With the development of Internet technology, e-commerce is becoming more and more popular nowadays. A tremendous number of small and medium size enterprises have emerged, selling goods in e-commerce platforms. However, the transactions of counterfeit products on e-commerce platforms are becoming more severe in global electronic commerce, particularly in Chinese online markets. Not only are consumers and brand-owners suffering the loss of money, but also the whole ecosystem of e-commerce is being damaged by counterfeit issues. Accordingly, e-commerce platforms, which serve as the third party of online businesses, have a significant role to play in this serious situation. How e-commerce platforms handle counterfeit problems can be quite urgent.This thesis chooses Alibaba as a special case to study, considering its e-commerce platform Taobao, which has a large market share or e-commerce market place and always suffers a bad reputation of counterfeits distribution, as the most suitable and representative e-commerce platform in China. The research uses both interviewing and documental data as different resources to study the case. Learning from the perspective of e-commerce platforms, combined with mechanism theory, principle-agent theory, trust system, reputation theory, and contestable market theory, this research wants to reach a deeper understanding of the challenge counterfeits have made in Taobao. What measures Alibaba has done and how these measures are going on are the research questions in this case.The results of this investigation shows that Alibaba did try several ways to combat against counterfeit problems such as building some specific mechanisms like “return-back system”, “Xiaoer” and “Mantianxing plan”, considering trust, reputation and information asymmetry factors. Many people show their appreciations and supports to Alibaba’s measures and the current situation of counterfeit in Taobao is eased by these measures. But there is still a long way to go and many more things could be done to face the counterfeit challenge.

This report discusses the design and development of the software implementation for a wireless communication system that integrates seamlessly with the TLL5000 Platform available in the University of Texas Embedded Microsystems Lab. While there are a number of features already available on these circuit boards for a wide variety of applications, there is currently no system in place for transmitting data wirelessly from one circuit board to another. The system examined in this report is comprised of an external transmit/receive daughterboard that communicates with a software application running on the TLL-SILC 6219 ARM processor that is already interfaced with the TLL5000 baseboard. This report discusses the implementation of the various physical-layer communication techniques that are utilized by the software application to both transmit and receive data through the external daughterboard. / text

Wind energy, the fastest growing source of renewable energy, is a promising resource for power generation. Offshore wind energy, in particular,offers favorable conditions for power generation—high winds with low turbulence, minimal visual impacts and high generation capacities. Offshore wind turbines mounted on floating platforms are the most economical and viable solution for deep water sites. A semi-submersible platform is an appropriate floating platform for a deep water site, providing stability through high water-plane area. In the wind energy industry, there has been continuing interest in developing larger turbines. At Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), efforts have led to the development of a 13.2 MW wind turbine model with blades 100 meters in length, significantly larger than commercially available blades at present. Such a large wind turbine needs to be carefully analyzed and studied before it can be considered suitable for commercial purposes. The dynamic analysis of the SNL 13.2 MW wind turbine mounted on a moored semi-submersible platform is the subject of this study. This integrated 13.2 MW wind turbine system has been developed and its various physical properties have been studied in this and another associated study. The semi-submersible platform is developed using various modeling tools. For the wind turbine-platform system model developed, dynamic analyses are performed using simulation tools to understand the coupled behavior of the wind turbine and the platform. A reference site is chosen to define the environmental conditions, based on which the short-term extreme response of the offshore wind turbine is estimated. The system is loaded with selected combinations of winds and waves to assess controlling combinations of wind speeds and wave heights that influence the response. The influence of changes in model parameters on overall response is also studied. / text

The main objective of this dissertation is the synthesis and study of modified surface systems for the development of bioactive platforms and their use in specific biotechnological and biomedical applications. This work has led to various biological template development projects; all in attempts to provide new surfaces and probes in nanotechnology. These projects focus mainly on protein modified surface platforms, liposome based spherical platforms, and carbon nanotubes based magnetic platforms. The planar platforms include gold, silicon and aluminum oxide surfaces. Spherical surfaces such as liposomes and nanoparticles were also studied, and finally, surface modification was extended to carbon nanotubes and magnetic nanoparticles. In this dissertation, the planar surface work focuses on demonstrating the behavior of proteins at interfaces in terms of conformation, stability and activity (e.g., of avidin, trypsin and antibodies) using fluorescence microscopy. Different ligands were attached chemically on the surfaces to incorporate hydrophobic hydrophilic and charged characteristics. A chelating agent (iminodiacetic acid, IDA), an affinity ligand (biotin), and reactive groups (amino and carboxylic groups) were covalently incorporated onto the surfaces. Proteins including myoglobin, cytochrome C, avidin, trypsin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) were used in this study. The results show that proteins and ligands were successfully attached to different surfaces. Protein adsorption studies illustrate activity decrease by using fluorescence intensity. After attachment on hydrophobic functionalized surfaces. Along the same line, experiments were conducted on the comparison of silicon dioxide and gold-coated surfaces with immobilized enzymes, small molecules, and polymers for potential use as biosensors. Silicon dioxide wafers were prepared via silanization with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) followed by glutaraldehyde activation and, finally, protein and/or small ligand attachment. Gold-coated surfaces were utilized for immobilizations using 16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) which forms self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold surfaces followed by covalently attachment of proteins. The activity of trypsin immobilized onto these surfaces was also measured. The silicon dioxide wafers when modified first with NH₂-PEG-NH₂ allowed for trypsin a relatively higher activity with about 11% greater activity than when attached on gold surfaces and 84% higher activity than on bare silicon surfaces. Furthermore, the bimolecular silicon dioxide surfaces were shown to be much more stable than the gold surfaces. The silicon dioxide surfaces with an immobilized reversible inhibitor, p-aminobenzamidine (PAB), show to very effectively bind proteins from solution compared to gold surfaces. Liposome were studied because their versatility and vast implications in bio-sensing and drug-delivery potential. In this work, liposomes were prepared with the phospholipids 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DMPE), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and cholesterol. The amino groups of DMPE were then modified with ligands that included iminodiacetic acid (IDA), and PEG. These functionalized liposomes were used to prepare dispersed gold “nano-dots” on their surface. These novel functional liposomes, with chelating ligands and polymers can be used to bind biomolecules and active compounds (nanoparticles of gold, quantum dots, drugs) with long stability. The results show that we can successfully manufacture functional liposomes and form gold nanoshells on their external surface. These two types of systems can be used as drug delivery, and as imaging systems. Their characterization and potential use in biomedical applications as contrast agents seems quite promising once complexity and stability of these gold nanoshells is elucidated. The modification and preparation of functional-carbon nanotubes was investigated with the chemical hetero-junction analysis between magnetic nanoparticles coated poly-acrylic acid (PAA) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Magnetic nanoparticles were covalently attached to open-ended nanotubes. Initial evidence suggests that short functionalized multi-wall nanotubes can be continuously connected at their terminal ends for build-up of relatively large nanostructures based on serial configurations. It is shown that magnetic carbon nanotubes systems exhibit defined arrangements due to the influence of magnetic fields. Indeed, linear arrays of carbon nanotubes inter-connected through magnetic nanoparticles were prone to be manipulated in the presence of a magnet device. A potential application of these magnetic nanostructures was shown by successfully manipulating agarose beads in buffer solution as a model system. These results suggest that the use of continuously connected magnetic nanostructures with non-modified sidewall surfaces will find potential applications in the areas of bio-sensing, force transduction and cancer screening-manipulation among others.

Gender mainstreaming is defined as “[the] efforts to scrutinize and reinvent processes of policy formulation and implementation across all issue areas to address and rectify persistent and emerging disparities between men and women (True 2001)”. This explanation serves to highlight the dynamic nature of the concept while recognizing the eternal presence of the relational aspect of female/male interaction within society. What strand of institutionalism is employed in the diffusion of gender mainstreaming in the process of development at the various levels of implementation; what are the consequences of improperly conceived institutions as they apply to gender mainstreaming and development; what are the implications for the future institution construction; What if anything is hindering the progress of gender mainstreaming and development; How was relatively similar gender mainstreaming progress achieved by two countries with such different economic capacities? This paper will further consider the answers to these questions as supplied by international organizations, non-governmental organizations, as shown through their development initiatives in Rwanda and South Africa. Gender mainstreaming is the innovative inclusion and dramatic reshaping of power hierarchies through the manipulation of both formal and informal institutions. This paper will reveal the importance of contextual considerations in the creation and reform of institutions in developing states, as they strive to adhere to international standards of gender inclusive development. KEYWORDS: Beijing Platform for Action; Development; Gender Mainstreaming; Institutionalism; Institutions; Transformation; Rwanda; South Africa

With so many developers writing code, so many choose to become a developer every day, using tools to aid in the work process is needed. With all the testing being done for multiple different devices and sources there is a need to make it better and more efficient. In this thesis connecting the variety of different tools such as version control, project management, issue tracking and test systems is explored as a possible solution. A possible solution was implemented and then analyzed through a questionnaire that were answered by developers. For an example results as high as 75\% answering 5 if they liked the connection between the issue tracking system and the test results. 75\% also gave a 5 when asked about if they liked the way the test results were presented. The answers they gave about the implementation made it possible to conclude that it is possible to achieve a solution that can solve some of the presented problems. A better way to connect various tools to present and analyze the test results coming from multiple different sources.

A indústria de petróleo brasileira é baseada essencialmente na exploração e produção de petróleo em águas oceânicas. O estudo do comportamento no mar é, portanto, indispensável no dimensionamento de embarcações projetadas para operar em diferentes estados de onda. Normalmente, a abordagem linear é suficiente para estimar razoavelmente os movimentos verticais de estruturas flutuantes na superfície do oceano. As características dos campos gigantes de petróleo e a infraestrutura submarina da costa brasileira onde estes campos estão localizados favorecem soluções em que se empregam plataformas de exploração e produção de grande deslocamento que, por sua vez, faz com que a ressonância dos movimentos verticais fique fora da região de energia do mar. Se, por um lado, isso diminui os efeitos de primeira ordem, por outro lado os movimentos de segunda ordem tornam-se relevantes para análise do comportamento em ondas tais quais os movimentos no plano horizontal suportados pelas linhas de amarração. Este trabalho apresenta a teoria potencial no domínio da frequência na qual fica explicita a dificuldade que envolve a determinação da chamada função de transferência quadrática ou simplesmente QTF, tanto de força quanto de movimento. A teoria é válida para os seis graus de liberdade sendo as forças de segunda ordem obtidas através da integração direta da pressão exercida pelo fluido na superfície molhada do corpo. A força de segunda ordem é, portanto, calculada utilizando um algoritmo de solução do problema potencial implementado no programa comercial WAMIT®. Um novo conceito de FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading Units) idealizado para operar em campos de águas profundas foi testado em ondas irregulares de través no tanque de reboque do IPT (Instituto de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Estado de São Paulo). Os resultados deste teste mostraram claramente movimentos ressonantes de roll caracterizados como movimentos lentos de segunda ordem, os quais foram utilizados como paradigma para comparação dos resultados numéricos obtidos a partir da solução completa da QTF. As comparações mostraram boa aderência entre eles. Obter a QTF, no entanto, exige, além de muito cuidado na modelagem e simulação numérica, um tempo de processamento relativamente elevado em virtude de um grande esforço computacional exigido na solução linearizada, em segunda ordem, do problema não linear. Por este motivo, este trabalho utiliza métodos de aproximação existentes para estimar o movimento de segunda ordem de roll de um FPSO e propõe um novo método, derivado dos métodos existentes e é exatamente esta proposta que confere originalidade à Tese. Os resultados obtidos com os métodos existentes e o proposto foram comparados com o modelo completo da QTF mostrando claramente o ganho obtido com a aplicação do novo método. A luz das hipóteses adotadas para aplicação do método de aproximação aqui proposto, espera-se que seu emprego em outros tipos de estruturas oceânicas seja igualmente promissor. / The Brazilian oil industry is essentially based on offshore production and exploitation units. The seakeeping analysis is, therefore, imperative to sizing vessels designed to operate in different sea states. Normally, a linear approach is sufficient to predict reasonably the vertical motions of free floating bodies. The characteristics of Brazilian oil fields and the subsea infrastructure drive a tendency to design of very large floating platforms which, in turn, leads to resonant periods out of wave energy zone. Whereas, on the one hand, wave-induced first order motions decrease, on the other hand second order vertical motions become relevant to the seakeeping analysis as far as mooring design is concerned. Potential theory in frequency domain is presented, in which the difficulty in determining the so called Quadratic Transfer Function or simply QTF becomes explicit. The theory is valid for six degrees of freedom and the second order forces are obtained through direct integration of the fluid pressure acting on the instantaneous wetted surface of the body. The second order forces are, therefore, calculated using a commercial potential solver algorithm such as WAMIT® for arbitrary body geometry. Irregular wave tests with beam sea incidence have been carried out at IPT (Instituto de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Estado de São Paulo) towing tank for a new concept of FPSO hull idealized to operate on ultra deep waters. The results from these tests showed clearly a roll resonant motion, characterized as second order slow motion, which were used as paradigm to compare the numerical results achieved from complete estimative of QTF. The comparison showed good agreement between them. Obtaining the QFT requires massive computational power and a considerable amount of time. For this reason, this work uses existing approximation methods to estimate the second order roll motion of an FPSO and proposes a new approximation method derived from existing ones, which represents an original contribution of this Thesis. The results from the existing and proposed approximation methods were compared with those obtained with the complete QTF showing that the proposed approximation yields results of improved accuracy compared with the existing ones for roll motion of the FPSO. In light of the assumptions adopted to apply the proposed approximation method, its applicability on the other types of offshore structure may be likewise promises if the transfer function is narrowbanded.

Organizations have many employees that lack the technical knowledge to securely operate their machines. These users may open malicious email attachments/links or install unverified software such as P2P programs. These actions introduce significant risk to an organization's network since they allow attackers to exploit the trust and access given to a client machine. However, system administrators currently lack the control of client machines needed to prevent these security risks. A possible solution to address this issue lies in attestation. With respect to computer science, attestation is the ability of a machine to prove its current state. This capability can be used by client machines to remotely attest to their state, which can be used by other machines in the network when making trust decisions. Previous research in this area has focused on the use of a static root of trust (RoT), requiring the use of a chain of trust over the entire software stack. We would argue this approach is limited in feasibility, because it requires an understanding and evaluation of the all the previous states of a machine. With the use of late launch, a dynamic root of trust introduced in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) v1.2 specification, the required chain of trust is drastically shortened, minimizing the previous states of a machine that must be evaluated. This reduced chain of trust may allow a dynamic RoT to address the limitations of a static RoT. We are implementing a client terminal service that utilizes late launch to attest to its execution. Further, the minimal functional requirements of the service facilitate strong software verification. The goal in designing this service is not to increase the security of the network, but rather to push the functionality, and therefore the security risks and responsibilities, of client machines to the network€™s servers. In doing so, we create a platform that can more easily be administered by those individuals best equipped to do so with the expectation that this will lead to better security practices. Through the use of late launch and remote attestation in our terminal service, the system administrators have a strong guarantee the clients connecting to their system are secure and can therefore focus their efforts on securing the server architecture. This effectively addresses our motivating problem as it forces user actions to occur under the control of system administrators.

Los alumnos universitarios buscan métodos alternativos para prepararse para sus exámenes, la primera opción que presentan es, la mayoría de las veces, consultar a un amigo. Asimismo, hay una oferta limitada, pero creciente, de personas que quieren ser tutores de alumnos para generar ingresos ofreciendo sus conocimientos. Nuestra plataforma llamada “uGet” logra juntar a estos dos grupos de personas y generar valor para ambos. Usamos herramientas digitales gratuitas y conocidas en el mundo educativo como todas las aplicaciones de Google Suite y Skype logrando minimizar costos y facilitando la navegación de los usuarios al brindar el servicio. Los alumnos pueden comprar nuestros (1) materiales de estudio, (2) videoclases, y (3) reservar clases con los tutores. Para ello deben comprar COINS mediante transferencias de dinero a nuestros canales de pago. Dichas monedas son asignadas, acumuladas y descargadas dependiendo de las compras. La escalabilidad de este modelo de negocio se sostiene en el supuesto de que los alumnos de las principales universidades del Perú están familiarizados con las herramientas que utilizamos, la metodología de evaluación es por exámenes o pruebas que se dan varias veces durante el año y que nuestro potencial de abarcar este mercado está limitado en la automatización de procesos. Finalmente, se obtienen resultados positivos en el tercer año de operación proyectado. / University students look for alternative methods to prepare for their exams, the first option they present is, most of the time, to consult a friend. Also, there is a limited, but growing, number of people who want to be tutors of students to generate income by offering their knowledge. Our platform called "uGet" manages to bring together these two groups of people and generate value for both. We use free and well-known digital tools in the educational world like all Google Suite and Skype apps, managing to minimize costs and facilitating user navigation when providing the service. Students can buy our (1) study materials, (2) video classes, and (3) book classes with tutors. To do this they must buy COINS through money transfers to our payment channels. These coins are assigned, accumulated and discharged depending on the purchases. The scalability of this business model assumes that the students of the main universities of Peru are familiar with the tools we use; the evaluation methodology is by exams or tests that are given several times during the year and that our potential to encompass this market is limited in process automation. Finally, positive results are obtained in the third year of projected operation. / Trabajo de investigación

Hoy en día, diversas empresas de turismo buscan la forma de diferenciarse entre ellas, desarrollan todo tipo de estrategias que les permitan atraer a más clientes y fidelizarlos. En el mercado, ya son varias empresas que optaron por ser digitales debido a su público objetivo y la época en la que vivimos, pero son pocas las que brindan además de un servicio digital, un servicio que se adapte las necesidades o deseos del cliente. Por dicha razón, en el presente trabajo se eligió desarrollar una plataforma digital que brinde a los turistas un servicio 100% personalizado. Dado el boom del turismo en el Perú y la pasión de cada uno de nosotros por viajar se eligió crear Friends & Travel, una empresa que busca conectar a viajeros de todo el mundo con personas que los ayuden o asesoren con la planificación de su viaje para conocer mejor su destino y vivir una experiencia única y diferente. Los resultados de este trabajo demuestran como el turismo es una importante fuente de desarrollo en nuestro país por lo que crear nuevos modelos de negocio en el sector debe ser exitoso. Las tradicionales agencias de turismo o plataformas digitales internacionales como Booking o Trip Advisor no deben ser las únicas empresas que brindan la información necesaria a cada turista, deben exitir otros medios con un trato personalizado que los ayude a programar sus aventuras y viajes. / Today, various tourism companies seek to differentiate between them, develop all kinds of strategies that allow them to attract more customers and build loyalty. In this market, there are already several companies that chose to be digital due to their target audience and the time in which we live, but few provide a digital service, a service that suits the needs or wishes of the client. For this reason, in this work we chose to develop a digital platform that provides tourists with a 100% personalized service. Given the tourism boom in Peru and the passion of each one of us to travel, we chose to create Friends & Travel, a company that wants to connect travelers from all over the world with people who can help or advise them with the planning of their trip to Know their destination better and live a unique and different experience. The results of this work demonstrate how tourism is an important source of development in our country, so creating new business models in the sector must be successful. Traditional tourism agencies or international digital platform such as Booking or TripAdvisor should not be the only companies that provide the necessary information to each tourist, there must be other means with a personalized service that helps them to program their adventures and trips. / Trabajo de investigación