Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Une zone enclavée en situation post‐confit: le district de Vindza (Pool, République du Congo).

Diagnostics territoriaux d’espaces en situation post-conflit en republique du Congo. En 2011, 8 ans apres la fin officielle de la guerre entre armee et milices, le district de Vindza dans le departement du Pool demeure en situation tres difficile, sans reconstruction. Il fait partie d'une "zone grise" ou le pouvoir central a tarde a reprendre le controle, et ou persistent des enclaves occupees pacifiquement par les derniers miliciens Nsilulus proches du "pasteur Ntoumi". Les populations civiles se sentent abandonnees. En 2016, apres les elections presidentielle au Congo-Brazzaville, le district de Vinza est a nouveau la cible de bombardements. Ce rapport, qui constitue une source inedite de donnees et de cartes de premiere main a ete elabore et redige a la suite d'enquetes directes dans le cadre d'une serie de diagnostics menes sur le terrain par une equipe du LPED dirigee par Elisabeth Dorier (specialiste du Congo), et Hubert Mazurek. Cette etude sur Vinza a ete menee et redigee specifiquement par E.Dorier en collaboration avec E.Morand. L'etude a eu lieu dans le cadre d’un contrat de collaboration de recherche entre le projet PARSEGD du Ministere congolais des Affaires Sociales, de l’Action Humanitaire et de la Solidarite (MASAHS) et le LPED pour AMU. L'objectif vise etait un plan de developpement centre sur l’amelioration des conditions de vie des communautes de base, le renforcement de la gouvernance locale, le developpement des activites economiques, la valorisation des ressources locales et l’accompagnement des communautes par les agents sociaux. 6 autres rapports-diagnostics ont ete realises dans les memes conditions.
One Method for Geometric Size Measurement Based on Dual Linear Structured Light

The measurement method based on single structured light does not meet the need of the stability of high precision. In order to acquire the more information of the seam, a new method for geometric size measurement based on dual linear structured light is introduced in this paper. This method is based on the triangulation principle. The system consists of a CCD camera and two laser projectors. We present a method for distinguishing two laser lines by the modulated image and introduce how to calculate the width of the seam based on two laser lines. Through experiments, the precision of this method is less than 0.05 mm, and the stability is higher.
Machine vision using combined frame-based and event-based vision sensor

Conventional synchronous imaging sensor provides frame-based video with a relatively high degree of temporal redundancy. On the other hand, activity-driven, event-based imaging sensor provides low resolution, monochromatic video feeds with low latency. This paper aims to integrate the output from both camera systems to leverage on the strengths of both imaging sensors. We describe and demonstrate various video processing applications achieved using the combined camera system. The applications include a novel video-compression scheme, foveated imaging on the moving objects, object tracking and velocity estimation. All demonstrations are achieved through the integration of data outputs from the Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS128) and conventional frame-based QVGA (320×240) PS3-Eye webcam, in the jAER software.
A reevaluation of the exclusion criteria used in antidepressant efficacy trials.

OBJECTIVE Antidepressant efficacy trials use multiple exclusion criteria that are intended primarily to maximize differences between the drug and placebo. These exclusion criteria were implemented prior to having undergone rigorous testing, however, and it is unclear whether they accomplish their intended goal. The authors review the current state of knowledge about treatment response rates in individuals who are typically excluded from antidepressant efficacy trials. METHOD After reviewing 31 antidepressant efficacy trials published between 1994 and 1998, the authors identified 10 commonly used exclusion criteria. A computerized MEDLINE search and a manual search were used to identify studies evaluating the efficacy of antidepressant medications in populations of subjects typically excluded from antidepressant efficacy trials. RESULTS Three exclusion criteria-short episode duration, mild severity of illness, and positive response during the placebo lead-in phase-are used primarily to reduce placebo response rates. Preliminary evidence suggests that, of those three criteria, only a short episode duration has been associated with less robust differences between drug and placebo response rates. The seven other exclusion criteria, including various psychiatric comorbidities, long duration of illness, medical comorbidity, and prior nonresponse to treatment, are used because individuals who meet those criteria are believed to have lower response rates to somatic therapy. Although such individuals are often found to have lower response rates to somatic therapy, they also appear to have lower response rates to placebo, and there is little evidence to suggest that drug-placebo differences are any less robust in these individuals. CONCLUSIONS Many of the standard exclusion criteria currently used in antidepressant efficacy trials may not be achieving their intended goal of maximizing drug-placebo differences. The practice of excluding subjects with particular clinical profiles, which greatly reduces the generalizability of antidepressant efficacy trials, appears to lack empirical support.
Underwater atomic force microscopy for in situ observation of microorganisms in the deep sea

We present a novel underwater atomic force microscope system (underwater AFM system), which is mountable on underwater vehicles or submersible seafloor platforms. The mission of the system is to observe microorganisms and microparticulates in situ, which are suspended and dispersed in deepwater, with high spatial resolution down to nanometer scale. The system is composed of three major technological elements: a main unit of the underwater AFM, fluidic devices for the sample collection from deepwater (for example, pumps and a filtration unit using membrane filters), and robust mounting mechanisms for the underwater vehicles or the submersible seafloor platforms. Since we use a commercially available self-sensitive cantilever as the AFM probe, the deflection of the cantilever is measured by the integrated piezoresistive gauges. For insulation of the self-sensitive cantilever from the seawater under high pressure in the deep sea, we applied a thin layer coating of poly(p-xylylene) polymers (Parylene) onto the cantilever. We have successfully balanced the imaging quality and the insulation performance by optimizing the conditions of the layer formation, for example dimmer types of Parylene and the final layer thickness. We also have invented a novel sample stage for the underwater AFM equipped with a sample filtration mechanism using membrane filters. As a test result of the sample stage with the membrane filters in the deep sea exploration, the microorganisms suspended and dispersed in the deepwater have been successfully collected and fixed on the membrane filter. The present underwater AFM system would be a useful tool for in situ observation of the living microorganisms and microparticulates with nanoscale spatial resolution leading to future new findings in the deep sea.
In Vitro Seed Germination Studies and Flowering in Micropropagated Plantlets of Dendrobium Ovatum Lindl

The genus Dendrobium is one of the most important genera with distribution of eleven species in the Western Ghats, belonging to the family Orchidaceae. It is known for its long lasting, showy flowers which has significance in floriculture industry. Dendrobium ovatum Lindl. is an epiphytic orchid found in the Western Ghats. A rapid in vitro seed germination technique is described here. MS, VW, B5 and KC media supplemented with various concentrations of auxins and cytokinins were used in combination for asymbiotic seed germination and plantlet formation. In the evaluation of the media VW medium supplemented with 2 mg BAP/L -1 and NAA 5mg/L -1 is found to be suitable. Further hormonal concentrations of auxins and cytokinins were evaluated for a minimal and optimal level in the medium. VW basal medium fortified with 10 mg NAA/L -1 and 2 mg BAP/L -1 and 50 ml. CM induced formation of PLBs which further differentiated into plantlets. In the optimization process for phytohormones, 0.5 mg BAP/L -1 and 5 mg NAA/L -1 favoured maximum number of plantlet formation. However, rhizogenesis was found to be minimal in the above medium. In vitro rooting was successful with VW medium supplemented with IAA 2mg/L -1 , 0.5 mg BAP/L -1 , CM 50 ml, and 500mg of activated charcoal. 90 days old in vitro plantlets inside the tissue culture bottles were seen with inflorescence production with 10-12 flowers per axis. Hardened plants were transferred to green house after ex vitro rooting technique. Significance of the present work is discussed here.
Social aspects of coronary heart disease in two adjacent, ethnically different communities.

Q BSERVATIONS regarding the incidence of coronary heart disease have been made in numerous different cultural groups throughout the world. Schwartz, et al.,' found myocardial infarction and ischemia rare among the South African Bantu. Cosnett2 has made similar observations among the African Zulu. Christakis, et al.,3 report a low incidence of coronary heart disease among men on the island of Crete. Toor, et al.,4 report that Near Eastern Jews who immigrated to Israel have a lower incidence of coronary heart disease than European Jews who are nonmigrants. Dreyfuss, et al.,5 found a low incidence of coronary heart disease among Jews who immigrated to Israel from the Atlas Mountain region of North Africa. Jervell, et al.," found that the mortality rate from coronary heart disease in seven small rural towns in Norway was about half that in Oslo. White and Toomey7 noted a low incidence of coronary heart disease among the isolated Hunzas living in the Himalayas. Mann, et al.,8 report a low
Zebrafish foxc1a Plays a Crucial Role in Early Somitogenesis by Restricting the Expression of aldh1a2 Directly*

Background: The role of foxc1a in zebrafish somitogenesis remains elusive. Results: Zebrafish foxc1a knock-out embryos exhibit defective somites at early development. foxc1a works on the top of the genetic hierarchy of RA, Fgf, and Notch signaling network to regulate myod1 expression. Conclusion: Foxc1a controls zebrafish early somitogenesis by directly restricting aldh1a2 expression. Significance: The results reveal the genetic role of foxc1a in zebrafish early somitogenesis. Foxc1a is a member of the forkhead transcription factors. It plays an essential role in zebrafish somitogenesis. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying its controlling somitogenesis. To uncover how foxc1a regulates zebrafish somitogenesis, we generated foxc1a knock-out zebrafish using TALEN (transcription activator-like effector nuclease) technology. The foxc1a null embryos exhibited defective somites at early development. Analyses on the expressions of the key genes that control processes of somitogenesis revealed that foxc1a controlled early somitogenesis by regulating the expression of myod1. In the somites of foxc1a knock-out embryos, expressions of fgf8a and deltaC were abolished, whereas the expression of aldh1a2 (responsible for providing retinoic acid signaling) was significantly increased. Once the increased retinoic acid level in the foxc1a null embryos was reduced by knocking down aldh1a2, the reduced expression of myod1 was partially rescued by resuming expressions of fgf8a and deltaC in the somites of the mutant embryos. Moreover, a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay on zebrafish embryos revealed that Foxc1a bound aldh1a2 promoter directly. On the other hand, neither knocking down fgf8a nor inhibiting Notch signaling affected the expression of aldh1a2, although knocking down fgf8a reduced expression of deltaC in the somites of zebrafish embryos at early somitogenesis and vice versa. Taken together, our results demonstrate that foxc1a plays an essential role in early somitogenesis by controlling Fgf and Notch signaling through restricting the expression of aldh1a2 in paraxial mesoderm directly.
Amplifiers and Lasers Based on Erbium-Doped Photonic Crystal Fiber: Simulation and Experiments

In this paper it is shown that, once a particular erbium-doped-silica photonic crystal fiber has been fabricated, the characteristic parameters obtained by means of the technique developed by the authors can be used to properly simulate the main features of optical amplifiers and lasers made of this fiber. This requires assuming that the finite size of the air-holes microstructure makes the overall passive losses per unit length to exhibit an effective dependence on the fiber length. Measurements are performed on a variety of amplifiers and lasers built with pieces of different lengths of two home-made fibers to check the simulation method. A good agreement is found between experimental and simulated results. This means that the proposed method is useful to design optimized erbium-doped photonic crystal fiber amplifiers and lasers for particular applications.
Production and Use of Trimeric Isoleucine Zipper Fusion Proteins to Study Surface Receptor Ligand Interactions

Soluble recombinant forms of surface receptors are commonly used to study the interaction between cell surface receptors and their ligands. By fusing the extracellular domain of the receptor to an isoleucine zipper (ILZ) sequence, it is possible to generate recombinant receptor fusion proteins that form trimers in solution. These ILZ fusion proteins demonstrate several advantages over the commonly used Fc fusion proteins. This unit describes the production and purification of recombinant ILZ fusion proteins. A protocol is also provided for the use of ILZ fusion proteins to study cell surface receptor‐ligand interactions on intact cells by flow cytometry.
Detection of lumen-intima interface of posterior wall for measurement of elasticity of the human carotid artery

In our series of studies on noninvasive assessment of the regional elasticity of the arterial wall, the displacement gradient (change in thickness) of the arterial wall caused by the heartbeat was measured by the phased tracking method. Because the displacement gradient corresponds to the strain due to the change in blood pressure, the elasticity can be evaluated from the displacement gradient of the arterial wall and the blood pressure, which are noninvasively measured at the upper arm. In the measurement of the elasticity of the arterial wall by our method, the region in which the elastic modulus is estimated must be assigned beforehand; currently, the lumen-intima boundary of the arterial wall is manually determined by the operator. For the real-time measurement of the elasticity of the arterial wall, a fast, automated method is necessary for detection of the boundary. In this paper, a cost function is proposed for differentiation of the arterial wall from the lumen. The proposed cost function was applied to ultrasound data, which were noninvasively obtained for five human carotid arteries. In comparison with the case of detection using only the amplitude of the echo, the root mean square error between the automatically detected lumen-intima boundary and the manually assigned boundary was significantly improved by using the proposed cost function. Furthermore, the lumen- intima boundary was automatically detected in a short period. Such a method is required for real-time measurement of the elasticity of the arterial wall, though detection of the outer boundary of the adventitia, which is not described in this paper, is also necessary to realize real-time elasticity measurement by our method.
Hedera nepalensis K. Koch: A Novel Source of Natural Cancer Chemopreventive and Anticancerous Compounds

Traditional medicinal plants are often used for both the prevention and the treatment of local diseases. Taking into consideration the medicinal importance of Hedera nepalensis within local Pakistani traditions, the present study was undertaken to analyze the in vitro cancer chemopreventive and cytotoxic properties of the plant. The in vitro cancer chemopreventive testing was performed using nitrite assay, NFκB assay, aromatase assay, and quinone reductase 1 (QR1) assay. The cytotoxic potential was evaluated on three cancer‐cell lines: MCF‐7, MDA‐MB‐231, and HeLa using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. The results of cancer chemopreventive assays show that n‐hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of tested plant have promising cancer chemopreventive potential. Lupeol isolated from n‐hexane as well as ethyl acetate fraction showed lowest IC50 (0.20 ± 1.9 μM) in NFκB assay. Crude extract and its fractions inhibited the growth of three cancer cell lines by more than 60%, IC50 value of lupeol varied from 2.32 to 10.2 μM. HPLC‐DAD‐based quantification of lupeol in different plant tissues demonstrated that leaves of H. nepalensis are a rich source of lupeol (0.196 mg/100 mg dry weight). Our data have shown that H. nepalensis harbors cancer chemopreventive and cytotoxic agents. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Géographie de la transition épidémiologique

Les trois cycles de la « transition epidemiologique » (T.E.) concue par A. Omran sont presentes a partir d'exemples de pays en voie de developpement. On mesure les changements plus ou moins rapides des causes de deces. Il semble toutefois opportun de proposer une quatrieme phase devant le declin recent de la mortalite par maladies chroniques, dans les societes developpees, depuis vingt ans. L'etroite relation de la T.E. avec l'esperance de vie se manifeste par de grandes inegalites sociales et spatiales a plusieurs echelles : regionale, urbaine, voire intra-urbaine. La nature des risques semble pourtant varier suivant les regions et le milieu socio-professionnel.
Copy number variation at the FCGR locus includes FCGR3A, FCGR2C and FCGR3B but not FCGR2A and FCGR2B

