The way we consume music is changing, but not the reason why. Music plays a big role inour lives and connects us on several levels.This master thesis was about finding new waysof experiencing music together within thedigital ages.The result is a new remote concert experience,which is focused on connecting people throughaudio. It consists of a combination of a serviceand headphones. The overarching service providesthe core functions, while the open backheadphones turn this into an immersive remoteconcert experience.

The E1b transforming region of Adenovirus type 5 encodes minor products of 93R and 156R in addition to the more abundant proteins 178R, 496R, and 84R. The goal of this study was to elucidate the function of 93R and 156R to gain a better understanding of their role in oncogenic transformation and productive infection. Mutant viruses were constructed, whose normal splicing pattern was disrupted by point mutations in the 3' acceptor sites for the 1.26 and 1.31Kb mRNAs, which code for the 156R and 93R products, respectively. In the construction of these mutations, it was necessary to ensure that they did not affect the coding region for 496R. These mutants produced transformed foci in primary rat kidney cells with wild type efficiencies in DNA-mediated transformation assays. In the mutant designed to eliminate 156R, although the two wild type 156R species were absent, two new species running slightly faster on SDS-PAGE were detected. These proteins were recognized by sera specific to both the N- and C-termini of 496R, suggesting there utilization of an in-frame cryptic splice acceptor site. Use of this site probably resulted in the production of a mRNA encoding a modified 156R. These mutant proteins also seemed to be produced at the expense of 496R. The mutant designed to eliminate 93R grew with titres equivalent to wild type dl309, yet it was not clear whether a modified protein was produced in this case as well. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

In today's market, companies are faced with pressure to increase variety in product offerings. While increasing variety can help increase market share and sales growth, the costs of doing so can be significant. Ultimately, variety causes complexity in products and processes to soar, which negatively impacts product development, quality, production scheduling, efficiency and more. Product variety is just one common cause of product complexity, a topic that several researchers have tackled with several sources of product complexity now identified. However, even with such progress, product complexity continues to be a theoretical concept, making it difficult for companies to fully implement advances and fully manage product complexity. More and more companies are relying on product family design to handle product variety. Broadly, a product family can be defined as a group of products sharing common elements. The advantages for companies using product family strategies can be significant: they enable efficient derivation of product variants, reduce inventory and handling costs, as well as setup and retooling time. The design challenge however, is to select the product platform to generate a variety of products with minimum deviation from individual requirements. Accordingly, the structure of product families makes designing and evaluating them a challenging process. In order to fully embrace the relationships between variety, product complexity, and product families an understanding of product complexity causes and impacts is essential. This research begins by introducing four main dimensions of product complexity within the context of a generalized definition. Product complexity indicators suitable in product design, development and production are derived. By establishing measurements for the identified indicators and using clustering techniques, a complexity evaluation approach for product family designs is also developed in this research. The evaluation approach is also applied on a component basis, to identify Critical Components that are main sources and contributors of complexity within product families. By standardizing identified Critical Components, product complexity levels and associated costs can be managed. A case application of three product families from a tire manufacturing company is used to verify that this research approach is suitable for evaluating and managing product complexity in product families. / Ph. D.

In continuation of the Kingston group's work to identify new compounds from natural products as a part of the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group (ICBG) program and in collaboration with the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research (IHVR), the two plants Neoharmsia baronii and Lopholaena cneorifolia were studied to identify their chemical components. Structural elucidation and characterization of the compounds were done using mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy techniques. A systematic study of the ethanol extract of the plant Neoharmsia baronii Drake from the Madagascar forest led to the isolation of seven compounds, characterized as isoflavones and pterocarpans. The structures of the compounds were characterized by using 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectra, mass spectroscopy and in one case, x-ray crystallography. The HSQC and HMBC data along with comparison of these data with reported literature values confirmed the structures. The aforementioned isoflavones and pterocarpans showed varying cytotoxicity to ovarian cancer cell lines, with the isoflavone vogelin E being the most active compound. The extract of Lopholaena cneorifolia was studied as a part of a cooperative project with the IHVR to identify its chemical composition. Fractionation of this extract led to the isolation of three compounds which were characterized as stilbenes. Their structures were elucidated by using 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectra and mass spectroscopic data. / Master of Science

Marketing and commercial communication and the position of product placement within them; Product placement, the history, forms and the legal frame; Theory of measuring and evaluating commercial communications in general and specifical theories applicable for product placement; Experimental evaluation of these theories on concrete case.

Esta dissertação apresenta a importância do gerenciamento da confiabilidade de um produto durante seu desenvolvimento. Tal gerenciamento consiste em um processo sistemático que resulta no alcance dos requisitos governamentais, do cliente e da empresa. Estudou-se a metodologia de gerenciamento da confiabilidade através do planejamento da confiabilidade meta, alocação ótima de confiabilidade, avaliação e modelagem da confiabilidade, planejamento do crescimento da confiabilidade, controle do crescimento da confiabilidade até a obtenção dos resultados planejados. Através dessa metodologia, em um estudo aplicado contemplando um produto médico-hospitalar, foi possível: (a) identificar os componentes críticos do produto, (b) identificar a lacuna existente entre o valor de confiabilidade no início do projeto quando comparado à meta, (c) planejar o crescimento da confiabilidade ao longo das fases do projeto, (d) realizar melhorias ou reprojetos nos componentes do produto, (e) controlar o crescimento da confiabilidade e (f) alcançar a confiabilidade planejada. Os resultados obtidos foram de um aumento de 24% para 100% na confiabilidade do produto para cinco anos de utilização e de 0% para 83% para dez anos de utilização. Os valores obtidos de confiabilidade superaram os valores planejados, confirmando a eficiência da metodologia adotada. / This study discusses the relevance of Product Reliability Management during the product development phase. It consists of a systematic process that results in achieving the requirements of government regulations, customer satisfaction and companies goals. We studied the Product Reliability Management methodology through five aspects, including: target planning, optimal allocation, evaluation and modeling of product reliability, growth planning, and growth control to achieve the planned results. Using this methodology, applied in a study comprising the analysis of a medical product, it was possible to: (a) identify the critical components of the product (b) identify the gap between the reliability rate at the beginning of the project when compared to the final target (c) plan the growth of reliability throughout the phases of the project (d) make improvements or redesign product components (e) control the growth of reliability and (f) achieve the planned product reliability. The obtained results show an increase of 24% to 100% on five years product reliability, and from 0% to 83% for ten years product reliability. The values of reliability exceeded the planned values, confirming the effectiveness of the Product Reliability Management methodology.

Esta dissertação apresenta a importância do gerenciamento da confiabilidade de um produto durante seu desenvolvimento. Tal gerenciamento consiste em um processo sistemático que resulta no alcance dos requisitos governamentais, do cliente e da empresa. Estudou-se a metodologia de gerenciamento da confiabilidade através do planejamento da confiabilidade meta, alocação ótima de confiabilidade, avaliação e modelagem da confiabilidade, planejamento do crescimento da confiabilidade, controle do crescimento da confiabilidade até a obtenção dos resultados planejados. Através dessa metodologia, em um estudo aplicado contemplando um produto médico-hospitalar, foi possível: (a) identificar os componentes críticos do produto, (b) identificar a lacuna existente entre o valor de confiabilidade no início do projeto quando comparado à meta, (c) planejar o crescimento da confiabilidade ao longo das fases do projeto, (d) realizar melhorias ou reprojetos nos componentes do produto, (e) controlar o crescimento da confiabilidade e (f) alcançar a confiabilidade planejada. Os resultados obtidos foram de um aumento de 24% para 100% na confiabilidade do produto para cinco anos de utilização e de 0% para 83% para dez anos de utilização. Os valores obtidos de confiabilidade superaram os valores planejados, confirmando a eficiência da metodologia adotada. / This study discusses the relevance of Product Reliability Management during the product development phase. It consists of a systematic process that results in achieving the requirements of government regulations, customer satisfaction and companies goals. We studied the Product Reliability Management methodology through five aspects, including: target planning, optimal allocation, evaluation and modeling of product reliability, growth planning, and growth control to achieve the planned results. Using this methodology, applied in a study comprising the analysis of a medical product, it was possible to: (a) identify the critical components of the product (b) identify the gap between the reliability rate at the beginning of the project when compared to the final target (c) plan the growth of reliability throughout the phases of the project (d) make improvements or redesign product components (e) control the growth of reliability and (f) achieve the planned product reliability. The obtained results show an increase of 24% to 100% on five years product reliability, and from 0% to 83% for ten years product reliability. The values of reliability exceeded the planned values, confirming the effectiveness of the Product Reliability Management methodology.

Esta dissertação apresenta a importância do gerenciamento da confiabilidade de um produto durante seu desenvolvimento. Tal gerenciamento consiste em um processo sistemático que resulta no alcance dos requisitos governamentais, do cliente e da empresa. Estudou-se a metodologia de gerenciamento da confiabilidade através do planejamento da confiabilidade meta, alocação ótima de confiabilidade, avaliação e modelagem da confiabilidade, planejamento do crescimento da confiabilidade, controle do crescimento da confiabilidade até a obtenção dos resultados planejados. Através dessa metodologia, em um estudo aplicado contemplando um produto médico-hospitalar, foi possível: (a) identificar os componentes críticos do produto, (b) identificar a lacuna existente entre o valor de confiabilidade no início do projeto quando comparado à meta, (c) planejar o crescimento da confiabilidade ao longo das fases do projeto, (d) realizar melhorias ou reprojetos nos componentes do produto, (e) controlar o crescimento da confiabilidade e (f) alcançar a confiabilidade planejada. Os resultados obtidos foram de um aumento de 24% para 100% na confiabilidade do produto para cinco anos de utilização e de 0% para 83% para dez anos de utilização. Os valores obtidos de confiabilidade superaram os valores planejados, confirmando a eficiência da metodologia adotada. / This study discusses the relevance of Product Reliability Management during the product development phase. It consists of a systematic process that results in achieving the requirements of government regulations, customer satisfaction and companies goals. We studied the Product Reliability Management methodology through five aspects, including: target planning, optimal allocation, evaluation and modeling of product reliability, growth planning, and growth control to achieve the planned results. Using this methodology, applied in a study comprising the analysis of a medical product, it was possible to: (a) identify the critical components of the product (b) identify the gap between the reliability rate at the beginning of the project when compared to the final target (c) plan the growth of reliability throughout the phases of the project (d) make improvements or redesign product components (e) control the growth of reliability and (f) achieve the planned product reliability. The obtained results show an increase of 24% to 100% on five years product reliability, and from 0% to 83% for ten years product reliability. The values of reliability exceeded the planned values, confirming the effectiveness of the Product Reliability Management methodology.

Business success in software industry is about deploying a product to the right market, with the right features, in the right time with a good quality. Many development projects exceed the budget, is not completed within schedule or do not reach business objectives. One key role managing the business of the product is the software product manager. The software product manager role is though seldom clearly described, competence needed is not always clear and education to become a product manager is today only offered by separate courses provided by some few private initiatives. This thesis uses a qualitative descriptive approach, the purpose with this thesis is to produce further knowledge around the software product manager role. The clarification and structure of the software product manager role is limited in academia; therefore, this research will be combined with an exploratory approach to be able to verify the empirical findings. The thesis also includes observations and data collection from actual job applications to further define the requested competences of a software product manager. This thesis has found that domain competence is the top most important competence for a software product manager. To be able to make success in the role communication skills and analytic skills are most important. The right soft skills are as important as the educated competences. The thesis conclude that the product manager role is wide and it is important to be surrounded with colleagues that support the role were there are lacking of competence in technology, business or market expertise. A successful product manager build network among people, cross-functional teams, around the product and establish an effective way to communicate with those groups. Findings suggest that software companies define the responsibilities and expectations of the product manager role. As important is to support the product manager with the input data needed to be able to perform the product manager activities. By defining the responsibilities and securing the input data needed, the product manager will have a higher probability to produce a result with an impact.

This paper is based on the proposition that the choice of different product tactics is influenced by the nature of the firm’s external environment. It illustrates the type of product activities suggested for a complex and turbulent environment, when viewing the environment through a chaos and complexity theory lens. A qualitative, case method, using depth interviews,investigated the product activities in two companies to identify the product activities adopted in a more successful, versus a less successful, firm in a complex/turbulent environment. The results showed that the more successful company uses some destabilizing product activities but also partially uses stabilizing product activities. These findings are of benefit to marketers as they emphasize a new way to consider future product activities in their firms. Since businesses and markets are complex adaptive systems, using complexity theory to understand how to cope in complex, turbulent environments is necessary, but has not been widely researched, with even less emphasis on individual components of the marketing mix.