Raw beauty: the Hochschule Für Gestaltung Ulm

[EN] The dialectical relationship between rationality and organicism apparent in the HfG Ulm buildings may be understood as an epitome of the dichotomy between logical and intuitive reason present throughout Max Bill’s artistic and architectural works. The deformation of the school’s relational spaces could be linked to the emotional side of this, and thus would not be a mere adaptation of the structural order of the building to the topography of the Kuhberg hillside, on which it is set. The austerity of béton brut carries with itself not only the puritanical connotations ascribed to it in its time, but also an ideal of un-elaboration of materials and details in pursuit of a ‘raw’ kind of beauty.[ES] Podemos entender la dialéctica entre racionalidad y organicismo de los edificios de la HfG Ulm como epítome de la polaridad existente entre razón lógica y razón intuitiva en la obra artística y arquitectónica de Max Bill. Las deformaciones de los espacios de relación de la escuela -vinculables con la parte emocional- no responderían únicamente a la adecuación de la estructura de orden a la ladera de la colina de Kuhberg. La austeridad del hormigón visto nos permite apreciar, más allá de la connotación puritana asignada en su época, la idea de una des-elaboración material y de detalle en búsqueda de una belleza cruda.Martínez Castillo, A. (2014). Belleza cruda de la Hochschule Für Gestaltung Ulm. EN BLANCO. Revista de Arquitectura. 6(16):79-86. doi:10.4995/eb.2014.5812SWORD7986616BILL, Max. "FORM, A Balance Sheet of Mid-Twentieth-Century Trends in Design" . Verlag Karl Werner. Basel. 1952ORTEGA Y GASET, José., "La deshumanización en el arte". Ediciones de la Revista de Occidente. Colección El Arquero. 1ª Ed. 1925. 11ª Ed. 1976SPLITZ, René: "hfg ulm, the view behind the foreground 1963-1968", Edition Axel Menges, Stuttgart/London, 2002. Inglés.Von MOOS, Stanislaus en "Recycling Max Bill", "minimal tradition, max bill and simple architecture", Lars Müller Publishers, 1996

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThe brain's medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) plays a key role in spatial navigation, serving as the node between the hippocampus and the rest of the mammalian cortex. In the last 10 years, spatially-modulated "grid" cells in the superficial MEC have been shown to preferentially fire as the animal moves into the apices of a hexagonal grid. Our incomplete understanding of the inhibitory dynamics within the MEC, however, limits our knowledge of how this brain structure executes such spatial navigation functions. Here, we explore various roles that inhibition plays in the superficial MEC and characterize the neuronal population that elicits this inhibition. We find that excitatory stellate cells in the layer 2 MEC exhibit membrane-dependent, nonlinear synaptic integration of inhibitory inputs, amplifying inputs that arrive near their firing threshold and dampening those that arrive closer to rest. Our next study is the first systematic anatomical/electrophysiological characterization of the superficial MEC's inhibitory interneuron population. We find that they are best classified into four clusters with distinct anatomical/electrophysiological profiles. In our last study, we investigated the viability of a novel, inhibition-mediated gamma rhythm model, finding that superficial MEC interneurons can exhibit resonant behaviors that could be key to generating neuronal network oscillations. The work presented here provides valuable groundwork for understanding MEC cortical computation

Molecular characterization of XerS/difSL site-specific recombination system in Streptococcus suis

L'état circulaire du chromosome bactérien pose un problème particulier lors de la réplication. Un nombre impair d'événements de recombinaison homologue donne des chromosomes dimères concaténés qui ne peuvent pas être divisés en cellules filles. Pour résoudre ce problème, les bactéries ont mis au point un mécanisme de résolution des dimères basé sur un système de recombinaison spécifique au site. Ceci est effectué par le système Xer/dif. Dans ce système, les protéines Xer effectuent une réaction de recombinaison dans le site dif au niveau du septum cellulaire immédiatement avant la division cellulaire. Dans la plupart des bactéries, cette réaction est effectuée par deux recombinases, XerC et XerD. Cependant, Streptococcus suis, un agent pathogène zoonotique important utilise un système de recombinaison différent, constitué d'une seule enzyme recombinase appelée XerS, qui catalyse la réaction de recombinaison dans un site dif non conventionnel. Pour caractériser le mode de clivage de XerS, des expériences EMSA ont été réalisées en utilisant des fragments de PCR marqués par HEX et des "suicide substrates". Nos données suggèrent que 1.) XerS est capable de lier la séquence entière de difSL; 2.) XerS lie plus efficacement le côté gauche des mutants difSL incomplets que le côté droit; 3.) XerS coupe les brins supérieur et inférieur du site difSL, avec une réaction plus efficace au bas. 4.) Modifications des nucléotides de la région la plus externe ou de la région centrale changent les préférences de clivage. 5.) XerS n'a montré aucune activité spécifique sur un autre site dif non conventionnel des Firmicutes, 6.) XerS interagit avec la sous-unité FtsK-y. L'ensemble des résultats présentés permet de mieux comprendre le fonctionnement de la recombinaison XerS dans le système de recombinase unique de Streptococcus et comment cette recombinaison est régulée par des facteurs de l'hôte.The circular state of the bacterial chromosome presents a specific problem during replication. An odd number of homologous recombination events results in concatenated dimer chromosomes that cannot be partitioned into daughter cells. To solve this problem, bacteria have developed a mechanism of dimer resolution based on site-specific recombination system. This is performed by the Xer/dif system. In this system, the Xer proteins perform a recombination reaction in the dif site at the cell septum immediately prior to cell division. In most bacteria this reaction is performed by two recombinases, XerC and XerD. However, an important zoonotic pathogen; Streptococcus suis harbors a different recombination system, composed by a single recombinase enzyme called XerS, that catalyzes the recombination reaction in an unconventional dif site; difSL. A region characterized by two imperfect inverted repeat regions that flank a central region of 11 bp.To characterize the mode of cleavage of XerS, EMSA experiments were performed by using HEX-labelled PCR fragments and “nicked suicide substrates”. Our data suggests that; 1.) XerS is able to bind the entire difSL sequence; 2.) XerS binds more efficiently the left half side on incomplete difSL mutants than the right half side; 3.) XerS cleaves both the top and bottom strands of the difSL site, with a more efficient reaction at the bottom strand; 4.) Nucleotides at the outermost region of a T rich region seem to be determinant for binding selectivity and modifications of the extra spacing between the inverted repeat arms as well as length modifications of the central region change cleavage preference. 5.) XerS did not show any specific activity on another unconventional dif site in Firmicutes, as tested on difH. 6.) XerS interacts with FtsK-y subunit. This research aims to understand how XerS recombination works in the single recombinase system of Streptococcus and how this recombination is regulated by host factors. Exploration of these recombinases will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of DNA exchange and genome stability in bacteria. It can also increase our knowledge of the evolution and speciation of recombinogenic bacteria

LANGUAGE CHANGE AND MODES OF THINKING THE LOSS OF INFLEXIONS IN OLD ENGLISH

Language is the creation of meanings. A language is a technique for any kind of speech, functioning in a particular speech community. As a technique of speaking it is constituted by a set of forms, contents, rules, procedures, attitudes and a system of beliefs ruling in the so-called a state of the language, that is, the analogous language ruling in a period of time. Since human subjects, that is, speakers, have the peculiar condition of beingtogether- with-others, the manifestation of this condition of humans, a language, is nothing but a historical object. Because of this, languages, as the manifestation of human intelligence and freedom in a speech community, will change in history, because all speakers participate in the construction and reconstruction of it. The way every language changes is something to be explained internally in the speech community. My thesis is that the changes known as the loss of inflexions were prompted with the introduction of a new way of thinking. The way of thinking, for the Anglo-Saxons in Old English, was a dynamic way of conceiving of things. Things were considered events happening. With the contacts of Anglo-Saxons with Celtic-Roman people, first, the introduction of Christianity, second, and finally with the Norman invasion, their dynamic way of thinking was confronted with the static conception of things coming from the Mediterranean. The history of English up to the 15th century meant the confrontation of two mental conceptions, static vs. dynamic

PERFORMANCE OF MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS (MNCs): THE INFLUENCE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D) CAPABILITY AND MARKETING CAPABILITY (MC)

Following the RBV, firms have been motivated to develop capabilities in order to operate and obtain better performance. Whereas technological capabilities, such as R&D capabilities have been highlighted in this regard, other capabilities, such as Marketing capabilities have been gaining attention. Further, whether both sets of capabilities seem relevant for firms overall, they assume a key importance for firms operating in international, more complex, settings. Previous studies have been providing understanding in these issues. Yet, most assume a developed country perspective. Considering the increasing role of developing economies worldwide, this study examines data on MNCs from both developed and developing countries. Specifically, the current research studies the influence of R&D and Marketing capabilities on performance. The results show that R&D capability has a positive influence on performance, whereas Marketing capability showed no statistical significance. In addition, the level of development of the MNCs’ country positively moderates the relationship between Marketing capability and performance

Phases Dynamic Balancer

Most of the current domestic installations are single phase, with contracted power equal to or less than 15 kW and with a potential difference of 230 V. When consumption is expected to be higher you choose to use three different alternating currents with a difference voltage of 400 V between them, which are called phases. This enables the subdivision of the installation in different single-phase circuits, fed independently with the neutral installation. These couples have, in turn, a difference in voltage of 230 V. The neutral is common for all three phases so that, if the system is balanced, no current flows through it. The problem with these installations is that they are designed to work in an offset manner, using phase loads, and simultaneously an equal amount of energy consumed by the three phases of the network. Connection to each of the phases makes independent single-phase loads or disturbance of the operation of the original phase circuit and, consequently, the corresponding increases in consumption, heating of engines, etc.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Implications of free Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages occurring outside bacteria for the evolution and the detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

In this review we highlight recent work that has increased our understanding of the distribution of Shiga toxin-converting phages that can be detected as free phage particles, independently of Shiga toxin-producing bacteria (STEC). Stx phages are a quite diverse group of temperate phages that can be found in their prophage state inserted within the STEC chromosome, but can also be found as phages released from the cell after activation of their lytic cycle. They have been detected in extraintestinal environments such as water polluted with feces from humans or animals, food samples or even in stool samples of healthy individuals. The high persistence of phages to several inactivation conditions makes them suitable candidates for the successful mobilization of stx genes, possibly resulting in the genes reaching a new bacterial genomic background by means of transduction, where ultimately they may be expressed, leading to Stx production. Besides the obvious fact that Stx phages circulating between bacteria can be, and probably are, involved in the emergence of new STEC strains, we review here other possible ways in which free Stx phages could interfere with the detection of STEC in a given sample by current laboratory methods and how to avoid such interference

Superimposition of Viral Protein Structures: A Means to Decipher the Phylogenies of Viruses

Superimposition of protein structures is key in unravelling structural homology across proteins whose sequence similarity is lost. Structural comparison provides insights into protein function and evolution. Here, we review some of the original findings and thoughts that have led to the current established structure-based phylogeny of viruses: starting from the original observation that the major capsid proteins of plant and animal viruses possess similar folds, to the idea that each virus has an innate “self”. This latter idea fueled the conceptualization of the PRD1-adenovirus lineage whose members possess a major capsid protein (innate “self”) with a double jelly roll fold. Based on this approach, long-range viral evolutionary relationships can be detected allowing the virosphere to be classified in four structure-based lineages. However, this process is not without its challenges or limitations. As an example of these hurdles, we finally touch on the difficulty of establishing structural “self” traits for enveloped viruses showcasing the coronaviruses but also the power of structure-based analysis in the understanding of emerging virusesPeer reviewe

Smart Campus Project

Desarrollado a través del Instituto de Domótica y Eficiencia EnergéticaPresentación del modelo Smart Campus en base a la experiencia realizada durante los últimos 15 años en la Universidad de Málaga. Para ello se han recogido los principales datos de consumo en un edificio tipo (Escuela de Ingenierías) junto con los datos publicados en la Huella Ecológica de la Universidad de Málaga relativos a agua, energía, residuos, gas, petroleo, etc. En resumen, todos los parámetros de sostenibilidad requeridos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech