Building lighting energy consumption modelling with hybrid neural-statistic approaches

"In the proposed work we aim at modelling building lighting energy consumption. We compared several classical methods to the latest Artificial Intelligence. modelling technique: Artificial Neural Networks Ensembling (ANNE). Therefore, in this study we show how we built the ANNE and a new hybrid model based on the. statistical-ANNE combination. Experimentation has been carried out over a three. months data set coming from a real office building located in the ENEA ‘Casaccia’. Research Centre. Experimental results show that the proposed hybrid statistical-ANNE approach can get a remarkable improvement with respect to the best classical method(the statistical one).

A large stellar evolution database for population synthesis studies. II. Stellar models and isochrones for an alpha-enhanced metal distribution

[Abridged] We present a large, new set of stellar evolution models and isochrones for an alpha-enhanced metal distribution typical of Galactic halo and bulge stars; it represents a homogeneous extension of our stellar model library for a distribution already presented in Pietrinferni et al.(2004). The effect of the alpha-element enhancement has been properly taken into account in the nuclear network, opacity, equation of state and, for the first time, the bolometric corrections, and color transformations. This allows us to avoid the inconsistent use - common to all alpha-enhanced model libraries currently available - of scaled-solar bolometric corrections and color transformations for alpha-enhanced models and isochrones. We show how bolometric corrections to magnitudes obtained for the U,B portion of stellar spectra for T_{eff}<=6500K, are significantly affected by the metal mixture, especially at the higher metallicities. We also provide complete sets of evolutionary models for low-mass, He-burning stellar structures covering the whole metallicity range, to enable synthetic horizontal branch simulations. We compare our database with several widely used stellar model libraries from different authors, as well as with various observed color magnitude and color-color diagrams (Johnson-Cousins BVI and near infrared magnitudes, Stromgren colors) of Galactic field stars and globular clusters. We also test our isochrones comparing integrated optical colors and Surface Brightness Fluctuation magnitudes with selected globular cluster data. We find a general satisfactory agreement with the empirical constraints.Comment: 46 pages, 20 figures, ApJ in press, the whole database presented in this paper can be foud at http://www.te.astro.it/BASTI/index.ph

Text Versus Verbal Real-time Feedback During Simulation-based Training Of Higher-order Cognitive Skills

A crucial component of instructional design for simulation-based training systems involves optimizing the presentation of complex material in order to maximize knowledge acquisition and application. One approach toward facilitating the learning of this complex information is to instantiate instructional strategies within the training systems themselves. However, there are few established guidelines in place which are meant specifically for real-time guidance strategies within simulation-based environments. Consequently, this study aims to apply findings from the literature on instructional information presentation to drive decisions for how to most effectively provide real-time feedback during training of simulated decision-making tasks. Research has shown that presenting text information in an auditory mode during direct instruction of operational tasks enhances learning and reduces the probability of learners experiencing cognitive overload. Similar effects have been found regarding the presentation modality of feedback during operational tasks. In the current study, this principle was extended by comparing text versus verbal real-time feedback presentation during learning of higher-level cognitive skills in a virtual environment. Participants were instructed on how to perform a simulated decisionmaking task, while receiving text, verbal or no instructional feedback in real-time, based on their performance. Participants then completed an assessment scenario in which no feedback was provided to any group. It was hypothesized that a linear relationship would exist across each of the three conditions, with the verbal group making the best decisions, followed by the text group, and then by the control group. Additionally, reduced cognitive load was expected throughout the instructional process for those receiving verbal feedback prompts compared to those receiving text prompts and the control. Analyses revealed several significant linear trends across iv conditions regarding measures of knowledge acquisition and application. The results provide support for the hypothesis that verbal real-time feedback is more effective than text during training of primarily visual tasks for the acquisition of higher-order cognitive skills such as decision making. There were no significant linear trends regarding the amount of cognitive load subjectively reported during training and assessment. The results of this study indicate that instructional systems intended to train primarily visual tasks should present real-time feedback in verbal rather than text form

Low Income and Nonadherence to Health Supervision Visits Predispose Children to More Emergency Room Utilization

© The Author(s) 2020. Social inequity can have broad health impacts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of low income and nonadherence to health supervision visits on emergency room (ER) utilization in Eastern Brooklyn, New York. This study surveyed parents/guardians of children who received routine medical care at Brookdale ambulatory clinics from June 2017 to February 2018. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire on social demographics, food insecurity, and relocation. Electronic medical records (EMRs) were reviewed to retrieve numbers of missing health supervision and ER visit in past 12 months. Comorbidity was identified through EMR by International Classification of Diseases. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the effects of nonadherence to health supervision visits on ER utilization when controlling for demographics, food insecurity, recent moving, and comorbidity. Among 268 participants, 56.0% reported their household income was less than $20,000 annually, 39.6$20,000 (aOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.02-3.39), preexisting comorbidity (aOR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.26-4.42), and nonadherence to health supervision visits (aOR = 5.83, 95% CI = 3.21-10.56) were associated with increased ER utilization. Nonadherence to health supervision visits is an independent risk factor and potentially modifiable. Evaluation and remediation should be pursued as a means of improving health outcomes of children in vulnerable circumstances

Facilitators and Barriers to Access to Pediatric Medical Services in a Community Hospital

© The Author(s) 2020. Background: Missed medical appointments decrease continuity of medical care, waste resources, and may affect health outcomes. We examined the factors associated with missed children’s supervision visits in Eastern Brooklyn, NY, USA. Methods: We surveyed guardians whose children received routine medical care at four pediatric clinics. Participants filled out a questionnaire that queried: demographics, food security, recent relocation, parental support of healthy behaviors, and length of knowing provider. Preexisting disease(s) and missed visits were retrieved from medical records. Regression analyses were used to determine factors that were associated with missing medical appointments. Results: Among 213 families, 33% faced food insecurity and 16.4% reported moving within the past 12 months. Forty percent of children missed at least 1 visit. Food insecurity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI 1.0% to 5.2%) and recent relocation (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.4 were associated with missed health supervision visits, whereas greater parental healthy behaviors (aOR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9) and longer length of knowing provider (aOR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7-1.0) were associated with fewer missed appointments. Conclusion: This study indicates that social inequity may contribute to poor adherence to medical appointments through multiple mechanisms, including food insecurity, lack of social stability, and parental health behaviors. Multidimensional proactive prevention, and reactive tolerance should be considered as opportunities to mitigate the impact of social inequity on health outcomes

Antioxidant and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) viscera hydrolysates subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion and intestinal absorption

The objective of this work was to evaluate in vitro bioaccessibility, intestinal absorption, antioxidant and angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of peptides from rainbow trout viscera hydrolysate (H). Rainbow trout Viscera (V) was hydrolyzed by Alcalase® 2.4L and a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 44.8 ± 2.5% was achieved. Viscera and its hydrolysate were subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID) and intestinal absorption across Caco-2/TC7 cell monolayers. After the hydrolysis with Alcalase® 2.4L and the SGID of V, the species between 60.6 kDa and 13.0 kDa were decreased, causing an increase in species less than 6.51 kDa. The SGID of H did not modify the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) or ACE inhibitory values but caused a significant decrease in the hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity (HORAC) (30.2%). It also produced an increase in ABTS radical cation (ABTS assay) scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (9.46% and 20.2%, respectively). Bioactive peptides in H were stable after SGID and they were partially able to cross Caco-2/TC7 cell monolayer, which demonstrates their possible intestinal absorption and their potential to act inside the organism.Fil: Vásquez, Priscilla. Universidad de Antioquia. Facultad de Ciencias Farmaceuticas y Alimentarias. Departamento de Alimentos; ColombiaFil: Zapata, José E.. Universidad de Antioquia. Facultad de Ciencias Farmaceuticas y Alimentarias. Departamento de Alimentos; ColombiaFil: Chamorro, Verónica C.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria; ArgentinaFil: García Fillería, Susan Fiorella. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Tironi, Valeria Anahi. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Criotecnología de Alimentos; Argentin

An International Multi-center Study on Self-assessed and Family Quality of Life in Children with Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common childhood chronic inflammatory skin condition that greatly affects the quality of life (QoL) of affected children and their families. The aim of our study was to assess QoL and family QoL of children with AD from 4 different countries and then compare the data, evaluating the effects of AD severity and age of children. Data on the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the Dermatitis Family Impact (DFI) questionnaires and the SCORAD index of 167 AD children 5-16 years old from Ukraine, Czech Republic, Singapore, and Italy was used for the study. SCORAD correlated with the CDLQI in all 4 countries and with DFI in all countries except Singapore. Only in Czech children did the CDLQI correlate with their age. No significant correlations between age and DFI results were found. AD symptoms and expenditures related to AD were highly scored in all countries. Impact of AD on friendship and relations between family members were among the lower scored items, and family problems did not increase proportionately with duration of AD in any of the four countries. Self-assessed health-related QoL of children with AD in our study correlated better in most cases with disease severity than family QoL results. Parents of school children with AD were generally less stressed, tired, and exhausted than parents of preschool children. These data together with results showing that duration of AD in children does not affect relations between parents and other family members is optimistic news for families with children with AD who did not recover until adolescence.</p

A case of severe dermatitis in a patient with Polycythemia Vera during cytoreductive therapy

Polycythemia Vera (PV) is a Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) mainly characterized by erythrocytosis. In this report we describe a case of severe cutaneous toxicity in patients with PV treated with hydroxyurea. A 72-year-old woman diagnosed with PV with V617F mutation of JAK2 performed more than 10 years before and treated with hydroxyurea plus phlebotomies and low-dose ASA for about 7 years addressed our center for the appearance of serious dermatitis at the face symptomatic for severe itch. The patient underwent a dermatology visit with diagnosis of desquamative dermatitis due to iatrogenic cause related to the use of hydroxyurea. HU was stopped for a month with no improvement after a month of wash-out. Ruxolitinib was prescribed at a dose of 20 mg per day, in order to control hypercytosis and considering the severe intolerance to hydroxyurea. Ruxolitinib allowed not only to reduce the haematocrit, reaching the target value of 45%, and control thrombocytosis, but also to switch off the severe itch and to completely resolve skin toxicity