Music in Early Portland

This article reviews the history of music in Portland in the years before 1836

Portland’s Early Experiments in Adult Education

The article reviews the activities of Portland, Maine in early adult education focused on the public lecture. This essay is the winner of the Maine Historical Society Prize in 1970

Hybrid Hydrogels for Harnessing Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome

The low engraftment and retention rate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) at the target site indicates that the potential benefits of MSC-based therapies can be attributed to their paracrine signaling. In this study, the influence of decellularized extracellular matrices (dECM) on pro-angiogenic signaling of MSC was investigated. Effect of cell passage number on ECM secretion and subsequently, on regulation of MSC secretome was also explored. The study revealed upregulated expression of angiogenesis-related factors upon culturing MSCs on dECMs irrespective of media supplementation. In addition, dECM generated in presence of ascorbic acid promoted expression of angiogenic molecules as compared to dECM derived in absence of media supplementation. Further, it was observed that the effectiveness of dECM to stimulate angiogenic signaling of MSCswas reduced as cell passage number was increased from P3 to P5. The activity of MSC-secreted biomolecules investigated by assessing the proliferation as well as capillary morphogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) supported the Proteome Profiler data. Working towards the goal of creating a biomaterial capable of recapitulating the multifactorial aspects of the stem cell environment, ECM deposited by MSCs was collected and introduced into alginate solution to create a hybrid material. Alginate concentration was varied while keeping the dECM concentration constant. Swelling ratio, degradation and diffusion of the hybrid hydrogels were explored in comparison to dECM-free (alginate only) gels. Results found that both degradation and diffusion characteristics were impacted by the introduction of matrix proteins. Lastly, the printability of the hybrid hydrogels at various printing pressures was also explored using Cellink’s INKREDIBLE bioprinter. Optimal printing pressures for each bioink composition was explored, and it was revealed that dECM addition improved the bioink’s printability at lower printing pressures in comparison to dECM-free gels.Master of Science in EngineeringBioengineering, College of Engineering & Computer ScienceUniversity of Michigan-Dearbornhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/152428/1/Victoria Sears Final Thesis.pdfDescription of Victoria Sears Final Thesis.pdf : Restricted to UM users only

Libraries and Reading Habits In Early Portland (1763-1836)

This article reviews the history of the establishment, expansion and collections of the Portland Public Library and other smaller libraries during the period 1763 to 1836

A Critical Policy Analysis of Inclusive Education Policies in Countries Ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The purpose of this critical policy analysis was to examine the alignment of 16 selected countries’ national level inclusive education laws and policies to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities article 24 Education. The first part of the study examined the laws and policies of Shogren and Turnbull’s (2014) core concepts of disability laws, which apply to article 24. The core concepts examined were (1) antidiscrimination, (2) integration, (3) individualized and appropriate services, and (4) prevention and amelioration. The second part of the study assessed the laws and policies for possible exclusions for students with disabilities. Lastly, countries’ policies were compared based on the Human Development Index, which is an effective application to examine the government’s policy priorities and helps provide the culture and context of the country (United Nations, n.d.-b). The outcomes of this study provided a basis for understanding these 16 selected countries’ national level education policies concerning the core concepts of disability law and exclusionary language and practices for students with disabilities. For the core concepts, the primary finding indicated that individualized and appropriate services was the most neglected core concept. This finding was particularly true for medium developing countries on the HDI scale. Explicit indicators included integration versus inclusive education, segregated learning environments, rigid and inflexible curriculum, negative labeling, denied access to general schools, lack of physical access to community general schools, lack of support for assessments, use of school fees, and a lack of student rights. Implicit exclusionary indicators found within the policies included lack of individualized supports, medical model/deficit-based assumptions, lack of teacher training, lack of accountability, lack of student rights, lack of access to the general education setting, and lack of support for assessments. The most common exclusionary indicators were a lack of accountability and the use of segregated learning systems. This empirical data is useful for policymakers, disability advocates, education leaders, and future researchers

The effects of two days of partial sleep deprivation on basketball skill performance

This study examined the effect of two nights of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) on basketball skill performance. [This is an excerpt from the abstract. For the complete abstract, please see the document.

Nano-scale analysis of titanium dioxide fingerprint-development powders

Titanium dioxide based powders are regularly used in the development of latent fingerprints on dark surfaces. For analysis of prints on adhesive tapes, the titanium dioxide is suspended in a surfactant and used in the form of a small particle reagent (SPR). Analysis of commercially available products shows varying levels of effectiveness of print development, with some powders adhering to the background as well as the print. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of prints developed with different powders show a range of levels of aggregation of particles. Analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the fingerprint powder shows TiO2 particles with a surrounding coating, tens of nanometres thick, consisting of Al and Si rich material. X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to determine the composition and chemical state of the surface of the powders; with a penetration depth of approximately 10nm, this technique demonstrates differing Ti: Al: Si ratios and oxidation states between the surfaces of different powders. Levels of titanium detected with this technique demonstrate variation in the integrity of the surface coating. The thickness, integrity and composition of the Al/Si-based coating is related to the level of aggregation of TiO2 particles and efficacy of print development