Approximating call-scheduling makespan in all-optical networks

We study the problem of routing and scheduling requests of limited durations in all-optical networks with restrictions on the number of available wavelengths on each link. The task is servicing the requests, assigning each of them a route from source to destination, a starting time and a wavelength with the goal of minimizing the overall time needed to serve all requests. We study the relationship between this problem and minimum path coloring and we show how to exploit known results on path coloring to derive approximation scheduling algorithms for meshes, trees and nearly-Eulerian, uniformly high-diameter graphs. We also propose different approximation algorithms for stars, trees and in trees of rings.     

Dehalogenation of α -haloketones and vic-dibromides with nickel boride

α-Haloketones and $\text{vic}$-dibromides are converted to the corresponding ketones and alkenes respectively with nickel boride generated $\text{in situ}$ from sodium borohydride and nickel chloride.     

Mercury speciation in environmental samples by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry with in situ preconcentration on a gold trap

A method has been developed for the determination of total and organic mercury in biological materials and sediments. A microwave assisted mineralization of the organic mercury, after its extraction from the matrix, is described. This procedure warrants complete transformation of Hg(II) and, consequently, the quantitative reduction to Hg(0). The conditions for mercury reduction were optimized by a central composite design. The preconcentration of the analyte has been achieved by amalgamation on a trap system, consisting in a pyrolytic graphite platform wound by a gold wire. Mercury was determined by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The method was validated by the analysis of two certified reference materials and applied to the determination of total and organic mercury species in mussel tissues and sediments. The method is simple and practical, and offers the advantage of not requiring special equipment to measure inorganic and organic mercury simultaneously.     

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometric determination of trace elements in sediments after sequential selective extraction: effects of reagents and major elements on the analytical signal

The interfering effects due to the reagents and matrix elements associated with a four step sequential extraction procedure on ICPOES determination of trace elements were investigated in a systematic way. The emission lines were selected in order to include the most interesting elements for environmental studies (Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, V and Cu) and the concentrations ranged according with the values occurring in the real samples. In order to distinguish between chemical and physical interfering effects, the Mg 280.270–Mg 285.213 line intensity ratio was measured, in each condition. Both pneumatic and ultrasonic nebulization were considered for comparison. It was found that both the elements which constitute the sample and the reagents which are added during the sample preparation steps significantly influence the emission intensity of all the analytes, depending on the analytical concentration and the nebulization system. Generally, the signal variations were higher with ultrasonic nebulization. Concerning the interference mechanism, it was found that the effect of the major elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Al and Fe) is essentially related to a change of the aerosol generation and transport processes. Differently, acetic acid, ammonium acetate and hydroxylamine hydrochloride significantly improved the plasma excitation conditions, depending on their concentration. A change of the sample introduction efficiency due to the presence of these reagents was also evident. On the contrary, the effect of hydrochloric and nitric acid emerged to be related only to the processes occurring in the sample introduction system.