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Sample records for competitive hybridization probes

  1. An Engineered Kinetic Amplification Mechanism for Single Nucleotide Variant Discrimination by DNA Hybridization Probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sherry Xi; Seelig, Georg

    2016-04-20

    Even a single-nucleotide difference between the sequences of two otherwise identical biological nucleic acids can have dramatic functional consequences. Here, we use model-guided reaction pathway engineering to quantitatively improve the performance of selective hybridization probes in recognizing single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Specifically, we build a detection system that combines discrimination by competition with DNA strand displacement-based catalytic amplification. We show, both mathematically and experimentally, that the single nucleotide selectivity of such a system in binding to single-stranded DNA and RNA is quadratically better than discrimination due to competitive hybridization alone. As an additional benefit the integrated circuit inherits the property of amplification and provides at least 10-fold better sensitivity than standard hybridization probes. Moreover, we demonstrate how the detection mechanism can be tuned such that the detection reaction is agnostic to the position of the SNV within the target sequence. in contrast, prior strand displacement-based probes designed for kinetic discrimination are highly sensitive to position effects. We apply our system to reliably discriminate between different members of the let-7 microRNA family that differ in only a single base position. Our results demonstrate the power of systematic reaction network design to quantitatively improve biotechnology.

  2. Linking probe thermodynamics to microarray quantification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Shuzhao; Pozhitkov, Alexander; Brouwer, Marius

    2010-01-01

    Understanding the difference in probe properties holds the key to absolute quantification of DNA microarrays. So far, Langmuir-like models have failed to link sequence-specific properties to hybridization signals in the presence of a complex hybridization background. Data from washing experiments indicate that the post-hybridization washing has no major effect on the specifically bound targets, which give the final signals. Thus, the amount of specific targets bound to probes is likely determined before washing, by the competition against nonspecific binding. Our competitive hybridization model is a viable alternative to Langmuir-like models. (comment)

  3. Competitive Reporter Monitored Amplification (CMA) - Quantification of Molecular Targets by Real Time Monitoring of Competitive Reporter Hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ullrich, Thomas; Ermantraut, Eugen; Schulz, Torsten; Steinmetzer, Katrin

    2012-01-01

    Background State of the art molecular diagnostic tests are based on the sensitive detection and quantification of nucleic acids. However, currently established diagnostic tests are characterized by elaborate and expensive technical solutions hindering the development of simple, affordable and compact point-of-care molecular tests. Methodology and Principal Findings The described competitive reporter monitored amplification allows the simultaneous amplification and quantification of multiple nucleic acid targets by polymerase chain reaction. Target quantification is accomplished by real-time detection of amplified nucleic acids utilizing a capture probe array and specific reporter probes. The reporter probes are fluorescently labeled oligonucleotides that are complementary to the respective capture probes on the array and to the respective sites of the target nucleic acids in solution. Capture probes and amplified target compete for reporter probes. Increasing amplicon concentration leads to decreased fluorescence signal at the respective capture probe position on the array which is measured after each cycle of amplification. In order to observe reporter probe hybridization in real-time without any additional washing steps, we have developed a mechanical fluorescence background displacement technique. Conclusions and Significance The system presented in this paper enables simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple targets. Moreover, the presented fluorescence background displacement technique provides a generic solution for real time monitoring of binding events of fluorescently labelled ligands to surface immobilized probes. With the model assay for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and 2 (HIV 1/2), we have been able to observe the amplification kinetics of five targets simultaneously and accommodate two additional hybridization controls with a simple instrument set-up. The ability to accommodate multiple controls and targets into a

  4. Competitive reporter monitored amplification (CMA--quantification of molecular targets by real time monitoring of competitive reporter hybridization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Ullrich

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: State of the art molecular diagnostic tests are based on the sensitive detection and quantification of nucleic acids. However, currently established diagnostic tests are characterized by elaborate and expensive technical solutions hindering the development of simple, affordable and compact point-of-care molecular tests. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The described competitive reporter monitored amplification allows the simultaneous amplification and quantification of multiple nucleic acid targets by polymerase chain reaction. Target quantification is accomplished by real-time detection of amplified nucleic acids utilizing a capture probe array and specific reporter probes. The reporter probes are fluorescently labeled oligonucleotides that are complementary to the respective capture probes on the array and to the respective sites of the target nucleic acids in solution. Capture probes and amplified target compete for reporter probes. Increasing amplicon concentration leads to decreased fluorescence signal at the respective capture probe position on the array which is measured after each cycle of amplification. In order to observe reporter probe hybridization in real-time without any additional washing steps, we have developed a mechanical fluorescence background displacement technique. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The system presented in this paper enables simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple targets. Moreover, the presented fluorescence background displacement technique provides a generic solution for real time monitoring of binding events of fluorescently labelled ligands to surface immobilized probes. With the model assay for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and 2 (HIV 1/2, we have been able to observe the amplification kinetics of five targets simultaneously and accommodate two additional hybridization controls with a simple instrument set-up. The ability to accommodate multiple controls

  5. Expanding probe repertoire and improving reproducibility in human genomic hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorman, Stephanie N.; Shirley, Ben C.; Knoll, Joan H. M.; Rogan, Peter K.

    2013-01-01

    Diagnostic DNA hybridization relies on probes composed of single copy (sc) genomic sequences. Sc sequences in probe design ensure high specificity and avoid cross-hybridization to other regions of the genome, which could lead to ambiguous results that are difficult to interpret. We examine how the distribution and composition of repetitive sequences in the genome affects sc probe performance. A divide and conquer algorithm was implemented to design sc probes. With this approach, sc probes can include divergent repetitive elements, which hybridize to unique genomic targets under higher stringency experimental conditions. Genome-wide custom probe sets were created for fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and microarray genomic hybridization. The scFISH probes were developed for detection of copy number changes within small tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes. The microarrays demonstrated increased reproducibility by eliminating cross-hybridization to repetitive sequences adjacent to probe targets. The genome-wide microarrays exhibited lower median coefficients of variation (17.8%) for two HapMap family trios. The coefficients of variations of commercial probes within 300 nt of a repetitive element were 48.3% higher than the nearest custom probe. Furthermore, the custom microarray called a chromosome 15q11.2q13 deletion more consistently. This method for sc probe design increases probe coverage for FISH and lowers variability in genomic microarrays. PMID:23376933

  6. Continuously tunable nucleic acid hybridization probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lucia R; Wang, Juexiao Sherry; Fang, John Z; Evans, Emily R; Pinto, Alessandro; Pekker, Irena; Boykin, Richard; Ngouenet, Celine; Webster, Philippa J; Beechem, Joseph; Zhang, David Yu

    2015-12-01

    In silico-designed nucleic acid probes and primers often do not achieve favorable specificity and sensitivity tradeoffs on the first try, and iterative empirical sequence-based optimization is needed, particularly in multiplexed assays. We present a novel, on-the-fly method of tuning probe affinity and selectivity by adjusting the stoichiometry of auxiliary species, which allows for independent and decoupled adjustment of the hybridization yield for different probes in multiplexed assays. Using this method, we achieved near-continuous tuning of probe effective free energy. To demonstrate our approach, we enforced uniform capture efficiency of 31 DNA molecules (GC content, 0-100%), maximized the signal difference for 11 pairs of single-nucleotide variants and performed tunable hybrid capture of mRNA from total RNA. Using the Nanostring nCounter platform, we applied stoichiometric tuning to simultaneously adjust yields for a 24-plex assay, and we show multiplexed quantitation of RNA sequences and variants from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples.

  7. Whole-cell hybridization of Methanosarcina cells with two new oligonucleotide probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, A.H.; Torsvik, V.L.; Torsvik, T.

    1997-01-01

    Two new oligonucleotide probes targeting the 16S rRNA of the methanogenic genus Methanosarcina were developed. The probes have the following sequences (Escherichia coli numbering): probe SARCI551, 5'-GAC CCAATAATCACGATCAC-3', and probe SARCI645, 5'-TCCCGGTTCCAAGTCTGGC-3'. In situ hybridization...... with the fluorescently labelled probes required several modifications of standard procedures. Cells of Methanosarcina mazeii S-6 were found to lyse during the hybridization step if fixed in 3% formaldehyde and stored in 50% ethanol. Lysis was, however, not observed with cells fixed and stored in 1.6% formaldehyde-0.......85% NaCl. Extensive autofluorescence of the cells was found upon hybridization in the presence of 5 mM EDTA, but successful hybridization could be obtained without addition of this compound. The mounting agent Citifluor AF1, often used in conjugation with the fluorochrome fluorescein, was found to wash...

  8. Prediction of the optimum hybridization conditions of dot-blot-SNP analysis using estimated melting temperature of oligonucleotide probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiokai, Sachiko; Kitashiba, Hiroyasu; Nishio, Takeshi

    2010-08-01

    Although the dot-blot-SNP technique is a simple cost-saving technique suitable for genotyping of many plant individuals, optimization of hybridization and washing conditions for each SNP marker requires much time and labor. For prediction of the optimum hybridization conditions for each probe, we compared T (m) values estimated from nucleotide sequences using the DINAMelt web server, measured T (m) values, and hybridization conditions yielding allele-specific signals. The estimated T (m) values were comparable to the measured T (m) values with small differences of less than 3 degrees C for most of the probes. There were differences of approximately 14 degrees C between the specific signal detection conditions and estimated T (m) values. Change of one level of SSC concentrations of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0x SSC corresponded to a difference of approximately 5 degrees C in optimum signal detection temperature. Increasing the sensitivity of signal detection by shortening the exposure time to X-ray film changed the optimum hybridization condition for specific signal detection. Addition of competitive oligonucleotides to the hybridization mixture increased the suitable hybridization conditions by 1.8. Based on these results, optimum hybridization conditions for newly produced dot-blot-SNP markers will become predictable.

  9. Exciton-controlled fluorescence: application to hybridization-sensitive fluorescent DNA probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamoto, Akimitsu; Ikeda, Shuji; Kubota, Takeshi; Yuki, Mizue; Yanagisawa, Hiroyuki

    2009-01-01

    A hybridization-sensitive fluorescent probe has been designed for nucleic acid detection, using the concept of fluorescence quenching caused by the intramolecular excitonic interaction of fluorescence dyes. We synthesized a doubly thiazole orange-labeled nucleotide showing high fluorescence intensity for a hybrid with the target nucleic acid and effective quenching for the single-stranded state. This exciton-controlled fluorescent probe was applied to living HeLa cells using microinjection to visualize intracellular mRNA localization. Immediately after injection of the probe into the cell, fluorescence was observed from the probe hybridizing with the target RNA. This fluorescence rapidly decreased upon addition of a competitor DNA. Multicoloring of this probe resulted in the simple simultaneous detection of plural target nucleic acid sequences. This probe realized a large, rapid, reversible change in fluorescence intensity in sensitive response to the amount of target nucleic acid, and facilitated spatiotemporal monitoring of the behavior of intracellular RNA.

  10. Dramatically improved RNA in situ hybridization signals using LNA-modified probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomsen, Rune; Nielsen, Peter Stein; Jensen, Torben Heick

    2005-01-01

    . This increases the thermal stability of hybrids formed with RNA. The LNA-based probes detect specific RNAs in fixed yeast cells with an efficiency far better than conventional DNA oligonucleotide probes of the same sequence. Using this probe design, we were also able to detect poly(A)+ RNA accumulation within......In situ detection of RNA by hybridization with complementary probes is a powerful technique. Probe design is a critical parameter in successful target detection. We have evaluated the efficiency of fluorescent DNA oligonucleotides modified to contain locked nucleic acid (LNA) residues...

  11. Highly specific detection of genetic modification events using an enzyme-linked probe hybridization chip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, M Z; Zhang, X F; Chen, X M; Chen, X; Wu, S; Xu, L L

    2015-08-10

    The enzyme-linked probe hybridization chip utilizes a method based on ligase-hybridizing probe chip technology, with the principle of using thio-primers for protection against enzyme digestion, and using lambda DNA exonuclease to cut multiple PCR products obtained from the sample being tested into single-strand chains for hybridization. The 5'-end amino-labeled probe was fixed onto the aldehyde chip, and hybridized with the single-stranded PCR product, followed by addition of a fluorescent-modified probe that was then enzymatically linked with the adjacent, substrate-bound probe in order to achieve highly specific, parallel, and high-throughput detection. Specificity and sensitivity testing demonstrated that enzyme-linked probe hybridization technology could be applied to the specific detection of eight genetic modification events at the same time, with a sensitivity reaching 0.1% and the achievement of accurate, efficient, and stable results.

  12. Identification of Cannabis sativa L. using the 1-kbTHCA synthase-fluorescence in situ hybridization probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeangkhwoa, Pattraporn; Bandhaya, Achirapa; Umpunjun, Puangpaka; Chuenboonngarm, Ngarmnij; Panvisavas, Nathinee

    2017-03-01

    This study reports a successful application of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique in the identification of Cannabis sativa L. cells recovered from fresh and dried powdered plant materials. Two biotin-16-dUTP-labeled FISH probes were designed from the Cannabis-specific tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS) gene and the ITS region of the 45S rRNA gene. Specificity of probe-target hybridization was tested against the target and 4 non-target plant species, i.e., Humulus lupulus, Mitragyna speciosa, Papaver sp., and Nicotiana tabacum. The 1-kb THCA synthase hybridization probe gave Cannabis-specific hybridization signals, unlike the 700-bp Cannabis-ITS hybridization probe. Probe-target hybridization was also confirmed against 20 individual Cannabis plant samples. The 1-kb THCA synthase and 700-bp Cannabis-ITS hybridization probes clearly showed 2 hybridization signals per cell with reproducibility. The 1-kb THCA synthase probe did not give any FISH signal when tested against H. lupulus, its closely related member of the Canabaceae family. It was also showed that 1-kb THCA synthase FISH probe can be applied to identify small amount of dried powdered Cannabis material with an addition of rehydration step prior to the experimental process. This study provided an alternative identification method for Cannabis trace. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Hybridization properties of long nucleic acid probes for detection of variable target sequences, and development of a hybridization prediction algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Öhrmalm, Christina; Jobs, Magnus; Eriksson, Ronnie; Golbob, Sultan; Elfaitouri, Amal; Benachenhou, Farid; Strømme, Maria; Blomberg, Jonas

    2010-01-01

    One of the main problems in nucleic acid-based techniques for detection of infectious agents, such as influenza viruses, is that of nucleic acid sequence variation. DNA probes, 70-nt long, some including the nucleotide analog deoxyribose-Inosine (dInosine), were analyzed for hybridization tolerance to different amounts and distributions of mismatching bases, e.g. synonymous mutations, in target DNA. Microsphere-linked 70-mer probes were hybridized in 3M TMAC buffer to biotinylated single-stranded (ss) DNA for subsequent analysis in a Luminex® system. When mismatches interrupted contiguous matching stretches of 6 nt or longer, it had a strong impact on hybridization. Contiguous matching stretches are more important than the same number of matching nucleotides separated by mismatches into several regions. dInosine, but not 5-nitroindole, substitutions at mismatching positions stabilized hybridization remarkably well, comparable to N (4-fold) wobbles in the same positions. In contrast to shorter probes, 70-nt probes with judiciously placed dInosine substitutions and/or wobble positions were remarkably mismatch tolerant, with preserved specificity. An algorithm, NucZip, was constructed to model the nucleation and zipping phases of hybridization, integrating both local and distant binding contributions. It predicted hybridization more exactly than previous algorithms, and has the potential to guide the design of variation-tolerant yet specific probes. PMID:20864443

  14. Hybrid competitive strategies, organizational structure, and firm performance

    OpenAIRE

    Pertusa Ortega, Eva María

    2008-01-01

    Comunicación presentada en SMS 28th Annual International Conference, Cologne, Germany, October 12-15, 2008. This paper analyzes the internal characteristics of organizational structure which have an influence on the development of hybrid competitive strategies and their link to firm performance. The study examines a sample of large Spanish firms belonging to different sectors by means of the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique, using formative dimensions for competitive strategy and orga...

  15. Detection of hepatitis A virus by hybridization with single-stranded RNA probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xi, J.; Estes, M.K.; Metcalf, T.G.

    1987-01-01

    An improved method of dot-blot hybridization to detect hepatitis A virus (HAV) was developed with single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) probes. Radioactive and nonradioactive ssRNA probes were generated by in vitro transcription of HAV templates inserted into the plasmid pGEM-1. 32 P-labeled ssRNA probes were at least eightfold more sensitive than the 32 P-labeled double-stranded cDNA counterparts, whereas biotin-labeled ssRNA probes showed a sensitivity comparable with that of the 32 P-labeled double-stranded cDNA counterparts. Hybridization of HAV with the ssRNA probes at high stringency revealed specific reactions with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The differential hybridization reactions seen with probes of positive and negative sense (compared with HAV genomic RNA) were used to detect HAV in clinical and field samples. A positive/negative ratio was introduced as an indicator that permitted an semiquantitative expression of a positive HAV reaction. Good agreement of this indicator was observed with normal stool samples and with HAV-seeded samples. By using this system, HAV was detected in estuarine and freshwater samples collected from a sewage-polluted bayou in Houston and a saltwater tributary of Galveston Bay

  16. Sandwich nucleic acid hybridization: a method with a universally usable labeled probe for various specific tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolf, H.; Leser, U.; Haus, M.; Gu, S.Y.; Pathmanathan, R.

    1986-01-01

    The use of recombinant m13 phages as hybridization probes offers a considerable advantage over the commonly used recombinant plasmids as the preparation of the DNA probe is very simple and it can easily be labeled directly, e.g. with isotopes with long half-life like 125 I and used for hybridization. However, as the application of nucleic acid hybridization for diagnostic and epidemiological purposes becomes almost unavoidable, the logistic problems of keeping numerous individually labeled hybridization probes increase considerably and may reach prohibitory levels in less well-equipped laboratories. In a new sandwich technique, the first step involves hybridization with an unlabeled recombinant m13 DNA carrying an insert of the desired specificity. In a second step a universally usable labeled probe directed against the m13 part of the recombinant phage DNA is applied. This reduces considerably the problem of preparing and keeping multiple labeled probes in stock. (Auth.)

  17. Synthesis and characterization of time-resolved fluorescence probes for evaluation of competitive binding to melanocortin receptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alleti, Ramesh; Vagner, Josef; Dehigaspitiya, Dilani Chathurika; Moberg, Valerie E; Elshan, N G R D; Tafreshi, Narges K; Brabez, Nabila; Weber, Craig S; Lynch, Ronald M; Hruby, Victor J; Gillies, Robert J; Morse, David L; Mash, Eugene A

    2013-09-01

    Probes for use in time-resolved fluorescence competitive binding assays at melanocortin receptors based on the parental ligands MSH(4), MSH(7), and NDP-α-MSH were prepared by solid phase synthesis methods, purified, and characterized. The saturation binding of these probes was studied using HEK-293 cells engineered to overexpress the human melanocortin 4 receptor (hMC4R) as well as the human cholecystokinin 2 receptor (hCCK2R). The ratios of non-specific binding to total binding approached unity at high concentrations for each probe. At low probe concentrations, receptor-mediated binding and uptake was discernable, and so probe concentrations were kept as low as possible in determining Kd values. The Eu-DTPA-PEGO-MSH(4) probe exhibited low specific binding relative to non-specific binding, even at low nanomolar concentrations, and was deemed unsuitable for use in competition binding assays. The Eu-DTPA-PEGO probes based on MSH(7) and NDP-α-MSH exhibited Kd values of 27±3.9nM and 4.2±0.48nM, respectively, for binding with hMC4R. These probes were employed in competitive binding assays to characterize the interactions of hMC4R with monovalent and divalent MSH(4), MSH(7), and NDP-α-MSH constructs derived from squalene. Results from assays with both probes reflected only statistical enhancements, suggesting improper ligand spacing on the squalene scaffold for the divalent constructs. The Ki values from competitive binding assays that employed the MSH(7)-based probe were generally lower than the Ki values obtained when the probe based on NDP-α-MSH was employed, which is consistent with the greater potency of the latter probe. The probe based on MSH(7) was also competed with monovalent, divalent, and trivalent MSH(4) constructs that previously demonstrated multivalent binding in competitive binding assays against a variant of the probe based on NDP-α-MSH. Results from these assays confirm multivalent binding, but suggest a more modest increase in avidity for these

  18. The responses of crop - wild Brassica hybrids to simulated herbivory and interspecific competition: implications for transgene introgression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, Jamie P; Justinova, Lenka; Poppy, Guy M

    2006-01-01

    Brassica rapa grows as a wild and weedy species throughout the world and is the most likely recipient of transgenes from GM oilseed rape. For transgene introgression to occur, the critical step which must be realized, is the formation of an F1 hybrid. Concerns exist that hybrid populations could be more vigorous and competitive compared to the parental species. This study examines the effect of simulated herbivory and interspecific competition on the vegetative and reproductive performance of non-transgenic F1 hybrids and their parental lines. Several vegetative and reproductive performance measures were used to determine the effect of simulated herbivory and competition on the Brassica lines, including leaf length and biomass for herbivory and seedling height and biomass for competition. For defoliation experiments, B. rapa showed little response in terms of leaf length but B. napus and the F1 hybrid responded negatively. Brassica rapa showed elevated biomass responses, but B. napus and the hybrid demonstrated negative responses to defoliation. Defoliation at the cotyledon stage had a slight effect upon final biomass with the F1 hybrid performing significantly worse than B. napus, although seed counts were not significantly different. For the series of competition experiments, hybrids seemed to be more similar to B. rapa in terms of early seedling growth and reproductive measures. The underperformance of hybrid plants when challenged by herbivory and competition, could potentially decrease survivorship and explain the rarity of hybrids in field surveys. However, should transgene introgression occur, the dynamics of hybrids could change radically thus increasing the risk of gene flow from a transgenic oilseed rape crop to the wild recipient.

  19. Fiber-based hybrid probe for non-invasive cerebral monitoring in neonatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehberger, Matthias; Giovannella, Martina; Pagliazzi, Marco; Weigel, Udo; Durduran, Turgut; Contini, Davide; Spinelli, Lorenzo; Pifferi, Antonio; Torricelli, Alessandro; Schmitt, Robert

    2015-07-01

    Improved cerebral monitoring systems are needed to prevent preterm infants from long-term cognitive and motor restrictions. Combining advanced near-infrared diffuse spectroscopy measurement technologies, time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) will introduce novel indicators of cerebral oxygen metabolism and blood flow for neonatology. For non-invasive sensing a fiber-optical probe is used to send and receive light from the infant head. In this study we introduce a new fiber-based hybrid probe that is designed for volume production. The probe supports TRS and DCS measurements in a cross geometry, thus both technologies gain information on the same region inside the tissue. The probe is highly miniaturized to perform cerebral measurements on heads of extreme preterm infants down to head diameters of 6cm. Considerations concerning probe production focus on a reproducible accuracy in shape and precise optical alignment. In this way deviations in measurement data within a series of probes should be minimized. In addition to that, requirements for clinical use like robustness and hygiene are considered. An additional soft-touching sleeve made of FDA compatible silicone allows for a flexible attachment with respect to the individual anatomy of each patient. We present the technical concept of the hybrid probe and corresponding manufacturing methods. A prototype of the probe is shown and tested on tissue phantoms as well as in vivo to verify its operational reliability.

  20. Hybrid photonic-plasmonic near-field probe for efficient light conversion into the nanoscale hot spot.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koshelev, Alexander; Munechika, Keiko; Cabrini, Stefano

    2017-11-01

    In this Letter, we present a design and simulations of the novel hybrid photonic-plasmonic near-field probe. Near-field optics is a unique imaging tool that provides optical images with resolution down to tens of nanometers. One of the main limitations of this technology is its low light sensitivity. The presented hybrid probe solves this problem by combining a campanile plasmonic probe with the photonic layer, consisting of the diffractive optic element (DOE). The DOE is designed to match the plasmonic field at the broad side of the campanile probe with the fiber mode. This makes it possible to optimize the size of the campanile tip to convert light efficiently into the hot spot. The simulations show that the hybrid probe is ∼540 times more efficient compared with the conventional campanile on average in the 600-900 nm spectral range.

  1. Surface density dependence of PCR amplicon hybridization on PNA/DNA probe layers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yao, Danfeng; Kim, Junyoung; Yu, Fang

    2005-01-01

    at an intermediate sodium concentration (approximately 100 mM). These effects were mainly ascribed to the electrostatic cross talk among the hybridized DNA molecules and the secondary structure of PCR amplicons. For the negatively charged DNA probes, the hybridization reaction was subjected additionally to the DNA....../DNA electrostatic barrier, particularly in lower ionic strength range (e.g., 10 approximately 150 mM Na(+)). The electrostatic cross talk was shown to be largely reduced if the PNA probe layer was sufficiently diluted by following a strategic templated immobilization method. As a consequence, a pseudo...

  2. Sandwich hybridization probes for the detection of Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) species: An update to existing probes and a description of new probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowers, Holly A; Marin, Roman; Birch, James M; Scholin, Christopher A

    2017-12-01

    New sandwich hybridization assay (SHA) probes for detecting Pseudo-nitzschia species (P. arenysensis, P. fraudulenta, P. hasleana, P. pungens) are presented, along with updated cross-reactivity information on historical probes (SHA and FISH; fluorescence in situ hybridization) targeting P. australis and P. multiseries. Pseudo-nitzschia species are a cosmopolitan group of diatoms that produce varying levels of domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin that can accumulate in finfish and shellfish and transfer throughout the food web. Consumption of infected food sources can lead to illness in humans (amnesic shellfish poisoning; ASP) and marine wildlife (domoic acid poisoning; DAP). The threat of human illness, along with economic loss from fishery closures has resulted in the implementation of monitoring protocols and intensive ecological studies. SHA probes have been instrumental in some of these efforts, as the technique performs well in complex heterogeneous sample matrices and has been adapted to benchtop and deployable (Environmental Sample Processor) platforms. The expanded probe set will enhance future efforts towards understanding spatial, temporal and successional patterns in species during bloom and non-bloom periods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Fitness of crop-wild hybrid sunflower under competitive conditions: implications for crop-to-wild introgression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercer, Kristin L; Emry, D Jason; Snow, Allison A; Kost, Matthew A; Pace, Brian A; Alexander, Helen M

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the likelihood and extent of introgression of novel alleles in hybrid zones requires comparison of lifetime fitness of parents and hybrid progeny. However, fitness differences among cross types can vary depending on biotic conditions, thereby influencing introgression patterns. Based on past work, we predicted that increased competition would enhance introgression between cultivated and wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus) by reducing fitness advantages of wild plants. To test this prediction, we established a factorial field experiment in Kansas, USA where we monitored the fitness of four cross types (Wild, F1, F2, and BCw hybrids) under different levels of interspecific and intraspecific competition. Intraspecific manipulations consisted both of density of competitors and of frequency of crop-wild hybrids. We recorded emergence of overwintered seeds, survival to reproduction, and numbers of seeds produced per reproductive plant. We also calculated two compound fitness measures: seeds produced per emerged seedling and seeds produced per planted seed. Cross type and intraspecific competition affected emergence and survival to reproduction, respectively. Further, cross type interacted with competitive treatments to influence all other fitness traits. More intense competition treatments, especially related to density of intraspecific competitors, repeatedly reduced the fitness advantage of wild plants when considering seeds produced per reproductive plant and per emerged seedling, and F2 plants often became indistinguishable from the wilds. Wild fitness remained superior when seedling emergence was also considered as part of fitness, but the fitness of F2 hybrids relative to wild plants more than quadrupled with the addition of interspecific competitors and high densities of intraspecific competitors. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, lower hybrid frequency reduced wild fitness advantage. These results emphasize the importance of taking a full life cycle

  4. Fitness of crop-wild hybrid sunflower under competitive conditions: implications for crop-to-wild introgression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristin L Mercer

    Full Text Available Understanding the likelihood and extent of introgression of novel alleles in hybrid zones requires comparison of lifetime fitness of parents and hybrid progeny. However, fitness differences among cross types can vary depending on biotic conditions, thereby influencing introgression patterns. Based on past work, we predicted that increased competition would enhance introgression between cultivated and wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus by reducing fitness advantages of wild plants. To test this prediction, we established a factorial field experiment in Kansas, USA where we monitored the fitness of four cross types (Wild, F1, F2, and BCw hybrids under different levels of interspecific and intraspecific competition. Intraspecific manipulations consisted both of density of competitors and of frequency of crop-wild hybrids. We recorded emergence of overwintered seeds, survival to reproduction, and numbers of seeds produced per reproductive plant. We also calculated two compound fitness measures: seeds produced per emerged seedling and seeds produced per planted seed. Cross type and intraspecific competition affected emergence and survival to reproduction, respectively. Further, cross type interacted with competitive treatments to influence all other fitness traits. More intense competition treatments, especially related to density of intraspecific competitors, repeatedly reduced the fitness advantage of wild plants when considering seeds produced per reproductive plant and per emerged seedling, and F2 plants often became indistinguishable from the wilds. Wild fitness remained superior when seedling emergence was also considered as part of fitness, but the fitness of F2 hybrids relative to wild plants more than quadrupled with the addition of interspecific competitors and high densities of intraspecific competitors. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, lower hybrid frequency reduced wild fitness advantage. These results emphasize the importance of taking

  5. Fitness of Crop-Wild Hybrid Sunflower under Competitive Conditions: Implications for Crop-to-Wild Introgression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mercer, Kristin L.; Emry, D. Jason; Snow, Allison A.; Kost, Matthew A.; Pace, Brian A.; Alexander, Helen M.

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the likelihood and extent of introgression of novel alleles in hybrid zones requires comparison of lifetime fitness of parents and hybrid progeny. However, fitness differences among cross types can vary depending on biotic conditions, thereby influencing introgression patterns. Based on past work, we predicted that increased competition would enhance introgression between cultivated and wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus) by reducing fitness advantages of wild plants. To test this prediction, we established a factorial field experiment in Kansas, USA where we monitored the fitness of four cross types (Wild, F1, F2, and BCw hybrids) under different levels of interspecific and intraspecific competition. Intraspecific manipulations consisted both of density of competitors and of frequency of crop-wild hybrids. We recorded emergence of overwintered seeds, survival to reproduction, and numbers of seeds produced per reproductive plant. We also calculated two compound fitness measures: seeds produced per emerged seedling and seeds produced per planted seed. Cross type and intraspecific competition affected emergence and survival to reproduction, respectively. Further, cross type interacted with competitive treatments to influence all other fitness traits. More intense competition treatments, especially related to density of intraspecific competitors, repeatedly reduced the fitness advantage of wild plants when considering seeds produced per reproductive plant and per emerged seedling, and F2 plants often became indistinguishable from the wilds. Wild fitness remained superior when seedling emergence was also considered as part of fitness, but the fitness of F2 hybrids relative to wild plants more than quadrupled with the addition of interspecific competitors and high densities of intraspecific competitors. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, lower hybrid frequency reduced wild fitness advantage. These results emphasize the importance of taking a full life cycle

  6. Final report: Mapping Interactions in Hybrid Systems with Active Scanning Probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berezovsky, Jesse [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

    2017-09-29

    This project aimed to study and map interactions between components of hybrid nanodevices using a novel scanning probe approach. To enable this work, we initially constructed a flexible experimental apparatus allowing for simultaneous scanning probe and confocal optical microscopy measurements. This setup was first used for all-optical measurements of nanostructures, with the focus then shifting to hybrid devices in which single coherent electron spins are coupled to micron-scale ferromagnetic elements, which may prove useful for addressing single spins, enhanced sensing, or spin-wave-mediated coupling of spins for quantum information applications. A significant breakthrough was the realization that it is not necessary to fabricate a magnetic structure on a scanning probe – instead a ferromagnetic vortex core can act as an integrated, solid state, scanning probe. The core of the vortex produces a very strong, localized fringe field which can be used analogously to an MFM tip. Unlike a traditional MFM tip, however, the vortex core is scanned within an integrated device (eliminating drift), and can be moved on vastly faster timescales. This approach allows the detailed investigation of interactions between single spins and complex driven ferromagnetic dynamics.

  7. Cloned polynucleotide and synthetic oligonucleotide probes used in colony hybridization are equally efficient in the identification of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sommerfelt, H.; Kalland, K.H.; Raj, P.; Moseley, S.L.; Bhan, M.K.; Bjorvatn, B.

    1988-01-01

    Restriction endonuclease-generated polynucleotide and synthetically produced oligonucleotide gene probes used in colony hybridization assays proved to be efficient for the detection and differentiation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. To compare their relative efficiencies, these two sets of probes were radiolabeled with 32 P and were applied to 74 strains of E. coli with known enterotoxin profiles and to 156 previously unexamined E. coli isolates. The enterotoxigenic bacteria Vibrio cholerae O1, Vibrio cholerae non-O1 (NAG), Yersinia enterocolitica, and E. coli harboring the plasmid vectors of the polynucleotide gene probes were examined for further evaluation of probe specificity. The two classes of probes showed a perfect concordance in their specific detection and differentiation of enterotoxigenic E. coli. In the analysis of six strains, the signal strength on autoradiography after hybridization with oligonucleotides was weaker than that obtained after hybridization with polynucleotide probes. The probes did not hybridize with DNA from V. cholerae O1, V. cholerae non-O1 (NAG), or Y. enterocolitica. The strains of E. coli harboring the plasmid vectors of the polynucleotide gene probes were, likewise, negative in the hybridization assays

  8. Cloned polynucleotide and synthetic oligonucleotide probes used in colony hybridization are equally efficient in the identification of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sommerfelt, H.; Kalland, K.H.; Raj, P.; Moseley, S.L.; Bhan, M.K.; Bjorvatn, B.

    1988-11-01

    Restriction endonuclease-generated polynucleotide and synthetically produced oligonucleotide gene probes used in colony hybridization assays proved to be efficient for the detection and differentiation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. To compare their relative efficiencies, these two sets of probes were radiolabeled with /sup 32/P and were applied to 74 strains of E. coli with known enterotoxin profiles and to 156 previously unexamined E. coli isolates. The enterotoxigenic bacteria Vibrio cholerae O1, Vibrio cholerae non-O1 (NAG), Yersinia enterocolitica, and E. coli harboring the plasmid vectors of the polynucleotide gene probes were examined for further evaluation of probe specificity. The two classes of probes showed a perfect concordance in their specific detection and differentiation of enterotoxigenic E. coli. In the analysis of six strains, the signal strength on autoradiography after hybridization with oligonucleotides was weaker than that obtained after hybridization with polynucleotide probes. The probes did not hybridize with DNA from V. cholerae O1, V. cholerae non-O1 (NAG), or Y. enterocolitica. The strains of E. coli harboring the plasmid vectors of the polynucleotide gene probes were, likewise, negative in the hybridization assays.

  9. Design and Application of Hybrid Magnetic Field-Eddy Current Probe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wincheski, Buzz; Wallace, Terryl; Newman, Andy; Leser, Paul; Simpson, John

    2013-01-01

    The incorporation of magnetic field sensors into eddy current probes can result in novel probe designs with unique performance characteristics. One such example is a recently developed electromagnetic probe consisting of a two-channel magnetoresistive sensor with an embedded single-strand eddy current inducer. Magnetic flux leakage maps of ferrous materials are generated from the DC sensor response while high-resolution eddy current imaging is simultaneously performed at frequencies up to 5 megahertz. In this work the design and optimization of this probe will be presented, along with an application toward analysis of sensory materials with embedded ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy (FSMA) particles. The sensory material is designed to produce a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition in the FSMA particles under strain. Mapping of the stray magnetic field and eddy current response of the sample with the hybrid probe can thereby image locations in the structure which have experienced an overstrain condition. Numerical modeling of the probe response is performed with good agreement with experimental results.

  10. Detection of human papillomavirus type 6/11 DNA in conjunctival papillomas by in situ hybridization with radioactive probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDonnell, P.J.; McDonnell, J.M.; Kessis, T.; Green, W.R.; Shah, K.V.

    1987-01-01

    Twenty-three conjunctival papillomas and 28 conjunctival dysplasias were examined for human papillomavirus (HPV)-DNA sequences by in situ hybridization with nick-translated 35 S-labeled HPV probes. Adjacent paraffin sections were hybridized with HPV type 2, 6, 16, and 18 probes at Tm - 17 degrees C. Fifteen tissues, all papillomas, displayed positive hybridization with the HPV-6 probe. Infection with HPV-6 (or the closely related HPV-11) appeared to be responsible for most of the conjunctival papillomas of children and young adults. The presence of genital tract HPV-6 in these lesions suggests that some of the infections were acquired during passage through an infected birth canal. The lack of hybridization in adult conjunctival dysplasias indicates either that HPVs are not associated with this condition or that the probes and the technique utilized were not adequate for demonstration of this association

  11. Label-Free Potentiometry for Detecting DNA Hybridization Using Peptide Nucleic Acid and DNA Probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goda, Tatsuro; Singi, Ankit Balram; Maeda, Yasuhiro; Matsumoto, Akira; Torimura, Masaki; Aoki, Hiroshi; Miyahara, Yuji

    2013-01-01

    Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) has outstanding affinity over DNA for complementary nucleic acid sequences by forming a PNA-DNA heterodimer upon hybridization via Watson-Crick base-pairing. To verify whether PNA probes on an electrode surface enhance sensitivity for potentiometric DNA detection or not, we conducted a comparative study on the hybridization of PNA and DNA probes on the surface of a 10-channel gold electrodes microarray. Changes in the charge density as a result of hybridization at the solution/electrode interface on the self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-formed microelectrodes were directly transformed into potentiometric signals using a high input impedance electrometer. The charge readout allows label-free, reagent-less, and multi-parallel detection of target oligonucleotides without any optical assistance. The differences in the probe lengths between 15- to 22-mer dramatically influenced on the sensitivity of the PNA and DNA sensors. Molecular type of the capturing probe did not affect the degree of potential shift. Theoretical model for charged rod-like duplex using the Gouy-Chapman equation indicates the dominant effect of electrostatic attractive forces between anionic DNA and underlying electrode at the electrolyte/electrode interface in the potentiometry. PMID:23435052

  12. Label-Free Potentiometry for Detecting DNA Hybridization Using Peptide Nucleic Acid and DNA Probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuji Miyahara

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Peptide nucleic acid (PNA has outstanding affinity over DNA for complementary nucleic acid sequences by forming a PNA-DNA heterodimer upon hybridization via Watson-Crick base-pairing. To verify whether PNA probes on an electrode surface enhance sensitivity for potentiometric DNA detection or not, we conducted a comparative study on the hybridization of PNA and DNA probes on the surface of a 10-channel gold electrodes microarray. Changes in the charge density as a result of hybridization at the solution/electrode interface on the self-assembled monolayer (SAM-formed microelectrodes were directly transformed into potentiometric signals using a high input impedance electrometer. The charge readout allows label-free, reagent-less, and multi-parallel detection of target oligonucleotides without any optical assistance. The differences in the probe lengths between 15- to 22-mer dramatically influenced on the sensitivity of the PNA and DNA sensors. Molecular type of the capturing probe did not affect the degree of potential shift. Theoretical model for charged rod-like duplex using the Gouy-Chapman equation indicates the dominant effect of electrostatic attractive forces between anionic DNA and underlying electrode at the electrolyte/electrode interface in the potentiometry.

  13. Detection and quantitative analysis of actin mRNA by in situ hybridization with an oligodeoxynucleotide probe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taneja, K.; Singer, R.

    1987-01-01

    In situ hybridization is a useful method for localizing specific nucleic acid sequences intracellularly and for studying regulation of gene expression. Recently synthetic oligonucleotides have been successfully used as probes in this technique. Since they can be made easily to specific nucleic acid regions, they may be the best approach for analysis of a gene family of highly conserved sequences. They have analyzed these probes for the development of an in situ hybridization method. Oligonucleotides were made to different regions of chick beta-actin mRNA and used for detection of these sequences in a culture of chicken fibroblasts and myoblasts. They found that synthetic DNAs have different efficiencies of hybridization, indicating that not all target sequences are equivalent. They have investigated in detail a particular probe to the actin mRNA coding region and have optimized hybridization parameters. When hybridization was quantitated it was found that an oligonucleotide end labelled with 35 S or 32 P was capable of detecting several thousand messages per cell with a signal-to-noise ratio of 10:1. In situ hybridization confirmed the specificity of the hybridization as well as the background level. Increase in the number of oligonucleotides used should increase the signal-to-noise ratio-proportionately. Under particular circumstances the specificity of oligonucleotides make them an important reagent for in situ hybridization

  14. Photoswitchable non-fluorescent thermochromic dye-nanoparticle hybrid probes

    OpenAIRE

    Harrington, Walter N.; Haji, Mwafaq R.; Galanzha, Ekaterina I.; Nedosekin, Dmitry A.; Nima, Zeid A.; Watanabe, Fumiya; Ghosh, Anindya; Biris, Alexandru S.; Zharov, Vladimir P.

    2016-01-01

    Photoswitchable fluorescent proteins with controllable light?dark states and spectral shifts in emission in response to light have led to breakthroughs in the study of cell biology. Nevertheless, conventional photoswitching is not applicable for weakly fluorescent proteins and requires UV light with low depth penetration in bio-tissue. Here we introduce a novel concept of photoswitchable hybrid probes consisting of thermochromic dye and absorbing nanoparticles, in which temperature-sensitive ...

  15. Application of locked nucleic acid-based probes in fluorescence in situ hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fontenete, Sílvia; Carvalho, Daniel R; Guimarães, Nuno

    2016-01-01

    of nucleic acid mimics used as mixmers in LNA-based probes strongly influence the efficiency of detection. LNA probes with 10 to 15 mers showed the highest efficiency. Additionally, the combination of 2′-OMe RNA with LNA allowed an increase on the fluorescence intensities of the probes. Overall......Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) employing nucleic acid mimics as probes is becoming an emerging molecular tool in the microbiology area for the detection and visualization of microorganisms. However, the impact that locked nucleic acid (LNA) and 2′-O-methyl (2′-OMe) RNA modifications have...

  16. Direct fluorescence in situ hybridization on human metaphase chromosomes using quantum dot-platinum labeled DNA probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Gyoyeon [Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Future Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Biological Chemistry, Korea University of Science and Technology, 217, Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Deajeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Hansol [Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Future Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jiyeon, E-mail: jylee@kist.re.kr [Chemical Kinomics Research Center, Future Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hwarangno 14-gil 5, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Biological Chemistry, Korea University of Science and Technology, 217, Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Deajeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-11-13

    The telomere shortening in chromosomes implies the senescence, apoptosis, or oncogenic transformation of cells. Since detecting telomeres in aging and diseases like cancer, is important, the direct detection of telomeres has been a very useful biomarker. We propose a telomere detection method using a newly synthesized quantum dot (QD) based probe with oligonucleotide conjugation and direct fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). QD-oligonucleotides were prepared with metal coordination bonding based on platinum-guanine binding reported in our previous work. The QD-oligonucleotide conjugation method has an advantage where any sequence containing guanine at the end can be easily bound to the starting QD-Pt conjugate. A synthesized telomeric oligonucleotide was bound to the QD-Pt conjugate successfully and this probe hybridized specifically on the telomere of fabricated MV-4-11 and MOLT-4 chromosomes. Additionally, the QD-telomeric oligonucleotide probe successfully detected the telomeres on the CGH metaphase slide. Due to the excellent photostability and high quantum yield of QDs, the QD-oligonucleotide probe has high fluorescence intensity when compared to the organic dye-oligonucleotide probe. Our QD-oligonucleotide probe, conjugation method of this QD probe, and hybridization protocol with the chromosomes can be a useful tool for chromosome painting and FISH. - Highlights: • We prepared a probe linked between QD and telomeric oligonucleotide with platinum-guanine bonding. • Telomeres were detected by our new telomere probes successfully in three different human metaphase chromosomes. • QDPt-DNA probe has high fluorescence intensity in comparison with organic dye-DNA probe.

  17. Modeling Hybridization Kinetics of Gene Probes in a DNA Biochip Using FEMLAB

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munir, Ahsan; Waseem, Hassan; Williams, Maggie R.; Stedtfeld, Robert D.; Gulari, Erdogan; Tiedje, James M.; Hashsham, Syed A.

    2017-01-01

    Microfluidic DNA biochips capable of detecting specific DNA sequences are useful in medical diagnostics, drug discovery, food safety monitoring and agriculture. They are used as miniaturized platforms for analysis of nucleic acids-based biomarkers. Binding kinetics between immobilized single stranded DNA on the surface and its complementary strand present in the sample are of interest. To achieve optimal sensitivity with minimum sample size and rapid hybridization, ability to predict the kinetics of hybridization based on the thermodynamic characteristics of the probe is crucial. In this study, a computer aided numerical model for the design and optimization of a flow-through biochip was developed using a finite element technique packaged software tool (FEMLAB; package included in COMSOL Multiphysics) to simulate the transport of DNA through a microfluidic chamber to the reaction surface. The model accounts for fluid flow, convection and diffusion in the channel and on the reaction surface. Concentration, association rate constant, dissociation rate constant, recirculation flow rate, and temperature were key parameters affecting the rate of hybridization. The model predicted the kinetic profile and signal intensities of eighteen 20-mer probes targeting vancomycin resistance genes (VRGs). Predicted signal intensities and hybridization kinetics strongly correlated with experimental data in the biochip (R2 = 0.8131). PMID:28555058

  18. Modeling Hybridization Kinetics of Gene Probes in a DNA Biochip Using FEMLAB

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahsan Munir

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Microfluidic DNA biochips capable of detecting specific DNA sequences are useful in medical diagnostics, drug discovery, food safety monitoring and agriculture. They are used as miniaturized platforms for analysis of nucleic acids-based biomarkers. Binding kinetics between immobilized single stranded DNA on the surface and its complementary strand present in the sample are of interest. To achieve optimal sensitivity with minimum sample size and rapid hybridization, ability to predict the kinetics of hybridization based on the thermodynamic characteristics of the probe is crucial. In this study, a computer aided numerical model for the design and optimization of a flow-through biochip was developed using a finite element technique packaged software tool (FEMLAB; package included in COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the transport of DNA through a microfluidic chamber to the reaction surface. The model accounts for fluid flow, convection and diffusion in the channel and on the reaction surface. Concentration, association rate constant, dissociation rate constant, recirculation flow rate, and temperature were key parameters affecting the rate of hybridization. The model predicted the kinetic profile and signal intensities of eighteen 20-mer probes targeting vancomycin resistance genes (VRGs. Predicted signal intensities and hybridization kinetics strongly correlated with experimental data in the biochip (R2 = 0.8131.

  19. Electrogenerated chemiluminescence detection for deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization based on gold nanoparticles carrying multiple probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Hui; Zhang Chengxiao; Li Yan; Qi Honglan

    2006-01-01

    A novel sensitive electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) method for the detection deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization based on gold nanoparticles carrying multiple probes was developed. Ruthenium bis(2,2'-bipyridine)(2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid)-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (Ru(bpy) 2 (dcbpy)NHS) was used as a ECL label and gold nanoparticle as a carrier. Probe single strand DNA (ss-DNA) was self-assembled at the 3'-terminal with a thiol group to the surface of gold nanoparticle and covalently labeled at the 5'-terminal of a phosphate group with Ru(bpy) 2 (dcbpy)NHS and the resulting conjugate (Ru(bpy) 2 (dcbpy)NHS)-ss-DNA-Au, was taken as a ECL probe. When target analyte ss-DNA was immobilized on a gold electrode by self-assembled monolayer technique and then hybridized with the ECL probe to form a double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA), a strong ECL response was electrochemically generated. The ECL intensity was linearly related to the concentration of the complementary sequence (target ss-DNA) in the range from 1.0 x 10 -11 to 1.0 x 10 -8 mol L -1 , and the linear regression equation was S = 57301 + 4579.6 lg C (unit of C is mol L -1 ). A detection limit of 5.0 x 10 -12 mol L -1 for target ss-DNA was achieved. The ECL signal generated from many reporters of ECL probe prepared is greatly amplified, compared to the convention scheme which is based on one reporter per hybridization event

  20. Radioactive and enzymatic cloned cDNA probes for bovine enteric coronavirus detection by molecular hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collomb, J.; Finance, C.; Alabouch, S.; Laporte, J.

    1992-01-01

    Genomic RNA of F15 strain bovine enteric coronavirus (BECV) was cloned in E. coli. Three clones (174, 160, PG 78), selected in the cDNA library, including a large portion of the nucleocapsid (N), matrix (M) and peplomeric (S) protein genes , were used as probes for a slot blot hybridization assay. Two probe labelling techniques were compared, radiolabelling with 32 P and enzymatic labelling through covalent linkage to peroxidase and chemiluminescence detection. The radioactive probe 174 detected as little as 1 to 3 pg of viral RNA, while the less sensitive enzymatic probe could not reveal more than 100 pg of RNA. No significant detection amplification was achieved when a mixture of the three probes was used. Probe 174 allowed specific identification for BECV. No hybridization was noticed either with rotaviruses or even with other antigenically unrelated members of the family Coronaviridae such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus. The test proved valid for detection of BECV in the supernatant of infected HRT-18 cells: genomic RNA could be detected after direct spotting of samples, but prior nucleic acid extraction after proteinase K treatment improved virus detection. BECV diagnosis in faecal samples using enzymatic probe was compared with conventional diagnostic methods. (authors)

  1. Radioactive and enzymatic cloned cDNA probes for bovine enteric coronavirus detection by molecular hybridization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collomb, J; Finance, C; Alabouch, S [Lab. de Microbiologie Moleculaire, Faculte des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Univ. de Nancy I, Nancy (France); Laporte, J [Station de Virologie et d' Immunologie Moleculaires, INRA, Jouy-en-Josas (France)

    1992-01-01

    Genomic RNA of F15 strain bovine enteric coronavirus (BECV) was cloned in E. coli. Three clones (174, 160, PG 78), selected in the cDNA library, including a large portion of the nucleocapsid (N), matrix (M) and peplomeric (S) protein genes , were used as probes for a slot blot hybridization assay. Two probe labelling techniques were compared, radiolabeled with [sup 32]P and enzymatic labeled through covalent linkage to peroxidase for chemiluminescence detection. The radioactive probe 174 detected as little as 1-3 pg of viral RNA, while the less sensitive enzymatic probe could not reveal more than 100 pg of RNA. No significant detection amplification was achieved when a mixture of the three probes was used. Probe 174 allowed specific identification for BECV. No hybridization was noticed either with rotaviruses or even with other antigenically unrelated members of the family Coronaviridae such as transmissible gastroenteritis virus. The test proved valid for detection of BECV in the supernatant of infected HRT-18 cells: genomic RNA could be detected after direct spotting of samples, but prior nucleic acid extraction after proteinase K treatment improved virus detection. BECV diagnosis in fecal samples using enzymatic probe was compared with conventional diagnostic methods. (authors).

  2. PCR associated with hybridization with DNA radioactive probes for diagnosis of asymptomatic infection caused by Leishmania Chagasi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, Antero Silva Ribeiro de; Moreno, Elizabeth Castro; Gomes, Rosangela Fatima; Melo, Maria Norma de; Carneiro, Mariangela; Fernandes, Octavio

    2002-01-01

    Detection systems for diagnosis of leishmaniasis based on PCR are very promising due to their sensitivity and specificity. Secondary detection by specific radioactive DNA probes, able to type the PCR amplified products, increase the specificity and raise about tem-fold the sensitivity of the assay. The aim of this work was evaluate PCR and hybridization as a tool to identify Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi (the specie that cause the visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil) infection in asymptomatic persons living in a endemic area. Material and Methods: A group of 226 asymptomatic individuals, living in General Carneiro (MG), was selected. Blood samples were harvested and the DNA extracted from the mononucleate cells. PCR was performed using primers addressed to the kinetoplast DNA minicircles. This protocol gives a positive reaction for all Leishmania species. The amplified products were further hybridized with cloned L.chagasi minicircles labeled with 32 P. Results: were identified 111 samples PCR positive, 2 of them hybridization negative and 133 samples hybridization positive, 24 of them PCR negative. The occurrence of samples with hybridization positive and PCR negative was expected since hybridization, with DNA probes labeled with 32 P, increase the sensitivity of the assay. The samples that presented positive PCR and negative hybridization were probably due the presence of other Leishmania species, likely L. (V.) braziliensis (that produce tegumentary leishmaniasis in the region), since L. (L.) chagasi cloned minicircles were used as hybridization probe. We conclude that this procedure is a valuable tool to access subclinical L. (L.) chagasi infections in epidemiological studies. (author)

  3. Systematic spatial bias in DNA microarray hybridization is caused by probe spot position-dependent variability in lateral diffusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steger, Doris; Berry, David; Haider, Susanne; Horn, Matthias; Wagner, Michael; Stocker, Roman; Loy, Alexander

    2011-01-01

    The hybridization of nucleic acid targets with surface-immobilized probes is a widely used assay for the parallel detection of multiple targets in medical and biological research. Despite its widespread application, DNA microarray technology still suffers from several biases and lack of reproducibility, stemming in part from an incomplete understanding of the processes governing surface hybridization. In particular, non-random spatial variations within individual microarray hybridizations are often observed, but the mechanisms underpinning this positional bias remain incompletely explained. This study identifies and rationalizes a systematic spatial bias in the intensity of surface hybridization, characterized by markedly increased signal intensity of spots located at the boundaries of the spotted areas of the microarray slide. Combining observations from a simplified single-probe block array format with predictions from a mathematical model, the mechanism responsible for this bias is found to be a position-dependent variation in lateral diffusion of target molecules. Numerical simulations reveal a strong influence of microarray well geometry on the spatial bias. Reciprocal adjustment of the size of the microarray hybridization chamber to the area of surface-bound probes is a simple and effective measure to minimize or eliminate the diffusion-based bias, resulting in increased uniformity and accuracy of quantitative DNA microarray hybridization.

  4. Detection of TTV-DNA in PBMC using digoxigenin labelled probe by in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Yang; Qi Qige

    2002-01-01

    To determine TTV-DNA in PBMC in patients with viral hepatitis, a study of in situ hybridization using digoxigenin labelled probe by PCR method to the TTV ORF1 region was performed on PBMC. Results showed that the detection rate of TTV-DNA using double-stranded probe in TTV-DNA positive group in sera was 58.06 (18/31), and the detection rate of TTV-DNA using double-stranded probe in TTV-DNA negative group in sera was 27.59 (8/29). For TTV-DNA positive group detected by double- stranded probe, then we use negative- stranded probe to detect their replication. The detection rate was 22.2%(4/18). Conclusions: TTV can infect PBMC and replicate in PBMC

  5. Predicting Organic Cation Sorption Coefficients: Accounting for Competition from Sorbed Inorganic Cations Using a Simple Probe Molecule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jolin, William C; Goyetche, Reaha; Carter, Katherine; Medina, John; Vasudevan, Dharni; MacKay, Allison A

    2017-06-06

    With the increasing number of emerging contaminants that are cationic at environmentally relevant pH values, there is a need for robust predictive models of organic cation sorption coefficients (K d ). Current predictive models fail to account for the differences in the identity, abundance, and affinity of surface-associated inorganic exchange ions naturally present at negatively charged receptor sites on environmental solids. To better understand how organic cation sorption is influenced by surface-associated inorganic exchange ions, sorption coefficients of 10 organic cations (including eight pharmaceuticals and two simple probe organic amines) were determined for six homoionic forms of the aluminosilicate mineral, montmorillonite. Organic cation sorption coefficients exhibited consistent trends for all compounds across the various homoionic clays with sorption coefficients (K d ) decreasing as follows: K d Na + > K d NH 4 + ≥ K d K + > K d Ca 2+ ≥ K d Mg 2+ > K d Al 3+ . This trend for competition between organic cations and exchangeable inorganic cations is consistent with the inorganic cation selectivity sequence, determined for exchange between inorganic ions. Such consistent trends in competition between organic and inorganic cations suggested that a simple probe cation, such as phenyltrimethylammonium or benzylamine, could capture soil-to-soil variations in native inorganic cation identity and abundance for the prediction of organic cation sorption to soils and soil minerals. Indeed, sorption of two pharmaceutical compounds to 30 soils was better described by phenyltrimethylammonium sorption than by measures of benzylamine sorption, effective cation exchange capacity alone, or a model from the literature (Droge, S., and Goss, K. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47, 14224). A hybrid approach integrating structural scaling factors derived from this literature model of organic cation sorption, along with phenyltrimethylammonium K d values, allowed for

  6. Expression of proto-oncogenes in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas by in situ hybridization with biotinylated DNA probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hamatani, Kiyohiro; Yoshida, Kuniko; Abe, Masumi; Shimaoka, Katsutaro; Shiku, Hiroshi; Akiyama, Mitoshi; Kondo, Hisayoshi.

    1989-11-01

    Expression of six proto-oncogenes (fos, myc, myb, Ki-ras, Ha-ras, and N-ras) in 43 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was analyzed by means of in situ hybridization. Biotinylated DNA probes of the six oncogenes and those of the immunoglobulin H-chain (IgH) gene and the T cell receptor β-chain (TCRβ) gene were used. The results of in situ hybridization performed under blind conditions by IgH and TCRβ gene probes were compatible with those of typing by cell surface markers. The nuclear protein-related proto-oncogenes, fos myc, and myb, were expressed in about 70 % - 80 % of all cases regardless of phenotypes, histology or histologic grade. On the contrary, genes of the ras family were expressed in fewer cases except for the Ki-ras gene which was more frequently expressed by cases of the T cell immunophenotype with a high malignancy grade. The results of dot hybridization with RNA extracted from some cases were compatible with those of in situ hybridization, further demonstrating the specificity of in situ hybridization. (author)

  7. Fluoroscence in situ hybridization of chicken intestinal samples with bacterial rRNA targeted oligonucleotide probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Katja Nyholm; Francesch, M.; Christensen, Henrik

    2006-01-01

    were hybridized for 24-72h, centrifuged, washed with pre-heated hybridization buffer, centrifuged and resuspended in Millipore quality water before filtration onto a 0.22 µm black polycarbonate filter. The probes used in this study were, LGC354A, LGC354B, LGC354C, Strc493, Bacto1080, Sal3, Chis150, EUB...

  8. Short-term electricity prices forecasting in a competitive market by a hybrid intelligent approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Catalao, J.P.S. [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, R. Fonte do Lameiro, 6201-001 Covilha (Portugal); Center for Innovation in Electrical and Energy Engineering, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Pousinho, H.M.I. [Department of Electromechanical Engineering, University of Beira Interior, R. Fonte do Lameiro, 6201-001 Covilha (Portugal); Mendes, V.M.F. [Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, R. Conselheiro Emidio Navarro, 1950-062 Lisbon (Portugal)

    2011-02-15

    In this paper, a hybrid intelligent approach is proposed for short-term electricity prices forecasting in a competitive market. The proposed approach is based on the wavelet transform and a hybrid of neural networks and fuzzy logic. Results from a case study based on the electricity market of mainland Spain are presented. A thorough comparison is carried out, taking into account the results of previous publications. Conclusions are duly drawn. (author)

  9. Short-term electricity prices forecasting in a competitive market by a hybrid intelligent approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Catalao, J.P.S.; Pousinho, H.M.I.; Mendes, V.M.F.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, a hybrid intelligent approach is proposed for short-term electricity prices forecasting in a competitive market. The proposed approach is based on the wavelet transform and a hybrid of neural networks and fuzzy logic. Results from a case study based on the electricity market of mainland Spain are presented. A thorough comparison is carried out, taking into account the results of previous publications. Conclusions are duly drawn. (author)

  10. Synergistic Combination of Unquenching and Plasmonic Fluorescence Enhancement in Fluorogenic Nucleic Acid Hybridization Probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vietz, Carolin; Lalkens, Birka; Acuna, Guillermo P; Tinnefeld, Philip

    2017-10-11

    Fluorogenic nucleic acid hybridization probes are widely used for detecting and quantifying nucleic acids. The achieved sensitivity strongly depends on the contrast between a quenched closed form and an unquenched opened form with liberated fluorescence. So far, this contrast was improved by improving the quenching efficiency of the closed form. In this study, we modularly combine these probes with optical antennas used for plasmonic fluorescence enhancement and study the effect of the nanophotonic structure on the fluorescence of the quenched and the opened form. As quenched fluorescent dyes are usually enhanced more by fluorescence enhancement, a detrimental reduction of the contrast between closed and opened form was anticipated. In contrast, we could achieve a surprising increase of the contrast with full additivity of quenching of the dark form and fluorescence enhancement of the bright form. Using single-molecule experiments, we demonstrate that the additivity of the two mechanisms depends on the perfect quenching in the quenched form, and we delineate the rules for new nucleic acid probes for enhanced contrast and absolute brightness. Fluorogenic hybridization probes optimized not only for quenching but also for the brightness of the open form might find application in nucleic acid assays with PCR avoiding detection schemes.

  11. A hybrid of monopoly and perfect competition model for hi-tech products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, P. C.; Wee, H. M.; Pai, S.; Yang, H. J.; Wee, P. K. P.

    2010-11-01

    For Hi-tech products, the demand rate, the component cost as well as the selling price usually decline significantly with time. In the case of perfect competition, shortages usually result in lost sales; while in a monopoly, shortages will be completely backordered. However, neither perfect competition nor monopoly exists. Therefore, there is a need to develop a replenishment model considering a hybrid of perfect competition and monopoly when the cost, price and demand are decreasing simultaneously. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis are carried out to illustrate this model. The results show that a higher decline-rate in the component cost leads to a smaller service level and a larger replenishment interval. When the component cost decline rate increases and the selling price decline rate decreases simultaneously, the replenishment interval decreases. In perfect competition it is better to have a high service level, while for the case with monopoly, keeping a low service level is better due to complete backordering.

  12. Competitive Supply Chain Network Design Considering Marketing Strategies: A Hybrid Metaheuristic Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Akbar Hasani

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a comprehensive model is proposed to design a network for multi-period, multi-echelon, and multi-product inventory controlled the supply chain. Various marketing strategies and guerrilla marketing approaches are considered in the design process under the static competition condition. The goal of the proposed model is to efficiently respond to the customers’ demands in the presence of the pre-existing competitors and the price inelasticity of demands. The proposed optimization model considers multiple objectives that incorporate both market share and total profit of the considered supply chain network, simultaneously. To tackle the proposed multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming model, an efficient hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm is developed that incorporates a Taguchi-based non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II and a particle swarm optimization. A variable neighborhood decomposition search is applied to enhance a local search process of the proposed hybrid solution algorithm. Computational results illustrate that the proposed model and solution algorithm are notably efficient in dealing with the competitive pressure by adopting the proper marketing strategies.

  13. Mismatch discrimination of lipidated DNA and LNA-probes (LiNAs) in hybridization-controlled liposome assembly

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, Ulla; Vogel, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    Assays for mismatch discrimination and detection of single nucleotide variations by hybridization-controlled assembly of liposomes, which do not require tedious surface chemistry, are versatile for both DNA and RNA targets. We report herein a comprehensive study on different DNA and LNA (locked...... assay in the context of mismatch discrimination and SNP detection are presented. The advantages of membrane-anchored LiNA-probes compared to chemically attached probes on solid nanoparticles (e.g. gold nanoparticles) are described. Key functionalities such as non-covalent attachment of LiNA probes...... without the need for long spacers and the inherent mobility of membrane-anchored probes in lipid-bilayer membranes will be described for several different probe designs....

  14. GeneChip microarrays-signal intensities, RNA concentrations and probe sequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Binder, Hans; Preibisch, Stephan

    2006-01-01

    GeneChip microarrays consist of hundreds of thousands of oligonucleotide probes. The transformation of their signal intensities into RNA transcript concentrations requires the knowledge of the response function of the measuring device. We analysed the 'apparatus' function of perfect match (PM) and mismatched (MM) oligonucleotide probes of GeneChip microarrays after changes of the target concentration using the results of a spiked-in experiment. In agreement with previous studies we found that a competitive two-species Langmuir-adsorption model describes the probe intensities well. Each PM and MM probe is characterized by two hybridization constants which specify the propensity of the probe to bind specific and non-specific transcripts. The affinity for non-specific hybridization is on average equal for PM and MM. The purine-pyrimidine asymmetry of base pair interaction strengths, however, causes a characteristic PM-MM intensity difference, the sign of which depends on the middle base of the probe. The affinity for specific hybridization of the PM exceeds that of the MM on average by nearly one order of magnitude because the central mismatched base only weakly contributes to the stability of the probe/target duplexes. For the first time we differentiate between the free energy parameters related to the 64 possible middle-triples of DNA/RNA oligomer duplexes with a central Watson-Crick pairing and a central mismatched pairing. Both the PM and MM probes respond to the concentration of specific transcripts, which can be estimated from the PM and MM probe intensities using the Langmuir-model. The analysis of the PM-MM intensity difference provides at least no loss of accuracy and precision of the estimated concentration compared with the PM-only estimates which in turn outperform the MM-only estimates. The results show that the processing of the PM-MM intensity difference requires the consideration of a background term due to non-specific hybridization, which is

  15. Isolation of probes specific to human chromosomal region 6p21 from immunoselected irradiation-fusion gene transfer hybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ragoussis, J.; Jones, T.A.; Sheer, D.; Shrimpton, A.E.; Goodfellow, P.N.; Trowsdale, J.; Ziegler, A.

    1991-01-01

    A hybrid cell line (R21/B1) containing a truncated human chromosome 6 (6pter-6q21) and a human Y chromosome on a hamster background was irradiated and fused to A23 (TK-) or W3GH (HPRT-) hamster cells. Clones containing expressed HLA class I genes (4/40) were selected using monoclonal antibodies. These clones were recloned and analyzed with a panel of probes from the HLA region. One hybrid (4G6) contained the entire HLA complex. Two other hybrids (4J4 and 4H2) contained only the HLA class I region, while the fourth hybrid (5P9) contained HLA class I and III genes in addition to other genes located in the 6p21 chromosomal region. In situ hybridization showed that the hybrid cells contained more than one fragment of human DNA. Alu and LINE PCR products were derived from these cells and compared to each other as well as to products from two somatic cell hybrids having the 6p21 region in common. The PCR fragments were then screened on conventional Southern blots of the somatic cell hybrids to select a panel of novel probes encompassing the 6p21 region. In addition, the origin of the human DNA fragments in hybrid 4J4 was determined by regional mapping of PCR products

  16. Evaluation of the Gen-Probe DNA probe for the detection of legionellae in culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edelstein, P.H.

    1986-01-01

    A commercial DNA probe kit designed to detect rRNA from legionellae was evaluated for its ability to correctly discriminate between legionellae and non-legionellae taken from culture plates. The probe kit, made by the Gen-Probe Corp. (San Diego, Calif.), was radiolabeled with 125 I, and probe bacterial RNA hybridization, detected in a simple one-tube system hybridization assay, was quantitated with a gamma counter. A total of 156 Legionella sp. strains were tested, of which 125 were Legionella pneumophila and the remainder were strains from 21 other Legionella spp. A total of 106 gram-negative non-legionellae, isolated from human respiratory tract (81%) and other body site (19%) specimens, were also tested; 14 genera and 28 species were represented. The probe easily distinguished all of the legionellae from the non-legionellae. The average legionellae/non-legionellae hybridization ratio was 42:1, and the lowest ratio was 2:1; a minor modification in the procedure increased the lowest ratio to 5:1. In addition to correctly identifying all Legionella species, the probe was able to separate some of the various species of Legionella. L. pneumophila strains hybridized more completely to the probe than did the other Legionella spp.; L. wadsworthii and L. oakridgensis hybridized only about 25% of the probe relative to L. pneumophila. Some strains of phenotypically identified L. pneumophila had much lower hybridization to the probe than other members of the species and may represent a new Legionella species. The simplicity of the technique and specificity of the probe make it a good candidate for confirming the identity of legionellae in culture

  17. Towards Fluorescence In Vivo Hybridization (FIVH) Detection of H. pylori in Gastric Mucosa Using Advanced LNA Probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fontenete, Sílvia; Leite, Marina; Guimarães, Nuno

    2015-01-01

    acid (LNA)/ 2' O-methyl RNA (2'OMe) probe using standard phosphoramidite chemistry and FISH hybridization was then successfully performed both on adhered and suspended bacteria at 37°C. In this work we simplified, shortened and adapted FISH to work at gastric pH values, meaning that the hybridization...... step now takes only 30 minutes and, in addition to the buffer, uses only urea and probe at non-toxic concentrations. Importantly, the sensitivity and specificity of the FISH method was maintained in the range of conditions tested, even at low stringency conditions (e.g., low pH). In conclusion......In recent years, there have been several attempts to improve the diagnosis of infection caused by Helicobacter pylori. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a commonly used technique to detect H. pylori infection but it requires biopsies from the stomach. Thus, the development of an in vivo...

  18. Preliminary test of an imaging probe for nuclear medicine using hybrid pixel detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertolucci, E.; Maiorino, M.; Mettivier, G.; Montesi, M.C.; Russo, P.

    2002-01-01

    We are investigating the feasibility of an intraoperative imaging probe for lymphoscintigraphy with Tc-99m tracer, for sentinel node radioguided surgery, using the Medipix series of hybrid detectors coupled to a collimator. These detectors are pixelated semiconductor detectors bump-bonded to the Medipix1 photon counting read-out chip (64x64 pixel, 170 μm pitch) or to the Medipix2 chip (256x256 pixel, 55 μm pitch), developed by the European Medipix collaboration. The pixel detector we plan to use in the final version of the probe is a semi-insulating GaAs detector or a 1-2 mm thick CdZnTe detector. For the preliminary tests presented here, we used 300-μm thick silicon detectors, hybridized via bump-bonding to the Medipix1 chip. We used a tungsten parallel-hole collimator (7 mm thick, matrix array of 64x64 100 μm circular holes with 170 μm pitch), and a 22, 60 and 122 keV point-like (1 mm diameter) radioactive sources, placed at various distances from the detector. These tests were conducted in order to investigate the general feasibility of this imaging probe and its resolving power. Measurements show the high resolution but low efficiency performance of the detector-collimator set, which is able to image the 122 keV source with <1 mm FWHM resolution

  19. Hybridization-Based Detection of Helicobacter pylori at Human Body Temperature Using Advanced Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontenete, Sílvia; Guimarães, Nuno; Leite, Marina; Figueiredo, Céu; Wengel, Jesper; Filipe Azevedo, Nuno

    2013-01-01

    The understanding of the human microbiome and its influence upon human life has long been a subject of study. Hence, methods that allow the direct detection and visualization of microorganisms and microbial consortia (e.g. biofilms) within the human body would be invaluable. In here, we assessed the possibility of developing a variant of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), named fluorescence in vivo hybridization (FIVH), for the detection of Helicobacter pylori. Using oligonucleotide variations comprising locked nucleic acids (LNA) and 2’-O-methyl RNAs (2’OMe) with two types of backbone linkages (phosphate or phosphorothioate), we were able to successfully identify two probes that hybridize at 37 °C with high specificity and sensitivity for H. pylori, both in pure cultures and in gastric biopsies. Furthermore, the use of this type of probes implied that toxic compounds typically used in FISH were either found to be unnecessary or could be replaced by a non-toxic substitute. We show here for the first time that the use of advanced LNA probes in FIVH conditions provides an accurate, simple and fast method for H. pylori detection and location, which could be used in the future for potential in vivo applications either for this microorganism or for others. PMID:24278398

  20. mathFISH, a web tool that uses thermodynamics-based mathematical models for in silico evaluation of oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yilmaz, L Safak; Parnerkar, Shreyas; Noguera, Daniel R

    2011-02-01

    Mathematical models of RNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for perfectly matched and mismatched probe/target pairs are organized and automated in web-based mathFISH (http://mathfish.cee.wisc.edu). Offering the users up-to-date knowledge of hybridization thermodynamics within a theoretical framework, mathFISH is expected to maximize the probability of success during oligonucleotide probe design.

  1. Edge turbulence measurement in Heliotron J using a combination of hybrid probe system and fast cameras

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishino, N.; Zang, L.; Takeuchi, M.; Mizuuchi, T.; Ohshima, S.; Kasajima, K.; Sha, M.; Mukai, K.; Lee, H.Y.; Nagasaki, K.; Okada, H.; Minami, T.; Kobayashi, S.; Yamamoto, S.; Konoshima, S.; Nakamura, Y.; Sano, F.

    2013-01-01

    The hybrid probe system (a combination of Langmuir probes and magnetic probes), fast camera and gas puffing system were installed at the same toroidal section to study edge plasma turbulence/fluctuation in Heliotron J, especially blob (intermittent filament). Fast camera views the location of the probe head, so that the probe system yields the time evolution of the turbulence/fluctuation while the camera images the spatial profile. Gas puff at the same toroidal section was used to control the plasma density and simultaneous gas puff imaging technique. Using this combined system the filamentary structure associated with magnetic fluctuation was found in Heliotron J at the first time. The other kind of fluctuation was also observed at another experiment. This combination measurement enables us to distinguish MHD activity and electro-static activity

  2. An improved synthesis of a fluorophosphonate–polyethylene glycol–biotin probe and its use against competitive substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amidon, Gordon L

    2013-01-01

    Summary The fluorophosphonate (FP) moiety attached to a biotin tag is a prototype chemical probe used to quantitatively analyze and enrich active serine hydrolases in complex proteomes in an approach called activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). In this study we have designed a novel synthetic route to a known FP probe linked by polyethylene glycol to a biotin tag (FP–PEG–biotin). Our route markedly increases the efficiency of the probe synthesis and overcomes several problems of a prior synthesis. As a proof of principle, FP–PEG–biotin was evaluated against isolated protein mixtures and different rat-tissue homogenates, showing its ability to specifically target serine hydrolases. We also assessed the ability of FP–PEG–biotin to compete with substrates that have high enzyme turnover rates. The reduced protein-band intensities resulting in these competition studies demonstrate a new application of FP-based probes seldom explored before. PMID:23400700

  3. An improved synthesis of a fluorophosphonate–polyethylene glycol–biotin probe and its use against competitive substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Xu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The fluorophosphonate (FP moiety attached to a biotin tag is a prototype chemical probe used to quantitatively analyze and enrich active serine hydrolases in complex proteomes in an approach called activity-based protein profiling (ABPP. In this study we have designed a novel synthetic route to a known FP probe linked by polyethylene glycol to a biotin tag (FP–PEG–biotin. Our route markedly increases the efficiency of the probe synthesis and overcomes several problems of a prior synthesis. As a proof of principle, FP–PEG–biotin was evaluated against isolated protein mixtures and different rat-tissue homogenates, showing its ability to specifically target serine hydrolases. We also assessed the ability of FP–PEG–biotin to compete with substrates that have high enzyme turnover rates. The reduced protein-band intensities resulting in these competition studies demonstrate a new application of FP-based probes seldom explored before.

  4. Intrinsically Labeled Fluorescent Oligonucleotide Probes on Quantum Dots for Transduction of Nucleic Acid Hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahmuradyan, Anna; Krull, Ulrich J

    2016-03-15

    Quantum dots (QDs) have been widely used in chemical and biosensing due to their unique photoelectrical properties and are well suited as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Selective hybridization interactions of oligonucleotides on QDs have been determined by FRET. Typically, the QD-FRET constructs have made use of labeled targets or have implemented labeled sandwich format assays to introduce dyes in proximity to the QDs for the FRET process. The intention of this new work is to explore a method to incorporate the acceptor dye into the probe molecule. Thiazole orange (TO) derivatives are fluorescent intercalating dyes that have been used for detection of double-stranded nucleic acids. One such dye system has been reported in which single-stranded oligonucleotide probes were doubly labeled with adjacent thiazole orange derivatives. In the absence of the fully complementary (FC) oligonucleotide target, the dyes form an H-aggregate, which results in quenching of fluorescence emission due to excitonic interactions between the dyes. The hybridization of the FC target to the probe provides for dissociation of the aggregate as the dyes intercalate into the double stranded duplex, resulting in increased fluorescence. This work reports investigation of the dependence of the ratiometric signal on the type of linkage used to conjugate the dyes to the probe, the location of the dye along the length of the probe, and the distance between adjacent dye molecules. The limit of detection for 34mer and 90mer targets was found to be identical and was 10 nM (2 pmol), similar to analogous QD-FRET using labeled oligonucleotide target. The detection system could discriminate a one base pair mismatch (1BPM) target and was functional without substantial compromise of the signal in 75% serum. The 1BPM was found to reduce background signal, indicating that the structure of the mismatch affected the environment of the intercalating dyes.

  5. Amino acid detection using fluoroquinolone–Cu2+ complex as a switch-on fluorescent probe by competitive complexation without derivatization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farokhcheh, Alireza; Alizadeh, Naader

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we describe the use of fluoroquinolone–Cu 2+ complex as a competitive switch-on fluorescence probe for amino acid determination without derivatization. The fluorescence intensity of this probe, which has been reduced due to effective quenching by Cu 2+ ion, increases drastically by an addition of amino acid (glycine, phenylalanine, sarcosine, aspargine, alanine, proline, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, leucine and isoleucine). The overall stability constants of Cu 2+ ion complexes with amino acids were determined by fluorometric titration of fluoroquinolone-Cu 2+ complex with the amino acid solution. Furthermore, the probe shows high calibration sensitivity toward aspartic acid. The fluorescence signal depends linearly on the amino acid concentration within the range of concentration from 1.2×10 −7 to 1.1×10 −5 mol L −1 for aspartic acid. The detection limit was found 2.7×10 −8 mol L −1 with the relative standard deviation (RSD%) about 2.1% (five replicate). -- Highlights: • Amino acids are detected by using fluoroquinolone–Cu 2+ complex as fluorescent probe. • Amino acids were detected based on a competitive complexation reaction. • Probe has been able to recognize amino acids through switch-on fluorescence behavior. • Ultra-trace level of aspartic and glutamic acid is determined without derivatization

  6. Femtomolar detection of single mismatches by discriminant analysis of DNA hybridization events using gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Xingyi; Sim, Sang Jun

    2013-03-21

    Even though DNA-based nanosensors have been demonstrated for quantitative detection of analytes and diseases, hybridization events have never been numerically investigated for further understanding of DNA mediated interactions. Here, we developed a nanoscale platform with well-designed capture and detection gold nanoprobes to precisely evaluate the hybridization events. The capture gold nanoprobes were mono-laid on glass and the detection probes were fabricated via a novel competitive conjugation method. The two kinds of probes combined in a suitable orientation following the hybridization with the target. We found that hybridization efficiency was markedly dependent on electrostatic interactions between DNA strands, which can be tailored by adjusting the salt concentration of the incubation solution. Due to the much lower stability of the double helix formed by mismatches, the hybridization efficiencies of single mismatched (MMT) and perfectly matched DNA (PMT) were different. Therefore, we obtained an optimized salt concentration that allowed for discrimination of MMT from PMT without stringent control of temperature or pH. The results indicated this to be an ultrasensitive and precise nanosensor for the diagnosis of genetic diseases.

  7. Price competition and equilibrium analysis in multiple hybrid channel supply chain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuang, Guihua; Wang, Aihu; Sha, Jin

    2017-06-01

    The amazing boom of Internet and logistics industry prompts more and more enterprises to sell commodity through multiple channels. Such market conditions make the participants of multiple hybrid channel supply chain compete each other in traditional and direct channel at the same time. This paper builds a two-echelon supply chain model with a single manufacturer and a single retailer who both can choose different channel or channel combination for their own sales, then, discusses the price competition and calculates the equilibrium price under different sales channel selection combinations. Our analysis shows that no matter the manufacturer and retailer choose same or different channel price to compete, the equilibrium price does not necessarily exist the equilibrium price in the multiple hybrid channel supply chain and wholesale price change is not always able to coordinate supply chain completely. We also present the sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of equilibrium price and coordination wholesale price.

  8. Study on sensitivity of southern blotting hybridization using a 32P-labeled probe of PCR products in detecting human cytomegalovirus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bu Hengfu; Chen Juan; Shen Rongsen; Ma Liren; Xu Yongqiang

    1996-01-01

    Southern blotting hybridization (SBH) using a 32 P-labeled probe is one of the most practical methods for genetic diagnosis of pathogen. On the basis of establishing PCR and nested PCR for detecting human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a 32 P-labeled probe was prepared with the amplified products of 613 bp PCR outer primers and hybridized with 300 bp inner primer amplified product, resulting in increase in detecting sensitivity from 17 ng (in 1.2% agarose electrophoresis) before SBH to 500 pg (autoradiographed), in other words, increasing the sensitivity of detecting HCMV by 10 2 dilutions after using SBH. The method of PCR and SBH using a 32 P-labeled probe could detect less than 1 gene copy of HCMV, therefore, it is a rapid and reliable diagnosis method for detecting HCMV latent infection

  9. Specific identification of human papillomavirus type in cervical smears and paraffin sections by in situ hybridization with radioactive probes: a preliminary communication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, J.; Gendelman, H.E.; Naghashfar, Z.; Gupta, P.; Rosenshein, N.; Sawada, E.; Woodruff, J.D.; Shah, K.

    1985-01-01

    Cervical Papanicolaou smears and paraffin sections of biopsy specimens obtained from women attending dysplasia clinics were examined for viral DNA sequences by in situ hybridization technique using 35 S-labeled cloned recombinant DNA probes of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, and 16. These and one unrelated DNA probe complementary to measles virus RNA were labeled by nick translation using either one or two 35 S-labeled nucleotides. Paraffin sections and cervical smears were collected on pretreated slides, hybridized with the probes under stringent or nonstringent conditions for 50 h, and autoradiographed. Additional cervical specimens from the same women were examined for the presence of genus-specific papillomavirus capsid antigen by the immunoperoxidase technique. Preliminary results may be summarized as follows. The infecting virus could be identified in smears as well as in sections. Viral DNA sequences were detected only when there were condylomatous cells in the specimen and in only a proportion of the condylomatous cells. Even under stringent conditions, some specimens reacted with both HPV-6 and HPV-11. In some instances, the cells did not hybridize with any of the three probes even when duplicate specimens contained frankly condylomatous, capsid antigen-positive cells. In situ hybridization of Papanicolaou smears or of tissue sections is a practical method for diagnosis and follow-up of specific papillomavirus infection using routinely collected material

  10. Development of a PCR/LDR/flow-through hybridization assay using a capillary tube, probe DNA-immobilized magnetic beads and chemiluminescence detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hommatsu, Manami; Okahashi, Hisamitsu; Ohta, Keisuke; Tamai, Yusuke; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhiko; Hashimoto, Masahiko

    2013-01-01

    A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/ligase detection reaction (LDR)/flow-through hybridization assay using chemiluminescence (CL) detection was developed for analyzing point mutations in gene fragments with high diagnostic value for colorectal cancers. A flow-through hybridization format using a capillary tube, in which probe DNA-immobilized magnetic beads were packed, provided accelerated hybridization kinetics of target DNA (i.e. LDR product) to the probe DNA. Simple fluid manipulations enabled both allele-specific hybridization and the removal of non-specifically bound DNA in the wash step. Furthermore, the use of CL detection greatly simplified the detection scheme, since CL does not require a light source for excitation of the fluorescent dye tags on the LDR products. Preliminary results demonstrated that this analytical system could detect both homozygous and heterozygous mutations, without the expensive instrumentation and cumbersome procedures required by conventional DNA microarray-based methods.

  11. Amino acid detection using fluoroquinolone–Cu{sup 2+} complex as a switch-on fluorescent probe by competitive complexation without derivatization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farokhcheh, Alireza; Alizadeh, Naader, E-mail: alizaden@modares.ac.ir

    2014-01-15

    In this work, we describe the use of fluoroquinolone–Cu{sup 2+} complex as a competitive switch-on fluorescence probe for amino acid determination without derivatization. The fluorescence intensity of this probe, which has been reduced due to effective quenching by Cu{sup 2+} ion, increases drastically by an addition of amino acid (glycine, phenylalanine, sarcosine, aspargine, alanine, proline, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, leucine and isoleucine). The overall stability constants of Cu{sup 2+} ion complexes with amino acids were determined by fluorometric titration of fluoroquinolone-Cu{sup 2+} complex with the amino acid solution. Furthermore, the probe shows high calibration sensitivity toward aspartic acid. The fluorescence signal depends linearly on the amino acid concentration within the range of concentration from 1.2×10{sup −7} to 1.1×10{sup −5} mol L{sup −1} for aspartic acid. The detection limit was found 2.7×10{sup −8} mol L{sup −1} with the relative standard deviation (RSD%) about 2.1% (five replicate). -- Highlights: • Amino acids are detected by using fluoroquinolone–Cu{sup 2+} complex as fluorescent probe. • Amino acids were detected based on a competitive complexation reaction. • Probe has been able to recognize amino acids through switch-on fluorescence behavior. • Ultra-trace level of aspartic and glutamic acid is determined without derivatization.

  12. Time-Resolved Nucleic Acid Hybridization Beacons Utilizing Unimolecular and Toehold-Mediated Strand Displacement Designs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massey, Melissa; Ancona, Mario G; Medintz, Igor L; Algar, W Russ

    2015-12-01

    Nucleic acid hybridization probes are sought after for numerous assay and imaging applications. These probes are often limited by the properties of fluorescent dyes, prompting the development of new probes where dyes are paired with novel or nontraditional luminescent materials. Luminescent terbium complexes are an example of such a material, and these complexes offer several unique spectroscopic advantages. Here, we demonstrate two nonstem-loop designs for light-up nucleic acid hybridization beacons that utilize time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) between a luminescent Lumi4-Tb cryptate (Tb) donor and a fluorescent reporter dye, where time-resolved emission from the dye provides an analytical signal. Both designs are based on probe oligonucleotides that are labeled at their opposite termini with Tb and a fluorescent reporter dye. In one design, a probe is partially blocked with a quencher dye-labeled oligonucleotide, and target hybridization is signaled through toehold-mediated strand displacement and loss of a competitive FRET pathway. In the other design, the intrinsic folding properties of an unblocked probe are utilized in combination with a temporal mechanism for signaling target hybridization. This temporal mechanism is based on a recently elucidated "sweet spot" for TR-FRET measurements and exploits distance control over FRET efficiencies to shift the Tb lifetime within or outside the time-gated detection window for measurements. Both the blocked and unblocked beacons offer nanomolar (femtomole) detection limits, response times on the order of minutes, multiplexing through the use of different reporter dyes, and detection in complex matrices such as serum and blood. The blocked beacons offer better mismatch selectivity, whereas the unblocked beacons are simpler in design. The temporal mechanism of signaling utilized with the unblocked beacons also plays a significant role with the blocked beacons and represents a new and effective

  13. Immunoglobulin heavy-chain fluorescence in situ hybridization-chromogenic in situ hybridization DNA probe split signal in the clonality assessment of lymphoproliferative processes on cytological samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeppa, Pio; Sosa Fernandez, Laura Virginia; Cozzolino, Immacolata; Ronga, Valentina; Genesio, Rita; Salatiello, Maria; Picardi, Marco; Malapelle, Umberto; Troncone, Giancarlo; Vigliar, Elena

    2012-12-25

    The human immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) locus at chromosome 14q32 is frequently involved in different translocations of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and the detection of any breakage involving the IGH locus should identify a B-cell NHL. The split-signal IGH fluorescence in situ hybridization-chromogenic in situ hybridization (FISH-CISH) DNA probe is a mixture of 2 fluorochrome-labeled DNAs: a green one that binds the telomeric segment and a red one that binds the centromeric segment, both on the IGH breakpoint. In the current study, the authors tested the capability of the IGH FISH-CISH DNA probe to detect IGH translocations and diagnose B-cell lymphoproliferative processes on cytological samples. Fifty cytological specimens from cases of lymphoproliferative processes were tested using the split-signal IGH FISH-CISH DNA probe and the results were compared with light-chain assessment by flow cytometry (FC), IGH status was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and clinicohistological data. The signal score produced comparable results on FISH and CISH analysis and detected 29 positive, 15 negative, and 6 inadequate cases; there were 29 true-positive cases (66%), 9 true-negative cases (20%), 6 false-negative cases (14%), and no false-positive cases (0%). Comparing the sensitivity of the IGH FISH-CISH DNA split probe with FC and PCR, the highest sensitivity was obtained by FC, followed by FISH-CISH and PCR. The split-signal IGH FISH-CISH DNA probe is effective in detecting any translocation involving the IGH locus. This probe can be used on different samples from different B-cell lymphoproliferative processes, although it is not useful for classifying specific entities. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2012;. © 2012 American Cancer Society. Copyright © 2012 American Cancer Society.

  14. Electronic Detection of DNA Hybridization by Coupling Organic Field-Effect Transistor-Based Sensors and Hairpin-Shaped Probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Corrado Napoli

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the electronic transduction of DNA hybridization is presented by coupling organic charge-modulated field-effect transistors (OCMFETs and hairpin-shaped probes. These probes have shown interesting properties in terms of sensitivity and selectivity in other kinds of assays, in the form of molecular beacons (MBs. Their integration with organic-transistor based sensors, never explored before, paves the way to a new class of low-cost, easy-to-use, and portable genetic sensors with enhanced performances. Thanks to the peculiar characteristics of the employed sensor, measurements can be performed at relatively high ionic strengths, thus optimizing the probes’ functionality without affecting the detection ability of the device. A complete electrical characterization of the sensor is reported, including calibration with different target concentrations in the measurement environment and selectivity evaluation. In particular, DNA hybridization detection for target concentration as low as 100 pM is demonstrated.

  15. Optimal generation and reserve dispatch in a multi-area competitive market using a hybrid direct search method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chun Lung Chen

    2005-01-01

    With restructuring of the power industry, competitive bidding for energy and ancillary services are increasingly recognized as an important part of electricity markets. It is desirable to optimize not only the generator's bid prices for energy and for providing minimized ancillary services but also the transmission congestion costs. In this paper, a hybrid approach of combining sequential dispatch with a direct search method is developed to deal with the multi-product and multi-area electricity market dispatch problem. The hybrid direct search method (HDSM) incorporates sequential dispatch into the direct search method to facilitate economic sharing of generation and reserve across areas and to minimize the total market cost in a multi-area competitive electricity market. The effects of tie line congestion and area spinning reserve requirement are also consistently reflected in the marginal price in each area. Numerical experiments are included to understand the various constraints in the market cost analysis and to provide valuable information for market participants in a pool oriented electricity market. (author)

  16. Optimal generation and reserve dispatch in a multi-area competitive market using a hybrid direct search method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, C.-L.

    2005-01-01

    With restructuring of the power industry, competitive bidding for energy and ancillary services are increasingly recognized as an important part of electricity markets. It is desirable to optimize not only the generator's bid prices for energy and for providing minimized ancillary services but also the transmission congestion costs. In this paper, a hybrid approach of combining sequential dispatch with a direct search method is developed to deal with the multi-product and multi-area electricity market dispatch problem. The hybrid direct search method (HDSM) incorporates sequential dispatch into the direct search method to facilitate economic sharing of generation and reserve across areas and to minimize the total market cost in a multi-area competitive electricity market. The effects of tie line congestion and area spinning reserve requirement are also consistently reflected in the marginal price in each area. Numerical experiments are included to understand the various constraints in the market cost analysis and to provide valuable information for market participants in a pool oriented electricity market

  17. Sibling competition arena: selfing and a competition arena can combine to constitute a barrier to gene flow in sympatry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, A K; Hood, M E; Giraud, T

    2012-06-01

    Closely related species coexisting in sympatry provide critical insight into the mechanisms underlying speciation and the maintenance of genetic divergence. Selfing may promote reproductive isolation by facilitating local adaptation, causing reduced hybrid fitness in parental environments. Here, we propose a novel mechanism by which selfing can further impair interspecific gene flow: selfing may act to ensure that nonhybrid progeny systematically co-occur whenever hybrid genotypes are produced. Under a competition arena, the fitness differentials between nonhybrid and hybrid progeny are then magnified, preventing development of interspecific hybrids. We investigate whether this "sibling competition arena" can explain the coexistence in sympatry of closely related species of the plant fungal pathogens (Microbotryum) causing anther-smut disease. The probabilities of intrapromycelial mating (automixis), outcrossing, and sibling competition were manipulated in artificial inoculations to evaluate their contribution to reproductive isolation. We report that both intrapromycelial selfing and sibling competition significantly reduced rates of hybrid infection beyond that expected based solely upon selfing rates and noncompetitive fitness differentials between hybrid and nonhybrid progeny. Our results thus suggest that selfing and a sibling competition arena can combine to constitute a barrier to gene flow and diminish selection for additional barriers to gene flow in sympatry. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution © 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  18. Non-Covalent Fluorescent Labeling of Hairpin DNA Probe Coupled with Hybridization Chain Reaction for Sensitive DNA Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Luna; Zhang, Yonghua; Li, Junling; Gao, Qiang; Qi, Honglan; Zhang, Chengxiao

    2016-04-01

    An enzyme-free signal amplification-based assay for DNA detection was developed using fluorescent hairpin DNA probes coupled with hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The hairpin DNAs were designed to contain abasic sites in the stem moiety. Non-covalent labeling of the hairpin DNAs was achieved when a fluorescent ligand was bound to the abasic sites through hydrogen bonding with the orphan cytosine present on the complementary strand, accompanied by quench of ligand fluorescence. As a result, the resultant probes, the complex formed between the hairpin DNA and ligand, showed almost no fluorescence. Upon hybridization with target DNA, the probe underwent a dehybridization of the stem moiety containing an abasic site. The release of ligand from the abasic site to the solution resulted in an effective fluorescent enhancement, which can be used as a signal. Compared with a sensing system without HCR, a 20-fold increase in the sensitivity was achieved using the sensing system with HCR. The fluorescent intensity of the sensing system increased with the increase in target DNA concentration from 0.5 nM to 100 nM. A single mismatched target ss-DNA could be effectively discriminated from complementary target DNA. Genotyping of a G/C single-nucleotide polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was successfully demonstrated with the sensing system. Therefore, integrating HCR strategy with non-covalent labeling of fluorescent hairpin DNA probes provides a sensitive and cost-effective DNA assay. © The Author(s) 2016.

  19. Megaspore competition in F1 and F2 hybrids between Oenothera hookeri and Oe. suaveolens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Śnieżko

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Megasporogenesis and development of the embryo sac were investigated in F1 and F2 hybrids from crosses of Oe. hookeri and Oe. suaveolens. All hybrids form heteropolar and homopolar magaspore tetrads; the embryo sac, however, usually develops from the micropylar megaspore. Its development may occur immediately after degeneration of three other megaspores or after a period of competition between both apical megaspores. They develop simultaneously for a relatively short time, after which the growth of the chalazal megaspore is inhibited, although the latter does not degenerate. The micropylar megaspore as a rule develops without disturbances into the embryo sac, but in some ovules it is formed from the chalazal megaspore or double ones arise from both apical megaspores of the tetrad. The frequency of the micropylar embryo sac formation seems to be dependent above all on the hybrid plant genome and not on the haploid genome of the megaspore.

  20. Single-Step Incubation Determination of miRNAs in Cancer Cells Using an Amperometric Biosensor Based on Competitive Hybridization onto Magnetic Beads

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Vargas

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This work reports an amperometric biosensor for the determination of miRNA-21, a relevant oncogene. The methodology involves a competitive DNA-target miRNA hybridization assay performed on the surface of magnetic microbeads (MBs and amperometric transduction at screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs. The target miRNA competes with a synthetic fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-modified miRNA with an identical sequence for hybridization with a biotinylated and complementary DNA probe (b-Cp immobilized on the surface of streptavidin-modified MBs (b-Cp-MBs. Upon labeling, the FITC-modified miRNA attached to the MBs with horseradish peroxidase (HRP-conjugated anti-FITC Fab fragments and magnetic capturing of the MBs onto the working electrode surface of SPCEs. The cathodic current measured at −0.20 V (versus the Ag pseudo-reference electrode was demonstrated to be inversely proportional to the concentration of the target miRNA. This convenient biosensing method provided a linear range between 0.7 and 10.0 nM and a limit of detection (LOD of 0.2 nM (5 fmol in 25 μL of sample for the synthetic target miRNA without any amplification step. An acceptable selectivity towards single-base mismatched oligonucleotides, a high storage stability of the b-Cp-MBs, and usefulness for the accurate determination of miRNA-21 in raw total RNA (RNAt extracted from breast cancer cells (MCF-7 were demonstrated.

  1. Identifying members of the domain Archaea with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes.

    OpenAIRE

    Burggraf, S; Mayer, T; Amann, R; Schadhauser, S; Woese, C R; Stetter, K O

    1994-01-01

    Two 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes were designed for the archaeal kingdoms Euryachaeota and Crenarchaeota. Probe specificities were evaluated by nonradioactive dot blot hybridization against selected reference organisms. The successful application of fluorescent-probe derivatives for whole-cell hybridization required organism-specific optimizations of fixation and hybridization conditions to assure probe penetration and morphological integrity of the cells. The probes allowed prelim...

  2. In situ hybridization; principles and applications: review article

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Nozhat

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In situ hybridization (ISH is a method that uses labeled complementary single strand DNA or RNA to localize specific DNA or RNA sequences in an intact cell or in a fixed tissue section. The main steps of ISH consist of: probe selection, tissue or sample preparation, pre-hybridization treatment, hybridization and washing, detection and control procedure. Probe selection is one of the important aspects of successful hybridization. ISH sensitivity and specificity can be influenced by: probe construct, efficiency of labeling, percentage of GC, probe length and signal detection systems. Different methods such as nick translation, random priming, end tailing and T4 DNA polymerase replacement are used for probe generation. Both radioactive and non-radioactive labels can be used in order to probe labeling. Nucleic acid maintenance in samples, prevention of morphological changes of samples and probe penetration into tissue section are the main aims of sample preparation step. Then, a small amount of solution containing probe, is added on slides containing tissue sections for hybridization process, then slides are incubated overnight. Next day, washes are carried out to remove the probes which are not bound to target DNA or RNA. Finally, in order to be sure that the observed labeling is specific to the target sequence, using several control procedures is very important. Various techniques based on ISH consist of: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH, chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH, spectral karyotyping (SKY and multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization (MFISH. One of the most common techniques of ISH is fluorescence in situ hybridization. FISH can be used to: 1 detect small deletions and duplications that are not visible using microscope analysis, 2 detect how many chromosomes of a certain type are present in each cell and 3 confirm rearrangements that are

  3. A Novel Method for Rapid Hybridization of DNA to a Solid Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettersson, Erik; Ahmadian, Afshin; Ståhl, Patrik L.

    2013-01-01

    Here we present a novel approach entitled Magnetic Forced Hybridization (MFH) that provides the means for efficient and direct hybridization of target nucleic acids to complementary probes immobilized on a glass surface in less than 15 seconds at ambient temperature. In addition, detection is carried out instantly since the beads become visible on the surface. The concept of MFH was tested for quality control of array manufacturing, and was combined with a multiplex competitive hybridization (MUCH) approach for typing of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Magnetic Forced Hybridization of bead-DNA constructs to a surface achieves a significant reduction in diagnostic testing time. In addition, readout of results by visual inspection of the unassisted eye eliminates the need for additional expensive instrumentation. The method uses the same set of beads throughout the whole process of manipulating and washing DNA constructs prior to detection, as in the actual detection step itself. PMID:23950946

  4. Development and use of fluorescent 16S rRNA-targeted probes for the specific detection of Methylophaga species by in situ hybridization in marine sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janvier, Monique; Regnault, Béatrice; Grimont, Patrick

    2003-09-01

    Methylotrophic bacteria are widespread in nature. They may play an important role in the cycling of carbon and in the metabolism of dimethylsulfide in a marine environment. Bacteria belonging to the genus Methylophaga are a unique group of aerobic, halophilic, non-methane-utilizing methylotrophs. Two 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes were developed for the specific detection of Methylophaga species, marine methylobacteria, by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Probe MPH-730 was highly specific for all members of the genus Methylophaga while probe MPHm-994 targeted exclusively M. marina. The application of these probes were demonstrated by the detection of Methylophaga species in enrichment cultures from various marine sediments. All isolates recovered were visualized by using the genus specific probe MPH-730. The results were confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing which demonstrated that all selected isolates belong to Methylophaga. Five isolates could be detected by the M. marina-specific probe MPHm-994 and were confirmed by rRNA gene restriction pattern (ribotyping). With the development of these specific probes, fluorescence in situ hybridization shows that the genus Methylophaga is widespread in marine samples.

  5. Towards Fluorescence In Vivo Hybridization (FIVH) Detection of H. pylori in Gastric Mucosa Using Advanced LNA Probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fontenete, Sílvia; Leite, Marina; Guimarães, Nuno; Madureira, Pedro; Ferreira, Rui Manuel; Figueiredo, Céu; Wengel, Jesper; Azevedo, Nuno Filipe

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, there have been several attempts to improve the diagnosis of infection caused by Helicobacter pylori. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a commonly used technique to detect H. pylori infection but it requires biopsies from the stomach. Thus, the development of an in vivo FISH-based method (FIVH) that directly detects and allows the visualization of the bacterium within the human body would significantly reduce the time of analysis, allowing the diagnosis to be performed during endoscopy. In a previous study we designed and synthesized a phosphorothioate locked nucleic acid (LNA)/ 2’ O-methyl RNA (2’OMe) probe using standard phosphoramidite chemistry and FISH hybridization was then successfully performed both on adhered and suspended bacteria at 37°C. In this work we simplified, shortened and adapted FISH to work at gastric pH values, meaning that the hybridization step now takes only 30 minutes and, in addition to the buffer, uses only urea and probe at non-toxic concentrations. Importantly, the sensitivity and specificity of the FISH method was maintained in the range of conditions tested, even at low stringency conditions (e.g., low pH). In conclusion, this methodology is a promising approach that might be used in vivo in the future in combination with a confocal laser endomicroscope for H. pylori visualization. PMID:25915865

  6. Towards Fluorescence In Vivo Hybridization (FIVH Detection of H. pylori in Gastric Mucosa Using Advanced LNA Probes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sílvia Fontenete

    Full Text Available In recent years, there have been several attempts to improve the diagnosis of infection caused by Helicobacter pylori. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH is a commonly used technique to detect H. pylori infection but it requires biopsies from the stomach. Thus, the development of an in vivo FISH-based method (FIVH that directly detects and allows the visualization of the bacterium within the human body would significantly reduce the time of analysis, allowing the diagnosis to be performed during endoscopy. In a previous study we designed and synthesized a phosphorothioate locked nucleic acid (LNA/ 2' O-methyl RNA (2'OMe probe using standard phosphoramidite chemistry and FISH hybridization was then successfully performed both on adhered and suspended bacteria at 37°C. In this work we simplified, shortened and adapted FISH to work at gastric pH values, meaning that the hybridization step now takes only 30 minutes and, in addition to the buffer, uses only urea and probe at non-toxic concentrations. Importantly, the sensitivity and specificity of the FISH method was maintained in the range of conditions tested, even at low stringency conditions (e.g., low pH. In conclusion, this methodology is a promising approach that might be used in vivo in the future in combination with a confocal laser endomicroscope for H. pylori visualization.

  7. Genome reorganization in Nicotiana asymmetric somatic hybrids analysed by in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parokonny, A.S.; Kenton, A.Y.; Gleba, Y.Y.; Bennett, M.D.

    1992-01-01

    In situ hybridization was used to examine genome reorganization in asymmetric somatic hybrids between Nicotiana plumbaginifolia and Nicotiana sylvestris obtained by fusion of gamma-irradiated protoplasts from one of the parents (donor) with non-irradiated protoplasts from the other (recipient). Probing with biotinylated total genomic DNA from either the donor or the recipient species unequivocally identified genetic material from both parents in 31 regenerant plants, each originating from a different nuclear hybrid colony. This method, termed genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), allowed intergenomic translocations containing chromosome segments from both species to be recognized in four regenerants. A probe homologous to the consensus sequence of the Arabidopsis thaliana telomeric repeat (5'-TTTAGGG-3')n, identified telomeres on all chromosomes, including 'mini-chromosomes' originating from the irradiated donor genome. Genomic in situ hybridization to plant chromosomes provides a rapid and reliable means of screening for recombinant genotypes in asymmetric somatic hybrids. Used in combination with other DNA probes, it also contributes to a greater understanding of the events responsible for genomic recovery and restabilization following genetic manipulation in vitro

  8. Detection of Helicobacter Pylori Genome with an Optical Biosensor Based on Hybridization of Urease Gene with a Gold Nanoparticles-Labeled Probe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shahrashoob, M.; Mohsenifar, A.; Tabatabaei, M.; Rahmani-Cherati, T.; Mobaraki, M.; Mota, A.; Shojaei, T. R.

    2016-05-01

    A novel optics-based nanobiosensor for sensitive determination of the Helicobacter pylori genome using a gold nanoparticles (AuNPs)-labeled probe is reported. Two specific thiol-modified capture and signal probes were designed based on a single-stranded complementary DNA (cDNA) region of the urease gene. The capture probe was immobilized on AuNPs, which were previously immobilized on an APTES-activated glass, and the signal probe was conjugated to different AuNPs as well. The presence of the cDNA in the reaction mixture led to the hybridization of the AuNPs-labeled capture probe and the signal probe with the cDNA, and consequently the optical density of the reaction mixture (AuNPs) was reduced proportionally to the cDNA concentration. The limit of detection was measured at 0.5 nM.

  9. Identification and quantification of Bifidobacterium species isolated from food with genus-specific 16S rRNA-targeted probes by colony hybridization and PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaufmann, P; Pfefferkorn, A; Teuber, M; Meile, L

    1997-04-01

    A Bifidobacterium genus-specific target sequence in the V9 variable region of the 16S rRNA has been elaborated and was used to develop a hybridization probe. The specificity of this probe, named lm3 (5'-CGGGTGCTI*CCCACTTTCATG-3'), was used to identify all known type strains and distinguish them from other bacteria. All of the 30 type strains of Bifidobacterium which are available at the German culture collection Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, 6 commercially available production strains, and 34 closely related relevant strains (as negative controls) were tested. All tested bifidobacteria showed distinct positive signals by colony hybridization, whereas all negative controls showed no distinct dots except Gardnerella vaginalis DSM4944 and Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii DSM4902, which gave slight signals. Furthermore, we established a method for isolation and identification of bifidobacteria from food by using a PCR assay without prior isolation of DNA but breaking the cells with proteinase K. By this method, all Bifidobacterium strains lead to a DNA product of the expected size. We also established a quick assay to quantitatively measure Bifidobacterium counts in food and feces by dilution plating and colony hybridization. We were able to demonstrate that 2.1 x 10(6) to 2.3 x 10(7) colonies/g of sour milk containing bifidobacteria hybridized with the specific nucleotide probe. With these two methods, genus-specific colony hybridization and genus-specific PCR, it is now possible to readily and accurately detect any bifidobacteria in food and fecal samples and to discriminate between them and members of other genera.

  10. Sets of RNA repeated tags and hybridization-sensitive fluorescent probes for distinct images of RNA in a living cell.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takeshi Kubota

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Imaging the behavior of RNA in a living cell is a powerful means for understanding RNA functions and acquiring spatiotemporal information in a single cell. For more distinct RNA imaging in a living cell, a more effective chemical method to fluorescently label RNA is now required. In addition, development of the technology labeling with different colors for different RNA would make it easier to analyze plural RNA strands expressing in a cell. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Tag technology for RNA imaging in a living cell has been developed based on the unique chemical functions of exciton-controlled hybridization-sensitive oligonucleotide (ECHO probes. Repetitions of selected 18-nucleotide RNA tags were incorporated into the mRNA 3'-UTR. Pairs with complementary ECHO probes exhibited hybridization-sensitive fluorescence emission for the mRNA expressed in a living cell. The mRNA in a nucleus was detected clearly as fluorescent puncta, and the images of the expression of two mRNAs were obtained independently and simultaneously with two orthogonal tag-probe pairs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A compact and repeated label has been developed for RNA imaging in a living cell, based on the photochemistry of ECHO probes. The pairs of an 18-nt RNA tag and the complementary ECHO probes are highly thermostable, sequence-specifically emissive, and orthogonal to each other. The nucleotide length necessary for one tag sequence is much shorter compared with conventional tag technologies, resulting in easy preparation of the tag sequences with a larger number of repeats for more distinct RNA imaging.

  11. Detection of KatG Gen Mutation on Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by Means of PCR-Dot Blot Hybridization with 32P Labeled Oligonucleotide Probe Methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maria Lina R; Budiman Bela; Andi Yasmon

    2009-01-01

    Handling and controlling of tuberculosis, a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), is now complicated since there are many MTBs that are resistant against anti-tuberculosis drugs such as isoniazid. The drug resistance could occurred due to the inadequate and un-regular drug utilization that cause gene mutation of the drug target such as katG gene for isoniazid. The molecular biology techniques such as the PCR- dot blot hybridization with radioisotope ( 32 P) labeled oligonucleotide probe, has been reported as a technique that is more sensitive and rapid for detection of gene mutations related with drug resistances. Hence, the aim of this study was to apply the PCR- dot blot hybridization technique using 32 P labeled oligonucleotide probe for detection of single mutation at codon 315 of katG gene of MTBs that rise the isoniazid resistance. In this study, we used 89 sputum specimens and a standard MTB (MTB H 37 RV) as a control. DNA extractions were performed by the BOOM method and the phenol chloroform for sputum samples and standard MTB, respectively. Primers used for PCR technique were Pt8 and Pt9 and RTB59 and RTB36 for detecting tuberculosis causing Mycobacterium and the existence of katG gene, respectively. Both of the primers are specific for IS6110 region and katG gene, respectively. PCR products were detected by an agarose gel electrophoresis technique. Dot blot hybridization with 32 P-oligonucleotide probe 315mu was performed to detect mutation at codon 315 of tested samples. Results of the PCR using primer Pt8 and Pt9 showed that all sputum specimens had positive results. Mutation detection by PCR- dot blot hybridization with 32 P-oligonucleotide probe 315mu, revealed that 11 of 89 tested samples had a mutation at their codon 315 of katG gene. Based upon these results, it is concluded that PCR-dot blot hybridization with 32 P-oligonucleotide probe is a technique that is rapid and highly specific and sensitive for detection of mutation at codon

  12. Weed Competition and its Effects on Pwani Hybrid 1 Maize Grain Yields in Coastal Kenya

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamau, G.M.; Saha, H.M.

    1999-01-01

    Weed competition is a serious constraint to maize production in coastal Kenya. A trial to asses the effects of weed competition on performance of maize was planted at Regional Research Centre-Mtwapa and Msabaha Research Sub-centre-Malindi in 1992. Pwani hybrid 1 maize was used in the trials. Weeding was done at weekly intervals from germination up to the sixth week in an additive weed removal system and plots maintained weed free afterwards. A weedy and a weed free plot were used as checks. Data on plant counts plant heights, weed biomass, weed identification and maize grain yield at 15 % MC were all recorded. There was a significant difference between weed and weedy free plots for grain yield, plant height and weed biomass for both sites. A 53% maize grain yield reduction due to weed competition was recorded. A 3% grain yield reduction equivalent to 1.03 bags for every week's delay in weeding after the first to weeks was realised for both sites. There was a corresponding grain yield loss as delay in weeding increased

  13. Improved detection of genetic markers of antimicrobial resistance by hybridization probe-based melting curve analysis using primers to mask proximal mutations: examples include the influenza H275Y substitution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiley, David M; Jacob, Kevin; Nakos, Jennifer; Bletchly, Cheryl; Nimmo, Graeme R; Nissen, Michael D; Sloots, Theo P

    2012-06-01

    Numerous real-time PCR assays have been described for detection of the influenza A H275Y alteration. However, the performance of these methods can be undermined by sequence variation in the regions flanking the codon of interest. This is a problem encountered more broadly in microbial diagnostics. In this study, we developed a modification of hybridization probe-based melting curve analysis, whereby primers are used to mask proximal mutations in the sequence targets of hybridization probes, so as to limit the potential for sequence variation to interfere with typing. The approach was applied to the H275Y alteration of the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 strain, as well as a Neisseria gonorrhoeae mutation associated with antimicrobial resistance. Assay performances were assessed using influenza A and N. gonorrhoeae strains characterized by DNA sequencing. The modified hybridization probe-based approach proved successful in limiting the effects of proximal mutations, with the results of melting curve analyses being 100% consistent with the results of DNA sequencing for all influenza A and N. gonorrhoeae strains tested. Notably, these included influenza A and N. gonorrhoeae strains exhibiting additional mutations in hybridization probe targets. Of particular interest was that the H275Y assay correctly typed influenza A strains harbouring a T822C nucleotide substitution, previously shown to interfere with H275Y typing methods. Overall our modified hybridization probe-based approach provides a simple means of circumventing problems caused by sequence variation, and offers improved detection of the influenza A H275Y alteration and potentially other resistance mechanisms.

  14. Identifying members of the domain Archaea with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burggraf, S; Mayer, T; Amann, R; Schadhauser, S; Woese, C R; Stetter, K O

    1994-09-01

    Two 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes were designed for the archaeal kingdoms Euryachaeota and Crenarchaeota. Probe specificities were evaluated by nonradioactive dot blot hybridization against selected reference organisms. The successful application of fluorescent-probe derivatives for whole-cell hybridization required organism-specific optimizations of fixation and hybridization conditions to assure probe penetration and morphological integrity of the cells. The probes allowed preliminary grouping of three new hyperthermophilic isolates. Together with other group-specific rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, these probes will facilitate rapid in situ monitoring of the populations present in hydrothermal systems and support cultivation attempts.

  15. Design of 240,000 orthogonal 25mer DNA barcode probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Qikai; Schlabach, Michael R; Hannon, Gregory J; Elledge, Stephen J

    2009-02-17

    DNA barcodes linked to genetic features greatly facilitate screening these features in pooled formats using microarray hybridization, and new tools are needed to design large sets of barcodes to allow construction of large barcoded mammalian libraries such as shRNA libraries. Here we report a framework for designing large sets of orthogonal barcode probes. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by designing 240,000 barcode probes and testing their performance by hybridization. From the test hybridizations, we also discovered new probe design rules that significantly reduce cross-hybridization after their introduction into the framework of the algorithm. These rules should improve the performance of DNA microarray probe designs for many applications.

  16. Optical response of a quantum dot-metal nanoparticle hybrid interacting with a weak probe field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kosionis, Spyridon G; Terzis, Andreas F; Sadeghi, Seyed M; Paspalakis, Emmanuel

    2013-01-30

    We study optical effects in a hybrid system composed of a semiconductor quantum dot and a spherical metal nanoparticle that interacts with a weak probe electromagnetic field. We use modified nonlinear density matrix equations for the description of the optical properties of the system and obtain a closed-form expression for the linear susceptibilities of the quantum dot, the metal nanoparticle, and the total system. We then investigate the dependence of the susceptibility on the interparticle distance as well as on the material parameters of the hybrid system. We find that the susceptibility of the quantum dot exhibits optical transparency for specific frequencies. In addition, we show that there is a range of frequencies of the applied field for which the susceptibility of the semiconductor quantum dot leads to gain. This suggests that in such a hybrid system quantum coherence can reverse the course of energy transfer, allowing flow of energy from the metallic nanoparticle to the quantum dot. We also explore the susceptibility of the metal nanoparticle and show that it is strongly influenced by the presence of the quantum dot.

  17. Development of species-specific rDNA probes for Giardia by multiple fluorescent in situ hybridization combined with immunocytochemical identification of cyst wall antigens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erlandsen, Stanley L; Jarroll, Edward; Wallis, Peter; van Keulen, Harry

    2005-08-01

    In this study, we describe the development of fluorescent oligonucleotide probes to variable regions in the small subunit of 16S rRNA in three distinct Giardia species. Sense and antisense probes (17-22 mer) to variable regions 1, 3, and 8 were labeled with digoxygenin or selected fluorochomes (FluorX, Cy3, or Cy5). Optimal results were obtained with fluorochome-labeled oligonucleotides for detection of rRNA in Giardia cysts. Specificity of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was shown using RNase digestion and high stringency to diminish the hybridization signal, and oligonucleotide probes for rRNA in Giardia lamblia, Giardia muris, and Giardia ardeae were shown to specifically stain rRNA only within cysts or trophozoites of those species. The fluorescent oligonucleotide specific for rRNA in human isolates of Giardia was positive for ten different strains. A method for simultaneous FISH detection of cysts using fluorescent antibody (genotype marker) and two oligonucleotide probes (species marker) permitted visualization of G. lamblia and G. muris cysts in the same preparation. Testing of an environmental water sample revealed the presence of FISH-positive G. lamblia cysts with a specific rDNA probe for rRNA, while negative cysts were presumed to be of animal or bird origin.

  18. Real-time PCR Detection of Brucella Abortus: A Comparative Study of SYBR Green I, 5'-exonuclease, and Hybridization Probe Assays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newby, Deborah Trishelle; Hadfield, Ted; Roberto, Francisco Figueroa

    2003-08-01

    Real-time PCR provides a means of detecting and quantifying DNA targets by monitoring PCR product accumulation during cycling as indicated by increased fluorescence. A number of different approaches can be used to generate the fluorescence signal. Three approaches—SYBR Green I (a double-stranded DNA intercalating dye), 5'-exonuclease (enzymatically released fluors), and hybridization probes (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)—were evaluated for use in a real-time PCR assay to detect Brucella abortus. The three assays utilized the same amplification primers to produce an identical amplicon. This amplicon spans a region of the B. abortus genome that includes portions of the alkB gene and the IS711 insertion element. All three assays were of comparable sensitivity, providing a linear assay over 7 orders of magnitude (from 7.5 ng down to 7.5 fg). However, the greatest specificity was achieved with the hybridization probe assay.

  19. Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization with Peptide Nucleic Acid Probes for Rapid Identification of Candida albicans Directly from Blood Culture Bottles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rigby, Susan; Procop, Gary W.; Haase, Gerhard; Wilson, Deborah; Hall, Geraldine; Kurtzman, Cletus; Oliveira, Kenneth; Von Oy, Sabina; Hyldig-Nielsen, Jens J.; Coull, James; Stender, Henrik

    2002-01-01

    A new fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method that uses peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes for identification of Candida albicans directly from positive-blood-culture bottles in which yeast was observed by Gram staining (herein referred to as yeast-positive blood culture bottles) is described. The test (the C. albicans PNA FISH method) is based on a fluorescein-labeled PNA probe that targets C. albicans 26S rRNA. The PNA probe is added to smears made directly from the contents of the blood culture bottle and hybridized for 90 min at 55°C. Unhybridized PNA probe is removed by washing of the mixture (30 min), and the smears are examined by fluorescence microscopy. The specificity of the method was confirmed with 23 reference strains representing phylogenetically related yeast species and 148 clinical isolates covering the clinically most significant yeast species, including C. albicans (n = 72), C. dubliniensis (n = 58), C. glabrata (n = 5), C. krusei (n = 2), C. parapsilosis (n = 4), and C. tropicalis (n = 3). The performance of the C. albicans PNA FISH method as a diagnostic test was evaluated with 33 routine and 25 simulated yeast-positive blood culture bottles and showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. It is concluded that this 2.5-h method for the definitive identification of C. albicans directly from yeast-positive blood culture bottles provides important information for optimal antifungal therapy and patient management. PMID:12037084

  20. Competition at the Wireless Sensor Network MAC Layer: Low Power Probing interfering with X-MAC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zacharias, Sven; Newe, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) combine sensors with computer networks and enable very dense, in-situ and live measurements of data over a large area. Since this emerging technology has the potential to be embedded almost everywhere for numberless applications, interference between different networks can become a serious issue. For most WSNs, it is assumed today that the network medium access is non-competitive. On the basis of X-MAC interfered by Low Power Probing, this paper shows the danger and the effects of different sensor networks communicating on a single wireless channel of the 2.4 GHz band, which is used by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

  1. Competition at the Wireless Sensor Network MAC Layer: Low Power Probing interfering with X-MAC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zacharias, Sven; Newe, Thomas, E-mail: Sven.Zacharias@ul.ie [University of Limerick (Ireland)

    2011-08-17

    Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) combine sensors with computer networks and enable very dense, in-situ and live measurements of data over a large area. Since this emerging technology has the potential to be embedded almost everywhere for numberless applications, interference between different networks can become a serious issue. For most WSNs, it is assumed today that the network medium access is non-competitive. On the basis of X-MAC interfered by Low Power Probing, this paper shows the danger and the effects of different sensor networks communicating on a single wireless channel of the 2.4 GHz band, which is used by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

  2. Competition at the Wireless Sensor Network MAC Layer: Low Power Probing interfering with X-MAC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zacharias, Sven; Newe, Thomas

    2011-08-01

    Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) combine sensors with computer networks and enable very dense, in-situ and live measurements of data over a large area. Since this emerging technology has the potential to be embedded almost everywhere for numberless applications, interference between different networks can become a serious issue. For most WSNs, it is assumed today that the network medium access is non-competitive. On the basis of X-MAC interfered by Low Power Probing, this paper shows the danger and the effects of different sensor networks communicating on a single wireless channel of the 2.4 GHz band, which is used by the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

  3. Electrical potential-assisted DNA hybridization. How to mitigate electrostatics for surface DNA hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tymoczko, Jakub; Schuhmann, Wolfgang; Gebala, Magdalena

    2014-12-24

    Surface-confined DNA hybridization reactions are sensitive to the number and identity of DNA capture probes and experimental conditions such as the nature and the ionic strength of the electrolyte solution. When the surface probe density is high or the concentration of bulk ions is much lower than the concentration of ions within the DNA layer, hybridization is significantly slowed down or does not proceed at all. However, high-density DNA monolayers are attractive for designing high-sensitivity DNA sensors. Thus, circumventing sluggish DNA hybridization on such interfaces allows a high surface concentration of target DNA and improved signal/noise ratio. We present potential-assisted hybridization as a strategy in which an external voltage is applied to the ssDNA-modified interface during the hybridization process. Results show that a significant enhancement of hybridization can be achieved using this approach.

  4. Development of a 16S rRNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization probe for quantification of the ammonia-oxidizer Nitrosotalea devanaterra and its relatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Restrepo-Ortiz, C X; Merbt, S N; Barrero-Canossa, J; Fuchs, B M; Casamayor, E O

    2018-04-28

    The Thaumarchaeota SAGMCG-1 group and, in particular, members of the genus Nitrosotalea have high occurrence in acidic soils, the rhizosphere, groundwater and oligotrophic lakes, and play a potential role in nitrogen cycling. In this study, the specific oligonucleotide fluorescence in situ hybridization probe SAG357 was designed for this Thaumarchaeota group based on the available 16S rRNA gene sequences in databases, and included the ammonia-oxidizing species Nitrosotalea devanaterra. Cell permeabilization for catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ detection and the hybridization conditions were optimized on enrichment cultures of the target species N. devanaterra, as well as the non-target ammonia-oxidizing archaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus. Probe specificity was improved with a competitor oligonucleotide, and fluorescence intensity and cell visualization were enhanced by the design and application of two adjacent helpers. Probe performance was tested in soil samples along a pH gradient, and counting results matched the expected in situ distributions. Probe SAG357 and the CARD-FISH protocol developed in the present study will help to improve the current understanding of the ecology and physiology of N. devanaterra and its relatives in natural environments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  5. Competitive Expression of Endogenous Wheat CENH3 May Lead to Suppression of Alien ZmCENH3 in Transgenic Wheat × Maize Hybrids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Wei; Zhu, Qilin; Wang, Haiyan; Xiao, Jin; Xing, Liping; Chen, Peidu; Jin, Weiwei; Wang, Xiu-E

    2015-11-20

    Uniparental chromosome elimination in wheat × maize hybrid embryos is widely used in double haploid production of wheat. Several explanations have been proposed for this phenomenon, one of which is that the lack of cross-species CENH3 incorporation may act as a barrier to interspecies hybridization. However, it is unknown if this mechanism applies universally. To study the role of CENH3 in maize chromosome elimination of wheat × maize hybrid embryos, maize ZmCENH3 and wheat αTaCENH3-B driven by the constitutive CaMV35S promoter were transformed into wheat variety Yangmai 158. Five transgenic lines for ZmCENH3 and six transgenic lines for αTaCENH3-B were identified. RT-PCR analysis showed that the transgene could be transcribed at a low level in all ZmCENH3 transgenic lines, whereas transcription of endogenous wheat CENH3 was significantly up-regulated. Interestingly, the expression levels of both wheat CENH3 and ZmCENH3 in the ZmCENH3 transgenic wheat × maize hybrid embryos were higher than those in the non-transformed Yangmai 158 × maize hybrid embryos. This indicates that the alien ZmCENH3 in wheat may induce competitive expression of endogenous wheat CENH3, leading to suppression of ZmCENH3 over-expression. Eliminations of maize chromosomes in hybrid embryos of ZmCENH3 transgenic wheat × maize and Yangmai 158 × maize were compared by observations on micronuclei presence, by marker analysis using maize SSRs (simple sequence repeats), and by FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) using 45S rDNA as a probe. The results indicate that maize chromosome elimination events in the two crosses are not significantly different. Fusion protein ZmCENH3-YFP could not be detected in ZmCENH3 transgenic wheat by either Western blotting or immnunostaining, whereas accumulation and loading of the αTaCENH3-B-GFP fusion protein was normal in αTaCENH3-B transgenic lines. As ZmCENH3-YFP did not accumulate after AM114 treatment, we speculate that low levels of Zm

  6. [Oligonucleotide derivatives in the nucleic acid hybridization analysis. I. Covalent immobilization of oligonucleotide probes onto the nylon].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dmitrienko, E V; Pyshnaia, I A; Pyshnyĭ, D V

    2010-01-01

    The features of UV-induced immobilization of oligonucleotides on a nylon membranes and the effectiveness of enzymatic labeling of immobilized probes at heterophase detection of nucleic acids are studied. Short terminal oligothymidilate (up to 10 nt) sequences are suggested to attach to the probe via a flexible ethylene glycol based linker. The presence of such fragment enhances the intensity of immobilization and reduces UV-dependent degradation of the targeted (sequence-specific) part of the probe by reducing the dose needed for the immobilization of DNA. The optimum dose of UV-irradiation is determined to be ~0.4 J/cm(2) at the wavelength 254 nm. This dose provides high level of hybridization signal for immobilized probes with various nucleotide composition of the sequence specific moiety. The amide groups of the polyamide are shown to play the key role in the photoinduced immobilization of nucleic acids, whereas the primary amino groups in the structure of PA is not the center responsible for the covalent binding of DNA by UV-irradiation, as previously believed. Various additives in the soaking solution during the membrane of UV-dependent immobilization of probes are shown to influence its effectiveness. The use of alternative to UV-irradiation system of radical generation are shown to provide the immobilization of oligonucleotides onto the nylon membrane.

  7. Graphical representation of ribosomal RNA probe accessibility data using ARB software package

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amann Rudolf

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Taxon specific hybridization probes in combination with a variety of commonly used hybridization formats nowadays are standard tools in microbial identification. A frequently applied technology, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH, besides single cell identification, allows the localization and functional studies of the microbial community composition. Careful in silico design and evaluation of potential oligonucleotide probe targets is therefore crucial for performing successful hybridization experiments. Results The PROBE Design tools of the ARB software package take into consideration several criteria such as number, position and quality of diagnostic sequence differences while designing oligonucleotide probes. Additionally, new visualization tools were developed to enable the user to easily examine further sequence associated criteria such as higher order structure, conservation, G+C content, transition-transversion profiles and in situ target accessibility patterns. The different types of sequence associated information (SAI can be visualized by user defined background colors within the ARB primary and secondary structure editors as well as in the PROBE Match tool. Conclusion Using this tool, in silico probe design and evaluation can be performed with respect to in situ probe accessibility data. The evaluation of proposed probe targets with respect to higher-order rRNA structure is of importance for successful design and performance of in situ hybridization experiments. The entire ARB software package along with the probe accessibility data is available from the ARB home page http://www.arb-home.de.

  8. Quantification of syntrophic fatty acid-beta-oxidizing bacteria in a mesophilic biogas reactor by oligonucleotide probe hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, K.W.; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær; Raskin, L.

    1999-01-01

    Small-subunit rRNA sequences were obtained for two saturated fatty acid-beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria, Syntrophomonas sapovorans and Syntrophomonas wolfei LYE, and sequence analysis confirmed their classification as members of the family Syntrophomonadaceae. S, wolfei LYE was closely related...... fatty acid-beta-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria in methanogenic environments, the microbial community structure of a sample from a full-scale biogas plant was determined. Hybridization results with probes for syntrophic bacteria-and methanogens were compared to specific methanogenic activities...

  9. Techno-economic comparison of series hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell and regular cars

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Vliet, O.P.R.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/288519361; Kruithof, T.; Turkenburg, W.C.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073416355; Faaij, A.P.C.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/10685903X

    2010-01-01

    We examine the competitiveness of series hybrid compared to fuel cell, parallel hybrid, and regular cars. We use public domain data to determine efficiency, fuel consumption, total costs of ownership and greenhouse gas emissions resulting from drivetrain choices. The series hybrid drivetrain can be

  10. Identification of human rotavirus serotype by hybridization to polymerase chain reaction-generated probes derived from a hyperdivergent region of the gene encoding outer capsid protein VP7

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flores, J.; Sears, J.; Schael, I.P.; White, L.; Garcia, D.; Lanata, C.; Kapikian, A.Z.

    1990-01-01

    We have synthesized 32 P-labeled hybridization probes from a hyperdivergent region (nucleotides 51 to 392) of the rotavirus gene encoding the VP7 glycoprotein by using the polymerase chain reaction method. Both RNA (after an initial reverse transcription step) and cloned cDNA from human rotavirus serotypes 1 through 4 could be used as templates to amplify this region. High-stringency hybridization of each of the four probes to rotavirus RNAs dotted on nylon membranes allowed the specific detection of corresponding sequences and thus permitted identification of the serotype of the strains dotted. The procedure was useful when applied to rotaviruses isolated from field studies

  11. Identification of human rotavirus serotype by hybridization to polymerase chain reaction-generated probes derived from a hyperdivergent region of the gene encoding outer capsid protein VP7

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Flores, J.; Sears, J.; Schael, I.P.; White, L.; Garcia, D.; Lanata, C.; Kapikian, A.Z. (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (USA))

    1990-08-01

    We have synthesized {sup 32}P-labeled hybridization probes from a hyperdivergent region (nucleotides 51 to 392) of the rotavirus gene encoding the VP7 glycoprotein by using the polymerase chain reaction method. Both RNA (after an initial reverse transcription step) and cloned cDNA from human rotavirus serotypes 1 through 4 could be used as templates to amplify this region. High-stringency hybridization of each of the four probes to rotavirus RNAs dotted on nylon membranes allowed the specific detection of corresponding sequences and thus permitted identification of the serotype of the strains dotted. The procedure was useful when applied to rotaviruses isolated from field studies.

  12. Detection of DNA fingerprints of cultivated rice by hybridization with a human minisatellite DNA probe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dallas, J.F.

    1988-01-01

    A human minisatellite DNA probe detects several restriction fragment length polymorphisms in cultivars of Asian and African rice. Certain fragments appear to be inherited in a Mendelian fashion and may represent unlinked loci. The hybridization patterns appear to be cultivar-specific and largely unchanged after the regeneration of plants from tissue culture. The results suggest that these regions of the rice genome may be used to generate cultivar-specific DNA fingerprints. The demonstration of similarity between a human minisatellite sequence and polymorphic regions in the rice genome suggests that such regions also occur in the genomes of many other plant species

  13. DEMONSTRATION OF THE GENUINE ISO-12P CHARACTER OF THE STANDARD MARKER CHROMOSOME OF TESTICULAR GERM-CELL TUMORS AND IDENTIFICATION OF FURTHER CHROMOSOME-12 ABERRATIONS BY COMPETITIVE INSITU HYBRIDIZATION

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    SUIJKERBUIJK, RF; VANDEVEEN, AY; VANECHTEN, J; BUYS, CHCM; DEJONG, B; OOSTERHUIS, JW; WARBURTON, DA; CASSIMAN, JJ; SCHONK, D; VANKESSEL, AG

    The recently developed competitive in situ hybridization (CISH) strategy was applied to the analysis of chromosome 12 aberrations in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). DNAs from two rodent-human somatic cell hybrids, containing either a normal chromosome 12 or the p arm of chromosome 12 as their

  14. Use of Ti plasmid DNA probes for determining tumorigenicity of agrobacterium strains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burr, T.J.; Norelli, J.L.; Katz, B.H.; Bishop, A.L.

    1990-01-01

    Probes consisting of T-DNA genes from the Ti plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens were used for determining tumorigenicity of strains. Two 32 P-labeled probes hybridized with 28 of 28 tumorigenic strains of the pathogen but not with 20 of 22 nontumorigenic strains. One probe, pTHE17, consists of all but the far left portion of the T-DNA of strain C58. Probe SmaI7 consists of SmaI fragment 7 of pTiC58, including onc genes 1, 4, and 6a and most of 2. Another probe, pAL4044, consisting of the vir region of strain Ach-5, hybridized with several nontumorigenic as well as tumorigenic strains. Colony hybridizations were done with 28 tumorigenic and 22 nontumorigenic Agrobacterium strains. About 10 6 CFU of the different tumorigenic strains were detectable with this method. Southern analyses confirmed the presence or absence of Ti plasmids in strains for which tumorigenicity was questioned. Colony hybridization with the T-DNA probes provides a rapid and sensitive means for determining the tumorigenic nature of Agrobacterium strains

  15. In situ hybridization at the electron microscope level: hybrid detection by autoradiography and colloidal gold.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchison, N J; Langer-Safer, P R; Ward, D C; Hamkalo, B A

    1982-11-01

    In situ hybridization has become a standard method for localizing DNA or RNA sequences in cytological preparations. We developed two methods to extend this technique to the transmission electron microscope level using mouse satellite DNA hybridization to whole mount metaphase chromosomes as the test system. The first method devised is a direct extension of standard light microscope level using mouse satellite DNA hybridization to whole mount metaphase chromosomes as the test system. The first method devised is a direct extension of standard light microscope in situ hybridization. Radioactively labeled complementary RNA (cRNA) is hybridized to metaphase chromosomes deposited on electron microscope grids and fixed in 70 percent ethanol vapor; hybridixation site are detected by autoradiography. Specific and intense labeling of chromosomal centromeric regions is observed even after relatively short exposure times. Inerphase nuclei present in some of the metaphase chromosome preparations also show defined paatterms of satellite DNA labeling which suggests that satellite-containing regions are associate with each other during interphase. The sensitivity of this method is estimated to at least as good as that at the light microscope level while the resolution is improved at least threefold. The second method, which circumvents the use of autoradiogrphic detection, uses biotin-labeled polynucleotide probes. After hybridization of these probes, either DNA or RNA, to fixed chromosomes on grids, hybrids are detected via reaction is improved at least threefold. The second method, which circumvents the use of autoradiographic detection, uses biotin-labeled polynucleotide probes. After hybridization of these probes, either DNA or RNA, to fixed chromosomes on grids, hybrids are detected via reaction with an antibody against biotin and secondary antibody adsorbed to the surface of over centromeric heterochromatin and along the associated peripheral fibers. Labeling is on average

  16. Gene probes: principles and protocols

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Aquino de Muro, Marilena; Rapley, Ralph

    2002-01-01

    ... of labeled DNA has allowed genes to be mapped to single chromosomes and in many cases to a single chromosome band, promoting significant advance in human genome mapping. Gene Probes: Principles and Protocols presents the principles for gene probe design, labeling, detection, target format, and hybridization conditions together with detailed protocols, accom...

  17. Stability in distribution of a stochastic hybrid competitive Lotka–Volterra model with Lévy jumps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Yu; Yuan, Sanling

    2016-01-01

    Stability in distribution, implying the existence of the invariant probability measure, is an important measure of stochastic hybrid system. However, the effect of Lévy jumps on the stability in distribution is still unclear. In this paper, we consider a n-species competitive Lotka–Volterra model with Lévy jumps under regime-switching. First, we prove the existence of the global positive solution, obtain the upper and lower boundedness. Then, asymptotic stability in distribution as the main result of our paper is derived under some sufficient conditions. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to support our theoretical results and a brief discussion is given.

  18. Interfacial micropore defect formation in PEDOT:PSS-Si hybrid solar cells probed by TOF-SIMS 3D chemical imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Joseph P; Zhao, Liyan; Abd-Ellah, Marwa; Heinig, Nina F; Leung, K T

    2013-07-16

    Conducting p-type polymer layers on n-type Si have been widely studied for the fabrication of cost-effective hybrid solar cells. In this work, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) is used to provide three-dimensional chemical imaging of the interface between poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and SiOx/Si in a hybrid solar cell. To minimize structural damage to the polymer layer, an Ar cluster sputtering source is used for depth profiling. The present result shows the formation of micropore defects in the interface region of the PEDOT:PSS layer on the SiOx/Si substrate. This interfacial micropore defect formation becomes more prominent with increasing thickness of the native oxide layer, which is a key device parameter that greatly affects the hybrid solar cell performance. Three-dimensional chemical imaging coupled with Ar cluster ion sputtering has therefore been demonstrated as an emerging technique for probing the interface of this and other polymer-inorganic systems.

  19. Visualization of mcr mRNA in a methanogen by fluorescence in situ hybridization with an oligonucleotide probe and two-pass tyramide signal amplification (two-pass TSA-FISH).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubota, Kengo; Ohashi, Akiyoshi; Imachi, Hiroyuki; Harada, Hideki

    2006-09-01

    Two-pass tyramide signal amplification-fluorescence in situ hybridization (two-pass TSA-FISH) with a horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled oligonucleotide probe was applied to detect prokaryotic mRNA. In this study, mRNA of a key enzyme for methanogenesis, methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcr), in Methanococcus vannielii was targeted. Applicability of mRNA-targeted probes to in situ hybridization was verified by Clone-FISH. It was observed that sensitivity of two-pass TSA-FISH was significantly higher than that of TSA-FISH, which was further increased by the addition of dextran sulphate in TSA working solution. Signals from two-pass TSA-FISH were more reliable compared to the weak, spotty signals yielded by TSA-FISH.

  20. Nucleic acid hybridization assays employing dA-tailed capture probes. II. Advanced multiple capture methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunsaker, W.R.; Badri, H.; Lombardo, M.; Collins, M.L.

    1989-01-01

    A fourth capture is added to the reversible target capture procedure. This results in an improved radioisotopic detection limit of 7.3 x 10(-21) mol of target. In addition, the standard triple capture method is converted into a nonradioactive format with a detection limit of under 1 amol of target. The principal advantage of nonradioactive detection is that the entire assay can be performed in about 1 h. Nucleic acids are released from cells in the presence of the (capture probe) which contains a 3'-poly(dA) sequence and the (labeled probe) which contains a detectable nonradioactive moiety such as biotin. After a brief hybridization in solution, the target is captured on oligo(dT) magnetic particles. The target is further purified from sample impurities and excess labeled probe by recapture either once or twice more on fresh magnetic particles. The highly purified target is then concentrated to 200 nl by recapture onto a poly(dT) nitrocellulose filter and rapidly detected with streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase using bromochloroindolyl phosphate and nitroblue tetrazolium. Using this procedure, as little as 0.25 amol of a target plasmid has been detected nonradioactively in crude samples in just 1 h without prior purification of the DNA and RNA. Finally, a new procedure called background capture is introduced to complement the background-reducing power of RTC

  1. Quantification of syntrophic fatty acid-{beta}-oxidizing bacteria in a mesophilic biogas reactor by oligonucleotide probe hybridization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hansen, K.H.; Ahring, B.K.; Raskin, L.

    1999-11-01

    Small-subunit rRNA sequences were obtained for two saturated fatty acid-{beta}-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria, Syntrophomonas sapovorans and Syntrophomonas wolfei LYB, and sequence analysis confirmed their classification as members of the family Syntrophomonadaceae. S.wolfei LYB was closely related to S.wolfei subsp. solfei, but S. sapovorans did not cluster with the other members of the genus Syntrophomonas. Five oligonucleotide probes targeting the small-subunit rRNA of different groups within the family Syntrophomonadaceae, which contains all currently known saturated fatty acid-{beta}-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria, were developed and characterized. The probes were designed to be specific at the family, genus, and species levels and were characterized by temperature-of-dissociation and specificity studies. To demonstrate the usefulness of the probes for the detection and quantification of saturated fatty acid-{beta}-oxidizing syntrophic bacteria in methanogenic environments, the microbial community structure of a sample from a full-scale biogas plant was determined. Hybridization results with probes for syntrophic bacteria and methanogens were compared to specific methanogenic activities and microbial numbers determined with most-probable-number estimates. Most of the methanogenic rRNA was comprised of Methanomicrobiales rRNA, suggesting that members of this order served as the main hydrogen-utilizing microorganisms. Between 0.2 and 1% of the rRNA was attributed to the Syntrophomonadaceae, or which the majority was accounted for by the genus Syntrophomonas.

  2. Improving comparability between microarray probe signals by thermodynamic intensity correction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruun, G. M.; Wernersson, Rasmus; Juncker, Agnieszka

    2007-01-01

    different probes. It is therefore of great interest to correct for the variation between probes. Much of this variation is sequence dependent. We demonstrate that a thermodynamic model for hybridization of either DNA or RNA to a DNA microarray, which takes the sequence-dependent probe affinities...... determination of transcription start sites for a subset of yeast genes. In another application, we identify present/absent calls for probes hybridized to the sequenced Escherichia coli strain O157:H7 EDL933. The model improves the correct calls from 85 to 95% relative to raw intensity measures. The model thus...... makes applications which depend on comparisons between probes aimed at different sections of the same target more reliable....

