Semiautomatic quality control of topographic reference datasets

The usefulness and acceptance of spatial information systems are mainly dependent on the quality of the underlying geodata. This paper describes a system for semiautomatic quality control of existing geospatial data via automatic image analysis using aerial images, high-resolution satellite imagery (IKONOS and RapidEye) and low-resolution satellite imagery (Disaster Monitoring Constellation, DMC) with mono- and multi-temporal approaches focusing on objects which cover most of the area of the topographic dataset. The goal of the developed system is to reduce the manual efforts to a minimum. We shortly review the system design and then we focus on the automatic components and their integration in a semiautomatic workflow for verification and update. A prototype of the system has been in use for several years. From the experience gained during this time we give a detailed report on the system performance in its application as well as an evaluation of the results

Performance of Layer-by-Layer-Modified Multibore® Ultrafiltration Capillary Membranes for Salt Retention and Removal of Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Polyether sulfone Multibore® ultrafiltration membranes were modified using polyelectrolyte multilayers via the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique in order to increase their rejection capabilities towards salts and antibiotic resistance genes. The modified capillary membranes were characterized to exhibit a molecular weight cut-off (at 90% rejection) of 384 Da. The zeta-potential at pH 7 was −40 mV. Laboratory tests using single-fiber modified membrane modules were performed to evaluate the removal of antibiotic resistance genes; the LbL-coated membranes were able to completely retain DNA fragments from 90 to 1500 nt in length. Furthermore, the pure water permeability and the retention of single inorganic salts, MgSO$_{4}$, CaCl$_{2}$ and NaCl, were measured using a mini-plant testing unit. The modified membranes had a retention of 80% toward MgSO$_{4}$ and CaCl$_{2}$ salts, and 23% in case of NaCl. The modified membranes were also found to be stable against mechanical backwashing (up to 80 LMH) and chemical regeneration (in acidic conditions and basic/oxidizing conditions)

Tales from the riverside: What community stories can tell us about sustainable water resources management practices

The integrity of renewable freshwater resources is critical for ensuring sustainable futures for human and more –than-human human life. Developing strategies to mediate and encourage symbiosis between the dominant discourses of sustainable water resources management, the realm of the ‘expert’, and indigenous knowledges and practices, is essential. This paper argues that informal, biographical storytelling plays a central role in the way that people comprehend and articulate their ‘lifeworld’: the people, values and actions that make sense to them. Understanding the importance of storytelling is therefore fundamental to connecting sustainability messaging with people’s lived experiences. Conversely, indigenous practices can refine and finesse ‘expert’ methodologies. The author presents the results of empirical fieldwork, undertaken through a series of conversations with residents within three inter-connected riparian communities, which captures performances of storytelling regarding water resources. Cataloguing these community stories reveals the nuanced ways experiential learning and community action form and shape highly individual responses with respect to local water resources management. The community stories detailed here suggest that affirmative action at the catchment level, through investments of time, expertise and funding, help create a sense of communal responsibility, and agency, over local water resources. Policies and processes that fail to intimately connect with these local perspectives are deemed remote, irrelevant and are dismissed. Yet the ‘story’ of sustainability is still only partial at the riverside; more needs to be done to communicate the urgency and scale of transformative change needed to move towards sustainable futures. The paper suggests that paying closer attention to community stories could enable those operating within the dominant discourses realms – academics, practitioners, technicians, politicians – to not only critically engage with indigenous knowledges and practices, but may also provide opportunities to find ways to seed these stories with the wider ‘big history’ perspective so essential to supporting sustainable futures, and water resource integrity, over the long term

Physical activity monitoring in Alzheimer’s disease during sport interventions: a multi-methodological perspective

IntroductionAssessment methods for physical activity and fitness are of upmost importance due to the possible beneficial effect of physical conditioning on neurodegenerative diseases. The implementation of these methods can be challenging when examining elderly or cognitively impaired participants. In the presented study, we compared three different assessment methods for physical activity from the Dementia-MOVE trial, a 6-months intervention study on physical activity in Alzheimer’s disease. The aim was to determine the comparability of physical activity assessments in elderly participants with cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease.Material or methods38 participants (mean age 70 ± 7 years) with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease (mean MoCA 18.84 ± 4.87) were assessed with (1) fitness trackers for an average of 12 (± 6) days, (2) a written diary on daily activities and (3) a questionnaire on physical activity at three intervention timepoints. For comparison purposes, we present a transformation and harmonization method of the physical assessment output parameters: Metabolic equivalent of task (MET) scores, activity intensity minutes, calorie expenditure and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) scores were derived from all three modalities. The resulting parameters were compared for absolute differences, correlation, and their influence by possible mediating factors such as cognitive state and markers from cerebrospinal fluid.ResultsParticipants showed high acceptance and compliance to all three assessment methods. MET scores and MVPA from fitness trackers and diaries showed high overlap, whilst results from the questionnaire suggest that participants tended to overestimate their physical activity in the long-term retrospective assessment. All activity parameters were independent of the tested Alzheimer’s disease parameters, showing that not only fitness trackers, but also diaries can be successfully applied for physical activity assessment in a sample affected by early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.DiscussionOur results show that fitness trackers and physical activity diaries have the highest robustness, leading to a highly comparable estimation of physical activity in people with Alzheimer’s disease. As assessed parameters, it is recommendable to focus on MET, MVPA and on accelerometric sensor data such as step count, and less on activity calories and different activity intensities which are dependent on different variables and point to a lower reliability

Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry:Workshop Summary

This document presents a summary of the 2023 Terrestrial Very-Long-Baseline Atom Interferometry Workshop hosted by CERN. The workshop brought together experts from around the world to discuss the exciting developments in large-scale atom interferometer (AI) prototypes and their potential for detecting ultralight dark matter and gravitational waves. The primary objective of the workshop was to lay the groundwork for an international TVLBAI proto-collaboration. This collaboration aims to unite researchers from different institutions to strategize and secure funding for terrestrial large-scale AI projects. The ultimate goal is to create a roadmap detailing the design and technology choices for one or more km-scale detectors, which will be operational in the mid-2030s. The key sections of this report present the physics case and technical challenges, together with a comprehensive overview of the discussions at the workshop together with the main conclusions

Epidermal growth factor receptor expression licenses type-2 helper T cells to function in a T cell receptor-independent fashion

Gastro-intestinal helminth infections trigger the release of interleukin-33 (IL-33), which induces type-2 helper T cells (Th2 cells) at the site of infection to produce IL-13, thereby contributing to host resistance in a T cell receptor (TCR)-independent manner. Here, we show that, as a prerequisite for IL-33-induced IL-13 secretion, Th2 cells required the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and of its ligand, amphiregulin, for the formation of a signaling complex between T1/ST2 (the IL-33R) and EGFR. This shared signaling complex allowed IL-33 to induce the EGFR-mediated activation of the MAP-kinase signaling pathway and consequently the expression of IL-13. Lack of EGFR expression on T cells abrogated IL-13 expression in infected tissues and impaired host resistance. EGFR expression on Th2 cells was TCR-signaling dependent, and therefore, our data reveal a mechanism by which antigen presentation controls the innate effector function of Th2 cells at the site of inflammation