Hotspots of nitrogen losses from anthropogenic sources in the Huang-Huai-Hai Basin, China.

Poor management of nitrogen (N) can lead to serious environmental problems, such as air and water pollution. The accurate identification of priority control areas and emission sources is critical for making effective decisions regarding sustainable N management. This study aimed to identify hotspots for N losses and quantitatively analyze the relative contributions of different emission sources in the Huang-Huai-Hai Basin at the county scale.

Less-invasive chromosome screening of embryos and embryo assessment by genetic studies of DNA in embryo culture medium.

Purpose: To perform a preliminary exploration of a new embryo rank in clinical practice by combining the embryo chromosome copy number and mitochondrial copy number analysis of DNA extracted from embryo culture medium and blastocoel fluid.

Method: Eighty-three ICSI embryos from day 2 or day 3 were cultured to day 5 or day 6. Thirty-two blastocysts of 3 cc or above were obtained.

Screening of the binding of small molecules to proteins by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry combined with protein microarray.

The interaction between bioactive small molecule ligands and proteins is one of the important research areas in proteomics. Herein, a simple and rapid method is established to screen small ligands that bind to proteins. We designed an agarose slide to immobilize different proteins.

Aggregation-induced emission compounds as new assisted matrices for laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Here, N,N'-bis(4-hydroxylsalicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine (BSPD-OH), N,N'-bis(4-methoxylsalicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine (BSPD-OMe) and N,N'-bis(salicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine (BSPD), which belong to the same category of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) compounds based on Schiff base reactions, were synthesized and applied as new matrices in the analysis of small molecules by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). This type of AIE compounds can be good MALDI matrices. Conventional organic matrices often produce large amounts of matrix ions, hindering the analysis of low molecular weight (LMW) compounds.

A visual sensor array for pattern recognition analysis of proteins using novel blue-emitting fluorescent gold nanoclusters.

This paper describes a visual sensor array for pattern recognition analysis of proteins based on two different optical signal changes: colorimetric and fluorometric, by using two types of novel blue-emitting collagen protected gold nanoclusters and macerozyme R-10 protected gold nanoclusters with lower synthetic demands. Eight proteins have been well-discriminated by this visual sensor array, and protein mixtures after one-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis also could be well-discriminated. The possible mechanism of this sensor array was illustrated and validated by fluorescence spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), fluorescence lifetime, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) experiments.

High-throughput detection of drugs binding to proteins using desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

In this paper, we present a strategy for screening drugs that bind to proteins by combining centrifugal filtration with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS). Membrane filtration was used to remove any unbound drugs. Then, drug-protein complexes deposited on the DESI substrate were dissociated during the DESI-MS analytical process, and the liberated drugs were measured.