ICT: an empowering tool for social enterprises

In recent years new models for organizations working on poverty alleviation have emerged. One of them, the social enterprise, has attracted the attention of both academics and practitioners all over the world. Even if defined in different ways depending on the context, this model has an enormous potential to generate social benefits and to promote local agency and private initiative in poverty alleviation.

The Role of ICT in Scaling Up the Impact of Social Enterprises

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help social enterprises and other organizations working on global sustainability issues and in the human development sector in general scale their social impact. The flexibility, dynamism, and ubiquity of ICTs make them powerful tools for improving relationships among organizations and their beneficiaries, multiplying the effects of action against many, if not all, aspects of global unsustainability, including poverty and exclusion. The scaling of social impact occurs in two different dimensions. On one hand, ICTs can increase the value proposition of a program or action (depth scaling) in different ways: providing accurate and fast needs recognition, adapting products and services, creating opportunities, building fairer markets, mobilizing actions on environmental and social issues, and creating social capital. On the other hand, ICTs can also increase the number of people reached by the organization (breadth scaling) by accessing new resources, creating synergies and networks, improving organizational efficiency, increasing its visibility, and designing new access channels to beneficiaries. This article analyzes the role of ICT in the depth and breadth scaling of social impact.

The role of ICT in scaling up social impact

The role of ICT in scaling up social impact

Characterization of ICT-based business models of social enterprises

In recent years new models for organizations working on overty alleviation have emerged. One of them, the social enterprise, has attracted the attention of both academics and practitioners all over the world. Even if defined in different ways depending on the context, social enterprise has an enormous potential to generate social benefits and to promote local agency and private initiative in poverty alleviation. In this sense, it is fitting to highlight the importance of identifying the main standards that permit the characterization of diverse social enterprises, in order to understand their main specificities and guarantee value generation for low-income populations. Another crucial factor is understanding innovation as a critical factor in promoting social enterprises. A powerful tool to enhance the impact and application of this model is Information and Communication Technologies. In the 21st century,these tools allow users to find new ways of collaboration, new sustainable business models and a cost-effective way of scaling-up initiatives. This paper, a product of the collaborative research between the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and the Universidade Federal Fluminense, examines different business models for social enterprises and the role that ICT can play in scale and impact of these initiatives

An ICT based Project Management Learning Framework

The objective of this paper is to present a framework that can facilitate the university level learning process in the Project Management of different students who are enrolled in different universities in different locations and attending their own Project Management courses, but running a virtual experience in executing and managing projects. The framework includes both information systems and methodological procedures that are integrated in the information system, making it possible to assess learning performance.

La ciudad híbrida. La mediación de las TIC en la experiencia de la ciudad = Hybrid city. Mediation of ICT in the city experience

La ciudad híbrida. La mediación de las TIC en la experiencia de la ciudad = Hybrid city. Mediation of ICT in the city experience

Techno-economics of ICT infrastructures: The impact of (user, network) requirements

- Towards a methodology for prospective deployment of ICT infrastructures - (Technologies & Architectures) - Key deployment parameters (network requirements) - User requirements - A proposal for Cost‐Benefit Analysis

ICT Road map for supporting energy systems in smart cities

This paper introduces a road map for ICTs (Information and communication technologies) supporting planning, operation and management of energy systems in smart cities. The road map summarises different elements that form energy systems in cities and proposes research and technical development (RTD) and innovation activities for the development and innovation of ICTs for holistic design, planning and operation of energy systems. In addition, synergies with other ICT systems for smart cities are considered. There are four main target groups for the road map: 1) citizen; 2) building sector; 3) energy sector; and 4) municipality level. As an example for enabling active participation of citizens, the road map proposes how ICT can enable citizens? involvement among others into building design. The building sector roadmap proposes how ICTs can support the planning of buildings and renovations in the future, as well as how to manage building energy systems. The energy sector road map focuses on city?s energy systems and their planning and management, including e.g. demand side management, management of different district level energy systems, energy performance validation and management, energy data models, and smarter use of open energy data. Moreover, the municipality level road map proposes among others ICTs for better integration of city systems and city planning enabling maximised energy efficiency. In addition, one road map section suggests development needs related to open energy data, including among others the use of energy data and the development and harmonisation of energy data models. The road map has been assembled in the READY4SmartCities project (funded by EU 7th Framework Programme), which focuses on the energy system at the city level, consisting of centralised energy systems and connections to the national level energy grids, as well as interconnections to the neighbourhood and building level energy systems.

An ICT-based closed-loop model to improve care for heart failure patients

Durante las últimas décadas se ha producido un fenómeno global de envejecimiento en la población. Esta tendencia se puede observar prácticamente en todos los países del mundo y se debe principalmente a los avances en la medicina, y a los descensos en las tasas de fertilidad y mortalidad. El envejecimiento de la población tiene un gran impacto en la salud de los ciudadanos, y a menudo es la causa de aparición de enfermedades crónicas. Este tipo de enfermedades supone una amenaza y una carga importantes para la sociedad, especialmente en aspectos como la mortalidad o los gastos en los sistemas sanitarios. Entre las enfermedades cardiovasculares, la insuficiencia cardíaca es probablemente la condición con mayor prevalencia y afecta a 23-26 millones de personas en todo el mundo. Normalmente, la insuficiencia cardíaca presenta un mal pronóstico y una tasa de supervivencia bajas, en algunos casos peores que algún tipo de cáncer. Además, suele ser la causa de hospitalizaciones frecuentes y es una de las enfermedades más costosas para los sistemas sanitarios. La tendencia al envejecimiento de la población y la creciente incidencia de las enfermedades crónicas están llevando a una situación en la que los sistemas de salud no son capaces de hacer frente a la demanda de la sociedad. Los servicios de salud existentes tendrán que adaptarse para ser efectivos y sostenibles en el futuro. Es necesario identificar nuevos paradigmas de cuidado de pacientes, así como mecanismos para la provisión de servicios que ayuden a transformar estos sistemas sanitarios. En este contexto, esta tesis se plantea la búsqueda de soluciones, basadas en las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC), que contribuyan a realizar la transformación en los sistemas sanitarios. En concreto, la tesis se centra en abordar los problemas de una de las enfermedades con mayor impacto en estos sistemas: la insuficiencia cardíaca. Las siguientes hipótesis constituyen la base para la realización de este trabajo de investigación: 1. Es posible definir un modelo basado en el paradigma de lazo cerrado y herramientas TIC que formalice el diseño de mejores servicios para pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca. 2. El modelo de lazo cerrado definido se puede utilizar para definir un servicio real que ayude a gestionar la insuficiencia cardíaca crónica. 3. La introducción, la adopción y el uso de un servicio basado en el modelo definido se traducirá en mejoras en el estado de salud de los pacientes que sufren insuficiencia cardíaca. a. La utilización de un sistema basado en el modelo de lazo cerrado definido mejorará la experiencia del usuario de los pacientes. La definición del modelo planteado se ha basado en el estándar ISO / EN 13940- Sistema de conceptos para dar soporte a la continuidad de la asistencia. Comprende un conjunto de conceptos, procesos, flujos de trabajo, y servicios como componentes principales, y representa una formalización de los servicios para los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca. Para evaluar el modelo definido se ha definido un servicio real basado en el mismo, además de la implementación de un sistema de apoyo a dicho servicio. El diseño e implementación de dicho sistema se realizó siguiendo la metodología de Diseño Orientado a Objetivos. El objetivo de la evaluación consistía en investigar el efecto que tiene un servicio basado en el modelo de lazo cerrado sobre el estado de salud de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca. La evaluación se realizó en el marco de un estudio clínico observacional. El análisis de los resultados ha comprendido métodos de análisis cuantitativos y cualitativos. El análisis cuantitativo se ha centrado en determinar el estado de salud de los pacientes en base a datos objetivos (obtenidos en pruebas de laboratorio o exámenes médicos). Para realizar este análisis se definieron dos índices específicos: el índice de estabilidad y el índice de la evolución del estado de salud. El análisis cualitativo ha evaluado la autopercepción del estado de salud de los pacientes en términos de calidad de vida, auto-cuidado, el conocimiento, la ansiedad y la depresión, así como niveles de conocimiento. Se ha basado en los datos recogidos mediante varios cuestionarios o instrumentos estándar (i.e. EQ-5D, la Escala de Ansiedad y Depresión (HADS), el Cuestionario de Cardiomiopatía de Kansas City (KCCQ), la Escala Holandesa de Conocimiento de Insuficiencia Cardíaca (DHFKS), y la Escala Europea de Autocuidado en Insuficiencia Cardíaca (EHFScBS), así como cuestionarios dedicados no estandarizados de experiencia de usuario. Los resultados obtenidos en ambos análisis, cuantitativo y cualitativo, se compararon con el fin de evaluar la correlación entre el estado de salud objetivo y subjetivo de los pacientes. Los resultados de la validación demostraron que el modelo propuesto tiene efectos positivos en el cuidado de los pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca y contribuye a mejorar su estado de salud. Asimismo, ratificaron al modelo como instrumento válido para la definición de servicios mejorados para la gestión de esta enfermedad. ABSTRACT During the last decades we have witnessed a global aging phenomenon in the population. This can be observed in practically every country in the world, and it is mainly caused by the advances in medicine, and the decrease of mortality and fertility rates. Population aging has an important impact on citizens’ health and it is often the cause for chronic diseases, which constitute global burden and threat to the society in terms of mortality and healthcare expenditure. Among chronic diseases, Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) or Heart Failure (HF) is probably the one with highest prevalence, affecting between 23 and 26 million people worldwide. Heart failure is a chronic, long-term and serious condition with very poor prognosis and worse survival rates than some type of cancers. Additionally, it is often the cause of frequent hospitalizations and one of the most expensive conditions for the healthcare systems. The aging trends in the population and the increasing incidence of chronic diseases are leading to a situation where healthcare systems are not able to cope with the society demand. Current healthcare services will have to be adapted and redefined in order to be effective and sustainable in the future. There is a need to find new paradigms for patients’ care, and to identify new mechanisms for services’ provision that help to transform the healthcare systems. In this context, this thesis aims to explore new solutions, based on ICT, that contribute to achieve the needed transformation within the healthcare systems. In particular, it focuses on addressing the problems of one of the diseases with higher impact within these systems: Heart Failure. The following hypotheses represent the basis to the elaboration of this research: 1. It is possible to define a model based on a closed-loop paradigm and ICT tools that formalises the design of enhanced healthcare services for chronic heart failure patients. 2. The described closed-loop model can be exemplified in a real service that supports the management of chronic heart failure disease. 3. The introduction, adoption and use of a service based on the outlined model will result in improvements in the health status of patients suffering heart failure. 4. The user experience of patients when utilizing a system based on the defined closed-loop model will be enhanced. The definition of the closed-loop model for health care support of heart failure patients have been based on the standard ISO/EN 13940 System of concepts to support continuity of care. It includes a set of concept, processes and workflows, and services as main components, and it represent a formalization of services for heart failure patients. In order to be validated, the proposed closed-loop model has been instantiated into a real service and a supporting IT system. The design and implementation of the system followed the user centred design methodology Goal Oriented Design. The validation, that included an observational clinical study, aimed to investigate the effect that a service based on the closed-loop model had on heart failure patients’ health status. The analysis of results comprised quantitative and qualitative analysis methods. The quantitative analysis was focused on determining the health status of patients based on objective data (obtained in lab tests or physical examinations). Two specific indexes where defined and considered in this analysis: the stability index and the health status evolution index. The qualitative analysis assessed the self-perception of patients’ health status in terms of quality of life, self-care, knowledge, anxiety and depression, as well as knowledge levels. It was based on the data gathered through several standard instruments (i.e. EQ-5D, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, the Dutch Heart Failure Knowledge Scale, and the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale) as well as dedicated non-standardized user experience questionnaires. The results obtained in both analyses, quantitative and qualitative, were compared in order to assess the correlation between the objective and subjective health status of patients. The results of the validation showed that the proposed model contributed to improve the health status of the patients and had a positive effect on the patients’ care. It also proved that the model is a valid instrument for designing enhanced healthcare services for heart failure patients.

Diseño y banco de test VHDL de un procesador que realice la ICT para HEVC

Se va a realizar un estudio de la codificación de imágenes sobre el estándar HEVC (high-effiency video coding). El proyecto se va a centrar en el codificador híbrido, más concretamente sobre la aplicación de la transformada inversa del coseno que se realiza tanto en codificador como en el descodificador. La necesidad de codificar vídeo surge por la aparición de la secuencia de imágenes como señales digitales. El problema principal que tiene el vídeo es la cantidad de bits que aparecen al realizar la codificación. Como consecuencia del aumento de la calidad de las imágenes, se produce un crecimiento exponencial de la cantidad de información a codificar. La utilización de las transformadas al procesamiento digital de imágenes ha aumentado a lo largo de los años. La transformada inversa del coseno se ha convertido en el método más utilizado en el campo de la codificación de imágenes y video. Las ventajas de la transformada inversa del coseno permiten obtener altos índices de compresión a muy bajo coste. La teoría de las transformadas ha mejorado el procesamiento de imágenes. En la codificación por transformada, una imagen se divide en bloques y se identifica cada imagen a un conjunto de coeficientes. Esta codificación se aprovecha de las dependencias estadísticas de las imágenes para reducir la cantidad de datos. El proyecto realiza un estudio de la evolución a lo largo de los años de los distintos estándares de codificación de video. Se analiza el codificador híbrido con más profundidad así como el estándar HEVC. El objetivo final que busca este proyecto fin de carrera es la realización del núcleo de un procesador específico para la ejecución de la transformada inversa del coseno en un descodificador de vídeo compatible con el estándar HEVC. Es objetivo se logra siguiendo una serie de etapas, en las que se va añadiendo requisitos. Este sistema permite al diseñador hardware ir adquiriendo una experiencia y un conocimiento más profundo de la arquitectura final. ABSTRACT. A study about the codification of images based on the standard HEVC (high-efficiency video coding) will be developed. The project will be based on the hybrid encoder, in particular, on the application of the inverse cosine transform, which is used for the encoder as well as for the decoder. The necessity of encoding video arises because of the appearance of the sequence of images as digital signals. The main problem that video faces is the amount of bits that appear when making the codification. As a consequence of the increase of the quality of the images, an exponential growth on the quantity of information that should be encoded happens. The usage of transforms to the digital processing of images has increased along the years. The inverse cosine transform has become the most used method in the field of codification of images and video. The advantages of the inverse cosine transform allow to obtain high levels of comprehension at a very low price. The theory of the transforms has improved the processing of images. In the codification by transform, an image is divided in blocks and each image is identified to a set of coefficients. This codification takes advantage of the statistic dependence of the images to reduce the amount of data. The project develops a study of the evolution along the years of the different standards in video codification. In addition, the hybrid encoder and the standard HEVC are analyzed more in depth. The final objective of this end of degree project is the realization of the nucleus from a specific processor for the execution of the inverse cosine transform in a decoder of video that is compatible with the standard HEVC. This objective is reached following a series of stages, in which requirements are added. This system allows the hardware designer to acquire a deeper experience and knowledge of the final architecture.

ICT in higher education: an experience with e-books

The present paper seeks to explain the diverse advantages of virtual books and also the main barriers that make it difficult their implementation in the classroom. A brief review of the literature on ICT, e-learning, distance education and e-books will be complemented with a case study about the preparation, development and implementation of an e-book. The paper could be helpful both for systems analysts and for teachers when they are developing and implementing e-books.

New Literacy for Reading Using ICT

This article will analyse the key strategies in the relationship between reading and writing in the area of ICT and the resulting importance in supporting literacy in this area so that the education system as a whole (primary and secondary schools and universities) can be guided to make full use of the opportunities ICT can provide. ICTs are able to help improve overall comprehension, evaluate general perspectives and raise awareness of the value of cooperation and, as a result, the essential quality of individuals and their contributions. These contributions are far-reaching and strategic. The benefits of applying ICT in reading and writing are also felt in oral expression and can result in education based more on dialogue which, in turn, leads to social change.