Sensitivity analysis of thin-film thickness measurement by vertical scanning white-light interferometry.

The spectral nonlinear phase method and the Fourier amplitude method have been applied to measure the thin-film thickness profile in vertical scanning white-light interferometry (VSWLI). However, both the methods have their disadvantages, and accordingly their applications are limited. In the paper we have investigated the dependence of the sensitivities of both the methods on the thin-film thickness and refractive index, the objective numerical aperture, and the incident light spectral range of VSWLI.

Individualized leukemia cell-population profiles in common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Immunophenotype is critical for diagnosing common B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (common ALL) and detecting minimal residual disease. We developed a protocol to explore the immunophenotypic profiles of common ALL based on the expression levels of the antigens associated with B lymphoid development, including IL-7Rα (CD127), cytoplasmic CD79a (cCD79a), CD19, VpreB (CD179a), and sIgM, which are successive and essential for progression of B cells along their developmental pathway. Analysis of the immunophenotypes of 48 common ALL cases showed that the immunophenotypic patterns were highly heterogeneous, with the leukemic cell population differing from case to case.

Achromatic phase shifter with eight times magnification of rotation angle in low coherence interference microscopy.

An achromatic phase shifter with a rotating half-wave plate (HWP) used at the input and output of the low coherence interference microscopy is presented. This novel achromatic phase-shifter configuration is first investigated, and then its performances are compared with those of traditional phase shifters theoretically by means of Jones matrices. It is evident that the achromatism and the variation of the amplitude ratio of the proposed achromatic phase-shifter configuration is much better than other traditional phase-shifter configurations, and it can provide a phase shift of eight times the rotation angle of the HWP, which is the largest magnification achieved by far.

[Relationship between the R219K polymorphism of ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 gene and coronary heart disease].

To study the distribution of R219K polymorphism in ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter 1 (ABCA1) gene in Chinese Han population and the association of this polymorphism with coronary heart disease (CHD) . Genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP approach in 417 unrelated healthy controls and 396 CHD patients. The frequencies of K allele and KK genotype for controls (0.

Screening for ZNF230 gene mutation and analysis of its correlation with azoospermia.

Objective: To investigate the possible association between ZNF230 gene and azoospermia.

Methods: Screening for mutation of all 6 exons of ZNF230 gene was performed by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography(DHPLC) in 99 patients with azoospermia and in 115 healthy men as controls.

Results: An A-->G transition at nucleotide 316 in exon 6 was identified.