Test Site Research Articles

An updated landslide susceptibility model and a log-Gaussian Cox process extension for Scotland

AbstractAt the time of its development, GeoSure was created using expert knowledge based on a thorough understanding of the engineering geology of the rocks and soils of Great Britain. The ability to use a data-driven methodology to develop a national-scale landslide susceptibility was not possible due to the relatively small size of the landslide inventory at the time. In the intervening 20 years, the National Landslide Database has grown from around 6000 points to over 18,000 records today and continues to be added to. With the availability of this additional inventory, new data-driven solutions could be utilised. Here, we tested a Bernoulli likelihood model to estimate the probability of debris flow occurrence and a log-Gaussian Cox process model to estimate the rate of debris flow occurrence per slope unit. Scotland was selected as the test site for a preliminary experiment, which could potentially be extended to the whole British landscape in the future. Inference techniques for both of these models are applied within a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian framework can work with the two models as additive structures, which allows for the incorporation of spatial and covariate information in a flexible way. The framework also provides uncertainty estimates with model outcomes. We also explored consideration on how to communicate uncertainty estimates together with model predictions in a way that would ensure an integrated framework for master planners to use with ease, even if administrators do not have a specific statistical background. Interestingly, the spatial predictive patterns obtained do not stray away from those of the previous GeoSure methodology, but rigorous numerical modelling now offers objectivity and a much richer predictive description.

Short-term in situ Exposure of Guinean Tilapia and Blue Crab Near a Sawmill Wastes-impacted Coastal Ecosystem Reveal Significant Oxidative Stress Effects.

Coastal ecosystems are characterized by various human activities with potential adverse impacts. This study aimed to evaluate the potential oxidative stress effects in representative aquatic biota deployed in situ at a sawmill wastes dump (test site) and reference site in a coastal ecosystem for a short term (28 days) period. PAHs and OCPs were analysed using GC-FID and GC-MS respectively in surface water and sediments. Oxidative stress indices (malondialdehyde, glutathione-s-transferase, reduced glutathione, catalase and superoxide dismutase) were evaluated following standard methods in Coptodon guineensis (Guinean Tilapia) and Callinectes amnicola (Blue crab) over a period of 28 days. Sum PAHs in the test site sediments, oxidative stress indices in C. guineensis liver and C. amnicola haemolymph after 28 days exposure were significantly higher (p < 0.0.5) compared to the reference site. The results showed the adverse impacts to biota of sawmill wastes which are continuously burnt at the test site with potential for long-term effects. Sustainable sawmill wastes management at the test site are recommended to sustain life below water (UNSDG 14).

Longline and mesocosm cultivation of serrated wrack Fucus serratus (Phaeophyceae)

ABSTRACT Seaweed aquaculture is becoming increasingly important as the global seaweed market is set to exceed £20 billion by 2030, leaving natural populations at risk of overexploitation. Fucoids, such as Fucus serratus, are intertidal seaweeds hand-harvested for their use in agricultural, pharmaceutical, and biomedical industries. Despite many aspects of the biology of fucoids being well researched, there have been very few studies on their aquaculture. In this study, we grew F. serratus biomass from gamete life stages in the Queen’s University Marine Laboratory for 8 months and monitored their growth, amino acid and phenolic contents in a subtidal field trial. Gametes of F. serratus were successfully fertilized in vitro and attached to substrata: Tiles (mesocosm) and Dyneema Twine (subtidal). The growth of F. serratus on each substrate was monitored for 6 months in the laboratory facility with juveniles reaching 2–4 mm in length. The juveniles on twine were then deployed at the Strangford Lough test site and growth was compared against the juveniles on tiles after an additional two months. Prior to field deployment, individuals grown on tiles were significantly longer (~17%) than those on twine growing to ~3 cm, however, after the two-month deployment, the twine thalli grew significantly longer than those on the tiles (~33%) reaching ~6 cm in length. Subtidal F. serratus grown on twine had significantly higher amino acid content, whereas the phenolic content was significantly lower (~62 mg PGE g−1) than seaweed grown on the tiles (~128 mgPGE g−1). Growing F. serratus successfully in subtidal areas is highly important for providing sustainably sourced biomass to reduce reliance on wild harvesting. Further, cultivating in the subtidal zone will help to avoid competition for space from other aquaculture industries operating in the intertidal zone.

Detection of invasive ductal carcinoma by electrical impedance spectroscopy implementing gaussian relaxation-time distribution (EIS-GRTD)

Breast cancer detection and differentiation of breast tissues are critical for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. This study addresses the challenge of distinguishing between invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), normal glandular breast tissues (nGBT), and adipose tissue using electrical impedance spectroscopy combined with Gaussian relaxation-time distribution (EIS-GRTD). The primary objective is to investigate the relaxation-time characteristics of these tissues and their potential to differentiate between normal and abnormal breast tissues. We applied a single-point EIS-GRTD measurement to ten mastectomy specimens across a frequency range f = 4 Hz to 5 MHz. The method calculates the differential ratio of the relaxation-time distribution function Δγ between IDC and nGBT, which is denoted by ΔγIDC−nGBT, and Δγ between IDC and adipose tissues, which is denoted by ΔγIDC−adipose. As a result, the differential ratio of Δγ between IDC and nGBT ΔγIDC−nGBT is 0.36, and between IDC and adipose ΔγIDC−adipose is 0.27, which included in the α -dispersion at τpeak1=0.033±0.001s. In all specimens, the relaxation-time distribution function γ of IDC γIDC is higher, and there is no intersection with γ of nGBT γnGBT and adipose γadipose. The difference in γ suggests potential variations in relaxation properties at the molecular or structural level within each breast tissue that contribute to the overall relaxation response. The average mean percentage error δ for IDC, nGBT, and adipose tissues are 5.90%, 6.33%, and 8.07%, respectively, demonstrating the model’s accuracy and reliability. This study provides novel insights into the use of relaxation-time characteristic for differentiating breast tissue types, offering potential advancements in diagnosis methods. Future research will focus on correlating EIS-GRTD finding with pathological results from the same test sites to further validate the method’s efficacy.

Radioecological characteristics of Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus Pal., 1771) inhabiting locations of nuclear weapon tests.

This paper reports the activity concentrations of 137Cs, 90Sr, 239+240Pu, 241Am, and 3Н in the form of tritiated water (НТО) and organically bound tritium (ОBТ) in the tissues and organs of roe deer (Capreolus pygargus Pal., 1771) that inhabit the 'Degelen' test location of the Semipalatinsk Test Site. Tissues and organs were sampled from six deer by killing. The activity concentrations of specific radionuclides in the samples were measured using γ-, α-, and β-spectrometry. The radionuclide activity concentrations in the tissues and organs showed considerable variation, for example, 0.6-170 Bq kg-1 for 137Cs and 0.3-2.8×103 Bq kg-1 for 90Sr. The activity concentrations of radionuclides in animal muscular tissue did not exceed permissible values for the meat of wild animals. The tissues and organs in the roe deer were arranged as follows in descending order of their ability to accumulate 137Cs and 90Sr: for 137Cs, muscular tissue-kidneys-lungs-spleen-heart-liver-bone tissue; for 90Sr, bone tissue-liver-lungs-muscular tissue-spleen-heart-kidneys. The activity concentrations of 241Am and 239+240Pu did not exceed the minimum detectable activity. Therefore, no quantitative values could be determined for 241Am, and the 239+240Pu activity concentration could be derived for only one sample: 0.5±0.1 Bq kg-1 (liver). The distribution pattern of these radionuclides in the tissues and organs of the roe deer could not be determined because of insufficient data. The HTO volumetric activity in the tissues and organs of the examined animals ranged from 2.6×10-2 to 77 kBq l-1; activity concentration of OBT, 3.0×10-2 to 16 kBq kg-1; and OBT-to-HTO ratios, 2.0×10-3 to 5.3×102. This ratio can serve as an indicator of how long the examined animals stay in radioactively contaminated ecosystems. Within the 'Degelen' site, the activity concentrations of 90Sr and tritium, in the form of HTO and OBT, are expected to be high in the bone tissues, soft tissues, and organs, respectively.

