Evaluating A New Treatment Assessment Methodology on the Productivity of Agricultural Fields in Nepal using Machine Learning Techniques and Space-Borne Data

No abstract availabl

A Comparison of Techniques for Estimating NDVI for Agricultural Intervention Impact Assessment

No abstract availabl

Flood Mapping of Recent Major Hurricane Events with Synthetic Aperture Radar, Commercial Imaging, and Aerial Observations

Floodwater mapping is an important remote sensing process that is used for disaster response, recovery, and damage assessment practices. Developing a system to read in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and perform land cover classification will allow for the production of near real-time inundation mapping, enabling government and emergency response entities to get a preliminary idea of the situation. SAR is a unique remote sensing tool. Data in this project was obtained by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratorys Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR), an L-band radar mounted to a Gulfstream III jet. Data collected by UAVSAR is similar to what will be available from the NASA-Indian Space Research Organization (NISAR) mission starting in early 2022. Using Python and ArcGIS applications, a model was developed using training samples taken from NOAA post-event aerial photography and UAVSAR data gathered in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in September 2018

Introducing the 2019 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Guidance on Alcohol‐Associated Liver Disease

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153054/1/lt25600.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153054/2/lt25600_am.pd

Evaluating a New Machine Learning-Based Methodology for Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Interventions in Nepal

No abstract availabl

A New Machine Learning-Based Methodology for Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Interventions in Nepal

No abstract availabl

Leveraging Satellite Remote Sensing for the Monitoring of the 2019 Spring Floods

No abstract availabl

The Effects of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Imaging Guidance on Patient Radiation Exposure in Trans-Arterial Chemoembolisation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This study investigated the effects of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) guidance in trans-arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) procedures on the number of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) runs acquired and total patient radiation exposure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A retrospective, analytical cross-sectional, single institution, study was conducted. Dose data were compared across the control (DSA guidance alone) and study (DSA and CBCT guidance) groups. A total of 122 procedures were included within the study. There was a significant reduction in the number of DSA runs (3 vs 5, p < 0.001) and DSA air kerma-area product (PKA) (3077.3 vs 4276.6 μGym2, p = 0.042) for the study group when compared to the control group. Total procedural PKA and total procedural reference air kerma (Ka,r) were shown to be 50 and 73% higher, respectively, for the study group when compared to the control group. CBCT imaging guidance does reduce the number of DSA runs and DSA PKA required to complete the TACE procedure for patients diagnosed with HCC; however, a substantial increase in total procedural PKA is to be expected and it is thus important that this increased dose is carefully considered and justified

Collaborative, Rapid Mapping of Water Extents During Hurricane Harvey Using Optical and Radar Satellite Sensors

On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas, bringing with it unprecedented amounts of rainfall and record flooding. In times of natural disasters of this nature, emergency responders require timely and accurate information about the hazard in order to assess and plan for disaster response. Due to the extreme flooding impacts associated with Hurricane Harvey, delineations of water extent were crucial to inform resource deployment. Through the USGS's Hazards Data Distribution System, government and commercial vendors were able to acquire and distribute various satellite imagery to analysts to create value-added products that can be used by these emergency responders. Rapid-response water extent maps were created through a collaborative multi-organization and multi-sensor approach. One team of researchers created Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) water extent maps using modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2017), processed by ESA. This group used backscatter images, pre-processed by the Alaska Satellite Facility's Hybrid Pluggable Processing Pipeline (HyP3), to identify and apply a threshold to identify water in the image. Quality control was conducted by manually examining the image and correcting for potential errors. Another group of researchers and graduate student volunteers derived water masks from high resolution DigitalGlobe and SPOT images. Through a system of standardized image processing, quality control measures, and communication channels the team provided timely and fairly accurate water extent maps to support a larger NASA Disasters Program response. The optical imagery was processed through a combination of various band thresholds and by using Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Modified Normalized Water Index (MNDWI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and cloud masking. Several aspects of the pre-processing and image access were run on internal servers to expedite the provision of images to analysts who could focus on manipulating thresholds and quality control checks for maximum accuracy within the time constraints. The combined results of the radar- and optical-derived value-added products through the coordination of multiple organizations provided timely information for emergency response and recovery efforts

Interpreting the Interpretations: The Use of Structured Reporting Improves Referring Clinicians' Comprehension of Coronary CT Angiography Reports

BACKGROUND: Efficiency of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in clinical practice depends on precise reporting and accurate result interpretation. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess referring clinicians’ understanding of patient’s coronary artery disease (CAD) severity and to compare satisfactions with free-form impression (FFI) vs. structured impression (SI) section of CCTA reports. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 50 clinical CCTA reports from May 2011 to April 2012 were retrospectively selected (25 FFI and 25 SI), to include cases with the entire spectrum of CAD (6 categories comprised of normal, minimal, mild, moderate, severe stenosis, and occlusion). A survey containing randomized blinded impressions only was distributed to 4 cardiologists and 2 cardiac imaging specialists. Clinician interpretation was examined regarding Q1) worst stenosis severity, Q2) number of vessels with significant stenosis, and Q3) the presence of non-evaluable segments. Agreement proportions and Cohen’s kappa were evaluated between FFI vs. SI. Satisfactions were measured with respect to content, clarity, and clinical effectiveness. RESULTS: Q1 agreement was excellent for both FFI and SI (by six categories: 80% vs. 85%, p>0.05; kappa: 0.87 vs. 0.89; by no CAD vs. non-significant vs. significant CAD: 99% vs.97%; p>0.05; kappa: 0.99 vs. 0.94). Q2 agreement improved from fair to moderate (53% vs. 68%, p=0.04; kappa 0.31 vs. 0.52). Q3 agreement was moderate (90% vs. 87%, p>0.05; kappa 0.57 vs. 0.58). Satisfactions with impressions were high and similar with FFI vs. SI for clinicians. CONCLUSION: Structured impressions were shown to improve result interpretation agreement from fair to moderate with regard to the number of vessels with significant stenosis