Preanalytical errors: the professionals’ perspective

This study was aimed at understanding the perspective on preanalytical errors from the point of view of the professionals involved in the preanalytical process. A significant contribution of their specialized knowledge and experience in day-to-day practice for identifying these kinds of mistakes, and their most frequent causes, was expected.It seems evident that weaknesses and threats are closely related to institutional organization aspects and the same is true for positive elements (strengths and opportunities). There is also an important appreciation of the staff’s implication. Staff´s opinions should be taken into account by institution managers, as they offer an approach that is different and complementary to the one traditionally applied, which is purely managerial and therefore not sufficient. The results should be complemented with more updated information. Multidisciplinary cooperation must involve not only professionals from different fields but also with different roles, i.e., managers, in order to obtain results that can be used to improve healthcare, save costs and to guarantee patient’s safety. We will continue with this research line investigating the same questions among primary care staff, in order to assess “the other side of the coin” of this problem.This study was partially supported by project Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS) grant PIFIS 1099/12 from “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” Ministerio de Sanidad y Política Social. Gobierno de España. (Health Ministry, Spanish Government).Yes2015-04-0

Sustainable Hydropower – Issues and Approaches

Context: Hydropower is a mature and long-lasting technology, but it has presented environmental and social problems. To address these problems, hydropower sustainability initiatives have been created for more than two decades. In Mexico, hydropower projects present environmental and social problems that cause delays in their construction or delays in their entry into operation. The objective of this study was to determine the weightings of the criteria of hydropower sustainability through multicriteria decision-making methods to a group of experts. Method: Through the combination of the multicriteria Analytical Hierarchical Process and the Programming of Goals the opinion of a group of experts was obtained in the planning of hydropower projects. Results: Once the AHP-GP methods were applied to determine the weighting of the hydropower sustainability perspectives, it was found that the weights closest to the opinion of all the groups are those issued by the group of governance experts. Conclusions: The results indicate that, when questioning a heterogeneous group of experts, it was observed that significant agreements are presented between the groups, which is noteworthy because they are groups of experts that have different specialties.Contexto: La hidroelectricidad es una tecnología madura y de larga duración, pero ha presentado problemas ambientales y sociales, para hacerle frente a estos problemas se crearon iniciativas de sustentabilidad hidroeléctrica desde hace más de dos décadas. En México los proyectos hidroeléctricos presentan problemas ambientales y sociales que ocasionan retrasos en su construcción o retrasos en su entrada a operación. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar las ponderaciones de los criterios de sustentabilidad hidroeléctrica mediante métodos multicriterio de toma de decisiones a un grupo de expertos. Método: Mediante la combinación de los métodos multicriterio Analítico Jerárquico del Proceso y la Programación por Metas se obtuvo la opinión de un grupo de expertos en la planeación de proyectos hidroeléctricos. Resultados: Una vez aplicada la combinación de los métodos AHP-GP se ponderaron las perspectivas de sustentabilidad hidroeléctrica con lo que se encontró que la solución más cercana a la opinión de todos los grupos fue la emitida por el grupo de expertos en gobernanza. Conclusiones: Los resultados indican que al cuestionar a un grupo heterogéneo de expertos se observó que se presentaron acuerdos significativos entre los grupos, lo cual llamó la atención por tratarse de grupos de expertos con especialidades diferentes

Desarrollo sustentable o desarrollo sostenible, una aclaración al debate

Context: The term sustainable development has remained in the interest of experts, governments and government institutions, but a discussion of its translations into Spanish is presented. The objective of this work was to clarify the debate on the term sustainable development in Spanish by analysing its use over time, geographically and by discipline. Method: Through the non-participatory methods of secondary data, databases and computer tools were analysed articles from scientific journals, specialized books and databases were reviewed such as Web of Science, Scopus, Taylor & Francis, Scielo, Redalyc, among others. Computer tools such as Google Trends and Google Ngram Viewer were used to analyse the variation of indicators of evolution of search interest and scientific production. Results: Through the combination of non-participatory methods, indicators of general interest and scientific production were determined. Conclusions: The results revealed that both terms are used indistinctly, preference is observed in the use of the term term desarrollo sostenido over the term desarrollo sustentable, both over time and in the economic and environmental disciplines.Contexto: El termino sustainable development se ha mantenido en el interés de expertos, organizaciones e instituciones gubernamentales, pero se presenta un debate de sus traducciones al español. El objetivo de este trabajo fue hacer una aclaración al debate de dicho término al español, mediante el análisis de su uso en el tiempo, geográfico y por disciplina. Método: A través de métodos no participativos de datos secundarios, se revisaron artículos de revistas científicas, libros especializados y bases de datos como Web of Science, Scopus, Taylor & Francis, Scielo, Redalyc, entre otras. Se emplearon herramientas informáticas como Google Trends y Google Ngram Viewer para analizar la variación de indicadores de evolución de interés de búsqueda y de producción científica. Resultados: Mediante la combinación de los métodos no participativos se consiguió determinar indicadores de interés general y de producción científica. Conclusiones: Los resultados revelaron que ambos términos se emplean de manera indistinta, se observa preferencia en el uso del término de desarrollo sostenible sobre el término desarrollo sustentable, tanto a lo largo del tiempo como en las disciplinas económica y ambiental. &nbsp

Selection of a model to evaluate hydroelectric sustainability through the AHP method

El desarrollo sostenible es un tema de interés desde hace más de tres décadas, derivado de lo cual, se han elaborado diversas soluciones que buscan implementar y controlar el desarrollo sostenible en las empresas. El sector de energía hidroeléctrica busca atender sus problemáticas ambientales y sociales a través de diversos modelos. El objetivo de este trabajo es seleccionar un modelo de desarrollo sostenible para evaluar la sostenibilidad hidroeléctrica mediante un método de toma de decisiones. Mediante el método proceso analítico jerárquico (AHP) y un grupo de enfoque se determinan las ponderaciones de los criterios, subcriterios y alternativas de los modelos de desarrollo sostenible. Una vez utilizado el método AHP se jerarquizaron los modelos de desarrollo sostenible, se determinó que el modelo del protocolo del IHA obtuvo la mayor ponderación, seguido de los modelos del BS 8900 y el Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. En el análisis de sensibilidad se validó la selección del modelo del protocolo de la IHA. Los resultados presentados confirman que el protocolo de la IHA es el modelo de desarrollo sostenible más apropiado para evaluar la sostenibilidad hidroeléctrica, lo que proporciona apoyo a quienes buscan justificar su decisión de seleccionar un modelo de desarrollo sostenible, mediante métodos multicriterio.Sustainable development is the theme that has remained in the interest for more than three decades, as the result of which various solutions have been developed that seek to implement and control sustainability development in companies. The hydropower sector seeks to address its environmental and social problems through various models. The objective of this work is to select a sustainable development model to evaluate hydroelectric sustainability through a method of multicriteria decision making.Through the method of Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), and a focus group it is possible to determine the weightings of the criteria, sub-criteria and alternatives of sustainable development models.Once the AHP method was applied, the sustainable development models were hierarchized, it was found that the hydropower sustainability assessment protocol obtained the highest priority among the models, followed by the BS 8900 standard and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). In the sensitivity analysis, the selection of the hydropower sustainability assessment protocol model was validated, as it remained in the first place in three of the four proposed scenarios.The results showed that the hydropower sustainability assessment protocol is the most appropriate sustainable development model to evaluate hydroelectric sustainability. This provides support to those who seek to justify their decision to select a sustainable development model, using multicriteria methods.Universidad Pablo de Olavid

Colorimetric analysis of outdoor illumination across varieties of atmospheric conditions

© 2016 [year] Optical Society of America.]. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modifications of the content of this paper are prohibited.Solar illumination at ground level is subject to a good deal of change in spectral and colorimetric properties. With an aim of understanding the influence of atmospheric components and phases of daylight on colorimetric specifications of downward radiation, more than 5,600,000 spectral irradiance functions of daylight, sunlight, and skylight were simulated by the radiative transfer code, SBDART [Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 79, 2101 (1998).], under the atmospheric conditions of clear sky without aerosol particles, clear sky with aerosol particles, and overcast sky. The interquartile range of the correlated color temperatures (CCT) for daylight indicated values from 5712 to 7757 K among the three atmospheric conditions. A minimum CCT of ∼3600 K was found for daylight when aerosol particles are present in the atmosphere. Our analysis indicated that hemispheric day-light with CCT less than 3600 K may be observed in rare conditions in which the level of aerosol is high in the atmosphere. In an atmosphere with aerosol particles, we also found that the chromaticity of daylight may shift along the green–purple direction of the Planckian locus, with a magnitude depending on the spectral extinction by aerosol particles and the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. The data analysis showed that an extremely high value of CCT, in an atmosphere without aerosol particles, for daylight and skylight at low sun, is mainly due to the effect of Chappuis absorption band of ozone at ∼600 nm. In this paper, we compare our data with well-known observations from previous research, including the ones used by the CIE to define natural daylight illuminants.Andalusian Regional Government (P12-RNM-2409); Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (CGL2013-45410-R); EU via the ACTRIS project (EU INFRA-2010-1.1.16-262254); Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (DPI2011-23202)

Comparative oil extraction from mutt (Myliobatis goodei) liver by enzymatic hydrolysis: free versus immobilized biocatalyst

BACKGROUND: The development and fine-tuning of biotechnological processes for fish oil extraction constitute a very important focus to contribute to the development of a food industry based on fish consumption. This work lies in a comparative analysis of the oil extraction yield of Myliobatis goodei livers using free and immobilized enzymes. RESULTS: An immobilized biocatalyst was designed from the cell-free extract of a Bacillus sp. Mcn4. A complete factorial design was used to study the components of the bacterial culture medium and select the condition with the highest titers of extracellular enzymatic activities. Wheat bran had a significant effect on the culture medium composition for enzymatic production. The immobilized biocatalyst was designed by covalent binding of the proteins present in the cocktail retaining a percentage of different types of enzymatic activities (Mult.Enz@MgFe2O4). Among the biocatalyst used, Alcalase® 2.4 L and Purazyme® AS 60 L (free commercial proteases) showed extraction yields of 87.39% and 84.25%, respectively, while Mult.Enz@MgFe2O4 achieved a better one of 89.97%. The oils obtained did not show significant differences in their physical–chemical properties while regarding the fatty acid content, the oil extracted with Purazyme® AS 60 L showed a comparatively lower proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the use of by-products of M. goodei is a valid alternative and encourages the use of immobilized multienzyme biocatalysts for the treatment of complex substrates in the fishing industry.Fil: Morales, Andrés Hernán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Pisa, José Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, María Inés. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química Inorgánica; ArgentinaFil: Romero, Cintia Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química Inorgánica; ArgentinaFil: Vittone, Marina. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Massa, Agueda Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Lamas, Daniela Lorena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; Argentin

Del desarrollo sostenible a la responsabilidad social: una perspectiva de indicadores de producción científica e interés general en español

Context: In the last decades, one has the impression that the term sustainable development has evolved towards social responsibility and that the activities carried out by organizations and institutions are very similar. Nevertheless, this paper presents a theoretical discussion of the contribution of social responsibility. The question of this research is: through indicators of general interest and scientific production, it is possible to determine the evolution of sustainable development towards social responsibility? Methodology: Using the non-participatory method of secondary data analysis, secondary data from articles in the Redalyc, WorldCat, Microsoft Academic, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and specialized books on the topics were analyzed. Google Ngram Viewer and Google Trends were used to compare the variations of the indicators of scientific production and interest. Results: Through secondary data analysis, it was possible to establish indicators of general interest and scientific production. A discussion is presented on the evolution of sustainable development towards social responsibility. Conclusions: The results showed that the evolution of sustainable development towards social responsibility was not surpassed over time, except at some moments and in specific geographical locations. Method: Using the non-participatory method of secondary data analysis, secondary data from articles in the Redalyc, WorldCat, Microsoft Academic, Scopus, Web of Science databases and specialized books on the topics were analyzed. The Google Ngram Viewer and Google Trends software were used to compare the variations of the indicators of scientific production and interest. Results: Through secondary data analysis, it was possible to establish indicators of general interest and scientific production. A discussion is presented on the evolution of sustainable development towards social responsibility. Conclusions: The results showed that the evolution of sustainable development towards social responsibility was not overcome through time, except in some moments and geographical places.Contexto: En las últimas décadas, se tiene la impresión de que el término desarrollo sustentable ha evolucionado hacia la responsabilidad social y que las actividades que realizan las organizaciones e instituciones son muy similares. No obstante, este artículo presenta una discusión teórica sobre la contribución de la responsabilidad social. La pregunta de esta investigación es: a través de indicadores de interés general y producción científica, ¿es posible determinar la evolución del desarrollo sustentable hacia la responsabilidad social? Metodología: Utilizando métodos no participativos de análisis de datos secundarios, se analizaron datos secundarios de artículos en las bases de datos Redalyc, WorldCat, Microsoft Academic, Scopus, Web of Science y libros especializados en los temas. Se utilizaron Google Ngram Viewer y Google Trends para comparar las variaciones de los indicadores de interés general y producción científica. Resultados: A través del análisis de datos secundarios, fue posible establecer indicadores de interés general y producción científica. Se presenta una discusión sobre la evolución del desarrollo sustentable hacia la responsabilidad social. Conclusiones: Los resultados mostraron que la evolución del desarrollo sustentable hacia la responsabilidad social no fue superada a través del tiempo, salvo en algunos momentos y lugares geográficos específicos

Isolation and characterization of mercury resistant trichoderma strains from soil with high levels of mercury and its effects on Arabidopsis thaliana mercury uptake

"Traditional mining activities are usually correlated with high levels of soil pollution, which is a major environmental concern. Extensive mining activities have taken place in the San Joaquin region in the State of Querétaro, México resulting in high levels of mercury soil pollution (up to 1532 ± 300 mg/kg). We isolated mercury-resistant fungal strains from the San Joaquin region soils and identified them through morphologic characteristics and ITS rDNA region sequence analysis. We determined that fungi isolated belong to the genus Trichoderma. All the isolates selected showed the ability to catalyze the volatilization of Hg. For air sampling, an active sampling device was constructed and using acid KMnO4 as an absorbent, the concentration of mercury in solution was determined through the cold vapor atomic absorption method. The results show mercury volatilization from the fungal species assay, with a maximum of 213.04 ± 32.6 µg/m3 while mycelium accumulation ranged from less than 17.5 ± 2.9 to 20.0 ± 3.4 µg/g. The fungal isolates were also evaluated for their ability to reduce mercury uptake in Arabidopsis thaliana. These observations suggest the utility of Trichoderma for the mobilization of mercury in those contaminated soils.

Proyecto de Iniciación Científica financiado por PROCIENCIA-CONACYT 14-INV-202 “Nuevos métodos de ordenación en espacios de color utilizando morfología matemática para segmentación de imágenes”

El objetivo general del proyecto fue Investigar la utilización de Técnicas de Procesamiento Digital de Imágnes y Reconocimiento de Patrones en la solución de: Recuento de parásitos microscópicos, Reconocimiento de similaridad de formas y Detección de formaciones astronómicas estelares.CONACYT – Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPROCIENCI