Analysis of the origin and training of the labor dedicated to the post-harvest process of banana in Tecomán, Cerro de Ortega, Colima, Mexico

Objective: Analyze and identify the place of origin, skills and working conditions of the workforce dedicated to working in the banana cutting and packaging process in the town of Cerro de Ortega, Tecomán Colima. Design / Methodology / Approach: A field checklist was designed and applied to 32% of the local crews and a survey directed to the members of the crews, surveying 21.3% of the total population. Results: Information was obtained to carry out the analysis of origin and the current situation of workforce dedicated to the post-harvest process of plantain in the study area. Limitations of the study: An important limitation for the investigation was the insecurity during the field work, which was present derived from the organized crime settled in the area. Findings / Conclusions: The most specialized workers in the area who are dedicated to the activities of cutting and packing bananas are not native to the municipality of Tecomán, much less the state of Colima, they belong to the states of Chiapas and Michoacán.Objective: To analyze and identify the place of origin, skills and working conditions of the laborers dedicated to the banana cutting and packaging process in the town of Cerro de Ortega, Tecomán, Colima. Design / Methodology / Approach: A field checklist was designed and applied to 32% of the local crews and a survey directed to the members of the crews, surveying 21.3% of the total population. Results: Information was obtained to carry out the analysis of origin and the current situation of laborers dedicated to the post-harvest process of banana in the study area. Limitations of the study: An important limitation for the research was insecurity during the field surveys, which was present derived from the organized crime settled in the area. Findings / Conclusions: The most specialized workers in the area who are dedicated to the activities of cutting and packing bananas are not native people from the municipality of Tecomán, nor from the state of Colima. They belong to the states of Chiapas and Michoacan

Comparative study on the dynamics and the composition between a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and a plasma enhanced PLD (PE-PLD)

We report the effect of single and dual radio frequency (RF) plasma discharge on the composition and dynamics of a titanium plasma plume produced in a plasma-enhanced pulsed laser deposition (PE-PLD) system. The study was carried out in a nitrogen environment at different pressures. Time-resolved images, optical emission spectroscopy, and interferometry were employed to analyze the plasma. We were able to fit time-resolved images using different expansion models, obtained an expansion velocity between 6 and 30 x 103 m/s. Emission lines from N II, Ti II, were observed by changing the pressure and RF conditions. An increase in emission line intensity from N II was observed by increasing the pressure and RF power. We used Ti II lines to estimate the plasma temperature by using the Boltzmann equation, and we obtained the density from the Ti II line (454.9 nm) through Stark broadening. In addition, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer was employed to make a two-dimensional map of the electron density at early times. The estimated temperatures and densities are between 0.8 - 2.0 eV and 1017 – 1018 cm-3, respectively. The results suggest that increasing RF power enhanced the Ti-N atoms interaction, which is crucial in titanium nitride film applications

Nutritional impact on health and performance in intensively reared rabbits

The present work summarizes research related to the definition of nutrient recommendations for feeds used in the intensive production of rabbit's meat. Fibre is the main chemical constituent of rabbit diets that typically contain 320 to 360 and 50 to 90 g/kg of insoluble and soluble fibre, respectively. Instead, the dietary contents of cereal grains (∼120 to 160 g/kg), fat (15 to 25 g/kg) and protein concentrates (150 to 180 g/kg) are usually low with respect to other intensively reared monogastric animals. Cell wall constituents are not well digested in rabbits, but this effect is compensated by its stimulus of gut motility, which leads to an increasing rate of passage of digesta, and allows achieving an elevated dry matter intake. A high feed consumption and an adequate balance in essential nutrients are required to sustain the elevated needs of high-productive rabbits measured either as reproductive yield, milk production or growth rate in the fattening period. Around weaning, pathologies occur in a context of incomplete development of the digestive physiology of young rabbits. The supply of balanced diets has also been related to the prevention of disorders by means of three mechanisms: (i) promoting a lower retention time of the digesta in the digestive tract through feeding fibre sources with optimal chemical and physical characteristics, (ii) restricting feed intake after weaning or (iii) causing a lower flow of easily available substrates into the fermentative area by modifying feed composition (e.g. by lowering protein and starch contents, increasing its digestibility or partially substituting insoluble with soluble fibre), or by delaying age at weaning. The alteration in the gut microbiota composition has been postulated as the possible primary cause of these pathologies

Mucinous carcinomas of the gallbladder clinicopathologic analysis of 15 cases identified in 606 carcinomas

PubMed: 23106580Context.-There are virtually no data in the literature regarding the incidence, patterns, and clinicopathologic characteristics of mucinous carcinomas (MCs) of the gallbladder (GB). Objective.-To determine the incidence of mucinous differentiation in invasive GB carcinomas and the clinicopathologic characteristics of those that qualify as MC. Design.-Primary invasive GB carcinomas (n = 606) were reviewed for mucinous differentiation. Some degree of mucin production was identified in 40 cases (6.6%); however, only 15 (2.5%) were qualified for the World Health Organization definition of MC (stromal mucin deposition constituting 50% of the tumor). Results.-The mean age was 65 years, and the female to male ratio was 1.1 (versus 3.9 for conventional pancreatobiliary- type GB adenocarcinomas; P = .04). A significant proportion of the cases (8 of 12, 67%) presented with the clinical picture and intraoperative findings that were interpreted as acute cholecystitis. Mean and median tumor sizes were larger than those of conventional adenocarcinomas (4.8 and 3.4 cm versus 2.9 and 2.5 cm, respectively; P = .01). Most (13 of 15, 87%) cases presented with pT3 tumors (versus 48% for ordinary GB carcinomas; P = .01). Two cases had almost an exclusive colloid pattern ( 90% composed of well-defined stromal mucin nodules that contained scanty carcinoma cells, most of which were floating within the mucin). Eight cases were of mixedmucinous type, showing a mixture of colloid and noncolloid patterns. Five others had prominent signet-ring cells, both floating within the mucin (which constituted 50% of the tumor by definition) and infiltrating into the stroma as individual signet-ring cells in some areas. Immunohistochemical analysis performed on the 7 cases that had available tissue revealed CK7 in 4 of 7 (57%), CK20 in 2 of 7 (29%), MUC1 in 4 of 7 (57%), MUC2 in 6 of 7 (86%), CDX2 in 1 of 7 (14%),MUC5AC in 6 of 7 (86%),MUC6 in 0 of 7 (0%), and loss of E-cadherin in 6 of 7 (86%). The MLH1 and MSH2 were retained in 6 of 7 cases (100%). Follow-up information was available for 13 cases: 11 (85%) died of disease (1-37 months) and 2 (15%) were alive (23 months and 1 month). Overall survival of MCs was significantly worse than that of conventional adenocarcinomas (13 versus 26 months; P = .01); however, that did not seem to be independent of stage. Conclusions.-Mucinous carcinomas constitute 2.5% of GB carcinomas. They present with an acute cholecystitis-type picture. Most MCs are a mixed-mucinous, not pure colloid, type. They are typically large and advanced tumors at the time of diagnosis and thus exhibitmore-aggressive behavior than do ordinary GB carcinomas. Immunophenotypically, they differ from conventional GB adenocarcinomas by MUC2 positivity, from intestinal carcinomas by an often inverse CK7/20 profile, from pancreatic mucinous carcinomas by CDX2 negativity, and from mammary colloid carcinomas by a lack of MUC6. Unlike gastrointestinal MCs, they appear to be microsatellite stable