Short-term scheduling considering five-minute and hour-ahead energy resource management

The introduction of new distributed energy resources, based on natural intermittent power sources, in power systems imposes the development of new adequate operation management and control methods. This paper proposes a short-term Energy Resource Management (ERM) methodology performed in two phases. The first one addresses the hour-ahead ERM scheduling and the second one deals with the five-minute ahead ERM scheduling. Both phases consider the day-ahead resource scheduling solution. The ERM scheduling is formulated as an optimization problem that aims to minimize the operation costs from the point of view of a virtual power player that manages the network and the existing resources. The optimization problem is solved by a deterministic mixed-integer non-linear programming approach and by a heuristic approach based on genetic algorithms. A case study considering a distribution network with 33 bus, 66 distributed generation, 32 loads with demand response contracts and 7 storage units has been implemented in a PSCADbased simulator developed in the field of the presented work, in order to validate the proposed short-term ERM methodology considering the dynamic power system behavior.

Microscopic Theory of Anchoring Transitions at the Surfaces of Pure Liquid-Crystals and their Mixtures .1. The Fowler Approximation

We have generalized earlier work on anchoring of nematic liquid crystals by Sullivan, and Sluckin and Poniewierski, in order to study transitions which may occur in binary mixtures of nematic liquid crystals as a function of composition. Microscopic expressions have been obtained for the anchoring energy of (i) a liquid crystal in contact with a solid aligning surface; (ii) a liquid crystal in contact with an immiscible isotropic medium; (iii) a liquid crystal mixture in contact with a solid aligning surface. For (iii), possible phase diagrams of anchoring angle versus dopant concentration have been calculated using a simple liquid crystal model. These exhibit some interesting features including re-entrant conical anchoring, for what are believed to be realistic values of the molecular parameters. A way of relaxing the most drastic approximation implicit in the above approach is also briefly discussed.

La marge continentale sud-portugaise: évolution structurale et sédimentaire

The structural and sedimentary evolution of the portuguese continental margin South of Setúbal Canyon is outlined from the study of many seismic reflection profiles and rocks samples. During Triassic and Early Liassic time, a distension affects the Algarve margin that belongs to the Mesogean area. Off Baixo Alentejo rifting phases at Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times induced opening or widening of the adjacent part of the Atlantic ocean. Alpine orogeny is inferred to explain the Eocene and Miocene deformation of the margin specially along the main NE-SW fractures.

Algebraic structure for the crossing of balanced and stair nested designs

Stair nesting allows us to work with fewer observations than the most usual form of nesting, the balanced nesting. In the case of stair nesting the amount of information for the different factors is more evenly distributed. This new design leads to greater economy, because we can work with fewer observations. In this work we present the algebraic structure of the cross of balanced nested and stair nested designs, using binary operations on commutative Jordan algebras. This new cross requires fewer observations than the usual cross balanced nested designs and it is easy to carry out inference.

Reflexões sobre o adágio erasmista. "Il' dvlce bellvm inexpertis"*

De todos os Adágios de Erasmo (e escreveu sobre mais de quatro milhares), o comentário ao provérbio Dulce bellum inexpertis - ou "Adágio 3001" - é, sem dúvida, um dos mais conhecidos e mais actuais. Aparece pela primeira vez, em estado embrionário, na edição de 1508 e surge depois, muito aumentado e refundido, nas edições impressas por Froben, em Basiléia, em 1515, 1523 e 1526. O tema, particularmente grato ao espírito irenista de Erasmo, seduzia-o desde que, ao aproximar-se dos 40 anos, empreendera a sonhada viagem a Itália. Aqui, entre 1506 e 1509, assistira à entrada triunfal das tropas do papa Júlio II em Bolonha, facto que o levaria a compor o Antipolemus (texto infelizmente perdido), bem como o lulius Exclusus, panfleto que alguns autores também lhe atribuem e no qual o papa guerreiro é excluído sumariamente da entrada na corte celestial. À mesma linha ideológica do Adágio 3001 pertence ainda a Querela ou Querimonia Pacis, editada em 1517, pranto em louvor do pacifismo pontifício e da evangelização dos povos paganizados

Da caça de Mondragón à guarda do Estreito de Gibraltar (1508-1513) : os guardiões da memória de Duarte Pacheco Pereira e a economia da mercê nos séculos XVI-XVII

O artigo apresenta nova documentação relativa ao episódio do primeiro ataque a uma nau da Carreira da Índia, a nau de Job Queimado, e o papel desempenhado por Duarte Pacheco Pereira na perseguição do pirata Mondragón. Primeiramente, mostraremos como o pirata não chegou a ser capturado pelos portugueses. Duarte Pacheco Pereira tornou-se capitão-mor de várias armadas enviadas ao Estreito de Gibraltar. O seu desempenho no estreito nos anos de 1509, 1510, 1511 e 1513 vem complementar a lacuna documental sobre as suas actividades após a redacção do Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis. Em seguida, mostraremos como a documentação régia enviada por D. Manuel I a Duarte Pacheco Pereira foi preservada pelos seus descendentes e utilizada para obter da Coroa mercês adicionais, baseadas no seu serviço, durante mais de um século. O artigo é complementado por um apêndice documental onde se apresentam as transcrições da documentação existente no Arquivo Almada Lencastre Basto, na Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal.

Retrospektive Studie über Primär- und Wechsel-Implantation des NexGen RHK (Achsgekoppelte Rotationsknieendoprothese) der Firma Zimmer Warsaw, Indiana, USA, zwischen 1999 und 2003 an der Orthopädischen Universitätsklinik Magdeburg

Magdeburg, Univ., Med. Fak., Diss., 2011

Auswahl und Dimensionierung eines Speichersystems, unter Berücksichtigung von Technik und Wirtschaftlichkeit, für ein Beispielhaus

[s.c.]

Jean Calvin : Puissance de la Loi et limite du Pouvoir

L'éthique politique de Jean Calvin (1509-1564) est à la fois une éthique religieuse, inspirée par le puissant mouvement réformateur de Luther, et une éthique de la Loi morale, soucieuse d'instruire un nouveau rapport au droit et à la cité. La manière même dont Calvin énonce le rôle ambigü de l'Eglise, lieu de libération mais aussi instrument de contrôle social, est révélatrice de sa visée critique et constructive, comme de ses propres limites. Reconnue dans sa distance et dans son contexte, l'éthique de Calvin en sera d'autant plus signifiante pour quiconque entend refonder l'alliance de la démocratie, de la laïcité et d'une forme de transcendance, en régime de méta-modernité.

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and reduced birth size: a prospective birth cohort study in Valencia, Spain

Background Maternal exposure to air pollution has been related to fetal growth in a number of recent scientific studies. The objective of this study was to assess the association between exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and anthropometric measures at birth in a cohort in Valencia, Spain. Methods Seven hundred and eighty-five pregnant women and their singleton newborns participated in the study. Exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was estimated by means of land use regression. NO2 spatial estimations were adjusted to correspond to relevant pregnancy periods (whole pregnancy and trimesters) for each woman. Outcome variables were birth weight, length, and head circumference (HC), along with being small for gestational age (SGA). The association between exposure to residential outdoor NO2 and outcomes was assessed controlling for potential confounders and examining the shape of the relationship using generalized additive models (GAM). Results For continuous anthropometric measures, GAM indicated a change in slope at NO2 concentrations of around 40 μg/m3. NO2 exposure >40 μg/m3 during the first trimester was associated with a change in birth length of -0.27 cm (95% CI: -0.51 to -0.03) and with a change in birth weight of -40.3 grams (-96.3 to 15.6); the same exposure throughout the whole pregnancy was associated with a change in birth HC of -0.17 cm (-0.34 to -0.003). The shape of the relation was seen to be roughly linear for the risk of being SGA. A 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 during the second trimester was associated with being SGA-weight, odds ratio (OR): 1.37 (1.01-1.85). For SGA-length the estimate for the same comparison was OR: 1.42 (0.89-2.25). Conclusions Prenatal exposure to traffic-related air pollution may reduce fetal growth. Findings from this study provide further evidence of the need for developing strategies to reduce air pollution in order to prevent risks to fetal health and development.

Exposure to Trihalomethanes through Different Water Uses and Birth Weight, Small for Gestational Age, and Preterm Delivery in Spain

BACKGROUND Evidence associating exposure to water disinfection by-products with reduced birth weight and altered duration of gestation remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVE We assessed exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) during pregnancy through different water uses and evaluated the association with birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA), low birth weight (LBW), and preterm delivery. METHODS Mother-child cohorts set up in five Spanish areas during the years 2000-2008 contributed data on water ingestion, showering, bathing, and swimming in pools. We ascertained residential THM levels during pregnancy periods through ad hoc sampling campaigns (828 measurements) and regulatory data (264 measurements), which were modeled and combined with personal water use and uptake factors to estimate personal uptake. We defined outcomes following standard definitions and included 2,158 newborns in the analysis. RESULTS Median residential THM ranged from 5.9 μg/L (Valencia) to 114.7 μg/L (Sabadell), and speciation differed across areas. We estimated that 89% of residential chloroform and 96% of brominated THM uptakes were from showering/bathing. The estimated change of birth weight for a 10% increase in residential uptake was -0.45 g (95% confidence interval: -1.36, 0.45 g) for chloroform and 0.16 g (-1.38, 1.70 g) for brominated THMs. Overall, THMs were not associated with SGA, LBW, or preterm delivery. CONCLUSIONS Despite the high THM levels in some areas and the extensive exposure assessment, results suggest that residential THM exposure during pregnancy driven by inhalation and dermal contact routes is not associated with birth weight, SGA, LBW, or preterm delivery in Spain.

Residential Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution during Pregnancy and Anthropometric Measures at Birth in a Multicenter Cohort in Spain

BACKGROUND. A growing body of research suggests that prenatal exposure to air pollution may be harmful to fetal development. We assessed the association between exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and anthropometric measures at birth in four areas within the Spanish Children's Health and Environment (INMA) mother and child cohort study. METHODS. Exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and benzene was estimated for the residence of each woman (n = 2,337) for each trimester and for the entire pregnancy. Outcomes included birth weight, length, and head circumference. The association between residential outdoor air pollution exposure and birth outcomes was assessed with linear regression models controlled for potential confounders. We also performed sensitivity analyses for the subset of women who spent more time at home during pregnancy. Finally, we performed a combined analysis with meta-analysis techniques. RESULTS. In the combined analysis, an increase of 10 µg/m3 in NO2 exposure during pregnancy was associated with a decrease in birth length of -0.9 mm [95% confidence interval (CI), -1.8 to -0.1 mm]. For the subset of women who spent ≥ 15 hr/day at home, the association was stronger (-0.16 mm; 95% CI, -0.27 to -0.04). For this same subset of women, a reduction of 22 g in birth weight was associated with each 10-µg/m3 increase in NO2 exposure in the second trimester (95% CI, -45.3 to 1.9). We observed no significant relationship between benzene levels and birth outcomes. CONCLUSIONS. NO2 exposure was associated with reductions in both length and weight at birth. This association was clearer for the subset of women who spent more time at home.

Assessing the link between coping patterns and interpersonal behaviors in depressed women

Aim. Stressful life events are an important contributor to the onset and course of depression. Coping strategies and interpersonal patterns have been found to mediate the effects of stress [1]. Methods. This study examined the relationship between coping patterns and interpersonal interactions in early psychotherapy sessions of 25 female patients with major depression. Transcripts were rated for coping patterns using the Coping Patterns Rating Scale (CPRS; [2]). Interpersonal patterns were assessed using the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB; [3]). Results. Significant correlations were found between coping patterns and markers of interpersonal functioning in selected contexts. Discussion. The implications of these findings in understanding an important aspect of vulnerability to depression and enhancing treatment outcome are discussed.