Call center como estrategia competitiva de las agencias de viaje

Las agencias de viajes han sido por excelencia las empresas intermediarias entre el proveedor y el cliente. Sin embargo, el avance de la tecnología de la información y comunicación han revolucionado las formas tradicionales de comercialización, ejerciendo una presión continua sobre las agencias de viajes para que adopten estrategias competitivas que les permitan mantenerse en un mercado que requiere concepciones más personalizadas y flexibles del producto turístico. Los consumidores turísticos inicialmente compraban los paquetes ofrecidos por las agencias de viajes, y se decidían por aquéllas opciones que le ofrecieran un mejor precio por el producto o servicio adquirido. A medida que el cliente fue accediendo a mayores niveles de información se fue tornando más exigente y selectivo, por lo tanto las empresas debieron comenzar a esforzarse por ofrecer servicios ya no estandarizados; sino personalizados, y que impliquen un menor costo de adquisición para el consumidor. No obstante estos cambios, en la actualidad se observan nuevos comportamientos que ya no se corresponden solo con precios bajos ni con paquetes elaborados a medida; sino que las exigencias van más allá y tienen que ver con el valor que la obtención de ese servicio le otorga al cliente. Ante esta situación, resulta crucial conocer, por un lado, cuáles son los atributos que hoy en día tienen un valor especial para los consumidores y, en función de ello, qué pueden hacer las agencias de viajes para lograr satisfacerlo y mantenerse competitivas en el contexto en el cual se encuentran insertas. En relación a ello surge, por un lado, la inquietud por conocer el funcionamiento de un call center de venta de servicios turísticos, en el cual la tecnología permite que la relación entre el consumidor y el agente de viajes sea por vía telefónica y virtual; y por otro, analizar las posibilidades que el call center tiene de generar valor en la experiencia del cliente aumentando la competitividad de una agencia de viajes tradicional. El trabajo se basa en el estudio de caso de una agencia tradicional en la ciudad de Mar del Plata, con más de 30 años de trayectoria que hace unos 5 años decidió ampliar sus canales de comercialización implementando un sector de venta telefónica con la intención de captar a un nuevo cliente. Resulta interesante la posibilidad de analizar una misma empresa que cuenta con ambas modalidades de venta (personal y telefónica) ya que bajo las mismas políticas organizacionales y los mismos canales de promoción y productos, ofrece a sus clientes la posibilidad de utilizar diferentes medios de consulta y compra de los servicios turísticos deseados.Fil: Briñón, Melina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales; Argentina

Preformulation Studies of Zidovudine Derivatives: Acid Dissociation Constants, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Thermogravimetry, X-Ray Powder Diffractometry and Aqueous Stability Studies

As part as of the preformulation studies of new 5′-OH derivatives of zidovudine, compounds 2–6, their acid dissociation constants, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetry (TG) curves, X-Ray Powder diffractograms and aqueous stability are reported. A sensitive technique such as differential scanning potentiometry was used to determine the pKa constants of the above mentioned compounds. In addition, pKa values were calculated from theoretical methods, and no significant differences with those of experimental ones were observed. X-Ray Powder Diffractometry data demonstrated that compounds 2–4 were crystalline while 5 and 6 were amorphous. DSC analysis indicated that all of them presented an exothermic decomposition peak above 150 °C which is accompanied by a weight loss in the respective TG curves. The stability of these compounds in aqueous medium at different pH values was investigated, using a validated High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method, which demonstrated to be rapid, selective, sensitive, accurate and stability-indicating. Good recovery, linearity and precision were also achieved. For all compounds the aqueous hydrolysis followed a pseudo-first-order kinetics, depending on pH and the union existing between AZT and the associate moiety. The hydrolysis was catalyzed by hydroxide ion in the 7.4–13.2 pH range, while all compounds exhibited pH-independent stability from acidic to neutral media (pHs 1.0–7.4)

Identificación molecular para el control de calidad del liquen de Islandia

Cetraria Islandica es una especie de liquen de las zonas montañosas y frías de Europa que es usado tradicionalmente en afecciones respiratorias y digestivas. Actualmente se han empezado a hacer más estudios sobre él, descubriendo su actividad antioxidante, antidiabética, antiinflamatoria y anticancerígena, que junto a otros líquenes les está haciendo ganar popularidad entre la población. En los herbolarios se vende liquen de Islandia o musgo de Islandia en forma de extracto, infusiones o plantas desecadas. Ya que en España se da la venta libre de plantas medicinales y este liquen es de difícil acceso, se ha querido comprobar si se realizan falsificaciones o adulteraciones de él. Para ello se ha realizado la técnica de identificación molecular y código de barras de ADN (ADN barcoding)que ha demostrado mayor eficacia a la hora de clasificar e identificar las muestras de líquenes, debido a su increíble parecido tanto morfológico como químico entre especies del mismo género que dan lugar a errores

