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Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) are a class of advanced composites with a gradual and continuously varying microstructural composition. This paper presents MicroFEA 1.0, which is a software package developed to help overcoming the challenges of designing and analyzing FGM structures. It provides capabilities to fit FGM experimental data to B-Spline curves and to analyze composite materials using mean-field micromechanics homogenization techniques. The package is composed of MATLAB scripts and Fortran subroutines intended for Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using Abaqus. The Abaqus user-material subroutines (UMATs) are designed to work with heterogeneous materials at the integration points level, discarding the need for custom-designed elements. Thermomechanical analyses can also be carried out with the help of UTEMPs. This software will provide valuable help for scientists and engineers facing the development of new FGM structural components.

This paper presents an innovative methodological framework – Landscape Preferences Spatial Framework (LPSF) – which is able to translate landscape preferences, as expressed by various users, concerning possible land cover pattern compositions into land cover pattern preference maps. The innovative potential of the contribution lies in the exploration of a comprehensive methodical framework that facilitates the spatial representations of landscape demands by relevant user groups thus bridging the gap between landscape preference research and landscape planning. The LPSF developed here goes beyond the state of the art in translating local scale preference by people into regional scale planning settings. Throughout the paper the development and testing of the LPSF is described and explained. Although the paper focuses on the conceptual framework of the method, it also shows the results of its application in a case study.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-29T08:01:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-01-01 The need for organizations to innovate has always been a major factor for business competitiveness. From the beginning of the 2000's this need has turned even more important, especially with the advent and widespread of innovations, intensifying competition and shortening the life cycle of products. It is perceived, however, that companies operating in more traditional sectors of the economy have higher barriers to innovative procedures, barriers increased and enhanced when it comes to the universe of micro and small enterprises (MSEs). These difficulties, by itself, support the need for policies and public interventions in order to minimize the barriers. In this context, this paper addresses a research which studied two innovation supporting programs in Brazil: the business incubation, with particular focus in the Business Incubator of the city of Araraquara; and the Brazilian Service for Technical Answers (SBRT) in this particular case represented by one of his agents, the Integrated Service of Technical Answers (SIRT) of the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP/Araraquara). This study reports the virtues, the limitations and difficulties of these two instruments of public policy as potential or actual inducers to innovations in non-technological micro and small enterprises (MSEs). The research analyzed the types, sources and mechanisms used to promote innovations in the MSEs. The methodology comprised a qualitative research, exploratory, designed as a simple case study, with data collected through interviews and participant observation. It was found that the MSEs, even those who participate in public programs and policies, have many difficulties to operationalize innovation. It was noted also that the joining of the two instruments leveraged innovative activities. (C) 2016 Departamento de Administracao, Faculdade de Economia, Administracao e Contabilidade da Universidade de Sao Paulo - FEA/USP. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license Ctr Univ Araraquara Uniara, Araraquara, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Unesp, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil UFSC, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista Unesp, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil