Competitividad entre los negocios de flores que están legalmente constituidas en la ciudad de Estelí en el año 2017

Esta investigación analiza la incidencia de la competitividad en el sector de las floristerías, y propone estrategias que mejoren la calidad de los servicios. La problemática central en este tipo de negocios es: la falta de recursos económicos, una deficiente atención al cliente, precios alterados, productos de mala calidad y la competitividad. Esta es una investigación cuantitativa. Se aplicaron encuestas a los seis propietarios de las floristerías legalmente constituidas de la ciudad de Estelí, y también se diseñaron y aplicaron 317 encuestas a clientes de las tres floristerías más competitivas como son: Floristería Osejo, Floristería Flores y Arte Floral. Además, se aplicaron entrevista semi-estructuradas a propietarios y clientes. Las encuestas se procesaron con el programa SPSS versión 20. Los principales resultados muestran que los principales factores de competitividad desde el punto de vista de los propietarios son: la utilización de materiales de calidad con 75%, la capacitación hacia su personal ya que se considera un punto importante para la eficiente atención hacia el cliente con un valor del 12.5%, otro de los factores de competitividad es la reducción de los costos de la materia prima, ya que si se reduce el costo se podrá brindar mejores precios a los clientes con un 12.5% de opinión de los propietarios. Todos los propietarios consideran que la publicidad es una estrategia importante para la captación de clientes en este mercado. Mientras, los clientes están condicionados por la calidad y el servicio que ofrecen las floristerías. En esta tesis se proponen cinco estrategias para mejorar la competitividad de este tipo de negocios y son: 1) Invertir en tecnología; 2) Capacitar al personal en arreglos florales y atención al cliente; 3) Alianzas con proveedores; 4) Fidelizar a los clientes; y 5) Ofrecer nuevos servicios en alianzas con organizadores de eventos

The effect of prednisolone on endometrial uterine NK cell concentrations and pregnancy outcome in women with reproductive failure. A retrospective cohort study

This retrospective study of prospectively collected data examines the effect of prednisolone therapy on raised uterine Natural Killer cell (uNK) concentrations and pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent miscarriage (RM) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF) after IVF/ICSI treatment. 136 women diagnosed with RRF who had a timed midluteal endometrial biopsy taken for uNK cell analysis were included. Women with high uNK cell concentrations (n = 45) were treated with prednisolone (10 mg/day) for one month, after which a second biopsy was taken for repeat uNK cell analysis. Women for whom prednisolone caused a decrease in uNK cell concentrations continued on prednisolone until 12 weeks of pregnancy. Pregnancy outcomes (live birth, miscarriage and implantation rates) and pregnancy complications were compared for women who received prednisolone and those who did not. Results showed that the prevalence of high uNK cells was 33.1%. Prednisolone significantly decreased the uNK cell concentration (P < 0.001), however reduction to normal limits was achieved in only 48.3% of patients. There was no difference in any of the pregnancy outcomes or complications between women who had received prednisolone and those who had not. In conclusion, this study showed a relatively high prevalence of raised uNK cells in women with recurrent reproductive failure and confirmed the effect of prednisolone on reducing uNK cell concentrations. We found however no evidence for a significant beneficial effect for prednisolone therapy on pregnancy outcomes. Until the results of an adequately powered RCT become available however, these findings should be considered preliminary

Measurement of uterine natural killer cell percentage in the periimplantation endometrium from fertile women and women with recurrent reproductive failure: establishment of a reference range

