Nondiffracting interference patterns generated with programmable spatial light modulators

Nondiffracting beams are of interest for optical metrology applications because the size and shape of the beams do not change as the beams propagate. We have created a generating pattern consisting of a linear combination of two nondiffracting patterns. This pattern forms a nondiffracting interference pattern that appears as a circular array of nondiffracting spots. More complicated multiplexed arrays are also constructed that simultaneously yield two different nondiffracting patterns. We generate these Bessel function arrays with a programmable spatial light modulator. Such arrays would be useful for angular alignment and for optical interconnection applications.

Intensity and phase measurements of nondiffracting beams generated with a magneto-optic spatial light modulator

Nondiffracting beams are of interest for optical metrology applications because the size of the beam does not change as the beam propagates. However, accuracy can be increased if the diameter of the beam is smaller. One technique for accomplishing this is to use the dark axial intensity profile associated with a higher-order nondiffracting Bessel function beam. We generate these higher-order Bessel function beams with a programmable spatial light modulator. We study the intensity patterns and the phase dependence of these nondiffracting beams. In addition, we examine interference effects caused by recording these patterns onto a binary spatial light modulator.

Contribution of actin cytoskeletal alterations to ATP depletion and calcium-induced proximal tubule cell injury

The actin cytoskeleton of rabbit proximal tubules was assessed by deoxyribonuclease (DNase) binding, sedimentability of detergent-insoluble actin, laser-scanning confocal microscopy, and ultrastructure during exposure to hypoxia, antimycin, or antimycin plus ionomycin. One-third of total actin was DNase reactive in control cells prior to deliberate depolymerization, and a similar proportion was unsedimentable from detergent lysates during 2.5 h at 100,000 g. Tubules injured by hypoxia or antimycin alone, without glycine, showed Ca(2+)-dependent pathology of the cytoskeleton, consisting of increases in DNase-reactive actin, redistribution of pelletable actin, and loss of microvilli concurrent with lethal membrane damage. In contrast, tubules similarly depleted of ATP and incubated with glycine showed no significant changes of DNase-reactive actin or actin sedimentability for up to 60 min, but, nevertheless, developed substantial loss of basal membrane-associated actin within 15 min and disruption of actin cores and clubbing of microvilli at durations > 30 min. These structural changes that occurred in the presence of glycine were not prevented by limiting Ca2+ availability or pH 6.9. Very rapid and extensive cytoskeletal disruption followed antimycin-plus-ionomycin treatment. In this setting, glycine and pH 6.9 decreased lethal membrane damage but did not ameliorate pathology in the cytoskeleton or microvilli; limiting Ca2+ availability partially protected the cytoskeleton but did not prevent lethal membrane damage. The data suggest that both ATP depletion-dependent but Ca(2+)-independent, as well as Ca(2+)-mediated, processes can disrupt the actin cytoskeleton during acute proximal tubule cell injury; that both types of change occur, despite protection afforded by glycine and reduced pH against lethal membrane damage; and that Ca(2+)-independent processes primarily account for prelethal actin cytoskeletal alterations during simple ATP depletion of proximal tubule cells.

Astigmatic phase correction for the magneto-optic spatial light modulator

We report a simple low-cost technique for evaluating the phase distortion in a magneto-optic spatial light modulator. We find that the dominant distortion is caused by astigmatism and is easily compensated by encoding of the complex-conjugate pattern onto the device. Two experimental results are shown. First, the focused spot size from a Fresnel lens is sharpened when the aberrations are corrected. Second, we show that the pattern that generates a first-order Bessel-function nondiffracting beam does not work unless the aberrations are corrected.

Effects of Ca++ and glycine on lipid breakdown and death of ATP-depleted MDCK cells

The relationships between cytosolic free calcium (Caf), cell associated glycine, phospholipid hydrolysis and cell death were investigated in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells injured by depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Glucose free incubation for three hours with a mitochondrial uncoupler resulted in progressive loss of glycine from cells. However, they were not lethally injured unless a perturbation of Ca++ homeostasis was also induced. Exposure to a Ca++ ionophore and uncoupler in 1.25 mM Ca++ medium (+Ca) resulted in accelerated cell death. ATP depleted cells with ionophore in 100 nM Ca++ medium (-Ca) were also lethally injured, but after a significant delay. Depletion of glycine preceded death in both groups of cells. Exogenous glycine (5 mM) protected +Ca cells against lethal membrane damage, but the beneficial effects were lost over a period of time. In contrast, -Ca cells were completely protected throughout. Phospholipid mass and radioactive label in lipid fractions of cells prelabeled with 3H-oleic acid were measured. Accelerated death of +Ca cells was accompanied by large decreases of phospholipid mass, loss of phospholipid label, and accumulation of unesterified labeled fatty acid. These changes were greatly decreased by incubation in -Ca medium. On the other hand, protection by glycine could not be attributed to modifications of either the massive breakdown of phospholipids that occurred in +Ca cells, or the modest changes seen in -Ca cells. In +Ca cells, the deleterious effects of increased Caf and phospholipid breakdown ultimately prevailed over protection by the amino acid. Thus, separate pathways of cell death associated with increased Caf and decreased glycine were defined in ATP depleted, Ca(+)- permeabilized MDCK cells. Calcium excess and massive phospholipid loss are features of a damage process that occurs independently of whether cells are protected by glycine or not. Conversely, the glycine sensitive component of injury is expressed regardless of whether intracellular Ca++ is increased, or large phospholipid losses occur. ATP depletion in -Ca medium provides a system to study mechanisms of glycine cytoprotection uncomplicated by Ca++ toxicity.

Programmable optical logic systems using free-space optical interconnections

A free-space optical logic technique is presented that utilizes a two-dimensional array of diffractive optical elements. Each optical element focuses light to multiple, separate positions in the output focal plane. The focal spots from different optical elements are allowed to overlap spatially, resulting in interference. By changing the phase shift between the optical elements, one can create different optical logic operations in the focal plane. The technique is demonstrated by the use of two input beams incident onto a multiplexed optical element written onto a programmable spatial light modulator. The optical element simultaneously creates both AND and XOR logic functions in the output plane.

Comparison of tribromoethanol, ketamine/acetylpromazine, Telazol/xylazine, pentobarbital, and methoxyflurane anesthesia in HSD:ICR mice

Variation in the duration of surgical anesthesia in mice prompted an evaluation of various commonly used anesthetics. Using biotelemetric technology, we evaluated the effects of six anesthetic regimens (tribromoethanol, ketamine and acetylpromazine in combination, Telazol and xylazine in two combinations, pentobarbital, and methoxyflurane) on temperature and activity. Six groups of four male HSD:ICR mice received one of the anesthetic regimens or an equivalent volume of saline. Induction time (time from anesthetic administration until righting reflex loss) and duration of anesthesia (loss of response to interdigital toe pinch) were evaluated. Methoxyflurane and both doses of Telazol combinations resulted in the shortest and most repeatable induction times. None of the mice in the ketamine/acetylpromazine- and pentobarbital-treated groups lost the interdigital toe pinch reflex. Duration of anesthesia was superior in the two Telazol/xylazine-treated groups. A direct correlation existed between duration of anesthesia and magnitude and duration of temperature reduction. Duration of anesthesia can be used to predict extent of hypothermia.

Self-Assembled Metal Colloid Monolayers: An Approach to SERS Substrates

The self-assembly of monodisperse gold and silver colloid particles into monolayers on polymer-coated substrates yields macroscopic surfaces that are highly active for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Particles are bound to the substrate through multiple bonds between the colloidal metal and functional groups on the polymer such as cyanide (CN), amine (NH(2)), and thiol (SH). Surface evolution, which can be followed in real time by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and SERS, can be controlled to yield high reproducibility on both the nanometer and the centimeter scales. On conducting substrates, colloid monolayers are electrochemically addressable and behave like a collection of closely spaced microelectrodes. These favorable properties and the ease of monolayer construction suggest a widespread use for metal colloid-based substrates.

Fractional pixel translations of Fresnel lenses written onto spatial light modulators

The focal point of a lens written onto a spatial light modulator can be translated laterally by displacement of the central location of the encoded lens function. We show that the beam can be translated by a fraction of a pixel, in contrast to the expected single-pixel limitation. This increases the positional sensitivity obtainable with this technique. Experimental results are presented.

Modulation by Gly, Ca, and acidosis of injury-associated unesterified fatty acid accumulation in proximal tubule cells

We have examined the dependence of unesterified fatty acid accumulation by intact, freshly isolated proximal tubules on Ca2+, pH, and the cytoprotective amino acid, glycine, during injury induced by hypoxia, antimycin, or antimycin plus ionomycin. In the absence of glycine, similarly high levels of fatty acid accumulation were seen during all three injury conditions irrespective of whether tubules were incubated in normal 1.25 mM Ca2+ medium or in medium where Ca2+ was buffered to 0.1 microM, a maneuver which prevented injury-associated increase of cytosolic-free Ca2+ as measured with fura 2. In the presence of glycine, which strongly suppressed development of lethal membrane damage for at least 60 min and did not have any apparent direct effects on fatty acid accumulation, both Ca(2+)-independent and Ca(2+)-dependent components of fatty acid accumulation were discernible. The Ca(2+)-independent component accounted for approximately 2/3 of fatty acid accumulation and did not vary as Ca2+ ranged from 10 nM to 1 microM. Unequivocal Ca(2+)-dependent accumulation occurred when Ca2+ exceeded 10 microM. Lowering pH to 6.9 had a moderate, generalized suppressive effect on fatty acid accumulation, including the major Ca(2+)-independent component, irrespective of the presence of glycine. These data emphasize the role of Ca(2+)-independent fatty acid accumulation during proximal tubule cell injury, clarify the modulatory actions of the potent, intrinsic cytoprotective factors, glycine and reduced pH, and provide insight into the relationship between fatty acid accumulation and lethal membrane damage.

Subharmonic focal-length intensities formed by Fresnel lenses

Binary Fresnel lenses produce focused spots at subharmonics of the principal focal length of the lens. The intensities of these focal spots can be controlled by variation of the relative widths of the rings of the Fresnel lens compared with the spacings between the rings. Theory is presented and experimentalverification is provided with Fresnel lenses written onto the magneto-optic spatial light modulator.

Role of intracellular pH during cytoprotection of proximal tubule cells by glycine or acidosis

Lowering extracellular pH to less than 7.0 strongly protects isolated proximal tubules against ATP depletion and Ca(2+)-induced injury, but there is little information about alterations of intracellular pH (pHi) in renal tubules during either injury or its modification by decreasing medium pHi or other potent protective factors such as glycine. pHi was assessed with 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-carboxyfluorescein during proximal tubule injury produced by simple ATP depletion with the electron transport inhibitor antimycin or by large increases of cytosolic free Ca2+ induced by treatment with the calcium ionophore ionomycin, alone and in combination with antimycin. Freshly isolated rabbit proximal tubules studied under superfusion conditions in the presence of probenecid were suitable for monitoring pHi during relatively prolonged and severe injury states. Probenecid, used to promote the retention of intracellular fluorophores, only minimally modified the injury response by transiently delaying lactate dehydrogenase release during antimycin treatment. The tubules did not exhibit spontaneous decreases of pHi during simple ATP depletion, but pHi fully equilibrated with cytoprotective decreases of medium pH. Irrespective of the presence of antimycin, ionomycin induced intracellular alkalinization in Ca(2+)-replete medium, which may have further enhanced the severity of injury. When medium Ca2+ was buffered to 100 nM, ionomycin induced intracellular acidification, which likely resulted from a combination of Ca2+/H+ exchange activity of the ionophore and H+ uptake during Ca(2+)-ATPase-mediated extrusion of Ca2+ released by ionomycin from intracellular pools. Alterations of pHi did not contribute to glycine cytoprotection because glycine did not affect the behavior of pHi during treatment with antimycin, ionomycin, or both agents in combination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Assessment of menstrual blood loss in women referred for endometrial ablation

We measured menstrual blood loss in 54 women preferred for endometrial ablation on account of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Patients' subjective assessment of blood loss was assessed by visual analogue scores and by pictorial blood loss assessment charts. The former were not related to measured blood loss but the charts were a useful test for menorrhagia, with 88% sensitivity, 52% specificity and a false positive rate of 59%.