Comparison of different clustering approaches on different databases of smart meter data

Various clustering methods have been applied to determine representative groups of buildings based on their energy use patterns. We reviewed and selected the most commonly used clustering methods, including kmeans, k-medoids, Self-Organizing Map (SOM) coupled with k-means and hierarchical, and our proposed deep clustering algorithm for comparative performance assessment using datasets of smart meters. After the data preparation (data cleaning, segmentation, and normalization), the clustering is run, firstly, letting the number of clusters free to be chosen by the optimization process, and then forcing it to be equal to the number of primary functions of buildings. Depending on the purpose of clustering, e.g., to identify daily 24-hour load shape, to identify primary building use type (e.g., office, residential, school, retail), the optimal number of clustering can vary greatly. Thus, based on the final aim, forcing somehow the number of clusters is the most followed and suggested for engineering purposes. The k-means, the k-medoid, and the hierarchical algorithms show the best results, in all cases. While for the nature of the databases the additional step of adding a SOM to the k-means algorithms does not show improvements in terms of evaluation metrics. The direct comparison of the different algorithms gives a clear overview of the existing main clustering approaches and their performance in capturing typical use patterns in typical smart meter databases. The resulting cluster centroids could be used to better understand and characterize the energy use patterns of different buildings and building typologies with the final aims of benchmarking or customers segmentation

UNIMIB@NEEL-IT: Named Entity Recognition and Linking of Italian Tweets

Questo articolo descrive il sistema proposto dal gruppo UNIMIB per il task di Named Entity Recognition and Linking applicato a tweet in lingua italiana (NEEL-IT). Il sistema, che rappresenta un approccio iniziale al problema, \ue8 costituito da tre passaggi fondamentali: (1) Named Entity Recognition tramite l\u2019utilizzo di Conditional Random Fields, (2) Named Entity Linking considerando sia approcci supervisionati sia modelli di linguaggio basati su reti neurali, e (3) NIL clustering tramite un approccio basato su grafi.This paper describes the framework proposed by the UNIMIB Team for the task of Named Entity Recognition and Linking of Italian Tweets (NEEL-IT). The proposed pipeline, which represents an entry level system, is composed of three main steps: (1) Named Entity Recognition using Conditional Random Fields, (2) Named Entity Linking by considering both Supervised and Neural-Network Language models, and (3) NIL clustering byusing a graph-based approach

A case of acute promyelocytic leukemia variant with derivative chromosome 3 der(3)t(3;8) associated with 8q partial gain

Background: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by fusion of PML/RARα genes as a result of t(15; 17)(q24;q21). APL is now one of the curable hematological malignancies thanks to molecularly targeted therapies based on all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATX). Extramedullary (EM) relapse is a rare event in APL, ear involvement being even more infrequent, with only six cases so far described. About 30–35% of patients with newly diagnosed APL have additional cytogenetics abnormalities, whose prognostic significance is still controversial. The most common additional aberration is trisomy 8 or partial gain 8q. Case presentation: We describe here a novel unbalanced translocation der(3)t(3;8)(q29;q23.3-q24.3) associated with 8q partial gain in a 41 year-old man affected by APL in molecular remission after first line treatment, who had a responsive EM relapse in the auditory canal. Conclusions: EM relapse is a rare event in APL and ear involvement is even more infrequent. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of APL with a new der(3)t(3;8)(q29;q23.3-q24.3) and 8q partial gain associated with t(15;17)(q24; q21). Despite the recurrence of the disease at EM level, the clinical outcome of this patients was favorable

MONITORAGGIO DELLA PROFILASSI PER LA TUBERCOLOSI LATENTE IN PAZIENTI TRAPIANTATI CON IL TEST T SPOT-TB

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Excellent short-term CD4 recovery with a PI- and NRTI-sparing regimen in triple-class failure HIV-infected patients: raltegravir, maraviroc, etravirine

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Immune recovery and T cell subset analysis during effective treatment with maraviroc

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Proportion and factors associated with recent HIV infection in a cohort of patients seen for care in Italy over 1996-2014: Data from the ICONA Foundation Study cohort.

In Italy the prevalence of recent HIV infection (RHI) isn't currently monitored. Early diagnosis is crucial to allow introduction of antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the recent phase of infection. We aimed to estimate the proportion and the determinants of RHI among patients enrolled in the ICONA cohort; we explored differences in the median time from HIV diagnosis to cART initiation and in the viro-immunological response between RHI and Less Recent HIV infections (NRHI). We included antiretroviral-naïve HIV-positive patients enrolled in the cohort with documented dates of HIV-negative and positive antibodies tests, grouped in RHI (estimated date of seroconversion within 12 months of enrolment) and NRHI. Proportion of RHI and the trend of this proportion by calendar period (1996-2014) were investigated (Chi-square test). Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with RHI. The time from seroconversion to cART initiation was compared in RHI and NRHI overall and after stratification by calendar period (survival analysis). We finally explored the time from starting cART to HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL and to CD4+ gain ≥200 cells/mmc by Cox regression. HIV seroconversion could be estimated for 2608/12,616 patients: 981/2608 (37.6%) were RHI. Proportion of RHI increased in recent calendar periods and was associated with younger age, baseline higher HIV-RNA and CD4+ count. There wasn't difference in the 2-year estimates of cART start between RHI and NRHI, regardless of calendar period. Rates and hazards of virological response were similar in RHI versus NRHI. RHI showed a 1.5-fold higher probability of CD4+ gain, also following adjustment for calendar period and cART regimen, and for age, HCV and smoking; the difference in probability was however attenuated after further controlling for baseline HIV-RNA and CD4+ T-cells. The increased proportion of RHI over time suggests that in recent years in Italy HIV infections are more likely to be detected earlier than before. The similar rates of cART introduction and viro-immunological response in RHI and NRHI probably reflect the efficacy of the modern cART regimens. An improvement of the prevention services is warranted to allow an early cART access, also in the perspective of therapy as prevention

Atypical mature T-cell neoplasms: The relevance of the role of flow cytometry

Lymphoproliferative disorders are a heterogeneous group of malignant clonal proliferations of lymphocytes whose diagnosis remains challenging, despite diagnostic criteria are now well established, due to their heterogeneity in clinical presentation and immunophenotypic profile. Lymphoid T-cell disorders are more rarely seen than B-cell entities and more difficult to diagnose for the absence of a specific immunophenotypic signature. Flow cytometry is a useful tool in diagnosing T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders since it is not only able to better characterize T-cell neoplasms but also to resolve some very complicated cases, in particular those in which a small size population of neoplastic cells is available for the analysis. Here, we report three patients with mature T-cell neoplasms with atypical clinical and biological features in which analysis of peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens by means of multicolor flow cytometry was very useful to identify and characterize three rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders, such as angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified and T-cell prolym-phocytic leukemia. The aim of this case series report is not only to describe three rare cases of lymphoproliferative neoplasms but also to raise awareness that a fast, highly sensitive, and reproducible procedure, such as flow cytometry immunophenotyping, can have a determinant diagnostic role in these patients