Tourism trends in the Caribbean

The Caribbean is a great holiday destination, along with Europe, Asia and South America. But it is one of the regions that depend more economically on the touristic sector. That is why there is a need to innovate and reinvent the touristic offer constantly. Throughout the years, tendencies and tourism types has changed and developed, adapting to the market and clients expectations. Beach hotel, all inclusive hotel offers, mountain tourism, hiking, ecotourism, city tourism, are some of the types of tourism that we highlight in this region. !owadays, in seeking to expand the offer to the clients, the hotels have included some variations in the services, such as Spas, golf, convention centers, big casinos, etc. The aim of this paper is to list the latest tendencies in hotel design and services in the Caribbean Region, and highlight its progresses in energy efficiency and sustainable design.Peer Reviewe

Sinorhizobium fredii HH103 RirA is required for oxidative stress resistance and efficient symbiosis with Soybean

Members of Rhizobiaceae contain a homologue of the iron-responsive regulatory protein RirA. In different bacteria, RirA acts as a repressor of iron uptake systems under iron-replete conditions and contributes to ameliorate cell damage during oxidative stress. In Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti, mutations in rirA do not impair symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In this study, a rirA mutant of broad host range S. fredii HH103 has been constructed (SVQ780) and its free-living and symbiotic phenotypes evaluated. No production of siderophores could be detected in either the wild-type or SVQ780. The rirA mutant exhibited a growth advantage under iron-deficient conditions and hypersensitivity to hydrogen peroxide in iron-rich medium. Transcription of rirA in HH103 is subject to autoregulation and inactivation of the gene upregulates fbpA, a gene putatively involved in iron transport. The S. fredii rirA mutant was able to nodulate soybean plants, but symbiotic nitrogen fixation was impaired. Nodules induced by the mutant were poorly infected compared to those induced by the wild-type. Genetic complementation reversed the mutant’s hypersensitivity to H2O2, expression of fbpA, and symbiotic deficiency in soybean plants. This is the first report that demonstrates a role for RirA in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis.Andalucian Government Grant No. P11-CVI-7500Spanish Government Grant Nos. BIO2013-42801-P and BIO2016-78409-REuropean Regional Development Funds (ERDF)VPPI (V Plan Propio de Investigación) of University of Seville

Sistema de Seguridad e Higiene Laboral como resultado de los Proyectos Integradores implementados en el ITS Mario Molina, Unidad Académica Puerto Vallarta

This paper analyzes the resultant effect on Academic Integrative Projects as a strategic axis to link the IT Mario Molina with regional industries in order to generate innovation and knowledge transfer, attending the environmental conditions business demand with a direct intervention to formulate solutions to various relational situations. Based on this conditions and according to a diagnosis study of automotive industry requirements in the Puerto Vallarta’s geographical zone, the Integrative Projects are centered on Labor Security and Hygiene Systems, which is, according with the International Labor Organization: “a coherent and systematic method to evaluate and improve the work performance, reduce accidents and incidents, as also workers illness prevention”. The main objective to count with a Labor Security and Hygiene System define several issues, such as economical, moral, legal, and similar. Therefore, not to dispose of that kind of systems may imply material losses, legal demands, accidents, labor illness or even the death of company collaborators; due to that, a Labor Security and Hygiene System it is not considered just as a recommendation, but an obligation to medium and big companies. The Labor Security and Hygiene System to automotive companies it is not just beneficial as a legal issue, it can be used as a management tool to generate continual improvements inside the company, enhancing any internal processes an services, creating better labor conditions and workers welfare in all areas, as in other elements that contribute to make a company competitive..El presente documento analiza el impacto resultante de los Proyectos Integradores como eje central de estrategias que vinculan al ITS M Molina, UA Puerto Vallarta con el sector empresarial, generando con ello la innovación y transferencia de conocimiento, dando respuesta a las necesidades del entorno con una intervención directa en la formulación y solución de las diversas problemáticas. Derivado de lo anterior, y de acuerdo a las necesidades de una empresa automotriz de la región de Puerto Vallarta, previo diagnóstico, el proyecto integrador se centra en el diseño de un Sistema de Seguridad e Higiene Laboral, el cual es “un método coherente y sistemático de evaluación y mejora del rendimiento en la prevención de incidentes, accidentes y enfermedades laborales” (OIT, 2011). La importancia de contar con un Sistema de Seguridad e Higiene Laboral impacta en aspectos: económicos, morales, legales y demás, ya que las consecuencias de no contar con él, puede ir desde las pérdidas materiales, adquisición de multas, accidente, enfermedades profesionales o hasta la muerte de un colaborador, es por ello que no solo se recomienda, sino que es obligación de las organizaciones contar con uno, máxime si estamos hablando de medianas o grandes empresas. El Sistema de Seguridad e Higiene para la Empresa Automotriz, no solo beneficiará sino que actúa como una herramienta para la mejora continua dentro de la organización, mejorando cualquier proceso o servicio, mejores condiciones y ambiente de trabajo, bienestar de los trabajadores en todas las áreas, factores que permiten un crecimiento de la empresa

Análisis de los programas de incubación y aceleración de negocios como sistemas de transferencia tecnológica regional. el caso del cemciv-itspv

El presente documento expone un análisis sobre las diversas modalidades de relación que tienen las instituciones educativas de educación superior con su entrono inmediato y cómo éstas pueden ser tratadas, desde un punto de vista pragmático, como fuentes de innovación a partir de dos conceptos importantes, a saber, la incubación y la aceleración. En este tenor, se tienen cuatro nexos fundamentales, particularmente cuando se habla de organismos dependientes del Tecnológico de México, quienes se asocian a su entorno inmediato como una de sus principales funciones, siendo éstos: incubación, aceleración de negocios, consultoría y desarrollo de recursos humanos. Todas estas conexiones son compiladas a través de diversos departamentos o áreas, quienes fungen como mediadores de transferencia tecnológica, siendo el principal aliciente para el desarrollo regional en Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Analizando cada una de los nexos del Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Puerto Vallarta se destaca la importancia de generar un organismo vinculador que integre eficientemente el trabajo de innovación

Formulación de proyectos de intervención empresarial y el pensamiento complejo en la formación tecnológica

The Superior Education System (SES) in Mexico is constituted by thirteen subsystems, including public, private, and mixed financing institutions which attend a population of 4.4 million students. The Technological Subsystem of Higher Education applies an educative model based on the development of personal skills and abilities devoted to executing pragmatical activities, that seek to mediate theory and practice. This conciliation is accomplished through the mediation between what is learned in the classrooms and the execution of practices out of the classroom at three levels of progress: subject practices, research projects, and professional residency. The present study provides information on how cognitive training influences the development of projects, which tends to be focused on a specific discipline, therefore it is proposed to consider the complexity paradigm as a methodological basis for the development of projects.El Sistema de Educación Superior (SES) en México, se compone de trece subsistemas, entre instituciones públicas, privadas y de financiamiento mixto, las cuales atienden a una población de 4.4 millones de estudiantes. El Subsistema Tecnológico de Educación Superior, parte del enfoque basado en el desarrollo de competencias y habilidades a partir de la ejecución de desempeños que buscan conciliar la teoría y la práctica. Dicha conciliación se lleva a cabo, principalmente, a través de la mediación entre lo que se aprende en las aulas y la ejecución de prácticas en tres niveles de desarrollo, a saber, prácticas de asignatura, proyectos de investigación y residencia profesional. El presente estudio arroja información sobre cómo influye la formación cognitiva en el desarrollo de proyectos, los cuales tienden a concentrarse en un área específica, por lo que se propone considerar el paradigma de la complejidad como base metodológica para el desarrollo de proyectos

Optimisation of Protein Recovery from Arthrospira platensis by Ultrasound-Assisted Isoelectric Solubilisation/Precipitation

A response surface methodology was used to optimise the solubilisation and precipitation of proteins from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis. Two separate experiments were designed and conducted in a sequential manner. Protein solubilisation was affected by pH, extraction time, and biomass to solvent ratio (p < 0.001). Although spray-drying and the osmotic shock suffered when resuspending the dried biomass into distilled water led to a certain degree of cell wall disruption, the amount of protein that could be solubilised without an additional disruption step was in the range 30–60%. Sequential extractions improved protein solubilisation by less than 5%. For this reason, a pre-treatment based on sonication (400 W, 24 kHz, 2 min) had to be used, allowing the solubilisation of 96.2% of total proteins. Protein precipitation was affected by both pH and extraction time (p < 0.001). The optimised precipitation conditions, which were pH 3.89 over 45 min, led to a protein recovery of 75.2%. The protein content of the extract was close to 80%, which could be further increased by using different purification steps. The proteins extracted could be used in the food industry as technofunctional ingredients or as a source of bioactive hydrolysates and peptides for functional foods and nutraceuticals

Diseño de un modelo de reingenierí­a parcial en marketing basado en empresas centradas en servicios

This paper exposes a theoretical model centered on organizatio-nal restructuration and based on reengineering process, but attending a partial execution who differs considerably from traditional system. The study and recollection data was applied in the city of Puer-to Vallarta, sampling restau-rants and food &amp; drink retailer business, seeking to contrast customer’s perspective, result of a marketing study, against market status, based on a sec-torial analysis. The main finding of this work it’s pointed to de-sign a proposal with five levels of application that makes easier to implement and control struc-tural changes on industry that is intensive in services, to offer quality products to their custo-mers and, in long term, genera-te competitive environments. A very important perspective is the systematic and focalized application of holistic methods that particularize on specific situations as occur with partial reengineering.We depart with the hypothesis that exist a positive relations-hip between marketing and cus-tomers satisfaction on this kind of business —restaurants and si-milar industry—, mainly due to strategic implications that re-sult of this interactions. We con-clude that partial reengineering application on marketing areas contribute to attain positive impacts on customer’s satisfac-tion as an inherent result of a model centered on food &amp; drink business and not just on restaurants.El presente documento expone una propuesta centrada en la reestructuración organizacional basada en la reingenierí­a, pero partiendo de una acción parcial y no en el modelo tradicional. Se aplica un estudio en la ciudad de Puerto Vallarta a las organizaciones de alimentos y bebidas, buscando contrastar las expectativas de los clientes mediante un estudio de mercado y, por otra parte, las condiciones del mercado a través de un estudio sectorial. El resultado principal de la investigación busca proponer un modelo de aplicación en cinco etapas que facilite la implementación y control de modificaciones estructurales que le permita a las empresas, principalmente centradas en servicios, ofrecer productos con valor agregado a sus clientes y generar, en el largo plazo,  entornos competitivos. Un enfoque muy importante que se expone es la aplicación sistemática y focalizada de métodos holí­sticos particularizando en situaciones especí­ficas, como lo hace la reingenierí­a parcial. La hipótesis principal que da sustento a la presente investigación establece la relación directa que se mantiene entre la mercadotecnia y la satisfacción del cliente en las empresas centradas en servicios, particularmente por el alcance estratégico de esta área en las empresas de alimentos y bebidas. Se concluye que la aplicación de reingenierí­a parcial en el área de marketing, contribuye a obtener impactos positivos en la satisfacción del cliente como una extensión inherente de un modelo centrado en el cliente.

Development and validation of a new questionnaire for the assessment of patients with diabetic foot disease: The Diabetic Foot Questionnaire (DiaFootQ)

Background The epidemiology data and global burden of diabetic foot disease underscores the need for effective prevention strategies, which requires an early diagnosis. Patient-reported outcome measures are instruments based on a simple format, which favours their application. Currently, there is an absence of instruments with a broad enough scope to capture the diverse aspects involved in diabetic foot disease. Objectives To develop a questionnaire for the assessment of patients with diabetic foot disease and carry out an analysis of its validity and reliability. Methods The study was developed in two stages. Stage 1: the Delphi Panel was composed of 22 experts. The questionnaire is made up of 25 questions selected, after three rounds, from an initial sample of 68 questions. Stage 2: A validation study was performed. With a sample of 273 subjects, an exploratory factor analysis and an analysis of internal consistency, items response, and validity were carried out using the Diabetes Quality of Life, SF-12v2, Foot Function Index and EuroQol EQ5D questionnaires. Measurements of error and sensitivity to change were also analyzed. Results A 25-item questionnaire (DiaFootQ) was developed. It comprised two dimensions: 1) lifestyle and function; and 2) footwear and foot self-care. Sample (n=273) mean age was 69.77 years (±11.08). The internal consistency of DiafootQ was α=0.916, and item response values were ICC=0.862–0.998. External validity correlation levels ranged from r=0.386 to r=0.888. Conclusion DiaFootQ was developed. Integrating the main aspects involved in diabetic foot disease could help to detect more accurately the risk or severity of these patients. DiaFootQ is a well-structured, valid, and reliable tool whose use should be promoted in clinical and research settings.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBU

Microalgae based wastewater treatment coupled to the production of high value agricultural products: Current needs and challenges

One of the main social and economic challenges of the 21st century will be to overcome the worlds’ water deficit expected by the end of this decade. Microalgae based wastewater treatment has been suggested as a strategy to recover nutrients from wastewater while simultaneously producing clean water. Consortia of microalgae and bacteria are responsible for recovering nutrients from wastewater. A better understanding of how environmental and operational conditions affect the composition of the microalgae-bacteria consortia would allow to maximise nutrient recoveries and biomass productivities. Most of the studies reported to date showed promising results, although up-scaling of these processes to reactors larger than 100 m2 is needed to better predict their industrial relevance. The main advantage of microalgae based wastewater treatment is that valuable biomass with unlimited applications is produced as a co-product. The aim of the current paper was to review microalgae based wastewater treatment processes focusing on strategies that allow increasing both biomass productivities and nutrient recoveries. Moreover, the benefits of microalgae based agricultural products were also discussed