Use of multi-angle high-resolution imagery and 3D information for urban land-cover classification: a case study on Istanbul

The BELSPO-MAMUD project focuses on the use of Remote Sensing data for measuring and modelling urban dynamics. Remote sensing is a wonderful tool to produce long time-series of high resolution maps of sealed surface useful for this purpose. In the urban context of Istanbul, a very dynamic city, recent high resolution satellite images and medium resolution images from the past have been exploited to calibrate and validate a regression-based sub-pixel classification method allowing this production. In this context it’s a tricky task for several reasons: prominent occurrence of shadowed and occluded areas and urban canyons, spectral confusions between urban and non-urban materials at ground and roof levels, moderately hilly relief ... To cope with these difficulties the combined use of three types of data may be helpful: diachronic (i), multi-angle and 3D data. A master multispectral and panchromatic QuickBird image and a panchromatic Ikonos stereopair, all acquired in March 2002, were used in combination with a multispectral and panchromatic Ikonos image of May 2005. A DSM was generated from the Ikonos stereopair and building vector file. It was used for orthorectification, building height estimation and classification procedure. The area covered by the high resolution products was divided in 3 partitions and each one was classified independently. This application demonstrates that recent high resolution land-cover classification produced using multi-date, multi-angle and DSM can be used to produce sealed surface maps from longer timeseries of medium resolution images over large urban areas enabling so the analysis of urban dynamics

Tratamento endodôntico como gatilho para endocardite infecciosa

A Endocardite Infecciosa é uma doença rara, mas é a principal doença fatal em relação à medicina oral. Embora o Tratamento Endodôntico Não-Cirurgico apresente um risco muito menor de desencadear uma bacteremia em relação a uma extracção, e assim, uma Endocardite Infecciosa. A extração é muitas vezes preferida. Muitos profissionais acreditam que a conformidade com as recomendações é uma proteção legal, e usam e abusam daquelas nas suas práticas diárias. Este artigo é uma revisão bibliográfica sistemática, baseado em 20 artigos (12 artigos de revisões sistemáticas, 3 estudos analíticos descritivos, 2 casos relatados, e 2 Guidelines), visando informar os Médicos Dentistas e os estudantes de Medicina Dentária sobre os perigos de algumas práticas dentárias, os processos desenvolvidos pelas bactérias para chegar ao coração e desenvolver uma Endocardite Infecciosa, e alertar para a necessidade de estabelecer novas recomendações globais para substituir as atuais técnicas obsoletas de prevenção desta doença em constante adaptação.Infectious Endocarditis is a rare disease, but it is the main fatal disease with regard to oral medicine. Although Non-Surgical Endodontic Treatment presents a lower risk of triggering bacteremia as an extraction, and thus an Infective Endocarditis. Extraction is often preferred. Many practitioners believe compliance with the recommendations is legal protection, and they use and abuse those in their daily practices. This article is a systematic bibliographic review, based on 20 articles (12 articles of systematic reviews, 3 descriptive analytical studies, 2 reported cases, and 2 Guidelines), aimed at informing Dental Practitioners and Dental Medicine students about the dangers of some dental practices, the processes developed by bacteria to reach the heart and develop an Infectious Endocarditis, and to alert to the need to establish new global recommendations to replace the current obsolete techniques of prevention, of this disease in constant adaptation

Constraining mid to late Holocene relative sea level change in the southern equatorial Pacific Ocean relative to the Society Islands, French Polynesia

Precisely quantifying the current climate-related sea level change requires accurate knowledge of long-term geological processes known as Glacial Isostatic Adjustments (GIA). Although the major postglacial melting phase is likely to have ended ∼6–4 ka BP (before present), GIA is still significantly affecting the present-day vertical position of the mean sea surface and the sea bottom. Here we present empirical rsl (relative sea level) data based on U/Th dated fossil corals from reef platforms of the Society Islands, French Polynesia, together with the corresponding GIA-modeling. Fossil coral data constrain the timing and amplitude of rsl variations after the Holocene sea level maximum (HSLM). Upon correction for isostatic island subsidence, we find that local rsl was at least ∼1.5 ± 0.4 m higher than present at ∼5.4 ka. Later, minor amplitude variations occurred until ∼2 ka, when the rsl started dropping to its present position with a rate of ∼0.4 mm/yr. The data match with predicted rsl curves based on global ice-sheet chronologies confirming the role of GIA-induced ocean siphoning effect throughout the mid to late Holocene. A long lasting Late Holocene highstand superimposed with second-order amplitudinal fluctuations as seen from our data suggest that the theoretical predicted timing of rsl change can still be refined pending future calibration