Análisis y Diseño de Algoritmos de Control Discreto de Sistemas MIMO Lineales y No Lineales Aplicando Técnicas de Control de Estructura Variable

Dentro de las técnicas de control de procesos no lineales, los controladores de estructura variable con modos deslizantes (VSC-SM en sus siglas en inglés) han demostrado ser una solución robusta, por lo cual han sido ampliamente estudiados en las cuatro últimas décadas. Desde los años ochenta se han presentado varios trabajos enfocados a especificar controladores VSC aplicados a sistemas de tiempo discreto (DVSC), siendo uno de los mayores intereses de análisis obtener las mismas prestaciones de robustez e invarianza de los controladores VSC-SM. El objetivo principal del trabajo de Tesis Doctoral consiste en estudiar, analizar y proponer unos esquemas de diseño de controladores DVSC en procesos multivariable tanto lineales como no lineales. De dicho estudio se propone una nueva filosofía de diseño de superficies deslizantes estables donde se han considerado aspectos hasta ahora no estudiados en el uso de DVSC-SM como son las limitaciones físicas de los actuadores y la dinámica deslizante no ideal. Lo más novedoso es 1) la propuesta de una nueva metodología de diseño de superficies deslizantes aplicadas a sistemas MIMO lineales y la extensión del mismo al caso de sistemas multivariables no lineales y 2) la definición de una nueva ley de alcance y de una ley de control robusta aplicada a sistemas MIMO, tanto lineales como no lineales, incluyendo un esquema de reducción de chattering. Finalmente, con el fin de ilustrar la eficiencia de los esquemas presentados, se incluyen ejemplos numéricos relacionados con el tema tratado en cada uno de los capítulos de la memoria. ABSTRACT Over the last four decades, variable structure controllers with sliding mode (VSC-SM) have been extensively studied, demonstrating to be a robust solution among robust nonlinear processes control techniques. Since the late 80s, several research works have been focused on the application of VSC controllers applied to discrete time or sampled data systems, which are known as DVSC-SM, where the most extensive source of analysis has been devoted to the robustness and invariance properties of VSC-SM controllers when applied to discrete systems. The main aim of this doctoral thesis work is to study, analyze and propose a design scheme of DVSC-SM controllers for lineal and nonlinear multivariable discrete time processes. For this purpose, a new design philosophy is proposed, where various design features have been considered that have not been analyzed in DVSC design approaches. Among them, the physical limitations and the nonideal dynamic sliding mode dynamics. The most innovative aspect is the inclusion of a new design methodology applied to lineal sliding surfaces MIMO systems and the extension to nonlinear multivariable systems, in addition to a new robust control law applied to lineal and nonlinear MIMO systems, including a chattering reduction scheme. Finally, to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed schemes, several numerical examples applied to lineal and nonlinear systems are included.

A friendly online C compiler to improve programming skills based on student self-assessment

This paper presents an online C compiler designed so that students can program their practical assignments in Programming courses. What is really innovative is the self-assessment of the exercises based on black-box tests and train students’ skill to test software. Moreover, this tool lets instructors, not only proposing and classifying practical exercises, but also evaluating automatically the efforts dedicated and the results obtained by the students. The system has been applied to the 1st-year students at the Industrial Engineering specialization at the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. Results show that the students obtained better academic performance, reducing the failure rate in the practical exam considerably with respect to previous years, in addition that an anonymous survey proved that students are satisfied with the system because they get instant feedback about their programs.

Cytologically normal cells from neoplastic cervical samples display extensive structural abnormalities on IR spectroscopy: Implications for tumor biology

Fourier-transform IR (FT-IR) spectra of pelleted exfoliated cervical cells from patients with cervical cancer or dysplasia differ from those from normal women. To study the origin of these spectral changes, we obtained the FT-IR spectra of individual cervical cells from normal, dysplastic, and malignant cervical samples. Ninety five percent of normal superficial and intermediate cells displayed two distinct spectral patterns designated A and B, and 5% displayed an intermediate pattern, suggesting extensive structural heterogeneity among these cells. Parabasal and endocervical cells showed pattern B spectra. The spectra of malignant, dysplastic, and other abnormal cells also were characterized. Analysis of FT-IR spectra of over 2,000 individual cells from 10 normal females, 7 females with dysplasia, and 5 females with squamous cell carcinoma revealed that the spectra of normal-appearing intermediate and superficial cells of the cervix from women with either dysplasia or cancer differed from those of normal women. Chemometric and classical spectroscopic analysis showed a continuum of changes paralleling the transition from normalcy to malignancy. These findings suggest that (i) the structural changes underlying the spectroscopic changes are involved in or are a product of cervical carcinogenesis and (ii) the neoplastic process may be more extensive than currently recognized with morphological criteria. This approach may be useful for the structural study of neoplasia and also may be of help in the diagnosis or classification of cervical disorders.

3-Methylcrotonyl-Coenzyme A Carboxylase Is a Component of the Mitochondrial Leucine Catabolic Pathway in Plants1

3-Methylcrotonyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (MCCase) is a mitochondrial biotin-containing enzyme whose metabolic function is not well understood in plants. In soybean (Glycine max) seedlings the organ-specific and developmentally induced changes in MCCase expression are regulated by mechanisms that control the accumulation of MCCase mRNA and the activity of the enzyme. During soybean cotyledon development, when seed-storage proteins are degraded, leucine (Leu) accumulation peaks transiently at 8 d after planting. The coincidence between peak MCCase expression and the decline in Leu content provides correlative evidence that MCCase is involved in the mitochondrial catabolism of Leu. Direct evidence for this conclusion was obtained from radiotracer metabolic studies using extracts from isolated mitochondria. These experiments traced the metabolic fate of [U-14C]Leu and NaH14CO3, the latter of which was incorporated into methylglutaconyl-coenzyme A (CoA) via MCCase. These studies directly demonstrate that plant mitochondria can catabolize Leu via the following scheme: Leu → α-ketoisocaproate → isovaleryl-CoA → 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA → 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA → 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA → acetoacetate + acetyl-CoA. These findings demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that the enzymes responsible for Leu catabolism are present in plant mitochondria. We conclude that a primary metabolic role of MCCase in plants is the catabolism of Leu.

Kikulacho [videorecording] =: The bite within

This documentary shows how Kenyan leaders are to blame for the social injustices suffered by Kenyans since the attainment of independence from the British. The issue of land and land clashes, corruption, irregularities in elections and the constitution are some of the highlights of this documentary.

Commonplace book of Jonathan Belcher, 1725-1727

This leather-bound volume contains excerpts copied by Jonathan Belcher from books he read while he was a student at Harvard. The excerpts come from a variety of sources including periodicals and contemporary publications. The inside cover has Belcher's bookplate with the motto, "Sustine. Abstine." The back cover has some additional personal information including reference to French lessons with "Mr Law Merciers," and notes of the dates when he began certain books/essays.

Performing Pedagogies and Exploring Embodied Knowledge

Performing Pedagogies was a week-long performance and exhibition series I organized that took place in Kingston, Ontario between March 15th - March 20th 2016. The motivation for this project came from a desire to explore performative modes of experiencing critical, embodied knowledge. The series featured five performances, a long distance collaboration between thirty-one Queen’s undergraduate students and a Vancouver artist-run free school (The School for Eventual Vacancy), a subsequent exhibition, a panel discussion, and a radical performance pedagogy workshop led by co-artistic director of the international performance art troupe, La Pocha Nostra. Artists featured included Golboo Amani, Basil AlZeri, Caitlin Chaisson, Justin Langlois, Saul Garcia-Lopez, Francisco-Fernando Granados, and Andrew Rabyniuk. By curating examples of performance art that variously incorporated embodied pedagogical interventions, I examined the processes of performance as pedagogy. Performing Pedagogies explored interventions into contemporary contours of neoliberal education paradigms through embodied encounters—fostering conversations about the meanings and limitations of knowledge dissemination and education today and posing questions about possibilities for radical pedagogies, embodied knowledge, and counter curricula.

Performing Pedagogies and Exploring Embodied Knowledge as Curatorial Investigation

Performing Pedagogies was a week-long performance and exhibition series I organized that took place in Kingston, Ontario between March 15th - March 20th 2016. The motivation for this project came from a desire to explore performative modes of experiencing critical, embodied knowledge. The series featured five performances, a long distance collaboration between thirty-one Queen’s undergraduate students and a Vancouver artist-run free school (The School for Eventual Vacancy), a subsequent exhibition, a panel discussion, and a radical performance pedagogy workshop led by co-artistic director of the international performance art troupe, La Pocha Nostra. Artists featured included Golboo Amani, Basil AlZeri, Caitlin Chaisson, Justin Langlois, Saul Garcia-Lopez, Francisco-Fernando Granados, and Andrew Rabyniuk. By curating examples of performance art that variously incorporated embodied pedagogical interventions, I examined the processes of performance as pedagogy. Performing Pedagogies explored interventions into contemporary contours of neoliberal education paradigms through embodied encounters—fostering conversations about the meanings and limitations of knowledge dissemination and education today and posing questions about possibilities for radical pedagogies, embodied knowledge, and counter curricula.

Eye Gaze and Turn Taking in Aphasia Patients

In every conversation you have, there is an unspoken code – a set of social rules that guide you. When to stop talking, where to look, when to listen and when to talk…

Eye Gaze Behavior at Turn Transition: How Aphasic Patients Process Speakers' Turns during Video Observation

The human turn-taking system regulates the smooth and precise exchange of speaking turns during face-to-face interaction. Recent studies investigated the processing of ongoing turns during conversation by measuring the eye movements of noninvolved observers. The findings suggest that humans shift their gaze in anticipation to the next speaker before the start of the next turn. Moreover, there is evidence that the ability to timely detect turn transitions mainly relies on the lexico-syntactic content provided by the conversation. Consequently, patients with aphasia, who often experience deficits in both semantic and syntactic processing, might encounter difficulties to detect and timely shift their gaze at turn transitions. To test this assumption, we presented video vignettes of natural conversations to aphasic patients and healthy controls, while their eye movements were measured. The frequency and latency of event-related gaze shifts, with respect to the end of the current turn in the videos, were compared between the two groups. Our results suggest that, compared with healthy controls, aphasic patients have a reduced probability to shift their gaze at turn transitions but do not show significantly increased gaze shift latencies. In healthy controls, but not in aphasic patients, the probability to shift the gaze at turn transition was increased when the video content of the current turn had a higher lexico-syntactic complexity. Furthermore, the results from voxel-based lesion symptom mapping indicate that the association between lexico-syntactic complexity and gaze shift latency in aphasic patients is predicted by brain lesions located in the posterior branch of the left arcuate fasciculus. Higher lexico-syntactic processing demands seem to lead to a reduced gaze shift probability in aphasic patients. This finding may represent missed opportunities for patients to place their contributions during everyday conversation.

A handbook for travellers in Japan : including the whole empire from Yezo to Formosa /

Advertisements: 68 p. at end.

The history of the lives of Abeillard and Heloisa : comprising a period of eighty-four years from 1079 to 1163 : with their genuine letters from the collection of Amboise /

The letters (v.2, p. [233]-368) are in English and Latin.