Abstract: A method of treating a patient to reduce risk of developing Clostridium difficile-associated disease or reducing existing Clostridium difficile-associated disease in a mammalian subject involves administering to a mammalian subject an effective amount of a germination-inhibiting compound derived from taurocholate. Novel compounds of this class are also provided.

Abstract: A system and method A method of growing an elongate nanoelement from a growth surface includes: a) cleaning a growth surface on a base element; b) providing an ultrahigh vacuum reaction environment over the cleaned growth surface; c) generating a reactive gas of an atomic material to be used in forming the nanoelement; d) projecting a stream of the reactive gas at the growth surface within the reactive environment while maintaining a vacuum of at most 1×10?4 Pascal; e) growing the elongate nanoelement from the growth surface within the environment while maintaining the pressure of step c); f) after a desired length of nanoelement is attained within the environment, stopping direction of reactive gas into the environment; and g) returning the environment to an ultrahigh vacuum condition.

Abstract: A method of reducing the in vivo viability of cancer cells selected from the group consisting of breast cancer cells, lung cancer cells, prostate cancer cells and melanoma cancer cells has steps of: a) identifying a prospective patient having cancer cells selected from the group consisting of breast cancer cells, lung cancer cells, prostate cancer cells and melanoma cancer cells; and b) administering a cisplatin derivative to the prospective patient so that the cisplatin derivative will contact the cancer cells; wherein the cisplatin derivative is a 4,4?-bis[RO]-2,2?-bipyridine)PtCl2 where, R is selected from the group consisting of —(CH2)nCH3 where n=2, 3, 4 or 5, and —(CH2)n[O(CH2)m]yO(CH2)zCH3 where n=2, m=2, y=2, z=1. A novel synthetic process for the manufacture of these compounds (and their analogs) is also provided.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems form structures from nanoparticles by: providing a source of nanoparticles, the particles being capable of being moved by application of a field, such as an electrical field, magnetic field and even electromagnetic radiation or fields such as light, UV, IR, radiowaves, radiation and the like; depositing the nanoparticles to a surface in a first distribution of the nanoparticles; applying a field to the nanoparticles on the surface that applies a force to the particles; and rearranging the nanoparticles on the surface by the force from the field to form a second distribution of nanoparticles on the surface. The second distribution of nanoparticles is more ordered or more patterned than the first distribution of nanoparticles as a result of the rearranging.

Abstract: The C—H bond of pendant aromatic groups such as commercial polystyrenes with three types of tacticities (syndiotactic, isotactic, atactic) undergo catalyzed functionalization with boron reagents. A boronic ester group formed on the polymer in the polystyrene was further converted to hydroxy and arene via oxidation and coupling reactions, respectively. These functionalizations proceeded without significantly affecting the molecular weight of starting polymer and the functional concentrations could be easily controlled by changing the ratio of boron reagent to monomer unit.