Design and Performance Analysis of a Non-Standard EPICS Fast Controller

The large scientific projects present new technological challenges, such as the distributed control over a communication network. In particular, the middleware EPICS is the most extended communication standard in particle accelerators. The integration of modern control architectures in these EPICS networks is becoming common, as for example for the PXI/PXIe and xTCA hardware alternatives. In this work, a different integration procedure for PXIe real time controllers from National Instruments is proposed, using LabVIEW as the design tool. This methodology is considered and its performance is analyzed by means of a set of laboratory experiments. This control architecture is proposed for achieving the implementation requirements of the fast controllers, which need an important amount of computational power and signal processing capability, with a tight real-time demand. The present work studies the advantages and drawbacks of this methodology and presents its comprehensive evaluation by means of a laboratory test bench, designed for the application of systematic tests. These tests compare the proposed fast controller performance with a similar system implemented using an standard EPICS IOC provided by the CODAC system.Comment: This is the extended version of the Conference Record presented in the IEEE Real-Time Conference 2014, Nara, Japan. This paper has been submitted to the IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Scienc

La isla de Izaro: Sedimentación carbonatada en un talud arrecifal durante el Aptiense Sup.-Albiense medio (Región Vasco-Cantábrica, N de Vizcaya)

El estudio estratigrafico y sedimentológico de la isla de Izaro (provincia de Vizcaya, N de España), aconseja su inclusión en el Complejo Urgoniano. Se han diferenciado y cartografiado tres facies dentro de la isla: margas y margocalizas (facies M, ML), calcirruditas y calcarenitas bioclásticas (BC) y calizas brechoides (BrL), cuya sucesión revela el desarrollo de una progradacibn hacia el N de depósitos de talud arrecifal

EXPLORATORY TESTS ON POSSIBLE INJURIOUS AFTER EFFECTS OF PIGEON PEAS ON SUBSEQUENT CROPS

EXPLORATORY TESTS ON POSSIBLE INJURIOUS AFTER EFFECTS OF PIGEON PEAS ON SUBSEQUENT CROP

Implementation of a Training Module on Alcohol Prevention for Promotoras on a Border Community in the Rio Grande Valley.

Background: Complications due to unhealthy alcohol use are widely spread, and there is a significant unmet need for prevention and treatment in the community. The South Texas-Mexico border region consists of over ninety percent of Hispanics and suffers from a significant shortage of physicians. Alcohol-related problems are highly unrecognized and untreated in this large Hispanic population due to the shortage of healthcare providers, low education levels, and limited trust in the health care system. Prevention efforts should be designed to prevent or reduce the risk of developing alcohol addiction. Methods: The proposed module focuses on enhancing the Promotoras or Community Health Worker (CHW) ability to screen and recognize unhealthy alcohol use and the need for referral for care. We use a survey to follow and record the experience of a subset of these Promotoras who will educate Hispanic families from their communities. Results: This module provides data that will significantly contribute to our understanding of the barriers in knowledge, access to services, and care for people with alcohol problems. The study consists of a train-the-trainer module designed by the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) specifically for Promotoras. CHW aimed at increasing their knowledge concerning general health practices among ethnic minorities, specifically in terms of alcohol abuse prevention. The initial workshop trained 44 Promotoras from Cameron and Hidalgo counties. Each Promotora was assessed using pre-and post-test questionnaires. Conclusions: The research team assessed Promotora\u27s alcohol knowledge and prevention strategies with plotted data. In summary, the study provided a measurable unit of our training module in enhancing understanding of screening and the need for intervention for alcohol-related problems by Community Health Workers

Tethered Swimming Can Be Used to Evaluate Force Contribution for Short-Distance Swimming Performance

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to compare stroke and the physiological responses between maximal tethered and free front crawl swimming and (b) to evaluate the contribution of force exertion for swimming performance over short distances. A total of 34 male swimmers, representing various levels of competitive performance, participated in this study. Each participant was tested in both a 30-second maximal tethered swimming test and a 50-m free swimming test. The tethered force parameters, the swimming speed, stroke (stroke rate [SR]), and the physiological responses (increase in blood lactate concentration [ΔBLa], heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion) were recorded and calculated. The results showed no differences in stroke and the physiological responses between tethered and free swimming, with a high level of agreement for the SR and ΔBLa. A strong correlation was obtained between the maximum impulse of force per stroke and the speed (r = 0.91; p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the maximum impulse and SR in the tethered condition explained 84% of the free swimming performance. The relationship between the swimming speed and maximum force tended to be nonlinear, whereas linear relationships were observed with the maximum impulse. This study demonstrates that tethered swimming does not significantly alter stroke and the physiological responses compared with free swimming, and that the maximum impulse per stroke should be used to evaluate the balance between force and the ability to effectively apply force during sprint swimming. Consequently, coaches can rely on tethered forces to identify strength deficits and improve swimming performance over short distances.UBI/FCSH/Santander/2010info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Load that maximizes power output in countermovement jump

Introduction: One of the main problems faced by strength and conditioning coaches is the issue of how to objectively quantify and monitor the actual training load undertaken by athletes in order to maximize performance. It is well known that performance of explosive sports activities is largely determined by mechanical power. Objective: This study analysed the height at which maximal power output is generated and the corresponding load with which is achieved in a group of male-trained track and field athletes in the test of countermovement jump (CMJ) with extra loads (CMJEL). Methods: Fifty national level male athletes in sprinting and jumping performed a CMJ test with increasing loads up to a height of 16 cm. The relative load that maximized the mechanical power output (Pmax) was determined using a force platform and lineal encoder synchronization and estimating the power by peak power, average power and flight time in CMJ. Results: The load at which the power output no longer existed was at a height of 19.9 ± 2.35, referring to a 99.1 ± 1% of the maximum power output. The load that maximizes power output in all cases has been the load with which an athlete jump a height of approximately 20 cm. Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of considering the height achieved in CMJ with extra load instead of power because maximum power is always attained with the same height. We advise for the preferential use of the height achieved in CMJEL test, since it seems to be a valid indicative of an individual's actual neuromuscular potential providing a valid information for coaches and trainers when assessing the performance status of our athletes and to quantify and monitor training loads, measuring only the height of the jump in the exercise of CMJEL.Actividad Física y Deport

RATE FORCE DEVELOPMENT DURING BENCH PRESS IS ONLY RELATED TO THROWING VELOCITY WHEN USING LIGHT LOADS

The bench press is a widely used movement to develop strength and power in the upper-body in team handball players. Although bench press has been extensively used, data about kinematics factors in light free weights is limited (Marques & González-Badillo, 2006). Few studies have examined the relationship between ball throwing performance in elite team handball players with power or rate of force development, and bar velocity during muscle contractions of the upper-extremity in concentric only bench press exercise. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between ball throwing velocity during a 3-step running throw and strength parameters in each force-time curve against three different light free weights