36 research outputs found

    INDUSTRIAL DEVICE INTEGRATION AND VIRTUALIZATION FOR SMART FACTORIES

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    Given the constant industry growth and modernization, several technologies have been introduced in the shop floor, in particular regarding industrial devices. Each device brand and model usually requires different interfaces and communication protocols, a technological diversity which renders the automatic interconnection with production management software extremely challenging. However, combining key technologies such as machine monitoring, digital twin and virtual commissioning, along with a complete communication protocol like OPC UA, it is possible to contribute towards industrial device integration on a Smart Factory environment. To achieve this goal, several methodologies and a set of tools were defined. This set of tools, as well as facilitating the integration tasks, should also be part of a virtual engineering environment, sharing the same virtual model, the digital twin, through the complete lifecycle of the industrial device, namely the project, simulation, implementation and execution/monitoring/supervision and, eventually, decommissioning phases. A key result of this work is the development of a set of virtual engineering tools and methodologies based on OPC UA communication, with the digital twin implemented using RobotStudio, in order to accomplish the complete lifecycle support of an industrial device, from the project and simulation phases, to monitoring and supervision, suitable for integration in Industry 4.0 factories. To evaluate the operation of the developed set of tools, experiments were performed for a test scenario with different devices. Other relevant result is related with the integration of a specific industrial device – CNC machining equipment. Given the variety of monitoring systems and communication protocols, an approach where various solutions available on the market are combined on a single system is followed. These kinds of all-in-one solutions would give production managers access to the information necessary for a continuous monitoring and improvement of the entire production process

    “Fundamentalist, pragmatic, or unconcerned?”: an analysis of consumers’ willingness to disclose information online

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    Purpose – This study aims to propose an innovative model that integrates variables and examines the influence of internet usage expertise, perceived risk and attitude toward information control on privacy concerns (PC) and, consequently, in consumers’ willingness to disclose personal information online. The authors also propose to test the mediation role of trust between PCs and willingness to disclose information. Trust is not a predictor of PC but a causal mechanism – considering that the focus is to understand consumers’ attitudes and behavior regarding the virtual environment (not context-specific) (Martin, 2018). Design/methodology/approach – The authors developed a survey questionnaire based on the constructs that compose the proposed model to collect data from 864 respondents. The survey questionnaire included the following scales: internet usage expertise from Ohanian (1990); perceived risk, attitude toward information control, trust and willingness to disclose personal information online from Malhotra et al. (2004); and PC from Castañeda and Montoro (2007). All items were measured on a Likert seven-point scale (1 = totally disagree; 7 = totally agree). To obtain Westin’s attitudinal categories toward privacy, respondents answered Westin’s three-item privacy index. For data analysis, the authors applied covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings – First, the proposed model explains the drivers of consumers’ disposition to provide personal information at a level that surpasses specific contexts (Martin, 2018), bringing the analysis to consumers’ level and considering their general perceptions toward data privacy. Second, the findings provide inputs to propose a better definition of Westin’s attitudinal categories toward privacy, which used to be defined only by individuals’ information privacy perception. Consumers’ perceptions about their abilities in using the internet, the risks, their beliefs toward information control and trust also help to delimitate and distinguish the fundamentalists, the pragmatics and the unconcerned. Research limitations/implications – Some limitations weigh the theoretical and practical implications of this study. The sample size of pragmatic and unconcerned respondents was substantially smaller than that of fundamentalists. It might be explained by applying Westin’s self-report index to classify the groups according to their score regarding PCs. Most individuals affirm having a great concern for their data privacy but still provide online information for the benefit of personalization – known as the privacy paradox (Zeng et al., 2021). It leads to another limitation of this research, given the lack of measures that classify respondents by considering their actual behavior toward privacy. Practical implications – PC emerges as an important predictor of consumer trust and willingness to disclose their data online, and trust also influences this disposition. Managers need to implement actions that effectively reduce consumers’ concerns about privacy and increase their trust in the company – e.g. adopting a clear and transparent policy on how the data collected is stored, treated, protected and used to benefit the consumer. Regarding the perception of risk, if managers convince consumers that the data collected on the internet is protected, they tend to be less concerned about privacy. Social implications – The results suggest different aspects influencing the willingness to disclose personal information online, including different responses considering consumers’ PCs. Through their policies and legislation, the authors understand that governments must be attentive to this aspect, establishing regulations that protect consumers’ data in the virtual environment. In addition to regulatory policies, education campaigns can be carried out for both consumers and managers to raise the discussion about privacy and the availability of information in the online environment, demonstrating the importance of protecting personal data to benefit the government, consumers and organizations. Originality/value – Although there is increasing research on consumers’ privacy, studies have not considered their attitudinal classifications – high, moderate and low concern – as moderators of willingness to disclose information online. Researchers have also increased attention to the antecedents of PCs and disclosure of information but overlooked possible mechanisms that explain the relationship between them

    COVID-19 in Brazilian children and adolescents: findings from 21 hospitals / COVID-19 em crianças e adolescentes brasileiros: registros de 21 hospitais

