Operational functions for innovative startups in France

Nessa tese, é buscado um maior entendimento sobre a importância das funções operacionais nas startups francesas. Uma grande flexibilidade das tarefas a ser coberta e uma gestão horizontal caracterizam as startups. Desse jeito, não é muito comum para as empresas recentemente criadas como as startups ter uma politica clara de recursos humanos. Na verdade, cada participante na start-up pode ser levado a pensar de forma diferente em termos de vendas desenvolvimento de negócios, comercialização, marketing, tecnologia ou desenvolvimento de produto. Essa tese não vai explorar cada uma dessas tarefas. Mas vai procurar para identifcar a percepção sobre a alocação ótima de recursos para cada função chave da nova empresa. Qualquer seja o setor de mercado em consideração ou o estágio de amadurecimento da startup, funções chaves que são percebidas como sendo a base para start-ups bem sucedidas são pesquisa & desenvolvimento e comercialização. Funções de liderança não são tão importantes. Somente a startup focada na tecnologia tem uma "função de chefe executivo" com maior importância do que as startups médias. Além disso, empreendedores em série, bem sucedidos ou não, focam predominantemente aspectos relacionados ao marketing e à captação de recursos em detrimento de aspectos ligados à gestão do negócio. No final, os empresários, muitas vezes tem um preconceito ao respeito da sua formação acadêmica porque ele sobrestimam funções que eles pensam poder fazer em comparação das funções que eles são capazes de fazer. Nessa tese, intent-se demonstrar a relação entre as funções ocupadas por um sócio e as ações que ele possui na startup. Essa relação depende do número de sócios (conhecido como acionistas), o tipo de sócios (acionistas principais ou acionistas segundarias) e o impacto na administração corporativa a respeito da distribuição do capital próprio.

A comparative study of the credit card market dynamics in Mexico and Brazil

This research analyzes and compares the attractiveness of the Brazilian and Mexican credit card markets from a financial firm’s perspective. The market dynamics in Latin America’s two economic powerhouses are fleshed out with qualitative and quantitative data, using a strategic framework to structure the analysis. Since its adoption by both countries in 1956, credit card usage has experienced many years of double digit growth. However, penetration levels remain low compared with most developed countries. Brazil has a more developed credit card infrastructure, with more potential profit, and issuers might face fewer competitive challenges.  Alternatively, Mexico, is witnessing a more favorable economy, a friendlier business and regulatory environment, combined with fewer financial products that compete with the credit card. Therefore, this paper concludes that Brazil and Mexico both offer market opportunities for credit card companies that can navigate the different technological, demographic, macroeconomic, and regulatory shifts in each country.

Mutagênese induzida por flavonóides presentes do decocto das cascas da aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius, Raddi)

The decoction of Brazilian pepper tree barks (Schinus terebinthifolius, Raddi), is used in medicine as wound healing and antiinflamatory. Once extracts from this plant are used for acceleration of scar s process, it is important to study their mutagenic and genotoxic potential. In previous works in our laboratory, it was observed mutagenicity caused by the decoction when in high concentrations. Among the chemical compounds of this plant that could be able to induce mutation, the flavonoids were the only group that was referred to have either an oxidant or antioxidant potential. The flavonoids were isolated, purified and quantified by adsorptive column chromatography under silica gel, bacterial and in vitro genotoxic tests were realized to determine if the flavonoids were the responsible agents for this mutagenicity found. The tests realized with plasmidial DNA were indicative that the flavonoids are probably genotoxic, due to the presence of correlation between increase of the flavonoid concentration and in plasmidial DNA double strand breakage visualized in agarose gel, as well as they were capable to generated abasic sites shown by the in vitro treatment with exonuclease III. The same tests with plasmidial DNA in the presence of copper [10 µM] and of a Tris-HCl pH 7.5 [10 µM] buffer were realized with the isolated flavonoids to determine if there would be or not participation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The transformation of plasmidial DNA in different bacterial strains proficient and deficient in DNA repair enzymes in the presence or not of a Tris-HCl buffer, suggests that the enzymes that repair oxidative lesions are necessary to repair the lesions generated by the flavonoids and that ROS are generated and are necessary to promote the lesions. Bacterial tests with Escherichia coli strains of the CC collection (deficient or not for DNA repair enzymes), showed that the flavonoids are able to increase the frequency of mutations, mainly in strains mutated in repair enzymes (MutM, MutY-glicosylases and double mutant), suggesting that these agents are responsible for the enhancement in the mutation rate. In order to determine the mutation spectrum caused by the flavonoids of the Brazilian pepper tree stem bark, plasmidial DNA previously treated with the flavonoids were transformed in bacterial strains deficient and proficient in the DNA repair enzymes, followed by a blue-white selection with X-gal, DNA amplification by PCR and sequencing the positive mutant clones. Analysis of the mutants obtained from strains CC104, CC104mutM, CC104mutY, CC104mutMmutY, BW9101, BW9109 indicated a predominance of some mutations like G:C to C:G that can be correlated with the origin of 8-oxoG, due to oxidative lesions caused by the flavonoids. So it can concluded that the flavonoid isolated or in fractions enriched on them are genotoxic and mutagenic, and their mutations are predominantly oxidative, mediated by ROS, and the lesions are recognized by the BER system. In this way it is proposed that the flavonoids can act in two different ways to generate the DNA lesion: 1. in a Fenton-like reaction, when the flavonoid are in the presence of metal ions and that together with the water generate ROS that promotes the DNA lesions; 2. in another way the lesions can be generated by the formation of ROS due to the internal chemical structure of the flavonoid molecule due to the quantity and location of hydroxyl groups, and so producing the DNA lesions, those lesions can be directly (suggested by the in vitro experiments) or indirectly done (supported by the experiments using the CC bacterial strains)

Lesões traumato-ortopédicas no desporto paraolímpico

O desenvolvimento do esporte paraolímpico nacional e internacional tem estimulado maior participação das pessoas com deficiência em praticar atividades desportivas, exigindo dos atletas incrementos na intensidade e freqüência nos treinamentos e competições, o que impulsiona, ainda mais, os índices de lesões esportivas traumato-ortopédicas. Objetivamos neste estudo descritivo analisar as lesões traumato-ortopédicas mais frequentes nos atletas paraolímpicos, sua localização nos segmentos corporais, correlacionando-as com as modalidades esportivas praticadas pelos integrantes das Seleções Brasileiras Paraolímpicas. O presente estudo foi realizado com 82 atletas paraolímpicos da Seleção Brasileira de Atletismo, Halterofilismo, Natação e Tênis de mesa, de ambos os sexos, com deficiências motoras, visual e intelectual, participantes dos Campeonatos Mundiais, no ano de 2002, sendo os mesmos selecionados de forma não probabilística intencional os quais atenderam os critérios de inclusão e exclusão estabelecidos para o estudo. Para a avaliação clínica das lesões traumato-ortopédicas foram utilizados como instrumentos de medida o Prontuário do Departamento Médico do Comitê Paraolímpico Brasileiro (técnica da observação através da história clinica esportiva do atleta / anamnese e exame físico), entrevistas com os atletas e exames complementares das lesões traumato-ortopédicas quando necessárias. Os resultados do estudo com os atletas paraolímpicos revelaram prevalência de lesões no atletismo (MMII = 64,9%, coluna = 19,3% e MMSS = 15,8%); halterofilismo (coluna = 54,5%, MMSS = 36,4% e MMII = 9,1%); natação (MMSS = 44,4%, coluna = 38,9 e MMII = 16,7%) e tênis de mesa (MMSS = 56%, coluna36% e MMII = 8%), com predomínios das lesões músculotendineas em todos os esportes pesquisados. Os resultados apresentados nos permitem concluir que em todos os esportes pesquisados os atletas paraolímpicos apresentaram um predomínio das lesões músculo-tendíneas, tendo como localização no atletismo, lesões nos membros inferiores, no halterofilismo na coluna vertebral e membros superiores, na natação e no tênis de mesa, nos membros superiores e coluna vertebral

Ergonomia e Odontologia: determinantes da postura corporal dos estudantes da clínica-escola de uma Universidade Federal

Posture is one of the most worrying problems dentists face. That is because of the high incidence of low back pathologies regarding the professional activity, despite the development on the field of Dental Ergonomics. This work took place at the dental schoolclinic at a Federal University, and it was grounded on the Ergonomic Principles in the workplace. Its main objective was to analyze the determinants of inadequate posture adopted by students inasmuch as the adoption of non ergonomic methods at the school-clinic may influence them to develop inadequate postures in their working environment. The analysis of the activity showed us that it requires some complex procedures in the patient s mouth. Thus, when the students carry out the activity, they start to adopt, although unconsciously, inadequate postures which will make easier the visual accuracy and the access to the operation focus. In case there is no internal (body awareness) or external warning mechanisms (the professor s or the partner s counseling) regarding posture or possible risks which lead them to self-correction, the students become vulnerable to osteomuscle disorders. The time pressure, because the students are expected to perform their task in a predetermined clinical time. The facts related to each patient s variability as well as the stress caused by the expectations to get their work done in time make the students to advance it believing they will waste time if they help their partners or using an indirect view. We could also notice that there was no assistant to perform the job of minor ones, as well as there was no professor who could actually connect the knowledge on Ergonomics to its working practice. The conclusions of this work stand out the need of widen the discussion at the academic environment regarding health professionals in places such as universities. The ergonomic principles in the workplace aim a multidisciplinary analysis based on the experience of students, professors, staff members and janitors that can contribute to some reflection upon the issue and consequently actions which will bring positive changes at the working environment

Doenças sem doentes: Ocorrência de Distúrbios Osteomusculares Relacionados ao Trabalho DORT nos operadores de caixa de um banco

The changes incurred in the financial system with the introduction of new technologies and new forms of administration of banks has caused impact on the health of workers. These changes, which passed in the process of work, generate a combined share of the risk factors that result in numerous injuries and illnesses among banks, notably between the operators of banks tellers. The Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disordes - WRMD represent a group of occupational diseases always present among these workers. Because of its high incidence and the amount of financial resour envolved to manage the problem has been the object of constant study. This paper aims to analyze the bank teller activity; search the occurrence of WRMD in the activity, identifying the factors determining the occurrence of WRMD in the activity and determine the real number of touchs on a keyboard made by the operator and propose solutions that influence the reduction of illness in the workplace of the bank teller. Methodological tools of ergonomics are used to provide a broad knowledge of aspects of work that have been studied and influential in the generation of occupational diseases studied. It was found that activity put workers to serious risk of occupational diseases. As the main contributory factors and determinants for this illness: the requirements and control the numbers daily endorsements; evaluation system based on performance targets for productivity; management system at time of service to customers; work with stressful factors (broken box); excess of time worked; furniture of workstations with ergonomic inadequacies and policy for the prevention of occupational diseases inefficient. They have also noted cases of illness for DORT workers without fulfilling the legal requirement of the issuance of the communication of labour accident and without the removal of the employee of the workplace

Increasing trends of sleep complaints in the city of São Paulo, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Sleep complaints and polysomnographic findings: A study of nuclear power plant shift workers

The literature widely recognizes that shift workers have more health complaints than the general population. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of sleep complaints and verify the polysomnographic (PSG) variables of shift workers in two Brazilian nuclear power plants. We carried out a subjective evaluation with a sleep questionnaire. Based on these results, the interviewees that reported sleep-related complaints were referred for polysomnographic evaluation. of the 327 volunteers initially evaluated by the sleep questionnaire, 113 (35%) reported sleep complaints; they were significantly older, had higher body mass index (BMI), and worked more years on shifts than those without sleep complaints. of these 113, 90 met criteria for various sleep disorders: 30 (9%) showed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 18 (5.5%) showed limb movement, and 42 (13%) evidenced both sleep problems and had a significantly higher proportion of sleep stage 1 and arousals compared with the 23 shift workers that had no indices of sleep problems. The present study found that 90 (27.5%) of the evaluated participants met the PSG criteria of some type of clinical sleep disorder. This high proportion should be investigated for associations with other aspects of work, such as working hours, working schedule, years performing shift work, and access to health services. Due to the strong association between sleep disorders and the incidence of fatigue and sleepiness, the evaluation of the sleep patterns and complaints of shift workers is essential and should be considered to be one of the basic strategies of industry to prevent accidents.

New insights into trypanosomatid U5 small nuclear ribonucleoproteins

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Molecular characterization of Blastocrithidia culicis L17 ribosomal protein

Blastocrithidia culicis is a protozoan of the family Trypanosomatidae. It is a parasite of insects, but the presence of bacteriumlike endosymbionts in its cytoplasm led some investigators to study this protozoan. This trypanosomatid does not infect humans and although it is phylogenetically distant from Trypanosoma cruzi, it presents many morphological characteristics, which are similar. In previous studies our group showed the presence of a L27 ribosomal protein in T cruzi (named TcrL27) using a RT-PCR, which also resulted in the cloning, sequencing and expression of an unexpected ribosomal protein, L17, in Blastocrithidia culicis (BcL17). In this paper, Western blot analysis demonstrated that the anti-BcL17 antibody recognizes the presence of the same ribosomal protein either in Blastochritidia culicis and T. cruzi nuclear extracts. Besides, two similar bands (40 and 47 kDa) appeared also in T. cruzi isolated ribosomal proteins and B. culicis nuclear extract corroborating with the findings showed in the phylogenetic reconstruction. With respect to their localization within the ribosome, both the L17 and L27 ribosomal proteins appear to belong to the peptidyl-transferase site, and are therefore part of the key step in protein synthesis. Both ribosomal proteins bind spiramycin derivatives, being therefore compounds of the macrolides connection sites in the ribosome. These findings would open a possibility to better evaluate this issue.

Efeitos imediatos da eletroestimulação nervosa transcutânea e crioterapia na espasticidade e na atividade eletromiográfica de sujeitos hemiparéticos

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a term used to characterize an ischemic or hemorrhagic vascular injury, which has got as main clinic manifestations, the motor and reflex function disturbance. In the first stage there is flaccidity and loss of voluntary movements that afterwards is substituted by mass patterns and spasticity. The spasticity brings with itself functional deficits and can generate negative impacts in various motor patterns. The aim of this research was to investigate the hyperreflexia and identify the immediate effects of transcutaneous nervous stimulation (TENS) and cryotherapy in the spasticity and electromyographic activity of hemiparetic subjects. The study is characterized as an almost experimental type, in which were selected, to compose the sample, 16 patients of both sex with CVA sequel. These individuals were evaluated by collecting the amplitude peak to peak and H reflex latency, Motor response (M response) in solear muscle and the electromyography (EMG) of the injured and healthy legs anterior tibial muscles. In the injured limb the evaluations occurred in different days for cryotherapy, TENS and control, in two moments, before and after the interventions. The healthy limb was evaluated one single time to serve as baseline, for comparison with the injured limb. It was used an statistic analysis, the t paired student test to identify the H reflex differences, latency and EMG of the injured and healthy limbs and to compare the results before and after the recourses application. The ANOVA for related samples was used to identify the differences among the recourses used. It was attributed for the statistic tests a significance level of 5%. The amplitude peak to peak of normalized maximum H reflex through the maximum motor response (Hmax/Mmax), showed itself significantly increased in the injured limb (p=0.0245). The H reflex latency was presented reduced in the injured limb (p=0, 0375). The electromyographic activity was showed decreased in the injured limb (p< 0.0001). After the TENS there was a Hmáx/Mmáx ratio decrease (0.60±0.16 versus 0.49.±0.18; P = 0.0006). Nonetheless, Just after the cryotherapy application there was an increase of Hmáx/Mmáx ratio (0.58 ± 0,15 to 0.77 ± 0.13, P=0,0007) and increase of signal latency (30.41 ± 1.87 versus 33.24 ± 2.19; P=0.0001). The electromyographic activity wasn t altered significantly by any resource. It was met statistic significant differences when the Hmáx/Mmáx P<0.0001) ratio and H reflex latency (P<0.0001) were compared between the post TENS, cryotherapy and control. One can conclude that the TENS can be used to spasticity immediate reduction, and that the cryotherapy can increase the hyperreflexia state in spastic patients. Nonetheless, the spasticity decrease or increase didn t provoke lectromyographic activity change in the muscle that is opponent to the spastic one

Variáveis relacionadas ao processo de adesão a um programa de prevenção de quedas em idosos cadastrados na Estratégia de Saúde da Família

Introduction: Falls among older adults is a public health problem, therefore it is necessary preventive actions, however the adherence is the major problem faced by practitioners and researchers working on falls prevention programs. Objective: To evaluate the variables related to the adherence to falls prevention programs among the elderly enrolled in a Basic Health Unit (BHU). Methods: Was performed an observational cross-sectional analytical study. All elderly registered in a BHU and able to ambulate independently were invited to participate in a falls prevent program. The Elderly who Adhered to the Program (EAP) were evaluated at BHU; and the Elderly Not Adhered to the Program (ENAP) were identified and assessed at home. The assessment for both groups was performed using an evaluation form containing personal data, measures and clinical scales to assess cognitive status, balance, mobility, fear of falling, handgrip strength. Data were analyzed with SPSS 20.0. In addition to this assessment, the ENAP underwent a semi structured interview, in which we used the qualitative approach based on the figure of the Collective Subject Discourse. Results: The study included 222 elderly, 111 EAP and 111ENAP, most aged between 70 and 79 years (48.2%), female (68.5%), married (52.3%) and illiterate (47.7%). Consolidated as protective factors for adherence, worst rates of physical activity (p = 0.001), balance (p = 0.010) and cognition (p = 0.007). The interview of ENAP identified two themes: "Local implementation of programs for the prevention of falls" and "Relationship between BHU and the elderly health care," and found that the elderly who did not adhere were unable to displace and did not mention that primary care programs are related to health care in elderly. Conclusions: Elderly who do not adhere to the program differ from elderly who adhere as worst indices of cognition, balance and physical activity which implies greater risk of falling; and they were unable to participate in falls prevention program and by to be caregiver and showed displacement difficult

2D evaluation of crack openings using smeared and embedded crack models

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Relação entre o ciclo sono e vigília e a função cardiorrespiratória em estudantes de medicina

Students, normally, present an irregular sleep pattern characterized by delays in sleep onset and offset from weekdays to weekends, short sleep duration on weekdays and long sleep duration on weekends. The reduction of the necessary sleep and the irregularity in the sleep patterns provoke relevant short- and long-term impairments on performances, for example, in cardiorespiratory function. The cardiorespiratory performance represents, in addition to fitness, traces associated to health conditions and in several studies to pattern and/or individual s sleep quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of the sleep-wake cycle and the cardiorespiratory function of medical students under different class schedules. The study was accomplished with two classes of medical students of UFRN, one had classes at 7 am (n = 47) and the second had classes at 8 am (n = 41) during the week. On the first stage of the study all volunteers filled out an anamnesis, the International Physical Activity questionnaire, the Pittsburgh index of sleep quality, the Portuguese version of the Horne and Östberg cronotype questionnaire, the Health and Sleep questionnaire and the Epworth Scale of Somnolence (ESS). On the second stage, 24 students (12 of each class) had their activity rhythm monitored by actimeters set to record activity at a 2-min interval for 14 days concomitant to the completion of the sleep diary. In this same stage, each volunteer performed the effort test (treadmill) only once in the morning period (between 9:00 and 11:00). The students showed an irregular pattern of the sleep-wake cycle and this irregularity is strongly influenced by the class schedules, in addition to the contribution of the academic demand, social activities and endogenous factors. The students who woke up earlier showed greater irregularity in the sleep-wake pattern. The earlier was the class schedule the worse was the sleep quality and the greater was the frequency of students with excessive diurnal somnolence. The classes schedules and the irregular pattern of the sleep-wake cycle did not show effect on the cardiorespiratory performance of the medical students. The performance on the test seems to be affected by other factors, which can be related to the pattern of the sleep-wake cycle or not. Therefore, it is suggested that the late start of classes provokes less irregularity on the pattern of the sleep-wake cycle. However, it was observed that this irregularity and the class schedule seem not to affect the cardiorespiratory performance directly

System identification and active vibration control of a flexible structure

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)