Visual and interactive exploration of point data

Point data, such as Unit Postcodes (UPC), can provide very detailed information at fine scales of resolution. For instance, socio-economic attributes are commonly assigned to UPC. Hence, they can be represented as points and observable at the postcode level. Using UPC as a common field allows the concatenation of variables from disparate data sources that can potentially support sophisticated spatial analysis. However, visualising UPC in urban areas has at least three limitations. First, at small scales UPC occurrences can be very dense making their visualisation as points difficult. On the other hand, patterns in the associated attribute values are often hardly recognisable at large scales. Secondly, UPC can be used as a common field to allow the concatenation of highly multivariate data sets with an associated postcode. Finally, socio-economic variables assigned to UPC (such as the ones used here) can be non-Normal in their distributions as a result of a large presence of zero values and high variances which constrain their analysis using traditional statistics. This paper discusses a Point Visualisation Tool (PVT), a proof-of-concept system developed to visually explore point data. Various well-known visualisation techniques were implemented to enable their interactive and dynamic interrogation. PVT provides multiple representations of point data to facilitate the understanding of the relations between attributes or variables as well as their spatial characteristics. Brushing between alternative views is used to link several representations of a single attribute, as well as to simultaneously explore more than one variable. PVT’s functionality shows how the use of visual techniques embedded in an interactive environment enable the exploration of large amounts of multivariate point data

Usability testing for improving interactive geovisualization techniques

Usability describes a product’s fitness for use according to a set of predefined criteria. Whatever the aim of the product, it should facilitate users’ tasks or enhance their performance by providing appropriate analysis tools. In both cases, the main interest is to satisfy users in terms of providing relevant functionality which they find fit for purpose. “Testing usability means making sure that people can find and work with [a product’s] functions to meet their needs” (Dumas and Redish, 1999: 4). It is therefore concerned with establishing whether people can use a product to complete their tasks with ease and at the same time help them complete their jobs more effectively. This document describes the findings of a usability study carried out on DecisionSite Map Interaction Services (Map IS). DecisionSite, a product of Spotfire, Inc.,1 is an interactive system for the visual and dynamic exploration of data designed for supporting decisionmaking. The system was coupled to ArcExplorer (forming DecisionSite Map IS) to provide limited GIS functionality (simple user interface, basic tools, and data management) and support users of spatial data. Hence, this study set out to test the suitability of the coupling between the two software components (DecisionSite and ArcExplorer) for the purpose of exploring spatial data. The first section briefly discusses DecisionSite’s visualization functionality. The second section describes the test goals, its design, the participants and data used. The following section concentrates on the analysis of results, while the final section discusses future areas of research and possible development

On Prices in Myrdal's Monetary Theory

The aim of this paper is to show how Myrdal monetary theory can contribute to the study of the behaviour of prices in disequilibrium. The analysis explains the existence of a cumulative process based on the capacity of the entrepreneur to anticipate price variations. The variation in prices explains the persistence of the cumulative process. This, we argue, represents an opposite view of the one contained in Wicksell's theory. Myrdal's theory leads to the rejection of the quantity theory of money based on Wicksell's approach. This comes as a surprising result knowing Wicksell believed his results confirmed this theory.Myrdal; monetary equilibrium; cumulative process; prices; profit

Earmarking government revenues in Colombia

This paper has two broad objectives. The first is the examination of the trends in the size and structure of earmarking since 1970, illuminating the major changes and their causes. The second is an evaluation of the major examples of earmarking with a view toward making recommendations for change. In making recommendations for reducing the scope of earmarking in Colombia, several principles should be used for guidance: (a) is there a substantial overlap between the beneficiaries and the tax/price payers for any given government service; (b) do the tax/price arrangements appear to be leading to appropriate levels of the service over time; and (c) are resources being utilized effectively for the purpose intended. The remainder of the paper is divided into four parts: (a) time series data on the size and structure of earmarking during the last two decades; (b) factors behind the popularity of earmarking in Colombia and a review of the findings and recommendations of two major government commissions which have examined the subject; (c) a critical review of the major examples which make up over 90% of total earmarking; and (d) a summary of major findings and recommendations for changes.Economic Theory&Research,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,National Governance,Banks&Banking Reform

Apatheia in the teachings of Evagrius Ponticus

This thesis is to my knowledge the first full-length examination of Evagrian apatheia. Chapter One contextualises Evagrian apatheia by outlining Evagrius' cosmology and anthropology. Attention is drawn to the centrality within them of the distinction be-tween unstable and stable movement and to Evagrius' characterisation of apatheia and empatheia in these terms. Apatheia, as the stable movement of the soul, is noted to be the foundation for the transformative contemplation by means of which the fallen nous re-ascends to union with God. The anthropology section describes Evagrius' understanding of the nous, soul, body and heart. Chapter Two examines the psychology and phenomenology of empatheia. Section One focuses upon the logismoi, discussing what Evagrius means by the term logismos, noting the inherence of pathos to the logismoi, explaining his concept of the 'matter' of the logismoi and discussing his eightfold classification of 'most generic logismoi'. Section Two focuses upon pathos, discussing the meaning of the term within Greek philosophy, how Origen understands it and how Evagrius himself understands it. It then discusses the cognitive 'building blocks' of the logismoi, the empathē noēmata and the arousal of pathos. Section Three describes the phenomenology of empatheia. Chapter Three establishes that the subject of apatheia is the tripartite soul in its entirety, then adduces evidence for apatheia's being the stable movement of the soul. It then dis-cusses Evagrius' spiritual characterisations of apatheia – first as death and resurrection and then as love and knowledge, the latter including practical moral knowledge as well as knowledge of transcendent realities. The holistic, embodied nature of spiritual knowledge as understood by Evagrius is emphasised, as is the inseparability of knowledge from love. His understanding of apatheia is shown to be profoundly Christian, and in particular Pauline. Following a discussion of how apatheia is attained, the chapter concludes with a summary description of apatheia as understood by Evagrius

Continuity of Care in Children’s Mental Health: Development of a Measure

Continuity of care, which is how a patient experiences care over time as coherent and linked, has been identified as an indicator of health system performance and is considered an ethical principle of care. Yet, no instrument exists to measure continuity of care as experienced by families receiving services through the children\u27s mental health (CMH) system. A new measure, Continuity of Care in Children’s Mental Health (C3MH), is presented. The project involved four phases: item generation, pre-testing, pilot testing, and validation. In the validation study, the 42-item C3MH was administered to 364 parents of children and youth (M =12 years; SD =3.50; 57% boys), recruited from 13 CMH agencies in Ontario. Using EQS, a CFA was conducted to determine the fit of data to the hypothesized model. A five-factor model had an excellent fit (Y-B χ2 = 514.93, p \u3c .001; NNFI = .93; CFI = .94; IFI = .94; RMSEA = .046; 90% C.I. = .039, .053). Cronbach’s alphas for the subscales ranged from .80 to .93 and test-retest reliabilities ranged from .75 to .92. The C3MH was related to: higher satisfaction with services; higher child internalizing problems; less impact of problems on the family; having a case manager, and not dropping out of treatment. The transitions scale was negatively related to parental depression, externalizing problems, total problems, child impairment, and impact of problems on the family. A youth-report version was also piloted with 57 youth and these results are presented. The C3MH is the first parent-report measure of continuity in CMH and will be useful for assessing and tracking improvements in system integration and service coordination

Un mecanismo de precios para la teoría del valor

Este artículo tiene como objetivo mostrar la aplicación que tiene la regla Cantillon-Smith en la teoría marxista de la plusvalía y en la teoría del equilibrio general. En ambas, la regla actúa como un mecanismo de formación de precios de mercado monetarios. Para tal fin, explicamos dos modelos. El primero es un modelo Benetti-Cartelier con relaciones capitalistas, y el segundo, un modelo de equilibrio general walrasiano sin subastador. Luego de mostrar la operatividad de la regla en los dos, señalamos algunas de las ventajas y desventajas que ofrece su utilización como expresión de la compatibilidad de las decisiones descentralizadas de los agentes en una economía abstracta.valor; dinero; plusvalía; salario; precio; desequilibrio

Cruces

Cruces is a multimedia installation depicting immigrant conditions and experiences throughout landscapes, Latinx communities, and borderlands. Made during the last two years, it is constructed as a multivocal ethnography of immigrants with varying legal statuses, countries of origin, and stages in their journey. The imagery, sounds, and narratives are composed of the distributed yet relational geographies of immigrants’ experience and the pieces are structured to highlight the constitutive elements of human mobilities, such as trains, rivers and immigration hubs, as well as the natural obstacles they face in their perilous transit, such as forests and deserts. The fieldwork was carried out during summer 2019 and winter 2019-2020, when I collected and photographed the experiences of immigrants and their intersection with the geographies of immigration. By interrelating cities along the US East Coast, US-Mexico borderlands, and the southern Mexican states, the project offers a wide range of ideas, circumstances, and situations immigrants have to face in their day-to-day. This project explores the ideas of citizenship of immigrants who have settled, the relations on borders and immigrants\u27 hazardous experiences, and the operation of the so-called expanded borders in Mexico. Using photographic images, video pieces, maps, and personal notes, the project addresses the complexity and the challenge of portraying such a complex subject matter. Cruces was created using documentary aesthetics and sensory depictions while also critically examining the idea of objectivity through its use of multiple points of view to the migratory experience

Intimate Partner Violence and Parenting: A Qualitative Study with Immigrant Latinas

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is widespread among women, including those that are mothers (Austin et al., 2017). The impact of experiencing IPV is considered a significant health problem for women and their children (Amerson et al., 2014). The deleterious effects of IPV on parenting have been documented, including less effective parenting, engagement, communication and greater harsh discipline and neglect (Chiesa et al., 2018). Despite being the second fastestgrowing ethnoracial group, IPV research on Latinas specifically has been sparse and represents a critical public health concern that requires empirical attention (Paat et al., 2017). Immigrant Latinas may be particularly vulnerable due to isolation, greater economic disparities, and other immigration-related stressors (Stockman et al., 2015). The purpose of the present qualitative study was to conduct an in-depth exploration about the influence that experiencing IPV has on parenting among immigrant Latina mothers. To that end, 11 immigrant Latina mothers who had exited the relationship participated in individual, semi-structured interviews where they shared their perspectives on the implications of IPV on various aspects of their parenting. Grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2000; Strauss & Corbin, 1990) was used for data analysis. Results revealed IPV has lasting effects on mothers, children, and parenting into the post-separation period. These included reduced maternal psychological health, lower family functioning, and diminished parental competence. Nonetheless, mothers developed constructive parenting goals and behaviors in response to IPV and utilize internal resources to persevere through IPV- and immigration-related challenges as single mothers. Limitations, implications and suggestions for practice and future research are discussed