An organization design redefinition for the tourism sector using design thinking: Sustainable hotels case study

This chapter shows how the Classic Design Theory may be applied to create a new philosophy for organizations. In this study it is applied to a project in tourism sector. An investigation was made first in different companies in several sectors of activity in Portugal and has been recently successfully applied. The purpose of the chapter is to show how the identification and experimentation of concepts and methods used in classical design allow a better understanding of the implications they have in the engineering organization design theory. To renew the engineering organization design, an organizational design framework was conceived in order to use classical design methods and adapt them to organizational design theories. A contribution is made not just to the art of science of a designed-based organization design theory, but also to create and to test any organization design. Several alternative organization designs came out from the involved action research. We will present several examples of organization design interface based on real Eco Hotel. This represents a useful tool for organization design practitioners and non-organization design practitioners. For this purpose, an appliance was made and tested involving real organizations, interviews and focus groups (namely in the wine sector, or in the design sector, or yet on a NGO). The final result of this action research was a design-based organization design framework and its outcomes - which are unique, beautiful, functional, simple and sustainable – a design-based organization design interface that people love, considering always the context and user profile on which it is inserted.info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

Organizational design redefined by design thinking. Case studies in the hotel industry

This paper presents two different case studies, where the design thinking process, among other theories that came from classic design were used at the level of the organization design, organizational structure, process design and business design. Considering the exhaustive information brought from Classic Design Theory, a new philosophy was created for organizations based on that theory. Some frameworks were also created to help those who want to practise these technics and theories to design their own organization in a more profound, adequate and creative way. A study is made in the tourism sector based on two projects, one to be developed in the northern region of Portugal and the other one, already implemented, called “Biovilla Sustainability” located 40km away from Lisbon. The aim of this paper is to show how the identification and experimentation of concepts and methods used in classical design allow a better understanding of the implications they have in the engineering organization design theory and how their application may bring strong positive implications in terms of Simplicity (everyone understands); Functionality (it serves the purpose); Beauty (people love it); Sustainability (it must integrate time) and Viability of such projects, never forgetting the users and context where the project is embedded.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estimation of total biomass in Aleppo pine forest stands applying parametric and nonparametric methods to low-density airborne laser scanning data

The account of total biomass can assist with the evaluation of climate regulation policies from local to global scales. This study estimates total biomass (TB), including tree and shrub biomass fractions, in Pinus halepensis Miller forest stands located in the Aragon Region (Spain) using Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data and fieldwork. A comparison of five selection methods and five regression models was performed to relate the TB, estimated in 83 field plots through allometric equations, to several independent variables extracted from ALS point cloud. A height threshold was used to include returns above 0.2 m when calculating ALS variables. The sample was divided into training and test sets composed of 62 and 21 plots, respectively. The model with the lower root mean square error (15.14 tons/ha) after validation was the multiple linear regression model including three ALS variables: the 25th percentile of the return heights, the variance, and the percentage of first returns above the mean. This study confirms the usefulness of low-density ALS data to accurately estimate total biomass, and thus better assess the availability of biomass and carbon content in a Mediterranean Aleppo pine forest

Assessing the potential of the dart model to discrete return lidar simulation—application to fuel type mapping

Fuel type is one of the key factors for analyzing the potential of fire ignition and propaga-tion in agricultural and forest environments. The increase of three-dimensional datasets provided by active sensors, such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), has improved the classification of fuel types through empirical modelling. Empirical methods are site and sensor specific while Radiative Transfer Models (RTM) approaches provide broader universality. The aim of this work is to analyze the suitability of Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model to replicate low density small-footprint Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) measurements and subsequent fuel type classification. Field data measured in 104 plots are used as ground truth to simulate LiDAR response based on the sensor and flight characteristics of low-density ALS data captured by the Spanish National Plan for Aerial Orthophotography (PNOA) in two different dates (2011 and 2016). The accuracy assessment of the DART simulations is performed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients between the simulated metrics and the ALS-PNOA ones. The results show that 32% of the computed metrics overpassed a correlation value of 0.80 between simulated and ALS-PNOA metrics in 2011 and 28% in 2016. The highest correlations were related to high height percentiles, canopy variability metrics as for example standard deviation and Rumple diversity index, reaching correlation values over 0.94. Two metric selection approaches and Support Vector Machine classification method with variants were compared to classify fuel types. The best-fitted classification model, trained with the DART simulated sample and validated with ALS-PNOA data, was obtained using Support Vector Machine method with radial kernel. The overall accuracy of the classification after validation was 88% and 91% for the 2011 and 2016 years, respectively. The use of DART demonstrates its value for simulating generalizable 3D data for fuel type classification providing relevant information for forest managers in fire prevention and extinction

Incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing minimally invasive valve surgery

BackgroundWe hypothesize that minimally invasive valve surgery in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is superior to a conventional median sternotomy.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 1945 consecutive patients who underwent isolated valve surgery. Included were patients with CKD stages 2 to 5. In-hospital mortality, composite complication rates, and intensive care unit and total hospital lengths of stay of those who underwent a minimally invasive approach were compared with those who underwent a standard median sternotomy. Resource use was approximated based on intensive care unit and total hospital lengths of stay.ResultsThere were 688 patients identified; 510 (74%) underwent minimally invasive surgery, and 178 (26%) underwent a median sternotomy. There was no significant difference in mortality. Minimally invasive surgery was associated with fewer composite complications (33.1% vs 49.4%; odds ratio, 0.5; P ≤ .001), shorter intensive care unit (48 [interquartile range {IQR}, 33-74] hours vs 71 [IQR, 42-96] hours; P < .01), and hospital (8 [IQR, 6-9] days vs 10 [IQR, 8-15] days; P < .001) lengths of stay, and a lower incidence of acute kidney injury (8% vs 14.7%; odds ratio, 0.5; P = .01), compared with median sternotomy. In a multivariable analysis, minimally invasive surgery was associated with a 60% reduction in the risk of development of postoperative acute kidney injury.ConclusionsIn patients with CKD undergoing isolated valve surgery, minimally invasive valve surgery is associated with reduced postoperative complications and lower resource use

Radiación solar en la provincia de Tucumán: una comparación entre valores estimados por satélite y medidos por una red solarimétrica

El modelo GL/CPTEC de estimación de radiación solar utiliza imágenes del satélite GOES (canal VIS) para América del Sur, procesándolas en régimen operacional. Los valores estimados para el área del Noroeste Argentino fueron comparados con medidas realizadas en 17 estaciones de la red de estaciones automáticas de la Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC). Los valores diarios de GL en el trimestre octubre-diciembre de 2010 presentan elevada linealidad (R2>0,93) al comparar con mediciones de la red. En general, promedios trimestrales difieren en menos de 4% en la llanura tucumana y en la región montañosa, y en 4-7% en la región del pedemonte, cercana a la cadena del Aconquija. La desviación estándar de valores diarios en torno del desvío sistemático es de 20-35 W.m-2. Los campos de radiación mensual permiten discernir variaciones espaciales significativas en escala de algunas decenas de kilómetros. Son analizadas algunas fuentes de error y métodos de perfeccionamiento.Model GL/CPTEC assesses solar irradiance using GOES-VIS imagery for South America, being run in a operational scheme. Resultant GL values for Argentine Northwest region were compared with measurements at 17 automatic stations operated by Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres. Daily GL values during three-month period October-December 2010 exhibit high linearity (R2>0.93) when compared with EEAOC network. Three-month mean values differ fom EEAOC means by less than 4% over eastern Tucumán and by 4-7% nearby mountainous Aconquija slope. Standard deviation of daily values around mean deviation is about 20-35 W.m-2. Monthly mean fields allow discern for space variability meaningful in a several ten-kilometers scale. Some error sources and quality improvements are analyzed.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Radiación solar en la provincia de Tucumán: una comparación entre valores estimados por satélite y medidos por una red solarimétrica

El modelo GL/CPTEC de estimación de radiación solar utiliza imágenes del satélite GOES (canal VIS) para América del Sur, procesándolas en régimen operacional. Los valores estimados para el área del Noroeste Argentino fueron comparados con medidas realizadas en 17 estaciones de la red de estaciones automáticas de la Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC). Los valores diarios de GL en el trimestre octubre-diciembre de 2010 presentan elevada linealidad (R2>0,93) al comparar con mediciones de la red. En general, promedios trimestrales difieren en menos de 4% en la llanura tucumana y en la región montañosa, y en 4-7% en la región del pedemonte, cercana a la cadena del Aconquija. La desviación estándar de valores diarios en torno del desvío sistemático es de 20-35 W.m-2. Los campos de radiación mensual permiten discernir variaciones espaciales significativas en escala de algunas decenas de kilómetros. Son analizadas algunas fuentes de error y métodos de perfeccionamiento.Model GL/CPTEC assesses solar irradiance using GOES-VIS imagery for South America, being run in a operational scheme. Resultant GL values for Argentine Northwest region were compared with measurements at 17 automatic stations operated by Estación Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres. Daily GL values during three-month period October-December 2010 exhibit high linearity (R2>0.93) when compared with EEAOC network. Three-month mean values differ fom EEAOC means by less than 4% over eastern Tucumán and by 4-7% nearby mountainous Aconquija slope. Standard deviation of daily values around mean deviation is about 20-35 W.m-2. Monthly mean fields allow discern for space variability meaningful in a several ten-kilometers scale. Some error sources and quality improvements are analyzed.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Loss of Genomic Diversity in a Neisseria meningitidis Clone Through a Colonization Bottleneck.

Neisseria meningitidis is the leading cause of epidemic meningitis in the "meningitis belt" of Africa, where clonal waves of colonization and disease are observed. Point mutations and horizontal gene exchange lead to constant diversification of meningococcal populations during clonal spread. Maintaining a high genomic diversity may be an evolutionary strategy of meningococci that increases chances of fixing occasionally new highly successful "fit genotypes". We have performed a longitudinal study of meningococcal carriage and disease in northern Ghana by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid samples from all suspected meningitis cases and monitoring carriage of meningococci by twice yearly colonization surveys. In the framework of this study, we observed complete replacement of an A: sequence types (ST)-2859 clone by a W: ST-2881 clone. However, after a gap of 1 year, A: ST-2859 meningococci re-emerged both as colonizer and meningitis causing agent. Our whole genome sequencing analyses compared the A population isolated prior to the W colonization and disease wave with the re-emerging A meningococci. This analysis revealed expansion of one clone differing in only one nonsynonymous SNP from several isolates already present in the original A: ST-2859 population. The colonization bottleneck caused by the competing W meningococci thus resulted in a profound reduction in genomic diversity of the A meningococcal population

Emergence and genomic diversification of a virulent serogroup W:ST-2881(CC175) Neisseria meningitidis clone in the African meningitis belt.

Countries of the African 'meningitis belt' are susceptible to meningococcal meningitis outbreaks. While in the past major epidemics have been primarily caused by serogroup A meningococci, W strains are currently responsible for most of the cases. After an epidemic in Mecca in 2000, W:ST-11 strains have caused many outbreaks worldwide. An unrelated W:ST-2881 clone was described for the first time in 2002, with the first meningitis cases caused by these bacteria reported in 2003. Here we describe results of a comparative whole-genome analysis of 74 W:ST-2881 strains isolated within the framework of two longitudinal colonization and disease studies conducted in Ghana and Burkina Faso. Genomic data indicate that the W:ST-2881 clone has emerged from Y:ST-175(CC175) bacteria by capsule switching. The circulating W:ST-2881 populations were composed of a variety of closely related but distinct genomic variants with no systematic differences between colonization and disease isolates. Two distinct and geographically clustered phylogenetic clonal variants were identified in Burkina Faso and a third in Ghana. On the basis of the presence or absence of 17 recombination fragments, the Ghanaian variant could be differentiated into five clusters. All 25 Ghanaian disease isolates clustered together with 23 out of 40 Ghanaian isolates associated with carriage within one cluster, indicating that W:ST-2881 clusters differ in virulence. More than half of the genes affected by horizontal gene transfer encoded proteins of the 'cell envelope' and the 'transport/binding protein' categories, which indicates that exchange of non-capsular antigens plays an important role in immune evasion