Sequential adaptive strategies for sampling rare clustered populations.

A new class of sampling strategies is proposed that can be applied to population-based surveys targeting a rare trait that is unevenly spread over an area of interest. Our proposal is characterised by the ability to tailor the data collection to specific features and challenges of the survey at hand. It is based on integrating an adaptive component into a sequential selection, which aims both to intensify the detection of positive cases, upon exploiting the spatial clustering, and to provide a flexible framework to manage logistics and budget constraints.

TB Hackathon: Development and Comparison of Five Models to Predict Subnational Tuberculosis Prevalence in Pakistan.

Pakistan's national tuberculosis control programme (NTP) is among the many programmes worldwide that value the importance of subnational tuberculosis (TB) burden estimates to support disease control efforts, but do not have reliable estimates. A hackathon was thus organised to solicit the development and comparison of several models for small area estimation of TB. The TB hackathon was launched in April 2019.

Analysis of tuberculosis prevalence surveys: new guidance on best-practice methods.

Background: An unprecedented number of nationwide tuberculosis (TB) prevalence surveys will be implemented between 2010 and 2015, to better estimate the burden of disease caused by TB and assess whether global targets for TB control set for 2015 are achieved. It is crucial that results are analysed using best-practice methods.

Objective: To provide new theoretical and practical guidance on best-practice methods for the analysis of TB prevalence surveys, including analyses at the individual as well as cluster level and correction for biases arising from missing data.

[Cleaning validation of the prefermentation-fermentation group for production of biomedical products].

The fermentation-group is largely employed to produce pharmaceuticals by means of biotechnology techniques. The operative functions of these plants are surely kept under control by the validation process, while its cleaning is less investigated. The aim of this work is the cleaning validation of a fermentation-group.

[Orthopantomography and auxological diagnosis].

The results of a research about dental age assessment and its relationships with skeletal age are presented. Using a method based on eight stages of tooth formation, as visualized on panoramic radiography, a sample of 327 patients between 3 and 13 and 1/2 was investigated. Data were analyzed splitting into sex and skeletal Class groups and following the steps: 1) description: by charts and percentages; 2) analysis: by contingency tables and independence statistical tests; 3) synthesis of association: by a proper index.