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    Introdução: Crianças e adolescentes com Covid-19 apresentam menor mortalidade e sintomas menos intensos quando comparados aos adultos. Os estudos no Brasil baseiam-se apenas no sistema de notificação compulsĂłria. Objetivo: Analisar as caracterĂ­sticas clĂ­nicas, laboratoriais, radiolĂłgicas e desfechos de pacientes hospitalizados com menos de 20 anos de idade com Covid-19. MĂ©todos: SĂ©rie de casos de pacientes internados com Covid-19, confirmado, com idade inferior a 20 anos, obtida em estudo de coorte em 21 hospitais de cinco estados brasileiros. Resultados: Dos 36 pacientes, 20 (55,5%) eram adolescentes, 20 (55,5%) eram do sexo masculino, 18 (50,0%) apresentavam comorbidades, 2 estavam grĂĄvidas; e em 7 (19,4%) os sintomas iniciais ocorreram durante a internação por outras causas, dos quais 3 foram possivelmente infectados no hospital. Febre (61,1%), dispneia (33,3%) e sintomas neurolĂłgicos (33,0%) foram as queixas mais comuns. A proteĂ­na C reativa estava acima de 50mg / L em 16,7% e o dĂ­mero-D estava acima do limite de referĂȘncia em 22,2%. Radiografias de tĂłrax foram realizadas em 20 (55,5%) pacientes, 9 apresentavam anormalidades; e tomografias computadorizadas de tĂłrax em 5. O tempo de internação variou de 1-40 dias (mediana 5 [intervalo interquartil 3-10]), 16 (44,4%) necessitaram de cuidados intensivos, 6 (16,7%) necessitaram de ventilação mecĂąnica e um paciente (2,8%) faleceu. ConclusĂŁo: Em uma amostra de pacientes menores de 20 anos, procedentes de hospitais de 5 estados do Brasil, as comorbidades foram frequentes e os sintomas mais comuns foram febre, dispneia e sintomas neurolĂłgicos. Quarenta e quatro por cento dos pacientes necessitaram de cuidados intensivos, mostrando que na amostra avaliada a doença nĂŁo era tĂŁo leve quanto o esperado, e um paciente morreu. 

    Transpiration and leaf growth of potato clones in response to soil water deficit

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    Potato (Solanum tuberosum ssp. Tuberosum) crop is particularly susceptible to water deficit because of its small and shallow root system. The fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) approach has been widely used in the evaluation of plant responses to water deficit in different crops. The FTSW 34 threshold (when stomatal closure starts) is a trait of particular interest because it is an indicator of tolerance to water deficit. The FTSW threshold for decline in transpiration and leaf growth was evaluated in a drying soil to identify potato clones tolerant to water deficit. Two greenhouse experiments were carried out in pots, with three advanced clones and the cultivar Asterix. The FTSW, transpiration and leaf growth were measured on a daily basis, during the period of soil drying. FTSW was an efficient method to separate potato clones with regard to their response to water deficit. The advancedclones SMINIA 02106-11 and SMINIA 00017-6 are more tolerant to soil water deficit than the cultivar Asterix, and the clone SMINIA 793101-3 is more tolerant only under high solar radiation

    Genomics and epidemiology for gastric adenocarcinomas (GE4GAC): a Brazilian initiative to study gastric cancer

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    Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common type of cancer worldwide with high incidences in Asia, Central, and South American countries. This patchy distribution means that GC studies are neglected by large research centers from developed countries. The need for further understanding of this complex disease, including the local importance of epidemiological factors and the rich ancestral admixture found in Brazil, stimulated the implementation of the GE4GAC project. GE4GAC aims to embrace epidemiological, clinical, molecular and microbiological data from Brazilian controls and patients with malignant and pre-malignant gastric disease. In this letter, we summarize the main goals of the project, including subject and sample accrual and current findings

    O Memorial de Imigração Polonesa em Curitiba: dinùmicas culturais e interesses políticos no ùmbito memoralista

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    Neste artigo, analisa-se o conceito de memorial, considerando as atuais definiçÔes de Museu propostas pelo Conselho Internacional de Museus e pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Museus, tendo como objeto de investigação o Memorial de Imigração Polonesa de Curitiba. Evidenciam-se a importĂąncia e a complexidade no trato com o patrimĂŽnio e as dificuldades de pensĂĄ-lo a partir dos sujeitos e das referĂȘncias culturais de determinado grupo em contraponto aos interesses polĂ­ticos e econĂŽmicos; no caso em questĂŁo, voltadas Ă s necessidades da polĂ­tica de city marketing como estratĂ©gia de construção da imagem da cidade. Para tanto, foram considerados os perfis de atuação dos memoriais em diferentes partes do mundo, na tentativa de delimitação conceitual, exemplificando-se a pluralidade de temas e formatos dessas instituiçÔes no Ăąmbito nacional e global. As discussĂ”es levantadas permitem pensar que os Museus Memoriais desempenham as atividades de um memorial no Ăąmbito museolĂłgico, confirmando a ambivalĂȘncia dessas duas instituiçÔes e sua interface privilegiada com o poder polĂ­tico.This article analyzes the memorial concept, considering the Museum definition presented by the International Council of Museums and the Brazilian Institute of Museums. The aim of this study was the Curitiba Polish Immigration Memorial. It highlights the importance and complexity in dealing with the heritage and the difficulties of thinking it from the individuals and the cultural references of certain groups as opposed to political and economic interests; in this case the needs of the city marketing policy as city image building strategy. Therefore, the memorials performance profiles in different parts of the world in an attempt to conceptual definition, exemplifying the diversity of themes and formats of these institutions at the national and global levels. The discussions show that it is possible to consider that the Memorials Museums perform the same activities of a memorial within the museological context, confirming the ambivalence of these two institutions and prime interface with political power
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