Procesadores de bajo coste y su aplicación en la docencia de Ingeniería de Computadores

La Informática evoluciona a gran velocidad y es necesario actualizar con frecuencia los recursos de aprendizaje para mantener el interés de los estudiantes. En la actualidad, hay una gran diversidad de plataformas de cómputo de bajo coste que son utilizadas como recursos en los estudios de Informática. Raspberry Pi y algunos modelos de Arduino (como Arduino Due), ambas basadas en procesadores ARM, son ejemplos representativos de este tipo de plataformas. Las arquitecturas ARM son ejemplos de procesadores RISC que actualmente gozan de gran popularidad por su buena relación entre potencia computacional, consumo y coste. De hecho, constituyen el núcleo de muchos de los teléfonos móviles y sistemas empotrados actuales. Al estar tan cerca de los estudiantes, el uso de este tipo de recursos en el aula representa una oportunidad para: (1) motivar a los alumnos de Bachillerato y Educación Secundaria para estudiar el Grado de Informática y (2) potenciar el interés de los alumnos de Grado de Informática por la Ingeniería de Computadores. Existe una serie de eventos consolidados que tienen una gran difusión social. En ellos, se muestran vistosos ejemplos de aplicación y funcionamiento de este tipo de plataformas. En este trabajo se describen el conjunto de sistemas interactivos y basados en plataformas computacionales de bajo coste que se han desarrollado para ser utilizadas en este tipo de eventos. De acuerdo con nuestra experiencia de participación, creemos que están sirviendo para despertar el interés del alumno de secundaria por la Informática en general, y más específicamente por la Ingeniería de Computadores. Por otra parte, un porcentaje de los alumnos que cursan el Grado de Ingeniería Informática no está interesado en el análisis de los componentes hardware y de su organización para construir un computador moderno. Piensan que la asignatura de Arquitectura de Computadores del Grado en Ingeniería Informática está lejos de su futura actividad profesional. En este contexto, nos planteamos seleccionar ARM como arquitectura de referencia para desarrollar los contenidos de la asignatura de Arquitectura de Computadores. Creemos que esta decisión mejora el interés del alumno por dos motivos: (1) el objeto de estudio se usa en multitud de plataformas muy cotidianas para el alumno y (2) es posible diseñar las actividades prácticas de las asignaturas basadas en elementos reales y no únicamente virtuales. Este trabajo muestra las distintas actividades tanto a nivel teórico como práctico que se plantean al alumno en el marco de la asignatura Arquitectura de Computadores.Computer Science is advancing rapidly and it is necessary to keep the educational resources up to date in order to keep the interest of students. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of low-cost computing platforms that are used as educational resources in the Computer Science degree. Raspberry Pi and some models of Arduino (such as Arduino Due), which are both based on ARM processors, are representative examples of this kind of platforms. ARM architectures are instances of RISC processors which nowadays have reached an important popularity due to their good relation between performance, consumption and cost. In fact, they constitute the core of numerous current mobile phones and embedded systems. Considering their proximity to the students, the use of this kind of resources in the classroom is an opportunity to: (1) encourage the high schools pupils to study the Computer Science degree and (2) to increase the interest of the students for the Computer Engineering. There are several consolidated informational events of great social outreach in which different examples of application of this kind of platforms are shown. In this work, the set of interactive systems designed to be used in this kind of events is described. According to our experience, we think that they arouse the interest of high schools pupils for the Computer Science in general, and, more specifically, for the Computer Engineering. Furthermore, a percentage of the students of the Computer Science degree is not interested in the analysis of hardware components and the architecture of modern computers. They think that the subject of Computer Architecture of the Computer Science Degree is far from his/her future career. In this context, we will select ARM as a reference architecture where the contents of the subject Computer Architecture will be developed on. We think this might improve the motivation of the students mainly for two reasons: (1) the object of study is being used in a lot of modern platforms; and (2) it is possible to design the practical activities of the subjects using real platforms and not only virtual ones. This work shows the activities proposed to the students in the context of the subject Computer Architecture, considering both practical and theoretical approaches

Influence of Growth Method on K3Sb Photocathode Structure and Performance

Future high brightness photoelectron sources delivering gt;100 mA average current call for a new generation of photocathodes. Materials which qualify for this purpose should exhibit low intrinsic emittance, long lifetime and high quantum efficiency at photon energies in the visible range of the spectrum to relax drive laser requirements. A combination of material science techniques are used to determine the influence of the growth parameters on structure and performance of photocathode materials . In situ XRR, XRD and GiSAXS measurements were performed at the synchrotron radiation sources, NSLS and CHESS. The growth of K3Sb, a precursor material of one of the prime candidates CsK2Sb, was studied intensively to optimize this intermediate growth step in terms of quantum efficiency and roughness. Three methods, a layer by layer type and a super lattice type were examined. K3Sb exists in two crystallographic phases, namely cubic and hexagonal. The cubic phase exhibits a higher quantum efficiency at 532 nm than the hexagonal phase and transforms more easily into CsK2Sb, tuning this phase is believed to be one of the key parameters in the CsK2Sb growt

A Crystal Structure of the Bifunctional Antibiotic Simocyclinone D8, Bound to DNA Gyrase

Simocyclinones are bifunctional antibiotics that inhibit bacterial DNA gyrase by preventing DNA binding to the enzyme. We report the crystal structure of the complex formed between the N-terminal domain of the Escherichia coli gyrase A subunit and simocyclinone D8, revealing two binding pockets that separately accommodate the aminocoumarin and polyketide moieties of the antibiotic. These are close to, but distinct from, the quinolone-binding site, consistent with our observations that several mutations in this region confer resistance to both agents. Biochemical studies show that the individual moieties of simocyclinone D8 are comparatively weak inhibitors of gyrase relative to the parent compound, but their combination generates a more potent inhibitor. Our results should facilitate the design of drug molecules that target these unexploited binding pockets

Pion light-cone wave function and pion distribution amplitude in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model

We compute the pion light-cone wave function and the pion quark distribution amplitude in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. We use the Pauli-Villars regularization method and as a result the distribution amplitude satisfies proper normalization and crossing properties. In the chiral limit we obtain the simple results, namely phi_pi(x)=1 for the pion distribution amplitude, and = -M / f_pi^2 for the second moment of the pion light-cone wave function, where M is the constituent quark mass and f_pi is the pion decay constant. After the QCD Gegenbauer evolution of the pion distribution amplitude good end-point behavior is recovered, and a satisfactory agreement with the analysis of the experimental data from CLEO is achieved. This allows us to determine the momentum scale corresponding to our model calculation, which is close to the value Q_0 = 313 MeV obtained earlier from the analogous analysis of the pion parton distribution function. The value of is, after the QCD evolution, around (400 MeV)^2. In addition, the model predicts a linear integral relation between the pion distribution amplitude and the parton distribution function of the pion, which holds at the leading-order QCD evolution.Comment: mistake in Eq.(38) correcte

An Hybrid, Qos-Aware Discovery of Semantic Web Services Using Constraint Programming

Most Semantic Web Services discovery approaches are not well suited when using complex relational, arithmetic and logical expressions, because they are usually based on Description Logics. Moreover, these kind of expressions usually appear when discovery is performed including Quality-of-Service conditions. In this work, we present an hybrid discovery process for Semantic Web Services that takes care of QoS conditions. Our approach splits discovery into stages, using different engines in each one, depending on its search nature. This architecture is extensible and loosely coupled, allowing the addition of discovery engines at will. In order to perform QoS-aware discovery, we propose a stage that uses Constraint Programming, that allows to use complex QoS conditions within discovery queries. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain the optimal offer that fulfills a given demand using this approach.Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología TIN2006-0047

Calidad de vida y sus factores determinantes en universitarios españoles de Ciencias de la Salud

La calidad de vida en la población universitaria adquiere una especial importancia ya que permite obtener información sobre las condiciones de vida de los universitarios y, sobre todo, de cómo éstos las perciben. Objetivo: Evaluar la calidad de vida de los universitarios que cursan estudios en ciencias de la salud y su relación con diferentes factores tales como: hábitos de vida, parámetros antropométricos y la influencia de las distintas variables sobre su percepción. Material y Método: Estudio transversal de una muestra de 1.753 estudiantes de ciencias de la salud de nueve universidades españolas con diseño muestral aleatorio y estatrificado según curso y facultad al que se le aplicó un cuestionaro ad hoc que recogía todas las variables a estudio. Resultados: La calidad de vida percibida por los participantes fue Me = 75. Los factores explorados de la calidad de vida se co-relacionaron significativamente con la percepción global de calidad de vida de los estudiantes (p<0,001). Se establecieron 3 dimensiones y el impacto de cada una de ellas sobre la percepción de calidad de vida global fue p<0,001. Los varones percibieron mejor calidad de vida que las mujeres y también los estudiantes con menor Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC). Conclusión: Los universitarios son una población clave para realizar actividades de promoción y prevención de la salud por lo que resulta necesario crear mejores infraestucturas y recursos educativos para mejorar la CV y fomentar hábitos y estilos de vida saludable con especial atención en la alimentación y la realización de una adecuada actividad física.Abstract Introduction: The quality of life of university students acquires special importance because it provides information about their life conditions and especially how they perceive it. Objetive: Evaluate the quality of life of students who are enrolled in health science studies and its relation with the following diverse factors: life and dietetic habits, anthropometric parameters and the influence of distinct variables on their perception. Methods: Transversal study of a sample of 1753 health science degree students of nine Spanish universities with a randomized design and stratified by course and faculty for which we applied an ad hoc questionnaire that considered all study variables. Results: The quality of life (QoL) perceived by the participants had a Median of 75. The factors that were explored about the quality of life correlated significantly with their global perception of it (p<0.001). Three dimensions were established and the impact of each one of them on their global perception of QoL was p<0.001. Men perceived better QoL then women and the students with lower Body Mass Index (BMI). Conclusions: University students are a key population for realizing health promotion and prevention activities therefore it is necessary to develop and provide better infrastructures and educative resources in order to enhance their QoL and to promote healthier habits and life styles with special attention on dietetics habits and the performance of an adequate physical activity

Detailed single crystal EPR lineshape measurements for the single molecule magnets Fe8Br and Mn12-ac

It is shown that our multi-high-frequency (40-200 GHz) resonant cavity technique yields distortion-free high field EPR spectra for single crystal samples of the uniaxial and biaxial spin S = 10 single molecule magnets (SMMs) [Mn12O12(CH3COO)16(H2O)4].2CH3COOH.4H2O and [Fe8O2(OH)12(tacn)6]Br8.9H2O. The observed lineshapes exhibit a pronounced dependence on temperature, magnetic field, and the spin quantum numbers (Ms values) associated with the levels involved in the transitions. Measurements at many frequencies allow us to separate various contributions to the EPR linewidths, including significant D-strain, g-strain and broadening due to the random dipolar fields of neighboring molecules. We also identify asymmetry in some of the EPR lineshapes for Fe8, and a previously unobserved fine structure to some of the EPR lines for both the Fe8 and Mn12 systems. These findings prove relevant to the mechanism of quantum tunneling of magnetization in these SMMs.Comment: Phys. Rev. B, accepted with minor revision

Magnetic Fields in the Milky Way

This chapter presents a review of observational studies to determine the magnetic field in the Milky Way, both in the disk and in the halo, focused on recent developments and on magnetic fields in the diffuse interstellar medium. I discuss some terminology which is confusingly or inconsistently used and try to summarize current status of our knowledge on magnetic field configurations and strengths in the Milky Way. Although many open questions still exist, more and more conclusions can be drawn on the large-scale and small-scale components of the Galactic magnetic field. The chapter is concluded with a brief outlook to observational projects in the near future.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures, to appear in "Magnetic Fields in Diffuse Media", eds. E.M. de Gouveia Dal Pino and A. Lazaria

Transverse lattice calculation of the pion light-cone wavefunctions

We calculate the light-cone wavefunctions of the pion by solving the meson boundstate problem in a coarse transverse lattice gauge theory using DLCQ. A large-N_c approximation is made and the light-cone Hamiltonian expanded in massive dynamical fields at fixed lattice spacing. In contrast to earlier calculations, we include contributions from states containing many gluonic link-fields between the quarks.The Hamiltonian is renormalised by a combination of covariance conditions on boundstates and fitting the physical masses M_rho and M_pi, decay constant f_pi, and the string tension sigma. Good covariance is obtained for the lightest 0^{-+} state, which we identify with the pion. Many observables can be deduced from its light-cone wavefunctions.After perturbative evolution,the quark valence structure function is found to be consistent with the experimental structure function deduced from Drell-Yan pi-nucleon data in the valence region x > 0.5. In addition, the pion distribution amplitude is consistent with the experimental distribution deduced from the pi gamma^* gamma transition form factor and diffractive dissociation. A new observable we calculate is the probability for quark helicity correlation. We find a 45% probability that the valence-quark helicities are aligned in the pion.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figure

Experimental analysis of direct thermal methane cracking

The analysis of the viability of Hydrogen production without CO2 emissions is one of the most challenging activities that have been initiated for a sustainable energy supply. As one of the tracks to fulfil such objective, direct methane cracking has been analysed experimentally to assess the scientific viability and reaction characterization in a broad temperature range, from 875 to 1700 ?C. The effect of temperature, sweeping/carrier gas fraction proposed in some concepts, methane flow rate, residence time, and tube material and porosity has been analysed. The aggregation of carbon black particles to the reaction tube is the main technological show-stopper that has been identified