A Heuristic Procedure with Guided Reproduction for Constructing Cocyclic Hadamard Matrices

A genetic algorithm for constructing cocyclic Hadamard matrices over a given group is described. The novelty of this algorithm is the guided heuristic procedure for reproduction, instead of the classical crossover and mutation operators. We include some runs of the algorithm for dihedral groups, which are known to give rise to a large amount of cocyclic Hadamard matrices.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MTM2008-06578Junta de Andalucía FQM–296Junta de Andalucía P07-FQM-0298

Rheological behaviour and functionality of inulin-extra virgin olive oil-based mashed potatoes

Developing products having a high nutritional value and good storage stability during freezing is a challenge. Inulin (I) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) have interesting functional properties. The e?ect of the addition of I and EVOO blends at di?erent I:EVOO ratios (0:0, 0:60, 15:45, 30:30, 45:15, 60:0, 30:45 and 45:30) on the rheological, physical, sensory and structural properties of fresh and frozen ? thawed mashed potatoes formulated without and with added cryoprotectants was analysed and compared. Addition of I and EVOO (either alone or blended) reduced apparent viscosity and pseudoplasticity producing softer systems, indicating that both ingredients behave as soft ?llers. Samples with added I at the higher concentrations )1 (?45 g kg ) showed lower ?ow index and consistency, which is related to formation of smaller I particles; microphotographs indicated that gelling properties of I depended mostly upon processing. Frozen ? thawed samples were judged more acceptable and creamier than their fresh counterparts

Rheological behaviour and functionality of inulin-extra virgin olive oil-based mashed potatoes

Developing products having a high nutritional value and good storage stability during freezing is a challenge. Inulin (I) and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) have interesting functional properties. The e?ect of the addition of I and EVOO blends at di?erent I:EVOO ratios (0:0, 0:60, 15:45, 30:30, 45:15, 60:0, 30:45 and 45:30) on the rheological, physical, sensory and structural properties of fresh and frozen ? thawed mashed potatoes formulated without and with added cryoprotectants was analysed and compared. Addition of I and EVOO (either alone or blended) reduced apparent viscosity and pseudoplasticity producing softer systems, indicating that both ingredients behave as soft ?llers. Samples with added I at the higher concentrations )1 (?45 g kg ) showed lower ?ow index and consistency, which is related to formation of smaller I particles; microphotographs indicated that gelling properties of I depended mostly upon processing. Frozen ? thawed samples were judged more acceptable and creamier than their fresh counterparts

Protein isolate and inulin: chemical, rheological and structural basis

Soy protein isolate is typical vegetable protein with health-enhancing activities. Inulin, a prebiotic no digestible carbohydrate, has functional properties. A mashed potato serving of 200 g with added soy protein isolate and inulin concentrations of 15?60 g kg provides from 3 to 12 g of soy protein isolate and/or inulin, respectively. Currently, no information is available about the possible texture-modifying effect of this non-ionizable polar carbohydrate in different soy-based food systems. In this study, the effect of the addition of soy protein isolate and inulin blends at different soy protein isolate: inulin ratios on the degree of inulin polymerization and the rheological and structural properties of fresh mashed and frozen/thawed mashed potatoes were evaluated. The inulin chemical structure remained intact throughout the various treatments, and soy protein isolate did not affect inulin composition being a protein compatible with this fructan. Small-strain rheology showed that both ingredients behaved like soft fillers. In the frozen/thawed mashed potatoes samples,0 addition of 30 : 30 and 15 : 60 blend ratios significantly increased elasticity (G value) compared with 0 : 0 control, consequently reducing the freeze/thaw stability conferred by the cryoprotectants. Inulin crystallites caused a significant strengthening effect on soy protein isolate gel. Micrographs revealed that soy protein isolate supports the inulin structure by building up a second fine-stranded network. Thereby, possibility of using soy protein isolate and inulin in combination with mashed potatoes to provide a highly nutritious and healthy product is promising

A rheological characterization of mashed potatoes enriched with soy protein isolate

The effect of the addition of soy protein isolate (SPI) (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 g kg ) on viscoelastic properties, large deformation measurements and microstructure of fresh (FM) and frozen/thawed (F/TM) mashed potatoes was investigated. Rheological data showed weak gel behaviour for both FM and F/TM potatoes without and with added SPI together with a signi?cant decrease of system viscoelasticity (G and G ) with increasing SPI volume fraction, primarily attributed to the no interaction between the amylose/amylopectine matrix and the dispersed SPI particles or aggregates as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Micrographs also showed that SPI formed white coarse aggregates. A freeze/thaw cycle produced a more signi?cant decrease in viscoelastic functions, due to superior aggregation of denatured SPI and reduced water activity. In F/TM samples, high correlations between small and large deformation measurements were found. Results may be useful for technological applications in SPI-enriched

Los afectos y vínculos aprendidos y su incidencia en las trayectorias personales y profesionales a partir de la narrativa

Este trabajo recoge una síntesis de cómo los afectos y vínculos que establecemos en las relaciones interpersonales y profesionales condicionan la forma de entender la vida y la educación. La gestión del aprendizaje emocional sobre los vínculos que establecemos en las relaciones interpersonales es conectado con los estereotipos de género interiorizados. Dicho aprendizaje emocional es integrado en una concepción de educación existencial y social, trabajada a partir de la narrativa. La narrativa es considerada como un medio esencial para aprender a cuestionar y generar afectos y vínculos diferentes a los aprendidos desde la infancia, tomando consciencia de los cambios producidos

Análisis y resultados de los afectos y la expresión emocional a través de la narrativa

En esta comunicación se exponen los resultados obtenidos del análisis de las narrativas de sí durante una experiencia desarrollada en el marco del "I Congreso internacional de expresión y comunicación emocional". Dicho trabajo ha tenido como finalidad principal realzar la importancia de las narrativas de sí, tanto a nivel oral como escrito. Estos estudios son fundamentales en la comprensión de los procesos afectivos en la vida cotidiana para tomar conciencia de la dimensión singular y la dimensión socializadora de las personas y los colectivos. Y para ello se han creado pequeños relatos autobiográficos escritos y orales donde se han intercalado la teorización y la práctica con ejemplos

Celebrating New Shades of Black: Alternative Aesthetics and Locations of Homeliness on the Road to Agency in the Me-Generation of Female Nigerian Authors.

El aclamado autor anglo-nigeriano Ben Okri ha definido el momento presente de la literatura africana como un renacimiento. Recientemente, muchas obras de fiction publicadas tanto en el continente como en occidente han ganado prominencia y están creciendo exponencialmente. Por consiguiente, el objetivo de la presente tesis doctoral ha sido analizar la producción literaria de la llamada cuarta generación de escritoras nigerianas —también definida como la Generation-Me. Mi objetivo ha sido demostrar que estas autoras procuran redefinir la literatura de Nigeria puesto que incorporan temas alternativos y taboos —experiencia transgénero, violencia doméstica, narradores éticamente ambiguos, espacios de curación diferentes— a la vez que experimentan con los géneros literarios. Mi argumento es que dichas escritoras usan tropos originales relacionados con la oscuridad o la negrura atribuyéndole una connotación positiva. También, recurren a la creación de un locus definido como “familiaridad,” (homeliness) es decir, un lugar de pertenencia —no necesariamente geográfico— en el cual las protagonistas ficcionales pueden generar un espacio de curación. Además, sostengo que muchas de estas ficciones contemporáneas procuran empoderar a sus protagonistas femeninas en el trasfondo social nigeriano, fuertemente patriarcal. Para demostrar mi hipótesis, he procurado definir las circunstancias históricas y principales preocupaciones de las generaciones literarias nigerianas previas a la actual, concentrándome especialmente en las autoras mujeres. Por otro lado, he analizado tres novelas debutantes: My Sister, the Serial Killer (2018) de Oyinkan Braithwaite, A Small Silence (2019) de Jumoke Verissimo y Freshwater (2018) de Akwaeke Emezi. En lo concerniente a metodología, estas ficciones han sido enmarcadas dentro de teorías literarias como el Metamodernismo y el Transmodernidad, incorporando ontologías africanas pre-coloniales, estudios cognitivos de trauma y el concepto the herida moral, así como también se incluyen nociones de narratología, sociología y filosofía. Los resultados de mi análisis demuestran que la oscuridad/negro son usados como recursos de sátira social o la ironía, como espacios de curación y como dialéctica entre la ontología Igbo y posturas occidentales relacionadas con la salud y el género, respectivamente. Por añadidura, las tres ficciones evidencian nuevos tratamientos de la memoria traumática, caminos no convencionales de curación y de acción política femenina. Además, los personajes femeninos literarios emergen fortalecidos, si bien deben negociar moralmente sus circunstancias personales. En resumen, la presente tesis subraya el intento de estas escritoras de cuarta generación por re-definir el canon nigeriano. Este trabajo de investigación puede ser ampliado y enriquecido incorporando las numerosas producciones literarias de otros países del continente africano. The acclaimed British-Nigerian author Ben Okri has defined the present moment of African literature a renaissance. Fictional works published either in the continent or in the West have recently gained more visibility and are exponentially growing. Thus, the aim of the present PhD thesis is to analyse this prominent production of Nigerian female authors of the so-called fourth generation —also defined as the Me-Generation. My aim is to argue that these writers are engaged in a process of re-defining Nigerian literature since they are boldly tackling alternative and taboo tropes, such as the transgender experience, domestic violence, unreliable narration, ambiguous narratorial stances and new healing spaces. At the same time, these authors are experimenting with genre. My contention is that many Nigerian female writers deploy original aesthetic tropes related to darkness or blackness, which is given a positive attribution. They also evince a location of homeliness —not necessarily a geographical space— defined as a locus of belonging, and especially, of individual psychological cure. By the same token, I contend that many of these contemporary fictions seek to endow their main female literary protagonists with agency against the backdrop of a strongly patriarchal Nigerian context. In order to demonstrate my hypothesis, I have delved on the main historical and literary concerns of the previous literary generations, particularly focusing on female writers. Furthermore, I have analysed three debut novels: My Sister, the Serial Killer (2018) by Oyinkan Braithwaite, A Small Silence (2019) by Jumoke Verissimo and Freshwater (2018) by Akwaeke Emezi. As far as methodology is concerned, I have framed these fictions through the lens of literary theories related to Metamodenism and Transmodernity, African precolonial ontologies, cognitive Trauma Studies and the concept of moral injury as well as insights from narratology, sociology and philosophy. The findings of my analyses will show that darkness/black is used as a recourse to expose social satire and irony, as a healing space for trauma and as an alternative dialectic between Igbo ontology and western health and gender issues, respectively. In addition, the three fictions delve on new spaces for traumatic remembrance and unconventional roads to health and female agency. In sum, the present thesis underlines the present writers’ attempt to redefine the Nigerian canon. This research work could be further extended and enriched by exploring other literary productions from the African continent. <br /

Texture perception determined by doy protein isolate and inulin addition in potato puree: links with mechanical and microstructural features

This study evaluated the effect of adding soy protein isolate (SPI) and long-chain perception, trained and untrained panel inulin (INL) blends with 10 different SPI : INL ratios on the textural, rheological and 17 microstructural properties of freshly made and frozen/thawed potato puree. All the potato puree samples were subjected to a sensory texture pro?le analysis and a 21 trained panel rated the intensity of six descriptors, while an untrained panel did the same on six selected frozen/thawed products. The main SPI : INL ratio effect remained signi?cant for all the descriptors evaluated, when the analysis of variance was applied considering the untrained assessors as random effects. However, only trained panel scores for creaminess corresponded well with untrained assessor. Rheological ?ow index values were linked with variations in perceived consistency, and geometric and surface textural attributes were explained by structural features such as the presence of INL crystallites and SPI coarse strands