Geometry effect on the estimation of band reflectance in an urban area

Reflectance of the urban surface is an important factor for urban climate studies and can be assessed using standard remote sensing applications. However, no application considers the three-dimensional structure of the city surface and its resulting shading patterns or the inclined roof surfaces. To determine the effect of these factors on the estimation of urban surface reflectance, a high-resolution raster-based city-surface model was used to estimate the spatial solar irradiance in an example city, namely Basel in Switzerland. Eight times daily for 1year, the solar irradiance was calculated using MODTRAN and the illumination geometry of the city. Subsequently, the spatial distribution of the solar irradiance, as well as the error in assumed reflectance values were analysed. The error in estimation of reflectance increased with lower solar-elevation angle, so its maxima were found in winter. Higher visibility of the assumed atmosphere also increased the estimated error due to the lower proportion of diffuse irradiance. The error decreased with coarser spatial resolution of the pixe

Numerical weather prediction as a surrogate for climate observations in practical applications

Climate data is used in many practical applications including energy demand estimations for heating and cooling, agricultural applications, risk assessment, and many more. The required climate data is only available if meteorological observations exist at a given location. In this study, the possibility of replacing long observational records with a few years of numerical weather forecast data is investigated for practical applications requiring temperature data. Observational data from 1980-2010, measured at 700 weather stations in Central Europe are used together with model forecasts of the years 2008-2010. Depending on the station, forecast data capture 90-110% of the standard deviation observed for daily mean and maximum temperatures and slightly less for minimum temperature. Heating and cooling degree days can be estimated with an error of 5-15% in climates where they have a relevance. Based on model data, maps of heating and cooling degree days are computed and the regional uncertainties are quantified using the observational data. The results suggest that numerical weather forecast data can be used for certain practical applications, either as a surrogate of observational data or for quite reliable estimates in locations with no observation

Erratum to: Geometry effect on the estimation of band reflectance in an urban area

Reflectance of the urban surface is an important factor for urban climate studies and can be assessed using standard remote sensing applications. However, no application considers the three-dimensional structure of the city surface and its resulting shading patterns or the inclined roof surfaces. To determine the effect of these factors on the estimation of urban surface reflectance, a high-resolution raster-based city-surface model was used to estimate the spatial solar irradiance in an example city, namely Basel in Switzerland. Eight times daily for 1year, the solar irradiance was calculated using MODTRAN and the illumination geometry of the city. Subsequently, the spatial distribution of the solar irradiance, as well as the error in assumed reflectance values were analysed. The error in estimation of reflectance increased with lower solar-elevation angle, so its maxima were found in winter. Higher visibility of the assumed atmosphere also increased the estimated error due to the lower proportion of diffuse irradiance. The error decreased with coarser spatial resolution of the pixe

A One-dimensional Ensemble Forecast and Assimilation System for Fog Prediction

A probabilistic fog forecast system was designed based on two high resolution numerical 1-D models called COBEL and PAFOG. The 1-D models are coupled to several 3-D numerical weather prediction models and thus are able to consider the effects of advection. To deal with the large uncertainty inherent to fog forecasts, a whole ensemble of 1-D runs is computed using the two different numerical models and a set of different initial conditions in combination with distinct boundary conditions. Initial conditions are obtained from variational data assimilation, which optimally combines observations with a first guess taken from operational 3-D models. The design of the ensemble scheme computes members that should fairly well represent the uncertainty of the current meteorological regime. Verification for an entire fog season reveals the importance of advection in complex terrain. The skill of 1-D fog forecasts is significantly improved if advection is considered. Thus the probabilistic forecast system has the potential to support the forecaster and therefore to provide more accurate fog forecast

Online Εvaluation of Earth Observation Derived Indicators for Urban Planning and Management

Extensive urbanization and growth of population density have acquired a paramount interest towards a sustainable urban development. Earth Observation (EO) is an important source of information required for urban planning and management. The availability of EO data provides the immense opportunity for urban environmental indicators development easily derived by remote sensors. In this study, the state of the art methods were employed to develop urban planning and management relevant indicators that can be evaluated by using EO data. The importance of this approach lies on providing alternatives for improving urban planning and management, without consuming time and resources in collecting field or archived data. The evaluated urban indicators were integrated into a Web‐based Information System that was developed for online exploitation. The results for three case studies are therefore available online and can be used by urban planners and stakeholders in supporting their planning decisions

Testicular degeneration in Bclw-deficient mice

To identify genes required for mammalian spermatogenesis, we screened lines of mutant mice created using a retroviral gene-trap system for male infertility. Homozygous ROSA41 male mice exhibit sterility associated with progressive testicular degeneration. Germ-cell defects are first observed at 19 days post-natal (p19). Spermatogenesis is blocked during late spermiogenesis in young adults. Gradual depletion of all stages of germ cells results in a Sertoli-cell-only phenotype by approximately six months of age. Subsequently, almost all Sertoli cells are lost from the seminiferous tubules and the Leydig cell population is reduced. Molecular analysis indicates that the gene mutated is Bclw, a death-protecting member of the Bcl2 family. The mutant allele of Bclw in ROSA41 does not produce a Bclw polypeptide. Expression of Bclw in the testis appears to be restricted to elongating spermatids and Sertoli cells. Potential roles for Bclw in testicular function are discussed

Remote Sensing Studies of Urban Canopies: 3D Radiative Transfer Modeling

Need for better understanding and more accurate estimation of radiative fluxes in urban environments, specifically urban surface albedo and exitance, motivates development of new remote sensing and three‐dimensional (3D) radiative transfer (RT) modeling methods. The discrete anisotropic radiative transfer (DART) model, one of the most comprehensive physically based 3D models simulating Earth/atmosphere radiation interactions, was used in combination with satellite data (e.g., Landsat‐8 observations) to better parameterize the radiative budget components of cities, such as Basel in Switzerland. After presenting DART and its recent RT modeling functions, we present a methodological concept for estimating urban fluxes using any satellite image data

Escalating environmental summer heat exposure - a future threat for the European workforce

Heat exposure constitutes a major threat for European workers, with significant impacts on the workers' health and productivity. Climate projections over the next decades show a continuous and accelerated warming over Europe together with longer, more intense and more frequent heatwaves on regional and local scales. In this work, we assess the increased risk in future occupational heat stress levels using the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), an index adopted by the International Standards Organization as regulatory index to measure the heat exposure of working people. Our results show that, in large parts of Europe, future heat exposure will indeed exceed critical levels for physically active humans far more often than in today?s climate, and labour productivity might be largely reduced in southern Europe. European industries should adapt to the projected changes to prevent major consequences for the workers? health and to preserve economic productivity.Financial support for this work is provided by the HEAT-SHIELD Project (European Commission HORIZON 2020, research and innovation programme under the grant agreement 668786). The authors wish to thank the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) for providing the technical infrastructure

AÇÃO “VAMOS JUNTOS PREVENIR O C NCER DE MAMA?”: UM RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA

Introduction: Breast cancer has a high incidence in female people and is the main responsible for deaths resulting from neoplasms in Brazilian women. In early diagnosed cases, a good prognosis for cure and treatment is fateful, although this prior screening is not a reality in the country, justifying the high epidemiology of this disease. Therefore, it is justifiable to promote awareness-raising actions that encourage women to undergo check-ups, through mammography, mainly, so that Brazil moves away from the underdevelopment profile in breast cancer screening. Experience report: “Are we going to prevent breast cancer together?” was the activity conceived by 12 medical students, through monthly meetings of the academic mastology league, which aimed to educate women about the prevention of breast cancer. The event in question took place near the educational institution, with the help of visual support materials, through information offered to passersby by the binders about mammography, self-examination, warning signs and risk factors for breast cancer, in addition to other topics. Discussion: By means of the activity developed, there was an interest in the discussion on the part of attentive listeners, through personal feedback and doubts built through questions, in order to carry out the previously established objectives to disseminate knowledge. The positive repercussion was also evidenced by the considerable number of people reached in the action. Conclusion: With the results noticed during the action, the activity proved to be operative in an attempt to make women aware of breast cancer. Thus, the relevance of informative activities is highlighted, which must be reproduced in order to achieve better statistics on the reality of breast cancer in Brazil.Introdução: O câncer de mama apresenta uma alta incidência em pessoas do sexo feminino e é o maior responsável pelos óbitos decorrentes de neoplasias nas mulheres brasileiras. Nos casos precocemente diagnosticados, é fatídico um bom prognóstico de cura e tratamento, embora esse rastreamento prévio não seja realidade no país, justificando a elevada epidemiologia dessa doença. Sendo assim, torna-se justificável o fomento de ações de conscientização que incentivem mulheres a realizarem o check up, através da mamografia, principalmente, a fim de que o Brasil se afaste do perfil de subdesenvolvimento no rastreio do câncer de mama. Relato da experiência: “Vamos juntos prevenir o câncer de mama?” foi a atividade idealizada por 12 estudantes de medicina, por meio de reuniões mensais da liga acadêmica de mastologia, que objetivava conscientizar as mulheres sobre a prevenção do câncer de mama. O evento em questão ocorreu presencialmente nas proximidades da instituição de ensino, com auxílio de materiais visuais de apoio, por meio de informações oferecidas aos transeuntes pelos ligantes acerca da mamografia, autoexame, sinais de alerta e fatores de risco para o câncer de mama, além de outros tópicos. Discussão: Por meio da atividade desenvolvida, notou-se interesse na discussão por parte das ouvintes atentas, através de devolutivas pessoais e dúvidas construídas por meio de perguntas, de forma a efetivar os objetivos previamente estabelecidos para disseminar o conhecimento. A repercussão positiva foi também evidenciada pelo considerável número de pessoas alcançadas na ação. Conclusão: Com os resultados notados durante a ação, a atividade se mostrou operante na tentativa de conscientizar as mulheres acerca da neoplasia mamária. Desse modo, destaca-se a relevância de atividades informativas, que devem ser reproduzidas, a fim de alcançar melhores estatísticas sobre a realidade do câncer de mama no Brasil