SUMMARYThe unsteady interaction between an incompressible fluid and a deformable elastic structure is analyzed. An implicit numerical method is proposed. At each time step, the stresses at the fluid-structure interface are determined as a solution of an optimization problem. The modal decomposition of the structure equations leads to a problem to be solved with a reduced number of unknowns. The analytic gradient of the cost function was derived. Numerical tests validate the analytic derivative and show the behavior of a two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations with plate-like model interaction.

BackgroundConcurrent infections of Plasmodium falciparum with Soil Transmitted Helminths (STH) and Schistosoma spp are still a major public health problem among children living in Sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted two prospective studies among children living in urban and rural settings of Senegal, where control programmes for malaria, STH and schistosomiasis have been sustained, to determine the prevalence of malaria-helminth co-infection.MethodsWe enrolled 910 children aged 1–14 years from Saraya and Diourbel districts of Senegal in June and November 2021, respectively. We collected finger-prick blood samples from the children for malaria parasite detection using microscopy and PCR methods. Stool samples were also collected and Kato-Katz and PCR methods were used to detect STH and S. mansoni; and Merthiolate-iodine-formalin (MIF) test for other intestinal protozoans. Urine samples were analyzed using a filtration test, Point of Care Circulating Cathodic Antigens (POC-CCA) and PCR methods for detection of S. haematobium. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the continuous and categorical variables across the two study sites and age groups, as well as using the adjusted Odds ratios (aOR) to explore risk factors for malaria-helminth co-infections.ResultsThe overall prevalence of polyparasitism with P. falciparum, STH, S. haematobium and S. mansoni among children in the two study sites was 2.2% (20/910) while prevalence of P. falciparum-S. haematobium co-infection was 1.1% (10/910); P. falciparum-S. mansoni 0.7% (6/910) and P. falciparum with any intestinal protozoan 2.4% (22/910). Co-infection was slightly higher among 5–14 year old children (17/629, 2.7%; 95% CI: 1.43–3.97) than 1–4 years (3/281, 1.1%; 95% CI: −0.12–2.32) and, in boys (13/567, 2.3%; 95% CI: 1.27–3.96) than girls (7/343, 2.1%; 95% CI: 0.52–3.48). Children aged 5–14 years (aOR = 3.37; 95% CI: 0.82–13.77, p = 0.09), who were boys (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 0.48–4.36, p = 0.51) and lived in Saraya (aOR = 1.27; 95% CI: 0.24–6.69, p = 0.77) had a higher risk of malaria-helminth co-infection than other age group, in girls and those who lived in Diourbel. Living in houses with spaces between the walls and roofs as well as frequent contacts with water during swimming were statistically significant risk factors for malaria-helminth co-infection.ConclusionsThe prevalence of malaria-helminth co-infection is low in two districts in Senegal, possibly due to sustained implementation of effective control measures for malaria and NTDs. These findings could help to develop and implement strategies that would lead to elimination of malaria and helminths in the study areas.

A stent device is a permanent metallic implant currently used to prop open arteries blocked with atherosclerotic plaques. Many classes of stents are available and mainly differ by their design. Our purpose in this paper is to determine some optimal stent parameters to ensure a conforming blood flow through the stented artery. Coupling computational fluid dynamics with stochastic optimization based method is used to obtain the optimal parameters of a simplified stent. Our results point out that the obtained related stents overcome or at least reduce the risk of the late restenosis in stented segments.

Background SMC was adopted in Nigeria in 2014 and by 2021 was being implemented in 18 states, over four months between June and October by 143000 community drug distributors (CDDs) to a target population of 23million children. Further expansion of SMC is planned, extending to 21 states with four or five monthly cycles. In view of this massive scale-up, the National Malaria Elimination Programme undertook qualitative research in five states shortly after the 2021 campaign to understand community attitudes to SMC so that these perspectives inform future planning of SMC delivery in Nigeria. Methods In 20 wards representing urban and rural areas with low and high SMC coverage in five states, focus group discussions were held with caregivers, and in-depth interviews conducted with community leaders and community drug distributors. Interviews were also held with local government area and State malaria focal persons and at national level with the NMEP coordinator, and representatives of partners working on SMC in Nigeria. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, those in local languages translated into English, and transcripts analysed using NVivo software. Results In total, 84 focus groups and 106 interviews were completed. Malaria was seen as a major health concern, SMC was widely accepted as a key preventive measure, and community drug distributors (CDDs) were generally trusted. Caregivers preferred SMC delivered door-to-door to the fixed-point approach, because it allowed them to continue daily tasks, and allowed time for the CDD to answer questions. Barriers to SMC uptake included perceived side-effects of SMC drugs, a lack of understanding of the purpose of SMC, mistrust and suspicions that medicines provided free may be unsafe or ineffective, and local shortages of drugs. Conclusions Recommendations from this study were shared with all community drug distributors and others involved in SMC campaigns during cascade training in 2022, including the need to strengthen communication about the safety and effectiveness of SMC, recruiting distributors from the local community, greater involvement of state and national level pharmacovigilance coordinators, and stricter adherence to the planned medicine allocations to avoid local shortages. The findings reinforce the importance of retaining door-to-door delivery of SMC.