An ESI‐MS and NMR Study of the Self‐Assembly of Guanosine Derivatives

The self‐assembly of guanosine (G) derivatives in the presence of alkali‐metal ions gives octameric or polymeric aggregates composed of stacked G quartets. This process is studied for some lipophilic G derivatives by means of ESI‐MS. The ESI‐MS results are discussed in the light of complementary information obtained from NMR and SANS (small‐angle neutron scattering) studies. ESI‐MS gives an excellent picture of the self‐assembly process and gives new information on the effect of different cations and anions on the dimensions of the assembled species, information that could not have been obtained with SANS and NMR alone.     

Sampling and digestion of waste mobile phones printed circuit boards for Cu,Pb, Ni,and Zn determination

Sampling is the most important procedure in arriving at the value of an electronic scrap. Inappropriate sampling makes other procedures, including assaying, valueless, as the sample must really represent the electronic scrap from which it was taken. The aim of this study was to develop the procedure to investigate the composition of heterogeneous printed circuit boards (PCBs) material and to show its applicability as well as its related limitations. The contents of Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn in PCBs from wasted mobile phones were determined. Mixtures of aqua regia, hydrogen peroxide and hydrofluoric acid were applied to sample digestion. Open and closed vessel wet digestion with or without heating and microwave-assisted one was realized. For these purposes different sample amounts (0.2, 0.4, and 0.5 g) were applied and on the basis of calculated relative standard deviation values (RSD), the precision of repeated the most effective digestion was evaluated. The microwave-assisted wet digestion and mixture of aqua regia and hydrogen peroxide was found as the most effective one of the compared mixtures and applied conditions. A sample amount of 0.5 g was found as the most suitable. RSD values confirm the importance of electronic waste material sample preparation.     

A regular perturbation analytical‐numerical method for the evolution of precancerous lesions caused by the human papillomavirus

A numerical method is developed to analyze the behavior of the evolution of the lesions at the cervical cells caused by the human papillomavirus. The model to be solved consists in a one‐dimensional nonlinear advection–diffusion‐reaction equation. Such equation is approximated by a consistent explicit difference scheme which is based on regular perturbation theory. A constructive procedure for the numerical scheme is given and finally an illustrative example of the evolution of a mild dysplasia is included. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 847–855, 2015     

The Shapley value for arbitrary families of coalitions

We address the problem of finding a suitable definition of a value similar to that of Shapley’s, when the games are defined on a subfamily of coalitions with no structure. We present two frameworks: one based on the familiar efficiency, linearity and null player axioms, and the other on linearity and the behavior on unanimity games. We give several properties and examples in each case, and give necessary and sufficient conditions on the family of coalitions for the approaches to coincide.     

An alternating extragradient method with non euclidean projections for saddle point problems

In this work we analyze a first order method especially tailored for smooth saddle point problems, based on an alternating extragradient scheme. The proposed method is based on three successive projection steps, which can be computed also with respect to non Euclidean metrics. The stepsize parameter can be adaptively computed, so that the method can be considered as a black-box algorithm for general smooth saddle point problems. We develop the global convergence analysis in the framework of non Euclidean proximal distance functions, under mild local Lipschitz conditions, proving also the \(\mathcal {O}(\frac{1}{k})\) rate of convergence on the primal–dual gap. Finally, we analyze the practical behavior of the method and its effectiveness on some applications arising from different fields.     

IR Tools: a MATLAB package of iterative regularization methods and large-scale test problems

Numerical Algorithms - This paper describes a new MATLAB software package of iterative regularization methods and test problems for large-scale linear inverse problems. The software package, called...     

Mathematical modelling of bottom evolution by particle deposition and resuspension

A two-dimensional numerical model for the evolution of a bottom due to particle deposition and resuspension by a fluid flow is here presented. A computational fluid dynamic approach is used to calculate the flow field and a Lagrangian particle tracking technique is applied to solve the dispersed phase. The evolution of the lower boundary is simulated taking into account the mass conservation of the solid phase and the geotechnical properties of the granular material. The model is characterized by two important features. First, fluid dynamics are coupled with the bottom evolution due to particle deposition and resuspension. This permits to use the model to simulate complex flow fields as well as complex time-evolving geometries. Second, the dispersed phase is calculated by a Lagrangian approach, which retains the discrete information of the individual particles of the granular bottom which may be of interest for some industrial processes (coating) and environmental flows (sediment stratification). First consistency checks have been performed for some deposition and resuspension test cases with fluid at rest. The model has also been tested by comparison with a physical experiment of deposition inside a cavity. Finally, as an example of possible applications of industrial and environmental interest, the model has been applied to investigate particle deposition in rectangular cavities and the evolution of a sand heap by a fluid flow.