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The conceptual development of hybrid liquid column dampers is presented. The system is based fundamentally on the concept of tuned liquid column dampers and modified to employ instantaneous optimal controls to affect the orifice damping and/or the liquid column pressure actively. Numerical modeling of the system and the development of the control algorithms are presented. The system's effectiveness in suppressing earthquake and wind induced motions in tall buildings is assessed and illustrated by numerical examples.

Virtual learning environments systems are based on the classroom paradigm, in which the knowledge is transmitted for all the students in the same way.To

Technological advance of the last decades created an atmosphere in which the organizations are forced to look actively for new options for the cost reduction, in addition to, simultaneously, seeking to compete more effectively in their markets. This context requires focused, swift, more flexible and more competitive organizations which are forced, many times, to implement radical changes in the way they conduct business, employ people and use technology. Despite the recognition and the attention given to electronic business (or e-business) over the last years, this type of business hasn’t yet achieved a desirable maturity stage. This problem, current and stated over the last years, demands research efforts so that a solution can be found to solve it. In this chapter, the authors explore a range of constraints which are suggested by the literature to influence e-business evolution, so that organizations could be better equipped in anticipating any difficulties while in progress through their e-business initiatives.

The thematic of entrepreneurship has assumed a great importance in recent times and is regarded by the governments of all countries as a lever for economic and social development of nations. Entrepreneurship is generally recognized by the process that leads to the creation of companies, and consequently, creates wealth and employment. In their genesis, entrepreneurial ventures, emerged mainly as small business, associated with creative ideas or innovative approaches implemented in most situations, using empirical processes, without major concerns with the scientific rigor that can also contribute in a sustainable way to add value to these business initiatives. In this way, together with the empirical component, resulting from the business opportunity perception by promoter, the process of setting up a business, commonly known as entrepreneurship, should follow a methodology and make use of tools and techniques best suited to each stage of the process. The perspective proposed, Framework Entrepreneurship Process, intends to position itself as a guide for business creation, which took as its starting point a particular idea with potential business leads in a systematic process of transforming it into a successful company. This framework intends to provide an integrated view of the whole process of setting up a company, while it indexes each of the different stages of the process, a set of techniques and tools, perfectly validated in scientific contexts.