A Study of Radiation-Induced Telomere Instability Using Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA)

The integrity of the chromosomes for two WIL2-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (TK6 and WTK1) in the presence and absence of ionizing radiation was analyzed by Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA). The TK6 cell line has the native p53 tumor-suppressor gene, whereas WTK1 cells contain a p53 mutation. Each cell line was isolated pre- and post-irradiation (2 and 3 Gy) and analyzed by MLPA. The impact of irradiation on these two cell lines was investigated using probes that target specific regions on chromosomes associated with subtelomeric regions. Results indicate that WTK1 and TK6 are impacted differently after irradiation, and that each cell line presents its own unique MLPA profile. The most notable differences are the appearance of a number of probes in the post-irradiated MLPA profile that are not present in the controls, and two unique probe signals only seen in WTK1 cells. These results build on our previous studies that indicate how different human cell lines can be affected by radiation in significantly different ways depending on the presence or absence of wild type p53.

A simple and efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system permits ultra-multiplex genome editing in plants

The development and maturation of the CRISPR/Cas genome editing system provides a valuable tool for plant functional genomics and genetic improvement.Currently available genome-editing tools have a limited number of targets,restricting their application in genetic research.In this study,we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9 plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system consisting of two template vectors,eight donor vectors,four destination vectors,and one primer-design software package.By combining the advantages of Golden Gate cloning to assemble multiple repetitive fragments and Gateway recombination to assemble large fragments and by changing the structure of the amplicons used to assemble sg RNA expression cassettes,the plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system can assemble a single binary vector targeting more than 40 genomic loci.A rice knockout vector containing 49 sg RNA expression cassettes was assembled and a high co-editing efficiency was observed.This plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system advances synthetic biology and plant genetic engineering.

Study on Distribution of Four Pseudomonas Species in Living Environment Using Multiplex PCR

Purpose: The genus Pseudomonas is a ubiquitous microorganism frequently detected from immunocompromised patients. The inherent resistance to numerous antimicrobial agents contributes to the opportunistic character of this pathogen exhaustive monitoring of this pathogen is considered of critical importance to public health organizations. The reliable identification method able to distinguish genetic close Pseudomonas species is needed, because these organisms are difficult to differentiate by phenotypic or biochemical methods. The purpose of the present study was to design species-specific primers in order to identify and detect four Pseudomonas species which are frequently detected from the human oral cavities, and to investigate the distribution of these organisms in the living environment using a multiplex PCR. Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed based on partial sequences of the rpoD gene of four Pseudomonas species. Swab samples were collected from fifty washstands, and the distribution of Pseudomonas species was investigated using a conventional PCR at genus level and a multiplex PCR at species level. Results: Multiplex PCR method developed in this study was able to distinguish four Pseudomonas species clearly. The genus Pseudomonas was detected from all samples (100%), whereas P. putida, P, aeruginosa, P. stutzeri and P. fluorescens were detected at 44%, 8%, 4% and 2% in fifty swab samples, respectively. Conclusion: Our developed one-step multiplex PCR method is accurate, specific, cost-effective, time-saving, and works without requiring DNA extraction. It was indicated that washstands were the uninhabitable environment for P. putida, P, aeruginosa, P. stutzeri and P. fluorescens.

Establishment and performance analysis of a new multiplex detection method for influenza an and B virus antigen

BACKGROUND Influenza A and B virus detection is pivotal in epidemiological surveillance and disease management.Rapid and accurate diagnostic techniques are crucial for timely clinical intervention and outbreak prevention.Quantum dot-encoded microspheres have been widely used in immunodetection.The integration of quantum dot-encoded microspheres with flow cytometry is a well-established technique that enables rapid analysis.Thus,establishing a multiplex detection method for influenza A and B virus antigens based on flow cytometry quantum dot microspheres will help in disease diagnosis.AIM To establish a codetection method of influenza A and B virus antigens based on flow cytometry quantum dot-encoded microsphere technology,which forms the foundation for the assays of multiple respiratory virus biomarkers.METHODS Different quantum dot-encoded microspheres were used to couple the monoclonal antibodies against influenza A and B.The known influenza A and B antigens were detected both separately and simultaneously on a flow cytometer,and the detection conditions were optimized to establish the influenza A and B antigen codetection method,which was utilized for their detection in clinical samples.The results were compared with the fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR)method to validate the clinical performance of this method.RESULTS The limits of detection of this method were 26.1 and 10.7 pg/mL for influenza A and B antigens,respectively,which both ranged from 15.6 to 250000 pg/mL.In the clinical sample evaluation,the proposed method well correlated with the fluorescent quantitative PCR method,with positive,negative,and overall compliance rates of 57.4%,100%,and 71.6%,respectively.CONCLUSION A multiplex assay for quantitative detection of influenza A and B virus antigens has been established,which is characterized by high sensitivity,good specificity,and a wide detection range and is promising for clinical applications.

Multi-dimensional multiplexing optical secret sharing framework with cascaded liquid crystal holograms

Secret sharing is a promising technology for information encryption by splitting the secret information into different shares.However,the traditional scheme suffers from information leakage in decryption process since the amount of available information channels is limited.Herein,we propose and demonstrate an optical secret sharing framework based on the multi-dimensional multiplexing liquid crystal(LC)holograms.The LC holograms are used as spatially separated shares to carry secret images.The polarization of the incident light and the distance between different shares are served as secret keys,which can significantly improve the information security and capacity.Besides,the decryption condition is also restricted by the applied external voltage due to the variant diffraction efficiency,which further increases the information security.In implementation,an artificial neural network(ANN)model is developed to carefully design the phase distribution of each LC hologram.With the advantage of high security,high capacity and simple configuration,our optical secret sharing framework has great potentials in optical encryption and dynamic holographic display.

Multiplex Rapid Test with Acceptable Diagnosis Performance as a Solution to Increase Diagnosis of Hepatitis B and C Viruses in Pregnant Women in an Area of High Prevalence of Both Hepatitis Viruses Associated with HIV

Background and Objective: HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are very widespread in the world, however, less than 20% of the people affected are diagnosed and treated. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HIV, HCV and HBV co-infections in pregnant women at Bangui Community University Hospital and the cost of screening. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving consenting pregnant women who came for antenatal care was performed. HIV, HCV antibodies and HBV antigens were detected using Exacto Triplex? HIV/HCV/HBsAg rapid test, cross-validated by ELISA tests. Sociodemographic and professional data, the modes of transmission and prevention of HIV and both hepatitis viruses were collected in a standard sheet and analyzed using the Epi-Info software version 7. Results: Pregnant women aged 15 to 24 were the most affected (45.3%);high school girls (46.0%), and pregnant women living in cohabitation (65.3%) were the most represented. Twenty-five (16.7%) worked in the formal sector, 12.7% were unemployed housewives and the remainder in the informal sector. The prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV viruses was 11.8%, 21.9% and 22.2%, respectively. The prevalence of co-infections was 8.6% for HIV-HBV, 10.2% for HIV-HCV, 14.7% for HBV-HCV and 6.5% for HIV-HBV-HCV. All positive results and 10% of negative results by the rapid test were confirmed by ELISA tests. The serology of the three viruses costs 39,000 FCFA (60 Euros) by ELISA compared to 10,000 FCFA (15.00 Euros) with Exacto Triplex? HIV/HCV/AgHBs (BioSynex, Strasbourg, France). Conclusion: The low level of education and awareness of hepatitis are barriers to development and indicate the importance of improving the literacy rate of women in the Central African Republic (CAR). Likewise, the high prevalence of the three viruses shows the need for the urgent establishment of a national program to combat viral hepatitis in the CAR.

Semi-implantable device based on multiplexed microfilament electrode cluster for continuous monitoring of physiological ions

Modern medicine is increasingly interested in advanced sensors to detect and analyze biochemical indicators.Ion sensors based on potentiometric methods are a promising platform for monitoring physiological ions in biological subjects.Current semi-implantable devices are mainly based on single-parameter detection.Miniaturized semi-implantable electrodes for multiparameter sensing have more restrictions on the electrode size due to biocompatibility considerations,but reducing the electrode surface area could potentially limit electrode sensitivity.This study developed a semi-implantable device system comprising a multiplexed microfilament electrode cluster(MMEC)and a printed circuit board for real-time monitoring of intra-tissue K^(+),Ca^(2+),and Na^(+)concentrations.The electrode surface area was less important for the potentiometric sensing mechanism,suggesting the feasibility of using a tiny fiber-like electrode for potentiometric sensing.The MMEC device exhibited a broad linear response(K^(+):2–32 mmol/L;Ca^(2+):0.5–4 mmol/L;Na^(+):10–160 mmol/L),high sensitivity(about 20–45 mV/decade),temporal stability(>2weeks),and good selectivity(>80%)for the above ions.In vitro detection and in vivo subcutaneous and brain experiment results showed that the MMEC system exhibits good multi-ion monitoring performance in several complex environments.This work provides a platform for the continuous real-time monitoring of ion fluctuations in different situations and has implications for developing smart sensors to monitor human health.

Real-Time 4-Mode MDM Transmission Using Commercial 400G OTN Transceivers and All-Fiber Mode Multiplexers

Weakly-coupled mode division multiplexing(MDM)technique is considered a promising candidate to enhance the capacity of an optical transmission system,in which mode multiplexers/demultiplexers(MMUX/MDEMUX)with low insertion loss and modal crosstalk are the key components.In this paper,a low-modal-crosstalk 4-mode MMUX/MDEMUX for the weakly-coupled triple-ring-core few-mode fiber(TRC-FMF)is designed and fabricated with side-polishing processing.The measurement results show that a pair of MMUX/MDEMUX and 25 km weakly-coupled TRC-FMF MDM link achieve low modal crosstalk of lower than−17.5 dB and insertion loss of lower than 11.56 dB for all the four modes.Based on the TRC-FMF and all-fiber MMUX/MDEMUX,an experiment for 25 km real-time 4-mode 3-λwavelength division multiplexing(WDM)-MDM transmission is conducted using commercial 400G optical transport network(OTN)transceivers.The experimental results prove weakly-coupled MDM techniques facilitate a smooth upgrade of the optical transmission system.

Development of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of hepatitis C virus,hepatitis B virus,and human immunodeficiency virus 1

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus(HCV),hepatitis B virus(HBV),and human immunodeficiency virus 1(HIV-1)are the most epidemic blood-borne viruses,posing threats to human health and causing economic losses to nations for combating the infection transmission.The diagnostic methodologies that depend on the detection of viral nucleic acids are much more expensive,but they are more accurate than sero-logical testing.AIM To develop a rapid,cost-effective,and accurate diagnostic multiplex polymerase chain reaction(PCR)assay for simultaneous detection of HCV,HBV,and HIV-1.METHODS The design of the proposed PCR assay targets the amplification of a short conserved region featured with a distinguishable melting profile and electro-phoretic molecular weight inside each viral genome.Therefore,this diagnostic method will be appropriate for application in both conventional(combined with electrophoresis)and real-time PCR facilities.Confirmatory in silico investigations were conducted to prove the capability of the approached PCR assay to detect variants of each virus.Then,Egyptian isolates of each virus were subjected to the wet lab examination using the given diagnostic assay.RESULTS The in silico investigations confirmed that the PCR primers can match many viral variants in a multiplex PCR assay.The wet lab experiment proved the efficiency of the assay in distinguishing each viral type through high-resolution melting analysis.Compared to related published assays,the proposed assay in the current study is more sensitive and competitive with many expensive PCR assays.CONCLUSION This study provides a simple,cost-effective,and sensitive diagnostic PCR assay facilitating the detection of the most epidemic blood-borne viruses;this makes the proposed assay promising to be substitutive for the mistakable and cheap serological-based assays.

Semi-vectorial analysis of a compact wavelength demultiplexer based on the tapered multimode interference coupler

Based on a parabolically tapered multimode interference （MMI） coupler with a deep-etched SiO2/SiON rib waveguide, a compact wavelength demultiplexer operating at 1.30 and 1.55 μm wavelengths is proposed and analysed by using three-dimensional semi-vectorial finite-difference beam propagation method （3D-SV-FD-BPM）. The results show that a MMI section of 330.0 μm in length, which is only 76% length of a straight MMI coupler, is achieved with the contrasts of 42.3 and 39.2dB in quasi-TE mode, and 38.4 and 37.8dB in quasi-TM mode at wavelengths 1.30 and 1.55μm, respectively, and the insertion losses below 0.2dB at both wavelengths and in both polarization states, The alternating direction implicit algorithm with the Crank-Nicholson scheme is applied to the discretization of the 3D-SV-FD-BPM formulation along the longitudinal direction. Moreover, a modified FD scheme is constructed to approximate the resulting equations along the transverse directions, in which the discontinuities of the derivatives of magnetic field components Hy and Hx along the vertical and horizontal interfaces, respectively, are involved.

Flat multifunctional liquid crystal elements through multi-dimensional information multiplexing

Flat optical elements have attracted enormous attentions and act as promising candidates for the next generation of optical components.As one of the most outstanding representatives,liquid crystal(LC)has been widely applied in flat panel display industries and inspires the wavefront modulation with the development of LC alignment techniques.However,most LC elements perform only one type of optical manipulation and are difficult to realize the multifunctionality and light integration.Here,flat multifunctional liquid crystal elements(FMLCEs),merely composed of anisotropic LC molecules with space-variant orientations,are presented for multichannel information manipulation by means of polarization,space and wavelength multiplexing.Specifically,benefiting from the unique light response with the change of the incident polarization,observation plane,and working wavelength,a series of FMLCEs are demonstrated to achieve distinct near-and far-field display functions.The proposed strategy takes full advantage of basic optical parameters as the decrypted keys to improve the information capacity and security,and we expect it to find potential applications in information encryption,optical anti-counterfeiting,virtual/augmented reality,etc.

Time-sequential color code division multiplexing holographic display with metasurface

Color metasurface holograms are powerful and versatile platforms for modulating the amplitude,phase,polarization,and other properties of light at multiple operating wavelengths.However,the current color metasurface holography can only realize static manipulation.In this study,we propose and demonstrate a multiplexing metasurface technique combined with multiwavelength code-division multiplexing(CDM)to realize dynamic manipulation.Multicolor code references are utilized to record information within a single metasurface and increase the information capacity and security for anticracks.A total of 48 monochrome images consisting of pure color characters and multilevel color video frames were reconstructed in dual polarization channels of the birefringent metasurface to exhibit high information density,and a video was displayed via sequential illumination of the corresponding code patterns to verify the ability of dynamic manipulation.Our approach demonstrates significant application potential in optical data storage,optical encryption,multiwavelengthversatile diffractive optical elements,and stimulated emission depletion microscopy.

Planar peristrophic multiplexing metasurfaces

As a promising counterpart of two-dimensional metamaterials,metasurfaces enable to arbitrarily control the wavefront of light at subwavelength scale and hold promise for planar holography and applicable multiplexing devices.Nevertheless,the degrees of freedom(DoF)to orthogonally multiplex data have been almost exhausted.Compared with state-of-theart methods that extensively employ the orthogonal basis such as wavelength,polarization or orbital angular momentum,we propose an unprecedented method of peristrophic multiplexing by combining the spatial frequency orthogonality with the subwavelength detour phase principle.The orthogonal relationship between the spatial frequency of incident light and the locally shifted building blocks of metasurfaces can be regarded as an additional DoF.We experimentally demonstrate the viability of the multiplexed holograms.Moreover,this newly-explored orthogonality is compatible with conventional DoFs.Our findings will contribute to the development of multiplexing metasurfaces and provide a novel solution to nanophotonics,such as large-capacity chip-scale devices and highly integrated communication.

Compact and high-efficient wavelength demultiplexing coupler based on high-index dielectric nanoantennas

Wavelength demultiplexing waveguide couplers have important applications in integrated nanophotonic devices. Two of the most important indicators of the quality of a wavelength demultiplexing coupler are coupling efficiency and splitting ratio. In this study, we utilize two asymmetric high-index dielectric nanoantennas directly positioned on top of a silicon-on insulator waveguide to realize a compact wavelength demultiplexing coupler in a communication band, which is based on the interference of the waveguide modes coupled by the two nanoantennas. We add a Au substrate for further increasing the coupling efficiency. This has constructive and destructive influences on the antenna＇s in-coupling efficiency owing to the Fabry-Perot（FP） resonance in the SiO2 layer. Therefore, we can realize a wavelength demultiplexing coupler with compact size and high coupling efficiency. This coupler has widespread applications in the areas of wavelength filters,on-chip signal processing, and integrated nanophotonic circuits.

Designing thermal demultiplexer: Splitting phonons by negative mass and genetic algorithm optimization

We propose the concept of thermal demultiplexer, which can split the heat flux in different frequency ranges intodifferent directions. We demonstrate this device concept in a honeycomb lattice with dangling atoms. From the view ofeffective negative mass, we give a qualitative explanation of how the dangling atoms change the original transport property.We first design a two-mass configuration thermal demultiplexer, and find that the heat flux can flow into different ports incorresponding frequency ranges roughly. Then, to improve the performance, we choose the suitable masses of danglingatoms and optimize the four-mass configuration with genetic algorithm. Finally, we give out the optimal configuration witha remarkable effect. Our study finds a way to selectively split spectrum-resolved heat to different ports as phonon splitter,which would provide a new means to manipulate phonons and heat, and to guide the design of phononic thermal devices inthe future.

High-performance and fabrication friendly polarization demultiplexer

A compact and fabrication friendly polarization demultiplexer(P-DEMUX) is proposed and characterized to enable wavelength-division-multiplexing and polarization-division-multiplexing simultaneously. The proposed structure is composed of a polarization-selective microring resonator in ultrathin waveguide and two bus channels in the silicon nitridesilica-silicon horizontal slot waveguides. In the slot waveguide, the transverse electric(TE) mode propagates through the silicon layer, while the transverse magnetic(TM) mode is confined in the slot region. In the designed ultra-thin waveguide, the TM mode is cut-off. The effective indexes of the TE modes for ultrathin and slot waveguides have comparable values. Thanks for these distinguishing features, the input TE mode can be efficiently filtered through the ultra-thin microring at the resonant wavelength, while the TM mode can directly output from the through port. Simulation results show that the extinction ratio of the proposed P-DEMUX for TE and TM modes are 33.21 dB and 24.97 dB, and the insertion losses are 0.346 dB and 0.324 dB, respectively, at the wavelength of 1551.64 nm. Furthermore, the device shows a broad bandwidth(> 100 nm) for an extinction ratio(ER) of > 20 dB. In addition, the proposed P-DEMUX also has a good fabrication tolerance for the waveguide width variation of-20 nm≤ △w_(g)≤ 20 nm and the microring width variation of -20 nm≤ △w_(r) ≤20 nm for a low insertion loss of < 0.75 dB and low ER of <-18 dB.

Erratum to“Designing thermal demultiplexer:Splitting phonons by negative mass and genetic algorithm optimization”

Equations(8)and(9)in the original paper[Chin.Phys.B 30036301(2021)]are corrected.

Theoretical Analysis of a Vertical Channel Dropping Tunnelling Process in a Photonic Crystal for Wavelength Division Demultiplexing

A theoretical analysis is presented for a channel drop tunnelling structure composed of a horizontal input channel, a vertical output channel and a multi-mode cavity in a photonic crystal. Criteria for a complete transfer are derived for applications of wavelength division demultiplexing. The analytical results are verified with a numerical simulation using a finite difference time domain method. The vertical channel dropping tunnelling system makes the demultiplexing device much more compact, as compared to the conventional parallel channel dropping system.

Bound in continuum states and induced transparency in mesoscopic demultiplexer with two outputs

We investigate the electronic transport in a simple mesoscopic cross structure made of two wires(stubs)grafted at the same point along a quantum waveguide.We show that the structure may exhibit important phenomena such as bound in continuum(BIC)states.These states are transformed into electromagnetically induced transparency(EIT)resonance by detuning slightly the lengths of the stubs.The last phenomenon is used to propose and study a mesoscopic demultiplexer device with an input waveguide and two output waveguides.We give closed-form expressions of the geometrical parameters that allow a selective transfer of a given state in the first waveguide without perturbing the second waveguide.The effect of temperature on the transmission resonances is also examined by using Landauer-Büttiker formula.The analytical results of the dispersion relation and transmission and reflection coefficient are obtained using the Green's function method.

Performance of phase-matching quantum key distribution based on wavelength division multiplexing technology

Quantum key distribution(QKD) generates information-theoretical secure keys between two parties based on the physical laws of quantum mechanics. The phase-matching(PM) QKD protocol allows the key rate to break the quantum channel secret key capacity limit without quantum repeaters, and the security of the protocol is demonstrated by using equivalent entanglement. In this paper, the wavelength division multiplexing(WDM) technique is applied to the PM-QKD protocol considering the effect of crosstalk noise on the secret key rate. The performance of PM-QKD protocol based on WDM with the influence of adjacent classical channels and Raman scattering is analyzed by numerical simulations to maximize the total secret key rate of the QKD, providing a reference for future implementations of QKD based on WDM techniques.