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Thermal Video Enhancement Mamba: A Novel Approach to Thermal Video Enhancement for Real-World Applications
No full textObject tracking in thermal video is challenging due to noise, blur, and low contrast. We present TVEMamba, a Mamba-based enhancement framework with near-linear complexity that improves tracking in these conditions. Our approach uses a State Space 2D (SS2D) module integrated with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to filter, sharpen, and highlight important details. Key components include (i) a denoising module to reduce background noise and enhance image clarity, (ii) an optical flow attention module to handle complex motion and reduce blur, and (iii) entropy-based labeling to create a fully labeled thermal dataset for training and evaluation. TVEMamba outperforms existing methods (DCRGC, RLBHE, IE-CGAN, BBCNN) across multiple datasets (BIRDSAI, FLIR, CAMEL, Autonomous Vehicles, Solar Panels) and achieves higher scores on standard quality metrics (EME, BDIM, DMTE, MDIMTE, LGTA). Extensive tests, including ablation studies and convergence analysis, confirm its robustness. Real-world examples, such as tracking humans, animals, and moving objects for self-driving vehicles and remote sensing, demonstrate the practical value of TVEMamba.Electrical and Computer Engineerin
Impacts of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Programs in Hispanic Church Settings: A Cluster-Randomized Trial Comparing Faith-Based and Faith-Placed Approaches
No full text<b>Background/Objectives:</b> This study aimed to adapt evidence-based diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) into a faith-based (FB) context for Hispanic communities and compare its effectiveness to a faith-placed (FP) approach using the church as a venue for DSMES delivery. <b>Methods:</b> A cluster-randomized trial was conducted among adults with type 2 diabetes from predominantly Hispanic churches. The churches were assigned to either the FB Group (nine churches, n = 146) or the FP Group (seven churches, n = 125). The FB Group, led by trained lay health leaders, received a health sermon, a six-session DSMES program, and a seven-session Healthy Bible Study. The FP Group, led by outside health professionals, received the same six-session DSMES and a seven-session partial attention control curriculum. Key outcomes, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), waist circumference (WC), diabetes distress, self-care activities, and self-efficacy, were assessed at baseline, 6, 9, and 12 months. <b>Results:</b> The FB Group had lower HbA1c levels than the FP Group at 6 months (&minus;0.3%, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01), with no within-group differences post-intervention. No significant between-group differences were found for other outcomes. Within-group comparisons from baseline showed that both groups reduced WC at 9 and 12 months. Both groups showed reductions in diabetes distress and increased self-efficacy at all time points post-intervention (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The FB Group increased self-care scores at all time points post-intervention, while the FP Group increased at 9 and 12 months. <b>Conclusions:</b> DSMES can be effectively delivered in church settings by trained lay leaders or health professionals in Hispanic communities. Adding a spiritual dimension to DSMES may enhance outcomes.Public Healt
Archaeology along the San Antonio River: The Mission Reach Project, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Volume 2: Monitoring and Survey Results
No full textFrom September of 2010 through April of 2014, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) conducted monitoring, survey, test excavation, and data recovery work along the Mission Reach segment of the San Antonio River. The work was conducted under contract with the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) and was associated with construction of this segment of the San Antonio River Improvements Project (SARIP). The SARIP is a multi-year undertaking designed to restore and enhance the San Antonio River. Multiple federal, state, and local agencies were involved in the undertaking, including SARA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Parks Service (NPS), the City of San Antonio (COSA), and the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the project covered a roughly 200 m wide swath along the San Antonio River in south-central Bexar County. The APE begins at the Theo Avenue Bridge and ends south of Mission Espada, about 11.5 km. Ancillary projects were added to the APE and include the VFW Boulevard Drainage Improvements Project, the Secondary Impacts Survey, the San Juan Facilities Monitoring, the Espada Portal Monitoring, and the San Juan Trail Expansion. The combined project area is estimated to be roughly 3 km2 in size. CAR conducted the work under THC Antiquities Permit No. 5957, originally issued to Dr. Steve Tomka of CAR. Dr. Raymond Mauldin of CAR completed the permit. Much of the land is currently within the boundaries of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.
In the Mission Research section of the project, CAR conducted work at three previously identified archaeological sites (41BX254, 41BX256, and 41BX1628) at which data recovery efforts had been completed. CAR also conducted work at a known but previously untested prehistoric component at site 41BX1785 and performed trenching and testing at four newly defined sites (41BX1888, 41BX1902, 41BX2071, and 41BX2089). Finally, in conjunction with geomorphologic observations, CAR defined four new sites (41BX2113, 41BX2114, 41BX2115, and 41BX2116) along the banks of the San Antonio River in southern Bexar County. Work at these four sites was confined to radiocarbon dating features observed in the river cut banks. These 12 sites span the temporal sequence in the San Antonio area, with occupations stretching from the historic period back to the Paleoindian period. Ancillary projects included monitoring and survey work at 41BX5, 41BX340, 41BX341, 41BX706, 41BX1917, and along sections of the San Juan and Espada acequias.
Reporting on this work is summarized in four volumes. Volume 1 provides background to the project. Volume 2 focuses on the results of monitoring and survey along the San Antonio River, including the results of the ancillary projects. Volume 3 focuses on site testing, data recovery, and analysis. It includes a geomorphic study, excavation details for 41BX2089, 41BX1628, 41BX1888, 41BX1902, 41BX256, and 41BX1785, a regional synthesis of radiocarbon dates, and a summary of burned clay features, many of which have been argued to reflect structures. Volume 4 consists primarily of appendices that support the analysis in Volume 3 and smaller studies that were otherwise associated with the Mission Reach Project. CAR is serving as the curatorial facility for records and artifacts associated with the project. These items are being held in trust for the State of Texas and the National Parks Service. They have been assigned accession number 1883. Buried clay from the Tomka experimental structure is accessioned as number 2730.San Antonio River AuthorityCenter for Archaeological Researc
On an Impulsive Conformable M1 Oncolytic Virotherapy Neural Network Model: Stability of Sets Analysis
Get PDFIn this paper, the impulsive conformable calculus approach is applied to the introduction of an <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>M</mi><mn>1</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> oncolytic virotherapy neural network model. The proposed model extends some existing mathematical models that describe the dynamics of the concentrations of normal cells, tumor cells, nutrients, <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mi>M</mi><mn>1</mn></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> viruses and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells to the impulsive conformable setting. The conformable concept allows for flexibility in the modeling approach, as well as avoiding the complexity of using classical fractional derivatives. The impulsive generalization supports the application of a suitable impulsive control therapy. Reaction&ndash;diffusion terms are also considered. We analyze the stable behavior of sets of states, which extend the investigations of the dynamics of separate equilibrium points. By applying the impulsive conformable Lyapunov function technique, sufficient conditions for the uniform global exponential stability of sets of states are established. An example is also presented to illustrate our results.Mathematic
Experimental Measurements of Hypersonic Separation Events
No full textThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the author has placed this item under a permanent embargo.Mechanical Engineerin
Archaeological Report, No. 514
Get PDFBetween June 2022 and October 2023, CAR conducted a linear archaeological survey with shovel testing and backhoe trenching, additional exploratory trenching in the vicinity of a previously unrecorded cemetery, eligibility testing of two sites recorded during the survey, and archival background research of two historical sites where construction impacts were planned. This work was conducted in response to a request from Adams Environmental, Inc. in advance of the replacement of transmission towers within a CPS Energy (CPS) transmission corridor. The corridor is on CPS-owned property, and therefore falls under the City of San Antonio’s Unified Development Code (Article 6 35-630 to 35-634), as well as the Antiquities Code of Texas. CAR obtained Texas Antiquities Permit No. 30663 prior to the commencement of fieldwork. Cynthia Munoz, CAR Interim Director, served as the Principal Investigator. Jonathan Paige and Leonard Kemp served as Project Archaeologists.
The project area, located in southeast Bexar County, spans 43.3 ha (107 acres) on a transmission corridor that is 14.5 km long and ranges from 16.8 to 54.9 m wide. Over the course of the survey, CAR excavated 333 shovel tests and eight backhoe trenches, and documented 14 previously unrecorded archaeological sites (41BX2593, 41BX2594, 41BX2595, 41BX2596, 41BX2597, 41BX2598, 41BX2599, 41BX2600, 41BX2601, 41BX2602, 41BX2603, 41BX2604, 41BX2605, and 41BX2606). The sites include prehistoric, nineteenth and twentieth century materials, and two historic period cemeteries (41BX2605 and 41BX2606).
CAR recommends sites 41BX2593, 41BX2595, 41BX2597, 41BX2598, 41BX2599, 41BX2600, 41BX2601, and 41BX2603 as not eligible within the project corridor for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL), and recommends no further work within the project corridor at the eight sites. Eligibility testing completed at sites 41BX2596 and 41BX2604 determined that the sites are not eligible within the project corridor for listing in the NRHP or for designation as a SAL, and no further work is recommended within the project corridor. CAR completed additional archival research on sites 41BX2594 and 41BX2602, which determined that the historic deposits recorded at these sites are not significant. CAR recommends the two sites as not eligible within the project corridor for listing in the NRHP or for designation as a SAL. No further work is recommended within the project corridor. Exploratory backhoe trenches were excavated at 41BX2605 to ensure that no unmarked graves would be impacted by construction. No graves were recorded within the project area during trenching. Site 41BX2606 was previously recorded as the Borrego Cemetery, but not as an archaeological site. To include an isolated grave marker observed outside the current boundaries of 41BX2606, the survey expanded the cemetery boundary. CAR recommends that any future excavations in the vicinity of the two cemetery sites be subject to archaeological testing and monitoring with the expectation of burial exposure. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the CPS Archaeologist concurred with CAR’s recommendations.
All artifacts and records associated with this project are curated at the CAR under Accession No. 2847, with the exception of items with no remaining historical or scientific value, which were discarded. The CPS Archaeologist and THC concurred with this discard plan.CPS EnergyCenter for Archaeological Researc
Study of Multicarbon Activity and Selectivity for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction on Bilayer CuO/Cu2O Catalyst : Electrolyte Effect and Catalyst Evolution
Get PDFThis poster was presented at the 2025 Postdoctoral Appreciation Week event.The electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is an effective pathway for generating efficient and renewable energy storage systems. In this report, we present a comprehensive study of alcohol and multicarbon hydrocarbon generation, their activity, and selectivity in CO2RR by utilizing a bilayer CuO/Cu2O catalyst in various cationic and anionic electrolytes. Metal cations with their higher charge density show significant enhancement of C2+ selectivity. Along with, the surface oxygen of CuO/Cu2O accelerates C-C coupling on the catalyst surface, which exhibits a catalytic boost. We also investigate the evolution of chemical/oxidation states of the catalyst during the reduction reaction to identify the active site. This work provides insightful information about the reaction mechanism and the active sites of the oxide-derived Cu catalyst in CO2RR.Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineerin
Investigating Europa's Atmosphere and Surface Composition: Hubble Space Telescope Analysis and Europa-UVS Stellar Occultation Preparations
Get PDFThis dissertation studies Europa’s atmosphere and surface. The atmosphere is primarily composed of O2 with a concentration of H2O near the subsolar point when the trailing hemisphere is illuminated and surrounded by an extended neutral cloud with an abundance of H2. The surface is primarily composed of H2O ice, with other non-ice components present, that is constantly irradiated by the surrounding Jupiter plasma environment. One of the tools used to study the atmosphere and surface has been the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), as it covers many important wavelength ranges that are essential for this research. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is scheduled to arrive at the system in the upcoming decade and will enhance our understanding of Europa. This dissertation focused on 3 main objectives working toward further understanding the atmosphere and surface and preparing for the upcoming mission. The first objective was to establish a stellar occultation quality algorithm to ensure that Europa Clipper’s Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) will achieve its optimal science goals. The second objective was to analyze Europa’s optical aurora using HST visible spectrograph images during times when Europa is in Jupiter’s shadow. The final objective was to use HST UV spectrograph images to characterize and constrain H2 and other trace species at Europa as well as explore surface ice features in the Far-UV. By using a large number of these images we were able to compile spectra with a high Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) for various hemispheres, showing a north-south dichotomy likely related to compositional differences in younger chaos surface regions. Overall, this dissertation provides new insights for Europa’s surface and atmosphere.Physics and Astronom
Dạy học toan dap ứng van hoa va quyền học tập của học sinh: Tim hiểu trảI nghiem của giao vien tiểu học ở việt nam
Get PDFVietnam's national curriculum reform emphasizes student-centered learning with a focus on competency-based learning as a pathway to educational equity. However, in the view of equitable mathematics education, student-centered teaching should not merely focus on improving competency; it should also draw on students’ lived experiences, ways of knowing, and cultural identities as valuable resources for learning. The study introduced culturally responsive mathematics teaching (CRMT) and Torres’s rights of the learners (RotL) to Vietnamese teachers through a virtual professional development (PD) training, aiming to explore teachers' perceptions and experiences with implementing these frameworks in their mathematics instruction. A qualitative multiple case study design was employed, involving three Vietnamese teachers in three distinct school contexts. Data collection included pre- and post-interviews, lesson plans, documents, and video reflection artifacts. I used thematic and cross-case analyses to explore participant teachers' experiences and reflections.
The findings reveal that the teachers began to shift their perceptions and practices by acknowledging deficit views on student mathematical ability, centering students’ funds of knowledge, honoring diverse mathematical thinking and ideas, and sharing authority in the mathematics classroom. Their shift illustrated an evolving understanding of student-centered teaching that fosters equity, empowerment, and responsiveness to students’ cultural and community backgrounds. Despite systemic tensions and cultural norms that challenged their efforts, the teachers demonstrated significant initial shifts in their perception and instructional practices toward greater equity and responsiveness. The study contributes valuable insights into the possibilities and challenges of employing CRMT and Torres’s RotL within the Vietnamese educational context and in other similar global settings. The research emphasizes the critical role of teachers as agents of change and the need for ongoing support from teachers, educators, and policymakers in promoting equitable mathematics education for all students.Interdisciplinary Learning and Teachin
Integrating LLMs into Research Workflows: A Practical Overview
Get PDFThis poster was presented at the 2025 Postdoctoral Appreciation Week event.Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used across research disciplines to assist with literature review, data analysis and visualization, and scientific writing. While LLM use is growing fast, many researchers still lack structured, reproducible workflows that make LLM use effective, transparent, and compliant with evolving research policies. This poster presents a high-level framework for integrating LLMs into the research process through modular, human-in-the-loop workflows. The frameworks include four key components: 1) retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), 2) modular workflows for data analysis and writing, 3) prompt engineering frameworks and 4) chaining and stacking strategies that pass outputs through multiple LLMs for refinement. These approaches were developed through real-world experience in data analysis, grant writing and manuscript preparation. Ethical safeguards are emphasized, including human authorship, iterative review, and source verification. This work is timely in light of new NIH guidance (NOT-OD-25-132), which discourages proposals that are substantially developed by AI. By keeping researchers at the center and treating LLMs as assistants rather than replacements, this framework offers a safe and effective approach to LLM adoption in research.Airway management is a set of techniques and procedures aimed at restoring an individual’s ability to breathe properly. It stands second only to massive hemorrhage as a leading cause of preventable death on the battlefield. One key aspect of airway management is airway suction: the use of an external device to remove mucus, secretions, or foreign materials from the respiratory tract to maintain an unobstructed airway. Portable suction devices exist on the market for prehospital personnel (e.g., Emergency Medical Technicians, EMTs); however, such devices typically fail to meet end-user needs. Common concerns include lack of sufficient suction power (e.g., vacuum pressure), lack of portability, and the inability of the device to operate in an orientation-independent manner. In particular, prehospital suction devices routinely fail to provide the operator with adequate fluid flow rates when interacting with viscous and heterogeneous/multi-phase substances. As such, prehospital civilian and military personnel routinely leave such equipment out of their kit.Pharmacolog