Architectural geo-E-learning: geolocated teaching in urban environments with mobile devices: a case study and work in progress

Postprint (published version

Community Assets for Health Model and Assessment Scale: A Delphi-Based Analysis and Expert Validation

The salutogenesis theory of Aaron Antonovsky and the Health Assets Model of Morgan and Ziglio have given rise to a notable interest in defining the resources available to individuals and the community to maintain or improve their health and well-being. The present study began by identifying the universal dimensions of Community Assets for Health, and then analyzed and validated an assessment scale following the Delphi method. A high degree of consensus was achieved among 13 experts from different disciplines. The results of the content analysis and statistical analysis led to a reconfiguring of an instrument that is so far unique in its approach. It is composed of 103 items across 14 dimensions (utility, intention, previous use, affordability, proximity, walkability, connectivity, intelligibility, identity, design, safety, diversity, public dimension, and sustainability)

Evaluación de la tecnología de realidad aumentada móvil en entronos educativos del ámbito de la arquitectura y la edificación

This thesis aims to address the implementation of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in a teaching context by using mobile devices (hand held).Laptops , tablets and mobile devices were used with the two most common operating systems (IOS and Android). Specifics contents and evaluation methodologies have been developed in the field of architecture and building engineering, where this technology which is relatively recent, and mainly based on overlapping information to an object or a real environment, offers potential advantages in the training processes of future professionals in this field. With this purpose, the following issues have been addressed: . Those theoretical foundations considered relevant for the understanding and operation of the technology. . The introduction of new teaching methods through mobile devices , based on AR technology in educational contexts. Involving students in the creation of virtual content using various existing Augmented Reality applications and an application own developed. . The evaluation of the degree of satisfaction, efficiency and effectiveness of the courses. All these concepts linked to usability. . The improvement of students' academic performance. The essay has been structured in two blocks: The first one starts by specifying the pedagogical and educational foundation that has motivated this thesis. lt then goes on to describe the methodology used in the evaluation of the courses. And finally, still in this block, a general framework of technology is established. It explores various theoretical keys that have been considered relevant, ranging from the definition of the AR concept to the current state of systems and software used in various fields . The second block, which constitutes the practical part of this thesis, addresses the implementation of AR technology in learning environments through different case studies. To this end the two most common systems in mobile devices have been used: Optical recognition and GPS based. In regard to the evaluation of the technology there are two consecutive lines: Systems usability assessment, according to ISO 9241 -11 . Thus, from the responses to 127 specific questionnaires, indicators are constructed using multivariate analysis techniques, which illustrate the situation of each student by comparison with the rest. It allowed a useful approach to the study and it helped to obtain more objective conclusions. For the evaluation of academic performance, held in the last two courses , students were divided into experimental and control groups. Assessment was carried out from PRE-TEST and POST-TEST scores. In total, 171 students (55 from the two experimental groups) were evaluated. Due to the reduced samples a statistical procedure was used based on the Sludent's t distribution. Through the p value (statistical significance) returned , we established the likelihood of group's scores being coincident or not before and after workouts. The teaching experiences described and the results extracted from the questionnaires allowed to verify the feasibility of using this technology in the fields mentioned. Either as an alternative tool or complementary to traditional methodologies, and where students get ¡nvolved and participate dynamically in their own learning process. In addition, results reflect a significant improvement in the overall performance of students from experimental courses compared to students from the control groups, who did not use the technology. Finally, this paper puts forward the development of future work, such as future improvements of the application developed and the use of this technology aimed at the rehabilitation and maintenance of buildings

Determinación del mejor uso en tejidos urbanos consolidados, a partir de un método multicriterio discreto

Se parte de la hipótesis de la no homogeneidad social, ambiental, ni económica del territorio urbano, y de que el establecimiento de un uso concreto implica en mayor o menor medida, una serie cambios, positivos o no, en la zona donde se ubica (mejora en la calidad de vida, cohesión social, actividad económica, congestión, ruido, etc…) Pero debería haber un uso que, teniendo en cuenta criterios ambientales, sociales y económicos, globalmente fuera el óptimo

Determinación del mejor uso en tejidos urbanos consolidados, a partir de un método multicriterio discreto

Se parte de la hipótesis de la no homogeneidad social, ambiental, ni económica del territorio urbano, y de que el establecimiento de un uso concreto implica en mayor o menor medida, una serie cambios, positivos o no, en la zona donde se ubica (mejora en la calidad de vida, cohesión social, actividad económica, congestión, ruido, etc…) Pero debería haber un uso que, teniendo en cuenta criterios ambientales, sociales y económicos, globalmente fuera el óptimo

New strategies for the visualization and interpretation of decontextualized heritage. The case of the Oviedo cathedral

[EN] Starting from the case of the choirstalls in the Oviedo Cathedral, that were dismantled and partially rebuilt in the chapterhouse of the same building, this article describes the process of virtual reconstruction and subsequent interactive visualization of the original set in its context. To do that, equirectangular images of the current building are geometrically integrated with the virtual model of the stalls completely rebuilt from the photogrammetric survey of part of it, still preserved. The technique allows to combine real and virtual images in a hyper-realistic, interactive, and immersive way. It offers the viewer a mixed virtual tour of the cathedral central nave that incorporates the reconstructed virtual model in its originally designed location. The proposed methodology supposes a new visualization strategy that, in an economic, interactive, ubiquitous, and universal way, must allow progress in the dissemination of decontextualized heritage.[ES] Partiendo del caso de la sillería del coro de la catedral de Oviedo, desmantelada y reconstruida parcialmente en la sala Capitular del mismo edificio, este artículo describe el proceso de reconstrucción virtual y posterior visualización interactiva del conjunto original en su contexto. Para ello se integran geométricamente imágenes equirectangulares del edificio actual con el modelo virtual de la sillería reconstruida en su totalidad a partir del levantamiento fotogramétrico de parte de ella, todavía existente. La técnica permite combinar de forma hiperrealista imágenes reales y virtuales, ofreciendo al espectador, de forma interactiva e inmersiva, un recorrido virtual mixto de la nave central de la catedral que incorpora el modelo virtual reconstruido en la ubicación para el que fue originalmente diseñado. La metodología propuesta supone una nueva estrategia de visualización que, de forma económica, interactiva, ubicua y universal, ha de permitir un avance en la difusión del patrimonio descontextualizado.Sánchez Riera, A.; Pàmies Sauret, C.; Navarro Delgado, I. (2022). Nuevas estrategias para la visualización y difusión del patrimonio descontextualizado. El caso de la sillería de la catedral de Oviedo. EGA Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica. 27(44):40-49. https://doi.org/10.4995/ega.2022.15960OJS4049274

Endeudamiento financiero de los hogares en el Ecuador: Análisis e implicaciones para la estabilidad financiera

HogaresEn los últimos años los mercados financieros han permitido que los hogares Ecuatorianos puedan disponer de crédito de consumo con mayor facilidad que antes, mientras que los avances tecnológicos y una nueva gama de productos de créditos, se han convertido en operaciones bancarias de endeudamiento modernas en un complejo sistema.In recent years, financial markets have enabled the Ecuadorian households can have consumer credit more easily than before, while technological advances and a new range of credit products, have become modern banking debt in a complex syste

Sistematización de la experiencia del rediseño del procedimiento de subsidio por enfermedad y su impacto en la dinámica organizacional en la Empresa EP Petroecuador, en el período septiembre 2016 a agosto 2017

The systematization compiles the practical experience of the project "Redesign of the procedure of subsidy for illness and its impact in the organizational dynamics", which was developed in the Payroll Department of the EP Petroecuador company. All the information was gathered and developed in a qualitative manner, detailing in a critical and reflective way the acquired experiences making possible the elaboration of a project that helped the Payroll Department at EP Petroecuador company by redesigning the subsidy procedure for illness. The previous procedures were not adapted to business requirements; therefore, a need for these to be redesigned was observed in order for it to continue operating as it was paralyzed. This project was supported by the company and other external institutions such as the IESS that provided all the necessary information for this systematization. The project emphasizes the learning that arises around the stages of the new subsidy procedure for illness, and the impact generated in the business dynamics at the structural, economic and psychosocial levels.La presente sistematización reconstruye la experiencia práctica del proyecto “Rediseño del procedimiento de subsidio por enfermedad y su impacto en la dinámica organizacional”, la cual fue desarrollada en el Departamento de Nómina de la empresa EP Petroecuador. El levantamiento de toda la información se desarrolló de forma cualitativa detallando de forma crítica y reflexiva las experiencias adquiridas, dentro de las cuales fue posible la elaboración de un proyecto que ayudó al Departamento de Nómina de la empresa EP Petroecuador a rediseñar el procedimiento de subsidio por enfermedad, debido a que el mismo no se encontraba adaptado a las necesidades empresariales y requería ser rediseñado, para poder seguir operando debido a que la gestión del mismo se había paralizado, lo cual fue posible fundamentalmente gracias al apoyo de la empresa y de otras instituciones externas como el IESS que facilitaron toda la información necesaria, para esta sistematización, que hace énfasis en los aprendizajes que surgen alrededor de las etapas del rediseño del procedimiento y el impacto generado en la dinámica empresarial a nivel estructural, económico y psicosocial

Assessing the impact of double-skin façades on social activities of people in urban spaces using empirical and syntactical analysis

Despite the fact that previous literature has validated the significant role of urban facades in the initiation of social behaviors, there is still an existing scientific gap regarding the impact of double-skin facades on the establishment of social activities within an urban context. The main objective of the present study is to scrutinize the impact of double-skin facades on the establishment of social activities. A quantitative and qualitative research method was applied using Space Syntax and empirical observations methods. A t-test was also used to compare the independent groups using the SPSS software. The results indicated that the establishment of social and behavioral activities in front of double-skin facades were found to be significantly higher than single-skin facades. Meanwhile, the types of observed behaviors in front of double-skin facades were found to be more social and optional compared to those observed in front of single-skin facades. The implication of this study may contribute to urban and landscape designers, planners, and architects, and assist them in creating a more socially sustainable and walkable built environment.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Short-Term Power Constrained Cell-Free Massive-MIMO Over Spatially Correlated Ricean Fading

This paper considers short-term power constrained cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scenarios where a large set of multi-antenna access points (APs) provide service to a group of single-antenna mobile stations (MSs) on a spatially correlated multipath environment. Based on a probabilistic approach, the spatially correlated propagation links are modeled using either Ricean or Rayleigh fading channel models that combine a deterministic line-of-sight (LOS) propagation path with a small-scale fading caused by non-line-of-sight (NLOS) multipath propagation. Assuming the use of minimum mean square error (MMSE) channel estimates, closed-form expressions for the downlink (DL) achievable spectral efficiency of a cellfree massive MIMO network with short-term power constraints (i.e., a vector normalized conjugate beamformer (NCB)) are derived and benchmarked against that provided by the conventional cell-free massive MIMO network with long-term power constraints (i.e., the conventional conjugate beamforming (CB)). These expressions, encompassing the effects of spatial antenna correlation, Ricean/Rayleigh fading and pilot contamination, are then used to derive both pragmatic and optimal max-min peruser power allocation strategies and to gain theoretical insight on the performance advantage provided by the use of short-term power constraints instead of the conventional long-term power constrained approach.This work was supported in part by the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion (AEI) of Spain under Grants TEC2017-90093-C3-2-R and TEC2017-90093-C3-3-R, and in part by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funds of the European Union (EU) (AEI/FEDER, UE)