Influencia de la bulimia y anorexia nerviosa en jóvenes universitarios y su repercusión a causa del Covid-19 y las redes sociales

A lo largo de este Trabajo de Fin de Grado se pretende dar a conocer más en profundidad el problema actual que conecta a las redes sociales con la bulimia y la anorexia nerviosa, dado que esta relación afecta en gran medida a la población más joven creando complejos debido a los cánones de belleza establecidos en nuestra sociedad actual. Para el desarrollo de este documento, se ha llevado a cabo un análisis a través de un cuestionario lanzado especialmente al alumnado del Grado de Educación Social de la Facultad de Educación de Palencia. Este cuestionario engloba diversas preguntas enfocadas a los trastornos de conducta alimentaria y a su relación con las redes sociales y con la pandemia causada por el Covid-19. Por último, se propone una intervención basada en el buen uso de las redes sociales en base a este tipo de trastornos, sobre todo enfocada en la bulimia y la anorexia nerviosa. El objetivo de esta propuesta va a estar orientado a dar visibilidad a los distintos problemas que pueden acarrear estos trastornos y a dar apoyo a aquellas personas que padezcan alguno de ellosGrado en Educación Socia

Plan de negocio de una aerolinea de bajo coste

El desarrollo de este negocio se inspira en las oportunidades que el sector aeronáutico ofrece en España y Europa por ser un espacio de gran tránsito de turistas y empresarios. En los últimos años, se ha podido observar un crecimiento del número de pasajeros de avión lo que ha supuesto la creación de múltiples aerolíneas en todos los países del mundo. El mercado aeronáutico está viviendo una “edad de oro”, lo que antes era un transporte exclusivamente para personas de alto poder adquisitivo, ahora se ha convertido en un medio de transporte más, gracias a la aparición de las aerolíneas conocidas como “low-cost” o aerolíneas de bajo coste que hacen competencia directa a otros medios de transporte más baratos como el autobús o el tren. A lo largo de la memoria se describen las distintas etapas de trabajo seguidas hasta conseguir poner en funcionamiento una aerolínea.The business model this paper develops is inspired by the opportunities the aeronautical sector offers in Spain and the rest of Europe. This specific area is one of the most evolved of all in terms of tourist and business people transit. In the last years, an increase in the number of passengers has been observed, which resulted in the launch of new airlines founded all around the world. Moreover, the aeronautical market is going through a so-called “golden age”. In its early days, the plane as a way of commuting was a privilege for wealthy people while nowadays this has changed. Travelling by plane today is something everybody can do due to the appearance of the well-known low-cost airlines that constitute a direct competitor to other transport means like bus or train. Throughout this business proposal the different steps of the creation of a new airline from scratch will be presented.Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriale

Transient expression of calretinin in the trout habenulo-interpeduncular system during development

Calcium-binding proteins control calcium homeostasis during neural development. The expression of one of these proteins, calretinin (CR), was monitored by immunohistochemistry in the developing habenulo-interpeduncular system of the rainbow trout, a conserved region of the brain along vertebrate phylogeny that undergoes a neurochemical reorganization in late development. No CR-immunoreactivity was observed in the habenulo-interpeduncular system during the embryonic development. CRimmunolabeling appeared in newly hatched fry, and during the fry development the number of CR-immunostained elements increased progressively. During the juvenile stages (from 30 days post-hatching onwards) a gradual decrease in the number of CRimmunostained cells occurred, until its complete disappearance in adults. These variations in CR expression may represent variable calcium-buffering needs during different developmental stages

Effects of MSC coadministration and route of delivery on cord blood hematopoietic stem cell engraftment

Licencia Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No comercial.-- et al.Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) using umbilical cord blood (UCB) progenitors is increasingly being used. One of the problems that may arise after UCB transplantation is an impaired engraftment. Either intrabone (IB) injection of hematopoietic progenitors or mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) coadministration has been proposed among the strategies to improve engraftment. In the current study, we have assessed the effects of both approaches. Thus, NOD/SCID recipients were transplanted with human UCB CD34+ cells administered either intravenously (IV) or IB, receiving or not bone marrow (BM)-derived MSCs also IV or IB (in the right femur). Human HSC engraftment was measured 3 and 6 weeks after transplantation. Injected MSCs were tracked weekly by bioluminescence. Also, lodgment within the BM niche was assessed at the latter time point by immunofluorescence. Our study shows regarding HSC engraftment that the number of BM human CD45+ cells detected 3 weeks after transplantation was significantly higher in mice cotransplanted with human MSCs. Moreover, these mice had a higher myeloid (CD13+) engraftment and a faster B-cell (CD19+) chimerism. At the late time point evaluated (6 weeks), human engraftment was higher in the group in which both strategies were employed (IB injection of HSC and MSC coadministration). When assessing human MSC administration route, we were able to track MSCs only in the injected femurs, whereas they lost their signal in the contralateral bones. These human MSCs were mainly located around blood vessels in the subendosteal region. In summary, our study shows that MSC coadministration can enhance HSC engraftment in our xenogenic transplantation model, as well as IB administration of the CD34+ cells does. The combination of both strategies seems to be synergistic. Interestingly, MSCs were detected only where they were IB injected contributing to the vascular niche.This study was supported in part by a grant from Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León (ref. GRS/222/A/08) and by a grant from Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (ref. HUS003A10-2). S.C. was supported by Junta de Castilla y Leon (FPI grant EDU/1878/2006).Peer Reviewe

Regeneration of hyaline cartilage promoted by xenogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells embedded within elastin-like recombinamer-based bioactive hydrogels

Producción CientíficaOver the last decades, novel therapeutic tools for osteochondral regeneration have arisen from the combination of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and highly specialized smart biomaterials, such as hydrogel-forming elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs), which could serve as cell-carriers. Herein, we evaluate the delivery of xenogeneic human MSCs (hMSCs) within an injectable ELR-based hydrogel carrier for osteochondral regeneration in rabbits. First, a critical-size osteochondral defect was created in the femora of the animals and subsequently filled with the ELR-based hydrogel alone or with embedded hMSCs. Regeneration outcomes were evaluated after three months by gross assessment, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, showing complete filling of the defect and the de novo formation of hyaline-like cartilage and subchondral bone in the hMSC-treated knees. Furthermore, histological sectioning and staining of every sample confirmed regeneration of the full cartilage thickness and early subchondral bone repair, which was more similar to the native cartilage in the case of the cell-loaded ELR-based hydrogel. Overall histological differences between the two groups were assessed semi-quantitatively using the Wakitani scale and found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). Immunofluorescence against a human mitochondrial antibody three months post-implantation showed that the hMSCs were integrated into the de novo formed tissue, thus suggesting their ability to overcome the interspecies barrier. Hence, we conclude that the use of xenogeneic MSCs embedded in an ELR-based hydrogel leads to the successful regeneration of hyaline cartilage in osteochondral lesions.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project (MAT2016-78903-R, MAT2016-9 79435-R, MAT2013-42473-R, MAT2013-41723-R and MAT2012-38043)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA244U13, VA313U14 and GRS/516/A/10

Mesenchymal stromal cells combined with elastin-like recombinamers increase angiogenesis in vivo after hindlimb ischemia

Producción CientíficaHindlimb ischemia is an unmet medical need, especially for those patients unable to undergo vascular surgery. Cellular therapy, mainly through mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) administration, may be a potentially attractive approach in this setting. In the current work, we aimed to assess the potential of the combination of MSCs with a proangiogenic elastin-like recombinamer (ELR)–based hydrogel in a hindlimb ischemia murine model. Human bone marrow MSCs were isolated from four healthy donors, while ELR biomaterials were genetically engineered. Hindlimb ischemia was induced through ligation of the right femoral artery, and mice were intramuscularly injected with ELR biomaterial, 0.5 × 106 MSCs or the combination, and also compared to untreated animals. Tissue perfusion was monitored using laser Doppler perfusion imaging. Histological analysis of hindlimbs was performed after hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunofluorescence with anti–human mitochondria antibody was used for human MSC detection, and the biomaterial was detected by elastin staining. To analyze the capillary density, immunostaining with an anti–CD31 antibody was performed. Our results show that the injection of MSCs significantly improves tissue reperfusion from day 7 (p = 0.0044) to day 21 (p = 0.0216), similar to the infusion of MSC + ELR (p = 0.0038, p = 0.0014), without significant differences between both groups. After histological evaluation, ELR hydrogels induced minimal inflammation in the injection sites, showing biocompatibility. MSCs persisted with the biomaterial after 21 days, both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we observed a higher blood vessel density when mice were treated with MSCs compared to control (p<0.0001), but this effect was maximized and significantly different to the remaining experimental conditions when mice were treated with the combination of MSCs and the ELR biomaterial (p < 0.0001). In summary, the combination of an ELR-based hydrogel with MSCs may improve the angiogenic effects of both strategies on revascularization of ischemic tissues.Spanish Government (RTI2018-096320-B-C22, FPU16-04015, PID2019-110709RB-I00, PID2020-118669RA-I00)Interreg V España Portugal POCTEP (0624_2IQBIONEURO_6_E), Centro en Red de Medicina Regenerativa y Terapia Celular de Castilla y LeónConsejería de Educación de Castilla y León (CAS079P17)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (PI19/01630)Programs of ISCIII- European Regional Development Fund (RD16/0011/0015, RD21/ 0017/0006