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Yes / In this work, a compact 4-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system is presented for sub-6 GHz applications. A modified M-shaped strip is used to form each antenna element in the MIMO system. To improve performance, a rectangular-shaped area is etched on the opposite side of each element in the ground plane. The antenna size is 100 × 60 mm2. Most interestingly, the port isolation is improved by rotating the etched areas and the corresponding radiating elements. This one-of-a-kind approach aided in the development of a highly isolated MIMO antenna with a small footprint. The theory of characteristic modes (TCM) is used to analyze the behavior of rotating the etched areas in the ground of the antenna. The antenna provides significant port isolation above 20 dB, stable radiation patterns, and an outstanding ECC of less than 0.01. The design is simple and compact, making it suitable for MIMO operation on handheld devices.

Many real-world systems can be represented as network-graphs. Some of the networks have an inherent community structure based on interactions. The problem of identifying this grouping structure given a graph is termed as community detection problem which has certain existing algorithms. This thesis contributes by providing specific improvements to various community detection algorithms such as spectral clustering and extreme point algorithm. One of the main contributions is proposing a new sub-sampling method to make existing spectral clustering method scalable by reducing the computational complexity. Also, we have implemented extreme points algorithm for a general multiple communities detection case along with a sub-sampling based version to reduce the computational complexity. We have also developed spectral clustering algorithm for popularity-adjusted block model (PABM) model based graphs to make the algorithm exact thus improving its accuracy. / Master of Science / We live in an increasingly interconnected world, where agents constantly interact with each other. This general agent-interaction framework describes many important systems, such as social interpersonal systems, protein interaction systems, trade and financial systems, power grids, and the World Wide Web, to name a few. By denoting agents as nodes and their interconnections as links, any such system can be represented as a network. Such networks or graphs provide a powerful and universal representation for analyzing a wide variety of systems spanning a remarkable range of scientific disciplines. Networks act as conduits for many kinds of transmissions. For instance, they are influential in the dissemination of ideas, adoption of technologies, helping find jobs and spread of diseases. Thus networks play a critical role both in providing information and helping make decisions making them a crucial part of the Data and Decisions Destination Area. A well-known feature of many networks is community structure. Nodes in a network are often found to belong to groups or communities that exhibit similar behavior. The identification of this community structure, called community detection, is an important problem with many critical applications. For example, communities in a protein interaction network often correspond to functional groups. This thesis focuses on cutting-edge methods for community detection in networks. The main approach is efficient community detection via sub-sampling. This is applied to two different approaches. The first approach is optimization of a modularity function using a low-rank approximation for multiple communities. The second approach is a spectral clustering where we aim to formulate an algorithm for community detection by exploiting the eigenvectors of the network adjacency matrix.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

What has caused the. African continent to remain fragmented, underdeveloped, and lacking liberal democracies? The present study attempts to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the effect European colonialism has had on sub-Saharan Africa democratic development. The research finds that problems of democratic consolidation in sub-saharan Africa are not necessarily due to the primitiveness of government institutions or trivial ethnic tensions, as generally believed. Instead the case is made that decades of absolute and arbitrary rule under European colonizers has hampered democratic development. Disregard for humanity and civility by the European colonial states made a peaceful transition after independence nearly impossible. The current complex challenges obstructing democratic consolidation in sub-Saharan Africa can be understood by examining the region's colonial history. This research project takes into account the uniqueness of Africa's experience by steering away from the traditional Western approach to truly understand Africa's democratic plight. Extensive qualitative research was conducted in order to determine the reasons why democracy is lacking in a majority of sub-Saharan Africa. The effects of European colonialism, the necessary factors for democratic transition, and why democratization is still limited in the region were all examined. While colonialism may not be the sole reason for sub-Saharan Africa's failed democracies, this research finds that it is the instigator of centuries of social, political, and ethnic strife.

Yes / As the world is transitioning to a low carbon economy, there are various energy issues that have arisen not only in the developing world but also the developed world. These rotate around the energy access, energy poverty and energy security challenges that must be addressed in different countries. The crucial role of energy in our everyday lives can no longer be underestimated. Energy is used in our homes for cooking, lighting. It is also used in hospitals, industries and other sectors of the economy. Despite of this, hundreds of millions of people still lack even basic access to modern energy such as electricity, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) for lighting and cooking, respectively. In the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region for instance, over 600 million people lack access to modern energy. For the developed world like the United Kingdom, in recent years they have been struggling with energy poverty challenges, specifically, issues of affordability, as most people have been finding it hard to pay for the energy bills. Despite these energy challenges, there have been debate to limit the reliance of certain types of energy such as fossil fuels, which are considered to be the main contributor to Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHE), that are associated with climate change. This book chapter therefore, is intended to explore the energy access challenges in SSA, and analyse the effectiveness of the energy transition initiatives. The chapter will also draw more attention to the realities of the energy progression dialogue in both the global north and global south. / The full-text of this book chapter will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 27 Mar 2026.

Bakgrund: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) är en ärftlig sjukdom som fysiskt, psykiskt och socialt påverkar de drabbade individerna. Okunskap, fördomar och myter om albinism utgör de största orsakerna till den diskriminering som personer med albinism utsatts för särskilt i vissa länder i Afrika söder om Sahara. Syfte: Syftet är att beskriva hälsan hos personer med albinism i Rwanda, utifrån begreppen diskriminering, coping och socialt stöd. Metod: En kvalitativ metod med induktiv ansats ligger till grund för denna undersökning. 14 semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes i Rwanda för insamlingen av data och en intervjuguide utformades för att underlätta intervjuprocessen. Intervjuerna spelades in och därefter transkriberades för att sedan analyseras med hjälp av en manifest innehållsanalys där datamaterialet framställdes i fyra kategorier. Resultat: Personer med albinism upplever diskriminering och deras hälsa påverkas därmed negativt. De använder sig utav olika coping-strategier för att hantera denna diskriminering. Förväntningarna är att med ökad kunskap om albinism och ökade stödinsatser bör kunna minska diskrimineringen i samhället. Slutsats: Albinism är ett folkhälsoproblem som förtjänar ytterligare forskning och utökade åtgärder för att öka medvetenheten om sjukdomen och för att stödja personerna som lever med albinism. / Background: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a hereditary disease that directly impacts the physical, mental and social health of affected individuals, particularly in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Ignorance, prejudices and myths about albinism are the biggest cause of the discrimination of people living with albinism in particular countries within this region. Aim: The aim is to describe the health of people with albinism in Rwanda, based on the concepts of discrimination, coping and social support. Method: A qualitative method with an inductive approach serves as the basis for this study. 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted in Rwanda for the collection of data and an interview guide was designed to facilitate the interview process. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using a manifest content-analysis model that revealed four different categories of results. Result: People with albinism are experiencing discrimination and this adversely affects their health. Different coping strategies are used by people with albinism for dealing with their differing experiences of this discrimination. The expectations of these people are that increased knowledge about albinism and increased support measures ought to reduce the discrimination within their society. Conclusion: Albinism is a public health problem that deserves further research and increased measures towards increasing the awareness surrounding albinism and supporting the daily lives of the people living with albinism.

Les pays africains au sud du Sahara ont vu leur nombre de patients sous traitement antirétroviral (ARV) croître de façon rapide depuis 2005. Si l’impact individuel et collectif de cette montée en puissance des traitements est positif dans l’ensemble, les défis demeurent nombreux en termes de dépistage, d’observance, d’adhésion aux soins, de résistance aux ARV, de dépendance vis-à-vis des bailleurs de fonds, et de disponibilité des personnels. Dans ce contexte, la question du moment idéal pour proposer le début du traitement ARV doit être abordée de façon médicale individuelle (quel est le rapport bénéfices/risques individuel à débuter à des seuils différents ?), mais également de façon collective en terme de bénéfices et risques pour la communauté, d’organisation des soins, d’analyse médico-économique, de prioritisation et d’équité. Cette thèse, qui est une thèse de recherche clinique, aborde le premier volet de la question, celui des bénéfices et des risques pour l’individu à débuter un traitement plus tôt. Sur ce sujet, le raisonnement a beaucoup évolué au cours des 15 dernières années. Après l’arrivée des multithérapies ARV à la fin des années 1990, la crainte de la toxicité des médicaments a d’abord incité à une approche prudente, et à recommander le seuil de début à 200 CD4/mm3 chez les personnes asymptomatiques. Cette crainte de la toxicité a conduit au début des années 2000 à essayer de pratiquer des « interruptions programmées » d’ARV, pour tenter d’obtenir le maintien au dessus d’un seuil de 200 CD4/mm3, tout en limitant l’exposition aux médicaments. Nous avons participé à un de ces essais d’interruptions programmées en Côte d’Ivoire, au cours duquel nous avons contribué à affiner les connaissances sur la toxicité des ARV (Moh, Antivir Ther 2005). Les essais d’interruptions programmées ont conduit à constater que : (i) les personnes qui interrompaient entre 350 et 250 CD4/mm3 avaient plus de risque de morbidité sévère que celles qui n’interrompaient pas, (ii) les personnes qui débutaient leur premier traitement avant 350 CD4/mm3 avaient moins de risque de morbidité que celles qui débutaient plus tard (Moh, AIDS 2007), et (iii) dans l’essai d’interruption Trivacan réalisé en Côte d’Ivoire, cette morbidité sévère intermédiaire était plus fréquente que dans l’essai SMART réalisé sur d’autres continents, et avait un spectre différent, dominé par la tuberculose et les maladies bactériennes sévères. Les conclusions de ces essais ont donc été que le traitement ARV devait être débuté beaucoup plus tôt que ce qui était auparavant recommandé, et que ceci était probablement encore plus vrai en Afrique sub-Saharienne que dans le reste du monde. En 2008, nous avons lancé en Côte d’Ivoire l’essai Temprano ANRS 12136, dont l’objectif est d’évaluer les bénéfices et risques d’un traitement ARV précoce avec ou sans 6 mois de prophylaxie par isoniazide (INH) chez des adultes infectés par le VIH-1 ayant entre 250 et 800 CD4/mm3. De Mars 2008 à Juillet 2012, 2076 adultes ont été inclus dans l’essai Temprano, dont le suivi se terminera en décembre 2014. L’état du suivi est bon, et les incidences de morbidité et mortalité actuellement constatées sont conformes aux hypothèses du protocole. La pratique de la prophylaxie par INH s’avère bien tolérée, et la procédure choisie par notre équipe (radiographie de thorax systématique et période tampon d’observation de un mois avant le début de l’INH) apporte une grande sécurité de prescription (Moh, Plos One, manuscrit en révision). Notre équipe a traversé une crise politico-militaire au 1er semestre 2011, qui n’a pas eu de retentissement sur la qualité de l’essai en cours. Cette crise a par contre eu des effets délétères pour les patients sous traitement ARV, puisque les échecs virologiques retardés sont significativement associés au fait d’avoir été sous traitement pendant cette période (Moh, manuscrit soumis). . / The African countries situated in the South of the Sahara have seen their number of patients under antiretroviral therapy (ART) grow rapidly since 2005. If the individual and collective impact of this rise of the treatments is positive overall, challenges remain in terms of screening, compliance, accession to care, resistance to ARTs, dependence on donors, and availability of the staff. In this context, the question of the ideal time to propose initiation of ART must be addressed in the individually medical way (what is the individual benefit-harm ratio to start at different thresholds?) but also collectively in terms of benefits and risks for the community, organization of care, medico-economic analysis, prioritization and equity. This thesis, which is a clinical research thesis, addresses the first part of the question, the benefits and risks for the individual to start treatment earlier. On this subject, the rationale has changed considerably over the past 15 years. After the arrival of ART multitherapy at the end of the 1990s, the fear of drug toxicity first prompted a cautious approach, and to recommend the threshold from beginning to 200 CD4/mm3 in the asymptomatic people. This fear of toxicity led in the early 2000s to try to practice "scheduled interruptions" of ARTs, to try to get the maintenance above a threshold of 200 CD4/mm3, in limiting exposure to the drug. We have participated in one of these trials of interruptions programmed in Côte d'Ivoire, in which we have helped to refine the knowledge on the toxicity of ARTs (Moh, Antivir Ther 2005). Testing scheduled interruptions led to see that: (i) persons who interrupted between 350 and 250 CD4/mm3 had greater risk of severe diseases than those who didn’t interrupt, (ii) persons who started their first treatment prior to 350 CD4/mm3 had less risk of morbidity than those who started later (Moh, 2007 AIDS), and (iii) in trial interruption Trivacan launched in Côte d'Ivoire, this intermediate severe morbidity was more frequent than in the SMART trial carried out on other continents, and had a different spectrum dominated by tuberculosis and severe bacterial diseases. The findings of these trials were that the ART should be started much earlier than was previously recommended, and that this was probably even truer in sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world. In 2008, we launched in Ivory Coast the clinical trial, Temprano ANRS 12136, whose objective is to assess the benefits and risks of early ART with or without 6 months of prophylactic isoniazid (INH) in HIV-1 infected adults with CD4 250 and 800/mm3. From March 2008 to July 2012, 2076 adults were included in the trial Temprano, which follow-up will be completed by December 2014. The state of the follow-up is good, and the impact of morbidity and mortality currently observed are consistent with the assumptions of the Protocol. The practice of INH prophylaxis is well tolerated, and the procedure chosen by our team (systematic chest x-ray and period buffer observation of one month before the beginning of the INH) brings a prescription safety (Moh, Plos One manuscript in review). Our team went through a crisis politico-military 1St half 2011, which had no impact on the quality of the ongoing trial. This crisis has however had deleterious effects for patients under ART, since delayed virological failure are significantly related to the fact of having been under treatment during this period (Moh, submitted manuscript).