In the deregulated energy market, the accuracy of load forecasting has a significant effect on the planning and operational decision making of utility companies. Electric load is a random ...non-stationary process influenced by a number of factors which make it difficult to model. To achieve better forecasting accuracy, a wide variety of models have been proposed. These models are based on different mathematical methods and offer different features. This paper presents a new two-stage approach for short-term electrical load forecasting based on least-squares support vector machines. With the aim of improving forecasting accuracy, one more feature was added to the model feature set, the next day average load demand. As this feature is unknown for one day ahead, in the first stage, forecasting of the next day average load demand is done and then used in the model in the second stage for next day hourly load forecasting. The effectiveness of the presented model is shown on the real data of the ISO New England electricity market. The obtained results confirm the validity advantage of the proposed approach.
Renal artery embolism is a disease that is easily missed due to its infrequent and nonspecific presentations. Although early diagnosis and optimal thrombolytic treatment can sometimes restore renal ...function, therapeutic guidelines have not yet been established. However, early anticoagulant therapy is beneficial and selective infusion of lytic agents into renal artery has been reported with increasing frequency and efficacy if used in the early stage. We report that intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy with low dose of 35 mg recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) may be an effective and safe strategy for the treatment of renal artery embolism, despite the period of ischemia being longer than 48 hours.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and sensitivity of variables for the direct assessment of kicking performance in young soccer players. One hundred and six elite young soccer ...players were divided into 4 age groups (12-15 years). Absolute error (AE), variable error (VE), and constant error (CE) were evaluated as the variables of kicking accuracy, whereas the kicking velocity variables involved the maximum ball velocity (BVmax) and the ball velocity during accurate kicks (BVacc). Results suggested low-to-moderate reliability of the kicking accuracy (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC = 0.00-0.67) and high reliability of the kicking velocity variables (ICC = 0.87-0.94). Regarding the sensitivity, most of the variables detected the differences both between the dominant and nondominant legs and among the age groups. Because the evaluated variables should have a property of face validity, the findings obtained generally suggest that AE (and perhaps VE, as the measures of kicking accuracy) and both BVmax and BVacc (as the measures of kicking velocity) could be used within a routine composite test of kicking performance in young elite soccer players. Further development of the evaluated composite test of kicking performance could be based on the involvement of other kicking techniques and on testing the athletes of different ages, levels of skill, or sport specialization.
This paper presents the results of research about the impact of envy on enterprise potential and entrepreneurial intentions. The research was conducted in Serbia and the respondents were students ...from 5 faculties, from the first to the fifth year of study. The results were gained by statistical analysis of the gathered information (380 completed questionnaires). Descriptive, correlation and regression analysis are the methods of statistical analysis that were used. From the dimensions of enterprise potential, the highest average value has the dimension Creativity, while from the dimensions of entrepreneurial intentions, the highest average value has the dimension Subjective norm. Of all the observed dimensions, the lowest value has the Envy dimension. Between envy and dimensions of enterprise potential and dimensions of entrepreneurial intentions, there are a number of statistically significant negative correlations. This is more prevalent at the dimension of entrepreneurial intentions. Feelings of inferiority in relation to other people and the perception of having a boring or a bad life have an especially negative impact on entrepreneurial potential and intentions. Envy, which occurs due to the desire for more entertainment, travel, and due to the perception of the lack of fortune, also has a negative impact on entrepreneurial potential and intentions, but the influence is considerably weaker. There is a statistically significant predictive effect of certain items of envy on enterprise potential dimensions and entrepreneurial intentions dimensions. But this fact is not so strongly expressed. Some results suggest the possibility (however small) that envy, in some circumstances, can mildly encourage entrepreneurial intention.
About 30% of the total number of gilts selected for reproduction at the large breeding farm units in Vojvodina (Republic of Serbia) are culled due to prolonged pre-insemination anoestrus (estrus not ...detected until 8 mo of age). The aim of this study was to provide the answer to the following question: do the culling gilts reach cyclic ovarian activity at all? One hundred seventy five culled gilts in which external estrus manifestations were not detected by 8 mo of age were sacrificed and their reproductive organs were examined for determination of sexual maturity (ovaries exhibiting pre-ovulatory follicles 8 to 11 mm in diameter, corpora hemorrhagica, corpora lutea and corpora albicantia). Uterine weights and horn length were also determined. Functional ovaries were observed in 107 (61.1%) examined gilts, with 62 animals having one and 45 having two puberty ovarian cycles (57.9% and 42.1%, respectively). Pathomorphological changes which could result in prolonged pre-insemination anoestrus were not observed on the reproductive organs of sexually mature gilts. Our results indicate that most of the culling gilts have reached cyclic ovarian activity. The main reason for culling due to the absence of external estrus manifestations in sexually mature gilts could be inadequate estrus detection technology.
Introduction: Quality of teaching and the faculty’s teaching practices can be indirectly assessed through students’ satisfaction and burnout with their studies, factors which also influence students’ ...academic success and the schools prestige.
Aim: To assess students’ satisfaction and burnout at the New Medical Studies in English Program (started in 2011) at the University of Split, Croatia.
Methods: In October 2013, we conducted a previously designed satisfaction survey, as well as the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) on all students of the New Medical Studies in English in Split.
Results: In total 88 (78%) of students returned the completed questionnaires. Students GPA (out of max 5.0) was 3.4 for the 2nd year and 3.0 for the 3rd year students. Most students (87%) rated campus safety as above average or excellent, 83% rated as such the staff friendliness, 73% the teaching quality, and 67% the overall satisfaction with the School, with no differences between the study years. Students scores on OLBI subscales were 3.0±0.4 for disengagement, and 2.7±0.7 for exhaustion, with first year students showing less exhaustion than higher year students (ANOVA, P=0.010).
Discussion: Students grades, as well as self reported study satisfaction and burnout demonstrate the balance of high quality teaching and student engagement at the pre‐clinical courses of the New Medical Studies in English at the University of Split, Croatia.
This study was supported by University of Split School of Medicine.
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