Estrategias de marketing que permitan el incremento de la venta de los servicios que ofrece el Laboratorio de materiales de la PUCE al Sector de la construcción de Quito

La presente investigación proporciona estrategias de marketing que permitan incrementar la venta de los servicios que ofrece el Laboratorio de Materiales de la PUCE, al sector de la Construcción de Quito. El contenido del tema está distribuido en cinco capítulos: Capítulo I, Contiene antecedentes, justificación del tema, Misión, Visión, Objetivos Generales y Objetivos Específicos. Capitulo II, Describe el marco teórico del Análisis de la Industria y del sector, análisis de las necesidades del consumidor, Mercado de consumidores y comportamiento de compra del consumidor, Modelo de conducta del consumidor, Características que afectan el comportamiento del consumidor final, El proceso de decisión del comprador, Análisis de los competidores, Identificación de las estrategias de los competidores y análisis de la empresa frente al sector productivo. Capítulo III, Está enfocado al análisis de las oportunidades de mercado, investigación de mercados, mercados actuales, mercados potenciales, determinación del tamaño de la muestra para clientes actuales y clientes potenciales y el procesamiento de la información, tabulación y análisis de los resultados obtenidos en los sondeos de investigación realizados tanto a clientes actuales de las cuatro áreas del laboratorio como a los clientes potenciales en el Área de Mecánica de Suelos. Capítulo IV, Corresponde al desarrollo de las estrategias de marketing tanto para clientes actuales como para clientes potenciales; dentro del Mix de marketing se ha desarrollado una descripción total sobre lo que se realiza en cada una de las cuatro áreas del laboratorio. En relación a la promoción del Mix de marketing para los clientes potenciales se ha considerado como medios publicitarios: revistas especiales, páginas amarillas, marketing directo, relaciones públicas y visita personalizada, con el correspondiente presupuesto y cronograma de publicidad. Capítulo V, Se presentan las conclusiones y recomendaciones

APLICACIÓN DE MORFOMETRÌA GEOMÉTRICA PARA LA COMPARACIÓN DE DISTINTAS POBLACIONES DE GUANCHICHE (HOPLIAS SPP) EN ECOSITEMAS LÉNTICOS Y LÓTICOS DEL ECUADOR

Se ha demostrado ampliamente que las condiciones ambientales y los impactos antropogénicos son factores determinantes en la biología de las especies; estas interacciones influyen en las poblaciones modificando su genotipo, ó, generando cambios más sutiles evidenciando plasticidad al medio. Se empleó la morfometría geométrica para determinar si existen diferencias morfológicas entre poblaciones de Hoplias spp. (Characiformes: Erythrinidae), describir, cuantificar y examinar su variación con la distribución geográfica del género, el hábitat, la dieta alimenticia y el sexo. Se analizaron un total de 365 peces, colectados en cuatro zonas costeras (Esmeraldas, Manabí, Guayas, El Oro) y una zona Amazónica (Puyo). Se evidenció que existen diferencias morfológicas significativas entre especies, en poblaciones de Hoplias geográficamente aisladas (diferentes ríos) y entre poblaciones en diferentes tipos de hábitats (ríos vs. represas). La morfometría geométrica resultó una técnica eficiente para cuantificar y describir la morfología del guanchiche. Aunque fue estadísticamente significativo, diferencias morfológicas entre machos y hembras fueron muy pequeñas y no es posible en general distinguir entre sexos a base de la forma del cuerpo utilizando morfometría geométrica. La dieta no representa una causa que genere cambios en la morfología del guanchiche de distintas poblaciones, sus preferencias alimenticias no varían sustancialmente entre los hábitats muestreados

Guillain-Barré syndrome following the 2009 pandemic monovalent and seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination campaigns in Spain from 2009 to 2011: outcomes from active surveillance by a neurologist network, and records from a country-wide hospital discharge database

Background: Studies have shown a slight excess risk in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) incidence associated with A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccination campaign and seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine immunisations in 2009-2010. We aimed to assess the incidence of GBS as a potential adverse effect of A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccination. Methods: A neurologist-led network, active at the neurology departments of ten general hospitals serving an adult population of 4.68 million, conducted GBS surveillance in Spain in 2009-2011. The network, established in 1996, carried out a retrospective and a prospective study to estimate monthly alarm thresholds in GBS incidence and tested them in 1998-1999 in a pilot study. Such incidence thresholds additionally to observation of GBS cases with immunisation antecedent in the 42 days prior to clinical onset were taken as alarm signals for 2009-2011, since November 2009 onwards. For purpose of surveillance, in 2009 we updated both the available centres and the populations served by the network. We also did a retrospective countrywide review of hospital-discharged patients having ICD-9-CM code 357.0 (acute infective polyneuritis) as their principal diagnosis from January 2009 to December 2011. Results: Among 141 confirmed of 148 notified cases of GBS or Miller-Fisher syndrome, Brighton 1-2 criteria in 96 %, not a single patient was identified with clinical onset during the 42-day time interval following A(H1N1) pdm09 vaccination. In contrast, seven cases were seen during a similar period after seasonal campaigns. Monthly incidence figures did not, however, exceed the upper 95 % CI limit of expected incidence. A retrospective countrywide review of the registry of hospital-discharged patients having ICD-9-CM code 357.0 (acute infective polyneuritis) as their principal diagnosis did not suggest higher admission rates in critical months across the period December 2009-February 2010. Conclusions: Despite limited power and underlying reporting bias in 2010-2011, an increase in GBS incidence over background GBS, associated with A(H1N1) pdm09 monovalent or trivalent influenza immunisations, appears unlikely

Prevalence and risk factors associated to the incorrect application of the anabolic implant in intensive cattle feedlots in Sinaloa, Mexico

Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with the incorrect application of the anabolic implant in feedlot cattle. Design/methodology/approach: An observational study was carried out in which 888 ears of cattle from 5 feedlot cattle were evaluated. The criteria for the condition of the anabolic implant were correct and incorrect (encapsulated, abscessed, in cartilage, misplaced, crowded, partial and absent). The results were evaluated using the Chi-square test and logistic regression, the alpha level established was 0.05. Results: A 64.30% prevalence of incorrectly applied anabolic implants was observed. At least 50% of the feedlots presented failures in the application of the implant. The encapsulated condition and the misplaced condition represented 91.6% (51.4 and 40.2%, respectively) of the total of the incorrect conditions. The risk that a bovine presents an incorrect condition increases 1.8 times more when it is a feedlot´s size was greater than 4000 bovines (P<0.001) and 4.2 times more when they are female (P<0.001), the season was not a risk factor (P>0.17). Study limitations/implications: The incorrect application of anabolic implants leads to failures that complicate their absorption and integration into the body, therefore, it is suggested to carry out more studies to determine the economic impact that this can cause. Findings/conclusions: It is concluded that the prevalence of implant failure is high, and therefore, the productive and economic benefits that the application of this productive technology favors are not being obtained, and there are also determining risk factors.Objective: To determine the prevalence and the risk factors associated to the incorrect application of the anabolic implant in intensive cattle feedlots. Design/Methodology/Approach: An observational study was conducted in which 888 cattle ears were evaluated from five livestock feedlots. The criteria of the condition of the anabolic implant were: correct and incorrect (encapsulated, abscessed, in cartilage, badly placed, heaped, partial and absent). The results were evaluated through the chi-squared test and logistic regression, the alpha level established was 0.05. Results: A prevalence of 64.30% incorrectly applied anabolic implants was observed. At least 50% of the cattle from the feedlots evaluated presented faults in the application of the implant. Encapsulated and badly placed implants represented 91.6% (51.4 and 40.2%, respectively) of the total incorrect conditions. The risk of a bovine presenting an incorrect condition increased 1.8 times more when the feedlot has more than 4000 cattle (P<0.001) and 4.2 times more when they are females (P<0.001); the season of the year was not a risk factor (P>0.17). Study Limitation/Implications: The incorrect application of anabolic implants derives in faults that complicate their absorption and integration into the organism, which is why more studies are suggested to determine the economic impact that this can cause. Findings/Conclusions: The prevalence of the fault in anabolic implants is high, and, therefore, the productive and economic benefits that favor the application of this productive technology are not being obtained, in addition to there being determinant risk factors

Dual inhibition of MEK and PI3Kβ/δ–a potential therapeutic strategy in PTEN-wild-type docetaxel-resistant metastatic prostate cancer

