O melhoramento nos debates bioéticos

El presente trabajo aborda el debate que se ha dado en la última década a propósito del tema del mejoramiento en sus diferentes variantes. Sobresale el escaso consenso a la hora de definir el concepto y respecto de la necesidad de permitir o prohibir estas prácticas. El único punto de amplio acuerdo es la necesidad de no admitir mejoramientos que impliquen riesgos para la salud, aplazando el debate basado en argumentos que superen el mero peligro para la salud física. De esta manera, parecería que los criterios científicos son los que determinan el destino de los comportamientos sociales. En este sentido, la categoría de medicalización permitirá incorporar la crítica a la sociedad contemporánea y a la hegemonía de la visión médico-científica.This work addresses the debate mounted in the last decade on the subject of improvement in its different variations. There is a striking lack of consensus when it comes to defining the concept and the need to permit or prohibit such practices. The only point on which there is widespread agreement is the need to block improvements that involve health hazards, thereby postponing the debate based on arguments that go beyond the mere risk to physical wellbeing. Thus, it seems as though scientific criteria are what determines the fate of social behavior. In this sense, the category of medicalization will allow for accommodating a critique of contemporary society and the hegemony of the medical-scientific vision.O presente trabalho aborda o debate que vem sendo dado na última década a respeito do tema do melhoramento em suas diferentes variantes. Salienta o escasso consenso na hora de definir o conceito e respeito da necessidade de permitir ou proibir essas práticas. O único ponto de amplo acordo é a necessidade de não admitir melhoramentos que impliquem riscos para a saúde, adiando o debate baseado em argumentos que superem o mero perigo para a saúde física. Dessa maneira, pareceria que os critérios científicos são os que determinam o destino dos comportamentos sociais. Nesse sentido, a categoria de medicalização permitirá incorporar a crítica à sociedade contemporânea e à hegemonia da visão médico-científica.Fil: Calise, Santiago Gabriel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Language and Systems Theory: Critical Remarks on the Luhmannian Conception

Language and Systems Theory: Critical Remarks on the Luhmannian Conception. This paper assesses Luhmann’s conception of language as structural coupling. Luhmann treated language as a medium, but also tried to incorporate the Saussurean concept of sign. The paper will deal with three conflictive points. The first one is the erasure of all psychic refer-ence that Luhmann performs. The second issue is Luhmann’s refusal to consider language as a system. The third point poses the question about the ontological bases of language, in comparison to those of the autopoietic systems.Fil: Calise, Santiago Gabriel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Promišljanje teorije filogeneze i ontogeneze jezika Niklasa Luhmanna u svjetlu sistemsko-funkcionalne lingvistike

This paper deals with the problems of phylogenesis and ontogenesis of language, departing from Niklas Luhmann’s general hypothesis of the co-evolution of psychic and social systems. Regarding phylogenesis, the focus in Luhmann’s theory was placed on the “pre-linguistic medium of communication” constructed by gestures, which would have been the element that stimulated the evolution of language. This sort of communication allows for the emergence of a certain social order. Here, the problem was the impossibility of identifying this social order by one of the primary forms of societal differentiation. An attempt was made to interpret in which societal contexts pre-language “emerges”. In order to do this, the author resorted to Michael Halliday’s systemic-functional linguistics. Concerning ontogenesis, the attention was directed to the concepts of action and experience. The point of departure was Ilja Srubar’s criticism of Luhmann’s theory of language, according to which the acquisition of language can be thought of as a process of translating action schemes into linguistic ones. This implies a nativist vision of language discarded by Luhmann and also by Halliday. The latter indicated that it is impossible to talk about translating non-linguistic and pre-linguistic cognition schemes into linguistic form because there is no model of experience previous to the linguistic categories. In addition, an attempt was made to show that systemic-functional linguistics can be useful to fill the gap regarding the ontogenesis of language left by Luhmann’s systems theory.U radu se obrađuju problemi filogeneze i ontogeneze jezika odmicanjem od opće hipoteze Niklasa Luhmanna o suevoluciji psihičkih i društvenih sustava. U pogledu filogeneze jezika, naglasak je u Luhmannovoj teoriji smješten na »predjezični medij komunikacije« sačinjen od gesta, koji je mogao biti temelj poticanja evolucije jezika. Ta vrsta komunikacije omogućuje pojavu određenoga društvenog poretka. Problem je bio u nemogućnosti identificiranja toga društvenog poretka jednim od primarnih oblika socijetalne diferencijacije. Autor ovog rada nastojao je protumačiti u kojim se socijetalnim kontekstima »pojavljuje« predjezik. U tu se svrhu oslonio na sistemsko-funkcionalnu lingvistiku Michaela Hallidaya. U pogledu ontogeneze jezika, pozornost je usmjerena na koncepte djelovanja i iskustva. Kao polazna točka za to poslužila je kritika Ilje Srubara upućena Luhmannovoj teoriji jezika, prema kojoj se na stjecanje jezika može gledati kao na proces prevođenja shema djelovanja u jezične sheme. To uključuje nativističko viđenje jezika koje su odbacili i Luhmann i Halliday, od kojih je potonji sugerirao kako je nemoguće govoriti o prevođenju nejezičnih i predjezičnih spoznajnih shema u jezični oblik, jer ne postoji model iskustva koji prethodi jezičnim kategorijama. Autor je i ovdje nastojao pokazati da sistemsko-funkcionalna lingvistika može biti korisna u popunjavanju praznina koje je u tumačenju ontogeneze jezike za sobom ostavila Luhmannova sistemska teorija

Social Networks and Systems Theory

This paper provides a critical assessment of the conceptions of social networks in systems theory. There are two main solutions to the problem: treating networks as systems, or denying them that status. The last group conceives networks as structural couplings (Kämper and Schmidt) or as forms (Fuhse). Among the first group, Luhmann has used the concept to describe the particularities of the societal structure of underdeveloped regions, but he did not delve into a theoretical characterization of the concept. Teubner’s version also remained associated with a particular episode, providing no general network theory. Bommes and Tacke establish reciprocity as the central mechanism, which relates different addresses (persons or organizations) through a non-specific future promise of a service in return for a favor. The analysis shows that this account provides the most complete version of the concept, remaining fully compatible with systems theory.Fil: Calise, Santiago Gabriel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Time and new technologies from the perspective of the systems theory

Según el parecer de muchos teóricos, pero también de los legos, la aparición de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) ha generado profundas transformaciones en la forma de concebir y de experimentar cotidianamente la relación entre el tiempo y el espacio. En el siguiente trabajo se pretende problematizar esta relación entre las TIC y la temporalidad, tomando como marco teórico la teoría de sistemas desarrollada por Niklas Luhmann. Para poder iluminar tal articulación, será necesario comenzar por una relectura de los teóricos que ya han comenzado a tratar la problemática. Al mismo tiempo, también se hará indispensable reconstruir la posición luhmanniana respecto del tiempo y de las mismas TIC, cuestión, esta última, que el autor pudo tratar de manera muy somera. Sobre esta base y apoyándose en los resultados de investigaciones empíricas, se trabajarán las transformaciones temporales que implica para la comunicación la emergencia de las TIC como medio. Como corolario de esta indagación, se observarán también las repercusiones que la problemática antes expuesta provocaría sobre las conciencias.According to many theorists, but also as said by laymen, the emergency of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) has generated deep transformations on the way the relationship between time and space is daily conceived and experienced. This paper tries to problematize this relationship between ICTs and temporality, departing from Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory. In order to illuminate this relationship, it will be necessary to start with a rereading of the theorists who have already dealt with this problem. At the same time, it will be also indispensable to reconstruct Luhmann’s perspective on time and ICTs, even if this last matter was only briefly examined by the author. On these basis and supported on the results of empirical research, we will work on the temporal transformations produced on communication as a consequence of the emergency of ICTs as a media. As a corollary to this inquiry, we will observe the repercussions that this issue has provoked on consciousness.Fil: Calise, Santiago Gabriel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Sociales. Instituto de Investigaciones "Gino Germani"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Administrative and Electoral Law in Ecuador and Argentina

The Argentinean and Ecuadorian Electoral Law comprises a branch of the Administrative Law and this is part of the Public Law, it is intended to make a comparative analysis between the institutions of public law in electoral matters existing in both nations; National Electoral Chamber of Argentina and the National Electoral Council and Electoral Disputes Tribunal of Ecuador, the application of the electoral resources in these legislations, establishing similarities and differences between these electoral systems for a better study, highlighting that the electoral law in Ecuador is a new matter of law that was born by the need to have independent electoral bodies of the executive powers and that the electoral justice constitutes a specialized justice compared to other bodies of the systems of administration of justice

Interpretación prejudicial y restricciones a la potestad jurisdiccional de los Estados miembros de la CAN (Tema Central)

The purpose of this essay is to establish if the preliminary rulings of industrial property regulations done by the Andean Court of Justice, restricts the exercise of the jurisdictional power of the Member State Judges. Therefore, this work is divided into three parts: the first part contextualizes and determines the problem; the second one characterizes the preliminary ruling mechanism of the Andean Community; the last section establishes the arisen power of the jurisdiction and the limits of its exercise that may look restricted by the preliminary rulings of the Andean Court of Justice.Este ensayo tiene por objeto determinar si la interpretación prejudicial que realiza el Tribunal de Justicia de la Comunidad Andina de las normas del régimen común de propiedad industrial restringe el ejercicio de la potestad jurisdiccional de los jueces nacionales de los Estados parte de dicha comunidad. El presente trabajo tiene tres partes: la primera contextualiza y determina la problemática en cuestión, la segunda caracteriza el mecanismo de la interpretación prejudicial en la Comunidad Andina, y la tercera establece las facultades que emanan de la jurisdicción y los límites de su ejercicio que podrían verse restringidos por la interpretación prejudicial que ejecuta el tribunal comunitario

Air drying of fucus vesiculosus seaweed and its effect on phytochemical characteristics of aqueous extracts

Traballo Fin de Máster en Enxeñaría Química e Bioprocesos. Curso 2014-2015The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of air drying at four different temperatures (35, 50, 60 and 75ºC) on drying kinetics at different configurations (deep-bed and thin layer) and properties of dried Fucus vesiculosus seaweed and the phytochemical constituents of its aqueous extracts. Water adsorption and desorption isotherms were also determined at four different temperatures (5, 25, 45 and 65ºC). Different models (GAB, BET, Caurie, Halsey and Oswin) were tested for water sorption isotherms modelling. Halsey model showed the best fit for all water sorption isotherms. In the case of drying kinetics modelling for deep-bed configuration, bibliographic models were tested (Newton, Henderson-Pabis, Logarithmic, Two-Term, Weibull, Page and Modified Page). Page and modified Page models were selected as the most adequate under statistical analysis criteria. Thin layer dyring kinetics of F. vesiculosus showed a constant rate period and falling rate period at all drying temperatures tested. Critical moisture content increased with drying temperature. For post-critical period, Fick’s second law equations were successfully applied and allowed the determination of effective coefficients of diffusion of water, which increased with drying temperature (from 95·10-12 up to 260·10-12 m2/s). This water effective diffusivities were estimated considering the shrinkage of samples. The shrinkage analysis indicated that real shrinkage was larger than ideal shrinkage (evaluated by means of water loss). Effect of different load densities (from 1.25 up to 14.88 kg/m2) was studied at 75ºC and a linear correlation between load density and drying time was achieved. Dried seaweed at 75ºC exhibited the largest colour differences. Seaweed powders previously dried at 35, 60 and 75ºC exhibited an appreciable yellow-tone coloration, whereas system dried at 50ºC presented a greenish coloration. F. vesiculosus extracts were obtained performing aqueous ultrasound assisted extractions. Two key extraction parameters (from 20 to 40 (g/g) liquid/solid ratio and contact time from 4 to 20 minutes) on the extraction yield of three bioactive compounds (polyphenols, carbohydrates and alginates) were studied for the system dried at 35ºC. The effect of drying temperature on antioxidant activity and the yield of bioactive compounds was studied by means of extractions performed at optimized L/S ratio of 30 (g/g) and contact times of 4 minutes for all dried systems. Maximum phenolic content (1738 mg PHL/100 gdw) and antioxidant activity (measured by means of DPPH radical scavenging activity, 57%) were obtained for the system dried at 35ºC and declined significantly with drying temperature. Higher drying temperatures had a positive effect on alginate extraction yield (2069 mg GLU/100 gdw). Total phenolic content of extracts from different particle size fractions of dried F. vesiculosus powder was determined. Maximum phenolic content was attained at intermediate fractions 80-200 μm (2272 GLU/100 gdw)