BPSK to ASK signal conversion using injection-locked oscillators-part II: experiment

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of a new circuit for the conversion of binary phase-shift keying signals into amplitude-shift keying signals. In its simplest form, the converter circuit is composed by a power divider, a couple of second harmonic injection-locked oscillators, and a power combiner. The operation of the converter circuit relies on the frequency synchronization of both oscillators and the generation of an interference pattern by combining their outputs, which reproduces the original phase modulation. Two prototypes of the converter have been implemented. The first one is a hybrid version working in the 400-530-MHz frequency range. The second one has been implemented using multichip-module technology, and is intended to work in the 1.8-2.2-GHz frequency range.

Improvement of the quality factor of RF integrated inductors by layout optimization

A systematic method to improve the quality (Q) factor of RF integrated inductors is presented in this paper. The proposed method is based on the layout optimization to minimize the series resistance of the inductor coil, taking into account both ohmic losses, due to conduction currents, and magnetically induced losses, due to eddy currents. The technique is particularly useful when applied to inductors in which the fabrication process includes integration substrate removal. However, it is also applicable to inductors on low-loss substrates. The method optimizes the width of the metal strip for each turn of the inductor coil, leading to a variable strip-width layout. The optimization procedure has been successfully applied to the design of square spiral inductors in a silicon-based multichip-module technology, complemented with silicon micromachining postprocessing. The obtained experimental results corroborate the validity of the proposed method. A Q factor of about 17 have been obtained for a 35-nH inductor at 1.5 GHz, with Q values higher than 40 predicted for a 20-nH inductor working at 3.5 GHz. The latter is up to a 60% better than the best results for a single strip-width inductor working at the same frequency.

Portal web para la empresa Ruben's instalaciones y excavaciones

Este proyecto consiste en el desarrollo de un portal web para una empresa de construcción. Estará formado por una parte pública de cara al cliente que contiene diversa información de la empresa y una sección para contactar con la empresa. Además, tendrá una parte privada de gestión de ciertos aspectos de la empresa como presupuestos y pagos, además de un módulo de estadísticas para el seguimiento. El desarrollo se ha considerado necesario debido al contexto actual y a las carencias detectadas en la empresa.

Gestión de mecanismos Arduino controlados inalámbricamente por dispositivos Android

El objetivo de este proyecto es el de realizar la fabricación de una alarma la cual se puede controlar desde cualquier dispositivo Android, ya que la comunicación se realiza a través de la conexión Bluetooth entre una aplicación Android y una placa Arduino que realiza el control del mecanismo Hardware. A través de la aplicación que se instala en el dispositivo móvil, se puede realitzar el control del prototipo, como la validación del usuario, activación y desactivación de la alarma y enlazar con el módulo Bluetooth.

Gene Ontology Function prediction in Mollicutes using Protein-Protein Association Networks

Abstract Background: Many complex systems can be represented and analysed as networks. The recent availability of large-scale datasets, has made it possible to elucidate some of the organisational principles and rules that govern their function, robustness and evolution. However, one of the main limitations in using protein-protein interactions for function prediction is the availability of interaction data, especially for Mollicutes. If we could harness predicted interactions, such as those from a Protein-Protein Association Networks (PPAN), combining several protein-protein network function-inference methods with semantic similarity calculations, the use of protein-protein interactions for functional inference in this species would become more potentially useful. Results: In this work we show that using PPAN data combined with other approximations, such as functional module detection, orthology exploitation methods and Gene Ontology (GO)-based information measures helps to predict protein function in Mycoplasma genitalium. Conclusions: To our knowledge, the proposed method is the first that combines functional module detection among species, exploiting an orthology procedure and using information theory-based GO semantic similarity in PPAN of the Mycoplasma species. The results of an evaluation show a higher recall than previously reported methods that focused on only one organism network.

El valor de l'educació en societats de canvi

Pensar l'educació del futur, l'educació de la condició humana de què parla Edgar Morin, porta a pensar que la pedagogia ha d'estar vinculada a la vida a fi de reflexionar sobre l'educació com a fet humà i alhora mostrar l'humanisme de l'educació. La realitat com a referent de la pedagogia, perquè és a través de l'anàlisi d'aquesta realitat que es troben les raons del pensar una educació humanament contextualitzada, projecció d'utopies pedagògiques, o d'una pedagogia que projecta l'educació en valors humans com a utopia possible en el món. També, educació de la utopia perquè és ideació ètica que neix de la responsabilitat del jo i el nosaltres amb la vida humana, amb el benestar, amb la justícia i la felicitat per a tothom. És el desig d'una pedagogia política, en el sentit d'un fer no reduït al discurs sinó que és acció. Pedagogia que en el seu pensar l'educació s'allunya dels conformismes paralitzadors, no desvia la mirada, ni es subjecta a silencis. És aquest pensar pedagògic, que obre al sentir d'una educació que sap del valor del món i té present la dignitat humana. En aquesta orientació és una educació compromesa amb la formació de ciutadanes i ciutadans que contribuiran a la transformació de les societats polaritzades, desiguals, injustes. Educació, per tant, que promou la reflexió ètica per desvelar el món i comprendre el com i el perquè de les experiències d'opressió, de violència, d'insostenibilitat, etc. Al mateix temps educació per aprendre a aprendre a traçar els camins dels valors humans conformadors d'altres realitats que siguin justes.

La crisi en l'experiència educativa

Situat en una concepció educativa que busca la crisi per créixer humanament, el text fa desfilar els elements que segons l’autora nuen l’experiència educativa amb la realitat present amb la qual conviuen, posant de relleu la configuració d’un quasidiscurs que intenta segrestar la crisi necessària per a l’aprenentatge. No obstant, la reflexió planteja que més enllà de la lògica de relats i pràctiques incapacitadores també hi ha espais, temps i elements, com la humilitat i la indisciplina, que permeten que la potencialitat educativa de la crisi no desaparegui de l’experiència vital de cada criatura.

A Robust Multiple Feature Approach To Endpoint Detection In Car Environment Based On Advanced Classifiers

In this paper we propose an endpoint detection system based on the use of several features extracted from each speech frame, followed by a robust classifier (i.e Adaboost and Bagging of decision trees, and a multilayer perceptron) and a finite state automata (FSA). We present results for four different classifiers. The FSA module consisted of a 4-state decision logic that filtered false alarms and false positives. We compare the use of four different classifiers in this task. The look ahead of the method that we propose was of 7 frames, which are the number of frames that maximized the accuracy of the system. The system was tested with real signals recorded inside a car, with signal to noise ratio that ranged from 6 dB to 30dB. Finally we present experimental results demonstrating that the system yields robust endpoint detection.

Telemedicine Experience for Chronic Care in COPD

Information and telecommunication technologies are called to play a major role in the changes that healthcare systems have to face to cope with chronic disease. This paper reports a telemedicine experience for the home care of chronic patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and an integrated system designed to carry out this experience. To determine the impact on health, the chronic care telemedicine system was used during one year (2002) with 157 COPD patients in a clinical experiment; endpoints were readmissions and mortality. Patients in the intervention group were followed up at their homes and could contact the care team at any time through the call center. The care team shared a unique electronic chronic patient record (ECPR) accessible through the web-based patient management module or the home visit units. Results suggest that integrated home telemedicine services can support health professionals caring for patients with chronic disease, and improve their health.We have found that simple telemedicine services (ubiquitous access to ECPR, ECPR shared by care team, accessibility to case manager, problem reporting integrated in ECPR) can increase the number of patients that were not readmitted (51% intervention, 33% control), are acceptable to professionals, and involve low installation and exploitation costs. Further research is needed to determine the role of telemonitoring and televisit services for this kind of patients.

La paulatina incorporación del estándar CERIF al diseño de sistemas integrados de gestión científica

Núria Cuní y Juan Pedro Belchi, representantes del Consorcio Sigma Gestión Universitaria, miembro institucional de euroCRIS, hablaron de sus previsiones para la incorporación de CERIF al desarrollo de su módulo Argos para sistemas CRIS universitarios, previa descripción de la aplicación de Argos a la integración de diversos sistemas institucionales en la Universitat Pompeu Fabra. El trabajo de implantación de Argos en la UPF incluyó la puesta a punto del estándar CVN, y en la presentación se relacionó dicho proyecto CVN con la adaptación progresiva del modelo de datos de Argos hacia CERIF.

A Secure Mobile-based Authentication System

Financial information is extremely sensitive. Hence, electronic banking must provide a robust system to authenticate its customers and let them access their data remotely. On the other hand, such system must be usable, affordable, and portable.We propose a challengeresponse based one-time password (OTP) scheme that uses symmetriccryptography in combination with a hardware security module. The proposed protocol safeguards passwords from keyloggers and phishing attacks.Besides, this solution provides convenient mobility for users who want to bank online anytime and anywhere, not just from their owntrusted computers.

High-performance payload data handling system for Gaia

Gaia is the most ambitious space astrometry mission currently envisaged and is a technological challenge in all its aspects. We describe a proposal for the payload data handling system of Gaia, as an example of a high-performance, real-time, concurrent, and pipelined data system. This proposal includes the front-end systems for the instrumentation, the data acquisition and management modules, the star data processing modules, and the payload data handling unit. We also review other payload and service module elements and we illustrate a data flux proposal.

Implementación de una herramienta de gestión de cambios dentro del ERP eSengoⓇ, e introducción al ERP eSengoⓇ y al framework SherpaBeansⓇ

Esta memoria trata sobre la implementación de un gestor de peticiones de cambio, basado en los estándares definidos por ITIL. Este gestor se implementa dentro del ERP eSengo, desarrollado por Isencia S.L. También se hace una breve explicación sobre los submódulos que han sido necesarios y los estados de flujo de ejecución del gestor. Además se explican características sobre el ERP eSengo y sobre la plataforma basada en Java Beans, SherpaBeans, también desarrollada por Isencia, a parte de enumerar las tecnologías que esta plataforma utiliza.

MPRO-Spanish: development and experiments with a linguistic parser for Spanish texts

This paper describes the main features and present results of MPRO-Spanish, a parser for morphological and syntactic analysis of unrestricted Spanish text developed at the IAI1. This parser makes direct use of X-phrase structure rules to handle a variety of patterns from derivational morphology and syntactic structure. Both analyses, morphological and syntactic, are realised by two subsequent modules. One module analyses and disambiguates the source words at morphological level while the other consists of a series of programs and a deterministic, procedural and explicit grammar. The article explains the main features of MPRO and resumes some of the experiments on some of its applications, some of which still being implemented like the monolingual and bilingual term extraction while others need further work like indexing. The results and applications obtained so far with simple and relatively complex sentences give us grounds to believe in its reliability.