Comprehensive Management model for increasing the competitiveness of small and medium artisan jewelry enterprises in Peru

Today, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) either go out of business or see their growth being stalled due to poor activity management and organization, which is why they are often unprepared to engage against large companies leading their competitive markets. This study aims to develop a comprehensive management model, exclusively designed for SMEs in the jewellery sector, which may encompass all areas that create value and make them competitive. The development of this comprehensive management model was deployed in 21 steps classified into three tiers based on three major philosophies. This study uses lean manufacturing to identify activities that add value and reduce waste, and lean green was used to provide the environmental care and culture approach required for a friendly and fair workplace environment. The selected scenario is a jewelry workshop, wherein techniques and tools were completely applied and yielded a 20% increase in operating performance and a 15% increase in annual return

Caracterización de diferentes aceites de girasol ozonizados I. Cambios químicos durante la ozonización

Vegetable oils are usually rich in unsaturated fatty acids which are susceptible to oxidation. The oxidation of vegetable oils has been one of the most widely studied fields within lipid chemistry, because it alters their properties and nutritive value, inducing the formation of harmful compounds and off-flavors. Moreover, oxidized vegetable oils display altered physical and chemical properties which are conferred by the newer oxy-genated compounds they contain. This is the case of ozonized oils. Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that mainly acts on olefinic compounds which generate ozonides and other peroxidic species that can decompose into carbonilic fragments. The action of the oxidant and the later reactions depend on the chemical environment of the reaction as well as the carbonyl termination products resulting from peroxide cleavage. In recent years, sunflower oils with different fatty acid compositions have been developed by breeding and mutagenesis. They displayed higher contents of oleic, stearic or palmitic acids, which mainly alters their triacylglycerol composi-tion. Therefore, four different sunflower oils, common, high oleic, high stearic-high oleic and high palmitic-high oleic, were oxidized with ozone and the progress of the reaction was monitored by measuring the level of oil peroxygenation and the changes in the oils’ fatty acid compositions. The peroxidated species formed during ozonation were studied by FT-IR spectroscopy. The main conclusions of this work were that ozonation caused linear oxidation rates that were similar in all the oils assayed. The addition of water accelerated oxidation, which tended to occur in linoleic polyunsaturated fatty acid The FT-IR pointed to the presence of ozonide-derived peroxides as the major oxygenated species.Los aceites vegetales son generalmente ricos en ácidos grasos insaturados susceptibles de oxidación. La oxi-dación de aceites vegetales ha sido un campo de estudio intensivo dentro de la química de lípidos ya que este proceso altera sus propiedades y valor nutritivo, induciendo la formación de compuestos perjudiciales y olores y sabores indeseados. Además, los aceites vegetales oxidados muestran propiedades físicas alteradas conferidas por los nuevos compuestos oxigenados que contienen. Este es el caso de los aceites ozonizados. El ozono es un agente oxidante enérgico que actúa sobre los compuestos olefínicos generando ozónidos y otras especies peroxídicas que se descomponen en fragmentos carbonílicos. La acción del oxidante y las reacciones posteriores dependen del entorno químico de la reacción además de los productos carbonílicos de terminación resultante de la rotura de los peróxidos. El aceite de girasol común es rico en oleico y linoleico, susceptibles de ataque oxida-tivo por parte del ozono. En los últimos años, aceites de girasol con composiciones diferentes de ácidos grasos se han desarrollado por selección y mutagénesis. Estos aceites muestran altos contenidos en oleico, esteárico o palmítico, los cuales alteran de manera importante su composición de triglicéridos. Este trabajo es el primero de una serie de dos en los cuales se estudian los cambios físico-químicos que dichos aceites de girasol experimentan durante la ozonización. Así, se oxidaron con ozono cuatro aceites de girasol diferentes, girasol común, alto oleico, alto esteárico-alto oleico y alto palmítico-alto oleico. Se monitorizaron las cantidades absorbidas de ozono, los niveles de peroxidación y los ácidos grasos que experimentaron oxidación. Las especies formadas en el proceso se estudiaron mediante espectroscopía FT-IR. El modo en que la composición de ácidos grasos del aceite afectó a las cinéticas de oxidación y los productos resultantes se comentaron a la vista de los resultados.Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) ICOOPCOOPB2015

