A set of quality indicators for eHealth libraries

This is a cooperation project whereby the group of eHealth library members of Rebisalud (eHealth Libraries Network – http://www.rebisalud.org) have developed a core set of quality indicators to measure and evaluate the services provided by the newly implemented eHealth libraries in Spain. This core set will help us to understand objectively the functioning of the different services provided by the libraries, as well as to facilitate the comparison of our libraries to learn from each other in order to improve our services. The norm ISO 11620 (Library performance indicators) was revised. First, we developed a classification scale to screen the indicators focusing on virtual libraries; three independent reviewers rated each indicator with that scale. Second, they calculated independently to assess their feasibility. Third, a core of 17 indicators was selected. Finally a consensus was reached among the leaders of the eHealth libraries members of Rebisalud. Results: With the classification scale only 20% of ISO’s indicators were selected, with most indicators related to non-virtuality like physical facilities being excluded. We found important problems with definitions or concepts, as well as problems with the terms used among our libraries. As a result of the whole process 20 indicators were defined. They are classified in terms of: structure (human and economic resources, electronic collection), process (use of resources, access) and results (efficiency, user satisfaction). Each indicator is described by name, code, definition, aim, method, interpretation, and information source. The cooperation has been very productive, and will allow us to make a continuous exercise of benchmarking among the eHealth libraries of Rebisalud. However, more work has to be done because we still need to construct a user satisfaction questionnaire

Percepción de los pequeños comerciantes de honda con relación al tema de cultura organizacional, contable e innovación

Small businesses in Colombia today represent a fundamental unit for the development and growth of regions, which is why they must have great capacity to adapt to the changes required by the globalization of markets and in particular to adapt to the needs of the environment in which they operate; it is for this reason that small traders must know new methodologies, innovation processes both in organization, production, transformation, marketing, accounting area as well as in customer service and thus be able to survive in competitive environments. It can be said that much of the growth difficulties of small traders under study are limited by the organizational field and marketing techniques they employ; to this extent, this analysis aims to seek through a didactic methodology to provide strategies that allow them to solve organizational, accounting, technological, environmental and marketing needs to small traders, and that by being implemented by them, will allow them to raise their levels of permanence and competitiveness in the market. The study is complemented by the design of a teaching material type card, prepared by researchers linked to the project, with this is in order to generate a process of reflection on the theme of: entrepreneurship, organization, accounting culture and innovation in processes and services; all this is expected to be achieved through the awareness of traders about the importance of change, the improvement of business practices to be reflected in the productivity of the business, it seeks to make organizational and accounting culture a management tool for decision-making that will lead them as entrepreneurs to growth and sustainability. The pilot of this study will be carried out in the municipality of Honda Tolima, the implementation of this methodological strategy will allow to generate a conceptual and innovative proposal; in a second phase the level of acceptance of the model will be measured to be applied in the municipalities of the jurisdiction of the Chamber of Commerce of Honda, Guaduas and Norte del Tolima.Las pequeñas empresas en Colombia representan hoy en día una unidad fundamental para el desarrollo y crecimiento de las regiones, es por esto que estas deben tener gran capacidad de adaptación a los cambios que exige la globalización de mercados y en especial ajustarse a las necesidades del entorno en que operan; es por esta razón que los pequeños comerciantes deben conocer nuevas metodologías, procesos de innovación tanto en organización, producción, transformación, comercialización, área contable como también en servicio al cliente y poder así sobrevivir en entornos competitivos. Se puede afirmar que gran parte de las dificultades de crecimiento de los pequeños comerciantes objeto de estudio se ven limitadas por el ámbito organizacional y las técnicas de mercadeo que emplean; en esta medida, el presente análisis tiene como propósito buscar a través de una metodología didáctica brindar estrategias que les permiten resolver necesidades organizacionales, contables, tecnológicas, ambientales y de mercadeo a los pequeños comerciantes, y que al ser implementadas por ellos, les permitirá elevar sus niveles de permanencia y competitividad en el mercado. El estudio se complementa con el diseño de un material didáctico tipo cartilla, elaborado por investigadores vinculados al proyecto, con este se busca que se genere un proceso de reflexión frente al tema de: emprendimiento, organización, cultura contable e innovación en procesos y servicios; todo esto se espera ser logrado a través de la concientización de los comerciantes acerca de la importancia del cambio, de la mejora de las prácticas comerciales para que se vea reflejado en la productividad del negocio, se busca hacer de la cultura organizacional y contable una herramienta gerencial para la toma de decisiones que los lleven como empresarios al crecimiento y sostenibilidad. La prueba piloto del presente estudio se realizará en el municipio de Honda Tolima, la implementación de esta estrategia metodológica permitirá generar una propuesta conceptual e innovadora; en una segunda fase se medirá el nivel de aceptación del modelo para así aplicarse en los municipios de la jurisdicción de la Cámara de Comercio de Honda, Guaduas y Norte del Tolima

A set of quality indicators for eHealth libraries

This is a cooperation project whereby the group of eHealth library members of Rebisalud (eHealth Libraries Network – http://www.rebisalud.org) have developed a core set of quality indicators to measure and evaluate the services provided by the newly implemented eHealth libraries in Spain. This core set will help us to understand objectively the functioning of the different services provided by the libraries, as well as to facilitate the comparison of our libraries to learn from each other in order to improve our services. The norm ISO 11620 (Library performance indicators) was revised. First, we developed a classification scale to screen the indicators focusing on virtual libraries; three independent reviewers rated each indicator with that scale. Second, they calculated independently to assess their feasibility. Third, a core of 17 indicators was selected. Finally a consensus was reached among the leaders of the eHealth libraries members of Rebisalud. Results: With the classification scale only 20% of ISO’s indicators were selected, with most indicators related to non-virtuality like physical facilities being excluded. We found important problems with definitions or concepts, as well as problems with the terms used among our libraries. As a result of the whole process 20 indicators were defined. They are classified in terms of: structure (human and economic resources, electronic collection), process (use of resources, access) and results (efficiency, user satisfaction). Each indicator is described by name, code, definition, aim, method, interpretation, and information source. The cooperation has been very productive, and will allow us to make a continuous exercise of benchmarking among the eHealth libraries of Rebisalud. However, more work has to be done because we still need to construct a user satisfaction questionnaire

Multi-taxa colonisation along the foreland of a vanishing equatorial glacier

Retreating glaciers, icons of climate change, release new potential habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. High-elevation species are threatened by temperature increases and the upward migration of lowlands species. Improving our understanding of successional processes after glacier retreat becomes urgent, especially in the tropics, where glacier shrinkage is particularly fast. We examined the successional patterns of aquatic invertebrates, ground beetles, terrestrial plants, soil eukaryotes (algae, invertebrates, plants) in an equatorial glacier foreland (Carihuairazo, Ecuador). Based on both taxonomical identification and eDNA metabarcoding, we analysed the effects of both environmental conditions and age of deglacierization on community composition. Except for algae, diversity increased with time since deglacierization, especially among passive dispersers, suggesting that dispersal was a key driver structuring the glacier foreland succession. Spatial β-diversity was mainly attributed to nestedness for aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial plants and soil algae, likely linked to low environmental variability within the studied glacier foreland; and to turnover for soil invertebrates, suggesting competition exclusion at the oldest successional stage. Pioneer communities were dominated by species exhibiting flexible feeding strategies and high dispersal ability (mainly transported by wind), probably colonising from lower altitudes, or from the glacier in the case of algae. Overall, glacier foreland colonisation in the tropics exhibit common characteristics to higher latitudes. High-elevation species are nevertheless threatened, as the imminent extinction of many tropical glaciers will affect species associated to glacier-influenced habitats but also prevent cold-adapted and hygrophilous species from using these habitats as refuges in a warming world

High Prevalence of Intermediate Leptospira spp. DNA in Febrile Humans from Urban and Rural Ecuador

Leptospira spp., which comprise 3 clusters (pathogenic, saprophytic, and intermediate) that vary in pathogenicity, infect >1 million persons worldwide each year. The disease burden of the intermediate leptospires is unclear. To increase knowledge of this cluster, we used new molecular approaches to characterize Leptospira spp. in 464 samples from febrile patients in rural, semiurban, and urban communities in Ecuador; in 20 samples from nonfebrile persons in the rural community; and in 206 samples from animals in the semiurban community. We observed a higher percentage of leptospiral DNA positive samples from febrile persons in rural (64%) versus urban (21%) and semiurban (25%) communities; no leptospires were detected in nonfebrile persons. The percentage of intermediate cluster strains in humans (96%) was higher than that of pathogenic cluster strains (4%); strains in animal samples belonged to intermediate (49%) and pathogenic (51%) clusters. Intermediate cluster strains may be causing a substantial amount of fever in coastal Ecuado

Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification

Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world. Within each study site, we measured dung removal in pastures managed with low- and high-intensity regimes to assess between-regime differences in dung beetle diversity and dung removal, whilst also considering climate and regional variations. The impacts of intensification were heterogeneous, either diminishing or increasing dung beetle species richness, functional diversity, and dung removal rates. The effects of beetle diversity on dung removal were more variable across sites than within sites. Dung removal increased with species richness across sites, while functional diversity consistently enhanced dung removal within sites, independently of cattle grazing intensity or climate. Our findings indicate that, despite intensified cattle stocking rates, ecosystem services related to decomposition and nutrient cycling can be maintained when a functionally diverse dung beetle community inhabits the human-modified landscape.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification

Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world. Within each study site, we measured dung removal in pastures managed with low- and high-intensity regimes to assess between-regime differences in dung beetle diversity and dung removal, whilst also considering climate and regional variations. The impacts of intensification were heterogeneous, either diminishing or increasing dung beetle species richness, functional diversity, and dung removal rates. The effects of beetle diversity on dung removal were more variable across sites than within sites. Dung removal increased with species richness across sites, while functional diversity consistently enhanced dung removal within sites, independently of cattle grazing intensity or climate. Our findings indicate that, despite intensified cattle stocking rates, ecosystem services related to decomposition and nutrient cycling can be maintained when a functionally diverse dung beetle community inhabits the human-modified landscape