IMPACT OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS ON DAIRY FARM PROFITABILITY

Seven of 196 New York dairy farms used on-farm computers for accounting in 1984, rising to 23 in 1987. A regression of net farm income per cow on computer use, years computer experience and other variables showed income increasing the first year of computer use, dropping and rising again by year four.Livestock Production/Industries,

Caracterización de la Política de Proyección Social de la Universidad Católica de Córdoba (UCC) para evaluar el impacto formativo en los graduados

La Universidad Católica de Córdoba (Argentina) ha implementado una política de proyección social desde el año 2011, la cual forma parte de un objetivo central a nivel institucional: concebir las funciones sustantivas y centrales de la universidad desde la gestión socialmente responsable. La búsqueda de este objetivo tiene su sustento en el paradigma educativo ignaciano, el cual busca incidir desde allí en la formación de los futuros graduados. Frente a ello, se plantea una investigación que busca indagar sobre el impacto que logra en la formación de los graduados la política de proyección social bajo el enfoque de Responsabilidad Social Universitaria adoptado por la Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Una etapa esencial de esta investigación es lograr caracterizar la política mencionada a los fines de correlacionar los procesos educativos de acuerdo al paradigma educativo adoptado en la universidad con respecto a la formación y el perfil de sus graduados. Esta caracterización se realizó a partir de un enfoque analítico interpretativo, retrospectivo y transversal, desarrollado a través de un diseño metodológico cualitativo, basado en análisis documental y entrevistas en profundidad con los referentes institucionales. Los resultados de caracterización de la PPS permitieron considerar dos categorías de análisis: por un lado, el vínculo de la Universidad con la comunidad de acuerdo a propiedades prestablecidas, y por otro, el impacto de la política sobre los futuros graduados de acuerdo al paradigma educativo adoptado. Ante la carencia de herramientas adecuadas de evaluación de impacto formativo en los perfiles de los egresados universitarios, esta investigación pretende contribuir con avances instrumentales útiles en la medición de la efectividad de la política de proyección social de la Universidad Católica de Córdoba, los cuales poseen la potencialidad de hacerse extensivos para su empleo en otras universidades confiadas a la Compañía de Jesús, y de la región

Determination of the geographical origin of green coffee beans using NIR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis

In this work, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis were investigated as a fast and non disruptive method to classify green coffee beans on continents and countries bases. FT-NIR spectra of 191 coffee samples, origin from 2 continents and 9 countries, were acquired by two different laboratories. Laboratory-independent Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis and interval PIS-DA models were developed by following a hierarchical approach, i.e. considering at first the continent and then the country of origin as discrimination rule. The best continent-based classification model was able to identify correctly more than 98% in prediction, whereas 100% of them were correctly predicted by the best country-based classification model. The inter-laboratory reliability of the proposed method was confirmed by McNemar test, since no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found. Furthermore, a validation was performed predicting the spectral test set of a laboratory using the model developed by the other one

Hydration and the true water content of swellable clay minerals

Water affects biological, chemical and transportation processes as well as mechanical properties of soils. Thereby, clay mineral content determines the moisture balance of soils. In-situ moisture measurements depend on reliable calibration based on the true water content. Drying the soil at 105 °C is the most common procedure to determine the water content although it is known, swellable clay minerals retain hydration water up to much higher temperatures. The amplified water uptake and retention by swellable clay minerals results from hydration of interlayer cations. Thereby, the water binding mechanisms are complex due to structural heterogeneity and are determined by layer charge density and location of substitutions. While several experimental studies deal with the maximum water uptake of selected smectites and heating conditions for full dehydration a comprehensive understanding of the relation between the structure of smectites and water uptake/release is still missing. The Na-saturated smectite / water interface for the montmorillonite-beidellite series is investigated in the present work within the density functional theory (DFT). Layer charge is varied between 0.125 and 0.5 per formula unit [O10(OH)2] by substitution of Al3+ by Mg2+ in the octahedral sheet (montmorillonites) and by substitution of Si4+ by Al3+ in the tetrahedral sheets (beidellites). Starting from the water free supercells (with integer molar ratios), the number of water molecules is increased discretely. Stable hydration states (1H to 3H) do not necessarily correspond to the formation of water layers (1W to 3W) in the interlayer, which is deduced from the development of the basal spaces during hydration. With the help of ab initio thermodynamics, the energy states are related to temperature, and partial pressure of H2O and the resulting phase diagrams revealed hydration state in dependence of relative humidity (RH) as well as necessary temperatures for full dehydration to determine the true water content. Thereby it was shown that 2:1 layer silicates with a layer charge of 0.125 are swellable but reach only the 1H state even at 100% RH, but the removal of water molecules from the interlayer requires temperatures >110 °C and partial pressures of water <100 Pa. In contrast water uptake of smectites with layer charge 0.375 requires RH of >11% at room temperature, but dehydration occurs at moderate heating

