The effects of trauma history and prenatal affective symptoms on obstetric outcomes

Prenatal maternal mood may inform the adverse obstetric outcomes seen in disadvantaged populations. The contribution of having a trauma history is not well studied. We examined the impact of trauma exposure and mood symptoms on obstetric outcomes in 358 women. Women with antecedent trauma were more likely to have a history of depression, odds ratio = 2.83, 95% confidence interval [1.81, 4.42], were younger at their first pregnancy, 18.86 years versus 20.10 years, and had a higher number of previous pregnancies, 2.01 versus 1.54, compared to those with no trauma exposure. Women with prenatal anxiety had significantly smaller babies than nonanxious women, 3,313.17 g, (SD = 441.58) versus 3,429.27 g, (SD = 437.82) Trauma history magnified the effects of maternal prenatal mood on birthweight; the moderating effect was limited to those who first experienced a trauma under 18 years of age. Childhood trauma exposure increased vulnerability for low birthweight delivery associated with prenatal mood disturbance. Screening pregnant women for trauma history and current mood symptoms is indicate

Factors associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) 4-6 weeks and 6 months after birth: A longitudinal population-based study

BACKGROUND: Identifying factors that precipitate and maintain post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) after birth is important to inform clinical and research practice; yet, prospective longitudinal studies on the predictors of PTSS are limited. This study aimed to determine the pregnancy and postpartum factors associated with PTSS at 4-6 weeks and 6-months postpartum. METHOD: A systematic sample of 950 pregnant women were recruited from three maternity hospitals in Turkey. Participants completed assessments of depression, anxiety, PTSS and social support in pregnancy, 4-6 weeks and 6-months postpartum. Fear of childbirth was assessed in pregnancy and 4-6 weeks after birth. RESULTS: Regression models showed that PTSS six months after birth were associated with anxiety and PTSS in pregnancy, complications during birth, satisfaction with health professionals, fear of childbirth 4-6 weeks after birth, PTSS and depression 4-6 weeks after birth, social support 4-6 weeks after birth, traumatic events after birth, need for psychological help, and social support 6-months after birth. PTSS was highly comorbid with depression and anxiety at all-time points. The most robust predictor of PTSS at 6-months postpartum was PTSS at 4-6 weeks postpartum. Intra-partum complications were not associated with PTSS 4-6 weeks after birth. No socio-demographic variables were correlated with PTSS postpartum. LIMITATIONS: Self-report questionnaires were used to measure outcomes. This study is based on sampling from public hospitals so may not represent women treated in private hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Associated risk factors may help to identify women at risk of PTSS after birth and to inform targeted early intervention

Duck Curve Aware Dynamic Pricing and Battery Scheduling Strategy Using Reinforcement Learning

The duck curve is becoming a global problem in energy technology due to the rapid increase in solar power adoption and the rise of prosumers. To address this issue, a resource aggregator (RA) has emerged to provide flexible solutions through aggregating the prosumers and demand response such as dynamic pricing. This paper proposes an optimal strategy for the RA that dispatches dynamic pricing to the prosumers and leverages the battery system at both RA and prosumer levels. The proposed method is based on a model-free deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm to optimize each prosumer’s retail prices and schedule usage of the RA’s battery power station. An objective reward function is used to maximize the RA’s profit, minimize the prosumer’s cost, and maximize the improvement of the duck curve. The performance of the proposed DRL-based strategy was demonstrated by simulation experiments using actual wholesale price, demand, and PV generation data. The results show that the proposed strategy can improve the standard deviation and peak-to-average ratio of net load by up to 57.1% and 23%, respectively.Watari D., Taniguchi I., Onoye T.. Duck Curve Aware Dynamic Pricing and Battery Scheduling Strategy Using Reinforcement Learning. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid , (2023); https://doi.org/10.1109/TSG.2023.3288355

Notes on The Colloquial Stories of The Ming Dynasty : The Short Stories : The "Three Yen\u27s " (1)

In this paper the author attempts to illustrate the various modes of woman life in the “Three Yen\u27s”, which are the collections of colloquial short stories in the Ming Dynasty, classifying the stories into five groups, especially with set phrases or proverbs as a clue.Under the old regime of China as the Confucian ethics ruled over, the most superlative virtue that woman had to maintain was “chastity”.Also woman was compelled to obey “the virtue of three dependences”-dependent upon her father before marriage, her husband after marriage, and finally her son after the death of her husband, and it was regulated that woman could not have her own house and prosperity as a rule.Therefore, woman should have to observe those virtues to provide for banishment from the house.1) The first group shows, it is the highest virtue for woman that “the woman once had her husband, although her father holds the right of choice, should be little interested in other men throughout her life.” However, as those women in this group are created just as incarnations of virtue, we find in them unreality to intend explicitly to educate people through stories.2) It is noticeable in the second group that “woman desires to live a peaceful home life.” The prostitute was eager for marriage, for she did not have a home for peaceful living. She, therefore, exerted herself to be a wife in marriage, devoting her pure affection on the man, and consequently her chastity which was originally not the attribute of the prostitute is emphasized.Here, the author examines general forms of marriage in the stories, in accordance with the classification of marriage of the prostitute in one story.3) In this groupe, a side of womanhood as “woman is unfaithful in love” is taken up in opposition to the first group. Particularly the illicit intercourses of wives of common families are descrived and that gives, though unconciously, an account of the inhumane side of the virtue. Nevertheless, the story-tellers thought that those immoral conducts were caused by predistination. They did not have nerves to descrive openly the sex of the womanhood, in particular such the restrained sex as the wife of merchant had when her husband was gone from home for a long time.4) In the next group, the proverb,“the conjugal ties only lasts for one life,” shows the resignation of man from the other side of the conjugal relationship. This depends upon the idea which as “husband and wife have been enemies to each other since five hundred years ago”, they can do nothing but accepting this fate.5) Finally, this group has the proverb,“the woman of ability surpasses man.” Here, we notice the woman who exceled man with poetical genius, the prostitute who confuted a procuress and ran to her lover, the girl who at last avenged for the murder of her whole families despite of being sold from one brothel to another, the wife who assisted her husband to success, and so forth.On these accounts the story-tellers seem to have arranged contrary proverbs as such with intent to grasp the extensive woman life, but we can evidently observe the process that the Confucian ethics as a premise, particularly the superiority of parental authority, declined gradually, and on the other hand the woman with economic power became independent and the girl who persisted in her own opinion against her parents appeared

Online Energy Management Framework for Smart Buildings With Low-Complexity Estimators

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Enhancing grid stability in PV systems: A novel ramp rate control method utilizing PV cooling technology

Iwabuchi K., Watari D., Zhao D., et al. Enhancing grid stability in PV systems: A novel ramp rate control method utilizing PV cooling technology. Applied Energy 378, 124737 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124737.Rapid fluctuations in solar irradiation lead to significant variability in PV power output. Traditional ramp rate control methods use battery energy storage systems to smooth power outputs and provide a more consistent supply to the grid. However, these methods require high initial costs and substantial maintenance. In this study, we propose a novel method for controlling PV power output ramp rates using cooling technology, which is essential to stabilize grid operations and ancillary services. The proposed method adjusts power generation efficiency in real-time by controlling PV panel temperature, leveraging their thermoelectric properties. The effectiveness of our method was validated by simulation based on real-world data, which showed reductions in mean and maximum ramp rates of 43.5% and 76.2%, respectively, compared to traditional battery storage solutions. Notably, these improvements were achieved with a cooling unit having a coefficient of performance of less than 10 and a minimal battery capacity of 20 kWh, highlighting the efficiency of the method and its potential to significantly lower system costs and environmental impacts compared to traditional control strategies

Note on the Colloquial Stories of the Ming Dynasty : The Short Stories :The "Three Yen\u27s" (2-1)

"In this paper the author attempts to illustrate the various modes of people\u27s life in the “Three Yen\u27s”(三言) and classify the stories into four groups, especially with set phrases or proverbs as a clue.1) The first group is concerned with the governing class, which is mainly based on literati and officialdom. They actually made their best endeavors to pass the imperial examination as the biggest object in life. The officials observed in the stories, however, lack the sense of responsibility for good government, while they take intense interests only in honor and privilege for exemption from statute labor.2) The second group is the governed class, which comprises peasants, merchants and craftsmen.3) The third group includes Buddhist monks and nuns who should have stood aloof from the mundane life.4) The fourth group is the outlaws, namely, robbers and errants.The present paper examines the relation between the senior officials in the first group and the imperial examination on the basis of analysis of the stories.As regarding the petty officials and other groups, it is expected to be mentioned in other papers.