E-business adoption in construction : international review on impediments

The adoption of e-business by the Australian construction industry lags other service and product industries. It is assumed that slow adoption rate does not reflect the maturity of the technology but is due to adoption impediments peculiar to the nature of construction. This chapter examines impediments to the uptake of e-business nationally and internationally. A systematic and extensive literature search of impediments (also referred to as obstacles, impediments or hindrances) to adoption has been undertaken and the findings discussed in this chapter. This review included more that 200 documents and these have been published in a searchable database as part of a larger research initiative funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation. The influence of levels of e-business maturity seen in other sectors such as retail, tourism and manufacturing was also captured and a number of major impediments were identified some including: privacy, trust, uncertainty of financial returns, lack of reliable measurement, fraud, lack of support and system maintenance. A total of 23 impediments were assessed in terms of impact to organisational type and size across reviewed documents. With this information it was possible to develop a reference framework for measuring maturity levels and readiness to uptake e-business in construction. Results have also shown that impediments to e-business adoption work differently according to organisational type and culture. Areas of training and people development need to be addressed. This would include a more sensitive approach to the nature of construction organisations, especially to those small and medium enterprises. Raising levels of awareness and creating trust for on-line collaboration are other aspects that need attention, which current studies confirm as lacking. An empirical study within construction, to validate these findings, forms the subsequent phase of this research

Evaluación de las expectativas laborales en el alumnado del Grado de Pedagogía

En la última década y según el CIS (2018), el principal problema que ha existido y existe en España es el paro (65.9%) siendo también éste el que más afecta a la ciudadanía (33.9%). Según el M.E.C., la transición de los estudiantes al mundo laboral constituye una gran preocupación entre la población estudiantil ya que la tasa de paro se sitúa en un 11,6%, frente al 6,3% de la media Europea. La formación universitaria difiere mucho de los requerimientos del mercado laboral actual, nuestro estudiantado se forma en las llamadas Hard Skills relegando a un segundo término las llamadas Soft Skills tan necesarias para que un profesional sepa desenvolverse tanto en el acceso al mundo laboral como ya dentro de él y tan necesarias para la empleabilidad y el emprendimiento. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido evaluar y analizar las expectativas laborales y la empleabilidad del alumnado del grado en pedagogía. Para ello se ha utilizado una muestra de 147 estudiantes de la Universidad de Málaga (España). La metodología utilizada ha sido cuantitativa, se ha recogido la información mediante un cuestionario on line, caracterizado por preguntas tipo likert y estructurado en 3 dimensiones: futuro laboral, valoración de un empleo y aportación a la empresa, perfil del trabajo ideal. Los resultados muestran una importante preocupación del alumnado por su futuro laboral una vez finalizado sus estudios, ya que un alto porcentaje de éste, considera que les será muy complicado encontrar un empleo donde se requiera un perfil profesional asociado a su formación universitaria. Por otra parte, los datos obtenidos evidencian una puntuación muy alta, sobretodo en el aspecto económico (Item “buen sueldo”) y en ambiente positivo (ítem “trabajo gratificante”), donde se ofrece un perfil muy detallado del trabajo ideal, y donde la reconciliación de la vida laboral y personal es clave para el pleno desarrollo profesional en estudiantes del Grado de Pedagogía en la UMA.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Effect of cover and fertilization on the early development of Nothofagus alessandrii nursery container seedlings

Nothofagus alessandrii is an endangered species. Yet, available information for the propagation and nursery cultivation of this species is conspicuously lacking. To this end, we studied the effect of cover and fertilization on early growth of nursery seedlings over one growing season. Using a split plot experimental design with completely random fixed-effect blocks we monitored seedling growth with three levels of shade (plastic net Raschel® of 35, 50, y 80 %) and three doses of slow-release fertilizer (4, 6, and 10 g of Osmocote® per litter of growth media). Results demonstrated a significant effect of shade treatments on seedling development. Differences between seedlings treated with 35-50 % when compared with those treated with 80 % cultivated were observed on the evaluated attributes. In general, fertilization did not affect seedling development. In conclusion, it is more efficient to cultivate N. alessandrii nursery seedlings at 35 % shade and 4 g L-1 fertilization. Under this scenario, it is possible to produce plants, on average, with 28 cm in stem length; 4 mm of root collar diameter; 3.2 g plant-1 total biomass; and quality indices of 6.9 (slenderness), 2.2 (rootshoot), and 2.1 (Dickson).Nothofagus alessandrii es una especie en peligro de extinción, de la cual aún no hay información suficiente sobre el cultivo de plantas en vivero. Por ello, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el efecto de la cobertura y de la fertilización en el desarrollo inicial de las plantas durante una temporada. Utilizando un diseño en parcelas divididas en bloques al azar, se ensayaron tres niveles de sombra (malla Raschel® de 35, 50, y 80 %) y tres dosis de fertilizante de entrega lenta (4, 6, y 10 g de Osmocote® por litro de sustrato). Los resultados muestran que hubo un efecto significativo de la sombra en el desarrollo de las plantas, observándose mejores atributos en plantas con 35-50 % de sombra, respecto de las cultivadas con 80 %. En general, la fertilización no afectó el desarrollo de las plantas. Se puede concluir que es más eficiente cultivar plantas de N. alessandrii en vivero bajo una cobertura de 35 % de sombra y fertilizando con 4 g L-1. Así, es posible producir, en promedio, plantas de 28 cm de longitud de tallo, 4 mm de diámetro de cuello de la raíz, 3,2 g planta-1 de biomasa total e índices de calidad de 6,9 para el de esbeltez, 2,2 para el de tallo-raíz y 2,1 para el de Dickson

Use of semantic technologies in the development of an ontology for the management of urban projects. the case of the Seville city council

The implementation and start-up of economic activities that generate wealth and employment in any municipality require obtaining municipal licenses and authorizations for which the drafting of a technical activity project is mandatory. All the interested parties benefit from the regulatory compliance with the urban and environmental legal requirements established by the municipalities for this type of projects. However, the numerous non-compliances detected in the "a posteriori" inspections carried out by the municipal technicians are causing that in many Spanish municipalities a high percentage of these projects are not viable and are paralyzed due to non-compliances in aspects such as accessibility for people with disabilities, incorrect location of the machines of the different facilities, smoke and gas outlets, lack of acoustic insulation, etc. The consequence of this situation is the enormous delay in the opening of the establishments, or even that some of the promoters of these projects desist from undertaking the activity. In response to this serious problem, a Knowledge-Based System (KBS) is proposed that would significantly improve the legalization system of economic activity projects processed by a responsible declaration in Spanish municipalities

Current and potential distribution areas for Nothofagus alessandrii, an endangered tree species from central Chile

Nothofagus alessandrii ("ruil") is an endangered species native to the Maule Coastal Forest of central Chile. Previous studies have demonstrated that the current distribution of this species and rates of deforestation and fragmentation present a serious threat to the species. To address this threat, spatial and temporal variation in remnant "ruil" forest cover was analyzed for the period from 1991 to 2008. Using aerial photography and geomatic tools, the state of "ruil" forests cover in 1991 was compared to the "ruil" forests cover in 2008 and with this information, the potential distribution area of this species was calculated. The results demonstrate that the current area of "ruil" forest is approximately 314 ha, with a net loss of 42 ha (12% of the forested area) over the 17-year study period. The annual deforestation rate for "ruil" during this period was 0.74%, a value that is significantly lower than that reported just two decades ago. Taken together with the fact that the majority of "ruil" forests belong to large private companies, with an additional 15% protected by the Chilean government, the conservation status of "ruil" forest has become less critical, at least in the short term. In addition, the habitat model from this study showed that there is a large area of 9,841 ha within which "ruil" forests could be greatly expanded through active forest restoration

Treatment patterns for metastatic colorectal cancer in Spain

Abstract Purpose The primary aim of this retrospective study was to describe the treatment patterns according to the type of treatment received by patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in Spain. Methods This was a retrospective, observational, multicenter study performed by 33 sites throughout Spain that included consecutive patients aged 18 years or older who had received or were receiving treatment for mCRC. Results At the time of inclusion, of the 873 evaluable patients, 507 (58%) had received two lines, 235 (27%) had received three lines, 106 (12%) had received four lines, and the remaining patients had received up to ten lines. The most frequent chemotherapy schemes were the FOLFOX or CAPOX regimens (66%) for frst-line treatment, FOLFOX, CAPOX or FOLFIRI (70%) for second-line treatment, and FOLFOX, FOLFIRI or other fuoropyrimidine-based regimens for third- and fourth-line (over 60%) treatment. Sixty percent of patients received targeted therapy as part of their frst-line treatment, and this proportion increased up to approximately 70% of patients as part of the second-line of treatment. A relevant proportion of patients were treated with unknown KRAS, and especially the BRAF, mutation statuses. Conclusions This study reveals inconsistencies regarding adherence to the recommendations of the ESMO guidelines for the management of mCRC in Spain. Improved adherence to the standard practice described in such guidelines for the determination of RAS and BRAF mutation statuses and the use of targeted therapies in frst-line treatment should be considered to guarantee that patients can beneft from the best therapeutic approaches available. Keywords Colorectal cancer · Metastatic · Treatment patterns · KRAS/BRAF mutation status · Clinical practice guidelin

Análisis de las asimetrías de género en las relaciones de parejas. Un estudio piloto.

Las asimetrías suelen estar presentes en todas las relaciones sociales, siendo las relaciones de parejas donde, tal vez se pueden visualizar más. Dichas asimetrías tienen su origen en los roles de género atribuidos por la sociedad patriarcal en la sociedad en la que vivimos. Según diversos autores como Daume y Hurting (1995), el principio organizador de las asimetrías de género se basa en la relación de dominación que los hombres tienen sobre las mujeres. Según Bonino (1998), denomina a dichas asimetrías de género micromachismos. Para investigar dichos micromachismos, hemos realizado un estudio piloto en la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de Málaga. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido, precisamente, visualizar los comportamientos "invisibles" de violencia y dominación que, en las relaciones de pareja se suelen dar por parte de los hombres. Se ha utilizado una metodología de encuesta o survey que, ha sido contestada por una muestra de 25 personas, cuyos participantes pertenecen a diferentes géneros. Los resultados muestran diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre hombres y mujeres en las conductas micromachistas de controlar dónde y con quién sale su pareja (p< .05) y también, en echar en cara continuamente errores que cometió la pareja en el pasado (p< .05). Del análisis de dicho estudio podemos concluir que las desigualdades hoy en día en nuestra sociedad pasan por pequeños actos cotidianos que no siempre son perceptibles

A feasibility study for model based estimating for concrete bridges.

Designing and estimating civil concrete structures is a complex process which to many practitioners is tied to manual or semi-manual processes of 2D design and cannot be further improved by automated, interacting design-estimating processes. This paper presents a feasibility study for the development an automated estimator for concrete bridge design. The study offers a value proposition: an efficient automated model-based estimator can add value to the whole bridge design-estimating process, i.e., reducing estimation errors, shortening the duration of success estimates, and increasing the benefit of doing cost estimation when compared with the current practice. This is then followed by a description of what is in an efficient automated model-based estimator and how it should be used. Finally the process of model-based estimating is compared with the current practice to highlight the values embedded in the automated processes