The Impacts of Battery Electric Vehicles on the Power Grid: A Monte Carlo Method Approach

Balancing energy demand and supply will become an even greater challenge considering the ongoing transition from traditional fuel to electric vehicles (EV). The management of this task will heavily depend on the pace of the adoption of light-duty EVs. Electric vehicles have seen their market share increase worldwide; the same is happening in Portugal, partly because the government has kept incentives for consumers to purchase EVs, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequent shift to EVs entails various challenges for the distribution network, including coping with the expected growing demand for power. This article addresses this concern by presenting a case study of an area comprising 20 municipalities in Northern Portugal, for which battery electric vehicles (BEV) sales and their impact on distribution networks are estimated within the 2030 horizon. The power required from the grid is estimated under three BEV sales growth deterministic scenarios based on a daily consumption rate resulting from the combination of long- and short-distance routes. A Monte Carlo computational simulation is run to account for uncertainty under severe EV sales growth. The analysis is carried out considering three popular BEV models in Portugal, namely the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model 3, and Renault Zoe. Their impacts on the available power of the distribution network are calculated for peak and off-peak hours. The results suggest that the current power grid capacity will not cope with demand increases as early as 2026. The modeling approach could be replicated in other regions with adjusted parameters.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Supersymmetric generalization of the tensor matter fields

The supersymmetric generalization of a recently proposed abelian axial gauge model with antisymmetric tensor matter fields is presented

Energy-saving wastewater treatment systems : formulation of cost functions

Natural interactions between water, soil, atmosphere, plants and microorganisms include physical, chemical and biological processes with decontaminating capacities. Natural or energy-saving wastewater treatment systems utilize these processes and thereby enable a sustainable management in the field of wastewater treatment, offering low investment and operation costs, little or no energy consumption, little and low-skill labor requirements, good landscape integration and excellent feasibility for small settlements, especially when remote from centralized sewer systems. The objective of this work is the development of cost functions for investment and operation of energysaving wastewater treatment technologies. Cost functions are essential for making cost estimations based on a very reduced number of variables. The latter are easily identified and quantified and have a direct bearing on the costs in question. The formulated investment and operation cost functions follow a power law, and the costs decrease with the increase of the population served. The different energy-saving wastewater treatment systems serving small population settlements, between 50 p.e. and 250 p.e., present associated investment costs varying from 400 e/p.e. to 200 e/p.e. and annual operation costs in the range of 70 €/p.e. to 20 €/p.e., respectively.(undefined

The psychometric properties of the person-centered therapeutic relationship in physiotherapy scale

[EN] Objective To determine the psychometric properties of the Person-Centered Therapeutic Relationship in Physiotherapy Scale (PCTR-PT) in order to find the most appropriate fit for the tool. Methods Patients who had received treatment at the physiotherapy service of nine hospitals in Spain were invited to complete the 31 items of the PCTR-PT scale. To select the most appropriate items of the PCTR-PT, an exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) was performed using the maximum likelihood and oblique rotation (promin) methods. Factor validity, goodness-of-fit and psychometric properties were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent (CFA) and discriminant validity were calculated. Internal consistency was verified using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to examine temporal stability. Results 366 patients over 18 years old who had received, at least, 15 physiotherapy treatment sessions completed the questionnaire. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed a tool with 15 items in four factors [Relational Bond (N items = 4); Individualized Partnership (N items = 4); Professional Empowerment (N items = 3) and Therapeutic Communication (N items = 4)], explaining 78.4% of the variance of the total variables of this tool. The confirmatory factor analysis further confirmed the four-structure model. Reliability of the tool was approved by Cronbach's alpha in all four dimensions, as all were above .70, ranging from .84 (Individualized Partnership) to .91 (Professional Empowerment). = 0.94. Test-retest was performed with two-week intervals, indicating an appropriate stability for the scale (ICC = 0.900). Conclusion The Person-Centered Therapeutic Relationship in Physiotherapy Scale (PCTR-PT) is a useful, valid and applicable instrument to evaluate the person-centered therapeutic relationship during physiotherapy interventions. It would be interesting to investigate the predictive capacity (sensitivity and specificity) of the PCTR-PT scale.SIAuthors JMB, ORN, are recipients of a grant from CEU Cardenal Herrera University (www. uchceu.es) and the San Pablo University-Santander Foundation (FUSP). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Unlocking the in vitroanti- inflammatory and antidiabetic potential of Polygonum maritimum

Context: Several Polygonum species (Polygonaceae) are used in traditional medicine in Asia, Europe and Africa to treat inflammation and diabetes. Objective: Evaluate the in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic potential of methanol and dichloromethane extracts of leaves and roots of the halophyte Polygonum maritimum L. Material and methods: Antioxidant activity was determined (up to 1mg/mL) as radical-scavenging activity (RSA) of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), copper (CCA) and iron (ICA) chelating activities and iron reducing power (FRAP). NO production was measured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages for 24 h at concentrations up to 100 mu g/mL and antidiabetic potential was assessed by alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition (up to 10 g/mL) assays. The phytochemical composition of the extracts was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The methanol leaf extract had the highest activity against DPPH center dot (IC50 = 26 mu g/mL) and ABTS1(+)center dot (IC50 = 140 mu g FRAP (IC50 = 48 mu g/mL) and CCA (IC50 = 770 mu g/mL). Only the dichloromethane leaf extract (LDCM) showed anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 = 48 mu g/mL). The methanol root (IC50 = 19 mu g/mL) and leaf (IC50 = 29 mu g/mL) extracts strongly inhibited baker's yeast alpha-glucosidase, but LDCM had higher rat's alpha-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 2527 mu g/mL) than acarbose (IC50 = 4638 mu g/mL). GC-MS analysis identified beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, 1-octacosanol and linolenic acid as possible molecules responsible for the observed bioactivities. Conclusions: Our findings suggest P. maritimum as a source of high-value health promoting commodities for alleviating symptoms associated with oxidative and inflammatory diseases, including diabetes.XtremeBio project - Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [PTDC/MAR-EST/4346/2012]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [CCMAR/Multi/04326/ 2013, IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BPD/86071/2012, UID/Multi/00612/2013

Life cycle assessment of wastewater treatment options for small and decentralized communities : energy-saving systems versus activated sludge

There are several methodologies that enable direct comparison of centralized and decentralized sewage treatment systems, both in economical and ecological view. One of the latter is the so-called Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA), which accounts for the environmental impacts of a product, service, or process over the course of its life cycle. Assessed environmental impacts generally include consumption of land, energy, water, and other resources as well as the release of substances (harmful and beneficial) into air, water, and soil. LCA is largely quantitative in nature and thus can help in selecting strategies that solve environmental problems rather than merely shifting them back and forth. In the present study, an LCA comparison of several treatment processes for small and decentralized communities is made. The LCA focused on the construction, operation and disassembling phases of two energy-saving or natural systems (constructed wetland and slow rate infiltration) and a conventional one (activated sludge). The lower environmental impact of natural wastewaters treatment plants was clearly demonstrated using several ecologic indicators (e.g.: Global warming), confirming that decentralized technologies are advantageous, mainly because they require less resources

Liver abscess due to Salmonella enteritidis in a returned traveler with HIV infection: case report and review of the literature

Os pacientes com infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana (VIH) apresentam maior frequência de bacteremia associada a Salmonella não-typhi. Porém, complicações focais têm sido raramente descritas. Os autores relatam um caso de abscesso hepático devido a Salmonella enteritidis em paciente com infecção pelo VIH que retornou recentemente a São Paulo de uma viagem pelo Caribe. Após drenagem percutânea do abscesso e tratamento antimicrobiano, observou-se melhora clínica e radiológica. Segundo nossa revisão, este é o primeiro caso descrito de abscesso hepático por Salmonella não-typhi em paciente com infecção pelo VIH no Brasil.Bacteremia due to non-typhi Salmonella is more frequent in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, focal complications have been rarely described. We report a case of liver abscess due to Salmonella enteritidis in an HIV-infected patient who recently returned to Sao Paulo, Brazil, from a trip in the Caribbean. A good clinical and radiological response was seen with both percutaneous catheter drainage and antibiotic treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first culture proven case of non-typhi Salmonellaliver abscess in an HIV-infected patient in Brazil

Seasonal variations of the nutritive value and phytotherapeutic potential of Cladium mariscus L. (Pohl.) targeting ruminant’s production

In our endeavor to identify salt-tolerant plants with potential veterinary uses in ruminants' production strategies, we focused on Cladium mariscus L. Pohl (sawgrass), due to its high total phenolic and tannin content, anti-radical properties, and ethnomedicinal uses. Aerial parts were collected along the year in Southern Portugal and evaluated for the nutritional profile and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), aiming for its use as feed. Acetone extracts were appraised for total contents in phenolics (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and tannins (CTC), as well as the chemical composition by HPLC-DAD and in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, targeting its exploitation as phytotherapeutic products. Sawgrass biomass has a limited nutritive value, due to its high neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 596-690 g kg-1 dry matter (DM)) and acid detergent fiber (ADF; 330-418 g kg-1 DM) contents, low crude protein (51.8-87.3 g kg-1 DM) and IVOMD (172-317 g kg-1 organic matter (OM)). Despite differences among seasons, the mineral profile was adequate. The extracts were rich in TPC (88-112 mg g-1), CTC (115-169 mg g-1), and TFC (18.5-20.2 mg g-1), and displayed significant antioxidant capacity, particularly in summer and autumn, whilst no seasonal influence was detected for anti-inflammatory properties (30% reduction of nitric oxide production). Eleven phenolics were quantified: chlorogenic, ferulic, and syringic acids were the most abundant, especially in the autumn sample. Overall, despite the low nutritional interest, sawgrass extracts hold the potential as a source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds.FCT: GreenVet-ALG-01-0145-FEDER-028876/ UIDB/04326/2020/ SFRH/BD/116604/2016/ CEECIND/00425/2017.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reutilização de águas residuais : modelação da adsorção de nutrientes no solo

O presente estudo incide na modelação da remoção de nutrientes presentes em águas residuais domésticas por adsorção no solo e na avaliação do risco de contaminação de aquíferos por parte destes. Nesse sentido, desenvolveu-se um modelo matemático e efectuou-se a determinação experimental dos parâmetros que caracterizam as isotérmicas de adsorção dos iões nitrato, fosfato e amónio. Os resultados experimentais indicaram que o solo tem principalmente carga iónica positiva, visto que os iões de carga contrária (tais como o nitrato e fosfato) foram os que principalmente adsorveram. Os resultados da simulação demonstraram que o fosfato é totalmente adsorvido e que a concentração de nitrato e amónio na água intersticial, após o período de um ano, é de 0.250 mg/L e 0.023 mg/L respectivamente, a 2 m de profundidade. Em relação ao exercício de simulação, estudouse o efeito de uma sobrecarga de nutrientes assim como a possibilidade de ocorrer saturação da coluna de solo. No caso de ocorrer uma sobrecarga de nutrientes no solo proveniente da descarga de água residual com uma concentração até quatro vezes superior ao valor médio, verificou-se que a concentração do ião amónio foi a mais afectada, aumentando de 27 % a uma profundidade de 2 m e ao fim de um ano. Finalmente, os parâmetros das isotérmicas de adsorção (segundo os modelos de Freundlich e Langmuir) foram sujeitos a uma análise de sensibilidade, tendo-se comprovado que o modelo desenvolvido é extremamente sensível à constante α da isotérmica de Freundlich

Atmospheric trends of CO and CH4 from extreme wildfires in Portugal using sentinel-5P TROPOMI level-2 data

PCIF/GFC/0078/2018 UIDB/00100/2020 UIDB/04085/2020 DL 57/2016Large forest fires have repeatedly affected Europe, in particular the Mediterranean countries. It is now crucial to continue the effort to feed the several layers of prediction models and understand how wildfire spreads in order to develop modern preventative and mitigation methods. The present study evaluates the performance of Sentinel 5-P TROPOMI for the monitoring of carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) during extreme fire events in Portugal, focusing on the Monchique (2018) and Vila de Rei/Mação (2019) wildfires, which devastated 27,154 ha and 9249 ha, respectively. The spatial distribution and trend of CO and CH4 prior to, during, and following the fire event were accessed and linked with in situ data in a qualitative and quantitative exploration. Large CO plumes were observed with CO columns exceeding 4.5 × 1018 and 6 × 1018 molecules/cm2 on 21 July 2019, and 7 August 2018, respectively. CO distribution profiles after consecutive digital processing steps showed the ability to follow CO fluctuations according to the fire spread. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found between CO emissions inside and outside the burning area in both fire events. Finally, the CO2 estimated through CO column data presented an emission of 7.6 × 1019 molecules/cm2 for the uppermost emission day on 7 August 2018. Although CH4 monitoring is still unwavering to draw exact conclusions, the CO patterns during extreme fire events show promising and consistent data when compared with in situ data.publishersversionpublishe