Cost allocation model for distribution networks considering high penetration of distributed energy resources

The high penetration of distributed energy resources (DER) in distribution networks and the competitive environment of electricity markets impose the use of new approaches in several domains. The network cost allocation, traditionally used in transmission networks, should be adapted and used in the distribution networks considering the specifications of the connected resources. The main goal is to develop a fairer methodology trying to distribute the distribution network use costs to all players which are using the network in each period. In this paper, a model considering different type of costs (fixed, losses, and congestion costs) is proposed comprising the use of a large set of DER, namely distributed generation (DG), demand response (DR) of direct load control type, energy storage systems (ESS), and electric vehicles with capability of discharging energy to the network, which is known as vehicle-to-grid (V2G). The proposed model includes three distinct phases of operation. The first phase of the model consists in an economic dispatch based on an AC optimal power flow (AC-OPF); in the second phase Kirschen's and Bialek's tracing algorithms are used and compared to evaluate the impact of each resource in the network. Finally, the MW-mile method is used in the third phase of the proposed model. A distribution network of 33 buses with large penetration of DER is used to illustrate the application of the proposed model.

O jogo como estratégia de aprendizagem rítmica: A ludicidade na exploração das fichas de exercícios rítmicos

Elaborado com vista à reflexão fundamentada acerca do percurso, das práticas educativas e das políticas de ensino, o presente trabalho pretende reunir um conjunto de saberes inerentes à atividade docente. Relacionando teorias e práticas no âmbito do ensino da música, a apresentação de uma filosofia de trabalho, congregando como eixo estruturante a prática musical supervisionada realizada no âmbito do ensino vocacional, apresenta-se como pano de fundo à análise dos vários conteúdos referentes à literatura específica inerente à prática pedagógica. Partindo da caracterização da escola do ensino vocacional de música, nos ensinos Básico e Secundário, a presente reflexão emerge no seguimento do pensamento articulado das várias áreas do saber através da apreciação, fundamentação e discussão das perspetivas de ensino vigentes ao longo do processo de estágio. Deste modo, será exposta toda a perspetiva de ensino por nós desenvolvida, partindo de uma linha temporal, tendo por princípio a descrição de um plano modelo, com o objetivo de podermos demonstrar a direção do nosso pensamento. Tendo como objetivo verificar a eficácia da abordagem ao jogo, como estratégia de ensino, na aprendizagem do ritmo, na disciplina de Formação Musical, partimos de uma investigação bibliográfica sobre a relação entre a escola tradicional e a escola moderna, o jogo e a motivação, e por último, a aprendizagem do ritmo sobre a perspetiva das atividades de aprendizagem sequencial, sustentadas por Edwin Gordon. O projeto de investigação aborda uma nova conceção do jogo, aliando o mesmo às atividades de leitura rítmicas.

Hyponatremia in visceral leishmaniasis

There are few reports linking hyponatremia and visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar). This is a study of 55 consecutive kala-azar patients and 20 normal individuals as a control group. Hyponatremia and serum hypo-osmolality were detected in 100% of kala-azar patients. High first morning urine osmolality (750.0 ± 52.0 vs. 894.5 ± 30.0mOsm/kg H2O, p < 0.05), and high 24-hour urine osmolality (426.0 ± 167.0 vs. 514.6 ± 132.0 mOsm/kg H2O, p < 0.05) demonstrated persistent antidiuretic hormone secretion. Urinary sodium was high (82.3 ± 44.2 vs.110.3 ± 34.7 mEq/L, p < 0.05). Low seric uric acid occurred in 61.8% of patients and increased fractional urinary uric acid excretion was detected in 74.5% of them. Increased glomerular filtration rate was present in 25.4% of patients. There was no evidence of extracellular volume depletion. Normal plasma ADH levels were observed in kala-azar patients. No endocrine or renal dysfunction was detected. It is possible that most hyponatremic kala-azar patients present the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.

Crowdsourcing innovation intermediaries functions

Open innovation is a hot topic in innovation management. Its basic premise is open up the innovation process. The innovation process, in general sense, may be seen as the process of designing, developing and commercializing a novel product or service to improve the value added of a company. The development of Web 2.0 tools facilitates this kind of contributions, opening space to the emergence of crowdsourcing innovation initiatives. Crowdsourcing is a form of outsourcing not directed to other companies but to the crowd by means of an open call mostly through an Internet platform. Innovation intermediaries, in general sense, are organizations that work to enable innovation, that just act as brokers or agents between two or more parties. Usually, they are also engaged in other activities like inter-organizational networking and technology development and related activities. A crowdsourcing innovation intermediary is an organization that mediates the communication and relationship between the seekers – companies that aspire to solve some problem or to take advantage of any business opportunity – with a crowd that is prone to give ideas based on their knowledge, experience and wisdom. This paper identifies and analyses the functions to be performed by an intermediary of crowdsourcing innovation through grounded theory analyses from literature. The resulting model is presented and explained. The resulting model summarizes eight main functions that can be performed by a crowdsourcing process, namely, diagnoses, mediation, linking knowledge, community, evaluation, project management, intellectual property governance and marketing and support. These functions are associated with a learning cycle process which covers all the crowdsourcing activities that can be realized by the broker.

Desenvolvimento de bionanoconjugados com nanopartículas de ouro e oxidases para a detecção de poluentes ambientais

Dissertação para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Biotecnologia

Frameworks e Bibliotecas Javascript

This report describes a study based on a research and evaluation of platforms (JavaScript frameworks and libraries carried out under the discipline of Tese/Dissertação/Estágio in the Master Degree Computer Science - area of expertise in Arquitecturas Sistemas e Redes, in Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP). The JavaScript language is increasingly present in the development of software and particularly software for the web environment. For this reason there is a need to investigate the issue, as the platforms that are emerging in the market have a very low level of maturity compared to existing, it is crucial to identify the main differences so that we can save time, labor and other costs in research and experimentation developers. This project aims to inform a range of platforms and existing JavaScript libraries on the market. For further investigation, a study of use cases used at this point in the market was held. To assist the work were used qualitative research methods through the existing content of research related to the area, and quantitative research methods. It was thus conducted a survey sent via email to fifty regular users of the language, platforms, and JavaScript libraries, linking the functional and non-functional characteristics of the platforms and existing use cases in the market, in order to realize what is the use of these tools in his professional life. This study allowed developers to access information that will be compared and evaluated in order to achieve a more precise evaluation of the various analyzed platforms. It was also made an evaluation of adaptation of the various platforms to the various use cases.

Relatório de estágio

No presente relatório é explanado o desenvolvimento profissional da formanda durante a prática pedagógica supervisionada em Educação Pré- Escolar (com crianças dos três aos seis anos) e na prática pedagógica supervisionada no 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico (com um grupo do 3.º ano). Neste documento, a formanda procurou descrever, analisar e refletir acerca da sua prática, evidenciando o seu desenvolvimento e dificuldades sentidas e as potencialidades do trabalho cooperativo e colaborativo. Durante as práticas pedagógicas supervisionadas a formanda mobilizou a metodologia de investigação-ação, com as suas etapas inerentes (observação, planificação, ação, avaliação e reflexão), o que possibilitou o seu desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional, ao ser desenvolvida de forma cíclica e continuada e articulando-se com a estratégia do portefólio de formação. O portefólio de formação, desenvolvido no percurso dos estágios, possibilitou a reflexão crítica por parte da formanda acerca do contexto e atividades propostas, bem como a observação e reflexão acerca do seu próprio desenvolvimento. Assim, esta formação inicial de docentes fomentou a aquisição e mobilização de competências e conhecimentos científicos, pedagógicos e didáticos, basilares para o desempenho proficiente da prática docente. Efetivamente as práticas pedagógicas supervisionadas possibilitaram à formanda a mobilização de uma postura investigativa e reflexiva, promotoras do desenvolvimento de competências e conhecimentos profissionais fundamentais e melhoria gradual da sua prática. Ressalva-se, no entanto, a importância da formação contínua da formanda, através da mobilização das características da metodologia de investigação-ação visando

Insights into cell wall synthesis and cell division in Staphylococcus aureus

Dissertation presented to obtain the Ph.D degree in Biology

How to engage low category users through social media: The case of the make-up sector in Portugal

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Atherogenesis and atherosclerosis in primary antiphospholipid syndrome

ABSTRACT: In the late seventies the term “Haematological Stress Syndrome” defined some haematological abnormalities appearing in the course of acute and chronic disorders, such as raised plasma levels of fibrinogen (FNG) and factor VIII, reduced fibrinolytic activity and hyperviscosity. In the early nineties the “Membrane stress syndrome hypothesis” proposed the unification of the concepts of haematological stress syndrome with those of oxidation, inflammation and immune activation to explain the pathogenesis of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) Antiphospholipid antibodies, coagulation, fibrinolysis and thrombosis. This chapter investigated the occurrence of the “Haematological Stress Syndrome” and thrombosis in 144 participants positive for aPL detected by clotting and immune tests. Among the clotting assays for the detection of lupus anticoagulant, dilute Russell's viper venom time better correlated with a history of venous thrombosis than activated partial thromboplastin time (p<0.0002 vs p<0.009) and was the only test correlated with a history of arterial thrombosis (p<0.01). By regression analysis, serum levels of IgG anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) associated with the number of venous occlusions (p<0.001). With regards to FNG and von Willebrand factor (vWF), the former rose by 36% (95% CI; 21%, 53%) and the latter by 50% (95% CI; 29%, 75%) at the first venous occlusion and remained unchanged after subsequent occlusions. At variance FNG rose by 45% (95% CI; 31%, 60%) per arterial occlusion and vWF by 27% (95% CI; 10%, 47%) per arterial occlusion throughout. The coagulation/fibrinolytic balance was cross-sectionally evaluated on 18 thrombotic PAPS patients, 18 subjects with persistence of idiopathic aPL and in healthy controls. Markers of thrombin generation prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1+2), thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and of fibrin turnover D-Dimer (D-D) were higher in thrombotic (p=0.006)and non-thrombotic subjects (p=0.0001) than in controls as were those of D-D (p<0.0001 and p=0.003 respectively). TAT levels did not differ. Gender analysed data revealed blunted tPA release (hence a negative venous occlusion test) in thrombotic females but neither in thrombotic males (p=0.01) nor in asymptomatic subjects of either sex. Also, in both patient groups females had higher mean PAI than males (p<0.0002) and control females (p<0.02). The activity of factor XIII (FXIIIa) was evaluated was evaluated in 29 patients with PAPS, 14 persistent carriers of aPL without thrombosis, 24 thrombotic patients with inherited thrombophilia, 28 healthy controls and 32 patients with mitral and aortic valve prosthesis as controls for FXIII only. FXIIIa was highest in PAPS (p=0.001), particularly in patients with multiple (n=12) than single occlusion (p=0.02) and in correlation with PAI (p=0.003) and FNG (p=0.005). Moreover FXIIIa was strongly associated with IgG aCL and IgG anti-2GPI (p=0.005 for both) in the PAPS group and to a lesser degree in the aPL group (FXIIIa with IgG aCL, p=0.02, with IgG anti-2GPI, p=0.04). Altogether these results indicate: 1) a differential relationship of aPL, vWF and FNG with venous and arterial thrombosis; 2) heightened thrombin generation, accelerated fibrin turnover and fibrinolysis abnormalities also in asymptomatic carriers of aPLs; 3) enhanced FXIIIa that may contribute to atherothrombosis via increased fibrin/fibrinogen cross-linking. Lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and anti-lipoprotein antibodies in thrombotic primary antiphospholipid syndrome. Given the atherogenic lipid profile of SLE, the same possibility was explored in PAPS by comparing high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (CHO), apolipoprotein AI (ApoAI), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), triglycerides (TG), anti-lipoprotein antibodies, beta-2-glycoprotein I complexed to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL-2GPI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in 34 thrombotic PAPS patients compared to 36 thrombotic patients with inherited thrombophilia (IT), to 18 subjects persistently positive for antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) with no underlying autoimmune or non-autoimmune disorders and to 28 healthy controls. Average concentrations of HDL (p<0.0001), LDL (p<0.0001), CHO (p=0.0002), ApoAI (p=0.002) were lower in PAPS whereas average TRY was higher (p=0.01) than other groups. Moreover PAPS showed higher IgG anti-HDL (p=0.01) and IgG anti-ApoAI (p<0.0001) as well as greater average oxLDL-2GPI (p=0.001) and CRP (p=0.003). Within PAPS, IgG anti-HDL correlated negatively to HDL (p=0.004) and was an independent predictor of oxLDL-2GPI (p=0.009). HDL and ApoAI correlated negatively with CRP (p=0.001 and p=0.007, respectively). IgG anti-HDL may hamper the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of HDL favouring low-grade inflammation and enhanced oxidation in thrombotic PAPS. Indeed plasma 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α (a very specific marker of lipid peroxidation) was significantly higher in 10 patients with PAPS than 10 age and sex matched healthy subjects (p=0.0002) and strongly related to the titre of plasma IgG aCL (r=0.89, p=0.0004). Hence oxidative stress, a major player in atherogenesis, also characterises PAPS. Nitric oxide and nitrative stress in thrombotic primary antiphosholipid syndrome. Oxidative stress goes hand in hand with nitrative stress and to address the latter plasma nitrotyrosine (NT, marker of nitrative stress), nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) were measured in 46 thrombotic PAPS patients, 21 asymptomatic but persistent carriers of antiphospholipid antibodies (PCaPL), 38 patients with inherited thrombophilia (IT), 33 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 29 healthy controls (CTR). Average crude NT was higher in PAPS and SLE (p=0.01) whereas average plasma NO2- was lower in PAPS and average NO3- highest in SLE (p<0.0001). In PAPS, IgG aCL titer and number of vascular occlusions negatively predicted NO2-, (p=0.03 and p=0.001, respectively) whereas arterial occlusions and smoking positively predicted NO3- (p=0.05 and p=0.005). Moreover CRP (an inflammatory marker) positively predicted NT (p=0.004). Nitric oxide metabolites relates to type and number of vascular occlusions and to aPL titers, whereas nitrative stress relates to low grade marker) positively predicted NT (p=0.004). Nitric oxide metabolites relates to type and number of vascular occlusions and to aPL titers, whereas nitrative stress relates to low grade inflammation and both phenomena may have implications for thrombosis and atherosclerosis in PAPS Inflammation and immune activation in thrombotic primary antiphospholipid syndrome. To investigate inflammation and immune activation in thrombotic PAPS high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), oxLDL-2GPI, CRP bound to oxLDL-2GPI (CRP-oxLDL-2GPI) (as inflammatory markers) neopterin (NPT) and soluble CD14 (sCD14) (as immune activation markers) were measured by ELISA in 41 PAPS patients, in 44 patients with inherited thrombophilia (IT) and 39 controls (CTR). Compared to other groups, PAPS presented with higher plasma concentrations of inflammatory, hs-CRP (p=0.0004), SAA (p<0.01), CRP-oxLDL-2GPI (p=0.0004) and immune activation markers, NPT (p<0.0001) and sCD14 (p=0.007). By regression analysis SAA independently predicted thrombosis number (p=0.003) and NPT independently predicted thrombosis type (arterial, p=0.03) and number (p=0.04). These data confirm that low-grade inflammation and immune activation occur and relate to vascular features of PAPS. Antiphosholipid antibodies, haemostatic variables and atherosclerosis in thrombotic primary antiphospholipid syndrome To evaluate whether IgG aCL titre, haemostatic variables and the lipid profile bore any relationship to the intima media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries high-resolution sonography was applied to the common carotid (CC), carotid bifurcation (CB) and internal carotid (IC) of 42 aPL subjects, 29 with primary thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome and 13 with persistence of aPL in the absence of any underlying disorder. The following were measured: plasma FNG, vWF, PAI, homocysteine (HC), CHO, TG, HDL, LDL, platelet numbers and aCL of IgG and IgM isotype. By multiple regression analysis, IgG aCL titre independently predicted IMT at all carotid segments examined (p always <0.005). Plasma FNG and HC independently predicted IMT at the CB (p=0.001 and p<0.0001, respectively) and IC (p=0.03 and p<0.0001, respectively). These data strongly support an atherogenic role for IgG aCL in patients with aPL in addition to traditional risk factors. The atherosclerosis hypothesis was investigated in an age and sex-matched case-double-control study including 49 thrombotic PAPS patients (18 M, 31 F, mean age 37 ± 11), 49 thrombotic patients for IT and 49 healthy subjects. Average IMT was always greater in PAPS than control patients (CC: p=0.004, CB: p=0.013, IC: p=0.001). By dividing participants into age tertiles the IMT was greater in the second (CC: p=0.003, CB: p=0.023, IC: p=0.003) and third tertiles (CC: p=0.03, CB: p=0.004, IC: p=0.007). Conclusion: Coagulation activation, fibrinolysis depression, hightened fibrin turnover, oxidative and nitrative stress in parallel with low grade inflammation and immune activation characterise thrombotic PAPS: all these are early atherogenic processes and contribute to the demonstrated premature atherosclerosis that should be considered a clinical feature of PAPS.

A cross-cultural study on the effect of decimal separator on price perception

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

A technology diffusion perspective of Enterprise Resource Planning across European Small and Medium Enterprises: from determinants to Use to Value

Tese apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Gestão de Informação

Things we see: Portuguese anthropology on material culture

Part of the objects that anthropologists can now find in Lisbon result from the existence of networks with rather diverse historical, social and cultural origins, linking Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil and Portugal, as well as the countries which have attracted all these countries’ diasporas. The publishing of papers by Portuguese and Brazilian anthropologists in this dossier dedicated to consumption might come to generate a productive collaboration between researchers from both countries, which for over five centuries have seen arriving from the other side of the Atlantic strange objects that, in turn, have taken the routes of the diasporas mentioned above, from luxurious and whimsical items as the indigenous leaders’ feathers and the carriages of the Portuguese royalty, to common and irreplaceable goods as the havaianas.

Qualidade de vida relacionada com a saúde em doentes com lúpus eritematoso sistémico neuropsiquiátrico em Portugal

RESUMO - Este estudo tem como objetivo principal analisar o impacto do lúpus eritematoso sistémico (LES) na qualidade de vida relacionada com a saúde num grupo de doentes portugueses, através de instrumentos genéricos. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, onde os instrumentos de colheita de dados foram o EQ-5D-3L e o SF-36 v.2, aplicados no decorrer de 2012, sendo a população constituída por 116 doentes com LES-NP, inscritos na Unidade de Doenças Autoimunes do Hospital Curry Cabral, Lisboa. Todos os doentes preencheram os critérios revistos ACR de 97 para a classificação de LES. Dos 116 doentes, 104 eram mulheres (89,7%) e 12 homens (10,3%). A idade média da amostra é de 46 anos. Os indivíduos apresentam um critério ACR médio de 5,0, um índice SLICC/ACR (SDI) médio de 0,6 (± 1,1) e uma duração média de doença de 13 anos, onde 50% dos participantes indica ser portador de LES pelo menos há 11 anos. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram que a qualidade de vida relacionada com a saúde no LES varia em função de determinadas características demográficas dos doentes como são o caso da idade e o sexo, relacionando-se também com a duração da doença e o índice de irreversibilidade de lesão, nalgumas dimensões do EQ-5D-3L e SF-36. Estes dois instrumentos genéricos apresentam forte associação em todas as suas dimensões. Um achado relevante, prende-se com o facto de o LES apresentar uma pior qualidade de vida relacionada com a saúde em relação a outras doenças crónicas comparáveis.

Writing/erasing 3D micro and nano wrinkles in flexible elastomers for volatile organic compounds sensor

Micro/nano wrinkled patterns on cross-linked urethane/urea polymeric flexible free standing films with two soft segments, polypropylene oxide and polybutadiene, can be induced by UV-irradiation. The ability to write/erase these 3D structures, in a controlled manner, is the main focus of this work. The imprinting of the wrinkled structures was accomplished by swelling in an appropriate solvent followed by drying the membranes after the cross-linking process and UV irradiation. The surface tailoring of the elastomeric membranes was imaged by optical microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy and by atomic force microscopy. To erase the wrinkled structures the elastomers were swollen. The swelling as well as the sol/gel fraction and the UV radiation were tuned in order to control the wrinkles characteristics. It was found that the wrinkles wavelength, in the order of microns (1±0,25μm), was stamped by the UV radiation intensity and exposure time while the wrinkles' amplitude, in the order of nanometers (150-450 nm), was highly dependent on the swelling and sol/gel fraction. A prototype for volatile organic compounds detection was developed taking advantage of the unique 3D micro/nano wrinkles features.