MTR: the multi-tasking rover - a new concept in rover design

In this paper we present the novel concepts incorporated in a planetary surface exploration rover design that is currently under development. The Multitasking Rover (MTR) aims to demonstrate functionality that will cover many of the current and future needs such as rough-terrain mobility, modularity and upgradeability. The rover system has enhanced mobility characteristics. It operates in conjunction with Science Packs (SPs) and Tool Packs (TPs)-modules attached to the main frame of the rover, which are either special tools or science instruments and alter the operation capabilities of the system.

Contractor project estimates vs. consultant project estimates in Ghana

Ten projects constructed in Ghana between 2003 and 2010 are examined and analysed to ascertain the reliability of estimated costs provided for the projects. Cost estimates for five of the projects were calculated by consultants and cost estimates for the five remaining projects were calculated by contractors. Cost estimates prepared by contractors seemed to be closer to actual costs than estimates calculated by consultants. Projects estimated by consultants experienced an average cost overrun of 40% and time overrun of 62% whereas projects priced by contractors experienced an average cost overrun of 6% and time overrun of 41%. It seemed that contractors had a better understanding of the actual construction processes and a clearer expectation of the needs of the client hence an ability to calculate estimates that were closer to reality. Construction clients in Ghana should rely on contractors for more realistic cost estimates as estimates by consultants may be inaccurate. Where consultants are employed, an allowance of up 40% should be added to the estimated costs as a margin for inaccuracy.

An experimental approach to project risk identification and prioritization

One of the aims of a broad ethnographic study into how the apportionment of risk influences pricing levels of contactors was to ascertain the significant risks affecting contractors in Ghana, and their impact on prices. To do this, in the context of contractors, the difference between expected and realized return on a project is the key dependent variable examined using documentary analyses and semi-structured interviews. Most work in this has focused on identifying and prioritising risks using relative importance indices generated from the analysis of questionnaire survey responses. However, this approach may be argued to constitute perceptions rather than direct measures of the project risk. Here, instead, project risk is investigated by examining two measures of the same quantity; one ‘before’ and one ‘after’ construction of a project has taken place. Risks events are identified by ascertaining the independent variables causing deviations between expected and actual rates of return. Risk impact is then measured by ascertaining additions or reductions to expected costs due to the occurrence of risk events. So far, data from eight substantially complete building projects indicates that consultants’ inefficiency, payment delays, subcontractor-related problems and changes in macroeconomic factors are significant risks affecting contractors in Ghana.

The price of risk in construction projects: contingency approximation model (CAM)

Little attention has been focussed on a precise definition and evaluation mechanism for project management risk specifically related to contractors. When bidding, contractors traditionally price risks using unsystematic approaches. The high business failure rate our industry records may indicate that the current unsystematic mechanisms contractors use for building up contingencies may be inadequate. The reluctance of some contractors to include a price for risk in their tenders when bidding for work competitively may also not be a useful approach. Here, instead, we first define the meaning of contractor contingency, and then we develop a facile quantitative technique that contractors can use to estimate a price for project risk. This model will help contractors analyse their exposure to project risks; and help them express the risk in monetary terms for management action. When bidding for work, they can decide how to allocate contingencies strategically in a way that balances risk and reward.

Entropy application to improve construction finance decisions

In financial decision-making processes, the adopted weights of the objective functions have significant impacts on the final decision outcome. However, conventional rating and weighting methods exhibit difficulty in deriving appropriate weights for complex decision-making problems with imprecise information. Entropy is a quantitative measure of uncertainty and has been useful in exploring weights of attributes in decision making. A fuzzy and entropy-based mathematical approach is employed to solve the weighting problem of the objective functions in an overall cash-flow model. The multiproject being undertaken by a medium-size construction firm in Hong Kong was used as a real case study to demonstrate the application of entropy. Its application in multiproject cash flow situations is demonstrated. The results indicate that the overall before-tax profit was HK$ 0.11 millions lower after the introduction of appropriate weights. In addition, the best time to invest in new projects arising from positive cash flow was identified to be two working months earlier than the nonweight system.

Projeto político de formação do enfermeiro: contextos, textos, (re)construções

This research analyses politic Project for nursing education, in its articulation with economical, political and social context of 1970s and 1980s in national level and, in special, nurse formation process in FAEN/UERN space, situating it on the context of Brazilian sanitary reformation movement and participation movement. The thesis is firmed on the sense of explaining whether that movement circa the nurse formation process has been able to build necessary instruments for the transformation of biomedical formation model historically consolidated, in the perspective of conceiving another model anchored on social determination of health/illness process, with the purpose of assuring ethical and political commitment with the SUS praised by sanitary reformation. The study visualized the object considering its specificity, its concrete historical determinations and institutional as well as organizational relationships that permeate possibilities of valorizing it, analyzing it, interpreting it and rebuilding it. Its operationalization occurred in three movements, it means, bibliographical review; documents study; interviews and focal groups realized with professors of the institution. We can apprehend as main results that the nurse formation process has incorporated widely spread conceptions by the sanitary reformation movement and participation movement, assuming the commitment with transformation of health services and social reality. Nevertheless it prevails, still, amongst some professors in the same institutional space, the commitment to a predominantly technicist formation, focused on instrumental knowledge. Opinion divergence explicit diversity of conceptions circa education and, as consequence, distinct political commitments, also contradictory to formation. Thus, there is a lacuna between what is foreseen on political pedagogical project and what is rendered in FAEN/UERN, evidencing the clash related to conceptual bases of formation project. Interpretations, divergent political attitudes and resistances to the process allowed several formation ways. However, formation under new conceptual bases, find limits on the context of social politics implemented in Brazil during the 1990s, neoliberal-based, expressed on expansion and consolidation of health private system, managed by market rules, strengthening biomedical formation model. Notwithstanding, there is a favorable to its implementation, starting from the first years of 21st century, moment when Brazilian sanitary reformation reappear on health speech, as well as facing the policy of permanent education in health. This reality explicit a process of dialectical tension between instituted and institutor, anticipating the moment of scission or adaptation and return to what is already known. Despite of clashed, knowledge, accumulated experience, contribution to services, the construction of partnerships out of university space and articulation with national movement of (re)orientation of nurse formation, have been constituted as vital instruments to offer support to formation in FAEN/UERN. Still, we consider necessary the (re)visitation to FAEN/UERN politic pedagogical Project considering the existing and implemented construction, without, yet, depreciate the norther axis of the project at the reaching of its intentionality

Chemical vapor deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes from nickel/yttria-stabilized zirconia catalysts

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) were produced by chemical vapor deposition using yttria-stabilized zirconia/nickel (YSZ/Ni) catalysts. The catalysts were obtained by a liquid mixture technique that resulted in fine dispersed nanoparticles of NiO supported in the YSZ matrix. High quality MWNT having smooth walls, few defects, and low amounts of by-products such as amorphous carbon were obtained, even from catalysts with large Ni concentrations (> 50 wt.%). By adjusting the experimental parameters, such as flux of the carbon precursor (ethylene) and Ni concentration, both the MWNT morphology and the process yield could be controlled. The resulting YSZ/Ni/MWNT composites can be interesting due to their mixed ionic-electronic transport properties, which could be useful in electrochemical applications.

Financial crisis and national policy issues: an overview

Includes bibliography

O Programa Escola da Família Enquanto Política Pública: Políticas Compensatórias e Avaliação de Rendimento

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Financiamento do ensino médio público no estado do Maranhão no período de 1996 a 2006: possíveis efeitos da política de focalização

Este estudo tem como objeto o Financiamento do Ensino Médio público no Estado do Maranhão no período de 1996 a 2006 e os possíveis efeitos da política de focalização para esse nível de ensino. Procuramos ao longo desse estudo responder algumas questões: Quais os efeitos da política que focalizou os recursos financeiros para o ensino fundamental na manutenção e desenvolvimento do Ensino Médio, no Estado do Maranhão? Quais as fontes de recursos que financiaram a manutenção e o desenvolvimento do Ensino Médio, no período de 1996 a 2006?Quais os valores do custo-aluno-ano do Ensino Médio no período em que a política de financiamento priorizou o Ensino Fundamental?O objetivo foi analisar os efeitos da política de financiamento que focalizou apenas uma etapa da educação básica, visando avaliar a pertinência dessa estratégia na manutenção e desenvolvimento do Ensino Médio. Para iluminar as nossas reflexões e análises, numa perspectiva crítica, fizemos uma revisão da literatura sobre Estado, capitalismo e financiamento da educação, de forma específica das suas configurações a partir da década de 1990. Considerando as particularidades do Ensino Médio, apresentamos algumas considerações históricas sobre sua política de financiamento. Para a realização desse estudo realizamos um levantamento dos dados educacionais e financeiros do Estado do Maranhão em estudo detalhado de documentos (Balanços Gerais, Demonstrativo de alguns Convênios, Sinopses do INEP e dados do IBGE) ancorados numa perspectiva de pesquisa quantiqualitativa. Os dados revelam aspectos ligados ao valor gasto-aluno do ensino fundamental e médio; apresentam a relação entre o PIB e os gastos com a educação no Estado; mostram os programas PROMED/Escola Jovem, ALVORADA e VIVA EDUCAÇÃO e seu caráter transitório de financiamento do Ensino Médio a autos custos aos cofres públicos. Reforçando os aspectos da política neoliberal implementada na educação brasileira, com destaque a influência dos organismos multilaterais Os resultados desse estudo revelam, dentre outras coisas, que a política de focalização de recursos para o ensino fundamental deixou rebatimentos danosos a qualidade do Ensino Médio no período de 1996 a 2006 no Estado do Maranhão.

Estudo do impacto socioeconômico da piscicultura em tanques-rede no reservatório da UHE Tucuruí-PA: o caso do Projeto Ipirá

A presente dissertação avalia o desenvolvimento da piscicultura em tanques-rede no reservatório da Usina Hidrelétrica de Tucuruí, no Estado do Pará, a partir de um estudo de caso: o projeto de piscicultura Ipirá, criado por meio um acordo firmado entre a Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil – Eletrobras Eletronorte e um conjunto de famílias que tiveram seus modos de vida impactados pela construção da Hidrelétrica de Tucuruí, como alternativa para a geração de emprego e renda. Avalia-se, mas especificamente qual o impacto do projeto na melhoria das condições de vida das famílias atendidas pelo mesmo sob a perspectiva socioeconômica. Para alcançar os objetivos desse trabalho, utilizou-se além do estudo de caso, o modelo sistêmico para a aqüicultura, em especial os cálculos dos índices para a avaliação da sustentabilidade socioeconômica da aquicultura - IDES, como procedimentos metodológicos. Observou-se que o projeto de piscicultura Ipirá mostra-se potencialmente sustentável do ponto de vista socioeconômico (0,649). Os indicadores aspectos sanitários (0,123), lazer (0,113) e saúde (0,110), apresentaram em ordem decrescente, as principais contribuições na composição do IDES, ao passo que os indicadores renda (0,040) e habitação (0,79), essenciais para a manutenção familiar e condições de bem estar do ser humano, apresentaram os piores resultados. Conclui-se, a partir dos resultados gerados, que o projeto de piscicultura Ipirá não conseguiu alcançar seu objetivo principal: geração de emprego e renda, e demonstra-se não influenciar significativamente na melhoria das condições de vida das famílias atendidas, o que é reforçado pelos dados levantados em campo, onde 86% dos entrevistados sobrevivem com salário igual e menor que 1 salário mínimo mensal, complementado pelo auxílio do seguro defeso e o bolsa família. Por fim, ressalta-se a relevância do projeto Ipirá como um case de política sócio-ambiental com potencial para dinamizar a economia local e em uma perspectiva mais otimista se tornar um modelo a ser replicado e abranger todos os municípios do entorno do reservatório da Usina Hidrelétrica de Tucuruí, desde que as falhas na implantação e no seu gerenciamento sejam sanadas e as devidas providenciais sejam tomadas, como as apontadas pelo presente estudo.