On-board real-time pose estimation for UAVs using deformable visual contour registration

Presentado al ICRA 2014 celebrado en Hong Kong del 31 de mayo al 7 de junio.We present a real time algorithm for estimating the pose of non-planar objects on which we have placed a visual marker. It is designed to overcome the limitations of small aerial robots, such as slow CPUs, low image resolution and geometric distortions produced by wide angle lenses or viewpoint changes. The method initially registers the shape of a known marker to the contours extracted in an image. For this purpose, and in contrast to state-of-the art, we do not seek to match textured patches or points of interest. Instead, we optimize a geometric alignment cost computed directly from raw polygonal representations of the observed regions using very simple and efficient clipping algorithms. Further speed is achieved by performing the optimization in the polygon representation space, avoiding the need of 2D image processing operations. Deformation modes are easily included in the optimization scheme, allowing an accurate registration of different markers attached to curved surfaces using a single deformable prototype. Once this initial registration is solved, the object pose is retrieved using a standard PnP approach. As a result, the method achieves accurate object pose estimation in real-time, which is very important for interactive UAV tasks, for example for short distance surveillance or bar assembly. We present experiments where our method yields, at about 30Hz, an average error of less than 5mm in estimating the position of a 19×19mm marker placed at 0.7m of the camera.This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under project TaskCoop DPI2010-17112, by the ERANet Chistera project ViSen PCIN-2013-047 and by the EU project ARCAS FP7-ICT-2011-28761. A. Ruiz is supported by FEDER funds under grant TIN2012-38341-C04-03.Peer Reviewe

Ley de Thirlwall y el modelo de dos brechas: una aplicación empírica

El artículo de García y Ruiz (2009) unifica la Ley de Thirlwall y el modelo de dos brechas. En este trabajo se busca realizar una primera aproximación empírica al modelo con datos de la economía colombiana. En efecto, de acuerdo con los resultados, se observa que la principal restricción durante el periodo 1975 – 2013 fue la brecha externa y no la brecha de ahorro. Finalmente, se realiza una simulación de la brecha externa (o Ley de Thirlwall) y se señala que el crecimiento restringido por balanza de pagos estuvo muy cerca de lo efectivamente observado (4,2% en contraste con el 3,82% observado).Abstract. Garcia and Ruiz (2009) unifies the Law Thirlwall and two-gap model. This paper seeks to make a first empirical approach to model data of the Colombian economy. Indeed, according to the results, it is observed that the main constraint during the period 1975 - 2013 was the external gap and not the savings gap. Finally, a simulation of the external gap (or Law Thirlwall) is performed and noted that growth constrained by balance of payments was very close to what actually observed (4.2% in contrast to 3.82% observed).Maestrí

Technological solutions and laser processes for the development of superconductor-based applications.

El trabajo realizado en esta tesis doctoral aborda diferentes retos asociados con la implantación de tecnología superconductora en diversas aplicaciones. En la primera parte, se analiza la estabilidad térmica de cables y bobinas superconductoras. En particular, se ha estudiado la generación y propagación de quench en cables de diboruro de magnesio (MgB2) con geometría Rutherford. Se han empleado dos configuraciones para estudiar la dinámica de quench en estos conductores: la generación de calor localizada, simulando un punto caliente gracias a un calentador externo; y la aplicación de sobrecorrientes (corrientes por encima de la corriente crítica del cable). Además, se ha analizado la estabilidad térmica de una bobina tipo doble pancake fabricada con cinta de material superconductor de alta temperatura de segunda generación (2G-HTS), la cual se bobinó de forma continua y sin aislamiento entre espiras. La bobina se ancló térmicamente al dedo frío de un crio-generador para ser enfriada por conducción. Se ha analizado el comportamiento térmico y electromagnético de esta bobina incluyendo los procesos de carga y de descarga, la medida de la corriente crítica de la bobina, las pérdidas generadas, y sus diferentes contribuciones, durante las rampas de carga y descarga, así como la conductancia térmica que se establece en las diferentes uniones térmicas que se han utilizado para refrigerar la bobina.Para poder realizar estos estudios fue necesario inyectar de forma estable corrientes por encima de los 400 A. Esto supuso un reto por el calor generado en el equipo y en las barras de corriente, con un extremo a temperatura ambiente y otro a temperaturas criogénicas, por lo que son necesarios disipadores térmicos, que deben tener buena conductancia térmica y aislamiento eléctrico. En esta tesis se ha propuesto para esta aplicación emplear piezas de cobre recubiertas por una capa de alúmina proyectada por plasma, que es posteriormente densificada y re-fundida mediante el procesado láser de superficies, consiguiendo así una mejora notable de su conductividad térmica.Otro de los objetivos que se han abordado en este trabajo fue estudiar si las propiedades superconductoras pueden verse modificadas por la interacción con radiación láser. La versatilidad de las tecnologías láser permite facilitar la formación de nanoestructuras en la superficie del material con una disposición casi periódica, lo que abre un nuevo camino a la ingeniería de superficies. En esta tesis se ha estudiado como los tratamientos láser pueden modificar las propiedades superconductoras del material. Para estos estudios se han utilizado muestras de niobio por ser el elemento puro superconductor con una temperatura crítica y campos magnéticos críticos más altos. Dichas estructuras han sido generadas con distintos láseres: un láser ultravioleta con pulsos en el rango de cientos de picosegundos, y dos láseres que emiten pulsos en el infrarrojo cercano en el rango de los femtosegundos. Además, se han estudiado tratamientos en diferentes atmósferas. Esta modificación superficial es de gran interés para una aplicación directa del material, como es la construcción de cavidades resonantes de radio frecuencia.<br /

Automatic discovery of 100-miRNA signature for cancer classification using ensemble feature selection

Lopez-Rincon A, Martinez-Archundia M, Martinez-Ruiz GU, Schönhuth A, Tonda A. Automatic discovery of 100-miRNA signature for cancer classification using ensemble feature selection. BMC Bioinformatics. 2019;20(1): 480

Proteomic analysis of plasma proteins of high-flux haemodialysis and on-line haemodiafiltration patients reveals differences in transthyretin levels related with anaemia.

A large proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients under long-term haemodialysis, have persistent anaemia and require high doses of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). However, the underlying mechanisms of renal anaemia have not been fully elucidated in these patients. In this study, we will be focusing on anaemia and plasma proteins in ESRD patients on high-flux haemodialysis (HF) and on-line haemodiafiltration (HDF), to investigate using two proteomic approaches if patients undergoing these treatments develop differences in their plasma protein composition and how this could be related to their anaemia. The demographic and biochemical data revealed that HDF patients had lower anaemia and much lower rhEPO requirements than HF patients. Regarding their plasma proteomes, HDF patients had increased levels of a protein highly similar to serotransferrin, trypsin-1 and immunoglobulin heavy constant chain alpha-1, and lower levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin, transthyretin, apolipoproteins E and C-III, and haptoglobin-related protein. Lower transthyretin levels in HDF patients were further confirmed by transthyretin-peptide quantification and western blot detection. Since ESRD patients have increased transthyretin, a protein that can aggregate and inhibit transferrin endocytosis and erythropoiesis, our finding that HDF patients have lower transthyretin and lower anaemia suggests that the decrease in transthyretin plasma levels would allow an increase in transferrin endocytosis, contributing to erythropoiesis. Thus, transthyretin could be a critical actor for anaemia in ESRD patients and a novel player for haemodialysis adequacy.This work was supported by Grants (to A.A.) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund (FEDER) (PI14/00705 and PI18/00255). E.M-A. is a recipient of a research.S

Technology management to increase the efficiency of the supply chain

This article is an effort to determine the status and contribution of technology management as an integral part of the supply chain, In the present article it starts from the premise that, the technology management system is an integral part of the supply chain; To corroborate the hypothesis, a field study was carried out in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia, aimed at medium-sized service, commercial and industrial companies, in order to diagnose the management of technological processes related to identify how technological management processes related to the supply chain are carried out and Logistic processes in these organizations. One of the conclusions reached in the study is that although the majority of participating companies currently use the technology management, this is not effective, since some activities in the supply chain are outside of its scope which prevents a true control and traceability of the products and services offered by companies

Potential of exhaust heat recovery for intake charge heating in a Diesel engine transient operation at cold conditions

In this paper, an experimental facility is implemented with the aim of improving the performance of internal combustion engines working at low ambient temperatures. Pollutant emissions and fuel consumption are one of the major issues that automotive engineers have to face. Cold engine start and warming up analysis have become important topics for researches. In this work, an exhaust heat recovery system for a diesel engine has been proposed as a solution to cold operation negative effects. The energy obtained from the exhaust gases was used to increase the intake air temperature. The experiments were carried out in transient load conditions at three different levels of ambient temperature (up to -7ºC). Exhaust heat recovery was combined with different strategies of exhaust gas recirculation. Intake air heating results with the heat recovery system show a reduction of 65% in unburned hydrocarbons, 40% in carbon monoxide and 10% in fuel use compared to standard air-air intercooler.This research has been partially financed by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain, through project IPT-370000-2010-022 'Investigacion y desarrollo de tecnologias de EGR adaptadas a las nuevas arquitecturas y requerimientos de refrigeracion en motores diesel sobrealimentados para automocion (HIREFIRE)'. The authors gratefully appreciate this support. Authors want to acknowledge the "Apoyo para la investigacion y Desarrollo (PAID)" grant for doctoral studies (FPI S2 2015 1062).Lujan Martinez, JM.; Climent Puchades, H.; Dolz Ruiz, V.; Moratal Martínez, AA.; Borges Alejo, J.; Soukeur, Z. (2016). Potential of exhaust heat recovery for intake charge heating in a Diesel engine transient operation at cold conditions. Applied Thermal Engineering. 105:501-508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.03.028S50150810

Optimizing Field Body Fat Percentage Assessment in Professional Soccer Players

Body composition is a determinant of performance in soccer. To estimate the body fat percentage (%BF), dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is effective though this method is expensive and not readily accessible. This study examines the validity of widely used field methods based on anthropometric data and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Participants were 21 male Spanish First Division soccer players aged between 22 and 35 years. In each participant, body fat mass was determined by BIA and using 18 anthropometric equations including skinfold (SKF) measurements. DXA was used as reference. Correlation with DXA measurements was excellent for all equations and separate SKF measurements yet only moderate for BIA. However, only the equation recently developed for use in soccer players based on iliac crest and triceps SKFs showed no significant or standardized differences with DXA-derived %BF and these measurements also had the lowest bias. Our findings suggest that when DXA is not available, the best field method for %BF assessment in footballers is the equation based on iliac crest and triceps SKF. As another good option, we propose the sum of triceps, subscapular, supraspinal, and abdominal SKFs, as this combination also showed good correlation with DXA

ICF-Based Disability Survey in a Rural Population of Adults and Older Adults Living in Cinco Villas, Northeastern Spain: Design, Methods and Population Characteristics

Background: This article describes the methods of a door-to-door screening survey exploring the distribution of disability and its major determinants in northeastern Spain. This study will set the basis for the development of disability-related services for the rural elderly in northeastern Spain. Methods: The probabilistic sample was composed of 1,354 de facto residents from a population of 12,784 Social Security card holders (age: 6 50 years). Cognitive and disability screenings were conducted (period: June 2008-June 2009). Screening instruments were the MMSE and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule. Participants screened positive for disability underwent an assessment protocol focusing on primary care diagnoses, disability, lifestyle, and social and health service usage. Participants screened positive for cognitive functioning went through in-depth neurological evaluation. Results: The study sample is described. Usable data were available for 1,216 participants. A total of 625 individuals (51.4%) scored within the positive range in the disability screening, while 135 (11.1%) scored within the positive range of the cognitive screening. The proportion of positively screened individuals was higher for women and increased with age. Conclusions: Screening surveys represent a feasible design for examining the distribution of disability and its determinants among the elderly. Data quality may benefit from methodological developments tailored to rural populations with a low education level. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base