Background Uterine natural killer cells are the major leukocytes present in the periimplantation endometrium. Previous studies have found controversial differences in uterine natural killer cell percentage in women with recurrent reproductive failure compared with fertile controls. Objective We sought to compare the uterine natural killer cell percentage in women with recurrent reproductive failure and fertile controls. Study Design This was a retrospective study carried out in university hospitals. A total of 215 women from 3 university centers participated in the study, including 97 women with recurrent miscarriage, 34 women with recurrent implantation failure, and 84 fertile controls. Endometrial biopsy samples were obtained precisely 7 days after luteinization hormone surge in a natural cycle. Endometrial sections were immunostained for CD56 and cell counting was performed by a standardized protocol. Results were expressed as percentage of positive uterine natural killer cell/total stromal cells. Results The median uterine natural killer cell percentage in Chinese ovulatory fertile controls in natural cycles was 2.5% (range 0.9-5.3%). Using 5th and 95th percentile to define the lower and upper limits of uterine natural killer cell percentage, the reference range was 1.2-4.5%. Overall, the groups with recurrent reproductive failure had significantly higher uterine natural killer cell percentage than the controls (recurrent miscarriage: median 3.2%, range 0.6-8.8%; recurrent implantation failure: median 3.1%, range 0.8-8.3%). However, there was a subset of both groups (recurrent miscarriage: 16/97; recurrent implantation failure: 6/34) that had lower uterine natural killer cell percentage compared to fertile controls. Conclusion A reference range for uterine natural killer cell percentage in fertile women was established. Women with recurrent reproductive failure had uterine natural killer cell percentages both above and below the reference range

Standardisation of uterine natural killer (uNK) cell measurements in the endometrium of women with recurrent reproductive failure

Considerable work is being carried out on endometrial NK cells to determine whether they play a role in successful pregnancy outcome. In addition there is debate about whether measurements of uNK should be included in the clinical assessment for women with recurrent implantation failure or recurrent miscarriage. A hindrance to taking this forward is the fact that the density of uNK cells reported by different centres is very different. The aim of this study was to determine the reason for these differences and to develop a standardised method. Three centres participated in the study. Each centre exchanged five formalin fixed, wax embedded sections of endometrium from five women. Sections were immunostained for CD56. Images were taken of 10 random fields at ×400 magnification; total stromal and uNK cells were counted using Image J. Results were expressed as % positive uNK cells and the variation in counts obtained in each centre was compared. After initial analysis a standardised protocol was agreed and the process repeated.Significant variation was seen in the counts obtained after initial analysis (Centre A vs.B, mean difference = -0.72 P < 0.001; A vs.C mean difference = -0.47 P < 0.001; B vs.C, mean difference = 0.25 P = 0.085). Analysis suggested that differences may be due to duration of tissue fixation, the embedding and sectioning processes, selection of areas for assessment, definition of immunopositive cells and inclusion or exclusion of blood vessels. Adoption of a standardised protocol reduced the variation (Centre A vs.B mean difference = -0.105 P = 0.744; A vs.C mean difference = 0.219 P = 0.150; B vs.C mean difference = 0.32 P = 0.031). Use of a standardised method is needed to establish a normal range for uNK cells and to develop a meaningful clinical test for uNK cell measurements

Change in Sympathetic Nerve Firing Pattern Associated with Dietary Weight Loss in the Metabolic Syndrome

Sympathetic activation in subjects with the metabolic syndrome (MS) plays a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease development. Diet-induced weight loss decreases sympathetic outflow. However the mechanisms that account for sympathetic inhibition are not known. We sought to provide a detailed description of the sympathetic response to diet by analyzing the firing behavior of single-unit sympathetic nerve fibers. Fourteen subjects (57 ± 2 years, nine men, five females) fulfilling ATP III criteria for the MS underwent a 3-month low calorie diet. Metabolic profile, hemodynamic parameters, and multi-unit and single-unit muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, microneurography) were assessed prior to and at the end of the diet. Patients’ weight dropped from 96 ± 4 to 88 ± 3 kg (P < 0.001). This was associated with a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (−12 ± 3 and −5 ± 2 mmHg, P < 0.05), and in heart rate (−7 ± 2 bpm, P < 0.01) and an improvement in all metabolic parameters (fasting glucose: −0.302.1 ± 0.118 mmol/l, total cholesterol: −0.564 ± 0.164 mmol/l, triglycerides: −0.414 ± 0.137 mmol/l, P < 0.05). Multi-unit MSNA decreased from 68 ± 4 to 59 ± 5 bursts/100 heartbeats (P < 0.05). Single-unit MSNA indicated that the firing rate of individual vasoconstrictor fibers decreased from 59 ± 10 to 32 ± 4 spikes/100 heart beats (P < 0.05). The probability of firing decreased from 34 ± 5 to 23 ± 3% of heartbeats (P < 0.05), and the incidence of multiple firing decreased from 14 ± 4 to 6 ± 1% of heartbeats (P < 0.05). Cardiac and sympathetic baroreflex function were significantly improved (cardiac slope: 6.57 ± 0.69 to 9.57 ± 1.20 ms·mmHg−1; sympathetic slope: −3.86 ± 0.34 to −5.05 ± 0.47 bursts/100 heartbeats·mmHg−1, P < 0.05 for both). Hypocaloric diet decreased sympathetic activity and improved hemodynamic and metabolic parameters. The sympathoinhibition associated with weight loss involves marked changes, not only in the rate but also in the firing pattern of active vasoconstrictive fibers

Fonction du gène AtYSL1 d'Arabidopsis thaliana dans la distribution du Fe et de la Nicotianamine aux graines et la détoxication du fer

La famille YSL d'Arabidopsis a été identifiée grâce à son homologie de séquence avec le transporteur ZmYS1 de mais, responsable de l'absorption de complexes Fe-Phytosidérophores (PS) par les racines lors de la carence en fer. Bien que les dicotylédones ne produisent pas de PS, elles synthétisent la nicotianamine (NA), précurseur des PS, capable de chélater les métaux et impliquée dans l'homéostasie du Fe et la translocation du Cu. De plus, ZmYS1 et le transporteur OsYSL2 de riz ont montré une activité de transport de complexes Fe-nicotianamine lors de leur expression en systèmes hétérologues. Ce travail rapporte la caractérisation de la fonction d'AtYSL1 in planta. Des mutants d'insertion ysl1 d'Arabidopsis présentent une augmentation de la teneur foliaire en NA. De façon plus claire, les graines des mutants ysl1-1 et ysl1-2 contiennent moins de Fe et de NA que les graines de plantes sauvages, même lorsque les plantes sont cultivées en présence d'un excès de fer. La germination des graines ysl1-1 est ralentie et un phénotype normal est restauré par l'apport de fer dans le milieu de germination. AtYSL1 est exprimé dans le parenchyme du xylème des parties aériennes où son expression est induite par l'excès de fer ainsi que dans le pollen et les jeunes siliques. Ce patron d'expression est cohérent avec un rôle d'AtYSL1 dans le transport longue distance du fer et de la NA ainsi que leur apport à la graine. Ces éléments permettent de faire l'hypothèse qu'AtYSL1 permet le transport des complexes Fe-NA dans les graines

Feasibility anaylsis of utilizing renewable energy in ranches and farms in Texas

Due to the increasing demand for food, it is expected that the agriculture sector will have a greater role in the future. As a result, there will be higher energy demand to power all the agriculture related activities, such as harvesting crops or growing livestock. In Texas, the agriculture sector has a significant availability of lands that makes farms and ranches suitable for the possible energy generation through small scale wind turbines or solar panels. In this project, a technical feasibility analysis was performed to determine the wind and solar energy potential for about 248,000 farms and ranches located in Texas. Geospatial and temporal data analyses were performed in order to estimate the energy potential and to understand the diverse trends surrounding them with data gathered from different databases. The results obtained through the geospatial analysis were studied through an in-depth numerical examination for the farms and ranches being considered. Based on the results, the majority of farms in Texas have higher solar energy potential than wind energy potential, making the installation of solar panels to be more viable. Even though there is less wind energy potential, thousands of farms and ranches still have a considerable amount of wind potential that would be sufficient to power up different agricultural activities