Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Tools for Econometric Analysis of High-Frequency Time Series Data - Application to Demand-Side Management in Electricity Markets

Author(s): Balandat, Maximilian | Advisor(s): Tomlin, Claire J | Abstract: This thesis develops novel methods for econometric analysis of time series data, and applies these methods in the context of demand-side management in California’s electricity markets. The first method is an optimization framework for simulating the behavior of electricity consumers with realistic dynamic consumption models under various dynamic electricity tariffs. This allows to generate new insights into the effect of intertemporal substitution on individual and social surplus under various existing and hypothetical pricing schemes, including Real-Time pricing, Time-of-Use pricing, Critical Peak Pricing, and Critical Peak Rebates. By introducing the concept of a baseline-taking equilibrium, it is possible to quantify the welfare implications of the manipulation of Demand Response (DR) baselines. A second contribution of this thesis is the formulation of the optimal contract design problem a DR aggregator faces when employing inter-temporal flexibility of commercial buildings' HVAC-related power consumption in order to participate in the regulation capacity spot market. The associated bilevel optimization problem can be cast as a mixed-integer optimization problem that can be solved efficiently. The third contribution of this thesis is a novel methodology for causal inference on time series data based on ideas from Machine Learning. This two-stage approach allows to evaluate conditional individual treatment effects in experimental and non-experimental settings with repeated treatment exposure. The setup is very general and agnostic to the specific regression models used. Besides establishing core theoretical results, this thesis presents associated multi-stage bootstrapping techniques, which allow to perform statistical inference even under computationally challenging prediction models. Based on the developed inference methodology, the empirical contribution of this thesis is to study the effect of receiving DR notifications on energy consumption of residential electricity customers in California, including causal estimates of individual and average treatment effects. These results inform the design of a large-scale randomized controlled trial of much broader scope, which is currently being implemented in collaboration with a DR provider in California and involves more than 10,000 customers over a 14 month duration.
pRESTO: a toolkit for processing high-throughput sequencing raw reads of lymphocyte receptor repertoires

UNLABELLED Driven by dramatic technological improvements, large-scale characterization of lymphocyte receptor repertoires via high-throughput sequencing is now feasible. Although promising, the high germline and somatic diversity, especially of B-cell immunoglobulin repertoires, presents challenges for analysis requiring the development of specialized computational pipelines. We developed the REpertoire Sequencing TOolkit (pRESTO) for processing reads from high-throughput lymphocyte receptor studies. pRESTO processes raw sequences to produce error-corrected, sorted and annotated sequence sets, along with a wealth of metrics at each step. The toolkit supports multiplexed primer pools, single- or paired-end reads and emerging technologies that use single-molecule identifiers. pRESTO has been tested on data generated from Roche and Illumina platforms. It has a built-in capacity to parallelize the work between available processors and is able to efficiently process millions of sequences generated by typical high-throughput projects. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION pRESTO is freely available for academic use. The software package and detailed tutorials may be downloaded from http://clip.med.yale.edu/presto.
Corneal Aberrations and Reading

Purpose. To investigate the effects of eyelid pressure on corneal shape and corneal aberrations during reading. Methods. Twenty young subjects with normal ocular health were recruited for the study. The experiment was conducted early in the morning, with subjects instructed not to perform any prolonged reading before the experiment. Corneal topography of one eye was measured with a videokeratoscope before reading and then again after a 60-min reading task. The natural position of the eyelids was photographed in primary gaze and during the reading task. Results. Twelve of the 20 corneas showed significant changes in central topography immediately after reading. The location of the changes corresponded closely to the position and angle of the subject’s eyelids during reading. The change in shape was best described as a wave-like distortion that significantly altered some corneal wavefront Zernike coefficients. There was a significant correlation between the changes in primary vertical coma and trefoil (along 30°). Within the central 6 mm of the cornea, there were significant changes in the root mean square error, overall refractive power, and astigmatism. Conclusions. The changes we observed in corneal topography appear to be directly related to the force exerted by the eyelids during reading. Because the cornea is the major light-refracting surface of the eye, the optical characteristics of some eyes can be significantly changed during reading by the force of the eyelids. These findings may have important implications for the definition of refractive status and may also aid in the understanding of the relationship between reading and the development of refractive errors.
CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are predictive of survival in muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma

Tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (TILs), including CD8 TILs, have been associated with favorable clinical outcomes in multiple tumor types. Tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression in urothelial carcinoma (UC) have not been previously reported. Most immune responses are mediated by local cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8 T cells), which can eradicate tumor cells by recognizing tumor-associated antigens presented by MHC class I molecules. Here we analyzed the presence of intratumoral CD8 T cells, the expression of MHC class I antigen, and the expression of the NY-ESO-1 tumor antigen in UC samples and correlated our findings with clinical outcome. Immunohistochemical staining for intratumoral CD8 T cells in tissue samples from 69 patients with UC showed that patients with advanced UC (pT2, pT3, or pT4) and higher numbers of CD8 TILs within the tumor (≥8) had better disease-free survival (P < 0.001) and overall survival (P = 0.018) than did patients with similar-staged UC and fewer intratumoral CD8 TILs. We conclude that the extent of intratumoral CD8 TILs is an important prognostic indicator in advanced UC.
The Reliability of the Shuttle Walking Test, the Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire, the Oxford Spinal Stenosis Score, and the Oswestry Disability Index in the Assessment of Patients With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Study Design. The Shuttle Walking Test (SWT), the Swiss Spinal Stenosis (SSS) Questionnaire, the Oxford Claudication Score (OCS), and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were administered to patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and neurogenic claudication. Objective. To determine reliability of the SWT, the SSS (Q1–12), the OCS, and the ODI in lumbar spinal stenosis assessment. Summary of Background Data. Reliability data for exercise tests in lumbar spinal stenosis are lacking. Methods. To determine reliability, 32 clinic patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were assessed twice, with 1 week between assessments. Retrospective data from 17 patients assessed before surgery and 18 months after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis were used to investigate the use of reliability in a clinical setting. Results. Test–retest reliability in terms of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.92 for the SWT, 0.92 for the SSS, 0.83 for the OCS and 0.89 for the ODI. The mean percentage scores were 51 for the SSS, 45 for the OCS, and 40 for the ODI. To achieve 95% certainty of change between assessments for a single patient, the SSS would need to change by 15, the OCS by 20, and the ODI by 16. The mean SWT was 150 m, with a change of 76 m required for 95% confidence. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.91 for the SSS, 0.90 for the OCS, and 0.89 for the ODI. The change in ODI correlated most strongly with patient satisfaction after surgery (&rgr; = 0.80;P < 0.001). Conclusions. Fluctuations in a patient’s symptoms result in wide individual confidence intervals. Performance on the SSS, OCS, and ODI questionnaires are broadly similar, the most precise being the condition-specific SSS. The SWT gives a snapshot of physical function, which is acceptable for group analysis. Use of the SWT for individual assessment after surgery is feasible.
Acute Effects of Different Methods of Stretching and Specific Warm-ups on Muscle Architecture and Strength Performance

Abstract Sá, MA, Matta, TT, Carneiro, SP, Araujo, CO, Novaes, JS, and Oliveira, LF. Acute effects of different methods of stretching and specific warm-ups on muscle architecture and strength performance. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2324–2329, 2016—The purpose of the study was to investigate the acute effects of 2 stretching interventions, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and passive static stretching (PSS), and a specific warm-up (SW) on the strength and architecture of the vastus laterallis and biceps femoris muscles in a subsequent performance on a strength training session (STS). Musculoskeletal ultrasound images were acquired from 9 men before and immediately after stretchings or a SW, and 10 minutes after a STS. The STS consisted of the following exercises: leg extension, leg curl, leg press, and hack machine squat. The PNF resulted in lower performance for all situations. The PSS and SW improved performance for the leg press compared with the PNF and controls (CSs). For the hack machine squat, SWs resulted in higher performance than stretching conditions. The vastus lateralis muscle fascicle length (FL) increases after a STS for PNF. The biceps femoris muscle showed a higher pennation angle 10 minutes after the STS for PSS; the FL increases immediately after PSS and then decreases 10 minutes after the STS for PSS. As per our results, the SWs should be performed before STSs, whereas PNF stretching should not be prescribed because this condition impairs subsequent performance. These results may assist health professionals in prescribing resistance training.
TSK-Type Self-Organizing Recurrent-Neural-Fuzzy Control of Linear Microstepping Motor Drives

In this paper, a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang-type self-organizing recurrent-neural-fuzzy network (T-SORNFN) is proposed for the trajectory tracking control of linear microstepping motor (LMSM) drives. Without a priori knowledge, the T-SORNFN is constructed to model the inverse dynamics of a LMSM drive by a set of recurrent fuzzy rules built online through concurrent structure and parameter learning. The fuzzy rules in the T-SORNFN can be either generated or eliminated to obtain a suitable-sized network structure, and a recursive recurrent learning laws of network parameters are derived based on the supervised gradient-descent method to achieve fast-learning converge. Based on the Lyapunov stability approach, the convergence of the T-SORNFN is guaranteed by choosing varied learning rates. Furthermore, an inverse-control architecture that incorporates T-SORNFN and a proportional-derivative controller is used to control the LMSM drive in a changing environment. A recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm is utilized for online fine-tuning the consequent parameters in T-SORNFN to obtain a more precision model. Simulated and experimental results of a LMSM drive are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed T-SORNFN control system, and its superiority is validated in comparison with NFN and RNFN control systems.
Moderating effect of privacy concerns and subjective norms between satisfaction and repurchase of airline e-ticket through airline-ticket vendors

ABSTRACT One example of the rapid growth in E-commerce in the Internet era is the use of the Internet to make airline e-ticket (AET) purchases. Companies selling airline tickets must promote tickets in this fiercely competitive e-commerce environment. However, customers are concerned about the privacy of online transactions, and the effects of these privacy concerns on customer repurchase intention of AET are still unclear. Moreover, subjective norms are a critical issue in the Internet era because customer purchase intention is affected by the comments of others. The objective of this study was to investigate the moderating effects of privacy and subjective norms on the relationship between customer satisfaction and AET repurchase intention. A survey of 504 experienced customers showed that privacy has significant negative moderating effects on the relationship between customer satisfaction and AET repurchase intention while subjective norms have significant positive moderating effects. The implications of the survey results are discussed, and managerial suggestions for increasing AET repurchase intention are also given
Syddansk Universitet Association between fee-for-service expenditures and morbidity burden in primary care

Background In primary care, fee-for-services (FFS) tariffs are often based on political negotiation rather than costing systems. The potential for comprehensive measures of patient morbidity to explain variation in negotiated FFS expenditures has not previously been examined. Objectives To examine the relative explanatory power of morbidity measures and related general practice (GP) clinic characteristics in explaining variation in politically negotiated FFS expenditures. Methods We applied a multilevel approach to consider factors that explain FFS expenditures among patients and GP clinics. We used patient morbidity characteristics such as diagnostic markers, multimorbidity casemix adjustment based on resource utilisation bands (RUB) and related GP clinic characteristics for the year 2010. Our sample included 139,527 patients visiting GP clinics. Results Out of the individual expenditures, 31.6 % were explained by age, gender and RUB, and around 18 % were explained by RUB. Expenditures increased progressively with the degree of resource use (RUB0–RUB5). Adding more patient-specific morbidity measures increased the explanatory power to 44 %; 3.8–9.4 % of the variation in expenditures was related to the GP clinic in which the patient was treated. Conclusions Morbidity measures were significant patient-related FFS expenditure drivers. The association between FFS expenditure and morbidity burden appears to be at the same level as similar studies in the hospital sector, where fees are based on average costing. However, our results indicate that there may be room for improvement of the association between politically negotiated FFS expenditures and morbidity in primary care.
Comparison of single-dose diethylcarbamazine and ivermectin for treatment of bancroftian filariasis in Papua New Guinea.

This double-blind study compared the clinical safety and parasitologic efficacy of single-dose regimens of diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and ivermectin for treatment of bancroftian filariasis in Papua New Guinea. Five groups of 10 men each with mean levels of parasitemia ranging from 2,985 to 5,185 microfilariae (mf)/ml were given DEC (6 mg/kg of body weight one time or 1 mg/kg, then 6 mg/kg four days later) or ivermectin (220 micrograms/kg; 20 micrograms/kg, then 200 micrograms/kg four days later or 20 micrograms/kg, then 400 micrograms/kg four days later). No significant side effects (e.g., acute adenolymphangitis, fever lasting more than eight hours, hypotension) were observed in any of the five treatment groups. The magnitude of reduction in microfilaremia was greater (P < 0.01) for the three ivermectin groups versus the two DEC groups in the first 30 days after drug administration (mf levels < 1% of pretreatment values versus 22.6-41.5%, respectively). At 90 and 180 days, mf levels continued to decrease in the DEC groups whereas they increased in the ivermectin groups given a total dose of 220 micrograms/kg. Eighteen months after drug administration, individuals given DEC or 420 micrograms/kg of ivermectin had the greatest degree of reduction in microfilaremia (86-90% compared with the pretreatment values). Decreases in parasite antigenemia measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for a secreted 200-kD adult worm antigen were greatest for the single-dose DEC group (39.7% decrease relative to the pretreatment level versus 7.8-15.7% for the ivermectin groups). These results indicate that single-dose DEC and ivermectin are well-tolerated by Wuchereria bancrofti-infected individuals with high levels of microfilaremia. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Defective TCR expression in transgenic mice constructed using cDNA‐based α‐ and β‐chain genes under the control of heterologous regulatory elements

