Une approche combinatoire novatrice fondée sur les matroïdes orientés pour la caractérisation de la morphologie 3D des structures anatomiques

In this thesis, we propose an innovative combinatorial method based on oriented matroids for the quantitative study of the shape of 3D anatomical structures. We rely on landmarks which were previously defined by experts on the studied anatomical structure. The novelty of this method results from the use of oriented matroids. These mathematical tools allow us to encode the relativeposition of landmarks in a purely combinatorial way, that is without using concepts of angles or distances, by associating a sign (0, + or -) for each subset of (dÅ1) landmarks where d is the dimension of space (in our case 2 or 3). In the first part, we assume that there exist constraints of orders on each coordinate axis for the landmarks. We obtain a characterization (in dimension 2 and 3) of the subsets of landmarks of which the associated sign is constant, regardless of the values of the coordinates satisfying the constraints of order. In a second part, we try to classify a set of 3D models, encoding in advance by these lists of signs. We first analyze how to apply classic clusterin algorithms, and then describe how to characterize the classes directly, using signs associated with some subsets of landmarks. In the third part, we explain the algorithms and the implementation of this new morphometry method in order to apply it to real data. In the last part, we apply the method to three databases each consisting of several dozens of points defined on several dozens to several hundreds of cranial structures for applications in comparative anatomy, in orthodontics and on clinical cases of children with craniofacial deformities.Dans cette thèse, nous proposons une approche combinatoire novatrice fondée sur les matroïdes orientés pour l’étude quantitative de la forme de structures anatomiques 3D. Nous nous basons sur des points de repère qui ont été préalablement localisés par des experts sur la structure anatomique étudiée. La nouveauté de cette méthode provient de l’utilisation de matroïdes orientés. Ces outils mathématiques nous permettent de coder la position relative des points de repère de façon purement combinatoire, c’est-à-dire sans utiliser de notions d’angles ou de distances, en associant un signe (0, + ou -) à chaque sous-ensemble de (dÅ1) points de repère où d est la dimension de l’espace (dans notre cas 2 ou 3). Dans une première partie, nous supposons qu’il existe des contraintes d’ordres sur chaque axe de coordonnée pour les points de repère. Nous obtenons alors une caractérisation (en dimension 2 et 3) des sous-ensembles de points de repère dont le signe associé est constant, quelles que soient les valeurs des coordonnées satisfaisant les contraintes d’ordre. Dans une deuxième partie, nous cherchons à classifier un ensemble de modèles 3D, en les codant au préalable par ces listes de signes. Nous analysons d’abord comments’appliquent les algorithmes de clustering classiques, puis nous décrivons comment caractériser des classes de façon directe, à l’aide des signes associés à quelques sous-ensembles de points de repère. Dans une troisième partie, nous détaillons les algorithmes et l’implémentation enmachine de cette nouvelle méthode de morphométrie afin de pouvoir l’appliquer à des données réelles. Dans la dernière partie, nous appliquons la méthode sur trois bases de données composées chacune de plusieurs dizaines de points de repères relevés sur plusieurs dizaines à plusieurs centaines de structures crâniennes pour des applications en anatomie comparée, en orthodontie et sur des cas cliniques d’enfants présentant des déformations cranio-faciales

