Measuring Students Acceptance and Usability of a Cloud Virtual Desktop Solution for a Programming Course

[EN] Virtual desktops in cloud scenarios play a significant role in higher education. Nowadays, the idea of moving laboratories to the cloud seems mandatory and it is necessary to maintain students’ commitment in this new scenario. This paper aims at two targets, customizing a Virtual Desktop platform for delivering the laboratories of a programming course in a Computer Science Bachelor Degree and empirically apply the technology acceptance model and the system usability scale to a set of students that use it. Results obtained in this paper provide insights about the direct effect between the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude to technology following the technology acceptance model (TAM) as well as a comprehensive analysis of the system usability scale (SUS) of our platform.SIErasmus+ KA201 Strategic Partnership Project, Grant/Award Number: 2018-1-ES01-KA201-05093

YASMIN: Yet Another State MachINe library for ROS 2

State machines are a common mechanism for defining behaviors in robots, defining them based on identifiable stages. There are several libraries available for easing the implementation of state machines in ROS 1, as SMACH or SMACC, but there are fewer alternatives for ROS 2. YASMIN is yet another library specifically designed for ROS 2 for easing the design of robotic behaviors using state machines. It is available in C++ and Python, provides some default states to speed up the development, and a web viewer for monitoring the execution of the system and helping in the debugging.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, ROSCon FR 202

Towards explainability in robotics: A performance analysis of a cloud accountability system

[EN] Understanding why a robot's behaviour was triggered is a growing concern to get human-acceptable social robots. Every action, expected and unexpected, should be able to be explained and audited. The formal model proposed here deals with different information levels, from low-level data, such as sensors' data logging; to high-level data that provide an explanation of the robot's behaviour. This study examines the impact on the robot system of a custom log engine based on a custom ROS logging node and investigates pros and cons when used together with a NoSQL database locally and in a cloud environment. Results allow to characterize these alternatives and explore the best strategy for offering a fully log-based accountability engine that maximizes the mapping between robot behaviour and robot logs.SIInstituto Nacional de CiberseguridadMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovació

A systematic review of velocity and accelerometer thresholds in soccer

Background: Velocity and acceleration have been highlighted as the most critical variables in soccer. However, there is a consensus gap in defining different levels of effort. Aim: The purpose of this systematic review is to identify if it is a consensus in those articles that proposed a threshold to establish (i) movement intensity at different velocities using tracking systems and (ii) accelerations using inertial measure ment units, classifying the justification methods. Method: A systematic review of Cochrane Library, EBSCO, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Of the 1983 studies initially identified, 39 were thoroughly reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed. Conclusion: The 40-m maximal linear sprint and physical fitness tests are the most commonly used methods to generate speed and acceleration thresholds in soccer. However, there is substantial heterogeneity in locomotor test procedures and workload zones established from these performance data. Studies diverged when considering the use of individualized thresholds. The low sampling rate (≤ 10 Hz) in the publications calculating acceleration and deceleration demands should also be interpreted cautiously. The present study collected evidence to help professionals process and interpret external load data. More interventional work is needed to confirm the value of fitness-based individualizations.9E1A-F9DD-3EB8 | Filipe Manuel ClementeN/

Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Classrooms at the University of the Basque Country through a User-Informed Natural Ventilation Demonstrator

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a renewed interest in indoor air quality to limit viral spread. In the case of educational spaces, due to the high concentration of people and the fact that most of the existing buildings do not have any mechanical ventilation system, the different administrations have established natural ventilation protocols to guarantee an air quality that reduces risk of contagion by the SARS-CoV-2 virus after the return to the classrooms. Many of the initial protocols established a ventilation pattern that opted for continuous or intermittent ventilation to varying degrees of intensity. This study, carried out on a university campus in Spain, analyses the performance of natural ventilation activated through the information provided by monitoring and visualisation of real-time data. In order to carry out this analysis, a experiment was set up where a preliminary study of ventilation without providing information to the users was carried out, which was then compared with the result of providing live feedback to the occupants of two classrooms and an administration office in different periods of 2020, 2021 and 2022. In the administration office, a CO2-concentration-based method was applied retrospectively to assess the risk of airborne infection. This experience has served as a basis to establish a route for user-informed improvement of air quality in educational spaces in general through low-cost systems that allow a rational use of natural ventilation while helping maintain an adequate compromise between IAQ, comfort and energy consumption, without having to resort to mechanical ventilation systems.This research was funded under the title “Proyecto Piloto Sobre Calidad del Aire en Espacios Interiores Universitarios” in the CBL program 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, promoted by the Directorate of Sustainability, Vice-Rectorate for Innovation and Social Commitment of the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU)

Nanostructured Ti thin films by magnetron sputtering at oblique angles

The growth of Ti thin films by the magnetron sputtering technique at oblique angles and at room temperature is analysed from both experimental and theoretical points of view. Unlike other materials deposited in similar conditions, the nanostructure development of the Ti layers exhibits an anomalous behaviour when varying both the angle of incidence of the deposition flux and the deposition pressure. At low pressures, a sharp transition from compact to isolated, vertically aligned, nanocolumns is obtained when the angle of incidence surpasses a critical threshold. Remarkably, this transition also occurs when solely increasing the deposition pressure under certain conditions. By the characterization of the Ti layers, the realization of fundamental experiments and the use of a simple growth model, we demonstrate that surface mobilization processes associated to a highly directed momentum distribution and the relatively high kinetic energy of sputtered atoms are responsible for this behaviourJunta de Andalucía P12-FQM- 2265Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CSD2008- 00023, MAT2013-42900-P, MAT2013-40852-R, MAT2014-59772-C2-1, MAT2011- 2908

