The role of iron and zinc in chemotherapy-induced alopecia

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a common and distressing side effect in children with cancer. Iron and zinc are the well known trace elements which are associated with hair shedding. In this study, we investigated the hair content of iron and zinc in children with cancer consists of two groups: group A, newly diagnosed patients; group B, the patients received a course of chemotherapy. We compared the results between each others and healthy controls. Hair content of iron and zinc was not different between the patient groups. Iron concentrations of patient samples, either at diagnosis or after chemotherapy, were significantly lower than healthy controls. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the zinc values. In conclusion, hair content of iron and zinc do not have a role in chemotherapy-induced alopecia.     

Investigation of fast neutron shielding characteristics depending on boron percentages of MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>, NaBH<Subscript>4</Subscript> and KBH<Subscript>4</Subscript>

The macroscopic cross-section Σ and average neutron fluence in matter Φ are usable factors to comment neutron shielding property of samples. In this paper, we have used MgB₂, NaBH₄ and KBH₄ samples including different percentages of boron. Neutron macroscopic cross-section measurements of them have been done by using a source of mono-energetic neutrons (E _eff = 4.5 MeV ²⁴¹Am–Be). Average neutron fluence values and double differential fast neutron flux distributions of each samples calculated by using FLUKA Monte Carlo code. Also half value layers (HVLs) of samples are compared to paraffin which is one of the most neutron moderators. As a result, growing boron concentration can raise neutron shielding property of materials.     

Effects on the chaotic system of fractional order PI α controller

When a Lur’e-type system which cannot exhibit chaotic behavior and whose linear part is of a second order, is tried to be controlled by an integer order controller, chaotic behaviors can occur depending on the controller parameters. In this article, in the case when a fractional order PI ^α is chosen, provided that the controller parameters remain unchanged, the effect of the integral order α for the interval 0<α<1 has been investigated. It has been shown through two examples that depending on the integral order α, the fractional order PI ^α controller prevents the chaotic behavior by releasing the extra dynamics that was loaded onto the system by the integer order PI controller. To determine at which α parameter the system exhibits chaotic behavior, the frequency domain approach based chaos prediction method—Genesio–Tesi conjecture—has been used.     

An extended Korteweg–de Vries equation: multi-soliton solutions and conservation laws

In this paper, we consider an extended KdV equation, which arises in the analysis of several problems in soliton theory. First, we converted the underlying equation into the Hirota bilinear form. Then, using the novel test function method, abundant multi-soliton solutions were obtained. Second, we have performed some distinct methods to extended KdV equation for getting some exact wave solutions. In this regard, Kudryashov’s simplest equation methods were examined. Third, the local conservation laws are deduced by multiplier/homotopy methods. Finally, the graphical simulations of the exact solutions are depicted.     

Shooting method for solving equilibrium programming problems

A new iterative method is proposed for solving equilibrium programming problems. The sequence of points it generates is proved to converge weakly to the solution set of the equilibrium problem under study. If the initial point has at least one projection onto the solution set of the equilibrium problem, the sequence generated by the method is shown to converge strongly to the set of these projections. The partial gradient of the initial data is assumed to be invertible and strictly monotone, which differs from the classical skew-symmetry condition.     

模糊神经网络的一种快速学习算法

本文对文献[1]《一种改进的模糊参数神经网络学习算法》中提出的F-BP算法进行分析研究，提出了一种效率更好的快速F—BP学习算法．在此算法中对模糊数的计算方法进行改进，减少了模糊神经网络训练及推理中的运算量，从而提高学习效率．     

Solitons for perturbed Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation in optical fibers and PCF by extended Kudryashov’s method

This paper reveals bright, dark and singular soliton solutions to the perturbed Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation by the aid of extended Kudryashov’s method. The nonlinear terms appear with full nonlinearity in order to give a generalized flavor to the model. As a byproduct of this scheme, plane waves and singular periodic solutions fall out and these solutions are listed as well.     

Accurate and simple determination of oxcarbazepine in human plasma and urine samples using switchable-hydrophilicity solvent in GC–MS

This work presents a sensitive and rapid analytical method for the determination of oxcarbazepine in human plasma and urine samples. A vortex-assisted switchable hydrophilicity solvent-based liquid phase microextraction (VA–SHS–LPME) was used to preconcentrate oxcarbazepine from the samples before the determination by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The switchable hydrophilicity solvent was synthesized by protonating N,N-dimethylbenzylamine with carbon dioxide to make it totally miscible with an equivalent volume of water. Parameters of the VA–SHS–LPME method including volume of switchable hydrophilicity solvent, concentration/volume of sodium hydroxide and vortex period were systematically optimized. Under the optimum conditions, good linearity ranging from 27.03 to 353.47 μg/kg was obtained for the analyte. Limit of detection and quantitation values were found to be 6.2 and 21 μg/kg (mass base), respectively. The relative standard deviation was calculated as 6.9% for six replicate measurements of the lowest concentration of the calibration plot. Satisfactory recovery results were calculated in the range of 97–100% for human plasma and urine samples spiked at five different concentrations.     

Kinetics and equilibrium constants of some pentacyanoferrate(II) complexes of nitrogen and sulfur containing heterocycles

The kinetics of the substitution reactions of Fe(CN)₅H₂O³⁻ ion with a series of nitrogen and sulfur containing heterocycles were studied in aqueous media. In the presence of excess ligand, varied over a large range of concentrations, second-order rate constants were calculated at μ = 0.100 M NaClO₄. Activation parameters for the formation reactions were found, ΔH*ast; and ΔS*, 28 ± 6 kJ/mol and 135±20 J/mol, respectively. The results are interpreted as being consistent with dissociative, SN₁ mechanism. The kinetics of formation and dissociation were studied by stopped-flow technique at several temperatures. An investigation of the kinetics of exchange of coordinated heterocycles for 1,3,5-triazine, yielded rate saturation that is typical of a limiting SN₁ mechanism. Activation parameters of the limiting first-order specific rate of dissociations were found with ΔH* and ΔS* 53±2 kJ/mol and 105±5 J/mol, respectively. From the specific rates of formation and dissociation reactions the equilibrium constants were calculated. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet: 30: 415–418, 1998     

Paramagnetic contribution of serum iron to the spin-lattice relaxation rate (1/T 1) determined by MRI

T ₁ maps of phantoms containing the samples of pure serum or Mn(II)-doped serum at pH=2 were imaged by 1.5 T and 1 T MR Imagers. TheT ₁ measurements made for the determination of the paramagnetic increase were carried out before and after adding ascorbic acid. The difference of the 1/T ₁ in samples with and without ascorbic acid was evaluated as the paramagnetic contribution (PMC) of serum iron. As iron content of serum varied from iron deficient to iron overload, the PMC values increased from 0.93 to 0.565 s^?1 at 1.5 T and from 0.103 to 0.609 s^?1 at 1 T. For confirmative purposes, serum iron of each sample was determined from the paramagnetic contribution and also by an autoanalyzer. The contents of serum iron determined from PMC were in good agreement with those by the autoanalyzer and also with the literature. The data suggest that the paramagnetic contribution of serum iron can be measured by MRI.