Programa Piloto de Diseño Promoción y Desarrollo de Productos con Alto Valor Agregado en la Empresa Peruana

Este proyecto se desarrollo por iniciativa de las autoras y con el apoyo de un grupo interdisciplinario, con el interés común de desarrollar una investigación académica cuyo resultado sea de utilidad para el desarrollo del sector productivo artesanal Peruano. El proceso de investigación nace a partir de una observación de campo acerca de la problemática del producto artesanal Peruana y enfocada en los aspectos comerciales, de diseño y producción. Esta observación se centro en Cajamarca (por ser el departamento menos intervenido por otras investigaciones en este tema) en la zona de Aylambo y Cruz Blanca, en los talleres artesanales que desarrollan productos cerámicos. A partir de un análisis de tipo FODA de los productos y de su contexto de desarrollo, encontramos que los artesanos que trabajan con los empresarios exportadores, requieren un tipo de capacitación que les permita desarrollar su trabajo mediante un proceso orientado a cumplir con exigencias técnicas y de diseño para el desarrollo de productos validos como oferta exportable. Como punto de partida se recurrió a las instituciones no gubernamentales y del gobierno, que promueven el sector artesanal Peruano (Prompex, Adex, Proyecto PARA, IMPART) para conocer su opinión respecto a los mercados objetivos de este sector, y para adoptar como parte del proyecto, lo vigente respecto a las políticas y planes de comercialización. Para entender la contraparte comercial de este sector artesanal recurrimos a empresas privadas exportadoras con muchos años de experiencia, para ello contamos con la colaboración de empresas como Allpa, Manos Amigas, Novica. A partir de la observación de campo preliminar y de la información recogida de los expertos consultados, se realizo un diagnostico de la situación productiva en este sector. En base a la definición del problema, se establecieron las estrategias y metodologías para el diseño de la investigación, siendo parte de estas estrategias, la realización de un taller de desarrollo de productos en Cajamarca. Las estrategias tuvieron como enfoque principal la definición de metodologías de trabajo, cuya aplicación sea posible en el marco del contexto económico, político y cultural en el que se desarrolla este sector en la realidad inmediata del país. El proyecto culmina con la presentación de una propuesta que mas allá de abarcar únicamente lo metodológico en el área del diseño, presenta también ‘modelos’ de trabajo entre los diferentes actores que intervienen en el sector, de manera que a través de estrategias colaborativas se pueda potenciar el crecimiento del sector y beneficiar el desarrollo del artesano.

Innate transcriptional networks activated in bladder in response to uropathogenic Escherichia coli drive diverse biological pathways and rapid synthesis of IL-10 for defense against bacterial urinary tract infection

Early transcriptional activation events that occur in bladder immediately following bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) are not well defined. In this study, we describe the whole bladder transcriptome of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cystitis in mice using genome-wide expression profiling to define the transcriptome of innate immune activation stemming from UPEC colonization of the bladder. Bladder RNA from female C57BL/6 mice, analyzed using 1.0 ST-Affymetrix microarrays, revealed extensive activation of diverse sets of innate immune response genes, including those that encode multiple IL-family members, receptors, metabolic regulators, MAPK activators, and lymphocyte signaling molecules. These were among 1564 genes differentially regulated at 2 h postinfection, highlighting a rapid and broad innate immune response to bladder colonization. Integrative systems-level analyses using InnateDB (http://www.innatedb.com) bioinformatics and ingenuity pathway analysis identified multiple distinct biological pathways in the bladder transcriptome with extensive involvement of lymphocyte signaling, cell cycle alterations, cytoskeletal, and metabolic changes. A key regulator of IL activity identified in the transcriptome was IL-10, which was analyzed functionally to reveal marked exacerbation of cystitis in IL-10–deficient mice. Studies of clinical UTI revealed significantly elevated urinary IL-10 in patients with UPEC cystitis, indicating a role for IL-10 in the innate response to human UTI. The whole bladder transcriptome presented in this work provides new insight into the diversity of innate factors that determine UTI on a genome-wide scale and will be valuable for further data mining. Identification of protective roles for other elements in the transcriptome will provide critical new insight into the complex cascade of events that underpin UTI.

La Niña : we knew it was coming, and it’s not going away

"The major La Niña climate event responsible for record flooding in Queensland  - and the largest ever cyclone to hit Australia in Yasi  —  is not over yet according to a senior climatologist at Britain’s Met office."

Permanent shift: the topology of Didier Vermeiren's Cariatide à la Pierre

Photographic documentation of sculpture produces significant consequences for the way in which sculptural space is conceived. When viewed as discrete mediums the interaction of the photograph and its sculptural subject is always framed by notions of loss. However, when taken as a composite system, the sculpture-photograph proposes a new ontology of space. In place of the fixity of medium, we can observe a topology at play: a theory drawn from mathematics in which space is understood not as a static field but in terms of properties of connectedness, movement and differentiation. Refracted through the photographic medium, sculpture becomes not a field of fixed points in space, but rather as a fluid set of relations - a continuous sequence of multiple ‘surfaces’, a network of shifting views. This paper will develop a topological account of studio practice through an examination of the work of the contemporary Belgian sculptor Didier Vermeiren (b. 1951). Since the 1980s, Vermeiren has made extensive use of photography in his sculptural practice. By analysing a series of iterations of his work Cariatide à la Pierre (1997-1998), this paper proposes that Vermeiren’s use of photography reveals patterns of connection that expand and complicate the language of sculpture, while also emphasising the broader topology of the artist’s practice as a network of ‘backward glances’ to previous works from the artist’s oeuvre and the art-historical canon. In this context, photography is not simply a method of documentation, but rather a means of revealing the intrinsic condition of sculpture as medium shaped by dynamic patterns of connection and change. In Vermeiren’s work the sculpture-photograph, has a composite identity that exceeds straightforward categories of medium. In their place, we can observe a practice based upon the complex interactions of objects whose ontology is always underpinned by a certain contingency. It is in this fundamental mobility, that the topology of Vermeiren’s practice can be said to rest.

Devenir plurilingue : la perspective des littératies multiples

Abstract - English Multiple literacies refers to reading, reading the world and self. This article proposes an understanding of reading that goes beyond its definition in psychology and applied linguistics. This longitudinal project is interested in a conceptualisation of what reading is, how it functions and what it produces in becoming multilingual. Reading is explored through the lens of an empirical study involving five female pupils from senior Kindergarten to Grade 3 observed and interviewed in relation to activities at school and at home. The study took place in Ottawa schools where French is the sole language of instruction. Reading in the context of multiple literacies is conceptualised to disrupt /deterritorialise and to be immanent, offering the potentiality to go beyond what is to what could be. Becoming multilingual is a continuous movement involving networks of rhizomatic connections and reading the world and self. Résumé - Francais Les littératies multiples se réfèrent à la lecture, la lecture du monde et la lecture de soi. Cet article propose une compréhension de la lecture qui dépasse sa définition usuelle en psychologie et en linguistique appliquée. Ce projet longitudinal porte sur la conceptualisation de la lecture, son fonctionnement et ce qu’elle produit dans le devenir plurilingue. La lecture est examinée selon l’optique d’une étude empirique durant laquelle cinq écolières du jardin d’enfants à la 3e année étaient observées et interviewées par rapport à des activités à l’école et à la maison. L’étude a eu lieu dans des écoles d’Ottawa dont la seule langue d’enseignement est le français. Dans le contexte des littératies multiples, la lecture est conceptualisée comme étant perturbatrice/déterritorialisante et immanente. Elle offre la potentialité d’aller au-delà de ce qui est vers ce qui pourrait être. Devenir plurilingue est un mouvement continu faisant appel à des réseaux de connexions rhizomatiques et à la lecture du monde et de soi.

Efectividad clínica de la intervención terapéutica sobre la mano con realidad virtual en sujetos hemipléjicos: revisión sistemática

Objetivo Revisar de forma sistemática y realizar una evaluación critica de las diferentes publicaciones existentes sobre el uso de la realidad virtual como elemento rehabilitador en la mano. Estrategias de búsqueda Se ha realizado una búsqueda en la base de datos Medline completada con búsquedas en Google Schoolar. Se ha limitado la búsqueda a 10 años de extensión, idiomas: inglés y español. Selección de estudios: se ha centrado sobre aquellos artículos relacionados con la realidad virtual y la rehabilitación funcional de la mano en el accidente cerebrovascular. Síntesis de resultados Debido a la falta de homogeneidad, no ha sido posible evaluar metodológicamente mediante instrumento Caspe. Se detectaron 200 artículos de los cuales 12 cumplen los criterios de selección de los mismos. Dichos artículos han sido agrupados en relación con diferentes criterios como son: tipo de estudio, sistema de evaluación utilizado, periféricos usados o resultados obtenidos entre otros. Conclusiones No se ha obtenido una homogeneidad conjunta sobre los artículos, por ello se debe continuar realizando avances en este ámbito. A pesar de ello, los entornos de realidad virtual pueden ser un instrumento válido para la recuperación funcional de la mano en los accidentes cerebrovasculares, no siendo aptos como elemento único rehabilitador. Abstract in English Objective To make a systematic review and critical assessment of the different existing publications on the use of virtual reality as an element in rehabilitation of the hand. Search Method A search was made in the Medline database completed with searches in Google Schoolar. The search was limited to a period of ten years, and English and Spanish languages. Study selection The study was focused on those articles related to virtual reality and the functional rehabilitation of the hand in stroke. Synthesis of results It was not possible to perform a methodological evaluation using the Caspe instrument due to lack of homogeneity. Two hundred 200 articles were found. Of these, 12 met the criteria for their selection. These articles were grouped in relation to different criteria such as: type of study, assessment system used, hardware used or outcomes results obtained, among others. Conclusions Joint homogeneity was not obtained for the articles. Therefore, progress must still be made in this area. In spite of this, virtual reality environments can be a valid tool for functional recovery of the hand in strokes but they are not adequate for use as a single rehabilitative treatment element.

Contribución de la fuerza y el dolor en la función del paciente con artrosis trapecio metacarpiana. Estudio transversal

Objetivo Establecer una posible relación entre la fuerza (Jamar), el dolor (EVA) y la capacidad funcional referida por el paciente (DASH) determinando en qué grado influyen unas en otras. Estudio observacional transversal analítico. Participantes Muestra de 72 pacientes que presentaban una artrosis trapecio metacarpiana grado 2-3 de Eaton. Los pacientes fueron reclutados cuando acudían a la Unidad de Cirugía de mano. Método Se realizaron mediciones de fuerza de agarre, pinza, valoración del dolor y funcionalidad, y se establecieron las correlaciones entre cada una de ellas. Resultados El modelo más significativo para la función (R2 =0.83) incluye la variable dolor y la fuerza. Pero es la fuerza punta contra punta la que presenta una mayor correlación con el cuestionario DASH (B-estandarizado: –57). Respecto al dolor, influye en todas las mediciones de fuerza realizadas con el dinamómetro, siendo también la fuerza de la pinza punta contra punta la que presenta una mayor correlación. Conclusiones Los hallazgos corroboran que existe una correlación significativa entre la función referida por el paciente y variables que podemos medir en consulta, como la fuerza del puño y la pinza. Pero también esta correlación es significativa entre las variables función y dolor entre sí, pero es la pinza punta contra punta la que presenta una mayor asociación con el cuestionario DASH. Abstract in English Objective To assess the relationship between muscle strength (Jama), and pain (VAS) levels with hand function (DASH) in patients with trapeziometarcapal osteoarthritis. Cross-sectional study. Participants Sample of 72 patients with osteoarthritis stage 2-3 (Eaton) and trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. Patients were recruited when they came to the Hand Surgery Unit. Method Grip strength, pinch, pain and hand function were measured, and correlation and regression coefficients between them were obtained. Results For function, the most significant model (R2 = 0.83) included pain and strength. But it is tip to tip pinch force which has a stronger relationship with DASH (Standardized B: –57) questionnaire. Pain also influenced strength measured with the dynamometer but it was tip to tip pinch force that was the most affected. Conclusions Findings confirm that there is a significant correlation between function referred by the patient and variables that can be measured in the clinic such as grip strength and pinch. The correlation between pain intensity and function was also significant, but tip to tip pinch strength had the greatest impact on the function.

Etapas del cambio en personas inactivas tras un programa de promoción de la actividad física en Atención Primaria

Objetivo El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar las Etapas del cambio en relación con la actividad física y el estado de salud general entre personas que participaron en un Programa de promoción de la actividad física (PPAF) de 12 semanas frente a un grupo control. Diseño Ensayo clínico aleatorizado. Participantes Noventa y ocho personas inactivas de ambos sexos con una edad media de 62,82 años procedentes de 2 centros de Atención Primaria del Distrito Sanitario Costa del Sol. Intervención Un PPAF organizado en grupos y siguiendo los criterios del Colegio Americano de Medicina del Deporte, 2 sesiones semanales de 60 min durante 12 semanas. Mediciones principales La variable principal de resultado fue resistencia al cambio en relación con la actividad física. La variable secundaria fue el estado de salud general (componentes físicos y mentales), determinado con el cuestionario de salud general SF12. Resultados Se encontraron diferencias significativas en las etapas del cambio a favor del grupo experimental (p < 0,05). No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre grupos después de la intervención en el estado general de salud. Conclusión Las etapas del cambio se modificaron en las personas inactivas que realizaron el PPAF en Atención Primaria. Futuros estudios son necesarios para identificar qué factores del entorno de los participantes influyen en la resistencia al cambio de la actividad física. Abstract Objective This study has aimed to evaluate the stages of change in relation to physical activity and overall health status among persons who participated in a 12-week Physical activity promotion program (PAPP) compared to a control group. Design Randomized clinical trial. Participants The study included 98 inactive persons of both sexes with a mean age of 62.82 years from 2 of Primary Care Centers of the Malaga Health Care District. Interventions A PAPP organized in groups according to the American College of Sports Medicine criteria including two weekly sessions of 60 minutes each for 3 months. Main measures The primary outcome was to assess resistance to change in relation to physical activity. The secondary variable was overall health (physical and mental components) determined with the SF12 general health questionnaire. Results Significant differences were found in the stages of change (P<.05). There were no significant differences found in general health status improvement in regards to the initial assessment. Conclusion The stages of change were modified in the inactive persons who carried out the PAPP in Primary Care. Future studies are needed to identify which environmental factors influence the resistance to change in physical activity of the participants.

Infection and cellular defense dynamics in a novel 17beta-estradiol murine model of chronic human group B streptococcus genital tract colonization reveal a role for hemolysin in persistence and neutrophil accumulation

Genital tract carriage of group B streptococcus (GBS) is prevalent among adult women; however, the dynamics of chronic GBS genital tract carriage, including how GBS persists in this immunologically active host niche long term, are not well defined. To our knowledge, in this study, we report the first animal model of chronic GBS genital tract colonization using female mice synchronized into estrus by delivery of 17β-estradiol prior to intravaginal challenge with wild-type GBS 874391. Cervicovaginal swabs, which were used to measure bacterial persistence, showed that GBS colonized the vaginal mucosa of mice at high numbers (106–107 CFU/swab) for at least 90 d. Cellular and histological analyses showed that chronic GBS colonization of the murine genital tract caused significant lymphocyte and PMN cell infiltrates, which were localized to the vaginal mucosal surface. Long-term colonization was independent of regular hormone cycling. Immunological analyses of 23 soluble proteins related to chemotaxis and inflammation showed that the host response to GBS in the genital tract comprised markers of innate immune activation including cytokines such as GM-CSF and TNF-α. A nonhemolytic isogenic mutant of GBS 874391, Δcyle9, was impaired for colonization and was associated with amplified local PMN responses. Induction of DNA neutrophil extracellular traps, which was observed in GBS-infected human PMNs in vitro in a hemolysin-dependent manner, appeared to be part of this response. Overall, this study defines key infection dynamics in a novel murine model of chronic GBS genital tract colonization and establishes previously unknown cellular and soluble defense responses to GBS in the female genital tract.

Vaccination of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) with a recombinant chlamydial major outer membrane protein adjuvanted with poly I:C, a host defense peptide and polyphosphazine, elicits strong and long lasting cellular and humoral immune responses

Chlamydial infections are wide spread in koalas across their range and a solution to this debilitating disease has been sought for over a decade. Antibiotics are the currently accepted therapeutic measure, but are not an effective treatment due to the asymptomatic nature of some infections and a low efficacy rate. Thus, a vaccine would be an ideal way to address this infectious disease threat in the wild. Previous vaccine trials have used a three-dose regimen; however this is very difficult to apply in the field as it would require multiple capture events, which are stressful and invasive processes for the koala. In addition, it requires skilled koala handlers and a significant monetary investment. To overcome these challenges, in this study we utilized a polyphosphazine based poly I:C and a host defense peptide adjuvant combined with recombinant chlamydial major outer membrane protein (rMOMP) antigen to induce long lasting (54 weeks) cellular and humoral immunity in female koalas with a novel single immunizing dose. Immunized koalas produced a strong IgG response in plasma, as well as at mucosal sites. Moreover, they showed high levels of C. pecorum specific neutralizing antibodies in the plasma as well as vaginal and conjunctival secretions. Lastly, Chlamydia-specific lymphocyte proliferation responses were produced against both whole chlamydial elementary bodies and rMOMP protein, over the 12-month period. The results of this study suggest that a single dose rMOMP vaccine incorporating a poly I:C, host defense peptide and polyphosphazine adjuvant is able to stimulate both arms of the immune system in koalas, thereby providing an alternative to antibiotic treatment and/or a three-dose vaccine regime.

Adolescent sexual behavioral intentions measurement: A gender approach in the Colombian Caribbean region [Medición de la Intención en la Actividad Sexual en Adolescentes: una Aproximación de Acuerdo al Género del Caribe Colombiano]

The study of 1777 male and female adolescent students of 11-19 years in the Colombian Caribbean had two objectives: development and validation of two reproductive health intention scales and analyze gender differences. The pilot of the scale consisted of 8 items and was reduced to 6, to check the reliability and validity using factor analysis and principal components with VARIMAX rotation yielded two factors: Intention and Intention Risk Protection, explained between 69.4% and 70% respectively. In the male Protection Intent (M = 3.87 and SD = 1.29) and risk (M = 2.56 and SD = 1.18) obtained an alpha between 0.74 and 0.86, and in Protection of Intent to female (M = 3.49 and SD = 1.35) and risk (M = 1.50 and SD = 0.89) ranged between 0.78 and 086. In conclusion, the reliability and structural stability are adequate and there are gender differences in the scales.

The measurement of intraocular pressure over positive soft contact lenses by rebound tonometry [Medición de la presión intraocular sobre lentes de contacto blandas positivas, mediante tonometría de rebote]

Purpose To investigate if the accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements using rebound tonometry over disposable hydrogel (etafilcon A) contact lenses (CL) is affected by the positive power of the CLs. Methods The experimental group comprised 26 subjects, (8 male, 18 female). IOP measurements were undertaken on the subjects’ right eyes in random order using a Rebound Tonometer (ICare). The CLs had powers of +2.00D and +6.00D. Measurements were taken over each contact lens and also before and after the CLs had been worn. Results The IOP measure obtained with both CLs was significantly lower compared to the value without CLs (t test; p<0.001) but no significant difference was found between the two powers of CLs. Conclusions Rebound tonometry over positive hydrogel CLs leads to a certain degree of IOP underestimation. This result didn’t change for the two positive lenses used in the experiment, despite their large difference in power and therefore in lens thickness. Optometrists should bear this in mind when measuring IOP with the rebound tonometer over plus power contact lenses.

Impact of working conditions on the quality of working life: Case manufacturing sector colombian Caribbean Region [Impacto de las Condiciones de Trabajo en Calidad de Vida Laboral: Caso del Sector Manufacturero de la Región Caribe Colombiana]

La presenta investigación centra su atención en evaluar el impacto de las Condiciones de Trabajo en la Calidad de Vida Laboral del talento humano de sector manufacturero de la región Caribe colombiana. Para analizar este proceso se entrevistaron a 518 empleados del sector. El diseño utilizado fue no experimental de tipo transversal descriptivo, puesto que a cada participante se le aplicó una entrevista con el instrumento de Condiciones de Trabajo y la Herramienta de Calidad de Vida Laboral (Condiciones Salariales y Subjetivas). Los datos fueron analizados mediante análisis de correlación y modelos de regresión logística. Los resultados mostraron que el ambiente térmico y las normas de seguridad en el trabajo afectan de forma positiva la Calidad de Vida Laboral de los empleados del sector. Estos resultados ponen de manifiesto que la relación entre las condiciones de trabajo y la CVL se basa en la competencia y distan de ser una relación lineal y simple relacionada con la consideración de la presencia o la ausencia de las condiciones de trabajo. Ello tiene implicaciones a la hora de formular políticas, programas e intervenciones para prevenir, erradicar y amortiguar los efectos negativos de las condiciones de trabajo y mejorar la seguridad industrial dentro de las empresas.

Genome-wide mapping of cystitis due to Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli in mice identifies a unique bladder transcriptome that signifies pathogen-specific antimicrobial defense against urinary tract infection

The most common causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs) are Gram-negative pathogens such as Escherichia coli; however, Gram-positive organisms including Streptococcus agalactiae, or group B streptococcus (GBS), also cause UTI. In GBS infection, UTI progresses to cystitis once the bacteria colonize bladder, but the host responses triggered in the bladder immediately following infection are largely unknown. Here, we used genome-wide expression profiling to map the bladder transcriptome of GBS UTI in mice infected transurethrally with uropathogenic GBS that was cultured from a 35 year-old women with cystitis. RNA from bladders was applied to Affymetrix Gene-1.0ST microarrays; qRT-PCR was used to analyze selected gene responses identified in array datasets. A surprisingly small significant gene list of 172 genes was identified at 24h; this compared to 2507 genes identified in a side-by-side comparison with uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). No genes exhibited significantly altered expression at 2h in GBS-infected mice according to arrays despite high bladder bacterial loads at this early time point. The absence of a marked early host response to GBS juxtaposed with broad-based bladder responses activated by UPEC at 2h. Bioinformatics analyses including integrative systems-level network mapping revealed multiple activated biological pathways in the GBS cystitis transcriptome that regulate leukocyte activation, inflammation, apoptosis, and cytokine-chemokine biosynthesis. These findings define a novel, minimalistic type of bladder host response triggered by GBS UTI, which comprises collective antimicrobial pathways that differ dramatically from those activated by UPEC. Overall, this study emphasizes the unique nature of bladder immune activation mechanisms triggered by distinct uropathogens.