Spontaneously formed porous and composite materials

In recent years, a number of routes to porous materials have been developed which do not involve the use of pre-formed templates or structure-directing agents. These routes are usually spontaneous, meaning they are thermodynamically downhill. Kinetic control, deriving from slow diffusion of certain species in the solid state, allows metastable porous morphologies rather than dense materials to be obtained. While the porous structures so formed are random, the average architectural features can be well-defined, and the porosity is usually highly interconnected. The routes are applicable to a broad range of functional inorganic materials. Consequently, the porous architectures have uses in energy transduction and storage, chemical sensing, catalysis, and photoelectrochemistry. This is in addition to more straightforward uses deriving from the pore structure, such as in filtration, as a structural material, or as a cell-growth scaffold. In this feature article, some of the methods for the creation of porous materials are described, including shape-conserving routes that lead to hierarchical macro/mesoporous architectures. In some of the preparations, the resulting mesopores are aligned locally with certain crystallographic directions. The coupling between morphology and crystallography provides a macroscopic handle on nanoscale structure. Extension of these routes to create biphasic composite materials are also described

Mapping the DMAIC Tool in the Public Sector: A Bibliometric Literature Review

The quality and continuous improvement of products and processes continue to play an essential role in the business context, with the need for more responsive, flexible, and responsive organizations. Among the many tools and methodologies employed, DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control), linked to Six Sigma, is used to improve existing products or organizational processes. Nevertheless, if in the private sector, the adoption and practice of these tools and methodologies are widely used, in the public sector, in turn, the applicability of DMAIC is little employed. In this perspective, and using the methodological resource of systematic literature review, this article aims to identify the applicability of the DMAIC tool in the public sector. The review indicates that while DMAIC still has low public evidence, the tool can be efficiently applied across the industry, enabling positive results for organizations, reducing costs, delivering efficient processes, and increasing customer satisfaction

Utilidad del 1-3-beta-d-glucano(BDG) y los anticuerpos antimicelio (CAGTA), en el diagnóstico de la candidiasis invasiva en pacientes críticos no neutropénicos.

La alta morbilidad y mortalidad de las candidiasis invasivas implica la necesidad de un diagnóstico rápido para instaurar un tratamiento antifúngico dirigido eficaz con rapidez. El método diagnóstico de referencia es el hemocultivo, pero debido a su baja sensibilidad y lentitud, hace estrictamente necesario buscar alternativas diagnósticas. Entre los métodos diagnósticos alternativos se encuentran los biomarcadores anticuerpos antimicelio (CAGTA) y 1-3-Beta-D-Glucano (BDG). El objetivo principal del estudio es analizar la utilidad y el rendimiento de los biomarcadores, CAGTA y BDG, tanto de forma individual como combinada, en el diagnóstico de la CI en el paciente crítico no neutropénico

Characteristics of Copper-based Oxygen Carriers Supported on Calcium Aluminates for Chemical-Looping Combustion with Oxygen Uncoupling (CLOU)

Eight different oxygen carriers (OC) containing CuO (60 wt %) and different mass ratios of CaO to Al2O3 as the support were synthesized by wet-mixing followed by calcination at 1000 °C. The method of synthesis used involved the formation of calcium aluminum hydrate phases and ensured homogeneous mixing of the Ca2+ and Al3+ ions in the support at the molecular level. The performance of the OCs for up to 100 cycles of reduction and oxidation was evaluated in both a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a fluidized bed reactor, covering a temperature range of 800 to 950 °C. In these cycling experiments, complete conversion of the OC, from CuO to Cu and vice versa, was always achieved for all OCs. The reactivity of the materials was so high that no deactivation could be observed in the TGA, owing to mass transfer limitations. It was found that OCs prepared with a mass ratio of CaO to Al2O3 in the support >0.55 agglomerated in the fluidized bed, resulting in an apparent deactivation over 25 cycles for all temperatures investigated. High ratios of mass of CaO to Al2O3 in the support resulted in CuO interacting with CaO, forming mixed oxides that have low melting temperatures, and this explains the tendency of these materials to agglomerate. This behavior was not observed when the mass ratio of CaO to Al2O3 in the support was ≤0.55 and such materials showed excellent cyclic stability operating under redox conditions at temperatures as high as 950 °C.The authors thank Mohammad Ismail and Matthew Dunstan for helping with the XRD analysis and Alex Casabuena-Rodriguez and for helping with the SEM. This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC grant EP/I010912/1).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from ACS via http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5b0117

Maturity and readiness of the Manaus industrial pole: case study of the television product / Maturidade e prontidão do polo industrial de Manaus: estudo de caso do produto televisor

The Manaus Industrial Pole is an important mechanism for regional development, in addition to enabling conservation of the Amazon Forest, having the Basic Productive Process as the main instrument of industrial policy. This article evaluates aspects for its continuity with the advent of Industry 4.0, through a Maturity and Readiness Model applied to its highest billing product: the television. The statistical validation of the research was obtained through structural equations modeling, using the SmartPLS® 3.0 software. The founded results were compared to those of an already tested Maturity and Readiness Model named PIM M4.0®, highlighting logistical interoperability

Maturity Assessment in Public Institutions Using Management and Monitoring Network Free Software / Avaliação da Maturidade em Instituições Públicas Utilizando Software Gratuito de Gestão e Monitorização de Redes

In this case study, the ABNT ISO/IEC 14598-6 tool was used to measure the quality of the ZABBIX software applied in the IT area, of a federal research and teaching institute, regarding the network asset management and monitoring system, based on free software. This system was adopted due to the great relevance of modern network monitoring. This ISO tool, based on the international software quality measurement standards, was applied to verify the user's perception of the ZABBIX system, obtaining as a result of the evaluation an approval in all software attributes evaluated. The implementation of the solution brought real gains in quality, management, security, performance and savings in institutional resources

O PERFIL DO CORPO DOCENTE DO DEPARTAMENTO DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO NA UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO AMAZONAS

A pesquisa relatada neste artigo buscou caracterizar o grupo de professores que compunham o corpo docente do Departamento de Administração da Universidade Federal do Amazonas no ano de 2016. A pesquisa descritiva foi delineada a partir de uma investigação documental, a partir de dados coletados nos currículos dos docentes disponíveis na Plataforma Lattes. O departamento em estudo, com 51 anos de existência, contava em 2016 com 36 professores, em sua maioria bacharéis em Administração e engenheiros e doutores com formação recente e experiência menor que 10 anos na UFAM. O corpo docente estava mais dedicado a atividades de ensino e pesquisa. Os membros deste departamento pouco se relacionavam com outros profissionais da área em âmbito nacional e internacional e mostrou-se comum a participação destes na gestão superior da universidade.THE FACULTY OF ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT PROFILE AT THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AMAZONASThe research reported in this article sought to characterize the profile of the group of teachers that comprised the faculty of the Department of Administration of the Federal University of Amazonas in the year 2016. The descriptive research collected data in the curriculas availables on the Plataforma Lattes. The department under study, with 51 years of existence, had in 2016 36 professors, mostly bachelors in Administration and engineers, most of them doctors with recent training and with less than 10 years of experience in UFAM. The faculty were more involved in teaching and research activities. The members of this department were little related to other professionals of the area in national and international scope and it was common the participation of these in the superior management of the university

Aplicação de Ferramentas de Manufatura Enxuta em processo de montagem de motocicletas no Polo Industrial de Manaus / Lean Manufacturing Tools application in motorcycle assembly process at Manaus Industrial Zone

O objetivo da pesquisa foi avaliar a aplicabilidade de ferramentas da manufatura enxuta em processos de montagem de motocicletas objetivando aumento de produtividade, controle de paradas da linha de produção e evolução no 5S. A pesquisa foi conduzida através de estudo de caso descritivo e quantitativo, com base em coleta de dados no processo produtivo.O brainstorming foi utilizado para conduzir a definição de qual ferramenta utilizar e o PDCA utilizado como meio de planejamento para a implementação. Como resultados, a aplicabilidade das ferramentas se tornou significativa, demonstrado através da melhoria de performance do processo avaliado. Ao todo, dez ferramentas foram implementadas, trazendo aumento de 37,5% em produtividade, redução de 52% em parada de linha e melhoria de 15% na média geral do 5S, além de redução de 14% no estoque em processo

Alumina reinforced eucryptite ceramics: Very low thermal expansion material with improved mechanical properties

[EN] Composite materials formed by a LAS matrix reinforced with second phases are promising materials in many applications where better mechanical properties than those corresponding to conventional low thermal expansion coefficient materials are required. In this study we will show the capability of the design of a LAS-alumina submicron composite. The main scope of this work is to test the sinterability of the composites and to design a composition for a very low thermal expansion submicron composite. For this purpose, Taimei alumina (TM-DAR) powders and an ad hoc synthesized beta-eucryptite phase were used to fabricate the composite. XRD phase compositions and microstructures are discussed together with data from dilatometries in a wide temperature range. The results obtained show the possibility of designing a submicron composite with a very low thermal expansion coefficient and improved mechanical properties that can be used in oxidizing conditions. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.We would like to thank Prof. Salvador de Aza and Prof. Serafin Moya for the thorough discussion of LAS-Al2O3 solid state compatibility and comments on a first version of the manuscript. The authors greatly appreciate the support of the EU for the IP-Nanoker NMP3-CT-2005-515784 in the frame of the 6th Framework Program. Garcia-Moreno is working for CSIC under a JAE-Doc contract co-funded by the ESF. A. Borrell is working with financial support of National Plan Project MAT2006-01783 under FPI contract.García-Moreno, O.; Borrell Tomás, MA.; Bittmann, B.; Fernández-Valdés, A.; Torrecillas San Millán, R. (2011). Alumina reinforced eucryptite ceramics: Very low thermal expansion material with improved mechanical properties. Journal of the European Ceramic Society. 31(9):1641-1646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2011.03.033S1641164631

Estudo sobre a interoperabilidade governamental: um instrumento de inovação na Gestão Pública / Study on government interoperability: an instrument of innovation in Public Management

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo principal identificar o "estado da arte" nos processos de implantação das políticas e operacionalização da interoperabilidade dos sistemas TIC no âmbito da gestão pública, voltada à disponibilização de serviços digitais à população. A questão que provocou o início desta pesquisa exploratória foi: "Qual o cenário atual de implantação de interoperabilidade no âmbito da Gestão Pública, de tal forma que a impulsione como instrumento de inovação na prestação de serviços à comunidade?". Esse artigo foi desenvolvido com base no processo de revisão da literatura utilizando o instrumento Knowledge Development Process – Constructivist (ProKnow-C). Os artigos analisados abordaram exemplos de cenários de implantação da interoperabilidade na área de saúde da Europa, de alguns países da África e do Brasil, além de ressaltar a  importância da participação de instituições como a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) e os equivalentes aos Ministérios de Saúde de seus países, como impulsionadores da Governança. Também foram analisados artigos que apresentaram ferramentas para a medição do estado atual de interoperabilidade, com o objetivo de determinar o progresso e identificar possíveis lacunas que precisam de intervenção. O artigo conclui que, apesar da similaridade de desafios da adoção dos protocolos de interoperabilidade em áreas diversas, ainda não há um ponto comum quanto aos domínios a serem considerados para o estabelecimento de indicadores com ferramenta de avaliação para determinação do grau de maturidade da interoperabilidade, indicando assim, para futuros trabalhos de pesquisa, a proposição de novos instrumentos de avaliação do grau de interoperabilidade, além da sua aplicação em outras áreas da administração pública, na busca da disponibilização de serviços digitais cada vez mais eficientes à comunidade