Abstract

Abstract
In the present paper we analyzed the behavior of firms in the construction and manufacturing sectors, located in the region of Vale do Sousa, in the north of Portugal. From the literature, even revising some disagreements, it is possible to conclude that planning is crucial for firms' survival and growth. Co-operation is another aspect that the literature presents as an important factor for firms sustainability. It also plays a major role in competition, since firms are adopting coo-petition strategies. By studying a sample of 251 firms, it was possible to realize, that the majority started their business without a formal planning, and they keep going without using it. In cooperation aspects, there is a lack of cooperation. It was possible to verify, that existing cooperation has some evidence but at a vertical level. These vertical relations were also identified in stakeholder's involvement.

Abstract
This paper presents several procedures for developing non-delay schedules for a permutation flow shop with family setups when the objective is to minimize total earliness and tardiness. These procedures consist of heuristics that were found to be effective for minimizing total tardiness in flow shops without family setups, modified to consider family setups and the total earliness and tardiness objective. These procedures are tested on several problem sets with varying conditions. The results show that variable greedy algorithms are effective when solving small problems, but using a genetic algorithm that includes a neighbourhood defined by the sequence of batches of jobs belonging to the same set-up family is effective when solving medium- or large-sized problems. The results also show that if setup times can be reduced a significant reduction in total earliness and tardiness could result.

Abstract

Abstract
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology which produces a synthesis between a computer-generated data and the physical world of a viewer while establishing 3D registration and real time interaction. Among the wide range of application of AR, its use in advertising shopping experiences has recently been embraced by advertisers due to its novelty and engaging potential. Part of a wider research aiming at understanding the impact of AR on consumer psychology, this paper presents a demo platform application developed for a real-time shopping experience for shoes and attempts to define a ground base for posterior marketing research in the field. In order to fully evaluate consumer experiences and compare with the main AR platform two other shopping applications were designed: a marker-based and a static one. The platform will assist in exploring the antecedents of consumer purchase intention and in defining metrics for measuring shopping experiences with AR.

Abstract
Several easy-to-manufacture designs based on a pair of Fiber Bragg Gratings structure embedded in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) have been explored. These smart composites can be used for strain and temperature discrimination. A Finite Elements Analysis and Matlab software were used to study the mechanical responses and its optical behaviors. The results exhibited different sensitivity and using a matrix method it is possible to compensate the thermal drift in a real application keeping a simple manufacture process. © 2013 SPIE.