Elaboración de un plan estratégico de marketing para establecer la perdurabilidad de las medianas empresas ferreteras de la Ciudad de San Miguel

Elaborar un Plan Estratégico de Marketing para establecer la perdurabilidad de la Mediana empresa ferretera en la ciudad de San Miguel. La investigación se realizará de una forma directa, ya que la información para el análisis del fenómeno se obtuvo directamente de la realidad social. Y así con la investigación descriptiva que “su objeto central es obtener un panorama más preciso de la magnitud del problema o situación, jerarquizar los problemas, derivar elementos de juicio para estructurar políticas o estrategias operativas, conocer las variables que se asocian y señalar los lineamientos para la prueba de hipótesis. En el sector ferretero la rivalidad competitiva es alta, esto sobrellevado por que los productos que se ofrecen en esta industria son idénticos; el 66.67% de los clientes expresó que los atributos, cualidades o beneficios de los bienes que se ofrecen en estos negocios, son similares. La facilidad de los clientes a optar por un producto sustituto es alta, ya que el 83.33% de clientes está dispuesto a sustituirlo por otro con características similares y de menor precio. La realización de convenios comerciales con otros países incrementa las expectativas de que nuevas empresas extranjeras incursionen en el mercado, así lo percibe el 56.25% de administradores entrevistados; lo cual ha motivado a incrementar las inversiones en estas empresas, ya que, para estar preparadas ante la futura y actual competencia realizaron inversiones en el último año en un total de 62.50% de éstas, de las cuales el 70% ha sido en la remodelación del establecimiento, esto para mejorar la imagen ante sus clientes. También se determinó que dentro de la industria existen dos barreras de entrada siendo la rivalidad competitiva, que según el 75% de las ferreterías así lo mencionan. Y la otra barrera es la inversión inicial ya que éstas requieren de una gran inversión para la adquisición del local y el inventario con que operan. Los clientes generan un poder de negociación alto, el 68.75% de los administradores manifestaron que estos pueden negociar los precios en su empresa, y esto, en su mayoría (90.91%), generado por el volumen de compra que estos realizan. En cuanto al poder de negociación de los proveedores se determinó que es alto, ya que en su mayoría son proveedores nacionales o locales y que no todas las empresas tienen la capacidad para poder realizar compras en el extranjero por lo que éstas definen los precios a los que las ferreterías adquieren sus producto

Hyperspectral image control of the heat-treatment process of oat flour to model composite bread properties

[EN] A hyperspectral image analysis was used to characterize heat treatment in oat flour, performed by treating oat flour at 80, 100 and 130 °C for 30 min. Images from both original oat and treated flours were captured, and hyperspectral information was collected. Oat flours were used to obtain composite flours based on two different substitution levels (10 and 20%) of wheat flour. Composite breads were produced from the obtained flours. A battery of analyses was run to characterize them in terms of physical properties. The hyperspectral information of oat flours was analyzed by multivariate statistics and a pattern evolution-depending temperature was observed. Similarly, a set of the physical properties of breads was analyzed based on multivariate statistics, and a pattern of temperature-dependent evolution, in addition to the substitution level, was also recognized. Multivariate non linear regressions were done between both data sets to study their relationship and high values in the calibration and cross-validation results obtained. The changes undergone by oat flour during treatment were characterized with hyperspectral information, which could represent a non destructive monitoring tool to then regulate it until oat flours are obtained that confer composite bread adequate properties.Verdú Amat, S.; Vasquez-Lara, F.; Ivorra Martínez, E.; Sánchez Salmerón, AJ.; Barat Baviera, JM.; Grau Meló, R. (2017). Hyperspectral image control of the heat-treatment process of oat flour to model composite bread properties. Journal of Food Engineering. 192:45-52. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2016.07.017S455219

Intensive Habitat Loss in South Spain: Arborescent Scrubs with <em>Ziziphus</em> (5220*)

The habitat arborescent matorral with Ziziphus (5220*) was included in the Habitats Directive of the European Commission. These plant formations represent the maximum potential vegetation in a very restrictive arid environment, since it encompasses endemic, tropical, or Maghrebian floristic elements, and from other areas of the ancient Thetis Sea. In fact, the version of this community with Gymnosporia senegalensis (Lam.) Loes. [=Maytenus senegalensis (Lam.) Exell] constitutes extraordinarily singular flora formations in the Iberian southeast. These are unique communities in Europe and ecologically extremely valuable and, however, have been included among the Europe’s most endangered habitats. The vast economic development experienced in South Spain based on the remarkable transformation of traditional farming patterns into a highly profitable agriculture that uses industrial production methods and the groundwater intensively (agriculture intensification and land-use change), in addition to urbanization without sustainable land planning, determines that European G. senegalensis populations are seriously threatened by severe habitat destruction and fragmentation

Sobre el grado de aceptación de la teoría evolutiva de los alumnos de Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria

La Teoría de la Evolución (TE) es una teoría unificadora en la Biología y su comprensión es fundamental para entender la naturaleza y nuestro lugar en ella. En este trabajo se ha evaluado si 137 alumnos de Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria (E.S.O.) en Almería aceptan la TE. Para esto se ha utilizado el cuestionario MATE y los datos han sido analizados mediante una prueba t de Student. De esta manera se pudo concluir que los alumnos de cursos superiores presentan un mayor grado de aceptación de la TE. Por otra parte, aquellos con una orientación científica tuvieron una aceptación muy alta si los comparamos con los que tenían una orientación de ciencias sociales cuya aceptación fue moderada. Los alumnos cuyo padre tiene una formación superior, mostraron también un mayor grado de aceptación de la TE, mientras que en el caso de la madre la diferencia no llegó a ser significativa

A fast single cut spherical near-field-to-far-field transformation using cylindrical modes

A fast spherical near-field to far-field transformation using single cuts is introduced in this paper. It is based on calculating the Cylindrical Modal Coefficients of each individual near-field ring and processing them independently, considering them as cylinders of zero height and applying probe correction. The reconstruction of each far-field cut is obtained through an inverse Fast Fourier Transform. This procedure provides the opportunity to perform real time transformations due to its low acquisition and processing time. It is a useful tool for applications which do not require a full or accurate characterization, such as measuring the main patterns of an antenna or its most important parameters (peak gain, beam width, side lobe level, etc.)

Plants on Rich-Magnesium Dolomite Barrens: A Global Phenomenon

For botanists and ecologists, the close link between some plants and substrates, such as serpentine or gypsum, is well known. However, the relationship between dolomite and its flora has been much less studied, due to various causes. Its diffuse separation from limestone and the use of a vague approach and terminology that, until now, no one has tried to harmonize are among these reasons. After carrying out an extensive review, completed with data on the distribution of plants linked to dolomite, the territories in which this type of flora appears at a global level were mapped using a geographic information system software. In addition, data on soils were collected, as well as on their influence on the ionomic profile of the flora. These data were completed with the authors’ own information from previous research, which also served to assess these communities’ degree of conservation and the genetic diversity of some of their characteristic species. The results showed that the so-called “dolomite phenomenon” is widely represented and is clearly manifested in the appearance of a peculiar flora, very rich in endemisms, on dry soils, poor in nutrients, and with a high Mg level. Although dolomite habitats cause adaptations in plants which are even more recognizable than those of other rock types, they have not been widely studied from an ecological, evolutionary, and conservation point of view because, so far, neither their characteristics nor their universal demarcation have been precisely defined

Spontaneous primary succession and vascular plant recovery in the Iberian gypsum quarries: insights for ecological restoration in an EU priority habitat

Gypsum covers a vast area of the Iberian Peninsula, making Spain a leader in its production. Gypsum is a fundamental raw material for modern societies. However, gypsum quarries have an obvious impact on the landscape and biodiversity. Gypsum outcrops host a high percentage of endemic plants and unique vegetation, considered a priority by the EU. Restoring gypsum areas after mining is a key strategy to prevent biodiversity loss. For the implementation of restoration approaches, understanding vegetation’s successional processes can be of invaluable help. To fully document the spontaneous succession in gypsum quarries and to evaluate its interest for restoration, 10 permanent plots of 20 × 50 m were proposed, with nested subplots, in which vegetation change was recorded for 13 years in Almeria (Spain). Through Species-Area Relationships (SARs), these plots’ floristic changes were monitored and compared to others in which an active restoration was carried out, as well as others with natural vegetation. Furthermore, the successional pattern found was compared to those recorded in 28 quarries distributed throughout the Spanish territory. The results show that an ecological pattern of spontaneous primary auto-succession is widely recurring in Iberian gypsum quarries, which is capable of regenerating the pre-existing natural vegetation

Efficiency of Diagnostic Test for SARS-CoV-2 in a Nursing Home

Background: there is no consensus on how to optimally use diagnostic tests in each stage of COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this research is to determine the efficiency of sorting posi tive antibody test quarterly. Methods: this research uses a retrospective, observational study. COVID-19 diagnostic tests performed and avoided refer to a Spanish nursing home. Population: 261 employees and 107 residents. A quarterly antibody test was performed on subjects who had tested positive during the first wave of coronavirus, and a antibody rapid test on the remaining subjects. Results: during the first wave, 24.0% of the employees and 51.4% of the residents had a positive antibody test. Seronegativization was observed in 7.6% of employees and 1.6% of residents. An em ployee was infected with COVID-19 in September 2020, followed by a nursing home outbreak in October: 118 Polymerase Chain Reactions tests were avoided in residents and 18 in employees, which in turn prevented 15 workers from going on sick leave and the quarantine of 59 residents. This represents savings of about $15,000. Conclusions: our study supports the need to know and apply the strategies for early detection, surveillance and control of COVID-19 for future outbreaks. We conclude that surveillance for positive COVID-19 serology among long-term care staff and res idents may be a cost-effective strategy during a pand

The Relict Ecosystem of Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea in an Agricultural Landscape: Past, Present and Future Scenarios

Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea is a shrub belonging to the Celastraceae family, whose only European populations are distributed discontinuously along the south-eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, forming plant communities with great ecological value, unique in Europe. As it is an endangered species that makes up plant communities with great palaeoecological significance, the development of species distribution models is of major interest under different climatic scenarios, past, present and future, based on the fact that the climate could play a relevant role in the distribution of this species, as well as in the conformation of the communities in which it is integrated. Palaeoecological models were generated for the Maximum Interglacial, Last Maximum Glacial and Middle Holocene periods. The results obtained showed that the widest distribution of this species, and the maximum suitability of its habitat, occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, when the temperatures of the peninsular southeast were not as contrasting as those of the rest of the European continent and were favored by higher rainfall. Under these conditions, large territories could act as shelters during the glacial period, a hypothesis reflected in the model’s results for this period, which exhibit a further expansion of M. europaea’s ecological niche. The future projection of models in around 2070, for four Representative Concentration Pathways according to the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, showed that the most favorable areas for this species would be Campo de Dalías (southern portion of Almería province) as it presents the bioclimatic characteristics of greater adjustment to M. europaea’s ecological niche model. Currently, some of the largest specimens of the species survive in the agricultural landscapes in the southern Spain. These areas are almost totally destroyed and heavily altered by intensive agriculture greenhouses, also causing a severe fragmentation of the habitat, which implies a prospective extinction scenario in the near future

Elementome of Endemic Dolomitic Flora: Pterocephalus spathulatus (Lag.) Coult

Unusual dolomite substrates present a phenomenon known as dolomitophily, which refers to the specificity of the flora that grows on them. Within the dolomitic flora, one of the most widespread plants in Spain is the characteristic species Pterocephalus spathulatus (Lag.) Coult., which forms whitish prostrate thymes. The present study focused on the knowledge about the ionome (or elementome) of a characteristic dolomite species and some of its applications, both in terms of its nutritional behaviour and in determining the factors that favour the rich and rare flora growing on dolomitic soils. Soil, foliar, stem and root samples of the species studied were collected from different locations in the south of Spain. The samples were analysed to determine their mineral composition. The Bioconcentration Factor (BCF) and the Translocation Factor (TF) were calculated, relating the values of the mineral contents in the soil, both total and phytoavailable, to the values from the foliar, root and stem samples. It was found that this species was able to accumulate some elements, including B, Cr, Cu, Ni, Ti, Tl and Zn, which can be phytotoxic in high concentrations, and are considered to be some of the main toxic metals in soils. In addition, it was observed that the plant can accumulate metals in the stem and leaves (TF), thus proving that it is capable of transporting them from the root to the aerial part of the plant. The data obtained may indicate that other species in the plant community may possess this bioindicator or even phytoremediation capacity