Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for University

Church of La Vera Cruz, Segovia (12th Century)

• Centralized scheme floorplan
• Based on Dome of the Rock & Holy Sepulchre
• Central edicule
• Three apses head
• Quadrilateral bell tower
• Twelve-sided plan
• Two floors
• Buttresses
• Ribbed vault & Caliphal dome

Holy Sepulchre, Torres del Rio, Navarra (12th Century)

• C Templarios
• Octagonal plan
• Tower to get to the lantern
• Mudejar precedents
• Arabic star-shaped dome
• Apse in East
• Archivolts
• Parallel ribs
• Stone dome
• Pointed/midpoint arches

Templarios de Eunate Church, Navarra (12th Century)

• External cloister enclosing the Church
• East apse
• Tower with spiral stairs
• Ribs in dome pass through center
• Octagonal plan
• Dome starts in columns
• Midpoint arch

Cathedrals of St. James (11th Century)

• Central nave with barrel vaults
• Arches and transversal

Visigothic Architecture (7th Century)

• Key characteristics: Austerity, simplicity, portico, nave, transept, north/south portico, presbytery, apse.

San Pedro de la Nave, Zamora

• Greek or Latin cross plan within a rectangle
• Influenced by Greek and Roman precedents
• Small scale and spaces
• Reflects a simpler technique, indicative of a decline in craftsmanship
• Reassembled in a different location
• Naive or stylized sculptures
• Thick walls
• Lantern at the geometrical center

San Juan de Baños, Palencia

• Three naves
• Commissioned by King Recesvinto
• Monolithic interior columns
• Appendix (or side chapels)
• Pointed horseshoe arches
• Constructed with yellow sandstone ashlar
• Trident floor plan

Quintanilla de las Viñas, Burgos

• Latin cross plan
• Three naves
• One transept
• Features vegetal motifs
• Animal

Islamic Architectural Elements

• Minbar: Small ladder to raise the prayer to a higher altitude, facing the Qibla.
• Minaret: Tower used to call the Muslim community to prayer.
• Mihrab: A semicircular niche in the Qibla wall (post-Muhammad) oriented toward Mecca.
• Maqsura: A protected space for Caliphs and Emirs in front of the Mihrab.
• Ablutions Area: Ritual washing as part of prayer preparation (Haram, Ziyada, Sahn, Sabil).
• Quincunx: A symbolic layout where Allah is the center and everything moves around Him.
• 5 Pillars of Islam: Faith, Prayer, Zakat, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.

Decoration

Key features include vegetal patterns, calligraphy, geometry, water, light, and muqarnas.

Umayyad Period (7th–8th Century)

• Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (7th C): Site of Abraham'

Cisco Router and Switch Configuration

PPP Authentication

1. User Configuration (Matching Passwords on Both Routers)

router(config)# username <hostname_remote_router> password <password>

2. Interface Encapsulation Change

router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp

3.1 Enabling PAP Authentication

router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp
router(config-if)# ppp authentication pap
router(config-if)# ppp pap sent-username <local_username> password <password>

3.2 Enabling CHAP Authentication

router(config-if)# encapsulation ppp
router(config-if)# ppp authentication chap

DHCP Scope Configuration

router(config)# ip dhcp pool <POOL_NAME>
router(config-dhcp)# network <NETWORK_ADDRESS> <NETMASK>
router(config-dhcp)# default-router <GATEWAY_

Custom POSIX Barrier Implementation

This structure defines a custom barrier for thread synchronization:

typedef struct {
    int total;          // Expected threads
    int count;          // Arrived threads
    int phase;          // Current phase (for reuse)
    pthread_mutex_t mutex;
    pthread_cond_t  cond;
} barrier_t;

Barrier Initialization and Destruction

• Init: Sets the total thread count and initializes synchronization primitives.
• Destroy: Cleans up mutex and condition variables.

Barrier Wait Logic

The barrier_wait function ensures all threads reach the synchronization point before proceeding, utilizing a phase-based approach to allow barrier reuse.

MPI Vector Types for Chessboard Patterns

Using MPI_Type_vector to handle non-contiguous memory... Continue reading "Implementing POSIX Barriers and MPI Custom Data Types" »

1. Emulsions: Preparation and Stability

Definition: An emulsion is a biphasic liquid dosage form in which one immiscible liquid is dispersed as fine droplets in another liquid with the aid of an emulsifying agent.

Types: Oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O).

Methods of Preparation

• Dry gum method: Oil, gum, and water are generally used in a 4:2:1 ratio. Gum is triturated with oil, followed by rapid addition of water to form the primary emulsion.
• Wet gum method: Gum is first triturated with water to form mucilage; oil is then added gradually with continuous trituration.
• Bottle method: Suitable mainly for volatile or low-viscosity oils. Ingredients are placed in a bottle and shaken thoroughly.

Identification and Stability

Identification tests: Dilution... Continue reading "Pharmaceutical Formulations and Indian Pharmacopoeia Standards" »

Exam 1: International Business and Corporate Strategy

Competitive Advantage and National Factors

• According to the text, competitive advantage is mainly based on: Valuable, rare, and difficult-to-initiate resources.
• Domestic rivalry helps companies become better international competitors because it: Forces firms to improve efficiency and product quality.
• According to Porter, strong supporting industries help firms by: Providing benefits that can be used into related industries.
• Industry clusters are described in the text as: Groups of related industries concentrated within a nation.

Global Expansion and Location Strategies

• One reason multinational firms expand globally is to: Increase profitability and overall profit growth rates.
• Location economies

Historical Periods of the Middle East

The history of the Middle East can be divided into different historical periods, but three of them are especially important to understand today's governance and conflicts: the Ottoman Empire, the colonial period after the First World War, and the contemporary Middle East. In each period, imperialism, nationalism, ideological projects, and the involvement of great powers influenced the region in different ways.

The Ottoman Empire and Indirect Rule

The first important period is the Ottoman Empire. During this time, the Middle East was ruled by a large empire that controlled many different peoples and religions. The Ottoman Empire used mainly indirect rule, allowing local elites to govern while remaining loyal... Continue reading "Middle East History and Geopolitical Evolution" »

Lesson 2: National and Organizational Culture

National culture can be studied with an emic approach (insider perspective, typically in-depth qualitative research) or an etic approach (outsider perspective, typically comparative quantitative research). The etic approach suggests that values are the heart of cultures (Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck), that culture is not innate but learned (Hall, 1976), and that culture has a strong influence on one's perception of reality, beliefs, and behavior (Mead).

National culture has been referred to as the expression of the average tendencies of members of a national culture (Hofstede, 1991), including social codes, implicit and explicit values, philosophical systems, religion, language, and material objects.... Continue reading "Organizational Behavior: Core Principles for Management" »