Taxonomy of broker's functions in virtual enterprises

Not just with the emergence but also with the growing of the electronic market, that is, the growth of online suppliers of services and products and Internet users (potential consumers), the necessary conditions to the affirmation of the agile/virtual enterprises (A/VE) as a present and future enterprise organizational model are created. In this context, it is our understanding that the broker may have an important role in its development, namely, if the broker performs functions for the A/VE with better efficacy and efficiency. In this article, we will present first a revision of the broker’s models in a structured form. We present a taxonomy of possible broker’s functions for the broker’s actuation near the A/VE and then the classification of the literature broker’s models. This classification will permit an analysis of a broker’s model and establish a mainframe for our broker’s model according to the BM_Virtual Enterprise Architecture Reference Model (BM_VEARM).

SPARTS: simulator for power aware and real-time systems

Real-time systems demand guaranteed and predictable run-time behaviour in order to ensure that no task has missed its deadline. Over the years we are witnessing an ever increasing demand for functionality enhancements in the embedded real-time systems. Along with the functionalities, the design itself grows more complex. Posed constraints, such as energy consumption, time, and space bounds, also require attention and proper handling. Additionally, efficient scheduling algorithms, as proven through analyses and simulations, often impose requirements that have significant run-time cost, specially in the context of multi-core systems. In order to further investigate the behaviour of such systems to quantify and compare these overheads involved, we have developed the SPARTS, a simulator of a generic embedded real- time device. The tasks in the simulator are described by externally visible parameters (e.g. minimum inter-arrival, sporadicity, WCET, BCET, etc.), rather than the code of the tasks. While our current implementation is primarily focused on our immediate needs in the area of power-aware scheduling, it is designed to be extensible to accommodate different task properties, scheduling algorithms and/or hardware models for the application in wide variety of simulations. The source code of the SPARTS is available for download at [1].

Entity localization and tracking: a sensor fusion-based mechanism in WSNs

Knowing exactly where a mobile entity is and monitoring its trajectory in real-time has recently attracted a lot of interests from both academia and industrial communities, due to the large number of applications it enables, nevertheless, it is nowadays one of the most challenging problems from scientific and technological standpoints. In this work we propose a tracking system based on the fusion of position estimations provided by different sources, that are combined together to get a final estimation that aims at providing improved accuracy with respect to those generated by each system individually. In particular, exploiting the availability of a Wireless Sensor Network as an infrastructure, a mobile entity equipped with an inertial system first gets the position estimation using both a Kalman Filter and a fully distributed positioning algorithm (the Enhanced Steepest Descent, we recently proposed), then combines the results using the Simple Convex Combination algorithm. Simulation results clearly show good performance in terms of the final accuracy achieved. Finally, the proposed technique is validated against real data taken from an inertial sensor provided by THALES ITALIA.

Formação para a literacia da informação: uma interactividade necessária com os media

Our aim is to analyse the relationship between interactive media and its use in Education when applied to formal training for information literacy. Contextualizing the notion of literacy in an evolving framework and emphasizing the recognition of its importance, we highlight some desirable skills in the current information society, including, inevitably, technological competencies. When considering the notion of literacy within an evolving framework and emphasizing the acknowledgement of its significance some desirable skills stand out in the current information society including, inevitably, the technological skills. We emphasize media literacy and select some strategies for teaching and learning practices recommended for the development of new skills, highlighting the contribution of some international literacy standards and describing some of the good practices in Education. We also underline the need for training within an holistic perspective, integrating student’, teachers and staff cooperation in the educational process. In this process, the potential of the Web 2.0, which grants the new information users – the prosumers (consumers and producers) a new statute, new powers and obligations, is indeed worth mentioning. Regarding the situation, we shall quote the reports on the experiences of virtual learning communities that use the moodle platform and mention several activities and programs managed by the Portuguese government to increase the citizens’ literacy’s levels. In conclusion, we point out the need for lifelong learning and the ability of individuals to “learn to learn” who therefore provide literacy with a dynamic component.

The use of nanoparticles in soil and water remediation processes

Environmental nanoremediation of various contaminants has been reported in several recent studies. In this paper, the state of the art on the use of nanoparticles in soil and groundwater remediation processes is presented. There is a substantive body of evidence on the growing and successful application of nanoremediation for a diversity of soil and groundwater contamination contexts, particularly, for heavy metals, other inorganic contaminants, organic contaminants and emerging contaminants, as pharmaceutical and personal care products. This review confirms the competence of the use of nanoparticles in the remediation of contaminated media and the prevalent use of iron based nanoparticles.

La potenza del virtuale tra media e literatura

In this article, we will try to demonstrate that there are strong analogies between literature and new media, as they were both born to satisfy a human need. We will try to show that the inglorious world of media and the prestigious literary universe are walking – without knowing – in the same direction. Therefore, it would be easier to confute the recent theory that declares the death of literature after the rise of new media. Only an honest and interdisciplinary dialogue can reveal all sorts of hidden structural homologies, uncovering new creative horizons.