Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the economic efficiency of Nursing Homes owned by 96 Santas Casas da Misericordia (SCM) and the determinants that influenced their efficiency in 2012 and 2013. The SCM are the oldest non-profit entities, which belong to Third Sector in Portugal, provide this social response and receive significant financial contributions annually from the state. The study is developed in two stages. In the first stage, the efficiency scores were calculated through the non-parametric DEA technique. In the second stage, Tobit regression is used to verify the effect of certain organizational variables on efficiency, namely the number of users and existence of Nursing Home chains. The results of the DEA model show that the efficiency average is 81.9%, and only 10 out of 96 Nursing Homes are efficient. Tobit regression shows that the number of users has a positive effect on the efficiency of Nursing Homes, whereas the existence of Nursing Home chains affects their efficiency negatively.

Abstract
The main challenges of earthwork management are to optimize, in terms of time, costs and sustainability, the integration of several different tasks involved in the process. These tasks have to deal mainly with the geomaterials management (influencing excavation and compaction equipment as well as its use as a construction material) and equipment productivity (excavation, transport and compaction), under real environment conditions. To solve this complex management problem, a theoretical integrated system has been developed and evaluated for a database available of a real construction site. This paper describes how the information and communication technologies available in equipment (GPS-sensors supported by tachymeter and laser scanning, derived volume of materials, intelligent compactors, maintenance time) can improve the dynamic optimization process. Indeed, it will be shown in cases where the monitored productivity for the available equipment falls short of or exceeds the estimates performed in design phase, how the necessary actions can be taken towards an optimal redistribution of resources. In summary, this paper presents a framework that combines information and communication technologies and dynamic optimization tools, in order to monitor and optimize the allocation of active equipment throughout a construction site in real-time, allowing savings and benefits for the environment (e.g., carbon emissions).

Abstract
In future power grids, a large integration of renewable energy sources is foreseen, which will impose serious technical challenges to system operators. To mitigate some of the problems that renewable energy sources may bring, new voltage and frequency control strategies must be developed. Given the expected evolution of technologies and information systems, these new strategies will benefit from increasing system observability and resources controllability, enabling a more efficient grid operation. The ELECTRA IRP project addressed the new challenges that future power systems will face and developed new grid management and control functionalities to overcome the identified problems. This work, implemented in the framework of ELECTRA, presents an innovative functionality for the control room of the cell operator and its application in assistance with the voltage control designed for the Web-of-Cells. The voltage control method developed uses a proactive mode to calculate the set-points to be sent to the flexible resources, each minute, for a following 15-min period. This way, the voltage control method developed is able to mitigate voltage problems that may occur, while, at the same time, contributes to reduce the energy losses. To enable a straightforward utilization of this functionality, a user interface was created for system operators so they can observe the network state and control resources in a forthright manner accordingly.

Abstract
Dynamic distribution system reconfiguration (DDSR) is the process of dynamically changing the network's topology during the operational periods of the system. This process together with the integration of distributed renewable energy sources (DRES) and other enabling technologies allow a more efficient operation of such systems in technical and economic terms, facilitating a seamless integration of DRES in larger quantities. When performing such an optimization process, the stochastic nature of DRES (both variability and uncertainty) needs to be taken into consideration. In this paper, an improved dynamic system reconfiguration model is presented where the goal is to minimize the total cost in the system while satisfying various technical constraints so as to maintain the reliability and stability of the system at required levels. The computational tool is tested in a real system encompassing the distribution system of Lagoa (in Sao Miguel Island, Azores), and its effectiveness is properly validated. The numerical results demonstrate great benefits in economic terms, such as reduced losses and improved system reliability.

Abstract

Abstract
The role of urban freight vehicle trips in fulfilling the consumption needs of people in urban areas is often overshadowed by externality-causing parking practices (e.g., double-parking associated with traffic delays). Loading/unloading bays are generally viewed as an effective way to avoid freight vehicles double-parking, but are often misused by non-freight vehicles. We assess the potential of reducing freight vehicles double-parking mobility impacts by changing: (a) the spatial configuration (number, location, size) of loading/unloading bays and, (b) the non-freight vehicles parking rules compliance levels. Parking demand models were created with data from an establishment-based freight survey and a parking observation exercise. Two case studies were defined for 1 km(2) zones in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Alternative bay systems were derived from an iterative implementation of the "maximize capacitated coverage" algorithm to a range of bays to be located. Parking operations in current and alternative bay systems were compared using a microsimulation. Bay systems' ability in reducing double-parking impacts was assessed via a set of indicators (e.g., average speed). Freight traffic causes a disproportionate amount of externalities and the current bay configuration leads to greater mobility impacts than some of the proposed systems. Enforcement was a crucial element in reducing parking operations impact on traffic flow in one of the case-studies. Road network characteristics were demonstrated to play a role in the adequate strategy of arranging the spatial configuration of bays.