Harinera Pardo S.A.: experiencias de crisis y recuperaci��n en empresas colombianas

Este estudio de caso consiste en analizar el funcionamiento al interior de la empresa Harinera Pardo S.A, las inversiones realizadas y las decisiones tomadas. Tambi��n en ver el comportamiento del sector agroindustrial molinero, espec��ficamente de trigo, ya que la empresa se desenvuelve en este mercado. Y por ��ltimo, entender los factores que llevaron a la empresa objeto de estudio a verse afectada por una crisis empresarial. Con base en el concepto de ���crisis��� que cita Martin (2008), las causas que la generan en la empresa pueden ser internas, como problemas comerciales, de producci��n, de calidad, inadecuada infraestructura de costos, problemas de direcci��n, inversiones y dem��s o externas, como cambios en el mercado, el fen��meno de la globalizaci��n, influencia de los competidores, entre otros. Decidimos citar este autor ya que su visi��n sobre el concepto de crisis encierra varios factores que hacen parte del desarrollo del estudio de caso. De este estudio se espera aprender con una empresa del sector real, que caer en una crisis no necesariamente significa llegar a su fin, sino que con una adecuada reestructuraci��n, esta puede enfrentar y superar el mal momento que est�� atravesando. Para ello tendremos en cuenta la influencia del mercado internacional en la ��poca de los 90��s y la coyuntura que se presentaba alrededor del sector molinero, al igual que el comportamiento al interior de la empresa durante este mismo periodo de tiempo, que fue previo a la reca��da de la empresa. A dem��s, expondremos las opiniones y estrategias utilizadas por Rafael Pardo, presidente de Harinera Pardo, con las que gracias a su puesta en marcha durante los a��os de crisis, finalmente logr�� recuperarse en el a��o 2009. El trabajo es desarrollado por estudiantes de pregrado de Administraci��n de Empresas y Administraci��n de Negocios Internacionales de la Universidad del Rosario, y la investigaci��n a realizar trata temas administrativos de crisis y recuperaci��n.

Riskfyllt vatten : Hur individen skapar sig en f��rst��else av ov��ntad parasitf��rekomst i dricksvattnet

Risky water How the individual makes sense of unexpected parasites in the drinking water This quick response study was carried out with the aim to study how individuals made sense of the outbreak of the parasite Cryptosporidium in the drinking water in Ostersund. In total 24 interviews were made with people in Ostersund. The result shows that the interviewees related to social as well as spatial dimensions when they made sense of this risky situation, which can be understood in relation to the concept of sensemaking of risk. Six groups among the interviewees emerged in the analysis, illustrating how different aspects of the risk where focused in the process of sensemaking. Further, the study shows that the process of sensemaking was built upon direct as well as indirect social relations, where the interviewees made sense of the risk by relating to people who were close to them as well as to people to whom they had no personal relation. These indirect social relations were defined as: elderly, children and people in other countries, which also points at the fact that the interviewees made sense of the risk in a global context. Finally, the results suggest that social relations could be further explored in future studies in sensemaking of risk.

Estudo da produ����o de pectinase por fermenta����o em estado s��lido utilizando ped��nculo de caju como substrato

Pectinolytic enzymes, or simply pectinases, are complex enzymes that degrade pectic polymers. They have many uses, such as fruit juice extraction and purification, textile fiber treatment and vegetal oil extraction. The aim of this work was to study the kinetics of pectinases production by solid-state fermentation, using dry cashew apple residue as substrate and the microorganism Aspergillus niger CCT 0916. The influence of the initial medium moisture and medium supplementation with a source of nitrogen and phosphorus was evaluated using the factorial experimental planning and response surface methodology. Ammonia sulphate and potassium phosphate were used as nitrogen and phosphorus source, respectively. The variables time of contact (T) and ratio volume solvent/fermented medium (RZ), in systems with and without agitation, were evaluated in order to study the best extraction condition of the produced enzyme. Washed and unwashed cashew apple residues were tested as the growth medium. The unwashed residue was obtained by drying the residue after the extraction of the juice, while the washed residue was obtained by water washing 5 times using the proportion of 1 kg pulp/2 liters of water. Samples were taken every 12 hours for moisture content, pH, protein, reducing sugars, polygalacturonase activity (PG) and viscosity reduction. The physical-chemical composition of the residues had different sugar and pectin levels. For the unwashed residue, the peak activity was reached with 40% of initial moisture content, 1% of nitrogen supplementation without phosphorus addition after 30 hours of process. These conditions led to 16 U/g of PG activity and 82% of viscosity reduction. The calculated models reached similar values to the experimental ones in the same process conditions: 15.55 U/g of PG and 79.57% of viscosity eduction. Similarly, the greatest enzyme production for washed residue was reached with 40% initial moisture content, 1% nitrogen supplementation without phosphorus addition after 22 hours of cultivation. In this condition it was obtained polygalacturonase activity of 9.84 U/g and viscosity reduction of 81.36%. These values are close to experimental values that were of 10.1 U/g and 81%, respectively. The conditions that led to the best PG activity results was the agitated one and the best extraction condition was obtained with 100 minutes of solvent/medium contact and RZ of 5 (mL/g)

Preliminary Overview of the Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean 2008

Includes bibliography

Locus no cromossomo 19 influencia positivamente o n��mero de o��citos recuperados em ciclos estimulados

Objective: To evaluate if identified loci associated with normal age of menopause variation and early menopause can account for the poor response to controlled ovarian stimulation. Methods: A total of 71 patients, with age ��� 35 years old, undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection were tested for three of the four newly identified genetic variants associated with normal variation in menopausal age and early menopause. Patients were divided into two groups: poor responder group (PR group, n=21) and normoresponder group (NR group, n=50). The influence of risk allele frequency on the response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) was evaluated. Logistic regression models were used. Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence of the genetic variants between NR and PR group. The risk allele for chromosome 19 variant (rs4806660) demonstrated a protective effect. The presence of a risk allele, either in homozygosis or in heterozygosis, was associated with an increased response to COS, resulting in an elevated number of follicles (Coef: 2.54, P= 0.041) and retrieved oocytes (Coef: 1.41, P= 0.041). Conclusions: Genetic variants rs244715, rs9379896 and rs4806660 are not risk factors for poor ovarian response. Instead, rs4806660 is associated with higher number of follicles and retrieved oocytes. It could be hypothesized that rs4806660 is associated with an increased response to gonadotrophin stimulus. �� Todos os direitos reservados a SBRA - Sociedade Brasileira de Reprodu����o Assistida.

Estudos bioqu��micos de tegumento de soja brasileira: isolamento, purifica����o e caracteriza����o de peroxidase com guaiacol como substrato

P��s-gradua����o em Biotecnologia - IQ

Valor progn��stico do SNP TP53 ARG72PRO na susceptibilidade ao desenvolvimento e na sobrevida de pacientes brasileiros com meduloblastoma

O Meduloblastoma �� a neoplasia encef��lica mais comum na inf��ncia, correspondendo a taxas de 16 a 25% de todos os tumores encef��licos em menores de 19 anos e 30-40% de todos os tumores da fossa posterior. Para investigar o papel do polimorfismo de base ��nica (SNP) TP53 Arg72Pro sobre o risco de desenvolvimento, progn��stico e resposta a terap��utica adjuvante em Meduloblastoma, foi realizado um estudo caso-controle com 122 pacientes e 122 controles saud��veis do Brasil. Em compara����o com Arg/Arg, que �� o gen��tipo mais comum na popula����o em estudo, tanto o gen��tipo Arg/Pro e Pro/Pro n��o influenciaram o risco de desenvolvimento de Meduloblastoma (OR = 1,36 e P = 0,339 para o gen��tipo Arg/Pro; OR = 1,50 e P = 0,389 para o gen��tipo Pro/Pro). Com rela����o ao progn��stico, a sobrevida livre de doen��a n��o foi significativamente diferente entre os gen��tipos SNP TP53 Arg72Pro (P> 0,05), por��m o gen��tipo menos freq��ente, Pro/Pro, foi associado a uma menor sobrevida global dos pacientes com Meduloblastoma (P = 0,021 ). Estes dados sugerem que embora n��o haja nenhuma associa����o entre o SNP TP53 Arg72Pro e o risco de desenvolvimento de Meduloblastoma, o gen��tipo Pro/Pro est�� associado a uma menor sobrevida global dos pacientes submetidos a terapia adjuvante. No entanto, devido �� composi����o inter��tnica da popula����o brasileira, futuros estudos envolvendo popula����es maiores e de outras partes do mundo ser��o essenciais para uma conclus��o definitiva da fun����o do SNP TP53 Arg72Pro.

Respostas da frequ��ncia card��aca ao teste de 1RM e da modula����o auton��mica da frequ��ncia card��aca no per��odo de recupera����o em indiv��duos com fatores de risco para doen��as cardiovasculares

P��s-gradua����o em Desenvolvimento Humano e Tecnologias - IBRC

Efeitos imediatos e tardios da imers��o em ��gua p��s-exerc��cio: uma revis��o sistem��tica e um ensaio cl��nico randomizado

Coordena����o de Aperfei��oamento de Pessoal de N��vel Superior (CAPES)

New water use efficiency strategies to cope with climate change

Crop water requirements are important elements for food production, especially in arid and semiarid regions. These regions are experience increasing population growth and less water for agriculture, which amplifies the need for more efficient irrigation. Improved water use efficiency is needed to produce more food while conserving water as a limited natural resource. Evaporation (E) from bare soil and Transpiration (T) from plants is considered a critical part of the global water cycle and, in recent decades, climate change could lead to increased E and T. Because energy is required to break hydrogen bonds and vaporize water, water and energy balances are closely connected. The soil water balance is also linked with water vapour losses to evapotranspiration (ET) that are dependent mainly on energy balance at the Earth���s surface. This work addresses the role of evapotranspiration for water use efficiency by developing a mathematical model that improves the accuracy of crop evapotranspiration calculation; accounting for the effects of weather conditions, e.g., wind speed and humidity, on crop coefficients, which relates crop evapotranspiration to reference evapotranspiration. The ability to partition ET into Evaporation and Transpiration components will help irrigation managers to find ways to improve water use efficiency by decreasing the ratio of evaporation to transpiration. The developed crop coefficient model will improve both irrigation scheduling and water resources planning in response to future climate change, which can improve world food production and water use efficiency in agriculture.

Response to the Discussion of "The Effect on Financial Reporting Quality of an Exemption From the SEC Reporting Requirements for Foreign Private Issuers"

We appreciate the thorough discussion provided by Professor Yuan Ding. His comments raise legitimate issues. In this response, we offer clarifications and suggest avenues for future research. Our response follows the structure of the discussant���s paper and elaborates on each point separately.

Incidence of spinal compressive lesions in chondrodystrophic dogs with abnormal recovery after hemilaminectomy for treatment of thoracolumbar disc disease: a prospective magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate causes of the lack of clinical improvement after thoracolumbar disc surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. ANIMALS: Chondrodystrophic dogs with acute thoracolumbar disc disease treated by hemilaminectomy: 10 that had no short-term clinical improvement and 12 with "normal" clinical improvement. METHODS: Dogs that had surgery for treatment of intervertebral disc extrusion (2003-2008) where thoracolumbar disc disease was confirmed by MRI were evaluated to identify dogs that had lack of clinical improvement after surgery. Ten dogs with delayed recovery or clinical deterioration were reexamined with MRI and compared with 12 dogs with normal recovery and MRI reexamination after 6 weeks (control group). RESULTS: Of 173 dogs, 10 (5.8%) had clinical deterioration within 1-10 days after surgery. In 8 dogs, residual spinal cord compression was identified on MRI. Bleeding was present in 1 dog. In 3 dogs, the cause was an incorrect approach and insufficient disc material removal. In 3 dogs, recurrence occurred at the surgical site. In 1 dog, the centrally located extruded material was shifted to the contralateral side during surgery. These 8 dogs had repeat surgery and recovery was uneventful. In 2 dogs, deterioration could not be associated with a compressive disc lesion. Hemorrhagic myelomalacia was confirmed by pathologic examination in 1 dog. The other dog recovered after 6 months of conservative management. CONCLUSION: Delayed postsurgical recovery or deterioration is commonly associated with newly developed and/or remaining compressive disc lesion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We recommend early MRI reexamination to assess the postsurgical spinal canal and cord, and to plan further therapeutic measures in chondrodystrophic dogs with delayed recovery after decompressive hemilaminectomy for thoracolumbar disc disease.

The number needed to treat to prevent mortality and cirrhosis-related complications among patients with cirrhosis and HCV genotype 1 infection

Cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain at risk for complications following sustained virological response (SVR). Therefore, we aimed to evaluate treatment efficacy with the number needed to treat (NNT) to prevent clinical endpoints. Mortality and cirrhosis-related morbidity were assessed in an international multicentre cohort of consecutively treated patients with HCV genotype 1 infection and cirrhosis. The NNT to prevent death or clinical disease progression (any cirrhosis-related event or death) in one patient was determined with the adjusted (event-free) survival among patients without SVR and adjusted hazard ratio of SVR. Overall, 248 patients were followed for a median of 8.3 (IQR 6.2-11.1) years. Fifty-nine (24%) patients attained SVR. Among patients without SVR, the adjusted 5-year survival and event-free survival were 94.4% and 80.0%, respectively. SVR was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.05-0.48, P = 0.002) and clinical disease progression (HR 0.16, 95% CI 0.07-0.36, P < 0.001). The NNT to prevent one death in 5 years declined from 1052 (95% CI 937-1755) at 2% SVR (interferon monotherapy) to 61 (95% CI 54-101) at 35% SVR (peginterferon and ribavirin). At 50% SVR, which might be expected with triple therapy, the estimated NNT was 43 (95% CI 38-71). The NNT to prevent clinical disease progression in one patient in 5 years was 302 (95% CI 271-407), 18 (95% CI 16-24) and 13 (95% CI 11-17) at 2%, 35% and 50% SVR, respectively. In conclusion, the NNT to prevent clinical endpoints among cirrhotic patients with HCV genotype 1 has declined enormously with the improvement of antiviral therapy.

In your eyes only: deficits in executive functioning after frontal TMS reflect in eye movements

This study investigated the roles of the right and left dorsolateral prefrontal (rDLPFC, lDLPFC) and the medial frontal cortex (MFC) in executive functioning using a theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approach. Healthy subjects solved two visual search tasks: a number search task with low cognitive demands, and a number and letter search task with high cognitive demands. To observe how subjects solved the tasks, we assessed their behavior with and without TMS using eye movements when subjects were confronted with specific executive demands. To observe executive functions, we were particularly interested in TMS-induced changes in visual exploration strategies found to be associated with good or bad performance in a control condition without TMS stimulation. TMS left processing time unchanged in both tasks. Inhibition of the rDLPFC resulted in a decrease in anticipatory fixations in the number search task, i.e., a decrease in a good strategy in this low demand task. This was paired with a decrease in stimulus fixations. Together, these results point to a role of the rDLPFC in planning and response selection. Inhibition of the lDLPFC and the MFC resulted in an increase in anticipatory fixations in the number and letter search task, i.e., an increase in the application of a good strategy in this task. We interpret these results as a compensatory strategy to account for TMS-induced deficits in attentional switching when faced with high switching demands. After inhibition of the lDLPFC, an increase in regressive fixations was found in the number and letter search task. In the context of high working memory demands, this strategy appears to support TMS-induced working memory deficits. Combining an experimental TMS approach with the recording of eye movements proved sensitive to discrete decrements of executive functions and allows pinpointing the functional organization of the frontal lobes.

Evaluaci��n de la calidad ambiental en relaci��n con los usos del suelo de tipo peligroso : El caso de La Carlota, C��rdoba

La calidad ambiental se refiere a la contribuci��n del ambiente al bienestar humano. Los usos del suelo de tipo peligroso en un ambiente urbano pueden afectar dicha calidad. En este trabajo, se analiza y eval��a la calidad ambiental urbana con respecto a los usos del suelo de tipo peligroso ubicados dentro del ejido urbano: dep��sitos de agroqu��micos; silos; garajes de fumigadores terrestres; dep��sitos de garrafas y tubos de gas licuado; estaciones de servicio. La metodolog��a propuesta para este estudio es la aplicaci��n de Sistemas de Indicadores Ambientales bajo el modelo "Presi��n-Estado-Respuesta" (OCDE), con el fin de plantear y medir un ��ndice de Calidad Ambiental. El objetivo final es identificar factores que se comportan como profundizadores o mitigadores del riesgo, medidos a trav��s de indicadores de presi��n, estado y respuesta