Integrating technology roadmapping and portfolio management at the front-end of new product development

Many authors point out that the front-end of new product development (NPD) is a critical success factor in the NPD process and that numerous companies face difficulties in carrying it out appropriately. Therefore, it is important to develop new theories and proposals that support the effective implementation of this earliest phase of NPD. This paper presents a new method to support the development of front-end activities based on integrating technology roadmapping (TRM) and project portfolio management (PPM). This new method, called the ITP Method, was implemented at a small Brazilian high-tech company in the nanotechnology industry to explore the integration proposal. The case study demonstrated that the ITP Method provides a systematic procedure for the fuzzy front-end and integrates innovation perspectives into a single roadmap, which allows for a better alignment of business efforts and communication of product innovation goals. Furthermore, the results indicated that the method may also improve quality, functional integration and strategy alignment. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development Resource Planning: Complexity of Product Development and the Capacity to Launch New Products

Overcommitment of development capacity or development resource deficiencies are important problems in new product development (NPD). Existing approaches to development resource planning have largely neglected the issue of resource magnitude required for NPD. This research aims to fill the void by developing a simple higher-level aggregate model based on an intuitive idea: The number of new product families that a firm can effectively undertake is bound by the complexity of its products or systems and the total amount of resources allocated to NPD. This study examines three manufacturing companies to verify the proposed model. The empirical results confirm the study`s initial hypothesis: The more complex the product family, the smaller the number of product families that are launched per unit of revenue. Several suggestions and implications for managing NPD resources are discussed, such as how this study`s model can establish an upper limit for the capacity to develop and launch new product families.

Knowledge transfer in product development processes: A case study in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of the metal-mechanic sector from Sao Paulo, Brazil

This paper reports a research that evaluated the product development methodologies used in Brazilian small and medium-sized metal-mechanic enterprises (SMEs), in a specific region of Sao Paulo. The tool used for collecting the data was a questionnaire, which was developed and applied through interviews conducted by the researchers in 32 companies. The main focus of this paper can be condensed in the synthesis-question ""Is only the company responsible for the development?"" which was analyzed thoroughly. The results obtained from this analysis were evaluated directly (through the respective percentages of answers) and statistically (through the search of an index which demonstrates if two questions are related). The results point to a degree of maturity in SMEs, which allows product development to be conducted in cooperation networks. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing Urban Transport Energy Dependence: A New Urban Development Framework and GIS-Based Tool

High urban transport energy consumption is directly influenced by transport energy dependence. Dramatic reductions in urban transport energy dependence or consumption are not yet being widely observed despite the variety of urban planning tools currently available. A new urban development framework is presented to tackle this issue that makes use of a recently developed and successfully trialed GIS-based tool, the Transport Energy Specification (TES). The TES was simulated on a neighborhood in Sao Carlos, Brazil. In the simulation, energy dependence was reduced by a factor of 8 through activity location or infrastructure modifications to the built environment.

Petroleum royalties and regional development in Brazil: The economic growth of recipient towns

In 1997, Brazil approved law n(cr) 9478, establishing new rules for sharing petroleum royalties with Brazilian municipalities. The goal of this paper is to evaluate whether royalties distributed under the new law have contributed for the development of benefited municipalities. For that the difference-indifferences estimator (diff-in-diff) is used, which compares the evolution of the economic product into the municipality affected by the new law with the unaffected ones, by exploring the new legislation as an exogenous change. The data refer to the municipal gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate before and after the event. Results are surprising, showing that royalty receivers grew less than municipalities that did not receive such resources. The difference is small but statistically significant. In general, an increase of one real in royalties per capita reduces the growth rate of the municipal product in 0.002 percentile points. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Akt Expression is Diminished by Physical Inactivity in Early Stages of Development in Soleus Muscle of Rats

Metabolic Syndrome is a group of conditions related to obesity and physical inactivity. Little is known about the role of physical inactivity, in early stages of development, in the susceptibility to insulin resistant phenotype induced by high fat diet. Akt plays a key role in protein synthesis and glucose transport in skeletal muscle and has been regulated by muscle activity. The objective of present study was to determine the effect of early physical inactivity on muscle growth and susceptibility to acquire a diabetic phenotype and to assess its relationship with Akt expression. Forty Wistar male rats were distributed in two groups (standard group, Std) and movement restriction (RM). Between days 23 and 70 after birth, RM group was kept in small cages that did not allow them to perform relevant motor activity. From day 71 to 102 after birth, 10 rats of each group were fed with hyperlipidic diet (groups Std-DAG and RM-DAG). No differences were observed in total body weight although DAG increased epididymal fat pad weight. RM decreased significantly the soleus weight. Insulin-mediated glucose uptake was lower in RM-DAG group. Akt protein levels were lower in RM groups. Real time RT-PCR analysis showed that movement restriction decreased mRNA levels of AKT1 in soleus muscle, regardless of supplied diet. These findings suggest that early physical inactivity limits muscle`s growth and contributes to instauration of insulin resistant phenotype, which can be partly explained by dysregulation of Akt expression.

The link between partial melting, granitization and granulite development in central Ribeira Fold Belt, SE Brazil: New evidence from elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic geochemistry

Elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic data on metatexites, diatexites, orthogneisses and charnockites from the central Ribeira Fold Belt indicate that they are LILE-enriched weakly peraluminous granodiorites. Harker and Th-Hf-La correlation trends suggest that these rocks represent a co-genetic sequence, whereas variations on CaO, MnO, Y and HREE for charnockites can be explained by garnet consumption during granulitic metamorphism. Similar REE patterns and isotopic results of epsilon(565)(Nd) = -5.4 to -7.3 and (87)Sr/(86)Sr(565) = 0.706-0.711 for metatexites, diatexites, orthogneisses and charnockites, as well as similar T(DM) ages between 2.0 and 1.5 Ga are consistent with evolution from a relatively homogeneous and enriched common crustal (metasedimentary) protolith. Results suggest a genetic link between metatexites, diatexites, orthogneisses and charnockites and a two-step process for charnockite development: (a) generation of the hydrated igneous protoliths by anatexis of metasedimentary rocks; (b) continuous high-grade metamorphism that transformed the ""S-type granitoids"" (leucosomes and diatexites) into orthogneisses and, as metamorphism and dehydration progressed, into charnockites. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shedding light on technological development in Brazil

We try to shed some light oil the question of wily technology-intensive businesses often fail in less-developed countries and under what circumstances they are likely to be a Success from the perspective of both domestic and export markets. The answers were drawn from a set of empirical evidences from Brazilian firms applying photonics technologies. Sonic of the issues faced by them are related to the question of state versus private initiative, entering traditional versus niche market, and technology transfer versus product development management. In overall, we concluded that weakness of the institutions and inadequacy of social and organizational demography play a key role in explaining to a large extent wily countries differ in technological development and diffusion. In this context, we point out obstacles, which must be removed in order to make public policies and firm`s achievements more efficient. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the strategies of late-movers in International Manufacturing

This paper analyzes the internationalization of new multinationals from emerging countries. It also focuses on Production`s role in firm internationalization, a subject seldom addressed because the discipline of International Manufacturing is still embryonic, while International Business tends to overlook production. The authors integrate International Business and International Manufacturing concepts and frameworks in order to analyze new multinationals from emerging countries, using the empirical evidence of a survey plus case studies of Brazilian multinationals for understanding late-movers` strategies and competences, with emphasis on production. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new social parasite in the ant genus Ectatomma F. Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ectatomminae)

Ectatomma parasiticum Feitosa & Fresneau, a new ant species socially parasitic on Ectatomma tuberculatum (Olivier), is described from gynes discovered in Apazapan, state of Veracruz, Mexico, and reared in the laboratory. Ectatomma parasiticum is the first social parasite described in the Ectatomminae. This species can be distinguished from its host by morphological and behavioral features characteristic of the inquilines known in other ant subfamilies including reduced size, thickened petiole, and agonistic interactions with host species.

Morpho-anatomical variations during stem development in some epiphytic Cactaceae

LEMOS, R. C. C. AND G. F. A. MELO-DE-PINNA (Departamento de Botanica, Instituto de Biociencias, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua do Matao 277, Travessa 14, Cidade Universitaria, Butanta, Caixa Postal 11461, 05422-970, Sao Paulo, SP, Brasil). Morpho-anatomical variations during stem development in some epiphytic Cactaceae. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 138: 16-25. 2011. In this study, the morpho-anatomical features of Hatiora salicornioides (Harworth) Britton & Rose, Rhipsalis floccosa Salm-Dyck Pfeiffer, Rhipsalis elliptica G. Lindb. ex K. Schum. and Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haworth. were studied during different phases of stem development. Primary (more developed) and terminal (less developed) segments showed variations of anatomical features as exhibited by the epidermal cells in surface view and transverse section. Features of the vascular system, e.g., the occurrence of non-lignified parenchyma in bands (H. salicornioides) or in small groups (R. floccosa and R. elliptica), as well as pericycle fibers and lignified cells in the medullar region, were only observed on the primary segments. Nevertheless, based on our anatomical analysis of stem segments in different developmental phases, we conclude that some characters described and used in systematic interpretations should be revised, mainly in the vascular (secondary xylem; non-xylematic vascular fibers) and dermal systems (epidermis in surface view and transverse section).

Cation size effects-modified phase and PTCR development in Er3+ and Ca2+ co-doped BaTiO3 ceramics during sintering

Development of the positive temperature coefficient of resistivity (PTCR) in Er3+ and Ca2+ co-doped ferroelectric BaTiO3 was studied in this work, with Er3+ being used to act as a donor doping. Irrespective of all the materials showing high densities after sintering at 1200 to 1300 ºC, these revealed insulator at the lowest sintering temperature, changing to semiconducting and PTCR-type materials only when the sintering temperature was further increased. Observations from X-ray diffraction help correlating this effect with phase development in this formulated (Ba,Ca,Er)TiO3 system, considering the formation of initially two separated major (Ba,Ca)TiO3- and minor (Ca,Er)TiO3-based compounds, as a consequence of cation size-induced stress energy effects. Thus, appearance and enhancement here of the semiconducting and PTCR responses towards higher sintering temperatures particularly involve the incorporation of Er3+ into the major phase, rendering finally possible the generation and "percolative-like" migration of electrons throughout the whole material.

New tick records in Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon

In the present study, we provide new tick records from Vilhena Municipality, in the Southeast of the State of Rondônia, Northern Brazil. Ticks collected from a capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus), were identified as Amblyomma romitii Tonelli-Rondelli (1 female), and Amblyomma sp. (1 larva). Ticks collected from a harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja (Linnaeus), were identified as Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) (16 nymphs) and Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley (1 nymph). Ticks collected from a yellow-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulada (Linnaeus), were identified as Amblyomma rotundatum Koch (10 females, 2 nymphs), and Amblyomma sp. (2 larvae). The present record of A. romitii is the first in the State of Rondônia, and represents the southernmost record for this tick species, indicating that its distribution area is much larger than currently recognized. Although both A. cajennense and H. juxtakochi have been reported parasitizing various bird species, we provide the first tick records on a harpy eagle. A. rotundatum is widespread in the State of Rondônia, and has been previously reported on the yellow-footed tortoise. The present records increase the tick fauna of Rondônia to 26 species.

PFLEIDERER 2: IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW GLOBULAR CLUSTER IN THE GALAXY

We provide evidence that indicates the star cluster Pfleiderer 2, which is projected in a rich field, as a newly identified Galactic globular cluster. Since it is located in a crowded field, core extraction and decontamination tools were applied to reveal the cluster sequences in B, V, and I color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The main CMD features of Pfleiderer 2 are a tilted red giant branch and a red horizontal branch, indicating a high metallicity around solar. The reddening is E(B - V) = 1.01. The globular cluster is located at a distance of d(circle dot) = 16 +/- 2 kpc from the Sun. The cluster is located 2.7 kpc above the Galactic plane and at a distance of R(GC) = 9.7 kpc from the Galactic center, which is unusual for a metal-rich globular cluster.