CoolBOT: a component-oriented programming framework for robotics

[EN] Programming software for controlling robotic systems in order to built working systems that perform adequately according to their design requirements remains being a task that requires an important development effort. Currently, there are no clear programming paradigms for programming robotic systems, and the programming techniques which are of common use today are not adequate to deal with the complexity associated with these systems. The work presented in this document describes a programming tool, concretely a framework, that must be considered as a first step to devise a tool for dealing with the complexity present in robotics systems. In this framework the software that controls a system is viewed as a dynamic network of units of execution inter-connected by means of data paths. Each one of these units of execution, called a component, is a port automaton which provides a given functionality, hidden behind an external interface specifying clearly which data it needs and which data it produces. Components, once defined and built, may be instantiated, integrated and used as many times as needed in other systems. The framework provides the infrastructure necessary to support this concept for components and the inter communication between them by means of data paths (port connections) which can be established and de-established dynamically. Moreover, and considering that the more robust components that conform a system are, the more robust the system is, the framework provides the necessary infrastructure to control and monitor the components than integrate a system at any given instant of time.

Parasympathetic neural activity accounts for the lowering of exercise heart rate at high altitude

[EN] BACKGROUND: In chronic hypoxia, both heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (Q) are reduced during exercise. The role of parasympathetic neural activity in lowering HR is unresolved, and its influence on Q and oxygen transport at high altitude has never been studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: HR, Q, oxygen uptake, mean arterial pressure, and leg blood flow were determined at rest and during cycle exercise with and without vagal blockade with glycopyrrolate in 7 healthy lowlanders after 9 weeks' residence at >/=5260 m (ALT). At ALT, glycopyrrolate increased resting HR by 80 bpm (73+/-4 to 153+/-4 bpm) compared with 53 bpm (61+/-3 to 114+/-6 bpm) at sea level (SL). During exercise at ALT, glycopyrrolate increased HR by approximately 40 bpm both at submaximal (127+/-4 to 170+/-3 bpm; 118 W) and maximal (141+/-6 to 180+/-2 bpm) exercise, whereas at SL, the increase was only by 16 bpm (137+/-6 to 153+/-4 bpm) at 118 W, with no effect at maximal exercise (181+/-2 bpm). Despite restoration of maximal HR to SL values, glycopyrrolate had no influence on Q, which was reduced at ALT. Breathing FIO(2)=0.55 at peak exercise restored Q and power output to SL values. CONCLUSIONS: Enhanced parasympathetic neural activity accounts for the lowering of HR during exercise at ALT without influencing Q. The abrupt restoration of peak exercise Q in chronic hypoxia to maximal SL values when arterial PO(2) and SO(2) are similarly increased suggests hypoxia-mediated attenuation of Q.

Query Player : a component for Triskel architecture

[ES] Uno de los cinco componentes de la arquitectura triskel,  una base de datos NoSQL que trata de dar solución al problema de Big data de la web semántica, el  gran número de identificadores de recursos que se necesitarían debido al creciente número de sitios web, concretamente el motor de gestión de ejecución de patrones basados en tripletas y en la tecnología RDF. Se encarga de recoger la petición de consulta por parte del intérprete, analizar los patrones que intervienen en la consulta en busca de dependencias explotables entre ellos, y así poder realizar la consulta con mayor rapidez además de ir resolviendo los diferentes patrones contra el almacenamiento, un TripleStore, y devolver el resultado de la petición en una tabla.

Sparql Interpreter : a component for Triskel architecture

[ES] SPARQL Interpreter es uno de los cinco componentes de la Arquitectura Triskel, una arquitectura de software para una base de datos NoSQL que intenta aportar una solución al problema de Big Data en la web semántica. Este componente da solución al problema de la comunicación entre el lenguaje y el motor, interpretando las consultas que se realicen contra el almacenamiento en lenguaje SPARQL y generando una estructura de datos que los componentes inferiores puedan leer y ejecutar.