Supportive Collage Infrastructure

Collage: a) an artistic composition made of various materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) glued on a surface; b): a creative work that resembles such a composition in incorporating various materials or elements. As a designer, I believe the world is colorful, and composed of images which we use in order to compose the collages of our lives. I am interested in the way architecture acts as a catalyst for vulnerable communities and how design can be used to better the lives of those who experience it, ideally identifying the role architecture plays in the collages of our lives

Identifying the molecular components that matter: a statistical modelling approach to linking functional genomics data to cell physiology

Functional genomics technologies, in which thousands of mRNAs, proteins, or metabolites can be measured in single experiments, have contributed to reshape biological investigations. One of the most important issues in the analysis of the generated large datasets is the selection of relatively small sub-sets of variables that are predictive of the physiological state of a cell or tissue. In this thesis, a truly multivariate variable selection framework using diverse functional genomics data has been developed, characterized, and tested. This framework has also been used to prove that it is possible to predict the physiological state of the tumour from the molecular state of adjacent normal cells. This allows us to identify novel genes involved in cell to cell communication. Then, using a network inference technique networks representing cell-cell communication in prostate cancer have been inferred. The analysis of these networks has revealed interesting properties that suggests a crucial role of directional signals in controlling the interplay between normal and tumour cell to cell communication. Experimental verification performed in our laboratory has provided evidence that one of the identified genes could be a novel tumour suppressor gene. In conclusion, the findings and methods reported in this thesis have contributed to further understanding of cell to cell interaction and multivariate variable selection not only by applying and extending previous work, but also by proposing novel approaches that can be applied to any functional genomics data

Absolute risk estimation for time to event data

The objective of the thesis is to use time to event models in order to estimate the absolute risk for a certain event. In particular, we will use the data from the Estonian Biobank cohort together with different approaches to estimate the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). We will use the methodology that accounts for right-censoring in the data. Specifically, we will use three approaches for duration models: - Non-Parametric methods: the Kaplan-Meier estimator; - Semiparametric model: Cox Proportional Hazard models; and - Parametric models: models assuming Weibull and Gompertz distribution. The analysis will be done in R software exclusively. After we have identified the optimal models, we will predict the risks, giving us an approximate estimate which will be potentially useful to personalize risk predictions for the Estonian population and insurance

Control of Solar Power Systems: a survey

9th International Symposium on Dynamics and Controlof Process Systems (DYCOPS 2010)Leuven, Belgium, July 5-7, 20109This paper deals with the main control problems found in solar power systems and the solutions proposed in literature. The paper first describes the main solar power technologies, its development status and then describes the main challenges encountered when controlling solar power systems.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2008-05818Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología DPI2007-66718-C04-04Junta de Andalucía P07-TEP-0272

Robust control of the distributed solar collector field ACUREX using MPC for tracking

17th IFAC World Congress 2008. Seoul (Korea). 06/07/2008This paper presents the application of a robust model predictive control for tracking of piece-wise constant references (RMPCT) to a distributed collector field, ACUREX, at the solar power plant of PSA (Solar Plant of Almería). The main characteristic of a solar power plant is that the primary energy source, solar radiation, cannot be manipulated. Solar radiation varies throughout the day, causing changes in plant dynamics and strong disturbances in the process. The real plant is assumed to be modeled as a linear system with additive bounded uncertainties on the states. Under mild assumptions, the proposed RMPCT can steer the uncertain system in an admissible evolution to any admissible steady state, that is, under any change of the set point. This allows us to reject constant disturbances compensating the effect of then changing the setpoint

Contenido de Cadmio y Plomo en tejido de Hígado y Riñón en el Jote de Cabeza Colorada Cathartes aura (Linneo, 1758) de Chañaral, Desierto de Atacama, Chile

Indexación: Web of Science; ScieloThe Atacama region, Chile, presents one of the highest levels of mining exploitation of the country, which leads to high levels of contamination from mine tailings and other related environmental liabilities. One of the most complex situations occurred in the Chañaral city, north of Chile, where for over 50 years mine tailings were dumped on the coast, causing severe damage in the ecosystem. To evaluate the effects on terrestrial biota, we analyzed the concentration of cadmium and lead in tissues of Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). The results indicate that accumulation of cadmium in kidney was 10.31 μg/g (SD 8.00, range 0.27 to 20.73 μg/g) while in the liver was 5.24 μg/g (SD 8.00, range 0.49 to 19.70). There values are very high when compared to data for other birds with similar ecological role. In relation to the lead, concentration in liver was 0.86 μg/g (SD 2.03, range 0.15 - 7.90), while in kidney was 1.05 μg/g (DS 2.54, range 0.044 to 9.86), values considered within the normal range. It is interesting to analyze from the perspective of the availability of these metals in the mining tailings, where lead (1.57 to 21.2 μg/g) presented higher levels than cadmium (0.061 to 1.085 μg/g). The difference between organs may be related to the role of metallothionein. We discuss the role of Turkey Vulture as a bioindicator of environmental liabilities.La Región de Atacama, Chile, presenta uno de los mayores niveles de explotación minera del país, el cual a su vez genera altos niveles de contaminación por relaves mineros y otros pasivos ambientales relacionados. Una de las más complejas situaciones ocurrió en la ciudad de Chañaral, norte de Chile, donde fueron liberados relaves mineros a sus costas por sobre 50 años, causando graves daños en el ecosistema. Para evaluar los efectos en la biota terrestre, nosotros analizamos la concentración de Cadmio y Plomo en tejidos del Jote de Cabeza Colorada (Cathartes aura). Los resultados indican que la acumulación de Cadmio en el Riñón fue 10,31 μg/g (DS 8,00, rango 0,27 a 20,73 μg/g) mientras en el Hígado fue 5,24 μg/g (DS 8,00, rango 0,49 a 19,70). Estos valores son muy altos si se compara con datos de otras aves de similar rol ecológico. En relación al Plomo, la concentración en Hígado fue de 0,86 μg/g (DS 2,03, rango 0,15 a 7,90), mientras que en Riñón fue de 1,05 μg/g (DS 2,54, rango 0,044 a 9,86), valores considerados dentro del rango normal. Estos resultados son interesantes de analizar desde la perspectiva de la disponibilidad de estos metales en el relave minero, donde el Plomo (1,57 a 21,2 μg/g) presentó mayores niveles que el Cadmio (0,061 a 1,085 μg/g). La diferencia entre órganos puede ser relacionado al rol de las metalotioneinas. Discutimos el rol del Jote de Cabeza Colorada como bioindicador de contaminaciones ambientales.http://ref.scielo.org/86hcb

Escuelas abiertas de verano: Un marco educativo en igualdad de oportunidades

El Proyecto ICI es impulsado por Obra Social "la Caixa", desarrollado en colaboración con el IMEDES de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, cuenta con Carlos Giménez como Director Científico y con Marco Marchioni como Asesor General; además de asesores para las áreas de salud ‐Milagros Ramasco‐ o de educación ‐Miquel Essomba. En cada territorio el Proyecto se inicia con un convenio entre la entidad financiadora y el Ayuntamiento; y con otro convenio con una entidad social sin fin de lucro de la zona, encargada de la implementación y gestión local del Proyecto. Comenzó en 2010, en 17 territorios y se extiende en el 2014 a otros 23, (barrios, distritos y zonas urbanas, pueblos, comarcas, etc.) del EstadoEn este trabajo se pretende articular una propuesta educativa para el período estival con el que generar un marco educativo que reduzca las desigualdades sociales. Esto implica un modelo de trabajo donde los y las representantes políticos y políticas, el tejido técnico y la ciudadanía, en especial la juventud, generan, a partir de un mejor conocimiento de sus realidades, una propuesta de trabajo que aborde el verano, no ya como un problema sino como una oportunidad educativa. Esta propuesta nace a partir del trabajo dentro del proyecto de Intervención Comunitaria Intercultural (ICI) que se ha implementado en 40 territorios del Estado español desde el año 201