A hybrid MPPT algorithm based on DE-IC for photovoltaic systems under partial shading conditions

This paper presents a hybrid maximum power point tracking (MPPT), which combines a metaheuristic algorithm and a traditional MPPT method applied in a photovoltaic system operating under partial shading conditions. The MPPTs based on traditional methods are not able to track the global maxi-mum power point (GMPP) when partial shadings occur. Thus, MPPT algorithms based on metaheuristic algorithms, which are used for global optimization, have presented efficiency to extract the maximum power from photovoltaic arrays. However, these methods are random, resulting in large power oscillations in transients of small variations in solar irradiance. Therefore, this paper proposes the metaheuristic algorithm called Differential Evolution (DE) to seek and track the GMPP. After the DE convergence, the MPPT algorithm is switched to Incremental Conductance (IC) in order to refine the tracking. The effectiveness of the algorithm is proved through simulation results. Furthermore, comparative analyses are provided for each algorithm (DE and IC) to evaluate their performances in the PV system

Towards customized footwear with improved comfort

A methodology enabling the customization of shoes for comfort improvement is proposed and assessed. For this aim, 3D printed graded density inserts were placed in one of the critical plantar pressure zones of conventional insoles, the heel. A semi-automated routine was developed to design the 3D inserts ready for printing, which comprises three main stages: (i) the definition of the number of areas with different mesh density, (ii) the generation of 2D components with continuous graded mesh density, and (iii) the generation of a 3D component having the same 2D base mesh. The adequacy of the mesh densities used in the inserts was previously assessed through compression tests, using uniform mesh density samples. Slippers with different pairs of inserts embedded in their insoles were mechanically characterized, and their comfort was qualitatively assessed by a panel of users. All users found a particular pair, or a set, of prototype slippers more comfortable than the original ones, taken as reference, but their preferences were not consensual. This emphasizes the need for shoe customization, and the usefulness of the proposed methodology to achieve such a goal.This work was funded by National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, Reference UID/CTM/50025/2019 and UIDB/04436/2020, and Project FAMEST, Reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024529, co-financed by COMPETE2020 through PT2020 and FEDER

A autoestima em pacientes no pós-cirúrgico de cirurgia bariátrica / Self-esteem in post-surgical bariatric surgery patients

Introdução: Dados evidenciam um aumento da procura pela cirurgia bariátrica como um procedimento estético. Os pacientes acreditam que após a cirurgia, com a redução do peso, melhorarão a autoimagem e resgatarão assim a autoestima. Objetivo: o referido estudo teve como objetivo compreender a importância do psicodiagnóstico para indicação da cirurgia bariátrica visando à redução de possíveis complicações e frustrações no pós-cirúrgico. Metodologia: A amostra foi composta por 10 participantes, de ambos os sexos. Os participantes foram submetidos a uma entrevista semiestruturada, ao teste HTP, ao Questionário da Imagem Corporal e a Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg. Resultados: Os participantes que tiveram o psicodiagnóstico realizado em um número menor de sessões apresentaram o desenho da figura humana pequena, qualidade da linha forte e fragmentada, localização do desenho à esquerda, dificuldade em reconhecer e aceitar a sua nova imagem, intenso sofrimento na adaptação a nova alimentação, aumento da ansiedade, além de apresentarem intensa distorção da imagem corporal. Conclusão: Realizar um processo de psicodiagnóstico com técnicas e testes adequados para identificar a estrutura emocional do paciente minimizam o risco da ocorrência de complicações provenientes das grandes transformações impostas a sua imagem corporal decorrentes da cirurgia bariátrica. 

Latex peptidases of Calotropis procera for dehairing of leather as an alternative to environmentally toxic sodium sulfide treatment

Dehairing of crude leather is a critical stage performed at the beginning of its processing to obtain industrially useful pieces. Tanneries traditionally apply a chemical process based on sodium sulfide. Since this chemical reactive is environmentally toxic and inefficiently recycled, innovative protocols for reducing or eliminating its use in leather depilation are welcomed. Therefore, latex peptidases from Calotropis procera (CpLP) and Cryptostegia grandiflora (CgLP) were assayed for this purpose. Enzyme activity on substrates representative of skin such as hide powder azure (UHPA), elastin (UE), azocollagen (UAZOCOL), keratin (UK), and epidermis (UEP) was determined, while depilation activity was assayed on cow hide. Only CpLP was active against keratin (13.4 UK) and only CgLP was active against elastin (0.12 UE). CpLP (93.0 UHPA, 403.6 UAZOCOL, 36.3 UEP) showed higher activity against the other substrates than CgLP (47.6 UHPA, 261.5 UAZOCOL, 8.5 UEP). In pilot assays, CpLP (0.05% w/v with sodium sulfite 0.6% w/v as activator) released hairs from cow hide pieces. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the hide revealed that the dehairing process was complete and the leather structure was preserved. The proteolytic system of C. procera is a suitable bioresources to be exploited by tanneries.Fil: Lopez, Laura Maria Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Viana, Carolina A.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Errasti, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Garro, María Laura. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Martegani, José Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Mazzilli, German Ariel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Centíficas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo del Cuero; ArgentinaFil: Freitas, Cléverson D. T.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Araújo, Ídila M. S.. EMBRAPA Agrotropical; BrasilFil: da Silva, Rafaela O.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; BrasilFil: Ramos, Márcio V.. Universidade Estadual Do Ceara; Brasi

HIDROLATO DE MENTHA VILLOSA COMO AGENTE ANTIPARASITÁRIO PARA TILÁPIA DO NILO

Objetivou-se avaliar diferentes concentrações e tempos do hidrolato de Mentha villosa como agente antiparasitário para tilápias-do-nilo. Foram utilizadas mudas de hortelã e 100 tilápias. Na primeira etapa definiu-se a dose para o efeito antiparasitário do hidrolato, os 50 peixes foram submetidos a banhos de imersão em diferentes concentrações de hidrolato. Para definir o tempo de ação, utilizou-se a concentração definida na primeira etapa, as tilápias foram submetidas a banhos em diferentes tempos. Após os banhos terapêuticos, foram avaliados parasitos. Baseando-se nos resultados pôde-se concluir que a dose de 20ml/L foi eficaz, bem como o tempo de 30 minutos no banho

User satisfaction on the use of hypermedia in a health-education mobile device application

O uso da tecnologia na área da saúde tem crescido cada vez mais. Os dispositivos móveis possibilitam que as pessoas aprendam em qualquer lugar e a qualquer tempo. OBJETIVO: investigar a satisfação do usuário quanto ao uso de hipermídias para a aprendizagem de educação em saúde por meio de dispositivo móvel. MÉTODO: contou com 4 partes. Na primeira, foi aplicado um questionário pré-teste, em seguida houve a interação com as hipermídias, posteriormente aplicou-se o questionário pós-teste. Por fim, os participantes avaliaram a satisfação quanto ao uso das hipermídias. RESULTADOS: os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os participantes consideraram as hipermídias atraentes, desejadas, que elas promovem o sentimento de integração e aproximação, bem como tem um enorme valor em sua aplicação. CONCLUSÕES: a pesquisa demonstrou que o uso das hipermídias em dispositivos móveis para o aprendizado em cuidados em saúde é uma solução criativa, atrativa e eficaz e aprimora o processo ensino-aprendizagem.The use of technology in healthcare has been growing more each day. Mobile devices make it possible for anyone to learn anywhere, anytime. OBJECTIVE: to investigate user satisfaction regarding the use of hypermedia for learning health education through mobile devices. METHODS: It consisted of 4 parts. At first, a pre-test questionnaire was applied, then there was the interaction with the hypermedia, later the post-test questionnaire was conducted. Finally, participants rated their satisfaction in regard to the use of hypermedia. RESULTS: findings showed that the participants considered the hypermedia appealing, desirable, promoted a feeling of integration and closeness, and had an enormous value in their application. CONCLUSIONS: this study demonstrated that the use of hypermedia on mobile devices for learning in healthcare is a creative, appealing, and effective solution. Also, it improves the teaching-learning process

Sensor Surface Design with NanoMaterials: A New Platform in the Diagnosis of COVID-19

Mass testing for COVID-19 is essential to defining patient management strategies, choosing the best clinical management, and dimensioning strategies for controlling viral dissemination and immunization strategies. Thus, it is of utmost importance to search for devices that allow a quick and reliable diagnosis of low cost that can be transposed from the bench to the bedside, such as biosensors. These devices can help choose the correct clinical management to minimize factors that lead to infected patients developing more severe diseases. The use of nanomaterials to modify biosensors’ surfaces to increase these devices’ sensitivity and their biofunctionality enables high-quality nanotechnological platforms. In addition to the diagnostic benefits, nanotechnological platforms that facilitate the monitoring of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may be the key to determining loss of protective immune response after an episode of COVID-19, which leads to a possible chance of reinfection, as well as how they can be used to assess and monitor the success of immunization strategies, which are beginning to be administered on a large scale and that the extent and duration of their protection will need to be determined. Therefore, in this chapter, we will cover nanomaterials’ use and their functionalities in the surface design of sensors, thus generating nanotechnological platforms in the various facets of the diagnosis of COVID-19

A high fat diet during adolescence in male rats negatively programs reproductive and metabolic function which is partially ameliorated by exercise

An interaction between obesity, impaired glucose metabolism and sperm function in adults has been observed but it is not known whether exposure to a diet high in fat during the peri-pubertal period can have longstanding programmed effects on reproductive function and gonadal structure. This study examined metabolic and reproductive function in obese rats programmed by exposure to a high fat (HF) diet during adolescence. The effect of physical training (Ex) in ameliorating this phenotype was also assessed. Thirty-day-old male Wistar rats were fed a HF diet (35% lard w/w) for 30 days then subsequently fed a normal fat diet (NF) for a 40-day recovery period. Control animals were fed a NF diet throughout life. At 70 days of life, animals started a low frequency moderate exercise training that lasted 30 days. Control animals remained sedentary (Se). At 100 days of life, biometric, metabolic and reproductive parameters were evaluated. Animals exposed to HF diet showed greater body weight, glucose intolerance, increased fat tissue deposition, reduced VO 2max and reduced energy expenditure. Consumption of the HF diet led to an increase in the number of abnormal seminiferous tubule and a reduction in seminiferous epithelium height and seminiferous tubular diameter, which was reversed by moderate exercise. Compared with the NF-Se group, a high fat diet decreased the number of seminiferous tubules in stages VII-VIII and the NF-Ex group showed an increase in stages XI-XIII. HF-Se and NF-Ex animals showed a decreased number of spermatozoa in the cauda epididymis compared with animals from the NF-Se group. Animals exposed to both treatments (HF and Ex) were similar to all the other groups, thus these alterations induced by HF or Ex alone were partially prevented. Physical training reduced fat pad deposition and restored altered reproductive parameters. HF diet consumption during the peri-pubertal period induces long-term changes on metabolism and the reproductive system, but moderate and low frequency physical training is able to recover adipose tissue deposition and reproductive system alterations induced by high fat diet. This study highlights the importance of a balanced diet and continued physical activity during adolescence, with regard to metabolic and reproductive health