Decentralized 3D Collision Avoidance for Multiple UAVs in Outdoor Environments

The use of multiple aerial vehicles for autonomous missions is turning into commonplace. In many of these applications, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have to cooperate and navigate in a shared airspace, becoming 3D collision avoidance a relevant issue. Outdoor scenarios impose additional challenges: (i) accurate positioning systems are costly; (ii) communication can be unreliable or delayed; and (iii) external conditions like wind gusts affect UAVs’ maneuverability. In this paper, we present 3D-SWAP, a decentralized algorithm for 3D collision avoidance with multiple UAVs. 3D-SWAP operates reactively without high computational requirements and allows UAVs to integrate measurements from their local sensors with positions of other teammates within communication range. We tested 3D-SWAP with our team of custom-designed UAVs. First, we used a Software-In-The-Loop simulator for system integration and evaluation. Second, we run field experiments with up to three UAVs in an outdoor scenario with uncontrolled conditions (i.e., noisy positioning systems, wind gusts, etc). We report our results and our procedures for this field experimentation.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme No 731667 (MULTIDRONE

An indicial vocation: police expertise in the ways of investigating, informing and surveilling in the Province of Buenos Aires and the National Territory of Río Negro (1930-1943)

Las secciones y divisiones dedicadas a la inteligencia y seguimiento político y social son centrales en la historia de las policías argentinas. La historiografía reciente ha destacado la complejidad de interpretar las políticas estatales de seguridad y sus transformaciones en el tiempo como producto de un proceso de larga duración. Este artículo examina las modalidades y prácticas de investigación desarrolladas por las policías del Territorio Nacional de Río Negro y de la Provincia de Buenos Aires entre 1930 y 1943. Un abordaje que radica en ponderar las especificidades institucionales propias de un período escasamente transitado para estos escenarios a partir de tres ejes: primero, recompone el proceso de burocratización interno que transitarían ambas reparticiones producto de estas tareas. Segundo, estas secciones construyeron una sólida tradición de información materializada en informes, expedientes y prontuarios. En ese sentido, se pone el foco en los agentes que se configuraron como un grupo de “expertos” en su producción como en las lógicas para la recolección de información. Por último, se incursiona en los sentidos otorgados a los actores “observados”.The sections and divisions dedicated to intelligence and political and social policing are central to the history of the Argentine police. Recent historiography has highlighted the complexity of interpreting state security policies and their transformations over time as the product of a long-term process. This article examines the modalities and practices of investigation developed by the police forces of the National Territory of Río Negro and the Province of Buenos Aires between 1930 and 1943. The approach is based on pondering the institutional specificities of a period that was little explored in these scenarios from three points of view: first, it reconstructs the process of internal bureaucratisation that both departments underwent as a result of these tasks. Secondly, these sections built up a solid tradition of information materialised in reports, dossiers and files. In this sense, the focus is on the agents who became a group of "experts" in their production, as well as on the logics of information gathering. Finally, we look at the meanings given to the actors "observed".Dossier: Los organismos de inteligencia en Argentina. Miradas desde los archivos a una burocracia secretaFacultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

An enhanced application model for scheduling in grid environments

Application scheduling in Grid computing requires information about tasks in each application, as well as a description of the available resources that the scheduler needs, to find an efficient assignment of tasks to resources. In this context, information about applications is provided by the application model. Most current models are restricted to only a few features, but in some cases, such as simulations, which are an important example of Grid applications, more detailed information is available. In this paper, we propose an enhanced application model based on the concept of task refinements, which provide the scheduler with fine-grained information and allow it to determine more efficient schedules than traditional approaches. We backup and show the feasibility of our model by means of experimental evaluations

Elements of scalable data processing

Cooperating objects (COs) is a recently coined term used to signify the convergence of classical embedded computer systems, wireless sensor networks and robotics and control. We present essential elements of a reference architecture for scalable data processing for the CO paradigm

Effect of Carbamazepine, Ibuprofen, Triclosan and Sulfamethoxazole on Anaerobic Bioreactor Performance: Combining Cell Damage, Ecotoxicity and Chemical Information

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are partially degraded in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), thereby leading to the formation of more toxic metabolites. Bacterial populations in bioreactors operated in WWTPs are sensitive to different toxics such as heavy metals and aromatic compounds, but there is still little information on the effect that pharmaceuticals exert on their metabolism, especially under anaerobic conditions. This work evaluated the effect of selected pharmaceuticals that remain in solution and attached to biosolids on the metabolism of anaerobic biomass. Batch reactors operated in parallel under the pressure of four individual and mixed PPCPs (carbamazepine, ibuprofen, triclosan and sulfametoxazole) allowed us to obtain relevant information on anaerobic digestion performance, toxicological effects and alterations to key enzymes involved in the biodegradation process. Cell viability was quantitatively evaluated using an automatic analysis of confocal microscopy images, and showed that triclosan and mixed pollutants caused higher toxicity and cell death than the other individual compounds. Both individual pollutants and their mixture had a considerable impact on the anaerobic digestion process, favoring carbon dioxide production, lowering organic matter removal and methane production, which also produced microbial stress and irreversible cell damage.Comunidad de MadridUniversidad de Alcal

Prototyping sensor-actuator networks for home automation

Abstract Integrating actuators into sensor networks is often considered to be the next logical step in the evolution of wireless sensor networks. However, few practical examples of such sensor and actuator networks have been demonstrated so far. In this paper, we present a prototype system that supports the easy prototyping of such applications in the area of home automation. We demonstrate the utility of this system with a simple light control application built on top of it. We also report first experiences and insights gained with the help of real-world experiments

Resultados del estudio geológico a escala 1/25.000 del término municipal de Madrid.

Se exponen de forma abreviada los rasgos en cuanto a metodología y conclusiones del estudio geológico a escala 1/25000 realizado en el Municipio de Madrid en los años 1982/83. Las diferentes unidades expresadas en la cartografiase describen en función de las pautas mayores observables en los materiales que forman cada una de ellas, analizándose sus relaciones estratigráficas. El Proyecto «Estudio Geológico a escala 1/25000 del Término Municipal de Madrid ha sido llevado a cabo a lo largo de los años 1982-83 como resultado de la colaboración científica entre diversos organismos de la Administración (Facultad de CC. Geológicas-Universidad Complutense, Instituto Geológico y Minero. Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Instituto de Geología de Madrid-CSIC, y otros). Constituye una de las áreas de actuación definidas dentro del Convenio de Colaboración Técnica y Cultural para el conocimiento de las Características del Suelo y Subsuelo de Madrid», propiciado y patrocinado por el Excmo. Ayuntamiento. La financiación del proyecto especifico de Geología ha sido realizada íntegramente por el IGME, organismo encargado además de su supervisión. El desarrollo del Proyecto tiene un marcado carácter interdisciplinar, fruto del trasvase de información entre los distintos grupos que abarca el Convenio general (aparte de los ya referidos, el SGOP, COPLACO, Laboratorio «José Luis Escario» siendo precisamente uno de los objetivos del trabajo el servir de apoyo a las restantes áreas de investigación. Los estudios geológicos realizados se plasman en un total de siete mapas a escala 1/25000 elaborados según la normativa Magna de cartografía geológica mapas que toman como referencia, aunque en algunos casos no las completan y en otros adosan porciones de hojas adyacentes, las hojas 1/25000 de Madrid, Alcorcón, El Pardo, San Femando de Henares, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Alcobendas y Castillo de Viñuelas

Engineering the spin conversion in graphene monolayer epitaxial structures

Spin Hall and Rashba-Edelstein effects, which are spin-to-charge conversion phenomena due to spin-orbit coupling (SOC), are attracting increasing interest as pathways to manage rapidly and at low consumption cost the storage and processing of a large amount of data in spintronic devices as well as more efficient energy harvesting by spin-caloritronics devices. Materials with large SOC, such as heavy metals (HMs), are traditionally employed to get large spin-to-charge conversion. More recently, the use of graphene (gr) in proximity with large SOC layers has been proposed as an efficient and tunable spin transport channel. Here, we explore the role of a graphene monolayer between Co and a HM and its interfacial spin transport properties by means of thermo-spin measurements. The gr/HM (Pt and Ta) stacks have been prepared on epitaxial Ir(111)/Co(111) structures grown on sapphire crystals, in which the spin detector (i.e., top HM) and the spin injector (i.e., Co) are all grown in situ under controlled conditions and present clean and sharp interfaces. We find that a gr monolayer retains the spin current injected into the HM from the bottom Co layer. This has been observed by detecting a net reduction in the sum of the spin Seebeck and interfacial contributions due to the presence of gr and independent from the spin Hall angle sign of the HM used

Shared Oncogenic Pathways Implicated in Both Virus-Positive and UV-Induced Merkel Cell Carcinomas

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly malignant neuroendocrine tumor of the skin whose molecular pathogenesis is not completely understood, despite the role that Merkel cell polyomavirus can play in 55e90% of cases. To study potential mechanisms driving this disease in clinically characterized cases, we searched for somatic mutations using whole-exome sequencing, and extrapolated our findings to study functional biomarkers reporting on the activity of the mutated pathways. Confirming previous results, Merkel cell polyomavirus-negative tumors had higher mutational loads with UV signatures and more frequent mutations in TP53 and RB compared with their Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive counterparts. Despite important genetic differences, the two Merkel cell carcinoma etiologies both exhibited nuclear accumulation of oncogenic transcription factors such as NFAT or nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), P-CREB, and P-STAT3, indicating commonly deregulated pathogenic mechanisms with the potential to serve as targets for therapy. A multivariable analysis identified phosphorylated CRE-binding protein as an independent survival factor with respect to clinical variables and Merkel cell polyomavirus status in our cohort of Merkel cell carcinoma patients.This work was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud-Carlos III (ISCIII); cofinanced by the European Union; (FEDER) (PI12/00357), and a Ramón and Cajal research program (MINECO; RYC-2013-14097) to JPV, Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer and ISCIII grants (RD06/0020/0107, RD012/0036/0060) to MAP, and Coordinated Project of Excellence inter-Institutos de investigación acreditados institutes (ISCIII; PIE15/00081) to MAP. The Ramón and Cajal research program also supports IV. SD was supported by the Torres Quevedo subprogram (MICINN; PTQ-12-05391)