variables: type of perforation, angle of perforation position or quality of perforated corrugated cardboard, affect the strength of corrugated cardboard the most. Samples were cut from 3 quality of E-flute corrugated cardboard and 3 types of perforations were positioned in 5 defined directions. The samples with and without perforation were measured using an edge crush tester and then compared. Further analysis showed that the angle of the perforation had the greatest effect on the compressive strength. The overall results show that the position of the perforation at an angle of 0° has the greatest influence on the reduction of the compressive strength for all quality of the corrugated cardboard and for all types of perforations, while the reduction of the compressive strength is the lowest at an angle of 70°.

Improvement of live coral shipping conditions using an illuminated box

The transportation of live coral nubbins is a major constraint of the coral trade. Corals must be transported within a timeframe of &lt;20 hours using concentrated oxygen to avoid high post-transportation mortality. To understand the effects of transportation water quality on coral nubbin growth and post-transportation mortality, a series of transportation simulations were performed on Seriatopora hystrix. Different water volumes (dry method, 125 ml, 190 ml, and 325 ml) and oxygen concentrations in the gas phase (21 %, 40 %, and 85 %) were tested, and a 24 LED Handy Lamp was added to provide light irradiance of &gt;100 µmol m-2 s-1 in the transportation box. During transportation nubbins extracted calcium carbonate for growth reducing water alkalinity and consequently pH to 6.67. Dissolved oxygen concentration also rapidly decreased to 0.19 mg L-1. The concentration of inorganic nitrogen, particularly ammonium ions, increased after 24 hours and reached very high concentrations after 48 hours. Before 48 hours, the larger the water volume and oxygen concentration, the faster the nubbin growth after transportation. Beyond 48 hours, in all cases, reduction in water quality became critical for nubbins and resulted in partial mortality. Illuminating the transportation box improved water quality for 72 hours using normal air.

An innovative cold storage system for donor heart transportation-lessons learned from the first experience in Switzerland.

BackgroundThe current standard for donor heart preservation consists of cold organ storage in three sequential plastic bags. This technique can cause freezing injuries of the donor heart as the temperature inside the transport box is not monitored routinely. The SherpaPak™ Cardiac Transport System (CTS) (Paragonix Technologies, Cambridge, MA, USA) aims to resolve this problem by maintaining a controlled preservation temperature between 4 and 8 °C. This study reports the first single-centre experience in Switzerland with this innovative single-use disposable device.MethodsBetween May and December 2020, four heart procurements using SherpaPak™ CTS were performed at our heart centre. Donor heart preservation fluid and ambient temperature were monitored using the InTempConnect® application (Onset Computer Corporation, Bourne, MA, USA). All patient data were collected retrospectively from the local hospital patient data capture system.ResultsFour recipients of a donor heart preserved with SherpaPak™ CTS were included in this study (3 male, 1 female). Mean transport distance was 86 km (range, 45–276 km). Mean storage time in the cooler was 73.5±19.33 minutes. Mean cold ischemic time was 199.25±11.67 minutes. The device kept the average organ temperature between 5.2 and 8.8 °C and hereby reached the recommended temperature range of 5–10 °C. Modifications of the procurement and storage process provided an optimization of the temperature course in the transportation box. There were no incidents during the transport. Organs transported with this novel storage system showed normal function after transplantation.ConclusionsThe SherpaPak™ CTS provides constant organ temperatures during transportation, prevents freezing injury and ensures mechanical protection of the graft.KeywordsHeart transplantation; organ procurement; cold storage; hypothermic injury; graft transport

Uso de butirato de sódio em rações pós-eclosão para pintos de corte

ABSTRACT This study was designed to determine adequate levels for sodium butyrate inclusion in pre-hatching and pre-starter feed in order to minimize the negative effects of post-hatch delayed placement on broiler chicks. Newly-hatched chicks were allotted in a completely randomized design, with five treatments, each comprising five replicates of ten birds each. Five dietetic levels of sodium butyrate (control, 0.050, 0.075, 0.100 and 0.200%) were used in the pre-starter feed offered to the chicks in the transporting box and during the pre-starter phase. Performance, yolk sac retraction, plasma glucose concentration, weight and histomorphometry of the small intestine were evaluated after 24 hours of feed access and at 7 days of age. A metabolic trial was performed when the chicks were seven to ten days of age. Supplementation of 0.1% sodium butyrate increased the development of broiler chicks’ intestinal villi at seven days of age but was not able to improve performance in the pre-starter phase. Supplementation with sodium butyrate in a diet offered in the transportation box does not improve broiler performance in the pre-starter phase. Supplementation of up to 0.16% is recommended, in order to improve the metabolizability of the ether extract for broilers at seven days of age.

