Proposição de Métricas para Avaliação da Competitividade em Redes de Negócio: uma Aplicação no Setor Siderúrgico Brasileiro

Business Networks (BN) are systems formed by companies that interact in specific way, and the result of these interactions is a remarkable ability to compete. The object of this research is the analysis of the competitiveness in BN, and the objective is to develop metrics for analysis of the competitiveness in BN. This is a qualitative descriptive research, and uses primary sources (questionnaires and semi-structured interviews) and secondary sources of information (articles and other publications in the area). From the model of analysis of competitiveness proposed by Zaccarelli et al. (2008), procedures were performed to analyze the feasibility of applying the original metric of the model and new metrics were developed when necessary. The evaluation of metrics was possible after the empirical analysis, which consisted of the application of the model in two steel makings BN, the ArcelorMittal BN and Votorantim Steel BN. It was found that the metrics of six of ten fundamentals of the model of Zaccarelli et al. (2008) had impracticable metrics, subsequently, new metrics were developed and tested. The main contribution of this study was the improvement of the model, which will enable advances in the analysis of competitiveness business network.Redes de Negócios (RN) são sistemas formados por empresas que interagem entre si de forma específica, e o resultado dessas interações é uma notável capacidade de competir. Diante disso, o objeto de estudo desta pesquisa é a análise da competitividade em RN, e o objetivo consiste em desenvolver métricas para análise da competitividade em RN. Esta é uma pesquisa de caráter descritivo e qualitativo e que utiliza fontes primárias (questionários e entrevistas semiestruturadas) e secundárias de informação (artigos e outras publicações na área). A partir do modelo de análise da competitividade proposto por Zaccarelli et al. (2008), realizaram-se procedimentos de análise da viabilidade de aplicação das métricas originais, bem como o desenvolvimento de novas métricas quando necessário. A avaliação das métricas foi possível após a análise empírica, que consistiu na aplicação do modelo em duas RN de siderurgia, a RN da ArcelorMittal e a RN da Votorantim Siderurgia. Constatou-se que, dentre os dez fundamentos do modelo de Zaccarelli et al. (2008), seis possuíam métricas inviáveis, motivo pelo qual novas métricas foram desenvolvidas e testadas. A principal contribuição deste estudo foi, assim, o aperfeiçoamento do modelo, o que possibilitará avanços nas análises de competitividade de redes de negócios

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora

Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, ventilation management, and outcomes in invasively ventilated intensive care unit patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome: a pooled analysis of four observational studies

Background: Geoeconomic variations in epidemiology, the practice of ventilation, and outcome in invasively ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients without acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain unexplored. In this analysis we aim to address these gaps using individual patient data of four large observational studies. Methods: In this pooled analysis we harmonised individual patient data from the ERICC, LUNG SAFE, PRoVENT, and PRoVENT-iMiC prospective observational studies, which were conducted from June, 2011, to December, 2018, in 534 ICUs in 54 countries. We used the 2016 World Bank classification to define two geoeconomic regions: middle-income countries (MICs) and high-income countries (HICs). ARDS was defined according to the Berlin criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to compare patients in MICs versus HICs. The primary outcome was the use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) for the first 3 days of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes were key ventilation parameters (tidal volume size, positive end-expiratory pressure, fraction of inspired oxygen, peak pressure, plateau pressure, driving pressure, and respiratory rate), patient characteristics, the risk for and actual development of acute respiratory distress syndrome after the first day of ventilation, duration of ventilation, ICU length of stay, and ICU mortality. Findings: Of the 7608 patients included in the original studies, this analysis included 3852 patients without ARDS, of whom 2345 were from MICs and 1507 were from HICs. Patients in MICs were younger, shorter and with a slightly lower body-mass index, more often had diabetes and active cancer, but less often chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure than patients from HICs. Sequential organ failure assessment scores were similar in MICs and HICs. Use of LTVV in MICs and HICs was comparable (42·4% vs 44·2%; absolute difference -1·69 [-9·58 to 6·11] p=0·67; data available in 3174 [82%] of 3852 patients). The median applied positive end expiratory pressure was lower in MICs than in HICs (5 [IQR 5-8] vs 6 [5-8] cm H2O; p=0·0011). ICU mortality was higher in MICs than in HICs (30·5% vs 19·9%; p=0·0004; adjusted effect 16·41% [95% CI 9·52-23·52]; p<0·0001) and was inversely associated with gross domestic product (adjusted odds ratio for a US$10 000 increase per capita 0·80 [95% CI 0·75-0·86]; p<0·0001). Interpretation: Despite similar disease severity and ventilation management, ICU mortality in patients without ARDS is higher in MICs than in HICs, with a strong association with country-level economic status