A Multiple Criteria Utility-based Approa h for the Unit Commitment with Wind Power and Pumped Storage Hydro

The integration of wind power in eletricity generation brings new challenges to unit commitment due to the random nature of wind speed. For this particular optimisation problem, wind uncertainty has been handled in practice by means of conservative stochastic scenario-based optimisation models, or through additional operating reserve settings. However, generation companies may have different attitudes towards operating costs, load curtailment, or waste of wind energy, when considering the risk caused by wind power variability. Therefore, alternative and possibly more adequate approaches should be explored. This work is divided in two main parts. Firstly we survey the main formulations presented in the literature for the integration of wind power in the unit commitment problem (UCP) and present an alternative model for the wind-thermal unit commitment. We make use of the utility theory concepts to develop a multi-criteria stochastic model. The objectives considered are the minimisation of costs, load curtailment and waste of wind energy. Those are represented by individual utility functions and aggregated in a single additive utility function. This last function is adequately linearised leading to a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) model that can be tackled by general-purpose solvers in order to find the most preferred solution. In the second part we discuss the integration of pumped-storage hydro (PSH) units in the UCP with large wind penetration. Those units can provide extra flexibility by using wind energy to pump and store water in the form of potential energy that can be generated after during peak load periods. PSH units are added to the first model, yielding a MILP model with wind-hydro-thermal coordination. Results showed that the proposed methodology is able to reflect the risk profiles of decision makers for both models. By including PSH units, the results are significantly improved.

Heuristics and policies for online pickup and delivery problems

Master Thesis

Estágio Curricular na Empresa Steelgreen S.A.

O presente relatório visa documentar a aplicação das competências adquiridas academicamente em ambiente empresarial, sob a forma de estágio curricular que decorreu na Steelgreen, S.A., que surgiu de uma parceria entre o Grupo Domingos Da Silva Teixeira (DST) e Ferlito – Ferros do Litoral, S.A.. O tema predominante deste documento será o aço, uma vez que a empresa se dedica ao corte e moldagem de armaduras. Inicialmente, será efetuada uma breve apresentação da empresa, descrevendo a sua metodologia de trabalho, pormenorizando-se todos os procedimentos executados desde a receção da matéria-prima até à sua expedição. O estágio curricular decorreu principalmente no âmbito do Departamento de Produção. Assim, neste documento enquadrar-se-á a principal atividade a cargo deste: a produção industrial. Serão explicados todos os procedimentos executados durante o processo de conceção das encomendas. A comercialização do aço requer que uma série de requisitos legais sejam cumpridos. Um capítulo deste documento será dedicado ao enquadramento desta matéria-prima na legislação em vigor. Para finalizar, serão descritos todos os trabalhos solicitados no decorrer do estágio curricular, expondo todos os procedimentos executados para atingir o objetivo proposto.

Reframing reverse logistics, reducing costs

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 presunção de inocência nas fases preliminares do processo penal

This study analyses the principle of presumption of innocence in the preliminary stages of the Portuguese criminal process, its procedural aspect related with the principle of in dubio pro reo and its material aspect concerning the treatment of the defendant during the proceedings. The consequences and manifestations of the principle of presumption of innocence are analysed in the decisions of the closing stages of the preliminary criminal procedure and the application of the principle of in dubio pro reo is analysed in the judgement of sufficiency of evidence for the procedure to continue. It addresses the question of circumstantial evidence, its particular relevance in economic and financial crime, highly organized crime, the grounds for the indictment in general and when the sufficiency of evidence criteria is based on that evidence. It analyses the scope of the principle of presumption of innocence in the application of coercive measures, with reference to the arrest, first interrogation of the accused under detention and reasons for the subsequent dispatch about the measures. The asset assurance measures of preventive seizure and the preventive seizure to ensure confiscation are analysed and principle of presumption of innocence is considered non applicable to those measures.

Relatório de estágio no departamento central de investigação e acção penal

The means of obtaining evidence, the amount of evidence obtained, the number of defendants related to each criminal case and the gravity of the crimes for which the magistrates of the Department are holders of penal action, define its real importance to the Rule of Law. I have deeply studied the subject of the institution of hierarchical intervention required by the assistant and the application of an opening statement by the defendant, starting from a hypothetical case, provided when the query of an investigation with the subject of the crime of active corruption, where this institution was called as a reaction to the archiving dispatch delivered by the Public Ministry. I have study about the implementation of the institution of provisional suspension of the process, specifically in the scope of fiscal criminality, analyzing the effective satisfaction of the purposes of the sentences in two slopes: general prevention and special prevention. I went for my first time to a Central Court of Criminal Instruction, where I attended the measures of inquiry and instructive debate of a process that culminated with the prosecution and pronunciation of the defendants. In addition to this criminal experience, I have deepened and consolidated the academic knowledge with the study of various criminal cases from various fields in the scope of criminality investigated by the Department. I could therefore check the basis of procedural delays, regarding to our legal system, especially in this type of crime, raising issues that I analyzed and discussed, always in a critical and academic way. I had the opportunity to attend and witness a seminar in the Lisbon Directorate of Finance as well of entering the Centre for Judicial Studies to attend a conference on the International Anti-Corruption Day. Focus on the investigatory importance of the international judicial cooperation, through the various organs, with special interest to EUROJUST. I comprehended the organization and functioning of these communitarian organs and means of communication of procedural acts, in particular, the rogatory letters and european arrest warrants. This involvement is motivated by the moratorium factor of the investigations where rogatory letters are necessary for the acquisition of evidence or information relevant to the good continuation of the process. For this reason the judicial cooperation through the relevant communitarian organs, translates a streamlined response between the competent judicial authorities of the Member States, through the National Member that integrates EUROJUST. This report aims to highlight some of the difficulties and procedural issues that Public Prosecutors of DCIAP and criminal police bodies that assist them, face in combating violent and organized crime, of national and transnational nature, of particular complexity, according to the specifics of criminal types.

Relatório de atividade profissional

Dissertação de mestrado em Ciências - Formação Contínua de Professores (área de especialização em Biologia e Geologia)

Newtonize this!: um jogo de computador para auxiliar os alunos do Ensino Básico e Secundário no estudo da Mecânica

Relatório da atividade profissional de mestrado em Ciências - Formação Contínua de Professores (área de especialização em Física e Química)

Relatório de atividade profissional

Relatório de atividade profissional de mestrado em Ciências – Formação Contínua de Professores (área de especialização em Física e Química)

Proportion of out of hospital adult non traumatic cardiac arrest presenting as a convulsion

Introduction: The majority of convulsions are due to an epilepticseizure or a convulsive syncope. In some cases, this is the firstsymptom of an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OH-CA).Objective: This study was aimed to measure the proportion of adultnon traumatic OH-CA presenting as a convulsion.Methodology: We prospectively collected all incoming calls with anout-of-hospital non traumatic seizure as the chief complaint in patients>18 years during a 24-months period. Among these calls, we collectedcases identified as OH-CA by paramedics.Results: During the 24-months period, the EMS dispatch centerreceived 561 calls for an out-of-hospital non traumatic convulsion in anadult. Twelve cases were ultimately classified as CA. In this group, onebystander spontaneously reported that the patient was known forepilepsy. The incidence of OH-CA presenting as convulsions wastherefore 2.1% of all calls for convulsion. Over the same period, theEMS dispatch center received 1035 calls related to an adult nontraumatic OH-CA. Therefore the rate of OH-CA presenting as aconvulsion represented 1.2% of all adult non traumatic OH-CA.Conclusion: Only 12 cases out of the 531 calls for non traumatic adultconvulsions were confirmed OH-CA (2.1%). Nevertheless, this unusualpresentation of OH-CA must be recognized by dispatchers, even whena patient is reported by bystander as a known epileptic. Dispatchersshould keep bystanders on line or call them back before paramedics'arrival, and have them confirm the progressive return of a normalpattern of breathing and state of consciousness; if not, they shouldencourage when necessary bystander to initiate CPR. For dispatchers,a past medical history of epilepsy should not be regarded as sufficientinformation to rule-out OH-CA. It is mandatory that known epilepticpatients should be monitored in the same way as non-epileptic patients.

Incidenceof out-of-hospital adult nontraumatic cardiac arrest presenting as a convulsion

Introduction: The majority of convulsions are due to an epileptic seizure or a convulsive syncope. The incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OH-CA) presenting as a convulsion is unknown. Objective: This study aimed to measure the incidence of adult nontraumatic OH-CA presenting as a convulsion, a rate that has not been published so far, to the best of our knowledge. Methods: We prospectively collected all incoming calls with an out-of-hospital nontraumatic seizure as the chief complaint in patients >18 years old during a 24-month period. Among these calls, we collected cases identified as OH-CA by paramedics. Results: During the 24-month period, the emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch center received 561 calls for an out-of-hospital nontraumatic convulsion in an adult. Twelve cases were ultimately classified as CA. In this group, one bystander spontaneously reported that the patient was known for epilepsy. The incidence of OH-CA presenting as convulsions was therefore 2.1% of all calls for convulsion. Over the same period, the EMS dispatch center received 1,035 calls related to an adult nontraumatic OH-CA. Therefore, the rate of OH-CA presenting as a convulsion represented 1.2% of all adult nontraumatic OH-CA. Conclusion:L Only 12 cases out of the 531 calls for nontraumatic adult convulsions were confirmed OHCA (2.1%). Nevertheless, this unusual presentation of OH-CA must be recognized by dispatchers, even when a patient is reported by bystander as a known epileptic. Dispatchers should keep bystanders on the line or call them back before paramedics' arrival, and have them confirm the progressive return of a normal pat- tern of breathing and state of consciousness; if not, they should encourage the bystander to initiate CPR when necessary. An intervention should be implemented to improve the detection by dispatchers of OH-CA presenting as convulsion by the development of a specific interview and directed observation. For dispatchers, a past medical history of epilepsy should not be regarded as sufficient information to rule out OH-CA. It is mandatory that known epileptic patients should be monitored in the same way as nonepileptic patients.

Genetic diversity of Toscana virus

Distribution of Toscana virus (TOSV) is evolving with climate change, and pathogenicity may be higher in nonexposed populations outside areas of current prevalence (Mediterranean Basin). To characterize genetic diversity of TOSV, we determined the coding sequences of isolates from Spain and France. TOSV is more diverse than other well-studied phleboviruses (e.g.,Rift Valley fever virus).

Why bystanders decline telephone cardiac resuscitation advice.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate and reason for refusal of telephone-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) instruction by bystanders after the implementation of the dispatch center's systematic telephone CPR protocol. METHODS: Over a 15-month period the authors prospectively collected all case records from the emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch center when CPR had been proposed to the bystander calling in and recorded the reason for declining or not performing that the bystander spontaneously mentioned. All pediatric and adult traumatic and nontraumatic cases were included. Situations when resuscitation had been spontaneously initiated by bystanders were excluded. RESULTS: During the study period, dispatchers proposed CPR on 264 occasions: 232 adult nontraumatic cases, 17 adult traumatic cases, and 15 pediatric (traumatic and nontraumatic) cases. The proposal was accepted in 163 cases (61.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 54.6% to 66.5%), and CPR was eventually performed in 134 cases (51%, 95% CI = 43.2% to 55.3%). In 35 of the cases where resuscitation was not carried out, the condition of the patient or conditions at the scene made this decision medically appropriate. Of the remaining 95 cases, 55 were due to physical limitations of the caller, and 33 were due to emotional distress. CONCLUSIONS: The telephone CPR acceptance rate of 62% in this study is comparable to those of other similar studies. Because bystanders' physical condition is one of the keys to success, the rate may not improve as the population ages.

La chaîne des secours: le modèle vaudois [An efficient example of a Swiss pre-hospital chain of survival: the state of Vaud model].

The state of Vaud model of the pre-hospital chain of survival is an example of an efficient way to deal with pre-hospital emergencies. It revolves around a centrally located dispatch center managing emergencies according to specific key words, allowing dispatchers to send out resources among which we find general practitioners, ambulances, physician staffed fast response cars or physician staffed helicopters and specific equipment. The Vaud pre-hospital chain of survival has been tailored according to geographical, demographical and political necessities. It undergoes constant reassessment and needs continuous adaptations to the ever changing demographics and epidemiology of pre-hospital medicine.

Linking Real Time and Location in Scheduling Demand-Responsive Transit, September 1996

The role of rural demand-responsive transit is changing, and with that change is coming an increasing need for technology. As long as rural transit was limited to a type of social service transportation for a specific set of clients who primarily traveled in groups to common meal sites, work centers for the disabled, or clinics in larger communities, a preset calendar augmented by notes on a yellow legal pad was sufficient to develop schedules. Any individual trips were arranged at least 24 to 48 hours ahead of time and were carefully scheduled the night before in half-hour or twenty-minute windows by a dispatcher who knew every lane in the service area. Since it took hours to build the schedule, any last-minute changes could wreak havoc with the plans and raise the stress level in the dispatch office. Nevertheless, given these parameters, a manual scheduling system worked for a small demand-responsive operation.