UAS Literary & Arts Journal

Proof copy provided by Tidal Echoes.The 2016 edition of Tidal Echoes presents an annual showcase of writers and artists who share one thing in common: a life surrounded by the rainforests and waterways of Southeast Alaska.a heart is a heavy burden -- Editor’s Note -- Acknowledgements -- Always a Pause -- Untitled -- Mishima Teabowls -- Mint Tea and Red Wine -- The Dry Winter Scent of Prairies -- Northern Sunrise -- Musical Theory in a Falling Tree -- Jumbo Lookout -- The Shape of an Echo -- Wonderwall -- It’s Difficult [excerpt from the poem “Marissa”] -- Yéil x’us.eetí Raven Footprints -- táakw winter -- King Fisher -- Bear -- A Dandelion by its own Name -- Migrations -- Untitled -- They Named Her Driftwood -- Kissing in the Rain -- Waltz of the Flowers: Anna and Company -- Sun Catcher -- Porcelain Curtains -- The River -- Kathleen Lake -- A Living Tapestry -- Red Cedar Tlingit Haida Weave -- Skinned -- Survivor -- Auke Lake Lights -- Aurora Chasers -- Emma Afloat -- I Can’t Sleep -- The Ghost I’m Left With -- Framed Memories -- Tequila, Sweat, and Prayers -- The Alchemical Marriage -- A New New Hope -- each dream practice -- Clouds -- Seasons Change and the Waters Run On -- John Muir -- Salmon Speaks -- A Place That Holds Names -- Untitled -- Salmon Spirit Chest, Connected (box) -- The Language of Weaving: Featured Artist Dr. Teri Rofkar -- Nome, Alaska -- Drained -- I’m From -- Srevlla—The state of things where the spring snow is so soft that one sinks into it. -- Reflections -- Txamsem -- Post-Glacial Rebound -- Dressed in Garlands -- Learning the Dance -- Shamrocks -- When You See Me -- Water Spirit -- To Speak for Restraint, for Wildness, for Beauty: Featured Writer Aleria Jensen -- Young Eagle -- Untitled (detail) -- Baula -- Airport Dike Trail Evening -- Ninja Meatballs -- Untitled -- In the Wild Without Child: One Mother’s Invitation to Self -- Whale Tail Vista -- Questions for Anemones -- Yellow Cedarbark Wool on Starfish Pot -- Gleaming Orange and Pissed -- Through the Sky She Comes -- Love for the Honeybee -- The Last Speaker -- Juneau Fireweed -- Judy Plays the Tuba -- Illuminated Juneau -- Airport Dike Trail Moonlight -- Escape -- A Wooden Mother -- Black and Whites -- an excuse for staying indoors (a working title for a work in progress) -- Insecurities -- Lake Farm -- Yew Bear -- Rupture -- Mendenhall Glacier -- The Rookery -- Transient -- Laminaria -- Untitled -- Querencia -- Hoard -- Untitled -- Small Birds Sign -- Selfie at Two -- Entropy -- Goodbye -- Sitka Bridge -- My Remedy -- S1 -- Delta Symbols Static -- Falling -- Breathe Deeply -- Drum, drum away -- Eaglefest Dancer -- Wasichana -- Writer & Artist Biographie

Extending Delivery of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention to Children Aged 5-10 Years in Chad: A Mixed-Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: To prevent malaria among children aged 3-59 months in areas with high seasonal transmission, seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is recommended. In Chad, there is evidence of SMC administration to children aged older than 5 years (referred to as "leakage"). This study aimed to understand the reasons for leakage and explore the feasibility and acceptability of extending the delivery of SMC to children aged 5-10 years in Chad. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods study in Massaguet health district with a cross-sectional survey to determine SMC coverage for children aged up to 10 years after SMC cycles 1 and 3 (n=90 and n=100 caregivers surveyed, respectively) and at the end of cycle 4 (n=101 caregivers surveyed). We conducted 14 key informant interviews at the national and district level and 8 focus group discussions with community distributors and caregivers. RESULTS: In the compounds surveyed, there were no children aged 5-10 years in cycle 1. In cycles 3 (n=1 children) and 4 (n=16 children), there was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.5, 100.0) and 62.5% (95% CI=35.4, 84.8) coverage of SMC in children aged 5-10 years, respectively. Extension of SMC to older children was considered acceptable, but there were concerns about feasibility and ensuring the sustainability of the current program in children aged 3-59 months. Key informants acknowledged the need to secure additional funding to pilot SMC in older age groups and were uncertain about the impact of the current SMC program at scale. CONCLUSION: Key informants considered extending SMC to children aged 5-10 years acceptable but did not deem it a current priority. They expressed an urgent need to address leakage and reinforce both the sustainability and quality of the current SMC program

Health management information system (HMIS) data quality and associated factors in Massaguet district, Chad

Background Quality data from Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) are important for tracking the effectiveness of malaria control interventions. However, HMIS data in many resource-limited settings do not currently meet standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). We aimed to assess HMIS data quality and associated factors in Chad. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 health facilities in Massaguet district. Data on children under 15 years were obtained from the HMIS and from the external patient register covering the period January-December 2018. An additional questionnaire was administered to 16 health centre managers to collect data on contextual variables. Patient registry data were aggregated and compared with the HMIS database at district and health centre level. Completeness and accuracy indicators were calculated as per WHO guidelines. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed on the Verification Factor for attendance, suspected and confirmed malaria cases for three age groups (1 to < 12 months, 1 to < 5 years and 5 to < 15 years) to identify associations between health centre characteristics and data accuracy. Results Health centres achieved a high level of data completeness in HMIS. Malaria data were over-reported in HMIS for children aged under 15 years. There was an association between workload and higher odds of inaccuracy in reporting of attendance among children aged 1 to < 5 years (Odds ratio [OR]: 10.57, 95% CI 2.32-48.19) and 5- < 15 years (OR: 6.64, 95% CI 1.38-32.04). Similar association was found between workload and stock-outs in register books, and inaccuracy in reporting of malaria confirmed cases. Meanwhile, we found that presence of a health technician, and of dedicated staff for data management, were associated with lower inaccuracy in reporting of clinic attendance in children aged under five years. Conclusion Data completeness was high while the accuracy was low. Factors associated with data inaccuracy included high workload and the unavailability of required data collection tools. The results suggest that improvement in working conditions for clinic personnel may improve HMIS data quality. Upgrading from paper-based forms to a web-based HMIS may provide a solution for improving data accuracy and its utility for future evaluations of health interventions. Results from this study can inform the Ministry of Health and it partners on the precautions to be taken in the use of HMIS data and inform initiatives for improving its quality

Unexplained diarrhoea in HIV-1 infected individuals

Background: Gastrointestinal symptoms, in particular diarrhoea, are common in non-treated HIV-1 infected individuals. Although various enteric pathogens have been implicated, the aetiology of diarrhoea remains unexplained in a large proportion of HIV-1 infected patients. Our aim is to identify the cause of diarrhoea for patients that remain negative in routine diagnostics. Methods: In this study stool samples of 196 HIV-1 infected persons, including 29 persons with diarrhoea, were examined for enteropathogens and HIV-1. A search for unknown and unexpected viruses was performed using virus discovery cDNA-AFLP combined with Roche-454 sequencing (VIDISCA-454). Results: HIV-1 RNA was detected in stool of 19 patients with diarrhoea (66%) compared to 75 patients (45%) without diarrhoea. In 19 of the 29 diarrhoea cases a known enteropathogen could be identified (66%). Next to these known causative agents, a range of recently identified viruses was identified via VIDISCA-454: cosavirus, Aichi virus, human gyrovirus, and non-A non-B hepatitis virus. Moreover, a novel virus was detected which was named immunodeficiency-associated stool virus (IASvirus). However, PCR based screening for these viruses showed that none of these novel viruses was associated with diarrhoea. Notably, among the 34% enteropathogen-negative cases, HIV-1 RNA shedding in stool was more frequently observed (80%) compared to enteropathogen-positive cases (47%), indicating that HIV-1 itself is the most likely candidate to be involved in diarrhoea. Conclusion: Unexplained diarrhoea in HIV-1 infected patients is probably not caused by recently described or previously unknown pathogens, but it is more likely that HIV-1 itself plays a role in intestinal mucosal abnormalities which leads to diarrhoea

2018-2019 Sanctuary Series - April 18, 2019

https://spiral.lynn.edu/sanctuary_series/1010/thumbnail.jp

Extending seasonal malaria chemoprevention to five cycles: a pilot study of feasibility and acceptability in Mangodara district, Burkina Faso.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) involves administering antimalarial drugs at monthly intervals during the high malaria transmission period to children aged 3 to 59 months as recommended by the World Health Organization. Typically, a full SMC course is administered over four monthly cycles from July to October, coinciding with the rainy season. However, an analysis of rainfall patterns suggest that the malaria transmission season is longer and starting as early as June in the south of Burkina Faso, leading to a rise in cases prior to the first cycle. This study assessed the acceptability and feasibility of extending SMC from four to five cycles to coincide with the earlier rainy season in Mangodara health district. METHODS: The mixed-methods study was conducted between July and November 2019. Quantitative data were collected through end-of-cycle and end-of-round household surveys to determine the effect of the additional cycle on the coverage of SMC in Mangodara. The data were then compared with 22 other districts where SMC was implemented by Malaria Consortium. Eight focus group discussions were conducted with caregivers and community distributors and 11 key informant interviews with community, programme and national-level stakeholders. These aimed to determine perceptions of the acceptability and feasibility of extending SMC to five cycles. RESULTS: The extension was perceived as acceptable by caregivers, community distributors and stakeholders due to the positive impact on the health of children under five. However, many community distributors expressed concern over the feasibility, mainly due to the clash with farming activities in June. Stakeholders highlighted the need for more evidence on the impact of the additional cycle on parasite resistance prior to scale-up. End-of-cycle survey data showed no difference in coverage between five SMC cycles in Mangodara and four cycles in the 22 comparison districts. CONCLUSIONS: The additional cycle should begin early in the day in order to not coincide with the agricultural activities of community distributors. Continuous sensitisation at community level is critical for the sustainability of SMC and acceptance of an additional cycle, which should actively engage male caregivers. Providing additional support in proportion to the increased workload from a fifth cycle, including timely remuneration, is critical to avoid the demotivation of community distributors. Further studies are required to understand the effectiveness, including cost-effectiveness, of tailoring SMC according to the rainy season. Understanding the impact of an additional cycle on parasite resistance to SPAQ is critical to address key informants' concerns around the deviation from the current four-cycle policy recommendation

A Review of the Scientific Rigor, Reproducibility, and Transparency Studies Conducted by the ABRF Research Groups.

Shared research resource facilities, also known as core laboratories (Cores), are responsible for generating a significant and growing portion of the research data in academic biomedical research institutions. Cores represent a central repository for institutional knowledge management, with deep expertise in the strengths and limitations of technology and its applications. They inherently support transparency and scientific reproducibility by protecting against cognitive bias in research design and data analysis, and thedy have institutional responsibility for the conduct of research (research ethics, regulatory compliance, and financial accountability) performed in their Cores. The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) is a FASEB-member scientific society whose members are scientists and administrators that manage or support Cores. The ABRF Research Groups (RGs), representing expertise for an array of cutting-edge and established technology platforms, perform multicenter research studies to determine and communicate best practices and community-based standards. This review provides a summary of the contributions of the ABRF RGs to promote scientific rigor and reproducibility in Cores from the published literature, ABRF meetings, and ABRF RGs communications

Public Private Partnerships in California: Phase II Report: Section V: Institutional Capacity

This report summarizes the literature on the scope and outcomes of P3 projects in the US. It is intended to provide a summary of the state of knowledge of P3s, and serve as a basis for further research. The report discusses motivations for using P3s in transportation infrastructure investment and their advantages and disadvantages. A set of case studies show that most of the advantages identified are evident in project outcomes, while most disadvantages are not. Toll roads are discussed in more detail, and factors that are associated with toll road implementation and outcomes are identified. The report ends with a series of conclusions and their implications for California