Integrating efficientnet into an hafnet structure for building mapping in high-resolution optical earth observation data

Automated extraction of buildings from Earth observation (EO) data is important for various applications, including updating of maps, risk assessment, urban planning, and policy-making. Combining data from different sensors, such as high-resolution multispectral images (HRI) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, has shown great potential in building extraction. Deep learning (DL) is increasingly used in multi-modal data fusion and urban object extraction. However, DL-based multi-modal fusion networks may under-perform due to insufficient learning of “joint features” from multiple sources and oversimplified approaches to fusing multi-modal features. Recently, a hybrid attention-aware fusion network (HAFNet) has been proposed for building extraction from a dataset, including co-located Very-High-Resolution (VHR) optical images and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) joint data. The system reported good performances thanks to the adaptivity of the attention mechanism to the features of the information content of the three streams but suffered from model over-parametrization, which inevitably leads to long training times and heavy computational load. In this paper, the authors propose a restructuring of the scheme, which involved replacing VGG-16-like encoders with the recently proposed EfficientNet, whose advantages counteract exactly the issues found with the HAFNet scheme. The novel configuration was tested on multiple benchmark datasets, reporting great improvements in terms of processing times, and also in terms of accuracy. The new scheme, called HAFNetE (HAFNet with EfficientNet integration), appears indeed capable of achieving good results with less parameters, translating into better computational efficiency. Based on these findings, we can conclude that, given the current advancements in single-thread schemes, the classical multi-thread HAFNet scheme could be effectively transformed by the HAFNetE scheme by replacing VGG-16 with EfficientNet blocks on each single thread. The remarkable reduction achieved in computational requirements moves the system one step closer to on-board implementation in a possible, future “urban mapping” satellite constellation

AKAP79/150 Anchoring of Calcineurin Controls Neuronal L-Type Ca2+ Channel Activity and Nuclear Signaling

SummaryNeuronal L-type calcium channels contribute to dendritic excitability and activity-dependent changes in gene expression that influence synaptic strength. Phosphorylation-mediated enhancement of L-type channels containing the CaV1.2 pore-forming subunit is promoted by A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) that target cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) to the channel. Although PKA increases L-type channel activity in dendrites and dendritic spines, the mechanism of enhancement in neurons remains poorly understood. Here, we show that CaV1.2 interacts directly with AKAP79/150, which binds both PKA and the Ca2+/calmodulin-activated phosphatase calcineurin (CaN). Cotargeting of PKA and CaN by AKAP79/150 confers bidirectional regulation of L-type current amplitude in transfected HEK293 cells and hippocampal neurons. However, anchored CaN dominantly suppresses PKA enhancement of the channel. Additionally, activation of the transcription factor NFATc4 via local Ca2+ influx through L-type channels requires AKAP79/150, suggesting that this signaling complex promotes neuronal L channel signaling to the nucleus through NFATc4

Imaging kinase–AKAP79–phosphatase scaffold complexes at the plasma membrane in living cells using FRET microscopy

Scaffold, anchoring, and adaptor proteins coordinate the assembly and localization of signaling complexes providing efficiency and specificity in signal transduction. The PKA, PKC, and protein phosphatase-2B/calcineurin (CaN) scaffold protein A–kinase anchoring protein (AKAP) 79 is localized to excitatory neuronal synapses where it is recruited to glutamate receptors by interactions with membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) scaffold proteins. Anchored PKA and CaN in these complexes could have important functions in regulating glutamate receptors in synaptic plasticity. However, direct evidence for the assembly of complexes containing PKA, CaN, AKAP79, and MAGUKs in intact cells has not been available. In this report, we use immunofluorescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy to demonstrate membrane cytoskeleton–localized assembly of this complex. Using FRET, we directly observed binding of CaN catalytic A subunit (CaNA) and PKA-RII subunits to membrane-targeted AKAP79. We also detected FRET between CaNA and PKA-RII bound simultaneously to AKAP79 within 50 Å of each other, thus providing the first direct evidence of a ternary kinase–scaffold–phosphatase complex in living cells. This finding of AKAP-mediated PKA and CaN colocalization on a nanometer scale gives new appreciation to the level of compartmentalized signal transduction possible within scaffolds. Finally, we demonstrated AKAP79-regulated membrane localization of the MAGUK synapse-associated protein 97 (SAP97), suggesting that AKAP79 functions to organize even larger signaling complexes

Anchored phosphatases modulate glucose homeostasis.

Endocrine release of insulin principally controls glucose homeostasis. Nutrient-induced exocytosis of insulin granules from pancreatic β-cells involves ion channels and mobilization of Ca(2+) and cyclic AMP (cAMP) signalling pathways. Whole-animal physiology, islet studies and live-β-cell imaging approaches reveal that ablation of the kinase/phosphatase anchoring protein AKAP150 impairs insulin secretion in mice. Loss of AKAP150 impacts L-type Ca(2+) currents, and attenuates cytoplasmic accumulation of Ca(2+) and cAMP in β-cells. Yet surprisingly AKAP150 null animals display improved glucose handling and heightened insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle. More refined analyses of AKAP150 knock-in mice unable to anchor protein kinase A or protein phosphatase 2B uncover an unexpected observation that tethering of phosphatases to a seven-residue sequence of the anchoring protein is the predominant molecular event underlying these metabolic phenotypes. Thus anchored signalling events that facilitate insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis may be set by AKAP150 associated phosphatase activity

Progetto Terra più Sicura: i rischi geologici e la loro prevenzione spiegati agli studenti delle scuole secondarie di primo grado

L'associazione Geologia Senza Frontiere onlus (www.gsf.it) è nata nel 2003 dalla volontà di un gruppo di geologi, ambientalisti e naturalisti di dare una prospettiva comune alle competenze conseguite nell'ambito della ricerca universitaria, dell'attività professionale e della cooperazione. Durante l'anno scolastico 2013-2014 Geologia Senza Frontiere ha ideato e realizzato il progetto Terra più Sicura (TpS), volto all'insegnamento dei rischi geologici in scuole secondarie di primo grado di Lazio, Toscana e Veneto. Gli obiettivi del progetto sono stati in particolare l'avvicinamento di studenti ed insegnanti ai problemi della sicurezza del territorio, dei rischi in esso presenti, oltre a come prevenire ed affrontare in maniera consapevole e corretta le emergenze naturali

Blood cyanide determination in two cases of fatal imtoxication: comparison between headspace gas chromatography and a spectrophotometric method

Blood samples of two cases were analyzed preliminarily by a classical spectrophotometric method (VIS) and by an automated headspace gas chromatographic method with nitrogen-phosphorus detector (HS-GC \u2044 NPD). In the former, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was quantitatively determined by measuring the absorbance of chromophores forming as a result of interaction with chloramine T. In the automated HS-GC \u2044NPD method, blood was placed in a headspace vial, internal standard (acetonitrile) and acetic acid were then added. This resulted in cyanide being liberated as HCN. The spectrophotometric (VIS) and HS-GC\u2044NPD methods were validated on postmortem blood samples fortified with potassium cyanide in the ranges 0.5\u201310 and 0.05\u20135 lg \u2044 mL, respectively. Detection limits were 0.2 lg \u2044mL for VIS and 0.05 lg \u2044mL for HS-GC\u2044NPD. This work shows that results obtained by means of the two procedures were insignificantly different and that they compared favorably. They are suitable for rapid diagnosis of cyanide in postmortem cases

Role of the Cysteine in R3 Tau Peptide in Copper Binding and Reactivity

Tau is a widespread neuroprotein that regulates the cytoskeleton assembly. In some neurological disorders, known as tauopathies, tau is dissociated from the microtubule and forms insoluble neurofibrillary tangles. Tau comprises four pseudorepeats (R1-R4), containing one (R1, R2, R4) or two (R3) histidines, that potentially act as metal binding sites. Moreover, Cys291 and Cys322 in R2 and R3, respectively, might have an important role in protein aggregation, through possible disulfide bond formation, and/or affecting the binding and reactivity of redox-active metal ions, as copper. We, therefore, compare the interaction of copper with octadeca-R3-peptide (R3C) and with the mutant containing an alanine residue (R3A) to assess the role of thiol group. Spectrophotometric titrations allow to calculate the formation constant of the copper(I) complexes, showing a remarkable stronger interaction in the case of R3C (log K-f = 13.4 and 10.5 for copper(I)-R3C and copper(I)-R3A, respectively). We also evaluate the oxidative reactivity associated to these copper complexes in the presence of dopamine and ascorbate. Both R3A and R3C peptides increase the capability of copper to oxidize catechols, but copper-R3C displays a peculiar mechanism due to the presence of cysteine. HPLC-MS analysis shows that cysteine can form disulfide bonds and dopamine-Cys covalent adducts, with potential implication in tau aggregation process

Middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke and COVID-19: a case report

We present a clinical case of a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection and respiratory symptoms, complicated with a pro-thrombotic state involving multiple vascular territories and concomitant interleukin-6 increase. This case underlines the possibility to develop a COVID-19-related coagulopathy

Selective imitation impairments differentially interact with language processing

Whether motor and linguistic representations of actions share common neural structures has recently been the focus of an animated debate in cognitive neuroscience. Group studies with brain-damaged patients reported association patterns of praxic and linguistic deficits whereas single case studies documented double dissociations between the correct execution of gestures and their comprehension in verbal contexts. When the relationship between language and imitation was investigated, each ability was analysed as a unique process without distinguishing between possible subprocesses. However, recent cognitive models can be successfully used to account for these inconsistencies in the extant literature. In the present study, in 57 patients with left brain damage, we tested whether a deficit at imitating either meaningful or meaningless gestures differentially impinges on three distinct linguistic abilities (comprehension, naming and repetition). Based on the dual-pathway models, we predicted that praxic and linguistic performance would be associated when meaningful gestures are processed, and would dissociate for meaningless gestures. We used partial correlations to assess the association between patients' scores while accounting for potential confounding effects of aspecific factors such age, education and lesion size. We found that imitation of meaningful gestures significantly correlated with patients' performance on naming and repetition (but not on comprehension). This was not the case for the imitation of meaningless gestures. Moreover, voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping analysis revealed that damage to the angular gyrus specifically affected imitation of meaningless gestures, independent of patients' performance on linguistic tests. Instead, damage to the supramarginal gyrus affected not only imitation of meaningful gestures, but also patients' performance on naming and repetition. Our findings clarify the apparent conflict between associations and dissociations patterns previously observed in neuropsychological studies, and suggest that motor experience and language can interact when the two domains conceptually overla

Fast shower simulation in the ATLAS calorimeter

The time to simulate pp collisions in the ATLAS detector is largely dominated by the showering of electromagnetic particles in the heavy parts of the detector, especially the electromagnetic barrel and endcap calorimeters. Two procedures have been developed to accelerate the processing time of electromagnetic particles in these regions: (1) a fast shower parameterisation and (2) a frozen shower library. Both work by generating the response of the calorimeter to electrons and positrons with Geant 4, and then reintroduce the response into the simulation at runtime. In the fast shower parameterisation technique, a parameterisation is tuned to single electrons and used later by simulation. In the frozen shower technique, actual showers from low-energy particles are used in the simulation. Full Geant 4 simulation is used to develop showers down to ~1 GeV, at which point the shower is terminated by substituting a frozen shower. Judicious use of both techniques over the entire electromagnetic portion of the ATLAS calorimeter produces an important improvement of CPU time. We discuss the algorithms and their performance in this paper