Studies of the Survival of Treponema hyodysenteriae and the Epidemiology of Swine Dysentery

The effects of temperature, dilution with tapwater, drying and exposure to disinfectants on T. hyodysenteriae in dysenteric pig faeces were studied. The organism was isolated on spectinomycin blood agar and its identity confirmed by using a specific fluorescent antibody test. It was found to survive for a maximum of forty-eight days in faeces held at

Use of SketchBook Pro with Tablet PC (TabSketch™) as a design thinking tool in the teaching and learning of design and technology

This paper shares the preliminary findings from the first two phases of an exploratory study on the potential of Tab-Sketch™ as i) a design-thinking tool for design and technology (D&T) teachers and pupils in secondary schools; ii) a teaching and learning tool for D&T teachers; and iii) a platform to document design-thinking in the form of digital design journal. Tab-Sketch is an acronym derived from Tablet PC and SketchBook Pro, a computer software. The study, which is naturalistic in approach, was initiated in Nov 2004 and has evolved into three phases. Phases 1 and 2 were completed. Phase 3 has commenced in Aug 2006 and will end in Dec 2007. The insights and experiences gained from the first two phases include: • the concept of ‘growing ideas’ conveniently and dynamically; • the potential of the software for quick sketches and editing via features like layer and the range of rendering tools available; • Tab-Sketch as a tool for the teacher-designer to dialogue with self and to practise rapid visualisation; • capturing design conversations graphically and digitally between teacher and pupil; and • ease in manipulating images and ideating presentation drawings. These preliminary findings have shaped Phase 3 of the study which is still on-going

Pricing Policy in a Supply Chain: Negotiation or Posted Pricing

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98309/1/poms1412-sup-0001-AppendixS1-S2.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98309/2/poms1412.pd

Isolation and molecular analysis of humic acid-tolerant bacteria that are resistant to pesticides

Twenty two bacterial strains isolated from peat soils in a pineapple plantation were analyzed. Fourteen of the Gram-negative strains were tentatively classified into 12 genera that included Thiobacillus, Acinetobacter, Acidiphilium, Enterobacter, and Pseudomonas. 91% of the isolates were able to tolerate 2,4-dimethylamine with concentrations of up to 10,000 ppm, while 60% of the isolates were resistant to malathion and chlorpyrifos with concentrations of up to 50,000 ppm. As for antibiotics, 82% of the isolates able to survive in carbenicillin agar with concentrations of 1000 ug/ml. 70% of the isolates can survive in both tetracycline and streptomycin media. Four bacterial isolates, C105 (Acidiphilium cryptum), C102 (Sulpholobus spp), C108 (Leptospirillum spp) and Y104 (Pseudomonas flouresc/putida) that were pesticide resistant were analyzed for the presence of plasmid. No plasmid was detected in antibiotic resistant isolates except for strains designated as Y 103 and C 105. The sizes of the isolated plasmids were estimated ranging from 6 kb to 54 kb. Further studies are required to investigate the genes which confer resistance properties in the acidophiles

Current Development of Biodegradable Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

In the last half-century, the development of biodegradable polymeric materials for biomedical applications has advanced significantly. Biodegradable polymeric materials are favored in the development of therapeutic devices, including temporary implants and three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering. Further advancements have occurred in the utilization of biodegradable polymeric materials for pharmacological applications such as delivery vehicles for controlled/sustained drug release. These applications require particular physicochemical, biological, and degradation properties of the materials to deliver effective therapy. As a result, a wide range of natural or synthetic polymers able to undergo hydrolytic or enzymatic degradation is being studied for biomedical applications. This review outlines the current development of biodegradable natural and synthetic polymeric materials for various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, temporary implants, wound healing, and drug delivery. © 2018 Song et al

Accelerated Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Perivascular Stem Cells with NELL-1

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of disability in the US. Consequently, there is a pressing need for restoring the structural and functional properties of diseased articular cartilage. Yet the search for the right combination of proper target cells and growth factors for cartilage regeneration remains challenging. In this study, we first tested the intrinsic chondrogenic differentiation ability of human perivascular stem cells (hPSCs), a novel source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) from human adipose tissue. A putative prochondrogenic growth factor, NEL-like molecule-1 (NELL-1), was added to the hPSC pellets to upregulate gene expression of chondrogenic markers, including AGGRECAN, COLLAGEN II, and COMP. Furthermore, the addition of NELL-1 to a transforming growth factor beta 3 (TGF-β3) + bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP-6) cocktail resulted in the best combinatorial stimulation in accelerating the chondrogenic differentiation of hPSCs, as evidenced by increased gene and protein expression of chondrogenic markers in a shortened induction time without elevating expression of hypertrophic, fibrotic, and osteogenic markers. Mechanistically, this acceleration rendered by NELL-1 may be partially attributed to NELL-1\u27s upregulation of BMP receptors and TGF-β receptor type I in hPSCs for increased responsiveness to BMPs + TGF-βs. In conclusion, lipoaspirate-derived hPSCs present a novel and abundant cell source of MSCs for cartilage regeneration, and the combinatorial application of NELL-1, TGF-β3, and BMP-6 with hPSCs may remarkably enhance and accelerate cartilage repair. © Copyright 2016, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2016

Photopolymerizable Hydrogel-Encapsulated Fibromodulin-Reprogrammed Cells for Muscle Regeneration

A central challenge in tissue engineering is obtaining a suitable cell type with a capable delivery vehicle to replace or repair damaged or diseased tissues with tissue mimics. Notably, for skeletal muscle tissue engineering, given the inadequate availability and regenerative capability of endogenous myogenic progenitor cells as well as the tumorigenic risks presented by the currently available pluri- and multipotent stem cells, seeking a safe regenerative cell source is urgently demanded. To conquer this problem, we previously established a novel reprogramming technology that can generate multipotent cells from dermal fibroblasts using a single protein, fibromodulin (FMOD). The yield FMOD-reprogrammed (FReP) cells exhibit exceeding myogenic capability without tumorigenic risk, making them a promising and safe cell source for skeletal muscle establishment. In addition to using the optimal cell for implantation, it is equally essential to maintain cellular localization and retention in the recipient tissue environment for critical-sized muscle tissue establishment. In this study, we demonstrate that the photopolymerizable methacrylated glycol chitosan (MeGC)/type I collagen (ColI)hydrogel provides a desirable microenvironment for encapsulated FReP cell survival, spreading, extension, and formation of myotubes in the hydrogel three-dimensionally in vitro, without undesired osteogenic, chondrogenic, or tenogenic differentiation. Furthermore, gene profiling revealed a paired box 7 (PAX7) / myogenic factor 5 (MYF5) / myogenic determination 1 (MYOD1) / myogenin (MYOG) / myosin cassette elevation in the encapsulated FReP cells during myogenic differentiation, which is similar to that of the predominant driver of endogenous skeletal muscle regeneration, satellite cells. These findings constitute the evidence that the FReP cell-MeGC/ColI-hydrogel construct is a promising tissue engineering mimic for skeletal muscle generation in vitro, and thus possesses the extraordinary potential for further in vivo validation. © 2020 Mary Ann Liebert Inc.. All rights reserved

Nfatc1 Is a Functional Transcriptional Factor Mediating Nell-1-Induced Runx3 Upregulation in Chondrocytes

Neural EGFL like 1 (Nell-1) is essential for chondrogenic differentiation, maturation, and regeneration. Our previous studies have demonstrated that Nell-1‘s pro-chondrogenic activities are predominantly reliant upon runt-related transcription factor 3 (Runx3)-mediated Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling. Here, we identify the nuclear factor of activated T-cells 1 (Nfatc1) as the key transcriptional factor mediating the Nell-1 → Runx3 signal transduction in chondrocytes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we were able to determine that Nfatc1 binds to the -833--810 region of the Runx3-promoter in response to Nell-1 treatment. By revealing the Nell-1 → Nfatc1 → Runx3→Ihh cascade, we demonstrate the involvement of Nfatc1, a nuclear factor of activated T-cells, in chondrogenesis, while providing innovative insights into developing a novel therapeutic strategy for cartilage regeneration and other chondrogenesis-related conditions. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Development of Ceramic Solid-State Laser Host Material

Polycrystalline ceramic laser materials are gaining importance in the development of novel diode-pumped solid-state lasers. Compared to single-crystals, ceramic laser materials offer advantages in terms of ease of fabrication, shape, size, and control of dopant concentrations. Recently, we have developed Neodymium doped Yttria (Nd:Y2O3) as a solid-state ceramic laser material. A scalable production method was utilized to make spherical non agglomerated and monodisperse metastable ceramic powders of compositions that were used to fabricate polycrystalline ceramic material components. This processing technique allowed for higher doping concentrations without the segregation problems that are normally encountered in single crystalline growth. We have successfully fabricated undoped and Neodymium doped Yttria material up to 2" in diameter, Ytterbium doped Yttria, and erbium doped Yttria. We are also in the process of developing other sesquioxides such as scandium Oxide (Sc2O3) and Lutesium Oxide (Lu2O3) doped with Ytterbium, erbium and thulium dopants. In this paper, we present our initial results on the material, optical, and spectroscopic properties of the doped and undoped sesquioxide materials. Polycrystalline ceramic lasers have enormous potential applications including remote sensing, chem.-bio detection, and space exploration research. It is also potentially much less expensive to produce ceramic laser materials compared to their single crystalline counterparts because of the shorter fabrication time and the potential for mass production in large sizes