On the use of artificial neural networks in remotely piloted aircraft acquired images for estimating reservoir’s bathymetry

The use of acoustic systems for mapping submerged areas is the most accurate way. However, echosounders are expensive and, in addition, the equipment requires a great deal of experience on the part of the specialist. From another perspective, orbital and aerial images (acquired by RPA’s- Remotely Piloted Aircraft) can offer bathymetric maps of larger locations that are difficult to access at a low operating cost. Therefore, the present study’s main objective was to evaluate the utility of RGB images obtained with RPA’s in water reservoirs. Thus, Artificial Neural Networks were used for depth training and prediction. Subsequently, it compared to the bathymetric data from the same pond in question, raised from acoustic sensors, quantifying the vertical uncertainty through three estimators. Regarding the statistical analysis, the RMSE and Ф estimators showed better reliability. The 300-point sample showed the best quality in processing. The results showed that the methodology could improve the management of water resources. The method allows reduced execution time and lowers cost, especially for using only the green, red and blue channels, easily found in most cameras coupled to RPA’s

POINT TO POINT: AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR EXTRACTING “HOMOLOGOUS POINTS” IN BATHYMETRIC DATA COLLECTED WITH A MULTIBEAM SYSTEM

Due to waterway transport efficiency, mainly for commercial trades, the use of sea/river routes has grown recently. So, the importance of producing high quality nautical charts stands out. A nautical chart is the hydrographic survey final product and its accuracy depends on data quality collected, primarily of the vertical quality (depth). In this sense, despite the theoretical and practical difficulty in obtaining homologous points in hydrographic surveys, even when performing check lines, bathymetric data must always be delivered with a statistically proven confidence level. Thus, this study has two main objectives: i) to propose a method, called Point to Point (P2P), for obtaining “homologous points” for hydrographic surveys carried out with multibeam systems, without resorting to mathematical and/or statistical interpolations, called Point to Point (P2P); ii) to quantify the magnitude of the difference between the statistical evaluation using check lines (CL) and by overlapping successive sounding lines (SL), applying the P2P method. The results showed that P2P is easy to application, provide low computation effort, is robust and consistent. Besides that, was possible to applied successive regular lines to get a validation of the hydrographic survey

Characterization of impact pile driving signals during installation of offshore wind turbine foundations

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 147(4), (2020): 2323, doi:10.1121/10.0001035.Impact pile driving creates intense, impulsive sound that radiates into the surrounding environment. Piles driven vertically into the seabed generate an azimuthally symmetric underwater sound field whereas piles driven on an angle will generate an azimuthally dependent sound field. Measurements were made during pile driving of raked piles to secure jacket foundation structures to the seabed in waters off the northeastern coast of the U.S. at ranges between 500 m and 15 km. These measurements were analyzed to investigate variations in rise time, decay time, pulse duration, kurtosis, and sound received levels as a function of range and azimuth. Variations in the radiated sound field along opposing azimuths resulted in differences in measured sound exposure levels of up to 10 dB and greater due to the pile rake as the sound propagated in range. The raked pile configuration was modeled using an equivalent axisymmetric FEM model to describe the azimuthally dependent measured sound fields. Comparable sound level differences in the model results confirmed that the azimuthal discrepancy observed in the measured data was due to the inclination of the pile being driven relative to the receiver.This paper was presented at the fifth International Meeting on The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life held in Den Haag, July 2019. Study concept, oversight, and funding for the experiment were provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Environmental Studies Program, Washington, DC, under Contract No. M15PC00002, Task Order M16PD00025. Collaborators in this project include Randy Gallien and Anwar Khan (HDR, Inc.).2020-10-1

Incontinência urinária de esforço na mulher: aspectos etiopatogênicos, métodos diagnósticos e manejo cirúrgico com técnicas de sling

A incontinência urinária (IU) é uma condição em que ocorre perda involuntária de urina e afeta, principalmente, as mulheres, especialmente, após a menopausa. A patogênese da IU ainda não é completamente compreendida, mas sabe-se que está relacionada à disfunção da bexiga ou dos músculos pélvicos. É classificada como incontinência urinária de esforço (IUE), incontinência urinária de urgência (IUU) e incontinência urinária mista (IUM), sendo a primeira a mais prevalente e o foco dessa revisão. Em relação às mulheres, existem fatores de riscos bem estabelecidos, como paridade, obesidade, histerectomia, uso de diurético, hipoestrogenismo e tosse crônica. Tal condição está associada a um impacto significativo no cotidiano e no convívio social dos portadores, sendo imprescindível o diagnóstico precoce e o tratamento adequado. Todavia, por estar associada ao processo natural do envelhecimento, muitas vezes é menosprezada e subdiagnosticada. O diagnóstico inicial da IU envolve determinar se a incontinência é transitória ou crônica e identificar o subtipo a qual pertence. Embora o diagnóstico seja principalmente clínico, o exame físico, exames laboratoriais complementares e estudo urodinâmico podem ser utilizados para confirmação. No que se refere ao tratamento, em especial da IUE, que é a mais comum, pode envolver abordagens farmacológicas, fisioterápicas e, cada vez mais, cirúrgicas. Entre os tratamentos cirúrgicos, os procedimentos de slings tornaram-se a cirurgia padrão-ouro para IUE devido às altas taxas de cura, abordagem minimamente invasiva, recuperação rápida e baixo risco de complicações. Os dois principais tipos de procedimentos de sling para tratamento de IUE em mulheres são slings uretrais e pubovaginais. É o procedimento individual mais investigado com as evidências mais fortes que justificam seu uso

Evaluation of global ocean–sea-ice model simulations based on the experimental protocols of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (OMIP-2)

We present a new framework for global ocean- sea-ice model simulations based on phase 2 of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP-2), making use of the surface dataset based on the Japanese 55-year atmospheric reanalysis for driving ocean-sea-ice models (JRA55-do).We motivate the use of OMIP-2 over the framework for the first phase of OMIP (OMIP-1), previously referred to as the Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments (COREs), via the evaluation of OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations from 11 state-of-the-science global ocean-sea-ice models. In the present evaluation, multi-model ensemble means and spreads are calculated separately for the OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations and overall performance is assessed considering metrics commonly used by ocean modelers. Both OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 multi-model ensemble ranges capture observations in more than 80% of the time and region for most metrics, with the multi-model ensemble spread greatly exceeding the difference between the means of the two datasets. Many features, including some climatologically relevant ocean circulation indices, are very similar between OMIP-1 and OMIP- 2 simulations, and yet we could also identify key qualitative improvements in transitioning from OMIP-1 to OMIP- 2. For example, the sea surface temperatures of the OMIP- 2 simulations reproduce the observed global warming during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the warming slowdown in the 2000s and the more recent accelerated warming, which were absent in OMIP-1, noting that the last feature is part of the design of OMIP-2 because OMIP-1 forcing stopped in 2009. A negative bias in the sea-ice concentration in summer of both hemispheres in OMIP-1 is significantly reduced in OMIP-2. The overall reproducibility of both seasonal and interannual variations in sea surface temperature and sea surface height (dynamic sea level) is improved in OMIP-2. These improvements represent a new capability of the OMIP-2 framework for evaluating processlevel responses using simulation results. Regarding the sensitivity of individual models to the change in forcing, the models show well-ordered responses for the metrics that are directly forced, while they show less organized responses for those that require complex model adjustments. Many of the remaining common model biases may be attributed either to errors in representing important processes in ocean-sea-ice models, some of which are expected to be reduced by using finer horizontal and/or vertical resolutions, or to shared biases and limitations in the atmospheric forcing. In particular, further efforts are warranted to resolve remaining issues in OMIP-2 such as the warm bias in the upper layer, the mismatch between the observed and simulated variability of heat content and thermosteric sea level before 1990s, and the erroneous representation of deep and bottom water formations and circulations. We suggest that such problems can be resolved through collaboration between those developing models (including parameterizations) and forcing datasets. Overall, the present assessment justifies our recommendation that future model development and analysis studies use the OMIP-2 framework

Evaluation of global ocean–sea-ice model simulations based on the experimental protocols of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project phase 2 (OMIP-2)

We present a new framework for global ocean–sea-ice model simulations based on phase 2 of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP-2), making use of the surface dataset based on the Japanese 55-year atmospheric reanalysis for driving ocean–sea-ice models (JRA55-do). We motivate the use of OMIP-2 over the framework for the first phase of OMIP (OMIP-1), previously referred to as the Coordinated Ocean–ice Reference Experiments (COREs), via the evaluation of OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations from 11 state-of-the-science global ocean–sea-ice models. In the present evaluation, multi-model ensemble means and spreads are calculated separately for the OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations and overall performance is assessed considering metrics commonly used by ocean modelers. Both OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 multi-model ensemble ranges capture observations in more than 80 % of the time and region for most metrics, with the multi-model ensemble spread greatly exceeding the difference between the means of the two datasets. Many features, including some climatologically relevant ocean circulation indices, are very similar between OMIP-1 and OMIP-2 simulations, and yet we could also identify key qualitative improvements in transitioning from OMIP-1 to OMIP-2. For example, the sea surface temperatures of the OMIP-2 simulations reproduce the observed global warming during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the warming slowdown in the 2000s and the more recent accelerated warming, which were absent in OMIP-1, noting that the last feature is part of the design of OMIP-2 because OMIP-1 forcing stopped in 2009. A negative bias in the sea-ice concentration in summer of both hemispheres in OMIP-1 is significantly reduced in OMIP-2. The overall reproducibility of both seasonal and interannual variations in sea surface temperature and sea surface height (dynamic sea level) is improved in OMIP-2. These improvements represent a new capability of the OMIP-2 framework for evaluating process-level responses using simulation results. Regarding the sensitivity of individual models to the change in forcing, the models show well-ordered responses for the metrics that are directly forced, while they show less organized responses for those that require complex model adjustments. Many of the remaining common model biases may be attributed either to errors in representing important processes in ocean–sea-ice models, some of which are expected to be reduced by using finer horizontal and/or vertical resolutions, or to shared biases and limitations in the atmospheric forcing. In particular, further efforts are warranted to resolve remaining issues in OMIP-2 such as the warm bias in the upper layer, the mismatch between the observed and simulated variability of heat content and thermosteric sea level before 1990s, and the erroneous representation of deep and bottom water formations and circulations. We suggest that such problems can be resolved through collaboration between those developing models (including parameterizations) and forcing datasets. Overall, the present assessment justifies our recommendation that future model development and analysis studies use the OMIP-2 framework.This research has been supported by the Integrated Research Program for Advancing Climate Models (TOUGOU) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan (grant nos. JPMXD0717935457 and JPMXD0717935561), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) (grant no. 274762653), the Helmholtz Climate Initiative REKLIM (Regional Climate Change) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation program (grant nos. 727862 and 800154), the Research Council of Norway (EVA (grant no. 229771) and INES (grant no. 270061)), the US National Science Foundation (NSF) (grant no. 1852977), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 41931183 and 41976026), NOAA's Science Collaboration Program and administered by UCAR's Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) (grant nos. NA16NWS4620043 and NA18NWS4620043B), and NOAA (grant no. NA18OAR4320123).Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Avanços no Entendimento do Desenvolvimento Infantil em Crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA): Implicações Clínicas e Terapêuticas.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects social communication and involves repetitive or restrictive behaviors. With its increasing prevalence, the need to understand and effectively intervene in ASD is urgent. This review focuses on recent advancements related to understanding child development in children with ASD and the subsequent clinical and therapeutic implications. Behavioral interventions continue to be the cornerstone of treatment, with intensive and well-structured approaches showing improvements in areas such as communication and social skills. However, play-based therapies have gained prominence, providing natural environments for social development. Simultaneously, the field of pharmacological interventions has evolved, aiming to address specific symptoms and associated comorbidities of ASD. Despite promising individualized approaches, combining multiple interventions proves to be more effective, considering the multifaceted nature of ASD. Future research should continue to focus on evidence-based and individualized treatments, with an emphasis on a deep understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms and long-term assessment of interventions.O Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) é uma condição neurodesenvolvimental que afeta a comunicação social e comportamentos repetitivos ou restritos. Com uma prevalência crescente, a necessidade de entender e intervir de forma eficaz no TEA é urgente. Esta revisão foca nos avanços recentes relacionados ao entendimento do desenvolvimento infantil em crianças com TEA e as subsequentes implicações clínicas e terapêuticas. Intervenções comportamentais continuam a ser a espinha dorsal do tratamento, com abordagens intensivas e bem-estruturadas demonstrando melhorias em áreas como comunicação e habilidades sociais. No entanto, terapias baseadas em jogo têm ganhado destaque, proporcionando ambientes naturais para desenvolvimento social. Paralelamente, o campo das intervenções farmacológicas tem evoluído, visando tratar sintomas específicos e comorbidades associadas ao TEA. Apesar das promissoras abordagens individualizadas, combinar múltiplas intervenções se mostra mais eficaz, considerando a natureza multifacetada do TEA. As pesquisas futuras devem continuar focando em tratamentos individualizados e baseados em evidências, com ênfase em uma compreensão profunda dos mecanismos neurobiológicos subjacentes e avaliação de longo prazo das intervenções