Determining the Adjustment Baseline Parameters to Define an Accurate Customer Baseline Load

Demand response is an energy resource that has gained increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets and of smart grids. New business models and methods designed to integrate demand response in electricity markets and of smart grids have been published, reporting the need of additional work in this field. In order to adequately remunerate the participation of the consumers in demand response programs, improved consumers’ performance evaluation methods are needed. The methodology proposed in the present paper determines the characterization of the baseline approach that better fits the consumer historic consumption, in order to determine the expected consumption in absent of participation in a demand response event and then determine the actual consumption reduction. The defined baseline can then be used to better determine the remuneration of the consumer. The paper includes a case study with real data to illustrate the application of the proposed methodology.

Virulence parameters in the characterization of strains of Entamoeba histolytica

Differences in virulence of strains of Entamoeba histolytica have long been detected by various experimental assays, both in vivo and in vitro. Discrepancies in the strains characterization have been arisen when different biological assays are compared. In order to evaluate different parameters of virulence in the strains characterization, five strains of E. histolytica, kept under axenic culture, were characterized in respect to their, capability to induce hamster liver abscess, erythrophagocytosis rate and cytopathic effect upon VERO cells. It was found significant correlation between in vitro biological assays, but not between in vivo and in vitro assays. Good correlation was found between cytopathic effect and the mean number of uptaken erythrocytes, but not with percentage of phagocytic amoebae, showing that great variability can be observed in the same assay, according to the variable chosen. It was not possible to correlate isoenzyme and restriction fragment pattern with virulence indexes since all studied strains presented pathogenic patterns. The discordant results observed in different virulence assays suggests that virulence itself may not the directly assessed. What is in fact assessed are different biological characteristics or functions of the parasite more than virulence itself. These characteristics or functions may be related or not with pathogenic mechanisms occurring in the development of invasive amoebic disease

Chronic hepatitis C virus infections in Brazilian patients: association with genotypes, clinical parameters and response to long term alpha interferon therapy

The present study assessed the clinical significance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes and their influence on response to long term recombinant-interferon-alpha (r-IFN-a) therapy in Brazilian patients. One hundred and thirty samples from patients previously genotyped for the HCV and with histologically confirmed chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) were evaluated for clinical and epidemiological parameters (sex, age, time of HCV infection and transmission routes). No difference in disease activity, sex, age or mode and time of transmission were seen among patients infected with HCV types 1, 2 or 3. One hundred and thirteen of them were treated with 3 million units of r-IFN-a, 3 times a week for 12 months. Initial response (IR) was significantly better in patients with genotype 2 (100%) and 3 (46%) infections than in patients with genotype 1 (29%) (p < 0.005). Among subtypes, difference in IR was observed between 1b and 2 (p < 0.005), and between 1b and 3a (p < 0.05). Sustained response (SR) was observed in 12% for (sub)type 1a, 13% for 1b, 19% for 3a, and 40% for type 2; significant differences were found between 1b and 2 (p < 0.001), and between 1b and 3a (p < 0.05). Moreover, presence of cirrhosis was significantly associated with non response and response with relapse (p < 0.05). In conclusion, non-1 HCV genotype and lack of histological diagnosis of cirrhosis were the only baseline features associated with sustained response to treatment. These data indicate that HCV genotyping may have prognostic relevance in the responsiveness to r-IFN-a therapy in Brazilian patients with chronic HCV infection, as seen in other reports worldwide.

Massive ocular hemorrhage resulting in blindness in a patient with the sickle cell trait who developed leptospirosis. Case report

This case report describes the findings of a 18 year-old black male from Bahia, a Northeastern state in Brazil, with the sickle cell trait, who developed bilateral hyphema and vitreous hemorrhage with blindness in the course of leptospirosis. The patient started to complain of blurred vision four days after the start of fever and muscular pain and approximately twelve hours after the introduction of penicillin. The severity of the leptospirosis in conjunction with sickle cell trait was considered to be the most likely explanation for this ocular complication.

Generalized Extraction of Real-Time Parameters for Homogeneous Synchronous Dataflow Graphs

23rd Euromicro International Conference on Parallel, Distributed, and Network-Based Processing (PDP 2015). 4 to 6, Mar, 2015. Turku, Finland.

Response Time Analysis for Fixed-Priority Tasks with Multiple Probabilistic Parameters

Demo presented in 12th Workshop on Models and Algorithms for Planning and Scheduling Problems (MAPSP 2015). 8 to 12, Jun, 2015. La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium. Extended abstract.

Estudo da Distribuição de Factores de Risco para o Desenvolvimento de Doença Ocular Aguda em Portadores de Lentes de Contacto

Objectivo: Estudar os factores de risco (FR) associados a complicações clínicas agudas (CCA) numa amostra de portadores de lentes de contacto (LC). Doentes e Métodos: Análise de todos os doentes com CCA associadas ao uso de LC, que, no período de um ano, recorreram ao SU do Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central. O estudo focou-se na análise do perfil demográfico e de risco destes doentes. Resultados: Dos 103 doentes referenciados pelo SU foram estudados os que compareceram para seguimento no Departamento de Contactologia (84). A maioria era do sexo feminino, caucasiana e de educação diferenciada. A mediana das idades foi de 29 anos. 15% dos doentes cumpria as horas de uso diário recomendadas e 5% cumpria todas as regras de higiene; 26% dos doentes apresentavam FR oftalmológicos e 58% FR sistémicos. O prescritor das LC foi o médico em 36% e 26% mantinha vigilância médica oftalmológica regular. Comentários: A maioria dos doentes não cumpria as regras de segurança e de higiene do uso de LC, sendo o desconhecimento destas regras elevado. O papel muito reduzido dos médicos oftalmologistas na prescrição de LC e na vigilância dos portadores pode estar na origem do desconhecimento e incumprimento das regras de utilização das LC por parte de alguns doentes.

Consulta de Diabetes Ocular. Primeiros Resultados do Rastreio da Retinopatia Diabética por Câmara Não Midriática

Introdução: a retinopatia diabética (RD) é, nos países industrializados, uma das principais causas de cegueira. A perda de visão na RD diminui com o diagnóstico precoce e instituição terapêutica2 adequada possibilitados por programas de rastreio sistemático. O rastreio efectuado por fotografias do polo posterior com câmara não midriática é simples e apresenta boa sensibilidade e especificidade3. Material e Métodos: estudo prospectivo, observacional, dos doentes diabéticos sem seguimento oftalmológico regular, seguidos na consulta de Medicina do Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central desde Setembro de 2008 a Julho de 2009. Incluíram-se 86 doentes. Um ortoptista fez a aquisição de imagens do polo posterior com uma câmara não midriática e a impressão de fotografias compostas, coloridas, que foram posteriormente analisadas por um oftalmologista da consulta de Diabetes Ocular. Resultados: foram excluídos 7 olhos (4,2%) por não existir qualidade de imagem. Identificou-se a existência de RD em 26% dos 165 olhos incluídos ( 28% dos doentes), apresentando 21% RD não proliferativa e 5% proliferativa. Apurou-se uma relação estatisticamente significativa entre a existência de RD, a idade (p= 0,253 x 10-1) e a duração da diabetes (p= 7,16 x 10-5). Relativamente ao encaminhamento, 57,8% foram referenciados para rastreio anual e 42,2% para a Consulta Geral de Oftalmologia. Todos os excluídos foram igualmente encaminhados para a Consulta Geral de Oftalmologia. Conclusões: a percentagem de doentes rastreados que apresentou RD foi elevada (28%). O rastreio sistemático da população diabética com câmara não midriática pareceu-nos ser um método simples e eficaz no despiste da RD.

Impacto do Diâmetro do Nervo Óptico na Amplitude de Pulso Ocular no Glaucoma Primário de Ângulo Aberto

Introdução: A pressão intra-craniana (PIC) tem sido descrita como estando envolvida no glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto (GPAA). A sua avaliação está contudo limitada pela necessidade de métodos invasivos, como a punção lombar. A ecografia ocular permite uma avaliação indirecta da PIC através da medição do diâmetro da bainha do nervo óptico (NO). Desconhece-se se esta nova variável tem capacidade de modular factores de risco normalmente investigados em doentes com GPAA. Objectivo: Avaliar o impacto do diâmetro da bainha do NO na pressão intra-ocular (PIO) e na amplitude de pulso ocular (OPA) de doentes com GPAA. Métodos: Quinze doentes com GPAA foram submetidos a medição da PIO por tonometria de contorno dinâmico, avaliação topográfica do disco óptico e ecografia ocular modo B com sonda doppler. Apenas o olho com maior dano glaucomatoso foi seleccionado por doente. Resultados: A média do diâmetro da bainha do NO foi de 5,6±0,67mm, a PIO média de 17,8±2,2mmHg e a OPA de 3,1±1,7mmHg. O diâmetro da bainha do NO correlacionou-se negativamente a OPA (r=-0.54, p=0.05), não tendo influenciado a PIO (r=-0,25, p=0,41). Da avaliação hemodinâmica, apenas o índice de resistência da artéria central da retina (CRA) foi influenciado pelo diâmetro da bainha do NO (r=-0.52, p=0.04). Conclusão: O diâmetro da bainha do NO correlaciona-se negativamente com a OPA. Este efeito poderá ser explicado pela alteração da resistência vascular da artéria que atravessa este espaço subaracnoideu, a CRA. O estudo da região retrobulbar e do balanço entre as pressões aí exercidas é assim um campo cuja importância será crescente na avaliação do doente com GPAA.

A comparison of the immune parameters of dogs infected with visceral leishmaniasis using Western blot and neutralization techniques

The Western blot technique was used to demonstrate the presence of antibodies in the blood of dogs that presented canine visceral leishmaniasis. This technique was used against some specific molecules present in the lysate of the promastigote form of Leshmania chagasi.Through the association of the results of the Western blot technique with the morphological alterations seen as a result of the serum neutralization technique performed in McCoy cells (which mimetizes the macrophage) it was possible to observe the role of some molecules of great relevance in determining the disease in symptomatic dogs as well as that of some other molecules associated with asymptomatic infected dogs that may become transmitters as well as differentiating them as asymptomatic resistant dogs. In the sera analyses carried out during the immunobloting a variation of 9 to 27 immunoreacting bands was observed, which were then compared using Dice's similarity coefficient. In the dendrogram constructed on the basis of the coefficient, 50% similarity was observed among the total number of reagent bands with the promastigote lysate, thus creating five groups. The main difference observed related to the clinical condition of the dogs: symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs were found in separate groups. The asymptomatic group of dogs was distributed in two different places in the dendrogram because they presented two different behavior patterns regarding the cellular morphology in the serum neutralization reaction: the presence or absence of cellular lysis. According to this analysis it is possible to evaluate the immune status and associate it with specific markers observed in the reaction found in the Western blot strips.

Lagochilascariasis leading to severe involvement of ocular globes, ears and meninges

A case report of a 31 year-old woman from Paraíba State (North-Eastern Brazil) that presented severe involvement of ocular globes, ears and meninges. Diagnosis was established after enucleation of her left eye, when adult worms were seen in the midst of a granulomatous inflammatory process. Her response to the initial treatment with levamisole and cambendazole was good, but there was a relapse after the fifth month of treatment even with maintenance doses of both medications. She later received ivermectin and albendazol and responded well.

Using neural networks and support vector regression to relate marchetti dilatometer test parameters and maximum shear modulus

In the last two decades, small strain shear modulus became one of the most important geotechnical parameters to characterize soil stiffness. Finite element analysis have shown that in-situ stiffness of soils and rocks is much higher than what was previously thought and that stress-strain behaviour of these materials is non-linear in most cases with small strain levels, especially in the ground around retaining walls, foundations and tunnels, typically in the order of 10−2 to 10−4 of strain. Although the best approach to estimate shear modulus seems to be based in measuring seismic wave velocities, deriving the parameter through correlations with in-situ tests is usually considered very useful for design practice.The use of Neural Networks for modeling systems has been widespread, in particular within areas where the great amount of available data and the complexity of the systems keeps the problem very unfriendly to treat following traditional data analysis methodologies. In this work, the use of Neural Networks and Support Vector Regression is proposed to estimate small strain shear modulus for sedimentary soils from the basic or intermediate parameters derived from Marchetti Dilatometer Test. The results are discussed and compared with some of the most common available methodologies for this evaluation.

Using neural networks and support vector regression to relate marchetti dilatometer test parameters and maximum shear modulus

In the last two decades, small strain shear modulus became one of the most important geotechnical parameters to characterize soil stiffness. Finite element analysis have shown that in-situ stiffness of soils and rocks is much higher than what was previously thought and that stress-strain behaviour of these materials is non-linear in most cases with small strain levels, especially in the ground around retaining walls, foundations and tunnels, typically in the order of 10−2 to 10−4 of strain. Although the best approach to estimate shear modulus seems to be based in measuring seismic wave velocities, deriving the parameter through correlations with in-situ tests is usually considered very useful for design practice.The use of Neural Networks for modeling systems has been widespread, in particular within areas where the great amount of available data and the complexity of the systems keeps the problem very unfriendly to treat following traditional data analysis methodologies. In this work, the use of Neural Networks and Support Vector Regression is proposed to estimate small strain shear modulus for sedimentary soils from the basic or intermediate parameters derived from Marchetti Dilatometer Test. The results are discussed and compared with some of the most common available methodologies for this evaluation.