Optimisation of the ultrasound-assisted extraction of betalains and polyphenols from Amaranthus hypochondriacus var. Nutrisol

The present study optimised the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of bioactive compounds from Amaranthus hypochondriacus var. Nutrisol. Influence of temperature (25.86–54.14 °C) and ultrasonic power densities (UPD) (76.01–273.99 mW/mL) on total betalains (BT), betacyanins (BC), betaxanthins (BX), total polyphenols (TP), antioxidant activity (AA), colour parameters (L*, a*, and b*), amaranthine (A), and isoamaranthine (IA) were evaluated using response surface methodology. Moreover, betalain extraction kinetics and mass transfer coefficients (K_La) were determined for each experimental condition. BT, BC, BX, TP, AA, b*, K_La, and A were significantly affected (p < 0.05) by temperature extraction and UPD, whereas L*, a*, and IA were only affected (p < 0.05) by temperature. All response models were significantly validated with regression coefficients (R²) ranging from 87.46 to 99.29%. BT, A, IA, and K_La in UAE were 1.38, 1.65, 1.50, and 29.93 times higher than determined using conventional extraction, respectively. Optimal UAE conditions were obtained at 41.80 °C and 188.84 mW/mL using the desired function methodology. Under these conditions, the experimental values for BC, BX, BT, TP, AA, L*, a*, b*, K_La, A, and IA were closely related to the predicted values, indicating the suitability of the developed quadratic models. This study proposes a simple and efficient UAE method to obtain betalains and polyphenols with high antioxidant activity, which can be used in several applications within the food industry.     

Spatially restricted Double Z-Simplified Box Orbital basis sets: Optimization and comparison with some standard basis sets

As part of previous studies, we introduced a new type of basis function named Simplified Box Orbitals (SBOs) that belong to a class of spatially restricted functions which allow the zero differential overlap (ZDO) approximation to be applied with complete accuracy. The original SBOs and their Gaussian expansions SBO-3G form a minimal basis set, which was compared to the standard Slater-type orbital basis set (STO-3G). In the present paper, we have developed the SBO basis functions at double-zeta (DZ) level, and we have assessed the option of expanding the SBO-DZ as a combination of Gaussian functions. Finally, we have determined the quality of the new basis set by comparing the molecular properties calculated with SBO-nG with those achieved with some standard basis sets.     

Optimizing the antioxidant biocompound recovery from peach waste extraction assisted by ultrasounds or microwaves

The possibility to valorize peach juice waste, either frozen or air-dried, through microwave (MAE) and ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was evaluated. MAE power, UAE amplitude and time were optimized using a 2²-factorial design. For frozen waste, optimal MAE (540 W, 50 s) and UAE (23%, 120 s) processes gave extracts presenting analogous content (on 100 g dry matter) of polyphenols (309–317 mg GAE), flavonoids (94–120 mg QE), anthocyanins (8–9 mg CGE), and similar antioxidant activity (2.1–2.2 mg TE). Extracts from dried waste resulted higher in polyphenols (630–670 mg GAE) but lower in flavonoids (75–90 mg QE), anthocyanins and vitamin C (not detectable). Although developing an energy density 2-fold higher than that of UAE, MAE more efficaciously extracted vitamin C (108 mg/100 g dm) and required half extraction time (50 s). MAE would also be less impactful than UAE in terms of greenhouse gas emission and energy requirements on industrial scale. The industrial valorization of peach waste through the application of microwave or ultrasound assisted extraction requires quantitative data, able to encourage company interest and investment. This study not only identifies optimal MAE and UAE parameters to assist the extraction of peach waste bioactive compounds but also provides a preliminary estimation of the potential economic and environmental impact on an industrial scale of these technologies.     

Chemists around the World,Take Your Part in the Circular Economy!

Based on recent examples and initiatives reported in the literature, this concept article discusses how chemistry can contribute to the circular economy approach in order to improve our current and future economical, societal, and environmental system. Through five proposed levels of contribution, chemists can take a significant part in this global approach via the consideration of green chemistry principles, the simplification of syntheses, the limitation of complex products preparation, the efficient utilization of resources but also the novel ways of waste valorization. A more systematic and generalized environmental and economic assessment from the lab-scale is also recommended. At last, chemists have to work even more collaboratively and in a multidisciplinary way, within chemistry and beyond.     

The influence of the recycling stress history on LDPE waste pyrolysis

It is elementary to recognize the benefits and the negative impacts of the use of plastic materials on modern societies. Polyethylene (PE) is the major plastic component present in the municipal solid waste. In this paper, two types of low-density PE (LDPE) waste with different mechanical recycling stress histories were used to investigate the influence of recycling cycles on pyrolysis. The kinetic triplet and thermal degradation study were obtained using TGA data.To determine the sample composition and hydrocarbon arrangements, ultimate, proximate and X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out. Taking advantage of these analyses and combining them with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data, a series–parallel pyrolysis pathway was formulated. The waste of recycled polyethylene presented low enthalpy of pyrolysis, at about 205 J/g against 299 J/g for a virgin PE. The DSC analyses evidenced a multi-step reaction behavior of the pyrolysis, confirmed by the kinetic study using different isoconversional methods: the waste of recycled polyethylene presented a higher variation of activation energies as a function of the fraction reacted. The main conclusion is that the results suggest that the recycling stress history promotes the increase of long carbon chains while weakening the boundary among the compounds. This explains the fact that recycled waste needs less activation energy than other samples to degrade thermally. Finally, different categories of low-density polyethylene wastes must be considered when dealing with either kinetics or modeling of the product recovery process.     

空间机器人捕获航天器后基于无源性理论的鲁棒镇定控制

研究了漂浮基空间机器人捕获非合作航天器过程对系统产生的冲击效应及其后联合体系统镇定运动的控制问题。为此,利用拉格朗日方法及牛顿-欧拉法分别获得了捕获前空间机器人及目标航天器的动力学模型;结合动量守恒定律、系统运动几何关系及力的传递规律,分析了捕获过程相互碰撞所产生的冲击效应,建立了捕获完成后两者联合体的系统动力学模型。在此基础上,针对同时存在不确定参数及外部扰动的联合体系统,设计了基于无源性理论的镇定运动神经网络H_∞鲁棒控制算法。本文提出的基于无源性理论设计的鲁棒控制算法具有良好的动态特性及较强的鲁棒性,可快速完成系统的镇定控制,实现轨迹的精确跟踪。系统数值模拟仿真验证了本文控制方案的正确性。     

Embedding Banach spaces into the space of bounded functions with countable support

We prove that a WLD subspace of the space consisting of all bounded, countably supported functions on a set Γ embeds isomorphically into if and only if it does not contain isometric copies of . Moreover, a subspace of is constructed that has an unconditional basis, does not embed into , and whose every weakly compact subset is separable (in particular, it cannot contain any isomorphic copies of ).     

The spectral analysis and exponential stability of a bi‐directional coupled wave‐ODE system

In this paper, an unstable linear time invariant (LTI) ODE system is stabilized exponentially by the PDE compensato—a wave equation with Kelvin‐Voigt (K‐V) damping. Direct feedback connections between the ODE system and wave equation are established: The velocity of the wave equation enters the ODE through the variable v_t(1,t); meanwhile, the output of the ODE is fluxed into the wave equation. It is found that the spectrum of the system operator is composed of two parts: point spectrum and continuous spectrum. The continuous spectrum consists of an isolated point , and there are two branches of asymptotic eigenvalues: the first branch approaches to , and the other branch tends to ?∞. It is shown that there is a sequence of generalized eigenfunctions, which forms a Riesz basis for the Hilbert state space. As a consequence, the spectrum‐determined growth condition and exponential stability of the system are concluded.