Making things happen: the role of communication in strategic management A case study on banking industry.

Financial institutions are the protagonists of the ongoing economic crisis. Recent financial scandals and dubious management have emerged while an intense debate on the responsibility of business has risen. In academia, the stakeholder management school has earned acceptance; and one question arises: is orderly, coherent management possible when executives embrace the demands of customers and other stakeholders? A case study from the banking sector would be of interest, in order to ascertain if the industry, traditionally branded as opaque and ill-disposed towards public demands, has embraced stakeholder theory assumptions in its management practice. This case allows a deepen thought in the field of communication management, far removed from window-dressing, which stands as a true social dialogic dimension

Crystallization and Melting Behavior of Cocoa Butter in Lipid Bodies of Fresh Cacao Beans

The present study aims at observing the crystallization and polymorphic behavior of cocoa butter (CB) in fresh cacao beans with DSC and X-ray diffraction techniques. Underlying idea of this study was to relate the necessary conditions of germination of cacao beans to the crystallization of CB, which are present in oil-in-water emulsion droplets (lipid bodies) with diameters of 1-2 μm. Different cooling and heating conditions, with rates of 15, 2, 0.5, and 0.1 °C/min, were applied to fresh cacao beans and compared to bulk CB. The results showed that the crystallization temperatures (Tc) of CB in fresh cacao beans were lower than those of bulk CB at all the experimental conditions. In addition, polymorphic behavior of the occurrence of metastable and stable forms of CB was also different between the fresh cacao beans and the bulk state. The thermal behavior of fresh and dried cacao beans that have different geographical origins was also analyzed. This study indicates that the germination conditions of cacao beans are extended to low-temperature environmental areas by reducing the Tc value of CB in fresh beans than of the bulk oil. The results were consistent with the germination experiments of fresh cacao beans at different temperatures

Caprellid assemblages (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in shallow waters invaded by Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea from southeastern Spain

Growth of the invasive algae Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea in shallow habitats may inXuence the faunal assemblage composition. We studied its eVects on caprellid assemblages associated with shallow-water habitats of hard and soft bottoms from the SE Iberian Peninsula (native rocky-bottom algae, C. racemosa from hard and soft bottoms, and Caulerpa prolifera, Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica from soft bottoms). Samples were taken in two diVerent sampling periods (September 2004 and March 2005). A total of seven caprellid species were identiWed, with important diVerences in their distribution in diVerent habitats. Total abundance of caprellids was very high in March on native algae on hard bottoms, and on C. racemosa on both soft and hard bottoms. On both hard and soft bottoms, abundances of Caprella hirsuta recorded from C. racemosa were low. On the other hand, a higher abundance of other species, namely C. acanthifera, C. santosrosai, Phtisica marina and Pseudoprotella phasma, was recorded from C. racemosa. The results indicate that C. racemosa may have a positive inXuence on some caprellid species, while seasonal changes are also evident. It is concluded that introduced C. racemosa may serve as a new habitat, promoting and maintaining caprellid populations in shallow Mediterranean habitats.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España y fondos FEDER de la Unión Europea. CGL2007-60044/BOSConsejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía. P07-RNM-0252

Los corticoides epidurales en el tratamiento del síndrome del canal lumbar estrecho

Se presenta una serie de 67 pacientes diagnosticados de síndrome del canal lumbar estrecho, tratados todos ellos con infíltraciones epidurales de corticosteroides, asociadas a un programa de rehabilitación realizado a continuación de las inyecciones. Tras el análisis de los datos se ha observado un porcentaje de buenos resultados cercano al 80%. Asimismo, el estudio ha puesto en evidencia la influencia clara del factor rehabilitación en la calidad del resultado final de los pacientes.The authors present a study on 67 patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. The treatment consisted in epidural injections with corticosteroids and a program of physical therapy. There was 80% of good results. A clear influence of the physical therapy program on the quality of the final result, has been proved

Optimization of a laccase-mediator stage for TCF bleaching of flax pulp

7 p.-3 fig.-3 tab.Flax pulp obtained by anthraquinone-soda pulping, resulting in a kappa number of 11.1, a viscosity of 950 ml/g and 36.7% ISO brightness, was bleached in a totally chlorine-free sequence using the enzyme laccase from the fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) as redox mediator (stage L), followed by a hydrogen peroxide stage (P). The laccase treatment was optimized using a three-variable sequential statistical plan over the following ranges: 1–20 U/g o.d.p. (oven-dried pulp) laccase dose, 0.5–7.5% o.d.p. HBT dose and 1–24 h reaction time. The influence of these variables on several pulp properties after the P stage of the LP sequence was examined.The models defined from the results obtained predicted variations in ISO brightness, viscosity and kappa number of 57.6–74.8%, 590–955 ml/g and 0–6.2, respectively. The variables most strongly influencing these pulp properties were found to be the reaction time and the enzyme dose. A compromise was adopted as regards the operating conditions in order to ensure optimum results. The study was completed by conducting a biobleaching assay in a pressurized reactor (590 kPa) to assess the effect of oxygen pressure. The high pressure level resulted in improved pulp properties by the laccase-mediator system.This work was supported by Spanish CICyT (Project PPQ2000–1068-C02-02, and FEDER Project 2FD97-0896-C02) and Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid, the EU Commission (QLK3-99-590) and the Spanish grant 2002FI 00556.Peer reviewe

Los corticoides epidurales en el tratamiento de la hernia discal

Se presenta una serie de 233 pacientes diagnosticados de hernia discal lumbar y tratados mediante infiltraciones epidurales de corticoides, asociadas a un programa de rehabilitación realizado a continuación de las inyecciones. Los resultados con dicho tratamiento fueron satisfactorios en un 75% de los casos. Se observó una mejor evolución en pacientes varones, en pacientes cuya profesión conlleva esfuerzo físico, en hernias discales L5-S1, y en aquellos que han seguido un programa de rehabilitación tras las infiltraciones.An study on 233 patients with lumbar disc herniation, treated by means of epidural injections of steroids, added to a physical therapy programme is presented. The results obtained were fully satisfactory in 75% of the cases. Better results were observed in male patients, in patients subject to heavy physical activity in their laboral life, in disc herniations at L5-S1 level, and finally in those patients following a physical therapy programme after injections

A protocol for resuscitation of severe burn patients guided by transpulmonary thermodilution and lactate levels: A 3-year prospective cohort study

Introduction: The use of urinary output and vital signs to guide initial burn resuscitation may lead to suboptimal resuscitation. Invasive hemodynamic monitoring may result in over-resuscitation. This study aimed to evaluate the results of a goal-directed burn resuscitation protocol that used standard measures of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and urine output, plus transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) and lactate levels to adjust fluid therapy to achieve a minimum level of preload to allow for sufficient vital organ perfusion. Methods: We conducted a three-year prospective cohort study of 132 consecutive critically burned patients. These patients underwent resuscitation guided by MAP (>65 mmHg), urinary output (0.5 to 1 ml/kg), TPTD and lactate levels. Fluid therapy was adjusted to achieve a cardiac index (CI) >2.5 L/minute/m2 and an intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI) >600 ml/m2, and to optimize lactate levels. Statistical analysis was performed using mixed models. We also used Pearson or Spearman methods and the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: A total of 98 men and 34 women (mean age, 48 ± 18 years) was studied. The mean total body surface area (TBSA) burned was 35% ± 22%. During the early resuscitation phase, lactate levels were elevated (2.58 ± 2.05 mmol/L) and TPTD showed initial hypovolemia by the CI (2.68 ± 1.06 L/minute/m2) and the ITBVI (709 ± 254 mL/ m2). At 24 to 32 hours, the CI and lactic levels were normalized, although the ITBVI remained below the normal range (744 ± 276 ml/m2). The mean fluid rate required to achieve protocol targets in the first 8 hours was 4.05 ml/ kg/TBSA burned, which slightly increased in the next 16 hours. Patients with a urine output greater than or less than 0.5 ml/kg/hour did not show differences in heart rate, mean arterial pressure, CI, ITBVI or lactate levels. Conclusions: Initial hypovolemia may be detected by TPTD monitoring during the early resuscitation phase. This hypovolemia might not be reflected by blood pressure and hourly urine output. An adequate CI and tissue perfusion can be achieved with below-normal levels of preload. Early resuscitation guided by lactate levels and below-normal preload volume targets appears safe and avoids unnecessary fluid input

Influence of gaseous pollutants and their synergistic effects on the aging of reflector materials for concentrating solar thermal technologies

ABSTRACT: Concentrating solar thermal technologies have experienced an important boost in the last few years. Besides the production of electricity, they are particularly useful for the supply of industrial process heat. The industrial atmospheres affecting these solar plants typically contain gaseous pollutants that are likely to promote corrosion on the components of the solar facility, specifically solar reflectors, thereby compromising their optimal performance and the overall system efficiency. Seven accelerated aging tests were designed to study the effects of three air pollutants (H2S, SO2 and NO2) on the durability of two commercially available reflector types (silvered glass and aluminum), both in single-gas tests and in multicomponent gas mixtures. Additionally, the same material types were exposed outdoors at five representative polluted sites, including industrial, urban and coastal environments. Reflectance and optical microscope monitoring corroborated which degree of corrosion was developed on a specific type of reflector in the different tests with gaseous pollutants, as well as the synergistic effects of gas combinations. For example, tests with sulfur were harmful for silvered-glass reflectors (up to a total of 16 corrosion spots), whereas aluminum was particularly affected by tests with NO2 (numerous micro spots of around 50 pm size). Moreover, comparisons of the corrosion patterns found in accelerated-aging and outdoor exposures revealed which laboratory test reproduced the different real polluted atmospheres in the most realistic way, which is the main goal of this work. For instance, the degradation found at Site 2 was reproduced by Test NO2+SO2, with an acceleration factor of 27.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

DNA methylation editing by CRISPR-guided excision of 5-methylcytosine

Tools for active targeted DNA demethylation are required to increase our knowledge about regulation and specific functions of this important epigenetic modification. DNA demethylation in mammals involve TET-mediated oxidation of 5- methylcytosine (5-meC), which may promote its replication-dependent dilution and/or active removal through base excision repair (BER). However, it is still unclear whether oxidized derivatives of 5-meC are simply DNA demethylation intermediates or rather epigenetic marks on their own. Unlike animals, plants have evolved enzymes that directly excise 5-meC without previous modification. In this work we have fused the catalytic domain of Arabidopsis ROS1 5-meC DNA glycosylase to a CRISPRassociated null-nuclease (dCas9) and analyzed its capacity for targeted reactivation of methylation-silenced genes, in comparison to other dCas9-effectors. We found that dCas9-ROS1, but not dCas9-TET1, is able to reactivate methylation-silenced genes and induce partial demethylation in a replication-independent manner. We also found that reactivation induced by dCas9-ROS1, as well as that achieved by two different CRISPR-based chromatin effectors (dCas9-VP160 and dCas9-p300), generally decreases with methylation density. Our results suggest that plant 5-meC DNA glycosylases are a valuable addition to the CRISPR-based toolbox for epigenetic editing