Bioactive hydrogels for tissue engineering

Modern tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds are expected to actively promote tissue repair as well as meeting the traditional requirements of non-toxicity, degradability and structural integrity. This thesis presents two novel bioactive hydrogel systems for bone and cartilage TE. A series of alginate hydrogels were developed in which all or a fraction of the calcium normally used for crosslinking alginate was replaced by bioactive strontium and/or zinc ions. Strontium was chosen for its ability to stimulate bone formation, while zinc is essential for alkaline phosphatase activity. Due to an interaction between the crosslinking ion and alginate type, the hydrogel properties could be tailored independently of the crosslinking ion used – meaning that varying biological and materials requirements can be accommodated. Strontium release from alginate gels was of a physiologically relevant magnitude, and alkaline phosphatase protein activity in Saos-2 cells was highest in strontium gels. Secondly, a biomimetic strategy for transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) presentation and release was evaluated. TGF-β in vivo is secreted as part of an inactive latent complex, which is sequestered in a stable form within extracellular matrix until released by cells. TGF-β was therefore incorporated into poly(ethylene glycol)-hyaluronic acid hydrogels in its latent form. When compared to free TGF-β, advantages were demonstrated in terms of lower protein adsorption to tissue culture plastic and relative biological inactivity. The latter implies that high doses may be loaded into TE scaffolds without exposing cells to excessive quantities of active growth factor, with TGF-β bioavailability then being controlled by gradual activation by cells. Increased metabolic activity and ECM deposition by bovine chondrocytes were seen after almost five weeks in culture with a single initial loading of LTGF-β. These innovations correspond to current TE trends, which seek to use biomimetic principles to evoke regenerative responses from transplanted or host cells, but to do so using technically and commercially feasible means

2013 Oklahoma Research Day Full Program

This document contains all abstracts from the 2013 Oklahoma Research Day held at the University of Central Oklahoma

Annual Report: 2007

I submit herewith the annual report from the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, for the period ending December 31, 2007. This is done in accordance with an act of Congress, approved March 2, 1887, entitled, “An act to establish agricultural experiment stations, in connection with the agricultural college established in the several states under the provisions of an act approved July 2, 1862, and under the acts supplementary thereto,” and also of the act of the Alaska Territorial Legislature, approved March 12, 1935, accepting the provisions of the act of Congress. The research reports are organized according to our strategic plan, which focuses on high-latitude soils, high-latitude agriculture, natural resources use and allocation, ecosystems management, and geographic information. These areas cross department and unit lines, linking them and unifying the research. We have also included in our financial statement information on the special grants we receive. These special grants allow us to provide research and outreach that is targeted toward economic development in Alaska. Research conducted by our graduate and undergraduate students plays an important role in these grants and the impact they make on Alaska. Carol E. Lewis, Dean and DirectorFinancial statement -- Grants -- Students -- Research reports: Partners and Collaborators, Programs, Geographic Information, High-Latitude Agriculture, High-Latitude Soils, Management of Ecosystems, Natural Resources Use and Allocation -- Index -- Publications -- Facult

NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

This document is a collection of technical reports on research conducted by the participants in the 1992 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This was the eighth year that a NASA/ASEE program has been conducted at KSC. The 1992 program was administered by the University of Central Florida in cooperation with KSC. The program was operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) with sponsorship and funding from the Office of Educational Affairs, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. The KSC program was one of nine such Aeronautics and Space Research Programs funded by NASA Headquarters in 1992. The basic common objectives are to further the professional knowledge, to stimulate an exchange of ideas, to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities, and to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA centers