BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE - Application of an Adaptive Bi-stage Classifier based on RBF-HMM

Brain Computer Interface is an emerging technology that allows new output paths to communicate the users intentions without the use of normal output paths, such as muscles or nerves. In order to obtain their objective, BCI devices make use of classifiers which translate inputs from the users brain signals into commands for external devices. This paper describes an adaptive bi-stage classifier. The first stage is based on Radial Basis Function neural networks, which provides sequences of pre-assignations to the second stage, that it is based on three different Hidden Markov Models, each one trained with pre-assignation sequences from the cognitive activities between classifying. The segment of EEG signal is assigned to the HMMwith the highest probability of generating the pre-assignation sequence. The algorithm is tested with real samples of electroencephalografic signal, from five healthy volunteers using the cross-validation method. The results allow to conclude that it is possible to implement this algorithm in an on-line BCI device. The results also shown the huge dependency of the percentage of the correct classification from the user and the setup parameters of the classifier

Brain Computer Interface. Comparison of Neural Networks Classifiers.

Brain Computer Interface is an emerging technology that allows new output paths to communicate the user’s intentions without use of normal output ways, such as muscles or nerves (Wolpaw, J. R.; et al., 2002).In order to obtain its objective BCI devices shall make use of classifier which translate the inputs provided by user’s brain signal to commands for external devices. The primary uses of this technology will benefit persons with some kind blocking disease as for example: ALS, brainstem stroke, severe cerebral palsy (Donchin et al., 2000).This report describes three different classifiers based on three different types of neural networks: Radial Basis Functions RBF, Probabilistic Neural Networks PNN, and Multi-Layer Perceptions MLP. The report compares the results produced by them in order to obtain conclusions to apply to an on-line BCI device; it also describes the experimental procedure followed in the experiments. As result of the tests carried out on five healthy volunteers an estimation of the success rate for each type of classifier, the type and architecture of the classifier, and filtering windows are established

Feedback effect analysis by comparison of discrimination capability of On-line and Off-line experimental procedures based on LDA

This paper analyses the user’s feedback influence in the mental task discrimination capability through the comparison of results obtained from Off-line and On-line Brain Computer Interface experimental procedures. Experiments performed under these two paradigms were carried out by five male volunteers. In order to develop a wearable BCI device only two electrodes in C3 and C4 zones have been used for electroencephalographic signal acquisition. These procedures apply seven different types of preprocessing windows and Linear Discrimination Analysis technique to reduce the dimension of the feature space before the quantification of the discrimination capability between the proposed mental activities. The discrimination capability is quantified through statistical analysis, based on bilateral contrast test, between the population of the LDA transformed feature vectors

The coupling of motion and conductive heating of a gas by localized energy sources

This paper investigates the time evolution of the near-isobaric flow field produced in a gas after the sudden application of a constant heat flux from a localized energy source. The problems of plane, line, and point heat sources are all investigated, with a power law for the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity, after reduction to a quasi-linear heat equation for the temperature. In the planar and spherical cases, the constant heat flux defines scales for the length and time, which are used to nondimensionalize the problem. Numerical integration is used to provide the evolution of the temperature and velocity, and limiting solutions corresponding to small and large rescaled times are obtained. In the axisymmetric case, due to the absence of characteristic length and time scales, the solution is seen to admit a self-similar description in terms of the nondimensional heat flux. Profiles of temperature and radial velocity are provided for different values of this parameter, and the asymptotic limits of both small and large heating rates are addressed separately. The analysis reveals, in particular, the existence of front solutions when the resulting temperatures become much larger than the initial temperature, as occurs for sufficiently large times for the planar source, for sufficiently small times for the point source, and for sufficiently large heating rates for the line source

Ectoine production from biogas in waste treatment facilities: A techno-economic and sensitivity analysis

Producción CientíficaThe capacity of haloalkaliphilic methanotrophic bacteria to synthesize ectoine from CH4-biogas represents an opportunity for waste treatment plants to improve their economic revenues and align their processes to the incoming circular economy directives. A techno-economic and sensitivity analysis for the bioconversion of biogas into 10 t ectoine·y–1 was conducted in two stages: (I) bioconversion of CH4 into ectoine in a bubble column bioreactor and (II) ectoine purification via ion exchange chromatography. The techno-economic analysis showed high investment (4.2 M€) and operational costs (1.4 M€·y–1). However, the high margin between the ectoine market value (600–1000 €·kg–1) and the estimated ectoine production costs (214 €·kg–1) resulted in a high profitability for the process, with a net present value evaluated at 20 years (NPV20) of 33.6 M€. The cost sensitivity analysis conducted revealed a great influence of equipment and consumable costs on the ectoine production costs. In contrast to alternative biogas valorization into heat and electricity or into low added-value bioproducts, biogas bioconversion into ectoine exhibited high robustness toward changes in energy, water, transportation, and labor costs. The worst- and best-case scenarios evaluated showed ectoine break-even prices ranging from 158 to 275 €·kg–1, ∼3–6 times lower than the current industrial ectoine market value.Junta de Castilla y León - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project CLU 2017-09, UIC 315)Junta de Castilla y León - Universidad de Valladolid (contract C18IPJCL)European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. grant agreement no. 83799

Comunicando que un producto es picante a través de la manipulación de la imagen mostrada en su envase: influencia en las expectativas y percepción en cata del consumidor

El presente documento contiene el proyecto “Comunicando que un producto es picante a través de la manipulación de la imagen mostrada en su envase: influencia en las expectativas y percepción en cata del consumidor”. Este proyecto se ha llevado a cabo en el área de Proyectos de Ingeniería de la Universidad de Zaragoza con Ignacio Gil Pérez como director. Hoy en día existe una enorme competencia entre productos alimenticios del mismo sector, por ello es necesario saber comunicar, mediante el envase, el mensaje correcto sobre el producto. Para ello, el diseñador debe conocer las implicaciones de sus decisiones. En el caso de querer comunicar que un producto alimentario es picante, puede hacerlo a través de distintos símbolos y recursos gráficos (colores, tamaños, etc.). El objetivo del presente TFG es conocer cómo manipular la imagen mostrada en el envase para comunicar que un producto es picante influye en las expectativas y percepción en cata del consumidor. Los productos elegidos para ello fueron unos snacks y una salsa. El proyecto comenzó con un estudio de mercado de los diferentes productos picantes que se pueden encontrar en la actualidad en un supermercado. Debido a la gran variedad de productos picantes existentes, el estudio se centró en dos segmentos, los snacks y las salsas. Al final de esta fase se obtuvieron una serie de conclusiones que facilitaron en gran medida la fase de diseño. A partir del estudio realizado, también se definieron las variables que se analizarán. Fueron dos; “saturación del elemento gráfico mostrado”, basada en una hipótesis, y la variable “elemento gráfico mostrado” que es más de carácter exploratorio. La segunda fase del proyecto consistió en el diseño de los envases que se emplearían para realizar los experimentos. Esta fase incluyó desde el branding hasta los diferentes estímulos que se mostrarán en el envase. Se diseñaron un total de cinco envases (dos de snacks y tres de salsas). Los dos de snacks tenían como objetivo estudiar la influencia de la saturación del elemento que indica que el producto es picante (fuego) en el usuario. Por otro lado, los tres de las salsas nos sirvieron para estudiar cómo de picante percibirá el consumidor que es el producto dependiendo del estímulo que se muestre (fuego, chili o fuego con chili). La tercera fase consistió en diseñar y realizar los experimentos, así como en analizar los resultados obtenidos en ellos. Se diseñaron dos pruebas, una encuesta online, en la que participaron 361 personas con una media de edad de 39,15 años y una cata, en la que se obtuvo una muestra de 121 personas con una edad media de 20,15 años. Tras la realización de los experimentos, se analizaron los datos en busca de conclusiones. Así, se pudo confirmar que, en expectativas, el estímulo de la combinación de fugo con chili, hace percibir el producto más picante que al mostrar sólo el chili. También parece que se pudo confirmar la hipótesis de la variable “saturación del elemento gráfico mostrado”, pero al no tener una relación significativa entre lo estímulos, no se puede concluir totalmente. La última fase fueron las conclusiones del proyecto, en la que se comentaron los resultados obtenidos en él, así como limitaciones encontradas durante su realización y posibles vías de investigación futuras que se han hallado a lo largo de todo el proyecto y que, por diversas razones, no han podido ser investigadas más en profundidad

An approach to the application of shift-and-add algorithms on engineering and industrial processes

Different kinds of algorithms can be chosen so as to compute elementary functions. Among all of them, it is worthwhile mentioning the shift-and-add algorithms due to the fact that they have been specifically designed to be very simple and to save computer resources. In fact, almost the only operations usually involved with these methods are additions and shifts, which can be easily and efficiently performed by a digital processor. Shift-and-add algorithms allow fairly good precision with low cost iterations. The most famous algorithm belonging to this type is CORDIC. CORDIC has the capability of approximating a wide variety of functions with only the help of a slight change in their iterations. In this paper, we will analyze the requirements of some engineering and industrial problems in terms of type of operands and functions to approximate. Then, we will propose the application of shift-and-add algorithms based on CORDIC to these problems. We will make a comparison between the different methods applied in terms of the precision of the results and the number of iterations required.This research was supported by the Conselleria de Educacion of the Valencia Region Government under grant number GV/2011/043

RECLAMO: virtual and collaborative honeynets based on trust management and autonomous systems applied to intrusion management

Security intrusions in large systems is a problem due to its lack of scalability with the current IDS-based approaches. This paper describes the RECLAMO project, where an architecture for an Automated Intrusion Response System (AIRS) is being proposed. This system will infer the most appropriate response for a given attack, taking into account the attack type, context information, and the trust and reputation of the reporting IDSs. RECLAMO is proposing a novel approach: diverting the attack to a specific honeynet that has been dynamically built based on the attack information. Among all components forming the RECLAMO's architecture, this paper is mainly focused on defining a trust and reputation management model, essential to recognize if IDSs are exposing an honest behavior in order to accept their alerts as true. Experimental results confirm that our model helps to encourage or discourage the launch of the automatic reaction process

Lead current reduction in a three phase four wires Shunt Hybrid Filter

Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Composición Arquitectónica 5 y 6

La presente Memoria culmina el trabajo colaborativo del área de conocimiento de Composición Arquitectónica por lo que respecta a las materias de Grado en (Fundamentos en) Arquitectura, al haber definido sus contenidos, sus métodos de aprendizaje y sus sistemas de evaluación para el conjunto de la titulación. Ahora se concretan las dos últimas asignaturas de 5º curso: CA5 y CA6. Por un lado está CA5, cuyo eje fundamental es la definición de criterios para el ejercicio de la crítica de arquitectura, una vez que se ha construido una base de información histórica y teórica en los estudiantes a lo largo de cuatro cursos. Una crítica entendida tanto como sistema de contextualización sobre las obras ejecutadas (del presente o del pasado) y, a la vez, como marco de referencia para someter a evaluación las soluciones que se proponen desde proyecto (desde el presente hacia el futuro). Así pues, crítica entendida como herramienta de análisis tanto como de prospección. Por otro lado está CA6, en la que el eje fundamental es la intervención sobre el patrimonio arquitectónico, sea o no monumental, entendido como una realidad ineludible pues gran parte del trabajo de los arquitectos transita sobre preexistencias en sus muy diversos grados