Proyectos

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Estudio de propiedades métricas y estructurales de los espacios de Wasserstein (provenientes de la teoría de transporte óptimo), y búsqueda de aplicaciones en optimización bajo incertidumbre.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Uso de la química de elementos altamente siderófilos y calcófilos para discriminar rocas asociadas a yacimientos minerales productivos[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Slope-based Variational Analysis and Optimization[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Estudio de propiedades métricas y estructurales de los espacios de Wasserstein (provenientes de la teoría de transporte óptimo), y búsqueda de aplicaciones en optimización bajo incertidumbre.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Combinatorial objects frequently appear in various areas of computer science and discrete mathematics. These objects are central to questions in algorithmic design, where we aim to program a computer to efficiently perform tasks involving them. These tasks may include counting objects based on certain parameters, sampling an object uniformly at random, optimizing with respect to an objective function, searching for objects that satisfy specific properties, or generating all objects exactly once. This project focuses on two of these problems: combinatorial generation and the search for highly distinct combinatorial objects. While many of the aforementioned tasks have general-purpose techniques that allow them to tackle multiple problems simultaneously, the situation becomes less clear when dealing with combinatorial generation or the search for distant objects. Much of the effort in these areas has been devoted to developing ad hoc methods. Despite this, these last two problems can be naturally phrased in the language of flip graphs, which encode the similarity between combinatorial objects. In this context, the problem transforms into the traditional graph problems of Hamiltonicity (finding a path that traverses all the vertices exactly once) and diameter (finding two vertices that are farthest apart). Recent research has highlighted the significant value of exploiting polytopal properties and symmetry of flip graphs, leading to unified frameworks that can address many problems simultaneously. The main objective of this project is to contribute to this perspective. Specifically, it aims to enhance our understanding of the polytopal and symmetric properties of flip graphs and use this knowledge to develop efficient algorithms for tackling Hamiltonicity and diameter problems[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of using ultrasonic acoustic imaging as a non-intrusive, in situ technique to assess the plastic behavior of commercial metals and alloys. Specifically, it aims to explore the potential of ultrasonic acoustic imaging to identify and monitor various plastic deformation mechanisms in stainless steel and aluminum. The selection of materials is based on their distinct plastic deformation behaviors: aluminum releases internal energy through dislocation mechanisms, while stainless steel releases energy through deformation, first by dislocation and then by twinning. To achieve this goal, the study will continuously measure changes in sound velocity and the nonlinear acoustic parameter β while subjecting the materials to uniaxial tensile tests at different levels of applied stress. Previous studies conducted by our research group have demonstrated that changes in sound velocity, in relation to strain, offer a reliable means of quantifying dislocation density in local measurements on aluminum, copper, and stainless steel specimens. Furthermore, these studies have observed that alterations in the nonlinear acoustic parameter, specifically second harmonic generation, exhibit more pronounced changes compared to variations in linear acoustics (speed of sound). Building upon these findings, the proposed research involves the generation of both linear and nonlinear acoustic images over wider spatial regions to advance our understanding of the plastic behavior of materials undergoing different microstructural changes. The challenge of applying the results of this research to in situ measurements in the industry is not trivial, as the highly controlled laboratory conditions are not maintained in service components. In this regard, the incorporation of machine learning tools in the proposal aims to identify the parameters most sensitive to the various deformation mechanisms through clustering techniques. It is expected that the correlation of different acoustic parameters with the various plastic deformation mechanisms of both materials under study will generate an optimal database that reflects the variety of scenarios present in service components, thus paving the way for the industrial use of the proposed characterization system. The adoption of diagnostic techniques and the utilization of metallic material state analysis in service significantly enhance our ability to comprehend and control plastic deformation mechanisms, contributing to improved material reliability and robustness, and facilitating informed decision-making and maintenance strategies. Additionally, ex-situ standard microstructural tests, including XRD (X-ray diffraction), EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction), and TEM (transmission electron microscopy), will be performed to characterize the material’s state after deformation. These complementary tests will provide valuable microstructural information, enabling the correlation of deformation states with the acquired acoustic images. All the acoustic and microstructural information described above, in conjunction with previous research group data, will be stored in a robust and comprehensive database. This database will serve as the input for a Machine Learning algorithm, which will facilitate the identification of patterns of correspondence between acoustic and microstructural parameters. This approach aims to enable the future prediction, with a high level of probability, of the specific type of plastic deformation mechanism that a material is undergoing based on the acoustic parameter measurements. The successful development of this research proposal would yield several significant outcomes. Firstly, it would enable the early detection of microstructural changes in materials long before fractures occur. Moreover, it would establish a non-intrusive tool for characterizing materials by identifying the underlying mechanisms driving plastic deformation and monitoring the evolution of materials in service over time. Ultimately, this research has the potential to advance our understanding of the plastic behavior of stainless steel and aluminum, opening avenues for improved analysis, design, and performance evaluation of materials in various industrial applications.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Medium manganese steels (MMnS) are currently a subject of active scientific research due to a number of reasons. First, their unique combination of strength and ductility makes them promising candidates for lightweight structural applications in automotive and aerospace industries, where reducing weight without sacrificing mechanical properties is critical. Second, their ability to retain austenite at room temperatures offers advantages in terms of formability and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, which are significant challenges in steel manufacturing. Third, medium Mn steels have shown potential in enhancing wear and impact resistance, making them suitable for applications in mining, construction, and machinery sectors. Additionally, their corrosion resistance and potential for cost-effective alloying with other elements further expand their utility across various engineering fields. Scientific research on medium Mn steels aims to optimize their microstructure, processing parameters, and alloy compositions to unlock their full potential, thereby contributing to the development of advanced materials that meet the performance requirements of modern industries while promoting sustainability and efficiency in manufacturing processes. The proposed research aims to investigate the stability of austenite in medium manganese steels within ternary Fe-C-Mn and Fe-C-Mn-X systems (X: Al, Si, Cr), focusing on its correlation with processing parameters. The primary objective is to assess the stability of austenite via (i) experimentally determining the martensite start temperature (thermal stability) using dilatometry and thermal analysis techniques, and (ii) to evaluate the fraction of austenite as a function of strain (mechanical stability) under tensile test. These measurements will provide crucial data to understand how variations in processing conditions influence austenite stability. Else, the study will correlate austenite stability with mechanical properties through mechanical tests and in-depth microstructural characterization, aiming to establish predictive models. Additionally, thermodynamic and kinetic calculations will aid in assessing the phase transformation behavior under different thermal histories. The research will extend its scope to evaluate impact and wear properties in relation to austenite stability, crucial for applications in industries requiring high strength and toughness, such as mining and construction. By systematically exploring these relationships, the project seeks to advance the fundamental understanding of medium Mn steels, potentially leading to the development of lightweight, durable materials with enhanced performance characteristics. Ultimately, the findings aim to contribute to the optimization of steel manufacturing processes and the realization of more efficient and reliable engineering solutions in demanding operational environments[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Uso de la química de elementos altamente siderófilos y calcófilos para discriminar rocas asociadas a yacimientos minerales productivos[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Climate projections anticipate an increase in frequent droughts, episodes of extreme fire behavior, in addition to heat waves and unstable atmospheric conditions, all phenomena related to climate change. Drought intensification has been projected to increase in frequency in several regions across the globe, including the southwestern part of South America, the European Mediterranean Basin, Northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Australia, and the USA. Particularly, the former three areas have been recognized as locations highly likely to face unprecedented droughts during the 21st century, and within Southwestern South America, Chile has been alarmingly pointed out as the country earlier in this era experiencing this phenomenon, regardless of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Catastrophic effects such as extreme droughts and changes in fire behavior are important drivers of ecosystem degradation in arid, semiarid, dry temperate and Mediterranean ecosystems. Mediterranean ecosystems of central Chile have been indicated as the earliest in its type experiencing effects of climate change; where an accelerated aridification is already registered; therefore, representing a scenario to anticipate the effects of climate anomalies at other ecosystems of its type. Persistent droughts and land burning can compromise belowground conditions that are essential to support aboveground life in terrestrial ecosystems. Nevertheless, despite their importance for ecosystem functioning and recovery after environmental disturbances, there still a considerable lack of comprehension on how belowground attributes respond to combined stressors such as droughts and fires. This is of particular concern in conditions where post-fire plant and soil recovery have been shown to be inhibited or retarded due to severe droughts. Therefore, this project aims to evaluate individual and combined effects of drought and fires over time in soil microbial communities and carbon and nitrogen functional dynamics along with the relationship of these attributes and the state of sclerophyll vegetation in Mediterranean forests of central Chile. To accomplish this goal a multiscale approach will be applied in this research by integrating scientific disciplines from landcape ecology to molecular biology. By using remote sensing study site will be selected within an area known to be affected by an extended drought period (since 2010), in addition to hyper-dry years (2019 and 2021), which in addition has experienced the occurrence of historical wildfires as the case of 2017. From this initial screening 18 study conditions resulting from three climate anomaly categories identified (high, medium, low) according to differences in precipitation with respect to historical average, three categories for forest response to drought (recovered, unaffected and unrecovered) based on analysis of Normalized Burn Index (NBR = [NIR - SWIR] / [NIR + SWIR]) and two burned conditions (with and without) will be obtained for soil and vegetation assessments. Classical soil physicochemical analyses and NG-sequencing techniques including high-throughput amplicon sequencing (metabarcoding), whole genome sequencing (metagenomics), and gene expression (metatransciptomics), in addition to soil physiological analyses will be performed. Moreover, vegetation recovery following drought and fire will be evaluated. Results from this study will allow to better understand the individual versus the combined effects of drought and fires in soil microbial community structure and carbon and nitrogen functionality, which are expected to be exacerbated with the combined occurrence of these phenomena, giving insights on the resilience capacity of soil microbiomes and carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. From this work, results will also allow to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the linkages between soil functionality and vegetation responses to drought and fires over time, which will allow to identify ecological drivers related to ecosystem stability.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

[vc_section el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center circle--pattern" css=".vc_custom_1648956589196{padding-top: 3rem !important;}"][vc_row el_class="pb-5"][vc_column][vc_wp_custommenu nav_menu="6"][uoh_breadcrumb_component automatic_breadcrumb="true"][uoh_title_component title_dropdown="big" title_decorator="true"]{{title}}[/uoh_title_component][vc_column_text css=""]Climate projections anticipate an increase in frequent droughts, episodes of extreme fire behavior, in addition to heat waves and unstable atmospheric conditions, all phenomena related to climate change. Drought intensification has been projected to increase in frequency in several regions across the globe, including the southwestern part of South America, the European Mediterranean Basin, Northern Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Australia, and the USA. Particularly, the former three areas have been recognized as locations highly likely to face unprecedented droughts during the 21st century, and within Southwestern South America, Chile has been alarmingly pointed out as the country earlier in this era experiencing this phenomenon, regardless of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Catastrophic effects such as extreme droughts and changes in fire behavior are important drivers of ecosystem degradation in arid, semiarid, dry temperate and Mediterranean ecosystems. Mediterranean ecosystems of central Chile have been indicated as the earliest in its type experiencing effects of climate change; where an accelerated aridification is already registered; therefore, representing a scenario to anticipate the effects of climate anomalies at other ecosystems of its type. Persistent droughts and land burning can compromise belowground conditions that are essential to support aboveground life in terrestrial ecosystems. Nevertheless, despite their importance for ecosystem functioning and recovery after environmental disturbances, there still a considerable lack of comprehension on how belowground attributes respond to combined stressors such as droughts and fires. This is of particular concern in conditions where post-fire plant and soil recovery have been shown to be inhibited or retarded due to severe droughts. Therefore, this project aims to evaluate individual and combined effects of drought and fires over time in soil microbial communities and carbon and nitrogen functional dynamics along with the relationship of these attributes and the state of sclerophyll vegetation in Mediterranean forests of central Chile. To accomplish this goal a multiscale approach will be applied in this research by integrating scientific disciplines from landcape ecology to molecular biology. By using remote sensing study site will be selected within an area known to be affected by an extended drought period (since 2010), in addition to hyper-dry years (2019 and 2021), which in addition has experienced the occurrence of historical wildfires as the case of 2017. From this initial screening 18 study conditions resulting from three climate anomaly categories identified (high, medium, low) according to differences in precipitation with respect to historical average, three categories for forest response to drought (recovered, unaffected and unrecovered) based on analysis of Normalized Burn Index (NBR = [NIR - SWIR] / [NIR + SWIR]) and two burned conditions (with and without) will be obtained for soil and vegetation assessments. Classical soil physicochemical analyses and NG-sequencing techniques including high-throughput amplicon sequencing (metabarcoding), whole genome sequencing (metagenomics), and gene expression (metatransciptomics), in addition to soil physiological analyses will be performed. Moreover, vegetation recovery following drought and fire will be evaluated. Results from this study will allow to better understand the individual versus the combined effects of drought and fires in soil microbial community structure and carbon and nitrogen functionality, which are expected to be exacerbated with the combined occurrence of these phenomena, giving insights on the resilience capacity of soil microbiomes and carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. From this work, results will also allow to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the linkages between soil functionality and vegetation responses to drought and fires over time, which will allow to identify ecological drivers related to ecosystem stability.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649209804184{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center p-md-0 pt-5"][vc_column el_class="p-0"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section css=".vc_custom_1649210787516{background-color: #f6faff !important;}" el_class="p-md-0 pt-md-5 pb-md-5"][vc_row el_class="container mx-auto align-items-center"][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]