Tekhné

9

Authors: Rafael Muñiz

Microalgae are eukaryotic organisms found in nature with a wide variety of taxonomies growing in an autotrophic and heterotrophic form. They are very efficient in fixing CO2, the main agent responsible for the greenhouse effect, so their crops could contribute as a valuable resource to control the emissions of this gas on the planet. The use of microalgae as biofuel presents a number of advantages compared to those from other crops. Its oil produces cleaner combustion than that of fossil fuels and in the event of a spill, it generates less pollution in the environment as it degrades in a shorter time. Nevertheless, the cultivation of microalgae at the industrial level presents a series of difficulties due to the high cost of the process and the instability of the crops due to the variable conditions of the environment and the contamination of the nutrient medium with other microorganisms. This paper will discuss some aspects related to microalgae technology and the processing of extracts at the industrial level in order to produce biodiesel, establishing the scope and limitations of this technique as an alternative to the use of fossil fuels.

11

Authors: Luz M. Carrero-Gomez , Desireé Vázquez

Nowadays, Quality is a key aspect in Companies Management; therefore, it is important to maintain and assess the level of quality achieved. This research aims to "Propose a Quality Management System Model for private medical laboratories in Venezuela, according to the ISO 15189: 2012". It is important to note that an update of the standard 15189: 2013 for laboratories was published in September 2013. In Europe, it was requested to update practices according to this new update, in force since March 1, 2016. In order to fulfill this objective, a field research and projective research modality will be carried out , consisting of the following stages of development: To identify private medical laboratories certified under the ISO 9001: 2008 ; to determine the level of quality maturity in certified laboratories through Annex "A" according to the ISO 9004: 2009, to compare the management maturity of certified and non-certified private medical laboratories, and finally, to design the Quality Management Model for private medical laboratories. Data will be collected through questionnaire, structured interviews, and direct observation. The work is aimed at guiding medical laboratories to a Quality Management System which provides a guide for consistent and continuous improvement of the organization overall performance, with additional options to achieve certification or accreditation, thus increasing its impact over management of all the processes, and enhancing the level of satisfaction of customers and stakeholders’ expectations.

19

Authors: Juan Ignacio Ungredda, César Pérez

This work is an application of discrete event simulation in order to increase the utilization of production capacity in a cabinet factory. There were frequent delays due to incomplete inputs to the process and inadequate production programming methods which caused high levels of work in process and unmet delivery dates. Process improvement was achieved by reducing process variability. Possible improvements were generated with a mathematical programming model and its usefulness was verified by simulating the improved process. Results showed that mean capacity was increased 74% following new production scheduling rules; system variability was reduced, demand was met with no increase in capital investment or workforce.