Preface to the special section on algorithms and architectures for real-time control

Rapid developments in microelectronics and computer science continue to fuel opportunities for real-time control engineers. These openings arise from drivers such as ever-increasing system complexity and sophistication, environmental legislation, economic competition, safety and reliability. These are typical of the themes that were highlighted at the IFAC Workshop on Algorithms and Architectures for Real-Time Control (AARTC '97)

Prediction of the solar radiation using RBF neural networks and ground-to-sky images

In this study, Artificial Neural Networks are applied to multistep long term solar radiation prediction. The networks are trained as one-step-ahead predictors and iterated over time to obtain multi-step longer term predictions. Auto-regressive and Auto-regressive with exogenous inputs solar radiationmodels are compared, considering cloudiness indices as inputs in the latter case. These indices are obtained through pixel classification of ground-to-sky images. The input-output structure of the neural network models is selected using evolutionary computation methods

Prediction of the solar radiation evolution using computational intelligence techniques and cloudiness indices

In this paper, Artificial Neural Networks are applied for multi-step long term solar radiation prediction. The input-output structure of the neural network models is selected using evolutionary computation methods. The networks are trained as onestep- ahead predictors and iterated over time to obtain multi-step longer term predictions. Auto-regressive and auto-regressive with exogenous inputs models are compared, considering cloudiness indices as inputs in the latter case. These indices are obtained through pixel classification of ground-to-sky images, captured by a CCD camera

MACROSCOPIC LESIONS ON THE GREY TRIGGERFISH, BALISTES CAPRISCUS (PISCES) ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE PEDUNCULATE BARNACLE, CONCHODERMA VIRGATUM (CIRRIPEDIA, THORACICA)

Fifteen live specimens of Conchoderma virgatum were attached to a grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) caught in S.W. Portugal. The barnacles were distributed in three groups (right abdominal external face, anterior side of the insertion of the pelvic spine, and close to (5 mm) the left eye (on the lacrymal bone)). The specimens were very different in size, ranging from 2 mm to 18.9 mm (maximum capitular length, CL). The four largest barnacles (CL 16.4 mm) had egg lamellae. Signs of potential predation on the barnacles (rests of barnacles and half-cut cirri in a barnacle) were detected. The left-eye blindness of the grey trigger fish could have been caused by traumatic action performed by the barnacles that settled close to the eye. The skin surrounding the barnacle cluster attached to the right abdominal external face was inflamed. Skin lesions were of sub-acute or chronic nature and the gall-bladder dilatation was consistent with a prolonged status of injury. Both traumatic and inflammatory lesions could have contributed to the loss of body condition of the grey triggerfish. This study is the first report of C. virgatum in S.W. Portugal and the first record of attachment to a grey triggerfish

A comparison of four data selection methods for artificial neural networks and support vector machines

The performance of data-driven models such as Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machines relies to a good extent on selecting proper data throughout the design phase. This paper addresses a comparison of four unsupervised data selection methods including random, convex hull based, entropy based and a hybrid data selection method. These methods were evaluated on eight benchmarks in classification and regression problems. For classification, Support Vector Machines were used, while for the regression problems, Multi-Layer Perceptrons were employed. Additionally, for each problem type, a non-dominated set of Radial Basis Functions Neural Networks were designed, benefiting from a Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm. The simulation results showed that the convex hull based method and the hybrid method involving convex hull and entropy, obtain better performance than the other methods, and that MOGA designed RBFNNs always perform better than the other models. (C) 2017, IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control) Hosting by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.FCT through IDMEC, under LAETA grant [UID/EMS/50022/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessment of Cancer-related Cognitive Impairment: Methodological Issues

Cognitive decline associated with cancer or its treatment has been addressed in many studies, though with inconsistent findings, which largely reflects the diversity of methods that have been used. In this context, we read with much interest the paper recently published in the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology (Clapp et al., 2018) about the impact of using different reference populations on breast cancer-related cognitive impairment rates, which was based on a thorough assessment of a large number of cancer patients and non-cancer subjects

The relief of the Betic Cordillera

11 páginas, 13 figuras.[EN] The Betic Cordillera is an Alpine orogen created by the collision of the Africa and Eurasian plates. Although this alpine deformation started 60 millions years ago, the present relief is related to tectonic processes occurred during approximately the last 8 millions years, from the Late Tortonian to the Present. During this period the Betic Cordillera has been subject to regional NNW-SSE compression and ENE-WSW extension, with local heterogeneities. These compressive stresses have created numerous EW/ ENE-WSW active folds, some of them probably related to thrusts. Present topography is controlled mainly by these active folds, where uplifted sectors coincide with antiforms and depressions with synforms. ENE-WSW extension is mainly accommodated by NW-SE normal faults, which create a stepped relief. In addition, several strike-slip faults as the Eastern Betic Shear Zone also exist, but associated vertical movements are not noticeable. A regional uplift is produced in the Betic Cordillera from the Late Tortonian to the Present caused by these structures. This active uplift is maximum in Sierra Nevada, where it reaches a value of about 0.5 mm/year, and progressively diminishes in all directions.[ES] La Cordillera Bética es un orógeno alpino resultado de la colisión entre las placas Africana y Euroasiática. Aunque la deformación alpina comenzó hace aproximadamente 60 millones de años, el relieve actual está asociado principalmente a los procesos tectónicos ocurridos en los últimos 8 millones de años, desde el Tortoniense superior hasta la actualidad. En este último periodo la Cordillera Bética ha estado sometida a un campo de esfuerzos regional de compresión NNO-SSE y a extensión perpendicular ENE-OSO, aunque variable en el detalle. Los esfuerzos compresivos han producido numerosos pliegues, de dirección media E-O/ENE-OSO, algunos de ellos probablemente asociados a cabalgamientos. Estos pliegues, la mayoría todavía activos, han formado un relieve en el que los antiformes coinciden con las principales sierras de la Cordillera, y los sinformes con depresiones. La extensión ENE-OSO se acomoda por fallas normales, especialmente de dirección NO-SE, que se sitúan en los bordes de las sierras, y producen un relieve escalonado. Además, existen fallas activas de salto en dirección entre las que destaca la Zona de Cizalla de la Bética oriental, aunque tiene una impronta en el relieve mucho menos destacada. A favor de todas estas estructuras se está produciendo una elevación regional de la Cordillera Bética desde el Tortoniense superior hasta la actualidad. Esta elevación, todavía activa, tiene un valor máximo alrededor de 0.5 mm/año en Sierra Nevada y disminuye progresivamente en otras partes del orógeno.Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiado por los proyectos de investigacicón BTE2001-5230-E, CGL200401636/BTE, CGL2006-06001, CSD2006- 00041 y por la Generalitat Valenciana (GRUPOS03/ 085, OCYT).Peer reviewe

Large Nc scaling of meson masses and decay constants

We perform an ab initio calculation of the Nc scaling of the low-energy couplings of the chiral Lagrangian of low-energy strong interactions, extracted from the mass dependence of meson masses and decay constants. We compute these observables on the lattice with four degenerate fermions, Nf= 4 , and varying number of colours, Nc= 3 –6, at a lattice spacing of a≃ 0.075 fm. We find good agreement with the expected Nc scaling and measure the coefficients of the leading and subleading terms in the large Nc expansion. From the subleading Nc corrections, we can also infer the Nf dependence, that we use to extract the value of the low-energy couplings for different values of Nf. We find agreement with previous determinations at Nc= 3 and Nf= 2 , 3 and also, our results support a strong paramagnetic suppression of the chiral condensate in moving from Nf= 2 to Nf=

Global Cognitive Impairment Prevalence and Incidence in Community Dwelling Older Adults—A Systematic Review

(1) Background: We proposed to review worldwide estimates of cognitive impairment prevalence and incidence in adults older than 50 years of age living in the community. (2) Methods: Systematic searches were performed in January 2019 using MEDLINE/PubMed. Articles were selected if they referred to cognitive impairment, prevalence, incidence, elders, and population or community-based studies. Analysis, aggregated by different methodologic features, was performed. (3) Results: Prevalence (80 studies) ranged between 5.1% and 41% with a median of 19.0% (25th percentile = 12.0%; 75th percentile = 24.90%). Incidence (11 studies) ranged from 22 to 76.8 per 1000 person-years with a median of 53.97 per 1000 person-years (25th percentile = 39.0; 75th percentile = 68.19). No statistically significant effects were found except for inclusion age. (4) Conclusion: We propose that the homogenization and clarification of the definition of what constitutes cognitive impairment are essential to refine the epidemiological understanding of this entity. The results of this review reinforce the importance of adherence to standardized cut-off scores for cognitive tests to promote study comparability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio