Effekter av Internet of Things : Scenariobaserad studie som beskriver inledande effekter av Internet of Things i en verksamhet

Med begreppet "Internet of Things" menas att ett objekt ur den riktiga världen blir en del av internet. Tunabyggen i Borlänge planerar att implementera ett sådant informationssystem som med hjälp av sensorer och en ständig internetuppkoppling håller uppsikt över temperatur och luftfuktighet i utvalda lokaler. Det är ett enkelt system som till synes inte har så stora effekter på den nuvarande verksamheten. De ekonomiska effekterna går ofta att räkna på i förhand men effekterna på personal, miljö och rutiner kan glömmas bort. Vi har därför med detta examensarbete undersökt vilka inledande effekter som kan tänkas uppkomma efter implementering av ett nytt informationssystem med "Internet of Things" funktionalitet i en verksamhet. Detta sker inom kategorierna ekonomi, arbetsmiljö, miljöpåverkan och systemförvaltning. För att kunna besvara detta har vi gjort en fallstudie baserad på en scenariometodik som består av fyra faser. Fas 1, där vi fick vårt Case och skapade en förståelse för scenariofältet. Fas 2, där vi identifierade nyckelfaktorer. Detta har gjorts genom en litteraturstudie samt intervju med berörd personal på Tunabyggen. Fas 3, där analysen av dessa nyckelfaktorer skedde genom nulägesanalys och framtidsanalys av nyckelfaktorer. Fas 4, där vi genererade scenarier av de analyserade nyckelfaktorerna. Det har sedan gjorts en SWOT-analys för att belysa styrkor, svagheter, möjligheter och hot. Resultatet visar tydliga tecken på att det kommer att bli många effekter för Tunabyggen efter implementering av det nya informationssystemet som yttrar sig i alla kategorier. Slutsatsen är att vid implementation av ett informationssystem som detta är effekterna många. Detta är något som vi anser bör beaktas av alla verksamheter som har tankar på att införskaffa ett nytt informationssystem. De bör inte bara utvärdera informationssystem rent ekonomiskt utan borde ta i beaktning att det finns ett antal andra faktorer som har en avgörande roll om implementation av informationssystem ska bli lyckad.

Channel-forming activity of syringopeptin 25 A in mercury-supported phospholipid monolayers and negatively charged bilayers

Interactions of the cationic lipodepsipeptide syringopeptin 25 A (SP25A) with mercury-supported dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) and dioeleoylphosphatidic acid (DOPA) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were investigated by AC voltammetry in 0.1 M KCl at pH 3, 5.4 and 6.8. SP25A targets and penetrates the DOPS SAM much more effectively than the other SAMs not only at pH 6.8, where the DOPS SAM is negatively charged, but also at pH 3, where it is positively charged just as SP25A. Similar investigations at tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs) consisting of a thiolipid called DPTL anchored to mercury, with a DOPS, DOPA or DOPC distal monolayer on top of it, showed that, at physiological transmembrane potentials, SP25A forms ion channels spanning the tBLM only if DOPS is the distal monolayer. The distinguishing chemical feature of the DOPS SAM is the ionic interaction between the protonated amino group of a DOPS molecule and the carboxylate group of an adjacent phospholipid molecule. Under the reasonable assumption that SP25A preferentially interacts with this ion pair, the selective lipodepsipeptide antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria may be tentatively explained by its affinity for similar protonated amino-carboxylate pairs, which are expected to be present in the peptide moieties of peptidoglycan strands.

The significance of restorative justice in schools

Este artículo trata de abordar el uso dominante de los enfoques punitivos a los problemas de comportamiento en las escuelas, y se propone un enfoque de justicia restaurativa. En los Estados Unidos, y especialmente después de 1994, las políticas de tolerancia cero han transformado los problemas de control social en una crisis de graves proporciones. Estas políticas («tolerancia cero») parece que han servido, principalmente, para sólo marginalizar más a los chicos latinos y afroamericanos y para agravar, a largo plazo, los retos políticos, económicos y sociales del país. Sobre la base de las tradiciones de justicia restaurativa internacionales y la experiencia de los pueblos indígenas en los Estados Unidos, el objetivo de la justicia restaurativa es devolver a la víctima a la situación anterior al delito y reconstruir la relación del agresor tanto con el ofendido como con la comunidad. El artículo establece los principios que rigen un proceso de restauración, así como sus componentes esenciales.

Industrialización y desarrollo en la Argentina pos-“Washington Consensus”: un abordaje crítico desde la perspectiva sectorial, actoral y espacial

Argentina, en 2001, luego de experimentar una de las crisis más profunda de su historia, consecuencia de la primacía de las políticas neoliberales durante la década de 1990 y de los resultados negativos en términos de crecimiento y desigualdad socio-espacial a que estas dieron lugar, comenzó a reconsiderar el rol del Estado en la economía. En dicho contexto se lo sindicó como un actor estratégico para dinamizar un crecimiento inclusivo que viabilice el desarrollo. La promoción estatal a la actividad industrial ocupó un lugar central en la consecución de dicho objetivo. Transcurrida ya más de una década, en el presente trabajo se demuestra, a través del análisis de estadísticas oficiales, cómo la re-intervención del Estado poco ha podido hacer para avanzar en la conformación de un tejido industrial complejo, dinámico y descentralizado –actoral y espacialmente–, que permita viabilizar el desarrollo.

The Return of Institutions. On the Latest Change in the Research on Social and Economic Development

The paper describes the latest change in the research on social and economic development of states. This change is characterized mainly by a strong emphasis put on the role of institutions as key instruments of reducing the development gap between countries. It is argued that in the years after 1989 institutions have disappeared from mainstream academia and major intellectual debates because of: (1) the widespread belief in global convergence of capitalism and (2) the modernization theory which prevailed in the social science in the 1990s. The article indicates that institutions were once again brought into focus as a result of (1) a wider debate about the institutional sources of growth and development sparked by Acemoglu and Robinson’s Why Nations Fail, (2) the beginning of the global economic crisis of 2008 triggered by the fall of American investment bank Lehman Brothers (3) diversified consequences of the economic crisis seen all over Europe and the USA which illustrate (4) the institutional varieties of capitalism.

La mediación como política social: una vía eficaz para el logro de la cultura de paz = Mediation as social policy: an effective way of a culture of peace

La presente investigación surge como resultado de la tesis para la obtención del grado de Doctor y pretende contribuir al fortalecimiento de una cultura de paz en México, proponiendo implementar estrategias de resolución pacífica de conflictos como la mediación, considerándola como una política social que incida en la transformación positiva de los conflictos. La herramienta idónea, el diálogo y los valores: tolerancia, cooperación, participación activa de la sociedad, solidaridad y el acercamiento de la justicia a la ciudadanía, serán los elementos indispensables para solucionar de manera efectiva, pronta, económica y equitativa los conflictos la sociedad del siglo XXI. La mediación cumple satisfactoriamente los requisitos para poder ser contemplada como una política social que incentive la participación activa de la ciudadanía en la solución de sus conflictos, auxiliando a socavar la crisis de los sistemas de impartición de justicia. Abstract: This research arises as a result of the thesis for obtaining the degree of Doctor, and aims to contribute to the strengthening of a culture of peace in Mexico, by proposing to implement peaceful conflict resolution like mediation strategies, considering it as a social policy that affects the positive transformation of conflicts. The ideal tool, dialogue and values: tolerance, cooperation, active participation of society, solidarity and justice approach to citizenship, will be the essential elements to solve conflicts of the 21st century society in effective, faster, economical and equitable manner. Mediation satisfactorily meets the requirements to be able to be considered a social policy that encourage the active participation of citizens in the solution of their conflicts, helping to undermine the crisis of justice systems.

The interaction of economic and pedagogical ideals in the context of workplace learning in Germany: a framework for empirical research – inspired by business ethics

As an effect of marketisation, the importance of workplace learning in Germany has increased. The article follows up on the long-standing discourse around the question of how economic and pedagogical ideals interact in this context. In order to develop a theoretical framework for empirical research, three major positions of the discipline of business ethics are introduced. Business ethics in more abstract ways deals with the very same question, namely how do ideas such as profit orientation interact with other norms and values? The new perspectives show that the discourse has been hitherto based on a specific understanding of economy. In order to derive an empirical answer to the research question, the question is re-formulated as follows: Which values are inherent in the decisions taken? Consequently, it suggests using the concept of ‘rationalities of justification’ for empirical research. The article shows how this concept can be applied by conducting a test run. (DIPF/Orig.)

