Networked PID control design : a pseudo-probabilistic robust approach

Networked Control Systems (NCS) are feedback/feed-forward control systems where control components (sensors, actuators and controllers) are distributed across a common communication network. In NCS, there exist network-induced random delays in each channel. This paper proposes a method to compensate the effects of these delays for the design and tuning of PID controllers. The control design is formulated as a constrained optimization problem and the controller stability and robustness criteria are incorporated as design constraints. The design is based on a polytopic description of the system using a Poisson pdf distribution of the delay. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method

Going beyond energy intensity to understand the energy metabolism of nations: The case of Argentina

The link between energy consumption and economic growth has been widely studied in the economic literature. Understanding this relationship is important from both an environmental and a socio-economic point of view, as energy consumption is crucial to economic activity and human environmental impact. This relevance is even higher for developing countries, since energy consumption per unit of output varies through the phases of development, increasing from an agricultural stage to an industrial one and then decreasing for certain service based economies. In the Argentinean case, the relevance of energy consumption to economic development seems to be particularly important. While energy intensity seems to exhibit a U-Shaped curve from 1990 to 2003 decreasing slightly after that year, total energy consumption increases along the period of analysis. Why does this happen? How can we relate this result with the sustainability debate? All these questions are very important due to Argentinean hydrocarbons dependence and due to the recent reduction in oil and natural gas reserves, which can lead to a lack of security of supply. In this paper we study Argentinean energy consumption pattern for the period 1990-2007, to discuss current and future energy and economic sustainability. To this purpose, we developed a conventional analysis, studying energy intensity, and a non conventional analysis, using the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) accounting methodology. Both methodologies show that the development process followed by Argentina has not been good enough to assure sustainability in the long term. Instead of improving energy use, energy intensity has increased. The current composition of its energy mix, and the recent economic crisis in Argentina, as well as its development path, are some of the possible explanations.Argentina, energy intensity; energy mix; economic development; societal metabolism, integrated analysis

A Social Framework for Set Recommendation in Group Recommender Systems

This research article presents a study about the background in Group Recommender Systems and how social factors are directly related to these applications. Some important group recommender systems in academia are described to exemplify their contribution in different domains. Besides, a framework that is intended to improve group recommender systems is proposed. The main idea of the framework is to enhance social cognition to help the group members agree and make a decision. Its structure includes a process where an influential group is detected among the target groups of people to recommend to. Social influence detection uses the knowledge behind online social connections and interactions. Trying to understand human behavior and ties among groups in a social network and how to use this to improve group recommender systems is considered the main challenge for future research. Combining this with the kind of item recommendation which involves a temporal sequence of ordered elements will present a novel and original path in Group Recommender Systems design. &nbsp

Gravity Equation and Trade Agreements: A Different Econometric Approach

This paper is aimed at multiplicatively estimating the parameters of the gravity equation by using the Poisson Pseudo-Maximum-Likelihood (PPML) estimator, and taking heteroskedasticity into account at the same time. Besides, in order to compare the results, the model will be estimated trough OLS and Tobit, and the precision of the different estimators will be assessed by a set of specification tests. Results indicate that the effects of Preferential Trade Agreements are very sensitive to the method chosen to estimate the gravity model and the results obtained under PPML are the most reliable.Preferential Trade Agreements, Gravity Model, Trade Creation and Trade Diversion, Generalized Lineal Models

Paisaje rupestre en el norte de Córdoba : primeras aproximaciones a la arqueología del Cerro Colorado

El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar un análisis de carácter preliminar sobre la información arqueológica de la localidad de Cerro Colorado, ubicada en las Sierras del Norte (noroeste de Córdoba). Para tal fin integramos los 53 paneles emplazados en tres de los siete cerros que la componen, a otras evidencias de ocupación del entorno, específicamente las áreas de molienda ubicadas en los colectores que surcan la llanura adyacente a las formaciones y las dispersiones superficiales de artefactos vinculadas con los denominados poblados tardíos. Este estudio conjunto nos permite plantear líneas de indagación respecto al papel de las representaciones en la construcción del paisaje, construcción que implicó la articulación de dos entornos con diferentes instancias de interacción social. En este sentido, proponemos que durante el Período Prehispánico Tardío (ca 1500-350 AP) el Cerro Colorado fue significado como un paisaje rupestre, es decir como un espacio en el cual el arte gravitaba en las prácticas sociales que allí se desarrollaban.The aim of this paper is plesent a preliminar)/ analysis of archaeological information from Cerro Colorado (Sierras del Norte, northwest of Córdoba). To this end, this analysis integrates the 53 panels on three hills of the archaeological area with milling amas and open air sites located in the adjacent plain. This study allows us to propose lines of inquiry about the role of representations in landscape construction, which involved the articulation of two environments with different levels of social interaction. In this sense, we propose that during the Late Prehispanic Period (ca. 1500-350 BP) Cerro Colorado was a landscape rock art where the representations weighed in social practices.Fil: Recalde, Andrea M.. Universidad Nacional de Córdob

Methodological design for detection of bacterial DNA from thrombi from patients with acute myocardial infarction

[Resumen] Introducción: El accidente de la placa aterosclerótica, consistente en la ruptura, erosión o disección que resulta en la formación de un trombo intraluminal en una o más arterias coronarias que dando lugar al Infarto Agudo de Miocardio (IAM). El tratamiento indicado en este contexto es la reperfusión urgente, fundamentalmente la de tipo mecánica como la angioplastia primaria. Se han identificado múltiples factores posibles predictores de los diferentes síndromes coronarios agudos pero los mecanismos moleculares y celulares implicados en la oclusión trombótica en el IAM no son totalmente conocidos. Por este motivo en los últimos años se ha planteado la hipótesis de que la infección crónica puede desempeñar un papel importante en el desarrollo de la aterosclerosis, ya que se han hallado diversos microorganismos presentes en los trombos de pacientes con IAM. Objetivos: Diseñar el método para la detección de ADN bacteriano a partir de trombos procedentes de pacientes con IAM. Métodos: Los métodos incluyeron la utilización de dos kits de extracción de ADN para trombos el NucleoSpin® Blood y el QuickPure illustraTM DNA Extraction kit BACC3 y de un tercer kit para la extracción de ADN de las muestras de sangre, el kitGentra® Puregene®. Resultados: Con el kit NucleoSpin® Blood las concentraciones eran altas pero ninguna de buena calidad. Con el kit QuickPure illustraTM DNA Extraction kit BACC3 se analizaron dos muestras siguiendo el protocolo específico para tejidos, ambas muestras daban concentraciones de ADN bajas y con una calidad pobre. Con el protocolo específico para sangre y cultivos celulares de este mismo kit se analizaron 124muestras. Conclusiones: El mejor kit para la extracción de ADN procedente de trombos de pacientes con IAM es el Kit de illustraTM DNA Extraction kit BACC3. El protocolo con mejores resultados es el protocolo para BACC1 para volúmenes pequeños de sangre (50μL-1mL) y 1x106 a 3x106 de cultivos celulares. Realizar una optimización de los protocolos, en este caso de extracción de ADN es fundamental para llevar a cabo un proyecto de investigación. Es importante realizar un estudio para confirmar la presencia de microorganismos en el trombo coronario ya que de demostrarse esta teoría se podría mejorar la terapéutica del IAM.Traballo fin de mestrado (UDC.CIE). Biotecnoloxía avanzada. Curso 2014/201

The Competitiveness of the Beef Sector in Argentina and Canada

Food markets are becoming global and competition in all markets is intense, countries are working to improve market access through the current round of World Trade Organization negotiations and through regional agreements such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Trade is critical to Canada's agri-food sector. Canada is a major agricultural producer with a relatively small population. As a result, we export almost half of our farm products. Because of the magnitude of our exports, the success of the agri-food sector depends, in large part, on international markets.food markets, market access, World Trade Organization, trade agri-food sector, international markets, Value Chain Roundtable Process, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade, Livestock Production/Industries,

Local search performance guarantees for restricted related parallel machine scheduling

We consider the problem of minimizing the makespan on restricted related parallel machines. In restricted machine scheduling each job is only allowed to be scheduled on a subset of machines. We study the worst-case behavior of local search algorithms. In particular, we analyze the quality of local optima with respect to the jump, swap, push and lexicographical jump neighborhood.operations research and management science;

Concentrated and dispersed precariousness / excluded areas and islands of precariousness : the case of Montevideo

Montevideo viene sufriendo procesos de segregación socio-territorial (segmentación social y fragmentación territorial) lo que implica la conformación de localizaciones con homogeneidad social interna y escasa interacción, con asimetrías en sus calidades urbanas y habitacionales. Por tanto quedan conformadas áreas de precariedad, tanto por generación de nuevos asentamientos como por el vaciamiento y tugurización de áreas consolidadas del territorio. Al mismo tiempo, otras manifestaciones de precariedad urbano-habitacional aparecen dispersas dentro del tejido de la ciudad, no siendo tan visibles ni conocidas en profundidad como aquellas situaciones en que se reconocen con mayor claridad los parámetros definidos para la definición de la condición de precariedad. Por esta razón la políticas territoriales, habitacionales y sociales, atienden en menor medida a la población que vive en estas condiciones. Es interés de esta tesis profundizar en el análisis de las diversas situaciones de precariedad urbano habitacional de Montevideo, sistematizar y caracterizar los tipos detectados y de la misma forma estudiar los programas urbanos y habitacionales que han incidido sobre estas situaciones, con el fin último de aportar a la solución a la problemática.Montevideo has been suffering socio-territorial segregation (social segmentation and territorial fragmentation) which implies the conformation of locations with social internal homogeneity and low interaction, and urban and housing qualities asymmetries. Therefore, as a result of new settlements and emptying and downgrading of consolidates areas in the territory, new precarious areas are developed. At the same time, other manifestations of urban-housing precariousness appear dispersed within the city fabric.These situations aren´t as visible and well known as those situations recognized with more clarity by the parameters that define the precarious condition. Because of that, the urban, housing, and social policies, do not attend properly the population that lives in these conditions. The interest of the thesis is deep in the analysis of the variety of situations of urban housing precariousness in Montevideo, systematize and characterize the types detected and in the same way study the urban and housing programs that have influenced on these situations, with the aim of providing solutions to the problem.Fil: Recalde Rostán, Sharon. Universidad de La República (Uruguay