OCULUS: Management System for Information Display

La Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla dispone actualmente de 12 pantallas informativas repartidas entre los distintos centros que la conforman. Su función principal es difundir noticias de interés y contenidos autoformativos a la comunidad universitaria. En el presente proyecto se propone una solución eficiente para la automatización de contenidos multimedia en un entorno colaborativo. El objetivo es establecer un canal eficiente de comunicación con los usuarios de la Biblioteca Universitaria y cubrir así las necesidades de información que posee la comunidad Universitaria. A través de este medio se emitirán contenidos explicativos sobre recursos y servicios de la Biblioteca Universitaria de forma general y de las distintas bibliotecas de área de forma particular. La idea es crear una herramienta de gestión de contenidos dinámicos cuyo tratamiento, codificación y publicación sea completamente automático. Para ello se ha elaborado una aplicación ad hoc que responde a la necesidad de mejoras informativas de nuestra comunidad Universitaria y provee de un canal de comunicación coordinado, homogéneo con una calidad común.The Library of the University of Seville currently has 12 information screens distributed among its centres. Their main purpose is to broadcast news and self-training content to the university community. This project proposes an efficient solution for automating multimedia content in a collaborative environment. The aim is to establish an efficient communication channel with university library users and cater for the information requirements of the university community. This system will broadcast informative content on university library resources and services in general and more specific information on the different departmental libraries. A dynamic content management tool in which processing, encoding and publishing are carried out completely automatically. To do this an ad hoc application has been developed that responds to the need to improve the availability of information within our university community and provides a homogeneous, coordinated communication channel with a standardised quality

Implementation of Modeling Tools for Teaching Biorefinery (Focused on Bioethanol Production) in Biochemical Engineering Courses: Dynamic Modeling of Batch, Semi-Batch, and Continuous Well-Stirred Bioreactors

Due to the ever-growing pressure on our planet’s natural resources to supply energy, the production of bioethanol by fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass is increasingly important in courses related to engineering and energy. Moreover, recent changes in the teaching–learning paradigm make necessary the introduction of novel teaching tools where students are the protagonist of their education. In this context, the purpose of this study is to compare the results obtained after traditional lessons with those obtained after the implementation of various computer activities based on modeling and simulation of bioreactors to teach biorefinery concepts focused on bioethanol production. Berkeley Madonna was chosen as the digital simulation software package because it is user-friendly, fast, and easy to program. This software allowed students to gain experience writing models that let optimize fermentations in well-stirred bioreactors and others bioprocess of industrial interest. The students (those who participated in the modeling-simulation classes and those who participated in traditional ones) completed a questionnaire and a cognitive test at the end of the course. Students that participated in modeling-simulation classes got a better score than students that participated in traditional classes. Therefore, the study showed the improvement in the understanding of the biorefinery concepts and the students improved their grades. Finally, students’ perception about the proposed modeling-simulation learning was also analyzed and they rated the efficiency of this new learning methodology as satisfactory. There are very few studies providing information about educational experiences regarding the development of skills for the formulation, interpretation, simplification, and use of mathematical models based on mass balances and simple microbial kinetics in biochemical engineering courses. The experience described in this work can be used by professors to plan and conduct courses based on the modeling of biochemical engineering problems

The Majorization Arrow in Quantum Algorithm Design

We apply majorization theory to study the quantum algorithms known so far and find that there is a majorization principle underlying the way they operate. Grover's algorithm is a neat instance of this principle where majorization works step by step until the optimal target state is found. Extensions of this situation are also found in algorithms based in quantum adiabatic evolution and the family of quantum phase-estimation algorithms, including Shor's algorithm. We state that in quantum algorithms the time arrow is a majorization arrow.Comment: REVTEX4.b4 file, 4 color figures (typos corrected.

El empoderamiento del usuario como agente co-gestor ambiental del edificio a través de la gamificación

Human behavior on games has been widely analyzed from the psychological and ethnological fields, for its sociocultural implications. Today, immersed in the society of knowledge and digital culture, we are always connected, so that access to social networks, mobile apps, videos, and examples of gamification is so utterly familiar that sometimes we are not aware of it. The application of this term is being carried out for some decades to develop and elaborate marketing strategies, decision-making, even in areas such as health, promoting healthier behaviors into habits. Gamification consists of applying elements and techniques of game-design in contexts that are not really games. Why apply it in building environmental management? There is a clear problem when implementing strategies of energy savings and efficiency, derived from two distinct issues: users do not know the power of action they have on building environmental management when living / working; and since they ignore it, they are not involved, or not enough. Environmental management in a building often depends on a shortlist of people who are often reduced to Management and Maintenance teams. But, What about users? Can they find comfort in buildings of a certain size? Do they know how to help save energy or use it more efficiently than turning off lights and electronic devices once finished the daily task? The potential of users as actors and part of the whole social team, their empowerment once are aware of that, and beyond, quantifying their action and getting feedback to see how well they are doing, is proposed by gamification methodology. This methodology requires a prior analysis of the user type, objective, implementing game elements (mechanical, dynamic and play components), scope, and uncertainties. After initial training on the operation of the building environmental management, users are involved as co-managers, through some media support that reflects their daily activities and their inclusion in the overall calculation of building management. Involving users as well, would be a great achievement especially in tertiary and unique buildings.El comportamiento humano frente al juego ha sido ampliamente analizado desde los ámbitos psicológico y etnológico, así como su implicación sociocultural. Hoy en día, inmersos en la sociedad del conocimiento y la cultura digital, estamos permanentemente conectados, por lo que acceder a redes sociales, aplicaciones móviles, videos, y ejemplos de gamificación nos es tan absolutamente familiar que a veces no somos conscientes de ello. La aplicación de este término se está llevando a cabo desde hace ya unas décadas para desarrollar elaboradas estrategias de marketing, toma de decisiones, incluso en ámbitos como la salud, propiciando comportamientos hacia hábitos más saludables. La gamificación consiste en aplicar elementos y técnicas de diseño de juegos en contextos que no son propiamente juegos. ¿Porqué aplicarlo en la gestión ambiental de un edificio? Existe un problema claro a la hora de aplicar estrategias de ahorro y eficiencia energéticas, derivadas de dos cuestiones bien diferenciadas: el usuario no conoce el poder de acción que tiene, si es que sabe que lo tiene, sobre la gestión ambiental del edificio en el que vive/trabaja; y al desconocerlo, no se implica, o al menos no lo suficiente. La gestión ambiental de un edificio a menudo depende de una serie restringida de personas, que suelen reducirse al equipo de Dirección, y de Mantenimiento. Pero, ¿y el usuario? ¿puede encontrarse en confort en edificios de ciertas dimensiones? ¿sabe cómo puede contribuir a ahorrar energía o usarla más eficientemente más allá de apagar las luces y los dispositivos electrónicos una vez acabada la tarea diaria?. El potencial del usuario como actor y parte del todo social, así como su empoderamiento una vez es conocedor de aquél, y más allá, el poder cuantificar su acción y poder retroalimentarse para saber cuán bien lo está haciendo, es lo que se plantea a través de la metodología de la gamificación. Esta metodología requiere de un análisis previo del tipo de usuario, objetivo, elementos de juego a aplicar (mecánicas, dinámicas y componentes de juego), alcance, e incertidumbres. Tras una formación inicial sobre el funcionamiento de la gestión ambiental del edificio, se implica al usuario como agente co-gestor, involucrándolo mediante soportes que reflejen su actividad diaria y su repercusión en el cómputo global de la gestión del edificio. Implicar al usuario así, supondría un gran logro especialmente en edificios terciarios y singulare

Fracture test of a Gothic ribbed vault

A Gothic ribbed vault has been built at the School of Architecture of Madrid in order to investigate the construction complexities of this kind of vaults. The ribbed vault is described in the manuscript of Alonso de Vandelvira, and its shape was reconstructed making using the drawings this architect from the 16th century. The fracture test was carried on by loading the central keystone of the vault until its collapse took place. The experiment was filmed and by doing so, it was possible to observe the failure mechanism of the vault. At the same time, it was interesting to compare this collapse experience with the results obtained using two different me-thods. First, a stability calculation was carried out through graphic statics, and secondly a calcu-lation was performed using the rigid-block analysis method. The focus of this paper is to show and analyze the results of both studies