Value chain analysis for sea cucumber in the Philippines

This study examined the sea cucumber industry in the Philippines through the value chain lens. The intent was to identify effective pathways for the successful introduction of sandfish culture as livelihood support for coastal communities. Value chain analysis is a high-resolution analytical tool that enables industry examination at a detailed level. Previous industry assessments have provided a general picture of the sea cucumber industry in the country. The present study builds on the earlier work and supplies additional details for a better understanding of the industry's status and problems, especially their implications for the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded sandfish project "Culture of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in Asia- Pacific" (FIS/2003/059). (PDF contains 54 pages

Value chain analysis for sea cucumber in the Philippines

This study examined the sea cucumber industry in the Philippines through the value chain lens. The intent was to identify effective pathways for the successful introduction of sandfish culture as livelihood support for coastal communities. Value chain analysis is a high-resolution analytical tool that enables industry examination at a detailed level. Previous industry assessments have provided a general picture of the sea cucumber industry in the country. The present study builds on the earlier work and supplies additional details for a better understanding of the industryÆs status and problems, especially their implications for the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded sandfish project ôCulture of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in Asia- Pacificö (FIS/2003/059).Economic analysis, Trade, Pricing, Echinoderm fisheries, Philippines, Luzon I., Pangasinan, Philippines, Palawan I., ISEW, Philippines, Mindanao I., Davao Gulf,

Economic analysis of climate change adaptation strategies in selected coastal areas in Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam

This report is an account of a cross-country study that covered Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Covering four sites (one each in Indonesia and Vietnam) and two sites in the Philippines, the study documented the impacts of three climate hazards affecting coastal communities, namely typhoon/flooding, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion. It also analyzed planned adaptation options, which communities and local governments can implement, as well as autonomous responses of households to protect and insure themselves from these hazards. It employed a variety of techniques, ranging from participatory based approaches such as community hazard mapping and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to regression techniques, to analyze the impact of climate change and the behavior of affected communities and households

Preschool Metacognitive Skill Assessment in Order to Promote Educational Sensitive Response From Mixed-Methods Approach: Complementarity of Data Analysis

A child''s metacognitive skills contribute significantly to their learning and success. However, very few studies are focused on these skills at early education andmost of them are carried out from inappropriate methodological perspectives for the characteristics of the youngest students. To overcome such limitations, it is essential to carry out observational studies that analyze children''s metacognitive behaviors in the natural and habitual context of children''s learning, as well as appropriate tasks for their level of development. The aim of this study was to analyze the sequential and associative structure of the metacognitive skills used by 5-year-old children throughout the resolution of a playful task (a puzzle). It was interesting to know if there were different hidden structures in the use of metacognitive skills in the children who solved the puzzle and those who did not. From the methodological approach, this work was located in the perspective of mixed methods which is characterized by the integration of qualitative and quantitative elements. This integration was carried out from the "connect" option. The integration involved developing quantitizing, as one of its possibilities. Recent scientific literature has considered systematic observation, in which the QUAL-QUAN-QUAL macro stages take place, as a mixed method itself. Consequently, systematic observation was applied, because it was suitable for our aim. A Nomothetic/Punctual/Multidimensional observational design was used. The playful activity of 44 preschool children solving the puzzle individually was coded. It allowed us to obtain data matrices that respond to the QUAL stage. Regarding the QUAN stage, once the quality of data was controlled, the records were further analyzed by differentiating two groups of participants (those who had solved the puzzle and those who did not) using three quantitative techniques of observational analysis (T-pattern detection, lag sequential analysis, polar coordinate analysis). Finally data was returned to a QUAL stage to interpret the results. The use of these three techniques allowed a detailed and in-depth analysis of the children''s activity. Results reveal differences in the metacognitive abilities of the children that solved and didn''t solve the puzzle. These results have important implications for educational practice

Estudio del polen atmosférico primaveral de la ciudad de Pamplona

El presente trabajo es un estudio del polen presente en la atmósfera de Pamplona, recogido diariamente durante los meses de marzo, abril, mayo, junio de 1978. Abstract: The spring atmospherical pollen of Pamplona is studied in this work. The pollen has been collected everyday during spring´s months of March, April, May, June in 1978

Participación y salud: nuevas iniciativas

La participación ciudadana en el ámbito de la salud se entiende como una estrategia fundamental para el desarrollo comunitario en general y, en este caso, de la promoción y la educación para la salud. Las transformaciones sociales y el cambio de los valores éticos acontecidos en estos últimos años han posicionado al paciente en un rol activo frente a las concepciones paternalistas del pasado. Surge entonces un nuevo objetivo, promover la participación del paciente a través de sus opiniones, conocimientos y experiencias en relación a su estado de salud y también sobre la gestión y funcionamiento del sistema de salud, ya sea dando su valoración sobre distintas variables o incluso interviniendo en la toma de decisiones en la evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias. Para alcanzar este objetivo se definen nuevos modelos y metodologías que establecerán los cauces para que el paciente y el ciudadano, legitimados como tales, intervengan en la gestión de su propio sistema de salud. Esta investigación tiene por objetivo analizar las nuevas formas de participación del paciente y el impacto en su salud y en la organización sanitaria, mediante la revisión de iniciativas implementadas en el sistema sanitario, así como los resultados obtenidos. Citizen participation in the field of health is understood as a fundamental strategy for community development in general and, in this case, for health promotion and education. The social transformations and the change in ethical values that have occurred in recent years have positioned the patient in an active role regarding the paternalistic conceptions of the past. A new objective arises: to encourage patients to participate through their opinions, knowledge and experiences in relation to their health status and also in the management and functioning of the health system, either by giving their assessment of different variables or even intervening in decision making in the evaluation of health technologies. To achieve this objective, new models and methodologies are defined that will establish the channels for the patient and the citizen, legitimized as such, to intervene in the management of their own health system. The purpose of this research is to analyze the new forms of patient participation and the impact on their health and health organization, by reviewing initiatives implemented in the health system, as well as the results obtained

Severe Lactic Acidosis in a Critically Ill Child: Think About Thiamine! A Case Report.

In this article, we presented a teenager, in maintenance chemotherapy for leukemia, who was admitted for digestive symptoms related to a parasitic infection and required nutritional support with parenteral nutrition. After 6 weeks, his condition worsened with refractory shock of presumed septic origin, necessitating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Despite hemodynamic stabilization, his lactic acidosis worsened until thiamine supplementation was started. Lactate normalized within 12 hours. Thiamine is an essential coenzyme in aerobic glycolysis, and deficiency leads to lactate accumulation through anaerobic glycolysis. Thiamine deficiency is uncommon in the pediatric population. However, it should be considered in patients at risk of nutritional deficiencies with lactic acidosis of unknown origin

Mezclas poliméricas cristal líquido/olefinas: morfología y propiedades de transporte

Se han preparado mezclas con diferentes composiciones a partir de un copolímero de etileno-1-octeno, sintetizado con un catalizador de tipo metaloceno y un polímero cristal líquido. La caracterizción estructural y morfológica de las películas obtenidas se realizó mediante difracción de rayos X, calorimetría diferencial de barrido y microscopía electrónica de barrido, mientras que el estudio de las propiedades físicas se ha llevado a cabo mediante análisis mecanodinámico, microdureza y ensayos esfuerzo-deformación, poniendo especial énfasis a la evaluación de sus propiedades de transporte de oxígeno

Prácticas de RSE en cooperativas. Experiencias y resultados mediante el estudio de casos

La conducta observada en las organizaciones que conforman el entramado de la Economía Social ha supuesto un precedente en actuaciones y prácticas que representan una forma de hacer empresa basada en la responsabilidad social, incluidas sus múltiples acepciones y enfoques. Asimismo, se percibe un creciente interés en la llamada Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa (RSE), un modelo de gestión implantado en diversos tipos de organizaciones, con y sin fines lucrativos, que lleva consigo el compromiso con un conjunto de valores ligados a todos sus grupos de interés. En el marco de la Economía Social, las cooperativas operan en conformidad con los criterios, valores y principios de RSE, interés por la comunidad y servicio a sus miembros, no solamente en la esfera económica, sino también en el ámbito social y medioambiental. Múltiples trabajos manifiestan la concordancia entre el desarrollo de las políticas de RSE en sus tres vertientes (económica, social y ambiental) y los valores y principios cooperativos enunciados por la Alianza Cooperativa Internacional (ACI, 1995). Estos estudios avalan la afirmación de que la propia naturaleza de las cooperativas implica un comportamiento socialmente responsable. Asumidos estos postulados, el objetivo del presente trabajo es observar y constatar el cumplimiento efectivo de los mismos en cooperativas de diferentes sectores y entornos, cuestión que conlleva el análisis de la gestión integral de las actuaciones inherentes de RSE, derivadas de sus relaciones con los distintos agentes, según la Teoría de los grupos de interés (Turker, 2009). Adicionalmente, las cooperativas deben buscar la supervivencia mediante sus resultados económicos plasmados en la obtención de unos excedentes y una rentabilidad adecuados (López y Marcuello, 2006), con la finalidad de prestar servicios a los socios a lo largo del tiempo, y todo ello en sintonía con las demandas de los distintos grupos de interés. Por estos motivos, el estudio contrasta la aplicación de la RSE con la obtención de resultados económicos en un entorno de crisis económica. Mediante una metodología de estudio de casos, se han seleccionado seis cooperativas españolas pertenecientes a diversos sectores, para analizar sus memorias y cuentas de resultados, con el objeto de identificar relaciones entre sus comportamientos de RSE y los resultados económico-financieros obtenidos en un periodo de tiempo determinado. The behaviour observed in the organizations of the Social Economy framework has set a precedent in business practices which are based on social responsibility. There is also a growing interest in so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a management model implemented in different types of for- and non-profit organizations, which entails a commitment to a set of values linked to all its stakeholders. Within the framework of the Social Economy, cooperatives operate under the criteria, values, and principles of CSR. They have an interest in the community and in providing service to their members, not only economically but also socially and environmentally. There is a body of evidence which shows the link between the development of CSR policies (economic, social and environmental) and the cooperative values and principles laid out by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA, 1995). These studies support the claim that the very nature of cooperatives implies socially responsible behaviour. In the last two decades, and more intensely during the recent economic crisis, Spanish cooperatives have shown an increasing interest in the development of CSR policies through concrete actions (Monzon and Antunano, 2012). Likewise, cooperatives seek to broaden the communication channels with their stakeholders and with society as a whole, through the preparation of well-defined and accessible CSR reports, as an additional element of transparency in their management model. In light of the above, the general objective of this study is to observe and verify the effective CSR compliance in a scenario of economic crisis across cooperatives from different sectors and environments. This issue entails the analysis of the management of CSR actions, derived from the relations with the relevant agents, according to the Theory of Stakeholders (Turker, 2009). This is linked to the nature of cooperatives and their operating principles given their afore-posited predisposition to more effective CSR implementation in comparison to other business formulas (Bel and Marin, 2008; Sanchis and Rodriguez, 2018). This facet goes hand in hand with a marked interest in transparency, accountability and the preparation of SCR reports as a way of transmitting their differentiating characteristics to their interest groups (Gallardo and Castilla, 2015). In addition, the economic literature on the subject recognises CSR as a fundamental resource for creating a competitive advantage applicable to cooperatives. These organizations develop strategies that allow them to survive thanks to their economic results, reflected in the obtaining of adequate surpluses (Lopez and Marcuello, 2006), by the aim of providing services to members over time, and all in tune with the demands of the different interest groups. For these reasons, the second objective of the study is to contrast the CSR implementation with profit generation in these entities, in a context of economic crisis, and to seek certainties on the alignment between the social and economic function of the cooperatives (Gallardo and Castilla, 2015). Following Villareal and Landeta (2010), a case study methodology has been applied. For this, we have selected six Spanish cooperatives from different sectors with a high degree of significance within the Ranking "Relevant Companies of the Social Economy" 2010-2011 published by the Social Economy Business Confederation (CEPES). Subsequently, the chosen cooperatives have been refined and sorted based on the available documentation. For this, first all the potentially comparable information regarding the development of CSR actions has been collected. Then, the available financial data have been obtained. In parallel, qualitative and quantitative information of these cooperatives has been extracted from the publications of CSR and economic reports. These data have been complemented with information from other secondary sources. Consequently, the relevant CSR factors relating to the social, economic and environmental dimensions have been determined according to the RSECOOP model (2011) following the indicators of the Global Reporting Initiative. Then, the economic-financial ratios have been selected, which reveal positions in accordance with the different interest groups of the selected cooperatives. Next, we start from the hypothesis, widely reviewed in the literature, which associates cooperative principles with behaviours consistent with the development of social responsibility towards stakeholders, and considers that these organisations should integrate these behaviours into their management policies (Server and Capo, 2009). This issue is closely related to the creation of added (Mozas, 2010) and the obtaining of lasting competitive advantages (Castilla et al., 2015). Thus, under the stated objectives, a basic evaluation of compliance with the relevant CSR factors for these six cooperatives is first carried out (COCETA, 2001). To this end, the results obtained are verified and compared using the numerical values offered and are grouped into charts for better visualization of the degree of compliance (concentration-dispersion) with the CSR in the three vectors considered. Then, the CSR values obtained are contrasted with the average values of the profitability ratios applied for these cooperatives, to observe possible relationships between compliance with the CSR variables and the economic results of the organizations. After analyzing the CSR practices developed by the cooperatives under study, relatively high compliance with socially responsible behaviours has been observed, since the results show positive values and highly homogeneous deviations. However, not all cases denote a development of CSR according to the relative position of the cooperative in the market and its economic results. Therefore, a degree of commitment to its stakeholders based on the specific corporate culture and values present is perceived. On the other hand, certain biases in the configuration of the CSR have been observed as an integral business management model, ` since not all CSR vectors have been observed with the same intensity in each of the cases. Also, there is a correlation in the cooperatives between the economic results obtained, measured in terms of commercial margin, and the overall development of CSR practices. It is reflected more intensely in the economic profitability ratios and corresponds to the progress of social responsibility aspects in the economic vector. Finally, the results obtained could serve, in general, to strengthen the theory, generally accepted in the literature about the capacity of cooperatives to be more resistant in crisis environments by promoting a more socially responsible economy. However, it is still necessary for these organizations to make greater efforts to communicate their social performance and the advantages of the CSR''s reported management as a tool for competing in markets. One of the limitations of the study derives from the difficulty of configuring and examining a large number of variables. This leads to a reduced case study, which prevents, due to the size of the sample, the establishment and/or modelling of causal relationships for Spanish cooperatives in the reference period as a whole. Nevertheless, this issue has not been the object of analysis, as justified in the design of the study. We must also add the limitation of not having homogeneous and constant information for all cooperatives or more extended periods. The contribution of this research is reflected firstly in the particularities that can be approached in greater depth from the analysis of specific cases, reviewing social and economic behaviour of cooperatives. And secondly, the proposed methodology can be used as a guide to be adapted and expanded to analyze this type of relationship in different contexts and scenarios. For example, the study can be replicated to analyze cooperatives from the same sector or to carry out cross-sector comparisons. Future research can consider specific geographical areas and different periods, with varying dimensions and sizes, or even ultimately, the model may allow comparisons with other companies that are not part of the Social Economy