La diplomacia cultural como herramienta para el mejoramiento de la relación económica de Colombia con Corea del Sur y Australia

Esta investigación se preocupa por dilucidar la función de la diplomacia cultural como herramienta para mejorar la relación económica de Colombia con Corea del Sur y Australia. Así, se analiza a la diplomacia cultural y lo que hace Colombia en esta materia en ambos países; así como el estado de la relación económica de Colombia en un periodo de ocho años con dichos países, y cómo las acciones culturales colombianas podrían llegar a mejorar dicha relación económica. De esta manera además del desarrollo conceptual de diplomacia cultural y los indicadores económicos, a saber; exportaciones; Inversión Extranjera Directa y turismo; se corrió un modelo de regresión lineal para saber si efectivamente hay relación entre ambas variables y una contribución final que consiste en una propuesta de generación de indicadores de gestión a utilizarse al momento de implementar la diplomacia cultural como herramienta en política exterior.

La aplicación del TLC entre Colombia y USA en el departamento de Cundinamarca: encuentros y desencuentros en la negociación y sus resultados en el sector avícola. (2003-2014)

Desde que Estados Unidos y Colombia firmaron el Tratado de Libre Comercio se establecieron una serie de acuerdos respecto a diferentes sectores, como lo es el sector avícola. Con su entrada en vigencia se hizo efectiva la desgravación arancelaria y por ende la liberalización de este sector, lo cual pone a la avicultura colombiana y en especial a la avicultura del departamento de Cundinamarca en riesgo debido a los bajos niveles arancelarios que se tienen, así como el diferencial de precios de venta entre Colombia y Estados Unidos. Por tal razón el presente trabajo de grado tiene como objetivo principal analizar los efectos que se han dado por el incumplimiento de los compromisos arancelarios acordados en la negociación del tratado en el sector avícola de Cundinamarca, así como analizar las asimetrías existentes en el nivel de desarrollo económico y la competitividad sectorial.

Los derechos de aduana aproximación a una definición

El estudio de los derechos de aduana se aborda inicialmente a través de la definición que sobre los mismos efectúa el artículo primero del Decreto 2685 de 1999, denominado Estatuto Aduanero de Colombia, artículo que, como es usual en materia aduanera, comprende ciertas definiciones para la aplicación del mismo y enfatizando que las expresiones usadas en dicha compilación aduanera, tendrán el significado que ahí se determina.

Cosa de hormonas.

Análisis de la etapa de la pubertad vista desde sus protagonistas, los adolescentes. El vídeo está estructurado en seis partes, cada una destinada a un ámbito común de la vida de los protagonistas y los cambios que se producen en éste.

Introducción a la metodología de investigación cualitativa.

Resumen tomado de la publicación. Resumen en castellano e inglés. Incluye un glosario de términos

La teoría general de sistemas aplicadas al análisis del centro escolar.

La aplicación de la Teoría General de Sistemas al análisis de la estructura y funcionamiento de las instituciones escolares es un importante instrumento para el estudio de la estructura de las organizaciones, y permite renovar las soluciones existentes en materia de organización escolar y de estructuración del sistema educativo. Se da a conocer un estudio dirigido a ofrecer vías para una aplicación de la Teoría General de Sistemas a la Organización y Administración escolares. La consecución de objetivos con el máximo de eficacia determinan la estructura y funcionamiento de los sistemas, y son una formulación anticipada de los logros que se pretenden. También se destaca la toma de decisiones a través de las cuales se estima que se alcanzarán los objetivos con el máximo de eficacia. Se concluye que las posibilidades que ofrece la aplicación de la Teoría de los Sistemas al análisis de la institución escolar son múltiples en el ámbito de la educación institucionalizada. Y se propone como herramienta imprescindible en el ámbito de la organización científica en la escuela.

Detection of pressed hazelnut oil in virgin olive oil by analysis of polar components: improvement and validation of the method

An improved method for the detection of pressed hazelnut oil in admixtures with virgin olive oil by analysis of polar components is described. The method. which is based on the SPE-based isolation of the polar fraction followed by RP-HPLC analysis with UV detection. is able to detect virgin olive oil adulterated with pressed hazelnut oil at levels as low as 5% with accuracy (90.0 +/- 4.2% recovery of internal standard), good reproducibility (4.7% RSD) and linearity (R-2: 0.9982 over the 5-40% adulteration range). An international ring-test of the developed method highlighted its capability as 80% of the samples were, on average, correctly identified despite the fact that no training samples were provided to the participating laboratories. However, the large variability in marker components among the pressed hazelnut oils examined prevents the use of the method for quantification of the level of adulteration. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intakes and sources of isoflavones, lignans, enterolignans, coumestrol and soya-containing foods in the Norfolk arm of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Norfolk), from 7-day food diaries, using a newly updated database

Objective: A phytoestrogen-rich diet has been suggested to protect against a variety of common diseases but UK intake data on phytoestrogens or their food sources is sparse. This study aims to estimate the average intake of isoflavones, lignans, enterolignans and coumestrol from 7-day food diaries (7dFD), and to provide data on total isoflavone, lignan and phytoestrogen consumption by food group. Design: Development of a food composition database for twelve phytoestrogens and analysis of soya food and phytoestrogen consumption in a population-based study. Setting: Men and women, aged 40-79 years from the general population participating in EPIC-Norfolk between 1993 and 1997, with nutrient and food data from 7dFD. Subjects: A subset of 20 437 participants. Results: The median daily phytoestrogen intake for men was 1.20mg (interquartile range (IQR) 0.93-1.54 mg; mean 1.50 mg, SD 1.50 mg) and 0.89 mg for women (IQR 0.71-1.14 mg; mean 1.20 mg, SD 1.70 mg). In soya-consumers (SC), median daily intakes were higher: 2.86 mg in men (IQR – 1.30-7.27mg; mean 5.05 mg, SD 5.03 mg) and 3.14 mg in women (IQR – 1.09-7.33mg; mean 5.40 mg, SD 6.09 mg). In both men and women, bread made the greatest contribution to phytoestrogen intake – 40.7% and 35.7% respectively. In SC men and women, vegetable dishes and soya/goat’s/sheep’s milks were the main contributors – 42.6% and 18.9% in men and 38.8% and 29.1% in women, respectively. Conclusions: The ability to estimate phytoestrogen intake in Western populations more accurately will aid investigations into their suggested effects on health.

A comparison of the anticancer properties of isoxanthohumol and 8-prenylnaringenin using in vitro models of colon cancer

The hops plant (Humulus lupulus L.) is an essential ingredient in beer and contains a number of potentially bioactive prenylflavonoids, the predominant being the weakly estrogenic isoxanthohumol (Ix), which can be converted to the more strongly estrogenic 8-PN by the colonic microbiota. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological activity of 8-PN and Ix using in vitro models representing key stages of colorectal carcinogenesis, namely cell growth and viability (MTT assay), cell-cycle progression (DNA content assay), DNA damage (Comet assay), and invasion (Matrigel assay). A significant decrease in Caco-2 cell viability was noted after both 8-PN and Ix treatments at the higher doses (40 and 50 μM, respectively) although the impact on cell cycle differed between the two compounds. The decreased cell viability observed after Ix treatment was associated with a concentration-dependent increase in G2/M and an increased sub-G1 cell-cycle fraction, whereas treatment with 8-PN was associated with an elevated G0/G1 and an increased sub-G1 cell-cycle fraction. Significant antigenotoxic activity was noted at all 8-PN concentrations tested (5-40 μM). Although significant antigenotoxic activity was also noted with Ix treatment at ≤25 μM, at a higher dose, Ix itself exerted genotoxic activity. In a dose-dependent manner, both compounds inhibited HT115 cell invasion with reductions up to 52 and 46% for Ix and 8-PN, respectively, in comparison to untreated cells. This study demonstrated that both Ix and its gut microbial metabolite 8-PN exert anticancer effects on models of key stages of colon tumourigenesis.

Meta-analysis of the INSIG2 association with obesity including 74,345 individuals: does heterogeneity of estimates relate to study design?

The INSIG2 rs7566605 polymorphism was identified for obesity (BMI> or =30 kg/m(2)) in one of the first genome-wide association studies, but replications were inconsistent. We collected statistics from 34 studies (n = 74,345), including general population (GP) studies, population-based studies with subjects selected for conditions related to a better health status ('healthy population', HP), and obesity studies (OB). We tested five hypotheses to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. The meta-analysis of 27 studies on Caucasian adults (n = 66,213) combining the different study designs did not support overall association of the CC-genotype with obesity, yielding an odds ratio (OR) of 1.05 (p-value = 0.27). The I(2) measure of 41% (p-value = 0.015) indicated between-study heterogeneity. Restricting to GP studies resulted in a declined I(2) measure of 11% (p-value = 0.33) and an OR of 1.10 (p-value = 0.015). Regarding the five hypotheses, our data showed (a) some difference between GP and HP studies (p-value = 0.012) and (b) an association in extreme comparisons (BMI> or =32.5, 35.0, 37.5, 40.0 kg/m(2) versus BMI<25 kg/m(2)) yielding ORs of 1.16, 1.18, 1.22, or 1.27 (p-values 0.001 to 0.003), which was also underscored by significantly increased CC-genotype frequencies across BMI categories (10.4% to 12.5%, p-value for trend = 0.0002). We did not find evidence for differential ORs (c) among studies with higher than average obesity prevalence compared to lower, (d) among studies with BMI assessment after the year 2000 compared to those before, or (e) among studies from older populations compared to younger. Analysis of non-Caucasian adults (n = 4889) or children (n = 3243) yielded ORs of 1.01 (p-value = 0.94) or 1.15 (p-value = 0.22), respectively. There was no evidence for overall association of the rs7566605 polymorphism with obesity. Our data suggested an association with extreme degrees of obesity, and consequently heterogeneous effects from different study designs may mask an underlying association when unaccounted for. The importance of study design might be under-recognized in gene discovery and association replication so far.

Life-history, thallus ontogeny, and the effects of temperature, irradiance and salinity on growth of the edible green seaweed Gayralia spp. (Chlorophyta) from Southern Brazil

Gayralia K.L. Vinogr. is a monostromatic green alga of commercial importance in the southern Brazil, and its cultivation is being considered. This paper reports some basic aspects of the biology of this poorly known genus. Two populations of Gayralia spp., from outer and inner sectors of Paranagua Bay, showed an asexual life history with a distinct pattern of thallus ontogeny. In one population (Gayralia sp. 1), zooids developed an expanded monostromatic blade directly, while in the other (Gayralia sp. 2) zooids produced an intermediate saccate stage, before giving rise to a monostromatic blade. Thalli of the two species differ in size and in cell diameter. The effects of temperature (16-30 degrees C), irradiance (50-100 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1)), and salinity (5-40 psu) on the growth of both populations were assessed. Plantlets of Gayralia sp. 1 from in vitro cultures showed a broader tolerance to all salinity and irradiance levels tested, with the highest growth rate (GR; mean 17% day-1) at 21.5 degrees C and 100 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1). Plantlets of Gayralia sp. 1 collected during the winter in the field showed higher GR, ranging from 5% day(-1) to 7.5% day(-1) in salinities from 20 to 40 psu, and 2.0% day(-1) and 4.3% day(-1) for plantlets collected during the summer. Gayralia sp. 2 from the field showed highest GR at salinity of 15 psu. These results suggest distinct physiological responses of the two species, in accordance with their distribution: Gayralia sp. 2 is limited to the inner areas of the estuary, while Gayralia sp. 1 grows in outer areas, where salinity values are higher than 20 psu. These data indicate that Gayralia sp. 1 has a higher potential for aquaculture than Gayralia sp. 2 due to its larger thalli, higher GR, and wider tolerance to environmental variations.

Development of a new stir bar sorptive extraction coating and its application for the determination of six pesticides in sugarcane juice

In this article, a novel polydimethylsiloxane/activated carbon (PDMS-ACB) material is proposed as a new polymeric phase for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE). The PDMS-ACB stir bar, assembled using a simple Teflon (R)/glass capillary mold, demonstrated remarkable stability and resistance to organic solvents for more than 150 extractions. The SBSE bar has a diameter of 2.36 mm and a length of 2.2 cm and is prepared to contain 92 mu L of polymer coating. This new PDMS-ACB bar was evaluated for its ability to determine the quantity of pesticides in sugarcane juice samples by performing liquid desorption (LD) in 200 mu L of ethyl acetate and analyzing the solvent through gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A fractional factorial design was used to evaluate the main parameters involved in the extraction procedure. Then, a central composite design with a star configuration was used to optimize the significant extraction parameters. The method used demonstrated a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.5-40 mu g/L, depending on the analyte detected; the amount of recovery varied from 0.18 to 49.50%, and the intraday precision ranged from 0.072 to 8.40%. The method was used in the analysis of real sugarcane juice samples commercially available in local markets.

Effect of intensification on grow out of the Amazon River prawn, Macrobrachium amazonicum

The effects of intensification on growth, survival, productivity, population structure, and distribution of harvested biomass in individual size classes of Macrobrachium amazonicum in semi-intensive culture were evaluated. Postlarvae (0.01 g) were stocked in 12 ponds at densities of 10, 20, 40, and 80/m(2) (three replicates per treatment) and raised for 5.5 mo. Average individual weight significantly decreased and productivity significantly increased as stocking density increased (P < 0.001), while survival was not affected (P > 0.05). Prawn mean weight at harvest ranged from 3.6 (80/m(2)) to 7.0 g (10/m(2)). Average survival ranged from 65.5% (40/m(2)) to 72.8% (20/m(2)), while productivity ranged from 508 (10/m(2)) to 2051 kg/ha (80/m(2)). Harvested biomass showed a clear bimodal distribution in individual size classes indicating the occurrence of heterogeneous growth, which may affect management and market strategies. Harvested biomass of prawns weighing more than 7 g (the best market size) increases for stocking densities up to 40/m(2) and stabilizes between 40 and 80/m(2). Growth reduction was associated with a decreasing frequency and average weight of green claw 1 and green claw 2 male morphotypes and adult females as density increased. Thus, the distribution of male morphotypes and sexually mature females are affected by density-dependent factors. Results suggest that prawn density plays an important role on M. amazonicum grow-out phase, as has been demonstrated for other species of the genus Macrobrachium. M. amazonicum tolerates grow-out intensification and may be raised in both semi-intensive and intensive systems stocked at very high densities yielding high productivity.

Estudo eritroleucométrico e proteinograma sérico do sangue do cordão umbilical e jugular de eqüinos ao nascimento e de suas respectivas mães

Colheram-se amostras de sangue do cordão umbilical (SCU) e do sangue circulante de cinco eqüinos neonatos, imediatamente após o nascimento, e o sangue da própria mãe, utilizando-se um sistema a vácuo. O material foi submetido à contagem global de hemácias e leucócitos e à determinação do volume globular e da concentração de hemoglobina; à contagem diferencial de leucócitos em esfregaços sangüíneos; e ao cálculo dos índices eritrocitométricos. Foram realizadas a dosagem de proteínas séricas totais e a eletroforese das proteínas séricas em gel de agarose. Não houve diferenças significativas entre os parâmetros do SCU e do sangue da jugular dos potros. No SCU dos potros observaram-se valores mais elevados para contagem global de hemácias (9,75x10(6)/µl), dosagem de hemoglobina (14,65g/dl) e concentração de hemoglobina corpuscular média (37,23g/dl); e valores menores para volume corpuscular médio (40,50fl), proteína total (4,37g/dl), alfa-globulinas (0,65g/dl), beta-globulinas (1,10g/dl), gama-globulinas (0g/dl) e contagens global (5,40 x 10³/µl) e diferencial de leucócitos, exceto contagem de neutrófilos bastonetes e monócitos, quando comparados com os valores obtidos no sangue de suas mães.