Dive into the unknown: embracing uncertainty to advance aquatic remote sensing

Uncertainty is an inherent aspect of aquatic remote sensing, originating from sources such as sensor noise, atmospheric variability, and human error. Although many studies have advanced the understanding of uncertainty, it is still not incorporated routinely into aquatic remote sensing research. Neglecting uncertainty can lead to misinterpretations of results, missed opportunities for innovative research, and a limited understanding of complex aquatic systems. In this article, we demonstrate how working with uncertainty can advance remote sensing through three examples: validation and match-up analysis, targeted improvement of data products, and decision-making based on information acquired through remote sensing. We advocate for a change of perspective: the uncertainty inherent in aquatic remote sensing should be embraced, rather than viewed as a limitation. Focusing on uncertainty not only leads to more accurate and reliable results but also paves the way for innovation through novel insights, product improvements, and more informed decision-making in the management and preservation of aquatic ecosystems.Environmental Biolog

Modeling and chemical vapor deposition in a fluidized bed reactor based on discrete particle simulation

For better understanding the process of particle coating by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in the fluidized bed, the simulation of the deposition process was combined with a discrete particle model (DPM). Based on the experimental results of the thermal decomposition of tri-isobutyl-aluminum (TIBA) to produce aluminum onto glass beads, mechanisms on the micro-scale were investigated by single particle tracking. Zones of excessive growth as well as zones of insufficient mixing were identified. In particular, the take-up of aluminum was traced for selected particles that exhibited a large mass of deposited aluminum what in turn provides insight into the homogeneity and quantity of the coating throughout the bed material

Prognostic impact of matched preoperative plasma and serum VEGF in patients with primary colorectal carcinoma

In serum, the major part of vascular endothelial growth factor derives from in vitro degranulation of granulocytes and platelets. Therefore, plasma may be preferred for vascular endothelial growth factor measurements. However, which specimen is the best predictor of survival is still debated. The present study analyzed the prognostic value of matched preoperative serum and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations in patients with colorectal cancer. To establish the reference range among healthy people, vascular endothelial growth factor was analyzed in 50 matched EDTA-plasma and serum samples from healthy blood donors. Preoperatively, in 524 patients with colorectal cancer, matched plasma and serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations were analyzed. In the colorectal cancer patients, the median plasma vascular endothelial growth factor concentration (44 pg ml−1) was significantly (P=0.01) higher than the median plasma vascular endothelial growth factor concentration (30 pg ml−1) in the healthy blood donors. In serum, no significant (P=0.30) difference in the median vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was found between colorectal cancer patients (268 pg ml−1) and healthy blood donors (220 pg ml−1). The preoperative vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations were dichotomized by the 95th percentile of the healthy blood donors (plasma=112 pg ml−1, serum=533 pg ml−1). In univariate survival analyses, both high plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (>112 pg ml−1) and high serum vascular endothelial growth factor (>533 pg ml−1) predicted a reduced survival. In multivariate survival analyses, high serum vascular endothelial growth factor (>533 pg ml−1) independently predicted a reduced survival (HR=1.65, P=0.015), while high plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (>112 pg ml−1) did not (HR=1.27, P=0.23). This study indicates that preoperative serum vascular endothelial growth factor apparently is a better predictor of overall survival than the preoperative plasma vascular endothelial growth factor

Availability of pediatric and neonatal intensive care units in the city of São Paulo

OBJECTIVE: To describe the health care service provided in pediatric intensive care units in the city of São Paulo, by identifying and describing the units and analyzing their geographic distribution. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out during a two-year period (August 2000 to July 2002). Data were collected through questionnaires answered by medical directors of each pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit. RESULTS: São Paulo is served by 107 pediatric and neonatal intensive care units, of which 85 (79.4%) completed and returned the questionnaire. We found a very unequal distribution of units as there were more units in places with the least pediatric population. Regarding to pediatric intensive care units specialization, 7% were pediatric, 41.2% were neonatal and 51.7% were mixed (pediatric and neonatal). Regarding hospital funds, 15.3% were associated with philanthropic institutions, 37.6% were private and 47% were public. A total of 1,067 beds were identified, of which 969 were active. The ratio bed/patient aged 0-14 was 1/2,728, varying from 1/604 at health districts - I to 1/6,812 at health districts - III. The units reported an average of 11.7 beds (2 to 60). The neonatal intensive care unit had a median of 16.9 beds per unit and pediatric intensive care units a median of 8.5 beds/unit. CONCLUSION: In São Paulo, we found an uneven distribution of pediatric and neonatal intensive care units among the health districts. There was also an uneven distribution between public and private units, and neonatal and pediatric ones. The current report is the first step in the effort to improve the quality of medical assistance in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units in São Paulo.OBJETIVO: Caracterizar a assistência de saúde prestada em tratamento intensivo pediátrico e neonatal no município de São Paulo através da identificação, descrição e distribuição geográfica das unidades. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, tipo transversal, onde foram estudadas as unidades de terapia intensiva pediátrica e neonatal do município de São Paulo, no período de agosto de 2000 a julho de 2002. A coleta dos dados foi realizada por meio de questionário preenchido pelo coordenador médico de cada unidade. RESULTADOS: Foram listadas 107 unidades de terapia intensiva pediátricas e neonatais no município de São Paulo. Oitenta e cinco (79,4%) unidades forneceram os dados, constituindo a população de estudo. Observou-se maior número de unidades de terapia intensiva em Núcleos Regionais de Saúde com menor população pediátrica. Quanto à faixa etária, 7% eram exclusivamente pediátricas, 41,2% neonatais, e 51,7% mistas. Em relação ao mantenedor: 47% eram públicas, 37,6% privadas, e 15,3% filantrópicas. Identificamos 1.067 leitos, estando 969 em atividade. A razão leito/paciente de 0 a 14 anos foi de 1:2.728, variando de 1:604 (Núcleo Regional de Saúde - I) a 1:6.812 (Núcleo Regional de Saúde - III). O número de leitos por unidade variou de 2 a 60, com média de 11,7 (unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais: 16,9; mistas: 8,5). CONCLUSÃO: No município de São Paulo, observou-se uma distribuição desproporcional das unidades de terapia intensiva pediátrica e neonatal entre os cinco Núcleos Regionais de Saúde. Houve também uma distribuição desproporcional entre unidades de terapia intensiva públicas e privadas e entre neonatais e pediátricas. Esse estudo foi o primeiro esforço na busca por melhor qualidade na assistência intensiva pediátrica e neonatal no município de São Paulo.Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de MedicinaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de PediatriaUniversidade de São Paulo Hospital Universitário Unidade de Terapia Intensiva PediátricaUNIFESP, Depto. de PediatriaSciEL

Co-combustion of sewage sludge with wood/coal in a circulating fluidised bed boiler - A study of NO and N2O emissions

Reduction of emissions of NO and N2O from co-combustion of wet or dried sewage sludge with coal or wood is investigated. This is motivated by the high nitrogen content in sewage sludge that may give rise to high emissions. An advanced air-staging method for combustion in circulating fluidised bed is applied. It is shown that with fluidised bed combustion the emissions are low as long as the sludge fraction is not too high (say, less than 25%), and the conversion of fuel nitrogen to NO or N2O is only a few percent. However, air staging as such is not efficient for high volatile fuels, and any air supply method can be applied in such a case, in contrast to combustion of coal, when the air supply arrangement has a decisive influence

“Ingen engelskkurser, tak!”

I disse år presser de frie markedskræfter sig på i universiteternes verden. De højere læreanstalter har formuleret succeskriterier som tilsiger dem at stræbe efter det størst mulige optag blandt de bedste internationale studerende for at opnå en højere pla- cering på den internationale rangliste og måske også for at sikre institutionens øko- nomiske grundlag. [...

The fluvial architecture of buried floodplain sediments of the Weiße Elster River (Germany) revealed by a novel method combination of drill cores with two‐dimensional and spatially resolved geophysical measurements

The complex and non-linear fluvial river dynamics are characterized by repeated periods of fluvial erosion and re-deposition in different parts of the floodplain. Understanding the fluvial architecture (i.e. the three-dimensional arrangement and genetic interconnectedness of different sediment types) is therefore fundamental to obtain well-based information about controlling factors. However, investigating the fluvial architecture in buried floodplain deposits without natural exposures is challenging. We studied the fluvial architecture of the middle Weiße Elster floodplain in Central Germany, an extraordinary long-standing archive of Holocene flooding and landscape changes in sensitive loess-covered Central European landscapes. We applied a novel systematic approach by coupling two-dimensional transects of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements and closely spaced core drillings with spatially resolved measurements of electromagnetic induction (EMI) of larger floodplain areas at three study sites. This allowed for (i) time and cost-efficient core drillings based on preceding ERT measurements and (ii) spatially scaling up the main elements of the fluvial architecture, such as the distribution of thick silt-clay overbank deposits and paleochannel patterns from the floodplain transects to larger surrounding areas. We found that fine-grained sand and silt-clay overbank deposits overlying basal gravels were deposited during several periods of intensive flooding. Those were separated from each other by periods of reduced flooding, allowing soil formation. However, the overbank deposits were severely laterally eroded before and during each sedimentation period. This was probably linked with pronounced meandering or even braiding of the river. Our preliminary chronological classification suggests that first fine-grained sedimentation must have occurred during the Early to Middle Holocene, and the last phase of lateral erosion and sedimentation during the Little Ice Age. Our study demonstrates the high archive potential of the buried fluvial sediments of the middle Weiße Elster floodplain and provides a promising time and cost-effective approach for future studies of buried floodplain sediments

Accuracy and reproducibility of above-water radiometry with calibrated smartphone cameras using RAW data

Consumer cameras, especially on smartphones, are popular and effective instruments for above-water radiometry. The remote sensing reflectance Rrs is measured above the water surface and used to estimate inherent optical properties and constituent concentrations. Two smartphone apps, HydroColor and EyeOnWater, are used worldwide by professional and citizen scientists alike. However, consumer camera data have problems with accuracy and reproducibility between cameras, with systematic differences of up to 40% in intercomparisons. These problems stem from the need, until recently, to use JPEG data. Lossless data, in the RAW format, and calibrations of the spectral and radiometric response of consumer cameras can now be used to significantly improve the data quality. Here, we apply these methods to above-water radiometry. The resulting accuracy in Rrs is around 10% in the red, green, and blue (RGB) bands and 2% in the RGB band ratios, similar to professional instruments and up to 9 times better than existing smartphone-based methods. Data from different smartphones are reproducible to within measurement uncertainties, which are on the percent level. The primary sources of uncertainty are environmental factors and sensor noise. We conclude that using RAW data, smartphones and other consumer cameras are complementary to professional instruments in terms of data quality. We offer practical recommendations for using consumer cameras in professional and citizen science.Horizon 2020(H2020)776480Environmental BiologyInstrumentatio

Co-firing of biomass and other wastes in fluidised bed systems

A project on co-firing in large-scale power plants burning coal is currently funded by the European Commission. It is called COPOWER. The project involves 10 organisations from 6 countries. The project involves combustion studies over the full spectrum of equipment size, ranging from small laboratory-scale reactors and pilot plants, to investigate fundamentals and operating parameters, to proving trials on a commercial power plant in Duisburg. The power plant uses a circulating fluidized bed boiler. The results to be obtained are to be compared as function of scale-up. There are two different coals, 3 types of biomass and 2 kinds of waste materials are to be used for blending with coal for co-firing tests. The baseline values are obtained during a campaign of one month at the power station and the results are used for comparison with those to be obtained in other units of various sizes. Future tests will be implemented with the objective to achieve improvement on baseline values. The fuels to be used are already characterized. There are ongoing studies to determine reactivities of fuels and chars produced from the fuels. Reactivities are determined not only for individual fuels but also for blends to be used. Presently pilot-scale combustion tests are also undertaken to study the effect of blending coal with different types of biomass and waste materials. The potential for synergy to improve combustion is investigated. Early results will be reported in the Conference. Simultaneously, studies to verify the availability of biomass and waste materials in Portugal, Turkey and Italy have been undertaken. Techno-economic barriers for the future use of biomass and other waste materials are identified. The potential of using these materials in coal fired power stations has been assessed. The conclusions will also be reported

Variability in the establishment of an external reference point for central venous pressure measurement in children

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the variability in the establishment of the midaxillary line as external reference point (ERP), by different healthcare workers, for the measurement of central venous pressure in children. METHODS: Descriptive and correlational study carried out in a pediatric intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. During the establishment of the midaxillary line as ERP for central venous pressure measurement, five assessments of the same patient made by healthcare workers and one assessment made by a trained evaluator were compared. A total of 120 assessments were made by 44 healthcare workers, 17 (38.6%) by nursing assistants and nursing technicians, 16 (36.3%) by nurses and 11 (25.1%) by physicians, in addition to 24 assessments made by the trained evaluator. The data were analyzed using the chi-square test, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test and t test. Significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference between the assessments made by healthcare workers and by the evaluator (p < 0.001). The comparison of the variability in the measurements made by healthcare workers revealed that 56 (46.7%) measurements were lower than those obtained by the evaluator (range from -0.5 to -9), 44 (36.7%) were higher (range from 0.5 to 4) and 20 (16.7%) were concordant (zero variability). Professional category did not influence the concordance between the ERPs (p = 0.899), or the variability observed (p = 0.778). However, the measurements made by professionals with greater experience in intensive care tended to differ more sharply from those made by the evaluators. CONCLUSION: The indications of the midaxillary line as ERP presented variations when measured by the healthcare team and by the trained evaluator. Variability was not influenced by professional category, and the more experienced the healthcare worker, the greater the probability for underestimation of the ERP. According to the results of this study, such situations may compromise both the efficacy of this procedure and patient safety.OBJETIVO: Verificar variabilidade na determinação da linha axilar média como ponto externo de referência (PER), por diferentes profissionais de saú de, para a aferição de pressão venosa central em crianças. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo e de correlação realizado em uma unidade de cuidados intensivos pediátricos de um hospital universitário. Durante a determinação da linha axilar média como PER para a aferição da pressão venosa central, cinco avaliações realizadas no mesmo paciente por profissionais de saúde e uma realizada por um avaliador treinado foram comparadas. O resultado foi um total de 120 indicações de 44 profissionais de saúde, 17 (38,6%) auxiliares e técnicos de enfermagem, 16 (36,3%) enfermeiros e 11 (25,1%) médicos, além de 24 identificações realizadas por avaliador treinado. Os dados foram analisados utilizando os testes do qui-quadrado, ANOVA, Kruskall-Wallis e teste t, fixando o nível de significância em 5%. RESULTADOS: Houve diferença significante entre as identificações realizadas pelos profissionais de saúde e pelo avaliador (p < 0,001). Comparando a variabilidade das medidas realizadas pelos profissionais, 56 (46,7%) foram menores do que a identificação do avaliador (variação de -0,5 até -9), 44 (36,7%) foram maiores (variação de 0,5 até 4) e 20 (16,7%) foram coincidentes (variação nula). Não se identificou influência da categoria profissional sobre a concordância entre os PER indicados (p = 0,899), tampouco na variabilidade observada (p = 0,778). Observou-se, contudo, que profissionais com maior tempo de experiência em unidades de cuidados intensivos demonstraram uma tendência a maior variabilidade com as medidas dos avaliadores. CONCLUSÃO: Verificou-se variabilidade nas indicações da linha axilar média como PER entre os profissionais e o avaliador treinado. A variabilidade não foi influenciada pela categoria profissional e quanto maior o tempo de experiência do profissional, maior a tendência em subestimar o ponto de referência. Os resultados deste estudo indicaram situações que poderiam comprometer a eficácia do procedimento e a segurança do paciente.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de EnfermagemUNIFESP Departamento de EnfermagemUNIFESP Departamento de PediatriaUNIFESP, Depto. de EnfermagemUNIFESP, Depto. de EnfermagemUNIFESP, Depto. de PediatriaSciEL