La première partie de cette étude analyse les caractéristiques des troubles du sommeil dans une approche comparative et développementale auprès d’une population d’enfants avec autisme et d’enfants sans trouble du développement, âgés entre 2 et 12 ans. Les résultats retrouvent une forte prévalence au sein de la population avec autisme. Les troubles du sommeil apparaissent intrinsèquement liés aux troubles autistiques avec un pic des émergences évalué aux alentours des 3-4 ans. Les difficultés de sommeil ne se lient pas significativement à un ensemble de facteurs pourtant trouvé corrélé au sein de la population contrôle (âge, durée, évènements familiaux, fratrie). Cette étude fait aussi le constat d’un manque dans le suivi et la prise en charge des difficultés de sommeil pour l’ensemble des deux groupes cliniques. La seconde partie de la recherche étudie les relations existantes entre les différents problèmes de sommeil (parasomnies, troubles respiratoires et dyssomnies). Elles sembleraient participer à l’entretien et au maintien des problèmes de sommeil chez l’enfant avec autisme, dès le plus jeune âge. La troisième partie analyse le rôle des habitudes et pratiques du sommeil dans la mise en place et le maintien des problèmes de sommeil chez l’enfant avec autisme. Les particularités de fonctionnement de l’enfant avec autisme semblent participer à l’entretien des troubles du sommeil. / The first part of this study was interested in the characteristics of sleeping disorders in a comparative and developmental approach with a population of children with autism and healthy controls, aged 2-12 years. The results find a higher prevalence within the population with autism and would indicate that its can intrinsically bound to the autistic disorders with a peak of the emergences estimated around 3-4 years. The sleep disturbances are not significantly linked in a set of factors nevertheless found correlated within the population control (age, duration, family events, sibship). This study also makes the report of a lack in the follow-up and the coverage of the difficulties of sleep.The second part of the research was studied the existing relations between the sleep problems (parasomnias, respiratory disorders and dyssomnias) Its would seem to participate in the perseveration of the problems of sleep at the child with autism, from the youngest age. The thrid part analyses the role of the sleep habits in the sleep problems at the child with autism. The functionning of the child with autism seem to participate in the maintenance of sleep problems.

Poverty and disease are bound together in rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) exacerbated by weak social services and conflict. The infectious disease burden in SSA combines the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and the 'big three' (malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis), so-called because they attract more global attention and hence funding. NTDs include human African trypanosomiasis (HAT or sleeping sickness), first noticed by the outside world during the slave trade era and later in the 2-th century by widespread epidemics of disease across the tsetse fly belt. HAT describes two diseases: i) Gambian HAT caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is characteristically chronic with an infectious period lasting up to three years and ii) Rhodesian HAT caused by T.b. rhodesiense is an acute disease, killing its victim within weeks of infection. The two diseases are frequently considered together as both are transmitted by tsetse flies, the parasites are morphologically indistinguishable and the associated diseases are both fatal if left untreated. However, the two diseases are clinical, epidemiologically and geographical distinct, each requiring different control strategies. Under field conditions, where microscopy is the basic diagnostic tool, differentiation is simply by geographical location of the patient; the Great Rift Valley separates the Gambian disease present in West and Central Africa, from East and southern Africa's Rhodesian disease. Control strategies are also distinct; while the Belgian and French colonial strategies to control the disease were patient-centred, the British colonial powers in East Africa were motivated by the effect of tsetse borne diseases on animal health. Towards the end of the colonial ear, both types of disease were heading for elimination but during the immediate post-colonial era in the 1960s, political instability compromised the rigid HAT control programs that had been put in place. For zoonotic Rhodesian sleeping sickness, complex tsetse control programmes proved difficult to maintain and to justify economically; for Gambian sleeping sickness the generalised breakdown of medical services allowed the disease to return, sometimes to devastating levels. The millennium development goals (MDGs) set out in 2000, highlighted specific challenges and opportunities for national and global development. HAT impacts national health goals of national development plans and MDGs and impedes rural development of SSA. NTDs were not addressed directly by MDGs but the World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed its commitment not only to control of HAT but also to eliminate it as a public health problem by 2020. Currently there are 25 countries reporting HAT to WHO, and while the overall prevalence of HAT across Africa continues to fall, epidemics have been recorded, particularly from central Africa, South Sudan and Uganda. Uganda is uniquely, the only country affected by both T.b. gambiense and T.b. rhodesiense and until the present study, there was no evidence to suggest that the two parasite species co-existed in Uganda. The development of a new control paradigm for T.b. rhodesiese in South East Uganda has lowered the incidence of human infections and, more importantly, halted the northerly spread of this parasite. However, recurring epidemics in several established and new disease foci in central Uganda highlight the difficulties involved in eliminating this disease. The present study assesses past and present HAT control strategies centred on Dokolo, Kaberamaido and Soroti Districts located at the centre of Uganda. These districts are highly endemic for T.b. rodesiense, they represent the region of concern for overlap with T.b. gambiense foci in central Uganda, and are the current focus of the Stamp out Sleeping sickness control initiative. The point prevalence of T. brucei s.1 in cattle reservoir from villages with (out) reported human disease located at specific distances to Otuboi, Chagwere and Ochero cattle markets, was evaluated before and six months after trypanocidal treatment, to assess the transferrable impact of zoonotic T.b. rhodesiense to the human population. Overall, the proportion of T. brucei s.1 in cattle dropped significantly from 22% at baseline to 9% six months after trypanocide treatment (P < 0.05, Chi-square + 17.92, 95% C.I. + 1.71 to 4.49). All villages located in sub-counties that received at least 80% treatment coverage had a drop in T. brucei s.1 prevalence from 30.4% (95%, C.I + 22.8 to 38.0) before treatment was done, to 12.9% (95%, C.I. + 7.4 to 18.4) six months after treatment. More specifically, impact on human infective T.b. rhodesiense was also halved. In fact only three cattle were detected with the parasite six months after treatment compared with six from those sampled as baseline. This study also utilises documented cases between 2009 and 2012 to assess the current HAT reporting system for monitoring and evaluating transmission dynamics of the disease. Using a questionnaire, capacity and preparedness of healthcare professionals to respond to disease epidemics was assessed. The point prevalence of sleeping sickness in the three districts in 2009 was determined by screening volunteers. Microscopic examinations detected trypanosomes in four volunteers (4/5311 or 0.075 %) while PCR detected significantly more infections (24, p < 0.001). Multiplex PCR showed that ten of the Trypanozoon infections were T.b. rhodesiense while nested PCR identified four infections as T.b. gamiense, indicating that the distribution of the two forms of sleeping sickness overlaps in Uganda. Second phase investigations followed up the PCR positive cases; these people were screened again, together with members of their homestead and the inhabitants of three neighbouring homes. Besides microscopy and PCR, study subjects were examined clinically for sleeping sickness and completed a questionnaire to assess community recognition of the disease. This extended screen revealed no new cases underlining the importance of stringent early screening that PCR techniques can provide. At local healthcare centres, 54% of reported sleeping sickness cases were diagnosed only at the late stage, indicating a weakness in early diagnosis and hence early reporting. Interviews with local health workers also revealed weaknesses in recognition of clinical signs and a gap in diagnostic capacity. While records at treating hospitals remain a useful indicator for targeting active foci of infection, improvement in capacity to diagnose HAT at an early stage should contribute both to rural health and disease control strategies and also towards WHO's 2020 target of elimination of HAT.

Bakgrund Sömn och matproblem är vanliga hos små barn. Bekymren kan vara stora och föräldrarna i behov av professionell hjälp. Barnavårdscentralerna har stor stöd- och hjälpfunktion men inte alltid resurser för detta. I Uppsala län finns en specialbarnavårdscentral som erbjuder råd och stöd vid dessa problem. Syfte med studien var att studera föräldrarnas bedömning av barnets sömn- eller matproblem före och efter kontakt med Special-BVC, samt om det fanns ett samband mellan antal kontakter och föräldrarnas bedömning av barnets situation efter avslutat kontakt. Metod Designen var en deskriptiv, komparativ studie där 67 av 102 (66 %) föräldrar besvarade frågor om förhållanden före och efter kontakt med Special-BVC. Resultat Inom flera områden minskade barnens sömn- eller matproblem efter kontakten med enheten. Emellertid bedömde föräldrar till barn med matproblem att dessa fortfarande var ett problem för barnet men inte för familjen medan barns problem gällande sömn minskat både för barnet och familjen. Diskussion Kvalitetssäkring av vårdverksamheters resultat är viktigt. Studien visade att Special-BVCs arbete ledde till en förbättrad situation för familjerna. Barnen hade haft sina problem länge, i genomsnitt tio månader. Många familjer borde kunna få hjälp på sin ordinarie BVC genom primärprevention eller genom tidiga sekundärpreventiva åtgärder. Special-BVCs arbetsmetodik borde därför spridas till den ordinarie BVC-verksamheten. / Background Sleeping and feeding problems are common in young children. The problem can be large and the parents need professional help. The Child Health Clinics aim to give help but hasn’t always enough resources. In Uppsala, a Specialist Child Health Team (Special-BVC) provides help to families with special needs. Aim was to study parents’ assessment of their child’s sleep or feeding problems before and after contact with "Special-BVC" and the relation between number of contacts and the child’s situation after the contact. Method The design was a descriptive, comparative study where 67 of 102 (66%) parents answered two questionnaires measuring the situation before and after contact with Special-BVC. Results In many areas the children's sleep or feeding problems decreased after the contact. Parents to children with food problems thought the child’s situation still was a problem for the child but not for the family, whereas parents to children with sleeping problems thought the problematic situation hade improved both for the child and the family. Discussion Quality assurance of care is important. The study showed the work done by Special-BVC improved the situation for the families. The children had had their problems a long time, an average of ten months. Many families should be help from their regular child health clinics through primary prevention or earlier secondary prevention. The working methods used at the Special-BVC should be disseminated to the regular child health clinics.

A series of combilexin-like monoamidines has been synthesized by linking an intercalative unit with the DNA minor groove binder DB 818 via “Click chemistry.” DB 818 is a dicationic minor groove binder that has shown strong binding affinity to AT sequences. The aim was to synthesize novel classes of DNA minor groove binders that are combilexin-like – minor groove binder / intercalator hybrid – as potential unique DNA binding agents and therapeutics against African Sleeping Sickness. Additionally, a series of novel benzo[d]1,3,2-diazaboroles DAPI derivatives were also synthesized and investigated. These boron compounds have the potential to be strong DNA minor groove binders because of their lower pKa and act as potential chromophores for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

A series of combilexin-like monoamidines has been synthesized by linking an intercalative unit with the DNA minor groove binder DB 818 via “Click chemistry.” DB 818 is a dicationic minor groove binder that has shown strong binding affinity to AT sequences. The aim was to synthesize novel classes of DNA minor groove binders that are combilexin-like – minor groove binder / intercalator hybrid – as potential unique DNA binding agents and therapeutics against African Sleeping Sickness. Additionally, a series of novel benzo[d]1,3,2-diazaboroles DAPI derivatives were also synthesized and investigated. These boron compounds ave the potential to be strong DNA minor groove binders because of their lower pKa and act as potential chromophores for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Undergraduate honors paper--Mount Holyoke College, 2008. Dept of Biological Sciences. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-53).

Undergraduate honors paper--Mount Holyoke College, 2007. Dept. of Biological Sciences. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-50).

The unprecedented rise of mobile user demand over the years have led to an enormous growth of the energy consumption of wireless networks as well as the greenhouse gas emissions which are estimated currently to be around 70 million tons per year. This significant growth of energy consumption impels network companies to pay huge bills which represent around half of their operating expenditures. Therefore, many service providers, including mobile operators, are looking for new and modern green solutions to help reduce their expenses as well as the level of their CO2 emissions. Base stations are the most power greedy element in cellular networks: they drain around 80% of the total network energy consumption even during low traffic periods. Thus, there is a growing need to develop more energy-efficient techniques to enhance the green performance of future 4G/5G cellular networks. Due to the problem of traffic load fluctuations in cellular networks during different periods of the day and between different areas (shopping or business districts and residential areas), the base station sleeping strategy has been one of the main popular research topics in green communications. In this presentation, we present several practical green techniques that provide significant gains for mobile operators. Indeed, combined with the base station sleeping strategy, these techniques achieve not only a minimization of the fossil fuel consumption but also an enhancement of mobile operator profits. We start with an optimized cell planning method that considers varying spatial and temporal user densities. We then use the optimal transport theory in order to define the cell boundaries such that the network total transmit power is reduced. Afterwards, we exploit the features of the modern electrical grid, the smart grid, as a new tool of power management for cellular networks and we optimize the energy procurement from multiple energy retailers characterized by different prices and pollutant levels in order to achieve green goals. Finally, we introduce the notion of green mobile operator collaboration as a new aspect of the green networking where competitive cellular companies might cooperate together in order to achieve green goals.

No description available.

By investigating Yanjiao and Beijing sub-centre, on both sides of the Chaobai River, it reveals that today more than 40% of the population in Yanjiao travels to and from Beijing for work.  Because of the inequities of political and administrative systems, as well as massive and uncontrolled urbanization, Yanjiao is losing its identity gradually.  Comparing Yanjiao with Beijing Sub-centre on the urban configuration, building typology, topography, and hydrology, the conclusion is that there are: 1) traditional small-scale allays and buildings, 2) significant unidirectional commuter flow to Beijing, and 3) the Chaobai River is not only the administrative boundary but also the development boundary between the two cities. To optimize this situation, three different levels of planning and design have been made:1.Regional planning: To improve the sustainable development situation of Yanjiao through inter-regional synergistic development, while creating more equal urban spaces with a water-based landscape structure. 2.Urban Design: By extracting the traditional urban morphology, local lifestyles, three primary interventions have been created for the design part. Through these three interfaces, the site links the surrounding urban space with a good spatial transition.3.Detailed design: Intervention and feeling of spatial qualities are shown through the rendering of the three interfaces.