Dynamics of a viscous vesicle in linear flows

An analytical theory is developed to describe the dynamics of a closed lipid bilayer membrane (vesicle) freely suspended in a general linear flow. Considering a nearly spherical shape, the solution to the creeping-flow equations is obtained as a regular perturbation expansion in the excess area. The analysis takes into account the membrane fluidity, incompressibility and resistance to bending. The constraint for a fixed total area leads to a non-linear shape evolution equation at leading order. As a result two regimes of vesicle behavior, tank-treading and tumbling, are predicted depending on the viscosity contrast between interior and exterior fluid. Below a critical viscosity contrast, which depends on the excess area, the vesicle deforms into a tank--treading ellipsoid, whose orientation angle with respect to the flow direction is independent of the membrane bending rigidity. In the tumbling regime, the vesicle exhibits periodic shape deformations with a frequency that increases with the viscosity contrast. Non-Newtonian rheology such as normal stresses is predicted for a dilute suspension of vesicles. The theory is in good agreement with published experimental data for vesicle behavior in simple shear flow

Quantum spherical spin models

A recently introduced class of quantum spherical spin models is considered in detail. Since the spherical constraint already contains a kinetic part, the Hamiltonian need not have kinetic term. As a consequence, situations with or without momenta in the Hamiltonian can be described, which may lead to different symmetry classes. Two models that show this difference are analyzed. Both models are exactly solvable and their phase diagram is analyzed. A transversal external field leads to a phase transition line that ends in a quantum critical point. The two considered symmetries of the Hamiltonian considered give different critical phenomena in the quantum critical region. The model with momenta is argued to be analog to the large-N limit of an SU(N) Heisenberg ferromagnet, and the model without momenta shares the critical phenomena of an SU(N) Heisenberg antiferromagnet.Comment: 22 page

Bath Assisted Cooling of Spins

A suitable sequence of sharp pulses applied to a spin coupled to a bosonic bath can cool its state, i.e., increase its polarization or ground state occupation probability. Starting from an unpolarized state of the spin in equilibrium with the bath, one can reach very low temperatures or sizeable polarizations within a time shorter than the decoherence time. Both the bath and external fields are necessary for the effect which comes from the backreaction of the spin on the bath. This method can be applied to cool at once a disordered ensemble of spins. Since the bath is crucial for this mechanism, the cooling limits are set by the strength of its interaction with the spin(s).Comment: 4 pages. Accepted in PR

A MDD Strategy for developing Context-Aware Pervasive Systems

This master thesis proposes a methodological approach to develop context-aware pervasive systems based on ontologies and the Model-Driven Development (MDD) guidelines.Serral Asensio, E. (2008). A MDD Strategy for developing Context-Aware Pervasive Systems. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/12446Archivo delegad

Modeling IoT-aware Business Processes - A State of the Art Report

This research report presents an analysis of the state of the art of modeling Internet of Things (IoT)-aware business processes. IOT links the physical world to the digital world. Traditionally, we would find information about events and processes in the physical world in the digital world entered by humans and humans using this information to control the physical world. In the IoT paradigm, the physical world is equipped with sensors and actuators to create a direct link with the digital world. Business processes are used to coordinate a complex environment including multiple actors for a common goal, typically in the context of administrative work. In the past few years, we have seen research efforts on the possibilities to model IoT- aware business processes, extending process coordination to real world entities directly. This set of research efforts is relatively small when compared to the overall research effort into the IoT and much of the work is still in the early research stage. To create a basis for a bridge between IoT and BPM, the goal of this report is to collect and analyze the state of the art of existing frameworks for modeling IoT-aware business processes.Comment: 42 page

Kind mobile notifications for healthcare professionals

[EN] The inclusion of the Internet of Things in healthcare is producing numerous automatic notifications for health professionals. These notifications must be delivered in the right moment and in the right way to be appropriately attended, and at the same time, ensuring no important task is interrupted. In this work, we have applied a human-centred design method to deal with this issue. By collaborating with health professionals in Belgium, we have designed and validated DELICATE, a conceptual framework that categorizes the different attention needs for each notification, and links them with the delivery mechanisms that are more appropriate for each particular context. As an aid for designers, we also define methodological guidelines to clearly determine how DELICATE can be used to develop a notification system. Finally, as a proof-of-concept validation of the framework, we have implemented it in an Android application and tested it using real scenarios. This validation has shown that DELICATE can be used to design a notification system that delivers kind healthcare notifications.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: Pedro Valderas's work has been developed with the financial support of the Spanish State Research Agency under the project TIN2017-84094-R and co-financed with ERDF. Estefania Serral and Jan Derboven's work has been supported by IMEC funding.Serral, E.; Valderas, P.; Derboven, J. (2020). Kind mobile notifications for healthcare professionals. Health Informatics Journal. 26(3):1516-1537. https://doi.org/10.1177/1460458219884184S15161537263Sasangohar, F., Donmez, B., Trbovich, P., & Easty, A. C. (2012). Not All Interruptions are Created Equal: Positive Interruptions in Healthcare. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 56(1), 824-828. doi:10.1177/1071181312561172McFarlane DC. Interruption of people in human-computer interaction: a general unifying definition of human interruption and taxonomy. Technical report, Office of Naval Research, Arlington VA, 31 December 1997.Ross, D. T., & Schoman, K. E. (1977). Structured Analysis for Requirements Definition. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, SE-3(1), 6-15. doi:10.1109/tse.1977.229899Gulliksen, J., Göransson, B., Boivie, I., Blomkvist, S., Persson, J., & Cajander, Å. (2003). Key principles for user-centred systems design. Behaviour & Information Technology, 22(6), 397-409. doi:10.1080/01449290310001624329Beyer, H. R., & Holtzblatt, K. (1995). Apprenticing with the customer. Communications of the ACM, 38(5), 45-52. doi:10.1145/203356.203365Christel, M. G., & Kang, K. C. (1992). Issues in Requirements Elicitation. doi:10.21236/ada25893

Topology of the European Network of Earth Observation Networks and the need for an European Network of Networks

Research programe: Ecosystems Services and Management (ESM)ConnectinGEO (Coordinating an Observation Network of Networks EnCompassing saTellite and IN-situ to fill the Gaps in European Observations" is an H2020 Coordination and Support Action with the primary goal of linking existing Earth Observation networks with science and technology (S&T) communities, the industry sector, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), and Copernicus. The project will end in February 2017. ConnectinGEO will initiate a European Network of Earth Observation Networks (ENEON) that will encompass space-based, airborne and in-situ observations networks. ENEON will be composed of project partners representing thematic observation networks along with the GEOSS Science and Technology Stakeholder Network, GEO Communities of Practices, Copernicus services, Sentinel missions and in-situ support data representatives, representatives of the European space-based, airborne and in-situ observations networks. This communication presents the complex panorama of Earth Observations Networks in Europe. The list of networks is classified by discipline, variables, geospatial scope, etc. We also capture the membership and relations with other networks and umbrella organizations like GEO. The result is a complex interrelation between networks that can not be clearly expressed in a flat list. Technically the networks can be represented as nodes with relations between them as lines connecting the nodes in a graph. We have chosen RDF as a language and an AllegroGraph 3.3 triple store that is visualized in several ways using for example Gruff 5.7. Our final aim is to identify gaps in the EO Networks and justify the need for a more structured coordination between them

ConnectinGEO dissemination and exploitation plan

EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation (SC5-18a-2014 - H2020)H2020 Project Nr: 641538. Project start date: 01 Feb 2015Project title: Coordinating an Observation Network of Networks EnCompassing saTellite and IN-situ to fill the Gaps in European Observations.Theme: SC5-18a-2014. Coordinating European Observation Networks to reinforce the knowledge base for climate, natural resources and raw materials.Description of the ConnectinGEO dissemination and exploitation plan elaborated during the project. This will be done both as outreach and in a collaborative feedback environment

Results of the data management plan (DMP) and report on the participation in the pilot on open research data in Horizon 2020

Revision and description of the results of the Data Management Plan (DMP) and participation in the Pilot on Open Research Data in Horizon 2020 as requested in http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/grants_manual/hi/oa_pilot/h2020-hi-oa-data-mgt_en.pdf. The review will be conducted in collaboration with WP1 and WP5