An important issue in implementation of a GIS system is preparation of data to be entered in GIS. To produce spatial data for GIS using photogrammetric techniques, conventional method is to apply photogrammetric and GIS systems individually (off-line procedure). This approach is costly, time consuming and somehow unreliable due to the fact that 3D photogrammetric model is not available at the ...

| EEcient implementation of morphological operations requires the decomposition of structuring elements into the dilation of smaller structuring elements. Zhuang and Haralick presented a search algorithm to nd optimal decompositions of structuring elements in binary morphology. In this paper we use the concepts of Top of a set and Umbra of a surface to extend this algorithm to nd an optimal dec...

Biodegradable collagen scaffolds are used clinically for oral soft tissue augmentation to support wound healing. This study sought to provide a novel ex vivo model for analyzing healing kinetics and gene expression of primary human gingival fibroblasts (hGF) within collagen scaffolds. Sponge type and gel type scaffolds with and without platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF) were assessed in a...

The objective of this study was to design three-dimensional scaffolds of bone marrow-derived stem cells capable of their gene transfection and evaluate the transfection extent. Three-dimensional scaffolds of gelatin and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) were prepared. Spermine-introduced pullulan (spermine-pullulan) was prepared as the non-viral carrier of gene transfection. The spermine-pullulan ...

Fibre-based scaffolds have been widely used for tendon and ligament tissue engineering. Knitted scaffolds have been proved to favour collagenous matrix deposition which is crucial for tendon/ligament reconstruction. However, such scaffolds have the limitation of being dependent on a gel system for cell seeding, which is unstable in a dynamic environment such as the knee joint. This study develo...

The fabrication of functional small diameter blood vessel analogs has implications in vascular disease treatment. Current 3D models of the medial vessel layer lack micron-scale topographical cues that have shown promise in vitro by recapitulating native vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) behavior. A major obstacle to fabricating 3D scaffolds is maintaining adequate nutrient diffusion to cells. ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the osteoinductivity of composite chitosan-nano-hydroxyapatite scaffolds in a rat muscle pouch model. Previous in vitro characterization demonstrated the ability of the scaffolds to promote bone regeneration and as a carrier for local delivery of BMP-2. Composite microspheres were prepared using a co-precipitation method, and scaffolds were fabricated...

Polymeric scaffolds are an important tool in tissue engineering and gene delivery using porous scaffolds can be a viable approach to control tissue response. Herein we describe the use of a biodegradable polyester elastomer, poly(1,8-octanediol-co-citrate) (POC), as a substrate for plasmid immobilization and cellular transfection of colonizing cells. Plasmid (pDNA), either complexed with poly(e...

Three-dimensional polymeric scaffolds provide structural support and function as substrates for cells and bioactive molecules necessary for tissue regeneration. Noninvasive real-time imaging of scaffolds and/or the process of tissue formation within the scaffold remains a challenge. Microcomputed tomography, the widely used technique to characterize polymeric scaffolds, shows poor contrast for ...

Vascular tissue engineering attempts to grow blood vessels through the use of different scaffolds that allows vascular cells such as endothelial cells to form networks and organized in vascular tissue. Various biomaterials are used to produce scaffolds that allow growth and differentiation of stem cells; depending on the cell type and applications some materials are more suitable than other. Th...