Abstract
Risk assessment is a theme of large spectrum applied in different fields. In the context of Virtual / Collaborative Enterprises there are several risks whose assessment should be aware to avoid undesirable consequences either for entire networked or for a partner in particular. The objective of this work is centered on the creation of a framework / guidelines to serve as a basis for the creation of a better risk assessment model for Virtual / Collaborative Enterprises. This work analyzed the few models available in the literature and identified some gaps that were used to purpose complementary guidelines for the design and / or improve the future risk assessment models. The pointed guidelines covered three important topics: risk factors; assessment methods; and the impact in different life cycle phases of a Virtual / Collaborative Enterprise. Considering the results of the work it is our conviction that there is space to improve the research in this field and a more robust and flexible risk assessment model should be developed. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Abstract
Respiratory diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Preventive measures are essential to avoid and increase the odds of a successful recovery. An important screening tool is pulmonary auscultation, an inexpensive, noninvasive and safe method to assess the mechanics and dynamics of the lungs. On the other hand, it is a difficult task for a human listener since some lung sound events have a spectrum of frequencies outside of the human hearing ability. Thus, computer assisted decision systems might play an important role in the detection of abnormal sounds, such as crackle or wheeze sounds. In this paper, we propose a novel system, which is not only able to detect abnormal lung sound events, but it is also able to classify them. Furthermore, our system was trained and tested using the publicly available ICBHI 2017 challenge dataset, and using the metrics proposed by the challenge, thus making our framework and results easily comparable. Using a Mel Spectrogram as an input feature for our convolutional neural network, our system achieved results in line with the current state of the art, an accuracy of 43 %, and a sensitivity of 51%.

Abstract
The main objective of this paper was to analyze the internationalization process of a small and medium-sized enterprise, with special emphasis on the headquarters-subsidiary relationship, which is a little-studied subject in the field of this type of company. A qualitative approach was followed, based on case studies in which the evolutionary perspective and the headquarters-subsidiary relationship were analyzed; in addition, the resource dependency theory was used. It is concluded that there are several paths and relationships between the headquarters and each branch. Moreover, these trajectories changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract
Demand response (DR) services have the potential to enable large penetration of renewable energy by adjusting load consumption, thus providing balancing support to the grid. The success of such load flexibility provided by industry, communities, or prosumers and its integration in electricity markets, will depend on a redesign and adaptation of the current interactions between participants. New challenges are, however, bound to appear with the large scale contribution of smaller assets to flexibility, including, among others, the dispatch coordination, the validation of delivery of the DR provision, and the corresponding settlement of contracts, while assuring secured data access among interested parties. In this study we applied distributed ledger (DLT)/blockchain technology to securely track DR provision, focusing on the validation aspect, assuring data integrity, origin, fast registry, and sharing within a permissioned system, between all relevant parties (including transmission system operators (TSOs), aggregators, distribution system operators (DSOs), balance responsible parties (BRP), and prosumers). We propose a framework for DR registry and implemented it as a proof of concept on Hyperledger Fabric, using real assets in a laboratory environment, in order to study its feasibility and performance. The lab set up includes a 450 kW energy storage system, scheduled to provide DR services, upon a system operator request and the corresponding validations and verifications are done, followed by the publication on a blockchain. Results show the end to end execution time remained below 1 s, when below 32 requests/sec. The smart contract memory utilization did not surpass 1% for both active and passive nodes and the peer CPU utilization, remained below 5% in all cases simulated (3, 10, and 28 nodes). Smart Contract CPU utilization remained stable, below 1% in all cases. The performance of the implementation showed scalable results, which enables real world adoption of DLT in supporting the development of flexibility markets, with the advantages of blockchain technology.

Abstract
Context. GCIRS 7, the brightest star in the Galactic central parsec, formed 6 2 Myr ago together with dozens of massive stars in a disk orbiting the central black-hole. It has been argued that GCIRS 7 is a pulsating body, on the basis of photometric variability.Aims. Our goal is to confirm photospheric pulsations based on interferometric size measurements to better understand how the mass loss from these massive stars enriches the local interstellar medium.Methods. We present the first medium-resolution (R = 500), K-band spectro-interferometric observations of GCIRS 7, using the GRAVITY instrument with the four auxiliary telescopes of the ESO VLTI. We looked for variations using two epochs, namely 2017 and 2019.Results. We find GCIRS 7 to be moderately resolved with a uniform-disk photospheric diameter of theta (*)(UD)=1.55 +/- 0.03 theta UD*=1.55 +/- 0.03 mas ( R-UD(*)=1368 +/- 26 RUD*=1368 +/- 26 R-circle dot) in the K-band continuum. The narrow-band uniform-disk diameter increases above 2.3 mu m, with a clear correlation with the CO band heads in the spectrum. This correlation is aptly modeled by a hot (T-L = 2368 +/- 37 K), geometrically thin molecular shell with a diameter of theta (L) = 1.74 +/- 0.03 mas, as measured in 2017. The shell diameter increased (theta (L) = 1.89 +/- 0.03 mas), while its temperature decreased (T-L = 2140 +/- 42 K) in 2019. In contrast, the photospheric diameter theta (*)(UD)theta UD* and the extinction up to the photosphere of GCIRS 7 ( AKS=3.18 +/- 0.16KS=3.18 +/- 0.16 ) have the same value within uncertainties at the two epochs.Conclusions. In the context of previous interferometric and photo-spectrometric measurements, the GRAVITY data allow for an interpretation in terms of photospheric pulsations. The photospheric diameter measured in 2017 and 2019 is significantly larger than previously reported using the PIONIER instrument (theta * = 1.076 +/- 0.093 mas in 2013 in the H band). The parameters of the photosphere and molecular shell of GCIRS 7 are comparable to those of other red supergiants that have previously been studied using interferometry. The extinction we measured here is lower than previous estimates in the direction of GCIRS 7 but typical for the central parsec region.

Abstract
Having an online presence is essential for any company regardless of its size and type of business. Users are currently striving to interact with companies through the web, regardless of their access device. In this sense, responsive web design emerged as a very useful technique that allows the dynamic adaptation of the design regardless of the size and resolution of the access device. Despite the unequivocal advantages associated with this technique, there are also limitations which turn this approach not feasible or advisable for all projects. This study, through the realization of five case studies, seeks to identify the main limitations of responsive design and responsive design frameworks. Additionally, this study suggests further development models that may be more effective in the dynamic adaptation of the design and contents according to the features of the access device, such as the adoption of adaptive design, use of native apps, and hybrid models.