Background: Docetaxel remains the standard treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, resistance frequently emerges as a result of hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT and the MEK/ERK pathways. Therefore, the inhibition of these pathways presents a potential therapeutic approach. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of simultaneous inhibition of the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways in docetaxel-resistant mCRPC, both in vitro and in vivo.Methods: Docetaxel-sensitive and docetaxel-resistant mCRPC cells were treated with selumetinib (MEK1/2 inhibitor), AZD8186 (PI3Kβ/δ inhibitor) and capivasertib (pan-AKT inhibitor) alone and in combination. Efficacy and toxicity of selumetinib+AZD8186 were tested in docetaxel-resistant xenograft mice. CRISPR-Cas9 generated a PTEN-knockdown docetaxel-resistant cell model. Changes in phosphorylation of AKT, ERK and downstream targets were analyzed by Western blot. Antiapoptotic adaptations after treatments were detected by dynamic BH3 profiling.Results: PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways were hyperactivated in PTEN-wild-type (wt) docetaxel-resistant cells. Selumetinib+AZD8186 decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in PTEN-wt docetaxel-resistant cells. This observation was further confirmed in vivo, where docetaxel-resistant xenograft mice treated with selumetinib+AZD8186 exhibited reduced tumor growth without additional toxicity.Conclusion: Our findings on the activity of selumetinib+AZD8186 in PTEN-wt cells and in docetaxel-resistant xenograft mice provide an excellent rationale for a novel therapeutic strategy for PTEN-wt mCRPC patients resistant to docetaxel, in whom, unlike PTEN-loss patients, a clinical benefit of treatment with single-agent PI3K and AKT inhibitors has not been demonstrated. A phase I-II trial of this promising combination is warranted

Predictive Power of the "Trigger Tool" for the detection of adverse events in general surgery: a multicenter observational validation study

Background In spite of the global implementation of standardized surgical safety checklists and evidence-based practices, general surgery remains associated with a high residual risk of preventable perioperative complications and adverse events. This study was designed to validate the hypothesis that a new “Trigger Tool” represents a sensitive predictor of adverse events in general surgery. Methods An observational multicenter validation study was performed among 31 hospitals in Spain. The previously described “Trigger Tool” based on 40 specific triggers was applied to validate the predictive power of predicting adverse events in the perioperative care of surgical patients. A prediction model was used by means of a binary logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence of adverse events among a total of 1,132 surgical cases included in this study was 31.53%. The “Trigger Tool” had a sensitivity and specificity of 86.27% and 79.55% respectively for predicting these adverse events. A total of 12 selected triggers of overall 40 triggers were identified for optimizing the predictive power of the “Trigger Tool”. Conclusions The “Trigger Tool” has a high predictive capacity for predicting adverse events in surgical procedures. We recommend a revision of the original 40 triggers to 12 selected triggers to optimize the predictive power of this tool, which will have to be validated in future studies

Daptomycin plus fosfomycin versus daptomycin monotherapy in treating MRSA: protocol of a multicentre, randomised, phase III trial.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the availability of new antibiotics such as daptomycin, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia continues to be associated with high clinical failure rates. Combination therapy has been proposed as an alternative to improve outcomes but there is a lack of clinical studies. The study aims to demonstrate that combination of daptomycin plus fosfomycin achieves higher clinical success rates in the treatment of MRSA bacteraemia than daptomycin alone. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A multicentre open-label, randomised phase III study. Adult patients hospitalised with MRSA bacteraemia will be randomly assigned (1:1) to group 1: daptomycin 10 mg/kg/24 h intravenous; or group 2: daptomycin 10 mg/kg/24 h intravenous plus fosfomycin 2 gr/6 g intravenous. The main outcome will be treatment response at week 6 after stopping therapy (test-of-cure (TOC) visit). This is a composite variable with two values: Treatment success: resolution of clinical signs and symptoms (clinical success) and negative blood cultures (microbiological success) at the TOC visit. Treatment failure: if any of the following conditions apply: (1) lack of clinical improvement at 72 h or more after starting therapy; (2) persistent bacteraemia (positive blood cultures on day 7); (3) therapy is discontinued early due to adverse effects or for some other reason based on clinical judgement; (4) relapse of MRSA bacteraemia before the TOC visit; (5) death for any reason before the TOC visit. Assuming a 60% cure rate with daptomycin and a 20% difference in cure rates between the two groups, 103 patients will be needed for each group (α:0.05, ß: 0.2). Statistical analysis will be based on intention to treat, as well as per protocol and safety analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol was approved by the Spanish Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (AEMPS). The sponsor commits itself to publishing the data in first quartile peer-review journals within 12 months of the completion of the study

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities

Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran\u27s eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R$^{2}$ = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R$^{2}$ = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions

Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates

Aim: To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser-availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource-availability hypothesis). Time period: Tree-inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied: Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9.55 cm. Location: Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods: We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree-inventory plots across terra-firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance-weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results: Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra-firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions: The disperser-availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types