Evaluation of influence of multiple scattering effect in light-scattering-based applications

The extinction cross sections of a system containing two particles are calculated by the T-matrix method, and the results are compared with those of two single particles with single-scattering approximation. The necessity of the correction of the refractive indices of water and polystyrene for different incident wavelengths is particularly addressed in the calculation. By this means, the volume fractions allowed for certain accuracy requirements of single-scattering approximation in the light scattering experiment can be evaluated. The volume fractions calculated with corrected refractive indices are compared with those obtained with fixed refractive indices which have been rather commonly used, showing that fixed refractive indices may cause significant error in evaluating multiple scattering effect. The results also give a simple criterion for selecting the incident wavelength and particle size to avoid the 'blind zone' in the turbidity measurement, where the turbidity change is insensitive to aggregation of two particles.

La evolución de la intensidad energética de la industria vasca entre 1982-2001: Un análisis de descomposición

In this article an index decomposition methodology is used to estimate the effect of intersectorial and intrasectorial changes in explaining the 38% reduction in industrial energy intensity in the Basque Autonomous Community from 1982 to 2001. Period-wise additive decomposition results show that (1) the decline is fully explained by intrasectorial changes and that (2) intersectorial changes have not contributed to reduce but to increase the energy intensity of the Basque industrial sector. However, timeseries decomposition analysis shows that (1) four different phases can be distinguished in the evolution of energy intensity of the Basque industry from 1982 to 2001 and (2) that the evolution of the “Iron and Steel” sector is determinant when explaining those phases. Moreover, the analysis stresses the necessity to disaggregate the “Iron and Steel” sector in order to be able to distinguish purely technological effects from the rest of intrasectorial changes.

O poder coercitivo do Conselho de Ética e Decoro Parlamentar da Câmara dos Deputados

Propõe reflexão sobre a atuação do Conselho de Ética e Decoro Parlamentar da Câmara dos Deputados, instituído pela Resolução nº 25 de 2001. São enumeradas e caracterizadas algumas de suas deficiências operacionais, especialmente a ausência de poder coercitivo específico para convocar testemunhas. São apresentados os conceitos de ética, moral e decoro, tanto no sentido que se aplica às relações pessoais de indivíduos em sociedade, como nas implicações inerentes à atividade política, no interior do Parlamento. São focalizados os episódios recentes da política brasileira que demandaram a primeira grande atuação do Conselho de Ética, como órgão recém-instituído no âmbito do Poder Legislativo. Como problema específico de pesquisa, destaca-se o poder testemunhal nos processos judiciais para ressaltar a importância da testemunha no processo de julgamento político, conduzido pelo Conselho de Ética. Discutem-se, finalmente, a necessidade e algumas possibilidades de aprimoramento da estrutura normativa que forma a base para o funcionamento do Conselho de Ética e Decoro Parlamentar da Câmara dos Deputados.

A atuação organizada do setor bancário e a regulamentação das tarifas bancárias

Analisa a questão do pressuposto da necessidade de regulação do sistema bancário e o lobby, como parte legítima do processo decisório político. Estas variáveis são fundamentais para a compreensão do estudo da atuação dos grupos de interesse envolvidos no processo de aprovação, pelo Conselho Monetário Nacional, da Resolução 3.518, de 06/12/07, que trata da tarifa bancária. A análise da regulamentação do setor bancário procura evidenciar os fatores que influenciam a escolha, por parte do órgão regulador, do grau de controle a ser exercido sobre as instituições financeiras, podendo ser enfatizado o caráter prudencial, fiscalizador ou liberal das normas bancárias, conforme política posta em prática pelo Banco Central. A abordagem acerca do lobbying evidencia a legitimidade de sua prática junto aos órgãos públicos, como também a possibilidade de sua regulamentação no Brasil. Em seguida, é analisado o comportamento da tarifa bancária antes, durante e depois da publicação da Resolução em questão, assim como as audiências públicas que a antecederam, a fim de investigar seus possíveis resultados, pois a partir deles, como também por intermédio das entrevistas concedidas, pode-se depreender a atuação dos grupos de influência na consecução de seus interesses.

Medida provisória na Constituição de 1988 e a necessidade de sua limitação

As medidas provisórias passaram a integrar o processo legislativo brasileiro com o advento da Constituição de 1988. A previsão inicial das medidas provisórias no art. 62 da Constituição Federal foi se tornando insatisfatória por deficiências oriundas dos pressupostos de relevância e urgência, em razão dos mesmos terem sido aferidos como muito genéricos ou subjetivos, o que acarretou sua demasiada edição. Com o intuito de restringir o poder do chefe do Executivo, foi aprovada, a Emenda Constitucional n. 32/2002, regulamentada pela Resolução 01/2002 do Congresso Nacional. Há consenso geral sobre a afronta estabelecida ao processo legislativo em função da perda de competência do Congresso derivada da excessiva edição de medidas provisórias, sendo necessário limitar essa prejudicial atuação executiva que tem estabelecido o trancamento de pauta constante nas votações no Parlamento.

Contribution of Resource-Based View and Entrepreneurial Orientation on Small Firm Growth

[EN] This research provides a useful framework for identifying a small firms’ propensity to engage in entrepreneurial orientation. We examine the impact of the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) as a main resource and capability on small firm’ growth. The growth seems to come out as an important demonstration of the entrepreneurial orientation of small firms (Davidsson, 1989; Green and Brown, 1997; Janney and Gregory, 2006). Thus, this research builds on prior conceptual research that suggests a positive integration between entrepreneurial orientation and resource-based view. In the first instance, the research will focus on reviewing literature in the emerging area of entrepreneurial orientation as it applies to growth oriented small firms and resource-based view of the firm. Secondly, an empirical study was developed based on a stratified sample of small firms of manufacturing industry. Data were submitted to a multivariate statistical analysis and a linear regression model was performed in order to predict the influence of the resources and capabilities on small firms’ growth. In this sense, we consider the construct growth as a dependent variable and the ones relates with resources and capabilities (entrepreneur resources, firm resources, networks and EO) as independent variables. The research results suggest a set of resources and capabilities that promote the growth of the small firms. Also, the EO seems to have a predictive value on growth. Explaining variables related with resources and capabilities and EO were identified as essential in growth oriented small firms. It was still possible to conclude that the entrepreneurial firms which grew seem to have resources and develop more capabilities and take advantage in the search for those competences. This attitude reflects on the EO of the firm. This study has important implication for both researchers and practitioners. It highlights the necessity of firms to develop superior EO of all their members and also to invest on better resources and consequently superior capabilities as a way of reaching higher levels of growth. While previous authors have attempted to analyse certain aspects of this process (linkage between entrepreneurial orientation and growth), this research developed a framework that combines these and others factors (resource-based view) pertinent to growth oriented small firms. The results support the necessity to identify explicative variables of multiple levels to explain the growth of small firms. The adoption of an entrepreneurial orientation as an indispensable variable to the growth oriented small firms seems pertinent.

Una iniciativa social en la recuperación textil que genera empleo: Berohi S. Coop.

[ES] El incremento del consumo de ropa provoca que año a año aumente el volumen de ropa desechada, y con éste, la conciencia sobre la necesidad de reutilizar dicho recurso. Berohi S. Coop. es una de las empresas dedicadas a la recuperación y reciclaje del textil usado, con origen en Bizkaia. La concepción inicial y desarrollo del proyecto empresarial Berohi S. Coop. constituyen el eje central del caso.

Information Preservation (IP) Method in Simulation

This paper reviews firstly methods for treating low speed rarefied gas flows: the linearised Boltzmann equation, the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the Navier-Stokes equation plus slip boundary conditions and the DSMC method, and discusses the difficulties in simulating low speed transitional MEMS flows, especially the internal flows. In particular, the present version of the LBM is shown unfeasible for simulation of MEMS flow in transitional regime. The information preservation (IP) method overcomes the difficulty of the statistical simulation caused by the small information to noise ratio for low speed flows by preserving the average information of the enormous number of molecules a simulated molecule represents. A kind of validation of the method is given in this paper. The specificities of the internal flows in MEMS, i.e. the low speed and the large length to width ratio, result in the problem of elliptic nature of the necessity to regulate the inlet and outlet boundary conditions that influence each other. Through the example of the IP calculation of the microchannel (thousands long) flow it is shown that the adoption of the conservative scheme of the mass conservation equation and the super relaxation method resolves this problem successfully. With employment of the same measures the IP method solves the thin film air bearing problem in transitional regime for authentic hard disc write/read head length ( ) and provides pressure distribution in full agreement with the generalized Reynolds equation, while before this the DSMC check of the validity of the Reynolds equation was done only for short ( ) drive head. The author suggests degenerate the Reynolds equation to solve the microchannel flow problem in transitional regime, thus provides a means with merit of strict kinetic theory for testing various methods intending to treat the internal MEMS flows.

Information preservation (IP) method in simulation of internal rarefied gas flows in MEMS

This paper reviews firstly methods for treating low speed rarefied gas flows: the linearised Boltzmann equation, the Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the Navier-Stokes equation plus slip boundary conditions and the DSMC method, and discusses the difficulties in simulating low speed transitional MEMS flows, especially the internal flows. In particular, the present version of the LBM is shown unfeasible for simulation of MEMS flow in transitional regime. The information preservation (IP) method overcomes the difficulty of the statistical simulation caused by the small information to noise ratio for low speed flows by preserving the average information of the enormous number of molecules a simulated molecule represents. A kind of validation of the method is given in this paper. The specificities of the internal flows in MEMS, i.e. the low speed and the large length to width ratio, result in the problem of elliptic nature of the necessity to regulate the inlet and outlet boundary conditions that influence each other. Through the example of the IP calculation of the microchannel (thousands m ? long) flow it is shown that the adoption of the conservative scheme of the mass conservation equation and the super relaxation method resolves this problem successfully. With employment of the same measures the IP method solves the thin film air bearing problem in transitional regime for authentic hard disc write/read head length ( 1000 L m ? = ) and provides pressure distribution in full agreement with the generalized Reynolds equation, while before this the DSMC check of the validity of the Reynolds equation was done only for short ( 5 L m ? = ) drive head. The author suggests degenerate the Reynolds equation to solve the microchannel flow problem in transitional regime, thus provides a means with merit of strict kinetic theory for testing various methods intending to treat the internal MEMS flows.

Ahozkotasunaren irakaskuntza bigarren hezkuntzako testuliburuetan

[EN]Traditionally writing skills have been given priority in language teaching and so, oral skills have been put aside. However, during the last years many voices have asserted the importance of oral skills. Therefore, they claim that oral language teaching must be emphasized at school. Also, the necessity of strengthening oral language is shown in the new curriculum. Nevertheless, those intentions are reflected in very different ways in textbooks. In this work we have looked into the treatment that oral language is given in teaching materials because, in our opinion, textbooks are one of the most important tools for teachers. The facts show that the importance given to oral language and the exercises and tools needed to work that skill are very different from one publishing house to another. Besides, we have confirmed that all the textbooks don’t satisfy the requirements proposed in the Basque official curriculum (e.g. didactic sequences) or that the approach to the text or the way to work with it are not always what they should be. Therefore, it is obvious that we have still a long way in the field of oral language and specially in the way of teaching oral skills

Designing marine fishery reserves using passive acoustic telemetry

Marine Fishery Reserves (MFRs) are being adopted, in part, as a strategy to replenish depleted fish stocks and serve as a source for recruits to adjacent fisheries. By necessity, their design must consider the biological parameters of the species under consideration to ensure that the spawning stock is conserved while simultaneously providing propagules for dispersal. We describe how acoustic telemetry can be employed to design effective MFRs by elucidating important life-history parameters of the species under consideration, including home range, and ecological preferences, including habitat utilization. We then designed a reserve based on these parameters using data from two acoustic telemetry studies that examined two closely-linked subpopulations of queen conch (Strombus gigas) at Conch Reef in the Florida Keys. The union of the home ranges of the individual conch (aggregation home range: AgHR) within each subpopulation was used to construct a shape delineating the area within which a conch would be located with a high probability. Together with habitat utilization information acquired during both the spawning and non-spawning seasons, as well as landscape features (i.e., corridors), we designed a 66.5 ha MFR to conserve the conch population. Consideration was also given for further expansion of the population into suitable habitats.

Breeding programs on Atlantic salmon in Norway: lessons learned

An early establishment of selective breeding programs on Atlantic salmon has been crucial for the success of developing efficient and sustainable salmon farming in Norway. A national selective breeding program was initiated by AKVAFORSK at the beginning of the 1970s, by collecting fertilized eggs from more than 40 Norwegian river populations. Several private selective breeding programs were also initiated in the 1970s and 1980s. While these private programs were initiated using individual selection (i.e. massselection) to genetically improve growth, the national program was designed to gradually include all economically important traits in the breeding objective (i.e. growth, age at sexual maturation, disease resistance and quality traits) using a combined family and within-family selection strategy. Independent of which selection strategy and program design used, it is important to secure and maintain a broad genetic variation in the breeding populations to maximize selection response. It has been documented that genetically improved salmon from the national selective breeding program grow twice as fast as wild Atlantic salmon and require 25 per cent less feed, while salmon representing the private breeding programs all show an intermediate growth performance. As a result of efficient dissemination of genetically improved Atlantic salmon, the Norwegian salmon farming industry has reduced its feed costs by more than US$ 230 million per year! The national selective breeding program on Atlantic salmon was commercialized into a breeding company (AquaGen) in 1992. Five years later, several private companies and the AKVAFORSK Genetics Center (AFGC) established a second breeding company (SalmoBreed) using breeding candidates from one of the private breeding programs. These two breeding companies have similar products, but different strategies on how to organize the breeding program and to disseminate the genetically improved seed to the Norwegian salmon industry. Greater competition has increased the necessity to document the genetic gain obtained from the different programs and to market the economic benefits of farming the genetically improved breeds. Both breeding companies have organized their dissemination to get a sufficient share of the economic benefits in order to sustain and improve their breeding programs.

Modeling smart grids as complex systems through the implementation of intelligent hubs

ICINCO 2010

Austauschprozesse zwischen den Dorschbeständen der westlichen und östlichen Ostsee

Quantitative proofs for the occurrence of juvenile cods in the Bornholm Sea, which had been spawned in Kiel Bay or Mecklenburg Bay, were the staring point to develop a method, which makes quantitative estimates possible. From these analyses it could be estimated that 20 to 50 % of the cods in the area of the eastern Baltic stock had been spawned in the western Baltic Sea. This expansion in eastern direction was determined partly by passive transport of pelagic cod stages. The main factor was an active migration of cod in the first year of their life. These analyses suggest the necessity to reassess the actual model of the relations between the Baltic cod stocks.

Desarrollo de servicios para vigilancia tecnológica

[EN]If a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out; but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. Without de ability to observe changing environmental conditions, the frog can find itself boiled alive before realizing it is in trouble. This is known as the boiling frog syndrome. In the same manner, it is impossible to be competitive without knowing and being aware of the environmental changes. From here comes the necessity for the Technological Watch and Competitive Intelligence. The main goals of this project are to evaluate the current Technological Vigilance System of the IK4-Tekniker research center and to develop services that help in improving the system. For that purpose, first of all the Technological Vigilance is going to be placed in the business field and its origins are going to be explained. Following that, the Technological Vigilance system of IK4-Tekniker is going to be analyzed for its evaluation. Finally the creation of the services previously mentioned are going to be described in detail, showing the technologies and tools used for that purpose like the Responsive Web Design.