Evaluation of a linear spectral mixture model and vegetation indices (NDVI and EVI) in a study of schistosomiasis mansoni and Biomphalaria glabrata distribution in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

This paper analyses the associations between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) on the prevalence of schistosomiasis and the presence of Biomphalaria glabrata in the state of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. Additionally, vegetation, soil and shade fraction images were created using a Linear Spectral Mixture Model (LSMM) from the blue, red and infrared channels of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer spaceborne sensor and the relationship between these images and the prevalence of schistosomiasis and the presence of B. glabrata was analysed. First, we found a high correlation between the vegetation fraction image and EVI and second, a high correlation between soil fraction image and NDVI. The results also indicate that there was a positive correlation between prevalence and the vegetation fraction image (July 2002), a negative correlation between prevalence and the soil fraction image (July 2002) and a positive correlation between B. glabrata and the shade fraction image (July 2002). This paper demonstrates that the LSMM variables can be used as a substitute for the standard vegetation indices (EVI and NDVI) to determine and delimit risk areas for B. glabrata and schistosomiasis in MG, which can be used to improve the allocation of resources for disease control.

Biblia sacra.

Avec prologues et arguments. Genesis (3) ; Exodus (14v) ; Levit. (24v) ; Numeri (31) ; Deuteron. (40v) ; Josue (49) ; Judices (55) ; Ruth (61) ; Reg. I-IV (62) ; Paralip. I-II (91v) ; Oratio Manasse (106) ; Esdras, I-II (106v) ; Tobias (112v) ; Isaias (115) ; Jeremias (125v) ; Jeremiae Lament. et Oratio (137v, 138v) ; Baruch (138v) ; Ezechiel (141v) ; Daniel (153) ; XII Proph. min. (158) ; Job (167v) ; Psalmi (174) ; Proverbia (188) ; Ecclesiastes (193) ; Cant. canticorum (195) ; Sapientia (196) ; Ecclesiasticus (199v) ; Oratio Salomonis (209) ; Judith (209v) ; Esther (212v) ; Macchab. I-II (215v). — Evangeliorum canones (229) ; Evang. Matthaei (232), Marci (240v), Lucae (246), Johannis (256) ; Damasi carmen (P. L., XIII, 379) (263v) ; XIV Epist. Pauli, cum epist. ad Laodic. (264) ; Actus Apost. (282) ; VII Epist. canon. (290v) ; Apocalypsis (294). F. I Table du XVe s. F. 299v Traces d'écriture du XIIIe s. effacée.

Biblia sacra, pars. I

Genesis (7v) ; Exodus (36) ; Levit. (59) ; Numeri (75v) ; Deuteron. (97) ; Josue (116) ; Judices (129) ; Ruth (141v) ; Job (145) ; Reg. I, I, 1-XXV, 6, et II, VII, 13-IV, XXV, 21 (159v).

Biblia sacra, pars. II

Proverbia (3) ; Ecclesiastes (15v) ; Cant. canticorum (20) ; Sapientia (23) ; Ecclesiasticus (33) ; Esther (58) ; Judith (67) ; Tobias (76) ; Macchab. I-II (83v) ; Passio Macchabaeorum, cf. B. H. L., n° 5111 (120) ; Paralip. I-II (126) ; Esdras I-II (167) ; Isaias, prologue et « capitula » jusqu'à « sermo Domini super Egyptum » (183).

Biblia sacra, pars. III

Evangeliorum canones (4v) ; Evang. Matthaei (13v), Marci (33v), Lucae (47v), Johannis (68v) ; XIV Epist. Pauli (88) ; Actus Apost. (139v) ; VII Epist. canon. (161) ; Apocalypsis (172v).

Risk of type 2 diabetes according to traditional and emerging anthropometric indices in Spain, a Mediterranean country with high prevalence of obesity: results from a large-scale prospective cohort study.

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A proper anthropometric characterisation of T2DM risk is essential for disease prevention and clinical risk assessement. Methods: Longitudinal study in 37 733 participants (63% women) of the Spanish EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) cohort without prevalent diabetes. Detailed questionnaire information was collected at baseline and anthropometric data gathered following standard procedures. A total of 2513 verified incident T2DM cases occurred after 12.1 years of mean follow-up. Multivariable Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios of T2DM by levels of anthropometric variables. Results: Overall and central obesity were independently associated with T2DM risk. BMI showed the strongest association with T2DM in men whereas waist-related indices were stronger independent predictors in women. Waist-to-height ratio revealed the largest area under the ROC curve in men and women, with optimal cut-offs at 0.60 and 0.58, respectively. The most discriminative waist circumference (WC) cut-off values were 99.4 cm in men and 90.4 cm in women. Absolute risk of T2DM was higher in men than women for any combination of age, BMI and WC categories, and remained low in normal-waist women. The population risk of T2DM attributable to obesity was 17% in men and 31% in women. Conclusions: Diabetes risk was associated with higher overall and central obesity indices even at normal BMI and WC values. The measurement of waist circumference in the clinical setting is strongly recommended for the evaluation of future T2DM risk in women.

Dummy run and conformity indices in the ongoing EORTC low-grade glioma trial 22033-26033: First evaluation of quality of radiotherapy planning.

PURPOSE: Early assessment of radiotherapy (RT) quality in the ongoing EORTC trial comparing primary temozolomide versus RT in low-grade gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RT plans provided for dummy cases were evaluated and compared against expert plans. We analysed: (1) tumour and organs-at-risk delineation, (2) geometric and dosimetric characteristics, (3) planning parameters, compliance with dose prescription and Dmax for OAR (4) indices: RTOG conformity index (CI), coverage factor (CF), tissue protection factor (PF); conformity number (CN = PF x CF); dose homogeneity in PTV (U). RESULTS: Forty-one RT plans were evaluated. Only two (5%) centres were requested to repeat CTV-PTV delineations. Three (7%) plans had a significant under-dosage and dose homogeneity in one deviated > 10%. Dose distribution was good with mean values of 1.5, 1, 0.68, and 0.68 (ideal values = 1) for CI, CF, PF, and CN, respectively. CI and CN strongly correlated with PF and they correlated with PTV. Planning with more beams seems to increase PTV(Dmin), improving CF. U correlated with PTV(Dmax). CONCLUSION: Preliminary results of the dummy run procedure indicate that most centres conformed to protocol requirements. To quantify plan quality we recommend systematic calculation of U and either CI or CN, both of which measure the amount of irradiated normal brain tissue.

Biblia pauperum

[Biblia pauperum (latin). circa 1465 ?]

Biblia pauperum

[Biblia pauperum (latin). circa 1460-1463]

Association between obesity indices and cardiovascular risk factors in late adolescence in the Seychelles.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The ability of different obesity indices to predict cardiovascular risk is still debated in youth and few data are available in sub Saharan Africa. We compared the associations between several indices of obesity and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) in late adolescence in the Seychelles. METHODS: We measured body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist/hip ratio (WHiR), waist/height ratio (WHtR) and percent fat mass (by bioimpedance) and 6 CVRFs (blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose and uric acid) in 423 youths aged 19-20 years from the general population. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight/obesity and several CVRFs was high, with substantial sex differences. Except for glucose in males and LDL-cholesterol in females, all obesity indices were associated with CVRFs. BMI consistently predicted CVRFs at least as well as the other indices. Linear regression on BMI had standardized regression coefficients of 0.25-0.36 for most CVRFs (p<0.01) and ROC analysis had an AUC between 60%-75% for most CVRFs. BMI also predicted well various combinations of CVRFs: 36% of male and 16% of female lean subjects (BMI P90). CONCLUSION: There was an elevated prevalence of obesity and of several CVRFs in youths in Seychelles. BMI predicted single or combined CVRFs at least as well as other simple obesity indices.

Biblia pauperum

[Biblia pauperum (latin). circa 1460-1465]

Biblia pauperum

[Biblia pauperum (latin). circa 1470-1475]

On Certain Greedoid Polyhedra, Partially Indexable Scheduling Problems, and Extended Restless Bandit Allocation Indices

We present a polyhedral framework for establishing general structural properties on optimal solutions of stochastic scheduling problems, where multiple job classes vie for service resources: the existence of an optimal priority policy in a given family, characterized by a greedoid (whose feasible class subsets may receive higher priority), where optimal priorities are determined by class-ranking indices, under restricted linear performance objectives (partial indexability). This framework extends that of Bertsimas and Niño-Mora (1996), which explained the optimality of priority-index policies under all linear objectives (general indexability). We show that, if performance measures satisfy partial conservation laws (with respect to the greedoid), which extend previous generalized conservation laws, then the problem admits a strong LP relaxation over a so-called extended greedoid polytope, which has strong structural and algorithmic properties. We present an adaptive-greedy algorithm (which extends Klimov's) taking as input the linear objective coefficients, which (1) determines whether the optimal LP solution is achievable by a policy in the given family; and (2) if so, computes a set of class-ranking indices that characterize optimal priority policies in the family. In the special case of project scheduling, we show that, under additional conditions, the optimal indices can be computed separately for each project (index decomposition). We further apply the framework to the important restless bandit model (two-action Markov decision chains), obtaining new index policies, that extend Whittle's (1988), and simple sufficient conditions for their validity. These results highlight the power of polyhedral methods (the so-called achievable region approach) in dynamic and stochastic optimization.