Osaamiskartoitus osaamisen mittaamisen välineenä

Yrityksen aineeton pääoma ja etenkin osaaminen on arvokasta, mutta sen mittaaminen on vaikeaa. Osaaminen on ensin tunnistettava, jotta sitä voidaan kehittää. Tässä tutkimuksessa on tarkoitus luoda kaupan alalle osaamiselle lukuarvo, joka voidaan viedä ketjun tuloskorttiin. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu kuvailevasta ja tilastollisesta osasta. Case yrityksenä on Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaan Sale-ketju ja kartoitus kohdentuu päivittäistavarakaupan myyjän osaamistarpeisiin. Tutkimus toteutettiin kvalitatiivisena tutkimuksena, mutta yhteenvedossa on myös kvantitatiivisia piirteitä. Kuvaileva aineisto koostui ryhmähaastattelusta, joka tehtiin lomakkeen suunnitteluvaiheessa haastattelemalla Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaan Sale-ketjun esimiehiä tulevaisuuden osaamistarpeista. Tilastollinen aineisto koostui osaamistarpeiden kartoituksessa käytetystä kyselystä. Tutkimuksessa tulevaisuuden osaamisen tarve eroaa tutkijoiden esittämästä näkemyksestä ja painottuu asenne osaamiseen. Sale-ketjun asenne osaamisissa vahvuuksia ovat: sitoutuminen omaan työhön ja halu oppia. Ammattiosaamiset kuten hyllytys ja kassatyö ovat myös vahvuuksia. 2013 vuoden tutkimuksessa suurimmat kehitystarpeet olivat tilausjärjestelmien hallitsemisessa sekä kilpailuetuosaamisissa. Yksiköiden välissä tarkastelussa löytyi selkeitä eroja, mutta erot eivät olleet riippuvaisia yksikön koosta tai työryhmän keski-iästä. Tutkimuksen tuloksena jokaiselle yksikölle tuotettiin yhteenveto sen hetkisestä osaamisesta, selvittäen vahvuudet ja kehittämisalueet. Näiden pohjalta tehtiin yksiköille kehityssuunnitelmat sekä jokaiselle työntekijälle henkilökohtainen kehityssuunnitelma kehityskeskustelun yhteydessä. Tämän tutkimuksen mukaan osaaminen, työtyytyväisyys ja asiakastyytyväisyys korreloivat keskenään. Yksikössä, jossa on hyvä osaaminen, ovat myös työtyytyväisyys ja asiakaspalvelu kunnossa. Vaikuttava tekijä taustalla on johtaminen. Esimiehet, jotka jakavat vastuuta työryhmässään saavuttivat osaamisessa suurempaa kehitystä kuin ne esimiehet, jotka eivät vastuuta jakaneet. Päivittäistavarakauppa on murroksessa tällä hetkellä ja tulevaisuuden osaamistarpeet ovat muuttuneet jo tämän tutkimuksen aikana. Vuonna 2014 toteutettiin sama kartoitus kuin vuonna 2013 ja voitiin todeta osaamistarpeen muuttuneen. Kustannustietous ja kriisienhallinta ovat työryhmien arkea ja osaamisalueet kuten työssä jaksaminen, ripeys ja muutosvalmius ovat korostuneet vuoden aikana. Henkilöstöjohtamisen luonteessa on myös havaittavissa muutoksia, kauaskantoinen tekeminen on muuttunut ketteräksi ja joustavaksi strategiseksi kumppanuudeksi. Osaamista johdetaan edelleen hyvin perinteisin menetelmin, johtaminen on vain entistä kohdennetumpaa. Tutkimuksessa syntyi kuvaava malli henkilöstöjohtamisen luonteesta sekä kaupanalan osaamistarpeesta 2014.

Modulation of hormone secretion by functional electrical stimulation of the intact and incompletely dysfunctional dog pancreas

The purpose of the present study was to modulate the secretion of insulin and glucagon in Beagle dogs by stimulation of nerves innervating the intact and partly dysfunctional pancreas. Three 33-electrode spiral cuffs were implanted on the vagus, splanchnic and pancreatic nerves in each of two animals. Partial dysfunction of the pancreas was induced with alloxan. The nerves were stimulated using rectangular, charge-balanced, biphasic, and constant current pulses (200 µs, 1 mA, 20 Hz, with a 100-µs delay between biphasic phases). Blood samples from the femoral artery were drawn before the experiment, at the beginning of stimulation, after 5 min of stimulation, and 5 min after the end of stimulation. Radioimmunoassay data showed that in the intact pancreas stimulation of the vagal nerve increased insulin (+99.2 µU/ml) and glucagon (+18.7 pg/ml) secretion and decreased C-peptide secretion (-0.15 ng/ml). Splanchnic nerve stimulation increased insulin (+1.7 µU/ml), C-peptide (+0.01 ng/ml), and glucagon (+50 pg/ml) secretion, whereas pancreatic nerve stimulation did not cause a marked change in any of the three hormones. In the partly dysfunctional pancreas, vagus nerve stimulation increased insulin (+15.5 µU/ml), glucagon (+11 pg/ml), and C-peptide (+0.03 ng/ml) secretion. Splanchnic nerve stimulation reduced insulin secretion (-2.5 µU/ml) and increased glucagon (+58.7 pg/ml) and C-peptide (+0.39 ng/ml) secretion, and pancreatic nerve stimulation increased insulin (+0.2 µU/ml), glucagon (+5.2 pg/ml), and C-peptide (+0.08 ng/ml) secretion. It was concluded that vagal nerve stimulation can significantly increase insulin secretion for a prolonged period of time in intact and in partly dysfunctional pancreas.

Opettajien johtamiseen soveltuvan suorituskykymittariston taustalla olevat motivaatiotekijät

Työntekijöiden ja organisaatioiden suorituskykyä on tutkittu etenkin tuotantoyrityksissä paljon. Suorituskyvyn mittaamisessa on painotettu taloudellisia tai tuotannollisia mittareita. Yksittäisen työntekijän motivaation merkitystä suorituskykyyn ei ole kuitenkaan tutkittu kovinkaan paljon. Motivaatioon liittyviä tutkimuksia on tehty enemmän kasvatustieteellisissä ja psykologisissa tutkimuksissa. Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, minkälaiset motivaatiotekijät vaikuttavat ammatillisessa koulutuksessa työskentelevien opettajien suorituskykyyn. Motivaatiotekijöitä selvitettiin opettajille suunnatulla kyselyllä. Lisäksi selvitettiin, onko motivaatiotekijöillä eroa yksityisen organisaation ja julkisen organisaation työntekijöiden välillä. Tutkimuksessa havaittiin, että yksityisen ja julkisen organisaation työntekijöiden työskentelymotivaatio perustuu erilaisiin tekijöihin. Yrityselämässä menestyvän työntekijän motivaatio kasvaa, mikäli hänellä on mahdollisuus saavuttaa taloudellisia palkkioita hyvistä suorituksista tai hänelle tarjotaan muita ulkoisia hyödykkeitä, kuten ylennystä. Julkisen sektorin palveluksessa olevan työntekijän motivaatio kasvaa, mikäli hän saa tehdä osaamaansa työtä yhteisön hyväksi ja onnistuu työssään. Kyselyn perusteella voidaan todeta, että opettajat ovat hyvin tyytyväisiä työhönsä ja he motivoituvat onnistumisen kokemuksista ja mahdollisuudesta vaikuttaa oman työnsä sisältöön ja aikatauluihin. Esimerkkimittaristo rakennettiin Teaching Balanced Scorecard (TBSC) -menetelmän mukaiseksi. Mittaristossa on huomioitu opettajan työskentelymotivaatioon vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Tuloskorttimalli soveltuu isojen organisaatioiden käyttöön ja nykyinen suuntaus oppilaitoksissa on kohti isoja toimijoita. Esimiesten on tunnistettava alaistensa motivaatioon vaikuttavia tekijöitä, sillä työntekijälle annettu vääränlainen palaute voi jopa laskea hänen suorituskykyä. Tiimeissä ja verkostoissa hyvän motivaation saavuttaminen merkitsee myös työturvallisuuden parantumista, sillä yhteen hiileen puhaltavat työntekijät hyödyntävät yhteistä osaamistaan myös työskentelyolosuhteiden kehittämisessä.

Behavioral changes induced by cocaine in mice are modified by a hyperlipidic diet or recombinant leptin

The objective of the present study was to determine if the acute behavioral effects of cocaine acutely administered intraperitoneally (ip) at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg on white male CF1 mice, 90 days of age, would be influenced by leptin acutely administered ip (at doses of 5, 10 and 20 µg/kg) or by endogenous leptin production enhanced by a high-fat diet. The acute behavioral effects of cocaine were evaluated in open-field, elevated plus-maze and forced swimming tests. Results were compared between a group of 80 mice consuming a balanced diet and a high-fat diet, and a group of 80 mice fed a commercially available rodent chow formula (Ralston Purina) but receiving recombinant leptin (rLeptin) or saline ip. Both the high-fat-fed and rLeptin-treated mice showed decreased locomotion in the open-field test, spent more time in the open arms of the elevated plus-maze and showed less immobility time in the forced swimming test (F(1,68) = 7.834, P = 0.007). There was an interaction between diets and cocaine/saline treatments in locomotion (F(3,34) = 3.751, P = 0.020) and exploration (F(3,34) = 3.581, P = 0.024). These results suggest that anxiolytic effects and increased general activity were induced by leptin in cocaine-treated mice and that low leptin levels are associated with behavioral depression. Chronic changes in diet composition producing high leptin levels or rLeptin treatment may result in an altered response to cocaine in ethologic tests that measure degrees of anxiety and depression, which could be attributed to an antagonistic effect of leptin.

Protein-energy malnutrition halts hemopoietic progenitor cells in the G0/G1 cell cycle stage, thereby altering cell production rates

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is a syndrome that often results in immunodeficiency coupled with pancytopenia. Hemopoietic tissue requires a high nutrient supply and the proliferation, differentiation and maturation of cells occur in a constant and balanced manner, sensitive to the demands of specific cell lineages and dependent on the stem cell population. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of PEM on some aspects of hemopoiesis, analyzing the cell cycle of bone marrow cells and the percentage of progenitor cells in the bone marrow. Two-month-old male Swiss mice (N = 7-9 per group) were submitted to PEM with a low-protein diet (4%) or were fed a control diet (20% protein) ad libitum. When the experimental group had lost about 20% of their original body weight after 14 days, we collected blood and bone marrow cells to determine the percentage of progenitor cells and the number of cells in each phase of the cell cycle. Animals of both groups were stimulated with 5-fluorouracil. Blood analysis, bone marrow cell composition and cell cycle evaluation was performed after 10 days. Malnourished animals presented anemia, reticulocytopenia and leukopenia. Their bone marrow was hypocellular and depleted of progenitor cells. Malnourished animals also presented more cells than normal in phases G0 and G1 of the cell cycle. Thus, we conclude that PEM leads to the depletion of progenitor hemopoietic populations and changes in cellular development. We suggest that these changes are some of the primary causes of pancytopenia in cases of PEM.

Effect of escitalopram on the processing of emotional faces

Serotonin has been implicated in the neurobiology of depressive and anxiety disorders, but little is known about its role in the modulation of basic emotional processing. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, escitalopram, on the perception of facial emotional expressions. Twelve healthy male volunteers completed two experimental sessions each, in a randomized, balanced order, double-blind design. A single oral dose of escitalopram (10 mg) or placebo was administered 3 h before the task. Participants were presented to a task composed of six basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise) that were morphed between neutral and each standard emotion in 10% steps. Escitalopram facilitated the recognition of sadness and inhibited the recognition of happiness in male, but not female faces. No drug effect on subjective measures was detected. These results confirm that serotonin modulates the recognition of emotional faces, and suggest that the gender of the face can have a role in this modulation. Further studies including female volunteers are needed.

Protein turnover, amino acid requirements and recommendations for athletes and active populations

Skeletal muscle is the major deposit of protein molecules. As for any cell or tissue, total muscle protein reflects a dynamic turnover between net protein synthesis and degradation. Noninvasive and invasive techniques have been applied to determine amino acid catabolism and muscle protein building at rest, during exercise and during the recovery period after a single experiment or training sessions. Stable isotopic tracers (13C-lysine, 15N-glycine, ²H5-phenylalanine) and arteriovenous differences have been used in studies of skeletal muscle and collagen tissues under resting and exercise conditions. There are different fractional synthesis rates in skeletal muscle and tendon tissues, but there is no major difference between collagen and myofibrillar protein synthesis. Strenuous exercise provokes increased proteolysis and decreased protein synthesis, the opposite occurring during the recovery period. Individuals who exercise respond differently when resistance and endurance types of contractions are compared. Endurance exercise induces a greater oxidative capacity (enzymes) compared to resistance exercise, which induces fiber hypertrophy (myofibrils). Nitrogen balance (difference between protein intake and protein degradation) for athletes is usually balanced when the intake of protein reaches 1.2 g·kg-1·day-1 compared to 0.8 g·kg-1·day-1 in resting individuals. Muscular activities promote a cascade of signals leading to the stimulation of eukaryotic initiation of myofibrillar protein synthesis. As suggested in several publications, a bolus of 15-20 g protein (from skimmed milk or whey proteins) and carbohydrate (± 30 g maltodextrine) drinks is needed immediately after stopping exercise to stimulate muscle protein and tendon collagen turnover within 1 h.

A study on the short-term effect of cafeteria diet and pioglitazone on insulin resistance and serum levels of adiponectin and ghrelin

The interaction between ghrelin and adiponectin is still controversial. We investigated the effect of cafeteria diet and pioglitazone on body weight, insulin resistance, and adiponectin/ghrelin levels in an experimental study on male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four groups of 6 rats each, and received balanced chow with saline (CHOW-O) or pioglitazone (CHOW-P), or a cafeteria diet with saline (CAFE-O) or pioglitazone (CAFE-P). The chow/cafeteria diets were administered for 35 days, and saline/pioglitazone (10 mg·kg body weight-1·day-1) was added in the last 14 days prior to euthanasia. CAFE-O animals had a higher mean final weight (372.5 ± 21.01 g) than CHOW-O (317.66 ± 25.11 g, P = 0.017) and CHOW-P (322.66 ± 28.42 g, P = 0.035) animals. Serum adiponectin levels were significantly higher in CHOW-P (55.91 ± 20.62 ng/mL) than in CHOW-O (30.52 ± 6.97 ng/mL, P = 0.014) and CAFE-O (32.54 ± 9.03 ng/mL, P = 0.027) but not in CAFE-P. Higher total serum ghrelin levels were observed in CAFE-P compared to CHOW-P animals (1.65 ± 0.69 vs 0.65 ± 0.36 ng/mL, P = 0.006). Likewise, acylated ghrelin levels were higher in CAFE-P (471.52 ± 195.09 pg/mL) than in CHOW-P (193.01 ± 87.61 pg/mL, P = 0.009) and CAFE-O (259.44 ± 86.36 pg/mL, P = 0.047) animals. In conclusion, a cafeteria diet can lead to a significant weight gain. Although CAFE-P animals exhibited higher ghrelin levels, this was probably related to food deprivation rather than to a direct pharmacological effect, possibly attenuating the increase in adiponectin levels.

Overexpression of myeloid differentiation protein 88 in mice induces mild cardiac dysfunction, but no deficit in heart morphology

Cardiac remodeling involves changes in heart shape, size, structure, and function after injury to the myocardium. The proinflammatory adaptor protein myeloid differentiation protein 88 (MyD88) contributes to cardiac remodeling. To investigate whether excessive MyD88 levels initiate spontaneous cardiac remodeling at the whole-organism level, we generated a transgenic MyD88 mouse model with a cardiac-specific promoter. MyD88 mice (male, 20-30 g, n=∼80) were born at the expected Mendelian ratio and demonstrated similar morphology of the heart and cardiomyocytes with that of wild-type controls. Although heart weight was unaffected, cardiac contractility of MyD88 hearts was mildly reduced, as shown by echocardiographic examination, compared with wild-type controls. Moreover, the cardiac dysfunction phenotype was associated with elevation of ANF and BNP expression. Collectively, our data provide novel evidence of the critical role of balanced MyD88 signaling in maintaining physiological function in the adult heart.

Inflammatory cytokines and plasma redox status responses in hypertensive subjects after heat exposure

Hypertension is characterized by a pro-inflammatory status, including redox imbalance and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may be exacerbated after heat exposure. However, the effects of heat exposure, specifically in individuals with inflammatory chronic diseases such as hypertension, are complex and not well understood. This study compared the effects of heat exposure on plasma cytokine levels and redox status parameters in 8 hypertensive (H) and 8 normotensive (N) subjects (age: 46.5±1.3 and 45.6±1.4 years old, body mass index: 25.8±0.8 and 25.6±0.6 kg/m2, mean arterial pressure: 98.0±2.8 and 86.0±2.3 mmHg, respectively). They remained at rest in a sitting position for 10 min in a thermoneutral environment (22°C) followed by 30 min in a heated environmental chamber (38°C and 60% relative humidity). Blood samples were collected before and after heat exposure. Plasma cytokine levels were measured using sandwich ELISA kits. Plasma redox status was determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). Hypertensive subjects showed higher plasma levels of IL-10 at baseline (P<0.05), although levels of this cytokine were similar between groups after heat exposure. Moreover, after heat exposure, hypertensive individuals showed higher plasma levels of soluble TNF receptor (sTNFR1) and lower TBARS (P<0.01) and FRAP (P<0.05) levels. Controlled hypertensive subjects, who use angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitors), present an anti-inflammatory status and balanced redox status. Nevertheless, exposure to a heat stress condition seems to cause an imbalance in the redox status and an unregulated inflammatory response.

Strategisen suorituskykymittariston luominen verkkoliiketoiminnan yritykselle – tapaustutkimus

Strateginen suorituskyvyn mittaaminen ja johtaminen ovat viimeisten vuosikymmenien aikana, nopeasti muuttuvassa toimintaympäristössä, nousseet tärkeiksi tekijöiksi liiketoiminnan kehittämisen kannalta. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on luoda pienelle kaupan alan verkkoliiketoiminnan yritykselle strateginen suorituskyvyn mittaristo, jossa verkkoliiketoiminnan mittarit on integroitu mittariston eri näkökulmiin. Suorituskyvyn mittaristona tullaan käyttämään Balanced scorecardia eli tasapainotettua tuloskorttia. Tutkimus on laadullinen eli kvalitatiivinen tapaustutkimus. Tutkimuksessa tiedon-keruun pääasiallisena lähteenä toimivat puolistrukturoidut haastattelut. Muina tiedonkeruun lähteinä tutkimuksessa ovat case-yrityksen kahden viimeisimmän vuoden tilinpäätökset ja yrityksen omasta toiminnastaan käyttämät analysointityökalut. Lisäksi epäviralliset keskustelut omistajien kanssa, kuten mittariston mittareiden täsmentäminen, ovat toimineet tutkimuksessa aineistona. Tutkimuksen tuloksena on luotu case-yritykselle strateginen suorituskyvyn mittaristo, mikä käsittää talouden-, asiakkaan-, sisäisten prosessien sekä oppimisen ja kasvun näkökulmien mittareita. Mittaristossa on 12 mittaria. Mittaristossa toteutuu tasapaino ja syy-seuraussuhteet aina oppimisen- ja kasvun mittarista taloudellisiin mittareihin asti, strategian muodostaen mittareiden perustan. Johtopäätöksenä mittaristosta voidaan todeta sen keskittyvän mittaamaan case-yrityksen kannalta oleellisimpia seikkoja. Mittaristossa yhdistyvät yrityksen tavoitteet muun muassa kasvun suhteen ja verkkoliiketoiminnan huomioivat mittarit, joissa teknologialla on keskeinen rooli.

NEW BUSINESS MODELS – Sustainability as a main focus

A business model is a structure frame of an organization that can bring significant benefits and competitive advantage when structured properly. The aim of this paper was to observe and describe development of business models’ and identify factors and elements of a business model that are in a key role from the perspective of an organizational sustainability. One is striving to bring out in this thesis how should truly sustainable business model look like and what are main characteristics of it. Additionally, some recommendations that could be helpful in order to build sustainable and balanced business model in a company are presented in this work. The meaning was to make theoretical and in some extent practical acquaintance with such new business models as open business model and sustainable business model. Long-term sustainability achievement in a company was in a centric role and used as a main criteria when constructing sustainable business model structure. The main research question in this study aims to answer: What a firm should consider in order to develop profitable and sustainable business model? This study is qualitative in nature and it was conducted using content analyze as a main method of this research. The perspective of the target data in this study is an outlook of its producers of how sustainability is reached in an organization throw business model and which practices are important and has to be taken into account. The material was gathered mainly from secondary sources and the theoretical framework was outright built based on secondary data. The secondary data that have been mostly dissertations, academic writings, cases, academic journals and academic books have been analyzed from the point of view of sustainability perspective. As a result it became evident that a structure of a business model and its implementation along with a strategy is often what leads companies to success. However, for the most part, overall business environment decides and delimits how the most optimal business model should be constructed in order to be effective and sustainable. The evaluation of key factors and elements in business model leading organization to sustainability should be examined throw triple bottom line perspective, where key dimensions are environmental, social and economic. It was concluded that dimensions should be evaluated as equal in order to attain total long lasting sustainability, contradicting traditional perspective in business where profit production is seen as only main goal of a business.

Load balancing in P2P smartphone based distributed IoT systems

With the new age of Internet of Things (IoT), object of everyday such as mobile smart devices start to be equipped with cheap sensors and low energy wireless communication capability. Nowadays mobile smart devices (phones, tablets) have become an ubiquitous device with everyone having access to at least one device. There is an opportunity to build innovative applications and services by exploiting these devices’ untapped rechargeable energy, sensing and processing capabilities. In this thesis, we propose, develop, implement and evaluate LoadIoT a peer-to-peer load balancing scheme that can distribute tasks among plethora of mobile smart devices in the IoT world. We develop and demonstrate an android-based proof of concept load-balancing application. We also present a model of the system which is used to validate the efficiency of the load balancing approach under varying application scenarios. Load balancing concepts can be apply to IoT scenario linked to smart devices. It is able to reduce the traffic send to the Cloud and the energy consumption of the devices. The data acquired from the experimental outcomes enable us to determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a load balanced P2P smart phone-based applications.

Effect of gala apples (Malus domestica Borkh) on lipidemia of hyperlipidemic rats

A healthy life style and a balanced diet, associated with a high fruit and vegetable intake, are linked to good health and the prevention of diseases. Apples contain bioactive compounds that help in the prevention and control of hyperlipidemia. One of the Public Health concerns in Brazil is to reduce cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the objective of this work was to analyze the chemical composition of Gala apples and to study the effect of their consumption on weight gain, food intake, serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, hepatic cholesterol and fecal cholesterol in male albino Wistar rats fed a hypercholesterolemic diet. Six animals were utilized for each treatment (control, 5, 15 and 25% apple diet), during 30 and 60 days. This study showed that one apple (200 g) can provide 14.5% of recommended total fiber and 55% of recommended vitamin C, besides supplying considerable quantities of phenolic compounds (0.38 g.100 g-1) and tannins (0.16 g.100 g-1). All animals showed a non-significant reduction in their weight gain and food intake with an increase in the concentration of apple in the diets. At the end of 30 days, all of the diets provided a significant reduction in the levels of triglycerides compared to the control group. The 15 and 25% apple diets showed significant reductions in the serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C and an increase in the level of fecal cholesterol in relation to the control group. The 25% apple diet provided a significant reduction in the hepatic cholesterol levels compared to the control group. After 60 days, the serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides in rats fed with 5, 15 and 25% apple diets were similar to the control group. This probably happened due to a revertion of the process. These results show the importance of Gala apples in the control of hyperlipidemia in rats. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits, including apples, associated to a healthy life style, over time, could prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease.

Sugar fractionation and pectin content during the ripening of guava cv. Pedro Sato

Guava is one of the most complete and balanced fruits in in terms of s nutritional value. Highly perishable, due to its intense metabolism during ripening, its shelf life can reach 3 to 5 days under room temperature. The firmness of the green and mature fruits is due mainly to the pectin polymers. The loss of firmness during the guava ripening is due to hydrolytic enzyme activity, which promotes intense solubilization of the cell wall pectins. Given the above, with the purpose of trying to explain the rapid firmness decrease, the centesimal composition and sugar fraction of the guava fruit were determined during ripening at room temperature. The guavas were picked at the half-mature stage and stored for 8 days at 22 ± 1 ºC and 78 ± 1% relative humidity. The analyses conducted were: centesimal composition, sugar fractionation, and infrared absorption spectrometry. The results showed that the guava sugars did not vary during ripening. The estimated pectin levels (5.7%) were higher than those mentioned in the literature (2.4%), which can better explain the role of the pectin in the fruit firmness.