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Fabrication of Nanofiber Hydrogel Composites and Their Effects on Single-Cell Morphology
No full textRegenerating highly aligned soft tissues such as nerves, skeletal muscle, and cardiac tissue remains a major challenge in biomedical engineering due to the complex structural and biochemical cues needed to guide cellular behavior. Tissue engineering scaffolds for aligned soft tissue must allow massive cell infiltration and provide cues that direct cell alignment. Aligned nanofibers offer direction cues but must be included at low density to leave room for cell population. This thesis presents a strategy for fabricating and characterizing nanofiber-embedded hydrogel composites where a permissive hydrogel matrix supports the low density aligned nanofiber architecture. We hypothesized that embedded aligned nanofibers could induce cell alignment through the hydrogel when fibers are not in direct contact with cells. Aligned polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers blended with polyethylene glycol-methacrylate (PEG-Me) were embedded within gelatin-based hydrogels via a dip coating process. Key fabrication parameters (PEG-Me content, gelatin concentration, solution temperature, withdrawal speed, and fiber density) were systematically varied to assess their effects on film thickness, fiber distribution, and scaffold architecture. Cell studies showed that nanofiber alignment significantly influenced cell morphology, promoting preferential orientation along the embedded fibers compared to randomly oriented controls. Cell alignment was induced even when the distance between cells and fibers was estimated to be \u3e20 µm and fiber content represented only \u3c 1% of total composite cross-sectional area. These findings validate the ability of nanofibers embedded in a hydrogel matrix to induce cell alignment without direct contact. This demonstrates a platform for engineering aligned soft tissue scaffolds and provides a foundation for future applications in 3D tissue reconstruction and regenerative medicine
Computer Organization with ARM64
No full textThis book is intended to be used for a first course in computer organization, or computer architecture. It assumes that all digital components can be constructed from fundamental logic gates.
The book begins with number representation schemes and assembly language for the ARM-64 architecture, including assembler directives and floating point instructions. It then describes the machine language instruction formats, and shows the student how to translate an assembly language program to machine language.
There is then an introduction to boolean algebra and digital logic, followed by a description of the memory hierarchy, including cache memory, RAM, and virtual memory.
The book concludes with brief descriptions of some alternative architectures. Each section concludes with a list of exercises (solutions are available to instructors who have adopted this text in a course).
This book is an open source book. This means that not only is the pdf version available (to potential students and teachers) for free download, but that the original (LaTeX) source files are also available (to potential authors and contributors). Based on the model of open source software, open source for textbooks is a relatively new paradigm in which many authors and contributors can cooperate to produce a high quality product, for no compensation. For details on the rationale of this new paradigm, and citations for other open source textbooks, see the journal Publishing Research Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1, March 2014. The source materials and pdf files of this book are licensed with the Creative Commons NonCommercial license, which means that they may be freely used, copied, or modified, but not for financial gain.
The source files for this book are available at rdw.rowan.edu (search for Bergmann) and at cs.rowan.edu/∼bergmann/bookshttps://rdw.rowan.edu/textbooks/1001/thumbnail.jp
Turning Toward Being: The Podcast: Ronald Barnett
No full textIn this conversation, the editors of JOIE explore with Ronald Barnett (Emeritus Professor of Higher Education, University College London Faculty of Education and Society) the possible contributions of ontological inquiry within the ecological university
One Individual’s Culmination is Another’s Abyss: The Matter of Mattering
No full textOne individual’s culmination is another’s new beginning and yet another’s abyss. The abyss is nihilism. The challenge of such a Big Idea as The Culmination (the event, not the title of Robert Pippin’s book) is to weave the hermeneutic tapestry of the meaning of Being (Sein) as disclosed in poetry, aesthetics, and the life-world, while coaxing the lumbering Hegelian camel of German Idealism through the eye of the narrow needle of Dasein’s (Heideggerian) finitude. The world and entanglement are disclosed in a nondiscursive (preconceptual) manner as mattering. The way forward in philosophy lies through innovations in “mattering”—not a conceptual sense we humans make in relating to the world, but a nondiscursive distinction to which human beings are attuned. In a dialectical gesture worthy of Hegel, a reversal based in the phenomena themselves occurs as “discovery” is the original sense of truth and statement predication is derivative on it. Examples and counter-examples, provided by Dominque Janicaud. Heidegger’s ontological engagement with metaphysics as the culmination of German Idealism is elaborated in detail. Second, the implications for ontological education in a positive sense in a post metaphysical age are engaged and explored as “coming from nothing” and “learning to learn.
LibKey Nomad
Full text linkLearning objectives:
● Install and set up LibKey Nomad on your own web browser.
● Understand how LibKey Nomad works and how it simplifies access to library content.
LibKey Nomad is a free browser extension provided by Rowan University Libraries that makes accessing electronic journal articles easier. It links you to open access and licensed library content and allows you to avoid publisher paywalls when on publisher websites, search engines, and Wikipedia.
Skill levels for attendees: Little to no experience
Software requirements: Non
Accelerated Tumor Growth and Lymphatic Spread of Transplantable Melanomas in Tumor Necrosis Factor(TNF)-Transgenic Mice
Full text linkMelanoma is the fifth most common cancer among American adults, with significant morbidity and mortality at 5 years remaining \u3e60% for patients with stage IV disease. The malignancy is due to the transformation of melanocytes, with one of the major risk factors being ultraviolet light exposure. Although as many as one in five human cancers have been linked to chronic inflammation, the role of inflammatory signals in melanoma growth and metastasis remains poorly understood.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-transgenic (TNFtg) mice are a well-established model of chronic systemic inflammation, with involvement of joints and other organ systems. To assess the effect of TNF overexpression on melanoma in vivo, we investigated the growth of transplantable B16 melanomas (F1 and F10 sublines) in TNFtg mice (3647 strain). The B16 cell line and its derivatives originated from a spontaneous melanoma of C57BL/6 mouse. B16 cells were injected into the hind paws of TNFtg mice and non-transgenic (NT) littermates at 8-12 weeks of age. At this age, the mice have begun to exhibit early arthritis, creating a localized area of inflammation in the paw. TNFtg mice displayed highly accelerated B16 primary tumor growth compared to NT littermates (tumor area 43.7±15.2mm2 vs 15.0±15.5mm2 at week 2, p
To test whether the observed effects were linked to systemic TNF overexpression or to the localized inflamed microenvironment in the arthritic paws we also compared growth of tumors injected in the lower flank, and observed no primary tumor growth differences in this area (251±155mm3 vs 319±178mm3 tumor volume in TNFtg vs NT, p=0.3).
Finally, in order to establish whether the observed differences were specific to B16 cells or are relevant for melanoma growth more broadly, we compared growth in TNFtg vs NT mice of an independently derived melanoma line, YUMM1.1. Again, TNFtg mice showed accelerated paw melanoma growth compared to NT mice (32.6±14.0mm2 vs 19.1±20.8mm2 at week 5, p\u3c 0.01).
Overall, these results highlight a significant effect of TNF, and specifically of the TNF-driven inflammatory microenvironment, in transplantable melanoma growth in mice
Addressing Pain Management Practices and Potential Under-Medication of Women During IUD Insertion Procedures
Full text linkIntrauterine devices (IUDs) are among the most effective and safe contraceptive options available to women, yet their utilization often remains limited due in part to fear of pain, lack of adequate pain management during insertion, and absence of standardized clinical guidelines. This literature review explores current pain management strategies for IUD insertion and examines the potential under-medication of women during this procedure. Ten sources were reviewed, including randomized controlled trials, a clinical trial, linear regression analyses, and meta-analyses, with inclusion criteria focusing on pain interventions for IUD insertion in women over the past decade. Findings reveal that commonly used interventions—such as NSAIDs, misoprostol, self-administered lidocaine gel, and paracervical lidocaine injections—have not consistently demonstrated statistically significant reductions in pain. However, one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed that 10% lidocaine spray significantly reduced pain during tenaculum placement, uterine sounding, and IUD insertion compared to placebo. Despite advancements in pain mitigation techniques, there remains a lack of consensus on a standard of care. These findings highlight the need to establish evidence-based, standardized guidelines for pain management during IUD insertion. Doing so may reduce fear-related barriers, improve patient experience, and support broader access to this highly effective form of contraception
Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) Overdose Causing Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage: A Case Report
Full text linkTricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdose is an uncommon complication that results from excessive administration of TCAs. Signs and symptoms include bradycardia, fever, dry mouth, and altered mental status. Patients can develop cardiac arrhythmia and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage, which can be fatal. This case report details a 65-year-old female who experienced a suspected TCA overdose as a suicide attempt. She had a history of depression and a previous suicide attempt. The patient was unresponsive with declining oxygen saturation, necessitating emergent intubation. Important lab findings included a decreased partial pressure of oxygen to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (P/F ratio) and prolonged QRS duration on ECG. She was admitted to the ICU, where her condition worsened, leading to wide complex tachycardia, cardiac arrest, and diffuse alveolar hemorrhage confirmed by bronchoscopy. This case highlights the potential adverse effects of TCA use and raises awareness of an unusual presentation of TCA overdose
Modulation of Opioid Receptor Expression in the Ventral Tegmental Area Following Stress Exposure in Rats
Full text linkBackground: The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains dopamine-producing neurons projecting to various brain regions. VTA dysfunction is linked to addiction and depression. Delta opioid receptor upregulation relates to chronic pain, inflammation, cancer, and early adversity. Kappa receptors in the VTA influence stress, drug-seeking, mood, and reward. Notably, chronic substance abuse upregulates the κ-receptor/dynorphin system, and the opioid system regulates social interaction needs.
Hypothesis: Stress will upregulate opioid receptors.
Methods: We compared group-housed and individually-housed rats using stress tests, analyzing behavior and quantifying VTA opioid receptor expression.
Results: Social isolation upregulated delta and kappa opioid receptors in the VTA.
Conclusions: Chronic stress increases addiction vulnerability through altered opioid receptor expression