Predicting Blood Glucose with an LSTM and Bi-LSTM Based Deep Neural Network

A deep learning network was used to predict future blood glucose levels, as this can permit diabetes patients to take action before imminent hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia. A sequential model with one long-short-term memory (LSTM) layer, one bidirectional LSTM layer and several fully connected layers was used to predict blood glucose levels for different prediction horizons. The method was trained and tested on 26 datasets from 20 real patients. The proposed network outperforms the baseline methods in terms of all evaluation criteria.Comment: 5 pages, submitted to 2018 14th Symposium on Neural Networks and Applications (NEUREL

Energy Transition at Home: A Survey on the Data and Practices That Lead to a Change in Household Energy Behavior

Since energy transition depends significantly on reducing the built environment’s energy needs, many regulations and incentives have been implemented globally over the last three decades. Despite some positive results, many scholars suggest that households’ behavioral change could greatly accelerate progress. People’s levels of awareness and willingness to change, as well as the provision of feedback technologies, are important factors affecting the process. In spite of the extent of this body of literature, household consumption keeps rising. Our thesis is that the subject has been investigated without considering some important correlations among factors. Therefore, this study developed a survey to investigate actual consumers’ perspectives on the topic by combining people’s awareness of energy use, interaction with metering devices, and user motivation into a coherent framework. A testing session involving 500 people was held as a validation phase for a future large-scale launch of the questionnaire. The test yielded some early outcomes on how people become more interested in changing as they gain more knowledge and are offered suggestions. However, despite their supposedly advanced knowledge as educators and students, the sample’s level of awareness was low, suggesting that a more user-centered approach is needed for wide-scale progress

Pengaruh Keterampilan Metakognisi Terhadap Kemampuan Bertanya Dan Berpikir Kritis Siswa SMP

The purpose of the research is to determine the influence of metacognition skill towards ability to promote questions and critical thinking skill of junior high school students and the improvement of critical thinking skill. One shot case study design and one group pretest-posttest design have been conducted in the research to obtain the data. By using SPSS 17.0 Program showed that the data distributed normally and linearity. The hypotheses testing used correlation test, simple regression linear, and paired sample t-test. The result of this research showed that: 1) there was a positively and significant influence towards ability to promote questions amounted to 31% and the regressive equation 𑌠= 37,04 +0,53 ð‘‹; 2) there was a positive and significant influence towards critical thinking skill amounted to 24% and the regressive equation 𑌠= 28,40 +0,54 ð‘‹; 3) There is an significantly average improvement in junior high school student’s critical thinking skill caused by the influence of metacognition skill amounted to 22,00 with N-gain average critical thinking skill amounted to 0,70 in high category

Galaxy cluster mergers as triggers for the formation of jellyfish galaxies: case study of the A901/2 system

The A901/2 system is a rare case of galaxy cluster interaction, in which two galaxy clusters and two smaller groups are seen in route of collision with each other simultaneously. Within each of the four substructures, several galaxies with features indicative of jellyfish morphologies have been observed. In this paper, we propose a hydrodynamic model for the merger as a whole, compatible with its diffuse X-ray emission, and correlate the gas properties in this model with the locations of the jellyfish galaxy candidates in the real system. We find that jellyfish galaxies seem to be preferentially located near a boundary inside each subcluster where diffuse gas moving along with the subcluster and diffuse gas from the remainder of the system meet. The velocity change in those boundaries is such that a factor of up to $\sim$1000 increase in the ram pressure takes place within a few hundred kpc, which could trigger the high rate of gas loss necessary for a jellyfish morphology to emerge. A theoretical treatment of ram pressure stripping in the environment of galaxy cluster mergers has not been presented in the literature so far; we propose that this could be a common scenario for the formation of jellyfish morphologies in such systems.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 10 pages, 9 figure

Comparing acoustic and radar deterrence methods as mitigation measures to reduce human-bat impacts and conservation conflicts

Where humans and wildlife co-exist, mitigation is often needed to alleviate potential conflicts and impacts. Deterrence methods can be used to reduce impacts of human structures or activities on wildlife, or to resolve conservation conflicts in areas where animals may be regarded as a nuisance or pose a health hazard. Here we test two methods (acoustic and radar) that have shown potential for deterring bats away from areas where they forage and/or roost. Using both infrared video and acoustic methods for counting bat passes, we show that ultrasonic speakers were effective as bat deterrents at foraging sites, but radar was not. Ultrasonic deterrents decreased overall bat activity (filmed on infrared cameras) by ~80% when deployed alone and in combination with radar. However, radar alone had no effect on bat activity when video or acoustic data were analysed using generalised linear mixed effect models. Feeding buzzes of all species were reduced by 79% and 69% in the ultrasound only treatment when compared to the control and radar treatments, but only the ultrasound treatment was significant in post-hoc tests. Species responded differently to the ultrasound treatments and we recorded a deterrent effect on both Pipistrellus pipistrellus (~40-80% reduction in activity) and P. pygmaeus (~30-60% reduction), but not on Myotis species. However, only the ultrasound and radar treatment was significant (when compared to control and radar) in post-hoc tests for P. pipistrellus. Deterrent treatment was marginally non-significant for P. pygmaeus, but the ultrasound only treatment was significant when compared to radar in post-hoc tests. We therefore suggest that acoustic, but not radar methods are explored further as deterrents for bats. The use of acoustic deterrence should always be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with a focus on bat conservation

Variação intra e interpessoal como fatores determinantes para o cálculo do número de observações para estimar a ingestão dietética habitual de adolescentes

This cross-sectional study describes the variation in the dietary intake of energy and macronutrients based on estimated coefficients of within- and between-person variation and intends to calculate the number of days required to evaluate the dietary intake of adolescents in Piracicaba, Brazil. The sample was made up by ninety-two adolescents aged between eleven and sixteen years. Interviews were performed to assess demographic, anthropometric and dietary variables, which were evaluated by the answers obtained through two 24-hour recalls. Descriptive analyses were performed and variances and Coefficients of variation within- and between-person were obtained by results of one-way ANOVA. The mean energy intake observed was 2,326.2 kilocalories; mean macronutrient intake came to 89.0 grams of fatty acids, 305.3 grams of carbohydrates and 82.2 grams of proteins. Coefficients of within-person variation ranged from 36% to 45%, while between-person coefficients varied from 26% to 31%. Variance ratios ranged from 1.35 (carbohydrate) to 2.62 (protein). The lowest number of observations required to correctly evaluate the usual diet calculated (r = 0.90) was six days, for carbohydrates while the highest was eleven, for proteins. Coefficients of variation were similar to those observed in international studies. We conclude that, in this study, two observations were sufficient to obtain reasonable correlations. However, six evaluations are necessary for these adolescents in order to obtain excellent correlations.Este estudo transversal descreve a variabilidade do consumo alimentar de energia e macronutrientes a partir da estimativa dos coeficientes de variação intra e interpessoal e calcula o número de dias necessários para se avaliar a ingestão dietética de adolescentes de Piracicaba, Brasil. A amostra foi constituída por 92 adolescentes com idade entre 11 e 16 anos. Por meio de entrevistas, foram avaliadas variáveis demográficas, antropométricas e de ingestão dietética, levantada por meio de dois Recordatórios de 24h. Foram realizadas análises descritivas, sendo que as variâncias e os coeficientes de variação intra e interpessoal foram obtidos a partir dos resultados da ANOVA com um fator de classificação. O consumo médio de energia observado foi de 2.326,2 Kcal, e em relação aos macronutrientes foram observados valores de 89,0g de lipídios, 305,3g de carboidratos e 82,2g de proteínas. Os coeficientes de variação intrapessoal variaram de 36% a 45% enquanto os coeficientes de variação interpessoal variaram de 26% a 31%. A razão entre as variâncias variou de 1,35 (carboidrato) a 2,62 (proteína). O menor número de observações necessárias para avaliar corretamente (r = 0,90) a dieta habitual foi de 6 dias para carboidratos. O maior número foi para proteínas (11 dias). Os coeficientes de variação foram semelhantes aos observados em estudos internacionais. Conclui-se que, para o presente estudo, duas observações foram suficientes para a obtenção de coeficientes de correlação razoáveis. No entanto, para se obter ótimos coeficientes de correlação, são necessárias no mínimo seis avaliações destes adolescentes.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Flotac and Mini-Flotac for uro-microscopic diagnosis of Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) in dogs

Background: Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) is a nematode that resides in the urinary bladder and rarely in ureters or in the kidney pelvis of various carnivores, especially foxes and dogs. Urine sedimentation technique is actually the only diagnostic tool that permits the identification of C. plica eggs, but its sensitivity is low and when an infection is suspected (or when it is necessary to confirm treatment efficacy) more than one examination of urine sediment should be performed. The present paper reports a clinical case of natural C. plica infection in a dog from southern Italy. In addition, two new techniques, FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC, were used for the diagnosis of C. plica in dog urine and compared with the technique of sedimentation. Results: Using FLOTAC with fresh urine and sodium chloride as flotation solution, were obtained the best results for the diagnosis of C. plica in dog urine in term of eggs counted (mean eggs per 10 ml of urine = 70.3 FLOTAC vs 40.3 Mini FLOTAC vs 32.8 sedimentation) and coefficient of variation (CV%) (6.2 FLOTAC vs 13.4 Mini-FLOTAC vs 32.9 sedimentation). Conclusions: The FLOTAC was the more sensitive method, but also the Mini-FLOTAC could be a valid alternative diagnostic method because gave better results than the classical sedimentation and can be used in place of the FLOTAC in laboratories where the centrifugation step cannot be performed. © 2014 Maurelli et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd