Optimizing a Simple Natural Dye Production Method for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Examples for Betalain (Bougainvillea and Beetroot Extracts) and Anthocyanin Dyes

We present a study about the sensitizers extracted from natural resources. This paper focuses on how to select, extract and characterize natural dyes, giving some guides to establish a protocol for the whole process of fabricating and using these dyes. The influence of the extraction solvent and method, and of parameters such as pH are analyzed. Also, dye precursor and dye extract stability have been studied, as well as how the dye adsorbs onto substrates and the effect of mixing or concentrating the extracts. Results concerning betalain pigments present in bougainvillea and beetroot extracts, and anthocyanins in eggplant extracts, analyzed by using UV-Vis spectrometry, are included. As an example of application, we report procedures intended to test and enhance the dye potential as a main component of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs mimic nature’s photosynthesis and have some advantages like an easy and low-cost fabrication procedure. Their efficiency depends on its design and fabrication process and also on the different components involved. Hence, optimizing each component is essential to achieve the best performance, and thus the dye used as a sensitizer is crucial. We fabricate cells by using a simple procedure: As the interest is focused on the sensitizer, the same consecutive steps are followed, varying only the dye extract. Among all the natural-dyes tested, beetroot extract reaches up to 0.47% cell efficiency, which is near the highest values found in literature for this pigment

Environmental Policy Instruments: Technology Adoption Incentives with Imperfect Compliance

In this paper, we study the incentives to adopt advanced abatement technologies in the presence of imperfect compliance. Surprisingly, incentives to adopt advanced abatement technologies remain intact under emission taxes and pollution abatement subsidies when compared to the perfect compliance scenario. However, under emission standards imperfect compliance increases firms’ incentives to invest under certain assumptions, whereas under an emission permit mechanism investment incentives decrease only if widespread non-compliance induces a (sufficient) reduction in the permit price. Our results are valid for fairly general characteristics of the monitoring and enforcement strategies commonly found in both, theoretical and empirical applications.environmental policy; technology adoption; monitoring; non-compliance

Software X10-UPNP Bridge

IADIS MULTI CONFERENCE ON COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS 2008 Amsterdam, The Netherlands JULY 22 - 24, 2008In a future of smart houses where multiple heterogeneous devices will be interconnected to provide new functionalities and to ease everyday tasks, several issues will challenge the research, including interoperability and interfaces between different systems. The work presented in this paper describes a software bridge that exposes X10 devices as UPnP devices to UPnP control points, banking on the networks integration and alternatives to create mixed installations that are optimized for ease, reliability and functionality

Desenvolvimento de recursos de design em pequenas empresas da indústria automóvel : uma abordagem metodológica

ABSTRACT: This paper reflects part of a broader investigation on the development of methodologies to identify, value and manage design capabilities in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage. With the automotive industry and smaller supplier Portuguese companies as background, this paper explores the resource-based view theory (RBV) and the dynamic capabilities theory as a theoretical construct for a further development of research tools. In the automotive industry, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) continue to control the overall design of the vehicle, as part of the ability to manage the offer portfolio and brand communication. However, the industry have been moving towards an increasing participation of smaller suppliers in product development processes, pushed towards capabilities’ development as a requirement to continue competitive in the OEM’s suppliers network. The role of design and design management capabilities have been explored as strategic resources or core competencies. However, Design is not typically found in smaller supplier firms as resource (as opposed to Design studios in larger companies) but found as a process in resourcecapability combinations, establishing the need for a new research approach. Therefore, the RBV is a tool to value the design process as a sustained competitive advantage. The RBV conceptualizes a framework to determine or identify the strategic resources available or needed within a company. At these lenses, the basis for a sustainable competitive advantage lies in the application of the bundle of valuable resources identified and at the firm's disposal and the combinations with its capabilitiesEste artigo reflete parte de uma investigação mais ampla sobre o desenvolvimento de metodologias para identificar, valorizar e gerir os recursos de design, com o objetivo de criar uma vantagem competitiva sustentável. Com a indústria automóvel e as pequenas empresas portuguesas fornecedoras como pano de fundo, este artigo explora a teoria da Resource Based View (RBV) e a teoria das Dynamic Capabili_es (DCT) como um construto teórico para o desenvolvimento de ferramentas de investigação. Na indústria automóvel, os OEM (fabricantes de equipamentos originais) continuam a controlar o design geral do veículo, como parte da capacidade de gestão do seu portfólio assim como a comunicação de marca. No entanto, o setor tem seguido um caminho para uma participação crescente de fornecedores menores nos processos de desenvolvimento de produto, impulsionados para o desenvolvimento de capacidades como requisito de competitividade na rede de fornecedores dos OEM. O papel dos recursos do design e da gestão do design foram já explorados como recurso estratégicos ou competências fundamentais. No entanto, o Design não é normalmente encontrado em empresas de menor dimensão como recurso (em oposição aos estúdios de Design em empresas maiores), mas sim como um processo de combinações de diferentes capacidades e recursos, estabelecendo a necessidade de uma nova abordagem de pesquisa. Portanto, a RBV é uma ferramenta que visa a valorização do processo de design como uma vantagem competitiva sustentada. A RBV concetualiza uma estrutura para determinar ou identificar os recursos estratégicos disponíveis ou necessários dentro de uma empresa. Deste ponto de vista, a base para uma vantagem competitiva sustentável está na aplicação do conjunto de recursos valiosos identificados e à disposição da empresa em forma de combinações das suas diferentes capacidades e recursos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Interval model predictive control

6TH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ALGORITHMS AND ARCHITECTURES FOR REAL TIME CONTROL (6) (6.2000.PALMA DE MALLORCA. ESPAÑA)Model Predictive Control is one of the most popular control strategy in the process industry. One of the reason for this success can be attributed to the fact that constraints and uncertainties can be handled. There are many techniques based on interval mathematics that are used in a wide range of applications. These interval techniques can mean an important contribution to Model Predictive Control giving algorithms to achieve global optimization and constraint satisfaction

Core excitation effects in halo nuclei using a transformed oscillator basis

A recent generalization of the Transformed Harmonic Oscillator basis, intended to consider core excitations in the structure of one nucleon halo nuclei, is applied to the break up of 11Be. The reaction studied is 11Be+208Pb at 69 MeV/nucleon. The experimental set up is designed to ensure pure dipole Coulomb excitations. Making use of the Equivalent Photon Method and the electromagnetic transition probabilities obtained with the transformed oscillator basis, a relevant contribution of the quadrupole excitations of the core is found. The inclusion of core excitations is, therefore, necessary for the correct extraction of the dipole electromagnetic transition probability of halo nuclei.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación FIS2011-28738-c02-01, FPA2009- 07653, FPA2009-08848, CSD2007-00042Junta de Andalucía FQM160, P07-FQM-0289

Stabilization method in two-body systems with core excitations

The validity of the stabilization method in core+valence systems including the possibility of exciting the core is studied. A pseudostate method, based on the transformed harmonic oscillator basis, is extended to include the core degrees of freedom. The method is applied to the case of 11Be structure considering the 0+ ground state and the 2+ first excited state of the 10Be core. The stabilization method is defined in terms of one parameter that can be chosen either discrete or continuous. In the application to 11Be, both cases are analyzed.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación FIS2011-28738-c02-01, FPA2009-07653, FPA2009-08848, CSD2007-00042Junta de Andalucía FQM160, P07-FQM-0289