Mario Ferro on Consultancy Projects, Fieldwork, and Social Enterprise

Mario Ferro (MSc Development Management 2009), CEO of Wedu, held a workshop at LSE last month to discuss social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Mario has kindly agreed to answer a few questions on the major issues raised during the afternoon, including consultancy projects, the value of fieldwork, and vital tips for starting a social enterprise

Generalization in chess thinking

In this work we deal with generalization in chess thinking. Generalization is a complex process based on information people acquired during previous experiences. In the field of chess, chess books, chess education and personal game practice supply the information for generalization to occur. The way in which generalization is performed in chess is still a topic that deserves more research. In this article we dwell on early theories about chess thinking. We underline the role played by what we call configural concepts, in which geometrical patterns and logical expected developments coexist. We suggest that the idea of configural concepts, along with generalization and abduction constitute the basis of chess thinking

Generalización en el pensamiento al jugar ajedrez

In this work we deal with generalization in chess thinking. Generalization is a complex process based on information people acquired during previous experiences. In the field of chess, chess books, chess education and personal game practice supply the information for generalization to occur. The way in which generalization is performed in chess is still a topic that deserves more research. In this article we dwell on early theories about chess thinking. We underline the role played by what we call configural concepts, in which geometrical patterns and logical expected developments coexist. We suggest that the idea of configural concepts, along with generalization and abduction constitute the basis of chess thinking.En este trabajo abordamos la generalización en el pensamiento en el juego del ajedrez. La generalización es un complejo proceso basado en información adquirida durante experiencias previas. En el campo del ajedrez, los libros de ajedrez, la educación en el ajedrez y la práctica personal con el juego aportan la información que posibilita la generalización. La forma en que la generalización se produce en el ajedrez es todavía un tema que merece más investigación. En este artículo consideramos teorías tempranas sobre el pensamiento en el ajedrez. Subrayamos el papel que juegan lo que llamamos conceptos configurales, en los cuales coexisten los patrones geométricos y desarrollos lógicos esperados. Sugerimos que la idea de conceptos configurales, junto con la generalización y la abducción constituyen la base del pensamiento en el ajedrez

Generalization in chess thinking

In this work we deal with generalization in chess thinking. Generalization is a complex process based on information people acquired during previous experiences. In the field of chess, chess books, chess education and personal game practice supply the information for generalization to occur. The way in which generalization is performed in chess is still a topic that deserves more research. In this article we dwell on early theories about chess thinking. We underline the role played by what we call configural concepts, in which geometrical patterns and logical expected developments coexist. We suggest that the idea of configural concepts, along with generalization and abduction constitute the basis of chess thinking.Generalización en el pensamiento al jugar ajedrezEn este trabajo abordamos la generalización en el pensamiento en el juego del ajedrez. La generalización es un complejo proceso basado en información adquirida durante experiencias previas. En el campo del ajedrez, los libros de ajedrez, la educación en el ajedrez y la práctica personal con el juego aportan la información que posibilita la generalización. La forma en que la generalización se produce en el ajedrez es todavía un tema que merece más investigación. En este artículo consideramos teorías tempranas sobre el pensamiento en el ajedrez. Subrayamos el papel que juegan lo que llamamos conceptos configurales, en los cuales coexisten los patrones geométricos y desarrollos lógicos esperados. Sugerimos que la idea de conceptos configurales, junto con la generalización y la abducción constituyen la base del pensamiento en el ajedrez.Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10481/34995WOS-ESCINº de citas en WOS (2017): 1 (Citas de 2º orden, 1

Post-transcriptional knowledge in pathway analysis increases the accuracy of phenotypes classification

Motivation: Prediction of phenotypes from high-dimensional data is a crucial task in precision biology and medicine. Many technologies employ genomic biomarkers to characterize phenotypes. However, such elements are not sufficient to explain the underlying biology. To improve this, pathway analysis techniques have been proposed. Nevertheless, such methods have shown lack of accuracy in phenotypes classification. Results: Here we propose a novel methodology called MITHrIL (Mirna enrIched paTHway Impact anaLysis) for the analysis of signaling pathways, which has built on top of the work of Tarca et al., 2009. MITHrIL extends pathways by adding missing regulatory elements, such as microRNAs, and their interactions with genes. The method takes as input the expression values of genes and/or microRNAs and returns a list of pathways sorted according to their deregulation degree, together with the corresponding statistical significance (p-values). Our analysis shows that MITHrIL outperforms its competitors even in the worst case. In addition, our method is able to correctly classify sets of tumor samples drawn from TCGA. Availability: MITHrIL is freely available at the following URL: http://alpha.dmi.unict.it/mithril

Wireless communication, identification and sensing technologies enabling integrated logistics: a study in the harbor environment

In the last decade, integrated logistics has become an important challenge in the development of wireless communication, identification and sensing technology, due to the growing complexity of logistics processes and the increasing demand for adapting systems to new requirements. The advancement of wireless technology provides a wide range of options for the maritime container terminals. Electronic devices employed in container terminals reduce the manual effort, facilitating timely information flow and enhancing control and quality of service and decision made. In this paper, we examine the technology that can be used to support integration in harbor's logistics. In the literature, most systems have been developed to address specific needs of particular harbors, but a systematic study is missing. The purpose is to provide an overview to the reader about which technology of integrated logistics can be implemented and what remains to be addressed in the future

Satellite-3G Hybrid Networks: Impact of ACM and ARQ on TCP Performance

The adoption of satellite systems in providing broadband transmissions to mobile users such as trains, buses and vans is expected to be an interesting solution. The scenario we considered refers to a hybrid network architecture, where a geostationary satellite forward link and a terrestrial 3G return link are used in order to exploit both the high bandwidth of a satellite channel and the lower propagation delay of a terrestrial path. The resulting round-trip delay is much shorter than that one experienced by using both the forward and return link via satellite. This is particularly appealing for overcoming the TCP efficiency degradation in high delay-bandwidth product and error prone channels. In this hybrid scenario, we used simulation results to compare the goodput of four of the most popular TCP variants, in the presence of a GOOD-BAD satellite channel, as the one experienced by mobile users. We applied an Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM) technique as well, and studied its impact on TCP efficiency, when used both alone and in cooperation with an Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) scheme of the Selective Repeat (SR) type with low persistency. Results obtained indicate that this hybrid architecture is advantageous for TCP transmissions in terms of average goodput, and that ACM is effective only if it is jointly used with ARQ schemes

Diagnóstico del desempeño ambiental de la superintendencia de notariado y registro basado en la norma ISO 14001:2015 y recomendaciones de implementación

La Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro actualmente cumple con las normas de calidad ISO 9000 en la versión 2008 y en la norma NTC-GP1000 versión 2009, este cumplimiento es parcial debido a que solamente se encuentra en 26 oficinas de Registro de 195 que tiene actualmente, cubre los procesos de gestión del servicio registral, gestión documental registral, orientación, inspección, vigilancia y control de la gestión registral y gestión administrativa registral. El presente proyecto se fundamenta en la protección del medio ambiente y va más allá de la preservación de la vida. La reflexión de este estudio, análisis y recomendaciones para su posterior implementación, hacen de este diagnóstico medioambiental de la SNR, como parte de responsabilidad social que tienen las organizaciones gubernamentales y conlleva a una necesidad imperativa de hacer inmersa la norma ISO 14001:2015, como imagen corporativa socialmente responsable.The Superintendency of Notaries and Registry currently complies with the ISO 9000 quality standards in the 2008 version and in the NTC-GP1000 version 2009, this compliance is partial because it is only found in 26 registry offices of 195 that it currently has, covers the processes of management of the registry service, registry document management, orientation, inspection, monitoring and control of the registry management and registry administrative management. The present project is based on the protection of the environment and goes beyond the preservation of life. The reflection of this study, analysis and recommendations for its subsequent implementation, make this environmental diagnosis of the Superintendency of Notaries and Registry, as part of social responsibility of governmental organizations and entails an imperative need to make the ISO 14001: 2015 standard immersed as socially responsible corporate image

Malpractice and patient safety descriptors: an innovative grid to evaluate the quality of clinical records

Introduction: The medical record contains all the health information related to the patient’s clinical condition and its evolution during hospitalization. It was defined by the Italian Ministry of Health in 1992 as "The information tool designed to record all relevant demographic and clinical information about a patient during a single episode of hospitalization". The documents and information in a Medical Record must meet the following criteria: traceability, clarity, accuracy, authenticity, pertinence and completeness. The objectives of our study was to develop a tool capable of assessing the quality of the clinical record and pointed the critical point at the Organizational, Technical - Professional, Managerial level. Methods: To evaluate the quality of the medical documentation, we created an assessment grid composed of 4 sections with a total of 92 criteria. This grid was tested on 200 medical records that were randomly selected from 25 (18 medical and 7 surgical) wards of a teaching hospital in Rome. Results: The grid contains 4 sections. The first part regards administrative and clinical data; the second assesses the quality of hospital stay and surgical/invasive procedures; the third part is concerned with the discharge of the patient and the fourth aims to identify the presence of advisory reports given to the patient. This grid has been validated to verify internal consistency with Cronbach's Alpha = 0,743. Conclusions: Medical records were analyzed using a validated tool with grids to identify critical issues in care activities. Weaknesses in the system were identified in order to improve planning. The sample testing also in terms of ‘self-assessment' represents a tool to introduce activities to improve safety and quality of care, greatly reducing the costs of litigation