Impacto dos veículos elétricos nos diagramas de carga até 2030

Ao longo da última década a União Europeia tem realizado esforços no âmbito de uma politica energética mais limpa e eficiente. Um dos setores de atuação que é envolvido por essa politica é o setor dos transportes. De forma a mitigar os impactos referentes à dependência energética tem existido uma forte aposta no setor automóvel, mais concretamente nos Plug-in Electric Vehicles. Assim, Portugal encontra-se, em conjunto com os demais Estados Membros, a reunir forças para a eletrificação do setor dos transportes, tentando criar, ainda, um benchmark desfavorável aos veículos de combustão interna. É o estudo referente ao impacto do consumo de energia associado ao pico de consumo de eletricidade que a presente dissertação trata. Neste sentido, será realizado um estudo com o intuito de avaliar o impacto acima descrito, em Portugal e nas regiões que durante o estudo se verificaram as mais relevantes, tais como: Aveiro, Braga, Leiria, Lisboa, Porto e Faro. Assim, foi desenvolvida uma proposta de solução a curto-prazo que pretende minimizar esse impacto. Esta solução baseia-se na implementação de uma estratégia Demand Response que, através de tarifas dinâmicas, pretende aliviar o consumo de energia elétrica nas horas de pico, favorecendo o carregamento dos VEs nas horas de menor consumo. De forma a implementar esta estratégia, houve a necessidade de desenvolver vários estudos que possibilitem calcular o impacto em cima descrito. De forma sucinta estes estudos dividem-se em cinco grupos: • Cálculo da previsão da mobilidade elétrica em Portugal e nas regiões mais relevantes até 2030; • Cálculo da previsão dos diagramas de carga até 2030; • Cálculo do consumo de energia elétrica associado à utilização dos VEs; • Aplicação de uma estratégia Demand Response no carregamento dos VEs de forma a não dilatar o pico de consumo de eletricidade e comparação da mesma com um carregamento sem qualquer gestão; • Desenvolvimento de uma aplicação informática que permita, de uma forma simples e interativa, demonstrar ao utilizador o impacto produzido pelos VEs segundo diferentes cenários. Neste sentido, e tendo em conta a penetração de VEs no mercado automóvel, num futuro próximo, é expectável que os diagramas de carga do consumo de eletricidade se alterem, produzindo um tal impacto no pico de consumo que possa por em causa a capacidade e qualidade da distribuição de energia elétrica. Trata-se então de criar uma solução que reduza a probabilidade de sobrecarga na rede elétrica, minimizando esse pico. Esta alteração pode produzir um impacto tanto maior quanto menor for a gestão do carregamento dos veículos elétricos. A aplicação informática, desenvolvida no presente estudo, pretende demonstrar segundo uma gama de cenários o impacto do consumo de eletricidade associada aos VEs no pico de consumo dos diagramas de carga.Over the past decade, the European Union has been working towards a clean and efficient energy policy, being the transportation one of the main sectors of intervention. In order to mitigate the impact related to energy dependence, the automotive sector has been strongly explored, especially in what concerns to Plug-in electric vehicles. To accomplish this, Portugal, along with the other Member States, is setting the appropriate conditions to implement the electrification of the transportation sector, while it is also trying to create an unfavorable benchmark of the vehicles with an internal combustion engine. The target of this study is to evaluate the impact of the electricity consumption associated to the EV’s on the peak consumption of load diagrams until 2030. In that way, a study will be made with the aim of evaluate the impact mentioned above, in Portugal and in the regions that during the study were considered to be the most relevant, namely Aveiro, Braga, Leiria, Lisboa, Porto and Faro. Thus, it was developed one proposed solution in short-term that intends to understate that impact. This solution is based on the implementation of a Demand Response strategy, that, through dynamic rates, intends to ease the consumption of electrical energy in the peak load, charging the EV’s on the lowest consumption hours. The implementation of that strategy required several studies that allowed to calculate the impact described above. Those studies were divided in five clusters: • Estimation of the evolution of the electrical mobility in Portugal and in the most relevant regions until 2030; • Estimation of the evolution of electrical consumption load diagrams until 2030; • Calculation of the electrical energy consumption associated to the use of EV’s; • The use of a Demand Response strategy on the EV’s charging to decrease the expansion level of the electricity consumption peak. Additionally, was evaluated the difference of using a strategy without energy management; • The development of an informatic application which has the goal to calculate the impact, above described, produced by the EV’s using different scenarios. As follows and with the penetration of EV’s on the automotive market, in the foreseeable future, it is expectable the change of the electricity consumption producing such an impact on the consumption peak that cause a decrease of the distribution grid reliability, as well as it quality. The goal is to create a solution which decrease the overload probability on the grid, relieving that peak. This change can produce an impact as greater the smaller the EV’s charging management is. The informatic application developed on the present study intends to show, according to a range of scenarios, the impact of the electricity consumption associated to the EV’s on the peak consumption of load diagrams

Local-scale factors matter for tree cover modelling in Mediterranean drylands

Forests contribute directly to ecosystem structure and functioning, maintaining biodiversity, acting as a climate regulator and reducing desertification. To better manage forests, it is essential to have high-resolution forest models and appropriate spatial-explicit variables able to explain tree cover at different scales, including the management scale. Most tree cover models rely only on broad-scale variables (>500 m), such as macroclimate, while only few studies include also local-scale variables (<500 m). This study aimed to identify the importance of local-scale factors relative to broad-scale factors and identify the environmental variables at different scales that explain tree cover in oak woodlands in Mediterranean drylands. Sixty sites previously identified as being covered with Holm oak or Cork oak were stratified by precipitation. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, used here as a surrogate of tree cover, was modelled using simultaneously broad-scale factors (macroclimate) and local-scale factors (microclimatic and edaphic conditions). The percentage of variance explained by local- and broad-scale factors and the effect size of each environmental variable on tree cover was determined for the study site. It was found that local-scale factors and their interaction with broad-scale factors explained more variance than broad-scale factors alone. The most important local-scale factors explaining tree cover were elevation, potential solar radiation, used as a surrogate of microclimatic conditions, and wetness evaluated terrain used as an indicator of water flow accumulation. The main broad-scale factors were related to temperature and precipitation. The effect of some local-scale variables in tree cover seems to increase in areas where water as a limiting factor is more important. This study demonstrates the critical importance of including local-scale factors in multi-scale modelling of tree cover to obtain better predictions. These models will support well-suited forest management decisions, such as reforestation and afforestation plans to reverse evergreen oaks decline in Mediterranean drylands.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Gut Microbiota Diversity and C-Reactive Protein Are Predictors of Disease Severity in COVID-19 Patients

Funding Information: We acknowledge support from the NOVA Medical School of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, CINTESIS, and CHRC. Funding. This study was sponsored by the Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia (FCT, project no. 268_596883842), BIOCODEX, and CINTESIS (reference UIDB/4255/2020). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or manuscript writing. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright © 2021 Moreira-Rosário, Marques, Pinheiro, Araújo, Ribeiro, Rocha, Mota, Pestana, Ribeiro, Pereira, de Sousa, Pereira-Leal, de Sousa, Morais, Teixeira, Rocha, Silvestre, Príncipe, Gatta, Amado, Santos, Maltez, Boquinhas, de Sousa, Germano, Sarmento, Granja, Póvoa, Faria and Calhau.The risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity are still poorly understood. Considering the pivotal role of the gut microbiota on host immune and inflammatory functions, we investigated the association between changes in the gut microbiota composition and the clinical severity of COVID-19. We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study prospectively enrolling 115 COVID-19 patients categorized according to: (1) the WHO Clinical Progression Scale—mild, 19 (16.5%); moderate, 37 (32.2%); or severe, 59 (51.3%), and (2) the location of recovery from COVID-19—ambulatory, 14 (household isolation, 12.2%); hospitalized in ward, 40 (34.8%); or hospitalized in the intensive care unit, 61 (53.0%). Gut microbiota analysis was performed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the data obtained were further related to the clinical parameters of COVID-19 patients. The risk factors for COVID-19 severity were identified by univariate and multivariable logistic regression models. In comparison to mild COVID-19 patients, the gut microbiota of moderate and severe patients have: (a) lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio; (b) higher abundance of Proteobacteria; and (c) lower abundance of beneficial butyrate-producing bacteria such as the genera Roseburia and Lachnospira. Multivariable regression analysis showed that the Shannon diversity index [odds ratio (OR) = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.09–7.41, p = 0.032) and C-reactive protein (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 1.33–8.91, p = 0.011) are risk factors for severe COVID-19 (a score of 6 or higher in the WHO Clinical Progression Scale). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that hospitalized patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 have microbial signatures of gut dysbiosis; for the first time, the gut microbiota diversity is pointed out as a prognostic biomarker of COVID-19 severity.publishersversionpublishe

Post-Traumatic Diaphragmatic Hernia: Limitations of Non-Invasive Ventilation

N/A

Cooking to learn: A digital educational resource for the promotion of curricular integration in primary school

Present results of Cooking to Learn, a digital educational resource which aims at promoting an integrated development of skills of students attending the 3rd grade of Primary School (age 8/9).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Outcomes of Urinary Tract Endometriosis—Laparoscopic Treatment: A 10-Year Retrospective Study

Introduction: Urinary tract endometriosis (UTE), a rare manifestation, encompasses bladder and ureteral involvement. Surgical intervention is commonly recommended for UTE, though the optimal surgical approach remains a subject of debate. This study aims to report our centre’s experience with UTE. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 55 patients who underwent surgical treatment for UTE at a single tertiary centre over a 10-year period (2012–2022). Patient data, including demographics, symptoms, intraoperative findings, and complications, were collected from medical records. Data were statistically analysed, and correlations were explored. Results: The study population had a mean age of 37.11 years, with dysmenorrhea (89.1%) being the most common symptom. Bladder endometriosis was present in 27 cases, ureteral endometriosis in 25, and mixed-location in 3. Laparoscopy was the primary surgical approach, with multidisciplinary teams involving urologists. There were six patients with postoperative complications, and there were six (10.9%) recurrences of endometriosis. A positive correlation was found between age and recurrence, but no significant predictors of recurrence were identified in our analysis. Conclusions: Laparoscopic treatment of urinary endometriosis is safe and effective. Multidisciplinary collaboration plays a pivotal role in addressing this challenging condition

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved