Abstract
This article revisits the inverted pendulum-in particular, analyses a simplified model of a Segway, with a view to exploring its capabilities in Control Systems Engineering education. The integration between the theoretic and practical side is achieved through simulation, and in particular by using MathWorks software. We also present a structure for the work to be done in the Laboratory class and propose a solution for the problem. © 2018 IEEE.

Abstract
This paper addresses the wind farm contribution in frequency control during the integration in the power grid. In the proposed model, the wind farm utilizes inertia control and droop control techniques with the purpose of improving the frequency regulation. In order to achieve optimal results, all the parameters of the controllers for the different units in the power grid are obtained by using a particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) and by introducing a modified objective function instead of a conventional objective function e.g., Integral Time-weighted Absolute Error (ITAE). Also, different constraints such as reheat turbine, time delay, governor dead band and generation rate constraint (GRC) are considered for thermal and hydro units with the aim of studying a more realistic power system, which is the main contribution of this paper when compared to the other works in this field. It is shown that, in case of a perturbation in power demand, the system frequency will recover quickly and effectively in comparison with the traditional approaches. In addition, a sensitivity test is carried out in a single power grid area in order to examine the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Then, the system is extended to a multi-area power system using a multi-terminal HVDC for further investigation of the suggested strategy. Simulation results are presented in order to assess the performance of the proposed approach in the power system.

Abstract
The presented research explores four years of newcomer engineering students at FEUP, one of the largest faculties of engineering in Portugal. The students are surveyed in a mandatory course common to all engineering programs at the mentioned faculty, totalling an involvement of about four thousand. This research explores the perceptions of 1198 newcomer students regarding learning and satisfaction, workload, integration into academic work environment and institutional support whilst trying to find gender differences regarding the following variables: engineering program, academic year and change of residence. The questionnaire used in the presented research was validated and its internal consistency was excellent. The findings reveal that students' perceptions on learning and satisfaction as well as on institutional support (two out of four factors) are consistently similar between genders throughout the four years of the study. The differences found between male and female students on integration and workload, however consistent, are small if not marginal. The study is significant because it shows the relevance of the optimization efforts for integration (in the academic work environment) introduced in a mandatory course at the start of engineering degrees in order to bridge the gap between male and female students. This research shows that we are walking towards gender equality in engineering, but we feel that there is still some effort to be done, namely through inspiring scholars to analyse and act upon academic contexts and higher education governance without prejudice and with an open mind: a commitment that is as hard as necessary.

Abstract
The Brazilian electricity market is characterized by having around 65% of its installed capacity coming from hydropower plants, with multiple agents coexisting in the same hydro cascades. Currently, it also contains certain peculiarities that distinguish it from other markets, such as the Energy Reallocation Mechanism (MRE), a centerpiece of the Brazilian market's design. This paper proposes replacing the MRE with a bid-based short-term market called the virtual reservoir model. To simulate the behavior of the hydros in this new market, an agent-based model is implemented using the reinforcement Q-learning algorithm, simulated annealing and linear programming. In the simulations, we use real data - encompassing more than 98% of the total hydro installed capacity and three years of market data - from the Brazilian power system. The results indicate that the management of (virtual) reservoirs can be the responsibility of each hydro: these can save water according to their own risk perceptions, while maintaining current efficiency and security levels. The results also suggest that the final monthly short-term market prices can substantially decrease in comparison with the current prices.

Abstract
Economical benefits obtained by large Internet corporations from gathering and processing user information at a global scale led the European Union to legislate on behalf of individual rights and the privacy of personal information. Data collectors, in particular, must now obtain proof of the user’s consent for every single operation comprising their data. Considering the conflicting interests of all involved parties, we propose that consent should be stored in a blockchain. By being a distributed, immutable and verifiable ledger, the blockchain presents itself as an almost tailor-made solution to harmonize conflicting interests while enabling the regulators’ supervision.

Abstract
This manuscript aims to present students with a guiding document for the preparation of scientific papers. It aims to overcome a serious oversight in higher education, which is to develop capacities for scientific research and its dissemination, without teaching the students how to write a scientific article.