Combined heat and power and consumption optimization in a SCADA-based system

The operation of power systems in a Smart Grid (SG) context brings new opportunities to consumers as active players, in order to fully reach the SG advantages. In this context, concepts as smart homes or smart buildings are promising approaches to perform the optimization of the consumption, while reducing the electricity costs. This paper proposes an intelligent methodology to support the consumption optimization of an industrial consumer, which has a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facility. A SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system developed by the authors is used to support the implementation of the proposed methodology. An optimization algorithm implemented in the system in order to perform the determination of the optimal consumption and CHP levels in each instant, according to the Demand Response (DR) opportunities. The paper includes a case study with several scenarios of consumption and heat demand in the context of a DR event which specifies a maximum demand level for the consumer.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of Brazilian Need for Recovery Scale

OBJECTIVE: To translate the Need for Recovery Scale (NFR) into Brazilian Portuguese and culturally adapt it and assess the stability, internal consistency and convergent validity of the Brazilian scale among industrial workers. METHODS: The translation process followed the guidelines for cultural adaptation of questionnaires including the steps of translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, and pre-testing. The Brazilian Portuguese NFR, final version (Br-NFR) was assessed for stability (n=52) and internal consistency (n=192) and for convergent validity through simultaneous assessment with other instruments: the Borg Scale (n=59); the Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (n=57) and 3 subscales of the SF-36 (n=56). RESULTS: Stability and internal consistency met the criterion for a reliable measure (ICC=0.80 and Cronbach's alpha =0.87, respectively). The convergent validity between Br-NFR and other instruments also showed good results: Borg Scale (r= 0.64); Chalder Questionnaire (r= 0.67); SF-36 subscales: vitality (r= -0.84), physical functioning (r= -0.54), and role-physical (r= -0.47). CONCLUSIONS: The Br-NFR proved to be a reliable instrument to evaluate work-related fatigue symptoms in industrial workers. Furthermore, it showed significant and good correlations with well-established instruments such as the Borg Scale, the Chalder Questionnaire and SF-36 vitality subscale, supporting the validity of the Br-NFR.

Cultural organizations and communication in portuguese decentralization policy

This paper intends to show the Portuguese municipalities’ commitment, since the first decade of this century, in cultural facilities of municipal management and how it provided 12 of the 18 district capitals of mainland Portugal with cultural equipment, but after all we want to know if this effort resulted in a regular, diverse, and innovative schedule. Investing in urban regeneration, local governments have tried to convert cities’ demographic changes (strengthening of the most educated and professionally qualified groups) in effective cultural demands that consolidate the three axes of development competitiveness-innovation-creativity. What the empirical study to the programming and communication proposals of those equipment shows is that it is not enough to provide cities with facilities; to escape to a utilitarian conception of culture, there is a whole work to be done so that such equipment be experienced and felt as new public sphere. Equipment in which proposals go through a fluid bind, constructed through space and discourse with local community, devoted a diversified and innovative bet full filling development axis. This paper presents in a systematic way what contributes to this binding on the analyzed equipment.

Cultural organizations and communication in portuguese decentralization policy

This presentation intends to show to what extent the Portuguese municipalities’ commitment, from the first decade of this century, in cultural facilities of municipal management and which has provided 12 of the 18 district capitals of mainland Portugal with equipment, resulted in a regular, diverse and innovative schedule. Investing in urban regeneration, local government has tried to convert cities’ demographic changes (strengthening of the most educated and professionally qualified groups) in effective cultural demands that consolidate the three axes of development competitiveness-innovation-creativity. What the empirical study to the programming and communication proposals of those equipment shows is that it is not enough to provide cities with facilities; to escape to a utilitarian conception of culture, there is a whole work to be done so that such equipment be experienced and felt as new public sphere. Equipment in which proposals go through a fluid bind, constructed through space and discourse with local community, devotes a diversified and innovative bet full filling development axis. This paper presents in a systematic way what contributes to this binding on the analyzed equipment.

Hydrogen evolution and consumption in AOT–isooctane reverse micelles by Desulfovibrio gigas hydrogenase

The enzyme hydrogenase isolated from the sulphate reducing anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas was encapsulated in reverse micelles of AOT–water–isooctane. The enzyme ability to consume molecular hydrogen was studied as a function of the micelle size (given by Wo = [H2O]/[organic solvent]). A peak of catalytic activity was obtained for Wo = 18, a micelle size theoretically fitting the heterodimeric hydrogenase molecule. At this Wo value, the recorded catalytic activity was slightly higher than in a buffer system(Kcat = 169.43 s−1 against the buffer value of 151 s−1). The optimal buffer used to encapsulate the enzyme was found to be imidazole 50 mM, pH 9.0. The molecular hydrogen production activity was also tested in this reverse micelle medium.

ERICA: use of screens and consumption of meals and snacks by Brazilian adolescents

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the length of exposure to screens and the prevalence of consumption of meals and snacks by Brazilian adolescents in front of screens. METHODS We evaluated 74,589 12 to 17-year old adolescents from 1,247 schools in 124 Brazilian municipalities. A self-administered questionnaire was used. Its segment regarding nutrition contained questions about using TV, computers, and video game systems, having meals while watching TV, and consuming snacks in front of screens. Consumption of meals and snacks in front of screens was analyzed according to the following variables: geographical region, gender, age range, type of school (public or private), and school shift. The prevalences and their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated under a complex sampling design. RESULTS A great deal of the adolescents (73.5%, 95%CI 72.3-74.7) reported spending two or more hours a day in front of screens. That habit was more frequent among male adolescents, private school students, morning shift students, and students from Brazil’s South region. More than half of the adolescents (56.6%, 95%CI 55.4-57.8) reported almost always or always having meals in front of TV, and 39.6% (95%CI 38.8-40.5) of them said they consumed snacks in front of screens exactly as often. Both situations were the most prevalent ones among the girls, who attended public schools and were from Brazil’s Midwest region. CONCLUSIONS Length of exposure to screens and consumption of meals and snacks almost always or always in front of screens are high among Brazilian adolescents. It is necessary to develop strategies aiming to reduce the length of screen use, considering the media reality that children and adolescents have been experiencing from earlier and earlier ages. That context must therefore be analyzed in an indissociable way.

Cultural innovation and transmission of tool use in wild chimpanzees:evidence from field experiments

Animal Cognition, V.6, pp. 213-223

Audiologists’ preferences for patient-centredness: a cross-sectional questionnaire study of cross-cultural differences and similarities among professionals in Portugal, India and Iran

Objective Patient-centredness has become an important aspect of health service delivery; however, there are a limited number of studies that focus on this concept in the domain of hearing healthcare. The objective of this study was to examine and compare audiologists’ preferences for patient-centredness in Portugal, India and Iran. Design The study used a cross-sectional survey design with audiologists recruited from three different countries. Participants A total of 191 fully-completed responses were included in the analysis (55 from Portugal, 78 from India and 58 from Iran). Main outcome measure The Patient–Practitioner Orientation Scale (PPOS). Results PPOS mean scores suggest that audiologists have a preference for patient-centredness (ie, mean of 3.6 in a 5-point scale). However, marked differences were observed between specific PPOS items suggesting these preferences vary across clinical situations. A significant level of difference (p<0.001) was found between audiologists’ preferences for patient-centredness in three countries. Audiologists in Portugal had a greater preference for patient-centredness when compared to audiologists in India and Iran, although no significant differences were found in terms of age and duration of experience among these sample populations. Conclusions There are differences and similarities in audiologists’ preferences for patient-centredness among countries. These findings may have implications for the training of professionals and also for clinical practice in terms of optimising hearing healthcare across countries.

Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale for patients with schizophrenia: translation to Portuguese, cross-cultural adaptation and interrater reliability

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder associated with impairment in social functioning. The most widely used scale to measure social functioning is the GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning), but it has the disadvantage of measuring at the same time symptoms and functioning, as described in its anchors. OBJECTIVES:Translation and cultural adaptation of the PSP, proposing a final version in Portuguese for use in Brazil. METHODS: We performed five steps: 1) translation; 2) back translation; 3) formal assessment of semantic equivalence; 4) debriefing; 5) analysis by experts. Interrater reliability (Intraclass correlation, ICC) between two raters was also measured. RESULTS: The final version was applied by two independent investigators in 18 adults with schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR). The interrater reliability (ICC) was 0.812 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The translation and adaptation of the PSP had an adequate level of semantic equivalence between the Portuguese version and the original English version. There were no difficulties related to understanding the content expressed in the translated texts and terms. Its application was easy and it showed a good interrater reliability. The PSP is a valid instrument for the measurement of personal and social functioning in schizophrenia.

Income taxation with habit formation and consumption externalities

We analyze the dynamic behavior and the welfare properties of the equilibrium path of a growth model where both habits and consumption externalities affect the utility of consumers. We discuss the effects of flat rate income taxes and characterize the optimal income taxation policy. We show that, when consumption externalities and habit adjusted consumption are not perfect substitutes, a counter-cyclical income tax rate allows the competitive equilibrium to replicate the efficient path. Our analysis highlights the crucial role played by complementarities between externalities and habits in order to generate an inefficient dynamic equilibrium.

Communication, cultural identities and the Olympic Games: the Barcelona’92 experience

This document includes the results of the research undertaken by the author on the media planning and coverage of the Barcelona'92 and its cultural implications.

An interregional input-output analysis of the pollution content of trade flows and environmental trade balances between five states in the US Mid-West

In this paper we attempt an empirical application of the multi-region input-output (MRIO) method in order to enumerate the pollution content of interregional trade flows between five Mid-West regions/states in the US –Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin – and the rest of the US. This allows us to analyse some very important issues in terms of the nature and significance of interregional environmental spillovers within the US Mid-West and the existence of pollution ‘trade balances’ between states. Our results raise questions in terms of the extent to which authorities at State level can control local emissions where they are limited in the way some emissions can be controlled, particularly with respect to changes in demand elsewhere in the Mid-West and US. This implies a need for policy co-ordination between national and state level authorities in the US to meet emissions reductions targets. The existence of an environmental trade balances between states also raises issues in terms of net losses/gains in terms of pollutants as a result of interregional trade within the US and whether, if certain activities can be carried out using less polluting technology in one region relative to others, it is better for the US as a whole if this type of relationship exists.