Luminescence switch-on detection of protein tyrosine kinase-7 using a G-quadruplex-selective probe

A series of luminescent iridium(iii) complexes were synthesised and evaluated for their ability to act as luminescent G-quadruplex-selective probes. The iridium(iii) complex 9 [Ir(pbi)₂(5,5-dmbpy)]PF₆ (where pbi = 2-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole; 5,5-dmbpy = 5,5′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) exhibited high luminescence for G-quadruplex DNA compared to dsDNA and ssDNA, and was employed to construct a G-quadruplex-based assay for protein tyrosine kinase-7 (PTK7) in aqueous solution. PTK7 is an important biomarker for a range of leukemias and solid tumors. In the presence of PTK7, the specific binding of the sgc8 aptamer sequence triggers a structural transition and releases the G-quadruplex-forming sequence. The formation of the nascent G-quadruplex structure is then detected by the G-quadruplex-selective iridium(iii) complex with an enhanced luminescent response. Moreover, the application of the assay for detecting PTK7 in cellular debris and membrane protein extract was demonstrated. To our knowledge, this is the first G-quadruplex-based assay for PTK7.     

Simple electrochemical sensing of attomolar proteins using fabricated complexes with enhanced surface binding avidity

Various strategies have been proposed for the detection of disease protein biomarkers; however, most methods are too expensive, cumbersome or limited in sensitivity for clinical use. Here, we report that a fabricated complex can be used as a powerful tool to detect trace proteins in complex samples. In this strategy, a DNA–protein complex that comprises of one target molecule and two or more deoxyribozyme-containing probes can exhibit autonomous cleavage behavior on the surface of the substrate DNA modified electrode. In the meantime, the complex can remove the cleaved DNA fragment from the electrode surface by taking advantage of the proximity effect. The proposed approach allows one-step and highly sensitive detection of a variety of targets based on the changes of the direct electrochemical readout. Moreover, this method may also have considerable advantages over the commonly reported DNA amplification-assisted immunoassays, particularly in terms of assay simplicity and cost, which may hold great potential for application in resource-constrained regions.     

Capping nanoparticles with graphene quantum dots for enhanced thermoelectric performance

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are shown to serve as phase transfer agents to transfer various types of nanoparticles (NPs) from non-polar to polar solvents. Thorough characterization of the NPs proves complete native ligand exchange. Pellets of this GQD–NP composite show that the GQDs limit the crystal size during spark plasma sintering, yielding enhanced thermoelectric performance compared with NPs exchanged with inorganic ions. A photoluminescence study of the GQD–NP composite also suggests energy transfer from GQDs to NPs.     

全自动凝胶净化-浓缩-固相萃取/气相色谱-质谱法测定紫皮石斛中有机磷农药残留

建立了以凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)和固相萃取(SPE)净化、气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)法同时测定紫皮石斛中10种有机磷农药残留的方法。样品用乙腈超声提取,提取液经GPC去除类脂杂质和大分子物质,后经Envi-Carb/NH2固相萃取柱净化,选择离子(SIM)监测模式检测,外标法定量。在26min内10种农药得到很好的分离,农药残留量在0.02~0.5μg/mL,方法的线性良好,相关系数为0.997 3~0.999 9,农药加标浓度为0.05mg/kg和0.2mg/kg时,加标回收率在70.4%~115.8%,相对标准偏差在2.8%~9.6%,满足国家标准要求,检出限为0.005 2~0.011mg/kg。方法简便、快速、灵敏、准确,能够运用于石斛中多组分有机磷农药残留的定性和定量分析。     

Vanishing viscosity limit of Navier–Stokes Equations in Gevrey class

In this paper, we consider the inviscid limit for the periodic solutions to Navier–Stokes equation in the framework of Gevrey class. It is shown that the lifespan for the solutions to Navier–Stokes equation is independent of viscosity, and that the solutions of the Navier–Stokes equation converge to that of Euler equation in Gevrey class as the viscosity tends to zero. Moreover, the convergence rate in Gevrey class is presented. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global well‐posedness of 2D nonlinear Boussinesq equations with mixed partial viscosity and thermal diffusivity

In this paper, we discuss with the global well‐posedness of 2D anisotropic nonlinear Boussinesq equations with any two positive viscosities and one positive thermal diffusivity. More precisely, for three kinds of viscous combinations, we obtain the global well‐posedness without any assumption on the solution. For other three difficult cases, under the minimal regularity assumption, we also derive the unique global solution. To the authors' knowledge, our result is new even for the simplified model, that is, F(θ) = θe₂. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Encapsulation of RNA by negatively charged human serum albumin via physical interactions

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the most abundant plasma protein and has an inherent ability to target tumor cells. It is an excellent candidate for drug delivery. However, HSA cannot form complex with DNA or RNA, because it is negatively charged under physiological conditions. In this work, we reported a simple method to prepare HSA/RNA nanoparticles mainly by physical interaction. Firstly, the solution pH is adjusted to 4.0, under which condition HSA is positively charged. It forms complex with RNA via electrostatic interaction. The solution is then heated at 75 oC for 15 min to stabilize the structure and the size of the formed complex. The HSA/RNA nanoparticle prepared by this method has a diameter about 110 nm and a narrow distribution. It is also stable for days under physiological conditions. Cellular essays demonstrate that these particles exhibit a high cellular uptake efficiency and non-toxicity to HeLa cells.     

Preparation and thermal reliability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-butyl stearate/methyl palmitate composite phase change material

In this study, a series of binary mixtures of N-butyl stearate (nBS) and methyl palmitate (MP) were used to produce a novel composite phase change material (CPCM) for potential application in the eastern China, and their thermal properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results of DSC indicated that the mixture consisting of 10 mass% nBS and 90 mass% MP is optimum as the CPCM in terms of the phase change temperature ranges (T _f = 19.74–5.59 °C; T _m = 18.34–33.80 °C) and latent heats (ΔH _f = 176.8 J g^?1; ΔH _m = 189.3 J g^?1). On the other hand, the thermal reliability and chemical stability of the CPCM after 120, 180, 240, 300, 360 and 500 accelerated thermal cycling tests were studied by DSC and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The results demonstrated that the CPCM had good thermal reliability and chemical stability.