CellSim: a validated modular heterogeneous multiprocessor simulator

As the number of transistors on a chip continues increasing the power consumption has become the most important constraint in processors design. Therefore, to increase performance, computer architects have decided to use multiprocessors. Moreover, recent studies have shown that heterogeneous chip multiprocessors have greater potential than homogeneous ones. We have built a modular simulator for heterogeneous multiprocessors that can be configure to model IBM's Cell Processor. The simulator has been validated against the real machine to be used as a research tool.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Analysis and dynamics of the chromosomal complements of wild sparkling-wine yeast strains

8 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables.-- PMID: 10103269 [PubMed].-- PMCID: PMC91239We isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains that are able to carry out the second fermentation of sparkling wine from spontaneously fermenting musts in El Penedès (Spain) by specifically designed selection protocols. All of them (26 strains) showed one of two very similar mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction patterns, whereas their karyotypes differed. These strains showed high rates of karyotype instability, which were dependent on both the medium and the strain, during vegetative growth. In all cases, the mtDNA restriction pattern was conserved in strains kept under the same conditions. Analysis of different repetitive sequences in their genomes suggested that ribosomal DNA repeats play an important role in the changes in size observed in chromosome XII, whereas SUC genes or Ty elements did not show amplification or transposition processes that could be related to rearrangements of the chromosomes showing these sequences. Karyotype changes also occurred in monosporidic diploid derivatives. We propose that these changes originated mainly from ectopic recombination between repeated sequences interspersed in the genome. None of the rearranged karyotypes provided a selective advantage strong enough to allow the strains to displace the parental strains. The nature and frequency of these changes suggest that they may play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of the genetic diversity observed in S. cerevisiae wild populations.This work has been supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (PB92-0051, PB95-0433, and 95-0012-OP), by additional support from the Generalitat de Catalunya (GRQ93- 8024), and by the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung (Germany) to B.P. D.N. has been partially supported by fellowships (RE93-05 and RI94-20) from the Generalitat de Catalunya. The firm Ramón Nadal Giró also acknowledges a grant from the Generalitat de Catalunya (IT94/214).Peer reviewe

Análisis económico financiero del sector aéreo: Iberia y Vueling

[Resumen] En el presente trabajo se realiza el análisis económico financiero de dos de las empresas que mejor representan el sector aéreo español, ambas con estrategias diferentes: por un lado la tradicional Iberia y, por otro la aerolínea de bajo coste Vueling. Aunque en este estudio se hace un breve análisis del sector aéreo, el objetivo principal del mismo es ver cómo han afrontado el periodo de inestabilidad económica las dos empresas seleccionadas. En un entorno de crisis económica como el del periodo analizado (2008-2012), los resultados no han sido del todo favorables, especialmente en el caso de Iberia, que ha acumulado bajas rentabilidades y disminución de su solvencia. En cambio Vueling, tras la fusión con Clickair en el año 2009, ha logrado sobreponerse a la situación y ha obtenido, en general, buenos resultados a partir de una estructura de sus masas patrimoniales similar a la de Iberia.[Abstract] In this paper we carry out the economic and financial analysis of two of the companies that best represent the Spanish airline industry, both with different strategies: on the one hand the traditional Iberia and, on the other the low cost Vueling airline. Although in this study we make a brief analysis of the airline industry, the main aim is to see how the two selected companies have addressed the period of economic instability. In an economic crisis environment such as the review period (2008-2012), the results have not been very favourable, especially in the case of Iberia, which has accumulated low profitabilities and decreased solvency. In contrast Vueling, after the merger with Clickair in 2009, has managed to overcome the situation and has earned generally good results from a structure of the economic masses similar to Iberia.Traballo fin de grao (UDC.ECO). ADE. Curso 2013/201

Book Reviews

El Conflicto Honduras-El Salvador y El Orden Juridico Internacional -- On July 14, 1969, the armed forces of El Salvador invaded Honduras... This book provides an almost hourly account of the events preceding the conflict, the war plans executed before the conflict started, the initiation of Inter-American System machinery for settling disputes, the heated discussions among the representatives of the different nations of the OAS, and the consequences of the war itself. Also included is the necessary background on the political and economic conditions prevailing in both countries before the war and a thorough analysis of what role law and international legal machinery played--or might have played--at different stages of the conflict. Reviewed by Jorge L. Carro ============================= United States Foreign Relations Law: Documents and Sources, Vol. 1 (Executive Agreements). Michael J. Glennon and Thomas M. Franck Dobbs Ferry, New York: Oceania Publications, Inc., 1980. Pp. ix, 474. 40.00.-- This volume on United States executive agreements is the first of a multivolume series providing important documents and other materials dealing with the foreign relations power of the federal government and its constituent parts. Reviewed by David S.Clark =========================== Towards a New International Economic Order Mohammed Bedjaoui New York and London: Holmes & Meier Publishers,1979. Pp. 287. 16.50. When tracing the ideologies that animate and condition the current North-South debate over what has come to be called the New International Economic Order, MIT economist Jagdish Bhagwati identifies two dominant schools of thought regarding the existing international economic order. Reviewed by Burns H. Westo

Rediseño de caballetes mecánicos para motos off-road

El objeto de este proyecto es la descripción, modelado y análisis de los componentes fundamentales de dos modelos diferentes de caballetes elevadores para motos de campo, lo cual se ha llevado a cabo satisfactoriamente. Partiendo de la información obtenida de las empresas comercializadoras se han predefinido los caballetes. Antes de comenzar a realizar el modelado de las piezas que componen dicho sistema, se han realizado una serie de cálculos analíticos en las posiciones a estudiar, y que nos permitiesen pre dimensionar los componentes principales del sistema así como conocer las fuerzas que actúan sobre ellos. Realizado los estudios analíticos de los caballetes estableciendo las hipótesis de cálculo pertinentes, se pasa a modelar con el programa SolidWorks los elementos que componen los mecanismos a partir de las dimensiones obtenidas en el pre dimensionamiento. En algunos casos estas suposiciones o hipótesis quedan algo alejadas de la realidad que simula el programa, por lo que existen variaciones entre los resultados obtenidos analíticamente y los obtenidos mediante SolidWorks. Destacar que estas diferencias son objeto de análisis en el proyecto. El modelado en tres dimensiones de los caballetes, ha permitido realizar el análisis de resistencia y rigidez de los sistemas. Gracias a la herramienta del programa se ha podido conocer cuáles son los puntos de mayor tensión de cada uno de los componentes. Destacar que se ha trabajado de manera que ninguna de las partes de los mecanismos posean un coeficiente de seguridad inferior a 3. Para verificar que todos los componentes de los ensamblajes tienen la suficiente rigidez y resistencia para soportar todos los esfuerzos que pudieran estar presentes en el funcionamiento habitual de su vida útil, se han realizado varios estudios en varias posiciones diferentes, dependiendo del modelo de caballete. Realizado el primer estudio, diferente en cada caballete, se verifica que todos los componentes cumplen los criterios mínimos de resistencia. Para aquellos componentes que no cumplan dichos requisitos se realizan modificaciones para que sí lleguen a cumplirlos. Hechas las modificaciones se realiza de nuevo el estudio teniendo en cuenta las modificaciones realizadas y así sucesivamente. De este modo los caballetes cumplirán los requisitos mínimos de resistencia para todas las posiciones de su recorrido. Se puede concluir que a la hora de realizar un proyecto en el cual se diseñe una máquina, no solo es necesario realizar los cálculos analíticos sobre el papel, sino que además es necesario complementar dichos cálculos con estudios de simulación realizados con ayuda de un software

Solid Propellant Rocket Motor Having Self-Extinguishing Propellant Grain and Systems Therefrom

A solid rocket motor includes a combustion chamber bounded by an outer casing, a propellant grain within the combustion chamber, and an igniter within the outer casing for igniting the propellant grain. A nozzle is coupled to the combustion chamber for releasing hot gasses evolved from burning the propellant grain to provide thrust for propelling the solid rocket motor. The propellant grain is a self-extinguishing propellant grain that includes at least one fuel, at least one oxidizing agent, at least one binder, and at least one surfactant that imparts the self-extinguishing property. The propellant grain provides a burning rate as a function of pressure that includes a negative pressure dependence portion, wherein the burning rate in the negative pressure dependence portion decreases with increasing pressure until a cutoff pressure is reached which results in the extinguishment of the propellant grain

Self-Extinguishable Solid Propellant

Solid composite propellant compositions include at least one fuel, at least one oxidizing agent, at least one binder, and at least one sufactant. The surfactant provides the solid propellant the property of being self-extinguishing , where the burning rate of the solid composite propellant as a function of pressure includes a negative pressure dependent on portion, wherein the burning rate in the negative pressure dependence portion decreases with increasing pressure until a cutoff pressure is reached which results in extinguishment of the solid composite propellant. The solid composite propellant can also include at least one catalyst that modifies the burning rate of the solid composite propellant. Solid composite propellants according to embodiments of the invention can be extinguished without the need of depressurization by reaching a cutoff pressure, and with a tailored burning rate

Use of tomato and cucumber horticulture by-products in goat diets: effects o nrumen fermentation and microbial communities in batch and continuous cultures

Two in vitro experiments were conducted to analyse the effects of replacing dietary barley grain with wastes of tomato and cucumber fruits and a 1 : 1 tomato : cucumber mixture on rumen fermentation characteristics and microbial abundance. The control (CON) substrate contained 250 g/kg of barley grain on a dry matter (DM) basis, and another 15 substrates were formulated by replacing 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 g of barley grain/kg with the same amount (DM basis) of tomato or cucumber fruits or 1 : 1 tomato : cucumber mixture. In Expt 1, all substrates were incubated in batch cultures with rumen micro-organisms from goats for 24 h. Increasing amounts of tomato, cucumber and the mixture of both fruits in the substrate increased final pH and gas production, without changes in final ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) concentrations, substrate degradability and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) production, indicating that there were no detrimental effects of any waste fruits on rumen fermentation. Therefore, in Expt 2 the substrates including 250 g of waste fruits (T250, C250 and M250 for tomato, cucumber and the mixture of both fruits, respectively) and the CON substrate were incubated in single-flow continuous-culture fermenters for 8 days. Total VFA production did not differ among substrates, but there were differences in VFA profile. Molar proportions of propionate, isobutyrate and isovalerate were lower and acetate : propionate ratio was greater for T250 compared with CON substrate. Fermentation of substrates containing cucumber (C250 and M250) resulted in lower proportions of acetate, isobutyrate and isovalerate and acetate : propionate ratio, but greater butyrate proportions than the CON substrate. Carbohydrate degradability and microbial N synthesis tended to be lower for substrates containing cucumber than for the CON substrate, but there were no differences between CON and T250 substrates. Abundance of total bacteria, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens, fungi, methanogenic archaea and protozoa were similar in fermenters fed T250 and CON substrates, but fermenters fed C250 and M250 substrates had lower abundances of R. flavefaciens, fungi and protozoa than those fed the CON substrate. Results indicated that tomato fruits could replace dietary barley grain up to 250 g/kg of substrate DM without noticeable effects on rumen fermentation and microbial populations, but the inclusion of cucumber fruits at 250 g/kg of substrate DM negatively affected some microbial populations as it tended to reduce microbial N synthesis and changed the VFA profile. More studies are needed to identify the dietary inclusion level of cucumber which produces no detrimental effects on rumen fermentation and microbial growth

Medición de la resistencia a la compresión del concreto mediante cilindros de 100 por 200 mm y de 150 por 300 mm para el control de calidad de obras

En este estudio se comparó la resistencia a la compresión del concretomedida en cilindros de 100 por 200 mm y en cilindros de 150 por300 mm, para dos diseños de mezclas diferentes, y dos tamaños deagregado grueso diferente. Se fabricaron y fallaron 288 cilindros deconcreto, 144 a una edad de 7 días y 144 a una edad de 28 días. Elestudio reveló que en promedio la resistencia medida en cilindros de100 mm de diámetro es un 10% mayor a la resistencia medida encilindros de 200 mm de diámetro, adicionalmente se comprobó quela desviación estándar es aproximadamente un 20% mayor en loscilindros de 100 mm de diámetro y en este caso, el tamaño máximodel agregado no influyó en la resistencia a la compresión registrada encilindros de 100 mm por 200 mm