Tailoring the Scrum Development Process to Address Agile Product Line Engineering

Software Product Line Engineering (SPLE) is becoming widely used due to the improvement it means when developing software products of the same family. However, SPLE demands long-term investment on a product-line platform that might not be profitable due to rapid changing business settings. Since Agile Software Development (ASD) approaches are being successfully applied in volatile markets, several companies have suggested the idea of integrating SPLE and ASD when a family product has to be developed. Agile Product Line Engineering (APLE) advocates the integration of SPLE and ASD to address their lacks when they are individually applied to software development. A previous literature re-view of experiences and practices on APLE revealed important challenges about how to fully put APLE into practice. Our contribution address several of these challenges by tailoring the agile method Scrum by means of three concepts that we have defined: plastic partial components, working PL-architectures, and reactive reuse.

Independent AND-parallel implementation of narrowing

We present a parallel graph narrowing machine, which is used to implement a functional logic language on a shared memory multiprocessor. It is an extensi��n of an abstract machine for a purely functional language. The result is a programmed graph reduction machine which integrates the mechanisms of unification, backtracking, and independent and-parallelism. In the machine, the subexpressions of an expression can run in parallel. In the case of backtracking, the structure of an expression is used to avoid the reevaluation of subexpressions as far as possible. Deterministic computations are detected. Their results are maintained and need not be reevaluated after backtracking.

B-LOG: A branch and bound methodology for the parallel execution of logic programs

We propose a computational methodology -"B-LOG"-, which offers the potential for an effective implementation of Logic Programming in a parallel computer. We also propose a weighting scheme to guide the search process through the graph and we apply the concepts of parallel "branch and bound" algorithms in order to perform a "best-first" search using an information theoretic bound. The concept of "session" is used to speed up the search process in a succession of similar queries. Within a session, we strongly modify the bounds in a local database, while bounds kept in a global database are weakly modified to provide a better initial condition for other sessions. We also propose an implementation scheme based on a database machine using "semantic paging", and the "B-LOG processor" based on a scoreboard driven controller.

Interference of parallel cylindrical Langmuir probes

Current to a cylindrical probe of arbitrary cross section is discussed. Previous results for circular cylinders at the high bias and moderate radius R of interest for electrodynamic bare tethers, for which space charge may be ignored over a large neighborhood of the probe, depend in separate ways on both R and perimeter p. These results are extended to a general convex cross section by introducing certain equivalent radius Req. For any concave cross section, results use a proper equivalent perimeter peq , in addition to Req. Finally, for the joint cross section of separate parallel probes, certain effective perimeter peff replaces peq. Rules to determine Req. peq. and peff are used to discuss collection interference among two or more parallel cylinders when brought from far away to contact

Simulation, Design and Analysis of Air-Breathing Combined-Cycle Engines for High Speed Propulsion

Desde la aparici��n del turborreactor, el motor aer��bico con turbomaquinaria ha demostrado unas prestaciones excepcionales en los reg��menes subs��nico y supers��nico bajo. No obstante, la operaci��n a velocidades superiores requiere sistemas m��s complejos y pesados, lo cual ha imposibilitado la ejecuci��n de estos conceptos. Los recientes avances tecnol��gicos, especialmente en materiales ligeros, han restablecido el inter��s por los motores de ciclo combinado. La simulaci��n num��rica de estos nuevos conceptos es esencial para estimar las prestaciones de la planta propulsiva, as�� como para abordar las dificultades de integraci��n entre c��lula y motor durante las primeras etapas de dise��o. Al mismo tiempo, la evaluaci��n de estos extraordinarios motores requiere una metodolog��a de an��lisis distinta. La tesis doctoral versa sobre el dise��o y el an��lisis de los mencionados conceptos propulsivos mediante el modelado num��rico y la simulaci��n din��mica con herramientas de vanguardia. Las distintas arquitecturas presentadas por los ciclos combinados basados en sendos turborreactor y motor cohete, as�� como los diversos sistemas comprendidos en cada uno de ellos, hacen necesario establecer una referencia com��n para su evaluaci��n. Es m��s, la tendencia actual hacia aeronaves "m��s el��ctricas" requiere una nueva m��trica para juzgar la aptitud de un proceso de generaci��n de empuje en el que coexisten diversas formas de energ��a. A este respecto, la combinaci��n del Primer y Segundo Principios define, en un marco de referencia absoluto, la calidad de la trasferencia de energ��a entre los diferentes sistemas. Esta idea, que se ha estado empleando desde hace mucho tiempo en el an��lisis de plantas de potencia terrestres, ha sido extendida para relacionar la misi��n de la aeronave con la ineficiencia de cada proceso involucrado en la generaci��n de empuje. La metodolog��a se ilustra mediante el estudio del motor de ciclo combinado variable de una aeronave para el crucero a Mach 5. El dise��o de un acelerador de ciclo combinado basado en el turborreactor sirve para subrayar la importancia de la integraci��n del motor y la c��lula. El dise��o est�� limitado por la trayectoria ascensional y el espacio disponible en la aeronave de crucero supers��nico. Posteriormente se calculan las prestaciones instaladas de la planta propulsiva en funci��n de la velocidad y la altitud de vuelo y los par��metros de control del motor: relaci��n de compresi��n, relaci��n aire/combustible y ��rea de garganta. ABSTRACT Since the advent of the turbojet, the air-breathing engine with rotating machinery has demonstrated exceptional performance in the subsonic and low supersonic regimes. However, the operation at higher speeds requires further system complexity and weight, which so far has impeded the realization of these concepts. Recent technology developments, especially in lightweight materials, have restored the interest towards combined-cycle engines. The numerical simulation of these new concepts is essential at the early design stages to compute a first estimate of the engine performance in addition to addressing airframe-engine integration issues. In parallel, a different analysis methodology is required to evaluate these unconventional engines. The doctoral thesis concerns the design and analysis of the aforementioned engine concepts by means of numerical modeling and dynamic simulation with state-of-the-art tools. A common reference is needed to evaluate the different architectures of the turbine and the rocket-based combined-cycle engines as well as the various systems within each one of them. Furthermore, the actual trend towards more electric aircraft necessitates a common metric to judge the suitability of a thrust generation process where different forms of energy coexist. In line with this, the combination of the First and the Second Laws yields the quality of the energy being transferred between the systems on an absolute reference frame. This idea, which has been since long applied to the analysis of on-ground power plants, was extended here to relate the aircraft mission with the inefficiency of every process related to the thrust generation. The methodology is illustrated with the study of a variable- combined-cycle engine for a Mach 5 cruise aircraft. The design of a turbine-based combined-cycle booster serves to highlight the importance of the engine-airframe integration. The design is constrained by the ascent trajectory and the allocated space in the supersonic cruise aircraft. The installed performance of the propulsive plant is then computed as a function of the flight speed and altitude and the engine control parameters: pressure ratio, air-to-fuel ratio and throat area.

Analysing the complexity of the model-based decision making processes within the industrial management context

PURPOSE The decision-making process plays a key role in organizations. Every decision-making process produces a final choice that may or may not prompt action. Recurrently, decision makers find themselves in the dichotomous question of following a traditional sequence decision-making process where the output of a decision is used as the input of the next stage of the decision, or following a joint decision-making approach where several decisions are taken simultaneously. The implication of the decision-making process will impact different players of the organization. The choice of the decision- making approach becomes difficult to find, even with the current literature and practitioners��� knowledge. The pursuit of better ways for making decisions has been a common goal for academics and practitioners. Management scientists use different techniques and approaches to improve different types of decisions. The purpose of this decision is to use the available resources as well as possible (data and techniques) to achieve the objectives of the organization. The developing and applying of models and concepts may be helpful to solve managerial problems faced every day in different companies. As a result of this research different decision models are presented to contribute to the body of knowledge of management science. The first models are focused on the manufacturing industry and the second part of the models on the health care industry. Despite these models being case specific, they serve the purpose of exemplifying that different approaches to the problems and could provide interesting results. Unfortunately, there is no universal recipe that could be applied to all the problems. Furthermore, the same model could deliver good results with certain data and bad results for other data. A framework to analyse the data before selecting the model to be used is presented and tested in the models developed to exemplify the ideas. METHODOLOGY As the first step of the research a systematic literature review on the joint decision is presented, as are the different opinions and suggestions of different scholars. For the next stage of the thesis, the decision-making process of more than 50 companies was analysed in companies from different sectors in the production planning area at the Job Shop level. The data was obtained using surveys and face-to-face interviews. The following part of the research into the decision-making process was held in two application fields that are highly relevant for our society; manufacturing and health care. The first step was to study the interactions and develop a mathematical model for the replenishment of the car assembly where the problem of ���Vehicle routing problem and Inventory��� were combined. The next step was to add the scheduling or car production (car sequencing) decision and use some metaheuristics such as ant colony and genetic algorithms to measure if the behaviour is kept up with different case size problems. A similar approach is presented in a production of semiconductors and aviation parts, where a hoist has to change from one station to another to deal with the work, and a jobs schedule has to be done. However, for this problem simulation was used for experimentation. In parallel, the scheduling of operating rooms was studied. Surgeries were allocated to surgeons and the scheduling of operating rooms was analysed. The first part of the research was done in a Teaching hospital, and for the second part the interaction of uncertainty was added. Once the previous problem had been analysed a general framework to characterize the instance was built. In the final chapter a general conclusion is presented. FINDINGS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The first part of the contributions is an update of the decision-making literature review. Also an analysis of the possible savings resulting from a change in the decision process is made. Then, the results of the survey, which present a lack of consistency between what the managers believe and the reality of the integration of their decisions. In the next stage of the thesis, a contribution to the body of knowledge of the operation research, with the joint solution of the replenishment, sequencing and inventory problem in the assembly line is made, together with a parallel work with the operating rooms scheduling where different solutions approaches are presented. In addition to the contribution of the solving methods, with the use of different techniques, the main contribution is the framework that is proposed to pre-evaluate the problem before thinking of the techniques to solve it. However, there is no straightforward answer as to whether it is better to have joint or sequential solutions. Following the proposed framework with the evaluation of factors such as the flexibility of the answer, the number of actors, and the tightness of the data, give us important hints as to the most suitable direction to take to tackle the problem. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS AND AVENUES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH In the first part of the work it was really complicated to calculate the possible savings of different projects, since in many papers these quantities are not reported or the impact is based on non-quantifiable benefits. The other issue is the confidentiality of many projects where the data cannot be presented. For the car assembly line problem more computational power would allow us to solve bigger instances. For the operation research problem there was a lack of historical data to perform a parallel analysis in the teaching hospital. In order to keep testing the decision framework it is necessary to keep applying more case studies in order to generalize the results and make them more evident and less ambiguous. The health care field offers great opportunities since despite the recent awareness of the need to improve the decision-making process there are many opportunities to improve. Another big difference with the automotive industry is that the last improvements are not spread among all the actors. Therefore, in the future this research will focus more on the collaboration between academia and the health care sector.

En un intervalo del l��mite : una nueva lectura del movimiento moderno desde la realidad virtual de lo ambiguo

Esta tesis doctoral busca estudiar el espacio desde la premisa de que el espacio es, fundamentalmente, lo intermedio. El entre, lo que hay entre las cosas mismas y que les da, precisamente, su definici��n como cosas en un constante proceso de delimitaci��n. Este entre, lo que hay entre las cosas, no es sin embargo un resto que queda, sino bien al contrario el principio activo que hace que las cosas, desde lo que hay alrededor, se configuren en su ser sensible y puedan percibirse. El entre, lo intermedio, no es as�� una l��nea, un corte puro, sino un intervalo, un espacio en s�� mismo, un ��mbito en que se desarrolla un proceso. Es por tanto un espacio de formaci��n, en el que las cosas a��n no son y ya est��n siendo, un intervalo ambiguo pleno de virtualidades, unas desplegadas otras que permanecen en espera, siempre en movimiento. Es la hip��tesis principal de esta tesis que en el llamado Movimiento Moderno en la arquitectura del siglo veinte esta condici��n ambigua del l��mite se pone de manifiesto como la ra��z articuladora de los cambios espaciales y formales que definen su ser y su est��tica. Para desarrollar esta hip��tesis, se parte de una doble premisa: por una parte, como un entre que es en s�� misma, la arquitectura se encuentra delimitada por las disciplinas art��sticas contempor��neas, especialmente pintura y escultura y a la vez las delimita. Por tanto, se explorar��n una serie de momentos claves en las vanguardias de comienzos del siglo veinte en paralelo a una serie de arquitecturas contempor��neas para estudiar esta doble dial��ctica entre l��mites. Por otra parte, y entendiendo que lo propio de la arquitectura es el espacio, se estudiar��n en profundidad las concepciones espaciales que en la f��sica y la est��tica del finales del siglo diecinueve y principios del veinte se desarrollan, para comprender c��mo estas nuevas concepciones, centradas en las ideas de relatividad y de espacio-tiempo como magnitudes interlimitadas, determinan a su vez las concepciones espaciales que se desarrollan simult��neamente en las artes pl��sticas y en la arquitectura. La tr��ada espacio/tiempo/luz regir�� este recorrido, en un doble camino: a trav��s de la f��sica y la teor��a del arte, y a trav��s de la arquitectura y las artes pl��sticas. Se trata por tanto de incardinar la arquitectura en su contexto art��stico y cient��fico, y comprobar c��mo la comprensi��n del espacio como un entre, como un intervalo del l��mite y no como un absoluto trascendente, se generaliza en dichos ��mbitos en una exploraci��n paralela que condiciona los resultados en todos ellos y que define, por tanto, la arquitectura de la modernidad como una arquitectura del entre. El encuadre enmarca como motivo principal el Movimiento Moderno a trav��s de la figura de Le Corbusier. Se muestra el modo en que los recursos y mecanismos empleados provocan el encuentro del espacio indecible a trav��s de la polifon��a de las artes. Desde el espaciamiento del l��mite, su borradura, su ambig��edad, producidos mediante el entrelazamiento de los recursos art��sticos, la continuidad de lo lineal, el encabalgamiento, el maridaje, la ambivalencia, la relatividad del color y la luz, el intersticio. Ello se analiza a trav��s de la obra de le Corbusier, destacando la dial��ctica entre Le Chemin��e y Nature morte aux nombreux objets; Ma maison y el pabell��n del Zurichhorn; Unit�� y L���espace indicible. Aclaradas las premisas fundamentales y las consecuencias inmediatas para la arquitectura del Movimiento Moderno, la cuarta parte y final de la tesis, mucho m��s breve que las anteriores, expone una primera aproximaci��n a las consecuencias que todo esto ha tenido en un momento liminal tambi��n: el comienzo de la postmodernidad. En realidad se trata de una apertura a lo que ha de venir, pues establecida la operatividad de la hip��teisi inicial, se trata aqu�� solamente de abrir el camino a una interpretaci��n que en realidad escapa del alcance de esta tesis. As�� se deja apuntado c��mo, a trav��s de la obra de tres arquitectos, te��ricos y artistas trabajando en los a��os setenta y comienzos de los ochenta del pasado siglo, una comprensi��n m��s clara de la revoluci��n moderna precipitada por esta nueva comprensi��n del espacio como l��mite-entre queda patente. Chamberworks de Daniel Libeskind, Wexner Center for the Visual Arts de Peter Eisenman y Manhattan Transcripts de Bernard Tschumi servir��an de privilegiados ejemplo. Como queda patente que las consecuencias de todo ello a��n las estamos sintiendo en nuestra contemporaneidad. ABSTRACT This thesis aims to study the space from the premise that space is mainly the in-between. The in-between, what is in-between the things themselves and gives them precisely its definition as things in a constant process of delimitation. This in-between, what is in between things, is not a remnant that remains, but on the contrary it is the active ingredient that produces things from what is around, that configures them in a sensitive to be perceived. The in-between, the intermediate, is not a line, a pure cut, but an interval, a space in itself, an area in which a process is developed. It is therefore a space in development, where things are still not and already been, delimiting an ambiguous range full of potentialities, some present and others that remain only as virtualities. It is the main hypothesis of this thesis that in the so-called Modern Movement in the architecture of the twentieth century this ambiguous boundary condition is revealed as the result of the articulatation of spatial and formal changes. To develop this hypothesis, I posit this double premise: On the one hand, as an in-between which is in itself, architecture is defined by contemporary artistic disciplines, especially painting and sculpture and simultaneously defines them. Therefore, a number of key moments in the avantgarde of the early twentieth century in parallel with a number of contemporary architecture to study this double dialectic between boundaries will be explored. On the other hand, and considering that the ���essence��� of the architecture is space, I will study in depth the spatial concepts in physics and aesthetics of late-nineteenth century and early twentieth century to understand how these new concepts centered on the ideas of relativity and space-time as interlimited magnitudes in turn determine the spatial conceptions that take place simultaneously in the visual arts and architecture. The space / time / light triad governs this journey in a double way: through physics and theory of art, and through architecture and the arts. The aim is to anchor architecture in its artistic and scientific context, and to see how the understanding of space as an in-between interval and not as an absolute transcendent determines the results in all of them, defining, therefore, the architecture of modernity as an architecture of the in-between. The frame of the study is centered in the modern movement through the figure of Le Corbusier and how rthe different resources and mechanisms employed provoke an unspeakable space of encounter through the polyphony of the arts. From the spacing of the limit, its erasure, its ambiguity, produced by the intertwining of artistic resources to continuity of the linear, the marriage, the ambivalence, the relativity of color and light, the gap. All this is analyzed through the work of Le Corbusier, highlighting the dialectic between Le Chemin��e and Nature morte aux nombreux objets, Ma maison and Z��richhorn pavilion, Unit�� and L���espace indicible. Once the basic premises and immediate consequences for the architecture of the Modern Movement are set, the fourth and final part of the thesis aims to explore the impact that all this has had in another liminal time: the beginning of postmodernism. Of course, this part is shorter, in fact it is more a prospective survey and an opening of possibilities than a truly articulated body of theory, since the conceptual core of this thesis has been developed in the central part. Hence, through the work of three architects, theorists and artists working in the seventies and early eighties of last century, a clearer understanding of the modern revolution precipitated by this new understanding of space as a boundary- between is proposed. Chamberworks by Daniel Libeskind, Wexner Center for the Visual Arts by Peter Eisenman and Manhattan Transcripts by Bernard Tschumi will exemplify this approach. The consequences of all this are still haunting our contemporaneity.

Rescue of adult mouse motoneurons from injury-induced cell death by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been shown to rescue developing motoneurons in vivo and in vitro from both naturally occurring and axotomy-induced cell death. To test whether GDNF has trophic effects on adult motoneurons, we used a mouse model of injury-induced adult motoneuron degeneration. Injuring adult motoneuron axons at the exit point of the nerve from the spinal cord (avulsion) resulted in a 70% loss of motoneurons by 3 weeks following surgery and a complete loss by 6 weeks. Half of the loss was prevented by GDNF treatment. GDNF also induced an increase (hypertrophy) in the size of surviving motoneurons. These data provide strong evidence that the survival of injured adult mammalian motoneurons can be promoted by a known neurotrophic factor, suggesting the potential use of GDNF in therapeutic approaches to adult-onset motoneuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Immunoglobulin variable region hypermutation in hybrids derived from a pre-B- and a myeloma cell line.

Somatic mutation of the variable (V) regions of immunoglobulin genes occurs in vivo at rates that have been estimated to be between 10(-3) and 10(-4) per bp per generation. To study this process in vitro, the 18.81 pre-B-cell line and hybrids derived by fusing 18.81 to the NSO myeloma fusion partner were transfected with a mu heavy-chain construct containing a nonsense mutation in the V region (Vn) or the constant region (Cn). Mutation was quantitated by reversion analysis using the ELISA spot assay to detect single cells secreting IgM. Fluctuation analysis revealed that V-region mutations spontaneously occurred in 18.81 cells at an average rate of 5.8 x 10(-6) per bp per cell generation and in selected 18.81-NSO hybrids at greatly increased rates of 1.6 x 10(-3) to 5.8 x 10(-4) per bp per generation. The Vn construct also reverted frequently in transgenic mice, indicating that it contained sufficient information to mutate at high rates both in vivo and in vitro. Sequence analysis of reverted genes revealed that reversion was due to point mutations. Since the rates and nature of the mutations that are occurring in these transfected genes are similar to those reported in vivo, it should be possible to use this system to identify the cis-acting sequences and trans-acting factors that are responsible for V-region somatic hypermutation.

Responsivity and resonant properties of dipole, bowtie, and spiral Seebeck nanoantennas

Seebeck nanoantennas, which are based on the thermoelectric effect, have been proposed for electromagnetic energy harvesting and infrared detection. The responsivity and frequency dependence of three types of Seebeck nanoantennas is obtained by electromagnetic simulation for different materials. Results show that the square spiral antenna has the widest bandwidth and the highest induced current of the three analyzed geometries. However, the geometry that presented the highest temperature gradient was the bowtie antenna, which favors the thermoelectric effect in a Seebeck nanoantenna. The results also show that these types of devices can present a voltage responsivity as high as 36��������V/W36��������V/W for titanium���nickel dipoles resonant at far-infrared wavelengths.

Estudo e aplica����o de guias de ondas integrados ao substrato em frequ��ncias de micro-ondas.

Esse trabalho de pesquisa apresenta um estudo detalhado sobre guias de ondas integrados ao substrato (SIW) operando em frequ��ncias de micro-ondas com base na teoria de guias de ondas retangulares (RWG). O estudo sobre guias SIW associa equa����es apresentadas na literatura e utiliza simula����es eletromagn��ticas para desenvolver um procedimento de projeto bem definido. �� considerada a integra����o entre guias SIW e linhas de transmiss��o de microfita, projetando-se transi����es entre essas duas estruturas com o prop��sito de prover casamento de imped��ncia e de viabilizar a caracteriza����o em frequ��ncias de micro-ondas. S��o apresentadas considera����es sobre processos de fabrica����o de circuitos SIW em substratos constitu��dos por laminados de alta frequ��ncia. Uma vez estabelecidos os procedimentos de fabrica����o e os crit��rios de projeto, a tecnologia SIW �� aplicada ao projeto de tr��s guias de ondas SIW nas bandas S e X, que foram fabricados empregando laminados de alta-frequ��ncia. Foram projetados dois filtros SIW passa-faixa empregando cavidades ressonantes e postes met��licos indutivos. Os dois filtros operam na frequ��ncia central de 10,61 GHz, sendo que um deles tem banda de passagem de 7,5%e �� de 3�� ordem e o outro filtro tem banda de passagem de 15%, sendo de 5�� ordem. Foram realizadas compara����es entre o desempenho simulado e experimental das estruturas SIW projetadas. Os resultados de simula����es eletromagn��ticas e experimentais demonstraram boa concord��ncia. Os projetos em tecnologia SIW apresentados neste trabalho de pesquisa possuem perdas de retorno melhores que 10 dB na banda de opera����o e perdas por inser����o de 1,0 dB a 1,5 dB. �� apresentada a an��lise da sensibilidade do desempenho dos guias de ondas e filtros SIW projetados a desvios dimensionais t��picos do processo de fabrica����o por microfresagem mec��nica. Com os resultados experimentais e de simula����o foi poss��vel validar os procedimentos de projeto e de fabrica����o de circuitos SIW operando em frequ��ncias de micro-ondas.

Sistemas de gest��o integrados como indutor para a sustentabilidade: uma an��lise do impacto no desempenho das organiza����es baseado no Triple Bottom Line.

O objetivo deste trabalho �� analisar o impacto dos Sistemas de Gest��o Integrados (SGI) no desempenho organizacional sob a ��ptica do Triple Bottom Line (TBL), verificando se esta implementa����o auxilia a empresa a se tornar mais sustent��vel. A abordagem multi-m��todo utilizada est�� dividida em tr��s partes. A primeira compreende uma revis��o sistem��tica da literatura, tendo como base a abordagem bibliom��trica. A base de dados escolhida para a sele����o dos artigos que comp��em a amostra foi a ISI Web of Knowledge (Web of Science). As an��lises conduzidas sugerem lacunas na literatura a serem pesquisadas de modo a relacionar a integra����o dos sistemas de gest��o como meio para as organiza����es tornarem-se mais sustent��veis, auxiliando assim na elabora����o de um modelo te��rico e das hip��teses de pesquisa. Os resultados parciais obtidos ressaltam a lacuna na literatura de estudos nessa ��rea, principalmente que contemplem a dimens��o social do Triple Bottom Line. Lacunas na literatura foram identificadas tamb��m no que se refere �� an��lise do impacto da ado����o dessas abordagens normativas no desempenho organizacional. A segunda etapa da metodologia �� composta por estudos de casos m��ltiplos em empresas de diferentes setores e que tenham implantado sistemas de gest��o de maneira integrada. Os resultados obtidos mostram que a certifica����o auxilia no desenvolvimento de a����es sustent��veis, resultando em impactos econ��micos, ambientais e sociais positivos. Nesta etapa, testou-se o modelo e as hip��teses levantadas na abordagem bibliom��trica. A terceira etapa da metodologia �� composta por an��lises estat��sticas de dados secund��rios extra��dos da revista Exame ?Maiores e Melhores\'. Os dados do ano de 2014 das empresas foram tratados por meio do software MINITAB 17 ��. Por meio do teste de mediana de mood, as amostras foram testadas e apresentaram diferen��as estatisticamente significativas para o desempenho das empresas em diferentes setores. De maneira geral, as empresas com SGI apresentam melhor desempenho econ��mico do que as demais. Com a mesma base de dados, utilizando o modelo de equa����es estruturais e o software Smart PLS 2.0, criou-se um diagrama de caminhos analisando os constructos (SGI) com vari��veis de desempenho (Endividamento, Lucratividade, Patrim��nio, Crescimento e Retorno). O modelo de equa����es estruturais testado apresentou for��a para a rela����o entre SGI com Endividamento, Lucratividade, Patrim��nio e Crescimento. As diferentes metodologias apresentadas contribu��ram para responder a hip��tese e afirmar com base na amostra deste trabalho que o SGI leva as empresas a terem melhor desempenho econ��mico, ambiental e social (baseado no TBL).

Investigating the Eastern Extent of the Seattle Fault Zone through Depth to Bedrock and Borehole Analysis in Bellevue, Washington

This study identifies lineaments that indicate fault activity and strengthens previous interpretations of structures within the eastern extent of the Seattle Fault zone in Bellevue, WA. My investigation has compiled geotechnical subsurface data, high-resolution LiDAR imagery, and ground-penetrating radar to produce strip log sections transecting identified lineaments and depth-to-bedrock maps exposing fault structure. My work incorporates field investigation, multiple publicly available datasets, and subsurface modeling. My results include a map showing twenty-eight identified surface lineaments, five strip-log sections, and interpolated depth-to-bedrock and minimum-depth-to-bedrock maps. Several lineaments identified in the minimum-depth-to-bedrock raster are parallel to the Seattle Fault zone and suggest the presence of small splay faults beneath east Bellevue. These results strengthen previous interpretations of seismic profile data located in the study area. Another lineament identified in the minimum-depth-to-bedrock raster suggest an unmapped tear fault accommodating differential offset along fault strike between Mercer Island and Bellevue. This work also demonstrates the utility of publicly available datasets such as geotechnical subsurface explorations and LiDAR imagery in supplementing geologic investigations in the eastern extent of the Seattle Fault zone.

Development of techniques to predict production line efficiency

This industrial based research project was undertaken for British Leyland and arose as a result of poor system efficiency on the Maxi and Marina vehicle body build lines. The major factors in the deterioration of system efficiency were identified as: a) The introduction of a 'Gateline' system of vehicle body build. b) The degeneration of a newly introduced measured daywork payment scheme. By relating the conclusions of past work on payment systems to the situation at Cowley, it was concluded that a combination of poor industrial relations and a lack of managerial control had caused the measured daywork scheme to degenerate into a straightforward payment for time at work. This ellminated the monetary incentive to achieve schedule with the consequence that both inefficiency and operating costs increased. To analyse further the cause of inefficiency, a study of Marina gateline stoppage logs was carried out. This revealed that poor system efficiency on the gateline was caused more by the nature of its design than poor reliability on individual items of' plant. The consideration given to system efficiency at the design stage was found to be negligible, the main obstacles being: a) A lack of understanding pertaining to the influence of certain design factors on the efficiency of a production line. b) The absence of data and techniques to predict system efficiency at the design stage. To remedy this situation, a computer simulation study of' the design factors was carried out from which relationships with system efficiency were established and empirical efficiency equations developed. Sets of tables were compiled from the equations and efficiency data relevant to vehicle body building established from the gateline stoppage logs. Computer simulation, the equations and the tables,when used in conjunction. with good efficiency data, are shown to be accurate methods of predicting production line system.efficiency.

Iterative subspace analysis based on feature line distance

Nearest feature line-based subspace analysis is first proposed in this paper. Compared with conventional methods, the newly proposed one brings better generalization performance and incremental analysis. The projection point and feature line distance are expressed as a function of a subspace, which is obtained by minimizing the mean square feature line distance. Moreover, by adopting stochastic approximation rule to minimize the objective function in a gradient manner, the new method can be performed in an incremental mode, which makes it working well upon future data. Experimental results on the FERET face database and the UCI satellite image database demonstrate the effectiveness.