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.     

Imposing accurate wall boundary conditions in corrective‐matrix‐based moving particle semi‐implicit method for free surface flow

Corrective matrix that is derived to restore consistency of discretization schemes can significantly enhance accuracy for the inside particles in the Moving Particle Semi‐implicit method. In this situation, the error due to free surface and wall boundaries becomes dominant. Based on the recent study on Neumann boundary condition (Matsunaga et al, CMAME, 2020), the corrective matrix schemes in MPS are generalized to straightforwardly and accurately impose Neumann boundary condition. However, the new schemes can still easily trigger instability at free surface because of the biased error caused by the incomplete/biased neighbor support. Therefore, the existing stable schemes based on virtual particles and conservative gradient models are applied to free surface and nearby particles to produce a stable transitional layer at free surface. The new corrective matrix schemes are only applied to the particles under the stable transitional layer for improving the wall boundary conditions. Three numerical examples of free surface flows demonstrate that the proposed method can help to reduce the pressure/velocity fluctuations and hence enhance accuracy further.     

柠檬果茶中游离态和键合态挥发性成分分析

以柠檬果茶为研究对象,建立了顶空固相微萃取前处理结合气相色谱质谱联用技术测定其中挥发性化合物的分析方法。采用开水冲泡对样品进行提取,通过Amberlite XAD-2大孔吸附树脂对柠檬果茶中的糖苷类挥发性组分键合,分离游离态和键合态化合物,甲醇溶剂作为洗脱剂对键合态化合物进行洗脱,Almondsβ-D-葡萄糖苷酶对其酶解。使用气质联用对样品中游离态和键合态挥发性成分进行检测,其结果根据数据库匹配和对比文献保留时间定性,内标法进行定量。结果表明,柠檬果茶中含有游离态物质24种,键合态物质16种,主要为(+)-柠檬烯、1-辛醇、橙花醇、(-)-4-萜品醇、alpha-松油醇等。方法为花果茶干燥工艺提供参考。     

One‐pot synthesis of a multi‐template molecularly imprinted polymer for the extraction of six sulfonamide residues from milk before high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection

A highly selective molecularly imprinted polymer sorbent was synthesized and employed for the simultaneous determination of six sulfonamide antibiotic residues (sulfanilamide, sulfacetamide, sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfamerazine, and sulfamethizole) in milk samples. Multi‐analyte imprinted particles were used as a sorbent in solid‐phase extraction. Sulfonamides were separated on a high‐performance liquid chromatography column (Merck–Lichrospher RP18e, 5 μm 250 × 4 mm) and further identified and quantified by diode array detection. Several parameters including required loading of the molecularly imprinted polymer sorbent, mass of milk, volume, and type of elution solvent, as well as time for absorption and elution were investigated to obtain optimal experimental conditions. For comparison purpose, a non‐imprinted polymer was applied under the optimum conditions. The validation study according to the European Union Decision 2002/657/EC was based on the investigation of linearity, selectivity, stability, limits of detection and quantitation, decision limit, detection capability, trueness, precision, and ruggedness according to Youden's approach. The decision limit and detection capability values in the milk were achieved from 101.9 to 113.5 μg/kg and from 114.4 to 135.4 μg/kg, respectively, depending on the target sulfonamide drug. Finally, the optimized protocol was successfully applied to commercial milk samples and human breast milk.     

Structural and phase characteristics of the diamond/matrix interfacial zone in high-resistant diamond composites

The structural-phase state of the contact zone and the factors that influence on the strength of diamond retention in the diamond carbide composites were determined. Composites were obtained by the new hybrid technology that eliminates the reheating of the metalized coating. The elaborated technology combines the thermal diffusion metallization of a diamond and the sintering by the scheme of self-dosed impregnation in a one-stage technological cycle. By the methods of electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and Raman spectroscopy the structural and phase characteristics of the interphase boundary were investigated. The improvement of chemical and mechanical adhesion between the diamond and carbide matrix was obtained. It was shown that the specific productivity of the samples with a metalized diamond component is 39% higher than those without metallization.     

Separation and purification of scandium: From industry to medicine

Scandium and its compounds are used in many modern industrial fields due to its unique chemical and physical properties. It is mainly recovered from residues and wastes in the production of other metals. The exploitation of the ores and wastes could contaminate water and soil creating environmental problems. This paper discusses recent developments and tendencies in scandium separation, purification and preconcentration from different wastes, residues, environmental samples as well as in the production of radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear medicine, both in the laboratory and on the industrial scale. The period reviewed here mainly includes publications that have appeared, since 2010.     

求解矩阵方程AXB+CXD=F参数迭代法的最优参数分析

本文针对求矩阵方程AXB+CXD=F唯一解的参数迭代法，分析当矩阵A，B，C，D均是Hermite正（负）定矩阵时，迭代矩阵的特征值表达式，给出了最优参数的确定方法，并提出了相应的加速算法.