44 research outputs found
MapFormer: Boosting Change Detection by Using Pre-change Information
Change detection in remote sensing imagery is essential for a variety of
applications such as urban planning, disaster management, and climate research.
However, existing methods for identifying semantically changed areas overlook
the availability of semantic information in the form of existing maps
describing features of the earth's surface. In this paper, we leverage this
information for change detection in bi-temporal images. We show that the simple
integration of the additional information via concatenation of latent
representations suffices to significantly outperform state-of-the-art change
detection methods. Motivated by this observation, we propose the new task of
Conditional Change Detection, where pre-change semantic information is used as
input next to bi-temporal images. To fully exploit the extra information, we
propose MapFormer, a novel architecture based on a multi-modal feature fusion
module that allows for feature processing conditioned on the available semantic
information. We further employ a supervised, cross-modal contrastive loss to
guide the learning of visual representations. Our approach outperforms existing
change detection methods by an absolute 11.7% and 18.4% in terms of binary
change IoU on DynamicEarthNet and HRSCD, respectively. Furthermore, we
demonstrate the robustness of our approach to the quality of the pre-change
semantic information and the absence pre-change imagery. The code will be made
publicly available
Keine Entwarnung fĂŒr den angespannten Stuttgarter Wohnungsmarkt: Ergebnisse der Expertenbefragung 2018
Die Lage auf dem Stuttgarter Wohnungsmarkt ist seit Jahren angespannt, da die BautĂ€tigkeit mit der Entwicklung der Wohnungsnachfrage nicht Schritt halten kann. In ErgĂ€nzung zu statistischen Auswertungen und fĂŒr eine EinschĂ€tzung der Marktsituation befragt das Statistische Amt der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart seit 2014 regelmĂ€Ăig Akteure des Wohnungsmarktes. In der jĂŒngsten Befragung 2018 hat die EinschĂ€tzung der Marktanspannung gegenĂŒber den Vorjahren weiter zugenommen. Der Stuttgarter Wohnungsmarkt wird auch in den nĂ€chsten fĂŒnf bis zehn Jahren von deutlichen NachfrageĂŒberhĂ€ngen geprĂ€gt sein. Die groĂe Mehrheit erwartet weiterhin steigende Preise und Mieten fĂŒr HĂ€user und Wohnungen. Trotz des positiven Investitionsklimas hemmen aus Sicht der Experten verschiedene Einflussfaktoren den Wohnungsneubau in Stuttgart. Das Hauptproblem bleibt die VerfĂŒgbarkeit geeigneter BaugrundstĂŒcke. Sehr kritisch sehen die
Experten zudem die hohen Baukosten, die komplexen Planungs- und Genehmigungsverfahren, die GrundstĂŒcksvergabeverfahren und die QualitĂ€tsvorgaben der Stadt
More than carbon: Frozen element inventories in ice-rich Yedoma permafrost
Soils of the permafrost zone store globally relevant reservoirs of frozen matter, such as organic matter, mineral elements as well as other biogeochemical relevant compounds like contaminants. Besides well-studied organic carbon (OC), other compounds can become available in active biological and hydrological element cycling as global climate change is warming northern permafrost regions nearly four times faster than the global average. Current heating in Siberia is unprecedented during the past seven millennia, triggering widespread permafrost degradation and collapse. This is especially relevant for our study region, the Yedoma domain. In this region, a large amount of belowground ice is present and the ground can become unstable with warming, allowing the mobilisation of previously frozen sediments with their geochemical element contents. With this presentation, we want to synthesise recent studies, which have improved the understanding of various frozen stocks. Here, we estimated that the Yedoma domain contains 41.2 Gt of nitrogen, which increases the previous estimate for the circumpolar permafrost zone by ~46%. The highest element stock within the Yedoma domain is estimated for r Si (2739 Gt), followed by Al, Fe, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Zr, Sr, and Zn. The stocks of Al and Fe (598 and 288 Gt) are in the same order of magnitude as OC (327â466 Gt). Concerning contaminants, we focused on mercury. Using the ratio of mercury to OC (RHgC, our found value: 2.57 ÎŒg Hg g Câ1) and the OC levels from various studies for a first rough estimation of the Hg reservoir, we estimate the Yedoma mercury pool to be ~542000 tons. In conclusion, we find that deep thaw of the Yedoma permafrost domain and its degradation will bear the potential to change the availability of various elements in active biogeochemical and hydrological cycles, which will have the potential to change crucial ecosystem variables and services
Recommended from our members
Methanbildungspotenziale verschiedener Pflanzenarten aus Energiefruchtfolgen
Das Methanbildungspotenzial ist ein entscheidendes QualitÀtsmerkmal von Biomassen bei
ihrer Nutzung als Einsatzstoff fĂŒr die Biogasproduktion. Von 769 unter einheitlichen Bedingungen
silierten ErntegĂŒtern aus Energiefruchtfolgen wurden mittels Batch-GĂ€rtests in zwei
verschiedenen Versuchsanlagen spezifische Methanausbeuten ermittelt. Daraus konnten
Richtwerte fĂŒr mittlere Methanausbeuten je Fruchtart und Fruchtfolgestellung, Schnitt bzw.
