In 2013, American Meteorological Society Committees on AI (artificial intelligence) Applications organized a short-term solar energy prediction competition aiming at predicting total daily solar ...energy received at 98 solar farms based on the outputs of various weather patterns of a numerical weather prediction model. In this paper, a methodology to solve this problem has been explained and the performance of ordinary LSR (least-square regression), regularized LSR and ANN (artificial neural network) models has been compared. In order to improve the generalization capability of the models, more experiments like variable segmentation, subspace feature sampling and ensembling of models have been conducted. It is observed that model accuracy can be improved by proper selection of input data segments. Further improvements can be obtained by ensemble of forecasts of different models. It is observed that the performance of an ensemble of ANN and LSR models is the best among all the proposed models in this work. As far as the competition is concerned, Gradient Boosting Regression Tree has turned out to be the best algorithm. The proposed ensemble of ANN and LSR model is able to show a relative improvement of 7.63% and 39.99% as compared to benchmark Spline Interpolation and Gaussian Mixture Model respectively.
•A case study on AMS (American Meteorological Society) 2013–14 Solar Energy Prediction Contest.•Solar energy prediction based on NWP (numerical weather prediction) weather data.•Ordinary LSR (least-square regression) suffers from over-fitting.•Data segmentation improves the forecasting performance.•An ensemble of models outperforms the benchmarks.
The parameter selection is very important for successful modelling of input-output relationship in a function approximation model. In this study, support vector machine (SVM) has been used as a ...function approximation tool for a price series and genetic algorithm (GA) has been utilised for optimisation of the parameters of the SVM model. Instead of using single time series, separate time series for each trading interval has been employed to model each day's price profile, and SVM parameters of these separate series have been optimised using GA. The developed model has been applied to two large power systems from National electricity market of Australia. The forecasting performance of the proposed model has been compared with a heuristic technique, a linear regression model and the other reported works in the literature. Effect of price volatility on the performance of the models has also been analysed. Testing results show, that the proposed GA-SVM model has better forecasting ability than the other forecasting techniques.
Uptake kinetics of semi‐volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) present indoors, namely phthalates and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), were characterized for cellulose‐based cotton and rayon fabrics. ...Cotton and rayon showed similar accumulation of gas‐ and particle‐phase SVOCs, when normalized to planar surface area. Accumulation was 3–10 times greater by rayon than cotton, when normalized to Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area which suggests that cotton could have a longer linear uptake phase than rayon. Linear uptake rates of eight consistently detected HFRs over 56 days of 0.35–0.92 m3/day.dm2 planar surface area and mass transfer coefficients of 1.5–3.8 m/h were statistically similar for cotton and rayon and similar to those for uptake to passive air sampling media. These results suggest air‐side controlled uptake and that, on average, 2 m2 of clothing typically worn by a person would sequester the equivalent of the chemical content in 100 m3 of air per day. Distribution coefficients between fabric and air (K′) ranged from 6.5 to 7.7 (log K′) and were within the range of partition coefficients measured for selected phthalates as reported in the literature. The distribution coefficients were similar for low molecular weight HFRs, and up to two orders of magnitude lower than the equilibrium partition coefficients estimated using the COSMO‐RS model. Based on the COSMO‐RS model, time to reach 95% of equilibrium for PBDEs between fabric and gas‐phase compounds ranged from 0.1 to >10 years for low to high molecular weight HFRs.
Complex febrile seizures (CFS), a subset of paediatric febrile seizures (FS), have been studied for their prognosis, epileptogenic potential and neurocognitive outcome. We evaluated their functional ...connectivity differences with simple febrile seizures (SFS) in children with recent-onset FS. Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) datasets of 24 children with recently diagnosed FS (SFS-n = 11; CFS-n = 13) were analysed. Functional connectivity (FC) was estimated using time series correlation of seed region-to-whole-brain-voxels and network topology was assessed using graph theory measures. Regional connectivity differences were correlated with clinical characteristics (FDR corrected p < 0.05). CFS patients demonstrated increased FC of the bilateral middle temporal pole (MTP), and bilateral thalami when compared to SFS. Network topology study revealed increased clustering coefficient and decreased participation coefficient in basal ganglia and thalamus suggesting an inefficient-unbalanced network topology in patients with CFS. The number of seizure recurrences negatively correlated with the integration of Left Thalamus (r = - 0.58) and FC of Left MTP to 'Right Supplementary Motor and left Precentral' gyrus (r = - 0.53). The FC of Right MTP to Left Amygdala, Putamen, Parahippocampal, and Orbital Frontal Cortex (r = 0.61) and FC of Left Thalamus to left Putamen, Pallidum, Caudate, Thalamus Hippocampus and Insula (r 0.55) showed a positive correlation to the duration of the longest seizure. The findings of the current study report altered connectivity in children with CFS proportional to the seizure recurrence and duration. Regardless of the causal/consequential nature, such observations demonstrate the imprint of these disease-defining variables of febrile seizures on the developing brain.
We describe a novel disease of diffuse skeletal histiocytosis associated with multiple fragility fractures and high osteoclast activity. Clinical, radiographic, biochemical, genetic, and ...histopathological investigations were performed to characterize the diagnosis of an Asian man who presented with hip fracture and diffuse skeletal lytic lesions. After excluding malignancy and other common metabolic bone diseases, open bone biopsy yielded several pathological samples all showing extensive skeletal histiocytosis likely to explain the diffuse axial and appendicular lytic lesions. Rare disorders such as Langerhans histiocytosis, Erdheim-Chester disease, and diffuse cystic skeletal angiomatosis were excluded through careful pathological examination and lack of CD1a and S-100 staining. Whole exome sequencing did not yield diagnostic findings to explain this likely acquired disease. High markers of osteoclast activity suggested excessive focal bone resorption but normalized after zoledronic acid treatment. A novel disease of skeletal histiocytosis with high bone turnover is differentiated from other histiocytic and lytic skeletal diseases.
Land cover classification is an important activity in social, economical, geographical, ecological and risk planning of a country. Production of accurate land cover maps autonomously is still a ...challenging problem. It motivates the study and evolution of methods to tackle this problem. The purpose of the present study is to critically analyze the effects of image fusion on various land cover classification. The importance of using different polarizations of the single SAR data has been emphasized. A simplified EM algorithm for fusion of different permutations and combinations of multi-polarized PALSAR data is presented through modeling that is valid for Gaussian as well as non-Gaussian distortions. K-means unsupervised algorithm has been applied for the classification of various land cover i.e. water, urban, wetland, baresoil, short vegetation and tall vegetation. The proposed method is intuitive and simple in that it uses PALSAR data after pre-processing straightaway without any transformations and also estimates the missing information in each of the channel without any a priori knowledge. A critical analysis of fusion effects on different land covers is presented on the basis of various accuracies. This type of study will be helpful in further enhancing accuracy of land cover maps minimizing human intervention.
Aim
Suboptimal self‐management with controller inhalation therapy in asthma and COPD is frequently observed with poor treatment outcomes. The developed ‘Respiratory Adherence Care Enhancer’ (RACE) ...instrument identifies and addresses individual barriers to self‐management with a theoretical underpinning. This study investigates the feasibility of pharmaceutical support with this instrument.
Methods
An implementation trial was conducted with asthma and COPD patients in 5 community pharmacies in the Netherlands. Patients were allocated to standard care or add‐on support with the RACE instrument. Patients were invited to complete the RACE questionnaire at baseline, 5‐week and 10‐week follow‐up. Barrier profiles were accessible for the intervention group with subsequent consultations at baseline and 5‐weeks. Experiences were collected from patients and consultants with a questionnaire and reported findings. Primary endpoints focused on the acceptability, practicality and implementation process. Secondary endpoints included between‐group differences in barrier and disease control outcomes from baseline at 10‐weeks follow‐up.
Results
In total, 84 patients were included; 48 were assigned to intervention and 36 to standard care. Patient satisfaction of support with the RACE instrument was high (71%). Patients felt motivated, reassured and more confident about their disease management. Consultants reported an increase in awareness of patient barriers. Patient recognition of barrier profiles was 83.9% (±12.9%). The barrier inhaler techniques decreased significantly for the intervention group at follow‐up with odds ratio 0.30 (95% confidence interval, 0.10–0.91). No significant differences were observed for changes in number of barriers and disease control.
Conclusion
Self‐management support with the RACE instrument is feasible and appreciated, facilitating behaviour change with patient‐centred pharmaceutical care in asthma and COPD.
Summary
Background
Approximately 40% of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) subjects have autoantibodies to either FcɛRIα or IgE. The effect of such autoantibodies on circulating basophil activation ...status is unknown.
Objective
The expression of cell surface activation markers on basophils from CIU, non‐allergic, and allergic subjects were compared. Further, the relationship between marker expression and serum factors reported in CIU, such as histamine‐releasing activity (HRA) and immunoreactivity to FcɛRIα were examined.
Methods
Peripheral blood was obtained from CIU, allergic, and non‐allergic donors and fractionated by density gradients. Enriched basophils (1–12%) were analysed by flow cytometry for expression of activation markers including CD63, CD69, and CD203c. Dilutions of serum (5–50%) were analysed for HRA on basophils from a normal donor. Serum was tested for immunoreactivity by western blotting to a standard cell lysate prepared from an RBL‐SX38 cell line transfected with human FcɛRIα.
Results
CIU subjects (n=9) and allergic subjects (n=8) exhibited enhanced expression of CD63 and CD69, as compared with non‐allergic subjects (n=7); however, no difference was seen among groups for CD203c expression. Five CIU and two non‐allergic subjects had evidence of significant serum HRA (>20%), whereas two CIU, two allergic, and three non‐allergic subjects had evidence of serum immunoreactivity to FcɛRIα. Serum HRA and serum immunoreactivity to FcɛRIα were not associated with enhanced surface marker expression.
Conclusion
Basophil activation marker expression is increased in CIU subjects and is not associated with serum factors. In addition, serum HRA and FcɛRIα immunoreactivity are not unique to CIU, or related to enhanced circulating basophil marker expression.
Twenty-three released and elite genotypes of guar Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub. from different parts of India were subjected to morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization. The ...major objective was to study the extent of genetic variability amongst different genotypes of guar, their grouping and identification using combination of phenotypic, biochemical and molecular markers. Phenotypic characters revealed the presence of ample amount of variation in cotyledon size, root length, hypocotyl length, epicotyl length, pubescence, plant height, leaf margin, branching habit, growth habit, days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, flower colour, pod size, number of pods per cluster and number of clusters per plant for all the 23 genotypes. Biochemical studies including peroxidase activity along with phenol, potassium hydroxide and gibberellic acid tests also produced significant variability among the genotypes. A total of 180 amplified bands were detected using 21 RAPD primers, out of which 178 were polymorphic. The genotypes revealed high genetic divergence with similarity indices ranged from 0.59 to 0.85. A clear relationship between genetic diversity and geographical location was not observed. Fingerprints generated in the present study, using morphological, biochemical and molecular markers, successfully categorize the different guar genotypes into various groups and also establish relatedness among them based on the genetic diversity. This work will help the breeders working in the country for crop improvement of guar in characterization, identification, determination of seed purity and parental selection.
Long-term outcomes after multiple courses of rituximab among children with frequently relapsing, steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRSDNS) are unknown.
A retrospective cohort study at 16 ...pediatric nephrology centers from ten countries in Asia, Europe, and North America included children with FRSDNS who received two or more courses of rituximab. Primary outcomes were relapse-free survival and adverse events.
A total of 346 children (age, 9.8 years; IQR, 6.6-13.5 years; 73% boys) received 1149 courses of rituximab. A total of 145, 83, 50, 28, 22, and 18 children received two, three, four, five, six, and seven or more courses, respectively. Median (IQR) follow-up was 5.9 (4.3-7.7) years. Relapse-free survival differed by treatment courses (clustered log-rank test
<0.001). Compared with the first course (10.0 months; 95% CI, 9.0 to 10.7 months), relapse-free period and relapse risk progressively improved after subsequent courses (12.0-16.0 months; HR
, 0.03-0.13; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.18;
<0.001). The duration of B-cell depletion remained similar with repeated treatments (6.1 months; 95% CI, 6.0 to 6.3 months). Adverse events were mostly mild; the most common adverse events were hypogammaglobulinemia (50.9%), infection (4.5%), and neutropenia (3.7%). Side effects did not increase with more treatment courses nor a higher cumulative dose. Only 78 of the 353 episodes of hypogammaglobulinemia were clinically significant. Younger age at presentation (2.8 versus 3.3 years;
=0.05), age at first rituximab treatment (8.0 versus 10.0 years;
0.01), and history of steroid resistance (28% versus 18%;
=0.01) were associated with significant hypogammaglobulinemia. All 53 infective episodes resolved, except for one patient with hepatitis B infection and another with EBV infection. There were 42 episodes of neutropenia, associated with history of steroid resistance (30% versus 20%;
=0.04). Upon last follow-up, 332 children (96%) had normal kidney function.
Children receiving repeated courses of rituximab for FRSDNS experience an improving clinical response. Side effects appear acceptable, but significant complications can occur. These findings support repeated rituximab use in FRSDNS.
