Mechanical regulation of chondrogenesis.

Mechanical factors play a crucial role in the development of articular cartilage in vivo. In this regard, tissue engineers have sought to leverage native mechanotransduction pathways to enhance in vitro stem cell-based cartilage repair strategies. However, a thorough understanding of how individual mechanical factors influence stem cell fate is needed to predictably and effectively utilize this strategy of mechanically-induced chondrogenesis. This article summarizes some of the latest findings on mechanically stimulated chondrogenesis, highlighting several new areas of interest, such as the effects of mechanical stimulation on matrix maintenance and terminal differentiation, as well as the use of multifactorial bioreactors. Additionally, the roles of individual biophysical factors, such as hydrostatic or osmotic pressure, are examined in light of their potential to induce mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis. An improved understanding of biomechanically-driven tissue development and maturation of stem cell-based cartilage replacements will hopefully lead to the development of cell-based therapies for cartilage degeneration and disease

Gender and Medieval archaeology: storming the castle

Despite feminist critiques over three decades, Archaeological scholarship remains predominantly focused on exploring patriarchal narratives and is thereby complicit in reinforcing structural inequalities. Questions must be asked of how the construction of archaeological knowledge affects representation and impacts on our ‘archaeologies’. This paper explores the relative absence of gendered approaches within Archaeology through the lens of Later Medieval Archaeology in particular, and with a micro-focus on Castle-studies in Britain and Ireland. Is there a reason for the silence in relation to gender in the archaeology of the later middle ages

Postcolonial Transformation and Traditional Australian Indigenous Story

Published in 1964, 'The Legends of Moonie Jarl', told by Wilf Reeves and illustrated by his sister Olga Miller, marked a new direction in Australia's literary history. My examination of the history of traditional Australian Indigenous stories for children has established the first publication by an Indigenous author and illustrator in this genre as earlier than previously thought. As a research fellow in 2004, I assessed approximately 300 Indigenous and non-Indigenous representations in this genre.' The Legends of Moonie Jarl' is important not only as the turning point in Australia's literary history for a child readership, but also in the unique way this picture book challenges colonial assumptions and transforms reader perceptions of Aboriginality and traditional culture. In this paper I analyse the textual and visual strategies employed in the first story map in this collection within the context of postcolonial literary theory. This new reading of an old text is informed by an outline of the historical and social parameters which led to its publication

From Colonial Superstition to the Hairyman: Aboriginality and the Politics of Race

The misconceptions of Indigenous incapacity and pastoral welfarism evident in the mid century texts are reversed by the end of the century and the texts that have made the same possible are discussed. Characterization of the Indigenous protagonists in each publication reveals much about changing perceptions of Aboriginality

Experiment in Capillarity

n/

TRPV4-mediated mechanotransduction in articular cartilage function and disease

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and painful disease of synovial joints that affects an estimated 27 million people in the United States. Limitations to current treatments include the ineffectiveness of conservative treatments, as well as the risks, costs, and limited life-span of surgical interventions. The progressive joint degeneration of OA involves the modulation of cartilage extracellular matrix metabolism towards degeneration. Mechanical loading is known to play a central role in cartilage function, both in the normal and pathological settings. This dissertation provides important insights into how mechanical factors the influence the function of articular chondrocytes in ways that are relevant to cartilage maintenance and disease. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel is implicated in chondrocyte mechanical signal transduction via changes in tissue osmolarity. This dissertation characterizes the role of TRPV4 in cartilage maintenance during both normal and abnormal loading. The physiologic effects of dynamic compressive loading on chondrocyte function are examined with regard to TRPV4-mediated mechanical signal transduction. The role of TRPV4 in obesity model of osteoarthritis and stem cell differentiation potential is also examined. Lastly, an investigation into the role of TRPV4, specifically in articular cartilage, in destabilization-induced osteoarthritis is detailed. The results presented in this dissertation that describe the mechanical regulation of chondrocyte metabolism via TRPV4-mediated Ca2+ signaling are predicted to contribute to the development of novel pharmaceutical and biophysical interventions for the treatment of osteoarthritis.Doctor of Philosoph

Diseases of New World Camelids

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. May 2014. Major: Veterinary Medicine. Advisor: Anna M. Firshman. 1 computer file (PDF); vi, 121 pages.Knowledge of medical conditions that affect camelids has increased greatly in recent years. However, sometimes the first signs of illness in camelids can be subtle and nonspecific or animals may be found dead with no abnormalities observed. The purpose of this study was to catalog the fatal conditions seen in camelids in the Upper Midwest in order to recognize trends and ultimately to prevent disease. The reports of 234 alpacas and 125 llamas submitted to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UM VDL) for post‐mortem examination from 2001 to 2011 were reviewed. The cause of death was identified in 73% of the cases. The digestive system was the most common site of the major disease condition, accounting for 29% of alpacas and 31% of llamas. In adults, gastrointestinal parasitism associated with emaciation, neoplasia, and hepatic lipidosis were among the most common diagnoses identified. Meningeal worm (P. tenuis) was the most commonly identified cause of death associated with the nervous system in adults, since 13% of llamas and 2.4% of alpacas had central nervous system lesions consistent with verminous migration. The most common cause of death or euthanasia among alpaca crias was choanal atresia, which accounted for mortality in 19% of alpacas under 6 months of age. Other congenital abnormalities and bacterial infections were also common in neonates. In older crias (age 2 weeks to 6 months), enteritis and septicemia were most common. In conclusion, necropsy evaluation was successful in identifying the cause of death in the majority of camelids submitted to the UM VDL. The risk of morbidity or mortality related to many of the most common diseases identified in this study can be reduced by taking steps to ensure good husbandry practices, including close monitoring of body condition score, regular fecal testing to identify parasite burdens, basic biosecurity measures to limit spread of pathogens, and IgG measurement to ensure adequate passive transfer of immunity

Health Literacy and Women's Reproductive Health: A Systematic Review

Background: Health literacy is thought to impact women's reproductive health, yet no comprehensive systematic reviews have been conducted on the topic. Our objective was to systematically identify, investigate, and summarize research on the relationship between health literacy and women's reproductive health knowledge, behaviors, and outcomes

Operaciones del Sistema Financiero Nacional

Se denomina sistema financiero nacional al conjunto de instituciones, instrumentos y mercados donde se va a canalizar el ahorro hacia la inversión, con una participación importante por parte de los intermediarios financieros. Este sistema practica operaciones que se clasifican en activas, pasivas y neutras. Operaciones pasivas; el sistema financiero como deudor, recibe disponibilidades monetarias de sus clientes para aplicarlos a fines propios. Operaciones neutras; operaciones atípicas y complementarias, en las cuales las instituciones no dan ni reciben créditos solo prestan algún servicio de custodia u otro tipo. Operaciones activas; estas instituciones actúan como acreedores conceden, a sus clientes sumas de dinero cobrando un interés. El Crédito Agrícola representa los créditos otorgados a personas naturales o jurídicas (empresas, asociaciones, cooperativas) para financiar el capital de trabajo para actividades agropecuarias, acuicultura, apicultura o para la comercialización de la producción, por lo que es de vital importancia para el desarrollo de la economía de todo país. Por lo tanto este trabajo de seminario de graduación se refiere a un Análisis de la Administración de la Cartera de Crédito Agrícola del BANCO PROCREDIT Nicaragua al 31 de diciembre de 2013 y se elaboró con la finalidad de llevar a cabo un análisis de la aplicación de la Administración de la Cartera de Crédito Agrícola en el banco en mención; además de presentar un estudio que sea de utilidad para enriquecer los conocimientos del público en general y de las próximas generaciones de estudiantes de Banca y Finanzas de la UNAN-Managua que realicen análisis o estudios relacionados al tema, pues les servirá de base para la elaboración de sus antecedentes. Estructuralmente este seminario abarca ocho acápites. El primero de estos lo constituye la Introducción al trabajo en la cual se presenta una breve descripción del seminario. El segundo acápite consiste en la justificación del seminario en la cual se describe la importancia del trabajo, y la utilidad que tendrá este a nivel académico. El tercer acápite son los objetivos agrupados en general y específicos, a través de los cuales se refleja los fines fundamentales que queremos alcanzar con la realización del seminario. El cuarto acápite lo constituye el desarrollo del subtema en el cual se aborda toda la Generalidad de las Operaciones Activas del sistema financiero y del Crédito Agrícola y el Marco legal de los Créditos Agrícolas en Nicaragua. En el quinto acápite se lleva a cabo la realización del Caso Práctico del seminario de graduación

Increased susceptibility of Trpv4 -deficient mice to obesity and obesity-induced osteoarthritis with very high-fat diet

To test the hypotheses that: 1) the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) ion channel is protective in the obesity-model of osteoarthritis (OA), resulting in more severe obesity-induced OA in Trpv4 knockout (Trpv4−/−) mice; and 2) loss of TRPV4 alters mesodermal stem cell differentiation