Export Behavior and Board Independence in Colombian Family Firms: The Reverse Causality Relationship

In the context of greater market liberalization in Latin America, one issue that merits greater attention for empirical investigation is the international expansion of family-owned business. Specifically, the relationship between export behavior, family control and board composition in the Latin American context is absent in the literature. Using a large and unique database from Colombian firms (33,249 firms in the period of 2008 to 2013), we provide insightful information on the determinants of export behavior of family firms in emerging markets. Our empirical test confirms an endogenous relation between boards’ composition (specifically the presence of independent members) and export behavior in family firms. Firms with a higher participation of independent board members are more likely to exhibit higher levels of exports. A "virtuous cycle" was also detected whereby the introduction of independent members on the board can be expected to boost export behavior, which in turn will encourage the increase of independent members on the board of private firms

El juego dramático como propuesta pedagógica para favorecer la autoestima en los adolescentes de15 a 18 años de edad en la Fundación Mazal

“Aprende a Amarte a través del Juego Dramático” Es un proyecto que parte de la reflexión, sobre el propósito del juego dramático como experiencia pedagógica, encaminado a promover estrategias, que fortalezcan los niveles de Autoestima, de los adolescentes entre 15 y 18 años de la Fundación Mazal, mediante el acercamiento al conocimiento personal y del entorno social, que les ofrece la experiencia de la expresión dramática, con el objetivo de generar cambios actitudinales significativos que se evidencian en el replanteamiento de los proyectos de vida de estos jóvenes

Sistema integrado de gestión en seguridad alimentaria y calidad bajo lineamientos BPM y HACCP

Ilustración 1 diagrama de flujo producción porcina, Imagen 1 corrales de cerdas, Imagen 2 recorrido por las instalaciones, Imagen 3 almacenamientoEn la producción primaria se debe garantizar la inocuidad de los alimentos, mediante la supervisión constante, asegurándose que se adopten prácticas y medidas necesarias para proveer alimentos de buena calidad y que de la tranquilidad al consumidor final. En las producciones animales los encargados de supervisar es la autoridad sanitaria ICA. La empresa del estudio de caso trabaja con cerdas productoras de lechones de la raza Camborough 29, el inventario de la granja es: 1435 vientres o cerdas de cría activas (224 cerdas lactantes, 1114 cerdas gestantes, 80 cerdas en prepuberal o remplazos y 27 cerdas descartadas por edad, enfermedad o baja producción) 12 machos reproductores, 2746 lechones en lactancia divididos en 4 salas de maternidad, los cuales al llegar a la etapa precebo (28 kilos) son llevados a otra granja para continuar con su ciclo productivo. Son manejados mediante estricta supervisión y registro con el fin de detectar oportunamente enfermedades, por lo que la ejecución de buenas prácticas de manufactura es una herramienta básica para la obtención de productos alimenticios seguros. Debido a la aparición de enfermedades asociadas al consumo de alimentos cárnicos todos los mercados que conforman la cadena alimentaria han centrado sus esfuerzos de mejoramiento en aspectos sanitarios, genéticos, de transporte, procesamiento y conservación de los productos, además de la implementación de normas de bioseguridad que son divulgadas a todos los trabajadores mediante documentos y/o protocolos impresos, capacitaciones, entrenamiento, verifican y hacen cumplir la utilización de elementos de protección personal-EPP, establecen procedimientos claros para el manejo de agua potable, limpieza y desinfección, disposición de basuras y control de plagas; el presente documento describe algunos de los ítems anteriormente mencionados de conformidad con la normatividad legal vigente, en el contexto de un caso real del sector productivo con base en criterios de buenas prácticas de manufactura-BPM.In primary production, food safety must be guaranteed through constant supervision, ensuring that the necessary practices and measures are adopted to provide good quality food and to give the final consumer peace of mind. In animal production, the ICA health authority is responsible for supervision. The company in the case study works with sows producing piglets of the Camborough 29 breed, the inventory of the farm is 1435 active wombs or breeding sows (224 lactating sows,1114 pregnant sows, 80 sows in pre-pubertal or replacement and 27 sows discarded due to age, disease or low production) 12 breeding males, 2746 lactating piglets divided into 4 maternity wards, which upon reaching the pre-fattening stage (28 kg) are taken to another farm to continue their production cycle. They are handled under strict supervision and registration in order to detect diseases in a timely manner, so the implementation of good manufacturing practices is a basic tool for obtaining safe food products. Due to the appearance of diseases associated with the consumption of meat products, all markets that make up the food chain have focused their efforts on improving sanitary and genetic aspects, transport, processing and conservation of products, in addition to the implementation of biosecurity standards that are disseminated to all workers through printed documents and/or protocols, training, verification and enforcement of the use of personal protection equipment-EPP, establish clear procedures for the management of drinking water, cleaning and disinfection, waste disposal and pest control; This document describes some of the items mentioned above in accordance with current legal regulations, in the context of a real case of the productive sector based on BPM criteria

Criterios de Implementación ISO 14001:2015, Caso de Estudio Empresa de Concretos la Hacienda. Diplomado en Gerencia HSEQ

La empresa de concretos LA HACIENDA fue fundada en 1985 por el señor Osvaldo Romero y la señora Miriam Cristancho en un barrio de Bogotá llamado Villa Gladys, se logran consolidar en el mercado de la construcción como la solución para los ferreteros y constructores en la ciudad, en el año 2006 se funda la PLANTA DE CONCRETOS LA HACIENDA (ubicada en el Municipio de Madrid, Cundinamarca) con el fin de proveer diferentes productos hechos con concreto y demás agregados para ser la solución en suministros, materiales e insumos para todo tipo de actividad de construcción en la ciudad y municipios aledaños. La empresa debe cumplir con los límites máximos permisibles establecidos en la normatividad ambiental vigente como emisiones de ruido, emisiones atmosféricas, vertimientos en cuerpos de agua, generación de desechos peligrosos y no peligrosos. La empresa tiene un gran compromiso con el medio ambiente y el cumplimiento de los requisitos legales que sean necesarios para poder desarrollar su actividad productiva de una manera eficiente ya que reconocen que esto también le permite obtener beneficios, como mejoras significativas en materia de conservación de recursos, beneficios sociales, reducción de riesgos de sanciones legales por causa de la contaminación, y además, se genera un mayor valor agregado por producir en armonía con el ambiente.The concrete company LA HACIENDA was founded in 1985 by Mr. Osvaldo Romero and Mrs. Miriam Cristancho in a neighborhood of Bogotá called Villa Gladys, they managed to consolidate themselves in the construction market as the solution for hardware and builders in the city, In 2006, the LA HACIENDA CONCRETE PLANT (located in the Municipality of Madrid, Cundinamarca) was founded in order to provide different products made with concrete and other aggregates to be the solution in supplies, materials and supplies for all types of activity of construction in the city and neighboring municipalities. The company must comply with the maximum permissible limits established in current environmental regulations such as noise emissions, atmospheric emissions, discharges into bodies of water, generation of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The company has a great commitment to the environment and the fulfillment of the legal requirements that are necessary to be able to develop its productive activity in an efficient way, since they recognize that this also allows it to obtain benefits, such as significant improvements in terms of resource conservation. , social benefits, reduction of risks of legal sanctions due to pollution, and also, greater added value is generated by producing in harmony with the environment

Anticipation of regulatory needs for nanotechnology-enabled health products

Development of nanotechnology-based applications in health sector offer innovative therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities to address medical needs. At the moment, no specific regulatory framework exists for nano-enabled health products and the current regulatory practise might require additional guidance in order to fully cover the particularities of such products. This white paper summarizes the major challenges associated with the regulation of the nano-enabled health products. Depending on their mode of action nano-enabled health products are regulated either as medicinal products or medical devices. However, due to the increased complexity of such products and their size-related properties the selection of the regulatory path can become challenging since the primary mode of action might be difficult to determine. Due to the fast progress in the field and the lack of robust datasets, only initial guidance on regulatory information needs is currently available and the question remains whether these identified requirements are sufficient for a reliable characterisation of nano-enabled products. In relation to the need for additional information on the quality, safety and efficacy standardised methods have to be available. However, many conventional methods might not be suitable or reliable for nanomaterial testing due to the interference of nanomaterial with assays components. New state-of-art methods, instruments, approaches or tools have not yet sufficiently proven their reliability and relevance for the given purpose. As patents are expiring generic versions of the innovator products will require access to the market. Since the physicochemical characteristics can be very complex and depend on the manufacturing process, pharmacokinetic assessment might not be sufficient and more guidance is needed on how the bioequivalence can be demonstrated. For the nano-enabled health products classified as medical devices, the European Definition on nanomaterials will apply, determining its further classification and regulatory requirements. Yet, the implementation of the definition and the necessity to determine the exposure to nanomaterials may pose additional challenges. The regulatory challenges highlighted in this white paper should guide the research projects and the involved communities willing to advance the regulatory science in the area of nanomedicine.JRC.F.2-Consumer Products Safet

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication