L'Evolució del lèxic en els documents referents a l'educació a Catalunya durant el segle XX

En aquest article, s'analitza el lèxic emprat en diversos documents referents a l'educació a Catalunya durant el segle XX. A partir d'aquesta anàlisi, elaborem un quadre comparatiu que reflecteix la presència de les paraules i la seva freqüència d'ús durant les diferents etapes en què hem dividit l'esmentat segle. Prèviament, duem a terme una breu introducció històrica per tal de donar informació sobre el context polític, social i educatiu de l'època. Posteriorment, realitzem un comentari sobre l'ús d'algunes paraules en els documents analitzats, tot destacant-ne la notable disminució de mots com ara voluntat, esforç, deure, alegria, esperit, disciplina, etc., així com l'aparició de nous termes com ara estratègia, flexibilitat, globalització, innovació, adequació, interculturalitat... En general, creiem que la recerca que hem dut a terme mostra el fet que, en els últims compassos del segle passat, sembla haver-se descuidat el treball d'aspectes com ara la voluntat i l'esforç, encaminats a aconseguir la maduresa interior de la persona.This article analyses the vocabulary used in different documents on education in Catalonia during the 20th Century. This analysis is used to draw up a comparative chart that reflects the presence of the words and their frequency of use during the different stages into which we have divided the aforementioned century. First of all a brief historical introduction is provided to give information on the political, social and educational context of the epoch. Subsequently, the use of some words in the documents analysed is commented, drawing attention to the major reduction in words such as: will, effort, duty, happiness, spirit, discipline... as well as the appearance of new terms such as: strategy, flexibility, globalisation, innovation, suitability, interculturality... In general, we believe that the research we have carried out at the end of the last century seems to have neglected the work of aspects such as will and effort geared towards achieving the inner maturity of people

Photodegradation Mechanisms of Tetraphenyl Butadiene Coatings for Liquid Argon Detectors

We report on studies of degradation mechanisms of tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) coatings of the type used in neutrino and dark matter liquid argon experiments. Using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry we have detected the ultraviolet-blocking impurity benzophenone (BP). We monitored the drop in performance and increase of benzophenone concentration in TPB plates with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, and demonstrate the correlation between these two variables. Based on the presence and initially exponential increase in the concentration of benzophenone observed, we propose that TPB degradation is a free radical-mediated photooxidation reaction, which is subsequently confirmed by displaying delayed degradation using a free radical inhibitor. Finally we show that the performance of wavelength-shifting coatings of the type envisioned for the LBNE experiment can be improved by 10-20%, with significantly delayed UV degradation, by using a 20% admixture of 4-tert-Butylcatechol.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to JINS

L'Ensenyament de les llengües modernes entre 1876 i 1939 = The teaching of modern languages between 1876 and 1939

En aquest article s'analitza la situació de l'ensenyament de les llengües estrangeres durant el segle XIX i fins al primer terç del segle XX a Espanya —especialment a Catalunya— tot fent també un cop d'ull a la situació que es vivia a Europa durant el mateix període. La influència del Moviment de Reforma de l'ensenyament de les llengües modernes, que tingué lloc a Europa a final del segle XIX, no va arribar a Catalunya, ni a Espanya, fins a la segona dècada del segle XX. A més a més, la innovació metodològica va atènyer ben poc els centres oficials on, majoritàriament, es mantingué l'ús del mètode tradicional o gramatical basat en la traducció i l'estudi teòric de normes gramaticals i llistes de vocabulari. L'empenta de l'ensenyament de les llengües modernes, així com les noves orientacions metodològiques foren impulsades, en l'àmbit estatal, per la Institución Libre de Enseñanza. L'arribada de la Segona República possibilità que les idees renovadores de la ILE influïssin la política educativa del país. D'aquesta manera, iniciatives com ara la creació de l'Institut-Escola, ens conduïren a experiències pioneres. L'ensenyament de les llengües modernes es beneficià enormement d'aquest fet. Hem repassat breument el que fou la presència d'aquest ensenyament a l'Institut-Escola i també de la metodologia emprada a les aules. La figura de Joan Nogués, professor de francès de l'Institut-Escola de Barcelona, constitueix un bon exemple que il·lustra la importància d'una feina ben feta que pot servir de model avui dia.This article focuses on the situation of the teaching of modern languages during the 19th century and until the first third of the 20th century in Spain, mainly in Catalonia, and also related to the European background in the same period. The influence of the Reformist Movement on the teaching of modern languages in Europe doesn’t reach Catalonia and Spain until the second decade of the 20th century. Also the methodological innovation doesn’t affect official schools a great deal, where teaching was based on the traditional method of translation, theoretical study of grammar rules and lists of vocabulary. Innovations on the teaching of modern languages were encouraged by the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (ILE) in Spain. The arrival of the Second Republic allowed the innovative ideas of ILE to have some influence in the education policies of the country. The foundation of the Institut-Escola in Catalonia drove to pioneering experiences in teaching, mainly in the field of modern languages. This article revises the role played by the Institut-Escola and the innovative methodological approach on the teaching of modern languages. The Instituto-Escuela of Madrid was founded in 1918 and its influence spread to other cities of Spain, such as Barcelona, Sevilla i València, where from 1931 on, other similar schools were founded. These schools were conceived as experimental institutions and the relevance of the teaching of modern languages in the curricula were rather significant, compared to the others schools of the country. French, English and German were also taught. The French was taught three hours weekly on average, depending on the different levels. Consequently the variation of languages taught and their significance on the curricula showed a great advance in this field. The relevance of Joan Noguès, teacher of French at the Institut-Escola of Barcelona is an important example of good work, which might be a model nowadaysEn este artículo se analiza la situación de la enseñanza de las lenguas extranjeras durante el siglo XIX y hasta el primer tercio del siglo XX en España —especialmente en Cataluña— contemplando también la situación que se vivía en Europa durante el mismo periodo. La influencia del Movimiento de Reforma de la enseñanza de las lenguas modernas que tuvo lugar en Europa a finales del siglo XIX, no llegó a Cataluña, ni a España, hasta la segunda década del siglo XX. Además, la innovación metodológica tuvo escasa difusión en los centros oficiales donde mayoritariamente se mantuvo el uso del método tradicional o gramatical basado en la traducción y el estudio teórico de normas gramaticales y listados de vocabulario. El empuje en la enseñanza de las lenguas modernas, así como las nuevas orientaciones metodológicas, en el ámbito estatal, fueron impulsadas por la Institución Libre de Enseñanza. La llegada de la Segunda República hizo posible que las ideas renovadoras de la ILE influyeran en la política educativa del país. De esta manera, iniciativas como la creación del Instituto-Escuela propiciaron experiencias pioneras. La enseñanza de las lenguas modernas se benefició de una forma muy notable de esta situación. Hemos hecho un breve repaso de lo que fue la presencia de esta enseñanza en el Instituto-Escuela y también de la metodología utilizada en las aulas. La figura de Joan Nogués, profesor de francés del Instituto-Escuela de Barcelona, constituye un buen ejemplo que ilustra la importancia de un trabajo bien hecho que puede servir de modelo hoy día

A Dichotomy Theorem for the Approximate Counting of Complex-Weighted Bounded-Degree Boolean CSPs

We determine the computational complexity of approximately counting the total weight of variable assignments for every complex-weighted Boolean constraint satisfaction problem (or CSP) with any number of additional unary (i.e., arity 1) constraints, particularly, when degrees of input instances are bounded from above by a fixed constant. All degree-1 counting CSPs are obviously solvable in polynomial time. When the instance's degree is more than two, we present a dichotomy theorem that classifies all counting CSPs admitting free unary constraints into exactly two categories. This classification theorem extends, to complex-weighted problems, an earlier result on the approximation complexity of unweighted counting Boolean CSPs of bounded degree. The framework of the proof of our theorem is based on a theory of signature developed from Valiant's holographic algorithms that can efficiently solve seemingly intractable counting CSPs. Despite the use of arbitrary complex weight, our proof of the classification theorem is rather elementary and intuitive due to an extensive use of a novel notion of limited T-constructibility. For the remaining degree-2 problems, in contrast, they are as hard to approximate as Holant problems, which are a generalization of counting CSPs.Comment: A4, 10pt, 20 pages. This revised version improves its preliminary version published under a slightly different title in the Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Combinatorial Optimization and Applications (COCOA 2010), Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer, Vol.6508 (Part I), pp.285--299, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA, December 18--20, 201

On the complexity of Existential Positive Queries

We systematically investigate the complexity of model checking the existential positive fragment of first-order logic. In particular, for a set of existential positive sentences, we consider model checking where the sentence is restricted to fall into the set; a natural question is then to classify which sentence sets are tractable and which are intractable. With respect to fixed-parameter tractability, we give a general theorem that reduces this classification question to the corresponding question for primitive positive logic, for a variety of representations of structures. This general theorem allows us to deduce that an existential positive sentence set having bounded arity is fixed-parameter tractable if and only if each sentence is equivalent to one in bounded-variable logic. We then use the lens of classical complexity to study these fixed-parameter tractable sentence sets. We show that such a set can be NP-complete, and consider the length needed by a translation from sentences in such a set to bounded-variable logic; we prove superpolynomial lower bounds on this length using the theory of compilability, obtaining an interesting type of formula size lower bound. Overall, the tools, concepts, and results of this article set the stage for the future consideration of the complexity of model checking on more expressive logics

The Hardness of Embedding Grids and Walls

The dichotomy conjecture for the parameterized embedding problem states that the problem of deciding whether a given graph $G$ from some class $K$ of "pattern graphs" can be embedded into a given graph $H$ (that is, is isomorphic to a subgraph of $H$) is fixed-parameter tractable if $K$ is a class of graphs of bounded tree width and $W[1]$-complete otherwise. Towards this conjecture, we prove that the embedding problem is $W[1]$-complete if $K$ is the class of all grids or the class of all walls

Planned vs. real city: 3D GIS for analyzing the transformation of urban morphology

Cities are constantly evolving: buildings are built and demolished, altering the landscape of our cities; Urban Plans describe what we want our cities to be, undergoing revisions as we change our vision of the future of our cities. This paper presents a methodology to model the interactions between what the city is and what it wants to become. The old quarter of Sant Andreu in Barcelona (Spain) was used in a pilot study for the development of a methodology to automatically quantify and visualize the outcome of regulation changes as a strategic tool for the Urban Planning Department of the Barcelona City Council. This paper describes a methodology developed to measure the magnitude of the buildings conformity or disconformity to the determinations of the Urban Plan (current and proposed), and to display this information in 3D, to allow a more natural interpretation of the results. Special care was put into the methodological approach to ensure that it could be replicated at neighbourhood or city-wide scales. A methodology for the interpretation of the heights of staircase towers and ventilation courtyards from neighbouring entities heights, through the analysis of adjacency relationships in a non-topological Geographic Information System is also discussed.Postprint (published version

SIG para la gestión eficiente de la información urbanística local

La dificultad de hacer el seguimiento del grado de cumplimiento del planeamiento urbanístico con la realidad construida y cambiante en la ciudad, demanda el uso de herramientas de Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) en la gestión local para desarrollar y mantener un conocimiento preciso de las características físicas, urbanas y económicas del parque inmobiliario, así como de las determinaciones de planeamiento que afectan a los valores de su potencial edificable y urbano. En este trabajo se propone implementar un nuevo proceso innovador para el estudio y la gestión de la ciudad con SIG, dónde se establecen las pautas para obtener el potencial urbanístico de un ámbito, un barrio o una ciudad, a partir de la comparación de la realidad existente con el planeamiento urbanístico, detectando de manera automática tanto las parcelas que no agotan su potencial como las que están sobreedificadas. Para ello se ha realizado un estudio piloto en el núcleo antiguo del barrio de Sant Andreu de Barcelona, el cual está en un proceso de modificación del planeamiento general vigente, afrontando el reto de desarrollar nuevas herramientas que permitan emular las consecuencias de las modificaciones y acometer una gestión eficiente de la información urbanística local.Peer Reviewe

Bacterial membrane injuries induced by lactacin F and nisin

The combined action of nisin and lactacin F, two bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria, is additive. In this report, the basis of this effect is examined. Channels formed by lactacin F were studied by experiments using planar lipid bilayers, and bactericidal effects were analyzed by flow cytometry. Lactacin F produced pores with a conductance of 1 ns in black lipid bilayers in 1 mM KClat 10 mV at 20°C. Pore formation was strongly dependent on voltage. Although lactacin F formed pores at very low potential (10 mV), the dependence was exponentialabov e 40 mV. The injuries induced by nisin and lactacin F in the membranes of Lactobacillus helveticus produced different flow cytometric profiles. Probably, when both bacteriocins are present, each acts separately; their cooperation may be due to an increase in the number of single membrane injuries