Julio Cerviño

Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence among Spanish Older People Living at Home

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of urinary incontinence (UI) in the noninstitutionalized elderly population of Madrid, Spain. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of all community-dwelling people aged 65 or over. Subjects were interviewed in their homes. The question: Do you currently experience any difficulty in controlling your urine? ... In other words, does your urine escape involuntarily? was used to identify UI. Type of UI, use of absorbents and specific drugs were also assessed, as well as consultation behavior. Results: 589 persons were interviewed (response rate: 71.2%). The prevalence of UI was 15.5%. No significant difference was observed between men and women. Urge UI was the main type for men and mixed UI for women. Use of pads was referred by 20.2%. A total of 34.3% of subjects never went to the doctor for their problem (25.2% of men and 39.4% of women). Conclusion: Compared to other populations the overall prevalence of UI in Spanish elders living at home is relatively high. A very small difference by gender was found, although a lower response rate in women could in part explain this unexpected finding.

Hotel and Tourism Development in Cuba Opportunities, Management Challenges, and Future Trends

In the past ten years, Cuba has recorded the highest rate of growth in tourism arrivals of all Caribbean countries to become the third most popular tourism destination in the Caribbean region and the second destination in the region for Europeans. In the process, tourism has become Cuba’s most lucrative sector. Based on in-depth interviews with senior executives of Cuban and foreign international hotel chains operating on the island and desk research in and outside Cuba, it appears that the benefits for international operators in Cuba outweigh the risks involved. With its expansion of infrastructure and promotion of its history and ecotourism, the country will continue to play a major role as a tourist destination in the Caribbean, regardless of whether the U.S. embargo remains in place.

Cuban retailing: from a centrally planned to a mixed dual system

Purpose – Many studies have analyzed the retail and distribution systems in transitional economies, either from a general perspective or by analyzing specific countries. However, only a few, if any, have analyzed the situation and changes taking place in the Cuban market. The purpose of this paper is to provide a current overview of Cuban wholesaling distribution and retailing for consumer products. It examines the challenges that are taking place in the wholesale and retail distribution system in the country and describes the sharp contrast between the state of retailing in Cuba before and after the collapse of the Soviet Union.Design/methodology/approach – The research is principally exploratory, based on fieldwork and in‐depth interviews carried out in Cuba during the first semester of 2003.Findings – The analysis presents a fast‐paced evolution process in the Cuban distribution system. Cuban retail durable and non‐durable consumer goods market presents two different distribution structures: one in Cub...

Hotel management in Cuba and the transfer of best practices

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the management challenges faced by international hotel operators when applying universally accepted management principles to the Cuban hospitality market.Design/methodology/approach – The authors use both secondary and primary research sources based on fieldwork carried out in Cuba during the first semester of 2003 and a later visit during the months of December 2003 and January 2004. Eight in‐depth interviews were conducted with senior executives of Cuban, Spanish and French hotel corporations.Findings – The paper presents a scenario where the states role in the protection of the socialist revolutionary principles, combined with the need to adopt some market‐based management practices, constitutes a singular case in the world of hotel management. In the current Cuban institutional context, the implementation of some western best management practices can produce significant results, while others produce negative outcomes, and therefore, should be hel...

Surgical repair of anterior hypospadias with fish-mouth meatus and intact prepuce based on anatomical characteristics.

Purpose: A variant form of anterior hypospadias, called a megameatus and intact prepuce (MIP), is thought to be less amenable to conventional distal hypospadias repair. The feasibility of using the standard technique with a parameatal-based foreskin flap is described herein. Materials and Methods: Nine children with the MIP variant underwent repair. A foreskin flap for urethroplasty was harvested from either the ventral (Mathiew) or unilateral site. The glans was split along with the cleft glanular groove to create the glans wings. The flap was laid on the urethral plate to form a neourethra, and glanulomeatoplasty was completed by approximation of the glans wings. Sleeve reapproximation of the penile foreskin was performed for uncircumcised skin closure. Results: The functional and cosmetic results of the procedure were excellent in 8 cases including 1 with temporary postoperative edema of redundant foreskin. The last case underwent excision of the ventral excess foreskin for cosmetic reasons. Conclusions: Although the etiology of the MIP variant remains obscure, the urethral plate distal to the meatus is uniformly pliable and healthy in this variant. Furthermore, the ventral portion just proximal to the meatus is well developed and not atretic so that the parameatal ventral foreskin is safely harvested for onlay urethroplasty.

International Franchising Decision-Making: A Model for Country Choice

The present study examines how a number of market conditions may drive diffusion of franchising. It considers a sample of 63 Spanish franchisors operating through 2321 franchisee outlets across 20 different Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela in January 2011. Results conclude that geographical and cultural distance between the host and home country, as well as the level of the host countrys uncertainty avoidance, individualism, political stability, unemployment rate, market potential, and efficiency of contract enforcement, may drive the spread of international franchising. Results reinforce previous research on country choice as to the association between international franchising and the host countrys unemployment rate and cultural distance, but also identify differences from other regions in some issues such as political stability. Moreover, new insights relative to the effect of market potential, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and the efficiency of contract enforcement on international franchise diffusion are also shown.

To Brand, Not to Brand or Both? Consequences for Dual-Brand Firms

In addition to produce their own brands, dual-brand firms also supply private labels for particular retailers. Some leading Spanish brands such as Don Simon, Mahou and Carbonell, have been involved in this practice. Are these firms digging their own graves? The purpose of this study is to understand some reasons behind this phenomenon on Spanish retail market. We explored economical and relational motives of supplying store brands (SBs) by national brand (NB) manufacturers. Our results suggest that dual-brand firms obtain: (1) better treat from retailers, (2) superior economies of scale and, (3) greater negotiation power.