A trilogia cientifica de John Banville: A mapeamento da mudança episteme através da literatura

The paper shows the power of John Banville’s trilogy, Doctor Copernicus, Kepler y The Newton Letter, focused on the scientific revolution, to analyze epistemologic processes. It is especially interested in some samples of famous epistomologic complex processes in the histoty of ideas: a) the epistemic transition from the Early Modern Period to Enlightnment; b) the epistemologic issues of historiography to rebuild the past with confidence, becoming a hard science; c) the controversy around innatism, which involved sir Isaac Newton and Thomas Hobbes. All reasoning developed in the paper is based on Banville’s trilogy.El artículo muestra el poder de la trilogía de John Banville: Doctor Copernicus, Kepler y The Newton Letter, dedicada a la revolución científica, para analizar procesos epistemológicos complejos en la historia de las ideas, como son el paso de la episteme renacentista a la ilustrada, las dificultades epistemológicas de la historiografía para reconstruir el pasado de forma fiable y convertirse en una ciencia dura, o el problema del innatismo, que enfrentó a Isaac Newton con Thomas Hobbes. Todos los razonamientos aquí expuestos se sustentan en los textos literarios del escritor irlandés.O artigo mostra o poder da trilogia de John Banville: Doctor Copernicus, Kepler y The Newton Letter, dedicada a revolução científica, para analisar processos epistemológicos complexos na história das ideias, como são o passo da episteme renascentista à ilustrada, as dificuldades epistemológicas da historiografia para reconstruir o passado de forma fiável y converter-se em uma ciência consistente, ou o problema do inatismo, que enfrentou Isaac Newton com Thomas Hobbes. Todos os raciocínios aqui expostos sustentam-se nos textos literários do escritor irlandês

Attribute implications with unknown information based on weak Heyting algebras

Simplification logic, a logic for attribute implications, was originally defined for Boolean sets. It was extended to distributive fuzzy sets by using a complete dual Heyting algebra. In this paper, we weaken this restriction in the sense that we prove that it is possible to define a simplification logic on fuzzy sets in which the membership value structure is not necessarily distributive. For this purpose, we replace the structure of the complete dual Heyting algebra by the so-called weak complete dual Heyting algebra. We demonstrate the soundness and completeness of this simplification logic, and provide a characterisation of the operations defining weak complete dual Heyting algebras.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBU

Simplification logic for the management of unknown information

This paper aims to contribute to the extension of classical Formal Concept Analysis (FCA), allowing the management of unknown information. In a preliminary paper, we define a new kind of attribute implications to represent the knowledge from the information currently available. The whole FCA framework has to be appropriately extended to manage unknown information. This paper introduces a new logic for reasoning with this kind of implications, which belongs to the family of logics with an underlying Simplification paradigm. Specifically, we introduce a new algebra, named weak dual Heyting Algebra, that allows us to extend the Simplification logic for these new implications. To provide a solid framework, we also prove its soundness and completeness and show the advantages of the Simplification paradigm. Finally, to allow further use of this extension of FCA in applications, an algorithm for automated reasoning, which is directly built from logic, is defined.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA This article is Supported by Grants TIN2017-89023-P, PRE2018-085199 and PID2021-127870OB-I00 of the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain and UMA2018-FEDERJA-001 of the Junta de Andalucia and European Social Fund

El uso de recursos multimedia en la docencia de la Ecología en Ciencias Experimentales: los ecosistemas polares como caso de estudio

En este trabajo se presentan las experiencias realizadas en el seno de un proyecto de Innovación Docente financiado por el Secretariado de Innovación Docente de la Universidad de Jaén. Los objetivos planteados en dicho proyecto consistieron en acercar a los alumnos la investigación realizada en distintos campos de la Ecología en ecosistemas polares (Ártico y Antártida), así como incorporar nuevas metodologías docentes en la docencia práctica de la asignaturas relacionadas con la Ecología en las Licenciaturas de Biología y Ciencias Ambientales. Durante el desarrollo del proyecto se realizaron videoconferencias con investigadores desplazados a la Antártida, visionado de vídeos realizados durante campañas de investigación en ecosistemas polares y una mesa redonda donde se intercambiaron experiencias entre los investigadores y el alumnado, dentro del marco de las actividades de la Semana de la Ciencia 2010 organizada por la Unidad de Cultura Científica de la Universidad de Jaén, estando todas estas actividades abiertas al conjunto de la Comunidad Universitaria

Encapsulation of Cynara Cardunculus Guaiane-type Lactones in Fully Organic Nanotubes Enhances Their Phytotoxic Properties

The encapsulation of bioactive natural products has emerged as a relevant tool for modifying the poor physicochemical properties often exhibited by agrochemicals. In this regard, natural guaiane-type sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Cynara cardunculus L. have been encapsulated in a core/shell nanotube(c)agrochemical system. Monitoring of the F and O signals in marked sesquiterpenes confirmed that the compound is present in the nanotube cavity. These structures were characterized using scanning transmission electron microscopy-X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry techniques, which revealed the spatial layout relationship and confirmed encapsulation of the sesquiterpene lactone derivative. In addition, biological studies were performed with aguerin B (1), cynaropicrin (2), and grosheimin (3) on the inhibition of germination, roots, and shoots in weeds (Phalaris arundinacea L., Lolium perenne L., and Portulaca oleracea L.). Encapsulation of lactones in nanotubes gives better results than those for the nonencapsulated compounds, thereby reinforcing the application of fully organic nanotubes for the sustainable use of agrochemicals in the future.This research was funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, grant number PID2020-115747RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, Spain. F. J.R.M thanks the University of Cadiz for postdoctoral support under grant 2018-009/PU/EPIF-FPI-CT/CP. Furthermore, this work has received financial support from the Junta de Andalucia (FQM334), MINECO/FEDER (projects MAT2017-87579-R). This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant 823717-ESTEEM3. STEM studies were performed at the DME Facilities of SCCYT at the University of Cadiz. We also thank Semillas Fito (Barcelona, Spain) for kindly supplying us with wheat seeds

Automating the decision making process of Todd’s age estimation method from the pubic symphysis with explainable machine learning

Age estimation is a fundamental task in forensic anthropology for both the living and the dead. The procedure consists of analyzing properties such as appearance, ossification patterns, and morphology in different skeletonized remains. The pubic symphysis is extensively used to assess adults’ age-at-death due to its reliability. Nevertheless, most methods currently used for skeleton-based age estimation are carried out manually, even though their automation has the potential to lead to a considerable improvement in terms of economic resources, effectiveness, and execution time. In particular, explainable machine learning emerges as a promising means of addressing this challenge by engaging forensic experts to refine and audit the extracted knowledge and discover unknown patterns hidden in the complex and uncertain available data. In this contribution we address the automation of the decision making process of Todd’s pioneering age assessment method to assist the forensic practitioner in its application. To do so, we make use of the pubic bone data base available at the Physical Anthropology lab of the University of Granada. The machine learning task is significantly complex as it becomes an imbalanced ordinal classification problem with a small sample size and a high dimension. We tackle it with the combination of an ordinal classification method and oversampling techniques through an extensive experimental setup. Two forensic anthropologists refine and validate the derived rule base according to their own expertise and the knowledge available in the area. The resulting automatic system, finally composed of 34 interpretable rules, outperforms the state-of-the-art accuracy. In addition, and more importantly, it allows the forensic experts to uncover novel and interesting insights about how Todd’s method works, in particular, and the guidelines to estimate age-at-death from pubic symphysis characteristics, generally.Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) Spanish GovernmentAgencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI) PID2021-122916NB-I00 Spanish Government PGC2018-101216-B-I00Junta de AndaluciaUniversity of Granada P18 -FR -4262 B-TIC-456-UGR20European CommissionUniversidad de Granada/CBU

La evaluación en los SPOC: análisis de modelos e instrumentos

The evaluation varies according to the methodology and students to whom the teaching process is directed, since it is adapted to their context and level of instruction. In relation to the object of our study, SPOCs (Small Private Online Course), maintain different variations in terms of assessment models and instruments. The way of evaluating in the SPOC varies according to the students to whom the course is directed, the design of the SPOC itself and the approach that the teacher himself wants to give. The main objective of this research is to analyze the evaluation models and instruments that are implemented in SPOCs. The aim is to understand how assessment is carried out in SPOCs, through the most current lines of research. For this, the research has been carried out through a theoretical study of the current and specific bibliography on the subject. The results reflect a preference, in terms of purpose, for summative assessment. In relation to the moment of collecting information, the initial evaluation together with the final one, are the most used models. As for the evaluating agent, self-evaluation is the most widely implemented model. Among the instruments, self-evaluations and test-type tests are the most widely used tools to collect evidence on the learning process. In conclusion, despite the fact that the pedagogical characteristics of SPOCs favor the adoption of evaluation models and instruments, the agreement on evaluation models and tools is subordinated to the specific intention of each SPOC.La evaluación varía según la metodología y alumnado al que va dirigido el proceso de enseñanza, ya que esta se adapta a su contexto y nivel de instrucción. En relación con el objeto de nuestro estudio, los SPOC (del inglés Small Private Online Course), mantienen diferentes variaciones en cuanto a los modelos e instrumentos de evaluación. La forma de evaluar en los SPOC varía según el alumnado al que va dirigido el curso, el propio diseño del SPOC y el enfoque que el propio docente quiera darle.  El objetivo principal de esta investigación es analizar los modelos e instrumentos de evaluación que se implementan en los SPOC. Se pretende comprender como se desarrolla la evaluación en los SPOC, a través de las líneas de investigación más actuales. Para ello, la investigación se ha llevado a cabo a través de un estudio teórico de la bibliografía actual y especifica en la materia. Los resultados reflejan una preferencia, en lo que respecta a la finalidad, por la evaluación sumativa. En relación con el momento de recogida de información, la evaluación inicial junto con la final, son los modelos más utilizados. En cuanto al agente evaluador, la autoevaluación es el modelo más implementado. Entre los instrumentos, las autoevaluaciones y las pruebas tipo test son las herramientas más implementadas para recoger evidencias sobre el proceso de aprendizaje. Como conclusión, pese a que las características pedagógicas de los SPOC favorecen la adopción de unos modelos e instrumentos de evaluación, el acuerdo sobre modelos y herramientas de evaluación queda subordinado a la intención concreta de cada SPOC.&nbsp

Proteomics study of human cord blood reticulocyte-derived exosomes

Reticulocyte-derived exosomes (Rex), extracellular vesicles of endocytic origin, were initially discovered as a cargo-disposal mechanism of obsolete proteins in the maturation of reticulocytes into erythrocytes. In this work, we present the first mass spectrometry-based proteomics of human Rex (HuRex). HuRex were isolated from cultures of human reticulocyte-enriched cord blood using different culture conditions and exosome isolation methods. The newly described proteome consists of 367 proteins, most of them related to exosomes as revealed by gene ontology over-representation analysis and include multiple transporters as well as proteins involved in exosome biogenesis and erythrocytic disorders. Immunoelectron microscopy validated the presence of the transferrin receptor. Moreover, functional assays demonstrated active capture of HuRex by mature dendritic cells. As only seven proteins have been previously associated with HuRex, this resource will facilitate studies on the role of human reticulocyte-derived exosomes in normal and pathological conditions affecting erythropoiesis

Seroprevalence and epidemiology of hepatitis B and C viruses in pregnant women in Spain. Risk factors for vertical transmission

Background & aim Worldwide, measures are being implemented to eradicate hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses, which can be transmitted from the mother during childbirth. This study aims to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV in pregnant women in Spain, focusing on country of origin, epidemiological factors and risk of vertical transmission (VT). Methodology Multicentre open-cohort study performed during 2015. HBV prevalence was determined in 21870 pregnant women and HCV prevalence in 7659 pregnant women. Epidemiological and risk factors for VT were analysed in positive women and differences between HBV and HCV cases were studied. Results HBV prevalence was 0.42% (91/21870) and HCV prevalence was 0.26% (20/7659). Of the women with HBV, 65.7% (44/67) were migrants. The HBV transmission route to the mother was unknown in 40.3% of cases (27/67) and VT in 31.3% (21/67). Among risk factors for VT, 67.7% (42/62) of the women had viraemia and 14.5% (9/62) tested HBeAg-positive. All of the neonates born to HBV-positive mothers received immunoprophylaxis, and none contracted infection by VT. In 80% (16/20) of the women with HCV, the transmission route was parenteral, and nine were intravenous drug users. Viraemia was present in 40% (8/20) of the women and 10% (2/20) were HIV-coinfected. No children were infected. Women with HCV were less likely than women with HBV to breastfeed their child (65% vs. 86%). Conclusions The prevalences obtained in our study of pregnant women are lower than those previously documented for the general population. Among the women with HBV, the majority were migrants and had a maternal family history of infection, while among those with HCV, the most common factor was intravenous drug use. Despite the risk factors observed for VT, none of the children were infected. Proper immunoprophylaxis is essential to prevent VT in children born to HBV-positive women.This study received financial assistance from the following: Ciberehd, Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias del Instituto de Salud Carlos III. ISCIII, Proyecto del Plan Nacional I+D+i 2013-2016 (PI13/01925), Confinanciacio´n Fondos FEDER. Gilead Fellowship Program (GLD14-00292 and GLD15-00307)