Parallel optical negabinary signed-digit computing: algorithm and optical implementation

Negabinary is a component of the positional number system. A complete set of negabinary arithmetic operations are presented, including the basic addition/subtraction logic, the two-step carry-free addition/subtraction algorithm based on negabinary signed-digit (NSD) representation, parallel multiplication, and the fast conversion from NSD to the normal negabinary in the carry-look-ahead mode. All the arithmetic operations can be performed with binary logic. By programming the binary reference bits, addition and subtraction can be realized in parallel with the same binary logic functions. This offers a technique to perform space-variant arithmetic-logic functions with space-invariant instructions. Multiplication can be performed in the tree structure and it is simpler than the modified signed-digit (MSD) counterpart. The parallelism of the algorithms is very suitable for optical implementation. Correspondingly, a general-purpose optical logic system using an electron trapping device is suggested. Various complex logic functions can be performed by programming the illumination of the data arrays without additional temporal latency of the intermediate results. The system can be compact. These properties make the proposed negabinary arithmetic-logic system a strong candidate for future applications in digital optical computing with the development of smart pixel arrays. (C) 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [S0091-3286(99)00803-X].

Optoelectronic implementation of mathematical morphology

An optoelectronic implementation based on optical neighborhood operations and electronic nonlinear feedback is proposed to perform morphological image processing such as erosion, dilation, opening, closing and edge detection. Results of a numerical simulation are given and experimentally verified.

Polarization analysis and experimental implementation of PLZT electro-optical switch using fiber Sagnac interferometers

The polarization characteristics of electro-optical (EO) switches using fiber Sagnac interferometer (FSI) structures are theoretically investigated. Analytical solutions of output fields are presented when the twists and birefringence in a Sagnac loop are considered. Numerical calculations show that the twists of fiber, the orientation of the inserted phase retarder, and the splitting ratio of the coupler will influence both the output intensity and the output polarization properties of the proposed switch. A polarization-independent EO switch based on a Sagnac interferometer and a PUT bar was experimentally implemented, which showed good coincidence with the analytical results. The experiment showed a switch with 22 dB extinction ratio and less than 31.1 ns switching time. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.

Reform of Spain's profesional services market: Implementation of the EU Services Directive

The implementation of the European Commission Services Directive initiated the modernization process of services markets within the European Union. The objective was to guarantee the creation of a single market by ensuring the freedom of establishment and circulation. The transposition of the Directive in Spain triggered an initial wave of reforms in the Spanish legal system. A second package of reforms is currently underway, following recommendations by the EC, IMF and OECD, which highlight the relative lack of competition in Spain’s services as one of the major imbalances in its economy, alongside the public deficit and unemployment. Both the implemented and planned reforms represent a major step forward. Nevertheless, the government has recently announced modifications to the draft bill of the Professional Services and Associations Law, which is expected to soon be submitted for parliamentary debate and approval. Taking into consideration modifications already introduced, together with anticipated further changes, it will be important to maintain the main points of the draft bill and to introduce a deeper review of the legal framework for professional services, of the professional associations themselves, and for the activities that are subject to compulsory membership within a professional association. Spain’s territorial map of professional associations must too be redrawn.

Coprocessador para operações quânticas.

A demanda crescente por poder computacional estimulou a pesquisa e desenvolvimento de processadores digitais cada vez mais densos em termos de transistores e com clock mais rápido, porém não podendo desconsiderar aspectos limitantes como consumo, dissipação de calor, complexidade fabril e valor comercial. Em outra linha de tratamento da informação, está a computação quântica, que tem como repositório elementar de armazenamento a versão quântica do bit, o q-bit ou quantum bit, guardando a superposição de dois estados, diferentemente do bit clássico, o qual registra apenas um dos estados. Simuladores quânticos, executáveis em computadores convencionais, possibilitam a execução de algoritmos quânticos mas, devido ao fato de serem produtos de software, estão sujeitos à redução de desempenho em razão do modelo computacional e limitações de memória. Esta Dissertação trata de uma versão implementável em hardware de um coprocessador para simulação de operações quânticas, utilizando uma arquitetura dedicada à aplicação, com possibilidade de explorar o paralelismo por replicação de componentes e pipeline. A arquitetura inclui uma memória de estado quântico, na qual são armazenados os estados individuais e grupais dos q-bits; uma memória de rascunho, onde serão armazenados os operadores quânticos para dois ou mais q-bits construídos em tempo de execução; uma unidade de cálculo, responsável pela execução de produtos de números complexos, base dos produtos tensoriais e matriciais necessários à execução das operações quânticas; uma unidade de medição, necessária à determinação do estado quântico da máquina; e, uma unidade de controle, que permite controlar a operação correta dos componente da via de dados, utilizando um microprograma e alguns outros componentes auxiliares.

Implementation of the nursing process in a health area: models and assessment structures used

Objective: to analyze what nursing models and nursing assessment structures have been used in the implementation of the nursing process at the public and private centers in the health area Gipuzkoa (Basque Country). Method: a retrospective study was undertaken, based on the analysis of the nursing records used at the 158 centers studied. Results: the Henderson model, Carpenito's bifocal structure, Gordon's assessment structure and the Resident Assessment Instrument Nursing Home 2.0 have been used as nursing models and assessment structures to implement the nursing process. At some centers, the selected model or assessment structure has varied over time. Conclusion: Henderson's model has been the most used to implement the nursing process. Furthermore, the trend is observed to complement or replace Henderson's model by nursing assessment structures.

Design and implementation of a cloud computing adoption decision tool: Generating a cloud road

Migrating to cloud computing is one of the current enterprise challenges. This technology provides a new paradigm based on "on-demand payment" for information and communication technologies. In this sense, the small and medium enterprise is supposed to be the most interested, since initial investments are avoided and the technology allows gradual implementation. However, even if the characteristics and capacities have been widely discussed, entry into the cloud is still lacking in terms of practical, real frameworks. This paper aims at filling this gap, presenting a real tool already implemented and tested, which can be used as a cloud computing adoption decision tool. This tool uses diagnosis based on specific questions to gather the required information and subsequently provide the user with valuable information to deploy the business within the cloud, specifically in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. This information allows the decision makers to generate their particular Cloud Road. A pilot study has been carried out with enterprises at a local level with a two-fold objective: To ascertain the degree of knowledge on cloud computing and to identify the most interesting business areas and their related tools for this technology. As expected, the results show high interest and low knowledge on this subject and the tool presented aims to readdress this mismatch, insofar as possible. Copyright: © 2015 Bildosola et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.