Biochemical status of serum and corresponding milk of cows kept under open grazing system in Sirajganj, Bangladesh

Background: In open grazing dairy cattle farming, it is critical to identify and monitor health status and disease incidence. Testing of physiological parameters is essential to monitoring the health status of dairy herds. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the comparative status of serum chemistry and corresponding milk chemistry in cattle reared in open grazing system. Methods: The research was conducted in 10 clinically healthy cows reared under open grazing system from different commercial farms of Baghabari in Sirajganj district. Blood samples were collected from individual animal through the jugular vein puncture. Corresponding milk samples were collected directly from teat during the morning milking time. Blood and milk samples were brought to the laboratory in an ice cooled sample transportation box. Total serum protein, glucose, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chloride concentration and corresponding milk protein, lactose, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chloride concentration were measured by using standard analytical techniques. Results: Results showed that, there was a partially positive correlation among blood glucose and milk lactose (0.698), blood cholesterol and milk cholesterol (0.709), blood sodium and milk sodium (0.657). In addition, a strongly positive correlation was found between blood calcium and milk calcium (0.905). However, partially negative correlation between blood phosphorus and milk phosphorus (-0.688) was observed. Conclusions: The study shows the prospect of effectively using comparative analysis of serum and corresponding milk constituents to construct a comprehensive model or technology for the betterment of dairy farming in Bangladesh.

Moisture Prevention in a Pre-Purged Front-Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) During Door Opening in a Mini-Environment

Contamination in a wafer transportation box [e.g., a front-opening unified pod (FOUP)] can influence device yield and performance. Additional precautions might be required to prevent outside contamination during FOUP door opening. This paper experimentally examines moisture evolution in a pre-purged FOUP with an open door in a mini-environment. Air curtains of different widths ( ${W}_{A}$ ) were employed to prevent outside moisture intrusion, and their performance was compared with that of a conventional purge method. Clean dry air was used as the supplied gas in experiments. A moisture prevention index (MPI) was further introduced as a tool for interpreting results. When the conventional purge method was used, moisture in the mini-environment was rapidly transferred into the FOUP, and relative humidity (RH) reached approximately the same levels as the mini-environment, indicating poor moisture prevention performance. RH values were much lower when the air curtain was used. The best moisture prevention performance was observed for a system using an air curtain with ${W}_{A}\,\,{=}\,\,50$ mm. The MPIs for the conventional purge method were approximately 8.0%–8.4%, whereas those for the air curtain application ranged from 40%–100%. Most importantly, the MPIs for ${{W}}_{A} {=} {{50}}$ and 70 mm reached or exceeded 90%.

Food Supply Chains' Sustainable Performance in the Case of Replacing Disposable Transportation Boxes with the Recyclable Boxes

Paper introduces theories about sustainable supply chain management and a case study which illustrates the way to include environmental and social issues as a part of the strategic supply chain decision making. This paper describes the quantitative changes which case food supply chain’s sustainable performance meets when disposable transportation boxes will be replaced with recyclable boxes. In case study the economic and environmental success of the proposed transportation box change depends most on how well the box recycling and cleaning is possible to fit to the supply chain infrastructure.

Design Calculation on Chain Conveyor of Material Storage and Transportation Box of Automatic Loading and Unloading Vehicle

According to the design requirements of the chain conveyor of the material storage and transportation box of automatic loading and unloading vehicle, the 3D and mechanical models of chain conveyor were created. The strength of bearing square tube of chain conveyor was checked base on both models and the result shows that bearing square tube was strong enough and laid the foundation of following chassis structural design. The needed driving force and driving power of chain conveyor were obtained in working condition of full-load unloading transportation and rapid transportation by built calculation model and mechanical formula of the container material loading unit. The maximum driving force and driving power which are 63.25KN and 4.31KW appeared in working condition of full-load unloading transportation and the result provided important basis for the overall design of the automatic loading and unloading vehicle.

Habitat preferences of the burbot (Lota lota) from the River Elbe: an experimental approach

An experimental approach was used to analyze preferences of the burbot (Lota lota) with regard to water depth, substrate type and flow velocity. In total, 30 burbots used in the experiments were caught in the middle reaches of the River Elbe by electro-fishing. Immediately after capture, they were placed in a 180 L transportation box with aerated freshwater and taken to the research aquarium of the Zoological Museum Hamburg where they were divided into two groups according to total length: group I, 10.0–16.5 cm; group II, 20.0–30.0 cm. Prior to the experiments the fish were adapted to laboratory conditions for four weeks at 20°C in four tanks, each containing 720 L water. For each experiment, three L. lota were transferred to an additional 1350 L experimental tank. After a one-day adaptation phase each experiment ran for three continuous day and night phases. Burbot preferences were tested for (i) water depth, (ii) substrate size, (iii) water depth and substrate size combined, and (iv) water depth, substrate and flow velocity in combination. Diurnal and nocturnal activities were recorded and analyzed throughout all experiments. Burbots of both length groups showed a significant preference for deeper water depths and large cobble substrate. Substrate type was found to be the dominant factor determining habitat preferences of L. lota when investigated in combination with water depth. In experiments combined with flow velocity, substrate and water depth were the most important factors determining burbot habitat preferences, and flow velocity of minor importance. In general, burbots were most active at night, while daytime activity was much lower. However, in all experimental approaches in the smaller length group the burbots displayed much higher day- and night-time activity than did the individuals in the larger length group.

A Case Study Employing Operant Conditioning to Reduce Stress of Capture for Red-Bellied Tamarins (Saguinus labiatus)

Traditional techniques used to capture New World monkeys, such as net capture, can induce high levels of acute stress detrimental to welfare. Alternatively, training nonhuman animals via operant conditioning to voluntarily participate in husbandry and/or veterinary practices is accepted as a humane process that can reduce stress and improve welfare. This study details the use of operant conditioning using positive reinforcement training (PRT) and target training to train a family of 5 captive red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus) in a wildlife park to voluntarily enter a transportation box and remain calm for 1 min after 54 training sessions. Observations of 2 unrelated net-capture processes provided measures of locomotion and vocalizations as indicators of stress behavior that were compared with those of the trained tamarins. Net-captured monkeys exhibited rapid erratic locomotion and emitted long, high-frequency vocalizations during capture whereas the trained tamarins exhibited minimal locomotion and emitted only 4 brief vocalizations (root mean square 35 dB) during capture. This indicates that the use of PRT considerably reduced potential for stress and improved welfare during the capture and containment of the tamarins.

Moisture content of polyethylene coated solid fibreboard after industrial lamination

AbstractSolid fibreboard is used mainly in highly demanding packaging applications. One solid fibreboard quality having six paper and paperboard layers, a thickness of 1.7 mm and polyethylene coating was studied. Several material tests on liquid water and water vapour penetration were done to assess the environmental moisture sources that change the material moisture content after the lamination process. The in‐plane diffusion coefficient of the combined board was determined based on an integrated unsteady state moisture transport equation and moisture sorption measurements. The transverse diffusion coefficient of the polyethylene coated kraft paper and the solid fibreboard medium were based on water vapour transmission rate measurements. The original moisture content of the solid fibreboard sheet was measured gravimetrically 2 days after the lamination at the mill. The results show that high relative humidity (RH) conditions during the transportation (4°C/90% RH) change the moisture content of the transportation box made from a solid fibreboard sheet very little in 8 days. Local moister (or drier) areas are created near the sheet edges due to in‐plane moisture transport through open material edges. The in‐plane diffusivity for the solid fibreboard grade in question was 5.87 × 10−10 m2/s. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Validação do sistema de transporte e das dosagens de amostras biológicas enviadas para a central de um laboratório de grande porte

