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A letter from Jose Suanzes Siljestrom to Dr. Hector P. Garcia.
No full textA letter from Jose Suanzes Siljestrom to Dr. Hector P. Garcia regarding Alonso Alvarez de Pineda
Varronia teguorum Fern. Alonso & J. I. M. Melo 2021, sp. nov.
No full textVarronia teguorum Fern. Alonso & J.I.M. Melo, sp. nov. (Figs 1–3) TYPE: COLOMBIA. Dpto. Boyacá. Vertiente Oriental de la Cordillera oriental. Mpio. de Santa María. Cañón Negro, vía Quebrada Honda, 1000–1050 m, 3 December 2006, fl., fr., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 24079 [holotype: COL 537711!; isotypes (to be distributed): COL 557483!, G!, K!, MA (3 sheets: 888443!, 888444!, 888445!), MEDEL!, MO!, NY!, P!, PSO!, US!]. This new species is similar to Varronia subtruncata and V. bullata, but it differs from these two by the presence of a rusty (vs. white to yellow) indumentum covering the stems, leaves and inflorescences, longer (1.5–2 mm vs. <1.5 mm long) and patent (vs. patent or adpressed) hairs; oblong to ovate-oblong (vs. lanceolate to ovate), larger (7.5–13 × 4.5–7.5 cm vs. <8.0 × 4.5 cm) leaf blades. Shrubs 1.5–6 m high, densely branched; branches sub-cylindric in cross-section, self-supporting, sometimes scrambling or vining, indumentum with eglandular hairs, densely hirsute, becoming denser towards the apex, hairs 1.5–2 mm long, simple, coarse, patent, rusty. Leaves sparsely distributed along the branches, 2–5 cm apart from each other; petioles 8–13 mm long, slightly adnate at base, 2–4 mm long, hispid, hairs 1.5–2 mm long, rusty, enlarged at base; blades 7.5–13.0 × 4.5–7.5 cm, oblong to ovate-oblong (most rarely narrowly ovate), membranous to sub-chartaceous, asperous, drying blackish-brown, base cuneate to truncate, margins thick, irregularly dentate in upper 2/3, rarely dentate from base to apex, teeth short, 0.5–1 mm long, 2–4 mm apart from each other, apex acute to slightly acuminate, adaxially with long hairs, more or less adpressed, evenly distributed, with numerous cystolithic pustules; abaxially with hairs congested on primary veins, hispid, with numerous strigose hairs, sometimes presenting sessile papillae; midvein thick, 1–1.5 mm wide at base, secondary veins 5–6 pairs, adaxially impressed-excavate, abaxially prominent; tertiary veins reticulate, generally conspicuous. Inflorescences axillary, pedunculated glomerules, peduncles cylindric, adnate at the base of the leaf 2–4 mm; 2.5–8.5 cm long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, gradually thickened towards the apex; rarely inflorescences not associated with leaves; yellowish-green, with the same indumentum as the young branches, hairs long, drying dark brown; glomerules globose to narrowly ellipsoid, 11–15 mm diam., presenting ca. 60 flowers sessile, arranged in radiated series from base to apex; the residual inflorescence rachis (flowerless), cylindric, ca. 8 mm long. Flowers bisexual, intensely fragrant, sessile; calyx slightly accrescent, 5–7 mm long (at the end of anthesis), urceolate, yellow, tube 3.5–4.5 mm long, turbinate-saccate, narrowing at apex, inconspicuously costate, externally densely pilose in the upper half, 5-toothed, teeth 1.5–2.5 mm long, incurved, covering the calyx throat, with a short appendage, up to 1.5 mm long, linear, with long, stiff, erect or patent hairs, internally glabrous; corolla 3.5–5 × 3.5–4.5 mm, slightly conspicuous, subcylindric, slightly campanulate, white to cream, externally pruinose, nitid, internally glabrous towards the apex, with short hairs at the throat, lobes scarcely distended, scarcely apart from each other; stamens included, shorter than the corolla tube, filaments short, densely pubescent at their insertion, anthers broadly cylindric; style bifurcated, branches bifurcated, stigmatic lobes filiform to clavate. Drupes red, included in the persistent calyx when immature, 5–6 × 3–5 mm, ventricose, teeth 2–3.5 mm long, appendages 1–1.5 mm long; immature pyrenes ca. 2 × 1.5 mm, ovoid, bilobed. Phenology:— This new species was observed in flower during almost the whole year, except during January and February. This is most likely associated with the elevated rainfall levels on this side of the Eastern Cordillera throughout the year, which can surpass 5000 mm of annual rainfall, on the edge of tropical rainforests and their