Effects of Storm Type on the Variability of Rainfall Sampling Adjustment Factors

Even though rainfall is a continuous process, we are only able to measure it over discrete aggregation periods. This temporal discretization introduces negative biases when extracting rainfall maxima for short durations, similar to the instrument’s resolution. Empirically-derived correction factors known as Hershfield or rainfall sampling adjustment factors (SAF) have been widely used to correct this bias. Nevertheless, there are conflicting definitions for SAFs in the literature, and no one has looked in detail at how they vary spatially, between seasons, and as function of storm type. Concurrent, 34-yr long rainfall records from 52 weather stations distributed throughout Switzerland were used to study SAF variability. It was found that SAFs display a large variation both across and within stations, the latter because of the different ways of totalizing. On average, SAFs are higher for convective storms and during the warm season. There is no clear spatial pattern across Switzerland, nor any relationship with elevation

De la compensación económica

Tesis (Licenciado en Ciencias Jurídicas)INTRODUCCIÓN: La familia es el núcleo fundamental de la sociedad, como lo señala nuestra Constitución Política de la República, pero es evidente que ha sufrido varios cambios con el paso del tiempo, uno de ellos es referente al matrimonio. Antiguamente el matrimonio, y tal como aún consta en el artículo 102 del Código Civil, el hombre y la mujer se unían ―actual e indisolublemente, y por toda la vida‖. Pero en la actualidad, con la entrada en vigencia de la nueva ley referente al matrimonio civil, la N° 19.947 que entró a sustituir la antigua ley del 10 de enero de 1884, se puede, como una excepción, recurrir al divorcio. La organización familiar más común que se produce es que un cónyuge trabaje mientras el otro no lo hace por preocuparse de la familia. Por lo general en nuestro país –aunque cada vez menos- la mujer queda a cargo de la crianza de los hijos y de la labores del hogar mientras que el hombre sale a trabajar, pero una vez que se disuelve el matrimonio se produce una alteración en la vida de los cónyuges en donde el que no trabajó (muchas veces por años) se convierte en el más débil de ambos quedando muchas veces desprotegido de manera total económicamente hablando -salvo en los casos en que se hayan casado bajo el régimen de sociedad conyugal o participación en los gananciales donde existan bienes a repartir- en donde además se ve perjudicado en su futuro por el coste de oportunidad laboral, cotizaciones previsionales, etcétera. Se produce un desequilibrio económico que es necesario reparar. Es por esto que gracias a la ley n° 19.947 una de las consecuencias que trae aparejado el divorcio o la nulidad matrimonial es la Compensación Económica que está particularmente señalada en el capítulo VII ―de las reglas comunes a ciertos casos de separación, nulidad y divorcio‖ en su párrafo 1° llamado ―de la compensación económica‖, desde los artículos 61 al 66. Gracias a esto el cónyuge más fuerte, económicamente hablando, se ve en la obligación de entregarle una suma de dinero, bienes, acciones, o derechos de usufructo, uso o habitación al cónyuge más débil que se ve perjudicado y desprovisto de bienes para enfrentar su vida en adelante...

Análisis de las estrategias de exportación de vino: el caso chileno en países emergentes

47 p.La industria del vino ha ido en aumento en cuanto a volumen y valor del vino exportado. Chile como país exportador de vino ha logrado situarse entre los principales países exportadores del mundo, siendo el cuarto a nivel mundial y el primero entre los países del nuevo mundo. En esta investigación se analizaron las ventajas competitivas, asociadas a la estructura de los costos arancelarios y los costos por litro de vino (Costo de compra de uva, costo de producción y comercialización y el costo seco). Además se realizó un análisis de la cadena de valor, en el cual se analizaron las actividades en la producción primaria, la industria de vinificación y la comercialización. Posteriormente se generaron recomendaciones de posicionamiento del sector vitivinícola chileno. Al analizar las ventajas competitivas se comparó el modelo exportador vitivinícola de Chile, con el de Argentina y Australia, ya que estos pertenecen a los países del nuevo mundo y están el mismo hemisferio y poseen casi los mismos mercados de exportación. En el primer análisis Chile resulto ser el país más competitivo por tener menores costos arancelarios y costos por litro de vino que Argentina y Australia. Lo que le da Chile una ventaja competitiva en las exportaciones. En el análisis de la cadena de valor de la producción primaria Chile, Argentina y Australia presentan ventajas en sus variedades insignia por las características propias y el volumen de producción, solo que Chile no es la variedad que más produce a diferencia de sus competidores que la mayor variedad producida es la insignia. En la industria de vinificación los vinos producidos se comercializan de dos formas fraccionadas y a granel, obteniendo más valor el primero, Chile y Argentina más del 50% son vinos fraccionados y en Australia más del 50% es a granel. En cuanto a tecnología e integración de viñedos los tres países presentan las mismas condiciones, las cuales influyen en la calidad del vino producido, pero se diferencian en cuanto a productividad de la mano de obra y los sistemas de conducción empleados. En la comercialización de vino Chile tiene volúmenes de venta similares entre sus principales importadores, mientras que Argentina y Australia concentran más volúmenes ventas en los dos principales países importadores. Al generar la recomendación de posicionamiento, se basó según las deficiencias y las ventajas observadas en el análisis de competitividad y en la cadena de valor, proporcionando recomendaciones para potenciar las ventajas y disminuir las deficiencias en las exportaciones vitivinícolas de Chile./ABSTRACT: The wine industry has been increasing both volume and value of its exported wine. Chile, as a wine exporting country, has managed to become one of the world's leading exporters, the fourth largest in the world and the first within the new world. In this research the competitive advantages associated to the structure of tariff costs and the costs per liter of wine were analyzed (Purchase costs of grapes, production costs and commercialization and dry costs). In addition, a value chain analysis was carried out, in which the primary production activities, the wine industry and commercialization were analyzed. Subsequently, recommendations were made for the positioning of the Chilean wine sector. While analyzing the competitive advantages, Chile's export model was compared to Argentina’s and Australia’s, since these belong to the new world countries and are in the same hemisphere and have almost the same export markets. In the first analysis Chile proved to be the most competitive country due to lower tariff costs and lower costs per liter of wine than Argentina and Australia. This gives Chile a competitive exporting advantage. In the analysis of the value chain of primary production, all three countries present advantages in their flagship varieties due to their own characteristics and volume of production. However, Argentina and Australia produce significantly more of their flagship variety than the other varieties they produce. In the winemaking industry, the wines produced are sold in two forms, fractional and bulk, with the first being worth more. In Chile and Argentina more than 50% of the production is fractionated wines, whereas in Australia more than 50% is produced in bulk. In terms of technology and integration of vineyards, the three countries have similar conditions, which influence the quality of the wine produced. However, they differ in workforce productivity and the managing systems used. As for the marketing of wine, Chile has similar sales volumes among its main importers, while Argentina and Australia concentrate more sales volume in their two main importing countries. The market positioning recommendation of this thesis was based on the deficiencies and advantages observed in the analysis of competitiveness and in the value chain, suggesting ways to enhance the advantages and reduce the deficiencies in Chilean wine exports

Infection and exposure to vector-borne pathogens in rural dogs and their ticks, Uganda

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.-- et al.[Background]: In rural parts of Africa, dogs live in close association with humans and livestock, roam freely, and usually do not receive prophylactic measures. Thus, they are a source of infectious disease for humans and for wildlife such as protected carnivores. In 2011, an epidemiological study was carried out around three conservation areas in Uganda to detect the presence and determine the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in rural dogs and associated ticks to evaluate the risk that these pathogens pose to humans and wildlife. [Methods]: Serum samples (n=105), blood smears (n=43) and blood preserved on FTA cards (n=38) and ticks (58 monospecific pools of Haemaphysalis leachi and Rhipicephalus praetextatus including 312 ticks from 52 dogs) were collected from dogs. Dog sera were tested by indirect immunofluorescence to detect the presence of antibodies against Rickettsia conorii and Ehrlichia canis. Antibodies against R. conorii were also examined by indirect enzyme immunoassay. Real time PCR for the detection of Rickettsia spp., Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella spp. and Babesia spp. was performed in DNA extracted from FTA cards and ticks. [Results]: 99 % of the dogs were seropositive to Rickettsia spp. and 29.5 % to Ehrlichia spp. Molecular analyses revealed that 7.8 % of the blood samples were infected with Babesia rossi, and all were negative for Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia spp. Ticks were infected with Rickettsia sp. (18.9 %), including R. conorii and R. massiliae; Ehrlichia sp. (18.9 %), including E. chaffeensis and Anaplasma platys; and B. rossi (1.7 %). Bartonella spp. was not detected in any of the blood or tick samples. [Conclusions]: This study confirms the presence of previously undetected vector-borne pathogens of humans and animals in East Africa. We recommend that dog owners in rural Uganda be advised to protect their animals against ectoparasites to prevent the transmission of pathogens to humans and wildlife.This study received partial support from the project CGL2010-17931.Peer Reviewe

Drivers of Bartonella infection in micromammals and their fleas in a Mediterranean peri-urban area

People living at the human/wildlife interface are at risk of becoming infected with Bartonella for which micromammals act as reservoir. We aimed to determine the factors related to the prevalence of Bartonella and its haplotype diversity in micromammals and in their fleas in a Mediterranean peri-urban environment. We analyzed 511 micromammals, chiefly 407 wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), captured into Barcelona metropolitan area (Spain) in spring and autumn from 2011 to 2013 in two natural and two adjacent residential areas, their fleas (grouped in 218 monospecific pools) and 29 fetuses from six Bartonella-positive female wood mice. Amplification of a fragment of ITS was carried out by real time PCR. Prevalence was 49% (57% in the dominant species, the wood mouse), and 12 haplotypes were detected. In general, prevalence was higher in those hosts more heavily infested by fleas, coincident with higher rates of capture, in autumn than in spring, and in adults than in juveniles. Prevalence did not differ between natural and residential areas except for one prevalent haplotype, which was more frequent in natural areas. Prevalence in flea pools (58%) was only explained by Bartonella occurrence in the pool host. In 56.4% of the flea pools with identified Bartonella haplotypes, we found the same haplotype in the host and in its flea pool. Prevalence in wood mouse fetuses was 69%, with at least one infected fetus in all litters, and two litters with all the fetuses infected. indicating that vertical transmission might be important in Bartonella epidemiology in the wood mouse. There is a hazard of Bartonella infection for people living in residential areas and those visiting peri-urban natural areas in Barcelona

Infection and exposure to vector-borne pathogens in rural dogs and their ticks, Uganda

BACKGROUND: In rural parts of Africa, dogs live in close association with humans and livestock, roam freely, and usually do not receive prophylactic measures. Thus, they are a source of infectious disease for humans and for wildlife such as protected carnivores. In 2011, an epidemiological study was carried out around three conservation areas in Uganda to detect the presence and determine the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in rural dogs and associated ticks to evaluate the risk that these pathogens pose to humans and wildlife. METHODS: Serum samples (n = 105), blood smears (n = 43) and blood preserved on FTA cards (n = 38) and ticks (58 monospecific pools of Haemaphysalis leachi and Rhipicephalus praetextatus including 312 ticks from 52 dogs) were collected from dogs. Dog sera were tested by indirect immunofluorescence to detect the presence of antibodies against Rickettsia conorii and Ehrlichia canis. Antibodies against R. conorii were also examined by indirect enzyme immunoassay. Real time PCR for the detection of Rickettsia spp., Anaplasmataceae, Bartonella spp. and Babesia spp. was performed in DNA extracted from FTA cards and ticks. RESULTS: 99 % of the dogs were seropositive to Rickettsia spp. and 29.5 % to Ehrlichia spp. Molecular analyses revealed that 7.8 % of the blood samples were infected with Babesia rossi, and all were negative for Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia spp. Ticks were infected with Rickettsia sp. (18.9 %), including R. conorii and R. massiliae; Ehrlichia sp. (18.9 %), including E. chaffeensis and Anaplasma platys; and B. rossi (1.7 %). Bartonella spp. was not detected in any of the blood or tick samples. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the presence of previously undetected vector-borne pathogens of humans and animals in East Africa. We recommend that dog owners in rural Uganda be advised to protect their animals against ectoparasites to prevent the transmission of pathogens to humans and wildlife

Genetic analysis tools to investigate the role of wildlife in disease transmission in modified environments

The availability of cost and time-efficient tools for investigating wildlife disease and vector ecology is extremely important in a changing landscape with urbanisation affecting dispersal and ecology of wildlife populations and disease-carrying vectors. It is important also as the majority of zoonotic outbreaks (transmittable from animal to human populations) have originated in wildlife. Genetic tools and spatially explicit models can be used to study vector-borne diseases ecology and vector-host interactions and hence the transmission of diseases-causing pathogens that require a vector to spread among hosts. Tools such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) allow the simultaneous analysis of multiple samples and are becoming a cost-efficient way to collect extensive amounts of data to address complex questions. Despite the new opportunities that developments in molecular techniques are providing in disease ecology, there is a need for studies that critically evaluate their applicability, benefits and limitations, and to explore the new opportunities that genomic tools can provide.The overall objective of this thesis was to develop and test several novel molecular tools to provide new opportunities in the investigation of disease transmission and vector ecology in wildlife populations. I evaluated the potential applications of three genetic methodological developments to disease ecology: i) using symbiont genetic profiles to estimate host contact networks using eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) as a model, ii) evaluating potential landscape barriers to paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) dispersal using the ddRADseq (double-digestion restriction site-associated DNA sequencing) method, iii) evaluating the barcoding and the ddRADseq approaches for blood meal analysis in paralysis ticks and to detect the presence of pathogens. In addition, I supplemented my landscape genetics and blood meal analyses by creating much needed species distribution models to predict paralysis tick occurrence at a local-scale (Brisbane) and at a state-scale (Queensland, Australia).Estimating contact networks and hence disease transmission can be difficult in wildlife populations. Patterns of commensal bacterial genotype sharing tested as a predictor of hosts’ social associations, as both should indicate levels of contact, and tested as a feasible proxy for estimating potential transmission networks. Escherichia coli was cultured from 132 eastern grey kangaroo faecal samples, and BOX-PCR was used to obtain bacterial genotypes to construct the bacterial network. Escherichia coli was cultured from 94 kangaroo faecal samples (71% prevalence). The threshold to determine host association and the similarity cut-off value used to define E. coli genotypes had important ramifications for inferring links between individuals. Opposite patterns were found based on the chosen threshold. I found that sharing commensal bacterial genotype might not be an efficient method to estimate contact between individuals since the results were strongly related to user-defined parameters for constructing the networks.Landscape genetic tools have increased the opportunities for identifying variables that influence pathogen spread; however, they have been underutilised in investigating vector-borne diseases dispersal. The capability of the ddRADseq was evaluated to determine the genetic population structure of an important disease vector in Queensland, Australia; the paralysis tick. A total of 20,772 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified among 34 individual paralysis ticks. Using population genomic analyses, K=2 was the best fitting model for the admixture analysis. Evidence for both isolation by distance and isolation by resistance based on foliage projective cover and population density factors was found, with a main highway identified as a probable barrier between the two genetic clusters. However, the pairwise genetic distance was explained better by the geographical distance than by the resistance surface, which suggests that paralysis tick hosts are probably urban-adapted species with a small habitat range.Host abundance and host diversity changes across urban environments are expected to influence the host preferences of ticks. Host preferences have been studied based on host trapping, but this can result in sampling bias. The capability of the barcoding DNA method and the ddRADseq approach were evaluated for efficacy in detecting the host species used by paralysis ticks. The ddRADseq method provides short reads from a reduced representation sample of the genome, and these were compared to host and pathogen mitochondrial libraries. DNA was extracted from the whole adult tick to identify blood meal hosts from nymph stage. The ddRADseq method and a more conventional barcoding approach were able to detect previous host DNA. Host DNA was detected in four (12%) of the ticks using the barcoding approach, and in two ticks and four fed adult ticks included as controls using the ddRADseq approach. Pathogen DNA of Ehrlichia canis and Rickettsia australis were detected using the ddRADseq approach.Understanding the distribution of pathogens and vectors is important for predicting and managing their potential impacts on people. However, estimating these distributions quantitatively is difficult when survey data is limited. Several algorithms were used to predict the I. holocyclus distribution and to construct an ensemble model using the Biomod2 package at two spatial scales. This study demonstrated the potential for developing models of paralysis tick distribution at both state and local scales that have strong predictive power, as assessed through cross-validation (AUC =0.937 and AUC =0.981 respectively). Within Queensland, 11 local government areas consist of at least 80% potential paralysis tick habitat. The local-scale model indicated a higher probability of tick occurrence concentrated around Redland City and North West Brisbane.This research has identified both the potential and limitations of applying novel genetics methods and species distribution models to disease ecology research. It identified the importance of parameter thresholds when genetic markers are used as an indirect estimator for contact networks. It used two different methods for blood meal analysis to show the diversity of hosts for the paralysis tick, identified a potential genetic break in the population structure of ticks using newly discovered SNP markers, and provided two species distribution models that have the potential to inform management activities. Development in genetic and genomic tools is revolutionising disease ecology research, though ongoing research is required to evaluate the efficacy of these developments and determine best practice for their application

Efecto del liderazgo: intercambio-líder miembro en la organización

Es muy importante para una organización que sus líderes mantengan buenas relaciones con sus seguidores que estimulen un desempeño superior por parte de éstos, así como también que permitan la existencia de un conjunto de comportamientos eficaces y voluntarios más allá de los adscritos formalmente a los roles. En investigaciones anteriores se ha podido concluir que la existencia de comportamientos ciudadanos no sólo es influenciada por el tipo de liderazgo adoptado sino también por factores relacionados a la organización como los valores, tamaño de ésta, definiciones del cargo, características de personalidad, entre otras (Salgado et al 2002). A través del presente estudio se pretende examinar la relación descrita en la literatura entre el liderazgo de la Teoría de Intercambio Líder-Miembro y los comportamientos ciudadanos en la organización, así como el desempeño de los seguidores percibido ante la existencia de este tipo de liderazgo. A través de cuestionarios para jefes y seguidores, se encuestará sobre variables relacionadas tanto al liderazgo como a los comportamientos de los jefes y subalternos y el desempeño percibido de parte de los últimos. Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio realizado en dos empresas de distintos sectores (sector industrial y de distribución), muestran una estructura factorial de los comportamientos ciudadanos distinta a la detectada por Salgado et al.(2002). Esta incluye 5 factores para cada una de las organizaciones, los cuales son muy similares entre ambas pero, ligeramente diferentes a los encontrados en Colombia (Salgado et al.). Por otra parte, se demuestra que la calidad de la relación entre el líder y su colaborador afecta a la satisfacción del ultimo, su confianza y la percepción de justicia. Para ninguna de las organizaciones se encontraron correlaciones significativas entre la teoría del intercambio líder - miembro y alguno de los comportamientos ciudadanos. Por este y otros motivos, la conjetura de esta investigación es rechazada completamente para el caso de la organización del sector de distribución, y es su mayoría para la empresa del sector industrial

Estudio de pre-factibilidad técnico económico de la producción y comercialización de hortalizas hidropónicas en Concepción, VIII región

Tesis (Ingeniero Civil Industrial)La hidroponía o “Cultivo Sin Tierra” permite, con un reducido consumo de agua y limitado trabajo físico, pero con un determinado y elevado trabajo en investigación, dedicación y constancia, producir hortalizas frescas, sanas y abundantes en reducidos espacios físicos. Con la tecnología y la técnica de producción que se plantea en el estudio se busca la producción de hortalizas de la más alta calidad que se pueda encontrar en el mercado regional, el método de cultivo será por NFT (Nutrient Film Technique), un sistema basado en la circulación de una fina lámina de solución nutritiva que circula por canales o tubos de PVC entre sus secciones, el canal debe contar con un leve desnivel para así permitir la circulación de la solución nutritiva por medio de la gravedad, y mediante una pequeña bomba volverá al sistema, permitiendo de este modo a las hortalizas la captación continua y sin interrupción de los nutrientes que le aporte la solución, los que estarán constante circulación por el medio acuoso de la solución. El objetivo del presente trabajo es el desarrollo de una evaluación técnico económica de la producción y comercialización de hortalizas hidropónicas bajo invernaderos automatizados en el Gran Concepción, el cual es un mercado pujante, en donde se puede figurar como un mercado donde tiene cabida la producción y comercialización de los productos del estudio