THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA MODELLING FOR UNDERGROUND UTILITY NETWORK MAPPING

Cities around the world face an increasing need for land as density in urban areas increases rapidly. The pressure to expand a city’s space is especially acute for a city-state like Singapore. How to make better use of underground space? This issue becomes much more emergent in the urban development. In the big data era, a data-driven approach of underground spaces is necessary for the sustainable development of a city along with rapid urbanization. A reliable three dimensional (3D) digital map of utility networks is crucial for urban planners to understand one of the most impactful aspects of the underground space planning. The mapping underground utility networks is a challenging task, especially for cities with limited land resources, congested underground spaces, and a lack of uniform existing practices. This paper proposes a framework to organise the workflow from an underground utility data survey to data use. This framework includes two core parts: A 3D utility network data model that aims to convert utility survey data to 3D geospatial information, and a 3D utility cadastral data model that supports utility ownership management. It is expected that reliable and accurate information on underground utility networks can lead to a better understanding and management of underground space, which eventually contributes to better city planning, making the unseen structures visible

A FRAMEWORK FOR RELIABLE THREE-DIMENSIONAL UNDERGROUND UTILITY MAPPING FOR URBAN PLANNING

To optimise the use of limited available land, land-scarce cities such as Singapore are increasingly looking towards the underground in search of more space. A good understanding of what already exists underground is essential for the planning of underground spaces. In particular, utility services make up a significant part of what exists underground. To meet planning needs, the Singapore government has initiated efforts towards bringing records of existing utility networks together in a single database and share its contents to support planning, design, and construction of underground developments. However, these records can not be relied on to support these critical processes: They are not guaranteed to represent today’s state of the underground, are not accurate or of unknown accuracy, are inconsistently modelled, and may indicate as-design information instead of as-built information. This lack of reliability leads to an increase in cost and a loss in efficiency caused by the need to repeatedly survey to locate existing utility services on-site, and can have potentially disastrous outcomes when an excavation would damage existing services. Technological advances in utility surveying and mapping devices such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and gyroscopic pipeline mapping devices offer the potential of accurately mapping utilities in three dimensions (3D) at a large scale and high speed. However, a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of these technologies in a practical context is needed, as well as their suitability for mapping to support applications such as urban planning and land administration. The Digital Underground project is a collaboration between Singapore-ETH Centre, Singapore Land Authority and the City of Zürich that aims to develop a roadmap towards a reliable 3D utility map of Singapore. To enable the development of utility mapping standards and guidelines, the 3D mapping workflow for underground utilities is studied extensively based on market research, literature study, and case studies. This work presents the beginnings of a framework for 3D mapping of underground utilities as one of the initial results of the Digital Underground project as it is in progress. From these experiences, it can be concluded that, together with existing data, data captured using various surveying methods can indeed contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a consolidated and reliable utility map. To this end, a multi-sensor, multi-data 3D mapping workflow is proposed to integrate data captured using different surveying techniques during different moments in the development lifecycle of utilities. Based on this framework, this work also identifies areas for improvement and critical gaps to be bridged that will ultimately form part of the roadmap

Mutations in PTRH2 cause novel infantile-onset multisystem disease with intellectual disability, microcephaly, progressive ataxia, and muscle weakness

OBJECTIVE: To identify the cause of a so-far unreported phenotype of infantile-onset multisystem neurologic, endocrine, and pancreatic disease (IMNEPD). METHODS: We characterized a consanguineous family of Yazidian-Turkish descent with IMNEPD. The two affected children suffer from intellectual disability, postnatal microcephaly, growth retardation, progressive ataxia, distal muscle weakness, peripheral demyelinating sensorimotor neuropathy, sensorineural deafness, exocrine pancreas insufficiency, hypothyroidism, and show signs of liver fibrosis. We performed whole-exome sequencing followed by bioinformatic analysis and Sanger sequencing on affected and unaffected family members. The effect of mutations in the candidate gene was studied in wild-type and mutant mice and in patient and control fibroblasts. RESULTS: In a consanguineous family with two individuals with IMNEPD, we identified a homozygous frameshift mutation in the previously not disease-associated peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase 2 (PTRH2) gene. PTRH2 encodes a primarily mitochondrial protein involved in integrin-mediated cell survival and apoptosis signaling. We show that PTRH2 is highly expressed in the developing brain and is a key determinant in maintaining cell survival during human tissue development. Moreover, we link PTRH2 to the mTOR pathway and thus the control of cell size. The pathology suggested by the human phenotype and neuroimaging studies is supported by analysis of mutant mice and patient fibroblasts. INTERPRETATION: We report a novel disease phenotype, show that the genetic cause is a homozygous mutation in the PTRH2 gene, and demonstrate functional effects in mouse and human tissues. Mutations in PTRH2 should be considered in patients with undiagnosed multisystem neurologic, endocrine, and pancreatic disease

A Standardized Morpho-Functional Classification of the Planet’s Humipedons

It was time to take stock. We modified the humipedon classification key published in 2018 to make it easier and more practical. This morpho-functional taxonomy of the topsoil (humipedon) was only available in English; we also translated it into French and Italian. A standardized morphofunctional classification of humipedons (roughly the top 30–40 cm of soil: organic and organomineral surface horizons) would allow for a better understanding of the functioning of the soil ecosystem. This paper provides the founding principles of the classification of humipedon into humus systems and forms. With the recognition of a few diagnostic horizons, all humus systems can be determined. The humus forms that make up these humus systems are revealed by measuring the thicknesses of the diagnostic horizons. In the final part of the article, several figures represent the screenshots of a mobile phone or tablet application that allows for a fast recall of the diagnostic elements of the classification in the field. The article attempts to promote a standardized classification of humipedons for a global and shared management of soil at planet level

A standardized morpho-functional classification of the planet’s humipedons

It was time to take stock. We modified the humipedon classification key published in 2018 to make it easier and more practical. This morpho-functional taxonomy of the topsoil (humipedon) was only available in English; we also translated it into French and Italian. A standardized morphofunctional classification of humipedons (roughly the top 30–40 cm of soil: organic and organomineral surface horizons) would allow for a better understanding of the functioning of the soil ecosystem. This paper provides the founding principles of the classification of humipedon into humus systems and forms. With the recognition of a few diagnostic horizons, all humus systems can be determined. The humus forms that make up these humus systems are revealed by measuring the thicknesses of the diagnostic horizons. In the final part of the article, several figures represent the screenshots of a mobile phone or tablet application that allows for a fast recall of the diagnostic elements of the classification in the field. The article attempts to promote a standardized classification of humipedons for a global and shared management of soil at planet level

A multi-country test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries and regions (n = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vesus both control conditions) consistently reduced negative emotions and increased positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing interventions had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world

The LADM-based 3d underground utility mapping: case study in Singapore

A digital twin can be defined as a realistic representation of something physical. To improve decision making, a reliable digital twin of the underground is required. Utilities represent a significant portion of physical assets existing underground. Most of these utilities are situated in the relatively shallow layers of the underground, up to a few meters below the surface. The reliable information on subsurface utilities has clear benefits all throughout the life cycle of state land, resulting in efficient decision-making processes, cost savings, and additional revenues for land administration professionals. However, the lack of a reliable map of subsurface utilities lead to ill-informed decisions, costly information gathering, and missed business potential. This paper will share a case study of the 3D underground utility mapping workflow from data capture to usage in Singapore. The new data is collected by the Pegasus: Stream, a mobile mapping platform which captures above and underground data using the photo, laser and ground penetrating radar technology. Based on the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) 3D underground utility data model, the new collected data is used with the existing utility and cadastral data for land administration. This study case expects to explore the reasonable workflow of 3D underground utility mapping to provide reliable information for land administration