Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enteritidis and other salmonellas in the eggs and egg-storing trays from retails markets of Coimbatore, South India

A study was conducted to determine the incidence of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and other Salmonella serovars on eggshell, egg contents and on egg-storing trays. A total of 492 eggs and 82 egg-storing trays were examined over a period of 1 year from different retail outlets of a residential area of Coimbatore city, South India. Salmonella contamination was recorded in 38 of 492 (7.7%) eggs out of which 29 was in eggshell (5.9%) and 9 in egg contents (1.8%). Around 7.5% of the egg-storing trays were also found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Serotyping of the Salmonella strains showed that 89.7% of the strains from eggshell, 100% of the strains from egg contents and 71.4% of the strains from egg-storing trays were Salmonella Enteritidis. Other serovarvars encountered were S. Cerro, S. Molade and S. Mbandaka from eggshell and S. Cerro from egg-storing trays. Seasonal variations in the prevalence pattern were identified with, a higher prevalence during monsoon months followed by post-monsoon and premonsoon. Further examination of the Salmonella strains was carried out by testing their antimicrobial sensitivity against 10 commonly used antimicrobials. Results revealed high prevalence of multiple antimicrobial resistance among these strains suggesting possible prior selection by use of antimicrobials in egg production

Möglichkeiten zur Verwaltungsentwicklung auf der Basis einer Prozessgestaltung im IT-Labor, untersucht am Beispiel der Implementierung von E-Government bei der hessischen Landeshauptstadt Wiesbaden

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird nach Wegen zur Steigerung der Effektivität von Implementationsprozessen umfassender IT-Anwendungen in großen Kommunalverwaltungen gesucht, da nach vorliegenden Schätzungen allenfalls 10 % der großen IT-Projekte der öffentlichen Verwaltungen zielkonform und erfolgreich umgesetzt werden. Analysen zeigen, dass die in solchen Prozessen auftretenden Interdependenzen von Technologie, Organisation und Mensch oft nicht angemessen berücksichtigt wurden. Die zentrale Fragestellung der vorliegenden Untersuchung lautet daher, ob ein IT-Labor mit einer vorgelagerten ablauforganisatorischen Prozessoptimierung im Sinne eines funktionalen Wirksamkeitstests mit einer ganzheitlichen Betrachtung von technologischen, organisatorischen und sozial-humanen Wirkungsfaktoren bei intensiver Einbeziehung von eigenem Personal der Anwendungsorganisation den Implementierungserfolg größerer IT-Vorhaben erhöhen kann. Als methodischer Ansatz wurde eine Fallstudie gewählt (Implementierung von eAkten und SOA). Der Implementierungsverlauf ist methodisch in eine vorgelagerte ablauforganisatorische Prozessoptimierung und in eine nachgelagerte informationstechnologische Umsetzungsphase (sog. IT-Labor) gegliedert. Die Fallstudie legt den Schluss nahe, dass ein IT-Labor mit einer vorgelagerten ablauforganisatorischen Prozessanalyse zum Erfolg der Implementation wesentlich beitragen kann. Zudem zeigte sich, dass eine serviceorientierte Architektur zur prozessorientierten ganzheitlichen technologischen Systemgestaltung die Integration vorhandener IT-Anwendungen fördern kann. Die beschriebene IT-Laborstrategie kann im Ergebnis als ein erprobter Weg zur erfolgreichen Implementierung komplexer IT-Vorhaben empfohlen werden. Aufgrund der Analyse können einige kritische Erfolgsfaktoren für einen späteren Produktivbetrieb identifiziert werden: - Eigene Personalressourcen mit den zugehörigen Lernprozessen sind unverzichtbar, - In diesem Kontext sind auch die zugehörigen organisatorischen und technologischen Voraussetzungen zu schaffen, - Eventuell auftretende Qualifikationsdefizite der Anwender können in Zusammenarbeit mit externen Unternehmen und IT-Dienstleistern im Verbund mit den eigenen Projektmitgliedern zeitnah kompensiert werden. Die angewandte Implementierungs-Methodik ist auf solche Fälle übertragbar, in denen eine Gebietskörperschaft ab der Aufgabenstruktur einer großen kreisfreien Stadt mit heterogenen und dezentralen IT- und Organisationsstrukturen unterschiedliche Fachverfahren in einem komplexen Verwaltungssystem ganzheitlich und prozessorientiert zusammenführen möchte. Grenzen können sich somit aus der Größe einer Gebietskörperschaft, dem konkreten Aufgabenprofil sowie der finanziellen Leistungsfähigkeit ergeben. Eine Transferfähigkeit unter sozialen Gesichtspunkten setzt voraus, dass neben externem Personal qualifiziertes internes Personal mit Fachwissen und Querschnitts-Know-How bereitgestellt wird. Räumlich und zeitlich setzt die Verallgemeinerungsfähigkeit eine analoge politische und administrative Struktur mit einem entsprechenden Entwicklungsstand voraus. Mit den Ergebnissen der vorliegenden Untersuchung können Behördenleiter, IT-Verantwortliche und Beratungsunternehmen künftig in vergleichbaren Fällen eine effektivere Implementierungsmethode wählen. In der weiteren verwaltungswissenschaftlichen Forschung auf diesem Gebiet können auf der Basis der vorgenommenen Untersuchung konkrete Erfahrungen zur IT-Implementierung erhoben und bewertet werden, um weitere Effektivitätsreserven zu identifizieren.

China's Labor Question

The Honda workers’ strike in 2010 attracted world wide attention. It was one of thousands of labor disputes that happen every year in China, but it was the first major calling for the right of workers to represent themselves in collective bargaining. The question of representation is therefore the main topic of the book. The various contributors to this volume share the view that the Chinese party-state takes the protest against social inequality seriously. It has enacted many laws aimed at channeling dissatisfaction into safe channels. The implementation of these laws, however, lags behind and these laws do not include the right of freedom of association. Without this right, super-exploitation will persist and the system of labor relations will remain prone to eruptive forms of protest. The first part of the book provides an overview of the economic context of Chinese labor relations, the transformation of class-relations, the evolution of labor law, and government policies intended to set a wage floor. Based on extensive field research, the second part looks at the evolution of labor relations at the industry level. In the third part, the focus shifts to the Corporate Social Responsibility agenda in China. The final part looks at the connection between land reform and social inequality.

Status and Potential of Smallholder Livestock Production Systems in Xishuangbanna, southern P.R. China

With Chinas rapid economic development during the last decades, the national demand for livestock products has quadrupled within the last 20 years. Most of that increase in demand has been answered by subsidized industrialized production systems, while million of smallholders, which still provide the larger share of livestock products in the country, have been neglected. Fostering those systems would help China to lower its strong urban migration streams, enhance the livelihood of poorer rural population and provide environmentally save livestock products which have a good chance to satisfy customers demand for ecological food. Despite their importance, China’s smallholder livestock keepers have not yet gained appropriate attention from governmental authorities and researchers. However, profound analysis of those systems is required so that adequate support can lead to a better resource utilization and productivity in the sector. To this aim, this pilot study analyzes smallholder livestock production systems in Xishuangbanna, located in southern China. The area is bordered by Lao and Myanmar and geographically counts as tropical region. Its climate is characterized by dry and temperate winters and hot summers with monsoon rains from May to October. While the regionis plain, at about 500 m asl above sea level in the south, outliers of the Himalaya mountains reach out into the north of Xishuangbanna, where the highest peak reaches 2400 m asl. Except of one larger city, Jinghong, Xishuangbanna mainly is covered by tropical rainforest, areas under agricultural cultivation and villages. The major income is generated through inner-Chinese tourism and agricultural production. Intensive rubber plantations are distinctive for the lowland plains while small-scaled traditional farms are scattered in the mountane regions. In order to determine the current state and possible future chances of smallholder livestock production in that region, this study analyzed the current status of the smallholder livestock sector in the Naban River National Nature Reserve (NRNNR), an area which is largely representative for the whole prefecture. It covers an area of about 50square kilometer and reaches from 470 up to 2400 m asl. About 5500 habitants of different ethnic origin are situated in 24 villages. All data have been collected between October 2007 and May 2010. Three major objectives have been addressed in the study: 1. Classifying existing pig production systems and exploring respective pathways for development 2. Quantifying the performance of pig breeding systemsto identify bottlenecks for production 3. Analyzing past and current buffalo utilization to determine the chances and opportunities of buffalo keeping in the future In order to classify the different pig production s ystems, a baseline survey (n=204, stratified cluster sampling) was carried out to gain data about livestock species, numbers, management practices, cultivated plant species and field sizes as well associo-economic characteristics. Sampling included two clusters at village level (altitude, ethnic affiliation), resulting in 13 clusters of which 13-17 farms were interviewed respectively. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CatPCA) and a two-step clustering algorithm have been applied to identify determining farm characteristics and assort recorded households into classes of livestock production types. The variables keep_sow_yes/no, TLU_pig, TLU_buffalo, size_of_corn_fields, altitude_class, size_of_tea_plantationand size_of_rubber_fieldhave been found to be major determinants for the characterization of the recorded farms. All farms have extensive or semi-intensive livestock production, pigs and buffaloes are predominant livestock species while chicken and aquaculture are available but play subordinate roles for livelihoods. All pig raisers rely on a single local breed, which is known as Small Ear Pig (SMEP) in the region. Three major production systemshave been identified: Livestock-corn based LB; 41%), rubber based (RB; 39%) and pig based (PB;20%) systems. RB farms earn high income from rubber and fatten 1.9 ±1.80 pigs per household (HH), often using purchased pig feed at markets. PB farms own similar sized rubber plantations and raise 4.7 ±2.77 pigs per HH, with fodder mainly being cultivated and collected in theforest. LB farms grow corn, rice and tea and keep 4.6 ±3.32 pigs per HH, also fed with collected and cultivated fodder. Only 29% of all pigs were marketed (LB: 20%; RB: 42%; PB: 25%), average annual mortality was 4.0 ±4.52 pigs per farm (LB: 4.6 ±3.68; RB: 1.9 ±2.14; PB: 7.1 ±10.82). Pig feed mainly consists of banana pseudo stem, corn and rice hives and is prepared in batches about two to three times per week. Such fodder might be sufficient in energy content but lacks appropriate content of protein. Pigs therefore suffer from malnutrition, which becomes most critical in the time before harvest season around October. Farmers reported high occurrences of gastrointestinal parasites in carcasses and often pig stables were wet and filled with manure. Deficits in nutritional and hygienic management are major limits for development and should be the first issues addressed to improve productivity. SME pork was found to be known and referred by local customers in town and by richer lowland farmers. However, high prices and lacking availability of SME pork at local wet-markets were the reasons which limited purchase. If major management constraints are overcome, pig breeders (PB and LB farms) could increase the share of marketed pigs for town markets and provide fatteners to richer RB farmers. RB farmers are interested in fattening pigs for home consumption but do not show any motivation for commercial pig raising. To determine the productivity of input factors in pig production, eproductive performance, feed quality and quantity as well as weight development of pigs under current management were recorded. The data collection included a progeny history survey covering 184 sows and 437 farrows, bi-weekly weighing of 114 pigs during a 16-months time-span on 21 farms (10 LB and 11 PB) as well as the daily recording of feed quality and quantity given to a defined number of pigs on the same 21 farms. Feed samples of all recorded ingredients were analyzed for their respective nutrient content. Since no literature values on thedigestibility of banana pseudo stem – which is a major ingredient of traditional pig feed in NRNNR – were found, a cross-sectional digestibility trial with 2x4 pigs has been conducted on a station in the research area. With the aid of PRY Herd Life Model, all data have been utilized to determine thesystems’ current (Status Quo = SQ) output and the productivity of the input factor “feed” in terms of saleable life weight per kg DM feed intake and monetary value of output per kg DM feed intake.Two improvement scenarios were simulated, assuming 1) that farmers adopt a culling managementthat generates the highest output per unit input (Scenario 1; SC I) and 2) that through improved feeding, selected parameters of reproduction are improved by 30% (SC II). Daily weight gain averaged 55 ± 56 g per day between day 200 and 600. The average feed energy content of traditional feed mix was 14.92 MJ ME. Age at first farrowing averaged 14.5 ± 4.34 months, subsequent inter-farrowing interval was 11.4 ± 2.73 months. Littersize was 5.8 piglets and weaning age was 4.3 ± 0.99 months. 18% of piglets died before weaning. Simulating pig production at actualstatus, it has been show that monetary returns on inputs (ROI) is negative (1:0.67), but improved (1:1.2) when culling management was optimized so that highest output is gained per unit feed input. If in addition better feeding, controlled mating and better resale prices at fixed dates were simulated, ROI further increased to 1:2.45, 1:2.69, 1:2.7 and 1:3.15 for four respective grower groups. Those findings show the potential of pork production, if basic measures of improvement are applied. Futureexploration of the environment, including climate, market-season and culture is required before implementing the recommended measures to ensure a sustainable development of a more effective and resource conserving pork production in the future. The two studies have shown that the production of local SME pigs plays an important role in traditional farms in NRNNR but basic constraints are limiting their productivity. However, relatively easy approaches are sufficient for reaching a notable improvement. Also there is a demand for more SME pork on local markets and, if basic constraints have been overcome, pig farmers could turn into more commercial producers and provide pork to local markets. By that, environmentally safe meat can be offered to sensitive consumers while farmers increase their income and lower the risk of external shocks through a more diverse income generating strategy. Buffaloes have been found to be the second important livestock species on NRNNR farms. While they have been a core resource of mixed smallholderfarms in the past, the expansion of rubber tree plantations and agricultural mechanization are reasons for decreased swamp buffalo numbers today. The third study seeks to predict future utilization of buffaloes on different farm types in NRNNR by analyzing the dynamics of its buffalo population and land use changes over time and calculating labor which is required for keeping buffaloes in view of the traction power which can be utilized for field preparation. The use of buffaloes for field work and the recent development of the egional buffalo population were analyzed through interviews with 184 farmers in 2007/2008 and discussions with 62 buffalo keepers in 2009. While pig based farms (PB; n=37) have abandoned buffalo keeping, 11% of the rubber based farms (RB; n=71) and 100% of the livestock-corn based farms (LB; n=76) kept buffaloes in 2008. Herd size was 2.5 ±1.80 (n=84) buffaloes in early 2008 and 2.2 ±1.69 (n=62) in 2009. Field work on own land was the main reason forkeeping buffaloes (87.3%), but lending work buffaloes to neighbors (79.0%) was also important. Other purposes were transport of goods (16.1%), buffalo trade (11.3%) and meat consumption(6.4%). Buffalo care required 6.2 ±3.00 working hours daily, while annual working time of abuffalo was 294 ±216.6 hours. The area ploughed with buffaloes remained constant during the past 10 years despite an expansion of land cropped per farm. Further rapid replacement of buffaloes by tractors is expected in the near future. While the work economy is drastically improved by the use of tractors, buffaloes still can provide cheap work force and serve as buffer for economic shocks on poorer farms. Especially poor farms, which lack alternative assets that could quickly be liquidizedin times of urgent need for cash, should not abandon buffalo keeping. Livestock has been found to be a major part of small mixed farms in NRNNR. The general productivity was low in both analyzed species, buffaloes and pigs. Productivity of pigs can be improved through basic adjustments in feeding, reproductive and hygienic management, and with external support pig production could further be commercialized to provide pork and weaners to local markets and fattening farms. Buffalo production is relatively time intensive, and only will be of importance in the future to very poor farms and such farms that cultivate very small terraces on steep slopes. These should be encouraged to further keep buffaloes. With such measures, livestock production in NRNNR has good chances to stay competitive in the future.

The Food Crisis: Implications for Labor

Food prices have gone up to prohibitive levels for many of the world’s poor. The vast majority of those who are hungry in the world today are working in agriculture, either as small landholders or as waged agricultural workers. The majority of the food producers have not benefited from rising prices. Apparently, the bargaining power of many producers, just as that of the end consumers, has been weakened vis-à-vis the buyers and retailers of agricultural produce. This powerlessness is also in the face of governments that fail to provide an appropriate infrastructure for smallholders and social protection. The first part of the book provides an introduction to the immediate and structural causes of the food crisis. The second part contains contributions that not only highlight the plight of rural labour but also develop tools for measuring the decent work deficit. The last part emphasizes income security as a major precondition for food security. It looks at the experiences of Brazil and India with the extension of social protection for the poor.

How do domestic policies affect the integration of Ethiopian fertiliser markets with world markets?

Frequent shifts in policy on fertiliser markets have occurred in Ethiopia with the aim of facilitating both physical and economic access of farmers to fertiliser. The last shift was the introduction of a monopoly on each stage of the supply chain in 2008. Furthermore, government control of prices and margins as well as stockholding programmes are also present on the markets. This paper evaluates the effect of these policies on the integration of domestic with world markets of fertiliser, using cointegration methods. Time series data of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea prices on world, import and retail markets between 1971 and 2012 are used. The findings show high transmission of price signals from world markets to import prices for both DAP and urea. However, between import and retail prices there is no evidence of cointegration for urea, while for DAP full price transmission is concluded. In the retail market, domestic transaction costs associated with storing large volumes of fertiliser act as a buffer between import and retail prices, especially for urea. Therefore, economic benefits could be achieved by reducing the size of stocks and revising the demand estimation process.

Guía para facilitar la programación de la labor docente del tutor de MFyC.

La publicación se encuentra enmarcada dentro del Programa MIR de la Unidad Docente de Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria de Murcia

Information Dissemination and Aggregation in Asset Markets with Simple Intelligent Traders

Various studies of asset markets have shown that traders are capable of learning and transmitting information through prices in many situations. In this paper we replace human traders with intelligent software agents in a series of simulated markets. Using these simple learning agents, we are able to replicate several features of the experiments with human subjects, regarding (1) dissemination of information from informed to uninformed traders, and (2) aggregation of information spread over different traders.

Experimental Markets for Product Concepts

Market prices are well known to efficiently collect and aggregate diverse information regarding the value of commodities and assets. The role of markets has been particularly suitable to pricing financial securities. This article provides an alternative application of the pricing mechanism to marketing research - using pseudo-securities markets to measure preferences over new product concepts. Surveys, focus groups, concept tests and conjoint studies are methods traditionally used to measure individual and aggregate preferences. Unfortunately, these methods can be biased, costly and time-consuming to conduct. The present research is motivated by the desire to efficiently measure preferences and more accurately predict new product success, based on the efficiency and incentive-compatibility of security trading markets. The article describes a novel market research method, pro-vides insight into why the method should work, and compares the results of several trading experiments against other methodologies such as concept testing and conjoint analysis.

Innovation strategies in the presence of technology markets: evidence from spanish innovative firms

The development of markets for technology has eased the acquisition of technology and reshaped the innovation strategies of firms that we classify as producers of innovations or as imitators. Innovative activities of firms include research, acquisition of technology and downstream activities. Within an industry, firms producing innovations tend to conduct more research and downstream activities than those imitating innovations. Acquisition of technology is equally important for both. To implement innovation strategies, firms producing innovations require both the capability to scan the external environment for technology and the capability to integrate new technology. Firms producing innovations require both, while firms imitating innovations require scan capabilities only

El Real Hospicio de Oviedo y su labor con los marginados : los niños ilegítimos y los expósitos (1750-1775).

Realizar un estudio cuantitativo sobre los niños expósitos del hospicio de Oviedo, desde su fundación hasta finalizar el siglo XVIII. Situación de los niños expósitos e ilegítimos en el Real Hospicio de Oviedo. Los aspectos de análisis más relevantes en este estudio son: Volumen de expósitos: distribución anual, estacional, repercusiones de crisis económicas, etc. Mortalidad: distribución anual y estacional de las muertes de niños expósitos, comparadas con otras Instituciones similares de otras provincias, causas de las muertes, diferencias en sexos. Características de las amas de cría: edad, origen social, procedencia, salarios, oblicaciones, etc.. Además de diferentes obras bibliográficas del periódo cronológico de estudio, se consultaron una serie de obras manuscritas: Archivos de la Diputación de Asturias: libros de expósitos. Juntas de Dirección del Hospicio, ordenanzas y mandatos dados por Gil de Jaza, etc. Archivo del Ayuntamiento de Oviedo. Archivo Nacional de Simancas. Frecuencias y porcentajes de las variables de estudio citadas anteriormente: número de expósitos, mortalidad, etc. Para la elaboración de estos índices se parte del vaciado de las actas de niños expósitos localizadas en la Diputación provincial. Para la representación gráfica de los datos se utilizan diagramas de barras, gráficas y mapas. En la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII abunda la construcción de centros para acoger a la población marginada. La mayoría de los expósitos acogidos en el Real Hospicio de Oviedo son hijos ilegítimos. No hay diferencias importantes entre el número de niñas y el de niños que son expuestos. El porcentaje de fallecimientos de los niños ingresados en esta Institución durante los años de estudio es del 50 por ciento. El mayor número de muertos se registra durante los seis primeros meses de ingreso y tampoco en este caso se dan diferencias relevantes en razón del sexo. Después de unos días de su ingreso en el hospicio, el expósito es puesto al cuidado de un ama exterior, que cobra por su trabajo un sueldo muy bajo, al cabo de seis años pasa nuevamente al hospicio. Esta investigación sobre el hospicio ovetense y sobre los niños en él ingresados, es considerada por su autora como una pequeña aportación a futuras investigaciones, destinadas a conocer más exahustivamente las clases marginadas de la España de la Edad Moderna.

El Instituto de Espa??a : su labor en pro de los textos ??nicos de Ense??anza Primaria

Resumen basado en el de la publicaci??n