The road to breakthrough innovation is complicated, lengthy, costly, and risky to shareholders. This research examines the literature for breakthrough innovation across several industries and disciplines to provide a holistic definition of breakthrough innovation for the biopharmaceutical industry in order to best explore the relationship between breakthrough innovation, knowledge sharing, strategic network alliances, and shareholder value. The study design uses multiple-case studies: a small pilot case study, a second in-depth case study, and a third case study that examines the challenges of breakthrough innovation from senior executives perceptive. Our findings provide three new insights of breakthrough innovation. First, we formulate a new model of breakthrough innovation utilizing strategic network alliances centered on small companies focused on the early phases of development, while larger firms leverage their global commercial infrastructures. Interwoven in the new strategic alliance network are venture capital firms, academia, and government. The second finding is that industry executives prefer the approach of knowledge sharing within a formal strategic network alliance due to the confidential framework of the relationship. The third finding is that incremental innovation is a necessary building block toward breakthrough innovation. The relationship of strategic network alliances and knowledge sharing to breakthrough innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry are critical. Finally, a review of breakthrough innovation factors having the most significant positive impact on maximizing shareholder value in the biopharmaceutical industry. / Business Administration/Strategic Management

The applicability and adequacy of three modeling approaches to describe and predict breakthough curves (BTCs) for non-reactive solutes in statistically homogeneous porous media were numerically and experimentally investigated. Modeling approaches were: the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) with scale-dependent dispersivity, mobile-immobile model (MIM), and the fractional convection-dispersion equation (FCDE). In order to test these modeling approaches, a prototype laboratory column system was designed for conducting miscible displacement experiments with a free-inlet boundary. Its performance and operating conditions were rigorously evaluated. When the CDE with scale-dependent dispersivity is solved numerically for generating a BTC at a given location, the scale-dependent dispersivity can be specified in several ways namely, local time-dependent dispersivity, average time-dependent dispersivity, apparent time-dependent dispersivity, apparent distance-dependent dispersivity, and local distance-dependent dispersivity. Theoretical analysis showed that, when dispersion was assumed to be a diffusion-like process, the scale-dependent dispersivity was locally time-dependent. In this case, definitions of the other dispersivities and relationships between them were directly or indirectly derived from local time-dependent dispersivity. Making choice between these dispersivities and relationships depended on the solute transport problem, solute transport conditions, level of accuracy of the calculated BTC, and computational efficiency The distribution of these scale-dependent dispersivities over scales could be described as either as a power-law function, hyperbolic function, log-power function, or as a new scale-dependent dispersivity function (termed as the LIC). The hyperbolic function and the LIC were two potentially applicable functions to adequately describe the scale dependent dispersivity distribution in statistically homogeneous porous media. All of the three modeling approaches described observed BTCs very well. The MIM was the only model that could explain the tailing phenomenon in the experimental BTCs. However, all of them could not accurately predict BTCs at other scales using parameters determined at one observed scale. For the MIM and the FCDE, the predictions might be acceptable only when the scale for prediction was very close to the observed scale. When the distribution of the dispersivity over a range of scales could be reasonably well-defined by observations, the CDE might be the best choice for predicting non-reactive solute transport in statistically homogeneous porous media. / Ph. D.

The aim for this study is to compare Victoria Benedictsson’s position and views in the morality debate during the modern breakthough in the nordics. The works that I have choosen for this study is firstly Benedictsson’s book Money, published in 1885 and secondly the play Theories, written in 1887 and published in 1994. I will research whether or not Benedictsson’s position in the debate will change since there are only two years in between them. Money is published in the beginning of the morality debate and Theories at the end, wich will make the essence of the discussion.

The investigation of the atmospheric fate and transport of semi-volatile organic compounds (SOCs) often requires the sampling of large volumes of air (>100 m3) in a relatively short period of time. Conventionally high-volume pumps are not suitable for remote areas without access to reliable network power. We have developed a flow through sampler for such situations. It consists of a horizontally-oriented flow-tube, that can collect gaseous and particle-bound SOCs from large volumes of air by turning into the wind and having the wind blow through a porous sampling medium such as polyurethane foam. Through both indoor and outdoor experiments, we quantified its air sampling rate (through battery operated anemometers inside and outside of the flow tube), its sampling efficiency (by theoretical plate number analysis of the break-though curves for PCBs, PAHs, OCPs and PBDEs), and its accuracy (by comparison of concentrations, time trends, temperature dependences and isomer ratios with those obtained by conventional high-volume sampling) under conditions of constant and variable meteorological conditions (wind speed, temperature). The flow-through sampler was deployed to monitor SOC concentrations at a remote Chinese research station located close to Nam Co Lake, Tibet. During the campaign, fifteen 1 month-long samples were taken, corresponding to sample volumes between 5,000 and 20,000 m3. Despite those large sample volumes, only HCB and HCHs experienced break-through, but application of frontal chromatograph theory allows the estimation of breakthrough-corrected air concentrations even for those relatively volatile SOCs. The pesticide levels at Nam Co are generally very low. Most pesticides had higher levels during summer, resulting in a strong temperature dependence. This is correlated with air mass origin across the Himalayas in the Gangetic plains of India and Bangladesh. The flow through sampler constitutes a feasible method for reliably and quantitatively collecting SOCs from large air volumes.

Near-level Prairie landscapes have received limited attention in hydrological research. For this thesis, hydrometric measurements and four tracing experiments were completed at three “riparian-to-stream” sites in the Catfish Creek Watershed (southeastern Manitoba) to enhance Prairie hydrology understanding. First, hydrologic state variables were examined to infer vertical and lateral water movement. Second, tracer data were analyzed to evaluate the relative importance of surface versus subsurface water movement. Results show that hydrologic state variables can be useful for inferring riparian-to-stream water movement. Tracer data also revealed that subsurface water movement can contribute significantly to streamflow during snowmelt- and rainfall-triggered events in the study watershed. This thesis demonstrated that subsurface flow is a significant runoff generation mechanism in Prairie landscapes, thus challenging surface water-focused conceptualizations and management strategies that are traditionally used. The findings summarized in this thesis will be critical to improve the performance of hydrological models when applied to the Prairies. / February 2017

La thèse compare quelques romans suédois et français écrits entre 1884 et 1892 et comment ceux-ci sont imprégnés par les thèmes de la Décadence, et cela à partir de l’implication esthétique des portraits de femmes. Huit textes sont étudiés afin de comparer la littérature suédoise fin-de-siècle – en partie interprétée comme de la littérature de « percée moderne » – à la littérature française et la Décadence. L’étude est divisée en trois parties concernant : 1) la représentation de la femme indépendante ; 2) les nouveaux rôles des sexes ; 3) les rapports à l’esthétique et l’ontologie décadentes. Comme l’époque est concernée par de nouveaux rôles de sexes, l’attention attirée sur les figures féminines est fructueuse et originale, car la plupart des personnages principaux décadents sont masculins, un fait qui imprègne la recherche sur la Décadence littéraire. La première partie analyse aussi bien les apparences et les comportements, que l’approche de « la femme fatale » et le regard des femmes d’elles-mêmes. Dans la deuxième partie, des thèmes comme androgynie, sexualité et érotisme sont étudiés. Finalement, la thèse examine, dans la troisième partie, les relations entre les figures féminines et les idées liées à la sécularisation, à l’artifice et aux maladies fin-de-siècle. Plus les analyses évoluent, plus il devient clair que les œuvres suédoises sont marquées par les mêmes thèmes et idées que les œuvres françaises. Cependant, une différence est que les traits des figures féminines françaises sont plus souvent exagérés que ceux des figures suédoises – une différence que la thèse voit comme une influence du programme littérairement politique de la « percée moderne ». / This thesis compares Swedish and French literary prose fiction written between 1884 and1892 and its approach to Decadent themes, with focus on the female portraits and their aesthetic impact. Eight texts are analyzed in order to explore how the Swedish fin de siècle literature – partly interpreted as belonging to the political literary program of the ”Modern Breakthrough” – relates to the French literature and the Decadence. As the literary Decadence is concerned about the gender roles, the focus on the female characters is profitable and original; most main characters in Decadent literature are male, which has also influenced earlier research on this period’s literature. The study is divided into three major parts: 1) pictures of the independent woman; 2) gender roles and sexuality; 3) female characters and decadent ontology. In the first part, the analyses focus on features and behavior – as well as “la femme fatale” and the women’s look upon themselves. In the second part, themes such as androgyny, sexuality and eroticism are examined. In the third part, the study explores how the female figures relate to the ideas of degeneration and the feelings of loss: secularization, artifice and (non-)health. The more the analyses are developed, the clearer it becomes that the Swedish texts are influenced by the same decadent themes and ideas as the French texts. Nevertheless, a difference is that the French literature’s female characters more often are depicted with exaggerated traits than the Swedish characters, a difference that the thesis points out as connected to the Modern Breakthrough and its political program.

Student Number : 9402348T - MSc(Med) dissertation - School of Medicine - Faculty of Health Sciences / My previous investigations have indicated that a connection exists between the state of health of specific internal organs and the electrical characteristics of related, although sometimes remote, skin areas. These skin areas are referred to as organ projection areas (OPA) and include acupuncture points. Pathology of a particular organ causes a related OPA to rectify electrical currents, once the resistance ‘breakthrough effect’ has been induced in the skin. The ‘breakthrough effect’ is a rapid reversible decrease in skin resistance which takes place under certain electrical stimulatory conditions. Only after it occurs, the skin resistance measured by means of a positively polarised point electrode is significantly higher for diseased organs’ projection areas, when compared to the resistance for the same but negatively polarised measuring electrode (rectification / diode phenomenon). For healthy organs’ projection areas, this phenomenon is not observed. The pathology of an internal organ also increases the impedance of the corresponding OPA. The location of the skin zone, where a high degree of rectification and increased impedance is observed, indicates which particular organ is diseased. The degree of rectification or difference in impedance indicates the extent of the pathological process within the organ. These findings created the basis for a new non-invasive diagnostic method – organ electrodermal diagnostics (OED). Although the electrical phenomena of the skin described above have been confirmed clinically, the resistance and impedance values involved have not been characterized statistically. Therefore, in order to determine the accuracy of OED, optimization of OED parameters was undertaken. Evaluation of electrical characteristics revealed that for AC measurements, low frequency and high amplitude were most suitable. Therefore 250Hz was selected as the measurement frequency, since lower frequencies produced uncomfortable sensations under the measuring electrode. Measuring current amplitude was chosen to be 25uA (peak) since it was observed to be below the perception threshold. For DC measurements, the highest amplitude of the measurement stimulus that does not cause uncomfortable sensations was the most suitable. Since the skin resistance is very low after the ‘breakthrough effect’, 25uA was chosen as optimal. According to these parameters the OED device ‘Diagnotronics’ was built. The device specifies the actual condition of the organ related to the investigated skin area as 'HEALTHY', 'WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS', ‘SUBACUTE’ and ‘ACUTE’. A special display graded according to percentage of the disease intensity, makes it possible to specify accurately the activity of organ pathology. The locations of skin areas corresponding to the examined organs and final results are displayed on a screen. A double-blind comparative study of OED results and clinical diagnoses, as a criterion standard, was performed on a group of 200 inpatients at Helen Joseph Hospital's surgical department. The study was restricted to the following organs: oesophagus, stomach, gall bladder, pancreas, colon, kidneys, urinary bladder and prostate. These organs are relatively easy to access clinically, and their pathologies represent a variety of aetiological and pathogenetic factors e.g. infections, inflammation, neoplasms, immunological and metabolic disorders. In total 630 true OED results were obtained from the 714 subjects considered: detection rate 88.2% (85,6-90,5%). Established OED sensitivity was 89.5% (85,2-92,8%) and OED specificity equaled 87.5% (84,0-90,4%). The predictive value for positive OED results was 81.7% (76,9-85,9%) and for negative OED results 93.0% (90,1-95,2%). There were no significant differences in the results obtained from various internal organs. Healthy organs usually display the OED result 'HEALTHY' or 'WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS’, while subacute pathology displays 'SUBACUTE' and acute pathology as an 'ACUTE'. The OED results were affected neither by the type nor the aetiology of disease i.e. OED estimates the actual extent of the pathological process activity within a particular organ but does not explain the direct cause of the pathology. The OED results were not influenced by a patient's muscle tension, emotional state, skin humidity, environmental temperature or by procedure duration. The pressure of the measuring electrode had a limited influence (up to 5%) on the OED results and did not affect the final diagnoses. No side-effects of the OED examinations were observed. The study confirmed the existence of OPA on the skin surface and proved that OED is a reliable bioelectronic method of non-invasive medical diagnostic testing, with high rates of sensitivity, specificity and predictive values. OED may detect diseased organs and estimate the activity of the pathological process.