Challenges and Opportunities in Transforming Laser System Industry to Deliver Integrated Product and Service Offers

Part 4: Transition Towards Product-Service Systems

Building an Ontology of Product/Service-Systems: Using a Maritime Case Study to Elicit Classifications and Characteristics

Part 4: Transition Towards Product-Service Systems

Negotiation Support for Co-design of Business Services

Part 3: Product-Service Systems

Adding Value to Manufacturing: Thirty Years of European Framework Program Activity

Part 1: Introduction

Collaborative Systems for Smart Environments: Trends and Challenges

Part 1: Introduction

Disabling and Enabling Technologies for Learning in Higher Education for All : Issues and Challenges for Whom?

Integration, inclusion, and equity constitute fundamental dimensions of democracy in post-World War II societies and their institutions. The study presented here reports upon the ways in which individuals and institutions both use and account for the roles that technologies, including ICT, play in disabling and enabling access for learning in higher education for all. Technological innovations during the 20th and 21st centuries, including ICT, have been heralded as holding significant promise for revolutionizing issues of access in societal institutions like schools, healthcare services, etc. (at least in the global North). Taking a socially oriented perspective, the study presented in this paper focuses on an ethnographically framed analysis of two datasets that critically explores the role that technologies, including ICT, play in higher education for individuals who are “differently abled” and who constitute a variation on a continuum of capabilities. Functionality as a dimension of everyday life in higher education in the 21st century is explored through the analysis of (i) case studies of two “differently abled” students in Sweden and (ii) current support services at universities in Sweden. The findings make visible the work that institutions and their members do through analyses of the organization of time and space and the use of technologies in institutional settings against the backdrop of individuals’ accountings and life trajectories. This study also highlights the relevance of multi-scale data analyses for revisiting the ways in which identity positions become framed or understood within higher education.

Materiais electrocrómicos e mecaelectroquímicos: contextualização e experimentação na disciplina de química do 12º ano

Durante os últimos 1O anos, em particular, tem-se assistido à descoberta e desenvolvimento de materiais com propriedades únicas e potencialmente úteis em vários domínios da Ciência e Tecnologia. Quer seja na área das Ciências Biomédicas e do Ambiente, na área das Novas Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação ou nas Novas Tecnologias relacionadas com sistemas de Conversão e Armazenamento de Energia Eléctrica, encontram-se inúmeros exemplos de Novos Materiais com propriedades muito interessantes, e cujas aplicações inovadoras podem revolucionar o nosso Mundo. O presente trabalho é uma proposta de contextualização e experimentação do tema "Materiais Electrocrómicos e Mecaelectroquímicos" no Programa de Química de 12° Ano, nomeadamente na terceira Unidade - Plásticos, Vidros e Novos Materiais. Neste, é apresentada uma sub-unidade que possa integrar a unidade referida. Faz-se especial referência às aplicações dos polímeros condutores, que pela sua inovação e actualidade tomam a leccionação do tema mais apelativa, interessante e facilitadora de uma literacia científica. São apresentadas experiências laboratoriais demonstrativas e elucidativas do tema em questão. Como forma de apoiar a leccionação do referido tema, é apresentada a proposta de uma animação gráfica animada em Power Point. ABSTRACT: During the past 1O years, in particular, it has witnessed to the discovery and development of materials with unique properties and potentially useful in various fields of Science and Technology. There are numerous examples of new materials in different areas, such as Biomedical, Energy and Environmental Sciences and New information and Communication Technologies, with very interesting properties, and whose innovative applications can have an outstanding impact in our world. This dissertation is a proposal of contextualization and experimentation of theme "Electrochromic Materials and Electrochemical Artificial Muscles" in the Program of Chemistry, in 12th year, particularly in the third unit - Plastics, Glass and New Materials. lt will present a sub-unit that can integrate the unit above. The definitions and some applications of the Electrochromic Materials and Electrochemical Artificial Muscles are showed. Demonstrative and illustrative laboratory experiments of the theme are proposed. ln order to support the teaching of that subject, it is presented an animated graphical presentation in Power Point.

The interorganizational virtual organization: Defining a Weberian ideal

The concept of the virtual organization (VO) has engendered great interest in the literature, yet there is still little common understanding of the concept, as evidenced by the multitude of labels applied to VOs. In this article, we focus on a “Weberian-ideal-type” definition of the interorganizational VO, posited in our earlier work (Kasper-Fuehrer and Ashkanasy 2001). We argue, however, that this definition left unanswered critical questions relating to the nature and effects of interorganizational VOs. We answer these questions here by explicating the terms in the definition and deriving ten corollaries, or “natural consequences” of our definition. The corollaries posit that interorganizational VOs are temporary in nature, are network organizations, are independent, and are based on swift trust. We suggest further that interorganizational VOs enable small to medium enterprises to exploit market opportunities, and enable VO member organizations to create a value-adding partnership. We also identify information and communication technology (ICT) as the essential enabler of VOs. Finally, we argue that interorganizational VOs act as a single organizational unit and that they therefore constitute a uniquely distinguishable organizational form. We conclude with suggestions for further research, including trust, organizational behavior, transaction economics, virtual HRM, and business strategy.

O papel do governo eletr??nico no fortalecimento da governan??a do setor p??blico

As novas Tecnologias da Informa????o e Comunica????o (TIC), entre as quais se destacam a internet, as redes de computadores, a transmiss??o via sat??lite e a telefonia m??vel, criaram condi????es para o surgimento de Sociedades do Conhecimento. Nesse contexto, o Estado, por interm??dio do governo eletr??nico, ?? o principal instrumento de que os cidad??os disp??em atualmente para enfrentar os desafios impostos pela globaliza????o, por meio de intera????es in??ditas da sociedade, empresas e governos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estabelecer rela????es entre a governan??a do setor p??blico e o governo eletr??nico, partindo-se de um marco referencial te??rico das duas ??reas de estudo. Para tanto, foram delineados seus escopos e limites de atua????o, instituindo-se v??nculos, de acordo com a????es do Governo Eletr??nico brasileiro: certifica????o digital; Portal da Transpar??ncia; vota????o eletr??nica; preg??es eletr??nicos e Portal da Previd??ncia Social. Conclui-se que, apesar dos avan??os recentes observados pela an??lise de v??rias dimens??es da governan??a, baseados em iniciativas de governo eletr??nico aqui inventariadas, ainda h?? muito que fazer em dire????o ?? inclus??o social no Brasil, assim como em outros pa??ses. As TIC podem vir a ser um poderoso agente de inclus??o digital, apoiando a governan??a com a cria????o de espa??os virtuais para participa????o democr??tica e di??logo c??vico e expans??o da participa????o em tomada de decis??o coletiva, promovendo a igualdade e a cidadania.

Uso de tecnologias de informa????o e comunica????o na gest??o p??blica: exemplos no governo federal

A administra????o p??blica passou por diversas mudan??as nos ??ltimos 30 anos. Parte dessas altera????es tem origem nas oportunidades criadas pelas inova????es tecnol??gicas. O objetivo deste trabalho ?? apresentar como tem sido o uso de tecnologias da informa????o e comunica????o (TICs) nas inova????es promovidas na administra????o p??blica federal brasileira. Para tanto, tomamos como base a descri????o de cinco experi??ncias inovadoras em TIC premiadas nos concursos anuais Inova????o na Gest??o P??blica Federal, realizados pela Escola Nacional de Administra????o P??blica (ENAP): o Portal da Transpar??ncia da Controladoria-Geral da Uni??o (CGU); o Programa Nacional do Livro Did??tico; o uso dos computadores de m??o pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estat??stica (IBGE); a entrega da Declara????o do Imposto de Renda via internet; e a utiliza????o de urnas eletr??nicas nas elei????es brasileiras. A despeito da relev??ncia dos avan??os do governo eletr??nico brasileiro at?? aqui, medidas de aprimoramento da intera????o entre os diversos ??rg??os p??blicos e tamb??m das pol??ticas p??blicas de inclus??o digital ainda se fazem necess??rias.

Learning in higher education: strategies to overcome challenges faced by adult students - lessons drawn from two studies in portugal

Int’l J. of Information and Communication Technology Education, 3(2), 1-14, April-June 2007

Personalized sightseeing tours support using mobile devices

In this paper, we present PSiS (Personalized Sightseeing Tours Recommendation System) Mobile. PSiS Mobile is our proposal to a mobile recommendation and planning support system, which is designed to provide effective support during the tourist visit with context-aware information and recommendations about places of interest (POI), exploiting tourist preferences and context.

Optoelectronic Digital Capture Device Based on Si/C Multilayer Heterostructures

Combined tunable WDM converters based on SiC multilayer photonic active filters are analyzed. The operation combines the properties of active long-pass and short-pass wavelength filter sections into a capacitive active band-pass filter. The sensor element is a multilayered heterostructure produced by PE-CVD. The configuration includes two stacked SiC p-i-n structures sandwiched between two transparent contacts. Transfer function characteristics are studied both theoretically and experimentally. Results show that optical bias activated photonic device combines the demultiplexing operation with the simultaneous photodetection and self amplification of an optical signal acting the device as an integrated photonic filter in the visible range. Depending on the wavelength of the external background and irradiation side, the device acts either as a short- or a long-pass band filter or as a band-stop filter. The output waveform presents a nonlinear amplitude-dependent response to the wavelengths of the input channels. A numerical simulation and two building-blocks active circuit is presented and gives insight into the physics of the device.

Measurement of Photo Capacitance in Amorphous Silicon Photodiodes

This paper discusses the photodiode capacitance dependence on imposed light and applied voltage using different devices. The first device is a double amorphous silicon pin-pin photodiode; the second one a crystalline pin diode and the last one a single pin amorphous silicon diode. Double amorphous silicon diodes can be used as (de)multiplexer devices for optical communications. For short range applications, using plastic optical fibres, the WDM (wavelength-division multiplexing) technique can be used in the visible light range to encode multiple signals. Experimental results consist on measurements of the photodiode capacitance under different conditions of imposed light and applied voltage. The relation between the capacitive effects of the double diode and the quality of the semiconductor internal junction will be analysed. The dynamics of charge accumulations will be measured when the photodiode is illuminated by a pulsed monochromatic light.

Optoelectronic Logic Functions Based on Reconfigurable SiC Multilayer Devices

WDM multilayered SiC/Si devices based on a-Si:H and a-SiC:H filter design are approached from a reconfigurable point of view. Results show that the devices, under appropriated optical bias, act as reconfigurable active filters that allow optical switching and optoelectronic logic functions development. Under front violet irradiation the magnitude of the red and green channels are amplified and the blue and violet reduced. Violet back irradiation cuts the red channel, slightly influences the magnitude of the green and blue ones and strongly amplifies de violet channel. This nonlinearity provides the possibility for selective removal of useless wavelengths. Particular attention is given to the amplification coefficient weights, which allow taking into account the wavelength background effects when a band needs to be filtered from a wider range of mixed signals, or when optical active filter gates are used to select and filter input signals to specific output ports in WDM communication systems. A truth table of an encoder that performs 8-to-1 multiplexer (MUX) function is presented.