Optimal Linear Parameter-Varying Control Design for a Pressurized Water Reactors

The applicability of employing parameter-dependent control to a nuclear pressurized water reactor is investigated. The synthesis techque produces a controller which achieves specified performance against the worst-case time variation of a measurable parameter which enters the plant in a linear fractional manner. The plant can thus have widely varying dynamics over the operating range. The results indicate this control technique is comparable to linear control when small operating ranges are considered

Linear Parameter-Varying Control of a Ducted Fan Engine

Parameter-dependent control techniques are applied to a vectored thrust, ducted fan engine. The synthesis technique is based on the solution of Linear Matrix Inequalities and produces a controller which achieves specified performance against the worst-case time variation of measurable parameters entering the plant in a linear fractional manner. Thus the plant can have widely varying dynamics over the operating range. The controller designed performs extremely well, and is compared to an ℋ∞ controller

The Effects of Two Different Resistance Training Protocols with Similar Volume on Non-Uniform Muscle Hypertrophy

Resistance training programs utilize variables such as exercise volume, intensity, muscular activation, and tension in order to obtain specific hypertrophic adaptations. The challenge of designing a hypertrophy-centric program is understanding the non-uniform adaptations of skeletal muscle. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to observe the impact of two volume-equated, whole body exercise protocols over 9 weeks utilizing 9 different compound exercises on non-uniform muscle adaptations. METHODS: Fourteen (age = 20.9 ± 1.3 years; body mass = 84.0 ± 11.1 kg; fat free mass = 67.3 ± 5.7 kg), well-trained men randomly assigned to a hypertrophy based protocol (HG) or a strength based protocol (SG). The HG performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions, with a rest period of 90 seconds between sets (n = 8). The SG performed 7 sets of 3 repetitions with 3 minutes of rest between sets (n = 6). Pre, mid, and post testing of proximal and distal muscle thickness measurements (MT) were taken on each subject’s forearm flexors (FF), forearm extensors (FE), rectus femoris (RF), and vastus lateralis (VL). Each measurement was taken on the right side of the body to develop consistency across all of the subjects. RESULTS: After 9 weeks, statistically significant differences between SG and HG at both the Proximal Forearm Flexors (PFF) and Distal Forearm Extensors (DFE). There were significant differences in the trajectory of change between the groups (p = .040) and throughout pre-, mid- and post-testing (p = .034, .001, .000) of the PFF. Between the groups, DFE was statistically different at post-testing (p = .036) and for overall trajectory of change (p = .040). However, there were no statistically significant differences between groups in the other muscle thickness measurements. CONCLUSIONS: When a strength and hypertrophy full-body resistance training programs are equated for volume, non-uniform hypertrophy occurs in the distal FE and proximal FF MT sites of the forearm, but fails to be seen in the quadriceps MT sites

The influence of personality on innovation: a phenomenological study

Innovation is often considered the lifeblood of the 21st century business enterprise. However, many organizations struggle to best position their human resources to innovate and drive change within the culture. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of organizational innovation among extroverted intuitive perceiving (ENXP) entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. The study explored how ENXPs experience observing, experimenting, networking, questioning and associating when innovating, and how ENXP entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs have applied innovation practices to their business. For this purpose, the researcher conducted individual interviews with 12 participants of the ENXP (ENFP and ENTP) Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) type. The researcher developed and used 7 open-ended interview questions based on the 3 foundational research questions. The interview data was collected and analyzed and the findings revealed that ENXPs experience innovation through the MBTI functions of extraversion, intuition and perceiving. An analysis also revealed that ENXPs have a strong propensity towards the 5 innovation behaviors of observing, experimenting, networking, questioning, and associating. The findings included valuable insight into the impact of people on the innovation process, the experience of learning and synthesizing information to innovate, the impact of spontaneous living on organizational innovation, innovation initiated and developed using each of the 5 behaviors, the important role of questioning in the innovation process, the importance of partnering with a team, and the ENXP entrepreneur and intrapreneur focus on external improvement. The knowledge acquired is critical to organizational innovation and yields lessons that can be used to transform how individual contributors are leveraged within organizations

Le prospettive della sezione narrativa del bilancio: il Practice Statement Management Commentary. Profili teorici ed evidenza empirica.

Il raggiungimento di un buon livello di armonizzazione della comunicazione economico-finanziaria, deve passare per un innalzamento sia della trasparenza che della qualità della comunicazione, ossia della capacità di poter e saper soddisfare al meglio gli interessi degli stakeholders. Trasparenza e qualità costituiscono dunque la condizione per conseguire un più elevato grado di efficienza sul mercato finanziario. Nello sviluppo di tale processo il presente lavoro illustra il progetto del management commentary, recentemente elaborato dallo IASB, quale documento “guida” nella ricerca di una maggiore omogeneità dei comportamenti comunicazionali sui mercati finanziari sul fronte della narrative reporting. In base al modello descritto dall’IFRS Practice Statement Management Commentary, lo studio si propone in primis di identificare una struttura informativa e misurare in termini quantitativi lo spazio dedicato alle diverse aree informative della parte narrativa del bilancio per le imprese quotate appartenenti a tre diversi Paesi: Italia, Regno Unito, Germania. In secondo luogo si desidera effettuare un’analisi comparativa in relazione ai differenti approcci in termini di informativa di bilancio appartenenti ai tre diversi Paesi. Infine si desidera valutare l’evoluzione in termini temporali del modello informativo anche alla luce delle nuove disposizioni previste dall’IFRS. L’analisi considera la “management discussion” dei bilanci consolidati relativi all’anno 2008 e 2010. La metodologia utilizzata risulta quella della content analysis. Tra i risultati più rilevanti si osserva per i tre Paesi la presenza di una maggiore informativa sia per il 2008 che per il 2010 relativa alla “natura del business” e sul fronte della qualità l’informazione risulta prevalentemente di natura non finanziaria, narrativa e storica. Si rileva un andamento decrescente per l’informativa correlata alla dimensione strategica e per quella di natura intertemporale e prospettica

An experimental comparison of controllers for a vectored thrust, ducted fan engine

Experimental comparisons between four different control design methodologies are applied to a small vectored thrust engine. Each controller is applied to three trajectories of varying aggressiveness. The control strategies considered are LQR, ℋ∞, gain scheduling, and feedback linearization. The experiments show that gain scheduling is essential to achieving good performance. The strengths and weaknesses of each methodology are also examined

Acreditação ISO NBR 17025 em laboratórios de ensaio análises ambientais

Orientador : Prof. MSc Mauricy KawanoMonografia (especialização) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Agrárias, Curso de Especialização em MBA em Gestão AmbientalInclui referênciasResumo : Com a questão da fiscalização ambiental em crescimento no Brasil, as indústrias em geral necessitam estar em dia com as legislações ambientais pertinentes. Com isso precisam contratar serviços de análises ambientais para fazer seus monitoramentos. Os órgãos ambientais cada vez mais exigem que os laudos/ relatórios de ensaio sejam realizados por laboratórios que possuam a acreditação de acordo com os requisitos da norma NBR ISO/IEC 17025. A norma NBR ISO/IEC 17025 serve para comprovar que um laboratório executa suas atividades com precisão, garantindo que o resultado final seja de alta qualidade