A United Nations Instrument to Regulate and Monitor Private Military and Security Contractors

Member States of the United Nations (U.N.) are responsible for taking appropriate measures to prevent, investigate, punish, and provide effective remedies for relevant misconduct of private military and security companies (PMSCs) and their personnel; their responsibilities fully remain, even if States have chosen to contract out certain security functions. The widespread outsourcing of military and security functions to private companies in situations of low-intensity conflicts, international relief, and contingency operations has been a major phenomenon in the past twenty years. The grave human rights violations in which they have been involved in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the focus of international attention and have generated debate about the roles of PMSCs, the norms under which they should operate, and how to monitor their activities. The U.N. Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries (Working Group) has found that there is a regulatory legal vacuum covering the activities ofPMSCs and a lack of common standards for the registration and licensing of these companies, for the vetting and training of their staff, and for the safekeeping of weapons. Although there are norms of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) that could apply in some situations, in practice, they have not been implemented. PMSCs have succeeded in creating a situation of diffused responsibility and lack ofaccountability through a labyrinth of contractual and insurance layers and shells. The Working Group has arrived at the logical conclusion that a new binding international legal instrument is necessary to regulate and monitor the activities of PMSCs, and in 2010 it recommended to the U.N. the creation of an open-ended working group entrusted with the elaboration of a regulatory framework monitoring the activities of PMSCs. The international instrument would stipulate, among other things, the development of a national regime of licensing, regulation, and oversight of the activities of PMSCs and their subcontractors; increased responsibility of home States (where PMSCs are registered) for the export of military and security services of PMSCs registered and licensed in their country; and that States on whose territory PMSCs operate ensure effective control over the activities of these companies

Implementación hardware de un controlador de memoria cache de reconfiguraciones en VHDL

Este proyecto presenta una implementación hardware de un controlador que gestiona de manera eficiente las reconfiguraciones que se realizan en tiempo de ejecución en un sistema que aplica cacheo de reconfiguraciones. Esta técnica consiste en utilizar una memoria on-chip que sirve de cache entre la memoria de configuración del dispositivo reconfigurable y la memoria principal, donde se guardarán todas y cada una de las reconfiguraciones que se quieran cargar en el dispositivo. La eficiencia de la técnica se puede mejorar particionando las configuraciones en bloques, y mapeando las configuraciones en diferentes memorias cache, en vez de en una sola. De este modo, dada una asignación de reconfiguraciones de tareas en diferentes memorias on-chip, el controlador hardware presentado gestiona la reconfiguración de las tareas de manera adecuada y eficiente. Los resultados experimentales que se presentan muestran que nuestro controlador realiza las operaciones necesarias en unos pocos cientos ciclos de reloj, mientras que su coste de implementación en términos de recursos hardware es muy asequible

Baja California universitaria gen. N., sp. N. (Capsalidae: monogenea) parásito de tres especies de paralabrax (Serranidae: actynopterigii) de la península de baja California, México.

Serranid fishes are distributed around the world in tropical and warm temperate waters and are some of the most commercially important reef species. The 10 species of serranid fish of the genus Paralabrax Girard, 1856, are confined to the coasts of America, being located mainly in the Pacific Ocean, including the Gulf of California, with five of them occurring on both coasts of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico. A total of 278 fish of three species of Cabrillas of the Paralabrax genus [P. auroguttatus Walford, 193; P. clathratus (Girard, 1856) and P. nebulifer (Girard, 1856)] were obtained from various locations in the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean and were parasitized on lower pharyngeal plate and gills with a monogenean species of the Capsalidae family. The characteristic of the aseptate opisthohaptor is shared with the genera of four subfamilies: Entobdellinae, Nitzschiinae, Benedeniinae and Encotyllabinae. They differ from the five genera of the subfamily Entobdellinae by not having a prohaptor formed by two elongated, slightly depressed glandular areas. They differ from the only genus of Nitzschiinae by not having prohaptor in the form of botryans. They differ from the 17 genera of the Benedeniinae subfamily because their representatives have the opisthohaptor with a widened circular shape and because they have a vagina. Finally, although due to the general morphology of the body, more cylindrical than ovoid, the specimens in this work show more similarity with the specimens of the two recognized genera of the Encotyllabinae subfamily, they differ from them by not having an opisthohaptor with a very long peduncle and two pairs of hooks, one of which is very large, occupying a large part of its area, as well as not having a vagina. Due to the characteristics of the opisthohaptor (semipedunculated, without septa oval, with a narrow opening and bordered by a marginal membrane), a new genus and species are proposed as Bajacalifornia universitaria. Until we have a molecular study to confirm it, in this work they are included in the Encotyllabinae subfamily.Los peces serránidos se distribuyen alrededor del mundo en aguas tropicales y templado cálidas y constituyen algunas de las especies arrecifales con mayor importancia comercial. Las 10 especies de peces serránidos del género Paralabrax Girard, 1856, están confinados a las costas de América, localizándose principalmente en el océano Pacífico, incluido el Golfo de California  presentándose cinco de ellas en ambos litorales de la península de Baja California, México. Se obtuvo un total de 278 peces de tres especies de Cabrillas del género Paralabrax [P. auroguttatus Walford, 193; P. clathratus (Girard, 1856) y P. nebulifer (Girard, 1856)], procedentes de varias localidades del Golfo de California y del océano Pacífico y resultaron parasitados en los dientes faríngeos de la placa inferior y branquias con una especie de monogéneo de la familia Capsalidae. La característica del opistohaptor aseptado es compartida con los géneros de cuatro subfamilias: Entobdellinae, Nitzschiinae, Benedeniinae y Encotyllabinae. Difieren de los cinco géneros de la subfamilia Entobdellinae por no poseer un prohaptor formado por dos áreas glandulares alargadas, ligeramente deprimidas. Difieren del único género de Nitzschiinae por no tener prohaptor en forma de botrios. Difieren de los 17 géneros de la subfamilia Benedeniinae porque sus representantes tienen el opistohaptor con forma circular ensanchada y por poseer vagina. Finalmente, aunque por la morfología general del cuerpo, más cilíndrica que ovoidea, los ejemplares de este trabajo muestran más semejanza con los ejemplares de los dos géneros reconocidos de la subfamilia Encotyllabinae, difieren de ellos por no tener opistohaptor con un pedúnculo muy largo y dos pares de ganchos, uno de los cuales es muy grande, ocupando gran parte del área del mismo, así como por no presentar vagina. Por las características del opistohaptor aseptado de los monogéneos estudiados, en forma ovalada con abertura estrecha y bordeada por membrana marginal, se propone un género y especies nuevos, como Bajacalifornia universitaria. Hasta no tener un estudio molecular que lo confirme, en este trabajo se incluyen en la subfamilia Encotyllabinae

ESTANCIAS DE INVESTIGACIÓN Y/O PRODUCCIÓN EN LA TITULACIÓN POR TESIS DEL BIÓLOGO MARINO DE LA UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

