Development of a systematic computer vision-based method to analyse and compare images of false identity documents for forensic intelligence purposes-Part I: acquisition, calibration and validation issues

Following their detection and seizure by police and border guard authorities, false identity and travel documents are usually scanned, producing digital images. This research investigates the potential of these images to classify false identity documents, highlight links between documents produced by a same modus operandi or same source, and thus support forensic intelligence efforts. Inspired by previous research work about digital images of Ecstasy tablets, a systematic and complete method has been developed to acquire, collect, process and compare images of false identity documents. This first part of the article highlights the critical steps of the method and the development of a prototype that processes regions of interest extracted from images. Acquisition conditions have been fine-tuned in order to optimise reproducibility and comparability of images. Different filters and comparison metrics have been evaluated and the performance of the method has been assessed using two calibration and validation sets of documents, made up of 101 Italian driving licenses and 96 Portuguese passports seized in Switzerland, among which some were known to come from common sources. Results indicate that the use of Hue and Edge filters or their combination to extract profiles from images, and then the comparison of profiles with a Canberra distance-based metric provides the most accurate classification of documents. The method appears also to be quick, efficient and inexpensive. It can be easily operated from remote locations and shared amongst different organisations, which makes it very convenient for future operational applications. The method could serve as a first fast triage method that may help target more resource-intensive profiling methods (based on a visual, physical or chemical examination of documents for instance). Its contribution to forensic intelligence and its application to several sets of false identity documents seized by police and border guards will be developed in a forthcoming article (part II).

Prise en charge des troubles oculomoteurs après effraction iatrogène de l'orbite au cours d'interventions sinusiennes endoscopiques [Management of motility disorders secondary to iatrogenic orbital fracture during endoscopic sinus surgery.]

PURPOSE: Orbital wall fracture may occur during endoscopic sinus surgery, resulting in oculomotor disorders. We report the management of four cases presenting with this surgical complication. METHODS: A non-comparative observational retrospective study was carried out on four patients presenting with diplopia after endoscopic ethmoidal sinus surgery. All patients underwent full ophthalmologic and orthoptic examination as well as orbital imaging. RESULTS: All four patients presented with diplopia secondary to a medial rectus lesion confirmed by orbital imaging. A large horizontal deviation as well as limitation of adduction was present in all cases. Surgical management consisted of conventional recession-resection procedures in three cases and muscle transposition in one patient. A useful field of binocular single vision was restored in two of the four patients. CONCLUSION: Orbital injury may occur during endoscopic sinus surgery and cause diplopia, usually secondary to medial rectus involvement due to the proximity of this muscle to the lamina papyracea of the ethmoid bone. Surgical management is based on orbital imaging, duration of the lesion, evaluation of anterior segment vasculature, results of forced duction testing and intraoperative findings. In most cases, treatment is aimed at the symptoms rather than the cause, and the functional prognosis remains guarded.

Durcissement des lois sociales et santé des migrants forcés: trois ans après (a Loi sur l'asile (LAsi) [Social policy hardening and forced immigrant's health: 3 years after the Asylum Law (LAsi)'s introduction].

In the canton de Vaud, General Practioners (GPs) caring for asylum seekers under the "aide d'urgence" regime can ask for an adaptation of their housing conditions, by filling out a specific form and addressing it to the medical commission responsible for advising the EVAM (the housing institution for asylum seekers) on these issues. The forms addressed to the commission are indicative of a worrisome state of health in this population, especially for mental health. More than 70% report at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Most frequent are anxiety and depressive disorders, as well as many posttraumatic stress disorders, associated with traumatic events both in the country of origin and in Switzerland. Adapting the housing conditions, based on vulnerabilities that the GP has specifically documented, may contribute to improve the health of the most vulnerable asylum seekers.

Performance of an ICU ventilator and two turbin-based ventilators dedicated to non invasive ventilation (NIV) in simulated high inspiratory effort and rate: a NIV-bench-study.

INTRODUCTION. The role of turbine-based NIV ventilators (TBV) versus ICU ventilators with NIV mode activated (ICUV) to deliver NIV in case of severe respiratory failure remains debated. OBJECTIVES. To compare the response time and pressurization capacity of TBV and ICUV during simulated NIV with normal and increased respiratory demand, in condition of normal and obstructive respiratory mechanics. METHODS. In a two-chamber lung model, a ventilator simulated normal (P0.1 = 2 mbar, respiratory rate RR = 15/min) or increased (P0.1 = 6 mbar, RR = 25/min) respiratory demand. NIV was simulated by connecting the lung model (compliance 100 ml/mbar; resistance 5 or 20 l/mbar) to a dummy head equipped with a naso-buccal mask. Connections allowed intentional leaks (29 ± 5 % of insufflated volume). Ventilators to test: Servo-i (Maquet), V60 and Vision (Philips Respironics) were connected via a standard circuit to the mask. Applied pressure support levels (PSL) were 7 mbar for normal and 14 mbar for increased demand. Airway pressure and flow were measured in the ventilator circuit and in the simulated airway. Ventilator performance was assessed by determining trigger delay (Td, ms), pressure time product at 300 ms (PTP300, mbar s) and inspiratory tidal volume (VT, ml) and compared by three-way ANOVA for the effect of inspiratory effort, resistance and the ventilator. Differences between ventilators for each condition were tested by oneway ANOVA and contrast (JMP 8.0.1, p\0.05). RESULTS. Inspiratory demand and resistance had a significant effect throughout all comparisons. Ventilator data figure in Table 1 (normal demand) and 2 (increased demand): (a) different from Servo-i, (b) different from V60.CONCLUSION. In this NIV bench study, with leaks, trigger delay was shorter for TBV with normal respiratory demand. By contrast, it was shorter for ICUV when respiratory demand was high. ICUV afforded better pressurization (PTP 300) with increased demand and PSL, particularly with increased resistance. TBV provided a higher inspiratory VT (i.e., downstream from the leaks) with normal demand, and a significantly (although minimally) lower VT with increased demand and PSL.

Traitement chirurgical de la diplopie secondaire à l'orbitopathie dysthyroïdienne [Surgical treatment of diplopia in Graves' orbitopathy]

BACKGROUND: The correction of oculomotor disorder in Grave's disease is applied on pathological extraocular muscles. Based on the global muscular restriction (bilateral forced duction test) and angular measurements, we have used a non-adjustable technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 21 patients (23 operations) with thyroid-associated orbitopathy operated for persisting diplopia. The angles of deviation in the 9 diagnostic directions of gaze and the field of binocular vision were measured with the Harm's tangent scale before and after surgery. Sixteen patients were operated only on vertical muscles. The mean follow-up was 45 months. RESULTS: 76 % of the patients (95 % confidence interval [CI], 58-94 %) obtained a large and centred field of binocular vision without prisms. 14 % (95 % CI, 0-29 %) had binocular vision with the use of prisms. Diplopia persisted in one patient despite 3 operations. Taking into consideration the interventions done before the patient was referred to us, the reintervention rate was 13 % (95 % CI, 0-28 %). CONCLUSIONS: A binocular field of vision can be successfully restored in the majority of patients with Graves' orbitopathy, using a non-adjustable surgical technique.

Mapping of Environmental Data Using Kernel-Based Methods

Recently, kernel-based Machine Learning methods have gained great popularity in many data analysis and data mining fields: pattern recognition, biocomputing, speech and vision, engineering, remote sensing etc. The paper describes the use of kernel methods to approach the processing of large datasets from environmental monitoring networks. Several typical problems of the environmental sciences and their solutions provided by kernel-based methods are considered: classification of categorical data (soil type classification), mapping of environmental and pollution continuous information (pollution of soil by radionuclides), mapping with auxiliary information (climatic data from Aral Sea region). The promising developments, such as automatic emergency hot spot detection and monitoring network optimization are discussed as well.

Model-based Segmentation and Fusion of 3D Computed Tomography and 3D Ultrasound of the Eye for Radiotherapy Planning

Computed Tomography (CT) represents the standard imaging modality for tumor volume delineation for radiotherapy treatment planning of retinoblastoma despite some inherent limitations. CT scan is very useful in providing information on physical density for dose calculation and morphological volumetric information but presents a low sensitivity in assessing the tumor viability. On the other hand, 3D ultrasound (US) allows a highly accurate definition of the tumor volume thanks to its high spatial resolution but it is not currently integrated in the treatment planning but used only for diagnosis and follow-up. Our ultimate goal is an automatic segmentation of gross tumor volume (GTV) in the 3D US, the segmentation of the organs at risk (OAR) in the CT and the registration of both modalities. In this paper, we present some preliminary results in this direction. We present 3D active contour-based segmentation of the eye ball and the lens in CT images; the presented approach incorporates the prior knowledge of the anatomy by using a 3D geometrical eye model. The automated segmentation results are validated by comparing with manual segmentations. Then, we present two approaches for the fusion of 3D CT and US images: (i) landmark-based transformation, and (ii) object-based transformation that makes use of eye ball contour information on CT and US images.

Nurture versus nature: long-term impact of forced right-handedness on structure of pericentral cortex and basal ganglia.

Does a conflict between inborn motor preferences and educational standards during childhood impact the structure of the adult human brain? To examine this issue, we acquired high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance scans of the whole brain in adult "converted" left-handers who had been forced as children to become dextral writers. Analysis of sulcal surfaces revealed that consistent right- and left-handers showed an interhemispheric asymmetry in the surface area of the central sulcus with a greater surface contralateral to the dominant hand. This pattern was reversed in the converted group who showed a larger surface of the central sulcus in their left, nondominant hemisphere, indicating plasticity of the primary sensorimotor cortex caused by forced use of the nondominant hand. Voxel-based morphometry showed a reduction of gray matter volume in the middle part of the left putamen in converted left-handers relative to both consistently handed groups. A similar trend was found in the right putamen. Converted subjects with at least one left-handed first-degree relative showed a correlation between the acquired right-hand advantage for writing and the structural changes in putamen and pericentral cortex. Our results show that a specific environmental challenge during childhood can shape the macroscopic structure of the human basal ganglia. The smaller than normal putaminal volume differs markedly from previously reported enlargement of cortical gray matter associated with skill acquisition. This indicates a differential response of the basal ganglia to early environmental challenges, possibly related to processes of pruning during motor development.

Model-based Segmentation and Image Fusion of 3D Computed Tomography and 3D Ultrasound of the Eye for Radiotherapy Planning

For radiotherapy treatment planning of retinoblastoma inchildhood, Computed Tomography (CT) represents thestandard method for tumor volume delineation, despitesome inherent limitations. CT scan is very useful inproviding information on physical density for dosecalculation and morphological volumetric information butpresents a low sensitivity in assessing the tumorviability. On the other hand, 3D ultrasound (US) allows ahigh accurate definition of the tumor volume thanks toits high spatial resolution but it is not currentlyintegrated in the treatment planning but used only fordiagnosis and follow-up. Our ultimate goal is anautomatic segmentation of gross tumor volume (GTV) in the3D US, the segmentation of the organs at risk (OAR) inthe CT and the registration of both. In this paper, wepresent some preliminary results in this direction. Wepresent 3D active contour-based segmentation of the eyeball and the lens in CT images; the presented approachincorporates the prior knowledge of the anatomy by usinga 3D geometrical eye model. The automated segmentationresults are validated by comparing with manualsegmentations. Then, for the fusion of 3D CT and USimages, we present two approaches: (i) landmark-basedtransformation, and (ii) object-based transformation thatmakes use of eye ball contour information on CT and USimages.

Animal modelling for inherited central vision loss.

Disease-causing variants of a large number of genes trigger inherited retinal degeneration leading to photoreceptor loss. Because cones are essential for daylight and central vision such as reading, mobility, and face recognition, this review focuses on a variety of animal models for cone diseases. The pertinence of using these models to reveal genotype/phenotype correlations and to evaluate new therapeutic strategies is discussed. Interestingly, several large animal models recapitulate human diseases and can serve as a strong base from which to study the biology of disease and to assess the scale-up of new therapies. Examples of innovative approaches will be presented such as lentiviral-based transgenesis in pigs and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-gene transfer into the monkey eye to investigate the neural circuitry plasticity of the visual system. The models reported herein permit the exploration of common mechanisms that exist between different species and the identification and highlighting of pathways that may be specific to primates, including humans.

Assessing the added value of wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor illicit drug use

Wastewater-based epidemiology consists in acquiring relevant information about the lifestyle and health status of the population through the analysis of wastewater samples collected at the influent of a wastewater treatment plant. Whilst being a very young discipline, it has experienced an astonishing development since its firs application in 2005. The possibility to gather community-wide information about drug use has been among the major field of application. The wide resonance of the first results sparked the interest of scientists from various disciplines. Since then, research has broadened in innumerable directions. Although being praised as a revolutionary approach, there was a need to critically assess its added value, with regard to the existing indicators used to monitor illicit drug use. The main, and explicit, objective of this research was to evaluate the added value of wastewater-based epidemiology with regards to two particular, although interconnected, dimensions of illicit drug use. The first is related to trying to understand the added value of the discipline from an epidemiological, or societal, perspective. In other terms, to evaluate if and how it completes our current vision about the extent of illicit drug use at the population level, and if it can guide the planning of future prevention measures and drug policies. The second dimension is the criminal one, with a particular focus on the networks which develop around the large demand in illicit drugs. The goal here was to assess if wastewater-based epidemiology, combined to indicators stemming from the epidemiological dimension, could provide additional clues about the structure of drug distribution networks and the size of their market. This research had also an implicit objective, which focused on initiating the path of wastewater- based epidemiology at the Ecole des Sciences Criminelles of the University of Lausanne. This consisted in gathering the necessary knowledge about the collection, preparation, and analysis of wastewater samples and, most importantly, to understand how to interpret the acquired data and produce useful information. In the first phase of this research, it was possible to determine that ammonium loads, measured directly in the wastewater stream, could be used to monitor the dynamics of the population served by the wastewater treatment plant. Furthermore, it was shown that on the long term, the population did not have a substantial impact on consumption patterns measured through wastewater analysis. Focussing on methadone, for which precise prescription data was available, it was possible to show that reliable consumption estimates could be obtained via wastewater analysis. This allowed to validate the selected sampling strategy, which was then used to monitor the consumption of heroin, through the measurement of morphine. The latter, in combination to prescription and sales data, provided estimates of heroin consumption in line with other indicators. These results, combined to epidemiological data, highlighted the good correspondence between measurements and expectations and, furthermore, suggested that the dark figure of heroin users evading harm-reduction programs, which would thus not be measured by conventional indicators, is likely limited. In the third part, which consisted in a collaborative study aiming at extensively investigating geographical differences in drug use, wastewater analysis was shown to be a useful complement to existing indicators. In particular for stigmatised drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, it allowed to decipher the complex picture derived from surveys and crime statistics. Globally, it provided relevant information to better understand the drug market, both from an epidemiological and repressive perspective. The fourth part focused on cannabis and on the potential of combining wastewater and survey data to overcome some of their respective limitations. Using a hierarchical inference model, it was possible to refine current estimates of cannabis prevalence in the metropolitan area of Lausanne. Wastewater results suggested that the actual prevalence is substantially higher compared to existing figures, thus supporting the common belief that surveys tend to underestimate cannabis use. Whilst being affected by several biases, the information collected through surveys allowed to overcome some of the limitations linked to the analysis of cannabis markers in wastewater (i.e., stability and limited excretion data). These findings highlighted the importance and utility of combining wastewater-based epidemiology to existing indicators about drug use. Similarly, the fifth part of the research was centred on assessing the potential uses of wastewater-based epidemiology from a law enforcement perspective. Through three concrete examples, it was shown that results from wastewater analysis can be used to produce highly relevant intelligence, allowing drug enforcement to assess the structure and operations of drug distribution networks and, ultimately, guide their decisions at the tactical and/or operational level. Finally, the potential to implement wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor the use of harmful, prohibited and counterfeit pharmaceuticals was illustrated through the analysis of sibutramine, and its urinary metabolite, in wastewater samples. The results of this research have highlighted that wastewater-based epidemiology is a useful and powerful approach with numerous scopes. Faced with the complexity of measuring a hidden phenomenon like illicit drug use, it is a major addition to the panoply of existing indicators. -- L'épidémiologie basée sur l'analyse des eaux usées (ou, selon sa définition anglaise, « wastewater-based epidemiology ») consiste en l'acquisition d'informations portant sur le mode de vie et l'état de santé d'une population via l'analyse d'échantillons d'eaux usées récoltés à l'entrée des stations d'épuration. Bien qu'il s'agisse d'une discipline récente, elle a vécu des développements importants depuis sa première mise en oeuvre en 2005, notamment dans le domaine de l'analyse des résidus de stupéfiants. Suite aux retombées médiatiques des premiers résultats de ces analyses de métabolites dans les eaux usées, de nombreux scientifiques provenant de différentes disciplines ont rejoint les rangs de cette nouvelle discipline en développant plusieurs axes de recherche distincts. Bien que reconnu pour son coté objectif et révolutionnaire, il était nécessaire d'évaluer sa valeur ajoutée en regard des indicateurs couramment utilisés pour mesurer la consommation de stupéfiants. En se focalisant sur deux dimensions spécifiques de la consommation de stupéfiants, l'objectif principal de cette recherche était focalisé sur l'évaluation de la valeur ajoutée de l'épidémiologie basée sur l'analyse des eaux usées. La première dimension abordée était celle épidémiologique ou sociétale. En d'autres termes, il s'agissait de comprendre si et comment l'analyse des eaux usées permettait de compléter la vision actuelle sur la problématique, ainsi que déterminer son utilité dans la planification des mesures préventives et des politiques en matière de stupéfiants actuelles et futures. La seconde dimension abordée était celle criminelle, en particulier, l'étude des réseaux qui se développent autour du trafic de produits stupéfiants. L'objectif était de déterminer si cette nouvelle approche combinée aux indicateurs conventionnels, fournissait de nouveaux indices quant à la structure et l'organisation des réseaux de distribution ainsi que sur les dimensions du marché. Cette recherche avait aussi un objectif implicite, développer et d'évaluer la mise en place de l'épidémiologie basée sur l'analyse des eaux usées. En particulier, il s'agissait d'acquérir les connaissances nécessaires quant à la manière de collecter, traiter et analyser des échantillons d'eaux usées, mais surtout, de comprendre comment interpréter les données afin d'en extraire les informations les plus pertinentes. Dans la première phase de cette recherche, il y pu être mis en évidence que les charges en ammonium, mesurées directement dans les eaux usées permettait de suivre la dynamique des mouvements de la population contributrice aux eaux usées de la station d'épuration de la zone étudiée. De plus, il a pu être démontré que, sur le long terme, les mouvements de la population n'avaient pas d'influence substantielle sur le pattern de consommation mesuré dans les eaux usées. En se focalisant sur la méthadone, une substance pour laquelle des données précises sur le nombre de prescriptions étaient disponibles, il a pu être démontré que des estimations exactes sur la consommation pouvaient être tirées de l'analyse des eaux usées. Ceci a permis de valider la stratégie d'échantillonnage adoptée, qui, par le bais de la morphine, a ensuite été utilisée pour suivre la consommation d'héroïne. Combinée aux données de vente et de prescription, l'analyse de la morphine a permis d'obtenir des estimations sur la consommation d'héroïne en accord avec des indicateurs conventionnels. Ces résultats, combinés aux données épidémiologiques ont permis de montrer une bonne adéquation entre les projections des deux approches et ainsi démontrer que le chiffre noir des consommateurs qui échappent aux mesures de réduction de risque, et qui ne seraient donc pas mesurés par ces indicateurs, est vraisemblablement limité. La troisième partie du travail a été réalisée dans le cadre d'une étude collaborative qui avait pour but d'investiguer la valeur ajoutée de l'analyse des eaux usées à mettre en évidence des différences géographiques dans la consommation de stupéfiants. En particulier pour des substances stigmatisées, telles la cocaïne et l'héroïne, l'approche a permis d'objectiver et de préciser la vision obtenue avec les indicateurs traditionnels du type sondages ou les statistiques policières. Globalement, l'analyse des eaux usées s'est montrée être un outil très utile pour mieux comprendre le marché des stupéfiants, à la fois sous l'angle épidémiologique et répressif. La quatrième partie du travail était focalisée sur la problématique du cannabis ainsi que sur le potentiel de combiner l'analyse des eaux usées aux données de sondage afin de surmonter, en partie, leurs limitations. En utilisant un modèle d'inférence hiérarchique, il a été possible d'affiner les actuelles estimations sur la prévalence de l'utilisation de cannabis dans la zone métropolitaine de la ville de Lausanne. Les résultats ont démontré que celle-ci est plus haute que ce que l'on s'attendait, confirmant ainsi l'hypothèse que les sondages ont tendance à sous-estimer la consommation de cannabis. Bien que biaisés, les données récoltées par les sondages ont permis de surmonter certaines des limitations liées à l'analyse des marqueurs du cannabis dans les eaux usées (i.e., stabilité et manque de données sur l'excrétion). Ces résultats mettent en évidence l'importance et l'utilité de combiner les résultats de l'analyse des eaux usées aux indicateurs existants. De la même façon, la cinquième partie du travail était centrée sur l'apport de l'analyse des eaux usées du point de vue de la police. Au travers de trois exemples, l'utilisation de l'indicateur pour produire du renseignement concernant la structure et les activités des réseaux de distribution de stupéfiants, ainsi que pour guider les choix stratégiques et opérationnels de la police, a été mise en évidence. Dans la dernière partie, la possibilité d'utiliser cette approche pour suivre la consommation de produits pharmaceutiques dangereux, interdits ou contrefaits, a été démontrée par l'analyse dans les eaux usées de la sibutramine et ses métabolites. Les résultats de cette recherche ont mis en évidence que l'épidémiologie par l'analyse des eaux usées est une approche pertinente et puissante, ayant de nombreux domaines d'application. Face à la complexité de mesurer un phénomène caché comme la consommation de stupéfiants, la valeur ajoutée de cette approche a ainsi pu être démontrée.