Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An assessment of image features and random forest for land cover mapping over large areas using high resolution Satellite Image Time Series

New high resolution Satellite Image Time Series (SITS) are becoming crucial to land cover mapping over large areas. Their high temporal resolution will allow to better depict scene dynamics. However, it will also increase the amount of data to process. The classification of these data involves therefore new challenges such as: (1) selecting the best feature set to use as input data, (2) dealing with data variability coming from landscape diversity, and (3) establishing the robustness of existing classifiers over large areas. This work aims at addressing these questions through three different studies. Experimental results are obtained by using SPOT-4 and Landsat-8 SITS.
Virtual patients and online video resources: useful when patient availability is reduced?

Virtual patients and simulation are well established in medical education, and although they are never intended to replace real clinical encounters, they do provide alternative safe places for students to practice, detached from the stresses of clinical practice, whilst also ensuring an equality of experience and exposure to a variety of cases that may not be available on the ward. There is some recent evidence that highand low-fidelity simulations are equally as effective, so a simple online video, created with a decent pedagogical context, may be just as good a use of time as a complicated virtual hospital rendered in Second Life. Videos can bring dry paper-based cases to life and stimulate deep reflection when combined with effective feedback.
Improvement of long-term snow depth product accuracy from passive microwave satellite observations: A case study with SNODAS data

This paper presented a pixel-based statistical regression method based on a high-resolution snow depth product to improve the accuracy of passive microwave snow depth retrievals. The statistical regression relation was established based on a linear relationship between the snow depth and the brightness temperature (TB) difference. The coefficients of these regression equations were derived using the snow depth product of Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) as a reference. The regression relation was established over the winter period of 2013 and 2014. Passive microwave SD maps can be produced using the regression relation. Then retrieved SD was evaluated by the SNODAS SD product from November to December in 2010. The root mean square error (RMSE) and correlations (R) were computed between the SD retrievals and the SNODAS SD product. The R (mostly greater than 0.55) and RMSE (mostly lower than 16cm) maps showed a good agreement between the retrieved SD and the SNODAS SD product.
Validation of the Antarctic Snow Accumulation and Ice Discharge basal stress boundary of the southeastern region of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

The largest ice shelf in Antarctic, Ross Ice Shelf, was investigated over the years of 1988-2014. Near the basal stress boundary between the ice shelf and the West Antarctic ice sheet, ice velocity ranges from a few meters per year to several hundred meters per year in ice streams. Ice velocity increases as the ice moves seaward, reaching more than 1 km yr-1 in the central portions of the ice front. Most of the drainage from West Antarctica into the Ross Ice Shelf flows down two major ice streams, each of which discharges more than 20 km3 of ice each year. Along with velocity changes the warmest water below parts of the Ross Ice Shelf resides in the lowest portion of the water column because of its high salinity. Vertical mixing caused by tidal stirring can thus induce ablation by lifting the warm water into contact with the ice shelf. This process can cause melting over a period of time and eventually cause breakup of ice shelf. With changes occurring over many years a validation is needed for the Antarctic Snow Accumulation and Ice Discharge (ASAID) basal stress boundary created in 2003. After the 2002 Larsen B Ice Shelf disintegration, nearby glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula accelerated up to eight times their original speed over the next 18 months. Similar losses of ice tongues in Greenland have caused speed-ups of two to three times the flow rate in just one year. Rapid changes occurring in regions surrounding Antarctica are causing concern in the polar science community to research changes occurring in coastal zones over time. During the research, the team completed study on the Ross Ice Shelf located on the southwestern coast of the Antarctic. The study included a validation of the ABSB vs. the natural basal stress boundary (NBSB) along the Ross Ice Shelf. The ASAID BSB was created in 2003 by a team of researchers headed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA GSFC), with an aim of studying coastal deviations as it pertains to the mass balance of the entire continent. The point data file was aimed at creating a replica of the natural BSB. Select cloud free Landsat satellite imagery from satellites 1 through 7 was used to detect changes occurring over the span of 19 years. The last major interest in the study included documenting the deviations or incorrect placements of the ABSB vs NBSB. ENVI 4.7 as well as ENVI 5.0 image manipulation software was used in the geo-rectifying and the geo-referencing process. Changes that occurred were documented in the form of a data table with the change that occurred along with the latitude and longitude geographic coordinates.
Medicare Accountable Care Organizations of Diverse Structures Achieve Comparable Quality and Cost Performance.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether an empirically derived taxonomy of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is associated with quality and spending performance among patients of ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). DATA SOURCES Three waves of the National Survey of ACOs and corresponding publicly available Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance data for NSACO respondents participating in the MSSP (N = 204); SK&A Office Based Physicians Database from QuintilesIMS. STUDY DESIGN We compare the performance of three ACO types (physician-led, integrated, and hybrid) for three domains: quality, spending, and likelihood of achieving savings. Sources of performance variation within and between ACO types are compared for each performance measure. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS There is greater heterogeneity within ACO types than between ACO types. There were no consistent differences in quality by ACO type, nor were there differences in likelihood of achieving savings or overall spending per-person-year. There was evidence for higher spending on physician services for physician-led ACOs. CONCLUSIONS ACOs of diverse structures perform comparably on core MSSP quality and spending measures. CMS should maintain its flexibility and continue to support participation of diverse ACOs. Future research to identify modifiable organizational factors that account for performance variation within ACO types may provide insight as to how best to improve ACO performance based on organizational structure and ownership.
Chlorobenzenes in field soil with a history of multiple sewage sludge applications.

The chlorobenzene (CB) content of soil from a long-term agricultural experiment that received 25 separate sewage sludge applications from 1942 to 1961 is reported, together with data from an untreated control plot. Archived plough layer (0-23 cm) soil samples were collected, stored, and processed in a similar manner between 1942 and 1991 (i.e., before, during, and after sludge applications), and samples of the applied sludges were available for analysis. The total concentration of CB compounds (ΣCBs) in soil increased in the sludge-amended plot. About 10% of the applied ΣCBS became recalcitrant and remained in the soil up to the present time, while most of the ΣCBS disappeared very rapidly following the amendment. Volatilization is regarded as the main loss mechanism for CBs from the soils. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was the most persistent CB : the loss of this compound from sludge-amended soil continued for over a decade longer than the other CBs. The 1,4-dichlorobenzene (DCB) content in both the sludge-amended and the control soils increased remarkably during the 1960s ; trace level impurities in pesticides and/or atmospheric deposition are possible sources.
Sulfidation-Regeneration Cycles of ZnO- and CaO-Containing Sorbents.

The desulfurization performance of regenerable metal oxides was tested in a fluidized bed reactor. A reductive regeneration step was applied between the oxidative regeneration and the subsequent sulfidation when the metal oxide was ZnO. The reaction of the sulfided CaO sorbents with H 2 O and CO 2 produced CaCO 3 that decomposed under an inert atmosphere. The H 2 S removal ability of the regenerated CaO sorbents increased when H 2 and CO were added to the regenerative gas mixture. Sorbents derived from the impregnation of a metal oxide on magnesia exhibited larger desulfurization capacity than those derived from the impregnation of the same oxide on alumina. The treatment of the CaO sorbents with methanol increased the surface area, the pore volume, and the desulfurization capacity of the sorbents. The pore structure analysis of sorbents at different stages of the sulfidation-regeneration cycle showed insignificant changes in the physical properties of the sorbents.
The Family: The Missing Variable in Organizational Research*

Few studies in the mainstream management literature have included the family as a variable. The focus of this article is to describe (1) why there is a dearth of research using family as a variable; (2) how failing to use the family as a variable in organizational research can lead to incomplete or misleading findings; (3) the issues and concerns related to using the family as a variable in organizational research; and (4) options in research design for using the family as a variable. Given that the vast majority of organizations can be classified as “family firms,” including the family as a variable in research designs will provide researchers with theories that are more robust and that can be generalized to a larger population of organizations.
A resilience perspective of postpartum depressive symptomatology in military wives.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of postpartum depressive symptoms in a sample of military wives, and to provide a comparative descriptive analysis of demographic, risk and protective factors. DESIGN A comparative descriptive design. SETTING A large military base in southeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS Military wives (N = 71) who had given birth within the preceding 3 months. METHODS Participants were recruited from a military immunization clinic during the infant's 8-week health maintenance visit. Assessments were conducted to screen mothers for symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) and to measure risk and protective factors of PPD. RESULTS More than one half of the participants (50.7%, n = 36) scored above the cutoff point for elevated depressive symptoms suggestive of PPD. Examination of the risk and protective factors showed that military wives with depressive symptoms had greater family changes and strains, lower self-reliance, and lower social support than those without depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION Examining postpartum depressive symptoms in military wives from a resilience perspective offers unique insights into risk and protective factors that may influence this population. Through better understanding, nurses can identify those most at risk for PPD and focus interventions on risk reduction while capitalizing on the new mothers' strengths and resources.
Zika virus was transmitted by sexual contact in Texas, health officials report

A person in Texas, USA, has become infected with the Zika virus after sexual contact with someone who had acquired the infection while travelling abroad, health officials have reported. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed this as the first known case of Zika virus to be locally acquired in the continental United States during the current outbreak. Almost all cases of Zika virus infection are transmitted by mosquito bites, although cases of sexual transmission have been reported previously.1 2 Dallas County health department officials said that the traveler …
Sorption and Transport Kinetics of a Nonionic Surfactant through an Aquifer Sediment.

Sorption of nonionic surfactant onto aquifer sediment affects both surfactant transport and related surfactant solubilization properties as well as the potential for surfactant-aided mobilization of organic compounds in sediment-aqueous systems. Column experiments were conducted to evaluate the transport and sorption of a nonionic surfactant, Triton X-100, onto an aquifer sediment material, Lincoln fine sand. Unusual two-step breakthrough curves were observed in the column tests, suggesting the existence of two sorption regimes dependent on the sorbed surfactant concentration and molecular conformation. Elution of the sorbed surfactant exhibited considerable tailing. A simplified two-stage, sorption kinetic model is proposed as a first approximation toward characterizing the sorption phenomena, where sorption in each stage is governed by a specific kinetic parameter. The results from this study indicate the importance of kinetic phenomena to describe surfactant transport in sediments.
Influence of diet on urine pH and the Feline urological syndrome

The hypothesis that feline urine pH can be manipulated by use of varying amounts of natural food components was tested. A relatively simple experimental model was constructed whereby soybean meal in a basal calculogenic diet was substituted by other components at varying levels and the changes in urine pH measured. In a different phase of the experiment the result of rapid change of diet was used to show the speed of response of urine pH. The effect of urine acidifying compounds was also demonstrated by the model. The prophylactic effect of three food components on urine pH was compared, with corn gluten meal the most potent. The model also demonstrated that feline urological syndrome (FUS) is possible in the presence of reduced levels of magnesium confirming previous work noting that the effect of urine pH is greater in the prevention of the condition than magnesium levels per se.
Incorporating yearly derived winter wheat maps into winter wheat yield forecasting model

Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. Timely and accurate forecast of wheat yield and production at global scale is vital in implementing food security policy. Becker-Reshef et al. (2010) developed a generalized empirical model for forecasting winter wheat production using remote sensing data and official statistics. This model was implemented using static wheat maps. In this paper, we analyze the impact of incorporating yearly wheat masks into the forecasting model. We propose a new approach of producing in season winter wheat maps exploiting satellite data and official statistics on crop area only. Validation on independent data showed that the proposed approach reached 6% to 23% of omission error and 10% to 16% of commission error when mapping winter wheat 2-3 months before harvest. In general, we found a limited impact of using yearly winter wheat masks over a static mask for the study regions.
Phytoextraction: the use of plants to remove heavy metals from soils.

A small number of wild plants which grow on metal contaminated soil accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in their roots and shoots. This property may be exploited for soil reclamation if an easily cultivated, high biomass crop plant able to accumulate heavy metals is identified. Therefore, the ability of various crop plants to accumulate Pb in shoots and roots was compared. While all crop Brassicas tested accumulated Pb, some cultivars of Brassica juncea (L). Czern. showed a strong ability to accumulate Pb in roots and to transport Pb to the shoots (108.3 mg Pb/g DW in the roots and 34.5 mg Pb/g DW in the shoots). B. juncea was also able to concentrate Cr{sup -6}, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu in the shoots 58, 52, 31, 17, and 7 fold, respectively, from a substrate containing sulfates and phosphates as fertilizers. The high metal accumulation by some cultivars of B. juncea suggests that these plants may be used to clean up toxic metal-contaminated sites in a process termed phytoextraction.
High frequency of GATA2 mutations in patients with mild chronic neutropenia evolving to MonoMac syndrome, myelodysplasia, and acute myeloid leukemia.

UNLABELLED Congenital neutropenia is a group of genetic disorders that involve chronic neutropenia and susceptibility to infections. These neutropenias may be isolated or associated with immunologic defects or extra-hematopoietic manifestations. Complications may occur as infectious diseases, but also less frequently as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Recently, the transcription factor GATA2 has been identified as a new predisposing gene for familial AML/MDS. In the present study, we describe the initial identification by exome sequencing of a GATA2 R396Q mutation in a family with a history of chronic mild neutropenia evolving to AML and/or MDS. The subsequent analysis of the French Severe Chronic Neutropenia Registry allowed the identification of 6 additional pedigrees and 10 patients with 6 different and not previously reportedGATA2 mutations (R204X, E224X, R330X, A372T, M388V, and a complete deletion of the GATA2 locus). The frequent evolution to MDS and AML in these patients reveals the importance of screening GATA2 in chronic neutropenia associated with monocytopenia because of the frequent hematopoietic transformation, variable clinical expression at onset, and the need for aggressive therapy in patients with poor clinical outcome. KEY POINTS Mutations of key transcription factor in myeloid malignancies.
Distribution of redox-sensitive groundwater quality parameters downgradient of a landfill (Grindsted, Denmark).

The leachate plume stretching 300 m downgradient from the Grindsted Landfill (Denmark) has been characterized in terms of redox-sensitive groundwater quality parameters along two longitudinal transects (285 samples). Variations in the levels of methane, sulfide, iron(II), manganese(II), ammonium, dinitrogen oxide, nitrite, nitrate, and oxygen in the groundwater samples indicate that methane production, sulfate reduction, iron reduction, manganese reduction, and nitrate reduction take place in the plume. Adjacent to the landfill, methanogenic and sulfate-reducing zones were identified, while aerobic environments were identified furthest away from the landfill. In between, different redox environments, including apparent transition zones, were identified in a sequence in accordance with the thermodynamic principles. The redox zones are believed to constitute an important chemical framework for the attenuation processes in the plume
Tooth Cementum Annulation for Estimation of Age‐at‐Death in Thermally Altered Remains

Assessment of tooth cementum annulations (TCA) is acknowledged for its potential as a more accurate method for estimating age‐at‐death than conventional macroscopic methods typically employed. Thermal alteration of remains in a forensic context is not uncommon; however, the use of TCA in heat‐treated remains has hitherto received no quantitative assessment of accuracy. This study applies TCA to a sample of modern teeth of known demographics after experimental heat treatment at 600, 800 and 1000°C. Cementum annulations do survive thermal alteration; however, their visibility is dependent on exposure temperature. Physical and chemical changes resulted in TCA being applicable to only 63.3% of samples. An overall correlation to known age of r = 0.522 (p < 0.05) was found, while correlations of r = 0.868 (p < 0.01), r = 0.249, and r = −0.185, were found for 600, 800, and 1000°C subsets, respectively. These results indicate that in teeth exposed to temperatures >600°C, TCA no longer yields accurate enough results to be of use in forensic investigations.
Suicide by Self‐Administration of a Drug Mixture (Propofol, Midazolam, and Zolpidem) in an Anesthesiologist: The First Case Report in Italy

The authors report an unusual case of suicide of an anesthesiologist, in which the suicide manner and means depend upon the victim's occupation. This is the first case report published in Italy of a death involving propofol and other drugs. The anesthesiologist was found dead with an empty drip still inserted in the hand and another one near his body. Forensic and toxicological findings suggested that the cause of death was a respiratory depression due to a self‐administration of a rapidly infused lethal drug mixture. Analytical drug quantification was performed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Blood analysis revealed: zolpidem (0.86 μg/mL), propofol (0.30 μg/mL), midazolam (0.08 μg/mL), thiopental (0.03 μg/mL), and amitriptyline (0.07 μg/mL). Adipose tissue and hair analysis suggested a previous and repeated use of these drugs verifying the fact that in Italy recreational abuse of anesthetic and sedative agents in health care practitioners is becoming an increasing problem.
Statistical Evaluation of Alternative Light Sources for Bloodstain Photography

Bloodstain photography is important in forensic applications, especially for bloodstain pattern analysis. This study compares the enhancement effect of bloodstain photography using three different types of light source: fluorescent white light, near‐ultraviolet (UV) light‐emitting diode (LED) light, and 410 nm LED light. Randomized complete block designs were implemented to identify the lighting that would statistically produce the best enhancement results for bloodstains on different types of surfaces. Bloodstain samples were prepared on white cotton, brown carpet, tar road, and wood. These samples were photographed in darkroom conditions using a Canon EOS 50D digital SLR camera, with Canon EFS 60 mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens. Two‐way analysis of variance and Fisher's least significant difference test were used to analyze the contrast of the images. The statistical analysis showed that 410 nm light is the best among the tested lights for enhancing bloodstains on the tested surfaces, where the contrast of bloodstain to background was the highest.
Mechanisms of Formation and Destruction of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans in Heterogeneous Systems.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans are toxic compounds formed during natural processes and human activities. The basic questions about PCDD/F formation such as (1) what is the influence of process parameters on the formation process, (2) what reaction mechanisms are involved in formation, and (3) what kinetics describes PCDD/F formation are discussed, and recommendations are given.
Tempo de internação e a ocorrência de eventos adversos a medicamentos: uma questão da enfermagem

O objetivo do estudo foi estimar o efeito do tempo e das caracteristicas individuais na ocorrencia de evento adverso a medicamentos em pacientes com afeccoes cardiologicas. Trata-se de um estudo avaliativo sobre a ocorrencia de evento adverso a medicamentos realizado em um hospital publico e cardiologico, localizado no Municipio do Rio de Janeiro. Para analise da sobrevida utilizou-se o metodo de Kaplan-Meier. A probabilidade de sobreviver livre de evento adverso a medicamentos ate 30, 60 e 100 dias foi respectivamente de 96%, 93% e 73%. Os eventos adversos a medicamentos representam condicoes marcadoras que descrevem o desempenho dos servicos de saude. A deteccao de eventos adversos nas instituicoes hospitalares possibilita conhecer as falhas que ocorrem no sistema de medicacao e ainda implementar estrategias para reduzi-las.