EVASPA (EVapotranspiration Assessment from SPAce) Tool: An overview

AbstractEvapotranspiration (ET) is a fundamental variable of the hydrological cycle and its estimation is required for irrigation management, water resources planning and environmental studies. Remote sensing provides spatially distributed cost-effective information for ET maps production at regional scale. We have developed EVASPA too for mapping ET from remote sensing data at spatial and temporal scales relevant to hydrological or agronomica studies.EVASPA includes several algorithms for estimating evapotranspiration and various equations for estimating the required input information (net radiation, ground heat flux, evaporative fraction…), which provides a way to assess uncertainties in the derivation of ET. The tool integrates data from various remote sensing sensors and it can be easily adapted to new sensors. To test the tool, evapotranspiration maps have been produced for the Crau-Camargue pilot site (south-eastern France), where several energy balance stations deployed in contrasted areas provide ground measurements. An overall description of the tool and first results of performance asse sment (comparison to ground data) are presented here

Supporting the Possibilities of Urban Commoning in Montréal’s Champ des Possibles: Progress Report

A former railyard, the Champ des Possibles has regenerated and is now a protected green space co-managed by the Plateau-Mont-Royal council and a community organization, Les Amis du Champ des Possibles. This documents provides an overview of findings from an online survey about the Champ des Possibles conducted during the summer of 2020 by researchers at Concordia and McGill Universities in partnership with Les Amis du Champ des Possibles as part of a SSHRC funded project , "Supporting the Possibilities of Urban Commoning in Montreal's Champ des Possibles." After introducing the project, the report highlights survey findings related to current and past use of the Champ, values associated with the Champ, and perceptions of and interest in participating it the site's management and governance

17β-HSD type 2 activity and localization in human adipose tissue

Testosterone can be converted into androstenedione (4-dione) by 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) activity likely performed by 17β-HSD type 2. Our objective was to evaluate the rate of testosterone conversion to 4-dione as well as expression and localization of 17β-HSD type 2 in omental (OM) vs. subcutaneous (SC) adipose tissues of men. Formation of 4-dione from testosterone was significantly higher in homogenates (p ≤ 0.001) and explants (p ≤ 0.01) of OM than SC tissue. Microscopy analyses and biochemical assays in cell fractions localized the enzyme in the vasculature/endothelial cells of adipose tissues. Conversion of testosterone to 4-dione was weakly detected in most OM and/or SC preadipocyte cultures. Positive correlations were found between 17β-HSD type 2 activity in whole tissue and BMI or SC adipocyte diameter. We conclude that conversion of testosterone to 4-dione detected in abdominal adipose tissue is caused by 17β-HSD type 2 which is localized in the vasculature of the adipose compartment

Etude de faisabilité d'un projet d'appui aux unités de conservation de la faune au Burkina Faso. Document final et proposition de projet

Dans le cadre de la réforme de la gestion des ressources naturelles, le Burkina Faso innove avec le concept d'Unité de Conservation de la Faune. Les zones de chasse et les parcs nationaux amodiés au secteur privé doivent contribuer au développement local, subvenir en partie à leurs propres besoins de gestion pour soulager les finances publiques et conserver durablement la biodiversité en la valorisant par différents modes de tourisme : vision, grande chasse, petite chasse. Cette approche devrait être appuyée par un projet de la coopération bilatérale France/Burkina Faso au travers de l'Agence Française de Développement et au Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial. Le présent document étudie la faisabilité de ce projet. Il fait suite à mon premier document dans lequel était présentée une étude détaillée du contrat. (Résumé d'auteur

Uncertainty assessment of surface net radiation derived from Landsat images

The net radiation flux available at the Earth's surface drives evapotranspiration, photosynthesis and other physical and biological processes. The only cost-effective way to capture its spatial and temporal variability at regional and global scales is remote sensing. However, the accuracy of net radiation derived from remote sensing data has been evaluated up to now over a limited number of in situ measurements and ecosystems. This study aims at evaluating estimates and uncertainties on net radiation derived from Landsat-7 images depending on reliability of the input surface variables albedo, emissivity and surface temperature. The later includes the reliability of remote sensing information (spectral reflectances and top of canopy brightness temperature) and shortwave and longwave incoming radiations. Primary information describing the surface is derived from remote sensing observations. Surface albedo is estimated from spectral reflectances using a narrow-to-broadband conversion method. Land surface temperature is retrieved from top of canopy brightness temperature by accounting for land surface emissivity and reflection of atmospheric radiation; and emissivity is estimated using a relationship with a vegetation index and a spectral database of soil and plant canopy properties in the study area. The net radiation uncertainty is assessed using comparison with ground measurements over the Crau–Camargue and lower Rhone valley regions in France. We found Root Mean Square Errors between retrievals and field measurements of 0.25–0.33 (14–19%) for albedo, ~ 1.7 K for surface temperature and ~ 20 W·m− 2 (5%) for net radiation. Results show a substantial underestimation of Landsat-7 albedo (up to 0.024), particularly for estimates retrieved using the middle infrared, which could be due to different sources: the calibration of field sensors, the correction of radiometric signals from Landsat-7 or the differences in spectral bands with the sensors for which the models where originally derived, or the atmospheric corrections. We report a global uncertainty in net radiation of 40–100 W·m− 2 equally distributed over the shortwave and longwave radiation, which varies spatially and temporally depending on the land use and the time of year. In situ measurements of incoming shortwave and longwave radiation contribute the most to uncertainty in net radiation (10–40 W·m− 2 and 20–30 W·m− 2, respectively), followed by uncertainties in albedo (< 25 W·m− 2) and surface temperature (~ 8 W·m− 2). For the latter, the main factors were the uncertainties in top of canopy reflectances (< 10 W·m− 2) and brightness temperature (5–7 W·m− 2). The generalization of these results to other sensors and study regions could be considered, except for the emissivity if prior knowledge on its characterization is not available

A modified technique (using polyester tape) of skin surface biopsy. Its interest for the investigation of athlete's foot.

A technical modification of skin surface biopsy has been introduced by using plastic tape instead of glass as holder, mainly to investigate mycological infections of skin folds. Among various brands of plastic sheets, a polyester film (Melinex O UCB-SIDAC) has been demonstrated as the most suitable. A direct microscopic comparison has been made between our modified technique and conventional scraping as procedures for collecting material from interdigital spaces in 30 patients with bilateral athlete's foot. It has been shown that the skin surface biopsy gives a slightly greater number of positive results (presence of dermatophytes or Candida species) than the conventional scraping technique, although the difference between both techniques is not statistically significant at the 0-05 level (0-05 less than P less than 0-10). Some advantages of the modified skin surface biopsy are emphasized

VODKA-PLSR, une famille de modèles PLSR dérivés de l'algorithme NIPALS

National audienc