Embedding Multi-Task Address-Event- Representation Computation

Address-Event-Representation, AER, is a communication protocol that is intended to transfer neuronal spikes between bioinspired chips. There are several AER tools to help to develop and test AER based systems, which may consist of a hierarchical structure with several chips that transmit spikes among them in real-time, while performing some processing. Although these tools reach very high bandwidth at the AER communication level, they require the use of a personal computer to allow the higher level processing of the event information. We propose the use of an embedded platform based on a multi-task operating system to allow both, the AER communication and processing without the requirement of either a laptop or a computer. In this paper, we present and study the performance of an embedded multi-task AER tool, connecting and programming it for processing Address-Event information from a spiking generator.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2006-11730-C03-0

Conferencias de grupos familiares y sentencias circulares: dos formas ancestrales de resolución de conflictos dentro del paradigma restaurativo

[ES] Las Conferencias de Grupos Familiares y las Sentencias Circulares son dos sistemas de resolución de conflictos en el ámbito penal. Ubicado su origen en grupos étnicos neozelandeses y norteamericanos, se van introduciendo progresivamente como alternativas al sistema de justicia tradicional en diversos países occidentales. En su implementación, el éxito que revelan las evaluaciones en términos de reincidencia conduce a afirmar que nos encontramos ante dos modelos que ofrecen un futuro prometedor en el paradigma de justicia restaurativa.[EU] Famili Taldeen Konferentziak eta Epai Zirkularrak eremu penalean gatazkak erabakitzeko sistema bi dira. Horien jatorria Zeelanda Berria eta Iparramerikako talde etnikoetan kokatzen dela, arian-arian mendebaldeko zenbait herrialdetan sartuz doaz, ohizko justizia-sistemaren alternatiba gisa. Berauen inplementazioan, berrerortzeari dagokionez ebaluaketek ezagutarazten duten arrakastak justizia errestauratzailearen paradigman esperantzazko etorkizuna eskaintzen duten eredu biren aurrean gaudela adieraztera eramaten du.[FR] Les Conférences de Groupes Familiales et les Sentences Circulaires sont deux systèmes de résolution des conflits dans le champ pénal. Leur origine tire des groupes ethniques Néo-zélandais et de l’Amérique du Nord, et ils s’introduisent progressivement comme une alternative au système de justice traditionnelle dans quelques pays occidentaux. Le succès que les évaluations sur la récidive montrent nous mène à assurer que nous sommes devant deux modèles qui offrent un prometteur avenir de la justice restauratrice.[EN] Family Group Conferences and Sentencing Circles are criminal conflict solving systems. Although they originated in New Zealand and North American ethnic groups, these systems are getting progressively used as alternative measures to the traditional justice in several western countries. The success of the evaluation in terms of diminishing recidivism let us confirm these models are promising alternatives in Restorative Justice parradigm

On the physics of exciton-polariton condensates: from fundamental phenomena to emergent applications

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Física de Materiales. Fecha de lectura: 10-04-201

Monopoles and confinement in three dimensions from holography

We study the phase diagram of a confining three-dimensional $\mathcal{N}=1$ supersymmetric $\text{U}(N)\times\text{U}(N+M)$ theory with holographic dual corresponding to a known string theory solution. The theory possesses a global $\text{U}(1)$ symmetry under which magnetic monopoles are charged. We introduce both temperature and an external magnetic field for monopoles and find that there are deconfinement phase transitions as any of the two is increased, supporting monopole condensation as the possible mechanism for confinement. We find that the transition as the magnetic field is increased is second order, providing the first example in holographic duals of a deconfinement transition which is not first order. We also uncover a rich structure in the phase diagram, with a triple point and a critical point where a line of first order transitions end.Comment: 27 pages + appendices, 11 figures. Expansions available at https://subils.me/resources/poliakov-confinement-at-strong-coupling

Multi-task Implementation for Image Reconstruction of an AER Communication

Address-Event-Representation (AER) is a communication protocol for transferring spikes between bio-inspired chips. Such systems may consist of a hierarchical structure with several chips that transmit spikes among them in real time, while performing some processing. There exist several AER tools to help in developing and testing AER based systems. These tools require the use of a computer to allow the processing of the event information, reaching very high bandwidth at the AER communication level. We propose to use an embedded platform based on multi-task operating system to allow both, the AER communication and the AER processing without a laptop or a computer. We have connected and programmed a Gumstix computer to process Address- Event information and measured the performance referred to the previous AER tools solutions. In this paper, we present and study the performance of a new philosophy of a frame-grabber AER tool based on a multi-task environment, composed by the Intel XScale processor governed by an embedded GNU/Linux system.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2006-11730-C03-0

Herramienta diseñada en Matlab para la ordenación de redes de drenaje por las jerarquías de Horton y Hack

[EN] This work presents a new MATLAB-based tool designed for network extraction and drainage network orderings by Horton and Hack hierarchies. Most GIS software offers only topological network orderings, based on joining segments, such as Stahler or Shreve, providing segments between junctions but not entire streams. Differently, Hack and Horton orderings allow organizing a drainage network in a hierarchy, identifying the parent segment over the child segment, giving as a result a drainage network where the value of a river remains unchanged from the mouth upstream to the headwater, allowing extracting entire streams. Horton and Hack hierarchies ease the interpretation of a drainage system compared to Strahler and Shreve. To extract the drainage network, this tool uses TopoToolbox 2 functions, to compute the prior steps of the channel network extraction and channel network ordering processes, and develops new functions. To sort a network, this tool allows selecting the parameter that defines the network hierarchy. This parameter is the socalled hierarchy attribute and could be the distance upstream, which refers to the distance between a junction upstream to the headwater, or the upstream accumulation, which is the accumulation at the junction. In addition to these mandatory parameters, the tool offers a set of optional parameters which turns it into a competitive alternative to generate a highly tailored ordered drainage network. The continuous channel network provided by the tool facilitates the use of other multiple applications for landscape analysis, such as the extraction longitudinal profiles or basin analysis through geomorphic indices.[ES] Este trabajo presenta una nueva herramienta diseñada en MATLAB para la extracción y ordenación de redes de drenaje por las jerarquías de Horton y Hack. La mayoría de software GIS ofrece sólo ordenaciones topológicas de redes, basadas en la unión de segmentos, como las ordenaciones de Stahler o Shreve, que proveen segmentos entre puntos de confluencia pero no canales completos. En cambio, las ordenaciones de Hack y Horton permiten organizar una red de drenaje en una jerarquía, identificando el segmento primario sobre el segmento secundario, dando como resultado una red de drenaje donde el valor de un río permanece inalterado desde la desembocadura aguas arriba hasta la cabecera. Las ordenaciones de Horton y Hack facilitan la interpretación de un sistema de drenaje comparado con Strahler y Shreve. Para extraer la red de drenaje, esta herramienta utiliza funciones de TopoToolbox 2 para calcular los pasos previos de los procesos de extracción y ordenación de la red y además desarrolla nuevas funciones. Para ordenar la red, esta herramienta permite seleccionar el parámetro que define la jerarquía de la red. Este parámetro es el llamado atributo de jerarquía que puede ser la distancia aguas arriba, que se refiere a la distancia desde el punto de confluencia a la cabecera, o la acumulación ascendente, que es la acumulación en el punto de confluencia. Además de estos parámetros obligatorios, la herramienta ofrece un conjunto de parámetros opcionales que la convierten en una alternativa competitiva para generar una red de drenaje ordenada personalizada. Esta herramienta permite generar de una red fluvial continua que es requerida en otras múltiples aplicaciones como puede ser para la extracción perfiles longitudinales y/o el análisis de cuencas a través de índices geomórficos.This work was supported by MEC under Grant PEJ2014-A-93258; by UNED under Grant GID2016-19; and it was partially funded by MITE under Grant CGL2014- 59516-P and CARESOIL S2013/MAE-2739 projects.Pastor-Martín, C.; Antón, L.; Fernández-González, C. (2017). Matlab-based tool for drainage network ordering by Horton and Hack hierarchies. En Primer Congreso en Ingeniería Geomática. Libro de actas. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 162-170. https://doi.org/10.4995/CIGeo2017.2017.6607OCS16217

Concentrating solar power technologies. The DESERTEC megaproject

The European strategies on energy have been searching for years to reduce the dependency of Europe from fossil fuels. Underlying this effort, there exist geopolitical, economic, environmental reasons and the reality that oil reservoirs will dry out some day. Renewable energies have become a milestone of this strategy because their huge potential has emerged after years of uncertainty. One of the better developed renewable sources, which is nearer to commercial maturity is solar-thermal energy. In this paper, the current state of this technology will be described as well as the developments that may be expected in the short and mid terms, including the thermoelectric solar megaproject DESERTEC, a German proposal to ensure energy resources to the mayor areas of the EU-MENA countries. The reader will acquire a picture of the current state of the market, of the technical challenges already achieved and of the remaining ones