Historic and potential technology transition paths of grid battery storage: Co-evolution of energy grid, electric mobility and batteries

Scarcity of fuels, changes in environmental policy and in society increased the interest in generating electric energy from renewable energy sources (RES) for a sustainable energy supply in the future. The main problem of RES as solar and wind energy, which represent a main pillar of this transition, is that they cannot supply constant power output. This results inter alia in an increased demand of backup technologies as batteries to assure electricity system safety. The diffusion of energy storage technologies is highly dependent on the energy system and transport transition pathways which might lead to a replacement or reconfiguration of embedded socio-technical practices and regimes (by creating new standards or dominant designs, changing regulations, infrastructure and user patterns). The success of this technology is dependent on hardly predictable future technical advances, actor preferences, development of competing technologies and designs, diverging interests of actors, future cost efficiencies, environmental performance, the evolution of market demand and design and evolution of our society.

Cataract surgery: expectations of patients assisted during a community project in São Paulo, state of São Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To identify social characteristics and expectations of individuals seen during a community project for the treatment of senile cataracts. Expected results from their eye surgery and its consequences to their quality of life were studied as well. METHODOLOGY: Cataract patients (visual acuity equal to or lower than 0.2 in the more superior eye) aged 50 years or over, were surveyed by means of interviews held during their visit at the Cataract Project in São Paulo city, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 1999. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 331 subjects of low socioeconomic level ranging in age from 50 to 97 years (average = 71.8 years). Expectation of total recovery from the cataract condition by means of surgery was declared by 80.0% of the respondents, with no significant differences between male and female subjects (P < 0.1723). Hope to resume manual activities was expressed by 59.8%. CONCLUSION: A predominance of expectations of resuming normal activity and achieving a better quality of life after cataract surgery were identified.

The mixed impact of design thinking on business collaborations

The present work project investigates the implications of design thinking on an interbusiness collaborative project, unveiling both the benefits and fragilities that derive from the use of such methodology within the mentioned context. The study is organized in two parts. The first one starts with a literature review on the two relevant frames of reference – design thinking and business collaboration. It proceeds to the creation of a conceptual framework to assess the potential value of the design-based approach. The second part focuses on the practical application of to the newly developed instrument to the inTRAIN project – R&D for railway interiors.

Durability indicators comparison for SCC and CC in tropical coastal environments

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) demands more studies of durability at higher temperatures when subjected to more aggressive environments in comparison to the conventional vibrated concrete (CC). This work aims at presenting results of durability indicators of SCC and CC, having the same water/binder relations and constituents. The applied methodologies were electrical resistivity, diffusion of chloride ions and accelerated carbonation experiments, among others, such as microstructure study, scanning electron microscope and microtomography experiments. The tests were performed in a research laboratory and at a construction site of the Pernambuco Arena. The obtained results shows that the SCC presents an average electrical resistivity 11.4% higher than CC; the average chloride ions diffusion was 63.3% of the CC; the average accelerated carbonation penetration was 45.8% of the CC; and the average open porosity was 55.6% of the CC. As the results demonstrated, the SCC can be more durable than CC, which contributes to elucidate the aspects related to its durability and consequent prolonged life cycle.

Mechanical analysis of asphalt mixtures produced with waste plastic modified binders

This work compares the viscoelastic properties of an asphalt binder (70/100 pen) modified with different waste plastics and the mechanical properties of the resultant asphalt mixtures. Two different plastic wastes were used, namely recycled HDPE and EVA. Three different polymer modified binders were produced with these plastic wastes: i) 5% HDPE modified binder (P5); ii) 5% EVA modified binder (E5) and; iii) a modified binder with 4% of EVA and 2% HDPE (E4P2). Asphalt mixtures were produced with these modified binders, and their mechanical properties were analysed and compared with a conventional mixture produced with a 30/50 pen bitumen. It was possible to conclude that these recycled polymers are able to improve the mechanical performance of the asphalt mixtures used in road paving.

Modelação de ambientes ubíquos na plataforma APEX

Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia Informática

Generating timed trajectories foran autonomous robot

Tese de Doutoramento Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Electrónica e Computadores

User expectations for media sharing practices in open display networks

Open Display Networks have the potential to allow many content creators to publish their media to an open-ended set of screen displays. However, this raises the issue of how to match that content to the right displays. In this study, we aim to understand how the perceived utility of particular media sharing scenarios is affected by three independent variables, more specifically: (a) the locativeness of the content being shared; (b) how personal that content is and (c) the scope in which it is being shared. To assess these effects, we composed a set of 24 media sharing scenarios embedded with different treatments of our three independent variables. We then asked 100 participants to express their perception of the relevance of those scenarios. The results suggest a clear preference for scenarios where content is both local and directly related to the person that is publishing it. This is in stark contrast to the types of content that are commonly found in public displays, and confirms the opportunity that open displays networks may represent a new media for self-expression. This novel understanding may inform the design of new publication paradigms that will enable people to share media across the display networks.

The importance of risk assessment in the context of investment project management: a case study

Risk management is an important component of project management. Nevertheless, such process begins with risk assessment and evaluation. In this research project, a detailed analysis of the methodologies used to treat risks in investment projects adopted by the Banco da Amazonia S.A. was made. Investment projects submitted to the FNO (Constitutional Fund for Financing the North) during 2011 and 2012 were considered for that purpose. It was found that the evaluators of this credit institution use multiple indicators for risk assessment which assume a central role in terms of decision-making and contribute for the approval or the rejection of the submitted projects; namely, the proven ability to pay, the financial records of project promotors, several financial restrictions, level of equity, level of financial indebtedness, evidence of the existence of a consumer market, the proven experience of the partners/owners in the business, environmental aspects, etc. Furthermore, the bank has technological systems to support the risk assessment process, an internal communication system and a unique system for the management of operational risk.

Impact of an educational hands-on project on the antimicrobial, antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties of plants on Portuguese students' awareness, knowledge, and competences

Promoting environmental and health education is crucial to allow students to make conscious decisions based on scientific criteria. The study is based on the outcomes of an Educational Project implemented with Portuguese students and consisted of several activities, exploring pre-existent Scientific Gardens at the School, aiming to investigate the antibacterial, antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties of plant extracts, with posterior incorporation in soaps and creams. A logo and a webpage were also created. The effectiveness of the project was assessed via the application of a questionnaire (pre- and post-test) and observations of the participants in terms of engagement and interaction with all individuals involved in the project. This project increased the knowledge about autochthonous plants and the potential medical properties of the corresponding plant extracts and increased the awareness about the correct design of scientific experiments and the importance of the use of experimental models of disease. The students regarded their experiences as exciting and valuable and believed that the project helped to improve their understanding and increase their interest in these subjects and in science in general. This study emphasizes the importance of raising students’ awareness on the valorization of autochthonous plants and exploitation of their medicinal properties.

Assessment of innovative solutions for non-load bearing masonry enclosures

This paper presents some of the results of the research project “Masonry Enclosures” developed in the framework of the transnational access (TA) to LNEC’s triaxial shake table within the FP7 project SERIES.

O currículo da formação em engenharia no âmbito do processo de bolonha: desenvolvimento de competências e perfil profissional na perspetiva dos docentes, dos estudantes e dos profissionais

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (área de especilização em Desenvolvimento Curricular).

In vitro digestion and stability assessment of b-lactoglobulin/riboflavin nanostructures

B-Lactoglobulin (b-Lg) is the major protein fraction of bovine whey serum and a primary gelling agent. b-Lg has a high nutritional value, is stable at low pH being highly resistant to proteolytic degradation in the stomach, besides, it has the ability of acting as an encapsulating agent. This study aims at assessing the ability of b-Lg nanostructures to associate a nutraceutical - i.e. riboflavin - and release it in a controlled manner throughout an in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) system. For this reason b-Lg nanostructures loaded with riboflavin were critically characterized in terms of their morphology (i.e. size, polydispersity, -potential and shape) by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and efficiency to associate to riboflavin through spectrofluorimetry. Furthermore, these nanocomplexes were evaluated in an in vitro GI model, simulating the physiological conditions. Stable b-Lg nanostructures were obtained at pH 6, of spherical shape, characterized by particle size of 172±1 nm, low polydispersity (i.e. PDI of 0.06±0.02), -potential of -32±3 mV and association efficiency (AE) of 26±1 %. b-Lg nanostructures showed to be stable upon their passage throughout stomach (i.e. particle size, PDI and potential of 248±10 nm, 0.18±0.03 and 18±3 mV, respectively). Concerning their passage throughout the intestine, such nanostructures were mostly degraded in the duodenum. Regarding riboflavin, a release of about 11 % was observed after their passage through stomach, while 35 %, 38 % and 5 % were the released percentages of the total riboflavin associated observed after passage through duodenum, jejunum and ileum, respectively. Hence,b-Lg nanostructures showed to be suitable carriers for riboflavin until the intestine, where their degradation occurs. b-Lg also showed to be structurally stable, under food simulant conditions (yoghurt simulant, composed of 3 % acetic acid), over 14 days, with a protective effect upon riboflavin activity, releasing it in a 7 day period.

Modelo de gestão integrada dos contratos públicos eletrónicos orientados ao valor público

Tese de Doutoramento em Tecnologias e Sistemas de Informação.

The effects of sodium hypochlorite against selected drinking water-isolated bacteria in planktonic and sessile states

Chlorine is the most commonly used agent for general disinfection, particularly for microbial growth control in drinking water distribution systems. The goals of this study were to understand the effects of chlorine, as sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), on bacterial membrane physicochemical properties (surface charge, surface tension and hydrophobicity) and on motility of two emerging pathogens isolated from drinking water, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The effects of NaOCl on the control of single and dual-species monolayer adhered bacteria (2 h incubation) and biofilms (24 h incubation) was also assessed. NaOCl caused significant changes on the surface hydrophobicity and motility of A. calcoaceticus, but not of S. maltophilia. Planktonic and sessile S. maltophilia were significantly more resistant to NaOCl than A. calcoaceticus. Monolayer adhered co-cultures of A. calcoaceticus-S. maltophilia were more resilient than the single species. Oppositely, dual species biofilms were more susceptible to NaOCl than their single species counterparts. In general, biofilm removal and killing demonstrated to be distinct phenomena: total bacterial viability reduction was achieved even if NaOCl at the higher concentrations had a reduced removal efficacy, allowing biofilm reseed. In conclusion, understanding the antimicrobial susceptibility of microorganisms to NaOCl can contribute to the design of effective biofilm control strategies targeting key microorganisms, such as S. maltophilia, and guarantying safe and high-quality drinking water. Moreover, the results reinforce that biofilms should be regarded as chronic contaminants of drinking water distribution systems and accurate methods are needed to quantify their presence as well as strategies complementary/alternative to NaOCl are required to effectively control the microbiological quality of drinking water.