Performance evaluation and limitations of a vision system on a reconfigurable/programmable chip

This paper presents a survey of the characteristics of a vision system implemented in a reconfigurable/programmable chip (FPGA). System limitations and performance have been evaluated in order to derive specifications and constraints for further vision system synthesis. The system hereby reported has a conventional architecture. It consists in a central microprocessor (CPU) and the necessary peripheral elements for data acquisition, data storage and communications. It has been designed to stand alone, but a link to the programming and debugging tools running in a digital host (PC) is provided. In order to alleviate the computational load of the central microprocessor, we have designed a visual co-processor in charge of the low-level image processing tasks. It operates autonomously, commanded by the CPU, as another system peripheral. The complete system, without the sensor, has been implemented in a single reconfigurable chip as a SOPC. The incorporation of a dedicated visual co-processor, with specific circuitry for low-level image processing acceleration, enhances the system throughput outperforming conventional processing schemes. However, timemultiplexing of the dedicated hardware remains a limiting factor for the achievable peak computing power. We have quantified this effect and sketched possible solutions, like replication of the specific image processing hardware

Relationship between slack resources and performance: temporal symmetry and duration of effects

iterature, the temporal symmetry of this relationship, and the duration of its effects, are still unknown aspects and are the objective of this paper. Design/methodology/approach – To evaluate this effect, an exploratory study has been designed on a sample of 449 Spanish industrial companies over a period of 12 years, assessing the impact of idle resources on economic and financial profitability. By means of hierarchical regressions, the short- term, medium- term and long-term effects of slack resources have been evaluated. Findings – The results show that the impact on performance depends on the type of resource considered. Available slack has a consistent and positive effect on economic profitability in the short term. Other types of slack show persistent effects on performance, but, in the case of the recoverable slack, with a negative sign that contradicts the benefits provided by these resources. Finally, potential slack only has a permanent effect on financial profitability, but the sign changes depending on the economic context under consideration. There are also differences in the duration of the effects according to the type of resources. Originality/value – This paper advances the knowledge about the slack-performance relationship over time that has been scarcely studied

Evaluating limiting factors for people with disabilities using mobility assistive technologies to enjoy National Parks: Comparative findings between Canada and Spain

Research has demonstrated the benefits of nature contact within wellbeing. Outdoor barriers versus amenities can impact on people with mobility/motor disabilities (PwMD) to enjoy nature such as National Parks (NPs). An online questionnaire was designed to obtain information in Canada and Spain on how these barriers influence PwMD to carry out outdoor activities in NPs. It was structured on three main themes: basic data, park’s public use and park knowledge. Statistical analysis has shown the predisposition of PwMDs to enjoy nature and highlights the barriers that prevent them from accessing outdoor activities. More research is needed in this area

Associations for education and socialization of the heritage in rural area

El Grupo S.O.S. Patrimonio es un Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo de la Universidad de Sevilla (HUM 673) dedica sus esfuerzos a la investigación en materia de Conservación y Restauración de los Bienes Culturales. Una de sus líneas de trabajo es el mejor conocimiento de los agentes que hacen posible la transmisión del legado patrimonial a las generaciones futuras. En este sentido se han realizado numerosos proyectos y publicaciones sobre los profesionales, fundamentalmente conservadores y restauradores. Con este póster, el Grupo S.O.S. Patrimonio avanza y plantea una nueva realidad, la acción participativa y activa de colectivos de ciudadanos que ligados a las asociaciones, transmiten a la sociedad sus preocupaciones y velan por el patrimonio natural y cultural, convirtiéndose en agentes culturales. Con este objetivo, el Grupo S.O.S. Patrimonio pone en marcha en colaboración con un grupo de asociaciones un Primer Encuentro de Asociaciones para la protección del patrimonio local que tiene lugar en Rota, el día 25 de mayo de 2013. El encuentro contó con la presencia de catorce asociaciones, el apoyo de instituciones (universidad, ayuntamiento), la participación de ciudadanos, estudiantes, e investigadores. El objetivo por tanto del póster es presentar imágenes que aportarán los miembros del Grupo de Investigación y que fueron mostradas en este primer encuentro, girando en torno a la labor que realizan. Las Asociaciones para la protección del patrimonio son instituciones sin ánimo de lucro que definen en sus estatutos como objetivos fundamentales la defensa del patrimonio natural y cultural de los pueblos. Con este fin, diseñan estrategias y actividades y todo tipo de programas (lúdicos, educativos, de restauración, etc.) que hagan posible, su transmisión a las generaciones futuras. Son organismos compuestos por ciudadanos y por tanto personas que configuran una red social o un proyecto de socialización. Su ámbito de acción se desarrolla tanto en el patrimonio rural como urbano, en el ámbito de lo tangible o lo intangible y sus preocupaciones se proyectan tanto en el patrimonio arqueológico, el patrimonio monumental, pero también en el patrimonio popular, entendiendo por popular, lo rural y cercano al ciudadano, ya que las asociaciones defienden y reconocen el patrimonio que relacionan con su propia identidad.The Group S.O.S. Heritage is a group of research and development of the University of Seville (Hum 673) that dedicates its efforts to the investigation as for Conservation and Restoration of cultural heritage. One of his lines of work is know better the agents who make possible the transmission of the patrimonial legacy to the future generations. In this respect we have realized numerous projects and publications on the professionals, fundamentally conservators and restaurators. With this poster, the group advances and raises a new reality, the participative and active action of the groups of citizens who, tied to the associations, transmit to the community his worries and guard over the natural and cultural heritage, turning into his cultural agents. With this motive, in collaboration with a group of associations, the group realizes the first Meeting of Associations for the protection of the local heritage, which takes place in Rota on May 25, 2013. In the meeting fourteen associations took part, and it had the institutional support (university, town hall) and the participation of citizens, students and investigators. The aim, therefore, of the poster is to present images that there will contribute the members of the group of investigation and that were showed in the first meeting, turning concerning the labor that they realize. The associations for the protection of the heritage are non-profit-making institutions that defend in his bylaws as fundamental aims the defense of the natural and cultural heritage of the peoples. With this end, they design strategies, activities and all kinds of programs (playful, educatives, of restoration, etc.) that make possible the transmission to the future generations. They are organisms composed by citizens and therefore persons who form a social network or a project of socialization. His area of action develops so much in the rural as urban heritage, in the area of the material thing as the immaterial thing. His worries are projected in the archaeological heritage or the monumental heritage, but also in the popular heritage, dealing for popularly, the rural and nearby thing to the citizen, since the associations defend and recognize the heritage that they relate to his own identity

Las posibilidades de EAD (Encoded Archival Description) 2002 para la descripción archivística multinivel: Un caso concreto de aplicación

Se presenta EAD (Encoded Archival Description) versión 2002 como estándar de facto para el tratamiento y difusión de instrumentos tradicionales de descripción archivística. Se analiza, comenta y critica el sistema previsto en EAD para tratar instrumentos de descripción a dos o más niveles. Así, se expone el mecanismo general habilitado y se relaciona con la definición y las cuatro reglas de descripción multinivel enunciadas en la Norma internacional general de descripción archivística ISAD(G); se analizan los niveles que contempla de forma estándar, también comparados con los previstos en ISAD(G), y las diversas posibilidades y alternativas disponibles en EAD en relación con la descripción multinivel; finalmente se critican aquellos aspectos susceptibles de simplificación o mejora. Se cita un caso real de aplicación de EAD 2002 a un instrumento de descripción archivística multinivel: la versión electrónica del Catálogo de Pergaminos del Archivo Municipal de Córdoba

Identification of arid phases during the last 50 kyr Cal BP from the Fuentillejo maar lacustrine record (Campo de Calatrava Volcanic Field, Spain).

Geochemical (element analysis, molecular analysis of organic compounds), physical, palynological, mineralogical and sedimentary facies analysis were performed to characterise the sedimentary record in Fuentillejo maar-lake in the Central Spanish Volcanic Field of Campo de Calatrava, in order to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic processes which controlled vegetation patterns and deposition of different sedimentary facies. The upper 20 m of core FUENT-1 show variations in clastic input, water chemistry, vegetation and organic fraction sources in the lake throughout the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. The temporal framework provided by14C accelerator mass spectrometry dating allows assigning the sequence to the last 50 cal. ka BP. Arid phases identified in the FUENT-1 sequence are correlated to Heinrich events (HE) and to stadials of the Dansgaard/Oeschger (D/O) cycles. Siliciclastic facies with high magnetic susceptibility values, high Juniperus pollen content, a low Paq index (aquatic macrophysics proxy index), a decrease in the relative percentage of the n-C27 and an increase in the n-C31 alkanes are indicative of arid and colder climatic events related to HE 2, HE 1 and the Younger Dryas (YD). Similar short cold and arid phases during the Holocene were identified at 9.2–8.6, 7.5–7 and 5.5–5 cal. ka BP. In dolomite–mud facies, the pollen data show an increase in the herbs component, mainly – Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia andEphedra – steppe taxa; a low Paq index, a decrease in the relative percentage of the n-C27 alkane and an increase in the n-C31 alkane are also observed. This facies was probably the result of lower lake levels and more saline–alkaline conditions, which can be interpreted as linked to arid–warm periods. These warm and arid phases were more frequent during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and the interstadials of MIS 2. HE 4, HE 2, HE 1 and the YD in core FUENT-1 were immediately followed by increases of warm steppe pollen assemblages that document rapid warming similar to the D/O cycles but do not imply increasing humidity in the area. Fuentillejo hydrology is controlled by changes in the atmospheric and oceanic systems that operated on the North Atlantic region at millennial scale during the last 50 cal. ka B

Identificación de episodios climáticos fríos mediante el registro de susceptibilidad magnética en la secuencia lacustre del maar de Fuentillejo (Ciudad Real).

Resumen: El maar de Fuentillejo está localizado en la Región Volcánica Central de Campo de Calatrava (Ciudad Real). Desde su inicio se ha comportado como un sistema cerrado y presenta una potencia total de 142 m de sedimentos lacustres, organizados en 23 unidades sedimentarias. Se ha realizado un estudio de la susceptibilidad magnética y densidad aparente de los sedimentos, mediante un equipo de testificación multisensor Geotek. Para obtener la edad del registro se han efectuado dataciones absolutas mediante radiocarbono, U-Th y con el estudio de polaridad magnética, obteniéndose un modelo de edad que permite datar el sondeo FUENT-1 en torno a los 350 ka. Los datos del registro de susceptibilidad magnética, junto con las dataciones efectuadas, permiten identificar una secuencia de eventos erosivos relacionados con los últimos estadios glaciares (LGM: Ultimo Máximo Glaciar y los estadios isotópicos MIS 6 y 8). El registro de susceptibilidad magnética se encuentra atenuado por procesos de disolución de los óxidos de Fe-Ti. Abstract: The Fuentillejo maar is located in the Central Spanish Volcanic Field of Campo de Calatrava (Ciudad Real). Fuentillejo maar-lake was a closed system where up to 142 m depth of lacustrine sediments were deposited. Magnetic susceptibility and bulk density were measured by a GEOTEK multisensor core logger. The chronological framework was constructed based on radiocarbon and U-Th methods, as well as a detailed study of magnetic polarity, yielding an age model that covers last 350 ka. Intervals with terrigenous sediments correspond to high magnetic susceptibility values. These intervals were correlated with erosive events during the Last Glacial Maximum and the MIS 6 and 8 isotopic stages. The record of magnetic susceptibility is attenuated by disolution processes of Fe-Ti oxides

Increase of Transmitted Drug Resistance among HIV-Infected Sub-Saharan Africans Residing in Spain in Contrast to the Native Population

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of transmitted HIV drug resistance (TDR) is stabilizing or decreasing in developed countries. However, this trend is not specifically evaluated among immigrants from regions without well-implemented antiretroviral strategies. METHODS: TDR trends during 1996-2010 were analyzed among naïve HIV-infected patients in Spain, considering their origin and other factors. TDR mutations were defined according to the World Health Organization list. RESULTS: Pol sequence was available for 732 HIV-infected patients: 292 native Spanish, 226 sub-Saharan Africans (SSA), 114 Central-South Americans (CSA) and 100 from other regions. Global TDR prevalence was 9.7% (10.6% for Spanish, 8.4% for SSA and 7.9% for CSA). The highest prevalences were found for protease inhibitors (PI) in Spanish (3.1%), for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) in SSA (6.5%) and for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) in both Spanish and SSA (6.5%). The global TDR rate decreased from 11.3% in 2004-2006 to 8.4% in 2007-2010. Characteristics related to a decreasing TDR trend in 2007-10 were Spanish and CSA origin, NRTI- and NNRTI-resistance, HIV-1 subtype B, male sex and infection through injection drug use. TDR remained stable for PI-resistance, in patients infected through sexual intercourse and in those carrying non-B variants. However, TDR increased among SSA and females. K103N was the predominant mutation in all groups and periods. CONCLUSION: TDR prevalence tended to decrease among HIV-infected native Spanish and Central-South Americans, but it increased up to 13% in sub-Saharan immigrants in 2007-2010. These results highlight the importance of a specific TDR surveillance among immigrants to prevent future therapeutic failures, especially when administering NNRTIs