Dynamic power- and failure-aware cloud resources allocation for Sets of independent tasks

Cloud computing is increasingly being adopted in different scenarios, like social networking, business applications, scientific experiments, etc. Relying in virtualization technology, the construction of these computing environments targets improvements in the infrastructure, such as power-efficiency and fulfillment of users’ SLA specifications. The methodology usually applied is packing all the virtual machines on the proper physical servers. However, failure occurrences in these networked computing systems can induce substantial negative impact on system performance, deviating the system from ours initial objectives. In this work, we propose adapted algorithms to dynamically map virtual machines to physical hosts, in order to improve cloud infrastructure power-efficiency, with low impact on users’ required performance. Our decision making algorithms leverage proactive fault-tolerance techniques to deal with systems failures, allied with virtual machine technology to share nodes resources in an accurately and controlled manner. The results indicate that our algorithms perform better targeting power-efficiency and SLA fulfillment, in face of cloud infrastructure failures.

Square-wave voltametric method for determination of molinate concentration in a biological process using a hanging mercury drop electrode

A square-wave voltammetric (SWV) method using a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE) has been developed for determination of the herbicide molinate in a biodegradation process. The method is based on controlled adsorptive accumulation of molinate for 10 s at a potential of -0.8 V versus AgCl/Ag. An anodic peak, due to oxidation of the adsorbed pesticide, was observed in the cyclic voltammogram at ca. -0.320 V versus AgCl/Ag; a very small cathodic peak was also detected. The SWV calibration plot was established to be linear in the range 5.0x10-6 to 9.0x10-6 mol L-1; this corresponded to a detection limit of 3.5x10-8 mol L-1. This electroanalytical method was used to monitor the decrease of molinate concentration in river waters along a biodegradation process using a bacterial mixed culture. The results achieved with this voltammetric method were compared with those obtained by use of a chromatographic method (HPLC–UV) and no significant statistical differences were observed.

Square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetric detection in the quality control of fluoxetine

Electroanalytical methods based on square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV) and flow-injection analysis with square-wave adsorptive-stripping voltammetric detection (FIA-SWAdSV) were developed for the determination of fluoxetine (FXT). The methods were based on the reduction of FXT at a mercury drop electrode at -1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl, in a phosphate buffer of pH 12.0, and on the possibility of accumulating the compound at the electrode surface. The SWAdSV method was successfully applied in the quantification of FXT in pharmaceutical products, human serum samples, and in drug dissolution studies. Because the presence of dissolved oxygen did not interfere significantly with the analysis, it was possible to quantify FXT in several pharmaceutical products using FIA-SWAdSV. This method enables analysis of up to 120 samples per hour at reduced costs.

The predominance of M2-polarized macrophages in the stroma of low-hypoxic bladder tumors is associated with BCG immunotherapy failure

OBJECTIVE: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy is the gold standard treatment for superficial bladder tumors with intermediate/high risk of recurrence or progression. However, approximately 30% of patients fail to respond to the treatment. Effective BCG therapy needs precise activation of the type 1 helper cells immune pathway. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) often assume an immunoregulatory M2 phenotype and may directly interfere with the BCG-induced antitumor immune response. Thus, we aim to clarify the influence of TAMs, in particular of the M2 phenotype in stroma and tumor areas, in BCG treatment outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 99 patients with bladder cancer treated with BCG. Tumors resected before treatment were evaluated using immunohistochemistry for CD68 and CD163 antigens, which identify a lineage macrophage marker and a M2-polarized specific cell surface receptor, respectively. CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages were evaluated within the stroma and tumor areas, and high density of infiltrating cells spots were selected for counting. Hypoxia, an event known to modulate macrophage phenotype, was also assessed through hypoxia induced factor (HIF)-1α expression. RESULTS: Patients in whom BCG failed had high stroma-predominant CD163+ macrophage counts (high stroma but low tumor CD163+ macrophages counts) when compared with the ones with a successful treatment (71% vs. 47%, P = 0.017). Furthermore, patients presenting this phenotype showed decreased recurrence-free survival (log rank, P = 0.008) and a clear 2-fold increased risk of BCG treatment failure was observed in univariate analysis (hazard ratio = 2.343; 95% CI: 1.197-4.587; P = 0.013). Even when adjusted for potential confounders, such as age and therapeutic scheme, multivariate analysis revealed 2.6-fold increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.627; 95% CI: 1.340-5.150; P = 0.005). High stroma-predominant CD163+ macrophage counts were also associated with low expression of HIF-1α in tumor areas, whereas high counts of CD163+ in the tumor presented high expression of HIF-1α in tumor nests. CONCLUSIONS: TAMs evaluation using CD163 is a good indicator of BCG treatment failure. Moreover, elevated infiltration of CD163+ macrophages, predominantly in stroma areas but not in the tumor, may be a useful indicator of BCG treatment outcome, possibly owing to its immunosuppressive phenotype.

Local fractional variational iteration and decomposition methods for wave equation on cantor sets within local fractional operators

We perform a comparison between the fractional iteration and decomposition methods applied to the wave equation on Cantor set. The operators are taken in the local sense. The results illustrate the significant features of the two methods which are both very effective and straightforward for solving the differential equations with local fractional derivative.

Aplicação do Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) na demolição, movimento de terras e execução da estrutura em edifícios

Mestrado em Engenharia Civil - Ramo Tecnologia e gestão das Construções

Towards realistic core-failure-resilient scheduling and analysis

Presented at IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (RTSS 2015). 1 to 4, Dec, 2015. San Antonio, U.S.A..

Towards realistic core-failure-resilient scheduling and analysis

Presented at IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (RTSS 2015). 1 to 4, Dec, 2015. San Antonio, U.S.A..

Simulation of masonry out-of-plane failure modes by multi-body dynamics

The seismic assessment of the local failure modes in existing masonry buildings is currently based on the identification of the so-called local mechanisms, often associated with the out-of-plane wall behavior, whose stability is evaluated by static force-based approaches and, more recently, by some displacement-based proposals. Local mechanisms consist of kinematic chains of masonry portions, often regarded as rigid bodies, with geometric nonlinearity and concentrated nonlinearity in predefined contact regions (unilateral no-tension behavior, possible sliding with friction). In this work, the dynamic behavior of local mechanisms is simulated through multi-body dynamics, to obtain the nonlinear response with efficient time history analyses that directly take into account the characteristics of the ground motion. The amplification/filtering effects of the structure are considered within the input motion. The proposed approach is validated with experimental results of two full-scale shaking-table tests on stone masonry buildings: a sacco-stone masonry façade tested at Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil and a two-storey double-leaf masonry building tested at European Centre for Training and Research in Earthquake Engineering (EUCENTRE).