Integrating testing volume into bandit algorithms for infectious disease surveillance

Abstract Mobile testing services provide opportunities for active surveillance of infectious diseases for hard-to-reach and/or high-risk individuals who do not know their disease status. Identifying as many infected individuals as possible is important for mitigating disease transmission. Recently, multi-armed bandit sampling approaches have been adapted and applied in this setting to maximize the cumulative number of positive tests collected over time. However, these algorithms have not considered the possibility of variability in the number of tests administered across testing sites. What impact this variability has on the ability of these approaches to maximize yield is currently unknown. Therefore, we investigate this question by extending existing sampling frameworks to directly account for variability in testing volume while also maintaining the computational tractability of the previous methods. Through a simulation study based on human immunodeficiency virus infection characteristics in the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) as well as an application to COVID-19 testing data in Connecticut, we find improved long- and short-term performances of the new methods compared to several existing approaches. Based on these findings and the ease of computation, we recommend use of the newly developed methods for active surveillance of infectious diseases when variability in testing volume may be present.

Adaptability, stability, and productivity of potato breeding clones and cultivars at high latitudes in Europe

The aim of potato breeding is to release cultivars that exhibit high and stable performance across the target population of environments. The objective of this research was therefore to investigate the use of various methods (site regression [SREG], coefficient of variation and regression deviation [σ2δ]) for determining the adaptability and stability of productive and quality traits in the Nordic region of Europe. The multi-environment trials included 256 breeding clones and released cultivars grown by EU farmers at three distinct testing sites over two years in Sweden. There was significant (P < 0.001) variation in tuber yield, starch percentage and reducing sugars in the tuber flesh among the breeding clones and cultivars, testing environments and the genotype by environment interaction (GEI). The environments were very diverse, as revealed by the SREG biplots and particularly for the GEI patterns noted in terms of their productive and quality characteristics. The percentage of stable high-tuber yielding germplasm was greater for breeding clones (23%) than for released European cultivars (2%), thus revealing the advantage of potato breeding in the target population of environments. SLU 1415001 and SLU 1314015 were the most promising breeding clones due to their stable high tuber yield. This characteristic was best for the starch potato cultivars, although none of them exhibited a significant different σ2δ. ‘Talent’ shows an almost stable good performance among low reducing sugar cultivars and breeding clones, which are often unstable in terms of their scoring across environments. Neither a breeding clone nor a cultivar was at the top for stable tuber yield, tuber flesh starch or reducing sugars in the tuber flesh, which shows the challenge faced by potato breeding while addressing the needs of different markets.

Stability evaluation method of gasification coal pillar under thermal coupling condition for prevention of environment secondary pollution

The instability of gasification coal pillars can easily induce the further development of water-conducting fractures, which leads to the connection of gasification combustion space and aquifer, and then causes groundwater pollution. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the stability of gasification coal pillar to forestall the potential risk of environmental contamination resulting from underground coal gasification. In this paper, based on the shape of the combustion space area of underground coal gasification, considering the influence of the mechanical properties of the coal pillar and the temperature field under the condition of thermal coupling, the calculation method of the yield zone width of gasification coal pillar is proposed. Considering the destabilizing factors affecting the coal pillar and the relationship between actual and ultimate bearing capacities after stripping and yielding, a stability evaluation method for the ‘hyperbolic’ coal pillar is proposed. Additionally, the effects of various factors on the stripping, yielding, and safety factor of the coal pillar are analyzed. The new method was applied to the Ulanqab underground coal gasification test site, which proved its effectiveness. The research results are of great practical significance for designing underground coal gasification production and preventing environmental pollution.

Does afforestation increase soil water buffering? A demonstrator study on soil moisture variability in the Alpine Geroldsbach catchment, Austria

This study employed an operational monitoring network to measure soil moisture and runoff behaviour continuously in the Alpine catchment Geroldsbach-Götzens, Austria. We hypothesize that afforestation can have a positive impact on soil water buffering. To analyse the impact of soil properties and vegetation cover changes on soil water dynamics, four experimental plots were established on grassland and monitoring stations were installed in the forest. The rainfall test site is equipped with an automatic weather station to obtain meteorological observations, and weirs to measure surface runoff of natural occurring precipitation events and artificial rainfall simulations. In the plots, 200 soil moisture sensors were installed at five different depths, aimed to track and visualize infiltration and subsurface flow processes. Another twenty sensors monitored soil moisture at different afforestation stages in the forested part of the catchment. The measurements show that soils covered with young and old-growth forest have a higher and more stable soil moisture content than grassland and soils with a lack of vegetation throughout the seasons. We observed large spatial differences at plot scale, where the spatial variability of soil moisture increases with depth and is highest during convective precipitation. The initial conditions and rainfall characteristics play an important role in infiltration processes and soil water storage. Our rainfall test site demonstrated the challenges of innovative monitoring techniques and that it offers opportunities for more experiments to gather evidence-based data as input for flood models. Overall findings confirm the sponge effect of forest soils and indicate that afforestation as Nature-Based Solution reduces the temporal soil moisture variability, buffering soil water during precipitation events, which can be beneficial for runoff reduction in Alpine catchments.

Allometric equations for biomass and carbon pool estimation in short rotation Pinus radiata stands of the Western Cape, South Africa

AbstractThe quantification of tree growth and carbon storage over time is an important task for sustainable forest management and carbon sequestration projects. For the South African short-rotation Pinus radiata (D. Don) forests, this knowledge is lacking. We developed allometric equations and compared the estimated weights to previously published biomass studies and we used Dirichlet Regression (DR) modelling to ensure additivity of the component proportions. The biomass components and their contribution to carbon storage depend strongly on forest structure and mean tree size but also on-site conditions and tree architecture. Our first two hypotheses were that the (1) best model for stemwood (SW), bark and total mass will include the combined variable DBH2H and (2) that the DR will yield statistically similar estimates for all components when compared to the best models. Our third hypothesis was that allometric equations developed for sites with high resource availability (e.g. wet, fertile sites) will yield biased estimates when extrapolated to sites with lower levels of resource availability (drier and/or infertile sites). The results indicated that DBH2H was the best variable to describe SW, bark and total mass and the DR yield similar estimates for all component proportions when compared to the best models. There were strong similarities in the SW and total mass of independent test sites in comparison to the SW and total mass of this study but greater variability in the bark, needle and branch mass. This can be associated to site and seasonal differences as well as variability in tree architecture brought about by different silvicultural operations on individual sites. Previously developed equations by other authors for sites with high resource availability overpredicted the SW and total mass of the models developed in this study. Our set of additive component equations performed well even when applied to sites of similar productivity over a climate gradient. The presented new equations bridge the gap in knowledge where allometric equations for short rotation Radiata pine stands are lacking.

Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 genome sentinel surveillance in commercial COVID-19 testing sites targeting asymptomatic individuals during Japan’s seventh epidemic wave

Eight peaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak occurred in Japan, each associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern. The National Epidemiological Surveillance of Infectious Diseases (NESID) analyzed viral genome sequences from symptomatic patients and submitted the results to GISAID. Meanwhile, commercial testing services occasionally sequence samples from asymptomatic individuals. We compared a total of 1248 SARS-CoV-2 full-genome sequences obtained from the SB Coronavirus Inspection Center Corp. (SBCVIC) during Japan’s seventh wave, which was dominated by Omicron variants, with 1764 sequences obtained in Japan from GISAID during the same period using chronological phylogenies and molecular transmission networks. The number of SBCVIC sequences was consistent with the number of cases reported by NESID. The SBCVIC detected a shift in the PANGO lineage from BA.2 to BA.5 earlier than that of GISAID. BA.2 lineages from the SBCVIC were distributed at different locations in the transmission network dominated by GISAID entries, whereas BA.5 lineages from SBCVIC and GISAID often formed distinct subclusters. Test-based sentinel surveillance of asymptomatic individuals may be a more manageable approach compared to notifiable disease surveillance; however, it may not necessarily capture all infection populations throughout Japan.

Study on Safety Tunneling Technology of Secondary Outburst Elimination by CO2 Gas Fracturing in High-Outburst Coal Seam

The No. 3 coal seam in the Yuxi Coal Mine has a measured maximum gas content of 25.59 m3/t, along with a maximum gas pressure of 2.9 MPa, indicating its high risk to gas and outbursts. To mitigate outburst risks of the coal seam, the 1301 working face has been implemented with gas pre-drainage measures by grid boreholes from underlying roadways. After one year of extraction, it was confirmed that the gas content at all 33 test sites was below 8 m3/t, meeting the outburst prevention standards. However, during subsequent coal tunnel excavation, the gas desorption index K1 value frequently exceeded the standard, resulting in numerous occurrences of abnormal gas emission or small-scale outbursts. To tackle the challenges associated with safe excavation following the first-round regional outburst prevention measures, a research and industrial trial of CO2 gas fracturing (CO2-Frac) technology for secondary outburst prevention and rapid excavation was completed. The results show that the dual-hole and high-pressure (185 MPa) CO2-Frac considerably contributes to outburst prevention. K1 exceedances per hundred meters of tunnel excavations were from an average of 2.54 without CO2-Frac to an average of 0.28 after the new technology was implemented, leading to an eight-fold reduction. Additionally, the monthly excavation footage increased from an average of 81.64 m without CO2-Frac to an average of 162.42 m with CO2-Frac, resulting in a two-fold improvement. The dual-hole and high-pressure CO2-Frac is an advanced technology for safe and efficient excavation for secondary outburst elimination in highly outburst-prone coal seams in the Yuxi Coal Mine, with potential for widespread application in similar coal seam conditions.

Sustainable Construction in post-industrial Ursus district in Warsaw: Biologically Active Areas on Roofs and Underground Garages

Urbanization leads to the expansion of urban areas and increased population density, which has a negative impact on natural resources, including green spaces. To address these environmental challenges, various green measures and sustainable development practices offer environmental, economic and societal benefits. This article provides an overview of different types of green roofs, discusses their advantages and disadvantages, and outlines current legislation on biologically active areas in new residential developments. A residential project in the Ursus district of Warsaw was used as a case study to compare intensive and extensive green roofs. The project involved the installation of vegetation on the roof of an underground garage and later on the roof of the building, with detailed descriptions of the roof layers and vegetation used. One experiment examined seasonal variations in water runoff from green roofs. Three test sites simulated different seasons, with substrates in containers and vegetation watered twice daily. Results showed that spring, with temperatures around 15°C, provided optimal conditions for green roof establishment, while winter posed challenges due to frost. Both intensive and extensive green roofs have positive environmental, social and economic impacts, supporting the pillars of sustainable development. Examples of global green infrastructure further illustrate these benefits.

The nitrogen deficiency influence on the growth and development of spring two-nuclear barley varieties grown under photoculture conditions

The purpose of the research is to study, the effect of N deficiency in irrigation solutions on the structural and functional characteristics of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), the Oplot variety under controlled environmental conditions, in comparison with the structural and functional characteristics of Takmak barley, which has been the standard in all variety testing sites of the Krasnoyarsk Territory since 2022. The plants were grown under light culture conditions using hydroponics on expanded clay with constant environmental conditions at a photoperiod day/night of 17h / 7h, respectively. The basis for the preparation of irrigation solutions was Knop solution (control) and a solution in which, in order to reduce the concentration of N-NO3, the salt content was changed 2 times so as not to change the concentration of other macronutrients. A comparison of the rate of absorption of macronutrients by barley plants of the Oplot and Takmak varieties, depending on the composition of the irrigation solution, shows a higher demand of the barley of the Oplot variety for the presence of mineral nutrition elements in the irrigation solution in comparison with the barley of the Takmak variety. The deficiency of N in the irrigation solution led to a decrease in total tillering by about 2.5 times, but productive tillering in the barley of the Oplot variety decreased to a greater extent than in the barley of the Takmak variety. When growing on Knop solution the barley of the Oplot variety showed higher productivity than the barley of the Takmak variety. When grown on solutions with a deficiency of N, the grain yield of the barley of the Oplot variety decreased by 2.8 times, and in the barley of the Takmak variety, the differences between the control and experimental variants were unreliable. The barley of the Takmak variety showed higher resistance to N deficiency in the irrigation solution, thereby showing higher plasticity compared to the barley of the Oplot variety.

Fervo Showed Fractured Geothermal Works, Now Must Do It Bigger, Cheaper, and Soon

Earlier this year, one of the founders of Fervo Energy announced that the geothermal innovator had reached its “Mitchell moment.” Jack Norbeck, chief technology officer for Fervo, likened a test where it used a pair of fractured wells to create water hot enough to generate electricity to the time when Mitchell Energy adopted slickwater fracturing to economically extract large amounts of gas from the ultratight rock in the Barnett Formation. “We have derisked all those core challenges, we reached the Mitchell Energy moment for geothermal,” Norbeck said. By doing all that and supplying 3.5 MW of electricity to the local grid that powers Google facilities, he announced that the firm’s enhanced geothermal system (EGS), had reached the highest level of technical readiness. Now comes the hard part—proving that technical triumph can be turned into something really big. The Mitchell moment in 1997 is remembered because it led to a series of innovations that allowed hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling to add enough oil and gas production to move global markets. What has been learned about fracturing in the decades since allowed oil industry veterans at Fervo to effectively use those tools to do what others had failed to accomplish—create high-volume EGS capable of generating power. One big difference between the moments is that Houston-based Fervo’s next step looks like a leap compared to Mitchell’s. After Mitchell’s moment, no innovation was required to sell shale gas from the Barnett or find the oilfield services needed to develop and produce it. Plus, it could learn from the many other companies working in tight rock plays. Its moment was the culmination of years of innovations by oil and service companies who continued finding ways to build on that advance. The endless arguments over who can claim credit for the innovations behind the Mitchell moment are evidence of the size of that support network. Today, Fervo’s efforts are also supported by the oil industry’s service sector and supply chain. Oil company Devon Energy, drilling contractor Helmerich &amp; Payne, and pressure-pumping specialist Liberty Energy are among its early backers. And Fervo is benefiting from the government-funded research and site-evaluation work at the Utah Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) site, which is the key site for geothermal testing funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE). But unlike Mitchell, the path to commercial success will require Fervo and others to show they can create large operations to convert the heat they harvest into a cost-competitive commodity in a fast-changing, highly competitive industry. Sage Geosystems recently was added to the short list of geothermal startups with big projects, signing a deal with Meta to build a 150-MW plant somewhere east of the Rockies. Also high on the list is Eavor whose first commercial project will use its closed-loop heating technology for home heating and electric generation in Germany.

NnU-Net-based Segmentation of Tumor Subcompartments in Pediatric Medulloblastoma Using Multiparametric MRI: A Multi-institutional Study.

Purpose To evaluate nnU-Net-based segmentation models for automated delineation of medulloblastoma tumors on multi-institutional MRI scans. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 78 pediatric patients (52 male, 26 female), with ages ranging from 2 to 18 years, with medulloblastomas, from three different sites (28 from hospital A, 18 from hospital B, and 32 from hospital C), who had data available from three clinical MRI protocols (gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery). The scans were retrospectively collected from the year 2000 until May 2019. Reference standard annotations of the tumor habitat, including enhancing tumor, edema, and cystic core plus nonenhancing tumor subcompartments, were performed by two experienced neuroradiologists. Preprocessing included registration to age-appropriate atlases, skull stripping, bias correction, and intensity matching. The two models were trained as follows: (a) the transfer learning nnU-Net model was pretrained on an adult glioma cohort (n = 484) and fine-tuned on medulloblastoma studies using Models Genesis and (b) the direct deep learning nnU-Net model was trained directly on the medulloblastoma datasets, across fivefold cross-validation. Model robustness was evaluated on the three datasets when using different combinations of training and test sets, with data from two sites at a time used for training and data from the third site used for testing. Results Analysis on the three test sites yielded Dice scores of 0.81, 0.86, and 0.86 and 0.80, 0.86, and 0.85 for tumor habitat; 0.68, 0.84, and 0.77 and 0.67, 0.83, and 0.76 for enhancing tumor; 0.56, 0.71, and 0.69 and 0.56, 0.71, and 0.70 for edema; and 0.32, 0.48, and 0.43 and 0.29, 0.44, and 0.41 for cystic core plus nonenhancing tumor for the transfer learning and direct nnU-Net models, respectively. The models were largely robust to site-specific variations. Conclusion nnU-Net segmentation models hold promise for accurate, robust automated delineation of medulloblastoma tumor subcompartments, potentially leading to more effective radiation therapy planning in pediatric medulloblastoma. Keywords: Pediatrics, MR Imaging, Segmentation, Transfer Learning, Medulloblastoma, nnU-Net, MRI Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2024 See also the commentary by Rudie and Correia de Verdier in this issue.

Italian-cluster technical solutions for the Quality-Control tests to the pixel-modules of the ATLAS Inner Tracker for High Luminosity LHC

In the era of high-luminosity LHC the instantaneous luminosity will achieve unprecedented levels, leading to the occurrence of up to 200 proton–proton interactions during a typical bunch crossing. In response to the resulting surge in occupancy, bandwidth demand, and radiation damage, the ATLAS Inner Detector is slated for replacement by an all-silicon system known as the Inner Tracker (ITk). The innermost segment of the ITk will be comprised of a pixel detector, featuring an active area spanning approximately 13 square meters. To address evolving requirements related to radiation hardness, power dissipation, and production yield, multiple silicon sensor technologies will be incorporated across the five barrel and end-cap layers. The ITk detector will be built in different laboratories all around the world. Several institutes are actively involved in the ITk project assembling and testing pre-production modules, that have been constructed to assess their production efficiency. Testing sites perform the so-called quality control (QC) tests. The ITk community defines requirements for QC testing both prototypes and modules, and provides common software tools as well as possible technical solutions. Each laboratory must qualify for the QC activity by demonstrating the chosen solutions are compliant with requirements. In this contribution the relevance of the QC procedures will be outlined, focusing on the custom structures and items developed by the Italian laboratories to improve the quality of the tests and to satisfy the requirements imposed by the Collaboration.

Protection of groundwater resources from multi-hazards: An integration of risk assessment and watershed management

The improving groundwater resource protection depends on aligning contamination risk mapping with aquifer protection measures. However, existing methods often fail to align with aquifer protection goals, hindering practical implementation. The study demonstrated integrating vulnerability assessment, hazard evaluation, and groundwater protection initiatives using an L-Matrix approach. Testing this model in a well-documented watershed with multiple hazards to illustrates its applicability, providing a reference for similar scenarios. The risk was assessed through evaluation of aquifer vulnerability, using the DRASTIC method, coupled with the evaluation of a hazard potential considering industrial, livestock/agriculture and urban infrastructure sources in separate. The L-Matrix diagrams consisted of cartesian representations of V versus H, ranging from 0 to 1, segmented into four quadrants bounded by the cut-off lines V = 0.5 and H = 0.5. The quadrants were then linked to aquifer protection measures, with site inspection (high V and H), groundwater monitoring (low V and high H), land use planning (high V and low H), and tolerable expansion of hazardous activities (low V and H). The Paraopeba River basin was used as test site. Mining areas are abundant in this basin and were allocated high values of H and low to high values of V, requesting implementation of groundwater monitoring and periodic inspection of mining sites, even more because groundwater contamination with iron could be clearly associated with the presence of mine-tailings. In the results, it was observed that the DRASTIC vulnerability map of the aquifers has a mean vulnerability around the central value (V = 0.48 ± 0.08). Regarding the distribution of hazards, the average rounds to the value for to (Hindustry = 0.41 ± 0.37, Hagriculture = 0.33 ± 0.09 and Hinfrastructure = 0.27 ± 0.14). Thus, it is noted that for industrial activities, the risk of contamination could be moderate to high, while for agricultural and livestock activities, the risk lies between low and moderate contamination impact.

Optimizing Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) to Maximize Readiness.

The Army utilizes Individual Critical Task Lists (ICTLs) to track and ensure competency and deployment readiness of its medical service members. ICTLs are the various skills and procedures that the Army has deemed foundational for each area of concentration (AOC)/military occupational specialty (MOS). While many ICTLs involve the patient care that military medical providers regularly provide, some procedures are not as commonly performed. This, when coupled with lower patient volume at military treatment facilities (MTF), poses a challenge for maintaining skill competency and deployment readiness. Fort Campbell's Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) has created a holistic and unique solution to meet many of these standardized requirements and support a ready medical force. By optimizing the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) course curriculum to facilitate ICTL completion, BACH has increased its ICTL completion rates, ATLS® course exposure, and streamlined training requirements. The purpose of this article is to describe this best practice and suggest its applicability to other MTFs. By cross-referencing the ATLS® course curriculum and appendices with ICTLs, BACH has augmented ATLS® course certification with the additional completion of 12 ICTLs. This new approach not only increases ICTL completion, but also increases ATLS® curriculum exposure to medical providers, such as Registered Nurses or Nurse Practitioners, who would not typically take ATLS®. Since starting this new approach in April 2021, 73 military medical personnel have completed the ATLS® course at BACH, with 24 different medical specialties represented. A total of 361 ICTLs have been completed with specific ICTL completion counts ranging from 13 to 48. Each ICTL tested was completed 100% of its annual requirement. ATLS® is a mandatory joint interoperability standard for military physicians and it is also an Army ICTL for many AOCs/MOSs. Only counting completion of this course as one ICTL is a missed opportunity for the time spent by Army medical providers and limits the exposure of ATLS® to select AOCs/MOSs. This optimized and novel approach has been successful at BACH, suggesting its applicability at other MTFs that serve as ATLS® testing sites.

Estimating high-resolution soil moisture by combining data from a sparse network of soil moisture sensors and remotely sensed MODIS LST information

ABSTRACT The present work demonstrates a methodology for acquiring high-resolution soil moisture information, namely at 1 km at a daily time step, utilizing data from a sparse network of soil moisture sensors and remotely sensed Land Surface Temperature (LST). Building on previous research and highlighting the strong correlation between surface soil moisture and LST, as a result of the thermal inertia, we first evaluated the correlation between Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LST and ground-based soil moisture information from soil moisture sensors installed in a pilot area in Northeastern Greece. Second, a regression formula was developed for three out of six soil moisture sensors, keeping the three remaining monitoring stations serving as a validation set. Furthermore, regression coefficients were interpolated at 1 km and the regression equations were applied for the entire study area, thus acquiring soil moisture information at a spatial resolution of 1 km at the daily time step. The verification process indicated a reasonable accuracy, with a mean absolute error (MAE) of &amp;lt;0.02 m3/m3. The results were considerably better than using a simple interpolation or downscaled daily 1-km SMAP soil moisture.