An unexpected guest: Pulmonary echinococcosis diagnosed by intraoperative frozen section examination. A case report and literature review

Echinococcosis is caused by tapeworms belonging to the Echinococcus genus. The most common site of infection is the liver although it may involve almost any organ. Symptoms of pulmonary echinococcosis vary depending on the location and structure of the cyst. While uncomplicated cysts usually appear at imaging as well-defined homogeneous lesions with fluid content and smooth walls of variable thickness, complicated lesions may have a more heterogeneous content with higher density making more difficult the distinction from malignancies or other infections. Hereby we describe the case of a 61-year-old Northern African male admitted to our tertiary center for left upper chest pain who then underwent a chest computed tomography (CT) scan which demonstrated a large hypodense lesion, with smooth and thick walls, in the upper left lobe. The following magnetic resonance confirmed the homogeneous fluid content, and the 18 F- fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT demonstrated a mild uptake of the walls. According to these findings, the main differential diagnoses at imaging included bronchogenic cyst, synovial sarcoma, and pulmonary hematoma although the patient denied any recent trauma. Given the large size and clinical symptoms he underwent surgery. Intra-operative frozen section, supported by imprint cytology, excluded the presence of malignancy while suggested an echinococcal laminar exocyst. The final pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of echinococcosis (i.e., Echinococcus Granulosus protoscolex). After surgery he was treated with albendazole and at the six-month follow-up he was in good clinical conditions. Our case highlights the importance of considering rare infections, particularly in individuals from endemic areas. Frozen tissue analyses can be a diagnostic challenge and often require ancillary tools such as imprint cytology and serial sections for more sensitive and accurate diagnosis

Revisión de la proyección social institucional a partir del impacto formativo en graduados

Des d'una noció de qualitat educativa concebuda com aquella que assegura l'adquisició de coneixements significatius i el desenvolupament de capacitats ciutadanes compromeses amb la transformació de la realitat, les universitats confiades a la Companyia de Jesús a l'Amèrica Llatina han generat iniciatives que apunten a la formació dels estudiants per al compromís i la solidaritat. Aquest article té com a objectiu determinar els factors emergents vinculats a la cultura institucional que incideixen en la formació dels seus graduats, i així inferir els canvis a introduir en la política de projecció social institucional. La metodologia emprada va incloure un enfocament analític interpretatiu, retrospectiu i transversal, desenvolupat a través d'un disseny metodològic qualitatiu a través de l'anàlisi documental, entrevistes amb referents institucionals, graduats i referents externs (empleadors i representants d'entitats deontològiques). A la llum dels resultats va ser possible determinar les revisions valòriques, procedimentals i instrumentals que la política de projecció social de la universitat ha d'encarar, per tal de complir en profunditat la missió que li ha estat encomanada.From a notion of educational quality conceived as one that ensures the acquisition of significant knowledge and the development of citizen capacities committed to the transformation of reality, the universities entrusted to the Society of Jesus in Latin America have been generating initiatives that aim at training of students for commitment and solidarity. This article aims to determine the emerging factors linked to the institutional culture that affect the training of its graduates, and in this way, infer the changes to be introduced in the policy of institutional social projection. The methodology used included an interpretive, retrospective and cross-sectional analytical approach, developed through a qualitative methodological design through documentary analysis, interviews with institutional referents, graduates, and external referents (employers and representatives of deontological entities). In light of the results, it was possible to determine the value, procedural and instrumental reviews that the university's social projection policy should face, in order to fully comply with the mission that has been entrusted to it.Desde una noción de calidad educativa concebida como aquella que asegura la adquisición de conocimientos significativos y el desarrollo de capacidades ciudadanas comprometidas con la transformación de la realidad, las universidades confiadas a la Compañía de Jesús en América Latina han ido generando iniciativas que apuntan a la formación de los estudiantes para el compromiso y la solidaridad. Este artículo tiene como objetivo determinar los factores emergentes vinculados a la cultura institucional que inciden en la formación de sus graduados, y de esta manera, inferir los cambios a introducir en la política de proyección social institucional. La metodología empleada incluyó un enfoque analítico interpretativo, retrospectivo y transversal, desarrollado a través de un diseño metodológico cualitativo a través del análisis documental, entrevistas con referentes institucionales, graduados, y referentes externos (empleadores y representantes de entidades deontológicas). A la luz de los resultados fue posible determinar las revisiones valóricas, procedimentales e instrumentales que la política de proyección social de la universidad debiera encarar, a fin de cumplir en profundidad con la misión que le ha sido encomendada