Effect of the curing time on the numerical modelling of the behaviour of a chemically stabilised soft soil

The ability of the Modified Cam Clay (MCC) model combined with the Von Mises (VM) model, considering the effect of curing time on the enhancement of the mechanical properties of a chemically stabilised soft soil is examined. The evolution of the strength and stiffness over time is based on the results of undrained compressive strength (UCS) tests carried out for different curing times (from 28 days to 360 days). Initially, the MCC/VM models associated with the effect of curing time are validated by CIU triaxial tests, for curing times of 28 and 90 days. Finally, the behaviour of an embankment built on a soft soil reinforced with deep mixing columns is predicted based on the previously validated models. The results show that the increase of curing time of the DMCs slightly decreases the settlement obtained with a curing time of 28 days

Hybrid management, organizational configuration, and medical professionalism: evidence from the establishment of a clinical directorate in Portugal

Background: The need of improving the governance of healthcare services has brought health professionals into management positions. However, both the processes and outcomes of this policy change highlight differences among the European countries. This article provides in-depth evidence that neither quantitative data nor cross-country comparisons have been able to provide regarding the influence of hybrids in the functioning of hospital organizations and impact on clinicians' autonomy and exposure to hybridization. Methods: The study was designed to witness the process of institutional change from the inside and while that process was underway. It reports a case study carried out in a public hospital in Portugal when the establishment of a clinical directorate was being negotiated. Data collection comprises semi-structured interviews with general managers and surgeons complemented with observations. Results: The clinical directorate under study illustrates a divisionalized professional bureaucracy model that combines features of professional bureaucracies and divisionalized forms. The hybrid manager is key to understand the extent to which practising clinicians are more accountable and to whom given that managerial tools of control have not been strengthened, and trust-based relations allow them to keep professional autonomy untouched. In sum, clinicians are allowed to profit from their activity and to perform autonomously from the hospital's board of directors. The advantageous conditions enjoyed by the clinical directorate intensify internal re-stratification in medicine, thus suggesting forms of divisionalized medical professionalism grounded in organizational dynamics. Conclusion: It is discussed the extent to which policy change to the governance of health organizations regarding the relationship between medicine and management is subject to specific constraints at the workplace level, thus conditioning the expected outcomes of policy setting. The study also highlights the role of hybrid managers in determining the extent to which practising professionals are more accountable to managerial criteria. The overall conclusion is that although medical and managerial values link to each other, clinicians reconfigure managerial criteria according to specific interests. Ultimately, medical autonomy and authority may be reinforced in organizational settings subject to NPM-driven reforms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

When doctors lead organizational innovation: Lessons from a clinical directorate in Portugal

The need of improving health services has brought professional leaders into management positions as hybrid managers (HMs). There is much discussion about the relative autonomy of HMs and if they effectively improve health services. We focus on health care service controlled by HMs to provide evidence on if and how HMs contribute to organizational innovation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

RELOAD/CoAP architecture with resource aggregation/disaggregation service

M2M communication is expected to occur at a global level and for this reason federations of device networks are also expected. In such large scale environments, a critical issue is how to discover the available resources in a scalable manner. For this purpose CoAP Usage for RELOAD, a generic self-organizing P2P overlay network service, has been proposed to be used as a lookup service, to store available resources and as a cache for sensor data. However, such approach alone does not allow building an aggregate resource hierarchy, a very relevant issue for an efficient organization of data in future IoT applications. Here we address this issue and propose an architecture incorporating a resource aggregation/disaggregation service