Human Fcã receptors (FcãRs) are glycoproteins that bind the Fc region of IgG. The genes encoding the low‐affinity FcãRs are located on chromosome 1q23‐24. Beside single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), gene copy number variation (CNV) is now being recognized as an important indicator for inter‐individual differences. Recent studies on identifying CNV in the human genome suggest large areas at chromosome 1q23‐24 to be involved, and CNV in this region has been associated with manifestations of systemic autoimmune disease. To study both SNPs and CNV of the low‐affinity FcãRs in one assay, we have developed a Multiplex Ligation‐dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) assay. A novel CNV for FCGR3A was observed. Similar to FCGR3B and FCGR2C, a gene‐dosage effect of FCGR3A was found, that seemed to correlate nicely with the FcãRIIIa expression on NK cells. Next, we delineated the approximate boundaries of CNV at the FCGR locus. Variation in co‐segregation of neighboring FCGR genes was limited to four variants, with patterns of Mendelian inheritance. No CNV of the FCGR2A and FCGR2B genes was observed in over 600 individuals. In conclusion, we report a novel CNV of the FCGR3A gene that correlates with FcãRIIIa expression and function on NK cells. Only FCGR3A, FCGR2C and FCGR3B show CNV, in contrast to FCGR2A and FCGR2B. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Combined QFD TOPSIS approach with 2-tuple linguistic information for warehouse selection

2-tuple fuzzy linguistic model can be applied to eliminate vagueness/uncertainty in information. It also helps to deal with non-homogeneous information that occurs during group decision making (GDM) processes. GDM is generally applied to diminish the bias during the decision phase and to reduce the subjectivity of the decision process. Thus, this paper proposes an integrated GDM technique based on 2-tuple linguistic model, quality function deployment (QFD) and the Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. This proposed framework is then applied to a green warehouse selection problem. The originality of this paper comes from its combination of these two methodologies together for the first time in literature in this specific field. The application area indicates its suitability for the proposed methodology.
Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Tablet-Based Application to Improve Quality of Care in Child Mental Health Treatment

Background Children need access to high quality mental health care. Effective treatments now exist for a wide range of mental health conditions. However, these interventions are delivered with variable effectiveness in traditional mental health service settings. Innovative solutions are needed to improve treatment delivery quality and effectiveness. Objective The aim of this study was to develop a scalable, sustainable technology-based approach to improve the quality of care in child mental health treatment. Methods A tablet-based resource was developed with input from mental health training experts, mental health providers, and patients. A series of qualitative data collection phases (ie, expert interviews, patient and provider focus groups, usability testing) guided the initial concept and design of the resource, and then its refinement. The result was an iPad-based “e-workbook” designed to improve child engagement and provider fidelity in implementation of a best-practice treatment. We are currently conducting a small scale randomized controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility of e-workbook facilitated child mental health treatment with 10 providers and 20 families recruited from 4 local community-based mental health clinics. Results Usability and focus group testing yielded a number of strong, favorable reactions from providers and families. Recommendations for refining the e-workbook also were provided, and these guided several improvements to the resource prior to initiating the feasibility trial, which is currently underway. Conclusions This study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate a tablet-based application to improve provider fidelity and child engagement in child mental health treatment. If successful, this approach may serve as a key step toward making best-practice treatment more accessible to children and families. As various technologies continue to increase in popularity worldwide and within the health care field more specifically, it is essential to rigorously test the usability, feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of novel health technology solutions. It is also essential to ensure that patients and providers drive decision making that supports the development of these resources to ensure that they can be seamlessly integrated into practice. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01915160; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01915160 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6cPIiQDpu)
Comparison of Disk Diffusion and Agar Dilution Methods for Erythromycin, Ciprofloxacin, and Tetracycline Susceptibility Testing of Campylobacter coli and for Tetracycline Susceptibility Testing of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. jejuni

ABSTRACT With disk diffusion, the following zone diameters are suggested to be resistant and susceptible breakpoints, respectively: for susceptibility testing of Campylobacter coli, no inhibition zone and 15 mm or more for erythromycin, and 20 mm or less and 25 mm or more for ciprofloxacin, in the absence or presence of an inhibition zone around the nalidixic acid disk; and for susceptibility testing of C. coli and Campylobacter jejuni, 20 mm or less and 26 mm or more for tetracycline.