Relaci��n entre los estilos de liderazgo y los niveles de resiliencia de los subordinados

El presente documento hace un an��lisis de la influencia que ejercen los diferentes tipos de liderazgo, carism��tico y transaccional, de un directivo de una organizaci��n sobre los subordinados de la misma, que a su vez afecta positiva o negativamente el nivel de resiliencia de los mismos. De la misma forma, se ha identificado la relaci��n que existe entre el nivel de resiliencia de los subordinados de una organizaci��n y el cumplimiento de objetivos corporativos de la misma. Todo lo anterior se justifica en la econom��a globalizada de la que ahora hacemos parte que obliga a las empresas a generar nuevas estrategias de competitividad dentro de ambientes turbulentos y cambiantes donde, el desarrollar y motivar el recurso humano de la organizaci��n toma importancia para la ejecuci��n exitosa de estrategias diferenciales.

Estado situacional de los modelos basados en agentes y su impacto en la investigaci��n organizacional

En un mundo hiperconectado, din��mico y cargado de incertidumbre como el actual, los m��todos y modelos anal��ticos convencionales est��n mostrando sus limitaciones. Las organizaciones requieren, por tanto, herramientas ��tiles que empleen tecnolog��a de informaci��n y modelos de simulaci��n computacional como mecanismos para la toma de decisiones y la resoluci��n de problemas. Una de las m��s recientes, potentes y prometedoras es el modelamiento y la simulaci��n basados en agentes (MSBA). Muchas organizaciones, incluidas empresas consultoras, emplean esta t��cnica para comprender fen��menos, hacer evaluaci��n de estrategias y resolver problemas de diversa ��ndole. Pese a ello, no existe (hasta donde conocemos) un estado situacional acerca del MSBA y su aplicaci��n a la investigaci��n organizacional. Cabe anotar, adem��s, que por su novedad no es un tema suficientemente difundido y trabajado en Latinoam��rica. En consecuencia, este proyecto pretende elaborar un estado situacional sobre el MSBA y su impacto sobre la investigaci��n organizacional.

Aproximaci��n al manejo de la seguridad ambiental canadiense y estadounidense frente a la degradaci��n del sistema de la los Grandes Lagos. Periodo 1995-2000

El prop��sito de la presente monograf��a es determinar la relaci��n entre la degradaci��n y navegaci��n en los Grandes Lagos en la noci��n de seguridad ambiental de Estados Unidos y Canad�� en un entorno de interdependencia entre 1995 - 2000. En ese sentido, se busca determinar como los recursos de poder de Canad�� y Estados Unidos en la relaci��n degradaci��n-navegaci��n transforma la noci��n de seguridad ambiental. De este modo, se analiza el concepto de seguridad ambiental desde la navegaci��n, elemento esencial para entender la relaci��n bilateral dentro del sistema de los Grandes Lagos. Esta investigaci��n de tipo cualitativo que responde a las variables de la seguridad ambiental planteadas por Barry Buzan, Thomas Homer-Nixon, y Stephan Libiszewski, y a la teor��a de la Interdependencia Compleja por Robert Keohane y Joseph Nye, pretende avanzar hacia la complejizaci��n de la dimensi��n ambiental lejos de la tradicional definici��n antropoc��ntrica.

El desempe��o de Unamsil en el programa DDR durante el proceso de paz en Sierra Leona. Estudio de caso: los ni��os soldados. 1998-2005

El inter��s de este Estudio de Caso es investigar la manera en que la Misi��n de Paz de la ONU en Sierra Leona (UNAMSIL) redireccion�� el programa Desarme, Desmovilizaci��n y Reintegraci��n (DDR) hacia los ni��os soldados durante el post-conflicto en el pa��s. Se analiza c��mo a trav��s de la coordinaci��n de diferentes Agencias y Organizaciones Internacionales con UNAMSIL, el Gobierno y la Sociedad Civil hace posible que se refuerce el rol de los Interim Care Centers (ICCs) en donde se enfrentaron las necesidades esenciales de los menores excombatientes para lograr un mejor proceso de su desmovilizaci��n y reintegraci��n. Se explica de igual forma, las diferentes herramientas que sirven para llevar a cabo la resoluci��n del conflicto y la reconstrucci��n de la paz, enfoc��ndose en el peacekeeping, peacemaking y peacebuilding, como mecanismos que ayudaron a crear un espacio seguro para los ni��os exsoldados. Por ��ltimo, se exponen los alcances y l��mites de los ICCs con respecto a la reintegraci��n de los menores excombatientes

Integraci��n de las t��cnicas de mercadeo y la relaci��n estrat��gica comunitaria

Con el siguiente proyecto se pretende explicar c��mo se realiza la integraci��n de las t��cnicas de mercadeo y la relaci��n estrat��gica comunitaria, debido a que las organizaciones utilizan conceptos comunitarios. Se analizan las principales estrategias de mercadeo como marketing mix, geomarketing, mercadeo de servicios, mercadeo relacional y mercadeo social. Se explican las t��cnicas de mercadeo como mercadeo directo, diferenciaci��n de productos, segmentaci��n de mercado, investigaci��n de mercados, inteligencia de mercados, optimizaci��n de canales de distribuci��n y comercio electr��nico. Adicionalmente, se exponen las estrategias comunitarias como coaliciones comunitarias, organizaciones de base, liderazgo comunitario y empoderamiento. La metodolog��a implementada para este proyecto es de tipo te��rico-conceptual y re��ne los aportes de varios documentos cient��ficos de diversas ��reas del conocimiento. Las fuentes de informaci��n, conceptos y teor��as se seleccionan seg��n el criterio del investigador en funci��n de las posibilidades descriptivas de la integraci��n propuesta. En esta investigaci��n se concluye que las t��cnicas y las estrategias de mercadeo permiten la comunicaci��n entre las organizaciones y las comunidades. Esto posibilita que exista participaci��n entre ambas partes y es un factor clave para el surgimiento de la relaci��n estrat��gica comunitaria. Se recomienda realizar investigaciones posteriores sobre la relaci��n estrat��gica comunitaria, aplicadas a organizaciones y comunidades.

El hospital como organizaci��n de conocimiento y espacio de investigaci��n y formaci��n

El libro es una contribuci��n importante al an��lisis de la productividad de m��dicos, investigadores y centros de hospitalizaci��n vinculados al proceso cient��fico del pa��s. En sus p��ginas se encuentra informaci��n sistem��tica y accesible a los lectores sobre el desarrollo de la medicina cl��nica en Colombia. Nunca antes se hab��a logrado un an��lisis tan completo de los que pareciera una compleja e irrealizable tarea. Los acad��micos y todos los miembros del sistema de salud encontrar��n aqu�� los datos para entender la din��mica de los recursos humanos que trabajan en la investigaci��n cl��nica en salud, con el fin de determinar sus formas organizativas, diferenciadas como comunidad cient��fica, su visibilidad y reconocimiento social.Con los indicadores aqu�� expuestos muchas universidades, hospitales y cl��nicas seguramente dispondr��n de una nueva perspectiva del concepto de capital intelectual, y ofrecer��n a las personas con un alto nivel de formaci��n un capital humano acumulado para que su productividad sea mayor.

Abordajes te��ricos en la comprensi��n de la influencia de los recursos econ��micos en la actividad f��sica

Estudio cualitativo que analiza los abordajes te��ricos utilizados por diferentes autores en la comprensi��n de la influencia de los recursos econ��micos en la actividad f��sica desde los modelos de determinantes y determinaci��n social.

La cooperaci��n internacional como instrumento para la construcci��n de paz en Colombia. Estudio de caso del proyecto ���Fortalecimiento institucional para la atenci��n a las v��ctimas del conflicto (FORVIC)��� (2009-2014)

El presente estudio de caso pretende analizar los alcances de la cooperaci��n internacional en materia de justicia transicional y construcci��n de paz tomando en consideraci��n un proyecto de cooperaci��n internacional emblem��tico denominado Fortalecimiento Institucional para la Atenci��n a las V��ctimas del Conflicto o FORVIC. Para conseguir esto, se analizar��n primero los efectos generados por el Proyecto FORVIC en materia de fortalecimiento del Estado de Derecho y lucha contra la impunidad en Colombia, y a partir de los hallazgos se constituir��n y se propondr��n una serie de condiciones sobre las que puede pensarse la cooperaci��n internacional como un instrumento genuino para la construcci��n de paz en Colombia.

The Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget Project

This paper reports on a new satellite sensor, the Geostationary Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) experiment. GERB is designed to make the first measurements of the Earth's radiation budget from geostationary orbit. Measurements at high absolute accuracy of the reflected sunlight from the Earth, and the thermal radiation emitted by the Earth are made every 15 min, with a spatial resolution at the subsatellite point of 44.6 km (north���south) by 39.3 km (east���west). With knowledge of the incoming solar constant, this gives the primary forcing and response components of the top-of-atmosphere radiation. The first GERB instrument is an instrument of opportunity on Meteosat-8, a new spin-stabilized spacecraft platform also carrying the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared (SEVIRI) sensor, which is currently positioned over the equator at 3.5��W. This overview of the project includes a description of the instrument design and its preflight and in-flight calibration. An evaluation of the instrument performance after its first year in orbit, including comparisons with data from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite sensors and with output from numerical models, are also presented. After a brief summary of the data processing system and data products, some of the scientific studies that are being undertaken using these early data are described. This marks the beginning of a decade or more of observations from GERB, as subsequent models will fly on each of the four Meteosat Second Generation satellites.

Modulation of the fecal microflora profile and immune function by a novel trans-galactooligosaccharide mixture (B-GOS) in healthy elderly volunteers

Background: Aging is associated with reduced numbers of beneficial colonic bifidobacteria and impaired immunity. Galactooligosaccharides (GOSs) stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria in younger adults, but little is known about their effects in the elderly and their immunomodulatory capacity. Objective: We assessed the effect of a prebiotic GOS mixture (B-GOS) on immune function and fecal microflora composition in healthy elderly subjects. Design: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 44 elderly subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or the B-GOS treatment (5.5 g/d). Subjects consumed the treatments for 10 wk, and then went through a 4-wk washout period, before switching to the other treatment for the final 10 wk. Blood and fecal samples were collected at the beginning, middle (5 wk), and end of the test period. Predominant bacterial groups were quantified, and phagocytosis, natural killer (NK) cell activity, cytokine production, plasma cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol were measured. Results: B-GOS significantly increased the numbers of beneficial bacteria, especially bifidobacteria, at the expense of less beneficial groups compared with the baseline and placebo. Significant increases in phagocytosis, NK cell activity, and the production of antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) and significant reduction in the production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1 beta , and tumor necrosis factor-alpha) were also observed. B-GOS exerted no effects on total cholesterol or HDL-cholesterol production, however. Conclusions: B-GOS administration to healthy elderly persons resulted in positive effects on both the microflora composition and the immune response. Therefore, B-GOS may be a useful dietary candidate for the enhancement of gastrointestinal health and immune function in elderly persons. Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 88: 1438-46.

Multi-agent building control in shared environment

Multi-agent systems have been adopted to build intelligent environment in recent years. It was claimed that energy efficiency and occupants' comfort were the most important factors for evaluating the performance of modem work environment, and multi-agent systems presented a viable solution to handling the complexity of dynamic building environment. While previous research has made significant advance in some aspects, the proposed systems or models were often not applicable in a "shared environment". This paper introduces an ongoing project on multi-agent for building control, which aims to achieve both energy efficiency and occupants' comfort in a shared environment.

The tendering process and performance analysis of a public building project in Ghana

A case study on the tendering process and cost/time performance of a public building project in Ghana is conducted. Competitive bids submitted by five contractors for the project, in which contractors were required to prepare their own quantities, were analyzed to compare differences in their pricing levels and risk/requirement perceptions. Queries sent to the consultants at the tender stage were also analyzed to identify the significant areas of concern to contractors in relation to the tender documentation. The five bidding prices were significantly different. The queries submitted for clarifications were significantly different, although a few were similar. Using a before-and-after experiment, the expected cost/time estimate at the start of the project was compared to the actual cost/time values, i.e. what happened in the actual construction phase. The analysis showed that the project exceeded its expected cost by 18% and its planned time by 210%. Variations and inadequate design were the major reasons. Following an exploration of these issues, an alternative tendering mechanism is recommended to clients. A shift away from the conventional approach of awarding work based on price, and serious consideration of alternative procurement routes can help clients in Ghana obtain better value for money on their projects.

Final report on research project PS2010, proof of concept of automated mapping of weeds in arable fields

Many weeds occur in patches but farmers frequently spray whole fields to control the weeds in these patches. Given a geo-referenced weed map, technology exists to confine spraying to these patches. Adoption of patch spraying by arable farmers has, however, been negligible partly due to the difficulty of constructing weed maps. Building on previous DEFRA and HGCA projects, this proposal aims to develop and evaluate a machine vision system to automate the weed mapping process. The project thereby addresses the principal technical stumbling block to widespread adoption of site specific weed management (SSWM). The accuracy of weed identification by machine vision based on a single field survey may be inadequate to create herbicide application maps. We therefore propose to test the hypothesis that sufficiently accurate weed maps can be constructed by integrating information from geo-referenced images captured automatically at different times of the year during normal field activities. Accuracy of identification will also be increased by utilising a priori knowledge of weeds present in fields. To prove this concept, images will be captured from arable fields on two farms and processed offline to identify and map the weeds, focussing especially on black-grass, wild oats, barren brome, couch grass and cleavers. As advocated by Lutman et al. (2002), the approach uncouples the weed mapping and treatment processes and builds on the observation that patches of these weeds are quite stable in arable fields. There are three main aspects to the project. 1) Machine vision hardware. Hardware component parts of the system are one or more cameras connected to a single board computer (Concurrent Solutions LLC) and interfaced with an accurate Global Positioning System (GPS) supplied by Patchwork Technology. The camera(s) will take separate measurements for each of the three primary colours of visible light (red, green and blue) in each pixel. The basic proof of concept can be achieved in principle using a single camera system, but in practice systems with more than one camera may need to be installed so that larger fractions of each field can be photographed. Hardware will be reviewed regularly during the project in response to feedback from other work packages and updated as required. 2) Image capture and weed identification software. The machine vision system will be attached to toolbars of farm machinery so that images can be collected during different field operations. Images will be captured at different ground speeds, in different directions and at different crop growth stages as well as in different crop backgrounds. Having captured geo-referenced images in the field, image analysis software will be developed to identify weed species by Murray State and Reading Universities with advice from The Arable Group. A wide range of pattern recognition and in particular Bayesian Networks will be used to advance the state of the art in machine vision-based weed identification and mapping. Weed identification algorithms used by others are inadequate for this project as we intend to collect and correlate images collected at different growth stages. Plants grown for this purpose by Herbiseed will be used in the first instance. In addition, our image capture and analysis system will include plant characteristics such as leaf shape, size, vein structure, colour and textural pattern, some of which are not detectable by other machine vision systems or are omitted by their algorithms. Using such a list of features observable using our machine vision system, we will determine those that can be used to distinguish weed species of interest. 3) Weed mapping. Geo-referenced maps of weeds in arable fields (Reading University and Syngenta) will be produced with advice from The Arable Group and Patchwork Technology. Natural infestations will be mapped in the fields but we will also introduce specimen plants in pots to facilitate more rigorous system evaluation and testing. Manual weed maps of the same fields will be generated by Reading University, Syngenta and Peter Lutman so that the accuracy of automated mapping can be assessed. The principal hypothesis and concept to be tested is that by combining maps from several surveys, a weed map with acceptable accuracy for endusers can be produced. If the concept is proved and can be commercialised, systems could be retrofitted at low cost onto existing farm machinery. The outputs of the weed mapping software would then link with the precision farming options already built into many commercial sprayers, allowing their use for targeted, site-specific herbicide applications. Immediate economic benefits would, therefore, arise directly from reducing herbicide costs. SSWM will also reduce the overall pesticide load on the crop and so may reduce pesticide residues in food and drinking water, and reduce adverse impacts of pesticides on non-target species and beneficials. Farmers may even choose to leave unsprayed some non-injurious, environmentally-beneficial, low density weed infestations. These benefits fit very well with the anticipated legislation emerging in the new EU Thematic Strategy for Pesticides which will encourage more targeted use of pesticides and greater uptake of Integrated Crop (Pest) Management approaches, and also with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive to reduce levels of pesticides in water bodies. The greater precision of weed management offered by SSWM is therefore a key element in preparing arable farming systems for the future, where policy makers and consumers want to minimise pesticide use and the carbon footprint of farming while maintaining food production and security. The mapping technology could also be used on organic farms to identify areas of fields needing mechanical weed control thereby reducing both carbon footprints and also damage to crops by, for example, spring tines. Objective i. To develop a prototype machine vision system for automated image capture during agricultural field operations; ii. To prove the concept that images captured by the machine vision system over a series of field operations can be processed to identify and geo-reference specific weeds in the field; iii. To generate weed maps from the geo-referenced, weed plants/patches identified in objective (ii).