Comparing global land cover datasets through the Eagle matrix land cover components for continental Portugal

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geospatial TechnologiesGlobal land cover maps play an important role in the understanding of the Earth's ecosystem dynamic. Several global land cover maps have been produced recently namely, Global Land Cover Share (GLC-Share) and GlobeLand30. These datasets are very useful sources of land cover information and potential users and producers are many times interested in comparing these datasets. However these global land cover maps are produced based on different techniques and using different classification schemes making their interoperability in a standardized way a challenge. The Environmental Information and Observation Network (EIONET) Action Group on Land Monitoring in Europe (EAGLE) concept was developed in order to translate the differences in the classification schemes into a standardized format which allows a comparison between class definitions. This is done by elaborating an EAGLE matrix for each classification scheme, where a bar code is assigned to each class definition that compose a certain land cover class. Ahlqvist (2005) developed an overlap metric to cope with semantic uncertainty of geographical concepts, providing this way a measure of how geographical concepts are more related to each other. In this paper, the comparison of global land cover datasets is done by translating each land cover legend into the EAGLE bar coding for the Land Cover Components of the EAGLE matrix. The bar coding values assigned to each class definition are transformed in a fuzzy function that is used to compute the overlap metric proposed by Ahlqvist (2005) and overlap matrices between land cover legends are elaborated. The overlap matrices allow the semantic comparison between the classification schemes of each global land cover map. The proposed methodology is tested on a case study where the overlap metric proposed by Ahlqvist (2005) is computed in the comparison of two global land cover maps for Continental Portugal. The study resulted with the overlap spatial distribution among the two global land cover maps, Globeland30 and GLC-Share. These results shows that Globeland30 product overlap with a degree of 77% with GLC-Share product in Continental Portugal

It\u27s Time to Trash Consumer Responsibility for Plastics: An Analysis of Extended Producer Responsibility Laws\u27 Sucess in Maine

Consumer responsibility for waste is a historic relic, dating back to a time when nearly all of a consumer’s waste was compostable, reusable, or marketable. Today, with the rise of plastics and complex goods like electronics, consumers lack the expertise, time, and ability to personally break down the products they consume for reuse. Much of our household waste goes to the curb and into a single stream of municipal solid waste (“MSW”). This includes a variety of wastes which each require specialized processing. Recycling this complex waste falls to municipalities which are woefully underfunded and underqualified to process such complex and dangerous waste. Solutions beyond consumer responsibility, like Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”), are needed to mitigate the costs and environmental impacts associated with modern MSW

Utjecaj gubitka sna na mozak

Each sleep phase is characterized by specific chemical, cellular and anatomic events of vital importance for normal neural functioning. Different forms of sleep deprivation may lead to a decline of cognitive functions in individuals. Studies in this field make a distinction between total sleep deprivation, chronic sleep restriction, and the situation of sleep disruption. Investigations covering the acute effects of sleep deprivation on the brain show that the discovered behavioral deficits in most cases regenerate after two nights of complete sleep. However, some studies done on mice emphasize the possible chronic effects of long-term sleep deprivation or chronic restriction on the occurrence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. In order to better understand the acute and chronic effects of sleep loss, the mechanisms of neural adaptation in the situations of insufficient sleep need to be further investigated. Future integrative research on the impact of sleep deprivation on neural functioning measured through the macro level of cognitive functions and the micro molecular and cell level could contribute to more accurate conclusions about the basic cellular mechanisms responsible for the detected behavioral deficits occurring due to sleep deprivation.Svaku fazu sna opisuju određeni kemijski, stanični i anatomski procesi koji su iznimno važni za održavanje fiziološke neuralne funkcije. Različiti oblici gubitka sna mogu kod čovjeka uzrokovati pad kognitivnih funkcija. Istraživanja u ovom znanstvenom području razlikuju situaciju potpunog gubitka sna, kronične restrikcije (ograničavanja) sna te stanje isprekidanog sna. Proučavanje akutnih učinaka neispavanosti na moždanu funkciju ukazuje na činjenicu da se otkriveni deficiti kognitivnih funkcija u većini slučajeva regeneriraju nakon dvije noći potpunog sna. Ipak, studije na miševima naglašavaju mogućnost utjecaja dugotrajne neispavanosti na nastanak nekih neurodegenerativnih bolesti kao što su Alzheimerova bolest i demencija. Kako bismo bolje razumjeli akutne i kronične učinke gubitka sna potrebno je dodatno istražiti mehanizme neurološke adaptacije na situacije neispavanosti. Buduća bi istraživanja o utjecaju gubitka sna na neurološke funkcije trebala pratiti makro razinu fenomena mjerenjem kognitivnih funkcija, ali i mikro razinu kroz molekularne i stanične procese. Takav bi pristup mogao doprinijeti točnijim zaključcima o osnovnim staničnim mehanizmima odgovornima za otkriveni kognitivni deficit uslijed nedostatka sna

Određivanje titra virusa vhs u eksperimentalno inficiranim pastrmkama, oncoryhinchus mykiss

U radu se opisuje infekcija različitih tkiva kalifornijske pastrmke virusnom hemoragične septikemije i poređenje titra VHS virusa u različitim tkivima inficirane pastrmke u cilju određivanja najboljeg organa za izolaciju virusa i identifikaciju faze bolesti. Rezultati pokazuju da je mozak dobar organ za izolaciju VHS virusa u fazi bolesti kao i tokom inkubacije i da je značajan koliko i bubrezi i srce za detekciju virusa. Srce i bubrezi su organi koji su imali najviši titar virusa, jetra, škrge, pilorus i koža najmanji, dok su mozak i slezina između te dve grupe

Effects of the natural and sexual selection on the evolution of the human mind

Evolucija ljudskog uma jedna je od najkompleksnijih zagonetki moderne znanosti. Zašto se razvio i kako se razvio, zašto danas takav organ pronalazimo samo kod jedne vrste na planetu i što je to usmjeravalo njegov razvoj? Dok autori poput Cunnanea smatraju da su prirodni odabir (kroz adaptacije na svakodnevne izazove okoliša) te promjena prehrane (povećana konzumacija mesa) doprinijeli razvoju ljudskog mozga, drugi, poput Geoffreyja Millera tvrde da je spolni odabir putem izbora partnera, preko procesa bijega i načela hendikepa, najviše odgovoran za razvoj mozga kao spolnog ukrasa i pokazatelja sposobnosti jedinke. U ovom radu ukratko su izloženi najvažniji aspekti evolucije čovjeka kao i evolucijskih sila (s posebnim naglaskom na spolni odabir) koje su oblikovale ljudski mozak. Rad zastupa teoriju da je spolni odabir, kroz nekoliko različitih procesa, vjerojatno bio glavni pokretač evolucije ljudskog uma.Evolution of the human mind is one of the most complex mysteries of the modern science. Why it had evolved and how? Why today can we find such an organ in only one living species on the planet and what orchestrated its development? While authors like Cunnane say that natural selection (through adaptations to everyday challengens of the environment) and change in diet (increase in meat consumption) are two major driving forces of human brain evolution, others, like Miller, postulate that sexual selection, through the process of escape and the handicap principle, is the most responsible for the evolution of the human brain as a sexual ornament and a fitness indicator of the individual. This paper contains brief overview of the most important aspects of the human evolution, as well as the evolutionary forces (with special emphasis on sexual selection) which shaped the human brain. This paper supports the theory that sexual selection (through a few distinct processes) probably was the major driving force of the evolution of the human mind

Vizualizacija dišnog puta: oči vide ono što mozak zna

Airway management is basic for anesthesia practice, and sometimes it can represent a really dramatic scenario for both the patient and the physicians. Laryngoscopy has been the gold standard of airway visualization for more than 60 years, showing its limitations and failure rates with time. New technology has made available an opportunity to move the physician’s eye inside patient airways thanks to video laryngoscopy and video assisted airway management technique. Undoubtedly, we have entered a new era of high resolution airway visualization and different approach in airway instrumentation. Nevertheless, each new technology needs time to be tested and considered reliable, and pitfalls and limitations may come out with careful and long lasting analysis, so it is probably not the right time yet to promote video assisted approach as a new gold standard for airway visualization, despite the fact that it certainly offers some new prospects. In any case, whatever the visualization approach, no patient dies because of missed airway visualization or failed intubation, but due to failed ventilation, which remains without doubt the gold standard of any patient safety goal and airway management technique.Održavanje dišnog puta je osnovna anesteziološka vještina koja ponekad predstavlja u pravom smislu dramatičan scenarij za bolesnika i liječnika. Laringoskopija, sa svim svojim ograničenjima i neuspjesima, predstavlja zlatni standard vizualizacije dišnog puta već više od 60 godina. Nove tehnologije, zahvaljujući videolaringoskopiji i video asistiranim tehnikamaodržavanja dišnog puta, omogućile su pomicanje očiju liječnika unutar dišnog puta bolesnika. Bez sumnje, ušli smo u novu eru visoke rezolucije vizualizacije dišnog puta i različitog pristupa instrumentalizaciji dišnog puta. Međutim, svaka nova tehnologija zahtijeva vrijeme da bi se testirala i smatrala pouzdanom. Zapreke i ograničenja mogu se iznjedriti nakon pažljive i dugotrajne analize, stoga vjerojatno još nije vrijeme da se promovira video asistirani pristup kao novi zlatni standard u vizualizaciji dišnog puta, iako on definitivno predstavlja novu budućnost. U svakom slučaju, koji kod bio pristup vizualizaciji, nijedan bolesnik ne umire zbog propuštene vizualizacije ili neuspjele intubacije, već umire zbog neuspješne ventilacije koja ostaje bez sumnje zlatni standard bilo kojeg cilja za sigurnost bolesnika i tehnike zbrinjavanja dišnog puta

Zbrinjavanje pacijenta s tumorom mozga, te priprema za operacijski zahvat na odjelu neurokirurgije

Tumori mozga su lokalizirane intrakranijalne novotvorine. Mogu biti primarni ili metastatski, tj. metastaziraju iz tumorskih središta drugih dijelova tijela, prema vrsti mogu biti benigni ili maligni. Simptomi koji mogu upućivati na tumor mozga: simptomi povišenog intrakranijalnog tlaka (glavobolja, mučnina, povraćanje), epileptički napadaji, poremećaji svijesti. Kako bi se postavila dijagnoza potrebno je obaviti sljedeće pretrage: CT, MR, pregled vida i vidnog polja, EEG, cerebralnu angiografiju, lumbalnu punkciju i analizu punktata. Tok i prognoza ovise o vrsti tumora, brzini rasta i lokalizaciji. Kad je potvrđena dijagnoza tumora mozga, započinje se sa specifičnim liječenjem. Postoje tri metode liječenja: operacijski zahvat, iradijacija i kemoterapija. Intervencije medicinske sestre – tehničara trebaju biti usmjerene na promatranje takvog bolesnika, pružanju podržavajuće skrbi, edukaciju i unaprijeđenje kvalitete života.Brain tumors are intracranial located neoplasms. They could be primary or metastatic which metastate from other cancer centers in body, by type they are either benign or malignant. Symptoms that could refer to brain tumor are: symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure (headache, vomiting, nausea ), epileptic seizures, disturbance of consciousness. To confirm the diagnosis following medical tests should be done: CT, MR, eye and eye field of view test, EEG, cerebral angiography, lumbar punction and analysis of lumbar fluids. Prognosis and flow of treatment is determinated based on type of tumor, growth speed and localization. When brain tumor diagnosis is confirmed special treatment starts. Three methods of observing, providing appropriate health care, education and improving the quality of life for such patients