Sistema de recomendação Web usando agentes

O crescimento da Web trouxe vários problemas aos utilizadores. A grande quantidade de informação existente hoje em dia em alguns sítios Web torna a procura de informação útil muito difícil. Os objetivos dos proprietários dos sítios Web e dos utilizadores nem sempre coincidem. O conhecimento dos padrões de visitas dos utilizadores é crucial para que os proprietários possam transformar e adaptar o sítio Web. Este é o princípio do sítio Web adaptativo: o sítio Web adapta-se de forma a melhorar a experiência do utilizador. Alguns algoritmos foram propostos para adaptar um sítio da Web. Neste artigo, descrevemos uma proposta de um sistema de recomendação Web baseado em agentes que combina dois algoritmos: regras de associação e filtragem colaborativa. Ambos os algoritmos são incrementais e funcionam com dados binários. Os resultados mostram que, em algumas situações, a abordagem multiagente melhora a capacidade preditiva quando comparada com os agentes individuais.The growth of the Web has brought several problems for users. Today the vast amount of information on some web sites makes useful information finding very difficult. The objectives of the owners of the web sites and users do not always coincide. The knowledge of patterns of user visits is crucial to the owners to transform and adapt their web site. This is the adaptive website principle: the website adapts to improve the user experience. Some algorithms have been proposed to tailor a website. In this paper, we describe a proposal for a web recommendation system based on agents that combines two algorithms: association rules and collaborative filtering. Both algorithms are incremental and work with binary data. The results show that, in some situations, the multi-agent approach overcomes the predictive capacity of individual agents

Development and application of a new concept of cork substrate in footwear and clothing

In the present work a “cork substrate” is developed aiming the achievement of an innovative material with ideal properties to respond to clothing and footwear applications. The preparation phases of leather processing are highly complex, with a large level of environmental aggressiveness. Garment and footwear industries are widely looking for new materials and applications able to reduce industrial pollutant charge, as well as new processes with lower water and energy consumption and higher economic advantages. Nowadays the conventional material to produce footwear is leather because it combines excellent properties such as: breathability, softness and thermal conductivity. A cork skin is laminated with membranes and textile fabrics and a comparison with leather properties has been done. The inner layer is made with a twill fabric that can be dyed and finished to confer functionalized properties. The results obtained are very promising and the possibility of using this laminated is demonstrated.We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from QREN (Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional – National Strategic Reference Framework), for this study “COLTEC”, Project no 2011/19280, co-financiado pelo FEDER, Programa Operacional Regional Norte. The authors wish to express their acknowledgment to FCT and FEDER-COMPETE funding, under the project PEst-C/CTM/UI0264/2011

Distribution-Based Categorization of Classifier Transfer Learning

Transfer Learning (TL) aims to transfer knowledge acquired in one problem, the source problem, onto another problem, the target problem, dispensing with the bottom-up construction of the target model. Due to its relevance, TL has gained significant interest in the Machine Learning community since it paves the way to devise intelligent learning models that can easily be tailored to many different applications. As it is natural in a fast evolving area, a wide variety of TL methods, settings and nomenclature have been proposed so far. However, a wide range of works have been reporting different names for the same concepts. This concept and terminology mixture contribute however to obscure the TL field, hindering its proper consideration. In this paper we present a review of the literature on the majority of classification TL methods, and also a distribution-based categorization of TL with a common nomenclature suitable to classification problems. Under this perspective three main TL categories are presented, discussed and illustrated with examples

Aplication of breathable and odorless lining to orthopaedic shoes

The main purpose of this work is to apply new materials and new finishing to improve comfort in orthopaedic footwear associated with orthosis. This desideratum will be reached through the selection and application of advanced materials, such, breathables membranes and fabric finished with anti-fungal and anti-bacteria treatments. In this work, water vapor permeability was evaluated to determine the transport property of water vapor produced by transpiration of the skin. A new lining with breathable membrane and anti-odour finishing has been developed and tested. Water vapor permeability of the new lining was compared with a commercial leather lining, commercial lining with breathable membrane - AquaStopT, breathable membrane and weave fabric. The possibility to use fabrics with anti-odour finishing’s, laminated with a hydrophilic breathable membrane, for lining proposes has been demonstrated. Application of membranes with weave fabric by lamination decreases the breathability of materials, nevertheless, the lining with hydrophilic (LF) membrane and the leather’s lining have similar values for water vapor permeability, with the advantage that LF is impermeable.FCT, COMPETE, QREN, UNIÃO EUROPEI

Breathable, impermeable and odourless lining for orthopaedic footwear application

Is has been recognized that the breathability and impermeability of the shoes lining play a crucial role on the performance and comfort of footwear. The main goal of this work is to study the application and behaviour new materials and new finishing to improve comfort in orthopaedic footwear associated with orthosis. This desideratum is reached through the selection and application of advanced materials, such as, breathable membranes and fabric finished with anti-fungal and anti-bacteria treatments. In this study, water vapour permeability was evaluated to determine the water vapour transport property produced by skin transpiration. Furthermore, a new lining with hydrophilic breathable membrane and anti-odour finishing has been developed and tested. Water vapour permeability of the new lining was compared with other conventional materials. From the obtained results, it can be drawn that the application of membranes with weave fabric by lamination decreases the breathability of material. The possibility to use fabrics with anti-odour finishing’s, laminated with a hydrophilic breathable membrane, for lining proposes has been demonstrated.compete qren fct união europei

Response of FRP-glulam slab systems under five-point bending load

Full-scale slab strips were tested in order to analyze the flexural response of FRP-glulam slab systems under monotonic loading. The type of strengthening technique (externally bonded reinforcement – EBR and near-surface mounted – NSM) and the increase target in terms of ultimate load capacity (20% and 40%) were the main studied parameters. GFRP sheets were utilized in the EBR technique, while GFRP rods were applied in NSM technique. In this work the tests are described in detail, and the obtained results are presented and discussed

Bond behavior between glulam and GFRP’s using pullout bending tests

Com o objectivo de avaliar o comportamento da ligação entre lamelados colados e varões de GFRP, quando aplicados de acordo com a técnica NSM, foi realizado um programa experimental composto por ensaios de arrancamento por flexão. Neste programa experimental foram analisadas três variáveis: o tipo de GFRP (2 tipos), a localização do FRP/dimensão da ranhura (2 tipos) e o comprimento de amarração (Lb=30 mm, 60 mm, 120 mm e 180 mm). A instrumentação inclui a medição dos deslizamentos na zona solicitada e na extremidade livre, bem como a força de arranque. Vinte e nove provetes foram ensaiados sob controlo de deslocamento com recurso a um sistema servo-controlado. O presente trabalho descreve os ensaios e apresenta e discute os resultados obtidos.To evaluate the bond behavior between glulam and GFRP rods using the near-surface mounted (NSM) strengthening technique, an experimental program was carried out by means of pullout bending tests. In this experimental program three variables were analyzed: the GFRP type (2 types), the GFRP location/groove size (2 types) and the bond length (Lb=30 mm, 60 mm, 120 mm and 180 mm). The instrumentation includes the loaded and free end slips, as well as the pullout force. Twenty nine specimens were tested under displacement control using a servo controlled equipment. In this work the tests are described, and the obtained results are presented and discussed.Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) - Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors (COMPETE)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PTDC/ECM/74337/200

Moradias de custo controlado em betão auto-compactável reforçado com fibras

No presente trabalho é desenvolvido um betão auto-compactável reforçado com fibras (BACRF) para a construção de habitações de custo controlado. As principais propriedades são apresentadas e utilizadas na análise e dimensionamento do modelo estrutural proposto

Context-based multi-agent recommender system, supported on IoT, for guiding the occupants of a building in case of a fire

The evacuation of buildings in case of fire is a sensitive issue for civil society that also motivates the academic community to develop and study solutions to improve the efficiency of evacuating these spaces. The study of human behavior in fire emergencies has been one of the areas that have deserved the attention of researchers. However, this modeling of human behavior is difficult and complex because it depends on factors that are difficult to know and that vary from country to country. In this paper, a paradigm shift is proposed which, instead of focusing on modeling the behavior of occupants, focuses on conditioning this behavior by providing real-time information on the most efficient evacuation routes. Making this information available to occupants is possible with a solution that takes advantage of the growing use of the IoT (Internet of Things) in buildings to help occupants adapt to the environment. Supported by the IoT, multi-agent recommender systems can help users to adapt to the environment and provide the occupants with the most efficient evacuation routes. This paradigm shift is achieved through a context-based multi-agent recommender system based on contextual data obtained from IoT devices, which recommends the most efficient evacuation routes at any given time. The obtained results suggest that the proposed solution can improve the efficiency of evacuating buildings in the event of a fire; for a scenario with two hundred people following the system recommendations, the time they take to reach a safe place decreases by 17.7%.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio