Estudio de tres novelas de literatura proyectiva: Guayaquil, novela fantástica de Manuel Gallegos Naranjo, Río de sombras de Jorge Velasco Mackenzie y El libro flotante de Caytran Dölphin de Leonardo Valencia

La rama proyectiva de la literatura, también llamada literatura de anticipación, elabora una crítica cultural, política, social, filosófica y económica del presente al realizar fabulaciones acerca de un futuro donde usualmente se desarrollan distopías. Estos ejercicios se han escrito empleando los códigos de género fantástico, maravilloso y la ciencia ficción para suponer cómo será el destino de las urbes modernas. Dentro de esta línea, la narrativa guayaquileña recrea en sus historias una ciudad en crisis inmanente donde sus habitantes han aprendido a convivir con la idea de la destrucción. Estableciendo un diálogo con el imaginario apocalíptico judeo-cristiano instaurado desde la conquista de América y que ha cobrado un carácter renovado en este continente debido a su contacto con fábulas locales, los textos Guayaquil, novela fantástica (1901) de Manuel Gallegos Naranjo, Río de sombras (2003) de Jorge Velasco Mackenzie y El libro flotante de Caytran Dölphin (2006) de Leonardo Valencia, abordan desde sus propuestas estéticas ligadas con el fin del mundo, el temor de los guayaquileños ante la posible destrucción de su metrópoli. En estas novelas, la principal sensación de amenaza proviene del río junto al cual se construyó y ha crecido la ciudad, por lo que el agua es transformada en una alegoría de la memoria guayaquileña y también de su necesidad de transformación permanente. El haber descubierto una línea de lectura apocalíptica desde la cual abordar estas novelas prospectivas, refresca la mirada sobre el canon ecuatoriano y también ensaya un diálogo diferente con nuestra identidad. Con este conocimiento del fin que se aproxima, los habitantes de la ciudad amenazada deambulamos por sus calles aguardando –a veces con recelo, a veces con esperanza, porque el apocalipsis es también renovación– la llegada de la inundación definitiva.

El Teatro del Absurdo en Procedimiento de Juan Manuel Valencia, Bajo la puerta de Ernesto Proaño y Álvaro Rosero y El estigma y el ladrón de Fabián Patinho

En el presente trabajo recupero textos dispersos de la diversidad de la dramaturgia ecuatoriana con el objeto de incorporarlos a la memoria de la literatura teatral y/o la tradición de nuestro país y de Latinoamérica para vincularlos a un lector/espectador actual. Establezco un diálogo reflexivo-interpretativo, sumamente enriquecedor, entre el Teatro del Absurdo y los textos dramatúrgicos ecuatorianos: Procedimiento de Juan Manuel Valencia, Bajo la puerta de Ernesto Proaño y Álvaro Rosero y El estigma y el ladrón de Fabián Patinho cuyas dramaturgias se han construido bajo la influencia o la referencia de dicho Teatro. Me ha interesado pensar los textos a la luz del Teatro del Absurdo. Para dicha empresa he revisado los aportes teóricos que han trazado Martin Esslin o los propios creadores/críticos sobre este Teatro, catalogado como un subgénero literario teatral o movimiento literario que acusa la ruptura de la lógica en el discurso, el descrédito de la realidad o la ilógica dramatúrgica para develar el vacío existencial de la condición humana. También he recorrido, a manera de una pequeña radiografía, su uso en la tradición contemporánea y actual de la dramaturgia internacional, latinoamericana y ecuatoriana. Mi propósito ha sido descubrir de qué manera se subvierte el uso del Teatro del Absurdo en nuestras creaciones dramatúrgicas, con el propósito de reivindicarlas para estimular la producción dramatúrgica y enriquecer el acerbo así como la experiencia cultural de la Literatura Hispanoamericana. El resultado es una nutritiva diversidad de miradas que vinculan a la Literatura con los Estudios de la Cultura desde sus aristas estéticas, políticas y sociales. Cada uno de los textos dramatúrgicos ha sido leído desde la clave que brinda Paul Ricoeur acerca de la libertad para la interpretación hermenéutica, que se genera a partir de una lectura desde donde el lector significa o re-significa de manera inagotable lo que el autor ha puesto en palabras.

Bells and whistles of convection parameterization

The present workshop constitutes the 5th in the annual series on “Concepts for Convective Parameterizations in Large-Scale Models”. The purpose of the workshop series has been to discuss the fundamental theoretical issues of convection parameterization with a small number of European scientists. The workshop series has been funded by European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) Action ES0905. The theme of the workshop for the year 2012 was decided from a main conclusion of the previous workshop, which focused on the convective organization problem, seeking a means for implementing such effects into convection parameterizations (Yano et al. 2012). As it turned out, in order to discuss this implementation issue in any concrete manner, we have first to know very well the bells and whistles of convection parameterizations. This was the purpose of the 5th workshop. The title of the workshop is rather metaphorically tagged as “Bulk or Spectrum?”, because this is a typical decision we have to face at the outset of any parameterization development. The following report discusses selected issues of bells and whistles addressed during the meeting.

Operations research/management science tools for integrating people with disabilities into employment. A study on Valencia`s Sheltered Work Centres for Disabled

People with disabilities have a right to a full life in every sense and one of those fundamental rights is the possibility to work. In this paper, the importance of social employment integration of disabled people is highlighted as one of the stakeholders to be satisfied by companies in the new framework that corporate social responsibility is constructing. The objective of the paper is to revise the benefits of some well-known operations research/management science tools that, if applied correctly, have a double positive impact on work accessibility and improved productivity. The responses collected from managers of Valencia`s ShelteredWork Centres for Disabled by means of a structured questionnaire are used to analyse the level of implementation of these tools and their impact depending on the type of centre, the kind of disability and other structural variables.

Postharvest harpin or Bacillus thuringiensis treatments suppress citrus black spot in 'Valencia' oranges

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effect of thermal pasteurization and concentration on carotenoid composition of Brazilian Valencia orange juice

Changes in carotenoid pigment content of Brazilian Valencia orange juices due to thermal pasteurization and concentration were studied. Total carotenoid pigment content loss was not significant after thermal pasteurization and concentration. However, thermal effects on carotenoid pigment contents, especially violaxanthin and lutein, were clearly observed and significant (P < 0.05). Pasteurization reduced the content of violaxanthin by 38% and lutein by 20%. The concentration process resulted in loss of lutein (17%). With the loss of lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin became the major carotenoid in the pasteurized and concentrated juices. The provitarnin A content of the juice (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin) and the amount of zeaxanthin, which are considered to be active against age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, did not significantly decrease after pasteurization and concentration. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Major carotenoid composition of Brazilian Valencia orange juice: Identification and quantification by HPLC

The carotenoid composition of Brazilian Valencia orange juice was determined by open column chromatography (OCC) and high-performance liquid chromatography. Carotenoid pigments were extracted using acetone and saponified using 10% methanolic potassium hydroxide. Sixteen pigments were isolated by OCC and identified as alpha-carotene, zeta-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-cryptoxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein-5,6-epoxide, violaxanthin, lutein, antheraxanthin, zeaxanthin, luteoxanthin A, luteoxanthin B, mutatoxanthin A, mutatoxanthin B, auroxanthin B and trollichrome B. Thirteen carotenoid pigments were separated using a ternary gradient (acetonitrile-methanol-ethyl acetate) elution on a C-18 reversed-phase column. Among these, violaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene were quantified. The total carotenoid content was 12 +/- 6.7 mg/1, and the major carotenoids were lutein (23%), beta-cryptoxanthin (21%), and zeaxanthin (20%). 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Daños causados por cancro cítrico en la producción de naranja dulce 'Valencia'

The citrus canker, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, is one of the main citrus diseases and has threatened the world's citriculture. In this study, the damage caused by citrus canker was quantified in a sweet orange culture, cv. Valencia [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.], grafted over 15 year-old Rangpur lime (C. limonia Osb.), in the municipality of Guatambu, SC, Brazil, in the crop of 2004/05. Evaluations of the number of fruits per plant (NF), fruit yield per plant (P), citrus canker incidence on the fruit (IFR), and incidence (IL) and severity (SV) of citrus canker on 80 leaves per orange tree were performed in the harvest period, applying diagrammatical scales. Plants had large variation in SV (0.16%-1.09%), IL (12.50%-56.25%) and IFR (12.30%-56.09%). Linear regressions were significant between IL x SV, NF x SV, P x IFR, and NF x IFR. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the mean estimated values of IL in different quadrants of the crowns of the orange trees (N, S, L and O). Each 1% increase in IFR reduced 2.16 kg and 21.3 fruits per tree.

Boosted objects and jet substructure at the LHC. Report of BOOST2012, held at IFIC Valencia, 23rd-27th of July 2012

This report of the BOOST2012 workshop presents the results of four working groups that studied key aspects of jet substructure. We discuss the potential of first-principle QCD calculations to yield a precise description of the substructure of jets and study the accuracy of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo tools. Limitations of the experiments' ability to resolve substructure are evaluated, with a focus on the impact of additional (pile-up) proton proton collisions on jet substructure performance in future LHC operating scenarios. A final section summarizes the lessons learnt from jet substructure analyses in searches for new physics in the production of boosted top quarks.

Estimation of transpiration of the 'Valencia' orange young plant using thermal dissipation probe method

Most studies on measures of transpiration of plants, especially woody fruit, relies on methods of heat supply in the trunk. This study aimed to calibrate the Thermal Dissipation Probe Method (TDP) to estimate the transpiration, study the effects of natural thermal gradients and determine the relation between outside diameter and area of xylem in 'Valencia' orange young plants. TDP were installed in 40 orange plants of 15 months old, planted in boxes of 500 L, in a greenhouse. It was tested the correction of the natural thermal differences (DTN) for the estimation based on two unheated probes. The area of the conductive section was related to the outside diameter of the stem by means of polynomial regression. The equation for estimation of sap flow was calibrated having as standard lysimeter measures of a representative plant. The angular coefficient of the equation for estimating sap flow was adjusted by minimizing the absolute deviation between the sap flow and daily transpiration measured by lysimeter. Based on these results, it was concluded that the method of TDP, adjusting the original calibration and correction of the DTN, was effective in transpiration assessment.