Image size magnification and power and dilation factors for optical instruments in general

Traditional treatments of spectacle magnification for distant objects consider only stigmatic spectacle lenses and they compare the retinal image size in a refractively fully compensated eye with the image size in the uncompensated eye. Spectacle magnification is expressed as a product of two factors, the power and shape factors of the lens. The power factor depends on the position of the entrance pupil of the eye. For an eye with an astigmatic cornea, however, the position of the entrance pupil is not well defined. Thus, the traditional approach to spectacle magnification does not generalize properly to allow for astigmatism. Within the constraints of linear optics and subject to the restriction that the eye's iris remains the aperture stop, this paper provides a complete, unified and exact treatment for optical instruments in general. It compares retinal image size in a generalized sense (including image shape and orientation) for any instrument in front of an eye with that of the eye alone irrespective of whether the instrument compensates or not. The approach does not make use of the concept of the entrance pupil at all and it allows for astigmatism and for non-alignment of refracting elements in the instrument and in the eye. The concept of spectacle magnification generalizes to the concept of instrument size magnification. Instrument size magnification can be expressed as the product of two matrix factors one of which can be interpreted as a power factor (as back-vertex power) and the other factor for which the name dilation factor is more appropriate in general. The general treatment is then applied to a number of special cases including afocal instruments, spectacle lenses (including obliquely crossing thick bitoric lenses), contact lenses, stigmatic systems and stigmatic eyes. In the case of spectacle lenses, the dilation factor reduces to the usual shape factor.     

Proximity factor in image size magnification for optical instruments in general

A general expression is derived for the proximity factor in near image size magnification for an arbitrary instrument in front of an arbitrary eye. The proximity factor is a 2 x 2 matrix. The instrument and eye may be astigmatic and have decentred elements. The image on the retina may be blurred or not. The analysis is exact within the limitations of linear optics. The general results are specialized for the case of a stigmatic instrument and a stigmatic eye. The results are applied to the case of a thick, possibly bitoric, spectacle lens. The Appendix treats two numerical examples.     

子宫内膜异位症患者血清及腹腔液中血小板衍生生长因子、血管细胞粘附分子水平的变化及其意义

目的通过检测子宫内膜异位症(EMs)患者血清及腹腔液中血小板衍生生长因子(PDGF)、血管细胞粘附分子-(VCAM-1)浓度,探讨PDGF和VCAM-1在EMs发病中的作用。方法选取手术后病理证实为EMs的40例患者为EMs组,其中I~II期17例,III~IV23例;非EMs组20例作为对照组。应用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测血清及腹腔液中PDGF和VCAM-1水平。结果EMs组血清及腹腔液中PDGF、VCAM-1水平均明显高于对照组(P<0.01)。随EMs期别的增加,其血清和腹腔液中PDGF、VCAM-1含量呈上升趋势;EMsIII~IV期水平显著高于I~II期(P<0.05)。EMs患者PDGF与VCAM-1呈正相关性(P<0.05)。结论EMs患者PDGF、VCAM-1表达水平升高,在EMs的发生发展中具有重要作用。     

Physiological neutrophilia of pregnancy is not associated with a rise in plasma granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)

A patient with neutropenia and life-threatening infections secondary to T-γ lymphoproliferative disease, who did not respond to treatment with recombinant human G-CSF (filgrastim), was treated with filgrastim plus cyclosporine A (CyA). The patient achieved a good response in the absolute neutrophil count and subsequently required a dose reduction in the filgrastim. The patient was eventually discontinued from the CyA but continues on filgrastim alone. While on therapy, the large granular lymphocytes disappeared from the circulation and the beta-TCR rearrangement, which was present prior to beginning therapy, became undetectable. The patient had no significant toxicity to the CyA or the filgrastim and he has not experienced any serious infections or required hospitalization. Filgrastim has proven to be relatively nontoxic and of some benefit to patients with this disease and should probably be utilized first when treatment is necessary. However, if improvement is not observed, these findings suggest that a trial of the combination of CyA plus filgrastim may be beneficial.     

Transforming growth factor alpha treatment alters intracellular calcium levels in hair cells and protects them from ototoxic damage in vitro

To determine if transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) pretreatment protects hair cells from aminoglycoside induced injury by modifying their intracellular calcium concentration, we assayed hair cell calcium levels in organ of Corti explants both before and after aminoglycoside (i.e. neomycin, 10⁻³M) exposure either with or without growth factor pretreatment. After TGFα (500ng/ml) treatment, the intracellular calcium level of hair cells showed a five-fold increase as compared to the levels observed in the hair cells of control cultures. After ototoxin exposure, calcium levels in hair cells of control explants showed an increase relative to their baseline levels, while in the presence of growth factors pretreatment, hair cells showed a relative reduction in calcium levels. Pretreatment of organ of Corti explants afforded significant protection of hair cell stereocilia bundle morphology from ototoxic damage when compared to explants exposed to ototoxin alone. This study correlates a rise in hair cell calcium levels with the otoprotection of hair cells by TGFα in organ of Corti explants.     

The multifunctionality of FGF-2 in the adrenal medulla

 Chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and their tumor counterparts, the pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, are well-established model systems in neurobiology. The development of sympathoadrenal progenitor cells to chromaffin cells can be studied with regard to developmental signals which trigger the differentiation. With regard to potential treatments of neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease chromaffin cell grafting can be used as one therapeutical approach. The beneficial effect of chromaffin cell grafts is possibly not only related to the release of dopamine but may also be linked to the release of growth factors. One of the growth factors that is synthesized by chromaffin and PC12 cells is basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). The experimental data available so far, are in agreement with different functional roles of FGF-2. This article summarizes the putative physiological functions of FGF-2 in the adrenal medulla. Three differential functional roles of FGF-2 are discussed: (1) as a differentiation factor for sympathoadrenal progenitor cells; (2) as a target-derived neurotrophic factor for preganglionic sympathetic neurons which innervate adrenal medullary cells; (3) as an auto-/paracrine factor in the adrenal medulla. Accepted: 21 August 1996     

人碱性成纤维细胞生长因子基因在大肠杆菌中的克隆与表达

应用DNA重组技术将编码人碱性成纤维细胞生长因子（bbFGF）的基因克隆至原核高效表达质粒pBV_(221)的启动子下游。SDS-SAGE、ELISA和NTT活性监测结果表明:该重组质粒pBV-hbFGF在大肠杆菌DH5α中,经42℃诱导后,可表达出有较高生物活性的hbFGF。     

Expression and distribution of vascular endothelial growth factor protein in human brain tumors

Marked neovascularization is a hallmark of many neoplasms in the nervous system. Recent reports indicate that the endothelial mitogen vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may play a critical role in the regulation of vascular endothelial proliferation in malignant gliomas. Using novel monoclonal antibodies to the VEGF polypeptide we have determined the expression and cellular distribution of VEGF protein in a representative series of 171 human central nervous system (CNS) tumors by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. In agreement with previous in situ hybridization data, 19 out of 20 glioblastomas (95%) showed immunoreactivity for VEGF, whereas both the percentage of immunoreactive tumors and the extent of immunoreactivity for VEGF were significantly lower in astrocytomas. Of the pilocytic astrocytomas (WHO grade I) 44% were immunoreactive for VEGF, but we observed several cases with pronounced vascular proliferates in the absence of VEGF. In ependymomas, meningiomas, hemangioblastomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors, there was no correlation between VEGF expression, vascular endothelial proliferation and the grade of malignancy. Oligodendrogliomas and the oligodendroglial component of mixed gliomas lacked immunoreactive VEGF, indicating that endothelial growth factors other than VEGF may regulate tumor angiogenesis in these neoplasms. Western blot analysis showed a predominant VEGF protein species of 23 kDa and confirmed the immunohistochemical data in all cases. Our findings demonstrate that VEGF is expressed in a wide spectrum of brain tumors in which it may induce neovascularization. However, other angiogenic factors also appear to contribute to the vascularization of CNS neoplasms. Received: 18 April 1996 / Revised, accepted: 20 August 1996     

牛胎盘中肝细胞生长因子的纯化

用高速离心、分段盐析、亲和层析、超滤和阴离子交换层析法，从牛胎盘中分离纯化出一种肝细胞生长因子。结果表明，此因子的最终得率为０．００５ｍｇ／ｇ牛胎盘，其分子量约为９９０００ｕ，它能强烈刺激原代培养大鼠肝细胞的ＤＮＡ合成。提示利用自制的亲和层析凝胶，通过此提纯流程可以得到一种肝细胞生长因子。     

The prevention or treatment of age-related osteoporosis in the elderly by systemic recombinant growth factor therapy (rhIGF-I or rhTGFβ): a perspective

Boonen S, Broos P, Dequeker J, Bouillon R (Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, the Arthritis and Metabolic Bone Disease Research Unit, the Department of Traumatology and Emergency Surgery and the Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Endocrinology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium). The prevention or treatment of age-related osteoporosis in the elderly by systemic recombinant growth factor therapy (rhIGF-I or rhTGFβ): a perspective (Review). J Intern Med 1997; 242 : 285–90.
Both insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) have powerful modulatory effects in a variety of tissues. A major target of action is the skeletal system, where they enhance bone formation and decrease matrix degradation, thus playing a part in the maintenance of bone mass. Because of the potent mitogenic effect of these agents on osteoblasts, recombinant IGF-I (rhIGF-I) and recombinant TGFβ (rhTGFβ) have potential as drugs to stimulate bone formation in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Using biochemical markers, subcutaneous rhIGF-I therapy has been shown to increase bone turnover and bone formation in nonosteoporotic older people. However, a corresponding increase in bone mass has not yet been documented nor have there been reports yet on the effects of systemically administered rhTGFβ in humans. Further investigation is required to define the clinical potential of rhIGF-I and rhTGFβ as therapeutic agents in age-related osteoporosis.