Urban logistics and spatial territorial intelligence indicators: State-of-the-art, typology and implications for Latin American cities

This paper reviews the state of the art in spatial accessibility and attractiveness indicators for urban freight transport and logistics, from a territorial intelligence and analytics viewpoint. It proposes a first typology of indicators and analyzes their potential in Latin American urban planning and development. After presenting the main notions of business intelligence and analytics, as well as a definition of territorial intelligence and analytics, the paper proposes an overview of territorial intelligence indicators, focusing on accessibility and attractiveness indicators, and a typology of five categories of indicators: infrastructure-based indicators, generation-based indexes, distance/time/cost measures, gravity-based indicators and space-time compatibility indexes. Finally, the main issues for implementing such indicators are presented, in terms of data requirements and potential applications focusing on the Latin American context.El presente artículo presenta el estado del arte sobre indicadores de accesibilidad y de atractividad espacial para el transporte de carga y la logística urbana, desde el punto de vista de la inteligencia y la analítica territorial. El artículo propone una primera tipología de indicadores, y analiza el potencial de su uso en la planeación y desarrollo urbano en Latinoamérica. Tras presentar las principales nociones de inteligencia y analítica de negocios, y proponer una definición de la inteligencia y analítica territorial, el artículo propone una visión de conjunto de los indicadores de inteligencia territorial, con un foco en los de accesibilidad y atractividad, y una tipología con cinco categorías de indicadores: de infraestructura, de generación, de distancia/tiempo/costo, gravitatorios y de compatibilidad espacio-temporal. Finalmente, se presentan las principales cuestiones en la implementación de dichos indicadores, en términos de requerimientos en datos y de potenciales aplicaciones, con un foco en el contexto latinoamericano

Corporate social responsibility and competitive advantages

Nos últimos anos a Responsabilidade Social das Organizações (RSO) tem ganho uma profunda popularidade. Actualmente, muitos gestores têm-se apercebido da necessidade de terem em consideração a responsabilidade social e também têm tido preocupações acerca dos custos e dos benefícios potencialmente gerados pela RSO. Desta forma, o estudo do impacto da RSO nas Vantagens Competitivas (VC) tem uma relevância prática e teórica acrescida. Este trabalho baseia-se num conjunto de proposições teóricas, procurando avaliá-las de acordo com uma escala de medida definida, sobre a relação do modelo HEXIE e a RSO. Através da aplicação de um questionário foram colectados 176 questionários entre 1 de Setembro de 2010 e 30 de Janeiro de 2011 no Norte da China. Para analisar os dados recolhidos foram usadas as técnicas estatísticas da análise factorial e o modelo de equações estruturais. Com base nos resultados obtidos, discutimos o papel da RSO no modelo HEXIE no processo de mediação das VC e da relação entre os stakeholders. Usou-se os softwares Amos 9.0 e SPSS 18.0 para processar e analisar os dados do questionário, para verificar a relações existente entre as variáveis do modelo conceptual e as hipóteses de investigação. Estas são as principais conclusões: (1) Como um todo, os gestores Chineses têm um bom desempenho na responsabilidade requerida pelas normas/lei; contudo têm desempenhos fracos na responsabilidade “obrigatória” ao nível ético e filantrópico; (2) A RSO no modelo HEXIE começa com duas dimensões, mecanismo do princípio-dual, a interna “He” (gestores, cultura organizacional, estratégia do negócio, liderança) e a externa “Xie” (normativos legais, supervisão das instituições governamentais e organizações não governamentais, supervisão dos media, standards internacionais); (3) A relação com os Stakeholders deve ser dividida em dois aspectos: stakeholders que não têm uma relação de negócio e os que têm uma relação de negócio; (4) As vantagens competitivas também devem ser separadas em duas dimensões: as externas (reputação da organização, apoio governamental, tanto financeiro como outro tipo de apoio) e internas (talento interno, capacidade de inovação); (5) O modelo HeXie tem uma relação directa com a RSO, mas não positiva, na promoção e manutenção de VC; (6) A influência da relação entre a RSO e o modelo HeXie nas VC pode ser analisado da seguinte forma: RSO no Modelo HeXie -> stakeholders -> vantagens competitivas. Os stakeholders têm um importante papel na mediação entre a RSO e o Modelo HeXie, potenciando as VC.In the past years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gained more and more popularity. At present, many businesses have realized the necessity and imperative to undertake CSR, and also been concerned about the costs and benefits possibly generated from CSR. The study about the impact of CSR on Competitive Advantage (CA) is an important practical and theoretical issue. The thesis based on theoretical analysis about CSR’ HEXIE management, Stakeholder Relationship and CA, brings forward a series of propositions and establishes the measurement scales for them. Through pilot in-depth interview and the questionnaire approaches, we collect 176 questionnaires in the context of North China from September 1, 2010 to January 30, 2011. On the basis of the statistic analysis of Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), we discusse the role of CSR’s HEXIE management on promoting CA through the mediator variable (Stakeholder Relationship). The statistics softwares SPSS18.0 and Amos9.0 have been used for processing and analyzing the survey data, to verify the hypotheses. The conclusions of the thesis are as follow: (1) As a whole, the Chinese businesses have a good performance in CSR required by the laws, however, a poor performance in mandatory responsibility at ethical and philanthropic level. (2) CSR’s HEXIE management is started with the two dimensions, dual-principles mechanism, internal “He” principle (employee management, corporate culture, business strategy, leadership concepts) and external “Xie” principle (legal restraint, governmental and non-governmental organizations’ supervision, media supervision, international standards); (3) Stakeholder relationship is divided into two aspects: non-business related stakeholder relationships and business related stakeholders; (4) Competitive advantage is also separated into two dimensions: external CA (enterprise’s reputation, financing and government support) and internal CA (enterprise’s employees and innovation ability); (5) HEXIE management on CSR Plays a direct but not positive role in promoting and maintaing of competitive advantages; (6) The positive influence of CSR’s HEXIE management on CA is passed on as follows: CSR’s HEXIE management -> stakeholders relationships -> CA. The stakeholder relationship plays a crucial mediator role in increasing the effect from CSR’s HEXIE management on CA

User producer interaction in context: a classification

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies show that intensified user producer interaction (UPI) increases chances for successful innovations, especially in the case of emerging technology. It is not always clear, however, what type of interaction is necessary in a particular context. This paper proposes a conceptualization of contexts in terms of three dimensions – the phase of technology development, the flexibility of the technology, and the heterogeneity of user populations – resulting in a classification scheme with eight different contextual situations. The paper identifies and classifies types of interaction, like demand articulation, interactive learning, learning by using and domestication. It appears that each contextual situation demands a different set of UPI types. To illustrate the potential value of the classification scheme, four examples of innovations with varying technological and user characteristics are explored: the refrigerator, clinical anaesthesia, video cassette recording, and the bicycle. For each example the relevant UPI types are discussed and it is shown how these types highlight certain activities and interactions during key events of innovation processes. Finally, some directions for further research are suggested alongside a number of comments on the utility of the classification

Towards a Sustainable Life: Smart and Green Design in Buildings and Community

This Special Issue includes contributions about occupants’ sustainable living in buildings and communities, highlighting issues surrounding the sustainable development of our environments and lives by emphasizing smart and green design perspectives. This Special Issue specifically focuses on research and case studies that develop promising methods for the sustainable development of our environment and identify factors critical to the application of a sustainable paradigm for quality of life from a user-oriented perspective. After a rigorous review of the submissions by experts, fourteen articles concerning sustainable living and development are published in this Special Issue, written by authors sharing their expertise and approaches to the concept and application of sustainability in their fields. The fourteen contributions to this special issue can be categorized into four groups, depending on the issues that they address. All the proposed methods, models, and applications in these studies contribute to the current understanding of the adoption of the sustainability paradigm and are likely to inspire further research addressing the challenges of constructing sustainable buildings and communities resulting in a sustainable life for all of society

The Money Supply Process in India: Identification, Analysis and Estimation

A new specification is employed to test for the degree of endogeneity of commercial bank credit, and its response to structural variables relevant to the Indian context. Our specification allows us to both identify money supply in a single equation, and disentangle the contribution of the Central and the Commercial Banks to the money supply process. Bank credit reacted more to financial variables and had dissimilar responses to food and manufacturing prices and output. Instead of interest rates, sectoral returns played a major role. Monetary policy broadly succeeded in preventing an explosive growth in money supply and reined in inflationary expectations. But by targeting manufacturing prices it harmed real output. The estimated structure implies that it would be more efficient to target agricultural prices for inflation control. A monetary contraction should be completed earlier than in the past, and should coincide with a rise in food prices. Information available in the systematic structural features can be exploited in designing monetary policy.Money supply endogeneity, identification, information, sectoral prices

ASSESSMENT OF RISK SCORES FOR THE PREDICTION AND DETECTION OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN CLINICAL SETTINGS

Health and sociological indicators confirm that life expectancy is increasing, and so, the years that patients have to live with chronic diseases and co-morbidities. Type 2 Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases, specially linked to overweight and ages over sixty. As a metabolic disease, Type 2 Diabetes affects multiple organs by causing damage in blood vessels and nervous system at micro and macro scale. Mortality of subjects with diabetes is three times higher than the mortality for subjects with other chronic diseases. On the one hand, the management of diabetes is focused on the maintenance of the blood glucose levels under a threshold by the prescription of anti-diabetic drugs and a combination of healthy food habits and moderate physical activity. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of new strategies to delay and even prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes by a combination of active and healthy lifestyle on cohorts of mid to high risk subjects. On the other hand, prospective research has been driven on large groups of population to build risk scores which aim to obtain a rule for the classification of patients according to the odds for developing the disease. Currently there are more than two hundred models and risk scores for doing this, but a few have been properly evaluated in external groups and, to date, none of them has been tested on a population based study. The research study presented in this doctoral thesis strives to use externally validated risk scores for the prediction and detection of Type 2 Diabetes on a population data base in Hospital La Fe (Valencia, Spain). The study hypothesis is that the integration of existing prediction and detection risk scores on Electronic Health Records increases the early-detection of high risk cases. To evaluate this hypothesis three studies on the clinical, user and technology dimensions have been driven to evaluate the extent to which the models and the hospital is ready to exploit such models to identify high risk groups and drive efficient preventive strategies. The findings presented in this thesis suggest that Electronic Health Records are not prepared to massively feed risk models. Some of the evaluated models have shown a good classification performance, which accompanied to the well-acceptance of web-based tools and the acceptable technical performance of the information and communication technology system, suggests that after some work these models can effectively drive a new paradigm of active screening for Type 2 Diabetes.Los indicadores de salud y sociológicos confirman que la esperanza de vida está aumentando, y por lo tanto, los años que los pacientes tienen que vivir con enfermedades crónicas y comorbilidades. Diabetes tipo 2 es una de las enfermedades crónicas más comunes, especialmente relacionadas con el sobrepeso y edades superiores a los sesenta años. Como enfermedad metabólica, la diabetes tipo 2 afecta a múltiples órganos causando daño en los vasos sanguíneos y el sistema nervioso a escala micro y macro. La mortalidad de sujetos con diabetes es tres veces mayor que la mortalidad de sujetos con otras enfermedades crónicas. Por un lado, la estrategia de manejo se centra en el mantenimiento de los niveles de glucosa en sangre bajo un umbral mediante la prescripción de fármacos antidiabéticos y una combinación de hábitos alimentarios saludables y actividad física moderada. Estudios recientes han demostrado la eficacia de nuevas estrategias para retrasar e incluso prevenir la aparición de la diabetes tipo 2 mediante una combinación de estilo de vida activo y saludable en cohortes de sujetos de riesgo medio a alto. Por otro lado, la investigación prospectiva se ha dirigido a grupos de la población para construir modelos de riesgo que pretenden obtener una regla para la clasificación de las personas según las probabilidades de desarrollar la enfermedad. Actualmente hay más de doscientos modelos de riesgo para hacer esta identificación, no obstante la inmensa mayoría no han sido debidamente evaluados en grupos externos y, hasta la fecha, ninguno de ellos ha sido probado en un estudio poblacional. El estudio de investigación presentado en esta tesis doctoral pretende utilizar modelos riesgo validados externamente para la predicción y detección de la Diabetes Tipo 2 en una base de datos poblacional del Hospital La Fe de Valencia (España). La hipótesis del estudio es que la integración de los modelos de riesgo de predicción y detección existentes la práctica clínica aumenta la detección temprana de casos de alto riesgo. Para evaluar esta hipótesis, se han realizado tres estudios sobre las dimensiones clínicas, del usuario y de la tecnología para evaluar hasta qué punto los modelos y el hospital están dispuestos a explotar dichos modelos para identificar grupos de alto riesgo y conducir estrategias preventivas eficaces. Los hallazgos presentados en esta tesis sugieren que los registros de salud electrónicos no están preparados para alimentar masivamente modelos de riesgo. Algunos de los modelos evaluados han demostrado un buen desempeño de clasificación, lo que acompañó a la buena aceptación de herramientas basadas en la web y el desempeño técnico aceptable del sistema de tecnología de información y comunicación, sugiere que después de algún trabajo estos modelos pueden conducir un nuevo paradigma de la detección activa de la Diabetes Tipo 2.Els indicadors sociològics i de salut confirmen un augment en l'esperança de vida, i per tant, dels anys que les persones han de viure amb malalties cròniques i comorbiditats. la diabetis de tipus 2 és una de les malalties cròniques més comunes, especialment relacionades amb l'excés de pes i edats superiors als seixanta anys. Com a malaltia metabòlica, la diabetis de tipus 2 afecta múltiples òrgans causant dany als vasos sanguinis i el sistema nerviós a escala micro i macro. La mortalitat de subjectes amb diabetis és tres vegades superior a la mortalitat de subjectes amb altres malalties cròniques. D'una banda, l'estratègia de maneig se centra en el manteniment dels nivells de glucosa en sang sota un llindar mitjançant la prescripció de fàrmacs antidiabètics i una combinació d'hàbits alimentaris saludables i activitat física moderada. Estudis recents han demostrat l'eficàcia de noves estratègies per a retardar i fins i tot prevenir l'aparició de la diabetis de tipus 2 mitjançant una combinació d'estil de vida actiu i saludable en cohorts de subjectes de risc mitjà a alt. D'altra banda, la investigació prospectiva s'ha dirigit a grups específics de la població per construir models de risc que pretenen obtenir una regla per a la classificació de les persones segons les probabilitats de desenvolupar la malaltia. Actualment hi ha més de dos-cents models de risc per fer aquesta identificació, però la immensa majoria no han estat degudament avaluats en grups externs i, fins ara, cap d'ells ha estat provat en un estudi poblacional. L'estudi d'investigació presentat en aquesta tesi doctoral utilitza models de risc validats externament per a la predicció i detecció de diabetis de tipus 2 en una base de dades poblacional de l'Hospital La Fe de València (Espanya). La hipòtesi de l'estudi és que la integració dels models de risc de predicció i detecció existents la pràctica clínica augmenta la detecció de casos d'alt risc. Per avaluar aquesta hipòtesi, s'han realitzat tres estudis sobre les dimensions clíniques, de l'usuari i de la tecnologia per avaluar fins a quin punt els models i l'hospital estan disposats a explotar aquests models per identificar grups d'alt risc i conduir estratègies preventives. Les troballes presentades sugereixen que els registres de salut electrònics no estan preparats per alimentar massivament models de risc. Alguns dels models avaluats han demostrat una bona classificació, el que va acompanyar a la bona acceptació d'eines basades en el web i el rendiment tècnic acceptable del sistema de tecnologia d'informació i comunicacions implementat. La conclusió es que encara es necesari treball per que aquests models poden conduir un nou paradigma de la detecció activa de la diabetis de tipus 2.Martínez Millana, A. (2017). ASSESSMENT OF RISK SCORES FOR THE PREDICTION AND DETECTION OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN CLINICAL SETTINGS [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/86209TESI

Change blindness: eradication of gestalt strategies

Arrays of eight, texture-defined rectangles were used as stimuli in a one-shot change blindness (CB) task where there was a 50% chance that one rectangle would change orientation between two successive presentations separated by an interval. CB was eliminated by cueing the target rectangle in the first stimulus, reduced by cueing in the interval and unaffected by cueing in the second presentation. This supports the idea that a representation was formed that persisted through the interval before being 'overwritten' by the second presentation (Landman et al, 2003 Vision Research 43149–164]. Another possibility is that participants used some kind of grouping or Gestalt strategy. To test this we changed the spatial position of the rectangles in the second presentation by shifting them along imaginary spokes (by ±1 degree) emanating from the central fixation point. There was no significant difference seen in performance between this and the standard task [F(1,4)=2.565, p=0.185]. This may suggest two things: (i) Gestalt grouping is not used as a strategy in these tasks, and (ii) it gives further weight to the argument that objects may be stored and retrieved from a pre-attentional store during this task

User producer interaction in context: A classification

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies show that intensified user producer interaction (UPI) increases chances for successful innovations, especially in the case of emerging technology. It is not always clear, however, what type of interaction is necessary in a particular context. This paper proposes a conceptualization of contexts in terms of three dimensions – the phase of technology development, the flexibility of the technology, and the heterogeneity of user populations – resulting in a classification scheme with eight different contextual situations. The paper identifies and classifies types of interaction, like demand articulation, interactive learning, learning by using and domestication. It appears that each contextual situation demands a different set of UPI types. To illustrate the potential value of the classification scheme, four examples of innovations with varying technological and user characteristics are explored: the refrigerator, clinical anaesthesia, video cassette recording, and the bicycle. For each example the relevant UPI types are discussed and it is shown how these types highlight certain activities and interactions during key events of innovation processes. Finally, some directions for further research are suggested alongside a number of comments on the utility of the classification.Innovation, users, interaction, learning, typology of UPI