UNA REFLEXIÓN INTRODUCTORIA SOBRE LA NATURALEZA DE LA ACTUAL CRISIS GLOBAL Y LOS LÍMITES DEL CAPITALISMO

Resumen La actual crisis económica mundial puede ciertamente caracterizarse como de carácter sistémico y global, conjugándose a la vez con una crisis de civilización que pone en jaque no solo al sistema económico, sino al sistema de vida. Que no se trata de una crisis cíclica más es un hecho reconocido, pero necesitamos precisar su carácter, al menos de manera inicial y preliminar. En este ensayo apoyamos la tesis de una crisis sistémica global (o civilizatoria), pero sin dejar de advertir que los fundamentos del capitalismo también están mostrando sus límites históricos y exacerbando las amenazas globales sobre las condiciones de existencia de la vida; sin que por ello se trate, necesariamente, de una crisis terminal; y tanto las opciones capitalistas como las postcapitalistas y las anticapitalistas están a la orden del día. Abstract The current global economic crisis can certainly be characterized as a systemic and global one, combined with a crisis of civilization that puts in check not only the economic system, but the whole system of life. That it is not a simple cyclical crisis is widely acknowledged, but we need to specify the nature of it, at least in an initial and preliminary manner. In this essay we support the thesis of a global systemic crisis, but still warned that the foundations of capitalism are also showing its historical limits and exacerbating the global threats on the conditions of existence of life without it is required of a terminal crisis, and both options capitalists, post-capitalist and anti-capitalists are on the agenda.

CRISIS ALIMENTARIA: NUEVO MEGA-NEGOCIO GLOBAL

Resumen El presente artículo desenmascara la forma en que falazmente las instituciones financieras multilaterales pretenden hacer ver las causas de lo que han dado en llamar “la crisis alimentaria mundial” a partir del incremento de los precios de los alimentos alrededor del mundo. Agrocombustibles, incremento del precio del petróleo, cambio climático en zonas productoras son algunas de las causas que el Banco Mundial pone como justificación al incremento del precio de la mayoría de cereales y granos básicos. La milagrosa solución al hambre en los países pobres: la minería, es lanzada desde este todopoderoso agente financiero, como panacea para la producción de regalías que permitan a muchos países de África y algunos de América Latina y Asia,  para resolver la problemática alimentaria.  ¡Nada más falso! En los siguientes párrafos se describen las verdaderas razones de la crisis del actual modelo económico mundial, y se proponen desde un país en concreto,  propuestas de política pública para su solución.   Abstract The present article unmasks the way in which multilateral financial institutions pretend fallaciously to show the causes of which they have given to call “the world food crisis” since the increasing prices of food around the world. Agrofuels, increase the price of oil, produces climate chance in zones used for production, these are some of the causes that the World Bank uses to justify the increasing prices of the majority of cereals and grains. The miraculous solution for hunger in poor countries: mining, is launched from this all mighty financial agent, as a panacea to produce royalties that will permit many countries in Africa, and in some in Latin American and Asia, to solve their food problematic. Nothing more false than that! In the next paragraphs the true reasons of this crisis of the actual economic world model are described, and from a particular country, proposals of public politics for their solutions.

Crisis de la masculinidad hegemónica: (re)escrituras finiseculares de la batalla de los sexos en Estados Unidos

The present dissertation explores the concept of masculinity as power, paying special attention to the production and resistance of the rigid narratives of masculinity. Such configuration has prescribed the role of men in society—both at an individual and collective level—placing man at the centre of the patriarchal system and thus conferring upon men superiority over women. Such ideological construction is based on an essentialist view of the world, where biology determines destiny. As Men’s Studies have been advocating since their emergence, the victims of such an inegalitarian system are mainly women, but there are others, such as marginalized groups of men and hegemonic men themselves. Our focus is centered on the so-called crisis of masculinity that North American men went through in the last two decades of the twentieth century, the consequences of which have not yet been completely overcome. While from an essentialist point of view such a crisis is questionable, the political, economic and sociological reality of the Reagan’s Age made visible the downsides and pitfalls of toxic masculinity. In order to face the problems derived from the damaging nature of a construction that constrains men, three broad responses to the problem were taken: pro-feminist, anti-feminist and spiritual. Except for pro-feminists, the main reaction of these groupings consisted of victimizing themselves and of defending their essentialist supremacy—lulled by the fantasy world fostered by the “politics of symbolism” (Dallek, 1999 [1984]) of Reagan’s escapist policies. Opposing this reassuring image of the United States, the Blank Generation addressed the crisis of masculinity from a nihilist perspective. Through the analysis of American Psycho, this dissertation will illustrate the darkest side of the hegemonic model of masculinity...

Synthesis of waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersions with chain extension step in homogeneous and heterogeneous media

Hypothesis: The possibility of tailoring the final properties of environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane and polyurethane-urea dispersions and the films they produce makes them attractive for a wide range of applications. Both the reagents content and the synthesis route contribute to the observed final properties. Experiments: A series of polyurethane-urea and polyurethane aqueous dispersions were synthesized using 1,2-ethanediamine and/or 1,4-butanediol as chain extenders. The diamine content was varied from 0 to 4.5 wt%. Its addition was carried out either by the classical heterogeneous reaction medium (after phase inversion step), or else by the alternative homogeneous medium (prior to dispersion formation). Dispersions as well as films prepared from dispersions have been later extensively characterized. Findings: 1,2-Ethanediamine addition in heterogeneous medium leads to dispersions with high particle sizes and broad distributions whereas in homogeneous medium, lower particle sizes and narrow distributions were observed, thus leading to higher uniformity and cohesiveness among particles during film formation. Thereby, stress transfer is favored adding the diamine in a homogeneous medium; and thus the obtained films presented quite higher stress and modulus values. Furthermore, the higher uniformity of films tends to hinder water molecules transport through the film, resulting, in general, in a lower water absorption capacity.

Crises and Crisis Generations: International Conflict and Military Participation in Politics

Why do states facing high levels of international threat sometimes have militaries that are heavily involved in politics and at other times relatively apolitical, professional militaries? I argue that the answer to this puzzle lies in a state's history of 'acute' international crises rather than its 'chronic' threat environment. Major international crises lead to professionalization and de-politicization of militaries in both the short- and long-term. International crises underscore the need for the military to defend the state and highlight military deficiencies in this regard. Accordingly, major international crises lead to military professionalization and withdrawal from politics in order to increase military effectiveness. This effect persists years, and decades, later due to generational shifts in the officer corps. As the "Crisis Generation" of officers become generals, they bring with them a preference for professionalization and de-politicization. They guide the military towards abstention from politics. I test this theory using a new global dataset on military officers in national governing bodies from 1964-2008 and find strong support for the theory. Major international crises lead to two waves of military withdrawal from government, years apart. Further statistical analysis finds that this effect is most strongly felt in the non-security areas of governing, while in some cases, international crises may lead to militaries increasing their involvement in security policy-making. Further, international crises that end poorly for a state — i.e., defeats or stalemates — are found to drive more rapid waves of military withdrawal from government. The statistical analysis is supported by a case illustration of civil-military relations in the People's Republic of China, which demonstrates that the crisis of the Korean War (1950-53) led to two waves of military professionalization and de-politicization, decades apart. The first occurred immediately after the war. The second wave, occurring in the 1980s, involved wholesale military withdrawal from governing bodies, which was made possible by the ascent of the "Crisis Generation" of officers in the military, who had served as junior officers in the Korean War, decades prior.

Self-defeating austerity? Assessing the impact of fiscal consolidations on unemployment

The great recession of 2008/2009 has had a huge impact on unemployment and public finances in most advanced countries, and these impacts were magnified in the southern Euro area countries by the sovereign debt crisis of 2010/2011. The fiscal consolidation imposed by the European Union on highly indebted countries was based on the assumptions of the so-called expansionary austerity. However, the reality so far shows proof to the contrary, and the results of this paper support the opposing view of a self- defeating austerity. Based on the input-output relations of the productive system, an unemployment rate/budget balance trade-off equation is derived, as well as the impact of a strong fiscal consolidation based on social transfers and the notion of neutral budget balance. An application to the Portuguese case confirms the huge costs of a strong fiscal consolidation, both in terms of unemployment and social policy regress, and it allows one to conclude that too much consolidation in one year makes consolidation more difficult in the following year.

The introduction of a financial transaction tax in Italy

Mestrado em Finanças

Measurement of the magnetic field of small magnets with a smartphone: a very economical laboratory practice for introductory physics courses

In this work, we propose an inexpensive laboratory practice for an introductory physics course laboratory for any grade of science and engineering study. This practice was very well received by our students, where a smartphone (iOS, Android, or Windows) is used together with mini magnets (similar to those used on refrigerator doors), a 20 cm long school rule, a paper, and a free application (app) that needs to be downloaded and installed that measures magnetic fields using the smartphone's magnetic field sensor or magnetometer. The apps we have used are: Magnetometer (iOS), Magnetometer Metal Detector, and Physics Toolbox Magnetometer (Android). Nothing else is needed. Cost of this practice: free. The main purpose of the practice is that students determine the dependence of the component x of the magnetic field produced by different magnets (including ring magnets and sphere magnets). We obtained that the dependency of the magnetic field with the distance is of the form x-3, in total agreement with the theoretical analysis. The secondary objective is to apply the technique of least squares fit to obtain this exponent and the magnetic moment of the magnets, with the corresponding absolute error.