Rule Derivation for Agent-Based Models of Complex Systems: Nuclear Waste Management and Road Networks Case Studies

This thesis explores the relation between equation-based models (EBMs) and agent-based models (ABMs), in particular, the derivation of agent rules from equations such that agent collective behavior produces results that match or are close to those from EBMs. This allows studying phenomena using both approaches and obtaining an understanding of the aggregate behavior as well as the individual mechanisms that produce them. The use of ABMs allows the inclusion of more realistic features that would not be possible (or would be difficult to include) using EBMs. The first part of the thesis studies the derivation of molecule displacement probabilities from the diffusion equation using cellular automata. The derivation is extended to include reaction and advection terms. This procedure is later applied to estimate lifetimes of nuclear waste containers for various scenarios of interest and the inclusion of uncertainty. The second part is concerned with the derivation of a Bayesian state algorithm that consolidates collective real-time information about the state of a given system and outputs a probability density function of state domain, from which the most probable state can be computed at any given time. This estimation is provided to agents so that they can choose the best option for them. The algorithm includes a diffusion or diffusion-like term to account for the deterioration of information as time goes on. This algorithm is applied to a couple of road networks where drivers, prior to selecting a route, have access to current information about the traffic and are able to decide which path to follow. Both problems are complex due to heterogeneous components, nonlinearities, and stochastic behavior; which make them difficult to describe using classical equation models such as the diffusion equation or optimization models. The use of ABMs allowed for the inclusion of such complex features in the study of their respective systems

Factibilidad de internalizar mantención preventiva del sistema de inyección electrónico para maquinaria pesada de Constructora Internacional S.A.

150 p.Los procedimientos de diagnostico son de gran importancia dentro de los activos de una industria, ya que un buen procedimiento va a permitir ahorrar tiempo lo que se traducirá en recursos económicos para la empresa. Esto se facilita con un análisis de las capacidades del personal, basándose en los conocimientos de estos, en los sistemas con lo que cuenta la maquinaria y la manera de realizar los procesos de diagnostico. El trabajo que a continuación se presenta tiene por finalidad realizar un plan de mantención orientado a los sistemas de inyección electrónica de la maquinaria pesada de empresa Constructora Internacional S.A. ubicada en Teatinos 333, Santiago. El estudio técnico se centrará principalmente en el sistema HEUI, de un motor Caterpillar de la serie 3100, reconociendo sus partes y piezas, su funcionamiento y especificaciones técnicas con sus procedimientos de diagnóstico. Además se desarrolla una evaluación del proyecto para ver la factibilidad económica del proyecto. Entregando además información anexa, con respecto a la maquinaria pesada ocupada en las obras de construcción, solución a los problemas más comunes presentados al sistema de inyección en cuestión, descripción general de algunos sistemas de inyección electrónicos presentes en la actualidad y utilizados en maquinaria pesada

Cycle Time Improvement by a Six Sigma Project for the Increase of New Business Accounts

This paper reports the application of a 6σ project about the reduction of the cycle time for acquiring a new credit account in a finance group. The methodology used in this project was the DMAI technique of 6σ. The paper documents the analysis and tasks performed by the management team that reduced cycle time from 49 days to 30 days which resulted in an expected annual savings of $300,000.00. Also an increased customer satisfaction and an increase of sales is expected

In Vivo Corneal Microstructural Changes in Herpetic Stromal Keratitis: A Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis

Purpose: To describe and analyze the microstructural changes in herpetic stromal keratitis (HSK) observed in vivo by spectral-domain ocular coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at different stages of the disease. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional, observational, and comparative SD-OCT analysis of corneas with active and inactive keratitis was performed, and the pathologic differences between the necrotizing and non-necrotizing forms of the disease were analyzed. Results: Fifty-three corneas belonging to 43 (81.1%) women and 10 (18.8%) men with a mean age of 41.0 years were included for analysis. Twenty-four (45.3%) eyes had active keratitis, and 29 (54.7%) had inactive keratitis; the majority (83.0%) had the non-necrotizing form. Most corneas (79.1%) with active keratitis showed stromal edema and inflammatory infiltrates. Almost half of the active lesions affected the visual axis, were found at mid-stromal depth, and had a medium density. By contrast, corneas with inactive keratitis were characterized by stromal scarring (89.6%), epithelial remodeling (72.4%), and stromal thinning (68.9%). In contrast to non-necrotizing corneas, those with necrotizing HSK showed severe stromal scarring, inflammatory infiltration, and thinning. Additionally, most necrotizing lesions (77.7%) affected the visual axis and had a higher density (P = 0.010). Conclusion: Active HSK is characterized by significant epithelial and stromal thickening and the inactive disease manifests epithelial remodeling at sites of stromal thinning due to scarring. Necrotizing keratitis is characterized by distorted corneal architecture, substantial stromal inflammatory infiltration, and thinning. In vivo SD-OCT analysis permitted a better understanding of the inflammatory and repair mechanisms occurring in this blinding corneal disease

Las contradicciones en el Trabajo SociaL: una crítica al ejercicio profesional

Hablar de trabajo social podría convertirse en una de las hazañas más difíciles de cumplir, pues, verdaderamente es una disciplina compleja, diversa y llena de matices. Es que para hablar de trabajo social, debemos hablar de realidades, de contextos, de sujetos, de problemáticas, de perspectivas, de conceptos; en fin, son tantos y tantos temas que componen nuestra profesión, que fácilmente llenamos páginas completas intentando explicar alguno de estos tópicos.

Conocimientos y prácticas de riesgo ante el VIH/SIDA en adolescentes de la Facultad de Planeación Urbana y Regional de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

El VIH/SIDA en los últimos años se ha expandido de manera alarmante, traspasando las fronteras que inicialmente los asociaban a comportamientos específicos como la homosexualidad, la promiscuidad sexual y el consumo de drogas. En la actualidad la pandemia afecta en forma indiscriminada a diversos sectores de la sociedad, haciendo cada vez más difícil su control.Introducción: El VIH/SIDA ha tenido gran impacto en la población mundial. Actualmente 33.3 millones de personas viven con VIH/SIDA, y cerca de la mitad de los nuevos casos reportados se encuentran entre los 15 a los 24 años. Objetivo: Identificar los conocimientos y prácticas de riesgo ante el VIH en adolescentes de la Facultad de Planeación Urbana y Regional (FaPUR) de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEMEX) Materiales y métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal, descriptivo y prospectivo, se aplicaron 200 encuestas a adolescentes de 17-19 años de ambos sexos que fueran alumnos de la FaPUR de la UAEMEX, durante el mes de Septiembre del año 2012 y se realizó un análisis estadístico descriptivo de la información obtenida. Resultados: Las principales características encontradas en los adolescentes fueron: la mayoría son del sexo masculino, de 18 años de edad, y con religión católica; su lugar de residencia es urbano, y con orientación sexual heterosexual, del total el 82% de los adolescentes tienen conocimientos suficientes sobre el VIH/SIDA y un 43% poseen de 1-4 prácticas de riesgo para adquirir la infección. Conclusiones: Los adolescentes de la FAPUR de la UAEMEX, poseen un nivel suficiente de conocimientos básicos sobre el VIH/SIDA, a pesar de esto siguen realizando prácticas de riesgo para adquirir el virus; lo que refleja de manera clara que aunque posean los cocimientos, estos no son traducidos a acciones y por lo tanto no son aplicados de manera preventiva y efectiva a su vida sexual

Sizable CP Violation in the Bosonized Standard Model

Using the worldline method, we derive an effective action of the bosonic sector of the Standard Model by integrating out the fermionic degrees of freedom. The CP violation stemming from the complex phase in the CKM matrix gives rise to CP-violating operators in the one-loop effective action in the next-to-leading order of a gradient expansion. We calculate the prefactor of the appropriate operators and give general estimates of CP violation in the bosonic sector of the Standard Model. In particular, we show that the effective CP violation for weak gauge fields is not suppressed by the Yukawa couplings of the light quarks and is much larger than the bound given by the Jarlskog determinant.Comment: 15 pages, minor changes, published versio

Moxifloxacin versus levofloxacin against acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: the Latin American Cohort

We compared the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin and levofloxacin for the treatment of patients with acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB) using a prospective, randomized, double blind, parallel-group clinical trial design. A total of 563 patients with AECB were enrolled (437 efficacy-valid) at 34 centers in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Patients were randomized to oral therapy with either moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily for 5 days or levofloxacin 500 mg once daily for 7 days. Clinical success was achieved in 201 out of 221 (91.0%) patients in the moxifloxacin group, and in 203 out of 216 (94.0%) in the levofloxacin group, indicating that moxifloxacin is equivalently effective to levofloxacin. Bacteriologic eradication or presumed eradication was also similar in the two treatment groups: 92.8% in the moxifloxacin group and 93.8% in the levofloxacin group. Nausea was the most common drug-related adverse event in each treatment group. the rate of discontinuation because of adverse events was very low (<= 2%). in conclusion, a 5-day course of moxifloxacin is clinically and bacteriologically equivalent to a 7-day course of levofloxacin in the treatment of patients with AECB. the short treatment duration with moxifloxacin may have compliance advantages over other currently used therapies in the 'real-Life' clinical setting. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Fdn LUSARA, Mexico City 08930, DF, MexicoInst Nacl Enfermedades Resp, Mexico City, DF, MexicoHosp Mi Pueblo, Buenos Aires, DF, ArgentinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilClin Reina Sofia, Bogota, ColombiaClin Ricardo Palma, Lima, PeruBayer Mexico, SA & CV, Mexico City, DF, MexicoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc