Abstract
The rapid evolution of information and communication technologies, the changing client's demands, and market conditions impelled enterprises to adapt their way of undertaking business, from traditional practices to e-business, and to participate in new forms of collaboration, such as networked organizations. In this context, standards, frameworks, technologies, and infrastructures supporting collaborative business, in a networked environment, become key factors in achieving environments with a desired high level of collaboration and inter- and intra-organization business processes alignment. The aim of this chapter is to underline the main issues, trends, and opportunities related to business integration from a technological perspective, analyzing and discussing the most relevant (existing and still under development) business integration reference models, frameworks, standards, technologies, and supporting infrastructures, and to briefly present relevant research projects in the area of business networking. A special emphasis is made on frameworks such as ebXML and RosettaNet, and the importance of papiNet, BPLE4WS, and freebXML is underlined. Challenges regarding self-forming networked organizations are also advanced. © 2009, IGI Global.

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Ontologies are a technological key factor regarding the knowledge management domain. This paper presents a graphical-based knowledge representation approach using concept maps towards creating a formal work organization ontology, which was translated into a Content Management System in order to manage the work design information. Some aspects related with the advantages of visual approaches for collaborative development of ontologies are discussed.

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This paper proposes a new method to support the collaborative construction of semantic artifacts in an inter-organizational context. It aims at being applied, in particular, in the early phases of ontology development. We share the view that that the development of semantic artifacts in collaborative networks of organizations should be based on a continuous construction of meaning, rather than pursuing the delivery of highly formalized accounts of domains. For that, our research is directed to the application of cognitive semantics results, specifically by developing and extending the Conceptual Blending Theory to cope with the socio-cognitive aspects of inter-organizational ontology development. Besides the Outline of the method, we analyze the main problems and gaps in current ontology development methods regarding collaboration and negotiation in early development phases.

Abstract
A seawater quality monitoring program for Foz do Arelho outfall has already started in May 2006 to evaluate the background seawater quality around the vicinity of the sea outfall and to follow the impacts of wastewater discharge in the area. Seven monitoring campaigns were already performed between 2006-2007 in which CTD and ADCP measurements were obtained in the vicinity of the wastewater discharge. Predictions of the plume behavior for several times of the year were obtained using a near field model with the monitoring data as input. The plume behavior was mostly influenced by density stratification. During stratified conditions the plume was trapped with dilutions always above 270 to 1. During unstratified conditions the plume was surfacing with dilutions above always 375 to 1. It is concluded that the outfall is behaving as expected.