Effectiveness and Safety of Short Course Liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome) as First Line Treatment for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the endemic countries for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ran a VL treatment clinic in the most endemic district (Fulbaria) between 2010 and 2013 using a semi-ambulatory regimen for primary VL of 15mg/kg Liposomal Amphotericin-B (AmBisome) in three equal doses of 5mg/kg. The main objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness and safety of this regimen after a 12 month follow-up period by retrospective analysis of routinely collected program data. A secondary objective was to explore risk factors for relapse

Obstacle Avoidance Using Echo Sounder Sonar

Developing obstacle avoidance algorithms for low cost Autonomous Underwater Vehicles using single beam returned echo sounder sonar is a difficult task. In this paper, we propose an intelligent obstacle avoidance algorithm that maps the obstacle, avoids it with a guarantee that it will not get stuck and efficiently traverses a path towards the destination using navigation functions. We present a complete obstacle avoidance system with the help of hybrid automata, probabilistic mapping and navigation functions. Simulation results are presented showing the validity of our approach

Integrated monitoring of mola mola behaviour in space and time

Over the last decade, ocean sunfish movements have been monitored worldwide using various satellite tracking methods. This study reports the near-real time monitoring of finescale (< 10 m) behaviour of sunfish. The study was conducted in southern Portugal in May 2014 and involved satellite tags and underwater and surface robotic vehicles to measure both the movements and the contextual environment of the fish. A total of four individuals were tracked using custom-made GPS satellite tags providing geolocation estimates of fine-scale resolution. These accurate positions further informed sunfish areas of restricted search (ARS), which were directly correlated to steep thermal frontal zones. Simultaneously, and for two different occasions, an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) videorecorded the path of the tracked fish and detected buoyant particles in the water column. Importantly, the densities of these particles were also directly correlated to steep thermal gradients. Thus, both sunfish foraging behaviour (ARS) and possibly prey densities, were found to be influenced by analogous environmental conditions. In addition, the dynamic structure of the water transited by the tracked individuals was described by a Lagrangian modelling approach. The model informed the distribution of zooplankton in the region, both horizontally and in the water column, and the resultant simulated densities positively correlated with sunfish ARS behaviour estimator (r(s) = 0.184, p < 0.001). The model also revealed that tracked fish opportunistically displace with respect to subsurface current flow. Thus, we show how physical forcing and current structure provide a rationale for a predator's finescale behaviour observed over a two weeks in May 2014

Characteristics of the patients (N = 1521).

<p>* Distant sub-districts (>20km from Fulbaria) include: Borishal, Dhaka, Gazipur, Jamalpur, Manikgonj, Mymensingh, Netrogona, Sherpur, and Tangail</p><p>** measured on admission</p><p>^† cm below lower costal margin</p><p>Characteristics of the patients (N = 1521).</p

Patients included in this study.

<p>Patients included in this study.</p

Effectiveness analysis among patients discharged from treatment.

<p>^† Numerator includes 243 patients lost to follow-up at 6 months and 342 patients lost to follow-up at 12 months</p><p>Effectiveness analysis among patients discharged from treatment.</p

Factors associated with VL relapse at 12 months after treatment (N = 1106).

<p>^† One month after admission (initiation of treatment)</p><p>Factors associated with VL relapse at 12 months after treatment (N = 1106).</p