La innovación y su contexto en la pequeña y mediana empresa

Innovation has ceased to be a luxury to become a need for survival in business organizations, however despite the benefits involved in its implementation, there are many entrepreneurs who ignore it openly or postpone it for "better times". The lack of organizational innovation causes institutional strengths to diminish until they disappear and make it increasingly difficult to generate new competitive advantages, because over time the speed of change has increased and, as a consequence, the modifications They have to do to maintain market acceptance they must be older. In addition, as current strengths weaken and the company has a harder time adapting to the new demands that the business environment demands, organizational weaknesses are accentuated, clearly affecting the competitive position of the organization.La innovación ha dejado de ser un lujo para convertirse en una necesidad de sobrevivencia en las organizaciones empresariales, sin embargo a pesar de los beneficios que implica su implementación, no son pocos los empresarios que la ignoran abiertamente o la postergan para “mejores tiempos”. La carencia de innovación organizacional provoca que las fortalezas institucionales vayan mermando hasta desaparecer y que cada día sea más complicado generar nuevas ventajas competitivas, debido a que con el tiempo se ha ido incrementando la rapidez del cambio y como consecuencia de ello, las modificaciones que se tienen que hacer para mantener la aceptación del mercado deben ser mayores. Además, conforme las fortalezas actuales se van debilitando y a la empresa le cuesta más trabajo adaptarse a las nuevas exigencias que el ambiente de negocios le demanda, las debilidades organizacionales se acentúan afectando claramente la posición competitiva de la organización

Gestión administrativa e innovación para el desarrollo de empresas sociales rurales

The present work allows to identify some characteristics of the administrative management and innovation that arise within rural social enterprises benefited by the Fondo Nacional de Apoyos para Empresas en Solidaridad in the municipality of Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Their recognition will facilitate the development of these business organizations, as well as help improve the effectiveness of this social development program. In order to achieve the purposes described, five companies considered as success stories by FONAES were analyzed, in the period between April and May 2012. To collect the information, the observation technique and the conversation technique were used. In the companies analyzed, two stages can be distinguished in terms of development, before and after the support of FONAES. A higher level of welfare is perceived in the period after the financial support, however it is recognized that without the existence of other social conditions previous to the loan received and maintained later, business progress would have been complicated.El presente trabajo permite identificar algunas características de la gestión administrativa y de la innovación que se suscitan al interior de empresas sociales rurales beneficiadas por el Fondo Nacional de Apoyos para Empresas en Solidaridad en el municipio de Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Su reconocimiento facilitará el desarrollo de estas organizaciones empresariales, además de ayudar a mejorar la eficacia de este programa de desarrollo social. Para el logro de los propósitos descritos, se analizaron cinco empresas consideradas como historias de éxito por parte de FONAES, en el periodo comprendido entre abril y mayo de 2012. Para recabar la información se utilizaron la técnica de observación y la técnica de conversación. En las empresas analizadas, se pueden distinguir dos etapas en materia de desarrollo, antes y después del apoyo de FONAES. Se percibe un mayor nivel de bienestar en el periodo posterior al apoyo financiero, sin embargo se reconoce que sin la existencia de otras condiciones sociales previas al préstamo recibido y mantenidas posteriormente, hubiera sido complicado el progreso empresarial

Barley starch

This thesis examined barley amylopectin structure and looked for correlations between the structure and physical properties of starch. The structure of amylopectin and gelatinisation and retrogradation of starch were studied in 10 different barley cultivars/breeding lines with differing genetic background. Amylopectin is built up of thousands of chains of glucose monomers, organised into clusters. The detailed fine structure of amylopectin was studied by isolating clusters of amylopectin and their building blocks, which are the tightly branched units building up the clusters. Barley cultivars/breeding lines possessing the amo1 mutation had fewer long chains of DP≥38 in amylopectin and more large building blocks. The structure of building blocks was rather conserved between the different barley cultivars/breeding lines studied and was categorized into different size groups. These different building blocks were shown to be randomly distributed in the amylopectin molecule. The C-chains in amylopectin can be of any length and are a category of chains different from the B-chains. The backbone in amylopectin consists of a special type of B-chains which, when cleaved by α-amylase, become chains of a similar type to C-chains. Gelatinisation and retrogradation (recrystallisation of gelatinised starch) of barley starch was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The amo1 mutation resulted in a broader gelatinisation temperature range and a higher enthalpy of retrogradation. Other structural features were also found to influence the physical properties of starch. Small clusters and denser structure of the building blocks resulted in higher gelatinisation temperature. Fast retrogradation was observed in barley which had amylopectin with shorter chains and many large building blocks consisting of many chains. Amylopectin structure was also studied in developing barley kernels. Three barley cultivars/breeding lines were grown in a phytotron and kernels were harvested at 9, 12 and 24 days after flowering. The results showed that amylopectin synthesized at later stages of development had a more tightly branched structure. Expression of the enzymes involved in starch biosynthesis is also known to change during endosperm development

Acción sustentable, gestión e innovación. Estudios sobre turismo y gastronomía

Este libro reúne a varios estudiosos de turismo y gastronomía de diferentes nacionalidades, universidades y/o instancias de educación e investigación, con el fin de reflexionar sobre las tendencias que se impulsan en estos campos del conocimiento, desde tres líneas de análisis: la acción, la gestión y la innovación Ante la exigencia respecto a que las actividades económicas y sociales que impulsan la actividad turística y gastronómica no dañen el ambiente, se promueve que éstas sean sustentables. Dichas exigencias no son nuevas, desde el 2000 a la fecha se incentivan, lo cual ha provocado transformaciones importantes que ameritan una revisión general. Así, este libro abre un espacio para la presentación de investigaciones relacionadas con el turismo y la gastronomía desde la sustentabilidad. El tema central y las tendencias del mismo evidencian la orientación que hemos querido darle al libro, puesto que ninguno de los temas es más importante que otro y el orden en el que aparecen obedece únicamente a cuestiones logísticas y didácticas. De esta manera, el libro se compone de tres apartados. El primero está dedicado a la gestión sustentable e integra cinco capítulos. El segundo apartado toca el tema de la innovación sustentable y está integrado por seis trabajos, a través de los cuales se busca generar la discusión y el debate sobre la innovación en diferentes contextos del turismo y la gastronomía. El tercer apartado del libro está dedicado a la acción sustentable y se integra por seis trabajos.UAEME

Contemporary use of cefazolin for MSSA infective endocarditis: analysis of a national prospective cohort

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the real use of cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infective endocarditis (IE) in the Spanish National Endocarditis Database (GAMES) and to compare it with antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP). Methods: Prospective cohort study with retrospective analysis of a cohort of MSSA IE treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Outcomes assessed were relapse; intra-hospital, overall, and endocarditis-related mortality; and adverse events. Risk of renal toxicity with each treatment was evaluated separately. Results: We included 631 IE episodes caused by MSSA treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Antibiotic treatment was cloxacillin, cefazolin, or both in 537 (85%), 57 (9%), and 37 (6%) episodes, respectively. Patients treated with cefazolin had significantly higher rates of comorbidities (median Charlson Index 7, P <0.01) and previous renal failure (57.9%, P <0.01). Patients treated with cloxacillin presented higher rates of septic shock (25%, P = 0.033) and new-onset or worsening renal failure (47.3%, P = 0.024) with significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (38.5%, P = 0.017). One-year IE-related mortality and rate of relapses were similar between treatment groups. None of the treatments were identified as risk or protective factors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that cefazolin is a valuable option for the treatment of MSSA IE, without differences in 1-year mortality or relapses compared with cloxacillin, and might be considered equally effective

Global attitudes in the management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 pandemic: ACIE Appy Study

Background: Surgical strategies are being adapted to face the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations on the management of acute appendicitis have been based on expert opinion, but very little evidence is available. This study addressed that dearth with a snapshot of worldwide approaches to appendicitis. Methods: The Association of Italian Surgeons in Europe designed an online survey to assess the current attitude of surgeons globally regarding the management of patients with acute appendicitis during the pandemic. Questions were divided into baseline information, hospital organization and screening, personal protective equipment, management and surgical approach, and patient presentation before versus during the pandemic. Results: Of 744 answers, 709 (from 66 countries) were complete and were included in the analysis. Most hospitals were treating both patients with and those without COVID. There was variation in screening indications and modality used, with chest X-ray plus molecular testing (PCR) being the commonest (19\ub78 per cent). Conservative management of complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis was used by 6\ub76 and 2\ub74 per cent respectively before, but 23\ub77 and 5\ub73 per cent, during the pandemic (both P < 0\ub7001). One-third changed their approach from laparoscopic to open surgery owing to the popular (but evidence-lacking) advice from expert groups during the initial phase of the pandemic. No agreement on how to filter surgical smoke plume during laparoscopy was identified. There was an overall reduction in the number of patients admitted with appendicitis and one-third felt that patients who did present had more severe appendicitis than they usually observe. Conclusion: Conservative management of mild appendicitis has been possible during the pandemic. The fact that some surgeons switched to open appendicectomy may reflect the poor guidelines that emanated in the early phase of SARS-CoV-2