Communication, discourses, algorithms, power

Tras remontarse a los planteamientos de la Escuela de Frankfurt y las características del Análisis Crítico del Discurso, el autor sostiene que, si bien este tipo de debates no han desaparecido, en la actualidad el tema se contempla desde ópticas más complejas, al entrar en liza la sociedad digital en la que ha aumentado espectacularmente el número de agentes sociales que ejercen la comunicación pero lo hacen sobre narrativas de fondo en buena medida clásicas, al tiempo que aparecen otras más novedosas no exentas de críticas como es el caso de las redes sociales. Todo ello ha devenido en una gran cantidad de información que precisa ser ordenada, es en este momento cuando el algoritmo representa una herramienta pensada para tal fin, si bien el hecho también ofrece una situación preocupante para la actividad puramente Humana.After going back to the approaches of the Frankfurt School and the characteristics of the Critical Discourse Analysis, the author argues that, while this type of debate has not disappeared, currently the subject is seen from more complex perspectives, when the digital society enters into which has dramatically increased the number of social agents that they exercise communication but they do it on background narratives in good classic measures, while other newer ones not exempt from criticism as is the case of social networks. All this has become into a large amount of information that needs to be ordered, is at this moment when the algorithm represents a tool designed for that purpose, although the fact also offers a worrisome situation for purely human activity

Human mitochondrial degradosome prevents harmful mitochondrial R loops and mitochondrial genome instability

R loops are nucleic acid structures comprising an DNA-RNA hybrid and a displaced single-stranded DNA. These structures may occur transiently during transcription, playing essential biological functions. However, persistent R loops may become pathological as they are important drivers of genome instability and have been associated with human diseases. The mitochondrial degradosome is a functionally conserved complex from bacteria to human mitochondria. It is composed of the ATP-dependent RNA and DNA helicase SUV3 and the PNPase ribonuclease, playing a central role in mitochondrial RNA surveillance and degradation. Here we describe a new role for the mitochondrial degradosome in preventing the accumulation of pathological R loops in the mitochondrial DNA, in addition to preventing dsRNA accumulation. Our data indicate that, similar to the molecular mechanisms acting in the nucleus, RNA surveillance mechanisms in the mitochondria are crucial to maintain its genome integrity by counteracting pathological R-loop accumulation.European Research Council ERC2014 AdG669898 TARLOOPMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad BFU2013-42918-P, BFU2016-75058-

A gradient bound for free boundary graphs

We prove an analogue for a one-phase free boundary problem of the classical gradient bound for solutions to the minimal surface equation. It follows, in particular, that every energy-minimizing free boundary that is a graph is also smooth. The method we use also leads to a new proof of the classical minimal surface gradient bound

Post-wildfire Flood Inundation Modelling in Southern California: Implications for Dominant Processes and Parameter Identification

Wildfires produce large runoff volumes, sometimes in the form of debris flows (water-laden slurries of soil and rock that move rapidly through channels in steep landscapes) in response to moderate to severe precipitation events. For instance, in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties following the 2017 Thomas Fire, on January 9th, 2018, an intense atmospheric river flood resulted in a series of destructive water and debris flows causing major damage to life and property. Inundation models that accurately parameterize and simulate hydrologic processes are in demand for post-wildfire flood susceptible regions like Southern California. This study utilizes the physics-based Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrological Analysis, GSSHA, a fully coupled surface water/groundwater simulator with sediment transport capability, to simulate the flood event in the Santa Barbara watershed. The purpose of this study was to implement GSSHA to model pre- and post-fire conditions that allowed to locate dominant processes in relation to the model structure development for post-wildfire hydrologic modeling. A sensitivity analysis was performed using the SCE optimization algorithm. Limitations in data due to the fire burning instrumentation equipment led to alternative techniques of parameterization. To reduce uncertainty, two methods of parameterization were applied: parameter transfer and optimization. It was found feasible to establish a transfer of parameters from a nearby, comparable watershed based on a previous study conducted by Pradhan and Floyd (2021). Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis was performed using the “Shuffled Complex Evolution” SCE optimization algorithm. The key parameters that were identified in the sensitivity analysis were manning’s roughness and the hydraulic conductivity reduction factor. Although sensitive to both parameters, the model was found to be significantly more sensitive to the change in hydraulic conductivity reduction factor. Both types of parameterization found that post-fire simulations compared well to the observed data for the 09 January 2018 rainfall event. The post-wildfire numerical modeling approach provided an improvement to the existing state-of-practice for predicting post-wildfire inundation risks

¿Desde dónde se construye el paisaje?

Resulta ya una obviedad destacar que desde los últimos años, la sociedad y en particular la práctica arquitectónica ha desviado su óptica o sus intereses hacia lo que se podría denominar, de forma genérica, como exterioridad. Sin embargo, hay que señalar cómo el significado del término se ha visto expandido de forma extraordinaria, sobre todo al surgir nuevas entornos, dominios, contextos, o relaciones entre los mismos, que obligan a una reconsideración permanente sobre las formas de acción o activación de esa dimensión. Desde esa observación, podría derivarse que la dimensión “interior” de las cosas y de las personas hubiese quedado, momentáneamente, relegada a un segundo plano, esperando momentos mejores en los que la reflexión sobre el yo pueda recuperar su lugar en el conocimiento del mundo. Como diría Sartre, parecería que el ser ha derivado de manera impetuosa, en conciencia, y ésta se ha apoderado completamente del horizonte del hombre (otro lugar)