Purpose To determine the long-term safety and efficacy of WST-D/near-infrared (NIR) corneal stiffening. Methods One eye of 23 New Zealand White rabbits was de-epithelialized mechanically followed by topical application of 2.5 mg/mL WST11, combined with dextran-500 (WST-D) for 20 minutes. Subsequently, samples were irradiated with a NIR (755 nm) laser at 10 mW/cm2 for 30 minutes. Untreated fel...

The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) regulates several physiological functions, including immune function and apoptosis. The HIV-1 virus accessory protein, viral protein R (Vpr), can modulate the transcriptional response of the GR. Glucocorticoids (GCs) and Vpr have been reported to induce apoptosis in various cells, including T-cells. We have previously shown that the injectable contraceptive, med...

BACKGROUND Dose-finding studies for mycophenolic acid (MPA) in tacrolimus-treated kidney transplant patients are lacking. METHODS Data from 901 de novo kidney transplant recipients enrolled in the prospective, non-interventional Mycophenolic acid Observational REnal (MORE) transplant registry were analyzed according to baseline daily MPA dose (<2000, 2000 or >2000 mg). RESULTS The proportio...

Sharma et al. (1) claimed that Shewanella oneidensis, which lives in habitats at pressures of around 0.1 megapascals (MPa), is viable at pressures well above 100 MPa. This result stands in marked contrast to all previous studies, which have found viability, defined (2) as growth and division of cells, at pressures above 100 MPa only among the inhabitants of Earth’s deep ocean regions (3– 5). No...

Leaves, the distal section of the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, exhibit the lowest water potentials in a plant. In contrast to angiosperm leaves, knowledge of the hydraulic architecture of conifer needles is scant. We investigated the hydraulic efficiency and safety of Pinus pinaster needles, comparing different techniques. The xylem hydraulic conductivity (k(s)) and embolism vulnerability (...

The objective of this study is to prepare a toughened and strengthened electrospun fibrous biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) mat blended with Biomax, an ethylene copolymer designed to modify PLA to improve toughness properties, using electrospinning. Morphological, thermal, mechanical, and thermomechanical properties of PLA/Biomax blends were investigated. Morphological findings indicated t...

The expression of the intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) on the surface of endothelial cells plays an important role in immune-mediated processes. The induction by the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1beta is regulated by nuclear transcription factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). We studied the effect of an inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) inhibitor, mycophenolic acid (MPA...

* The hydraulic plumbing of vascular plant leaves varies considerably between major plant groups both in the spatial organization of veins, as well as their anatomical structure. * Five conifers, three ferns and 12 angiosperm trees were selected from tropical and temperate forests to investigate whether the profound differences in foliar morphology of these groups lead to correspondingly profou...

PURPOSE (1) To use finite element (FE) modelling to estimate local iris stresses (i.e. internal forces) as a result of mechanical pupil expansion; and to (2) compare such stresses as generated from several commercially available expanders (Iris hooks, APX dilator and Malyugin ring) to determine which design and deployment method are most likely to cause iris damage. METHODS We used a biofidel...