Assessment of Renewable Energy Resources with Remote Sensing

The development of renewable energy sources plays a fundamental role in the transition towards a low carbon economy. Considering that renewable energy resources have an intrinsic relationship with meteorological conditions and climate patterns, methodologies based on the remote sensing of the atmosphere are fundamental sources of information to support the energy sector in planning and operation procedures. This Special Issue is intended to provide a highly recognized international forum to present recent advances in remote sensing to data acquisition required by the energy sector. After a review, a total of eleven papers were accepted for publication. The contributions focus on solar, wind, and geothermal energy resource. This editorial presents a brief overview of each contribution.About the Editor .............................................. vii Fernando Ramos Martins Editorial for the Special Issue: Assessment of Renewable Energy Resources with Remote Sensing Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 3748, doi:10.3390/rs12223748 ................. 1 André R. Gonçalves, Arcilan T. Assireu, Fernando R. Martins, Madeleine S. G. Casagrande, Enrique V. Mattos, Rodrigo S. Costa, Robson B. Passos, Silvia V. Pereira, Marcelo P. Pes, Francisco J. L. Lima and Enio B. Pereira Enhancement of Cloudless Skies Frequency over a Large Tropical Reservoir in Brazil Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 2793, doi:10.3390/rs12172793 ................. 7 Anders V. Lindfors, Axel Hertsberg, Aku Riihelä, Thomas Carlund, Jörg Trentmann and Richard Müller On the Land-Sea Contrast in the Surface Solar Radiation (SSR) in the Baltic Region Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 3509, doi:10.3390/rs12213509 ................. 33 Joaquín Alonso-Montesinos Real-Time Automatic Cloud Detection Using a Low-Cost Sky Camera Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 1382, doi:10.3390/rs12091382 ................. 43 Román Mondragón, Joaquín Alonso-Montesinos, David Riveros-Rosas, Mauro Valdés, Héctor Estévez, Adriana E. González-Cabrera and Wolfgang Stremme Attenuation Factor Estimation of Direct Normal Irradiance Combining Sky Camera Images and Mathematical Models in an Inter-Tropical Area Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 1212, doi:10.3390/rs12071212 ................. 61 Jinwoong Park, Jihoon Moon, Seungmin Jung and Eenjun Hwang Multistep-Ahead Solar Radiation Forecasting Scheme Based on the Light Gradient Boosting Machine: A Case Study of Jeju Island Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 2271, doi:10.3390/rs12142271 ................. 79 Guojiang Xiong, Jing Zhang, Dongyuan Shi, Lin Zhu, Xufeng Yuan and Gang Yao Modified Search Strategies Assisted Crossover Whale Optimization Algorithm with Selection Operator for Parameter Extraction of Solar Photovoltaic Models Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 2795, doi:10.3390/rs11232795 ................. 101 Alexandra I. Khalyasmaa, Stanislav A. Eroshenko, Valeriy A. Tashchilin, Hariprakash Ramachandran, Teja Piepur Chakravarthi and Denis N. Butusov Industry Experience of Developing Day-Ahead Photovoltaic Plant Forecasting System Based on Machine Learning Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 3420, doi:10.3390/rs12203420 ................. 125 Ian R. Young, Ebru Kirezci and Agustinus Ribal The Global Wind Resource Observed by Scatterometer Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 2920, doi:10.3390/rs12182920 ................. 147 Susumu Shimada, Jay Prakash Goit, Teruo Ohsawa, Tetsuya Kogaki and Satoshi Nakamura Coastal Wind Measurements Using a Single Scanning LiDAR Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 1347, doi:10.3390/rs12081347 ................. 165 Cristina Sáez Blázquez, Pedro Carrasco García, Ignacio Martín Nieto, MiguelAngel ´ Maté-González, Arturo Farfán Martín and Diego González-Aguilera Characterizing Geological Heterogeneities for Geothermal Purposes through Combined Geophysical Prospecting Methods Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 1948, doi:10.3390/rs12121948 ................. 189 Miktha Farid Alkadri, Francesco De Luca, Michela Turrin and Sevil Sariyildiz A Computational Workflow for Generating A Voxel-Based Design Approach Based on Subtractive Shading Envelopes and Attribute Information of Point Cloud Data Reprinted from: Remote Sens. 2020, 12, 2561, doi:10.3390/rs12162561 ................. 207Instituto do Ma

The Role of Nutritional Status on Polypharmacy, Cognition, and Functional Capacity of Institutionalized Elderly: A Systematic Review

Adequate nutritional status is necessary for the proper management of polypharmacy, the prevention of cognitive decline, and the maintenance of functional capacity in activities of daily living. Although several studies validate this fact for the general elderly population, data on institutionalized seniors concerning this relation are scarce. A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines, aiming to study the potential correlation between nutritional status and polypharmacy, cognitive decline, and functional performance in institutionalized elders. The search was limited to studies in English or Portuguese in the last decade. Inclusion criteria relied on the PICO method. Five studies explored the relationship of nutritional status with cognitive performance in the institutionalized elderly, and nine prospective observational studies reported significant positive associations between appropriate nutritional status and physical abilities. Nutritional status was primarily measured by MNA. Adequate nutritional status was described as an important parameter in preventing cognitive and functional decline in the institutionalized elderly. No studies were found describing the impact of nutritional status on the prevention of polypharmacy. Given the strong impact of malnutrition found in the studies in cognition and functional abilities in the institutionalized elderly, an evaluation of nutritional status of the elders is crucial to prevent health problems and allow early intervention programs in order to further prevent health declineinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

FEUPowerTool : ferramanta pedagógica para manobras em subestações

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores (Major Automação). Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Reliability evaluation of wind regime estimates provided by the brams model for Alagoas state (Brazilian Northeastern Region): influence of nesting and horizontal resolution grids

Observational data obtained at two wind towers located at the Alagoas State (Northeast of Brazil -NEB) were used to evaluate the influence of horizontal grid setup on the reliability of wind estimates provided by the numerical weather prediction model BRAMS. Statistical analysis were performed to evaluate the model skill in reproducing the temporal evolution, frequency distribution and the mean daily cycle of the wind observations in both locations. The study was performed for the two typical climate seasons: the rainy (May/2008) and the dry one (November/2008). The results demonstrated that the deviations of wind estimates gets lower if the horizontal grid resolution is increased from 8 km to 2 km. No results improvement occurred when using horizontal grid resolution higher than 2 km. The confiability on wind speed estimates were higher at Girau do Ponciano (GRP), located in the continental area where the sea breeze is less important to the atmospheric dynamic. The results demonstrate that wind data observations play an important role in defining the best configuration and parameterization model to better estimates the availability of wind energy on a specific region, particularly for NEB.Os resultados do estudo comparativo entre os dados observados em duas torres anemométricas instaladas no estado de Alagoas, com estimativas de vento produzidas em simulações numéricas realizadas com o modelo de mesoescala BRAMS, são apresentados e discutidos com o intuito de investigar a influência do refinamento da resolução horizontal e do aninhamento de grades na confiabilidade das estimativas de vento. As torres estavam instaladas em regiões de características distintas do ponto de vista ambiental e climatológico. Análises estatísticas foram realizadas para avaliar o desempenho do modelo no que se refere à capacidade de fornecer estimativas de vento que reproduzam a evolução temporal, o ciclo médio diário e a distribuição de frequência do vento observado nas duas localidades. O estudo foi realizado para as duas estações sazonais características da região: estação chuvosa (Maio/2008) e seca (Novembro/2008). Os resultados mostraram que houve um aumento na confiabilidade das estimativas da velocidade do vento quando a resolução horizontal passou de 8 km para 2 km. O ganho em confiabilidade foi mais significativo em Girau do Ponciano (GRP) localizada no interior do estado e que sofre menor influência do fenômeno de brisa marítima. O aumento da resolução horizontal para valores abaixo de 2 km não produziu redução importante dos desvios observados na estimativa da velocidade do vento pelo modelo na configuração adotada neste estudo. Os resultados demonstram a importância da aquisição de dados de campo para a investigação da confiabilidade, e ajuste das configurações e parametrizações inseridas em modelos numéricos, utilizados para estimar ou preReliability evaluation of wind regime estimates provided by the brams model for alagoas state (brazilian northeastern region): influence of nesting and horizontal resolution gridsver a disponibilidade de energia eólica em uma região específica.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais Centro de Ciência do Sistema TerrestreUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Instituto do MarInstituto de Aeronáutica e Espaço Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia AeroespacialUniversidade Federal de Alagoas Departamento de MeteorologiaUNIFESP, Instituto do MarSciEL

Evaluation of Phytosterols in Milk and Yogurts Used as Functional Foods in Portu

The early development of cardiovascular diseases, one of the major death causes in Europe, is clearly associated with high plasmatic cholesterol levels. However, it is demonstrated that the ingestion of phytosterols enriched milk and yogurts could reduce cholesterolemia. The purpose of the present work was to assess the commercially available phytosterols-enriched milk and yogurts. As such, the available three milk and seven yogurt presentations in Portuguese market were collected during 2008 and analyzed through gas chromatography coupled with mass detection. All the analyzed milk samples were in agreement with the proportion established by the European Commission, with β-sitosterol as the more abundant phytosterol. However, and contrarily to milk, the different yogurt manufacturers had different options in the phytosterols added to the dairy foods commercialized

Digitally monitoring thermalism health and wellness effects - a conceptual model proposal

As life expectancy grows and the population requirements for satisfactory health and wellness levels increases, there is a clear opportunity for the incorporation of alternative techniques and tools for promoting health and preventing disease. One of these tools, is the use of thermal water-based treatments, commonly known as thermalism, as tools to trigger patients’ overall wellness. Despite the collective assumption of the effects of thermalism, there is little to no scientific evidence of these treatments, thus impairing the potential of this activity to become more widespread in society. Thus, with this paper, we present a conceptual model for a non-invasive sensing system based on wearables that can monitor a set of patients’ biomarkers which will serve as the basis for the validation of the effects of thermalism. This system will also serve as a management and operation control tool for thermal SPA managers and technical directors.This work is financed by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agency, FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within project UIDB/50014/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mortality due to oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Uruguay from 1997 to 2014

Oral and oropharyngeal cancer is considered a public health problem in several countries due to its high incidence and mortality rate. Objective: This study aimed to analyze oral and oropharyngeal cancer mortality in Uruguay from 1997 to 2014 by age, sex and country region. Methodology: A time series ecological study using secondary data was performed. Data on mortality due to oral and oropharyngeal cancers were obtained from the Vital Statistics Department of Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health. Results: The cumulative mortality rate due to oral and oropharyngeal cancer over the study period was of 19.26/100,000 persons in women and 83.61/100.000 in men, with a mean annual rate of 1.75/100,000 in women and 7.60/100,000 in men. Mortality rate from both sites during the study period was 4.34 times higher in men than in women. Malignant neoplasms of other parts of the tongue and base of tongue showed the highest mortality rate. The means of the annual coefficients of deaths were higher for the age groups between 50 and 69 years. Higher mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer were observed in Artigas (4.63) and Cerro Largo (3.75). Conclusions: Our study described a high mortality rate for oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Uruguay from 1997 to 2014. According to the country's health department, men, tongue cancer, and oral cavity had higher mortality rates, with some variation. Prevention strategies with control of risk factors and early diagnosis are necessary to improve survival in the Uruguayan population

Mortality due to oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Uruguay from 1997 to 2014

Oral and oropharyngeal cancer is considered a public health problem in several countries due to its high incidence and mortality rate. Objective: This study aimed to analyze oral and oropharyngeal cancer mortality in Uruguay from 1997 to 2014 by age, sex and country region. Methodology: A time series ecological study using secondary data was performed. Data on mortality due to oral and oropharyngeal cancers were obtained from the Vital Statistics Department of Uruguay's Ministry of Public Health. Results: The cumulative mortality rate due to oral and oropharyngeal cancer over the study period was of 19.26/100,000 persons in women and 83.61/100.000 in men, with a mean annual rate of 1.75/100,000 in women and 7.60/100,000 in men. Mortality rate from both sites during the study period was 4.34 times higher in men than in women. Malignant neoplasms of other parts of the tongue and base of tongue showed the highest mortality rate. The means of the annual coefficients of deaths were higher for the age groups between 50 and 69 years. Higher mortality rates of oral and oropharyngeal cancer were observed in Artigas (4.63) and Cerro Largo (3.75). Conclusions: Our study described a high mortality rate for oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Uruguay from 1997 to 2014. According to the country’s health department, men, tongue cancer, and oral cavity had higher mortality rates, with some variation. Prevention strategies with control of risk factors and early diagnosis are necessary to improve survival in the Uruguayan population

USE OF VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: A THEORETICAL MODEL USING DECOMPOSED EXPECTANCY DISCONFIRMATION THEORY

The present study aims to investigate the determinants of satisfaction and the resulting continuance intention in the e-learning context. The constructs of decomposed expectancy disconfirmation theory (DEDT) are evaluated from the perspective of users of a virtual learning environment (VLE) in relation to expectations and perceived performance. An online survey collected responses from 197 students of a public management distance learning course. Structural equation modeling was operationalized by the method of partial least squares in Smart PLS software. The results showed that there is a relationship between quality, usability, value and value disconfirmation with satisfaction. Likewise, satisfaction proved to be decisive for continuance intention. However, there were no significant relationships between quality disconfirmation and usability disconfirmation with satisfaction. Based on the results, it is discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the structural model found by the research

Perception of the special troops (comandos) soldiers regarding physical fitness, motor control and psychological skills

Physical fitness and motor skills are considered important attributes for the military, affecting their professional performance. The high physical and psychological demand that the special forces are subjected to requires the acquisition of a set of volitional skills such as resilience, effort, perseverance, or resistance to frustration, which are worthy of further research. This study aimed to analyse the perception of the special troops (commandos) in physical fitness, motor control and psychological skills. A total of 35 male soldiers that ended the commando recruit training program (21.69 ± 2.36 years old) were investigated. A questionnaire was applied to verify differences in perception of physical fitness, motor capacity, physical effort and military training during recruit training according to age, education, work experience and sports background. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the participants. All data collected were analysed using IBM-SPSS Statistics, version 24. Our results revealed differences in the importance given to the training of motor skills within military training (χ2 = 19.284; p = 0.023), conditional motor skills – speed (χ2 = 17.378; p = 0.043), coordinative motor skills—motor control (χ2 = 20.616; p = 0.014), psychological skills in a military context (χ2 = 13.730; p = 0.008), volitional skills—resistance to frustration (χ2 = 21.568; p = 0.043) and volitional skills—psychological resistance (χ2 = 29.144; p = 0.004). The participants highlighted the importance of instructors having scientific knowledge in physical education to provide military physical training to be better prepared for this purpose. We concluded that motor skills and psychological abilities tend to be equally important in the context of military training. Physical fitness and motor skill development can be considered essential in military training for most of the inquired participants.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio