HPC management and engineering in the hybrid cloud

The evolution and maturation of Cloud Computing created an opportunity for the emergence of new Cloud applications. High-performance Computing, a complex problem solving class, arises as a new business consumer by taking advantage of the Cloud premises and leaving the expensive datacenter management and difficult grid development. Standing on an advanced maturing phase, today’s Cloud discarded many of its drawbacks, becoming more and more efficient and widespread. Performance enhancements, prices drops due to massification and customizable services on demand triggered an emphasized attention from other markets. HPC, regardless of being a very well established field, traditionally has a narrow frontier concerning its deployment and runs on dedicated datacenters or large grid computing. The problem with common placement is mainly the initial cost and the inability to fully use resources which not all research labs can afford. The main objective of this work was to investigate new technical solutions to allow the deployment of HPC applications on the Cloud, with particular emphasis on the private on-premise resources – the lower end of the chain which reduces costs. The work includes many experiments and analysis to identify obstacles and technology limitations. The feasibility of the objective was tested with new modeling, architecture and several applications migration. The final application integrates a simplified incorporation of both public and private Cloud resources, as well as HPC applications scheduling, deployment and management. It uses a well-defined user role strategy, based on federated authentication and a seamless procedure to daily usage with balanced low cost and performance.

Atividades biológicas de xilana de sabugo de milho

The corn cob is an agricultural by-product still little used, this in part due to the low knowledge of the biotechnological potential of their molecules. Xylan from corn cobs (XSM) is a polysaccharide present in greater quantity in the structure of plant and its biotechnology potential is little known. This study aimed to the extraction, chemical characterization and evaluation of biological activities of xylan from corn cobs. To this end, corncobs were cleaned, cut, dried and crushed, resulting in flour. This was subjected to a methodology that combines the use of alkaline conditions with waves of ultrasound. After methanol precipitation, centrifugation and drying was obtained a yield of 40% (g/g flour). Chemical analysis indicated a high percentage of polysaccharides in the sample (60%) and low contamination by protein (0.4%) and phenolic compounds (> 0.01%). Analysis of monosaccharide composition indicated the presence of xylose:glucose:arabinose:galactose:mannose:glucuronic acid in a molar ratio 50:20:15:10:2.5:2.5. The presence of xylan in the sample was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Tests were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant potential of XSM. This showed a total antioxidant capacity of 48.45 EAA/g sample. However, did not show scavenging activity of superoxide and hydroxyl radical and also reducing power. But, showing a high capacity chelating iron ions with 70% with about 2 mg/mL. The ability to XSM to influence cell proliferation in culture was also evaluated. This polymer did not influence the proliferation of normal fibroblast cells (3T3), however, decreased the rate of proliferation of tumor cells (HeLa) in a dose-dependent, reaching an inhibition of about 50% with a concentration around 2 mg/mL. Analyzing proteins related to cell death, by immunoblotting, XSM increases the amount of Bax, Bcl-2 decrease, increase cytochrome c and AIF, and reduce pro-caspase-3, indicating the induction of cell death induced apoptosis dependent and independent of caspase. XSM did not show anticoagulant activity in the PT test. However, the test of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), XSM increased clotting time at about 5 times with 600 μg of sample compared with the negative control. The presence of sulfate on the XSM was discarded by agarose gel electrophoresis and IR. After carboxyl-reduction of XSM the anticoagulant activity decreased dramatically. The data of this study demonstrate that XSM has potential as antioxidant, antiproliferative and anticoagulant compound. Future studies to characterize these activities of XSM will help to increase knowledge about this molecule extracted from corn and allow their use in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and chemical industries.

Caraterização molecular de anemias hipocrómicas e microcíticas com HB A2 normal

Introdução - As anemias hipocrómicas e microcíticas, não sideropénicas, são, na sua maioria, de origem talassémica. As talassémias são hemoglobinopatias caraterizadas pela redução ou ausência da produção de cadeias globínicas, provocadas por mutações nos genes globínicos. A β-talassémia está mais frequentemente associada a mutações pontuais e pequenas deleções ou inserções no gene HBB, enquanto que a α-talassémia normalmente resulta de deleções que eliminam os genes HBA2 e/ou HBA1. Deleções de um só gene, -α3.7 e -α4.2, são frequentes entre africanos, mediterrânicos e asiáticos enquanto que grandes deleções que removem ambos os genes alfa, como a deleção do Sudeste Asiático (--SEA), são comuns nas populações asiáticas. Grandes deleções nos clusters alfa e beta são condições raras, geralmente associadas a fenótipos severos. A identificação destas deleções é realizada através da técnica de MLPA (multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification). Objetivos - O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi estudar um grupo de indivíduos com hipocromia e microcitose e Hb A2 normal, com suspeita de possuirem deleções nos clusters α ou β. Pretendeu-se, ainda, caraterizar a extensão das deleções encontradas e, quando possível, determinar a localização dos seus breakpoints. Materiais e Métodos - Cinquenta e oito indivíduos (28 homens e 30 mulheres), com hipocromia e microcitose de origem desconhecida, seguidos na Consulta de Hematologia do Hospital Pediátrico e do Hospital Geral do CHC, ou enviados de outros centros, foram testados para a presença de deleções nos clusters α e β. Foram efetuados hemogramas a todas as amostras e os estudos de hemoglobina foram realizados por cromatografia líquida de alta performance (HPLC). Os estudos moleculares incluiram GAP-PCR, MLPA, sequenciação genética e PCR / hibridização reversa. Resultados - Foi possível obter o padrão do rácio das sondas MLPA para as deleções α e β conhecidas ou já caraterizadas. Foram encontradas 6 deleções HBA desconhecidas que removem os genes α ou as regiões reguladoras desse cluster. Detetou-se, também, uma deleção no cluster β, que elimina praticamente todos os seus genes. Conclusões - A identificação de grandes delções nos clusters α e β-globínicos em indivíduos com hipocromia e microcitose, com HbA2 normal, é crucial para o aconselhamento genético. A metodologia de MLPA é uma abordagem simples e fiável, muito útil para o diagnóstico de casos de talassemia, em que não são detetadas mutações α ou β através das técnicas convencionais

Fast HPLC method for anthocyanins determination in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice.

2012

Atrazine sorption in soil treated with biochar.

Biochar has been used worldwide as soil amendment. Due to the high sorption capacity of organic compounds by charcoal in general, the use of biochar can change the soil sorptive properties, that could result in a environmental protective strategy in one hand and/or in need of higher pesticides doses in another hand. However no data in the literature is available about the long term effect of biochar application in the sorptive properties of the soil, even studies about the sorptive properties of soil treated with biochar are scarce, the few available papers are with pure biochar. This unprecedented work, evaluating the sorption of atrazine in a clayed soil treated with biochar, under experimental field conditions, evaluated the sorption isotherms one and three years after the single biochar application (16 Mg ha-1 of biochar). One year after the biochar application the Kf was two times higher for the biochar amended soil than for the control one (without biochar). This effect decreases after three years from the application, but it is even significantly higher (50% higher) than the control treatment.

Verificação intralaboratorial da performance obtida em método de determinação de ocratoxina A por purificação em coluna de imunoafinidade e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência usando café

A ocratoxina A é um contaminante que pode estar presente em vários alimentos e ser prejudicial tanto para a saúde quanto para a economia, então deve ser medida. Mas, para bem quantificar um analito, mesmo com o uso de métodos oficiais, é necessário verificar o sistema de medição; nisto se empregam requisitos de validação. Assim, procedeu-se a uma verificação intralaboratorial de método por purificação em coluna de imunoafinidade e cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência em amostras de café verde artificialmente contaminadas e medidas. Foi obtido o comportamento de medição esperado ao longo do analito, a faixa de trabalho teve o limite inferior entre 0,489 e 1,59 e o superior entre 220 e 300 μg.kg-1. A linearidade não foi rejeitada nesta faixa e não houve interferência externa significativa no modelo. O intercepto não diferiu significativamente da origem e o coeficiente linear não diferiu significativamente de 1,00. Os níveis de desvios padrão dependeram das concentrações estudadas, como ocorrido em diversas publicações, e os desvios padrão relativos não demonstraram inconformidade nos estudos colaborativos localizados. Concluiu-se pela competência do laboratório no método pesquisado, especialmente para café verde.

Utilização de um monitor de vídeo como fonte de alta tensão para eletroforese capilar

This article describes the use of a conventional CRT monitor as a high voltage power supply for capillary electrophoresis. With this monitor, a 23-kV high voltage with a ripple of 1.32% was observed. The reproducibility of the applied high voltage was evaluated by measuring the standard deviations of peak area and migration time for five consecutive injections of a test mixture containing potassium, sodium, and lithium cations at 50 mmol L-1. The errors were about 2.5% and 0.6% for peak area and migration time, respectively. The maximum current tested was about 180 mA, which covers most capillary electrophoresis applications. This system has been successfully used for several months, maintaining the desired level of performance.

Validação e estimativa da incerteza de método para análise de licopeno e β-caroteno em polpa de tomate por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência

A method to quantify lycopene and β-carotene in freeze dried tomato pulp by high performance liquid chromatography (HLPC) was validated according to the criteria of selectivity, sensitivity, precision and accuracy, and uncertainty estimation of measurement was determined with data obtained in the validation. The validated method presented is selective in terms of analysis, and it had a good precision and accuracy. Detection limit for lycopene and β-carotene was 4.2 and 0.23 mg 100 g-1, respectively. The estimation of expanded uncertainty (K = 2) for lycopene was 104 ± 21 mg 100 g-1 and for β-carotene was 6.4 ± 1.5 mg 100 g-1.

Aplicações de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência para o estudo de poluentes orgânicos emergentes

Emerging organic pollutants (EOP) include many environmental contaminants based on commercial products such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, detergents, gasoline, polymers, etc. EOP may be candidates for future regulation as they offer potential risk to environmental and human health due to their continual entrance into the environment and to the fact that even the most modern wastewater treatment plants are not able to totally transform / remove these compounds. High performance liquid chromatography is recommended to separate emerging organic pollutants with characteristics of high polarity and low volatility, especially pharmaceuticals, from environmental matrices.

Cinética de remoção de lactato na definição de pausas para treinamento intervalado de alta intensidade

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Efeitos da ingestão de cafeína Em exercício aeróbio de alta intensidade em hipóxia : parâmetros fisiológicos e perceptuais = Effects of caffeine ingestion on high-intensity aerobic exercise in hypoxia : physiological and perceptual parameters

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Estado nutricional e desempenho motor de escolares = : Nutritional state and motor performance of scholl-age children

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Mensuração da potência mecânica em esforços de alta intensidade na condição laboratorial de corrida atada e na condição de campo em corrida semi-atada e livre

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Performance da resistencia muscular de membros inferiores em praticantes da modalidade esportiva voleibol, atraves do salto vertical

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física