scholarly journals A Renewed Approach to the ABC Landscape Assessment Method: An Application to Muntanyes d’Ordal, Barcelona Metropolitan Area

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Serrano Giné

The aim of this paper is to describe a renewed approach to the ABC landscape assessment method, a procedure that undertakes landscape approach considering abiotic (A), biotic (B) and cultural (C) elements shaping the landscape. This new method is organized in three nested multi-scaled levels defined with high accuracy (1:10,000; 1:20,000; 1:25,000), it combines holistic and parametric approaches and it delineates landscape units from both a typological and chorological point of view. The procedure is based on field work, congruently integrates physical, cultural and perceived landscape components and focuses on the spatial dimension of landscape. Landscape units are hierarchised and classified, leading to a landscape taxonomy. An example is given for Muntanyes d’Ordal, in the Barcelona metropolitan area, with 36 units and 1,019 delineations at Level I, 8 units and 74 delineations at Level II and 14 units at Level III. Overall, 42.5% of Level I delineations are defined by biotic elements and 32.4% by anthropic elements, which shows the peri-urban nature of the area studied. The main interest and originality of the method lies in the fact that the holistic and parametric approaches are integrated using a systematic procedure that can be easily replicated anywhere so that results from different areas can be compared.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafał Wróżyński ◽  
Krzysztof Pyszny ◽  
Mariusz Sojka

The study presents a new method for quantitative landscape assessment. The method uses LiDAR data and combines the potential of GIS (ArcGIS) and 3D graphics software (Blender). The developed method allows one to create Classified Digital Surface Models (CDSM), which are then used to create 360° panoramic images from the point of view of the observer. In order to quantify the landscape, 360° panoramic images were transformed to the Interrupted Sinusoidal Projection using G.Projector software. A quantitative landscape assessment is carried out automatically with the following landscape classes: ground, low, medium, and high vegetation, buildings, water, and sky according to the LiDAR 1.2 standard. The results of the analysis are presented quantitatively—the percentage distribution of landscape classes in the 360° field of view. In order to fully describe the landscape around the observer, graphs of little planets have been proposed to interpret the obtained results. The usefulness of the developed methodology, together with examples of its application and the way of presenting the results, is described. The proposed Quantitative Landscape Assessment method (QLA360) allows quantitative landscape assessment to be performed in the 360° field of view without the need to carry out field surveys. The QLA360 uses LiDAR American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) classification standards, which allows one to avoid differences resulting from the use of different algorithms for classifying images in semantic segmentation. The most important advantages of the method are as follows: observer-independent, 360° field of view which simulates human perspective, automatic operation, scalability, and easy presentation and interpretation of results.


2017 ◽  
pp. 50-55
Author(s):  
Duc Luu Ngo ◽  
Tu The Nguyen ◽  
Manh Hung Ho ◽  
Thanh Thai Le

Background: This study aims to survey some clinical features, indications and results of tracheotomy at Hue Central Hospital and Hue University Hospital. Patients and method: Studying on 77 patients who underwent tracheotomy at all of departments and designed as an prospective, descriptive and interventional study. Results: Male-female ratio was 4/1. Mean age was 49 years. Career: farmer 44.2%, worker 27.2%, officials 14.3%, student 7.8%, other jobs 6.5%. Respiratory condition before tracheotomy: underwent intubation 62.3%, didn’t undergo intubation 37.7%. Period of stay of endotracheal tube: 1-5 days 29.2%, 6-14 days 52.1%, >14 days 18.7%. Levels of dyspnea before tracheotomy: level I 41.4%, level II 48.3%, level III 0%, 10.3% of cases didn’t have dyspnea. Twenty cases (26%) were performed as an emergency while fifty seven (74%) as elective produces. Classic indications (37.7%) and modern indications (62.3%). On the bases of the site, we divided tracheostomy into three groups: high (0%), mid (25.3%) and low (74.7%). During follow-up, 44 complications occurred in 29 patients (37.7%). Tracheobronchitis 14.3%, tube obstruction 13%, subcutaneous empysema 10.4%, hemorrhage 5%, diffcult decannulation 5.2%, tube displacement 3.9%, canule watery past 2.6%, wound infection 1.3%. The final result after tracheotomy 3 months: there are 33 patients (42.9%) were successfully decannulated. In the 33 patients who were successfully decannulated: the duration of tracheotomy ranged from 1 day to 90 days, beautiful scar (51.5%), medium scar (36.4%), bad scar (12.1%). Conclusions: In tracheotomy male were more than female, adult were more than children. The main indication was morden indication. Tracheobronchitis and tube obstruction were more common than other complications. Key words: Tracheotomy


1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 347-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Paffoni ◽  
B. Védry ◽  
M. Gousailles

The Paris Metropolitan area, which contains over eight million inhabitants, has a daily output of about 3 M cu.meters of wastewater, the purification of which is achieved by SIAAP (Paris Metropolitan Area Sewage Service) in both Achères and Valenton plants. The carbon pollution is eliminated from over 2 M cu.m/day at Achères. In order to improve the quality of output water, its tertiary nitrification in fixed-bed reactors has been contemplated. The BIOFOR (Degremont) and BIOCARBONE (OTV) processes could be tested in semi-industrial pilot reactors at the CRITER research center of SIAAP. At a reference temperature of 13°C, the removed load is approximately 0.5 kg N NH4/m3.day. From a practical point of view, it may be asserted that in such operating conditions as should be at the Achères plant, one cubic meter of filter can handle the tertiary nitification of one cubic meter of purified water per hour at an effluent temperature of 13°C.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Reza Marateb ◽  
Maja von Cube ◽  
Ramin Sami ◽  
Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard ◽  
Marjan Mansourian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Already at hospital admission, clinicians require simple tools to identify hospitalized COVID-19 patients at high risk of mortality. Such tools can significantly improve resource allocation and patient management within hospitals. From the statistical point of view, extended time-to-event models are required to account for competing risks (discharge from hospital) and censoring so that active cases can also contribute to the analysis. Methods We used the hospital-based open Khorshid COVID Cohort (KCC) study with 630 COVID-19 patients from Isfahan, Iran. Competing risk methods are used to develop a death risk chart based on the following variables, which can simply be measured at hospital admission: sex, age, hypertension, oxygen saturation, and Charlson Comorbidity Index. The area under the receiver operator curve was used to assess accuracy concerning discrimination between patients discharged alive and dead. Results Cause-specific hazard regression models show that these baseline variables are associated with both death, and discharge hazards. The risk chart reflects the combined results of the two cause-specific hazard regression models. The proposed risk assessment method had a very good accuracy (AUC = 0.872 [CI 95%: 0.835–0.910]). Conclusions This study aims to improve and validate a personalized mortality risk calculator based on hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The risk assessment of patient mortality provides physicians with additional guidance for making tough decisions.


2021 ◽  
pp. svn-2020-000471
Author(s):  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Junfeng Shi ◽  
Yuesong Pan ◽  
Zixiao Li ◽  
Hongyi Yan ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe risk of disability and mortality is high among recurrent stroke, which highlights the importance of secondary prevention measures. We aim to evaluate medication persistence for secondary prevention and the prognosis of acute ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in China.MethodsPatients with acute ischaemic stroke or TIA from the China National Stroke Registry II were divided into 3 groups based on the percentage of persistence in secondary prevention medication classes from discharge to 3 months after onset (level I: persistence=0%, level II: 0%<persistence<100%, level III: persistence=100%). The primary outcome was recurrent stroke. The secondary outcomes included composite events (stroke, myocardial infarction or death from cardiovascular cause), all-cause death and disability (modified Rankin Scale score=3–5) from 3 months to 1 year after onset. Recurrent stroke, composite events and all-cause death were performed using Cox regression model, and disability was identified through logistic regression model using the generalised estimating equation method.Results18 344 patients with acute ischaemic stroke or TIA were included, 315 (1.7%) of whom experienced recurrent strokes. Compared with level I, the adjusted HR of recurrent stroke for level II was 0.41 (95% CI 0.31 to 0.54) and level III 0.37 (0.28 to 0.48); composite events for level II 0.41 (0.32 to 0.53) and level III 0.38 (0.30 to 0.49); all-cause death for level II 0.28 (0.23 to 0.35) and level III 0.20 (0.16–0.24). Compared with level I, the adjusted OR of disability for level II was 0.89 (0.77 to 1.03) and level III 0.82 (0.72 to 0.93).ConclusionsPersistence in secondary prevention medications, especially in all classes of medications prescribed by the physician, was associated with lower hazard of recurrent stroke, composite events, all-cause death and lower odds of disability in patients with acute ischaemic stroke or TIA.


1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 1623-1643
Author(s):  
Falguni Roy

Abstract A depth estimation procedure has been described which essentially attempts to identify depth phases by analyzing multi-station waveform data (hereafter called level II data) in various ways including deconvolution, prediction error filtering, and spectral analysis of the signals. In the absence of such observable phases, other methods based on S-P, ScS-P, and SKS-P travel times are tried to get an estimate of the source depth. The procedure was applied to waveform data collected from 31 globally distributed stations for the period between 1 and 15 October 1980. The digital data were analyzed at the temporary data center facilities of the National Defense Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. During this period, a total number of 162 events in the magnitude range 3.5 to 6.2 were defined by analyzing first arrival time data (hereafter called level I data) alone. For 120 of these events, it was possible to estimate depths using the present procedure. The applicability of the procedure was found to be 100 per cent for the events with mb &gt; 4.8 and 88 per cent for the events with mb &gt; 4. A comparison of level I depths and level II depths (the depths as obtained from level I and level II data, respectively) with that of the United States Geological Survey estimates indicated that it will be necessary to have at least one local station (Δ &lt; 10°) among the level I data to obtain reasonable depth estimates from such data alone. Further, it has been shown that S wave travel times could be successfully utilized for the estimation of source depth.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1080-1084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Folafoluwa O. Odetola ◽  
Sarah J. Clark ◽  
James G. Gurney ◽  
Janet E. Donohue ◽  
Achamyeleh Gebremariam ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Vitaly Kuznetsov ◽  
Galina Polekhina ◽  
Yulia Shaposhnikova

Introduction. Objective and regular students’ knowledge monitoring in technical subjects can be implemented by means of special tests allowing for the required mastering level of the matter and the reliable consolidation of the acquired knowledge. Various aspects of the application of tests in the academic activity were considered. Materials and methods. Tests used in practical studies should meet specific requirements, such as: validity, definiteness, simplicity, unambiguity, reliability. The identification of mastering levels makes it possible to “troubleshoot” and to improve the academic activity and the mastering degree of the competences by the students. Based on the assessment of the studying pattern of the forthcoming activity, one could point out four mastering levels of the subject matter. Level I tests include recognition, discrimination and classification. Level II tests monitor the mastering of the subject in the level of “reproduction” allowing for retrieval of information from the memory and its analysis, for routine assignment solutions. Level III tests impose special assignments challenging a student with quests for which no ready algorithms are catered, whereas the solutions found lead to obtaining of subjectively new information. Level IV tests reveal students’ capability to take decisions in new problematic situations, the solutions found, being a result of creative activity, are followed by obtaining of objectively new information. Results. To establish an efficient system of monitoring tests in a certain subject, a number of basic prerequisites is required, such as a data base, a sample group of with the required number of assignments, at least 30 and maximum 70, a time limit in accordance with the required labor intensity, assessment of the assignments and its criteria, the output of the results. Conclusions. If there is a required number of computers of at least one PC per two students, correctly arranged computer testing considerably reduces time demand of a monitoring event, increases the responsibility and the progress of the students, guarantees the objectiveness of the knowledge monitoring and helps to avoid conflicts.


2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ionel POPA ◽  
Stefan LECA ◽  
Adam CRĂCIUNESCU ◽  
Cristian SIDOR ◽  
Ovidiu BADEA

Oaks are among the most important broad-leaved species in Romanian forests from both an economic and socio-ecological point of view. A significant decline of these species has been observed, which was first evident in various studies and investigations followed by the more results of interdisciplinary research performed in intensive monitoring plots (level II) showing that the decline is climate induced. Thus, it is important to understand the climate change conditions and factors that influence Quercus spp. Typical dendroclimatological investigations were conducted on an intensive forest monitoring network based on four oak species (Q. robur, Q. petraea, Q.cerris, and Q. frainetto) in 7 permanent plots placed in southern Romania. Three patterns of climate-growth relationships were identified and discerned in accordance with the Quercus species. All oak species were found to have a positive correlation with the level of precipitation. In addition, the intensity and level of significance of correlation coefficients differ from one species to another and from one region to another.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document