Symbolic meaning of local identity – A case study on Barcelona place brand representation

The core objective of this research process was to design an operational tool for place brand analysis. By modelling the emotional significance and the deeper-lying symbols associated to a specific place identity I expected to create a semiotic tool that could be applied, mutatis mutandis, on other similar place brands. As a field case study to develop the instrument, my choice of the research arena was Barcelona city, the capital of Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. Barcelona brand identity was approached in the line of the Chicago Urban Anthropology School. The research methods were designed according to the prescriptions of the urban anthropology, namely qualitative methods: in-depth interviews and discourse analysis. The final research outcome was a model summarizing a range of specific emotional values that support a place brand to position in the collective mindset and to assume a positively valued status and identity in the world order.

Biased representation of homothetic preferences on homogeneous sets

In the homogeneous case of one-dimensional objects, we show that any preference relation that is positive and homothetic can be represented by a quantitative utility function and unique bias. This bias may favor or disfavor the preference for an object. In the first case, preferences are complete but not transitive and an object may be preferred even when its utility is lower. In the second case, preferences are asymmetric and transitive but not negatively transitive and it may not be sufficient for an object to have a greater utility for be preferred. In this manner, the bias reflects the extent to which preferences depart from the maximization of a utility function.

Contribution biplots

In order to interpret the biplot it is necessary to know which points usually variables are the ones that are important contributors to the solution, and this information is available separately as part of the biplot s numerical results. We propose a new scaling of the display, called the contribution biplot, which incorporates this diagnostic directly into the graphical display, showing visually the important contributors and thus facilitating the biplot interpretation and often simplifying the graphical representation considerably. The contribution biplot can be applied to a wide variety of analyses such as correspondence analysis, principal component analysis, log-ratio analysis and the graphical results of a discriminant analysis/MANOVA, in fact to any method based on the singular-value decomposition. In the contribution biplot one set of points, usually the rows of the data matrix, optimally represent the spatial positions of the cases or sample units, according to some distance measure that usually incorporates some form of standardization unless all data are comparable in scale. The other set of points, usually the columns, is represented by vectors that are related to their contributions to the low-dimensional solution. A fringe benefit is that usually only one common scale for row and column points is needed on the principal axes, thus avoiding the problem of enlarging or contracting the scale of one set of points to make the biplot legible. Furthermore, this version of the biplot also solves the problem in correspondence analysis of low-frequency categories that are located on the periphery of the map, giving the false impression that they are important, when they are in fact contributing minimally to the solution.

The choice of the form of representation in multinational banking: Evidence from Spain

This paper investigates foreign direct investment in the bankingsector. The attention has been addressed to test the importanceof OLI advantages as the determinants of the bank's decisionto invest in foreign locations. Nevertheless, since banks canexpand their activities abroad through different organizationalforms that imply different levels of foreign involvement, theissue of the form of representation has been tackled. Theresults show the importance of OLI advantages in the form ofrepresentation in multinational banking.

Exact representation of antenna system diversity performance from input parameter description

A simplc formulation Io compute thc envelope correlation of anantenna divemiry system is dcrired. 11 is shown how to compute theenvelope correlation hom the S-parameter descnplian of the antennasystem. This approach has the advantage that i t does not require thecomputation nor the measurement of the radiation panem of theantenna system. It also offers the advantage of providing a clcaunderstanding ofthe effects ofmutual coupling and input match on thediversity performance of the antcnnii system.

The Brauer group and the second Abel-Jacobi map for 0-cycles on algebraic varieties

This paper focuses on the connection between the Brauer group and the 0-cycles of an algebraic variety. We give an alternative construction of the second l-adic Abel-Jacobi map for such cycles, linked to the algebraic geometry of Severi-Brauer varieties on X. This allows us then to relate this Abel-Jacobi map to the standard pairing between 0-cycles and Brauer groups (see [M], [L]), completing results from [M] in this direction. Second, for surfaces, it allows us to present this map according to the more geometrical approach devised by M. Green in the framework of (arithmetic) mixed Hodge structures (see [G]). Needless to say, this paper owes much to the work of U. Jannsen and, especially, to his recently published older letter [J4] to B. Gross.

Self-organized criticality and synchronization in a coupled map lattice model of integrate-and-fire oscillators

We introduce two coupled map lattice models with nonconservative interactions and a continuous nonlinear driving. Depending on both the degree of conservation and the convexity of the driving we find different behaviors, ranging from self-organized criticality, in the sense that the distribution of events (avalanches) obeys a power law, to a macroscopic synchronization of the population of oscillators, with avalanches of the size of the system.

On the spinning axis representation

A new spinning axis representation is introduced. It allows us to calculate the evolution operator of a system with slowly varying time dependent Hamiltonian with the desired degree of approximation in the parameter used for describing its dynamical evolution. The procedure is compared with a previously existing one and applied to a simple example.

Space and momentum representation analysis of Hartman's effect in wave packet transmission

The Hartman effect is analyzed in both the position and momentum representations of the problem. The importance of Wigner tunneling and deep tunneling is singled out. It is shown quantitatively how the barrier acts as a filter for low momenta (quantum speed up) as the width increases, and a detailed mechanism is proposed. Superluminal transmission is also discussed.

A productivity map of cognitive pretest methos for improving survey questions

Interest in cognitive pretest methods for evaluating survey questionnaires has been increasing for the last three decades. However, analysing the features of the scientific output in the field can be difficult due to its prevalence in public and private institutes whose main mission is not scientific research. The aim of this research is to characterize the current state of scientific output in the field by means of two bibliometric studies for the period from 1980 to 2007. Study 1 analysed documents obtained from the more commonly used bibliographic databases. Study 2 supplemented the body of documents from Study 1 with documents from non-indexed journals, conference papers, etc. Results show a constant growth in the number of publications. The wide dispersion of publication sources, together with the highlighted role of the public and private institutions as centres of production, can also be identified as relevant characteristics of the scientific output in this field.

Tree edit distance as a baseline approach for paraphrase representation

Finding an adequate paraphrase representation formalism is a challenging issue in Natural Language Processing. In this paper, we analyse the performance of Tree Edit Distance as a paraphrase representation baseline. Our experiments using Edit Distance Textual Entailment Suite show that, as Tree Edit Distance consists of a purely syntactic approach, paraphrase alternations not based on structural reorganizations do not find an adequate representation. They also show that there is much scope for better modelling of the way trees are aligned.

Let's K-Map Play: Juego de aprendizaje de Karnagh Maps para móvil

En este informe se describe el trabajo de fin de máster, centrado en el estudio de la gamificación como herramienta de aprendizaje aplicada a dispositivos móviles. Se ha realizado una revisión de los artículos científicos que tratan sobre el tema de la gamificación como herramienta educativa,para terminar el trabajo desarrollando un prototipo de juego para el aprendizaje de mapas de Karnaugh. Se ha optado por un desarrollo multiplataforma y se han revisado los frameworks de desarrollo más populares para desarrollo móvil multiplataforma así como los motores de juegos aplicables a este caso. Tras la implementación, se ha probado el prototipo en dos sistemas operativos móviles libres: Android y Firefox OS.

El treball centrat amb les famílies. Anàlisi de treball de la Fundació Map i disseny d’una proposta de millora

L’estudi que es presenta a continuació es basa de dos grans objectius generals. El primer és el desenvolupament d’un anàlisi de la metodologia de treball que segueix la Fundació Map en el treball amb les famílies a partir d’una recollida de dades mitjançant diferents instruments de recerca. El darrer objectiu és el disseny d’una proposta de millora, a partir de l’anàlisi realitzat, en la intervenció amb les famílies de la Fundació Map des de la línia metodològica del Treball Centrat amb la Família. Els dos objectius queden subjectes a la prèvia realització, i primera part de la investigació, d’una fonamentació teòrica per tal de conèixer i estudiar més detalladament els conceptes fonamentals per a desenvolupar la recerca descrits per a diferents autors experts d’aquest àmbit.

Aplicació del Value Stream Map (VSM) en un sistema de producció de feltres insonoritzants per a l'automòbil

Actualment en el sector industrial, les organitzacions tenen el repte d'optimitzar els seus sistemes productius per a millorar en quant a preu, qualitat i nivell de servei i poder adaptar-se a les exigències dels clients (excel·lència productiva). El present anàlisi, es basa en l'optimització d'una cadena de producció de feltres insonoritzants per a l'automòbil a través de l'eliminació de les pèrdues existents (operacions que no aporten valor afegit al producte final). Per dur-ho a terme, la metodologia emprada és el Value Stream Map (VSM). El VSM és una tècnica desenvolupada sota el model de gestió de la producció Lean Manufacturing, molt visual i entenedora, permet visualitzar i entendre l'estat actual d'un procés. Aquesta, abarca a tota la organització, i te per objectiu recolzar-la en el procés de redisseny dels seus entorns productius per assolir un estat futur millor que possibiliti obtenir resultats en un periode curt de temps. L'objectiu principal de l'estudi, és aplicar l'eina VSM com a mètode per a l'eliminació de les mudes o malbarataments que impedeix la consecució d'una cadena Lean amb el cas concret d'un sistema productiu de feltres insonoritzants. En la primera part del projecte s'introdueix al lector en la teoria del pensament Lean (quins principis té i quins són els objectius) com a marc teòric. Aquí es detalla el procediment, així com les característiques per a la correcta elaboració del VSM actual, per al seu corresponent anàlisi i per a la seva representació del estat futur. En una segona part del projecte, s'exposen les etapes que constitueixen la cadena de producció d'estudi i es duu a terme l'elaboració del Value Stream Map, on es posen de manifest les ineficiències del flux que conformen la línia de producció. Per últim s'analitzen els fluxes, s'identifiquen les pèrdues de la cadena, i a partir d'aquests, es dissenyen i es proposen projectes i accions que permitin establir línies d'actuació per a un millor estat futur. L'estudi ha permés demostrar la validesa del VSM com a eina per a facilitar la consecució i assoliment de millores en la productivitat, competitivitat i rendibilitat dels diferents processos de l'organització en la línia de fabricació de feltres insonoritzats.