The Cystoscope Sheath as a Platform for Performing Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery in a Transplanted Kidney with Complex Renal Anatomy.

Background: Endourology is a widely used means by which to manage urolithiasis. Patient anatomy can oftentimes limit what can be accomplished with current technology.

Case Presentation: This is a case of a patient with renal and ureteral stones within a transplant kidney.

Quantitative analysis of F-actin redistribution in astrocytoma cells treated with candidate pharmaceuticals.

Actin fibers (F-actin) control the shape and internal organization of cells, and generate force. It has been long appreciated that these functions are tightly coupled, and in some cases drive cell behavior and cell fate. The distribution and dynamics of F-actin is different in cancer versus normal cells and in response to small molecules, including actin-targeting natural products and anticancer drugs.

Ocular neuroprotection by siRNA targeting caspase-2.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss after optic nerve damage is a hallmark of certain human ophthalmic diseases including ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) and glaucoma. In a rat model of optic nerve transection, in which 80% of RGCs are eliminated within 14 days, caspase-2 was found to be expressed and cleaved (activated) predominantly in RGC. Inhibition of caspase-2 expression by a chemically modified synthetic short interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) delivered by intravitreal administration significantly enhanced RGC survival over a period of at least 30 days.

Enzymatically triggered actuation of miniaturized tools.

We demonstrate a methodology that utilizes the specificity of enzyme-substrate biomolecular interactions to trigger miniaturized tools under biocompatible conditions. Miniaturized grippers were constructed using multilayer hinges that employed intrinsic strain energy and biopolymer triggers, as well as ferromagnetic elements. This composition obviated the need for external energy sources and allowed for remote manipulation of the tools.

siRNA targeted to p53 attenuates ischemic and cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury.

Proximal tubule cells (PTCs), which are the primary site of kidney injury associated with ischemia or nephrotoxicity, are the site of oligonucleotide reabsorption within the kidney. We exploited this property to test the efficacy of siRNA targeted to p53, a pivotal protein in the apoptotic pathway, to prevent kidney injury. Naked synthetic siRNA to p53 injected intravenously 4 h after ischemic injury maximally protected both PTCs and kidney function.

Studies on the cholesterol-free mouse: strong activation of LXR-regulated hepatic genes when replacing cholesterol with desmosterol.

Objective: Characterization of cholesterol homeostasis in male mice with a genetic inactivation of 3beta-hydroxysteroid-delta24-reductase, causing replacement of almost all cholesterol with desmosterol.

Methods And Results: There was an increase in hepatic sterol synthesis and markedly increased fecal loss of neutral sterols. Fecal excretion of bile acids was similar in knockout mice and in controls.

Studies on the transcriptional regulation of cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1): marked insensitivity toward different regulatory axes.

Mammalian CNS contains a disproportionally large and remarkably stable pool of cholesterol. Despite an efficient recycling there is some requirement for elimination of brain cholesterol. Conversion of cholesterol into 24S-hydroxycholesterol by the cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1) is the quantitatively most important mechanism.

Inhibition of oxygen-induced retinopathy in RTP801-deficient mice.

Purpose: Ischemic proliferative retinopathy, which occurs as a complication of diabetes mellitus, prematurity, or retinal vein occlusion, is a major cause of blindness worldwide. In addition to retinal neovascularization, it involves retinal degeneration, of which apoptosis is the main cause. A prior report has described the cloning of a novel HIF-1-responsive gene, RTP801, which displays strong hypoxia-dependent upregulation in ischemic cells of neuronal origin, both in vitro and in vivo.

Winnicott's therapeutic consultations revisited.

Winnicott described in his book 'Therapeutic Consultations' (1971) how a diagnostic assessment of a referred child developed into a fruitful therapeutic intervention when he was able to discover the unconscious fantasy that underlay the child's symptoms. Because these were children who were, essentially, developing normally, he used the word 'knot' to depict the obstacle the child had met. Any conflicts the parents might have were not explored in that context.