Anisotropic in-plane conductivity and dichroic gold plasmon resonance in plasma assisted ITO thin films e-beam evaporated at oblique angles

ITO thin films have been prepared by electron beam evaporation at oblique angles (OA), directly and while assisting their growth with a downstream plasma. The films microstructure, characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and glancing incidence small angle X-ray scattering, consisted of tilted and separated nanostructures. In the plasma 2 assisted films, the tilting angle decreased and the nanocolumns became associated in the form of bundles along the direction perpendicular to the flux of evaporated material. The annealed films presented different in-depth and sheet resistivity as confirmed by scanning conductivity measurements taken for the individual nanocolumns. In addition, for the plasma assisted thin films, two different sheet resistance values were determined by measuring along the nanocolumn bundles or along the perpendicular direction. This in-plane anisotropy induces the electrochemical deposition of elongated gold nanostructures. The obtained Au-ITO composite thin films were characterized by anisotropic plasmon resonance absorption and a dichroic behavior when examined with linearly polarized light

Digitalización del entorno a partir de un LIDAR HDL-64E

This paper proposes a map building system for an autonomous vehicle equipped with LIDAR technology, capable to obtain more than one million points per second. This paper proposes a Fast Local Map building Approach (LM) that it is use for autonomous local navigation, and construction of Global Map (GM) 2D and 3D for modeling the whole environment crossed by the vehicle. During the process of the global map building, we estimate the location of the vehicle with respect to its initial position.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v25i1.795 Nexo Revista Científica,Vol. 25, No. 01, pp.28-37/Junio 2012 En este trabajo se propone un sistema de reconstrucción de mapas para un vehículo autónomo equipado con tecnología LIDAR, capaz de obtener más de un millón de puntos por segundo. Dentro del artículo proponemos la construcción rápida de Mapas Locales (ML) 2D que nos servirán para la navegación local autónoma, y la construcción de Mapas Globales (MG) 2D y 3D que modelizán el ambiente recorrido por el vehículo. Durante el proceso de construcción del Mapa Global se calcula la localización del vehículo con respecto a su posición inicial.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v25i1.795 Nexo Revista Científica,Vol. 25, No. 01, pp.28-37/Junio 2012

Digitalización del entorno a partir de un LIDAR HDL-64E

This paper proposes a map building system for an autonomous vehicle equipped with LIDAR technology, capable to obtain more than one million points per second. This paper proposes a Fast Local Map building Approach (LM) that it is use for autonomous local navigation, and construction of Global Map (GM) 2D and 3D for modeling the whole environment crossed by the vehicle. During the process of the global map building, we estimate the location of the vehicle with respect to its initial position.Keywords: 2D map building, 3D map building, localization.En este trabajo se propone un sistema de reconstrucción de mapas para un vehículo autónomo equipado con tecnología LIDAR, capaz de obtener más de un millón de puntos por segundo. Dentro del artículo proponemos la construcción rápida de Mapas Locales (ML) 2D que nos servirán para la navegación local autónoma, y la construcción de Mapas Globales (MG) 2D y 3D que modelizán el ambiente recorrido por el vehículo. Durante el proceso de construcción del Mapa Global se calcula la localización del vehículo con respecto a su posición inicial.Palabras claves: Construcción de mapas 2D, construcción de mapas 3D, localización

Incidence of recently acquired hepatitis C virus infection among HIV-infected patients in southern Spain.

Objectives: Spain is close to HCV microelimination, so rates of recently acquired HCV infection (RAHC) should decrease. Nowadays, men who have sex with men (MSM) carry the highest risk of HCV acquisition. Our aim was to estimate the incidence of and the factors associated with RAHC, together with reinfection rates, among patients sexually infected by HIV.Methods: Primary RAHC infection was diagnosed when anti-HCV antibody seroconversion was documented. In anti-HCV positive patients, initially without HCV viraemia, a diagnosis of reinfection was established if plasma HCV RNA was detected.Results: All 350 patients tested negative for anti-HCV at baseline and had at least one follow-up visit. Among them, there were 16 RAHC cases from 2016 to 2019. RAHC incidence rates [IR (95% confidence interval, CI)] per 100 person-years were 3.77 (0.5-12.9) in 2016, 1.85 (0.6-4.3) in 2017, 1.49 (0.4-3.8) in 2018 and 1.98 (0.6-4.5) in 2019. Only previous sexually transmitted infections [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 18.23, 95% CI: 1.93-172.1; P = 0.011], male sex (IRR = 8.33, 95% CI: 1.38-54.15; P = 0.026) and sharing chem-sex drugs (IRR: 4.93, 95% CI: 1.17-20.76; P = 0.030), were independently associated with RAHC. Four out of 42 (9.5%) patients became reinfected. Conclusions: The incidence of RAHC among HIV-infected patients showed a decrease after 2016, although a lower but steady incidence of residual cases still remains. HCV reinfections showed a similar pattern. New infections were associated with sharing chem-sex drugs among MSM.This study was partly supported by grants from the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y competitividad, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant no. PI15/01124) and from Grupo de Estudio de Hepatitis Vírica-SEIMC (grant no. GEHEP-001). AG-S and AR-J are recipients of Miguel Servet Research Contracts by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Promoción y Universidades of Spain (CP18/00146; CP18/00111). JM is the recipient of a grant from the Servicio Andaluz de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía (grant no. B-0037). JAP is recipient of an intensification grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant no. Programa-I3SNS)