Fuzzy logic algorithm to extract specific interaction forces from atomic force microscopy data

The atomic force microscope is not only a very convenient tool for studying the topography of different samples, but it can also be used to measure specific binding forces between molecules. For this purpose, one type of molecule is attached to the tip and the other one to the substrate. Approaching the tip to the substrate allows the molecules to bind together. Retracting the tip breaks the newly formed bond. The rupture of a specific bond appears in the force-distance curves as a spike from which the binding force can be deduced. In this article we present an algorithm to automatically process force-distance curves in order to obtain bond strength histograms. The algorithm is based on a fuzzy logic approach that permits an evaluation of "quality" for every event and makes the detection procedure much faster compared to a manual selection. In this article, the software has been applied to measure the binding strength between tubuline and microtubuline associated proteins.

Maximum likelihood Linear Programming Data Fusion for Speaker Recognition

Biometric system performance can be improved by means of data fusion. Several kinds of information can be fused in order to obtain a more accurate classification (identification or verification) of an input sample. In this paper we present a method for computing the weights in a weighted sum fusion for score combinations, by means of a likelihood model. The maximum likelihood estimation is set as a linear programming problem. The scores are derived from a GMM classifier working on a different feature extractor. Our experimental results assesed the robustness of the system in front a changes on time (different sessions) and robustness in front a change of microphone. The improvements obtained were significantly better (error bars of two standard deviations) than a uniform weighted sum or a uniform weighted product or the best single classifier. The proposed method scales computationaly with the number of scores to be fussioned as the simplex method for linear programming.

Implantació d'un sistema SCADA en una cèl·lula flexible de fabricació

La Universitat de Vic disposa, entre altres equips, d’una cèl·lula flexible de fabricació, del fabricant Festo, que simula un procés de formació de palets amb els productes que es disposen en un magatzem intermedi. Aquesta cèl·lula està composta de quatre estacions de muntatge diferenciades (càrrega de palets, càrrega de plaques, magatzem intermedi i transport). Cada una disposa d'un PLC SIEMENS S7-300 per la seva automatització, i tots aquests es troben interconnectats amb una xarxa industrial Profibus. L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és implantar el sistema SCADA Vijeo Citect pel control i supervisió de l'estació magatzem d'aquesta cèl·lula flexible de fabricació, establint també un intercanvi de dades entre l'SCADA i el Microsoft Access, per poder ser utilitzat per la docència. Aquest projecte s'ha desenvolupat en cinc fases diferents: 1. La primera fase s'ha dedicat a l'automatització pròpiament de l'estació magatzem a partir de l'autòmat programable Siemens S7-300 i complint amb les necessitats plantejades. 2. En la segona fase s'ha programat i establert la comunicació per l'intercanvi de dades (lectura i escriptura) entre el sistema SCADA Vijeo Citect i la base de dades de Microsoft Access. 3. En la tercera fase s'ha elaborat i programat l'entorn gràfic de supervisió i control del procés a partir del sistema SCADA Vijeo Citect. 4. En la quarta fase s'ha instal·lat un OPC Server en el PC i s'ha establert la comunicació entre el PLC i el sistema SCADA. 5. Finalment s'ha anat revisant i depurant les diferents programacions i comunicacions per tal de que el sistema funcioni com a un conjunt.

Hipertensión y edema pulmonar de altura. Rol de la disfunción endotelial y de la programación fetal [Pulmonary hypertension and lung edema at high altitude. Role of endothelial dysfunction and fetal programming].

High altitude constitutes an exciting natural laboratory for medical research. While initially, the aim of high-altitude research was to understand the adaptation of the organism to hypoxia and find treatments for altitude-related diseases, over the past decade or so, the scope of this research has broadened considerably. Two important observations led to the foundation for the broadening of the scientific scope of high-altitude research. First, high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) represents a unique model which allows studying fundamental mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension and lung edema in humans. Secondly, the ambient hypoxia associated with high-altitude exposure facilitates the detection of pulmonary and systemic vascular dysfunction at an early stage. Here, we review studies that, by capitalizing on these observations, have led to the description of novel mechanisms underpinning lung edema and pulmonary hypertension and to the first direct demonstration of fetal programming of vascular dysfunction in humans.

A Classification of Tools for Learning Logic

A table showing a comparison and classification of tools (intelligent tutoring systems) for e-learning of Logic at a college level.

Smooth height/age curves from stem analysis with linear programming

[Abstract]

Power supply noise and logic error probability

Voltage fluctuations caused by parasitic impedances in the power supply rails of modern ICs are a major concern in nowadays ICs. The voltage fluctuations are spread out to the diverse nodes of the internal sections causing two effects: a degradation of performances mainly impacting gate delays anda noisy contamination of the quiescent levels of the logic that drives the node. Both effects are presented together, in thispaper, showing than both are a cause of errors in modern and future digital circuits. The paper groups both error mechanismsand shows how the global error rate is related with the voltage deviation and the period of the clock of the digital system.

A programming environment having three levels of complexity for mobile robotics = Entorno de programación con tres niveles de complejidad para robótica móvil

This paper presents a programming environment for supporting learning in STEM, particularly mobile robotic learning. It was designed to maintain progressive learning for people with and without previous knowledge of programming and/or robotics. The environment was multi platform and built with open source tools. Perception, mobility, communication, navigation and collaborative behaviour functionalities can be programmed for different mobile robots. A learner is able to programme robots using different programming languages and editor interfaces: graphic programming interface (basic level), XML-based meta language (intermediate level) or ANSI C language (advanced level). The environment supports programme translation transparently into different languages for learners or explicitly on learners’ demand. Learners can access proposed challenges and learning interfaces by examples. The environment was designed to allow characteristics such as extensibility, adaptive interfaces, persistence and low software/hardware coupling. Functionality tests were performed to prove programming environment specifications. UV BOT mobile robots were used in these tests

Fetal programming of pulmonary vascular dysfunction in mice: role of epigenetic mechanisms.

Insults during the fetal period predispose the offspring to systemic cardiovascular disease, but little is known about the pulmonary circulation and the underlying mechanisms. Maternal undernutrition during pregnancy may represent a model to investigate underlying mechanisms, because it is associated with systemic vascular dysfunction in the offspring in animals and humans. In rats, restrictive diet during pregnancy (RDP) increases oxidative stress in the placenta. Oxygen species are known to induce epigenetic alterations and may cross the placental barrier. We hypothesized that RDP in mice induces pulmonary vascular dysfunction in the offspring that is related to an epigenetic mechanism. To test this hypothesis, we assessed pulmonary vascular function and lung DNA methylation in offspring of RDP and in control mice at the end of a 2-wk exposure to hypoxia. We found that endothelium-dependent pulmonary artery vasodilation in vitro was impaired and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy in vivo were exaggerated in offspring of RDP. This pulmonary vascular dysfunction was associated with altered lung DNA methylation. Administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitors butyrate and trichostatin A to offspring of RDP normalized pulmonary DNA methylation and vascular function. Finally, administration of the nitroxide Tempol to the mother during RDP prevented vascular dysfunction and dysmethylation in the offspring. These findings demonstrate that in mice undernutrition during gestation induces pulmonary vascular dysfunction in the offspring by an epigenetic mechanism. A similar mechanism may be involved in the fetal programming of vascular dysfunction in humans.

Revenue Logic inSoftware Business Context

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää ohjelmistotoimialan avaintekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat yrityksen ansaintalogiikkaan sekä lisätä tietoisuutta ansaintalogiikan muodostumisesta pienissä ja keskisuurissa ohjelmistoyrityksissä. Tutkimuksen teoreettisessa osassa keskityttiin tarkastelemaan ansaintalogiikan, strategian ja liiketoimintamallin käsitteiden suhteita sekä arvioitiin toimialan osatekijöiden, hinnoitteluperiaatteiden ja ansaintamallien vaikutusta ansainnan muodostumiseen ohjelmistotoimialalla. Ohjelmistotuote ja - palveluliiketoimintaa koskien oli merkityksellistä tutkia tuotteistamisasteen ja arvoketjujen vaikutusta ansaintalogiikan muodostumisessa sekä esitellä erilaisia, tyypillisiä ohjelmistotoimialalla käytettäviä hinnoittelumenetelmiä. Työn empiirisessä osassa tarkasteltiin 23 suomalaisen ohjelmistoalan yrityksen ansaintalogiikkaa. Tiedot kerättiin haastatteluin ja analysoitiin laadullisen tutkimuksen keinoin. Tutkimustulokset korostivat ansaintalogiikan 'epämääräisyyttä' terminä mutta osoittivat, että ydinliiketoimintaan keskittyminen, tuote-, palvelu-, tai projektiliiketoiminnan osaaminen, tuotteistusaste ja kanavavalinnat ovat avaintekijöitä ansaintalogiikanmuodostumisessa. Ansaintalogiikan muodostamiseen liittyy paljon yrityksen sisäisiä ja ulkoisia haasteita sekä muutospaineita, eikä ohjelmistotoimialalla ole todennettavissa yhtä yleismaailmallista, menestyksen takaavaa ansaintalogiikkaa.

Python as a programming language for the introductory programming courses

Tämä kandidaatintyö tutkii tietotekniikan perusopetuksessa keskeisen aiheen,ohjelmoinnin, alkeisopetusta ja siihen liittyviä ongelmia. Työssä perehdytään ohjelmoinnin perusopetusmenetelmiin ja opetuksen lähestymistapoihin, sekä ratkaisuihin, joilla opetusta voidaan tehostaa. Näitä ratkaisuja työssä ovat mm. ohjelmointikielen valinta, käytettävän kehitysympäristön löytäminen sekä kurssia tukevien opetusapuvälineiden etsiminen. Lisäksi kurssin läpivientiin liittyvien toimintojen, kuten harjoitusten ja mahdollisten viikkotehtävien valinta kuuluu osaksitätä työtä. Työ itsessään lähestyy aihetta tutkimalla Pythonin soveltuvuutta ohjelmoinnin alkeisopetukseen mm. vertailemalla sitä muihin olemassa oleviin yleisiin opetuskieliin, kuten C, C++ tai Java. Se tarkastelee kielen hyviä ja huonoja puolia, sekä tutkii, voidaanko Pythonia hyödyntää luontevasti pääasiallisena opetuskielenä. Lisäksi työ perehtyy siihen, mitä kaikkea kurssilla tulisi opettaa, sekä siihen, kuinka kurssin läpivienti olisi tehokkainta toteuttaa ja minkälaiset tekniset puitteet kurssin toteuttamista varten olisi järkevää valita.