Novel iron-decorated carbon nanorods from fullerene soot

A novel form of nano-sized carbon rods decorated with monodispersed iron particles in a size range of 30-50 nm on their surface is successfully synthesized by arcing discharge of composite electrodes made from iron particles and fullerene soot; this will be of potential as catalyst for hydrogenation reactions.     

Structure of colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS) in dilute HCl: unique assembly of bismuth citrate dinuclear units ([Bi(cit)(2)Bi](2-))

Colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS, De-Nol) has been used for several decades for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers, and Helicobacter pylori infection together with antibiotics. The solubility of CBS in water is found to be dramatically affected by pH, from >70 mg/mL at pH 7 to only about 1 mg/mL at pH 3. CBS was crystallized in dilute HCl at pH 3, and unique assembly of three basic bismuth citrate dimeric units ([Bi(cit)2Bi]2-) leads to the formation of two-dimensional sheets and 3D polymer.     

Arsenic trioxide targets Hsp60, triggering degradation of p53 and survivin

The mechanisms of action of arsenic trioxide (ATO), a clinically used drug for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), have been actively studied mainly through characterization of individual putative protein targets. There appear to be no studies at a system level. Herein, we integrate metalloproteomics through a newly developed organoarsenic probe, As-AC (C₂₀H₁₇AsN₄O₃S₂) with quantitative proteomics, allowing 37 arsenic binding and 250 arsenic regulated proteins to be identified in NB4, a human APL cell line. Bioinformatics analysis reveals that ATO disrupts multiple physiological processes, in particular, chaperone-related protein folding and cellular response to stress. Furthermore, we discover heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) as a vital target of ATO. Through biophysical and cell-based assays, we demonstrate that ATO binds to Hsp60, leading to abolishment of Hsp60 refolding capability. Significantly, the binding of ATO to Hsp60 disrupts the formation of Hsp60-p53 and Hsp60-survivin complexes, resulting in degradation of p53 and survivin. This study provides significant insights into the mechanism of action of ATO at a systemic perspective, and serves as guidance for the rational design of metal-based anticancer drugs.

A highly selective organoarsenic fluorescent probe As-AC and quantitative proteomics were employed to track arsenic-binding and regulating proteins in live leukemia cells. Hsp60 was validated as a new target of ATO.     

An integrated light emitting diode-induced fluorescence detector for capillary electrophoresis

An integrated light emitting diode (LED)-induced fluorescence detector was described and evaluated. The LED and its related components including lens and interference filter, the optical fiber used to collect fluorescence, and the capillary column are integrated into a substrate block, which eliminates the need of align procedure of the fiber and the capillary. Forty-fold enhancement of sensitivity was obtained compared with our previous work and the detection limit for fluorescein was 5 nM. Application of the detector for the analysis of FITC-labeled Ephedrine extract was demonstrated.     

Template‐Free Fabrication of Bi2O3 and (BiO)2CO3 Nanotubes and Their Application in Water Treatment

Uniform bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) and bismuth subcarbonate ((BiO)₂CO₃) nanotubes were successfully synthesized by a facile solvothermal method without the need for any surfactants or templates. The synergistic effect of ethylene glycol (EG) and urea played a critical role in the formation of the tubular nanostructures. These Bi₂O₃ and (BiO)₂CO₃ nanotubes exhibited excellent Cr^VI‐removal capacity. Bi₂O₃ nanotubes, with a maximum Cr^VI‐removal capacity of 79 mg g^?1, possessed high removal ability in a wide range of pH values (3–11). Moreover, Bi₂O₃ and (BiO)₂CO₃ nanotubes also displayed highly efficient photocatalytic activity for the degradation of RhB under visible‐light irradiation. This work not only demonstrates a new and facile route for the fabrication of Bi₂O₃ and (BiO)₂CO₃ nanotubes, but also provides new promising adsorbents for the removal of heavy‐metal ions and potential photocatalysts for environmental remediation.     

Entire solutions of Fermat type differential-difference equations

We mainly discuss entire solutions with finite order of the following Fermat type differential-difference equations

$$\begin{array}{ll}(f)^{n}+f(z+c)^{m}=1;\\f^{\prime}(z)^{n}+f(z+c)^{m}=1;\\ f^{\prime}(z)^{n}+[f(z+c)-f(z)]^{m}=1,\end{array}$$

where m, n are positive integers.