Molecular epidemiological studies of Campylobacter isolated from different sources in New Zealand between 2005 and 2015 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

Campylobacteriosis is one of the most important food-borne diseases worldwide, and a significant health burden in New Zealand. C. jejuni is the predominant species worldwide, accounting for approximately 90% of human cases, followed by C. coli. The first study evaluated whether the time elapsing from sampling to culture has an impact on the recovery rate of Campylobacter, and explored whether some sequence types are more likely than others to be missed due to delayed culture. The study revealed that, whereas delayed culture may affect the recovery rate of Campylobacter, there was no evidence of a bias due to specific sequence types being under detected. The second study aimed to analyse the differences in the Campylobacter viable counts and in population genetic structure between chicken drumsticks and whole carcass meat for retail sale. The results indicate that the Campylobacter population genetic structure did not differ between the two types of retail chicken meat. However, the difference in Campylobacter viable counts suggest that consumption of different chicken meat products may pose different risks of campylobacteriosis associated with an exposure to different infection doses. In the third study, we genotyped C. coli isolates collected from different sources between 2005 and 2014, to study their population structure and estimate the contribution of each source to the burden of human C. coli disease. Modelling indicated ruminants and poultry as the main sources of C. coli infection. The fourth study aimed to genotype C. jejuni isolates collected between 2005 and 2015 from different sources, to assess changes in the molecular epidemiology of C. jejuni following the food safety interventions implemented by the New Zealand poultry industry in 2007/2008. Modelling indicated that chicken meat from ‘Supplier A’ was the main source of C. jejuni human infection before the interventions; but after the interventions, ruminants became the main source of infection, followed by chicken meat from Supplier A. This thesis has made us aware of the aetiology of C. coli infections and the change in the attribution of C. jejuni infections. These findings should be used in developing further strategies to reduce the total burden of human campylobacteriosis

Finite convergent presentations of plactic monoids for semisimple lie algebras

We study rewriting properties of the column presentation of plactic monoid for any semisimple Lie algebra such as termination and confluence. Littelmann described this presentation using L-S paths generators. Thanks to the shapes of tableaux, we show that this presentation is finite and convergent. We obtain as a corollary that plactic monoids for any semisimple Lie algebra satisfy homological finiteness properties

The Arab Representation of European Democratic Values and the Influence of Euro-Arab Relations. EL-CSID Working Paper Issue 2017/4 • June 2017

As cultural diplomacy is usually grounded in a set of values that state or non-state actors are expected to share, we opted for a preliminary study of the cross perception of fundamental European values as they are perceived on the Arab side, with a limited scope and a selected theoretical object that is the model of European political models and especially the European liberal democracy as perceived by the Arab intellectuals

Artificial intelligence applied to organizations

El presente trabajo muestra como la inteligencia artificial aplicada a las organizaciones puede ser un factor diferenciador para las empresas en la toma de decisiones, la productividad, el control de la calidad de productos y/ o servicios, entre otros, haciéndolas más eficientes, en un mundo cada vez más dinámico, de continuos y rápidos cambios y cada vez más competido. El uso de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones como producto de la inteligencia artificial se ha convertido también en herramienta fundamental para el éxito de las organizaciones. Así mismo, este documento menciona como la inteligencia artificial podría tener efectos negativos respecto al posible desplazamiento del trabajo humano y como podría afectar la vida laboral de los trabajadores.The present work shows how artificial intelligence applied to organizations can be a differentiator factor for companies in taking decisions, productivity, quality control of products and/or services, between other, making these more efficient, in a very dynamic world that has continuous and fast changes and is each time more competitive. The use of information technologies and communications like a product of artificial intelligence is now a fundamental tool to reach the success of organizations. In the same way, this document mentions how artificial intelligence could have negative effects respect to the possible displacement of human work and how it could affect the laboral life of workers

Finite convergent presentation of plactic monoid for type C

International audienceWe give an explicit presentation for the plactic monoid for type C using admissible column generators. Thanks to the combinatorial properties of symplectic tableaux, we prove that this presentation is finite and convergent. We obtain as a corollary that plactic monoids for type C satisfy homological finiteness properties

A re-description of <i>Hensodon spinosus</i>, a remarkable coccodontid fish (Actinopterygii, †Pycnodontiformes) from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Haqel, Lebanon

Hensodon spinosus, a rare and very peculiar pycnodontiform fish from the Upper Cenomanian limestone of the Haqel fossils quarry (Lebanon) is re-described on the basis of four new specimens. It is the only species assigned to the genus. It shares with the family Coccodontidae (sensu Poyato-Ariza & Wenz, 2002) almost all its synapomorphies but is also characterized by several unique autapomorphies. The species exhibits a rounded general shape of the body, an enormous head, an extremely reduced snout with a minute mouth gash, a horny frontal showing modifications that we interpret as dimorphic sexual differences, styliform teeth, a giant occipital process with many spines on its margins and formed by the dermosupraoccipital, the parietal and the supratemporal, a prefrontal, an edentulous, unornamented, elongated rhomboid maxilla, a very massive spiny cleithrum, a big spiny post-coelomic bone, and a few elongated bar scales. All those characters award a unique impressive aspect to the fish. Remains of the original colour pattern add information about the external aspect of this remarkable fish

Sex Differential in 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase Levels in the Lumen of Human Intracranial Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Aspirin is a promising medical therapy for the prevention of intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture. Recently, we found that men have a better response to aspirin than women. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a sex differential exists in the level of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) in the lumen of human IAs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive patients undergoing coiling or stent-assisted coiling for a saccular IA at our institution were enrolled. Two samples (A and B) were collected from IA lumens, and the plasma level of 15-PGDH was measured using an ELISA-based method. The study included 38 patients, with 20 women and 18 men. Women and men were comparable on baseline characteristics. The mean plasma concentration of 15-PGDH did not differ statistically between sample A (62.8±16.2 ng/mL) and sample B (61.8±17.9 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval -6.6 to 9.4). The mean plasma concentration of 15-PGDH in IA lumens of samples A and B was significantly higher in men (73.8±13.5 ng/mL) than women (49.6±7.8 ng/mL; P\u3c0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Higher enzyme levels of 15-PGDH exist in the lumen of IAs of men compared with women. This observation could explain why aspirin confers better protection against IA rupture in men than in women. The susceptibility of an individual to aspirin may differ according to the level of 15-PGDH

Plan estratégico para la empresa A.L Telecomunicaciones S.A.S

El presente trabajo está constituido por cinco capítulos en los que se desarrolla el plan estratégico para la empresa A.L Telecomunicaciones S.A.S. El primer capítulo expone los antecedentes de la compañía y por qué se hace necesaria la elaboración del plan estratégico para el nuevo negocio de la empresa. En el segundo capítulo se elabora la fundamentación teórica, donde se describe la importancia de la planeación estratégica y el direccionamiento estratégico y los conceptos fundamentales para realizar la evaluación interna y externa de la compañía. En el tercer capítulo se realiza la aplicación práctica del plan estratégico, el desarrollo de la fundamentación teórica, la elaboración de las diferentes matrices de las evaluaciones tanto internas como externas. En el capítulo cuarto se desarrolla el plan de acción para la empresa. El quinto capítulo contiene las conclusiones del trabajo. El sexto capítulo contiene las referencias bibliográficas.This paper contains four chapters, which develops the strategic plan for the Company A.L Telecomunicaciones S.A.S. The first chapter sets out the background of the company and why the development of the strategic plan for the new business of the company is necessary. The second chapter is the theoretical foundation , describes the importance of strategic planning, strategic direction and fundamental concepts for internal and external evaluation of the company. The third chapter is the practical implementation of the strategic plan, the development of the theoretical foundation , the development of different matrices of both aspects internal and external assessments. The fourth chapter is about of the action plan for the company. The fifth chapter contains conclusions and finally the sixth chapter contains the bibliographic references

CORP-oralidades

The goal of this paper is to share processes of corp-oral experimentation lived collectively. We want to expose the general process and the ways as the body appears, maintains and surpass the cognitive limits. The experience could be read as personal narrations but the interrelations between actions, feelings and experimentations invited us to think (us) as embodied subjectivities.El propósito de este texto es compartir procesos de construcción de corp-oralidades. Con el deseo de hacer visibles algunos de los caminos trazados en dichos procesos, se integran los modos como el cuerpo aparece, transita y traspasa fronteras cognitivas para provocar narraciones personales. A partir de las interrelaciones entre acciones, sentires y experimentaciones invitamos a pensar (nos) como subjetividades encarnadas