In higher education, completion efficiency can be measured considering the degree index determined by the completion rate and number of graduates in a cohort. The Marine Biologist study plan at Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) in Mexico, has been modified 11 times. One of the changes included the proposal of the subjects Research Stay and / or Production I and II starting from the 1996-I study plan, continuing up the current 2011-II plan, and adding III and IV, to direct the student toward research work production, which could turn out to be thesis writing. The objective of this work is to determine the possible relationship between Research Stay and / or Production II or III-IV and Marine Biology degree completion by thesis writing with the purpose of assessing completion time between cohorts that studied them with those previous to 1996. The work developed is longitudinal, quantitative and descriptive. The information obtained was provided by the Office of the Director of Student Services (Dirección de Servicios Escolares), SIIA (Portal de Sistema Integral de Información Administrativa), responsible persons of Research Stay and / or Production II or III-IV programs, and by printed and digital surveys applied to graduates who had completion by thesis writing with 1996-I and 2011-II study plans. The completion efficiency of Research Stay by thesis writing was analyzed using the mean of the time taken by the generations that did not carry out Research Stay and / or Production II or III-IV (Treatment 1) compared to the mean of the time taken by the generations that completed them (Stays II: Treatment 2; Stays III-IV: Treatment 3). A greater percentage of completion rate was observed in those that maintained the thesis topic developed in the Research Stay. These courses contribute to reduce completion time for graduates that choose thesis writing in higher research educations. The average time used by the students in thesis writing in T1 was 3.9 years, 2.4 for those in T2; and 1.2 for those in T3. For the other completion options offered by the University, 50% of Master's credits (Art 73 I) and Automatic Completion by 90 grade point average with no extraordinary exams (Art 73 III), were the ones that have had the most students with completion efficiency. Keywords: graduates – marine biologist – Mexico – role of a subject – terminal efficiencyEn la educación superior, la eficiencia terminal puede medirse considerando el índice de titulación determinándose por la proporción de titulados y el número de egresados de una cohorte. El plan de estudios de Biólogo Marino de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur (UABCS) en México, se ha modificado en 11 ocasiones, uno de los cambios incluyó la propuesta de las asignaturas Estancias de Investigación y/o Producción I y II a partir del plan 1996-I continuando hasta el plan vigente 2011-II, en el cual se incrementaron la III y IV, para dirigir al estudiante hacia la elaboración de un trabajo de investigación que podría convertirse en tesis. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la posible relación entre las Estancias de Investigación y/o Producción II o III-IV y la titulación por tesis del Biólogo Marino con el fin de evaluar el tiempo de titulación entre las cohortes que las cursaron con las anteriores a 1996.  El trabajo desarrollado es de carácter longitudinal, cuantitativo y descriptivo. La información obtenida fue proporcionada por la Dirección de Servicios Escolares, el Portal de Sistema Integral de Información Administrativa (SIIA), las responsables de los programas de las Estancias de Investigación y/o Producción II ó III-IV y por encuestas impresas y digitales aplicadas a titulados por tesis de los planes de estudio 1996-I y 2011-II. Se analizó la efectividad de las Estancias en la titulación por tesis de los egresados utilizando las medias de los tiempos de las generaciones que no cursaron Estancias de Investigación y/o Producción II ó III-IV (Tratamiento 1) comparando con las medias de los tiempos de las generaciones que sí las cursaron (Estancias II: Tratamiento 2; Estancias III-IV: Tratamiento 3). Se observó mayor porcentaje de egresados en aquellos que mantienen el tema desarrollado en sus Estancias como tema de tesis. Estas asignaturas coadyuvan a reducir el tiempo de titulación de los egresados que optan por desarrollar tesis en instituciones de educación superior-investigación. El tiempo promedio utilizado por los tesistas del Tratamiento 1 fue de 3,9 años, los del tratamiento T2 fue de 2,4 años y los del Tratamiento T3 fue de 1,2 años. De las otras opciones de titulación que ofrece la Institución, el 50% de créditos de una Maestría (Art. 73 I) y Titulación Automática por Promedio de 90 sin exámenes extraordinarios (Art. 73 III), fueron las que más titulados han tenido. Palabras clave: asignatura – biólogo marino – eficiencia terminal – titulados –  Méxic

Hardware Architectural Support for Caching Partitioned Reconfigurations in Reconfigurable Systems

The efficiency of the reconfiguration process in modern FPGAs can improve drastically if an on-chip configuration memory is included in the system because it can reduce both the reconfiguration latency and its energy consumption. However, FPGA on-chip memory resources are very limited. Thus, it is very important to manage them effectively in order to improve the reconfiguration process as much as possible even when the size of the on-chip configuration memory is small. This paper presents a hardware implementation of an on-chip configuration memory controller that efficiently manages run-time reconfigurations. In order to optimize the use of the on-chip memory, this controller includes support to deal with configurations that have been divided into blocks of customizable size. When a reconfiguration must be carried out, our controller provides the blocks stored on-chip and looks for the remaining blocks by accessing to the off-chip configuration memory. Moreover, it dynamically decides which blocks must be stored on-chip. To this end, the designed controller implements a simple but efficient technique that allows maximizing the benefits of the on-chip memories. Experimental results will demonstrate that its implementation cost is very affordable and that it introduces negligible run-time management overheads

Algorithmic Trading Systems Based on Google Trends

[EN] In this paper we analyze five big data algorithmic trading systems based on artificial intelligence models that uses as predictors stats from Google Trends of dozens of financial terms. The systems were trained using monthly data from 2004 to 2017 and have been tested in a prospective way from January 2017 to February 2018. The performance of this systems shows that Google Trends is a good metric for global Investors’ Mood. Systems for Ibex and Eurostoxx are not profitable but Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq systems has been profitable using long and short positions during the period studied. This evidence opens a new field for the investigation of trading systems based on big data instead of Chartism.Gómez Martínez, R.; Prado Román, C.; De La Orden De La Cruz, MDC. (2018). Algorithmic Trading Systems Based on Google Trends. En 2nd International Conference on Advanced Reserach Methods and Analytics (CARMA 2018). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 11-18. https://doi.org/10.4995/CARMA2018.2018.8295OCS111

Influence of the thermomechanical processing on the superplastic forming of Mg-Al alloys

The aim of this paper is to study the influence of the initial microstructure of several Mg–Al alloys on their superplastic formability and on their post-forming microstructure and mechanical properties. Various thermomechanical processing routes, such as annealing, conventional rolling, severe rolling and cross rolling, were used in order to fabricate AZ31 and AZ61 alloys with different grain sizes. These materials were then blow formed into a hat shaped die. It was found that the processing route has only a small effect in the formability of Mg–Al alloys or on the postforming microstructures and properties due to rapid dynamic grain growth taking place at the forming temperatures. Nevertheless, good formability is achieved as a result of the simultaneous operation of grain boundary sliding and crystallographic slip during forming.The authors are thankful to Comunidad de Madrid for funding this work under grant GR-MAT-0715-2004. FS is grateful to CSIC for a postgraduate grant. JAV acknowledges support from a Ramón y Cajal contract awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.Peer reviewe

Effect of Sb on the quantum efficiency of GaInP solar cells

The energy bandgap of GaInP solar cells can be tuned by modifying the degree of order of the alloy. In this study, we employed Sb to increase the energy bandgap of the GaInP and analyzed its impact on the performance of GaInP solar cells. An effective change in the cutoff wavelength of the external quantum efficiency of GaInP solar cells and an effective increase of 50 mV in the open-circuit voltage of GaInP/Ga(In)As/Ge triple junction solar cells were obtained with the use of Sb. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

COMPARACIÓN DE LA BIODIVERSIDAD PARASITARIA DE PARALABRAX CLATHRATUS (GIRARD, 1854) Y P. HUMERALIS (VALENCIENNES, 1828) (PISCES: SERRANIDAE) DEL PACÍFICO ORIENTAL

Se presenta la biodiversidad parasitaria de Paralabrax clathratus (Girard, 1854) y P. humeralis (Valenciennes, 1828) (Pisces: Serranidae) del Pacífico Oriental, su especificidad hospedatoria y el papel que desempeñan en el ciclo de vida de los parásitos. La información es una compilación de los registros de diversos autores durante la revisión de los parásitos de los peces estudiados. Se encontró que la biodiversidad parasitaria de ambas especies de peces está agrupada en 22 familias (entre helmintos y crustáceos), dos órdenes y una clase. Paralabrax humeralis presenta mayor riqueza parasitaria que P. clathratus (n = 40 vs n = 27): monogeneos (n = 3 vs n = 3), digéneos (n = 10 vs n = 10), céstodos (n = 6 vs n = 1), acantocéfalos (n = 2 vs n = 1), nemátodos (n = 9 vs n = 4), copépodos (n = 8 vs n = 8), isópodos (n = 1 vs n = 0) e hirudineos (n = 1 vs n = 0). De esta riqueza parasitaria, se observó que los hospederos comparten diez familias: Diclidophoridae y Capsalidae (Monogenea), Opecoelidae y Hemiuridae (Digenea), Polymorphidae (Acantocephala), Anisakidae y Cucullanidae (Nematoda), Caligidae, Bomolochidae y Hatschekiidae (Copepoda). El índice de Sörensen cualitativo que sirvió para comparar la biodiversidad parasitaria a nivel de familia y de especie de P. clathratus y P. humeralis mostró un valor de 57,14% y de 11,94%, respectivamente. A pesar de esta diferencia, se observó una proporción similar de parásitos en los estadios larval y adulto, así como en los tipos de ciclos de vida y en el sitio de infección (ectoparásitos y endoparásitos) entre ambas especies de Paralabrax. Por otro lado, los parásitos que muestran cierta especificidad hospedatoria hacia serránidos son los copépodos de la familia Hatschekiidae y los céstodos del orden Trypanorhyncha que parasitan a peces elasmobranquios en estado adulto, el resto se consideran parásitos generalistas. Los céstodos, acantocéfalos y anisákidos registrados son formas larvarias indicando que utilizan a Paralabrax como hospederos intermediarios o paraténicos en sus ciclos de vida. Los monogéneos, digéneos y copépodos son formas adultas lo que sugiere que P. clathratus y P. humeralis son sus hospederos definitivos. Las diferencias observadas en la riqueza parasitaria de los hospederos pueden deberse a condiciones específicas del ambiente, de la presencia de diferentes hospederos intermediarios, del comportamiento alimentario y de su posible especificidad hospedatoria