Gestão de multi-projeto no processo de desenvolvimento de produto

No âmbito da unidade curricular Dissertação/Projeto/Estágio do 2º ano do Mestrado em Engenharia mecânica – Ramo Gestão Industrial do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, o presente trabalho de dissertação foi enquadrado num projeto de desenvolvimento de ferramentas de apoio à gestão de projetos. O projeto foi desenvolvido no Instituto de Engenharia Mecânica e Gestão Industrial (INEGI) na unidade de Desenvolvimento de Produto e Sistemas (DPS). A realização deste projeto teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento e adequação de ferramentas de apoio à gestão de multi-projeto no processo de desenvolvimento de produto na organização em estudo – o INEGI – DPS. A gestão de projetos tem hoje uma grande importância nos resultados das empresas essencialmente em virtude da necessidade de estas competirem num mundo em grande mudança com concorrentes ferozes, em que a capacidade de responder às mudanças a tempo e de uma forma integrada se torna cada vez mais importante. A atividade levada a cabo pela DPS impõe a necessidade de uma gestão de projetos mais eficaz e eficiente suportada numa gestão de informação centralizada. O presente projeto de investigação teve, numa primeira fase, uma adaptação à organização em estudo. De seguida, foi conduzida uma revisão da literatura com o objetivo de se obter a fundamentação teórica necessária ao desenvolvimento de ferramentas com base nas metodologias lean. Prosseguiu com o levantamento da situação inicial da organização e com a identificação dos problemas existentes na gestão de projetos. Incluiu também uma revisão e análise das ferramentas existentes na unidade em estudo. Este conhecimento permitiu delinear uma visão para guiar o desenvolvimento das ferramentas. Após a definição da visão foi, então, realizado o desenvolvimento das ferramentas de auxílio à gestão multi-projeto na organização. A concretização deste trabalho resultou no desenvolvimento de três ferramentas de auxílio à gestão multi-projeto na unidade. Estas ferramentas tornam o processo de gestão de projetos mais simples e fácil de assimilar, requerendo apenas alguns inputs por parte dos colaboradores. Estas ferramentas estão apoiadas nos pilares do lean, e deste modo estão vocacionadas para reduzir o desperdício, promover a melhoria contínua, aumentar o desempenho global dos vários atores nos projetos de modo a entregar mais valor e qualidade superior com menores custos. Acima de tudo, valorizar o trabalho dos colaboradores, tornando-os mais eficientes, eficazes, motivados e comprometidos com a organização.

Support System for Rational Use of Electric Energy

This paper presents the system developed to promote the rational use of electric energy among consumers and, thus, increase the energy efficiency. The goal is to provide energy consumers with an application that displays the energy consumption/production profiles, sets up consuming ceilings, defines automatic alerts and alarms, compares anonymously consumers with identical energy usage profiles by region and predicts, in the case of non-residential installations, the expected consumption/production values. The resulting distributed system is organized in two main blocks: front-end and back-end. The front-end includes user interface applications for Android mobile devices and Web browsers. The back-end provides data storage and processing functionalities and is installed in a cloud computing platform - the Google App Engine - which provides a standard Web service interface. This option ensures interoperability, scalability and robustness to the system.

Efficiency of ISO 9001 in Portugal: a qualitative study from a holistic theoreticalperspective

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the efficiency of ISO 9001 from a holistic theoretical approach where the Contingency theory, the Institutional theory and the Resources-Based View are integrated. The study was carried out in companies of different sectors of activity in Portugal, based on a qualitative methodology (interviews). The fact of the interviews having been undertaken under an ISO 9001 structure made it easier for companies to grasp the issues under investigation. An ISO 9001 characterisation was carried out on a theoretical framework approach and findings point out efficiency gains and revealed that the absence of ISO 9001 would work as a competitive disadvantage. The contribution of this research aims to reinforce the state of art as concerns the theoretical scope of analysis of these issues enriched by the case study achievement.

Diffusion and efficiency of ISO 9001 in Portugal: a qualitative and quantitative study from a holistic theoretical perspective

Purpose – the aim of this paper is to analyse the diffusion and efficiency of ISO 9001 on different sectors of activity Design/methodology/approach – for that purpose, a holistic an integrative theoretical approach was based on the scope of the Contingency theory, the Institutional theory and the Resources-Based View (RBV). This theorethical perspective was used in a broad empirical study, using a qualitative and quantitative methodology, concerning Portuguese companies from different sectors of activity. Findings – according to the findings from both perspectives, a ranked combination of the named theoretical frame was constructed. Research limitations/implications – as to the analysis of the efficiency of ISO 9000, one of the limitations of this study lays in the consideration of just two sectors of activity, and another relates to its domestic geographical placement. Practical implications – this study used the ISO 9001 structure for the interviews and this has revealed very useful for the organizations to grasp the matters inquired. Originality/value – a relevant contribution to the state of art is achieved through the considered theoretical scope of analysis

The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency values of some serological tests used in the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis

This work reports on the results of double immunodiffusion (ID), counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE), complement fixation (CF) and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) techniques in the serodiagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis. The study was undertaken on four groups of individuals: 46 patients with untreated paracoccidioidomycosis, 22 patients with other deep mycoses, 30 with other infectious diseases (tuberculosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis) and 47 blood donors as negative controls. Data were obtained using Paracoccidioides brasiliensis antigens, i.e.,a yeast culture filtrate for ID, CIE and CF, and a yeast cell suspension for IIF. The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency values were measured according to GALEN & GAMBINO8.The gel precipitation tests (ID and CIE) showed the greatest sensitivity (91.3 and 95.6%, respectively), maximum specificity (100%) and the highest efficiency values when compared to the CF and IIF tests.

Arithmetic-based binary-to-RNS converter modulo {2(n)+/- k} for jn-Bit dynamic range

In this brief, a read-only-memoryless structure for binary-to-residue number system (RNS) conversion modulo {2(n) +/- k} is proposed. This structure is based only on adders and constant multipliers. This brief is motivated by the existing {2(n) +/- k} binary-to-RNS converters, which are particular inefficient for larger values of n. The experimental results obtained for 4n and 8n bits of dynamic range suggest that the proposed conversion structures are able to significantly improve the forward conversion efficiency, with an AT metric improvement above 100%, regarding the related state of the art. Delay improvements of 2.17 times with only 5% area increase can be achieved if a proper selection of the {2(n) +/- k} moduli is performed.

Comparison of contaminant removal effectiveness and air change efficiency as indicator of air diffusion quality.

The ventilation efficiency concept is an attempt to quantify a parameter that can easily distinguish the different options for air diffusion in the building spaces. Thirteen strategies of air diffusion were measured in a test chamber through the application of the tracer gas method, with the objective to validate the calculation by Computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Were compared the Air Change Efficiency (ACE) and the Contaminant Removal Effectiveness (CRE), the two indicators most internationally accepted. The main results from this work shows that the values of the numerical simulations are in good agreement with experimental measurements and also, that the solutions to be adopted for maximizing the ventilation efficiency should be the schemes that operate with low speeds of supply air and small differences between supply air temperature and the room temperature.

A comprehensive high-throughput FTIR spectroscopy-based method for evaluating the transfection event: estimating the transfection efficiency and extracting associated metabolic responses

Reporter genes are routinely used in every laboratory for molecular and cellular biology for studying heterologous gene expression and general cellular biological mechanisms, such as transfection processes. Although well characterized and broadly implemented, reporter genes present serious limitations, either by involving time-consuming procedures or by presenting possible side effects on the expression of the heterologous gene or even in the general cellular metabolism. Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy was evaluated to simultaneously analyze in a rapid (minutes) and high-throughput mode (using 96-wells microplates), the transfection efficiency, and the effect of the transfection process on the host cell biochemical composition and metabolism. Semi-adherent HEK and adherent AGS cell lines, transfected with the plasmid pVAX-GFP using Lipofectamine, were used as model systems. Good partial least squares (PLS) models were built to estimate the transfection efficiency, either considering each cell line independently (R 2 ≥ 0.92; RMSECV ≤ 2 %) or simultaneously considering both cell lines (R 2 = 0.90; RMSECV = 2 %). Additionally, the effect of the transfection process on the HEK cell biochemical and metabolic features could be evaluated directly from the FT-IR spectra. Due to the high sensitivity of the technique, it was also possible to discriminate the effect of the transfection process from the transfection reagent on KEK cells, e.g., by the analysis of spectral biomarkers and biochemical and metabolic features. The present results are far beyond what any reporter gene assay or other specific probe can offer for these purposes.

Hydrogenating activity of Pt/zeolite catalysts focusing acid support and metal dispersion influence

Toluene hydrogenation was studied over catalysts based on Pt supported on large pore zeolites (HUSY and HBEA) with different metal/acid ratios. Acidity of zeolites was assessed by pyridine adsorption followed by FTIR showing only small changes before and after Pt introduction. Metal dispersion was determined by H2–O2 titration and verified by a linear correlation with the intensity of Pt0–CO band obtained by in situ FTIR. It was also observed that the electronic properties of Pt0 clusters were similar for the different catalysts. Catalytic tests showed rapid catalyst deactivation with an activity loss of 80–95% after 60 min of reaction. The turnover frequency of fresh catalysts depended both on metal dispersion and the support. For the same support, it changed by a 1.7-fold (HBEA) and 4.0-fold (HUSY) showing that toluene hydrogenation is structure-sensitive, i.e. hydrogenating activity is not a unique function of accessible metal. This was proposed to be due to the contribution to the overall activity of the hydrogenation of adsorbed toluene on acid sites via hydrogen spillover. Taking into account the role of zeolite acidity, the catalysts series were compared by the activity per total adsorbing sites which was observed to increase steadily with nPt/(nPt + nA). An increase of the accessible Pt atoms leads to an increase on the amount of spilled over hydrogen available in acid sites therefore increasing the overall activity. Pt/HBEA catalysts were found to be more active per total adsorbing site than Pt/HUSY which is proposed to be due to an augmentation in the efficiency of spilled over hydrogen diffusion related to the proximity between Pt clusters and acid sites. The intervention of Lewis acid sites in a greater extent than that measured by pyridine adsorption may also contribute to this higher activity of Pt/HBEA catalysts. These results reinforce the importance of model reactions as a closer perspective to the relevant catalyst properties in reaction conditions.

Multiple Linear Regression and Artificial Neural Networks to Predict Time and Efficiency of Soil Vapor Extraction

The prediction of the time and the efficiency of the remediation of contaminated soils using soil vapor extraction remain a difficult challenge to the scientific community and consultants. This work reports the development of multiple linear regression and artificial neural network models to predict the remediation time and efficiency of soil vapor extractions performed in soils contaminated separately with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene. The results demonstrated that the artificial neural network approach presents better performances when compared with multiple linear regression models. The artificial neural network model allowed an accurate prediction of remediation time and efficiency based on only soil and pollutants characteristics, and consequently allowing a simple and quick previous evaluation of the process viability.

Nanoparticles based Permeable Reactive Barriers as an Eco-efficient Technology for nitrate remediation in soil and groundwater

The need to increase agricultural yield led, among others, to an increase in the consumption of nitrogen based fertilizers. As a consequence, there are excessive concentrations of nitrates, the most abundant of the reactive nitrogen (Nr) species, in several areas of the world. The demographic changes and projected population growth for the next decades, and the economic shifts which are already shaping the near future are powerful drivers for a further intensification in the use of fertilizers, with a predicted increase of the nitrogen loads in soils. Nitrate easily diffuses in the subsurface environments, portraying high mobility in soils. Moreover, the presence of high nitrate loads in water has the potential to cause an array of health dysfunctions, such as methemoglobinemia and several cancers. Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) placed strategically relatively to the nitrate source constitute an effective technology to tackle nitrate pollution. Ergo, PRB avoid various adverse impacts resulting from the displacement of reactive nitrogen downstream along water bodies. A four stages literature review was carried out in 34 databases. Initially, a set of pertinent key words were identified to perform the initial databases searches. Then, the synonyms of those initial key words were used to carry out a second set of databases searches. The third stage comprised the identification of other additional relevant terms from the research papers identified in the previous two stages. Again, databases searches were performed with this third set of key words. The final step consisted of the identification of relevant papers from the bibliography of the relevant papers identified in the previous three stages of the literature review process. The set of papers identified as relevant for in-depth analysis were assessed considering a set of relevant characterization variables.

Vigilância activa de eventos após vacinação

A vigilância de efeitos indesejáveis após a vacinação é complexa. Existem vários actores de confundimento que podem dar origem a associações espúrias, meramente temporais mas que podem provocar uma percepção do risco alterada e uma consequente desconfiança generalizada acerca do uso das vacinas. Com efeito as vacinas são medicamentos complexos com características únicas cuja vigilância necessita de abordagens metodológicas desenvolvidas para esse propósito. Do exposto se entende que, desde o desenvolvimento da farmacovigilância se tem procurado desenvolver novas metodologias que sejam concomitantes aos Sistemas de Notificação Espontânea que já existem. Neste trabalho propusemo-nos a desenvolver e testar um modelo de vigilância de reacções adversas a vacinas, baseado na auto-declaração pelo utente de eventos ocorridos após a vacinação e testar a capacidade de gerar sinais aplicando cálculos de desproporção a datamining. Para esse efeito foi constituída uma coorte não controlada de utentes vacinados em Centros de Saúde que foram seguidos durante quinze dias. A recolha de eventos adversos a vacinas foi efectuada pelos próprios utentes através de um diário de registo. Os dados recolhidos foram objecto de análise descritiva e análise de data-mining utilizando os cálculos Proportional Reporting Ratio e o Information Component. A metodologia utilizada permitiu gerar um corpo de evidência suficiente para a geração de sinais. Tendo sido gerados quatro sinais. No âmbito do data-mining a utilização do Information Component como método de geração de sinais parece aumentar a eficiência científica ao permitir reduzir o número de ocorrências até detecção de sinal. A informação reportada pelos utentes parece válida como indicador de sinais de reacções adversas não graves, o que permitiu o registo de eventos sem incluir o viés da avaliação da relação causal pelo notificador. Os principais eventos reportados foram eventos adversos locais (62,7%) e febre (31,4%).------------------------------------------ABSTRACT: The monitoring of undesirable effects following vaccination is complex. There are several confounding factors that can lead to merely temporal but spurious associations that can cause a change in the risk perception and a consequent generalized distrust about the safe use of vaccines. Indeed, vaccines are complex drugs with unique characteristics so that its monitoring requires specifically designed methodological approaches. From the above-cited it is understandable that since the development of Pharmacovigilance there has been a drive for the development of new methodologies that are concomitant with Spontaneous Reporting Systems already in place. We proposed to develop and test a new model for vaccine adverse reaction monitoring, based on self-report by users of events following vaccination and to test its capability to generate disproportionality signals applying quantitative methods of signal generation to data-mining. For that effect we set up an uncontrolled cohort of users vaccinated in Healthcare Centers,with a follow-up period of fifteen days. Adverse vaccine events we registered by the users themselves in a paper diary The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and two quantitative methods of signal generation: Proportional Reporting Ratio and Information Component. themselves in a paper diary The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and two quantitative methods of signal generation: Proportional Reporting Ratio and Information Component. The methodology we used allowed for the generation of a sufficient body of evidence for signal generation. Four signals were generated. Regarding the data-mining, the use of Information Component as a method for generating disproportionality signals seems to increase scientific efficiency by reducing the number of events needed to signal detection. The information reported by users seems valid as an indicator of non serious adverse vaccine reactions, allowing for the registry of events without the bias of the evaluation of the casual relation by the reporter. The main adverse events reported were injection site reactions (62,7%) and fever (31,4%).

Algorithms and methodologies for decision support in energy efficiency on buildings

Dissertação apresentada na faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Eficiência energética e controlo de iluminação em edifícios

Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica Ramo de Energia

An attemp at reversibility and increase of the virulence of axenic strains of Entamoeba histolytica

In this study we have tried to verify whether the interaction "in vitro" with bacteria or small pieces of normal hamster liver would modify the pathogenic behavior of axenic strains of E. histolytica: avirulent ones (ICB-32 and ICB-RPS), of attenuated virulence (ICB-CSP and HM1) and of mean virulence (ICB-462). Every attempt to render virulent, recover or increase the virulence of axenic strains of E. histolytica has failed