Application of dynamic merit function to nonimaging systems optimization

Automatic optimization algorithms have been recently introduced as nonimaging optics design techniques. Unlike optimization of imaging systems, nonsequential ray tracing simulations and complex noncentered systems design must be considered, adding complexity to the problem. The merit function is a key element in the automatic optimization algorithm; nevertheless, the selection of each objective’s weight, {wi}{wi}, inside the merit function needs a prior trial and error process for each optimization. The problem then is to determine appropriate weights’ values for each objective. We propose a new dynamic merit function with variable weight factors {wi(n)}{wi(n)}. The proposed algorithm automatically adapts weight factors during the evolution of the optimization process. This dynamic merit function avoids the previous trial and error procedure by selecting the right merit function and provides better results than conventional merit functions

Per una Carta de Drets Socials com a procés de construcció de la ciutadania social comunitària

El sistema públic de Serveis Socials està patint un atac governamental sense precedents amb l'excusa de la crisi. Es pretén derrocar les conquestes socials que han sigut el fonament de la democràcia, precisament ara que la desigualtat social és cada dia mes descarada. Per açò des del col•lectiu volem aportar el nostre granet de sorra proposant un procés que contribuïsca a reforçar la base comunitària des de la participacióThe public system of Social Services is suffering an unprecedented government attack, using the global crisis as an excuse. Their plan is to ruin the social achievements that are the foundations of our Democracy, just when the social inequality is blatant. Therefore, we would like to do our bit by proposing the implementation of a new process that contributes to strengthen the Community participation

Dos modelos de desarrollo social y económico en la Europa bajomedieval: la Hansa y las repúblicas italianas. Una perspectiva comparada.

El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una comparación de los modelos económicos y sociales entre las repúblicas del norte de Italia y La Hansa. El principal método de estudio ha sido la revi-sión y el análisis de bibliografía especializada. El ámbito temporal en el que se desarrolla este estudio es desde la primera mitad del siglo XIII hasta principios del siglo XV. Las repúblicas italia-nas son unos de los estados presentes en el norte de la Península Itálica, previa a su unificación en el siglo XIX. De entre los distintos estados que hay en este territorio voy a poner como ejem-plo en la mayoría de los casos a las repúblicas de Génova y Venecia, que tuvieron una amplia proyección comercial por todo el Mediterráneo. Mientras, la Hansa es una agrupación de distin-tos estados alemanes y ciudades estado que se juntaron para desarrollar una unión mercantil en el Báltico. En ambas sociedades, su historia dura más, pero me interesó más el estudio de esta época. Como he mencionado antes, en ambas sociedades tuvieron un gran interés para estable-cer un predominio comercial en sus regiones. Mientras, el ámbito político era un mundo más complicado para ellas, ya que estaban rodeadas de potencias con un mayor poder, por eso esta-ba en un segundo plano. Por tanto, ha sido de interés el estudio de sus relación con su entorno, ya que así pone en contexto su idiosincrasia. No solo eso, sino que se establecen las diferencias y semejanzas de ambos modelos, ya que son dos sociedades tan parecidas que se prestan a ello.<br /

Modelling non-functional requirements

We present in this paper the language NoFun for stating component quality in the framework of the ISO/IEC quality standards. The language consists of three different parts. In the first one, software quality characteristics and attributes are defined, probably in a hierarchical manner. As part of this definition, abstract quality models can be formulated and further refined into more specialised ones. In the second part, values are assigned to component quality basic attributes. In the third one, quality requirements can be stated over components, both context-free (universal quality properties) and context-dependent (quality properties for a given framework-software domain, company, project, etc.). Last, we address to the translation of the language to UML, using its extension mechanisms for capturing the fundamental non-functional concepts.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Genetic determinants of Vitamin C content in higher plants

Ascorbic acid (AsA, VitC) is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in plants and it plays a plethora of biological roles including resistance to abiotic stress. Hence, including VitC as a trait to improve in breeding programs is not only a way to enhance food quality but also to increase resistance to expected environmental alterations due to global change like drought, salinity or heat. Although all components of the Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway of AsA in plants are known, little information is available about how their regulation at the biochemical and cellular levels is. We have generated a number of molecular tools such as tagged constructs, stable transgenics and mutant lines with the aim of getting detailed information about how this pathway operate in plants. We will present data on protein localization, interaction among different components and their role in affecting VitC levels using a heterologous system such as Nicotiana bethamiana. This research was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte para la formación del Profesorado Universitario (FPU014/01974), as well as by a project funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (BIO2014-55380R; BIO2014-56153-REDT). We also acknowledge the support by the Plan Propio from University of Malaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional de Andalucía.This research was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte para la formación del Profesorado Universitario (FPU014/01974), as well as by a project funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (BIO2014-55380R; BIO2014-56153-REDT). We also acknowledge the support by the Plan Propio from University of Malaga, Campus de Excelencia Internacional de Andalucía

Vitamin C Content in Fruits: Biosynthesis and Regulation

Throughout evolution, a number of animals including humans have lost the ability to synthesize ascorbic acid (ascorbate, vitamin C), an essential molecule in the physiology of animals and plants. In addition to its main role as an antioxidant and cofactor in redox reactions, recent reports have shown an important role of ascorbate in the activation of epigenetic mechanisms controlling cell differentiation, dysregulation of which can lead to the development of certain types of cancer. Although fruits and vegetables constitute the main source of ascorbate in the human diet, rising its content has not been a major breeding goal, despite the large inter- and intraspecific variation in ascorbate content in fruit crops. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest to boost ascorbate content, not only to improve fruit quality but also to generate crops with elevated stress tolerance. Several attempts to increase ascorbate in fruits have achieved fairly good results but, in some cases, detrimental effects in fruit development also occur, likely due to the interaction between the biosynthesis of ascorbate and components of the cell wall. Plants synthesize ascorbate de novo mainly through the Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway, the dominant pathway in photosynthetic tissues. Two intermediates of the Smirnoff-Wheeler pathway, GDP-D-mannose and GDP-L-galactose, are also precursors of the non-cellulosic components of the plant cell wall. Therefore, a better understanding of ascorbate biosynthesis and regulation is essential for generation of improved fruits without developmental side effects. This is likely to involve a yet unknown tight regulation enabling plant growth and development, without impairing the cell redox state modulated by ascorbate pool. In certain fruits and developmental conditions, an alternative pathway from D-galacturonate might be also relevant. We here review the regulation of ascorbate synthesis, its close connection with the cell wall, as well as different strategies to increase its content in plants, with a special focus on fruits

Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link (Fabaceae), new for the Valencian Community flora

Se cita por primera vez la presencia de Calicotome villosa en los territorios iberolevantinos. Es ésta una especie ampliamente repartida por la Cuenca Mediterránea, que en la Península Ibérica presenta una distribución Bética y Luso-Extremadurense, con preferencia por suelos ácidos, en el piso de vegetación termomediterráneo subhúmedo-húmedo. En esta ocasión se ha recolectado en la partida de las Albarizas, en el término municipal de Villena (Alicante), dentro del piso mesomediterráneo seco, y sobre suelos arcillosos básicos. Esta nueva localidad, que es la primera referencia de C. villosa en la flora de la Comunidad Valenciana, permite ampliar considerablemente tanto el área corológica como el comportamiento ecológico de esta especie en la Península Ibérica.The presence of Calicotome villosa is cited for the first time in the Ibero-Levantine territories of the Iberian Peninsula. This is a species widely distributed through the Mediterranean Basin, which is found in the Betic and Luso-Extremadurensian territories of southern Iberian Peninsula, where it mostly occurs in acid soils within the thermomediterranean subhumid-humid bioclimatic stage. The species was recently gathered in Las Albarizas area, in the municipality of Villena (Alicante Province), growing on basic clayish soils within the mesomediterranean dry stage. The new location, which is the first record of C. villosa for the Valencian flora, allows to considerably expand both the chorological area and the ecological behaviour of this species in the Iberian Peninsula

The ICARUS Experiment, A Second-Generation Proton Decay Experiment and Neutrino Observatory at the Gran Sasso Laboratory

The final phase of the ICARUS physics program requires a sensitive mass of liquid Argon of 5000 tons or more. The T600 detector stands today as the first living proof that such large detector can be built and that liquid Argon imaging technology can be implemented on such large scales. After the successful completion of a series of technical tests to be performed at the assembly hall in Pavia, the T600 detector will be ready to be transported into the LNGS tunnel. The operation of the T600 at the LNGS will allow us (1) to develop the local infrastructure needed to operate our large detector (2) to start the handling of the underground liquid argon technology (3) to study the local background (4) to start the data taking with an initial liquid argon mass that will reach in a 5-6 year program the multi-kton goal. The T600 is to be considered as the first milestone on the road towards a total sensitive mass of 5000 tons: it is the first piece of the detector to be complemented by further modules of appropriate size and dimensions, in order to reach in a most efficient and rapid way the final design mass. In this document, we describe the physics program that will be accomplished within the first phase of the program