Special Issue on computational methods in engineering (CILAMCE 2018 - Paris/Compiegne)

Ibrahimbegovic, Adnan,Pimenta, Paulo M. Techno-Press 2019 Coupled systems mechanics Vol.8 No.2

This special issue contains selected papers first presented in a short format at the Congress CILAMCE 2018 ($39^{th}$ Ibero-Latin American Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering) held in Paris and in $Compi{\grave{e}}gne$, France, from 11 to 14 November 2018.

Consensus for Double-Integrator Dynamics with Velocity Constraints

Tales A. Jesus,Luciano C. A. Pimenta,Leonardo A. B. Tôrres,Eduardo M. A. M. Mendes 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2014 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.12 No.5

The problem of consensus for double-integrator dynamics with velocity constraints and a constant group reference velocity is addressed such that: (i) the control law of an agent does not depend on the local neighbors' velocities or accelerations, but only on the neighbors' positions and on the own agent velocity; (ii) the constraints are non-symmetric; (iii) the class of nonlinear functions used to account for the velocity constraints is more general than the ones that are normally considered in the literature. We propose a decentralized control strategy with the neighboring topology described by an undirected interaction graph that is connected. Mathematical guarantees of convergence without violating the constraints are given. A numerical experiment is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of our approach.

Physiological adaptations induced by swimming in mice fed a high fat diet

Pedro Augusto Silva Nogueira,Miriam Pimenta Pereira,Jeferson José Gomes Soares,Anderson Ferraz Norton Filho,Izadora Mayumi Fujinami Tanimoto,Ivana Alice Teixeira Fonseca,Homero Oliveira Avelar,Francoi 한국운동재활학회 2017 JER Vol.13 No.3

This study examined physiological variables of animals fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) or with a normal diet (ND) subjected to swimming at low and moderate level. Over 16 weeks, a group of animals was fed with HFD or ND, and at the 8 weeks, they started swimming with 50% or 80% of the maximum load achieved in the progressive work test. Weekly, body weight and the amount of ingested food were registered. The gly-cemic level was measured at the beginning, middle and at the end of the experiment. Adipose tissue, gastrocnemius muscles and hearts were collected for morphometry. The results showed that the animals fed an HFD had a minor caloric intake; however, the HFD increased body weight and adiposity, likely causing cardiac hypertrophy and an increase in the glycemic level. In this context, swimming with an 80% load contributed positively to weight control, adiposity, glycemic level, to control cardiac hypertrophy and induce hypertrophy in the gastroc-nemius muscle. All parameters assessed showed better results for the ND animals. Therefore, the importance of fat consumption was empha-sized in relation to obesity onset. The practice of swimming with an 80% load produced greater benefits than swimming with a 50% load for overweight treatment.

Effect of a professional soccer match in skin temperature of the lower limbs : a case study

Alex de Andrade Fernandes,Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta,Danilo Gomes Moreira,Manuel Sillero-Quintana,João Carlos Bouzas Marins,Rodrigo Figueiredo Morandi,Tane Kanope,Emerson Silami Garcia 한국운동재활학회 2017 JER Vol.13 No.3

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between lower limbs skin temperature (Tsk) recorded by infrared thermography and creatine kinase (CK) response following an official soccer game. A pro-fessional soccer player, from the first division Brazilian League, defender, 27 years and 183 cm of height was analyzed. Measures of Tsk with a thermal camera and blood CK concentrations were obtained 24 hr be-fore (24H-PRE), 24 (24H-POST) and 48 hr (48H-POST) after an official match. The results showed that CK values were 193 U/L 24 hr before, ris-ing to 1,083 U/L 24 hr after the game and 414 U/L 48 hr after the game. Anterior thigh Tsk was 31.5ºC, 33.8ºC, and 31.8ºC in the moments 24H-PRE, 24H-POST, and 48H-POST, respectively. Similarly, anterior leg presented temperature of 31.2ºC, 33.3ºC, and 31.5ºC at the same moments. Qualita-tive analysis of the thermograms showed that whole lower limbs are much warmer 24 hr after the match and certain areas as the right anteri-or thigh, the left anterior leg, both anterior ankles, and both posterior thighs have not fully recovered their initial Tsk 48 hr after the match. The results of this study indicate that participation in a professional soccer match can lead to significant increases in Tsk values measured by IRT 24 hr after the match. Considering this variable as an indicator of muscu-lar damage, it could help in the process of training control, being part of an injury prevention program in professional soccer clubs.

Genotoxicity and Antigenotoxicity Assessments of the Flavonoid Vitexin by the Drosophila melanogaster Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test

Liliane Menezes Fernandes,Zaira da Rosa Guterres,Igor Vivian Almeida,Veronica Elisa Pimenta Vicentini 한국식품영양과학회 2017 Journal of medicinal food Vol.20 No.6

Vitexin is a C-glycosylated flavone found in various medicinal plants with several proven biological properties such as anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities. Considering that the human population consumes many foods that contain this flavonoid, the objective of this study was to investigate the genotoxic and the antigenotoxic potentials of vitexin by the SMART (Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test) in Drosophila melanogaster wings, in vivo. To evaluate the genotoxic activity, larvae obtained from standard (ST) and high bioactivation (HB) crosses were chronically treated with different concentrations of vitexin (0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 mM). For the evaluation of antigenotoxic activity, the same vitexin concentrations were associated with two damage inducing agents: doxorubicin (0.2 mM) and benzo[a]pyrene (1.0 mM). The results obtained for genotoxic activity showed that vitexin did not induce a statistically significant increment in the frequency of mutant spots, when compared to control. The results for the evaluation of antigenotoxicity indicated that the flavonoid statistically reduced the frequency of mutant spots, when compared to those treated with only the damage inducing agents. Thus, this article presents results that have demonstrated the antigenotoxic activity of vitexin, which could be applied in new studies for the development of drugs with chemoprotective effects.

Feed Restriction and Compensatory Growth in Guzerá Females

Neto, S. Gonzaga,Bezerra, L.R.,Medeiros, A.N.,Ferreira, M.A.,Filho, E.C. Pimenta,Candido, E.P.,Oliveira, R.L. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2011 Animal Bioscience Vol.24 No.6

This study examined the effect of restricting feed intake and the subsequent compensatory growth in Guzera females. Eighteen animals with an initial age of 21 months and a mean weight of 268.17 kg were placed in three groups according to the alimentary regime: feed ad libitum; feed restricted to 20% dry matter; and feed restricted to 40% dry matter. In the restricted feed phase, the dry mater intake decreased as the restriction levels increased, influencing the reduction in intake of other nutrients. In the realimentation phase, the 40% restricted feed group ingested more dry matter (% BW) and crude protein ($weight^{0.75}$) than the group fed ad libitum (p<0.001). The serum nutrient concentrations were inversely proportional (p<0.001) to the restriction level, and there was no difference (p>0.001) in the realimentation phase. In the restricted feed phase, the final live weight decreased (p<0.05) as the restriction level increased. For the daily mean weight gain in the control group, there was no difference (p>0.05) compared to the animals with 20% feed restriction, but this was higher than in the group with 40% feed restriction. In the re-alimentation phase, the group with 40% feed restriction achieved higher weight gain rates, which was different from the control and 20% restriction groups. In both phases, the animals in the group with 40% feed restriction presented better feed conversion which was different (p<0.05) from the control group. In the feed restriction phase, it was observed that the intake of N, nitrogen excreted in feces and urine, nitrogen balance and nitrogen retention decreased (p<0.05) with the restriction level. None of the variables were influenced in the re-alimentation phase. These results show that feed restriction by 40% can be adopted as a nutritional management practice.

Effects of Iron-Fortified Foods on the Nutritional Status of Children Residing in Regions Vulnerable to Parasitic Diseases: A Systematic Review

Alexandre Wallace Dias Cozer,Filipe Caldeira Vasconcelos So,Luana Dias Santiago,Marlucy Rodrigues Lima,Sabrina Julie Pimenta,Barbara Leles Fernandes,Barbara Nery Enes,Rafael Silva Gama,Thalisson Artur 한국식품영양과학회 2024 Preventive Nutrition and Food Science Vol.29 No.1

Parasitic infections (PIs) remain a public health concern among school-age children living in areas of greater socioeconomic vulnerability, especially in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. PIs can promote nutritional deficiencies, increasing the risk of anemia and impaired physical and cognitive development. Thus, fortified foods have been considered as a promising strategy for improving the nutritional status of children and preventing PI complications. This systematic review aimed to present the effects of iron-fortified foods for deworming and improving blood parameters in schoolchildren residing in areas that are vulnerable to PIs. This review is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines of randomized clinical trials addressing the use of fortified foods and micronutrients in children living in areas endemic for PIs. The PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, and Cochrane databases were searched to identify articles published between 2000 and 2020. A total of 153 records were retrieved from the databases, 10 of which were considered eligible for this study. On the basis of our analysis, most of the selected studies showed that the inclusion of fortified foods in the diet improved blood and infectious parameters. Therefore, fortified foods can be used as an important tool for controlling the adverse outcomes of PIs among children living in areas of greater vulnerability. However, more studies on this topic are needed to provide more evidence and consolidate strategies using iron-fortified food.