Earth observation for exposome mapping of Germany: analyzing environmental factors relevant to non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases - NCDs - (e.g., asthma, cancer, or diabetes) are a major concern for society and medicine. According to the World Health Organization, NCDs are responsible for > 70 % of global premature deaths. Apart from increasing mortality, these diseases strain one’s immune system which leads to higher susceptibility to transmittable diseases. NCD-susceptibility depends on the genome (genetic predisposition), behavior (lifestyle), and exposome of a person. The exposome is a composition of environmental parameters such as exposure to air pollution, noise, extreme temperatures, or surrounding greenness. Using Earth Observation data, the majority of factors making up the exposome can be monitored over long periods of time at high resolution and with nearly global coverage. Still, exposome maps and products communicating NCD risk are not widely available. In this study, we utilize eight land surface datasets (distance to green spaces, distance to blue spaces, temperature, noise from industry, as well as road, rail, and air traffic, and light pollution) as well as two air pollution datasets (PM2.5 and NO2) to map health-relevant environmental exposure. We use an established cumulative approach and incorporate exposure-response relationships from scientific literature to map environments that impact public health for the complete area of Germany. We present results communicating exposure relevant to myocardial infarction risk. The methodology is transferable to other NCDs and other areas of interest. In the context of the global health burden from NCDs and ongoing global change, this approach supplies findings for communicating health-relevant exposure

Analysis of standard and new algorithms for the integer ans linear constraint satisfaction problem

Projet CHLOEThe integer and linear constraint satisfaction problem, which consists in proving the emptiness of the set of integer points satisfying a set of linear constraints or the existence of a solution, is very frequent in the field of computer science (vectorization, code scheduling, etc.). Most methods proposed in the literature deal with various specific instances of this problem. In this paper, the problem is considered in its general form. Some standard methods are analyzed. Some new algorithms are proposed, either to simplify the problem, or to solve exactly (by cutting plane methods) the reduced for of the problem. A sequence of such algorithms is implemented in the automatic parallelizer available under PIAF, an interactive programming environment for FORTRAN. However, these algorithms could be applied to more difficult problems than the usual ones appearing in data dependence analysis

L'impact de l'alimentation sur les troubles du sommeil: travail de Bachelor

Introduction : Notre cerveau est constamment sollicité lors de nos journées de travail ou de congé. En effet, la plupart des citoyens ont un rythme de vie souvent trop rapide et une durée de sommeil raccourcie. Pourtant le repos est indispensable à une qualité de vie optimale et une bonne santé. Un facteur que chacun rencontre dans son quotidien peut influencer, positivement ou négativement le sommeil : l’alimentation. Objectifs : Notre revue quasi-systématique a pour objectifs d’étudier l’impact de l’alimentation sur les troubles du sommeil, de connaître la prise en charge nutritionnelle actuelle dans les centres du sommeil en Suisse Romande et de comparer brièvement la littérature avec les pratiques dans ces centres. Le but étant d’émettre des recommandations de prise en charge nutritionnelle pour améliorer ces symptômes de troubles du sommeil. Méthode : Les critères d’inclusion principaux étaient la présence de troubles du sommeil ainsi qu’une population âgée entre 19 et 69 ans compris. Le critère d’exclusion principal était l’apnée du sommeil. Nous avons parallèlement interviewé deux soignants dans deux centres du sommeil différents. Résultats : La supplémentation en vitamine D permettrait d’améliorer la qualité et la durée du sommeil. De plus, une modification des habitudes alimentaires menant à une perte de poids diminuerait la durée d’endormissement. Deux kiwis consommés crus une heure avant le coucher réduiraient les troubles du sommeil. La répartition des macronutriments sur l’apport énergétique total aurait également un impact sur les troubles du sommeil. Dans les centres du sommeil, les diététicien-ne-s ne sont pas représentés et aucune recommandation nutritionnelle officielle n’est utilisée dans la prise en charge. Conclusion : L’alimentation a un impact sur la qualité du sommeil chez les personnes atteintes de troubles du sommeil mais, à ce jour, il est difficile d’émettre des recommandations claires et spécifiques. Globalement, une alimentation équilibrée avec des produits locaux et de saison ainsi qu’un poids dans les normes sont recommandés. Selon nous, il serait opportun d’avoir la présence de diététicien-ne-s dans un centre du sommeil

A general algorithm for data dependence analysis

Projet CHLOEWith the development of ever more sophisticated data flow analysis algorithms, traditional data dependence tests based on elementary loop information will not be sufficient in the future. In this paper, quite general algorithms are presented for solving integer linear programming problems. While the properly so called problem solution is performed by a standard algorithm (the dual all integer algorithm), preliminary problem reduction techniques not only serve as a powerful tool for preparing this this latter step, but also are often sufficient for solving exactly the data dependence problem

Earth Observation Data Supporting Non-Communicable Disease Research: A Review

A disease is non-communicable when it is not transferred from one person to another. Typical examples include all types of cancer, diabetes, stroke, or allergies, as well as mental diseases. Non-communicable diseases have at least two things in common-environmental impact and chronicity. These diseases are often associated with reduced quality of life, a higher rate of premature deaths, and negative impacts on a countries economy due to healthcare costs and missing work force. Additionally, they affect the individual’s immune system, which increases susceptibility toward communicable diseases, such as the flu or other viral and bacterial infections. Thus, mitigating the effects of non-communicable diseases is one of the most pressing issues of modern medicine, healthcare, and governments in general. Apart from the predisposition toward such diseases (the genome), their occurrence is associated with environmental parameters that people are exposed to (the exposome). Exposure to stressors such as bad air or water quality, noise, extreme heat, or an overall unnatural surrounding all impact the susceptibility to non-communicable diseases. In the identification of such environmental parameters, geoinformation products derived from Earth Observation data acquired by satellites play an increasingly important role. In this paper, we present a review on the joint use of Earth Observation data and public health data for research on non-communicable diseases. We analyzed 146 articles from peer-reviewed journals (Impact Factor >= 2) from all over the world that included Earth Observation data and public health data for their assessments. Our results show that this field of synergistic geohealth analyses is still relatively young, with most studies published within the last five years and within national boundaries. While the contribution of Earth Observation, and especially remote sensing-derived geoinformation products on land surface dynamics is on the rise, there is still a huge potential for transdisciplinary integration into studies. We see the necessity for future research and advocate for the increased incorporation of thematically profound remote sensing products with high spatial and temporal resolution into the mapping of exposomes and thus the vulnerability and resilience assessment of a population regarding non-communicable diseases

Remote Sensing of Surface Water Dynamics in the Context of Global Change - A Review

Inland surface water is often the most accessible freshwater source. As opposed to groundwater, surface water is replenished in a comparatively quick cycle, which makes this vital resource—if not overexploited—sustainable. From a global perspective, freshwater is plentiful. Still, depending on the region, surface water availability is severely limited. Additionally, climate change and human interventions act as large-scale drivers and cause dramatic changes in established surface water dynamics. Actions have to be taken to secure sustainable water availability and usage. This requires informed decision making based on reliable environmental data. Monitoring inland surface water dynamics is therefore more important than ever. Remote sensing is able to delineate surface water in a number of ways by using optical as well as active and passive microwave sensors. In this review, we look at the proceedings within this discipline by reviewing 233 scientific works. We provide an extensive overview of used sensors, the spatial and temporal resolution of studies, their thematic foci, and their spatial distribution. We observe that a wide array of available sensors and datasets, along with increasing computing capacities, have shaped the field over the last years. Multiple global analysis-ready products are available for investigating surface water area dynamics, but so far none offer high spatial and temporal resolution

Remote Sensing for large-scale agricultural investment areas in Ethiopia – agricultural monitoring based on Earth observation time-series

Ethiopia is known to be currently food insecure and suffering from considerable food deficits. The Government of Ethiopia strives to increase the agricultural production and its efficiency. Therefore, Ethiopia has been promoting large-scale agricultural investment (LSAI) to transform the agricultural sector. However, the progress by agricultural development has been limited. Investors only developed a small fraction of the transferred land. Therefore, there is a great need for monitoring of the implementation and actual state of land use of every LSAI project. The use of remote sensing can substantially support agricultural monitoring. In this study, Earth observation time series are analyzed to examine the land used for agricultural production and to differentiate crop types grown within the three study areas. Current land use/land cover (LULC) is analyzed using Sentinel-2 time series to identify cropland areas. In a second step, remote-sensing time-series of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 are used to differentiate among 20 different crop types grown in the region. The developed classification methods have been applied to derive information products for three study regions in Ethiopia including the LSAI areas within the provinces of Amhara, Benishangul, and Gambella. The methods and derived information products on LULC and crop types will be made available to GIZ and regional experts to support agricultural monitoring of developed land in Ethiopia

Evaluación del compromiso en el amamantamiento de mujeres puérperas con escala UWES-17

Promotion and monitoring of breastfeeding require reliable and valid instruments that allow studying the engagement of itself. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) for the assessment of engagement in breastfeeding practices among 324 postpartum Argentinian women. The UWES-17, BreastfeedingSelf-Efficacy Scale, Postpartum Depression Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire were applied. Moreover, reliability, validity, dimensionality, sensitivity, and specificity were analyzed. The UWES-17 demonstrated adequate levels of internal consistency, and its three-dimensional structure was confirmed. Bifactorial analysis supported its usage, and the model verified its external validity. The results validate the UWES-17 as a valid and reliable tool for assessing breastfeeding engagement, thus making it suitable for implementation in clinical and scientific contexts to support interdisciplinary approaches to breastfeeding.La promoción y el seguimiento de la lactancia materna necesita contar con instrumentos fiables y válidos que permitan estudiar el grado de compromiso con el amamantamiento. El objetivo fue analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Compromiso de Utrecht (UWES-17) para evaluar el compromiso en la práctica del amamantamiento en 324 mujeres puérperas argentinas. Se utilizaron los instrumentos UWES-17, Escala de Autoeficacia para la Lactancia Materna, Escala de Depresión Postparto y cuestionario sociodemográfico. Se analizaron la fiabilidad, validez, dimensionalidad, sensibilidad y especificidad. El UWES-17 mostró niveles adecuados de consistencia interna y se confirmó su estructura tridimensional. El análisis bifactorial confirmó su utilidad y el modelo comprueba su validez externa. Los hallazgos confirman que el UWES-17 es un instrumento válido y fiable para la medición del compromiso en el amamantamiento, ya que puede ser utilizado en el ámbito clínico y científico para el abordaje interprofesional de la lactancia humana

The hazard of locust outbreaks - Examples from EO to support locust management

The goal of this research was to explore whether ecological niche modelling (ENM) and a habitat suitability index (HSI) model can be combined to refine results for actual breeding areas of three different locust pests. With the application of ENM as part of HSI, the information value based on climatic and soil preference components defining locust species’ ecological niche are maintained. In addition, up to date land surface parameters, vegetation development and other species relevant environmental parameters were incorporated in the HSI model. Moreover, human interaction and actual land surface dynamics play a crucial role for locust outbreaks and influence and define suitable breeding areas. Therefore, modelling based only on climatic and edaphic variables provides only the ecological niche of a species without considering actual changes of the landscape or situation. Here, we demonstrated a way to account for this issue by implementing different variables derived from Sentinel-2 time-series analysis, which describe the actual state of the land and in this way further narrow suitable breeding areas within an HSI model. The presented approach for mapping egg-pod incubation and breeding suitability was tested for Italian locust in Pavlodar oblast (Kazakhstan), for Moroccan locust in Turkistan oblast (Kazakhstan), and for desert locust in the Awash river basin (Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia)