Factor analysis, knowledge management and value creation

When companies face with the effort to comply with customer needs, their prior necessity is to acquire knowledge about the most sensitive variables that can condition customer satisfaction perceptions better than others. However the analysis of the firm-customer relationships seem to be very complex, given the high number of variables that potentially influence customer satisfaction, and hence the stability of their relationship with the company. Through a case study this paper describes a process to generate explicit knowledge about the main strategic customer satisfaction\u2019s value drivers. This process can be considered as a knowledge management tool to support the planning of specific actions about strategic resources and competencies supposed to improve customer satisfaction. The paper discusses about contributions of the study, as well as managerial implications, findings, limitations, and directions for further research

Estudio de las condiciones de agitación por oleaje en un puerto mediante simulación numérica

Se describe una aplicación del sistema computacional DIFRAC para estudiar la s condiciones de agitación por oleaje dentro de un puerto, teniendo en cuenta el efecto combinado de difracción, refracción y reflexión de las olas . Se presentan resultados para la amplitud y dirección de propagación del oleaje en su interior y de las condiciones de resonancia en la s distintas dársenas del puerto .Peer Reviewe

Estudio de las condiciones de agitación por oleaje en un puerto mediante simulación numérica

Se describe una aplicación del sistema computacional DIFRAC para estudiar la s condiciones de agitación por oleaje dentro de un puerto, teniendo en cuenta el efecto combinado de difracción, refracción y reflexión de las olas . Se presentan resultados para la amplitud y dirección de propagación del oleaje en su interior y de las condiciones de resonancia en la s distintas dársenas del puerto .Peer Reviewe

Metabolic Adaptations to Marine Environments: Molecular Diversity and Evolution of Ovothiol Biosynthesis in Bacteria

Ovothiols are sulfur-containing amino acids synthesized by marine invertebrates, protozoans, and bacteria. They act as pleiotropic molecules in signaling and protection against oxidative stress. The discovery of ovothiol biosynthetic enzymes, sulfoxide synthase OvoA and β-lyase OvoB, paves the way for a systematic investigation of ovothiol distribution and molecular diversification in nature. In this work, we conducted genomic and metagenomics data mining to investigate the distribution and diversification of ovothiol biosynthetic enzymes in Bacteria. We identified the bacteria endowed with this secondary metabolic pathway, described their taxonomy, habitat and biotic interactions in order to provide insight into their adaptation to specific environments. We report that OvoA and OvoB are mostly encountered in marine aerobic Proteobacteria, some of them establishing symbiotic or parasitic relationships with other organisms. We identified a horizontal gene transfer event of OvoB from Bacteroidetes living in symbiosis with Hydrozoa. Our search within the Ocean Gene Atlas revealed the occurrence of ovothiol biosynthetic genes in Proteobacteria living in a wide range of pelagic and highly oxygenated environments. Finally, we tracked the evolutionary history of ovothiol biosynthesis from marine bacteria to unicellular eukaryotes and metazoans. Our analysis provides new conceptual elements to unravel the evolutionary and ecological significance of ovothiol biosynthesis

Implementación de un algoritmo de superposición 3D de fragmentos químicos asociados a moléculas en forma de anillo

El análisis de datos moleculares se utiliza en química y biología para conseguir información energética, psicoquímica, biológica o farmacocinética que depende de las características físicas de dichas moléculas. El análisis conformacional de un conjunto de fragmentos en forma de anillos busca establecer similitudes entre las conformaciones geométricas de los anillos, con el objetivo de relacionarlas con propiedades relevantes del compuesto. Una primera aproximación al análisis conformacional se puede hacer a través de la mecánica molecular que permite llevar a cabo cálculos energéticos que proporcionan información sobre las conformaciones de mínima energía y ayuda por lo tanto a predecir qué conformaciones serían las más frecuentes para un determinado tipo de fragmentos. Sin embargo, estos cálculos no son sencillos y se ven dificultados por la presencia de átomos de diferente naturaleza, o de enlaces más complejos. Es por lo tanto de interés aplicar métodos estadísticos sobre datos cristalográficos empíricos, que permitan, o bien confirmar las conformaciones esperadas predichas por los cálculos de mecánica molecular, o bien obtener información sobre las conformaciones más frecuentes para un tipo de fragmentos donde los cálculos son demasiado complicados. En este trabajo, nos centraremos en un algoritmo de superposición 3D de fragmentos en forma de anillos. Dados dos fragmentos, el algoritmo busca un sistema cartesiano común en el que estos queden los más próximos posible. Para ello, hay que empezar por definir una medida de distancia entre dos fragmentos para los cuales tenemos las coordenadas de sus átomos en un sistema cartesiano concreto.Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industria

Assessment of a New Change of Direction Detection Algorithm Based on Inertial Data

The purpose of this study was to study the validity and reproducibility of an algorithm capable of combining information from Inertial and Magnetic Measurement Units (IMMUs) to detect changes of direction (COD). Five participants wore three devices at the same time to perform five CODs in three different conditions: angle (45°, 90°, 135° and 180°), direction (left and right), and running speed (13 and 18 km/h). For the testing, the combination of different % of smoothing applied to the signal (20%, 30% and 40%) and minimum intensity peak (PmI) for each event (0.8 G, 0.9 G, and 1.0 G) was applied. The values recorded with the sensors were contrasted with observation and coding from video. At 13 km/h, the combination of 30% smoothing and 0.9 G PmI was the one that showed the most accurate values (IMMU1: Cohen’s d (d) = −0.29;%Diff = −4%; IMMU2: d = 0.04 %Diff = 0%, IMMU3: d = −0.27, %Diff = 13%). At 18 km/h, the 40% and 0.9 G combination was the most accurate (IMMU1: d = −0.28; %Diff = −4%; IMMU2 = d = −0.16; %Diff = −1%; IMMU3 = d = −0.26; %Diff = −2%). The results suggest the need to apply specific filters to the algorithm based on speed, in order to accurately detect COD.The authors are grateful for the support received from the Government of Spain in the sub-project “Mixed methods approach in performance analysis (in training and competition) in elite and academy sports” [PGC2018-098742-B-C33] (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, State Program for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the R+D+i System)

An ensemble-learning model for failure rate prediction

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A combined observational and modeling approach to study modern dust transport from the Patagonia desert to East Antarctica

The understanding of present atmospheric transport processes from Southern Hemisphere (SH) landmasses to Antarctica can improve the interpretation of stratigraphic data in Antarctic ice cores. In addition, long range transport can deliver key nutrients normally not available to marine ecosystems in the Southern Ocean and may trigger or enhance primary productivity. However, there is a dearth of observational based studies of dust transport in the SH. <br><br> This work aims to improve current understanding of dust transport in the SH by showing a characterization of two dust events originating in the Patagonia desert (south end of South America). The approach is based on a combined and complementary use of satellite retrievals (detectors MISR, MODIS, GLAS, POLDER, OMI), transport model simulation (HYSPLIT) and surface observations near the sources and aerosol measurements in Antarctica (Neumayer and Concordia sites). <br><br> Satellite imagery and visibility observations confirm dust emission in a stretch of dry lakes along the coast of the Tierra del Fuego (TdF) island (~54° S) and from the shores of the Colihue Huapi lake in Central Patagonia (~46° S) in February 2005. Model simulations initialized by these observations reproduce the timing of an observed increase in dust concentration at the Concordia Station and some of the observed increases in atmospheric aerosol absorption (here used as a dust proxy) in the Neumayer station. The TdF sources were the largest contributors of dust at both sites. The transit times from TdF to the Neumayer and Concordia sites are 6–7 and 9–10 days respectively. Lidar observations and model outputs coincide in placing most of the dust cloud in the boundary layer and suggest significant deposition over the ocean immediately downwind. Boundary layer dust was detected as far as 1800 km from the source and ~800 km north of the South Georgia Island over the central sub-Antarctic Atlantic Ocean. Although the analysis suggests the presence of dust at ~1500 km SW of South Africa five days after, the limited capabilities of existing satellite platforms to differentiate between aerosol types do not permit a definitive conclusion. In addition, the model simulations show dust lifting to the free troposphere as it travels south but it could not be confirmed by the satellite observations due to cloudiness. <br><br> This work demonstrates that complementary information from existing transport models, satellite and surface data can yield a consistent picture of the dust transport from the Patagonia desert to Antarctica. It also illustrates the limitation of using any of these approaches individually to characterize the transport of dust in a heavily cloudy area

Superconducting tunable flux qubit with direct readout scheme

We describe a simple and efficient scheme for the readout of a tunable flux qubit, and present preliminary experimental tests for the preparation, manipulation and final readout of the qubit state, performed in incoherent regime at liquid Helium temperature. The tunable flux qubit is realized by a double SQUID with an extra Josephson junction inserted in the large superconducting loop, and the readout is performed by applying a current ramp to the junction and recording the value for which there is a voltage response, depending on the qubit state. This preliminary work indicates the feasibility and efficiency of the scheme.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Sorting Through Waste Management Literature. A Text Mining Approach to a Literature Review

With sustainability and management of waste as focus of multiple disciplines, there is still a considerable gap in the academic literature in regard to the definition of \u201cwaste management\u201d. The present research addresses the issue of a substantial lack of an acceptable interdisciplinary definition of waste management by means of synthesizing existing literature on the matter and identifying the most recurrent and relevant waste management concepts by applying the method of text mining. The results allow gaining a deeper understanding of (1) the typical concepts of each scientific discipline that studies waste management, (2) cross-disciplinary concept differences and similarities, and (3) the concept networks that can become potential building blocks of the waste management studies definition. Finally, a number of future research directions and propositions are suggested