On the inconsistency of the Malmquist-Luenberger index

Apart from the well-known weaknesses of the standard Malmquist productivity index related to infeasibility and not accounting for slacks, already addressed in the literature, we identify a new and significant drawback of the Malmquist-Luenberger index decomposition that questions its validity as an empirical tool for environmental productivity measurement associated with the production of bad outputs. In particular, we show that the usual interpretation of the technical change component in terms of production frontier shifts can be inconsistent with its numerical value, thereby resulting in an erroneous interpretation of this component that passes on to the index itself. We illustrate this issue with a simple numerical example. Finally, we propose a solution for this inconsistency issue based on incorporating a new postulate for the technology related to the production of bad output

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The Directional Profit Efficiency Measure: On Why Profit Inefficiency is either Technical or Allocative

The directional distance function has been introduced in the efficiency literature with the intention of relaxing the fixed orientations represented by its classical input and output counterparts. However, the criteria underlying the choice of its associated directional vector are numerous. When market prices are observed and firms have a profit maximizing behavior, it seems natural to choose as directional vector that projecting inefficient firms towards profit maximizing benchmarks. Based on that choice of directional vector, we introduce the profit efficiency measure and show that, in this general setting, profit inefficiency can be categorized as either technical -for firms situating in the interior of the technology- or allocative -for firms lying on the frontier. We implement and illustrate the analytical model by way of Data Envelopment Analysis techniques, where the profit maximizing benchmark may not be unique, and introduce the necessary optimizing program for profit inefficiency measurement.Directional Distance Function; Profit Efficiency; Technical Efficiency; Allocative Efficiency; Data Envelopment Analysis.

How to properly decompose economic efficiency using technical and allocative criteria with non-homothetic DEA technologies

We discuss how to properly decompose economic efficiency when the underlying technology is non-homothetic using alternative allocative and technical efficiency criteria. We first show that only under the production of one output and assuming the particular case of constant returns to scale homotheticity, we may claim that the standard radial models correctly measure pure technical efficiency. Otherwise, when non-homotheticity is assumed, we then show that these traditional estimations would measure an undetermined mix of technical and allocative efficiency. To restore a consistent measure of technical efficiency in the non-homothetic case we introduce a new methodology that takes as reference for the economic efficiency decomposition the preservation of the allocative efficiency of firms producing in the interior of the technology. This builds upon the so-called reversed approach recently introduced by Bogetoft et al. (2006) that allows estimating allocative efficiency without presuming that technical efficiency has been already accomplished. We illustrate our methodology within the Data Envelopment Analysis framework adopting the most simple nonhomothetic BCC model and a numerical example. We show that there are significant differences in the allocative and technical efficiency scores depending on the approac

Estudio de satisfacción del confort para la toma de decisiones

[ESP] Medir la satisfacción de los usuarios se ha convertido en un medio de valoración de la calidad de los HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning), permitiendo la verificación y validación de los sistemas de acondicionamiento de aire empleados en los edificios. Sin embargo, estos estudios se realizan a nivel general y sus datos se toman en consideración en su conjunto, pues la mayoría de los estudios tienen como objetivo fundamental la perspectiva ergonómica y psicosocial para optimizar las condiciones de trabajo según la ley de previsión de riesgos laborales (BOE, 1995) o para optimizar el bienestar térmico a través de las instalaciones del edificio según el Reglamento de las Instalaciones Térmicas en los Edificios (RITE) (AENOR, 2007). Frecuentemente, los sistemas de climatización de los edificios tienen un sistema de control, pero la información de la que dispone dicho sistema de control para modificar sus condiciones de operación es muy limitada. Asimismo sucede que el dispositivo de control sigue una ley de modificación que es estándar y que, por tanto, no ha sido comprobada ni verificada en dicho edificio. En consecuencia es frecuente que el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios de un edificio respecto de las condiciones de confort térmico y de calidad de aire interior del mismo sea bajo

Control of HVAC system comfort by sampling

The sampling of the users comfort, allows observing and predicting the level of comfort on the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems. The development of online sampling systems assists in the recognition of the behavior patterns that occur in the offices. This paper presents a user-friendly tool designed and developed in order to make easier knowledge extraction and representation to make possible decisions about which demand that must prevail, the user comfort or saving into a central system. This decision may depend on the occupation and feeling of comfort of its occupants. Some studies have put neutral thermal conditions outside the ranges of comfort of the ASHRAE standard. The actual rules of the HVAC systems are based on studies carried out on specific populations in a specific space, which are not valid in certain situations. This is a dynamic idea of the comfort based in real data. The methodology used provides important and useful information to be able to select the comfort set-point of the rooms of a central heating system without the need to use fixed values based on programmed time schedules or any other methodology. The response to comfort in an area of a building throughout the day can be seen in this study. The users were assessed using a standard set of key questions in order to measure the level of satisfaction with environmental factors, thanks to a questionnaire of imprecise answers. We seek an improvement in the building users, regardless of their particularities

Las competencias genéricas interpersonales en la formación de los profesionales de la Educación Física

Con el presente trabajo queremos determinar cuáles son las competencias profesionales más valoradas por los estudiantes de Educación Física para su desempeño profesional. Se trata de un estudio en el que participan 123 estudiantes de Educación Física de la Universidad de Valladolid y de la Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes. Metodológicamente hemos utilizado tres técnicas de investigación: (1) escala de valoración de las Competencias Interpersonales del docente de Educación Física (EcoiDEF); (2) grupo de discusión de alumnos; (3) análisis de documentos. Las competencias mas valoradas son la capacidad de compromiso ético, el trabajo en equipo y la capacidad de establecer buenas relaciones interpersonales.Departamento de Didáctica de la Expresión Musical, Plástica y CorporalMáster en Investigación Aplicada a la Educació

Expansion of irrigation, soil type, slope and water quality in the southeast of the province of Buenos Aires

El objetivo de este trabajo es caracterizar el área agrícola bajo riego complementario en el Sudeste Bonaerense (SB) en cuanto al incremento del área ocupada, tipo de suelo, pendiente y calidad de agua. Mediante un proceso de digitalización visual sobre imágenes satelitales se identificaron áreas de riego con pivote central en seis partidos del sudeste bonaerense para el período 2017-2019. De la superficie total, 82.659 ha, Lobería y Balcarce registran el 60% y, junto con Tandil, registran el área de mayor expansión. El 94% de los círculos es menor a 100 ha. Las series de suelos “Mar del Plata” y “Tandil”, del tipo Argiudol típico, son las de mayor presencia del área estudiada, con 34,7% y 17,2% respectivamente. El 12,6% del área presenta algún sector con pendientes mayores a 5%. En relación con la aptitud agrícola del agua de riego, se observó una tendencia de aumento en los valores de Conductividad Eléctrica (CE) y Relación de Adsorción de Sodio (RAS) a medida que se aproximan a la costa del mar. El 18% del área se encuentra en zonas identificadas con alta CE (>1,3) y un 15% del área en zonas altas de RAS (>a 13). La expansión del riego con aguas con baja aptitud para la producción agropecuaria y en zonas con pendiente puede afectar la estructura del suelo, reducir la infiltración y acentuar los procesos de erosión hídrica.The objective of this work is to characterize the agricultural area under complementary irrigation in the Southeast of Buenos Aires (SB) in terms of the increase of the occupied area, type of soil, slope and water quality. Through a process of visual digitization on satellite images, the irrigation circles with a central pivot were identified in six districts of the southeast of Buenos Aires for the period 2017- 2019. Of the total area, 82,659 ha, Lobería and Balcarce register 60% and together with Tandil they register the area of greatest expansion. 94% of the circles is less than 100 ha. The “Mar del Plata” and “Tandil” series of soils, Typic argiudoll are the ones with the highest presence, with 34.7% and 17.2% respectively of the identified area. 12.6% of the area has a sector with slopes greater than 5%. In relation to the agricultural suitability of irrigation water, an increasing trend was observed in the values of Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) as they approach the coast. 18% of the area is in areas identified with high EC (>1.3) and 15% of the area in high areas of RAS (>to 13). The expansion of irrigation with waters with low agricultural aptitude and in sloping areas can affect the structure of the soil, reduce infiltration and accentuate water erosion processes.EEA BalcarceFil: Angelini, Hernán Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina.Fil: Costa, José Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina.Fil: Aparicio,Virginia Carolina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina.Fil: Aparicio,Virginia Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

New model for the search for comfort through surveys

This paper presents a methodology used to provide important and useful information to select dynamically the comfort set-point of the rooms for a central heating system without using fixed values based on programmed time schedules or any other methodology. It is possible to observe the users comfort level of a Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) system through online surveys. Using fuzzy logic applied to the behaviour patterns that generally occur in an office it is possible to detect situations when it can be decided to maximise comfort and/or maximise savings. This methodology is designed to save energy in these systems depending on the occupation and comfort perception of its occupants