Trockenmassebereich oder Entwicklungsstadium zur Ernte fĂŒr 93 verschiedene pflanzliche
Biomassen abgeleitet werden. Die Ergebnisse stellen eine umfassende Datengrundlage dar,
die in Verbindung mit BiomasseertrĂ€gen fĂŒr die AbschĂ€tzung von MethanhektarertrĂ€gen
zur ökonomischen und ökologischen Bewertung von Energiefruchtfolgen, zur Planung und
Auslegung von Biogasanlagen sowie zur Entscheidung hinsichtlich des Anbaus alternativer
pflanzlicher Kosubstrate und der Konzeption nachhaltiger Biogasfruchtfolgen genutzt werden
können.The methane production potential represents an essential quality parameter of biomass if
used as feedstock for biogas production. 769 harvested crop materials from crop rotations
were ensiled at standardized conditions and were analyzed regarding their specific methane
yields by applying two different experimental setups of batch anaerobic digestion tests.
Based on this analysis, reference values for average methane yields per crop species and
position within the crop rotation, cutting regime, range of dry matter content, or stage of
growth at harvest have been deduced for 93 different crop biomasses. Results provide a comprehensive
dataset that can be used in combination with biomass yields for the estimation of
methane hectare yields, for economic and ecological evaluation of energy crop rotations, for
planning and structural design of biogas plants as well as for decisions regarding the cultivation
of alternative co-substrates and the design of sustainable biogas crop rotations
Successful treatment of COVID-19 infection with convalescent plasma in B-cell-depleted patients may promote cellular immunity
Treatment with convalescent plasma has been shown to be safe in coronavirus disease in 2019 (COVID-19) infection, although efficacy reported in immunocompetent patients varies. Nevertheless, neutralizing antibodies are a key requisite in the fight against viral infections. Patients depleted of antibody-producing B cells, such as those treated with rituximab (anti-CD20) for hematological malignancies, lack a fundamental part of their adaptive immunity. Treatment with convalescent plasma appears to be of general benefit in this particularly vulnerable cohort. We analyzed clinical course and inflammation markers of three B-cell-depleted patients suffering from COVID-19 who were treated with convalescent plasma. In addition, we measured serum antibody levels as well as peripheral blood CD38/HLA-DR-positive T-cells ex vivo and CD137-positive T-cells after in vitro stimulation with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-derived peptides in these patients. We observed that therapy with convalescent plasma was effective in all three patients and analysis of CD137-positive T-cells after stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 peptides showed an increase in peptide-specific T-cells after application of convalescent plasma. In conclusion, we here demonstrate efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in three B-cell-depleted patients and present data that suggest that while application of convalescent plasma elevates systemic antibody levels only transiently, it may also boost specific T-cell responses
Mutation analysis and functional characterization of the Omi/HtrA2 gene in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease
Aktuelle Konzepte zur Neurodegeneration bei der Parkinson-Krankheit beeinhalten die Aggregation von fehlgefalteten Proteinen und mitochondriale Dysfunktion. Vor kurzem wurden Omi/HtrA2 knock-out MÀuse beschrieben, die Neurodegeneration und einen Parkinson-Àhnlichen PhÀnotyp aufweisen.
Ausgehend von einem Kandidatengenansatz im Bereich des PARK3 Lokus auf Chromosom 2p13, wurden Gene gesucht, die eine Rolle bei der zellulÀren Stressantwort und Zelltodmechanismen spielen.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte zum ersten Mal ein Zusammenhang zwischen Mutationen im Omi/HtrA2-Gen und Neurodegeneration beim Menschen gezeigt werden. In einer Kandidatengen-Untersuchung bei 518 Parkinson-Patienten wurde bei vier Patienten eine neue Mutation in Exon 7 des Omi/HtrA2-Gens gefunden. Diese Mutation fĂŒhrt zu einem AminosĂ€ureaustausch in der PDZ-DomĂ€ne des Peptids und konnte bei einer Kontrollgruppe in 740 Chromosomen ausgeschlossen werden. DarĂŒberhinaus konnte ein neuer A141S-Polymorphismus identifiziert werden, der mit der Parkinson-Krankheit assoziiert ist (p<0,05).
Beide AminosĂ€ureaustausche fĂŒhrten zu einer reduzierten Protease-AktivitĂ€t des Omi/HtrA2-Proteins nach Aktivierung. Immunhistochemische und funktionelle Analysen in stabil transfizierten Zellen zeigten, dass die PDZ-mutierte Form von Omi/HtrA2 und - in geringerem AusmaĂ - auch das Risiokoallel des neu identifizierten Polymorphismus zu einer Mitochondriendysfunktion mit verĂ€nderter Mitochondrien-Morphologie fĂŒhren. Dabei waren Zellen, die PDZ-mutiertes Omi/HtrA2 exprimieren empfindlicher gegenĂŒber zellulĂ€rem Stress als Zellen, die das Wildtyp-Protein exprimieren. DarĂŒberhinaus wurde im Rahmen dieser Arbeit eine neu identifizierte homozygote E64D-Mutation bei einer tĂŒrkischen Familie im DJ-1-Protein funktionell untersucht. Bislang identifizierte Mutationen im DJ-1-Gen weisen darauf hin, dass DJ-1 als Sensor zur Regulation von oxidativem und mitochondrialem Stress dient. Die neu identifizierte E64D-Mutation im DJ-1-Protein fĂŒhrt zu einem Verlust der ProteinstabilitĂ€t und zu subzellulĂ€rer Fehllokalisation von E64D-DJ-1 in Zellkultur in vitro.
Diese Ergebnisse zu Mutationen im Omi/HtrA2-Gen und DJ-1-Gen unterstreichen die Bedeutung von mitochondrialer Dysfunktion fĂŒr die Neurodegeneration bei der Parkinson-Krankheit.Actual concepts of neurodegeneration in Parkinsonâs disease include the aggregation of misfolded proteins and mitochondrial dysfunction. Recently described Omi/HtrA2 knock-out mice display neurodegeneration and a Parkinson-related phenotype.
Outgoing from a candidate approach in the PARK3 region on chromosome 2p13 we searched for genes which could play a role in the cellular stress response and cell death mechanisms.
In the present work we were able to reveal a connection between mutations in the Omi/HtrA2 gene and neurodegeneration in humans for the first time. In a candidate screen of 518 Parkinsonâs patients we discovered a novel mutation in exon 7 of the Omi/HtrA2 gene in the case of 4 patients. These mutation leads to an amino acid change in the PDZ-domain of the peptide and was absent in a control cohort out of 740 chromosomes. Moreover we identified a novel A141S polymorphism which is associated with Parkinsonâs disease (p<0.05).
Both changes of the amino acids result in a decreased protease activity of the Omi/HtrA2 protein after activation. Immunohistochemical and functional analysis of stably transfected cells revealed that the PDZ-mutated form of Omi/HtrA2 and - in a lesser extend - the risk allele of the newly identified polymorphism lead to mitochondrial dysfunction with abnormal mitochondrial morphology. Thereby cells expressing the PDZ-mutated Omi/HtrA2 were more sensible against cellular stress than cells expressing the wildtype protein. In the context of this work we investigated moreover a newly identified homozygous E64D mutation of a Turkish family in the DJ-1 protein in a functional manner. So far, identified mutations in the DJ-1 gene indicate that DJ-1 serves as a sensor for the regulation of oxidative and mitochondrial stress. The newly discovered E64D mutation in the DJ-1 protein leads to a loss of protein stability and to subcellular mislocalization of E64D DJ-1 in cell culture in vitro.
These results of mutations in the Omi/HtrA2 and DJ-1 gene underscore the significance of mitochondrial dysfunction for the neurodegeneration in Parkinsonâs disease