Fernando Sáez Vacas: El ciberespacio nos lleva a un complejo y casi invisible tejido de redes

Fernando Sáez Vacas es en la actualidad profesor emérito de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Premio Nacional de Informática y director de la Cátedra Orange de la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación. Desde hoy y hasta el próximo jueves participará en el curso "Ciencia de Redes y contexto" que analizará la aplicación de esta ciencia en ámbitos como la telecomunicación, las ciencias sociales, la sanidad o la biología. Además, tiene ya a punto de ver la luz su próximo libro Complejidad y Tecnologías de la Información (Fundetel/UPM)

Fernando Sáez Vacas: La tecnología debería ser un instrumento cultural

Conceptos como Sociedad de la Información, Internet, Globalización, Virtualidad, Red Universal Digital o Nuevo Entorno Tecnosocial definen al hombre contemporáneo y sus circunstancias. ¿Podemos llegar a controlar la red de tecnologías que inunda ya nuestra vida cotidiana? El investigador y catedrático de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Fernando Sáez Vacas, doctor ingeniero de Telecomunicación, que publica estos días Más allá de Internet: la Red Universal Digital (Editorial Ramón Areces), habla en esta entrevista sobre el histórico momento que atraviesa la Humanidad

Determinantes de la morosidad en las cajas municipales de ahorro y crédito del Perú: 2005-2012

El presente trabajo de investigación abarca las cajas municipales de ahorro y crédito del Perú, sin considerar a la caja metropolitana de Lima, por el período comprendido entre los años 2005-2012, y busca, principalmente, identificar las variables microeconómicas que le son propias a cada empresa, además de señalar las variables macroeconómicas agregadas que inciden en los niveles de morosidad de estas entidades. A diferencia de otros estudios realizados en el país, la presente investigación busca efectuar un análisis más específico de empresas similares. Para ello, se analiza uno de los subsistemas de empresas microfinancieras, en este caso, las cajas municipales de ahorro y crédito. Asimismo, si bien se considera las variables microeconómicas y macroeconómicas que resultaron significativas en otros trabajos de investigación similares, también se han considerado rezagos en variables como la de rentabilidad patrimonial; la de diversificación regional; el PBI Hodrick Prescott

TRABAJO INFORME: EXPERIENCIA PROFESIONAL GESTIÓN INTEGRAL EN EDPYMES PROEMPRESA S.A. 2001-2006

El presente trabajo informe describe las principales actividades realizadas a cargo de la Gerencia General de Edpymes Proempresa S.A., de Agosto del 2001 a Diciembre del 2006. Esta experiencia se plasma en la gestión de esta Entidad especializada en Microfinanzas, perteneciente al Sistema Financiero Peruano, y que inicia operaciones en Enero de 1998. Edpymes Proempresa S.A. es una entidad financiera perteneciente al Sistema de Entidades de Desarrollo a las Pequeñas y Microempresas, creada principalmente para atender las necesidades de financiamiento del sector de emprendedores emergentes. Edpymes Proempresa S.A. nace del proceso de formalización de la actividad de otorgamiento de créditos que venían ejerciendo los Organismos No Gubernamentales – Institutos de Desarrollo del Sector Informal (ONGs Idesi), organizaciones que a través de su RED de IDESIS Regionales, instaladas en diferentes provincias de nuestro país, optaron por formalizar sus operaciones crediticias aprovechando la modificación en la Ley General del Sistema Financiero ( Diciembre 1996), y en donde, entre otros aspectos, se creaba un nuevo tipo de Empresa Financiera : EDPYME . Es así, que Edpymes Proempresa S.A. inicia sus operaciones con el traslado de la cartera crediticia de los IDESI de Lima, Arequipa y Ayacucho. Determinándose su plan de expansión en la progresiva transferencia de cartera crediticia de los demás IDESIS, buscando la especialización de la gestión crediticia y dejando el trabajo de asistencia técnica y capacitación a las PYMES a cargo de los diferentes IDESIS Regionales. Edpymes Proempresa S.A. inicia sus operaciones en base al personal que laboraba en los IDESIS, que trasladaron su cartera crediticia. Pero producto de las necesidades de crecimiento, adecuación a la normatividad establecida por el órgano supervisor (Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y AFPs), y a la necesidad de fortalecer la gestión de la empresa; es que el Directorio toma la decisión de incorporar a nuevos funcionarios con mayor experiencia en el campo de las Microfinanzas, es ahí donde tengo la oportunidad de incorporarme a Proempresa, basándome en la experiencia adquirida como Gerente de la Caja Municipal de Ahorro y Crédito de Tacna S.A., entidad en la que laboré nueve años. El Sistema de Microfinanzas Peruano en los últimos años se ha presentado más competitivo, acentuado por la participación de las Empresas Bancarias como nuevos actores en la atención de créditos a las PYMES, así como, el ingreso al mercado de Lima de otras EDPYMES y de las Cajas Municipales. Esta situación viene exigiendo mayores niveles de eficiencia y productividad de las Entidades Financieras, y en el caso de las EDPYMES se encuentran en una situación de desventaja con las demás Entidades que conforman el Sistema Financiero Peruano, debido a que no se encuentran autorizadas a operar (entre otros productos) el producto de captación de depósitos, aspecto que permite a las demás instituciones poder contar con recursos financieros más baratos para el financiamiento de las colocaciones de crédito. Esta mayor competencia en el otorgamiento de créditos a las PYMES, basada en una competencia principalmente por precio (reducción de tasas de interés) y otorgamiento de colaterales (regalos, sorteos, entre otros), están incidiendo en la reducción de los márgenes financieros y de rentabilidad. Esta situación incidió en que Edpymes Proempresa S.A. haga todos los esfuerzos necesarios para organizar su trabajo y mejorar su gestión integral buscando atender de manera más eficiente sus colocaciones crediticias, principal activo generador de los mayores ingresos financieros, cuidando que la calidad de la cartera crediticia se mantenga en niveles apropiados que asegure un crecimiento sano y sostenido

A confirmatory study of the Combined Index of Severity of Fibromyalgia (ICAF*): factorial structure, reliability and sensitivity to change

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex syndrome that affects many aspects of the patients life and it is very difficult to evaluate in clinical practice. A recent study has developed the Combined Index of Severity of Fibromyalgia (ICAF), an instrument that evaluates diverse aspects of FM and offers five indices: emotional, physical, active coping, passive coping and total. The objective of this study is to confirm the structure of the ICAF, check its test-retest reliability, assess its sensitivity to change, and compare the results obtained in a sample of patients with fibromyalgia with another sample of healthy controls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 232 patients took part in the study, 228 women and 4 men, with a mean age of 47.73 years of age (SD = 8.61) and a time of disease evolution since diagnosis of 4.28 years (SD = 4.03). The patients from the FM group completed the ICAF. Between one and two weeks later, they again attended the clinic and complete the 59 items on the ICAF (retest) and immediately afterwards they began treatment (according to daily clinical practice criteria). A sample of healthy subjects was also studied as a control group: 110 people were included (106 women and 4 men) with a mean age of 46.01 years of age (SD = 9.35). The study was conducted in Spain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results obtained suggest that the four-factor model obtained in the previous study adequately fits the data obtained in this study. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency were all significant and show a high degree of correlation for all the factors as well as in overall score. With the exception of the passive coping factor, all the other scores, including the overall score, were sensitive to change after the therapeutic intervention. The ICAF scores of the patients with fibromyalgia compared with those of the control group were markedly different.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings suggest that the ICAF is a valid, reliable, sensitive to change instrument with the added advantage that it offers some additional domains (factors) that provide very valuable information regarding the most delicate aspects of the patient, which must be addressed at the time of treatment in daily clinical practice.</p

Relationship between obesity and antipsychotic drug use in the adult population: A longitudinal, retrospective claim database study in Primary Care settings

Antoni Sicras-Mainar1, Ruth Navarro-Artieda2, Javier Rejas-Guti&amp;eacute;rrez3, Milagrosa Blanca-Tamayo41Planning Management, Badalona Serveis Assistencials S.A., Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; 2Medical Documentation Service, Hospital Germans Tr&amp;iacute;as i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; 3Health Outcomes Research Derpartment, Medical Unit, Pfizer Spain, Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain; 4Department of Psychiatry, Badalona Serveis Assistencials S.A., Badalona, Barcelona, SpainObjective: To describe the association between obesity and the use of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) in adult outpatients followed-up on in five Primary Care settings.Methods: A longitudinal, retrospective design study carried out between July 2004 and June 2005, in patients who were included in a claim database and for whom an APD treatment had been registered. A body mass index (BMI) &amp;lt;30 kg/m2 was defined as obesity. The main measurements were: use of APDs, demographics, medical background and co-morbidities, and clinical parameters. Logistic regression analysis and ANCOVA with Bonferroni adjustment were applied to correct the model.Results: A total of 42,437 subjects (mean age: 50.8 (18.4) years; women: 54.5%; obesity: 27.3% [95% confidence intervals (CI), 26.9%&amp;ndash;27.7%]) were analyzed. A total of 1.3% of the patients were receiving APDs, without statistical differences in distribution by type of drug (typical: 48.8%; atypical: 51.2%). Obesity was associated with the use of APDs [OR = 1.5 (CI: 1.3&amp;ndash;1.8)], hypertension [OR = 2.4 (CI: 2.2&amp;ndash;2.5)], diabetes [OR = 1.4 (CI: 1.3&amp;ndash;1.5)] and dyslipidemia [OR = 1.3 (CI: 1.2&amp;ndash;1.4)], p &amp;lt; 0.0001 in all cases. BMI was significantly higher in subjects on APDs; 28.8 vs. 27.3 kg/m2, p = 0.002, and remained higher after adjusting by age and sex (mean difference 0.4 (CI: 0.1&amp;ndash;0.7), p &amp;lt; 0.01). After adjusting by age, sex and the Charlson index, obese subjects generated higher average annual total costs than nonobese subjects; 811 (CI: 787&amp;ndash;835) vs. 694 (CI: 679&amp;ndash;709), respectively, p &amp;lt; 0.001.Conclusions: Obesity was associated with the use of APDs, regardless of the type of drug, and with the presence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Obesity was also associated with substantially higher health care costs.Keywords: Obesity, claim database, retrospective study, antipsychotic use, Primary Care setting, resources utilization, health care cost

Perfil de uso de recursos y costes en pacientes que demandan atención por fibromialgia o trastorno de ansiedad generalizada en el ámbito de la atención primaria de salud

ResumenObjetivodeterminar el perfil de uso de servicios y costes en pacientes que demandan atención por fibromialgia (FM) o trastorno de ansiedad generalizada (TAG) en atención primaria (AP).Diseñoestudio retrospectivo-multicéntrico.Emplazamientocinco centros de AP urbanos, gestionados por Badalona Serveis Assistencials.Participantespacientes mayoresde 18 años atendidos durante 2006. Se formó un grupo de referencia/poblacional con el resto de los pacientes.Principales medicionesgenerales, casuística/comorbilidad, utilización de recursos sanitarios y costes ambulatorios (visitas, procedimientos diagnósticos/terapéuticos y medicamentos). Análisis: regresión logística y ANCOVA.Resultadosse atendió a 63.349 pacientes. El 1,4% (intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%, 0,6%–2,2%) presentó FM y el 5,3% (IC del 95%, 4,5%–6,1%), TAG. El promedio de episodios atendidos/año y el de visitas realizadas/año fueron mayores en el grupo de FM que en el de TAG y que en el grupo poblacional (8,3 frente a 7,2 y 4,6 episodios/año; 12,9 frente a 12,1 y 7,4 visitas/año; p<0,001). La FM mostró relación con mujeres (odds ratio [OR]=16,8), dislipemia (OR=1,5) y síndrome depresivo (OR=3,9) (p<0,001), y el TAG, con la edad (OR=1,1), mujeres (OR=2,2), hipertensión arterial (OR=1,3), dislipemia (OR=1,2), fumadores (OR=1,4), síndrome depresivo (OR=1,2) y evento cardiovascular (OR=1,3) (p<0,02). El coste directo medio/anual corregido por edad, sexo y comorbilidades fue de 555,58 euros en el grupo de referencia, 817,37 euros en TAG y 908,67 euros en FM (p<0,001).Conclusioneslos pacientes que requirieron atención por FM o TAG muestran un importante uso de recursos y costes sanitarios en el ámbito de la AP de salud. Los sujetos con TAG se asocian a un elevado número de comorbilidades.AbstractObjectiveTo determine the use of services and costs in patients with Fibromyalgia (FM) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) followed up in Primary Care (PC).DesignA retrospective multicenter population-based study.SettingFive primary care clinics managed by Badalona Health Service.ParticipantsPatients over 18 years seen in the 5 PC centers during the year 2006. Patients with and without GAD/FM were compared.MeasurementsMain outcomes measures were general, case/co-morbidity, health care use and primary care cost (visits, diagnostic/therapeutic tests and drugs). Statistical analysis: logistic regression and ANCOVA (P<.05).ResultsThere was a total of 63,349 patients, 1.4% (95% CI, 0.6%–2.2%) had a diagnosis of FM, and 5.3% (95% CI, 4.5%–6.1%) GAD. The average episodes/year and visits /year was higher in FM group compared to GAD group, with a marked difference observed vs. the reference group (8.3 vs. 7.2 and 4.6 episodes/year; and 12.9 vs. 12.1 and 7.4 visits/year; P<.001). FM was shown to be related to female gender (odds ratio [OR]=16.8), dyslipidemia (OR=1.5), and depressive syndrome (OR=3.9) (P<.001 in all cases). GAD was related to age (OR=1.1), female gender (OR=2.2), high blood pressure (OR=1.3), dyslipidemia (OR=1.2), smoking (OR=1.4), depressive syndrome (OR=1.2), and cardiovascular events (OR=1.3) (P<.02 in all cases). After adjusting for age, gender and co-morbidities, mean annual direct ambulatory cost was 555.58€ for the reference group, 817.37€ for GAD, and 908.67€ for FM (P<.001).ConclusionsCompared with reference group, a considerable use of health resources and costs was observed in patients with FM or TAG in medical practice in PC settings

The assessment of generalized anxiety disorder: psychometric validation of the Spanish version of the self-administered GAD-2 scale in daily medical practice

To psychometrically validate the Spanish version of the self-administered 2-item GAD-2 scale for screening probable patients with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Methods: The GAD-2 was self-administered by patients diagnosed with GAD according to DSM-IV criteria and by age- and sex-matched controls who were recruited at random in mental health and primary care centres. Criteria validity was explored using ROC curve analysis, and sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were determined for different cut-off values. Concurrent validity was also established using the HAM-A, HADS, and WHODAS II scales. Results: The study sample consisted of 212 subjects (106 patients with GAD) with a mean age of 50.38 years (SD = 16.76). No items of the scale were left blank. Floor and ceiling effects were negligible. No patients with GAD had to be assisted to complete the questionnaire. Reliability (internal consistency) was high; Cronbach’s α = 0.875. A cut-off point of 3 showed adequate sensitivity (91.5%) and specificity (85.8%), with a statistically significant area under the curve (AUC = 0.937, p < 0.001), to distinguish GAD patients from controls. Concurrent validity was also high and significant with HAM-A (0.806, p < 0.001), HADS (anxiety domain, 0.825, p < 0.001) and WHO-DAS II (0.642, p < 0.001) scales. Conclusion: The Spanish version of the GAD-2 scale has been shown to have appropriate psychometric properties to rapidly detect probable cases of GAD in the Spanish cultural context under routine clinical practice conditions

Environment mapping using a 3D laser scanner for unmanned ground vehicles

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Microprocessors and Microsystems. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Microprocessors and Microsystems, Vol 39, Issue 8, (2015) DOI 10.1016/j.micpro.2015.10.003Unmanned ground vehicles need accurate sensors to detect obstacles and map their surroundings. Laser-based distance sensors offers precise results, but 3D off-the-shelf sensors may be too expensive. This paper presents a 3D sensing system using a 2D laser sensor with a rotation system. Point cloud density analyses are presented in order to achieve the optimal rotation speed depending on the vehicle speed, distance to obstacles, etc. The proposed system is able to generate real-time point clouds, detect obstacles and produce maps, with high accuracy and a reasonable price (less than 5, 000 USD).This work has been done with an INNPACTO program support, in the frame of ARGOS project IPT - 2012 - 0308 - 390000 (Union Europea, Fondos FEDER). It is a joint project between Robomotion and the HCTLab, Human Computer Technology Laboratory, of Universidad Aut onoma de Madrid, Spain

Cultural adaptation into Spanish of the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale as a screening tool

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent mental health condition which is underestimated worldwide. This study carried out the cultural adaptation into Spanish of the 7-item self-administered GAD-7 scale, which is used to identify probable patients with GAD.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The adaptation was performed by an expert panel using a conceptual equivalence process, including forward and backward translations in duplicate. Content validity was assessed by interrater agreement. Criteria validity was explored using ROC curve analysis, and sensitivity, specificity, predictive positive value and negative value for different cut-off values were determined. Concurrent validity was also explored using the HAM-A, HADS, and WHO-DAS-II scales.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study sample consisted of 212 subjects (106 patients with GAD) with a mean age of 50.38 years (SD = 16.76). Average completion time was 2'30''. No items of the scale were left blank. Floor and ceiling effects were negligible. No patients with GAD had to be assisted to fill in the questionnaire. The scale was shown to be one-dimensional through factor analysis (explained variance = 72%). A cut-off point of 10 showed adequate values of sensitivity (86.8%) and specificity (93.4%), with AUC being statistically significant [AUC = 0.957-0.985); p < 0.001]. The scale significantly correlated with HAM-A (0.852, p < 0.001), HADS (anxiety domain, 0.903, p < 0.001), and WHO-DAS II (0.696, p > 0.001).</p> <p>Limitations</p> <p>Elderly people, particularly those very old, may need some help to complete the scale.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>After the cultural adaptation process, a Spanish version of the GAD-7 scale was obtained. The validity of its content and the relevance and adequacy of items in the Spanish cultural context were confirmed.</p