Memristors : a journey from material engineering to beyond Von-Neumann computing

Memristors are a promising building block to the next generation of computing systems. Since 2008, when the physical implementation of a memristor was first postulated, the scientific community has shown a growing interest in this emerging technology. Thus, many other memristive devices have been studied, exploring a large variety of materials and properties. Furthermore, in order to support the design of prac-tical applications, models in different abstract levels have been developed. In fact, a substantial effort has been devoted to the development of memristive based applications, which includes high-density nonvolatile memories, digital and analog circuits, as well as bio-inspired computing. In this context, this paper presents a survey, in hopes of summarizing the highlights of the literature in the last decade

The socioeconomic impact of the implementation of the young apprentice program considering the labor inclusion of young learners attended by the Federal Institute of Brasilia – Structural Campus

Este artigo trata de uma pesquisa realizada com jovens ex alunos do Curso de Jovem Aprendiz Auxiliar de Mecânico de Autos do Instituto Federal de Brasília – Campus Estrutural, no Brasil. O objetivo da investigação foi analisar o impacto da aprendizagem profissional (Programa Jovem Aprendiz), a partir da inclusão socioeconômica e profissional dos jovens aprendizes atendidos no período entre 2013 e 2015. Metodologicamente, a realização da pesquisa de campo focou-se numa abordagem complementar entre procedimentos quantitativos e qualitativos. A população amostral foi composta por dez jovens, sendo duas mulheres e oito homens, e de um professor do IFB. O Plano de Observação para o levantamento dos dados primários pautou-se pelo uso da técnica de inquérito por entrevistas não estruturadas e semiestruturadas. Em termos de Resultados, constatouse, com base na técnica de análise de conteúdo, que a maioria dos jovens recebeu proposta de emprego ao concluir a aprendizagem. Na visão dos que não receberam (minoria), os fatores que contribuíram para não terem recebido uma proposta estão relacionados à desaceleração econômica, à questão de gênero e à política da empresa. Ambos os grupos reconheceram melhorias socioeconômicas pessoais e familiares pela participação no Programa. Por fim, os resultados obtidos evidenciaram a relevância que a aprendizagem profissional tem, como uma política pública voltada para inserção laboral de jovens, por englobar, pelo menos, duas dimensões fundamentais à inclusão social do público juvenil que são o trabalho e a educação.This article deals with a survey of young graduates from the «Mechanic Autos Helper» offered by the Federal Institute of Brasilia – Campus Structural, in Brasil. The objective of this research was to analyze the impact of professional learning (program young apprentice), and the socioeconomic and professional inclusion of this young apprentices, in the period between 2013 and 2015. Methodologically, the research focused on a complementary approach between quantitative and qualitative procedures. The sample survey consisted of ten young people, two women and eight men, and one professor of the IFB. The Observation Plan used for the survey of the primary data consisted of using unstructured and semi-structured interviews. As to the Results, it was noted, based on content analysis technique, which most young people received job offer at the end of the course. For those who did not receive any offer (the minority of them), the factors that have contributed for the lack of an employment offer are related to the economic downturn, issues of gender and the policy of the company. Both groups recognized personal and family socio economic improvements as a result of the participation in the program. Finally, the results obtained showed the relevance that the professional learning has as a public policy focused on the labor insertion of young people because it includes at least two fundamental dimensions to social inclusion of youth public work and education.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aplicação de novos materiais e de modelos de análise não linear material no desenvolvimento de sistemas estruturais pré-fabricados para edifícios industriais

No presente trabalho é descrita a investigação efectuada no âmbito do dimensionamento de viga pré-fabricada para vencer vãos de 20 m de coberturas de edifícios industriais, denominada VMC20. Para tal utilizou-se betão reforçado com fibras de aço e recorreu-se a métodos avançados de análise de estruturas

Employees’ fit to telework and work well-being: (in)voluntariness in telework as a mediating variable?

Purpose: The present study aims to examine the mediating role of (in)voluntariness in teleworking in explaining the relationship between employees’ fit to telework and work well-being (i.e. work engagement and exhaustion). Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. The sample comprised 222 individuals performing telework in Portugal. Statistical analyses employed were descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, confirmatory factor and structural equation analyses, and mediation analysis using Hayes Process macro. Findings: The findings confirmed the hypothesis that employees’ fit to telework raises the voluntariness in telework and decreases involuntariness in telework. However, contrary to expectations, no significant relationships were found between voluntariness in telework, work engagement and exhaustion. Yet, involuntariness in telework showed a significant role in decreasing work engagement and increasing workers’ exhaustion. The mediating role of involuntariness in telework was confirmed in explaining the relationship between employees’ fit to telework and exhaustion. Practical implications: Managers in global firms can draw from the results to understand how employees’ fit to telework directly and/or indirectly contributes to work well-being and develop human resource (HR) management practices aiming to increase employees’ fit to telework. Originality/value: Although teleworking is already studied, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies have analyzed the same conceptual model employees’ fit to telework, (in)voluntariness in teleworking and work well-being.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Estudo do comportamento de um navio amarrado no Posto "A" do Terminal Petroleiro do Porto de Leixões: construção e calibração do modelo físico (Physical model study of the behavior of a moored ship at the berth "A" Leixões Oil Terminal: Construction and calibration of the physical model)

O comportamento de navios amarrados, e por conseguinte, as condições de operacionalidade e de segurança num dado terminal portuário, não apresenta uma relação simples e directa com as condições ambientais locais. Dada a diversidade e a complexidade dos fenómenos hidrodinâmicos envolvidos, a modelação física e uma ferramenta fundamental para o estudo deste tipo de problemas. Após a caracterização do Terminal Petroleiro do Porto de Leixões e efectuada uma descrição sumaria dos principais problemas que afectam as condições de operacionalidade e de segurança no Posto "A". Com a componente experimental do estudo na sua fase inicial, será dado especial destaque a construção do modelo físico (incluindo os dispositivos de acostagem e amarração, o modelo do navio petroleiro, e a estrutura de acostagem) e aos ensaios de calibração do mesmo. Será também feita referencia as técnicas de experimentação e aos objectivos das fases que compõem o estudo em modelo físico.Moored ship behavior inside harbors, and therefore the operational and security conditions at a port terminal, does not have a straightforward relationship with the local environmental conditions. Due to the diversity and complexity of the involved phenomena, physical modeling is an essential tool to deal with this kind of issues. After the presentation of the Leixoes Oil Terminal, a brief description of the main problems affecting operational and security conditions at the berth "A" is carried out. Being the experimental component of the study in its initial phase, special attention is given to the construction of the physical model (including the berthing and mooring devices, the tanker model and the berthing structure) and its calibration tests. Reference is also made to experimental techniques and to the phases that compose the physical model study

Survey and registration of the occurrence of leaf-cutting ants in grassland areas

Leaf-cutting ants tend to adapt to different climatic conditions, soil and vegetation, and have the particularity of attacking different cultures. The objective of this work was to survey and record the occurrence of leaf-cutting ants in 5 pasture areas located in the municipalities of Altônia, Iporã and Cafezal do Sul, as well as to identify them at the genus level. The study areas were covered by the walking method, performing the geolocation of the anthills in order to verify the incidence of anthills, calculating the anthill areas, preparing maps of land use and occupation and geolocation of the anthills, calculating the density and the spatial distribution of anthills. Across the 5 areas, 56.72 ha of pasture were sampled and the existence of anthills inside the properties was proven. 55 anthills were sampled, from which specimens were collected for identification at the genus level, which will occur the genus Atta. The areas of the anthills vary from 0.26 m² to 97.34 m². The density of anthills ranged between 0.25 and 0.75 anthills / ha and the spatial distribution obtained was I = 1.13. Of the 55 anthills, all belonging to the Atta genera, and different types of management related to the occurrence of leaf-cutting ants in the areas.Leafcutter ants tend to adapt to the different climatic conditions, soil, and vegetation.They also have the particularity of attacking different cultures. The objective of this work was to survey and record the occurrence of leafcutter ants in 5 pasture areas located in the municipalities of Altônia, Iporã, and Cafezal do Sul, as well as to identify them at the genus level. The study areas were covered by the walking method, performing the geolocation of the anthills in order to verify the incidence of anthills, calculating the anthill areas, preparing maps of land use, and occupation and geolocation of the anthills, calculating the density and the spatial distribution of anthills. Across the 5 areas, 56.72 ha of pasture were sampled and the existence of anthills inside the properties was established. Totally, 55 anthills were sampled from which specimens were collected for identification at the genus level, which will be classifiedunder the genus Atta. The areas of the anthills vary from 0.26 m² to 97.34 m². The density of anthills ranged between 0.25 and 0.75 anthills ha-1and the spatial distribution obtained was I = 1.13. Of the 55 anthills, all belonging to the Atta genera, and different types of management related to the occurrence of leafcutter ants in the areas.On the basis of the evaluation of monitoring and georeferencing data, it was possible to record the occurrence of leafcutter ants in pasture areas in the cities of Altônia, Cafezal do Sul, and Iporã, which presented different distribution and density of nests. In all evaluation areas, the domain of the genus Atta was registered

National data management system "Alimentos - PT•ON•DATA": contaminants in the Portuguese food chain on official control samples, 2009-2015

Portugal, à semelhança dos outros Estados-membros da União Europeia, planifica e executa planos de controlo anuais que visam garantir a qualidade e segurança dos géneros alimentícios e dos alimentos para animais, envolvendo a recolha de vários dados analíticos, em diferentes domínios. Os dados obtidos neste âmbito são reportados para a Autoridade Europeia para a Segurança dos Alimentos (EFSA), que os compila e analisa, de modo a promover uma avaliação da exposição e do risco associados ao consumo e atividades que visem a sua minimização. Para reunir, harmonizar e reportar os dados dos planos oficiais, nos domínios dos contaminantes químicos, resíduos de pesticidas, aditivos alimentares, monitorização biológica e resíduos de medicamentos veterinários, foi desenvolvido o Sistema Nacional de Gestão de Dados (SNGD) "Alimentos - PT•ON•DATA", ao abrigo da implementação da transmissão eletrónica de dados de contaminantes para a EFSA, utilizando os modelos de dados Standard Sample Description – SSD e SSD2. Até ao presente, utilizando o SNGD, foram reportados à EFSA 65709 resultados no modelo SSD e 190055 resultados no modelo SSD2. A criação e atualização do SNGD permitiram a centralização e harmonização dos dados produzidos a nível nacional e uma maior automatização de processos, facilitando o tratamento, disponibilização, utilização e transmissão eletrónica para a EFSA, contribuindo para uma melhoria da qualidade, integridade e consistência finais dos dados.Portugal, as other Member states of the European Union, plans and performs annual control plans to ensure the quality and safety of food and feed, involving the collection of various analytical data in different domains. The data obtained in this context are reported to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which compiles and analyzes them in order to promote exposure and risk assessment associated with consumption and activities aimed at its minimization. In order to collect, harmonize and report to EFSA the data from the official plans, in the fields of chemical contaminants, pesticide residues, food additives, biological monitoring and veterinary medicinal residues, the National Data Management System (NDMS) “Alimentos - PT•ON•DATA", under the implementation of electronic transmission of food contaminant data to EFSA, using the Standard Sample Description models - SSD and SSD2. To date, 65709 results have been reported to EFSA in the SSD model and 190055 results in the SSD2 model, using the NDMS. The creation and adaptation of the NDMS allowed the compilation and harmonization of data produced at national level and enhanced process automation, facilitating the treatment, availability, utilization and electronic transmission to EFSA, contributing to an improvement of the final quality, integrity and consistency of the data.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evolution during three ripening stages of Évora cheese

ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-023356 UIDP/04035/2020 UIDB/05064/2020The variability and heterogeneity found in Évora cheeses, Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), can affect consumers’ choices. Assessing the ripening conditions and their effect can be helpful. To study the effect of ripening duration in Évora cheese PDO, sensory and chemical analyses were performed in cheese samples subjected to 30, 60, and 120 days of ripening under controlled conditions (temperature 14 to 15 ◦C and humidity 65 to 70%). Sensory analysis was conducted with a homogenous panel previously familiarized with the product after a short training period, and chemical analyses including pH, moisture, NaCl content, aw, and salt-in-moisture were determined. Panelists were able to distinguish the differences in the organoleptic characteristics of the three cheese stages, and chemical determinations showed significant differences between stages. Interrater agreement was higher in the sensory evaluation of cheeses with a longer maturation period. As expected, cheeses in the 120 days ripening period presented lower pH, moisture, and water activity and had higher salt-in-moisture content. This stage received the highest scores in hardness and color of the crust, intensity, pungency of the aroma, intensity of taste and piquancy, and firmness and granular characteristics of texture. Overall acceptance of cheese samples was positive, regardless of the ripening stage, which probably reflects both the homogeneity of taster profiles and the previous knowledge of this particular product. The degree of ripeness influences the physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics but does not affect the acceptance of this product by the consumer.publishersversionpublishe