"Vinci Cosmetics" Fabricación y comercialización de productos cosméticos

Contexto: La idea principal es la creación de una empresa para la fabricación y comercialización de productos cosméticos de alta gama. A pesar del contexto de crisis económica en el que estamos envueltos estos últimos años y del que no parece que acabamos de salir, el sector de la cosmética está resistiendo la situación de forma envidiable. De la crisis, como dicen los economistas, “se saldrá y se volverá, todo es cíclico” y viendo la fortaleza que éste sector está mostrando unido a la necesidad de que nuestra economía abandone sectores muy deteriorados y sin una previsión positiva de futuro, la cosmética se postula con un futuro prometedor dentro del contexto económico español y europeo. “Vinci Cosmetics” es el nombre inicialmente pensado para que la nueva compañía inicie su andadura. Nombre con tintes latinos de la lejana época del imperio romano como homenaje a la rica herencia histórica de la ciudad del autor del proyecto - Tarragona. La cultura por cuidarse y sentirse bien, muy arraigada en la mentalidad latina y mediterránea, es un factor cultural clave para el desarrollo y futura evolución de esta industria. El slogan de la empresa, “Dieta Mediterránea para tu piel”, clarifica en buena medida la idea a desarrollar y los objetivos pretendidos por la estrategia empresarial. Objetivos: El objetivo esencial del TFC es elaborar un estudio detallado para la creación de una empresa de fabricación y comercialización de productos cosméticos de alta gama que abarque el management y la gestión por procesos de la empresa, la función de marketing, el tipo de operaciones y procesos a realizar, la gestión del factor humano y el presupuesto necesario para cubrir este ambicioso proyecto. En detalle, un completo plan de empresa que marque las directrices de la organización industrial que se pretende crear compuesto a su vez por cinco planes: plan de gerencia, plan de marketing, plan de operaciones, plan de recursos humanos y plan económico – financiero. Procedimientos: El proyecto tiene un alto componente de estudio de mercados y de marketing pero pretende también abarcar el management, los procesos de operación, el factor humano y el aspecto económico y financiero de las inversiones y presupuesto necesario. El estudio inicial centrará su esfuerzo en un análisis del mercado de la península ibérica, y, en función del avance y del progreso esperado por la empresa, la compañía podría extender su campo de acción a Europa aunque no antes de un medio plazo. “Vinci Cosmetics” ha adoptado referenciales de sistemas de gestión integrados en toda la organización. Así tenemos principalmente, por un lado, la norma internacional ISO 9001:2008 y, por otro, el Modelo EFQM de Excelencia en la gestión; ambos plasmados a partir de un enfoque basado en procesos que nos garantiza el control continuo y la gestión excelente. Conclusiones: Tras evaluar la situación actual del mercado de la cosmética, las previsiones futuras de éste y las necesidades que una organización industrial necesita, se puede crear - con plenas garantías de éxito como organización empresarial y desde el punto de vista económico - una empresa de cosméticos de alta gama para cubrir las necesidades de una parte de mercado que lo requiere.

Activity of phosphorus of synthetic Fe-K-P compounds in superphosphate fertilizers as affected by pH and ionic strength

The concentration of orthophosphate ions released from Fe-K-P compounds (Fe3KH8(PO4)6 .6H2O and Fe3KH14(PO4)8 .4H2O) present in superphosphates increases with pH, which initially suggests that the agronomic effectiveness of P fertilizers containing high amounts of these compounds would also increase with soil pH but studies considering activity, instead of concentration, are necessary. With this purpose, both compounds were synthesized under laboratory conditions, characterized by elemental chemical analysis, optical microscopy, X ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and used in a solubility study. Solutions of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 mol L-1 NaCl with pH adjusted to 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0 and 7.5 were prepared for the solubility study of H8-syn, H14-syn and a phosphate rock (PR) from Brazil. The orthophosphate activity as H2PO4- and HPO4(2-) was calculated in each situation as related to pH and ionic strength using software MINTEQ. The remaining precipitates after equilibrium were chemically analyzed and subjected to X ray, SEM and EDS. Results of chemical analysis and instrumental techniques confirmed the preparation method. The activity of orthophosphate ions of both compounds tended to decrease under increasing pH and/or ionic strength of the solution, which in turn suggests that an increase in the solution pH does not necessarily promote an increase in the P bioavailability for plant uptake. This can be important when evaluating agronomic data of P fertilizers with high contents of these two Fe-K-P compounds.

Hand-arm vibration syndrome with proximal ulnar artery occlusion.

The case of a man exposed during 25 years to vibration while maneuvering a heavy earth moving tractor is reported. The first clinical manifestation of hand-arm vibration syndrome was a bilateral Raynaud's phenomenon followed five years later by digital necrosis. The arteriography revealed a proximal and bilateral ulnar artery occlusion. Bilateral median nerve conduction abnormalities were also present. Vibration exposure level was much higher than the threshold level proposed by the European Commission. Laboratory examinations for vasculitis and other vascular diseases were all negative. The purpose of this report is to show that vibration can be responsible for proximal occlusion of a medium sized artery and severe neurovascular abnormalities which must be distinguished from the usual vasospastic Raynaud's phenomenon and the classical hypothenar hammer syndrome. An early and correct diagnosis is crucial because continued repetitive trauma can result in irreversible ischemic injury and loss of digits.

Hand book for Iowa Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, 1898.

A narrative of the history of the Soldiers' and Sailor's Monument on the State Capitol grounds.

Construct validity of the French version of the PRWE (Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation) with the French version of the DASH (Disabilities Arm Shoulder and Hand) is good to very good in a population of patients with wrist injuries in an inpatient rehabilitation unit

Objective.- The Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation is a specific questionnaire for the wrist [1]. It consists of 15 questions with a total score of 100. It was recently translated into French [2]. However, its validity has not been tested in this language. The Disabilities Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH), with well-established psychometric properties, is considered as the reference questionnaire for the evaluation of upper extremities. The objective of this study is to measure the construct validity of the PRWE-F with the DASH-F in patients with wrist pathology.Patients and methods.- Fifty-one patients (40 m, 11 w, mean age 42 years), 25 fractures of the radius and 26 lesions of the carpus.Questionnaires PRWE-F and DASH-F at entry and at discharge (0 to 100). Calculation of the construct validity of the PRWE-F comparing with the DASH-F with Pearson correlation coefficients (r) at entry and at discharge. Level of significance (alpha) was set at 5%.Results.- Correlation DASH/PRWE at entry: r = 0.799 (95% CI 0.671 to 0.881), P < 0.0001. Correlation DASH/PRWE at discharge: r = 0.847 (95% CI: 0.745 to 0.910), P < 0.0001.Discussion.- The construct validity of the two instruments indicates that they measure the same concept. Our correlation between DASH-F and PRWE-F, going from 0.799 to 0.847, are comparable to those published in different languages (0.71 to 0.84) [3,4]. The questionnaires PRWE-F can thus be used in rehabilitation patients presenting with wrist pathologies; it is comparable to the DASH but described by MacDermid [1] to be more specific. Compared to the DASH it has the advantage of consisting of two dimensions. Its construct validity is excellent. This questionnaire should be evaluated in other populations, and it should be compared with hand questionnaires more specific than the DASH.

Comparison of estimation methods of soil strength in five soils

In agriculture, the soil strength is used to describe the susceptibility to deformation by pressure caused by agricultural machine. The purpose of this study was to compare different methods for estimating the inherent soil strength and to identify their suitability for the evaluation of load support capacity, compaction susceptibility and root growth. The physical, chemical, mineralogical and intrinsic strength properties of seven soil samples, collected from five sampling pits at different locations in Brazil, were measured. Four clay (CS) and three sandy clay loam (SCL) soils were used. The clay soils were collected on a farm in Santo Ângelo, RS (28 º 16 ' 16 '' S; 54 º 13 ' 11 '' W 290 m); A and B horizons at the Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG (21 º 13 ' 47 '' S; 44 º 58 ' 6'' W; 918 m) and on the farm Sygenta, in Uberlandia, MG (18 º 58 ' 37 '' S; 48 º 12 ' 05 '' W 866 m). The sandy clay loam soils were collected in Aracruz, ES (19 º 47 ' 10 '' S; 40 º 16 ' 29 '' W 81 m), and on the farm Xavier, Lavras, MG (21 º 13 ' 24 '' S; 45 º 05 ' 00 '' W; 844 m). Soil strength was estimated based on measurements of: (a) a pneumatic consolidometer, (b) manual pocket (non-rotating) penetrometer; and (c) automatic (rotating) penetrometer. The results of soil strength properties were similar by the three methods. The soil structure had a significant influence on soil strength. Results of measurements with both the manual pocket and the electric penetrometer were similar, emphasizing the influence of soil texture. The data showed that, to enhance the reliability of predictions of preconsolidation pressure by penetrometers, it is better to separate the soils into the different classes, rather than analyze them jointly. It can be concluded that the consolidometer method, although expensive, is the best when evaluations of load support capacity and compaction susceptibility of soil samples are desired.

Cardiovascular and metabolic responses during isokinetic shoulder rotators strength testing in healthy subjects

Background: Although there have been many studies on isokinetic shoulder exercises in evaluation and rehabilitation programs, the cardiovascular and metabolic responses of those modes of muscle strength exercises have been poorly investigated. Objective: To analyze cardiovascular and metabolic responses during a standardized test used to study the internal (IR) and external (ER) rotators maximal isokinetic strength. Methods: Four days after an incremental exercise test on cycle ergometer, ten healthy subjects performed an isokinetic shoulder strength evaluation with cardiovascular (Heart rate, HR) and metabolic gas exchange (&Vdot;O_{2}) analysis. The IR and ER isokinetic strength, measured in seated position with 45° of shoulder abduction in scapular plane, was evaluated concentrically at 60, 120 and 240°/s and eccentrically at 60°/s, for both shoulder sides. An endurance test with 30 repetitions at 240°/s was performed at the end of each shoulder side testing. Results: There was a significant increase of mean HR with isokinetic exercise (P< 0.05). Increases of HR was 42-71% over the resting values. During endurance testing, increases of HR was 77-105% over the resting values, and corresponded to 85-86% of the maximal HR during incremental test. Increase of &Vdot;O_{2} during isokinetic exercises was from 6-11 ml/min/kg to 20-43 ml/min/kg. Conclusion: This study performed significant cardiovascular and metabolic responses to isokinetic exercise of rotators shoulder muscles. A warm-up should be performed before maximal high-intensity isokinetic shoulder testing. Our results indicated that observation and supervision are important during testing and/or training sessions, especially in subjects with risk for cardiovascular disorders.

Soil shear strength under non-irrigated and irrigated short duration grazing systems

Pasture productivity can drop due to soil compaction caused by animal trampling. Physical and mechanical alterations are therefore extremely important indicators for pasture management. The objective of this research was to: draw and evaluate the Mohr failure line of a Red Yellow Latossol under different pasture cycles and natural forest; calculate apparent cohesion; observe possible physical alterations in this soil; and propose a correction factor for stocking rates based on shear strength properties. This study was conducted between March/2006 and March/2007 on the Experimental Farm of Fundação de Ensino Superior de Passos, in Passos, state of Minas Gerais. The total study area covered 6 ha, of which 2 ha were irrigated pasture, 2 ha non-irrigated pasture and 2 ha natural forest. Brachiaria brizantha cv. MG-5 Vitória was used as forage plant. The pasture area was divided into paddocks. The Mohr failure line of samples of a Red Yellow Latossol under irrigated pasture equilibrated at a tension of water content of 6 kPa indicated higher shear strength than under non-irrigated pasture. The shear strength under irrigated pasture and natural forest was higher than under non-irrigated pasture. At a tension of water content of 33 kPa no difference was found in shear strength between management and use. Possible changes in soil structure were caused by apparent cohesion. The values of the correction factor were close to 1, which may indicate a possible soil compaction in prolonged periods of management.

Recommendations to reduce hand exposure for standard nuclear medicine procedures

The optimization of the extremity dosimetry of medical staff in nuclear medicine was the aim of the Work Package 4 (WP4) of the ORAMED project, a Collaborative Project (2008-2011) supported by the European Commission within its 7th Framework Programme. Hand doses and dose distributions across the hands of medical staff working in nuclear medicine departments were evaluated through an extensive measurement program involving 32 hospitals in Europe and 139 monitored workers. The study included the most frequently used radionuclides, (99m)Tc- and (18)F-labelled radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and (90)Y-labelled Zevalin (R) and DOTATOC for therapy. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations were performed in different predefined scenarios to evaluate separately the efficacy of different radiation protection measures by comparing hand dose distributions according to various parameters. The present work gives recommendations based on results obtained with both measurements and simulations. This results in nine practical recommendations regarding the positioning of the dosemeters for an appropriate skin dose monitoring and the best protection means to reduce the personnel exposure.

Improvement of a testing apparatus for dynamometry: procedures for penetrometry and influence of strain rate to quantify the tensile strength of soil aggregates

Soil penetration resistance (PR) and the tensile strength of aggregates (TS) are commonly used to characterize the physical and structural conditions of agricultural soils. This study aimed to assess the functionality of a dynamometry apparatus by linear speed and position control automation of its mobile base to measure PR and TS. The proposed equipment was used for PR measurement in undisturbed samples of a clayey "Nitossolo Vermelho eutroférrico" (Kandiudalfic Eutrudox) under rubber trees sampled in two positions (within and between rows). These samples were also used to measure the volumetric soil water content and bulk density, and determine the soil resistance to penetration curve (SRPC). The TS was measured in a sandy loam "Latossolo Vermelho distrófico" (LVd) - Typic Haplustox - and in a very clayey "Nitossolo Vermelho distroférrico" (NVdf) - Typic Paleudalf - under different uses: LVd under "annual crops" and "native forest", NVdf under "annual crops" and "eucalyptus plantation" (> 30 years old). To measure TS, different strain rates were applied using two dynamometry testing devices: a reference machine (0.03 mm s-1), which has been widely used in other studies, and the proposed equipment (1.55 mm s-1). The determination coefficient values of the SRPC were high (R² > 0.9), regardless of the sampling position. Mean TS values in LVd and NVdf obtained with the proposed equipment did not differ (p > 0.05) from those of the reference testing apparatus, regardless of land use and soil type. Results indicate that PR and TS can be measured faster and accurately by the proposed procedure.

A tennis player with hand claudication.

The case of a professional tennis player presenting exercise-induced hand pain with late appearance of digital blanching is reported. A bilateral hypothenar hammer syndrome and stenosis of the common palmar digital arteries close to the head of the metacarpals where the racket handle exerts its maximal force was observed with arteriography. As the patient decided to stop tennis practice, the condition improved without any medication. Six months after stopping tennis he was symptom free. Three conclusions can be drawn from this case report: 1) arteries of both hands can be injured by intense tennis practice, 2) pain in the dominant hand during tennis practice can be due to arterial insufficiency even in the absence of digital blanching which is a sign of severity, 3) hypothenar hammer syndrome is the main cause but stenosis of the common palmar digital arteries can possibly contribute to the ischemic phenomenon. Early recognition is important to avoid ineffective treatment and permanent symptoms. Therefore, we recommend an arterial examination in tennis players suffering from exercise-induced hand pain even in the absence of digital blanching which can be only a late manifestation.

Distribution of single-particle strength due to short-range and tensor correlations

The distribution of single-particle strength in nuclear matter is calculated for a realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction. The influence of the short-range repulsion and the tensor component of the nuclear force on the spectral functions is to move approximately 13% of the total strength for all single-particle states beyond 100 MeV into the particle domain. This result is related to the abundantly observed quenching phenomena in nuclei which include the reduction of spectroscopic factors observed in (e,ep) reactions and the missing strength in low energy response functions.