Consideraciones de comportamientos inapropiados en un ambiente microempresarial

Según el balance presentado por la ANDI (2014) las pequeñas y medianas empresas en Colombia durante los últimos años han jugado un papel fundamental en el desarrollo del país, influyendo de manera directa en los indicadores de empleo y crecimiento del mismo, sin embargo, cuando estas compañías quiebran en su primer año de actividad, ponen en evidencian su fragilidad y vulnerabilidad al enfrentar las exigencias del entorno. Para Briceño (2012) Cuando las microempresas tienen que afrontar la competitividad, el manejo de las finanzas, la gestión de costos, la gestión comercial, de servicio y las fallas internas (como por ejemplo, la falta de formación técnica y empresarial de líderes y empleados, sus comportamientos, la falta de definición de políticas, la carencia de medidas de control, entre otros), pueden terminar perdiendo la credibilidad en el negocio y la confiabilidad en el mercado y por ende se genera un detrimento patrimonial de la organización. Dado lo anterior, esta investigación expone uno de los principales problemas que afrontan las microempresas en materia de comportamientos inapropiados que han sido experimentados por tres pequeños empresarios. Para abordar el problema de investigación se acudió a las teorías y conceptos de la administración que respaldan el comportamiento organizacional en su primera escala (individual), posteriormente se realiza un trabajo de campo con seis empresas de las cuales se seleccionaron tres casos para desarrollar el estudio y así poder concluir frente a las experiencias vividas por estos gerentes.MaestríaMAGISTER EN ADMINISTRACIÓ

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Mitigación de altas sensaciones térmicas del municipio Bosconia-Cesar a través de forestación con especies nativas.

High temperatures or thermal sensation conditions reveal instability in the Bosconense community due to the presence of high levels in the urban area due to vehicular pollution, bad environmental practices and disadvantageous topography, reaching levels of “thermal stress”. Multitemporal analysis of: relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, hot spots and thermal sensation was carried out for the years 2000, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Also, a characterization of the soil based on bibliographies and local environmentalists, finding 20,694 ha's deforested between 2000 -2020 throughout Bosconia. Afforestation methodology with native species (Cañaguate, Mango, Puy and Roble) and monitoring methodology on the variables relative humidity, solar radiation, temperature and wind speed were presented to evaluate efficacy. Adding solar radiation monitoring for future local research. Subsequently, afforestation and socialization with public and private actors and the surrounding population about the benefits and care that should be taken was implemented, establishing the periods and instruments to evaluate mitigation.Las altas temperaturas o condiciones de sensación térmica revelan inestabilidad en la comunidad Bosconense debido a la presencia de elevados niveles en la zona urbana a causa de la contaminación vehicular, malas prácticas ambientales y topografía desventajosa, alcanzando niveles de “estrés térmico”. Se realizó análisis multitemporal de: humedad relativa, temperatura, velocidad del viento, puntos de calor y sensación térmica para los años 2000, 2010, 2015 y 2020. También una caracterización del suelo basada en bibliografías y ambientalistas locales, encontrando 20.694 ha’s deforestadas entre 2000-2020 en toda Bosconia. Se presentó metodología de forestación con especies nativas (Cañaguate, Mango, Puy y Roble) y metodología de monitoreo sobre las variables humedad relativa, radiación solar, temperatura y velocidad del viento para evaluar eficacia. Añadiendo monitoreo a la radiación solar para futuras investigaciones locales. Posteriormente, se implementó la forestación y socialización con actores públicos, privados y población aledaña sobre los beneficios y cuidados que deben tenerse, estableciendo los periodos e instrumentos para evaluar la mitigación.   High temperatures or thermal sensation conditions reveal instability in the Bosconense community due to the presence of high levels in the urban area due to vehicular pollution, bad environmental practices and disadvantageous topography, reaching levels of “thermal stress”. Multitemporal analysis of: relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, hot spots and thermal sensation was carried out for the years 2000, 2010, 2015 and 2020. Also, a characterization of the soil based on bibliographies and local environmentalists, finding 20,694 ha's deforested between 2000 -2020 throughout Bosconia. Afforestation methodology with native species (Cañaguate, Mango, Puy and Roble) and monitoring methodology on the variables relative humidity, solar radiation, temperature and wind speed were presented to evaluate efficacy. Adding solar radiation monitoring for future local research. Subsequently, afforestation and socialization with public and private actors and the surrounding population about the benefits and care that should be taken was implemented, establishing the periods and instruments to evaluate mitigation

LEISHMANIA BRAZILIENSIS : Cytotoxic, cytostatic and chemotactic effects of poly-lysine-Methotrexate-conjugates

Chemotactic responses play a significant role duringLeishmaniadifferentiation, as well as in the course of parasite–host–cell interaction, a process that precedes a successful infection. The present study uses the modified ‘‘two-chamber capillary assay’’ to quantitatively evaluate the chemotactic properties and the toxic activities of methotrexate containing branched chain polymeric polypeptide conjugates in Leish-mania. Our results demonstrate that this methodology quantitatively determines the taxis of Leishmania towards/against gradients of compounds. They also demonstrate that chemotaxis produced by the poly-peptide–methotrexate conjugates depends on specific chemical characteristics. For example, the N-ter-minal amino acid (Ser or Glu) location at the branch significantly influences the elicited chemotaxis. Furthermore, the use of different attachment sites in the methotrexate conjugates (a-orc-carboxylic groups) affect their chemotactic activity. Specific cytotoxic activities and cytostatic effects of the conju-gates on parasites and on murine and human cells of the macrophage/monocyte system respectively, suggest that these ligands may be used as a group of anti-Leishmaniasubstances acting selectively on Leishmaniaand different hosts

Effects of Coal Fly Ash Particulate Matter on the Antimicrobial Activity of Airway Surface Liquid.

BackgroundSustained exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is a global cause of mortality. Coal fly ash (CFA) is a byproduct of coal combustion and is a source of anthropogenic PM with worldwide health relevance. The airway epithelia are lined with fluid called airway surface liquid (ASL), which contains antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs). Cationic AMPs bind negatively charged bacteria to exert their antimicrobial activity. PM arriving in the airways could potentially interact with AMPs in the ASL to affect their antimicrobial activity.ObjectivesWe hypothesized that PM can interact with ASL AMPs to impair their antimicrobial activity.MethodsWe exposed pig and human airway explants, pig and human ASL, and the human cationic AMPs β-defensin-3, LL-37, and lysozyme to CFA or control. Thereafter, we assessed the antimicrobial activity of exposed airway samples using both bioluminescence and standard colony-forming unit assays. We investigated PM-AMP electrostatic interaction by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and measuring the zeta potential. We also studied the adsorption of AMPs on PM.ResultsWe found increased bacterial survival in CFA-exposed airway explants, ASL, and AMPs. In addition, we report that PM with a negative surface charge can adsorb cationic AMPs and form negative particle-protein complexes.ConclusionWe propose that when CFA arrives at the airway, it rapidly adsorbs AMPs and creates negative complexes, thereby decreasing the functional amount of AMPs capable of killing pathogens. These results provide a novel translational insight into an early mechanism for how ambient PM increases the susceptibility of the airways to bacterial infection. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP876

Effects of Coal Fly Ash Particulate Matter on the Antimicrobial Activity of Airway Surface Liquid.

BackgroundSustained exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is a global cause of mortality. Coal fly ash (CFA) is a byproduct of coal combustion and is a source of anthropogenic PM with worldwide health relevance. The airway epithelia are lined with fluid called airway surface liquid (ASL), which contains antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs). Cationic AMPs bind negatively charged bacteria to exert their antimicrobial activity. PM arriving in the airways could potentially interact with AMPs in the ASL to affect their antimicrobial activity.ObjectivesWe hypothesized that PM can interact with ASL AMPs to impair their antimicrobial activity.MethodsWe exposed pig and human airway explants, pig and human ASL, and the human cationic AMPs β-defensin-3, LL-37, and lysozyme to CFA or control. Thereafter, we assessed the antimicrobial activity of exposed airway samples using both bioluminescence and standard colony-forming unit assays. We investigated PM-AMP electrostatic interaction by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and measuring the zeta potential. We also studied the adsorption of AMPs on PM.ResultsWe found increased bacterial survival in CFA-exposed airway explants, ASL, and AMPs. In addition, we report that PM with a negative surface charge can adsorb cationic AMPs and form negative particle-protein complexes.ConclusionWe propose that when CFA arrives at the airway, it rapidly adsorbs AMPs and creates negative complexes, thereby decreasing the functional amount of AMPs capable of killing pathogens. These results provide a novel translational insight into an early mechanism for how ambient PM increases the susceptibility of the airways to bacterial infection. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP876

Airway surface liquid from smokers promotes bacterial growth and biofilm formation via iron-lactoferrin imbalance

Abstract Background Smoking is a leading cause of respiratory infections worldwide. Tobacco particulate matter disrupts iron homeostasis in the lungs and increases the iron content in the airways of smokers. The airway epithelia secrete lactoferrin to quench iron required for bacteria to proliferate and cause lung infections. We hypothesized that smokers would have increased bacterial growth and biofilm formation via iron lactoferrin imbalance. Methods We collected bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from non-smokers and smokers. We challenged these samples using a standard inoculum of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and quantified bacterial growth and biofilm formation. We measured both iron and lactoferrin in the samples. We investigated the effect of supplementing non-smoker BAL with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or ferric chloride and the effect of supplementing smoker BAL with lactoferrin on bacterial growth and biofilm formation. Results BAL from smokers had increased bacterial growth and biofilm formation compared to non-smokers after both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa challenge. In addition, we found that samples from smokers had a higher iron to lactoferrin ratio. Supplementing the BAL of non-smokers with cigarette smoke extract and ferric chloride increased bacterial growth. Conversely, supplementing the BAL of smokers with lactoferrin had a concentration-dependent decrease in bacterial growth and biofilm formation. Conclusion Cigarette smoking produces factors which increase bacterial growth and biofilm formation in the BAL. We propose that smoking disrupts the iron-to-lactoferrin in the airways. This finding offers a new avenue for potential therapeutic interventions to prevent respiratory infections in smokers

Additional file 1: of Airway surface liquid from smokers promotes bacterial growth and biofilm formation via iron-lactoferrin imbalance

Figure S1. Cigarette smoke extract alone does not increase bacterial growth. (A) S. aureus growth overnight in the presence of increasing concentrations of CSE assessed by CFU. (B) P. aeruginosa overnight growth in the presence of increasing concentrations of CSE assessed by CFU. (TIFF 601 kb