Digital Complex Correlator for a C-band Polarimetry survey

The international Galactic Emission Mapping project aims to map and characterize the polarization field of the Milky Way. In Portugal it will cartograph the C-band sky polarized emission of the Northern Hemisphere and provide templates for map calibration and foreground control of microwave space probes like ESA Planck Surveyor mission. The receiver system is equipped with a novel receiver with a full digital back-end using an Altera Field Programmable Gate Array, having a very favorable cost/performance relation. This new digital backend comprises a base-band complex cross-correlator outputting the four Stokes parameters of the incoming polarized radiation. In this document we describe the design and implementation of the complex correlator using COTS components and a processing FPGA, detailing the method applied in the several algorithm stages and suitable for large sky area surveys.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures; submitted to Experimental Astronomy, Springe

Mapping the sustainable development goals relationships

Sustainable development addresses humanity’s aspiration for a better life while observing the limitations imposed by nature. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly approved the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim to foster the organizational operationalization and integration of sustainability and, therefore, to address the current and forthcoming stakeholder needs and ensure a better and sustainable future for all, balancing the economic, social, and environmental development. However, it is not entirely clear which are the mutual relationships among the 17 SDGs and this study aims to tackle this research gap. The results of the correlation confirm that Poverty elimination (SDG1) and Good health and well-being (SDG3) have synergetic relationships with most of the other goals. SDG7 (Affordable and clean energy) has significant relationships with other SDGs (e.g., SDG1 (No poverty), SDG2 (Zero hunger), SDG3 (Good health and well-being), SDG8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG13 (Climate action)). However, there is a moderate negative correlation with SDG12 (Responsible consumption and production), which emphasizes the need to improve energy efficiency, increase the share of clean and renewable energies and improve sustainable consumption patterns worldwide. There is also confirmation that SDG12 (Responsible consumption and production) is the goal strongly associated with trade-offs. To sum up, this research suggests that change towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals offers many opportunities for reinforcing rather than inhibiting itself. However, some SDGs show no significant correlation with other SDGs (e.g., SDG13 (Climate action) and SDG17 (Partnerships for the goals), which highlights the need for future research.CIDEM: R&D unit is funded by the FCT—Portuguese Foundation for the Development of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Higher Education, under the Project UID/EMS/0615/2019. Pedro Domingues (ALGORITMI Research Centre) benefited from financial support by FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

A cultura como caminho de afirmação, coesão e desenvolvimento das geografias da interioridade em Portugal

This article deals with the question of interiority in Portugal, characterizing one geography that represents almost 2/3 of the country and where only 20% of the population is concentrated. This is a sign of desertification that have resulted from a process of abandonment, isolation, economic disruption and lack of territorial cohesion that have lasted for decades. A new strategy now aims to mobilize public and private actors and stimulate citizenship for one rescue of memory as well to promote the reinforcement of identity and hope in the future. Among other instruments in articulation in the terrain are expected results of one bet in the culture as a way of affirmation, cohesion and development of the interior territory of Portugal.Este artículo aborda la cuestión de la interioridad en Portugal, caracterizando una geografía que representa casi 2/3 del país, donde se concentra sólo 20% de la población y que evidencia señales de desertificación muy fuertes que resultan de un proceso de abandono, aislamiento, desestructuración económica y social y de falta de cohesión territorial que duran desde hace décadas. Una nueva estrategia pretende ahora movilizar a los actores, públicos y privados, y estimular la ciudadanía para que se rescate la memoria y se refuerce la identidad y la esperanza en el futuro. Entre otros instrumentos en articulación sobre el terreno se esperan resultados de la apuesta en la cultura como camino de afirmación, cohesión y el desarrollo del territorio interior de Portugal.Este artigo aborda a questão da interioridade em Portugal, caracterizando uma geografia que representa quase 2/3 do país, onde se con-centra apenas 20% da população e que evidencia sinais de desertificação muito fortes que resultaram de um processo de abandono, isolamento, desestruturação económica e social e de falta de coesão territorial que duram há décadas. Uma nova estratégia pretende agora mobilizar actores, públicos e privados, e estimular a cidadania para que se resgate a memória e se reforce a identidade e a esperança no futuro. Entre outros instru-mentos em articulação no terreno esperam-se resultados da aposta na cultura como caminho de afirmação, coesão e desenvolvimento do território interior de Portugal

Propriedades de transporte elétrico em baixas temperaturas em heteroestruturas Zn1-xCdxO/CdO crescidas pela técnica Spray Pirólise

In this thesis we study how the electrical transport properties in Zn1-xCdxO/CdO, heterostructures grown by spray pyrolysis, modified by doping and growing on substrates of glass and silicon. In the glass substrate, the x-doping values in the heterostructures were 0.50; 0.60; 0.75 and 0.95 and in silicon 0.60 and 0.95. CdO and Zn0,40Cd0,60O films were also grown on glass and silicon to analyze the contribution of these layers to heterostructures. From the diffractograms obtained from all the samples, it was verified that all are polycrystalline with phase-centered cubic structure (CFC) and that in the heterostructures grown on glass, the crystallite size is larger with the increase of doping. From the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the surface of the samples, it was found that those grown on a glass substrate are less rough and those grown on silicon have domes on the surface. From the measurements of Hall effects it was observed that the samples are n-type independent of the substrate, having a high concentration of carriers being higher in the samples grown in glass, while the mobility was higher in the samples grown in silicon varying in up to four orders of magnitude. guarantee compared to those grown in glass. The high mobility in the samples grown on silicon was attributed to the domes. Electrical characterization and magnetotransport measurements were performed at temperatures ranging from 1.9 to 300 K and magnetic fields up to 9 T. All samples grown on glass showed metal-insulator transition (TMI) with different transition temperatures. The TMI observed in samples grown on glass is due to the degree of disorder being known as an Anderson-type transition. The heterostructure grown on silicon Zn0.40Cd0.60O/CdO also presented the TMI, but of the Mott type, which was verified by measuring resistance as a function of temperature (RT) applying a magnetic field. The Zn0.05Cd0.95O/CdO heterostructure and the CdO film grown on silicon showed insulating behavior in the RT curves throughout the analyzed temperature range. In the magnetoresistance (MR) curves, all samples grown on glass and the CdO film grown on silicon showed negative magnetoresistance (MRN) due to the weak localization effect. The MR curves of these samples were fitted using the Kawabata 3D model and from the fit it was obtained the phase coherence length and that the mechanism of electrical transport at low temperatures is the electron-electron interaction. As for the MR curves of the heterostructure Zn0.40Cd0.60O/CdO grown on silicon, it can be seen that the MR curves are totally influenced by the substrate since this sample exhibited positive magnetoresistance (MRP) while in the glass it was MRN. Although this sample exhibited high mobility, no wobbling pattern in the MR curves was detected due to high roughness. The Zn0.40Cd0.60O film measurements showed that the MRP exhibited by the Zn0.40Cd0.60O/CdO heterostructure grown on silicon comes from the upper layer. From all the results obtained, it was possible to verify that the heterostructures presented better electrical properties than the CdO films and that the heterostructure with silicon substrate is much more sensitive to the application of magnetic field than the one grown on glass.Nesta tese estudamos como a dopagem e a alteração do substrato de vidro para silício modoficaram o transporte elétrico em heteroestruturas Zn1-xCdxO/CdO crescidas por spray pirólise. No substrato de vidro os valores de dopagem nas heteroestruturas foram 0,50; 0,60; 0,75 e 0,95 e no silício 0,60 e 0,95. Também foram crescidos, em vidro e silício, filmes de óxido de cádmio (CdO) e também de Zn0,40Cd0,60O para analisar a contribuição dessas camadas nas heteroestruturas. Dos difratogramas obtidos de todas as amostras verificou-se que todas são policristalinas com estrutura cúbica de fase centrada (CFC) e que nas heteroestruturas crescidas em vidro o tamanho do cristalito é maior com o aumento da dopagem. Das imagens de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) da superfície das amostras constatou-se que as crescidas em substrato de vidro são menos rugosas e as crescidas em silício apresentam domos na superfície. Das medidas de efeitos Hall foi observado que as amostras são do tipo-n independente do substrato, possuindo alta concentração de portadores sendo maior nas amostras crescidas em vidro, enquanto que a mobilidade foi mais alta nas amostras crescidas em silício variando em até quatro ordens de garandeza em comparação com as crescidas em vidro. A alta mobilidade nas amostras crescidas em silício foi atribuída aos domos. A caracterização elétrica e as medições de magnetotransporte foram realizadas em temperaturas entre 1,9 até 300 K e campos magnéticos de até 9 T. Todas as amostras crescidas em vidro apresentaram transição metal-isolante (TMI) com diferentes temperaturas de transição. A TMI observada nas amostras crescidas em vidro é devido ao grau de desordem sendo conhecida como transição do tipo Anderson. A heteroestrutura crescida em silício Zn0,40Cd0,60O/CdO apresentou também a TMI, mas do tipo Mott o que foi verificado medindo resistência em função da temperatura (RT) aplicando campo magnético. A heteroestrutura Zn0,05Cd0,95O/CdO e o filme de CdO crescidos em silício apresentaram comportamento isolante nas curvas de RT em toda a faixa de temperatura analisada. Nas curvas de magnetorresistência (MR) todas as amostras crescidas em vidro e o filme de CdO crescido em silício apresentaram magnetorresistância negativa (MRN) devido ao efeito de localização fraca. As curvas de MR foram ajustadas usando o modelo de Kawabata 3D e do ajuste se obteve o comprimento de coerência de fase e que o mecanismo de transporte elétrico em baixas temperaturas é a interação elétron-elétron. Quanto às curvas de MR da heteroestrutura Zn0,40Cd0,60O/CdO crescida em silício, tem-se que as curvas de MR são totalmente influenciadas pelo substrato já que essa amostra exibiu magnetorresistância positiva (MRP) enquanto que no vidro foi MRN. Embora essa amostra tenha exibido alta mobilidade, nenhum padrão de oscilação nas curvas de MR foi detectado devido a alta rugosidade. As medidas do filme Zn0,40Cd0,60O mostraram que a MRP exibida pela heteroestrutura Zn0,40Cd0,60O/CdO crescida em silício é oriunda da camada superior. De todos os resultados obtidos, foi possível verificar que as heteroestruturas apresentaram melhores proprieades elétricas do que os filmes de CdO e que a heteroestrutura com substrato de silício é bem mais sensível à aplicação de campo magnético do que a crescida em vidro

Influência da responsabilidade social das organizações para o seu sucesso sustentável

Classificações: M14 – Corporate Cuture, Social Responsibility; M10 - GeneralNum mundo caracterizado pela mobilidade e acesso à informação, pelo âmbito global de questões ambientais, de saúde, de combate à pobreza, de interdependência económica e financeira e por exigências crescentes de diversas partes interessadas para que as organizações actuem de uma forma socialmente mais transparente e responsável, aumenta a necessidade de procurar de uma forma simultânea o crescimento económico, o progresso e a equidade social e o respeito pelo meio ambiente. Esta tese investiga a influência da Responsabilidade Social das organizações para o seu sucesso sustentável e após sistematizar os suportes teóricos da Responsabilidade Social, propõe um modelo conceptual para explicar esta relação. O modelo é testado através de entrevistas exploratórias, de um questionário administrado pela internet a gestores de organizações portuguesas e da consulta a especialistas do meio empresarial. Do ponto de vista teórico, as conclusões demonstram que de acordo com um número significativo de gestores portugueses, a satisfação dos stakeholders é significativamente mais elevada quando um programa de Responsabilidade Social é implementado e a satisfação dos stakeholders é relevante para o sucesso sustentável das organizações, tal como sugerido pela Teoria dos Stakeholders de Freeman (1984). Do ponto de vista prático, os resultados destacam a importância da satisfação de stakeholders tais como accionistas, empregados, parceiros/fornecedores e clientes para o sucesso sustentável das organizações. Conclui-se ainda que estes estudos devem ter em consideração aspectos tais como sectores de actividade, natureza, ou dimensão e antiguidade das organizações e as funções desempenhadas pelos gestores.We live in a world with increased mobility and access to information, with a range of global issues, like environmental protection, health improvement, fight against poverty and economic and financial inter dependence. A variety of stakeholders also demand that organisations act in a more transparent and responsible way with the aim of achieving simultaneously economic growth with social progress and equity and respect for the environment. This thesis investigates the influence of Social Responsibility in the sustainable success of organisations. We start by a systematic analysis of the theories supporting Social Responsibility and a conceptual model is proposed to explain the relationship between Social Responsibility and organisational sustainable success. The model was tested with exploratory interviews and a quantitative online self-administered survey of portuguese managers, followed by consultations with portuguese specialists from the business world. In this work we find evidence that according to a large number of portuguese managers, stakeholder satisfaction is significantly higher when a Social Responsibility programme is present and stakeholder satisfaction is relevant for the organisational sustainable success, as suggested by Freeman (1984) Stakeholder Theory. This work also has relevant contributions for management practice highlighting the importance of the satisfaction of stakeholders like shareholders, employees, partners/suppliers and customers for the sustainable success of organisations. Additionally it was confirmed that issues like activities sectors, organisational nature and dimension and position held by the managers must be taken into account when investigating the relationships betweens Social Responsibility and organisational sustainable success

Does it pay to be social responsible? Portuguese SMEs feedback

Purpose: The research on corporate social responsibility has been focused mainly on Anglo-Saxon countries and big companies. Most scholars agree there is a positive relationship between companies social and economic performance, however, this is not unanimous. Moreover, during economic downturns, companies struggle for survival and might consider corporate social responsibility efforts should be postponed. This research investigates if there is a positive relationship between social performance and key business results using a large sample of small and medium Portuguese companies over an extended period of time. Design/methodology/approach: The investigation is made by using survey responses from a sample of 2.222 small and medium companies (SMEs) over a 10 year period, from the Portuguese IAPMEI – Public Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation Benchmarking and Good Practices database. The hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between social and key business results performance was tested with correlation analysis and was complemented with semi-structured interviews of key Portuguese Sustainability Managers. Findings: The research results support the existence of valid positive relationships between companies’ social performance and key business results, confirming it does pay to invest in corporate social responsibility even in less favorable economic scenarios and for small and medium companies across all business sectors. Research limitations/implications: It was not possible to use more powerful statistical methods such as Partial Least Squares (PLS) or Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) due to data constraints and more qualitative research should be done to triangulate the results and better understating of the cause and effect relationships. Practical implications: Both managers and academics should be aware of the relevance of corporate social responsibility to assure companies enduring success and create benefits for stakeholders and society at large. Originality/value: This research makes contributions for the social and economic relationship body of knowledge with a particular emphasis on small and medium companies in Portugal and a potential application to other similar European countries, by using a large sample basis over an extended period of time.Peer Reviewe