Carlos L. Moreno and Ana M. Sarmento
The paper aims to present an experimental testing program regarding reinforced concrete slabs, with and without shear reinforcement, submitted to punching under both symmetric and…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to present an experimental testing program regarding reinforced concrete slabs, with and without shear reinforcement, submitted to punching under both symmetric and eccentric loading. Comparisons between numerical simulations and experimental behaviour results are carried on. The capabilities and limitations of the numerical model to reproduce the brittle punching‐shear failure are discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper opted for a performance assessment of a numerical model, comparing FEM results with known experimental tests properly instrumented. Capability of DIANA software to simulate the punching behaviour of slabs is discussed.
Findings
The paper demonstrates that the mechanical properties assigned to the element layer containing the bending reinforcement impose the load deflection stiffness behaviour. Good agreement was found between the predicted and the observed deformation behaviour. Nevertheless, the reproduction of the punching ultimate capacity is strongly dependent on the adopted value for the shear retention factor, which appears to be the major decisive parameter.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates that the smeared crack model based on both the concept of strain decomposition (SD) and total strain with fixed orthogonal cracks approach (TSF) can correctly be used for the analysis of the behaviour of slabs submitted to punching shear.
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Heather L. Rogers, Susana Pablo Hernando, Silvia Núñez - Fernández, Alvaro Sanchez, Carlos Martos, Maribel Moreno and Gonzalo Grandes
This study aims to elucidate the health care organization, management and policy barriers and facilitators associated with implementation of an evidence-based health promotion…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to elucidate the health care organization, management and policy barriers and facilitators associated with implementation of an evidence-based health promotion intervention in primary care centers in the Basque Country, Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven focus groups were conducted with 49 health professionals from six primary care centers participating in the Prescribing Healthy Life program. Text was analyzed using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) focusing on those constructs related to health care organization, management and policy.
Findings
The health promotion intervention was found to be compatible with the values of primary care professionals. However, professionals at all centers reported barriers to implementation related to: (1) external policy and incentives, (2) compatibility with existing workflow and (3) available resources to carry out the program. Specific barriers in these areas related to lack of financial and political support, consultation time constraints and difficulty managing competing day-to-day demands. Other barriers and facilitators were related to the constructs networks and communication, culture, relative priority and leadership engagement. A set of six specific barrier-facilitator pairs emerged.
Originality/value
Implementation science and, specifically, the CFIR constructs were used as a guide. Barriers and facilitators related to the implementation of a health promotion program in primary care were identified. Healthcare managers and policy makers can modify these factors to foster a more propitious implementation environment. These factors should be appropriately monitored, both in pre-implementation phases and during the implementation process, in order to ensure effective integration of health promotion into the primary care setting.
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María Huertas González-Serrano, Irena Valantine, Josep Crespo Hervás, Carlos Pérez-Campos and Ferran Calabuig Moreno
The purpose of this paper is to understand how the nationality and the sport education system could affect the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of undergraduate sport science…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand how the nationality and the sport education system could affect the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of undergraduate sport science students in two different countries.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 249 undergraduate sport sciences (SS) students from Spain and Lithuania were analysed. The EI questioner questionnaire by Liñán and Chen (2009) was used to compile the data during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Findings
There are significant differences between the sport science students of Spain and Lithuania. The Lithuanian students have significantly higher means in the variables of EI, perceived behaviour control and professional attraction. Moreover, the variables that predict EI are different, and certain path coefficients of the variables are also significantly different.
Research limitations/implications
The sample originates from one university in each country; therefore, these results may not be generalisable to the entire population.
Practical implications
The SS degrees in Lithuania and Spain should follow different educational policies with the objective of fostering EI and increasing the number of entrepreneurs.
Social implications
Creating adequate educational policies to foster entrepreneurship in sports across countries could improve the number of entrepreneurs in the sports sectors; thus, the youth unemployment rate will decrease.
Originality/value
There has been no previous research that analyses the EI of sport science students across contexts through the theory of planned behaviour. Moreover, there are no studies that compare the EI of university students between Spain (Western Europe) and Lithuania (Eastern Europe).
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Cristina Navarro, Angeles Moreno and Ansgar Zerfass
Listening to and conversing with stakeholders has become a basic requirement for the survival of any organization in a society with insistent demands for transparency and…
Abstract
Purpose
Listening to and conversing with stakeholders has become a basic requirement for the survival of any organization in a society with insistent demands for transparency and dialogue. The purpose of this paper is to examine how Latin American practitioners are using social media for corporate and networking purposes, and their perceptions about which social media activity is more relevant for organizational stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
A population of 803 public relations professionals from 18 Latin American countries working on different hierarchical levels, both in communication departments and agencies across the region, were surveyed as part of a larger online survey. For this research, five questions about social media usage have been included in the first edition of the Latin American Communication Monitor (LCM) project.
Findings
The study shows that despite the massive incorporation of social media into communication strategies of organizations, Latin American professionals report less intensive use of these collaborative channels than do peers in the Asia-Pacific, but they are in line with colleagues from Europe. Practitioners report a cautious optimism on the success achieved in the social media arena, as well as an insignificant use of these tools for professional networking purposes.
Research limitations/implications
This paper touches only four sections of the LCM 2014/2015. Participant fatigue may have negatively impacted the quality of the data. A large sample of professionals was approached, but a much small number initiated and completed the online survey. This resulted in the lack of representation of some countries in the subcontinent. In the future, greater participation is needed to allow for a more comprehensive comparative analysis.
Practical implications
This research provides a more in-depth look at the current state of public relations practice in Latin America and the use of social media channels to communicate with stakeholders. Even if social media continue to create unprecedented opportunities, social media platforms have not been widely adopted by professionals in the region, probably due to the lack of appropriate structures, cultures and strategies for participative modes of social media communication.
Social implications
This dearth of knowledge about how PR professionals use social media affects the engagement process, and as a result, the reputation, legitimization, satisfaction with and trust in organizations. Without listening carefully to stakeholder needs, satisfying these needs and establishing a real conversation, organizations will not be able to attain the sought-after engagement that leads to a stable and lasting relation with the public.
Originality/value
Although numerous articles on the situation of public relations in different Latin American countries have been published, this research is first attempt to investigate the use of social media channels in the subcontinent through opinions of a representative sample of professionals.
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Santiago Gamba-Santamaria, Oscar Fernando Jaulin-Mendez, Luis Fernando Melo-Velandia and Carlos Andrés Quicazán-Moreno
Value at risk (VaR) is a market risk measure widely used by risk managers and market regulatory authorities, and various methods are proposed in the literature for its estimation…
Abstract
Purpose
Value at risk (VaR) is a market risk measure widely used by risk managers and market regulatory authorities, and various methods are proposed in the literature for its estimation. However, limited studies discuss its distribution or its confidence intervals. The purpose of this paper is to compare different techniques for computing such intervals to identify the scenarios under which such confidence interval techniques perform properly.
Design/methodology/approach
The methods that are included in the comparison are based on asymptotic normality, extreme value theory and subsample bootstrap. The evaluation is done by computing the coverage rates for each method through Monte Carlo simulations under certain scenarios. The scenarios consider different persistence degrees in mean and variance, sample sizes, VaR probability levels, confidence levels of the intervals and distributions of the standardized errors. Additionally, an empirical application for the stock market index returns of G7 countries is presented.
Findings
The simulation exercises show that the methods that were considered in the study are only valid for high quantiles. In particular, in terms of coverage rates, there is a good performance for VaR(99 per cent) and bad performance for VaR(95 per cent) and VaR(90 per cent). The results are confirmed by an empirical application for the stock market index returns of G7 countries.
Practical implications
The findings of the study suggest that the methods that were considered to estimate VaR confidence interval are appropriated when considering high quantiles such as VaR(99 per cent). However, using these methods for smaller quantiles, such as VaR(95 per cent) and VaR(90 per cent), is not recommended.
Originality/value
This study is the first one, as far as it is known, to identify the scenarios under which the methods for estimating the VaR confidence intervals perform properly. The findings are supported by simulation and empirical exercises.
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Angeles Moreno, Cristina Navarro and Mariam Alkazemi
The purpose of this paper is to compare the perspectives of public relations professionals against those of the general public in Spain with respect to which communications…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the perspectives of public relations professionals against those of the general public in Spain with respect to which communications activities and organizational attributes are relevant to the leadership images of organizations, and what are the characteristics of effective leaders.
Design/methodology/approach
This study combines data from the European Communication Monitor (ECM) with the results of a representative online survey carried out by the global market research company IPSOS.
Findings
Results show that the general public sees TV interviews as well as TV advertising as communication tools with the biggest potential to shape the leadership image of organizations. When it comes to the attributes of effective leaders, communication professionals overestimate the role of an organization’s vision, while the population much more stresses basic attributes like leading by example and admitting mistakes. PR practitioners underestimate customer service and environmental responsibility and tend to favor more abstract attributes like innovation and CSR.
Research limitations/implications
This paper touches only four sections of the ECM 2014/2015. Participant fatigue may have negatively impacted the quality of the data. A large sample of professionals was approached, but a much small number initiated and completed the online survey. The size of the sample of communication professionals makes it difficult to generalize the results. In addition, future research should extend the study to different groups of stakeholders, such as employees, investors, and suppliers.
Practical implications
While organizations face intensive pressure from evaluation by their stakeholders, discrepancies between the expectations of the general public in regard to leadership negatively affects the communicator’s work to position organizations in society, as well as CEOs and top executives as leaders. On this regards, getting closer to what the population expects will help to understand and improve leadership perceptions.
Originality/value
Very little work has been done in Spain regarding to leadership in public relations or public relations professional’s perceptions about leadership. Most research published to date has focused on the leader’s position in the company, participation in management levels, types of responsibilities assumed and their relative influence and leadership style. Even fewer public relations studies have tried to identify the communication activities that are relevant to the leadership image of organizations and compare the perspectives of public relations professionals on leadership against those of the general public. This dearth of knowledge about stakeholder expectations negatively affects the communicator’s work to position organizations and executive leaders in society.
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Daniela Diaz-Alonso, Mario Moreno-Moreno, Carlos Zuñiga, Joel Molina, Wilfrido Calleja, Juan Carlos Cisneros, Luis Niño de Rivera, Volodymir Ponomaryov, Felix Gil, Angel Guillen and Efrain Rubio
This paper aims to purpose the new design and fabrication scheme of Touch Mode Capacitive Pressure Sensor (TMCPS), which can be used in a wireless integrated resistor, inductor…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to purpose the new design and fabrication scheme of Touch Mode Capacitive Pressure Sensor (TMCPS), which can be used in a wireless integrated resistor, inductor and capacitor circuit for monitoring pressure in biomedical applications.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on the design, simulation and fabrication of dynamic capacitors, based on surface micromachining using polysilicon or aluminum films as the top electrode, both structural materials are capped with a 1.5 μm-thick polyimide film.
Findings
The design of microstructures using a composite model fits perfectly the preset mechanical behavior. After the full fabrication, the dynamic capacitors show complete mechanical flexibility and stability.
Originality/value
The novelty of the method presented in this study includes two important aspects: first, the capacitors are designed as a planar cavity within a rigid frame, where two walls contain channels which allow for the etching of the sacrificial material. Second, the electromechanical structures are designed using a composite model that includes a polyimide film capping for a precise pressure sensing, which also protects the internal cavity and, at the same time, provides full biocompatibility.
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Jhon Wilder Zartha Sossa, Nolberto Gutiérrez Posada, Adriana María Zuluaga Monsalve, Liliana Valencia Grisales, Elisa Hernández Becerra, Gina Lía Orozco Mendoza, Juan Carlos Palacio Piedrahita, Carlos Alberto Guarnizo Gómez and John Fredy Moreno Sarta
This paper aims to identify future scenarios and convergent technologies regarding the plantain chain in the region of Quindío, Colombia. It proposes the definition of key…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify future scenarios and convergent technologies regarding the plantain chain in the region of Quindío, Colombia. It proposes the definition of key variables, convergent technologies, future objectives, future scenarios and hypotheses based on stakeholders’ and experts’ opinions collected through questionnaires, surveys and workshops.
Design/methodology/approach
The present analysis seeks to identify and anticipate the future routes for the improvement of scientific, technological, innovative and skills management of the plantain agroindustrial chain in the region of Quindío, Colombia using the foresight-by-scenarios and, Delphi methodologies and finally validating the results with artificial intelligence code and natural language processing.
Findings
After the analysis of 100 initial variables, the results suggested the identification of five key variables defined by the stakeholders and matrix-based multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC) analysis such as “weather,” “financing and economy,” “grouping and associativity,” “crop” and “territorial planning and raw material.” Moreover, the definition of four future objectives along with the matrix of alliances and conflicts, tactics, objectives and recommendations (MACTOR) analysis suggested scenarios according to the probability. The most possible, probable and desirable scenario, was the cooccurrence of the five proposed hypotheses. Furthermore, the Delphi analysis allowed us to define nine subgroups from 116 subtopics including: “plantain varieties,” “plantain agroindustry,” “waste use” and “crop,” among others.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the specificity of the analyzed agro-chain, the study only encompasses the plantain and banana sectors. However, the implications are related to the generation of projects in the selected technologies.
Practical implications
This paper includes implications for the development of prospective studies combining two or more different methodologies such as foresight-by-scenarios and Delphi method at the same time and further comparing the results with artificial intelligence analysis.
Social implications
The generation of public policies in the sector and input for governmental analysis and tools for decision-making with a well-grounded, systematic and rational point of view.
Originality/value
This work describes for the first time, the implementation of the Delphi method regarding an important agroindustry sector such as plantain and banana prospective study. Furthermore, it explains the alignment of two methodologies; foresight-by-scenarios and the Delphi method related to the sectorial approaches, and convergent technologies and innovations, respectively. Moreover, a complementary bibliometric analysis with global terms related to the plantain or banana agroindustry was also included. In a novel way, we also applied an artificial intelligence code using Python software to contrast the results previously obtained in the foresight-by-scenarios method.
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Carlos Enrique Torres-Aguilar, Pedro Moreno-Bernal, Jesús Xamán, Ivett Zavala Guillen and Irving Osiris Hernández-López
This paper aims to present an evolutionary algorithm (EA) to accelerate the convergence for the radiative transfer equation (RTE) numerical solution using high-order and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present an evolutionary algorithm (EA) to accelerate the convergence for the radiative transfer equation (RTE) numerical solution using high-order and high-resolution schemes by the relaxation coefficients optimization.
Design methodology/approach
The objective function minimizes the residual value difference between iterations in each control volume until its difference is lower than the convergence criterion. The EA approach is evaluated in two configurations, a two-dimensional cavity with scattering media and absorbing media.
Findings
Experimental results show the capacity to obtain the numerical solution for both cases on all interpolation schemes tested by the EA approach. The EA approach reduces CPU time for the RTE numerical solution using SUPERBEE, SWEBY and MUSCL schemes until 97% and 135% in scattering and absorbing media cases, respectively. The relaxation coefficients optimized every two numerical solution iterations achieve a significant reduction of the CPU time compared to the deferred correction procedure with fixed relaxation coefficients.
Originality/value
The proposed EA approach for the RTE numerical solution effectively reduces the CPU time compared to the DC procedure with fixed relaxation coefficients.
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Expert witnessing in asylum cases involves depicting the conditions of the applicant’s home country as a context for judging a well-founded fear for life or safety. Most of the…
Abstract
Expert witnessing in asylum cases involves depicting the conditions of the applicant’s home country as a context for judging a well-founded fear for life or safety. Most of the elements involved in the work of the expert country witness are dynamic and change over time, creating new challenges and new resources for describing and interpreting country context. Examining several characteristic Honduran asylum cases separated by 20 years reveals not only an increasingly complex and multifaceted set of relevant conditions in both the sending and the host country, but also a significant broadening of the anthropological “tool kit” available to the expert country witness (as the expert witness becomes aware of its relevance to country conditions at a particular time), and an increasingly reflexive and complex relationship of the expert witness to the country in question and to the court. In the interim, emerging problems of contextual complexity, subjectivity, changing and competing images of reality, and the shifting applicability of legal and sociological definitions and categories arise and can be partially addressed with emerging anthropological or social scientific resources, raising anew the nature of the relationship of the expert witness to the court and the possible mutual influence of social science and legal culture upon each other over time. As the number of refugee seekers increases globally, can expert witnesses trained in social sciences help asylum courts to imagine new ways of bridging the gap between legal regimes of governmentality and the subjectivity of refugees?