El agón como el problema platónico : Una lectura deleuziana

Hay todo un entorno del problema griego según Deleuze: el agón. La ciudad ateniense es una rivalidad entre pretendientes. En la obra platónica, a la que Deleuze se refiere a menudo como la Odisea filosófica, el enfrentamiento entre rivales aparece constantemente y en todos los ámbitos, en el amor, los juegos, la política, los tribunales, incluso la filosofía tendrá también sus pretendientes. La pregunta es platónica es, según Deleuze, ¿cómo seleccionar a los pretendientes? La Idea juega el rol de paradigma de autenticidad dentro del método dialéctico cuya función debe ser entendida, según Deleuze, en términos de selección y no de clasificación. En el presente trabajo nos proponemos presentar esta lectura deleuziana a los efectos de evaluar sus alcances

Rewriting the history of the tyrannicides : Thucydides versus Herodotus?

Este trabajo trata sobre la famosa digresión de Tucídides en el libro sexto de su historia acerca de la caída de la tiranía en Atenas (Tuc. 6.54-59) y su relación con el relato de Heródoto. La digresión de Tucídides (y más específicamente su tono polémico) ha provocado controversia entre los comentadores, que han analizado a fondo las narrativas de los dos historiadores tanto desde una perspectiva histórica como historiográfica. Este estudio tiende a contribuir a esta discusión a través de tres sugerencias: la primera, Tucídides se mete no solo con la pequeña sección sobre los tiranicidas de la Historia de Heródoto (esto es Hdt. 5.55-65), sino, más bien, con toda la narrativa de la Historia de Heródoto sobre la liberación de Atenas de la tiranía que se extiende hasta el discurso de Socles (esto es Hdt. 5.55-5.96.2); segunda, las correcciones de Tucídides al relato de Heródoto son menores, tercera, dado que las divergencias de Tucídides con respecto a Heródoto no son decisivas para la versión correcta de los hechos, el tono polémico de Tucídides en su digresión resulta todavía más difícil de explicar. En este trabajo se sugiere tentativamente que la actitud polémica de Tucídides tiene más sentido si es interpretada en el contexto de la rivalidad del historiador con Heródoto

Climas motivacionales, liderazgo y cohesión grupal en contexto deportivo universitario

Objetivos: Conocer las interacciones entrenador-atleta y comprender las practicas de liderazgo, de generación de climas motivacionales y de comunicación entre líderes deportivos y jugadores. Metodología: Metodología de cohorte mixto. Se realizó correlación de variables cuantitativas y se analizaron las experiencias y los sentidos del contexto deportivo con una aproximación cualitativa. Se aplicaron a 31 deportistas universitarios los instrumentos: Clima Motivacional Percibido en el Deporte (PMCSQ-2), Clima en el Deporte (SCQ) y Orientación al Ego y a la Tarea en el Deporte. Para profundizar la información obtenida, se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas a 6 deportistas y 2 entrenadores universitarios. RESULTADOS: Que el deportista sienta confianza en su entrenador se encuentra asociado a que se sienta comprendido y aceptado por él. Que el entrenador genere un clima motivacional orientado hacia el ego está relacionado con que los deportistas tengan orientaciones de meta ego. Los entrenadores utilizan dos estilos de liderazgo opuestos: liderazgo democrático (entrenamientos) y liderazgo autocrático (competiciones) Conclusiones: Cuando el atleta confía en la persona que lo dirige deportivamente, presenta mayor satisfacción deportiva. También, que el entrenador fomente un ambiente de comparación social propicia que los deportistas rivalicen con compañeros de equipo y basen su rendimiento en resultados deportivos obtenidos

El agón como el problema platónico : Una lectura deleuziana

Hay todo un entorno del problema griego según Deleuze: el agón. La ciudad ateniense es una rivalidad entre pretendientes. En la obra platónica, a la que Deleuze se refiere a menudo como la Odisea filosófica, el enfrentamiento entre rivales aparece constantemente y en todos los ámbitos, en el amor, los juegos, la política, los tribunales, incluso la filosofía tendrá también sus pretendientes. La pregunta es platónica es, según Deleuze, ¿cómo seleccionar a los pretendientes? La Idea juega el rol de paradigma de autenticidad dentro del método dialéctico cuya función debe ser entendida, según Deleuze, en términos de selección y no de clasificación. En el presente trabajo nos proponemos presentar esta lectura deleuziana a los efectos de evaluar sus alcances

The Japanese and Chinese models of industrial organisation : fighting for supremacy in the Vietnamese motorcycle industry

This paper explores the consequences of the emerging rivalry between Japanese and Chinese manufacturers. It focuses specifically on industrial organisation, one of the key factors that underlie the competitiveness of manufacturing industries. The question to be asked is what happens when distinctive models of industrial organisation, coming from Japan and China, clash in a developing country. An in-depth longitudinal analysis of the Vietnamese motorcycle industry adopting a modified version of the global value chain governance theory shows that a decade-long industrial transformation resulted in organisational diversity. The implications of the analysis for the literature on industrial organisation are discussed.

Subjective assessment of the impact of transmission errors in 3DTV compared to HDTV

Recently, broadcasted 3D video content has reached households with the first generation of 3DTV. However, few studies have been done to analyze the Quality of Experience (QoE) perceived by the end-users in this scenario. This paper studies the impact of trans- mission errors in 3DTV, considering that the video is delivered in side-by-side format over a conventional packet-based network. For this purpose, a novel evaluation methodology based on standard sin- gle stimulus methods and with the aim of keeping as close as pos- sible the home environment viewing conditions has been proposed. The effects of packet losses in monoscopic and stereoscopic videos are compared from the results of subjective assessment tests. Other aspects were also measured concerning 3D content as naturalness, sense of presence and visual fatigue. The results show that although the final perceived QoE is acceptable, some errors cause important binocular rivalry, and therefore, substantial visual discomfort.

Similarities in normal and binocularly rivalrous viewing

We report here a series of observations—most of which the reader can experience directly—showing that distinct components of patterned visual stimuli (orthogonal lines of a different hue) vary in perception as sets. Although less frequent and often less complete, these perceptual fluctuations in normal viewing are otherwise similar to the binocular rivalry experienced when incompatible scenes are presented dichoptically.

Rational design of a global inhibitor of the virulence response in Staphylococcus aureus, based in part on localization of the site of inhibition to the receptor-histidine kinase, AgrC

Two-component signaling systems involving receptor-histidine kinases are ubiquitous in bacteria and have been found in yeast and plants. These systems provide the major means by which bacteria communicate with each other and the outside world. Remarkably, very little is known concerning the extracellular ligands that presumably bind to receptor-histidine kinases to initiate signaling. The two-component agr signaling circuit in Staphylococcus aureus is one system where the ligands are known in chemical detail, thus opening the door for detailed structure–activity relationship studies. These ligands are short (8- to 9-aa) peptides containing a thiolactone structure, in which the α-carboxyl group of the C-terminal amino acid is linked to the sulfhydryl group of a cysteine, which is always the fifth amino acid from the C terminus of the peptide. One unique aspect of the agr system is that peptides that activate virulence expression in one group of S. aureus strains also inhibit virulence expression in other groups of S. aureus strains. Herein, it is demonstrated by switching the receptor-histidine kinase, AgrC, between strains of different agr specificity types, that intragroup activation and intergroup inhibition are both mediated by the same group-specific receptors. These results have facilitated the development of a global inhibitor of virulence in S. aureus, which consists of a truncated version of one of the naturally occurring thiolactone peptides.

Hyposecretion of the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and its relation to clinical variables in inflammatory arthritis

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal underactivity has been reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This phenomenon has implications with regard to the pathogenesis and treatment of the disease. The present study was designed to evaluate the secretion of the adrenal androgen dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and its relation to clinical variables in RA, spondyloarthropathy (Spa), and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis (UIA). Eighty-seven patients (38 with RA, 29 with Spa, and 20 with UIA) were studied, of whom 54 were women. Only 12 patients (14%) had taken glucocorticoids previously. Age-matched, healthy women (134) and men (149) served as controls. Fasting blood samples were taken for determination of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum DHEAS and insulin, and plasma glucose. Insulin resistance was estimated by the homeostasis-model assessment (HOMAIR). DHEAS concentrations were significantly decreased in both women and men with inflammatory arthritis (IA) (P < 0.001). In 24 patients (28%), DHEAS levels were below the lower extreme ranges found for controls. Multiple intergroup comparisons revealed similarly decreased concentrations in each disease subset in both women and men. After the ESR, previous glucocorticoid usage, current treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, duration of disease and HOMAIR were controlled for, the differences in DHEAS levels between patients and controls were markedly attenuated in women (P = 0.050) and were no longer present in men (P = 0.133). We concluded that low DHEAS concentrations are commonly encountered in IA and, in women, this may not be fully explainable by disease-related parameters. The role of hypoadrenalism in the pathophysiology of IA deserves further elucidation. DHEA replacement may be indicated in many patients with IA, even in those not taking glucocorticoids.

Efeito da aplicação do ultrassom terapêutico durante 4 e 5 minutos por área do transdutor no processo de reparação de tendão de ratos

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito dos tempos de aplicação 3, 4 e 5 minutos por ERA do ultrassom terapêutico (UST) na organização das fibras de colágeno em lesão do tendão do calcâneo de ratos. Foram utilizados quarenta ratos machos Wistar, dos quais 32 sofreram tenotomia total do tendão do calcâneo e foram divididos em 5 grupos: GC, sem tenotomia e tratamento; GT, com tenotomia e sem tratamento; UST3, UST4 e UST5 submetidos à tenotomia e tratados com UST nos tempos de 3, 4 e 5 minutos por área de radiação efetiva respectivamente. Os animais foram submetidos à primeira aplicação do UST foi 24 horas após a cirurgia de tenotomia. A irradiação ultrassônica foi aplicada com os seguintes parâmetros: 1 MHz, modo pulsado com 20% do ciclo de trabalho (2 ms de emissão / 8 ms de intervalo), frequência de 100 Hz, 0,5 W / cm² de intensidade e ERA de 0,5 cm². A aplicação foi realizada 1x/dia. Os animais foram sacrificados após a 10ª sessão de tratamento, no 12º dia pós-operatório. Os tendões foram retirados cirurgicamente para análise da organização das fibras colágenas através do método de birrefringência (retardo óptico - OR). As fibras colágenas mostraram melhor agregação e organização no grupo UST3, UST4 e UST5 quando comparado ao GT (p<0.05) e o UST5 apresentou melhor resposta na comparação intergrupos. Conclui-se que o UST, aplicado no tempo de 5 minutos por área de radiação efetiva, apresentou a melhor dose-resposta quanto à organização das fibras colágenas no reparo tecidual de tendões de ratos

Rivalidad en el mercado español de depósitos bancarios: la teoría de los grupos estratégicos

El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en examinar la rivalidad intra y entre grupos estratégicos de una industria. La literatura sobre la materia sugiere que las evidencias empíricas detectadas pueden verse afectadas por problemas operativos relacionados con la medición de la rivalidad. Como novedad, la metodología aplicada propone la utilización de dos enfoques de medición de la rivalidad, uno indirecto mediante la estimación de la variación conjetural, y una evaluación directa a través de las noticias sobre acciones y reacciones estratégicas detectadas en las publicaciones. La aplicación empírica realizada en el mercado español de depósitos bancarios no permite asegurar nada acerca de la mayor o menor rivalidad intra que entre grupos; pero los grupos estratégicos permiten predecir la forma en que cada entidad compite con las demás.

Estrategias de fijación de precios de las aerolíneas de bajo coste: una aproximación al modelo de la rivalidad ampliada

En la presente tesis doctoral se realiza una aproximación a las estrategias de fijación de precios de las aerolíneas de bajo coste europeas a partir del estudio de su entorno (demanda, proveedores, rivales, productos sustitutos, etcétera). Para ello se emplea el marco del modelo de las cinco fuerzas descrito por Michael Porter. Para su análisis, se utiliza un método combinado de Análisis Factorial (ACP) y datos de panel.

Who performs a stronger response to whom? Detecting individual competitive actions and reactions

This study analyzes the degree of competition through individual actions and reactions. Empirical support for this analysis has derived mainly from structural econometric models describing the nature of competition. This analysis extends the existing literature by empirically considering a direct measurement of competition through the analysis of the competitive actions and responses, and describing how firms compete within and between strategic groups. We estimate the firms’ conduct in the Spanish deposits market with 146 firms and 18,888 observations. This is a specially compelling context for the banking industry, in which a deregulation process gives rise to the adoption of aggressive strategies seeking to increase the market shares of deposit accounts; thus, producing a turbulent situation of increasing rivalry. Our results offer a deeper understanding of the firms’ competitive behavior, since we identify different patterns of actions and reactions depending upon the strategic group the firm belongs to.

First molar size and wear within and among modern hunter-gatherers and agricultural populations

Apart from reflecting modern human dental variation, differences in dental size among populations provide a means for studying continuous evolutionary processes and their mechanisms. Dental wear, on the other hand, has been widely used to infer dietary adaptations and variability among or within diverse ancient human populations. Few such studies have focused on modern foragers and farmers, however, and diverse methods have been used. This research aimed to apply a single, standardized, and systematic quantitative procedure to measure dental size and dentin exposure in order to analyze differences among several hunter-gatherer and agricultural populations from various environments and geographic origins. In particular, we focused on sexual dimorphism and intergroup differences in the upper and lower first molars. Results indicated no sexual dimorphism in molar size and wear within the studied populations. Despite the great ethnographic variation in subsistence strategies among these populations, our findings suggest that differences in sexual division of labor do not affect dietary wear patterns.

50 years of the ‘twin engine’. Franco-German reconciliation, European integration and reflections for Asia. EU Centre Singapore Background Brief No. 8, March 2013

On 22 January 2013, French President François Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel gathered in Berlin to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Élysée Treaty, the document that ended centuries of rivalry and warfare between their two countries. It is all too easy to forget the importance of Franco-German reconciliation. The 1950 Schuman Declaration, which led to the creation of the European Union’s (EU) predecessor, the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), sought to render the prospect of war between France and Germany ‘not only unthinkable but materially impossible’. Over 60 years later, when the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee noted that indeed, ‘war between Germany and France is unthinkable’. Halfway around the world in Asia, the other theatre of World War II, tensions between China and Japan have arisen, with Taiwan and South Korea also in the fray. Nationalist movements in these countries have grown. This background brief lays out the issues for a timely reappraisal of the applicability, or otherwise, of the European integration and reconciliation processes to East Asia. The brief seeks to outline the contours of the historic act of Franco-German reconciliation, and its consequences ever since. Starting from a brief look at the history of rivalry and war between the two countries, the brief examines the events leading to the signing of the Élysée Treaty in 1963, and the development of Franco-German exchanges that have cemented the relationship. Difficulties between the countries are also raised. A timescale analysis of the opinion of the two publics is considered, as a measure of the success of Franco-German reconciliation.