Innovación de productos turísticos en instalaciones hoteleras. Un procedimiento desde los sistemas adaptativos complejos

Aim: To design an innovating procedure of touristic products using a complex adaptative system approach to generate new and improved products. Methods: Theoretical methods, such as the historical-logical, analysis and synthesis, and induction-deduction methods were used. Empirical methods like interview, observation, and survey were used as well. Team working was the technique used, through parallel learning structures or teams, whose role facilitated training, learning, and innovation. Besides, computerized intelligence techniques were used, particularly association rules, and Markov chains, to generate innovation sequences. Main results: A procedure relying on complex adaptative systems was designed, which can generate adaptative characteristics that modify and adapt innovation sequencing to resort hotels, based on SAC-InnoTour software designed for this purpose. Implementation at Melia Cayo Coco Resort permitted the development of new or improved products, and to identify the competitive advantages that contributed to customer differentiation and satisfaction. Conclusions: The procedure works as a complex adaptative system, since it generates adaptative characteristics that modify the structure, which was observed in the innovation sequence produced with the software. The implementation of this procedure at the chosen resort, corroborated its practical validity, based on its pertinence and the fulfillment of the set work objectives.Objetivo: Diseñar un procedimiento de innovación de productos turísticos desde un enfoque de sistemas adaptativos complejos para la generación de nuevos y mejorados productos. Métodos: Se utilizaron métodos teóricos como el histórico-lógico, el análisis-síntesis y la inducción-deducción; métodos empíricos como la entrevista, la observación y la encuesta. Se empleó la técnica de trabajo en grupo mediante estructuras paralelas de aprendizaje o equipos, cuyo funcionamiento facilitó la capacitación, el aprendizaje y la innovación. Además se usaron técnicas de inteligencia computacional, específicamente reglas de asociación y cadenas de Markov para generar secuencias de innovación. Principales resultados: Se diseñó un procedimiento que, basado en los sistemas adaptativos complejos, genera características adaptativas que modifican y adecuan la secuencia de la innovación a la instalación hotelera, apoyado en el software SAC-InnoTour elaborado para estos fines. Su aplicación en el Hotel Meliá Cayo Coco permitió desarrollar nuevos o mejorados productos, así como identificar ventajas competitivas que contribuyeron a la diferenciación y satisfacción de los clientes en el hotel. Conclusiones: El procedimiento funciona como un sistema adaptativo complejo porque genera características adaptativas que modifican su estructura, lo cual se evidenció en la secuencia de innovación generada con el software. La aplicación del procedimiento en el hotel seleccionado, corroboró su validez práctica a partir de su pertinencia y el cumplimiento de los objetivos de trabajo planeados

Identification and functional analysis of novel phosphorylation sites in the RNA surveillance protein Upf1.

One third of inherited genetic diseases are caused by mRNAs harboring premature termination codons as a result of nonsense mutations. These aberrant mRNAs are degraded by the Nonsense-Mediated mRNA Decay (NMD) pathway. A central component of the NMD pathway is Upf1, an RNA-dependent ATPase and helicase. Upf1 is a known phosphorylated protein, but only portions of this large protein have been examined for phosphorylation sites and the functional relevance of its phosphorylation has not been elucidated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Using tandem mass spectrometry analyses, we report the identification of 11 putative phosphorylated sites in S. cerevisiae Upf1. Five of these phosphorylated residues are located within the ATPase and helicase domains and are conserved in higher eukaryotes, suggesting a biological significance for their phosphorylation. Indeed, functional analysis demonstrated that a small carboxy-terminal motif harboring at least three phosphorylated amino acids is important for three Upf1 functions: ATPase activity, NMD activity and the ability to promote translation termination efficiency. We provide evidence that two tyrosines within this phospho-motif (Y-738 and Y-742) act redundantly to promote ATP hydrolysis, NMD efficiency and translation termination fidelity

Hábitos y prácticas de consumo de teléfonos celulares en México y España

Los avances tecnológicos, la expansión de mercado y el corto ciclo de vida que caracteriza a los aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos, los convierte en el flujo de residuos de más rápido crecimiento en el mundo. Uno de estos aparatos de mayor consumo son los teléfonos celulares, que ya forman parte del estilo la vida de un número creciente de personas en todo el mundo. Los hábitos de consumo y de gestión del residuo que generan una vez finalizada su vida útil están asociados a los estilos de vida de los diferentes segmentos de la población, siendo la población joven el segmento de mayor consumo. Ante este contexto, este trabajo se centra en analizar los hábitos de consumo y retirada de los teléfonos celulares entre el segmento de los jóvenes universitarios de México y España, tomando como caso de estudio una universidad para cada país. Para ello, se diseñó una encuesta con el propósito de obtener información referente al conocimiento ambiental, hábitos de consumo y la forma en que gestionan el teléfono celular al finalizar su vida útil. Los resultados obtenidos sustentan la necesidad de desarrollar evaluaciones e implementar posibles escenarios para la gestión sostenible de los celulares al final de su vida útil.Technological advances, market expansion and the short life cycle that characterizes the electrical and electronic equipments, makes their wastes to be the fastest growing flow of residues in the world. One of the electronic devices that has increased their consumption is cell phones, which are already part of the life style of a growing number of people around the world. Consumption and waste management at end-of-life patterns are associated with the lifestyles of the different segments of the population, being young people the largest consumer segment. Given this context, this paper focuses on analyzing consumption and removal of cell phones patterns from the segment of university students in Mexico and Spain. To do this, a survey was designed in order to obtain information concerning the environmental knowledge and consumption habits and the way students manage cellphones at their end-of-life. The results support the need to develop and implement alternative scenarios for the sustainable management of cellphones at the end of their useful life

Evaluación del impacto ambiental al extender la vida útil del teléfono móvil

El mercado de telefonía móvil ha experimentado un continuo crecimiento en la última década. Cada vez más, los teléfonos móviles son reemplazados por nuevos modelos con diseños más modernos y ampliación de funciones. Este estilo de vida está provocando incremento en la cantidad de residuos de aparatos electrónicos que no siempre reciben tratamiento. Por lo que, en este artículo, se presentan los resultados de la aplicación de la metodología de análisis de ciclo de vida (ACV) para calcular cuantitativamente el beneficio ambiental debido a la extensión de vida útil del teléfono móvil durante diferentes períodos. Tomando como unidad funcional el ciclo de vida promedio de 30 meses, se modelaron tres escenarios considerando cuatro etapas: adquisición de materias primas/producción, distribución, uso y fin de vida útil. Se utilizó el paquete SimaPro (2013), la base de datos Ecoinvent para configurar el inventario y las emisiones consideradas se asignaron en seis categorías de impacto según el método CML2000 del Centro para Estudios Medioambientales (CML). Se observó que al prolongar la vida útil del teléfono móvil y dar tratamiento cuando se convierte en residuo representa una ganancia ambiental no sólo porque se evita su disposición y consumo de uno nuevo, sino porque se ahorran recursos limitados y la energía necesaria para su extracción a través de la recuperación de materiales. Sin embargo, antes de reciclar es importante considerar su reutilización (extensión de su vida útil) ya que una cantidad sustancial de los móviles son dispuestos por razones de moda o estética mientras aún son funcionales.The mobile phone market has experienced continuous growth over the last decade. Increasingly, mobile phones are replaced by new models with more modern designs or expansion of functions. This lifestyle is causing increasing amount of electronic waste that do not always receive treatment. This article presents the results of the application of the methodology for life-cycle assessment (LCA) to calculate quantitatively the environmental benefit due to the extension of lifespan mobile phones during different periods of time. Taking as a functional unit the life cycle of an average mobile phone during 30 months and considering the stages of raw materials/production, distribution, use and end of life, three scenarios were modeled. The SimaPro (2013) software was used, the Ecoinvent database has been applied to configure the life cycle inventory, and the emissions were allocated into six categories according to the impact CML2000 method. It was observed that to extend the mobile phone useful life and to provide treatment when it becomes a waste, represents an environmental gain not only because the provision and consumption of a new one is avoided, but because limited resources and energy required for extraction are saved through recovery of materials. However, before recycling it is important to consider reuse (extending lifespan) because a substantial amount of the mobile phones are discarded for fashion or cosmetic reasons while they are still functional

Crystallization Process and Site-Selective Excitation of Nd3+ in LaF3/NaLaF4 Sol–Gel-Synthesized Transparent Glass-Ceramics

In this study, transparent oxyfluoride glass-ceramics (GCs) with NaLaF4 nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared by the sol–gel method for the first time. Three different molar ratios of La(CH3COO)3/Na(CH3COO) were used to obtain the GCs, which were sintered at 450, 550 and 650 °C for 1 min. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to follow the evolution of the xerogel during the heat treatments and to study crystal growth for the three temperatures. In all cases, the LaF3 crystalline phase was present, but crystallization of NaLaF4 was only promoted at 650 °C. Thermogravimetric and thermodifferential analysis (TGA-DTA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to analyze the crystallization process. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was employed to confirm NaLaF4 crystallization and determine the size distribution. The incorporation of Nd3+ ion into NaLaF4 and LaF3 nanocrystals was confirmed by site-selective emission and excitation spectra. The Nd3+ emission intensities in both phases depend not only on the NaLaF4/LaF3 ratio but also on their emission efficiencies.The authors acknowledge financial support from MINECO under projects MAT2017-87035-C2-1-P/-2-P (AEI/FEDER, UE), and Basque Government PIBA2018-24. This article is a part of the dissemination activities of the project FunGlass, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 739566

Prevalence and risk factors for stillbirths in Holstein cows in a hot environment

Risk factors for stillbirth were studied in a dairy operation in northern Mexico (25°N). Data set consisted of 29406 full term calving records. Factors affecting stillbirths were analyzed using a step-wise multivariable logistic regression models. The predictive indicators of stillbirth risk were: temperature-humidity index (THI) during pregnancy and at calving, season of calving, calf birth weight, gestation length, semen characteristics (conventional or sexed), gender of calves, hour of calving and type of parturition (normal or dystocic). Throughout the study period, 7.3 (95%, confidence interval= 7.0–7.6) of every 100 calving events had a stillborn calf. Stillborns were higher with severe dystocia compared with non-assisted births (29.0% vs. 6.2%, p<0.0001) and calves with birth weights <35 kg compared with heavier calves at calving (19.3% vs. 2.3%, p<0.0001), and was lower in calves whose gestation length was >278 d compared with calves with shorter gestation periods (2.8% vs. 30.0%, p<0.0001). Cows in a severe state of heat stress prenatally and at birth (THI >83 units) had 1.3 higher risk of stillbirths than cows suffering reduced heat stress (p<0.0001). Evidence for a greater (p<0.001) stillbirth rates in cows with parturitions between 18:00 and 19:00 h compared with cows calving during other hours of the day was found (9.1% vs. 7.1%). Together, these results demonstrate that ameliorating heat stress during the peripartum period is an important management practice to reduce stillbirths in Holstein cows in this warm climate. Additionally, a greater attention of parturition around sunset can lower the current stillbirth rates

Aplicación de la metodología de análisis de ciclo de vida para evaluar el desempeño ambiental de sistemas de gestión de residuos en iberoamerica

La metodología de Análisis de Ciclo de Vida es la técnica más adecuada para evaluar el desempeño medioambiental de los sistemas de gestión de residuos sólidos. Durante los últimos años, se ha ido extendiendo su implementación en diferentes países iberoamericanos. Así pues, este artículo presenta cinco experiencias de aplicación de la metodología de Análisis de Ciclo de Vida para evaluar el comportamiento ambiental de: un sistema de recogida selectiva de residuos domiciliarios en España; un sistema de gestión de residuos de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos y específicamente terminales de telefonía móvil en México; un sistema de gestión de residuos de construcción y demolición en Argentina; la incorporación de recogida selectiva en un sistema de gestión de residuos domiciliarios en Brasil; y finalmente, un sistema de gestión de residuos domiciliarios en Colombia. Para cada uno de los casos de aplicación se ha conformado un inventario, identificándose como principal hándicap, la falta de datos de inventario en bases de datos comerciales adaptados a diferentes países, a diferentes fracciones y a diferentes tratamientos de gestión de residuos. Para ello, para modelar los inventarios se ha realizado una combinación de datos primarios y secundarios. Finalmente, se ha obtenido la contribución al impacto de las diferentes etapas que conforman el ciclo de vida de cada sistema de gestión de residuos, sirviendo los resultados obtenidos como punto de partida para la selección e implantación de medidas que favorezcan la mejora ambiental de los sistemas de gestión de residuos.The Life Cycle Assessment methodology is the most appropriate technique for evaluating municipal solid waste management systems. In recent times, its implementation has been spreading in different Latin American countries. So, this paper presents five applications of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology with the aim of evaluating the environmental performance of: a selective collection system for household waste in Spain; a waste electrical and electronic equipment management system, mainly focused on mobile phone devices, in Mexico; a construction and demolition waste management system in Argentina; the incorporation of selective collection in a municipal solid waste management system in Brazil; and finally, a municipal solid waste management system for household in Colombia. For each case study it has been made an inventory, identifying as a main handicap, the lack of inventory data in commercial databases adapted to different countries, different factions and different treatments of waste management. To solve this problem, inventory modeling has been performed as a combination of primary and secondary data. Finally, the contribution to different impact categories of stage of each life cycle waste management system has been obtained. Results provide a starting point for the selection and implementation of measures to promote the environmental improvement of waste management systems.Los autores agradecen la posibilidad de realizar este trabajo conjunto entre diferentes países iberoamericanos a CYTED (Proyecto 715RT0494)

Hearing loss due to noise exposure and its relationship with hypertension in Peruvian workers

Introduction:Noise-induced hearing loss has been implicated in the genesis of several chronic conditions; however, its behavior concerning hypertension still raises doubts about it.Objective:to determine the association between hearing loss due to exposure to noise and the presence of hypertension in a sample of Peruvian workers.Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study. Secondary analysis of the occupational database of a Medical centerin Lima, Peru. hypertensionwas measured by self-report and clinical method. Hearing loss was classified as none, mild, moderate and severe. For the regression analysis, Poisson was performed with robust variance, obtaining crude (PRc) and adjusted (PRa) prevalence ratios.Results: We worked with a total of 1987 participants. The prevalence of hypertension was 15.40% and hearing loss was 36.39%. For the multivariate regression analysis, a statistically significant association with hypertension was found in those with mild hearing loss (PRa=1.52; CI95% 1.06–2.10), moderate (PRa=2.70; CI95% 1,93–3.76) and severe (PRa=3.82; 95% CI 2.56–5.96), compared to those without hearing loss.Conclusions:Hearing loss due to exposure to occupational noise was associated with the presence of hypertension. Although this study is only a first overview of the relationship that both variables could have, it is recommended to continue promoting policies and awareness campaigns to prevent hearing loss in workers, and thus avoid complications related to it in the long term.Campus Lima Nort

Hearing Loss due to Noise Exposure and its Relationship with Hypertension in Peruvian Workers

Introduction: Noise-induced hearing loss has been implicated in the genesis of several chronic conditions; however, its behavior concerning hypertension still raises doubts about it. Objective: to determine the association between hearing loss due to exposure to noise and the presence of hypertension in a sample of Peruvian workers. Methods: Cross-sectional analytical study. Secondary analysis of the occupational database of a Medical center in Lima, Peru. hypertension was measured by self-report and clinical method. Hearing loss was classified as none, mild, moderate and severe. For the regression analysis, Poisson was performed with robust variance, obtaining crude (PRc) and adjusted (PRa) prevalence ratios. Results: We worked with a total of 1987 participants. The prevalence of hypertension was 15.40% and hearing loss was 36.39%. For the multivariate regression analysis, a statistically significant association with hypertension was found in those with mild hearing loss (PRa=1.52; CI95% 1.06–2.10), moderate (PRa=2.70; CI95% 1,93–3.76) and severe (PRa=3.82; 95% CI 2.56–5.96), compared to those without hearing loss. Conclusions: Hearing loss due to exposure to occupational noise was associated with the presence of hypertension. Although this study is only a first overview of the relationship that both variables could have, it is recommended to continue promoting policies and awareness campaigns to prevent hearing loss in workers, and thus avoid complications related to it in the long term