Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) promotes photoreceptor survival but also suppresses electroretinogram (ERG) responses. This has caused concerns about whether CNTF is detrimental to the function of photoreceptors because it is considered to be a potential treatment for retinal degenerative disorders. Here we report that the suppression of ERG responses is attributable to negative regulation of t

PURPOSE: Mutations of PCDH15, the gene encoding protocadherin 15, cause either nonsyndromic deafness DFNB23 or Usher syndrome type 1F (USH1F) in humans and deafness with balance problems in Ames waltzer (av) mice. Persons with USH1 usually begin to exhibit signs of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in early adolescence, but av mice are reported to have functional retinas. In this study, the auditory, visu

PURPOSE: To create and evaluate a mouse model of human X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) and then investigate whether supplementing with the retinoschisin protein by gene delivery can reverse the abnormal "electronegative" electroretinogram (ERG) retinal response.METHODS: An X-linked retinoschisis mouse (Rs1h-KO) model was created by substituting a neomycin resistance cassette for exon 1 and

At a time when rapidly evolving technologies, political turmoil, and the tensions inherent in multiculturalism and globalization are reshaping historical consciousness, what is the proper role for historians and their work? By way of an answer, the contributors to this volume offer up an illuminating collective meditation on the idea of ethos and its relevance for historical practice. These intell

We show two results related to finding trees and paths in graphs. First, we show that in $O^*(1.657^k2^{l/2})$ time one can either find a $k$-vertex tree with $l$ leaves in an $n$-vertex undirected graph or conclude that such a tree does not exist. Our solution can be applied as a subroutine to solve the $k$-Internal Spanning Tree problem in $O^*(min(3.455^k, 1.946^n))$ time using polynomial space

BACKGROUND: The study investigated whether 3D vision and haptic feedback in combination in a virtual reality environment leads to more efficient learning of laparoscopic skills in novices.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty novices were allocated to two groups. All completed a training course in the LapSim(®) virtual reality trainer consisting of four tasks: 'instrument navigation', 'grasping', 'fine dis

Plastics are versatile, cheap and durable materials that are omnipresent in modern society. Since most of them are derived from crude oil and are not biodegradable, their production leads to the depletion of fossil fuels and the accumulation of enormous amounts of plastic waste that pollutes ecosystems worldwide. For this reason, the European Union and other organisations are investing in research

As a queen, a woman in the pre-modern period could interact with the learned society in several ways, either as a learned woman, or - like Hedwig Eleonora - by patronizing and participating actively in the intellectual culture of her time as a donor, an employer, and a foundress of learned institutions. In doing this, she sometimes accentuated her personal sympathies, be they in history, theology,