Cross-Country Assessment of H-SAF Snow Products by Sentinel-2 Imagery Validated against In-Situ Observations and Webcam Photography

Information on snow properties is of critical relevance for a wide range of scientific studies and operational applications, mainly for hydrological purposes. However, the ground-based monitoring of snow dynamics is a challenging task, especially over complex topography and under harsh environmental conditions. Remote sensing is a powerful resource providing snow observations at a large scale. This study addresses the potential of using Sentinel-2 high-resolution imagery to assess moderate-resolution snow products, namely H10—Snow detection (SN-OBS-1) and H12—Effective snow cover (SN-OBS-3) supplied by the Satellite Application Facility on Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management (H-SAF) project of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). With the aim of investigating the reliability of reference data, the consistency of Sentinel-2 observations is evaluated against both in-situ snow measurements and webcam digital imagery. The study area encompasses three different regions, located in Finland, the Italian Alps and Turkey, to comprehensively analyze the selected satellite products over both mountainous and flat areas having different snow seasonality. The results over the winter seasons 2016/17 and 2017/18 show a satisfying agreement between Sentinel-2 data and ground-based observations, both in terms of snow extent and fractional snow cover. H-SAF products prove to be consistent with the high-resolution imagery, especially over flat areas. Indeed, while vegetation only slightly affects the detection of snow cover, the complex topography more strongly impacts product performances

Low-Protein Diet in Elderly Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 4 and 5 in Conservative Management: Focus on Sarcopenia Development

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease is a degenerative and increasingly prevalent condition that includes metabolic abnormalities and is associated with a higher risk of sarcopenia. The conservative approach points primarily to controlling metabolic issues and reducing the risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia, slowing the progression of kidney disease. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of a low-protein diet on malnutrition and sarcopenia. Methods: A total of 45 patients (33 male and 12 female) aged over 70 with chronic kidney disease stage 4–5 in conservative management were considered. All patients had a dietary assessment and prescription of personalized low-protein dietary plans (≤0.6 g protein/kg) and a follow-up control between 4 and 6 months. In preliminary and follow-up evaluations, anthropometric data, blood examinations, body composition results, muscle strength, physical performance, and a 3-day food diary were collected. Results: In the follow-up period, a significant weight loss (p = 0.001) and a decrease in body mass index (p = 0.002) were recorded. Food diaries revealed a significant reduction in protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake (p p p = 0.01) without any impact on lean mass (p = 0.66). Considerable variations in adherence between food diaries and the prescribed diet were also noted. Conclusions: Providing a personalized low-protein diet led to significant benefits in a short period without worsening the patient’s nutritional status

L'apprentissage de la lecture

Cet ouvrage est le premier rapportant un tel nombre de travaux sur l'apprentissage de la lecture en langue arabe. En cela, il ouvre la voie au développement de comparaisons, au sein des langues alphabétiques, entre écritures latines et sémitiques. Au-delà des différences évidentes des graphies, les spécificités linguistiques (notamment phonologiques, morphologiques et syntaxiques) des langues sémitiques et de leurs transcriptions écrites sont susceptibles de renouveler de façon très importante les modèles d'acquisition. Ces modèles n'étaient jusqu'alors étayés que par des données obtenues dans des langues à écriture latine (essentiellement l'anglais). Les premiers résultats disponibles sur l'hébreu et rapportés ici sur l'arabe, confortent les principes généraux de ces modèles, mais les modulent également, notamment en mettant en évidence un rôle plus important de la morphologie. Les textes réunis dans cet ouvrage sont issus des communications présentées lors d'un colloque qui s'est déroulé fin novembre 2000 à Carthage (Tunisie). Cette rencontre scientifique a permis à des chercheurs de huit nationalités différentes de confronter les résultats de leurs recherches sur l'apprentissage de la lecture. Le colloque se fixait essentiellement deux objectifs : faire le point sur les connaissances concernant l'apprentissage de la lecture et ses difficultés, et explorer, à partir d'études inter-langues, le rôle des contraintes liées aux caractéristiques de la langue d'apprentissage