Automated Classification of Airborne Laser Scanning Point Clouds

Making sense of the physical world has always been at the core of mapping. Up until recently, this has always dependent on using the human eye. Using airborne lasers, it has become possible to quickly "see" more of the world in many more dimensions. The resulting enormous point clouds serve as data sources for applications far beyond the original mapping purposes ranging from flooding protection and forestry to threat mitigation. In order to process these large quantities of data, novel methods are required. In this contribution, we develop models to automatically classify ground cover and soil types. Using the logic of machine learning, we critically review the advantages of supervised and unsupervised methods. Focusing on decision trees, we improve accuracy by including beam vector components and using a genetic algorithm. We find that our approach delivers consistently high quality classifications, surpassing classical methods

Thymic Hyperplasia with Lymphoepithelial Sialadenitis (LESA)-Like Features: Strong Association with Lymphomas and Non-Myasthenic Autoimmune Diseases.

Thymic hyperplasia (TH) with lymphoepithelial sialadenitis (LESA)-like features (LESA-like TH) has been described as a tumor-like, benign proliferation of thymic epithelial cells and lymphoid follicles. We aimed to determine the frequency of lymphoma and autoimmunity in LESA-like TH and performed retrospective analysis of cases with LESA-like TH and/or thymic MALT-lymphoma. Among 36 patients (21 males) with LESA-like TH (age 52 years, 32-80; lesion diameter 7.0 cm, 1-14.5; median, range), five (14%) showed associated lymphomas, including four (11%) thymic MALT lymphomas and one (3%) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. One additional case showed a clonal B-cell-receptor rearrangement without evidence of lymphoma. Twelve (33%) patients (7 women) suffered from partially overlapping autoimmune diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 4, 11%), rheumatoid arthritis (n = 3, 8%), myasthenia gravis (n = 2, 6%), asthma (n = 2, 6%), scleroderma, Sjögren syndrome, pure red cell aplasia, Grave's disease and anti-IgLON5 syndrome (each n = 1, 3%). Among 11 primary thymic MALT lymphomas, remnants of LESA-like TH were found in two cases (18%). In summary, LESA-like TH shows a striking association with autoimmunity and predisposes to lymphomas. Thus, a hematologic and rheumatologic workup should become standard in patients diagnosed with LESA-like TH. Radiologists and clinicians should be aware of LESA-like TH as a differential diagnosis for mediastinal mass lesions in patients with autoimmune diseases

Association of microsomal epoxide hydrolase polymorphisms and lung cancer risk

lung cancer ris

ULS LiDAR SUPPORTED ANALYSES OF LASER BEAM PENETRATION FROM DIFFERENT ALS SYSTEMS INTO VEGETATION

This study analyses the underestimation of tree and shrub heights for different airborne laser scanner systems and point cloud distribution within the vegetation column. Reference data was produced by a novel UAV-borne laser scanning (ULS) with a high point density in the complete vegetation column. With its physical parameters (e.g. footprint) and its relative accuracy within the block as stated in Section 2.2 the reference data is supposed to be highly suitable to detect the highest point of the vegetation. An airborne topographic (ALS) and topo-bathymetric (ALB) system were investigated. All data was collected in a period of one month in leaf-off condition, while the dominant tree species in the study area are deciduous trees. By robustly estimating the highest 3d vegetation point of each laser system the underestimation of the vegetation height was examined in respect to the ULS reference data. This resulted in a higher under-estimation of the airborne topographic system with 0.60 m (trees) and 0.55 m (shrubs) than for the topo-bathymetric system 0.30 m (trees) and 0.40 m (shrubs). The degree of the underestimation depends on structural characteristics of the vegetation itself and physical specification of the laser system