On the numerical computation of the Mittag-Leffler function

Recently simple limiting functions establishing upper and lower bounds on the Mittag-Leffler function were found. This paper follows those expressions to design an efficient algorithm for the approximate calculation of expressions usual in fractional-order control systems. The numerical experiments demonstrate the superior efficiency of the proposed method.

Efeitos imediatos da MWM na dor, amplitude de movimento e funcionalidade, na osteoartrite da anca.

Introdução: A mobilização com movimento (MWM), segundo o Conceito Mulligan tem apresentado bons resultados na melhoria da dor, amplitude de movimento e funcionalidade em diversas disfunções. No entanto, existem poucos estudos sobre a articulação da anca e, até este momento, não foi avaliada a sua efetividade em indivíduos com osteoartrite da anca. Objectivo(s): Avaliar os efeitos imediatos da técnica de MWM na dor, na amplitude de movimento e na função física em indivíduos com osteoartrite da anca. Métodos: Foram incluídos 40 participantes com osteoartrite da anca, divididas de forma aleatória em dois grupos (experimental e placebo). Foram avaliadas as amplitudes de movimento de flexão e rotação medial da anca recorrendo ao goniómetro universal, a intensidade da dor através da Escala Numérica da Dor e a funcionalidade através de testes de função física, antes e imediatamente após a intervenção. Para o tratamento estatístico, foi utilizado um nível de significância de 0,05. Resultados: A aplicação de MWM resultou em diferenças significativas, com redução da dor na Escala Numérica da Dor (p=0,005), um aumento de amplitude de movimento de flexão (p=0,001) e de rotação medial (p=0,011), uma diminuição nos tempos dos testes de função física, o teste Timed “Up and Go” (p=0,037) e o teste “40m Self Placed Walk” (p=0,019), e um aumento nas repetições do teste ―30 seg Sit to Stand” (p=0,009), comparativamente ao grupo placebo. Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que a técnica MWM parece produzir um efeito imediato significativo na diminuição da dor, aumento de amplitude articular e melhoria da função física em indivíduos com osteoartrite da anca. Este efeito foi maior para dor, para as amplitudes de movimento e para o teste de função física - ―30 seg Sit to Stand” quando se analisou a magnitude do efeito.

Desenvolvimento de apoio à decisão operacional – previsão de curto prazo de geração distribuída de tecnologia eólica ligada à RND

No contexto da penetração de energias renováveis no sistema elétrico, Portugal ocupa uma posição de destaque a nível mundial, muito devido à produção de eólica. Com um sistema elétrico com forte presença de fontes de energia renováveis, novos desafios surgem, nomeadamente no caso da energia eólica pela sua imprevisibilidade e volatilidade. O recurso eólico embora seja ilimitado não é armazenável, surgindo assim a necessidade da procura de modelos de previsão de produção de energia elétrica dos parques eólicos de modo a permitir uma boa gestão do sistema. Nesta dissertação apresentam-se as contribuições resultantes de um trabalho de pesquisa e investigação sobre modelos de previsão da potência elétrica com base em valores de previsões meteorológicas, nomeadamente, valores previstos da intensidade e direção do vento. Consideraram-se dois tipos de modelos: paramétricos e não paramétricos. Os primeiros são funções polinomiais de vários graus e a função sigmoide, os segundos são redes neuronais artificiais. Para a estimação dos modelos e respetiva validação, são usados dados recolhidos ao longo de dois anos e três meses no parque eólico do Pico Alto de potência instalada de 6 MW. De forma a otimizar os resultados da previsão, consideram-se diferentes classes de perfis de produção, definidas com base em quatro e oito direções do vento, e ajustam-se os modelos propostos em cada uma das classes. São apresentados e discutidos resultados de uma análise comparativa do desempenho dos diferentes modelos propostos para a previsão da potência.

On the numerical computation of the Mittag-Leffler function

Recently simple limiting functions establishing upper and lower bounds on the Mittag-Leffler function were found. This paper follows those expressions to design an efficient algorithm for the approximate calculation of expressions usual in fractional-order control systems. The numerical experiments demonstrate the superior efficiency of the proposed method.

Analysis of Systems with Backlash and Impacts through the Describing Function

This paper analyses the dynamical properties of systems with backlash and impact phenomena based on the describing function method. The dynamics is illustrated using the Nyquist and Bode plots and the results are compared with those of standard models.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric disorders observed currently. It is a normal adaptive response to stress that allows coping with adverse situations. Nevertheless, when anxiety becomes excessive or disproportional in relation to the situation that evokes it or when there is not any special object directed at it, such as an irrational dread of routine stimuli, it becomes a disabling disorder and is considered to be pathological. The traditional treatment used is medication and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, however, last years the practice of physical exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, has been investigated as a new non-pharmacological therapy for anxiety disorders. Thus, the aim of this article was to provide information on research results and key chains related to the therapeutic effects of aerobic exercise compared with other types of interventions to treat anxiety, which may become a useful clinical application in a near future. Researches have shown the effectiveness of alternative treatments, such as physical exercise, minimizing high financial costs and minimizing side effects. The sample analyzed, 66.8% was composed of women and 80% with severity of symptoms anxiety as moderate to severe. The data analyzed in this review allows us to claim that alternative therapies like exercise are effective in controlling and reducing symptoms, as 91% of anxiety disorders surveys have shown effective results in treating. However, there is still disagreement regarding the effect of exercise compared to the use of antidepressant symptoms and cognitive function in anxiety, this suggests that there is no consensus on the correct intensity of aerobic exercise as to achieve the best dose-response, with intensities high to moderate or moderate to mild.

Aerobic Exercise Does Not Predict Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor And Cortisol Alterations in Depressed Patients

The pathophysiology of depression is related to neurobiological changes that occur in the monoamine system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neurogenesis system and the neuroimmune system. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the research of the effects of exercise on brain function, with a special focus on its effects on brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cortisol and other biomarkers. Thus, the aim of this study is to present a review investigating the acute and chronic effects of aerobic exercise on BDNF and cortisol levels in individuals with depression. It was not possible to establish an interaction between aerobic exercise and concentration of BDNF and cortisol, which may actually be the result of the divergence of methods, such as type of exercises, duration of the sessions, and prescribed intensity and frequency of sessions.

Effects of Exercise on Physical and Mental Health, and Cognitive and Brain Functions in Schizophrenia: Clinical and Experimental Evidence

Exercise promotes several health benefits, such as cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory improvements. It is believed that the practice of exercise in individuals with psychiatric disorders, e.g. schizophrenia, can cause significant changes. Schizophrenic patients have problematic lifestyle habits compared with general population; this may cause a high mortality rate, mainly caused by cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate changes in physical and mental health, cognitive and brain functioning due to the practice of exercise in patients with schizophrenia. Although still little is known about the benefits of exercise on mental health, cognitive and brain functioning of schizophrenic patients, exercise training has been shown to be a beneficial intervention in the control and reduction of disease severity. Type of training, form of execution, duration and intensity need to be better studied as the effects on physical and mental health, cognition and brain activity depend exclusively of interconnected factors, such as the combination of exercise and medication. However, one should understand that exercise is not only an effective nondrug alternative, but also acts as a supporting linking up interventions to promote improvements in process performance optimization. In general, the positive effects on mental health, cognition and brain activity as a result of an exercise program are quite evident. Few studies have been published correlating effects of exercise in patients with schizophrenia, but there is increasing evidence that positive and negative symptoms can be improved. Therefore, it is important that further studies be undertaken to expand the knowledge of physical exercise on mental health in people with schizophrenia, as well as its dose-response and the most effective type of exercise.

Comparison Among Aerobic Exercise and Other Types of Interventions to Treat Depression: A Systematic Review

Depression is a common and disabling disease that affects over 100 million people worldwide and can have a significant impact on physical and mental health, reducing their quality of life. Thus, the aim of this article was to provide information on research results and key chains related to the therapeutic effects of chronic aerobic exercise compared with other types of interventions to treat depression, which may become a useful clinical application in a near future. Researches have shown the effectiveness of alternative treatments, such as physical exercise, minimizing high financial costs and minimizing side effects. In this review, the data analyzed allows us to claim that alternative therapies, such as exercise, are effective on controlling and reducing symptoms. 69.3% of the studies that investigated the antidepressant effects of exercise on depressive were significant, and the other 30.7% of the studies improved only in general physiological aspects, such as increased oxygen uptake, increased use of blood glucose and decreased body fat percentage, with no improvement on symptoms of depression. From the sample analyzed, 71.4% was composed of women, and regarding the severity of symptoms, 85% had mild to moderate depression and only 15% had moderate to severe depression. However, there is still disagreement regarding the effect of exercise compared to the use of antidepressants in symptomatology and cognitive function in depression, this suggests that there is no consensus on the correct intensity of aerobic exercise as to achieve the best dose-response, with intensities high to moderate or moderate to mild.

Adaptive Penalty and Barrier function based on Fuzzy Logic

Optimization methods have been used in many areas of knowledge, such as Engineering, Statistics, Chemistry, among others, to solve optimization problems. In many cases it is not possible to use derivative methods, due to the characteristics of the problem to be solved and/or its constraints, for example if the involved functions are non-smooth and/or their derivatives are not know. To solve this type of problems a Java based API has been implemented, which includes only derivative-free optimization methods, and that can be used to solve both constrained and unconstrained problems. For solving constrained problems, the classic Penalty and Barrier functions were included in the API. In this paper a new approach to Penalty and Barrier functions, based on Fuzzy Logic, is proposed. Two penalty functions, that impose a progressive penalization to solutions that violate the constraints, are discussed. The implemented functions impose a low penalization when the violation of the constraints is low and a heavy penalty when the violation is high. Numerical results, obtained using twenty-eight test problems, comparing the proposed Fuzzy Logic based functions to six of the classic Penalty and Barrier functions are presented. Considering the achieved results, it can be concluded that the proposed penalty functions besides being very robust also have a very good performance.