Think Forward.

A New Hope; The Dawn of Computational Pathology

Ferdaous Idlahcen, 8 mon.
1 min read.
April 12, 2017, marked a revolutionary turning point day in medicine. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted de novo 510(k) clearance of the first whole slide imaging (WSI) system for primary diagnosis in surgical pathology. A product abides an FDA regulation as a medical device if it fulfills in labels, promotion, and/or consumption the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act standards (Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations part 201, [h]), yielding adherence to pre- and post-marketing regulatory purview. The intended usage will decide on the governing pathway yet protect public health. In stark contrast to digitizing radiology initiated in 1980, digital pathology has been lethargic, with many perceiving the late regulatory field as the main barrier to its deployment. Now, such a milestone is a testament to the tenacity of The Digital Pathology Association, the strong evidence of safety, effectiveness, and noninferiority to the discordance rate of glass slides from Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution - the first WSI solution - and, of course, an open-mindedness and forward-thinking of FDA for its implications for pathologists and patients. The first «system enables pathologists to read tissue slides digitally to make diagnoses, rather than looking directly at a tissue sample mounted on a glass slide under a conventional light microscope. » «Because the system digitizes slides that would otherwise be stored in physical files, it also provides a streamlined slide storage and retrieval system that may help make critical health information available to pathologists, other health care professionals, and patients faster. » (Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., 2017). Under those conditions, the least inevitable scenarios, such as an expert second opinion and on-site pathologists' hurdles, and the essential to dispatch samples—a process that might prolong for days or weeks contingent on variables like distance, sensitive item, and transportation mode—are eased. Once again, pathology is among the complex subjects encountering global health issues, a chronic shortage of pathologists, stress/burnout, and substantial workloads, e.g., 0.1 pathologists/100k habitats in Africa. Even beyond a century, it has retained a vital function in diagnosing cancer -the 21st-century pandemic. But while pathology governs treatment decisions, patient care avenues, and oncology research, it is paradoxically the most vulnerable to inter- and intra-observer agreement matters. In short, digital pathology, virtual microscopy, or so-called “whole-slide scanning (imaging)”, is to cope with today's pathology pressure by streamlining workflow, widening collaboration and telepathology, boosting diagnostic confidence, and educational purposes, yet unsurprisingly, new horizons have emerged! «Not only will it promote increased efficiencies and collaboration between pathologists, but it also opens a completely new dimension toward computational pathology, which aims to increase accuracies and ultimately enhance patient care. » (Russell Granzow, 2017).

Sports performance, Africa has only one choice...

Aziz Daouda, 8 mon.
3 min read.
The extraordinary experience of Nezha Bidouane, Hicham El Guerrouj, Khalid Skah, Brahim Boutayeb, Nawal El Moutawakel, Salah Hissou, Hasna Benhassi, Zahra Ouaziz, Said Aouita, Jawad Gharib, Ali Ezzine and so many others has made Morocco a super power of world athletics. At that time, Morocco was among the notable countries in world athletics with dazzling results and a continuity of almost a quarter of a century. Morocco was even fifth in the world in 1999, during the world championships in Seville. Very high-level performances, charismatic athletes, Moroccan coaches trained properly in Morocco, an inspired federal policy, unconditional support from the State, generous royal concern have made this Morocco great for athletics. At the world level, for the training of high-level athletes, there are two successful and time-honoured experiences, two ways of training and producing performance and a third which is gaining a good place, which is even becoming the more productive, the one invented and implemented in Morocco. This Moroccan method has been emulated. It was adopted by the IAAF at the time, by the African Confederation and also by more than one country. Roughly speaking, you have the American system with large, very rich universities having all the means to train very high-level athletes. American universities are developing scientific research in sports performance, investing in large laboratories in exercise physiology, psychology and other cognitive sciences, sports sociology and all other areas of physical activity for well-being and the production of sports performance. They invest in sporting performance to improve and consolidate their respective image, in a major inter-university competition. They are therefore the most productive in the world, benefiting from developed knowledge, an unrivaled level of supervision and an inspiring historical record. They are a super power and provide the USA with all-round sporting power. So the USA has always been one step ahead of the rest of the world. Alongside the American system there is the European system with large clubs supported by very rich local authorities and very generous sponsors. This system therefore produces the second largest sporting power in the world and this is seen at the various world championships and the Olympic Games every four years. In Africa we have neither of these systems, nor could we have one in the near future. So, in Morocco, we invented our own path which is to design and set up a national institution which brings together very talented young people selected from a good prospecting and talent detection system. The selected ones are then placed in an environment of high competence, optimized performance, under the leadership of 100% Moroccan executives. Having an exclusively national framework is of great importance on a cultural, sociological and emotional level. We must never forget that sporting performance is a cultural expression. Everyone's motivation is the same: to represent the country with dignity. This is what allowed us for more than 20 years to be among the ten greatest nations in the world, to have dozens of titles and world records. I think this is the path for African countries. In Kenya too, almost all athletes come from a similar system initiated by certain equipment manufacturers and by the IAAF in the past. Ethiopia has adopted the same path. This is also the path that the CAA is currently developing by multiplying the African Athletics Development Centers -AADC-. These are executive training and training units for young athletes. Unfortunately the system is threatened by lack of resources, World Athletics having chosen not to follow the CAA in this voice. Such a system can only work on the basis of an intelligently thought out and effectively carried out detection system. Why don't we see new generations of great Moroccan athletes, would be the question that more than one would ask me? Sports performance, if it depends on the will of leaders and a favorable environment, it depends above all and above all on the men who work in the system, on their commitment and their genius. Structures and funding are not sufficient to generate high performance. We are here in a cultural domain of permanent creativity, based on a vision which combines will with cultural aspects but without neglecting the consideration of scientific advances at the highest level. The foresight of decision-makers, the level of confidence in management, the continuity of the system are all factors which will impact the process of producing sporting performance. As soon as one of these factors is disturbed, the machine jams. We must therefore conclude that to produce sporting performance, the continent has only one choice: that of training centers. This is what football does brilliantly in certain African countries including Morocco. Aziz Daouda

But what is Gamal Abdel Nacer still doing in Conakry...

Aziz Daouda, 8 mon.
What was my surprise when I was told that for my stay of only 3 nights in Conakry, I was going to stay at the « Hôtel de L'Université » which is in fact called Gamal Abdel Nacer University. We must return to both the recent and distant history of Guinea Conakry to understand what Gamal Abdel Nacer is doing, or rather was doing, in this region of Africa. The University is now some 60 years old. It has no less than 35,000 students and some 620 teachers. The students represent nearly twenty countries. It is a university that aims to be innovative and competitive in the service of socio-economic development and environmental balance in Guinea, in the region and in the world. Built with the support of the Soviet Union in 1962, it was known until 1984 as the Polytechnic Institute of Conakry. The University was then named in honor of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. It served for a long time to provide the country with its elites. Here Gamal is honored, elsewhere he was named Paper Tiger or even Tiger of Falouga, so much so that he puffed out his chest and suffered a series of defeats and disasters that his country continues to pay till today. An excess of "philosophical" vision undoubtedly misguided, meaningless slogans, based on an ideology without anchor, neither social nor even less cultural or historical, if not just a dream. The Officer who called himself free had, with a group of friends, overthrown the very young egyptian Monarchy as a Kingdom. Previously, Egypt had Sultans. Fouad II overthrown by Gamal and his barracks friends, acceded to the throne in July 1952, aged only 7 months and 10 days, after the abdication of his father Farouk. Farouk thought that by abdicating, leaving the throne to his baby with a regent who seemed to be accepted, he would calm the ardor of the officers and thus save his young monarchy. It didn't work. Farouk ended up leaving the country with honors, thus avoiding a bloodbath and confrontation between the military and pro-monarchist forces. The free officers will then name Mohammed Naguib president of the Arab Republic of Egypt in June 1953. An Arab Republic in Africa, heir to the greatest civilization that the African continent and the world had given birth to. Gamal was appointed prime minister in April 1954 but not for long...A few months later, on November 14, 1954, poor Naguib was kindly thanked and Gamal succeeded him quite naturally. Naguib born in Sudan will then go and write books...At the time it should be remembered, Sudan was part of Egypt but under shared sovereignty with the United Kingdom. Sudan will be declared an independent state in January 1956. The free officers of Egypt in fact, carried a project of national independence, believing that Egypt was not in fact free and that the English still had an ascendancy over the monarchy. There was also there, and above all an air of revenge of the common people, who were the young army officers, on a Cairo bourgeoisie or even nobility, speaking mostly in French, moreover, of Turkish or very close. The officers naively promised and no doubt dreamed of rapid economic development for the benefit of all...A somewhat special vision of communism and a socialism which was sought for a long time without ever succeeding, based on the doctrine of the Baathist Michel Aflak, a Syrian which skillfully combines socialism and pan-Arabism. Michel Aflak is a fan of secularism and freedom from Western interests. The Baath subtly opposed socialism to Marxism, a way of satisfying the deeply religious populations, predominantly Muslim and not only, and for whom Marxism was synonymous with atheism. We are here in the Middle East, the cradle and heart of all monotheistic religions... The Baath found in Gamal the ideal tribune. His inflammatory speeches met with an immense echo in Egypt and the Arab world: the army then appeared as the savior of an enlarged nation. The Arab Nation… Nacer's speeches mobilized and inflamed crowds at home and beyond. Its Cairo Radio, then received on short wave throughout the so-called Arab world, would play a capital role in propaganda that would restore pride to populations who had not yet emerged from the yoke of colonization in the region. Mohamed Abdelwahab will add a nice layer with the song Douae Echark (Call of the Orient) to the words of the great poet Mahmoud Hassan Ismail. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pieces of music by the Egyptian virtuoso. Oum Kaltoum will do his part in 1964 with Ala Bab Masr (At the Gates of Egypt); words by Kamal Echanaoui and a composition once again by Mohamed Abdelwahab. She will also sing among others Ya Gamal ya Mital Alwatania (Gamal Example of nationalism or patriotism...). But the one who sang the most on the occasion of the July 23 celebrations was the young singer of that time, Abdel Halim Hafez, notably with his famous song Ihna Chaab (We the people). In fact, we are here faced with an extremely well-oiled system serving a cause that wanted to be pan-Arabist in the service of a military regime that wanted to be exportable to all countries with the Arabic language as the common denominator. The revolution was intended to be Egyptian but was to extend to the entire Arab world. It will succeed in overthrowing regimes almost everywhere, in Iraq, Libya, Syria... it will settle in Algeria and fail to make Hassan II of Morocco bend for example... The war of sands (Guerre des sables) was imposed to him but his solidity and his political sense will surprise them...

Got venom? Snakes do, and they're not afraid to share!

Anas Bedraoui, 8 mon.
0 min read.
Snake venom is basically the snake's own zesty hot sauce, but instead of spicing up tacos, it's designed to knock out dinner—or an unlucky human. Imagine this: a snake, a legless danger noodle, whips up this venom, a mix that says, "Back off, buddy, or you'll feel funny!" But here's the kicker: scientists get a kick out of this venom, milking snakes like tiny, scaly cows to make medicine. Yep, the stuff that can make you see double is also being used to fix your health troubles. Talk about a snake with a side hustle!

Even in the digital age, travel agencies remain an ideal partner for hotels

Othmaneig, 8 mon.
2 min read.
In the digital age, although many travelers book their stays online directly, incoming travel agencies remain partners of choice for hotels. Operating a hotel requires an in-depth study of the target clientele, competitors and partners with whom we can collaborate to optimize revenue management. A receptive travel agency or a DMC (Destination Management Company) offers its clients (individuals and corporates) support from A to Z, from the design of tourist activities, transport management, reservation of accommodation and seminar rooms , the inclusion of catering services, and even the provision of more special services (rental of translation equipment, audiovisual equipment, etc.) during their stays, tours or events. This is a stable source of customers for the hospitality industry, as travel agencies tend to refer their customers to the same trusted providers. Travel agencies make it possible in particular to increase occupancy rates, to generally improve the guest experience of customers thanks to the advice and support offered to customers and the local experiences that they will offer, they make it possible to streamline and to optimize hotel operations, particularly check-in, and to alleviate pressure on sales and marketing teams. Indeed, they often manage the logistical and administrative aspects of reservations, allowing hotels to focus on improving the guest experience and other operational aspects. Depending on the type (leisure or business), its capital structure (belonging to an international chain, a hotel investment group or family-owned), its size and its range, the advantages for a hotel in making travel agencies Travel of top allies may vary. Here are some reasons why hotels may benefit from collaborating with travel agencies despite the evolving digital landscape: Travel agencies often benefit from a global reach through their sales representatives, partner issuing agencies and their presence at international trade shows. They thus attract a large audience. Collaborating with these agencies allows hotels to reach potential guests who might not have discovered their property through other means. Conversely, partnerships with well-established Moroccan travel agencies can help hotels reach a local audience. Agencies can promote special packages, seasonal offers and special events, helping to attract national clients. Agencies invest heavily in online marketing, which can be costly and complex for an individual hotel. By working with agencies, hotels can leverage their marketing campaigns, social media presence and partnerships to attract more guests. They offer multi-channel distribution, allowing hotels to reach different market segments through various online channels. This can include websites, mobile applications and especially partnerships with other travel platforms such as Travel Exchange, American Express, Perfect Stay, Voyage Privé, Ctrip, etc. which deploy cutting-edge digital strategies to enable new categories of Internet users to travel more, notably taking advantage of last minute flash sales. Travel agencies can also help hotels optimize revenue by dynamically managing rates and availability. This is particularly important to maximize profits and fill available rooms, especially in low season. It is also important to note that hotels must find the right balance in their distribution strategy, avoiding excessive dependence on certain online platforms. They can sometimes specialize in source markets not usual for the destination (for example in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia or Latin America), thus offering hotels the possibility of reaching a diversified clientele, limiting the risks of business continuity linked to conflicts, disasters, etc. Finally, DMCs (Destination Management Companies), through their global vision of the destination and their collaborations with numerous hotels, can be good propagators of best practices. They are also an excellent source of opinions, feedback and recommendations to be used to improve customer satisfaction. Studies carried out in the tourism sector in the aftermath of covid often lead to the same conclusions among which we can find the importance of addressing firstly to a local clientele, the need to develop inclusive tourism anchored in its environment, the urgency of the ecological transition but also the need to strengthen cooperation between the different players in the industry in order to make it more stable, more sustainable and therefore more attractive both for investors and for talents.

"She"

El Hombre Galan, 8 mon.
0 min read.
She held on her the life struggle with grace Time to time and over, breaks made haste Tears wet ran down her face But she prevailed and found her way Loving herself and letting her dark thoughts stay In the moments the task at hand, she has nothing to worry and believes she can In the end after time has passed She will look back and have a laugh and remember the times tough and true We are not our thoughts ----------- we are what we do

"Perfect Mistakes"

El Hombre Galan, 8 mon.
0 min read.
You cannot make mistakes They are perfect moments to the art of your life You cannot have perfection Because it's the flaws that make you the most beautiful

"The Ones"

El Hombre Galan, 8 mon.
0 min read.
We crave “the ones” that need salvation We crave “the ones” that face starvation Not for saving or comforting our souls The wall “the ones” they climb, brings them to us We are the rope, the strong rope they need. Tattered, frayed and a little torn but able to hold giants