Trichomonas vaginalis Infection and Associated Risk Factors in a Socially-Marginalized Female Population in Coastal Peru

Objective. The epidemiology of Trichomonas vaginalis infection among sexually active socially-marginalized women in three urban, coastal Peruvian cities was examined in order to quantify the prevalence of trichomonas infection and identify associated risk factors. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional, venue-based study of women from socially-marginalized populations in three coastal Peruvian cities. Results. Among the 319 women enrolled, the overall prevalence of trichomonal infection was 9.1% (95% CI, 5.9%–12.3%). The mean age was 26.3 years, and 35.5% reported having had unprotected intercourse with nonprimary partners and 19.8% reported two or more sex partners in the last three months. Trichomonal infection was associated with increased number of sex partners (PR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4–4.6) and unprotected sex with nonprimary partner in the last three months (PR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1–4.9). Conclusions. A moderately high prevalence of trichomonal infection was found among women in our study. Trichomonal infection was associated with unprotected sex and multiple sex partners. Efforts to control the continued spread of trichomonal infection are warranted

Helping Legumes under Stress Situations: Inoculation with Beneficial Microorganisms

In the upcoming years, legume crops will be subjected to multiple, diverse, and overlapping environmental stressors (raise in global temperatures and CO2, drought, salinity, and soil pollution). These factors will menace legume productivity and food quality and security. In this context, tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are useful biotechnological tools to assist legume establishment and growth. In this chapter, tolerant PGPR able to promote legume growth will be revised. Besides, in the era of -omics, the mechanisms underlying this interaction are being deciphered, particularly transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic changes modulated by PGPR, as well as the molecular dialog legume-rhizobacteria

Determining origin in a migratory marine vertebrate: a novel method to integrate stable isotopes and satellite tracking

Stable isotope analysis is a useful tool to track animal movements in both terrestrial and marine environments. These intrinsic markers are assimilated through the diet and may exhibit spatial gradients as a result of biogeochemical processes at the base of the food web. In the marine environment, maps to predict the spatial distribution of stable isotopes are limited, and thus determining geographic origin has been reliant upon integrating satellite telemetry and stable isotope data. Migratory sea turtles regularly move between foraging and reproductive areas. Whereas most nesting populations can be easily accessed and regularly monitored, little is known about the demographic trends in foraging populations. The purpose of the present study was to examine migration patterns of loggerhead nesting aggregations in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), where sea turtles have been historically understudied. Two methods of geographic assignment using stable isotope values in known-origin samples from satellite telemetry were compared: (1) a nominal approach through discriminant analysis and (2) a novel continuous-surface approach using bivariate carbon and nitrogen isoscapes (isotopic landscapes) developed for this study. Tissue samples for stable isotope analysis were obtained from 60 satellite-tracked individuals at five nesting beaches within the GoM. Both methodological approaches for assignment resulted in high accuracy of foraging area determination, though each has advantages and disadvantages. The nominal approach is more appropriate when defined boundaries are necessary, but up to 42% of the individuals could not be considered in this approach. All individuals can be included in the continuous-surface approach, and individual results can be aggregated to identify geographic hotspots of foraging area use, though the accuracy rate was lower than nominal assignment. The methodological validation provides a foundation for future sea turtle studies in the region to inexpensively determine geographic origin for large numbers of untracked individuals. Regular monitoring of sea turtle nesting aggregations with stable isotope sampling can be used to fill critical data gaps regarding habitat use and migration patterns. Probabilistic assignment to origin with isoscapes has not been previously used in the marine environment, but the methods presented here could also be applied to other migratory marine species

Exploring through the use of physiological and isotopic techniques the potential of a PGPR-based biofertilizer to improve nitrogen fertilization practices efficiency in strawberry cultivation

The use of microorganisms as a biofertilizer in strawberry has focused mainly on pathogen biocontrol, which has led to the underestimation of the potential of microorganisms for the improvement of nutritional efficiency in this crop. A study was established to investigate the impact of a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) based biofertilizer integrated by self-compatible stress tolerant strains with multiple PGP properties, including atmospheric nitrogen fixation, on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa cv. Rociera) tolerance to N deficiency in terms of growth and physiological performance. After 40 days of nitrogen fertilization shortage, inoculated plants were able to maintain root development and fertility structures (i.e. fruits and flowers) at a level similar to plants properly fertilized. In addition, inoculation lessened the negative impact of nitrogen deficiency on leaves’ dry weight and relative water content. This effect was mediated by a higher root/shoot ratio, which would have allowed them to explore larger volumes of soil for the acquisition of water. Moreover, inoculation was able to buffer up to 50% of the reduction in carbon assimilation capacity, due to its positive effect on the diffusion efficiency of CO2 and the biochemical capacity of photosynthesis, as well as on the activity of photosystem II light harvesting. Furthermore, the higher leaf C/N ratio and the maintained δ15N values close to control plants were related to positive bacterial effects at the level of the plant nutritional balance. Despite these positive effects, the application of the bacterial inoculum was unable to completely counteract the restriction of fertilization, being necessary to apply a certain amount of synthetic fertilizer for the strawberry nutrition. However, according to our results, the complementary effect of this PGPR-based biofertilizer could provide a higher efficiency in environmental and economic yields on this crop

Ecological and evolutionary consequences of alternative sex-change pathways in fish

Sequentially hermaphroditic fish change sex from male to female (protandry) or vice versa (protogyny), increasing their fitness by becoming highly fecund females or large dominant males, respectively. These life-history strategies present different social organizations and reproductive modes, from near-random mating in protandry, to aggregate- and harem-spawning in protogyny. Using a combination of theoretical and molecular approaches, we compared variance in reproductive success (V k*) and effective population sizes (N e) in several species of sex-changing fish. We observed that, regardless of the direction of sex change, individuals conform to the same overall strategy, producing more offspring and exhibiting greater V k* in the second sex. However, protogynous species show greater V k*, especially pronounced in haremic species, resulting in an overall reduction of N e compared to protandrous species. Collectively and independently, our results demonstrate that the direction of sex change is a pivotal variable in predicting demographic changes and resilience in sex-changing fish, many of which sustain highly valued and vulnerable fisheries worldwide

Prevalence of HIV, Herpes Simplex Virus-2, and Syphilis in male sex partners of pregnant women in Peru

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background:</p> <p>Sexually active heterosexual men may represent an important risk factor for HIV infection and STI transmission to their female partners and unborn children, though little is known about the prevalence of STIs in this population. We sought to determine the prevalence of HIV, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and syphilis infection and associated risk behaviors among male sex partners of pregnant women in Peru.</p> <p>Methods:</p> <p>Survey and seroprevalence data were collected from 1,835 male partners of pregnant women in four cities in Peru. Serum was tested for antibodies to HIV, HSV-2, and syphilis.</p> <p>Results:</p> <p>Among the 1,835 male participants, HIV prevalence was 0.8% (95% CI = 0.5–1.4%), HSV-2 16.0% (95% CI = 14.3–17.8%), and syphilis 1.6% (95% CI = 1.0–2.2%). Additionally, 11.0% reported a lifetime history of intercourse with men, and 37.1% with female sex workers. Unprotected intercourse with men during the previous year was reported by 0.9% and with female sex workers by 1.2%.</p> <p>Conclusion:</p> <p>Pregnant women's sex partners reported lifetime sexual contact with core risk groups, had an elevated prevalence of HSV-2, and demonstrated the potential to spread HIV and other STIs to their partners. Though the prevalence of HIV in the population was not significantly higher than observed in other samples of heterosexuals in Peru, the risk of HIV transmission to their female partners may be exacerbated by their increased prevalence of HSV-2 infection. Further study of heterosexual populations is necessary to fully understand the epidemiology of HIV/STIs in Latin America.</p

Gaviota patiamarilla

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