Multiple correspondence analysis of a subset of response categories

In the analysis of multivariate categorical data, typically the analysis of questionnaire data, it is often advantageous, for substantive and technical reasons, to analyse a subset of response categories. In multiple correspondence analysis, where each category is coded as a column of an indicator matrix or row and column of Burt matrix, it is not correct to simply analyse the corresponding submatrix of data, since the whole geometric structure is different for the submatrix . A simple modification of the correspondence analysis algorithm allows the overall geometric structure of the complete data set to be retained while calculating the solution for the selected subset of points. This strategy is useful for analysing patterns of response amongst any subset of categories and relating these patterns to demographic factors, especially for studying patterns of particular responses such as missing and neutral responses. The methodology is illustrated using data from the International Social Survey Program on Family and Changing Gender Roles in 1994.Categorical data, correspondence analysis, questionnaire survey

Subset correspondence analysis: Visualizing relationships among a selected set of response categories from a questionnaire survey

It is shown how correspondence analysis may be applied to a subset of response categories from a questionnaire survey, for example the subset of undecided responses or the subset of responses for a particular category. The idea is to maintain the original relative frequencies of the categories and not re-express them relative to totals within the subset, as would normally be done in a regular correspondence analysis of the subset. Furthermore, the masses and chi-square metric assigned to the data subset are the same as those in the correspondence analysis of the whole data set. This variant of the method, called Subset Correspondence Analysis, is illustrated on data from the ISSP survey on Family and Changing Gender Roles.Categorical data, correspondence analysis, questionnaire survey

Spatial patterns of adoption of just-in-time manufacturing

We study the spatial pattern of Just-in-Time (JIT) adoption for a sample of medium-sized and large Spanish manufacturing firms. JIT differs from other advanced manufacturing technologies because it relates directly to the spatial coordination of a firms’ internal production organisation with its external productive environment and depends on the quality of the transport system. Our results confirm the distinctive role of location for JIT adoption even after controlling for industry and plant-specific differences. We find that JIT adoption is greater in smaller cities but with higher transport accessibility indicating that urban congestion in larger urban areas likely reduces the benefits that firms may obtain from JIT implementation.

Racialized Bankruptcy Federalism

Notwithstanding the robust national power conferred by the U.S. Constitution’s Bankruptcy Clause, the design and administration of federal bankruptcy law entails choices about the extent to which nonbankruptcy-law entitlements will remain undisplaced. When such entitlements sound in domestic nonfederal law (i.e., state or local law), displacing them triggers federalism concerns. Considerations regarding the relationship between the federal government and the nation’s smaller political subdivisions might warrant preserving nonfederal-law entitlements even though their displacement would be authorized pursuant to the bankruptcy power. But such considerations might also suggest replacing those entitlements with bankruptcyspecific ones. Some scholarship has theorized about the principles that should govern the balancing of bankruptcy federalism concerns, though without considering the implications of race. Other scholarship has critically examined how federal bankruptcy law, which is facially neutral, has nevertheless been designed and administered in ways that are racially biased, though without considering the implications of federalism

Bringing Optical Communications to the General Public: an Innovative Bachelor Thesis

The United Nations “International year of light 2015” strives to highlight the importance of optical technologies in our everyday lives. Fibre optic communication is one such technology: the growth of internet and its associated services are enabled by the vast transmission bandwidth provided by optical networks. However, the general public is not well aware of the optical and electronic fundamentals of the underlying transmission systems. Here we present the development of a bachelor thesis in Telecommunication Engineering in which a small-scale fibre-optic link is built and the electronics required to transmit music over this link are implemented. The resulting system demonstrates, in a very intuitive way, how information is transmitted over an optical fibre.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Dirección técnica de edificios en altura

Práctica Supervisada (IC)--FCEFN-UNC, 2014Hace hincapié a tres edificios en los cuales se llevo a cabo las tareas que comprenden la dirección técnica de la obra, entendiéndose a tal como la función que el profesional desempeña controlando la fiel interpretaión de los planos y de la documentación técnica que forma parte del proyecto como asi también la revisión y extensión de certificados correspondientes a pagos de la obra en ejecución de acuerdo a lo establecido en el artículo del decreto-ley 7887/5

La cultura científico-tecnológica de las sociedades de la modernidad tardía

En aquest article es presenta la trajectòria d'emergència i formalització del camp de recerca conegut com a comprensió de la ciència pel públic, se'n contextualitza el desenvolupament i s'atenen els debats sobre la crisi de legitimació de la ciència, sobre l'emergència de la consciència mediambiental a la fi dels anys seixanta, i sobre les transformacions culturals de la modernitat tardana. S'examinen les demandes de veu del públic sobre les polítiques de contingut tecnocientífic i el paper que la familiaritat del públic amb la ciència té per a la participació en la formació d'aqueixes polítiques. A continuació s'introdueix una tipologia d'alfabetització científica del públic, s'especifica l'objecte formal d'aquest camp i s'addueixen alguns dels principals resultats aconseguits. Finalment, es defensa un canvi d'orientació del programa de recerca, que consisteix a ampliar el focus des dels elements i els problemes de la tradició de la scientific literacy fins a l'estudi de la cultura científica i tecnològica en contextos espaciotemporals concrets.In this article the emerging trajectory of scientific research is shown, as well as its formalization known as “public understanding of science”, contextualizing its developement and abiding debates on the crisis of science legitimation, on emergig environmental consciousness in the last sixties, and on cultural transformations of late modernity. The demands of the general audience for having a “voice” in techno-scientific policies, and the role that public understanding should have in this public policies are discussed. Afterwards we introduce a “public understanding of science” tipology, the formal object of this field is specified, and some of the most important results obtained are given. Finally, there is a defence for a change in the research programme, consisting of expanding focuses of elements and problems of tradition from “scientific literacy” to the study “scientific and technological culture” in specific temporospatial contexts.En este artículo se presenta la trayectoria de emergencia y formalización del campo de investigación conocido como comprensión de la ciencia por el público, contextualizando su desarrollo atendiendo a los debates sobre la crisis de legitimación de la ciencia, sobre la emergencia de la consciencia medioambiental a finales de los años sesenta, y sobre las transformaciones culturales de la modernidad tardía. Se examinan las demandas de voz del público en las políticas de contenido tecnocientífico y el papel que la familiaridad del público con la ciencia tiene para la participación en la formación de esas políticas. A continuación, se introduce una tipología de alfabetización científica del público, se especifica el objeto formal de este campo y se aducen algunos de los principales resultados alcanzados. Finalmente, se aboga por un cambio de orientación del programa de investigación, consistente en ampliar el foco desde los elementos y problemas de la tradición de la scientific literacy al del estudio de la cultura científica y tecnológica en contextos espacio-temporales concretos

Setting the Record Straight: A Sur-Reply to Professors Lawless et al.

In this sur-reply, Professor Pardo seeks to clarify the misperceptions and mischaracterizations of his commentary by Professors Lawless et al. and to demonstrate that his arguments not only are grounded in a compelling theory of the operation of the bankruptcy system and an understanding of the First Report’s data, but also offer useful ideas for exploring available empirical data. The sur-reply will identify three of the main substantive points made in his original critique that Professors Lawless et al. misinterpret and/or mischaracterize and will clarify why these original points are valid

Taking Bankruptcy Rights Seriously

Perhaps more so than any other area of law affecting individuals of low-to-moderate means, bankruptcy poignantly presents an affordability paradox: the system’s purpose is to relieve individuals from financial distress, yet it simultaneously demands a significant commitment of resources to obtain such relief. To date, no one has undertaken a comprehensive study of the complexities and costs of the litigation burden that Congress has imposed on self-represented debtors who seek a fresh start in bankruptcy. In order to explore the problems inherent in a system that sometimes necessitates litigation as the path for vindicating a debtor’s statutory right to a discharge, this Article focuses on the particular example of debtors who seek to discharge their educational debt (e.g., student loans) through bankruptcy. Such debt may be discharged only if the debtor can establish through a full-blown lawsuit, essentially governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, that repaying the debt would impose an undue hardship on the debtor. Using an original dataset of educational-debt dischargeability determinations, this Article reveals that, even when controlling for a variety of factors, including a debtor’s financial characteristics and applicable legal standards, the typical self-represented debtor in such proceedings has only a 28.5% chance of litigation success, which pales in comparison to the 56.2% success rate of a similarly situated debtor who is represented. This finding casts serious doubt on the litigation framework that has been implemented to resolve disputes over a debtor’s discharge rights. After exploring various approaches to reforming the framework, this Article concludes that our reform efforts will signify how committed we are as a society to deliver bankruptcy law’s promise of a fresh start to financially distressed individuals—to wit, whether we are willing to take bankruptcy rights seriously