When Cost-Efficient Technologies Meet Politics: A Case Study of Radical Wireless Network Implementation

Cost efficiency has been a dominant perspective in the traditional IT literature. However, in complex technology and business environment, the widely recognized cost efficient assumption of information technology has been increasingly challenged. Drawing from a case study of wireless network implementation situated in a politically sensitive workplace, this paper provided practice insights for IT managers in today’s networked economy. More specifically, stories experienced in the case study illustrated that despite well-calculated cost efficiency of wireless network infrastructure, the radical implementation process in the case organization encountered enormous challenges and opposition due to the fact that administrators failed to consider various stakeholders’ positions and interests. Eventually, the implementation objectives and outcome were considerably undermined. Implications from this empirical case research reemphasized the significance of understanding political forces situated in any business environment where different stakeholders hold conflicting interests. Lessons learned from the case story further encouraged IT managers and policy makers to better strategize emerging information technology in general and wireless networks in particular as the whole global society and business environment are increasingly facing an emerging wireless world

ARES+MOOG - a practical overview of an EW method to derive stellar parameters

The goal of this document is to describe the important practical aspects in the use of an Equivalent Width (EW) method for the derivation of spectroscopic stellar parameters. A general description of the fundamental steps composing any EW method is given, together with possible differences that may be found in different methods used in the literature. Then ARES+MOOG is then used as an example where each step of the method is described in detail. A special focus is given for the specific steps of this method, namely the use of a differential analysis to define the atomic data for the adopted line list, the automatic EW determinations, and the way to find the best parameters at the end of the procedure. Finally, a practical tutorial is given, where we focus on simple exercises useful to illustrate and explain the dependence of the abundances with the assumed stellar parameters. The interdependences are described and a clear procedure is given to find the "final" stellar parameters.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication as a chapter in "Determination of Atmospheric Parameters of B, A, F and G Type Stars", Springer (2014), eds. E. Niemczura, B. Smalley, W. Pyc

The labor of the sevillian woodcarver Manuel Romero in Tavira (Algarve)

O principal objectivo deste artigo é apresentar a obra do entalhador Manuel Romero na região do Algarve, os seus antecedentes familiares e profissionais em Sevilha, alguns acontecimentos que antecederam a sua vinda para o extremo sul do território português nas primeiras décadas do século XIX e, em especial, a actividade levada a cabo por este mestre em Tavira.The main purpose of this paper is to present the work of the sevillian woodcarver Manuel Romero in the Algarve, his familiar and artistic background in Seville, some events prior to his coming to the south end of the portuguese territory in the first decades of the nineteenth century and, in particular, the activity developed by this master in Tavira

A adoção intuitu personae em detrimento da ordem cadastral: uma análise a partir do paradigma da socioafetividade

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Jurídicas. Direito.Esta monografia possui o objetivo de analisar juridicamente a situação em que ambos os genitores ou, mais comumente, a mãe biológica, entrega o filho a outrem que passa a exercer a guarda de fato da criança ou do adolescente. Para tanto, busca-se na doutrina e na jurisprudência o critério utilizado nos casos em que é deferida a adoção em favor de pessoas não inscritas no cadastro de adotantes. De acordo com o imperativo da proteção integral, após a Constituição de 1988, o adotando passou a ser o foco no processo de adoção, motivo pelo qual o importante não é obter uma criança para uma família, mas antes, resguardar às crianças e aos adolescentes que esperam pela adoção o direito de terem uma família. Discute-se a necessidade de se dar efetividade ao cadastro de pretendentes à adoção, nos moldes do que impõe o artigo 50, caput e parágrafos, do Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente, frente à sua flexibilização, com respaldo no princípio do melhor interesse, em situações excepcionais de formação de vínculo afetivo entre o adotando e os guardiões de fato, a fim de se garantir que a criança ou o adolescente não sofra os efeitos maléficos da separação ou da perda dessa convivência

Kinesio Taping vs. técnica de Mulligan na reabilitação da instabilidade crónica da articulação tibiotársica em atletas de andebol: estudo randomizado

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em FisioterapiaIntrodução: A entorse do tornozelo é o tipo de lesão mais comum em atletas, e pode progredir para instabilidade crónica do tornozelo (ICT). Objetivo: Analisar o efeito da aplicação de Kinesio Taping (KT) e do conceito de Mulligan na amplitude de movimento, no equilíbrio dinâmico, na potência muscular. Metodologia: Um total de 30 atletas de andebol com ICT foi dividido em 3 grupos neste estudo simples-cego randomizado. Aos participantes foram aplicadas técnicas de KT, Mulligan ou placebo durante dois dias. A amplitude de movimento, o equilíbrio dinâmico, e a potência muscular foram avaliados antes e após a intervenção, através do weight-bearing lunge test, Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) e salto vertical. Resultados: Os défices de amplitude articular foram reduzidos com a aplicação de KT e com a técnica de Mulligan (p=0,010 e p=0,002). No SEBT, o grupo com KT teve um aumento significativo no alcance anterior (p=0,045) e o grupo com aplicação de Mulligan obteve ganhos nas distâncias póstero-mediais e póstero-laterais (p=0,020 e p=0,010). A potência muscular durante o salto vertical melhorou significativamente com a aplicação das duas técnicas em estudo (p=0,001 e p=0,0021). Conclusão: Os resultados indicam que os métodos em análise demonstram melhorias em todos os parâmetros de estudo quando comparados com o grupo placebo.Introduction: Ankle sprain is the most common type of injury in athletes, and may progress to chronic ankle instability (CAI). Objective: To analyze the effect of the application of Kinesio Taping (KT) and the Mulligan concept on range of motion, dynamic balance and muscle power. Methods: A total of 30 handball athletes with CAI were divided into three groups in this randomized single-blind study. Participants were given KT, Mulligan or placebo techniques for two days. Range of motion, dynamic balance, and muscle power were assessed before and after the intervention, through the weight-bearing lunge test, Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and vertical jump. Results: The articular range deficits were reduced with the application of KT and with the Mulligan technique (p = 0.010 and p = 0.002). In SEBT, the group with KT had a significant increase in the anterior range (p = 0.045) and the group with Mulligan application obtained gains in the postero-medial and posterolateral distances (p = 0.020 and p = 0.010). The muscular power during the vertical jump significantly improved with the application of the two techniques under study (p = 0.001 and p = 0.0021). Conclusion: The results indicate that the methods under analysis demonstrate improvements in all the study parameters when compared with the placebo group.N/

De la habitación China al laboratorio de I.A.

¿Es legítimo atribuir �mente� a un interlocutor mecánico (demostrablemente) competente? El experimento mental de la �Habitación China�, concebido por Searle en 1980, ha generado un torrente de literatura, de réplicas y contrarréplicas, que llega hasta nuestros días. Veinticinco años después, ¿queda algo interesante que añadir a la discusión, aparte de resucitar viejas objeciones? ¿O acaso hemos alcanzado un impasse filosófico, una suerte de equilibrio insulso? A mi modo de ver, la posición de Searle plantea, aún hoy, un serio desafío al sueño de una Inteligencia Artificial fuerte. No obstante, considero que dicho desafío no es en modo alguno insuperable. Para ello, propongo adoptar un punto de vista diferente, no el de la Habitación China sino el de un laboratorio de I.A

Overabundance of alpha-elements in exoplanet host stars

We present the results for a chemical abundance analysis between planet-hosting and stars without planets for 12 refractory elements for a total of 1111 nearby FGK dwarf stars observed within the context of the HARPS GTO programs. Of these stars, 109 are known to harbour high-mass planetary companions and 26 stars are hosting exclusively Neptunians and super-Earths. We found that the [X/Fe] ratios for Mg, Al, Si, Sc, and Ti both for giant and low-mass planet hosts are systematically higher than those of comparison stars at low metallicities ([Fe/H] < from -0.2 to 0.1 dex depending on the element). The most evident discrepancy between planet-hosting and stars without planets is observed for Mg. Our data suggest that the planet incidence is greater among the thick disk population than among the thin disk for mettallicities bellow -0.3 dex. After examining the [alpha/Fe] trends of the planet host and non-host samples we conclude that a certain chemical composition, and not the Galactic birth place of the stars, is the determinating factor for that. The inspection of the Galactic orbital parameters and kinematics of the planet-hosting stars shows that Neptunian hosts tend to belong to the "thicker" disk compared to their high-mass planet-hosting counterparts.We also found that Neptunian hosts follow the distribution of high-alpha stars in the UW vs V velocities space, but they are more enhanced in Mg than high-alpha stars without planetary companions. Our results indicate that some metals other than iron may also have an important contribution to planet formation if the amount of iron is low. These results may provide strong constraints for the models of planet formation, especially for planets with low mass.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic