FTT-MA: A Flexible Time-Triggered Middleware Architecture for Time Sensitive, Resource-Aware AmI Systems

There is an increasing number of Ambient Intelligence (AmI) systems that are time-sensitive and resource-aware. From healthcare to building and even home/office automation, it is now common to find systems combining interactive and sensing multimedia traffic with relatively simple sensors and actuators (door locks, presence detectors, RFIDs, HVAC, information panels, etc.). Many of these are today known as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Quite frequently, these systems must be capable of (1) prioritizing different traffic flows (process data, alarms, non-critical data, etc.), (2) synchronizing actions in several distributed devices and, to certain degree, (3) easing resource management (e.g., detecting faulty nodes, managing battery levels, handling overloads, etc.). This work presents FTT-MA, a high-level middleware architecture aimed at easing the design, deployment and operation of such AmI systems. FTT-MA ensures that both functional and non-functional aspects of the applications are met even during reconfiguration stages. The paper also proposes a methodology, together with a design tool, to create this kind of systems. Finally, a sample case study is presented that illustrates the use of the middleware and the methodology proposed in the paper.

Income risk of EU coal-fired power plants after Kyoto

Coal-fired power plants may enjoy a significant advantage relative to gas plants in terms of cheaper fuel cost. Still, this advantage may erode or even turn into disadvantage depending on CO2 emission allowance price. This price will presumably rise in both the Kyoto Protocol commitment period (2008-2012) and the first post-Kyoto years. Thus, in a carbon-constrained environment, coal plants face financial risks arising in their profit margins, which in turn hinge on their so-called "clean dark spread". These risks are further reinforced when the price of the output electricity is determined by natural gas-fired plants' marginal costs, which differ from coal plants' costs. We aim to assess the risks in coal plants' margins. We adopt parameter values estimated from empirical data. These in turn are derived from natural gas and electricity markets alongside the EU ETS market where emission allowances are traded. Monte Carlo simulation allows to compute the expected value and risk profile of coal-based electricity generation. We focus on the clean dark spread in both time periods under different future scenarios in the allowance market. Specifically, bottom 5% and 10% percentiles are derived. According to our results, certain future paths of the allowance price may impose significant risks on the clean dark spread obtained by coal plants.

Resumen de las Memorias de Jaime de Urkijo, por Luis Ruiz de Aguirre.

Fecha: >1970 / Unidad de instalación: Carpeta 53 - Expediente 10-1 / Nº de pág.: 14 (manuscritas)

Separatas de artículos de los que es autor Miguel Pelay Orozko, quien dedica alguno de ellos a Luis Ruiz de Aguirre.

Fecha: 1971-1972 / Unidad de instalación: Carpeta 48 - Expediente 7-17 / Nº de pág.: 8 (mecanografiadas)

Informe remitido por los sacerdotes Luis de Aguirre y Eugenio de Larrañaga a Alberto de Onaindia.

Fecha: 7-1939 / Unidad de instalación: Carpeta 45 - Expediente 2-10 / Nº de pág.: 7 (mecanografiadas)

Presencia equilibrada entre mujeres y hombres en consejos de administración: identificación de los Stakeholders

[ES] En España, la reciente normativa ha convertido la presencia equilibrada de mujeres y hombres en los Consejos de Administración en un elemento a incorporar en la gestión empresarial. El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar los grupos de interés (stakeholders) que demandan a las empresas esta presencia equilibrada utilizando la metodología de Mitchell et al. (1997) y Agle et al. (1999).

Astarloaren sintaxia eta hitz ordena naturala

[EN] This paper examines the syntactic ideas of Pablo Pedro Astarloa (1752-1806) as he explained in his Discursos filosóficos sobre la lengua primitiva (1805), and tries to put them in the context of the debate between rationalists and sensualists, who argued whether there is a «natural order» of words. Astarloa developed a system for accounting the word order in the primitive language of mankind (and hence in the Basque language) founded in three types of «nobleness», and in the principle that the noblest element precedes the less noble one. The first type (nobleza de origen) orders words according to their meaning. The second type (nobleza de ministerio) orders words according to the part of speech they belong to, or the semantic function they have. Finally, the third type (nobleza de mérito or de movilidad) considers the will for communication and, as a result, word order reflects the information structure. Moreover Astarloa ’s three types of nobleness are arranged in a hierarchy of superiority: movilidad > ministerio > origen. So Astarloa ’s syntax appears near to sensualists ’ conceptions on word order because it did not appeal for a fixed natural order of words; instead he proposed a variable word order based mainly on the communicative process.

Nueva documentación sobre el primer nacionalismo vasco: correspondencia inédita de Sabino Arana con Luis de Eleizalde (1900-1902)

[ES] En el Archivo General de la Universidad de Navarra, dentro del Fondo Luis de Eleizalde, se conservan un telegrama y ocho cartas de Sabino Arana Goiri al propio Eleizalde, fechadas entre el 3 de diciembre de 1900 y el 21 de agosto de 1902. Se trata de una documentación inédita, de gran interés para conocer diversos aspectos de la ideología y la acción política y cultural del fundador del nacionalismo vasco en los últimos años de su vida. Las cartas aportan nuevos datos sobre las difíciles relaciones de Arana con los fueristas del semanario Euskalduna, su participación en el Congreso de Hendaya para la unificación ortográfica del euskera, las publicaciones periódicas creadas por él (en especial la revista cultural Euzkadi), su controvertida evolución españolista de 1902, etc.

Carta enviada por Luis Aberasturi a Justo Garate en 1974

1 carta (mecanografiada) ; 215x280mm. Ubicación: Caja 1 - Carpeta 1

The Economics of "Why is it so hard to save a threatened Language?"

We study the language choice behavior of bilingual speakers in modern societies, such as the Basque Country, Ireland andWales. These countries have two o cial languages:A, spoken by all, and B, spoken by a minority. We think of the bilinguals in those societies as a population playing repeatedly a Bayesian game in which, they must choose strategically the language, A or B, that might be used in the interaction. The choice has to be made under imperfect information about the linguistic type of the interlocutors. We take the Nash equilibrium of the language use game as a model for real life language choice behavior. It is shown that the predictions made with this model t very well the data about the actual use, contained in the censuses, of Basque, Irish and Welsh languages. Then the question posed by Fishman (2001),which appears in the title, is answered as follows: it is hard, mainly, because bilingual speakers have reached an equilibrium which is evolutionary stable. This means that to solve fast and in a re ex manner their frequent language coordination problem, bilinguals have developed linguistic conventions based chie y on the strategy 'Use the same language as your interlocutor', which weakens the actual use of B.1

The forward problem for the electromagnetic Helmholtz equation

157 p.

Carta enviada por Luis Arregi a Justo Garate en 1988

1 carta (manuscrita) ; 161x225mm. Ubicación: Caja 1 - Carpeta 57

The Economics of Gasification: A Market-Based Approach

This paper deals with the economics of gasification facilities in general and IGCC power plants in particular. Regarding the prospects of these systems, passing the technological test is one thing, passing the economic test can be quite another. In this respect, traditional valuations assume constant input and/or output prices. Since this is hardly realistic, we allow for uncertainty in prices. We naturally look at the markets where many of the products involved are regularly traded. Futures markets on commodities are particularly useful for valuing uncertain future cash flows. Thus, revenues and variable costs can be assessed by means of sound financial concepts and actual market data. On the other hand, these complex systems provide a number of flexibility options (e.g., to choose among several inputs, outputs, modes of operation, etc.). Typically, flexibility contributes significantly to the overall value of real assets. Indeed, maximization of the asset value requires the optimal exercise of any flexibility option available. Yet the economic value of flexibility is elusive, the more so under (price) uncertainty. And the right choice of input fuels and/or output products is a main concern for the facility managers. As a particular application, we deal with the valuation of input flexibility. We follow the Real Options approach. In addition to economic variables, we also address technical and environmental issues such as energy efficiency, utility performance characteristics and emissions (note that carbon constraints are looming). Lastly, a brief introduction to some stochastic processes suitable for valuation purposes is provided.

Luis Badosa: vida y obra. Aproximación a la obra pictórica a través de su vivencia

487 p. : il., col.

Lignin extraction, purification and depolymerization study

280 p. : il.