The matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family of Zinc dependent extracellular proteinases regulates development and physiologic events, including branching morphogenesis, angiogenesis, wound healing and extracellular matrix degradation. They are synthesized as secreted or transmembrane proenzymes and processed to an active form by the removal of an amino-terminal propeptide. MMP-2/Gelatinase A, as ...

................................................................................................................... i Statement of Originality........................................................................................... iii List of Figures.......................................................................................................... ix List of Tables.......................

The teleost fishes represent over half of all extant vertebrates; they occupy nearly every body of water and in doing so, occupy a diverse array of environmental conditions. We propose that their success is related to a unique oxygen (O2) transport system involving their extremely pH-sensitive haemoglobin (Hb). A reduction in pH reduces both Hb-O2 affinity (Bohr effect) and carrying capacity (R...

Bone tissue is a highly vascularized and dynamic system with a complex construction. In order to develop a construct for implant purposes in bone tissue engineering, a proper understanding of the complex dependencies between different cells and cell types would provide further insight into the highly regulated processes during bone repair, namely, angiogenesis and osteogenesis, and might result...

Olfactory mucosa mesenchymal stem cells (OM-MSCs) display significant clonogenic activity and may be easily propagated for Parkinson's disease therapies. Methods of inducing OM-MSCs to differentiate into dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons using olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are thus an attractive topic of research. We designed a hypoxic induction protocol to generate DAergic neurons from OM-MS...

This paper provides a variety of viewpoints to illustrate the mechanism of the deck-stay interaction with the appropriate initial shapes of cable-stayed bridges, which is validated by a symmetrical structure. Based on the smooth and convergent bridge shapes obtained by the initial shape analysis, the one-element cable system (OECS) and multi-element cable system (MECS) models of the symmetric h...

Olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) transplantation is a candidate cellular treatment approach for human spinal cord injury (SCI) due to their unique regenerative potential and autologous origin. The objective of this study was, through a meta-epidemiologic approach, (i) to assess the efficacy of OEC transplantation on locomotor recovery after traumatic experimental SCI and (ii) to estimate the li...

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has a total area of approximately 269 square kilometres: the respective islands having areas of 176 square kilometres and 93 square kilometres. The population of the Federation is approximately 46,000. There has been an upsurge in the urban growth in and around the capital city of Basseterre, due, in part, to a decline in the agricultural sector. There is s...