Mathematical Foundation of a Functional Implementation of the CNF Algorithm

The conjunctive normal form (CNF) algorithm is one of the best known and most widely used algorithms in classical logic and its applications. In its algebraic approach, it makes use in a loop of a certain well-defined operation related to the “distributivity” of logical disjunction versus conjunction. For those types of implementations, the loop iteration runs a comparison between formulas to decide when to stop. In this article, we explain how to pre-calculate the exact number of loop iterations, thus avoiding the work involved in the above-mentioned comparison. After that, it is possible to concatenate another loop focused now on the “associativity” of conjunction and disjunction. Also for that loop, we explain how to calculate the optimal number of rounds, so that the decisional comparison phase for stopping can be also avoided

Flipped learning and threshold concepts in the Turbomachinery section of Fluid Engineering course

This paper outlines a practical intervention aiming to collect the effects of introducing flexible learning in engineering higher education. The work dis- cusses the implementation of the flipped classroom method and the threshold concepts in the Turbomachinery section of Fluid Engineering course in the third year of Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's degree) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Fluid Engineering is traditionally one of the hardest courses involving a complex interaction between understanding concepts and using those concepts in the solution of cases, which also require the devel- opment of a set of skills. This case study is centred on two student cohorts, and the research spans over two consecutive Fall semesters. The study is based on sound pedagogy of educational technologies, in practice, frequent student-to-instructor interaction, academic results, and statistical and survey analyses. A principal conclusion is that overall class performance is much higher than that of the previous courses. The results indicate that learners gained under- standing from semester to semester and no statistical significance was ob- served between group and exam format. Students were satisfied with the level of suitability and the degree of compliance of the new implementation and found it constructive in their learning process, an important educational benefit. This positive experience, in terms of benefit-cost and outcomes, en- courages the intervention without sacrificing any curriculum syllabus, but taking advantage and bringing the benefits of interactivity distance learning technologies and traditional face-to-face lectures. This scholarly research aims to contribute to this area, by abandoning traditional lecturing in favour of active learningPostprint (author's final draft

Propuesta de las condiciones de las aplicaciones móviles, para la construcción de un entorno de accesibilidad personal para usuarios con discapacidad visual en las Smart Cities

Los nuevos avances tecnológicos y el uso de nuevas aplicaciones móviles permiten acceder a múltiples posibilidades en las Smart Cities. Sin embargo, el uso de la tecnología no resuelve por sí misma problemas de inclusión de ciudadanos que, por sus condiciones sociales o personales, no pueden utilizarlas adecuadamente. También, estas personas quedan incapacitadas, aún más, para participar como ciudadanos activos en su ciudad. Creando nuevas barreras no arquitectónicas, sino tecnológicas, que son más difíciles de comprender. Este estudio emplea la observación directa de personas con baja visión o ceguera, para comprobar las dificultades y necesidades que presentan en el uso de distintas aplicaciones en los sistemas Android e iOS. Y como resultados se comprueba que todos ellos necesitan aplicaciones complementarias, que en muchos casos no son compatibles con las diseñadas para el resto de personas. Y que, por tanto, no pueden acceder a todos los recursos de la Smart City. Para solucionarlo se propone la creación de un Entorno de Accesibilidad Personal (PAE), a través del cual se le permite el acceso al conjunto de todos los contenidos necesarios para interactuar con el entorno en el que se encuentra.New technological advances and use of new mobile applications facilitate a easy access to multiple possibilities in smart cities. However, the use of technology does not solve inclusion problems of citizens who, due to their social or personal conditions, cannot use them adequately. Also, these people are incapacitated, even more, to participate as active citizens in their city. Creating a new nonarchitectural barriers, but technological ones, which are more difficult to understand. This study employs the direct observation of people with low vision or blindness, to check the difficulties and needs they present in the use of different applications from Android and iOS systems. And as results, it is verified that all of them need complementary applications, which in many cases are not compatible with those designed for other people. And therefore, they cannot access to all the resources in the smart city. To solve it is proposed the creation of a Personal Accessibility Environment (PAE) to allow an access to a set of all necessary contents to interact with the environment in their locations

Malonic acid: A potential reagent in decontamination processes for Ni-rich alloy surfaces

The ability of malonic acid as a dissolution agent toward synthetic Ni ferrite and Alloy 600 and 800 corrosion products was explored. Its performance in the dissolution kinetics of Ni ferrite powders was compared with the one of oxalic acid. Kinetic parameters were obtained and the dependency on external Fe(II) was modelled. Oxidized samples used in descaling tests were prepared by exposure of coupons of both alloys to lithiated aqueous solutions, under hydrothermal conditions and hydrogen overpressure, simulating PHWR conditions. Oxide layer morphology, the influence of exposure time to corrosive medium and LiOH concentration on its thickness were characterized. Descaling tests consisting on a two-stage method (a first oxidizing step with alkaline permanganate followed by a reducing step with oxalic or malonic acid were carried out). Results were compared to those obtained with a well known chemical cleaning formulation (APAC: Alkaline Permanganate Ammonium Citrate) used in decontamination of several reactors and loops and the competitiveness of malonic acid was demonstrated.Fil: García, D.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; ArgentinaFil: Bruyre, V. I. E.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; ArgentinaFil: Bordoni, R.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; ArgentinaFil: Olmedo, A. M.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; ArgentinaFil: Morando, Pedro Juan. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto Sabato; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Using Value-Based Potentials for Making Approximate Inference on Probabilistic Graphical Models

The computerization of many everyday tasks generates vast amounts of data, and this has lead to the development of machine-learning methods which are capable of extracting useful information from the data so that the data can be used in future decision-making processes. For a long time now, a number of fields, such as medicine (and all healthcare-related areas) and education, have been particularly interested in obtaining relevant information from this stored data. This interest has resulted in the need to deal with increasingly complex problems which involve many different variables with a high degree of interdependency. This produces models (and in our case probabilistic graphical models) that are difficult to handle and that require very efficient techniques to store and use the information that quantifies the relationships between the problem variables. It has therefore been necessary to develop efficient structures, such as probability trees or value-based potentials, to represent the information. Even so, there are problems that must be treated using approximation since this is the only way that results can be obtained, despite the corresponding loss of information. The aim of this article is to show how the approximation can be performed with value-based potentials. Our experimental work is based on checking the behavior of this approximation technique on several Bayesian networks related to medical problems, and our experiments show that in some cases there are notable savings in memory space with limited information loss.Spanish Government PID2019-106758GB-C31European CommissionUniversidad de Granada/CBU

BIM supported surveying and imaging combination for heritage conservation

Producción CientíficaAs the basis for analysis and management of heritage assets, 3D laser scanning and photogrammetric 3D reconstruction have been probed as adequate techniques for point cloud data acquisition. The European Directive 2014/24/EU imposes BIM Level 2 for government centrally procured projects as a collaborative process of producing federated discipline-specific models. Although BIM software resources are intensified and increasingly growing, distinct specifications for heritage (H-BIM) are essential to driving particular processes and tools to efficiency shifting from point clouds to meaningful information ready to be exchanged using non-proprietary formats, such as Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). This paper details a procedure for processing enriched 3D point clouds into the REVIT software package due to its worldwide popularity and how closely it integrates with the BIM concept. The procedure will be additionally supported by a tailored plug-in to make high-quality 3D digital survey datasets usable together with 2D imaging, enhancing the capability to depict contextualized important graphical data to properly planning conservation actions. As a practical example, a 2D/3D enhanced combination is worked to accurately include into a BIM project, the length, orientation, and width of a big crack on the walls of the Castle of Torrelobatón (Spain) as a representative heritage building.Unión Europea H2020 - (grant 665220)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades - (Project RTI2018-096652-B-I00)Junta de Castilla y León y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - (Project VA233P18

La fórmula «in dubio» en la jurisprudencia actual

En aquest article s'analitzen grups sintàctics, oracions i expressions llatines que, encara que no presenten un verb, expressen continguts modals semblants a les oracions. S'estudia específicament el grup preposicional integrant de l'expressió fixa in dubio pro reo des del punt de vista etimològic i gramatical, el seu paral·lelisme amb altres màximes del dret romà, els tecnicismes creats per designar conceptes jurídics nous i la seva freqüència d'aparició en la jurisprudència del Tribunal Suprem (TS) en el període 2011 a 2013. Es comenten divuit principis i màximes de juristes romans o formulades per autors de les compilacions canòniques medievals i en segles posteriors, amb ús real documentat en resolucions de la sales Civil, Penal, Contenciosa Administrativa (C-A) i Social.In this article, Latin syntactical groupings, sentences and expressions are analyzed. Even though these phrases are verbless, they express modal contents similar to those in full-fledged sentences. Specifically, this paper analyzes the prepositional group that makes up the set expression in dubio pro reo from an etymological and grammatical perspective.  It also examines the parallels of this prepositional group with other maxims from Roman law, as well as the technical terms that were created to designate new legal concepts.  In addition, the paper studies the frequency of these expressions in Spanish Supreme Court rulings from 2011-2013. Eighteen principles and maxims that were either proposed by Roman legislators, formulated by authors of compilations of medieval canon law, or coined in later centuries, are discussed.  Actual usage is documented through rulings from the Civil, Criminal, Administrative and Labor Divisions of the Spanish Supreme Court.  En este artículo se analizan grupos sintácticos, oraciones y expresiones latinas que, aunque no presentan un verbo, expresan contenidos modales semejantes a las oraciones. Se estudia específicamente el grupo preposicional integrante de la expresión fija in dubio pro reo desde el punto de vista etimológico y gramatical, su paralelismo con otras máximas del Derecho Romano, los tecnicismos creados para designar conceptos jurídicos nuevos y su frecuencia de aparición en la jurisprudencia del Tribunal Supremo (TS) en el periodo 2011 a 2013. Se comentan dieciocho principios y máximas de juristas romanos o formuladas por autores de las compilaciones canónicas medievales y en siglos posteriores, con uso real documentado en resoluciones de la Salas Civil, Penal, Contencioso-Administrativo (C-A) y  Social.