PREFERENCE BASED SYSTEM: AN ASSISTANCE FOR CHOOSING A COMIC

International audienceThis paper presents a contribution to design an online preference based system. The objective of the system is to assist a customer in the products selection process. The product considered here to describe the application is the comic. Current e-commerce recommendation systems assist customers in this process. Nevertheless, quality of the recommendations produced remains a real challenge. There are products that are not recommended to customers though they would appreciate them and others recommended to them though they do not appreciate them. Quality and relevance of recommendations is addressed in this paper. The customer's choice is not only based on product characteristics but also on his/her perceptive expectations. Therefore, products recommendations are considered relevant since they meet customer's expectations and particularly perceptive ones. The suggested algorithm aims to recommend spontaneously comics to an active customer. It is mainly based on collaborative filtering and neighbourhood formation. Cluster of neighbours is formed. Neighbours share common perceptive preferences with the active customer. Favourite comics of the neighbours may interest the latter. Selection of the appropriate comics is based on the product characteristics expected by the active customer. The algorithm produces relevant comics which meet the active customer's expectations and particularly perceptive ones

Effects of deletion of the Streptococcus pneumoniae lipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase gene lgt on ABC transporter function and on growth in vivo

Lipoproteins are an important class of surface associated proteins that have diverse roles and frequently are involved in the virulence of bacterial pathogens. As prolipoproteins are attached to the cell membrane by a single enzyme, prolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase (Lgt), deletion of the corresponding gene potentially allows the characterisation of the overall importance of lipoproteins for specific bacterial functions. We have used a Δlgt mutant strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae to investigate the effects of loss of lipoprotein attachment on cation acquisition, growth in media containing specific carbon sources, and virulence in different infection models. Immunoblots of triton X-114 extracts, flow cytometry and immuno-fluorescence microscopy confirmed the Δlgt mutant had markedly reduced lipoprotein expression on the cell surface. The Δlgt mutant had reduced growth in cation depleted medium, increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, reduced zinc uptake, and reduced intracellular levels of several cations. Doubling time of the Δlgt mutant was also increased slightly when grown in medium with glucose, raffinose and maltotriose as sole carbon sources. These multiple defects in cation and sugar ABC transporter function for the Δlgt mutant were associated with only slightly delayed growth in complete medium. However the Δlgt mutant had significantly reduced growth in blood or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and a marked impairment in virulence in mouse models of nasopharyngeal colonisation, sepsis and pneumonia. These data suggest that for S. pneumoniae loss of surface localisation of lipoproteins has widespread effects on ABC transporter functions that collectively prevent the Δlgt mutant from establishing invasive infection

Elevated Intraocular Pressure Associated With Anterior Chamber Migration of Fluocinolone Acetonide Implant 1 Year After Administration

This case report describes the migration of a fluocinolone acetonide implant to the anterior chamber 1 year after it was placed. en

Eur J Ophthalmol

PURPOSE: Macular edema can be observed in 20% of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and is often responsible of central vision impairment. Intraocular administration of corticosteroids (either triamcinolone or dexamethasone implant) has been found to be effective in that indication. We here describe the first report of a successful bilateral administration of fluocinolone acetonide implant in a patient with steroid-dependent macular edema associated to RP. METHODS: Case report. CASE REPORT: A 34-year female patient with RP was referred for a one-year bilateral persistent ME. She had been refractory either to topical or to general carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Bilateral off-label administration of 0.7 mg dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®, Allergan, CA) was therefore decided. Efficacy and tolerance were very good in both eyes. Still, every four-month injections were required to maintain the macula dry. Off-label use of 0.19 mg fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) implant (Iluvien®, Alimera Sciences, GA) was then proposed and injected, first, in the right eye and, two-years after, in the left eye. No recurrences of the edema were observed from then on, i.e., for 3 years in the right eye and for 1 year in the left eye. CONCLUSION: Intravitreal fluocinolone acetonide could represent a promising means in the therapeutic management of persistent steroid-dependent ME related to RP

A METHODOLOGY FOR DESIGNING A RECOMMENDER SYSTEM BASED ON CUSTOMER PREFERENCES

This paper presents a contribution to design an online preference based system. The objective of the system is to assist a customer in the products selection process. Current e-commerce recommendation systems assist customers in this process. Nevertheless, quality of the recommendations produced remains a real challenge. There are products that are by mistake recommended to customers and inversely. This paper focuses on these quality and relevance of recommendations. More than product objective characteristics, the customer’s choice is also based on his/her perceptive expectations. Therefore, to be considered as relevant, products recommendations must reach customer’s expectations and particularly perceptive ones, sometimes spontaneously, without specific request. Collaborative filtering and neighbourhood formation are the main tools used. The cluster of “perceptive ” neighbours containing the active customer share common perceptive preferences and can guide the propositions. The application case is the comic. The aim is to propose to a customer a “good ” product. A test procedure enabling the validation of this algorithm is to be set

J Fr Ophtalmol

Introduction : Les implants corticoïdes à libération prolongée sont injectés dans la cavité vitréenne à l’aide de stylos préchargés. L’implant de fluocinolone (FAc) se caractérise par une taille environ deux fois inférieure à celle de celui de dexaméthasone (Dex-I). Il est également simplement « déposé » dans la base du vitré et non propulsé dans la cavité vitréenne comme le Dex-I. Le contrôle de son bon positionnement après injection est de ce fait très difficile en ophtalmoscopie indirecte. Notre étude a pour objectif de comparer les performances des différents examens disponibles pour confirmer la présence dans la cavité vitréenne du FAc après injection. Méthodes : Douze yeux de 12 patients consécutifs ont été inclus dans une étude rétrospective monocentrique, observationnelle, réalisée au CHU de Bordeaux. Les patients ont tous bénéficié de l’injection du FAc après dilatation pupillaire, puis d’un fond d’œil, d’une rétinographie grand-champ (Clarus®, Carl-Zeiss-Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA) et d’une rétinographie ultra-grand-champ (California®, Optos, Edinbourg, Royaume-Uni). Sept jours après, une échographie en mode-B (10 MHz, AVISO, Quantel-medical, France) et une échographie UBM (50 MHz, AVISO, Quantel-medical, France) ont été réalisées. Résultats : Le fond d’œil et la rétinographie grand-champ ont permis d’observer 4/12 implants (33,3 %). La rétinophotographie ultra-grand-champ a permis de détecter 6/12 implants (50 %). Tous les implants vus au fond d’œil et en rétinographie grand-champ ont été également visualisés avec l’ultra-grand-champ. L’échographie en mode-B a mis en évidence 5/12 implants (41,6 %) et l’UBM 9/12 implants (75 %). Enfin, un implant a migré en chambre antérieure et a pu être mis en évidence dans l’angle irido-cornéen en gonioscopie. Conclusion : La confirmation objective du bon positionnement de l’implant FAc est essentielle. S’il n’est pas visible au simple FO et à l’examen du segment antérieur, la rétinographie ultra-grand-champ puis l’échographie UBM apparaissent comme étant les deux meilleures modalités d’imagerie.INTRODUCTION: Sustained-release corticosteroid implants are injected into the vitreous cavity using preloaded pens. The fluocinolone (FAc) implant is approximately half the size of the dexamethasone implant (Dex-I). It is simply introduced in the vitreous base rather than propelled into the vitreous cavity as is Dex-I. Verification of its positioning after injection is thus difficult by indirect ophthalmoscopy. The goal of our study is to compare the performance of available clinical and imaging tools to confirm the presence of the FAc in the vitreous cavity following injection. METHODS: Twelve eyes of 12 consecutive patients were included in a retrospective, single-center, observational study carried out at the Bordeaux University Hospital, France. All patients were injected with the FAc after pupil dilation, and presence of the implant was immediately checked by indirect biomicroscopy, wide-field retinography (Clarus®, Carl-Zeiss-Meditec, Dublin, CA, USA) and ultra-wide-field retinography (California®, Optos, Edinburgh, United-Kingdom). Seven days later, a B-mode ultrasonography (10MHz, AVISO, Quantel-medical, France) and an UBM ultrasonography (50MHz, AVISO, Quantel-medical, France) were performed. RESULTS: Indirect biomicroscopy and wide-field retinography detected 4/12 implants (33.3%). Ultra-wide-field retinophotography detected 6/12 implants (50%). All the implants seen using indirect biomicroscopy and wide-field retinography were also visualized with ultra-wide-field. B-mode ultrasonography showed 5/12 implants (41.6%) and UBM 9/12 implants (75%). Finally, one implant dislocated into the anterior chamber and was seen in the iridocorneal angle on gonioscopy. CONCLUSION: Objective confirmation of the proper positioning of the FAc implant in the vitreous cavity is mandatory. If both indirect ophthalmoscopy and anterior examination fail to detect it, ultra-wide field retinography along with UBM ultrasonography, if necessary, appear to be the two best imaging modalities to use