Coltop3D: A new software for structural analysis with high resolution 3D point clouds and DEM

Coltop3D is a software that performs structural analysis by using digital elevation model (DEM) and 3D point clouds acquired with terrestrial laser scanners. A color representation merging slope aspect and slope angle is used in order to obtain a unique code of color for each orientation of a local slope. Thus a continuous planar structure appears in a unique color. Several tools are included to create stereonets, to draw traces of discontinuities, or to compute automatically density stereonet. Examples are shown to demonstrate the efficiency of the method.

Prospective evaluation of three point of care devices for glycemia measurement in a neonatal intensive care unit.

Hypoglycemia, if recurrent, may have severe consequences on cognitive and psychomotor development of neonates. Therefore, screening for hypoglycemia is a daily routine in every facility taking care of newborn infants. Point-of-care-testing (POCT) devices are interesting for neonatal use, as their handling is easy, measurements can be performed at bedside, demanded blood volume is small and results are readily available. However, such whole blood measurements are challenged by a wide variation of hematocrit in neonates and a spectrum of normal glucose concentration at the lower end of the test range. We conducted a prospective trial to check precision and accuracy of the best suitable POCT device for neonatal use from three leading companies in Europe. Of the three devices tested (Precision Xceed, Abbott; Elite XL, Bayer; Aviva Nano, Roche), Aviva Nano exhibited the best precision. None completely fulfilled the ISO-accuracy-criteria 15197: 2003 or 2011. Aviva Nano fulfilled these criteria in 92% of cases while the others were <87%. Precision Xceed reached the 95% limit of the 2003 ISO-criteria for values ≤4.2 mmol/L, but not for the higher range (71%). Although validated for adults, new POCT devices need to be specifically evaluated on newborn infants before adopting their routine use in neonatology.

Qualité des données fournies par la statistique médicale VESKA: le cas de la fracture du fémur proximal. [Quality of data provided by VESKA medical statistics: the case of the fractured proximal femur].

Within the framework of a retrospective study of the incidence of hip fractures in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland), all cases of hip fracture occurring among the resident population in 1986 and treated in the hospitals of the canton were identified from among five different information sources. Relevant data were then extracted from the medical records. At least two sources of information were used to identify cases in each hospital, among them the statistics of the Swiss Hospital Association (VESKA). These statistics were available for 9 of the 18 hospitals in the canton that participated in the study. The number of cases identified from the VESKA statistics was compared to the total number of cases for each hospital. For the 9 hospitals the number of cases in the VESKA statistics was 407, whereas, after having excluded diagnoses that were actually "status after fracture" and double entries, the total for these hospitals was 392, that is 4% less than the VESKA statistics indicate. It is concluded that the VESKA statistics provide a good approximation of the actual number of cases treated in these hospitals, with a tendency to overestimate this number. In order to use these statistics for calculating incidence figures, however, it is imperative that a greater proportion of all hospitals (50% presently in the canton, 35% nationwide) participate in these statistics.

Nest-box design for the study of diurnal raptors and owls is still an overlooked point in ecological, evolutionary and conservation studies: a review

The use of artificial nest-boxes has led to significant progress in bird conservation and in our understanding of the functional and evolutionary ecology of free-ranging birds that exploit cavities for roosting and reproduction. Nest-boxes and their improved accessibility have made it easier to perform comparative and experimental field investigations. However, concerns about the generality and applicability of scientific studies involving birds breeding in nest-boxes have been raised because the occupants of boxes may differ from conspecifics occupying other nest sites. Here we review the existing evidence demonstrating the importance of nest-box design to individual life-history traits in three falcon (Falconiformes) and seven owl (Strigiformes) species, as well as the extent to which publications on these birds describe the characteristics of exploited artificial nest-boxes in their 'methods' sections. More than 60% of recent publications did not provide any details on nest-box design (e.g. size, shape, material), despite several calls >15 years ago to increase the reporting of such information. We exemplify and discuss how variation in nest-box characteristics can affect or confound conclusions from nest-box studies and conclude that it is of overall importance to present details of nest-box characteristics in scientific publications.

Comparative genetic analyses point to HCP5 as susceptibility locus for HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Recently, genetic variations in MICA (lead single nucleotide polymorphism [SNP] rs2596542) were identified by a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to be associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japanese patients. In the present study, we sought to determine whether this SNP is predictive of HCC development in the Caucasian population as well. METHODS: An extended region around rs2596542 was genotyped in 1924 HCV-infected patients from the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study (SCCS). Pair-wise correlation between key SNPs was calculated both in the Japanese and European populations (HapMap3: CEU and JPT). RESULTS: To our surprise, the minor allele A of rs2596542 in proximity of MICA appeared to have a protective impact on HCC development in Caucasians, which represents an inverse association as compared to the one observed in the Japanese population. Detailed fine-mapping analyses revealed a new SNP in HCP5 (rs2244546) upstream of MICA as strong predictor of HCV-related HCC in the SCCS (univariable p=0.027; multivariable p=0.0002, odds ratio=3.96, 95% confidence interval=1.90-8.27). This newly identified SNP had a similarly directed effect on HCC in both Caucasian and Japanese populations, suggesting that rs2244546 may better tag a putative true variant than the originally identified SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirms the MICA/HCP5 region as susceptibility locus for HCV-related HCC and identifies rs2244546 in HCP5 as a novel tagging SNP. In addition, our data exemplify the need for conducting meta-analyses of cohorts of different ethnicities in order to fine map GWAS signals.

Quantitative integration of geophysical and hydraulic data : from the local towards the regional scale range

Des progrès significatifs ont été réalisés dans le domaine de l'intégration quantitative des données géophysique et hydrologique l'échelle locale. Cependant, l'extension à de plus grandes échelles des approches correspondantes constitue encore un défi majeur. Il est néanmoins extrêmement important de relever ce défi pour développer des modèles fiables de flux des eaux souterraines et de transport de contaminant. Pour résoudre ce problème, j'ai développé une technique d'intégration des données hydrogéophysiques basée sur une procédure bayésienne de simulation séquentielle en deux étapes. Cette procédure vise des problèmes à plus grande échelle. L'objectif est de simuler la distribution d'un paramètre hydraulique cible à partir, d'une part, de mesures d'un paramètre géophysique pertinent qui couvrent l'espace de manière exhaustive, mais avec une faible résolution (spatiale) et, d'autre part, de mesures locales de très haute résolution des mêmes paramètres géophysique et hydraulique. Pour cela, mon algorithme lie dans un premier temps les données géophysiques de faible et de haute résolution à travers une procédure de réduction déchelle. Les données géophysiques régionales réduites sont ensuite reliées au champ du paramètre hydraulique à haute résolution. J'illustre d'abord l'application de cette nouvelle approche dintégration des données à une base de données synthétiques réaliste. Celle-ci est constituée de mesures de conductivité hydraulique et électrique de haute résolution réalisées dans les mêmes forages ainsi que destimations des conductivités électriques obtenues à partir de mesures de tomographic de résistivité électrique (ERT) sur l'ensemble de l'espace. Ces dernières mesures ont une faible résolution spatiale. La viabilité globale de cette méthode est testée en effectuant les simulations de flux et de transport au travers du modèle original du champ de conductivité hydraulique ainsi que du modèle simulé. Les simulations sont alors comparées. Les résultats obtenus indiquent que la procédure dintégration des données proposée permet d'obtenir des estimations de la conductivité en adéquation avec la structure à grande échelle ainsi que des predictions fiables des caractéristiques de transports sur des distances de moyenne à grande échelle. Les résultats correspondant au scénario de terrain indiquent que l'approche d'intégration des données nouvellement mise au point est capable d'appréhender correctement les hétérogénéitées à petite échelle aussi bien que les tendances à gande échelle du champ hydraulique prévalent. Les résultats montrent également une flexibilté remarquable et une robustesse de cette nouvelle approche dintégration des données. De ce fait, elle est susceptible d'être appliquée à un large éventail de données géophysiques et hydrologiques, à toutes les gammes déchelles. Dans la deuxième partie de ma thèse, j'évalue en détail la viabilité du réechantillonnage geostatique séquentiel comme mécanisme de proposition pour les méthodes Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) appliquées à des probmes inverses géophysiques et hydrologiques de grande dimension . L'objectif est de permettre une quantification plus précise et plus réaliste des incertitudes associées aux modèles obtenus. En considérant une série dexemples de tomographic radar puits à puits, j'étudie deux classes de stratégies de rééchantillonnage spatial en considérant leur habilité à générer efficacement et précisément des réalisations de la distribution postérieure bayésienne. Les résultats obtenus montrent que, malgré sa popularité, le réechantillonnage séquentiel est plutôt inefficace à générer des échantillons postérieurs indépendants pour des études de cas synthétiques réalistes, notamment pour le cas assez communs et importants où il existe de fortes corrélations spatiales entre le modèle et les paramètres. Pour résoudre ce problème, j'ai développé un nouvelle approche de perturbation basée sur une déformation progressive. Cette approche est flexible en ce qui concerne le nombre de paramètres du modèle et lintensité de la perturbation. Par rapport au rééchantillonage séquentiel, cette nouvelle approche s'avère être très efficace pour diminuer le nombre requis d'itérations pour générer des échantillons indépendants à partir de la distribution postérieure bayésienne. - Significant progress has been made with regard to the quantitative integration of geophysical and hydrological data at the local scale. However, extending corresponding approaches beyond the local scale still represents a major challenge, yet is critically important for the development of reliable groundwater flow and contaminant transport models. To address this issue, I have developed a hydrogeophysical data integration technique based on a two-step Bayesian sequential simulation procedure that is specifically targeted towards larger-scale problems. The objective is to simulate the distribution of a target hydraulic parameter based on spatially exhaustive, but poorly resolved, measurements of a pertinent geophysical parameter and locally highly resolved, but spatially sparse, measurements of the considered geophysical and hydraulic parameters. To this end, my algorithm links the low- and high-resolution geophysical data via a downscaling procedure before relating the downscaled regional-scale geophysical data to the high-resolution hydraulic parameter field. I first illustrate the application of this novel data integration approach to a realistic synthetic database consisting of collocated high-resolution borehole measurements of the hydraulic and electrical conductivities and spatially exhaustive, low-resolution electrical conductivity estimates obtained from electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The overall viability of this method is tested and verified by performing and comparing flow and transport simulations through the original and simulated hydraulic conductivity fields. The corresponding results indicate that the proposed data integration procedure does indeed allow for obtaining faithful estimates of the larger-scale hydraulic conductivity structure and reliable predictions of the transport characteristics over medium- to regional-scale distances. The approach is then applied to a corresponding field scenario consisting of collocated high- resolution measurements of the electrical conductivity, as measured using a cone penetrometer testing (CPT) system, and the hydraulic conductivity, as estimated from electromagnetic flowmeter and slug test measurements, in combination with spatially exhaustive low-resolution electrical conductivity estimates obtained from surface-based electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The corresponding results indicate that the newly developed data integration approach is indeed capable of adequately capturing both the small-scale heterogeneity as well as the larger-scale trend of the prevailing hydraulic conductivity field. The results also indicate that this novel data integration approach is remarkably flexible and robust and hence can be expected to be applicable to a wide range of geophysical and hydrological data at all scale ranges. In the second part of my thesis, I evaluate in detail the viability of sequential geostatistical resampling as a proposal mechanism for Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods applied to high-dimensional geophysical and hydrological inverse problems in order to allow for a more accurate and realistic quantification of the uncertainty associated with the thus inferred models. Focusing on a series of pertinent crosshole georadar tomographic examples, I investigated two classes of geostatistical resampling strategies with regard to their ability to efficiently and accurately generate independent realizations from the Bayesian posterior distribution. The corresponding results indicate that, despite its popularity, sequential resampling is rather inefficient at drawing independent posterior samples for realistic synthetic case studies, notably for the practically common and important scenario of pronounced spatial correlation between model parameters. To address this issue, I have developed a new gradual-deformation-based perturbation approach, which is flexible with regard to the number of model parameters as well as the perturbation strength. Compared to sequential resampling, this newly proposed approach was proven to be highly effective in decreasing the number of iterations required for drawing independent samples from the Bayesian posterior distribution.

Le point de vue d'un sociologue de la religion

(Résumé de l'ouvrage) Ce livre a trait ici au ministère pastoral, problème central de la théologie aux yeux du théologien protestant Jean-Louis Leuba. Se joue en effet sur le ministère toute la question de la transmission du credo et de la légitimation de sa vérité aux diverses époques. Jean-Louis Leuba propose en préambule du livre des thèses sur le ministère que ses interlocuteurs - théologiens protestants, catholiques, luthériens, ainsi qu'un sociologue des religions - vont reprendre pour les accueillir avec leurs sensibilités ou les réfuter.

Incidence des fractures du fémur proximal dans le canton de Vaud. [Incidence of proximal femoral fractures in the Canton of Vaud].

Hip fractures place a major and increasing burden on health services in Western countries. Reported incidence rates vary considerably from one geographic area to another. No published data are available for Switzerland or surrounding countries, but such descriptive indicators are indispensable in orienting national or regional policies. To fill this gap and to assess the similarity of hip fracture incidence in Switzerland and other countries, we collected data from several sources in 26 public and private hospitals, in the Canton of Vaud (total population: 538,000) for 1986, which allowed us to calculate the incidence (for people over twenty years old) and assess related parameters. 577 hip fractures were identified among the resident population, indicating a crude average annual incidence rate of 140 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval: 128, 152). Corresponding rates for males and females were 58 (47, 68) and 213 (193, 232). Standardized rates and international comparisons show that Swiss rates are slightly lower than those of most industrial countries. More detailed results of relative risks for various study variables are presented and the pathogenesis of hip fractures is discussed.

Proximale Humerusmehrfragmentfrakturen--Misserfolge nach T-Platten-Osteosynthesen [Proximal humeral multiple fragment fractures--failures after T-plate osteosynthesis].

Dislocated compound fractures of the proximal humerus are often difficult to treat. The choice of treatment influences the final functional result. From 1984-1991 108 patients with dislocated compound fractures of the proximal humerus were operated with a T-plate osteosynthesis, retrospectively examined and classified according to the Neer-Classification. At an average follow up time of 5 years 72 patients had a clinical and radiological examination. 68% of these patients with 3-fragment fractures and 80% with 4-fragment fractures showed a modest to unsatisfactory result caused by fracture biology, imprecise fracture reduction or poor surgical procedure. Incorrect position of T-plates and inadequate material were distinguishable. The T-plate which was widely used in the late eighties for internal fixation has to be considered a failure for these particular types of fractures and should be limited for Collum chirurgicum fractures.