Model-Driven requirements engineering process aided by ontologies and natural controlled languages

Researches in Requirements Engineering have been growing in the latest few years. Researchers are concerned with a set of open issues such as: communication between several user profiles involved in software engineering; scope definition; volatility and traceability issues. To cope with these issues a set of works are concentrated in (i) defining processes to collect client s specifications in order to solve scope issues; (ii) defining models to represent requirements to address communication and traceability issues; and (iii) working on mechanisms and processes to be applied to requirements modeling in order to facilitate requirements evolution and maintenance, addressing volatility and traceability issues. We propose an iterative Model-Driven process to solve these issues, based on a double layered CIM to communicate requirements related knowledge to a wider amount of stakeholders. We also present a tool to help requirements engineer through the RE process. Finally we present a case study to illustrate the process and tool s benefits and usage

Construção de um aparato experimental para monitoramento in situ da deposição de filmes finos de titânio por magnetron sputtering

The technique of surface coating using magnetron sputtering is one of the most widely used in the surface engineering, for its versatility in obtaining different films as well as in the micro / nanometric thickness control. Among the various process parameters, those related to the active species of the plasma are of the most fundamental importance in the mechanism and kinetics of deposition. In order to identify the active species of the plasma, parameters such as gas flow, pressure and density of electric power were varied during titanium coating on glass substrate. By flowing argon gas of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 sccm (cubic centimeters per minute) for each gas flow a sequential scan of the electric current of 0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.40 , 0.50 A. The maximum value of 0.50 A was chosen based both on literature data and on limitations of the equipment. The monitoring of plasma species present during the deposition was carried out in situ by the technique of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) through the spectrometer Ocean Optics USB2000 Series. For this purpose, an apparatus was developed to adapt the OES inside the plasma reactor to stay positioned closest to the target. The radiations emitted by the species were detected by an optical fiber placed behind the glass substrate and their intensities as a function of wavelength were, displayed on a monitor screen. The acquisition time for each condition of the plain parameters was related to the minima of spectral lines intensities due to the film formed on the substrate. The intensities of different emission lines of argon and titanium were then analyzed as a function of time, to determine the active species and estimate the thickness of the deposited films. After the deposition, the coated glasses thin films were characterized by optical transmittance through an infrared laser. It was found that the thickness and deposition rate determined by in situ analysis were consistent with the results obtained by laser transmittance

Desenvolvimento, pobreza e meio ambiente no seridó potiguar: um estudo centrado nas micro-regiões do seridó oriental e ocidental

This research work intends to carry out a study focused on the dynamic between development, poverty reduction and conservation of natural resources. To consider this relationship to the region chosen was the micro-region of Eastern and Western Seridó in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. In recent years, several studies (Araújo, 2011; BASTOS, 2009) have pointed out that after a period of economic crisis in its tripodproductive, formed by the activities of farming, cotton farming, mining and faced in the eighties, this region of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, has not only shown signs of economic recovery but also improve their social indicators. On the other hand, studies of desertification as the view of the state of RN (produced in cooperation between the Government of RN and research institutions) and the Sustainable Development Plan of Seridó (ADES, 2000), indicate that there is an ongoing French process of degradation of natural resources that is capable of compromising the ability of sustaining such a system. To verify this reality and likely finding this relationship, this work is adopted for this study, the analysis of evolution of secondary data from official bodies such as the IBGE on HDI, per capita income and other social indicators between 2000 and 2009. Here is another time of the survey analysis of qualitative data collected from interviews with institutions of academic intervention in nature, researchers at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) State agencies that address the issue of the Middle Environment in Seridó: Institute for Sustainable Development of the NB (IDEMA) and the Brazilian Institute of Environment and the Amazon (IBAMA) and institutions of direct intervention in the region, as the Agency's Sustainable Development Seridó (adhesive) and the Joint Semi-Arid (ASA). After crossing data from quantitative and qualitative, it was found that the dynamics of the region's economic Seridó Potiguar partially answers the improvement of social indicators of poverty. Contribution by the State in this shared stock transfer income. Regarding the influence of productive restructuring in the region on issues of environment, it is noted that the ceramic tile industry, responsible for the absorption percentage of the population with limited ingress into the urban economy, given the low education, accounts for the increase of susceptibility to the ongoing process of desertification in North Seridó Rio Grande. We conclude finally that the guarantee of increased income, freedom and conservation of natural resources ensures primarily by changing the beliefs and values, especially on the part of the business sector, which use natural resources so predatory, aimed at maintaining their rates of return on investment. And concomitantly, the synchronization between technological change, through the use of new energy sources, and institutional change.

Inserção do Design em Micro e Pequenas Empresas: o caso de duas indústrias moveleiras no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte /

This work aims to promote design aspects into furniture Small and Medium Enterprises (SME s) at Rio Grande do Norte State. The final outcome will be an increasing on their competitiveness as well as consider design as key strategic aspect for their business. As a consequence, the results are based on two SME companies from the furniture sector located at Natal/RN. The study is based on a literature research followed by a management diagnosis for each company. The diagnosis was base don interviews with the entrepreneurs and their employees as well as meetings, participant observations and document analysis. Based on this analysis, specific aspects were implement in order to boost the production line as well as the product development process (PDP) and the development of a prototype. The results have indicated some limitation of these companies regarding their low technological on their production line, poor management and work skills as well as low perception of design as a competitive tool. Regardless these results, it was observed that design has brought an important contribution for cultural changes within companies as well as for the development of better quality and competitive products

Educação corporativa para Micro e Pequenas empresas: aplicação do MADEC em empresas do setor supermercadista

This study searches to supply an existing gap in the empirical research about the performance of controllers of Micron and Small Companies (MSCs) in the context of corporative education (EC) through the Method of Support of Decision in Corporative Education (MSDCE). In the context of MCSs, this is a pioneering work, for other works related to this thematic searched in literature are limited to conjecture the possibility of its implantation via cooperation between companies; moreover, they do not apply any type of diagnosis method or viability. The object of study is an association of supermarkets of the city of Natal/RN, composed by 16 stores, of what 14 had been searched. The main objective of this work was to apply the first stage of the MSDCE and to verify the possibility of implanting the Corporative Education in the searched MSCs. As a result, it was obtained the profile of the companies and the validation of the above-mentioned Method. The phase of diagnosis conceived through the implantation of the first stage occurred through visits to the stores, interviews, application of questionnaires and place observation. The first stage - strategical analysis for professional education - was divided in two phases: analysis of the current corporative situation and available identification of the involved difficulties and resources. The implantation of the first stage of the MSDCE in the Association of Supermarkets Parceiros da Economia demanded a mapping of abilities and demonstrated how the education management works, the main difficulties and limitations of the MCSs of the supermerket branch of Natal/RN. Beyond the technological aspects, it was verified that cultural and educational aspects need to be worked to reach efficiency in the process of implantation of a corporative education program

A gestão do conhecimento e a inovação tecnológica como fatores de sobrevivência e de competitividade na sociedade do conhecimento: uma análise exploratória das MPEs do Rio Grande do Norte

The study examines the process of Knowledge Management and Technological Innovation in Small and Micro Enterprises (SME) in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and proposes actions that can contribute to regional development and competitiveness of SME. Presents as technological innovation can help to make the SME entrepreneurial activities with innovative and competitive. Defines the phases and activities of the construction of knowledge in small organizations. Examines the process of Innovation, Research and Development (R & D) in SME. Identifies the use of knowledge management and technological innovation in management practices and social interaction to influence the competitiveness of SME. Covers the communities of practice as a diffuser of knowledge and learning. To obtain the data were used questionnaires with closed questions with multiple choice, direct observations and interviews with companies. The questionnaires and interviews covered the topics of Innovation, Knowledge Management and Competitive Intelligence on SME. The sample consisted of a total of 13 Small and Micro Enterprises Award winning MPE Brazil Competitiveness, sponsored by SEBRAE in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The assessment questionnaires dealing with the Knowledge Management (KM Diagnostics - Model Bukowitz and Williams, 2002) and the process of Technological Innovation (Adaptation of ANPEI - National Association for Research, Development and Engineering of Innovative Companies). With the analysis, we concluded that the SME perceive knowledge management, but not formalized management practices so as to facilitate the dissemination of information. Soon, these companies need additional supports to direct them to the innovative activities that generate added value and competitiveness in the market

Avaliação dos processos de seleção utilizados nos programas de fomento a inovação nas micro e pequenas empresas da fundação de amparo à pesquisa do Rio Grande do Norte

Technological innovation promotes the generation of economic value by creating a new product, process or organizational management model, being classified as dynamic and multidimensional. Government intervention has the role of acting through government grant programs to foster the integration of innovative processes in small companies, due to the high costs and risks of development, strengthening the country`s economy in this phase. The distribution of this grant is determined by criteria, based especially in subjective judgments, which are based on the beliefs and perceptions about the technological opportunities and market actors involved in the process, being very difficult to measure the probability of success of the project under evaluation. This study aims to identify the most relevant selection criteria that must be inserted in grants programs at Rio Grande do Norte executed by Fundação de Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Norte (FAPERN). Initially, there was a systematization of 18 countries, covering 41 programs in foreign countries and 29 in Brazil. Based on the data collected, we conducted one survey containing four programs of FAPERN (INOVA I, INOVA II , INOVA III and INOVA IV), covering 44 companies and analyzing their responses according to the Likert scale , obtaining the degree of importance given by the respondent to each of the criteria in the questionnaire . As a result, drew up a proposal for new criteria to be used in the next FAPERN´s grants, containing 13 new criteria. It is expected, therefore, to contribute to a better spending of public funds invested in companies subsidized in Brazil

Análise de antenas utilizando substrato cerâmico, zpt, produzido por síntese auto propagante para aplicações em sistemas de micro-ondas

Ceramic substrates have been investigated by researchers around the world and has achieved a high interest in the scientific community, because they had high dielectric constants and excellent performance in the structures employed. Such ceramics result in miniaturized structures with dimensions well reduced and high radiation efficiency. In this work, we have used a new ceramic material called lead zinc titanate in the form of Zn0,8Pb0,2TiO3, capable of being used as a dielectric substrate in the construction of various structures of antennas. The method used in constructing the ceramic combustion synthesis was Self- Sustained High Temperature (SHS - "Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis") which is defined as a process that uses highly exothermic reactions to produce various materials. Once initiated the reaction area in the reaction mixture, the heat generated is sufficient to become self-sustaining combustion in the form of a wave that propagates converting the reaction mixture into the product of interest. Were analyzed aspects of the formation of the composite Zn0,8Pb0,2TiO3 by SHS powders and characterized. The analysis consisted of determining the parameters of the reaction for the formation of the composite, as the ignition temperature and reaction mechanisms. The production of composite Zn0,8Pb0,2TiO3 by SHS performed in the laboratory, was the result of a total control of combustion temperature and after obtaining the powder began the development of ceramics. The product was obtained in the form of regular, alternating layers of porous ceramics and was obtained by uniaxial pressing. 10 The product was characterized by analysis of dilatometry, X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. One of the contributions typically defined in this work is the development of a new dielectric material, nevertheless presented previously in the literature. Therefore, the structures of the antennas presented in this work consisted of new dielectric ceramics based Zn0,8Pb0,2TiO3 usually used as dielectric substrate. The materials produced were characterized in the microwave range. These are dielectrics with high relative permittivity and low loss tangent. The Ansoft HFSS, commercial program employee, using the finite element method, and was used for analysis of antennas studied in this work

Estudo da hidrodinâmica de um novo separador líquido-líquido: aplicação ao sistema óleo-bruto/água produzida

This work aims to use a different hydrodynamic condition applied to a new design of mixer-settler on treating wastewater produced by petroleum industry, called MDIF (Misturador-Decantador à Inversão de Fases/ Mixer-Settler based on Phase Inversion MSPI). The use of this different hydrodynamic behaviour is possible due to vertical disposition of the device and the principle of Phase Inversion that controls the MDIF, providing the generation (creation) of a cascade of drops, into an organic layer, that works as micro-decanters, thus making possible the formation of a bed of non-coalesced drops, called Bed Formation . The use of this new hydrodynamics condition allows to increase the residence time of the oil carrier drops, into an organic layer, and the device can treat a greater volume of wastewater. In view of to get this condition it is necessary to operate at high throughput (58,6 m3.m-2.h-1). By results, the condition of Bed Formation is the best one to be used when MSPI operates with throughput up to 58,6 m3.m-2.h-1. The results using the condition of Bed Formation show that increasing the height of the bed of non-coalesced drops and/or decreasing the volumetric ratio (O/A) an increase of the separation efficiency is detected

Análise de fluxos metabólicos para otimização da síntese do antibiótico cosmomicina por Streptomyces olindensis ICB20

Metabolic flux analysis (MFA) is a powerful tool for analyzing cellular metabolism. In order to control the growth conditions of a specific organism, it is important to have a complete understanding of its MFA. This would allowed us to improve the processes for obtaining products of interest to human and also to understand how to manipulate the genome of a cell, allowing optimization process for genetic engineering. Streptomyces olindensis ICB20 is a promising producer of the antibiotic cosmomycin, a powerful antitumor drug. Several Brazilian researchers groups have been developing studies in order to optimize cosmomycin production in bioreactors. However, to the best of our knowledge, nothing has been done on metabolic fluxes analysis field. Therefore, the aim of this work is to identify several factors that can affect the metabolism of Streptomyces olindensis ICB20, through the metabolic flux analysis. As a result, the production of the secondary metabolite, cosmomycin, can be increased. To achieve this goal, a metabolic model was developed which simulates a distribution of internal cellular fluxes based on the knowledge of metabolic pathways, its interconnections, as well as the constraints of microorganism under study. The validity of the proposed model was verified by comparing the computational data obtained by the model with the experimental data obtained from the literature. Based on the analysis of intracellular fluxes, obtained by the model, an optimal culture medium was proposed. In addition, some key points of the metabolism of Streptomyces olindensis were identified, aiming to direct its metabolism to a greater cosmomycin production. In this sense it was found that by increasing the concentration of yeast extract, the culture medium could be optimized. Furthermore, the inhibition of the biosynthesis of fatty acids was found to be a interesting strategy for genetic manipulation. Based on the metabolic model, one of the optimized medium conditions was experimentally tested in order to demonstrate in vitro what was obtained in silico. It was found that by increasing the concentration of yeast extract in the culture medium would induce to an increase of the cosmomycin production

Estudo da reidratação do feijão verde (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) desidratado por micro-ondas com e sem pré-tratamento osmótico

The green bean has organoleptic and nutritional characteristics that make it an important food source in tropical regions such as the Northeast of Brazil. It is a cheap source of protein and important for nutrition of rural population contributing significantly in subsistence farming of the families from Brazil s northeast. It is consumed in entire region and together with the dry meat and other products composes the menu of typical restaurants, being characterized as an important product for economy of Northeast. The green bean is consumed freshly harvested and has short cycle, being characterized as a very perishable food, which hampers your market. The drying method is an alternative to increase the lifetime and provide a reduction volume of this product making easier your transportation and storage. However is necessary to search ways of drying which keep the product quality not only from the nutritional standpoint but also organoleptic. Some characteristics may change with the drying process such as the coloring, the rehydration capacity and the grains cooking time. The decrease of drying time or of exposure of the grains to high temperature minimizes the effects related with the product quality loss. Among the techniques used to reduce the drying time and improve some characteristics of the product, stands out the osmotic dehydration, widely used in combined processes such as the pretreatment in drying food. Currently the use of the microwaves has been considered an alternative for drying food. The microwave energy generates heat inside of materials processed and the heating is practically instantaneous, resulting in shorter processing times and product quality higher to that obtained by conventional methods. Considering the importance of the green beans for the Northeast region, the wastefulness of production due to seasonality of the crop and your high perishability, the proposal of this thesis is the study of drying grain by microwaves with and without osmotic pretreatment, focusing on the search of conditions of processes which favor the rehydration of the product preserving your organoleptic characteristics. Based on the analysis of the results of osmotic dehydration and dielectric properties was defined the operating condition to be used in pretreatment of the green bean, with osmotic concentration in saline solution containing 12,5% of sodium chloride, at 40°C for 20 minutes. The drying of green bean by microwave was performed with and without osmotic pretreatment on the optimized condition. The osmotic predehydration favored the additional drying, reducing the process time. The rehydration of dehydrated green bean with and without osmotic pretreatment was accomplished in different temperature conditions and immersion time according to a factorial design 22, with 3 repetitions at the central point. According to results the better condition was obtained with the osmotically pretreated bean and rehydrated at a temperature of 60°C for 90 minutes. Sensory analysis was performed comparing the sample of the green bean in natura and rehydrated in optimized conditions, with and without osmotic pretreatment. All samples showed a good acceptance rate regarding the analyzed attributes (appearance, texture, color, odor and taste), with all values above 70%. Is possible conclude that the drying of green bean by microwave with osmotic pretreatment is feasible both in respect to technical aspects and rehydration rates and sensory quality of the product

Projeto de absorvedores de micro-ondas integrados com superfícies seletivas em frequência

Considering the fact that, the use of wireless communication systems has grown too fast, investigations concerning absorbers of electromagnetic waves has called closer attention of researchers. It is applicable from indoor systems to military applications. Paralleling with this growth, some extremely relevant investigations through Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS) allows its filter property to be applicable in several systems, for example: reflector antennas, band-pass radomes, and absorbers, which are the main objective of this work. Therefore, the main goal of this work concerns to design micro-waves absorbers through FSS. Thus, the methodology consists basically in two steps: the first step concerns a theoretical and numerical analysis of the structures involved in the process of absorption, the second step, the analysis of the cascaded structures. In order to carry out the analysis, the Equivalent Circuit Method will be used. This method provides characteristics of transmission from the structure, for a plane wave incidence and it requires an extremely limited computing resource in relation if compared to full wave analyses method. Hence, it is useful to allow fast predictions of the development of the structures. Furthermore, a spreading matrix will be used in order to cascade the conductive FSS and the resistive FSS achieving absorption characteristics in the designed band. The experimental results used for the analysis are found in the literature due to the difficulty of building soon, given that it is not a simple construction technique. To conclude, a mathematical development through the Equivalent Circuit Method of a FSS modeling with cross-dipole geometry and a resistive FSS will be presented, as well as the cascading involving the two structures. The same setting is used with a square loop geometry. Besides it, the next steps will be discussed in the conclusion.

Desenvolvimento de um material têxtil termosenssível com micro/nanocápsulas imobilizadas em fibras regeneradas

Intelligent and functional Textile Materials have been widely developed and researched with the purpose of being used in several areas of science and technology. These fibrous materials require different chemical and physical properties to obtain a multifunctional material. With the advent of nanotechnology, the techniques developed, being used as essential tools to characterize these new materials qualitatively. Lately the application of micro and nanomaterials in textile substrates has been the objective of many studies, but many of these nanomaterials have not been optimized for their application, which has resulted in increased costs and environmental pollution, because there is still no satisfactory effluent treatment available for these nanomaterials. Soybean fiber has low adsorption for thermosensitive micro and nanocapsules due to their incompatibility of their surface charges. For this reason, in this work initially chitosan was synthesized to functionalise soybean fibres. Chitosan is a natural polyelectrolyte with a high density of positive charges, these fibres have negative charges as well as the micro/nanocápsules, for this reason the chitosan acts as auxiliary agent to cationize in order to fix the thermosensitive microcapsules in the textile substrate. Polyelectrolyte was characterized using particle size analyses and the measurement of zeta potential. For the morphological analysis scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and x-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and to study the thermal properties, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Near Infrared Spectroscopy analysis in the Region of the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), colourimetry using UV-VIS spectrum were simultaneously performed on the substrate. From the measurement of zeta potential and in the determination of the particle size, stability of electrostatic chitosan was observed around 31.55mV and 291.0 nm respectively. The result obtained with (GD) for chitosan extracted from shrimp was 70 %, which according to the literature survey can be considered as chitosan. To optimize the dyeing process a statistical software, Design expert was used. The surface functionalisation of textile substrate with 2% chitosan showed the best result of K/S, being the parameter used for the experimental design, in which this showed the best response of dyeing absorbance in the range of 2.624. It was noted that soy knitting dyed with the thermosensitive micro andnanocapsules property showed excellent washing solidity, which was observed after 25 home washes, and significant K/S values.