Multi-Step Clustering of Smart Meters Time Series:Application to Demand Flexibility Characterization of SME Customers

Customer segmentation according to load-shape profiles using smart meter data is an increasingly important application to vital the planning and operation of energy systems and to enable citizens’participation in the energy transition.This study proposes an innovative multi-step clustering procedure to segment customers based on load-shape patterns at the daily and intra-daily time horizons.Smart meter data is split between daily and hourly normalized time series to assess monthly,weekly,daily,and hourly seasonality patterns separately.The dimensionality reduction implicit in the splitting allows a direct approach to clustering raw daily energy time series data.The intraday clustering procedure sequentially identifies representative hourly day-unit profiles for each customer and the entire population.For the first time,a step function approach is applied to reduce time series dimensionality.Customer attributes embedded in surveys are employed to build external clustering validation metrics using Cramer’s V correlation factors and to identify statistically significant determinants of load-shape in energy usage.In addition,a time series features engineering approach is used to extract 16 relevant demand flexibility indicators that characterize customers and corresponding clusters along four different axes:available Energy(E),Temporal patterns(T),Consistency(C),and Variability(V).The methodology is implemented on a real-world electricity consumption dataset of 325 Small and Medium-sized Enterprise(SME)customers,identifying 4 daily and 6 hourly easy-to-interpret,well-defined clusters.The application of the methodology includes selecting key parameters via grid search and a thorough comparison of clustering distances and methods to ensure the robustness of the results.Further research can test the scalability of the methodology to larger datasets from various customer segments(households and large commercial)and locations with different weather and socioeconomic conditions.

Study on the Alignment Between Talent Training Directions and Employment Market Demands in the Landscape Architecture Industry

Currently,talent training in Chinese universities for landscape architecture is mainly divided into three directions:“landscape planning and design,”“landscape construction management,”and“landscape plant planting and maintenance.”However,with the background of the slowing urbanization process and the widespread demand for composite talents in society,it remains to be verified whether the traditional three major talent training directions in landscape architecture align with the job demands in the current construction market.Based on a survey and analysis of over 300 industry practitioners,this study found a clear trend of merging the three major employment directions into“landscape design and construction”and“landscape plant planting and maintenance.”This presents new requirements and directions for the skill training of landscape architecture majors in universities and provides insights into the alignment between talent training and employment demands in other industries.

A study on the health service demands and influence factors among elderly people based on a community survey in Western China

Objective:To investigate the health service demands and to analyze influencing factors among elderly people based on a community survey in Guilin,China.Methods:A random sampling was used to investigate 366 elderly people in a community using a Health-Care-Needs questionnaire,which was designed by The Western Nursing Alliance research team in China.This survey was used to understand the basic situation,financial condition,health condition,self-care abilities,pension plan,and care services demands of the elderly residing at home.Additionally,this article analyzed the influencing factors contributing to the obtained results.Results:The top 3 nursing needs were security needs(1.61±0.45 points),health education needs(1.54±0.57 points),and respect and self-development needs(1.13±0.64 points).Logistic multifactor regression analysis showed that gender,monthly income,lack of exercise,activities of daily living(ADL)scores,methods of medical payment,and pension plan were independent factors affecting elderly nursing needs.Conclusions:The home-based health services supply for elders did not meet their needs.Therefore,a comprehensive approach considering multifactors such as gender,income,exercise,self-care ability,medical expense payments,and supporting preferences should be considered to address the complex needs of health care.

Demands and influencing factors of digital transition care service in discharged older patients:a cross-sectional study

Objective:To identify the group classification of discharged older adults’digital transition care demands and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:From July to August 2022,we used stratified random sampling to recruit older patients who were discharged between July 2021 and July 2022 from tertiary hospitals in Shanghai.We used latent profile analysis to classify the older patients into distinct groups based on their service demands:low,medium,and high.We use multiple logistic regression to explore the factors influencing the different demand levels.Results:The degree of discharged older patients’demand was classified as low(Category 1(C1),34.2%),medium(Category 2(C2),49.5%),high-demand levels(Category 3(C3),16.3%).Compared to those have C2,older adults in C1 are more likely to be male(Odds Ratio(OR)=2.81,P=0.02),have 2 chronic diseases(OR=3.91,P=0.03),and are less likely to be junior high and below(OR=0.09,P=0.00),hospitalized for 1–2 times in the past year(1 times:OR=0.19,P=0.07;2 times:OR=0.14,P=0.02),living with children(OR=0.32,P=0.05),have less insurance(OR=0.48,P=0.03),less understanding of digital transitional care(OR=0.47,P=0.01),have less eHealth literacy(OR=0.80,P=0.00),have less degree of importance attributed by family(OR=0.52,P=0.03);Compared to those have medium demand level,older adults in high demand level are more likely to have self and spouse as primary income(self:OR=26.35,P=0.00;spouse:OR=24.06,P=0.02),walking to the nearest health facility(self:6.74,P=0.03),have higher eHealth literacy(OR=1.88,P=0.00),degree of importance within the family(OR=5.19,P=0.01),higher self’s influence on medical decisions-making(OR=5.69.P=0.01).They are less likely to be in 60–79 years group(OR=0.00–0.37,P=0.00–0.03),Household Annual Income<5,000 CNY(OR=0.05,P=0.02).Conclusion:Digital transitional care demands of discharged older patients can be divided into three categories.Constructing a digital transitional care service system that aligns with the demands of discharged older patients is essential.Communication,care plan development,and follow-up are the most fundamental services.Additionally,it is essential to understand the characteristics of high-demand populations to provide tailored services and identify vulnerable populations from health and social perspectives to offer cost-effective transitional care services.

RESEARCH ON MUNICIPAL WATER DEMANDS FORECAST

Based on the changing law of municipal water demand,a trigonometric function model for short-term water demand forecast is established using the time-series analysis approach.The method for forecasting water demand during holidays and under unexpected events is also presented.Meanwhile,a computer software is developed.Through actual application,this method performs well and has high accuracy,so it can be applied to the daily operation of a water distribution system and lay a foundation for on-line optimal operation.

Research of Informatization Demands of New Countryside in Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone and Related Countermeasures

[Objective] The aim was to survey and analyze informatization demand in new countryside in Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone and to propose counter- measures, [Method] A questionnaire was made among farmers on informatization de- mands in different regions in Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone and the re- sults were analyzed to propose countermeasures promoting informatization. [Result] With strengthening of information awareness, information demands in rural areas in Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone change as follows： Information demand car- rier changes from traditional media to modern media; demand on information content changes from one-way to diversified one; demand of information service changes from one-way transmission to interaction and exchange. However, some problems still exist in informatization process, such as poor infrastructure, dispersed information resources, higher information expense and shortage of information-based talents. Hence, the countermeasures were proposed, as follows： Rational security systems should be established; financing should be as diversified as possible; informatization infrastructure should be reinforced; agricultural economic information and informatiza- tion service system should be established. [Conclusion] The research lays foundation for construction of informatization in new countryside in Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone.

Challenges and Demands for College English Teachers Raised by Training All-round Qualified Persons

The latest issue of College English Curriculum Requirements has posed challenges and demands for teachers in terms of linguistic competence, academic knowledge, language skills, professional morality, emotional and attitudinal qualifications, etc., which requires teachers to embrace and handle with active and open-minded responses. Hence, teachers ought to strive to develop and improve their own overall qualifications in collaboration with the long-term development of the subject and of the national higher education, with the need of qualified persons demanded by social development and the students＇ learning. Teachers also ought to form a notion of scientific development by keeping pace with the time, so as to discern the trend of subject development, to form appropriate judgments concerning the social development and to properly regulate their own development.

Link Demands对.NET Framework分布式系统安全性的影响

客观地讲,.NET安全体系是采用全新的模式建立的,更多地考虑了基于.NET的应用系统在安全性和执行效率上的统一,这一点是可以理解的。它提出了基于WEB的分布式应用系统在安全核心技术上新的设计思想。影响.NETFramework应用系统安全性的因素有很多,其中由链接请求(Linkdemands)引起的影响系统安全性的潜在错误相当多。文章分析了Linkdemands可能带来的系统安全性隐患,并就此提出了一些建议。

Time-variant fragility analysis of the bridge system considering time-varying dependence among typical component seismic demands

This paper presents a copula technique to develop time-variant seismic fragility curves for corroded bridges at the system level and considers the realistic time-varying dependence among component seismic demands. Based on material deterioration mechanisms and incremental dynamic analysis, the time-evolving seismic demands of components were obtained in the form of marginal probability distributions. The time-varying dependences among bridge components were then captured with the best fitting copula function, which was selected from the commonly used copula classes by the empirical distribution based analysis method. The system time-variant fragility curves at different damage states were developed and the effects of time-varying dependences among components on the bridge system fragility were investigated. The results indicate the time-varying dependence among components significantly affects the time-variant fragility of the bridge system. The copula technique captures the nonlinear dependence among component seismic demands accurately and easily by separating the marginal distributions and the dependence among them.

Ductility demands on buckling-restrained braced frames under earthquake loading

Accurate estimates of ductility demands on buckling-restrained braced frames(BRBFs)are crucial to performance-based design of BRBFs.An analytical study on the seismic behavior of BRBFs has been conducted at the ATLSS Center,Lehigh University to prepare for an upcoming experimental program.The analysis program DRAIN-2DX was used to model a one-bay,four-story prototype BRBF including material and geometric nonlinearities.The buckling- restrained brace(BRB)model incorporates both isotropic and kinematic hardening.Nonlinear static pushover and time- history analyses were performed on the prototype BRBF.Performance objectives for the BRBs were defined and used to evaluate the time-history analysis results.Particular emphasis was placed on global ductility demands and ductility demands on the BRBs.These demands were compared with anticipated ductility capacities.The analysis results,along with results from similar previous studies,are used to evaluate the BRBF design provisions that have been recommended for codification in the United States.The results show that BRB maximum ductility demands can be as high as 20 to 25.These demands significantly exceed those anticipated by the BRBF recommended provisions.Results from the static pushover and time- history analyses are used to demonstrate why the ductility demands exceed those anticipated by the recommended provisions. The BRB qualification testing protocol contained in the BRBF recommended provisions is shown to be inadequate because it requires only a maximum ductility demand of at most 7.5.Modifications to the testing protocol are recommended.

Investigation of Direct Causes of Drug Relapse and Abstainers’ Demands in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City of China

Objective To identify the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers’ demand, and to develop programs for the prevention of drug relapse. Methods Abstainers in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City, capital of Hubei Province were randomly selected. An investigation on the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers’ demands was conducted with multiple-choice questionnaires and face to face interviews. Data were analyzed with SPSS 12.0. Results The direct causes leading to drug relapse included： temptation to use drug again by themselves or by their drug mates, seeking pleasure and ecstasy from drug use, relatively well off living, mental stress, irritation, demoralization, family conflicts, unemployment, feeling distrusted by the family, lack of care and love from the family, and discrimination by others. abstainers’ demands after detoxification and returning to the society included： care and support from the family, employment assistance, changing living environment, understanding by others, support from the society, and keeping far away from drugs. Conclusions Environmental factors are the direct causes of drug relapse, and negative irritation is its predisposing causes. Leaving former residence, more care and help given by both the family and the society and raising their overall quality of life are the demands of abstainers.

An improved modal pushover analysis procedure for estimating seismic demands of structures

The pushover analysis （POA） procedure is difficult to apply to high-rise buildings, as it cannot account for the contributions of higher modes. To overcome this limitation, a modal pushover analysis （MPA） procedure was proposed by Chopra et al. （2001）. However, invariable lateral force distributions are still adopted in the MPA. In this paper, an improved MPA procedure is presented to estimate the seismic demands of structures, considering the redistribution of inertia forces after the structure yields. This improved procedure is verified with numerical examples of 5-, 9- and 22-story buildings. It is concluded that the improved MPA procedure is more accurate than either the POA procedure or MPA procedure. In addition, the proposed procedure avoids a large computational effort by adopting a two-phase lateral force distribution..

Finite element modeling assumptions impact on seismic response demands of MRF-buildings

Recent seismic events have raised concerns over the safety and vulnerability of reinforced concrete moment resisting frame ＂RC-MRF＂ buildings. The seismic response of such buildings is greatly dependent on the computational tools used and the inherent assumptions in the modelling process. Thus, it is essential to investigate the sensitivity of the response demands to the corresponding modelling assumption. Many parameters and assumptions are justified to generate effective structural finite element（FE） models of buildings to simulate lateral behaviour and evaluate seismic design demands. As such, the present study focuses on the development of reliable FE models with various levels of refinement. The effects of the FE modelling assumptions on the seismic response demands on the design of buildings are investigated. the predictive ability of a FE model is tied to the accuracy of numerical analysis; a numerical analysis is performed for a series of symmetric buildings in active seismic zones. The results of the seismic response demands are presented in a comparative format to confirm drift and strength limits requirements. A proposed model is formulated based on a simplified modeling approach, where the most refined model is used to calibrate the simplified model.

A Scenario-Based Evaluation of COVID-19-Related Essential Clinical Resource Demands in China

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic is a global crisis,and medical systems in many countries are overwhelmed with supply shortages and increasing demands to treat patients due to the surge in cases and severe illnesses.This study aimed to assess COVID-19-related essential clinical resource demands in China,based on different scenarios involving COVID-19 spreads and interventions.We used a susceptible–exposed–infectious–hospitalized/isolated–removed(SEIHR)transmission dynamics model to estimate the number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations with corresponding essential healthcare resources needed.We found that,under strict non-pharmaceutical interventions(NPIs)or mass vaccination of the population,China would be able to contain community transmission and local outbreaks rapidly.However,under scenarios involving a low intensity of implemented NPIs and a small proportion of the population vaccinated,the use of a peacetime–wartime transition model would be needed for medical source stockpiles and preparations to ensure a normal functioning healthcare system.The implementation of COVID-19 vaccines and NPIs in different periods can influence the transmission of COVID-19 and subsequently affect the demand for clinical diagnosis and treatment.An increased proportion of asymptomatic infections in simulations will not reduce the demand for medical resources;however,attention must be paid to the increasing difficulty in containing COVID-19 transmission due to asymptomatic cases.This study provides evidence for emergency preparations and the adjustment of prevention and control strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.It also provides guidance for essential healthcare investment and resource allocation.

Probabilistic estimate of rock mass static and dynamic demands for underground excavation stabilisation

Excavation damage under high in situ stress depends largely upon the potential block size associated with any violent ejection.The size and shape of the dynamic instability are largely controlled by the location,orientation and extent of the pre-existing geological discontinuities.A new methodology is presented in which the rock mass demand can be expressed in terms of the mass in tonnes of unstable rock that is ejected per unit area of the excavation surface where failure occurs.A probabilistic approach has been implemented to estimate the potential rock mass instabilities and their associated static and dynamic demands.The new methodology considers that the strain energy released by the rock mass during violent stress-driven failure is largely converted into kinetic energy of ejection for blocks.The estimated dynamic demand has been favourably compared with observations of rock mass damage in a number of underground excavations.

Demands of experiential training for ICU nurses in Hunan of China

Objective:To assess intensive care unit(ICU)nurses’demands for specialized experiential training and to provide inputs for developing an experiential training program for ICU nurses.Methods:A questionnaire for assessing ICU nurses’demands for experiential specialty training was distributed to 360 ICU nurses,selected through purposive sampling from two secondary hospitals and six tertiary hospitals in Hunan Province,China.Results:Of the survey participants,63.6%had undergone a specialty training program for ICU nurses.Of these individuals,53.0%were satisfied with the training.Certification as a qualified nurse was considered an essential criterion for admission of trainees into the program by 81.8%of respondents,while 77.1%of respondents considered clinical working experience to be a critical requirement for selecting trainers.A total of 48.1%of the respondents preferred part-time training,and 36.1%considered a training cycle of 9 e12 weeks to be reasonable.Moreover,they felt that the training methods should be tailored to different stages of the experiential learning cycle.Demands for experiential training among ICU nurses were quantified,with high demand reflected in an overall score of 4.41±0.48.The“intensive care technology”experiential training module was ranked highest in terms of demand,with the top five sub-modules being specialty operating technology(4.67±0.53),care of critically ill patients(4.66±0.55),critical patient rescue procedures(4.65±0.56),assessing monitoring indexes(4.63±0.56),and the application of relevant instruments(4.61±0.57).Conclusion:Nearly half of the respondents indicated that their experiences of specialty training programs were not satisfactory,and they had high demands for experiential training.Thus,to optimize training outcomes,continuous updating of training methods is essential.Moreover,a systematic,comprehensive,and multilevel experiential training program that targets the specific needs of ICU nurses is essential.

A super-network equilibrium optimization method for operation architecture with fuzzy demands

From the view of information flow, a super-network equilibrium optimization model is proposed to compute the solution of the operation architecture which is made up of a perceptive level, a command level and a firepower level. Firstly, the optimized conditions of the perceptive level, command level and firepower level are analyzed respectively based on the demand of information relation,and then the information supply-and-demand equilibrium model of the operation architecture super-network is established. Secondly,a variational inequality transformation(VIT) model for equilibrium optimization of the operation architecture is given. Thirdly, the contraction projection algorithm for solving the operation architecture super-network equilibrium optimization model with fuzzy demands is designed. Finally, numerical examples are given to prove the validity and rationality of the proposed method, and the influence of fuzzy demands on the super-network equilibrium solution of operation architecture is discussed.

Earthquake Risk Assessment Approach Using Multiple Spatial Parameters for Shelter Demands

The earthquake is considered one of the most devastating disasters in any area of the world due to its potentially destructive force.Based on the various earthquake-related parameters,the risk assessment is enabled in advance to prevent future earthquake disasters.In this paper,for providing the shelter space demands to reduce the damage level and prevention costs,an earthquake risk assessment approach is proposed for deriving the risk index based on multiple spatial parameters in the gridded map.The proposed assessment approach is comprised of pre-processing,methodologymodel,and data visualization.The risk index model derives the earthquake risk index by multiple spatial parameters including indexes of earthquake,danger,shelter,and building for blocks in the quantitative gridded map.The parameters are provided based onmathematicalmodels and combinedwith the risk index that presents the earthquake risk assessment result for each block.Therefore,the gridding approach is proposed to provide the elements of the risk assessment area that are used in the spatial parameters.The gridded map is developed for the selected area to visualize risk index parameters associated with each risk zone.Based on the derived result of the proposed earthquake risk indexmodel,emergency shelter requirements are provided according to the risk index for each location,which supports safety measures in advance to prevent future earthquake disasters.

Demands and technical developments of clinical flow cytometry with emphasis in quantitative,spectral,and imaging capabilities

As the gold-standard method for single-cell analysis,flow cytometry enables high-throughput and multiple-parameter characterization of individual biological cells.This review highlights the demands for clinical flow cytometry in laboratory hematology(e.g.,diagnoses of minimal residual disease and various types of leukemia),summarizes state-of-the-art clinical flow cytometers(e.g.,FACSLyricTMby Becton Dickinson,DxFLEX by Beckman Coulter),then considers innovative technical improvements in flow cytometry(including quantitative,spectral,and imaging approaches)to address the limitations of clinical flow cytometry in hematology diagnosis.Finally,driven by these clinical demands,future developments in clinical flow cytometry are suggested.

Sensitivity analysis method for increasing the passenger demands of parking and riding

Focused on finding out the relationship between passenger demands of P&R and its influencing factors, a nested-logit mode choice model was developed based on the characteristic of different modes and transfer rules. The utility functions were given respectively according to the characteristic of each alternative. Passenger demands of different modes between O-D pairs were obtained by making use of the binary logit model. Then an equilibrium model for different modes was proposed. Under this condition, the approximate relationship between passenger demands of different modes and their characteristic indexes was modeled by the sensitivity analysis method. Shift volume among different modes was achieved by utilizing this model when their characteristic indexes were changed. A case study indicates that the model and algorithm presented in this paper are effective.