Methods. Retinal ischemia was induced in Lewis albino rats by increasing intraocular pressure to 160 mm Hg for 90 minutes. The agents or buffer controls were injected intravitreally at different times, either before or after the ischemic insult, and the postischemic survival time was either 7 or 14 days. The degree of retinal damage was assessed from plastic-embedded sections by cytologic analy...

BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood-onset psychiatric disorder that often persists into adolescence and adulthood and is characterized by inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. Genetic and environmental factors are believed to be involved in the continuity of the disorder as well as in changes in ADHD symptomatology t...

A new mathematical model of the transport of mucus and periciliary liquid (PCL) in the airways by cilia is presented. Mucus is represented by a linearly viscoelastic fluid, the mat of cilia is modelled as an 'active porous medium.' The propulsive effect of the cilia is modelled by a time-dependent force acting in a shear-thinned 'traction layer' between the mucus and the PCL. The effects of sur...

PURPOSE To demonstrate that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a corneal endothelial (CE) cell autocrine factor, maintains the integrity of corneal endothelium in human donor corneoscleral explants precut for endothelial keratoplasty. METHODS Twelve paired human donor corneoscleral explants used as control versus VIP-treated explants (10 nM, 30 minutes, 37°C) were shipped (4°C) to the Lions...

Bcl-2 is a major regulator of programmed cell death, a critical process in shaping the developing nervous system. To assess whether Bcl-2 is involved in regulating neuronal survival and in mediating the neuroprotective action of neurotrophic factors, we generated Bcl-2-deficient mice. At birth, the number of facial motoneurons, sensory, and sympathetic neurons was not significantly changed, and...

In this study, Schwann cells, at a density of 1 × 10(5) cells/well, were cultured on regenerated silk fibroin nanofibers (305 ± 84 nm) prepared using the electrospinning method. Schwann cells cultured on the silk fibroin nanofibers appeared more ordered, their processes extended further, and they formed more extensive and complex interconnections. In addition, the silk fibroin nanofibers had no...