Comparison of energy evaluation systems and a mechanistic model for milk production by dairy cattle offered fresh grass-based diets

Grass-based diets are of increasing social-economic importance in dairy cattle farming, but their low supply of glucogenic nutrients may limit the production of milk. Current evaluation systems that assess the energy supply and requirements are based on metabolisable energy (ME) or net energy (NE). These systems do not consider the characteristics of the energy delivering nutrients. In contrast, mechanistic models take into account the site of digestion, the type of nutrient absorbed and the type of nutrient required for production of milk constituents, and may therefore give a better prediction of supply and requirement of nutrients. The objective of the present study is to compare the ability of three energy evaluation systems, viz. the Dutch NE system, the agricultural and food research council (AFRC) ME system, and the feed into milk (FIM) ME system, and of a mechanistic model based on Dijkstra et al. [Simulation of digestion in cattle fed sugar cane: prediction of nutrient supply for milk production with locally available supplements. J. Agric. Sci., Cambridge 127, 247-60] and Mills et al. [A mechanistic model of whole-tract digestion and methanogenesis in the lactating dairy cow: model development, evaluation and application. J. Anim. Sci. 79, 1584-97] to predict the feed value of grass-based diets for milk production. The dataset for evaluation consists of 41 treatments of grass-based diets (at least 0.75 g ryegrass/g diet on DM basis). For each model, the predicted energy or nutrient supply, based on observed intake, was compared with predicted requirement based on observed performance. Assessment of the error of energy or nutrient supply relative to requirement is made by calculation of mean square prediction error (MSPE) and by concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). All energy evaluation systems predicted energy requirement to be lower (6-11%) than energy supply. The root MSPE (expressed as a proportion of the supply) was lowest for the mechanistic model (0.061), followed by the Dutch NE system (0.082), FIM ME system (0.097) and AFRCME system(0.118). For the energy evaluation systems, the error due to overall bias of prediction dominated the MSPE, whereas for the mechanistic model, proportionally 0.76 of MSPE was due to random variation. CCC analysis confirmed the higher accuracy and precision of the mechanistic model compared with energy evaluation systems. The error of prediction was positively related to grass protein content for the Dutch NE system, and was also positively related to grass DMI level for all models. In conclusion, current energy evaluation systems overestimate energy supply relative to energy requirement on grass-based diets for dairy cattle. The mechanistic model predicted glucogenic nutrients to limit performance of dairy cattle on grass-based diets, and proved to be more accurate and precise than the energy systems. The mechanistic model could be improved by allowing glucose maintenance and utilization requirements parameters to be variable. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling building semantics: providing feedback and sustainability

Even minor changes in user activity can bring about significant energy savings within built space. Many building performance assessment methods have been developed, however these often disregard the impact of user behavior (i.e. the social, cultural and organizational aspects of the building). Building users currently have limited means of determining how sustainable they are, in context of the specific building structure and/or when compared to other users performing similar activities, it is therefore easy for users to dismiss their energy use. To support sustainability, buildings must be able to monitor energy use, identify areas of potential change in the context of user activity and provide contextually relevant information to facilitate persuasion management. If the building is able to provide users with detailed information about how specific user activity that is wasteful, this should provide considerable motivation to implement positive change. This paper proposes using a dynamic and temporal semantic model, to populate information within a model of persuasion, to manage user change. By semantically mapping a building, and linking this to persuasion management we suggest that: i) building energy use can be monitored and analyzed over time; ii) persuasive management can be facilitated to move user activity towards sustainability.

Design and management of sustainable built environments

The United Nation Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes it clear that climate change is due to human activities and it recognises buildings as a distinct sector among the seven analysed in its 2007 Fourth Assessment Report. Global concerns have escalated regarding carbon emissions and sustainability in the built environment. The built environment is a human-made setting to accommodate human activities, including building and transport, which covers an interdisciplinary field addressing design, construction, operation and management. Specifically, Sustainable Buildings are expected to achieve high performance throughout the life-cycle of siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance and demolition, in the following areas: • energy and resource efficiency; • cost effectiveness; • minimisation of emissions that negatively impact global warming, indoor air quality and acid rain; • minimisation of waste discharges; and • maximisation of fulfilling the requirements of occupants’ health and wellbeing. Professionals in the built environment sector, for example, urban planners, architects, building scientists, engineers, facilities managers, performance assessors and policy makers, will play a significant role in delivering a sustainable built environment. Delivering a sustainable built environment needs an integrated approach and so it is essential for built environment professionals to have interdisciplinary knowledge in building design and management . Building and urban designers need to have a good understanding of the planning, design and management of the buildings in terms of low carbon and energy efficiency. There are a limited number of traditional engineers who know how to design environmental systems (services engineer) in great detail. Yet there is a very large market for technologists with multi-disciplinary skills who are able to identify the need for, envision and manage the deployment of a wide range of sustainable technologies, both passive (architectural) and active (engineering system),, and select the appropriate approach. Employers seek applicants with skills in analysis, decision-making/assessment, computer simulation and project implementation. An integrated approach is expected in practice, which encourages built environment professionals to think ‘out of the box’ and learn to analyse real problems using the most relevant approach, irrespective of discipline. The Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environment book aims to produce readers able to apply fundamental scientific research to solve real-world problems in the general area of sustainability in the built environment. The book contains twenty chapters covering climate change and sustainability, urban design and assessment (planning, travel systems, urban environment), urban management (drainage and waste), buildings (indoor environment, architectural design and renewable energy), simulation techniques (energy and airflow), management (end-user behaviour, facilities and information), assessment (materials and tools), procurement, and cases studies ( BRE Science Park). Chapters one and two present general global issues of climate change and sustainability in the built environment. Chapter one illustrates that applying the concepts of sustainability to the urban environment (buildings, infrastructure, transport) raises some key issues for tackling climate change, resource depletion and energy supply. Buildings, and the way we operate them, play a vital role in tackling global greenhouse gas emissions. Holistic thinking and an integrated approach in delivering a sustainable built environment is highlighted. Chapter two demonstrates the important role that buildings (their services and appliances) and building energy policies play in this area. Substantial investment is required to implement such policies, much of which will earn a good return. Chapters three and four discuss urban planning and transport. Chapter three stresses the importance of using modelling techniques at the early stage for strategic master-planning of a new development and a retrofit programme. A general framework for sustainable urban-scale master planning is introduced. This chapter also addressed the needs for the development of a more holistic and pragmatic view of how the built environment performs, , in order to produce tools to help design for a higher level of sustainability and, in particular, how people plan, design and use it. Chapter four discusses microcirculation, which is an emerging and challenging area which relates to changing travel behaviour in the quest for urban sustainability. The chapter outlines the main drivers for travel behaviour and choices, the workings of the transport system and its interaction with urban land use. It also covers the new approach to managing urban traffic to maximise economic, social and environmental benefits. Chapters five and six present topics related to urban microclimates including thermal and acoustic issues. Chapter five discusses urban microclimates and urban heat island, as well as the interrelationship of urban design (urban forms and textures) with energy consumption and urban thermal comfort. It introduces models that can be used to analyse microclimates for a careful and considered approach for planning sustainable cities. Chapter six discusses urban acoustics, focusing on urban noise evaluation and mitigation. Various prediction and simulation methods for sound propagation in micro-scale urban areas, as well as techniques for large scale urban noise-mapping, are presented. Chapters seven and eight discuss urban drainage and waste management. The growing demand for housing and commercial developments in the 21st century, as well as the environmental pressure caused by climate change, has increased the focus on sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). Chapter seven discusses the SUDS concept which is an integrated approach to surface water management. It takes into consideration quality, quantity and amenity aspects to provide a more pleasant habitat for people as well as increasing the biodiversity value of the local environment. Chapter eight discusses the main issues in urban waste management. It points out that population increases, land use pressures, technical and socio-economic influences have become inextricably interwoven and how ensuring a safe means of dealing with humanity’s waste becomes more challenging. Sustainable building design needs to consider healthy indoor environments, minimising energy for heating, cooling and lighting, and maximising the utilisation of renewable energy. Chapter nine considers how people respond to the physical environment and how that is used in the design of indoor environments. It considers environmental components such as thermal, acoustic, visual, air quality and vibration and their interaction and integration. Chapter ten introduces the concept of passive building design and its relevant strategies, including passive solar heating, shading, natural ventilation, daylighting and thermal mass, in order to minimise heating and cooling load as well as energy consumption for artificial lighting. Chapter eleven discusses the growing importance of integrating Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) into buildings, the range of technologies currently available and what to consider during technology selection processes in order to minimise carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. The chapter draws to a close by highlighting the issues concerning system design and the need for careful integration and management of RETs once installed; and for home owners and operators to understand the characteristics of the technology in their building. Computer simulation tools play a significant role in sustainable building design because, as the modern built environment design (building and systems) becomes more complex, it requires tools to assist in the design process. Chapter twelve gives an overview of the primary benefits and users of simulation programs, the role of simulation in the construction process and examines the validity and interpretation of simulation results. Chapter thirteen particularly focuses on the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation method used for optimisation and performance assessment of technologies and solutions for sustainable building design and its application through a series of cases studies. People and building performance are intimately linked. A better understanding of occupants’ interaction with the indoor environment is essential to building energy and facilities management. Chapter fourteen focuses on the issue of occupant behaviour; principally, its impact, and the influence of building performance on them. Chapter fifteen explores the discipline of facilities management and the contribution that this emerging profession makes to securing sustainable building performance. The chapter highlights a much greater diversity of opportunities in sustainable building design that extends well into the operational life. Chapter sixteen reviews the concepts of modelling information flows and the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM), describing these techniques and how these aspects of information management can help drive sustainability. An explanation is offered concerning why information management is the key to ‘life-cycle’ thinking in sustainable building and construction. Measurement of building performance and sustainability is a key issue in delivering a sustainable built environment. Chapter seventeen identifies the means by which construction materials can be evaluated with respect to their sustainability. It identifies the key issues that impact the sustainability of construction materials and the methodologies commonly used to assess them. Chapter eighteen focuses on the topics of green building assessment, green building materials, sustainable construction and operation. Commonly-used assessment tools such as BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED) and others are introduced. Chapter nineteen discusses sustainable procurement which is one of the areas to have naturally emerged from the overall sustainable development agenda. It aims to ensure that current use of resources does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Chapter twenty is a best-practice exemplar - the BRE Innovation Park which features a number of demonstration buildings that have been built to the UK Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes. It showcases the very latest innovative methods of construction, and cutting edge technology for sustainable buildings. In summary, Design and Management of Sustainable Built Environment book is the result of co-operation and dedication of individual chapter authors. We hope readers benefit from gaining a broad interdisciplinary knowledge of design and management in the built environment in the context of sustainability. We believe that the knowledge and insights of our academics and professional colleagues from different institutions and disciplines illuminate a way of delivering sustainable built environment through holistic integrated design and management approaches. Last, but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the chapter authors for their contribution. I would like to thank David Lim for his assistance in the editorial work and proofreading.

A field study of urban microclimates in London

This paper aims to address the characteristics of urban microclimates that affect the building energy performance and implementation of the renewable energy technologies. An experimental campaign was designed to investigate the microclimate parameters including air and surface temperature, direct and diffuse solar irradiation levels on both horizontal and vertical surfaces, wind speed and direction in a dense urban area in London. The outcomes of this research reveal that the climatic parameters are significantly influenced by the attributes of urban textures, which highlight the need for both providing the microclimatic information and using them in buildings design stages. This research provides a valuable set of microclimatic information for a dense urban area in London. According to the outcomes of this research, the feasibility study for implementation of renewable energy technologies and the thermal/ energy performance assessment of buildings need to be conducted using the microclimatic information rather than the meteorological weather data mostly collected from non-urban environments.

A novel MAP-MRF approach for multispectral image contextual classification using combination of suboptimal iterative algorithms

In this paper we present a novel approach for multispectral image contextual classification by combining iterative combinatorial optimization algorithms. The pixel-wise decision rule is defined using a Bayesian approach to combine two MRF models: a Gaussian Markov Random Field (GMRF) for the observations (likelihood) and a Potts model for the a priori knowledge, to regularize the solution in the presence of noisy data. Hence, the classification problem is stated according to a Maximum a Posteriori (MAP) framework. In order to approximate the MAP solution we apply several combinatorial optimization methods using multiple simultaneous initializations, making the solution less sensitive to the initial conditions and reducing both computational cost and time in comparison to Simulated Annealing, often unfeasible in many real image processing applications. Markov Random Field model parameters are estimated by Maximum Pseudo-Likelihood (MPL) approach, avoiding manual adjustments in the choice of the regularization parameters. Asymptotic evaluations assess the accuracy of the proposed parameter estimation procedure. To test and evaluate the proposed classification method, we adopt metrics for quantitative performance assessment (Cohen`s Kappa coefficient), allowing a robust and accurate statistical analysis. The obtained results clearly show that combining sub-optimal contextual algorithms significantly improves the classification performance, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Removal of directors of public companies takes centre stage in Australia : an exploration of the corporate law and governance issues

Increasing attention is being given to the legal and governance issues relating to the removal of directors in Australian public companies. This has been due mainly to the difficulties experienced by the board of National Australia Bank in attempting to remove one of its fellow directors, and the subsequent development of public companies entering into so-called 'prenuptial agreements' with new directors, requiring that the director 'resign' if the board pass a vote of no-confidence in the director. In this article, the author revisits the area of director removal in Australian public companies for two reasons. The first reason, which covers the majority of the article, is to engage in a detailed analysis of whether the pre-nuptial agreements which some public companies have indicated that they support using to remove directors, are in fact enforceable under Australia's Corporations Act The second reason is to outline a law reform proposal to enable public companies to remove directors without requiring the vote of shareholders at a general meeting. The proposal involves providing Australia' corporate  regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) with the power to grant relief from the statutory removal provisions to public companies, but in a way which balances the competing objectives of commercial efficiency and shareholder participation and, very importantly, encourages good corporate governance practices by companies in relation to the performance assessment  of directors.

It is in the interests of both shareholders and directors to agree on a set of ground rules for the effective supervision of companies that reconciles the rights of the owners to overall control with the much tougher demands on modern directors

Environmental design : incorporating a rating tool into the design of commercial buildings

Environmental performance assessment or green building rating tools for commercial buildings are one of the more recent responses to encourage green solutions for commercial buildings. This paper discusses the initial stages of a research project that looks at the impact of a rating tool, such as Green Star, on design. There are numerous ways in which an architect can design commercial buildings, but environmental design solutions have consistently failed to become accepted practice. Therefore, how will this tool be incorporated into the building design process? Developed to assist the designer can the inclusion of a rating tool such as Green Star provide an effective framework to encourage the inclusion of environmental design strategies in commercial buildings? A field study, recording the design process of a commercial building, anticipates that a whole building assessment approach towards design, as proposed through the Green Star Rating Tool, will provide an effective framework to set and monitor design targets in order to optimise the environmental design goals in commercial buildings.

Trends in professional education programs for teachers

Increasingly, politicians, bureaucrats, the business community, members of our communities and even members of the teaching profession, are asking questions about professional preparation for teachers, questions like: What is the value of teacher education? What should beginning teachers know and be able to do? How can we make judgements about what they know and are able to do? How can teacher preparation contribute to the retention of high quality beginning teachers who continue to grow and learn?

In this paper, I examine these issues and examine how effective teacher preparation has attempted to respond to these issues, particularly in graduate teacher education programs. I argue that we need to be cognisant of the following aspects when developing and implementing high quality professional education of teachers:

• Connect teacher education to the first year of teaching;
• Prepare teachers who investigate their professional practice within communities of learners
• Prepare teachers with a strong professional knowledge base that helps them make informed professional judgments
• A cohort model that builds strong relationships and professional networks
• Early, regular and sustained school experiences that systematically build professional knowledge and skill. Closely monitored by suitably qualified university personnel and supervising teachers
• Professional standards for beginning teaching and a capstone teacher performance assessment

Relationship between vision impairment and ability to perform activities of daily living

Purpose: To determine the relationship between clinical measures of vision impairment and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).

Methods: One hundred and twenty subjects with low vision from a variety of causes participated in the study. Vision impairment was assessed under binocular conditions by measuring distance visual acuity, near word acuity, Melbourne Edge Test contrast sensitivity, Pelli–Robson Chart contrast sensitivity and visual fields. The ADL performance was assessed using the Melbourne Low Vision ADL Index (MLVAI), which is in part an observed performance assessment of instrumental ADLs and in part a self-report assessment of basic self-care ADLs.

Results: All vision measures had a high, statistically significant correlation with MLVAI total score. Near word acuity, had the strongest correlation (rs=−0.86, p < 0.001), followed by Melbourne Edge Test contrast sensitivity (rs=0.80, p < 0.001). Visual field had the weakest correlation (rs=0.56, p < 0.001). Together, age, near word acuity, Melbourne Edge Test contrast sensitivity and visual field accounted for 82.2% (adjusted R2, p < 0.001) of the variance in MLVAI total score. All correlations obtained were higher for the observed performance assessment of instrumental ADLs than for the self-report assessment of basic self-care ADLs.

Conclusions: Clinical vision impairment measures are highly correlated with capacity to perform ADLs, as measured by the MLVAI.

Authentically assessing graduate teaching: outside and beyond neo-liberal constructs

In this paper, we challenge the current focus on ‘best practice’, graduate teacher tests, and student test scores as the panacea for ensuring teaching quality and argue for ways of thinking about evidence of quality beginning teaching outside and beyond the current neoliberal accountability discourses circulating in Australia and other countries. We suggest that teacher educators need to reinsert themselves as key players in the debates around quality beginning teaching, rather than being viewed as a source of the problem. To enable teacher educators to assume accountability for quality beginning teachers, we propose the framework of a capstone teacher performance assessment—a structured portfolio called the Authentic Teacher Assessment (ATA)— and examine examples of these assessments through the lens of critical discourse analysis. As a measure of ‘readiness to teach’, the ATA is compared with supervising teachers’ assessments of preservice teachers. We argue that structured portfolios that include artefacts derived from preservice teachers’ practice in classrooms along with graduate teacher self assessments provide a stronger accountability measure of effec- tive beginning teaching and demonstrably address the current anxiety regarding ‘evi- dence’. We suggest that such an approach should be reliable enough to be ‘read’ by external assessors (and moderated across other teacher education institutions). Rigor- ous research on a national basis is called for in order to develop and implement a structured portfolio as rich evidence of graduates’ quality and readiness to teach.

Proposta de método para avaliação do desempenho térmico de residências unifamiliares em clima quente e úmido

Nowadays, evaluation methods to measure thermal performance of buildings have been developed in order to improve thermal comfort in buildings and reduce the use of energy with active cooling and heating systems. However, in developed countries, the criteria used in rating systems to asses the thermal and energy performance of buildings have demonstrated some limitations when applied to naturally ventilated building in tropical climates. The present research has as its main objective to propose a method to evaluate the thermal performance of low-rise residential buildings in warm humid climates, through computational simulation. The method was developed in order to conceive a suitable rating system for the athermal performance assessment of such buildings using as criteria the indoor air temperature and a thermal comfort adaptive model. The research made use of the software VisualDOE 4.1 in two simulations runs of a base case modeled for two basic types of occupancies: living room and bedroom. In the first simulation run, sensitive analyses were made to identify the variables with the higher impact over the cases´ thermal performance. Besides that, the results also allowed the formulation of design recommendations to warm humid climates toward an improvement on the thermal performance of residential building in similar situations. The results of the second simulation run was used to identify the named Thermal Performance Spectrum (TPS) of both occupancies types, which reflect the variations on the thermal performance considering the local climate, building typology, chosen construction material and studied occupancies. This analysis generates an index named IDTR Thermal Performance Resultant Index, which was configured as a thermal performance rating system. It correlates the thermal performance with the number of hours that the indoor air temperature was on each of the six thermal comfort bands pre-defined that received weights to measure the discomfort intensity. The use of this rating system showed to be appropriated when used in one of the simulated cases, presenting advantages in relation to other evaluation methods and becoming a tool for the understanding of building thermal behavior

Análise de métodos de predição de conforto térmico de habitação em clima quente-úmido com condicionamento passivo

The assessment of building thermal performance is often carried out using HVAC energy consumption data, when available, or thermal comfort variables measurements, for free-running buildings. Both types of data can be determined by monitoring or computer simulation. The assessment based on thermal comfort variables is the most complex because it depends on the determination of the thermal comfort zone. For these reasons, this master thesis explores methods of building thermal performance assessment using variables of thermal comfort simulated by DesignBuilder software. The main objective is to contribute to the development of methods to support architectural decisions during the design process, and energy and sustainable rating systems. The research method consists on selecting thermal comfort methods, modeling them in electronic sheets with output charts developed to optimize the analyses, which are used to assess the simulation results of low cost house configurations. The house models consist in a base case, which are already built, and changes in thermal transmittance, absorptance, and shading. The simulation results are assessed using each thermal comfort method, to identify the sensitivity of them. The final results show the limitations of the methods, the importance of a method that considers thermal radiance and wind speed, and the contribution of the chart proposed

Avaliação de desempenho em mercados reguladores de transporte urbano por ônibus :proposição de um modelo aplicável ao caso de Natal

Increased competition in the market of urban transport, characteristic of the Brazilian cities from years 90, has required actions of the managing agencies to ensure the universality of service, enhancing efficiency and consumer welfare. It grows in the Brazilian municipalities, the need to adopt a systematic performance evaluation in terms of management system of indicators and targets appropriate to the regulatory context, which has the purpose of evaluating the accomplishment and compliance by dealers, of the services granted during the contract period, marked by increasingly long periods. The introduction of an index operational performance in permission contracts/concession in urban buses is intended to establish a regulatory performance, giving the contract a pro-competitive feature and to allow the managing agency the systematic and continuous monitoring of the performance of the delegated service to avoid major deviations from desired performance. A performance assessment model of public transportation companies by bus, and applicable to the case of Natal is proposed. Sought to add the particularities found in the transport system in order to assess the performance of enterprises, contribute to improving the service quality to the population and enable decision-makers a detailed knowledge of the behavior of the licensees

Estratégias de avaliação de desempenho dos propagandistas de medicamentos utilizados pela indústria farmacêutica no nordeste do Brasil

A Indústria Farmacêutica é uma das mais competitivas indústrias do mundo contemporâneo, e um dos seus principais desafios está na comercialização de seus medicamentos, que na sua maioria depende da prescrição médica. O objetivo deste estudo é identificar as estratégias de avaliação de desempenho utilizadas pela Indústria Farmacêutica de origem multinacional que atua no nordeste Brasileiro e o papel dos seus gerentes, para avaliar os propagandistas vendedores de medicamentos. Para tanto, buscouse reunir elementos para uma abordagem satisfatória que contemple a complexidade da temática pesquisada: Avaliação de Desempenho, Estratégias da Indústria Farmacêutica, Propaganda Médica e Competências dos Propagandistas de Medicamentos. A temática justifica-se em razão da importância estratégica dos propagandistas de medicamentos para a indústria farmacêutica, que é uma das indústrias que mais investe em pesquisa na atualidade, e contribui para melhorar a qualidade de vida e a saúde humana. A metodologia é caracterizada como um survey, de natureza quali-quantitativa. O objeto de estudo é composto pelas empresas farmacêuticas multinacionais de origem Americanas, Europeias e Asiáticas, associadas à INTERFARMA que atuam no Nordeste do Brasil. A coleta de dados foi realizada através de um questionário fechado (instrumento de pesquisa), composto por 5 perguntas fechadas que abordam a temática central dessa dissertação, 27 afirmativas para medir a concordância(escala likert) e 1 tabela contendo 46 competências, aplicado junto a gerentes da indústria farmacêutica. A análise dos dados foi feita por meio das técnicas de estatística descritiva e uma análise quantitativa para estabelecer o Ranking Médio (RM) para a parte do questionário que utilizou escala tipo Likert de 5 pontos para mensurar o grau de concordância dos respondestes. Através dos resultados desta pesquisa foi possível identificar as estratégias de avaliação de desempenho, utilizadas pelas empresas farmacêuticas, que atuam no Nordeste do Brasil, na gestão dos propagandistas vendedores de medicamentos, e identificar as competências essenciais dos propagandistas de medicamentos, na percepção dos gestores. Os resultados demonstraram que a Indústria Farmacêutica desenvolve e utiliza várias estratégias para medir e avaliar o desempenho dos propagandistas de medicamentos no Brasil, assim como em outros países, e que na percepção dos gerentes da Indústria Farmacêutica existem competências consideradas essenciais ao bom desempenho profissional dos propagandistas de medicamentos da indústria farmacêutica, contribuindo de para avanço do conhecimento deste tema