Business Development Efforts and Performance Improvements in SMEs Case Study of Business Development Projects Implemented in SME

Under the circumstances of the increasing market pressure, enterprises try to improve their competitive position by development efforts, and a business development project is one tool for that. There are not many answers to the question of how the development projects launched to improve the business performance in SMEs have succeeded. Theacademic interest in the business development project success has mainly focused on projects implemented in larger organisations rather than in SMEs. The previous studies on the business success of SMEs have mainly focused on new business ventures rather than on existing SMEs. However, nowadays a large number of business development projects are undertaken in existing SMEs, where they can pose a great challenge. This study focuses on business development success in SMEs thathave already established their business. The objective of the present study is to gain a deep understanding on business development project success in the SME-context and to identify the dimensions and factors affecting the project success. Further, the aim is to clarify how the business development projects implemented in SMEs have affected their performance. The empirical evidence is based on multiple case study. This study builds a framework for a generic theory of business development success in the SME-context, based on literature from the areas ofproject and change management, entrepreneurship and small business management, as well as performance measurement, and on empirical evidence from SMES. The framework consists of five success dimensions: entrepreneurial, project preparation, change management, project management and project success. The framework provides a systematic way for analysing the business development project and its impact on the performance and on the performing company. This case evidence indicates that successful business development projects have a balanced, high performance concerning all the dimensions. Good performance in one dimension is not enoughfor the project success, but it gives a good ground for the other dimensions. The other way round, poor performance in one success dimension affects the others, leading to poor performance of the project. In the SME-context the business development project success seems to be dependent on several interrelated dimensions and factors. Success in one area leads to success in other areas, and so creates an upward success spiral. Failure in one area seems to lead to failure in other areas, creating a downward failure spiral. The study indicates that the internal business development projects have affected the SMEs' performance widely also on areas and functions not initially targeted. The implications cover all thesuccess categories: the project efficiency, the impact on the customer, the business success and the future potentiality. With successful cases, the success tends to spread out to areas and functions not mentioned as the project goals, andwith unsuccessful cases the failure seems to spread out widely to the SMEs' other functions. This study also indicates that the most important key factors for successful business development project implementation are the strength of intention, business ability, knowledge, motivation and participation of the employees, as well as adequate and well-timed training provided to the employees.

Temporal dynamics of auditory what and where processing in humans

Recent evidence suggests the human auditory system is organized,like the visual system, into a ventral 'what' pathway, devoted toidentifying objects and a dorsal 'where' pathway devoted to thelocalization of objects in space w1x. Several brain regions have beenidentified in these two different pathways, but until now little isknown about the temporal dynamics of these regions. We investigatedthis issue using 128-channel auditory evoked potentials(AEPs).Stimuli were stationary sounds created by varying interaural timedifferences and environmental real recorded sounds. Stimuli ofeach condition (localization, recognition) were presented throughearphones in a blocked design, while subjects determined theirposition or meaning, respectively.AEPs were analyzed in terms of their topographical scalp potentialdistributions (segmentation maps) and underlying neuronalgenerators (source estimation) w2x.Fourteen scalp potential distributions (maps) best explained theentire data set.Ten maps were nonspecific (associated with auditory stimulationin general), two were specific for sound localization and two werespecific for sound recognition (P-values ranging from 0.02 to0.045).Condition-specific maps appeared at two distinct time periods:;200 ms and ;375-550 ms post-stimulus.The brain sources associated with the maps specific for soundlocalization were mainly situated in the inferior frontal cortices,confirming previous findings w3x. The sources associated withsound recognition were predominantly located in the temporal cortices,with a weaker activation in the frontal cortex.The data show that sound localization and sound recognitionengage different brain networks that are apparent at two distincttime periods.References1. Maeder et al. Neuroimage 2001.2. Michel et al. Brain Research Review 2001.3. Ducommun et al. Neuroimage 2002.

Entre psychanalyse et systémique : est-ce que mon coeur balance ?

Se référant à son propre parcours psychothérapeutique qui l'a conduit de la psychanalyse à la systémique, sans qu'il n'ait dû renier les apports de sa première formation, l'auteur réfléchit sur les connivences possibles entre ces deux approches, et plus largement sur les possibilités d'une pratique psychothérapeutique non uniréférencée. Selon lui, la diversité des méthodes psychothérapeutiques ne doit pas nécessairement conduire à un éclectisme hypertolérant, souvent confusionnant. Il importe pour le psychothérapeute de se savoir ici plutôt que là, tout en maintenant une ouverture aux autres pratiques grâce à l'intégration assimilative de certaines de leurs techniques.

Proteção do solo por plantas de cobertura de ciclo hibernal na região Sul do Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial de plantas de cobertura de ciclo hibernal na proteção do solo, na região Sudoeste do Paraná, em função da taxa de cobertura, da produção de matéria seca (MS), da relação C/N e da manutenção da MS remanescente dos resíduos vegetais na superfície do solo. Foram utilizados como cobertura do solo: aveia-preta (Avena strigosa), azevém (Lolium multiflorum), centeio (Secale cereale), tremoço-branco (Lupinus albus), ervilhaca comum (Vicia sativa), nabo forrageiro (Raphanus sativus) e consórcios entre aveia-preta + ervilhaca comum (A+E) e aveia-preta + ervilhaca comum + nabo forrageiro (A+E+N). O experimento foi avaliado durante os anos agrícolas 2010/2011 e 2011/2012. A decomposição das plantas de cobertura foi determinada com uso de bolsas de decomposição ("litter bags"). A aveia-preta e os consórcios proporcionaram maiores taxas de cobertura do solo aos primeiros 50 dias após a semeadura, com aporte de MS superior a 2.600 kg ha-1 na superfície do solo. O consórcio entre A+E+N apresentou relação C/N equilibrada e decomposição intermediária em relação ao cultivo solteiro, tendo promovido 1.045 kg ha-1 de palhada sobre o solo, 120 dias após seu manejo. Gramíneas puras e consórcios com gramíneas apresentam maior potencial de proteção do solo

Adubação nitrogenada e potássica em bananeira 'Pacovan' (musa AAB, subgrupo prata) na chapada do Apodi, Estado do Ceará

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito do nitrogênio e do potássio na produção de bananeiras 'Pacovan', sob irrigação, durante três ciclos, e a qualidade dos frutos obtidos no primeiro ciclo de cultivo na chapada do Apodi, no Estado do Ceará, Brasil. A adubação de base consistiu na aplicação de 20 L planta-1 de esterco de curral, 200 g planta-1 de fosfato monoamônico e 100 g planta-1 de FTE-BR12. A partir de 4,5 meses do plantio, mensalmente, aplicou-se 1/12 das doses de N:K2O (180:330; 180:770; 420:330; 420:770; 30:330; 570:770; 180:55; 420:1.045 e 300:550 kg ha-1), utilizando-se como fonte da uréia e do cloreto de potássio. Não houve influência do potássio na produtividade durante os três ciclos de cultivo, sugerindo-se a dose de 55 kg de K2O ha-1 ano-1. Entretanto, a adubação nitrogenada aumentou o número de frutos no cacho durante o segundo ciclo, permitindo estimar a dose ótima (198,3 kg de N ha-1 ano-1). Os teores de sólidos solúveis, açúcares solúveis e acidez titulável total das bananas colhidas durante o primeiro ciclo foram afetados pela adubação nitrogenada e potássica.

Estudo comparativo da polinização de Mangifera indica L. em cultivo convencional e orgânico na região do Vale do Submédio do São Francisco

O presente estudo foi desenvolvido durante os anos de 2005/2006, em plantio comercial de mangueira, da variedade Tommy Atkins, na Fazenda Frutex, em Petrolina-PE, objetivando verificar a biologia floral, bem como o estudo comparativo sobre o comportamento, a freqüência e a sazonalidade dos visitantes florais em cultivo orgânico e convencional. As inflorescências da mangueira apresentam flores masculinas e hermafroditas, na proporção de 2:1, com predominância das primeiras na base da panícula. A antese é diurna, assincrônica, com liberação de forte odor adocicado. As flores apresentam dicogamia, caracterizada pela deiscência das anteras 24h após a antese. A produção de néctar é contínua e em pequenas quantidades, em média 0,045 µL por flor. Quanto aos visitantes florais foram registradas 21 espécies, pertencentes às ordens: Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera e Odonata. Apis mellifera foi a espécie mais freqüente nos dois tipos de cultivo. Dentre os dípteros, destacaram-se Belvosia bicincta (17,7%) e Musca domestica (10,2%) como as mais freqüentes em cultivo convencional e orgânico, respectivamente. A diversidade e o número de visitas foram maiores em cultivo orgânico. A utilização de agrotóxicos durante a floração reduziu a freqüência de visitas das abelhas em 50% e dos dípteros em 20%. Devido ao seu comportamento, freqüência e ativo deslocamento nas inflorescências, A. mellifera foi considerada como o polinizador mais eficiente da cultura para a região do Vale do Submédio São Francisco.

Pierre Vilar, historiador del capitalismo

La obra histórica de Pierre Vilar ha estado siempre vinculada a su preocupación por el presente y el porvenir de las sociedades humanas. Desde esta perspectiva, Vilar centró gran parte de sus ocupaciones historiográficas en entender el cambio histórico, siendo el nacimiento del capitalismo uno de sus temas centrales al posibilitarle la comprensión globalizadora de la transmutación de un modelo de sociedad a otro. En este sentido, su obra magna sobre Cataluña, serviría para demostrar que ésta tuvo su particular forma de insertarse en el capitalismo y que en medio de las controversias políticas sobre el hecho nacional no había que olvidar tan importante circunstancia.

Diversidade de abelhas visitantes das flores de Citrus em pomares de laranjeira e tangerineira

A presença de abelhas em culturas de valor comercial, no período de florescimento, é importante não apenas para garantir a polinização cruzada, quando indispensável, mas também para incrementar a produção de frutos e sementes. Nessa perspectiva, o presente trabalho teve a finalidade de identificar as abelhas visitantes das flores em pomar de laranjeira (Citrus sinensis) e tangerineira (Citrus reticulata) em Salinas - MG. O trabalho foi conduzido na fazenda experimental Santa Isabel, da Escola Agrotécnica Federal de Salinas - MG, em pomares de laranjeira com as variedades, pera, baía e baianinha, e de tangerineira, variedade poncã. As coletas das abelhas visitantes das culturas da laranjeira e tangerineira foram feitas nas floradas principais, entre os meses de agosto e outubro. Foram coletadas as abelhas que visitaram as flores nos horários entre 06 h e 18 h, totalizando 52 horas na laranjeira e 50 horas na tangerineira. No pomar de laranjeira, foram coletados 5.045 espécimes com riqueza de 12 espécies, e na tangerineira, 1.428 espécimes com 20 espécies. As espécies de abelhas de maior predominância e dominância em todos os horários amostrados foram Apis mellifera e Trigona spinipes na cultura da laranjeira e A. mellifera, T. spinipes e Tetragonisca angustula na cultura da tangerineira.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus in people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy: Prevalence and clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND: There have been inconsistent reports on the potential association between diabetes mellitus and epilepsy. METHODS: We examined a consecutive cohort of 2016 people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy admitted to a tertiary medical centre. RESULTS: We identified 20 individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM); a point prevalence of 9.9 (95% CI: 6.4, 15.3) cases per 1000 individuals. This represents a more than two-fold increase relative to published prevalence estimates of T1DM in the general population. The onset of T1DM preceded that of epilepsy in 80% of individuals, by a median of 1.5 years. Individuals with T1DM were significantly more likely to have cryptogenic/unknown epilepsy relative to those with type 2 diabetes mellitus or without diabetes (85% versus 35% and 49%, p=0.045). All individuals with T1DM had focal epilepsy, the majority of which were temporal lobe in origin, although there was no evidence that this proportion was any different from those without T1DM (p>0.999). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of T1DM appears to be increased in people with pharmacoresistant epilepsy and is associated with cryptogenic/unknown epilepsy. These findings may have pathophysiological implications, especially in the context of anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies.

Percepción del dolor en pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardiaca

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory or emotional experience, associated with tissue damage, that is a reality linked to the surgical procedure and the postoperative period. Objective: Knowing the degree of pain experienced by patients after cardiac surgery, depending on the type of intervention they underwent, over the post-operative period in an intensive care unit (ICU). Method: Descriptive observational study. Pain was assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS), going from 0 to 10, thereby obtaining the first VAS1 assessment at 2 h post-extubation and every 8 hours thereafter up to 48 hours or until discharge to floor VAS7. It included patients having undergone cardiac surgery [valve surgery, bypass, combined procedure (including valve surgery and bypass) and mediastinitis]. Data were processed using Spss.v 20. Results: 120 patients 70 years old on average (standard deviation (SD): 13.3 years old) were included, out of which 70% were male. 40.8% of them had underwent bypass coronary revascularization. Patients subjected to the bypass technique showed an VAS1 mean value of 4.35 (SD: 2.45), unlike those subjected to valve surgery, who showed a mean value of 2.89 (SD: 2.27), those subjected to the combined procedure, who showed a mean value of 3.87 (SD: 2.90), and those with mediastinitis, who showed a mean value of 3.33 (SD: 3.51); (p < 0.031). 28.5% of patients had underwent revascularization (n = 49 ) by an internal mam mary artery (IMA) graft. These patients showed a mean value for VAS1 of 5.4 (SD: 1.89), unlike those who had underwent a combined procedure [IMA and saphenous vein (SV)], who showed a mean value of 3.9 (SD: 2.6), and those who had underwent a SV procedure , who showed a mean value of 3.5 (SD: 2.1); (p < 0.045). Conclusions: Patients having underwent bypass and IMA procedures perceive more pain than in other cardiac surgery and graft interventions

Diagnostic methods and treatment options for focal cortical dysplasia.

Our inability to adequately treat many patients with refractory epilepsy caused by focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), surgical inaccessibility and failures are significant clinical drawbacks. The targeting of physiologic features of epileptogenesis in FCD and colocalizing functionality has enhanced completeness of surgical resection, the main determinant of outcome. Electroencephalography (EEG)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography are helpful in guiding electrode implantation and surgical treatment, and high-frequency oscillations help defining the extent of the epileptogenic dysplasia. Ultra high-field MRI has a role in understanding the laminar organization of the cortex, and fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is highly sensitive for detecting FCD in MRI-negative cases. Multimodal imaging is clinically valuable, either by improving the rate of postoperative seizure freedom or by reducing postoperative deficits. However, there is no level 1 evidence that it improves outcomes. Proof for a specific effect of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in FCD is lacking. Pathogenic mutations recently described in mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) genes in FCD have yielded important insights into novel treatment options with mTOR inhibitors, which might represent an example of personalized treatment of epilepsy based on the known mechanisms of disease. The ketogenic diet (KD) has been demonstrated to be particularly effective in children with epilepsy caused by structural abnormalities, especially FCD. It attenuates epigenetic chromatin modifications, a master regulator for gene expression and functional adaptation of the cell, thereby modifying disease progression. This could imply lasting benefit of dietary manipulation. Neurostimulation techniques have produced variable clinical outcomes in FCD. In widespread dysplasias, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has achieved responder rates >50%; however, the efficacy of noninvasive cranial nerve stimulation modalities such as transcutaneous VNS (tVNS) and noninvasive (nVNS) requires further study. Although review of current strategies underscores the serious shortcomings of treatment-resistant cases, initial evidence from novel approaches suggests that future success is possible.

Late Major Hemoptysis After Lung Volume Reduction With Coils Induced by Dual Antiaggregation Therapy.

Lung-volume reduction using coils is an effective and safe treatment for selected patients presenting severe emphysema and hyperinflation. Most complications occur during the first 30 days after the procedure. Although frequent, hemoptysis is usually transient and minor. Antiaggregation therapy is common in patients with emphysema who, very often, have additional tobacco-associated comorbidities. Aspirin is considered safe for most major interventions; however, clopidogrel is mainly contraindicated and considered an exclusion criterion. We present a case of life-threatening hemoptysis caused by dual antiaggregation therapy "accidentally" introduced 3 months after the procedure. So far no recommendations exist on the optimal therapeutic strategy after lung-volume reduction with coils.

Sentiment de finitude de vie et de coping chez le patient face à l'annonce d'un cancer digestif étude descriptive correlationnelle

Problématique. Le cancer digestif est une maladie qui s'accompagne de nombreux décès. L'annonce d'un tel diagnostic engendre une crise existentielle composée d'un sentiment de finitude de la vie. Des réactions psychosociales accompagnent cette mauvaise nouvelle. Un concept particulier appelé le transitoriness est omniprésent. La personne lutte pour continuer à vivre. Elle adopte des stratégies de coping pour s'ajuster aux difficultés imposées par ce sentiment de finitude de vie. But. Décrire le niveau de sentiment de finitude de vie et les stratégies de coping utilisées face à l'annonce du diagnostic d'un cancer digestif et explorer la présence d'associations entre les variables. Méthode. Cette étude descriptive corrélationnelle a été conduite auprès de 40 personnes hospitalisées pour une intervention chirurgicale, recrutées selon un échantillonnage de convenance. Le protocole de recherche a été avalisé par le comité cantonal d'éthique. Les données ont été recueillies par un formulaire de données sociodémographiques et de santé ainsi que deux instruments de mesure : le SEKT (Subjektive Einschätzung von Krankheitssituation und Todesnähe) a permis de mesurer le sentiment de finitude de vie et le JCS (Jalowiec Coping Scale) a été employé pour recueillir les stratégies de coping. Les deux instruments de mesure n'étant pas disponibles en français, une procédure de traduction et retraduction a été effectuée et avalisée par un comité d'expert. Des analyses descriptives et corrélationnelles ont été réalisées. Résultats. L'échantillon est composé majoritairement d'hommes (51%), âgés entre 56- 74 ans (52,5%), mariés (45%) et avec enfants âgés de plus de 20 ans (60%). Il apparaît une forte proportion de personnes d'une autre nationalité (40%) que la suisse et avec une formation obligatoire (40%). Le sentiment de finitude de vie est présent: 62% réalisent que le cancer représente une menace pour leur vie. Les préoccupations autour de la mort sont « quelquefois » présentes (32,5%). Les personnes se sentent « un peu » à « proche » de la mort et le score total de la proximité est de M = 3,37 (ĒT= 1,77 ; rang: 0-8). Le style de coping privilégié est l'optimisme (M = 2,10), puis l'indépendance (M = 1,95) et l'affrontement de la situation (M =1,80). Aucune relation entre le sentiment de finitude de vie et le score total de coping n'apparaît, si ce n'est une probabilité p< 0,08 entre le sentiment de finitude de vie et les styles de coping expression des émotions et indépendance. La relation entre le sentiment de finitude de vie et la variable sociodémographique la nationalité présente une probabilité marginale (p= 0,058). Certains facteurs sociodémographiques influencent l'utilisation des différentes stratégies de coping : affrontement de la situation (p= 0,0007), coping palliatif (p= 0,0449) et niveau de formation; optimisme et genre (p= 0,0424) ; expression des émotions et âge (p= 0,045); indépendance et nationalité (p= 0,0319); soutien social et nombre d'enfants (p= 0,0016). Conclusion. Les professionnels de la santé doivent être sensibilisés aux spécificités du transitoriness et aux facteurs influençant l'utilisation de stratégies de coping efficaces afin de détecter les personnes vulnérables et de cibler leurs interventions de soins pour diminuer le risque de détresse et son impact sur la qualité de vie du patient.

Peptide-decorated chitosan derivatives enhance fibroblast adhesion and proliferation in wound healing.

RGD peptide sequences are known to regulate cellular activities by interacting with α5β1, αvβ5 and αvβ3 integrin, which contributes to the wound healing process. In this study, RGDC peptide was immobilized onto chitosan derivative 1,6-diaminohexane-O-carboxymethyl-N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (DAH-CMTMC) to display RGDC-promoting adhesion for enhanced wound healing. The efficiency of N-methylation, O-carboxymethylation and spacer grafting was quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed by (1)H NMR and FTIR, yielding 0.38 degree of substitution for N-methylation and >0.85 for O-carboxymethylation. The glass transition temperatures for chitosan derivatives were also studied. Peptide immobilization was achieved through sulfhydryl groups using sulfosuccinimidyl (4-iodoacetyl)amino-benzoate (sulfo-SIAB method). RGDC immobilized peptide onto DAH-CMTMC was found to be about 15.3μg/mg of chitosan derivative by amino acid analysis (AAA). The significant increase of human dermal fibroblast (HDF) viability in vitro over 7 days suggests that RGDC-functionalized chitosan may lead to enhanced wound healing (viability >140%). Moreover, bio-adhesion and proliferation assays confirmed that coatings of RGDC-functionalized chitosan derivatives exhibit in vitro wound healing properties by enhancing fibroblast proliferation and adhesion. These results showed that RGDC peptide-functionalized chitosan provides an optimal environment for fibroblast adhesion and proliferation.