Influence of human resource information systems and technology on firm performance: a qualitative comparative analysis

The application of information systems and technologies is a very important challenge for all areas of the company, causing changes in their work processes. Today, the literature has not reached a consensus on the impact that the digitisation of the human resources area has on the results of the company. Therefore, the Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) has been used in a study with a sample of 42 technology companies from the Valencian Community to identify the conditions that affect the firm performance as an outcome. Two traditional contingent factors (company ownership and the CEO's educational background) are considered, as is the use of information systems and technology for Human Resource Management (HRM). The fsQCA reveals that investment in tools for human resource optimisation and obsolete device replacement positively affect firm performance. Absence of profit growth is linked to a lack of investment in human resource optimisation technology. The distribution of capital amongst different owners, regardless of the technology's current or former availability also hampers firm performance

Searching for partial Hadamard matrices

Three algorithms looking for pretty large partial Hadamard ma- trices are described. Here “large” means that hopefully about a third of a Hadamard matrix (which is the best asymptotic result known so far, [8]) is achieved. The first one performs some kind of local exhaustive search, and consequently is expensive from the time consuming point of view. The second one comes from the adaptation of the best genetic algorithm known so far searching for cliques in a graph, due to Singh and Gupta [21]. The last one consists in another heuristic search, which prioritizes the required processing time better than the final size of the partial Hadamard matrix to be obtained. In all cases, the key idea is characterizing the adjacency properties of vertices in a particular subgraph Gt of Ito’s Hadamard Graph (4t) [18], since cliques of order m in Gt can be seen as (m + 3) × 4t partial Hadamard matrices.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MTM2008-06578Junta de Andalucía FQM-016Junta de Andalucía P07-FQM-0298

A Multiphysical model to study moisture dynamics in transformers

Moisture is one of the key variables that must be considered when determining the load profiles that can be safely applied to a transformer. The presence of high amount of water accelerates the aging rate of the transformers solid insulation, shortening the life expectancy of the equipment. Moreover, the dynamic processes of moisture migration between paper and oil must be considered in order to avoid a potential cause of failure, such as the formation of bubbles in the paper-oil interface, or the moisture saturation and the subsequent formation of liquid water in oil. These processes are linked to the changes in temperature; however, within the transformer, both processes have very different time constants, which complicates the analysis. In this paper, a mathematical model is presented, which allows us to study the moisture dynamics in a transformer. The model considers a multi-physical approach incorporating a thermal module and a moisture dynamic module that makes it possible to analyze the behavior of the moisture for a certain load profile. Some application cases are included in this paper to illustrate the model operation.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under Grant DPI2015-71219-C2-2-R. Paper no. TPWRD-01091-2018

Sobre cómo representar y parametrizar la Peligrosidad, la Vulnerabilidad y el Daño para transmitir los resultados de un estudio de riesgo sísmico a escala regional/ On the representation and parameterization of Seismic Hazard, Vulnerability and Damag

This work presents different issues related to seismic risk assessment and styles of comunicating partial and final results on maps for remarkably distinct people, such as scientists, preparedness and response officers and general public. The convenience of making different classifications and representations of building vulnerability types, seismic hazard parameters and damage estimates in function of the final user of the results is highlighted. Results of recent risk assessment study of Murcia (south eastern Spain) carried out by the authors are used for illustration

ACS Searching for D4t-Hadamard Matrices

An Ant Colony System (ACS) looking for cocyclic Hadamard matrices over dihedral groups D4t is described. The underlying weighted graph consists of the rooted trees described in [1], whose vertices are certain subsets of coboundaries. A branch of these trees defines a D4t- Hadamard matrix if and only if two conditions hold: (i) Ii = i − 1 and, (ii) ci = t, for every 2 ≤ i ≤ t, where Ii and ci denote the number of ipaths and i-intersections (see [3] for details) related to the coboundaries defining the branch. The pheromone and heuristic values of our ACS are defined in such a way that condition (i) is always satisfied, and condition (ii) is closely to be satisfied.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación MTM2008-06578Junta de Andalucía FQM–296Junta de Andalucía P07-FQM-0298

GA Based Robust Blind Digital Watermarking

A genetic algorithm based robust blind digital watermarking scheme is presented. The experimental results show that our scheme keeps invisibility, security and robustness more likely than other proposals in the literature, thanks to the GA pretreatment.Junta de Andalucía FQM-01

Analytical Characterization and Sensory Analysis of Distillates of Di erent Varieties of Grapes Aged by an Accelerated Method

The wine spirits used for the elaboration of Brandy de Jerez are mainly obtained from wines produced from the Airen type of grape, which comes from the vineyards located in the region of La Mancha (Central Spain). This entails a limitation when achieving a product classified as "protected geographic designation". For that purpose, it is necessary that the grape used for the wine spirit comes from the area and not from Castile la Mancha, as has happened until now. Due to this fact, it is necessary to search for a possible alternative grape variety which allows the produced brandy to be eligible for a "protected geographic designation". For that purpose, an accelerated ageing process has been implemented with a method previously optimized to distillates obtained from wines from different varieties of grapes (Airen, Colombard, Corredera, Doradilla, Garrido Fino, Jaen blanco, Moscatel de Alejandria, Palomino Fino, Ugni Blanc, and Zalema) grown in the Jerez Area. They were evaluated, both from the analytical and sensory points of view. The distillates made from Jaen Blanco and Zalema have properties that make them interesting for future development and incorporation into oenological practice

Diabetes insípida central en un perro

Se describe un caso de diabetes insípida central [DIC] en un perro. Este caso es particularmente interesante pues se observan modificaciones electrolíticas poco habituales. En la discusión se comenta la posible etiología del proceso, los hallazgos analíticos y el procedimiento de diagnóstico elegido.It is described a case of canine central diabetes insipidus particularly interesting because is presented with very un usual electrolytic abnormalities. The etiology, the atypical electrolytic levels observed and the diagnostic method used are discussed

Meropenem antimicrobial stewardship program: clinical, economic, and antibiotic resistance impact

Background. There are few prospective studies with sufficient duration in time to evaluate clinical and antibiotic resistance impact of Antibiotic Stewardship Programs (ASP). Methods. Descriptive study between January-2012 to December-2017, pre-postintervention. An meropenem ASP was initiated in January 2015, in patients who started treatment with meropenem an infectious diseases physician performed treatment recommendations to prescribers. Prospective information was collected to evaluate adequacy of meropenem prescription to local guidelines and to compare results between cases with accepted or rejected intervention. Analysis was performed to verify variables associated with intervention acceptance and with any significant change in meropenem consumption, hospital-acquired multidrug-resistant (MDR) bloodstream infections (BSIs) and 30-day all-cause crude death in MDR BSIs. Results. Adequacy of meropenem prescription and de-escalation from meropenem treatment to narrower-spectrum antibiotic improved progressively over time, after ASP implementation (p<0.001). Interventions on prescription were performed in 330 (38.7%) patients without meropenem justified treatment, in 269 intervention was accepted and in 61 not. Intervention acceptance was associated with shorter duration of treatment, cost and inpatient days (p<0.05); intervention rejection was not associated with severity of patient. During the period 2015-2017, meropenem consumption decreased compared with 2012-2014 [Rate ratio (RR) 0.67; 95%CI: 0.58- 0.77, p<0.001]). Likewise decreased, hospital-acquired MDR BSIs rate (RR 0.63; 95%CI: 0.38-1.02, p=0,048) and 30-day all-cause crude death in MDR BSIs (RR 0.45; 95%CI: 0.14-1.24, p=0.09), coinciding in time with ASP start-up. Conclusions. The decrease and better use of meropenem achieved had a sustained clinical, economic and ecological impact, reducing costs and mortality of hospital acquired MDR BSIs