Numerical evaluation of the Green's functions for arbitrarily shaped cylindrical enclosures and their optimization by a new spatial images method

IIn this paper, a spatial image technique is used to efficiently calculate the mixed potential Green’s functions associated with electric sources, when they are placed inside arbitrarily shaped cylindrical cavities. The technique is based on placing electric dipole images and charges outside the cavity region. Their strength and orientation are thencalculated by imposing the appropriate boundary conditions for the fields at discrete points on the metallic wall. A method for the assessment of the potentials accuracy is proposed, and several optimization techniques are presented. Three cavities are analyzed to demonstrate the usefulness of the techniques. The cutoff frequencies and potentials patterns are compared to those obtained by a standard finite elements technique, showing excellent agreement. Finally, a band-pass filter based on coupled lines is analyzed, demonstrating the practical value of the technique.This work has been developed with support from the Spanish National Project (CICYT) with reference TEC2004-04313-C02-02/TCM, and the Regional Seneca Project with reference 02972/PI/0

Extending Amdahl's Law for the Cloud Computing Era

By extending Amdahl's law, software developers can weigh the pros and cons of moving their applications to the cloud.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2012-37868-C04-02/0

Diseño de la cabecera de un canal de televisión de la comunidad centro para la industria petroquímica, Sena Cartagena /

Numerosas son las necesidades de comunicación que presenta el SENA CIP para el desarrollo de las distintas actividades que se realizan a diario dentro de estas, y buscando ejecutar todo los lineamientos que enmarca el gobierno un sus programas, se ha diagnosticado y señalado como preocupante el problema de la incorporación de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en la formación, para ello se ha trazado la necesidad de tener un canal de televisión, con contenido educativo guiado al desarrollo del aprendizaje de las distintas formaciones e intervenciones informativas del personal administrativo, debido a que el campo educativo han pasado de ser un fin, a considerarse como herramientas potenciadora y facilitadora de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. El canal de televisión busca acercarse al modelo educativo para el siglo XXI donde se persigue el privilegio un aprendizaje continuo en situaciones variadas y en interacción con otros, facilitan el paso del aprendizaje individual al aprendizaje social y colaborativo en red, entre otras cosas. Buscando estar en consenso sobre las TIC como “facilitadoras” nos abre otro camino para pensar las cuestiones tecnológicas vinculadas con la educación y quien más que la TV que ha sido uno de los medios de comunicación potenciador de este proceso de educación que se desarrolla paulatinamente en nuestro país.Incluye bibliografí

eDiab: A System for Monitoring, Assisting and Educating People with Diabetes

In this paper, a system developed for monitoring, assisting and educating people with diabetes, named eDiab, is described. A central node (PDA or mobile phone) is used at the patient’s side for the transmission of medical information, health advices, alarms, reminders, etc. The software is adapted to blind users by using a screen reader called Mobile Speak Pocket/Phone. The glucose sensor is connected to the central node through wireless links (Zigbee/Bluetooth) and the communication between the central node and the server is established with a GPRS/GSM connection. Finally, a subsystem for health education (which sends medical information and advice like treatment reminder), still under development, is briefly described.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología TIC2003- 08164-C03-0

Towards a cloud‑based automated surveillance system using wireless technologies

Cloud Computing can bring multiple benefits for Smart Cities. It permits the easy creation of centralized knowledge bases, thus straightforwardly enabling that multiple embedded systems (such as sensor or control devices) can have a collaborative, shared intelligence. In addition to this, thanks to its vast computing power, complex tasks can be done over low-spec devices just by offloading computation to the cloud, with the additional advantage of saving energy. In this work, cloud’s capabilities are exploited to implement and test a cloud-based surveillance system. Using a shared, 3D symbolic world model, different devices have a complete knowledge of all the elements, people and intruders in a certain open area or inside a building. The implementation of a volumetric, 3D, object-oriented, cloud-based world model (including semantic information) is novel as far as we know. Very simple devices (orange Pi) can send RGBD streams (using kinect cameras) to the cloud, where all the processing is distributed and done thanks to its inherent scalability. A proof-of-concept experiment is done in this paper in a testing lab with multiple cameras connected to the cloud with 802.11ac wireless technology. Our results show that this kind of surveillance system is possible currently, and that trends indicate that it can be improved at a short term to produce high performance vigilance system using low-speed devices. In addition, this proof-of-concept claims that many interesting opportunities and challenges arise, for example, when mobile watch robots and fixed cameras would act as a team for carrying out complex collaborative surveillance strategies.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2016-77785-PJunta de Andalucía P12-TIC-130

Fracturas peritrocantéricas tratadas con el clavo proximal de fémur: Técnica y resultados

El Clavo Proximal de Fémur (PFN: Proximal Femoral Nail) es un sistema de osteosíntesis desarrollado por la AO/ASIF para el tratamiento quirúrgico de las fracturas de la región trocantérea del fémur y que se basa en los principios del enclavado endomedular a cielo cerrado. Se presenta un estudio prospectivo sobre 175 fracturas de cadera tratadas con P.F.N. en nuestro servicio, con un seguimiento mínimo exigido de 1 año. El 74,3% de los casos correspondieron a mujeres y el resto a hombres. La edad media fue de 81,87 años. Las fracturas se han clasificado según la AO, siendo el subtipo más frecuentemente registrado el A2. Se realizaron controles clínicos y radiológicos a los 1, 3, 6 y 12 meses. El sistema ha permitido la movilización y la deambulación precoz en la mayoría de nuestros pacientes, al igual que la consolidación de las fracturas en un tiempo aceptable (12 semanas de media). Se analizan los resultados y las diversas complicaciones registradas, así como la capacidad de recuperación de la capacidad funcional previa. El PFN se revela como un buen sistema de osteosíntesis para las fracturas de la región trocantérea del fémur, permitiendo una carga precoz que favorece la consolidación ósea. La técnica quirúrgica no es compleja, la tasa de complicaciones técnicas registradas es aceptable y los resultados globales obtenidos son equiparables e incluso superiores, en determinados aspectos, a los obtenidos con otros sistemas de osteosíntesis disponibles en el mercado para el tratamiento de este tipo de fracturas.The PFN ("proximal femoral nail") is an osteosynthesis system developed by the AO/ASIF group for the surgical treatment of fractures of the trochanteric region of the femur, which is based on the principles of closed endomedullary nailing. A prospective study of 175 hip fractures treated with the PFN is presented, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. 74,3% of the patients were female, the rest male. The average age was 81,87 years. Fractures were classified according to the AO system, the most common sub-type recorded being the A2. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. The system allowed early mobilisation and walking in the majority of our patients, along with fracture consolidation in an acceptable time period (12 weeks on average). The results and the various complications recorded are analysed. The ability to recover previous walking ability was also studied. The PFN emerges as a good system of osteosynthesis for fractures of the trochanteric region of the femur, allowing early weight-bearing which favours bone consolidation. The surgical technique is not complex, the number of complications recorded is acceptable and the overall results obtained are comparable and even superior to those obtained with other osteosynthesis systems available on the market for treatment of this type of fracture

Minimización de la distorsión armónica de una modulación PWM con algoritmos genéticos

En este trabajo se describe una nueva estrategia de modulación por anchura de pulso (PWM, Pulse Width Modulation) optimizada por el método directo y la aplicación de Algoritmos Genéticos (GA, Genetic Algorithms) para la minimización del contenido armónico específicamente el quinto y séptimo armónico del contenido total, basado en la minimización de la distorsión armónica total (THD, Total Harmonic Distorsion). Se expone el desarrollo del método, las pautas necesarias incluido el desarrollo del algoritmo de la estrategia dentro del Procesador Digital de Señales (DSP, Digital Signal Processor) y visualizado los resultados obtenidos

Minimización de la distorsión armónica de una modulación PWM con algoritmos genéticos

En este trabajo se describe una nueva estrategia de modulación por anchura de pulso (PWM, Pulse Width Modulation) optimizada por el método directo y la aplicación de Algoritmos Genéticos (GA, Genetic Algorithms) para la minimización del contenido armónico específicamente el quinto y séptimo armónico del contenido total, basado en la minimización de la distorsión armónica total (THD, Total Harmonic Distorsion). Se expone el desarrollo del método, las pautas necesarias incluido el desarrollo del algoritmo de la estrategia dentro del Procesador Digital de Señales (DSP, Digital Signal Processor) y visualizado los resultados obtenidos

Molecular and cellular responses of the pathogenic fungus Lomentospora prolificans to the antifungal drug voriconazole

The filamentous fungus Lomentospora (Scedosporium) prolificans is an emerging opportunistic pathogen associated with fatal infections in patients with disturbed immune function. Unfortunately, conventional therapies are hardly of any use against this fungus due to its intrinsic resistance. Therefore, we performed an integrated study of the L. prolificans responses to the first option to treat these mycoses, namely voriconazole, with the aim of unveiling mechanisms involved in the resistance to this compound. To do that, we used a wide range of techniques, including fluorescence and electron microscopy to study morphological alterations, ion chromatography to measure changes in cell-wall carbohydrate composition, and proteomics-based techniques to identify the proteins differentially expressed under the presence of the drug. Significantly, we showed drastic changes occurring in cell shape after voriconazole exposure, L. prolificans hyphae being shorter and wider than under control conditions. Interestingly, we proved that the architecture and carbohydrate composition of the cell wall had been modified in the presence of the drug. Specifically, L. prolificans constructed a more complex organelle with a higher presence of glucans and mannans. In addition to this, we identified several differentially expressed proteins, including Srp1 and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), as the most overexpressed under voriconazole-induced stress conditions. The mechanisms described in this study, which may be directly related to L. prolificans antifungal resistance or tolerance, could be used as targets to improve existing therapies or to develop new ones in order to successfully eliminate these mycoses.This work has been supported by grants (GIU15/36 and UFI11/25) from the UPV/EHU. AP was supported by a predoctoral fellowship from the UPV/EHU, and IB and AA were supported by predoctoral fellowships from the Basque Government. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript