Biofunctionalization of alginate microcapsules: advances in cell-based drug delivery systems

172 p.

Modelagem e desenvolvimento de sistemas de informações geográficas para web com tecnologias de rich internet applications.

Os SIG estão se popularizando cada vez mais e isso tem se dado principalmente através da Internet. Os assim chamados SIG-Web no entanto, quando desenvolvidos com as tecnologias tradicionais de web, apresentam as mesmas fraquezas daquelas, a saber: sincronicidade e pobreza na interação com o usuário. As tecnologias usadas para Rich Internet Applications (RIA) são uma alternativa que resolvem esses problemas. Na presente dissertação será demonstrada a factibilidade do seu uso para o desenvolvimento de SIG-Web, oferecendo um conjunto de códigos e estratégias para desenvolvimentos futuros, a partir de um conjunto básico de operações a se realizar em um SIG-Web. Adicionalmente será proposta a UWE-R, uma extensão a uma metodologia de engenharia web existente, para modelagem de RIA e SIG-Web.

Assessment of existing information on Atlantic coastal fish habitats: development of a web-based spatial bibliography, query tools, and data summaries

The primary objective of this project, “the Assessment of Existing Information on Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat”, is to inform conservation planning for the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP). ACFHP is recognized as a Partnership by the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP), whose overall mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation. This project is a cooperative effort of NOAA/NOS Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) Biogeography Branch and ACFHP. The Assessment includes three components; 1. a representative bibliographic and assessment database, 2. a Geographical Information System (GIS) spatial framework, and 3. a summary document with description of methods, analyses of habitat assessment information, and recommendations for further work. The spatial bibliography was created by linking the bibliographic table developed in Microsoft Excel and exported to SQL Server, with the spatial framework developed in ArcGIS and exported to GoogleMaps. The bibliography is a comprehensive, searchable database of over 500 selected documents and data sources on Atlantic coastal fish species and habitats. Key information captured for each entry includes basic bibliographic data, spatial footprint (e.g. waterbody or watershed), species and habitats covered, and electronic availability. Information on habitat condition indicators, threats, and conservation recommendations are extracted from each entry and recorded in a separate linked table. The spatial framework is a functional digital map based on polygon layers of watersheds, estuarine and marine waterbodies derived from NOAA’s Coastal Assessment Framework, MMS/NOAA’s Multipurpose Marine Cadastre, and other sources, providing spatial reference for all of the documents cited in the bibliography. Together, the bibliography and assessment tables and their spatial framework provide a powerful tool to query and assess available information through a publicly available web interface. They were designed to support the development of priorities for ACFHP’s conservation efforts within a geographic area extending from Maine to Florida, and from coastal watersheds seaward to the edge of the continental shelf. The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership has made initial use of the Assessment of Existing Information. Though it has not yet applied the AEI in a systematic or structured manner, it expects to find further uses as the draft conservation strategic plan is refined, and as regional action plans are developed. It also provides a means to move beyond an “assessment of existing information” towards an “assessment of fish habitat”, and is being applied towards the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) 2010 Assessment. Beyond the scope of the current project, there may be application to broader initiatives such as Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs), Ecosystem Based Management (EBM), and Marine Spatial Planning (MSP).

Influencing factors of successful transitions towards product-service systems: A simulation approach

Product-Service Systems (PSS) are new business strategies moving and extending the product value towards its functional usage and related required services. From a theoretical point of view the PSS concept is known since a decade and many Authors reported reasonable possible success factors: higher profits over the entire life-cycle, diminished environmental burden, and localization of required services. Nevertheless the PSS promises remain quantitatively unproven relaying on a simple theory that involves a few constructs with some empirical grounding, but that is limited by weak conceptualization, few propositions, and/or rough underlying theoretical logic. A plausible interpretation to analyze the possible evolution of a PSS strategy could be considering it as a new business proposition competing on a traditional Product-Oriented (PO) market, assumed at its own equilibrium state at a given time. The analysis of the dynamics associated to a possible transition from a traditional PO to a PSS strategy allows investigating the main parameters and variables influencing an eventual successful adoption. This research is worthwhile because organizations undergoing fundamental PSS strategy are concerned about change and inertia key processes which, despite equilibrium theory and because of negative feedback loops, could undermine, economically, the return of their PSS proposition. In this paper Authors propose a qualitative System Dynamics (SD) approach by considering the PSS as a perturbation of an existing PO market featured by a set of known parameters. The proposed model incorporates several PSS factors able to influence the success of a PSS proposition under a set of given and justified assumptions, attempting to place this business strategy in a dynamic framework.

A framework for designing product service systems

In this competitive globalizing scenario, manufacturers are adopting a strategy of bundling products and services into an integrated solution to create sustainable competitive advantage. Servitizing manufacturers are increasingly transforming their processes and practices to build product-service systems (PSS). During this transformation they require substantial support to face stringent challenges. Research in the PSS domain is heading towards the development of a design theory and methodology that facilitates the systematic creation of viable PSS conceptual designs. In this paper, various proposed design methods are reviewed and research gaps are summarized. Primarily, it has been observed that the importance of the capabilities of the stakeholders involved in designing PSS has not been noted in the proposed methods. Regarding this capability view point, a framework for designing PSS has been proposed. This framework highlights the important features required in designing PSS such as co-creation, responsibilities and competences. Every step in the framework has been explained with a case study involving laser systems used for manufacturing cutting operation.