A leverage theory of reputation building with co-branding: Complementarity in reputation building

We present a leverage theory of reputation building with co-branding. We showthat under certain conditions, co-branding that links unknown firms in a new sectorwith established firms in a mature sector allows the unknown firms to signal a highproduct quality and establish their own reputation. We compare this situationwith a benchmark in which both sectors are new and firms signal their qualityonly with prices. We investigate how this comparison is affected by the nature ofthe technology linking the two sectors and a cross-sector inference problem thatconsumers might face in identifying the true cause of product failure. We find thatco-branding facilitates the process in which a Þrm in the new sector to signal itsproduct quality only if the co-branding sectors produce complementary inputs andconsumers face a cross-sector inference problem. We apply our insight to economicsof superstars, multinational firms and co-authorship.

The Total fiscal cost of indirect taxation: an approximation using Catalonia's recent input-output table

In this note we quantify to what extent indirect taxation influences and distorts prices. To do so we use the networked accounting structure of the most recent input-output table of Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, to model price formation. The role of indirect taxation is considered both from a classical value perspective and a more neoclassical flavoured one. We show that they would yield equivalent results under some basic premises. The neoclassical perspective, however, offers a bit more flexibility to distinguish among different tax figures and hence provide a clearer disaggregate picture of how an indirect tax ends up affecting, and by how much, the cost structure.

Algorithmic aspects of bio-inspired string operations

We present building blocks for algorithms for the efficient reduction of square factor, i.e. direct repetitions in strings. So the basic problem is this: given a string, compute all strings that can be obtained by reducing factors of the form zz to z. Two types of algorithms are treated: an offline algorithm is one that can compute a data structure on the given string in advance before the actual search for the square begins; in contrast, online algorithms receive all input only at the time when a request is made. For offline algorithms we treat the following problem: Let u and w be two strings such that w is obtained from u by reducing a square factor zz to only z. If we further are given the suffix table of u, how can we derive the suffix table for w without computing it from scratch? As the suffix table plays a key role in online algorithms for the detection of squares in a string, this derivation can make the iterated reduction of squares more efficient. On the other hand, we also show how a suffix array, used for the offline detection of squares, can be adapted to the new string resulting from the deletion of a square. Because the deletion is a very local change, this adaption is more eficient than the computation of the new suffix array from scratch.

Analysing knowledge building: usages, achievements and limits of forums at university

This paper aims to explore asynchronous communication in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Thirty virtual forums are analysed in both a quantitative and a qualitative way. Quantitatively, the number of messages written, message threads and original and answer messages are counted. Qualitatively, the content of the notes is analysed, cataloguing these into two different levels: on the one hand, as a set of knowledge building process categories, and on the other hand, following the scaffolds that Knowledge Forum offers. The results show that both an exchange of information and a collaborative work take place. Nevertheless, the construction of knowledge is superficial.

Human capital in export-based internationalisation. "Managerial determinants and their influence upon the export behaviour of the firm: four case-studies of catalan exporting SMEs"

Export activities are a major source of economic growth and are considered important both at the national level and for individual businesses. Moreover, in the case of SMEs, they gain particular relevance, exporting being the most common foreign market entry mode for these firms. The decision maker’s role in the export activity is crucial, particularly in the case of SMEs. However, the extant literature on internationalization is characterized by a lack of consensus among scholars as to what constitutes the managerial factor in determining exporting. Therefore, this study focuses on the following issue: Which are the decision maker’s characteristics and perceptions that may influence the export behaviour of Catalan SMEs? To address this question a multiple case study method is applied across four Catalan exporting SMEs. The methodology chosen for analysing the empirical data is relying on the proposition testing approach while the investigation is conducted including both within and cross-case analysis. The findings show that high educational level, language skills, high risk tolerance, innovativeness as well as strongly perceived export stimuli as compared to low and easy to overcome export barriers positively influence the export involvement and development of SMEs. The study provides further insights into the research topic by jointly studying managerial characteristics and perceptions. Additionally, the majority of research on exporting topics has been carried out in the USA, so there is a clear need of investigation in the field in other countries, moreover in Spain where the exporting activities have not been as widely studied.

A right to a national space of communication? : on Stateless nations, their right to a space of communication of their own

Hem establert les bases metodològiques i teòriques per investigar la pregunta “Tenen les nacions sense estat el dret de controlar el seu propi espai de comunicació?”. La investigació ajusta el concepte d’espai de comunicació a la teoria política, cercant els seus límits en els drets individuals i, des de la perspectiva del liberalisme 2, aportant la justificació del seu control en quant que plataforma que incideix en la conservació i supervivència d’una cultura nacional. El primer article i fase de la tesi és l’adaptació i definició del concepte espai de comunicació. Fins ara, la recerca ha proposat diferents models d’espai de comunicació entenent si es tracta d’una visió emfatitzant la distribució i la producció de material marcat amb els símbols de la identitat nacional de la societat emissora, o bé si emfatitza la idea d’un espai de circulació de fluxos comunicatiu ajustat a un territori tradicionalment vinculat a una identitat nacional o nació sense estat. Igualment, es distingeix la dimensió d’emissió –sortir del territori al món- i la de recepció –fluxos informatius rebuts des del món al territori, concretament, al ciutadà; el paper d’intervenció de les institucions democràtiques és diferent en una dimensió o una altra i, per tant, també són diferents els drets afectats i les teories o principis que neguen o justifiquen el control de l’espai de comunicació. També s’ha indagat en les teories sobre els efectes cognitius dels mitjans de comunicació per relacionar-los amb la construcció nacional com a cohesió simbòlica i cultural. Si bé els mitjans no poden fer canviar de pensament immediatament, sí que poden conformar a llarg termini una percepció nacional general. Una comunitat és imaginada, donada la distància física dels seus components, i la comunicació social és, juntament amb l’educació, el principal factor de construcció nacional, avui en dia.

Nuevas formas de leer y escribir por medio del acceso abierto: la experiencia de la UOC

Presentación de la experiencia de la UOC en temas de acceso abierto, en la Mesa redonda que tuvo lugar en el marco de las Jornadas: "Nuevas formas de leer y escribir por medio del acceso abierto" celebradas en el Paraninfo de la Universidad de Zaragoza el 12 de diciembre de 2011.

Colour image processing

In the context of the round table the following topics related to image colour processing will be discussed: historical point of view. Studies of Aguilonius, Gerritsen, Newton and Maxwell. CIE standard (Commission International de lpsilaEclaraige). Colour models. RGB, HIS, etc. Colour segmentation based on HSI model. Industrial applications. Summary and discussion. At the end, video images showing the robustness of colour in front of B/W images will be presented

Compositional analysis of bivariate discrete probabilities

A joint distribution of two discrete random variables with finite support can be displayed as a two way table of probabilities adding to one. Assume that this table hasn rows and m columns and all probabilities are non-null. This kind of table can beseen as an element in the simplex of n · m parts. In this context, the marginals areidentified as compositional amalgams, conditionals (rows or columns) as subcompositions. Also, simplicial perturbation appears as Bayes theorem. However, the Euclideanelements of the Aitchison geometry of the simplex can also be translated into the tableof probabilities: subspaces, orthogonal projections, distances.Two important questions are addressed: a) given a table of probabilities, which isthe nearest independent table to the initial one? b) which is the largest orthogonalprojection of a row onto a column? or, equivalently, which is the information in arow explained by a column, thus explaining the interaction? To answer these questionsthree orthogonal decompositions are presented: (1) by columns and a row-wise geometric marginal, (2) by rows and a columnwise geometric marginal, (3) by independenttwo-way tables and fully dependent tables representing row-column interaction. Animportant result is that the nearest independent table is the product of the two (rowand column)-wise geometric marginal tables. A corollary is that, in an independenttable, the geometric marginals conform with the traditional (arithmetic) marginals.These decompositions can be compared with standard log-linear models.Key words: balance, compositional data, simplex, Aitchison geometry, composition,orthonormal basis, arithmetic and geometric marginals, amalgam, dependence measure,contingency table

The contributions of rare objects in correspondence analysis

Correspondence analysis, when used to visualize relationships in a table of counts(for example, abundance data in ecology), has been frequently criticized as being too sensitiveto objects (for example, species) that occur with very low frequency or in very few samples. Inthis statistical report we show that this criticism is generally unfounded. We demonstrate this inseveral data sets by calculating the actual contributions of rare objects to the results ofcorrespondence analysis and canonical correspondence analysis, both to the determination ofthe principal axes and to the chi-square distance. It is a fact that rare objects are oftenpositioned as outliers in correspondence analysis maps, which gives the impression that theyare highly influential, but their low weight offsets their distant positions and reduces their effecton the results. An alternative scaling of the correspondence analysis solution, the contributionbiplot, is proposed as a way of mapping the results in order to avoid the problem of outlying andlow contributing rare objects.

A note on the dual scaling of dominance data and its relationship to correspondence analysis

Dual scaling of a subjects-by-objects table of dominance data (preferences,paired comparisons and successive categories data) has been contrasted with correspondence analysis, as if the two techniques were somehow different. In this note we show that dual scaling of dominance data is equivalent to the correspondence analysis of a table which is doubled with respect to subjects. We also show that the results of both methods can be recovered from a principal components analysis of the undoubled dominance table which is centred with respect to subject means.

Photographic rectification of the graphic documentation of historical and archaeological heritage: The case of the southern facade of the Praetorium tower in Tarragona (Tarraco, Hispania Citerior)

This article details the use of photographic rectification as support for the graphic documentation of historical and archaeological heritage and specifically the southern facade of the Torre del Pretori (Praetorium Tower) in Tarragona. The Praetorium Tower is part of a larger monumental complex and one of the towers that connected different parts of the Tarraco Provincial Forum, the politic-administrative centre of the ancient capital of Hispania Citerioris. It is therefore a valuable example of the evolution of Roman urban architecture. The aim of this project is to provide accurate graphic documentation of the structure to facilitate the restoration and conservation of the tower, as well as to provide a more profound architectural and archaeological understanding of the Roman forum. The use of photographic rectification enabled us to overcome the spatial and time difficulties involved in collecting data caused by the size and location of the building. Specific software made it easier to obtain accurate two-dimensional images. For this reason, in our case, photographic rectification helped us to make a direct analysis of the monument and facilitated interpretation of the architectural stratigraphy. We currently separate the line of research into two concepts: the construction processes and the architecture of the building. The documentation collected permitted various analyses: the characterisation of the building modules, identification of the tools used to work the building materials, etc. In conclusion, the use of orthoimages is a powerful tool that permits the systematic study of a Roman building that has evolved over the centuries and is now in a modern urban context.

Thermal energy storage with phase change materials in building envelopes

Els materials de canvi de fase (PCM) han estat considerats per a l’emmagatzematge tèrmic en edificis des de 1980. Amb la inclusió dels PCM en plaques de guix, guix, formigó o altres materials que s’utilitzen per a cobrir les parets, l’emmagatzematge tèrmic pot ser part de les estructures fins i tot en edificis lleugers. Les noves tècniques de microencapsulació han obert moltes possibilitats en aplicacions per a edificis. El treball que es presenta és el desenvolupament d’un formigó innovador mesclat amb PCM microencapsulat, amb un punt de fusió de 26 oC i una entalpia de canvi de fase de 110 kJ/kg. El primer experiment va ser la inclusió del PCM microencapsulat dins del formigó i la construcció d’una caseta amb aquest nou formigó-PCM. Es va construir una segona caseta al costat de la primera amb les mateixes característiques i orientació però amb formigó convencional que serveix com a referència. Durant els anys 2005 i 2006 es va analitzar el comportament d’ambdues casetes i més tard es va edificar un mur Trombe a la paret sud de totes dues per investigar la seva influència durant la tardor i l’hivern.

Del postmodernismo a las nuevas geografias culturales (mesa redonda del XVIII Concreso de la AGE. Bellaterra, 26 de septiembre de 2003)

[cat] Els quatre textos que composen aquesta taula rodona tracten, des de diverses perspectives metodològiques les aportacions més recents en geografia humana de teoria i metodologia. [spa] Los cuatro textos que componen esta mesa redonda tratan, desde diversas perspectivas metodológicas las aportaciones más recientes en geografía humana de teoría y metodología. [eng] The four texts of this round table presents, from different methodological standpoints the most recent methodological and theoretical contributions in human geography