Innovation in micro and small enterprises: a conceptual proposal for research

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) are considered the most dynamic and elastic forms of activity. In the economy, the foundation and development of these are important for the creation of the so-called "normal" economic environment. In the recent past it was enough for companies to meet their needs in a profitable way to stay in the market, but that scenario has changed dramatically. At present it’s necessary to be one step ahead towards the future, because the strategies that have worked well in the past are not guarantees of sustainable success. The key to longevity and business competitiveness lies in innovation. Accordingly, the main objective of the present research was to present a conceptual model of innovation research in Micro and Small Enterprises to analyze (1) the degree of innovation of Micro and Small Companies, (2) how the innovation presents itself in the MSE as a result of its business environments and (3) the determining factors of the innovation according to the geographical location. This research is of particular interest to Micro and Small Enterprises in developing countries, such as Brazil, given the greater relevance of innovation activities than innovation itself, and can provide subsidies for the formulation of innovation policies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Measuring the degree of innovation in micro and small enterprises In the northeast of Brazil

As empresas não operam em total isolamento do meio em que estão inseridas. O entorno ao mesmo tempo em que é influenciado pelas organizações influencia na conduta e desempenho das mesmas, sobretudo, no que diz respeito à prática da inovação. As pequenas e médias empresas são o motor do desenvolvimento económico, principalmente em países em desenvolvimento como o Brasil. Nessa conformidade, o principal objetivo desta pesquisa foi apresentar e testar um modelo de pesquisa de inovação em Micro e Pequenas Empresas proposto por Walter, Veloso e Fernandes (2017) para analisar: (1) o grau de inovação das Micro e Pequenas Empresas e (2) como a inovação é apresentada nas Micro e Pequenas Empresas como resultado de seus ambientes de negócios. Para isso, o estudo baseou-se em uma amostra de 617 MPE distribuídas em 6 cidades do Estado do Piauí. Os dados foram coletados através da aplicação do Radar de Inovação. Foram utilizadas técnicas estatísticas de natureza descritiva, exploratória e inferencial. Os resultados mostraram que as MPE têm capacidade de inovação entre “Pouco Inovadoras" e “Inovadoras Ocasionais", devido à maior expressividade de inovações organizacionais e de marketing, e que a média e a distribuição da inovação são as mesmas entre as MPE analisadas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Measuring the degree of innovation in retail and services’ micro and small enterprises

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are considered the most dynamic and flexible arrangement of activity. In the economy, the foundation and development of these features is important for the creation of the so-called “normal” economic environment. The main objective of this research is to present a research model of innovation in MSEs to analyse: first, the degree of innovation of MSEs, and second, how the innovation is handled by existing MSEs as a result of its business environment. The research made is based on a sample of 550 MSEs distributed over six cities across the Brazilian State of Piauí. The data were collected using the Innovation Radar application, which is owned by the SEBRAE Local Innovation Agents program. Statistical techniques of descriptive, exploratory, and inferential nature were used for corresponding data treatment and results validation. The results obtained suggest that MSEs have innovation capacity between the “Little Innovative” and “Occasional Innovative” range, and also that the average and the distribution of innovation levels are similar amongst MSEs analyzed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Value of project management in university–industry R&D collaborations

Purpose: University–industry projects provide special challenges in understanding and expressing the values required of project management (PM) in delivering stakeholder benefits. This paper presents a framework for understanding, identifying and managing the values of PM in major university–industry R&D projects. Design/methodology/approach: The value framework identifies for each of the key stakeholders, the key PM values that may require to be managed and are largely derived from research literature. Empirical research then explores, prioritises and selects key PM values that need to be managed for a specific project. A large case study is used involving one university and one industry collaborating on a multi-million Euro initiative over six years. Empirical research was conducted by researchers who observed at close quarters, the challenges and successes of managing the competing values of key stakeholders. Findings: The value framework takes a stakeholders' perspective by identifying the respective PM values for each of six stakeholders: university–industry consortium, university, industry, R&D external entities, funding entity and society. Research limitations/implications: The research was performed using only one case study which limits the generalisability of its findings; however, the findings are presented as a decision support aid for project consortia in developing values for their own collaboration. Practical implications: Guidance and decision support are provided to multi-stakeholder research consortia when selecting values that need to be managed for achieving tangible and intangible project benefits. Originality/value: The paper demonstrates a proposed framework for designing and managing the value of PM in large multi-stakeholder university–industry R&D projects.INCT-EN - Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia para Excitotoxicidade e Neuroproteção(SFRH/BPD/111033/2015

Structural equation modelling for predicting the relative contribution of each component in the metabolic syndrome status change

Understanding the factor weighting in the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) may help to predict the progression for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a confirmatory model to describe and explain the direct and indirect effect of each component in MetS status change. A total of 3581 individuals diagnosed with MetS, aged 18–102 years, were selected between January 2019 and December 2020 from a community-representative sample of Portuguese adults in a north-eastern Portuguese region to test the model’s goodness of fit. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach and a two-way ANOVA (age × body composition) were performed to compare the relative contribution of each MetS component using joint interim statement (JIS). Waist circumference (β = 0.189–0.373, p < 0.001), fasting glucose (β = 0.168–0.199, p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.140–0.162, p < 0.001) had the highest direct effect on the change in MetS status in the overall population and concerning both sexes. Moreover, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) had a low or non-significant effect. Additionally, an indirect effect was reported for age and body composition involving the change in MetS status. The findings may suggest that other components with higher specificity and sensitivity should be considered to empirically validate the harmonised definition of MetS. Current research provides the first multivariate model for predicting the relative contribution of each component in the MetS status change, specifically in Portuguese adults.This article is a result of the project “GreenHealth-Digital strategies in biological assets to improve well-being and promote green health” (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042), supported by North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors also express acknowledgement all medical staff, patients and human resources of the two primary health care centers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Variable flocculation profiles of yeast strains isolated from cacha?a distilleries.

In cacha?a production, the use of yeast cells as starters with predictable flocculation behavior facilitates the cell recovery at the end of each fermentation cycle. Therefore, the aim of this work was to explain the behavior of cacha?a yeast strains in fermentation vats containing sugarcane through the determination of biochemical and molecular parameters associated with flocculation phenotypes. By analyzing thirteen cacha?a yeast strains isolated from different distilleries, our results demonstrated that neither classic biochemical measurements (e.g., percentage of flocculation, EDTA sensitivity, cell surface hydrophobicity, and sugar residues on the cell wall) nor modern molecular approaches, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time PCR (q-PCR), were sufficient to distinctly classify the cacha?a yeast strains according to their flocculation behavior. It seems that flocculation is indeed a strain-specific phenomenon that is difficult to explain and/or categorize by the available methodologie

Chromobacterium Violaceum Sepsis in Minas Gerais

Infection by Chromobacterium violaceum, known as chromobacteriosis, is a rare cause of severe sepsis with rapid spread and high mortality. In February 2009, a 14-year-old male patient was admitted to Santa Casa of Misericórdia of Juiz de Fora Hospital, and he deteriorated rapidly with severe sepsis and death by chromobacteriosis. In this article we discuss the main clinical fidings, sensitivity profie, and antimicrobial therapy of this case

ARTICULAÇÕES DAS ESCALAS GLOBAL E LOCAL NA CONFORMAÇÃO ESPACIAL URBANA: O CASO DA REGIÃO METROPOLITANA DO CARIRI

O objetivo deste trabalho é observar a inter-relação global-local na construção da rede espacial urbana, tendo como referência a Região Metropolitana do Cariri vis a vis a reestruturação produtiva. Para tanto, utiliza-se uma metodologia pautada nos métodos exploratório e explicativo. O procedimento realizar-se-á através de pesquisa bibliográfica de diversos autores investigando temas que englobam os estudos do localismo, da metropolização dialogando entre estes temas, com análise qualitativa. Constatou-se que o status metropolitano clássico sob a ótica dos fenômenos comuns a este conceito, conferido à RM Cariri, inexiste ipssis litteris, pois a mesma emerge diante de circunstâncias que a conferiram destaque na região na qual está localizada, mas que não reproduzem os signos de metrópole de fato, sendo passiva aos efeitos da metropolização

37628 EFFECTS OF NEUROMUSCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION ON THE MASTICATORY MUSCLES AND PHYSIOLOGIC SLEEP VARIABLES IN ADULTS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY: A NOVEL THERAPY APPROACH- PILOT STUDY

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term employed to define a group of non-progressive neuromotor disorders caused by damage to the immature or developing brain, with consequent limitations regarding movement and posture. CP may impair orapharygeal muscle tone, leading to a compromised chewing function and to sleep disorders (such as obstructive sleep apnea). Thirteen adults with CP underwent bilateral masseter and temporalis neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy. The effects on the masticatory muscles and sleep variables were evaluated using electromyography (EMG) and polysomnography (PSG), respectively, prior and after 2 months of NMES. EMG consisted of 3 tests in different positions: rest, mouth opening and maximum clenching effort (MCE). EMG values in the rest position were 100% higher than values recorded prior to therapy for all muscles analyzed (p < 0.05); mean mouth opening increased from 38.0 ± 8.0 to 44.0 ± 10.0 cm (p = 0.03). A significant difference in MCE was found only for the right masseter. PSG revealed an improved in the AHI from 7.2±7.0/h to 2.3±1.5/h (p < 0.05); total sleep time improved from 185 min to 250 min (p = 0.04) and minimun SaO2 improved from 83.6 ± 3.0 to 86.4 ± 4.0 (p = 0.04). NMES performed over a two-month period led to improvements in the electrical activity of the masticatory muscles at rest, mouth opening, isometric contraction and sleep variables, including the elimination of obstructive sleep apnea events in patients with CP. Trial registration: ReBEC RBR994XFS http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES