reflectance spectra measurements of mt etna a comparison with multispectral hyperspectral satellite

We present a collection of eight reflectance spectra representative of Mt. Etna volcano lava flows. The reflectance spectra were measured with a FieldSpecPro from 350 nm to 2500 nm during a fieldwork in June 2007. The reflectance has been compared with reflectance obtained by multispectral Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and by hyper spectral EO1-Hyperion satellites. Prior the comparison, reflectance spectra have been convolved with ASTER and EO1-Hyperion spectral functions. The results show percentage errors in accordance to those present in literature in the ASTER SWIR range. However, some differences have been confirmed for the ASTER reflectance product (ASTER_07) in visible channels. Regarding EO1-Hyperion, a good agreement of reflectance against field measurement has been found resulting in 5% percentage maximum error in the VIS and up 30% in SWIR spectral range. The capacity of reproducing spectral feature by EO1-Hyperion has been checked on bright pixels (ice-snow) in the acquired image

Automated classification of heat sources detected using SWIR remote sensing

Abstract The potential of shortwave infrared (SWIR) remote sensing to detect hotspots has been investigated using satellite data for decades. The hotspots detected by satellite SWIR sensors include very high-temperature heat sources such as wildfires, volcanoes, industrial activity, or open burning. This study proposes an automated classification method of heat source detected utilizing Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 data. We created training data of heat sources via visual inspection of hotspots detected by Landsat 8. A scheme to classify heat sources for daytime data was developed by combining classification methods based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm utilizing spatial features and a decision tree algorithm based on thematic land-cover information and our time series detection record. Validation work using 10,959 classification results corresponding to hotspots acquired from May 2017 to July 2019 indicated that the two classification results were in 79.7% agreement. For hotspots where the two classification schemes agreed, the classification was 97.9% accurate. Even when the results of the two classification schemes conflicted, either was correct in 73% of the samples. To improve the accuracy, the heat source category was re-allocated to the most probable category corresponding to the combination of the results from the two methods. Integrating the two approaches achieved an overall accuracy of 92.8%. In contrast, the overall accuracy for heat source classification during nighttime reached 79.3% because only the decision tree-based classification was applicable to limited available data. Comparison with the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) fire product revealed that, despite the limited data acquisition frequency of Landsat 8, regional tendencies in hotspot occurrence were qualitatively appropriate for an annual period on a global scale

A UAS System for Observing Volacanoes and Natural Hazards

Fixed or rotary wing manned aircraft are currently the most commonly used platforms for airborne reconnaissance in response to natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions, oil spills, wild fires, earthquakes. Such flights are very often undertaken in hazardous flying conditions (e.g., turbulence, downdrafts, reduced visibility, close proximity to dangerous terrain) and can be expensive. To mitigate these two fundamental issues--safety and cost--we are exploring the use of small (<100kg), relatively inexpensive, but effective, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for this purpose. As an operational test, in 2004 we flew a small autonomous UAV in the airspace above and around Stromboli Volcano. Based in part on this experience, we are adapting the RAVEN- INGV system for such natural hazard surveillance missions. RAVEN- INGV has a 50km range, with a 3.5m wingspan, main fuselage length of 4.60m, and maximum weight of 56kg. It has autonomous flight capability and a ground control station for mission planning and control. It will carry a variety of imaging devices, including a visible camera, and an IR camera. Such flexible, capable, and easy-to-deploy UAV systems may significantly shorten the time necessary to characterize the nature and scale of the natural hazard threats if used from the outset of, and systematically during, natural hazard events. When appropriately utilized, such UAVs can provide a powerful new hazard mitigation and documentation tool for civil protection hazard responders. This research was carried out under the auspices of the Italian government, and, in part, under contract to NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

20S proteasome mediated degradation of DHFR: implications in neurodegenerative disorders

The 20S proteasome is responsible for the degradation of protein substrates implicated in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders, such as a-synuclein and tau protein. Here we show that the 20S proteasome isolated from bovine brain directly hydrolyzes, in vitro, the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the DHFR susceptibility to proteolysis is enhanced by oxidative conditions induced by peroxynitrite, mimicking the oxidative environment typical of these disorders. The results obtained suggest that the folate metabolism may be impaired by an increased degradation of DHFR, mediated by the 20S proteasome

Enhanced insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and liver by physiological overexpression of SIRT6

Objective: Available treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is suboptimal. Thus, identifying novel molecular target(s) exerting protective effects against these metabolic imbalances is of enormous medical significance. Sirt6 loss- and gain-of-function studies have generated confounding data regarding the role of this sirtuin on energy and glucose homeostasis, leaving unclear whether activation or inhibition of SIRT6 may be beneficial for the treatment of obesity and/or T2DM. Methods: To address these issues, we developed and studied a novel mouse model designed to produce eutopic and physiological overexpression of SIRT6 (Sirt6BAC mice). These mutants and their controls underwent several metabolic analyses. These include whole-blood reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography assay, glucose and pyruvate tolerance tests, hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp assays, and assessment of basal and insulin-induced level of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT)/AKT in gastrocnemius muscle. Results: Sirt6BAC mice physiologically overexpress functionally competent SIRT6 protein. While Sirt6BAC mice have normal body weight and adiposity, they are protected from developing high-caloric-diet (HCD)-induced hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance. Also, Sirt6BAC mice display increased circulating level of the polyamine spermidine. The ability of insulin to suppress endogenous glucose production was significantly enhanced in Sirt6BAC mice compared to wild-type controls. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was increased in Sirt6BAC mice in both gastrocnemius and soleus muscle, but not in brain, interscapular brown adipose, or epididymal adipose tissue. Insulin-induced p-AKT/AKT ratio was increased in gastrocnemius muscle of Sirt6BAC mice compared to wild-type controls. Conclusions: Our data indicate that moderate, physiological overexpression of SIRT6 enhances insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle and liver, engendering protective actions against diet-induced T2DM. Hence, the present study provides support for the anti-T2DM effect of SIRT6 and suggests SIRT6 as a putative molecular target for anti-T2DM treatment

Vaccines against human HER2 prevent mammary carcinoma in mice transgenic for human HER2

INTRODUCTION: The availability of mice transgenic for the human HER2 gene (huHER2) and prone to the development of HER2-driven mammary carcinogenesis (referred to as FVB-huHER2 mice) prompted us to study active immunopreventive strategies targeting the human HER2 molecule in a tolerant host. METHODS: FVB-huHER2 were vaccinated with either IL-12-adjuvanted human HER2-positive cancer cells or DNA vaccine carrying chimeric human-rat HER2 sequences. Onset and number of mammary tumors were recorded to evaluate vaccine potency. Mice sera were collected and passively transferred to xenograft-bearing mice to assess their antitumor efficacy. RESULTS: Both cell and DNA vaccines significantly delayed tumor onset, leading to about 65% tumor-free mice at 70 weeks, whereas mock-vaccinated FVB-huHER2 controls developed mammary tumors at a median age of 45 weeks. In the DNA vaccinated group, 65% of mice were still tumor-free at about 90 weeks of age. The number of mammary tumors per mouse was also significantly reduced in vaccinated mice. Vaccines broke the immunological tolerance to the huHER2 transgene, inducing both humoral and cytokine responses. The DNA vaccine mainly induced a high and sustained level of anti-huHER2 antibodies, the cell vaccine also elicited interferon (IFN)-gamma production. Sera of DNA-vaccinated mice transferred to xenograft-carrying mice significantly inhibited the growth of human HER2-positive cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-huHER2 antibodies elicited in the tolerant host exert antitumoral activity

FASA - Fire Airborne Spectral Analysis of Natural Disasters

At present the authors are developing the system FASA, an airborne combination of a Fourier Transform Spectrometer and an imaging system. The aim is to provide a system that is usable to investigate and monitor emissions from natural disasters such as wild fires and from volcanoes. Besides temperatures and (burned) areas FASA will also provide concentration profiles of the gaseous combustion products. These data are needed to improve the knowledge of the effects of such emissions on the global ecosystem. The paper presents a description of the instrumentation, the data evaluation procedure and shows first results of retrieval calculations based on simulated spectra