Capacidad de innovación en procesos a partir del intercambio de conocimiento: caso de una empresa del sector textil-confecciones

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la influencia de los factores individuales del emisor y receptor de conocimiento y de los factores organizacionales en los procesos de intercambio de conocimiento entre costureros, y comprobar si ello conduce a una mayor capacidad de innovación en procesos productivos dentro de la unidad de costura de la empresa sujeto de estudio en el año 2018. El estudio de la investigación se realizó en una importante empresa del sector textilconfecciones dedicada a la exportación de prendas de tejido de punto, la cual se encuentra en proceso de crecimiento internacional a través de la diferenciación como ventaja competitiva. Debido al rubro en el que se encuentra, la mano de obra técnica es sustancial para el éxito de la empresa, principalmente los costureros. En consecuencia, la investigación analiza el contexto laboral en el que viven las empresas del sector textil-confecciones y las exigencias de la producción por parte de los clientes, así como las percepciones del personal administrativo y los supervisores de los costureros acerca del desenvolvimiento de los factores individuales y organizacionales, los procesos de intercambio de conocimiento y la capacidad de innovación en procesos productivos de la empresa sujeto de estudio con el fin de contrastarlo con lo manifestado por los costureros. El estudio está sustentado teóricamente en el modelo de Lin (2007), llevado a cabo a través de 346 encuestas a costureros y 12 entrevistas al personal administrativo, supervisores y entidades relacionadas al sector. Como resultado de este estudio, se comprobó la regresión entre ciertos factores individuales y organizacionales con los procesos de intercambio y entre estos últimos con la capacidad de innovación en los procesos productivos de la unidad de costura. Asimismo, se identificaron brechas entre las percepciones de los supervisores y el personal administrativo con lo sustentado por los costureros en cuanto a los factores mencionados, los procesos de intercambio de conocimiento y la capacidad de innovación. A partir de las brechas identificadas, se propusieron recomendaciones para unidad de costura, con el propósito que los resultados de la presente investigación tengan una repercusión positiva en la estrategia competitiva de la empresa y mejore las condiciones laborales de los costurerosTesi

Nutrition and IBD: Malnutrition and/or Sarcopenia? A Practical Guide

Malnutrition is a major complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This mini review is focusing on main determinants of malnutrition in IBD, the most important components of malnutrition, including lean mass loss and sarcopenia, as an emerging problem. Each one of these components needs to be well considered in a correct nutritional evaluation of an IBD patient in order to build a correct multidisciplinary approach. The review is then focusing on possible instrumental and clinical armamentarium for the nutritional evaluation

ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients

Nutritional Interventions to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Among all gynaecological neoplasms, ovarian cancer has the highest rate of disease-related malnutrition, representing an important risk factor of postoperative mortality and morbidity. Hence, the importance of finding effective nutritional interventions is crucial to improve ovarian cancer patient’s well-being and survival. This systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aims at assessing the effects of nutritional interventions on clinical outcomes such as overall survival, progression-free survival, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications following surgery and/or chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients. Three electronic bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were used to conduct a systematic literature search based on fixed inclusion and exclusion criteria, until December 2018. A total of 14 studies were identified. Several early postoperative feeding interventions studies (n = 8) were retrieved mainly demonstrating a reduction in LOS and an ameliorated intestinal recovery after surgery. Moreover, innovative nutritional approaches such as chewing gum intervention (n = 1), coffee consumption (n = 1), ketogenic diet intervention (n = 2) or fruit and vegetable juice concentrate supplementation diet (n = 1) and short-term fasting (n = 1) have been shown as valid and well-tolerated nutritional strategies improving clinical outcomes. However, despite an acceptable number of prospective trials, there is still a lack of homogeneous and robust endpoints. In particular, there is an urgent need of RCTs evaluating overall survival and progression-free survival during ovarian oncology treatments. Further high-quality studies are warranted, especially prospective studies and large RCTs, with more homogeneous types of intervention and clinical outcomes, including a more specific sampling of ovarian cancer women, to identify appropriate and effective nutritional strategies for this cancer, which is at high risk of malnutrition

Antiangiogenic and antitumor activities of berberine derivative NAX014 compound in a transgenic murine model of HER2/neu-positive mammary carcinoma

Berberine is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid with proven antiangiogenic and anticancer activities. We recently demonstrated that berberine and its synthetic derivative 13-(4-chlorophenylethyl)berberine iodide, NAX014, exert antiproliferative activity against HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells, inducing apoptosis, modulating the expression of cell-cycle checkpoint molecules involved in cell senescence, and reducing both HER2 expression and phosphorylation on tumor cells. In this study we examined the anticancer properties of berberine and NAX014 in a transgenic mouse model which spontaneously develops HER2-positive mammary tumors. Repeated intraperitoneal injections of a safety dose (2.5 mg/kg) of NAX014 delayed the development of tumors, reducing both the number and size of tumor masses. In vivo sidestream dark field videomicroscopy revealed a significant lower vessel density in mammary tumors from NAX014-treated mice in comparison with the control group. Immunohystochemical evaluation using CD34 antibody confirmed the reduced vessel density in NAX014 group. Statistically significant increase of senescence associated β-galactosidase and p16 expression, and reduced expression of heparanase were observed in tumors from NAX014-treated mice than in tumors from control animals. Finally, NAX014 treatment decreased the level of perforine and granzyme mRNA in mammary tumors. Berberine did not show any statistically significant modulation in comparison to control mice.The results of the present study indicate that NAX014 is more effective than berberine in exerting anticancer activity delaying the development of mammary tumors in mice transgenic for the HER-2/neu oncogene. The antitumor efficacy of NAX014 is mainly related to its effect on tumor vascular network and on induction of tumor cell senescence

Nutritional support in acute pancreatitis: from physiopathology to practice. An evidence-based approach

Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is a potentially fatal syndrome, associated with a hyper-catabolic state as well as early and late complications that may lead to multi-organ failure and death. Clinical researches produced in recent years suggest that acute pancreatitis may benefit from early oral or enteral nutrition. Nevertheless, many clinicians still believe erroneously that fasting \u2013 particularly in the early phase \u2013 may reduce AP complications and mortality. The goal of our review is to demonstrate that such false belief may harm the patients and that the whole management paradigm must change, adopting a more rational, evidence-based approach. First, we will describe AP physiopathology and the clinical assessment of its severity. Then we will discuss evidence-based data supporting early oral or enteral nutrition in AP. Finally, we will offer some practice recommendations as regards nutritional support