Improved results on the robustness of stochastic approximation algorithms

This paper is a continuation of the research carried out in [1]–[2], where the robustness analysis for stochastic approximation algorithms is given for two cases: 1. The regression function and the Liapunov function are not zero at the sought-forx ⁰; 2. lim sup _n a131_{n i=1} ⁿ _i+1 is not zero, where { _i } are the measurement errors and {a _n} are the weighting coefficients in the algorithm. Allowing these deviations from zero to occur simultaneously but to remain small, this paper shows that the estimation error is still small even for a class of measurement errors more general than that considered in [2].This project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Laser action of C,N, O,F, Cl,and Br in hollow cathode discharges

C, N, O, F, Cl, and Br red and infrared laser emission was investigated using hollow cathode discharges in gas mixtures of helium and molecules containing the corresponding atoms. A total of 33 laser lines with wavelengths from 0.7 to 2.0m was observed. Three laser lines of atomic C, five laser lines of atomic N, two laser lines of atomic Cl and five laser lines of atomic Br were observed for the first time. Dissociation charge transfer and dissociative excitation transfer are suggested as being responsible for populating the upper laser levels.     

Synthesis of meso-tetra-(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxylphenyl)-porphyrin and its application to second-derivative spectrophotometric determination of lead in clinical samples

A new very sensitive and selective chromogenic reagent, meso-tetra-(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxylphenyl)porphyrin [T(DBHP)P], was synthesized and studied for the determination of trace lead in detail. In 0.10 mol l-1 NaOH medium, lead reacts with T(DBHP)P to form a 1:2 yellow complex, which gives a maximum absorption at 479 nm; 0-0.48 microgram ml-1 Pb(II) obeyed Beer's law. The molar absorptivity of the complex and Sandell's sensitivity are 2.5 x 10(5) 1 mol-1 cm-1 and 0.000812 microgram cm-2, respectively. Second-derivative spectrophotometry is better than conventional spectrophotometry in sensitivity and selectivity, and its limit of quantification, limit of detection and relative standard deviation are 0.70 ng ml-1, 0.21 ng ml-1 and 1.0%, respectively. Ca (3250-fold), Mg (2000-fold), Sr (1000-fold), Ba (750-fold), Al (1000-fold), Bi (500-fold), Fe (2000-fold), Co (750-fold), Ni (1000-fold), Cu (750-fold), Zn (1250-fold), Cd (2500-fold) and Ag (550-fold) do not interfere with the determination of lead. The chromogenic system is remarkably superior to other reagents, especially porphyrin compounds. The influence caused by oxygen in air or in solution can be easily eliminated by adding Na2SO3. The reaction is very stable, the stability constant of the complex being 1.2 x 10(45). The chromogenic reaction is completed within 1 min at room temperature when 8-hydroxylquinoline is used as catalyst. The proposed method has been applied to the direct determination of trace lead in clinical samples. The accuracy and precision are both very satisfactory.     

Isolation of a carbon nanohoop with M(o)bius topology

Carbon nanohoop,a class of constrained molecular architecture consisting of linked arene units,has attracted considerable interest from both experimental and th...     

Spider Silk-Improved Quartz-Enhanced Conductance Spectroscopy for Medical Mask Humidity Sensing

Spider silk is one of the hottest biomaterials researched currently, due to its excellent mechanical properties. This work reports a novel humidity sensing platform based on a spider silk-modified quartz tuning fork (SSM-QTF). Since spider silk is a kind of natural moisture-sensitive material, it does not demand additional sensitization. Quartz-enhanced conductance spectroscopy (QECS) was combined with the SSM-QTF to access humidity sensing sensitively. The results indicate that the resonance frequency of the SSM-QTF decreased monotonously with the ambient humidity. The detection sensitivity of the proposed SSM-QTF sensor was 12.7 ppm at 1 min. The SSM-QTF sensor showed good linearity of ~0.99. Using this sensor, we successfully measured the humidity of disposable medical masks for different periods of wearing time. The results showed that even a 20 min wearing time can lead to a >70% humidity in the mask enclosed space. It is suggested that a disposable medical mask should be changed <2 h.     

The Relationship between Procyanidin Structure and Their Protective Effect in a Parkinson’s Disease Model

This study evaluated the effect of grape seed-derived monomer, dimeric, and trimeric procyanidins on rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) cells and in a zebrafish Parkinson’s disease (PD) model. PC12 cells were cultured with grape seed-derived procyanidins or deprenyl for 24 h and then exposed to 1.5 mm 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP⁺) for 24 h. Zebrafish larvae (AB strain) 3 days post-fertilization were incubated with deprenyl or grape seed-derived procyanidins in 400 µM 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 4 days. The results showed that the procyanidin dimers procyanidin B1 (B1), procyanidin B2 (B2), procyanidin B3 (B3), procyanidin B4 (B4), procyanidin B1-3-O-gallate (B1-G), procyanidin B2-3-O-gallate (B2-G), and the procyanidin trimer procyanidin C1 (C1) had a protective effect on PC12 cells, decreasing the damaged dopaminergic neurons and motor impairment in zebrafish. In PC12 cells and the zebrafish PD model, procyanidin (B1, B2, B3, B4, B1-G, B2-G, C1) treatment decreased the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and upregulated the expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). These results suggest that in PC12 cells and the zebrafish PD model, the neuroprotective effects of the procyanidins were positively correlated with their degree of polymerization.