Three-dimensional polarization algebra for all polarization sensitive optical systems.

Using three-dimensional (3D) coherency vector (9 × 1), we develop a new 3D polarization algebra to calculate the polarization properties of all polarization sensitive optical systems, especially when the incident optical field is partially polarized or un-polarized. The polarization properties of a high numerical aperture (NA) microscope objective (NA = 1.25 immersed in oil) are analyzed based on the proposed 3D polarization algebra. Correspondingly, the polarization simulation of this high NA optical system is performed by the commercial software VirtualLAB Fusion. By comparing the theoretical calculations with polarization simulations, a perfect matching relation is obtained, which demonstrates that this 3D polarization algebra is valid to quantify the 3D polarization properties for all polarization sensitive optical systems.

Camera focusing based on fringe pattern matching.

A method of camera focusing based on fringe pattern matching is presented. In the method, the variance of the mismatch function is used as a focus measure. The focus measure was examined in a fringe analysis system, and the results from the three well-known focus measures-gray-level variance, image gradient, and Laplacian-were also obtained in the experiment as a comparison. The experimental results show that the focus measure based on fringe pattern matching performs well in peak sharpness, monotonicity, and noise sensitivity and that it has a better performance in noise sensitivity owing to its advantage of averaging noise.

Comparison of the effects of five adjuvants on the antibody response to influenza virus antigen in guinea pigs.

Five adjuvants were tested for their effect on the immune response in guinea pigs to the hemagglutinin antigen of influenza virus strain B/Panama. Vaccines containing 924 micrograms of hemagglutinin antigen/ml were prepared at high and low doses of Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvants, Syntex adjuvant, RIBI's adjuvant, TiterMax adjuvant, and aluminum phosphate adjuvant. Responses to these vaccines were compared with those to a control vaccine containing influenza virus B/Panama hemagglutinin antigen and saline. On day 28, vaccines containing the following adjuvant doses had significantly higher titers than the titer for the control: Freund adjuvants at high and low doses, RIBI at high dose, TiterMax at high and low doses, and aluminum phosphate at high dose. On day 42, vaccines containing the following adjuvant doses had significantly higher titers than that for the control: Freund adjuvants at high and low doses, RIBI at high dose, TiterMax at high dose, and aluminum phosphate at high dose. Freund adjuvants at high and low doses, RIBI adjuvant at high dose, and aluminum phosphate at high dose caused significantly greater swelling at the inoculation site than did the control vaccine. TiterMax adjuvant at high and low doses, and aluminum phosphate at low dose caused minor swelling at the inoculation site, but it was not significantly different from the swelling caused by the control vaccine. Syntex adjuvant at high and low doses, RIBI at low dose, and control (saline/antigen) at high and low doses caused no swelling after inoculation. Overall, the high dose of adjuvants caused greater tissue swelling than did the low dose of adjuvants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Endocytosis and exocytosis of transferrin by isolated capillary endothelium.

Vesicular transport of solutes across capillary walls may be regulated by specific solute-endothelial interactions. Little data is available on the vesicular transport of serum proteins which may transit the capillary wall in situ. Capillaries were isolated from epididymal fat and incubated in fluorescent-labeled transferrin and radiolabeled sucrose. Endocytosis and exocytosis of these tracers were quantitated on a picomolar basis over timed intervals and standardized against the amount of endothelial DNA present in the isolate. The rate of vesicular endocytosis of transferrin was 6-7 times greater than that of sucrose indicating a mechanism of selection for transferrin. Endocytosis as a function of external concentration exhibited complex kinetics for transferrin that was consistent with an adsorptive component and a fluid component. Sucrose uptake appeared to be simple fluid endocytosis but with a rate-limiting concentration at 500-600 microM. Vesicular exocytosis of both solutes from preloaded capillaries appeared to occur more rapidly than their endocytosis. This was probably not due to different rates of filling and emptying of attached vesicles nor to an intrinsic difference in rates of vesicle interiorization and refusing with the plasma membrane. Different rates of endocytosis and exocytosis may only be apparent since exocytosis of marker before the capillaries reach ingestion equilibrium would reduce the measured uptake rate.