Accurate free and forced rotational motions of rigid Venus

% context :The precise and accurate modelling of a terrestrial planet like Venus is an exciting and challenging topic, all the more interesting since it can be compared with that of the Earth for which such a modelling has already been achieved at the milliarcsecond level % aims: We want to complete a previous study (Cottereau and Souchay, 2009), by determining at the milliarcsecond level the polhody, i.e. the torque-free motion of the axis of angular momentum of a rigid Venus in a body-fixed frame, as well as the nutation of its third axis of figure in space, which is fundamental from an observational point of view. results :In a first part we have computed the polhody, i.e. the respective free rotational motion of the axis of angular momentum of Venus with respect to a body-fixed frame. We have shown that this motion is highly elliptical, with a very long period of 525 cy to be compared with 430 d for the Earth. This is due to the very small dynamical flattening of Venus in comparison with our planet. In a second part we have computed precisely the Oppolzer terms which allow to represent the motion in space of the third Venus figure axis with respect to Venus angular momentum axis, under the influence of the solar gravitational torque. We have determined the corresponding tables of coefficients of nutation of the third figure axis both in longitude and in obliquity due to the Sun, which are of the same order of amplitude as for the Earth. We have shown that the coefficients of nutation for the third figure axis are significantly different from those of the angular momentum axis on the contrary of the Earth. Our analytical results have been validated by a numerical integration which revealed the indirect planetary effects.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in section 11. Celestial mechanics and astrometry of Astronomy and Astrophysics (27/02/2010

Potencial competitivo do melao brasileiro no mercado do Reino Unido.

O alto grau de competitividade que atualmente esta sendo vivenciado no mercado internacional de produtos hortifruticolas exige a realizacao de estudos que procurem identificar a real situacao de competitividade dos frutos brasileiros no referido mercado. Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo detenninar o potencial competitivo do melao brasileiro no do Reino Unido, que e o principal mercado importador do melao do Brasil. O metodo utilizado para a operacionalizacao dos dados e uma de matriz de tres entradas baseada nosparametros atrativo de mercado e posicao competitiva e a srie histrica abrangi da pelo estudo vai de 1993 a 1998. Os produtos envolvidos na analise sao os meloes procedentes do Brasil, Costa Rica e Espanha, pa¡ses que sao responsaveis por mais de 90% do melao importado anualmente pelo mercado do Reino Unido. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram que embora o mercado de melao no Reino Unido esteja em franca expansao o produto brasileiro vive um processo de retrocesso, registrando perdas significativas de cotas de mercado. O estudo revelou que o produto brasileiro e o menos competitivo dos produtos analisados, atingindo no mercado do Reino Unido um mediano potencial competitivo enquanto Costa Rica e Espanha alcancaram um elevado potencial competitivo

Avaliação dos impactos ambientais do sistema de produção integrada de uva de mesa na região do Submédio São Francisco.

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os impactos ambientais do sistema de produção integrada de uva na região do Submédio São Francisco, que é o principal pólo de exportação desta fruta no país

Análise dos custos de produção e da rentabilidade do sistema típico de produção de banana orgânica, na região do Vale do Submédio São Francisco.

Edição dos Resumos do 7 Congresso Brasileiro de Agroecologia, Fortaleza, dez. 2011

Análise dos custos de produção e da rentabilidade do sistema de produção de manga orgânica, na região do Vale do Submédio São Francisco.

Edição dos Resumos do 7 Congresso Brasileiro de Agroecologia, Fortaleza, dez. 2011

Análise do custo de produção e rentabilidade do cultivo da uva fina de mesa sem sementes produzidas na região do Submédio São Francisco.

A região do Submédio São Francisco é atualmente um dos principais pólos de produção e o maior de exportação de uva do país, com uma área plantada de cerca de 10 mil hectares, concentrados principalmente nos municípios de Petrolina, Pernambuco e Juazeiro, Bahia. Trata-se de cultivos que demandam alta tecnologia e grande consumo de capital, situação que exige que o produtor, além de alcançar uma alta produtividade física, obtenha também adequada rentabilidade econômica. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar o custo de produção e a rentabilidade da uva fina de mesa sem sementes produzida na região do Submédio São Francisco. Os dados foram levantados nas empresas típicas de produção e exportação de uva da região em estudo. Para a determinação da viabilidade econômica da exploração em um ano de produção plena, utilizou-se o método de orçamentação parcial e para a determinação da viabilidade de todo o empreendimento, procedeu-se a análise do fluxo de caixa descontado através dos métodos do valor presente líquido, da taxa interna de retorno e do payback. A pesquisa apontou que nas análises de desempenho econômico e financeiro estudadas nesta investigação, a exploração da uva sem sementes despontou como um empreendimento de alta viabilidade econômica