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A Novel Device And Nanoparticle-Based Approach For Improving Diagnosis And Treatment Of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Natasha Faith Cover Dec 2011

A Novel Device And Nanoparticle-Based Approach For Improving Diagnosis And Treatment Of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, Natasha Faith Cover

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is one of the most common causes of morbidity in women. PID is a polymicrobial infection of the female reproductive tract, and is associated with pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, and tubal damage that can lead to ectopic pregnancies and infertility. It is curable but the effects of PID can be permanent if not properly diagnosed and treated. PID presents as a spectrum of disease and is often missed at early stages; even acute PID can be difficult to diagnose, as there is no single conclusive diagnostic test. Currently, PID is identified and treated syndromically because …


Reinforced Chitosan-Based Heart Valve Scaffold And Utility Of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells For Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering, Mohammad Z. Albanna Jan 2011

Reinforced Chitosan-Based Heart Valve Scaffold And Utility Of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells For Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering, Mohammad Z. Albanna

Wayne State University Dissertations

Recent research has demonstrated a strong correlation between the differentiation profile of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and scaffold stiffness. Chitosan is being widely studied for tissue engineering applications due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, its use in load-bearing applications is limited due to moderate to low mechanical properties. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a fiber reinforcement method for enhancing the mechanical properties of chitosan scaffolds. Chitosan fibers were fabricated using a solution extrusion and neutralization method and incorporated into porous chitosan scaffolds. The effects of different fiber/scaffold mass ratios, fiber mechanical properties and fiber lengths on …