Ic paper on elekta ab - apac´s influence in the future of radiotherapy market

The following Investment Committee paper focuses on a proposal for a leveraged buy out on Elekta AB, a key player in the global radiotherapy market. In fact, this paper develops as et of value creation strategies, with special focus on Buy-and-Build, reflecting those strategies in a detailed operating model. Subsequently, a capital structure is suggested by assessing past buy out transactions in the health care sector and by leveraging the bank case. Finally, the exit returns are estimated complying with industry threshold and a range of exit strategies are analyzed. Moreover ,exit options are compiled in order to fully maximize ELEKTA’s exit

The contribution of 360 deals to the recorded music industry

The present dissertation reflects on the contribution of 360 deals to the recorded music industry. This contractual form has been arising in order to easily recoup the investments provided by record labels to the artist and to explore other new revenue streams. The framework of the study is supported by the current state of the industry and an overview of the previous research concerning the recorded music market. Record labels have been struggling for the past years with the decrease of recorded music sales. The digital era has allowed a massification on music consumption, as the Internet has provided easier access to music, whether through new legal platforms but also through illegal downloading. A qualitative approach was carried out in order to comprehend the new concepts and challenges faced by the recorded companies. Six personal interviews with music executives were conducted, according to a structured guide elaborated, based on the literature review. Combining this data, some previous propositions were made in order to explain the current state of the industry and how 360 deals are being implemented in the industry, namely in Portugal, and its benefits and implications. This thesis shows exploratory directions, such as: the 360 deals are playing an important role on monetizing the investments from record labels, as the industry does not have to rely exclusively in recorded music sales anymore, participating active or passively on other income sources provided by this contractual form and, at the same time, diminishing the risk attached to the investment made.A presente dissertação reflecte a contribuição dos contratos 360 para a indústria discográfica. Esta modalidade contratual possibilita que os investimentos providenciados pelas editoras discográficas aos seus artistas sejam mais facilmente recuperados, bem como para que seja possível a exploração de outras fontes de receita. O âmbito deste estudo é fundamentado através do estado actual da indústria discográfica, bem como por investigação feita acerca deste mercado. As editoras discográficas têm enfrentado grandes dificuldades devido à diminuição da venda de música. A era digital permitiu que o consumo de música se massificasse, dado que a Internet garantiu um acesso mais fácil à música, seja através de novas plataformas legais, mas também através de descarga ilegal. Foi feita uma abordagem de estudo qualitativa, de forma a compreender estes novos conceitos e desafios enfrentados pela indústria discográfica. Foram feitas seis entrevistas a profissionais da área da música, de acordo com um guião estruturado, elaborado a partir da revisão de literatura. Combinando esta informação, foram definidas proposições de forma a explicar o estado actual da indústria e perceber de que forma os contratos 360 estão a ser implementados, nomeadamente em Portugal, bem como as suas vantagens e limitações. Esta tese demonstra que os contratos 360 têm um papel importante na monetização dos investimentos feitos pelas editoras discográficas, não tendo a indústria de depender exclusivamente da venda de música gravada. Assim, esta modalidade contractual permite que a editora participe activa ou passivamente noutras fontes de receita, diminuindo o risco associado ao investimento feito

Wireless sensor network integrated with ros for danger avoidance in mobile robotics

Mestrado de dupla diplomação com a UTFPR - Universidade Tecnológica Federal do ParanáEnvironmental awareness is a crucial task that robots must perform to navigate autonomously. Moreover, it must be well executed to make navigation safer and collisionfree. Since autonomous mobile robots are being used in dynamic scenarios where a simultaneity of events occurs, it becomes even more difficult to correctly sense and perceive the environment. This paper proposes the integration of a wireless sensor network with the Robotic Operating System – ROS – to incorporate advanced information from the environment into layered cost maps used by the robot to navigate. The system architecture was implemented, evaluated in a simulated environment, tested and validated, and the results obtained showed the effective gain in the computation of the paths and in the reduction of the computational load of the associated subsystems. With positive results in a simulated environment, the system was deployed on a robotic platform and evaluated in a real scenario, through experiments. The results obtained in the experiments prove the gain in the navigation process of the platform due to the better perception of the environment in the tested scenarios.A perceção do ambiente é uma tarefa crucial que os robôs têm de realizar para navegar de forma autónoma. Além disso, deve ser bem realizada para tornar a navegação mais segura e livre de colisões. Como os robôs móveis autónomos estão a ser empregados em cenários dinâmicos, onde ocorre uma simultaneidade de eventos, tornam-se ainda mais difícil a detecção e a percepção adequada do ambiente. Este trabalho propõe a integração de uma rede de sensores sem fios com o Sistema Operacional Robótico – ROS – para incorporar informações avançadas do ambiente em mapas de custos por camadas utilizados pelo robô para navegar. A arquitectura do sistema foi implementada, avaliada em ambiente simulado, testada e validada, e os resultados obtidos mostraram o ganho efetivo no cômputo dos percursos e na redução da carga computacional dos subsistemas associados. Com resultados positivos em ambiente simulado, o sistema foi implantado numa plataforma robótica e avaliado num cenário real, mediante experimentos. Os resultados obtidos nos experimentos comprovam o ganho no processo de navegação da plataforma devido a melhor percepção do ambiente nos cenários testados

Are compact groups hostile towards faint galaxies?

The goal of this work is to understand whether the extreme environment of compact groups can affect the distribution and abundance of faint galaxies around them. We performed an analysis of the faint galaxy population in the vicinity of compact groups and normal groups. We built a light-cone mock galaxy catalogue constructed from the Millennium Run Simulation II plus a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. We identified a sample of compact groups in the mock catalogue as well as a control sample of normal galaxy groups and computed the projected number density profiles of faint galaxies around the first- and the second-ranked galaxies. We also compared the profiles obtained from the semi-analytical galaxies in compact groups with those obtained from observational data. In addition, we investigated whether the ranking or the luminosity of a galaxy is the most important parameter in the determination of the centre around which the clustering of faint galaxies occurs. There is no particular influence of the extreme compact group environment on the number of faint galaxies in such groups compared to control groups. When selecting normal groups with separations between the 1st and 2nd ranked galaxies similar to what is observed in compact groups, the faint galaxy projected number density profiles in compact groups and normal groups are similar in shape and height. We observed a similar behaviour of the population of faint galaxies in observations and simulations in the regions closer to the 1st and 2nd ranked galaxies. Finally, we find that the projected density of faint galaxies is higher around luminous galaxies,regardless of the ranking in the compact group. The semi-analytical approach shows that compact groups and their surroundings do not represent a hostile enough environment to make faint galaxies to behave differently than in normal groups.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

The development of factory templates for the integrated virtual factory framework

Páginas numeradas: I-XVI, 17-123Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores (Major Automação). Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

The development of factory templates for the integrated virtual factory framework

Páginas numeradas: I-XVI, 17-123Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores (Major Automação). Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Are compact groups hostile towards faint galaxies?

Aims: The goal of this work is to understand whether the extreme environment of compact groups (CGs) can affect the distribution and abundance of faint galaxies around them. Methods: We performed an analysis of the faint galaxy population in the vicinity of compact and normal groups. We built a light-cone mock galaxy catalogue constructed from the Millennium Run Simulation II plus a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation. We identified a sample of CGs in the mock catalogue as well as a control sample of normal galaxy groups and computed the projected number density profiles of faint galaxies around the first and the second ranked galaxies. We also compared the profiles obtained from the semi-analytical galaxies in CGs with those obtained from observational data. In addition, we investigated whether the ranking or the luminosity of a galaxy is the most important parameter in the determination of the centre around which the clustering of faint galaxies occurs. Results: There is no particular influence of the extreme compact group (CG) environment on the number of faint galaxies in such groups compared to control groups. When selecting normal groups with separations between the first and second ranked galaxies similar to what is observed in CGs, the faint galaxy projected number density profiles in CGs and normal groups are similar in shape and height. We observed a similar behaviour of the population of faint galaxies in observations and simulations in the regions closer to the first and second ranked galaxies. Finally, we find that the projected density of faint galaxies is higher around luminous galaxies, regardless of the ranking in the CG. Conclusions: The semi-analytical approach shows that CGs and their surroundings do not represent a hostile enough environment to make faint galaxies behave differently than in normal groups.Fil: Zandivarez, Arnaldo Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Astronomia Teórica y Experimental. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba. Instituto de Astronomia Teórica y Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Diaz, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Astronomia Teórica y Experimental. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba. Instituto de Astronomia Teórica y Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Oliveira, Claudia Mendes de. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Instituto Astronomia, Geofisica e Ciencias Atmosfericas; BrasilFil: Gubolin, Henrique. Universidade do Sao Paulo. Instituto Astronomia, Geofisica e Ciencias Atmosfericas; Brasi

COMPAIXÃO E SOLIDARIEDADE: UM DIÁLOGO ENTRE SCHOPENHAUER E RORTY

Este trabalho se propõe a apresentar o tema da compaixão em Schopenhauer e o da solidariedade em Rorty a partir da perspectiva filosófica de cada um dos pensadores. Não pretendemos aprofundar o problema em quaisquer das perspectivas, seja a metafísica ou a neopragmatista, mas apenas mostrar como a perspectiva de cada filósofo leva a uma concepção, ao menos aparentemente, diferente sobre um problema comum

Integration of ROS navigation stack with dynamic environment information in gazebo simulation

Sensing the environment is a crucial task that robots have to perform to navigate autonomously. Furthermore, it must be well executed to make navigation safer and collision- free. As autonomous mobile robots are being deployed in several applications, they often encounter dynamic habitats, where sensing and perceiving the environment becomes harder. This work proposes integrating a wireless sensor network with the Robotic Operating System to incorporate data into layered costmaps used by the robot to navigate, feeding the algorithms with advanced information about the territory. The architecture was tested in simulation, where we could validate the structure and collect data showing improved paths calculated and reduced computational load through better parametrization. Thus, this strategy ensures that the advanced information about the environment has improved the navigation process.The authors are grateful to the Research Centre in Digitalization and Intelligent Robotics (CeDRI) for sharing its facilities and material, and also to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support as mentioned earlier.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio