Abstract
Due to the increment of the energy consumption and dependency of the nowadays lifestyle to the electrical appliances, the essential role of an energy management system in the buildings is realized more than ever. With this motivation, predicting energy consumption is very relevant to support the energy management in buildings. In this paper, the use of an energy management system supported by forecasting models applied to energy consumption prediction is demonstrated. The real-time automatic forecasting system is running separately but integrated with the existing SCADA system. Nine different forecasting approaches to obtain the most reliable estimated energy consumption of the building during the following hours are implemented.

Abstract
Microscopic simulation requires accurate car-following models so that they can properly emulate real-world traffic. In order to define these models, calibration procedures can be used. The main problem with reliable calibration methods is their high cost, either in terms of the time they need to produce a model or due to high resource requirements. In this paper, we examine a method based on virtual driving simulation to calibrate the Krauß car-following model by coupling the Unity 3D game engine with SUMO. In addition, we present a means based on the fundamental diagrams of traffic flow for validating the instances of the model obtained from the calibration. The results show that our method is capable of producing instances with parameters close to those found in the literature. We conclude that this method is a promising, cost-efficient calibration technique for the Krauß model. Further investigation will be required to define a more general approach to calibrate a broader range of car-following models and to improve their accuracy. © 2019 EUROSIS-ETI.

Abstract
One of the greatest challenges of power system planners is to incorporate the expected growth of Distributed Generation (DG) in operation and expansion studies, while modeling and understanding its impacts. This paper describes and compares the outcomes of two different methodologies to model the impact of the growth of DG using concepts of the Bass theory of diffusion. We are applying both Fixed Adoption and System Dynamics models using public data and the tariff scenarios proposed in a public consultation developed by the Brazilian Electricity Regulation Agency. The results indicate that the System Dynamics approach can be more suitable to conduct this analysis, since it does not have discontinuities. Additionally, the model and numerical results that are obtained can be used to help the regulatory agency to better design tariff schemes in the public consultation process.

Abstract

Abstract
The polyester for bone tissue engineering is produced using different concentrations of hydroxyapatite. Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) solutions containing different concentrations of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6% wt) were evaluated to assess their potential to produce scaffolds via electrospinning. The characteristics of these solutions were evaluated using surface tension analysis. Different solutions were electrospun and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed using MG-63 osteoblast cells and male Wistar rats. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of scaffolds. Microtomography and a three-point bend test were used to analyze parameters of bone neoformation 4 weeks after implantation. We observed a requirement for solutions containing nHAp to reach chemical stability to produce ultrathin fibers. FTIR and XRD data demonstrated the presence of carbonate and phosphate groups, and thermal analysis showed a reduction in crystallinity of the nanocomposites when the concentration of nHAp was increased. None of the scaffolds analyzed demonstrated cytotoxicity when compared to controls. All of the PBAT/nHAp scaffolds analyzed promoted bone repair; however, a solution of PBAT with 3% nHAp improved bone volume, force, and stiffness when compared to controls.

Abstract
Light interaction with biological materials depends on the material’s optical properties. From those properties, the absorption and scattering coefficients are the most important, since they quantify how much of a light beam is attenuated when traveling inside a tissue. The scattering coefficient is known to be significantly higher than the absorption coefficient in biological materials, meaning that most of the light is scattered, turning optical methods in clinical practice limited. Such difference between the scattering and absorption coefficients is mainly due to a refractive index mismatch between tissue components and fluids. We explain this concept in the present chapter before introducing the technique that efficiently minimizes this effect in the following chapters. © 2019, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.