Squatting-induced bilateral peroneal nerve palsy in a sewer pipe worker.

Compression neuropathy of the common peroneal nerve (CPN) at the fibula head is a common condition, but it has not attracted attention in working environments. Here, we report a 38-year-old sewer pipe worker who presented with bilateral CPN palsy following 6h working with a squatting posture in a narrow sewer pipe. During the work, he could not stretch his legs sufficiently because of the confined space. His symptoms deteriorated with repetition of the same work for 1 week. Motor nerve conduction study showed conduction block at the fibula head of bilateral CPNs, compatible with compression neuropathy at this lesion. Three months after cessation of work requiring the causative posture, his symptoms and neurophysiological abnormalities had resolved completely. Almost all seven of his co-workers presented transiently with similar and milder symptoms, although one showed CPN palsy for 6 months. Prolonged squatting posture in a confined space causes acute compression neuropathy at the fibula head in the CPN. More attention should be paid to 'confined space worker's compression neuropathy'.

Alternative treatment for Anacanthorus penilabiatus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) infection in cultivated pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus (Osteichthyes: Characidae) in Brazil and its haematological effects.

The present work, studied the effect of 0, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 mg of garlic powder/kg dry ration for Piaractus mesopotamicus (Osteichthyes: Characidae), weighting 73.6 +/- 39.4 g and measuring 15.0 +/- 2.7 cm, fed for a period of 15, 30 and 45 days. Fifteen days after treatment with 1,000 and 2,000 mg of garlic/kg dry ration, significant reduction of Anacanthorus penilabiatus (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) in the gills was related. Nevertheless, the addition of garlic to the ration caused significant increase in the erythrocyte number and in the thrombocyte percentage in the circulating blood. However, a decrease in the lymphocyte percentage was also observed. After 45 days, fish fed with garlic showed significant increase in the erythrocyte number, leucocyte, haemoglobin rate, hematocrit and thrombocyte.

Highly chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselective reduction of 1,2-dialkyl-3-aryl-1,3-diketones for preparation of aldol-type compounds.

[reaction: see text]. Highly chemo-, diastereo-, and enantioselective borohydride reduction of 2-substituted-1,3-diketones was achieved in the presence of the optically active beta-ketoiminato cobalt complex catalysts to afford the optically active 2-substituted-3-hydroxyketones. The present catalytic and enantioselective reduction could provide an alternative potential for preparation of optically active anti-aldol-type compounds.

Thin Observation Module by Bound Optics (TOMBO): Concept and Experimental Verification.

A compact image-capturing system called TOMBO (an acronym for thin observation module by bound optics) is presented in which the compound-eye imaging system is utilized to achieve a thin optical configuration. The captured multiple images are processed to retrieve the image of the target object. For image retrieval, two kinds of processing method are considered: image sampling and backprojection. Computer simulations and preliminary experiments were executed on an evaluation system to verify the principles of the system and to clarify the issues related to its implementation.

Volume-scanning three-dimensional display that uses an inclined image plane.

A novel three-dimensional display based on a volume-scanning method that uses an inclined light-source array and a mirror scanner is proposed. With this technique it is possible to display three-dimensional images that satisfy all factors for human stereoscopic vision. Three-dimensional images of 8 x 8 x 8 pixels, 40 mm x 40 mm x 40 mm in size, with a frame rate of 12.7 Hz were obtained as real images through an experimental system that uses a galvanometer mirror and a LED array.

Prevention of acute allergic conjunctivitis and late-phase inflammation with immunostimulatory DNA sequences.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic potential of immunostimulatory sequence oligodeoxynucleotides (ISS-ODN) administration in ocular allergy, using a mouse model of ragweed-specific conjunctivitis. METHODS: A murine model of allergic conjunctivitis involving SWR/J mice sensitized and challenged with short ragweed was used to test immunostimulatory DNA sequences for therapeutic potential. ISS-ODN or control ODN (0.1 mg/mouse) was administered intraperitoneally or topically to the conjunctiva 3 days before final allergen challenge. Multiple parameters of clinical symptoms evident during the acute-phase reaction and the cellular components of the late-phase reaction were evaluated in both groups of mice. RESULTS: All parameters of clinical symptoms were markedly inhibited after intraperitoneal injection of ISS-ODN, whereas topical application to the conjunctiva did not inhibit clinical symptoms significantly. Remarkably, a single topical treatment with ISS-ODN (as well as by intraperitoneal injection) completely inhibited both eosinophilia and neutrophilia in the late-phase reaction. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic or conjunctival administration of ISS-ODN was shown to significantly inhibit allergic responses in this mouse model. This indicates that ISS-ODN may be an effective form of immunotherapy for this class of allergic disease.

Differential chemokine gene expression in corneal transplant rejection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the differential gene expression of chemokines after corneal transplantation and to determine the chemokines associated with allograft rejection. METHODS: Orthotopic mouse corneal transplantation was performed in two fully mismatched-strain combinations using C57BL/6 (H-2b) and BALB/c (H-2d) mice as recipients and BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice as donors. Normal nonsurgical eyes served as negative control specimens and syngeneic transplants (isografts) as control specimens for the alloimmune response. Chemokine gene expression in accepted and rejected allografts and appropriate control specimens was determined by a multiprobe RNase protection assay system. RESULTS: In eyes with rejected allografts, there was overexpression of regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, MIP-2, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 in both C57BL/6 and BALB/c recipients. In addition, C57BL/6 eyes with rejected allografts expressed very high levels of interferon-gamma-inducible protein of 10 kDa (IP-10) mRNA, in contrast to BALB/c eyes with rejected allografts, in which IP-10 expression remained very low. In contrast, lymphotactin gene expression increased only slightly in rejected allografts, and eotaxin mRNA, which was also detected in normal eyes, remained unchanged among isograft and allograft groups. T-cell activation gene (TCA)-3 mRNA was not detected in any of the assayed eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Increased expression of mRNA for select chemokines of the CXC (alpha) and CC (beta) families is associated with corneal allograft rejection. Significantly elevated IP-10 gene expression in high-rejector C57BL/6, but not in low-rejector BALB/c, hosts suggests that differential activation of chemokines may be related to differences in alloimmune reactivity observed among different murine strains.

Prevention of allergic eye disease by treatment with IL-1 receptor antagonist.

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibition using IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in a mouse model of allergic eye disease. METHODS: A/J mice sensitized and challenged with cat dander in the eye were treated with topical IL-1Ra or vehicle alone. Control mice were treated with IL-1Ra or vehicle but sensitized and challenged with phosphate-buffered saline alone. Immediately after the final allergen challenge, the mice were observed for behavioral changes and assessed for lid injection and chemosis. The animals were then killed, eyes and attached lids were removed for either RNA extraction or histology, and draining lymph nodes were removed for either RNA extraction or in vitro stimulation assays. Differences in chemokine message between experimental and control groups-were determined by RNase protection assays. RESULTS: Treatment with IL-1Ra in allergen-challenged animals significantly reduced allergen-induced changes in photosensitivity (60%, P = 0.0002), chemosis (50%, P = 0.0151), and injection (86.7%, P = 0.0068) compared with vehicle-treated controls. Interleukin-1Ra reduced the number of degranulated mast cells and caused a significant reduction in the number of eosinophils infiltrating the conjunctival matrix (P<0.001) after allergen challenge. Examination of chemokine mRNA taken from the conjunctiva and draining lymph nodes by RNase protection assay showed a profound decrease in the production of a number of C-C chemokines. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that IL-1Ra is suppressing allergic eye disease by a down-modulation of the recruitment of eosinophils and other inflammatory cells essential for the immunopathogenesis of ocular atopy.

T-cell-mediated immune responses in alloepithelial rejection after murine keratoepithelioplasty.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses on alloepithelial rejection in a murine keratoepithelioplasty model. METHODS: C3H/He mouse corneal lenticules were grafted around the limbus in BALB/c mice, and alloepithelial rejection was assessed by microscopic evaluation. The relation between rejection scores and DTH or CTL responses to donor antigens was assessed by Spearman correlation analysis. Suppression of DTH responses by induction of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID) was used to evaluate the contribution of DTH responses to allograft rejection. CTL responses were evaluated by in vitro and in vivo depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ cells. RESULTS: DTH responses, which developed 2 weeks postoperatively, correlated significantly with rejection scores (correlation coefficient r = 0.55). ACAID induction by anterior chamber inoculation of C3H/He splenocytes significantly suppressed allospecific DTH responses and alloepithelial rejection. While allospecific CTL responses also developed 2 weeks postoperatively and increased by 4 weeks, CTL responses did not exhibit positive correlation with rejection scores (r = -0.36, P = 0.076). The CTL responses were mediated exclusively by CD8+ cells. Although in vivo depletion of CD8+ cells abolished the induction of CTL responses, it did not prevent allograft rejection. Immunohistochemistry showed infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ cells into the alloepithelium. Positive staining for interferon gamma but not interleukin 4 further implicated the participation of a DTH response. CONCLUSIONS: Allograft rejection after keratoepithelioplasty appears to be mediated primarily by DTH responses, with CTL responses playing only a minor role perhaps in modifying the development of rejection.

Multiwave coupling in a high-gain photorefractive polymer.

The characteristics of a new high-gain photorefractive polymer composite with a PNP chromophore are investigated. Competition between beam fanning and two-wave coupling (TWC) is predicted and verified experimentally. The intensity dependence of TWC gain is studied. Higher diffraction order and forward phase conjugation in a TWC geometry are observed and explained.

Neutrophil chemotaxis induced by corneal epithelial cells after herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

PURPOSE: Neutrophil invasion is a primary event in the development of herpetic keratitis. It has been reported that HSV-1 infection of keratocytes induces the synthesis of IL-8, a potent neutrophil chemoattractant, while corneal epithelium does not. Nevertheless, little is known about the correlation between neutrophil migration and the production of chemotactic factors by HSV-1-infected corneal cells, especially in epithelial cells which form an initial barrier of the ocular surface. We examined whether human corneal epithelial cells as well as keratocytes could induce neutrophil chemotaxis in response to HSV-1 infection. METHODS: Human corneal epithelial cells immortalized with SV40 (HCE) and human keratocytes were infected with HSV-1. The culture fluids collected at 4, 12, 24 h after infection were assayed for human neutrophil chemotaxis using a modified Boyden chamber method. IL-8 levels in these supernatants were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The chemotactic activity induced by HCE and keratocytes after MP strain of HSV-1 infection peaked as early as 4 h postinfection, then declined. Chemotactic activity induced by HSV-1-infected HCE and IL-8 levels on these supernatants paralleled with the infectious virus titer. It was inhibited by monoclonal anti-IL-8 antibody. UV-inactivation of MP strain abrogated neither the induction of chemotactic activity nor IL-8 secretion of infected HCE. CONCLUSIONS: At the early phase of HSV-1 infection, corneal epithelial cells play an important role in inducing neutrophil chemotaxis, which was mediated by IL-8.

Self-alignment with optical microconnectors for free-space optical interconnections.

A self-alignment technique that uses optical microconnectors forthree-dimensional optics in optical computing systems and opticalinterconnections is proposed. The optical microconnector consistsof an optical plug and a socket. On the output plane of an opticalsystem, optical plugs are made of a photosensitive resin exposed tolight through the optical system. Because the correspondingpositions of the optical plugs are critical to the image formed by theoptical system, a detecting device can be aligned and mounted by theconnection of the optical plugs to sockets formed on the surface of thedevice. Optical microconnectors were experimentally fabricated in areflective block optical system. An alignment accuracy of ~20 mum was attained in the experiment.

Correlation of anterior chamber-associated immune deviation with suppression of corneal epithelial rejection in mice.

PURPOSE: The authors investigated the effect of anterior chamber corneal (AC) inoculation of genetically graft-identical antigen on T-cell immunity and the suppression of alloepithelial rejection in mice. METHODS: Antigen-specific suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and suppression transferability were tested in BALB/c mice injected with irradiated allogeneic B10.D2 splenocytes into AC. Other groups of BALB/c mice received irradiated B10.D2, BALB/c, or C3H/He splenocytes in the AC of the right eye. Seven days later, B10.D2 or C3H/He corneal lenticules were grafted at the limbus of the left eye (keratoepithelioplasty). Alloepithelial rejection of each grafted eye was evaluated according to clinical findings. The DTH response of the keratoepithelioplasty recipients against B10.D2 minor antigen was tested at the end of clinical observation (4 months after grafting). Also examined was spleen component transfer from BALB/c mice with AC inoculation of B10.D2 splenocytes to syngeneic acceptors and its effect on suppression of epithelial rejection against B10.D2 antigen. RESULTS: Inoculation of B10.D2 splenocytes into BALB/c AC induced antigen-specific DTH suppression, which suppression was transferable. During the 4-month observation period, AC inoculation of B10.D2 minor antigen significantly enhanced the survival of B10.D2-derived epithelium, but not of C3H/He-derived epithelium, in BALB/c mice. However, AC inoculation of BALB/c or C3H/ He splenocytes did not enhance B10.D2 epithelial survival in BALB/c mice. Incapability of antigen-specific DTH response generation was observed in the BALB/c mice with B10.D2 splenocytes in the right AC and B10.D2-derived epithelium in the left eye. Single transfer of spleen components from BALB/c mice with AC inoculation of B10.D2 splenocytes to syngeneic acceptors only delayed B10.D2 minor antigen-stimulated epithelial rejection, whereas supplementary transfers of the identical spleen components at different time intervals showed more significant effect in rejection delay. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that AC inoculation of B10.D2 splenocytes in BALB/c mice induced antigen-specific suppression of DTH response, in a phenomenon termed anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). It also was shown definitely that ACAID can suppress alloepithelial rejection in a murine keratoepithelioplasty model. Adoptive transfer of splenocytes from ACAID-induced mice merely affords short-term suppression of epithelial rejection, suggesting that an additional mechanism may be involved in ACAID maintenance.

The antigen-bearing eye and the spleen are indispensable in maintaining anterior chamber-associated immune deviation.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of the eye and the spleen in maintaining suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) after anterior chamber (AC) inoculation of allogeneic splenocytes. METHODS: Suppression of DTH response was tested in BALB/c mice after AC inoculation of allogeneic B10.D2 splenocytes. Seven days after AC injection, the antigen-inoculated eyes were enucleated or the spleens were removed. After enculeation or splenectomy at different time intervals, DTH responses in groups of the BALB/c mice were examined. Spleen components obtained from BALB/c mice that had been primed by B10.D2 splenocytes in the AC 7 days earlier were transferred intravenously to groups of naive syngeneic acceptors. At various intervals after adoptive transfer, variations of DTH responses were tested. RESULTS: Inoculation of B10.D2 splenocytes to the AC of BALB/c mice induced antigen-specific suppression of DTH. Either enucleation of the antigen-inoculated eyes or splenectomy weakened the DTH-suppressive effect within 5 weeks and abolished it within 9 weeks, whereas the mice retaining both antigen-inoculated eyes and spleens maintained longstanding DTH suppression. Adoptive transfer of spleen components to syngeneic acceptors demonstrated DTH suppression for only 3 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The antigen-inoculated eye and spleen are required for long-standing suppression of DTH after AC inoculation of allogeneic splenocytes.

Ocular resurfacing and alloepithelial rejection in a murine keratoepithelioplasty model.

PURPOSE: To determine definitively the epithelial origin of corneal resurfacing and to elucidate the immunologic mechanisms of epithelial rejection in a murine keratoepithelioplasty (KEP) model. METHODS: After corneal epithelial removal and peritomy, donor corneal lenticules were grafted around the limbus (KEP procedure). The process of corneal reepithelialization was observed with 0.25% methylene blue staining. The origin of the renewed epithelium was determined by immunofluorescence. Syngeneic corneal lenticules were grafted to BALB/c mice. C3H/He, C57BL/6, BALB.K, DBA/2, and B10.D2 allogeneic corneal lenticules were grafted to BALB/c mice, and A.SW and A.TL allogeneic corneal lenticules were grafted to A.TH mice. Alloepithelial rejection was evaluated on the basis of clinical findings and histologic changes in grafted corneas. RESULTS: All KEP grafts were reepithelialized entirely at 3 days after surgery. The renewed epithelium proved to be derived from the lenticules in BALB/c eyes receiving C3H/He lenticules. In syngeneic grafts 5 days after KEP, the cornea recovered clarity and smoothness, which persisted to the end of the study. After complete reepithelialization, all allogeneic grafts also experienced a short duration of clear cornea. Then followed four characteristic phases of inflammatory epithelial response: initial phase, acute phase, chronic phase, and rejected phase. Histologic examination confirmed the progress and severity of inflammatory response. The mean onset times of initial phase in assorted grafts with mismatched histocompatibility antigens were: 7.9 +/- 1.8 days for both major and minor disparity grafts, 9.5 +/- 3.8 days for major disparity grafts, 18.2 +/- 5.5 days for major histocompatibility class I disparity grafts, 25.6 +/- 7.2 days for major histocompatibility class II disparity grafts, and 9.2 +/- 2.2 days for multiple minor disparity grafts. CONCLUSIONS: In donor corneal lenticule grafting to host eyes with corneal epithelium removed and conjunctival peritomy, the ocular surface was reepithelialized by lenticule-derived epithelium. Alloepithelial rejection in this model displayed characteristic manifestations and well-defined processes, enabling easy and precise evaluation of onset and intensity of graft rejection. Both major and minor histocompatibility antigens are related to corneal epithelial rejection.

Sick leave: taking time off for family.

Sick leave, traditionally, has been for employees alone--a dissatisfying arrangement when the sick person is a family member, not the professional. But one hospital rewrote its rule, extending sick leave to include time off if a spouse or dependent child is ill. The staff likes the hospital's acknowledgment that professionals have important family obligations. Administrators like the high rate at which it's retaining valued personnel.

Reflective block optics for packaging of optical computing systems.

A new optical packaging technique, which we call reflective block optics, for optical computing systems is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. This technique is based on solid optics, which is advantageous with respect to stability, reliability, and alignability. Reflective lenses are used to attain high lens power, compactness, and a large space-bandwidth product. Glass blocks, cube beam splitters, and reflective optical elements are combined to form optical blocks. We can construct several optical systems by assembling the optical blocks.

Iterative processing on a hybrid optical parallel array logic system with a selectable coherent correlator.

A new version of an experimental system of an optoelectronic hybrid optical parallel array logic system is constructed. The experimental system is composed of a two-dimensional correlator with selectable holographic filters and parallel electronic circuits. The system can process images consisting of 3 × 3 pixels at a time. Several types of processing are achieved both without and with dynamic selection of the holographic filters. On the experimental system, parallel operations of several logical functions and data transmission are demonstrated. Processing rates of iterative operation without and with filter selection are 278 and 143 frames/s, respectively.