Improving the bioavailability of manganese and meat quality of broilers by using hot-melt extrusion nano method.

1. Mineral excretion is an issue in the poultry industry. The use of micro minerals in nano form can increase bioavailability and decrease excretion rate. However, information concerning the bioavailability of nano manganese (Mn) in broiler chicks is limited.2. This experiment studied the influences of hot-melt extrusion (HME)-processed manganese sulphate on body weight gain, Mn bioavailability, nutrient digestibility and meat quality in broiler chicks fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet as a starter and grower phase. A total of 700 birds (Ross 308, 1-day-old) were randomly placed in 35 cages (20 birds per cage). The broiler chicks were fed one of seven experimental diets, which consisted of a control (without supplemental Mn), different levels of MnSO4 (IN-Mn60; 60, 120, and 200 mg/kg), or HME MnSO4 (HME-Mn; 60, 120, and 200 mg/kg).3. There was an increased serum Mn content in broilers fed diet supplemented with HME-Mn. In the grower phase, increased dietary Mn levels elevated the concentrations in the serum, liver, and tibia. There were increases in the excreta Mn content of broilers fed increasing levels. The supplementation of HME-Mn showed a lower percentage of abdominal fat compared with the IN-Mn treatment diets. Supplementation with HME-Mn decreased intramuscular fat compared with the diets supplemented with IN-Mn. The supplementation of HME-Mn decreased the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) at d 6 of age. The HME-Mn source showed a greater decrease in TBARS compared with the IN-Mn treatment.4. In conclusion, HME processing increased bioavailability and could be used as an environmentally friendly method to facilitate lower levels of Mn in the diet of broiler chickens.

[Laparoscopic transchiatal access in Boerhaave syndrome]. / Laparoskopicheskii transkhiatal'nyi dostup pri sindrome Burkhave.

Diagnosis of spontaneous rupture of the esophagus (Boerhaave syndrome) followed by purulent mediastinitis and pleural empyema has now been greatly simplified due to CT. The main thing is to suspect this syndrome in a timely manner. Methods of surgical treatment of this disease are still being discussed. We present successful laparoscopic treatment of spontaneous rupture of the esophagus.

Comparison of five membrane filters to collect bioaerosols for airborne microbiome analysis.

AIMS: Recovering DNA of airborne micro-organisms (AM) from air is a challenging task. We compared five membrane filters for bioaerosol sampling-mixed cellulose ester (MCE), polyethersulfone (PES), polyamide (PA), polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based on their bacterial, fungal and eukaryotic DNA recoveries. METHODS AND RESULTS: Bacterial, fungal and eukaryotic populations were quantified using quantitative PCR. With a bacterial consortium, PTFE exhibited the best recovery efficiency (113%), followed by PA (92%), PES (86%), MCE (48%) and PVDF (1%). When filters were compared with air, PA was used as a control to normalize results from the others. The bacterial, fungal and eukaryotic DNA recovery ratios were markedly greater in PES (9·3, 11·5 and 10·3 respectively) than in the remaining. Eukaryotic MiSeq sequencing revealed that PES recovered a more diverse and considerably richer assemblage (richness ratios, 4·97 vs ≤ 1·16 for PES vs the others). Rank abundance distribution analysis showed that distribution tails were longer (>4 times) in PES, but these did not differ between the remaining and PA. Community comparison showed that PES exhibited a lower variation across trials than the PA, while the remaining did not. CONCLUSIONS: PES filter markedly outperformed the other filters in quantitative and qualitative recovery of AM. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our findings demonstrated the importance of filter selection for sampling AM.

Effects of quorum quenching on temporal succession of activated sludge microbial community in a membrane bioreactor.

AIMS: Quorum quenching (QQ) is an attractive strategy for mitigating biofouling in membrane bioreactors (MBRs). However, the effects of QQ on the activated sludge (AS) process have not been adequately evaluated. This study investigated the long-term effects of QQ on a laboratory-scale anoxic-oxic MBR, focusing on AS performance and microbial community. METHODS AND RESULTS: Anoxic-oxic MBRs with and without QQ were operated for 91 days. QQ did not affect COD and TN removal efficiencies over the experimental period, during which its activity remained >90%. QQ reduced floc size by approximately 8% but had no effect on biomass concentration. AS microbial communities were regularly analysed using massively parallel sequencing. AS bacterial communities were temporally dynamic irrespective of QQ presence, for example, a temporal increase in bacterial diversity and a temporal decay of community similarity. QQ counteracted the temporal change in diversity and the temporal distance-community decay. Community comparison revealed that QQ changed the successional trajectory of the AS community at a late period, because it decelerated temporal changes of specific members, such as Thiothrix and Sphingomonadaceae*. Correlation networks revealed that QQ increased network clustering, complexity and density. The combined results suggest that the tighter microbial association by QQ increased the community resistance. CONCLUSIONS: QQ can enhance the diversity and stability of the AS community in MBR by counteracting the innate temporal change in community structure. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our findings are useful for the further advancement of QQ-based strategies in engineered microbial environments.

Development of a novel methanotrophic process with the helper micro-organism Hyphomicrobium sp. NM3.

AIMS: Microbial consortia can be more efficient at biological processes than single isolates. The purposes of this study were to design and evaluate a synthetic microbial consortium containing the methanotroph Methylocystis sp. M6 and the helper Hyphomicrobium sp. NM3, and develop a novel methanotrophic process for this consortium utilizing a dialysis membrane. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hyphomicrobium increased the methane-oxidation rate (MOR), biomass and stability at a dilution rate of 0·067 day-1 in fed-batch co-culture. qRT-PCR showed that Methylocystis population increased gradually with time, whereas Hyphomicrobium population remained stable despite cell washing, confirming synergistic population interaction. At 0·1 day-1 , spiking of Hyphomicrobium effectively increased the methanotrophic activity, after which Hyphomicrobium population decreased with time, indicating that the consortium is optimal at <0·1 day-1 . When Hyphomicrobium was grown in dialysis membrane within the bioreactor, MOR increased linearly up to 155·1 ± 1·0 mmol l-1  day-1 at 0·067, 0·1, 0·2 and 0·4 day-1 , which is the highest observed value for a methanotrophic reactor. CONCLUSIONS: Hyphomicrobium sp. NM3 is a promising helper micro-organism for methanotrophs. Hyphomicrobium-methanotroph consortia used concurrently with existing methods can produce an efficient and stable methane oxidation system. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This novel methanotrophic process is superior to those previously reported in the literature, and can provide efficient and stable methane oxidation.

Risk of malignancy in patients with psoriasis: a 15-year nationwide population-based prospective cohort study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: The association between psoriasis and risk of malignancy has not been thoroughly evaluated in a large longitudinal cohort of Asian population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term risk of malignancy in Korean adult patients with psoriasis. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide population-based prospective cohort study with a 15-year observational period. During the baseline period (1997-2000), total 1 773 786 Korean subjects who received health insurance from the National Health Insurance System were enrolled and 5788 subjects were defined as a psoriasis group. The number of new-onset malignancy was collected during the observational period (2001-2015). RESULTS: Patients with psoriasis had a higher adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for development of overall malignancy [aHR 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.18] and gastric cancer (aHR 1.31, 95% CI 1.08-1.58) compared to controls. The risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and non-melanoma skin cancer were significantly increased only in patients with psoriasis who received systemic treatments (aHR 2.86, 95% CI 1.07-7.61 and aHR 3.93, 95% CI 1.47-10.47, respectively). CONCLUSION: Psoriasis is associated with long-term risk for overall malignancy in Koreans, which was primarily driven by the increased risk of gastric cancer.

The adequacy of the distal resection margin after preoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the adequacy of the distal margin in patients having preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by restorative surgery for rectal cancer. METHOD: A total of 368 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated for cure at our institution between July 1999 and March 2009 were included in the study. All underwent preoperative CRT and sphincter-sparing surgery. The distal margin and other factors were examined for their effect on recurrence and survival. The median duration of follow-up was 48 months. RESULTS: The length of distal margin ranged from 0 to 9.0 cm (median 1.5 cm). The pelvic control and disease-free survival rates at 5 years for patients with a margin of ≤ 3 mm were no different from those in whom it was > 3 mm (P = 0.6 and 0.8). The 5-year pelvic control rates between the ≤ 3 mm and > 3 mm groups were 66.7 and 86.2% in patients with a ypT3-4 tumour (P = 0.049) and 70.0 and 89.1% in patients who showed no response to CRT (P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that a distal margin of < 3 mm in the surgical specimen after preoperative CRT is associated with a lower rate of pelvic tumour control at 5 years in patients with Stage ypT3-4 tumours or in those who do not respond to CRT.

Microarrays for high-throughput genotyping of MICA alleles using allele-specific primer extension.

The role of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I chain-related gene A (MICA), a ligand of NKG2D, has been defined in human diseases by its allele associations with various autoimmune diseases, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and cancer. This study describes a practical system to develop MICA genotyping by allele-specific primer extension (ASPE) on microarrays. From the results of 20 control primers, strict and reliable cut-off values of more than 30,000 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) as positive and less than 3000 MFI as negative, were applied to select high-quality specific extension primers. Among 55 allele-specific primers, 44 primers could be initially selected as optimal primer. Through adjusting the length, six primers were improved. The other failed five primers were corrected by refractory modification. MICA genotypes by ASPE on microarrays showed the same results as those by nucleotide sequencing. On the basis of these results, ASPE on microarrays may provide high-throughput genotyping for MICA alleles for population studies, disease-gene associations and HSCT.

Association of KIR genes and HLA-C alleles with HPV-related uterine cervical disease in Korean women.

This study investigated whether killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-C alleles, receptors and ligands of natural killer cells are associated with the development of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical disease in Korean women. Blood samples from 132 women with HPV-related cervical disease and 159 women without HPV infection were collected for genotyping of KIR genes and HLA-C alleles. Although no relationship was found between KIR genes and HPV-related cervical disease, a significant relationship was found between HLA-C alleles as ligands of KIR and HPV-related cervical disease. Women with HPV-related cervical disease were found to be significantly more likely to carry HLA-C*0303, particularly those with HPV 16 or 18 infection, and less likely to carry HLA-C*01 compared to women without HPV infection. HLA-C*0303 was found to confer susceptibility to HPV-related cervical disease, whereas HLA-C*01 was found to confer a protective effect against HPV-related cervical disease.

The antioxidative effect of heat-shock protein 70 in dendritic cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by dendritic cells (DCs) during antigen presentation in contact hypersensitivity (CHS). ROS cause a number of non-enzymatic protein modifications, such as carbonylation. Carbonylated proteins in DCs in response to hapten have not been fully identified yet. To identify the proteins carbonylated by ROS, murine epidermis-derived DC line XS106 was challenged with a hapten, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS). MALDI-TOF analysis revealed that heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) was one of the carbonylated proteins induced by TNBS. To verify the role of HSP70 in TNBS-treated XS106 cell, we fused protein transduction domain (PTD) with HSP70 to facilitate protein delivery into the cell. The transfected fusion protein HSP70 within the cell caused transient increase of the cellular level of HSP70. Transient increase of HSP70 level in XS-106 DCs resulted in inhibition of ROS production, carbonylation of HSP70, p38 MAPK activation and subsequently IL-12 secretion. To investigate the effects of PTD-HSP70 in vivo, ear-swelling experiments with 2,4,6-trinitro-1-chlorobenzene (TNCB) were performed in BALB/c mice. Pretreatment of PTD-HSP70 reduced the CHS response to TNCB in vivo. We report here that carbonylation of HSP70 by ROS is associated with the pathogenesis of CHS, suggesting possibility of HSP70-targeting therapy in CHS.

A comparison of inflammatory mediator expression between palmoplantar pustulosis and pompholyx.

BACKGROUND: Both palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and pompholyx are clinically characterized by acute eruptions of vesicles or pustules on the palms or soles. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the expression of certain inflammatory mediator genes and proteins between patients with PPP and pompholyx using skin tissue samples. METHODS: Skin biopsies obtained from lesional skin from patients with PPP (n = 7) and pompholyx (n = 5) were analysed by quantitative RT-PCR to measure the mRNA levels of nine genes, including IL-4, IL-8, IL-9, IL-17, IL-22, IFN-γ, CCL-20, granzyme and perforin. For immunohistochemical analysis, 34 paraffin-embedded skin specimens (PPP, n = 22; pompholyx, n = 12) were stained with anti-IL-8, IL-17A, IL-22 and granzyme B antibodies. RESULTS: Of genes analysed, IL-8 and IL-17A mRNA expression levels were significantly higher in the PPP group than the pompholyx group (P = 0.012 in both), whereas the mRNA expression of granzyme B was significantly higher in pompholyx when compared with PPP (P = 0.004). Regarding the IL-17A immunohistochemical staining, tissue from the PPP lesions contained significantly more IL-17A(+) cells in both the epidermis and papillary dermis when compared with pompholyx (P < 0.001 and P = 0.019 respectively). Moreover, the intensity of the IL-8 immunoreactivity was also greater in the PPP skin lesions than the pompholyx tissue (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: IL-8 and IL-17A, both are increased in PPP tissue, may represent important immunologic mediators that help to differentiate this clinical entity from pompholyx. This study may provide useful clues in distinguishing PPP from pompholyx, as well as helping to understand the pathogeneses of these two diseases.

The effect of montelukast and antiadhesion barrier solution on the capsule formation after insertion of silicone implants in a white rat model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: Capsular contracture is one of the most severe complications that can occur in breast surgery following silicone implant insertion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of montelukast and antiadhesion barrier solution (AABS) on reducing capsular formation and their possible synergism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee (Reference No. KNU 2012-33) and was conducted in accordance with the Kyungpook National University - Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Animal Ethics Committee. The experiments in this study were conducted in vivo in 4 groups of 24 rats. Following silicone implant insertion, the pocket was injected with different agents. Group I (control group) was given normal saline injections into the pocket and fed with pure water. Group II was given injections of AABS and fed with pure water. Group III was given injections of normal saline and the medication montelukast during the experimental period. Group IV was given injections of AABS and montelukast as postoperative medication. Peri-implant capsules were excised after 8 weeks and were evaluated for transparency, inflammatory cell content, capsule thickness, collagen pattern and TGF-ß expression. RESULTS: The capsules in the experimental groups (i.e., groups II-IV) were significantly more transparent than those in group I (controls; p < 0.05, Student's t test). The mean capsule thickness of the experimental groups II (296 ± 14.76 µm), III (280 ± 14.77 µm) and IV (276 ± 39.28 µm) was smaller than that of the control group I (361 ± 35.43 µm). Compared to the control group, the histologic findings in the experimental groups suggested a decreased inflammatory response occurring in the peri-implant capsules as they exhibited minor vascularization and a reduced number of mast cells and macrophages. The collagen patterns in the experimental groups were of a lower density than in the control group with the former showing a loose, tidy collagen pattern. The amounts of TGF-ß and collagen I were higher in the control group than in the experimental groups. Group IV (the synergic effect group) had a more pronounced effect on all the parameters examined than that in groups II and III with separate drug administration. CONCLUSIONS: Montelukast and AABS reduced the thickness, the inflammatory cell infiltrate and the myofibroblast content of the peri-implant capsules around silicone implants in this white rat model. They lowered the expression of the fibrotic mediator, TGF-ß, and inhibited the peri-implant capsular fibrosis. Therefore, montelukast and AABS are effective in the reduction of silicone-induced peri-implant capsular formation.

Enhancing effect of pretreatment with topical niacin in the treatment of rosacea-associated erythema by 585-nm pulsed dye laser in Koreans: a randomized, prospective, split-face trial.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is a chronic dermatosis that is usually confined to the face. A pulsed dye laser (PDL) system has been proven to be effective in treating rosacea-associated erythema and telangiectasias. Niacin is a cutaneous vasodilator that can increase the chromophore through increased blood flow. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that increased blood flow by pretreatment with topical niacin could enhance the effect of PDL in the treatment of rosacea. METHODS: Eighteen Korean patients with rosacea were recruited. Three sessions of 585-nm PDL using a subpurpuragenic dose with and without pretreatment with niacin cream were performed on randomly assigned half-faces at 3-week intervals. Erythema was assessed objectively by a polarization colour imaging system, and evaluations were also made by three blinded dermatologists. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 10-point visual analogue scale. RESULTS: Fifteen patients completed this study. All patients showed an improvement in erythema after three sessions of PDL treatment both with and without niacin pretreatment (P = 0·023 and P = 0·009, respectively). There was no significant difference in the improvement of objective erythema between the two sides. However, based on physician assessment the overall clinical improvement on the niacin side was significantly higher (P = 0·005), and patient satisfaction was also higher on the niacin-pretreated side (P = 0·007). There were no remarkable side-effects, with the exception of transient erythema and oedema. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment with topical niacin safely enhanced the effect of 585-nm PDL treatment of rosacea-associated erythema in Koreans. Application of niacin can be helpful in overcoming the relatively lower effect of subpurpuragenic PDL in dark-skinned Asians.

Fabrication and radio frequency characterization of carbon nanotube field effect transistor: evidence of quantum capacitance.

We fabricated an radio frequency (RF) carbon nanotube field effect transistor (CNTFET) whose electrode shapes were standard RF designed ground-signal-ground (GSG)-type pads. The S-parameters measured from our RF CNTFET in the frequency range up to 6 GHz were fitted with an RF equivalent circuit, and the extracted gate capacitance was shown to be the capacitance value of the series combination of the electrostatic capacitance and the quantum capacitance. The effect of the channel resistance and the kinetic inductance was also discussed.

Improved genotyping of the human minor histocompatibility antigen HB-1 by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers using a complementary oligonucleotide.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags) have been genotyped by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). Because discriminating the genotype of HB-1 Y by PCR-SSP under various PCR conditions was difficult, we optimized the use of oligonucleotides complementary to the allele-specific forward primer to improve the specificity of the HB-1 Y PCR-SSP. Specific allele discrimination was possible with an annealing temperature between 61°C and 63°C and in the presence of a threefold excess of a 15-bp complementary oligonucleotide. In conclusion, the inclusion of a complementary oligonucleotide in the PCR-SSP assay may improve its specificity and selectivity for genotyping several mHags for which optimizing PCR conditions have been difficult.

Association between interleukin-4R and TGF-ß1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Korean population.

AIM: Colorectal cancer is associated with inflammatory bowel disease. The mechanisms of how different genetic make-ups of cytokines might influence the individual susceptibility to develop particular types of tumours are still unknown. The authors analysed the association between genetic polymorphisms in cytokine/cytokine receptor genes and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Korean population. METHOD: The authors assessed polymorphisms of the interleukin: IL-1, IL-1R, IL-2, IL-4, IL-4R, IL-10, transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, IFN-γ genes in Korean patients with colorectal cancer (n = 170) and in a normal healthy control group (n = 130) to investigate the association between theses cytokine gene polymorphisms and the risk of colorectal cancer. RESULTS: The IL-4R 1902*T allele was found to be associated with an increased risk of colon cancer (P < 0.01, OR = 2.0) and rectal cancer (P < 0.05, OR = 1.8). The IL-4R 1902*C allele was associated with a decreased risk of both colon cancer (P < 0.01, OR = 0.51) and rectal cancer (P < 0.05, OR = 0.5). The TFG-ß1 10*T allele was found to be associated with an increased risk of colon cancer (P < 0.00, OR = 2.3) and the TFG-ß1 10*C allele with a decreased risk of colon cancer (P < 0.00, OR = 0.43). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the genetic polymorphisms of IL-4R and TGF-ß1 are associated with the risk of colorectal cancer in a Korean population.

Skin disorders in Korean patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus and their association with a CD4 lymphocyte count: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Dermatological disorders are quite common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. However, cutaneous findings in Korean HIV-infected patients have not been properly investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spectrum of dermatological disorders in Korean HIV-infected individuals according to a CD4 lymphocyte count. METHODS: A retrospective clinical study was carried out from June 2002 to January 2008. We comprehensively collected information regarding HIV-associated skin problems, laboratory data and the history of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). RESULTS: Ninety-nine HIV-seropositive patients (mean age: 39.6 ± 11.3 years, males: 94.9%) were included in this study. Of them, 55 patients (55.6%) presented with at least one skin problem. The four most common dermatological disorders were eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (18.6%), symptomatic syphilis (comprising of primary and secondary syphilis) (17.1%), seborrhoeic dermatitis (17.1%) and condyloma acuminatum (12.8%). The group with a CD4 lymphocyte count < 200 · 106 cells / L showed a significantly higher prevalence of Kaposi sarcoma compared with the group with a CD4 lymphocyte count > 200 · 106 cells / L (P = 0.014). Condyloma was more prevalent in the group with a CD4 count > 200 · 106 cells / L (P = 0.022). The patients treated with HAART had a lower prevalence of neurosyphilis compared with the non-treated group (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Diverse dermatological conditions were demonstrated in Korean HIV-infected patients. Kaposi sarcoma was associated with a low CD4 lymphocyte count, but condyloma was associated with a high CD4 lymphocyte count. The prevalence of syphilis in our study was higher than that of Western countries. HAART seemed to be associated with the low prevalence of neurosyphilis.

[Pulmonary insufficiency in acute stroke: risk factors and mechanisms of development]. / Dykhatel'naya nedostatochnost' v ostrom periode tserebral'nogo insul'ta: faktory riska i mekhanizmy razvitiya.

Various degrees of pulmonary insufficiency (PI) (PaO2 ≤60 mm Hg, SaO2 ≤90%) are diagnosed in most of patients with severe acute stroke (AS). Frequency and severity of PI positively correlates with the severity of AS. PI worsens patient's condition, prolongs the hospitalization period, and increases the probability of fatal outcome. Early clinical signs of PI may be undiagnosed due to the severity of stroke and thus not treated. The initiating pathogenic mechanism of PI is stress-related activation of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and systemic immunosuppression. In severe stroke with mass effect, the rapid and significant increase in intracranial pressure may additionally activate the SNS. Risk factors of PI include older age, previous pulmonary disease, prolonged supine position, respiratory muscle dysfunction, apnea, and concomitant somatic diseases. Decompensation of somatic diseases leads to multiple stage reactions with facilitation of functional and morphologic changes in the pulmonary system, hypoxemia and hypoxia, promotes infectious complications and multiple organ failure and worsens neurological outcome. Diagnosis and treatment of PI in AS decreases mortality and improves rehabilitation prognosis.

A large-aperture strip-grid beam splitter for partially combined two millimeter-wave diagnostics on Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research.

A large-aperture beam splitter has been developed for simultaneous operation of two millimeter-wave diagnostics employing different probe beams in the frequency and polarization, microwave imaging reflectometer (∼85 GHz X-mode), and collective scattering system (300 GHz O-mode), on the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research device. The beam splitter was designed based on a polarizer concept (i.e., grid of metal strips on a thin dielectric sheet), and this can be an optimal solution for these two diagnostics. Fabrication of the strips with uniform sub-millimeter width and spacing on a large dielectric sheet was achieved with an etching technique, and the laboratory test results on the reflection and transmission ratio are in good agreement with design values.