Data-driven & Theory-driven Science : Artificial Realities and Applications to Savings Groups

Paper I and Paper II is not published yet. They are excluded from the dissertation until they will be published.The scientific process is neither unique nor nomic. Two processes of scientific inquiry are theory-driven and data-driven science. This dissertation analyzes savings groups using theory-driven and data-driven methods. Simulated realities-based on data-driven theory-are used to understand the emerging dynamics of savings groups. Savings groups are grassroots, community-based organizations composed of 15 to 30 members. These organizations-usually supported by international development agencies-have weekly meetings during a cycle of operations that typically lasts a year. In the groups, savings are kept in two funds: a fund for loans and a social welfare fund that covers life-cycle events. The findings of Papers A to D in this dissertation provide new large-sample evidence about savings groups, their dynamics, and the factors affecting their financial performance. In practice, the results of Paper A to D shed light on the best policies to promote sustainable development with informal finance in a cost-effective way. A theory-driven approach indicates that the social fund in savings groups stimulates loan allocation among risk-sharing members, while implicitly covering idiosyncratic risks (Paper A). A data-driven approach based on Bayesian data-mining reveals that the macroeconomic environment and the facilitation model of development agencies have a strong influence on the profit-generating capacity of savings groups (Paper B). Machine-learning methods further show that business training is not the most frequent program implemented by development agencies, but it is in fact the most powerful intervention to encourage profits, particularly when a development agency stops working with a group and leaves a community (Paper C). Finally, the simulation of a village with artificial agents indicates that the businesses of savings groups can have higher profits due to the consolidation of social capital and the competitive advantage created through a process of homophily (Paper D). Metatheoretically, the theory-driven and data-driven approaches of this dissertation-and the complementarity between these approaches-contribute to the epistemology of data-intensive science. The dissertation concludes that the gelstaltic and quasi-teleological explanations of the data-driven approach help to the formulation of theories through inductive and abductive reasoning.publishedVersio

Reingeniería del sistema contra incendios para la refinería la libertad

El presente trabajo muestra el diseño y dimensionamiento del sistema contra incendios, con la selección de todos los equipos y maquinaria, las implantaciones necesarias, desde el punto de vista practico, con la finalidad de que la refinería cuenta con un sistema independiente contra incendios tomando en cuenta que la protección contra el fuego, tiene como objetivo asegurar la vida de las personas, las instalaciones y el medio ambiente a un costo razonable y que dicha protección habría de ser considerada como una conjunción de medidas, tales como el diseño y dimensionamiento de las partes constitutuivas, tales como el reservorio, sistema de tuberías, sistema de bombeo, los sistemas de drenaje, el control de medidas contra el fuego, la prevención del inicio y propagación del fuego, así como sus aspectos organizativos, siendo todas estas medidas complementarias, de tal manera que al faltar alguna de ella o no haber sido valorada como le corresponde se perderá la eficacia del sistema. Summar

“diseño de maquinarias para la elaboración de placas térmicas de un calentador de aire regenerativo tipo ljungström para plantas de vapor”

En la actualidad las empresas industriales están sometidas a cambios constantes. Estos cambios las vuelven más competitivas en el mercado, obligándolas a prestar mejores servicios y a proteger el medio ambiente; todo esto en equilibrio con el ahorro de recursos. Uno de los problemas generados para mantener la eficiencia de las plantas generadoras de vapor es la degradación de las placas térmicas de un Calentador de Aire Regenerativo (CAR) tipo Ljungström. Esta degradación es consecuencia de la corrosión debido a los componentes producidos en la combustión que generan ácido, la obstrucción al flujo, suciedad y erosión de las placas térmicas. Generalmente, lo que se realiza en nuestras industrias es la importación de estos elementos lo cual causa otros problemas como el costo más elevado y el largos tiempos de entrega e instalación de estas placas. La solución a este problema que se plantea en este proyecto es la nacionalización de la fabricación de las placas térmicas, todo esto mediante el diseño de maquinarias para darle la forma a cada uno de los elementos que conforman las canastas térmicas del Calentador de Aire Regenerativo tipo Ljungström

Automated classification system of giant white corn using image processing and supervised techniques

Nowadays, the use of artificial vision for classification in agricultural products has proven to have a great impact on this field. The exportation of agricultural goods has risen all over the world, consequently, that is the reason why exporting companies are looking to automate their processes and artificial vision techniques seems a great niche. This automation will allow an improvement in their production performance by diminishing the time and cost of their processes. While having a sound quality product in less time, improved precision and with no extensive manipulation of the product. In this article, we aim to offer a low cost alternative to this procedure oriented to the classification of Peruvian white corn by proposing an algorithm for the segmentation and recognition of images using computer vision techniques

Manuel Jaimes Gonzales y su obra

Resumen Nació en Bucaramanga (Santander, Colombia) el 15 de junio de 1965. Realizó estudios de dibujo, pintura, teoría del color y filosofía del arte en el estudio del maestro Mario Hernández Prada en Girón, en los años 1984 a 1988

Lima, a polycentric city. An analysis from the location of employment

El objetivo de este artículo es el estudio de la conformación de varios centros en Lima Metropolitana (Perú), a la luz del modelo policéntrico. Nos hemos aproximado empíricamente a este proceso a través de la localización espacial de la fuerza laboral, como indicador de la concentración económica en el espacio,\ud debido esto a la escasez de información empírica. Hemos usado datos de empleo georeferenciados a nivel de zonas censales del Censo Económico de 2008 y una combinación de metodologías que nos permitió estimar funciones de densidad. Se identificó diez centros y se les clasificó según su nivel de aglomeración y consolidación de actividades económicas. Los resultados confirman la hipótesis del carácter policéntrico de Lima.The purpose of this paper is to study the formation of various\ud urban centers in Metropolitan Lima (Peru), on the basis of the Polycentric Model. Given the scarcity of empirical data, our approach has been based on the localization of workers as an indicator of spatial economic concentration. We have used georeferenced data of employment at the level of census tracts\ud from the 2008 Economic Census and a combination of methodologies that has allowed us to estimate density functions. We have identified ten centers and classified them considering the degree of agglomeration and consolidation of economics activities. Results confirm the hypothesis that Lima is a polycentric\ud city

California Public Schools and Employees' Negligence of Supervision on School Property

We live in a culture where school systems are accused of being negligent or at fault for any undesired outcome. This can leave school districts and their employees anxious about potential consequences, regardless if the negligent claim is warranted or not. Therefore, there is a need for all educators to understand their responsibilities to provide a safe learning environment, and this may look different from state to state across the United States. The purpose of this study was to analyze how California state courts have interpreted the concept of sovereign immunity and tort claims filed against California public-school districts and their public-school employees related to negligence of supervision on school grounds. This legal research case study design was guided by the following research question: what are the exceptions to sovereign immunity regarding negligence related to the supervision of students as required by California statute? This study analyzed twelve various cases of California public-school districts and employees involving negligence in supervision claims on school grounds after the 1963 California Tort Claims Act was enacted. Based on the issue, rule, application, and conclusion of the twelve cases, eight were ruled in favor of the plaintiff or appellant, and four cases had final court decisions in favor of the defendant or district being sued. Recommendations for further research are to replicate this study to determine how other states interpret negligence of supervision on school property for comparative purposes. Secondly, the research could be expanded to examine the supervision of students while off school premises