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T11:06:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 VITOR FERNANDO PERILO VITOY.pdf: 811678 bytes, checksum: 8ef5ec4902d8389ee455adf34035f1fc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-13 / O presente trabalho propõe um estudo Hermenêutico e Fenomenológico da obra Pauliceia desvairada de Mário de Andrade, publicada pela primeira vez em 1922, tratando de temas que relacionam a poesia, o fazer artístico, A Metalinguagem e a perda da aura, um traço marcante nas criações modernistas. A obra apresenta uma relação íntima entre arte-artista-leitor em sua comparação metalinguística. Esta dissertação é, portanto, uma forma de apontar a genialidade do criador, ao iniciar sua obra com o Prefácio Interessantíssimo, uma dedicatória dissimulada do eu - poético para o autor. A desordem da linguagem do caos, entre o passado, o futuro e as formas poéticas da modernidade, a verdadeira arte do contraponto. O desvairismo é justamente a nova arte moderna cheia de conflitos. Nesta linha de raciocínio, utilizamos obras importantes como A Estrutura da Lírica Moderna, de Hugo Friedrich, As Vanguardas Europeias de Gilberto Mendonça Teles, A Metalinguagem, de Samira Chalhub, a perda da aura com Walter Benjamin e a Estética da Recepção e Teoria do Efeito de Wolfgang Iser e Hans Robert Jauss. Ressaltamos que A proposta feita pelo eu - poético em sua obra é o sentir, para depois pensar.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement (QI) efforts in which providers from various health facilities, with support from coaches, work together to implement innovations for improving health care are rapidly spreading from high-income settings to resource-poor settings. However, limited research exists regarding the factors which drive teams to succeed or fail, spread, and sustain best practices. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors facilitating or inhibiting the performance of QI teams of maternal and child health (MCH) service delivery in resource-poor settings. METHODS: A qualitative multi-site case study was conducted in northern Ghana to determine the views and beliefs of QI teams, coaches, and beneficiaries of Project Fives Alive (PFA) about the application of QI to MCH service delivery. Using key informant interviews, document review, and group interviews, the study elicited information about: 1) the factors that affect QI team success and failure when implementing QI methods designed to improve MCH service delivery; 2) the interplay of factors that facilitate or inhibit the spread of best practices among QI teams in northern Ghana; and 3) steps being taken by stakeholders to sustain these best practices. Grounded theory processes were used to identify themes from the data. RESULTS: Testing of changes using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles and adoption of a client-centered model to the delivery of services has helped teams to identify the felt needs of clients, resulting in perceived increased uptake of MCH services. Key contributory factors to successes were: availability and accessibility of midwives, training of QI teams, incentive packages for providers and clients, community support groups, and PFA partners. Key challenges inhibiting success were: staff turnover, inadequate supervision, cultural practices, and inadequate infrastructure. Some of the key factors that shaped successes have dissipated, threatening sustainability of QI efforts two years after PFA ended. CONCLUSION: The presence of a midwife, providing leadership for organizing team members and implementing PDSA cycles, can facilitate success. Project staff support is important, but teams and coaches need space and time to drive the QI process independently and practice QI methods in ways that foster continuity beyond donor support.

<p>Nowadays, China bus industry has stepped into a relative fast development stage. Domestic manufacturers have turned their attention to the international market. Yu-tong Bus Company, as one of the first-class and representative manufacturers in the industry, has made indubitable achievements in the international market, especially in middle and low-end market. However, for the process of internationalization, Yu-tong still needs to confront some barriers and obstacles. Particularly, for high-end market, more gaps exist which lead to the limitation of its competitive forces. In the thesis, we made the SWOT analysis about the export condition of Yu-tong according to the materials and data that we collected, combining with the relevant theories, conducting various analysis and investigations, we considered “Reverse FDI”(Reverse Foreign Direct Investment) as more appropriate and effective way for the internationalization, and revolving around the theory, we mainly concentrated on the extending of high-end market, tabled some proposals about seeking the breakthrough in the internationalization of Yu-tong Bus Company.</p>