We describe the generation of ovalbumin (OVA)‐specific, MHC class II‐restricted αβ T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mice. Initial attempts at generating these transgenic mice utilized heterologous regulatory elements to drive the expression of cDNA genes encoding the separate α‐ and β‐chains of the TCR. Unexpectedly, T cells bearing the transgenic αβ TCR failed to emerge from the thymus in these mice, although the transgenes did modify endogenous TCR expression. However, subsequent modification of the approach which enabled expression of the TCR β‐chain under the control of its natural regulatory elements generated mice whose peripheral T cells expressed the transgenic TCR and were capable of antigen‐dependent proliferation. These results show that successful generation of MHC class II‐restricted, OVA‐specific αβTCR transgenic mice was dependent upon combining cDNA‐ and genomic DNA‐based constructs for expression of the respective α‐ and β‐chains of the TCR.
The Influence of Interannual Climate Variability on Regional Violent Crime Rates in the United States

While the impact of climate on regional geopolitical stability and large‐scale conflict has garnered increased visibility in recent years, the effects of climate variability on interpersonal violent crime have received only limited scientific attention. Though earlier studies have established a modest correlation between temperature and violent crime, the underlying seasonality in both variables was often not controlled for and spatial heterogeneity of the statistical relationships has largely been overlooked. Here a method of spatial aggregation is applied to the United States, enabling a systematic investigation into the observed relationships between large‐scale climate variability and regionally aggregated crime rates. This novel approach allows for differentiation between the effects of two previously proposed mechanisms linking climate and violent crime, the Routine Activities Theory and Temperature‐Aggression Hypothesis. Results indicate large and statistically significant positive correlations between the interannual variability of wintertime air temperature and both violent and property crime rates, with negligible correlations emerging from summertime data. Results strongly support the Routine Activities Theory linking climate and violent crime, with climate variability explaining well over a third of the variance of wintertime violent crime in several broad regions of the United States. Finally, results motivate the development of observationally constrained empirical models and their potential application to seasonal and potentially longer‐term forecasts.
Childhood idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: a national cohort study

Objective To clarify the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in childhood, a rare condition with a bad prognosis, poorly documented in children. Also, to describe the long-term outcome. Design A retrospective study of 7 years' experience. Setting UK Service for Pulmonary Hypertension in Children based at a tertiary referral centre. Patients 64 children. Interventions Patients were initially treated with prostanoids (n=15), bosentan (n=23), sildenafil (n=9), combination therapy (n=11) or calcium channel antagonists (n=6). Main outcome measures WHO functional class, distance walked in 6 minutes, escalation of therapy, survival, transplant-free survival. Results Incidence of IPAH was 0.48 cases per million children per year and the prevalence was 2.1 cases per million. 31% presented with syncope. Oedema was rare. During the first year of follow-up WHO functional class and 6-minute walk distance improved significantly. Survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 89%, 84% and 75%, respectively; while transplant-free survival was 89% 76% and 57%, respectively. Factors predicting worse survival were WHO functional class (HR 2.4, p=0.04) and poor height and weight z-score (p<0.05 for both) at presentation. Conclusions We showed, for the first time, that the incidence of IPAH is lower in children than adults and that the clinical features can be different. Most children present with clinical evidence of advanced disease and clinical status at presentation is predictive of outcome. This 7-year experience confirms the significant improvement in survival over historical controls.
Social responsibility and total quality in the hospitality industry: does gender matter?

ABSTRACT This empirical study examines the role of gender diversity in top management teams (TMTs) and their impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is an underexplored topic within the hotel sector. Based on stakeholder theory, we argue that the relationship between gender diversity and hotel performance is indirect and mediated by CSR. Our study also analyses how the implementation of total quality management (TQM) and CSR influences hotel stakeholder results, and hence business performance. Using a sample of Spanish hotels, we provide evidence that gender diversity in TMTs increases the level of implementation of CSR within the hotel industry. The results show that the impact of gender diversity on hotel performance is mediated by CSR. The findings also suggest that the adoption of TQM and CSR management philosophies improves the capacity of hotels to benefit their stakeholders, and that this improvement has a positive effect on hotel performance.