Lumbar Model Generator:a tool for the automated generation of a parametric scalable model of the lumbar spine

Low back pain is a major cause of disability and requires the development of new devices to treat pathologies and improve prognosis following surgery. Understanding the effects of new devices on the biomechanics of the spine is crucial in the development of new effective and functional devices. The aim of this study was to develop a preliminary parametric, scalable and anatomically accurate finite-element model of the lumbar spine allowing for the evaluation of the performance of spinal devices. The principal anatomical surfaces of the lumbar spine were first identified, and then accurately fitted from a previous model supplied by S14 Implants (Bordeaux, France). Finally, the reconstructed model was defined according to 17 parameters which are used to scale the model according to patient dimensions. The developed model, available as a toolbox named the lumbar model generator, enables generating a population of models using subject-specific dimensions obtained from data scans or averaged dimensions evaluated from the correlation analysis. This toolbox allows patient-specific assessment, taking into account individual morphological variation. The models have applications in the design process of new devices, evaluating the biomechanics of the spine and helping clinicians when deciding on treatment strategies.</jats:p

Review of key knowledge gaps in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency detection with regard to the safe clinical deployment of 8-aminoquinoline treatment regimens: a workshop report.

The diagnosis and management of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a crucial aspect in the current phases of malaria control and elimination, which will require the wider use of 8-aminoquinolines for both reducing Plasmodium falciparum transmission and achieving the radical cure of Plasmodium vivax. 8-aminoquinolines, such as primaquine, can induce severe haemolysis in G6PD-deficient individuals, potentially creating significant morbidity and undermining confidence in 8-aminoquinoline prescription. On the other hand, erring on the side of safety and excluding large numbers of people with unconfirmed G6PD deficiency from treatment with 8-aminoquinolines will diminish the impact of these drugs. Estimating the remaining G6PD enzyme activity is the most direct, accessible, and reliable assessment of the phenotype and remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of patients who could be harmed by the administration of primaquine. Genotyping seems an unambiguous technique, but its use is limited by cost and the large range of recognized G6PD genotypes. A number of enzyme activity assays diagnose G6PD deficiency, but they require a cold chain, specialized equipment, and laboratory skills. These assays are impractical for care delivery where most patients with malaria live. Improvements to the diagnosis of G6PD deficiency are required for the broader and safer use of 8-aminoquinolines to kill hypnozoites, while lower doses of primaquine may be safely used to kill gametocytes without testing. The discussions and conclusions of a workshop conducted in Incheon, Korea in May 2012 to review key knowledge gaps in G6PD deficiency are reported here

Analytical approaches for antimalarial antibody responses to confirm historical and recent malaria transmission: an example from the Philippines

Background: Assessing the status of malaria transmission in endemic areas becomes increasingly challenging as countries approach elimination. Serology can provide robust estimates of malaria transmission intensities, and multiplex serological assays allow for simultaneous assessment of markers of recent and historical malaria exposure. Methods: Here, we evaluated different statistical and machine learning methods for analyzing multiplex malaria-specific antibody response data to classify recent and historical exposure to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. To assess these methods, we utilized samples from a health-facility based survey (n = 9132) in the Philippines, where we quantified antibody responses against 8 P. falciparum and 6 P. vivax-specific antigens from 3 sites with varying transmission intensity. Findings: Measurements of antibody responses and seroprevalence were consistent with the 3 sites’ known endemicity status. Among the models tested, a machine learning (ML) approach (Random Forest model) using 4 serological markers (PfGLURP R2, Etramp5.Ag1, GEXP18, and PfMSP119) gave better predictions for P. falciparum recent infection in Palawan (AUC: 0.9591, CI 0.9497–0.9684) than individual antigen seropositivity. Although the ML approach did not improve P. vivax infection predictions, ML classifications confirmed the absence of recent exposure to P. falciparum and P. vivax in both Occidental Mindoro and Bataan. For predicting historical P. falciparum and P. vivax transmission, seroprevalence and seroconversion rates based on cumulative exposure markers AMA1 and MSP119 showed reliable trends in the 3 sites. Interpretation: Our study emphasizes the utility of serological markers in predicting recent and historical exposure in a sub-national elimination setting, and also highlights the potential use of machine learning models using multiplex antibody responses to improve assessment of the malaria transmission status of countries aiming for elimination. This work also provides baseline antibody data for monitoring risk in malaria-endemic areas in the Philippines. Funding: Newton Fund, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, UK Medical Research Council

