On optimal location with treshold requirements

The optimal location of services is one of the most important factors that affects service quality in terms of consumer access. On theother hand, services in general need to have a minimum catchment area so as to be efficient. In this paper a model is presented that locates the maximum number of services that can coexist in a given region without having losses, taking into account that they need a minimum catchment area to exist. The objective is to minimize average distance to the population. The formulation presented belongs to the class of discrete P--median--like models. A tabu heuristic method is presented to solve the problem. Finally, the model is applied to the location of pharmacies in a rural region of Spain.

Programa d'anàlisi d'imatges de provetes metal·logràfiques

L’objectiu del present TFM és explorar les possibilitats del programa matemàtic MATLAB i la seva eina Entorn de Disseny d’Interfícies Gràfiques d’Usuari (GUIDE), desenvolupant un programa d’anàlisi d’imatges de provetes metal·logràfiques que es pugui utilitzar per a realitzar pràctiques de laboratori de l’assignatura Tecnologia de Materials de la titulació de Grau en Enginyeria Mecatrònica que s’imparteix a la Universitat de Vic. Les àrees d’interès del treball són la Instrumentació Virtual, la programació MATLAB i les tècniques d’anàlisi d’imatges metal·logràfiques. En la memòria es posa un èmfasi especial en el disseny de la interfície i dels procediments per a efectuar les mesures. El resultat final és un programa que satisfà tots els requeriments que s’havien imposat en la proposta inicial. La interfície del programa és clara i neta, destinant molt espai a la imatge que s’analitza. L’estructura i disposició dels menús i dels comandaments ajuda a que la utilització del programa sigui fàcil i intuïtiva. El programa s’ha estructurat de manera que sigui fàcilment ampliable amb altres rutines de mesura, o amb l’automatització de les rutines existents. Al tractar-se d’un programa que funciona com un instrument de mesura, es dedica un capítol sencer de la memòria a mostrar el procediment de càlcul dels errors que s’ocasionen durant la seva utilització, amb la finalitat de conèixer el seu ordre de magnitud, i de saber-los calcular de nou en cas que variïn les condicions d’utilització. Pel que fa referència a la programació, malgrat que MATLAB no sigui un entorn de programació clàssic, sí que incorpora eines que permeten fer aplicacions no massa complexes, i orientades bàsicament a gràfics o a imatges. L’eina GUIDE simplifica la realització de la interfície d’usuari, malgrat que presenta problemes per tractar dissenys una mica complexos. Per altra banda, el codi generat per GUIDE no és accessible, cosa que no permet modificar manualment la interfície en aquells casos en els que GUIDE té problemes. Malgrat aquests petits problemes, la potència de càlcul de MATLAB compensa sobradament aquestes deficiències.

Escriure (correctament) per al web

The article presents the requirements of written text to be read on the web, as well as the general recommendations for editing text aimed at facilitating its reading. After introducing the overview of reading of written text, techniques, and strategies, the author turns to factors that condition reading on the web, as well as other specifics. Based on these elements, a series of recommendations is offered for good practices for writing correctly for the web, organised by the three basic components of written text: style or tone, structure, and presentation (orthographic and typographic corrections). Also introduced are tools that can be useful for improving text editing in a corporate environment

Embodying feminist research: learning from action research, political practices, diffractions and collective knowledge.

In the past three decades, feminists and critical theorists have discussed and argued the importance of deconstructing and problematizing social science research methodology in order to question normalized hierarchies concerning the production of knowledge and the status of truth claims. Nevertheless, often, these ideas have basically remained theoretical propositions not embodied in research practices. In fact there is very little published discussion about the difficulties and limits of their practical application. In this paper we introduce some interconnected reflections starting from two different but related experiences of embodying 'feminist activist research'. Our aim is to emphasise the importance of attending to process, making mistakes and learning during fieldwork, as well as experimenting with personalized forms of analysis, such as the construction of narratives and the story-telling process.

Embodying feminist research: learning from action research, political practices, diffractions and collective knowledge.

In the past three decades, feminists and critical theorists have discussed and argued the importance of deconstructing and problematizing social science research methodology in order to question normalized hierarchies concerning the production of knowledge and the status of truth claims. Nevertheless, often, these ideas have basically remained theoretical propositions not embodied in research practices. In fact there is very little published discussion about the difficulties and limits of their practical application. In this paper we introduce some interconnected reflections starting from two different but related experiences of embodying 'feminist activist research'. Our aim is to emphasise the importance of attending to process, making mistakes and learning during fieldwork, as well as experimenting with personalized forms of analysis, such as the construction of narratives and the story-telling process.

A comparative study of difficulties in accounting preparation and judgement in agriculture using fair value and historical cost for biological assets valuation

Este estudio realiza un investigación empírica comparando las dificultades que se derivan de la utilización del valor razonable (VR) y del coste histórico (CH) en el sector agrícola. Se analiza también la fiabilidad de ambos métodos de valoración para la interpretación de la información y la toma de decisiones por parte de los agentes que actúan en el sector. Mediante un experimento realizado con estudiantes, agricultores y contables que operan en el sector agrícola, se halla que estos tienen más dificultades, cometen mayores errores e interpretan peor la información contable realizada a CH que la realizada a VR. Entrevistas en profundidad con agricultores y contables agrícolas desvelan prácticas contables defectuosas derivadas de la necesidad de aplicar el CH en el sector en España. Dadas las complejidades del cálculo del coste de los activos biológicos y el predominio de pequeñas explotaciones en el sector en los países occidentales avanzados, el estudio concluye que la contabilidad a VR constituye una mejoría de utilización y desarrollo de la contabilidad en el sector que la confeccionada a CH. Asimismo, el CH transmite una peor representación de la situación real de las explotaciones agrícolas.

Repensar el asesoramiento en educación. ¿Qué prácticas para los nuevos retos? = Rethink the advice in education. What practices for the new challenges?

Esta publicación aborda, de manera monográfica, el tema del asesoramiento en educación. Han transcurrido prácticamente treinta años desde que a finales de los 70 y principios de los 80 surgieran en nuestro país los Servicios de Orientación Educativa y Vocacional (SOEV), que junto a los Institutos de Orientación Educativa y Profesional (IOEP) y los Equipos Multiprofesionales (EM) dan origen –en los 90– a los actuales Equipos de Orientación Educativa y Psicopedagógica (EOEP). Han pasado veinticinco años desde el nacimiento en España –a mediados de los 80– de los Centros de Profesores (CEP). Inspirados en los ‘Teachers Centers’ británicos, los CEP vienen a cubrir las necesidades de formación permanente del profesorado como respuesta a la inoperancia de los Institutos de Ciencias de la Educación (ICE) del momento. Han sido, pues, treinta años de lo que ha venido a llamarse asesoramiento institucional, esto es, asesoramiento organizado y estructurado, ofertado desde sistemas de apoyo a la escuela, dando cabida en u actuación a multitud de iniciativas y prácticas de apoyo entre las que se encuentran las de asesoramiento, entremezclándose y confundiéndose a veces como prácticas de orientación, a veces como formación, o simplemente como actividades de asistencia y colaboración entre profesionales para la resolución de necesidades y problemas en el seno de nuestras escuelas. Y tal ha sido su diversidad y tipología, su riqueza y amplitud, que se han invertido no pocos esfuerzos, debates y ríos de tinta para comprender y definir, clasificar y etiquetar un ingente y variopinto conjunto de prácticas que convenimos en llamar, de asesoramiento

Minimal requirements for parameters to be used for the development of predictive models for microbial source tracking. The example of the pair somatic coliphages and phages infecting Bacteroides

Several methods and approaches for measuring parameters to determine fecal sources of pollution in water have been developed in recent years. No single microbial or chemical parameter has proved sufficient to determine the source of fecal pollution. Combinations of parameters involving at least one discriminating indicator and one universal fecal indicator offer the most promising solutions for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The universal (nondiscriminating) fecal indicator provides quantitative information regarding the fecal load. The discriminating indicator contributes to the identification of a specific source. The relative values of the parameters derived from both kinds of indicators could provide information regarding the contribution to the total fecal load from each origin. It is also essential that both parameters characteristically persist in the environment for similar periods. Numerical analysis, such as inductive learning methods, could be used to select the most suitable and the lowest number of parameters to develop predictive models. These combinations of parameters provide information on factors affecting the models, such as dilution, specific types of animal source, persistence of microbial tracers, and complex mixtures from different sources. The combined use of the enumeration of somatic coliphages and the enumeration of Bacteroides-phages using different host specific strains (one from humans and another from pigs), both selected using the suggested approach, provides a feasible model for quantitative and qualitative analyses of fecal source identification.

An Empirical Study on Faculty Perceptions and Teaching Practices of Wikipedia

Some faculty members from different universities around the world have begun to use Wikipedia as a teaching tool in recent years. These experiences show, in most cases, very satisfactory results and a substantial improvement in various basic skills, as well as a positive influence on the students' motivation. Nevertheless and despite the growing importance of e-learning methodologies based on the use of the Internet for higher education, the use of Wikipedia as a teaching resource remains scarce among university faculty.Our investigation tries to identify which are the main factors that determine acceptance or resistance to that use. We approach the decision to use Wikipedia as a teaching tool by analyzing both the individual attributes of faculty members and the characteristics of the environment where they develop their teaching activity. From a specific survey sent to all faculty of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), pioneer and leader in online education in Spain, we have tried to infer the influence of these internal and external elements. The questionnaire was designed to measure different constructs: perceived quality of Wikipedia, teaching practices involving Wikipedia, use experience, perceived usefulness and use of 2.0 tools. Control items were also included for gathering information on gender, age, teaching experience, academic rank, and area of expertise.Our results reveal that academic rank, teaching experience, age or gender, are not decisive factors in explaining the educational use of Wikipedia. Instead, the decision to use it is closely linked to the perception of Wikipedia's quality, the use of other collaborative learning tools, an active attitude towards web 2.0 applications, and connections with the professional non-academic world. Situational context is also very important, since the use is higher when faculty members have got reference models in their close environment and when they perceive it is positively valued by their colleagues. As far as these attitudes, practices and cultural norms diverge in different scientific disciplines, we have also detected clear differences in the use of Wikipedia among areas of academic expertise. As a consequence, a greater application of Wikipedia both as a teaching resource and as a driver for teaching innovation would require much more active institutional policies and some changes in the dominant academic culture among faculty members.

Installation Information requirements in the GPLv3 and LGPLv3

One of the major changes introduced in the GPLv3 and LGPLv3 is the clause preventing "tivoisation". Richard Stallman defines Tivoisation as "the practice of designing hardware so that a modified version cannot function properly". In this presentation we will go through the reasons of why the information installation requirement was introduced, how you can comply with this requirement and why you may want to think about it now rather than later.

Work Organization Practices for Lean Production: A Study in Spanish and Brazilian Manufacturers

This work aims to discuss particular work organization practices in human resources reported as successful by companies adopting lean production principles, and investigate them through real examples observed on manufacturing plants in Spain and Brazil. A set of work organization practices was previously established by one of the authors, through interviews with practitioners of lean production and review of the literature. A series of visits and informal interviews at Spanish and Brazilian automotive parts manufacturers that follow lean production were conducted to verify that the set of policies are indeed practiced.

Use of a pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) to determine nitrogen fertilizer requirements for irrigated corn

In the present study, a 2-year N rate response experiment was conducted in different fields to monitor NO3-N soil profiles, N accumulation by the crop and final crop performance, in order to assess if soil NO3-N at pre-sidedressing (Pre-Sidedress Soil Nitrate Test, PSNT) is a reliable indicator for soil N availability for corn in the irrigated area served by canal d’Urgell (Lleida, Spain), and if the test can be used to separate responsive fields from non-responsive fields to sidedress N fertilizer applications. Preliminary soil N availability (N sidedress fertilizer rate + PSNT) critical levels to identify fields that need supplementary N fertilizer applications were established at ca. 300 and 210 kg NO3-N·ha–1, for PSNTrooting–zone and PSNT0–30 cm, respectively (for a yield goal of 14 t grain·ha–1).

Semantic Web applications: a framework for industry and business exploitation – What is needed for the adoption of the Semantic Web from the market and industry

In recent years, Semantic Web (SW) research has resulted in significant outcomes. Various industries have adopted SW technologies, while the ‘deep web’ is still pursuing the critical transformation point, in which the majority of data found on the deep web will be exploited through SW value layers. In this article we analyse the SW applications from a ‘market’ perspective. We are setting the key requirements for real-world information systems that are SW-enabled and we discuss the major difficulties for the SW uptake that has been delayed. This article contributes to the literature of SW and knowledge management providing a context for discourse towards best practices on SW-based information systems.

Drought tolerance and light requirements of high and low sublittoral species of Mediterranean macroalgae of the genus Cystoseira C. Agardh (Fucales, Phaeophyceae)

Article sobre la tolerància a la sequera i les necessitats de llum d'espècies de l'alt i baix sublitoral de macroalgues de la Mediterrània del gènere Cystoseira C. Agardh (Fucales, Phaeophyceae)

Minimal requirements for parameters to be used for the development of predictive models for microbial source tracking. The example of the pair somatic coliphages and phages infecting Bacteroides

Several methods and approaches for measuring parameters to determine fecal sources of pollution in water have been developed in recent years. No single microbial or chemical parameter has proved sufficient to determine the source of fecal pollution. Combinations of parameters involving at least one discriminating indicator and one universal fecal indicator offer the most promising solutions for qualitative and quantitative analyses. The universal (nondiscriminating) fecal indicator provides quantitative information regarding the fecal load. The discriminating indicator contributes to the identification of a specific source. The relative values of the parameters derived from both kinds of indicators could provide information regarding the contribution to the total fecal load from each origin. It is also essential that both parameters characteristically persist in the environment for similar periods. Numerical analysis, such as inductive learning methods, could be used to select the most suitable and the lowest number of parameters to develop predictive models. These combinations of parameters provide information on factors affecting the models, such as dilution, specific types of animal source, persistence of microbial tracers, and complex mixtures from different sources. The combined use of the enumeration of somatic coliphages and the enumeration of Bacteroides-phages using different host specific strains (one from humans and another from pigs), both selected using the suggested approach, provides a feasible model for quantitative and qualitative analyses of fecal source identification.