Sistema de guía, navegación y retroalimentación para un misil tierra-aire a través de sistemas híbridos

Objectives and study method: This thesis aims to design and to develop a platform that is capable to guide, control a system orientation as well as the position for a missile. The system designed can be also extrapolated to an unmanned aerial vehicle. The platform designed will help to generate tools to define the orientation and position of a vehicle by acquiring data from an inertial measurement unit in real time. To confirm the platform operation, a co-simulation technique Hardware-InThe-Loop is used. By using this technique, it is possible to divide the platform into the following modules: 1) Sensor module. This module is composed by an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, barometer, temperature sensor (that are co-integrated in the same board) and an IR camera. 2) Flight computer module. This module has a distributed system architecture. One side is composed by a commertial development FPGA board for data acquisition, a personal computer for processing and displaying data results. Contributions and conclusions: The developing process is to perform a simulation that, separately, communicates the sensor module block with the flight computer module. Once confirmed the data acquisition and the processes, we will proceed to co-integrate all the algorithms into a main one and test the platform with all the instruments. Additionally, we add a communication module that is co-integrated with a radio frequency transceiver to reinforce a wireless communication. A detailed process to implement the embedded system within the FPGA board is included. The specifications for each element used as the sensor, flight computer and communication modules with a comprehensive description of the system generation are shown. Finally, the results of the test, conclusions and recommendations for future work are addressed

Factors influencing farmers’ adoption of ecological reconversion agri-environmental schemes in mountain olive groves

Mountain olive groves are characterized by low profitability, mainly due to their location in high steep-slope areas with poor, shallow soils. Consequently, they present a high risk of abandonment of the productive activity, which would be eventually associated with high potential environmental and socio-cultural losses. As an alternative, an ecological reconversion scheme is proposed to increase the provision of ecosystem services from this agroecosystem while reducing the socio-economic impacts related to the abandonment. Two alternative schemes are proposed, which differ in the possibility or not of harvesting the olive production. A double-bounded contingent valuation exercise is used in a sample of Andalusian mountain olive growers to assess their willingness to accept (WTA) for participating in these schemes, using a difference-in-utility model with a linear utility function with correlation between the participation choices in the two schemes as econometric specification. The results show high levels of mean WTA, higher for the scheme precluding harvesting, indicating that higher levels of payment are needed to get some acceptance from farmers. Results also show that structural (e.g., yield) and attitudinal factors (e.g., opinion about setting-aside low productivity olive groves for environmental reasons), among others, significantly influence farmers’ WTA for these schemes

Measurement and recording of magnetics fields at high altitudes

When a land-air misile is fired to pursuit a mobil target, quite a few variables play a key role in order to reach and neutralise the target in no-time. It is desired; nevertheless, this system requires an amount of time, fuel, real-time data analysis as well as a discriminator system, all these in order to reach the mobil target. This is why, in this work we present a study for a set of variables meassured in situ such as: the wind speed, magnetic field, pressure and humidity to generate logs that can be usuful for either civil and militar applications. The system is designed to meassure in situ a set of variables starting at 500 m up to 30 km. As a result of this study, all the information gathered can be feed into the missil main computer and with the info loaded, it can trace trajectories in which the efficiency of the engine, fuel and cargo reach the target. The low atmosphere system has the follow set of instruments: a barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope and a magnetometer as the sensor array. We are using an Intel Galileo board as the motherboard. The information collected is saved within a SD high density memory card

Neograničeni regulatori s promijenjivim pojačanjem za upravljanje robotskim manipulatorima s direktnim pogonom

This paper addresses the position-control problem with variable gains for robot manipulators. We present a new regulator based on a hyperbolic-sine structure with tuning rules for control gains. It is demonstrated that the equilibrium point of the closed-loop system is globally, asymptotically stable according to Lyapunov theory. By using a similar methodology, this concept can be extended to other unbounded controllers such as PD and PID. In order to show the usefulness of the proposed scheme and with the purpose of validating its asymptotical stability property, an experimental comparison involving constant gains controllers, for example: simple PD, PID and hyperbolic-tangent schemes vs variable-gains hyperbolic-sine and PD control schemes, was performed by using a three degree-of-freedom, direct-drive robot manipulator.Ovaj rad se bavi problemom kontrole pozicije s promjenjivim pojačanjem robotskog manipulatora. U radu je predstavljen novi regulator baziran na hiperbolično-sinusnoj stukturi s pravilima ugađanja upravljačkih pojačanja. Pokazano je da je točka ravnoteže sustava u zatvorenoj petlji globalno i asimptotski stabilna prema Lzapunovljevoj teoriji stabilnosti. Korištenjem slilčne metodologije, predstavljeni koncept se može primijeniti na ostale neograničene kontrolere, npr. PD i PID. Kako bi pokazali korisnost predložene sheme i s ciljem provjere asimptotske stabilnosti, provedena je eksperimentalna usporedba između kontolera s konstantnim pojačanjem (npr. jednostavni PD, PID i hiperbolični-tangencijalna shema) i hiperbolično-sinusnih i PD upravljačkih shema s promjenjivim pojačanjem korištenjem robotskog manipulatora s direktnim pogonom i tri stupnja slobode

Identification and regulation of fusA, The polyketide synthase gene responsible for fusarin production in Fusarium fujikuroi

Fusarins are a class of mycotoxins of the polyketide family produced by different Fusarium species, including the gibberellin- producing fungus Fusarium fujikuroi. Based on sequence comparisons between polyketide synthase (PKS) enzymes for fusarin production in other Fusarium strains, we have identified the F. fujikuroi orthologue, called fusA. The participation of fusA in fusarin biosynthesis was demonstrated by targeted mutagenesis. Fusarin production is transiently stimulated by nitrogen avail- ability in this fungus, a regulation paralleled by the fusA mRNA levels in the cell. Illumination of the cultures results in a reduc- tion of the fusarin content, an effect partially explained by a high sensitivity of these compounds to light. Mutants of the fusA gene exhibit no external phenotypic alterations, including morphology and conidiation, except for a lack of the characteristic yellow and/or orange pigmentation of fusarins. Moreover, the fusA mutants are less efficient than the wild type at degrading cel- lophane on agar cultures, a trait associated with pathogenesis functions in Fusarium oxysporum. The fusA mutants, however, are not affected in their capacities to grow on plant tissues

Crowd_UC3M: microfinanciación para ideas innovadoras

El proyecto Crowd_UC3M, gestionado por el Parque Científico de la UC3M, está basado en el crowdfunding, que busca involucrar como "mecenas” a la propia sociedad. Se ofrecen entrevistas con investigadores promotores de los proyectos que han obtenido la financiación colectiva para poder llevarlos a cabo.Contiene entrevistas con: María Amparo Escudero, Miembro del equipo de Menudos Corazones (p. 22). -- Nieves Limón, Investigadora de la UC3M y miembro del equipo de GYF. Género y Figura (p. 23). -- Dania Olmos, investigadora de la UC3M, miembro del equipo de Prevención de Enfermedades con materiales antimicrobianos (p. 24). -- Daniel Prado, Miembro del equipo de #empleoconred (p. 25). -- Judit Chamorro, Antigua Alumna de la UC3M - Miembro del equipo de The Illuminated Bulb

Spatial analysis of demand for sparsely-located ecosystem services using alternative index approaches

This study is focused on the effects of spatial discounting and substitute sites on the demand for ecosystem services (ES) provided by scattered agroecosystems. New ways of modelling these two effects are proposed, relying on area-based and density-based indexes. Data from discrete choice experiments are used, based on a case study of Andalusian olive groves (southern Spain). The results show that model fit is significantly improved by the introduction of these spatial indexes, with the best outcome found for the area-based index combined with the inverse of the distance. Results provide evidence of substantial spatial heterogeneity depending on the ES (carbon sequestration, soil conservation and biodiversity), indicating different economic jurisdiction

Analysis of al-2 Mutations in Neurospora

The orange pigmentation of the fungus Neurospora crassa is due to the accumulation of the xanthophyll neurosporaxanthin and precursor carotenoids. Two key reactions in the synthesis of these pigments, the formation of phytoene from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and the introduction of β cycles in desaturated carotenoid products, are catalyzed by two domains of a bifunctional protein, encoded by the gene al-2. We have determined the sequence of nine al-2 mutant alleles and analyzed the carotenoid content in the corresponding strains. One of the mutants is reddish and it is mutated in the cyclase domain of the protein, and the remaining eight mutants are albino and harbor different mutations on the phytoene synthase (PS) domain. Some of the mutations are expected to produce truncated polypeptides. A strain lacking most of the PS domain contained trace amounts of a carotenoid-like pigment, tentatively identified as the squalene desaturation product diapolycopene. In support, trace amounts of this compound were also found in a knock-out mutant for gene al-2, but not in that for gene al-1, coding for the carotene desaturase. The cyclase activity of the AL-2 enzyme from two albino mutants was investigated by heterologous expression in an appropriately engineered E. coli strain. One of the AL-2 enzymes, predictably with only 20% of the PS domain, showed full cyclase activity, suggesting functional independence of both domains. However, the second mutant showed no cyclase activity, indicating that some alterations in the phytoene synthase segment affect the cyclase domain. Expression experiments showed a diminished photoinduction of al-2 transcripts in the al-2 mutants compared to the wild type strain, suggesting a synergic effect between reduced expression and impaired enzymatic activities in the generation of their albino phenotypes

Economic assessment of CO2 emissions savings in Spain associated with the use of biofuels for the transport sector in 2010

This article provides an economic assessment of greenhouse gas emissions savings associated with the use of biofuels for the transportation sector in Spain. The reference year used is 2010 in accordance with the target for the implementation of biofuels and other renewable fuels set down in European legislation (Directive 2003/30). The assessment is based on the premise that an increased use of biofuel will displace a similar amount of fossil fuel on a BTU basis, with the amount of biofuel used in 2010 taken as a reference point to conduct the estimates. The results show that the most cost-efficient biofuel is the biodiesel obtained from waste oil. Regarding the differences between first- and second-generation biofuels, the results show that the latter had very high associated costs. Reaching the biofuel target for 2010 by primarily using first-generation used-oil biodiesel blends would have led to a saving of 58 MV. In contrast, reaching this target by exclusively using second-generation biofuels would have led to a 1000 MV increase in total costs

The oxygenase CAO-1 of Neurospora crassa is a resveratrol cleavage enzyme.

The genome of the ascomycete Neurospora crassa encodes CAO-1 and CAO-2, two members of the carotenoid cleavage oxygenase family that target double bonds in different substrates. Previous studies demonstrated the role of CAO-2 in cleaving the C40 carotene torulene, a key step in the synthesis of the C35 apocarotenoid pigment neurosporaxanthin. In this work, we investigated the activity of CAO-1, assuming that it may provide retinal, the chromophore of the NOP-1 rhodopsin, by cleaving β-carotene. For this purpose, we tested CAO-1 activity with carotenoid substrates that were, however, not converted. In contrast and consistent with its sequence similarity to family members that act on stilbenes, CAO-1 cleaved the interphenyl Cα-Cβ double bond of resveratrol and its derivative piceatannol. CAO-1 did not convert five other similar stilbenes, indicating a requirement for a minimal number of unmodified hydroxyl groups in the stilbene background. Confirming its biological function in converting stilbenes, adding resveratrol led to a pronounced increase in cao-1 mRNA levels, while light, a key regulator of carotenoid metabolism, did not alter them. Targeted Δcao-1 mutants were not impaired by the presence of resveratrol, a phytoalexin active against different fungi, which did not significantly affect the growth and development of wild-type Neurospora. However, under partial sorbose toxicity, the Δcao-1 colonies exhibited faster radial growth than control strains in the presence of resveratrol, suggesting a moderate toxic effect of resveratrol cleavage products