Pepita Jiménez ¿una novela realista?

Ponencia presentada en el Ateneo de Córdoba (España) 16 de abril del 2024.En contra de la extendida consideración dada a partir de la centuria decimonónica, afirmamos que lo real no es algo inherente a la obra literaria de este período, sino que es una construcción que surge en la mente del lector cuando este se sumerge de lleno en la narración ficcional, motivada intencionalmente por la pericia y destreza técnica del autor. Por ello, demostramos que la ficción crea modelos de realidad que, en el caso de la novela de Valera, Pepita Jiménez, no se adhieren a los cánones ni a las corrientes literarias de la época, sino a una visión particular y poetizada de la realidad provinciana bajo la condición de la verosimilitud narrativa. Se hace patente en algunas de las estrategias narrativas empleadas por el autor, como el juego de perspectivas en torno a Pepita (el multiperspectivismo), y la poetización del espacio diegético

Fair and Sustainable Pension System: Market Equilibrium Using Implied Options

This study contributes to the discussion about a fair and balanced pension system with a collectively funded pension scheme or social security and a defined contribution pillar. With an invigorated risk approach using financial option positions, it considers the variance of socioeconomic interests of different society-earning cohorts. By that, it enables the assumption of un-uniformity in interests about the fair and sustainable pension design. Specifically, we claim that the alternative cost of hedging the ideal position to the counterparty position studies the implied risks and returns that participants are willing to absorb and hence may lead to a fair compromise when there are different interests. The novelty of the introduced method is mainly based on the variety of participants’ risks and not on the utility function. Accordingly, we spare the discussion about the right shape of the utility function and the proper calibrations

Water Pricing and Quotas: A Quantitative Analysis from a Private and Social Perspective

The current situation of structural water scarcity due to the rise in demand, the reduction in supply as a consequence of climate change, increasingly frequent drought periods, and overall quantitative pressure on water resources creates a need for economic instruments to reduce the amount of water used, especially in the agricultural sector. Thus, water pricing and allocation quotas (proportional reduction of allocations) may be suitable tools to reduce demand or allocate scarce water resources. For a comparative analysis of the performance of these two measures, a Positive Mathematical Programming model has been developed, using the Guadalquivir River Basin as a case study. Additionally, the analysis takes into account the revenue generated from water pricing and the marginal cost of public funds. The results indicate that, from the farmer’s perspective, quotas result in smaller losses than water pricing. However, when considering water pricing along with the revenue generated from this measure, this mechanism would be more beneficial for society as a whole, since the taxes collected could be used for other purposes, albeit with efficiency losses measured by the marginal cost of public funds and the excess burden of taxation

A new Arabic fragment of Jacob of Serugh’s homily On Epiphany

This contribution presents a new Arabic fragment of Jacob of Serugh’s homily On the Baptism of Our Saviour in the Jordan (On Epiphany). It has been preserved through secondary use in the back cover of MS Sinai, St Catherine's Monastery, Ar. 516 and can be attributed palaeographically to the Sinaitic scribe Thomas of Fustat. The translation belongs to the oldest translations of Jacob's works into Arabic. The text was previously only known from two other short fragments. The new fragment doubles the amount of known text of this translation. It is contextualised in detail here and the text is reproduced in a diplomatic edition and English translation.Esta contribución presenta un nuevo fragmento árabe de la homilía de Jacobo de Sarug Sobre el Bautismo de Nuestro Salvador en el Jordán (Sobre la Epifanía). El fragmento se ha conservado gracias a un uso secundario en la cubierta trasera del manuscrito del Monasterio de Santa Catalina del Sinaí, Sin. Ar. 516 que se puede atribuir paleográficamente al copista sinaítico Tomás de Fustat. La traducción pertenece a las traducciones más antiguas de las obras de Jacobo al árabe. Hasta ahora, el texto sólo se conocía por otros dos breves fragmentos. El nuevo fragmento duplica la cantidad del texto conocido de esta traducción. En esta contribución se contextualizará detalladamente el fragmento y se reproducirá el texto en una edición diplomática acompañado de su traducción inglesa

Media competence for language and literature curricular contents in ecuador: analysis and integration proposals

Se presenta un análisis de los elementos del Currículo Nacional de Ecuador (2016) de Educación General Básica Superior de Lengua y Literatura en relación con los indicadores planteados por Ferrés y Piscitelli (2012). El objetivo de la investigación fue determinar el nivel de integración que estos indicadores observan dentro de cada uno de los elementos curriculares (objetivos del área, destrezas con criterio de desempeño y contenidos temáticos). El análisis desarrollado muestra que, a pesar de que el diseño curricular en vigencia observa la utilización de diversas tecnologías o herramientas digitales como recursos educativos para su uso dentro y fuera del aula, es necesario ahondar en marcos de interpretación e integración de nuevos géneros discursivos multimodales e hipermediales para coadyuvar en la formación de una comunidad educativa capaz de analizar discursos digitales en constante cambio y modificación, así como integrar procesos de alfabetización mediática y digital en diversas estrategias de enseñanza-aprendizaje, acotados y situados a los intereses y necesidades de la sociedad actual. Este análisis da paso a muchas líneas de investigación y adaptación didáctica que la comunidad educativa puede emprender para construir este proceso de convergencia e integración.This research provides an analysis of the components of the National Curriculum of Ecuador (2016) of Higher General Basic Education in Language and Literature regarding the indicators proposed by Ferrés and Piscitelli (2012), in order to determine the level of integration that these indicators demonstrate for each curricular component (area objectives, skills with performance criteria, and subject contents). The analysis developed shows that, although the current curriculum design reflects the use of various technologies or digital tools as educational resources for use inside and outside the classroom, it is important to explore in depth frameworks of interpretation and integration of new multimodaland hypermediadiscursive genres to contribute to the formation of an educational community able to analyze digital discourses in continuous change and modification, as well as to include media and digital literacy processes in various teaching-learning strategies, limited and located to the interests and needs of today's society. This analysis provides many lines of research and didactic adaptation that the educational community can develop in order to build this process of convergence and integration

Tree diversity and its ecological importance value in silvopastoral systems: a study along elevational gradients in the Sumaco biosphere reserve, Ecuadorian Amazon

This study analyzes tree diversity and its ecological importance value in silvopastoral systems in the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Ecuador, along an altitudinal gradient of 400–2000 masl. Twenty-six plots distributed into low (400–700 masl), medium (701–1600 masl) and high (1601–2000 masl) zones were used. The Shannon index and the importance value index (IVI), based on abundance, dominance and relative frequency, were estimated. The results highlight that in pastures with dispersed trees, the richness of trees decreases with increasing altitude in the elevational gradient; they also show a higher tree density at lower altitudes in contrast to the Andean–Amazonian primary forests. The lower and middle zones showed higher diversity, linked to regeneration and the presence of nearby forests. Species of high commercial value, such as Cedrela odorata and Jacaranda copaia, were common, reflecting knowledge of the local timber market. In the lower and middle zones, the 10 most important species accounted for more than 70% of the trees, with up to 96% in the upper zone. A total of 51 taxa (including 42 species and nine taxa at the rank of genus) were identified, which were mostly native; 64.7% are classified by the IUCN as least-concern (LC) species, 31.4% as not evaluated (NE) species and 3.9% as vulnerable (VU) species, specifically highlighting Cedrela odorata and Cedrela montana. The study concludes with policy recommendations related to the importance of trees in silvopastoral systems for the conservation of species and the livelihoods of local communities, highlighting the need for responsible management of Amazonian pasturelands

A Systematic Review for Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution Monitoring Systems Based on Internet of Things

Global population growth and increasing pollution levels are directly related. The effect does not just apply to outdoor spaces. Likewise, the low indoor air quality is also having a negative impact on the health of the building residents. According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution is a leading cause of 1.6 million premature deaths annually. Tackling this public health issue, due to the direct relationship between air pollution levels and mortality and morbidity rates as well as overall comfort, is mandatory. Many companies have begun to build inexpensive sensors for use in Internet of Things (IoT)-based applications to pollution monitoring. The research highlights design aspects for sustainable monitoring systems including sensor types, the selected parameters, range of sensors used, cost, microcontrollers, connectivity, communication technologies, and environments. The main contribution of this systematic paper is the synthesis of existing research, knowledge gaps, associated challenges, and future recommendations. Firstly, the IEEE database had the highest contribution to this research (48.51%). The results showed that 87.1%, 66.3%, and 36.8% of studies focused on harmful gas monitoring, thermal comfort parameters, and particulate matter levels pollution, respectively. The most studied harmful gases were CO2, CO, NO2, O3, SO2, SnO2, and volatile organic compounds. The cost of the sensors was suitable for people with limited incomes and mostly under USD 5, rising to USD 30 for specific types. Additionally, 40.35% of systems were based on ESP series (ESP8266 and ESP32) microcontrollers, with ESP8266 being preferred in 34 studies. Likewise, IoT cloud and web services were the preferred interfaces (53.28%), while the most frequent communication technology was Wi-Fi (67.37%). Indoor environments (39.60%) were the most studied ones, while the share for outdoor environments reached 20.79% of studies. This is an indication that pollution in closed environments has a direct impact on living quality. As a general conclusion, IoT-based applications may be considered as reliable and cheap alternatives for indoor and outdoor pollution monitoring

The Microalgae Chlamydomonas for Bioremediation and Bioproduct Production

The extensive metabolic diversity of microalgae, coupled with their rapid growth rates and cost-effective production, position these organisms as highly promising resources for a wide range of biotechnological applications. These characteristics allow microalgae to address crucial needs in the agricultural, medical, and industrial sectors. Microalgae are proving to be valuable in various fields, including the remediation of diverse wastewater types, the production of biofuels and biofertilizers, and the extraction of various products from their biomass. For decades, the microalga Chlamydomonas has been widely used as a fundamental research model organism in various areas such as photosynthesis, respiration, sulfur and phosphorus metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and flagella synthesis, among others. However, in recent years, the potential of Chlamydomonas as a biotechnological tool for bioremediation, biofertilization, biomass, and bioproducts production has been increasingly recognized. Bioremediation of wastewater using Chlamydomonas presents significant potential for sustainable reduction in contaminants and facilitates resource recovery and valorization of microalgal biomass, offering important economic benefits. Chlamydomonas has also established itself as a platform for the production of a wide variety of biotechnologically interesting products, such as different types of biofuels, and high-value-added products. The aim of this review is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the potential of Chlamydomonas in these aspects, and to explore their interrelationship, which would offer significant environmental and biotechnological advantages

Individual and Collective Women Empowerment in the Teachers and Graduates Population and Its Relationship with Academic Training

El empoderamiento es un proceso, una deconstrucción objetiva de mirarnos hacia adentro, analizar nuestras creencias, pensamientos, actitudes y sentimientos, reconociéndonos como personas que conocemos y sus ejercemos nuestros derechos. Según Jain, (2023, p. 41), “el empoderamiento de las mujeres es un proceso multidimensional que desafía las nociones preconcebidas de poder y promueve el éxito a las mujeres”. A su vez, Lagarde (2004) expresa que “es un proceso de transformación mediante el cual cada mujer poco a poco deja de ser objeto de la historia, la política y la cultura y se convierte en sujeta de la propia vida” (p.08). El objetivo de esta investigación es conocer los procesos de empoderamiento individual y colectivo de mujeres que se encuentran ejerciendo cargos directivos, docencia y graduadas de cuatro universidades públicas de la Zona 4 de Ecuador: Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí (ULEAM); Universidad Técnica de Manabí (UTM); Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabí (UNESUM) y, Escuela Superior Politécnica Agropecuaria de Manabí “Manuel Félix López” (ESPAM MLF). La muestra aplicada a este estudio fue no probabilística, para el proceso de validación del instrumento participaron 1478 estudiantes entre 17 y 44 años, distribuidas de la siguiente manera: 38.4% de la ULEAM; 28,2% de la ESPAM MLF; 18% de la UTM y 15.4% de la UNESUM.; 25,3%. El estudio tambien conto con la participacion de 912 graduadas: 26% proviene de la ULEAM; 25,3% de la UTM; 24.7 de la ESPAM MFL; 24% de la UNESUM. Las areas de estudio de las graduadas estuvieron conformadas por: un 54.3% proviene de carreras en Ciencias Sociales, Educacion Comercial y Derecho, seguido por un 10% en Agricultura, un 0.2% en Ciencias de la Vida, un 1.1% en Informatica, un 7.7% en Servicios Profesionales, y un 1.1% en Ingenierias, Industria y Construccion, mientras que un 17% se graduo en Salud y Servicios Sociales. En cuanto a su estado civil, un 84.4% son solteras, un 37.9% casadas, un 2.9% divorciadas, un 10% viudas, un 0.9% en union libre y un 0.1% tienen otro tipo de estado civil. Respecto a sus creencias religiosas, el 39.4% son catolicas practicantes, el 37.9% catolicas no practicantes, el 10% Evangelicas, el 0.9% Testigos de Jehova, el 2.9% Agnosticas y el 9.1% pertenecen a otras religiones. Sus edades varian entre los 23 y 39 anos. Tambien se obtuvo la participacion de 142 docentes de las cuatro cuyas edades variaron entre los 26 y 67 anos. Respecto al estado civil, el 49% eran casadas, el 28% solteras, el 14% divorciadas, el 5% en union libre, el 3% viudas y el 0.7% tenian otra forma de estado civil. En cuanto a las creencias religiosas, el 79% se identificaron como catolicas, el 12% pertenecian a otras religiones, el 6% eran evangelicas y el 3% agnosticas. Las muestras de graduadas y docentes se emplearon para cumplir con los objetivos que se plantearon en la investigacion. Para lograr el primer objetivo especifico: Analizar el nivel de empoderamiento individual de las mujeres en su autonomia auto eficiencia y autodeterminacion en el ejercicio como sujeto de derechos. Se aplico un instrumento el Instrumento de Coopersmith (1981) con una escala de escala de medicion con cinco niveles: Muy bajo (1); Bajo (2); Indecisa (3); Alto (4); Muy alto (5), compuesta por 21 items. Se aplicaron las encuestas a docentes (n= 142) y graduadas (n= 912). Para el analisis de datos se aplicaron pruebas estadisticas descriptivas para identificar la Moda que determina el nivel empoderamiento segun aspectos psicologicos; la prueba Jonckheere-Terpstra para identificar tendencias y comparaciones entre factores demograficos (edad, estado civil, formacion, religion, universidad). El segundo objetivo especifico fue, analizar los niveles de empoderamiento colectivo en diferentes espacios en el ejercicio del derecho a la participacion, la toma de decisiones segun su formacion academica. Como primer tarea de investigacion se valido un instrumento para medir empoderamiento (Hernandez y Garcia, 2008) adaptado al contexto ecuatoriano al que se lo denomino “Medida de Empoderamiento de las mujeres” (Sacoto-Loor et al., 2023). Este cuestionario consta de 24 items distribuidos en seis dimensiones: Empoderamiento participativo, igualdad de genero, influencias externas, independencia, satisfaccion social, y actitudes dependientes. En este proceso se conto con la participacion de 1478 estudiantes de las universidades ULEAM, UNESUM, ESPAM MFL y UTM. Se realizaron varias pruebas para el tratamiento de los datos, Omega de McDonald's para analizar la fiabilidad del instrumento; se procedio a realizar el Analisis Factorial Exploratorio mediante el Software estadistico SPSS version 27, se aplico la prueba de Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) y un analisis de reduccion factorial con rotacion Varimax, que incluyo 250 interacciones para simplificar los resultados. El Analisis Factorial Confirmatorio a traves de AMOS version 25, usando ecuaciones estructurales y analisis multivariados bajo los criterios sugeridos por (Thakkar, 2013). Una vez validado el instrumento se aplico la encuesta a docentes y graduadas de las diferentes universidades mediante una encuesta en linea. La segunda tarea de investigacion fue identificar las percepciones sobre el empoderamiento colectivo, se aplico la encuesta a las graduadas y las docentes, se analizaron los datos mediante la prueba no parametrica Jonckheere-Terpstra, para comprender patrones, comparaciones y tendencias. Tercer objetivo especifico: Analizar la relacion entre empoderamiento y formacion academica y su influencia en las mujeres graduadas y docentes en el ambito universitario. Para cumplir con esta meta, se tomo al azar 142 casos de graduadas con objetivo de obtener igualdad de numero de docentes. La prueba no parametrica aplicada fue la U-Mann Whitney para establecer las relaciones entre formacion academica de las encuestadas y las dimensiones que miden empoderamiento. La comprobacion de la hipotesis del objetivo general se la realizo mediante el coeficiente de contingencia, esta prueba se aplica cuando se quiere evaluar la fuerza de la asociacion o correlacion entre dos variables categoricas (Pardo y Ruiz, 2010). Los resultados obtenidos validan la adquisicion de un instrumento que ha sido validado a traves pruebas estadisticas, afirmando la confiabilidad para evaluar el alcance del empoderamiento femenino en las universidades de Ecuador, asi como otras naciones que comparten atributos sociales y culturales similares, mediante seis dimensiones: Empoderamiento participativo, igualdad de genero, independencia, influencias externas, satisfaccion social y actitudes dependientes. Ademas, que los factores sociodemograficos como edad, estado civil, formacion, religion y universidad influyen la percepcion sobre aspectos psicologicos que afecta el empoderamiento femenino. El estudio demuestra que las mujeres divorciadas y viudas demuestran mayor autocontrol y autodeterminacion con relacion a las mujeres casadas, solteras y de union libre. La religion tambien influye en la percepcion de la autoestima. Se demuestra estadisticamente que las universidades de la ULEAM y UTM han contribuido al empoderamiento, lo que se determina que existe un entorno favorable. El empoderamiento colectivo, es percibido por las graduadas mediante la autonomia economica y el reconocimiento de otras mujeres en espacios de liderazgo. Ademas, se comprueba que la formacion se relaciona significativamente con el empoderamiento Se espera que este estudio sirva como herramienta para levantar diagnosticos sobre la medicion del empoderamiento femenino y continuar con investigaciones a favor de la igualdad de genero.Empowerment is a process, an objective deconstruction of introspection, analyzing our beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, and feelings, recognizing ourselves as individuals who know and exercise our rights. As Jain (2023, p. 41) states, "women's empowerment is a multidimensional process that challenges preconceived notions of power and promotes women's success." Similarly, Lagarde (2004) remarks, "it is a transformation process through which each woman gradually ceases to be an object of history, politics, and culture, becoming the subject of her own life" (p.08). The aim of this research is to understand the processes of individual and collective empowerment among women holding executive positions, teaching roles, and graduates from public universities in Zone 4 of Ecuador, which include Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabi (ULEAM); Universidad Tecnica de Manabi (UTM); Universidad Estatal del Sur de Manabi (UNESUM); and Escuela Superior Politecnica Agropecuaria de Manabi “Manuel Felix Lopez” (ESPAM MLF). The study sample was non-probabilistic, involving 1478 students aged 17 to 44 years, distributed as follows: 38.4% from ULEAM; 28.2% from ESPAM MLF; 18% from UTM; and 15.4% from UNESUM. The study also included 912 graduates: 26% from ULEAM; 25.3% from UTM; 24.7% from ESPAM MFL; 24% from UNESUM. Their fields of study were diverse: 54.3% in Social Sciences, Commercial Education, and Law; 10% in Agriculture; 0.2% in Life Sciences; 1.1% in Computing; 7.7% in Professional Services; and 1.1% in Engineering, Industry, and Construction, while 17% graduated in Health and Social Services. Regarding marital status, 84.4% were single, 37.9% married, 2.9% divorced, 10% widowed, 0.9% in free unions, and 0.1% had other marital statuses. In terms of religious beliefs, 39.4% were practicing Catholics, 37.9% non-practicing Catholics, 10% Evangelicals, 0.9% Jehovah's Witnesses, 2.9% Agnostics, and 9.1% belonged to other religions. Their ages varied between 23 and 39 years. Participation also came from 142 teachers from these universities, aged between 26 and 67 years. Regarding marital status, 49% were married, 28% single, 14% divorced, 5% in free unions, 3% widows, and 0.7% had other forms of marital status. In terms of religious beliefs, 79% identified as Catholics, 12% belonged to other religions, 6% were Evangelicals, and 3% were Agnostics. Both graduates and teachers were sampled to meet the research objectives. To achieve the first specific objective: Analyze the level of individual empowerment of women in their autonomy, self-efficacy, and self-determination in exercising their rights. The Coopersmith Instrument (1981) was applied, with a five-level measurement scale: Very Low (1); Low (2); Undecided (3); High (4); Very High (5), consisting of 21 items. Surveys were administered to teachers (n= 142) and graduates (n= 912). Descriptive statistical tests were used for data analysis to identify the Mode determining the level of empowerment according to psychological aspects; the Jonckheere-Terpstra test for identifying trends and comparisons among demographic factors (age, marital status, education, religion, university). The second specific objective was to analyze the levels of collective empowerment in different spaces in exercising the right to participate and make decisions according to their academic training. As a first research task, an instrument to measure empowerment (Hernandez and Garcia, 2008) adapted to the Ecuadorian context was validated, named "Measure of Women's Empowerment" (Sacoto-Loor et al., 2023). This questionnaire consists of 24 items distributed across six dimensions: Participatory Empowerment, Gender Equality, External Influences, Independence, Social Satisfaction, and Dependent Attitudes. In this process, 1478 students from ULEAM, UNESUM, ESPAM MFL, and UTM participated. Various tests were conducted for data processing, McDonald's Omega to analyse the reliability of the instrument; Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed using SPSS version 27, applying the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and a factorial reduction analysis with Varimax rotation, including 250 interactions to simplify the results. Confirmatory Factor Analysis through AMOS version 25, using structural equations and multivariate analysis under the criteria suggested by (Thakkar, 2013). Once the instrument was validated, the survey was applied to teachers and graduates from different universities through an online survey. The second research task was to identify perceptions about collective empowerment, applying the survey to graduates and teachers, analyzing the data using the non-parametric Jonckheere- Terpstra test to understand patterns, comparisons, and trends. The third specific objective: analyze the relationship between empowerment and academic training and its influence on graduate women and teachers in the university environment. To meet this goal, 142 cases of graduates were randomly selected to achieve equality in the number of teachers. The non-parametric U-Mann Whitney test was applied to establish relationships between the academic training of the respondents and the dimensions measuring empowerment. The hypothesis of the general objective was tested using the contingency coefficient, which is applied when evaluating the strength of the association or correlation between two categorical variables (Pardo and Ruiz, 2010). The results obtained validate the acquisition of an instrument that has been validated through statistical tests, affirming its reliability for assessing the extent of female empowerment in Ecuadorian universities, as well as other nations with similar social and cultural attributes, across six dimensions: Participatory Empowerment, Gender Equality, Independence, External Influences, Social Satisfaction, and Dependent Attitudes. Additionally, sociodemographic factors such as age, marital status, education, religion, and university influence the perception of psychological aspects affecting female empowerment. The study shows that divorced and widowed women demonstrate greater self-control and self-determination compared to married, single, and free union women. Religion also influences the perception of self-esteem. It is statistically demonstrated that universities ULEAM and UTM have contributed to empowerment, indicating a favorable environment. Collective empowerment is perceived by graduates through economic autonomy and recognition of other women in leadership spaces. Furthermore, it is proven that education is significantly related to empowerment. This study is expected to serve as a tool for diagnosing the measurement of female empowerment and to continue research in favor of gender equality