Sociology and Non-Equilibrium Social Science

This chapter addresses the relationship between sociology and Non-Equilibrium Social Science (NESS). Sociology is a multiparadigmatic discipline with significant disagreement regarding its goals and status as a scientific discipline. Different theories and methods coexist temporally and geographically. However, it has always aimed at identifying the main factors that explain the temporal stability of norms, institutions and individuals’ practices; and the dynamics of institutional change and the conflicts brought about by power relations, economic and cultural inequality and class struggle. Sociologists considered equilibrium could not sufficiently explain the constitutive, maintaining and dissolving dynamics of society as a whole. As a move from the formal apparatus for the study of equilibrium, NESS does not imply a major shift from traditional sociological theory. Complex features have long been articulated in sociological theorization, and sociology embraces the complexity principles of NESS through its growing attention to complex adaptive systems and non-equilibrium sciences, with human societies seen as highly complex, path-dependent, far-from equilibrium, and self-organising systems. In particular, Agent-Based Modelling provides a more coherent inclusion of NESS and complexity principles into sociology. Agent-based sociology uses data and statistics to gauge the ‘generative sufficiency’ of a given microspecification by testing the agreement between ‘real-world’ and computer generated macrostructures. When the model cannot generate the outcome to be explained, the microspecification is not a viable candidate explanation. The separation between the explanatory and pragmatic aspects of social science has led sociologists to be highly critical about the implementation of social science in policy. However, ABM allows systematic exploration of the consequences of modelling assumptions and makes it possible to model much more complex phenomena than previously. ABM has proved particularly useful in representing socio-technical and socio-ecological systems, with the potential to be of use in policy. ABM offers formalized knowledge that can appear familiar to policymakers versed in the methods and language of economics, with the prospect of sociology becoming more influential in policy

Aproximación teórica a las tecnologías digitales de servicios públicos en territorios fronterizos y periféricos

[ES] El taller sobre Tecnologías Disruptivas de la Información y la Comunicación para la Innovación y la Transformación Digital, organizado en el ámbito del proyecto DISRUPTIVE (disruptive.usal.es) y celebrado el 12 de septiembre de 2022 en Valladolid, tiene como objetivo debatir sobre los problemas, retos y beneficios del uso de tecnologías digitales disruptivas, a saber, Internet de las Cosas, Big data, computación en la nube, sistemas multiagente, aprendizaje automático, realidad virtual y aumentada y robótica colaborativa, para apoyar la transformación digital en curso en la sociedad. El programa del taller incluyó 6 papers técnicos aceptados, 2 charlas de invitados y una sesión de networking. Este volumen contiene 6 de las ponencias presentadas en el taller sobre Tecnologías Disruptivas de la Información y la Comunicación para la Innovación y la Transformación Digital. Este taller fue organizado por ICE (Instituto para la Competitividad Empresarial de Castilla y León), UVa (Universidad de Valladolid) y apoyado principalmente por el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) a través del Programa Interreg España-Portugal V-A (POCTEP) bajo la subvención 0677_DISRUPTIVE_2_E (Dinamización de los Digital Innovation Hubs dentro de la región PocTep para el impulso de las TIC disruptivas y de última generación a través de la cooperación en la región transfronteriza).[EN] The workshop on Disruptive Information and Communication Technologies for Innovation and Digital transformation, organized under the scope of the DISRUPTIVE project (disruptive.usal.es) and held on September 12, 2022 in Valladolid, aims to discuss problems, challenges and benefits of using disruptive digital technologies, namely Internet of Things, Big data, cloud computing, multi-agent systems, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, and collaborative robotics, to support the on-going digital transformation in society. The main topics included: Intelligent Manufacturing Systems; Industry 4.0 and digital transformation; Internet of Things; Cyber-security; Collaborative and intelligent robotics; Multi-Agent Systems; Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems; Virtualization and digital twins; Predictive maintenance; Virtual and augmented reality, Big Data and advanced data analytics; Edge and cloud Computing; Digital Transformation. The workshop program included 6 accepted technical papers, 2 invited talks and a networking session. This volume contains 6 of the papers presented at the Workshop on Disruptive Information and Communication Technologies for Innovation and Digital Transformation. This workshop was organized by ICE (Institute for Business Competitiveness of Castilla y León), UVa (University of Valladolid) and mainly supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg Spain-Portugal V-A Program (POCTEP) under grant 0677_DISRUPTIVE_2_E (Intensifying the activity of Digital Innovation Hubs within the PocTep region to boost the development of disruptive and last generation ICTs through cross-border cooperation)

Integrated results and policy implications

Contains fulltext : 132016.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)iv, 33 p

Imaging activated-T-lymphocytes in the salivary glands of patients with sjögren’s syndrome by 99mTc-interleukin-2. diagnostic and therapeutic implications

Background: Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a progressive autoimmune disease characterized by local mononuclear cell infiltration of the salivary and lachrymal glands. Labial biopsy demonstrates local infiltration by Th1 cells that produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-2 (IL2). The aim of this study was to assess the utility of 99mTc-labelled-IL2 (99mTc-IL2) in evaluating in vivo the extent and severity of lympho-mononuclear cell infiltration in the salivary glands of patients with SS. Methods: We investigated 48 patients with primary SS and 27 control subjects using 99mTc-IL2 scintigraphy. Furthermore, in a subgroup of 30 patients, we also performed 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy (99mTcO4−) for evaluation of the salivary gland function. Results: 99mTc-IL2 uptake in the salivary glands of SS patients was higher than in the control subjects (1.30 ± 0.16 vs. 0.83 ± 0.08 for parotids and 1.36 ± 0.15 vs. 1.16 ± 0.07 for submandibular glands; p < 0.0001). The salivary gland uptake of 99mTc-IL2 in patients with a longer history of disease was lower compared with the recently diagnosed patients. A significant direct correlation was found between the uptake of 99mTc-IL2 and histology. Conclusions: 99mTc-IL2 scintigraphy showed that the degree of lymphocytic infiltration of major salivary glands is variable in patients with different disease durations. Patients with a high 99mTc-IL2 uptake could be efficiently treated with immuno-modulatory drugs and the efficacy of treatment could be followed-up by 99mTc-IL2 scintigraphy

Evaluación de la durabilidad de bloques de tierra-cemento-sisal armado, al someterlos a la acción de iones cloruros

One of the primary shortcomings of adobe, a dried mudblock stabilized with sisal hemp and cement widely used across all of Latin America, is its dimensional instability when exposed to water or aggressive environments. The present paper evaluates the electrochemical performance of reinforced adobe block after 1,000 days of exposure to a simulated marine environment. The specimens used were adobe blocks internally reinforced with 3/8-inch steel bars. The specimens were watered every two weeks: one group with potable water to simulate a natural urban environment and the other with a 3% sodium chloride solution to simulate a marine environment.Chloride penetration in powder extracted from the specimens was determined using the Mohr method. Electrochemical measurements included Gecor 6 electric potential(Eº) and corrosion intensity (icorr) readings. The final conclusion drawn from an analysis of the results was that in all cases the amount of free chlorides present sufficed to depassivate reinforcing steel and that the system component providing the most effective protection was the rough casting mortar. Consequently, this type of adobe mixes is not recommended for use in marine or industrial environments.La tierra-cemento-sisal es un material cuyo uso se encuentra muy difundido en toda Latinoamérica, entre sus principales limitaciones está la inestabilidad volumétrica ante el agua y ambientes agresivos. Por tal motivo, en este trabajo se evaluó el comportamiento electroquímico de bloques de tierra-cemento-sisal armado expuestos durante 1.000 días a un ambiente marino simulado. Las probetas utilizadas fueron bloques de tierra-cemento-sisal incorporándole internamente barras de acero de 3/8 de pulg. Las probetas se sometieron a un rociado quincenal: las de ambiente natural urbano con agua potable y las de ambiente marino simulado con una solución al 3% de cloruro de sodio. La penetración de cloruros se determinó extrayendo polvillo y siguiendo el método de Mohr. Para los ensayos electroquímicos se usó el corrosímetro Gecor 6, midiendo el potencialeléctrico (E°) y la intensidad de corrosión (icorr). Finalmente, se procedió al análisis y evaluación de los resultados, concluyendo que en todos los casos la cantidad de cloruros libres presentes es suficiente para despasivar el acero de refuerzo, verificando que en el sistema el elemento que más protege es el mortero de enfoscado, por lo tanto, construcciones con este tipo de mezclas de tierra-cemento-sisal no son recomendables en zonas marinas o industriales

Synthesis and properties of conjugates between silver nanoparticles and DNA-PNA hybrids

We describe the preparation and properties of a stable conjugate between two 15 nm silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and a DNA-PNA hybrid composed of 10 guanine-cytosine base pairs. We show that the conjugate is spontaneously formed during incubation of a DNA-PNA hybrid, containing phosphorothioate residues at both ends of the DNA strand with AgNPs. The conjugate molecules were separated from individual AgNPs and multiparticle structures by gel electrophoresis. We demonstrate that the absorption spectrum of the conjugate is broader than that of AgNPs, due to the interparticle plasmon coupling

Efecto de hidrólisis enzimática sobre la actividad fitohemoaglutinante de la favina.

Se presenta un estudio comparativo de 4 métodos de extracción de la lectina del haba (favina). A partir de la favina, por hidrólisis con tripsina, se obtuvo la fracción peptídica con actividad hemoaglutinante. Para esta fracción se encontró 'a un peso molecular entre 11000-15000 Daltons y su posible localización en la cadena B de la favina

Computational and transcriptional evidence for microRNAs in the honey bee genome

A total of 68 non-redundant candidate honey bee miRNAs were identified computationally; several of them appear to have previously unrecognized orthologs in the Drosophila genome. Several miRNAs showed caste- or age-related differences in transcript abundance and are likely to be involved in regulating honey bee development

Uso del tapabocas: historia y consecuencias en tiempos de pandemia

A lo largo de la historia, el uso del tapabocas -también conocido como cubrebocas, barbijo, o protector naso bucal- ha sido de gran importancia en el mundo durante diferentes eventos; como pandemias, epidemias y endemias, así como en la implementación en salud pública por parte de personal médico. Algunos registros dan cuenta de su implementación por parte de civilizaciones antiguas, las cuales lo utilizaban en eventos festivos, religiosos, artísticos y sociales, así como en acciones preventivas y terapéuticas. En relación a estas últimas, la máscara usada debe ser de tipo autofiltrante y debe cubrir parcialmente el rostro. Este tipo de cubrebocas es usado principalmente por personal sanitario con el fin de contener bacterias y virus provenientes de la nariz y boca (1,2).&nbsp