The Colposcopic Atlas of Schistosomiasis in the Lower Female Genital Tract Based on Studies in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and South Africa

Background Schistosoma (S.) haematobium is a neglected tropical disease which may affect any part of the genital tract in women. Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) may cause abnormal vaginal discharge, contact bleeding, genital tumours, ectopic pregnancies and increased susceptibility to HIV. Symptoms may mimic those typical of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and women with genital schistosomiasis may be incorrectly diagnosed. An expert consensus meeting suggested that the following findings by visual inspection should serve as proxy indicators for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis of the lower genital tract in women from S. haematobium endemic areas: sandy patches appearing as (1) single or clustered grains or (2) sandy patches appearing as homogenous, yellow areas, or (3) rubbery papules. In this atlas we aim to provide an overview of the genital mucosal manifestations of schistosomiasis in women. Methodology/Principal findings Photocolposcopic images were captured from women, between 1994 and 2012 in four different study sites endemic for S. haematobium in Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Madagascar. Images and specimens were sampled from sexually active women between 15 and 49 years of age. Colposcopic images of other diseases are included for differential diagnostic purposes. Significance This is the first atlas to present the clinical manifestations of schistosomiasis in the lower female genital tract. It will be freely available for online use, downloadable as a presentation and for print. It could be used for training purposes, further research, and in clinical practice

Microplastic Pollution in the Volta River Delta’s Blue Carbon Mangrove Ecosystem in Ghana

Denne oppgaven har tatt del i BC5 og Sailing 4 Science. BC5 eller "Building Capacity to Crosslink Coastal Pollution with Climate Change" er et prosjekt finansert av Norad under programmet "Climate change and Natural Resources" (Bevilgningsnummer 71762). Denne oppgaven har hatt et overordnet mål å tilføye mer kunnskap til eksisterende forskning fra kystnære, og understuderte områder, ved å undersøke menneskelige kilder til forurensning ved hjelp av en nøktern tilnærming til havforskning. Målet med dette prosjektet er å beskrive den romlige distribusjonen i konsentrasjonen av mikroplast partikler nær overflaten i hav- og ferskvann. Dette ble gjennomført ved prøvetagning og vurdering av morfologien og den kjemiske oppbyggingen til mikroplast partiklene. Prøvene ble tatt i elven Volta og i Keta lagunen, i Volta regionen, øst i Ghana. Prøvene ble tatt ved å pumpe vann nær overflaten av vannsøylen gjennom et 100 µm nettfilter. Dette ble gjort ved hjelp av et fleksibelt instrumentoppsett og bruk av tradisjonelle fiskebåter. Prøvene ble sendt til NIVA sine laboratorier i Oslo for analyse. Totalt 233 mikroplastpartikler fra 11 ulike lokasjoner ble identifisert og analysert ved hjelp av visuell mikroskopi og FTIR spektroskopi. Det biologiske materialet i prøvene ble brutt ned ved tilførsel av 10 % KOH før den visuelle analysen ble påbegynt. Etter analyse ble antall mikroplast partikler målt fra 0 til 2160 mp/m3 , med et gjennomsnitt på 233 ± 677 mp/m3 . Partiklene ble målt ut ifra størrelse, farge, partikkel form, og kjemisk oppbygging. 51 % av de målte partiklene var fiberpartikler, mens 29 % og 15 % var henholdsvis film og fragmenter. 93 % av alle de identifiserte mikroplast partiklene kom fra samme prøvetakningssted. Det er sannsynlig at en kombinasjon av abiotiske faktorer som for eksempel tidevannsfront, brakkvann, og grunt vannivå har ført til en ansamling av mikroplast partikler innenfor et lite geografisk område.This project is part of both BC5 and Sailing 4 Science. BC5 or "Building Capacity to Crosslink Coastal Pollution with Climate Change” is a project in the Norhed II program funded by Norad under “Climate Change and Natural Resources” (Grant Number: 71762). This thesis has an overlaying goal of increasing existing regional coastal research in under studied areas, through the study of anthropogenic contamination by utilisation of a frugal approach to marine science. The aim of the project is to describe the spatial distribution in the concentration of microplastic particles in subsurface marine and freshwater. This was carried out by sampling and measuring the morphology and chemical composition of the microplastic particles. The samples were gathered in the Volta river and the Keta lagoon, within The Volta region, east in Ghana. The samples were collected through subsurface bulk water pump sampling, through a 100 µm mesh filter. The sampling was conducted by the use of a flexible setup, and artisanal fishing boats. The samples were analysed by NIVA at their facilities in Oslo. A total of 233 MP particles from 11 different locations were identified using visual microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. The samples were digested by the addition of 10 % KOH prior to the analysis. The MP particles were measured in a range of 0 to 2160 mp/m3 , with an average of 233 ± 677 mp/m3 . The particles were analysed based on size, colouration, particle type, and chemical composition. 51 % of the sampled particles were fibers, while 29 % and 15 % were films and fragments respectively. 93 % of all the identified microplastic particles came from the same sampling location. It is likely that a combination of abiotic factors such as tidal front, brackish water, and shallow depth lead to an accumulation of microplastic particles in a small geographical area

Letter from Carlyle Onsrud to Senator Langer Requesting Two Copies of US Senate Bill 2151, May 1, 1956

This letter dated May 1, 1956, from Carlyle D. Onsrud, Executive Director of the Public Welfare Board of North Dakota to United States (US) Senator William Langer, requests two copies of US Senate Bill 2151 (S. 2151). There is a small shorthand note at the bottom of the letter. See also: Letter from Senator Langer to Carlyle Onsrud Enclosing Two Copies of US Senate Bill 2151, May 8, 1956https://commons.und.edu/langer-papers/1941/thumbnail.jp

Workshop on Access and Participatory Approaches Associated with the Use of Geographic Information, Rome, Italy, Fall 2001

In the Fall of 2001, a workshop with participation by United States and European researchers was held in Spoleto, Italy to assess the current state of research on access to geographic information and on geographic access theory, to evaluate the impact of evolving policy and legal trends in the U.S. and Europe on access to scientific and technical data generally and geographic data specifically, to assess the current state of research on participatory approaches surrounding the use of geographic information, to explore commonalities and differences in U.S. and European directions of research within these arenas, and to develop a joint U.S./European research agenda on geographic information access and participatory issues

Liability for Spatial Data Quality

Liability in data, products, and services related to geographic information systems, spatial data infrastructure, location based services and web mapping services, is complicated by the complexities and uncertainties in liability for information system products and services generally, as well as by legal theory uncertainties surrounding liability for maps. Each application of geospatial technologies to a specific use may require integration of different types of data from multiple sources, assessment of attributes, adherence to accuracy and fitness-for-use requirements, and selection from among different analytical processing methods. All of these actions may be fraught with possible misjudgments and errors. A variety of software programs may be run against a single geographic database, while a wide range of users may have very different use objectives. The complexity of the legal questions surrounding liability for geospatial data, combined with the diversity of problems to which geospatial data and technologies may be applied and the continually changing technological environment, have created un-settling and often unclear concerns over liability for geospatial technology development and use. This article selects a single data quality issue to illustrate that liability expo-sure. In regard to that issue, it may have a substantial stifling effect on the widespread use of web-based geospatial technologies for such purposes as geographic data mining and interoperable web mapping services. The article concludes with a recommendation for a potential web-wide community solution for substantially reducing the liability exposure of geospatial technology and geographic data producers and users

Conflicts in the Use of Geographic Information

The use of geographic information technologies is pervasive throughout business, government, industry and the scientific community in the United States. Conflicts are arising on a daily basis for those using geographic information systems and their affiliated databases, for those implementing such systems, and for those designing the next generations of spatial information technologies. Balancing among competing interests and resolving conflicts involved in the use of these technologies are growing problems for numerous parties within society. Among the problem domains of greatest concern are those involving personal information privacy, intellectual property rights in geographic information, liability in the use of geographic data sets, public access to government geographic data sets, public goods aspects of geographic information in libraries, and sales of geographic information by government agencies. This research involves a pilot study that will evidence the extent to which conflicts are perceived to exist by those using and creating geographic information systems and by those who are the subjects contained within such systems. Researchers will develop and pilot web-based questionnaires to determine whether and to what extent interest and value choices differ among sampled groups of system developers, users, and data subjects within each of the major problem domains. Where significant differences are evidenced as existing among affected parties, researchers will develop conflict scenarios patterned after experiences witnessed in practice. The full range of geographic information conflict issues within each of the major problem domains will be fully explored and documented. The scenarios and the problems drawn from practice will set the methodological and substantive stage for follow on research in which potential solutions may be sought. Eventually, preferences for resolving specific conflicts will be determined and guiding principles will be suggested. Gathered data and scenarios developed during the pilot, as well as suggested principles to be developed and explored in future research, will form the foundation for broad-ranging moral and ethical discussions within the geographic information science community

Dissertation Research: The Impact of Law and Information Policy on the Dissemination and Commercialization of Spatial Databases: A North American -European Community

SBR-9506485 This dissertation-improvement award supports a study into the ways that government scientific-and-technical-information policies affect the dissemination of databases containing spatial data, specifically, transfer and use of the data generated by national mapping agencies to the research community and the commercial information industry. The study will take the form of parallel case studies, with information collected via postal surveys, in-person interviews, and archival research. Spatial-data suppliers and users in Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States will be investigated, to allow for international comparisons. The results of the research will be of interest to the government, research, and commercial communities of the countries studied, as they grapple with substantial international differences in spatial data policy

Artificial Neural Network Based Power Management in Microgrid

Klimaforandringer, og det resulterende fokuset på fornybar energi forandrer stadig strukturen og karakteristikken til kraftsystem rundt om i verden. Implementeringen av mikronett fasiliterer for fornybar energi ved å tilrettelegge for lokal energiproduksjon og lagring med blant annet solceller og batterier. Disse mikronettene krever intelligente kontrollsystemer for å kunne regulere kraftflyt, frekvens, spenning og strøm i systemet. Kunstige nevrale nett er foreslått som en mulighet for mikronett kontroll ved bruk av maskin læring. Målet med denne oppgaven er å utvikle og teste en simuleringsmodell av et hybrid mikronett med et kunstig nevralt nett-basert sentralisert kontrollsystem, og sammenlikne den med en mer tradisjonell kraftflyt-basert algoritme. Dette blir gjort med det overværende målet å vurdere og analysere systemet for å identifisere både fordeler og utfordringer rundt bruken av nevrale nett for mikronett kontroll. Prosjektet startet med utviklingen av en Simulink-modell av et mikronett bestående av solceller, et batteri og en elektrisk bil i tillegg til variabel og konstant last. En kraftflytsalgoritme ble laget, og mokronettet ble simulert med et basistilfelle som bestod av normale sol- og lastforhold. Parallelt ble det utviklet et nevralt nett der resultatene fra simuleringen av basistilfelle ble brukt til opplæringen. De to kontrollsystemene ble simulert for tre tilfeller hver: et basistilfelle, et tilfelle med uregelmessig innstråling og et tilfelle med uregelmessig belastning. Resultatene indikerte at når gitt den samme tidligere usynlige input dataen, klarte det nevrale nett-baserte kontrollsystemet å justere utgangsverdiene mot en mer optimal løsning sammenlignet med kraftflytsalgoritmen. Den komplekse strukturen til det nevrale nettet skaper og identifiserer sine egne mønstre som er i stand til å gi forventede utgangsverdier selv om situasjonen er forskjellig fra treningsdataene. Siden dette prosjektet bare testet noen få tilfeller, kan den endelige brukbarheten av nevrale nett som et sentralisert kontrollsystem ikke konkluderes. Resultatet tyder likevel på at dette kan være et brukbart alternativ for et sikrere og mer effektivt kontrollsystem for kraftstyring i fremtiden.Climate change, and the resulting focus on the green transition is rapidly changing the structure and characteristics of the power systems around the world. The implementation of microgrids are facilitating renewable power production in the power system, by allowing for smaller components of local production and storage such as solar panels and batteries. These microgrids need intelligent control schemes in order to regulate the power, frequency, voltage and currents within the system. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are proposed as one option for microgrid control with the use of machine learning. The objective of this thesis is to develop and test a simulation model of a hybrid microgrid with an artificial neural network based centralised controller, and compare the performance to a more traditional power management based power flow algorithm. This was to be done with the overarching goal being the assessment and identification of future possibilities as well as challenges around the use of ANNs in microgrid controls. The research started with the development of a Simulink model of a microgrid system consisting of solar panels, a battery, an electric vehicle, constant and variable loads. The power flow algorithm was produced, and the microgrid was simulated with a base case consisting of standardised solar and load curves. In parallel, an ANN was developed with the results from the simulation of the base case being used for the training. The two control systems were simulated for three cases each: a base case, a case with irregular irradiance and a case with irregular load. The results indicated that when provided the same previously unseen input, the ANN based control system managed to adjust the output values towards a more optimal solution compared to the power flow algorithm. The complex structure of the ANN creates and identifies its own patterns that is able to provide expected output values even if the situation is different from the training data. However, as this project only tested a few cases, the ultimate usability of ANN as a centralised controller cannot be concluded. Nevertheless, the result indicate that this may be a viable option for a more secure and effective control system for power management in the future

UCGIS Summer Assembly and Retreat: Support for Graduate Student Travel

SBR-9617695 This award supports the provision of small travel grants to graduate students from U.S. institutions to assist their attendance and participation in the 1997 Annual Assembly of the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. Students to be so supported will be selected on the basis of a panel review of their 2000-word abstracts of the presentations they plan to make at the assembly. Grants will not be made to students based within 250 miles of the assembly (to be held in Maine). The assembly has two components: the exchange of research findings and progress among researchers and students (their presentations are to be integrated within sessions), and the identification of priorities for education (primarily college and graduate) in the interdisciplinary field of geographic information science. This small award fulfills two major goals of NSF: the development and dissemination of improved tools for scientific analysis, and the integration of research and education