Abstract: A method for assessing microbial drug resistance multi-level risks of antibiotic residues in water environments, belonging to the technical field of water environment assessment, comprises the following steps: S1, environment monitoring; S2, preliminary screening of antibiotics: S2-1, determination of n-octanol/water partition coefficient, and S2-2, determination of antibiotic environment concentration; S3, assessment of microbial drug resistance; and S4, high-level assessment. The assessment method of the present disclosure conducts a step-by-step assessment of target antibiotics or target antibiotic derivatives in water environment with risks.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for preparation of a nucleic acid library. In some embodiments, the nucleic acids comprise cell-free DNA, including cfDNA that is in need of analysis, such as by sequencing. The methods may comprise restriction enzyme digestion, adapter ligation, and subsequent amplification, and may provide improved approaches for reducing the number adapter dimers produced during the process. In an aspect, a method for preparing a library of nucleic acids may comprise: digesting DNA molecules with restriction enzymes to produce DNA fragments; ligating adapters to the DNA fragments by incubating with ligase to produce a mixture of adapter-ligated DNA fragments and adapter dimers; amplifying the adapter-ligated DNA fragments to produce amplified adapter-ligated DNA fragments; and reducing the quantity of the adapter dimers by differentiating between the junction between an adapter and a DNA fragment, and the junction between an adapter and another adapter.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns embodiments related to methods of enriching particular DNA for analysis of methylation status and/or profiles, for example in the process of diagnosis of cancer. In particular embodiments, the methods utilize cell-free DNA as a source of DNA instead of genomic DNA and allow for focused enrichment of fragments having two or more enzyme digestion sites and containing at least one CpG site.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for detecting or inferring levels of Copy Number Variants (CNVs) in cell-free nucleic acid samples to detect or assess cancer and prenatal diseases. Cell-free nucleic acid methylation sequencing data may be utilized to distinguish tumor-derived or fetal-derived sequencing reads from normal cfDNA sequencing reads. Each cell-free nucleic acid sequencing read (e.g., containing tumor or fetal methylation markers) may be classified as corresponding to a tumor/fetal-derived or a normal-plasma cell-free nucleic acid, based on the methylation cfDNA sequencing data (e.g., obtained using Bisulfite sequencing or bisulfite-free sequencing methods) and tumor/fetal methylation markers. Next, a profile of the tumor/fetal-derived sequencing read counts may be constructed and then normalized. The CNV status (e.g., gain or loss) of each genomic region may be inferred, and a diagnosis or prognosis can be made based on a subjects inferred CNV profile.

Abstract: The present invention teaches how to change the skin color perception, mainly the facial color from red, blue or yellow to white appearance, using quantum and optical principles. By selecting the right size and material of particles compounded in cosmetic preparations and applying the preparations to the skin, the scattering and/or emission from micro- and nanoparticles can provide a complementary color or in proximity to that complementary color of the skin color. The mixture of the color provided by the particles and the reflected color from the skin will whiten the skin or make inconspicuous of the hyperchromic portion of the skin. The invention can also be used for other applications in which the particles can be applied to a surface or blended into a material, such as, for example, automobile paint, house paint, glass color and nail polish.

Abstract: An optical technique to improve the imaging of a target inside suspensions of scattering particles includes the illumination of the scattering particles with circularly polarized light. The backscattered light from the host medium preserves the helicity of incident light, while the backscattered light reflected from the target is predominated with light of opposite helicity. Based on the observed helicity difference in the emerging light that originated at the target and that backscattered from the medium, the present optical technique improves the image contrast using circular polarization. This approach makes use of polarization memory which leads to the reflected light from the target accompanied by weak diffusive backscattered light. Using the present technique, improved imaging of the artery wall is achieved and plaque composition can be assessed through a blood field associated with the artery.

Abstract: A transporting platform and a transporting module composed of plurality of transporting platforms, for stacking non-standard containers on standard containers or standardized transporting equipment. The transporting platform includes a pair of transverse beams and a pair of longitudinal beams arranged between the transverse beams. Each of the transverse beams includes: at least one top fitting, arranged on the upper part of the transverse beam for fitting the bottom corner fitting of the non-standard container; and a pair of bottom corner fittings, arranged on the lower part of the transverse beam, and having a center distance therebetween corresponding to the center distance between the corner fittings along the width direction of the standard container.

Abstract: The present invention teaches how to change the skin color perception, mainly the facial color from red, blue or yellow to white appearance, using quantum and optical principles. By selecting the right size and material of particles compounded in cosmetic preparations and applying the preparations to the skin, the scattering and/or emission from micro- and nanoparticles can provide a complementary color or in proximity to that complementary color of the skin color. The mixture of the color provided by the particles and the reflected color from the skin will whiten the skin or make inconspicuous of the hyperchromic portion of the skin. The invention can also be used for other applications in which the particles can be applied to a surface or blended into a material, such as, for example, automobile paint, house paint, glass color and nail polish.

Abstract: An optical technique to improve the imaging of a target inside suspensions of scattering particles includes the illumination of the scattering particles with circularly polarized light. The backscattered light from the host medium preserves the helicity of incident light, while the backscattered light reflected from the target is predominated with light of opposite helicity. Based on the observed helicity difference in the emerging light that originated at the target and that backscattered from the medium, the present optical technique improves the image contrast using circular polarization. This approach makes use of polarization memory which leads to the reflected light from the target accompanied by weak diffusive backscattered light. Using the present technique, improved imaging of the artery wall is achieved and plaque composition can be assessed through a blood field associated with the artery.