Electoral Platforms, Implemented Policies, and Abstention

This paper distinguishes between electoral platforms and implemented policies through a non-trivial policy-setting process. Voters are sophisticated and may care not only about the implemented policy but also about the platform they support with their vote. We find that while parties tend to polarize their positions, the risk of alienating their constituency prevents them from radicalizing. The analysis evidences that the distribution of the electorate, and not only the (expected) location of a pivotal voter, matters in determining policies. Our results are consistent with the observation of polarized platforms and moderate policies, and the alienation and indifference components of abstention.     

Product evaluation based in the association between intuition and tasks

This paper explores the importance of researching the intuitiveness in the product use. It approaches the intuitiveness influence for users that already had a visual experience of the product. Finally, it is suggested the use of a table that relates the tasks performed while using a product, the features for an intuitive use and the performance metric "task success".     

Fast parallel $$\alpha $$-stable distribution function evaluation and parameter estimation using OpenCL in GPGPUs

\(\alpha \)-Stable distributions are a family of probability distributions found to be suitable to model many complex processes and phenomena in several research fields, such as medicine, physics, finance and networking, among others. However, the lack of closed expressions makes their evaluation analytically intractable, and alternative approaches are computationally expensive. Existing numerical programs are not fast enough for certain applications and do not make use of the parallel power of general purpose graphic processing units. In this paper, we develop novel parallel algorithms for the probability density function and cumulative distribution function—including a parallel Gauss–Kronrod quadrature—, quantile function, random number generator and maximum likelihood estimation of \(\alpha \)-stable distributions using OpenCL, achieving significant speedups and precision in all cases. Thanks to the use of OpenCL, we also evaluate the results of our library with different GPU architectures.     

Ergonomic adequacy of the baby nursery of child development center located in UFSC - Florianópolis

A study in the educators' work station at baby nursery of NDI/UFSC, located in Florianópolis, was conducted using the Work Ergonomic Analysis methodological tool. The demand considered was the educators' physical exhaustion caused by the weight carried when taking care of the babies, the postures assumed during the labor activity and the spatial arrangement of the baby nursery. Thinking ergonomically, the spatial arrangement is directly associated to three factors: the formal aspect of the environment, the esthetic aspect including colors and finish quality and the ease of understanding involved in the baby nursery labor. By the ergonomic adequacy it is possible to assert that if were established better conditions of posture and comfort for the educators, as well as satisfactory technical and operational information to carry out the activities, greater safety and welfare would be provided to the babies, the main focus of the work.     

Healthcare 4.0: trends,challenges and research directions

Abstract

This paper aims at examining the trends, challenges and theoretical gaps in the implementation of Healthcare 4.0 (H4.0) based on a scoping review of the literature. For that, we searched journal articles in four widely known databases and screened the retrieved articles to obtain a publications’ portfolio. Our findings indicate that, despite the recency of the subject, research in H4.0 has been conducted in an interdisciplinary way with a diversified set of applications and functionalities. In terms of its implementation, H4.0 has been more commonly found in hospitals’ information flows, especially the ones related to healthcare treatments. The identified implementation trends, however, neglect a more holistic approach for H4.0, which originated three main research directions for this topic. Although identified as a trending topic in the area of healthcare operations management, literature on H4.0 may be viewed as randomly conceived, lacking academic alignment and practical orientation based on a grounded theory, which we aim at providing with the present study.     

The Reshaping of Mexican Labor Exports under NAFTA: Paradoxes and Challenges

From the perspective of the political economy of development, this article analyzes the role played by Mexican labor in the U.S. productive restructuring process under the aegis of the North American Free Trade Agreement. By conceptualizing the labor export–led model it dissects three basic mechanisms of regional economic integration: maquiladoras, disguised maquilas, and labor migration. Not only does this analytical framework cast light on the contributions made by Mexican migrants to the economies of the United States and Mexico, it also reveals two paradoxes: the broadening of the socioeconomic asymmetries between the two countries, and increased socioeconomic dependence on remittances in Mexico.     

Spatial Distribution of Social Inequality in the Metropolitan District of Quito,Ecuador

Social Indicators Research - Exploring the spatial variation of regional social inequality allows the design of public policies; therefore, this study analyzes this phenomenon in the Metropolitan...     

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the activism and radicalism intention scale / Propiedades psicométricas de la versión española de la escala de intención de activismo y radicalismo

The purpose of this study is to adapt the Activism and Radicalism Intention Scale to Spanish. To do so, two studies were performed. In the first, which had a sample of 514 participants, the instrument was adapted to Spanish and a confirmatory factorial analysis was conducted. The psychometric results obtained were similar to those of the original version, and the scale’s two-dimensional structure was replicated. In the second study, the psychometric characteristics of the original instrument were also replicated, but in this case with a sample of 133 participants comprised of sympathizers and activists in the 15-M anti-austerity movement. Regarding the validity of the scale, both studies provide evidence on the coherence of the construct in terms of both its internal structure and its theoretical relationship with other psychosocial variables. The reliability of the instrument obtained in both samples studied was acceptable. In short, this study presents a tool in Spanish which can be useful for studying individuals’ and groups’ predisposition towards more or less violent political mobilization.     

Revisión teórico-metodológica de los instrumentos para la medición de la identidad de género

Resumen

El objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer una serie de criterios metodológicos de los instrumentos más utilizados en la medición de la identidad de género (BRSI y PAQ). Para ello, se presentan brevemente las perspectivas teóricas actuales para posteriormente avanzar en una serie de criterios metodológicos tales como la descripción y validez de los procedimientos de selección de los ítems y su validez ante sesgos de respuesta; fiabilidad de las escalas; y validez estructural, discriminante, convergente/divergente y de constructo. Por último se presentan diversos criterios de clasificación de los sujetos según estas escalas, así como las técnicas de análisis de datos más apropiadas. Además, se ha intentado recoger las críticas y discusiones que desde las diferentes líneas de investigación se están proponiendo.     

An Integrated Scenario Ensemble-Based Framework for Hurricane Evacuation Modeling: Part 2—Hazard Modeling

Hurricane track and intensity can change rapidly in unexpected ways, thus making predictions of hurricanes and related hazards uncertain. This inherent uncertainty often translates into suboptimal decision-making outcomes, such as unnecessary evacuation. Representing this uncertainty is thus critical in evacuation planning and related activities. We describe a physics-based hazard modeling approach that (1) dynamically accounts for the physical interactions among hazard components and (2) captures hurricane evolution uncertainty using an ensemble method. This loosely coupled model system provides a framework for probabilistic water inundation and wind speed levels for a new, risk-based approach to evacuation modeling, described in a companion article in this issue. It combines the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) meteorological model, the Coupled Routing and Excess STorage (CREST) hydrologic model, and the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) storm surge, tide, and wind-wave model to compute inundation levels and wind speeds for an ensemble of hurricane predictions. Perturbations to WRF's initial and boundary conditions and different model physics/parameterizations generate an ensemble of storm solutions, which are then used to drive the coupled hydrologic + hydrodynamic models. Hurricane Isabel (2003) is used as a case study to illustrate the ensemble-based approach. The inundation, river runoff, and wind hazard results are strongly dependent on the accuracy of the mesoscale meteorological simulations, which improves with decreasing lead time to hurricane landfall. The ensemble envelope brackets the observed behavior while providing “best-case” and “worst-case” scenarios for the subsequent risk-based evacuation model.