Search results for " Control"

Scopolamine analysis in beverages: Bicolorimetric device vs portable nano liquid chromatography

2021

Abstract Scopolamine (SCP) is often involved in sexual assaults and robberies, particularly in recreational environments. Therefore, analytical tools are required for the analysis of this compound amenable for the field. In this work, a sensor for SCP is described based on the entrapment of KMnO4 into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The possibility of using KMnO4 in combination with the reagent 1,2-naphtoquinone-4-sulfonate (NQS) giving a double sensor acting as a bicolorimetric device is also demonstrated. In contact with the sample, the PDMS composite delivers MnO4−, which reacts rapidly with SCP under basic conditions causing a change of the color of the solution that can be related to the …

Poisoned Wine: Regulation, Chemical Analyses, and Spanish-French Trade in the 1930s

2018

This paper describes the resources, scientific spaces, and experts involved in the study of a mass poisoning caused by the drinking of arsenic-contaminated wine exported from Spain to France in 1932. Local and international periodicals record the poisoning of 300 French sailors, and stressed the commercial implications of the case. We discuss the reports prepared by different experts (mainly physicians, agricultural engineers, and customs chemists). Their work was not limited to preparing technical publications or chemical analyses; they also actively defended the quality of their local wine, and played a major role in the discussions regarding the regulation of the international wine marke…

Towards a Dual-mode Adaptive MAC Protocol (DMA-MAC) for Feedback-based Networked Control Systems

2014

Abstract Automated control systems play an important part in many industrial domains and the medium used for communication between devices in these systems is in transition from wired to wireless for cost reasons. Control systems have strict requirements on delay, throughput, and reliability, that vary with time during operation. Addressing these requirements requires predictable and robust protocols to be employed, and they must be adaptive to the varying states of the controlled process. In this article, we propose a dual-mode adaptive medium access control protocol that caters for two main operation modes in control systems: the steady mode operation, and the transient mode operation. We…

Supporting scalable video transmission in MANETs through distributed admission control mechanisms

2009

Emerging multimedia applications over mobile devices are becoming very popular, especially over infrastructure wireless networks such as cellular and WLANs. However, providing this kind of services over infrastructureless networks like ad hoc networks presents many additional problems. One of these problems is how to share resources fairly among the users involved. In this article we propose a QoS framework supporting scalable video streaming in mobile ad hoc networks based on distributed admission control and video traffic awareness. Our framework promotes fairness between video flows in terms of resource consumption. It also guarantees a significant reduction of the idle times experienced…

Testbed implementation of the meta-MAC protocol

2016

The meta-MAC protocol is a systematic and automatic method to dynamically combine any set of existing MAC protocols into a single higher layer MAC protocol. We present a proof-of-concept implementation of the meta-MAC protocol by utilizing a programmable wireless MAC processor (WMP) on top of a commodity wireless card in combination with a host-level software module. The implementation allows us to combine, with certain constraints, a number of protocols each represented as an extended finite state machine. To illustrate the combination principle, we combine protocols of the same type but with varying parameters in a wireless mesh network. Specifically, we combine TDMA protocols with all po…

Enabling Cognitive-Radio Paradigm on Commercial Off-The-Shelf 802.11 Hardware

2013

Cognitive Radio paradigm (CR) has been recognized as key enabler for next generation wireless networking: the pos- sibility to access the limited radio spectrum in an oppor- tunistic manner allows secondary users to boost their trans- mission performance without interfering with existing pri- mary networks. Full testing and experimenting with this paradigm, however, is still a tough task, given either the i) limited capabilities above the PHY layer of cheap SDR so- lutions, or the ii) heavy investment required for setting up multi-node testbeds powered by FPGAs. In this demo we show how we leveraged our Wireless MAC Processor archi- tecture to tackle the two issues at the same time, providi…

Work stressors and creativity

2013

Work stressors, conflict asymmetries and dissatisfaction with the status quo are all negative factors which workers today are subjected to. Unfortunately, these situations occur more often than companies would want. However, negative results, despite what might be expected, do not always follow in the performances of affected employees. In this paper, through a theoretical review, it is shown under what circumstances these stressors can actually increase creative performance. Additionally, the moderation role carried out by emotional intelligence and job control is analyzed. Conclusions and future research lines are presented.

The Evaluation of Workers by Customers as a Method of Control and Monitoring in the Firm: Digital Reputation and Data Protection

2018

Evaluation of workers by customers as a method of surveillance and control and the disclosure of results poses a series of challenges for the existing legal system. The degree and extension of monitoring of the work suffered by employees subject to surveillance and control by customers is much intense than the one set for traditional workers. The reason behind this phenomenon lies in the perspective of the customers, which makes work observable at every moment and without cost for the firm. Thus, this paper analyzes the latest regulation on data protection (GDPR) that establishes very specific restrictions when requesting and transferring information about workers.

Optimal passive-damping design using a decentralized velocity-feedback H-infinity approach

2012

In this work, a new strategy to design passive energy dissipation systems for vibration control of large structures is presented. The method is based on the equivalence between passive damping systems and fully decentralized static velocity-feedback controllers. This equivalence allows to take advantage of recent developments in static output-feedback control design to formulate the passive-damping design as a single optimization problem with Linear Matrix Inequality constraints. To illustrate the application of the proposed methodology, a passive damping system is designed for the seismic protection of a five-story building with excellent results. Peer Reviewed

2017

The volume of ordinary materials decreases in response to a pressure increase exerted by a surrounding gas or liquid, i.e., the material volume compressibility is positive. Recently, poroelastic metamaterial architectures have been suggested theoretically that allow for an unusual negative effective static volume compressibility—which appears to be forbidden for reasons of energy conservation at first sight. The challenge in the three-dimensional (3D) fabrication of these blueprints lies in the necessary many hollow 3D crosses sealed by thin membranes, which we realize in this work by using 3D laser microlithography combined with a serendipitous mechanism. By using optical-microscopy cross-…