Exposure and infection to Plasmodium knowlesi in case study communities in Northern Sabah, Malaysia and Palawan, The Philippines.

BACKGROUND: Primarily impacting poor, rural populations, the zoonotic malaria Plasmodium knowlesi is now the main cause of human malaria within Malaysian Borneo. While data is increasingly available on symptomatic cases, little is known about community-level patterns of exposure and infection. Understanding the true burden of disease and associated risk factors within endemic communities is critical for informing evidence-based control measures. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We conducted comprehensive surveys in three areas where P. knowlesi transmission is reported: Limbuak, Pulau Banggi and Matunggung, Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia and Bacungan, Palawan, the Philippines. Infection prevalence was low with parasites detected by PCR in only 0.2% (4/2503) of the population. P. knowlesi PkSERA3 ag1 antibody responses were detected in 7.1% (95% CI: 6.2-8.2%) of the population, compared with 16.1% (14.6-17.7%) and 12.6% (11.2-14.1%) for P. falciparum and P. vivax. Sero-prevalence was low in individuals <10 years old for P. falciparum and P. vivax consistent with decreased transmission of non-zoonotic malaria species. Results indicated marked heterogeneity in transmission intensity between sites and P. knowlesi exposure was associated with agricultural work (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.07-2.48) and higher levels of forest cover (OR 2.40; 95% CI 1.29-4.46) and clearing (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.35-3.40) around houses. Spatial patterns of P. knowlesi exposure differed from exposure to non-zoonotic malaria and P. knowlesi exposed individuals were younger on average than individuals exposed to non-zoonotic malaria. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first study to describe serological exposure to P. knowlesi and associated risk factors within endemic communities. Results indicate community-level patterns of infection and exposure differ markedly from demographics of reported cases, with higher levels of exposure among women and children. Further work is needed to understand these variations in risk across a wider population and spatial scale

Comparison of commercial ELISA kits to confirm the absence of transmission in malaria elimination settings

Background: Antimalarial antibody measurements are useful because they reflect historical and recent exposure to malaria. As such, they may provide additional information to assess ongoing transmission in low endemic or pre-elimination settings where cases are rare. In addition, the absence of antibody responses in certain individuals can indicate the cessation of transmission. Commercial malaria enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) detect antimalarial antibodies and are commonly used to screen blood donations for possible malaria infection. However, there is no standardized test to detect antimalarial antibodies for epidemiological use. Here we compared five commercially available ELISA kits (Trinity Biotech, newbio, DiaPro, Cellabs, and NovaTec) in search of a standardized tool for supporting claims of absence of malaria transmission. For comparison, a research-based (RB) ELISA protocol was performed alongside the commercial kits. Results: The commercial kits were first compared using serum samples from known malaria-unexposed individuals (n = 223) and Toxoplasma-infected individuals (n = 191) to assess specificity and cross-reactivity against non-malaria infections. In addition, 134 samples from ≥10-year-olds collected in a hyperendemic region in the Gambia in the early 1990s were used to assess sensitivity. Three out of five kits showed high sensitivity (90–92%), high specificity (98–99%), low cross-reactivity (0–3%) and were considered user-friendly (Trinity Biotech, newbio and NovaTec). Two of these kits (Trinity Biotech and NovaTec) were taken forward for epidemiological evaluation and results were compared to those using the RB-ELISA. Samples from two pre-elimination settings (Praia, Cape Verde; n = 1,396, and Bataan, the Philippines; n = 1,824) were tested. Serological results from both the Trinity Biotech kit and the RB-ELISA concurred with recent passively detected case counts in both settings. Results from the Trinity Biotech kit reflected a significant decrease in the number of reported cases in Bataan in the 1990s better than the RB-ELISA. Results from the NovaTec kit did not reflect transmission patterns in either setting. Conclusion: The Trinity Biotech commercial ELISA kit was considered reliable for epidemiological use and accurately described transmission patterns in two (previously) malaria endemic settings. The use of this simple and standardized serological tool may aid national control and elimination programs by confirming that regions are free from malaria

La motivación en el aprendizaje del baloncesto en alumnos de primaria de la institución educativa N° 20341 del distrito de Santa Maria en el año 2017.

Esta investigación se trata de la motivación en el aprendizaje del baloncesto que es un deporte popular en Estados Unidos y Europa, en nuestro país tiene aceptación, pero se practica muy poco en las zonas populosas debido a la carencia de infraestructura y balones apropiados para jugar este deporte, sumado a que las ligas no están muy activas, los campeonatos son pocos y escasos los equipos que participan en ellos, a nivel mundial se ve la NBA donde se encuentran los mejores jugadores del mundo y el nivel competitivo es alto, teniendo grandes estrellas y los aficionados a este deporte sueñan en reproducir sus jugadas y acrobacias, esto debe servir de motivación a los niños para aprender este deporte, por esto la motivación es fundamental para todo aquel que practica un deporte. Tienes que tener la motivación adecuada para entrenar con la intensidad suficiente, concentración y sacrificio para mejorar día a día. Saber encontrar la motivación adecuada e inculcársela a los alumnos es el objetivo de los entrenadores en edades tempranas, hacer que los niños entrenen y mejoren en los fundamentos y gestos técnicos del baloncesto, es por ello que la función del entrenador es aprovechar y fortalecer el ánimo de aprender en los niños tengan una buena motivación por aprender el baloncesto y los sistemas de juego. Objetivo: Determinar la influencia de la motivación en el aprendizaje del baloncesto en alumnos de primaria de la Institución Educativa N° 20341 del distrito de Santa María en el año 2017. Material y método: Realizado en la Institución Educativa N° 20341 del distrito de Santa María en el año 2017, la población está constituida por 120 alumnos seleccionado de forma aleatoria para conformar la muestra de 92alumnos. El tipo de investigación es descriptivo correlacional. xi El instrumento para medir la motivación en el aprendizaje del baloncesto es la encuesta y la lista de cotejo. Resultados y conclusiones: La motivación si influye en el aprendizaje del baloncesto en alumnos de primaria de la Institución Educativa N° 20341 del distrito de Santa María en el año 2017, un 92% de los alumnos siempre y casi siempre están motivados a asistir a los entrenamientos de baloncestoTesi

Ensayos especiales de laboratorio en suelos

La geotecnia es una de las ramas de la ingeniería civil. Uno de sus campos de interés es el diseño de las cimentaciones de los diversos proyectos que se ejecuten. Para la realización de estos diseños, es fundamental determinar las características del suelo y los parámetros geotécnicos que definen su comportamiento como material de cimentación y construcción. Para obtener estos parámetros, se realizan múltiples ensayos de laboratorio tradicionales. En la actualidad, debido a los avances tecnológicos, es posible realizar ensayos de laboratorio de mecánica de suelos más avanzados en lo referente a precisión con la que se obtienen los parámetros geotécnicos de interés. Existe un amplio número de ensayos modernos, los cuales se vienen desarrollando, en la mayoría de los casos, desde hace menos de 25 años. Para el presente trabajo, se realizó una búsqueda de información sobre cinco (5) ensayos que permiten determinar múltiples parámetros geotécnicos para diversos tipos de suelos. Los ensayos seleccionados para esta investigación son el ensayo triaxial con trayectorias de esfuerzos, el ensayo triaxial cíclico, el ensayo de consolidación a deformación constante, el ensayo de consolidación inducida por flujo y el ensayo de consolidación incremental. Para cada uno de los ensayos, se revisó el estado del arte de su aplicación en investigaciones geotécnicas reales y se realizó una descripción general del ensayo, de los equipos utilizados y del procedimiento estándar a seguir. Además, se detallaron los parámetros geotécnicos que pueden obtenerse con cada ensayo. Para ello, se enunciaron las ecuaciones matemáticas planteadas por otros autores. Asimismo, se explicó la aplicación a la ingeniería de cada uno de los ensayos y se compararon los ensayos modernos con sus contrapartes tradicionales. Finalmente, sobre la base de la investigación realizada, se formularon las conclusiones principales sobre cada uno de los ensayos. Entre ellas, destacan la necesidad de realizar adaptaciones a equipos tradicionales (o reemplazarlos) para poder ejecutar los ensayos especiales, la capacidad de estudiar variables geotécnicas bajo condiciones de ensayo y ejecución que no serían posibles con los ensayos tradicionales, y que los ensayos especiales no suelen reemplazar íntegramente a sus contrapartes tradicionales por diferencias notorias entre parámetros obtenibles

Project NiuStart

De acuerdo con un informe del Global Entrepreneurship Monitor del año 2018, el Perú es uno de los países con mayor tasa de emprendedores del mundo. Esto se traduce en que al menos un 24% de los peruanos se involucran en emprendimientos durante sus fases iniciales, aunque solo el 30% de estos, logra consolidarse en el mercado. Esto se debe a que, en la realidad actual del ecosistema emprendedor peruano, existe una necesidad mayor de encontrar nuevas formas de financiamiento y un sistema que brinde el soporte necesario. En el presente proyecto se demostró la necesidad y viabilidad de la ejecución que permitiese a emprendedores el acceso a un formato de financiación con una competencia menor, más accesible y que se acomode a un emprendimiento en etapa temprana cuyo freno para el acceso a otros tipos de fondos esté en el avanzado nivel de sofisticación de los requisitos. Para iniciar este proyecto, se inició con una investigación del ecosistema, determinando la función de cada agente y la ubicación que una plataforma de financiamiento colectivo “Crowdfunding” tendría dentro del mismo. Además, se validó que, a pesar del alto riesgo que supone el financiamiento de proyectos emergentes en primeras etapas de validación, existe un ecosistema listo y a la espera de nuevos emprendedores. A partir de ahí, se trabajó en una plataforma en redes sociales que permitió simular una propuesta de solución dentro del mercado actual, teniendo como resultado, la recepción de las primeras donaciones para proyectos reales (terceros) puestos en circulación.According to a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2018, Peru is one of the countries with the highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world. This means that at least 24% of Peruvians are involved in ventures during their initial phases, although only 30% of these manage to consolidate in the market. This is due to the fact that, in the current reality of the Peruvian entrepreneurial ecosystem, there is a greater need to find new forms of financing and a system that provides the necessary support. This project demonstrated the need and feasibility of the implementation that would allow entrepreneurs to access a financing format with less competition, more accessible and that accommodates an early stage venture whose brake on access to other types of funds is in the advanced level of sophistication of the requirements. To initiate this project, we began with an investigation of the ecosystem, determining the role of each agent and the location that a Crowdfunding platform would have within it. In addition, it was validated that, despite the high risk involved in financing emerging projects in the early stages of validation, there is an ecosystem ready and waiting for new entrepreneurs. From there, we worked on a social media platform that allowed us to simulate a proposed solution within the current market, resulting in the receipt of the first donations for real projects (third parties) put into circulation.Trabajo de investigació