Physicochemical characteristics, nutritional composition and bioactive compounds in three varieties of Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz y Pavón): A review

The mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz & Pavón) is an Andean tuber that is grown in the high Andean lands of South America, it is a resistant plant that requires little fertilizer and is resistant to nematodes and various pests, it is part of the native diet and is It is considered a very nutritious food. However, its usefulness is diminishing and it is not widely consumed in society, since the elderly are the ones who consume it the most. In this study, the objective of the research is to collect information on the physicochemical characteristics, nutritional composition and bioactive compounds in the three varieties of mashua: black, purple and yellow. For this reason, a systematic search was carried out in scientific databases such as Science Direct, Elsiver, Scielo, Wiley Online and academic Google; in addition to collecting information from repositories and books; where results were obtained from high levels of nutrients such as proteins present in the black mashua, carbohydrates in the yellow variety and phosphorus in purple; it also has outstanding physicochemical characteristics in the purple and black mashua, antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and glucosinolates identified in the three varieties. These compounds play a fundamental role in the prevention of cancer and other neurodegenerative diseases. Likewise, this tuber contributes to the food industry by developing viable products for commercial promotion that meet the nutritional and healthy expectations of consumers.

Management of Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in Restaurants, Sullana

Service quality and customer satisfaction are variables that SMEs (Small and Medium-Sized enterprises, acronyms in English) should take into account to achieve a high level of competitiveness. The general objective of this article was to determine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in restaurants in Sullana (Peru) during 2019. The design and approach of this research were quantitative-non-experimental and descriptive-correlative research. From an infinite population of customers who go to restaurants located in the Sullana district, a sample of 384 customers was taken to apply the survey. Results are presented as follows: regarding the service quality, 68.3% consider themselves to be fully satisfied. Concerning customer satisfaction, 69% are fully satisfied while 45.8% agree that the establishments in the district have modern equipment, attractive facilities, and materials, as well as neat looking staff. Also, 41.1% are fully satisfied with the response capacity, and 57.8% of the surveyed customers are satisfied with the security service provided within the premises. Finally, it is concluded that service quality is significantly related to customer satisfaction in Sullana restaurants.

Machine learning approach for multidimensional poverty estimation

In the social sciences, a theoretical analysis has predominated in its research. The scarcity of data and its difficulty in collecting and storing it, has been the main limitation for the social sciences to adopt quantitative approaches. However, the large amount of information generated in recent years, mainly through the use of the Internet, has allowed the social sciences to include more and more quantitative analysis. This study proposes the use of technologies such as Machine Learning (ML) are the answers to solving this data scarcity. The objective is to estimate the multidimensional poverty index at the personal level in a particular territory of Ecuador by using Machine Learning (ML) regression models based on a limited amount of data for training. Ten ML models are compared, such as linear, regularized, and assembled models and Random Forest performs outstandingly against the other models. An error of 7.5% was obtained in the cross-validation and 7.48% with the test data set. The estimates are compared with statistical approximations of the MPI in a geographical area and it is obtained that the average MPI estimated by the model compared to the average reported by the statistical studies differs by 1%.

The Impact of Work Environment on Worker Productivity in Companies in Lima

The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of work environment on worker productivity in companies located in Lima by identifying the main factors that influence this environment and its relationship with the levels of work performance. The study had a quantitative applied approach with a non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional design. A sample of 381 workers over 18 years of age and of both sexes working in companies in Lima was taken. Data collection was conducted through surveys, and the instrument was a questionnaire consisting of 18 items for the work environment variable, composed of 3 dimensions, and 17 items for the productivity variable, composed of 2 dimensions. The results showed that most workers perceived a positive work environment, with significant percentages in the dimensions of leadership, motivation, and job satisfaction. Specifically, leadership showed a 51.18% perception of a good work environment, followed by motivation with 45.67% and job satisfaction with 43.31%. A positive trend was observed regarding worker productivity, with a high percentage of efficiency (62.20%) and effectiveness (59.84%). It is concluded that there is a favorable work environment that contributes to high levels of productivity among workers in companies in Lima. A moderate positive relationship between work environment and productivity was identified (P<0.05; R=0.784).

Analysis of the marketing channels of broccoli in Ecuador

Broccoli is a product that boosts the country's economy and generates employment, mainly in the broccoli-producing provinces of Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Tungurahua, Imbabura, and Pichincha, which have been increasing their planting areas in recent years due to increased demand in domestic and international markets. The objective of this research is to analyze the broccoli marketing channels in Ecuador using bibliographic sources. The research was of a documentary type, using books, scientific journals, and reports on the production and commercialization of broccoli in Ecuador. Inductive, deductive, and analytical methods were used. There is a growing demand for this vegetable in national and international markets; the main destinations are the markets of the European Union, United States, Japan, and Canada. Among the hybrids and varieties that predominate are Avenger, Domador, Legacy, and Marathon, mainly due to their adaptability to climatic factors and their production level. The strongest competitors for the country are the European Union, China, and Mexico. The marketing channels for this vegetable are made up of small and medium-sized producers, and the intermediaries are the processing companies that export the product to different destinations.

Quality Management, Competitiveness, Financing and Formalization in the Mype of the Province of Sullana, Perú

The general objective of this research is to determine the main characteristics of quality management, competitiveness, financing, and formalization in the MYPEs of the Province of Sullana, Peru. This research is descriptive in scope and has a mixed approach (Qualitative - Quantitative). A sample of 177 micro-enterprises from Sullana was determined. This research allowed to obtain the following results: 54% are almost always financed through banks; 54% sometimes use financing for working capital; 46% control their sales; 26% believe that sales growth measures the development of the company; 100% first define their objectives to plan the quality of their products; 100% develop a training plan that will contribute to the growth and competitive improvement of workers; 85% during the quality planning process, establish periods to follow the processes used in the production of their products. In conclusion, entrepreneurs show a greater tendency to resort to third-party financing, especially banks, they also consider that their MYPE is competitive and they face obstacles to obtain an operation license.

Has Anti-Migration and Anti-Refugee Discourse Hampered Progress against Child Labour?

The chequered application, since 2000, of integrated policies to eradicate the intersectional root causes of child labour sits more recently in a wider political context of recrudescent populist ethnonationalism accompanied by weakened respect by the governments of many countries for the rules-based international system and rights-based development. The author suggests that (apart from Northern-centric trade and policy interests) influential populist-nationalist governments (including those of the United Kingdom (linked to Brexit), and Australia (linked to the “Bali Process”) have contributed to diverting global attention from the largest cohort intended to benefit from Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 - the 160 million children now in child labour - by conflating forced labour with trafficking and trafficking with migration and asylum. This conflation seeks to demonise asylum-seekers, refugees, and economic migrants. It is an important element of the discourse of populist-nationalist ruling parties in their search for continued electoral support and reflects a willingness to violate international law protecting human rights.

Socio-economic study of organic banana producers, Cantón Milagro, Ecuador

Banana (Musa paradisiaca L.) production is considered one of the most economically important agricultural activities in Ecuador since this sector represents an important source of employment creation in the country. The objective of this research was to identify the socioeconomic and technological factors that enhance and limit the current situation of small organic banana producers in the Milagro canton of Guayas province in Ecuador. This descriptive research consisted of the collection, description, recording, analysis, and interpretation of information aimed at characterizing the situation of organic banana producers in this sector. The producers in this study sample are 55 years old as an average. Most of the farmers indicate that their income comes from the banana activity and that their production is between 151 to 200 boxes per month. Among the factors that most affect production costs are labor, supplies, and logistics. Also, most farmers are financed with their own resources. The producers in this sample own 1.5 to 5 hectares of Cavendish bananas. They use hired and family labor to carry out the maintenance and harvesting of the crop, and the packaging.

Cities and migration: comprehensive study of cities welcoming migrants and refugees

In today’s globalized world of international mobility, migration is a major contributor to urbanization. Cities play a crucial role in welcoming migrants and refugees and in their integration with local societies. Cities are spaces for refugee and immigrant reception, rights protection, and inclusion in local communities. Migration represents significant challenges for city governance, social cohesion, and realisation of human rights for all. This paper is based on, and describes, UNESCO-ECCAR-GMPA-Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation ongoing research project on ‘Cities Welcoming Refugees and Migrants’ launched in May 2016. The 6-year research project analysed contemporary experiences, policies, and practice of cities with a particular focus on Europe. This paper discusses the research project, its methodology, key types of data, documents and literature reviewed, and key findings. This paper discusses the trilogy of research questions: how to obtain knowledge and assessment of place, policy, and practice of cities welcoming migrants and refugees; whether there are common approaches and policies referencing values and rights; and do common approaches, policy, and practice represent a coherent values-based framework across multiple cities in Europe. The study of city experiences shows a largely common welcoming city agenda regarding the reception and integration of refugees and migrants. The research findings highlight that deliberate values and rights-based approach is the foundation of a welcoming city.

Artificial intelligence-controlled pole balancing using an Arduino board

Automation Process (AP) is an important issue in the current digitized world and, in general, represents an increase in the quality of productivity when compared with manual control. Balance is a natural human capacity as it relates to complex operations and intelligence. Balance Control presents an extra challenge in automation processes, due to the many variables that may be involved.  This work presents a physical balancing pole where a Reinforcement Learning (RL) agent can explore the environment, sense its position through accelerometers, and wirelessly communicate and eventually learns by itself how to keep the pole balanced under noise disturbance. The agent uses RL principles to explore and learn new positions and corrections that lead toward more significant rewards in terms of pole equilibrium. By using a Q-matrix, the agent explores future conditions and acquires policy information that makes it possible to maintain stability. An Arduino microcontroller processes all training and testing. With the help of sensors, servo motors, wireless communications, and artificial intelligence, components merge into a system that consistently recovers equilibrium under random position changes. The obtained results prove that through RL, an agent can learn by itself to use generic sensors, actuators and solve balancing problems even under the limitations that a microcontroller presents.