Nonequilibrium entropic bounds for Darwinian replicators

Life evolved on our planet by means of a combination of Darwinian selection and innovations leading to higher levels of complexity. The emergence and selection of replicating entities is a central problem in prebiotic evolution. Theoretical models have shown how populations of different types of replicating entities exclude or coexist with other classes of replicators. Models are typically kinetic, based on standard replicator equations. On the other hand, the presence of thermodynamical constrains for these systems remain an open question. This is largely due to the lack of a general theory of out of statistical methods for systems far from equilibrium. Nonetheless, a first approach to this problem has been put forward in a series of novel developements in non-equilibrium physics, under the rubric of the extended second law of thermodynamics. The work presented here is twofold: firstly, we review this theoretical framework and provide a brief description of the three fundamental replicator types in prebiotic evolution: parabolic, malthusian and hyperbolic. Finally, we employ these previously mentioned techinques to explore how replicators are constrained by thermodynamics.Comment: 12 Pages, 5 Figure

Determination of the Insulation Solution that Leads to Lower CO2 Emissions during the Construction Phase of a Building

The characteristics of the envelope of a building determine, together with other factors, its consumption of energy. Additionally, the climate zone and insulation material may vary the minimum insulation thickness of walls and roofs, making it different, according to cooling down or warming up the home. Spanish legislation establishes different maximum values for energy demand according to different climate area both for heating and for cooling. This paper presents the results of a study that determines the influence of many variables as the climate zone or the orientation, among others, in the optimization of thickness insulation in residential homes in Spain to reduce the CO2 emissions embodied. To do that, 12 representative cities in Spain corresponding to different climate zones, four orientations, two constructive solutions, and four different configurations of the same house have been combined, for three different hypotheses and four insulation materials, resulting in 4608 cases of study. The results show that, under equal conditions on energy demand, the optimal insulation requirements are determined by heating necessities more than by cooling ones. In addition, a higher insulation thickness need does not necessarily mean more CO2 emissions, since it can be compensated with a lower Global Warming Potential characterization factor that is associated to the insulation material. The findings of this study can serve to designers and architects to establish the better combination of the variables that are involved in order to minimize the CO2 emissions embodied during the construction phase of a building, making it more energy efficient

Notas críticas a la presentación usual hoy del reino de dios según Jesús de Nazaret

This is a critical assessment of today presentations of Jesus of Nazareth’ Kingdom of God in so-called historical-exegetical books. Three of them are selected for a minute criticism. It follows a brief exegesis of all then important Gospel texts about the Kingdom of God as a «future event» or as «present» and «already come» in Jesus ministry. After a close scrutiny, only one Gospel passage (Luke 17:20-21) can be used with some doubts for sustaining that Jesus has proclaimed a Kingdom of God already present. The article concludes with a brief exposition of the conceptions of the historical Jesus view about the Kingdom, and some consequences for the modern transpositions of his view.Valoración crítica de las presentaciones usuales de hoy, normalmente confesionales, de las concepciones de Jesús de Nazaret acerca del reino de Dios. El análisis detallado se concentra especialmente en tres de ellas. Se hace una exégesis breve pero minuciosa de los textos evangélicos que tratan del tema «reino de Dios». Tras este análisis se comprueba que sólo un texto, Lc 17, 20-21, puede utilizarse exegéticamente, y con ciertas dudas, para defender la idea de que Jesús consideraba que el reino de Dios estaba ya presente. Se concluye con una breve exposición de las concepciones acerca del reino de Dios por parte del Jesús histórico y con algunas consecuencias, por ejemplo sobre el retraso de la parusía, para las transposiciones modernas de esas concepciones jesuánicas sobre el Reino

Reseñas

La tesis doctoral del profesor del Instituto Teológico “San Pedro de Alcántara” de Cáceres, D. Rafael Delgado Escolar, La fe profesada y anunciada en el Magisterio de Pablo VI. Del “Año de la fe” a los “tiempos nuevos de evangelización” es un recorrido extraordinario, y muy necesario, por el Magisterio del venerable Papa Pablo V.The doctoral thesis of Professor at the Theological Institute "San Pedro de Alcantara" of Cáceres, D. Rafael Delgado School, the faith professed and announced in the magisterium of Pope Paul VI. The "Year of faith" to the "New Times of evangelization" is an extraordinary route and much needed by the Magisterium of the venerable Pope Paul V.peerReviewe

Equality, inequality: feminist genealogies

¿A qué o a quién desean igualarse las mujeres?, se interroga la pensadora de la diferencia sexual Luce Irigaray. ¿Por qué no a sí mismas?, sugiere. Orientada por estas preguntas irigarianas, esbozaré una genealogía del pensamiento y la práctica de la diferencia sexual a través, fundamentalmente aunque no sólo, de la obra de la propia Irigaray y de la Librería de Mujeres de Milán. A lo largo de este recorrido, consideraré la práctica política de la diferencia sexual como una práctica de libertad y sugeriré que la libertad femenina, su sentido y sus posibilidades, constituye uno de los nudos de conflicto del feminismo contemporáneo. Para finalizar, apostaré por la potencial fecundidad de los conflictos en el feminismo.«Whom or what do women want to be equal to?» asks herself Luce Irigaray, the thinker of the sexual difference. «Why not to themselves?» she proposes. Oriented by these irigaraian questions, I am going to present a genealogy of the thought and practice of the sexual difference through the works of Irigaray and the Women’s Bookshop of Milan. I am going to describe the political practice of the sexual difference as a practice of freedom and will suggest that feminine freedom, its meaning and its possibilities constitute one of the cores of the conflict in contemporary feminism. I will end my paper supporting the potential fecundity of the conflicts in feminism

Hélène Cixous : la escritura como deseo de alteridad

En "Salidas", el célebre artículo de Hélène Cixous, publicado en 1975, que se ha convertido en una de las obras fundamentales de la teoría feminista contemporánea, la autora indaga el vínculo entre falocentrismo y logocentrismo. La crítica a la dialéctica, la alteridad, la diferencia sexual, el deseo, el goce y la escritura son motivos que componen el texto. En el presente artículo, me propongo analizar el juego de diseminación que Cixous realiza con respecto al psicoanálisis. Para ello exploraré las nociones de economía libidinal masculina y economía libidinal femenina, a partir de las cuales la autora repiensa el deseo y la diferencia sexual así como el trabajo mismo de la escritura, donde ésta aparece como deseo de alteridad.In her well-known paper "Sorties", published in 1975 and one of the cornerstones of contemporary feminist theory, Hélène Cixous explores the bonds between phallocentrism and logocentrism. Her criticism of dialectics, alterity, sexual difference, desire, pleasure and writing are the basic elements of this text. This article aims to analyze the exersice in dissemination that she develops as regards to psychoanalytical theory. With this goal in mind, I will explore the notions of male and female libidinal economy, from which Cixous rethinks desire and sexual difference, as well as the notion of writing itself, where sexual difference shows itself as desire of alterity