High Sensitive Electrochemical Detection of Sequence‐Specific DNA Using Low Current Voltammetry

In this article, we report on efforts to construct a high sensitive electrochemical sensor with immobilized sandwich‐type DNA borne ferrocene (Fc) head for sequence‐specific DNA detection using ultramicroelectrode and low current voltammetry. Based on the difference in deformability between the bending rigid complementary DNA double helix and its anomalous flexile mismatches, the fully complementary target can be distinguished from mismatched targets including the single‐base mismatched target. Detection limit estimated as the amount of DNA is observed to be 100 fM via low current voltammetry. The method offers great promise of high sensitivity and selectivity simultaneously for effective gene identification.     

A convenient guideline to determine if two Y‐STR profiles are from the same lineage

Y chromosome STR loci are used in forensics primarily for identification purposes by determining the male lineages. The Henan province in China has established a large Y‐STR (>200 000 profiles) database for criminal investigations. A large proportion of the Y‐STR profiles in the database were generated using either the Applied Biosystems Yfiler^? or Yfiler^? Plus PCR Amplification kits. The additional loci in the Yfiler Plus kit as compared to the Yfiler kit results in a concomitant cumulative mutation rate increase across the loci. Therefore, in those cases when two profiles have one to a few mismatched loci, it is difficult to determine if they are from the same lineage. In this study, 7405 unrelated male profiles were manually selected from the database. Analysis showed higher power of discrimination than the corresponding Yfiler haplotypes. Further, the distributions of the number of mismatched loci and the mismatched steps were generated for father‐son, grandfather‐grandson, uncle‐nephew, and cousins (i.e. one, two, three, and four meioses, respectively) by exhaustive pairwise comparison of the unrelated profiles using a dynamic programming approach. The same distributions were generated for unrelated pairs with mutation rates of the loci. With the distributions, the false negative and false positive rates were determined. Two Yfiler profiles with ≤2 mismatched loci or ≤2 steps are more likely from the same lineage than unrelated lineages, and two Yfiler Plus profiles with ≤4 mismatched loci or ≤5 mismatched steps are more likely from the same lineage.     

Local mismatch and noise investigation for pre and post multilayer pHEMTs

The key objective of this study is to investigate the local mismatch of pre and post multilayer structure on the active devices. Five pre and post multilayer structure pHEMTs on the same wafer within the same cell between adjacent devices are considered. As the study of local mismatch ensures good yields and a way to gain insights about the technology various comparisons are made including the effects of multilayer structuring. The threshold voltage, built-in potential and the net doping concentration of the 2-DEG of the devices are extracted through capacitance-voltage data. The underlying electrical parameter of the transistors as well as the RF figure of merit has been analyzed. The microwave noise related parameters namely minimum noise figure, associate gain, noise resistance, magnitude of the optimum reflection are also discussed and investigated. Centre-to-edge mismatch results in minor variation in performance between devices. These studies would help within the advancement of solid, proficient and low cost generation of future compact structure in 3-D multilayer MMICs.     

MASS-RAB: Robust adaptive beamforming for general-rank signal models via matched spatial spectrum processing

The wavefront of acoustic signal suffers from fast fluctuation after a long distance propagation in a random and inhomogeneous ocean channel, which makes the rank of the covariance matrix for the desired signal (signal of interest) remarkably higher than one. Consequently, the assumption of rank-one point signal model for existing adaptive beamforming algorithms is no longer suitable. In this paper, a matched spatial spectrum processing based robust adaptive beamforming (MASS-RAB) algorithm is presented for general-rank signal models. First, the interference-plus-noise covariance matrix and the desired signal covariance matrix are reconstructed using the matched spatial spectrum processing method. Second, the weight vector is directly calculated using these reconstructed covariance matrices for the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) algorithm, which is developed for the general-rank signal models. Due to covariance matrix reconstruction, the MASS-RAB algorithm is more robust than those methods relying on the sample covariance matrix. The cases of the rank-one point signal model and the full-rank non-point signal model are considered by several numerical examples. Experimental results have demonstrated the superiority of the proposed MASS-RAB method.     

错配杂交化学发光法检测细胞色素P4501A1基因多态性

建立一种检测细胞色素P4501A1基因多态性的新方法。针对每个多态位点设计两根寡核苷酸探针，两根探针的区别仅在于突变位点处一个碱基。每个样品分别与两根探针进行杂交，采用化学发光法检测杂交体，通过两根探针的杂交信号强度之比确定基因型。与参考方法比较，该法具有快速、简便、费用低廉等优点。     

From coherent to incoherent mismatched interfaces: A generalized continuum formulation of surface stresses

The equilibrium of coherent and incoherent mismatched interfaces is reformulated in the context of continuum mechanics based on the Gibbs dividing surface concept. Two surface stresses are introduced: a coherent surface stress and an incoherent surface stress, as well as a transverse excess strain. The coherent surface stress and the transverse excess strain represent the thermodynamic driving forces of stretching the interface while the incoherent surface stress represents the driving force of stretching one crystal while holding the other fixed and thereby altering the structure of the interface. These three quantities fully characterize the elastic behavior of coherent and incoherent interfaces as a function of the in-plane strain, the transverse stress and the mismatch strain. The isotropic case is developed in detail and particular attention is paid to the case of interfacial thermo-elasticity. This exercise provides an insight on the physical significance of the interfacial elastic constants introduced in the formulation and illustrates the obvious coupling between the interface structure and its associated thermodynamics quantities. Finally, an example based on atomistic simulations of Cu/Cu₂O interfaces is given to demonstrate the relevance of the generalized interfacial formulation and to emphasize the dependence of the interfacial thermodynamic quantities on the incoherency strain with an actual material system.     

Coupling Electrochemical Adsorption and Long‐range Electron Transfer: Label‐free DNA Mismatch Detection with Ultramicroelectrode (UME)

A new electrochemical hybridization transduction pathway, obtained by coupling electrochemical adsorption and long‐range electron transfer through double‐stranded DNA, was investigated using ultramicroelectrode (UME). The results show that long‐range electron transfer does not occurs exclusively throws well‐packed and organized self‐assembled DNA monolayers. This approach is used to investigate long‐range electron transfer properties of both single‐ and double‐ stranded short synthetic DNA and DNA plasmids. Single mismatch electrochemical detection protocol of non‐labelled short synthetic DNA, without heating or probe labelling, in a 10 minutes protocol, was in fine performed.     

寡聚酰胺为探针的电化学DNA生物传感器

DNA分子中的碱基对可以长程传递电荷, DNA分子中的碱基π堆积结构为电荷的长程传递提供了良好的通道. 电荷在DNA分子中的传递受碱基序列的影响, 利用这种性质可以构建DNA碱基错配检测的电化学传感器. 寡聚酰胺能和DNA以小沟绑定方式高亲和力地结合, 并且具有序列识别功能, 本文以带有硝基官能团的寡聚酰胺分子为电化学探针, 设计了电化学DNA生物传感器. 结果显示, 寡聚酰胺与DNA修饰电极作用后, 电化学响应显著增强, 并且可以作为检测DNA碱基错配的电化学探针分子.     

Human Y-chromosome haplotyping by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction

We describe the application of allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) for screening biallelic markers, including SNPs, within the nonrecombining region of the human Y-chromosome (NRY). The AS-PCR method is based on the concept that the perfectly annealed primer-template complex is more stable, and therefore, more efficiently amplified under the appropriate annealing temperature than the complex with a mismatched 3'-residue. Furthermore, a mismatched nucleotide at the primer's 3'-OH end provides for a poor extension substrate for Taq DNA polymerase, allowing for discrimination between the two alleles. This method has the dual advantage of amplification and detection of alleles in a single expeditious and inexpensive procedure. The amplification conditions of over 50 binary markers, mostly SNPs, that define the major Y-haplogroups as well as their derived lineages were optimized and are provided for the first time. In addition, artificial restriction sites were designed for those markers that are not selectively amplified by AS-PCR. Our results are consistent with allele designations derived from other techniques such as RFLP and direct sequencing of PCR products.