Resource allocation with stochastic optimal control approach

A control-theoretic decision making system is proposed for an agent (decision maker) to “optimally” allocate and deploy his/her resources over time among a dynamically changing list of opportunities (e.g., financial assets), in an uncertain market environment. The solution is a sequence of actions with the objective of optimizing total reward function. This control-theoretic approach is unique in a sense that it solves the problem at distinct time epochs over a finite time horizon and strategies are discovered directly. Rather than basing a decision making system on forecasts or training via a reinforcement learning algorithm using current state data, we train our system via a Q-learning algorithm using Geometric Brownian Motion as an asset price function. While the above problem is quite general, we focus solely on the problem of dynamic financial portfolio management with the objective of maximizing the expected utility for a given risk level. The performance functions that we consider for our system are realized mean return, drawdown and standard deviation. We find that our model achieves a better return and drawdown compared to a known market index as a benchmark.     

Fe3O4‐supported Schiff‐base copper (II) complex: A valuable heterogeneous nanocatalyst for one‐pot synthesis of new pyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine‐3‐carboxamide derivatives

A novel Cu (II) Schiff‐base complex immobilized on core‐shell magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@SPNC) was successfully designed and synthesized. The structural features of these nanoparticles were studied and confirmed by using various techniques including FT‐IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X‐Ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (WDX), and inductively coupled plasma (ICP). These newly synthesized nanoparticles have been used as efficient heterogeneous catalytic system for one‐pot multicomponent synthesis of new pyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine‐3‐carboxamide derivatives. Notably, the catalyst could be easily separated from the reaction mixture by using an external magnet and reused for several successive reaction runs with no significant loss of activity or copper leaching. The present protocol benefits from a hitherto unreported MNPs‐immobilized Cu (II) Schiff‐base complex as an efficient nanocatalyst for the synthesis of newly reported derivatives of pyrano[2,3‐b]pyridine‐3‐carboxamide from one‐pot multicomponent reactions.     

Study on the Interaction of the CpG Alternating DNA with CdTe Quantum Dots

A novel sensitive method for detection of DNA methylation was developed with thioglycollic acid (TGA)-capped CdTe quantum dots (QDs) as fluorescence probes. Recognition of methylated DNA sites would be useful strategy due to the important roles of methylation in disease occurrence and developmental processes. DNA methylation occurs most often at cytosine-guanine sites (CpG dinucleotides) of gene promoters. The QDs significantly interacted with hybridized unmethylated and methylated DNA. The interaction of CpG rich methylated and unmethylated DNA hybrid with quantum dots as an optical probe has been investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and electrophoresis assay. The fluorescence intensity of QDs was highly dependent to unmethylated and methylated DNA. Specific site of CpG islands of Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a well-studied tumor suppressor gene, was used as the detection target. Under optimum conditions, upon the addition of unmethylated dsDNA, the fluorescence intensity increased in linear range from 1.0?×?10^??10 to 1.0?×?10^??6M with detection limit of 6.2?×?10^??11 M and on the other hand, the intensity of QDs showed no changes with addition of methylated dsDNA. We also demonstrated that the unmethylated and methylated DNA and QDs complexes showed different mobility in electrophoresis assay. This easy and reliable method could distinguish between methylated and unmethylated DNA sequences.     

Kinetic study of electrochemically induced Michael reactions of o‐benzoquinones with 2‐acetylcyclohexanone and 2‐acetylcyclopentanone

The reaction of electrochemically generated o‐benzoquinones ( 2a‐f ) as Michael acceptors with 2‐acetylcyclohexanone (ACH) and 2‐acetylcyclopentanone (ACP), as nucleophiles has been studied in various pHs using cyclic voltammetry. The results indicate that the participation of o‐benzoquinones ( 2a‐f ) in the Michael reaction with acetylcyclohexanone (ACH) to form the corresponding catechol derivatives ( 4a‐f ). Based on an EC mechanism, the homogeneous rate constants were estimated by comparing the experimental cyclic voltammetric responses with the digital simulated results. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A New Approach for Optimization of Distributed Quantum Circuits

International Journal of Theoretical Physics - In the present work, a novel approach was proposed to optimize the teleportation cost in Distributed Quantum Circuits (DQCs) by applying a new...     

Green and mild laccase-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling of benzenediol derivatives with various sodium benzenesulfinates

The oxidative coupling reaction between hydroquinone or catechols and various sodium benzenesulfinates was investigated using the laccase from Trametes versicolor, in the presence of O₂ in a phosphate buffer solution at room temperature to afford sulfonyl benzenediols in 75–95% yield.     

A new model for deformed carbon nanotubes using Green’s function

A new method for modeling and analysis of deformed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using Green’s function, is presented in this paper, for the first time. Using the proposed method, a new circuit model is obtained for the deformation region of a deformed single-walled CNT (SWCNT), which the values of its elements depend on the type of deformation and also the deformation parameters such as the coupling matrices and the energy variations of deformation region. The comparison between the obtained results from the analysis of proposed model and the literature gives a good match which approves the accuracy and correctness of the proposed model.     

Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Lead and Tin by Adsorptive Differential Pulse Stripping Method and Orthogonal Signal Correction‐Partial Least Squares in Water Samples

An adsorptive differential pulse stripping method for the simultaneous determination of lead and tin is proposed. The procedure involves an adsorptive accumulation of lead and tin on a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE), followed by oxidation of adsorbed lead and tin by voltammetric scan using differential pulse modulation. The optimum experimental conditions are: 0.2 mol L^?1 HNO₃, accumulation potential of ?900 mV versus Ag/AgCl, accumulation time of 200 s, scan rate of 20 mV s^?1 and pulse height of 80 mV. Lead and tin peak currents were observed in the same potential region at about ?400 mV. The simultaneous determination of lead and tin by using voltammetry is a difficult problem in analytical chemistry, due to voltammogram interferences. The resolution of a mixture of lead and tin by the application of orthogonal signal correction‐partial least squares (OSC‐PLS) was performed. The linear dynamic ranges were 0.003‐0.35 and 0.008‐0.50 μg mL^?1 and detection limits were land 3 ng mL^?1 for lead and tin, respectively. The RMSEP for lead and tin with OSC and without OSC were 2.8737, 6.0557 and 8.0941, 9.5151, respectively. The capability of the method for the analysis of real samples was evaluated by the determination of lead and tin in water samples with satisfactory results.     

One-pot electrochemical synthesis of highly symmetric and conjugated coumarin derivative

A facile and one pot electrochemical synthesis of disubstituted hydroquinone generated from the electrochemical oxidation of 4-1-(4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethanone (1) in the presence of 4-hydroxy-6,7-dimethylcoumarin (3) has been reported. The results revealed that p-quinone imine derived from oxidation of (1) participate in Michael addition reactions with 3 and followed by a hydrolysis reaction attain to the highly symmetric and conjugated coumarin derivative. We derived a new product in good yield based on controlled potential electrochemical oxidation at carbon electrode in a divided cell.