Solar XXI building PV systems: performance during the first two yeras of operation

The purpose of this paper is to present the results obtained in the first two years of operation of the grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems installed in the named “Solar XXI” building. One PV system, made with multicrystalline silicon modules, has a peak power of 12 kW and was installed on the façade; another system made with amorphous silicon modules has a peak power of 6 kW and was installed in the surrounding park area near the building. From 1st February 2006 until 31 July 2008, the measured daily average, of the building electrical energy consumption, was about 75 kWh and the two PV systems produced in average about 72 % of this energy. The averaged measured Performance Ratio of the systems was about 0.84 for the PV Façade and about 0.76 for the PV in the Park

Effects of Mirror Therapy on the upper Limb Functionality: A study on the perception of Occupational Therapists

With the visual illusion of the mirror, Mirror Therapy, models the primary somatosensory cortex, cortical and muscular excitability, stimulating cortical reorganization and sensorimotor recovery. Studies have shown to be effective in improving motor function in short and medium term, in activities of daily living, in visuospatial neglect and in reducing pain, especially in patients with complex regional pain syndrome. Objective: To report the perception of Occupational Therapists regarding the application of Mirror Therapy in professional practice. Specifically, what factors lead to its application, what are the effects and benefits of the technique, what are its advantages and limitations. Results: In the perception of Occupational Therapists, the Mirror Therapy technique has the following benefits: significant decrease in pain, improved sensitivity and functionality of the upper limb, unblocking movements in the affected limb, decreased phantom pain; as negative aspects: difficulties in spatial / environmental control, patient's perceptual / cognitive skills, high level of concentration / attention, absence of scientific evidence in neurological conditions. Conclusion: For the interviewed Occupational Therapists, the Mirror Therapy is a safe and useful technique to be applied in your professional practice that has been showing positive results in the functional recovery of patients, however, it lacks studies that identify the appropriate time to start its application and the explanation of an intervention protocol

Modelling and studies of the spectral response of some optoelectronic components

Solar radiation takes in today's world, an increasing importance. Different devices are used to carry out spectral and integrated measurements of solar radiation. Thus the sensors can be divided into the fallow types: Calorimetric, Thermomechanical, Thermoelectric and Photoelectric. The first three categories are based on components converting the radiation to temperature (or heat) and then into electrical quantity. On the other hand, the photoelectric sensors are based on semiconductor or optoelectronic elements that when irradiated change their impedance or generate a measurable electric signal. The response function of the sensor element depends not only on the intensity of the radiation but also on its wavelengths. The radiation sensors most widely used fit in the first categories, but thanks to the reduction in manufacturing costs and to the increased integration of electronic systems, the use of the photoelectric-type sensors became more interesting. In this work we present a study of the behavior of different optoelectronic sensor elements. It is intended to verify the static response of the elements to the incident radiation. We study the optoelectronic elements using mathematical models that best fit their response as a function of wavelength. As an input to the model, the solar radiation values are generated with a radiative transfer model. We present a modeling of the spectral response sensors of other types in order to compare the behavior of optoelectronic elements with other sensors currently in use.The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” (FCT – Portugal), through the Doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/108484/2015. The work is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, included in the COMPETE 2020 (Operational Program Competitiveness and Internationalization) through the ICT project (UID / GEO / 04683/2013) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-432 007690

Solar Radiation: Study and creation of support platform to design a solar radiation sensor

Este trabalho introduz a teoria da instrumentação virtual descrevendo os principais componentes desta. É detalhada a implementação de um instrumento virtual e uma base de dados associada que permitem obter uma estimativa de variáveis ambientais para qualquer ponto do globo e qualquer altura do ano. Este instrumento - Environment simulator – permite fornecer dados ambientais necessários a simulação da radiação solar. Para explicar a implementação da plataforma de apoio introduzem-se noções relativas à radiação solar, à relação entre o planeta Terra e o sol. É considerada a radiação solar espectral bem como os principais componentes óticos atmosféricos que com ela interagem. Apresentam-se formulações e aproximações dos coeficientes de extinção e dispersão na atmosfera que levam ao cálculo da radiação solar espectral direta, difusa e global. Por fim, validam-se os resultados através da comparação com valores registados durante a campanha de observações ALEX2014.The first author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” (FCT – Portugal), through the Doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/108484/2015. The work is co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, included in the COMPETE 2020 (Operational Program Competitiveness and Internationalization) through the ICT project (UID / GEO / 04683/2013) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-432 007690,and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT, project EXPL/GEO-MET/1422/2013: ALqueva hydro-meteorologica EXperiment, ALEX 2014, co-funded by the FEDER, reference COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-041840)

Sensitivity analysis of atmospheric spectral irradiance model

Many Radiative Transfer Models (RTM) have been developed to simulate and estimate solar irradiance. Theirs accuracy is well documents in literature nonetheless the effect of the parameters uncertainties on the established models has not been well studied yet. This work focuses on implementing a RTM based on the models found in the literature along with some updates, with the aim to study the sensitivity of the model towards the variations of the input parameters. The parameters studied in this paper are: the day of the year, the solar zenith angle, the local atmospheric pressure, the local temperature, the relative humidity, the height of ozone layer concentration, the ozone concentration, the single scattering albedo, the ground albedo, the Ångström’s exponent and the aerosol optical depth. The sensibility analysis is achieved using the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) as an independent function, calculated with a set of simulated measurements of spectral global solar irradiance and a reference spectrum generated with a group of standard input parameters

A GEP-ISFG collaborative study on the optimization of an X-STR decaplex: data on 15 Iberian and Latin American populations

Abstract In a collaborative work carried out by the Spanish and Portuguese ISFG Working Group (GEPISFG), a polymerase chain reaction multiplex was optimized in order to type ten X-chromosome short tandem repeats (STRs) in a single reaction, including: DXS8378, DXS9902, DXS7132, DXS9898, DXS6809, DXS6789 DXS7133, GATA172D05, GATA31E08, and DXS7423. Using this X-decaplex, each 17 of the participating laboratories typed a population sample of approximately 200 unrelated individuals (100 males and 100 females). In this work, we report the allele frequencies for the ten XSTRs in 15 samples from Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Río Negro, Entre Ríos, and Misiones), Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, and Mato Grosso do Sul), Colombia (Antioquia), Costa Rica, Portugal (Northern and Central regions), and Spain (Galicia and Cantabria). Gene diversities were calculated for the ten markers in each population and all values were above 56%. The average diversity per locus varied between 66%, for DXS7133, and 82%, for DXS6809. For this set of STRs, a high discrimination power was obtained in all populations, both in males (≥1 in 5×105) and females (≥1 in 3×109), as well as high mean exclusion chance in father/daughter duos (≥99.953%) and in father/mother/daughter trios (≥99.999%). Genetic distance analysis showed no significant differences between northern and central Portugal or between the two Spanish samples from Galicia and Cantabria. Inside Brazil, significant differences were found between Rio de Janeiro and the other three populations, as well as between São Paulo and Paraná. For the five Argentinean samples, significant distances were only observed when comparing Misiones with Entre Ríos and with Río Negro, the only two samples that do not differ significantly from Costa Rica. Antioquia differed from all other samples, except the one from Río Negro.Fil: Gusmão, Leonor. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Sánchez Diz, Paula. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Alves, Cíntia. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Gomes, Iva. Universidad de Porto; PortugalFil: Zarrabeitia, María Teresa. Universidad de Cantabria; EspañaFil: Abovich, Mariel. Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Banco Nacional de Datos Genéticos; ArgentinaFil: Atmetlla, Ivannia. Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos y Moleculares; Costa RicaFil: Bobillo, Maria Cecilia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Servicio de Huellas Digitales Genéticas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Bravo, Luisa. Laboratorio Genes; ColombiaFil: Builes, Juan. Laboratorio Genes; ColombiaFil: Cainé, Laura. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal; PortugalFil: Calvo, Raquel. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Carvalho, Elizeu. Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Carvalho, Mónica. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal; PortugalFil: Cicarelli, Regina. Universidade Estadual Paulista; BrasilFil: Catelli, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Corach, Daniel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Servicio de Huellas Digitales Genéticas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Espinoza, Marta. Unidad de Genética Forense; Costa RicaFil: García Monasterio, Óscar. Area de Laboratorio Ertzaintza; EspañaFil: Malaghini, Marcelo. Laboratorio Frischmann Aisengart ; BrasilFil: Martins, Joyce. Universidade Estadual Paulista; BrasilFil: Pinheiro, Fátima. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal; PortugalFil: Porto, Maria João. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal; PortugalFil: Raimondi, Eduardo Humberto. Fundación Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Riancho, Jose Antonio. Universidad de Cantabria; EspañaFil: Rodríguez, Amelia. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Rodríguez, Anayanci. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Rodríguez Cardozo, Belén. Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Banco Nacional de Datos Genéticos; ArgentinaFil: Schneider, Vicente. Laboratorio Frischmann Aisengart; BrasilFil: Silva, Sandra. Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos y Moleculares; Costa RicaFil: Tavares, Celso. Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Toscanini, Ulises Faustino. Fundación Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Vullo, Carlos. No especifíca;Fil: Whittle, Martin. Genomic Engenharia Molecular; BrasilFil: Yurrebaso, Iñaki. Laboratorio Ertzaintza; EspañaFil: Carracedo, Ángel. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Amorim, António. Universidad de Porto; Portuga

Global Spatial Risk Assessment of Sharks Under the Footprint of Fisheries

Effective ocean management and conservation of highly migratory species depends on resolving overlap between animal movements and distributions and fishing effort. Yet, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach combining satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively) and were also associated with significant increases in fishing effort. We conclude that pelagic sharks have limited spatial refuge from current levels of high-seas fishing effort. Results demonstrate an urgent need for conservation and management measures at high-seas shark hotspots and highlight the potential of simultaneous satellite surveillance of megafauna and fishers as a tool for near-real time, dynamic management

Gi/o-protein coupled receptors in the aging brain

Cells translate extracellular signals to regulate processes such as differentiation, metabolism and proliferation, via transmembranar receptors. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) belong to the largest family of transmembrane receptors, with over 800 members in the human species. Given the variety of key physiological functions regulated by GPCRs, these are main targets of existing drugs. During normal aging, alterations in the expression and activity of GPCRs have been observed. The central nervous system (CNS) is particularly affected by these alterations, which results in decreased brain functions, impaired neuroregeneration, and increased vulnerability to neuropathologies, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson diseases. GPCRs signal via heterotrimeric G proteins, such as Go, the most abundant heterotrimeric G protein in CNS. We here review age-induced effects of GPCR signaling via the Gi/o subfamily at the CNS. During the aging process, a reduction in protein density is observed for almost half of the Gi/o-coupled GPCRs, particularly in age-vulnerable regions such as the frontal cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra and striatum. Gi/o levels also tend to decrease with aging, particularly in regions such as the frontal cortex. Alterations in the expression and activity of GPCRs and coupled G proteins result from altered proteostasis, peroxidation of membranar lipids and age-associated neuronal degeneration and death, and have impact on aging hallmarks and age-related neuropathologies. Further, due to oligomerization of GPCRs at the membrane and their cooperative signaling, down-regulation of a specific Gi/o-coupled GPCR may affect signaling and drug targeting of other types/subtypes of GPCRs with which it dimerizes. Gi/o-coupled GPCRs receptorsomes are thus the focus of more effective therapeutic drugs aiming to prevent or revert the decline in brain functions and increased risk of neuropathologies at advanced ages.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Centro 2020 and Portugal 2020, the COMPETE program, QREN, and the European Union (FEDER program) via the GoBack project (PTDC/CVT-CVT/32261/2017), the pAGE program (Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000003), and Institute for Biomedicine iBiMED (UID/BIM/04501/2013; UID/BIM/04501/2019).publishe