As a result of the complexity inherent in some natural systems, mathematical models employed in ecology are often governed by a large number of variables. For instance, in the study of population dynamics we often find multiregional models for structured populations in which individuals are classified regarding their age and their spatial location. Dealing with such structured populations leads to high dimensional models. Moreover, in many instances the dynamics of the system is controlled by processes whose time scales are very (...) different from each other. For example, in multiregional models migration is often a fast process in comparison to the growth of the population.Approximate reduction techniques take advantage of the presence of different time scales in a system to introduce approximations that allow one to transform the original system into a simpler low dimensional system. In this way, the dynamics of the original system can be approximated in terms of that of the reduced system. This work deals with the study of that approximation. In particular, we work with a non-autonomous discrete time model previously presented in the literature and obtain different bounds for the error we incur when we describe the dynamics of the original system in terms of the reduced one. (shrink)

In this work we extend approximate aggregation methods in time discrete linear models to the case of time varying environments. Approximate aggregation consists in describing some features of the dynamics of a general system involving many coupled variables in terms of the dynamics of a reduced system with a few number of variables. We present a time discrete time varying model in which we distinguish two time scales. By using perturbation methods we transform the system to make the global variables (...) appear and build up the aggregated system. The asymptotic relationships between the general and aggregated systems are explored in the cases of a cyclically varying environment and a changing environment in process of stabilization. We show that under quite general conditions the knowledge of the behavior of the aggregated system characterizes that of the general system. The general method is also applied to aggregate a multiregional time dependent Leslie model showing that the aggregated model has demographic rates depending on the equilibrium proportions of individuals in the different patches. (shrink)

Resumen En la crítica del Cantar de los Cantares no hay acuerdo acerca del problema estructural del libro. Las teorías se dividen en aquellas que abogan por un carácter fragmentario contra otras que ven un carácter unitario de los poemas. El estudio intenta revisar esta problemática y proponer que el Cantar de los Cantares es una colección de poemas sueltos que un redactor/recopilador juntó e intentó poner en cierto orden, incorporando el conjuro de 2,7; 3,5; 5,8; 8,4 como estribillo con (...) función articuladora, de tal manera que el conjuro quedó puesto como hito divisorio entre grandes bloques poéticos que se relacionan entre sí por un tema común u otro recurso de mano redaccional, configurando así un ordenamiento estructural de todo el libro.In the criticism of the Song of Songs there is no agreement on the structural problem of the book. Theories are divided into those advocating a fragmentary against others who see a unitary character of poems. The study attempts to revise this problems and propose that the Song of Songs is a loose collection of poems that a compiler gathered and tried to give some order, incorporating the adjuration of 2, 7; 3,5; 5,8; 8,4 as refrain with articulate function, such that the adjuration was set as milestone dividing between large blocks poetic that interrelate by a common theme or other resource or literary technique thus configuring a structural arrangement of the whole book. (shrink)

The paper investigates how Catholic Social Teaching can contribute to the creation of fairer and more humane business models. It gives an outline of the main historical moments in the development of Catholic Social Teaching with regard to the economy and business management. Then it analyses the proposal of the Economy of Communion as a potential framework for companies that wish to implement Catholic Social Teaching in their activities. The EoC model suggests that company profits should be distributed in three (...) parts. The first part is dedicated to the company’s growth, development, and economic sustainability; the second toward the most needy people in the social environment of the organization; and the third part invested in education creating a new type of economic culture that is at the service of people and of the common good. The companies that belong to the EoC movement are for-profit businesses which consider reciprocity and gratuity an integral part of their businesses. Both reciprocity and gratuity are guided by the logic of the gift which is innate to human relations and should be promoted so businesses become more authentically human and favor the development of people. (shrink)

Este artículo se refiere a una línea de interpretación de la Fenomenología del Espíritu de Hegel que tiene en Alexandre Kojève a su exponente más conocido e influyente. En ella se privilegian los aspectos antropológico-existenciales e histórico-políticos por sobre los aspectos lógico-sistemáticos de la obra. La exposición se divide en dos partes. La primera está dedicada a la lectura de Hegel realizada por Kojève en su célebre curso dictado entre 1933-1939 en la École Practique des Hautes Études de París, y (...) la segunda se ocupa de su aporte a cinco filósofos directamente influidos por su interpretación. Finalmente concluye con una breve evaluación de estas lecturas. (shrink)

This monograph presents the latest findings from a long-term research project intended to identify the physics behind Quantum Mechanics. A fundamental theory for quantum mechanics is constructed from first physical principles, revealing quantization as an emergent phenomenon arising from a deeper stochastic process. As such, it offers the vibrant community working on the foundations of quantum mechanics an alternative contribution open to discussion. The book starts with a critical summary of the main conceptual problems that still beset quantum mechanics. The (...) basic consideration is then introduced that any material system is an open system in permanent contact with the random zero-point radiation field, with which it may reach a state of equilibrium. Working from this basis, a comprehensive and self-consistent theoretical framework is then developed. The pillars of the quantum-mechanical formalism are derived, as well as the radiative corrections of nonrelativistic QED, while revealing the underlying physical mechanisms. The genesis of some of the central features of quantum theory is elucidated, such as atomic stability, the spin of the electron, quantum fluctuations, quantum nonlocality, and entanglement. The theory developed here reaffirms fundamental scientific principles such as realism, causality, locality and objectivity. (shrink)

In cybersecurity, there is a call for adaptive, accurate and efficient procedures to identifying performance shortcomings and security breaches. The increasing complexity of both Internet services and traffic determines a scenario that in many cases impedes the proper deployment of intrusion detection and prevention systems. Although it is a common practice to monitor network and applications activity, there is not a general methodology to codify and interpret the recorded events. Moreover, this lack of methodology somehow erodes the possibility of diagnosing (...) whether event detection and recording is adequately performed. As a result, there is an urge to construct general codification and classification procedures to be applied on any type of security event in any activity log. This work is focused on defining such a method using the so-called normalized compression distance (NCD). NCD is parameter-free and can be applied to determine the distance between events expressed using strings. As a first step in the concretion of a methodology for the integral interpretation of security events, this work is devoted to the characterization of web logs. On the grounds of the NCD, we propose an anomaly-based procedure for identifying web attacks from web logs. Given a web query as stored in a security log, a NCD-based feature vector is created and classified using a support vector machine. The method is tested using the CSIC-2010 data set, and the results are analyzed with respect to similar proposals. (shrink)

En este artículo se examina de qué manera conceptos en parte comunes y en parte opuestos en Hegel y Ricoeur pueden contribuir a una filosofía práctica, y, en particular, a una ética aplicada, en diálogo interdisciplinario con los saberes que a Ricoeur le merecieron especial atención a lo largo del desarrollo de su pensamiento: la psicología, la historia, el derecho, la política, la teología. Primero se presenta un marco general en torno a los conceptos de razón práctica, conciencia moral y (...) reconocimiento, para después abordar cuestiones más específicas relacionadas con algunas de las disciplinas particulares en las que se emplean estos y otros conceptos en el marco de una reflexión ética aplicada. (shrink)

En este artículo se examina de qué manera conceptos en parte comunes y en parte opuestos en Hegel y Ricoeur pueden contribuir a una filosofía práctica, y, en particular, a una ética aplicada, en diálogo interdisciplinario con los saberes que a Ricoeur le merecieron especial atención a lo largo del desarrollo de su pensamiento: la psicología, la historia, el derecho, la política, la teología. Primero se presenta un marco general en torno a los conceptos de razón práctica, conciencia moral y (...) reconocimiento, para después abordar cuestiones más específicas relacionadas con algunas de las disciplinas particulares en las que se emplean estos y otros conceptos en el marco de una reflexión ética aplicada. (shrink)

The gene regulation function (GRF) provides an operational description of a promoter behavior as a function of the concentration of one of its transcriptional regulators. Behind this apparently trivial definition lies a central concept in biological control: the GRF provides the input/output relationship of each edge in a transcriptional network, independently from the molecular interactions involved. Here we discuss how existing methods allow direct measurement of the GRF, and how several trade‐offs between scalability and accuracy have hindered its application to (...) relatively large networks. We discuss the theoretical and technical requirements for obtaining the GRF. Based on these requirements, we introduce a simplified and easily scalable method that is able to capture the significant parameters of the GRF. The GRF is able to predict the behavior of a simple genetic circuit, illustrating how addressing the quantitative nature of gene regulation substantially increases our comprehension on the mechanisms of gene control. (shrink)

Resumen: En este artículo se presenta una interpretación de las tesis fundamentales de Hegel en la Fenomenología del Espíritu acerca de la relación entre tiempo, historia y filosofía especulativa o ciencia. Para Hegel la formación de la conciencia individual hacia la ciencia se conecta con la histor..

El problema mente-cerebro tiene importantes repercusiones antropológicas. El autor enfoca el problema desde las claves de la antropología cristiana: el valor absoluto del hombre (imago dei"), la libertad y supervivencia postmortem, que en el cristianismo es de la resurrección. Repasa las soluciones a la relación mente-cerebro incompatibles con el cristianismo, y expone el modo de entenderlo en este ultimo. La mente, entendida de manera no dualista, sino como principio estructurante del cuerpo, posibilita una comprensión del ser humano en sintonía con (...) las convicciones practicas de neustro (la idea de dignidad humana), que las soluciones cientistas en boga no tienen mas remedio que impugnar. (shrink)

En este artículo se examinarán algunas intersecciones entre el pensamiento de Ricoeur y de Hegel en torno a temas vinculados con la voluntad, la razón práctica y el reconocimiento. Se mostrará que, tras una etapa inicial de reticencia a ocuparse con la filosofía de Hegel, esta se convierte para Ricoeur a mediados de los años 60 en una referencia ineludible en su confrontación con Freud, hasta el punto de llegar a experimentarla como una tentación, de la que parece querer desprenderse, (...) sobre todo en su reflexión sobre lo trágico y la historia en los años 80, pero que reaparece con fuerza en la última década del siglo pasado, hasta culminar con la teoría del reconocimiento, para la cual Hegel constituye una fuente principal, aunque no exclusiva. This article is about some intersecting points between Ricoeur's and Hegel's thought around issues related to free will, practical reason and recognition. After an initial stage of reluctance to deal with the philosophy of Hegel, it becomes for Ricoeur, in the mid-60s, an essential reference in his confrontation with Freud, feeling his influence as a temptation, which he wants to avoid, especially in his reflection about tragedy and history in the 80s. But this influence appears again notoriously, in the last decade of the 20thcentury, culminating with the theory of recognition, to which Hegel constitutes a major source, but not an exclusive one. (shrink)

This book argues that nationalist violence in developed countries is the product of unresponsive political elites and nationalists blocked from attracting supporters through legal channels. Political elites are prone to ignoring a regional polity when their clout in that region is negligible and they do not rely on the region's support to maintain their positions of power. Conversely, when nationalists cannot make inroads through legal channels, incentives for violence are ripe. Thus, when nationalists in postwar Europe found elites unresponsive, it (...) was state repression that helped radicals build a new group of support around militant action. The larger this new constituency legitimizing violence grew, the longer the conflict lasted. The book elucidates this complex dynamic through a deft combination of theoretical modeling, statistical methods and comparative case studies from the Basque Country, Catalonia, Corsica, Northern Ireland, Sardinia and Wales. (shrink)

We revisit the nonrelativistic problem of a bound, charged particle subject to the random zero-point radiation field, with the purpose of revealing the mechanism that takes it from the initially classical description to the final quantum-mechanical one. The combined effect of the zpf and the radiation reaction force results, after a characteristic time lapse, in the loss of the initial conditions and the concomitant irreversible transition of the dynamics to a stationary regime controlled by the field. In this regime, the (...) canonical variables x, p become expressed in terms of the dipolar response functions to a set of field modes. A proper ordering of the response coefficients leads to the matrix representation of quantum mechanics, as was proposed in the early days of the theory, and to the basic commutator x^,p^=iħ\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\left[ {\hat{x}},{\hat{p}}\right] =i\hbar $$\end{document}. Further, the connection with the corresponding Fokker–Planck equation valid in the Markov approximation, allows one to obtain the radiative corrections of qed. These results reaffirm the essentially electrodynamic and stochastic nature of the quantum phenomenon, as proposed by stochastic electrodynamics. (shrink)

The aim of this research was to delimit the predictive and mediational model of resilience between character strengths to predict flourishing, in a sample of undergraduate students. After signing their informed consent, 642 university students completed three validated scales. Using an ex post facto design, regression, structural modeling, and mediation analyses were carried out, in order to construct a multi-causal predictive model. Results indicated a consistent predictive direct effect of character strengths on resilience and flourishing and of resilience on flourishing. (...) As hypothesized, resilience also showed a mediating effect on the relationship between character strengths and flourishing. Additionally, results also revealed that the reactive and proactive factors of resilience were explained by different character strengths, reinforcing the idea that the two directions are complementary and necessary. Finally, several implications were established for the practice of positive psychology. (shrink)

The publication of scientific papers has become increasingly problematic in the last decades. Even if we agree that a renewed model is needed for peer-reviewed scientific publication, we think the problem does not essentially lie in professional publishing—with economic incentives—but in the publish-or-perish culture that dominates the lives of researchers and academics.

There is no consensus in the literature about the nature of terrorism. The authors’ main claim is that this is ultimately the result of the coexistence of two senses of the term, the action and the actor sense, which are not fully congruent. Rather than trying to advocate a specific conceptualization, the authors provide in this article a map of the different ways in which scholars talk about terrorism. They identify first the set of terrorist actions and the set of (...) terrorist actors. Terrorist tactics are a variety of the power to hurt, based on the lack of military power. Terrorist groups are underground ones with no territorial control. When the two criteria meet, the core of terrorism exists: coercive violence perpetrated by underground groups. The ambiguity that surrounds terrorism is caused by two other possibilities: actors with some measure of territorial control adopting coercive tactics and underground actors adopting military tactics. Although it is not possible to remove this ambiguity in empirical research, scholars can at least identify it and analyze it. The authors illustrate the two senses of terrorism and their interaction by using the most comprehensive dataset on terrorist incidents, the Global Terrorism Database. (shrink)

Resumen A partir de la inclusión del término “género” en el ordenamiento jurídico de diversos países, incluido Chile, se expone la génesis desarrollo de dicho término y se da a conocer la posición de la Iglesia Católica sobre el mismo. En tercer lugar, se examinan algunas de las principales formas de la teoría contemporánea del reconocimiento con vistas a su posible contribución a la reflexión sobre el sentido y los alcances de las teorías de género, en diálogo con la posición (...) de la iglesia al respecto.In view of the inclusión of the term “gender” in the legal system of several countries, including Chile, the genesis and development of said term is exposed and the position of the Catholic Church on it is disclosed. Third, some of the main forms of contemporary recognition theory are examined with a view to theirpossible contribution to reflection on the meaning and scope of gender theories, in dialogue with the position of the Church in this regard. (shrink)

Resumen Este artículo expone la presencia de Hegel en la teoría psicoanalítica de Lacan: en primer lugar, el uso que este último hace de la dialéctica del amo y el esclavo para iluminar la dimensión imaginaria de la conciencia y el deseo, en segundo lugar, la recepción de la concepción hegeliana del lenguaje en conexión con la función simbólica y la constitución de la subjetividad, y finalmente la postura de ambos respecto de la relación entre saber y verdad. Los tres (...) aspectos contribuyen a iluminar la interpretación del concepto de sujeto en Lacan a la luz de la influencia hegeliana.This article exposes the presence of Hegel in the psychoanalytk theory of Lacan: first, the use that the latter makes of the dialectic of the master and the slave to illuminate the imaginary dimension of consciousness and desire, secondly, the reception of the Hegelian conception of language in connection with the symbolic function and the constitution of subjectivity, and finally the position of both with respect to the relationship between knowledge and truth. The three aspects contribute to illuminate the interpretation of the concept of subject in Lacan in light of the Hegelian influence. (shrink)

The aim of this text is to examine the issue of truth telling in doctor-patient relationships, namely in the case of terminal patients. We analyze the problems and attitudes regarding truth telling that there are present when patients suffer from mortal diseases. We conclude that it is very important to keep a fluent and truthful communication in the doctor-patient relationship. We also examine and stress the role that general practitioners can play in the care of terminal patients at their home (...) and with their friends and/or relatives. (shrink)

The growing importance of the cryptocurrency phenomenon has raised concerns about the ethical implications of a hypothetical widespread use of these new forms of digital money. In this paper, we undertake an ethical assessment of cryptocurrencies drawing upon two specific ethical theories: private property ethics and utilitarianism. Particularly, we focus on three distinctive aspects. First, we examine the advantages and disadvantages of cryptocurrencies vis‐à‐vis central bank fiat money. Second, we analyze cryptocurrencies as facilitators of tax evasion and the ethical implications (...) arising therefrom. Finally, we explore the use of cryptocurrencies for nefarious consumption. We conclude that, were cryptocurrencies to become widespread media of exchange, governments capacity to undertake monetary, fiscal, and drug policy would be undermined. We argue that this would be an ethically desirable outcome from both a private‐property‐rights and a utilitarian perspective since it would force governments to reduce their size and scope in these three areas. (shrink)