Multivariate optimization and comparison between conventional extraction (CE) and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of carotenoid extraction from cashew apple

Carotenoids are an essential component of cashew and can be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, natural pigment, food additives, among other applications. The present work focuses on optimizing and comparing conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods. Every optimization step took place with a 1:1 (w:w) mixture of yellow and red cashew apples lyophilized and ground in a cryogenic mill. A Simplex-centroid design was applied for both methods, and the solvents acetone, methanol, ethanol, and petroleum ether were evaluated. After choosing the extractor solvent, a central composite design was applied to optimize the sample mass (59–201 mg) and extraction time (6–34 min). The optimum conditions for the extractor solvent were 38% acetone, 30% ethanol, and 32% petroleum ether for CE and a mixture of 44% acetone and 56% methanol for UAE. The best experimental conditions for UAE were a sonication time of 19 min and a sample mass of 153 mg, while the CE was 23 min and 136 mg. Comparing red and yellow cashews, red cashews showed a higher carotenoid content in both methodologies. The UAE methodology was ca. 21% faster, presented a more straightforward composition of extracting solution, showed an average yield of superior carotenoid content in all samples compared to CE. Therefore, UAE has demonstrated a simple, efficient, fast, low-cost adjustment methodology and a reliable alternative for other applications involving these bioactive compounds in the studied or similar matrix.     

A Lie theoretic categorification of the coloured Jones polynomial

We use the machinery of categorified Jones-Wenzl projectors to construct a categorification of a type A Reshetikhin-Turaev invariant of oriented framed tangles where each strand is labelled by an arbitrary finite-dimensional representation. As a special case, we obtain a categorification of the coloured Jones polynomial of links.     

一个R2上含双曲函数核的Hilbert型不等式

通过引入参数，构造了一个全平面上的、含双曲函数的非齐次核函数。利用正切函数的有理分式展开，建立了最佳常数因子与正切函数高阶导数相关联的Hilbert型积分不等式。 作为应用，通过赋予参数不同的值，建立了一些有意义的特殊结果。     

全局优化问题的一个新的无参数填充函数

求全局最优化问题的填充函数算法被提出以来，参数的选取和调整一直是制约算法有效性的因素。如何在实际的计算过程中选取合适的参数，直接影响和决定了运算速度和效率。因此，构造不含参数的填充函数就显得极为重要。提出一个新的无参数的填充函数，对其理论性质进行了分析，并给出相应的填充函数算法，数值计算验证了算法的有效性。