Analysis of a customer relationship management tool in a shipping company

Today’s society is technologically advanced, the world is just a click away and our companies’ customers have easy access to all the information. Therefore, they are increasingly demanding, wanting more and better at a lower cost. Using as a case study a shipping company, a system of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) was analysed to verify what reasons led to its abandonment and to realise what to do to reverse such situation. In this industry product differentiation is practically null, so the customer’s choice comes down to price. However, customers are paying more attention to customer service, therefore companies are developing stronger relationships with them. The construction of such relationships implies data collection on the client, from which one can offer services of greater value. This may lead to partnerships and competitive advantages. Thus, the use of CRM tools is being promoted for CRM tools present themselves as a valuable asset. In the end, suggestions are presented, ranging from improvements to the existing system, to more complex suggestions, costlier or breaking with the existing mode of relationship and dialogue between company and customers, but that, in the future, will certainly translate into advantages over competing companies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A multicriteria decision model for the selection of information system for a logistics company using MMASSI/TI

The aim of this work is to apply a methodology of decision support based on a multi-criteria decision analyses (MCDA), model that allows the evaluation and selection of an information system in a Logistics context. We carried out a literature review on supply chain management, logistics and decision theory to support all the practical work. A multi-criteria methodology for decision making support – Multi-criteria Methodology for the Assessment and Selection of Information Systems / Information Technologies (MMASSI / IT) based on logistics processes was applied during the MCDA, supported by a computer application. The ranking of the information systems best suited the decisional context was obtained and its sensitivity and robustness analyses performed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Information systems for industrial processes support and optimization

This paper presents the Document Management Systems (DMS) as a support decision tool to optimize Toyota Caetano Portugal S.A. (TCAP) processes performance. The created systems were developed on the best practices of a Business Project Management (BPM), for better structural implementation. The first system implementation was related to the warehouse materials requirement process, where an excel template with VBA functions for fill automatization was built. It had a reduction of the overall paper consumption and time execution optimization, which means the gain of approximately of 0,10€ and 2,09€ per unit produced, respectively. It was also obtained an elimination of 4538 paper sheets per year. A second system was also developed, in order to provide a Decision Support System (DSS) for documental management. Several User Forms were developed in VBA code in order to provide a flexible and intuitively user interface experience. It reduced the users time decision making and the administrator maintenance, by a total of 26 minutes, corresponding to a 1,61€ reduction per unit built, which means an efficiency increase of 42%. The present work fits in the company's strategy for a more sustainable environment being a positive driver of Industry 4.0 implementation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mapping industry 4.0 in the Portuguese industry

With Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, organisations have undergone enormous changes in business models, engineering, manufacturing, processes, and technologies. Hence, the need to investigate the status of its current knowledge and maturity. This research, supported by a survey for data collection (fifty valid responses), aims to analyse the knowledge and maturity (on a five-scale level) of Industry 4.0 in Portugal from the perspective of industrial companies. The conclusions highlight that the Portuguese organisations will have to adapt to the impact of Industry 4.0 on how their business is being developed and encompass the digitisation with new technologies. Unfortunately, adopting the concepts and methodologies inherent to Industry 4.0 is still incipient in Portugal, suggesting a possible lack of knowledge and poor leadership. Companies need to strategically change towards business models that are more flexible to the potential of technology and have a closer relationship with customers, ensuring increased operational autonomy and repositioning products and services. Having a team dedicated to digitisation increases the Industry 4.0 maturity level. Companies with a maturity Medium/High level of Products and Innovations have a higher level of perception based on their capacity for innovation, supported by new digital models and tools. Concerning Human Resources, the digitisation of knowledge management means and the promotion of new ideas for digital transformation increases its I4.0 maturity level. This study contributes to the start of the art of Industry 4.0 in Portuguese companies, mapping its present status, and providing insights for its future enhanced adoption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improvement in planning and resource management for an automotive company’s parts feeding system

The increasing sophistication of the automotive market and the constant change in customer requirements increases companies’ concern to ensure efficient internal logistic flows in line with Just-In-Time philosophy and Lean principles, to deal with wastes and variability. Variability arises from the growing differentiation of products, from the adoption of multi and mixed model assembly lines, and from the uncertainty in customer demand resulting from the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. Considering the automotive supplier company as research subject, several problems were found to be compromising the efficiency of one of its in-plant parts’ feeding systems, the most critical problem being the lack of planning and management of resources (human and material) needed to perform the logistic service. Through Action-Research methodology stages, the actions taken culminated in the development of a simulation and decision-support tool for the component supply system resource management and efficiency improvement. The simulations made revealed reliable and adjusted results of workload and workforce to face the variations in customer demand and the existing product mix. After the tool creation, resource planning and balancing was no longer based on managers experience and empirical knowledge only but based on scientific knowledge: concise and reliable data from information systems, measurements, study of times, and literature review on in-plant milk run systems, lean, just-in-time and continuous improvement techniques.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of age-related changes in postural control during quiet standing through Linear Discriminant Analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The human body adopts a number of strategies to maintain an upright position. The analysis of the human balance allows for the understanding and identification of such strategies. The displacement of the centre of pressure (COP) is a measure that has been successfully employed in studies regarding the postural control. Most of these investigations are related to the analysis of individuals suffering from neuromuscular disorders. Recent studies have shown that the elderly population is growing very fast in many countries all over the world, and therefore, researches that try to understand changes in this group are required. In this context, this study proposes the analysis of the postural control, measured by the displacement of the COP, in groups of young and elderly adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In total 59 subjects participated of this study. They were divided into seven groups according to their age. The displacement of the COP was collected for each subject standing on a force plate. Two experimental conditions, of 30 seconds each, were investigated: opened eyes and closed eyes. Traditional and recent digital signal processing tools were employed for feature computation from the displacement of the COP. Statistical analyses were carried out in order to identify significant differences between the features computed from the distinct groups that could allow for their discrimination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results showed that Linear Discrimination Analysis (LDA), which is one of the most popular feature extraction and classifier design techniques, could be successfully employed as a linear transformation, based on the linear combination of standard features for COP analysis, capable of estimating a unique feature, so-called <it>LDA-value</it>, from which it was possible to discriminate the investigated groups and show a high correlation between this feature and age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results show that the analysis of features computed from the displacement of the COP are of great importance in studies trying to understand the ageing process. In particular, the <it>LDA-value </it>showed to be an adequate feature for assessment of changes in the postural control which can be related to functional changes that occur over the ageing.</p

Development of a new application of the comet assay to assess levels of O6-methylguanine in genomic DNA (CoMeth)

O6-methylguanine (O6meG) is one of the most premutagenic, precarcinogenic, and precytotoxic DNA lesions formed by alkylating agents. Repair of this DNA damage is achieved by the protein MGMT, which transfers the alkyl groups from the O6 position of guanine to a cysteine residue in its active center. Because O6meG repair by MGMT is a stoichiometric reaction that irreversibly inactivates MGMT, which is subsequently degraded, the repair capacity of O6meG lesions is dependent on existing active MGMT molecules. In the absence of active MGMT, O6meG is not repaired, and during replication, O6meG:T mispairs are formed. The MMR system recognizes these mispairs and introduces a gap into the strand. If O6meG remains in one of the template strands the futile MMR repair process will be repeated, generating more strand breaks (SBs). The toxicity of O6meG is, therefore, dependent on MMR and DNA SB induction of cell death. MGMT, on the other hand, protects against O6meG toxicity by removing the methyl residue from the guanine. Although removal of O6meG makes MGMT an important anticarcinogenic mechanism of DNA repair, its activity significantly decreases the efficacy of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs that aim at achieving cell death through the action of the MMR system on unrepaired O6meG lesions. Here, we report on a modification of the comet assay (CoMeth) that allows the qualitative assessment of O6meG lesions after their conversion to strand breaks in proliferating MMR-proficient cells after MGMT inhibition. This functional assay allows the testing of compounds with effects on O6meG levels, as well as on MGMT or MMR activity, in a proliferating cell system. The expression of MGMT and MMR genes is often altered by promoter methylation, and new epigenetically active compounds are being designed to increase chemotherapeutic efficacy. The CoMeth assay allows the testing of compounds with effects on O6meG, MGMT, or MMR activity. This proliferating cell system complements other methodologies that look at effects on these parameters individually through analytical chemistry or in vitro assays with recombinant proteins.We thank the COST Action TD0905 “Epigenetics: From Bench to Bedside” for financial support. A.A. Ramos and D. Pedro are supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal, Grant SFRH/BD/35672/2007 and SFRH/BD/64817/2009, respectively. The work was supported by FCT research grant PEst-C/BIA/UI4050/2011, which is co-funded by the program COMPETE from QREN with co-participation from the European Community fund FEDER

Chitosan coating functionalized with flaxseed oil and green tea extract as a bio-based solution for beef preservation

Ecological and safe packaging solutions arise as pivotal points in the development of an integrated system for sustainable meat production. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a combined chitosan (Ch) + green tea extract (GTE) + essential oil (thyme oil, TO; flaxseed oil, FO; or oregano oil, OO) coating on the safety and quality of vacuum-packaged beef during storage at 4 °C. An optimized bio-based coating formulation was selected (2% Ch + 2% GTE + 0.1% FO) to be applied to three fresh beef cuts (shoulder, Sh; knuckle, Kn; Striploin, St) based on its pH (5.8 ± 0.1), contact angle (22.3 ± 0.4°) and rheological parameters (viscosity=0.05 Pa.s at shear rate > 20 s−1). Shelf-life analysis showed that the Ch–GTE–FO coating delayed lipid oxidation and reduced total viable counts (TVC) and Enterobacteriaceae growth compared with uncoated beef samples over five days. In addition, Ch–GTE–FO coating decreased total color changes of beef samples (e.g., ∆E*=9.84 and 3.94, for non-coated and coated Kn samples, respectively) for up to five days. The original textural parameters (hardness, adhesiveness and springiness) of beef cuts were maintained during storage when Ch–GTE–FO coating was applied. Based on the physicochemical and microbial characterization results, the combination of the Ch–GTE–FO coating developed was effective in preserving the quality of fresh beef cuts during refrigerated storage along with vacuum packaging.This research was funded by ETHICAL MEAT—Integrated System for Sustainable Meat Production project (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-072254), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through Compete 2020–Competitiveness and Internationalisation Operational Programme (POCI). This work was also financially supported by FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit, and by LABBELS—Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

mRNA expression and release of interleukin-8 induced by serum amyloid A in neutrophils and monocytes.

The acute phase response is a systemic reaction to inflammatory processes characterized by multiple physiological adaptations, including the hepatic synthesis of acute-phase proteins. In humans, serum amyloid A (SAA) is one of the most prominent of these proteins. Despite the huge increase of serum levels of SAA in inflammation, its biological role remains to be elucidated, even though SAA is undoubtedly active in neutrophils. In a previous study, we reported that SAA induces the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-8 from human blood neutrophils. Here, we extend our earlier study, focusing on the effect of SAA on neutrophil IL-8 transcription and on the signaling pathways involved. We demonstrate herein that SAA, in relatively low concentrations (0.4-100 microg/ml) compared with those found in plasma in inflammatory conditions, induces a dose-dependent release of IL-8 from neutrophils. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB 203580 inhibits the IL-8 mRNA expression and the release of protein from neutrophils. The release of IL-8 from SAA-stimulated neutrophils is strongly suppressed by the addition of N-acetyl-l-cysteine, alpha-mercaptoethanol, glutathione, and dexamethasone. SAA also induces IL-8 expression and release from monocytes. In conclusion, SAA appears to be an important mediator of the inflammatory process, possibly contributing to the pool of IL-8 produced in chronic diseases, which may play a role in degenerative diseases

Association Between Iron-Related Protein Lipocalin 2 and Cognitive Impairment in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum

A worldwide increase in longevity is bringing novel challenges to public health and health care professionals. Cognitive impairment in the elderly may compromise living conditions and precede Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia. Therefore, finding molecular markers associated with cognitive impairment is of crucial importance. Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), an iron-related protein, has been suggested as a potential marker for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD. This study aimed at investigating the association between LCN2 measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with cognitive impairment. A cross-sectional design based on two aging cohorts was used: individuals diagnosed with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), MCI, and AD from a Swedish memory clinic-based cohort, and individuals diagnosed with SCC and AD from a Portuguese cohort. Binary logistic [for the outcome cognitive impairment (MCI + AD) in the Swedish cohort and AD in the Portuguese cohort] and multinomial logistic (for the outcomes MCI and AD) regression analyses were used. No associations were found in both cohorts when controlling for sex, education, and age. This explanatory study suggests that the association between serum and CSF LCN2 concentrations with cognitive impairment reported in the literature must be further analyzed for confounders.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio