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Purpose: This paper aims to identify complementary strategies for urban freight logistics in a low emission zone (LEZ) that can be implemented in downtown Medellin, Colombia. The strategies will be executed by identifying the characteristics and problems of the business establishments in the area and the entrepreneurs’ opinions. Design/methodology/approach: First, a literature review is performed to identify global and complementary strategies for the future LEZ, which is the study subject. Then, a “pilot” zone (a main corridor) of downtown Medellín is selected, and the business establishments of the area are identified to spot problems and evaluate possible strategies for the future LEZ. This identification and evaluation phase is conducted by interviewing logistics managers in 105 establishments selected in the corridor for analysis. Findings: One of the outstanding findings concerns the specificity of the logistics and mobility problems in downtown Medellin, located in Colombia, a developing country. The main issues are traffic congestion, lack of regulation and control in loading and unloading areas, as well as inadequate infrastructure for these operations. These obstacles significantly impact business activities and air quality in the area. The proposed solutions to complement the LEZ strategy for freight transport focus on improving regulation, establishing specific loading and unloading areas, exploring sustainable transportation options such as the cargo bike, and supporting small and medium-sized businesses. This emphasizes the situation’s complexity and the need for a comprehensive approach to address these logistical and environmental challenges. Originality/value: This study analyses urban freight logistics strategies that complement the traffic flow restriction policies imposed by low-emission zones. Unlike other studies that address these two issues independently, this paper specifically examines how to improve a LEZ as a comprehensive strategy to reduce the environmental impact of freight transport. In addition, it is noted that most publications tend to focus on passenger mobility strategies, which highlights the potential for research in the freight logistics field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to find the incidence of university sustainability, as sustainability practices, in university performance at private universities. Design/methodology/approach: Quantitative research using structural equation modelling. Data collection and analysis followed sustainability and performance scales from previous research. The scales were validated by surveying students, teachers and administrative staff of five private universities in Medellin, Colombia. The responses (i.e. 5,344 useful answers) were collected between April 2019 and December 2020 and analysed using the Smart partial least square (PLS) software and the PLS calculation methodology. Findings: The results confirmed the reliability and validity of the sustainability and performance university measurement models and validated the dimensions proposed to determine sustainability and performance holistically in private universities. The results confirmed that universities implementing sustainability holistically in their system positively impact their performance as higher education institutions. The university sustainability is forecasting the University Performance in about 60% of the universities analysed, with a considerable contribution from sustainability in outreach and strategic management. Research limitations/implications: This study was cross-sectional and empirically validated the model of sustainability and performance at five private universities in a single period and territory. A broader validation from longitudinal studies considering other universities in Colombia and Latin America is suggested to understand local and regional trends better. Practical implications: Results provided a model for better understanding the incidence of sustainability in performance holistically at private universities in developing countries such as Colombia. In addition, the proposed dimensions and model could help regional decision-making on higher education. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is one of the first attempts relating a structural equation model and inter-university research on the incidence of sustainability in private university performance. This work contributes to a local consensus on sustainability and performance models at private universities. Furthermore, from this research emerged a joint policy framework for incorporating sustainability holistically and regionally as an effective strategy for universities and their commitment to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide a clearer understanding of the structure known in the literature as the innovative use of estar, illustrated in sentences like Luego salgo/voy a visitar usuarios que están muy morosos [Medellín, Colombia; Preseea] ("Today I am going to visit users that are.ESTAR defaulting debtors"). In such sentences, no comparison is established between stages or counterparts of the subject of predication with regard to the property expressed by the adjective, as opposed to estar-sentences in standard/general Spanish. This innovative structure is a syntactic scheme employed throughout different Latin American Spanish varieties. The goal of this paper is twofold: it is both descriptive and theoretical. From a descriptive perspective, it offers an exhaustive and updated empirical characterization of the extent of this structure in Latin American Spanish based on an analysis of the Preseea corpus. This description takes into consideration both its geographical distribution in the different Latin American dialectal varieties and the lexical–syntactic classes of adjectives that appear as predicates in innovative estar-sentences. Building on this, from a theoretical point of view, a critical evaluation is made of the existing proposals in the literature that explain the properties—both syntactic and semantic—of the innovative construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global number of vulnerable citizens in areas of landslide risk is expected to increase due to the twin forces of climate change and growing urbanization. Self-constructed or informal settlements are frequently built in hazardous terrain such as on landslide-prone slopes. They are characterized by high dynamics of growth, simple construction methods and strong social dynamics and are exposed to unsteady political approaches. Landslide early warning systems (LEWSs) can contribute to decreasing their vulnerability, but precise, affordable and culturally integrated LEWSs need to be further developed. In this paper, we present a 4-year living-lab research project called Inform@Risk that aimed to develop a LEWS prototype in the neighborhood of Bello Oriente, located on the urban–rural border of Medellín, Colombia. Its research team is composed of landscape architects, geo-engineers, and remote sensing and geo-informatics experts. The research team collaborated with a multitude of stakeholders: civil society, private enterprises, non-governmental agencies and various branches of government. A preliminary LEWS with the last functionalities still to be developed has been designed, implemented and handed over to the government. It has entered a test and calibration phase (i.e., warning-threshold development, procedures for warning and alert dissemination through the sensor system), which is on hold due to legal constraints. Our first findings indicate that the integrative development of technical aspects of a LEWS in informal settlements can be challenging, albeit manageable, whereas the level of social and political support is beyond the control of the designer. Steady political will is needed to increase technical capacities and funding of the operation and maintenance of an increased amount of monitoring equipment. Social outreach has to be continuous in order to inform, train, maintain the trust and increase the self-help capacities of the often rapidly changing population of an informal settlement. Legal requirements for a transfer of academic research projects to municipal authorities have to be clear from the start. Satisfying replacement housing options for the case of evacuation have to be in place in order to not lose the overall acceptance of the LEWS. As political will and municipal budgets can vary, a resilient LEWS for informal settlements has to achieve sufficient social and technical redundancy to maintain basic functionality even in a reduced-governmental-support scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates the leadership implications of adopting the European Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) in a non-European context. A multiple case study compares the Latin American regions of Medellín, Colombia, and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. A variety of data collection procedures are used, including in-depth interviews with 33 relevant actors from the triple helix that participated in the S3 design. The paper contributes to the literature by identifying the leadership capabilities that lead to effective S3 in intermediate metropolitan regions, as well as the factors that foster and hinder those leadership capabilities. This paper argues that the leadership roles for S3 include a systemic perspective among a wide range of stakeholders, but also an evolutionary perspective to manage novelty and break path dependencies. Second, it argues that the degree of centralization and institutional context affect regional leadership. Finally, four leadership capabilities are suggested based on both systemic and evolutionary perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of optimal location and sizing of distributed generators (DGs) in direct current (DC) grids. To solve it, we propose an optimization approach with an objective function that aims to reduce power losses due to energy transport, while considering all the constraints that represent DC grids in a distributed generation environment. For the mathematical formulation of the problem, we used a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model, which allowed us to evaluate the impact of all possible configurations (i.e., location and size of DGs in the DC network) on the objective function and the constraints. The solution method proposed here is a master–slave strategy that implements a hybrid solution methodology that combines a genetic algorithm (GA) and the vortex search algorithm (VSA). The GA is in charge of solving the location problem in the master stage, and the VSA is responsible for sizing the DGs in the slave stage. To evaluate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed GA/VSA methodology, we employed two test systems (i.e., 21 and 69 buses) considering a maximum penetration of distributed generation equal to 40% of the power generated by the slack buses. Furthermore, we also implemented nine other hybrid methodologies based on metaheuristic techniques (proposed in the literature for solving the problem addressed here) to make comparisons. All the solution methods used and proposed in this paper are based on sequential programming to avoid the need for specialized software and thus reduce the complexity and cost of the solutions. The effectiveness of the proposed solution was evaluated in two scenarios: (1) peak power demand and (2) variation in power generation and demand associated with photovoltaic generation and user demand in Medellín, Colombia. The results demonstrate that the GA/VSA methodology achieved the best results in terms of solution quality and processing times in all the test scenarios proposed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study conducted in Comuna 13 of Medellín. The author delves into the history of Comuna 13 by giving voice to five images painted on public walls. Through these images, readers are provided with a deeper understanding of the neighborhood's history, collective memory, communal processes, changes, adaptations, and the political, economic, social, and cultural implications, including conflicts, disputes, and areas of ambiguity. Subsequently, the author analyzes the impact of those images on the daily lives of residents. By combining images and text, this paper aims to contribute to the field of graphic anthropology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to develop a stable gel-type lubricant emulating commercial conditions. This encompassed rheological and tribological assessments, alongside field trials on the Medellín tram system. Design/methodology/approach: The gel-type lubricant with graphite and aluminum powder is synthesized. Rheological tests, viscosity measurements and linear viscoelastic regime assessments are conducted. Subsequently, tribological analyses encompassing four-ball and twin disc methods are executed. Finally, real-world testing is performed on the Medellín tram system. Findings: An achieved lubricant met the stipulated criteria, yielding innovative insights into the interaction of graphite and aluminum powder additives under varying tests. Originality/value: Novel findings are unveiled regarding the interaction of graphite and aluminum powder additives in tribological, rheological and real-world trials. In addition, the wear behavior of polymers is observed, along with the potential utilization of such additives in tramway systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista EIA is the property of Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Innovar: Revista de Ciencias Administrativas y Sociales is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Smart city approaches have tended to be top-down, techno-centric/corporate and expensive approaches which are promoted by large, global companies. Smart city narratives focus on their expected capacity to improve citizens' quality of life. However, can technology-driven and municipally-led smart city initiatives address the issues faced by poor and vulnerable communities in urban and peri-urban areas? This paper explores key aspects of the implementation of smart city approaches in the Global South taking as a case study the Colombian city of Medellín, which has been recognized internationally for its social innovation and is considered a smart city by the Inter-American Development Bank. The paper draws on a local, national and international literature review; interviews with key local stakeholders involved in smart city initiatives; and an international workshop on smart cities and community data management organized by the authors in Medellín and bringing together three perspectives: academia, government and community. The paper provides a reflection on the concept of smart city, data management and citizen participation in smart city initiatives in Medellín, contrasting each of these with the literature. Our research found gaps between broader conceptualisations and community-oriented intentions in smart city initiatives in Medellín, as well as very low uptake and reported impact of such initiatives. We conclude that a redefinition of smart city approaches that may respond to the needs of the population while improving liveability is still urgently needed, and we set out a series of questions for an international research agenda on low-income community-oriented smart city research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Anthropology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Point processes on linear networks are increasingly being considered to analyse events occurring on particular network-based structures. In this paper, we extend Local Indicators of Spatio-Temporal Association (LISTA) functions to the non-Euclidean space of linear networks, allowing to obtain information on how events relate to nearby events. In particular, we propose the local version of two inhomogeneous second-order statistics for spatio-temporal point processes on linear networks, the K- and the pair correlation functions. We put particular emphasis on the local K-functions, deriving come theoretical results which enable us to show that these LISTA functions are useful for diagnostics of models specified on networks, and can be helpful to assess the goodness-of-fit of different spatio-temporal models fitted to point patterns occurring on linear networks. Our methods do not rely on any particular model assumption on the data, and thus they can be applied for whatever is the underlying model of the process. We finally present a real data analysis of traffic accidents in Medellin (Colombia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within feminist geography, there is a growing consensus on the need for research to contribute to social change and transformation beyond the academy, and increased emphasis on the co‐production of impact. In this paper I critically reflect and report on how I co‐produced impact with a participatory audio‐visual research project, conducted in collaboration with women in Bogotá and Medellín and researchers and filmmakers based in the UK and Colombia. I focus particularly on co‐producing 'impact‐in‐process', which builds participants' capacities, creates spaces of reciprocal learning and increases participants' confidence and sense of ownership both during and beyond the research process. Yet, while co‐producing impact‐in‐process benefits research participants and has the potential to contribute to social change and transformation, this form of impact is rarely recognised as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ingeniería (0121-750X) is the property of Ingenieria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents a methodology to estimate the multidimensional poverty index using spatial data at the street block level. The data used in this study were obtained from Open Street Maps and ESA's land use cover, which are freely available sources of spatial information. The study employs five machine-learning algorithms, including Catboost, Lightboost, and Random Forest, to estimate the multidimensional poverty index with spatial granularity. The results indicate that these models achieve promising performance in predicting poverty levels in Medellín, Colombia. The results showed that the Random Forest algorithm achieved the highest performance, with an MAE of 0.07504. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the multidimensional poverty estimate was highly correlated with the true values of the distribution. This work contributes to predicting multidimensional poverty by demonstrating the potential of machine learning algorithms to utilize accessible spatial data. By providing evidence of the feasibility of estimating poverty levels at a granular spatial level, this methodology offers a powerful tool for policymakers to make poverty social interventions with low-cost evidence. Furthermore, this study has important implications for poverty eradication efforts in developing countries, where access to reliable data remains challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regions need to tailor their own place-based policies because there is no 'one-size-fits-all' regional innovation policy framework. Each region is characterized by different institutional capacities related to political, economic and social contexts enabling or constraining the design and implementation of place-based policies. This paper uses an instrumental-use multiple case study approach to explore the design and implementation of place-based policies within the institutional arrangements of four regional innovation agencies (RIAs) established in three different regional contexts inside and outside the European Union: one in the Brainport region (the Netherlands), two in the Basque Country (Spain) and one in Medellín (Colombia). In analyzing the RIAs' similarities and differences, this paper explores the complexity of designing and implementing place-based innovation policies in different regional innovation systems (RISs) while noting important policy implications for regional innovation governance and institutional arrangements to upgrade RIS in a more systematic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was exploring and comparing different deterioration models based on statistical and machine learning approaches. These models were chosen from their successful results in other case studies. The deterioration models were developing considering two scenarios: (i) only the age as covariate (Scenario 1); and (ii) the age together with other available sewer characteristics as covariates (Scenario 2). Both were evaluated to achieve two different management objectives related to the prediction of the critical condition of sewers: at the network and the sewer levels. Design/methodology/approach: Six statistical and machine learning methods [logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), multinomial logistic regression, ordinal logistic regression, linear discriminant analysis and support vector machine] were explored considering two kinds of predictor variables (independent variables in the model). The main propose of these models was predicting the structural condition at network and pipe level evaluated from deviation analysis and performance curve techniques. Further, the deterioration models were exploring for two case studies: the sewer systems of Bogota and Medellin. These case studies were considered because of both counts with their own assessment standards and low inspection rate. Findings: The results indicate that LR models for both case studies show higher prediction capacity under Scenario 1 (considering only the age) for the management objective related to the network, such as annual budget plans; and RF shows the highest success percentage of sewers in critical condition (sewer level) considering Scenario 2 for both case studies. Practical implications: There is not a deterioration method whose predictions are adaptable for achieving different management objectives; it is important to explore different approaches to find which one could support a sewer asset management objective for a specific case study. Originality/value: The originality of this paper consists of there is not a paper in which the prediction of several statistical and machine learning-based deterioration models has been compared for case studies with different local assessment standard. The above to find which is adaptable for each one and which model is adaptable for each management objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem regarding the optimal operation of photovoltaic (PV) generation sources in AC distribution networks with a single-phase structure, taking into consideration different objective functions. The problem is formulated as a multi-period optimal power flow applied to AC distribution grids, which generates a nonlinear programming (NLP) model with a non-convex structure. Three different objective functions are considered in the optimization model, each optimized using a single-objective function approach. These objective functions are (i) an operating costs function composed of the energy purchasing costs at the substation bus, added with the PV maintenance costs; (ii) the costs of energy losses; and (iii) the total CO2 emissions at the substation bus. All these functions are minimized while considering a frame of operation of 24 h, i.e., in a day-ahead operation environment. To solve the NLP model representing the studied problem, the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) and its SNOPT solver are used. Two different test feeders are used for all the numerical validations, one of them adapted to the urban operation characteristics in the Metropolitan Area of Medellín, which is composed of 33 nodes, and the other one adapted to isolated rural operating conditions, which has 27 nodes and is located in the department of Chocó, Colombia (municipality of Capurganá). Numerical comparisons with multiple combinatorial optimization methods (particle swarm optimization, the continuous genetic algorithm, the Vortex Search algorithm, and the Ant Lion Optimizer) demonstrate the effectiveness of the GAMS software to reach the optimal day-ahead dispatch of all the PV sources in both distribution grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governance is a polysemic prescription for contemporary government and at an urban level has been instrumental in some radical and often striking reshaping of cities. This paper examines the interests and power structures behind those changes through the critical examination of the case of Medellin, Colombia, until recently a model of "good governance," internationally acknowledged for its early millennium transformation from "murder capital to model city." Based on extensive literature reviews and interviews, we unveil the forces underlying concrete governance practices. Major characteristics emerging from this perspective concern i) market hegemony, ii) the disempowerment of grass-roots movements and iii) the influence of illegal actors in the complex and shifting dynamics within and between the city's major players. The notion of both "good governance" and model practice are strongly revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Innovar: Revista de Ciencias Administrativas y Sociales is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad de Antioquia is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Íkala: Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura is the property of Universidad de Antioquia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the scope for upscaling and transnational transfer of participatory landslide risk management strategies for informal settlements in Latin America. Drawing on lessons from transdisciplinary action-research in three neighbourhoods in Medellín, Colombia, and one in São Paulo, Brazil, the paper discusses how bottom-up approaches were developed to co-produce landslide risk management in both Global South cities, in a way that optimises the collaboration between communities and relevant governmental bodies. The analysis focuses on mitigation and 'agreement-seeking', from the perspectives of scale, power and knowledge, which help understand the parallels between co-production of landslide risk management and co-production of urban services. Two key conclusions are that landslide risk management should be built into neighbourhood upgrading and management, and that both community and the state have stronger roles to play in landslide risk management from their respective capacities. The paper also reflects on the role of academia in enabling co-production of landslide risk management through engaging with local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work explores the results of a creative and art‐based intervention to foster reconciliation in Colombia. The paper presents a novel methodology defined as 'Art for Reconstruction', piloted with victims of violence, veterans from armed forces and former members of illegal groups between 2018 and 2019 in Medellín, Colombia. The initiative encouraged trauma healing, reduced intergroup hostility, fostered cooperation and willingness to reconcile among previous enemies. Results show that creative and art‐based approaches, like Kintsugi, are promising to transform citizens' interactions at the micro level. This project presents how art and social engagement facilitate transitions from war to peace and reconciliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to find answers to two research questions: What is the perception of the Moravia community on tourism in their neighbourhood? What are the conditions under which they can accept slum tourism? Design/methodology/approach: The foundation of this paper was laid during a field trip to Medellin, Colombia, in March 2018. More than three weeks were spent in the neighbourhood of Moravia, one of Medellin's "barrios" or slums, where a qualitative study was led. Semi-structured interviews with the local community were done around the neighbourhood. Findings: The main finding of this research is the positive perception of slum tourism within the Moravia community. The researchers found that the locals are proud when outsiders visit to see their neighbourhood. The locals felt that, it breaks the prejudice surrounding their homes, and tourists are seen as spokespeople for the barrio. There are visible improvements made to the barrio owing to tourism. This research drew attention to the conditions under which this type of tourism can be accepted in the neighbourhood: community participation, interaction between hosts and tourists, education and respect of tourists and the visible improvements to the neighbourhood. Originality/value: Slum tourism is an understudied topic in Colombia, especially in Medellin. By researching on the host perception on slum tourism, this paper contributes to literature on slum tourism from a new angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scientia et Technica is the property of Scientia et Technica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper analyzes the amount of truck emissions and their variations according to changes in travel schedules or routes and the impact on human health represented by cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) due to PM2.5 emissions in Medellín, Colombia. To accomplish this, information on each vehicle was collected, including model, year, type of fuel used, Euro, and engine power trucks. The commercial vehicles were equipped with GPS to obtain second-to-second speed, location, acceleration, and deceleration; the rest of the data were provided by the vehicles' owners. All this information was used to estimate emissions with the HBEFA model. The main findings show a decrease of approximately 38% in emissions by changing the truck circulation schedule to off-hours and a generation of 2.35 annual cases of ARI if the amount of PM2.5 increases 1 μg/m3. Moreover, this investigation proposes that the optimal inter-city speed for truck circulation is between 40 km/h and 50 km/h, and it is recommended that some cargo transport operations should be carried out during off-hours, especially at night. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To validate a Food Diversity Questionnaire (CDA, for its name in Spanish) that identifies the prevalence of the risk of deficiency in the intake of eleven micronutrients. Design: The CDA paper form, an online application for data entry and handling, was designed and compared with the 24-h recall (24HR) as a reference method. All data were processed in Personal Computer Software for Intake Distribution Estimation (PC-SIDE) v1 software. A descriptive analysis and comparisons between prevalence, concordance and reproducibility analyses were performed. Setting: Medellín, Colombia. Participants: Women of childbearing age between 19 and 50 years (n 186) who worked for the Buen Comienzo programme in 2019. Results: When comparing the adjusted 24HR technique and the CDA, there was no significant difference in population-level data at risk of deficiency in any micronutrient intake. However, based on individual-level data of the best linear unbiased predictor, the concordance analyses were weak, and although agreements were high according to the diagnostic performance tests, a good ability to detect deficiency was only observed in a few nutrients: vitamin A 100·0 %, Ca 98·7 %, Fe 92·8 %, folates 91·6 %, and pyridoxine 81·8 %. Conclusions: The CDA validated in this study is useful and faster at evaluating population-level data at risk of deficiency in the intake of Ca, Fe, Zn, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, folates, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin A. Based on individual-level data, a good ability to detect deficiencies was observed in the intake of vitamin A, Ca, Fe, folates and pyridoxine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many regions are either without technology clusters or in early stages of their development. This paper uses a micro-foundations perspective to understand the potential for technology development, new venture creation and market creation to occur in these regions. The study surveys people from two city-regions in the Global South — Medellin, Colombia, and Johannesburg, South Africa. The results show that in these two cities that have developed different reputations for innovation, different micro-foundation profiles are present. General support is found for our hypothesis that regional micro-foundations may drive the progress toward technology cluster formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the optimal sizing of islanded microgrids (MGs), which use diesel generators to supply energy in off-grid areas. The MG under study integrates photovoltaic (PV) and diesel generation, a battery energy storage System (BESS), and an inverter for the connection between AC and DC voltage buses. Levelised cost of energy (LCOE) and annual system cost (ASC) are considered economic indicators, while the loss of power supply probability (LPSP) is used as a reliability indicator. Fiscal incentives such as the tax benefits and accelerated depreciation applied in Colombia are considered for the optimally sizing of each MG element. Solar measurements were taken at a weather station located in the main campus of Universidad de Antioquia in Medellin, Colombia at a latitude of 6.10 and longitude of −75.38. The objective function is the minimization of the total energy delivered from the power sources that successfully meets the load. The model was implemented in Python programming language considering several scenarios. Two cases were evaluated: the first one considered PV panels, a BESS and a diesel generator, while the second one only considered PV panels and a BESS. The option that does not include the diesel generator turned out to be the most expensive, since additional PV and BESS resources are required to meet the load profile. Furthermore, it was found that the LCOE was lower when tax benefits were taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the lack of adequate cycling infrastructure networks in many cities, decision makers must face the challenge of designing connected bicycle facility networks to ensure safe and comfortable access to urban opportunities for cyclists and the usability of infrastructure. This paper addresses the maximal covering bicycle network design problem (MCBNDP). MCBNDP involves making investment decisions to build a cycling network that is aimed at maximizing the coverage of cyclists, while maintaining a minimum total network cost at its minimum. The derived network is subject to a budget limit and accounts for the entire connectivity and directness as fundamental bicycle network design criteria. Cyclists who are located at a given origin are considered covered by the network if a connected path of dedicated cycling infrastructure links them to their desired destination, within a maximum travel distance. We propose a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation, including a two-phase solution approach to solving the MCBNDP. In addition, using a commercial solver, our MILP formulation allows exact solutions to be obtained for large-scale instances with reasonable computing times for these types of problems. This MILP formulation is employed to solve a real instance that is applied to a wide territory of analysis in Medellin city (Colombia). The findings of this paper will contribute to existing literature and support urban policymakers to better spatially allocate the resources and, consequently, maximize the impact of their investments on connected cycling infrastructure networks. Our findings indicate that access to opportunities for cyclists can be easily favored by making small improvements to the existing infrastructure to guarantee safe, direct, and comfortable cycling infrastructure. Because we specify a maximum travel distance rather than a shortest path limitation, our problem ensures that cyclists may have several possibilities for their routes, which may go along the shortest path or any other alternative, however, without exceeding the maximum travel distance. In this direction, our findings confirm that prioritizing coverage, while accounting for full network connectivity, will benefit more cyclists because of the flexible configuration of the new network, which also may ensure its usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing concern for mobility-related social inclusion and equity is evident from both academic research and planning best practices. Scholarly research promotes accessibility as the main aim of transport planning, assuming it as the evaluative approach that better conveys how mobility contributes to individuals' well-being and participation in social life. Accessibility can be crucial to address the socio-spatial inequalities that characterise manifold settings across the world. Amongst them, Latin American countries have been keen in tackling such imbalances through mobility-related interventions, as the renowned cases of Curitiba, Medellin and Bogotá show. The widespread interest in mobility as both a cause and effect of social disparities has generated an increasing stream of work that examines Latin American settings through the lenses of accessibility. This paper aims at critically reviewing the growing scholarly works that, providing accessibility-based evaluations, has examined issues of transport and equity in Latin America. Proposing a novel conceptual framework that considers the underlying ethical stance, components of accessibility and implications for planning and policy, this work examines what approaches, features and indicators are present in the current literature, as well as what settings have been taken into consideration by scholarly research. Moreover, the review has an explicit operational interest, to define what indicators are relevant or missing to assess accessibility in the light of social concerns, as well as to consider the current and potential implications that such research findings have on transport planning and policy. The review highlights how a growing but still limited body of work has examined transport and equity in Latin America, suggesting academic, technical and operational avenues to enhance theoretical and practical approaches to the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to understanding the potential for localised knowledge creation that can be generated by multinational enterprise (MNE) entry into cities in the global South from both the MNE and the local economy's perspectives. It presents a qualitative analysis of the activities of the MNE subsidiaries in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in an emerging investment hub in Medellín, Colombia. The analysis differentiates between the MNEs' local strategies to explore distinct configurations of MNE–local economy relations and their potential for unilateral or mutually beneficial knowledge creation. The findings suggest that the synergy between the MNE strategies and the evolving knowledge environment in the local economy increases the potential of the MNEs' activities for interactive and mutually beneficial knowledge and capability creation with other local stakeholders. In Medellín, these effects predominantly concerned the market-seeking MNEs, not those seeking strategic assets, as expected by evidence in the literature. They also revealed how the specific MNE strategies tended to use and influence the creation of local knowledge resources, which helps shape policies that indiscriminately aim to attract all kinds of knowledge-intensive MNE activities to emerging investment hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interference exists when a unit's outcome depends on another unit's treatment assignment. For example, intensive policing on one street could have a spillover effect on neighbouring streets. Classical randomization tests typically break down in this setting because many null hypotheses of interest are no longer sharp under interference. A promising alternative is to instead construct a conditional randomization test on a subset of units and assignments for which a given null hypothesis is sharp. Finding these subsets is challenging, however, and existing methods are limited to special cases or have limited power. In this paper, we propose valid and easy‐to‐implement randomization tests for a general class of null hypotheses under arbitrary interference between units. Our key idea is to represent the hypothesis of interest as a bipartite graph between units and assignments, and to find an appropriate biclique of this graph. Importantly, the null hypothesis is sharp within this biclique, enabling conditional randomization‐based tests. We also connect the size of the biclique to statistical power. Moreover, we can apply off‐the‐shelf graph clustering methods to find such bicliques efficiently and at scale. We illustrate our approach in settings with clustered interference and show advantages over methods designed specifically for that setting. We then apply our method to a large‐scale policing experiment in Medellín, Colombia, where interference has a spatial structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical analysis of point processes often assumes that the underlying process is isotropic in the sense that its distribution is invariant under rotation. For point processes on ℝ2, some tests based on the K‐function and nearest neighbour orientation function have been proposed to check such an assumption. However, anisotropy and directional analysis need proper caution when dealing with point processes on linear networks, as the implicit geometry of the network forces particular directions that the points of the pattern have to necessarily meet. In this paper, we adapt such tests to the case of linear networks and discuss how to use them to detect particular directional preferences, even at some angles that are different from the main angles imposed by the network. Through a simulation study, we check the performance of our proposals under different settings, over a linear network and a dendrite tree, showing that they are able to precisely detect the directional preferences of the points in the pattern, regardless the type of spatial interaction and the geometry of the network. We use our tests to highlight the directional preferences in the spatial distribution of traffic accidents in Barcelona (Spain), during 2019, and in Medellin (Colombia), during 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new approach to the sales comparison model for the valuation of real estate that can objectively estimate the coefficients associated with the explanatory price variables. The coefficients of the price adjustment process are estimated from the formulation of a quadratic programming model similar to the mean-variance model in the portfolio selection problem and are shown to be independent of the property to be valued. It is also shown that the sales comparison model should minimize the variance of the adjusted prices, and not their coefficient of variation as indicated by some national and international valuation regulations. The paper concludes with a case study on the city of Medellín, Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for energy accounts for an alternative energy source. The search for biomass being abundant in an agricultural country is a suitable option to power a community. This paper used Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), which includes the organized hierarchy of various selection criteria, the assessment of the relative value of criteria, the comparison and an aggregate rating of the alternatives for each criterion. Specifically, the methodology used was the combination of multi-criteria and weighted-overlay analysis in a Geographical Information System (GIS) environment to provide a spatial overview of the sustainable location for sugarcane residues production in Medellin, Cebu. The study was able to identify Caputatan Sur and Canhabagat as sustainable locations for sugarcane residue production with respect to topography, cultivation area and accessibility. These locations represent 26% of the total cultivation area and average sugarcane production of the locality. The result of this study is an initial step in the support for the utilization of sugarcane residues to answer energy demand in remote areas and further promote the use of indigenous resources for energy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The paper argues that understanding the ways in which criminals interact with state and non-state actors is crucial to construct a more accurate picture of how local governance arrangements are unfolding in urban policy-making in Latin America. Based on the experience of Medellin, Colombia, it is discussed that alongside decades of violence, rapid urbanisation and economic liberal reforms, the local state has built capacity for service provision and new governance arrangements. But this capacity has not weakened criminal actors’ operations and interactions with society and state actors. By focusing on the neighbourhood level, the paper demonstrates the existence of different strategies that have allowed criminals to benefit from governance arrangements, originally created to promote participatory democracy and urban development. The paper calls for studies to incorporate the role of criminals in contexts where boundaries between illegal and legal spheres of action, and formal and informal arrangements are continuously blurred. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Currently, sewer utility systems require extending management activities by developing tools, such as deterioration models, to face their aging problem. In the literature on sewer asset management, Support Vector Machines (SVM) have been a useful tool to predict and forecast pipe's structural conditions. In this paper, the differential evolution method was implemented as an optimization tool for the hyper-parameters combinations to use in SVM-based models for two different management objectives (network and pipe levels). These models were applied to Colombia's main cities of Bogotá and Medellin, resulting in a less than 6% deviation in the prediction of structural conditions in both cities at a network level. The DE-optimized SVM models at the pipe level show higher percentages of correct predictions in all structural conditions than non-optimized SVM models (conventional SVM model) for specific management objectives. Therefore, the relevance of optimizing the hyper-parameters of SVM models to improve predictions of the structural condition of unspecified sewer assets became apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global number of vulnerable citizens in areas of landslide risk is expected to increase due to the twin forces of climate change and growing urbanization. Self-constructed or informal settlements are, due to shortage of urban land, frequently built in hazardous terrain such as landslide-prone slopes. They are characterized by high dynamics of growth, simple construction methods, strong social dynamics, and are exposed to unsteady political approaches. Landslide Early Warning Systems (LEWS) can contribute to decrease their vulnerability, but precise, affordable and culturally integrated LEWS need to be further developed. In this paper, we present a four-year living lab research project that aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a LEWS in the neighborhood of Bello Oriente, located in the urban-rural border of Medellín, Colombia. Its research team is composed of landscape architects, geo-engineers, remote sensing and geo-informatic experts. The research team collaborated with a multitude of stakeholders: civil society, private enterprises, non-governmental agencies and various branches of government. A prototypical LEWS has been designed, implemented and handed over to the government. It has entered a test and calibration phase. First findings indicate that the integrative development of technical aspects of a LEWS in informal settlements can be challenging, but manageable; whereas, the social and political support can vary and be beyond the control of the designer. It can be concluded that a resilient LEWS for informal settlements has to achieve sufficient social and technical redundancy to maintain basic functionality even in a reduced support scenario. Keywords: landslides, early warning systems, risk, natural hazard, informal settlements, living lab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a period of regional structural change, the socio-institutional structure and the techno-economic structure are temporarily decoupled due to the relative inertia of the former compared with the rapid changes in the latter. The lag in the coevolution of the socio-institutional and techno-economic structures generates inefficiencies and instabilities, causing transitional failure. In exploring the rationale for policy intervention, this paper examines the actors that aim to influence socio-institutional changes in Medellín, Colombia. It finds that the private sector, under the informal leadership of the Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño, has played the role of institutional entrepreneurs to influence socio-institutional changes. In regions located on the knowledge periphery, in which the socio-institutional structure has not yet fully coevolved with the novel techno-economic structure, policy-makers can induce socio-institutional changes by learning from regions that have already transitioned to the novel techno-economic paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the contribution of innovation centres in nearby neighbourhoods based on primary data. This paper involves the study of the case of Ruta N in Medellín to expose the relationship between a consolidated neighbourhood and new innovation facilities. Ruta N was founded after the implementation of a city-level policy for innovation intended to secure the economic growth of a former deprived area of the city. This innovation attracted local and international creative entrepreneurs to Medellín's downtown but with inconsistent results. The analysis revealed that Ruta N rarely interacts with the nearby neighbourhood, thus restricting its potential to contribute to the community. Instead, it is perceived that Ruta N takes advantage of the neighbourhood to meet the needs of Ruta N users, not the other way around. As a result, community members argue that Ruta N could promote potential conflicts in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic accidents are of worldwide concern, as they are one of the leading causes of death globally. One policy designed to cope with them is the design and deployment of road safety systems. These aim to predict crashes based on historical records, provided by new Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, to enhance traffic flow management and promote safer roads. Increasing data availability has helped machine learning (ML) to address the prediction of crashes and their severity. The literature reports numerous contributions regarding survey papers, experimental comparisons of various techniques, and the design of new methods at the point where crash severity prediction (CSP) and ML converge. Despite such progress, and as far as we know, there are no comprehensive research articles that theoretically and practically approach the model selection problem (MSP) in CSP. Thus, this paper introduces a bibliometric analysis and experimental benchmark of ML and automated machine learning (AutoML) as a suitable approach to automatically address the MSP in CSP. Firstly, 2318 bibliographic references were consulted to identify relevant authors, trending topics, keywords evolution, and the most common ML methods used in related-case studies, which revealed an opportunity for the use AutoML in the transportation field. Then, we compared AutoML (AutoGluon, Auto-sklearn, TPOT) and ML (CatBoost, Decision Tree, Extra Trees, Gradient Boosting, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Light Gradient Boosting Machine, Random Forest) methods in three case studies using open data portals belonging to the cities of Medellín, Bogotá, and Bucaramanga in Colombia. Our experimentation reveals that AutoGluon and CatBoost are competitive and robust ML approaches to deal with various CSP problems. In addition, we concluded that general-purpose AutoML effectively supports the MSP in CSP without developing domain-focused AutoML methods for this supervised learning problem. Finally, based on the results obtained, we introduce challenges and research opportunities that the community should explore to enhance the contributions that ML and AutoML can bring to CSP and other transportation areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely acknowledged that disaster risk reduction is a development issue best addressed locally with community involvement, as an integral part of local development. Yet there are many constraints and realities that complicate the attainment of this ideal. This paper reviews the experience in disaster risk reduction in a range of cities, including Manizales, Colombia, which has integrated risk reduction into its development plan and its urban environmental management. The city government has also established an insurance programme for buildings that provides coverage for low-income households. The paper further describes and discusses the experiences of other city governments, including those of Santa Fe in Argentina and Medellín in Colombia. It emphasizes how, in order to be effective, disaster risk reduction has to be driven locally and must include the involvement of communities at risk as well as local governments. It also has to be integrated into development and land use management. But the paper emphasizes how these key local processes need support from higher levels of government and, very often, inter-municipal cooperation. Political or administrative boundaries seldom coincide with the areas where risk reduction needs to be planned and implemented. The paper also includes some discussion of innovations in national systems and funds to support local disaster risk reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper aims to analyze a measurement tool allowing the identification of the differences that may exist between the factors and their relationships that affect the entrepreneurial intention of undergraduate students from related and non-business-related programs. This is to know what elements motivate to create a company for each group, and their degree of association, in order to design more effective educational strategies focused on their motivations. For this, a model was proposed, which was validated through the application of a self-administered questionnaire to undergraduate students of different careers, in Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (Medellín). It was found that personal attitudes have a stronger relationship with entrepreneurial intention in students of business-related programs, while perceived viability, perceived convenience, and entrepreneurial behavior have greater weight in students from non-affiliated programs. Thus, the courses focused on creativity in the first group, and the courses focused on the know-how in the second group would be more efficient in increasing the entrepreneurial intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The local government in Medellín, Colombia, has constructed several large infrastructure projects in the past decades as part of a strategy to transform itself into a world-class city. These projects—such as gondola-style mass transit, architecturally striking libraries, and eco-parks—contribute to a neoliberal sustainability agenda that seeks to entice wealthy investors, residents, and tourists into the city. The large-scale urban development projects also exclude marginalized residents and their everyday urban projects from newly valued "natural" commons. This paper argues that the local government uses these large infrastructure projects as a strategy of territorialization, which seeks to control space in the periphery of the city by assembling certain approved actors inside its urban borders while excluding other, less powerful residents as rural, at-risk, or invisible. Relying on data created in community meetings from 2015 to 2017 with displaced people engaged in subsistence urban agriculture, this article provides an empirical example of a territorial assemblage that makes tangible the city's rural-urban border while also dispossessing marginalized residents from their right to the city. This paper contributes to literature in critical urban theory by drawing attention to the fissures and contradictions embedded in such neoliberal urbanism projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)