transition to submontane rainforests. Etymology:— The epithet refers to the indigenous Tegua people, who inhabited the base of the Boyacá-Casanare Mountain, bordering the Muiscas people territory (Fernández de Piedrahita 1973). The chroniclers Fray Pedro Simón and B. Fernández de Oviedo highlighted the Tegua’s longevity and their knowledge and use of medicinal plants, which was also acknowledged by the Muiscas neighbors. Distribution and Habitat:— Currently this species is known exclusively from a small sector in the border area of Boyacá and Cundinamarca Departments, at the base of Colombia’s Cordillera Oriental (Figure 4). It grows in very wet tropical forest and in its transition to pluvial submontane forest (5000 and 6000 mm of annual rainfall). It has been exclusively collected at the edge of forests, in exposed areas such as creek margins and road slopes on forest edges, between 500 and 1150 m elevation. Among the species restricted to this region of the mountain base are Brownea enricii Quiñones (1995: 17) (Fabaceae) and Phragmotheca mambitana Fern. Alonso & Jaramillo-Mejía (1999: 125) (Malvaceae). Conservation status:— Based on fieldwork carried out in the regions of de Mámbita, Santa María, and Guateque conducted by one of us (JLFA), it seems to represent a locally common species associated with unstable environments, presenting some degree of human influence. Thus, it seems likely that this species is not under any current threat. However, the species has never been formally assessed in Colombia, based on the IUCN criteria (2019). Therefore, since it represents a locally used medicinal plant, it would be essential for this species to be properly assessed. Notes:— Varronia teguorum is closely related morphologically to other species of the genus with globose inflorescences from northern South America, but it can be easily differentiated from V. subtruncata Friesen (1933: 151) and V. bullata Linnaeus (1759: 916) due to its long and rusty indumentum with straight hairs 1.5–2 mm long vs. white to yellow indumentum, with patent to adpressed hairs <1.5 mm long, and oblong to ovate-oblong, 7.5–13 cm leaf blades vs. lanceolate-ovate, 2.5–8.0 cm leaf blades. Moreover, it differs from V. bullulata (Killip ex J. Estrada & García-Barr.) J.S. Mill. (2007: 373) because this one presents finely bullate (vs. flat) leaf blades, recurved (vs. straight) inflorescence peduncles, and appendages of the calyx lobes 1.7–5 mm long (vs. ≤ 1.5 mm long). Other species from this group, namely V. macrocephala Desvaux (1808: 173) and V. andreana (J. Estrada) J.S. Mill. (2007: 372), also significantly differ from V. teguorum. The first due to its unique indumentum with stellate hairs, and the latter due to its indumentum with short glandular hairs and flowers with larger (18–23 mm long) corollas. Finally, V. serratifolia (Kunth) T.S. Silva (2019: 297), which shares with V. teguorum the short calyx appendages, can be differentiated from the new species by its smaller leaf blades (usually 2.1–7.5 cm long) and inflorescences less than 8 mm diam. Vernacular names:— It is locally known as “ salvia ” in the localities in which it is regarded as a medicinal plant. Other species of Varronia, such as Varronia cylindristachya Ruiz & Pav. (1799: 23) and V. spinescens (Linnaeus 1771: 206) Borhidi (1988: 393) are also known by the same name, or small variations thereof (“ salvia negra ” or “ salvio ”) (García-Barriga 1975; Estrada 1995). Known uses:— In the region of Santa María, it has been recently cited as medicinal under the tentative identification of V. andreana (Estrada) J.S. Mill. (Rodríguez-Mora et al. 2020). Additional examined specimens (paratypes). COLOMBIA. Dpto. Boyacá. Vertiente Oriental de la Cordillera Oriental. Santa María, Vereda La Carbonera y Charco Largo, 650-900 m, 7 June 2008, fl., J. Betancur & al. 13020 (COL); Ibidem, en zonas de huertas y caminos en los márgenes del casco urbano, 800m, arbusto scandens 2–4 m, indumento ferrugíneo café, inflorescencias verdosas, corola crema, 22 April 2005, fl., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 22914 (COL, MA); Ibidem, bajada de S. María a S. Luis de Gaceno, Zona del río Lengupá, Quebrada Mollas y Vereda Aguas Calientes, 500 m, 25 April 2005, fl., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 23000 (COL 535465, 535816; HUA, MA 888438, 888439); Vía Santa María a La Cristalina, bocatoma del acueducto, rio Batá, 500-550 m, 25 April 2005, fl., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 23020 (COL 535820, 535826; HUA, MA 888440, 888441, MEDEL, MO, US); Ibidem, remanente de bmhT en el tramo al Acueducto, 800 m, 24 August 2005, fl., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 23579 (COL 533668; HUA, MA 888442, UPTC); Vía S. María a Mámbita, Trayecto desde el río Garagoa a Santa María, 700-800 m, bosque intervenido y potreros, 6 March 2007, fr., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 24775 (COL, HUA, MA 888446); Ibidem, 800 m, 4 March 2007, arbusto 2-4 m, flores blancas con cáliz amarillento, fr., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 24933 (COL, MA 888447, 888448, MEDEL); Vía de Santa María a Mámbita, 700-750 m, arbusto 1,5- 2 m, capítulos muy aromáticos, 2 October 2007, fl., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 25768 (COL, MA, UPTC, US). Dpto. Cundinamarca. Ubalá B, Vereda San Roque, Camino a Campo Hermoso, 4º45’50’’N, 73º20’56’’W, 1150 m, arbusto 2 m, fl., 30 June 1998, fl., fr., J.L. Fernández-Alonso & al. 16210 (COAH, COL 479190, 479208, 479209, 479210; HECASA, MA 888436).Published as part of Fernández-Alonso, Jose Luis & Melo, José Iranildo Miranda De, 2021, A new species of Varronia P. Browne (Cordiaceae) from central Colombia, pp. 121-130 in Phytotaxa 507 (1) on pages 122-127, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.507.1.8, http://zenodo.org/record/542556
Odd nuclei and shape phase transitions: the role of the unpaired fermion
No full textFortunato, Lorenzo/0000-0003-2137-635X; Arias, Jose M./0000-0001-7363-4328; Alonso, Clara E/0000-0001-9365-4107Shape phase transitions in even and odd systems are reviewed within the frameworks of the Interacting Boson Model(IBM) and the Interacting Boson Fermion Model(IBFM), respectively and compared with geometric models when available. We discuss, in particular, the case of an odd j = 3/2 particle coupled to an even-even boson core that undergoes a transition from the spherical limit U(5) to the gamma-unstable limit O(6). Energy spectrum and electromagnetic transitions, in correspondence of the critical point, display behaviors qualitatively similar to those of the even core and they agree qualitatively with the model based on the E(5/4) boson-fermion symmetry. We describe then the U-BF(5) to SUBF(3) transition when a fermion is allowed to occupy the orbits j = 1/2, 3/2,5/2. The additional particle characterizes the properties at the critical points in finite quantum systems
Medical isotope production with the IsoDAR cyclotron
No full textJose R. Alonso and colleagues describe technical advances that will allow the proposed IsoDAR (isotope decay at rest) cyclotron — being developed for neutrino physics research — to produce many medical isotopes more efficiently than existing cyclotrons can
Voice recognition adaptation to language dialects in a robotic context
No full textInternational Conference on Artificial Intelligence, ICAI 2009 (2019. Las Vegas)González Alonso, Ignacio; Francisco, C; Barranquero, Jose; García Díaz, Vicente; Nuñez, Sheila; Cueva Lovelle, Juan; Fuente, M
Introducing User Feedback-Based Counterfactual Explanations (UFCE)
No full textAbstract Machine learning models are widely used in real-world applications. However, their complexity makes it often challenging to interpret the rationale behind their decisions. Counterfactual explanations (CEs) have emerged as a viable solution for generating comprehensible explanations in eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). CE provides actionable information to users on how to achieve the desired outcome with minimal modifications to the input. However, current CE algorithms usually operate within the entire feature space when optimising changes to turn over an undesired outcome, overlooking the identification of key contributors to the outcome and disregarding the practicality of the suggested changes. In this study, we introduce a novel methodology, that is named as user feedback-based counterfactual explanation (UFCE), which addresses these limitations and aims to bolster confidence in the provided explanations. UFCE allows for the inclusion of user constraints to determine the smallest modifications in the subset of actionable features while considering feature dependence, and evaluates the practicality of suggested changes using benchmark evaluation metrics. We conducted three experiments with five datasets, demonstrating that UFCE outperforms two well-known CE methods in terms of proximity, sparsity, and feasibility. Reported results indicate that user constraints influence the generation of feasible CEs
«Troneras a regla» según Alonso de Vandelvira: trazado y geometría
No full text[EN] Linteled embrasures (or «troneras a regla») are described in a small section within the treatise «Libro de traças de corte de piedras» by the Andalusian Alonso de Vandelvira that has not yet been studied. Among the four examples that contain this chapter, the two «troneras a regla torre cavada y redonda» (linteled embrasures in a concave-round tower) attract special attention. The particular geometric strategy used to trace them forces to vary the original shape of its intrados. The methods used to resolve these embrasures also appear in other titles of the treatise, but they do not have the same effect there. This article seeks to understand the characteristics of this transformation from the reproduction of the process explained by Vandelvira and its graphic reinterpretation. Using the same methodology, its development has also been compared with those of other proposed examples in the treatise.[ES] Las «troneras a regla» constituyen un pequeño apartado apenas estudiado dentro del tratado «Libro de traças de cortes de piedras» del andaluz Alonso de Vandelvira. De entre las cuatro trazas que lo componen son las dos «troneras a regla torre cavada y redonda» las que llaman la atención especialmente. La estrategia geométrica seguida para hacer posible su traza, representada entre los folios 41v. y 43r., obliga a variar la forma originaria de su intradós. Los métodos utilizados para desarrollar estas troneras aparecen también en otros títulos del tratado, pero no tienen las mismas consecuencias. En este artículo se busca entender algunas de las características del uso de esta transformación y comparar su proceso de traza con el de otros casos propuestos en el tratado.Aranda Alonso, M. (2022). «Troneras a regla» según Alonso de Vandelvira: trazado y geometría. Revista de Historia de la Construcción. 1(1):63-74. https://doi.org/10.4995/hc.2021.15339OJS637411Alviz, P. (ca. 1/2 s. XVI). Manuscrito de trazas de cantería. Madrid: Biblioteca Nacional de España. Mss/12686.Aranda Alonso, María. 2018. Las copias manuscritas de F.L. Goiti y B. Sombigo del «Libro de traças de cortes de piedras» de Alonso de Vandelvira: análisis comparativo de algunos aspectos de su realización. En Titivillus = International Journal of Rare Book: Revista Internacional sobre Libro Antiguo 4: 139-151.https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_titivillus/titivillus.201803169Aranda Alonso, María. 2019. Reflexiones sobre la geometría, concepción y desarrollo de las troneras en el «Libro de traças de cortes de piedras» de Alonso de Vandelvira. En Actas del Undécimo Congreso Nacional de Historia de la Construcción: Soria, 9 - 12 octubre 2019, coord. por Santiago Huerta Fernández, Ignacio Javier Gil Crespo, 1: 71-80. Madrid: Instituto Juan de Herrera.Calvo López, José. (1999). «Cerramientos y trazas de montea» de Ginés Martínez de Aranda. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad politécnica de Madrid.García Baño, Ricardo. 2017. El manuscrito de cantería mss. 12686 de la Biblioteca Nacional de España. Tesis doctoral. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena.Lázaro de Goiti, Felipe. Fragmentos de dibuxos y discursos de arquitectura de Alonso de Vande Elvira copiados y ordenados a caso por Felipe Lázaro de Goiti. s.f. Madrid: Biblioteca Nacional. Mss/12744Martínez de Aranda, Ginés. ca. 1598-1608. Cerramientos y trazas de montea. Madrid: Biblioteca del Servicio Histórico Militar. MS-457.Palacios González, Jose Carlos. 1990. Trazas y cortes de piedra en el renacimiento español. Madrid: Ministerio de Cultura.Portor y Castro, Juan de. 1708-1719. Cuaderno de arquitectura. Madrid: Biblioteca Nacional. Mss/9114.Ribes i Ferrer, Josep. 1708. Llibre de trasas de vias y muntea. Manuscrito. Barcelona: Biblioteca de Cataluña.Vandelvira, Alonso de. ca. 1575-1591. Libro de traças de cortes de piedras. Copias: Sombigo y Salcedo, Bartolomé. 1670 [¿] ETSAM (Ms. RAROS 31) (Facs. ed. Palacios González, J. C. 2015. Madrid: Instituto Juan de Herrera.) Lázaro Goiti, Felipe. 1646. Madrid: Biblioteca Nacional. Mss/12719
A circular nonhomogeneous hidden Markov field for the spatial segmentation of wildfire occurrences
No full textMotivated by studies of wildfire seasonality, we propose a nonhomogeneous
hidden Markov random field to model the spatial distribution of georeferenced
fire occurrences during the year, by representing occurrence times as circular
data. The model is based on a mixture of Kato–Jones circular densities,
whose parameters vary across space according to a latent nonhomogeneous
Potts model, modulated by georeferenced covariates. It allows us to segment
fire occurrences according to a finite number of latent classes that represent the
conditional distributions of the data under specific periods of the year, simultaneously
accounting for unobserved heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation.
Further, it parsimoniously accommodates specific features of wildfire occurrence
data such asmultimodality, skewness, and kurtosis. Due to the numerical
intractability of the likelihood function, estimation of the parameters is based
on composite likelihood methods. It reduces to a computationally efficient
expectation–maximization algorithm that iteratively alternates the maximization
of a weighted composite likelihood function with weights updating. The
proposal is illustrated in a study of wildfire occurrences in the Iberian Peninsula
during a decade
From Quantum Software Handcrafting to Quantum Software Engineering
No full textQuantum Computing holds the potential to change our world. Following the quantum wave, software engineers have recognised the opportunity to establish a new discipline of Quantum Software Engineering. Despite the significant progress achieved, Quantum Computing's widespread adoption still faces critical hurdles. In this paper, we outline two of these challenges. (1) Quantum programming continues to be a complex art mastered by a select few experts. We suggest that the primary culprit can be pinpointed in the absence of high-level quantum software abstractions which forces developers to work with low-level quantum concepts and reason in terms of matrix multiplications. (2) The scarce collaboration among quantum software engineers resulted in a lack of platform and software interoperability. While a diversity of research proposals fuels scientific progress, it can hinder the development and adoption of innovative technologies, potentially fragmenting the collective efforts and confining them within isolated research groups. We believe that overcoming these issues is crucial for fostering innovation, advancing Quantum Software Engineering, and Quantum Computing as a whole
FCE: Feedback Based Counterfactual Explanations for Explainable AI
No full textArtificial Intelligence can provide quite accurate predictions for critical applications
(e.g., healthcare), but lacks the ability to explain its internal mechanism in most applications which
require high interaction with humans. Even if many studies analyze machine learning models and their
learning behavior and eventually provide an interpretation of the inner mechanics of these models, these
studies often entail a simpler surrogate model, which generates explanations by producing a piece of
interpretable information such as feature scores. The crucial caveat against these studies is the lack of
human involvement in the design and evaluation of explanations, consequently giving rise to trust issues
and lack of acceptance and understanding. To this end, we address this limitation by involving humans in
the counterfactual explanation generation process which is enriched with user feedback, thus enhancing the
automated explanations which are better aligned with user expectations. In this paper, we propose a user
feedback based counterfactual explanation approach (FCE) for explainable Artificial Intelligence. In our
work, we utilize feedback in two ways: first, to customize the explanations by providing the acceptable
ranges in the feature space where to look for feasible counterfactuals, and second, to evaluate the generated
explanations
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