Multispectral Imaging for the Analysis of Materials and Pathologies in Civil Engineering, Constructions and Natural Spaces

Tesis por compendio de publicaciones[EN] Multispectral imaging is a non-destructive technique that combines imaging and spectroscopy to analyse the spectral behaviour of materials and land covers through the use of geospatial sensors. These sensors collect both spatial and spectral information for a given scenario and a spectral range, so that, their graphical representation elements (pixels or points) store the spectral properties of the radiation reflected by the material sample or land cover. The term multispectral imaging is commonly associated with satellite imaging, but the application range extends to other scales as close-range photogrammetry through the use of sensors on board of airborne systems (gliders, trikes, drones, etc.) or through their use at ground level. Its usefulness has been proved in a variety of disciplines from topography, geology, atmospheric science to forestry or agriculture. The present thesis is framed within close-range remote sensing applied to the civil engineering, cultural heritage and natural resources fields via multispectral image analysis. Specifically, the main goal of this research work is to study and analyse the radiometric behaviour of different natural and artificial covers by combining several sensors recording data in the visible and infrared ranges of the spectrum. The research lines have not been limited to the 2D data analysis, but in some cases 3D intensity data have been integrated with 2D data from active (terrestrial laser scanners) and passive (multispectral digital cameras) sensors in order to analyse different materials and possible associated pathologies, getting more comprehensive products due to the metric that 3D brings to 2D data. Works began with the radiometric calibration of the active and passive sensors used by the vicarious calibration method. The calibrations were carried out through MULRACS, a multispectral radiometric calibration software developed for this purpose (see Appendix B). After the calibration process, active and passive sensors were used together for the discretization of sedimentary rocks and detecting pathologies, as moisture, in façades and in civil structures. Finally, the Doctoral Thesis concludes with a theoretical book chapter in which all the know-how and expertise arising during this research stage have been compiled.[ES]Las imágenes multiespectrales se constituyen como técnica no destructiva que combina imagen y espectroscopía para analizar el comportamiento espectral de distintos materiales y superficies terrestres a través del uso de sensores geoespaciales. Estos sensores adquieren tanto información espacial como espectral para un escenario y un rango espectral dados de tal forma sus unidades de representación gráfica (ya sean píxeles o puntos) registran las propiedades de la radiación reflejada para cada material o cobertura a estudiar y longitud de onda. Las imágenes multiespectrales no solo se limitan a las observaciones satelitales a las que tradicionalmente se vinculan, sino que tienen un campo de aplicación más amplio gracias a los estudios de rango cercano realizados a través del uso de sensores tanto embarcados en sistemas aéreos (planeadores, paramotores, drones, etc.) como a nivel terreno. Su utilidad ha sido demostrada en multitud de disciplinas; desde la topografía, geología, aerología, hasta la ingeniería forestal o la agricultura entre otros. La presente tesis se enmarca dentro de la teledetección de rango cercano aplicada a la ingeniería civil, el patrimonio cultural y los recursos naturales a través del análisis multiespectral de imágenes. Concretamente, el principal objetivo de este trabajo de investigación consiste en el estudio y análisis del comportamiento radiométrico de distintas coberturas naturales y artificiales mediante el uso combinado de distintos sensores que registran información espectral en los rangos visible e infrarrojo del espectro electromagnético. Las líneas de investigación no se han limitado al análisis de datos bidimensionales (imágenes) sino que en algunos casos se han integrado datos de intensidad registrados en 3D a través de sensores activos (láser escáner terrestres) con datos 2D capturados con sensores pasivos (cámaras digitales convencionales y multiespectrales) con el objetivo de analizar diferentes materiales y posibles patologías asociadas a los mismos ofreciendo resultados más completos gracias a la métrica que los datos 3D aportan a los datos 2D. Los trabajos comenzaron con la calibración radiométrica de los sensores por el método de calibración vicario. Las calibraciones fueron resueltas gracias al uso del software MULRACS, un software para la calibración radiométrica multiespectral desarrollado durante este periodo para tal fin (ver Apéndice B). Tras el proceso de calibración, se combinó el uso de sensores activos y pasivos para la diferenciación de distintos tipos de rocas sedimentarias y la detección de patologías, como humedades, en fachadas de edificios históricos y en estructuras de ingeniería civil. Finalmente, la Tesis Doctoral concluye con un capítulo teórico de libro en el cual se recopilan todos los conocimientos y experiencias adquiridos durante este periodo de investigación

Ener3DMap-SolarWeb roofs: A geospatial web-based platform to compute photovoltaic potential

[EN] The effective exploitation and management of renewable energies requires knowledge not only of the energy intensity at the exploitation site but also of the influence of the geometry of the site and its surroundings. For this reason, the efficient processing and interpretation of combined geospatial and energy data is a key issue. This paper presents the development of a web-based tool for the automatic computation of photovoltaic potential on rooftops and on parcels without buildings. The tool called Ener3DMap-SolarWeb Roofs is based on Leaflet and supports WMS, GeoJSON, GeoCSV and KML formats, among others. With these data formats, base maps, geometric data from the rooftops automatically computed from LiDAR and imagery data with self-developed processing algorithms, cadastral data and a solar radiation model are integrated in the tool. These different types of data, the high level of automation and the different scales for which energy data is calculated (hourly, monthly and annually) are the main contributions of the presented tool compared to other existing solutions. The capacities of the tool are tested through its application to analyze the solar potential of rooftops with different shapes and for different solar panel configurations. The accuracy of the results is ensured through the integration of a validated methodology for the computation of geometry and a validated solar radiation model, PVGIS

Comparing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Wearable Laser Scanning (WLS) for Individual Tree Modeling at Plot Level

54 p.This study presents a comparison between the use of wearable laser scanning (WLS) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) devices for automatic tree detection with an estimation of two dendrometric variables: diameter at breast height (DBH) and total tree height (TH). Operative processes for data collection and automatic forest inventory are described in detail. The approach used is based on the clustering of points belonging to each individual tree, the isolation of the trunks, the iterative fitting of circles for the DBH calculation and the computation of the TH of each tree. TLS and WLS point clouds were compared by the statistical analysis of both estimated forest dendrometric parameters and the possible presence of bias. Results show that the apparent differences in point density and relative precision between both 3D forest models do not affect tree detection and DBH estimation. Nevertheless, tree height estimation using WLS appears to be affected by the limited scanning range of the WLS used in this study. TH estimations for trees below a certain height are equivalent using WLS or TLS, whereas TH of taller trees is clearly underestimated using WLSS

Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting System Adapted for Different Environmental Operation Conditions: Analysis, Modeling, Simulation and Selection of Devices

The present research work proposes a photovoltaic energy harvester and an appropriate direct current (DC)/DC converter for a harvesting system after the study of the devices and taking the operation conditions. Parameters such as power, efficiency and voltage are taken into account under different environment conditions of illumination and temperature in order to obtain the best possible response. For this reason, suitable metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), diode, coil, frequency, duty-cycle and load are selected and analyzed for a DC/DC converter with boost architecture.This work has been supported by IK4-TEKNIKER research institute own funds and the joint work of Electronics and Communications and Intelligent Information System units and by the Department of Education of the Basque Government within the fund for research groups of the Basque university system [IT978-16]

Novel Pole Photogrammetric System for Low-Cost Documentation of Archaeological Sites: The Case Study of “Cueva Pintada”

19 p.Close-range photogrammetry is a powerful and widely used technique for 3D reconstruction of archaeological environments, specifically when a high-level detail is required. This paper presents an innovative low-cost system that allows high quality and detailed reconstructions of indoor complex scenarios with unfavorable lighting conditions by means of close-range nadir and oblique images as an alternative to drone acquisitions for those places where the use of drones is limited or discouraged: (i) indoor scenarios in which both loss of GNSS signal and need of long exposure times occur, (ii) scenarios with risk of raising dust in suspension due to the proximity to the ground and (iii) complex scenarios with variability in the presence of nooks and vertical elements of different heights. The low-altitude aerial view reached with this system allows high-quality 3D documentation of complex scenarios helped by its ergonomic design, self-stability, lightness, and flexibility of handling. In addition, its interchangeable and remote-control support allows to board different sensors and perform both acquisitions that follow the ideal photogrammetric epipolar geometry but also acquisitions with geometry variations that favor a more complete and reliable reconstruction by avoiding occlusions. This versatile pole photogrammetry system has been successfully used to 3D reconstruct and document the “Cueva Pintada” archaeological site located in Gran Canaria (Spain), of approximately 5400 m2 with a Canon EOS 5D MARK II SLR digital camera. As final products: (i) a great quality photorealistic 3D model of 1.47 mm resolution and ±8.4 mm accuracy, (ii) detailed orthophotos of the main assets of the archaeological remains and (iii) a visor 3D with associated information on the structures, materials and plans of the site were obtained.S

Calidad de vida y adherencia al tratamiento en pacientes con enfermedad de Parkinson

Quality of life and adherence to treatment are parameters of high relevance in those patients with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to ascertain the quality of life and adherence to treatment of Parkinson’s disease patients. To this end, we performed a cross sectional study in patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who belong to one of Albacete’s associations of patients and their families. The PDQ-39 and Morisky-Green questioners were used to determine the quality of life and adherence to treatment for a sample of 95 patients. Our data showed an average score of 33.47% in the PDQ-39, being the worst score domains mobility and bodily discomfort. On the other hand, a 31.6% of the patients were classified as adherent to treatment. The main factor associated with adequate adherence is the importance given to the medication by the patient. We found no association between adherence and quality of life.La calidad de vida y la adherencia al tratamiento poseen una gran relevancia en aquellos pacientes que presentan enfermedades crónicas.  El objetivo de este trabajo es conocer y evaluar ambos parámetros, en una población de pacientes de enfermedad de Parkinson. Para ello, se ha realizado un estudio transversal, a través de los cuestionarios de PDQ-39 y de Morisky-Green, en 95 pacientes de la citada enfermedad pertenecientes a alguna de las asociaciones de pacientes y familias de la provincia de Albacete. Los datos muestran una puntuación media de 33,47% en el PDQ-39, siendo los dominios de peor puntuación los referidos a movilidad y malestar físico. Por otro lado, un 31,6% de los pacientes se clasificaron como adherentes al tratamiento. Respecto a este parámetro, constatamos que, el factor principal relacionado con una adecuada adherencia, fue la importancia dada a su medicación por el propio paciente. No se ha encontrado ninguna asociación entre adherencia y calidad de vida

Caveolin-1 deficiency induces a MEK-ERK1/2-Snail-1-dependent epithelial-mesenchymal transition and fibrosis during peritoneal dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a form of renal replacement therapy whose repeated use can alter dialytic function through induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis, eventually leading to PD discontinuation. The peritoneum from Cav1-/- mice showed increased EMT, thickness and fibrosis. Exposure of Cav1-/- mice to PD fluids further increased peritoneal membrane thickness, altered permeability and increased the number of FSP-1/cytokeratin-positive cells invading the sub-mesothelial stroma. High-throughput quantitative proteomics revealed increased abundance of collagens, FN and laminin, as well as proteins related to TGF- activity in matrices derived from Cav1-/- cells. Lack of Cav1 was associated with hyperactivation of a MEK-ERK1/2-Snail-1 pathway that regulated the Smad2-3/Smad1-5-8 balance. Pharmacological blockade of MEK rescued E-cadherin and ZO-1 inter-cellular junction localization, reduced fibrosis and restored peritoneal function in Cav1-/- mice. Moreover, treatment of human PD-patient-derived MCs with drugs increasing Cav1 levels, as well as ectopic Cav1 expression, induced reacquisition of epithelial features. This study demonstrates a pivotal role of Cav1 in the balance of epithelial versus mesenchymal state and suggests targets for the prevention of fibrosis during PD

Molecular and genetic mechanism of non-syndromic congenital cataracts. Mutation screening in Spanish families

Our purpose was to identify mutations responsible for non-syndromic congenital cataracts through the implementation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in our center. A sample of peripheral blood was obtained from probands and willing family members and genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes. DNA was analyzed implementing a panel (OFTv2.1) including 39 known congenital cataracts disease genes. 62 probands from 51 families were recruited. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in 32 patients and 25 families; in 16 families (64%) these were de novo mutations. The mutation detection rate was 49%. Almost all reported mutations were autosomal dominant. Mutations in crystallin genes were found in 30% of the probands. Mutations in membrane proteins were detected in seven families (two in GJA3 and five in GJA8). Mutations in LIM2 and MIP were each found in three families. Other mutations detected affected EPHA2, PAX6, HSF4 and PITX3. Variants classified as of unknown significance were found in 5 families (9.8%), affecting CRYBB3, LIM2, EPHA2, ABCB6 and TDRD7. Mutations lead to different cataract phenotypes within the same familyThis research was funded by ONCE grant number 2020/0197782 and by FIS grant number PI18-1234-ISCII