Introducing an increasing number of evenly distributed pm in the target had a negative effect on hybridization, as reflected in decreasing MFI; see Figure 2A 12-nt, one 7-nt and four 5-nt matching regions) still hybridized at 68% (MFI 4496, 45 C, Figure 2A ) and 71% (MFI 4001, 55 C, Figure 2B ) of the total MFI (i.e. of the MFI of the perfectly matching InflA target/InflA probe: MFI 6604, 45 C, Figure 2A ; and MFI 5657, 55 C, Figure 2B ) while the 15 pm target (containing one 6 nt, four 5 nt, and two 4 nt matching regions) hybridized at 13% (MFI 854, 45 C) and 1% (MFI 54, 55 C) of the total MFI. The InflA probe failed to hybridize with the 16-pm target (containing one 6-nt, three 5-nt, and two 4-nt matching regions) at either temperature, providing MFI values that were 6% (MFI 403, 45 C) and 0.5% (MFI 29, 55 C) of the total MFI.