Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a noninvasive imaging method that reflects local changes in brain activity. FMRI group studies involves the analysis of the functional images acquired for each of a group of subjects under the same experimental conditions. We propose a spatial marked point-process model for the activation patterns of the subjects in a group study. Each pattern is described as the sum of individual centres of activation. The marked point-process that we propose allows the researcher to enforce repulsion between all pairs of centres of an individual subject that are within a specified minimum distance of each other. It also allows the researcher to enforce attraction between similarly-located centres from different subjects. This attraction helps to compensate for the misalignment of corresponding functional areas across subjects and is a novel method of addressing the problem of imperfect inter-subject registration of functional images. We use a Bayesian framework and choose prior distributions according to current understanding of brain activity. Simulation studies and exploratory studies of our reference dataset are used to fine-tune the prior distributions. We perform inference via Markov chain Monte Carlo. The fitted model gives a summary of the activation in terms of its location, height and size. We use this summary both to identify brain regions that were activated in response to the stimuli under study and to quantify the discrepancies between the activation maps of subjects. Applied to our reference dataset, our measure is successful in separating out those subjects with activation patterns that do not agree with the overall group pattern. In addition, our measure is sensitive to subjects with a large number of activation centres relative to the other subjects in the group. The activation summary given by our model makes it possible to pursue a range of inferential questions that cannot be addressed with ease by current model-based approaches.

L'estimation des abondances de population est essentielle pour comprendre les dynamiques de population, les interactions entre espèces et estimer les risques de transmission d'agents pathogènes dans les populations. Plusieurs méthodes d'échantillonnages, basées sur des hypothèses spécifiques permettent d'estimer ces abondances : les méthodes par comptages uniques, par « distance sampling », par échantillonnages successifs ou par capture marquage recapture. Nous nous sommes intéressés à l'abondance des tiques Ixodes ricinus, vecteurs de nombreux agents pathogènes. Cette abondance est classiquement estimée par le nombre de tiques capturées lors d'échantillonnages uniques réalisés sur différentes unités d'observation. Cependant, de nombreuses études remettent en cause cette hypothèse forte et suggèrent que le taux d'échantillonnage est variable selon les conditions d'échantillonnage (type de végétation,…) mais ne prennent pas en compte ce taux d'échantillonnage pour autant. A partir d'une méthode d'échantillonnage par « removal sampling » (RS), (i) nous avons montré que les conditions environnementales influençaient le taux d'échantillonnage et l'indicateur d'abondance usuel i.e. le nombre de tiques capturées lors d'un seul échantillonnage (ii) nous avons proposé une méthode pour détecter l'indicateur d'abondance, basés sur le nombre cumulé de capture, le moins soumis aux variations du taux ; (iii) par une approche Bayésienne hiérarchique, nous avons estimé simultanément l'abondance de tiques des unités d'observation et la valeur du taux d'échantillonnage en fonction du type de végétation et de l'heure d'échantillonnage. Nous avons montré que le taux d'échantillonnage sur des arbustes (entre 33,9 % et 47,4%) était significativement inférieur au taux d'échantillonnage sur des feuilles mortes (entre 53,6 % et 66,7%). De plus, nous avons montré que le modèle RS tend vers un modèle de Poisson iid lorsque la taille de la population N0 tend vers l'infini ce qui pose des problèmes d'indétermination pour estimer les paramètres N0 et τ, le taux d'échantillonnage. Nous avons également montré que (i) les estimateurs Bayésiens divergent lorsque les lois a priori sont des lois vagues ; (ii) les lois a priori β(a, b) avec a > 2 sur τ conduisaient à des estimateurs Bayésien convergents. Enfin, nous avons proposé des recommandations quant au choix des lois a priori pour τ afin d'obtenir de bonnes estimations pour N0 ou pour τ. Nous discutons de la pertinence des méthodes RS pour les tiques et des perspectives envisageables pour (i) estimer le risque acarologique représenté par la population de tiques potentiellement actives sur une unité d'observation, (ii) estimer un risque à l'échelle d'une parcelle, à savoir comment répartir l'effort d'échantillonnage entre le nombre d'unités d'observation et le nombre d'échantillonnages successifs par unités d'observation. / The estimation of animal abundance is essential to understand population dynamics, species interactions and disease patterns in populations and to estimate the risk of pathogens transmission. Several sampling methods such as single counts, distance sampling, removal sampling or capture mark recapture could be used to estimate abundance. In this study, we are investigated the abundance of Ixodes ricinus ticks, which are involved in the transmission of many pathogens. Tick abundance is commonly estimated by the number of nymphs captured during a single observation (a cloth dragged on a given surface). In this case, analyses of abundance patterns assumes that the probability of detecting a tick, hence the sampling rate, remains constant across the observations. In practice, however, this assumption is often not satisfied as the sampling rate may fluctuate between observation plots. The variation of sampling rate is never taken into account in estimations of tick abundance. Using a removal sampling design (RS), (i) we showed that the sampling rate and the usual abundance indicator (based on a single drag observation per spot) were both influenced by environmental conditions ; (ii) we proposed a method to determine the abundance indicator the least influenced by sampling rate variations ; (iii) using a hierarchical Bayesian model, we estimated simultaneously the abundance and the sampling rate according the type of vegetation, and the time of sampling. The sampling rate varied between 33,9 % and 47,4 % for shrubs and 53,6 % and 66,7 % for dead leaves. In addition, we show that the RS model tends to Poisson iid model when the population size N0 tends to infinite. This result conduct to infinite estimations for N0. We show that (i) Bayesian estimators were divergent for vague prior ; (ii) β(a, b) prior for a > 2 on τ conduct to convergent estimators. Then, we proposed recommendations for prior choice for τ parameter to give good estimations of N0 or τ. We discuss the relevance of RS for ticks and the possible perspectives to (i) estimate the acarologic risk associated to all potential active ticks for given spot, (ii) estimate the risk at the larger scale, i.e. how to distribute the sampling effort between number of spot and number of consecutive sampling by spot.

This thesis introduces statistical methods for categorical data. These methods are especially used in social sciences such as sociology, psychology and political science, but their importance has increased also in medical and technical sciences. In the first part there is mentioned statistical inference for a proportion. Here is written about classical, exact and Bayesian methods for estimating and hypothesis testing. If we have a large sample then we can approximate exact distribution by normal distribution but if we have a small sample cannot use this approximation and it is necessary to use discrete distribution which makes inference more complicated. The second part deals with two categorical variables analysis in contingency tables. Here are explained measures of association for 2 x 2 contingency tables such as difference of proportion and odds ratio and also presented how we can test independence in the case of large sample and small one. If we have small sample we are not allowed to use classical chi-squared tests and it is necessary to use alternative methods. This part contains variety of exact tests of independence and Bayesian approach for the 2 x 2 table too. In the end of this part there is written about a table for two dependent samples and we are interested whether two variables give identical results which occurs when marginal proportions are equal. In the last part there are methods used on data and discussed results.

Em análise de sobrevivência estuda-se o tempo até a ocorrência de um determinado evento de interesse e na literatura, a abordagem mais usual é a paramétrica, em que os dados seguem uma distribuição de probabilidade. Diversas distribuições conhecidas são utilizadas para acomodar dados de tempos de falha, porém, grande parte destas distribuições não é capaz de acomodar funções de risco não monótonas. Kumaraswamy (1980) propôs uma nova distribuição de probabilidade e, baseada nela, mais recentemente Cordeiro e de Castro (2011) propuseram uma nova família de distribuições generalizadas, a Kumaraswamy generalizada (Kum-G). Esta distribuição além de ser flexível, contém distribuições com funções de risco unimodal e em forma de banheira. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar a família de distribuições Kum-Ge seus casos particulares para analisar dados de tempo de vida dos indivíduos em risco, considerando que uma parcela da população nunca apresentará o evento de interesse, além de considerarmos que covariáveis influenciem na função de sobrevivência e na proporção de curados da população. Algumas propriedades destes modelos serão abordadas, bem como métodos adequa- dos de estimação, tanto na abordagem clássica quanto na bayesiana. Por fim, são apresentadas aplicações de tais modelos a conjuntos de dados existentes na literatura. / In survival analysis is studied the time until the occurrence of a particular event of interest and in the literature, the most common approach is parametric, that the data follow a probability distribution. Various known distributions are used to accommodate failure times data, however, most of these distributions is not able to accommodate non monotonous hazard functions. Kumaraswamy (1980) proposed a new probability distribution and, based on it, most recently Cordeiro e de Castro (2011) proposed a new family of generalized distributions, Kumaraswamy generalized (Kum-G). This distribution besides being flexible, has distributions with unimodal and tub form of hazard functions. The objective of this paper is to present the family of Kum-G distributions and their particular cases to analyze lifetime data of individuals at risk, considering that part of the population never present the event of interest, and considering that covariates influencing in the survival function and the cured proportion of the population. Some properties of these models will be discussed as well as appropriate estimation methods, in the classical and Bayesian approaches. Finally, applications of such models are presented to data sets existingin the literature.

The most authentication mechanism used in certain domains like home banking, infrastructure surveillance, industrial control, etc. are commercial off the Shelf (COTS) solutions. These are packaged solutions which are adapted to satisfy the need of the purchasing organization, Microsoft, for example, is a COTS software provider. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is COTS. MFA in the context of this research provides a framework to improve the available techniques. This framework is based on biometrics and as such presents, an alternative to complement the traditional knowledge-based authentication techniques. With an overview based on the probability of failure to enroll(FTE), this research work evaluates available approaches and identifies promising avenues in utilizing MFA in modern mobile devices. Biometrics removes heuristic errors and probability adjustment errors by providing the full potential to increase MFA in mobile devices. The primary objective is to Identify discrepancies and limitation commonly faced by mobile owners during authentication.

A utilização de metodologias Bayesianas tem se tornado freqüuente nas aplicações em Genética, em particular em mapeamento de QTLs usando marcadores moleculares. Mapear um QTL implica em identificar sua posição no genoma, bem como seus efeitos genéticos. A abordagem Bayesiana combina, através do Teorema de Bayes, a verossimilhança dos dados fenotípicos com distribuições a priori atribuídas a todos os parâmetros desconhecidos (número, localização e efeito do QTL) induzindo distribuições a posteriori a respeito dessas quantidades. Métodos de mapeamento Bayesiano podem tratar o número desconhecido de QTLs como uma variável aleatória, resultando em complicações na obtençãao da amostra aleatória da distribuição conjunta a posteriori, uma vez que a dimensão do espaço do modelo pode variar. O Método MCMC com Saltos Reversíveis (MCMC-SR), proposto por Green(1995), é excelente para explorar distribuições a posteriori nesse contexto. O método proposto foi avaliado usando dados simulados no WinQTLCart, onde o maior objetivo foi avaliar diferentes prioris atribuídas para o número de QTLs. / The use of Bayesian methodology in genetical applications has grown increasingly popular, in particular in the analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for studies using molecular markers. In such analyses the aim is mapping QTLs, estimating their locations in the genome and their genotypic effects. The Bayesian approach proceeds by setting up a likelihood function for the phenotype and assigning prior distributions to all unknowns in the problem (number of QTL, chromosome, locus, genetics effects). These induce a posterior distribution on the unknown quantities that contains all of the available information for inference of the genetic architecture of the trait. Bayesian mapping methods can treat the unknown number of QTL as a random variable, which has several advantages but results in the complication of varying the dimension of the model space. The reversible jump MCMC algorithm offers a powerful and general approach to exploring posterior distributions in this setting. The method was evaluated by analyzing simulated data, where the major goal was evaluate if different priors distributions on the QTL numbers.

The engineered barrier system is a basic element in the design of repository to isolate high level radioactive waste (HLW). In this system, the clay barrier plays a prominent role in dispersing the heat generated from the waste, reduce the flow of pore water from the host rock, and maintaining the structural stability of the waste canister. The compacted expansive clay (generally bentonite blocks) is initially in unsaturated state. During the life time of the repository, the barrier will undergo different coupled thermal, hydrological and mechanical (THM) phenomena due to heating (from the heat-emitting nuclear waste) and hydration (from the saturated host rock). The design of nuclear waste disposal requires the prediction of the long term barrier behavior (i.e. hundred or thousand years), so numerical modeling is a basic component of the repository design. The numerical analyses are performed using mathematical THM formulation and the associated numerical code. Constitutive models are an essential part of the numerical simulations. Those constitutive models represent the intrinsic behavior of the material for the individual physical phenomenon (i.e. thermal, hydraulic and mechanical). Deterministic analyses have shown the potential of such mathematical formulations to describe the physical behavior of the engineered barrier system. However, the effect of the inherent uncertainties associated with the different constitutive models on the global behavior of the isolation system has not been explored yet. The first part of this thesis is related to application of recent probabilistic methods to understand and assess the impact of uncertainties on the global THM model response. Experimental data associated with the FEBEX project has been adopted for the case study presented in this thesis. CODE_BRIGHT, a fully coupled THM finite element program, is used to perform the numerical THM analysis. The second part of this thesis focuses on the complex mechanical behavior observed in a barrier material subjected (during 5 years) to heating and hydration under actual repository conditions The studied experiment is the (ongoing) full scale in-situ FEBEX test at Grimsel test site, Switzerland. A partial dismantling of this experiment has allowed the inspection of the barrier material subjected to varying stresses due to hydration and heating. The clay underwent both elastic and plastic volumetric deformations at different suction and temperature levels with changes in the pre-consolidation pressure and voids ratio that are difficult to explain with conventional models. In this thesis a double structure elasto plastic model is proposed to study the mechanical behavior of this barrier material. The numerical modeling was performed with CODE_BRIGHT. The study shows that the double structure model explains satisfactorily the observed changes in the mechanical behavior of the clay material.

Įvairių sričių reiškinių matematiniai modeliai apima daug faktorių, kurie yra priklausomi nuo laiko, o taip pat pastebima jų tarpusavio priklausomybė. Vadinasi, norint nagrinėt šių reiškinių kitimo dėsnius, patartina sudaryti šių procesų dinaminį modelį. Šiame darbe dinaminio modelio sudarymui naudojami indikatoriai. Indikatorius tai specialus rodiklis, kuriuo pasinaudojus galima skaitiškai įvertinti svarbius analizuojamos srities faktorius. Indikatorių reikšmės gaunamos iš statistinių duomenų. Diferencialinių lygčių sistemos koeficientams skaičiuoti pristatomi du būdai: algebrinis ir mažiausių kvadratų metodai. Indikatorių išraiškas, gautas išsprendus diferencialinių lygčių sistemą, galima panaudoti prognozavimui. Tačiau įgyvendinant naujus projektus, šias indikatorių išraiškas reikia patikslinti, atsižvelgiant į naujus faktorius. Kadangi naujų faktorių reikšmės nėra tiksliai žinomos (gautos iš ekspertinio vertinimo), jų įtaka sistemai yra išreiškiama atsitiktiniu dydžiu su žinomu tikimybiniu skirstiniu. Naujų faktorių įtaka indikatoriams dinaminiame modelyje yra patikslinama Bajeso metodu. Kaip pavyzdys, sudarytas dinaminis modelis pritaikytas energijos tiekimo saugumo indikatorių modeliavimui. / In many areas mathematical models of processes take into acount variuos time dependent factors, they also can be dependent on each other. Thus, it is advisable to construct a dynamic model. In this master thesis we use indicators to describe dynamic model. An indicator is a special index, which provides numerical values to inportant factors for the investigated sector. The values of indicators are obtained from statistical data. There are presented two calculation ways of differential equations systems coefficients (using algebraic and least square methods). Furthermore created dynamic model enables us to forecast the dynamics of the indicators according to new factors. Since the parameters of different new factors are not exactly known (got from expert judgement), their influence on indicators are expressed as random variables with known probablistic distributions. Indicators model based on historical data is adjusted using a Bayesian approach. For practical demonstration of the proposed dynamic model energy security assessment indicators were chosen.

A utilização de metodologias Bayesianas tem se tornado freqüuente nas aplicações em Genética, em particular em mapeamento de QTLs usando marcadores moleculares. Mapear um QTL implica em identificar sua posição no genoma, bem como seus efeitos genéticos. A abordagem Bayesiana combina, através do Teorema de Bayes, a verossimilhança dos dados fenotípicos com distribuições a priori atribuídas a todos os parâmetros desconhecidos (número, localização e efeito do QTL) induzindo distribuições a posteriori a respeito dessas quantidades. Métodos de mapeamento Bayesiano podem tratar o número desconhecido de QTLs como uma variável aleatória, resultando em complicações na obtençãao da amostra aleatória da distribuição conjunta a posteriori, uma vez que a dimensão do espaço do modelo pode variar. O Método MCMC com Saltos Reversíveis (MCMC-SR), proposto por Green(1995), é excelente para explorar distribuições a posteriori nesse contexto. O método proposto foi avaliado usando dados simulados no WinQTLCart, onde o maior objetivo foi avaliar diferentes prioris atribuídas para o número de QTLs. / The use of Bayesian methodology in genetical applications has grown increasingly popular, in particular in the analysis of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for studies using molecular markers. In such analyses the aim is mapping QTLs, estimating their locations in the genome and their genotypic effects. The Bayesian approach proceeds by setting up a likelihood function for the phenotype and assigning prior distributions to all unknowns in the problem (number of QTL, chromosome, locus, genetics effects). These induce a posterior distribution on the unknown quantities that contains all of the available information for inference of the genetic architecture of the trait. Bayesian mapping methods can treat the unknown number of QTL as a random variable, which has several advantages but results in the complication of varying the dimension of the model space. The reversible jump MCMC algorithm offers a powerful and general approach to exploring posterior distributions in this setting. The method was evaluated by analyzing simulated data, where the major goal was evaluate if different priors distributions on the QTL numbers.

Les objectifs de ma thèse étaient d'analyser les avantages et les inconvénients de l'approche bayésienne et développer leur utilisation dans le contexte de l'évaluation médico-économique. Deux projets ont été développés en utilisant l'approche bayésienne. Le premier projet était une revue systématique de la littérature et méta-analyse en réseaux pour estimer l'efficacité et la tolérance mirabegron 50 mg par rapport aux autres traitements anti-muscarinique dans la gestion de l’hyperactivité vésicale. Une revue de littératures a permis d’identifier les données puis des modèles à effet fixes et effet aléatoires ont été utilisés. Le deuxième projet est le développement de la méthode de calibration bayésienne pour estimer les probabilités de transition d’un modèle de Markov dans la maladie de Parkinson. Une étude de simulation a été effectuée pour comparer les résultats de l'approche bayésienne et l'approche classique. Toutes les analyses ont été effectuées en utilisant les logiciels libres WinBUGS et R. Résultats: La méta-analyse bayésienne en réseaux est un outil très utile pour gérer la comparaison directe et indirecte de traitements. la calibration Bayésiennes, les résultats de l’approche bayésiens sont distribués de façon similaire par rapport aux résultats de l'étude de référence.Conclusion: En comparaison avec l’approche classique, l’approche bayésienne à une meilleure base mathématique et philosophique, offre une plus grande flexibilité, et fournit des résultats sous une forme plus naturelle et intuitive. L'utilisation de l'approche bayésienne devrait se poursuivre et se développer dans le domaine de l'économie de la santé. / The objectives of this thesis were to review and develop the use of Bayesian approach in the context of heath economic evaluation. Methods: Two projects of health economics were developed to assess the benefit of Bayesian approach in health economics. The first project was a systematic literature review and mixed treatment comparison to estimate the relative efficacy and safety of mirabegron compared to antimuscarinics treatments in the management of over active bladder (OAB). The second project was the development of Bayesian calibration method to estimate the transition probabilities from cost-effectiveness model. A simulation study was performed to compare the results of Bayesian approach and classical approach. All the analyses were performed using free software WinBUGS and R.Results: The Bayesian approach is widely used in health economic evaluation and it is accepted tool to analyse the data from most of health technology agencies (e.g. HAS, NICE). The Bayesian mixed treatment comparison found to be a very useful framework to handle the comparison of treatments using the information from direct and indirect treatment comparison. The Bayesian calibration method provided results similarly distributed compared to the results of reference study (i.e. simulation study). Conclusion:Bayesian approach has better mathematical and philosophical foundation, offers greater flexibility, and provides results in a more natural and intuitive form. The use of Bayesian approach is expected to continue and grow in the field of health economics and outcomes research, because failing of frequentist to reply to some difficult question and due to the development of high-power computers.