Surface-Coated Acupuncture Needles as Solid-Phase Microextraction Probes for In Vivo Analysis of Bioactive Molecules in Living Plants by Mass Spectrometry.

In this work, we report the coupling of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) enabled by surface-coated acupuncture needles with nano-electrospray mass spectrometry (nanoESI-MS) for the analysis of bioactive molecules in living plants. The needle tip was oxidized by a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution and then subject to surface coating via carbonization of paraffin. A combination of oxidation and surface coating resulted in a thin coating of carbon film, whereby the significantly increased surface area promoted both analyte enrichment and ionization for MS analysis.

Determination of testosterone in serum by magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer-coupled nano-ESI-MS.

Monitoring clinical biomarkers, such as testosterone in serum, is important for disease assessment. Due to the very low concentration of testosterone in serum, we have developed a new strategy for its enrichment in serum samples by magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) technology and detection by nano-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (Nano-ESI-MS). Testosterone was selectively extracted and enriched by the imprinted polymers on the surface of magnetic particles and the complex matrix was eliminated from the serum.

The simultaneous quantitative detection of multiple hormones based on PS-MS: affinity capture by a single antibody.

Steroid hormones play important roles in metabolism and metabolic diseases. Currently, various detection methods are employed in clinical labs, mainly immunoassays and LC-MS/MS, but these methods suffer from antibody cross-reactivity or the need for complex LC processes, respectively. Here, we utilized single antibody to capture and separate multiple hormones from samples to avoid LC procedures and used MS/MS to analyze multiple molecules in a single run.

Effects of quercetin on ovarian function and regulation of the ovarian PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a signalling pathway and oxidative stress in a rat model of cyclophosphamide-induced premature ovarian failure.

To investigate the ability of quercetin to improve ovarian function and inhibit ovarian oxidative stress through the PI3K/Akt/FoxO3a signalling pathway in a rat model of premature ovarian failure (POF), we constructed a POF rat model with cyclophosphamide (CTX) and treated it with quercetin. Haematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E staining) was used to observe the morphological changes of the ovaries. The serum levels of AMH, E2, FSH, SOD, GSH-Px and MDA were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Rapid quantitative analysis of hormones in serum by multilayer paper spray MS: Free MS from HPLC.

Developing rapid and reliable method for simultaneous hormones quantitation is of great significant because of important roles of hormones in metabolism. However, current methods are faced with problems of low throughput or complicated operation procedure to remove matrices from serum samples in routine clinical diagnosis. In the present work, a multilayer PS-MS method was developed for rapid and simple detection of hormones.

Mechanism of quercetin on the improvement of ovulation disorder and regulation of ovarian CNP/NPR2 in PCOS model rats.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of quercetin on ovulation disorder and expression of androgen receptor (AR) and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) / Natriuretic Peptide Receptor 2 (NPR2) in dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rat model.

Methods: DHEA was used to construct the PCOS rat model. After intervention with quercetin, metformin, and AR, the estrous cycle, ovarian and uterine weight of rats were measured.

CircRNA_101237 promotes NSCLC progression via the miRNA-490-3p/MAPK1 axis.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common type of lung cancer, characterized by a poor prognosis. In the last several years, more and more studies have demonstrated the significant roles played by circular RNAs (circRNAs) in different human tumors progression including NSCLC. The present study was to explore the mechanism of hsa_circ_101237 in regulating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

[The firstly confirmed pregnant woman case of avian influenza A (H5N1) by etiological research in China].

To investigate the cause of death of a pregnant woman with undefined pneumonia reported from the People's Hospital of Tongling City in Anhui Province on November 8, 2005, the patient's tracheal aspirates and serum samples were collected and tested by RT-PCR and Real-time PCR to detect viral nucleic acids of HA of A/H5N1, A/H7N7, A/H9N1 and A/M. Tracheal aspirates were inoculated into special pathogen free (SPF) embryonated eggs for cultivation and identification of virus. The HA gene of the virus was sequenced and analyzed.

Coma measurement of projection optics in lithographic tools based on relative image displacements at multiple illumination settings.

In this paper, we propose a novel method for measuring the coma aberrations of lithographic projection optics based on relative image displacements at multiple illumination settings. The measurement accuracy of coma can be improved because the phase-shifting gratings are more sensitive to the aberrations than the binary gratings used in the TAMIS technique, and the impact of distortion on displacements of aerial image can be eliminated when the relative image displacements are measured. The PROLITH simulation results show that, the measurement accuracy of coma increases by more than 25% under conventional illumination, and the measurement accuracy of primary coma increases by more than 20% under annular illumination, compared with the TAMIS technique.

Aberration measurement of projection optics in lithographic tools based on two-beam interference theory.

The degradation of image quality caused by aberrations of projection optics in lithographic tools is a serious problem in optical lithography. We propose what we believe to be a novel technique for measuring aberrations of projection optics based on two-beam interference theory. By utilizing the partial coherent imaging theory, a novel model that accurately characterizes the relative image displacement of a fine grating pattern to a large pattern induced by aberrations is derived.

Measurement technique for in situ characterizing aberrations of projection optics in lithographic tools.

As the feature size decreases, degradation of image quality caused by wavefront aberrations of projection optics in lithographic tools has become a serious problem in the low-k1 process. We propose a novel measurement technique for in situ characterizing aberrations of projection optics in lithographic tools. Considering the impact of the partial coherence illumination, we introduce a novel algorithm that accurately describes the pattern displacement and focus shift induced by aberrations.

Aberration measurement of projection optics in lithographic tools by use of an alternating phase-shifting mask.

As a critical dimension shrinks, the degradation in image quality caused by wavefront aberrations of projection optics in lithographic tools becomes a serious problem. It is necessary to establish a technique for a fast and accurate in situ aberration measurement. We introduce what we believe to be a novel technique for characterizing the aberrations of projection optics by using an alternating phase-shifting mask.