Lean and quality management integration: improvement program implementation in a service company

Lean Thinking is an important pillar in the success of any program of continuous improvement process. Its tools are useful means in the analysis, control and organization of important data for correct decision making in organizations. This project had as main objective the design of a program of quality improvement in Eurico Ferreira, S.A., based on the evaluation of customer satisfaction and the implementation of 5S. Subsequently, we have selected which business area of the company to address. After the selection, there was an initial diagnostic procedure, identifying the various points of improvement to which some tools of Lean Thinking have been applied, in particular Value Stream Mapping and 5S methodology. With the first, we were able to map the current state of the process in which all stakeholders were represented as well as the flow of materials and information throughout the process. The 5S methodology allowed to act on the wastage, identifying and implementing various process improvements.

Dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) for detection of pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens in pleural fluid effusion samples.: Comparison with bacterial culture, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and latex agglutination

A dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) for pneumococcal antigen detection was standardized in view of the need for a rapid and accurate immunodiagnosis of acute pneumococcal pneumonia. A total of 442 pleural fluid effusion samples (PFES) from children with clinical and laboratory diagnoses of acute bacterial pneumonia, plus 38 control PFES from tuberculosis patients and 20 negative control serum samples from healthy children were evaluated by Dot-ELISA. The samples were previously treated with 0.1 M EDTA pH 7.5 at 90°C for 10 min and dotted on nitrocellulose membrane. Pneumococcal omniserum diluted at 1:200 was employed in this assay for antigen detection. When compared with standard bacterial culture, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and latex agglutination techniques, the Dot-ELISA results showed relative indices of 0.940 to sensitivity, 0.830 to specificity and 0.760 to agreement. Pneumococcal omniserum proved to be an optimal polyvalent antiserum for the detection of pneumococcal antigen by Dot-ELISA. Dot-ELISA proved to be a practical alternative technique for the diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia.

Implementação de ferramentas lean numa empresa de elevadores

Trabalho de Projeto

A importância das consultoras no processo de internacionalização das micro, pequenas e médias empresas em Portugal

Relatório de Estágio Apresentado ao Instituto de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Empreendedorismo e Internacionalização, sob orientação da Mestre Inês Veiga Pereira

Blood culture as a parameter of treatment effectiveness in experimental histoplasmosis of the hamster

The aim of this study was to determine the value of blood culture as a parameter of treatment effectiveness in experimental histoplasmosis. A total of thirty five hamsters, weighing approximately 120g, were inoculated intracardiacly with 0.1 ml of a suspension containing 4 x 10(7) cells/ml of the yeast phase of H. capsulatum. Treatments were started one week after the infection and lasted for 3 weeks. The azoles, (itraconazole, saperconazole and fluconazole) were administered once a day by gavage, at a dose of 8 mg/kg; Amphotericin B was given intraperitonealy every other day at a dose of 6mg/kg. Blood samples (1 ml) were obtained by heart punction from the 4th day after infection and were seeded in Sabouraud honey-agar and BHI-agar. The hamsters that survived were killed one week after treatment completion and the following criteria were considered for treatment evaluation: 1) rate of spontaneous death, at the end of the experience; 2) microscopic examination of Giemsa smears from liver and spleen and 3) determination of CFU in spleen cultures. Amphotericin B was the most effective drug, with negative blood cultures at day 20, negative spleen cultures in all cases and all the animals survived until the end of the study. Fluconazole was the less effective drug, blood cultures were positive during the whole experience, spleen cultures showed a similar average of CFU when compared with the control animals and 42.8% of these animals died. Saperconazole and itraconazole showed a similar activity, with survival of all hamsters and negative blood cultures at 23 and 26 days respectively. Blood culture seems to be valuable parameter for treatments' evaluation in experimental histoplasmosis of the hamster.

Cultura organizacional e desempenho: o impacto da cultura organizacional no desempenho financeiro

Esta dissertação visa o estudo da influência da cultura organizacional no desempenho financeiro das organizações. Nesse contexto, procuramos analisar qual a cultura predominante das organizações, de forma a estabelecer posteriormente uma relação entre a cultura e o desempenho das empresas. Para isso a metodologia seguida foi a realização de um inquérito por questionário a empresas da região Douro de Portugal no sentido de obter, através de uma adaptação ao instrumento desenvolvido por Cameron e Quinn (2006), a cultura predominante da empresa, os indicadores financeiros necessários ao nosso estudo assim como, uma caracterização da amostra recolhida. Para análise e tratamento dos dados recolhidos através do inquérito por questionário foi utilizada a ferramenta estatística SPSS que nos permitiu retirar ilações sobre as características da amostra, assim como sobre a relação existente entre cultura organizacional e desempenho financeiro, esta relação foi avaliada através de testes de correlação e regressão linear múltipla. Os resultados sugerem que as variáveis culturais, cultura adocrática, mercado e hierárquica e o número de colaboradores explicam em cerca de 20% o resultado líquido ajustado. Também se verificou um efeito positivo da cultura adocrática e de mercado, embora o efeito da cultura de mercado seja mais forte que o da adocrática, e o efeito negativo da cultura hierárquica, ainda que estes resultados não sejam estatisticamente significativos. Não existem evidências que os tipos de cultura analisados (adocrática, de mercado e hierárquica) estão significativamente associados ao desempenho financeiro, avaliado pelos resultados líquidos ajustados, das empresas analisadas, quer pelos testes de correlação quer pelos resultados da estimação do modelo de regressão linear múltipla.

MCDA applied to performance appraisal of short-haul truck drivers: a case study in a portuguese trucking company

Performance appraisal increasingly assumes a more important role in any organizational environment. In the trucking industry, drivers are the company's image and for this reason it is important to develop and increase their performance and commitment to the company's goals. This paper aims to create a performance appraisal model for trucking drivers, based on a multi-criteria decision aid methodology. The PROMETHEE and MMASSI methodologies were adapted using the criteria used for performance appraisal by the trucking company studied. The appraisal involved all the truck drivers, their supervisors and the company's Managing Director. The final output is a ranking of the drivers, based on their performance, for each one of the scenarios used. The results are to be used as a decision-making tool to allocate drivers to the domestic haul service.

Studies on prevalence of Strongyloides infection in Holambra and Maceió, Brazil, by the agar plate faecal culture method

Prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in three areas of Brazil was surveyed by a recently developed faecal culture method (an agar plate culture). The Strongyloides infection was confirmed in 11.3% of 432 subjects examined. The diagnostic efficacy of the agar plate culture was as high as 93.9% compared to only 28.5% and 26.5% by the Harada-Mori filter paper culture and faecal concentration methods, when faecal samples were examined simultaneously by these three methods. Among the 49 positive samples, about 60% were confirmed to be positive only by the agar plate culture. These results indicate that the agar plate culture is a sensitive new tool for the correct diagnosis of chronic Strongyloides infection.

Detection of mycoplasmas in urethral swabs from HIV-1 infected patients and control individuals using culture techniques and polymerase chain reaction

The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of certain mycoplasma species, i.e., Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma penetrans, in urethral swabs from HIV-1 infected patients compared to swabs from a control group. Mycoplasmas were detected by routine culture techniques and by the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique, using 16SrRNA generic primers of conserved region and Mycoplasma penetrans specific primers. The positivity rates obtained with the two methods were comparable. Nevertheless, PCR was more sensitive, while the culture techniques allowed the quantification of the isolates. The results showed no significant difference (p < 0.05) in positivity rates between the methods used for mycoplasma detection.

Construção do Parque Eólico Rymanów (Polónia)

O presente relatório tem como principal objetivo caracterizar os trabalhos desenvolvidos e estudados ao longo do estágio realizado na Martifer Renewables S.A., empresa de Engenharia na vertente das energias renováveis. O estágio incidiu na construção do parque eólico Rymanów, tendo-se desenvolvido no local da obra onde se acompanhou o processo de construção, bem como nos escritórios da empresa em Cracóvia onde se obteve informação relevante sobre o projeto. Este trabalho começa por abordar a energia eólica no seu contexto histórico, onde são referidas as suas vantagens e desvantagens e é analisado o seu processo evolutivo. Faz uma referência às razões que levam uma empresa a construir um parque eólico na Polónia, e demonstra os tipos de investidores existentes neste mercado. Posteriormente é descrito o estudo de viabilidade do projeto, isto é, os parâmetros essenciais desenvolvidos na fase inicial do projeto, assim como a fase de lançamento de concursos para a sua construção. De seguida, é abordado o processo de construção do parque eólico, onde o acompanhamento da obra foi imprescindível. É apresentado o procedimento de operações e manutenção do parque eólico e é feita uma análise sobre o tipo de financiamento da obra de construção. Por fim, é realizada uma abordagem acerca da internacionalização das empresas portuguesas, como é o caso da empresa atrás referida. É apresentada uma curiosidade relativamente às construções na Polónia, tal como algumas novas experiências culturais que a estagiária teve a oportunidade de viver. No final do trabalho, são tiradas conclusões e sugeridos desenvolvimentos.

Culture-dependent characterization of cyanobacterial diversity in the intertidal zones of the Portuguese coast: A polyphasic study

Cyanobacteria are important primary producers, and many are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen playing a key role in the marine environment. However, not much is known about the diversity of cyanobacteria in Portuguese marine waters. This paper describes the diversity of 60 strains isolated from benthic habitats in 9 sites (intertidal zones) on the Portuguese South and West coasts. The strains were characterized by a morphological study (light and electron microscopy) and by a molecular characterization (partial 16S rRNA, nifH, nifK, mcyA, mcyE/ndaF, sxtI genes). The morphological analyses revealed 35 morphotypes (15 genera and 16 species) belonging to 4 cyanobacterial Orders/Subsections. The dominant groups among the isolates were the Oscillatoriales. There is a broad congruence between morphological and molecular assignments. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of 9 strains have less than 97% similarity compared to the sequences in the databases, revealing novel cyanobacterial diversity. Phylogenetic analysis, based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequences showed at least 12 clusters. One-third of the isolates are potential N2-fixers, as they exhibit heterocysts or the presence of nif genes was demonstrated by PCR. Additionally, no conventional freshwater toxins genes were detected by PCR screening.

AN ELISA SUITABLE FOR THE DETECTION OF RABIES VIRUS ANTIBODIES IN SERUM SAMPLES FROM HUMAN VACCINATED WITH EITHER CELL-CULTURE VACCINE OR SUCKLING-MOUSE-BRAIN VACCINE

An indirect ELISA for determination of post-vaccination rabies antibody was applied. Purified rabies virus was used as antigen to coat plates, and staphylococcal protein A linked with horseradish peroxidase was used for detecting IgG antibody in human sera. Sera from humans, vaccinated with cell-culture vaccine or suckling-mouse-brain vaccine, were examined. ELISA results were compared to those obtained from the virus neutralization test. The mean and standard deviation of OD were determined for 126 negative sera (pre-vaccination) and for 73 sera from vaccinated persons showing antibody titers lower than 0.5 IU/ml. Results were defined as ELISA -positive, -negative or -doubtful. Establishment of a doubtful region reduced the number of sera otherwise classified as positive (false-positive sera). In this way, the sensitivity, specificity and agreement values were respectively 87.5%, 92.4% and 88.5%. No significant differences were observed in these values when the group vaccinated with cell-culture vaccine and the group vaccinated with suckling-mouse-brain vaccine were compared. It was shown that much of the disagreement between the values obtained by neutralization test and ELISA occurred in sera obtained at the beginning of the immunization process, and was probably due to the presence of IgM in the serum samples, detected only by the former test. This ELISA method can be used as a screening test in rabies laboratories regardless of the kind of vaccine used for immunization.

“Culture Stops Development!”: Bijagó Youth and the Appropriation of Developmentalist Discourse in Guinea-B

African Studies Review, Volume 52, Number 2, pp. 69–