Abstract
This paper aims to discuss both the ICT and grid architectures of the Évora Demonstrator under the project SENSIBLE. The demonstrator is focused on testing grid management functions under normal and emergency operation in a rural low voltage grid, taking advantage of electrochemical, electromechanical and thermal storage technologies as well as renewable energy sources (photovoltaics) that will be deployed at both distribution grid and at clients' electrical installation. In addition, the community engagement strategy is presented since it is crucial for the full implementation of the project.

Abstract
This paper presents a method that allows mobile devices to be globally self-localised in indoor localisation systems by transmitting to them data from position reference anchors. The objective is to establish a reliable one-way down-link communication through signals used in the localisation process in a typically strong fading and multipath channel environment. This is accomplished by using signal processing techniques, including coding and forward error correction, to transmit data using a specific transmission control protocol. Experimental results, using audio as the signal between anchors and the mobile device, demonstrate successful data transmission in realistic scenarios like a common noisy and reverberant room. Spread spectrum noise-like masked signals 49 dB below background noise were sufficient to attain correct data reception at four metres distance between a loudspeaker anchor and a mobile device's microphone.

Abstract
Over the last three decades, several despeckling filters have been developed by researchers to reduce the speckle noise inherently present in ultrasound B-scan images without losing the diagnostic information. This paper compiles and compares well-known techniques mostly used in the smoothing or suppression of speckle noise in ultrasound images. A comparison of the methods studied is done based on an experiment, using quality metrics, texture analysis and interpretation of profiles to evaluate their performance and show the benefits each one can contribute to denoising and feature preservation. To test the methods, a noise-free image of a kidney is used and then the Field II program simulates a B-mode ultrasound image. By this way, the smoothing techniques can be compared using numeric metrics, taking the noise-free image as a reference. In this study, a total of 17 different speckle reduction algorithms have been documented based on spatial filtering, diffusion filtering and wavelet filtering, with 15 qualitative metrics estimation. We use the tendencies observed in our study in real images. A new evaluation metric is proposed to evaluate the despeckling results.

Abstract
The steel industry is the world's largest industrial source of CO2 emissions. Recent UK economic policies have led to reduced domestic steel production giving an apparent reduction in national emissions. However, demand for goods made from steel has not reduced. Emissions have thus been transferred not reduced and implementation of UK climate policies may in future expand this 'carbon leakage.' This paper explores how future UK demand for goods made from steel might be supplied while satisfying national climate policies, and how this will influence global CO2 emissions. Current flows and stocks of steel are estimated from existing databases. Evidence from other developed economies suggests that per capita stocks are tending towards a saturation level so future demand is forecast from population growth and the expected rate of replacement of a stable stock. The carbon intensities of five different steel-making routes are used to predict the allowed scale of future domestic steel production within the industrial emissions allowances set in four energy pathways defined by the UK Government. The remaining requirement for steel must be sourced offshore and the associated emissions are predicted, to give an estimate of the global emissions arising from final demand in the UK. The results show that current UK climate strategy may have a limited effect in reducing the CO2 emissions of the global steel industry, unless the UK shifts towards producing more of its own steel products with domestic secondary steel-making. This option would also increase the security of UK supply and support an expansion of UK manufacturing.

Abstract

Abstract
Warri is one of the mega cities in Delta State in the coastal region of Nigeria hosting many industries. One of the three of Nigeria oil refineries is located in Warn. This study reveals the occurence of land deformation in the Warri area which is not only because it was formed in a tectonic setting but because of the high demand of the underground water for indutrial and domestics uses, high population density and oil and gas exploration in the area. Land deformation in this area is currently being accelerated by this indiscriminate withdrawal of underground water from the aquifers and exploration of the oil and gas leading to the compacting sediments. In this study Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) technique was applied to monitor land deformation in Warri metropolis in the period between 09/02/2006 and 12/08/2010 with Envisat data obtained from European Space Agency (ESA). The processing was done using Stanford Method for Persistent Scatterers/Multi-Temporal InSAR (StaMPS). From the analysis of the results, land deformation is occurring in Warri metropolis at a moderate rates (+/-5 mm/yr). During the preliminary investigations, structures, particularly buildings, were physically observed subsiding while some others with cracks of various types and degrees. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.