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 lightweight cell switching and traffic offloading scheme for energy optimization in ultra-dense heterogeneous networks

One of the major capacity boosters for 5G networks is the deployment of ultra-dense heterogeneous networks (UDHNs). However, this deployment results in a tremendous increase in the energy consumption of the network due to the large number of base stations (BSs) involved. In addition to enhanced capacity, 5G networks must also be energy efficient for it to be economically viable and environmentally friendly. Dynamic cell switching is a very common way of reducing the total energy consumption of the network, but most of the proposed methods are computationally demanding, which makes them unsuitable for application in ultra-dense network deployment with massive number of BSs. To tackle this problem, we propose a lightweight cell switching scheme also known as Threshold-based Hybrid cEll swItching Scheme (THESIS) for energy optimization in UDHNs. The developed approach combines the benefits of clustering and exhaustive search (ES) algorithm to produce a solution whose optimality is close to that of the ES (which is guaranteed to be optimal), but is computationally more efficient than ES and as such can be applied for cell switching in real networks even when their dimension is large. The performance evaluation shows that THESIS significantly reduces the energy consumption of the UDHN and can reduce the complexity of finding a near-optimal solution from exponential to polynomial complexity.     

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of PEDOT:PSS films via ionic liquid post-treatment

Thermoelectric(TE)energy harvesting can effectively convert waste heat into electricity,which is a crucial technology to solve energy concerns.As a promising candidate for energy conversion,poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)has gained significant attention owing to its easy doping,high transparency,and solution processability.However,the TE performance of PEDOT:PSS still needs to be further enhanced.Herein,different approaches have been applied for tuning the TE properties:(i)direct dipping PEDOT:PSS thin films in ionic liquid;(ii)post-treatment of the films with concentrated sulfuric acid(H₂SO₄),and then dipping in ionic liquid.Besides,the same bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide(TFSI)anion and different cation salts,including 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium(EMIM+)and lithium(Li+),are selected to study the influence of varying cation types on the TE properties of PEDOT:PSS.The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS film treated with H2SO4EMIM:TFSI increase simultaneously,and the resulting maximum power factor is 46.7μW·m^-1·K^-2,which may be attributed to the ionic liquid facilitating the rearrangement of the molecular chain of PEDOT.The work provides a reference for the development of organic films with high TE properties.     

PSO-LSSVM对LIBS定量分析精度的提高

针对土壤定量分析受基体效应影响大，LIBS定量分析精度不佳等问题，采用粒子群算法对LSSVM进行优化，提高模型的精确度。选取Pb Ⅰ 405.78 nm和Cr Ⅰ 425.44 nm作为分析谱线进行分析。采集十二个不同浓度样品的特征光谱，每个浓度样品在不同点采集20组数据，将其中17组数据设为训练集，3组数据设为预测集，用LSSVM和PSO-LSSVM两种方法建立定标模型。对比两种模型的拟合相关系数（R2）、训练集均方根误差（RMSEC）和预测集均方根误差(RMSEP)。由于自吸收效应的影响，随着浓度的增加，预测值逐渐低于实际值，LSSVM定标模型的拟合程度较低，无法达到实验要求，模型性能有待提高。利用粒子群算法对LSSVM的模型参数惩罚系数和核函数参数进行优化，得到最佳的参数组合，Pb元素为(8 096.8, 138.865 7)，Cr元素为(4 908.6, 393.563 5)，用最佳的参数组合构建LSSVM的定标模型。相比于LSSVM，PSO-LSSVM定标模型的精确度更高，Pb和Cr元素的R2提高到了0.982 8和0.985 0，拟合效果明显提升。Pb和Cr元素的训练集均方根误差由0.026 0 Wt%和0.027 2 Wt%下降到0.022 4 Wt%和0.019 1 Wt%，预测集均方根误差由0.101 8 Wt%和0.078 8 Wt% 下降到0.045 8 Wt%和0.042 0 Wt%，模型的稳定性进一步提高。说明PSO-LSSVM算法能够更好地降低土壤基体效应和自吸收效应带来的影响，提高分析结果的精确度与稳定性。     

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。     

Performance guarantees of forward and reverse greedy algorithms for minimizing nonsupermodular nonsubmodular functions on a matroid

This letter studies the problem of minimizing increasing set functions, equivalently, maximizing decreasing set functions, over the base matroid. This setting has received great interest, since it generalizes several applied problems including actuator and sensor placement problems in control, task allocation problems, video summarization, and many others. We study two greedy heuristics, namely, the forward and reverse greedy. We provide two novel performance guarantees for the approximate solutions obtained by them depending on both submodularity ratio and curvature.     

Solution combustion synthesis,energy and environment: Best parameters for better materials

Solution combustion synthesis (SCS) is a worldwide used methodology for the preparation of inorganic ceramic and composite materials with controlled properties for a wide number of applications, from catalysis to photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, from heavy metal removal to sensoristics and electronics. The high versatility and efficiency of this technique have led to the introduction of many variants, which allowed important optimization to the prepared materials. Moreover, its ecofriendly nature encouraged further studies about the use of sustainable precursors for the preparation of nanomaterials for energy and environment, according to the concept of circular economy. On the other hand, the large variety of expressions to define SCS and the often-contradictory definitions of the SCS parameters witnessed a scarce consciousness of the potentiality of this methodology. In this review article, the most important findings about SCS and the selection criteria for its main parameters are critically reviewed, in order to give useful guidelines to those scientists who want to use this methodology for preparing materials with improved or new functional properties. This review aims as well (i) to bring more clarity in the SCS terminology (ii) to increase the awareness of the SCS as a convenient tool for the synthesis of materials and (iii) to propose a new perspective in the SCS, with special attention to the use of ecofriendly procedures. Part of the review is also dedicated to precautions and limitations of this powerful methodology.     

PASE synthesis of 1-azolyl-1H-1,2,4-triazoles by the reaction of diazoazoles with ethyl isocyanoacetate

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The martingale problem for a class of nonlocal operators of diagonal type

We consider systems of stochastic differential equations of the form $$\begin{array}{c}\hfill d{X}_t^i=\sum _{j=1}^d{A}_{ij}\left(X_{t?}\right)d{Z}_t^j\end{array}$$ for $i=1,?,d$ with continuous, bounded and non‐degenerate coefficients. Here $Z_t^1,?,Z_t^d$ are independent one‐dimensional stable processes with ${\alpha }_1,?,{\alpha }_d\in (0,2)$. In this article we research on uniqueness of weak solutions to such systems by studying the corresponding martingale problem. We prove the uniqueness of weak solutions in the case of diagonal coefficient matrices.