Tuning the Electromechanical Properties of Single DNA Molecular Junctions

Understanding the interplay between the electrical and mechanical properties of DNA molecules is important for the design and characterization of molecular electronic devices, as well as understanding the role of charge transport in biological functions. However, to date, force-induced melting has limited our ability to investigate the response of DNA molecular conductance to stretching. Here we present a new molecule–electrode linker based on a hairpin-like design, which prevents force-induced melting at the end of single DNA molecules during stretching by stretching both strands of the duplex evenly. We find that the new linker group gives larger conductance than previously measured DNA–electrode linkers, which attach to the end of one strand of the duplex. In addition to changing the conductance the new linker also stabilizes the molecule during stretching, increasing the length a single DNA molecule can be stretched before an abrupt decrease in conductance. Fitting these electromechanical properties to a spring model, we show that distortion is more evenly distributed across the single DNA molecule during stretching, and thus the electromechanical effects of the π–π coupling between neighboring bases is measured

Analysis of mortality rates among HIV/AIDS patients with different types of opportunistic infections.

Abbreviations: Mtb, mycobacterium tuberculosis; T. pallidum, Treponema pallidum.</p

Disease spectrum among HIV/AIDS patients with <i>T</i>. <i>marneffei</i> infection during three consecutive hospital admissions.

Disease spectrum among HIV/AIDS patients with T. marneffei infection during three consecutive hospital admissions.</p

Analysis of hospitalization among HIV infection without/with <i>T</i>. <i>marneffei</i> infection at 1–4 admissions.

Analysis of hospitalization among HIV infection without/with T. marneffei infection at 1–4 admissions.</p

Kaplan–Meier analysis of cumulative mortality among HIV/AIDS patients with and without <i>T</i>. <i>marneffei</i> infection.

(A). First admission to hospital. (B). Second admission to hospital. (C). Third admission to hospital. (D). Fourth admission to hospital. (E). Survival curve for the first to fourth hospital admission in HIV/AIDS patients with T. marneffei infection. Statistical significance was measured by the log-rank test.</p

Laboratory test results among HIV/AIDS patients with <i>T</i>. <i>marneffei</i> infection for the first hospital admission.

Laboratory test results among HIV/AIDS patients with T. marneffei infection for the first hospital admission.</p

Disease spectrum among HIV/AIDS patients with non-<i>T</i>. <i>marneffei</i> infection during three consecutive hospital admissions.

Disease spectrum among HIV/AIDS patients with non-T. marneffei infection during three consecutive hospital admissions.</p

Forest plot showing results of logistics analysis on factors influencing hospital readmission of talaromycosis patients for the first admission.

(A). No variables were adjusted, model χ2 = 57.921, p2 = 2.268, p = 0.994. (B). Adjusted for demography, ART, and opportunistic infections, including Mtb, Candida, pneumocystis, hepatitis (B or C), herpesvirus, cryptococcus, T. pallidum, cytomegalovirus, model χ2 = 29.994, p2 p = 1.000.</p

Analysis of hospital readmission rates among HIV/AIDS patients with different types of opportunistic infections.

Abbreviations: Mtb, mycobacterium tuberculosis; T. pallidum, Treponema pallidum.</p

Disease spectrum among HIV/AIDS patients with <i>T</i>. <i>marneffei</i> infection at the first hospital admission.

Disease spectrum among HIV/AIDS patients with T. marneffei infection at the first hospital admission.</p