Timing analysis of an inter-cell mobility procedure for a wired/wireless PROFIBUS network

Recently, there have been a few research efforts towards extending the capabilities of fieldbus networks to encompass wireless support. In previous works we have proposed a hybrid wired/wireless PROFIBUS network solution where the interconnection between the heterogeneous communication media was accomplished through bridge-like interconnecting devices. The resulting networking architecture embraced a Multiple Logical Ring (MLR) approach, thus with multiple independent tokens, where the communication between different domains was supported by the Inter-Domain Protocol (IDP). The proposed architecture also supports mobility of stations between different wireless cells. To that hybrid wired/wireless networking architecture we have proposed a worst-case response timing analysis of the IDP, without considering inter-cell mobility (or handoff) of stations. In this paper, we advance that previous work by proposing a worst-case timing analysis of the mobility procedure.

Media Brokerage: Agent-Based SLA Negotiation

Media content personalisation is a major challenge involving viewers as well as media content producer and distributor businesses. The goal is to provide viewers with media items aligned with their interests. Producers and distributors engage in item negotiations to establish the corresponding service level agreements (SLA). In order to address automated partner lookup and item SLA negotiation, this paper proposes the MultiMedia Brokerage (MMB) platform, which is a multiagent system that negotiates SLA regarding media items on behalf of media content producer and distributor businesses. The MMB platform is structured in four service layers: interface, agreement management, business modelling and market. In this context, there are: (i) brokerage SLA (bSLA), which are established between individual businesses and the platform regarding the provision of brokerage services; and (ii) item SLA (iSLA), which are established between producer and distributor businesses about the provision of media items. In particular, this paper describes the negotiation, establishment and enforcement of bSLA and iSLA, which occurs at the agreement and negotiation layers, respectively. The platform adopts a pay-per-use business model where the bSLA define the general conditions that apply to the related iSLA. To illustrate this process, we present a case study describing the negotiation of a bSLA instance and several related iSLA instances. The latter correspond to the negotiation of the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) for a specific end viewer.

Brokerage Platform for Media Content Recommendation

Near real time media content personalisation is nowadays a major challenge involving media content sources, distributors and viewers. This paper describes an approach to seamless recommendation, negotiation and transaction of personalised media content. It adopts an integrated view of the problem by proposing, on the business-to-business (B2B) side, a brokerage platform to negotiate the media items on behalf of the media content distributors and sources, providing viewers, on the business-to-consumer (B2C) side, with a personalised electronic programme guide (EPG) containing the set of recommended items after negotiation. In this setup, when a viewer connects, the distributor looks up and invites sources to negotiate the contents of the viewer personal EPG. The proposed multi-agent brokerage platform is structured in four layers, modelling the registration, service agreement, partner lookup, invitation as well as item recommendation, negotiation and transaction stages of the B2B processes. The recommendation service is a rule-based switch hybrid filter, including six collaborative and two content-based filters. The rule-based system selects, at runtime, the filter(s) to apply as well as the final set of recommendations to present. The filter selection is based on the data available, ranging from the history of items watched to the ratings and/or tags assigned to the items by the viewer. Additionally, this module implements (i) a novel item stereotype to represent newly arrived items, (ii) a standard user stereotype for new users, (iii) a novel passive user tag cloud stereotype for socially passive users, and (iv) a new content-based filter named the collinearity and proximity similarity (CPS). At the end of the paper, we present off-line results and a case study describing how the recommendation service works. The proposed system provides, to our knowledge, an excellent holistic solution to the problem of recommending multimedia contents.

A Multi–Agent Brokerage Platform for Media Content Recommendation

Near real time media content personalisation is nowadays a major challenge involving media content sources, distributors and viewers. This paper describes an approach to seamless recommendation, negotiation and transaction of personalised media content. It adopts an integrated view of the problem by proposing, on the business-to-business (B2B) side, a brokerage platform to negotiate the media items on behalf of the media content distributors and sources, providing viewers, on the business-to-consumer (B2C) side, with a personalised electronic programme guide (EPG) containing the set of recommended items after negotiation. In this setup, when a viewer connects, the distributor looks up and invites sources to negotiate the contents of the viewer personal EPG. The proposed multi-agent brokerage platform is structured in four layers, modelling the registration, service agreement, partner lookup, invitation as well as item recommendation, negotiation and transaction stages of the B2B processes. The recommendation service is a rule-based switch hybrid filter, including six collaborative and two content-based filters. The rule-based system selects, at runtime, the filter(s) to apply as well as the final set of recommendations to present. The filter selection is based on the data available, ranging from the history of items watched to the ratings and/or tags assigned to the items by the viewer. Additionally, this module implements (i) a novel item stereotype to represent newly arrived items, (ii) a standard user stereotype for new users, (iii) a novel passive user tag cloud stereotype for socially passive users, and (iv) a new content-based filter named the collinearity and proximity similarity (CPS). At the end of the paper, we present off-line results and a case study describing how the recommendation service works. The proposed system provides, to our knowledge, an excellent holistic solution to the problem of recommending multimedia contents.

Planificação de um sistema de informação para a unidade de formação contínua e avançada da Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico do Porto

Projecto apresentado ao Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração do Porto para a obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Assessoria de Administração

Controlo de qualidade microbiológica na indústria farmacêutica

O presente Relatório de Estágio teve como objectivo analisar e discutir as competências adquiridas e desenvolvidas, durante o estágio, no controlo da qualidade microbiológica na indústria farmacêutica O estágio, foi realizado no Laboratório de Microbiologia dos Laboratórios Atral, Grupo AtralCipan, localizado na Vala do Carregado, Castanheira do Ribatejo. Este teve a duração de aproximadamente dez meses e meio, com data de início a 21 de Setembro de 2011 e final de 10 de Agosto de 2012. Numa fase inicial, foram adquiridas as aptidões necessárias para a aplicação das metodologias realizadas no laboratório de microbiologia com o estudo das normas, procedimento e legislação aplicada, com foco na importância das farmacopeias na indústria farmacêutica e formação para a realização de ensaios em Áreas de Processamento Asséptico, conhecendo e compreendendo os procedimentos a ter nestas. Uma das principais metodologias realizadas, e desenvolvida neste relatório, compreendeu a análise de produtos farmacêuticos estéreis, com a aplicação de Testes de Esterilidade, pelo método de STERITEST e método Directo, com resultados que demonstraram a importância destas técnicas, da avaliação do ambiente em que são realizadas e do operador que as executa. Os Testes de Promoção de Crescimento, foram também explorados neste trabalho, realizados não só para avaliação dos meios de cultura, onde foi possível analisar os requisitos e resultados obtidos, como também para validação de metodologias, nomeadamente, na validação de meios e fluidos de marcas diferentes para utilização no método STERITEST e na validação do método de filtração de membrana para Enumeração Microbiana de um produto não estéril. Estas validações possibilitaram a redução de custos e melhoria das condições da análise e metodologias aplicadas. Com a realização do estágio foi possível adquirir aptidões práticas, que aliadas ao conhecimento teórico obtido no mestrado, proporcionaram um crescimento a nível pessoal, científico e profissional.

Learning business strategies for competitive electronic marketplaces

This paper presents a Multi-Agent Market simulator designed for developing new agent market strategies based on a complete understanding of buyer and seller behaviors, preference models and pricing algorithms, considering user risk preferences and game theory for scenario analysis. This tool studies negotiations based on different market mechanisms and, time and behavior dependent strategies. The results of the negotiations between agents are analyzed by data mining algorithms in order to extract rules that give agents feedback to improve their strategies. The system also includes agents that are capable of improving their performance with their own experience, by adapting to the market conditions, and capable of considering other agent reactions.

Agent-based simulation of electronic marketplaces with decision support

This paper presents a Multi-Agent Market simulator designed for analyzing agent market strategies based on a complete understanding of buyer and seller behaviors, preference models and pricing algorithms, considering user risk preferences and game theory for scenario analysis. The system includes agents that are capable of improving their performance with their own experience, by adapting to the market conditions, and capable of considering other agents reactions.

Multi-agent systems and birtual producers in electronic marketplaces

This paper presents an agent-based simulator designed for analyzing agent market strategies based on a complete understanding of buyer and seller behaviours, preference models and pricing algorithms, considering user risk preferences. The system includes agents that are capable of improving their performance with their own experience, by adapting to the market conditions. In the simulated market agents interact in several different ways and may joint together to form coalitions. In this paper we address multi-agent coalitions to analyse Distributed Generation in Electricity Markets

ISEM: a multi-agent system that simulates competitive electronic marketplaces

With the increasing importance of large commerce across the Internet it is becoming increasingly evident that in a few years the Iternet will host a large number of interacting software agents. a vast number of them will be economically motivated, and will negociate a variety of goods and services. It is therefore important to consider the economic incentives and behaviours of economic software agents, and to use all available means to anticipate their collective interactions. This papers addresses this concern by presenting a multi-agent market simulator designed for analysing agent market strategies based on a complete understanding of buyer and seller behaviours, preference models and pricing algorithms, consideting risk preferences. The system includes agents that are capable of increasing their performance with their own experience, by adapting to the market conditions. The results of the negotiations between agents are analysed by data minig algorithms in order to extract rules that give agents feedback to imprive their strategies.

Controlador dedicado de Ecrãs LCD/TFT

Para dar resposta aos grandes avanços tecnológicos e, consequentemente, à postura mais exigente dos clientes, a empresa Francisco Parracho – Electrónica Industrial, Lda., que tem actividade no ramo dos elevadores, decidiu introduzir no mercado um controlador dedicado de ecrãs Liquid Crystal Display / Thin Film Transistor (LCD / TFT). O objectivo é substituir um sistema suportado por um computador, caracterizado pelas suas elevadas dimensões e custos, mas incontornável até à data, nomeadamente para resoluções de ecrã elevadas. E assim nasceu este trabalho. Com uma selecção criteriosa de todos os componentes e, principalmente, sem funcionalidades inúteis, obteve-se um sistema embebido com dimensões e custos bem mais reduzidos face ao seu opositor. O ecrã apontado para este projecto é um Thin Film Transistor – Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) da Sharp de 10.4” de qualidade industrial, com uma resolução de 800 x 600 píxeis a 18 bits por píxel. Para tal, foi escolhido um micro-controlador da ATMEL, um AVR de 32 bits que, entre outras características, possui um controlador LCD que suporta resoluções até 2048 x 2048 píxeis, de 1 a 24 bits por píxel. Atendendo ao facto deste produto ser inserido na área dos elevadores, as funcionalidades, quer a nível do hardware quer a nível do software, foram projectadas para este âmbito. Contudo, o conceito aqui exposto é adjacente a quaisquer outras áreas onde este produto se possa aplicar, até porque o software está feito para se tornar bem flexível. Com a ajuda de um kit de desenvolvimento, foram validados os drivers dos controladores e periféricos base deste projecto. De seguida, aplicou-se esse software numa placa de circuito impresso, elaborada no âmbito deste trabalho, para que fossem cumpridos todos os requisitos requeridos pela empresa patrocinadora: - Apresentação de imagens no ecrã consoante o piso; - Possibilidade de ter um texto horizontalmente deslizante;Indicação animada do sentido do elevador; - Representação do piso com deslizamento vertical; - Descrição sumária do directório de pisos também com deslizamento vertical; - Relógio digital; - Leitura dos conteúdos pretendidos através de um cartão SD/MMC; - Possibilidade de actualização dos conteúdos via USB flash drive.

Oxidative Leaching of metals from electronic waste with solutions based on quaternary ammonium salts

The treatment of electric and electronic waste (WEEE) is a problem which receives ever more attention. An inadequate treatment results in harmful products ending up in the environment. This project intends to investigate the possibilities of an alternative route for recycling of metals from printed circuit boards (PCBs) obtained from rejected computers. The process is based on aqueous solutions composed of an etchant, either 0.2 M CuCl2.2H2O or 0.2 M FeCl3.6H2O, and a quaternary ammonium salt (quat) such as choline chloride or chlormequat. These solutions are reminiscent of deep eutectic solvents (DES) based on quats. DES are quite similar to ionic liquids (ILs) and are used as well as alternative solvents with a great diversity of physical properties, making them attractive for replacement of hazardous, volatile solvents (e.g. VOCs). A remarkable difference between genuine DES and ILs with the solutions used in this project is the addition of rather large quantities of water. It is shown the presence of water has a lot of advantages on the leaching of metals, while the properties typical for DES still remain. The oxidizing capacities of Cu(II) stem from the existence of a stable Cu(I) component in quat based DES and thus the leaching stems from the activity of the Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox couple. The advantage of Fe(III) in combination with DES is the fact that the Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox couple becomes reversible, which is not true in pure water. This opens perspectives for regeneration of the etching solution. In this project the leaching of copper was studied as a function of gradual increasing water content from 0 - 100w% with the same concentration of copper chloride or iron(III) chloride at room temperature and 80ºC. The solutions were also tested on real PCBs. At room temperature a maximum leaching effect for copper was obtained with 30w% choline chloride with 0.2 M CuCl2.2H2O. The leaching effect is still stronger at 80°C, b ut of course these solutions are more energy consuming. For aluminium, tin, zinc and lead, the leaching was faster at 80ºC. Iron and nickel dissolved easily at room temperature. The solutions were not able to dissolve gold, silver, rhodium and platinum.

Fast screening procedure for antibiotics in wastewaters by direct HPLC-DAD analysis

Growing concern about the contamination of wastewaters by antibiotics demands fast but sensitive analytical methodologies, for the screening of a large number of samples. The purpose of this work was to develop a simple methodology, using direct injection of the samples, by HPLC with diode array detection (DAD), for a multiresidue analysis of five antibiotics of different classes. Wastewater from an urban water treatment plant was selected as a model to study possible coelution of interfering compounds. The linearity interval ranged from 40 to 400 µg/L for amoxicillin (Amox), metronidazole (Metro), cefazolin (Cefa), and chloramphenicol (Chloram) and from 20 to 200 µg/L for sulfamethoxazole (Sulfa), with LODs lower than 14 µg/L. Repeatability, expressed by the CV of six repeated injections, ranged from 1 to 8%, while the intermediate precision varied between 2 and 11%. The recovery ranged from 90 to 109%. This method enables the fast screening of a large number of samples, with an expanded uncertainty in the 1–22% range. The advantage of the proposed method is to significantly reduce the number of samples to be analyzed by more complex methods.

Rapid determination of tartaric acid in wines

A flow-spectrophotometric method is proposed for the routine determination of tartaric acid in wines. The reaction between tartaric acid and vanadate in acetic media is carried out in flowing conditions and the subsequent colored complex is monitored at 475 nm. The stability of the complex and the corresponding formation constant are presented. The effect of wavelength and pH was evaluated by batch experiments. The selected conditions were transposed to a flowinjection analytical system. Optimization of several flow parameters such as reactor lengths, flow-rate and injection volume was carried out. Using optimized conditions, a linear behavior was observed up to 1000 µg mL-1 tartaric acid, with a molar extinction coefficient of 450 L mg-1 cm-1 and ± 1 % repeatability. Sample throughput was 25 samples per hour. The flow-spectrophotometric method was satisfactorily applied to the quantification of tartaric acid (TA) in wines from different sources. Its accuracy was confirmed by statistical comparison to the conventional Rebelein procedure and to a certified analytical method carried out in a routine laboratory.

FIA potentiometric system based on periodate polymeric membrane sensors for the assessment of ascorbic acid in commercial drinks

Ascorbic acid is found in many food samples. Its clinical and technological importance demands an easyto- use, rapid, robust and inexpensive method of analysis. For this purpose, this work proposes a new flow procedure based on the oxidation of ascorbic acid by periodate. A new potentiometric periodate sensor was constructed to monitor this reaction. The selective membranes were of PVC with porphyrin-based sensing systems and a lipophilic cation as additive. The sensor displayed a near-Nernstian response for periodate over 1.0x10-2–6.0x10-6 M, with an anionic slope of 73.9 ± 0.9 mV decade-1. It was pH independent in acidic media and presented good selectivity features towards several inorganic anions. The flow set-up operated in double-channel, carrying a 5.0x10-4 M IO- 4 solution and a suitable buffer; these were mixed in a 50-cm reaction coil. The overall flow rate was 7 ml min-1 and the injection volume 70 µl. Under these conditions, a linear behaviour against concentration was observed for 17.7–194.0 µg ml-1, presenting slopes of 0.169 mV (mg/l)-1, a reproducibility of ±1.1 mV (n = 5), and a sampling rate of ~96 samples h-1. The proposed method was applied to the analysis of beverages and pharmaceuticals.