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Why Convex Combinations of Interval Endpoints: Related Explanations for Cases of Data Processing and Decision Making
No full textThere are two cases in which it has been empirically shown that a convex combination of the interval\u27s endpoints works better than any other combination: processing interval data and dealing with situations in which we know both approximate probability and possibility and we need to make a decision. In this paper, we provide an explanation of both phenomena
Dynamic Modeling And Optimal Planning For The Simultaneous Integration Of Electric Vehicles And Renewable Energy Sources Into The Traffic-Power System
No full textThe large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is regarded as an effective strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. Although EVs do not produce tailpipe emissions, their widespread adoption may place significant pressure on the power system - a critical aspect that has often been overlooked in policy and planning. Furthermore, the actual environmental benefits of EVs depend on the source of their electricity; renewable energy sources are more environmentally friendly compared to conventional fossil fuels. Taking into account the power demand induced by EV charging, we develop a continuous-time dynamic model for the optimal planning of the simultaneous adoption of EVs and the integration of renewable energy sources into the power system. The interactions between EVs and the power system (termed the traffic-power system) are explicitly considered within our mathematical model, based on the well-known Lotka-Volterra equations. This model effectively describes the relationship between competing entities, such as EVs versus legacy vehicles (LVs) and renewable versus conventional energy sources. We then formulate a control problem to determine an optimal planning policy aimed at achieving a desired market penetration rate (MPR) of EVs. This policy optimizes EV subsidies, infrastructure investment, and the rates for renewable integration and fossil fuel retirement, while minimizing costs and balancing energy demand and supply. The nonlinear optimization problem is solved using the Pontryagin minimum principle, ensuring optimality. We present a series of numerical results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, including extensive analyses on various aspects of the planning policy, such as different planning horizons and desired MPRs of EVs. Additionally, we conduct a cost-benefit analysis to assess the economic feasibility of selecting one set of planning goals over others. The simulation results provide valuable managerial insights for policymakers involved in the long-term planning of the increasingly interconnected traffic-power system
Analyzing the Impact of Approximate Arithmetic on Deep Neural Network Predictions
No full textIn recent times, we have seen the use of artificial intelligence in our daily lives. It helps us solve complicated problems. Some of these problems can be large and complex, requiring large models. As models grow in complexity, they require more computations and energy to be trained and tested. The execution of these models relies on floating-point arithmetic, which imposes constraints due to its finite precision. Due to these limitations, many of these computations are not exact. When this happens, computers are forced to round or approximate. We can use several number formats to circumvent this issue. For example, in single precision, we are allowed to use 24 binary digits, and in double precision, we are allowed to use 53 bits of precision. We can also explore small formats like FP8 [26], which could have 3 or 4 bits of precision. The importance of choosing the right format can drastically reduce the resources needed and allow us to increase or decrease the precision depending on the model\u27s performance. As it propagates through the model, the error caused by rounding is compounded across the different layers and may have an impact on the model\u27s final prediction. If we can analyze the rounding errors, we are then able to increase or decrease the model\u27s precision to better optimize the resources and predictions. If we notice almost no error, we are then able to reduce the precision, optimizing the time and memory needed. In this work, we contributed by developing a software that uses the PyTorch C++ API to load and analyze the impact of the rounded error produced. We tested our software not only with standard forward-feeding models, but with deep learning models as well. We built this by using our implementation of the tensor core that allows custom floating-point operations to be performed. With this class, we can produce the relative error, absolute error, and an upper and lower bound of where the final answer may be
Intratumoral Fibrin As A Novel Immunomodulatory Factor In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
No full textIn-situ coagulation is a common clinical feature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) that presents a highly thrombotic and crosslinked insoluble fibrin (x-fibrin)-laden tumor stroma (FibTS). However, the specific impact of FibTS on immune cells behavior remains largely unexplored in this poorly infiltrated tumor. We aimed to elucidate how FibTS in PDAC regulates immune cell infiltration, polarization, and crosstalk that favors immunosuppressive microenvironment and tumor growth. We characterized human PDAC tissues by multiplex immunostaining and checked the spatial distribution of immune cells based on the presence of x-fibrin. We investigated how FibTS influences the infiltration of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) and T-cell subtypes by utilizing two novel bioengineering models and mouse pancreatic tumor models. We identified two distinct variants of PDAC, fibrin-high (Fibhi) and fibrin-low (Fiblow). Our findings revealed that PDACs create their own FibTS by secreting the soluble fibrinogen into the tumor microenvironment (TME). FibTS in PDAC spatially regulated the infiltration of CD8+ T-cells and TAM subtypes. Creating physical barriers and biochemical niches, FibTS impeded immune cell penetration from the tumor stroma into the tumor parenchyma. Selective inhibition of FibTS formation by genetic and pharmacological tools altered the infiltration patterns of CD8+ T-cells and TAMs, leading to a deceleration in PDAC growth. This study demonstrates that the barrier function of FibTS is crucial for immune evasion, particularly against macrophage and T-cell activity, presenting a potential therapeutic strategy to reshape the immune landscape within PDAC and slow tumor progression
Digital Twin Use Case At El Paso International Airport
No full textThis thesis explores the potential of implementing Digital Twin technology in airports, with a concrete use case at the Innovation Factory at El Paso International Airport. The Digital Twin model was developed using project documentation and LiDAR scanning, resulting in point cloud datasets that served as the foundation for further analysis. A comparison was conducted between reality-captured data and the model created from project documentation, highlighting the presence of noise in the field data. This analysis revealed key challenges and identified opportunities to enhance efficiency through automation. Instead of relying on a resource-intensive manual process to clean point cloud datasets from noise, a future approach utilizing machine learning is proposed to streamline the point cloud processing workflow. The resulting Digital Twin model of the Innovation Factory demonstrates several valuable applications for the airport, including optimized electricity consumption and enhanced real estate management, and presents a solid framework for how this technology can be expanded and applied across the entire airport
Fibrin-Polycaprolactone Scaffolds for the Differentiation of Human Neural Progenitor Cells into Dopaminergic Neurons
No full textThis project aimed to develop a tissue-on-a-chip platform for studying Parkinson\u27s Disease (PD) using dopaminergic (DA) neurons. PD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of DA neurons, leading to involuntary movements and other symptoms. Early diagnosis and deeper understanding of PD pathogenesis are crucial for improving disease management and patient outcomes. To model PD in vitro, this research utilized human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) cultured on electrospun (ES) polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds. Given PCL\u27s hydrophobicity, ECM-based biomaterial coatings, including Cell Basement Membrane (CBM) proteins, Matrigel, and Fibrin, were explored to enhance NPC adhesion, differentiation, and maturation into DA neurons. Based on prior research, we hypothesized that fibrin-coated scaffolds would best support neural differentiation and maturation. To evaluate scaffold properties, both uncoated and coated, were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). NPCs were seeded onto the scaffolds, differentiated, and matured into DA neurons. Their differentiation was assessed via immunocytochemistry targeting Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) to confirm DA neuronal marker expression, SEM to examine morphological changes, and electrophysiology through microelectrode array (MEA) techniques to record neuronal firing activity. Results from this study demonstrated enhanced neurite extension, increased TH expression in cells differentiated atop diluted fibrin-coated samples, and active electrical firing activity in the differentiated cells. This comprehensive investigation highlights the potential of fibrin-coated ES scaffolds as a promising approach in neuronal tissue engineering and PD research
Imagen De La Guerra E Idea De Nación En El Poemario Unción De La Sombra
No full textEl presente trabajo analiza los vasos comunicantes entre poesía, historia y memoria, partiendo de la representación de la guerra como expresión del fenómeno del conflicto y sus correlatos del trauma colectivo en el contexto de la violencia histórica. Es a través del poemario Unción de la sombra, que dicha investigación explora la manera en que la poesía escrita puede proyectar el dolor, la pérdida y el sentido de la identidad en relación con eventos de conflicto como uno de los fenómenos más controversiales de la expresión humana, con enfoque en la Guerra del Pacífico (1879-1884) y sus secuelas. Esta tesis interactúa con la tradición literaria de la poesía tanto clásica como de vanguardia y posvanguardia, examinando el uso de la fragmentación, y el diálogo con el cuerpo como recursos para evocar la experiencia histórica y subjetiva de los sujetos marginales. Inspirado en textos de memoria, historia y de testimonio, el presente estudio enfatiza el papel del lenguaje en la expresión de la violencia así como en la posibilidad de resistencia simbólica. En suma, la presente tesis no solo presenta una aproximación crítica del poemario, sino que lo coloca en un tejido más amplio de discursos sobre la historia, la guerra y la escritura de la memoria en el que las artes, como expresión de la condición humana, también tiene algo que expresar. Abstract (English) This work analyzes the interconnectedness between poetry, history, and memory, starting from the representation of war as an expression of the conflict phenomenon and its correlates of collective trauma within the context of historical violence. Through the poetry collection Unción de la sombra, this research explores how written poetry can project pain, loss, and a sense of identity in relation to conflict events as one of the most controversial phenomena of human expression, with a focus on the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) and its aftermath. This thesis engages with the literary tradition of both classical and avant-garde poetry, examining the use of fragmentation and the dialogue with the body as resources to evoke the historical and subjective experiences of marginalized subjects. Inspired by texts of memory, history, and testimony, the study emphasizes the role of language in expressing violence and the potential for symbolic resistance. In sum, this thesis not only presents a critical approach to the poetry collection but situates it within a broader network of discourses on history, war, and the writing of memory, where the arts, as expressions of the human condition, also have something to convey
Myradas
No full textLa presente tesis presenta Myradas, una colección de poemas bilingüe que explora la relación entre imagen, palabra y disposición espacial en la página. El proyecto tuvo su origen en una revista que combinaba textos poéticos, dibujos y collages. A partir de la separación de los poemas de sus imágenes originales, surgió una reflexión sobre cómo sostener la fuerza poética a través del uso del espacio en blanco como elemento significativo. El manuscrito incluye principalmente poemas de tipo ecfrástico, inspirados en obras visuales como fotografías o pinturas, así como textos que dialogan con otras obras literarias. En esta propuesta conviven distintos enfoques estéticos y formales, influenciados por la poesía concreta, el dadaísmo, el surrealismo y las vanguardias del siglo XX. La disposición gráfica de los poemas, los silencios y los espacios vacíos adquieren aquí un rol central en la construcción de sentido. Myradas es también resultado de un proceso de escritura bilingüe. Mi experiencia en la maestría en escritura creativa me permitió pasar de escribir exclusivamente en español a producir también textos originales en inglés. De ahí la elección de un título híbrido, que conjuga el “My” inglés con “miradas” en español. En conjunto, el trabajo propone una experiencia de lectura activa, en la que el lector no solo interpreta el texto, sino que también reconstruye visualmente aquello que no está presente. Este enfoque invita a repensar la poesía como un espacio de exploración formal y conceptual, donde lo ausente, el vacío y la mirada individual ocupan un lugar protagónico. Abstract (English) This thesis presents *Myradas*, a bilingual poetry collection that investigates the interplay between image, language, and spatial arrangement on the page. The project initially took shape as a magazine that integrated poetic texts, drawings, and collages. The subsequent separation of the poems from their original visual components prompted a reflection on how poetic intensity might be sustained through the strategic use of white space as a meaningful compositional element. The manuscript consists primarily of ekphrastic poems inspired by visual artworks—such as photographs and paintings—as well as texts that engage in intertextual dialogue with other literary works. The collection brings together a range of aesthetic and formal approaches, drawing influence from concrete poetry, Dadaism, Surrealism, and the twentieth-century avant-gardes. Here, the visual layout of the poems, along with silences and empty spaces, plays a central role in the construction of meaning. Myradas also emerges from a bilingual writing process. My experience in the MFA in Creative Writing enabled me to transition from writing solely in Spanish to producing original work in English. The hybrid title—merging the English pronoun “My” with the Spanish word *miradas* (gazes)—reflects this dual linguistic and cultural engagement. Taken as a whole, the work proposes an active reading experience in which the reader not only interprets the written text but also visually reconstructs what is absent. This approach invites a reconsideration of poetry as a space for both formal and conceptual exploration, where absence, emptiness, and the reader’s individual gaze assume a central role
Empowering Caregivers Through an Occupation-Based Approach to Physical and Mental Health
No full textProblem Statement: The informal caregivers at Fundación Integra A.C., primarily family members providing daily, unpaid care to loved ones with significant physical and cognitive needs, often lack the training and support necessary to safely mange the physical and mental demands of caregiving, increasing their risk of injury, burnout, and reduced quality of life.
Methods: 5-module caregiver education course over 8 weeks in person/via Zoom and all material was delivered in Spanish.
Results: Increased confidence, knowledge, and reduced stress.
Discussion: Small sample size, limited statistical significance however, still showed meaningful gains.
Conclusion: Physical and mental health focused program is effective among caregivers and sustainable in underserved areas.https://scholarworks.utep.edu/otcapstones/1006/thumbnail.jp