Teleconsultation in sexual and reproductive health for young adults through mobile devices: Experience in Colombia

Background: Sexual risk behaviors associated with poor information on sexuality have contributed to major public health problems in the area of sexual and reproductive health in teenagers and young adults in Colombia. Objective: To measure the perception of changes in sexual and reproductive risk behavior after the use of a teleconsultation service via mobile devices in a sample of young adults. Methods: A before and after observational study was designed, where a mobile application to inquire about sexual and reproductive health was developed. The perception of changes in sexual and reproductive health risk behaviors in a sample of young adults after the use of the application was measured using the validated survey “Family Health International (FHI) – Behavioral Surveillance Survey (BSS) – Survey for Adults between 15 to 40 Years”. Non-probabilistic convenience recruitment was undertaken through the study´s web page. Participants answered the survey online before and after the use of the mobile application for a six month period (intervention). For the inferential analysis, data was divided into three groups (dichotomous data, discrete quantitative data, and ordinal data), to compare the results of the questions between the first and the second survey. For all tests, a confidence interval of 95% was established. For dichotomous data, the Chi-squared test was used. For quantitative data, we used the Student’s t-test, and for ordinal data, the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. Results: A total of 257 subjects were registered in the study and met the selection criteria. The pre-intervention survey was answered by 232 subjects, and 127 completely answered the post-intervention survey, of which 54.3% did not use the application, leaving an effective population of 58 subjects for analysis. 53% (n=31) were female, and 47% (n=27) were male. The mean age was 21 years, ranging between 18 and 40 years. The differences between the answers on the first and the second survey were not statistically significant. The main risk behaviors identified in the population were homosexual relations, non-use of condoms, sexual relations with non-regular and commercial partners, the use of psychoactive substances, and ignorance about the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV transmission. Conclusions: Although there were no differences between the pre- and post-intervention results, the study revealed different risk behaviors among the participating subjects. These findings highlight the importance of promoting educational strategies on this matter and the importance of providing patients with easily accessible tools with reliable health information.

Functional studies of the deubiquitinating enzymes USP19, USP4 and UCH-L1

El marcaje de proteínas con ubiquitina, conocido como ubiquitinación, cumple diferentes funciones que incluyen la regulación de varios procesos celulares, tales como: la degradación de proteínas por medio del proteosoma, la reparación del ADN, la señalización mediada por receptores de membrana, y la endocitosis, entre otras (1). Las moléculas de ubiquitina pueden ser removidas de sus sustratos gracias a la acción de un gran grupo de proteasas, llamadas enzimas deubiquitinizantes (DUBs) (2). Las DUBs son esenciales para la manutención de la homeostasis de la ubiquitina y para la regulación del estado de ubiquitinación de diferentes sustratos. El gran número y la diversidad de DUBs descritas refleja tanto su especificidad como su utilización para regular un amplio espectro de sustratos y vías celulares. Aunque muchas DUBs han sido estudiadas a profundidad, actualmente se desconocen los sustratos y las funciones biológicas de la mayoría de ellas. En este trabajo se investigaron las funciones de las DUBs: USP19, USP4 y UCH-L1. Utilizando varias técnicas de biología molecular y celular se encontró que: i) USP19 es regulada por las ubiquitin ligasas SIAH1 y SIAH2 ii) USP19 es importante para regular HIF-1α, un factor de transcripción clave en la respuesta celular a hipoxia, iii) USP4 interactúa con el proteosoma, iv) La quimera mCherry-UCH-L1 reproduce parcialmente los fenotipos que nuestro grupo ha descrito previamente al usar otros constructos de la misma enzima, y v) UCH-L1 promueve la internalización de la bacteria Yersinia pseudotuberculosis.

Behavioral neurosciences in Latin-American psychology journals

Behavioral neurosciences have evolved from other disciplines such as psychology, psychiatry and neurology, becoming a prominent area within general neuroscience. In mainstream psychology, neurosciences currently have an important role. In this paper we documented articles published in four Latin-American psychology journals and we classified these papers as empirical or theoretical. We analyzed the main topics covered in the behavioral neurosciences. Most of reported research used humans and rats as study subjects, although other species have also been used as models. Data suggest behavioral neurosciences currently play a growing and prominent role in Latin American psychology.

Estrategias de mercadeo online para el lanzamiento de la marca Rio Technology® en Colombia

RIO TECHNOLOGY SAS es una empresa que lleva 11 años en el mercado de la distribución al por mayor de tecnología a todo nivel y suministros para oficina en Bogotá y en algunas otras ciudades del país. Fue constituida formalmente en el año 2001 ante la cámara de comercio de Bogotá como una sociedad anónima, y en el año 2010 cambió su tipo de sociedad, y se convirtió en sociedad por acciones simplificada, aprovechando los beneficios que este tipo de sociedad comercial brinda a las empresas medianas y pequeñas en Colombia. La idea de este proyecto nace porque desde Julio del año 2013, la marca RIO® se encuentra registrada, lo que genera grandes inquietudes acerca del cómo poder aprovechar esta situación para que la empresa RIO TECHNOLOGY se dé a conocer en el mercado y lograr un mayor crecimiento de la misma mediante la promoción y fortalecimiento de su marca, generando mayores utilidades. El mercadeo online podría ser una excelente alternativa para lanzar la marca RIO® al mercado; usando las redes sociales, por ejemplo, pues estas han sido creadas para conectar personas, grupos, páginas, etc. Y además son un medio de comunicación muy efectivo, por lo que la empresa RIO TECHNOLOGY podría estar en contacto permanente y cercano con sus clientes, dando a conocer en todo momento su marca RIO® mediante estrategias promocionales. En la actualidad, las redes sociales han significado una gran oportunidad tanto para las grandes empresas como para las Pymes; pues por medio de ellas se llega a una gran cantidad de personas en cuestión de segundos, con lo cual, usando estrategias eficientes, se logran resultados potenciales que se ven reflejados en un fortalecimiento de marca. El objetivo de este proyecto es presentar a RIO TECHNOLOGY un plan estratégico de mercadeo online para lanzar y fortalecer su marca. Se busca que la empresa mejore potencialmente el nivel de sus ventas y comience a posicionar su marca en el mercado.

Incongruence between test statistics and P values in medical papers

Given an observed test statistic and its degrees of freedom, one may compute the observed P value with most statistical packages. It is unknown to what extent test statistics and P values are congruent in published medical papers. Methods: We checked the congruence of statistical results reported in all the papers of volumes 409–412 of Nature (2001) and a random sample of 63 results from volumes 322–323 of BMJ (2001). We also tested whether the frequencies of the last digit of a sample of 610 test statistics deviated from a uniform distribution (i.e., equally probable digits).Results: 11.6% (21 of 181) and 11.1% (7 of 63) of the statistical results published in Nature and BMJ respectively during 2001 were incongruent, probably mostly due to rounding, transcription, or type-setting errors. At least one such error appeared in 38% and 25% of the papers of Nature and BMJ, respectively. In 12% of the cases, the significance level might change one or more orders of magnitude. The frequencies of the last digit of statistics deviated from the uniform distribution and suggested digit preference in rounding and reporting.Conclusions: this incongruence of test statistics and P values is another example that statistical practice is generally poor, even in the most renowned scientific journals, and that quality of papers should be more controlled and valued

Tratamentos breves na psicanálise Lacaniana - uma revisão sistemática da literatura

RESUMO: O trabalho realiza uma revisão de literatura sobre tratamentos breves fundamentados na psicanálise lacaniana. Para atingir esta finalidade, a pesquisa parte de um corpus constituído por publicações electrónicas de livre acesso de membros das Escolas de Psicanálise filiadas à Associação Mundial de Psicanálise. Considerando o período de 2000 a 2009, identificou-se que os periódicos latino-americanos contribuíram com 96 (83,47%) trabalhos sobre o tema investigado, em um total de 115 documentos seleccionados. A literatura consultada indica que os tratamentos breves são possibilitados pela construção de um dispositivo específico, no qual são estabelecidos parâmetros como gratuidade e tempo limitado de atendimento. Verificou-se, contudo, o predomínio de intervenções individuais voltadas, principalmente, à clientela formada por adultos de grandes centros urbanos. ABSTRACT: The paper outlines the profile of the scientific production about brief treatments based on the Lacanian Psychoanalysis. In order to accomplish this, the research focuses on online journals with free full-text articles written by members of Lacanian Schools listed on the website of the World Psychoanalysis Association. The work analyses studies from 2000 to 2009. In a total of 115 selected documents, the research has identified that online journals from Latin America contributed with 96 (83,47%) works. The literature review indicates that brief treatments are made possible by a construction of a specific mechanism, in which parameters of gratuity and limited time of care are established. However, a key conclusion from this review is that individual interventions with adults from big cities are still predominant

Construction management research: a field of application

Research in construction management is diverse in content and in quality. There is much to be learned from more fundamental disciplines. Construction is a sub-set of human experience rather than a completely separate phenomenon. Therefore, it is likely that there are few problems in construction requiring the invention of a completely new theory. If construction researchers base their work only on that of other construction researchers, our academic community will become less relevant to the world at large. The theories that we develop or test must be of wider applicability to be of any real interest. In undertaking research, researchers learn a lot about themselves. Perhaps the only difference between research and education is that if we are learning about something which no-one else knows, then it is research, otherwise it is education. Self-awareness of this will help to reduce the chances of publishing work which only reveals a researcher’s own learning curve. Scientific method is not as simplistic as non-scientists claim and is the only real way of overcoming methodological weaknesses in our work. The reporting of research may convey the false impression that it is undertaken in the sequence in which it is written. Construction is not so unique and special as to require a completely different set of methods from other fields of enquiry. Until our research is reported in mainstream journals and conferences, there is little chance that we will influence the wider academic community and a concomitant danger that it will become irrelevant. The most useful insights will come from research which challenges the current orthodoxy rather than research which merely reports it.

E-commerce system simulation for construction and demolition waste exchange

This article introduces a quantitative approach to e-commerce system evaluation based on the theory of process simulation. The general concept of e-commerce system simulation is presented based on the considerations of some limitations in e-commerce system development such as the huge amount of initial investments of time and money, and the long period from business planning to system development, then to system test and operation, and finally to exact return; in other words, currently used system analysis and development method cannot tell investors about some keen attentions such as how good their e-commerce system could be, how many investment repayments they could have, and which area they should improve regarding the initial business plan. In order to exam the value and its potential effects of an e-commerce business plan, it is necessary to use a quantitative evaluation approach and the authors of this article believe that process simulation is an appropriate option. The overall objective of this article is to apply the theory of process simulation to e-commerce system evaluation, and the authors will achieve this though an experimental study on a business plan for online construction and demolition waste exchange. The methodologies adopted in this article include literature review, system analysis and development, simulation modelling and analysis, and case study. The results from this article include the concept of e-commerce system simulation, a comprehensive review of simulation methods adopted in e-commerce system evaluation, and a real case study of applying simulation to e-commerce system evaluation. Furthermore, the authors hope that the adoption and implementation of the process simulation approach can effectively support business decision-making, and improve the efficiency of e-commerce systems.

Developing an engaging virtual action learning programme for SME managers – A UK perspective

In this paper we present results from an EU-funded project with the aim of examining the adaptation of e-learning to meet the needs of managers in different contexts. A set of design considerations is elucidated. These principles were derived from an analysis of five completed projects. This was followed by focus group discussion in the UK to test the principles derived.. These focus group were planned so as to gain greater clarity in the design of e-learning programmes aimed at UK-based SME leaders and managers. This paper starts by looking at the importance of SME management development for the economic wellbeing of the community and goes on to review research into issues in engaging managers in development activities. The results of a review of an earlier experimental programme (ESeN) are presented as it formed part of the process which led to the identification of theoretical design principles then tested in the focus groups. Finally, recommendations are presented for SME e-learning providers as well as areas for further research.

Negotiating access into firms: obstacles and strategies

Researchers often experience difficulties with the negotiation of access into firms for the purpose of data collection. The question we explore is: What are the main obstacles associated with access negotiation into firms; and what strategies do researchers employ to increase their chances of success? Our research work on the tendering process of contractors took place between 2006 and 2008. We successfully negotiated access into four firms (two each in Ghana and the UK) to observe live examples of tender preparation The techniques we employed in negotiating access were personal contacts, contacting firms through online details and professional institutions, etc. With all of this effort, our average success rate was less than 5 per cent. The main obstacles encountered were firms’ reluctance because of commercial sensitiveness and fear that the data could eventually be divulged to their competitors or end up in the public domain. However, some firms agreed mainly because of the written assurances of confidentiality and anonymity in reporting the study; reputation of the researchers’ academic institution; gatekeepers who spoke to their colleagues on our behalf; academic purpose of the study; and a feedback report which was promised in return for access to the case studies. Although the access through personal contacts is by far the easiest, it is not always possible. Researchers can approach firms as complete strangers, especially in a foreign country, and that could make the firms more likely to assist the research.

Built environment education and research in West Africa

Built environment programmes in West African universities; and research contributions from West Africa in six leading international journals and proceedings of the WABER conference are explored. At least 20 universities in the region offer degree programmes in Architecture (86% out of 23 universities); Building (57%); Civil Engineering (67%); Estate Management (52%); Quantity Surveying (52%); Surveying and Geoinformatics (55%); Urban and Regional Planning (67%). The lecturer-student ratio on programmes is around 1:25 compared to the 1:10 benchmark for excellence. Academics who teach on the programmes are clearly research active with some having published papers in leading international journals. There is, however, plenty of scope for improvement particularly at the highest international level. Out of more than 5000 papers published in six leading international peer-reviewed journals since each of them was established, only 23 of the papers have come from West Africa. The 23 papers are published by 28 academics based in 13 universities. Although some academics may publish their work in the plethora of journals that have proliferated in recent years, new generation researchers are encouraged to publish in more established journals. The analyses of 187 publications in the WABER conference proceedings revealed 18 research-active universities. Factors like quality of teaching, research and lecturer-student ratio, etc count in the ranking of universities. The findings lay bare some of the areas that should be addressed to improve the landscape of higher education in West Africa.

Archaeology on Egypt's edge: archaeological research in the Dakhleh Oasis, 1819-1977

This article provides the first substantial survey of early archaeological research in Egypt’s Dakhleh Oasis. In addition to providing a much-needed survey of research, this study embeds Dakhleh’s regional research history within a broader archaeological research framework. Moreover, it explores the impact of contemporaneous historical events in Egypt and Europe upon the development of archaeology in Dakhleh. This contextualised approach allows us to trace influences upon past research trends and their impacts upon current research and approaches, as well as suggest directions for future research.

Methodology To model the energy and greenhouse gas emissions of electronic software distributions

A new electronic software distribution (ESD) life cycle analysis (LCA)methodology and model structure were constructed to calculate energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In order to counteract the use of high level, top-down modeling efforts, and to increase result accuracy, a focus upon device details and data routes was taken. In order to compare ESD to a relevant physical distribution alternative,physical model boundaries and variables were described. The methodology was compiled from the analysis and operational data of a major online store which provides ESD and physical distribution options. The ESD method included the calculation of power consumption of data center server and networking devices. An in-depth method to calculate server efficiency and utilization was also included to account for virtualization and server efficiency features. Internet transfer power consumption was analyzed taking into account the number of data hops and networking devices used. The power consumed by online browsing and downloading was also factored into the model. The embedded CO2e of server and networking devices was proportioned to each ESD process. Three U.K.-based ESD scenarios were analyzed using the model which revealed potential CO2e savings of 83% when ESD was used over physical distribution. Results also highlighted the importance of server efficiency and utilization methods.

Occasional publishers: producing and marketing books in England 1771–1844

Purpose – To investigate the way in which a series of related printing businesses, owned by members of the Gye and Balne families in Bath and London from 1771 to 1844, selected and marketed their titles when they ventured into book printing and publishing. Design/methodology/approach – The basis of this research is extensive archival research analyzing primary sources, mainly the books and ephemera printed by the various firms, supported by information in contemporary newspapers and journals and in biographies of printers and publishers. Findings – The focus of these businesses was not solely on production but that marketing was also considered, and that there was each title was conceived and produced with a particular market in mind. In doing so it provides evidence of relatively advanced marketing strategies in use before 1850 and thus questions the validity of the four-eras model of marketing history. Research limitations/implications – The available primary sources are limited; while a number of books and other printed items have survived there are no extant accounts, correspondence, or other records for any of the firms that were studied. Originality/value – There has been very little research into the way small businesses during this period approached the marketing of their products. This paper is a potential model for further such historical research and also provides an example of how research into specific companies can illuminate the larger history of marketing, potentially changing the way in which we understand the development of consumer society.