Francisco Erice, En defensa de la razón. Contribución a la crítica del posmodernismo. Madrid: Akal, 2020, 583 págs.

Francisco Erice propone en su obra En defensa de la razón. Contribución a la crítica del posmodernismo (Madrid: Akal, 2020) recuperar una perspectiva racionalista, crítica y materialista en el análisis de los procesos históricos que permita elaborar “una crítica teórica y –por qué no decirlo– política, de la respuesta posmoderna a la crisis del marxismo y –en el campo historiográfico– de la Historia social” (p. 25). Frente a la creciente proliferación de tendencias posmodernas surgidas en el ámbito académico –de las que identifica como sus rasgos fundamentales el relativismo extremo, el escepticismo acerca de la inteligibilidad del proceso histórico, la crítica radical de la idea ilustrada de razón y de la noción de progreso– y a sus consecuencias políticas, económicas y socioculturales, Erice, catedrático de Historia Contemporánea en la Universidad de Oviedo y miembro de la Sección de Historia de la Fundación de Investigaciones Marxistas (FIM), pone en valor la relevancia de las herencias ilustradas del marxismo en una obra, la suya, preocupada por recuperar una cierta idea de verdad objetiva capaz de fundamentar la inteligibilidad y racionalidad de los procesos históricos y basada en la posibilidad de una totalidad histórica desprendida de lastres mecanicistas o reduccionistas. ..

Guerras de memoria en Francia y su uso político por Nicolas Sarkozy

En este estudio se examina cómo afrontó Francia ciertos pasados traumáticos durante el mandato presidencial de Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012), y en particular los debates historiográficos, las polémicas públicas y las demandas sociales que subyacen en las guerras de memoria en torno a dos estos temas: la apropiación de la memoria del joven comunista Guy Môquet, asesinado por los nazis durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y su instrumentalización electoralista de la guerra de Argelia. La V República desarrolló una política institucional basada en la promulgación de un conjunto de leyes memoriales que generaron numerosas reticencias en el seno de la comunidad académica. Ese proceso y, sobre todo, la utilización política de la historia emprendida por Sarkozy, constituye el núcleo central de este estudio, deudor de los métodos de la historia del tiempo presente. In this study, we examine the way through which France is facing some traumatic pasts during the presidential term of Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012), and particularly the historiographical debates, public controversies and social demands which memory wars conceal on two this topics: the appropriation of the memory of the young communist Guy Môquet, assassinated by the Nazis during the Second World War, and his electoral instrumentalization of the Algerian war. The Fifth Republic has developed an institutional policy based upon the promulgation of a series of memory laws which led to numerous reservations within the academic community. This process, and above all the political use of history carried out by Sarkozy, forms the central core in this work, tributary of methods of the so-called history of the present

Atomistic Modeling of Semiconductors: Si, C, and 3C-SiC

An ongoing task of the Computational Materials Group (CMG) at the NASA Glenn Research Center is to enhance the role of atomistic simulations based on quantum-approximate methods in the study of new materials and their properties. One of the main goals of the activity continues to be breaching limitations that arise from the natural balance between accuracy, range of application, and computational simplicity. Whether that balance can be maintained while breaking new ground depends on the methods available with a minimum of constraints and limitations for the study of the energetics of arbitrary systems. The main tool used in CMG research, the Bozzolo- Ferrante-Smith (BFS) method for alloys, has no inherent constraint in its formulation, a feature that has allowed for successful research on various topics. In this article, we report on the latest development of the CMG program, namely, the extension and application of the BFS method to compound semiconductors, a departure from our previous research based primarily on metallic alloys

Alloy Interface Interdiffusion Modeled

With renewed interest in developing nuclear-powered deep space probes, attention will return to improving the metallurgical processing of potential nuclear fuels so that they remain dimensionally stable over the years required for a successful mission. Previous work on fuel alloys at the NASA Glenn Research Center was primarily empirical, with virtually no continuing research. Even when empirical studies are exacting, they often fail to provide enough insight to guide future research efforts. In addition, from a fundamental theoretical standpoint, the actinide metals (which include materials used for nuclear fuels) pose a severe challenge to modern electronic-structure theory. Recent advances in quantum approximate atomistic modeling, coupled with first-principles derivation of needed input parameters, can help researchers develop new alloys for nuclear propulsion

Posttransplant nephrocalcinosis is associated with poor renal allograft function: A single-center experience

Background: Nephrocalcinosis, characterized by intratubular and/ or parenchymal deposition of calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate crystals, is frequently seen in renal allograft biopsies; however, the clinical consequence of this histologic finding remains unknown. Kidney transplant recipients with good allograft function usually demonstrate improvement in biochemical parameters; however, persistent hyperparathyroidism remains prevalent in this population of patients. We identified renal allografts with nephrocalcinosis and evaluated the effects on renal allograft function and survival.Methods: We conducted a single-center, retrospective review of kidney allograft biopsies performed at our center from December 1, 2006 to November 30, 2012. Biopsies with nephrocalcinosis as the primary diagnosis were included in the final analysis. Biochemical parameters at the time of biopsy included serum creatinine, phosphate, calcium, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), 25-hydroxy vitamin D, and albumin. Serum creatinine was measured at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after nephrocalcinosis was diagnosed. The use of calcimimetics, vitamin D analogs, active vitamin D, and bisphosphonates was also reviewed.Results: We identified 12 patients with nephrocalcinosis as the primary diagnosis on renal biopsy. The average age of these patients was 52.2 +/- 11.9 years, and the average time since transplantation was 2.3 +/- 2.7 years. The baseline serum creatinine was 1.37 +/- 0.4 mg/dL before the onset of acute kidney injury (AKI). Mean iPTH and 25-hydroxy vitamin D at the time of AKI were 495.66 -358.9 pg/mL and 19.9 +/- 13.3 ng/mL, respectively. Renal function deteriorated in all patients, and mean serum creatinine at 12-month follow up was 2.37 +/- 1.3 mg/dL (P = 0.028). One patient progressed to end-stage renal disease at the end of the study period.Conclusion: The histologic finding of nephrocalcinosis is associated with poor renal allograft function. Metabolic abnormalities including hyperparathyroidism persist in renal allograft recipients despite normal allograft function and may be associated with the development of nephrocalcinosis in renal transplant recipients

Análisis retrospectivo de caracteres reproductivos en hembras bovinas criollas colombianas Romosinuano

The study’s objective is to estimate the repeatability of calving intervals and establish its relationship with different Romosinuano females’ reproductive efficiency characteristics. We analyzed a database with 3,112 useful records of 871 females, collected in 1936-2016 from the Nation’s Germplasm Bank System for Food and Agriculture, Turipaná research center. The model used to calculate the variance components needed to estimate the repeatability of calving intervals value was an animal model of repeated measures over time. The variance components were estimated using the rptR package of the R software, specialized in statistical data analysis. Based on the estimated repeatability value, we calculated and correlated each female’s genetic value and most probable producing ability. The estimated average values of the calving interval, repeatability, reproductive efficiency, and correlation between genetic value and most probable producing ability were 379.74 ± 47.74 days, 0.02 ± 0.01, 96 %, and 93.7 %, respectively. The estimated repeatability for the calving interval was low, showing a low correlation between the females’ calving intervals of the analyzed herd. The high reproductive efficiency of the Romosinuano breed indicates great adaptation to the environment, making crossbreeding an opportunity for the national herd’s reproductive efficiency improvement.El objetivo del estudio fue estimar la repetibilidad del intervalo entre partos y establecer la relación con diferentes caracteres de eficiencia reproductiva de hembras Romosinuano. Una base de datos con 3.112 registros útiles de 871 hembras, colectados en el periodo 1936-2016, y provenientes del hato de conservación del Sistema de Bancos de Germoplasma de la Nación para la Alimentación y la Agricultura, del centro de investigación Turipaná, fue analizada. El modelo empleado para calcular los componentes de varianza necesarios para estimar el valor de repetibilidad del intervalo entre partos consistió en un modelo animal de medidas repetidas en el tiempo. Los componentes de varianza fueron estimados usando paquete rptR del software R, especializado en el análisis estadístico de datos. Con base en el valor estimado de la repetibilidad, se calculó y correlacionó el valor genético y la capacidad más probable de producción para cada hembra. Los valores promedio estimados del intervalo entre partos, la repetibilidad, la eficiencia reproductiva y la correlación entre el valor genético y la capacidad más probable de producción fueron 379,74 ± 47,74 días, 0,02 ± 0,01, 96 % y 93,7 %, respectivamente. La repetibilidad estimada para el intervalo entre partos fue baja, lo que demuestra también una baja correlación entre los intervalos de las hembras del hato analizado. La alta eficiencia reproductiva de la raza Romosinuano indica una gran adaptación al medio ambiente y la perfila como una oportunidad de mejora reproductiva del hato nacional mediante cruzamiento con otras razas

A calibrated mammal scale for the Neogene of Western Europe. State of the art

A magnetobiostratigraphically calibrated mammal scale for the Neogene of Western Europe is presented in this paper. The Mammal Neogene MN units originally proposed by Mein [Report on activity RCMNS-Working groups] 1975 have been re-defined here on the basis of first appearances of selected small and large mammal taxa. The chronology of the lower boundaries of each unit had been established mostly after the significant magnetobiostratigraphic framework developed in the last decade in a number of Spanish basins: Ebro, Calatayud-Daroca, Vallès-Penedès, Teruel, Fortuna, Cabriel and Guadix-Baza. In the case of the early and middle Miocene particularly, MN 1, MN 2 and MN 3 , the authors have also taken into account the magnetobiostratigraphic framework developed in the North Alpine Foreland Basin. Some alternative correlations of the magnetostratigraphic data from this last basin are proposed in order to achieve a higher degree of consistence with the data from the Iberian basins. A quite well established magnetostratigraphic calibration of the MN boundaries can be proposed for most of the Neogene, from Middle Miocene to Late Pliocene. On the other hand, the chronological boundaries of the Early Miocene MN units are still poorly constrained due to: (1) scarcity of well-studied, continuous, thick magnetostratigraphic sections; (2) the difficulty in defining the boundaries of the MN zones for this time-span due to the relative homogeneity and persistence of the fossil rodent faunas and the absence of significant large mammal dispersal events. Some of the troubles which arise with the application of the MN units strengthen the need to take into account the palaeobiogeographical meaning of these units and their real suitability to date and correlate through extensive geographic areas