Change Detection Using Landsat and Worldview Images

This paper presents some preliminary results using Landsat and Worldview images for change detection. The studied area had some significant changes such as construction of buildings between May 2014 and October 2015. We investigated several simple, practical, and effective approaches to change detection. For Landsat images, we first performed pansharpening to enhance the resolution to 15 meters. We then performed a chronochrome covariance equalization between two images. The residual between the two equalized images was then analyzed using several simple algorithms such as direct subtraction and global Reed-Xiaoli (GRX) detector. Experimental results using actual Landsat images clearly demonstrated that the proposed methods are effective. For Worldview images, we used pansharpened images with only four bands for change detection. The performance of the aforementioned algorithms is comparable to that of a commercial package developed by Digital Globe

Metacognitive Therapy for Depression in Adults: A Waiting List Randomized Controlled Trial with Six Months Follow-Up

This randomized controlled trial examines the efficacy of metacognitive therapy (MCT) for depression. Thirty-nine patients with depression were randomly assigned to immediate MCT (10 sessions) or a 10-week wait list period (WL). The WL-group received 10 sessions of MCT after the waiting period. Two participants dropped out from WL and none dropped out of immediate MCT treatment. Participants receiving MCT improved significantly more than the WL group. Large controlled effect sizes were observed for both depressive (d = 2.51) and anxious symptoms (d = 1.92). Approximately 70–80% could be classified as recovered at post-treatment and 6 months follow-up following immediate MCT, whilst 5% of the WL patients recovered during the waiting period. The results suggest that MCT is a promising treatment for depression. Future controlled studies should compare MCT with other active treatments

Temperature-induced formation of lubricous oxides in vanadium containing iron-based arc sprayed coatings

In the field of surface engineering, the use of self-lubricous coatings with the incorporation of vanadium represent a promising approach to reduce friction, thus contributing to the wear behavior. For vanadium containing hard coatings produced by means of thin film technology, the reduction in friction at elevated temperatures was repeatedly attributed to temperature-induced and tribo-oxidatively formed oxides which act as solid lubricant. Only very few studies focused on the tribological characteristics of vanadium containing arc sprayed coatings. In this study, the tribological characteristics of a vanadium containing iron-based arc sprayed deposit were investigated in dry sliding experiments under ambient conditions and different temperatures. Types of wear at the worn surfaces and counterparts were examined by means of electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The speciation of vanadium in the superficial layer was determined using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. It was found that the vanadium-containing coating exhibited a distinctly reduction of the coefficient of friction above 450 °C which further decreased with increasing temperature. XANES spectroscopy indicated an increased oxidation state for the V component on the coating surface, suggesting the prevalence of specific vanadium oxides which promote a self-lubricating ability of the coating

Hjemme, borte eller uavgjort? Kvalitet og effektivitet i pleie- og omsorgstjenestene

Hvordan organiserer norske kommuner sine pleie- og omsorgstjenester – og hvorfor? Er noen måter å organisere tjenestene på mer ressurseffektive enn andre? Hvilke kommuner produserer best kvalitet på tjenestene? Er god kvalitet kjennetegnet ved sykehjemsplass til alle som trenger det – eller til å hjelpe alle til å bli boende hjemme så lenge som mulig? Dette er noen av spørsmålene som drøftes i denne rapporten. Problemstillingene belyses ved hjelp av casestudier og registerdata. Ved hjelp av ulike analyseteknikker søker vi etter kommunetypologier – og deretter etter sammenhenger mellom typologier, effektivitet og kvalitet

Type of vaccine and immunosuppressive therapy but not diagnosis critically influence antibody response after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with rheumatic disease

Objective: The development of sufficient COVID-19 vaccines has been a big breakthrough in fighting the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, vaccination effectiveness can be reduced in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRD). The aim of this study was to identify factors that lead to a diminished humoral vaccination response in patients with AIRD. Methods: Vaccination response was measured with a surrogate virus neutralisation test and by testing for antibodies directed against the receptor-binding-domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 in 308 fully vaccinated patients with AIRD. In addition, 296 immunocompetent participants were investigated as a control group. Statistical adjusted analysis included covariates with a possible influence on antibody response. Results: Patients with AIRD showed lower antibody responses compared with immunocompetent individuals (median neutralising capacity 90.8% vs 96.5%, p<0.001; median anti-RBD-IgG 5.6 S/CO vs 6.7 S/CO, p<0.001). Lower antibody response was significantly influenced by type of immunosuppressive therapy, but not by rheumatic diagnosis, with patients under rituximab therapy developing the lowest antibody levels. Patients receiving mycophenolate, methotrexate or janus kinase inhibitors also showed reduced vaccination responses. Additional negative influencing factors were vaccination with AZD1222, old age and shorter intervals between the first two vaccinations. Conclusion: Certain immunosuppressive therapies are associated with lower antibody responses after vaccination. Additional factors such as vaccine type, age and vaccination interval should be taken into account. We recommend antibody testing in at-risk patients with AIRD and emphasise the importance of booster vaccinations in these patients

DNA-overvåking av brunbjørn i Tana 2023 ved bruk av hårfeller

Hår fra brunbjørn ble samlet inn i 20 hårfeller med luktstoff i et 500 km2 stort område i Tana kommune (Troms og Finnmark fylke) i løpet av 2 måneder fra juni til august i 2023. Det ble brukt et 5 x 5 km rutesystem med én hårfelle i hver rute, og der hårfellen ble flyttet etter én måned til en annen lokalitet i samme rute. Hårrøttene ble DNA-analysert med 8 genetiske markører for individbestemmelse, i tillegg til en kjønnsbestemt markør. Totalt ble det samlet inn 48 hårprøver (i tillegg til 3 ekskrementprøver). Av de innsamlede hårprøvene var 27 (56 %) positive for brunbjørn. Ingen av ekskrementprøvene ga treff på DNA fra brunbjørn. Det ble påvist 4 ulike bjørner (2 hannbjørner og 2 hunnbjørner). Av disse 4 bjørnene var alle tidligere identifiserte individer, og gir en bjørnetetthet på 0,08 bjørn/10km2. Det ble påvist flere bjørner i første halvdel (juni-juli) enn i andre halvdel (juli-august) av prosjektet. Hårfellemetoden med DNA-analyse av hårrøtter har i dette arbeidet gitt unik geografisk og tidsmessig informasjon om brunbjørn i det undersøkte området.DNA-overvåking av brunbjørn i Tana 2023 ved bruk av hårfellerpublishedVersio

Genome-wide analyses identify a role for SLC17A4 and AADAT in thyroid hormone regulation.

Thyroid dysfunction is an important public health problem, which affects 10% of the general population and increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Many aspects of thyroid hormone regulation have only partly been elucidated, including its transport, metabolism, and genetic determinants. Here we report a large meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for thyroid function and dysfunction, testing 8 million genetic variants in up to 72,167 individuals. One-hundred-and-nine independent genetic variants are associated with these traits. A genetic risk score, calculated to assess their combined effects on clinical end points, shows significant associations with increased risk of both overt (Graves' disease) and subclinical thyroid disease, as well as clinical complications. By functional follow-up on selected signals, we identify a novel thyroid hormone transporter (SLC17A4) and a metabolizing enzyme (AADAT). Together, these results provide new knowledge about thyroid hormone physiology and disease, opening new possibilities for therapeutic targets