A diminuição das dimensões do transistor MOS tem sido a principal estratégia adotada para alcançar otimizações de desempenho na fabricação de circuitos integrados. Contudo, reduzir as dimensões dos transistores tem se tornado uma tarefa cada vez mais difícil de ser alcançada. Nesse contexto, vários esforços estão sendo feitos para encontrar dispositivos alternativos que permitam futuros avanços em relação à capacidade computacional. Entre as mais promissoras tecnologias emergentes estão os transistores de efeito de campo com múltiplos e independentes gates (MIGFETs). MIGFETs são dispositivos controlados por mais que um terminal de controle permitindo que funções Booleanas com mais de uma variável sejam implementadas por um único dispositivo. Redes de chaves construídas com dispositivos MIGFET tendem a ser mais compactas do que as redes de chaves tradicionais. No entanto existe um compromisso em relação a redução no número de chaves, devido à maior capacidade lógica, e um maior tamanho e pior desempenho do dispositivo. Neste trabalho, pretendemos explorar tal balanceamento no sentido de avaliar os impactos do uso de MIGFETs na construção de circuitos integrados digitais. Dessa forma, alguns critérios de avaliação são apresentados no sentido de analisar área e atraso de circuitos construídos a partir de dispositivos MIGFET, onde cada transistor é representado por um modelo RC. Em particular, tal avaliação de área e desempenho é aplicada no projeto de circuitos somadores binários específicos (metodologia full-custom). Além do mais, bibliotecas de células construídas a partir de dispositivos MIGFET são utilizadas na síntese automática de circuitos de referência através da metodologia standard-cell. Através dos experimentos, é possível ter-se uma ideia, mesmo que inicial e pessimista, do quanto o layout de um dado MIGFET pode ser maior do que um single-gate FinFET e ainda apresentar redução na área do circuito devido à compactação lógica. / The scaling of MOS transistor has been the main manufacturing strategy for improving integrated circuit (IC) performance. However, as the device dimensions shrink, the scaling becomes harder to be achieved. In this context, much effort has been done in order to develop alternative devices that may allow further progress in computation capability. Among the promising emerging technologies is the multiple independent-gate field effect transistors (MIGFETs). MIGFETs are switch-based devices, which allow more logic capability in a single device. In general, switch networks built through MIGFET devices tend to be more compact than the traditional switch networks. However, there is a tradeoff between the number of logic switches merged and the area and performance of a given MIGFET. Thus, we aim to explore such a tradeoff in order to evaluate the MIGFET impacts in the building digital integrated circuits. To achieve this goal, in this work, we present an area and performance evaluation based on digital circuit built using MIGFET devices, where each MIGFET is represented through RC modelling. In particular, such an evaluation is applied on full-custom design of binary adder circuits and on standard-cell design flow targeting in a set of benchmark circuits. Through the experiments, it is possible have an insight, even superficial and pessimist, about how big can be the layout of a given MIGFET than the single-gate FinFET and still show a reduction in the final circuit area due to the logic compaction.

A manga é uma das frutas tropicais mais produzida no mundo, sendo amplamente consumida in natura e processada. O seu processamento gera grande quantidade de resíduos, sendo 15 % a 20 % do seu peso representado pela casca. A casca da manga contém quantidades significativas de fitoquímicos, como os compostos fenólicos, os carotenoides e a pectina. Devido à sua composição química, rica em compostos benéficos à saúde, e à grande quantidade de resíduos gerados anualmente a casca da manga apresenta enorme potencial para ser utilizada como ingrediente funcional. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a extração sequencial de compostos fenólicos e pectina da casca da manga com o auxílio do ultrassom. O trabalho foi divido em duas etapas. A primeira etapa avaliou a extração dos compostos fenólicos através de um planejamento experimental 32. As variáveis independentes foram a concentração de etanol na solução aquosa de extração (25-75 %, v/v) e a potência do ultrassom (25-75 %). Os resultados mostraram que o ultrassom não afetou significativamente a extração dos compostos fenólicos. Visando reduzir a quantidade de solvente e energia gastas no processo de extração, o melhor rendimento (67 %) foi obtido com solução aquosa com 50 % de etanol, sem aplicação do ultrassom, e 8 minutos de processamento. A segunda etapa do trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a influência do ultrassom e da extração prévia dos compostos fenólicos na qualidade e rendimento da pectina. Os resultados demostraram aumento superior a 50 % no rendimento da pectina com a aplicação do ultrassom no resíduo da extração dos compostos fenólicos. A extração prévia dos compostos fenólicos não prejudicou o rendimento e a qualidade da pectina extraída da casca da manga demostrando que os compostos fenólicos e pectina podem ser extraídos da casca da manga com auxílio de uma tecnologia emergente. / Mango is an important tropical fruit consumed in fresh or processed form worldwide. Commercial processing of mango into juice, nectar, pulp, puree, and jam produces 15-20 % peel waste. Mango peel contains significant amounts of phytochemicals, like phenolic compounds, carotenoids and pectin, which makes it suitable to be processed for value-added applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Mango peel has enormous potential as a functional ingredient. Thus the aim of this work was to study the ultrasound technology potential for sequential extraction of phenolic compounds and pectin from this agroindustrial waste. The work was divided in two steps. The first step was to explore the phenolic compound extraction assisted by ultrasound using an experimental design (32). The independent variables were ethanol concentration (%) and ultrasound power intensity (%). The results showed that the ultrasound power intensity did not affect the phenolic compound content extracted. Aiming to reduce the amount of solvent and the spending energy, the best extraction yield (67 %) was obtained using 50 % of ethanol concentration, without ultrasound intensity and 8 minutes of experiment under stirring. In the second step, the aim was to investigate the potential of ultrasound intensity and the influence polyphenols removal on the extracted pectin quality. Results showed that extraction yield enhance over than 50 % when ultrasound (75 %) was used on the phenolic extraction residue and the pectin obtained a galacturonic acid content higher than 65 %. The phenolic extraction did not affect the quality of the pectic polymer extracted from mango peel. The results showed that the phenolic compounds and pectin from mango peel can be extracted using an emerging technology.

Circuitos baseados em portas lógicas de limiar (threshold logic gates – TLG) vem sendo estudados como uma alternativa promissora em relação ao tradicional estilo lógico CMOS, baseado no operadores AND e OR, na construção de circuitos integrados digitais. TLGs são capazes de implementar funções Booleanas mais complexas em uma única porta lógica. Diversos novos dispositivos, candidatos a substituir o transistor MOS, não se comportam como chaves lógicas e são intrinsicamente mais adequados à implementação de TLGs. Exemplos desses dispositivos são os memristores, spintronica, diodos de tunelamento ressonante (RTD), autômatos celulares quânticos (QCA) e dispositivos de tunelamento de elétron único (SET). Para o desenvolvimento de um fluxo de projeto de circuitos integrados baseados em lógica threshold, duas etapas são fundamentais: (1) identificar se uma dada função Booleana corresponde a uma função lógica threshold (TLF), isto é, pode ser implementada em um único TLG e computar os pesos desse TLG; (2) se uma função não é identificada como TLF, outro método de síntese lógica deve construir uma rede de TLGs otimizada que implemente a função. Este trabalho propõe métodos para atacar cada um desses dois problemas, e os resultados superam os métodos do estado-da-arte. O método proposto para realizar a identificação de TLFs é o primeiro método heurístico capaz de identificar todas as funções de cinco e seis variáveis, além de identificar mais funções que os demais métodos existentes quando o número de variáveis aumenta. O método de síntese de redes de TLGs é capaz de sintetizar circuitos reduzindo o número de portas TLG utilizadas, bem como a profundidade lógica e o número de interconexões. Essa redução é demonstrada através da síntese dos circuitos de avaliação da MCNC em comparação com os métodos já propostos na literatura. Tais resultados devem impactar diretamente na área e desempenho do circuito. / In this work, a novel method to synthesize digital integrated circuits (ICs) based on threshold logic gates (TLG) is proposed. Synthesis considering TLGs is quite relevant, since threshold logic has been revisited as a promising alternative to conventional CMOS IC design due to its suitability to emerging technologies, such as resonant tunneling diodes, memristors and spintronics devices. Identification and synthesis of threshold logic functions (TLF) are fundamental steps for the development of an IC design flow based on threshold logic. The first contribution is a heuristic algorithm to identify if a function can be implemented as a single TLG. Furthermore, if a function is not detected as a TLF, the method uses the functional composition approach to generate an optimized TLG network that implements the target function. The identification method is able to assign optimal variable weights and optimal threshold value to implement the function. It is the first heuristic algorithm that is not based on integer linear programming (ILP) that is able to identify all threshold functions with up to six variables. Moreover, it also identifies more functions than other related heuristic methods when the number of variables is more than six. Differently from ILP based approaches, the proposed algorithm is scalable. The average execution time is less than 1 ms per function. The second major contribution is the constructive process applied to generate optimized TLG networks taking into account multiple goals and design costs, like gate count, logic depth and number of interconnections. Experiments carried out over MCNC benchmark circuits show an average gate count reduction of 32%, reaching up to 54% of reduction in some cases, when compared to related approaches.

The adoption and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is widely regarded as essential in contemporary organisational environments. Such technologies have substantial effects on an organisation’s productivity and competitiveness. However, the nature of the effects varies across types of organisation (small to large), by country-context (developed and developing countries) and with the type of ICT adopted. This thesis focuses primarily on Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in a less-researched developing country context, the region of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with special reference to Oman. In terms of the ICT under investigation, recognising the emergence of more interactive forms of technology, this thesis focuses on social media applications. It is widely recognised that the adoption and use of these applications change the ways in which organisations conduct their activities and represent a critical business opportunity for SMEs. This opportunity will only be realised by SMEs if, and when, social media are adopted in their organisations. This therefore creates a requirement to understand the factors that influence SMEs in making the adoption decision. The research related to such factors is scarce, not least because the technologies are relatively new. By using the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework, this study therefore attempted to understand the factors influencing the decision by SMEs to adopt social media. It employed a sequential, exploratory mixed method, where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were combined to meet the research objectives. In the first stage, a preliminary TOE model of 18 factors was developed from the analysis of semi-structured interviews with 18 SMEs owner-managers in Muscat, the capital city of Oman. In the second stage, a survey involving 205 SMEs in Muscat was conducted to examine empirically the preliminary model. The survey data were analysed using logistic regression (LR). Of the factors examined, compatibility, observability, trialability, trust, image, perceived lack of managerial time, market scope, customer pressure and family and friends’ support were found to have significant influence on SMEs’ decisions to adopt social media. These findings have important implications and value for the research community, SMEs and policy makers (in particular, the Public Authority for SME Development (PASMED)) in terms of formulating improved strategies for social media adoption. The resulting research model proposed in this thesis can improve these stakeholders’ understandings of why some SMEs have chosen to adopt social media technologies, while other SMEs which face similar market conditions have not.

Circuitos baseados em portas lógicas de limiar (threshold logic gates – TLG) vem sendo estudados como uma alternativa promissora em relação ao tradicional estilo lógico CMOS, baseado no operadores AND e OR, na construção de circuitos integrados digitais. TLGs são capazes de implementar funções Booleanas mais complexas em uma única porta lógica. Diversos novos dispositivos, candidatos a substituir o transistor MOS, não se comportam como chaves lógicas e são intrinsicamente mais adequados à implementação de TLGs. Exemplos desses dispositivos são os memristores, spintronica, diodos de tunelamento ressonante (RTD), autômatos celulares quânticos (QCA) e dispositivos de tunelamento de elétron único (SET). Para o desenvolvimento de um fluxo de projeto de circuitos integrados baseados em lógica threshold, duas etapas são fundamentais: (1) identificar se uma dada função Booleana corresponde a uma função lógica threshold (TLF), isto é, pode ser implementada em um único TLG e computar os pesos desse TLG; (2) se uma função não é identificada como TLF, outro método de síntese lógica deve construir uma rede de TLGs otimizada que implemente a função. Este trabalho propõe métodos para atacar cada um desses dois problemas, e os resultados superam os métodos do estado-da-arte. O método proposto para realizar a identificação de TLFs é o primeiro método heurístico capaz de identificar todas as funções de cinco e seis variáveis, além de identificar mais funções que os demais métodos existentes quando o número de variáveis aumenta. O método de síntese de redes de TLGs é capaz de sintetizar circuitos reduzindo o número de portas TLG utilizadas, bem como a profundidade lógica e o número de interconexões. Essa redução é demonstrada através da síntese dos circuitos de avaliação da MCNC em comparação com os métodos já propostos na literatura. Tais resultados devem impactar diretamente na área e desempenho do circuito. / In this work, a novel method to synthesize digital integrated circuits (ICs) based on threshold logic gates (TLG) is proposed. Synthesis considering TLGs is quite relevant, since threshold logic has been revisited as a promising alternative to conventional CMOS IC design due to its suitability to emerging technologies, such as resonant tunneling diodes, memristors and spintronics devices. Identification and synthesis of threshold logic functions (TLF) are fundamental steps for the development of an IC design flow based on threshold logic. The first contribution is a heuristic algorithm to identify if a function can be implemented as a single TLG. Furthermore, if a function is not detected as a TLF, the method uses the functional composition approach to generate an optimized TLG network that implements the target function. The identification method is able to assign optimal variable weights and optimal threshold value to implement the function. It is the first heuristic algorithm that is not based on integer linear programming (ILP) that is able to identify all threshold functions with up to six variables. Moreover, it also identifies more functions than other related heuristic methods when the number of variables is more than six. Differently from ILP based approaches, the proposed algorithm is scalable. The average execution time is less than 1 ms per function. The second major contribution is the constructive process applied to generate optimized TLG networks taking into account multiple goals and design costs, like gate count, logic depth and number of interconnections. Experiments carried out over MCNC benchmark circuits show an average gate count reduction of 32%, reaching up to 54% of reduction in some cases, when compared to related approaches.

As the cruise industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, additional qualifications for its management personnel are becoming increasingly important. Many new ships are built each year, leaving a void in experienced personnel. Additionally, some leave the ships in order to improve professional qualifications on shore. Whereas many of the companies are training personnel onboard using on-the-job training, the concepts addressed in college-level management programs remain lacking. The goal was to implement and evaluate delivery of formal coursework to English-speaking, multicultural cruise ship personnel onboard by using emerging technologies that are available today. College-level management courses using Web 2.0 technologies were designed, delivered and evaluated. Two courses were offered each was split into two groups using different technologies. Group 1 used non-emerging technologies via a web page with additional material to support the textbook. This group also used discussion forums, online quizzes and tests and online grade book. Group 2 used the same features as the first and Web 2.0 technologies including Wikis, blogs, vodcasts, YouTube.com video clips, and synchronous Instant Messaging. Both groups had intense, positive distant interactions with faculty and had comparable outcomes. The least effective technology was the wiki and the most, the Discussion Forum. The finding was that the cruise industry may well have developed a distinct culture is an important one that may well lead to a better understanding of acculturation. Three weeks proved an ideal length of time for students to complete the 1.5-credit courses. Dividing 4.5-credit courses into 1.5-modules proved successful. Out of the original 249 applicants, 162 students participated from 36 different countries located on 64 different ships around the world.

Automation recently implemented for some and awaiting to be implemented for others is set to revolutionize the field of accounting, as well as the roles and responsibilities of those who work in it. This study will present and analyze the impacts of current emerging technologies on the accounting profession through first-hand interviews with current accounting professionals. Secondary data obtained will provide the reader with the proper context and background of these technologies, while the primary data acquired from the interviews will explain the implications such technologies will have or are currently having in their respective companies/firms. The results of this study are meant to further inform, educate, and provide clarity as to what current or aspiring accounting professionals can expect as they venture into a transformed accounting landscape.

Magister Educationis - MEd / The current study framed as, ‘Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning: An Investigation into the Role and Use Of iPads In English Second Language in Three Primary Schools in Northern Zambia,’ is situated in Northern Zambia in the Mungwi District. The study set out to investigate the role and use of emerging technology/-ies that is iPads, for literacy development in Grade six English Second Language schools. The purpose was to gain insight into the role emerging technologies play in fostering English Second Language (ESL) and literacy development in the era of new multimodal texts. This entailed acquiring an understanding of how highly ZeduPad tablets might facilitate meaning-making in the process of developing literacy skills.

During the pilot search, we discovered a gap in the literature in regard to the combination of Dynamic Capabilities and Emerging Technologies and the combined effect that both have on creating Supply Chain Resilience. Numerous studies discussed the subject’s individual, or two of the combined, but not all three together. This was the base for the purpose of the study of how emerging technologies will affect the dynamic capabilities of sensing, and from those effects, create supply chain resilience. A systematic content analysis was utilized using the existing literature of the three subjects. Based on the first scan of the literature, a conceptual framework was created, which was the foundation moving forward.  The findings indicate that the implementation of Emerging Technologies into the sensing process will permit an enhanced set of tools for gathering and sharing data and information both internally and externally, while offering increased visibility, traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain, improving sensing capabilities. Due to potentially higher degree of accountability and openness, this could result in a more collaborative nature built on trust and interlinked cooperation. With higher degrees of trust and interconnection between supply chain partners, a decentralized, collective problem-solving system/approach could be applied, where the interests of all involved parties are considered.

The purpose of the study was to understand and appreciate the methodologies and procedures used in determining the extent to which an information technology (IT) organization within the eleven member State University Systems (SUS) of Florida planned, implemented, and diffused emerging educational technologies. Key findings found how critical it was that flexibility be given during the planning stages and not rely on standardized models which may or may not be of use any longer. Research also found that the SUS institutions have to be prepared to organize and preserve the deluge of digital data if they intended to remain relevant as a "tower" of knowledge transmissions. The literature found that institutions of higher education needed to keep abreast of the new technologies, new pedagogies, and never before open-access concepts because authors found these ideas were converging and producing an unprecedented period of innovation in learning. Furthermore, the implications of perpetual connectivity to information, peers, and teachers garnered a great deal of attention among educational technologists. However, those implications had not been gauged, especially in Florida's SUS institutions. A survey of those institutions regarding how technologies were planned for, implemented logically, and thoroughly diffused, along with lessons learned could potentially save resources and ensure Florida's institutions continue to be on higher learning's forefront.