Supply Chain Management practices in the electro-electronics sector in Brazil: Evolutionary approach, information technology adoption and management actions

This paper examines the current level of adoption of Supply Chain Management (SCM) practices in the electro-electronic sector in Brazil and aims to identify the management and Information Technology (IT) actions that have been implemented to support the adoption of those practices. An e-mail survey was conducted. Descriptive statistics techniques were employed for data analysis. This study makes contributions to the electro-electronics sector and to the topics related to SCM, such as identifi cation and level of adoption of SCM practices. Another contribution of this research is the investigation of whether approaches such as Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP), Workshop with Customers, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Workshop with Suppliers and electronic Kanban are commonly used to support SCM practices. So far, this is the fi rst research on SCM practices in the electro-electronics sector in Brazil. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Ventricular systolic reserve in asymptomatic children previously treated with low doses of anthracyclines: A longitudinal, prospective exercise echocardiography study

Background: The time course of mild cardiotoxicity induced by anthracycline remains unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term evolution of decreased myocardial reserve in children previously treated with a cumulative dose of anthracycline up to 100mg/m 2. Patients and Methods: Twenty-seven asymptomatic cancer survival patients (25 with lymphoblastic leukemia), in continuous remission and off treatment for >12 months with no alterations in conventional echocardiograms were evaluated by exercise echocardiography at 37±15.4 months (T1) and 101±24 months (T2) after finishing treatment (ADRIA group). This group was compared with 25 healthy individuals (control group) similar to the ADRIA group with respect to age and body surface area (BSA). All individuals underwent treadmill exercise testing according to Bruce protocol. Echocardiograms were performed before and immediately after exercise. Results: The groups were similar regarding cardiac structure and left ventricular (LV) systolic function at rest at T1 and T2. The growth of LV posterior wall thickness related to BSA was lower in the ADRIA group at T2. Post exercise, smaller LV ejection indexes and attenuated changes in the afterload in ADRIA group were observed at T1 and T2. Conclusion: The decreased systolic reserve induced by a low dose of anthracycline in asymptomatic children and adolescents remains unaffected over a 5-year period, suggesting that positive outcomes in chronic cardiotoxicity would be expected in patients with mild impairment after anthracycline treatment. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social and environmental indexes to determine the impacts of closed neighbourhoods in Brazil

São Paulo State, in Brazil, is getting increasingly crowded, like in other third world countries around the world, so should give great importance to city development. This work considered the phenomenon of closed neighbourhoods (CN) as an important factor to city planning, papers report many impacts of this model of neighbourhoods in other countries, but in Brazil its impacts are not yet well listed in the literature. The aim of this work was to determine indicators to achieve the social and environmental performances and verify their applicability on three different closed neighbourhoods in São Paulo state, Brazil. The indicators were condensed on indexes: water management, waste management, energy and emissions, legal compliance, environment and buildings, risk management, health and education and governance. The preliminary results indicated several social and environmental problems in all indexes. © 2013 WIT Press.

Analysing green supply chain management practices in Brazil's electrical/electronics industry using interpretive structural modelling

Industries need to adopt the environmental management concepts in the traditional supply chain management. The green supply chain management (GSCM) is an established concept to ensure environment-friendly activities in industry. This paper identifies the relationship of driving and dependence that exists between GSCM practices with regard to their adoption within Brazilian electrical/electronic industry with the help of interpretive structural modelling (ISM). From the results, we infer that cooperation with customers for eco-design practice is driving other practices, and this practice acts as a vital role among other practices. Commitment to GSCM from senior managers and cooperation with customers for cleaner production occupy the highest level. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Selecting green suppliers based on GSCM practices: Using fuzzy TOPSIS applied to a Brazilian electronics company

Due to an increased awareness and significant environmental pressures from various stakeholders, companies have begun to realize the significance of incorporating green practices into their daily activities. This paper proposes a framework using Fuzzy TOPSIS to select green suppliers for a Brazilian electronics company; our framework is built on the criteria of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices. An empirical analysis is made, and the data are collected from a set of 12 available suppliers. We use a fuzzy TOPSIS approach to rank the suppliers, and the results of the proposed framework are compared with the ranks obtained by both the geometric mean and the graded mean methods of fuzzy TOPSIS methodology. Then a Spearman rank correlation coefficient is used to find the statistical difference between the ranks obtained by the three methods. Finally, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to examine the influence of the preferences given by the decision makers for the chosen GSCM practices on the selection of green suppliers. Results indicate that the four dominant criteria are Commitment of senior management to GSCM; Product designs that reduce, reuse, recycle, or reclaim materials, components, or energy; Compliance with legal environmental requirements and auditing programs; and Product designs that avoid or reduce toxic or hazardous material use. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Poincaré plot indexes of heart rate variability: Relationships with other nonlinear variables

The Poincaré plot for heart rate variability analysis is a technique considered geometrical and non-linear, that can be used to assess the dynamics of heart rate variability by a representation of the values of each pair of R-R intervals into a simplified phase space that describes the system's evolution. The aim of the present study was to verify if there is some correlation between SD1, SD2 and SD1/SD2 ratio and heart rate variability nonlinear indexes either in disease or healthy conditions. 114 patients with arterial coronary disease and 65 healthy subjects underwent 30. minute heart rate registration, in supine position and the analyzed indexes were as follows: SD1, SD2, SD1/SD2, Sample Entropy, Lyapunov Exponent, Hurst Exponent, Correlation Dimension, Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF and LF/HF ratio. Correlation coefficients between SD1, SD2 and SD1/SD2 indexes and the other variables were tested by the Spearman rank correlation test and a regression analysis. We verified high correlation between SD1/SD2 index and HE and DFA (α1) in both groups, suggesting that this ratio can be used as a surrogate variable. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Indexes of social lag in the communities of Mexico: an application

Includes bibliography

The compilation of statistical periodicals: a semi-annual bulletin

Includes bibliography

Indices de volumen físico de la producción manufacturera 1970-1990 = Quantum indexes of manufacturing production 1970-1990

Incluye Bibliografía

A Criança na fotografia: o retrato da infância na primeira metade do século XX em Belém do Pará (1900 a 1950)

O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar a infância na fotografia de crianças na cidade de Belém do Pará da primeira metade do século XX. Portanto, a pesquisa versa sobre a importância da fotografia enquanto documento histórico, que revela múltiplos significados; importando, sobretudo, o seu potencial enquanto linguagem representativa da infância e ou de uma concepção de infância construída no cenário da cidade de Belém do Pará, no período que compreende a primeira metade do século XX. A fotografia é uma fonte histórica, é uma imagem/documento. No caso de fotos para álbum de família, tem-se por registro da história familiar e sócio familiar, não necessariamente devem estar dentro de um álbum, mas apenas, que apresentem tais características, pois literalmente revelam os modos e as circunstancias em que a família ou parte dela é fotografada. Já as fotografias de crianças em revistas, são deslocamentos das fotos que geralmente eram produzidas para interesse da própria família para colocá-las em seus álbuns, entretanto, também eram utilizadas como forma de promoção familiar dentro de publicações avulsas nas revistas ou periódicos das primeiras décadas do século XX. Geralmente acompanhados de uma mensagem discursiva elevando o “nome” da família. A fotografia permite que quase toda pessoa (não só as mais abastadas) possa se transformar em objeto-imagem, ou numa série de imagens que retratam momentos de suas vidas. No caso, as imagens fotográficas encontradas nos álbuns dos festejos escolares são a prova disso: fotografias exclusivamente de crianças e para com fins comemorativos de alguns eventos anuais presentes nos lazeres infantis educacionais. A fotografia poderia ser tomada como um equivalente da memória individual e coletiva, com a imagem fixada de um tempo que, aparentemente, foi “recortado”. A fotografia de crianças em periódicos e álbum de família é um caminho para se compreender e conhecer a história social, cultural e educacional da infância na Amazônia, pois as imagens fotográficas podem revelar muitos índices a respeito de uma família e, por extensão, da sociedade: seus ritos, modos de vida, afetividade e ideais. O corpus da pesquisa é composto de fotografias de crianças arquivadas na Biblioteca Artur Viana. Para aprofundamento teórico sobre fotografia e imagem utilizaremos Dubois, Kossoy, Benjamin, Fabris, Leite, Mauad, Burke e Fischman. Quanto à leitura sobre infância destacamos Rizzini, Del Priori, Freitas, e Kulmman. No contexto da realidade da Amazônia privilegiamos os seguintes autores: Bezzera Neto e Sarges.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT TO THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE BRAZILIAN ELECTRONICS SECTOR

The objective of this paper is to identify and analyze various aspects of the internal and external operations management of Brazil's electronics sector and to consider the opportunities for and the threats to increasing the competitiveness of its participation in the global supply chain. To address this shortage in the literature, a survey of Brazilian Electric and Electronic Industry Association (ABINEE) companies was conducted. The collected data were complemented with secondary data to establish an overall view of the electronics sector in Brazil. The results suggest that electronics product assembly companies have the opportunity to invest more in information technology to expand process integration, plan and develop products, integrate customers, and maintain rather than expand their supply chain practices. The alignment between internal and external operations management becomes important in this context. The originality of this paper lies in its clarification of operations management in an economically important sector and the insight it provides to academics, practitioners and policy makers involved in the domestic and international electronics sector.

Correlation between heart rate variability indexes and aerobic physiological variables in patients with COPD

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

Relationships between company size, types of production system and supply chain management: evidence from electro-electronics sector in Brazil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how company size and the type of production system affect the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) practices in companies in the electro‐electronics sector in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – An e‐mail survey of 107 companies associated with the Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (ABINEE) was conducted. Statistical techniques were employed to verify the adoption of SCM practices according to the size of the company and its production system. Findings – The major results indicate that the larger the size of the company, the higher the level of adoption of SCM practices, and that the choice of SCM practices depends upon the type of production system implemented. Practical implications – The implications of this study are useful to top management leaders of small and medium‐sized enterprises since the findings enable them to identify the most common practices adopted by either large‐, medium‐ or small‐sized companies in order to benchmark the level of adoption of SCM practices. Production managers can also benefit from this study by identifying the SCM practices that may support certain production systems.