Interrogation of Ultra-weak FBG Array using Double-pulse and Heterodyne Detection

A high performance interrogation method for ultra-weak FBG (UWFBG) using double-pulse and heterodyne detection method is proposed. The perturbation along the UWFBG array is located quickly through the use of double-pulsed optical input waveform. Then the perturbation of fiber is quantified precisely by demodulating the phase of differential signals from a heterodyne configuration. The efficiency of measuring the perturbation is improved by more than 20 times than that of using single probe pulse. In comparison with conventional Rayleigh scattering based approach, the proposed method is supreme in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), approximately 18 dB higher. The use of differential signaling method can effectively remove the influence from frequency drift of the laser source, making this proposed method capable of measuring low frequency vibration. In our experiment, perturbations with both sinusoidal and triangle waveform were generated to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The minimum detectable fiber length variation is 14.85 nm, and the sensing frequency can be as low as 0.2 Hz

Evaluation of an identification method for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant based on the amplification-refractory mutation system

The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 dominated the COVID-19 pandemic due to its high viral replication capacity and immune evasion, causing massive outbreaks of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Currently, variant identification is performed mainly by sequencing. However, the high requirements for equipment and operators as well as its high cost have limited its application in underdeveloped regions. To achieve an economical and rapid method of variant identification suitable for undeveloped areas, we applied an amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS) based on PCR for the detection of novel coronavirus variants. The results showed that this method could be finished in 90 min and detect as few as 500 copies/mL and not react with SARS-Coronavirus, influenza A H1N1(2009), and other cross-pathogens or be influenced by fresh human blood, α- interferon, and other interfering substances. In a set of double-blind trials, tests of 262 samples obtained from patients confirmed with Delta variant infection revealed that our method was able to accurately identify the Delta variant with high sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, the ARMS-PCR method applied in Delta variant identification is rapid, sensitive, specific, economical, and suitable for undeveloped areas. In our future study, ARMS-PCR will be further applied in the identification of other variants, such as Omicron

Mesozoic high-Mg andesites from the Daohugou area, Inner Mongolia: Upper-crustal fractional crystallization of parental melt derived from metasomatized lithospheric mantle wedge

Mineral chemistry, major- and trace-element data, zircon U–Pb ages, and Sr–Nd isotopic data are presented for a suite of volcanic rocks from the Daohugou area, Ningcheng City, Inner Mongolia, on the northern margin of the North China Craton. Samples from the suite are of basaltic andesite to rhyolite in composition, with the rocks containing <60 wt% SiO2 have high MgO, Cr, and Ni contents, and classify as high-Mg andesites (HMAs). Zircons from a rhyolite yielded weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 164 ± 1 Ma, indicating that the Daohugou volcanic suite is coeval with the Tiaojishan Formation of northern Hebei and western Liaoning Province. The HMAs have similar enriched-mantle I (EMI)-type isotopic compositions to each other, with low εNd (t) values, moderate (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios, enrichment in LREEs relative to LILEs, and depletion in HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti), indicating formation through protracted fractional crystallization of a common parental magma. The unusually low CaO contents and CaO/FeO ratios of olivine phenocrysts in the HMAs suggest that the parental melt was subduction-related. The results of Rhyolite-MELTS modelling indicates that HMAs may form through upper-crustal fractional crystallization from arc basalts. Therefore, the Daohugou HMAs were most likely formed through fractional crystallization of a parental melt derived from metasomatized lithospheric mantle at crustal depths. The addition of “water” to the cratonic keel may have played a key role in the destruction of the North China Craton

A Micro Absolute Distance Measurement Method Based on Dispersion Compensated Polarized Low-Coherence Interferometry

Micro absolute distance measurement (MADM) is widely used in industrial and military fields. To achieve high accuracy and frequency response, a polarized low-coherence interferometry (PLCI)-based method for MADM is proposed. The nearly linear relationship between the envelope center and m-order PLCI fringe (PLCIF) peak center is found and verified. Dispersion compensation is achieved by fringe peak position estimation and polynomial fitting to get rid of the dependence on an a priori model and birefringence parameters, and make this method very robust. Meanwhile, the zero-order PLCIF center is estimated and located to demodulate the measured displacement. Then, the measurement accuracy is raised by polynomial fittings. In comparison to conventional methods, the proposed method can effectively avoid jump errors and has a higher accuracy. Experimental results indicate that the measurement accuracy is higher than 19.51 nm, the resolution is better than 2 nm, and its processing data rate can reach 35 kHz

Investigation of a Signal Demodulation Method based on Wavelet Transformation for OFDR to Enhance Its Distributed Sensing Performance

Optical fiber distributed sensing that is based on optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) is a promising technology for achieving a highest spatial resolution downwards to several millimeters. An OFDR signal demodulation method that is based on Morlet wavelet transformation (WT) is demonstrated in detail to improve the resolution of distributed sensing physical quantity under a high spatial resolution, aiming at the trade-off between spatial and spectrum resolution. The spectrum resolution, spatial interval of the measured gauges, and spatial resolution can be manually controlled by adjusting the wavelet parameters. The experimental results that were achieved by the wavelet transformation (WT) method are compared with these by short time Fourier transformation (STFT) method and they indicate that significant improvements, such as strain resolution of 1 &mu;&epsilon;, spatial resolution of 5 mm, average repeatability of 4.3 &mu;&epsilon;, and stability of 7.3 &mu;&epsilon; within one hour, have been achieved. The advantages of this method are high spatial and spectral resolution, robust, and applicability with current OFDR systems

Uridine modulates monoclonal antibody charge heterogeneity in Chinese hamster ovary cell fed-batch cultures

Abstract Background Charge heterogeneity is one of the most critical quality attributes of antibodies, which has strong influence on drug’s biological activity and safety. Finding out the key components that affecting charge variants is of great significance for establishing a competitive culture process. In this study, we first illustrated uridine’s great impacts on antibody charge heterogeneity in CHO cell fed-batch cultures. Results Uridine was beneficial to cell growth and the maintenance of cell viability, which made IVCC increased by 50% and the final titer improved by 64%. However, uridine had great influences on mAb’s charge variants. In uridine added cultures, the acidic variant levels were about 9% lower than those in control cultures, while the basic variant levels were about 6% higher than those in control cultures. Further investigation found that the decrease of aggregates and glycated forms were responsible for the reduction of acidic variants. What’s more, uridine decreased the lysine variant levels. Conclusions Uridine’s addition to fed-batch promoted cell growth and the final titer, in the meanwhile, uridine decreased the acidic variants dramatically. Therefore, feeding uridine is an efficient way to control the generation of acidic charge variants in up-stream process. These findings provide new ideas and guidance for the control and optimization of antibody charge heterogeneity in culture process developments

Label-Free Microchannel Immunosensor Based on Antibody–Antigen Biorecognition-Induced Charge Quenching

Pursuing convenient operations and precise testing have become an urgent requirement in clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Label-free detection is desirable for obviating the labeling process while maintaining high sensitivity and efficiency. Here, we used the dual properties of highly selective antibody–antigen recognition and potential signaling of biomolecules to construct a label-free electroosmotic flow-driven microchannel (LF-EMB) biosensor based on an antibody–antigen biorecognition-induced charge quenching theory proposed herein. The LF-EMB consists of a one-step immune-reaction, one-button portable device, and supporting microfluidic chip, providing a high-powered tool for rapid on-site testing. The LF-EMB quantified interleukin-6 and kanamycin levels down to 1 pg/mL and 5 pg/mL, respectively, with the whole analysis completed within 35 min. The outstanding sensitivity and detection speed of the constructed LF-EMB provide a convenient option for the quantitative detection of inflammatory markers and antibiotics

Dermal mesenchymal stem cells: a resource of migration-associated function in psoriasis?

Abstract Background Psoriasis is a chronic and systemic, immune-mediated, inflammatory disease. Mesenchymal stem cells have effects on the inflammatory microenvironment, including regulating the proliferation, differentiation, recruitment, and migration of immunocytes. Methods To investigate whether dermal mesenchymal stem cells (DMSCs) may act on migration of immunocytes in psoriasis patients, 22 patients with psoriasis and 22 matching healthy controls (age and sex in this study) were recruited. Seven migration-associated genes including chemokine like receptor-1 (CMKLR-1), collagen type VIII alpha1 (COL8A-1), neuropilin and tolloid-like 2 (NETO-2), nik-related kinase (NRK), secreted frizzled-related protein (SFRP), sulfate 6-O-endosulfatase 2 (SULF-2), and synaptotagmin-like protein 2 (SYTL-2) were analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR and western blot. Peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (PBMCs) migration to MSCs was measured using a Thanswell chamber system. Results We observed the upregulation of CMKLR-1, COL8A-1, NETO-2, NRK, SYTL-2, and SULF-2 in dermal mesenchymal stem cells derived from patients with psoriasis at both mRNA and protein level, however, a significant downregulation of SFRP-2 between two groups. By contrast, there were no significant between-group differences at the mRNA and protein expression level of NETO-2 and SULF-2. The migration assay showed that in vitro the normal PBMC migration to psoriatic DMSC group was a 6.3 ± 0.7-fold increase compared with the control group. Conclusions The results may suggest a potential pathogenetic involvement of DMSCs on migration of monocytes in psoriasis. Immune responses are regulated at the level of DMSCs, which probably represent the cells primarily involved in the “psoriatic march.

Variation at ACOT12 and CT62 locus represents susceptibility to psoriasis in Han population

Abstract Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the skin, and genetic factors are reported to be involved in the disease pathogenesis. Many studies have named psoriasis candidate genes. Objective In this study, we determined the mutation frequency of 7 variable genes in 1,027 psoriatic patients and investigated its possible mechanism associated with psoriasis. Method A total of 7 variable genes from 1,027 psoriatic patients were amplified and sequenced using the Sanger method. The mutation frequency was compared to that of non‐psoriatic individuals in Asia using information from databases. Results Among the 7 investigated genes, the mutation frequency of ACOT12 (c.80A>G, 9.98% vs. 5.85%, p T,15.8% vs. 9.93%, p G), SPRED1(c.155A>G), and ACOT12 (c.80A>G) differed significantly between the groups organized by medical history, PASI, and family history. SPRED1 gene variants (17.25% vs. 7.78%, p < .01) showed a stronger association with the family history group at the onset of psoriasis than with the no family history group. Conclusions Our results provide a comprehensive correlation analysis of susceptibility genes in psoriasis patients. Clinical characteristics of patients play important roles in the development of psoriatic skin