The results obtained from biological sample analysis may be affected by several factors, among them, the conditions of samples transportation from the site of collection to the central laboratory.The aim of this paper was to verify the stability of the samples submitted to the transportation process (from Jundiai to Sao Paulo) by comparing the results of 29 clinical laboratory parameters (including microbiology tests) on the same samples submitted or not to transportation. First, we verified the temperature inside a transportation box, during the routine the from Jundiai to Sao Paulo, by introducing a special chip able to register it continuously. We observed that the temperature inside the box was kept between 13oC and 23oC (similar to room temperature). After that, samples were collected in Jundiai and divided in two aliquots; one to be analysed at the laboratory in Sao Paulo. The methodology, apparatus and reagents used on the samples analysis were the same at both laboratories. The statistical analysis showed concordance between both averages trough correlation coefficient intra-class and by the Blan-Altman methods. It was observed that among the 29 parameters: 23 (79,3%) showed good to excellent. On the data from urinalysis we observed a good to excellent concordance in the urocult (88.0%), and as well in the urine I analysis. The data obtained by the correlation between the laboratory results and the graphics of temperature registered by chip are strong indicative of validation of our laboratorial analysis and transportation system, up to 16 hours sample collection.

Building Multirobot Coalitions Through Automated Task Solution Synthesis

This paper presents a reasoning system that enables a group of heterogeneous robots to form coalitions to accomplish a multirobot task using tightly coupled sensor sharing. Our approach, which we call ASyMTRe, maps environmental sensors and perceptual and motor control schemas to the required flow of information through the multirobot system, automatically reconfiguring the connections of schemas within and across robots to synthesize valid and efficient multirobot behaviors for accomplishing a multirobot task. We present the centralized anytime ASyMTRe configuration algorithm, proving that the algorithm is correct, and formally addressing issues of completeness and optimality. We then present a distributed version of ASyMTRe, called ASyMTRe-D, which uses communication to enable distributed coalition formation. We validate the centralized approach by applying the ASyMTRe methodology to two application scenarios: multirobot transportation and multirobot box pushing. We then validate the ASyMTRe-D implementation in the multirobot transportation task, illustrating its fault-tolerance capabilities. The advantages of this new approach are that it: 1) enables robots to synthesize new task solutions using fundamentally different combinations of sensors and effectors for different coalition compositions and 2) provides a general mechanism for sharing sensory information across networked robots

Incidence of Salmonella in imported day-old ducklings. Brazil, 1998-2003

The occurrence of Salmonella in a samples of 40 imported day-old duckling flocks was assessed from 1998 to 2003 according to the guidelines of the Brazilian National Poultry Health Program (Programa Nacional de Sanidade Avícola-PNSA). The pathogen was recovered from 26 flocks (65.0%). The most common serovars were S. Saintpaul and S. Kottbus. Up to four serovars were isolated from a single flock. Transportation box swabs (82.6%) and yolk sac pool (47.1%) showed the highest and the lowest frequency of Salmonella isolation, respectively. The high percentage of Salmonella isolation from imported day-old ducklings causes concern because of the zoonotic potential of this agent and its economical importance to commercial poultry breeding.

Lead poisoning in woodpeckers in Sweden.

Lead poisoning was demonstrated in two gray-headed woodpeckers (Picus canus) and one white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopus leucotos) in Sweden; they had liver lead levels between 9.4 and 26.2 mg(-1) wet weight. At necropsy one gray-headed woodpecker showed signs of emaciation and the other one had severe traumatic injuries, caused by a cat. The white-backed woodpecker died in the transportation box during a translocation program. The source of the lead could not be determined, but it was suspected that it may have originated from lead pellets shot into trees and picked out by the woodpeckers during food search.

TRANSPORTATION OF LARGE NUMBERS OF THE TERMITE COPTOTERMES ACINACIFORMIS (FROGGATT) (ISOPTERA:RHINOTERMITIDAE) FOR LABORATORY TESTING

AbstractThe collection of sufficiently large numbers of Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) for use in laboratory tests of wood preservatives is virtually impossible in the southern States of Australia where this termite does not build mound structures above ground. One method of solving the problem is to collect from above‐ground mounds in the northern tropical areas and to transport the termites quickly to the laboratory. This paper describes a transportation box capable of being carried onto an aircraft as hand luggage, in which more than 200,000 termites were successfully brought from Townsville to Melbourne—a distance of 1,648 miles (2,652 km).