Enquadramento dos sistemas ERP numa arquitectura SOA: caso de estudo SAP® NetWeaver

Neste trabalho, propõe-se estudar o enquadramento dos Sistemas Integrados de Gestão Empresarial (Enterprise Resource Planning – ERP) numa Arquitectura Orientada a Serviços (Service Oriented Architecture – SOA) e quais os benefícios que podem ser obtidos no desenvolvimento de novas aplicações e integração com outros Sistemas de Informação (SI). Propõe-se fazer um levantamento da evolução e do estado da arte dos sistemas ERP e da arquitectura SOA. Para ter uma visão concreta, escolheu-se analisar um sistema ERP específico, o ERP da SAP e a plataforma tecnológica em que assenta, o SAP NetWeaver. Que estratégia tem sido seguida pelos principais fabricantes de sistemas ERPs, para enquadrar os seus sistemas ERP numa arquitectura SOA? Finalmente avalia-se o conceito de aplicação composta (Composite Application) baseada na arquitectura SOA, através da utilização de um Ambiente Integrado de Composição (Integrated Composition Environment – ICE). A plataforma utilizada para essa avaliação é o SAP NetWeaver Composition Enviroment (CE). Mais especificamente, desenvolve-se uma aplicação composta, resultante da combinação de serviços expostos pelo sistema ERP da SAP (enterprise services) e um Web Service instalado noutra plataforma.

iTV PREFARC: Arquitectura de recomendações iTV

No presente trabalho é proposta uma arquitectura, assim como a concepção e implementação de um PoC, de um sistema de recomendações flexível que permite integrar novos modelos de negócio relacionados ao longo do tempo. O PoC implementado é vocacionado para a problemática da televisão interactiva e, mais concretamente, para o excesso de informação com que os utilizadores se deparam diariamente. Este sistema, denominado de iTV PREFARC, permite processar, de forma massiva, a informação de EPG, integrando-a para posterior processamento no motor de recomendações. Disponibiliza também funcionalidades para classificar os itens presentes no sistema (programas televisivos, vídeos, etc.), e obter as recomendações calculadas pelo sistema. A interacção com os consumidores do sistema é sempre feita através de serviços Web. São também abordados cenários de aplicação que permitem atestar a utilidade do sistema, demonstrando simultaneamente como interagem os diferentes componentes.

Determination of airborne nanoparticles in elderly care centres

According to numerous studies, airborne nanoparticles have a potential to produce serious adverse human health effects when deposited into the respiratory tract. The most important parts of the lung are the alveolar regions with their enormous surface areas and potential to transfer nanoparticles into the blood stream. These effects may be potentiated in case of the elderly, since this population is more susceptible to air pollutants in general and more to nanoparticles than larger particles. The main goal of this investigation was to determine the exposure of institutionalized elders to nanoparticles using Nanoparticle Surface Area Monitor (NSAM) equipment to calculate the deposited surface area (DSA) of nanoparticles into elderly lungs. In total, 193 institutionalized individuals over 65 yr of age were examined in four elderly care centers (ECC). The occupancy daily pattern was achieved by applying a questionnaire, and it was concluded that these subjects spent most of their time indoors, including the bedroom and living room, the indoor microenvironments with higher prevalence of elderly occupancy. The deposited surface area ranged from 10 to 46 μm2/cm3. The living rooms presented significantly higher levels compared with bedrooms. Comparing PM10 concentrations with nanoparticles deposited surface area in elderly lungs, it is conceivable that living rooms presented the highest concentration of PM10 and were similar to the highest average DSA. The temporal distribution of DSA was also assessed. While data showed a quantitative fluctuation in values in bedrooms, high peaks were detected in living rooms.

Characterizing the fungal and bacterial microflora and concentrations in fitness centres

Fitness centres are special places where conditions for microbiological proliferation should be considered. Moisture due to human perspiration and water condensation as a result of human physical activities are prevalent in this type of buildings. Exposure to microbial contaminants is clinically associated with respiratory disorders and people who work out in polluted environments would be susceptible to contaminants. This work studied the indoor air contamination in three gymnasiums in Lisbon. The sampling was performed at two periods: at the opening (morning) and closing (night) of the three gymnasiums. The airborne bacterial and fungal populations were sampled by impaction directly onto Tryptic Soy Agar (for bacteria) and Malt Extract Agar (for fungi) plates, using a Merck MAS-100 air sampler. Higher bacterial concentrations were found at night as compared to the morning but the same behaviour was not found for fungal concentrations. Gram-negative catalase positive cocci were the dominant bacteria in indoor air samples of the studied gymnasiums. In this study, 21 genera/species of fungal colonies were identified. Chrysosporium sp., Chrysonilia sp., Neoscytalidium hialinum, Sepedonium sp. and Penicillium sp. were the most prevalent species identified in the morning, while Cladosporium sp., Penicillium sp., Chrysosporium sp., Acremonium sp. and Chrysonilia sp. were more prevalent at night. A well-designed sanitation and maintenance program for gymnasiums is needed to ensure healthier space for indoor physical activity.

Determination of airborne nanoparticles in elderly care centres

According to numerous studies, airborne nanoparticles have a potential to produce serious adverse human health effects when deposited into the respiratory tract. The most important parts of the lung are the alveolar regions with their enormous surface areas and potential to transfer nanoparticles into the blood stream. These effects may be potentiated in case of the elderly, since this population is more susceptible to air pollutants in general and more to nanoparticles than larger particles. The main goal of this investigation was to determine the exposure of institutionalized elders to nanoparticles using Nanoparticle Surface Area Monitor (NSAM) equipment to calculate the deposited surface area (DSA) of nanoparticles into elderly lungs. In total, 193 institutionalized individuals over 65 yr of age were examined in four elderly care centers (ECC). The occupancy daily pattern was achieved by applying a questionnaire, and it was concluded that these subjects spent most of their time indoors, including the bedroom and living room, the indoor microenvironments with higher prevalence of elderly occupancy. The deposited surface area ranged from 10 to 46 mu m(2)/cm(3). The living rooms presented significantly higher levels compared with bedrooms. Comparing PM10 concentrations with nanoparticles deposited surface area in elderly lungs, it is conceivable that living rooms presented the highest concentration of PM10 and were similar to the highest average DSA. The temporal distribution of DSA was also assessed. While data showed a quantitative fluctuation in values in bedrooms, high peaks were detected in living rooms.