Voltammetric determination of the anti-cancer drug nilutamide using a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with a composite prepared from β-cyclodextrin,gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide

The authors describe an electrochemical method for the determination of the anti-cancer drug nilutamide. The method is based on the use of a composite prepared from β-cyclodextrin, gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide (β-CD-AuNP/GO). An alkaline solution of glucose was used as a reducing agent to reduce the gold ions, rather than citric acid and a harmful reducing agent such as hydrazine and sodium borohydride. The structure and surface morphology of the β-CD-AuNP/GO composite was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. A screen printed carbon electrode was modified with the nanocomposite, and the resulting electrode used as a disposable sensor for the determination of nilutamide by differential pulse voltammetry. Best operated at a working voltage of 0.43 V (vs Ag/AgCl), it exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and a detection limit as low as 0.4 nM. The sensor was applied to the determination of nilutamide in (spiked) human serum, as well as in a tablet, where it displays good recovery and accuracy. The sensor is repeatable, reproducible, stable and selective even in the presence of other aromatic nitro compounds.

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Graphical abstract An electrochemical method for the determination of the anti-cancer drug nilutamide is described. A screen printed carbon electrode is modified with the nanocomposite prepared from β-cyclodextrin, gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide (β-CD-AuNP/GO). Best operated at a working voltage of 0.43 V (vs Ag/AgCl), it exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and a detection limit as low as 0.4 nM. The sensor was applied to the determination of nilutamide in (spiked) human serum and a tablet where it displays good recovery and accuracy.

     

Thermal conductivity measurements on ferrofluids

The thermal conductivity of a number of ferrofluids consisting of colloidally dispersed Fe₃O₄ particles in diester, hydrocarbon, water and fluorcarbon carriers have been measured at 38°C. The variation in thermal conductivity with particle concentration is well described by Tareef's equation (1940). This has enabled the ratio of the physical to magnetic size to be determined and compared with estimates of the ratio obtained from electron micrographs and magnetic measurements.The fit between theory and experiment is particularly good for hydrocarbon carrier fluids giving the ratio of solid to magnetic radiusR _i/R _m=1.24±0.03 compared with the value obtained from magnetic data and electron micrographs of 1.19±0.07. The corresponding value from the fluids with a diester carrier ranges between 1.1<R _d/R _m<1.3 which is again consistent with microscopy and magnetic data.The application of a magnetic field of 0.1 T had no noticeable effect on the thermal conductivities of ferrofluids.     

A novel derivative free algorithm with seventh order convergence for solving systems of nonlinear equations

We present a seventh order iterative method for solving systems of nonlinear equations. The algorithm is derivative free per full iteration. A comparison between the computational efficiencies of proposed technique and existing techniques of similar nature is made. It is shown that for large system the new method is more efficient. The performance is tested through numerical experimentation which also confirms the theoretical results.     

Novel approach for modelling of nanomachining using a mesh-less method

In this paper, a mesh-less method, called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is used to simulate the nanomachining operation in order to assist with the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of nano scale material deformation and the characteristics of the post machined surface. An elasto-plastic nano-machining analysis is used to form a nano-groove using a conical tool on a copper specimen. The SPH solutions are validated against nano scale machining experiments conducted using a nanoindenter. The simulated results showed that the normal force is greater than the cutting force in this nano scale machining operation, which is consistent with the experimental results. Both the ploughing and cutting mechanisms were observed in these machining conditions and increased with the increase of the depth of cut. Moreover, the results reveal that the larger negative rake angle reduced the ploughing mechanism and caused higher residual stress and strain along the machined surface. Therefore, the effect of machining parameters on the nano deformation mechanism and the quality of the machined surface can be rapidly assessed using SPH.     

The Finite Element Method on the Sierpinski Gasket

For certain classes of fractal differential equations on the Sierpinski gasket, built using the Kigami Laplacian, we describe how to approximate solutions using the finite element method based on piecewise harmonic or piecewise biharmonic splines. We give theoretical error estimates, and compare these with experimental data obtained using a computer implementation of the method (available at the web site http://mathlab.cit.cornell.edu/\sim gibbons). We also explain some interesting structure concerning the spectrum of the Laplacian that became apparent from the experimental data. March 29, 2000. Date revised: March 6, 2001. Date accepted: March 21, 2001.     

New third and fourth order nonlinear solvers for computing multiple roots

We present a new third order method for finding multiple roots of nonlinear equations based on the scheme for simple roots developed by Kou et al. [J. Kou, Y. Li, X. Wang, A family of fourth-order methods for solving non-linear equations, Appl. Math. Comput. 188 (2007) 1031-1036]. Further investigation gives rise to new third and fourth order families of methods which do not require second derivative. The fourth order family has optimal order, since it requires three evaluations per step, namely one evaluation of function and two evaluations of first derivative. The efficacy is tested on a number of relevant numerical problems. Computational results ascertain that the present methods are competitive with other similar robust methods.     

Estimation of a random coefficient model under linear stochastic constraints

Summary A random coefficient model in which means of random coefficients are subject to a set of linear stochastic constraints is considered and estimators for the means of coefficients are proposed. Their asymptotic properties are presented and some remarks on efficiency are placed.     

Synthesis of some new fluorine containing 3-dialkylaminomethyl indoles, 3-indolylglyoxamides and tryptamines

Several new 2-(fluoroaryl)-3-dialkylaminomethylindoles, 3-acetyl-2-(fluoroaryl)-indoles, 2-(fluoroaryl)-3-indolylglyoxamides and corresponding tryptamines have been prepared as possible psychopharmacological agents. 2-(Fluoroaryl)-indoles have been synthesized by theFischer indole synthesis. 2-(Fluoroaryl)-indoles on treatment with oxalyl chloride and subsequent reaction with amines, gave 2-(fluoroaryl)-3-indolylglyoxamides. Some of these indolylglyoxamides were reducted with lithium aluminium hydride, to the corresponding tryptamines. 2-(Fluoroaryl)-indoles when subjected toMannich reaction afforded 3-dialkylaminomethyl-2-(fluoroaryl)-indoles. All these new compounds have been characterized by IR spectral studies.Possible Psychopharmacological Agents, Part XII, Part XI, J. Indian. Chem. Soc.57, 423 (1980).     

Automata and logics over finitely varying functions

We extend some of the classical connections between automata and logic due to Büchi (1960) [5] and McNaughton and Papert (1971) [12] to languages of finitely varying functions or “signals”. In particular, we introduce a natural class of automata for generating finitely varying functions called ’s, and show that it coincides in terms of language definability with a natural monadic second-order logic interpreted over finitely varying functions Rabinovich (2002) [15]. We also identify a “counter-free” subclass of ’s which characterise the first-order definable languages of finitely varying functions. Our proofs mainly factor through the classical results for word languages. These results have applications in automata characterisations for continuously interpreted real-time logics like Metric Temporal Logic (MTL) Chevalier et al. (2006, 2007) [6] and [7].