The half-sine method: a new accurate location method based on wavelet transform for transmission-line protection from single-ended measurements

In this work, a new and accurate method based on the wavelet transform is proposed for fault location in transmission-line systems. The proposed wavelet method consists of the analysis of the transient signal measured at a single end of the transmission line. Aerial current modes are used, and zero modes are included in the fault-detection scheme for low fault-inception angles. The fault distance is evaluated using the wavelet modulus maxima technique and a method based on the response to a half-sine voltage is proposed to overcome drawbacks arising from the limited sampling frequency and low fault-inception angle. The fault distance is calculated using the difference between the time when a 100 kHz half-sine signal is sent and the time when the derivative signal is received. The proposed algorithm is tested considering harmonic distortion and varying fault resistance, ground resistivity, location and inception angle. The high accuracy of the proposed algorithm is obtained even for faults close to the bus and low inception angle

Fruit cell culture as a model system to study cell wall changes during strawberry fruit ripening

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa, Duch.) fruit is characterized by its fast ripening and soft texture at the ripen stage, resulting in a short postharvest shelf life and high economic losses. It is generally believed that the disassembly of cell walls, the dissolution of the middle lamella and the reduction of cell turgor are the main factors determining the softening of fleshy fruits. In strawberry, several studies indicate that the solubilisation and depolymerisation of pectins, as well as the depolymerisation of xyloglucans, are the main processes occurring during ripening. Functional analyses of genes encoding pectinases such as polygalacturonase and pectate lyase also point out to the pectin fraction as a key factor involved in textural changes. All these studies have been performed with whole fruits, a complex organ containing different tissues that differ in their cell wall composition and undergo ripening at different rates. Cell cultures derived from fruits have been proposed as model systems for the study of several processes occurring during fruit ripening, such as the production of anthocyanin and its regulation by plant hormones. The main objective of this research was to obtain and characterize strawberry cell cultures to evaluate their potential use as a model for the study of the cell wall disassembly process associate with fruit ripening. Cell cultures were obtained from cortical tissue of strawberry fruits, cv. Chandler, at the stages of unripe-green, white and mature-red. Additionally, a cell culture line derived from strawberry leaves was obtained. All cultures were maintained in solid medium supplemented with 2.5 mg.l-1 2,4-D and incubated in the dark. Cell walls from the different callus lines were extracted and fractionated to obtain CDTA and sodium carbonate soluble pectin fractions, which represent polyuronides located in the middle lamella or the primary cell wall, respectively. The amounts of homogalacturonan in both fractions were estimated by ELISA using LM19 and LM20 antibodies, specific against demethylated and methyl-esterified homogalacturonan, respectively. In the CDTA fraction, the cell line from ripe fruit showed a significant lower amount of demethylated pectins than the rest of lines. By contrast, the content of methylated pectins was similar in green- and red-fruit lines, and lower than in white-fruit and leaf lines. In the sodium carbonate pectin fraction, the line from red fruit also showed the lowest amount of pectins. These preliminary results indicate that cell cultures obtained from fruits at different developmental stages differ in their cell wall composition and these differences resemble to some extent the changes that occur during strawberry softening. Experiments are in progress to further characterize cell wall extracts with monoclonal antibodies against other cell wall epitopes.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Traffic Control Magnetic Loops Electric Characteristics Variation Due to the Passage of Vehicles Over Them

"(c) 2017 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works."The effect on the buried magnetic loop response when vehicles pass over them is determined. A program is designed and used to obtain the magnetic profile of several vehicles when passing over a rectangular loop. The theoretical values are compared with the actual measurements and the accuracy of the model is checked. Besides, a new oscillator circuit, a component of which is the loop, is presented. Induction change is used to cause the oscillation frequency modification of circuit, which in turn is one of the changes used for vehicles detection, identification and classification.This work was supported in part by the City Council of Valencia in Spain and in part by Company ETRA I+D S.A.Mocholí Salcedo, A.; Arroyo Núñez, JH.; Milián Sánchez, VM.; Verdú Martín, GJ.; Arroyo Nuñez, A. (2017). Traffic Control Magnetic Loops Electric Characteristics Variation Due to the Passage of Vehicles Over Them. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems. 18(6):1540-1548. doi:10.1109/TITS.2016.2612579S1540154818

Nanostructural changes in cell wall pectins during strawberry fruit ripening assessed by atomic force microscopy

Rapid loss of firmness occurs during strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) ripening, resulting in a short shelf life and high economic losses. The disassembly of cell walls is considered the main responsible for fruit softening, being pectins extensively modified during strawberry ripening (Paniagua et al. 2014). Atomic force microscopy allows the analysis of individual polymer chains at nanostructural level with a minimal sample preparation (Morris et al., 2001). The main objective of this research was to compare pectins of green and red ripe strawberry fruits at the nanostructural level to shed light on structural changes that could be related to softening. Cell walls from strawberry fruits were extracted and fractionated with different solvents to obtain fractions enriched in a specific component. The yield of cell wall material, as well as the amount of the different fractions, decreased in ripe fruits. CDTA and Na2CO3 fractions underwent the largest decrements, being these fractions enriched in pectins supposedly located in the middle lamella and primary cell wall, respectively. Uronic acid content also decreased significantly during ripening in both pectin fractions, but the amount of soluble pectins, those extracted with phenol:acetic acid:water (PAW) and water increased in ripe fruits. Monosaccharide composition in CDTA and Na2CO3 fractions was determined by gas chromatography. In both pectin fractions, the amount of Ara and Gal, the two most abundant carbohydrates, decreased in ripe fruits. The nanostructural characteristics of CDTA and Na2CO3 pectins were analyzed by AFM. Isolated pectic chains present in the CDTA fraction were significantly longer and more branched in samples from green fruits than those present in samples obtained from red fruit. In spite of slight differences in length distributions, Na2CO3 samples from unripe fruits displayed some longer chains at low frequency that were not detected in ripe fruits. Pectin aggregates were more frequently observed in green fruit samples from both fractions. These results support that pectic chain length and the nanostructural complexity of the pectins present in CDTA and Na2CO3 fractions diminish during strawberry fruit development, and these changes, jointly with the loss of neutral sugars, could contribute to the solubilization of pectins and fruit softening. Paniagua et al. (2014). Ann Bot, 114: 1375-1383 Morris et al. (2001). Food Sci Tech 34: 3-10 This research was supported by FEDER EU Funds and the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia of Spain (grant reference AGL2011-24814)Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

A survey of islanding detection methods for microgrids and assessment of non-detection zones in comparison with grid codes

Detection of unintentional islanding is critical in microgrids in order to guarantee personal safety and avoid equipment damage. Most islanding detection techniques are based on monitoring and detecting abnormalities in magnitudes such as frequency, voltage, current and power. However, in normal operation, the utility grid has fluctuations in voltage and frequency, and grid codes establish that local generators must remain connected if deviations from the nominal values do not exceed the defined thresholds and ramps. This means that islanding detection methods could not detect islanding if there are fluctuations that do not exceed the grid code requirements, known as the non-detection zone (NDZ). A survey on the benefits of islanding detection techniques is provided, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each one. NDZs size of the most common passive islanding detection methods are calculated and obtained by simulation and compared with the limits obtained by ENTSO-E and islanding standards in the function of grid codes requirements in order to compare the effectiveness of different techniques and the suitability of each one

Unravelling the nanostructure of strawberry fruit pectins by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) allows the analysis of individual polymers at nanostructural level with a minimal sample preparation. This technique has been used to analyse the pectin disassembly process during the ripening and postharvest storage of several fleshy fruits. In general, pectins analysed by AFM are usually visualized as isolated chains, unbranched or with a low number of branchs and, occasionally, as large aggregates. However, the exact nature of these structures is unknown. It has been suggested that pectin aggregates represent a mixture of rhamnonogalacturonan I and homogalacturonan, while isolated chains and their branches are mainly composed by polygalacturonic acid. In order to gain insight into the nature of these structures, sodium carbonate soluble pectins from ripe strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa, Duch.) fruits were subjected to enzymatic digestion with endo-Polygalacturonase M2 from Aspergillus aculeatus, and the samples visualized by AFM at different time intervals. Pectins isolated from control, non-transformed plants, and two transgenic genotypes with low level of expression of ripening-induced pectinase genes encoding a polygalacturonase (APG) or a pectate lyase (APEL) were also included in this study. Before digestion, isolated pectin chains from control were shorter than those from transgenic fruits, showing number-average (LN) contour length values of 73.2 nm vs. 95.9 nm and 91.4 nm in APG and APEL, respectively. The percentage of branched polymers was significantly higher in APG polyuronides than in the remaining genotypes, 33% in APG vs. 6% in control and APEL. As a result of the endo-PG treatment, a gradual decrease in the main backbone length of isolated chains was observed in the three samples. The minimum LN value was reached after 8 h of digestion, being similar in the three genotypes, 22 nm. By contrast, the branches were not visible after 1.5-2 h of digestion. LN values were plotted against digestion time and the data fitted to a first-order exponential decay curve, obtaining R2 values higher than 0.9. The half digestion time calculated with these equations were similar for control and APG pectins, 1.7 h, but significantly higher in APEL, 2.5 h, indicating that these polymer chains were more resistant to endo-PG digestion. Regarding the pectin aggregates, their volumes were estimated and used to calculate LN molecular weights. Before digestion, control and APEL samples showed complexes of similar molecular weights, 1722 kDa, and slightly higher than those observed in APG samples. After endo-PG digestion, size of complexes diminished significantly, reaching similar values in the three pectin samples, around 650 kDa. These results suggest that isolated polymer chains visualized by AFM are formed by a HG domain linked to a shorter polymer resistant to endo-PG digestion, maybe xylogalacturonan or RG-I. The silencing of the pectate lyase gene slightly modified the structure and/or chemical composition of polymer chains making these polyuronides more resistant to enzymatic degradation. Similarly, polygalacturonic acid is one of the main component of the aggregates.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

LIPSNN: A Light Intrusion-Proving Siamese Neural Network Model for Facial Verification

Facial verification has experienced a breakthrough in recent years, not only due to the improvement in accuracy of the verification systems but also because of their increased use. One of the main reasons for this has been the appearance and use of new models of Deep Learning to address this problem. This extension in the use of facial verification has had a high impact due to the importance of its applications, especially on security, but the extension of its use could be significantly higher if the problem of the required complex calculations needed by the Deep Learning models, that usually need to be executed on machines with specialised hardware, were solved. That would allow the use of facial verification to be extended, making it possible to run this software on computers with low computing resources, such as Smartphones or tablets. To solve this problem, this paper presents the proposal of a new neural model, called Light Intrusion-Proving Siamese Neural Network, LIPSNN. This new light model, which is based on Siamese Neural Networks, is fully presented from the description of its two block architecture, going through its development, including its training with the well- known dataset Labeled Faces in the Wild, LFW; to its benchmarking with other traditional and deep learning models for facial verification in order to compare its performance for its use in low computing resources systems for facial recognition. For this comparison the attribute parameters, storage, accuracy and precision have been used, and from the results obtained it can be concluded that the LIPSNN can be an alternative to the existing models to solve the facet problem of running facial verification in low computing resource devices

El Canal Imperial de Aragón : su historia, su valor agronómico, su administración actual

Autores tomados del prólogoPrólogo fechado en 1932Copia digital. Zaragoza : Diputación General de Aragón, 2012Tít. tomado de la cub

Huerto docente de la UMA: experiencias de un huerto urbano aplicado a la docencia e investigación universitaria.

Desde hace 4 años, el huerto docente de la Universidad de Málaga se establece como un espacio que abarca múltiples ámbitos y que se estructura como huerto urbano. En la dimensión docente, el objetivo es la realización de prácticas de calidad relacionadas con la producción de alimentos en asignaturas optativas de los grados de Biología y Ciencias Ambientales, incluyendo además TFGs y TFMs. En el huerto también se llevan a cabo trabajos de investigación enmarcados en tesis doctorales, centradas en la problemática de la gestión de los recursos suelo, agua y biodiversidad. A nivel de divulgación, el huerto también supone un “espacio vivo” donde voluntarios de toda la comunidad universitaria (estudiantes, PAS y PDI) se encuentran para compartir trabajo (preparación del suelo, cultivo, cosecha y poda, compostaje y cerrado de ciclos, etc.). Además, también se comparten reflexiones, ideas de mejora de los espacios y de la gestión, etc., lo cual a su vez engarza con la dimensión social al crear un marco donde las barreras entre profesores y estudiantes se difuminan en pos de un objetivo común. Por último, las tareas en el huerto se coordinan mediante un sistema de tarjetas, tipo “Kanban”, a través de un tablero físico y “on line” en la plataforma “Trello”. Los usuarios pueden ver, física o virtualmente, las tareas que hay pendientes, decidir encargarse de ellas o proponer otras nuevas sin necesidad de que haya una persona que dirija la gestión del flujo de trabajo.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Rhamnogalacturonase lyase gene downregulation in strawberry and its potential on mechanical fruit properties

Strawberry softening is one of the main factors that reduces fruit quality and leads to economically important losses. Textural changes during fruit ripening are mainly due to the dissolution of middle lamellae, a reduction in cell-to-cell adhesion and the weakening of parenchyma cell walls as a result of the action of cell wall modifying enzymes. Functional studies of genes encoding pectinase enzymes (polygalacturonase, pectate lyase and -galactosidase) support a key role of pectin disassembly in strawberry softening. Evidence that RG-I may play an important role in strawberry texture has been obtained from the transient silencing of a RG-lyase gene. Pectins are major components of fruit cell walls and highly dynamic polysaccharides, but due to their heterogeneity the precise relation between the structures and functions is incomplete. In this work, stable transgenic strawberry lines with a rhamnogalacturonate lyase gene (FaRGLyase1) down-regulated have been analyzed. Several transgenic lines showing more than 95% silencing of FaRGLyase1 displayed fruit firmness values higher than control. Cell walls from these lines were extracted and analyzed by ELISA and Epitope Detection Chromatography (EDC). This last technique is based on the detection of specific cell wall oligosaccharide epitopes and provides information on sub-populations of pectins containing homogalacturonan and RG-I domains, but also reveals potential links with other cell wall polysaccharides such as xyloglucan. The results obtained indicate that the silencing of FaRGLyase1 reduces degradation of RG-I backbones, but also homogalacturonan, in cell walls, especially in pectin fractions covalently bound to the cell wall. These changes contribute to the increased firmness of transgenic fruits.This research was supported by FEDER EU Funds and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (grant reference AGL2014-55784-C2), a Marie Curie IEF within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (reference: PIEF-2013-625270) for SP and a FPI fellowship (BES-2015-073616) to support PR-V. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech