Did population well-being improve during Porfirian Mexico? An approximation using a Quasi-Index of human development

It is argued that economic growth during the Porfiriato did not improve the well-being of Mexican population. One explanation for such result is that economic growth pattern was skewed and benefited more the northern states and less the southern ones. Following the estimation method of the Human Development Index (HDI), we calculate a Human Development Quasi-Index for the Mexican states during the period 1895-1910. Results show that starting the period (1895) the northern states were already the most developed. During the next 15 year this pattern was maintained and the dispersion in human development increased marginally. Finally, it is shown that the true losers of Porfiriato were the states surrounding Mexico City and not the southern ones.human development, well-being, Mexico, Porfiriato

Towards the implementation of a preference-and uncertain-aware solver using answer set programming

Logic programs with possibilistic ordered disjunction (or LPPODs) are a recently defined logic-programming framework based on logic programs with ordered disjunction and possibilistic logic. The framework inherits the properties of such formalisms and merging them, it supports a reasoning which is nonmonotonic, preference-and uncertain-aware. The LPPODs syntax allows to specify 1) preferences in a qualitative way, and 2) necessity values about the certainty of program clauses. As a result at semantic level, preferences and necessity values can be used to specify an order among program solutions. This class of program therefore fits well in the representation of decision problems where a best option has to be chosen taking into account both preferences and necessity measures about information. In this paper we study the computation and the complexity of the LPPODs semantics and we describe the algorithm for its implementation following on Answer Set Programming approach. We describe some decision scenarios where the solver can be used to choose the best solutions by checking whether an outcome is possibilistically preferred over another considering preferences and uncertainty at the same time.Postprint (published version

Análisis y caracterización de zonas preferenciales en Guadalajara. Estudio exploratorio de la conectividad entre áreas verdes y arbolado

En este proyecto se analizó la cantidad de arbolado que tienen las vialidades de determinadas zonas de Guadalajara por medio de visitas al sitio, reconocimiento vía satelital e información de bases de datos del municipio. El objetivo fue hacer un diagnóstico de la zona en materia de corredores verdes. Se lograron obtener productos gráficos que facilitan la comprensión de la situación actual de la zona respecto a la conectividad de áreas verdes, así como su potencial para implementarlas

Las instituciones en vilo. Derecho y democracia en América Latina

This work constitutes a proposal of analysis of the relation between law and democracy in the Latin American context. Enquire about the role the law plays in the democratization on a regional level and the rule of the law in specific political circumstances, making significant inquisitions in the topic and dealing –starting at a revision of the pertinent theory– with empiric cases that exemplifies the identified problems to make some initial conclusions regarding the matter.Constituye este trabajo una propuesta de análisis de la relación entre derecho y democracia en el contexto latinoamericano. Indaga sobre el papel que juega el derecho en la democratización a nivel de la región y sobre el empleo de la ley en coyunturas políticas específicas, formulando interrogantes significativos en esta materia y abordando, a partir de una revisión de la teoría pertinente, casos empíricos que ejemplifican las problemáticas identificadas, a fin de esbozar algunas conclusiones iniciales sobre el tema

Expanding the enzybiotic toolbox by switching catalytic and cell wall binding domains

Motivation: Bacterial resistance to common antimicrobial therapies (i.e., antibiotics) is reaching alarming levels worldwide [1]. This pushes for the development of alternative antimicrobials, such as bacteriophage-encoded endolysins, also called enzybiotics. This antibacterial approach, rooted in phage therapy, could pose a new and valuable adding to the antimicrobial arsenal, with increased specificity and much lower chances of enabling bacterial escape and resistance mechanisms when compared to antibiotics [2]. Endolysins are usually comprised of a cell wall binding domain (CWBD) and one or several catalytic domains that cleave the bacterial cell wall. Both rational design and domain shuffling have proved to be effective approaches towards the improvement of phage endolysins for therapeutic uses [3]. Thus, the aim of this work is to construct new endolysins active against a range of pathogenic bacteria by switching protein domains.Methods: A new lysin, termed Csl2 was designed by fusing the catalytic lysozyme domain of Cpl-7, encoded by pneumococcal phage Cp-7 [3], and the CWBD from LySMP, encoded by Streptococcus suis phage SMP [4]. The gene encoding the chimeric enzyme was cloned in the expression vector pT7-7, overexpressed in the Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) and the protein Csl2 purified following a two-step chromatographic procedure. Relevant biochemical properties of Csl2 were studied, and its bacteriolytic activity was tested against several Gram-positive pathogens.Results: Protein Csl2 was efficiently overexpressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) and purified to >90%. Its secondary structure was similar to that of Cpl-7 according to preliminary circular dichroism experiments. Csl2 was found to be active against several streptococci, mainly from mitis group (namely: S. mitis, S. oralis, S. pseudopneumoniae) and Streptococcus suis from serotypes 2 and 9. The bacteriolytic host range of Csl2 differed from that of parental enzymes, with higher activity against S. suis strains.Conclusions: 1) A new bacteriolytic enzyme, Csl2, was constructed by combining Cpl-7 catalytic domain and LySMP putative Cpl-7-like CWBD.2) Csl2 resembles Cpl-7 biochemically and structurally, but has a different bactericidal spectrum.3) Csl2 is specially active against several S. suis strains, so it might be a candidate for therapy in S. suis infections

Persuasive strategies in the SME entrepreneurial pitch: Functional and discursive considerations

This paper aims to determine the efficacy of persuasive strategies in the SME pitch by examining the discursive interaction that takes place in a televised corpus, taken from the Spanish TV programme “Tu Oportunidad” (“Your Chance”), the counterpart of the British Dragon’s Den and the American Shark Tank. Using the information gathered in the discursive analysis of the corpus, we address how the use of rational and emotional factors may influence the decisions taken by the investors and how the entrepreneurs may achieve credibility. The results show the importance of rational argumentation in entrepreneurial and SME pitches, relegating emotional aspects to a secondary role from the persuasive point of view, which should, however, not be disregarded. Entrepreneurs should anchor their discourse firmly in a rational cognitive framework, but without discarding those emotional appeals which may be naturally connected to rational arguments, reinforcing their validity

The interaction between rational arguments and emotional appeals in the entrepreneurial pitch

Purpose. This study is concerned with the perlocutionary force of emotional strategies in entrepreneurship discourse. The purpose of this paper is to determine to what extent, and under what circumstances, emotional appeals may be effective to convince the conversational partner in entrepreneurship discourse. Design/methodology/approach ? To examine the interaction between rational and emotional appeals this paper analyses a corpus formed by several examples of the ?elevator pitch? genre, which have been taken from a TV programme called Tu Oportunidad (Your Chance), the Spanish counterpart of the British Dragon?s Den and the American Shark Tank. Using the information gathered in the discursive analysis of the corpus, the paper establishes a template that identifies the main rational and emotional aspects that characterize the entrepreneurial pitch. In a second stage of the research, the template is used to conduct a quantitative analysis of the persuasive influence of rational and emotional aspects. Findings ? The results of the qualitative and quantitative research show that there is a clear correlation between the propensity to finance entrepreneurial ventures and the presence of rational aspects in the entrepreneurial pitch. The lack of rational arguments determines the failure of the entrepreneur?s efforts to be persuasive, regardless of the emotional appeals that are introduced into the pitch. Emotional appeals prove to be useful to reinforce rational arguments but they are not sufficiently persuasive on their own. Originality/value ? The paper offers insight into the criteria that investors take into account in order to evaluate entrepreneurial projects, as well as on the strategies that entrepreneurs should develop to build a successful business pitch.Ministerio de Economía y Competitivida