Reverse and Forward Engineering of Local Voltage Control in Distribution Networks

The increasing penetration of renewable and distributed energy resources in distribution networks calls for real-time and distributed voltage control. In this paper we investigate local Volt/VAR control with a general class of control functions, and show that the power system dynamics with non-incremental local voltage control can be seen as distributed algorithm for solving a well-defined optimization problem (reverse engineering). The reverse engineering further reveals a fundamental limitation of the non-incremental voltage control: the convergence condition is restrictive and prevents better voltage regulation at equilibrium. This motivates us to design two incremental local voltage control schemes based on the subgradient and pseudo-gradient algorithms respectively for solving the same optimization problem (forward engineering). The new control schemes decouple the dynamical property from the equilibrium property, and have much less restrictive convergence conditions. This work presents another step towards developing a new foundation -- network dynamics as optimization algorithms -- for distributed realtime control and optimization of future power networks

PROSPECÇÃO CIENTÍFICA DE ESPÉCIES DO GÊNERO ANNONA (ANNONACEAE) COM ATIVIDADE ANTINOCICEPTIVA E ANTI-INFLAMATÓRIA

A família Annonaceae possui cerca de 135 gêneros e 2.500 espécies distribuídas entre as áreas tropicais dos continentes americano, africano e asiático. Ela destaca-se por haver um grande número de espécies de importância para os diversos setores industriais. Algumas espécies possuem atividade antinociceptiva e anti-inflamatória, dentre elas, Annona squamosa L. (pinha). O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma prospecção científica de espécies do gênero Annona, identificando quais espécies possuem atividade antinociceptiva e anti-inflamatória, e a quantidade de artigos publicados que apresentem as respectivas ações farmacológicas. Essa prospecção científica foi desenvolvida através da busca nos bancos de dados Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, Scielo e Lilacs realizada no mês de janeiro de 2015. Foram encontrados 75 artigos, analisados e identificados conforme os respectivos critérios de inclusão do estudo, totalizando no final 12 artigos. Os resultados demonstram que ainda são poucos os estudos relacionados no meio científico sobre as possíveis atividades antinociceptiva e anti-inflamatória de espécies desse gênero. Palavras-chave: Annona; Annonaceae; antinociceptivo; anti-inflamatório.</em

PROSPECÇÃO TECNOLÓGICA DO GÊNERO ANNONA (ANNONACEAE)

O gênero Annona L. pertence à família Annonaceae e compreende aproximadamente 162 espécies de árvores e arbustos. É considerado o principal gênero desta família, por apresentar espécies frutíferas de importante valor comercial, mas também por apresentar espécies com propriedades biológicas interessantes. O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma prospecção tecnológica do gênero Annona, analisando a participação do país nos depósitos de pedido de patente em bases nacionais e internacionais até o momento. Para isso, a prospecção foi realizada no Banco Europeu de Patentes, no banco da Organização Mundial de Propriedade Intelectual, no Banco Americano de Marcas e Patentes e no banco de dados do Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial do Brasil. Os resultados mostraram que o Tratado de Cooperação de Patentes (PCT), os Estados Unidos e o Escritório Europeu de Patentes (EPO) são os principais depositários de documentos envolvendo espécies de Annona. O maior número de patentes foi depositado em 2010. A classificação internacional mais abundante nessa prospecção foi C12N, seguida por A01H e A61K.</em

Flavonoids as Therapeutic Agents in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidences

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are considered the most common neurodegenerative disorders, representing a major focus of neuroscience research to understanding the cellular alterations and pathophysiological mechanisms involved. Several natural products, including flavonoids, are considered able to cross the blood-brain barrier and are known for their central nervous system-related activity. Therefore, studies are being conducted with these chemical constituents to analyze their activities in slowing down the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The present systematic review summarizes the pharmacological effects of flavonoids in animal models for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A PRISMA model for systematic review was utilized for this search. The research was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, BIREME, and Science Direct. Based on the inclusion criteria, 31 articles were selected and discussed in this review. The studies listed revealed that the main targets of action for Alzheimer’s disease therapy were reduction of reactive oxygen species and amyloid beta-protein production, while for Parkinson’s disease reduction of the cellular oxidative potential and the activation of mechanisms of neuronal death. Results showed that a variety of flavonoids is being studied and can be promising for the development of new drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, it was possible to verify that there is a lack of translational research and clinical evidence of these promising compounds

The Role of Flavonoids on Oxidative Stress in Epilepsy

Backgrounds. Oxidative stress can result from excessive free-radical production and it is likely implicated as a possible mechanism involved in the initiation and progression of epileptogenesis. Flavonoids can protect the brain from oxidative stress. In the central nervous system (CNS) several flavonoids bind to the benzodiazepine site on the GABAA-receptor resulting in anticonvulsive effects. Objective. This review provides an overview about the role of flavonoids in oxidative stress in epilepsy. The mechanism of action of flavonoids and its relation to the chemical structure is also discussed. Results/Conclusions. There is evidence that suggests that flavonoids have potential for neuroprotection in epilepsy

The Role of Flavonoids on Oxidative Stress in Epilepsy

Backgrounds. Oxidative stress can result from excessive free-radical production and it is likely implicated as a possible mechanism involved in the initiation and progression of epileptogenesis. Flavonoids can protect the brain from oxidative stress. In the central nervous system (CNS) several flavonoids bind to the benzodiazepine site on the GABA A -receptor resulting in anticonvulsive effects. Objective. This review provides an overview about the role of flavonoids in oxidative stress in epilepsy. The mechanism of action of flavonoids and its relation to the chemical structure is also discussed. Results/Conclusions. There is evidence that suggests that flavonoids have potential for neuroprotection in epilepsy

Results of the docking procedures for LASSBio-1586.

<p><b>(A)</b> Conformations obtained from the most populous and stable cluster in the binding site of COX-2; <b>(B)</b> most stable docked conformation for LASSBio-1586 (Binding Energy = −7.84 Kcal/mol); <b>(C)</b> native conformation of meloxicam (magenta) and most stable conformation for LASSBio-1586 (cyan).</p

Effect of LASSBio-1586 (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, p.o.) and indomethacin (20 mg/kg, p.o.) on cotton pellet-induced granuloma.

<p>Values are expressed as the mean ± S.E.M. (n = 6, per group), where <i>a</i> indicates <i>p</i><0.05, significantly different from the control group, according to ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s test.</p

Effect of LASSBio-1586 (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, p.o.), morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and indomethacin (20 mg/kg, i.p.) in the acetic-acid-writhing-induced nociception test in mice (n = 6, per group).

<p>Values are expressed as the mean ± SEM, where <i>a</i> indicates <i>p</i><0.05, significantly different from the control group, according to ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s test.</p

2D comparative representation of the NSAID meloxicam and LASSBio-1586.

<p>2D comparative representation of the NSAID meloxicam and LASSBio-1586.</p