Automated information systems generation for process-oriented organizations

Currently, the development of organizational information systems remains a complex task. Final software product quality often does not match expectations. The existence of organizational models is the first step to reduce complexity in the development of information systems. Within the life cycle of an information system, activities are still very dependent in quality, time, and costs on the human resource skills that staff them. The existence of automated mechanisms to transform client requirements into characteristics of running systems would bring added value to the resulting software product, either in product quality and time perspectives. In this proposal, the manipulation of requirements must be done using an understandable model for both software engineers and business process experts. This model should be used to automatically reshape the running organizational information system and be the basis for an automated information system generation. The usage of such mechanism can be done during a development project, but also after its implementation where standalone process experts could change the organization model, knowing that the changes, in an automated mode, would be transferred into the running system

Global mindset and SME internationalization: A fuzzy-set QCA approach

This study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze how individual global mindset (IGM) and corporate global mindset (CGM) relate to SMEs' internationalization behavior. The sample consists of 51 Portuguese SMEs from two sectors: (1) metallurgy and metalworking, and (2) construction and public works. Different combinations of IGM and CGM attributes lead to internationalization effect, international networking activities, and international know-howactivities. Sector characteristics determinewhich configurations of GM attributes affect internationalization behavior. The use of fsQCA to explore how alternative combinations of IGM and CGM attributes lead to internationalization behavior constitutes an important contribution to the literature.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Business modeling in process-oriented organizations for RUP-based software development

Several organizations are nowadays not particularly comfortable with their internal structuring based on a hierarchical arrangement (sub-divided in departments), where collaborators with a limited view of the overall organization perform their activities. Those organizations recognize the need to move to a model where multi-skilled teams run horizontal business processes that cross the organization, and impact suppliers and clients. To develop software systems for any organization, the development process must always be appropriate and controlled. Additionally for organizations who want to migrate to a horizontal business processes view, it is required to model the organizational platform where the organizational processes will run. This necessity is also true when the organization under consideration is a software house. In this chapter, a proposal of a generic framework for process-oriented software houses is presented. The way of managing the process model and the instantiation of their processes with the Rational Unified Process (RUP) disciplines, whenever they are available, or with other kind of processes is recommended as a way to control and define the software development process. To illustrate the usefulness of the proposal, it is presented how the generic reference framework was executed in a real project called “Premium Wage” and shown, in some detail, the created artifacts (which include several UML models) during the development phases following the RUP disciplines, especially the artifacts produced for business modeling.(undefined

Franchisee-based brand equity and performance

This study focuses on the perceptions of franchisees and analyzes the influence of brand equity on franchisee performance. The factors that constitute brand equity are also assessed. Factor analysis was used to generate valid and reliable scales based on a sample of 205 Portuguese franchisee firms, and structural equation modeling methodology was then employed in the analysis. The results show franchisee-based brand equity (FBBE) to be a multivariate factor with strong influence on performance. This study contributes significantly to the literature by showing the perspective of franchisees toward franchising. It also has implications on the adequacy of corporate strategy in achieving performance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aerodynamic study of a drag reduction system and its actuation system for a formula student competition car

This work presents a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis of a drag reduction system (DRS) used in a Formula Student competition vehicle, focusing on the interaction between the triple wing elements, as well as on the electrical actuators used to provide movement to the upper two flaps. The S1123 wing profile was chosen, and a 2D analysis of the wing profile was made. The trailing edge was rounded off to conform to Formula Student competition safety rules, resulting in around a 4% decrease in the lift coefficient and around a 12% increase in the drag coefficient for an angle of attack of 12°, compared to the original wing profile. The multi-element profile characteristics are: wing main plate with 4°, first flap 28°, and second flap 60°. To evaluate the wing operation, end plates and electrical linear actuators were added, generating a maximum lift coefficient of 1.160 and drag coefficient of 0.397, which provides around a 10% reduction in lift and a 9% increase in drag compared to the absence of the linear actuators. When activating the DRS, the flap rotation generates about a 78% decrease in the aerodynamic drag coefficient and 53% in the lift coefficient for the minimum aerodynamic drag setting.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of ohmic heating technology in chemical properties of foods

In this work some food products where characterised chemically before and after ohmic and conventional heating treatments, comparing both processes. In each food type (cloudberry jam, goat milk) pH was measured and parameters such as total and volatile solids, ash, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, total fatty acids, total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins content were determined, depending on the food being analysed. In goat milk samples treated by ohmic technology, the titratable acidity 0.12 % (as lactic acid), pH value 6.59 and total fatty acids content in milk fat 86.5 g 100gˉ¹ were comparable to those found in milk treated by conventional process. In cloudberry jam samples treated by ohmic technology the results of some of the main parameters tested, such as total sugar content 47.4 g 100gˉ¹, ascorbic acid concentration 2.8 g 100gˉ¹ and titratable acidity 6.01g 100gˉ¹ (as citric acid) did not show significant differences for samples treated by conventional technology

A 802.11p prototype implementation

This paper presents an IEEE 802.11p full-stack prototype implementation to data exchange among vehicles and between vehicles and the roadway infrastructures. The prototype architecture is based on FPGAs for Intermediate Frequency (IF) and base band purposes, using 802.11a based transceivers for RF interfaces. Power amplifiers were also addressed, by using commercial and in-house solutions. This implementation aims to provide technical solutions for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) field, namely for tolling and traffic management related services, in order to promote safety, mobility and driving comfort through the dynamic and real-time cooperation among vehicles and/or between vehicles and infrastructures. The performance of the proposed scheme is tested under realistic urban and suburban driving conditions. Preliminary results are promising, since they comply with most of the 802.11p standard requirements

Study of genetic and phenotypic relationships in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain collection using computational approaches

Genome sequencing is essential to understand individual variation and to study the relationship between genotype and phenotype. Recently, large-scale sequencing projects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed the existence of a few well defined lineages and some mosaics of that lineages, and suggested the occurrence of two domestication events during the history of association to human activities, one for sake strains and one for wine yeasts. Although the diversity of S. cerevisiae strains in winemaking environments is rather high, suggesting the occurrence of specific natural strains associated with particular terroirs, scarce information is available regarding phenotypic variability among strains used for different biotechnological applications. The objective of the present work was to undertake high-throughput approaches for a genetic evaluation of 172 S. cerevisiae strains from different geographical origins and technological uses (winemaking, brewing, bakery, distillery, laboratory, natural, etc.) and computationally relate the results with 30 phenotypic tests that were previously obtained. Genetic characterization was performed using eleven polymorphic S. cerevisiae specific microsatellite loci. More than 200 different alleles were obtained, being around 30 responsible for the highest strain variability. 8944 data points were generated and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed the microsatellites C4 and ScYOR267c, as well as the alleles AAT5-256 and AAT6-256 as the most contributing to intra-strain variability. Based on microsatellite allelic information, the software Orange [1] was used to find sub-groups of strains with similar values of phenotypic features and microsatellite allelic patterns. Globally, our study demonstrates that computational approaches can be successfully used to estimate a strain’s biotechnological potential from genotypic data, simplifying laborious strain selection programs by partially replacing phenotypic screens through a preliminary selection based on a strain’s microsatellite allelic combinations.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Marine forests of the Mediterranean-Atlantic Cystoseira tamariscifolia complex show a southern Iberian genetic hotspot and no reproductive isolation in parapatry

Climate-driven range-shifts create evolutionary opportunities for allopatric divergence and subsequent contact, leading to genetic structuration and hybrid zones. We investigate how these processes influenced the evolution of a complex of three closely related Cystoseira spp., which are a key component of the Mediterranean-Atlantic seaweed forests that are undergoing population declines. The C. tamariscifolia complex, composed of C. tamariscifolia s.s., C. amentacea and C. mediterranea, have indistinct boundaries and natural hybridization is suspected. Our aims are to (1) infer the genetic structure and diversity of these species throughout their distribution ranges using microsatellite markers to identify ancient versus recent geographical populations, contact zones and reproductive barriers, and (2) hindcast past distributions using niche models to investigate the influence of past range shifts on genetic divergence at multiple spatial scales. Results supported a single, morphologically plastic species the genetic structure of which was incongruent with a priori species assignments. The low diversity and low singularity in northern European populations suggest recent colonization after the LGM. The southern Iberian genetic hotspot most likely results from the role of this area as a climatic refugium or a secondary contact zone between differentiated populations or both. We hypothesize that life-history traits (selfing, low dispersal) and prior colonization effects, rather than reproductive barriers, might explain the observed genetic discontinuities.Pew Charitable Trusts (USA); MARINERA, Spain [CTM2008-04183-E/MAR]; FCT (Portugal) [FCT-BIODIVERSA/004/2015, CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013, SFRH/BPD/107878/2015, SFRH/BPD/85040/2012]; FPU fellowship of the Spanish Ministry of Education; European Community ASSEMBLE visiting grant [00399/2012]; University of Cadi

Anaerobic Threshold Biophysical Characterisation of the Four Swimming Techniques

The anaerobic threshold (AnT) seems to be not only a physiologic boundary but also a transition after which swimmers technique changes, modifying their biomechanical behaviour. We expanded the AnT concept to a biophysical construct in the four conventional swimming techniques. Seventy-two elite swimmers performed a 5×200 m incremental protocol in their preferred swimming technique (with a 0.05 m·s-1 increase and a 30 s interval between steps). A capillary blood samples were collected from the fingertip and stroke rate (SR) and length (SL) determined for the assessment of [La], SR and SL vs. velocity inflexion points (using the interception of a pair of linear and exponential regression curves). The [La] values at the AnT were 3.3±1.0, 3.9±1.1, 2.9±1 .34 and 4.5±1.4 mmol·l-1 (mean±SD) for front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, and its corresponding velocity correlated highly with those at SR and SL inflection points (r=0.91-0.99, p<0.001). The agreement analyses confirmed that AnT represents a biophysical boundary in the four competitive swimming techniques and can be determined individually using [La] and/or SR/SL. Blood lactate increase speed can help characterise swimmers' anaerobic behaviour after AnT and between competitive swimming techniques.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio