Food Safety Management in a Global Environment: The Role of Risk Assessment Models

Quantitative risk assessment models are playing a minor role in the development of the new EU legal framework for food safety. There is a tendency of the EU institutions to apply the precautionary principle versus the predisposition of the USA institutions to rely on risk analysis. This paper provides a comparison of the role played by quantitative risk assessment models in the development of new policies on food safety in the EU and in the USA, focusing on a study case: the supply chain of shell eggs. We suggest that EU regulatory bodies should reconsider the role that quantitative risk assessment models have to play in order to design more effective food safety management systems.Food safety policy, food safety assurance, risk analysis, risk assessment, precautionary principle, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Serratia symbiotica from the Aphid Cinara cedri: A Missing Link from Facultative to Obligate Insect Endosymbiont

The genome sequencing of Buchnera aphidicola BCc from the aphid Cinara cedri, which is the smallest known Buchnera genome, revealed that this bacterium had lost its symbiotic role, as it was not able to synthesize tryptophan and riboflavin. Moreover, the biosynthesis of tryptophan is shared with the endosymbiont Serratia symbiotica SCc, which coexists with B. aphidicola in this aphid. The whole-genome sequencing of S. symbiotica SCc reveals an endosymbiont in a stage of genome reduction that is closer to an obligate endosymbiont, such as B. aphidicola from Acyrthosiphon pisum, than to another S. symbiotica, which is a facultative endosymbiont in this aphid, and presents much less gene decay. The comparison between both S. symbiotica enables us to propose an evolutionary scenario of the transition from facultative to obligate endosymbiont. Metabolic inferences of B. aphidicola BCc and S. symbiotica SCc reveal that most of the functions carried out by B. aphidicola in A. pisum are now either conserved in B. aphidicola BCc or taken over by S. symbiotica. In addition, there are several cases of metabolic complementation giving functional stability to the whole consortium and evolutionary preservation of the actors involved

Development of a battery of management indicators for the educational institution Las Brisas: a firm step towards continuous improvement

Este proyecto de investigación se centra en el diseño de indicadores de gestión para la Institución Educativa Las Brisas en Patía, Colombia. La institución busca mejorar sus procesos y cumplir con las orientaciones del Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) para el mejoramiento institucional. La carencia de indicadores en varios componentes de la institución ha sido identificada como una barrera para la mejora continua. Para abordar esta problemática, se plantea una serie de objetivos específicos, como analizar la autoevaluación y el plan de mejoramiento institucional, construir los indicadores de gestión necesarios con la participación de la comunidad educativa y la validación de estos indicadores. La metodología de este estudio se dividió en tres fases fundamentales. En una primera, se llevó a cabo un análisis documental exhaustivo. Posteriormente, se procedió a la construcción de los indicadores. Finalmente, en una tercera fase, se realizó la validación de los indicadores, contando con la participación activa de la comunidad educativa. Entre las conclusiones más destacadas de este trabajo, se resalta la elaboración de una batería de indicadores que será beneficiosa para la Institución. Esta herramienta posibilitará la medición del nivel de cumplimiento de cada proceso en las diversas áreas de gestión educativa. Además, proveerá información crucial que resultará de gran utilidad en el proceso de toma de decisiones. Cumpliéndose el objetivo general del proyecto que es diseñar una batería de indicadores de gestión en las áreas propuestas por el MEN para la Institución Educativa Las Brisas, involucrando la acción participativa de la comunidad educativa.1. CAPITULO I. PROBLEMA U OPORTUNIDAD 19 1.1 Antecedentes del problema 19 1.2 Pregunta de investigación 22 1.3 Objetivos 22 1.3.1 Objetivo general 22 1.3.2 Objetivos específicos 23 1.4 Justificación 23 2. CAPITULO II. MARCO TEÓRICO Y ESTADO DEL ARTE 28 2.1 Marco teórico 28 2.1.1 Evaluación y mejoramiento continuo 28 2.1.2 Calidad educativa 34 2.1.3 Principios de la calidad educativa. 36 2.1.4 Impacto de los indicadores de gestión 39 2.2 Estado del arte 43 3. CAPITULO III. METODOLOGÍA 50 3.1 Metodología de investigación 50 3.1.1 Investigación proyectiva. 52 3.2 Fases de la investigación 53 3.2.1 Fase análisis documental 53 3.2.2 Fase construcción de los indicadores de gestión que conforman la batería de indicadores de la I. E. las Brisas 54 3.2.3 Fase de validación de la batería de indicadores con participación de la comunidad. 57 3.3 Población y muestra 58 3.4 Instrumentos de recolección de datos 60 3.4.1 Matrices de análisis documental. 60 3.4.2 Encuesta de validación de los indicadores propuestos 61 3.5 Análisis de datos 63 3.6 Aspectos éticos 64 4. CAPITULO IV. RESULTADOS 66 4.1 Análisis de la Autoevaluación Institucional 2022, I.E Las Brisas. 67 4.2 Análisis del Plan de Mejoramiento Institucional (PMI) I.E. Las Brisas 2022 89 4.2.1 Resultados de Evaluación de Metas del plan de mejoramiento institucional 2023 89 4.2.2 Resultados de Evaluación de Indicadores del plan de mejoramiento institucional 2023. 102 4.3 Análisis de la encuesta aplicada a miembros de la comunidad educativa 110 4.4 Propuesta de Batería de Indicadores para las Áreas de Gestión I.E. Las Brisas 127 5. CAPITULO V. CONCLUSIONES 137 6. Bibliografía 140 7. Anexos 144MaestríaThis research project is focused on developing management indicators for the Las Brisas Educational Institution in Patía, Colombia, with the goal of improving its processes and aligning with the National Ministry of Education (MEN) guidelines for institutional enhancement. Identified as a barrier to continuous improvement, the lack of relevant and up-to-date indicators has hindered the assessment of process performance and activity effectiveness within various components of the institution. To tackle this issue, specific objectives have been outlined, including analyzing the institutional improvement plan, designing a community participation plan, and constructing necessary management indicators. The involvement of the educational community is emphasized as crucial for building and validating these indicators. Management indicators play a vital role in evaluating and monitoring internal processes, measuring goal achievement, and providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making, thereby driving continuous improvement in educational management. In the Colombian educational context, implementing management indicators also contributes to enhancing educational quality by comprehensively capturing socio-educational realities and supporting informed decision-making. In summary, the project's overarching goal is to design a set of management indicators for the Las Brisas Educational Institution, involving participatory action from the educational community and recognizing the importance of indicators for continuous improvement, decisionmaking, and achieving institutional objectives.Modalidad DUA

The effect of culture on educational methodologies in international business programs: an application to the iMBA program

As the world becomes global, there are growing needs and opportunities for intercultural exchanges in learning processes. In the context of the Spanish University Strategy for 2015, one of the most important objectives is to increase internationalisation through international postgraduate courses (Spanish Ministry of Education, 2010). Intercultural teaching capabilities are now becoming necessary for better achieving perceived service quality among international students. In the area of business studies, research on pedagogical issues is needed in order to provide recommendations and group management implications. For instance, a challenge for international business programs is dealing with intercultural members’ teamwork, skill very highly demanded by European companies. Consequently, research regarding the relationship between students’ cultural value orientation and the level of satisfaction towards educational methodologies (i.e. attitude about teamwork versus individual work) is sparse in the context of international business programs in higher education. The aim of this research is to analyze how cultural differences along the Hofstede dimensions of individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term/short-term orientation influence the international students’ perceptions towards working in teams. The academic context chosen for this paper refers to the international academic experience of the International Master in Business Administration, iMBA at Universitat de Valencia (Spain). Student profile is varied (different nationalities, ages and academic training) and they interact and exchange experiences. Results and recommendations are particularly relevant to educators teaching courses in a culturally diverse classroom

Guidelines for hydraulic and energetic assessment in urban landscapes

The study is focused on providing solutions for the management of water and energetic resources in parkland irrigation networks with the aim of minimizing consumptions originated by their use. An evaluation methodology based on indicators is proposed to assess energetic performance of the system. In the case the system is not managed properly from the energy point of view, an optimization irrigation scheduling by means of genetic algorithms is proposed to improve energy uses. The assessment protocol has been used in the irrigation network of the Universistat Politècnica de València gardens. Results showed that applying this methodology up to a potential saving of 26.8% in energy consumption could be achieved.This work was supported by the SP20120823 grant from Programa de Apoyo a la Investigación y Desarrollo (PAID-06- 12) of the Vicerectorado de Investigación de la Universitat Politècnica de València; and co-funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development (311903) in the project “Flexible and Precision Irrigation Platform to Improve Farm Scale Water Productivity”.Martínez Gimeno, MA.; Manzano Juarez, J.; Jiménez Bello, MÁ.; García-Serra García, J. (2015). Guidelines for hydraulic and energetic assessment in urban landscapes. International Journal of Environmental Engineering. 2(1):111-115. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/78797S1111152

Control de acceso usando FPGA y RFID

Este trabajo presenta el diseño e implementación de un sistema de control de acceso mediante Identificación por Radiofrecuencia (RFID, Radio Frequency Identification) controlado por una Matriz de compuertas programables (FPGA, Field Programmable Gate Array). El sistema está constituido por un par de dispositivos de adquisición de radiofrecuencia, una FPGA, un juego de etiquetas y tarjetas pasivas de identificación. Mediante una interfaz gráfica de usuario es posible controlar todo movimiento dentro de una zona determinada, desde los accesos hasta la disponibilidad de equipo; utilizando los dispositivos de adquisición de radiofrecuencia se puede acceder a la información de los usuarios autorizados, así como al control del equipo. Con este sistema es posible monitorear, administrar y reportar todo acceso de personal, movimiento de equipo o plagio de manera eficiente y evitando un gran número de errores humanos.  </p

Activation of Neurogenesis in Multipotent Stem Cells Cultured In Vitro and in the Spinal Cord Tissue After Severe Injury by Inhibition of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3

The inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) can induce neurogenesis, and the associated activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling via GSK-3 inhibition may represent a means to promote motor function recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) via increased astrocyte migration, reduced astrocyte apoptosis, and enhanced axonal growth. Herein, we assessed the effects of GSK-3 inhibition in vitro on the neurogenesis of ependymal stem/progenitor cells (epSPCs) resident in the mouse spinal cord and of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors (hESC-NPs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors (hiPSC-NPs) and in vivo on spinal cord tissue regeneration and motor activity after SCI. We report that the treatment of epSPCs and human pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors (hPSC-NPs) with the GSK-3 inhibitor Ro3303544 activates β-catenin signaling and increases the expression of the bIII-tubulin neuronal marker; furthermore, the differentiation of Ro3303544-treated cells prompted an increase in the number of terminally differentiated neurons. Administration of a water-soluble, bioavailable form of this GSK-3 inhibitor (Ro3303544-Cl) in a severe SCI mouse model revealed the increased expression of bIII-tubulin in the injury epicenter. Treatment with Ro3303544-Cl increased survival of mature neuron types from the propriospinal tract (vGlut1, Parv) and raphe tract (5-HT), protein kinase C gamma-positive neurons, and GABAergic interneurons (GAD65/67) above the injury epicenter. Moreover, we observed higher numbers of newly born BrdU/DCX-positive neurons in Ro3303544-Cl-treated animal tissues, a reduced area delimited by astrocyte scar borders, and improved motor function. Based on this study, we believe that treating animals with epSPCs or hPSC-NPs in combination with Ro3303544-Cl deserves further investigation towards the development of a possible therapeutic strategy for SCI

La competencia “Diseño y Proyecto” coordinada en la Mecánica de Fluidos de Ingeniería Química en los campus de la UPV: resultado de un Proyecto de Innovación y Mejora Educativa

[EN] The student’s learning should be connected to correct coordination within the curriculum in which is taught. This coordination increases its complexity when the same Bachelor’s Degree is taught in two different Campus of the Universitat Politècnica de València (Alcoy and Vera’s Campus). This communication shows the results of the developed coordination in the matter Fluid Mechanics, which is taught in Chemical Bachelor’s Degree. The obtained results are getting and documenting for the development of innovation project and improvement of the education (PIME), which is currently developing. The work shows the advantages of the transversal and vertical coordination, which affect on the student positively. Likewise, the coordination establishes the development of the programming of the Matter in both Campus, showing the good practice sheet, which enables to develop the proposed project. This sheet contains a rubric with new indicators, which were adapted to knowledge area of hydraulic engineering. This sample of coordination ca be extrapolated to other matters, sensing the student, homogeneity in the criteria and methodologies of active learning in the UPV generic student outcomes.[ES] El aprendizaje del alumno debería estar sujeto a una buena coordinación dentro del plan de estudios donde se imparte. Esta coordinación se hace más compleja cuando una misma titulación se imparte en dos Campus diferentes de la Universitat Politècnica de València (Alcoy y Vera). La comunicación presentada muestra el resultado de coordinación de la asignatura Mecánica de Fluidos del Grado de Ingeniería Química. Este resultado se ha conseguido y documentado dentro del Proyecto de Innovación y Mejora en la Educación que actualmente se está desarrollando. El trabajo muestra las ventajas de la coordinación horizontal y vertical, la cual repercute de forma positiva al estudiante. Así mismo, establece el desarrollo de la programación de la asignatura en ambos Campus, mostrando la hoja de buenas prácticas que permite desarrollar el proyecto propuesto. Esta hoja contiene una rúbrica con nuevos indicadores que se adaptan de una forma más adecuada al área de la ingeniería hidráulica. Esta muestra de coordinación puede ser extrapolada a otras asignaturas, percibiendo el alumno, una homogeneidad en los criterios y metodologías de trabajo de aprendizaje activo en las competencias transversales.Pérez Sánchez, M.; Manzano Juarez, J.; Llácer Iglesias, RM.; García-Serra García, J.; López Jiménez, PA. (2017). La competencia “Diseño y Proyecto” coordinada en la Mecánica de Fluidos de Ingeniería Química en los campus de la UPV: resultado de un Proyecto de Innovación y Mejora Educativa. En In-Red 2017. III Congreso Nacional de innovación educativa y de docencia en red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1044-1055. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2017.2017.6863OCS1044105