Restructuring the Software Architecture: A Case Study of the CoolBiz Core Banking Platform

As the structural engineering underpins the resilience of a city built on an active geological fault, software architecture becomes crucial in an increasingly digital society. This paper investigates the challenges of rigid, low cohesion software structures through a detailed case study of the CoolBiz Platform, an integrated Core Banking solution. The platform currently faces significant issues in its service support framework, including low flexibility, unsatisfactory cohesion, non-adherence to SOLID principles, absence of unit tests, and lack of documentation. This study aims to describe the planning and implementation of a new event-driven architecture for the CoolBiz Platform. This architecture is expected to not only resolve current technical challenges but also bring significant business benefits, such as the implementation of language agnosticism, a strategy aimed at facilitating talent recruitment and retention by not limiting recruitment to expertise in a specific programming language

La Experiencia Brasileña en la Superación de Dificultades de Empresas de Base Tecnológica en Incubadora

The aim of this study is to evaluate the Brazilian experience in overcoming the difficulties of technology-based companies in incubators in order to propose improvement actions using incubators in Brazil as reference. The adopted methodology prioritizes a qualitative focus. Research is characterized as descriptive-exploratory and is conducted in the form of a multi-case study. Results allowed the identification of difficulties of companies residing in incubators and relevance in overcoming these difficulties based on four types of restrictions: financing, management, production and commercialization, and the subsequent proposal of elements that allow improvement actions. The study contributes to the management practice by proposing a set of improvement actions that can be adopted by companies and incubators to enhance performance

An In-Depth Study on Open-Set Camera Model Identification

Camera model identification refers to the problem of linking a picture to the camera model used to shoot it. As this might be an enabling factor in different forensic applications to single out possible suspects (e.g., detecting the author of child abuse or terrorist propaganda material), many accurate camera model attribution methods have been developed in the literature. One of their main drawbacks, however, is the typical closed-set assumption of the problem. This means that an investigated photograph is always assigned to one camera model within a set of known ones present during investigation, i.e., training time, and the fact that the picture can come from a completely unrelated camera model during actual testing is usually ignored. Under realistic conditions, it is not possible to assume that every picture under analysis belongs to one of the available camera models. To deal with this issue, in this paper, we present the first in-depth study on the possibility of solving the camera model identification problem in open-set scenarios. Given a photograph, we aim at detecting whether it comes from one of the known camera models of interest or from an unknown one. We compare different feature extraction algorithms and classifiers specially targeting open-set recognition. We also evaluate possible open-set training protocols that can be applied along with any open-set classifier, observing that a simple of those alternatives obtains best results. Thorough testing on independent datasets shows that it is possible to leverage a recently proposed convolutional neural network as feature extractor paired with a properly trained open-set classifier aiming at solving the open-set camera model attribution problem even to small-scale image patches, improving over state-of-the-art available solutions.Comment: Published through IEEE Access journa

Defasagem do IPTU no município do Rio de Janeiro: Uma proposta de reforma

This paper seeks to analyze the tax revenue level and the equity of the Brazilian real estate tax (IPTU) in the city of Rio de Janeiro, showing the main factors for its performance. The first two chapters confirm, based on theory, the necessity of progressiveness in the IPTU taxation system, and the legal and economic points of view, respectively. These chapters also show the extra fiscal characteristics of IPTU, because it impacts the price of urban land, it causes the best use of land and it can be used as an instrument of urban policy. The indicator for the property tax collection in Brazil is at a lower level compared to the developed countries and some developing countries and there is a high heterogeneity among Brazilian cities, with the concentration of revenues in the Midwest, Southeast and South Regions and in the major cities. In your administration, the IPTU needs a real estate appraisal system to measure the value of property that will be taxed. The system is efficient when there is not a high gap in relation to market values when there exists appraisal homogeneity among properties of similar market value (horizontal equity) and there does not exist a lower gap appraisal between the properties more highly valued (regressivity). Based on a sample of 8,408 apartments appraised by CAIXA Bank between 2006 and 2009, the values appraised by this bank were compared by officials values as well as the amount taxed by the IPTU on each unit. Came to the conclusion that the officials values were at a level that represented between 26.7% to 38.5% of the values assessed by the bank. The study found high horizontal inequity, where in some areas of the city, the official values were most outdated than others. Additionally, the factor of depreciation for age, technical index that exists in the tax law of Rio de Janeiro, depreciates all the value of the properties according to its age (up to 50%), conjunction with the reductions and discounts given by the legislature, were responsible for depleting the officials values in 45% in the sample of apartments. This impacted greatly the collection and did become the vast majority of the properties in the sample exempts of IPTU. Despite the high gap between assessments, analyzing the distribution of the official values appraised, it was found that there was just a small regressivity in the assessments. Moreover, when analyzing the IPTU taxation, we see that it taxes more heavily the most valued properties, thus having progressive distribution, because the tax reduction criteria benefited the properties with lower value. Thus, the study concluded that there is necessary a IPTU tax reform Rio de Janeiro, updating the official values and revising the correction factors and the political criteria for tax reduction. Especially the paper proposes that the factor of depreciation for age depreciate up to 34% the properties in the quarters from the South Zone and up to 42% the properties from other quarters, because the first region has a higher land value composition in the all property value

Introduction to the Method of Finite Elements by a balance Sheet Problem: A Simplification for an Initial understanding of the Method

The Finite Element method is one of the most widely used methods by Engineers in the various areas of activity, especially Mechanical Engineering, to design or solve problems. However, the understanding of the method is not always easy to perform, since in the literature, when explaining the method, the examples are generic or presented quickly. Thus, this paper presents the solution of a problem involving a rocking beam (set), which is solved analytically and later by the finite element method. The comparison of the solutions found is established as reflection analysis. Elasticity theory, Ordinary Differential Equations and Finite Element Method are used to approximate the reader of the Finite Element Method, in a concise and objective, easy-to-understand reading performed with a reduced explanation. Comparing the method by means of a problem

Learning and procrastination: A review of publications from 2005 to 2015

Aprendizagem e procrastinação são dois fenômenos inter-relacionados. Além disso, tanto aprendizagem quanto procrastinação parecem impactar todas as esferas da vida social moderna. O objetivo deste artigo é identificar evidências científicas do período 2005 a 2015 sobre as relações conceituais entre os dois fenômenos. Por meio de revisão sistemática da literatura é possível identificar três categorias de conceitos centrais envolvendo esses dois construtos (autoeficácia, autorregulação e o papel das emoções e dos valores do indivíduo), além do uso de ferramentas para redução da procrastinação no ambiente da aprendizagem. O artigo apresenta uma síntese das proposições elaboradas nos estudos prévios levantados sobre as relações dessas categorias com a aprendizagem e a procrastinação. Para auxiliar na apreensão das proposições apresentadas, é elaborado um mapa conceitual das relações entre os conceitos investigados pela revisão. Conclui-se que há viés epistemológico nas visões sobre os dois fenômenos, sugerindo a oportunidade de exploração do tema por meio de novas abordagensLearning and procrastination are two interrelated phenomena. In addition, both learning and procrastination appear to impact all domains of modern social life. The paper aims at identifying scientific evidences of publications between the years of 2005 and 2015 on the conceptual relationship between both phenomena. The systematic literature review method presents three categories of core concepts involving those two constructs (self-efficacy, self-regulation and the role of individual emotions and values), and the use of tools to reduce procrastination in learning environments. The paper presents an overview of the statements presented on the previous studies about the relationship of these categories with learning and procrastination. In order to help the apprehension of the presented statements, it is developed a conceptual map of the relationships between the concepts investigated by the review. We conclude that there is a bias in the epistemological views on the two phenomena, suggesting an opportunity to explore new approache

Mathematical Methods applied in Image Enhancement using Matlab

In order to characterize complex engineering problems involvinging image data acquisition, different techniques in image processing can be used. One of those techniques is called the Laplacian Filter, commonly used to reduce noise and improving images. Based on that, image segmentation is a widely applied tool in engineering and it can greatly contribute in the acceleration of processes instead of adopting conventional methods, thus providing applications of such technique in the medical, spatial and other sectors linked to engineering. Therefore, this work aims to use image segmentation through differential equations (Laplacian Filter) in different images using Matlab mathematical software in order to enhance images details

Biodiesel and its strategic role in the Brazilian energy matrix: A literature review

This article aims to introduce biodiesel as a possible solution, describing its evolution in the Brazilian energy matrix. Ultimate conclusions claim that the use of biodiesel has several advantages, such as significant reductions in emission rates of greenhouse gases and a wide range of job creations and social inclusion in the poorest regions of the country. Furthermore, this article shows that, in a national scenario of growing imports of diesel oil and rising oil prices, biodiesel has become an interesting alternative of reducing imports of diesel and its derivates, thus enabling the development of other industrial chains

Utilização da frequência cardíaca para a determinação da intensidade de esforço correspondente ao limiar anaeróbio no ciclismo de campo

Em função do princípio de especificidade, têm-se procurado realizar as avaliações em atletas, no próprio campo de prática esportiva. Entretanto, para o ciclismo, estes procedimentos não estão totalmente fundamentados. O presente estudo apresentou como objetivo, verificar se a frequência cardíaca (FC), obtida a partir de três diferentes protocolos, sendo dois de laboratório e um de campo, é capaz de determinar a intensidade de esforço correspondente ao LA. Onze sujeitos do sexo masculino realizaram os seguintes protocolos: 1) contínuo progressivo de laboratório (CPL), carga inicial 80 W, com incrementos de 40 W a cada 3 min até a exaustão voluntária; 2) intermitente de laboratório (IL), 2 cargas de 5 min de duração cada, a 1a sublimiar e a 2a supralimiar; 3) intermitente de pista (IP), 3 repetições de 2400 m, realizadas á 85, 90 e 95 % da máxima velocidade para o percurso. Durante os testes foram coletados a FC e amostras de sangue (25μl), ao final de cada carga para a determinação do LA. Para o teste CPL adotou-se 3,5 mM de lactato como LA e para os testes IL e IP o valor de 4 mM de lactato como LA; 4) esforço contínuo de 30 min (CP), em uma pista reta e plana de 2400 m, utilizando as próprias bicicletas de competição, a partir das diferentes FC obtidas nos testes realizados previamente. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas a fim de se observar se os sujeitos apresentavam fase estável de lactato sanguíneo (aumento ≤ 1 mM entre o 10o e o 30o min.). Observou-se diferenças significantes referentes aos valores de LA, entre os testes IL e CPL, sendo a carga (W) maior e a FC menor na primeira condição. Entretanto, entre os testes IL e IP, esta diferença não foi verificada quanto a FC de LA. Durante os 30 min do teste CP realizado a partir da FC obtida no teste CPL observou-se incremento maior que 1 mM na concentração de lactato. Entretanto este incremento não foi observado no teste CP realizado a partir da FC obtida nos testes IL e IP. Os protocolos intermitentes, desenvolvidos em campo e laboratório, apresentam valores de FC correspondentes ao LA. Entretanto a FC obtida a partir do teste CPL, superestimou, para a maioria dos sujeitos, a intensidade correspondente ao LA