Mixed integer programming for a special logic constrained optimal control problem

Integrating logical constraints into optimal control problems is not an easy task. In fact, optimal control problems are usually continuous while logical constraints are naturally expressed by integer (binary) variables. In this article we are interested is a particular form of an LQR optimal control problem: the energy (control L² norm) is to be minimized, system dynamic is linear and logical constraints on the control use are to be fulfilled. Even if the starting continuous problem is not a complicated one, difficulties arise when integrating the additional logical constraints. First, we will present two different ways of modeling the problem, both of them leading us to Mixed Integer Problems. Furthermore, algorithms (Generalized Outer Approximation, Benders Decomposition and Branch and Cut) are applied on each model and results analyzed. We also present a Benders Decomposition algorithm variant that is adapted to our problem (taking into account its particular form) and we will conclude by looking at the optimal solutions obtained in an interesting physical example: the harmonic spring.     

PLS分析与RBF神经网络耦合环境模型

鉴于城市大气环境质量受到诸多复杂因素影响,且各因素间存在多重相关性,本文将偏最小二乘(PLS)分析与人工神经网络径向基网络(RBF)耦合,建立偏最小二乘径向基神经网络模型(PLSRBF),应用于贵阳大气环境质量的检验和预测。实例表明:PLSRBF模型可对原多自变量模型进行降维简化,并可有效提取解释变量信息,防止信息丢失,且具有较强的拟合能力。     

Iterative Algorithms for Equilibrium Problems

We consider equilibrium problems in the framework of the formulation proposed by Blum and Oettli, which includes variational inequalities, Nash equilibria in noncooperative games, and vector optimization problems, for instance, as particular cases. We show that such problems are particular instances of convex feasibility problems with infinitely many convex sets, but with additional structure, so that projection algorithms for convex feasibility can be modified in order to improve their convergence properties, mainly achieving global convergence without either compactness or coercivity assumptions. We present a sequential projections algorithm with an approximately most violated constraint control strategy, and two variants where exact orthogonal projections are replaced by approximate ones, using separating hyperplanes generated by subgradients. We include full convergence analysis of these algorithms.     

Relaxation techniques applied to some loading problems

In this paper a two-stage loading problem, dealing with allocation of jobs to machines, is studied. The outer problem is to choose a subset among a number of available machines such that a feasible assigment exists and the total cost price is minimized. The inner problem, is then to find the optimal allocation, given the subset of machines and some assigment criterion at this lower level. It is shown that the choice of problem formulation can be crucial for the strength of the continuous relaxation. Computational results are also presented     

Recent trends on electrochemical carbon-based nanosensors for sensitive assay of pesticides

Pesticides are substances or mixtures used to prevent, control, and reduce harmful organisms, are divided into various groups as carbamates, organophosphates, organochlorines, pyrethroids, fungicides, herbicides, and rodenticides. Uncontrolled and long-term use of pesticides has become an important issue that causes environmental pollution and health problems. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective sensors to determine pesticides in various samples. Electrochemical techniques stand out with high sensitivity, easy application, low cost, and user-friendliness, among other analysis techniques such as spectroscopic and chromatographic methods. Furthermore, carbon nanomaterials are advantageous materials for the sensor design as modification agents due to their unique electrical, physical, electrocatalytic, and chemical features. In this review, the most significant studies on the electroanalysis of pesticides (e.g., carbaryl, carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, malathion, methyl parathion, paraoxon) using carbon-based nanosensors in the last five years are overviewed. In addition, electrochemical methods and the carbon nanomaterials used in these studies are also evaluated.     

Application of ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to the determination of multi-class pesticides in environmental and wastewater samples: Study of matrix effects

An ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method for the determination of 37 pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) in environmental and wastewater has been developed. To efficiently combine UHPLC with MS/MS, a fast-acquisition triple quadrupole mass analyzer was used. This analyzer (minimum dwell time, 5 ms) allows acquiring up to three simultaneous transitions in the selected reaction monitoring mode for each compound assuring a reliable identification without resolution or sensitivity losses. A pre-concentration step based on solid-phase extraction using Waters Oasis HLB cartridges (0.2 g) was applied with a 100-fold pre-concentration factor along the whole analytical procedure. The method was validated based on European SANCO guidelines using surface, ground, drinking and treated water (from an urban solid residues treatment plant) spiked at two concentration levels (0.025 and 0.1 μg/L), the lowest having been established as the limit of quantification objective. The method showed excellent sensitivity, with instrumental limits of detection ranging from 0.1 to 7 pg. It was applied to environmental water samples (ground and surface water) as well as to samples of urban solid waste leachates (raw leachate and treated leachate after applying reversed osmosis) collected from a municipal treatment plant. Matrix effects have been studied in the different types of water samples analyzed, and several isotope-labelled internal standards have been evaluated as a way to compensate the signal suppression observed for most of the compounds studied, especially in wastewater samples. As a general remark, only those pesticides which response was corrected using their own isotope-labelled molecule, could be satisfactorily corrected in all type of samples, assuring in this way the accurate quantification in all matrix samples.     

Simultaneous determination of tetracyclines and their degradation products in environmental waters by liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive method was developed for the trace determination of six tetracyclines and ten of their degradation products in influent, effluent, and river waters using liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry detection, combined with Oasis hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) cartridge extraction and Oasis mixed-mode strong anion exchange (MAX) cartridge cleanup. Tetracyclines and their products were separated by liquid chromatography in 9.5 min, and the instrument detection limits were generally between 0.03 and 0.1 μg/L except for minocycline (0.5 μg/L). The chromatograms were improved through the MAX cleanup and no apparent matrix effect was found. The recoveries of all the target compounds except for 4-epianhydrochlortetracycline and anhydrochlortetracycline (34–52%) were 75–120% for influent, 61–103% for effluent, and 64–113% for river waters. The method detection limits (MDLs) of the analytes varied in the range of 0.8–17.5 ng/L in all studied matrices. The method was applied for the determination of tetracyclines and their products in a sewage treatment plant (STP) and surface waters in Beijing, China. Oxytetracycline (3.8–72.5 ng/L), tetracycline (1.9–16.5 ng/L), and five products including 4-epitetracycline, 4-epioxytetracycline, isochlortetracycline, anhydrotetracycline, and 4-epianhydrochlortetracycline (5.7–25.3 ng/L) were detected in wastewater, while only oxytetracycline and tetracycline (2.2 and 2.1 ng/L) were detected in surface water samples.     

Phytotoxicity assessment of diclofenac and its phototransformation products

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is an emerging issue. Several studies observed that the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac is ubiquitously present in most of the surveyed surface waters, worldwide. Phototransformation of diclofenac was reported from laboratory assays as well as in natural water systems, raising the question of possible adverse effects of the phototransformation products of diclofenac to aquatic organisms. In this study the phytotoxicity of diclofenac exposed to natural sunlight was evaluated using synchronized cultures of the unicellular chlorophyte Scenedesmus vacuolatus. Diclofenac dissolved in ultra-pure water at 50 mg L⁻¹ was exposed to natural midsummer sunlight for a maximum of 145 h. Twice a day subsamples were taken for chromatography and parallel phytotoxicity assessment. Inhibition of algal reproduction of the initial diclofenac solution was in the mg L⁻¹ range indicating no specific toxicity of diclofenac towards S. vacuolatus. Fast degradation of diclofenac was observed with half lives between 3.3 and 6.4 h during the first and the third day of exposure, respectively. Phytotoxicity increased after 3.5 h of exposure of diclofenac to sunlight and showed a maximum of sixfold enhanced toxicity after 53 h of exposure to sunlight. Several phototransformation products were found during the experiment. The time courses of the relative concentration of three transformation products significantly correlated with enhanced phytotoxicity during the experiment. This indicates a high toxicity potential of phototransformation products of diclofenac at concentration levels that may come close to environmental concentrations of residual diclofenac after degradation. We conclude that toxicity assessment of phototransformation products should be included in the risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in the environment.     

Rapid isolation of plutonium in environmental solid samples using sequential injection anion exchange chromatography followed by detection with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

This paper reports an automated analytical method for rapid determination of plutonium isotopes (²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu) in environmental solid extracts. Anion exchange chromatographic columns were incorporated in a sequential injection (SI) system to undertake the automated separation of plutonium from matrix and interfering elements. The analytical results most distinctly demonstrated that the crosslinkage of the anion exchanger is a key parameter controlling the separation efficiency. AG 1-×4 type resin was selected as the most suitable sorbent material for analyte separation. Investigation of column size effect upon the separation efficiency revealed that small-sized (2 mL) columns sufficed to handle up to 50 g of environmental soil samples. Under the optimum conditions, chemical yields of plutonium exceeded 90% and the decontamination factors for uranium, thorium and lead ranged from 10³ to 10⁴. The determination of plutonium isotopes in three standard/certified reference materials (IAEA-375 soil, IAEA-135 sediment and NIST-4359 seaweed) and two reference samples (Irish Sea sediment and Danish soil) revealed a good agreement with reference/certified values. The SI column-separation method is straightforward and less labor intensive as compared with batch-wise anion exchange chromatographic procedures. Besides, the automated method features low consumption of ion-exchanger and reagents for column washing and elution, with the consequent decrease in the generation of acidic waste, thus bearing green chemical credentials.     

Analytical challenges and the development of biomarkers to measure and to monitor the effects of ocean acidification

Changing ocean-carbonate chemistry caused by oceanic uptake of anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to the formation of carbonic acid, thus lowering the pH of the sea with predictions of a decrease from current levels at 8.15 to 7.82 by the end of the century. The exact measurement of subtle pH changes in seawater over time presents significant analytical challenges, as the equilibrium constants are governed by water temperature and pressure, salinity effects, and the existence of other ionic species in seawater.Here, we review these challenges and how pH also affects dissolved inorganic and organic chemicals that affect biological systems. This includes toxic compounds (xenobiotics) as well as chemicals that are beneficial for marine organisms, such as the chemical signals (i.e. pheromones) that are utilized to coordinate animal behavior. We review how combining analytical, molecular and biochemical tools can lead to the development of biosensors to detect pH effects to enable predictive modeling of the ecological consequences of ocean acidification.