Uma análise exploratória da jornada flexível de trabalho sob a perspectiva de tutores na educação a distância

Information Age has been providing accelerated development of technologies in teaching, which is making the increase in distance courses and flexibility in the tutors everyday work. In this context, it was aimed to study the influence of flexible work in the development of activities and personal life of the tutors in Distance Education at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. More specifically, they have been sought to compare the types of flexibility detected, identifying the extent of the day's work in mentoring; investigating the relationship between flexible working time and productivity; evaluating the Quality of Working Life (QWL) and for Work and Family Relationship of the tutors. Thus, work is justified by the importance of academic and organizational achievement. To meet the goals, it was obtained a sample of 75 respondents (45.73% of the population). The data collection instrument was comprised of 48 variables mainly based by Walton (1975) and Paschoal, Tamayo and Barham (2002). The statistical techniques used were: analysis of frequency, ratio test, factor analysis and regression. The results collected have shown that the presence and distance tutors experience similar realities, but have different profiles; the day of their work is on average three hours daily; in view of the tutors, flexibility has a relation with the production, QWL work-family balance were evaluated in a satisfactory manner and the statistical techniques used have shown significant influence between the QWL and flexible working day. It is therefore concluded that flexibility at work can influence the development of activities and personal life of the tutors. Thus, the flexible working day may be used in a strategy way of routine in many organizations

Cultura organizacional e desempenho dos colaboradores :um estudo exploratório no setor hoteleiro

This work focuses on the relationship between organizational culture and quality culture in the hotel sector of NATAL/RN with respect to employee performance. The themes organizational culture and quality have been the research focus of administration theorists and a constant concern of professional managers, since the Japanese demonstrated effective forms or western management. In this study, the Competing Values Model (C.V.M.) (Quinn e Cameron, 1996; Quinn, 1998; Santos, 1998, 2000; Teixeira, 2001), which was tested on north-American organizations and considered a high value academic and professional instrument, was applied. The model maps the organizational culture on a profile with four elements: clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy. The C.V.M., associated with the taximetrics created by Cameron (which classifies quality culture in for levels: status quo, error detection, error prevention and perpetual creative quality) has been related with organizational performance. In this study, these two models are used jointly and tested in the hotel sector. The results indicate that the strongest element of the profile is clan, which is characterized by internal focus, participation and people involvement, followed by the adhocracy element, which has an external focus, emphasizes flexibility and is characterized by dynamic enterprising and creativity. Regarding the level of the culture s quality in the hotel, the highest level, that of perpetual improvement and creativity, which attempts to enchant and to surprise the clients, was most frequently cited, followed by the error detection level, which has as its goal to discover and correct mistakes, trying, consequently, to reduce waste. The results suggest that employee performance as measured on some indicators is related to elements of the organizational culture profile and quality level

Oportunidades de melhoria ergonômica das exigências físicas da atividade jangadeira em Ponta Negra Natal-RN

The fishing is an activity with rafts marked by unpredictability, poor tools, physical stress, awkward postures, risk of accidents and incidents, which contribute to insecurity in the context of activity. This study aimed to contribute to reducing of physical effort and the biomechanical impacts in jangadeiro activity of artisanal fishing using jangadas on the beach of Ponta Negra, Natal-RN. To achieve this purpose the methodology of the Work Ergonomic Analysis - WEA became a reference using techniques such as observational and interactional observation notes, photographs, videos, action conversational and listening verbalizations. The resulting activity in health jangadeiro, discussed in this research were: static postural assessment, flexibility of movement of shoulder flexion-extension, flexibility of the hamstrings and lower back, grip and musculoskeletal pain. It was found from observations, interactions and activity analysis, that in carrying out fishing rafts are frequent awkward postures associated with demand for power and many are already feeling the jangadeiros reflections of years of life dedicated to this work. These have already adopted some measures to manage the activity, such as job rotation during the expedition of capture. Therefore, there is a need to expand these measures of activity management, as well as design and capabilities of the raft, seeking positive changes in the activity and consequently the quality of life jangadeiro

Modelo de covariância bayesiana para seleção de protfólios de investimentos

The portfolio theory is a field of study devoted to investigate the decision-making by investors of resources. The purpose of this process is to reduce risk through diversification and thus guarantee a return. Nevertheless, the classical Mean-Variance has been criticized regarding its parameters and it is observed that the use of variance and covariance has sensitivity to the market and parameter estimation. In order to reduce the estimation errors, the Bayesian models have more flexibility in modeling, capable of insert quantitative and qualitative parameters about the behavior of the market as a way of reducing errors. Observing this, the present study aimed to formulate a new matrix model using Bayesian inference as a way to replace the covariance in the MV model, called MCB - Covariance Bayesian model. To evaluate the model, some hypotheses were analyzed using the method ex post facto and sensitivity analysis. The benchmarks used as reference were: (1) the classical Mean Variance, (2) the Bovespa index's market, and (3) in addition 94 investment funds. The returns earned during the period May 2002 to December 2009 demonstrated the superiority of MCB in relation to the classical model MV and the Bovespa Index, but taking a little more diversifiable risk that the MV. The robust analysis of the model, considering the time horizon, found returns near the Bovespa index, taking less risk than the market. Finally, in relation to the index of Mao, the model showed satisfactory, return and risk, especially in longer maturities. Some considerations were made, as well as suggestions for further work

Uma arquitetura de software baseada em componentes visualização de informações industriais

Due to the current need of the industry to integrate data of the beginning of production originating from of several sources and of transforming them in useful information for sockets of decisions, a search exists every time larger for systems of visualization of information that come to collaborate with that functionality. On the other hand, a common practice nowadays, due to the high competitiveness of the market, it is the development of industrial systems that possess characteristics of modularity, distribution, flexibility, scalability, adaptation, interoperability, reusability and access through web. Those characteristics provide an extra agility and a larger easiness in adapting to the frequent changes of demand of the market. Based on the arguments exposed above, this work consists of specifying a component-based architecture, with the respective development of a system based on that architecture, for the visualization of industrial data. The system was conceived to be capable to supply on-line information and, optionally, historical information of variables originating from of the beginning of production. In this work it is shown that the component-based architecture developed possesses the necessary requirements for the obtaining of a system robust, reliable and of easy maintenance, being, like this, in agreement with the industrial needs. The use of that architecture allows although components can be added, removed or updated in time of execution, through a manager of components through web, still activating more the adaptation process and updating of the system

Supervisório Inteligente de Processos na Idústria do Petróleo e Gás :Aplicação em uma Coluna de Destilação Simulada Integrada a Instrumentação Real

The need to implement a software architecture that promotes the development of a SCADA supervisory system for monitoring industrial processes simulated with the flexibility of adding intelligent modules and devices such as CLP, according to the specifications of the problem, it was the motivation for this work. In the present study, we developed an intelligent supervisory system on a simulation of a distillation column modeled with Unisim. Furthermore, OLE Automation was used as communication between the supervisory and simulation software, which, with the use of the database, promoted an architecture both scalable and easy to maintain. Moreover, intelligent modules have been developed for preprocessing, data characteristics extraction, and variables inference. These modules were fundamentally based on the Encog software

Calibração cega de receptores cinco-portas baseada em separação cega de fontes

The exponential growth in the applications of radio frequency (RF) is accompanied by great challenges as more efficient use of spectrum as in the design of new architectures for multi-standard receivers or software defined radio (SDR) . The key challenge in designing architecture of the software defined radio is the implementation of a wide-band receiver, reconfigurable, low cost, low power consumption, higher level of integration and flexibility. As a new solution of SDR design, a direct demodulator architecture, based on fiveport technology, or multi-port demodulator, has been proposed. However, the use of the five-port as a direct-conversion receiver requires an I/Q calibration (or regeneration) procedure in order to generate the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components of the transmitted baseband signal. In this work, we propose to evaluate the performance of a blind calibration technique without additional knowledge about training or pilot sequences of the transmitted signal based on independent component analysis for the regeneration of I/Q five-port downconversion, by exploiting the information on the statistical properties of the three output signals

Modelo 2,5D de predição de propagação para ambientes interiores utilizando o método do traçado de raios

A 2.5D ray-tracing propagation model is proposed to predict radio loss in indoor environment. Specifically, we opted for the Shooting and Bouncing Rays (SBR) method, together with the Geometrieal Theory of Diffrartion (GTD). Besides the line-of-sight propagation (LOS), we consider that the radio waves may experience reflection, refraction, and diffraction (NLOS). In the Shooting and Bouncing Rays (SBR) method, the transmitter antenna launches a bundle of rays that may or may not reach the receiver. Considering the transmitting antenna as a point, the rays will start to launch from this position and can reach the receiver either directly or after reflections, refractions, diffractions, or even after any combination of the previous effects. To model the environment, a database is built to record geometrical characteristics and information on the constituent materials of the scenario. The database works independently of the simulation program, allowing robustness and flexibility to model other seenarios. Each propagation mechanism is treated separately. In line-of-sight propagation, the main contribution to the received signal comes from the direct ray, while reflected, refracted, and diffracted signal dominate when the line-of-sight is blocked. For this case, the transmitted signal reaches the receiver through more than one path, resulting in a multipath fading. The transmitting channel of a mobile system is simulated by moving either the transmitter or the receiver around the environment. The validity of the method is verified through simulations and measurements. The computed path losses are compared with the measured values at 1.8 GHz ftequency. The results were obtained for the main corridor and room classes adjacent to it. A reasonable agreement is observed. The numerical predictions are also compared with published data at 900 MHz and 2.44 GHz frequencies showing good convergence

Ractopamine hydrochloride in formulated rations for barrows or gilts from 94 to 130 kg

Foi realizado um experimento com o objetivo de avaliar o desempenho, a composição de carcaça e a viabilidade econômica do uso de 5 e 10 ppm de cloridrato de ractopamina (RAC) em rações formuladas para suínos machos castrados ou para fêmeas dos 94 aos 130 kg. Utilizaram-se 60 suínos, distribuídos em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 3 × 2, composto de três níveis de ractopamina e dois sexos. Não houve interação significativa entre a ractopamina e o sexo para as variáveis analisadas. Observou-se, nos animais que receberam ractopamina, maior peso final, ganho de peso médio diário e conversão alimentar. As fêmeas apresentaram menor peso final, consumo médio diário de ração e conversão alimentar. Para rendimento de carcaça, área de olho-de-lombo e rendimento de carne na carcaça, o nível de 10 ppm foi superior ao controle. A ractopamina, independentemente do nível utilizado, reduziu a espessura de toucinho e melhorou o rendimento de filezinho, pernil e carne no pernil. As fêmeas apresentaram maior rendimento de carne na carcaça, menor espessura de toucinho, maior flexibilidade da barriga e menor espessura de toucinho da barriga. As carcaças de suínos sob suplementação com ractopamina apresentaram melhor índice de bonificação, receita bruta e receita líquida. Houve redução no custo total e aumento no índice de bonificação das carcaças das fêmeas, o que melhorou a receita líquida. Dessa forma, a suplementação com 5 ppm de ractopamina é suficiente para melhorar o desempenho, a composição de carcaça e o rendimento de cortes da carcaça de suínos machos castrados e fêmeas. Além disso, a suplementação com 5 ou 10 ppm de ractopamina, nas condições estudadas, é economicamente viável, e o abate de fêmeas aos 130 kg, mais rentável que o de machos castrados.

Algoritmo SOM com estrutura hierárquica e dinâmica aplicado a compressão de imagens

ln this work the implementation of the SOM (Self Organizing Maps) algorithm or Kohonen neural network is presented in the form of hierarchical structures, applied to the compression of images. The main objective of this approach is to develop an Hierarchical SOM algorithm with static structure and another one with dynamic structure to generate codebooks (books of codes) in the process of the image Vector Quantization (VQ), reducing the time of processing and obtaining a good rate of compression of images with a minimum degradation of the quality in relation to the original image. Both self-organizing neural networks developed here, were denominated HSOM, for static case, and DHSOM, for the dynamic case. ln the first form, the hierarchical structure is previously defined and in the later this structure grows in an automatic way in agreement with heuristic rules that explore the data of the training group without use of external parameters. For the network, the heuristic mIes determine the dynamics of growth, the pruning of ramifications criteria, the flexibility and the size of children maps. The LBO (Linde-Buzo-Oray) algorithm or K-means, one ofthe more used algorithms to develop codebook for Vector Quantization, was used together with the algorithm of Kohonen in its basic form, that is, not hierarchical, as a reference to compare the performance of the algorithms here proposed. A performance analysis between the two hierarchical structures is also accomplished in this work. The efficiency of the proposed processing is verified by the reduction in the complexity computational compared to the traditional algorithms, as well as, through the quantitative analysis of the images reconstructed in function of the parameters: (PSNR) peak signal-to-noise ratio and (MSE) medium squared error

Ambiente para desenvolvimento de aplicações fuzzy industriais

This paper describes the design, implementation and enforcement of a system for industrial process control based on fuzzy logic and developed using Java, with support for industrial communication protocol through the OPC (Ole for Process Control). Besides the java framework, the software is completely independent from other platforms. It provides friendly and functional tools for modeling, construction and editing of complex fuzzy inference systems, and uses these logical systems in control of a wide variety of industrial processes. The main requirements of the developed system should be flexibility, robustness, reliability and ease of expansion

Técnica de controle adaptativo robusto aplicada a filtros ativos de potência e paralelo

The Methods for compensation of harmonic currents and voltages have been widely used since these methods allow to reduce to acceptable levels the harmonic distortion in the voltages or currents in a power system, and also compensate reactive. The reduction of harmonics and reactive contributes to the reduction of losses in transmission lines and electrical machinery, increasing the power factor, reduce the occurrence of overvoltage and overcurrent. The active power filter is the most efficient method for compensation of harmonic currents and voltages. The active power filter is necessary to use current and voltage controllers loop. Conventionally, the current and voltage control loop of active filter has been done by proportional controllers integrative. This work, investigated the use of a robust adaptive control technique on the shunt active power filter current and voltage control loop to increase robustness and improve the performance of active filter to compensate for harmonics. The proposed control scheme is based on a combination of techniques for adaptive control pole placement and variable structure. The advantages of the proposed method over conventional ones are: lower total harmonic distortion, more flexibility, adaptability and robustness to the system. Moreover, the proposed control scheme improves the performance and improves the transient of active filter. The validation of the proposed technique was verified initially by a simulation program implemented in C++ language and then experimental results were obtained using a prototype three-phase active filter of 1 kVA

Implementação de processador banda base ofdma para downlink lte em fpga

This work treats of an implementation OFDMA baseband processor in hardware for LTE Downlink. The LTE or Long Term Evolution consist the last stage of development of the technology called 3G (Mobile System Third Generation) which offers an increasing in data rate and more efficiency and flexibility in transmission with application of advanced antennas and multiple carriers techniques. This technology applies in your physical layer the OFDMA technical (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) for generation of signals and mapping of physical resources in downlink and has as base theoretical to OFDM multiple carriers technique (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing). With recent completion of LTE specifications, different hardware solutions have been developed, mainly, to the level symbol processing where the implementation of OFDMA processor in base band is commonly considered, because it is also considered a basic architecture of others important applications. For implementation of processor, the reconfigurable hardware offered by devices as FPGA are considered which shares not only to meet the high requirements of flexibility and adaptability of LTE as well as offers possibility of an implementation quick and efficient. The implementation of processor in reconfigurable hardware meets the specifications of LTE physical layer as well as have the flexibility necessary for to meet others standards and application which use OFDMA processor as basic architecture for your systems. The results obtained through of simulation and verification functional system approval the functionality and flexibility of processor implemented

Manejo hídrico em viveiro e uso de hidrogel na sobrevivência pós-plantio de Eucalyptus urograndis em dois solos diferentes

O trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a sobrevivência do clone H13 de Eucalyptus urograndis sob dois manejos hídricos de viveiro, plantados em dois solos, com e sem a adição de polímero hidroabsorvente (hidrogel). O plantio foi realizado em vasos mantidos em estufa, com dois tipos de solo: um arenoso e outro argiloso. Cada vaso recebeu 2,5 L de solo, um litro de água e o hidrogel na proporção de 0,4 g vaso-1 (120 mL de gel). O delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições. Os sintomas de estresse, nos vários níveis avaliados, sempre se manifestaram primeiro nas plantas no solo argiloso, de modo mais acentuado naquelas que foram mantidas sem estresse de água na fase de viveiro. Isso garantiu que as plantas sobrevivessem por um período menor sem água, variando de 14 a 20 dias (com e sem hidrogel, respectivamente), enquanto, no solo arenoso, a sobrevivência foi maior, de 29 a 34 dias (com e sem hidrogel, respectivamente). Apesar da não significância estatística, os resultados com o hidrogel possibilitam, em ambos os solos, maior flexibilidade operacional na intervenção com novas irrigações.

Controle dinâmico de robôs móveis com acionamento diferencial

This work addresses the dynamic control problem of two-wheeled differentially driven non-holonomic mobile robot. Strategies for robot positioning control and robot orientating control are presented. Such strategies just require information about the robot con¯guration (x, y and teta), which can be collected by an absolute positioning system. The strategies development is related to a change on the controlled variables for such systems, from x, y and teta to s (denoting the robot linear displacement) and teta, and makes use of the polar coordinates representation for the robot kinematic model. Thus, it is possible to obtain a linear representation for the mobile robot dynamic model and to develop such strategies. It is also presented that such strategies allow the use of linear controllers to solve the control problem. It is shown that there is flexibility to choice the linear controller (P, PI, PID, Model Matching techniques, others) to be implemented. This work presents an introduction to mobile robotics and their characteristics followed by the control strategies development and controllers design. Finally, simulated and experimental results are presented and commented