Supporting conceptualisation processes in collaborative networks: a case study on an R&D project

The development of new products or processes involves the creation, re-creation and integration of conceptual models from the related scientific and technical domains. Particularly, in the context of collaborative networks of organisations (CNO) (e.g. a multi-partner, international project) such developments can be seriously hindered by conceptual misunderstandings and misalignments, resulting from participants with different backgrounds or organisational cultures, for example. The research described in this article addresses this problem by proposing a method and the tools to support the collaborative development of shared conceptualisations in the context of a collaborative network of organisations. The theoretical model is based on a socio-semantic perspective, while the method is inspired by the conceptual integration theory from the cognitive semantics field. The modelling environment is built upon a semantic wiki platform. The majority of the article is devoted to developing an informal ontology in the context of a European R&D project, studied using action research. The case study results validated the logical structure of the method and showed the utility of the method.

Dermic diffusion and stratum corneum: a state of the art review of mathematical models

Transdermal biotechnologies are an ever increasing ���eld of interest, due to the medical and pharmaceutical applications that they underlie. There are several mathematical models at use that permit a more inclusive vision of pure experimental data and even allow practical extrapolation for new dermal diffusion methodologies. However, they grasp a complex variety of theories and assumptions that allocate their use for speci���c situations. Models based on Fick's First Law found better use in contexts where scaled particle theory Models would be extensive in time-span but the reciprocal is also true, as context of transdermal diffusion of particular active compounds changes. This article reviews extensively the various theoretical methodologies for studying dermic diffusion in the rate limiting dermic barrier, the stratum corneum, and systematizes its characteristics, their proper context of application, advantages and limitations, as well as future perspectives.

The use of information and interactive processes in growth management

Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia do Ambiente, especialidade em Sistemas Sociais

Detection of quasi-periodic processes in complex systems: how do we quantitatively describe their properties?

It has been shown that in reality at least two general scenarios of data structuring are possible: (a) a self-similar (SS) scenario when the measured data form an SS structure and (b) a quasi-periodic (QP) scenario when the repeated (strongly correlated) data form random sequences that are almost periodic with respect to each other. In the second case it becomes possible to describe their behavior and express a part of their randomness quantitatively in terms of the deterministic amplitude���frequency response belonging to the generalized Prony spectrum. This possibility allows us to re-examine the conventional concept of measurements and opens a new way for the description of a wide set of different data. In particular, it concerns different complex systems when the ���best-fit��� model pretending to be the description of the data measured is absent but the barest necessity of description of these data in terms of the reduced number of quantitative parameters exists. The possibilities of the proposed approach and detection algorithm of the QP processes were demonstrated on actual data: spectroscopic data recorded for pure water and acoustic data for a test hole. The suggested methodology allows revising the accepted classification of different incommensurable and self-affine spatial structures and finding accurate interpretation of the generalized Prony spectroscopy that includes the Fourier spectroscopy as a partial case.

Mem��ria de longo prazo nos retornos acionistas dos ��ndices de refer��ncia da euronext, implica����es para a hip��tese de mercados eficientes e contributo fractal para aperfei��oamento do capital asset pricing model

N��o existe uma defini����o ��nica de processo de mem��ria de longo prazo. Esse processo �� geralmente definido como uma s��rie que possui um correlograma decaindo lentamente ou um espectro infinito de frequ��ncia zero. Tamb��m se refere que uma s��rie com tal propriedade �� caracterizada pela depend��ncia a longo prazo e por n��o peri��dicos ciclos longos, ou que essa caracter��stica descreve a estrutura de correla����o de uma s��rie de longos desfasamentos ou que �� convencionalmente expressa em termos do decl��nio da lei-pot��ncia da fun����o auto-covari��ncia. O interesse crescente da investiga����o internacional no aprofundamento do tema �� justificado pela procura de um melhor entendimento da natureza din��mica das s��ries temporais dos pre��os dos ativos financeiros. Em primeiro lugar, a falta de consist��ncia entre os resultados reclama novos estudos e a utiliza����o de v��rias metodologias complementares. Em segundo lugar, a confirma����o de processos de mem��ria longa tem implica����es relevantes ao n��vel da (1) modela����o te��rica e econom��trica (i.e., dos modelos martingale de pre��os e das regras t��cnicas de negocia����o), (2) dos testes estat��sticos aos modelos de equil��brio e avalia����o, (3) das decis��es ��timas de consumo / poupan��a e de portef��lio e (4) da medi����o de efici��ncia e racionalidade. Em terceiro lugar, ainda permanecem quest��es cient��ficas emp��ricas sobre a identifica����o do modelo geral te��rico de mercado mais adequado para modelar a difus��o das s��ries. Em quarto lugar, aos reguladores e gestores de risco importa saber se existem mercados persistentes e, por isso, ineficientes, que, portanto, possam produzir retornos anormais. O objetivo do trabalho de investiga����o da disserta����o �� duplo. Por um lado, pretende proporcionar conhecimento adicional para o debate da mem��ria de longo prazo, debru��ando-se sobre o comportamento das s��ries di��rias de retornos dos principais ��ndices acionistas da EURONEXT. Por outro lado, pretende contribuir para o aperfei��oamento do capital asset pricing model CAPM, considerando uma medida de risco alternativa capaz de ultrapassar os constrangimentos da hip��tese de mercado eficiente EMH na presen��a de s��ries financeiras com processos sem incrementos independentes e identicamente distribu��dos (i.i.d.). O estudo emp��rico indica a possibilidade de utiliza����o alternativa das obriga����es do tesouro (OT���s) com maturidade de longo prazo no c��lculo dos retornos do mercado, dado que o seu comportamento nos mercados de d��vida soberana reflete a confian��a dos investidores nas condi����es financeiras dos Estados e mede a forma como avaliam as respetiva economias com base no desempenho da generalidade dos seus ativos. Embora o modelo de difus��o de pre��os definido pelo movimento Browniano geom��trico gBm alegue proporcionar um bom ajustamento das s��ries temporais financeiras, os seus pressupostos de normalidade, estacionariedade e independ��ncia das inova����es residuais s��o adulterados pelos dados emp��ricos analisados. Por isso, na procura de evid��ncias sobre a propriedade de mem��ria longa nos mercados recorre-se �� rescaled-range analysis R/S e �� detrended fluctuation analysis DFA, sob abordagem do movimento Browniano fracion��rio fBm, para estimar o expoente Hurst H em rela����o ��s s��ries de dados completas e para calcular o expoente Hurst ���local��� H t em janelas m��veis. Complementarmente, s��o realizados testes estat��sticos de hip��teses atrav��s do rescaled-range tests R/S , do modified rescaled-range test M - R/S e do fractional differencing test GPH. Em termos de uma conclus��o ��nica a partir de todos os m��todos sobre a natureza da depend��ncia para o mercado acionista em geral, os resultados emp��ricos s��o inconclusivos. Isso quer dizer que o grau de mem��ria de longo prazo e, assim, qualquer classifica����o, depende de cada mercado particular. No entanto, os resultados gerais maioritariamente positivos suportam a presen��a de mem��ria longa, sob a forma de persist��ncia, nos retornos acionistas da B��lgica, Holanda e Portugal. Isto sugere que estes mercados est��o mais sujeitos a maior previsibilidade (���efeito Jos�����), mas tamb��m a tend��ncias que podem ser inesperadamente interrompidas por descontinuidades (���efeito No�����), e, por isso, tendem a ser mais arriscados para negociar. Apesar da evid��ncia de din��mica fractal ter suporte estat��stico fraco, em sintonia com a maior parte dos estudos internacionais, refuta a hip��tese de passeio aleat��rio com incrementos i.i.d., que �� a base da EMH na sua forma fraca. Atendendo a isso, prop��em-se contributos para aperfei��oamento do CAPM, atrav��s da proposta de uma nova fractal capital market line FCML e de uma nova fractal security market line FSML. A nova proposta sugere que o elemento de risco (para o mercado e para um ativo) seja dado pelo expoente H de Hurst para desfasamentos de longo prazo dos retornos acionistas. O expoente H mede o grau de mem��ria de longo prazo nos ��ndices acionistas, quer quando as s��ries de retornos seguem um processo i.i.d. n��o correlacionado, descrito pelo gBm(em que H = 0,5 , confirmando- se a EMH e adequando-se o CAPM), quer quando seguem um processo com depend��ncia estat��stica, descrito pelo fBm(em que H �� diferente de 0,5, rejeitando-se a EMH e desadequando-se o CAPM). A vantagem da FCML e da FSML �� que a medida de mem��ria de longo prazo, definida por H, �� a refer��ncia adequada para traduzir o risco em modelos que possam ser aplicados a s��ries de dados que sigam processos i.i.d. e processos com depend��ncia n��o linear. Ent��o, estas formula����es contemplam a EMH como um caso particular poss��vel.

Change Processes and Future Perspectives in the Knowledge Society. The Example of Clothing and Textile Industry

The paper examines change processes und future perspectives in the knowledge society. It presents the clothing and textile industry as an example for a transforming industry in a global economy. The paper reviews existing future studies, which have surveyed change processes and future developments in the clothing and textile industry. Main goals of the review are the identification of changes in work and the description of the restructuring of global value chains within the clothing and textile sector. The paper also highlights major current trends, drivers of change and future prospects in this sector.

Management Structure and Work Team Processes; Responsibilities and Responsiveness

This paper explores the management structure of the team-based organization. First it provides a theoretical model of structures and processes of work teams. The structure determines the team���s responsibilities in terms of authority and expertise about specific regulation tasks. The responsiveness of teams to these responsibilities are the processes of teamwork, in terms of three dimensions, indicating to what extent teams indeed use the space provided to them. The research question that this paper addresses is to what extent the position of responsibilities in the team-based organization affect team responsiveness. This is done by two hypotheses. First, the effect of the so-called proximity of regulation tasks is tested. It is expected that the responsibility for tasks positioned higher in the organization (i.e. further from the team) generally has a negative effect on team responsiveness, whereas tasks positioned lower in the organization (i.e. closer to the team) will have a positive effect on the way in which teams respond. Second, the relationship between the number of tasks for which the team is responsible with team responsiveness is tested. Theory suggests that teams being responsible for a larger number of tasks perform better, i.e. show higher responsiveness. These hypotheses are tested by a study of 109 production teams in the automotive industry. The results show that, as the theory predicts, increasing numbers of responsibilities have positive effects on team responsiveness. However, the delegation of expertise to teams seems to be the most important predictor of responsiveness. Also, not all regulation tasks show to have effects on team responsiveness. Most tasks do not show to have any significant effect at all. A number of tasks affects team responsiveness positively, when their responsibility is positioned lower in the organization, but also a number of tasks affects team responsiveness positively when located higher in the organization, i.e. further from the teams in the production. The results indicate that more attention can be paid to the distribution of responsibilities, in particular expertise, to teams. Indeed delegating more expertise improve team responsiveness, however some tasks might be located better at higher organizational levels, indicating that there are limitations to what responsibilities teams can handle.

A web-based tool to evaluate the iterative processes of direct search methods

Constrained and unconstrained Nonlinear Optimization Problems often appear in many engineering areas. In some of these cases it is not possible to use derivative based optimization methods because the objective function is not known or it is too complex or the objective function is non-smooth. In these cases derivative based methods cannot be used and Direct Search Methods might be the most suitable optimization methods. An Application Programming Interface (API) including some of these methods was implemented using Java Technology. This API can be accessed either by applications running in the same computer where it is installed or, it can be remotely accessed through a LAN or the Internet, using webservices. From the engineering point of view, the information needed from the API is the solution for the provided problem. On the other hand, from the optimization methods researchers��� point of view, not only the solution for the problem is needed. Also additional information about the iterative process is useful, such as: the number of iterations; the value of the solution at each iteration; the stopping criteria, etc. In this paper are presented the features added to the API to allow users to access to the iterative process data.

Future gender relations in global restructuring processes case study evidence from knowledge-intensive, manufacturing and service occupations

Global restructuring processes have not only strong implications for European working and living realities, but also have specific outcomes with regard to gender relations. The following contribution analyses in which way global restructuring shapes current gender relations in order to identify important trends and developments for future gender (in)equalities at the workplace. On the basis of a large qualitative study on global restructuring and impacts on different occupational groups it argues that occupational belonging in line with skill and qualification levels are crucial factors to assess the further development of gender relations at work. Whereas global restructuring in knowledge-based occupations may provide new opportunities for female employees, current restructuring is going to deteriorate female labour participation in service occupations. In contrast, manufacturing occupations can be characterised by persistent gender relations, which do not change in spite of major restructuring processes at the work place. Taking the institutional perspective into account, it seems to be crucial to integrate the occupational perspective in order to apply adequate policy regulations to prevent the reinforcement of gender related working patterns in the near future.

Voltammetric quantification of fluoxetine: application to quality control and quality assurance processes

The oxidative behaviour of fluoxetine was studied at a glassy carbon electrode in various buffer systems and at different pH using cyclic, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry. A new square wave voltammetric method suitable for the quality control of fluoxetine in commercial formulations has been developed using a borate pH 9 buffer solution as supporting electrolyte. Under optimized conditions, a linear response was obtained in the range 10 to 16 ��M with a detection limit of 1.0 ��M. Validation parameters such as sensitivity, precision and accuracy were evaluated. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of fluoxetine in pharmaceutical formulations. The results were statistically compared with those obtained by the reference high-performance liquid chromatographic method. No significant differences were found between the methods.

Development of biocompatible and ���smart��� porous structures using CO2-assisted processes

Disserta����o apresentada para a obten����o do grau de Doutor em Engenharia Qu��mica, especialidade Engenharia da Reac����o Qu��mica, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ci��ncias e Tecnologia

Travelling wave profiles in some models with nonlinear diffusion

We study some properties of the monotone solutions of the boundary value problem (p(u'))' - cu' + f(u) = 0, u(-infinity) = 0, u(+infinity) = 1, where f is a continuous function, positive in (0, 1) and taking the value zero at 0 and 1, and P may be an increasing homeomorphism of (0, 1) or (0, +infinity) onto [0, +infinity). This problem arises when we look for travelling waves for the reaction diffusion equation partial derivative u/partial derivative t = partial derivative/partial derivative x [p(partial derivative u/partial derivative x)] + f(u) with the parameter c representing the wave speed. A possible model for the nonlinear diffusion is the relativistic curvature operator p(nu)= nu/root 1-nu(2). The same ideas apply when P is given by the one- dimensional p- Laplacian P(v) = |v|(p-2)v. In this case, an advection term is also considered. We show that, as for the classical Fisher- Kolmogorov- Petrovski- Piskounov equations, there is an interval of admissible speeds c and we give characterisations of the critical speed c. We also present some examples of exact solutions. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Machine learning Vasicek model calibration with Gaussian processes

In this article, we calibrate the Vasicek interest rate model under the risk neutral measure by learning the model parameters using Gaussian processes for machine learning regression. The calibration is done by maximizing the likelihood of zero coupon bond log prices, using mean and covariance functions computed analytically, as well as likelihood derivatives with respect to the parameters. The maximization method used is the conjugate gradients. The only prices needed for calibration are zero coupon bond prices and the parameters are directly obtained in the arbitrage free risk neutral measure.

Comparison of deposited surface area of airbone ultrafine particles generated from two welding processes

This article describes work performed on the assessment of the levels of airborne ultrafine particles emitted in two welding processes metal-active gas (MAG) of carbon steel and friction-stir welding (FSW) of aluminium in terms of deposited area in alveolar tract of the lung using a nanoparticle surface area monitor analyser. The obtained results showed the dependence from process parameters on emitted ultrafine particles and clearly demonstrated the presence of ultrafine particles, when compared with background levels. The obtained results showed that the process that results on the lower levels of alveolar-deposited surface area is FSW, unlike MAG. Nevertheless, all the tested processes resulted in important doses of ultrafine particles that are to be deposited in the human lung of exposed workers.

Development of fractional order capacitors based on electrolyte processes

In recent years, significant research in the field of electrochemistry was developed. The performance of electrical devices, depending on the processes of the electrolytes, was described and the physical origin of each parameter was established. However, the influence of the irregularity of the electrodes was not a subject of study and only recently this problem became relevant in the viewpoint of fractional calculus. This paper describes an electrolytic process in the perspective of fractional order capacitors. In this line of thought, are developed several experiments for measuring the electrical impedance of the devices. The results are analyzed through the frequency response, revealing capacitances of fractional order that can constitute an alternative to the classical integer order elements. Fractional order electric circuits are used to model and study the performance of the electrolyte processes.