Graphic design on textbooks, a field for research

El objetivo de este texto es generar una reflexión sobre el libro de texto desde la perspectiva del diseño gráfico, visualizar sus problemáticas y señalar la necesidad de su replanteamiento para la sociedad digital actual. Creemos que no se dedica suficiente esfuerzo por parte de las editoriales y otras empresas dedicadas a su producción, tanto en los materiales impresos como en la adaptación de éstos a los nuevos soportes digitales. Actualmente las nuevas tecnologías pueden ofrecer soluciones para mejorar la tarea de alumnos y profesores, pero no se desarrolla todo su potencial. Estudiar y analizar esta tipología de publicaciones implica un estudio pluridisciplinar y complejo, ya que incluye una gran diversidad de perspectivas de investigación: diseño de materiales educativos, pedagogía, diseño de interfaces, y otros conocimientos técnicos referentes a la programación y la edición digital. No tiene sentido pues, abordar únicamente el diseño visual de estos materiales sino que es necesario comprender el contexto de su uso, sus funciones y las posibilidades tecnológicas que puedan aportar mejoras

On the Fibonacci sequence and the Linear Time Invariant systems

The Fibonacci sequence (FS) possesses exceptional mathematical properties that have captivated mathematicians, scientists, and artists across centuries. Its intriguing nature lies in its profound connection to the golden ratio, as well as its prevalence in the natural world, exhibited through phenomena such as spiral galaxies, plant seeds, the arrangement of petals, and branching structures. This report delves into the fundamental characteristics of the FS, explores its relationship with the golden ratio using Linear Time Invariant (LTI) systems, and investigates its diverse applications in various fields. Approaching the topic from the standpoint of a digital signal processing instructor in a grade course, we depict the FS as the consequential outcome of an LTI system when subjected to the unit impulse function. This LTI system can be regarded as the original source from which one of the most renowned formulas in mathematics emerges, and its parametric definition, along with the associated systems, is intricately tied to the golden ratio, symbolized by the irrational number Phi. This perspective naturally elucidates the well-established intricate relationship between the FS and Phi. Furthermore, building upon this perspective, we showcase other LTI systems that exhibit the same magnitude in the frequency domain. These systems are characterized by either an impulse response or a difference equation, resulting in a comparable or equivalent FS in terms of absolute value. By exploring these connections, we shed light on the remarkable similarities and variations that arise within the FS under different LTI systems.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

Anàlisi de l’evolució de despreniments a partir de dades LiDAR a l’escarpament de Puigcercós (Pallars Jussà)

Màster Oficial en Recursos Minerals i Riscos Geològics, Universitat de Barcelona - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Facultat de Geologia, Any: 2015, Tutors: Marta Guinau i Sellés i Manuel J. Royán CorderoAquest treball presenta un anàlisi dels despreniments que es produeixen en un escarpament i que són detectats a partir de les dades LiDAR. Per realitzar-ho s’ha escanejat des del 2007 la àrea d’estudi pilot de Puigcercós (Pallars Jussà) on s’han detectat 4072 despreniments. Amb aquests despreniments detectats s’ha obtingut la relació magnitud freqüència que ha permès comparar l’escarpament amb altres moviments inventariats. També s’ha centrat part de l’estudi en analitzar els despreniments i la deformació en les àrees on s’han produït despreniments de grans dimensions, amb l’objectiu de detectar el comportament de l’escarpament després de que aquests es produeixin. A partir de les dades d’intensitat i de les dades d’RGB d’una fotografia s’han extret les litologies alhora que s’ha trobat quines d’aquestes litologies són més propenses a produir despreniments. Finalment, s’ha intentat buscar un patró estacional que permeti deduir si existeix alguna component climàtica que acceleri els despreniments. Tots aquests resultats s’han obtingut a partir de les dades LiDAR i s’han realitzat amb els objectius de caracteritzar millor l’escarpament estudiat i d’explorar tota la informació que ens aporten les dades LiDAR

Developing Advanced Photogrammetric Methods for Automated Rockfall Monitoring

[eng] In recent years, photogrammetric models have become a widely used tool in the field of geosciences thanks to their ability to reproduce natural surfaces. As an alternative to other systems such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), photogrammetry makes it possible to obtain 3D points clouds at a lower cost and with a lower learning curve. This combination has allowed the democratisation of this 3D model creation strategy. On the other hand, rockfalls are one of the geological phenomena that represent a risk for society. It is the most common natural phenomenon in mountainous areas and, given its great speed, its hazard is very high. This doctoral thesis deals with the creation of photogrammetric systems and processing algorithms for the automatic monitoring of rockfalls. To this end, 3 fixed camera photogrammetric systems were designed and installed in 2 study areas. In addition, 3 different workflows have been developed, two of which are aimed at obtaining comparisons of higher quality using photogrammetric models and the other focused on automating the entire monitoring process with the aim of obtaining automatic monitoring systems of low temporal frequency. The photogrammetric RasPi system has been designed and installed in the study area of Puigcercós (Catalonia). This very low-cost system has been designed using Raspberry cameras. Despite being a very low-cost and low-resolution system, the results obtained demonstrate its ability to identify rockfalls and pre-failure deformation. The HRCam photogrammetric system has also been designed and installed in the Puigcercós study area. This system uses commercial cameras and more complex control systems. With this system, higher quality models have been obtained that enable better monitoring of rockfalls. Finally, the DSLR system has been designed similarly to the HRCam system but has been installed in a real risk area in the Tajo de San Pedro in the Alhambra (Andalusia). This system has been used to constantly monitor the rockfalls affecting this escarpment. In order to obtain 3D comparisons with the highest possible quality, two workflows have been developed. The first, called PCStacking, consists of stacking 3D models in order to calculate the median of the Z coordinates of each point to generate a new averaged point cloud. This thesis shows the application of the algorithm both with ad hoc created synthetic point clouds and with real point clouds. In both cases, the 25th and 75th percentile errors of the 3D comparisons were reduced from 3.2 cm to 1.4 cm in synthetic tests and from 1.5 cm to 0.5 cm in real conditions. The second workflow that has been developed is called MEMI (Multi-Epoch and Multi-Imagery). This workflow is capable of obtaining photogrammetric comparisons with a higher quality than those obtained with the classical workflow. The redundant use of images from the two periods to be compared reduces the error to a factor of 2 compared to the classical approach, yielding a standard deviation of the comparison of 3D models of 1.5 cm. Finally, the last workflow presented in this thesis is an update and an automation of the method for detecting rockfalls from point-clouds carried out by the RISKNAT research group. The update has been carried out with two objectives in mind. The first is to transfer the entire working method to free licence (both language and programming), and the second is to include in the processing the new algorithms and improvements that have recently been developed. The automation of the method has been performed to cope with the large amount of data generated by photogrammetric systems. It consists of automating all the processes, which means that everything from the capture of the image in the field to the obtention of the rockfalls is performed automatically. This automation poses important challenges, which, although not completely solved, are addressed in this thesis. Thanks to the creation of photogrammetric systems, 3D model improvement algorithms and automation of the rockfall identification workflow, this doctoral thesis presents a solid and innovative proposal in the field of low-cost automatic monitoring. The creation of these systems and algorithms constitutes a further step in the unimpeded expansion of monitoring and warning systems, whose ultimate goal is to enable us to live in a safer world and to build more resilient societies to deal with geological hazards.[cat] En els darrers anys, els models fotogramètrics s’han convertit en una eina molt utilitzada en l’àmbit de les geociències gràcies a la seva capacitat per reproduir superfícies naturals. Com a alternativa a altres sistemes com el LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), la fotogrametria permet obtenir núvols de punts 3D a un cost més baix i amb una corba d’aprenentatge menor. Per altra banda, els despreniments de roca són un dels fenòmens geològics que representen un risc per al conjunt de la societat. Aquesta tesi doctoral aborda la creació de sistemes fotogramètrics i algoritmes de processat per al monitoratge automàtic de despreniments de roca. Per una banda, s’ha dissenyat un sistema fotogramètric de molt baix cost fent servir càmeres Raspberry Pi, anomenat RasPi System, instal·lat a la zona d’estudi de Puigcercós (Catalunya). Per altra banda, s’ha dissenyat un sistema fotogramètric d’alta resolució anomenat HRCam també instal·lat a la zona d’estudi de Puigcercós. Finalment, s’ha dissenyat un tercer sistema fotogramètric de manera similar al sistema HRCam anomenat DSLR, instal·lat en una zona de risc real al Tajo de San Pedro de l’Alhambra (Andalusia). Per obtenir comparacions 3D amb la màxima qualitat possible, s’han desenvolupat dos fluxos de treball. El primer, anomenat PCStacking consisteix a realitzar un apilament de models 3D per tal de calcular la mediana de les coordenades Z de cada punt. El segon flux de treball que s’ha desenvolupat s’anomena MEMI (Multi-Epoch and Multi-Imagery). Aquest flux de treball és capaç d’obtenir comparacions fotogramètriques amb una qualitat superior a les que s’obtenen amb el flux de treball clàssic. Finalment, el darrer flux de treball que es presenta en aquesta tesi és una actualització i una automatització del mètode de detecció de despreniments de roca del grup de recerca RISKNAT. L’actualització s’ha dut a terme perseguint dos objectius. El primer, traspassar tot el mètode de treball a llicència lliure (tant llenguatge com programari) i el segon, incloure els nous algoritmes i millores desenvolupats en aquesta tesi en el processat fotogramètric Gràcies a la creació dels sistemes fotogramètrics, algoritmes de millora de models 3D i l’automatització en la identificació de despreniments aquesta tesi doctoral presenta una proposta sòlida i innovadora en el camp del monitoratge automàtic de baix cost. La creació d’aquests sistemes i algoritmes representen un avenç important en l’expansió dels sistemes de monitoratge i alerta que tenen com a objectiu final permetre'ns viure en un món més segur i construir societats més resilients enfront dels riscos geològics

Enhancement of a Formula Student car perception system using a global 3D map

La implementació d'un precís sistema de localització i mapeig al nostre cotxe de Formula Student sense conductor ha revolucionat el sistema de percepció del cotxe d'aquesta temporada. Ara, cal un nou mètode que aprofiti aquest mapa 3D millorat. En aquest mapa s'obtenen les posicions dels cons, que es classifiquen amb la informació extreta de les imatges de la càmera per calcular els límits de la pista. Aquesta tesi proposa un nou sistema per classificar i fer un seguiment dels cons (CCAT) i un altre sistema (Urimits) per estendre els límits de pista parcials dependents del color fent servir cons no classificats. Tots dos sistemes han aconseguit una millora respecte als de la temporada passada pel que fa a abast i precisió. Ara és possible detectar els límits de la pista tot tancant la volta abans que el cotxe físicament completi la tornada.The implementation of an accurate localization and mapping system in our driverless Formula Student car has revolutionized this season's car perception pipeline. Now, a new system that takes advantage of this improved 3D map is needed. Cone positions are obtained in this map, and these are classified with the information extracted from camera images in order to compute the track limits. This thesis proposes a new system to classify and keep track of cones (CCAT) and another system (Urimits) to extend partial color dependant track limits using unclassified cones. Both systems have achieved an enhancement over last season's in range and accuracy. Now the possibility of detecting the whole track limits before the car completes the lap is possible

The role of experience in memory consolidation

The hippocampus is believed to play a key role in long-term consolidation during sleep. Additionally, hippocampal place cells - pyramidal neurons that fire in discrete locations in the space - have been used as a reliable behavioural correlate to study learning and memory of spatial tasks. To date, most studies investigating memory consolidation focus on recordings from neural data obtained during tasks the subjects have been previously overexposed to. While this strategy guarantees a higher stability of the spatial map encoding for that specific experience, the reality of more naturalistic settings is that both humans and other animals can encounter multiple events of diverse duration and relevance on a daily basis. Yet, it remains unclear how the brain prioritizes and successfully stores multiple novel events. To address this question, we exposed a group of rats to pairs of novel linear tracks across different days. Each day, rats were allowed to run in each track for a different fixed number of laps, and the experience was preceded and followed by a sleep session. We found that the hippocampus was able to discriminate the different spatial maps even for short exposures with unstable place fields. We also observed awake and sleep hippocampal replay of all tracks regardless of the stability of their spatial representations. However, when presented with similar experiences of different duration in the novel tracks, the hippocampus prioritised the consolidation of the longer experience if the spatial representation of the shorter one was still unstable. Finally, we found that both awake hippocampal replay and theta sequences influenced the levels of subsequent sleep replay. These results aim to add further understanding of how experience shapes the encoding of different spatial trajectories, and how offline activity contributes to the consolidation of their memory representations

Reflexions sobre metodologia docent a partir de l'elaboració d'un dossier de docència en l'àrea de llengua espanyola

L'elaboració d'un dossier de docència constitueix un acte de reflexió sobre la pròpia metodologia docent. Cada fase per la qual es passa en el procés d'elaboració, des de la selecció de la informació i la classificació de dades fins la verbalització d'una filosofia docent personal i unes metes per al futur, comporta dificultats per al professor que s'hi posa per primer cop. No és estrany que un professor ja hagi pensat detingudament en la seva tasca docent abans de plantejar-se l'elaboració d'un dossier, però l'esforç que suposa tot el procés el porta a plantejar-se noves qüestions i reforça la seva motivació. El present treball recull aquesta experiència. Es presenten els problemes i els avantatges derivats de la confecció d'un dossier de docència en l'àrea de llengua, atenent també al procediment que s'ha seguit per redactar-lo i discutirlo en un grup de treball interuniversitari: la participació en línia de tots els membres del grup i la revisió del dossier electrònic de manera semipresencial amb els tutors i companys.Developing a teaching portfolio constitutes a reflective practice about one's current teaching strategies. Any stage of the elaboration process, from the selection of information and data classification to the verbalización of a personal educational philosophy and a series of goals for the future, poses difficulties to the teacher who is working on the porfolio for the first time. It is not rare that a teacher has already thought at great length about his educational task before considering to prepare a portfolio, but the effort that is put into the task leaves him to consider new questions and reinforces his motivation. The present work gathers this experience. This work focuses on the problems and advantages of preparing a teaching portfolio in the area of language, also taking into account the procedure that has been followed to write it up and to discuss it in an interuniversity workgroup: the participation on line of all the group members and the review of the electronic dossier by the tutors and colleagues in a blended learning environment

Decadal trends in 50-year biogeochemical model simulations of the North Aegean Sea

This study examines 50 years (from 1960 to 2009) of physical- biogeochemical simulations of the North Aegean Sea in order to detect the past variability and decadal changes in the surface fields. We examine the decadal trend and variations at surface of the physical variables of the North Aegean Sea, as well as the bloom/no bloom occurrences. Furthermore we apply novel statistical methods to distinguish between linear trends and breakpoints (change points) in the time series. The identification of concurrent breakpoints in many different variables will provide supporting evidence for the detection of potential regime shifts. We select 3 sub-domains of the North Aegean Sea which have very distinct dynamics from each other. The first is the area of main impact of the Dardanelles discharge where waters originally from the Black Sea enter the Aegean Sea. The second area is a riverine discharge area in the west Aegean (Greek) coast (River Strymonas). The third sub-domain is located offshore in the south in an area with neither rivers nor Dardanelles-discharge direct and immediate interaction. The decadal mean of the simulated chlorophyll of the first and the last decade are respectively the lowest and the highest value found and the difference is significant.JRC.H.3-Global environment monitorin

Interplay of Hydration and Protonation Dynamics in the K-Channel of Cytochrome c Oxidase

Cytochrome c oxidase is a membrane protein of the respiratory chain that consumes protons and molecular oxygen to produce water and uses the resulting energy to pump protons across the membrane. Our molecular dynamics simulations with an excess proton located at different positions in one of the proton-conducting channels, the K-channel, show a clear dependence of the number of water molecules inside the channel on the proton position. A higher hydration level facilitates the formation of hydrogen-bonded chains along which proton transfer can occur. However, a sufficiently high hydration level for such proton transport is observed only when the excess proton is located above S365, i.e., the lower third of the channel. From the channel entrance up to this point, proton transport is via water molecules as proton carriers. These hydronium ions move with their surrounding water molecules, up to K362, filling and widening the channel. The conformation of K362 depends on its own protonation state and on the hydration level, suggesting its role to be proton transport from a hydronium ion at the height of K362 to the upper part of the channel via a conformational change. The protonation-dependent conformational dynamics of E101 at the bottom of the channel renders proton transfer via E101 unlikely. Instead, its role is rather that of an amplifier of H96’s proton affinity, suggesting H96 as the initial proton acceptor

Detection of Epileptic Seizures on EEG Signals Using ANFIS Classifier, Autoencoders and Fuzzy Entropies

Epileptic seizures are one of the most crucial neurological disorders, and their early diagnosis will help the clinicians to provide accurate treatment for the patients. The electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are widely used for epileptic seizures detection, which provides specialists with substantial information about the functioning of the brain. In this paper, a novel diagnostic procedure using fuzzy theory and deep learning techniques is introduced. The proposed method is evaluated on the Bonn University dataset with six classification combinations and also on the Freiburg dataset. The tunable- Q wavelet transform (TQWT) is employed to decompose the EEG signals into different sub-bands. In the feature extraction step, 13 different fuzzy entropies are calculated from different sub-bands of TQWT, and their computational complexities are calculated to help researchers choose the best set for various tasks. In the following, an autoencoder (AE) with six layers is employed for dimensionality reduction. Finally, the standard adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), and also its variants with grasshopper optimization algorithm (ANFIS-GOA), particle swarm optimization (ANFIS-PSO), and breeding swarm optimization (ANFIS-BS) methods are used for classification. Using our proposed method, ANFIS-BS method has obtained an accuracy of 99.7