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We investigated the bonding mechanism of single-layered Cu2O nanospheres (NSs) on Cu thin films. When near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses were focused and irradiated on the Cu2O NS films containing the NSs and reducing agents on Cu thin film-coated Si substrates, single-layered NSs were bonded just above the substrates after rinsing the non-bonded NSs. The minimum pulse energy for the single bonding on the Cu thin film-coated Si substrates was smaller than that on Si substrates. The electromagnetic enhancement was calculated between the Cu2O NSs and Cu thin films by simulating the finite element method. The enhancement was estimated using a transverse mode of the linear polarization of the incident femtosecond laser pulses. The experimental and simulation results indicated that the single-layered NSs were bonded on the Cu thin films by femtosecond laser pulse-induced local heating and melting due to the localized plasmon enhancement between the Cu2O NSs and substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence and co-circulation of two different clades (clade 1 and 2) of H5N1 influenza viruses in Vietnam necessitates the availability of a diagnostic assay that can detect both variants. Results: We developed a single real-time RT-PCR assay for detection of both clades of H5N1 viruses, directly from clinical specimens, using locked nucleic acid TaqMan probes. Primers and probe used in this assay were designed based on a highly conserved region in the HA gene of H5N1 viruses. The analytical sensitivity of the assay was < 0.5 PFU and 10 - 100 ssDNA plasmid copies. A total of 106 clinical samples (58 from patients infected with clade 1, 2.1 or 2.3 H5N1 viruses and 48 from uninfected or seasonal influenza A virus-infected individuals) were tested by the assay. The assay showed 97% concordance with initial diagnostics for H5 influenza virus infection with a specificity of 100%. Conclusions: This assay is a useful tool for diagnosis of H5N1 virus infections in regions where different genetic clades are co-circulating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]