  3. Mesoscale hybrid calibration artifact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Hy D.; Claudet, Andre A.; Oliver, Andrew D.

    2010-09-07

    A mesoscale calibration artifact, also called a hybrid artifact, suitable for hybrid dimensional measurement and the method for make the artifact. The hybrid artifact has structural characteristics that make it suitable for dimensional measurement in both vision-based systems and touch-probe-based systems. The hybrid artifact employs the intersection of bulk-micromachined planes to fabricate edges that are sharp to the nanometer level and intersecting planes with crystal-lattice-defined angles.

  4. PRIMEGENSw3: a web-based tool for high-throughput primer and probe design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushwaha, Garima; Srivastava, Gyan Prakash; Xu, Dong

    2015-01-01

    Highly specific and efficient primer and probe design has been a major hurdle in many high-throughput techniques. Successful implementation of any PCR or probe hybridization technique depends on the quality of primers and probes used in terms of their specificity and cross-hybridization. Here we describe PRIMEGENSw3, a set of web-based utilities for high-throughput primer and probe design. These utilities allow users to select genomic regions and to design primer/probe for selected regions in an interactive, user-friendly, and automatic fashion. The system runs the PRIMEGENS algorithm in the back-end on the high-performance server with the stored genomic database or user-provided custom database for cross-hybridization check. Cross-hybridization is checked not only using BLAST but also by checking mismatch positions and energy calculation of potential hybridization hits. The results can be visualized online and also can be downloaded. The average success rate of primer design using PRIMEGENSw3 is ~90 %. The web server also supports primer design for methylated sequences, which is used in epigenetic studies. Stand-alone version of the software is also available for download at the website.

  5. Double-labeled donor probe can enhance the signal of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in detection of nucleic acid hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okamura, Yukio; Kondo, Satoshi; Sase, Ichiro; Suga, Takayuki; Mise, Kazuyuki; Furusawa, Iwao; Kawakami, Shigeki; Watanabe, Yuichiro

    2000-01-01

    A set of fluorescently-labeled DNA probes that hybridize with the target RNA and produce fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) signals can be utilized for the detection of specific RNA. We have developed probe sets to detect and discriminate single-strand RNA molecules of plant viral genome, and sought a method to improve the FRET signals to handle in vivo applications. Consequently, we found that a double-labeled donor probe labeled with Bodipy dye yielded a remarkable increase in fluorescence intensity compared to a single-labeled donor probe used in an ordinary FRET. This double-labeled donor system can be easily applied to improve various FRET probes since the dependence upon sequence and label position in enhancement is not as strict. Furthermore this method could be applied to other nucleic acid substances, such as oligo RNA and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (S-oligos) to enhance FRET signal. Although the double-labeled donor probes labeled with a variety of fluorophores had unexpected properties (strange UV-visible absorption spectra, decrease of intensity and decay of donor fluorescence) compared with single-labeled ones, they had no relation to FRET enhancement. This signal amplification mechanism cannot be explained simply based on our current results and knowledge of FRET. Yet it is possible to utilize this double-labeled donor system in various applications of FRET as a simple signal-enhancement method. PMID:11121494

  6. Microsatellite instability typing in serum and tissue of patients with colorectal cancer: comparing real time PCR with hybridization probe and high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mokarram, P; Rismanchi, M; Alizadeh Naeeni, M; Mirab Samiee, S; Paryan, M; Alipour, A; Honardar, Z; Kavousipour, S; Naghibalhossaini, F; Mostafavi-Pour, Z; Monabati, A; Hosseni, S V; Shamsdin, S A

    2014-05-01

    Allelic variation of BAT-25 (a 25-repeat quasimonomorphic poly T) and BAT-26 (a 26-repeat quasimonomorphic polyA) loci as two mononucleotide microsatellite markers, were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) compared with Real-Time PCR using hybridization probes. BAT-26 and BAT-25 markers were used to determine an appropriate screening technique with high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose microsatellite instability (MSI) status in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). One of the pathways in colorectal tumor genesis is microsatellite instability (MSI+). MSI is detected in about 15% of all CRCs; 3% are of these are associated with Lynch syndrome and the other 12% are caused by sporadic. Colorectal tumors with MSI have distinctive features compared with microsatellite stable tumors. Due to the high percentage of MSI+ CRC in Iran, screening of this type of CRC is imperative. Two markers were analyzed in tissues and sera of 44 normal volunteers and tumor and matched normal mucosal tissues as well as sera of 44 patients with sporadic CRC. The sensitivity and specificity of BAT-26 with real time PCR method (Hybridization probe) were 100% in comparison with sequencing method as the gold standard, while HPLC had a lower sensitivity and specificity. According to HPLC data, BAT-26 was more sensitive than BAT-25 in identifying MSI tumors. Therefore, MSI typing using the BAT-26 hybridization probe method compared to HPLC could be considered as an accurate method for diagnosing MSI in CRC tumors but not in serum circulating DNAs.

  7. Use of oligodeoxynucleotide signature probes for identification of physiological groups of methylotrophic bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsien, H.C.; Bratina, B.J.; Tsuji, K.; Hanson, R.S.

    1990-01-01

    Oligodeoxynucleotide sequences that uniquely complemented 16S rRNAs of each group of methylotrophs were synthesized and used as hybridization probes for the identification of methylotrophic bacteria possessing the serine and ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathways for formaldehyde fixation. The specificity of the probes was determined by hybridizing radiolabeled probes with slot-blotted RNAs of methylotrophs and other eubacteria followed by autoradiography. The washing temperature was determined experimentally to be 50 and 52 degrees C for 9-α (serine pathway) and 10-γ (RuMP pathway) probes, respectively. RNAs isolated from serine pathway methylotrophs bound to probe 9-α, and RNAs from RuMP pathway methylotrophs bound to probe 10-γ. Nonmethylotrophic eubacterial RNAs did not bind to either probe. The probes were also labeled with fluorescent dyes. Cells fixed to microscope slides were hybridized with these probes, washed, and examined in a fluorescence microscope equipped with appropriate filter sets. Cells of methylotrophic bacteria possessing the serine or RuMP pathway specifically bind probes designed for each group. Samples with a mixture of cells of type I and II methanotrophs were detected and differentiated with single probes or mixed probes labeled with different fluorescent dyes, which enabled the detection of both types of cells in the same microscopic field

  8. Detection of mutations related to drug resistance in M. tuberculosis by dot blot hybridization and spoligotyping using specific radiolabelled probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Maghraby, T.K.; Abdelazeim, O.

    2002-01-01

    The present work has been conducted to determine the mutations related to drug resistance in M. tuberculosis in 63 Egyptian isolates using dot blot hybridization and spoligotyping. The PCR was done for amplification rpoB and katG genes in isolates. Dot blot hybridization were done to PCR products by using specific radiolabelled probes. Moreover, spoligotyping was done to know about the different strains found in Egypt. The results revealed that 58% from isolates had drug resistance to one or more of antituberculosis drugs. The results of spoligotyping have revealed that some Egyptian isolates are identical with the international code while the rest has not been identified yet. DNA sequencing was done to identify the mutation that not clear in dot blot hybridization. Early diagnosis of geno typing resistance to antituberculosis drugs is important as well as allow appropriate early patients management with few days of TB diagnosis. Using such strategy for early diagnosis of TB drug resistance allow and fast and potent patient's management

  9. Optimized Fast-FISH with a-satellite probes: acceleration by microwave activation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Durm M.

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available It has been shown for several DNA probes that the recently introduced Fast-FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization technique is well suited for quantitative microscopy. For highly repetitive DNA probes the hybridization (renaturation time and the number of subsequent washing steps were reduced considerably by omitting denaturing chemical agents (e.g., formamide. The appropriate hybridization temperature and time allow a clear discrimination between major and minor binding sites by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. The well-defined physical conditions for hybridization permit automatization of the procedure, e.g., by a programmable thermal cycler. Here, we present optimized conditions for a commercially available X-specific a-satellite probe. Highly fluorescent major binding sites were obtained for 74oC hybridization temperature and 60 min hybridization time. They were clearly discriminated from some low fluorescent minor binding sites on metaphase chromosomes as well as in interphase cell nuclei. On average, a total of 3.43 ± 1.59 binding sites were measured in metaphase spreads, and 2.69 ± 1.00 in interphase nuclei. Microwave activation for denaturation and hybridization was tested to accelerate the procedure. The slides with the target material and the hybridization buffer were placed in a standard microwave oven. After denaturation for 20 s at 900 W, hybridization was performed for 4 min at 90 W. The suitability of a microwave oven for Fast-FISH was confirmed by the application to a chromosome 1-specific a-satellite probe. In this case, denaturation was performed at 630 W for 60 s and hybridization at 90 W for 5 min. In all cases, the results were analyzed quantitatively and compared to the results obtained by Fast-FISH. The major binding sites were clearly discriminated by their brightness

  10. Optimizing the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, David Yu; Chen, Sherry Xi; Yin, Peng

    2012-01-22

    The specific hybridization of complementary sequences is an essential property of nucleic acids, enabling diverse biological and biotechnological reactions and functions. However, the specificity of nucleic acid hybridization is compromised for long strands, except near the melting temperature. Here, we analytically derived the thermodynamic properties of a hybridization probe that would enable near-optimal single-base discrimination and perform robustly across diverse temperature, salt and concentration conditions. We rationally designed 'toehold exchange' probes that approximate these properties, and comprehensively tested them against five different DNA targets and 55 spurious analogues with energetically representative single-base changes (replacements, deletions and insertions). These probes produced discrimination factors between 3 and 100+ (median, 26). Without retuning, our probes function robustly from 10 °C to 37 °C, from 1 mM Mg(2+) to 47 mM Mg(2+), and with nucleic acid concentrations from 1 nM to 5 µM. Experiments with RNA also showed effective single-base change discrimination.

  11. Day-Ahead Self-Scheduling of Thermal Generator in Competitive Electricity Market Using Hybrid PSO

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pindoriya, N.M.; Singh, Sri Niwas; Østergaard, Jacob

    2009-01-01

    in day-ahead energy market subject to operational constraints and 2) at the same time, to minimize the risk due to uncertainty in price forecast. Therefore, it is a conflicting biobjective optimization problem which has both binary and continuous optimization variables considered as constrained mixed......This paper presents a hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm (HPSO) to solve the day-ahead selfscheduling for thermal power producer in competitive electricity market. The objective functions considered to model the selfscheduling problem are: 1) to maximize the profit from selling energy...... integer nonlinear programming. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for self-scheduling in a dayahead energy market, the locational margin price (LMP) forecast uncertainty in PJM electricity market is considered. An adaptive wavelet neural network (AWNN) is used to forecast the dayahead...

  12. Electric and Hybrid Vehicle System Research and Development Project: Hybrid Vehicle Potential Assessment. Volume VI. Cost analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hardy, K.S.

    1979-09-30

    The purpose of the cost analysis is to determine the economic feasibility of a variety of hybrid vehicles with respect to conventional vehicles specifically designed for the same duty cycle defined by the mission analysis. Several different hybrid configurations including parallel, parallel-flywheel, and series vehicles were evaluated. The ramifications of incorporating examples of advanced batteries, these being the advanced lead-acid, nickel-zinc, and sodium sulfur were also investigated. Vehicles were specifically designed with these batteries and for the driving cycles specified by the mission. Simulated operation on the missions yielded the energy consumption (petroleum and/or electricity) over the driving cycles. It was concluded that: in the event that gasoline prices reach $2.50 to $3.00/gal, hybrid vehicles in many applications will become economically competitive with conventional vehicles without subsidization; in some commercial applications hybrid vehicles could be economically competitive, when the gasoline price ranges from $1.20 to $1.50/gal. The cost per kWh per cycle of the advanced batteries is much more important economically than the specific energy; the series hybrid vehicles were found to be more expensive in comparison to the parallel or parallel-flywheel hybrids when designed as passenger vehicles; and hybrid vehicles designed for private use could become economically competitive and displace up to 50% of the fuel normally used on that mission if subsidies of $500 to $2000 were supplied to the owner/operator. (LCL)

  13. PCR associated with hybridization with DNA radioactive probes for diagnosis of asymptomatic infection caused by Leishmania Chagasi; PCR associado a hibridizacao com sondas radioativas de DNA para a identificacao de infeccao subclinica causada por Leishmania Chagasi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrade, Antero Silva Ribeiro de [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil); Moreno, Elizabeth Castro [Fundacao Nacional de Saude, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Coordenacao Regional de Minas Gerais; Gomes, Rosangela Fatima; Melo, Maria Norma de; Carneiro, Mariangela [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Dept. de Parasitologia; Fernandes, Octavio [Fundacao Inst. Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Medicina Tropical

    2002-07-01

    Detection systems for diagnosis of leishmaniasis based on PCR are very promising due to their sensitivity and specificity. Secondary detection by specific radioactive DNA probes, able to type the PCR amplified products, increase the specificity and raise about tem-fold the sensitivity of the assay. The aim of this work was evaluate PCR and hybridization as a tool to identify Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi (the specie that cause the visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil) infection in asymptomatic persons living in a endemic area. Material and Methods: A group of 226 asymptomatic individuals, living in General Carneiro (MG), was selected. Blood samples were harvested and the DNA extracted from the mononucleate cells. PCR was performed using primers addressed to the kinetoplast DNA minicircles. This protocol gives a positive reaction for all Leishmania species. The amplified products were further hybridized with cloned L.chagasi minicircles labeled with {sup 32} P. Results: were identified 111 samples PCR positive, 2 of them hybridization negative and 133 samples hybridization positive, 24 of them PCR negative. The occurrence of samples with hybridization positive and PCR negative was expected since hybridization, with DNA probes labeled with {sup 32} P, increase the sensitivity of the assay. The samples that presented positive PCR and negative hybridization were probably due the presence of other Leishmania species, likely L. (V.) braziliensis (that produce tegumentary leishmaniasis in the region), since L. (L.) chagasi cloned minicircles were used as hybridization probe. We conclude that this procedure is a valuable tool to access subclinical L. (L.) chagasi infections in epidemiological studies. (author)

  14. Automated DNA electrophoresis, hybridization and detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zapolski, E.J.; Gersten, D.M.; Golab, T.J.; Ledley, R.S.

    1986-01-01

    A fully automated, computer controlled system for nucleic acid hybridization analysis has been devised and constructed. In practice, DNA is digested with restriction endonuclease enzyme(s) and loaded into the system by pipette; 32 P-labelled nucleic acid probe(s) is loaded into the nine hybridization chambers. Instructions for all the steps in the automated process are specified by answering questions that appear on the computer screen at the start of the experiment. Subsequent steps are performed automatically. The system performs horizontal electrophoresis in agarose gel, fixed the fragments to a solid phase matrix, denatures, neutralizes, prehybridizes, hybridizes, washes, dries and detects the radioactivity according to the specifications given by the operator. The results, printed out at the end, give the positions on the matrix to which radioactivity remains hybridized following stringent washing

  15. Evaluation of a polymerase chain reaction reverse hybridization line probe assay for the detection and identification of medically important fungi in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meletiadis, J.; Melchers, W.J.G.; Meis, J.F.G.M.; Hurk, P.J.J.C. van den; Jannes, G.; Verweij, P.E.

    2003-01-01

    An assay system in which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the ITS-1 region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is combined with a reverse-hybridization line probe assay (LiPA) was used for the identification of six Candida species and four Aspergillus species in pure cultures of clinical

  16. Exploring the Hybridization Thermodynamics of Spherical Nucleic Acids to Tailor Probes for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Randeria, Pratik Shailesh

    Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs), three-dimensional nanoparticle conjugates composed of densely packed and highly oriented oligonucleotides around organic or inorganic nanoparticles, are an emergent class of nanostructures that show promise as single-entity agents for intracellular messenger RNA (mRNA) detection and gene regulation. SNAs exhibit superior biocompatibility and biological properties compared to linear oligonucleotides, enabling them to overcome many of the limitations of linear oligonucleotides for use in biomedical applications. However, the origins of these biologically attractive properties are not well understood. In this dissertation, the chemistry underlying one such property is studied in detail, and the findings are applied towards the rational design of more effective SNAs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Chapter 1 introduces the synthesis of SNAs, the unique properties that make them superior to linear nucleic acids for biomedicine, and previously studied applications of these structures. Chapter 2 focuses on quantitatively studying the impact of the chemical structure of the SNA on its ability to hybridize multiple complementary nucleic acids. This chapter lays the groundwork for understanding the factors that govern SNA hybridization thermodynamics and how to tailor SNAs to increase their binding affinity to target mRNA strands. Chapters 3 and 4 capitalize on this knowledge to engineer probes for intracellular mRNA detection and gene regulation applications. Chapter 3 reports the development of an SNA-based probe that can simultaneously report the expression level of two different mRNA transcripts in live cells and differentiate diseased cells from non-diseased cells. Chapter 4 investigates the use of topically-applied SNAs to down-regulate a critical mediator of impaired wound healing in diabetic mice to accelerate wound closure. This study represents the first topical therapeutic application of SNA nanotechnology to treat open

  17. Genotypic characterization of Rickettsiae by DNA probes generated from Rickettsia Prowazekii DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demkin, V.V.; Rydkina, E.B.; Likhoded, L.Ya.; Ignatovich, V.F.; Genig, V.A.; Balayeva, N.M.

    1994-01-01

    Southern blot analysis of HindIII-cleaved rickettsial DNA was used for genotypic characterization of the typhus group (TG) species (R. prowazekii, R. typhi, R. canada) and a few species were of the spotted fever group (SFG)rickettsiae (R. sibirica, R. conorii, R. akari). Four different DNA probes were employed. PBH11 and PBH13 probes were morphospecific HindIII fragment of R prowazekii DNA. MW218 probe contained the gene for 51 K antigen and MW264 probe contained the citrate synthase gene of R. prowazekii. All the probes hybridized with the tested TG and SFG rickettsial DNAs, forming from 1 to 5 bands, but they did not with R. tsutsudamushi or C. burnetii DNAs. All the probes demonstrated specific hybridization pattern with TG species and R. akari. PBH11. PBH13 and MW264 probes clearly distinguished R. sibirica and R. conorii from the other tested rickettsiae, but not from each other. However, these two species differed slightly with MW218 probe. Several strains of each species were analyzed in this way and except for strains of R. conorii identical intra-species pattern were obtained. These data lead us to consider the obtained hybridization patterns as criteria for genotypic identification. (author)

  18. Hybrid nanosensor for colorimetric and ultrasensitive detection of nuclease contaminations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cecere, Paola; Valentini, Paola; Pompa, Pier Paolo

    2016-04-01

    Nucleases are ubiquitous enzymes that degrade DNA or RNA, thus they can prejudice the good outcome of molecular biology experiments involving nucleic acids. We propose a colorimetric test for the naked-eye detection of nuclease contaminations. The system uses an hybrid nanosensor, based on gold nanoparticles functionalized with DNA probes. Our assay is rapid, instrument-free, simple and low-cost. Moreover, it reaches sensitivity equal or better than those of commercial kits, and presents a lot of advantageous aspects. Therefore, it is very competitive, with a real market potential. This test will be relevant in routine process monitoring in scientific laboratories, and in quality control in clinical laboratories and industrial processes, allowing the simultaneous detection of nucleases with different substrate specificities and large-scale screening.

  19. Whole genomic DNA probe for detection of Porphyromonas endodontalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nissan, R; Makkar, S R; Sela, M N; Stevens, R

    2000-04-01

    The purpose of the present study was to develop a DNA probe for Porphyromonas endodontalis. Pure cultures of P. endodontalis were grown in TYP medium, in an anaerobic chamber. DNA was extracted from the P. endodontalis and labeled using the Genius System by Boehringer Mannheim. The labeled P. endodontalis DNA was used in dot-blot hybridization reactions with homologous (P. endodontalis) and unrelated bacterial samples. To determine specificity, strains of 40 other oral bacterial species (e.g. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, and Prevotella intermedia) were spotted and reacted with the P. endodontalis DNA probe. None of the panel of 40 oral bacteria hybridized with the P. endodontalis probe, whereas the blot of the homologous organism showed a strong positive reaction. To determine the sensitivity of the probe, dilutions of a P. endodontalis suspension of known concentration were blotted onto a nylon membrane and reacted with the probe. The results of our investigation indicate that the DNA probe that we have prepared specifically detects only P. endodontalis and can detect at least 3 x 10(4) cells.

  20. High affinity γPNA sandwich hybridization assay for rapid detection of short nucleic acid targets with single mismatch discrimination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldman, Johnathan M; Zhang, Li Ang; Manna, Arunava; Armitage, Bruce A; Ly, Danith H; Schneider, James W

    2013-07-08

    Hybridization analysis of short DNA and RNA targets presents many challenges for detection. The commonly employed sandwich hybridization approach cannot be implemented for these short targets due to insufficient probe-target binding strengths for unmodified DNA probes. Here, we present a method capable of rapid and stable sandwich hybridization detection for 22 nucleotide DNA and RNA targets. Stable hybridization is achieved using an n-alkylated, polyethylene glycol γ-carbon modified peptide nucleic acid (γPNA) amphiphile. The γPNA's exceptionally high affinity enables stable hybridization of a second DNA-based probe to the remaining bases of the short target. Upon hybridization of both probes, an electrophoretic mobility shift is measured via interaction of the n-alkane modification on the γPNA with capillary electrophoresis running buffer containing nonionic surfactant micelles. We find that sandwich hybridization of both probes is stable under multiple binding configurations and demonstrate single base mismatch discrimination. The binding strength of both probes is also stabilized via coaxial stacking on adjacent hybridization to targets. We conclude with a discussion on the implementation of the proposed sandwich hybridization assay as a high-throughput microRNA detection method.

  1. Photoelectronic characterization of IgG antibody molecule-quantum dot hybrid as biosensing probe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Hye-Weon; Kim, Sung-Jo; Kim, In S [School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jinwook; Kim, Sungyoun, E-mail: iskim@gist.ac.kr [Center for Seawater Desalination Plant, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), 261 Cheomdan-gwagiro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-10-22

    Quantum dot (QD)-based biomolecule hybrids have recently attracted much attention in specifically identifying and labeling target proteins. In this study, QD encapsulated with immunoglobulin antibodies, as a labeling building block in biosensors, was investigated to clarify the most efficient configuration and photoluminescence behavior. Both the biological recognition capacity and photoluminescence emitting signal of the antibody-coupled nanocrystal were validated through a photoelectrical characterization procedure. Derivation of the optimum number of antibody molecules to be packed onto the QD surface yielded the highest binding capacity for the target antigen. During formation of the bioactive layer, the intrinsic photoluminescence response of the QDs significantly decreased due to photoinduced hole transfer according to their rearranged electronic structure. The thorough study of this assembly provides a validation approach for the careful titration of biosensor probes for optimal reaction kinetics. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of an effective tool for the application and interpretation of QD-based labeling techniques.

  2. Photoelectronic characterization of IgG antibody molecule-quantum dot hybrid as biosensing probe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Hye-Weon; Kim, Sung-Jo; Kim, In S; Lee, Jinwook; Kim, Sungyoun

    2010-01-01

    Quantum dot (QD)-based biomolecule hybrids have recently attracted much attention in specifically identifying and labeling target proteins. In this study, QD encapsulated with immunoglobulin antibodies, as a labeling building block in biosensors, was investigated to clarify the most efficient configuration and photoluminescence behavior. Both the biological recognition capacity and photoluminescence emitting signal of the antibody-coupled nanocrystal were validated through a photoelectrical characterization procedure. Derivation of the optimum number of antibody molecules to be packed onto the QD surface yielded the highest binding capacity for the target antigen. During formation of the bioactive layer, the intrinsic photoluminescence response of the QDs significantly decreased due to photoinduced hole transfer according to their rearranged electronic structure. The thorough study of this assembly provides a validation approach for the careful titration of biosensor probes for optimal reaction kinetics. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of an effective tool for the application and interpretation of QD-based labeling techniques.

  3. Low temperature excitonic spectroscopy and dynamics as a probe of quality in hybrid perovskite thin films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarang, Som; Ishihara, Hidetaka; Chen, Yen-Chang; Lin, Oliver; Gopinathan, Ajay; Tung, Vincent C; Ghosh, Sayantani

    2016-10-19

    We have developed a framework for using temperature dependent static and dynamic photoluminescence (PL) of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites (PVSKs) to characterize lattice defects in thin films, based on the presence of nanodomains at low temperature. Our high-stability PVSK films are fabricated using a novel continuous liquid interface propagation technique, and in the tetragonal phase (T > 120 K), they exhibit bi-exponential recombination from free charge carriers with an average PL lifetime of ∼200 ns. Below 120 K, the emergence of the orthorhombic phase is accompanied by a reduction in lifetimes by an order of magnitude, which we establish to be the result of a crossover from free carrier to exciton-dominated radiative recombination. Analysis of the PL as a function of excitation power at different temperatures provides direct evidence that the exciton binding energy is different in the two phases, and using these results, we present a theoretical approach to estimate this variable binding energy. Our findings explain this anomalous low temperature behavior for the first time, attributing it to an inherent fundamental property of the hybrid PVSKs that can be used as an effective probe of thin film quality.

  4. The Interaction of the Solar Wind with Solar Probe Plus - 3D Hybrid Simulation. Report 1; The Study for the Distance 4.5Rs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipatov, Alexander S.; Sittler, Edward C.; Hartle, Richard E.; Cooper, John F.

    2010-01-01

    Our report devotes a 3D numerical hybrid model of the interaction of the solar wind with the Solar Probe spacecraft. The Solar Probe Plus (SPP) model includes 3 main parts, namely, a non-conducting heat shield, a support system, and cylindrical section or spacecraft bus that contains the particle analysis devices and antenna. One observes an excitation of the low frequency Alfven and whistler type wave directed by the magnetic field with an amplitude of about (0.06-0.6) V/m. The compression waves and the jumps in an electric field with an amplitude of about (0.15-0.7) V/m were also observed. The wave amplitudes are comparable to or greater than previously estimated max wave amplitudes that SPP is expected to measure. The results of our hybrid simulation will be useful for understanding the plasma environment near the SPP spacecraft at the distance 4.5 Rs. Future simulation will take into account the charging of the spacecraft, the charge separation effects, an outgassing from heat shield, a photoionization and an electron impact ionization effects near the spacecraft.

  5. Hybrid mimics and hybrid vigor in Arabidopsis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Li; Greaves, Ian K.; Groszmann, Michael; Wu, Li Min; Dennis, Elizabeth S.; Peacock, W. James

    2015-01-01

    F1 hybrids can outperform their parents in yield and vegetative biomass, features of hybrid vigor that form the basis of the hybrid seed industry. The yield advantage of the F1 is lost in the F2 and subsequent generations. In Arabidopsis, from F2 plants that have a F1-like phenotype, we have by recurrent selection produced pure breeding F5/F6 lines, hybrid mimics, in which the characteristics of the F1 hybrid are stabilized. These hybrid mimic lines, like the F1 hybrid, have larger leaves than the parent plant, and the leaves have increased photosynthetic cell numbers, and in some lines, increased size of cells, suggesting an increased supply of photosynthate. A comparison of the differentially expressed genes in the F1 hybrid with those of eight hybrid mimic lines identified metabolic pathways altered in both; these pathways include down-regulation of defense response pathways and altered abiotic response pathways. F6 hybrid mimic lines are mostly homozygous at each locus in the genome and yet retain the large F1-like phenotype. Many alleles in the F6 plants, when they are homozygous, have expression levels different to the level in the parent. We consider this altered expression to be a consequence of transregulation of genes from one parent by genes from the other parent. Transregulation could also arise from epigenetic modifications in the F1. The pure breeding hybrid mimics have been valuable in probing the mechanisms of hybrid vigor and may also prove to be useful hybrid vigor equivalents in agriculture. PMID:26283378

  6. FISH with whole chromosome and telomeric probes demonstrates huge karyotypic reorganization with ITS between two species of Oryzomyini (Sigmodontinae, Rodentia): Hylaeamys megacephalus probes on Cerradomys langguthi karyotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagamachi, Cleusa Yoshiko; Pieczarka, Julio Cesar; O'Brien, Patricia Caroline Mary; Pinto, Jamilly Amaral; Malcher, Stella Miranda; Pereira, Adenilson Leão; Rissino, Jorge das Dores; Mendes-Oliveira, Ana Cristina; Rossi, Rogério Vieira; Ferguson-Smith, Malcolm Andrew

    2013-04-01

    Rodentia comprises 42 % of living mammalian species. The taxonomic identification can be difficult, the number of species currently known probably being underestimated, since many species show only slight morphological variations. Few studies surveyed the biodiversity of species, especially in the Amazon region. Cytogenetic studies show great chromosomal variability in rodents, with diploid numbers ranging from 10 to 102, making it difficult to find chromosomal homologies by comparative G banding. Chromosome painting is useful, but only a few species of rodents have been studied by this technique. In this study, we sorted whole chromosome probes by fluorescence-activated cell sorting from two Hylaeamys megacephalus individuals, an adult female (2n = 54) and a fetus (2n = 50). We made reciprocal chromosome painting between these karyotypes and cross-species hybridization on Cerradomys langguthi (2n = 46). Both species belong to the tribe Oryzomyini (Sigmodontinae), which is restricted to South America and were collected in the Amazon region. Twenty-four chromosome-specific probes from the female and 25 from the fetus were sorted. Reciprocal chromosome painting shows that the karyotype of the fetus does not represent a new cytotype, but an unbalanced karyotype with multiple rearrangements. Cross-species hybridization of H. megacephalus probes on metaphases of C. langguthi shows that 11 chromosomes of H. megacephalus revealed conserved synteny, 10 H. megacephalus probes hybridized to two chromosomal regions and three hybridized to three regions. Associations were observed on chromosomes pairs 1-4 and 11. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a telomeric probe revealed interstitial regions in three pairs (1, 3, and 4) of C. langguthi chromosomes. We discuss the genomic reorganization of the C. langguthi karyotype.

  7. Design and application of noncontinuously binding probes used for haplotyping and genotyping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pont-Kingdon, Genevieve; Margraf, Rebecca L; Sumner, Kelli; Millson, Alison; Lyon, Elaine; Schütz, Ekkehard

    2008-06-01

    Many methods for genotyping use melting temperature (Tm) of sequence-specific probes. Usually the probes hybridize to a continuous stretch of DNA that contains the variant(s). In contrast, hybridization of noncontinuous probes to a template can form bulges. This report generates guidelines for the design of noncontinuous probes. We used software to predict hybridization structures and Tms from 10 noncontinuous probes and 54 different templates. Predicted Tms were compared to existing experimental data. The bulging template's sequences (omitted in the probe) ranged in size from 1 to 73 nucleotides. In 36 cases, we compared observed and predicted DeltaTms between alleles complementary to the probe and mismatched alleles. In addition, using software that predicts effects of bulges, we designed a probe and then tested it experimentally. The mean differences between predicted and observed Tms were 0.65 (2.51) degrees C with the Visual OMP software and 0.28 (1.67) degrees C with the MeltCalc software. DeltaTms were within a mean (SD) of 0.36 (1.23) degrees C (Visual OMP) and -0.01 (1.02) degrees C (MeltCalc) of observed values. An increase in the size of the template bulge resulted in a decrease in Tms. In 2 templates, the presence of a variant in the bulge influenced the experimental Tm of 2 noncontinuous probes, a result that was not predicted by the software programs. The use of software prediction should prove useful for the design of noncontinuous probes that can be used as tools for molecular haplotyping, multiplex genotyping, or masking sequence variants.

  8. Application of synthetic DNA probes to the analysis of DNA sequence variants in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallace, R.B.; Petz, L.D.; Yam, P.Y.

    1986-01-01

    Oligonucleotide probes provide a tool to discriminate between any two alleles on the basis of hybridization. Random sampling of the genome with different oligonucleotide probes should reveal polymorphism in a certain percentage of the cases. In the hope of identifying polymorphic regions more efficiently, we chose to take advantage of the proposed hypermutability of repeated DNA sequences and the specificity of oligonucleotide hybridization. Since, under appropriate conditions, oligonucleotide probes require complete base pairing for hybridization to occur, they will only hybridize to a subset of the members of a repeat family when all members of the family are not identical. The results presented here suggest that oligonucleotide hybridization can be used to extend the genomic sequences that can be tested for the presence of RFLPs. This expands the tools available to human genetics. In addition, the results suggest that repeated DNA sequences are indeed more polymorphic than single-copy sequences. 28 references, 2 figures

  9. DNA probe for lactobacillus delbrueckii

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delley, M.; Mollet, B.; Hottinger, H. (Nestle Research Centre, Lausanne (Switzerland))

    1990-06-01

    From a genomic DNA library of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, a clone was isolated which complements a leucine auxotrophy of an Escherichia coli strain (GE891). Subsequent analysis of the clone indicated that it could serve as a specific DNA probe. Dot-blot hybridizations with over 40 different Lactobacillus strains showed that this clone specifically recognized L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, bulgaricus, and lactis. The sensitivity of the method was tested by using an {alpha}-{sup 32}P-labeled probe.

  10. DNA probe for lactobacillus delbrueckii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delley, M.; Mollet, B.; Hottinger, H.

    1990-01-01

    From a genomic DNA library of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, a clone was isolated which complements a leucine auxotrophy of an Escherichia coli strain (GE891). Subsequent analysis of the clone indicated that it could serve as a specific DNA probe. Dot-blot hybridizations with over 40 different Lactobacillus strains showed that this clone specifically recognized L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, bulgaricus, and lactis. The sensitivity of the method was tested by using an α- 32 P-labeled probe

  11. A novel single fluorophore-labeled double-stranded oligonucleotide probe for fluorescence-enhanced nucleic acid detection based on the inherent quenching ability of deoxyguanosine bases and competitive strand-displacement reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yingwei; Tian, Jingqi; Li, Hailong; Wang, Lei; Sun, Xuping

    2012-01-01

    We develop a novel single fluorophore-labeled double-stranded oligonucleotide (OND) probe for rapid, nanostructure-free, fluorescence-enhanced nucleic acid detection for the first time. We further demonstrate such probe is able to well discriminate single-base mutation in nucleic acid. The design takes advantage of an inherent quenching ability of guanine bases. The short strand of the probe is designed with an end-labeled fluorophore that is placed adjacent to two guanines as the quencher located on the long opposite strand, resulting in great quenching of dye fluorescence. In the presence of a target complementary to the long strand of the probe, a competitive strand-displacement reaction occurs and the long strand forms a more stable duplex with the target, resulting in the two strands of the probe being separated from each other. As a consequence of this displacement, the fluorophore and the quencher are no longer in close proximity and dye fluorescence increases, signaling the presence of target.

  12. An Optimized Set of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Probes for Detection of Pancreatobiliary Tract Cancer in Cytology Brush Samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barr Fritcher, Emily G; Voss, Jesse S; Brankley, Shannon M; Campion, Michael B; Jenkins, Sarah M; Keeney, Matthew E; Henry, Michael R; Kerr, Sarah M; Chaiteerakij, Roongruedee; Pestova, Ekaterina V; Clayton, Amy C; Zhang, Jun; Roberts, Lewis R; Gores, Gregory J; Halling, Kevin C; Kipp, Benjamin R

    2015-12-01

    Pancreatobiliary cancer is detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of pancreatobiliary brush samples with UroVysion probes, originally designed to detect bladder cancer. We designed a set of new probes to detect pancreatobiliary cancer and compared its performance with that of UroVysion and routine cytology analysis. We tested a set of FISH probes on tumor tissues (cholangiocarcinoma or pancreatic carcinoma) and non-tumor tissues from 29 patients. We identified 4 probes that had high specificity for tumor vs non-tumor tissues; we called this set of probes pancreatobiliary FISH. We performed a retrospective analysis of brush samples from 272 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for evaluation of malignancy at the Mayo Clinic; results were available from routine cytology and FISH with UroVysion probes. Archived residual specimens were retrieved and used to evaluate the pancreatobiliary FISH probes. Cutoff values for FISH with the pancreatobiliary probes were determined using 89 samples and validated in the remaining 183 samples. Clinical and pathologic evidence of malignancy in the pancreatobiliary tract within 2 years of brush sample collection was used as the standard; samples from patients without malignancies were used as negative controls. The validation cohort included 85 patients with malignancies (46.4%) and 114 patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (62.3%). Samples containing cells above the cutoff for polysomy (copy number gain of ≥2 probes) were classified as positive in FISH with the UroVysion and pancreatobiliary probes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate associations between clinical and pathology findings and results from FISH. The combination of FISH probes 1q21, 7p12, 8q24, and 9p21 identified cancer cells with 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity in pancreatobiliary tissue samples and were therefore included in the pancreatobiliary probe set. In the validation cohort of

  13. Fast reciprocating probe system for local scrape-off layer measurements in front of the lower hybrid launcher on JT-60U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asakura, N.; Tsuji-Iio, S.; Ikeda, Y.; Neyatani, Y.; Seki, M.

    1995-01-01

    A fast reciprocating probe system with a long drive shaft was incorporated into a multi-junction lower hybrid (LH) wave launcher on JT-60U in order to investigate an improved coupling mechanism of the radio frequency wave to the core plasma. The system has been operated reliably over a horizontal scan of 25 cm in 1.5 s using a compact pneumatic cylinder drive and springs. A double probe measurement provided the scrape-off layer plasma profile between the last closed flux surface and the first wall with the spatial resolution of 1-2 mm measured with a laser displacement gauge. The profiles of the electron density n e and temperature T e were in good agreement with those obtained with a triple probe method. During the LH wave injection with good coupling to the core plasma, an increase in the local T e was observed in front of the LH launcher mouth. The local n e was (7-10)x10 16 m -3 , consistent values needed for the good coupling. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  14. Car makers: the hybrid car stirs up competition; Constructeurs automobiles: la voiture hybride attise la concurrence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bocquet, P.Y.; Dumas, A.

    2006-03-15

    The success of clean vehicles has favored the hybrid technology. Toyota has drawn away from its competitors which today have to make up their leeway. Hybridization has the advantage to be able to be adapted to any energy source type. It has been adapted to gasoline engines first, but it is gaining diesel engines and trucks too. However, the over-cost of this technology remains today the main drawback of hybrid vehicles. (J.S.)

  15. Competition Between Two Large-Amplitude Motion Models: New Hybrid Hamiltonian Versus Old Pure-Tunneling Hamiltonian

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleiner, Isabelle; Hougen, Jon T.

    2017-06-01

    In this talk we report on our progress in trying to make the hybrid Hamiltonian competitive with the pure-tunneling Hamiltonian for treating large-amplitude motions in methylamine. A treatment using the pure-tunneling model has the advantages of: (i) requiring relatively little computer time, (ii) working with relatively uncorrelated fitting parameters, and (iii) yielding in the vast majority of cases fits to experimental measurement accuracy. These advantages are all illustrated in the work published this past year on a gigantic v_{t} = 1 data set for the torsional fundamental band in methyl amine. A treatment using the hybrid model has the advantages of: (i) being able to carry out a global fit involving both v_{t} = 0 and v_{t} = 1 energy levels and (ii) working with fitting parameters that have a clearer physical interpretation. Unfortunately, a treatment using the hybrid model has the great disadvantage of requiring a highly correlated set of fitting parameters to achieve reasonable fitting accuracy, which complicates the search for a good set of molecular fitting parameters and a fit to experimental accuracy. At the time of writing this abstract, we have been able to carry out a fit with J up to 15 that includes all available infrared data in the v_{t} = 1-0 torsional fundamental band, all ground-state microwave data with K up to 10 and J up to 15, and about a hundred microwave lines within the v_{t} = 1 torsional state, achieving weighted root-mean-square (rms) deviations of about 1.4, 2.8, and 4.2 for these three categories of data. We will give an update of this situation at the meeting. I. Gulaczyk, M. Kreglewski, V.-M. Horneman, J. Mol. Spectrosc., in Press (2017).

  16. Formula hybrid SAE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-01

    User-friendly tools are needed for undergraduates to learn about component sizing, powertrain integration, and control : strategies for student competitions involving hybrid vehicles. A TK Solver tool was developed at the University of Idaho for : th...

  17. Analysis of product efficiency of hybrid vehicles and promotion policies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Hyundo; Oh, Inha

    2010-01-01

    The key aim of this study is to evaluate the product efficiency of current hybrid vehicles and suggest effective policies to promote hybrid vehicles in the Korean automobile market and development trends of hybrid vehicles. The efficiency levels for car models sold in Korea, including hybrid ones, were measured using the recently developed discrete additive data envelopment analysis (DEA) model that reflects consumer preference. The result of the analysis shows that current hybrid vehicles on the market are still at lower competitive advantage than traditional car models with conventional combustion engines and we can suggest a mix of incentive policies to promote the competitiveness of hybrid vehicles. In addition, we also identify two distinctive trends of hybrid vehicle development: environment-oriented hybrid vehicles and performance-oriented hybrid vehicles. It implies that the government should take account of development trends of hybrid vehicles to achieve the policy goals in designing support schemes and automobile companies that are willing to develop hybrid vehicles can also gain some insights for making strategic decisions. (author)

  18. Genotyping of Trypanosoma cruzi Sublineage in Human Samples from a North-East Argentina Area by Hybridization with DNA Probes and Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diez, Cristina; Lorenz, Virginia; Ortiz, Silvia; Gonzalez, Verónica; Racca, Andrea; Bontempi, Iván; Manattini, Silvia; Solari, Aldo; Marcipar, Iván

    2010-01-01

    We have evaluated blood samples of chronic and congenital Trypanosoma cruzi-infected patients from the city of Reconquista located in the northeast of Argentina where no information was previously obtained about the genotype of infecting parasites. Fourteen samples of congenital and 19 chronical patients were analyzed by hybridization with DNA probes of minicircle hypervariable regions (mHVR). In congenital patients, 50% had single infections with TcIId, 7% single infections with TcIIe, 29% mixed infections with TcIId/e, and 7% had mixed infections with TcIId/b and 7% TcIId/b, respectively. In Chronical patients, 52% had single infections with TcIId, 11% single infections with TcIIe, 26% had mixed infections with TcIId/e, and 11% had non-identified genotypes. With these samples, we evaluated the minicircle lineage-specific polymerase chain reaction assay (MLS-PCR), which involves a nested PCR to HVR minicircle sequences and we found a correlation with hybridization probes of 96.4% for TcIId and 54.8% for TcIIe. PMID:20064998

  19. Microcantilver-based DNA hybridization sensors for Salmonella identification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Ricciardi

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The detection of pathogenic microorganisms in foods remains a challenging since the safety of foodstuffs has to be ensured by the food producing companies. Conventional methods for the detection and identification of bacteria mainly rely on specific microbiological and biochemical identification. Biomolecular methods, are commonly used as a support for traditional techniques, thanks to their high sensitivity, specificity and not excessive costs. However, new methods like biosensors for example, can be an exciting alternative to the more traditional tecniques for the detection of pathogens in food. In this study we report Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis DNA detection through a novel class of label-free biosensors: microcantilevers (MCs. In general, MCs can operate as a microbalance and is used to detect the mass of the entities anchored to the cantilever surface using the decrease in the resonant frequency. We use DNA hybridization as model reaction system and for this reason, specific single stranded probe DNA of the pathogen and three different DNA targets (single-stranded complementary DNA, PCR product and serial dilutions of DNA extracted from S. Enteritidis strains were applied. Two protocols were reported in order to allow the probe immobilization on cantilever surface: i MC surface was functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde and an amino-modified DNA probe was used; ii gold-coated sensors and thiolated DNA probes were used in order to generate a covalent bonding (Th-Au. For the first one, measures after hybridization with the PCR product showed related frequency shift 10 times higher than hybridization with complementary probe and detectable signals were obtained at the concentrations of 103 and 106 cfu/mL after hybridization with bacterial DNA. There are currently optimizations of the second protocol, where preliminary results have shown to be more uniform and therefore more precise within each of the

  20. DNA Probe for Lactobacillus delbrueckii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delley, Michèle; Mollet, Beat; Hottinger, Herbert

    1990-01-01

    From a genomic DNA library of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, a clone was isolated which complements a leucine auxotrophy of an Escherichia coli strain (GE891). Subsequent analysis of the clone indicated that it could serve as a specific DNA probe. Dot-blot hybridizations with over 40 different Lactobacillus strains showed that this clone specifically recognizes L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, bulgaricus, and lactis. The sensitivity of the method was tested by using an α-32P-labeled DNA probe. Images PMID:16348233

  1. Research on Segmentation Monitoring Control of IA-RWA Algorithm with Probe Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Danping; Guo, Kun; Yao, Qiuyan; Zhao, Jijun

    2018-04-01

    The impairment-aware routing and wavelength assignment algorithm with probe flow (P-IA-RWA) can make an accurate estimation for the transmission quality of the link when the connection request comes. But it also causes some problems. The probe flow data introduced in the P-IA-RWA algorithm can result in the competition for wavelength resources. In order to reduce the competition and the blocking probability of the network, a new P-IA-RWA algorithm with segmentation monitoring-control mechanism (SMC-P-IA-RWA) is proposed. The algorithm would reduce the holding time of network resources for the probe flow. It segments the candidate path suitably for the data transmitting. And the transmission quality of the probe flow sent by the source node will be monitored in the endpoint of each segment. The transmission quality of data can also be monitored, so as to make the appropriate treatment to avoid the unnecessary probe flow. The simulation results show that the proposed SMC-P-IA-RWA algorithm can effectively reduce the blocking probability. It brings a better solution to the competition for resources between the probe flow and the main data to be transferred. And it is more suitable for scheduling control in the large-scale network.

  2. Fluorescence in situ hybridization of old G-banded and mounted chromosome preparations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gerdes, A M; Pandis, N; Bomme, L

    1997-01-01

    the coverslips detach spontaneously; any mechanical manipulation will jeopardize the results. The success of chromosome painting is improved by excluding the regular RNase treatment step prior to hybridization. Additional changes compared with standard FISH protocols are that the 2 x SSC step is omitted......An improved method for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) investigation of old, previously G-banded, mounted chromosome preparations with chromosome specific painting probes and centromere-specific probes is described. Before hybridization, the slides are incubated in xylene until......, that the amount of added probe is increased approximately 2.5 times, and that the amplification of signals is performed twice. The applicability of the method, which allows double painting with two differently labeled probes using two differently fluorescing colors, was tested on 11 cases involving different...

  3. Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization based Day-Ahead Self-Scheduling for Thermal Generator in Competitive Electricity Market

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pindoriya, Naran M.; Singh, S.N.; Østergaard, Jacob

    2009-01-01

    in day-ahead energy market subject to operational constraints and 2) at the same time, to minimize the risk due to uncertainty in price forecast. Therefore, it is a conflicting bi-objective optimization problem which has both binary and continuous optimization variables considered as constrained mixed......This paper presents a hybrid particle swarm optimization algorithm (HPSO) to solve the day-ahead self-scheduling for thermal power producer in competitive electricity market. The objective functions considered to model the self-scheduling problem are 1) to maximize the profit from selling energy...... integer nonlinear programming. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for self-scheduling in a day-ahead energy market, the locational margin price (LMP) forecast uncertainty in PJM electricity market is considered. An adaptive wavelet neural network (AWNN) is used to forecast the day...

  4. Tracking alien chromosome in sativa background by genomic in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbasi, F.M.; Iqbal, M.; Salim, M.

    2004-01-01

    Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) was used to look into the genomic constitution of monosomic alien -addition line derived from O. sativa x O. brachyantha. Biotin label genomic DNA from O. brachyantha was used as probe. The probe hybridized to the brachyantha chromosome. No detectable hybridization signal was observed on sativa chromosomes. This differential painting of chromosome enables us to unequivocally discriminate brachyantha chromosome from those of sativa. Results showed the usefulness of GISH in the identification of a single alien chromosome in the sativa background. (author)

  5. Quantifying filamentous microorganisms in activated sludge before, during, and after an incident of foaming by oligonucleotide probe hybridizations and antibody staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oerther, D B; de los Reyes, F L; de los Reyes, M F; Raskin, L

    2001-10-01

    Quantitative oligonucleotide probe hybridizations, immunostaining, and a simple foaming potential test were used to follow an incident of seasonal filamentous foaming at the Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District, Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant. A positive correlation was observed between an increase in foaming potential and the appearance of foam on the surfaces of aeration basins and secondary clarifiers. In addition, during the occurrence of foaming, the mass and activity of Gordonia spp. increased as measured by fluorescence in situ hybridization, antibody staining, and quantitative membrane hybridization of RNA extracts. An increase in Gordonia spp. rRNA levels from 0.25 to 1.4% of total rRNA was observed using quantitative membrane hybridizations, whereas during the same period, the fraction of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids attributed to Gordonia spp. increased from 4% to more than 32% of the total mixed liquor volatile suspended solids. These results indicate that both the activity and biomass level of Gordonia spp. in activated sludge increased relative to the activity aid the biomass level of the complete microbial community during a seasonal occurrence of filamentous foaming. Thus, Gordonia spp. may represent a numerically dominant but metabolically limited fraction of the total biomass, and the role of Gordonia spp. in filamentous foaming may be linked more tightly to the physical presence of filamentous microorganisms than to the metabolic activity of the cells.

  6. Electrokinetic acceleration of DNA hybridization in microsystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lei, Kin Fong; Wang, Yun-Hsiang; Chen, Huai-Yi; Sun, Jia-Hong; Cheng, Ji-Yen

    2015-06-01

    In this work, electrokinetic acceleration of DNA hybridization was investigated by different combinations of frequencies and amplitudes of actuating electric signals. Because the frequencies from low to high can induce different kinds of electrokinetic forces, i.e., electroosmotic to electrothermal forces, this work provides an in-depth investigation of electrokinetic enhanced hybridization. Concentric circular Cr/Au microelectrodes of 350 µm in diameter were fabricated on a glass substrate and probe DNA was immobilized on the electrode surface. Target DNA labeled with fluorescent dyes suspending in solution was then applied to the electrode. Different electrokinetic forces were induced by the application of different electric signals to the circular microelectrodes. Local microfluidic vortexes were generated to increase the collision efficiency between the target DNA suspending in solution and probe DNA immobilized on the electrode surface. DNA hybridization on the electrode surface could be accelerated by the electrokinetic forces. The level of hybridization was represented by the fluorescent signal intensity ratio. Results revealed that such 5-min dynamic hybridization increased 4.5 fold of signal intensity ratio as compared to a 1-h static hybridization. Moreover, dynamic hybridization was found to have better differentiation ability between specific and non-specific target DNA. This study provides a strategy to accelerate DNA hybridization in microsystems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Tandem Oligonucleotide Probe Annealing and Elongation To Discriminate Viral Sequence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taskova, Maria; Uhd, Jesper; Miotke, Laura

    2017-01-01

    opportunities in transcriptome analysis, virology, and other fields. Herein, we report for the first time a "click" chemistry approach to oligonucleotide probe elongation as a novel approach to specifically detect a viral sequence. We hybridized a library of short, terminally labeled probes to Ebola virus RNA...

  8. Whole-slide imaging is a robust alternative to traditional fluorescent microscopy for fluorescence in situ hybridization imaging using break-apart DNA probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurent, Camille; Guérin, Maxime; Frenois, François-Xavier; Thuries, Valérie; Jalabert, Laurence; Brousset, Pierre; Valmary-Degano, Séverine

    2013-08-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization is an indispensable technique used in routine pathology and for theranostic purposes. Because fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques require sophisticated microscopic workstations and long procedures of image acquisition with sometimes subjective and poorly reproducible results, we decided to test a whole-slide imaging system as an alternative approach. In this study, we used the latest generation of Pannoramic 250 Flash digital microscopes (P250 Flash digital microscopes; 3DHISTECH, Budapest, Hungary) to digitize fluorescence in situ hybridization slides of diffuse large B cells lymphoma cases for detecting MYC rearrangement. The P250 Flash digital microscope was found to be precise with better definition of split signals in cells containing MYC rearrangement with fewer truncated signals as compared to traditional fluorescence microscopy. This digital technique is easier thanks to the preview function, which allows almost immediate identification of the tumor area, and the panning and zooming functionalities as well as a shorter acquisition time. Moreover, fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses using the digital technique appeared to be more reproducible between pathologists. Finally, the digital technique also allowed prolonged conservation of photos. In conclusion, whole-slide imaging technologies represent rapid, robust, and highly sensitive methods for interpreting fluorescence in situ hybridization slides with break-apart probes. In addition, these techniques offer an easier way to interpret the signals and allow definitive storage of the images for pathology expert networks or e-learning databases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Application of Pseudomurein Endoisopeptidase to Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization of Methanogens within the Family Methanobacteriaceae▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Kohei ; Terada, Takeshi; Sekiguchi, Yuji; Shinzato, Naoya; Meng, Xian-Ying; Enoki, Miho; Kamagata, Yoichi

    2006-01-01

    In situ detection of methanogens within the family Methanobacteriaceae is sometimes known to be unsuccessful due to the difficulty in permeability of oligonucleotide probes. Pseudomurein endoisopeptidase (Pei), a lytic enzyme that specifically acts on their cell walls, was applied prior to 16S rRNA-targeting fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). For this purpose, pure cultured methanogens within this family, Methanobacterium bryantii, Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, Methanosphaera stadtmanae, and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus together with a Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus-containing syntrophic acetate-oxidizing coculture, endosymbiotic Methanobrevibacter methanogens within an anaerobic ciliate, and an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) granule were examined. Even without the Pei treatment, Methanobacterium bryantii and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus cells are relatively well hybridized with oligonucleotide probes. However, almost none of the cells of Methanobrevibacter ruminantium, Methanosphaera stadtmanae, cocultured Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus, and the endosymbiotic methanogens and the cells within UASB granule were hybridized. Pei treatment was able to increase the probe hybridization ratio in every specimen, particularly in the specimen that had shown little hybridization. Interestingly, the hybridizing signal intensity of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus cells in coculture with an acetate-oxidizing H2-producing syntroph was significantly improved by Pei pretreatment, whereas the probe was well hybridized with the cells of pure culture of the same strain. We found that the difference is attributed to the differences in cell wall thicknesses between the two culture conditions. These results indicate that Pei treatment is effective for FISH analysis of methanogens that show impermeability to the probe. PMID:16950902

  10. Allele specific hybridization using oligonucleotide probes of very high specific activity: Discrimination of the human β/sup A/ and β/sup S/-globin genes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Studencki, A.B.; Wallace, R.B.

    1984-01-01

    The repair activity of E. coli DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment) was used to prepare nonadecanucleotide hybridization probes which were complementary either to the normal human β-globin (β/sup A/) or to the sickle cell human β-globin (β/sup S/) gene. Template directed polymerization of highly radiolabeled α-/sup 32/P-deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (3200, 5000 and/or 7800 Ci/mmol) onto nonamer and decamer primers produced probes with specific activities ranging from 1.0 - 2.0 x 10/sup 10/ dpm/μg. The extremely high specific activities of these probes made it possible to detect the β/sup A/ and β/sup S/ single copy gene sequences in as little as 1 μg of total human genomic DNA as well as to discriminate between the homozygous and heterozygous states. This means that it was possible to detect 0.5 - 1.0 x 10/sup -18/ moles of a given single copy sequence

  11. Rapid Identification of Staphylococcus aureus Directly from Blood Cultures by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization with Peptide Nucleic Acid Probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Kenneth; Procop, Gary W.; Wilson, Deborah; Coull, James; Stender, Henrik

    2002-01-01

    A new fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method with peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes for identification of Staphylococcus aureus directly from positive blood culture bottles that contain gram-positive cocci in clusters (GPCC) is described. The test (the S. aureus PNA FISH assay) is based on a fluorescein-labeled PNA probe that targets a species-specific sequence of the 16S rRNA of S. aureus. Evaluations with 17 reference strains and 48 clinical isolates, including methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus species, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, and other clinically relevant and phylogenetically related bacteria and yeast species, showed that the assay had 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity. Clinical trials with 87 blood cultures positive for GPCC correctly identified 36 of 37 (97%) of the S. aureus-positive cultures identified by standard microbiological methods. The positive and negative predictive values were 100 and 98%, respectively. It is concluded that this rapid method (2.5 h) for identification of S. aureus directly from blood culture bottles that contain GPCC offers important information for optimal antibiotic therapy. PMID:11773123

  12. Identification of waves by RF magnetic probes during lower hybrid wave injection experiments on the TST-2 spherical tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shinya, Takahiro; Ejiri, Akira; Takase, Yuichi

    2014-01-01

    RF magnetic probes can be used to measure not only the wavevector, but also the polarization of waves in plasmas. A 5-channel RF magnetic probe (5ch-RFMP) was installed in the TST-2 spherical tokamak and the waves were studied in detail during lower hybrid wave injection experiments. From the polarization measurements, the poloidal RF magnetic field is found to be dominant. In addition to polarization, components of k perpendicular to the major radial direction were obtained from phase differences among the five channels. The radial wavenumber was obtained by scanning the radial position of the 5ch-RFMP on a shot by shot basis. The measured wavevector and polarization in the plasma edge region were consistent with those calculated from the wave equation for the slow wave branch. While the waves with small and large k ∥ were excited by the antenna, only the small k ∥ component was measured by the 5ch-RFMP; this suggests that the waves with larger k ∥ were absorbed by the plasma. (author)

  13. Preparation of graphene quantum dots based core-satellite hybrid spheres and their use as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for visual determination of mercury(II) ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hua, Mengjuan; Wang, Chengquan; Qian, Jing; Wang, Kan; Yang, Zhenting; Liu, Qian; Mao, Hanping; Wang, Kun

    2015-01-01

    We herein proposed a simple and effective strategy for preparing graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based core-satellite hybrid spheres and further explored the feasibility of using such spheres as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for the visual determination of Hg 2+ . The red-emitting CdTe QDs were firstly entrapped in the silica nanosphere to reduce their toxicity and improve their photo and chemical stabilities, thus providing a built-in correction for environmental effects, while the GQDs possessing good biocompatibility and low toxicity were electrostatic self-assembly on the silica surface acting as reaction sites. Upon exposure to the increasing contents of Hg 2+ , the blue fluorescence of GQDs can be gradually quenched presumably due to facilitating nonradiative electron/hole recombination annihilation. With the embedded CdTe QDs as the internal standard, the variations of the tested solution display continuous fluorescence color changes from blue to red, which can be easily observed by the naked eye without any sophisticated instrumentations and specially equipped laboratories. This sensor exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity toward Hg 2+ in a broad linear range of 10 nM–22 μM with a low detection limit of 3.3 nM (S/N = 3), much lower than the allowable Hg 2+ contents in drinking water set by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This prototype ratiometric probe is of good simplicity, low toxicity, excellent stabilities, and thus potentially attractive for Hg 2+ quantification related biological systems. - Highlights: • A facile strategy for preparing GQDs based core-satellite hybrid spheres was reported. • Such spheres can be used as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for Hg 2+ detection. • The Hg 2+ content can be easily distinguished by the naked eye. • The sensor shows high sensitivity and selectivity toward Hg 2+ detection. • The ratiometric probe is of good simplicity, low toxicity, and excellent stability

  14. Leishmania diagnostic and identification py using 32P labelled DNA probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrade, Antero Silva Ribeiro de; Melo, Maria Norma de

    1999-10-01

    P 32 labelled DNA probes are valious instruments for the parasitic diseases by using hybridization reaction. In this paper we describe the methodology and present the foundations for the radioactive probes production, based on the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), for the Leishmania diagnostic an identification. We also describe the kDNA purification protocol from Leishmania reference cepa, the process of P 32 labelling of the kDNA by using the nick translation method, gathering, sample preparation and treatment, the optimum conditions for the hybridization reaction and the procedures for the autoradiography

  15. Analysis of Traits Related to Weed Competitiveness in Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia de Leon

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Weed management in sweet corn can be costly; genetic improvements in sweet corn competitiveness may reduce this expense. Competitive ability can exist as weed suppressive ability (WSA, or crop tolerance (CT. Previous studies in corn have found year of hybrid release, maturity, plant height, leaf angle and leafiness may affect WSA, while hybrid era, maturity, and plant height may affect CT. However, many of these studies were limited to very few genotypes. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of phenomorphological traits on sweet corn competitiveness and the inheritance of these traits. An incomplete half-diallel from seven historic sweet corn inbred lines of varying morphologies was evaluated in a split-block randomized complete block design in three environments. Forage sorghum was interplanted in half of the blocks to act as a model weed. Significant differences among hybrids were generally found for both phenomorphological traits and traits measuring WSA and CT, such as sorghum biomass and yield stability, respectively. Crop plant height was most predictive of WSA and CT. In this set of genotypes, competitive ability may be passed with reasonable fidelity from parent to offspring, suggesting that sweet corn could be bred for competitive ability.

  16. An efficient algorithm for the stochastic simulation of the hybridization of DNA to microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurenzi Ian J

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although oligonucleotide microarray technology is ubiquitous in genomic research, reproducibility and standardization of expression measurements still concern many researchers. Cross-hybridization between microarray probes and non-target ssDNA has been implicated as a primary factor in sensitivity and selectivity loss. Since hybridization is a chemical process, it may be modeled at a population-level using a combination of material balance equations and thermodynamics. However, the hybridization reaction network may be exceptionally large for commercial arrays, which often possess at least one reporter per transcript. Quantification of the kinetics and equilibrium of exceptionally large chemical systems of this type is numerically infeasible with customary approaches. Results In this paper, we present a robust and computationally efficient algorithm for the simulation of hybridization processes underlying microarray assays. Our method may be utilized to identify the extent to which nucleic acid targets (e.g. cDNA will cross-hybridize with probes, and by extension, characterize probe robustnessusing the information specified by MAGE-TAB. Using this algorithm, we characterize cross-hybridization in a modified commercial microarray assay. Conclusions By integrating stochastic simulation with thermodynamic prediction tools for DNA hybridization, one may robustly and rapidly characterize of the selectivity of a proposed microarray design at the probe and "system" levels. Our code is available at http://www.laurenzi.net.

  17. A novel fluorescent in situ hybridization technique for detection of Rickettsia spp. in archival samples

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svendsen, Claus Bo; Boye, Mette; Struve, Carsten

    2009-01-01

    A novel, sensitive and specific method for detecting Rickettsia spp. in archival samples is described. The method involves the use of fluorescently marked oligonucleotide probes for in situ hybridization. Specific hybridization of Ricekttsia was found without problems of cross-reactions with bact......A novel, sensitive and specific method for detecting Rickettsia spp. in archival samples is described. The method involves the use of fluorescently marked oligonucleotide probes for in situ hybridization. Specific hybridization of Ricekttsia was found without problems of cross...

  18. Competitive advantage of PET/MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jadvar, Hossein, E-mail: jadvar@usc.edu; Colletti, Patrick M.

    2014-01-15

    Multimodality imaging has made great strides in the imaging evaluation of patients with a variety of diseases. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is now established as the imaging modality of choice in many clinical conditions, particularly in oncology. While the initial development of combined PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) was in the preclinical arena, hybrid PET/MR scanners are now available for clinical use. PET/MRI combines the unique features of MRI including excellent soft tissue contrast, diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, fMRI and other specialized sequences as well as MR spectroscopy with the quantitative physiologic information that is provided by PET. Most evidence for the potential clinical utility of PET/MRI is based on studies performed with side-by-side comparison or software-fused MRI and PET images. Data on distinctive utility of hybrid PET/MRI are rapidly emerging. There are potential competitive advantages of PET/MRI over PET/CT. In general, PET/MRI may be preferred over PET/CT where the unique features of MRI provide more robust imaging evaluation in certain clinical settings. The exact role and potential utility of simultaneous data acquisition in specific research and clinical settings will need to be defined. It may be that simultaneous PET/MRI will be best suited for clinical situations that are disease-specific, organ-specific, related to diseases of the children or in those patients undergoing repeated imaging for whom cumulative radiation dose must be kept as low as reasonably achievable. PET/MRI also offers interesting opportunities for use of dual modality probes. Upon clear definition of clinical utility, other important and practical issues related to business operational model, clinical workflow and reimbursement will also be resolved.

  19. Competitive advantage of PET/MRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jadvar, Hossein; Colletti, Patrick M

    2014-01-01

    Multimodality imaging has made great strides in the imaging evaluation of patients with a variety of diseases. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is now established as the imaging modality of choice in many clinical conditions, particularly in oncology. While the initial development of combined PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) was in the preclinical arena, hybrid PET/MR scanners are now available for clinical use. PET/MRI combines the unique features of MRI including excellent soft tissue contrast, diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, fMRI and other specialized sequences as well as MR spectroscopy with the quantitative physiologic information that is provided by PET. Most evidence for the potential clinical utility of PET/MRI is based on studies performed with side-by-side comparison or software-fused MRI and PET images. Data on distinctive utility of hybrid PET/MRI are rapidly emerging. There are potential competitive advantages of PET/MRI over PET/CT. In general, PET/MRI may be preferred over PET/CT where the unique features of MRI provide more robust imaging evaluation in certain clinical settings. The exact role and potential utility of simultaneous data acquisition in specific research and clinical settings will need to be defined. It may be that simultaneous PET/MRI will be best suited for clinical situations that are disease-specific, organ-specific, related to diseases of the children or in those patients undergoing repeated imaging for whom cumulative radiation dose must be kept as low as reasonably achievable. PET/MRI also offers interesting opportunities for use of dual modality probes. Upon clear definition of clinical utility, other important and practical issues related to business operational model, clinical workflow and reimbursement will also be resolved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Competitive advantage of PET/MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jadvar, Hossein; Colletti, Patrick M.

    2014-01-01

    Multimodality imaging has made great strides in the imaging evaluation of patients with a variety of diseases. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is now established as the imaging modality of choice in many clinical conditions, particularly in oncology. While the initial development of combined PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) was in the preclinical arena, hybrid PET/MR scanners are now available for clinical use. PET/MRI combines the unique features of MRI including excellent soft tissue contrast, diffusion-weighted imaging, dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, fMRI and other specialized sequences as well as MR spectroscopy with the quantitative physiologic information that is provided by PET. Most evidence for the potential clinical utility of PET/MRI is based on studies performed with side-by-side comparison or software-fused MRI and PET images. Data on distinctive utility of hybrid PET/MRI are rapidly emerging. There are potential competitive advantages of PET/MRI over PET/CT. In general, PET/MRI may be preferred over PET/CT where the unique features of MRI provide more robust imaging evaluation in certain clinical settings. The exact role and potential utility of simultaneous data acquisition in specific research and clinical settings will need to be defined. It may be that simultaneous PET/MRI will be best suited for clinical situations that are disease-specific, organ-specific, related to diseases of the children or in those patients undergoing repeated imaging for whom cumulative radiation dose must be kept as low as reasonably achievable. PET/MRI also offers interesting opportunities for use of dual modality probes. Upon clear definition of clinical utility, other important and practical issues related to business operational model, clinical workflow and reimbursement will also be resolved

  1. Mediated Electron Transfer at Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Electrodes During Detection of DNA Hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallen, Rachel; Gokarn, Nirmal; Bercea, Priscila; Grzincic, Elissa; Bandyopadhyay, Krisanu

    2015-06-01

    Vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotube (VASWCNT) assemblies are generated on cysteamine and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)-functionalized gold surfaces through amide bond formation between carboxylic groups generated at the end of acid-shortened single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and amine groups present on the gold surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging confirms the vertical alignment mode of SWCNT attachment through significant changes in surface roughness compared to bare gold surfaces and the lack of any horizontally aligned SWCNTs present. These SWCNT assemblies are further modified with an amine-terminated single-stranded probe-DNA. Subsequent hybridization of the surface-bound probe-DNA in the presence of complementary strands in solution is followed using impedance measurements in the presence of Fe(CN)6 3-/4- as the redox probe in solution, which show changes in the interfacial electrochemical properties, specifically the charge-transfer resistance, due to hybridization. In addition, hybridization of the probe-DNA is also compared when it is attached directly to the gold surfaces without any intermediary SWCNTs. Contrary to our expectations, impedance measurements show a decrease in charge-transfer resistance with time due to hybridization with 300 nM complementary DNA in solution with the probe-DNA attached to SWCNTs. In contrast, an increase in charge-transfer resistance is observed with time during hybridization when the probe-DNA is attached directly to the gold surfaces. The decrease in charge-transfer resistance during hybridization in the presence of VASWCNTs indicates an enhancement in the electron transfer process of the redox probe at the VASWCNT-modified electrode. The results suggest that VASWCNTs are acting as mediators of electron transfer, which facilitate the charge transfer of the redox probe at the electrode-solution interface.

  2. Double-staining chromogenic in situ hybridization as a useful alternative to split-signal fluorescence in situ hybridization in lymphoma diagnostics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    van Rijk, A.; Svenstroup-Poulsen, T.; Jones, M.

    2010-01-01

    within the reach of every pathology laboratory. Design and Methods Our study was initiated to determine the consistency between chromogenic in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization, both using split-signal probes developed for the detection of chromosomal breaks. Five hundred...... and actual signal were compared to the original fluorescence hybridization results. In addition, hematoxylin background staining intensity and signal intensity of the double-staining chromogenic in situ hybridization procedure were analyzed. Results With respect to the presence or absence of chromosomal...

  3. Generator scheduling under competitive environment using genetic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR OKE

    decision regarding how much power and reserve must be put up for sale in the ... integrated systems to free and competitive market systems (Shahidehpour et al., 2002). ... In order to globally optimize the search space of PBUCP, some hybrid ...

  4. Multiplex fluorescence melting curve analysis for mutation detection with dual-labeled, self-quenched probes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuying Huang

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Probe-based fluorescence melting curve analysis (FMCA is a powerful tool for mutation detection based on melting temperature generated by thermal denaturation of the probe-target hybrid. Nevertheless, the color multiplexing, probe design, and cross-platform compatibility remain to be limited by using existing probe chemistries. We hereby explored two dual-labeled, self-quenched probes, TaqMan and shared-stem molecular beacons, in their ability to conduct FMCA. Both probes could be directly used for FMCA and readily integrated with closed-tube amplicon hybridization under asymmetric PCR conditions. Improved flexibility of FMCA by using these probes was illustrated in three representative applications of FMCA: mutation scanning, mutation identification and mutation genotyping, all of which achieved improved color-multiplexing with easy probe design and versatile probe combination and all were validated with a large number of real clinical samples. The universal cross-platform compatibility of these probes-based FMCA was also demonstrated by a 4-color mutation genotyping assay performed on five different real-time PCR instruments. The dual-labeled, self-quenched probes offered unprecedented combined advantage of enhanced multiplexing, improved flexibility in probe design, and expanded cross-platform compatibility, which would substantially improve FMCA in mutation detection of various applications.

  5. Chromosome-specific DNA Repeat Probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baumgartner, Adolf; Weier, Jingly Fung; Weier, Heinz-Ulrich G.

    2006-03-16

    In research as well as in clinical applications, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has gained increasing popularity as a highly sensitive technique to study cytogenetic changes. Today, hundreds of commercially available DNA probes serve the basic needs of the biomedical research community. Widespread applications, however, are often limited by the lack of appropriately labeled, specific nucleic acid probes. We describe two approaches for an expeditious preparation of chromosome-specific DNAs and the subsequent probe labeling with reporter molecules of choice. The described techniques allow the preparation of highly specific DNA repeat probes suitable for enumeration of chromosomes in interphase cell nuclei or tissue sections. In addition, there is no need for chromosome enrichment by flow cytometry and sorting or molecular cloning. Our PCR-based method uses either bacterial artificial chromosomes or human genomic DNA as templates with {alpha}-satellite-specific primers. Here we demonstrate the production of fluorochrome-labeled DNA repeat probes specific for human chromosomes 17 and 18 in just a few days without the need for highly specialized equipment and without the limitation to only a few fluorochrome labels.

  6. Modulation of tyrosine hydroxylase gene expression in the central nervous system visualized by in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berod, A.; Biguet, N.F.; Dumas, S.; Bloch, B.; Mallet, J.

    1987-01-01

    cDNA probe was used for in situ hybridization studies on histological sections through the locus coeruleus, substantia nigra, and the ventral tegmental area of the rat brain. Experimental conditions were established that yielded no background and no signal when pBR322 was used as control probe. Using the tyrosine hydroxylase probe, the authors ascertained the specificity of the labeling over catecholaminergic cells by denervation experiments and comparison of the hybridization pattern with that of immunoreactivity. The use of 35 S-labeled probe enabled the hybridization signal to be resolved at the cellular level. A single injection of reserpine into the rat led to an increase of the intensity of the autoradiographic signal over the locus coeruleus area, confirming an RNA gel blot analysis. The potential of in situ hybridization to analyze patterns of modulation of gene activity as a result of nervous activity is discussed

  7. Development of Thinopyrum ponticum-specific molecular markers and FISH probes based on SLAF-seq technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Liqin; Luo, Qiaoling; Teng, Wan; Li, Bin; Li, Hongwei; Li, Yiwen; Li, Zhensheng; Zheng, Qi

    2018-05-01

    Based on SLAF-seq, 67 Thinopyrum ponticum-specific markers and eight Th. ponticum-specific FISH probes were developed, and these markers and probes could be used for detection of alien chromatin in a wheat background. Decaploid Thinopyrum ponticum (2n = 10x = 70) is a valuable gene reservoir for wheat improvement. Identification of Th. ponticum introgression would facilitate its transfer into diverse wheat genetic backgrounds and its practical utilization in wheat improvement. Based on specific-locus-amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology, 67 new Th. ponticum-specific molecular markers and eight Th. ponticum-specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes have been developed from a tiny wheat-Th. ponticum translocation line. These newly developed molecular markers allowed the detection of Th. ponticum DNA in a variety of materials specifically and steadily at high throughput. According to the hybridization signal pattern, the eight Th. ponticum-specific probes could be divided into two groups. The first group including five dispersed repetitive sequence probes could identify Th. ponticum chromatin more sensitively and accurately than genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). Whereas the second group having three tandem repetitive sequence probes enabled the discrimination of Th. ponticum chromosomes together with another clone pAs1 in wheat-Th. ponticum partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 68.

  8. A novel hybrid approach for predicting wind farm power production based on wavelet transform, hybrid neural networks and imperialist competitive algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aghajani, Afshin; Kazemzadeh, Rasool; Ebrahimi, Afshin

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Proposing a novel hybrid method for short-term prediction of wind farms with high accuracy. • Investigating the prediction accuracy for proposed method in comparison with other methods. • Investigating the effect of six types of parameters as input data on predictions. • Comparing results for 6 & 4 types of the input parameters – addition of pressure and air humidity. - Abstract: This paper proposes a novel hybrid approach to forecast electric power production in wind farms. Wavelet transform (WT) is employed to filter input data of wind power, while radial basis function (RBF) neural network is utilized for primary prediction. For better predictions the main forecasting engine is comprised of three multilayer perceptron (MLP) neural networks by different learning algorithms of Levenberg–Marquardt (LM), Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS), and Bayesian regularization (BR). Meta-heuristic technique Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA) is used to optimize neural networks’ weightings in order to escape from local minima. In the forecast process, the real data of wind farms located in the southern part of Alberta, Canada, are used to train and test the proposed model. The data are a complete set of six meteorological and technical characteristics, including wind speed, wind power, wind direction, temperature, pressure, and air humidity. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method, it is compared with several other wind power forecast techniques. Results of optimizations indicate the superiority of the proposed method over the other mentioned techniques; and, forecasting error is remarkably reduced. For instance, the average normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) and average mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are respectively 11% and 14% lower for the proposed method in 1-h-ahead forecasts over a 24-h period with six types of input than those for the best of the compared models.

  9. Detection of NASBA amplified bacterial tmRNA molecules on SLICSel designed microarray probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toome Kadri

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We present a comprehensive technological solution for bacterial diagnostics using tmRNA as a marker molecule. A robust probe design algorithm for microbial detection microarray is implemented. The probes were evaluated for specificity and, combined with NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification amplification, for sensitivity. Results We developed a new web-based program SLICSel for the design of hybridization probes, based on nearest-neighbor thermodynamic modeling. A SLICSel minimum binding energy difference criterion of 4 kcal/mol was sufficient to design of Streptococcus pneumoniae tmRNA specific microarray probes. With lower binding energy difference criteria, additional hybridization specificity tests on the microarray were needed to eliminate non-specific probes. Using SLICSel designed microarray probes and NASBA we were able to detect S. pneumoniae tmRNA from a series of total RNA dilutions equivalent to the RNA content of 0.1-10 CFU. Conclusions The described technological solution and both its separate components SLICSel and NASBA-microarray technology independently are applicative for many different areas of microbial diagnostics.

  10. Detection of NASBA amplified bacterial tmRNA molecules on SLICSel designed microarray probes

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Scheler, Ott

    2011-02-28

    Abstract Background We present a comprehensive technological solution for bacterial diagnostics using tmRNA as a marker molecule. A robust probe design algorithm for microbial detection microarray is implemented. The probes were evaluated for specificity and, combined with NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification) amplification, for sensitivity. Results We developed a new web-based program SLICSel for the design of hybridization probes, based on nearest-neighbor thermodynamic modeling. A SLICSel minimum binding energy difference criterion of 4 kcal\\/mol was sufficient to design of Streptococcus pneumoniae tmRNA specific microarray probes. With lower binding energy difference criteria, additional hybridization specificity tests on the microarray were needed to eliminate non-specific probes. Using SLICSel designed microarray probes and NASBA we were able to detect S. pneumoniae tmRNA from a series of total RNA dilutions equivalent to the RNA content of 0.1-10 CFU. Conclusions The described technological solution and both its separate components SLICSel and NASBA-microarray technology independently are applicative for many different areas of microbial diagnostics.

  11. Hybrid FSAE Vehicle Realization

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-01

    The goal of this multi-year project is to create a fully functional University of Idaho entry in the hybrid FSAE competition. Vehicle integration is underway as part of a variety of 2010-11 senior design projects. This leverages a variety of analytic...

  12. Donated chemical probes for open science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Susanne; Ackloo, Suzanne; Arrowsmith, Cheryl H; Bauser, Marcus; Baryza, Jeremy L; Blagg, Julian; Böttcher, Jark; Bountra, Chas; Brown, Peter J; Bunnage, Mark E; Carter, Adrian J; Damerell, David; Dötsch, Volker; Drewry, David H; Edwards, Aled M; Edwards, James; Elkins, Jon M; Fischer, Christian; Frye, Stephen V; Gollner, Andreas; Grimshaw, Charles E; IJzerman, Adriaan; Hanke, Thomas; Hartung, Ingo V; Hitchcock, Steve; Howe, Trevor; Hughes, Terry V; Laufer, Stefan; Li, Volkhart Mj; Liras, Spiros; Marsden, Brian D; Matsui, Hisanori; Mathias, John; O'Hagan, Ronan C; Owen, Dafydd R; Pande, Vineet; Rauh, Daniel; Rosenberg, Saul H; Roth, Bryan L; Schneider, Natalie S; Scholten, Cora; Singh Saikatendu, Kumar; Simeonov, Anton; Takizawa, Masayuki; Tse, Chris; Thompson, Paul R; Treiber, Daniel K; Viana, Amélia Yi; Wells, Carrow I; Willson, Timothy M; Zuercher, William J; Knapp, Stefan; Mueller-Fahrnow, Anke

    2018-04-20

    Potent, selective and broadly characterized small molecule modulators of protein function (chemical probes) are powerful research reagents. The pharmaceutical industry has generated many high-quality chemical probes and several of these have been made available to academia. However, probe-associated data and control compounds, such as inactive structurally related molecules and their associated data, are generally not accessible. The lack of data and guidance makes it difficult for researchers to decide which chemical tools to choose. Several pharmaceutical companies (AbbVie, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, MSD, Pfizer, and Takeda) have therefore entered into a pre-competitive collaboration to make available a large number of innovative high-quality probes, including all probe-associated data, control compounds and recommendations on use (https://openscienceprobes.sgc-frankfurt.de">https://openscienceprobes.sgc-frankfurt.dehttps://openscienceprobes.sgc-frankfurt.de/">/). Here we describe the chemical tools and target-related knowledge that have been made available, and encourage others to join the project. © 2018, Müller et al.

  13. [Optimization and assessment of a reverse hybridization system for the detection of HBV drug-resistant mutations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan-chen; Huang, Ai-long; Hu, Yuan; Hu, Jie-li; Lai, Guo-qi; Zhang, Wen-lu

    2011-12-01

    To establish a detection method for HBV drug-resistant mutations related to lamivudine, adefovir and entecavir by optimization and assessment of reverse hybridization system. 26 degenerated probes covering 10 drug-resistant hotspots of 3 drugs were synthesized and immobilized on the same positively charged nylon membrane. PCR products labeled with digoxigenin were hybridized with corresponding probes. To improve the sensitivity and specificity, 4 reaction steps of reverse hybridization were optimized including the number of labeled digoxigenin, the energy intensity of UV cross-linking, hybridization and stringency wash conditions. To prove the feasibility, the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of this system were assessed respectively. Sensitive and specific results are obtained by the optimization of the following 4 reaction steps: the primers labeled with 3 digoxigenin, energy intensity of UV cross-linking for 1500 x 0.1 mJ/cm², hybridization at 42 degrees C and stringency wash with 0.5 x SSC and 0.1% SDS solution at 44 degrees C for 30 min. In the assessment of system, the majority of probes have high specificity. The quantity of PCR product with a concentration of 10 ng/μl or above can be detected by this method. The concordant rate between reverse hybridization and direct sequencing is 93.9% in the clinical sample test. Though the specificity of several probes needs to be improved further, it is a simple, rapid and sensitive method which can detect HBV resistant mutations related to lamivudine, adefovir and entecavir simultaneously. Due to the short distance between 180 and 181, likewise 202 and 204, the sequence of the same probe covers two codon positions, and hybridization will be interfered by each other. To avoid such interference, the possible solution is that probes are designed by arranging and combining various forms of two near codons.

  14. G-stack modulated probe intensities on expression arrays - sequence corrections and signal calibration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fasold Mario

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The brightness of the probe spots on expression microarrays intends to measure the abundance of specific mRNA targets. Probes with runs of at least three guanines (G in their sequence show abnormal high intensities which reflect rather probe effects than target concentrations. This G-bias requires correction prior to downstream expression analysis. Results Longer runs of three or more consecutive G along the probe sequence and in particular triple degenerated G at its solution end ((GGG1-effect are associated with exceptionally large probe intensities on GeneChip expression arrays. This intensity bias is related to non-specific hybridization and affects both perfect match and mismatch probes. The (GGG1-effect tends to increase gradually for microarrays of later GeneChip generations. It was found for DNA/RNA as well as for DNA/DNA probe/target-hybridization chemistries. Amplification of sample RNA using T7-primers is associated with strong positive amplitudes of the G-bias whereas alternative amplification protocols using random primers give rise to much smaller and partly even negative amplitudes. We applied positional dependent sensitivity models to analyze the specifics of probe intensities in the context of all possible short sequence motifs of one to four adjacent nucleotides along the 25meric probe sequence. Most of the longer motifs are adequately described using a nearest-neighbor (NN model. In contrast, runs of degenerated guanines require explicit consideration of next nearest neighbors (GGG terms. Preprocessing methods such as vsn, RMA, dChip, MAS5 and gcRMA only insufficiently remove the G-bias from data. Conclusions Positional and motif dependent sensitivity models accounts for sequence effects of oligonucleotide probe intensities. We propose a positional dependent NN+GGG hybrid model to correct the intensity bias associated with probes containing poly-G motifs. It is implemented as a single-chip based calibration

  15. Ultrasensitive FRET-based DNA sensor using PNA/DNA hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lan-Hee; Ahn, Dong June; Koo, Eunhae

    2016-12-01

    In the diagnosis of genetic diseases, rapid and highly sensitive DNA detection is crucial. Therefore, many strategies for detecting target DNA have been developed, including electrical, optical, and mechanical methods. Herein, a highly sensitive FRET based sensor was developed by using PNA (Peptide Nucleic Acid) probe and QD, in which red color QDs are hybridized with capture probes, reporter probes and target DNAs by EDC-NHS coupling. The hybridized probe with target DNA gives off fluorescent signal due to the energy transfer from QD to Cy5 dye in the reporter probe. Compared to the conventional DNA sensor using DNA probes, the DNA sensor using PNA probes shows higher FRET factor and efficiency due to the higher reactivity between PNA and target DNA. In addition, to elicit the effect of the distance between the donor and the acceptor, we have investigated two types of the reporter probes having Cy5 dyes attached at the different positions of the reporter probes. Results show that the shorter the distance between QDs and Cy5s, the stronger the signal intensity. Furthermore, based on the fluorescence microscopy images using microcapillary chips, the FRET signal is enhanced to be up to 276% times stronger than the signal obtained using the cuvette by the fluorescence spectrometer. These results suggest that the PNA probe system conjugated with QDs can be used as ultrasensitive DNA nanosensors. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Probe Microscopic Studies of DNA Molecules on Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuo Umemura

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Hybrids of DNA and carbon nanotubes (CNTs are promising nanobioconjugates for nanobiosensors, carriers for drug delivery, and other biological applications. In this review, nanoscopic characterization of DNA-CNT hybrids, in particular, characterization by scanning probe microscopy (SPM, is summarized. In many studies, topographical imaging by atomic force microscopy has been performed. However, some researchers have demonstrated advanced SPM operations in order to maximize its unique and valuable functions. Such sophisticated approaches are attractive and will have a significant impact on future studies of DNA-CNT hybrids.

  17. Hybridization chain reaction-based colorimetric aptasensor of adenosine 5'-triphosphate on unmodified gold nanoparticles and two label-free hairpin probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zhuangqiang; Qiu, Zhenli; Lu, Minghua; Shu, Jian; Tang, Dianping

    2017-03-15

    This work designs a new label-free aptasensor for the colorimetric determination of small molecules (adenosine 5'-triphosphate, ATP) by using visible gold nanoparticles as the signal-generation tags, based on target-triggered hybridization chain reaction (HCR) between two hairpin DNA probes. The assay is carried out referring to the change in the color/absorbance by salt-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles after the interaction with hairpins, gold nanoparticles and ATP. To construct such an assay system, two hairpin DNA probes with a short single-stranded DNA at the sticky end are utilized for interaction with gold nanoparticles. In the absence of target ATP, the hairpin DNA probes can prevent gold nanoparticles from the salt-induced aggregation through the interaction of the single-stranded DNA at the sticky end with gold nanoparticles. Upon target ATP introduction, the aptamer-based hairpin probe is opened to expose a new sticky end for the strand-displacement reaction with another complementary hairpin, thus resulting in the decreasing single-stranded DNA because of the consumption of hairpins. In this case, gold nanoparticles are uncovered owing to the formation of double-stranded DNA, which causes their aggregation upon addition of the salt, thereby leading to the change in the red-to-blue color. Under the optimal conditions, the HCR-based colorimetric assay presents good visible color or absorbance responses for the determination of target ATP at a concentration as low as 1.0nM. Importantly, the methodology can be further extended to quantitatively or qualitatively monitor other small molecules or biotoxins by changing the sequence of the corresponding aptamer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Gene probes : principles and protocols [Methods in molecular biology, v. 179

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Rapley, Ralph; Aquino de Muro, Marilena

    2002-01-01

    ... of labeled DNA has allowed genes to be mapped to single chromosomes and in many cases to a single chromosome band, promoting significant advance in human genome mapping. Gene Probes: Principles and Protocols presents the principles for gene probe design, labeling, detection, target format, and hybridization conditions together with detailed protocols, accom...

  19. Preparation of graphene quantum dots based core-satellite hybrid spheres and their use as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for visual determination of mercury(II) ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hua, Mengjuan [Key Laboratory of Modern Agriculture Equipment and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Wang, Chengquan [School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Qian, Jing, E-mail: qianj@ujs.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Modern Agriculture Equipment and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Wang, Kan; Yang, Zhenting; Liu, Qian; Mao, Hanping [Key Laboratory of Modern Agriculture Equipment and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China); Wang, Kun, E-mail: wangkun@ujs.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Modern Agriculture Equipment and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013 (China)

    2015-08-12

    We herein proposed a simple and effective strategy for preparing graphene quantum dots (GQDs)-based core-satellite hybrid spheres and further explored the feasibility of using such spheres as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for the visual determination of Hg{sup 2+}. The red-emitting CdTe QDs were firstly entrapped in the silica nanosphere to reduce their toxicity and improve their photo and chemical stabilities, thus providing a built-in correction for environmental effects, while the GQDs possessing good biocompatibility and low toxicity were electrostatic self-assembly on the silica surface acting as reaction sites. Upon exposure to the increasing contents of Hg{sup 2+}, the blue fluorescence of GQDs can be gradually quenched presumably due to facilitating nonradiative electron/hole recombination annihilation. With the embedded CdTe QDs as the internal standard, the variations of the tested solution display continuous fluorescence color changes from blue to red, which can be easily observed by the naked eye without any sophisticated instrumentations and specially equipped laboratories. This sensor exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity toward Hg{sup 2+} in a broad linear range of 10 nM–22 μM with a low detection limit of 3.3 nM (S/N = 3), much lower than the allowable Hg{sup 2+} contents in drinking water set by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This prototype ratiometric probe is of good simplicity, low toxicity, excellent stabilities, and thus potentially attractive for Hg{sup 2+} quantification related biological systems. - Highlights: • A facile strategy for preparing GQDs based core-satellite hybrid spheres was reported. • Such spheres can be used as the ratiometric fluorescence probe for Hg{sup 2+} detection. • The Hg{sup 2+} content can be easily distinguished by the naked eye. • The sensor shows high sensitivity and selectivity toward Hg{sup 2+} detection. • The ratiometric probe is of good simplicity, low toxicity, and

  20. The illusion of specific capture: surface and solution studies of suboptimal oligonucleotide hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Hybridization based assays and capture systems depend on the specificity of hybridization between a probe and its intended target. A common guideline in the construction of DNA microarrays, for instance, is that avoiding complementary stretches of more than 15 nucleic acids in a 50 or 60-mer probe will eliminate sequence specific cross-hybridization reactions. Here we present a study of the behavior of partially matched oligonucleotide pairs with complementary stretches starting well below this threshold complementarity length – in silico, in solution, and at the microarray surface. The modeled behavior of pairs of oligonucleotide probes and their targets suggests that even a complementary stretch of sequence 12 nt in length would give rise to specific cross-hybridization. We designed a set of binding partners to a 50-mer oligonucleotide containing complementary stretches from 6 nt to 21 nt in length. Results Solution melting experiments demonstrate that stable partial duplexes can form when only 12 bp of complementary sequence are present; surface hybridization experiments confirm that a signal close in magnitude to full-strength signal can be obtained from hybridization of a 12 bp duplex within a 50mer oligonucleotide. Conclusions Microarray and other molecular capture strategies that rely on a 15 nt lower complementarity bound for eliminating specific cross-hybridization may not be sufficiently conservative. PMID:23445545

  1. Detection of iron-depositing Pedomicrobium species in native biofilms from the Odertal National Park by a new, specific FISH probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braun, Burga; Richert, Inga; Szewzyk, Ulrich

    2009-10-01

    Iron-depositing bacteria play an important role in technical water systems (water wells, distribution systems) due to their intense deposition of iron oxides and resulting clogging effects. Pedomicrobium is known as iron- and manganese-oxidizing and accumulating bacterium. The ability to detect and quantify members of this species in biofilm communities is therefore desirable. In this study the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method was used to detect Pedomicrobium in iron and manganese incrusted biofilms. Based on comparative sequence analysis, we designed and evaluated a specific oligonucleotide probe (Pedo 1250) complementary to the hypervariable region 8 of the 16S rRNA gene for Pedomicrobium. Probe specificities were tested against 3 different strains of Pedomicrobium and Sphingobium yanoikuyae as non-target organism. Using optimized conditions the probe hybridized with all tested strains of Pedomicrobium with an efficiency of 80%. The non-target organism showed no hybridization signals. The new FISH probe was applied successfully for the in situ detection of Pedomicrobium in different native, iron-depositing biofilms. The hybridization results of native bioflims using probe Pedo_1250 agreed with the results of the morphological structure of Pedomicrobium bioflims based on scanning electron microscopy.

  2. Five Performance Enhancements for Hybrid Hash Join

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Graefe, Goetz

    1992-01-01

    .... We discuss five performance enhancements for hybrid hash join algorithms, namely data compression, large cluster sizes and multi-level recursion, role reversal of build and probe inputs, histogram...

  3. Contribution of fluorescence in situ hybridization to biological dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sorokine-Durm, I.; Roy, L.; Durand, V.; Voisin, P.

    1995-01-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization with composite whole chromosome specific DNA probes for human chromosomes 2, 4 and 12 an α-satellite centromeric DNA probe labelled with biotin were used to measure symmetrical and terminal translocations (dose rate 0.5 Gy/min) and dicentrics (0.1 Gy/min) induced in vitro by 60 Co γ-irradiation (0-5 Gy). The suitability of fluorescence in situ hybridization (F.I.S.H.) technique for dicentrics detection is compared with the conventional technique. Dose-response curves for γ-rays ( 60 Co) for two dose rates are shown (dicentrics and translocations). (authors). 10 refs., 2 figs

  4. A new hybrid imperialist competitive algorithm on data clustering

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Modified imperialist competitive algorithm; simulated annealing; ... Clustering is one of the unsupervised learning branches where a set of patterns, usually vectors ..... machine classification is based on design, operation, and/or purpose.

  5. Oligonucleotide PIK3CA/Chromosome 3 Dual in Situ Hybridization Automated Assay with Improved Signals, One-Hour Hybridization, and No Use of Blocking DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenjun; Hubbard, Antony; Baca-Parkinson, Leslie; Stanislaw, Stacey; Vladich, Frank; Robida, Mark D; Grille, James G; Maxwell, Daniel; Tsao, Tsu-Shuen; Carroll, William; Gardner, Tracie; Clements, June; Singh, Shalini; Tang, Lei

    2015-09-01

    The PIK3CA gene at chromosome 3q26.32 was found to be amplified in up to 45% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. The strong correlation between PIK3CA amplification and increased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway activities suggested that PIK3CA gene copy number is a potential predictive biomarker for PI3K inhibitors. Currently, all microscopic assessments of PIK3CA and chromosome 3 (CHR3) copy numbers use fluorescence in situ hybridization. PIK3CA probes are derived from bacterial artificial chromosomes whereas CHR3 probes are derived mainly from the plasmid pHS05. These manual fluorescence in situ hybridization assays mandate 12- to 18-hour hybridization and use of blocking DNA from human sources. Moreover, fluorescence in situ hybridization studies provide limited morphologic assessment and suffer from signal decay. We developed an oligonucleotide-based bright-field in situ hybridization assay that overcomes these shortcomings. This assay requires only a 1-hour hybridization with no need for blocking DNA followed by indirect chromogenic detection. Oligonucleotide probes produced discrete and uniform CHR3 stains superior to those from the pHS05 plasmid. This assay achieved successful staining in 100% of the 195 lung squamous cell carcinoma resections and in 94% of the 33 fine-needle aspirates. This robust automated bright-field dual in situ hybridization assay for the simultaneous detection of PIK3CA and CHR3 centromere provides a potential clinical diagnostic method to assess PIK3CA gene abnormality in lung tumors. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The effect of invasive hybrid taxa on the ecological succession of coastal marshes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hybridization following colonization of invasive species in novel environments frequently results in offspring with improved biological and competitive functions referred to as heterosis or hybrid vigor. However, little is known about the effect of these invasive hybrids on the structuring and funct...

  7. Protocols for 16S rDNA Array Analyses of Microbial Communities by Sequence-Specific Labeling of DNA Probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Knut Rudi

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Analyses of complex microbial communities are becoming increasingly important. Bottlenecks in these analyses, however, are the tools to actually describe the biodiversity. Novel protocols for DNA array-based analyses of microbial communities are presented. In these protocols, the specificity obtained by sequence-specific labeling of DNA probes is combined with the possibility of detecting several different probes simultaneously by DNA array hybridization. The gene encoding 16S ribosomal RNA was chosen as the target in these analyses. This gene contains both universally conserved regions and regions with relatively high variability. The universally conserved regions are used for PCR amplification primers, while the variable regions are used for the specific probes. Protocols are presented for DNA purification, probe construction, probe labeling, and DNA array hybridizations.

  8. Blot hybridization analysis of TCR genes of T cells for five people exposed in a radiation accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Min Rui; Liu Benti; Cheng Tianmin; Yang Rujun; Meng Xiangshun; Xiao Jinsong

    1996-01-01

    Human lymphocyte total DNA was prepared in agarose plug by mixing cells with low melting agarose, and two restriction endonucleases were used for digestion of the total DNA with human α and β TCR cDNA probes. The total digested DNA from five people who were whole body exposed to 2.0-2.5 Gy ionizing radiation in an accident 4.5 years ago was hybridized by Southern blot method. The results showed that no obvious difference in hybridization bands was found between controls and the five victims when hybridizations were fulfilled in the total DNA which was digested by Hind III restriction endonuclease with both α and β probes. However, when the total DNA was digested with restriction endonuclease EcoR I and was hybridized with TCR α probe, four of the five exposed people showed a different hybridizing band pattern compared with the controls. The results are also discussed

  9. Enzyme-free electrochemical detection of microRNA-21 using immobilized hairpin probes and a target-triggered hybridization chain reaction amplification strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Hongying; Bei, Xiaoqiong; Xia, Qiuting; Fu, Yan; Zhang, Shi; Liu, Maochuan; Fan, Kai; Zhang, Mingzhen; Yang, Yong

    2016-01-01

    We describe a sensitive enzyme-free bioassay for the determination of microRNA-21. It is based on a combination of target-triggered hybridization chain reaction, tagging with CdTe quantum dots (QDs), and anodic stripping voltammetry. Firstly, a thiolated capture hairpin probe SH-HP1 was immobilized on the surface of a gold electrode. HP1 unfolds in the presence of microRNA-21. If hairpin probe 2 (HP2) is present, a HP1-HP2 complex will be formed which possesses an exposed stem of HP2, and microRNA is released in parallel. The released microRNA-21 triggers a hybridization chain reaction and this leads to form an exposed DNA segment of HP2 and cycle use microRNA-21. With the aid of assistant DNA A1 and A2, the exposed DNA segment of HP2 progressed to a long double strand. The strand is rich in CdTe QDs with the help of QDs-A1. Then, the attached QDs were dissolved with HNO 3 to give dissolved Cd(II) ions. Finally, the corresponding electrochemical current response of Cd(II) is monitored by anodic stripping voltammetry and used to quantify the concentration of microRNA-21. More microRNA-21 participated in this reaction increases the number of CdTe QDs, which results in increased electrochemical current. Thus, an ultrasensitive detection of microRNA-21 is accomplished by anodic stripping voltammetry. This gene assay displays a detection limit as low as 33 aM. It can discriminate between complementary DNA sequence and single-base mismatched DNA, indicating its high specificity. (author)

  10. Comparative mapping of DNA probes derived from the V{sub k} immunoglobulin gene regions on human and great ape chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arnold, N.; Wienberg, J.; Ermert, K. [Universitaet Muenchen (Germany)] [and others

    1995-03-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of cosmid clones of human V{sub K} gene regions to human and primate chromosomes contributed to the dating of chromosome reorganizations in evolution. A clone from the K locus at 2p11-p12 (cos 106) hybridized to the assumed homologous chromosome bands in the chimpanzees Pan troglodytes (PTR) and P. paniscus (PPA), the Gorilla gorilla (GGO), and the orangutan Pongo Pygmaeus (PPY). Human and both chimpanzees differed from gorilla and orangutan by the mapping of cos 170, a clone derived from chromosome 2cen-q11.2; the transposition of this orphon to the other side of the centromere can, therefore, be dated after the human/chimpanzee and gorilla divergence. Hybridization to homologous bands was also found with a cosmid clone containing a V{sub K}I orphon located on chromosome 1 (cos 115, main signal at 1q31-q32), although the probe is not fully unique. Also, a clone derived from the orphon V{sub K} region on chromosome 22q11 (cos 121) hybridized to the homologous bands in the great apes. This indicates that the orphons on human chromosomes 1 and 22 had been translocated early in primate evolution. 18 refs., 2 figs.

  11. Probe Selection for DNA Microarrays using OligoWiz

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wernersson, Rasmus; Juncker, Agnieszka; Nielsen, Henrik Bjørn

    2007-01-01

    Nucleotide abundance measurements using DNA microarray technology are possible only if appropriate probes complementary to the target nucleotides can be identified. Here we present a protocol for selecting DNA probes for microarrays using the OligoWiz application. OligoWiz is a client-server appl......Nucleotide abundance measurements using DNA microarray technology are possible only if appropriate probes complementary to the target nucleotides can be identified. Here we present a protocol for selecting DNA probes for microarrays using the OligoWiz application. OligoWiz is a client......-server application that offers a detailed graphical interface and real-time user interaction on the client side, and massive computer power and a large collection of species databases (400, summer 2007) on the server side. Probes are selected according to five weighted scores: cross-hybridization, deltaT(m), folding...... computer skills and can be executed from any Internet-connected computer. The probe selection procedure for a standard microarray design targeting all yeast transcripts can be completed in 1 h....

  12. Floral traits and pollination ecology of European Arum hybrids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chartier, Marion; Liagre, Suzanne; Weiss-Schneeweiss, Hanna; Kolano, Bozena; Bessière, Jean-Marie; Schönenberger, Jürg; Gibernau, Marc

    2016-02-01

    Hybridisation is common in plants and can affect the genetic diversity and ecology of sympatric parental populations. Hybrids may resemble the parental species in their ecology, leading to competition and/or gene introgression; alternatively, they may diverge from the parental phenotypes, possibly leading to the colonisation of new ecological niches and to speciation. Here, we describe inflorescence morphology, ploidy levels, pollinator attractive scents, and pollinator guilds of natural hybrids of Arum italicum and A. maculatum (Araceae) from a site with sympatric parental populations in southern France to determine how these traits affect the hybrid pollination ecology. Hybrids were characterised by inflorescences with a size and a number of flowers more similar to A. italicum than to A. maculatum. In most cases, hybrid stamens were purple, as in A. maculatum, and spadix appendices yellow, as in A. italicum. Hybrid floral scent was closer to that of A. italicum, but shared some compounds with A. maculatum and comprised unique compounds. Also, the pollinator guild of the hybrids was similar to that of A. italicum. Nevertheless, the hybrids attracted a high proportion of individuals of the main pollinator of A. maculatum. We discuss the effects of hybridisation in sympatric parental zones in which hybrids exhibit low levels of reproductive success, the establishment of reproductive barriers between parental species, the role of the composition of floral attractive scents in the differential attraction of pollinators and in the competition between hybrids and their parental species, and the potential of hybridisation to give rise to new independent lineages.

  13. Effect of sample storage time on detection of hybridization signals in Checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    do Nascimento, Cássio; Muller, Katia; Sato, Sandra; Albuquerque Junior, Rubens Ferreira

    2012-04-01

    Long-term sample storage can affect the intensity of the hybridization signals provided by molecular diagnostic methods that use chemiluminescent detection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different storage times on the hybridization signals of 13 bacterial species detected by the Checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization method using whole-genomic DNA probes. Ninety-six subgingival biofilm samples were collected from 36 healthy subjects, and the intensity of hybridization signals was evaluated at 4 different time periods: (1) immediately after collecting (n = 24) and (2) after storage at -20 °C for 6 months (n = 24), (3) for 12 months (n = 24), and (4) for 24 months (n = 24). The intensity of hybridization signals obtained from groups 1 and 2 were significantly higher than in the other groups (p  0.05). The Checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization method was suitable to detect hybridization signals from all groups evaluated, and the intensity of signals decreased significantly after long periods of sample storage.

  14. Implicit memory for novel figure-ground displays includes a history of cross-border competition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Mary A; Lampignano, Daniel W

    2003-08-01

    When configural cues specify that a figure lies on opposite sides of a repeated border in prime andprobe shapes, probe latencies are longer than when prime and probe borders are unrelated. Do such results reflect negative priming for the shape of the prime ground or cross-border competition from figure memory? The present study tested these alternatives by adding partial closure as a competing cue and reducing the similarity between the prime ground and the shape of the probe. Results supported the cross-border competition interpretation. Additional findings were that partial closure is a configural cue and that response effects can emerge from the potential shape on the ground side of a border. One prior experience was sufficient for these effects.

  15. Short Wavelength Electromagnetic Perturbations Excited Near the Solar Probe Plus Spacecraft in the Inner Heliosphere: 2.5D Hybrid Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipatov, Alexander S.; Sittler, Edward C.; Hartle, Richard E.; Cooper, John F.

    2011-01-01

    A 2.5D numerical plasma model of the interaction of the solar wind (SW) with the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft (SPPSC) is presented. These results should be interpreted as a basic plasma model derived from the SW-interaction with the spacecraft (SC), which could have consequences for both plasma wave and electron plasma measurements on board the SC in the inner heliosphere. Compression waves and electric field jumps with amplitudes of about 1.5 V/m and (12-18) V/m were also observed. A strong polarization electric field was also observed in the wing of the plasma wake. However, 2.5D hybrid modeling did not show excitation of whistler/Alfven waves in the upstream connected with the bidirectional current closure that was observed in short-time 3D modeling SPPSC and near a tether in the ionosphere. The observed strong electromagnetic perturbations may be a crucial point in the electromagnetic measurements planned for the future Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission. The results of modeling electromagnetic field perturbations in the SW due to shot noise in absence of SPPSC are also discussed.

  16. Implementation and verification of a four-probe motion error measurement system for a large-scale roll lathe used in hybrid manufacturing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Yuan-Liu; Niu, Zengyuan; Matsuura, Daiki; Lee, Jung Chul; Shimizu, Yuki; Gao, Wei; Oh, Jeong Seok; Park, Chun Hong

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, a four-probe measurement system is implemented and verified for the carriage slide motion error measurement of a large-scale roll lathe used in hybrid manufacturing where a laser machining probe and a diamond cutting tool are placed on two sides of a roll workpiece for manufacturing. The motion error of the carriage slide of the roll lathe is composed of two straightness motion error components and two parallelism motion error components in the vertical and horizontal planes. Four displacement measurement probes, which are mounted on the carriage slide with respect to four opposing sides of the roll workpiece, are employed for the measurement. Firstly, based on the reversal technique, the four probes are moved by the carriage slide to scan the roll workpiece before and after a 180-degree rotation of the roll workpiece. Taking into consideration the fact that the machining accuracy of the lathe is influenced by not only the carriage slide motion error but also the gravity deformation of the large-scale roll workpiece due to its heavy weight, the vertical motion error is thus characterized relating to the deformed axis of the roll workpiece. The horizontal straightness motion error can also be synchronously obtained based on the reversal technique. In addition, based on an error separation algorithm, the vertical and horizontal parallelism motion error components are identified by scanning the rotating roll workpiece at the start and the end positions of the carriage slide, respectively. The feasibility and reliability of the proposed motion error measurement system are demonstrated by the experimental results and the measurement uncertainty analysis. (paper)

  17. Implementation and verification of a four-probe motion error measurement system for a large-scale roll lathe used in hybrid manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yuan-Liu; Niu, Zengyuan; Matsuura, Daiki; Lee, Jung Chul; Shimizu, Yuki; Gao, Wei; Oh, Jeong Seok; Park, Chun Hong

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, a four-probe measurement system is implemented and verified for the carriage slide motion error measurement of a large-scale roll lathe used in hybrid manufacturing where a laser machining probe and a diamond cutting tool are placed on two sides of a roll workpiece for manufacturing. The motion error of the carriage slide of the roll lathe is composed of two straightness motion error components and two parallelism motion error components in the vertical and horizontal planes. Four displacement measurement probes, which are mounted on the carriage slide with respect to four opposing sides of the roll workpiece, are employed for the measurement. Firstly, based on the reversal technique, the four probes are moved by the carriage slide to scan the roll workpiece before and after a 180-degree rotation of the roll workpiece. Taking into consideration the fact that the machining accuracy of the lathe is influenced by not only the carriage slide motion error but also the gravity deformation of the large-scale roll workpiece due to its heavy weight, the vertical motion error is thus characterized relating to the deformed axis of the roll workpiece. The horizontal straightness motion error can also be synchronously obtained based on the reversal technique. In addition, based on an error separation algorithm, the vertical and horizontal parallelism motion error components are identified by scanning the rotating roll workpiece at the start and the end positions of the carriage slide, respectively. The feasibility and reliability of the proposed motion error measurement system are demonstrated by the experimental results and the measurement uncertainty analysis.

  18. Proximity hybridization-mediated isothermal exponential amplification for ultrasensitive electrochemical protein detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Y

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Yanyan Yu, Gaoxing Su, Hongyan Zhu, Qing Zhu, Yong Chen, Bohui Xu, Yuqin Li, Wei Zhang School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, People’s Republic of China Abstract: In this study, we fabricated a novel electrochemical biosensing platform on the basis of target-triggered proximity hybridization-mediated isothermal exponential amplification reaction (EXPAR for ultrasensitive protein analysis. Through rational design, the aptamers for protein recognition were integrated within two DNA probes. Via proximity hybridization principle, the affinity protein-binding event was converted into DNA assembly process. The recognition of protein by aptamers can trigger the strand displacement through the increase of the local concentrations of the involved probes. As a consequence, the output DNA was displaced, which can hybridize with the duplex probes immobilized on the electrode surface subsequently, leading to the initiation of the EXPAR as well as the cleavage of duplex probes. Each cleavage will release the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs binding sequence. With the modification of G-quadruplex sequence, electrochemical signals were yielded by the AuNPs through oxidizing 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H2O2. The study we proposed exhibited high sensitivity toward platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB with the detection limit of 52 fM. And, this method also showed great selectivity among the PDGF isoforms and performed well in spiked human serum samples. Keywords: electrochemical biosensor, proximity hybridization, PDGF-BB, isothermal exponential amplification, G-quadruplex 

  19. Effect of secondary structure on the thermodynamics and kinetics of PNA hybridization to DNA hairpins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kushon, S A; Jordan, J P; Seifert, J L

    2001-01-01

    The binding of a series of PNA and DNA probes to a group of unusually stable DNA hairpins of the tetraloop motif has been observed using absorbance hypochromicity (ABS), circular dichroism (CD), and a colorimetric assay for PNA/DNA duplex detection. These results indicate that both stable PNA...... structures in both target and probe molecules are shown to depress the melting temperatures and free energies of the probe-target duplexes. Kinetic analysis of hybridization yields reaction rates that are up to 160-fold slower than hybridization between two unstructured strands. The thermodynamic and kinetic...

  20. Sixty-five radiation hybrids for the short arm of human chromosome 6: their value as a mapping panel and as a source for rapid isolation of new probes using repeat element-mediated PCR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zoghbi, H.Y.; McCall, A.E.; LeBorgne-Demarquoy, F.

    1991-01-01

    We have used an irradiation and fusion procedure to generate somatic cell hybrids that retain fragments of the short arm of human chromosome 6 (6p). To identify hybrids retaining human material, we performed repeat element-mediated PCR on crude lysates of cells from individual clones. Sixty-five hybrids were shown to contain human material and fifty of those contained one or more 6p-specific probes. Detailed characterization of these hybrids identified a subset that divides 6p into ten mapping intervals. Using repeat element-mediated PCR, we were able to isolate and map 61 new DNA fragments from specific regions of 6p. Fifteen of these fragments were used to screen for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), and nine identified RFLPs with one or more enzymes. The radiation hybrids described in this study provide a valuable resource for high-resolution mapping of 6p and for the rapid isolation of region-specific markers

  1. Hybridization-based biosensor containing hairpin probes and use thereof

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Benjamin L.; Strohsahl, Christopher M.

    2010-10-12

    A sensor chip that includes: a fluorescence quenching surface; a nucleic acid probe that contains first and second ends with the first end bound to the fluorescence quenching surface, and is characterized by being able to self-anneal into a hairpin conformation; and a first fluorophore bound to the second end of the first nucleic acid molecule. When the first nucleic acid molecule is in the hairpin conformation, the fluorescence quenching surface substantially quenches fluorescent emissions by the first fluorophore; and when the first nucleic acid molecule is in a non-hairpin conformation, fluorescent emissions by the fluorophore are substantially free of quenching by the fluorescence quenching surface. Various nucleic acid probes, methods of making the sensor chip, biological sensor devices that contain the sensor chip, and their methods of use are also disclosed.

  2. Library performance and service competition developing strategic responses

    CERN Document Server

    White, Larry Nash

    2008-01-01

    A practice-driven and proven resource for library administrators of all types of libraries. The work describes how the library can identify the service environment factors impacting customers; strategic needs; identify library competitors; strategic abilities and service environment impacts; and use the combined results to develop proactive competitive responses that drive the service environment instead of reacting to the service environment. These strategic competitive responses would allow the library to increase the value of its service impact and effectiveness while increasing customer appreciation and the libraries advantage in the competitive service environment. Written by a highly knowledgeable practitioner from the library field Experience of the author (library and for-profit management experience) provides a hybrid/blended view of library competition and management responses from both the library and for-profit management worlds Written to applicable to all types of libraries.

  3. Hybrid strategies in nanolithography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saavedra, Hector M; Mullen, Thomas J; Zhang Pengpeng; Dewey, Daniel C; Claridge, Shelley A; Weiss, Paul S [Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)], E-mail: psw@cnsi.ucla.edu

    2010-03-15

    Hybrid nanoscale patterning strategies combine the registration and addressability of conventional lithographic techniques with the chemical and physical functionality enabled by intermolecular, electrostatic and/or biological interactions. This review aims to highlight and to provide a comprehensive description of recent developments in hybrid nanoscale patterning strategies that enhance existing lithographic techniques or can be used to fabricate functional chemical patterns that interact with their environment. These functional structures create new capabilities, such as the fabrication of physicochemical surfaces that can recognize and capture analytes from complex liquid or gaseous mixtures. The nanolithographic techniques we describe can be classified into three general areas: traditional lithography, soft lithography and scanning-probe lithography. The strengths and limitations of each hybrid patterning technique will be discussed, along with the current and potential applications of the resulting patterned, functional surfaces.

  4. Formation of diploid and triploid hybrid groupers (hybridization of Epinephelus coioides ♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂) and their 5S gene analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wen; Qin, Qinbo; Yang, Huirong; Li, Shuisheng; Hu, Chaoqun; Wang, Yude; Zhang, Yong; Liu, Shaojun; Lin, Haoran

    2016-10-07

    Interspecies hybridization is widely used to achieve heterosis or hybrid vigor, which has been observed and harnessed by breeders for centuries. Natural allopolyploid hybrids generally exhibit more superior heterosis than both the diploid progenies and their parental species. However, polyploid formation processes have been long ignored, the genetic basis of heterosis in polyploids remains elusive. In the present study, triploid hybrids had been demonstrated to contain two sets of chromosomes from mother species and one set from father species. Cellular polyploidization process in the embryos had been traced. The triploid hybrids might be formed by failure formation of the second polarized genome during the second meiosis stage. Four spindle centers were observed in anaphase stage of the first cell division. Three spindle centers were observed in side of cell plate after the first cell division. The 5S rDNA genes of four types of groupers were cloned and analyzed. The diploid and triploid hybrids had been proved to contain the tandem chimera structures which were recombined by maternal and paternal monomer units. The results indicated that genome re-fusion had occurred in the hybrid progenies. To further elucidate the genetic patterns of diploid and triploid hybrids, fluorescence chromosome location had been carried out, maternal 5S gene (M-386) were used as the probe. The triploid hybrids contained fewer fluorescence loci numbers than the maternal species. The results indicated that participation of paternal 5S gene in the triploid hybrid genome had degraded the match rates of M-386 probe. Our study is the first to investigate the cellular formation processes of natural allopolyploids in hybrid fish, the cellular polyploidization process may be caused by failure formation of the second polarized genome during the meiosis, and our results will provide the molecular basis of hybrid vigor in interspecies hybridization.

  5. Determination for Enterobacter cloacae based on a europium ternary complex labeled DNA probe

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Hui; Niu, Cheng-Gang; Zeng, Guang-Ming; Ruan, Min; Qin, Pin-Zhu; Liu, Jing

    2011-11-01

    The fast detection and accurate diagnosis of the prevalent pathogenic bacteria is very important for the treatment of disease. Nowadays, fluorescence techniques are important tools for diagnosis. A two-probe tandem DNA hybridization assay was designed for the detection of Enterobacter cloacae based on time-resolved fluorescence. In this work, the authors synthesized a novel europium ternary complex Eu(TTA) 3(5-NH 2-phen) with intense luminescence, high fluorescence quantum yield and long lifetime before. We developed a method based on this europium complex for the specific detection of original extracted DNA from E. cloacae. In the hybridization assay format, the reporter probe was labeled with Eu(TTA) 3(5-NH 2-phen) on the 5'-terminus, and the capture probe capture probe was covalent immobilized on the surface of the glutaraldehyde treated glass slides. The original extracted DNA of samples was directly used without any DNA purification and amplification. The detection was conducted by monitoring the fluorescence intensity from the glass surface after DNA hybridization. The detection limit of the DNA was 5 × 10 -10 mol L -1. The results of the present work proved that this new approach was easy to operate with high sensitivity and specificity. It could be conducted as a powerful tool for the detection of pathogen microorganisms in the environment.

  6. Predicting Victory in a Hybrid Online Competitive Game : The Case of Destiny

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Norouzzadeh Ravari, Yaser; Spronck, Pieter; Sifa, Rafet; Drachen, Anders

    2017-01-01

    Competitive multi-player game play is a common feature in major commercial titles, and has formed the foundation for esports. In this paper, the question whether it is possible to predict match outcomes in First Person Shooter-type multiplayer competitive games with mixed genres is addressed. The

  7. A novel probe density controllable electrochemiluminescence biosensor for ultra-sensitive detection of Hg2+ based on DNA hybridization optimization with gold nanoparticles array patterned self-assembly platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Wenhua; Zhang, An; Chen, Yunsheng; Chen, Zixuan; Chen, Yaowen; Lu, Fushen; Chen, Zhanguang

    2013-11-15

    Biosensor based on DNA hybridization holds great potential to get higher sensitivity as the optimal DNA hybridization efficiency can be achieved by controlling the distribution and orientation of probe strands on the transducer surface. In this work, an innovative strategy is reported to tap the sensitivity potential of current electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing system by dispersedly anchoring the DNA beacons on the gold nanoparticles (GNPs) array which was electrodeposited on the glassy carbon electrode surface, rather than simply sprawling the coil-like strands onto planar gold surface. The strategy was developed by designing a "signal-on" ECL biosensing switch fabricated on the GNPs nanopatterned electrode surface for enhanced ultra-sensitivity detection of Hg(2+). A 57-mer hairpin-DNA labeled with ferrocene as ECL quencher and a 13-mer DNA labeled with Ru(bpy)3(2+) as reporter were hybridized to construct the signal generator in off-state. A 31-mer thymine (T)-rich capture-DNA was introduced to form T-T mismatches with the loop sequence of the hairpin-DNA in the presence of Hg(2+) and induce the stem-loop open, meanwhile the ECL "signal-on" was triggered. The peak sensitivity with the lowest detection limit of 0.1 nM was achieved with the optimal GNPs number density while exorbitant GNPs deposition resulted in sensitivity deterioration for the biosensor. We expect the present strategy could lead the renovation of the existing probe-immobilized ECL genosensor design to get an even higher sensitivity in ultralow level of target detection such as the identification of genetic diseases and disorders in basic research and clinical application. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Diagnosis of Lower Hybrid on MST

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burke, D. R.; Goetz, J. A.; Kaufman, M. C.; Almagri, A. F.; Anderson, J. K.; Forest, C. B.; Prager, S. C.

    2007-01-01

    RF driven current has never been demonstrated in a Reversed Field Pinch. Recently the lower hybrid system on the Madison Symmetric Torus reached a new operating regime. This upgrade allows RF powers of up to 5% of the Ohmic input power to be injected. It is therefore anticipated that the lower hybrid system is on the threshold of producing meaningful changes to the RFP equilibrium. A diagnostic set is under development to facilitate the study of such changes and lay the foundation for near megawatt operations. Many measurements are being studied for viability. These include electron cyclotron emission, examinations of bulk ion and electron heating, surface perturbation pickup coils, magnetic probe measurements, and Langmuir probe measurements. In addition, several x-ray diagnostics are in operation: pulse height analysis is performed on detector arrays to determine the 5-200 keV spectrum. An insertable target probe is available to create x-rays from fast electrons. Tomographic inversion of 2-D Soft x-ray detectors yields equilibrium information through island structure. Results from experiments with source power up to 225 kW will be presented. Preliminary results from CQL3D Fokker-Planck simulations will also be presented

  9. High-performance analysis of single interphase cells with custom DNA probes spanning translocation break points

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weier, Heinz-Ulli G.; Munne, S.; Lersch, Robert A.; Marquez, C.; Wu, J.; Pedersen, Roger A.; Fung, Jingly

    1999-06-01

    The chromatin organization of interphase cell nuclei, albeit an object of intense investigation, is only poorly understood. In the past, this has hampered the cytogenetic analysis of tissues derived from specimens where only few cells were actively proliferating or a significant number of metaphase cells could be obtained by induction of growth. Typical examples of such hard to analyze cell systems are solid tumors, germ cells and, to a certain extent, fetal cells such as amniocytes, blastomeres or cytotrophoblasts. Balanced reciprocal translocations that do not disrupt essential genes and thus do not led to disease symptoms exit in less than one percent of the general population. Since the presence of translocations interferes with homologue pairing in meiosis, many of these individuals experience problems in their reproduction, such as reduced fertility, infertility or a history of spontaneous abortions. The majority of translocation carriers enrolled in our in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs carry simple translocations involving only two autosomes. While most translocations are relatively easy to spot in metaphase cells, the majority of cells biopsied from embryos produced by IVF are in interphase and thus unsuitable for analysis by chromosome banding or FISH-painting. We therefore set out to analyze single interphase cells for presence or absence of specific translocations. Our assay, based on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of breakpoint-spanning DNA probes, detects translocations in interphase by visual microscopic inspection of hybridization domains. Probes are prepared so that they span a breakpoint and cover several hundred kb of DNA adjacent to the breakpoint. On normal chromosomes, such probes label a contiguous stretch of DNA and produce a single hybridization domain per chromosome in interphase cells. The translocation disrupts the hybridization domain and the resulting two fragments appear as physically separated hybridization domains in

  10. Fluorescence detection of natural RNA using rationally designed "clickable" oligonucleotide probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Okholm, Anders; Kjems, Jørgen; Astakhova, Kira

    2014-01-01

    Herein a reliable approach to the design of effective fluorescent probes for RNA detection is described. The fluorescence signalling of hybridization by internally positioned polyaromatic hydrocarbons and rhodamine dyes was achieved with a low fluorescence background signal, high fluorescence qua...... quantum yields at ambient and elevated temperature, high selectivity and signal specificity of the probes when binding to miR-7 and circRNA targets....

  11. Comparative gene expression profiles between heterotic and non-heterotic hybrids of tetraploid Medicago sativa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nettleton Dan

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Heterosis, the superior performance of hybrids relative to parents, has clear agricultural value, but its genetic control is unknown. Our objective was to test the hypotheses that hybrids expressing heterosis for biomass yield would show more gene expression levels that were different from midparental values and outside the range of parental values than hybrids that do not exhibit heterosis. Results We tested these hypotheses in three Medicago sativa (alfalfa genotypes and their three hybrids, two of which expressed heterosis for biomass yield and a third that did not, using Affymetrix M. truncatula GeneChip arrays. Alfalfa hybridized to approximately 47% of the M. truncatula probe sets. Probe set signal intensities were analyzed using MicroArray Suite v.5.0 (MAS and robust multi-array average (RMA algorithms. Based on MAS analysis, the two heterotic hybrids performed similarly, with about 27% of genes showing differential expression among the parents and their hybrid compared to 12.5% for the non-heterotic hybrid. At a false discovery rate of 0.15, 4.7% of differentially expressed genes in hybrids (~300 genes showed nonadditive expression compared to only 0.5% (16 genes in the non-heterotic hybrid. Of the nonadditively expressed genes, approximately 50% showed expression levels that fell outside the parental range in heterotic hybrids, but only one of 16 showed a similar profile in the non-heterotic hybrid. Genes whose expression differed in the parents were three times more likely to show nonadditive expression than genes whose parental transcript levels were equal. Conclusion The higher proportions of probe sets with expression level that differed from the parental midparent value and that were more extreme than either parental value in the heterotic hybrids compared to a non-heterotic hybrid were also found using RMA. We conclude that nonadditive expression of transcript levels may contribute to heterosis for biomass

  12. Diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis with radiolabelled probes: comparison of the kDNA PCR-hybridization with three molecular methods in different clinical samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, Aline Leandra C.; Ferreira, Sidney A.; Carregal, Virginia M.; Andrade, Antero Silva R., E-mail: antero@cdtn.br [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Lab. de Radiobiologia; Melo, Maria N., E-mail: melo@icb.ufmg.br [Departamento de Parasitologia. Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi is responsible for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil and the dog is the main domestic reservoir. Disease control is based on the elimination of infected animals and the use of a sensitive and specific diagnostic test is necessary. The Brazilian VL control program emphasizes serologic surveys, mainly using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), followed by the elimination of the seropositive dogs. However, these techniques present limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) associated to hybridization with DNA probes labeled with {sup 32}P has been recognized as a valuable tool for Leishmania identification. In this study, the sensitivity of kDNA PCR hybridization method was compared with three other molecular methods: Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 Nested PCR (ITS-1nPCR), Leishmania nested PCR (LnPCR) and Seminested kDNA PCR (kDNA snPCR). The comparison was performed in different clinical specimens: conjunctival swab, skin, blood and bone marrow. A group of thirty symptomatic dogs, positive in the parasitological and serological tests, was used. When. The techniques targeting kDNA mini-circles (kDNA snPCR and KDNA PCR-hybridization) showed the worst result for blood samples. The KDNA-PCR hybridization showed the best sensitivity for conjunctival swab. By comparing the samples on the basis of positivity obtained by the sum of all methods, the blood showed the worst outcome (71/120).The bone marrow showed the highest positivity (106/120), followed by conjunctival swab (100/120) and skin (89/120). Since the bone marrow samples are unsuitable for routine epidemiological surveys, the conjunctival swab was recommended because it allows high sensitivity, especially when associated with kDNA PCR hybridization method, and is a noninvasive sampling method. (author)

  13. Diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis with radiolabelled probes: comparison of the kDNA PCR-hybridization with three molecular methods in different clinical samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferreira, Aline Leandra C.; Ferreira, Sidney A.; Carregal, Virginia M.; Andrade, Antero Silva R.

    2011-01-01

    Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi is responsible for visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil and the dog is the main domestic reservoir. Disease control is based on the elimination of infected animals and the use of a sensitive and specific diagnostic test is necessary. The Brazilian VL control program emphasizes serologic surveys, mainly using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), followed by the elimination of the seropositive dogs. However, these techniques present limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) associated to hybridization with DNA probes labeled with 32 P has been recognized as a valuable tool for Leishmania identification. In this study, the sensitivity of kDNA PCR hybridization method was compared with three other molecular methods: Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 Nested PCR (ITS-1nPCR), Leishmania nested PCR (LnPCR) and Seminested kDNA PCR (kDNA snPCR). The comparison was performed in different clinical specimens: conjunctival swab, skin, blood and bone marrow. A group of thirty symptomatic dogs, positive in the parasitological and serological tests, was used. When. The techniques targeting kDNA mini-circles (kDNA snPCR and KDNA PCR-hybridization) showed the worst result for blood samples. The KDNA-PCR hybridization showed the best sensitivity for conjunctival swab. By comparing the samples on the basis of positivity obtained by the sum of all methods, the blood showed the worst outcome (71/120).The bone marrow showed the highest positivity (106/120), followed by conjunctival swab (100/120) and skin (89/120). Since the bone marrow samples are unsuitable for routine epidemiological surveys, the conjunctival swab was recommended because it allows high sensitivity, especially when associated with kDNA PCR hybridization method, and is a noninvasive sampling method. (author)

  14. In situ hybridization of phytoplankton using fluorescently labeled rRNA probes

    OpenAIRE

    Groben, R.; Medlin, Linda

    2005-01-01

    Fluorescently-labelled molecular probes were used to identify and characterise phytoplankton species using in situ hybridisation coupled with fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The application of this technique is sometimes problematic, because of the many different species with which this method is to be used. Problems that may occur are: probe penetration versus maintanance of cell stability, strong autofluorescence and/or cell lost during the sample processing. Here we present a m...

  15. Moth sex chromatin probed by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sahara, K.; Marec, František; Eickhoff, U.; Traut, W.

    2003-01-01

    Roč. 46, - (2003), s. 339-342 ISSN 0831-2796 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA6007307 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5007907 Keywords : Lepidoptera * comparative genomic hybridization Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.861, year: 2003

  16. Hybridization and genome evolution I: The role of contingency during hybrid speciation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabrice EROUKHMANOFF, Richard I. BAILEY, Glenn-Peter SæTRE

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Homoploid hybrid speciation (HHS involves the recombination of two differentiated genomes into a novel, functional one without a change in chromosome number. Theoretically, there are numerous ways for two parental genomes to recombine. Hence, chance may play a large role in the formation of a hybrid species. If these genome combinations can evolve rapidly following hybridization and sympatric situations are numerous, recurrent homoploid hybrid speciation is a possibility. We argue that three different, but not mutually exclusive, types of contingencies could influence this process. First, many of these “hopeful monsters” of recombinant parent genotypes would likely have low fitness. Only specific combinations of parental genomic contributions may produce viable, intra-fertile hybrid species able to accommodate potential constraints arising from intragenomic conflict. Second, ecological conditions (competition, geography of the contact zones or the initial frequency of both parent species might favor different outcomes ranging from sympatric coexistence to the formation of hybrid swarms and ultimately hybrid speciation. Finally, history may also play an important role in promoting or constraining recurrent HHS if multiple hybridization events occur sequentially and parental divergence or isolation differs along this continuum. We discuss under which conditions HHS may occur multiple times in parallel and to what extent recombination and selection may fuse the parent genomes in the same or different ways. We conclude by examining different approaches that might help to solve this intriguing evolutionary puzzle [Current Zoology 59 (5: 667-674, 2013]. 

  17. Development of DNA probes for Candida albicans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheung, L.L.; Hudson, J.B.

    1988-01-01

    An attempt was made to produce DNA probes that could be used as a rapid and efficient means of detecting candidiasis (invasive Candida infection) in immunocompromised patients. Whole DNA from Candida albicans was digested with restriction endonuclease, and the resulting fragments were randomly cloned into a plasmid vector. Several recombinant plasmids were evaluated for cross-hybridization to various other Candida species, other fungal DNAs, and to nonfungal DNAs. Cross reactions were observed between the probes and different yeasts, but none with unrelated DNAs. Some recombinants were genus-specific, and two of these were applied to the analysis of C. albicans growth curves. It became evident that, although both 32 P- and biotin-labelled probes could be made quite sensitive, a possible limitation in their diagnostic potential was the poor liberation of Candida DNA from cells. Thus, better methods of treatment of clinical specimens will be required before such probes will be useful in routine diagnosis

  18. Development of DNA probes for Candida albicans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cheung, L.L.; Hudson, J.B.

    1988-07-01

    An attempt was made to produce DNA probes that could be used as a rapid and efficient means of detecting candidiasis (invasive Candida infection) in immunocompromised patients. Whole DNA from Candida albicans was digested with restriction endonuclease, and the resulting fragments were randomly cloned into a plasmid vector. Several recombinant plasmids were evaluated for cross-hybridization to various other Candida species, other fungal DNAs, and to nonfungal DNAs. Cross reactions were observed between the probes and different yeasts, but none with unrelated DNAs. Some recombinants were genus-specific, and two of these were applied to the analysis of C. albicans growth curves. It became evident that, although both /sup 32/P- and biotin-labelled probes could be made quite sensitive, a possible limitation in their diagnostic potential was the poor liberation of Candida DNA from cells. Thus, better methods of treatment of clinical specimens will be required before such probes will be useful in routine diagnosis.

  19. Magnetoresistive sensors for measurements of DNA hybridization kinetics - effect of TINA modifications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rizzi, Giovanni; Dufva, Martin; Hansen, Mikkel Fougt

    2017-01-01

    We present the use of magnetoresistive sensors integrated in a microfluidic system for real-time studies of the hybridization kinetics of DNA labeled with magnetic nanoparticles to an array of surface-tethered probes. The nanoparticles were magnetized by the magnetic field from the sensor current....... A local negative reference ensured that only the specific binding signal was measured. Analysis of the real-time hybridization using a two-compartment model yielded both the association and dissociation constants kon, and koff. The effect of probe modifications with ortho-Twisted Intercalating Nucleic...

  20. Ongoing movement of the hermit warbler X Townsend's warbler hybrid zone.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meade Krosby

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Movements of hybrid zones - areas of overlap and interbreeding between species - are difficult to document empirically. This is true because moving hybrid zones are expected to be rare, and because movement may proceed too slowly to be measured directly. Townsend's warblers (Dendroica townsendi hybridize with hermit warblers (D. occidentalis where their ranges overlap in Washington and Oregon. Previous morphological, behavioral, and genetic studies of this hybrid zone suggest that it has been steadily moving into the geographical range of hermit warblers, with the more aggressive Townsend's warblers replacing hermit warblers along ∼2000 km of the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska. Ongoing movement of the zone, however, has yet to be empirically demonstrated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We compared recently sampled hybrid zone specimens to those collected 10-20 years earlier, to test directly the long-standing hypothesis of hybrid zone movement between these species. Newly sampled specimens were more Townsend's-like than historical specimens, consistent with ongoing movement of the zone into the geographical range of hermit warblers. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: While movement of a hybrid zone may be explained by several possible mechanisms, in this case a wealth of existing evidence suggests that movement is being driven by the competitive displacement of hermit warblers by Townsend's warblers. That no ecological differences have been found between these species, and that replacement of hermit warblers by Townsend's warblers is proceeding downward in latitude and elevation - opposite the directions of range shifts predicted by recent climate change - further support that this movement is not being driven by alternative environmental factors. If the mechanism of competitive displacement is correct, whether this process will ultimately lead to the extinction of hermit warblers will depend on the continued maintenance of the

  1. Localization of insulin receptor mRNA in rat brain by in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marks, J.L.; Porte, D. Jr.; Stahl, W.L.; Baskin, D.G.

    1990-01-01

    Insulin receptor mRNA was demonstrated in rat brain slices by in situ hybridization with three 35 S-oligonucleotide probes and contact film autoradiography. Specificity was confirmed by showing that (a) excess unlabeled probe abolished the signal, (b) an oligonucleotide probe for rat neuropeptide Y mRNA showed a different distribution of hybridization signal, and (c) the distribution of insulin receptor binding was consistent with the distribution of insulin receptor mRNA. Insulin receptor mRNA was most abundant in the granule cell layers of the olfactory bulb, cerebellum and dentate gyrus, in the pyramidal cell body layers of the pyriform cortex and hippocampus, in the choroid plexus and in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus

  2. Phenylethynylpyrene excimer forming hybridization probes for fluorescence SNP detection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prokhorenko, Igor A.; Astakhova, Irina V.; Momynaliev, Kuvat T.

    2009-01-01

    Excimer formation is a unique feature of some fluorescent dyes (e.g., pyrene) which can be used for probing the proximity of biomolecules. Pyrene excimer fluorescence has previously been used for homogeneous detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on DNA. 1-Phenylethynylpyrene (1-1-PEPy...

  3. Quantification of different Eubacterium spp. in human fecal samples with species-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwiertz, A; Le Blay, G; Blaut, M

    2000-01-01

    Species-specific 16S rRNA-targeted, Cy3 (indocarbocyanine)-labeled oligonucleotide probes were designed and validated to quantify different Eubacterium species in human fecal samples. Probes were directed at Eubacterium barkeri, E. biforme, E. contortum, E. cylindroides (two probes), E. dolichum, E. hadrum, E. lentum, E. limosum, E. moniliforme, and E. ventriosum. The specificity of the probes was tested with the type strains and a range of common intestinal bacteria. With one exception, none of the probes showed cross-hybridization under stringent conditions. The species-specific probes were applied to fecal samples obtained from 12 healthy volunteers. E. biforme, E. cylindroides, E. hadrum, E. lentum, and E. ventriosum could be determined. All other Eubacterium species for which probes had been designed were under the detection limit of 10(7) cells g (dry weight) of feces(-1). The cell counts obtained are essentially in accordance with the literature data, which are based on colony counts. This shows that whole-cell in situ hybridization with species-specific probes is a valuable tool for the enumeration of Eubacterium species in feces.

  4. Improving probe set selection for microbial community analysis by leveraging taxonomic information of training sequences

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiang Tao

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Population levels of microbial phylotypes can be examined using a hybridization-based method that utilizes a small set of computationally-designed DNA probes targeted to a gene common to all. Our previous algorithm attempts to select a set of probes such that each training sequence manifests a unique theoretical hybridization pattern (a binary fingerprint to a probe set. It does so without taking into account similarity between training gene sequences or their putative taxonomic classifications, however. We present an improved algorithm for probe set selection that utilizes the available taxonomic information of training gene sequences and attempts to choose probes such that the resultant binary fingerprints cluster into real taxonomic groups. Results Gene sequences manifesting identical fingerprints with probes chosen by the new algorithm are more likely to be from the same taxonomic group than probes chosen by the previous algorithm. In cases where they are from different taxonomic groups, underlying DNA sequences of identical fingerprints are more similar to each other in probe sets made with the new versus the previous algorithm. Complete removal of large taxonomic groups from training data does not greatly decrease the ability of probe sets to distinguish those groups. Conclusions Probe sets made from the new algorithm create fingerprints that more reliably cluster into biologically meaningful groups. The method can readily distinguish microbial phylotypes that were excluded from the training sequences, suggesting novel microbes can also be detected.

  5. Improving probe set selection for microbial community analysis by leveraging taxonomic information of training sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruegger, Paul M; Della Vedova, Gianluca; Jiang, Tao; Borneman, James

    2011-10-10

    Population levels of microbial phylotypes can be examined using a hybridization-based method that utilizes a small set of computationally-designed DNA probes targeted to a gene common to all. Our previous algorithm attempts to select a set of probes such that each training sequence manifests a unique theoretical hybridization pattern (a binary fingerprint) to a probe set. It does so without taking into account similarity between training gene sequences or their putative taxonomic classifications, however. We present an improved algorithm for probe set selection that utilizes the available taxonomic information of training gene sequences and attempts to choose probes such that the resultant binary fingerprints cluster into real taxonomic groups. Gene sequences manifesting identical fingerprints with probes chosen by the new algorithm are more likely to be from the same taxonomic group than probes chosen by the previous algorithm. In cases where they are from different taxonomic groups, underlying DNA sequences of identical fingerprints are more similar to each other in probe sets made with the new versus the previous algorithm. Complete removal of large taxonomic groups from training data does not greatly decrease the ability of probe sets to distinguish those groups. Probe sets made from the new algorithm create fingerprints that more reliably cluster into biologically meaningful groups. The method can readily distinguish microbial phylotypes that were excluded from the training sequences, suggesting novel microbes can also be detected.

  6. Preliminary study of the economics of enriching PWR fuel with a fusion hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelly, J.L.

    1978-09-01

    This study is a comparison of the economics of enriching uranium oxide for pressurized water reactor (PWR) power plant fuel using a fusion hybrid reactor versus the present isotopic enrichment process. The conclusion is that privately owned hybrid fusion reactors, which simultaneously produce electrical power and enrich fuel, are competitive with the gaseous diffusion enrichment process if spent PWR fuel rods are reenriched without refabrication. Analysis of irradiation damage effects should be performed to determine if the fuel rod cladding can withstand the additional irradiation in the hybrid and second PWR power cycle. The cost competitiveness shown by this initial study clearly justifies further investigations

  7. Detection and enumeration of methanotrophs in acidic Sphagnum peat by 16S rRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, including the use of newly developed oligonucleotide probes for Methylocella palustris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dedysh, S N; Derakshani, M; Liesack, W

    2001-10-01

    Two 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, Mcell-1026 and Mcell-181, were developed for specific detection of the acidophilic methanotroph Methylocella palustris using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The fluorescence signal of probe Mcell-181 was enhanced by its combined application with the oligonucleotide helper probe H158. Mcell-1026 and Mcell-181, as well as 16S rRNA oligonucleotide probes with reported group specificity for either type I methanotrophs (probes M-84 and M-705) or the Methylosinus/Methylocystis group of type II methanotrophs (probes MA-221 and M-450), were used in FISH to determine the abundance of distinct methanotroph groups in a Sphagnum peat sample of pH 4.2. M. palustris was enumerated at greater than 10(6) cells per g of peat (wet weight), while the detectable population size of type I methanotrophs was three orders of magnitude below the population level of M. palustris. The cell counts with probe MA-221 suggested that only 10(4) type II methanotrophs per g of peat (wet weight) were present, while the use of probe M-450 revealed more than 10(6) type II methanotroph cells per g of the same samples. This discrepancy was due to the fact that probe M-450 targets almost all currently known strains of Methylosinus and Methylocystis, whereas probe MA-221, originally described as group specific, does not detect a large proportion of Methylocystis strains. The total number of methanotrophic bacteria detected by FISH was 3.0 (+/-0.2) x 10(6) cells per g (wet weight) of peat. This was about 0.8% of the total bacterial cell number. Thus, our study clearly suggests that M. palustris and a defined population of Methylocystis spp. were the predominant methanotrophs detectable by FISH in an acidic Sphagnum peat bog.

