Temporal Analysis of the Diffusion of Knowledge in Networks of Software Maintenance and Development Project Team

Different approaches have been established for applications of social and complex networks involving biological systems, passing through collaborative systems in knowledge networks and organizational systems. In this latter application, we highlight the studies focused on the diffusion of information and knowledge in networks. However, most of the time, the propagation of information in these networks and the resulting process of creation and diffusion of knowledge, have been studied from static perspectives. Additionally, the very concept of diffusion inevitably implies the inclusion of the temporal dimension, due to that it is an essentially dynamic process. Although static analysis provides an important perspective in structural terms, the behavioral view that reflects the evolution of the relationships of the members of these networks over time is best described by temporal networks. Thus, it is possible to analyze both the information flow and the structural changes that occur over time, which influences the dynamics of the creation and diffusion of knowledge. This article describes the computational modeling used to elucidate the creation and diffusion of knowledge in temporal networks formed to execute software maintenance and construction projects, for the period between 2007 and 2013, in the SERVIÇO FEDERAL DE PROCESSAMENTO DE DADOS (FEDERAL DATA PROCESSING SERVICE-SERPRO)—a public organization that provides information and communication technology services. The methodological approach adopted for the study was based on techniques for analyzing social and complex networks and on the complementary extensions that address temporal modeling of these networks. We present an exploratory longitudinal study that enabled a dynamic and structural analysis of the knowledge networks formed by members of software maintenance and development project teams between 2007 and 2013. The study enabled identification of knowledge categories throughout this period, in addition to the determination that the networks have a structure with small-world and scale-free models. Finally, we concluded that, in general, the topologies of the networks studies had characteristics for facilitating the flow of knowledge within the organization.

Systematically Monitoring,Relational Database and Technology Roadmapping for Trends and Innovation Opportunities in Biopolymers

In recent years environmental and sustainability concerns have impacted the global chemical industry and instituted a rush to produce products from renewable raw materials.This dynamic,complex and turbulent organizational scenario,around themes touching on the issue of sustainable development model,was created involving a large number of different actors:chemical/petrochemical industries,agroindustry companies,oil/gas companies,brand owners and end users,biotechnology startups,governments,universities and society.This paper proposed the application of a structured and dynamic method of technological prediction for biopolymers in three levels:systematic monitoring process,relational database and the“alive”Technology Roadmapping visualization tool.The main objective is to identify strategic actions,business models,the latest´s technologies in development,as well as trends in the field of biopolymers in order to support companies on position themselves in this competitive scenario.Furthermore,companies,universities,government agencies and institutions could apply this dynamic and alive methodology to indeed access innovation opportunities,challenges and threats for different industrial segments and to provide dynamic knowledge management collaborating to their strategy including a database crossing for the all organization.

Interpreting Nestedness and Modularity Structures in Affiliation Networks: An Application in Knowledge Networks Formed by Software Project Teams

An understanding of the knowledge creation and diffusion process in the organizational context is extremely relevant. Because from this understanding, organizations can restructure processes, reorient teams and implement methodologies to assist in the construction of an evolutionary process of knowledge creation and diffusion aimed at sustainable growth and innovation. The theory of complex social networks has been applied in several fields to help understand organizational cognitive processes. However, these approaches still insipiently consider the analysis of the nestedness and modularity of the studied networks. In this article, we presented an approach that sought to identify patterns of nestedness and modularity in networks of affiliation of people in projects in the organizational context. The study sought to identify these patterns in affiliation networks in a public organization providing information technology services in the period from 2006 to 2013. The detection of these patterns was performed using the NODF (Nestedness metric based on Overlap and Decreasing Fill) algorithm described by [1]. The nestedness and modularity metrics can influence patterns of knowledge creation and diffusion in formal and informal networks constituted for the execution of projects in organizations. This study showed that the network structures of the organization during the study period presented a high degree of nestedness, and it was possible to identify combined structures of nestedness and modularity.

Dynamics of Knowledge in Software Project Development Environments: An Approach Using Affiliation Networks

This work presents an approach to study the diffusion of knowledge in software development project teams based on the formation of complex social network structures in a public organization that offers information and communication technology services. We collected historical data on the allocation and records of hours worked by people in projects to build an affiliation network. We applied the method of reflections to analyze the data obtained. The constructed model enabled the description of the participation of project team members from the perspective of the creation and diffusion of knowledge in affiliation networks that describe the participation of people in projects, mediated by the knowledge and the capabilities developed for the execution of these projects. A contribution of this work is the construction of indicators related to the process of creation and diffusion of knowledge in the context of the execution of software development and maintenance projects, based on the concepts of diversification and ubiquity applied to the process of knowledge diffusion;an additional contribution is the presentation of an application of the method of reflections in an organizational context applied to the creation and diffusion of knowledge. We found that the application of management models associated with the collaborative method applied to the project development process contributed to the joint growth of diversified and more specialized knowledge alongside the knowledge considered more generic and ubiquitous. Our results show that contrary to previous expectations based on assumptions established at the beginning of the study, we concluded that in six of the seven subnetworks obtained in the period between 2007 and 2013, knowledge based on complex and diversified capabilities showed a growth proportional to the growth of knowledge related to the capabilities necessary to more general and ubiquitous activities.

Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelets Presence on the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene Fibers Produced by Melt Spinning

In aiming to obtain fibers with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties,graphene based textile fibers with 144 filaments were developed using an approach in which the PP/GnP(polypropylene/graphene nanoplatelets)nanocomposite was employed as conductive material in a fiber with circular cross-section geometry.The kinetics of thermal degradation was evaluated by the Broido method using thermogravimetric analysis(TGA).Activation energy was enhanced from 260.6 kJ·mol^-1 to 337.4 kJ·mol^-1 compared to the neat PP.GnP increased the thermal stability of the PP,slowing its degradation by thermal depolymerization.Furthermore,the degree of crystallization declined as the GnP content increased,reducing the tenacity of the yarn,but improving its elastic modulus from 91.9 to 95.9 cN/tex,being a promising alternative to produce smart textiles.In conclusion,it has been confirmed that GnP loading up to 1%(w/w)can be incorporated into polypropylene by melt spinning and that the resulting nanocomposite fibers are suitable for several applications in the textile industry.

Litter removal impacts on soil biodiversity and eucalypt plantation development in the seasonal tropics

The little layer of tree plantations provides primary nutrients for uptake,buff ers changes in soil moisture,and provides habitat and substrate to soil epigeic fauna.However,this layer in eucalypt plantations is often removed to reduce fuel load during the fi re season in the Brazilian savanna(Cerrado).Therefore,it is necessary to quantify the eff ects of changes in litter dynamics on the function of these plantations,on key nutrient cycling processes and on epigeic fauna diversity and abundance.In two adjacent stands(one juvenile and one mature),the consequences of two years of litter removal were quantifi ed as monthly litterfall,leaf and fi ne wood litter decomposition,epigeic fauna abundance and diversity,soil biogeochemical variables,and tree diameter and basal area increments.Monthly litterfall rates in juvenile and mature stands did not change with litter removal over the study period.Annual litterfall ranged from 4.1 to 4.9 Mg ha^(−1)a^(−1)in litter removal plots and from 3.9 to 4.8 Mg ha^(−1)a^(−1)in control plots.Fine wood litter decomposition was slower in litter removal plots compared to controls,while leaf decomposition rates were similar in both.Two years of litter removal in the juvenile stand did not aff ect topsoil biogeochemical parameters but decreased available phosphorus at 20–40 cm depth relative to controls.In the mature stand,total cation exchange capacity(0–20 cm)was higher in controls(6.4 cmol c dm^(−3))relative to litter removal plots(6.3 cmol c dm^(−3)),while soil moisture(0–40 cm depth)was lower in litter removal(25.45 m 3 m^(−3))compared to control plots(26 m^(3)m^(−3))in the dry season.A non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination revealed an increased homogeneity in epigeic fauna where litter was removed.Litterfall,decomposition,diameter increment,four soil physical parameters and fourteen chemical parameters at 0–20 and 20–40 cm depth explained the diff erences in soil epigeic fauna composition between litter removal and control plots.Diameter increment decreased with litter removal only in the juvenile stand,which had reached its growth peak.The results indicate that removing excess litter to decrease fuel volume can alter soil biodiversity and edaphic conditions that negatively aff ect nutrient cycling and tree growth.

Using Luhn’s Automatic Abstract Method to Create Graphs of Words for Document Visualization

Visualization methods for single documents are either too simple, considering word frequency only, or depend on syntactic and semantic information bases to be more useful. This paper presents an intermediary approach, based on H. P. Luhn’s automatic abstract creation algorithm, and intends to aggregate more information to document visualization than word counting methods do without the need of external sources. The method takes pairs of relevant words and computes the linkage force between them. Relevant words become vertices and links become edges in the resulting graph.

Contextualized Analysis of Social Networks:Collaboration in Scientific Communities

Currently, the collaboration in scientific communities has been studied in order to explain, among other things, the knowledge diffusion. The quality of Graduate Programmes is often associated with the scientific collaboration. This paper discusses how scientific collaboration processes can be identified and characterized through social and complex networks. For this purpose, collaboration networks of bibliographic production, research projects, and committees of PhD theses and Masters’ dissertations by researchers from a graduate program in computational modeling were studied. The data were obtained from CAPES’ reports of the period from 2001 to 2009. Among the studied indices, centrality indices indicate the presence of prominent researchers who influence others and promptly interact with other researchers in the network. The indices of complex networks reveal the presence of the small-world (i.e. these networks are favorable to increase coordination between researchers) phenomenon and indicate a behavior of scale-free degree distribution (i.e. some researchers promote clustering more than others) for one of the studied networks.

Design Automation of the Manufacturing Process of a Mini Biodiesel Plant

The increasing pollution in the atmospheric layer has meant world-wide temperature variations, causing the melting of icecaps and floods, among other environmental factors. This change in temperature has been mainly caused by the indiscriminate emission of CO2, especially due to the rising number of vehicles in circulation. Researchers have identified that, among other types of fuel, diesel has the highest level of CO2 emission. Hence the need for the development of biodiesel, produced from oleaginous plants, aimed at reducing the emission of this harmful gas into the atmosphere, besides using renewable resources. However, as in any automation process, it is necessary to have sensors, actuators, and controllers, which together perform the automation and control of the production process. Besides that, there are other process variables to be accounted for, such as temperature, flow, and level. Considering such concept, and within the academic context, the creation process of a mini biodiesel plant will be described.

Integrating Project Management, Software Development, and Knowledge Management Models: A Case Study in a Public ICT Services Organization

In project-based organizations knowledge is a critical resource used to develop and deliver products and services with a high level of quality. Therefore, a systematic and sustainable process is necessary to coordinate knowledge management, project management and product lifecycle. This scenario predominates in companies focused on the creation and maintenance of information systems. This article presents an exploratory study based on a framework that integrates cognitive, managerial, and operational processes in a public Brazilian organization that provides services in the area of information and communications technology, focusing on the construction and maintenance of information systems. Those processes are operationalized by three management models considering knowledge, project, and software development processes. Our proposal aims to understand the relationships between those three management models and their influence on the software development process in the organization under study. Our premise is based on the principle that cognitive management, project management, and software development management must be integrated to fulfill the demands of product development and service provision. The research data was composed of registers of working hours spent on software development and maintenance projects involving 244 people allocated to 5064 projects in the period from 2007 to 2013. The study resulted in the identification of the relationships among the three management models adopted by the organization, with emphasis on knowledge management activities, which were not directly identified, making it difficult to account for and measure them. We established a set of activities connected to each one of the knowledge management model phases. Since those activities were not visible before, our approach contributed to build a systematic process to register and relate activities linked to the dimensions of cognitive processes, project management, and software construction.

Qualification and validation test methodology of the open-source CubeSat FloripaSat-I

The FloripaSat-I project consists of an initiative from the Federal University of Santa Catarina(UFSC),in Brazil,to train students to design,test and integrate innovative space systems.The group just developed its first open-source CubeSat,the FloripaSat-I,which aims to empower students to develop space systems through a practical approach,where they have full control of the design and test of a real spacecraft.The project has already gone through all the stages of a CubeSat mission prior to the launching and operation stages.A prototype of the satellite,as well the engineering models 1 and 2(EM-I and EM-II)were built.The expertise provided by the engineering models allows the development of a functional flight model(FM).This paper presents the validation and qualification tests that pass various FloripaSat-I models,from the engineering model to the flight model.All stages of the project are described,the tests performed in each phase,as well as the lessons learned.Thus,this paper serves as a guidance for other university teams that want to test their own CubeSats,as well as teams that want to use the open-source hardware and software left as heritage by this project.

Solid State NMR Applied to Evaluate Fibers Cotton

The evaluation of cotton fibers from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in solid state using high and low-field showed to be a good alternative to evaluate these materials. The main objective of this work was to use the solid-state NMR techniques to accompany the fibers nature, size and morphology to have a direct method to evaluate cotton fibers maturity. We could conclude that the solid-state NMR techniques are good source to evaluate the molecular behavior of cotton short and long fibers and give important information on sample’s morphology, indicating that this technique can be used to distinguish the size of cotton fibers.

Dyeability of Polyester and Polyamide Fabrics Employing Citric Acid

The employment of sustainable chemicals, such as citric acid, represents a possibility for the development of textile dyeing processes. This study aimed to analyze the possibility of replacement of acetic acid (commonly used in textile processing) by citric acid in polyester and polyamide 6 dyeing processes. The utilization of citric acid as leveling agent for disperse dyestuffs was also investigated. Dyeing processes in turquoise color for these fabrics were performed employing citric and acetic acid. Color differences between dyeing processes and color fastness to water were evaluated. All the color dyeing differences were not significant and there was no transference in color fastness tests (grade 5). Otherwise, the differences among polyamide dyeing processes could be related to the efficiency of citric acid solution as sequestering agent. Notwithstanding citric acid to be more expensive than acetic acid and the need of previous dissolution by stirring, it could be advantageous for some formulations.

Strategic Planning as a Competitive Advantage by Using the BSC as a Management Tool： A Case Study in Application of Radioisotope Technology at IPEN

Strategic planning is one of the most important management tools for organizational decision making. The nuclear area represents a segment of energy production used by many countries in America, Europe and Asia. It is known that in the future nuclear energy can be a major exit to the global energy crisis. The aim of this research was to use the BSC （Balanced Scorecard） as a strategic tool for decision making in a teaching and research institution of the nuclear area--IPEN （Nuclear and Energy Research Institute）, located in the city of Sao Paulo, which belongs to the CNEN （National Nuclear Energy Commission） in Brazil. The methodology used in this academic doctoral study was a case study, which considered the period of research from December 2012 to December 2015. The main results expected from this case study are： the improvement of information flow, the view, the increased visibility of an organization providing education and especially research in relation to published works, increased interaction among IPEN and the main global research institutes and centers, increasing academic production of technical articles, indicator improvement, improving the monitoring of management actions, among others. Given the expected results one can conclude that this study will be of great value to the IPEN and also for the Brazilian energy sector, as it will allow and contribute to the dissemination and demystification of nuclear power as an energy source of mankind, its peaceful applications and for the management activity of knowledge and innovation production in the nuclear area of IPEN.

Assessment of the Total Organic Carbon and Conductivity in Consecutive Dyeings with Reactive Dyestuffs Using Treated Effluent by UV/H202 Photocatalysis

The paper was monitored the conductivity （g.L＂l of NaCI）, the absorbances values （Abs） and the amount of TOC （total organic carbon）, before and after five consecutive dyeings made with reuse water, obtained from treated effluent by UV/H202 photocatalysis. All rates of decolorization were above 92%, the removal of total organic carbon was above 89% in all treatments and the economy of NaCI was from 3.10 in the first recipe, 3.17 in the second, 3.49 in the third, 3.79 in the fourth and 4.05 in the fifth recipe. The five dyeings compared with same dyeings made with deionized water presented a color deviation （AE＊） below 1. The conventional dyeings would consume 80 L/kg against 40 L/kg used in the dyeing process proposed in this study, representing a great economy of water, with no discharge of effluents.

A Bibliometric Analysis of the“NetZero”Process in the Energy Knowledge Domain

This work aimed to elucidate the key research findings within the realm of NetZero,specifically within the energy field.Employing advanced data visualization tools,particularly VOSviewer,scientific maps were meticulously crafted to explain the evolving landscape of research in this domain.The results showed that the nations that most vigorously committed to the NetZero endeavor are the United Kingdom,United States,China,Australia,and Canada,signaling a global consensus on the urgency of addressing climate change.Furthermore,this study reveals pivotal trends in the field and keywords such as“renewable energy”,“decarbonization”,“netzero”,and“sustainability”have gained remarkable prominence,especially in recent research.In conclusion,this work offers a comprehensive overview of the NetZero landscape within the energy field,emphasizing the urgency of international collaboration,and identifies key trends that will likely shape the future of sustainable energy research and policymaking.

Clique Approach for Networks:Applications for Coauthorship Networks

Coauthorship networks consist of links among groups of mutually connected authors that form a clique. Classical approaches using Social Network Analysis indices do not account for this characteristic. We propose two new cohesion indices based on a clique approach, and we redefine the network density using an index of variance of density. We have applied these indices to two coauthorship networks, one comprising researchers that published in Mathematics Education journals and the other comprising researchers from a Computational Modeling Graduate Program. A contextualized and comparative analysis was performed to show the applicability and potential of the indices for analyzing social networks data.

Information and Knowledge Flows in the Network of the Education through Work for Family Health Program

The Education through Work for Family Health Program (PET Saúde, in Portuguese) created by the Ministries of Education and Health is a proposal to integrate service, learning and community. The goal of PET Saúde is to foster the formation of learning groups within the Family Health Strategy scope. While being studied at the city of Feira de Santana, the program was structured with one coordinator and eleven tutorial groups, distributed in 27 family health offices, which constituted a social network where the construction and knowledge diffusion occur. This article proposes the analysis of the information and knowledge flows of this network through the social networks analysis. This study highlights the play of PET Saúde’s coordinator in the processes of organization and articulation as central vertex of the network, and some scholars in the articulation of different tutorial groups. The results show a fragmentation in the PET Saúde network when the coordinator vertex is removed, whereas 5 components are generated where 4 tutorial groups appear isolated.