Abstract
A 13.5-15.5 GHz low phase noise digitally controlled LC VCO, designed in a 015 mu m BiCMOS technology, is presented in this paper. The resonant circuit of the VCO uses a high performance radio-frequency differential binary-weighted switched capacitor array (RFDSCA) to cover the 2 GHz tuning band with a continuous tuning voltage of 5 V. The RFDSCA circuit was optimized using a new automated synthesis method in order to guarantee a VCO with minimum phase noise. The VCO presents a typical phase noise of -116 dB/Hz @ 1MHz and a maximum tuning sensitivity of 165 MHz/V. The VCO core works with a voltage supply of 3 V and has a current consumption of 5 mA. The results demonstrate the feasibility of implementing and using high performance RFDSCAs as digital tuning elements at operating frequencies up to tens of gigahertz.

Abstract
Managing a team of heterogeneous robots in a dynamic environment poses a challenging job. In this paper a model for a multi-purpose, real-time, adaptable, strategical coordination layer is presented. Based on previous work developed for the RoboCup Soccer simulation, small-size, middle-size and legged leagues, a generic coordination model was built. As both centralized and distributed environment are handled by the layer, communication was an important factor to consider only introducing a minor overhead. A multi-level hierarchical approach was followed with hybrid methods used to switch between concepts. The model was tested with two strategy instances, RoboCup Rescue Simulation and RoboCup Soccer. Strategies are designed with the help of a graphical tool. Results achieved by the team in RoboCup Rescue and Soccer Simulation competitions demonstrate the usefulness of this approach. Copyright © 2011-2012 ICST

Abstract
In this paper we give a graph-based decision procedure for a calculus with sum and product types. Although our motivation comes from the Bird-Meertens approach to reasoning algebraically about functional programs, the language used here can be seen as the internal language of a category with binary products and coproducts. As such, the decision procedure presented has independent interest. A standard approach based on term rewriting would work modulo a set of equations; the present work proposes a simpler approach, based on graph-rewriting. We show in turn how the system covers reflection equational laws, fusion laws, and cancellation laws.

Abstract
The photoelectron-collection efficiency from photocathodes in noble gases and methane is experimentally investigated. The ratio between the number of transmitted photoelectrons in the gas media and in vacuum is determined as a function of the applied reduced electric field Elp, where p is the gas pressure. Results are presented for He, Ne, Ar, Xe, Kr and CH4.

Abstract
The restructuring of power systems has often originated the organization of power system operation planning in a set of chronological sequence of activities that are reasonably decoupled. This means that the Market Operator purely economic schedule together with bilateral contracts is conveyed to the System Operator to be validated from a technical point of view. The System Operator also has to schedule reactive power but some of its reactive power requirements may be unfeasible given the previous active power schedules and the alternator capability diagram. Apart from this aspect, active and reactive powers are coupled in determining the eventual violation of branch thermal limits and reactive power has a well-known local nature. While recognizing the coupling between active and reactive powers, the models presented in this paper admit that the Market Operator schedule may have to be altered either because there are branch limit or nodal voltage violations or because the System Operator requires a reactive output that can not be provided due to the previous active schedule. The changes on the initial schedule are determined by solving an optimization problem that uses adjustment generator or demand bids. Apart from that, we adopted a symmetric fuzzy programming approach recognizing that some constraints have a soft nature, namely the ones related with voltage and branch flow limits. To solve the resulting non-linear problem we used Sequential Linear Programming, SLP. At its final iteration this problem also outputs active and reactive nodal marginal prices useful to build more effective tariff systems. The paper includes a case study based on the IEEE 24 bus test system.

Abstract
With the recent trend of analysing the process of computation through the linear logic looking glass, it is well understood that the ability to copy and erase data is essential in order to obtain a Turing-complete computation model. However, erasing and copying don't need to be explicitly included in Turing-complete computation models: in this paper we show that the class of partial recursive functions that are syntactically linear (that is, partial recursive functions where no argument is erased or copied) is Turing-complete.