Parallelizing remote sensing image geometric correction

Remote sensing spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions of images, acquired over a reasonably sized image extent, result in imagery that can be processed to represent land cover over large areas with an amount of spatial detail that is very attractive for monitoring, management, and scienti c activities. With Moore's Law alive and well, more and more parallelism is introduced into all computing platforms, at all levels of integration and programming to achieve higher performance and energy e ciency. Being the geometric calibration process one of the most time consuming processes when using remote sensing images, the aim of this work is to accelerate this process by taking advantage of new computing architectures and technologies, specially focusing in exploiting computation over shared memory multi-threading hardware. A parallel implementation of the most time consuming process in the remote sensing geometric correction has been implemented using OpenMP directives. This work compares the performance of the original serial binary versus the parallelized implementation, using several multi-threaded modern CPU architectures, discussing about the approach to nd the optimum hardware for a cost-e ective execution.

shoPOIng : gestor de POIs per dispositius Android

Aplicació per emmagatzemar les direccions dels llocs d'interès de l'usuari amb l'objectiu de substituir els targeters tradicionals. La seva funcionalitat inclou poder gestionar-los, compartir-los a través del correu electrònic i classificar-los, amb una sèrie de categories i paraules clau per després poder geoposicionar-los i traçar rutes entre els diferents punts des de la ubicació on es troba l'usuari.

Desarrollo de un videojuego Android : P.U Pets

El proyecto P.U Pets se trata de un videojuego que será desarrollado para la plataforma Android y que constará de 5 fases/niveles completos.

Gestió de comandes amb dispositius Android

Projecte empresarial que proporciona un accés a un servidor central de l'empresa i permet a un venedor gestionar les comandes realitzades amb un client, amb informació dels productes i clients, i enviar-les en el mateix moment al servidor per a la seva tramitació.

SharingTools : Aplicació Android per a l'intercanvi d'eines

El projecte final de carrera SharingTools tracta sobre la construcció d'una aplicació per a la plataforma Android, la qual permet als usuaris compartir eines amb altres persones. L'aplicació utilitza el posicionament per xarxa i la càmara dels dispositius.

MROGear App para dispositivos Android

Desarollo e implementación de una aplicación híbrida para dispositivos móviles Android.

Aprendiendo coreano : Desenvolupament d'una aplicació Android per a l'aprenentatge de coreà

Aquest projecte consisteix en el desenvolupament d'una aplicació per a dispositius mòbils que facilita l'aprenentatge de coreà per a estudiants castellanoparlants.

Jugando con Android : acciones

El proyecto global está enfocado al aprendizaje del desarrollo de aplicaciones para el sistema operativo Android. Para ello, se pretende realizar una aplicación a través de la cual se puedan adquirir conocimientos de los diversos componentes que forman la estructura de la plataforma. Con ello, este proyecto pretende también ser una pequeña guía para aquellas personas que, cómo nosotros, pretenden iniciarse en el desarrollo de aplicaciones para Android. La aplicación desarrollada será un juego del género lucha, para uno o dos jugadores en el mismo terminal.

Active learning methods for remote sensing image classification

In this paper, we propose two active learning algorithms for semiautomatic definition of training samples in remote sensing image classification. Based on predefined heuristics, the classifier ranks the unlabeled pixels and automatically chooses those that are considered the most valuable for its improvement. Once the pixels have been selected, the analyst labels them manually and the process is iterated. Starting with a small and nonoptimal training set, the model itself builds the optimal set of samples which minimizes the classification error. We have applied the proposed algorithms to a variety of remote sensing data, including very high resolution and hyperspectral images, using support vector machines. Experimental results confirm the consistency of the methods. The required number of training samples can be reduced to 10% using the methods proposed, reaching the same level of accuracy as larger data sets. A comparison with a state-of-the-art active learning method, margin sampling, is provided, highlighting advantages of the methods proposed. The effect of spatial resolution and separability of the classes on the quality of the selection of pixels is also discussed.

Calcium-sensing receptors modulate renin release in vivo and in vitro in the rat.

OBJECTIVES: Calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) have been localized in the juxtaglomerular apparatus where they may contribute to the regulation of renin release. In the present study, we investigated the in-vitro and in-vivo effects of the calcimimetic R-568 on renin release. METHODS: In vitro, the effect of calcimimetics on renin release was assessed by incubating freshly isolated rat juxtaglomerular cells with or without R-568 (1 and 10 mumol/l) in serum-free medium in the presence or absence of forskolin or CaCl2. In vivo, we measured the impact of R-568 (20 ng/min intravenously) on the acute changes in plasma renin activity (PRA) induced by either a 90 min infusion of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor captopril, or the beta-receptor agonist isoproterenol, or of a vehicle in or after a furosemide challenge in conscious Wistar rats. RESULTS: In vitro, R-568 dose-dependently blunted renin release, but also reduced the increase in renin due to forskolin (P < 0.01). Both isoproterenol and enalapril increased in vivo PRA to 3.1 +/- 0.3 and 3.7 +/- 0.5 ng Ang I/ml per h, respectively (P < 0.01), compared with vehicle (1.5 +/- 0.2 ng Ang I/ml per h). R-568 significantly reduced PRA to 2.1 +/- 0.1 ng/ml per h in isoproterenol-treated rats and to 1.6 +/- 0.2 ng/ml per h in enalapril-treated rats (P < 0.05). In low-salt treated animals, acute infusion of furosemide increased PRA from 8.7 +/- 3.2 to 18.6 +/- 2.3, whereas R-568 partially blunted this rise to 11.2 +/- 1.5 (P = 0.02). In vivo, R-568 significantly lowered serum calcium and PTH1-84, but the drug-induced changes in PRA were independent of the changes in calcium and parathyroid hormone. CONCLUSION: After the recent discovery of CaSRs in juxtaglomerular cells of mice, our results confirm the presence of such receptors in rats and demonstrate that these receptors modulate renin release both in vitro and in vivo. This suggests that CaSRs play a role as a regulatory pathway of renin release.

Impact of quorum sensing on fitness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, cell-cell communication based on N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal molecules (termed quorum sensing) is known to control the production of extracellular virulence factors. Hence, in pathogenic interactions with host organisms, the quorum-sensing (QS) machinery can confer a selective advantage on P. aeruginosa. However, as shown by transcriptomic and proteomic studies, many intracellular metabolic functions are also regulated by quorum sensing. Some of these serve to regenerate the AHL precursors methionine and S-adenosyl-methionine and to degrade adenosine via inosine and hypoxanthine. The fact that a significant percentage of clinical and environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa is defective for QS because of mutation in the major QS regulatory gene lasR, raises the question of whether the QS machinery can have a negative impact on the organism's fitness. In vitro, lasR mutants have a higher probability to escape lytic death in stationary phase under alkaline conditions than has the QS-proficient wild type. Similar selective forces might also operate in natural environments.

Two GacA-dependent small RNAs modulate the quorum-sensing response in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the GacS/GacA two-component system positively controls the quorum-sensing machinery and the expression of extracellular products via two small regulatory RNAs, RsmY and RsmZ. An rsmY rsmZ double mutant and a gacA mutant were similarly impaired in the synthesis of the quorum-sensing signal N-butanoyl-homoserine lactone, the disulfide bond-forming enzyme DsbA, and the exoproducts hydrogen cyanide, pyocyanin, elastase, chitinase (ChiC), and chitin-binding protein (CbpD). Both mutants showed increased swarming ability, azurin release, and early biofilm development.

Architectural and Functional Similarities between Trimeric ATP-Gated P2X Receptors and Acid-Sensing Ion Channels

ATP-gated P2X receptors and acid-sensing ion channels are two distinct ligand-gated ion channels that assemble into trimers. They are involved in many important physiological functions such as pain sensation and are recognized as important therapeutic targets. They have unrelated primary structures and respond to different ligands (ATP and protons) and are thus considered as two different ion channels. As a consequence, comparisons of the biophysical properties and underlying mechanisms have only been rarely made between these two channels. However, the recent determination of their molecular structures by X-ray crystallography has revealed unexpected parallels in the architecture of the two pores, providing a basis for possible functional analogies. In this review, we analyze the structural and functional similarities that are shared by these trimeric ion channels, and we outline key unanswered questions that, if addressed experimentally, may help us to elucidate how two unrelated ion channels have adopted a similar fold of the pore.