Complexity, Sustainability, Justice, and Meaning: Chronological Versus Dynamical Time

Abstract: It is shown that time may be appreciated in at least two senses: chronological and dynamical. Chronological time is the time of our naí¯ve acquaintance as transient beings. At its most extensive scale, it corresponds to history encompassing both the abiotic and the biotic  universe. Dynamical time, deriving from classical mechanics, is the time embraced by most of the laws of physics. It concerns itself only with present conditions since it is held that that the past may be reconstructed from the present (literally) and the future predicted from the present, a position known as Laplacian determinism.  Nonlinear dynamics has shown the fallacy of this supposition because, of necessity, the concrete values that may be assumed in the variables of the equations of motion constituting the laws of physics (i.e. the present or starting conditions) as a result of the spontaneous or intentional interaction of subject (or measuring) systems and of object (or measured) systems, cannot be of infinite precision. Indeed, even if they could be, it is not at all clear that they would permit Laplacian determinism because of what is thought to be the ubiquity of K-flow dynamics in nature in which even infinite past information leading to the present cannot yield prediction of the future. In consequence, nonlinear dynamics, in rebellion against dynamical time, generates a primitive form of history distinguishing past, present, and future that may be termed nonlinear dynamical hysteresis.  When nonlinear dynamics came to be complemented with semiotic modulation through the implement of symbol-mediated language (a complementation subsequently termed semantic closure) as first instantiated through the communicating (as opposed  to merely dynamically interacting) molecular complexes of the cell, what can be termed semiotic hysteresis was born. The paper attempts to show that indefinitely evolving complexity, sustainability, justice, and meaning are indissolubly bound with chronological time in the sense of semiotic hysteresis (as afforded initially by non-cognitive semantic closure and subsequently, at least one hopes, by cognitive semantic closure): This semiotic hysteresis yields the indefinite evolutionary time of the living condition”including culture.

Energy Increase By Use Of A 2-parameter Rule Curve For Hydropower Generation

A new 2-Parameter Rule Curve (patent pending) for Hydropower Generation takes into account the current state of the system, represented by the beginning-of-month reservoir level, in the selection of the end-of-month Rule Curve level/storage. Thus, the two decision parameters are current time and reservoir level. The Rule Curve aims to preserve the firm energy, and to generate as much secondary energy as possible; and is based on the maximum monthly value of a composite parameter related to the variation of the potential energy stored in the reservoir, calculated for every month in the backward simulation that gives the Firm Energy Yield of the reservoir-power plant system. The Rule Curve levels are calculated to give the required end-of-month level for each month as a function of the beginningof-month level, can be represented in tabular (matrix) and graphical forms, and can be used alone or combined with the Rule Curve proposed by the USACE (1985 and 1989), whose only parameter is current time. The use of this new 2-Parameter Rule Curve for single reservoirs can increase the annual average/secondary energy output without reducing the firm energy, as tested by the simulation of several hydropower developments; the results show an increase of average/secondary energy when compared with the USACE Rule Curve. Energy increase depends on net head variability, regulating capacity of the reservoir and power-plant-rated capacity. A 50-year simulation of Grand Coulee Dam gives an average energy output of 22.6 TW-h/year with the 2-Parameter Rule Curve, and 20.9 TW-h/year with the USACE Rule Curve. The increase in average/secondary energy is 1.7 TW-h/year, due only to the change of the Rule Curve. Data published by the USBR indicates an average output of 21 TW-h/year for Grand Coulee Dam, which confirms the simulated results

Consistent performance measurement of a system to detect masses in mammograms based on blind feature extraction

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer deaths among women, especially in Western countries. In the last two decades, many methods have been proposed to achieve a robust mammography‐based computer aided detection (CAD) system. A CAD system should provide high performance over time and in different clinical situations. I.e., the system should be adaptable to different clinical situations and should provide consistent performance. METHODS: We tested our system seeking a measure of the guarantee of its consistent performance. The method is based on blind feature extraction by independent component analysis (ICA) and classification by neural networks (NN) or SVM classifiers. The test mammograms were from the Digital Database for Screening Mammography (DDSM). This database was constructed collaboratively by four institutions over more than 10 years. We took advantage of this to train our system using the mammograms from each institution separately, and then testing it on the remaining mammograms. We performed another experiment to compare the results and thus obtain the measure sought. This experiment consists in to form the learning sets with all available prototypes regardless of the institution in which them were generated, obtaining in that way the overall results. RESULTS: The smallest variation from comparing the results of the testing set in each experiment (performed by training the system using the mammograms from one institution and testing with the remaining) with those of the overall result, considering the success rate for an intermediate decision maker threshold, was roughly 5%, and the largest variation was roughly 17%. But, if we considere the area under ROC curve, the smallest variation was close to 4%, and the largest variation was about a 6%. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the heterogeneity in the datasets used to train and test our system in each case, we think that the variation of performance obtained when the results are compared with the overall results is acceptable in both cases, for NN and SVM classifiers. The present method is therefore very general in that it is able to adapt to different clinical situations and provide consistent performance

Educación, entre el déficit y el potencial

Fil: Ferreyra, Horacio Ademar. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Educación; ArgentinaFil: Carena Bruno, Susana del Carmen. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Facultad de Educación; ArgentinaFil: Velasco, Luis Rafael. Universidad Católica de Córdoba; Argentin

Un_pat: programa para el cálculo de potenciales transitorios en puestas a tierra

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de un trabajo de grado y parte de los resultados de una tesis de doctorado desarrollados en el Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica, grupo PAAS-UN de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. El trabajo consistió en la implementación de un programa de computador para analizar el comportamiento transitorio de cualquier configuración de electrodos de puesta a tierra inmersos en un terreno homogéneo, isotrópico y lineal. Para el análisis se utilizó el Modelo Electromagnético Hibrido (MEH) dada su gran versatilidad y los bajos tiempos de cálculo respecto de otros. El programa, llamado UN_PAT, fue implementado en C++ y utiliza librerías de código abierto con el propósito de que sea de libre distribución y así pueda ser modificado y mejorado por trabajos posteriores. Los resultados fueron validados ampliamente con otros programas similares, con resultados de otros modelos de análisis y con pruebas experimentales; algunos de estos resultados son presentados en este documento.This paper presents results from work done at the National University of Colombia and from a PhD thesis written there. This work was aimed at implementing software for analysing the transient behaviour of any configuration of grounding system buried in lineal, homogeneous and isotropic soil. The hybrid electromagnetic model (HEM) was used because it presents high versatility and low computation time. The UN_PAT software was written in C++; it used free libraries with the aim of being free software so that it could be modified and improved in future work. The software results were validated with other software, with results from another analysis model and experimental results; some of these comparisons are given in this paper

El software ILCYM 4.0

La evidencia demuestra que la mayoría de tratamientos químicos realizados en la producción agrícola son innecesarios, ineficientes y, en un cierto porcentaje, tardíos. Para tomar mejores decisiones, el productor necesita más información sobre el estado real del desarrollo biológico de la plaga y el riesgo real que conlleva (Figura1). Hoy en día, el productor agrícola dispone de herramientas que lo ayudan a ser más eficiente en el manejo de plagas y enfermedades de sus cultivos, como el software ILCYM 4.0 (Insect Life Cycle Modeling), que permite determinar las zonas de alto riesgo de propagación de una plaga, y generar un sistema de alerta mediante los indicadores de riesgo diarios que genera este programa

Mapas de riesgo: herramienta para la toma de decisiones en el control de plagas frente al cambio climático

La herramienta ILCYM 4.0 permite el desarrollo de modelos fenológicos de insectos para predecir, evaluar y comprender la dinámica de las poblaciones en los ecosistemas; además, mediante el uso de SIG se generan mapas de riesgo de establecimiento de una plaga, siendo posible calcular el número de generaciones de la plaga en un año. Con esta información se realizan las predicciones de riesgo para determinar con exactitud el momento en el cual es necesario realizar un muestreo o un manejo adecuado de la plaga, y con ello la reducción del uso de pesticidas hasta en un 50%, comparado con un manejo calendarizado

Disruption of the serine/threonine protein kinase H affects phthiocerol dimycocerosates synthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses a complex cell wall that is unique and essential for interaction of the pathogen with its human host. Emerging evidence suggests that the biosynthesis of complex cell-wall lipids is mediated by serine/threonine protein kinases (STPKs). Herein, we show, using in vivo radiolabelling, MS and immunostaining analyses, that targeted deletion of one of the STPKs, pknH, attenuates the production of phthiocerol dimycocerosates (PDIMs), a major M. tuberculosis virulence lipid. Comparative protein expression analysis revealed that proteins in the PDIM biosynthetic pathway are differentially expressed in a deleted pknH strain. Furthermore, we analysed the composition of the major lipoglycans, lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and lipomannan (LM), and found a twofold higher LAM/LM ratio in the mutant strain. Thus, we provide experimental evidence that PknH contributes to the production and synthesis of M. tuberculosis cell-wall components

Quality of Life and Menopause

Since the middle of twentieth century, the concept of Quality of Life (QoL) has been a point of interest for many investigators and clinicians for different health and physiological issues. Menopause has not been an exemption of this, due to the increase of the life expectation, the importance of Women’s Health and the view of this period of life as important as the reproductive one. Many of us work, trying to offer these women with treatments, health solutions, and psychological tools to embrace and enjoy this new chapter in her life. In this chapter, we present a review of the QoL studies on this period and the new trends on treatments and help for these women on health problems, their mental and sexual well-being

Molecular method for the characterization of Coxiella burnetii from clinical and environmental samples: variability of genotypes in Spain

BACKGROUND: Coxiella burnetii is a highly clonal microorganism which is difficult to culture, requiring BSL3 conditions for its propagation. This leads to a scarce availability of isolates worldwide. On the other hand, published methods of characterization have delineated up to 8 different genomic groups and 36 genotypes. However, all these methodologies, with the exception of one that exhibited limited discriminatory power (3 genotypes), rely on performing between 10 and 20 PCR amplifications or sequencing long fragments of DNA, which make their direct application to clinical samples impracticable and leads to a scarce accessibility of data on the circulation of C. burnetii genotypes. RESULTS: To assess the variability of this organism in Spain, we have developed a novel method that consists of a multiplex (8 targets) PCR and hybridization with specific probes that reproduce the previous classification of this organism into 8 genomic groups, and up to 16 genotypes. It allows for a direct characterization from clinical and environmental samples in a single run, which will help in the study of the different genotypes circulating in wild and domestic cycles as well as from sporadic human cases and outbreaks. The method has been validated with reference isolates. A high variability of C. burnetii has been found in Spain among 90 samples tested, detecting 10 different genotypes, being those adaA negative associated with acute Q fever cases presenting as fever of intermediate duration with liver involvement and with chronic cases. Genotypes infecting humans are also found in sheep, goats, rats, wild boar and ticks, and the only genotype found in cattle has never been found among our clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: This newly developed methodology has permitted to demonstrate that C. burnetii is highly variable in Spain. With the data presented here, cattle seem not to participate in the transmission of C. burnetii to humans in the samples studied, while sheep, goats, wild boar, rats and ticks share genotypes with the human population