Detection of male 2+0 and 1+0 carriers for spinal muscular atrophy by digital PCR.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease with a high carrier frequency. While current screening methods can identify 1+0 carriers, detecting 2+0 genotypes remains challenging, highlighting the need for additional research. Herein, we applied Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (dPCR) to develop a novel approach for the detection of male carriers (DMC), especially for those with a 2+0 genotype. The clinical utility of DMC was evaluated in 39 semen samples. Multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and pedigree analysis were performed on genomic DNA from 111 males and their family members. DMC identified 1+1, 2+1, and 1+0 genotypes in 21, 1, and 8 subjects. Importantly, seven men were identified as 2+0 carriers, while two men were excluded from the 2+0 carrier status. The results of DMC were consistent with those of MLPA and pedigree analysis. DMC provides an inexpensive and accurate method for determining the 2+0 and 1+0 genotypes.

200 µJ, 13 ns Er:ZBLAN mid-infrared fiber laser actively Q-switched by an electro-optic modulator.

We report, as far as we know for the first time, on a pulsed 2.7 µm Er:ZBLAN fiber laser Q-switched by an electro-optic modulator. The Q-switched operation was achieved with a repetition rate range of 100 Hz-50 kHz. Pulse energy of 205.7 µJ and pulse width down to 13.1 ns, yielding a peak power of 15.7 kW, were obtained at a repetition rate of 100 Hz. The linewidth of the output spectrum was as narrow as 0.4 nm. The pulse width and the pulse peak power, to the best of our knowledge, are currently the shortest and the highest in the 3-µm-band Q-switched fiber lasers, respectively.

High energy closed-loop cycle narrow linewidth optically pumped XeF(C-A) blue laser at a repetition rate of 10 Hz.

We report for the first time on a closed-loop cycle narrow linewidth XeF(C-A) blue laser at a repetition rate of up to 10 Hz with each pulse energy of >1 J. A FWHM linewidth of less than 1.5 nm (minimum to 1.1 nm) with a highly stable wavelength centered at 488.3 nm was achieved by employing a polarization-independent custom-designed narrowband optical filter (NBOF) into the cavity. The pulse energy, as well as the repetition rate, to the best of our knowledge, is the highest ever reported in the narrow linewidth XeF(C-A) blue lasers at repetitively-pulsed mode.

High-temperature tensile strength of C/SiC composite under laser-induced high heating flux in an aerobic environment.

Based on the advantages of laser high brightness, a high-temperature mechanical property measuring device has been developed, which can measure the high-temperature strength of C/SiC composites under the condition of short-term high-temperature rise rate and solve the problem of over-oxidation of materials in conventional high-temperature mechanical properties experiments. The experimental results show that the maximum temperature rise rate is 260 â„ƒ/s at the initial heating stage, and the test time is controlled within 35 s. The tensile strength of the prepared C/SiC composites decreased first and then increased at high temperatures and laser-induced high temperatures. The experimental results are similar to those in the literature under the inert atmosphere. Oxidation has less of an effect on the mechanical characteristics of materials under conditions of rapid temperature rise. The system can be used to test the mechanical properties of composite materials at high temperatures and as a simulation platform for the thermal response of specific thermal protection systems subjected to a constant heat flux. This study can provide a new idea for testing ultra-high temperature mechanical properties of C/SiC materials and provide key technical support for the engineering application and high-temperature testing of C/SiC materials in high-temperature environments.

Super-efficient removal and adsorption mechanism of anionic dyes from water by magnetic amino acid-functionalized diatomite/yttrium alginate hybrid beads as an eco-friendly composite.

The development of eco-friendly, large-capacity and easy-to-separate adsorbent materials has always been the focus and difficulty of adsorption technology in wastewater treatment applications based on the characteristics of dye wastewater. Therefore, in this study, a green magnetic glycine(Gly)-functionalized diatomite(Dia)/yttrium alginate (Y-SA) hybrid bead composite (Dia-Gly-Y-SA@Fe3O4) was synthesized by the droplet polymerization, and characterized by various modern analytical techniques. The adsorption performance and adsorption mechanism of the composite were evaluated and elucidated by the removal of anionic dyes direct Blue 106 (DB 106), Congo red (CR) and direct red 13 (DR 13) from water. The results show that the composite is a macroparticle gelpolymer with an average particle size of about 1.5 mm, flower-like fold surface structure, abundant porosity and sensitive magnetic response, and displays ultrastrong adsorption ability for three dyes. The adsorption equilibrium of each dye can be reached quickly within 30 min, and the removal efficiency is more than 95% at pH 2.0 and decreases slightly with pH up to 9.0. The adsorption processes could be explained by the Pseudo-second-order rate equation well. All isotherm data fitted the Langmuir model well, and the maximum adsorption capacities were 1635, 2359 and 1165 mg/g for DB 106, CR and DR 13 at 298 K, respectively. The ultrastrong adsorption performance was due to the multisite interaction of physicochemical action and various hydrogen bonds between hybrid beads and dye anions. As a cost-effective magnetic macroparticle adsorbent prepared by natural ingredients, Dia-Gly-Y-SA@Fe3O4 composite exhibits much more stronger adsorption efficiency, better collectability and no secondary pollution than powder Dia, and would have a good application prospect for the purification of anionic dye wastewater with a wide pH range.

Study on Electrically Modulated Quasi-Continuous Wave Fe: ZnSe Solid-State Laser with Hundred-Hertz.

Iron-doped binary chalcogenide crystals are very promising for tunable solid-state lasers operating over the 3~5 µm spectral range. Fe: ZnSe is one of the most important gain crystals with the obvious advantages of material characteristics and conversion efficiency. By adjusting the output mode of the pump source, an Fe: ZnSe laser can operate in two modes at liquid nitrogen temperatures: continuous wave (CW) and pulse output. In terms of CW output, the Fe: ZnSe laser obtained a maximum 2.63 W continuous power output which was confined to the power of the pump source. An optical-to-optical efficiency of 47.05% was acquired. Direct electrical modulation was applied to the pump source. The highest average power of the quasi-CW laser, whose central wavelength is 4.02 µm, has a value of 253 mW with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 42.88% and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 23 nm when the pulse frequency is 100 Hz of 10% duty factor. The output waveform is consistent with the modulation waveform applied to the pump source. We report to the first of our knowledge an electrically modulated quasi-CW Fe: ZnSe laser in the pulse regime, equipped with features of compactness in structure, ignoring additional modulators, convenience in control, high efficiency, and sustainable operation, of great interest for solving numerous scientific and applied problems.

Comparative Study on Chemical Constituents of Ginseng Flowers with Four Consecutive Cultivation Age.

The harvest period of cultivated ginseng is generally 4-6 years. Ginseng flowers (GFs), the nonmedicinal parts, are usually removed every autumn, in which components are generally believed to stay unchanged with the increasing cultivation age. Recently, few documents were reported on the variation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other components about ginseng flowers. This study had an insight into the variation of the chemical constituents with the cultivation ages through the comparison of the volatile organic compounds, gross ginsenosides, crude polysaccharide, and gross proteins of ginseng flowers from 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old (GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6) which were conducted by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-QQQ/MS) and spectroscopic analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis, including one-way ANOVA analysis and T test. The results indicated that the crude polysaccharide contents raised significantly depending on cultivation age except 6-yr-old, whereas the gross ginsenosides and the gross protein content were indistinctive. According to the peak intensity of determined VOCs, the contents of most differential compounds arranged in an order from high to low are GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6, such as the compounds 2-15, 17-19, 22, and 25-26, therefore, they can be inferred that they are important markers to identify the age of GFs. 461 common differential compounds were gained and 26 common volatile organic compounds were identified with RSI >800 and RI and RIx no more than 30, including alcohols (such as 11, 12, and 15), sesquiterpenes (such as 2, 3, and 4), esters (such as 1 and 26), naphthalene and naphthol (such as 7 and 20), which had potential effects on curing Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory diseases, and prostate cancer based on network pharmacology analysis. This paper firstly revealed the variation rules of constitutions of GFs, which may provide a reference for the harvest and making rational application.

Metal-free C8-H functionalization of quinoline N-oxides with ynamides.

The metal-free C8-H functionalization of quinoline N-oxides with ynamides is unveiled for the first time by the intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-type reaction of quinolyl enolonium intermediates generated from Brønsted acid-catalyzed addition of quinoline N-oxides to ynamides. Various quinoline N-oxides and terminal ynamides prove to be suitable substrates for this method. A one-pot protocol was then developed for the metal-free direct C8-H functionalization of quinolines.

Simultaneous Quantification of Four Ginsenosides in Rat Plasma and Its Application to a Comparative Pharmacokinetic Study in Normal and Depression Rats Using UHPLC-MS/MS.

A sensitive method has been developed for simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Rh1 (G-Rh1), ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1), ginsenoside Rc (G-Rc), and ginsenoside Rd (G-Rd) in rat plasma of normal and depression model group after oral administration of their solutions by using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-QQQ-MS). The biological samples were prepared by protein precipitation. Ginsenoside Rg3 (G-Rg3) was used as an internal standard (IS). MS analysis was performed under the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) with electron spray ionization (ESI) operated in the negative mode. The method showed good linearity over a wide concentration range (R 2 > 0.999) and obtained lower limits of quantification (LLOQ) of 5 ng/mL. The whole analysis procedure could be completed in as short as 16.5 min. The intraday precisions, interday precisions, and stabilities were less than 10%. The extraction recoveries from rat plasma were exceeded 86.0%. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the two groups on pharmacokinetics parameters; the absorptions of four analytes in the depression group were higher than those in the normal group because the liver metabolism and internal environment of the model rats had been affected.

Wavelength-tunable passively mode-locked mid-infrared Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser.

A passively mode-locked Er3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser around 3 µm with a wide wavelength tuning range is proposed and demonstrated. The laser cavity was comprised of a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror and a blazed grating to provide a wavelength tunable feedback. The central wavelength of the mode-locked fiber laser can be continuously tuned from 2710 to 2820 nm. The pulse train had a maximum average power of higher than 203 mW, a repetition rate of 28.9 MHz and a pulse duration of 6.4 ps, yielding a peak power of exceeding 1.1 kW. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a wavelength-tunable passively mode-locked mid-infrared fiber laser at 3 µm.

Exploration of Elite Stilbene Synthase Alleles for Resveratrol Concentration in Wild Chinese Vitis spp. and Vitis Cultivars.

Resveratrol contributes to a plant's tolerance of various abiotic and biotic stresses and is highly beneficial to human health. A search for elite alleles affecting resveratrol production was undertaken to find useful grapevine germplasm resources. Resveratrol levels in both berry skins and leaves were determined in 95 grapevine accessions (including 50 wild Chinese grapevine accessions and 45 cultivars) during two consecutive years. Resveratrol contents were higher in berry skins than in leaves and in wild Chinese grapevines than in grapevine cultivars. Using genotyping data, 79 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers linked to 44 stilbene synthase (STS) genes were detected in the 95 accessions, identifying 40 SSR markers with higher polymorphisms. Eight SSR marker loci, encompassing 19 alleles, were significantly associated with resveratrol content on (P < 0.001), and 5 SSR loci showed repeated associations. Locus Sh5 had four associations: three positive for allele 232 (including leaves in the 2 years) and one negative for allele 236 in four environments. Loci Sh9 and Sh56 for a total of 7 alleles exhibited positive effects in berry skins in the 2 years. In berry skins, locus Sh56 with positive effects was closely linked to VvSTS27, and locus Sh77 with negative effects to VvSTS17, importantly, the two candidate genes both were located on Chromosome 16. The SSR marker loci and candidate genes identified in this study will provide a useful basis for future molecular breeding for increased production of natural resveratrol and its derivatives.

Super-flat supercontinuum generation from a Tm-doped fiber amplifier.

Super-flat supercontinua are generated from a double clad Tm-doped fiber amplifier. Two different laser configurations are investigated and compared. In the direct-output configuration, the long-wavelength edge of the supercontinuum spectra is extended to beyond 2.65 µm with a 10 dB bandwidth of 740 nm. In the passive pigtail configuration, the generated supercontinuum features excellent flatness with an intensity difference smaller than 1 dB in the wide central spectral range from 1.98 µm to 2.41 µm.

Watt-level passively Q-switched heavily Er(3+)-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror.

A diode-cladding pumped mid-infrared passively Q-switched Er(3+)-doped ZBLAN fiber laser with an average output power of watt-level based on a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) is demonstrated. Stable pulse train was produced at a slope efficiency of 17.8% with respect to launched pump power. The maximum average power of 1.01 W at a repetition rate of 146.3 kHz was achieved with a corresponding pulse energy of 6.9 µJ, from which the maximum peak power was calculated to be 21.9 W. To the best of our knowledge, the average power and the peak power are the highest in 3 µm region passively Q-switched fiber lasers. The influence of gain fiber length on the operation regime of the fiber laser has been investigated in detail.