A Tractable Product Channel Model for Line-of-Sight Scenarios

We present a general and tractable fading model for line-of-sight (LOS) scenarios, which is based on the product of two independent and non-identically distributed $\kappa$-$\mu$ shadowed random variables. Simple closed-form expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function and moment-generating function are derived, which are as tractable as the corresponding expressions derived from a product of Nakagami-$m$ random variables. This model simplifies the challenging characterization of LOS product channels, as well as combinations of LOS channels with non-LOS ones. We leverage these results to analyze performance measures of interest in the contexts of wireless powered and backscatter communications, where both forward and reverse links are inherently of LOS nature, as well as in device-to-device communications subject to composite fading. In these contexts, the model shows a higher flexibility when fitting field measurements with respect to conventional approaches based on product distributions with deterministic LOS, together with a more complete physical interpretation of the underlying propagation characteristics.Comment: This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

Using accessible digital resources for teaching database design: towards an inclusive distance learning proposal

[Proceedings of] 13th Annual Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE'08), Madrid, Spain, June 30-July 2, 2008This paper introduces a pilot experience in teaching database using accessible digital resources in 3er course of Computer Science degree at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. A platform containing learning material in different formats (video, audio, slides presentation) has been designed allowing students accessing resources as well as to be evaluated by means of tests. Preliminary results show that 46.81% of the students have already interacted with the system and 97.12% of the students passed the tests.Publicad

Internal to external platform sedimentation with development of mud-mounds during Viséan from the central area of the Sierra de la Estrella (Carboniferous, Córdoba, Spain)

[ES] En la Sierra de la Estrella (Área del Guadiato, Córdoba) se localiza una sucesión del Viseense superior, principalmente carbonatada, con desarrollo de montículos tipo mud-mound. En esta zona predominan calizas bioclásticas, brechoideas y bioconstruidas, aunque también se localizan niveles de areniscas y conglomerados. Se han identificado un total de 7 litofacies que agrupan a su vez a 9 microfacies tipo: 1.–Mudstonewackestone con cavidades estromatactoideas y fábricas fenestrales, 2.–Wackestonepackstone con algas y bioclastos, 3.1.–Packstone de pseudopeloides, 3.2.–Packstone con algas, pseudopeloides y litoclastos, 4.1.–Packstone de briozoos y crinoideos, 4.2.–Packstone con algas y espículas, 5.–Packstone-rudstone de litoclastos, 6.–Grainstone de cortoides y litoclastos, 7.–Arenitas híbridas. El ambiente de sedimentación se interpreta como una zona de transición entre rampa interna y externa carbonática con influencia de terrígenos y desarrollo de montículos microbianos.[EN] Late Viséan calcareous rocks containing buildups occur in the Sierra de la Estrella, Guadiato Valley. Bioclastic, breccioid and biohermal limestones as well as sandstones and conglomerates occur. Lithofacies analysis allow to identify 7 types, with 9 characteristic microfacies: 1.–Micropeloidal mudstone-wackestone with stromatactoid cavities and fenestral fabrics, 2.–Algal-bioclastic wackestone-packstone, 3.1.–Pseudopeloidal packstone, 3.2.–Packstone with algae, pseudopeloids and lithoclast, 4.1.–Bryozoal-crinoidal packstone, 4.2.–Packstone with algae and sponge spiculae, 5.–Packstone-rudstone with lithoclasts, 6.–Cortoid-lithoclasts grainstone, 7.–Hybrid sandstones. Sediments are attributed to a inner to outer carbonate ramp with sporadic terrigenous influence. Some microbial mounds developed in such environment.Este trabajo se enmarca en el proyecto PB 96-0842 de la DGICYT.Peer reviewe

Inferencia en modelo de regresión lineal múltiple con errores de distribución secante hiperbólica generalizada

We study multiple linear regression model under non-normally distributed random error by considering the family of generalized secant hyperbolic distributions. We derive the estimators of model parameters by usingmodified maximum likelihood methodology and explore the properties of the modified maximum likelihood estimators so obtained. We show that the proposed estimators are more efficient and robust than the commonly used least square estimators. We also develop the relevant test of hypothesis procedures and compared the performance of such tests vis-a-vis the classical tests that are based upon the least square approach. Estudiamos el modelo de regresión lineal múltiple bajo errores aleatorios no distribuidos normalmente considerando la familia de distribuciones hiperbólicas secantes generalizadas. Derivamos los estimadores de los parámetros del modelo utilizando la metodología modificada de máxima verosimilitud y exploramos las propiedades de los estimadores modificados de máxima verosimilitud así obtenidos. Mostramos que los estimadores propuestos son más eficientes y robustos que los estimadores de mínimos cuadrados comúnmente utilizados. También desarrollamos la prueba relevante de los procedimientos de hipótesis y comparamos el rendimiento de tales pruebas con las pruebas clásicas que se basan en el enfoque de mínimos cuadrados.&nbsp

Terahertz radiative coupling and damping in multilayer graphene

The nonlinear interaction between intense terahertz (THz) pulses and epitaxial multilayer graphene is studied by field-resolved THz pump-probe spectroscopy. THz excitation results in a transient induced absorption with decay times of a few picoseconds, much faster than carrier recombination in single graphene layers. The decay times increase with decreasing temperature and increasing amplitude of the excitation. This behaviour originates from the predominant coupling of electrons to the electromagnetic field via the very strong interband dipole moment while scattering processes with phonons and impurities play a minor role. The nonlinear response at field amplitudes above 1 kV cm-1 is in the carrier-wave Rabi flopping regime with a pronounced coupling of the graphene layers via the radiation field. Theoretical calculations account for the experimental results

Spectral and localization properties of random bipartite graphs

Bipartite graphs are often found to represent the connectivity between the components of many systems such as ecosystems. A bipartite graph is a set of $n$ nodes that is decomposed into two disjoint subsets, having $m$ and $n-m$ vertices each, such that there are no adjacent vertices within the same set. The connectivity between both sets, which is the relevant quantity in terms of connections, can be quantified by a parameter $\alpha\in[0,1]$ that equals the ratio of existent adjacent pairs over the total number of possible adjacent pairs. Here, we study the spectral and localization properties of such random bipartite graphs. Specifically, within a Random Matrix Theory (RMT) approach, we identify a scaling parameter $\xi\equiv\xi(n,m,\alpha)$ that fixes the localization properties of the eigenvectors of the adjacency matrices of random bipartite graphs. We also show that, when $\xi10$) the eigenvectors are localized (extended), whereas the localization--to--delocalization transition occurs in the interval $1/10<\xi<10$. Finally, given the potential applications of our findings, we round off the study by demonstrating that for fixed $\xi$, the spectral properties of our graph model are also universal.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figure

Turbulent Erosion of Magnetic Flux Tubes

Results from a numerical and analytical investigation of the solution of a nonlinear axially symmetric diffusion equation for the magnetic field are presented for the case when the nonlinear dependence of the diffusivity nu(B) on the magnetic field satisfies basic physical requirements. We find that for sufficiently strong nonlinearity (i.e. for sufficiently strong reduction of nu inside the tube) a current sheet is spontaneously formed around the tube within one diffusion timescale. This sheet propagates inwards with a velocity inversely proportional to the ratio of the field strength just inside the current sheet to the equipartition field strength B0/Be, so the lifetime of a tube with constant internal flux density is increased approximately by a factor not exceeding B0/Be, even for infinitely effective inhibition of turbulence inside the tube. Among the applications of these results we point out that toroidal flux tubes in the solar convective zone are subject to significant flux loss owing to turbulent erosion on a timescale of about 1 month, and that turbulent erosion may be responsible for the formation of a current sheet around a sunspot. It is further proposed that, despite the simplifying assumptions involved, our solutions correctly reflect the essential features of the sunspot decay process.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figure

GANimation: one-shot anatomically consistent facial animation

The final publication is available at link.springer.comRecent advances in generative adversarial networks (GANs) have shown impressive results for the task of facial expression synthesis. The most successful architecture is StarGAN (Choi et al. in CVPR, 2018), that conditions GANs’ generation process with images of a specific domain, namely a set of images of people sharing the same expression. While effective, this approach can only generate a discrete number of expressions, determined by the content and granularity of the dataset. To address this limitation, in this paper, we introduce a novel GAN conditioning scheme based on action units (AU) annotations, which describes in a continuous manifold the anatomical facial movements defining a human expression. Our approach allows controlling the magnitude of activation of each AU and combining several of them. Additionally, we propose a weakly supervised strategy to train the model, that only requires images annotated with their activated AUs, and exploit a novel self-learned attention mechanism that makes our network robust to changing backgrounds, lighting conditions and occlusions. Extensive evaluation shows that our approach goes beyond competing conditional generators both in the capability to synthesize a much wider range of expressions ruled by anatomically feasible muscle movements, as in the capacity of dealing with images in the wild. The code of this work is publicly available at https://github.com/albertpumarola/GANimation.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian-Albian) ammonite biostratigraphy in the Maestrat Basin (E Spain)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD