Search

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a high-fat finishing diet on the in vivo performance, anatomical and carcass characteristics, and meat quality of adult culled goats. Over a period of 28 days leading up to slaughter, eighteen adult culled goats were subjected to a finishing diet provided in quantities sufficient to meet 3.0 times the nutritional requirements of adult non-dairy maintenance goats. The female goats were divided into two groups: one fed with the baseline diet without fat supplementation (n = 9) and the other fed a diet concentrated supplemented with whole full-fat linseed (n = 9). The diets varied in fat content (2.8% vs. 8.4% DM). The high-fat group exhibited a higher dry matter intake compared to the control group (+37%), along with elevated plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The control group experienced a significant decrease in daily weight gain between the second and final week of the finishing period (-70%), in contrast to the increase observed in the high-fat group (+59%). At slaughter, no differences were noted between the groups in anatomical and carcass characteristics. Additionally, no differences were found between the diets regarding proximate composition, pH, yellow color component, and lightness of loin. The high-fat group exhibited a higher redness of loin. The inclusion of high-fat levels in finishing diets for culled adult goats allows for increased feed intake and performance but does not appear to affect carcass or meat quality.

Oxidative stress promotes T. cruzi growth and development of chronic Chagas heart dysfunction. However, the literature contains gaps that must be fulfilled, largely due to variations in parasite DTU sources, cell types, mouse strains, and tools to manipulate redox status. We assessed the impact of oxidative environment on parasite burden in cardiomyoblasts and the effects of the Nrf2-inducer COPP on heart function in BALB/c mice infected with either DTU-II Y or DTU-I Colombian T. cruzi strains. Treatment with antioxidants CoPP, apocynin, resveratrol, and tempol reduced parasite burden in cardiomyoblasts H9C2 for both DTUI- and II-strains, while H2O2 increased it. CoPP treatment improved electrical heart function when administered during acute stage of Y-strain infection, coinciding with an overall trend towards increased survival and reduced heart parasite burden. These beneficial effects surpassed those of trypanocidal benznidazole, implying that CoPP directly affects heart physiology. CoPP treatment had beneficial impact on heart systolic function when performed during acute and evaluated during chronic stage. No impact of CoPP on heart parasite burden, electrical, or mechanical function was observed during the chronic stage of Colombian-strain infection, despite previous demonstrations of improvement with other antioxidants. Treatment with CoPP also did not improve heart function of mice chronically infected with Y-strain. Our findings indicate that amastigote growth is responsive to changes in oxidative environment within heart cells regardless of the DTU source, but CoPP influence on heart parasite burden in vivo and heart function is mostly confined to the acute phase. The nature of the antioxidant employed, T. cruzi DTU, and the stage of disease, emerge as crucial factors to consider in heart function studies.

Due to the environmental concerns, the application of natural FRPs to replace synthetic fibre as a strengthening material has increased. Kenaf fibre-reinforced polymer (KFRP) has comparable specific strength with glass fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP). Moreover, epoxy resin is widely used as a matrix of composites and adhesives; however, it has low shear strength. Improvement of epoxy properties is therefore required, for example, by incorporating biofiller such as eggshells from household waste, which contain calcite, to improve its shear strength. Testing series includes variations of KFRP bond length, KFRP thickness and eggshell filler volume fractions. All the DSJ specimens underwent a two-stage testing process, experimentally and numerically. In Stage 1, experimental work was performed on the specimens through quasi-static tensile tests, following the ASTM D3528–96. In Stage 2, numerical studies were conducted to predict the strength using the extended finite element method (XFEM) within ABAQUS CAE. Subsequently, the strength prediction from developed 2-D FEA models was validated by the experimental datasets. All testing specimens exhibited KFRP rupture mode. For all the studied overlap lengths, the joint strength increased with the increase of the studied composite's adherend thickness (1 - 4 mm); however, the overlap length reached the optimum at the overlap length of 80 mm, where beyond that overlap length, the joint strength tended to decrease. The maximum joint strength is achieved with a combination of 80 mm bond length and 4 mm KFRP thickness, resulting in a 226.5% enhancement compared to the baseline (composite thickness of 1 mm, with adhesive without filler). Moreover, it was found that volume fraction of 5% eggshell was the optimum. The strength prediction was performed using an extended finite element method (XFEM), In general, there were good agreements in both experimental datasets and XFEM models, with discrepancies of less than 16.1% (averaging less than 8%). The FEA modelling approaches are promising for predicting the joint strength of KFRP/steel DSJ.

This study examined the fracture and failed performance of foamed concrete materials by testing normalized notched beams under three-point bending via three methods: inverse analysis, digital image correlation (DIC), and finite element modeling (FEM). It also discussed both experimental and FEM characteristics. However, inverse analysis is only applicable for specimens with a notch height of 30 mm. Bilinear softening of the tested beams was estimated to identify the fracture energy (GF), critical crack length (ac), and elastic modulus (E). Additionally, the fracture toughness was calculated by adopting the double-K method (initiation fracture, unstable fracture, and cohesive fracture). Two-dimensional FEA modeling of the fracture was conducted using the traction-separation law (TSL), incorporating the extended finite element method (XFEM) and cohesive zone (CZM) techniques. A finite element sensitivity for the XFEM and CZM was performed, with the global mesh size of 2 and the damage stabilization cohesion of 1 × 10−5 showed good convergence and were used in other models. Further comparison of the DIC experiment findings with those from the FEM demonstrated good agreement in terms of crack propagation simulation.

Silybin (SIB) is a hepatoprotective drug known for its poor oral bioavailability, attributed to its classification as a class IV drug with significant metabolism during the first-pass effect. This study explored the potential of solid lipid nanoparticles with (SLN-SIB-U) or without (SLN-SIB) ursodeoxycholic acid and polymeric nanoparticles (PN-SIB) as delivery systems for SIB. The efficacy of these nanosystems was assessed through in vitro studies using the GRX and Caco-2 cell lines for permeability and proliferation assays, respectively, as well as in vivo experiments employing a murine model of Schistosomiasis mansoni infection in BALB/c mice. The mean diameter and encapsulation efficiency of the nanosystems were as follows: SLN-SIB (252.8 ± 4.4 nm, 90.28 ± 2.2%), SLN-SIB-U (252.9 ± 14.4 nm, 77.05 ± 2.8%), and PN-SIB (241.8 ± 4.1 nm, 98.0 ± 0.2%). In the proliferation assay with the GRX cell line, SLN-SIB and SLN-SIB-U exhibited inhibitory effects of 43.09 ± 5.74% and 38.78 ± 3.78%, respectively, compared to PN-SIB, which showed no inhibitory effect. Moreover, SLN-SIB-U demonstrated a greater apparent permeability coefficient (25.82 ± 2.2) than PN-SIB (20.76 ± 0.1), which was twice as high as that of SLN-SIB (11.32 ± 4.6) and pure SIB (11.28 ± 0.2). These findings suggest that solid lipid nanosystems hold promise for further in vivo investigations. In the murine model of acute-phase Schistosomiasis mansoni infection, both SLN-SIB and SLN-SIB-U displayed hepatoprotective effects, as evidenced by lower alanine amino transferase values (22.89 ± 1.6 and 23.93 ± 2.4 U/L, respectively) than those in control groups I (29.55 ± 0.7 U/L) and I+SIB (34.29 ± 0.3 U/L). Among the prepared nanosystems, SLN-SIB-U emerges as a promising candidate for enhancing the pharmacokinetic properties of SIB.

A síndrome da sela vazia é bastante rara. Os autores observaram um caso, surgido durante a neuroadenólise de um paciente apresentando previamente a suspeita radiológica de aumento selar.

Os autores descrevem a nefrostomia percutânea como método útil na desobstrução do sistema urinário, principalmente em pacientes com câncer que fazem uso de "Cis-Platinum" com quimioterápico.

Este trabalho nada mais é do que um arranjo cronológico de fatos e tem por finalidade oferecer oportunidade de acesso aos principais eventos históricos e respectivos documentos comprobatórios aos que desejam conhecê-lo, especialmente aos funcionários que mais recentemente passaram a integrar o sistema. Busca-se com isto, através da reconstituição do passado, juntar subsídios a fim de formular melhor as estratégias para o futuro.

Os autores discutem os aspectos clínico-radiológicos das lesões metastáticas de melanomas malignos ao longo do tubo digestivo.

O texto comenta sobre o uso da agulha de Chiba como um instrumento para Biópsia com agulha por aspiração em lesões hepáticas, principalmente nas lesões do lobo esquerdo.

A Sociedade Brasileira de Cancerologia, perseguindo antigo objetivo, e sensível à necessidade de trazer ao debate, amplo e participe, a problemática desse ensino, e de medir os níveis e a qualidade das informações nessa área, nas escolas médicas, determinou a criação de uma Comissão de Ensino para esse fim especial (Comissão SBC). Esta, ciente da importância e da oportunidade da temática e, também, do não pioneirismo da iniciativa no Brasil, decidiu buscar elementos já pesquisados para compará-los com resultados de levantamento atual, retirando, assim, subsídios úteis para ter, no possível, uma visão panorâmica do assunto e estabelecer esquema de execução viável nas escolas de Medicina no País. Este Informe trata-se de um documento preliminar para discussão com representantes das escolas médicas.

Da análise de 115 casos de mamografias com calcificações mamárias, (exames realizados no Instituto Nacional de Câncer, RJ). Os autores mostram os principais aspectos e as características radiológicas dentro das patologias benignas e malignas.

Foram consultados os quatro hospitais de grande porte do Município do Rio de Janeiro quanto à questão do tabagismo dentro de cada uma destas instituições. As indagações foram: 1 – deve-se fumar livremente em todas as dependências do hospital? 2 - deve existir no Hospital uma área exclusiva para fumantes? Dois mil trezentos e noventa e nove funcionários responderam a estas perguntas, obtendo-se na pergunta nº 1 um percentual de 92% de respostas favoráveis à restrição ao fumo em todas as dependências do Hospital, 7% contra e 1% nulos ou em branco. Na pergunta nº2 houve uma divisão equitativa de opiniões, ficando 54% de respostas a favor e 45% contra a criação de uma área exclusiva para fumantes, com 1% de respostas nulas ou em branco. Concluiu-se que a maioria absoluta das pessoas tem posições definidas quanto ao significado do tabagismo indiscriminado no hospital, não favorecendo a imagem da busca da saúde e do respeito à doença. Porém há necessidade de se criar livres espaços para os fumantes no ambiente de trabalho, com criação de áreas exclusivas para o uso do tabaco. Os desdobramentos destas conclusões são descritos no trabalho.

The evolution of advancing computing technology has encouraged the use of finite element analysis to require constitutive models, mostly adopted extensive experimental datasets. Nevertheless, fewer material properties are required within the bilinear traction-separation relationship incorporated with the XFEM technique and require fewer computation efforts due to the energetic approach simulation. This study used ABAQUS CAE 2021 to predict the flexural strength of plain concrete beams strengthened with Kenaf Fibre Reinforced Polymer (KFRP) plates under a four-point bending test, later validated with experimental datasets. The varying parameters, including woven fabric architectures, lengths, widths, and plate thickness, were considered. The results demonstrated that the consistency proposed modelling technique in this study well-captured failure modes and crack development as experimental observations. All models demonstrated an increase in peak load, and a comparison of load-deflection profiles was made between the numerical FEA modelling with the experimental works. The peak load discrepancies between the numerical outputs and the experimental datasets were found to be less than 12% in all testing series. Despite promising findings, stress analysis on peel and shear stresses associated with failure modes exhibited was performed. It was found that KFRP ruptures occurred due to peel stress peak at plate mid-span, while shear mode failure demonstrates concentrated peel stress (to lesser extent shear stress) at KFRP edge tip. Hence, a more unified approach is promoted to require only two material properties (preferably independently measured values). This approach enables a designer to choose the optimum FRPs size using the current modelling tool, substantially reducing laborious and expensive experimental setup.

Renewable energy generation systems largely use grid-tied power converters with LCL filters. A well-known issue in this kind of system is the resonance of the LCL filter, whose frequency is straightforwardly affected by grid condition. Variations on grid impedance tends to make the controller performance poor and until turn the closed-loop unstable. Therefore, some controllers are designed for specific operation ranges to ensure performance and global stability. However, a deep study of Model Reference Adaptive-based Controllers for this kind of issue was not conducted yet. The aim of this paper is to fit this research gap. Thus, this paper presents a performance comparison of feasible discrete-time robust adaptive controllers, based on reduced order reference model, for grid-tied power converters with LCL filter under unbalanced grid conditions, providing an assessment of the benefits and drawbacks of each considered control strategy. The evaluated control laws are: Robust Model Reference Adaptive Controller, Robust Model Reference-based Adaptive Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Controller, Robust Adaptive One Sample Ahead Preview Controller, and Robust Adaptive Proportional-Integral Controller. Through performance comparison, it can be defined what controller is more adequate in face of grid condition, taking into consideration grid-injected currents quality and design complexity of controller. Experimental results of grid-injected current control of a grid-tied 5.8 kW Voltage-Source Inverter with LCL filter considering relevant grid voltage unbalance are presented to corroborate the controllers’ performance and discuss their reference tracking response, robustness to the parametric variation, exogenous disturbance rejection, parameters adaptability, and global stability. In evaluated scenarios, Robust Adaptive Proportional-Integral controller presented slower regulation dynamics between compared adaptive structures, but reduced tracking error, as well as lower total harmonics distortion, while Robust Model Reference-based Adaptive Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Controller has the smaller overshoot in the initial transient regime, as well as the shorter transient regime.

Torna-se necessário que os Serviços de Mamografia satisfaçam os critérios de qualidade, imagem e dose de radiação estabelecidos como referência. Neste contexto, o Colégio Brasileiro de Radiologia e a Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear estabeleceram o Programa de Certificação da Qualidade de Serviços de Mamografia. Este programa oferece aos radiologistas a oportunidade de atestar a qualidade dos seus serviços quanto aos aspectos de equipamento de raios X, qualificação da equipe técnico-radiologista, controle de qualidade, qualidade de imagem e dose de radiação.

This paper presents the numerical strength prediction of externally carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP)- strengthened concrete beams using a traction-separation law. From reported experimental observations, the externally CFRP-strengthened concrete beams are prone to exhibit mixed-mode cohesive failure within the adhesive layer before beam separation. Testing series comprised of different strengthening schemes and CFRP plate length indicated that all specimens failed in cohesive delamination (debonding). This study performed a numerical modelling framework by using a combination of extended finite element method (XFEM) within the concrete beam and cohesive zone model (CZM) within the adhesive layer to explicitly demonstrate debonding phenomenon as seen in experimental observations. The results showed that the modelling technique was able to capture the debonding failure and the crack propagation of the concrete beam, consistent with experimental observations. Hence, the combination of the XFEM-CZM approach yields good agreements with experimental datasets. It was found that discrepancies of maximum load-bearing capacity between numerical modelling and previous experimental work are below 17 % were found in all testing series. However, due to the unavailability of fracture energy properties of tested concrete, the current approach used values of similar concrete grade from other literature. It is expected that better results would be obtained if the fracture energy of the investigated concrete beam was independently measured.

With the ever growing environmental concerns, renewable energy sources emerge as a promise of clean and abundant energy, enabling long-term sustainable development. In this context, wind power gained significant interest due to its relative low cost and availability. Switched reluctance generators (SRGs) are suitable candidates for wind energy conversion systems, as they present a simple structure, robustness, a wide range of speed and are capable of operating in harsh environments. The machine, however, poses challenges such as high torque ripple, acoustic noise production and highly nonlinear behavior. Nonetheless, with the use of adequate control strategies, high dynamic performance SRG-based wind energy conversion systems can be achieved. As a result, this article presents a state of the art review of SRGs in wind power applications. First, the fundamentals of the SRG are presented. Next, two categories of firing angle control are reviewed: optimization and closed-loop control. Then, voltage and power control strategies are discussed, being divided in model-independent and model-based approaches. After that, a review on grid-tied SRG-based wind energy conversion systems is carried out. The most common filter topologies as well as the employed control strategies are detailed. Lastly, an outline of the discussed topics is presented and future trends as well as suggestions for future investigation are listed.

Kenaf fibre possesses excellent tensile strength and elongation at break and is suitable to replace synthetic fibres as reinforcing materials in FRPs composites. This research is aimed to develop an experimental programme to study the behaviour of strengthened concrete beams externally bonded woven fabric Kenaf FRP (KFRP) plates. A four-point bending test was conducted to explore the effects of KFRP plate variation, such as woven fabric architectures, KFRP lengths, KFRP widths, and plate thickness (with cross-ply layers) on plain concrete beams. KFRP plate significantly improved the ultimate load, deflection at peak, stiffness, and performance factor of the strengthened plain beams when kenaf volume fraction and KFRP plate dimensions increased. The best effect to increase plain concrete beam performance was seen in specimen D-PX4 (Series D) with ultimate load, deflection and stiffness are 84 %, 50 % and 36 % with an average performance factor is 103 % compared to control beam. Thus, the flexural strengthening of a plain concrete beam using a KFRP plate is found to be a good alternative technique.

Abstract This paper proposes a robust current control technique based on a discrete‐time sliding mode controller and a disturbance observer for high‐performance permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives. This scheme is applied in the PMSM current control loops to enable the decoupling between the dq current axes, rejection of disturbances caused by mechanical load changes and robustness under parametric uncertainties. In order to ensure the discrete‐time sliding mode properties, which make the system cross the sliding surface at each sampling period, the PMSM model is extended, including the digital implementation delay resulting from the discrete‐time algorithm execution. The development of this method allows direct implementation in microcontrollers and digital signal processors. Stability and convergence analysis are developed in the discrete‐time domain. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and good performance of the proposed current control approach.

The "Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education" posits that the practice of asking questions in order to deepen inquiry and understanding is a key element of information literacy. While the "Research as Inquiry" frame is teachable in library instruction, it can be difficult to scale. Popular instructional design software tends to present information in linear formats that can limit how students understand the iterative nature of research. This article presents an attempt at an asynchronous tutorial that overcomes this limitation of medium and that presents "Research as Inquiry" through an iterative and question-based online game. We discuss the development, implementation, and assessment of the tutorial, as well as issues of sustainability and scale.

Even in the molecular cytogenetics era, classical cytogenetic research remains useful and can provide powerful insights about the phylogenetic relationships of several taxa, particularly those that are ultra-diverse, such as ants, which facilitate better discussions about biodiversity. In this study, we describe the karyotypes of eight ant taxa collected from Amazonian localities in French Guiana and Brazil. The chromosome numbers ranged from 2n = 18 to 68. The following chromosome numbers were observed for each organism: Azteca sp. group chartifex 2n = 28, Dolichoderus bidens (Linnaeus, 1758) 2n = 18, Gnamptogenys tortuolosa (Smith, 1858) 2n = 44, Camponotus renggeri Emery, 1894 n = 20, Pseudomyrmex unicolor (Smith, 1855) 2n = 68 and n = 34, Apterostigma sp. pilosum complex 2n = 46, Odontomachus bauri Emery, 1892 2n = 44, and Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger, 1863) 2n = 32. Three species had karyotypes similar to those from previously described species collected from the Atlantic rainorest. The karyotype of P. unicolor is reported here for the first time and showed a high chromosome number, similar to that of Pseudomyrmex gracilis. Classical cytogenetics draws attention to the need for taxonomic revision in the genera Azteca and Apterostigma and revealed aspects about chromosome evolution regarding to the polymorphism of W. auropunctata and O. bauri, as well as the heteromorphism of G. tortuolosa. The scarce information regarding ant diversity in the state of Amapá and lack of cytogenetic data from species in the northeast Amazon can hide ant biodiversity information that may be detectable with affordable cytogenetic techniques. We also discuss the importance of chromosome classification standardization using measurements.

ABSTRACT The case of a 55-year-old male who presented central retinal vein occlusion with marked macular ischemia in left eye is reported. Despite the intervention with sustained-release dexamethasone polymer injection and other clinical measures, the visual acuity was severely reduced in left eye. After 8 months, he returned to the emergency with acute visual loss of 2 hours of progression in right eye due to a central retinal artery occlusion, sparing only the territory of the cilioretinal artery. Patient underwent clinical maneuvers with anterior chamber paracentesis and intravenous injection of tissue plasminogen activator. Fluorescein angiography immediately after the procedures showed recanalization, but despite arterial vasodilation, no complete recanalization was observed after 24 hours. The patient developed retinal atrophy.

Australian schools are diverse, and support students from a wide range of racial, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds, as well as students with disability. Ironically, efforts to ensure equally diverse teacher workforces have been ineffective. Attempts to improve broader representation in teachers have been hampered by a homogenous approach to teacher recruitment and education. In 2016, Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) became a graduation requirement for teachers. The aim of this research is to explore the test-taking experiences of students (pre-service teachers) from diverse backgrounds, and the stakeholders who support them. A thematic analysis of data from a larger mixed methods study revealed additional tensions for students from diverse backgrounds including unintended consequences such as traumatic experiences and having to encounter additional hurdles to be successful. This study provides unique insights into additional pressures and hurdles students from diverse backgrounds experience when completing this high-stakes test.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study is to compare the biomechanical behavior of three different fixation constructions currently used for buttressing the posteromedial shearing tibial plateau fragment. Our hypothesis is that non-locked implants provide sufficient comparable stability in posteromedial tibial plateau fractures as locked implants. Methods Fifteen left synthetic tibiae from a single manufacturing batch were used to create a posteromedial shear tibial plateau fracture. The fracture was buttressed with three different posteriorly placed five-hole straight small-fragment plate. Five models were fixed with a one-third tubular plate (TTP), five models with a dynamic compression plate (DCP), and five models with a locking compression plate (LCP). All groups were tested to vertical subsidence (Stage 1). In the same experiment (Stage 2), TTP and DCP groups were tested until catastrophic failure. Force versus displacement curves were obtained in the two stages of the experiment. Results Stage 1 – There was no significant difference in stiffness (p = 0.89), subsidence up to 2 mm (p = 0.38), and energy (p = 0.36) among the three fixation constructions. Stage 2 – Yield load revealed significantly less yield strength for the TTP group as compared with the DCP group (p = 0.048). However, there was no significant difference in maximum load to failure among the TTP and DCP fixation constructions (p = 0.16). Conclusion Placement of either a locked or non-locked small fragment straight plate to buttress the posteromedial shear tibial plateau fragment has a similar biomechanical behavior. When the implant is positioned to buttress the shearing fragment it maximizes biomechanical stiffness.

Resumo Esclerite Posterior (EP) é uma inflamação do segmento escleral posterior, de etiologia inflamatória ou infecciosa, pouco diagnosticada, com evolução rápida, progressiva e irreversível com severo comprometimento visual, principalmente se o diagnóstico e o tratamento da (EP) não forem realizados a tempo hábil. A dor ocular, dor à movimentação ocular, cefaléia e embaçamento visual são os principais sinais e sintomas. Pode ser de causa Idiopática ou associada a doença sistêmica em até 45% dos caso. A Artrite Reumatoide é descrita como a associação mais comum. Causas infecciosas podem estar presente tais como: Herpes Simples, Herpes Zoster Oftálmico, Sífilis e Tuberculose. A bilateralidade pode ocorrer em até 35% dos casos sendo mais prevalente em mulheres a partir da quinta década de vida.

Abstract Background The biomechanical behavior of Pauwels type III fractures should be taken into consideration when performing internal fixation, since this repair should resist the shear force inherent in the vertical fracture line to the greatest extent possible. Recently, the use of a small fragment plate on the medial face of the femoral neck has been proposed by some authors, with satisfactory initial results. In the current study we analyze the mechanical role a medial plate used as a buttress plate for Pauwels type III femoral neck fractures, comparing the resistance of two fixation configurations using three cannulated screws. Methods Pauwels type III fractures were simulated in synthetic bones models and two groups were created, one of those using two parallel screws at the bottom of the femoral neck and the third screw crossing the fracture horizontally (G1), and the other fixed in the same arrangement as G1, but with the addition of a medial side plate at the apex of the fracture (G2). The constructs were subjected to axial loading until catastrophic failure. Results The addition of a medial plate buttressing the femoral neck increased significantly the resistance to maximum loading (p = 0.003). Conclusion Use of a medial buttress plate results in a mechanically superior construction for Pauwels type III fractures fixed with multiple cannulated screws. Lebel of evidence Level IV. Biomechanical comparative study.

Background and Objectives: Proximal humerus fractures are the second most frequent site of avascular necrosis (AVN), occurring in up to 16% of cases. The Hertel criteria have been used as a reference for the prediction of humerus head ischemia. However, these are based solely on the use of radiographs, which can make interpretation extremely difficult due to several reasons, such as the overlapping fragments, severity of the injury, and noncompliant acute pain patients. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the role of computed tomography (CT) in the interpretation of the Hertel criteria and to evaluate the intra- and interobserver agreement of orthopedic surgeons, comparing their area of expertise. Materials and Methods: The radiographs and CT scans of 20 skeletally mature patients who had fractures of the proximal humerus were converted to jpeg and mov, respectively. All images were evaluated by eight orthopedic surgeons (four trauma surgeons and four shoulder surgeons) in two different occasions. The intra- and interobserver agreement was assessed by using the Kappa coefficient. The level of significance was 5%. Results: There was a weak-to-moderate intraobserver agreement (κ < 0.59) for all examiners. Only the medial metaphyseal hinge greater than 2 mm was identified by 87.5% of evaluators both in the radiographic and CT examinations in the two rounds of the study (p < 0.05). There was no significant interobserver agreement (κ < 0.19), as it occurred only in some moments of the second round of evaluation. Conclusions: The prognostic criteria for humeral head ischemia evaluated in this study showed weak intra- and interobserver agreement in both the radiographic and tomographic evaluation. CT did not help surgeons in the primary interpretation of Hertel prognostic criteria used in this study when compared to the radiographic examination.

Este trabalho propõe a utilização de uma estrutura cascata de controladores adaptativos do tipo entrada-saída por modelo de referência (MRAC) utilizando modelos de ordem reduzida para um inversor quasi-Z-Source, conectado à rede por meio de um filtro LCL. A implementação da estrutura adaptativa por meio de modelos de referência reduzidos possibilita um sistema de controle adaptativo mais simples de ser implementado, com equacionamento matemático reduzido e menor esforço computacional. Para a redução da ordem dos modelos de referência, dinâmicas presentes em frequências mais elevadas da planta não são consideradas para projeto do controlador, possibilitando a implementação de uma estrutura simplificada que não comprometa a estabilidade e o desempenho do sistema. Resultados online em Hardware-In-the-Loop implementados em um DSP TMS320F28335 são apresentados, comparando a estrutura proposta com um controlador MRAC-SM por realimentação de estados sem simplificação de modelos. É mostrado que a estrutura adaptativa desenvolvida se comporta de forma robusta em relação às incertezas, apresenta baixo erro de rastreamento e carga computacional reduzida quando comparada com a estrutura adaptativa sem redução do modelo de referência.

Neste artigo é apresentada uma nova estrutura de controle robusta adaptativa, resultante da união de um Controlador Robusto Adaptativo por Modelo de Referência e um Controlador Adaptativo Super-Twisting Sliding Mode, totalmente desenvolvida em tempo discreto. A estrutura resultante é aplicada em um inversor alimentado em tensão trifásico, conectado à rede elétrica através de um filtro LCL em um ambiente de rede fraca, ou seja, que apresenta significativo teor de indutância. A principal contribuição dessa nova proposta de controle é sua alta capacidade de adaptabilidade, mantendo as características de robustez dos controladores que o compõe. Assim, sua implementação é simplificada, pois pode ser projetado considerando um modelo de referência de primeira ordem e aplicado ao controle das correntes injetadas na rede. Para tal, negligencia-se a dinâmica dos capacitores do filtro LCL durante a modelagem da planta, considerando-a como uma dinâmica do tipo aditiva. Ainda, é apresentada uma análise de estabilidade e robustez do controlador proposto, em tempo discreto, considerando a planta como um todo, isto é, em presença de dinâmicas não modeladas. Além disso, para validar a viabilidade da estrutura de controle proposta, resultados experimentais são apresentados, onde se pode observar que a estrutura de controle proposta é capaz de regular a planta adequadamente mesmo em um ambiente de rede fraca, apresentando bom desempenho, com taxa de distorção harmônica de 2,81%.

Athletic performance is an outcome that is influenced by numerous variables, both physical (e.g., strength, speed, conditioning) and mental (e.g., self-confidence, self-efficacy, management of emotional arousal; Pierpaolo et al., 2018). [...], Sport performance is increasingly understood to be an outcome affected by both physical and mental variables. Successful athletes display excellent conditioning, skill, strength, and agility as well as mental fortitude, concentration, confidence, and management of negative affective states like anxiety. Numerous interventions for sport anxiety have been developed, including imagery and mindfulness interventions (Ong et al., 2021), though there is little research directly comparing these interventions to understand potential differential effects on anxiety. Furthermore, these interventions are often delivered by experts in individual or group therapy formats leading to questions of whether more accessible, self-directed interventions can also positively impact anxiety. The current pilot study utilized a randomized, controlled design to compare the effects of a mindfulness intervention and imagery intervention to a no intervention control group on self-reported sport anxiety in a sample of Division 1 collegiate volleyball players over the course of a single season. Results showed improvement for both active conditions versus the control, though some evidence for differential effects of treatment was found. Keywords: Sport Anxiety, Mindfulness, Imagery, Volleyball

In this work, it is presented a new direct discrete-time robust adaptive PI (Proportional Integral) Controller for grid-injected current control loop of a voltage source converter with LCL filter. The mathematical background is based on Robust Model Reference Adaptive Control theory. However, the proposed controller is straightforward, it does not need a reference model and has capability to track directly currents reference. This approach simplifies significantly controller design, resulting in a reformulation of parameters vector used for adaptation of adjustable gains. It turns the controller robust to unmodelled dynamics, while avoid the complexity inherent to the conventional high order adaptive controllers for grid-connected power systems. Besides, it is highlighted that proposed controller does not need resonant controllers for grid disturbance rejection, or require any knowledge of grid parameters, lines impedance or load power demand. Also, due to its simple structure, it is easily implemented and does not require a high processing capacity. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the control strategy in terms of reference tracking, harmonics content and robustness to the grid impedance variation is corroborated through experiments.