Cloud point extraction for the determination of cadmium and lead employing sequential multi-element flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A cloud point extraction procedure for pre-concentration and determination of cadmium and lead in drinking water using sequential multi-element flame atomic absorption spectrometry is described. 4-(2-thiazolylazo)-orcinol (TAO) has been used as complexing agent and the micellar phase was obtained using the non-ionic surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114) and centrifugation. The conditions for reaction and extraction (surfactant concentration, reagent concentration, effect of incubation time, etc) were studied and the analytical characteristics of the method were determined. The method allows the determination of cadmium and lead with quantification limits of 0.30?µg?L^?1 and 2.6?µg?L^?1, respectively. A precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD, n?=?10) of 2.3% and 2.6% has been obtained for cadmium concentrations of 10?µg?L^?1 and 30?µg?L^?1, respectively, and RSD of 1.3% and 1.7% for lead concentrations of 10?µg?L^?1 and 30?µg?L^?1, respectively. The accuracy was confirmed by analysis of a natural water certified reference material. The method has been applied for the determination of cadmium and lead in drinking water samples collected in the cities of Ilhéus and Itabuna, Brazil. Recovery tests have also been performed for some samples, and results varied from 96 to 105% for cadmium and 97 to 106% for lead. The cadmium and lead concentrations found in these samples were always lower than the permissible maximum levels stipulated by World Health Organization and the Brazilian Government.     

Cloud point extraction of aluminum (III) in water samples and determination by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry,flame atomic absorption spectrometry and UV-visible spectrophotometry

Cloud point extraction was applied as a preconcentration step for the determination of trace level of Al(III) in water samples with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and UV-visible spectrophotometry. The aluminum was extracted as aluminum-Eriochrome Cyanine R (ECR) complex, at pH 6 by micelles of the non-ionic surfactant octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (Triton X-114). The investigations showed that the same CPE procedure can be used for different detection techniques. The results obtained from these techniques were evaluated. Under the optimal conditions, limit of detection obtained with ETAAS, FAAS and UV-visible spectrophotometry were 0.03 ng mL^?1, 0.06 µg mL^?1 and 0.01 µg mL^?1, respectively. The accuracy of the procedure was tested by analysing certified reference material. The method was successfully applied to determination of aluminum in water samples and dialysis fluid.     

文化框架下多群智能优化算法的云作业调度

作业调度是一种云计算核心技术,为了获得更优的云计算作业调度方案,提出一种文化框架下多群智能优化算法的云作业调度方法。首先构建云作业调度问题的数学模型,然后借助文化算法模型,粒子群算法组成信仰空间,人工鱼群算法组成群体空间,两者之间并行演化,相互促进,对云计算作业调度数学模型进行求解,最后通过仿真实验测试算法的性能。结果表明,本文加快了算法的收敛速度,获得了更优的云计算作业调度方案,大幅度缩短少云计算作业完成时间,具有一定的实用价值。     

Biocomputing Based on DNA Strand Displacement Reactions

The high sequence specificity and precise base complementary pairing principle of DNA provides a rich orthogonal molecular library for molecular programming, making it one of the most promising materials for developing bio-compatible intelligence. In recent years, DNA has been extensively studied and applied in the field of biological computing. Among them, the toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction (SDR) with properties including enzyme free, flexible design and precise control, have been extensively used to construct biological computing circuits. This review provides a systemic overview of SDR design principles and the applications. Strategies for designing DNA-only, enzymes-assisted, other molecules-involved and external stimuli-controlled SDRs are described. The recently realized computing functions and the application of DNA computing in other fields are introduced. Finally, the advantages and challenges of SDR-based computing are discussed.     

基于AltiVec技术的PowerPC处理器矢量运算性能测试

基于AltiVec技术的PowerPC处理器,在很多嵌入式信号处理领域已经取代传统的DSP处理器成为信号处理器件的首选。为了评估基于AltiVec技术的PowerPC处理器的矢量运算性能和信号处理能力,选取MPC8641D处理器为硬件测试平台,采用符合VSIPL标准的VSI/Pro Core矢量库和ixlibsav矢量库,通过测试复乘和FFT典型算法不同类型的运算时间,对AltiVec处理单元的矢量运算性能进行了测试评估。通过对测试结果的分析,基于AltiVec技术的PowerPC处理器具备强大的矢量运算处理性能,可以满足嵌入式数字信号处理技术对高性能处理器的需求。     

基于AHP权重和灰色服务器负载预测的云计算On-line迁移策略

为了克服云计算环境下由于实时用户任务的不确定性到来和服务器性能差异而导致的云计算环境的负载不均衡问题,提出了一种AHP权重获取和灰度算法预测服务器负载的云计算on-line虚拟机迁移策略。首先,设计了基于AHP和灰色服务器预测的虚拟机on-line迁移模型,提出了采用AHP获取虚拟机各资源需求权重,然后,采用灰色模型预测下一时刻的服务器负载,采用此权值向量与各无需迁移的服务器的空闲资源向量进行加权得到加权和,将具有最小加权和的物理服务器作为迁移的目标宿主机。最后,定义了基于AHP权重和灰色服务器负载预测的云计算on-line迁移算法。在CloudSim环境下进行实验,结果表明文中的迁移策略使得云计算在响应用户任务时,具有任务失败次数少、SLA违约率低和迁移成功率高的优点,同时与其它方法相比,具有负载均衡程度高的优点,具有较强的可行性。     

基于云环境的分布式软件接口自动化测试

软件测试是保证软件质量,提供可靠服务的重要技术手段。目前基于Web Service的分布式软件越来越多,其测试技术手段也越来越受到关注。Web Service的分布性和多样性使手工测试变得非常低效,因而需要不断提高Web Service测试的自动化程度。另外,云计算因其计算成本低、可伸缩性强的特点为自动化测试提供了新的支持环境。本文结合Web Service的测试需求,首次提出了基于云环境的Web Service接口自动化测试的技术框架,分析了框架内原子Web Service、组合Web Service测试的关键技术,并研发了基于CloudStack云平台的自动化测试的原型系统。实验结果表明,本文所提出的基于云平台的WebService自动化测试方案可行且提高了测试效率。     

Intracellular Entropy‐Driven Multi‐Bit DNA Computing for Tumor Progression Discrimination

Tumor progressions such as metastasis are complicated events that involve abnormal expression of different miRNAs and enzymes. Monitoring these biomolecules in live cells with computational DNA nanotechnology may enable discrimination of tumor progression via digital outputs. Herein, we report intracellular entropy‐driven multivalent DNA circuits to implement multi‐bit computing for simultaneous analysis of intracellular telomerase and microRNAs including miR‐21 and miR‐31. These three biomolecules can trigger respective DNA strand displacement recycling reactions for signal amplification. They are visualized by fluorescence imaging, and their signal outputs are encoded as multi‐bit binary codes for different cell types. The results can discriminate non‐tumorigenic, malignant and metastatic breast cells as well as respective tumors. This DNA computing circuit is further performed in a microfluidic chip to differentiate rare co‐cultured cells, which holds a potential for the analysis of clinical samples.     

A minimization version of a directed subgraph homeomorphism problem

We consider a special case of the directed subgraph homeomorphism or topological minor problem, where the host graph has a specific regular structure. Given an acyclic directed pattern graph, we are looking for a host graph of minimal height which still allows for an embedding. This problem has applications in compiler design for certain coarse-grain reconfigurable architectures. In this application domain, the task is to simultaneously schedule, bind and route a so-called data-flow graph, where vertices represent operations and arcs stand for data dependencies between the operations, given an orthogonal grid structure of reconfigurable processing elements (PEs) that have restricted communication abilities. We show that the problem of simultaneously scheduling, binding and routing is NP-complete by describing a logic engine reduction from NAE-3-SAT. This result holds even when the input graph is a directed tree with maximum indegree two. We also give a |V|^3/2-approximation algorithm. J. A. Brenner’s research supported by the DFG Research Center Matheon “Mathematics for key technologies”. J. C. van der Veen’s research supported by DFG Focus Program 1148, “Reconfigurable Architectures”, Grants FE 407/8-1 and FE 407/8-2.