  8. Reverse sample genome probing, a new technique for identification of bacteria in environmental samples by DNA hybridization, and its application to the identification of sulfate-reducing bacteria in oil field samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voordouw, G.; Voordouw, J.K.; Karkhoff-Schweizer, R.R.; Fedorak, P.M.; Westlake, D.W.S.

    1991-01-01

    A novel method for identification of bacteria in environmental samples by DNA hybridization is presented. It is based on the fact that, even within a genus, the genomes of different bacteria may have little overall sequence homology. This allows the use of the labeled genomic DNA of a given bacterium (referred to as a standard) to probe for its presence and that of bacteria with highly homologous genomes in total DNA obtained from an environmental sample. Alternatively, total DNA extracted from the sample can be labeled and used to probe filters on which denatured chromosomal DNA from relevant bacterial standards has been spotted. The latter technique is referred to as reverse sample genome probing, since it is the reverse of the usual practice of deriving probes from reference bacteria for analyzing a DNA sample. Reverse sample genome probing allows identification of bacteria in a sample in a single step once a master filter with suitable standards has been developed. Application of reverse sample genome probing to the identification of sulfate-reducing bacteria in 31 samples obtained primarily from oil fields in the province of Alberta has indicated that there are at least 20 genotypically different sulfate-reducing bacteria in these samples

  9. Hybrid epidemics--a case study on computer worm conficker.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changwang Zhang

    Full Text Available Conficker is a computer worm that erupted on the Internet in 2008. It is unique in combining three different spreading strategies: local probing, neighbourhood probing, and global probing. We propose a mathematical model that combines three modes of spreading: local, neighbourhood, and global, to capture the worm's spreading behaviour. The parameters of the model are inferred directly from network data obtained during the first day of the Conficker epidemic. The model is then used to explore the tradeoff between spreading modes in determining the worm's effectiveness. Our results show that the Conficker epidemic is an example of a critically hybrid epidemic, in which the different modes of spreading in isolation do not lead to successful epidemics. Such hybrid spreading strategies may be used beneficially to provide the most effective strategies for promulgating information across a large population. When used maliciously, however, they can present a dangerous challenge to current internet security protocols.

  10. Hybrid epidemics--a case study on computer worm conficker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Changwang; Zhou, Shi; Chain, Benjamin M

    2015-01-01

    Conficker is a computer worm that erupted on the Internet in 2008. It is unique in combining three different spreading strategies: local probing, neighbourhood probing, and global probing. We propose a mathematical model that combines three modes of spreading: local, neighbourhood, and global, to capture the worm's spreading behaviour. The parameters of the model are inferred directly from network data obtained during the first day of the Conficker epidemic. The model is then used to explore the tradeoff between spreading modes in determining the worm's effectiveness. Our results show that the Conficker epidemic is an example of a critically hybrid epidemic, in which the different modes of spreading in isolation do not lead to successful epidemics. Such hybrid spreading strategies may be used beneficially to provide the most effective strategies for promulgating information across a large population. When used maliciously, however, they can present a dangerous challenge to current internet security protocols.

  11. Hybrid Epidemics—A Case Study on Computer Worm Conficker

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Changwang; Zhou, Shi; Chain, Benjamin M.

    2015-01-01

    Conficker is a computer worm that erupted on the Internet in 2008. It is unique in combining three different spreading strategies: local probing, neighbourhood probing, and global probing. We propose a mathematical model that combines three modes of spreading: local, neighbourhood, and global, to capture the worm’s spreading behaviour. The parameters of the model are inferred directly from network data obtained during the first day of the Conficker epidemic. The model is then used to explore the tradeoff between spreading modes in determining the worm’s effectiveness. Our results show that the Conficker epidemic is an example of a critically hybrid epidemic, in which the different modes of spreading in isolation do not lead to successful epidemics. Such hybrid spreading strategies may be used beneficially to provide the most effective strategies for promulgating information across a large population. When used maliciously, however, they can present a dangerous challenge to current internet security protocols. PMID:25978309

  12. In situ hybridization studies of hepatitis A viral RNA in patients with acute hepatitis A

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, M; Goldin, R D; Ladva, S [Department of Histopathology, St. Mary' s Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London (United Kingdom); Scheuer, P J [Department of Histopathology, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London (United Kingdom); Thomas, H C [Department of Medicine, St. Mary' s Hospital Medical School, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London (United Kingdom)

    1994-01-01

    In situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes has been used to localise hepatitis A virus RNA genomic sequences in formalin-fixed and routinely processed human liver biopsies from three patients. Using radiolabelled Sulphur-35 antisense probes, viral genomic sequences were found in all three cases, but signal intensity was greatest in cases 1 and 2 with fulminant hepatitis, and was minimal in the third case of resolving hepatitis biopsied 2 months after acute illness. Localisation showed the viral RNA to be present in hepatocytes, sinusoidal cells and inflammatory cells in and around the portal tracts. Both cases showed signal in similar cell types, but the distribution of staining was predominantly periportal in case 1, whereas lobular staining was more apparent in case 2. Hybridization with sense polarity probes failed to detect any evidence of replicative intermediates of antigenomic viral RNA. The presence of hepatitis A RNA in phagocytic cells was confirmed using immunohistochemistryfor a macrophage marker, CD68, combined with in situ hybridization. In all cases the signal was predominantly cytoplasmic, and this was confirmed with the use of tritiated probes. (au).

  13. In situ hybridization studies of hepatitis A viral RNA in patients with acute hepatitis A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, M.; Goldin, R.D.; Ladva, S.; Scheuer, P.J.; Thomas, H.C.

    1994-01-01

    In situ hybridization with oligonucleotide probes has been used to localise hepatitis A virus RNA genomic sequences in formalin-fixed and routinely processed human liver biopsies from three patients. Using radiolabelled Sulphur-35 antisense probes, viral genomic sequences were found in all three cases, but signal intensity was greatest in cases 1 and 2 with fulminant hepatitis, and was minimal in the third case of resolving hepatitis biopsied 2 months after acute illness. Localisation showed the viral RNA to be present in hepatocytes, sinusoidal cells and inflammatory cells in and around the portal tracts. Both cases showed signal in similar cell types, but the distribution of staining was predominantly periportal in case 1, whereas lobular staining was more apparent in case 2. Hybridization with sense polarity probes failed to detect any evidence of replicative intermediates of antigenomic viral RNA. The presence of hepatitis A RNA in phagocytic cells was confirmed using immunohistochemistryfor a macrophage marker, CD68, combined with in situ hybridization. In all cases the signal was predominantly cytoplasmic, and this was confirmed with the use of tritiated probes. (au)

  14. Validation of DNA probes for molecular cytogenetics by mapping onto immobilized circular DNA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greulich-Bode, Karin; Wang, Mei; Rhein, Andreas; Weier, Jingly; Weier, Heinz-Ulli

    2008-12-16

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a sensitive and rapid procedure to detect gene rearrangements in tumor cells using non-isotopically labeled DNA probes. Large insert recombinant DNA clones such as bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) or P1/PAC clones have established themselves in recent years as preferred starting material for probe preparations due to their low rates of chimerism and ease of use. However, when developing probes for the quantitative analysis of rearrangements involving genomic intervals of less than 100kb, careful probe selection and characterization are of paramount importance. We describe a sensitive approach to quality control probe clones suspected of carrying deletions or for measuring clone overlap with near kilobase resolution. The method takes advantage of the fact that P1/PAC/BAC's can be isolated as circular DNA molecules, stretched out on glass slides and fine-mapped by multicolor hybridization with smaller probe molecules. Two examples demonstrate the application of this technique: mapping of a gene-specific {approx}6kb plasmid onto an unusually small, {approx}55kb circular P1 molecule and the determination of the extent of overlap between P1 molecules homologous to the human NF-?B2 locus. The relatively simple method presented here does not require specialized equipment and may thus find widespread applications in DNA probe preparation and characterization, the assembly of physical maps for model organisms or in studies on gene rearrangements.

  15. Validation of DNA probes for molecular cytogenetics by mapping onto immobilized circular DNA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Greulich-Bode, Karin M.; Wang, Mei; Rhein, Andreas P.; Weier, Jingly F.; Weier, Heinz-Ulli G.

    2008-12-04

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a sensitive and rapid procedure to detect gene rearrangements in tumor cells using non-isotopically labeled DNA probes. Large insert recombinant DNA clones such as bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) or P1/PAC clones have established themselves in recent years as preferred starting material for probe preparations due to their low rates of chimerism and ease of use. However, when developing probes for the quantitative analysis of rearrangements involving genomic intervals of less than 100kb, careful probe selection and characterization are of paramount importance. We describe a sensitive approach to quality control probe clones suspected of carrying deletions or for measuring clone overlap with near kilobase resolution. The method takes advantage of the fact that P1/PAC/BAC's can be isolated as circular DNA molecules, stretched out on glass slides and fine-mapped by multicolor hybridization with smaller probe molecules. Two examples demonstrate the application of this technique: mapping of a gene-specific {approx}6kb plasmid onto an unusually small, {approx}55kb circular P1 molecule and the determination of the extent of overlap between P1 molecules homologous to the human NF-{kappa}B2 locus. The relatively simple method presented here does not require specialized equipment and may thus find widespread applications in DNA probe preparation and characterization, the assembly of physical maps for model organisms or in studies on gene rearrangements.

  16. Probing the transition state for nucleic acid hybridization using phi-value analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jandi; Shin, Jong-Shik

    2010-04-27

    Genetic regulation by noncoding RNA elements such as microRNA and small interfering RNA (siRNA) involves hybridization of a short single-stranded RNA with a complementary segment in a target mRNA. The physical basis of the hybridization process between the structured nucleic acids is not well understood primarily because of the lack of information about the transition-state structure. Here we use transition-state theory, inspired by phi-value analysis in protein folding studies, to provide quantitative analysis of the relationship between changes in the secondary structure stability and the activation free energy. Time course monitoring of the hybridization reaction was performed under pseudo-steady-state conditions using a single fluorophore. The phi-value analysis indicates that the native secondary structure remains intact in the transition state. The nativelike transition state was confirmed via examination of the salt dependence of the hybridization kinetics, indicating that the number of sodium ions associated with the transition state was not substantially affected by changes in the native secondary structure. These results propose that hybridization between structured nucleic acids undergoes a transition state leading to formation of a nucleation complex and then is followed by sequential displacement of preexisting base pairings involving successive small energy barriers. The proposed mechanism might provide new insight into physical processes during small RNA-mediated gene silencing, which is essential to selection of a target mRNA segment for siRNA design.

  17. 16S rRNA-targeted probes for specific detection of Thermoanaerobacterium spp., Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum, and Caldicellulosiruptor spp. by fluorescent in situ hybridization in biohydrogen producing systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O-Thong, Sompong [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet Bg 115, DK-2800, Kgs Lyngby (Denmark); Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Thaksin University, Patthalung 93110 (Thailand); Prasertsan, Poonsuk [Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat-Yai, Songkhla 90112 (Thailand); Karakashev, Dimitar; Angelidaki, Irini [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet Bg 115, DK-2800, Kgs Lyngby (Denmark)

    2008-11-15

    16S rRNA gene targeted oligonucleotide probes for specific detection of genera Thermoanaerobacterium (Tbm1282), Caldicellulosiruptor (Ccs432), and specie Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum (Tbmthsacc184) were designed and used to monitor the spatial distribution of hydrogen producing bacteria in sludge and granules from anaerobic reactors. The designed probes were checked for their specificity and then validated using fluorescence in situ hybridization with target microorganisms and non-target microorganisms. Thermoanaerobacterium spp., T. thermosaccharolyticum and Caldicellulosiruptor spp. were detected with the probes designed with coverage of 75%, 100% and 93%, respectively. Thermophilic (60 C) hydrogen producing reactors, one fed with sucrose and another, fed with palm oil mill effluent comprised of following major groups of hydrogen producers: Thermoanaerobacterium spp. (49% and 36%), T. thermosaccharolyticum (16% and 10%), phylum Firmicutes (low G+C) gram positive bacteria (15% and 27%). Extreme-thermophilic (70 C) hydrogen producing reactors, one fed with xylose and another, fed with lignocellulosic hydrolysate comprised of following major groups of hydrogen producers: Caldicellulosiruptor spp. (40.5% and 20.5%), phylum Firmicutes (low G+C) gram positive bacteria (17% and 20%), Archaea (7% and 8.5%), and Thermoanaerobacterium spp. (0% and 5%). Results obtained, showed good applicability of the probes Tbm1282, Tbmthsacc184 and Ccs432 for specific detection and quantification of thermophilic and extreme-thermophilic hydrogen producers in complex environments. (author)

  18. Fetal sex determination in the first trimester of pregnancy using a Y chromosome-specific DNA probe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zeng, Y.; Huang, S.; Chen, M.; Huang, Y.; Zhang, M.; Dong, J.; Ku, A.; Xu, S.

    1987-05-01

    Prenatal determination of fetal sex is important for the prevention of X-linked disorders such as hemophilia, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The complex procedures of prenatal diagnosis for X-linked disorders are unnecessary if the fetus is female, because usually no clinical symptoms ever appear in female. pY 3.4 probe used in this work for sex determination is a 3.4 kilobase human repeat sequence. The probe is specific for the Y chromosome of males and can be used for sex determination. The other prove pBLUR used in this paper as control is a widely dispersed, highly repeated human Alu family DNA sequence, represented equally in male and female DNA. On the basis of the relative densities of the autoradiographic spots produced by hybridization of fetal DNA with pY3.4 and pBLUR, the sex of fetus can be clearly identified. Further the authors can determine the radioactive intensity (cpm) of the hybridized DNA spots and the ratio of hybridization with Y3.4 to pBLUR (Y3.4/pBLUR x 10). Results show that the hybridization ratio of DNA from chorionic villi of male (1.03 +/- 0.24) is significantly higher than that of female (0.16 +/- 0.09). Therefore, sex determination of the fetus can be made, based on the ratio of pY3.4/pBLUR x 10. If necessary they can also use Southern hybridization with pY 3.4 probe of DNA isolated from chorionic villi to confirm the result of dot hybridization.

  19. An Experimental Concept for Probing Nonlinear Physics in Radiation Belts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crabtree, C. E.; Ganguli, G.; Tejero, E. M.; Amatucci, B.; Siefring, C. L.

    2017-12-01

    A sounding rocket experiment, Space Measurement of Rocket-Released Turbulence (SMART), can be used to probe the nonlinear response to a known stimulus injected into the radiation belt. Release of high-speed neutral barium atoms (8- 10 km/s) generated by a shaped charge explosion in the ionosphere can be used as the source of free energy to seed weak turbulence in the ionosphere. The Ba atoms are photo-ionized forming a ring velocity distribution of heavy Ba+ that is known to generate lower hybrid waves. Induced nonlinear scattering will convert the lower hybrid waves into EM whistler/magnetosonic waves. The escape of the whistlers from the ionospheric region into the radiation belts has been studied and their observable signatures quantified. The novelty of the SMART experiment is to make coordinated measurement of the cause and effect of the turbulence in space plasmas and from that to deduce the role of nonlinear scattering in the radiation belts. Sounding rocket will carry a Ba release module and an instrumented daughter section that includes vector wave magnetic and electric field sensors, Langmuir probes and energetic particle detectors. The goal of these measurements is to determine the whistler and lower hybrid wave amplitudes and spectrum in the ionospheric source region and look for precipitated particles. The Ba release may occur at 600-700 km near apogee. Ground based cameras and radio diagnostics can be used to characterize the Ba and Ba+ release. The Van Allen Probes can be used to detect the propagation of the scattering-generated whistler waves and their effects in the radiation belts. By detecting whistlers and measuring their energy density in the radiation belts the SMART mission will confirm the nonlinear generation of whistlers through scattering of lower hybrid along with other nonlinear responses of the radiation belts and their connection to weak turbulence.

  20. Hybrid simulation using mixed reality for interventional ultrasound imaging training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freschi, C; Parrini, S; Dinelli, N; Ferrari, M; Ferrari, V

    2015-07-01

    Ultrasound (US) imaging offers advantages over other imaging modalities and has become the most widespread modality for many diagnostic and interventional procedures. However, traditional 2D US requires a long training period, especially to learn how to manipulate the probe. A hybrid interactive system based on mixed reality was designed, implemented and tested for hand-eye coordination training in diagnostic and interventional US. A hybrid simulator was developed integrating a physical US phantom and a software application with a 3D virtual scene. In this scene, a 3D model of the probe with its relative scan plane is coherently displayed with a 3D representation of the phantom internal structures. An evaluation study of the diagnostic module was performed by recruiting thirty-six novices and four experts. The performances of the hybrid (HG) versus physical (PG) simulator were compared. After the training session, each novice was required to visualize a particular target structure. The four experts completed a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Seventy-eight percentage of the HG novices successfully visualized the target structure, whereas only 45% of the PG reached this goal. The mean scores from the questionnaires were 5.00 for usefulness, 4.25 for ease of use, 4.75 for 3D perception, and 3.25 for phantom realism. The hybrid US training simulator provides ease of use and is effective as a hand-eye coordination teaching tool. Mixed reality can improve US probe manipulation training.

  1. Coherence characteristics of random lasing in a dye doped hybrid powder

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    García-Revilla, S. [Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Alda. Urquijo s/n, 48013, Bilbao (Spain); Material Physics Center CSIC-UPV/EHU and Donostia International Physics Center, 20018, San Sebastián (Spain); Fernández, J., E-mail: wupferoj@bi.ehu.es [Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Alda. Urquijo s/n, 48013, Bilbao (Spain); Material Physics Center CSIC-UPV/EHU and Donostia International Physics Center, 20018, San Sebastián (Spain); Barredo-Zuriarrain, M. [Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Alda. Urquijo s/n, 48013, Bilbao (Spain); Pecoraro, E. [Instituto de Telecomunicações, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro (Portugal); Institute of Chemisty, São Paulo State University–UNESP, 14800-900, Araraquara (Brazil); Arriandiaga, M.A. [Departamento de Física Aplicada II, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Apartado 644, Bilbao (Spain); Iparraguirre, I.; Azkargorta, J. [Departamento de Física Aplicada I, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad del País Vasco UPV/EHU, Alda. Urquijo s/n, 48013, Bilbao (Spain); and others

    2016-01-15

    The photon statistics of the random laser emission of a Rhodamine B doped di-ureasil hybrid powder is investigated to evaluate its degree of coherence above threshold. Although the random laser emission is a weighted average of spatially uncorrelated radiation emitted at different positions in the sample, a spatial coherence control was achieved due to an improved detection configuration based on spatial filtering. By using this experimental approach, which also allows for fine mode discrimination and time-resolved analysis of uncoupled modes from mode competition, an area not larger than the expected coherence size of the random laser is probed. Once the spectral and temporal behavior of non-overlapping modes is characterized, an assessment of the photon-number probability distribution and the resulting second-order correlation coefficient as a function of time delay and wavelength was performed. The outcome of our single photon counting measurements revealed a high degree of temporal coherence at the time of maximum pump intensity and at wavelengths around the Rhodamine B gain maximum. - Highlights: • The photon statistics of a diffusive random laser is explored. • The laser sample is a RhB doped di-ureasil hybrid powder. • The detection configuration allows for mode discrimination and time-resolved analysis. • The time and wavelength variation of the temporal coherence is examined. • A high degree of temporal coherence is found.

  2. Managing hybrid marketing systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moriarty, R T; Moran, U

    1990-01-01

    As competition increases and costs become critical, companies that once went to market only one way are adding new channels and using new methods - creating hybrid marketing systems. These hybrid marketing systems hold the promise of greater coverage and reduced costs. But they are also hard to manage; they inevitably raise questions of conflict and control: conflict because marketing units compete for customers; control because new indirect channels are less subject to management authority. Hard as they are to manage, however, hybrid marketing systems promise to become the dominant design, replacing the "purebred" channel strategy in all kinds of businesses. The trick to managing the hybrid is to analyze tasks and channels within and across a marketing system. A map - the hybrid grid - can help managers make sense of their hybrid system. What the chart reveals is that channels are not the basic building blocks of a marketing system; marketing tasks are. The hybrid grid forces managers to consider various combinations of channels and tasks that will optimize both cost and coverage. Managing conflict is also an important element of a successful hybrid system. Managers should first acknowledge the inevitability of conflict. Then they should move to bound it by creating guidelines that spell out which customers to serve through which methods. Finally, a marketing and sales productivity (MSP) system, consisting of a central marketing database, can act as the central nervous system of a hybrid marketing system, helping managers create customized channels and service for specific customer segments.

  3. Probing of miniPEGγ-PNA-DNA Hybrid Duplex Stability with AFM Force Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dutta, Samrat; Armitage, Bruce A; Lyubchenko, Yuri L

    2016-03-15

    Peptide nucleic acids (PNA) are synthetic polymers, the neutral peptide backbone of which provides elevated stability to PNA-PNA and PNA-DNA hybrid duplexes. It was demonstrated that incorporation of diethylene glycol (miniPEG) at the γ position of the peptide backbone increased the thermal stability of the hybrid duplexes (Sahu, B. et al. J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 5614-5627). Here, we applied atomic force microscopy (AFM) based single molecule force spectroscopy and dynamic force spectroscopy (DFS) to test the strength and stability of the hybrid 10 bp duplex. This hybrid duplex consisted of miniPEGγ-PNA and DNA of the same length (γ(MP)PNA-DNA), which we compared to a DNA duplex with a homologous sequence. AFM force spectroscopy data obtained at the same conditions showed that the γ(MP)PNA-DNA hybrid is more stable than the DNA counterpart, 65 ± 15 pN vs 47 ± 15 pN, respectively. The DFS measurements performed in a range of pulling speeds analyzed in the framework of the Bell-Evans approach yielded a dissociation constant, koff ≈ 0.030 ± 0.01 s⁻¹ for γ(MP)PNA-DNA hybrid duplex vs 0.375 ± 0.18 s⁻¹ for the DNA-DNA duplex suggesting that the hybrid duplex is much more stable. Correlating the high affinity of γ(MP)PNA-DNA to slow dissociation kinetics is consistent with prior bulk characterization by surface plasmon resonance. Given the growing interest in γ(MP)PNA as well as other synthetic DNA analogues, the use of single molecule experiments along with computational analysis of force spectroscopy data will provide direct characterization of various modifications as well as higher order structures such as triplexes and quadruplexes.

  4. Fluorescence in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laub Petersen, Bodil; Zeuthen, Mette Christa; Pedersen, Sanni

    2004-01-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is widely used to study numerical and structural genetic abnormalities in both metaphase and interphase cells. The technique is based on the hybridization of labeled probes to complementary sequences in the DNA or RNA of the cells. Interphase FISH is most...... in time lapse between removal of tissue and fixation, duration of fixation, enzymatic pretreatment, hybridization conditions, and posthybridization washing conditions are important factors in the hybridization. In this study, we have listed the results of a systematic approach to improve FISH on isolated...

  5. Exploring the origin of the D genome of oat by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xiaomei; Zhang, Haiqin; Kang, Houyang; Fan, Xing; Wang, Yi; Sha, Lina; Zhou, Yonghong

    2014-09-01

    Further understanding of the origin of cultivated oat would accelerate its genetic improvement. In particular, it would be useful to clarify which diploid progenitor contributed the D genome of this allohexaploid species. In this study, we demonstrate that the landmarks produced by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of species of Avena using probes derived from Avena sativa can be used to explore the origin of the D genome. Selected sets of probes were hybridized in several sequential experiments performed on exactly the same chromosome spreads, with multiple probes of cytological preparations. Probes pITS and A3-19 showed there might be a similar distribution of pITS between the Ac and D genomes. These results indicated that the Ac genome is closely related to the D genome, and that Avena canariensis (AcAc) could be the D-genome donor of cultivated oat.

  6. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering based nonfluorescent probe for multiplex DNA detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Lan; Yu, Chenxu; Irudayaraj, Joseph

    2007-06-01

    To provide rapid and accurate detection of DNA markers in a straightforward, inexpensive, and multiplex format, an alternative surface-enhanced Raman scattering based probe was designed and fabricated to covalently attach both DNA probing sequence and nonfluorescent Raman tags to the surface of gold nanoparticles (DNA-AuP-RTag). The intensity of Raman signal of the probes could be controlled through the surface coverage of the nonfluorescent Raman tags (RTags). Detection sensitivity of these probes could be optimized by fine-tuning the amount of DNA molecules and RTags on the probes. Long-term stability of the DNA-AuP-RTag probes was found to be good (over 3 months). Excellent multiplexing capability of the DNA-AuP-RTag scheme was demonstrated by simultaneous identification of up to eight probes in a mixture. Detection of hybridization of single-stranded DNA to its complementary targets was successfully accomplished with a long-term goal to use nonfluorescent RTags in a Raman-based DNA microarray platform.

  7. DNA Probe for Lactobacillus delbrueckii

    OpenAIRE

    Delley, Michèle; Mollet, Beat; Hottinger, Herbert

    1990-01-01

    From a genomic DNA library of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, a clone was isolated which complements a leucine auxotrophy of an Escherichia coli strain (GE891). Subsequent analysis of the clone indicated that it could serve as a specific DNA probe. Dot-blot hybridizations with over 40 different Lactobacillus strains showed that this clone specifically recognizes L. delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, bulgaricus, and lactis. The sensitivity of the method was tested by using an α-32P-l...

  8. Interspecific somatic hybrid plants between eggplant (Solanum melongena) and Solanum torvum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guri, A; Sink, K C

    1988-10-01

    Mesophyll protoplasts of eggplant (cv Black Beauty) and of Solanum torvum (both 2n=2x=24) were fused using a modification of the Menczel and Wolfe PEG/DMSO procedure. Protoplasts post-fusion were plated at 1 × 10(5)/ml in modified KM medium, which inhibited division of S. torvum protoplasts. One week prior to shoot regeneration, ten individual calluses had a unique light-green background and were verified as cell hybrids by the presence of the dimer isozyme patterns for phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT). Hybridity was also confirmed at the plant stage by DNA-DNA hybridization to a pea 45S ribosomal RNA gene probe. The ten somatic hybrid plants were established in the greenhouse and exhibited intermediate morphological characteristics such as leaf size and shape, flower size, shape, color and plant stature. Their chromosome number ranged from 46-48 (expected 2n=4x=48) and pollen viability was 5%-70%. In vitro shoots taken from the ten hybrid plants exhibited resistance to a verticillium wilt extract. Total DNA from the ten hybrids was restricted and hybridized with a 5.9 kb Oenothera chloroplast cytochrome f gene probe, a 2.4 kb EcoRI clone encoding mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II from maize and a 22.1 kb Sal I mitochondrial clone from Nicotiana sylvestris. Southern blot hybridization patterns showed that eight of ten somatic hybrids contained the eggplant cpDNA, while two plants contained the cpDNA hybridization patterns of both parents. The mtDNA analysis revealed the presence of novel bands, loss of some specific parental bands and mixture of specific bands from both parents in the restriction hybridization profiles of the hybrids.

  9. A Locked Nucleic Acid Probe Based on Selective Salt-Induced Effect Detects Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Zhang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Detection of single based genetic mutation by using oligonucleotide probes is one of the common methods of detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms at known loci. In this paper, we demonstrated a hybridization system which included a buffer solution that produced selective salt-induced effect and a locked nucleic acid modified 12 nt oligonucleotide probe. The hybridization system is suitable for hybridization under room temperature. By using magnetic nanoparticles as carriers for PCR products, the SNPs (MDR1 C3435T/A from 45 volunteers were analyzed, and the results were consistent with the results from pyrophosphoric acid sequencing. The method presented in this paper differs from the traditional method of using molecular beacons to detect SNPs in that it is suitable for research institutions lacking real-time quantitative PCR detecting systems, to detect PCR products at room temperature.

  10. Detection of the Light Organ Symbiont, Vibrio fischeri, in Hawaiian Seawater by Using lux Gene Probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, K H; Ruby, E G

    1992-03-01

    Symbiotic bacteria that inhabit the light-emitting organ of the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes are distinctive from typical Vibrio fischeri organisms in that they are not visibly luminous when grown in laboratory culture. Therefore, the abundance of these bacteria in seawater samples cannot be estimated simply by identifying them among luminous colonies that arise on nutrient agar plates. Instead, we have used luxR and polymerase chain reaction generated luxA gene probes to identify both luminous and non-visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies by DNA-DNA hybridization. The probes were specific, hybridizing at least 50 to 100 times more strongly to immobilized DNAs from V. fischeri strains than to those of pure cultures of other related species. Thus, even non-visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies could be identified among colonies obtained from natural seawater samples by their probe-positive reaction. Bacteria in seawater samples, obtained either within or distant from squid habitats, were collected on membrane filters and incubated until colonies appeared. The filters were then observed for visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies and hybridized with the lux gene probes to determine the number of total V. fischeri colonies (both luminous and non-visibly luminous). We detected no significant differences in the abundance of luminous V. fischeri CFU in any of the water samples observed (probe-positive colonies of V. fischeri (up to 900 CFU/100 ml) were found only in seawater collected from within the natural habitats of the squids. A number of criteria were used to confirm that these probe-positive strains were indistinguishable from symbiotic V. fischeri. Therefore, the luxA and luxR gene probes were species specific and gave a reliable estimate of the number of culturable V. fischeri colonies in natural water samples.

  11. Probing the electronic structure of M-graphene oxide (M = Ni, Co, NiCo) catalysts for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Binhua; Liu, Jinyin; Zhou, Litao [Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Material (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science & Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Long, Dan, E-mail: legend_long@aliyun.com [Department of Radiology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022 (China); Feng, Kun; Sun, Xuhui [Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Material (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science & Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Zhong, Jun, E-mail: jzhong@suda.edu.cn [Soochow University-Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Material (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science & Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

    2016-01-30

    Graphical abstract: An interaction between metal and graphene oxide was probed to enhance the hydrolysis efficiency of ammonia borane. - Highlights: • Various metal elements (M = Ni, Co, NiCo) were dispersed on graphene oxide (GO) for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB). • The electronic structure of the hybrids has been probed by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). • An interfacial interaction between metal and GO was observed which could be related to the hydrolysis performance. • The results provide new insight into the enhanced performance of the M-GO hybrids. - Abstract: Various metal elements (M = Ni, Co, NiCo) were dispersed on graphene oxide (GO) to form the M-GO hybrids by a facile way. The hybrids showed good catalytic activities in the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB, NH{sub 3}BH{sub 3}), which were significantly enhanced when compared to the metal nanoparticles or GO alone. The electronic structure of the hybrids has been probed by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM). The distribution of metal elements was clearly imaged with identical electronic structure. Moreover, an interfacial interaction between metal and GO was observed with the peak intensity proportional to the catalytic performance in the hydrolysis of AB. The results provide new insight into the enhanced performance of the M-GO hybrids and may help for the design of advanced catalysts.

  12. A Hybrid Approach Based on the Combination of Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System and Imperialist Competitive Algorithm: Oil Flow Rate of the Wells Prediction Case Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shahram Mollaiy Berneti

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a novel hybrid approach composed of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS and imperialist competitive algorithm is proposed. The imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA is used in this methodology to determine the most suitable initial membership functions of the ANFIS. The proposed model combines the global search ability of ICA with local search ability of gradient descent method. To illustrate the suitability and capability of the proposed model, this model is applied to predict oil flow rate of the wells utilizing data set of 31 wells in one of the northern Persian Gulf oil fields of Iran. The data set collected in a three month period for each well from Dec. 2002 to Nov. 2010. For the sake of performance evaluation, the results of the proposed model are compared with the conventional ANFIS model. The results show that the significant improvements are achievable using the proposed model in comparison with the results obtained by conventional ANFIS.

  13. Final report: U.S. competitive position in automotive technologies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albert, Michael B.; Cheney, Margaret; Thomas, Patrick; Kroll, Peter

    2002-09-30

    Patent data are presented and analyzed to assess the U.S. competitive position in eleven advanced automotive technology categories, including automotive fuel cells, hydrogen storage, advanced batteries, hybrid electric vehicles and others. Inventive activity in most of the technologies is found to be growing at a rapid pace, particularly in advanced batteries, automotive fuel cells and ultracapacitors. The U.S. is the clear leader in automotive fuel cells, on-board hydrogen storage and light weight materials. Japan leads in advanced batteries, hybrid electric vehicles, ultracapacitors, and appears to be close to overtaking the U.S. in other areas of power electronics.

  14. Quantum dots-hyperbranched polyether hybrid nanospheres towards delivery and real-time detection of nitric oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Shuiping; Gu, Tianxun; Fu, Jiajia [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education (Jiangnan University), Wuxi 214122 (China); College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Li, Xiaoqiang, E-mail: leecaiwei@163.com [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education (Jiangnan University), Wuxi 214122 (China); College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China); Technical University of Denmark, DTU Food, Søltofts plads, B227, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Chronakis, Ioannis S. [Technical University of Denmark, DTU Food, Søltofts plads, B227, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Ge, Mingqiao [Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education (Jiangnan University), Wuxi 214122 (China); College of Textile and Clothing, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122 (China)

    2014-12-01

    In this work, novel hybrid nanosphere vehicles were synthesized for nitric oxide (NO) donating and real-time detection. The hybrid nanosphere vehicles consist of cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) as NO fluorescent probes, and the modified hyperbranched polyether (mHP)-based diazeniumdiolates as NO donors, respectively. The nanospheres have spherical outline with dimension of ∼ 127 nm. The data of systematic characterization demonstrated that the mHP-based hybrid nanosphere vehicles (QDs-mHP-NO) can release and real-time detect NO with the low limit of 25 nM, based on fluorescence quenching mechanism. The low cell-toxicity of QDs-mHP-NO nanospheres was verified by means of MTT assay on L929 cells viability. The QDs-mHP-NO nanospheres provide perspectives for designing a new class of biocompatible NO donating and imaging systems. - Highlights: • QDs-mHP-NO fluorescent probe was prepared. • The QDs-mHP-NO probe is capable of releasing NO. • The QDs-mHP-NO probe can quantitatively detecting the release of NO in real time. • The low cell-toxicity of QDs-mHP-NO nanospheres was verified.

  15. A Single Electrochemical Probe Used for Analysis of Multiple Nucleic Acid Sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Dawn M.; Calvo-Marzal, Percy; Pinzon, Jeffer M.; Armas, Stephanie; Kolpashchikov, Dmitry M.; Chumbimuni-Torres, Karin Y.

    2017-01-01

    Electrochemical hybridization sensors have been explored extensively for analysis of specific nucleic acids. However, commercialization of the platform is hindered by the need for attachment of separate oligonucleotide probes complementary to a RNA or DNA target to an electrode’s surface. Here we demonstrate that a single probe can be used to analyze several nucleic acid targets with high selectivity and low cost. The universal electrochemical four-way junction (4J)-forming (UE4J) sensor consists of a universal DNA stem-loop (USL) probe attached to the electrode’s surface and two adaptor strands (m and f) which hybridize to the USL probe and the analyte to form a 4J associate. The m adaptor strand was conjugated with a methylene blue redox marker for signal ON sensing and monitored using square wave voltammetry. We demonstrated that a single sensor can be used for detection of several different DNA/RNA sequences and can be regenerated in 30 seconds by a simple water rinse. The UE4J sensor enables a high selectivity by recognition of a single base substitution, even at room temperature. The UE4J sensor opens a venue for a re-useable universal platform that can be adopted at low cost for the analysis of DNA or RNA targets. PMID:29371782

  16. Optimization of the BLASTN substitution matrix for prediction of non-specific DNA microarray hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eklund, Aron Charles; Friis, Pia; Wernersson, Rasmus

    2010-01-01

    BLASTN accuracy by modifying the substitution matrix and gap penalties. We generated gene expression microarray data for samples in which 1 or 10% of the target mass was an exogenous spike of known sequence. We found that the 10% spike induced 2-fold intensity changes in 3% of the probes, two......-third of which were decreases in intensity likely caused by bulk-hybridization. These changes were correlated with similarity between the spike and probe sequences. Interestingly, even very weak similarities tended to induce a change in probe intensity with the 10% spike. Using this data, we optimized the BLASTN...... substitution matrix to more accurately identify probes susceptible to non-specific hybridization with the spike. Relative to the default substitution matrix, the optimized matrix features a decreased score for A–T base pairs relative to G–C base pairs, resulting in a 5–15% increase in area under the ROC curve...

  17. mathFISH, a Web Tool That Uses Thermodynamics-Based Mathematical Models for In Silico Evaluation of Oligonucleotide Probes for Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization▿ †

    OpenAIRE

    Yilmaz, L. Safak; Parnerkar, Shreyas; Noguera, Daniel R.

    2010-01-01

    Mathematical models of RNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for perfectly matched and mismatched probe/target pairs are organized and automated in web-based mathFISH (http://mathfish.cee.wisc.edu). Offering the users up-to-date knowledge of hybridization thermodynamics within a theoretical framework, mathFISH is expected to maximize the probability of success during oligonucleotide probe design.

  18. Economics of hybrid photovoltaic power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breyer, Christian

    2012-08-16

    The global power supply stability is faced to several severe and fundamental threats, in particular steadily increasing power demand, diminishing and degrading fossil and nuclear energy resources, very harmful greenhouse gas emissions, significant energy injustice and a structurally misbalanced ecological footprint. Photovoltaic (PV) power systems are analysed in various aspects focusing on economic and technical considerations of supplemental and substitutional power supply to the constraint conventional power system. To infer the most relevant system approach for PV power plants several solar resources available for PV systems are compared. By combining the different solar resources and respective economics, two major PV systems are identified to be very competitive in almost all regions in the world. The experience curve concept is used as a key technique for the development of scenario assumptions on economic projections for the decade of the 2010s. Main drivers for cost reductions in PV systems are learning and production growth rate, thus several relevant aspects are discussed such as research and development investments, technical PV market potential, different PV technologies and the energetic sustainability of PV. Three major market segments for PV systems are identified: off-grid PV solutions, decentralised small scale on-grid PV systems (several kWp) and large scale PV power plants (tens of MWp). Mainly by application of 'grid-parity' and 'fuel-parity' concepts per country, local market and conventional power plant basis, the global economic market potential for all major PV system segments is derived. PV power plant hybridization potential of all relevant power technologies and the global power plant structure are analyzed regarding technical, economical and geographical feasibility. Key success criteria for hybrid PV power plants are discussed and comprehensively analysed for all adequate power plant technologies, i.e. oil, gas and coal fired power

  19. Economics of hybrid photovoltaic power plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Breyer, Christian

    2012-08-16

    The global power supply stability is faced to several severe and fundamental threats, in particular steadily increasing power demand, diminishing and degrading fossil and nuclear energy resources, very harmful greenhouse gas emissions, significant energy injustice and a structurally misbalanced ecological footprint. Photovoltaic (PV) power systems are analysed in various aspects focusing on economic and technical considerations of supplemental and substitutional power supply to the constraint conventional power system. To infer the most relevant system approach for PV power plants several solar resources available for PV systems are compared. By combining the different solar resources and respective economics, two major PV systems are identified to be very competitive in almost all regions in the world. The experience curve concept is used as a key technique for the development of scenario assumptions on economic projections for the decade of the 2010s. Main drivers for cost reductions in PV systems are learning and production growth rate, thus several relevant aspects are discussed such as research and development investments, technical PV market potential, different PV technologies and the energetic sustainability of PV. Three major market segments for PV systems are identified: off-grid PV solutions, decentralised small scale on-grid PV systems (several kWp) and large scale PV power plants (tens of MWp). Mainly by application of 'grid-parity' and 'fuel-parity' concepts per country, local market and conventional power plant basis, the global economic market potential for all major PV system segments is derived. PV power plant hybridization potential of all relevant power technologies and the global power plant structure are analyzed regarding technical, economical and geographical feasibility. Key success criteria for hybrid PV power plants are discussed and comprehensively analysed for all adequate power plant technologies, i.e. oil, gas and

  20. Simulation of hybrid renewable microgeneration systems for variable electricity prices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandoni, C.; Renzi, M.; Caresana, F.; Polonara, F.

    2014-01-01

    This paper addresses a hybrid renewable system that consists of a micro-Combined Cooling Heat and Power (CCHP) unit and a solar energy conversion device. In addition to a traditional PV system, a High Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) device, the design of which is suitable for building integration application, was also modelled and embedded in the hybrid system. The work identifies the optimal management strategies for the hybrid renewable system in an effort to minimise the primary energy usage, the carbon dioxide emissions and the operational costs for variable electricity prices that result from the day-ahead electricity market. An “ad hoc” model describes the performance of the HCPV module, PV and Internal Combustion Engine, whilst the other units were simulated based on their main characteristic parameters. The developed algorithm was applied to three different building typologies. The results indicate that the best configuration is the hybrid renewable system with PV, which can provide a yearly primary energy reduction of between 20% and 30% compared to separate production. The hybrid renewable system with HCPV becomes competitive with the PV technology when the level of solar radiation is high. - Highlights: • The paper addresses a hybrid renewable system that consists of a micro-CCHP unit and a solar energy conversion device. • Both PV and High Concentrator Photovoltaic (HCPV) systems have been modelled and embedded in the hybrid system. • The work identifies the optimal management strategies for variable electricity prices. • Hybrid renewable systems provide a yearly primary energy reduction of between 20% and 30% compared to separate production. • When the level of solar radiation is high, HCPV becomes competitive with the PV technology

  1. Synthesis and detection of 3'-OH terminal biotin-labeled DNA probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brakel, C.L.; Engelhardt, D.L.

    1985-01-01

    Nick translation has been used to prepare biotin-dUTP-containing DNA probes. These stable DNA probes have been identified, following hybridization to target DNA, by fluorescence using antibiotin antibodies or by enzyme reactions in which the enzyme has been linked to avidin or streptavidin. It is probable that this technology will be applicable to certain diagnostic determinations and that, with sufficient sensitivity, this technology might provide a system for obtaining rapid and specific diagnoses in situations presently requiring time-consuming growth assays. The sensitivity of this assay can be increased in two ways: (1) by increasing the amount of biotin contained in the DNA probes, and (2) by increasing the response to individual biotin molecules in the DNA probes. This report demonstrates that terminal deoxynucleotide transferase can be employed to increase the biotin content of DNA probes. We also introduce a new streptavidin-linked enzyme system that produces a greater response to biotinylated DNA probes than does streptavidin-linked horseradish peroxidase

  2. Lack of specific hybridization between the lep genes of Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus licheniformis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijl, J M; Jong, de Anne; Smith, H; Bron, Sierd; Venema, G

    1991-01-01

    This paper describes an attempt to clone the Bacillus licheniformis lep gene, encoding signal peptidase, using the Salmonella typhimurium lep gene as a hybridization probe. Although a hybridizing fragment was obtained, DNA sequence analysis indicated that it did not contain the lep gene. Instead,

  3. Dual-probe near-field fiber head with gap servo control for data storage applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Jen-Yu; Tien, Chung-Hao; Shieh, Han-Ping D

    2007-10-29

    We present a novel fiber-based near-field optical head consisting of a straw-shaped writing probe and a flat gap sensing probe. The straw-shaped probe with a C-aperture on the end face exhibits enhanced transmission by a factor of 3 orders of magnitude over a conventional fiber probe due to a hybrid effect that excites both propagation modes and surface plasmon waves. In the gap sensing probe, the spacing between the probe and the disk surface functions as an external cavity. The high sensitivity of the output power to the change in the gap width is used as a feedback control signal. We characterize and design the straw-shaped writing probe and the flat gap sensing probe. The dual-probe system is installed on a conventional biaxial actuator to demonstrate the capability of flying over a disk surface with nanometer position precision.

  4. Detection of the Light Organ Symbiont, Vibrio fischeri, in Hawaiian Seawater by Using lux Gene Probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyu-Ho; Ruby, Edward G.

    1992-01-01

    Symbiotic bacteria that inhabit the light-emitting organ of the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes are distinctive from typical Vibrio fischeri organisms in that they are not visibly luminous when grown in laboratory culture. Therefore, the abundance of these bacteria in seawater samples cannot be estimated simply by identifying them among luminous colonies that arise on nutrient agar plates. Instead, we have used luxR and polymerase chain reaction generated luxA gene probes to identify both luminous and non-visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies by DNA-DNA hybridization. The probes were specific, hybridizing at least 50 to 100 times more strongly to immobilized DNAs from V. fischeri strains than to those of pure cultures of other related species. Thus, even non-visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies could be identified among colonies obtained from natural seawater samples by their probe-positive reaction. Bacteria in seawater samples, obtained either within or distant from squid habitats, were collected on membrane filters and incubated until colonies appeared. The filters were then observed for visibly luminous V. fischeri colonies and hybridized with the lux gene probes to determine the number of total V. fischeri colonies (both luminous and non-visibly luminous). We detected no significant differences in the abundance of luminous V. fischeri CFU in any of the water samples observed (≤1 to 3 CFU/100 ml). However, probe-positive colonies of V. fischeri (up to 900 CFU/100 ml) were found only in seawater collected from within the natural habitats of the squids. A number of criteria were used to confirm that these probe-positive strains were indistinguishable from symbiotic V. fischeri. Therefore, the luxA and luxR gene probes were species specific and gave a reliable estimate of the number of culturable V. fischeri colonies in natural water samples. Images PMID:16348678

  5. Multiplexed interfacial transduction of nucleic acid hybridization using a single color of immobilized quantum dot donor and two acceptors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Algar, W Russ; Krull, Ulrich J

    2010-01-01

    A multiplexed solid-phase assay for the detection of nucleic acid hybridization was developed on the basis of a single color of immobilized CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) as a donor in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). This work demonstrated that two channels of detection did not necessitate two different QD donors. Two probe oligonucleotides were coimmobilized on optical fibers modified with QDs, and a sandwich assay was used to associate the acceptor dyes with interfacial hybridization events without target labeling. FRET-sensitized acceptor emission provided an analytical signal that was concentration dependent down to 10 nM. Changes in the ratio of coimmobilized probe oligonucleotides were found to yield linear changes in the relative amounts of acceptor emission. These changes were compared to previous studies that used mixed films of two QD donors for two detection channels. The analysis indicated that probe dilution effects were primarily driven by changes in acceptor number density and that QD dilution effects or changes in mean donor-acceptor distance were secondary. Hybridization kinetics were found to be consistent between different ratios of coimmobilized probes, suggesting that hybridization in this type of system occurred via the accepted model for solid-phase hybridization, where adsorption and then diffusion at the solid interface drove hybridization.

  6. Structured oligonucleotides for target indexing to allow single-vessel PCR amplification and solid support microarray hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girard, Laurie D; Boissinot, Karel; Peytavi, Régis; Boissinot, Maurice; Bergeron, Michel G

    2015-02-07

    The combination of molecular diagnostic technologies is increasingly used to overcome limitations on sensitivity, specificity or multiplexing capabilities, and provide efficient lab-on-chip devices. Two such techniques, PCR amplification and microarray hybridization are used serially to take advantage of the high sensitivity and specificity of the former combined with high multiplexing capacities of the latter. These methods are usually performed in different buffers and reaction chambers. However, these elaborate methods have high complexity and cost related to reagent requirements, liquid storage and the number of reaction chambers to integrate into automated devices. Furthermore, microarray hybridizations have a sequence dependent efficiency not always predictable. In this work, we have developed the concept of a structured oligonucleotide probe which is activated by cleavage from polymerase exonuclease activity. This technology is called SCISSOHR for Structured Cleavage Induced Single-Stranded Oligonucleotide Hybridization Reaction. The SCISSOHR probes enable indexing the target sequence to a tag sequence. The SCISSOHR technology also allows the combination of nucleic acid amplification and microarray hybridization in a single vessel in presence of the PCR buffer only. The SCISSOHR technology uses an amplification probe that is irreversibly modified in presence of the target, releasing a single-stranded DNA tag for microarray hybridization. Each tag is composed of a 3-nucleotide sequence-dependent segment and a unique "target sequence-independent" 14-nucleotide segment allowing for optimal hybridization with minimal cross-hybridization. We evaluated the performance of five (5) PCR buffers to support microarray hybridization, compared to a conventional hybridization buffer. Finally, as a proof of concept, we developed a multiplexed assay for the amplification, detection, and identification of three (3) DNA targets. This new technology will facilitate the design

  7. Single-Labeled Oligonucleotides Showing Fluorescence Changes upon Hybridization with Target Nucleic Acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gil Tae Hwang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Sequence-specific detection of nucleic acids has been intensively studied in the field of molecular diagnostics. In particular, the detection and analysis of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs is crucial for the identification of disease-causing genes and diagnosis of diseases. Sequence-specific hybridization probes, such as molecular beacons bearing the fluorophore and quencher at both ends of the stem, have been developed to enable DNA mutation detection. Interestingly, DNA mutations can be detected using fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes with only one fluorophore. This review summarizes recent research on single-labeled oligonucleotide probes that exhibit fluorescence changes after encountering target nucleic acids, such as guanine-quenching probes, cyanine-containing probes, probes containing a fluorophore-labeled base, and microenvironment-sensitive probes.

  8. Fluorescence in situ hybridization evaluation of chromosome deletion patterns in prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, S F; Xiao, S; Renshaw, A A; Loughlin, K R; Hudson, T J; Fletcher, J A

    1996-11-01

    Various nonrandom chromosomal aberrations have been identified in prostate carcinoma. These aberrations include deletions of several chromosome regions, particularly the chromosome 8 short arm. Large-scale numerical aberrations, reflected in aberrant DNA ploidy, are also found in a minority of cases. However, it is unclear whether prostate carcinomas contain aberrations of certain chromosome regions that are deleted frequently in other common types of cancer. In this study, we performed dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization on intact nuclei from touch preparations of 16 prostate cancers. Chromosome copy number was determined using pericentromeric probes, whereas potential chromosome arm deletions were evaluated using yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) and P1 probes. Two YAC probes targeted chromosome 8 short arm regions known to be deleted frequently in prostate cancer. Other YACs and P1s were for chromosome regions, including 1p22, 3p14, 6q21, 9p21, and 22q12, that are deletion targets in a variety of cancers although not extensively studied in prostate cancer. Hybridization efficiencies and signal intensities were excellent for both repeat sequence (alpha-satellite) and single, copy (YAC and P1) fluorescence in situ hybridization probes. Of 16 prostate cancers, 11 had clonal aberrations of 1 or more of the 13 chromosome regions evaluated, and 10 cases (62.5%) had 8p deletions, including 4 cases with 8p deletion in virtually all cells and aneuploidy in only a subset of those deleted cells. Deletions at 3p14, 6q21, and 22q12 were identified in 2, 1, and 1 case, respectively, and each of those cases had a similarly sized cell population with 8p deletion. These studies confirm 8p deletion in the majority of prostate carcinomas. 8p deletions appear to be early events in prostate tumorigenesis, often antedating aneuploidy. Fluorescence in situ hybridization strategies incorporating pericentromeric and single-copy regional chromosome probes offer a powerful and

  9. Systems for hybrid cars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bitsche, Otmar; Gutmann, Guenter

    Not only sharp competition but also legislation are pushing development of hybrid drive trains. Based on conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, these drive trains offer a wide range of benefits from reduced fuel consumption and emission to multifaceted performance improvements. Hybrid electric drive trains may also facilitate the introduction of fuel cells (FC). The battery is the key component for all hybrid drive trains, as it dominates cost and performance issues. The selection of the right battery technology for the specific automotive application is an important task with an impact on costs of development and use. Safety, power, and high cycle life are a must for all hybrid applications. The greatest pressure to reduce cost is in soft hybrids, where lead-acid embedded in a considerate management presents the cheapest solution, with a considerable improvement in performance needed. From mild to full hybridization, an improvement in specific power makes higher costs more acceptable, provided that the battery's service life is equivalent to the vehicle's lifetime. Today, this is proven for the nickel-metal hydride system. Lithium ion batteries, which make use of a multiple safety concept, and with some development anticipated, provide even better prospects in terms of performance and costs. Also, their scalability permits their application in battery electric vehicles—the basis for better performance and enhanced user acceptance. Development targets for the batteries are discussed with a focus on system aspects such as electrical and thermal management and safety.

  10. Detection of adenovirus in nasopharyngeal specimens by radioactive and nonradioactive DNA probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hyypiae, T.

    1985-01-01

    The presence of adenovirus DNA in clinical specimens was analyzed by nucleic acid hybridization assays by both radioactive and enzymatic detection systems. The sensitivity of the hybridization tests was in the range of 10 to 100 pg of homologous adenovirus DNA. Minimal background was noticed with unrelated viral and nonviral DNA. Twenty-four nasopharyngeal mucus aspirate specimens, collected from children with acute respiratory infection, were assayed in the hybridization tests and also by an enzyme immunoassay for adenovirus hexon antigen which was used as a reference test. Sixteen specimens positive by the enzyme immunoassay also were positive in the two nucleic acid hybridization tests, and the remaining eight specimens were negative in all of the tests. The results indicate that nucleid acid hybridization tests with both radioactive and nonradioactive probes can be used for diagnosis of microbial infections

  11. Terbium fluorescence as a sensitive, inexpensive probe for UV-induced damage in nucleic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Yazbi, Amira F.; Loppnow, Glen R.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Simple, inexpensive, mix-and-read assay for positive detection of DNA damage. •Recognition of undamaged DNA via hybridization to a hairpin probe. •Terbium(III) fluorescence reports the amount of damage by binding to ssDNA. •Tb/hairpin is a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for DNA damage. -- Abstract: Much effort has been focused on developing methods for detecting damaged nucleic acids. However, almost all of the proposed methods consist of multi-step procedures, are limited, require expensive instruments, or suffer from a high level of interferences. In this paper, we present a novel simple, inexpensive, mix-and-read assay that is generally applicable to nucleic acid damage and uses the enhanced luminescence due to energy transfer from nucleic acids to terbium(III) (Tb 3+ ). Single-stranded oligonucleotides greatly enhance the Tb 3+ emission, but duplex DNA does not. With the use of a DNA hairpin probe complementary to the oligonucleotide of interest, the Tb 3+ /hairpin probe is applied to detect ultraviolet (UV)-induced DNA damage. The hairpin probe hybridizes only with the undamaged DNA. However, the damaged DNA remains single-stranded and enhances the intrinsic fluorescence of Tb 3+ , producing a detectable signal directly proportional to the amount of DNA damage. This allows the Tb 3+ /hairpin probe to be used for sensitive quantification of UV-induced DNA damage. The Tb 3+ /hairpin probe showed superior selectivity to DNA damage compared to conventional molecular beacons probes (MBs) and its sensitivity is more than 2.5 times higher than MBs with a limit of detection of 4.36 ± 1.2 nM. In addition, this probe is easier to synthesize and more than eight times cheaper than MBs, which makes its use recommended for high-throughput, quantitative analysis of DNA damage

  12. A general framework for optimization of probes for gene expression microarray and its application to the fungus Podospora anserina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bidard, Frédérique; Imbeaud, Sandrine; Reymond, Nancie; Lespinet, Olivier; Silar, Philippe; Clavé, Corinne; Delacroix, Hervé; Berteaux-Lecellier, Véronique; Debuchy, Robert

    2010-06-18

    The development of new microarray technologies makes custom long oligonucleotide arrays affordable for many experimental applications, notably gene expression analyses. Reliable results depend on probe design quality and selection. Probe design strategy should cope with the limited accuracy of de novo gene prediction programs, and annotation up-dating. We present a novel in silico procedure which addresses these issues and includes experimental screening, as an empirical approach is the best strategy to identify optimal probes in the in silico outcome. We used four criteria for in silico probe selection: cross-hybridization, hairpin stability, probe location relative to coding sequence end and intron position. This latter criterion is critical when exon-intron gene structure predictions for intron-rich genes are inaccurate. For each coding sequence (CDS), we selected a sub-set of four probes. These probes were included in a test microarray, which was used to evaluate the hybridization behavior of each probe. The best probe for each CDS was selected according to three experimental criteria: signal-to-noise ratio, signal reproducibility, and representative signal intensities. This procedure was applied for the development of a gene expression Agilent platform for the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina and the selection of a single 60-mer probe for each of the 10,556 P. anserina CDS. A reliable gene expression microarray version based on the Agilent 44K platform was developed with four spot replicates of each probe to increase statistical significance of analysis.

  13. A general framework for optimization of probes for gene expression microarray and its application to the fungus Podospora anserina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bidard Frédérique

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of new microarray technologies makes custom long oligonucleotide arrays affordable for many experimental applications, notably gene expression analyses. Reliable results depend on probe design quality and selection. Probe design strategy should cope with the limited accuracy of de novo gene prediction programs, and annotation up-dating. We present a novel in silico procedure which addresses these issues and includes experimental screening, as an empirical approach is the best strategy to identify optimal probes in the in silico outcome. Findings We used four criteria for in silico probe selection: cross-hybridization, hairpin stability, probe location relative to coding sequence end and intron position. This latter criterion is critical when exon-intron gene structure predictions for intron-rich genes are inaccurate. For each coding sequence (CDS, we selected a sub-set of four probes. These probes were included in a test microarray, which was used to evaluate the hybridization behavior of each probe. The best probe for each CDS was selected according to three experimental criteria: signal-to-noise ratio, signal reproducibility, and representative signal intensities. This procedure was applied for the development of a gene expression Agilent platform for the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina and the selection of a single 60-mer probe for each of the 10,556 P. anserina CDS. Conclusions A reliable gene expression microarray version based on the Agilent 44K platform was developed with four spot replicates of each probe to increase statistical significance of analysis.

  14. Development of Prevotella intermedia-specific PCR primers based on the nucleotide sequences of a DNA probe Pig27.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Min Jung; Hwang, Kyung Hwan; Lee, Young-Seok; Park, Jae-Yoon; Kook, Joong-Ki

    2011-03-01

    The aim of this study was to develop Prevotella intermedia-specific PCR primers based on the P. intermedia-specific DNA probe. The P. intermedia-specific DNA probe was screened by inverted dot blot hybridization and confirmed by Southern blot hybridization. The nucleotide sequences of the species-specific DNA probes were determined using a chain termination method. Southern blot analysis showed that the DNA probe, Pig27, detected only the genomic DNA of P. intermedia strains. PCR showed that the PCR primers, Pin-F1/Pin-R1, had species-specificity for P. intermedia. The detection limits of the PCR primer sets were 0.4pg of the purified genomic DNA of P. intermedia ATCC 49046. These results suggest that the PCR primers, Pin-F1/Pin-R1, could be useful in the detection of P. intermedia as well as in the development of a PCR kit in epidemiological studies related to periodontal diseases. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Strength Pareto particle swarm optimization and hybrid EA-PSO for multi-objective optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elhossini, Ahmed; Areibi, Shawki; Dony, Robert

    2010-01-01

    This paper proposes an efficient particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique that can handle multi-objective optimization problems. It is based on the strength Pareto approach originally used in evolutionary algorithms (EA). The proposed modified particle swarm algorithm is used to build three hybrid EA-PSO algorithms to solve different multi-objective optimization problems. This algorithm and its hybrid forms are tested using seven benchmarks from the literature and the results are compared to the strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm (SPEA2) and a competitive multi-objective PSO using several metrics. The proposed algorithm shows a slower convergence, compared to the other algorithms, but requires less CPU time. Combining PSO and evolutionary algorithms leads to superior hybrid algorithms that outperform SPEA2, the competitive multi-objective PSO (MO-PSO), and the proposed strength Pareto PSO based on different metrics.

  16. Dendrimer-based biosensor for chemiluminescent detection of DNA hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, P.; Hun, X.; Qing, H.

    2011-01-01

    We report on a highly sensitive chemiluminescent (CL) biosensor for the sequence-specific detection of DNA using a novel bio barcode DNA probe modified with gold nanoparticles that were covered with a dendrimer. The modified probe is composed of gold nanoparticles, a dendrimer, the CL reagent, and the DNA. The capture probe DNA was immobilized on magnetic beads covered with gold. It first hybridizes with the target DNA and then with one terminal end of the signal DNA on the barcoded DNA probe. CL was generated by adding H 2 O 2 and Co(II) ions as the catalyst. The immobilization of dendrimer onto the gold nanoparticles can significantly enhance sensitivity and gives a detection limit of 6 fmol L -1 of target DNA. (author)

  17. Mating competitiveness of Aedes albopictus radio-sterilized males in large enclosures exposed to natural conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellini, R; Balestrino, F; Medici, A; Gentile, G; Veronesi, R; Carrieri, M

    2013-01-01

    Mating competitiveness trials have been conducted in large net-screened enclosures (8 by 5 by 2.8 m) built in a natural shaded environment, in the summers of 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 in northern Italy. Aedes albopictus (Skuse) males were radio-sterilized by applying gamma radiations at doses in the range 30-60 Gy. Gamma radiation was administered to aged pupae at the rate of 2.3 Gy/min. Reared radiated males (originally collected in Rimini, Forli, Bologna, Matera, Pinerolo) and hybrid radiated males were tested against wild fertile males (originated from eggs collected in Rimini and Cesena) and reared fertile males, in multiple comparisons for mating competitiveness with reared or wild females. The ratio was kept constant at 100-100_100 (fertile males-radiated males_virgin females). Mating competitiveness was estimated through the calculation of the hatching rate of the eggs laid in oviposition traps positioned inside enclosures. No clear effect of the strains tested (reared, wild, or hybrid) was found. Results demonstrated that reducing the radiation dose from 60 to 30 Gy increases males' competitiveness. Laboratory investigations conducted after controversial results in the 2006 preliminary trials, showed that radiation induces precociousness in adult male emergence.

  18. Radiation hybrids from human chromosome 3: A basis for the construction of region and specific sublibraries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atchison, L.; Cosmis, R.L.; Atchison, M.L.

    1990-01-01

    The authors are interested in identifying genes on human chromosome involved in disease processes. To date at least 20 different loci on this chromosome are implicated with various disease states. DNA libraries containing clones derived from a small chromosomal subregion implicated in a particular disease would greatly assist these studies. They have utilized the radiation hybrid (RH) technique to generate a series of somatic cell hybrids that contain small segments of human chromosome 3 as the only human genetic material. A Chinese hamster-human cell hybrid (Q314-2) containing only human chromosome 3 was used to prepare radiation hybrids. Cells were lethally X-irradiated with 6,000 rads and fused to Urd(??) Chinese hamster cells by PEG 1000 treatment. The majority of hybrids (>72%) analyzed retained portions of chromosome 3. The amount of chromosome 3 in each hybrid ranged from nearly all of the chromosome to very little. Currently these hybrids are being further characterized with single copy probes of known map location in order to isolate regions of chromosome 3 that contain specific disease locus. These reduced hybrids can then be used for the construction of region specific libraries and for the generation of new DNA probes from the specific region of interest

  19. Applications of in situ hybridization to plant-improvement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbasi, F.M.

    2004-01-01

    In situ hybridization is a powerful method for characteristic alien addition and substitution lines. RFLP analysis can identify the presence of a particular individual chromosome, but whether they are as a pair or as a single chromosome cannot be determined. In situ hybridization has become established as an essential method in cell and molecular biology. It is able to link DNA sequences with their organization and physical position. The rate of technology-development in the field of in situ hybridization has been rapid: radioactive probes are now rarely used, while labeling methods, fluorochromes, chromosomes and tissue-preparation methods, microscope and imaging technology have all useful in functional genomics and localization of transgenes on the chromosomes. (author)

  20. Hybrid power markets in Africa: Generation planning, procurement and contracting challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malgas, Isaac; Eberhard, Anton

    2011-01-01

    African power sectors are generally characterised by insufficient generation capacity. Reforms to address poor performances in the 1990s followed a prescribed evolution towards power markets that would allow wholesale competition amongst generators and so lead towards efficiency improvements. Despite reforms being embarked, competitive power markets have not been established in Africa; rather, the result has been the emergence of hybrid markets where state-owned generators and IPPs operate devoid of competition; and although IPPs have emerged in a number of African power sectors, many countries still do not have sufficient generation to meet their electricity demands. This paper investigates the development of private generation power projects in Africa by analysing data collected from both primary and secondary sources in four case studies of power sectors in Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco and Tunisia. It identifies how planning and procurement challenges have lead to difficulties in adding sufficient generation capacity in a timely manner, exacerbating the problem of insufficient generation capacity in Africa. It provides suggestions as to how these frameworks could respond more effectively to the capacity challenges faced by hybrid electricity generation markets, and how broader power sector reforms should be guided to reflect the challenges of hybrid markets better. - Research highlights: → The standard model of power sector reform should no longer be used as a progress measure of power sector development in Africa and many other developing countries. → The hybrid market should in itself be recognised as an established 'model' of power sectors in Africa and many developing countries. → Planning, procurement and contracting arrangements should be shaped specifically for hybrid markets in order to address the problem of insufficient generation capacity in developing countries.

  1. The effect of the shape of single, sub-ms voltage pulses on the rates of surface immobilization and hybridization of DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cabeca, R; Rodrigues, M; Chu, V; Conde, J P; Prazeres, D M F

    2009-01-01

    Electric fields generated by single square and sinusoidal voltage pulses with amplitudes below 2 V were used to assist the covalent immobilization of single-stranded, thiolated DNA probes, onto a chemically functionalized SiO 2 surface and to assist the specific hybridization of single-stranded DNA targets with immobilized complementary probes. The single-stranded immobilized DNA probes were either covalently immobilized (chemisorption) or electrostatically adsorbed (physisorption) to a chemically functionalized surface. Comparing the speed of electric field assisted immobilization and hybridization with the corresponding control reactions (without electric field), an increase of several orders of magnitude is observed, with the reaction timescaled down from 1 to 2 h to a range between 100 ns and 1 ms. The influence of the shape of the voltage pulse (square versus sinusoidal) and its duration were studied for both immobilization and hybridization reactions. The results show that pulsed electric fields are a useful tool to achieve temporal and spatial control of surface immobilization and hybridization reactions of DNA.

  2. Lifecycle cost assessment and carbon dioxide emissions of diesel, natural gas, hybrid electric, fuel cell hybrid and electric transit buses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lajunen, Antti; Lipman, Timothy

    2016-01-01

    This paper evaluates the lifecycle costs and carbon dioxide emissions of different types of city buses. The simulation models of the different powertrains were developed in the Autonomie vehicle simulation software. The carbon dioxide emissions were calculated both for the bus operation and for the fuel and energy pathways from well to tank. Two different operating environment case scenarios were used for the primary energy sources, which were Finland and California (USA). The fuel and energy pathways were selected appropriately in relation to the operating environment. The lifecycle costs take into account the purchase, operating, maintenance, and possible carbon emission costs. Based on the simulation results, the energy efficiency of city buses can be significantly improved by the alternative powertrain technologies. Hybrid buses have moderately lower carbon dioxide emissions during the service life than diesel buses whereas fully-electric buses have potential to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, by up to 75%. The lifecycle cost analysis indicates that diesel hybrid buses are already competitive with diesel and natural gas buses. The high costs of fuel cell and battery systems are the major challenges for the fuel cell hybrid buses in order to reduce lifecycle costs to more competitive levels. - Highlights: • Alternative powertrains can significantly improve energy efficiency of transit buses. • Operating environment has an important impact on the lifecycle costs of buses. • Diesel hybrid buses are already cost effective solution for public transportation. • The cost of fuel cell technology is the major challenge for fuel cell hybrid buses. • Fully-electric buses have potential to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

  3. Voltage Profile Enhancement and Reduction of Real Power loss by Hybrid Biogeography Based Artificial Bee Colony algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Lenin

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents Hybrid Biogeography algorithm for solving the multi-objective reactive power dispatch problem in a power system. Real Power Loss minimization and maximization of voltage stability margin are taken as the objectives. Artificial bee colony optimization (ABC is quick and forceful algorithm for global optimization. Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO is a new-fangled biogeography inspired algorithm. It mainly utilizes the biogeography-based relocation operator to share the information among solutions. In this work, a hybrid algorithm with BBO and ABC is projected, and named as HBBABC (Hybrid Biogeography based Artificial Bee Colony Optimization, for the universal numerical optimization problem. HBBABC merge the searching behavior of ABC with that of BBO. Both the algorithms have different solution probing tendency like ABC have good exploration probing tendency while BBO have good exploitation probing tendency.  HBBABC used to solve the reactive power dispatch problem and the proposed technique has been tested in standard IEEE30 bus test system.

  4. DNA hybridization sensing for cytogenetic analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kwasny, Dorota; Dapra, Johannes; Brøgger, Anna Line

    2013-01-01

    are rearrangements between two chromosome arms that results in two derivative chromosomes having a mixed DNA sequence. The current detection method is a Fluorescent In situ Hybridization, which requires a use of expensive, fluorescently labeled probes that target the DNA sequences of two chromosomes involved...... in the translocation (Kwasny et al., 2012). We have developed a new double hybridization assay that allows for sorting of the DNA chromosomal fragments into separate compartment, moreover allowing for detection of the translocation. To detect the translocation it is necessary to determine that the two DNA sequences...... forming a derivative chromosome are connected, which is achieved by two subsequent hybridization steps. The first example of the translocation detection was presented on lab-on-a-disc using fluorescently labeled DNA fragments, representing the derivative chromosome (Brøgger et al., 2012). To allow...

  5. DNA Probes Show Genetic Variation in Cyanobacterial Symbionts of the Azolla Fern and a Closer Relationship to Free-Living Nostoc Strains than to Free-Living Anabaena Strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plazinski, Jacek; Zheng, Qi; Taylor, Rona; Croft, Lynn; Rolfe, Barry G.; Gunning, Brian E. S.

    1990-01-01

    Twenty-two isolates of Anabaena azollae derived from seven Azolla species from various geographic and ecological sources were characterized by DNA-DNA hybridization. Cloned DNA fragments derived from the genomic sequences of three different A. azollae isolates were used to detect restriction fragment length polymorphism among all symbiotic anabaenas. DNA clones were radiolabeled and hybridized against southern blot transfers of genomic DNAs of different isolates of A. azollae digested with restriction endonucleases. Eight DNA probes were selected to identify the Anabaena strains tested. Two were strain specific and hybridized only to A. azollae strains isolated from Azolla microphylla or Azolla caroliniana. One DNA probe was section specific (hybridized only to anabaenas isolated from Azolla ferns representing the section Euazolla), and five other probes gave finer discrimination among anabaenas representing various ecotypes of Azolla species. These cloned genomic DNA probes identified 11 different genotypes of A. azollae isolates. These included three endosymbiotic genotypes within Azolla filiculoides species and two genotypes within both A. caroliniana and Azolla pinnata endosymbionts. Although we were not able to discriminate among anabaenas extracted from different ecotypes of Azolla nilotica, Azolla mexicina, Azolla rubra and Azolla microphylla species, each of the endosymbionts was easily identified as a unique genotype. When total DNA isolated from free-living Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 was screened, none of the genomic DNA probes gave detectable positive hybridization. Total DNA of Nostoc cycas PCC7422 hybridized with six of eight genomic DNA fragments. These data imply that the dominant symbiotic organism in association with Azolla spp. is more closely related to Nostoc spp. than to free-living Anabaena spp. Images PMID:16348182

  6. [Oligonucleotide derivatives in the nucleic acid hybridization analysis. II. Isothermal signal amplification in process of DNA analysis by minisequencing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dmitrienko, E V; Khomiakova, E A; Pyshnaia; Bragin, A G; Vedernikov, V E; Pyshnyĭ, D V

    2010-01-01

    The isothermal amplification of reporter signal via limited probe extension (minisequencing) upon hybridization of nucleic acids has been studied. The intensity of reporter signal has been shown to increase due to enzymatic labeling of multiple probes upon consecutive hybridization with one DNA template both in homophase and heterophase assays using various kinds of detection signal: radioisotope label, fluorescent label, and enzyme-linked assay. The kinetic scheme of the process has been proposed and kinetic parameters for each step have been determined. The signal intensity has been shown to correlate with physicochemical characteristics of both complexes: probe/DNA and product/DNA. The maximum intensity has been observed at minimal difference between the thermodynamic stability of these complexes, provided the reaction temperature has been adjusted near their melting temperature values; rising or lowering the reaction temperature reduces the amount of reporting product. The signal intensity has been shown to decrease significantly upon hybridization with the DNA template containing single-nucleotide mismatches. Limited probe extension assay is useful not only for detection of DNA template but also for its quantitative characterization.

  7. Analysis of experimental mink enteritis virus infection in mink: in situ hybridization, serology, and histopathology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Uttenthal, Åse; Larsen, S; Lund, E

    1990-01-01

    Strand-specific hybridization probes were used in in situ hybridization studies to localize cells containing mink enteritis virus (MEV) virion DNA or MEV replicative-form DNA and mRNA. Following the experimental MEV infection of 3-month-old unvaccinated mink, a significant increase in serum antib...

  8. Detecting the effects of toxic agents on spermatogenesis using DNA probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hecht, N.B.

    1987-01-01

    Advances in the molecular biology of spermatogenesis suggest that DNA probes can be used to monitor the effects of toxic agents in male germ cells of mammals. Molecular hybridization analyses with DNA probes can provide a reproducible methodology capable of detecting changes ranging from massive deletions to single base pair substitutions in the genome of exposed individuals. A constantly increasing number of DNA probes that can be used to detect such alterations in human sperm DNA exist for both ubiquitously expressed proteins and for genes solely expressed in the testis. In this chapter, the currently available testicular stage-specific and/or cell type-specific DNA probes and the techniques by which they can be utilized in reproductive toxicology studies are discussed. The advantages, limitations, and future technological advances of this novel biological marker system for the human male reproductive system are also considered

  9. Distribution and evolution of repeated sequences in genomes of Triatominae (Hemiptera-Reduviidae inferred from genomic in situ hybridization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Pita

    Full Text Available The subfamily Triatominae, vectors of Chagas disease, comprises 140 species characterized by a highly homogeneous chromosome number. We analyzed the chromosomal distribution and evolution of repeated sequences in Triatominae genomes by Genomic in situ Hybridization using Triatoma delpontei and Triatoma infestans genomic DNAs as probes. Hybridizations were performed on their own chromosomes and on nine species included in six genera from the two main tribes: Triatomini and Rhodniini. Genomic probes clearly generate two different hybridization patterns, dispersed or accumulated in specific regions or chromosomes. The three used probes generate the same hybridization pattern in each species. However, these patterns are species-specific. In closely related species, the probes strongly hybridized in the autosomal heterochromatic regions, resembling C-banding and DAPI patterns. However, in more distant species these co-localizations are not observed. The heterochromatic Y chromosome is constituted by highly repeated sequences, which is conserved among 10 species of Triatomini tribe suggesting be an ancestral character for this group. However, the Y chromosome in Rhodniini tribe is markedly different, supporting the early evolutionary dichotomy between both tribes. In some species, sex chromosomes and autosomes shared repeated sequences, suggesting meiotic chromatin exchanges among these heterologous chromosomes. Our GISH analyses enabled us to acquire not only reliable information about autosomal repeated sequences distribution but also an insight into sex chromosome evolution in Triatominae. Furthermore, the differentiation obtained by GISH might be a valuable marker to establish phylogenetic relationships and to test the controversial origin of the Triatominae subfamily.

  10. Nanogel-quantum dot hybrid nanoparticles for live cell imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasegawa, Urara; Nomura, Shin-ichiro M.; Kaul, Sunil C.; Hirano, Takashi; Akiyoshi, Kazunari

    2005-01-01

    We report here a novel carrier of quantum dots (QDs) for intracellular labeling. Monodisperse hybrid nanoparticles (38 nm in diameter) of QDs were prepared by simple mixing with nanogels of cholesterol-bearing pullulan (CHP) modified with amino groups (CHPNH 2 ). The CHPNH 2 -QD nanoparticles were effectively internalized into the various human cells examined. The efficiency of cellular uptake was much higher than that of a conventional carrier, cationic liposome. These hybrid nanoparticles could be a promising fluorescent probe for bioimaging

  11. 0.4-1.2 GHz hybrid Al-CFRP open-boundary quad-ridge horn

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kim, Oleksiy S.; Pivnenko, Sergey; Breinbjerg, Olav

    2011-01-01

    We present a 0.4-1.2 GHz open-boundary quad-ridge horn to be used as a wide-band probe at the DTU-ESA Spherical Near-Field Antenna Test Facility at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Due to adopted hybrid Al-CFRP fabrication technology, the weight of the probe is reduced by a factor of 2...

  12. Development of an in situ hybridization assay for the detection of ostreid herpesvirus type 1 mRNAs in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbeil, Serge; Faury, Nicole; Segarra, Amélie; Renault, Tristan

    2015-01-01

    An in situ hybridization protocol for detecting mRNAs of ostreid herpesvirus type 1 (OsHV-1) which infects Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, was developed. Three RNA probes were synthesized by cloning three partial OsHV-1 genes into plasmids using three specific primer pairs, and performing a transcription in the presence of digoxigenin dUTP. The RNA probes were able to detect the virus mRNAs in paraffin sections of experimentally infected oysters 26 h post-injection. The in situ hybridization showed that the OsHV-1 mRNAs were mainly present in connective tissues in gills, mantle, adductor muscle, digestive gland and gonads. DNA detection by in situ hybridization using a DNA probe and viral DNA quantitation by real-time PCR were also performed and results were compared with those obtained using RNA probes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Influence of DNA treatments on Southern blot hybridization analysis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-06-03

    Jun 3, 2008 ... DNA samples obtained by a non-phenol/chloroform isolation method, from three races of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici ... Key words: Fusarium oxysporum, DIG-IGS Probe, Southern hybridization. INTRODUCTION .... Detection of Fusarium spp in plants with monoclonal antibody. Ann. Phytopathol.

  14. Hybridization interactions between probesets in short oligo microarrays lead to spurious correlations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miller Crispin J

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarrays measure the binding of nucleotide sequences to a set of sequence specific probes. This information is combined with annotation specifying the relationship between probes and targets and used to make inferences about transcript- and, ultimately, gene expression. In some situations, a probe is capable of hybridizing to more than one transcript, in others, multiple probes can target a single sequence. These 'multiply targeted' probes can result in non-independence between measured expression levels. Results An analysis of these relationships for Affymetrix arrays considered both the extent and influence of exact matches between probe and transcript sequences. For the popular HGU133A array, approximately half of the probesets were found to interact in this way. Both real and simulated expression datasets were used to examine how these effects influenced the expression signal. It was found not only to lead to increased signal strength for the affected probesets, but the major effect is to significantly increase their correlation, even in situations when only a single probe from a probeset was involved. By building a network of probe-probeset-transcript relationships, it is possible to identify families of interacting probesets. More than 10% of the families contain members annotated to different genes or even different Unigene clusters. Within a family, a mixture of genuine biological and artefactual correlations can occur. Conclusion Multiple targeting is not only prevalent, but also significant. The ability of probesets to hybridize to more than one gene product can lead to false positives when analysing gene expression. Comprehensive annotation describing multiple targeting is required when interpreting array data.

  15. Probing photoinduced electron-transfer in graphene-dye hybrid materials for DSSC

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Guarracino, Paola; Gatti, Teresa; Canever, Nicolo; Abdu-Aguye, Mustapha; Loi, Maria Antonietta; Menna, Enzo; Franco, Lorenzo

    2017-01-01

    We investigated the photophysical properties of a newly synthesized hybrid material composed of a triphenylamine dye covalently bound to reduced graphene oxide, potentially relevant as a stable photosensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells. The photophysical characterization has been carried out by

  16. Competitividad de los sistemas híbridos eólicos-fotovoltaicos para la electrificación rural//Competitiveness of the wind-photovoltaic hybrid systems for the rural electrification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ciaddy Rodríguez Borges

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available La posibilidad de electrificación rural mediante extensión de la red eléctrica o mediante el uso exclusivo de generadores diésel suelen ser soluciones costosas, que además presentan alto impacto ecológico. Este trabajo abordó el planteamiento de opciones de electrificación empleando sistemas híbridos eólicos–fotovoltaicos con bajo respaldo diésel. Los sistemas propuestos están dimensionados para un número de viviendas y nivel de recursos renovables disímiles en función de cada localización. Se abordan distintos rangos de demandas mediante los 4 sistemas híbridos propuestos y se propone un procedimiento simple de ayuda para la selección. Fue realizado un análisis económico que permitió obtener como principal conclusión la comprobación de la mayor competitividad de estos sistemas híbridos eólicos–fotovoltaicos respecto a la generación diésel en función al costo equivalente de la energía y el impacto ambiental para la condición de disponibilidad de recursos renovables de una gran mayoría de regiones de América Latina y el Caribe.Palabras claves: competitividad energética, electrificación rural, sistema híbrido.______________________________________________________________________________AbstractThe possibility of rural electrification by means of extension of the electric net or by the exclusive use of generating diesel are usually expensive solutions, besides presenting this last option high ecological impact. This work approached the electrification options using wind-photovoltaic hybrid systems with low diésel support. These systems are sized for a number of housings and level ofresources renewable dissimilar in function to each localization. Different ranges of demands were approached by means of 4 proposed hybrid systems. It was proposed a simple procedure of help for the selection it was carried out an economic analysis that allowed to obtain the main conclusion when checking the biggest competitiveness

  17. Economic Evaluation of a Hybrid Desalination System Combining Forward and Reverse Osmosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Yongjun; Cho, Hyeongrak; Shin, Yonghyun; Jang, Yongsun; Lee, Sangho

    2015-01-01

    This study seeks to evaluate the performance and economic feasibility of the forward osmosis (FO)–reverse osmosis (RO) hybrid process; to propose a guideline by which this hybrid process might be more price-competitive in the field. A solution-diffusion model modified with film theory was applied to analyze the effects of concentration polarization, water, and salt transport coefficient on flux, recovery, seawater concentration, and treated wastewater of the FO process of an FO-RO hybrid system. A simple cost model was applied to analyze the effects of flux; recovery of the FO process; energy; and membrane cost on the FO-RO hybrid process. The simulation results showed that the water transport coefficient and internal concentration polarization resistance are very important factors that affect performance in the FO process; however; the effect of the salt transport coefficient does not seem to be large. It was also found that the flux and recovery of the FO process, the FO membrane, and the electricity cost are very important factors that influence the water cost of an FO-RO hybrid system. This hybrid system can be price-competitive with RO systems when its recovery rate is very high, the flux and the membrane cost of the FO are similar to those of the RO, and the electricity cost is expensive. The most important thing in commercializing the FO process is enhancing performance (e.g.; flux and the recovery of FO membranes). PMID:26729176

  18. Towards the development of a hybrid-integrated chip interferometer for online surface profile measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, P.; Martin, H.; Jiang, X.

    2016-01-01

    Non-destructive testing and online measurement of surface features are pressing demands in manufacturing. Thus optical techniques are gaining importance for characterization of complex engineering surfaces. Harnessing integrated optics for miniaturization of interferometry systems onto a silicon wafer and incorporating a compact optical probe would enable the development of a handheld sensor for embedded metrology applications. In this work, we present the progress in the development of a hybrid photonics based metrology sensor device for online surface profile measurements. The measurement principle along with test and measurement results of individual components has been presented. For non-contact measurement, a spectrally encoded lateral scanning probe based on the laser scanning microscopy has been developed to provide fast measurement with lateral resolution limited to the diffraction limit. The probe demonstrates a lateral resolution of ∼3.6 μm while high axial resolution (sub-nanometre) is inherently achieved by interferometry. Further the performance of the hybrid tuneable laser and the scanning probe was evaluated by measuring a standard step height sample of 100 nm.

  19. Towards the development of a hybrid-integrated chip interferometer for online surface profile measurements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, P.; Martin, H.; Jiang, X. [EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Advanced Metrology, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH (United Kingdom)

    2016-06-15

    Non-destructive testing and online measurement of surface features are pressing demands in manufacturing. Thus optical techniques are gaining importance for characterization of complex engineering surfaces. Harnessing integrated optics for miniaturization of interferometry systems onto a silicon wafer and incorporating a compact optical probe would enable the development of a handheld sensor for embedded metrology applications. In this work, we present the progress in the development of a hybrid photonics based metrology sensor device for online surface profile measurements. The measurement principle along with test and measurement results of individual components has been presented. For non-contact measurement, a spectrally encoded lateral scanning probe based on the laser scanning microscopy has been developed to provide fast measurement with lateral resolution limited to the diffraction limit. The probe demonstrates a lateral resolution of ∼3.6 μm while high axial resolution (sub-nanometre) is inherently achieved by interferometry. Further the performance of the hybrid tuneable laser and the scanning probe was evaluated by measuring a standard step height sample of 100 nm.

  20. Genetic variance of Trichomonas vaginalis isolates by Southern hybridization

    OpenAIRE

    Ryu, Jae-Sook; Min, Duk-Young; Shin, Myeong-Heon; Cho, Youl-Hee

    1998-01-01

    In the present study, genomic DNAs were purified from Korean isolates (KT8, KT6, KT-Kim and KT-Lee) and foreign strains (CDC85, IR78 and NYH 286) of Trichomonas vaginalis, and hybridized with a probe based on the repetitive sequence cloned from T. vaginalis to observe the genetic differences. By Southern hybridization, all isolates of T. vaginalis except the NYH286 strain had 11 bands. Therefore all isolates examined were distinguishable into 3 groups according to their banding patterns; i) K...

  1. New Hybrid Multiple Attribute Decision-Making Model for Improving Competence Sets: Enhancing a Company’s Core Competitiveness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuan-Wei Huang

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available A company’s core competitiveness depends on the strategic allocation of its human resources in alignment with employee capabilities. Competency models can identify the range of capabilities at a company’s disposal, and this information can be used to develop internal or external education training policies for sustainable development. Such models can ensure the importation of a strategic orientation reflecting the growth of its employee competence set and enhancing human resource sustainably. This approach ensures that the most appropriate people are assigned to the most appropriate positions. In this study, we proposed a new hybrid multiple attributed decision-making model by using the Decision-making trial and Evaluation Laboratory Technique (DEMATEL to construct an influential network relation map (INRM and determined the influential weights by using the basic concept of the analytic network process (called DEMATEL-based ANP, DANP; the influential weights were then adopted with a modified Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR method. A simple forecasting technique as an iteration function was also proposed. The proposed model was effective. We expect that the proposed model can facilitate making timely revisions, reflecting the growth of employee competence sets, reducing the performance gap toward the aspiration level, and ensuring the sustainability of a company.

  2. CONCEPTUAL APPROACH OF COMPETITIVENESS AND INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN COMPETITION AND COMPETITIVENESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana GUTIUM

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This article is devoted to analysis of interdependence and correlation between competition and competitiveness, and competition’s consequences. The author analysed some authors’ visions on competitiveness, and common features between theories of competition and competitiveness. Using the synthetic indicator elaborated by author has been evaluated the competitiveness of domestic goods on the internal and external market. At the end of this article, the author has developed proposals to increase competitiveness.

  3. Northern blots: capillary transfer of RNA from agarose gels and filter hybridization using standard stringency conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rio, Donald C

    2015-03-02

    In this protocol, an RNA sample, fractionated by gel electrophoresis, is transferred from the gel onto a membrane by capillary transfer. Short-wave UV light is used to fix the transferred RNA to the membrane. The membrane is then pretreated to block nonspecific probe-binding sites, and hybridization of the immobilized RNA to a (32)P-labeled DNA or RNA probe specific for the mRNA of interest is performed. Finally, the membrane is washed and subjected to autoradiography or phosphorimaging. Because exposure to UV cross-links the RNA to the membrane, the membrane can be stripped and hybridized with other probes. The procedure is suitable for detecting poly(A)(+)-selected mRNA or mRNA in total cellular RNA if the target transcript is relatively abundant. Using DNA or RNA probes labeled to 1 × 10(8)-10 × 10(8) cpm/µg, it should be possible to detect ∼5 pg of a specific RNA. © 2015 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

  4. Sequencing of megabase plus DNA by hybridization: Method development ENT. Final technical progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crkvenjakov, R.; Drmanac, R.

    1991-01-31

    Sequencing by hybridization (SBH) is the only sequencing method based on the experimental determination of the content of oligonucleotide sequences. The data acquisition relies on the natural process of base pairing. It is possible to determine the content of complementary oligosequences in the target DNA by the process of hybridization with oligonucleotide probes of known sequences.

  5. Chromosome specific DNA hybridization in suspension for flow cytometric detection of chimerism in bone marrow transplantation and leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    G.J.A. Arkesteijn (Ger); C.A.J. Erpelinck (Claudia); A.C.M. Martens (Anton); A. Hagenbeek (Anton)

    1995-01-01

    textabstractFlow cytometry was used to measure the fluorescence intensity of nuclei that were subjected to fluorescent in situ hybridization in suspension with chromosome specific DNA probes. Paraformaldehyde-fixed nuclei were protein digested with trypsin and hybridized simultaneously with a

  6. DNA hybridization sensor based on pentacene thin film transistor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jung-Min; Jha, Sandeep Kumar; Chand, Rohit; Lee, Dong-Hoon; Kim, Yong-Sang

    2011-01-15

    A DNA hybridization sensor using pentacene thin film transistors (TFTs) is an excellent candidate for disposable sensor applications due to their low-cost fabrication process and fast detection. We fabricated pentacene TFTs on glass substrate for the sensing of DNA hybridization. The ss-DNA (polyA/polyT) or ds-DNA (polyA/polyT hybrid) were immobilized directly on the surface of the pentacene, producing a dramatic change in the electrical properties of the devices. The electrical characteristics of devices were studied as a function of DNA immobilization, single-stranded vs. double-stranded DNA, DNA length and concentration. The TFT device was further tested for detection of λ-phage genomic DNA using probe hybridization. Based on these results, we propose that a "label-free" detection technique for DNA hybridization is possible through direct measurement of electrical properties of DNA-immobilized pentacene TFTs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Diagnosis, prognosis and disease management using in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kucheria, K.; Talwar, R.

    2002-01-01

    The year 2001 saw unveiling of anatomy of the human genome with sequencing of 90% of the euchromatic region. But the ultimate goal of the Human Genome Project to delineate the positions of all genes is yet to be achieved. In Situ Hybridization (ISH) is one of the methods that help in localizing genes on chromosomes. The present study aimed to use radioactive- and fluorescent-labeled probes for screening various congenital anomalies (sex chromosomal and autosomal), for prenatal diagnosis and cancer genetics. Standard techniques were used for hybridization with radioactively and fluorescent labeled probes. Sex chromosome aneuploidies (XXY, XO, XXX, XYY etc.) were analyzed using centromeric probes for chromosomes X and Y. The cases with ambiguous genitalia were further analyzed using probe specific for the sex-determining region (SRY) on the Y chromosome. Suspected cases of Down syndrome were analyzed using probe specific for centromeric region of chromosome 21 to confirm trisomy 21. Prenatal diagnosis included screening aneuploidies of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y on uncultured cells and metaphases obtained from amniotic fluid and chorionic villi samplings. Gene alterations were also studied in Retinoblastoma patients, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) and Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APML) using probes specific for Rb1, bcr/abl and PML/RARα genes respectively. Response to therapy was assessed by evaluating minimal residual disease (MRD) in leukemia patients. Attempts were also made to analyze cells obtained from buccal mucosa and bladder epithelium that could facilitate rapid screening of sex chromosome anomalies and bladder cancer without painful invasive techniques. Prenatal diagnosis using ISH on uncultured cells could provide an accurate and rapid result. These results of prenatal diagnosis were in conformation with results of conventional cytogenetics obtained after long-term cultures. Molecular rearrangements that could not be detected with conventional

  8. Detection of human papillomavirus in oral warts using in situ hybridization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzana Orsini Machado de Sousa

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The human papillomavirus is a group of DNA epitheliotrophic viruses associated with the etiology of benign and malignant oral warts. More than 100 types have been identified and among them, 24 have been found into the oral cavity. The aim of this study was to analyze human papillomavirus prevalence and its subtypes in 50 oral warts, of which 20 were squamous papillomas, 17 condylomaacuminatum and 13 verruca vulgaris. Method: In situ hybridization was used with biotinylated DNA probes for wide-spectrum HPV and with specific probes for human papillomavirus 6/11, human papillomavirus 16/18 and human papillomavirus 31/33. Results: Human papillomavirus was present in ten (20% of the 50 oral wart cases, 03 (3/20 squamous papillomas, 05 (5/17 condyloma acuminatum and 02 (2/13 verruca vulgaris. Of these, 8 (16% were positive to the HPV probe 6/11 being 5 condyloma acuminatum, 1 squamous papilloma and 2 verruca vulgaris. Three cases (6% demonstrated positivity to the human papillomavirus probe 16/18, with 2 being cases of condyloma and the other a case of squamous papilloma. Of the six positive cases to the human papillomavirus probe 31/33, (12% 4 were condyloma acuminatum and 2 squamous papillomas. Conclusion: The human papillomavirus expression (20% found in this study was low, but within the average found in the literature. Nonetheless, in addition to in situ hybridization, other methods may be necessary for confirming the presence of human papillomavirus.

  9. Parametric systems analysis for tandem mirror hybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J.D.; Chapin, D.L.; Chi, J.W.H.

    1980-09-01

    Fusion fission systems, consisting of fissile producing fusion hybrids combining a tandem mirror fusion driver with various blanket types and net fissile consuming LWR's, have been modeled and analyzed parametrically. Analysis to date indicates that hybrids can be competitive with mined uranium when U 3 O 8 cost is about 100 $/lb., adding less than 25% to present day cost of power from LWR's. Of the three blanket types considered, uranium fast fission (UFF), thorium fast fission (ThFF), and thorium fission supressed (ThFS), the ThFS blanket has a modest economic advantage under most conditions but has higher support ratios and potential safety advantages under all conditions

  10. Supernumerary ring chromosome 20 characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Langen, Irene M.; Otter, Mariëlle A.; Aronson, Daniël C.; Overweg-Plandsoen, W.C.G.; Hennekam, Raoul C.M.; Leschot, Nico J.; Hoovers, Jan M.N.

    1996-01-01

    We report on a boy with mild dysmorphic features and developmental delay, in whom karyotyping showed an additional minute ring chromosome in 60% of metaphases. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a centromere specific probe demonstrated that the ring chromosome contained the centromeric

  11. Sensitive electrochemical monitoring of nucleic acids coupling DNA nanostructures with hybridization chain reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhuang, Junyang; Fu, Libing; Xu, Mingdi; Yang, Huanghao; Chen, Guonan; Tang, Dianping

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •A new signal-on metallobioassay was developed for detection of nucleic acids. •Target-triggered long-range self-assembled DNA nanostructures are used for amplification of electronic signal. •Hybridization chain reaction is utilized for construction of long-range DNA nanostructures. -- Abstract: Methods based on metal nanotags have been developed for metallobioassay of nucleic acids, but most involve complicated labeling or stripping procedures and are unsuitable for routine use. Herein, we report the proof-of-concept of a novel and label-free metallobioassay for ultrasensitive electronic determination of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related gene fragments at an ultralow concentration based on target-triggered long-range self-assembled DNA nanostructures and DNA-based hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The signal is amplified by silver nanotags on the DNA duplex. The assay mainly consists of capture probe, detection probe, and two different DNA hairpins. In the presence of target DNA, the capture probe immobilized on the sensor sandwiches target DNA with the 3′ end of detection probe. Another exposed part of detection probe at the 5′ end opens two alternating DNA hairpins in turn, and propagates a chain reaction of hybridization events to form a nicked double-helix. Finally, numerous silver nanotags are immobilized onto the long-range DNA nanostructures, each of which produces a strong electronic signal within the applied potentials. Under optimal conditions, the target-triggered long-range DNA nanostructures present good electrochemical behaviors for the detection of HIV DNA at a concentration as low as 0.5 fM. Importantly, the outstanding sensitivity can make this approach a promising scheme for development of next-generation DNA sensors without the need of enzyme labeling or fluorophore labeling

  12. Mismatch oligonucleotides in human and yeast: guidelines for probe design on tiling microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jee Justin

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mismatched oligonucleotides are widely used on microarrays to differentiate specific from nonspecific hybridization. While many experiments rely on such oligos, the hybridization behavior of various degrees of mismatch (MM structure has not been extensively studied. Here, we present the results of two large-scale microarray experiments on S. cerevisiae and H. sapiens genomic DNA, to explore MM oligonucleotide behavior with real sample mixtures under tiling-array conditions. Results We examined all possible nucleotide substitutions at the central position of 36-nucleotide probes, and found that nonspecific binding by MM oligos depends upon the individual nucleotide substitutions they incorporate: C→A, C→G and T→A (yielding purine-purine mispairs are most disruptive, whereas A→X were least disruptive. We also quantify a marked GC skew effect: substitutions raising probe GC content exhibit higher intensity (and vice versa. This skew is small in highly-expressed regions (± 0.5% of total intensity range and large (± 2% or more elsewhere. Multiple mismatches per oligo are largely additive in effect: each MM added in a distributed fashion causes an additional 21% intensity drop relative to PM, three-fold more disruptive than adding adjacent mispairs (7% drop per MM. Conclusion We investigate several parameters for oligonucleotide design, including the effects of each central nucleotide substitution on array signal intensity and of multiple MM per oligo. To avoid GC skew, individual substitutions should not alter probe GC content. RNA sample mixture complexity may increase the amount of nonspecific hybridization, magnify GC skew and boost the intensity of MM oligos at all levels.

  13. A study on optimization of hybrid drive train using Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Same, Adam; Stipe, Alex; Grossman, David; Park, Jae Wan [Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

    2010-10-01

    This study investigates the advantages and disadvantages of three hybrid drive train configurations: series, parallel, and ''through-the-ground'' parallel. Power flow simulations are conducted with the MATLAB/Simulink-based software ADVISOR. These simulations are then applied in an application for the UC Davis SAE Formula Hybrid vehicle. ADVISOR performs simulation calculations for vehicle position using a combined backward/forward method. These simulations are used to study how efficiency and agility are affected by the motor, fuel converter, and hybrid configuration. Three different vehicle models are developed to optimize the drive train of a vehicle for three stages of the SAE Formula Hybrid competition: autocross, endurance, and acceleration. Input cycles are created based on rough estimates of track geometry. The output from these ADVISOR simulations is a series of plots of velocity profile and energy storage State of Charge that provide a good estimate of how the Formula Hybrid vehicle will perform on the given course. The most noticeable discrepancy between the input cycle and the actual velocity profile of the vehicle occurs during deceleration. A weighted ranking system is developed to organize the simulation results and to determine the best drive train configuration for the Formula Hybrid vehicle. Results show that the through-the-ground parallel configuration with front-mounted motors achieves an optimal balance of efficiency, simplicity, and cost. ADVISOR is proven to be a useful tool for vehicle power train design for the SAE Formula Hybrid competition. This vehicle model based on ADVISOR simulation is applicable to various studies concerning performance and efficiency of hybrid drive trains. (author)

  14. A HYBRID HEURISTIC ALGORITHM FOR THE CLUSTERED TRAVELING SALESMAN PROBLEM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mário Mestria

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This paper proposes a hybrid heuristic algorithm, based on the metaheuristics Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure, Iterated Local Search and Variable Neighborhood Descent, to solve the Clustered Traveling Salesman Problem (CTSP. Hybrid Heuristic algorithm uses several variable neighborhood structures combining the intensification (using local search operators and diversification (constructive heuristic and perturbation routine. In the CTSP, the vertices are partitioned into clusters and all vertices of each cluster have to be visited contiguously. The CTSP is -hard since it includes the well-known Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP as a special case. Our hybrid heuristic is compared with three heuristics from the literature and an exact method. Computational experiments are reported for different classes of instances. Experimental results show that the proposed hybrid heuristic obtains competitive results within reasonable computational time.

  15. Combining ligation reaction and capillary gel electrophoresis to obtain reliable long DNA probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Cañas, Virginia; Mondello, Monica; Cifuentes, Alejandro

    2011-05-01

    New DNA amplification methods are continuously developed for sensitive detection and quantification of specific DNA target sequences for, e.g. clinical, environmental or food applications. These new applications often require the use of long DNA oligonucleotides as probes for target sequences hybridization. Depending on the molecular technique, the length of DNA probes ranges from 40 to 450 nucleotides, solid-phase chemical synthesis being the strategy generally used for their production. However, the fidelity of chemical synthesis of DNA decreases for larger DNA probes. Defects in the oligonucleotide sequence result in the loss of hybridization efficiency, affecting the sensitivity and selectivity of the amplification method. In this work, an enzymatic procedure has been developed as an alternative to solid-phase chemical synthesis for the production of long oligonucleotides. The enzymatic procedure for probe production was based on ligation of short DNA sequences. Long DNA probes were obtained from smaller oligonucleotides together with a short sequence that acts as bridge stabilizing the molecular complex for DNA ligation. The ligation reactions were monitored by capillary gel electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CGE-LIF) using a bare fused-silica capillary. The capillary gel electrophoresis-LIF method demonstrated to be very useful and informative for the characterization of the ligation reaction, providing important information about the nature of some impurities, as well as for the fine optimization of the ligation conditions (i.e. ligation cycles, oligonucleotide and enzyme concentration). As a result, the yield and quality of the ligation product were highly improved. The in-lab prepared DNA probes were used in a novel multiplex ligation-dependent genome amplification (MLGA) method for the detection of genetically modified maize in samples. The great possibilities of the whole approach were demonstrated by the specific and sensitive

  16. Nucleic Acid Sandwich Hybridization Assay with Quantum Dot-Induced Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer for Pathogen Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Cheng-Chung; Huang, Yi-Han

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports a nucleic acid sandwich hybridization assay with a quantum dot (QD)-induced fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) reporter system. Two label-free hemagglutinin H5 sequences (60-mer DNA and 630-nt cDNA fragment) of avian influenza viruses were used as the targets in this work. Two oligonucleotides (16 mers and 18 mers) that specifically recognize two separate but neighboring regions of the H5 sequences were served as the capturing and reporter probes, respectively. The capturing probe was conjugated to QD655 (donor) in a molar ratio of 10:1 (probe-to-QD), and the reporter probe was labeled with Alexa Fluor 660 dye (acceptor) during synthesis. The sandwich hybridization assay was done in a 20 μL transparent, adhesive frame-confined microchamber on a disposable, temperature-adjustable indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slide. The FRET signal in response to the sandwich hybridization was monitored by a homemade optical sensor comprising a single 400 nm UV light-emitting diode (LED), optical fibers, and a miniature 16-bit spectrophotometer. The target with a concentration ranging from 0.5 nM to 1 μM was successfully correlated with both QD emission decrease at 653 nm and dye emission increase at 690 nm. To sum up, this work is beneficial for developing a portable QD-based nucleic acid sensor for on-site pathogen detection. PMID:23211753

  17. Detection of human papillomavirus in laryngeal lesions by in situ hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Multhaupt, H A; Fessler, J N; Warhol, M J

    1994-01-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with human neoplasms of squamous epithelium. Squamous papillomas and verrucous carcinomas are two types of squamous neoplasms of the larynx that present difficult problems in differential diagnosis. Using in situ hybridization with biotinylated DNA probes......, we examined benign squamous papillomas and verrucous squamous carcinomas of the larynx for the presence of HPV. Forty-two biopsy specimens from 18 patients with laryngeal papillomas and 11 biopsy specimens from seven patients with verrucous carcinomas were obtained from the files of Pennsylvania...... Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Tissue sections were hybridized with an HPV DNA cocktail. The HPV-positive cases then were subtyped further with DNA probes specific for HPV subtypes 6/11, 16/18, and 31/33/35. All benign squamous papillomas (42 of 42) were positive for HPV subtype 6/11. None of the verrucous...

  18. Automated design of genomic Southern blot probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Komiyama Noboru H

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sothern blotting is a DNA analysis technique that has found widespread application in molecular biology. It has been used for gene discovery and mapping and has diagnostic and forensic applications, including mutation detection in patient samples and DNA fingerprinting in criminal investigations. Southern blotting has been employed as the definitive method for detecting transgene integration, and successful homologous recombination in gene targeting experiments. The technique employs a labeled DNA probe to detect a specific DNA sequence in a complex DNA sample that has been separated by restriction-digest and gel electrophoresis. Critically for the technique to succeed the probe must be unique to the target locus so as not to cross-hybridize to other endogenous DNA within the sample. Investigators routinely employ a manual approach to probe design. A genome browser is used to extract DNA sequence from the locus of interest, which is searched against the target genome using a BLAST-like tool. Ideally a single perfect match is obtained to the target, with little cross-reactivity caused by homologous DNA sequence present in the genome and/or repetitive and low-complexity elements in the candidate probe. This is a labor intensive process often requiring several attempts to find a suitable probe for laboratory testing. Results We have written an informatic pipeline to automatically design genomic Sothern blot probes that specifically attempts to optimize the resultant probe, employing a brute-force strategy of generating many candidate probes of acceptable length in the user-specified design window, searching all against the target genome, then scoring and ranking the candidates by uniqueness and repetitive DNA element content. Using these in silico measures we can automatically design probes that we predict to perform as well, or better, than our previous manual designs, while considerably reducing design time. We went on to

  19. The effect of tissue decalcification on mRNA retention within bone for in-situ hybridization studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, L; Freemont, A J; Hoyland, J A

    1993-06-01

    Tissue decalcification is a routine part of the preparation of bone tissue for histological studies. Although in-situ hybridization has been employed to localize mRNA of collagenous and non-collagenous bone related proteins in skeletal tissue, little is known regarding the effects of decalcifying agents on mRNA retention within tissue. In this study in-situ hybridization using an oligonucleotide probe (i.e. a poly d(T) probe) to detect total messenger RNA has been employed to investigate the effects of the decalcifying agents nitric acid, formic acid and EDTA on mRNA retention compared to undeacalcified tissue. The results show that formalin fixation and EDTA decalcification preserve substantial amounts of mRNA within the tissue. In particular, this study illustrates that it is possible to perform in-situ hybridization on formalin fixed decalcified paraffin embedded tissue.

  20. Design, analysis and modeling of a novel hybrid powertrain system based on hybridized automated manual transmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Guang; Dong, Zuomin

    2017-09-01

    Hybrid electric vehicles are widely accepted as a promising short to mid-term technical solution due to noticeably improved efficiency and lower emissions at competitive costs. In recent years, various hybrid powertrain systems were proposed and implemented based on different types of conventional transmission. Power-split system, including Toyota Hybrid System and Ford Hybrid System, are well-known examples. However, their relatively low torque capacity, and the drive of alternative and more advanced designs encouraged other innovative hybrid system designs. In this work, a new type of hybrid powertrain system based hybridized automated manual transmission (HAMT) is proposed. By using the concept of torque gap filler (TGF), this new hybrid powertrain type has the potential to overcome issue of torque gap during gearshift. The HAMT design (patent pending) is described in details, from gear layout and design of gear ratios (EV mode and HEV mode) to torque paths at different gears. As an analytical tool, mutli-body model of vehicle equipped with this HAMT was built to analyze powertrain dynamics at various steady and transient modes. A gearshift was decomposed and analyzed based basic modes. Furthermore, a Simulink-SimDriveline hybrid vehicle model was built for the new transmission, driveline and vehicle modular. Control strategy has also been built to harmonically coordinate different powertrain components to realize TGF function. A vehicle launch simulation test has been completed under 30% of accelerator pedal position to reveal details during gearshift. Simulation results showed that this HAMT can eliminate most torque gap that has been persistent issue of traditional AMT, improving both drivability and performance. This work demonstrated a new type of transmission that features high torque capacity, high efficiency and improved drivability.

  1. Detection of c-myc amplification in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todorović-Raković, Nataša

    2013-01-01

    In situ hybridization (ISH) allows evaluation of genetic abnormalities, such as changes in chromosome number, chromosome translocations or gene amplifications, by hybridization of tagged DNA (or RNA) probes with complementary DNA (or RNA) sequences in interphase nuclei of target tissue. However, chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) is also applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, besides metaphase chromosome spreads. CISH is similar to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) regarding pretreatments and hybridization protocols but differs in the way of visualization. Indeed, CISH signal detection is similar to that used in immunohistochemistry, making use of a peroxidase-based chromogenic reaction instead of fluorescent dyes. In particular, tagged DNA probes are indirectly detected using an enzyme-conjugated antibody targeting the tags. The enzymatic reaction of the chromogenic substrate leads to the formation of strong permanent brown signals that can be visualized by bright-field microscopy at 40 × magnification. The advantage of CISH is that it allows the simultaneous observation of gene amplification and tissue morphology and the slides can be stored for a long time.

  2. Spatial Exploration and Characterization of Endozoicomonas spp. Bacteria in Stylophora pistillata Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

    KAUST Repository

    Alsheikh-­Hussain, Areej

    2011-12-12

    Studies of coral-­associated bacterial communities have repeatedly demonstrated that the microbial assemblages of the coral host are highly specific and complex. In particular, bacterial community surveys of scleractinian and soft corals from geographically diverse reefs continually uncover a high abundance of sequences affiliated with the Gammaproteobacteria genus Endozoicomonas. The role of these bacteria within the complex coral holobiont is currently unknown. In order to localize these cells and gain an understanding of their potential interactions within the coral, we developed a fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) approach for reef-­building coral tissues. Using a custom small-­subunit ribosomal RNA gene database, we developed two Endozoicomonas-­specific probes that cover almost all known coral-­associated Endozoicomonas sequences. Probe hybridization conditions were quantitatively evaluated against target and non-­target bacterial cultures using fluorescence microscopy. Using these experimentally tested conditions, probes were then hybridized to the branching coral Stylophora pistillata, obtained from the Red Sea, using whole mount and paraffin embedding techniques. This study allowed preliminary spatial exploration and characterization of Endozoicomonas in coral, which has provided insight into their functional role and interactions within the coral holobiont.

  3. Efficient oligonucleotide probe selection for pan-genomic tiling arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhang Wei

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Array comparative genomic hybridization is a fast and cost-effective method for detecting, genotyping, and comparing the genomic sequence of unknown bacterial isolates. This method, as with all microarray applications, requires adequate coverage of probes targeting the regions of interest. An unbiased tiling of probes across the entire length of the genome is the most flexible design approach. However, such a whole-genome tiling requires that the genome sequence is known in advance. For the accurate analysis of uncharacterized bacteria, an array must query a fully representative set of sequences from the species' pan-genome. Prior microarrays have included only a single strain per array or the conserved sequences of gene families. These arrays omit potentially important genes and sequence variants from the pan-genome. Results This paper presents a new probe selection algorithm (PanArray that can tile multiple whole genomes using a minimal number of probes. Unlike arrays built on clustered gene families, PanArray uses an unbiased, probe-centric approach that does not rely on annotations, gene clustering, or multi-alignments. Instead, probes are evenly tiled across all sequences of the pan-genome at a consistent level of coverage. To minimize the required number of probes, probes conserved across multiple strains in the pan-genome are selected first, and additional probes are used only where necessary to span polymorphic regions of the genome. The viability of the algorithm is demonstrated by array designs for seven different bacterial pan-genomes and, in particular, the design of a 385,000 probe array that fully tiles the genomes of 20 different Listeria monocytogenes strains with overlapping probes at greater than twofold coverage. Conclusion PanArray is an oligonucleotide probe selection algorithm for tiling multiple genome sequences using a minimal number of probes. It is capable of fully tiling all genomes of a species on

  4. Probing the Rate-Determining Step of the Claisen-Schmidt Condensation by Competition Reactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mak, Kendrew K. W.; Chan, Wing-Fat; Lung, Ka-Ying; Lam, Wai-Yee; Ng, Weng-Cheong; Lee, Siu-Fung

    2007-01-01

    Competition experiments are a useful tool for preliminary study of the linear free energy relationship of organic reactions. This article describes a physical organic experiment for upper-level undergraduates to identify the rate-determining step of the Claisen-Schmidt condensation of benzaldehyde and acetophenone by studying the linear free…

  5. Selection of Ethanol-Tolerant Yeast Hybrids in pH-Regulated Continuous Culture

    OpenAIRE

    Jiménez, Juan; Benítez, Tahía

    1988-01-01

    Hybrids between naturally occurring wine yeast strains and laboratory strains were formed as a method of increasing genetic variability to improve the ethanol tolerance of yeast strains. The hybrids were subjected to competition experiments under continuous culture controlled by pH with increasing ethanol concentrations over a wide range to select the fastest-growing strain at any concentration of ethanol. The continuous culture system was obtained by controlling the dilution rate of a chemos...

  6. A sensitive DNA biosensor based on a facile sulfamide coupling reaction for capture probe immobilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qingxiang; Ding, Yingtao; Gao, Feng; Jiang, Shulian; Zhang, Bin; Ni, Jiancong; Gao, Fei

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A novel DNA biosensor was fabricated through a facile sulfamide coupling reaction between probe DNA and the sulfonic dye of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid that electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode. -- Highlights: •A versatile sulfonic dye of ANS was electrodeposited on a GCE. •A DNA biosensor was fabricated based on a facile sulfamide coupling reaction. •High probe DNA density of 3.18 × 10 13 strands cm −2 was determined. •A wide linear range and a low detection limit were obtained. -- Abstract: A novel DNA biosensor was fabricated through a facile sulfamide coupling reaction. First, the versatile sulfonic dye molecule of 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonate (AN-SO 3 − ) was electrodeposited on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to form a steady and ordered AN-SO 3 − layer. Then the amino-terminated capture probe was covalently grafted to the surface of SO 3 − -AN deposited GCE through the sulfamide coupling reaction between the amino groups in the probe DNA and the sulfonic groups in the AN-SO 3 − . The step-by-step modification process was characterized by electrochemistry and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Using Ru(NH 3 ) 6 3+ as probe, the probe density and the hybridization efficiency of the biosensor were determined to be 3.18 × 10 13 strands cm −2 and 86.5%, respectively. The hybridization performance of the biosensor was examined by differential pulse voltammetry using Co(phen) 3 3+/2+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) as the indicator. The selectivity experiments showed that the biosensor presented distinguishable response after hybridization with the three-base mismatched, non-complementary and complementary sequences. Under the optimal conditions, the oxidation peak currents of Co(phen) 3 3+/2+ increased linearly with the logarithm values of the concentration of the complementary sequences in the range from 1.0 × 10 −13 M to 1.0 × 10 −8 M with

  7. Analysis of genomic alterations in neuroblastoma by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and array comparative genomic hybridization: a comparison of results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Combaret, Valérie; Iacono, Isabelle; Bréjon, Stéphanie; Schleiermacher, Gudrun; Pierron, Gäelle; Couturier, Jérôme; Bergeron, Christophe; Blay, Jean-Yves

    2012-12-01

    In cases of neuroblastoma, recurring genetic alterations--losses of the 1p, 3p, 4p, and 11q and/or gains of 1q, 2p, and 17q chromosome arms--are currently used to define the therapeutic strategy in therapeutic protocols for low- and intermediate-risk patients. Different genome-wide analysis techniques, such as array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) or multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), have been suggested for detecting chromosome segmental abnormalities. In this study, we compared the results of the two technologies in the analyses of the DNA of tumor samples from 91 neuroblastoma patients. Similar results were obtained with the two techniques for 75 samples (82%). In five cases (5.5%), the MLPA results were not interpretable. Discrepancies between the aCGH and MLPA results were observed in 11 cases (12%). Among the discrepancies, a 18q21.2-qter gain and 16p11.2 and 11q14.1-q14.3 losses were detected only by aCGH. The MLPA results showed that the 7p, 7q, and 14q chromosome arms were affected in six cases, while in two cases, 2p and 17q gains were observed; these results were confirmed by neither aCGH nor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Because of the higher sensitivity and specificity of genome-wide information, reasonable cost, and shorter time of aCGH analysis, we recommend the aCGH procedure for the analysis of genomic alterations in neuroblastoma. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. The detection of HBV DNA with gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle gene probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xi Dong; Luo Xiaoping; Lu Qianghua; Yao Kailun; Liu Zuli; Ning Qin

    2008-01-01

    Gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA probes were prepared, and their application for HBV DNA measurement was studied. Gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by the citrate reduction of tetra-chloroauric acid in the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles which were added as seeds. With a fluorescence-based method, the maximal surface coverage of hexaethiol 30-mer oligonucleotides and the maximal percentage of hybridization strands on gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticles were (120 ± 8) oligonucleotides per nanoparticle, and (14 ± 2%), respectively, which were comparable with those of (132 ± 10) and (22 ± 3%) in Au nanoparticle groups. Large network aggregates were formed when gold-coated iron oxide nanoparticle HBV DNA gene probe was applied to detect HBV DNA molecules as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and the high specificity was verified by blot hybridization. Our results further suggested that detecting DNA with iron oxide nanoparticles and magnetic separator was feasible and might be an alternative effective method

  9. Miniaturized Ultrasound Imaging Probes Enabled by CMUT Arrays with Integrated Frontend Electronic Circuits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khuri-Yakub, B. (Pierre) T.; Oralkan, Ömer; Nikoozadeh, Amin; Wygant, Ira O.; Zhuang, Steve; Gencel, Mustafa; Choe, Jung Woo; Stephens, Douglas N.; de la Rama, Alan; Chen, Peter; Lin, Feng; Dentinger, Aaron; Wildes, Douglas; Thomenius, Kai; Shivkumar, Kalyanam; Mahajan, Aman; Seo, Chi Hyung; O’Donnell, Matthew; Truong, Uyen; Sahn, David J.

    2010-01-01

    Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) arrays are conveniently integrated with frontend integrated circuits either monolithically or in a hybrid multichip form. This integration helps with reducing the number of active data processing channels for 2D arrays. This approach also preserves the signal integrity for arrays with small elements. Therefore CMUT arrays integrated with electronic circuits are most suitable to implement miniaturized probes required for many intravascular, intracardiac, and endoscopic applications. This paper presents examples of miniaturized CMUT probes utilizing 1D, 2D, and ring arrays with integrated electronics. PMID:21097106

  10. Imaging of RNA in situ hybridization by atomic force microscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kalle, W.H.J.; Macville, M.V.E.; van de Corput, M.P.C.; de Grooth, B.G.; Tanke, H.J.; Raap, A.K.

    In this study we investigated the possibility of imaging internal cellular molecules after cytochemical detection with atomic force microscopy (AFM). To this end, rat 9G and HeLa cells were hybridized with haptenized probes for 28S ribosomal RNA, human elongation factor mRNA and cytomegalovirus

  11. Development of probes for bioanalytic applications of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering; Entwicklung neuer Sonden fuer bioanalytische Anwendungen der oberflaechenverstaerkten Raman-Streuung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matschulat, Andrea Isabel

    2011-07-01

    Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been established as a versatile tool for probing and labeling in analytical applications, based on the vibrational spectra of samples as well as label molecules in the proximity of noble metal nanostructures. The aim of this work was the construction of novel SERS hybrid probes. The hybrid probes consisted of Au and Ag nanoparticles and reporter molecules, as well as a targeting unit. The concept for the SERS hybrid probe design was followed by experiments comprising characterization techniques such as UV/Vis-spectroscopy (UV/Vis), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), respectively. SERS experiments were performed for studying and optimizing the plasmonic properties of nanoparticles with respect to their enhancement capabilities. The SERS-probes had to meet following requirements: biocompatibility, stability in physiological media, and enhancement of Raman-signals from Raman reporter molecules enabling the identification of different probes even in a complex biological environment. Au and Ag nanoaggregates were found to be the most appropriate SERS substrates for the hybrid probe design. The utilization of Raman reporters enabled the identification of different SERS probes in multiplexing experiments. In particular, the multiplexing capability of ten various reporter molecules para-aminobenzenethiol, 2-naphthalenethiol, crystal violet, rhodamine (B) isothiocyanate, fluorescein isothiocyanate, 5,5'dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), para-mercaptobenzoic acid, acridine orange, safranine O und nile blue was studied using NIR-SERS excitation. As demonstrated by the results the reporters could be identified through their specific Raman signature even in the case of high structural similarity. Chemical separation analysis of the reporter signatures was performed in a trivariate approach, enabling the discrimination through an automated calculation of specific band ratios. The trivariate

  12. Sensitive detection of mercury and copper ions by fluorescent DNA/Ag nanoclusters in guanine-rich DNA hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jun; Ling, Jian; Zhang, Xiu-Qing; Bai, Hui-Ping; Zheng, Liyan; Cao, Qiu-E; Ding, Zhong-Tao

    2015-02-25

    In this work, we designed a new fluorescent oligonucleotides-stabilized silver nanoclusters (DNA/AgNCs) probe for sensitive detection of mercury and copper ions. This probe contains two tailored DNA sequence. One is a signal probe contains a cytosine-rich sequence template for AgNCs synthesis and link sequence at both ends. The other is a guanine-rich sequence for signal enhancement and link sequence complementary to the link sequence of the signal probe. After hybridization, the fluorescence of hybridized double-strand DNA/AgNCs is 200-fold enhanced based on the fluorescence enhancement effect of DNA/AgNCs in proximity of guanine-rich DNA sequence. The double-strand DNA/AgNCs probe is brighter and stable than that of single-strand DNA/AgNCs, and more importantly, can be used as novel fluorescent probes for detecting mercury and copper ions. Mercury and copper ions in the range of 6.0-160.0 and 6-240 nM, can be linearly detected with the detection limits of 2.1 and 3.4 nM, respectively. Our results indicated that the analytical parameters of the method for mercury and copper ions detection are much better than which using a single-strand DNA/AgNCs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. RNA Imaging with Multiplexed Error Robust Fluorescence in situ Hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moffitt, Jeffrey R.; Zhuang, Xiaowei

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative measurements of both the copy number and spatial distribution of large fractions of the transcriptome in single-cells could revolutionize our understanding of a variety of cellular and tissue behaviors in both healthy and diseased states. Single-molecule Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (smFISH)—an approach where individual RNAs are labeled with fluorescent probes and imaged in their native cellular and tissue context—provides both the copy number and spatial context of RNAs but has been limited in the number of RNA species that can be measured simultaneously. Here we describe Multiplexed Error Robust Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (MERFISH), a massively parallelized form of smFISH that can image and identify hundreds to thousands of different RNA species simultaneously with high accuracy in individual cells in their native spatial context. We provide detailed protocols on all aspects of MERFISH, including probe design, data collection, and data analysis to allow interested laboratories to perform MERFISH measurements themselves. PMID:27241748

  14. Construction of a map of chromosome 16 by using radiation hybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ceccherini, I.; Romeo, G.; Lawrence, S.; Morton, N.E.; Breuning, M.H.; Harris, P.C.; Himmelbauer, H.; Frischauf, A.M.; Sutherland, G.R.; Germino, G.G.; Reeders, S.T.

    1992-01-01

    A human-hamster cell hybrid carrying a single copy of chromosome 16 as the only human genetic material was irradiated with a single dose of γ-rays and then fused with a thymidine kinase-deficient hamster cell line (RJKM) to generate radiation hybrids retaining unselected fragments of this human chromosome. In two experiments, 223 hybrids were isolated in hypoxanthine/aminopterine/thymidine (HAT) medium and screened with 38 DNA probes, corresponding to anonymous DNA or gene sequences localized on chromosome 16. The most likely order and location of the 38 DNA sequences were established by multiple pairwise analysis and scaled to estimate physical distance in megabases. The order and the distances thus obtained are mostly consistent with available data on genetic and physical mapping of these markers, illustrating the usefulness of radiation hybrids for mapping

  15. Detection of DNA hybridizations using solid-state nanopores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balagurusamy, Venkat S K; Weinger, Paul; Sean Ling, Xinsheng

    2010-01-01

    We report an experimental study of using DNA translocation through solid-state nanopores to detect the sequential arrangement of two double-stranded 12-mer hybridization segments on a single-stranded DNA molecule. The sample DNA is a trimer molecule formed by hybridizing three single-stranded oligonucleotides. A polystyrene bead is attached to the end of the trimer DNA, providing a mechanism in slowing down the translocation and suppressing the thermal diffusion, thereby allowing the detection of short features of DNA by standard patch-clamp electronics. The electrical signature of the translocation of a trimer molecule through a nanopore has been identified successfully in the temporal traces of ionic current. The results reported here represent the first successful attempt in using a solid-state nanopore as an ionic scanning device in resolving individual hybridization segments (or 'probes') on a DNA molecule.

  16. Detection of DNA hybridizations using solid-state nanopores

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balagurusamy, Venkat S K; Weinger, Paul; Sean Ling, Xinsheng, E-mail: Xinsheng_Ling@brown.edu [Department of Physics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 (United States)

    2010-08-20

    We report an experimental study of using DNA translocation through solid-state nanopores to detect the sequential arrangement of two double-stranded 12-mer hybridization segments on a single-stranded DNA molecule. The sample DNA is a trimer molecule formed by hybridizing three single-stranded oligonucleotides. A polystyrene bead is attached to the end of the trimer DNA, providing a mechanism in slowing down the translocation and suppressing the thermal diffusion, thereby allowing the detection of short features of DNA by standard patch-clamp electronics. The electrical signature of the translocation of a trimer molecule through a nanopore has been identified successfully in the temporal traces of ionic current. The results reported here represent the first successful attempt in using a solid-state nanopore as an ionic scanning device in resolving individual hybridization segments (or 'probes') on a DNA molecule.

  17. A hybrid data acquisition system for magnetic measurements of accelerator magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, X.; Hafalia, R.; Joseph, J.; Lizarazo, J.; Martchevsky, M.; Sabbi, G.L.

    2011-01-01

    A hybrid data acquisition system was developed for magnetic measurement of superconducting accelerator magnets at LBNL. It consists of a National Instruments dynamic signal acquisition (DSA) card and two Metrolab fast digital integrator (FDI) cards. The DSA card records the induced voltage signals from the rotating probe while the FDI cards records the flux increment integrated over a certain angular step. This allows the comparison of the measurements performed with two cards. In this note, the setup and test of the system is summarized. With a probe rotating at a speed of 0.5 Hz, the multipole coefficients of two magnets were measured with the hybrid system. The coefficients from the DSA and FDI cards agree with each other, indicating that the numerical integration of the raw voltage acquired by the DSA card is comparable to the performance of the FDI card in the current measurement setup.

  18. Preferential exclusion of hybrids in mixed pollinations between oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and weedy B. campestris (Brassicaceae)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hauser, T.P.; Bagger Jørgensen, Rikke; Østergård, Hanne

    1997-01-01

    amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Using data on the proportion of fully developed seeds and the proportion of these seeds that were hybrids, a statistical model was constructed to estimate the fitness of conspecific and heterospecific pollen and the survival of conspecific and heterospecific zygotes...... for competition between male gametophytes and/or seeds within pods. To test whether competition influences the success of hybridization, pollen from the two species was mixed in different proportions and applied to stigmas of both species. The resulting seeds were scored for paternity by isozyme and randomly...... to seeds. B. campestris pollen in B. napus styles had a significantly lower fitness than the conspecific pollen, whereas no difference between pollen types was found in B. campestris styles. Hybrid zygotes survived to significantly lower proportions than conspecific zygotes in both species, with the lowest...

  19. Reproductive isolation and the expansion of an invasive hybrid swarm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blum, Michael J.; Walters, David M.; Burkhead, Noel M.; Freeman, Byron J.; Porter, Brady A.

    2010-01-01

    Biological invasions involving hybridization proceed according to prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive isolating mechanisms. Yet few comparisons of reproductive isolation have been carried out to understand how different mechanisms prevent or promote invasions involving hybridization. Here we present a study of prezygotic and postzygotic isolation between non-native red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) and native blacktail shiner (C. venusta stigmatura) from the Coosa River basin (USA) to better understand the formation and expansion of invasive hybrid swarms. We conducted spawning trials to measure mating preferences and raised broods from crosses to assay hybrid viability through early juvenile development. Females of both species were more responsive to conspecific mates, although blacktail shiner females responded more often to heterospecific mates than did red shiner females. Fecundity of red shiner females was also higher than blacktail shiner females. Heterospecific crosses resulted in lower fertilization and egg hatching rates, but we found no other evidence of inviability. Rather, we found comparatively low larval mortality of F1 hybrids, which is suggestive of heterosis. These findings support prior inferences of assortative mating from genetic descriptions of hybridization, and that the invasion in the Coosa River is likely proceeding due to interspecific competition and intrinsic hybrid viability.

  20. First-in-human evaluation of a hybrid modality that allows combined radio- and (near-infrared) fluorescence tracing during surgery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berg, Nynke S. van den [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Urology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Simon, Herve [Eurorad S.A., Eckbolsheim (France); Kleinjan, Gijs H. [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Engelen, Thijs [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Bunschoten, Anton; Welling, Mick M. [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); Tijink, Bernard M. [The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Horenblas, Simon [The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Urology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Chambron, Jacques [The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Leeuwen, Fijs W.B. van [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Urology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

    2015-10-15

    The clinical introduction of the hybrid tracer indocyanine green (ICG)-{sup 99m}Tc-nanocolloid, composed of a radioactive and a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence component, has created the need for surgical (imaging) modalities that allow for simultaneous detection of both signals. This study describes the first-in-human use of a prototype opto-nuclear probe during sentinel node (SN) biopsy using ICG-{sup 99m}Tc-nanocolloid. To allow for fluorescence tracing, a derivative of the conventional gamma probe technology was generated in which two optical fibers were integrated to allow for excitation (785 nm) and emission signal collection (> 810 nm). The ability of this opto-nuclear probe to detect the fluorescence signal of the hybrid tracer ICG-{sup 99m}Tc-nanocolloid was firstly determined ex vivo in (non)SNs samples obtained from 41 patients who underwent hybrid tracer-based SN biopsy in the head and neck or urogenital area. In an in vivo proof-of-concept study in nine of these 41 patients, SNs were localized using combined gamma and fluorescence tracing with the opto-nuclear probe. Fluorescence tracing was performed in a similar manner as gamma tracing and under ambient light conditions. Ex vivo, the gamma tracing option of the opto-nuclear probe correctly identified the SN in all 150 evaluated (non)SN samples. Ex vivo fluorescence tracing in the low-sensitivity mode correctly identified 71.7 % of the samples. This increased to 98.9 % when fluorescence tracing was performed in the high-sensitivity mode. In vivo fluorescence tracing (high-sensitivity mode) accurately identified the SNs in all nine patients (20 SNs evaluated; 100 %). This study demonstrates the first-in-human evaluation of a hybrid modality capable of detecting both gamma and fluorescence signals during a surgical procedure. Fluorescence tracing could be performed in ambient light. (orig.)

  1. Toward a solid-phase nucleic acid hybridization assay within microfluidic channels using immobilized quantum dots as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lu; Algar, W Russ; Tavares, Anthony J; Krull, Ulrich J

    2011-01-01

    The optical properties and surface area of quantum dots (QDs) have made them an attractive platform for the development of nucleic acid biosensors based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Solid-phase assays based on FRET using mixtures of immobilized QD-oligonucleotide conjugates (QD biosensors) have been developed. The typical challenges associated with solid-phase detection strategies include non-specific adsorption, slow kinetics of hybridization, and sample manipulation. The new work herein has considered the immobilization of QD biosensors onto the surfaces of microfluidic channels in order to address these challenges. Microfluidic flow can be used to dynamically control stringency by adjustment of the potential in an electrokinetic-based microfluidics environment. The shearing force, Joule heating, and the competition between electroosmotic and electrophoretic mobilities allow the optimization of hybridization conditions, convective delivery of target to the channel surface to speed hybridization, amelioration of adsorption, and regeneration of the sensing surface. Microfluidic flow can also be used to deliver (for immobilization) and remove QD biosensors. QDs that were conjugated with two different oligonucleotide sequences were used to demonstrate feasibility. One oligonucleotide sequence on the QD was available as a linker for immobilization via hybridization with complementary oligonucleotides located on a glass surface within a microfluidic channel. A second oligonucleotide sequence on the QD served as a probe to transduce hybridization with target nucleic acid in a sample solution. A Cy3 label on the target was excited by FRET using green-emitting CdSe/ZnS QD donors and provided an analytical signal to explore this detection strategy. The immobilized QDs could be removed under denaturing conditions by disrupting the duplex that was used as the surface linker and thus allowed a new layer of QD biosensors to be re-coated within the channel

  2. A novel hybridization approach for detection of citrus viroids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murcia, N; Serra, P; Olmos, A; Duran-Vila, N

    2009-04-01

    Citrus plants are natural hosts of several viroid species all belonging to the family Pospiviroidae. Previous attempts to detect viroids from field-grown species and cultivars yielded erratic results unless analyses were performed using Etrog citron a secondary bio-amplification host. To overcome the use of Etrog citron a number of RT-PCR approaches have been proposed with different degrees of success. Here we report the suitability of an easy to handle northern hybridization protocol for viroid detection of samples collected from field-grown citrus species and cultivars. The protocol involves: (i) Nucleic acid preparations from bark tissue samples collected from field-grown trees regardless of the growing season and storage conditions; (ii) Separation in 5% PAGE or 1% agarose, blotting to membrane and fixing; (iii) Hybridization with viroid-specific DIG-labelled probes and detection with anti-DIG-alkaline phosphatase conjugate and autoradiography with the CSPD substrate. The method has been tested with viroid-infected trees of sweet orange, lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, sour orange, Swingle citrumello, Tahiti lime and Mexican lime. This novel hybridization approach is extremely sensitive, easy to handle and shortens the time needed for reliable viroid indexing tests. The suitability of PCR generated DIG-labelled probes and the sensitivity achieved when the samples are separated and blotted from non-denaturing gels are discussed.

  3. Radioautographic test for genetic cotton transformation by pCaVItoxneo hybrid plasmid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imamkhodjaeva, A.S.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: Search for novel technologies in biology, application of up-to-date methods in gene engineering, manipulation with the recombinant DNA, in particular, open opportunities for experiments with plants. To identify some DNA fragments in an organism's genome, radioautographic methods, such as dot- and blot-hybridization are frequently used. As a rule, genomic DNA is first isolated from the plant's organ. Its purification and subsequent manipulation is followed by hybridization with a probe labeled with radioactive components. The purified DNA, cDNA of RNA reverse transcription or a DNA fragment cloned in E-coli could serve as the probe. Radioautography shows homologically hybridized fragments. We have performed express dot-hybridization analysis on hybrid plasmid transformation of G.Hirsutum L. (108F) and G. Barbadense L. (C-6037) cotton sorts. pCaVItoxneo plasmid obtained on the basis of independently replicated plasmid-like DNA of the G.Hirsutum L. (pGHm2) cotton mitochondria was used (Yusupov T., 1994). There are hybrid two-domain gene of insectotoxin and enzymatically active kanamycine - phosphotransferase in the plasmid. The whole content is controlled by the plant promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus (19 S SFMV). The plasmid in question was added to the pollen sprouting medium followed by the transfer of the suspension on the pistil stigmas of the pre-prepared cotton flowers. The seed budding as the result of the experiment were analyzed by means of dot-hybridization method. DNA probes used for radioactive hybridization were labeled by method of Fainberg and Vagelstein (1990). To perform that DNA was dissolved in Tris-EDTA (10:1), containing 10mM of Tris HCl and 1mM EDTA, denaturated at 100 d eg C for 2 minutes with subsequent addition of oligonucleotide primers and annealing. DNA synthesis in the presence of 32 P labeled dATP and dCTP (Tashkent) was performed in the reaction mixture of potassium-phosphate buffer containing 67mM of MgCl 2 , 1 mg/ml of

  4. Nucleic acid probes as a diagnostic method for tick-borne hemoparasites of veterinary importance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, J V; Buening, G M

    1995-03-01

    An increased number of articles on the use of nucleic acid-based hybridization techniques for diagnostic purposes have been recently published. This article reviews nucleic acid-based hybridization as an assay to detect hemoparasite infections of economic relevance in veterinary medicine. By using recombinant DNA techniques, selected clones containing inserts of Anaplasma, Babesia, Cowdria or Theileria genomic DNA sequences have been obtained, and they are now available to be utilized as specific, highly sensitive DNA or RNA probes to detect the presence of the hemoparasite DNA in an infected animal. Either in an isotopic or non-isotopic detection system, probes have allowed scientists to test for--originally in samples collected from experimentally infected animals and later in samples collected in the field--the presence of hemoparasites during the prepatent, patent, convalescent, and chronic periods of the infection in the host. Nucleic acid probes have given researchers the opportunity to carry out genomic analysis of parasite DNA to differentiate hemoparasite species and to identify genetically distinct populations among and within isolates, strains and clonal populations. Prevalence of parasite infection in the tick vector can now be accomplished more specifically with the nucleic acid probes. Lately, with the advent of the polymerase chain reaction technique, small numbers of hemoparasites can be positively identified in the vertebrate host and tick vector. These techniques can be used to assess the veterinary epidemiological situation in a particular geographical region for the planning of control measures.

  5. Detection of a variable number of ribosomal DNA loci by fluorescent in situ hybridization in Populus species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prado, E A; Faivre-Rampant, P; Schneider, C; Darmency, M A

    1996-10-01

    Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was applied to related Populus species (2n = 19) in order to detect rDNA loci. An interspecific variability in the number of hybridization sites was revealed using as probe an homologous 25S clone from Populus deltoides. The application of image analysis methods to measure fluorescence intensity of the hybridization signals has enabled us to characterize major and minor loci in the 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA. We identified one pair of such rDNA clusters in Populus alba; two pairs, one major and one minor, in both Populus nigra and P. deltoides; and three pairs in Populus balsamifera, (two major and one minor) and Populus euroamericana (one major and two minor). FISH results are in agreement with those based on RFLP analysis. The pBG13 probe containing 5S sequence from flax detected two separate clusters corresponding to the two size classes of units that coexist within 5S rDNA of most Populus species. Key words : Populus spp., fluorescent in situ hybridization, FISH, rDNA variability, image analysis.

  6. Hybridization thermodynamics of DNA bound to gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, Brian

    2010-01-01

    Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) was used to study the thermodynamics of hybridization on DNA-functionalized colloidal gold nanoparticles. When compared to the thermodynamics of hybridization of DNA that is free in solution, the differences in the values of the Gibbs free energy of reaction, Δ r G o , the enthalpy, Δ r H o , and entropy, Δ r S o , were small. The change in Δ r G o between the free and bound states was always positive but with statistical significance outside the 95% confidence interval, implying the free DNA is slightly more stable than when in the bound state. Additionally, ITC was also able to reveal information about the binding stoichiometry of the hybridization reactions on the DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles, and indicates that there is a significant fraction of the DNA on gold nanoparticle surface that is unavailable for DNA hybridization. Furthermore, the fraction of available DNA is dependent on the spacer group on the DNA that is used to span the gold surface from that to the probe DNA.

  7. Polynucleotide probes that target a hypervariable region of 16S rRNA genes to identify bacterial isolates corresponding to bands of community fingerprints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heuer, H; Hartung, K; Wieland, G; Kramer, I; Smalla, K

    1999-03-01

    Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) is well suited for fingerprinting bacterial communities by separating PCR-amplified fragments of 16S rRNA genes (16S ribosomal DNA [rDNA]). A strategy was developed and was generally applicable for linking 16S rDNA from community fingerprints to pure culture isolates from the same habitat. For this, digoxigenin-labeled polynucleotide probes were generated by PCR, using bands excised from TGGE community fingerprints as a template, and applied in hybridizations with dot blotted 16S rDNA amplified from bacterial isolates. Within 16S rDNA, the hypervariable V6 region, corresponding to positions 984 to 1047 (Escherichia coli 16S rDNA sequence), which is a subset of the region used for TGGE (positions 968 to 1401), best met the criteria of high phylogenetic variability, required for sufficient probe specificity, and closely flanking conserved priming sites for amplification. Removal of flanking conserved bases was necessary to enable the differentiation of closely related species. This was achieved by 5' exonuclease digestion, terminated by phosphorothioate bonds which were synthesized into the primers. The remaining complementary strand was removed by single-strand-specific digestion. Standard hybridization with truncated probes allowed differentiation of bacteria which differed by only two bases within the probe target site and 1.2% within the complete 16S rDNA. However, a truncated probe, derived from an excised TGGE band of a rhizosphere community, hybridized with three phylogenetically related isolates with identical V6 sequences. Only one of the isolates comigrated with the excised band in TGGE, which was shown to be due to identical sequences, demonstrating the utility of a combined TGGE and V6 probe approach.

  8. Joint cost of energy under an optimal economic policy of hybrid power systems subject to uncertainty

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Díaz, Guzmán; Planas, Estefanía; Andreu, Jon; Kortabarria, Iñigo

    2015-01-01

    Economical optimization of hybrid systems is usually performed by means of LCoE (levelized cost of energy) calculation. Previous works deal with the LCoE calculation of the whole hybrid system disregarding an important issue: the stochastic component of the system units must be jointly considered. This paper deals with this issue and proposes a new fast optimal policy that properly calculates the LCoE of a hybrid system and finds the lowest LCoE. This proposed policy also considers the implied competition among power sources when variability of gas and electricity prices are taken into account. Additionally, it presents a comparative between the LCoE of the hybrid system and its individual technologies of generation by means of a fast and robust algorithm based on vector logical computation. Numerical case analyses based on realistic data are presented that valuate the contribution of technologies in a hybrid power system to the joint LCoE. - Highlights: • We perform the LCoE calculation with the stochastic component jointly considered. • We propose a fast an optimal policy that minimizes the LCoE. • We compare the obtained LCoEs by means of a fast and robust algorithm. • We take into account the competition among gas prices and electricity prices

  9. Comparison of a commercial biochemical kit and an oligonucleotide probe for identification of environmental isolates of Vibrio vulnificus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, A.; Dalsgaard, Inger; Høi, L.

    1996-01-01

    Methods for the identification and isolation of environmental isolates of Vibrio vulnificus were evaluated. Alkaline peptone water supplemented with polymyxin B and colistin-polymyxin B- cellobiose agar were employed for the isolation of suspected V. vulnificus from water, sediment and shellfish ...... hybridizing with the probe. The results indicated that, compared with colony hybridization, the API 20E assay was not adequate for the identification of environmental isolates of V. vulnificus....

  10. Computationally Probing the Performance of Hybrid, Heterogeneous, and Homogeneous Iridium-Based Catalysts for Water Oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    García-Melchor, Max [SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford CA (United States); Vilella, Laia [Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST),Tarragona (Spain); Departament de Quimica, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); López, Núria [Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Tarragona (Spain); Vojvodic, Aleksandra [SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park CA (United States)

    2016-04-29

    An attractive strategy to improve the performance of water oxidation catalysts would be to anchor a homogeneous molecular catalyst on a heterogeneous solid surface to create a hybrid catalyst. The idea of this combined system is to take advantage of the individual properties of each of the two catalyst components. We use Density Functional Theory to determine the stability and activity of a model hybrid water oxidation catalyst consisting of a dimeric Ir complex attached on the IrO2(110) surface through two oxygen atoms. We find that homogeneous catalysts can be bound to its matrix oxide without losing significant activity. Hence, designing hybrid systems that benefit from both the high tunability of activity of homogeneous catalysts and the stability of heterogeneous systems seems feasible.

  11. Considerations in the use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal laser scanning microscopy to characterize rumen methanogens and define their spatial distributions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valle, Edith R; Henderson, Gemma; Janssen, Peter H; Cox, Faith; Alexander, Trevor W; McAllister, Tim A

    2015-06-01

    In this study, methanogen-specific coenzyme F420 autofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to identify rumen methanogens and define their spatial distribution in free-living, biofilm-, and protozoa-associated microenvironments. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with temperature-controlled hybridization was used in an attempt to describe methanogen diversity. A heat pretreatment (65 °C, 1 h) was found to be a noninvasive method to increase probe access to methanogen RNA targets. Despite efforts to optimize FISH, 16S rRNA methanogen-specific probes, including Arch915, bound to some cells that lacked F420, possibly identifying uncharacterized Methanomassiliicoccales or reflecting nonspecific binding to other members of the rumen bacterial community. A probe targeting RNA from the methanogenesis-specific methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcr) gene was shown to detect cultured Methanosarcina cells with signal intensities comparable to those of 16S rRNA probes. However, the probe failed to hybridize with the majority of F420-emitting rumen methanogens, possibly because of differences in cell wall permeability among methanogen species. Methanogens were shown to integrate into microbial biofilms and to exist as ecto- and endosymbionts with rumen protozoa. Characterizing rumen methanogens and defining their spatial distribution may provide insight into mitigation strategies for ruminal methanogenesis.

  12. Quantum dots-hyperbranched polyether hybrid nanospheres towards delivery and real-time detection of nitric oxide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Shuiping; Gu, Tianxun; Fu, Jiajia

    2014-01-01

    In this work, novel hybrid nanosphere vehicles were synthesized for nitric oxide (NO) donating and real-time detection. The hybrid nanosphere vehicles consist of cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) as NO fluorescent probes, and the modified hyperbranched polyether (mHP)-based diazeniumdiolates...... as NO donors, respectively. The nanospheres have spherical outline with dimension of ~ 127 nm. The data of systematic characterization demonstrated that the mHP-based hybrid nanosphere vehicles (QDs-mHP-NO) can release and real-time detect NO with the low limit of 25 nM, based on fluorescence quenching...

  13. Biomimetic growth of gallic acid–ZnO hybrid assemblies and their applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarker, Nazmul H.; Barnaby, Stacey N.; Fath, Karl R.; Frayne, Stephen H.; Nakatsuka, Nako; Banerjee, Ipsita A.

    2012-01-01

    In this study, we probed the biomimetic formation of gallic acid (GA)–ZnO nanoparticle hybrids. It was found that the morphologies formed were dependent upon pH values, resulting in GA–ZnO hybrids of varying shapes such as micro or nanoplates or fibers. The formed supramolecular GA–ZnO hybrids were found to be luminescent as indicated by confocal microscopy and were utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of the organic dye methylene blue. We also explored the bactericidal effects of the hybrids on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as well as Escherichia Coli (E. Coli). Thus, we have developed a new class of shape-controlled nanohybrid assemblies via mild, green synthetic methods that may be utilized for photocatalytic degradation for environmental remediation as well as for antibacterial applications.

  14. Biomimetic growth of gallic acid-ZnO hybrid assemblies and their applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarker, Nazmul H.; Barnaby, Stacey N. [Fordham University, Department of Chemistry (United States); Fath, Karl R. [City University of New York and Graduate Center, Department of Biology, Queens College (United States); Frayne, Stephen H.; Nakatsuka, Nako; Banerjee, Ipsita A., E-mail: banerjee@fordham.edu [Fordham University, Department of Chemistry (United States)

    2012-03-15

    In this study, we probed the biomimetic formation of gallic acid (GA)-ZnO nanoparticle hybrids. It was found that the morphologies formed were dependent upon pH values, resulting in GA-ZnO hybrids of varying shapes such as micro or nanoplates or fibers. The formed supramolecular GA-ZnO hybrids were found to be luminescent as indicated by confocal microscopy and were utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of the organic dye methylene blue. We also explored the bactericidal effects of the hybrids on Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) as well as Escherichia Coli (E. Coli). Thus, we have developed a new class of shape-controlled nanohybrid assemblies via mild, green synthetic methods that may be utilized for photocatalytic degradation for environmental remediation as well as for antibacterial applications.

  15. Biomimetic growth of gallic acid-ZnO hybrid assemblies and their applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarker, Nazmul H.; Barnaby, Stacey N.; Fath, Karl R.; Frayne, Stephen H.; Nakatsuka, Nako; Banerjee, Ipsita A.

    2012-03-01

    In this study, we probed the biomimetic formation of gallic acid (GA)-ZnO nanoparticle hybrids. It was found that the morphologies formed were dependent upon pH values, resulting in GA-ZnO hybrids of varying shapes such as micro or nanoplates or fibers. The formed supramolecular GA-ZnO hybrids were found to be luminescent as indicated by confocal microscopy and were utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of the organic dye methylene blue. We also explored the bactericidal effects of the hybrids on Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) as well as Escherichia Coli ( E. Coli). Thus, we have developed a new class of shape-controlled nanohybrid assemblies via mild, green synthetic methods that may be utilized for photocatalytic degradation for environmental remediation as well as for antibacterial applications.

  16. Direct immobilization and hybridization of DNA on group III nitride semiconductors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu Xiaobin; Jindal, Vibhu; Shahedipour-Sandvik, Fatemeh; Bergkvist, Magnus [College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany (SUNY), 255 Fuller Road, Albany, NY 12203 (United States); Cady, Nathaniel C. [College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, University at Albany (SUNY), 255 Fuller Road, Albany, NY 12203 (United States)], E-mail: ncady@uamail.albany.edu

    2009-03-15

    A key concern for group III-nitride high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) biosensors is the anchoring of specific capture molecules onto the gate surface. To this end, a direct immobilization strategy was developed to attach single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) to AlGaN surfaces using simple printing techniques without the need for cross-linking agents or complex surface pre-functionalization procedures. Immobilized DNA molecules were stably attached to the AlGaN surfaces and were able to withstand a range of pH and ionic strength conditions. The biological activity of surface-immobilized probe DNA was also retained, as demonstrated by sequence-specific hybridization experiments. Probe hybridization with target ssDNA could be detected by PicoGreen fluorescent dye labeling with a minimum detection limit of 2 nM. These experiments demonstrate a simple and effective immobilization approach for attaching nucleic acids to AlGaN surfaces which can further be used for the development of HEMT-based DNA biosensors.

  17. Comparison of clinical samples for visceral Leishmaniasis diagnosis in asymptomatic dogs by PCR hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferreira, Sidney A.; Ituassu, Leonardo T.; Melo, Maria N.

    2009-01-01

    The canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) diagnosis still represents a challenge because of complexity of this disease. The aim of present study was to compare different clinical samples for diagnosis of CVL by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) combined with hybridization of 32 P labeled probes. Bone marrow (BM), skin biopsy (SB), peripheral blood (PB) and conjunctival swab (CS) were used in this work. With this purpose 40 asymptomatic dogs, all positive by parasitological test, were obtained. From each animal were collected SB with sterile punches from ear internal surface, 1.0 mL of PB, BM aspirates from sternum and CS from both lower eyelid. Each clinical sample was submitted to suitable DNA purification process and PCR-hybridization assays. The positive results obtained with PCR were 55%, 25%, 30% and 22.5% for CS, BM, SB and PB respectively while the PCR followed by hybridization showed a positivity of 87.5%, 50%, 45% and 27.5% respectively. The hybridization assay was able to increase the PCR positivity in all kinds of clinical samples. The best performance was obtained using CS samples. We concluded that the PCR associated with DNA radioactive probes was a very sensitive tool for diagnosis of CVL in asymptomatic dogs and the CS has an important potential for regular screening of dogs. (author)

  18. Hybrid energy fuel cell based system for household applications in a Mediterranean climate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nižetić, S.; Tolj, I.; Papadopoulos, A.M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A hybrid energy system was proposed, combining a HT-PEM fuel cell system and a standard split heat pump system with heat recovery for household applications. • The hybrid energy system is able to produce both high and low temperature heat, electricity and cooling capacity. • The system showed high overall energy efficiency and a favorable environmental aspect. • The calculated cost of overall produced energy proved to be competitive in comparison with the average cost of electricity for households. - Abstract: In this paper, a specific hybrid energy system was proposed for household applications. The hybrid energy system was assembled from a HT-PEM fuel cell stack supplied by hydrogen via a steam reformer, where finally the majority of produced electricity is used to drive a modified split heat pump system with heat recovery (that is enabled via standard modified accumulation boilers). The system is able to produce both high and low temperature heat output (in the form of hot water), cooling thermal output and electricity. Performance analysis was conducted and the specific hybrid energy system showed high value for overall energy efficiency, for the specific case examined it reached 250%. Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) analysis was also carried out and the proposed hybrid energy system’s cost is expected to be between 0.09 €/kW h and 0.16 €/kW h, which is certainly competitive with the current retail electricity price for households on the EU market. Additionally, the system also has environmental benefits in relation to reduced CO 2 emissions, as estimated CO 2 emissions from the proposed hybrid energy system are expected to be at around 9.0 gCO 2 /kW h or 2.6 times less than the emissions released from the utilization of grid electricity.

  19. DNA-DNA hybridization determined in micro-wells using covalent attachment of DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, H.; Angen, Øystein; Mutters, R.

    2000-01-01

    The present study was aimed at reducing the time and labour used to perform DNA-DNA hybridizations for classification of bacteria at the species level. A micro-well-format DNA hybridization method was developed and validated. DNA extractions were performed by a small-scale method and DNA...... was sheared mechanically into fragments of between 400 and 700 bases. The hybridization conditions were calibrated according to DNA similarities obtained by the spectrophotometric method using strains within the family Pasteurellaceae, Optimal conditions were obtained with 300 ng DNA added per well and bound...... by covalent attachment to NucleoLink. Hybridization was performed with 500 ng DNA, 5% (w/w) of which was labelled with photo-activatable biotin (competitive hybridization) for 2.5 h at 65 degrees C in 2 x SSC followed by stringent washing with 2 x SSC at the same temperature. The criteria for acceptance...

  20. Power-balance analysis of muon-catalyzed fusion-fission hybrid reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, R.L.; Krakowski, R.A.

    1985-01-01

    A power-balance model of a muon-catalyzed fusion system in the context of a fission-fuel factory is developed and exercised to predict the required physics performance of systems competitive with either pure muon-catalyzed fusion systems or thermonuclear fusion-fission fuel factory hybrid systems

  1. A General Strategy for Nanohybrids Synthesis via Coupled Competitive Reactions Controlled in a Hybrid Process

    OpenAIRE

    Wang, Rongming; Yang, Wantai; Song, Yuanjun; Shen, Xiaomiao; Wang, Junmei; Zhong, Xiaodi; Li, Shuai; Song, Yujun

    2015-01-01

    A new methodology based on core alloying and shell gradient-doping are developed for the synthesis of nanohybrids, realized by coupled competitive reactions, or sequenced reducing-nucleation and co-precipitation reaction of mixed metal salts in a microfluidic and batch-cooling process. The latent time of nucleation and the growth of nanohybrids can be well controlled due to the formation of controllable intermediates in the coupled competitive reactions. Thus, spatiotemporal-resolved synthesi...

  2. Characterization of rat brain NCAM mRNA using DNA oligonucleotide probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersson, A M; Gaardsvoll, H; Giladi, E

    1990-01-01

    A number of different isoforms of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) have been identified. The difference between these is due to alternative splicing of a single NCAM gene. In rat brain NCAM mRNAs with sizes of 7.4, 6.7, 5.2, 4.3 and 2.9 kb have been reported. We have synthesized six DNA...... oligonucleotides, that hybridize to different exons in the NCAM gene. Furthermore we have constructed three oligonucleotides, that exclusively hybridize to mRNAs lacking certain exons, by letting them consist of sequences adjacent to both sides of the splice sites. By means of these probes we have characterized...... the five NCAM mRNAs in rat brain....

  3. Hybrid inflation revisited in light of WMAP5 data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rehman, Mansoor Ur; Shafi, Qaisar; Wickman, Joshua R.

    2009-01-01

    We study the effects of including one-loop radiative corrections in a nonsupersymmetric hybrid inflationary model. These corrections can arise from Yukawa couplings between the inflaton and right-handed neutrinos, and induce a maximum in the potential which admits hilltop-type solutions in addition to the standard hybrid solutions. We obtain a red-tilted spectral index n s , consistent with Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 5 yr analysis data, for sub-Planckian values of the field. This is in contrast to the tree level hybrid analysis, in which a red-tilted spectrum is achieved only for trans-Planckian values of the field. Successful reheating is obtained at the end of the inflationary phase via a conversion of the inflaton and waterfall fields into right-handed neutrinos, whose subsequent decay can explain the observed baryon asymmetry via leptogenesis.

  4. Hybridization of Environmental Microbial Community Nucleic Acids by GeoChip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Nostrand, Joy D; Yin, Huaqin; Wu, Liyou; Yuan, Tong; Zhou, Jizhong

    2016-01-01

    Functional gene arrays, like the GeoChip, allow for the study of tens of thousands of genes in a single assay. The GeoChip array (5.0) contains probes for genes involved in geochemical cycling (N, C, S, and P), metal homeostasis, stress response, organic contaminant degradation, antibiotic resistance, secondary metabolism, and virulence factors as well as genes specific for fungi, protists, and viruses. Here, we briefly describe GeoChip design strategies (gene selection and probe design) and discuss minimum quantity and quality requirements for nucleic acids. We then provide detailed protocols for amplification, labeling, and hybridization of samples to the GeoChip.

  5. Protocol for chromosome-specific probe construction using PRINS, micromanipulation and DOP-PCR techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    PAULO Z. PASSAMANI

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Chromosome-specific probes have been widely used in molecular cytogenetics, being obtained with different methods. In this study, a reproducible protocol for construction of chromosome-specific probes is proposed which associates in situ amplification (PRINS, micromanipulation and degenerate oligonucleotide-primed PCR (DOP-PCR. Human lymphocyte cultures were used to obtain metaphases from male and female individuals. The chromosomes were amplified via PRINS, and subcentromeric fragments of the X chromosome were microdissected using microneedles coupled to a phase contrast microscope. The fragments were amplified by DOP-PCR and labeled with tetramethyl-rhodamine-5-dUTP. The probes were used in fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH procedure to highlight these specific regions in the metaphases. The results show one fluorescent red spot in male and two in female X chromosomes and interphase nuclei.

  6. Demolishing the competition: the longitudinal link between competitive video games, competitive gambling, and aggression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena

    2013-07-01

    The majority of research on the link between video games and aggression has focused on the violent content in games. In contrast, recent experimental research suggests that it is video game competition, not violence, that has the greatest effect on aggression in the short-term. However, no researchers have examined the long-term relationship between video game competition and aggression. In addition, if competition in video games is a significant reason for the link between video game play and aggression, then other competitive activities, such as competitive gambling, also may predict aggression over time. In the current study, we directly assessed the socialization (competitive video game play and competitive gambling predicts aggression over time) versus selection hypotheses (aggression predicts competitive video game play and competitive gambling over time). Adolescents (N = 1,492, 50.8 % female) were surveyed annually from Grade 9 to Grade 12 about their video game play, gambling, and aggressive behaviors. Greater competitive video game play and competitive gambling predicted higher levels of aggression over time, after controlling for previous levels of aggression, supporting the socialization hypothesis. The selection hypothesis also was supported, as aggression predicted greater competitive video game play and competitive gambling over time, after controlling for previous competitive video game play and competitive gambling. Our findings, taken together with the fact that millions of adolescents play competitive video games every day and that competitive gambling may increase as adolescents transition into adulthood, highlight the need for a greater understanding of the relationship between competition and aggression.

  7. Advances in hybrid optics physical sensors for extreme environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riza, Nabeel A.

    2010-04-01

    Highlighted are novel innovations in hybrid optical design physical sensors for extreme environments. Various hybrid design compositions are proposed that are suited for a particular sensor application. Examples includes combining freespace (wireless) and fiber-optics (wired) for gas turbine sensing and combining single crystal and sintered Silicon Carbide (SiC) materials for robust extreme environment Coefficent of Thermal Expansion (CTE) matched frontend probe design. Sensor signal processing also includes the hybrid theme where for example Black-Body radiation thermometry (pyrometry) is combined with laser interferometry to provide extreme temperature measurements. The hybrid theme also operates on the optical device level where a digital optical device such as a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is combined with an analog optical device such as an Electronically Controlled Variable Focal Length Lens (ECVFL) to deliver a smart and compressive Three Dimensional (3-D) imaging sensor for remote scene and object shape capture including both ambient light (passive) mode and active laser targeting and receive processing. Within a device level, the hybrid theme also operates via combined analog and digital control such as within a wavelength-coded variable optical delay line. These powerful hybrid design optical sensors have numerous applications in engineering and science applications from the military to the commercial/industrial sectors.

  8. In Silico Genomic Fingerprints of the Bacillus anthracis Group Obtained by Virtual Hybridization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hueman Jaimes-Díaz

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study we evaluate the capacity of Virtual Hybridization to identify between highly related bacterial strains. Eight genomic fingerprints were obtained by virtual hybridization for the Bacillus anthracis genome set, and a set of 15,264 13-nucleotide short probes designed to produce genomic fingerprints unique for each organism. The data obtained from each genomic fingerprint were used to obtain hybridization patterns simulating a DNA microarray. Two virtual hybridization methods were used: the Direct and the Extended method to identify the number of potential hybridization sites and thus determine the minimum sensitivity value to discriminate between genomes with 99.9% similarity. Genomic fingerprints were compared using both methods and phylogenomic trees were constructed to verify that the minimum detection value is 0.000017. Results obtained from the genomic fingerprints suggest that the distribution in the trees is correct, as compared to other taxonomic methods. Specific virtual hybridization sites for each of the genomes studied were also identified.

  9. Catalytic ozonation not relying on hydroxyl radical oxidation: A selective and competitive reaction process related to metal-carboxylate complexes

    KAUST Repository

    Zhang, Tao

    2014-01-01

    Catalytic ozonation following non-hydroxyl radical pathway is an important technique not only to degrade refractory carboxylic-containing organic compounds/matter but also to avoid catalyst deactivation caused by metal-carboxylate complexation. It is unknown whether this process is effective for all carboxylates or selective to special molecule structures. In this work, the selectivity was confirmed using O3/(CuO/CeO2) and six distinct ozone-resistant probe carboxylates (i.e., acetate, citrate, malonate, oxalate, pyruvate and succinate). Among these probe compounds, pyruvate, oxalate, and citrate were readily degraded following the rate order of oxalate>citrate>pyruvate, while the degradation of acetate, malonate, and succinate was not promoted. The selectivity was independent on carboxylate group number of the probe compounds and solution pH. Competitive degradation was observed for carboxylate mixtures following the preference order of citrate, oxalate, and finally pyruvate. The competitive degradation was ascribed to competitive adsorption on the catalyst surface. It was revealed that the catalytically degradable compounds formed bidentate chelating or bridging complexes with surface copper sites of the catalyst, i.e., the active sites. The catalytically undegradable carboxylates formed monodentate complexes with surface copper sites or just electrostatically adsorbed on the catalyst surface. The selectivity, relying on the structure of surface metal-carboxylate complex, should be considered in the design of catalytic ozonation process. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  10. Seeing Cooperation or Competition: Ecological Interactions in Cultural Perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojalehto, Bethany L; Medin, Douglas L; Horton, William S; Garcia, Salino G; Kays, Estefano G

    2015-10-01

    Do cultural models facilitate particular ways of perceiving interactions in nature? We explore variability in folkecological principles of reasoning about interspecies interactions (specifically, competitive or cooperative). In two studies, Indigenous Panamanian Ngöbe and U.S. participants interpreted an illustrated, wordless nonfiction book about the hunting relationship between a coyote and badger. Across both studies, the majority of Ngöbe interpreted the hunting relationship as cooperative and the majority of U.S. participants as competitive. Study 2 showed that this pattern may reflect different beliefs about, and perhaps different awareness of, plausible interspecies interactions. Further probes suggest that these models of ecological interaction correlate with recognition of social agency (e.g., communication, morality) in nonhuman animals. We interpret our results in terms of cultural models of nature and nonhuman agency. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  11. Genetic load and transgenic mitigating genes in transgenic Brassica rapa (field mustard × Brassica napus (oilseed rape hybrid populations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warwick Suzanne I

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background One theoretical explanation for the relatively poor performance of Brassica rapa (weed × Brassica napus (crop transgenic hybrids suggests that hybridization imparts a negative genetic load. Consequently, in hybrids genetic load could overshadow any benefits of fitness enhancing transgenes and become the limiting factor in transgenic hybrid persistence. Two types of genetic load were analyzed in this study: random/linkage-derived genetic load, and directly incorporated genetic load using a transgenic mitigation (TM strategy. In order to measure the effects of random genetic load, hybrid productivity (seed yield and biomass was correlated with crop- and weed-specific AFLP genomic markers. This portion of the study was designed to answer whether or not weed × transgenic crop hybrids possessing more crop genes were less competitive than hybrids containing fewer crop genes. The effects of directly incorporated genetic load (TM were analyzed through transgene persistence data. TM strategies are proposed to decrease transgene persistence if gene flow and subsequent transgene introgression to a wild host were to occur. Results In the absence of interspecific competition, transgenic weed × crop hybrids benefited from having more crop-specific alleles. There was a positive correlation between performance and number of B. napus crop-specific AFLP markers [seed yield vs. marker number (r = 0.54, P = 0.0003 and vegetative dry biomass vs. marker number (r = 0.44, P = 0.005]. However under interspecific competition with wheat or more weed-like conditions (i.e. representing a situation where hybrid plants emerge as volunteer weeds in subsequent cropping systems, there was a positive correlation between the number of B. rapa weed-specific AFLP markers and seed yield (r = 0.70, P = 0.0001, although no such correlation was detected for vegetative biomass. When genetic load was directly incorporated into the hybrid genome, by inserting a

  12. Colorimetric DNA detection of transgenic plants using gold nanoparticles functionalized with L-shaped DNA probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nourisaeid, Elham; Mousavi, Amir; Arpanaei, Ayyoob

    2016-01-01

    In this study, a DNA colorimetric detection system based on gold nanoparticles functionalized with L-shaped DNA probes was prepared and evaluated. We investigated the hybridization efficiency of the L-shaped probes and studied the effect of nanoparticle size and the L-shaped DNA probe length on the performance of the as-prepared system. Probes were attached to the surface of gold nanoparticles using an adenine sequence. An optimal sequence of 35S rRNA gene promoter from the cauliflower mosaic virus, which is frequently used in the development of transgenic plants, and the two complementary ends of this gene were employed as model target strands and probe molecules, respectively. The spectrophotometric properties of the as-prepared systems indicated that the large NPs show better changes in the absorption spectrum and consequently present a better performance. The results of this study revealed that the probe/Au-NPs prepared using a vertical spacer containing 5 thymine oligonucleotides exhibited a stronger spectrophotometric response in comparison to that of larger probes. These results in general indicate the suitable performance of the L-shaped DNA probe-functionalized Au-NPs, and in particular emphasize the important role of the gold nanoparticle size and length of the DNA probes in enhancing the performance of such a system.

  13. Phylogeny and FISH probe analysis of the “Candidatus Competibacter”-lineage in wastewater treatment systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nittami, Tadashi; McIlroy, Simon Jon; Kanai, Eri

    Our understanding of the microbial ecology of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) wastewater treatment systems has been greatly advanced through the application of molecular methods such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Considerable attention has been directed at the identi......Our understanding of the microbial ecology of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) wastewater treatment systems has been greatly advanced through the application of molecular methods such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Considerable attention has been directed...... at the identification and characterization of the glycogen accumulating organisms (GAO), a phenotypic group thought to compete with the polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAO) for resources at the theoretical expense of EBPR efficiency. Demonstrated candidates for members of the GAO phenotype include...... the gammaproteobacterial “Candidatus Competibacter”-lineage. The group is currently delineated by 8 FISH probe defined phylotypes, although further undescribed phylogenetic diversity beyond what is covered by these probes is evident. Where studied, marked differences in physiology between members are observed, including...

  14. Constrained Optimization Based on Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm and Adaptive Constraint-Handling Technique

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wang, Yong; Cai, Zixing; Zhou, Yuren

    2009-01-01

    A novel approach to deal with numerical and engineering constrained optimization problems, which incorporates a hybrid evolutionary algorithm and an adaptive constraint-handling technique, is presented in this paper. The hybrid evolutionary algorithm simultaneously uses simplex crossover and two...... mutation operators to generate the offspring population. Additionally, the adaptive constraint-handling technique consists of three main situations. In detail, at each situation, one constraint-handling mechanism is designed based on current population state. Experiments on 13 benchmark test functions...... and four well-known constrained design problems verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. The experimental results show that integrating the hybrid evolutionary algorithm with the adaptive constraint-handling technique is beneficial, and the proposed method achieves competitive...

  15. Gravitational wave as probe of superfluid dark matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Rong-Gen; Liu, Tong-Bo; Wang, Shao-Jiang

    2018-02-01

    In recent years, superfluid dark matter (SfDM) has become a competitive model of emergent modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) scenario: MOND phenomenons naturally emerge as a derived concept due to an extra force mediated between baryons by phonons as a result of axionlike particles condensed as superfluid at galactic scales; Beyond galactic scales, these axionlike particles behave as normal fluid without phonon-mediated MOND-like force between baryons, therefore SfDM also maintains the usual success of Λ CDM at cosmological scales. In this paper, we use gravitational waves (GWs) to probe the relevant parameter space of SfDM. GWs through Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) could propagate with a speed slightly deviation from the speed-of-light due to the change in the effective refractive index, which depends on the SfDM parameters and GW-source properties. We find that Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA) are the most promising means as GW probe of relevant parameter space of SfDM. Future space-based GW detectors are also capable of probing SfDM if a multimessenger approach is adopted.

  16. Peptide nucleic acid probe for protein affinity purification based on biotin-streptavidin interaction and peptide nucleic acid strand hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tse, Jenny; Wang, Yuanyuan; Zengeya, Thomas; Rozners, Eriks; Tan-Wilson, Anna

    2015-02-01

    We describe a new method for protein affinity purification that capitalizes on the high affinity of streptavidin for biotin but does not require dissociation of the biotin-streptavidin complex for protein retrieval. Conventional reagents place both the selectively reacting group (the "warhead") and the biotin on the same molecule. We place the warhead and the biotin on separate molecules, each linked to a short strand of peptide nucleic acid (PNA), synthetic polymers that use the same bases as DNA but attached to a backbone that is resistant to attack by proteases and nucleases. As in DNA, PNA strands with complementary base sequences hybridize. In conditions that favor PNA duplex formation, the warhead strand (carrying the tagged protein) and the biotin strand form a complex that is held onto immobilized streptavidin. As in DNA, the PNA duplex dissociates at moderately elevated temperature; therefore, retrieval of the tagged protein is accomplished by a brief exposure to heat. Using iodoacetate as the warhead, 8-base PNA strands, biotin, and streptavidin-coated magnetic beads, we demonstrate retrieval of the cysteine protease papain. We were also able to use our iodoacetyl-PNA:PNA-biotin probe for retrieval and identification of a thiol reductase and a glutathione transferase from soybean seedling cotyledons. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Electrochemical DNA Hybridization Sensors Based on Conducting Polymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, Md. Mahbubur; Li, Xiao-Bo; Lopa, Nasrin Siraj; Ahn, Sang Jung; Lee, Jae-Joon

    2015-01-01

    Conducting polymers (CPs) are a group of polymeric materials that have attracted considerable attention because of their unique electronic, chemical, and biochemical properties. This is reflected in their use in a wide range of potential applications, including light-emitting diodes, anti-static coating, electrochromic materials, solar cells, chemical sensors, biosensors, and drug-release systems. Electrochemical DNA sensors based on CPs can be used in numerous areas related to human health. This review summarizes the recent progress made in the development and use of CP-based electrochemical DNA hybridization sensors. We discuss the distinct properties of CPs with respect to their use in the immobilization of probe DNA on electrode surfaces, and we describe the immobilization techniques used for developing DNA hybridization sensors together with the various transduction methods employed. In the concluding part of this review, we present some of the challenges faced in the use of CP-based DNA hybridization sensors, as well as a future perspective. PMID:25664436

  18. Electrochemical DNA Hybridization Sensors Based on Conducting Polymers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Mahbubur Rahman

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Conducting polymers (CPs are a group of polymeric materials that have attracted considerable attention because of their unique electronic, chemical, and biochemical properties. This is reflected in their use in a wide range of potential applications, including light-emitting diodes, anti-static coating, electrochromic materials, solar cells, chemical sensors, biosensors, and drug-release systems. Electrochemical DNA sensors based on CPs can be used in numerous areas related to human health. This review summarizes the recent progress made in the development and use of CP-based electrochemical DNA hybridization sensors. We discuss the distinct properties of CPs with respect to their use in the immobilization of probe DNA on electrode surfaces, and we describe the immobilization techniques used for developing DNA hybridization sensors together with the various transduction methods employed. In the concluding part of this review, we present some of the challenges faced in the use of CP-based DNA hybridization sensors, as well as a future perspective.

  19. Homology of polytene elements between Drosophila and Zaprionus determined by in situ hybridization in Zaprionus indianus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, S R C; Rieger, T T; Santos, J F

    2007-05-09

    The drosophilid Zaprionus indianus due to its economical importance as an insect pest in Brazil deserves more investigation into its genetics. Its mitotic karyotype and a line-drawing map of its polytene chromosomes are already available. This paper presents a photomap of Z. indianus polytene chromosomes, which was used as the reference map for identification of sections marked by in situ hybridization with gene probes. Hybridization signals for Hsp70 and Hsr-omega were detected, respectively, in sections 34B and 32C of chromosome V of Z. indianus, which indicates its homology to the chromosomal arm 3R of Drosophila melanogaster and, therefore, to Muller's element E. The main signal for Hsp83 gene probe hybridization was in section 17C of Z. indianus chromosome III, suggesting its homology to arm 3L of D. melanogaster and to element D of Muller. The Ubi probe hybridized in sections 10C of chromosome II and 17A of chromosome III. Probably the 17A is the polyubiquitin locus, with homology to arm 3L of D. melanogaster and to the mullerian D element, as suggested also by Hsp83 gene location. The Br-C gene was mapped in section 1D, near the tip of the X chromosome, indicating its homology to the X chromosome of D. melanogaster and to mullerian element A. The Dpp gene probe hybridized mainly in the section 32A of chromosome V and, at lower frequencies to other sections, although no signal was observed as expected in the correspondent mullerian B element. This result led to the suggestion of a rearrangement including the Dpp locus in Z. indianus, the secondary signals possibly pointing to related genes of the TGF-beta family. In conclusion, the results indicate that chromosomes X, III, V of Z. indianus are respectively correspondents to elements A, D, and E of Muller. At least chromosome V of Z. indianus seems to share synteny with the 3R arm of D. melanogaster, as indicated by the relative positions of Hsp70 and Hsr-omega, although the Dpp gene indicates a disruption of

  20. "Multicolor" electrochemical labeling of DNA hybridization probes with osmium tetroxide complexes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Fojta, Miroslav; Kostečka, Pavel; Trefulka, Mojmír; Havran, Luděk; Paleček, Emil

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 79, č. 3 (2007), s. 1022-1029 ISSN 0003-2700 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA4004402; GA ČR(CZ) GA203/05/0043; GA ČR(CZ) GA203/04/1325; GA MPO(CZ) 1H-PK/42; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06035 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507 Keywords : DNA labeling * osmium tetroxide complexes * DNA hybridization Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 5.287, year: 2007

  1. Preparation and characterization of hybrid materials based on polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nguyen Duc Nghia; Ngo Trinh Tung [Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet Road, Cau Giay District, Hanoi (Viet Nam)], E-mail: ducnghia264@fpt.vn

    2009-09-01

    Hybrid material is one of the most promising materials classed in the 21st century because of its unique properties and its advanced applications. In this work, hybrid materials based on polypyrrole (Ppy) and silver nanoparicles were prepared and characterized. The preparation of the hybrid material was performed by the chemical polymerization method. The structure, electrical and thermal properties of Ppy/Ag hybrid materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, and TGA and the conventional four probe method. The results showed that the Ag particles of 4-8 nm were agglomerated during the in-situ polymerization of PPy and formed some clusters with the diameter of 25 -150 nm. By the addition of Ag particles, the electrical conductivity of Ppy increased with increasing Ag concentration. The thermal stability of Ppy was significantly improved by modification with Ag particles.

  2. Preparation and characterization of hybrid materials based on polypyrrole and silver nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen Duc Nghia; Ngo Trinh Tung

    2009-01-01

    Hybrid material is one of the most promising materials classed in the 21st century because of its unique properties and its advanced applications. In this work, hybrid materials based on polypyrrole (Ppy) and silver nanoparicles were prepared and characterized. The preparation of the hybrid material was performed by the chemical polymerization method. The structure, electrical and thermal properties of Ppy/Ag hybrid materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, and TGA and the conventional four probe method. The results showed that the Ag particles of 4-8 nm were agglomerated during the in-situ polymerization of PPy and formed some clusters with the diameter of 25 -150 nm. By the addition of Ag particles, the electrical conductivity of Ppy increased with increasing Ag concentration. The thermal stability of Ppy was significantly improved by modification with Ag particles.

  3. A universal colorimetry for nucleic acids and aptamer-specific ligands detection based on DNA hybridization amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuang; Shang, Xinxin; Liu, Jia; Wang, Yujie; Guo, Yingshu; You, Jinmao

    2017-07-01

    We present a universal amplified-colorimetric for detecting nucleic acid targets or aptamer-specific ligand targets based on gold nanoparticle-DNA (GNP-DNA) hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The universal arrays consisted of capture probe and hairpin DNA-GNP. First, capture probe recognized target specificity and released the initiator sequence. Then dispersed hairpin DNA modified GNPs were cross-linked to form aggregates through HCR events triggered by initiator sequence. As the aggregates accumulate, a significant red-to purple color change can be easily visualized by the naked eye. We used miRNA target sequence (miRNA-203) and aptamer-specific ligand (ATP) as target molecules for this proof-of-concept experiment. Initiator sequence (DNA2) was released from the capture probe (MNP/DNA1/2 conjugates) under the strong competitiveness of miRNA-203. Hairpin DNA (H1 and H2) can be complementary with the help of initiator DNA2 to form GNP-H1/GNP-H2 aggregates. The absorption ratio (A 620 /A 520 ) values of solutions were a sensitive function of miRNA-203 concentration covering from 1.0 × 10 -11  M to 9.0 × 10 -10  M, and as low as 1.0 × 10 -11  M could be detected. At the same time, the color changed from light wine red to purple and then to light blue have occurred in the solution. For ATP, initiator sequence (5'-end of DNA3) was released from the capture probe (DNA3) under the strong combination of aptamer-ATP. The present colorimetric for specific detection of ATP exhibited good sensitivity and 1.0 × 10 -8  M ATP could be detected. The proposed strategy also showed good performances for qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis of intracellular nucleic acids and aptamer-specific ligands. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Detection of a magnetic bead by hybrid nanodevices using scanning gate microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corte-León, H.; Krzysteczko, P.; Marchi, F.; Motte, J.-F.; Manzin, A.; Schumacher, H. W.; Antonov, V.; Kazakova, O.

    2016-05-01

    Hybrid ferromagnetic(Py)/non-magnetic metal(Au) junctions with a width of 400 nm are studied by magnetotransport measurements, magnetic scanning gate microscopy (SGM) with a magnetic bead (MB) attached to the probe, and micromagnetic simulations. In the transverse geometry, the devices demonstrate a characteristic magnetoresistive behavior that depends on the direction of the in plane magnetic field, with minimum/maximum variation when the field is applied parallel/perpendicular to the Py wire. The SGM is performed with a NdFeB bead of 1.6 μm diameter attached to the scanning probe. Our results demonstrate that the hybrid junction can be used to detect this type of MB. A rough approximation of the sensing volume of the junction has the shape of elliptical cylinder with the volume of ˜1.51 μm3. Micromagnetic simulations coupled to a magnetotransport model including anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effects are in good agreement with the experimental findings, enabling the interpretation of the SGM images.

  5. Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Program 18th annual report to Congress for Fiscal Year 1994

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-04-01

    The Department remains focused on the technologies that are critical to making electric and hybrid vehicles commercially viable and competitive with current production gasoline-fueled vehicles in performance, reliability, and affordability. During Fiscal Year 1994, significant progress was made toward fulfilling the intent of Congress. The Department and the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (a partnership of the three major domestic automobile manufacturers) continued to work together and to focus the efforts of battery developers on the battery technologies that are most likely to be commercialized in the near term. Progress was made in industry cost-shared contracts toward demonstrating the technical feasibility of fuel cells for passenger bus and light duty vehicle applications. Two industry teams which will develop hybrid vehicle propulsion technologies have been selected through competitive procurement and have initiated work, in Fiscal Year 1994. In addition, technical studies and program planning continue, as required by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, to achieve the goals of reducing the transportation sector dependence on imported oil, reducing the level of environmentally harmful emissions, and enhancing industrial productivity and competitiveness.

  6. Role of boundary plasma in lower-hybrid-frequency heating of a tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uehara, Kazuya; Yamamoto, Takumi; Fujii, Tsuneyuki

    1982-01-01

    Boundary plasma of a circular tokamak has been investigated by means of electrostatic probes during lower-hybrid heating. The reflection coefficient is affected by the density gradient in front of the launcher. An effective ion heating is performed in the main plasma region when the boundary electron temperature is relatively high enough to suppress the parametric decay instabilities. The simultaneous injection of neutral beams as well as the lower-hybrid wave brings the suppression of instabilities with increase of the electron temperature coming from the neutral beam heating. (author)

  7. Custom-Designed MLPA Using Multiple Short Synthetic Probes Application to Methylation Analysis of Five Promoter CpG Islands in Tumor and Urine Specimens from Patients with Bladder Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Serizawa, R.R.; Ralfkiaer, U.; Dahl, C.

    2010-01-01

    Ligation of two oligonucleotide probes hybridized adjacently to a DNA template has been widely used for detection of genome alterations. The multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique allows simultaneous screening of multiple target sequences in a single reaction by using p...

  8. Cleavable DNA-protein hybrid molecular beacon: A novel efficient signal translator for sensitive fluorescence anisotropy bioassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Pan; Yang, Bin

    2016-01-15

    Due to its unique features such as high sensitivity, homogeneous format, and independence on fluorescent intensity, fluorescence anisotropy (FA) assay has become a hotspot of study in oligonucleotide-based bioassays. However, until now most FA probes require carefully customized structure designs, and thus are neither generalizable for different sensing systems nor effective to obtain sufficient signal response. To address this issue, a cleavable DNA-protein hybrid molecular beacon was successfully engineered for signal amplified FA bioassay, via combining the unique stable structure of molecular beacon and the large molecular mass of streptavidin. Compared with single DNA strand probe or conventional molecular beacon, the DNA-protein hybrid molecular beacon exhibited a much higher FA value, which was potential to obtain high signal-background ratio in sensing process. As proof-of-principle, this novel DNA-protein hybrid molecular beacon was further applied for FA bioassay using DNAzyme-Pb(2+) as a model sensing system. This FA assay approach could selectively detect as low as 0.5nM Pb(2+) in buffer solution, and also be successful for real samples analysis with good recovery values. Compatible with most of oligonucleotide probes' designs and enzyme-based signal amplification strategies, the molecular beacon can serve as a novel signal translator to expand the application prospect of FA technology in various bioassays. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Detection of DNA hybridization based on SnO2 nanomaterial enhanced fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Cuiping; Huang Jiarui; Ni Ning; Li Minqiang; Liu Jinhuai

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, enhanced fluorescence emissions were firstly investigated based on SnO 2 nanomaterial, and its application in the detection of DNA hybridization was also demonstrated. The microarray of SnO 2 nanomaterial was fabricated by the vapour phase transport method catalyzed by patterned Au nanoparticles on a silicon substrate. A probe DNA was immobilized on the substrate with patterned SnO 2 nanomaterial, respectively, by covalent and non-covalent linking schemes. When a fluorophore labelled target DNA was hybridized with a probe DNA on the substrate, fluorescence emissions were only observed on the surface of SnO 2 nanomaterial, which indicated the property of enhancing fluorescence signals from the SnO 2 nanomaterial. By comparing the different fluorescence images from covalent and non-covalent linking schemes, the covalent method was confirmed to be more effective for immobilizing a probe DNA. With the combined use of SnO 2 nanomaterial and the covalent linking scheme, the target DNA could be detected at a very low concentration of 10 fM. And the stability of SnO 2 nanomaterial under the experimental conditions was also compared with silicon nanowires. The findings strongly suggested that SnO 2 nanomaterial could be extensively applied in detections of biological samples with enhancing fluorescence property and high stability

  10. Detection of dengue group viruses by fluorescence in situ hybridization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raquin Vincent

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Dengue fever (DF and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF represent a global challenge in public health. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million infections occur each year causing approximately 20,000 deaths that are usually linked to severe cases like DHF and dengue shock syndrome. The causative agent of DF is dengue virus (genus Flavivirus that comprises four distinct serotypes (DENV-1 to DENV-4. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH has been used successfully to detect pathogenic agents, but has not been implemented in detecting DENV. To improve our understanding of DENV infection and dissemination in host tissues, we designed specific probes to detect DENV in FISH assays. Methods Oligonucleotide probes were designed to hybridize with RNA from the broadest range of DENV isolates belonging to the four serotypes, but not to the closest Flavivirus genomes. Three probes that fit the criteria defined for FISH experiments were selected, targeting both coding and non-coding regions of the DENV genome. These probes were tested in FISH assays against the dengue vector Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae. The FISH experiments were led in vitro using the C6/36 cell line, and in vivo against dissected salivary glands, with epifluorescence and confocal microscopy. Results The three 60-nt oligonucleotides probes DENV-Probe A, B and C cover a broad range of DENV isolates from the four serotypes. When the three probes were used together, specific fluorescent signals were observed in C6/36 infected with each DENV serotypes. No signal was detected in either cells infected with close Flavivirus members West Nile virus or yellow fever virus. The same protocol was used on salivary glands of Ae. albopictus fed with a DENV-2 infectious blood-meal which showed positive signals in the lateral lobes of infected samples, with no significant signal in uninfected mosquitoes. Conclusion Based on the FISH technique, we propose a way to design and use

  11. Evaluation of a fluorescence-labelled oligonucleotide tide probe targeting 23S rRNA for in situ detection of Salmonella serovars in paraffin-embedded tissue sections and their rapid identification in bacterial smears

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nordentoft, Steen; Christensen, H.; Wegener, Henrik Caspar

    1997-01-01

    with the probe. The probe did not hybridize to serovars from subspecies IIIa (S. arizonae) or to S. bongori. No cross-reaction to 64 other strains of the family Enterobacteriaceae or 18 other bacterial strains outside this family was observed. The probe was tested with sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin...

  12. Branched-DNA signal amplification combined with paper chromatography hybridization assay and used in hepatitis B virus DNA detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, F.Z.; Liu, L.X.; Wang, W.Q.; Sun, S. H.; Liu, L.B.

    2002-01-01

    Nucleic acids detection method is vital to the clinical pathogen diagnosis. The established method can be classified into target direct amplification and signal amplification format according to the target DNA or RNA being directly amplified or not. Those methods have advantages and disadvantages respectively in the clinical application. In the United States of American, branched-DNA as a strong signal amplifier is broadly used in the quantification of the nucleic acids. To gain satisfied sensitivity, some expensive label molecular and instruments should be adopted. Personnel should be special trained to perform. Hence, those can't be widely carried out in the Third World. To avoid those disadvantages, we used the branched-DNA amplifier in the paper chromatography hybridization assay. Methods: Branched DNA signal amplifier and series of probes complementary to the nucleic acid sequence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been synthesized. HBV-DNA or it's capture probe were immobilized on the high flow nitrocellulose strip. Having loaded at one end of the strip in turn, probes or HBV-DNA in the hybridization solution migrate to the opposite end of the strip by capillary forces and hybridizes to the immobilized DNA. The branched-DNA signal amplifier and probe labeled with biotin or 32P were then loaded. Through streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase (SA-AP) conjugate and NBT/BCIP ( the specific chromogenic substrate of AP) or autoradiography, the result can be visualized by color reaction or image production on the X-ray film. Results: The sensitivity of this HBV-DNA detection method used probe labeled with biotin and 32P are 1ng and 10pg. The method using the probe labeled with biotin is simple and rapid (2h) without depending on special instruments, it also avoids the pollution of EtBr which can lead to tumor. And the method using the probe labeled with 32P is simple and sensitive, with the exception of long time autoradiography and the inconvenient isotopic disposal

  13. Comparison of clinical samples for visceral Leishmaniasis diagnosis in asymptomatic dogs by PCR hybridization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferreira, Sidney A.; Ituassu, Leonardo T.; Melo, Maria N. [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Dept. de Parasitologia], e-mail: saninoalmeida@gmail.com, e-mail: Itituassu@yahoo.com.br, e-mail: melo@icb.ufmg.br; Leite, Rodrigo S.; Andrade, Antero S.R. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN-CNEN/MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)], e-mail: rleite2005@gmail.com, e-mail: antero@cdtn.br

    2009-07-01

    The canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) diagnosis still represents a challenge because of complexity of this disease. The aim of present study was to compare different clinical samples for diagnosis of CVL by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) combined with hybridization of {sup 32}P labeled probes. Bone marrow (BM), skin biopsy (SB), peripheral blood (PB) and conjunctival swab (CS) were used in this work. With this purpose 40 asymptomatic dogs, all positive by parasitological test, were obtained. From each animal were collected SB with sterile punches from ear internal surface, 1.0 mL of PB, BM aspirates from sternum and CS from both lower eyelid. Each clinical sample was submitted to suitable DNA purification process and PCR-hybridization assays. The positive results obtained with PCR were 55%, 25%, 30% and 22.5% for CS, BM, SB and PB respectively while the PCR followed by hybridization showed a positivity of 87.5%, 50%, 45% and 27.5% respectively. The hybridization assay was able to increase the PCR positivity in all kinds of clinical samples. The best performance was obtained using CS samples. We concluded that the PCR associated with DNA radioactive probes was a very sensitive tool for diagnosis of CVL in asymptomatic dogs and the CS has an important potential for regular screening of dogs. (author)

  14. Development of specific oligonucleotide probes for the identification and in situ detection of hydrocarbon-degrading Alcanivorax strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syutsubo, K; Kishira, H; Harayama, S

    2001-06-01

    The genus Alcanivorax comprises diverse hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacteria. Novel 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide DNA probes (ALV735 and ALV735-b) were developed to quantify two subgroups of the Alcanivorax/Fundibacter group by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and the conditions for the single-mismatch discrimination of the probes were optimized. The specificity of the probes was improved further using a singly mismatched oligonucleotide as a competitor. The growth of Alcanivorax cells in crude oil-contaminated sea water under the biostimulation condition was investigated by FISH with the probe ALV735, which targeted the main cluster of the Alcanivorax/Fundibacter group. The size of the Alcanivorax population increased with increasing incubation time and accounted for 91% of the 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) count after incubation for 2 weeks. The probes developed in this study are useful for detecting Alcanivorax populations in petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortia.

  15. Hybrid Model for e-Learning Quality Evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzana M. Savic

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available E-learning is becoming increasingly important for the competitive advantage of economic organizations and higher education institutions. Therefore, it is becoming a significant aspect of quality which has to be integrated into the management system of every organization or institution. The paper examines e-learning quality characteristics, standards, criteria and indicators and presents a multi-criteria hybrid model for e-learning quality evaluation based on the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process, trend analysis, and data comparison.

  16. Modified beacon probe assisted dual signal amplification for visual detection of microRNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiuwei; Ying, Na; Ju, Chuanjing; Li, Zhongyi; Xu, Na; Qu, Guijuan; Liu, Wensen; Wan, Jiayu

    2018-04-21

    In a recent study, we reported a novel assay for the detection of microRNA-21 based on duplex-specific nuclease (DSN)-assisted isothermal cleavage and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) dual signal amplification. The Fam modified double-stranded DNA products were generated after the HCR, another biotin modified probe was digested by DSN and released from the magnetic beads after the addition of the target miRNA. The released sequence was then combined with HCR products to form a double-tagging dsDNA, which can be recognized by the lateral flow strips. In this study, we introduced a 2-OMethyl-RNA modified beacon probe (2-OMe-MB) to make some improvements based on the previous study. Firstly, the substitution of modified probe combined on magnetic beads avoids the fussy washing steps for the separation of un-reacted probes. Furthermore, the modification of 2-OMe on the stem of the probe avoided the unnecessary cleavage by DSN, which greatly reduce the background signal. Compared to the previous work, these improvements save us a lot of steps but possess the comparable sensitivity and selectivity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Study of applying a hybrid standalone wind-photovoltaic generation system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aissa Dahmani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is the study of applying a hybrid system wind/photovoltaic to supply a community in southern Algeria. Diesel generators are always used to provide such remote regions with energy. Using renewable energy resources is a good alternative to overcome such pollutant generators. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER software is used to determine the economic feasibility of the proposed configuration. Assessment of renewable resources consisting in wind and solar potentials, load profile determination and sensitivity of different parameters analysis were performed. The cost of energy (COE of 0.226 $/kWh is very competitive with those found in literature.

  18. Characterization of Polylactic Acid/ Microcrystalline Cellulose/ Montmorillonite Hybrid Composites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reza Arjmandi; Azman Hassan; Haafiz, M.K.M.; Zainoha Zakaria; Inuwa, I.M.

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of montmorillonite (MMT)/ microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) hybrid fillers on mechanical properties and morphological characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA) composites. PLA/ MMT nano composites and PLA/ MMT/ MCC hybrid composites were prepared by solution casting method. Morphology and tensile properties of PLA composites were investigated using Field emission scanning electron microscopy and Instron tensile testing machine. The maximum tensile strength of PLA/ MMT nano composites was obtained with 5 phr contents of MMT, which corresponding to 30.75 MPa. Based on optimized formulation of PLA/ MMT nano composites (5 phr MMT contents), various amounts of MCC (0 to 7 phr) were added into optimum formulation of PLA/ MMT in order to produce PLA/ MMT/ MCC hybrid composites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed some level of interaction between PLA and both MMT and MCC in the hybrid composites. However, the percent elongation at break of the hybrid composites was generally higher than PLA/ MMT nano composites. Additionally, Young's modulus of the PLA/ MMT/ MCC hybrid composites increased gradually with increasing of MCC contents and was higher than PLA/ MMT at all compositions. The present results are the first among a series of experiments that have been designed in order to probe the effect of MMT and MCC in the PLA. (author)

  19. A narrow window of Rabi frequency for competition between electromagnetically induced transparency and Raman absorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Ray-Yuan; Fang, Wei-Chia; Lee, Ming-Tsung; He, Zong-Syun; Ke, Bai-Cian; Lee, Yi-Chi; Tsai, Chin-Chun

    2010-01-01

    This investigation clarifies the transition phenomenon between the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Raman absorption in a ladder-type system of Doppler-broadened cesium vapor. A competition window of this transition was found to be as narrow as 2 MHz defined by the probe Rabi frequency. For a weak probe, the spectrum of EIT associated with quantum interference suggests that the effect of the Doppler velocity on the spectrum is negligible. When the Rabi frequency of the probe becomes comparable with the effective decay rate, an electromagnetically induced absorption (EIA) dip emerges at the center of the power broadened EIT peak. While the Rabi frequency of the probe exceeds the effective decay rate, decoherence that is generated by the intensified probe field occurs and Raman absorption dominates the interaction process, yielding a pure absorption spectrum; the Doppler velocity plays an important role in the interaction. A theory that is based on density matrix simulation, with or without the Doppler effect, can qualitatively fit the experimental data. In this work, the coherence of atom-photon interactions is created or destroyed using the probe Rabi frequency as a decoherence source.

  20. Identification of bacteria used for microbial enhanced oil recovery process by fluorescence in situ hybridization technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujiwara, K.; Tanaka, S.; Otsuka, M. [Kansai Research Institute, Kyoto (Japan). Lifescience Lab.; Yonebayashi, H. [Japan National Oil Corp., Chiba (Japan). Tech. Research Center; Enomoto, H. [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan). Dept. of Geoscience and Tech.

    2000-01-01

    A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique using 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was developed for rapid detection of microorganisms for use in the microbial enhancement of oil recovery (MEOR) process. Two microorganisms, Enterobacter cloacae TRC-322 and Bacillus licheniformis TRC-18-2-a, were selected from a collection of Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus sp. which were screened in previous studies as candidate microorganisms for injection, and were used for this experiment. Oligonucleotide probes, design based on specific sequences in the 16S rRNA gene were labeled with either fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), or 6-car-boxy-X-rhodamine (ROX), and were allowed to hybridize with fixed cells of the two microorganisms noted above. The fluorescence signal emitted from each microorganism cells could clearly be detected by an epifluorescence microscope. Moreover, E. cloacae TRC-322 and B, licheniformis TRC-18-2-a, suspended in actual reservoir brine, including inorganic salts, oil and aboriginal cells of the reservoir brine, could be detected directly by this hybridization method, without the need for cultivation and isolation. (author)

  1. Fluorescence In situ Hybridization: Cell-Based Genetic Diagnostic and Research Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Chenghua; Shu, Wei; Li, Peining

    2016-01-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a macromolecule recognition technology based on the complementary nature of DNA or DNA/RNA double strands. Selected DNA strands incorporated with fluorophore-coupled nucleotides can be used as probes to hybridize onto the complementary sequences in tested cells and tissues and then visualized through a fluorescence microscope or an imaging system. This technology was initially developed as a physical mapping tool to delineate genes within chromosomes. Its high analytical resolution to a single gene level and high sensitivity and specificity enabled an immediate application for genetic diagnosis of constitutional common aneuploidies, microdeletion/microduplication syndromes, and subtelomeric rearrangements. FISH tests using panels of gene-specific probes for somatic recurrent losses, gains, and translocations have been routinely applied for hematologic and solid tumors and are one of the fastest-growing areas in cancer diagnosis. FISH has also been used to detect infectious microbias and parasites like malaria in human blood cells. Recent advances in FISH technology involve various methods for improving probe labeling efficiency and the use of super resolution imaging systems for direct visualization of intra-nuclear chromosomal organization and profiling of RNA transcription in single cells. Cas9-mediated FISH (CASFISH) allowed in situ labeling of repetitive sequences and single-copy sequences without the disruption of nuclear genomic organization in fixed or living cells. Using oligopaint-FISH and super-resolution imaging enabled in situ visualization of chromosome haplotypes from differentially specified single-nucleotide polymorphism loci. Single molecule RNA FISH (smRNA-FISH) using combinatorial labeling or sequential barcoding by multiple round of hybridization were applied to measure mRNA expression of multiple genes within single cells. Research applications of these single molecule single cells DNA and RNA FISH

  2. Fluorescence In situ Hybridization: Cell-Based Genetic Diagnostic and Research Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chenghua Cui

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH is a macromolecule recognition technology based on the complementary nature of DNA or DNA/RNA double strands. Selected DNA strands incorporated with fluorophore-coupled nucleotides can be used as probes to hybridize onto the complementary sequences in tested cells and tissues and then visualized through a fluorescence microscope or an imaging system. This technology was initially developed as a physical mapping tool to delineate genes within chromosomes. Its high analytical resolution to a single gene level and high sensitivity and specificity enabled an immediate application for genetic diagnosis of constitutional common aneuploidies, microdeletion/microduplication syndromes and subtelomeric rearrangements. FISH tests using panels of gene-specific probes for somatic recurrent losses, gains and translocations have been routinely applied for hematologic and solid tumors and are one of the fastest-growing areas in cancer diagnosis. FISH has also been used to detect infectious microbials and parasites like malaria in human blood cells. Recent advances in FISH technology involve various methods for improving probe labeling efficiency and the use of super resolution imaging systems for direct visualization of intra-nuclear chromosomal organization and profiling of RNA transcription in single cells. Cas9-mediated FISH (CASFISH allowed in situ labeling of repetitive sequences and single-copy sequences without the disruption of nuclear genomic organization in fixed or living cells. Using oligopaint-FISH and super-resolution imaging enabled in situ visualization of chromosome haplotypes from differentially specified single-nucleotide polymorphism loci. Single molecule RNA FISH (smRNA-FISH using combinatorial labeling or sequential barcoding by multiple round of hybridization were applied to measure mRNA expression of multiple genes within single cells. Research applications of these single molecule single cells

  3. Presence and localization of bacteria in the bovine endometrium postpartum using fluorescence in situ hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karstrup, C. C.; Agerholm, J. S.; Jensen, Tim Kåre

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate bacterial invasiveness of the bovine endometrium during the postpartum period. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was applied to endometrial biopsies using probes for Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas levii, Trueperella pyogenes, Escherichia coli...

  4. Isolation and characterization of DNA probes from a flow-sorted human chromosome 8 library that detect restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wood, S; Starr, T V; Shukin, R J

    1986-01-01

    We have used a recombinant DNA library constructed from flow-sorted human chromosome 8 as a source of single-copy human probes. These probes have been screened for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) by hybridization to Southern transfers of genomic DNA from five unrelated individuals. We have detected six RFLPs distributed among four probes after screening 741 base pairs for restriction site variation. These RFLPs all behave as codominant Mendelian alleles. Two of the probes detect rare variants, while the other two detect RFLPs with PIC values of .36 and .16. Informative probes will be useful for the construction of a linkage map for chromosome 8 and for the localization of mutant alleles to this chromosome. Images Fig. 1 PMID:2879441

  5. Study of the frequency of translocations and dicentrics in human spermatozoid using fluorescent in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvarez, R.; Ponsa, I.; Tusell, L.; Genesca, A.; Miro, R.; Egozcue, J.

    1998-01-01

    Present study has intended to analyze the induction translocations and dicentrics in human sperms irradiated in vitro to the dose 4Gy by means of the use technical in situ hybridization with probes marked fluorescently

  6. Implications from GW170817 and I-Love-Q relations for relativistic hybrid stars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paschalidis, Vasileios; Yagi, Kent; Alvarez-Castillo, David; Blaschke, David B.; Sedrakian, Armen

    2018-04-01

    Gravitational wave observations of GW170817 placed bounds on the tidal deformabilities of compact stars, allowing one to probe equations of state for matter at supranuclear densities. Here we design new parametrizations for hybrid hadron-quark equations of state, which give rise to low-mass twin stars, and test them against GW170817. We find that GW170817 is consistent with the coalescence of a binary hybrid star-neutron star. We also test and find that the I-Love-Q relations for hybrid stars in the third family agree with those for purely hadronic and quark stars within ˜3 % for both slowly and rapidly rotating configurations, implying that these relations can be used to perform equation-of-state independent tests of general relativity and to break degeneracies in gravitational waveforms for hybrid stars in the third family as well.

  7. Probing SH2-domains using Inhibitor Affinity Purification (IAP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Höfener, Michael; Heinzlmeir, Stephanie; Kuster, Bernhard; Sewald, Norbert

    2014-01-01

    Many human diseases are correlated with the dysregulation of signal transduction processes. One of the most important protein interaction domains in the context of signal transduction is the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain that binds phosphotyrosine residues. Hence, appropriate methods for the investigation of SH2 proteins are indispensable in diagnostics and medicinal chemistry. Therefore, an affinity resin for the enrichment of all SH2 proteins in one experiment would be desirable. However, current methods are unable to address all SH2 proteins simultaneously with a single compound or a small array of compounds. In order to overcome these limitations for the investigation of this particular protein family in future experiments, a dipeptide-derived probe has been designed, synthesized and evaluated. This probe successfully enriched 22 SH2 proteins from mixed cell lysates which contained 50 SH2 proteins. Further characterization of the SH2 binding properties of the probe using depletion and competition experiments indicated its ability to enrich complexes consisting of SH2 domain bearing regulatory PI3K subunits and catalytic phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) subunits that have no SH2 domain. The results make this probe a promising starting point for the development of a mixed affinity resin with complete SH2 protein coverage. Moreover, the additional findings render it a valuable tool for the evaluation of PI3K complex interrupting inhibitors.

  8. Monitoring hemodynamics and oxygenation of the kidney in rats by a combined near-infrared spectroscopy and invasive probe approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosenick, Dirk; Cantow, Kathleen; Arakelyan, Karen; Wabnitz, Heidrun; Flemming, Bert; Skalweit, Angela; Ladwig, Mechthild; Macdonald, Rainer; Niendorf, Thoralf; Seeliger, Erdmann

    2015-07-01

    We have developed a hybrid approach to investigate the dynamics of perfusion and oxygenation in the kidney of rats under pathophysiologically relevant conditions. Our approach combines near-infrared spectroscopy to quantify hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation in the renal cortex, and an invasive probe method for measuring total renal blood flow by an ultrasonic probe, perfusion by laser-Doppler fluxmetry, and tissue oxygen tension via fluorescence quenching. Hemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation were determined from experimental data by a Monte Carlo model. The hybrid approach was applied to investigate and compare temporal changes during several types of interventions such as arterial and venous occlusions, as well as hyperoxia, hypoxia and hypercapnia induced by different mixtures of the inspired gas. The approach was also applied to study the effects of the x-ray contrast medium iodixanol on the kidney.

  9. Selective inhibition of plant serine hydrolases by agrochemicals revealed by competitive ABPP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaschani, Farnusch; Nickel, Sabrina; Pandey, Bikram; Cravatt, Benjamin F; Kaiser, Markus; van der Hoorn, Renier A L

    2012-01-15

    Organophosphate and -phosphonates and their thio derivatives are often used in agroindustry as herbicides and insecticides, but their potential off-targets in the plant are poorly investigated. Here, we use competitive activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) of serine hydrolases (SHs) to detect targets of these agrochemicals and other compounds in Arabidopsis thaliana. Using broad-range and specific probes, and by overexpression of various SHs in planta, we are able to confirm eight SH-compound interactions, including selective inhibition of carboxylesterase CXE12, prolyloligopeptidase, methylesterase MES2 and tripeptidyl peptidase TPP2. These observations can be used for the design of novel probes and selective inhibitors and may help to assess physiological effects of agrochemicals on crop plants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Hybridization of plant virus ssRNAs Transferred to Hybond N membrane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kudela, O.; Kudelova, K.; Plaschke-Jakubik, K.

    1998-01-01

    In this paper we present a protocol for the non-denaturating agarose gel electrophoresis of plant virus ssRNAs, their blotting onto Hybond N membrane, and hybridization with [alpha 32 P]dNTP-labelled cDNA probe. The protocol is not pretentious on technical equipment, omits denaturation and neutralization steps and some chemical required in other modifications. (authors)

  11. Karyotypic relationships among Equus grevyi, Equus burchelli and domestic horse defined using horse chromosome arm-specific probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Musilova, P; Kubickova, S; Zrnova, E; Horin, P; Vahala, J; Rubes, J

    2007-01-01

    Using laser microdissection we prepared a set of horse chromosome arm-specific probes. Most of the probes were generated from horse chromosomes, some of them were derived from Equus zebra hartmannae. The set of probes were hybridized onto E. grevyi chromosomes in order to establish a genome-wide chromosomal correspondence between this zebra and horse. The use of arm-specific probes provided us with more information on the mutual arrangement of the genomes than we could obtain by means of whole-chromosome paints generated by flow sorting, even if we used reciprocal painting with probe sets from both species. By comparison of our results and results of comparative mapping in E. burchelli, we also established the chromosomal correspondence between E. grevyi and E. burchelli, providing evidence for a very close karyotypic relationship between these two zebra species. Establishment of the comparative map for E. grevyi contributes to the knowledge of the karyotypic phylogeny in the Equidae family.

  12. Wavelength-Dependent Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy: Selectively Imaging Nanoparticle Probes in Live Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Wei; Wang, Gufeng; Fang, Ning; and Yeung, Edward S.

    2009-11-15

    Gold and silver nanoparticles display extraordinarily large apparent refractive indices near their plasmon resonance (PR) wavelengths. These nanoparticles show good contrast in a narrow spectral band but are poorly resolved at other wavelengths in differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. The wavelength dependence of DIC contrast of gold/silver nanoparticles is interpreted in terms of Mie's theory and DIC working principles. We further exploit this wavelength dependence by modifying a DIC microscope to enable simultaneous imaging at two wavelengths. We demonstrate that gold/silver nanoparticles immobilized on the same glass slides through hybridization can be differentiated and imaged separately. High-contrast, video-rate images of living cells can be recorded both with and without illuminating the gold nanoparticle probes, providing definitive probe identification. Dual-wavelength DIC microscopy thus presents a new approach to the simultaneous detection of multiple probes of interest for high-speed live-cell imaging.

  13. Technological Innovation and Competitiveness in The Global Economy: India's Changing Status and Its Implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bala Subrahmanya Mungila Hillemane

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available   This paper probes the changing innovation status and resultant competitiveness in the context of global economy and questions the recent ranking improvements of India on the basis of hard economic facts. This paper has made use of secondary data comprising innovation indices and competitiveness rankings published by international organizations and reputed business schools from time to time since 1996 to analyze the changing status of India internationally. Later, using secondary data on key macro-economic variables published by the Government of India, the recent ranking of India is closely examined as well as recent steps taken by the government of India to improve competitiveness is elaborated. The study throws light on the changing but improving innovation dimensions and competitiveness ranking of India since 1996 till 2010. From nowhere India emerges and occupies the second slot, after China, in the global competitiveness ranking. But hard core macro-economic variables do not justify India’s elevation to the top in any way. Given this, the study throws light on the recent policy measures announced by the Government of India and its implications as well as policy imperatives.

  14. EDITORIAL: Physics competitions Physics competitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jordens, H.; Mathelitsch, L.

    2009-11-01

    1. Physics competitions: aims and realizations One aim of physics competitions is to increase the interest of young students, primarily at upper secondary level, to physics and natural sciences in general. A competition has motivational aspects known usually from sports events or games—comparing one's own ability with others, of course with the desire to be better and to win. If competitions reach nationwide and even international levels, additional stimulation is created. Competitions provide greatest attraction to possible winners, to the group of gifted people in a particular field. This implies that science contests are excellent tools for the promotion of talented students. Traditional teaching has been shown to have problems in supporting this group of students. Very often teachers are overstretched with the demands of teaching both low- and high-level students. Extracurricular activities are therefore a good chance to relieve the teacher, and to give talented students the opportunity for appropriate training and challenge. The competitions, however, have a broader impact and address more young people than one might guess from the statements above. Training courses and selection at school level give a larger group of students extra and, to some extent, complimentary education in physics. The degree of complexity of the tasks corresponds very often to the standards of the next level of education in the school system. Interestingly, many physics competitions have their origin in countries beyond the former Iron Curtain. They started as regional and national tournaments, were joined by neighbouring countries and have grown, in some cases, to events with participants from more than 80 countries. Although the features mentioned above are common to the different competitions, there are distinct differences between them [1]. The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is the oldest international physics competition for students at upper secondary level [2]. It dates

  15. Design considerations for economically competitive sodium cooled fast reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Hongbin; Zhao, Haihua; Mousseau, Vincent; Szilard, Ronaldo

    2009-01-01

    The technological viability of sodium cooled fast reactors (SFR) has been established by various experimental and prototype (demonstration) reactors such as EBR-II, FFTF, Phenix, JOYO, BN-600 etc. However, the economic competitiveness of SFR has not been proven yet. The perceived high cost premium of SFRs over LWRs has been the primary impediment to the commercial expansion of SFR technologies. In this paper, cost reduction options are discussed for advanced SFR designs. These include a hybrid loop-pool design to optimize the primary system, multiple reheat and intercooling helium Brayton cycle for the power conversion system and the potential for suppression of intermediate heat transport system. The design options for the fully passive decay heat removal systems are also thoroughly examined. These include direct reactor auxiliary cooling system (DRACS), reactor vessel auxiliary cooling system (RVACS) and the newly proposed pool reactor auxiliary cooling system (PRACS) in the context of the hybrid loop-pool design. (author)

  16. Detection of Helicobacter pylori in the Gastric Mucosa by Fluorescence In Vivo Hybridization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fontenete, Silvia; Leite, Marina; Figueiredo, Céu

    2017-01-01

    In this chapter, we describe a fluorescence in vivo hybridization (FIVH) protocol, using nucleic acid probes, for the detection of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori in the gastric mucosa of an infected C57BL/6 mouse model. This protocol should be easily extended to other microorganisms not only...

  17. COMPETITIVENESS AND COMPETITIVE ORIENTATIONS: EVALUATION OF STUDENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Z. Efimova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Education of a competitive student is a strategically significant problem of the system of higher education in modern social and economic conditions. Personal competitiveness and competitive orientations – priority quality of future expert for successful future professional experience.The aim of the present research is to study factors of competitive orientations formation and criteria for evaluation of competitiveness of student’s youth in the Russian society.Methodology and research methods. Results of theoretical researches of Russian and foreign researchers are generalized; secondary analysis of data based on results of sociological researches and analysis of official statistical data are carried out. The results of the sociological survey undertaken in 2017 on the basis of statistical methods were processed and studied by the instrumentality of IBM SPSS Statistics 23 program; 1196 students of institutions of higher and secondary vocational education of the Tyumen region took part.Results and scientific novelty. It is stated that senior students feel themselves more competitive. It is revealed that a quarter of students who took part in the survey, generally men, count themselves competitive. A continuous distance of goal-setting is recorded among these respondents; in every third case they have plans of professional growth for five and more years that allows them to build attractive competitive strategy.The level of the competitiveness is directly connected with such indicators as “social stratum”, “overall life satisfaction”, “self-esteem of health”, “tendency to lead a healthy lifestyle” and “the level of trust in the surrounding people”. Mostly the students oriented on competition look into the future with confidence and optimism.Respondents focused on the competitiveness were more tend to demonstrate their abilities and cause admiration, have a creative approach towards work, be ready for surprises

  18. Fluorescent in situ hybridization of mitochondrial DNA and RNA

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Alán, Lukáš; Zelenka, Jaroslav; Ježek, Jan; Dlasková, Andrea; Ježek, Petr

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 57, č. 4 (2010), s. 403-408 ISSN 0001-527X R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP302/10/0346; GA ČR GPP304/10/P204; GA AV ČR KJB500110902 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : mitochondrial DNA and RNA * nucleoids of mitochondrial DNA * molecular beacon fluorescent hybridization probes Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.234, year: 2010

  19. Hybrid epidemic spreading - from Internet worms to HIV infection

    OpenAIRE

    Zhang, C.

    2015-01-01

    Epidemic phenomena are ubiquitous, ranging from infectious diseases, computer viruses, to information dissemination. Epidemics have traditionally been studied as a single spreading process, either in a fully mixed population or on a network. Many epidemics, however, are hybrid, employing more than one spreading mechanism. For example, the Internet worm Conficker spreads locally targeting neighbouring computers in local networks as well as globally by randomly probing any computer on the Inter...

  20. Hybrid plasmonic bullseye antennas for efficient photon collection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Sebastian Kim Hjælm; Bozhevolnyi, Sergey I.; Shalaev, Vladimir M.

    2018-01-01

    We propose highly efficient hybrid plasmonic bullseye antennas for collecting photon emission from nm sized quantum emitters. In our approach, the emitter radiation is coupled to surface plasmon polaritons that are consequently converted into highly directional out-of-plane emission. The proposed...... configuration consists of a high-index titania bullseye grating separated from a planar silver film by a thin low-index silica spacer layer. Such hybrid systems are theoretically capable of directing 85% of the dipole emission into a 0.9 NA objective, while featuring a spectrally narrow-band tunable decay rate...... stable operation. For experimental characterization of the antenna properties, a fluorescent nanodiamond containing multiple nitrogen vacancy centers (NV-center) was deterministically placed in the bullseye center, using an atomic force microscope. Probing the NV-center fluorescence we demonstrate...

  1. Transcriptome analysis in non-model species: a new method for the analysis of heterologous hybridization on microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jouventin Pierre

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent developments in high-throughput methods of analyzing transcriptomic profiles are promising for many areas of biology, including ecophysiology. However, although commercial microarrays are available for most common laboratory models, transcriptome analysis in non-traditional model species still remains a challenge. Indeed, the signal resulting from heterologous hybridization is low and difficult to interpret because of the weak complementarity between probe and target sequences, especially when no microarray dedicated to a genetically close species is available. Results We show here that transcriptome analysis in a species genetically distant from laboratory models is made possible by using MAXRS, a new method of analyzing heterologous hybridization on microarrays. This method takes advantage of the design of several commercial microarrays, with different probes targeting the same transcript. To illustrate and test this method, we analyzed the transcriptome of king penguin pectoralis muscle hybridized to Affymetrix chicken microarrays, two organisms separated by an evolutionary distance of approximately 100 million years. The differential gene expression observed between different physiological situations computed by MAXRS was confirmed by real-time PCR on 10 genes out of 11 tested. Conclusions MAXRS appears to be an appropriate method for gene expression analysis under heterologous hybridization conditions.

  2. Use of a multi-thermal washer for DNA microarrays simplifies probe design and gives robust genotyping assays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, J.; Poulsen, Lena; Petronis, S.

    2008-01-01

    is called a multi-thermal array washer (MTAW), and it has eight individually controlled heating zones, each of which corresponds to the location of a subarray on a slide. Allele-specific oligonucleotide probes for nine mutations in the beta-globin gene were spotted in eight identical subarrays at positions......DNA microarrays are generally operated at a single condition, which severely limits the freedom of designing probes for allele-specific hybridization assays. Here, we demonstrate a fluidic device for multi-stringency posthybridization washing of microarrays on microscope slides. This device...

  3. Typing for HLA-DPB1*03 and HLA-DPB1*06 using allele-specific DNA in vitro amplification and allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. Detection of "new" DPB1*06 variants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fugger, L; Morling, N; Ryder, L P

    1989-01-01

    DP gene typing using in vitro DNA amplification combined with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes has recently been reported. The resulting DNA amplification was specific for the HLA-DPB locus. Typing for the individual DPB alleles was exclusively dependent on the hybridizations of the probe...

  4. Determination of HER2 gene amplification by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) in archival breast carcinoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jianxin; Wu, Rina; Au, Alfred; Marquez, Abbey; Yu, Yibing; Shi, Zuorong

    2002-06-01

    To compare the efficacy of chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH(TM)) with fluorescence in situ (FISH) hybridization and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in determination of the HER2 status in human breast cancer. HER2 gene amplification was determined on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sections of 62 invasive breast cancers by FISH and followed by CISH using a digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled HER2 DNA probe generated by Subtraction Probe Technology (SPT(TM)), and a biotin-labeled chromosome 17 centromeric (chr.17cen) probe. The sections were heat treated and enzyme digested. After in situ hybridization, the HER2 probe was detected with fluorescein (FITC)-anti-DIG for FISH, followed by peroxidase-anti-FITC and diaminobenzidine (DAB) for CISH. The chr.17cen probe was detected with peroxidase-streptavidin and DAB. For CISH application, HER2 gene copies or chromosome 17 centromeres and morphology of cells were easily visualized simultaneously with a 40x objective under bright-field microscope in hematoxylin-counterstained sections. IHC study of HER2 overexpression was performed on adjacent sections using a panel of three HER2 antibodies (TAB 250, CB11, A0485), and staining was scored according to the criteria specified in the HercepTest. HER2 gene amplification detected by CISH was visualized typically as large DAB-stained clusters or by many dots in the nucleus. FISH and CISH identified HER2 gene amplification in 19% of the tumors. Chromosome 17 polysomy was detected in 31% of the tumors. HER2 overexpression was demonstrated in 19% (TAB 250), 23% (CB11), and 36% (A0485) of the tumors. Complete concordance between the results of CISH with FISH, TAB 250, CB11, and A0485 was seen in 100%, 97%, 94%, and 84% of the cases, respectively. By permitting observation of morphology using a bright-field microscope, CISH is an accurate, practical, and economical approach to screen HER2 status in breast cancers. It is a useful methodology for confirming ambiguous IHC results.

  5. MODEL APLIKASI FIKIH MUAMALAH PADA FORMULASI HYBRID CONTRACT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Murtadho

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Modern literatures of fiqh mu’āmalah talk alot about various contract formulation with capability of maximizing profit in shariah finance industry. This new contract modification is the synthesis among existing contracts which is formulated in such a way to be an integrated contract. This formulation is known as a hybrid contract or multicontract (al-'uqūd al-murakkabah. Some of them are, bay' bi thaman 'ājil, Ijārah muntahiyah bi ’l-tamlīk dan mushārakah mutanāqiṣah. This study intends to further describe models of hybrid contract, and explore the shari'ah principles in modern financial institutions. This study found a potential shift from the ideal values of the spirit of shari'ah into the spirit of competition based shari'ah formally.

  6. A specific DNA probe which identifies Babesia bovis in whole blood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petchpoo, W; Tan-ariya, P; Boonsaeng, V; Brockelman, C R; Wilairat, P; Panyim, S

    1992-05-01

    A genomic library of Babesia bovis DNA from the Mexican strain M was constructed in plasmid pUN121 and cloned in Escherichia coli. Several recombinants which hybridized strongly to radioactively labeled B. bovis genomic DNA in an in situ screening were selected and further analyzed for those which specifically hybridized to B. bovis DNA. It was found that pMU-B1 had the highest sensitivity, detecting 25 pg of purified B. bovis DNA, and 300 parasites in 10 microliters of whole infected blood, or 0.00025% parasitemia. pMU-B1 contained a 6.0 kb B. bovis DNA insert which did not cross-hybridize to Babesia bigemina, Trypanosoma evansi, Plasmodium falciparum, Anaplasma marginale, Boophilus microplus and cow DNA. In the Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA, pMU-B1 could differentiate between two B. bovis geographic isolates, Mexican strain M and Thai isolate TS4. Thus, the pMU-B1 probe will be useful in the diagnosis of Babesia infection in cattle and ticks, and in the differentiation of B. bovis strains.

  7. Capacitive coupling in hybrid graphene/GaAs nanostructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simonet, Pauline, E-mail: psimonet@phys.ethz.ch; Rössler, Clemens; Krähenmann, Tobias; Varlet, Anastasia; Ihn, Thomas; Ensslin, Klaus; Reichl, Christian; Wegscheider, Werner [Solid State Physics Laboratory, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich (Switzerland)

    2015-07-13

    Coupled hybrid nanostructures are demonstrated using the combination of lithographically patterned graphene on top of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) buried in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The graphene forms Schottky barriers at the surface of the heterostructure and therefore allows tuning the electronic density of the 2DEG. Conversely, the 2DEG potential can tune the graphene Fermi energy. Graphene-defined quantum point contacts in the 2DEG show half-plateaus of quantized conductance in finite bias spectroscopy and display the 0.7 anomaly for a large range of densities in the constriction, testifying to their good electronic properties. Finally, we demonstrate that the GaAs nanostructure can detect charges in the vicinity of the heterostructure's surface. This confirms the strong coupling of the hybrid device: localized states in the graphene ribbon could, in principle, be probed by the underlying confined channel. The present hybrid graphene/GaAs nanostructures are promising for the investigation of strong interactions and coherent coupling between the two fundamentally different materials.

  8. Capacitive coupling in hybrid graphene/GaAs nanostructures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonet, Pauline; Rössler, Clemens; Krähenmann, Tobias; Varlet, Anastasia; Ihn, Thomas; Ensslin, Klaus; Reichl, Christian; Wegscheider, Werner

    2015-01-01

    Coupled hybrid nanostructures are demonstrated using the combination of lithographically patterned graphene on top of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) buried in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The graphene forms Schottky barriers at the surface of the heterostructure and therefore allows tuning the electronic density of the 2DEG. Conversely, the 2DEG potential can tune the graphene Fermi energy. Graphene-defined quantum point contacts in the 2DEG show half-plateaus of quantized conductance in finite bias spectroscopy and display the 0.7 anomaly for a large range of densities in the constriction, testifying to their good electronic properties. Finally, we demonstrate that the GaAs nanostructure can detect charges in the vicinity of the heterostructure's surface. This confirms the strong coupling of the hybrid device: localized states in the graphene ribbon could, in principle, be probed by the underlying confined channel. The present hybrid graphene/GaAs nanostructures are promising for the investigation of strong interactions and coherent coupling between the two fundamentally different materials

  9. Detection of mutations using microarrays of poly(C)10-poly(T)10 modified DNA probes immobilized on agarose films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dufva, Hans Martin; Petersen, Jesper; Stoltenborg, M.

    2006-01-01

    Allele-specific hybridization to a DNA microarray call be a useful method for genotyping patient DNA. In this article, we demonstrate that 13- to 17-base oligonucleotides tagged with a poly(T)10-poly(C)10 tail (TC tag), but otherwise unmodified, can be crosslinked by UV light irradiation to an ag......Allele-specific hybridization to a DNA microarray call be a useful method for genotyping patient DNA. In this article, we demonstrate that 13- to 17-base oligonucleotides tagged with a poly(T)10-poly(C)10 tail (TC tag), but otherwise unmodified, can be crosslinked by UV light irradiation...... to an agarose film grafted onto unmodified glass. Microarrays of TC-tagged probes immobilized on the agarose film can be used to diagnose Mutations in the human P-globin gene, which encodes the beta-chains in hemoglobin. Although the probes differed widely regarding inciting point temperature (similar to 20...... degrees C), a single stringency wash still gave sufficiently high discrimination signals between perfect match and mismatch probes to allow robust mutation detection. In all, 270 genotypings were performed on patient materials, and no genotype was incorrectly classified. Quality control experiments...

  10. Application of DNA hybridization techniques in the assessment of diarrheal disease among refugess in Thailand. [Shigella; Escherichia coli; Campylobacter; Cryptosporidium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, D.N.; Echeverria, P.; Pitarangsi, C.; Seriwatana, J.; Sethabutr, O.; Bodhidatta, L.; Brown, C.; Herrmann, J.E.; Blacklow, N.R.

    1988-01-01

    The epidemiology and etiology of acute diarrheal disease were determined in a Hmong refugee camp on the Thai-Laotian border from April 11 to May 14, 1985. DNA hybridization techniques were used to detect Shigella species, enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, and enterotoxigenic E. coli. A monoclonal enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect rotavirus, and standard microbiology was used to detect other enteropathogens. The age-specific diarrheal disease rates were 47 episodes per month per 1000 children less than five years old and 113 episodes per month per 1000 children less than one year old. Rotavirus, enterotoxigenic E. coli, Campylobacter, and Cryptosporidium were the predominant pathogens in children less than two years old. The DNA probe hybridized with 94% of 31 specimens identified as enterotoxigenic E. coli by the standard assays and with none of the specimens in which the standard assays were negative. The probe for Shigella and enteroinvasive E. coli hybridized in eight of 10 stools that contained Shigella and four of 314 stools from which Shigella and enteroinvasive E. coli were not isolated. The use of DNA probes allows specimens to be collected in remote areas with a minimum amount of equipment and technical expertise so that they can be easily transported to a central laboratory for further processing.

  11. DNA Immobilization and Hybridization Detection by the Intrinsic Molecular Charge Using Capacitive Field-Effect Sensors Modified with a Charged Weak Polyelectrolyte Layer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronder, Thomas S; Poghossian, Arshak; Scheja, Sabrina; Wu, Chunsheng; Keusgen, Michael; Mewes, Dieter; Schöning, Michael J

    2015-09-16

    Miniaturized setup, compatibility with advanced micro- and nanotechnologies, and ability to detect biomolecules by their intrinsic molecular charge favor the semiconductor field-effect platform as one of the most attractive approaches for the development of label-free DNA chips. In this work, a capacitive field-effect EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) sensor covered with a layer-by-layer prepared, positively charged weak polyelectrolyte layer of PAH (poly(allylamine hydrochloride)) was used for the label-free electrical detection of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) immobilization and hybridization. The negatively charged probe single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules were electrostatically adsorbed onto the positively charged PAH layer, resulting in a preferentially flat orientation of the ssDNA molecules within the Debye length, thus yielding a reduced charge-screening effect and a higher sensor signal. Each sensor-surface modification step (PAH adsorption, probe ssDNA immobilization, hybridization with complementary target DNA (cDNA), reducing an unspecific adsorption by a blocking agent, incubation with noncomplementary DNA (ncDNA) solution) was monitored by means of capacitance-voltage and constant-capacitance measurements. In addition, the surface morphology of the PAH layer was studied by atomic force microscopy and contact-angle measurements. High hybridization signals of 34 and 43 mV were recorded in low-ionic strength solutions of 10 and 1 mM, respectively. In contrast, a small signal of 4 mV was recorded in the case of unspecific adsorption of fully mismatched ncDNA. The density of probe ssDNA and dsDNA molecules as well as the hybridization efficiency was estimated using the experimentally measured DNA immobilization and hybridization signals and a simplified double-layer capacitor model. The results of field-effect experiments were supported by fluorescence measurements, verifying the DNA-immobilization and hybridization event.

  12. Fluorescence in situ hybridization karyotyping reveals the presence of two distinct genomes in the taxon Aegilops tauschii

    OpenAIRE

    Zhao, Laibin; Ning, Shunzong; Yi, Yingjin; Zhang, Lianquan; Yuan, Zhongwei; Wang, Jirui; Zheng, Youliang; Hao, Ming; Liu, Dengcai

    2018-01-01

    Background Aegilops tauschii is the donor of the bread wheat D genome. Based on spike morphology, the taxon has conventionally been subdivided into ssp. tauschii and ssp. strangulata. The present study was intended to address the poor match between this whole plant morphology-based subdivision and genetic relationships inferred from genotyping by fluorescence in situ hybridization karyotyping a set of 31 Ae. tauschii accessions. Results The distribution of sites hybridizing to the two probes ...

  13. Fluorescence in situ hybridization on human metaphase chromosomes detected by near-field scanning optical microscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moers, M.H.P.; Moers, M.H.P.; Kalle, W.H.J.; Kalle, W.H.J.; Ruiter, A.G.T.; Wiegant, J.C.A.G.; Raap, A.K.; Greve, Jan; de Grooth, B.G.; van Hulst, N.F.

    1996-01-01

    Fluorescence in situ hybridization o­n human metaphase chromosomes is detected by near-field scanning optical microscopy. This combination of cytochemical and scanning probe techniques enables the localization and identification of several fluorescently labelled genomic DNA fragments o­n a single

  14. Differential in situ hybridization for herpes simplex virus typing in routine skin biopsies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Botma, H. J.; Dekker, H.; van Amstel, P.; Cairo, I.; van den Berg, F. M.

    1995-01-01

    A herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 specific recombinant plasmid probe designated pH2S3 was constructed from non-HSV-1 crossreactive regions of the HSV-2 genome. DNA in situ hybridization on in vitro reconstructed tissue samples of sheep collagen matrix impregnated with herpes virus-infected human

  15. Detection of a magnetic bead by hybrid nanodevices using scanning gate microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Corte-León

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Hybrid ferromagnetic(Py/non-magnetic metal(Au junctions with a width of 400 nm are studied by magnetotransport measurements, magnetic scanning gate microscopy (SGM with a magnetic bead (MB attached to the probe, and micromagnetic simulations. In the transverse geometry, the devices demonstrate a characteristic magnetoresistive behavior that depends on the direction of the in plane magnetic field, with minimum/maximum variation when the field is applied parallel/perpendicular to the Py wire. The SGM is performed with a NdFeB bead of 1.6 μm diameter attached to the scanning probe. Our results demonstrate that the hybrid junction can be used to detect this type of MB. A rough approximation of the sensing volume of the junction has the shape of elliptical cylinder with the volume of ∼1.51 μm3. Micromagnetic simulations coupled to a magnetotransport model including anisotropic magnetoresistance and planar Hall effects are in good agreement with the experimental findings, enabling the interpretation of the SGM images.

  16. Competitive proliferation in the hematopoietic tissues of irradiated hybrid mice engrafted with parental bone marrow and spleen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muramatsu, S.; Monnot, P.; Duplan, J.F.

    1976-01-01

    e kinetics of growth and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells differ markedly according to their origin. A study of the ability of CFU from bone marrow (BM) or spleen to repopulate hemopoietic organs has been carried out in lethally irradiated mice restored with BM cells admixed with spleen cells bearing different chromosomal markers. Hemopoietic cells originating from AKR (40 acbrocentrics) and AKR/T1ALD (36 acrocentrics + 2 metacentrics) mice were engrafted into lethally irradiated (AKR x AKR/T1ALD)F1 or (C3H x AKR/T1ALD)F1 hybrid recipients. Within 10 days, the BM-derived elements outnumbered the spleen-derived population in BM and spleen. This held even when the number of injected spleen-CFU was twice that of BM-CFU. This difference of growth rate subsided within 20 days. The first cells to reappear in the thymus bore the recipient karyotype (endoregeneration); they were later replaced by BM-derived elements but spleen-derived cecells were never present in thymus in the case of competitive engraftment. In contrast, the lymph node cells bore the BM karyotype as well as the spleen karyotype. Injecting the spleen cells 3 days prior to the BM cells partially counterbalanced the overgrowth of the BM-derived elements in the BM and spleen but did not affect the thymic repopulation which remained strictly derived from BM-CFU. When mice were injected only with BM-CFU, or only with spleen-CFU, BM-derived cells were found in the thymus as early as 10-12 days after engraftment, whereas the spleen-derived cells did not appear in the thymus until days 18-20. (author)

  17. Qualification of the Improved rotating probe process for steam generator tubes inspection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caston, D.

    2002-01-01

    In 1997, EDF called for bids to Eddy Current (EC) probes manufacturers to supply rotating probes in order to improve the inspection of the Roll Transition Zone of Steam Generator tubes. Several probes met EDF requirements, and after full assessment, EDF chose one between several EC rotating probe prototypes. For the state of its technical study, EDF chose CEGELEC NDTs services among French ISI SG NDT providers, to inspect a limited number of tubes on two French NPP in 2000 with this prototype. Improved Rotating Probe process technical requirements were provided by EDF with the SG contract specifications in June 2000. They dictate technique performances level and acquisition rate of this new process using two techniques at the same time: - STL classic technique applied for detection and sizing of axial cracks; - STT technique, applied for detection and Sizing of circumferential cracks and wear. It has to be used, instead of classic STL process, without increasing inspection duration and SG occupancy. In competition for the qualification, CEGELEC NDT decided to design a new probe with its providers, including the two EC sensors and meeting EDF's requirements. Two another new equipment, designed in CEGELEC NDT laboratories, have been integrated into Improved Rotating Probe Process: - 'STL Lift', new rotating probe push-puller for Roll Transition Zone inspection; - 'ANASTL', on-line STL and STT data quality check, on-line data processing and analysis software. Without talking about performances of the technique and results obtained on site, this paper presents the new equipment, the different phases of the qualification conducted according to RSE-M rules, the first field experiences in August 2001 and the feedback experience of following site inspections. (author)

  18. Demonstration of Hepatitis C Virus RNA with In Situ Hybridization Employing a Locked Nucleic Acid Probe in Humanized Liver of Infected Chimeric Mice and in Needle-Biopsied Human Liver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kazuya Shiogama

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. In situ hybridization (ISH with high sensitivity has been requested to demonstrate hepatitis C virus (HCV RNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE sections of the liver. Methods. ISH employing a locked-nucleic-acid- (LNA-modified oligonucleotide probe and biotin-free catalyzed signal amplification system (CSAII was applied to HCV-RNA detection in the liver tissue. Nested reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR was performed for HCV genotyping using total RNA extracted from FFPE sections. The target tissues included FFPE tissue sections of humanized livers in HCV-infected chimeric mice (HCV genotypes 1a, 1b, and 2a and noninfected and of needle-biopsied livers from HCV-infected patients. Results. HCV-RNA was demonstrated with the ISH technique in HCV-infected liver tissues from both chimeric mice and 9 (82% of 11 patients with HCV infection. The HCV signals were sensitive to RNase. Nested RT-PCR confirmed the genotype in 8 (73% of 11 livers (type 1b: 6 lesions and type 2a: 2 lesions. HCV-RNA was not identified in chronic hepatitis B lesions, fatty liver, autoimmune hepatitis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion. ISH using the LNA-modified oligonucleotide probe and CSAII was applicable to detecting HCV-RNA in routinely prepared FFPE liver specimens.

  19. Gravity localization on hybrid branes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.F.S. Veras

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This work deals with gravity localization on codimension-1 brane worlds engendered by compacton-like kinks, the so-called hybrid branes. In such scenarios, the thin brane behavior is manifested when the extra dimension is outside the compact domain, where the energy density is non-trivial, instead of asymptotically as in the usual thick brane models. The zero mode is trapped in the brane, as required. The massive modes, although not localized in the brane, have important phenomenological implications such as corrections to the Newton's law. We study such corrections in the usual thick domain wall and in the hybrid brane scenarios. By means of suitable numerical methods, we attain the mass spectrum for the graviton and the corresponding wavefunctions. The spectra possess the usual linearly increasing behavior from the Kaluza–Klein theories. Further, we show that the 4D gravitational force is slightly increased at short distances. The first eigenstate contributes highly for the correction to the Newton's law. The subsequent normalized solutions have diminishing contributions. Moreover, we find out that the phenomenology of the hybrid brane is not different from the usual thick domain wall. The use of numerical techniques for solving the equations of the massive modes is useful for matching possible phenomenological measurements in the gravitational law as a probe to warped extra dimensions.

  20. Seven-hour fluorescence in situ hybridization technique for enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae in food and environmental water sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ootsubo, M; Shimizu, T; Tanaka, R; Sawabe, T; Tajima, K; Ezura, Y

    2003-01-01

    A fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique using an Enterobacteriaceae-specific probe (probe D) to target 16S rRNA was improved in order to enumerate, within a single working day, Enterobacteriaceae present in food and environmental water samples. In order to minimize the time required for the FISH procedure, each step of FISH with probe D was re-evaluated using cultured Escherichia coli. Five minutes of ethanol treatment for cell fixation and hybridization were sufficient to visualize cultured E. coli, and FISH could be performed within 1 h. Because of the difficulties in detecting low levels of bacterial cells by FISH without cultivation, a FISH technique for detecting microcolonies on membrane filters was investigated to improve the bacterial detection limit. FISH with probe D following 6 h of cultivation to grow microcolonies on a 13 mm diameter membrane filter was performed, and whole Enterobacteriaceae microcolonies on the filter were then detected and enumerated by manual epifluorescence microscopic scanning at magnification of x100 in ca 5 min. The total time for FISH with probe D following cultivation (FISHFC) was reduced to within 7 h. FISHFC can be applied to enumerate cultivable Enterobacteriaceae in food (above 100 cells g-1) and environmental water samples (above 1 cell ml-1). Cultivable Enterobacteriaceae in food and water samples were enumerated accurately within 7 h using the FISHFC method. A FISHFC method capable of evaluating Enterobacteriaceae contamination in food and environmental water within a single working day was developed.

  1. Ultra-Long-Distance Hybrid BOTDA/Ф-OTDR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Fu

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available In the distributed optical fiber sensing (DOFS domain, simultaneous measurement of vibration and temperature/strain based on Rayleigh scattering and Brillouin scattering in fiber could have wide applications. However, there are certain challenges for the case of ultra-long sensing range, including the interplay of different scattering mechanisms, the interaction of two types of sensing signals, and the competition of pump power. In this paper, a hybrid DOFS system, which can simultaneously measure temperature/strain and vibration over 150 km, is elaborately designed via integrating the Brillouin optical time-domain analyzer (BOTDA and phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Ф-OTDR. Distributed Raman and Brillouin amplifications, frequency division multiplexing (FDM, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM, and time division multiplexing (TDM are delicately fused to accommodate ultra-long-distance BOTDA and Ф-OTDR. Consequently, the sensing range of the hybrid system is 150.62 km, and the spatial resolution of BOTDA and Ф-OTDR are 9 m and 30 m, respectively. The measurement uncertainty of the BOTDA is ± 0.82 MHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such hybrid DOFS is realized with a hundred-kilometer length scale.

  2. Competitive balance in national European soccer competitions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haan, M.A.; Koning, R.H.; van Witteloostuijn, A.; Albert, Jim; Koning, Ruud H.

    2007-01-01

    According to popular belief, competitive balance in national soccer competitions in Europe has decreased due to the Bosman ruling and the introduction of the Champions League. We test this hypothesis using data from 7 national competitions, for a host of indicators. We find some evidence for

  3. Mobile Probing and Probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duvaa, Uffe; Ørngreen, Rikke; Weinkouff Mathiasen, Anne-Gitte

    2013-01-01

    Mobile probing is a method, developed for learning about digital work situations, as an approach to discover new grounds. The method can be used when there is a need to know more about users and their work with certain tasks, but where users at the same time are distributed (in time and space......). Mobile probing was inspired by the cultural probe method, and was influenced by qualitative interview and inquiry approaches. The method has been used in two subsequent projects, involving school children (young adults at 15-17 years old) and employees (adults) in a consultancy company. Findings point...... to mobile probing being a flexible method for uncovering the unknowns, as a way of getting rich data to the analysis and design phases. On the other hand it is difficult to engage users to give in depth explanations, which seem easier in synchronous dialogs (whether online or face2face). The development...

  4. Mobile Probing and Probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duvaa, Uffe; Ørngreen, Rikke; Weinkouff, Anne-Gitte

    2012-01-01

    Mobile probing is a method, which has been developed for learning about digital work situations, as an approach to discover new grounds. The method can be used when there is a need to know more about users and their work with certain tasks, but where users at the same time are distributed (in time...... and space). Mobile probing was inspired by the cultural probe method, and was influenced by qualitative interview and inquiry approaches. The method has been used in two subsequent projects, involving school children (young adults at 15-17 years old) and employees (adults) in a consultancy company. Findings...... point to mobile probing being a flexible method for uncovering the unknowns, as a way of getting rich data to the analysis and design phases. On the other hand it is difficult to engage users to give in depth explanations, which seem easier in synchronous dialogs (whether online or face2face...

  5. Sensitive detection of nucleic acids by PNA hybridization directed co-localization of fluorescent beads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shiraishi, Takehiko; Deborggraeve, Stijn; Büscher, Philippe

    2011-01-01

    )avidin-coated fluorescent beads, differing in size and color [green beads (1 µm) and red beads (5.9 µm)], thereby allowing distinct detection of each PNA probe by conventional fluorescence microscopy. These two PNA beads showed easily detectable co-localization when simultaneously hybridizing to a target nucleic acid...

  6. Utility and impact of early t(15;17) identification by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) in clinical decision making for patients in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolhe, R; Mangaonkar, A; Mansour, J; Clemmons, A; Shaw, J; Dupont, B; Walczak, L; Mondal, A; Rojiani, A; Jillella, A; Kota, V

    2015-08-01

    Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) is a curable malignancy with studies showing above 90% survival. However, population-based studies looking at survival suggest that approximately 30% of patients with APL die during induction. Early demonstration of t(15;17) will lead to accurate decision making regarding treatment. The aim of this project was to validate earlier time frames for the Abbott Molecular Vysis LSI promyelocytic leukemia (PML)/ retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe (ASR 6-16 h). Twenty patients (15 APL cases and five non-APL cases) were selected for validating various hybridization times for the FISH probe. Expected normal signal pattern was two red and two green signals (2R2G), and the most common expected abnormal signal pattern was two fusion (yellow) signals, one red and one green (2F1R1G) and/or one fusion, one red and one green (1F1R1G). The specificity of the probe ranged from 84% at 2 h, 86% at 4 h, 84% at 6 h, and 87% for overnight hybridization. The sensitivity increased from 79% at 2 h, 80% at 4 h, 81% at 6 h to 87% for overnight hybridization. Based on the validation studies, we recommend reading of FISH results at the 4-h incubation mark for a preliminary diagnosis and confirmation with overnight hybridization. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. An inexpensive and simple method for thermally stable immobilization of DNA on an unmodified glass surface: UV linking of poly(T)10-poly(C)10-tagged DNA probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Guðnason, Haukur; Dufva, Hans Martin; Bang, Dang Duong

    2008-01-01

    be linked by UV light irradiation onto a plain, unmodified glass surface. Probes immobilized onto unmodified glass microscope slides performed similarly to probes bound to commercial amino-silane-coated slides and had comparable detection limits. The TC-tagged probes linked to unmodified glass did not show...... any significant decrease in hybridization performance after a 20 min incubation in water at 100 degrees C prior to rehybridization, indicating a covalent bond between the TC tag and unmodified glass. The probes were used in thermal minisequencing cycling reactions. Furthermore, the TC tag improved...

  8. POLLINATOR-MEDIATED COMPETITION, REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT, AND THE EVOLUTION OF SELFING IN ARENARIA UNIFLORA (CARYOPHYLLACEAE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fishman, Lila; Wyatt, Robert

    1999-12-01

    Ecological factors that reduce the effectiveness of cross-pollination are likely to play a role in the frequent evolution of routine self-fertilization in flowering plants. However, we lack empirical evidence linking the reproductive assurance value of selfing in poor pollination environments to evolutionary shifts in mating system. Here, we investigated the adaptive significance of prior selfing in the polymorphic annual plant Arenaria uniflora (Caryophyllaceae), in which selfer populations occur only in areas of range overlap with congener A. glabra. To examine the hypothesis that secondary contact between the two species contributed to the evolution and maintenance of selfing, we used field competition experiments and controlled hand-pollinations to measure the female fitness consequences of pollinator-mediated interspecific interactions. Uniformly high fruit set by selfers in the naturally pollinated field arrays confirmed the reproductive assurance value of selfing, whereas substantial reductions in outcrosser fruit set (15%) and total seed production (20-35%) in the presence of A. glabra demonstrated that pollinator-mediated interactions can provide strong selection for self-pollination. Heterospecific pollen transfer, rather than competition for pollinator service, appears to be the primary mechanism of pollinator-mediated competition in Arenaria. Premating barriers to hybridization between outcrossers and A. glabra are extremely weak. The production of a few inviable hybrid seeds after heterospecific pollination and intermediate seed set after mixed pollinations indicates that A. glabra pollen can usurp A. uniflora ovules. Thus, any visit to A. uniflora by shared pollinators carries a potential female fitness cost. Moreover, patterns of fruit set and seed set in the competition arrays relative to controls were consistent with the receipt of mixed pollen loads, rather than a lack of pollinator visits. Competition through pollen transfer favors preemptive

  9. Response of rice genotypes to weed competition in dry direct-seeded rice in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahajan, Gulshan; Ramesha, Mugalodi S; Chauhan, Bhagirath S

    2014-01-01

    The differential weed-competitive abilities of eight rice genotypes and the traits that may confer such attributes were investigated under partial weedy and weed-free conditions in naturally occurring weed flora in dry direct-seeded rice during the rainy seasons of 2011 and 2012 at Ludhiana, Punjab, India. The results showed genotypic differences in competitiveness against weeds. In weed-free plots, grain yield varied from 6.6 to 8.9 t ha(-1) across different genotypes; it was lowest for PR-115 and highest for the hybrid H-97158. In partial weedy plots, grain yield and weed biomass at flowering varied from 3.6 to 6.7 t ha(-1) and from 174 to 419 g m(-2), respectively. In partial weedy plots, grain yield was lowest for PR-115 and highest for PR-120. Average yield loss due to weed competition ranged from 21 to 46% in different rice genotypes. The study showed that early canopy closure, high leaf area index at early stage, and high root biomass and volume correlated positively with competitiveness. This study suggests that some traits (root biomass, leaf area index, and shoot biomass at the early stage) could play an important role in conferring weed competitiveness and these traits can be explored for dry-seeded rice.

  10. Heuristic hybrid game approach for fleet condition-based maintenance planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Qiang; Bi, Xiong; Zhao, Xiujie; Chen, Yiran; Sun, Bo

    2017-01-01

    The condition-based maintenance (CBM) method is commonly used to select appropriate maintenance opportunities according to equipment status over a period of time. The CBM of aircraft fleets is a fleet maintenance planning problem. In this problem, mission requirements, resource constraints, and aircraft statuses are considered to find an optimal strategy set. Given that the maintenance strategies for each aircraft are finite, fleet CBM can be treated as a combinatorial optimization problem. In this study, the process of making a decision on the CBM of military fleets is analyzed. The fleet CBM problem is treated as a two-stage dynamic decision-making problem. Aircraft are divided into dispatch and standby sets; thus, the problem scale is significantly reduced. A heuristic hybrid game (HHG) approach comprising a competition game and a cooperative game is proposed on the basis of heuristic rule. In the dispatch set, a competition game approach is proposed to search for a local optimal strategy matrix. A cooperative game method for the two sets is also proposed to ensure global optimization. Finally, a case study regarding a fleet comprising 20 aircraft is conducted, with the results proving that the approach efficiently generates outcomes that meet the mission risk-oriented schedule requirement. - Highlights: • A new heuristic hybrid game method for fleet condition-based maintenance is proposed. • The problem is simplified by hierarchical solving based on dispatch and standby set. • The local optimal solution is got by competition game algorithm for dispatch set. • The global optimal solution is got by cooperative game algorithm between two sets.

  11. Male fitness of oilseed rape (¤Brassica napus¤), weedy ¤B-rapa¤ and their F1 hybrids when pollinating ¤B-rapa¤ seeds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pertl, M.; Hauser, T.P.; Damgaard, C.

    2002-01-01

    The likelihood that two species hybridise and backcross may depend strongly on environmental conditions, and possibly on competitive interactions between parents and hybrids. We studied the paternity of seeds produced by weedy Brassica rapa growing in mixtures with oilseed rape (B. napus) and the...... is strongly influenced by their local frequencies, and that male fitness of F(1)hybrids, when pollinating B. rapa seeds, is low even when their female fitness (seed set) is high.......The likelihood that two species hybridise and backcross may depend strongly on environmental conditions, and possibly on competitive interactions between parents and hybrids. We studied the paternity of seeds produced by weedy Brassica rapa growing in mixtures with oilseed rape (B. napus......) and their F(1) hybrids at different frequencies and densities. Paternity was determined by the presence of a transgene, morphology, and AFLP markers. In addition, observations of flower and pollen production, and published data on pollen fertilisation success, zygote survival, and seed germination, allowed us...

  12. Reflections on Competition, Competition Regulation and the Current Crises

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buch-Hansen, Hubert; Wigger, Angela

    2013-01-01

    competition came to enjoy such an exalted status in Europe and then challenges conventional wisdom by bringing into focus the downsides of competition. It argues that excessive competition and neoliberal competition regulation have contributed to intensify the economic, political, social and environmental...

  13. Modular supervisory controller for hybrid power systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lemos Pereira, A. de

    2000-06-01

    The power supply of remote places has been commonly provided by thermal power plants, usually diesel generators. Although hybrid power systems may constitute the most economical solution in many applications their widespread application to the electrification schemes of remote areas still depends on improvements in the issues of design and operation control. The main limitations of the present hybrid power systems technology, which are identified in this work, are related to the control and supervision of the power system. Therefore this thesis focuses on the modularity of supervisory controllers in order to design cost-competitive and reliable hybrid power systems. The modular supervisory controller created in this project is considered an important part of a system design approach that aims to overcome the technical difficulties of the current engineering practice and contribute to open the market of hybrid power systems. The term modular refers to a set of design characteristics that allows the use of basically the same supervisory controller in different projects. The modularization and standardisation of the controller include several issues such as interfacing components, communication protocols, modelling, programming and control strategies. The modularity can reduce the highly specialised system engineering related to the integration of components, operation and control. It can also avoid the high costs for installation, service and maintenance. A modular algorithm for supervisory controllers has been developed (a Matlab program called SuperCon) using an object-oriented design and it has been tested through several simulations using different hybrid system configurations and different control strategies. This thesis presents a complete control system design process which can be used as the basis for the development and implementation of intelligent and autonomous supervisory controllers for hybrid power systems with modular characteristics. (au)

  14. Simple and label-free electrochemical impedance Amelogenin gene hybridization biosensing based on reduced graphene oxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benvidi, Ali; Rajabzadeh, Nooshin; Mazloum-Ardakani, Mohammad; Heidari, Mohammad Mehdi; Mulchandani, Ashok

    2014-08-15

    The increasing desire for sensitive, easy, low-cost, and label free methods for the detection of DNA sequences has become a vital matter in biomedical research. For the first time a novel label-free biosensor for sensitive detection of Amelogenin gene (AMEL) using reduced graphene oxide modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE/RGO) has been developed. In this work, detection of DNA hybridization of the target and probe DNA was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The optimum conditions were found for the immobilization of probe on RGO surface and its hybridization with the target DNA. CV and EIS carried out in an aqueous solution containing [Fe(CN)6](3-/4-) redox pair have been used for the biosensor characterization. The biosensor has a wide linear range from 1.0×10(-20) to 1.0×10(-14)M with the lower detection limit of 3.2×10(-21)M. Moreover, the present electrochemical detection offers some unique advantages such as ultrahigh sensitivity, simplicity, and feasibility for apparatus miniaturization in analytical tests. The excellent performance of the biosensor is attributed to large surface-to-volume ratio and high conductivity of RGO, which enhances the probe absorption and promotes direct electron transfer between probe and the electrode surface. This electrochemical DNA sensor could be used for the detection of specific ssDNA sequence in real biological samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Responsive hybrid inorganic-organic system derived from lanthanide luminescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou, Zhan [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Zheng, Yuhui, E-mail: yhzheng78@scnu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Jiang, Lasheng; Yang, Jinglian [School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Wang, Qianming, E-mail: qmwang@scnu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); School of Chemistry and Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage, Guangzhou 510006 (China)

    2016-05-15

    Highlights: • A novel covalent hybrid material was used to detect hemoglobin. • All the recognition experiments were performed in buffer solution. • Porous nano-structures was extensively studied for the recognition. - Abstract: Terbium ions were incorporated into new organic-inorganic matrices to achieve intense green emissions. Hemoglobin (HB) interactions lead to dramatic changes in the luminescence emission intensities. Infrared spectra, morphological studies and photoluminescence give information for the speciation and process of hemoglobin additions. The porous material has a large specific surface area of 351 cm{sup 2}/g and the detection limit for HB (0.7 μM) was much lower than its physical doped material (8 μM). This promising hybrid material will lead to the design of versatile optical probes that are efficiently responding to the external targets.

  16. Coulomb Mediated Hybridization of Excitons in Coupled Quantum Dots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ardelt, P-L; Gawarecki, K; Müller, K; Waeber, A M; Bechtold, A; Oberhofer, K; Daniels, J M; Klotz, F; Bichler, M; Kuhn, T; Krenner, H J; Machnikowski, P; Finley, J J

    2016-02-19

    We report Coulomb mediated hybridization of excitonic states in optically active InGaAs quantum dot molecules. By probing the optical response of an individual quantum dot molecule as a function of the static electric field applied along the molecular axis, we observe unexpected avoided level crossings that do not arise from the dominant single-particle tunnel coupling. We identify a new few-particle coupling mechanism stemming from Coulomb interactions between different neutral exciton states. Such Coulomb resonances hybridize the exciton wave function over four different electron and hole single-particle orbitals. Comparisons of experimental observations with microscopic eight-band k·p calculations taking into account a realistic quantum dot geometry show good agreement and reveal that the Coulomb resonances arise from broken symmetry in the artificial semiconductor molecule.

  17. Dissecting the genetic architecture of F1 hybrid sterility in house mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dzur-Gejdosova, Maria; Simecek, Petr; Gregorova, Sona; Bhattacharyya, Tanmoy; Forejt, Jiri

    2012-11-01

    Hybrid sterility as a postzygotic reproductive isolation mechanism has been studied for over 80 years, yet the first identifications of hybrid sterility genes in Drosophila and mouse are quite recent. To study the genetic architecture of F(1) hybrid sterility between young subspecies of house mouse Mus m. domesticus and M. m. musculus, we conducted QTL analysis of a backcross between inbred strains representing these two subspecies and probed the role of individual chromosomes in hybrid sterility using the intersubspecific chromosome substitution strains. We provide direct evidence that the asymmetry in male infertility between reciprocal crosses is conferred by the middle region of M. m. musculus Chr X, thus excluding other potential candidates such as Y, imprinted genes, and mitochondrial DNA. QTL analysis identified strong hybrid sterility loci on Chr 17 and Chr X and predicted a set of interchangeable autosomal loci, a subset of which is sufficient to activate the Dobzhansky-Muller incompatibility of the strong loci. Overall, our results indicate the oligogenic nature of F(1) hybrid sterility, which should be amenable to reconstruction by proper combination of chromosome substitution strains. Such a prefabricated model system should help to uncover the gene networks and molecular mechanisms underlying hybrid sterility. © 2012 The Author(s). Evolution© 2012 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  18. No Large Scale Curvature Perturbations during Waterfall of Hybrid Inflation

    OpenAIRE

    Abolhasani, Ali Akbar; Firouzjahi, Hassan

    2010-01-01

    In this paper the possibility of generating large scale curvature perturbations induced from the entropic perturbations during the waterfall phase transition of standard hybrid inflation model is studied. We show that whether or not appreciable amounts of large scale curvature perturbations are produced during the waterfall phase transition depend crucially on the competition between the classical and the quantum mechanical back-reactions to terminate inflation. If one considers only the clas...

  19. Tyrosinase inhibitor activity of coumarin-resveratrol hybrids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fais, Antonella; Corda, Marcella; Era, Benedetta; Fadda, M Benedetta; Matos, Maria Joao; Quezada, Elias; Santana, Lourdes; Picciau, Carmen; Podda, Gianni; Delogu, Giovanna

    2009-07-13

    In the present work we report on the contribution of the coumarin moiety to tyrosinase inhibition. Coumarin-resveratrol hybrids 1-8 have been resynthesized to investigate the structure-activity relationships and the IC(50) values of these compounds were measured. The results showed that these compounds exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activity. Compound 3-(3',4',5'-trihydroxyphenyl)-6,8-dihydroxycoumarin (8)is the most potentcompound (0.27 mM), more so than umbelliferone (0.42 mM), used as reference compound. The kinetic studies revealed that compound 8 caused non-competitive tyrosinase inhibition.

  20. An organic fluorophore-nanodiamond hybrid sensor for photostable imaging and orthogonal, on-demand biosensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purdey, Malcolm S; Capon, Patrick K; Pullen, Benjamin J; Reineck, Philipp; Schwarz, Nisha; Psaltis, Peter J; Nicholls, Stephen J; Gibson, Brant C; Abell, Andrew D

    2017-11-21

    Organic fluorescent probes are widely used to detect key biomolecules; however, they often lack the photostability required for extended intracellular imaging. Here we report a new hybrid nanomaterial (peroxynanosensor, PNS), consisting of an organic fluorescent probe bound to a nanodiamond, that overcomes this limitation to allow concurrent and extended cell-based imaging of the nanodiamond and ratiometric detection of hydrogen peroxide. Far-red fluorescence of the nanodiamond offers continuous monitoring without photobleaching, while the green fluorescence of the organic fluorescent probe attached to the nanodiamond surface detects hydrogen peroxide on demand. PNS detects basal production of hydrogen peroxide within M1 polarised macrophages and does not affect macrophage growth during prolonged co-incubation. This nanosensor can be used for extended bio-imaging not previously possible with an organic fluorescent probe, and is spectrally compatible with both Hoechst 33342 and MitoTracker Orange stains for hyperspectral imaging.

  1. Multiway study of hybridization in nanoscale semiconductor labeled DNA based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gholami, Somayeh; Kompany Zare, Mohsen

    2013-01-01

    donor-QD acceptor) upon hybridization with a label free target was monitored by two-dimensional photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (2D-PLE). Detection of a target oligonucleotide strand, using sandwiched nanoassembly in a separation-free format, was performed with the appearance of a new feature...... and model based analysis of 2D-PLE data was implemented by means of PAR-AFAC and hard trilinear decomposition (HTD), allowing to fit a proper model for FRET-based sandwich DNA hybridization systems. This study is the first successful application of a multiway chemometric technique to consider FRET based DNA...... hybridization in sandwiched nanoassemblies. A multi-equilibria model was properly fitted to the data and confirmed there is a competition between ternary and binary complex formation. Equilibrium constants of DNA hybridization in sandwiched nanoassemblies were estimated for the first time. Equilibrium constants...

  2. Environmental structure and competitive scoring advantages in team competitions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merritt, Sears; Clauset, Aaron

    2013-10-01

    In most professional sports, playing field structure is kept neutral so that scoring imbalances may be attributed to differences in team skill. It thus remains unknown what impact environmental heterogeneities can have on scoring dynamics or competitive advantages. Applying a novel generative model of scoring dynamics to roughly 10 million team competitions drawn from an online game, we quantify the relationship between the structure within a competition and its scoring dynamics, while controlling the impact of chance. Despite wide structural variations, we observe a common three-phase pattern in the tempo of events. Tempo and balance are highly predictable from a competition's structural features alone and teams exploit environmental heterogeneities for sustained competitive advantage. Surprisingly, the most balanced competitions are associated with specific environmental heterogeneities, not from equally skilled teams. These results shed new light on the design principles of balanced competition, and illustrate the potential of online game data for investigating social dynamics and competition.

  3. Detection of genetic changes in Barrett's adenocarcinoma and Barrett's esophagus by DNA in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Krishnadath, K. K.; Tilanus, H. W.; Alers, J. C.; Mulder, A. H.; van Dekken, H.

    1994-01-01

    We have investigated the occurrence of chromosomal DNA and cell cycle-related protein changes in Barrett's epithelium and adenocarcinoma. The presence of numerical chromosomal aberrations was studied by applying nonisotopic in situ hybridization (ISH) with (peri-)centromeric DNA probes, specific for

  4. Chromogenic in situ hybridization for Her-2/neu-oncogene in breast cancer: comparison of a new dual-colour chromogenic in situ hybridization with immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayr, Doris; Heim, Sibylle; Weyrauch, Kerstin; Zeindl-Eberhart, Evelyn; Kunz, Anne; Engel, Jutta; Kirchner, Thomas

    2009-12-01

    Her-2/neu testing is used as a marker for Herceptin therapy. The aim was to investigate new dual-colour chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH), in a large number of breast carcinomas (n = 205) with DNA-specific dual-colour probes (ZytoVision, Bremerhaven, Germany) and to compare the results with immunohistochemistry (n = 205) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) (n = 129). Paraffin-embedded tissue of 205 patients was used. After immunohistochemistry with a focus on immunohistochemically uncertain cases, Her-2/neu amplification using dual-colour CISH (ZytoVision) was analysed. Validation by FISH was performed. The results were: immunohistochemistry, 27.8% with strong expression, 53.7% with uncertain overexpression and 18.5% with no expression; FISH, 25.6% amplified and 74.4% negative; CISH, 35.6% amplified, 62.9% negative and 1.5% not evaluable. Comparison of immunohistochemistry with CISH: CISH negative in 100% with immunohistochemistry 0/1+, amplified in 82.5% with immunohistochemistry 3+; 5.9% contradictory results: 4.4% immunohistochemistry 3+ and negative by CISH, 1.5% negative in immunohistochemistry but amplified by CISH; FISH (129 cases), 8.5% contradictory results to immunohistochemistry, 6.2% immunohistochemistry 3+ and negative by FISH, 2.3% negative by immunohistochemistry and amplified by FISH; comparison of CISH and FISH, 94.6% same results, 3.9% different ones, 1.6% CISH not analysable. CISH, using dual-colour probes (ZytoVision) is as good as FISH for Her-2/neu analysis. The few discrepant results are likely to be caused by polysomy or tumour heterogeneity.

  5. Conceptual Design of Operation Strategies for Hybrid Electric Aircraft

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julian Hoelzen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Ambitious targets to reduce emissions caused by aviation in the light of an expected ongoing rise of the air transport demand in the future drive the research of propulsion systems with lower CO2 emissions. Regional hybrid electric aircraft (HEA powered by conventional gas turbines and battery powered electric motors are investigated to test hybrid propulsion operation strategies. Especially the role of the battery within environmentally friendly concepts with significantly reduced carbon footprint is analyzed. Thus, a new simulation approach for HEA is introduced. The main findings underline the importance of choosing the right power-to-energy-ratio of a battery according to the flight mission. The gravimetric energy and power density of the electric storages determine the technologically feasibility of hybrid concepts. Cost competitive HEA configurations are found, but do not promise the targeted CO2 emission savings, when the well-to-wheel system is regarded with its actual costs. Sensitivity studies are used to determine external levers that favor the profitability of HEA.

  6. Evaluation of the 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burress, Timothy A [ORNL; Campbell, Steven L [ORNL; Coomer, Chester [ORNL; Ayers, Curtis William [ORNL; Wereszczak, Andrew A [ORNL; Cunningham, Joseph Philip [ORNL; Marlino, Laura D [ORNL; Seiber, Larry Eugene [ORNL; Lin, Hua-Tay [ORNL

    2011-03-01

    Subsystems of the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) were studied and tested as part of an intensive benchmarking effort carried out to produce detailed information concerning the current state of nondomestic alternative vehicle technologies. Feedback provided by benchmarking efforts is particularly useful to partners of the Vehicle Technologies collaborative research program as it is essential in establishing reasonable yet challenging programmatic goals which facilitate development of competitive technologies. The competitive nature set forth by the Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) not only promotes energy independence and economic stability, it also advocates the advancement of alternative vehicle technologies in an overall global perspective. These technologies greatly facilitate the potential to reduce dependency on depleting natural resources and mitigate harmful impacts of transportation upon the environment.

  7. Optofluidics-based DNA structure-competitive aptasensor for rapid on-site detection of lead(II) in an aquatic environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Feng; Zhu, Anna; Wang, Hongchen

    2014-11-07

    Lead ions (Pb(2+)), ubiquitous and one of the most toxic metallic pollutants, have attracted increasing attentions because of their various neurotoxic effects. Pb(2+) has been proven to induce a conformational change in G-quadruplex (G4) aptamers to form a stabilizing G4/Pb(2+) complex. Based on this principle, an innovative optofluidics-based DNA structure-competitive aptasensor was developed for Pb(2+) detection in an actual aquatic environment. The proposed sensing system has good characteristics, such as high sensitivity and selectivity, reusability, easy operation, rapidity, robustness, portability, use of a small sample volume, and cost effectiveness. A fluorescence-labeled G4 aptamer was utilized as a molecular probe. A DNA probe, a complementary strand of G4 aptamer, was immobilized onto the sensor surface. When the mixture of Pb(2+) solution and G4 aptamer was introduced into the optofluidic cell, Pb(2+) and the DNA probe bound competitively with the G4 aptamer. A high Pb(2+) concentration reduced the binding of the aptamer and the DNA probe; thus, a low-fluorescence signal was detected. A sensitive sensing response to Pb(2+) in the range of 1.0-300.0 nM with a low detection limit of 0.22 nM was exhibited under optimal conditions. The potential interference of the environmental sample matrix was assessed with spiked samples, and the recovery of Pb(2+) ranged from 80 to 105% with a relative standard deviation value of monitoring of other trace analytes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. The application of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH technique for studying the microbial communities in intestinal tissues of white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Supamattaya, K.

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescence in situ hybridization technique is very useful for the evaluation of microbial communities in various environments. It is possible to apply this technique to study the intestinal microflora in white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei. Different fixatives and storage temperature were tested in this technique. It was found that fixation with 10% buffered formalin for 12 hours and changed to 70% ethanol shown positive results when compared to the fixation with Davidson's fixative or RF fixative. The best signaling was obtainedfrom the samples which were stored in -20ºC. By using the DNA probe targeted to the Eubacteria domain (EUB338 probe, 5′-GCT GCC TCC CGT AGG AGT-3′ labeled with fluorescein as a hybridizing probe, it was found that most intestinal microflora were aggregated with the intestinal contents, or dispersed in the lumen. There was not evidence of the attachment of the microflora with the intestinal epithelium in this study.

  9. Patterns of Limnohabitans Microdiversity across a Large Set of Freshwater Habitats as Revealed by Reverse Line Blot Hybridization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jezbera, Jan; Jezberová, Jitka; Kasalický, Vojtěch; Šimek, Karel; Hahn, Martin W.

    2013-01-01

    Among abundant freshwater Betaproteobacteria, only few groups are considered to be of central ecological importance. One of them is the well-studied genus Limnohabitans and mainly its R-BT subcluster, investigated previously mainly by fluorescence in situ hybridization methods. We designed, based on sequences from a large Limnohabitans culture collection, 18 RLBH (Reverse Line Blot Hybridization) probes specific for different groups within the genus Limnohabitans by targeting diagnostic sequences on their 16 S–23 S rRNA ITS regions. The developed probes covered in sum 92% of the available isolates. This set of probes was applied to environmental DNA originating from 161 different European standing freshwater habitats to reveal the microdiversity (intra-genus) patterns of the Limnohabitans genus along a pH gradient. Investigated habitats differed in various physicochemical parameters, and represented a very broad range of standing freshwater habitats. The Limnohabitans microdiversity, assessed as number of RLBH-defined groups detected, increased significantly along the gradient of rising pH of habitats. 14 out of 18 probes returned detection signals that allowed predictions on the distribution of distinct Limnohabitans groups. Most probe-defined Limnohabitans groups showed preferences for alkaline habitats, one for acidic, and some seemed to lack preferences. Complete niche-separation was indicated for some of the probe-targeted groups. Moreover, bimodal distributions observed for some groups of Limnohabitans, suggested further niche separation between genotypes within the same probe-defined group. Statistical analyses suggested that different environmental parameters such as pH, conductivity, oxygen and altitude influenced the distribution of distinct groups. The results of our study do not support the hypothesis that the wide ecological distribution of Limnohabitans bacteria in standing freshwater habitats results from generalist adaptations of these bacteria

  10. Patterns of Limnohabitans microdiversity across a large set of freshwater habitats as revealed by Reverse Line Blot Hybridization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Jezbera

    Full Text Available Among abundant freshwater Betaproteobacteria, only few groups are considered to be of central ecological importance. One of them is the well-studied genus Limnohabitans and mainly its R-BT subcluster, investigated previously mainly by fluorescence in situ hybridization methods. We designed, based on sequences from a large Limnohabitans culture collection, 18 RLBH (Reverse Line Blot Hybridization probes specific for different groups within the genus Limnohabitans by targeting diagnostic sequences on their 16 S-23 S rRNA ITS regions. The developed probes covered in sum 92% of the available isolates. This set of probes was applied to environmental DNA originating from 161 different European standing freshwater habitats to reveal the microdiversity (intra-genus patterns of the Limnohabitans genus along a pH gradient. Investigated habitats differed in various physicochemical parameters, and represented a very broad range of standing freshwater habitats. The Limnohabitans microdiversity, assessed as number of RLBH-defined groups detected, increased significantly along the gradient of rising pH of habitats. 14 out of 18 probes returned detection signals that allowed predictions on the distribution of distinct Limnohabitans groups. Most probe-defined Limnohabitans groups showed preferences for alkaline habitats, one for acidic, and some seemed to lack preferences. Complete niche-separation was indicated for some of the probe-targeted groups. Moreover, bimodal distributions observed for some groups of Limnohabitans, suggested further niche separation between genotypes within the same probe-defined group. Statistical analyses suggested that different environmental parameters such as pH, conductivity, oxygen and altitude influenced the distribution of distinct groups. The results of our study do not support the hypothesis that the wide ecological distribution of Limnohabitans bacteria in standing freshwater habitats results from generalist adaptations of

  11. Bright-field in situ hybridization for HER2 gene amplification in breast cancer using tissue microarrays: correlation between chromogenic (CISH) and automated silver-enhanced (SISH) methods with patient outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Francis, Glenn D; Jones, Mark A; Beadle, Geoffrey F; Stein, Sandra R

    2009-06-01

    HER2 gene amplification or overexpression occurs in 15% to 25% of breast cancers and has implications for treatment and prognosis. The most commonly used methods for HER2 testing are fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry. FISH is considered to be the reference standard and more accurately predicts response to trastuzumab, but is technically demanding, expensive, and requires specialized equipment. In situ hybridization is required to be eligible for adjuvant treatment with trastuzumab in Australia. Bright-field in situ hybridization is an alternative to FISH and uses a combination of in situ methodology and a peroxidase-mediated chromogenic substrate such as diaminobenzidine [chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH)] or multimer technology coupled with enzyme metallography [silver-enhanced in situ hybridization (SISH)] to create a marker visible under bright-field microscopy. CISH was introduced into diagnostic testing in Australia in October 2006. SISH methodology is a more recent introduction into the testing repertoire. An evaluation of CISH and SISH performance to assess patient outcome were performed using tissue microarrays. Tissue microarrays were constructed in duplicate using material from 593 patients with invasive breast carcinoma and assessed using CISH and SISH. Gene amplification was assessed using the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guideline and Australian HER2 Advisory Board criteria (single probe: diploid, 1 to 2.5 copies/nucleus; polysomy >2.5 to 4 copies/nucleus; equivocal, >4 to 6 copies/nucleus; low-level amplification, >6 to 10 copies/nucleus and high-level amplification >10 copies/nucleus; dual probe HER2/CHR17 ratio: nonamplified 2.2). Results were informative for 337 tissue cores comprising 230 patient samples. Concordance rates were 96% for HER2 single probe CISH and SISH and 95.5% for single probe CISH and dual probe HER2/CHR17 SISH. Both bright-field methods correlated

  12. Location of gene expression in CNS using hybridization histochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Penschow, J.D.; Haralambidis, J.; Aldred, P.; Tregear, G.W.; Coghlan, J.P.

    1986-01-01

    The pursuit of improvements in sensitivity, specificity, and resolution has resulted in a myriad of published procedures designed for a variety of applications and of seemingly increasing complexity. The choice of technique now available, through significant recent technological advances, includes nonisotopic cDNA probe labels, single-stranded RNA (Riboprobe), and synthetic oligonucleotides as probes, in addition to the now familiar radiolabeled cDNA probes. The authors' aim is to simplify this choice by describing a convenient method applicable to the location of specific mRNA in brain and other tissues by either cDNA or synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotide probes. The procedure is based on a /sup 32/P probe label which enables detection of the mRNA-DNA hybrids on X-ray fail autoradiographs of frozen sections within 48 hr of tissue collection. Single, labeled cells can be located in heterogeneous tissues in subsequent short exposure liquid emulsion autoradiographs. This technique has been used successfully over a period of 5 years on tissues as diverse as whole small animals, sheep brain, rat thyroid, and human tumors. Deproteination procedures employed with other methods, which have been found to be unnecessary for /sup 32/P, are not included, thus simplifying the procedure. The use of synthetic oligodeoxyribonucleotides is emphasized as their choice of probes for the reasons outlined. Apart from providing an escape route from dependence on a molecular biology laboratory, discriminating sequences of similar gene products can be synthesized and localized so that single cells within small groups can be further characterized by their biosynthetic function

  13. A Hybrid Approach to the Optimization of Multiechelon Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paweł Sitek

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In freight transportation there are two main distribution strategies: direct shipping and multiechelon distribution. In the direct shipping, vehicles, starting from a depot, bring their freight directly to the destination, while in the multiechelon systems, freight is delivered from the depot to the customers through an intermediate points. Multiechelon systems are particularly useful for logistic issues in a competitive environment. The paper presents a concept and application of a hybrid approach to modeling and optimization of the Multi-Echelon Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem. Two ways of mathematical programming (MP and constraint logic programming (CLP are integrated in one environment. The strengths of MP and CLP in which constraints are treated in a different way and different methods are implemented and combined to use the strengths of both. The proposed approach is particularly important for the discrete decision models with an objective function and many discrete decision variables added up in multiple constraints. An implementation of hybrid approach in the ECLiPSe system using Eplex library is presented. The Two-Echelon Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (2E-CVRP and its variants are shown as an illustrative example of the hybrid approach. The presented hybrid approach will be compared with classical mathematical programming on the same benchmark data sets.

  14. Magnetic field effects in hybrid perovskite devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, C.; Sun, D.; Sheng, C.-X.; Zhai, Y. X.; Mielczarek, K.; Zakhidov, A.; Vardeny, Z. V.

    2015-05-01

    Magnetic field effects have been a successful tool for studying carrier dynamics in organic semiconductors as the weak spin-orbit coupling in these materials gives rise to long spin relaxation times. As the spin-orbit coupling is strong in organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites, which are promising materials for photovoltaic and light-emitting applications, magnetic field effects are expected to be negligible in these optoelectronic devices. We measured significant magneto-photocurrent, magneto-electroluminescence and magneto-photoluminescence responses in hybrid perovskite devices and thin films, where the amplitude and shape are correlated to each other through the electron-hole lifetime, which depends on the perovskite film morphology. We attribute these responses to magnetic-field-induced spin-mixing of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs with different g-factors--the Δg model. We validate this model by measuring large Δg (~ 0.65) using field-induced circularly polarized photoluminescence, and electron-hole pair lifetime using picosecond pump-probe spectroscopy.

  15. Polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpirrolidone effect on bacterial rRNA extraction and hybridization from cells exposed to tannins.

    OpenAIRE

    ARCURI, P.B.; THONNEY, M.L.; SCHOFIELD, P.; PELL, A.N.

    2003-01-01

    In order to detect fluctuations in ruminal microbial populations due to forage tannins using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) probes, recovery of intact rRNA is required. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP) on extraction of bacterial rRNA, in the presence of tannins from tropical legume forages and other sources, that hybridize with oligonucleotide probes. Ruminococcus albus 8 cells were exposed to 8 g/L tannic acid or 1 g/...

  16. Human chromosome-specific changes in a human-hamster hybrid cell line (AL) assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (fish)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geard, Charles R.; Jenkins, Gloria

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: To quantitatively assess all gamma-ray induced chromosomal changes confined to one human chromosome using fluorescence microscopy and in situ hybridization with a fluorescently labeled human chromosome specific nucleic acid probe. Methods and Materials: Synchronized human-hamster hybrid cells containing human chromosome 11 were obtained by a modified mitotic shake-off procedure. G1 phase cells (> 95%) were irradiated with 137 Cs gamma rays (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0 Gy) at a dose rate of 1.1 Gy/min and mitotic cells collected 16-20 h later; chromosomal spreads were prepared, denatured, and hybridized with a fluorescein-tagged nucleic acid probe against total human DNA. Chromosomes were examined by fluorescence microscopy and all categories of change involving the human chromosome 11 as target, recorded. Results: Overall, of the 3104 human-hamster hybrid cells examined, 82.1% were euploid, of which 88.6% contained one copy of human chromosome 11, 6.2% contained two copies, and 5.2% contained 0 copies. This is compatible with mitotic nondisjunction in a small fraction of cells. Of the remaining 17.9% of cells, 85.2% were tetraploid cells with two copies of human chromosome 11. For all aberrations involving human chromosome 11 there was a linear relationship between yield and absorbed dose of 0.1 aberrations per chromosome per Gy. The yield of dicentrics, translocations, and terminal deletions that involve one lesion on the human chromosome was linear, while the yield of interstitial deletions that arise from two interacting lesions on the human chromosome was curvilinear. The frequencies of dicentrics and translocations were about equal, while there was a high (40-60%) incidence of incomplete exchanges between human and hamster chromosomes. Conclusions: Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) procedures allow for the efficient detection of a broad range of induced changes in target chromosomes. Symmetrical exchanges induced in G1

  17. Microfluidic Arrayed Lab-On-A-Chip for Electrochemical Capacitive Detection of DNA Hybridization Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben-Yoav, Hadar; Dykstra, Peter H; Bentley, William E; Ghodssi, Reza

    2017-01-01

    A microfluidic electrochemical lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device for DNA hybridization detection has been developed. The device comprises a 3 × 3 array of microelectrodes integrated with a dual layer microfluidic valved manipulation system that provides controlled and automated capabilities for high throughput analysis of microliter volume samples. The surface of the microelectrodes is functionalized with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) probes which enable specific detection of complementary ssDNA targets. These targets are detected by a capacitive technique which measures dielectric variation at the microelectrode-electrolyte interface due to DNA hybridization events. A quantitative analysis of the hybridization events is carried out based on a sensing modeling that includes detailed analysis of energy storage and dissipation components. By calculating these components during hybridization events the device is able to demonstrate specific and dose response sensing characteristics. The developed microfluidic LOC for DNA hybridization detection offers a technology for real-time and label-free assessment of genetic markers outside of laboratory settings, such as at the point-of-care or in-field environmental monitoring.

  18. Exciton Dynamics of 2D Hybrid Perovskite Nanocrystal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Rui; Zhu, Zhuan; Boulesbaa, Abdelaziz; Venkatesan, Swaminathan; Xiao, Kai; Bao, Jiming; Yao, Yan; Li, Wenzhi

    Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have emerged as promising materials for applications in photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. Among the perovskites, two dimensional (2D) perovskites are of great interests due to their remarkable optical and electrical properties as well as the flexibility of material selection for the organic and inorganic moieties. In this study, we demonstrate the solution-phase growth of large square-shaped single-crystalline 2D hybrid perovskites of (C6H5C2H4 NH3) 2 PbBr4 with a few unit cells thickness. Compared to the bulk crystal, a band gap shift and new photoluminescence (PL) peak are observed from the hybrid perovskite sheets. Color of the 2D crystals can be tuned by adjusting the sheet thickness. Pump-probe spectroscopy is used to investigate the exciton dynamics and exhibits a biexponential decay with an amplitude-weighted lifetime of 16.7 ps. Such high-quality (C6H5C2H4 NH3) 2 PbBr4 sheets are expected to have high PL quantum efficiency which can be adopted for light-emitting devices. National Science Foundation (Grant No. CMMI-1334417 and DMR-1506640).

  19. Organophosphonate functionalized silicon nanowires for DNA hybridization studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedone, Daniel; Cattani Scholz, Anna; Birner, Stefan; Abstreiter, Gerhard [WSI, TU Muenchen (Germany); Dubey, Manish; Schwartz, Jeffrey [Princeton University, NJ (United States); Tornow, Marc [IHT, TU Braunschweig (Germany)

    2007-07-01

    Semiconductor nanowire field effect devices have great appeal for label-free sensing applications due to their sensitivity to surface potential changes that may originate from charged adsorbates. In addition to requiring high sensitivity, suitable passivation and functionalization of the semiconductor surface is obligatory. We have fabricated both freely suspended and oxide-supported silicon nanowires from Silicon-on-Insulator substrates using standard nanopatterning methods (EBL, RIE) and sacrificial oxide layer etching. Subsequent to nanofabrication, the devices were first coated with an hydroxyalkylphosphonate monolayer and then bound via bifunctional linker groups to single stranded DNA or PNA oligonucleotides, respectively. We investigated DNA hybridization on such functionalized nanowires using a difference resistance setup, where subtracting the reference signal from a second wire could be used to exclude most non-specific effects. A net change in surface potential on the order of a few mV could be detected upon addition of the complementary DNA strand. This surface potential change corresponds to the hybridization of about 10{sup 10}cm{sup -2} probe strands according to our model calculations that takes into account the entire hybrid system in electrolyte solution.

  20. Retail competition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    Retail competition as the cornerstone of a competitive electricity marketplace was the subject of the seventh in the series of policy discussion papers developed at the Market Design Conference. Concern was expressed that because of the complexities involved in market design and technical implementation, the retail competition may lag behind other elements of the implementation of the new market design. A variety of key issues were debated, including the role of physical versus financial contracts, the form of retail competition and financial settlement systems in the short term, the requirement to separate 'competitive' (metering, billing, maintenance, consumer education) from non-competitive' (the transmission wires) services and the role of municipal electric utilities. It was agreed that the IMO should play an important role in defining and enforcing the separation of services, and that as a general rule, the development of policy in this area should be guided by the principle of maximizing the potential for competition