Improved PWM A/D conversion technique: working principle and model validation

Analog-to-digital conversion plays a central role in any application of digital sensors and sensor systems that require an interface between analog devices, namely analog sensors, and digital devices, namely, microprocessors, digital signal processors or microcontrollers. With the advent of smart sensing, the integration of signal conditioning, analog-to-digital and digital data processing in single hardware devices became a reality. Moreover, the usage of low-cost discrete A/D conversion techniques for applications that are not critic in terms of accuracy, resolution or conversion rate, are considering increasingly mixed hardware and software A/D solutions tailored for specific application demands. In this context, this chapter presents a discrete low-cost A/D conversion solution based on pulse width modulation particularly suited for microcontrollers' integration with smart sensing devices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of microservices: an empirical analysis of the emerging software architecture

Dissertação de mestrado em Informatics EngineeringThe applications’ development paradigm has faced changes in recent years, with modern development being characterized by the need to continuously deliver new software iterations. With great affinity with those principles, microservices is a software architecture which features characteristics that potentially promote multiple quality attributes often required by modern, large-scale applications. Its recent growth in popularity and acceptance in the industry made this architectural style often described as a form of modernizing applications that allegedly solves all the traditional monolithic applications’ inconveniences. However, there are multiple worth mentioning costs associated with its adoption, which seem to be very vaguely described in existing empirical research, being often summarized as "the complexity of a distributed system". The adoption of microservices provides the agility to achieve its promised benefits, but to actually reach them, several key implementation principles have to be honored. Given that it is still a fairly recent approach to developing applications, the lack of established principles and knowledge from development teams results in the misjudgment of both costs and values of this architectural style. The outcome is often implementations that conflict with its promised benefits. In order to implement a microservices-based architecture that achieves its alleged benefits, there are multiple patterns and methodologies involved that add a considerable amount of complexity. To evaluate its impact in a concrete and empirical way, one same e-commerce platform was developed from scratch following a monolithic architectural style and two architectural patterns based on microservices, featuring distinct inter-service communication and data management mechanisms. The effort involved in dealing with eventual consistency, maintaining a communication infrastructure, and managing data in a distributed way portrayed significant overheads not existent in the development of traditional applications. Nonetheless, migrating from a monolithic architecture to a microservicesbased is currently accepted as the modern way of developing software and this ideology is not often contested, nor the involved technical challenges are appropriately emphasized. Sometimes considered over-engineering, other times necessary, this dissertation contributes with empirical data from insights that showcase the impact of the migration to microservices in several topics. From the trade-offs associated with the use of specific patterns, the development of the functionalities in a distributed way, and the processes to assure a variety of quality attributes, to performance benchmarks experiments and the use of observability techniques, the entire development process is described and constitutes the object of study of this dissertation.O paradigma de desenvolvimento de aplicações tem visto alterações nos últimos anos, sendo o desenvolvimento moderno caracterizado pela necessidade de entrega contínua de novas iterações de software. Com grande afinidade com esses princípios, microsserviços são uma arquitetura de software que conta com características que potencialmente promovem múltiplos atributos de qualidade frequentemente requisitados por aplicações modernas de grandes dimensões. O seu recente crescimento em popularidade e aceitação na industria fez com que este estilo arquitetural se comumente descrito como uma forma de modernizar aplicações que alegadamente resolve todos os inconvenientes apresentados por aplicações monolíticas tradicionais. Contudo, existem vários custos associados à sua adoção, aparentemente descritos de forma muito vaga, frequentemente sumarizados como a "complexidade de um sistema distribuído". A adoção de microsserviços fornece a agilidade para atingir os seus benefícios prometidos, mas para os alcançar, vários princípios de implementação devem ser honrados. Dado que ainda se trata de uma forma recente de desenvolver aplicações, a falta de princípios estabelecidos e conhecimento por parte das equipas de desenvolvimento resulta em julgamentos errados dos custos e valores deste estilo arquitetural. O resultado geralmente são implementações que entram em conflito com os seus benefícios prometidos. De modo a implementar uma arquitetura baseada em microsserviços com os benefícios prometidos existem múltiplos padrões que adicionam considerável complexidade. De modo a avaliar o impacto dos microsserviços de forma concreta e empírica, foi desenvolvida uma mesma plataforma e-commerce de raiz segundo uma arquitetura monolítica e duas arquitetura baseadas em microsserviços, contando com diferentes mecanismos de comunicação entre os serviços. O esforço envolvido em lidar com consistência eventual, manter a infraestrutura de comunicação e gerir os dados de uma forma distribuída representaram desafios não existentes no desenvolvimento de aplicações tradicionais. Apesar disso, a ideologia de migração de uma arquitetura monolítica para uma baseada em microsserviços é atualmente aceite como a forma moderna de desenvolver aplicações, não sendo frequentemente contestada nem os seus desafios técnicos são apropriadamente enfatizados. Por vezes considerado overengineering, outras vezes necessário, a presente dissertação visa contribuir com dados práticos relativamente ao impacto da migração para arquiteturas baseadas em microsserviços em diversos tópicos. Desde os trade-offs envolvidos no uso de padrões específicos, o desenvolvimento das funcionalidades de uma forma distribuída e nos processos para assegurar uma variedade de atributos de qualidade, até análise de benchmarks de performance e uso de técnicas de observabilidade, todo o desenvolvimento é descrito e constitui o objeto de estudo da dissertação

Determinants of the Accounting Choice between Alternative Reporting Methods for Interests in Jointly Controlled Entities

WOS:000284413200004 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science)This paper examines whether the type of jointly controlled entity influences the management choice to report interests in this kind of joint venture using the equity method or proportionate consolidation. We address this gap in the accounting choice literature by exploiting the UK setting where, due to the transition to IFRS, firms had to change their reporting method for interests in jointly controlled entities from the gross equity method to a similar approach (equity method) or to proportionate consolidation. We support our analysis on the classification of jointly controlled entities proposed by Hennart (1988). We hypothesize that venturers are more likely to change their reporting method to proportionate consolidation when the majority of their jointly controlled entities are cases of Link instead of Scale cooperation. After controlling for several variables, our results are consistent with the predictions and thus suggest that the type of jointly controlled entity plays an important role in the management decision to report interests in jointly controlled entities using the equity method or proportionate consolidation. However, the results also provide empirical evidence supporting the importance of debt covenant costs and monitoring costs in the choice between alternative reporting methods

Foundation fieldbus : from theory to practice

This paper describes the main characteristics of the Foundation Fieldbus (FF) technology considering both communication levels, namely H1 and H2, which have bit rates of 31.25 K and 100 Mbit/s, respectively. Several details about the physical layer, communication stack and user layer will be highlighted. Topics related with the configuration of instruments, as well as the design and implementation of supervision software, based on a LabVIEW interface, will be presented. A pilot plant that includes temperature, pressure, level and flow variables will be used to test and validate the capabilities of FF systems. Experimental results will be analyzed, their meaning discussed and the overall performance evaluated

Balanced Scorecard: A Powerful Method to Improve the Management of Educational Institutions

Trabalho apresentado em 2nd International Academic Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education (TLE 2020), Novembro 2020; Munique, AlemanhaTeaching, learning and education are the main activities related with any higher education institution (HEI), be they public or private. In this context, the balanced scorecard (BSC) is a powerful method that helps the successful application of performance measurements in terms of the efficiency of the programs, processes and people of any educational institution. The key performance indicators (KPI) are crucial indicators to translate the strategy into action, improving the synergies of all the people that contribute to management success. This paper underlines the importance of the BSC model in private, governmental and non-profit organizations highlighting its implementation in a HEI. In order to clarify the main concepts of the application of the BSC method in a HEI, a hypothetical institution (IPX) is considered and a set of strategic objectives are considered in terms of financial, clients, business, learning and growth perspectives. The key parameter indicators and the action plan are defined according to the HEI vision.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Implementation of Eco-Innovation in Hotels: A Dynamic Capabilities Approach

In a context of increasing concern with environmental factors, hotels show a tendency to respond with passivity to eco-innovation. Furthermore, the literature is scarce about the way hotels adopt and integrate eco-innovation changes in their internal processes. As such, this article intends to present an integrative perspective of the dimensions that influence the adoption of eco-innovation, starting from the external dimension, which incorporates the context and drivers of eco-innovation. The internal dimension is divided into two levels: ordinary and dynamic capabilities. Based on a survey of a sample of hotels, the data were analyzed using partial least squares. The results indicate a positive and significant relationship between context and drivers in both dynamic and ordinary capacities. The influence of context on the green behaviour of hotels was only found in the technological dimension, while external drivers show a strong correlation with eco-innovation. The results also indicate that the two dynamic capacities and the three ordinary capacities studied have a positive and significant relationship with eco-innovation. The role of knowledge is highlighted, not only by its role in establishing a link with the external dimension, but also in the reconfiguration of the set of implementation capabilities that triggers eco-innovation

Movimentos sociais e a Lei de Migração (Lei n° 13.445/2017) na sociedade complexa: caminhos para a legitimação democrática de políticas migratórias contra-hegemônicas no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro

This paper analyzes the importance of social movements in the construction of a new framework for migratory policies in the Brazilian State. It asks about the participation of social movements in the elaboration of Law nº 13.445/2017, as a legal diploma based on a counter-hegemonic logic of human rights and legitimately democratic. The text is constructed from the dialectical approach, using as methodological procedures the bibliographical (theoretical production related to the theme) and documental research (Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988, the Foreigner Statute and Migration Law), submitted to the technique of analysis of content. It starts from the context of complexification of international migrations and the elaboration of migratory policies based on functionality. The importance of social movements in the claim and construction of new rights is highlighted, in the search for the emancipation of migrants as a minority group in a complex society and in the process of renegotiating the social contract. Considering the scenario of migratory policies in the Brazilian State and the models stablished by the Foreigner Statute (Law nº 6.815/2017) and the Migration Law (Law nº 13.445/2017), it is understood that the last legal diploma marks a framework of migratory policies based on a counter-hegemonic logic of human rights, establishing rights and guarantees that enable the emancipation of migrants as subjects of law. The Migration Law, as a result of the joint work of the specialists on the subjects and of groups and social movements that defend the rights of migrants, guarantees a process of democratic legitimation, also generating the possibility of migrants’ participation in the renegotiation and elaboration of migratory policies.Este artículo analiza la importancia de los movimientos sociales en la construcción de un nuevo marco para las políticas migratorias en el Estado brasileño. Se pregunta por la participación de los movimientos sociales en la elaboración de la Ley nº 13.445/2017, como diplomado jurídico contrahegemónico de los derechos humanos y legítimamente democrático. El texto está construido a partir del enfoque dialéctico, utilizando como procedimientos metodológicos la investigación bibliográfica (producción teórica relacionada com el tema) y documental (Constitución de la República Federativa de Brasil de 1988, Estatuto del Extranjero y Ley de Migración), sometido a la técnica de análisis de contenido. Se parte del contexto de la complejización de las migraciones internacionales y la elaboración de políticas migratorias basadas en la funcionalidad. Se destaca la importancia de los movimientos sociales en la reivindicación y construcción de nuevos derechos, en la búsqueda de la emancipación de los migrantes como grupo minoritario en uma Sociedad compleja y en el proceso de renegociación del contrato social. Considerando el scenario de las políticas migratorias en el Estado brasileño y los modelos establecidos por el Estatuto del Extranjero (Ley nº 6.815/1980) y por la Ley de Migración (Ley nº 13.445/2017), se entiende que el último diploma legal marca un contexto de politicas migratorias basadas en una lógica contrahegemónica de derechos humanos, estableciendo derechos y garantías que permitan la emancipación de los migrantes como sujetos de derecho. La Ley de Migración, como resultado del trabajo conjunto de especialistas en el tema y de grupos y movimientos sociales que defienden los derechos de los migrantes, garantiza un proceso de legitimación democrática, generando además la posibilidad de participación de los migrantes en la renegociación y reelaboración de políticas migratorias.Este artigo analisa a importância dos movimentos sociais na construção de um novo arcabouço de políticas migratórias no Estado brasileiro. Pergunta-se pela participação dos movimentos sociais na elaboração da Lei nº 13.445/2017, enquanto diploma legal fundado numa lógica contra-hegemônica de direitos humanos e legitimamente democrático. O texto é construído a partir da abordagem dialética, utilizando como procedimentos metodológicos a pesquisa bibliográfica (produção teórica atinente ao tema) e documental (Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988, Estatuto do Estrangeiro e Lei de Migração), submetidos à técnica da análise de conteúdo. Parte-se do contexto de complexificação das migrações internacionais e da elaboração de políticas migratórias a partir da funcionalidade. Destaca-se a importância dos movimentos sociais na reivindicação e construção de novos direitos, na busca da emancipação dos migrantes enquanto grupo minoritário na sociedade complexa e no processo de repactuação do contrato social. Considerando o cenário de políticas migratórias no Estado brasileiro e os modelos estabelecidos pelo Estatuto do Estrangeiro (Lei nº 6.815/1980) e pela Lei de Migração, (Lei nº 13.445/2017), entende-se que o último diploma legal marca um quadro de políticas migratórias pautadas em uma lógica contra-hegemônica de direitos humanos, estabelecendo direitos e garantias que viabilizam a emancipação dos migrantes enquanto sujeitos de direito. A Lei de Migração, enquanto fruto de trabalho conjunto de especialistas na temática e dos grupos e movimentos sociais defensores dos direitos dos migrantes, garante um processo de legitimação democrática, gestando, também, a possibilidade de participação dos migrantes na repactuação e reelaboração das políticas migratórias

Macrostructural changes of polymer replicated open cell cordierite based foams upon sintering

The goal of this work was to clarify the macrostructural changes that take place upon sintering of open cell cordierite based foams. A methodology, based on optical image analysis, was developed to assess the structure of open-cell foams, which allowed evaluating the macrostructure of both cordierite based foams obtained by the replication process and their polymeric templates. The parameters used to describe the structures were the size of the cell and the window, the window shape factor, the strut thickness and the volume fraction of the material. The experimental evidence gathered opened the way to understand the physical/chemical transformations involved in the polymer burnout and the ceramic sintering processes, as well as their influence on the ceramic final structure. The observed trends provide guidance for tailoring ‘replicated’ cordierite based foams, in view of the required application

Aplicação de SMED a uma máquina de moldação por prensagem

Mestrado em Engenharia e Gestão IndustrialO principal objetivo deste trabalho é a aplicação das metologias SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) e 5S na empresa Biosafe Indústria de Reciclagens, SA que se dedica à reciclagem de pneus usados, transformando-os em granulado de borracha. A primeira vertente do trabalho incidiu na revisão de literatura que possibilitou entender os principais conceitos do SMED e 5S. A utilização do SMED surgiu como a solução para a necessidade de reduzir o tempo de ciclo de uma máquina de moldação por prensagem. Esta aplicação resultou numa redução de 47% do tempo de ciclo. Ao nível da utilização dos 5S, como solução para organizar e arrumar o material da manutenção, registaram-se melhorias significativas na organização, arrumação e identificação dos mesmos, permitindo uma maior rapidez e facilidade dos processos.The main goal of this project is how to use SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) and 5S methodologies at the Biosafe Indústria de Reciclagens, SA factory which recycles tyres, chanching them into rubber granulate. The first section of the project focuses on literature that made passible to understand the main concept of SMED and 5S. SMED emerged as the solution to reduce the time needed by a machine to press the tyres. This application made possible to reduce 47% of the time initially needed. 5S made possible to organize and dispose the tools. It also made possible to improve its storage and identification making the process easier and faster