ALBERT

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1171: Multi-Criteria Evaluation of Snowpack Simulations in Complex Alpine Terrain Using Satellite and In Situ Observations Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081171 Authors: Jesús Revuelto Grégoire Lecourt Matthieu Lafaysse Isabella Zin Luc Charrois Vincent Vionnet Marie Dumont Antoine Rabatel Delphine Six Thomas Condom Samuel Morin Alessandra Viani Pascal Sirguey This work presents an extensive evaluation of the Crocus snowpack model over a rugged and highly glacierized mountain catchment (Arve valley, Western Alps, France) from 1989 to 2015. The simulations were compared and evaluated using in-situ point snow depth measurements, in-situ seasonal and annual glacier surface mass balance, snow covered area evolution based on optical satellite imagery at 250 m resolution (MODIS sensor), and the annual equilibrium-line altitude of glaciers, derived from satellite images (Landsat, SPOT, and ASTER). The snowpack simulations were obtained using the Crocus snowpack model driven by the same, originally semi-distributed, meteorological forcing (SAFRAN) reanalysis using the native semi-distributed configuration, but also a fully distributed configuration. The semi-distributed approach addresses land surface simulations for discrete topographic classes characterized by elevation range, aspect, and slope. The distributed approach operates on a 250-m grid, enabling inclusion of terrain shadowing effects, based on the same original meteorological dataset. Despite the fact that the two simulations use the same snowpack model, being potentially subjected to same potential deviation from the parametrization of certain physical processes, the results showed that both approaches accurately reproduced the snowpack distribution over the study period. Slightly (although statistically significantly) better results were obtained by using the distributed approach. The evaluation of the snow cover area with MODIS sensor has shown, on average, a reduction of the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) from 15.2% with the semi-distributed approach to 12.6% with the distributed one. Similarly, surface glacier mass balance RMSE decreased from 1.475 m of water equivalent (W.E.) for the semi-distributed simulation to 1.375 m W.E. for the distribution. The improvement, observed with a much higher computational time, does not justify the recommendation of this approach for all applications; however, for simulations that require a precise representation of snowpack distribution, the distributed approach is suggested.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1169: Multi-Year Analyses of Columnar Aerosol Optical and Microphysical Properties in Xi’an, a Megacity in Northwestern China Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081169 Authors: Xiaoli Su Junji Cao Zhengqiang Li Kaitao Li Hua Xu Suixin Liu Xuehua Fan A thorough understanding of aerosol optical properties and their spatio-temporal variability are required to accurately evaluate aerosol effects in the climate system. In this study, a multi-year study of aerosol optical and microphysical properties was firstly performed in Xi’an based on three years of sun photometer remote sensing measurements from 2012 to 2015. The multi-year average of aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 440 nm was about 0.88 ± 0.24 (mean ± SD), while the averaged Ångström Exponent (AE) between 440 and 870 nm was 1.02 ± 0.15. The mean value of single scattering albedo (SSA) was around 0.89 ± 0.03. Aerosol optical depth and AE showed different seasonal variation patterns. Aerosol optical depth was slightly higher in winter (0.99 ± 0.36) than in other seasons (~0.85 ± 0.20), while AE showed its minimum in spring (0.85 ± 0.05) due to the impact of dust episodes. The seasonal variations of volume particle size distribution, spectral refractive index, SSA, and asymmetry factor were also analyzed to characterize aerosols over this region. Based on the aerosol products derived from sun photometer measurements, the classification of aerosol types was also conducted using two different methods in this region. Results show that the dominant aerosol types are absorbers in all seasons, especially in winter, demonstrating the strong absorptivity of aerosols in Xi’an.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1166: Inventory of Glaciers in the Shaksgam Valley of the Chinese Karakoram Mountains, 1970–2014 Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081166 Authors: Haireti Alifu Yukiko Hirabayashi Brian Alan Johnson Jean-Francois Vuillaume Akihiko Kondoh Minoru Urai The Shaksgam Valley, located on the north side of the Karakoram Mountains of western China, is situated in the transition zone between the Indian monsoon system and dry arid climate zones. Previous studies have reported abnormal behaviors of the glaciers in this region compared to the global trend of glacier retreat, so the region is of special interest for glacier-climatological studies. For this purpose, long-term monitoring of glaciers in this region is necessary to obtain a better understanding of the relationships between glacier changes and local climate variations. However, accurate historical and up-to-date glacier inventory data for the region are currently unavailable. For this reason, this study conducted glacier inventories for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2014 (i.e., a ~10-year interval) using multi-temporal remote sensing imagery. The remote sensing data used included Corona KH-4A/B (1965–1971), Hexagon KH-9 (1980), Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) (1990/1993), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) (2000/2001), and Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) (2014/2015) multispectral satellite images, as well as digital elevation models (DEMs) from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), DEMs generated from Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images (2005–2014), and Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) World 3D 30 m mesh (AW3D30). In the year 2014, a total of 173 glaciers (including 121 debris-free glaciers) (>0.5 km2), covering an area of 1478 ± 34 km2 (area of debris-free glaciers: 295 ± 7 km2) were mapped. The multi-temporal glacier inventory results indicated that total glacier area change between 1970–2014 was not significant. However, individual glacier changes showed significant variability. Comparisons of the changes in glacier terminus position indicated that 55 (32 debris-covered) glaciers experienced significant advances (~40–1400 m) between 1970–2014, and 74 (32 debris-covered) glaciers experienced significant advances (~40–1400 m) during the most recent period (2000–2014). Notably, small glaciers showed higher sensitivity to climate changes, and the glaciers located in the western part of the study site were exhibiting glacier area expansion compared to other parts of the Shaksgam Valley. Finally, regression analyses indicated that topographic parameters were not the main driver of glacier changes. On the contrary, local climate variability could explain the complex behavior of glaciers in this region.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 73: Weevils as Targets for Biological Control, and the Importance of Taxonomy and Phylogeny for Efficacy and Biosafety Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030073 Authors: Barbara I. P. Barratt Matthew J. W. Cock Rolf G. Oberprieler Curculionidae are a large mainly herbivorous family of beetles, some of which have become crop pests. Classical biological control has been attempted for about 38 species in 19 genera, and at least moderate success has been achieved in 31 % of cases. Only two weevil species have been considered to be completely controlled by a biological control agent. Success depends upon accurately matching natural enemies with their hosts, and hence taxonomy and phylogeny play a critical role. These factors are discussed and illustrated with two case studies: the introduction of the braconid parasitoid Mictroctonus aethiopoides into New Zealand for biological control of the lucerne pest Sitona discoideus, a case of complex phylogenetic relationships that challenged the prediction of potential non-target hosts, and the use of a mymarid egg parasitoid, Anaphes nitens, to control species of the eucalypt weevil genus Gonipterus, which involves failure to match up parasitoids with the right target amongst a complex of very closely related species. We discuss the increasing importance of molecular methods to support biological control programmes and the essential role of these emerging technologies for improving our understanding of this very large and complex family.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 74: The Problematic Genus Sclerocardius (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae: Ithyporini) Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030074 Authors: Christopher H. C. Lyal The genus Sclerocardius is revised, using morphological characters. Four species are recognized, including S. africanus (Boheman), S. bohemani Schoenherr stat.rev., S. indicus Hartmann and S. kuscheli sp.nov. The species Sclerocardius madecassus Ferragu is synonymized with S. bohemani syn.nov., and Charactocnemus hintzi Hartmann is treated as a junior synonym of S. bohemani, not S. africanus. A key to species is given. Lectotypes are designated for Heteramphus africanus Boheman and Sclerocardius africanus Schoenherr. A female elytro-tergal stridulatory system involving the modification of the wing-binding patch of the seventh tergite is reported for the Sclerocardiina for the first time and supports the inclusion of the subtribe within the Ithyporini.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1590: Research Trends and Hotspots Analysis Related to the Effects of Xenobiotics on Glucose Metabolism in Male Testes International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081590 Authors: Yongsheng Fan Guangxia Yu Jun Yu Jiantao Sun Yu Wu Xue Zhao Yu Meng Zhangdong He Chunhong Wang This study aimed to integrate and analyze the existing studies and to explore research trends and hotspots related to the effects of xenobiotics on glucose metabolism in male testes. All articles were retrieved from the PubMed database, from an inception date up to 10 June 2017. CiteSpace software (version 5.1.R8 SE) was used for the co-word cluster analysis. A total of 165 eligible publications were included in this study. In 1949–1959, only two articles were published. After 1960, the number of articles increased steadily. These articles were published in 97 journals, in particular, in the Indian Journal of Experimental Biology (11 articles, 6.7%). Most of the authors (87.0%) only published one article. Only a few established research teams, mostly from the USA, worked consistently in this field. The main xenobiotics that had been studied were medicine and common environmental pollutants, e.g., gossypol, cadmium, di-n-butyl phthalate, and alpha-chlorohydrin. The hotspot keywords were Sertoli cell, lactate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, oxidative stress, and glucose metabolism. The focus of research had been changed overtime. This is the first bibliometric study between xenobiotics and glucose metabolism in the male testes. The findings suggest that environmental pollutants have become a huge concern, and related research should be strengthened.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1589: Estimation of Dietary Intake of Radionuclides and Effectiveness of Regulation after the Fukushima Accident and in Virtual Nuclear Power Plant Accident Scenarios International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081589 Authors: Michio Murakami Takao Nirasawa Takao Yoshikane Keisuke Sueki Kimikazu Sasa Kei Yoshimura Evaluation of radiation exposure from diet is necessary under the assumption of a virtual accident as a part of emergency preparedness. Here, we developed a model with complete consideration of the regional food trade using deposition data simulated by a transport model, and estimated the dietary intake of radionuclides and the effectiveness of regulation (e.g., restrictions on the distribution of foods) after the Fukushima accident and in virtual accident scenarios. We also evaluated the dilution factors (i.e., ratios of contaminated foods to consumed foods) and cost-effectiveness of regulation as basic information for setting regulatory values. The doses estimated under actual emission conditions were generally consistent with those observed in food-duplicate and market-basket surveys within a factor of three. Regulation of restricted food distribution resulted in reductions in the doses of 54–65% in the nearest large city to the nuclear power plant. The dilution factors under actual emission conditions were 4.4% for radioiodine and 2.7% for radiocesium, which are ~20 times lower than those used in the Japanese provisional regulation values after the Fukushima accident. Strict regulation worsened the cost-effectiveness for both radionuclides. This study highlights the significance and utility of the developed model for a risk analysis of emergency preparedness and regulation.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1587: Dental Scaling Decreases the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081587 Authors: Chang-Kai Chen Jing-Yang Huang Yung-Tsan Wu Yu-Chao Chang The protective effect of dental scaling in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between dental scaling and the development of PD. A retrospective nested case-control study was performed using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The authors identified 4765 patients with newly diagnosed PD from 2005 to 2013 and 19,060 individuals without PD by matching sex, age, and index year. In subgroup 1, with individuals aged 40–69 years, individuals without periodontal inflammatory disease (PID) showed a protective effect of dental scaling against PD development, especially for dental scaling over five consecutive years (adjusted odds ratio = 0.204, 95% CI = 0.047–0.886, p = 0.0399). In general, the protective effect of dental scaling showed greater benefit for individuals with PID than for those without PID, regardless of whether dental scaling was performed for five consecutive years. In subgroup 2, with patients aged ≥70 years, the discontinued (not five consecutive years) scaling showed increased risk of PD. This was the first study to show that patients without PID who underwent dental scaling over five consecutive years had a significantly lower risk of developing PD. These findings emphasize the value of early and consecutive dental scaling to prevent the development of PD.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1586: What Are the Net Benefits of Reducing the Ozone Standard to 65 ppb? An Alternative Analysis International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081586 Authors: Sabine S. Lange Sean E. Mulholland Michael E. Honeycutt In October 2015, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered the level of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) from 0.075 ppm to 0.070 ppm (annual 4th highest daily maximum 8-h concentration, averaged over three years). The EPA estimated a 2025 annual national non-California net benefit of $1.5 to $4.5 billion (2011$, 7% discount rate) for a 0.070 ppm standard, and a −$1.0 to $14 billion net benefit for an alternative 0.065 ppm standard. The purpose of this work is to present a combined toxicological and economic assessment of the EPA’s benefit-cost analysis of the 2015 ozone NAAQS. Assessing the quality of the epidemiology studies based on considerations of bias, confounding, chance, integration of evidence, and application of the studies for future population risk estimates, we derived several alternative benefits estimates. We also considered the strengths and weaknesses of the EPA’s cost estimates (e.g., marginal abatement costs), as well as estimates completed by other authors, and provided our own alternative cost estimate. Based on our alternative benefits and cost calculations, we estimated an alternative net benefit of between −$0.3 and $1.8 billion for a 0.070 ppm standard (2011 $, 7% discount rate) and between −$23 and −$17 billion for a 0.065 ppm standard. This work demonstrates that alternative reasonable assumptions can generate very difference cost and benefits estimates that may impact how policy makers view the outcomes of a major rule.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1583: A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081583 Authors: Olena Ivanova Masna Rai Elizabeth Kemigisha Adolescent girls and young women are an overlooked group within conflict- or disaster-affected populations, and their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are often neglected. Existing evidence shows that forced migration and human mobility make girls and women more vulnerable to poor SRH outcomes such as high risk sexual behaviors, lack of contraception use, STIs and HIV/AIDS. We performed a systematic literature review to explore knowledge, experiences and access to SRH services in this population group across the African continent. Two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were searched and from 896 identified publications, 15 peer-reviewed articles published in English met the inclusion criteria for this review. These consisted of eight applied qualitative, five quantitative and two mixed-method study designs. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) using scores in percentages (0–100%). Available evidence indicates that knowledge of young women and girls regarding contraceptive methods, STIs and HIV/AIDS are limited. This population group often experiences gender-based and sexual violence and abuse. The access and availability of SRH services are often limited due to distances, costs and stigma. This review demonstrates that there is still a dearth of peer-reviewed literature on SRH related aspects among refugee, migrant and displaced girls and young women in Africa. The data disaggregation by sex and age should be emphasized for future research in this field.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1181: Improved Albedo Estimates Implemented in the METRIC Model for Modeling Energy Balance Fluxes and Evapotranspiration over Agricultural and Natural Areas in the Brazilian Cerrado Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081181 Authors: Bruno Silva Oliveira Elisabete Caria Moraes Marcos Carrasco-Benavides Gabriel Bertani Guilherme Augusto Verola Mataveli In this study we assessed METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration) model performance to estimate energy balance fluxes and evapotranspiration (ET) in two heterogeneous landscapes in the Brazilian Cerrado, including fluxes and ET in both agricultural and natural vegetation. The estimates were evaluated by comparing them to flux tower data collected over sugarcane (USR site), woody savanna (PDG site) and stricto-sensu savanna (RECOR site) areas. The selection of the study years (2005–2007 for USR/PDG sites and 2011–2015 for RECOR site) was based on the availability of meteorological data (to be used as inputs in METRIC) and of flux tower data for energy balance fluxes and ET comparisons. The broadband albedo submodel was adjusted in order to improve Net Radiation estimates. For this adjustment, we applied at-surface solar radiation simulations obtained from the SMARTS2 model under different conditions of land elevation, precipitable water content and solar angles. We also tested the equivalence between the measured crop coefficient (Kc_ec) and the reference evapotranspiration fraction (ETrF or F), seeking to extrapolate from instantaneous to daily values of actual evapotranspiration (ETa). Surface albedo was underestimated by 10% at the USR site (showing a better performance for full crop coverage), by 15% at the PDG site (following the woody savanna dynamics pattern through dry and wet seasons) and was overestimated by 21% at the RECOR site. METRIC was effective in simulating the spatial and temporal variability of energy balance fluxes and ET over agricultural and natural vegetation in the Brazilian Cerrado, with errors within those reported in the literature. Net radiation (Rn) presented consistent results (coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.94) but it was overestimated by 8% and 9% in sugarcane and woody savanna, respectively. METRIC-derived ET estimates showed an agreement with ground data at USR and PDG sites (R2 > 0.88, root mean square error (RMSE) up to 0.87 mm day−1), but at the RECOR site, ET was overestimated by 14% (R2 = 0.96, mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.62 mm.day−1 and RMSE = 0.75 mm day−1). Surface energy balance fluxes and ET were marked by seasonality, with direct dependence on available energy, rainfall distribution, soil moisture and other parameters like albedo and NDVI.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1182: Detection of Frozen Soil Using Sentinel-1 SAR Data Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081182 Authors: Nicolas Baghdadi Hassan Bazzi Mohammad El Hajj Mehrez Zribi The objective of this paper is to evaluate the potential of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar “SAR” data (C-band) for monitoring agricultural frozen soils. First, investigations were conducted from simulated radar signal data using a SAR backscattering model combined with a dielectric mixing model. Then, Sentinel-1 images acquired at a study site near Paris, France were analyzed using temperature data to investigate the potential of the new Sentinel-1 SAR sensor for frozen soil mapping. The results show that the SAR backscattering coefficient decreases when the soil temperature drops below 0 °C. This decrease in signal is the most important for temperatures that ranges between 0 and −5 °C. A difference of at least 2 dB is observed between unfrozen soils and frozen soils. This difference increases under freezing condition when the temperature at the image acquisition date decreases. In addition, results show that the potential of the C-band radar signal for the discrimination of frozen soils slightly decreases when the soil moisture decreases (simulated data were used with soil moisture contents of 20 and 30 vol%). The difference between the backscattering coefficient of unfrozen soil and the backscattering coefficient of frozen soil decreases by approximately 1 dB when the soil moisture decreases from 30 to 20 vol%). Finally, the results show that both VV and VH allow a good detection of frozen soils but the sensitivity of VH is higher by approximately 1.5 dB. In conclusion, this study shows that the difference between a reference image acquired without freezing and an image acquired under freezing conditions is a good tool for detecting frozen soils.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 75: Kuschelysius, a New Alpine Genus of Eugnomine Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae) from New Zealand Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030075 Authors: Samuel D. J. Brown Richard A. B. Leschen Kuschelysiusnew genus is described for four species, K. hollowayaenew species, K. durusnew species, K. verbalisnew species and K. nitensnew species, which are found in alpine regions along the length of the South Island of New Zealand. The genus most closely resembles members of the genus Eugnomus but is distinguished from them by the presence of a small pair of post-ocular tubercles and by having appressed scales on the dorsal surfaces. Some members of Kuschelysius appear to be flight-capable with well-developed hindwings, while others have reduced hindwings and are presumably flightless. Many specimens have been collected from the flowers of Dracophyllum traversii, Celmisia and other alpine plants, and the guts of examined specimens contained pollen. We hypothesise that the species of Kuschelysius are pollinators of the New Zealand alpine flora.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1592: Full-Scale Experimental Study of Groundwater Softening in a Circulating Pellet Fluidized Reactor International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081592 Authors: Ruizhu Hu Tinglin Huang Aofan Zhi Zhangcheng Tang The softening effect of a new type of circulating pellet fluidized bed (CPFB) reactor on groundwater was studied through a full-scale experiment. The operation of the CPFB reactor in the second water plant in Chang’an District in Xi’an China was monitored for one year, and the results were compared with those for the Amsterdam reactor in The Netherlands. The removal efficiency of Ca2+ in the CPFB reactor reached 90%; the removal rate of total hardness was higher than 60%; effluent pH was 9.5–9.8; the turbidity of the effluent and the turbidity after boiling were lower than 1.0 NTU; the unit cost was less than €0.064 per m3; and the softened effluent was stable. The pellets in the CPFB reactor were circulated, providing higher crystallization efficiency. The diameter of the discharged pellets reached between 3–5 mm, and the fluidized area height of the CPFB reactor was 4 m. The performance parameters of the CFPB reactor were optimized.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1596: Predicting Infectious Disease Using Deep Learning and Big Data International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081596 Authors: Sangwon Chae Sungjun Kwon Donghyun Lee Infectious disease occurs when a person is infected by a pathogen from another person or an animal. It is a problem that causes harm at both individual and macro scales. The Korea Center for Disease Control (KCDC) operates a surveillance system to minimize infectious disease contagions. However, in this system, it is difficult to immediately act against infectious disease because of missing and delayed reports. Moreover, infectious disease trends are not known, which means prediction is not easy. This study predicts infectious diseases by optimizing the parameters of deep learning algorithms while considering big data including social media data. The performance of the deep neural network (DNN) and long-short term memory (LSTM) learning models were compared with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) when predicting three infectious diseases one week into the future. The results show that the DNN and LSTM models perform better than ARIMA. When predicting chickenpox, the top-10 DNN and LSTM models improved average performance by 24% and 19%, respectively. The DNN model performed stably and the LSTM model was more accurate when infectious disease was spreading. We believe that this study’s models can help eliminate reporting delays in existing surveillance systems and, therefore, minimize costs to society.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1597: Assessing Heat-Related Mortality Risks among Rural Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Epidemiological Evidence International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081597 Authors: Emmanuel A. Odame Ying Li Shimin Zheng Ambarish Vaidyanathan Ken Silver Most epidemiological studies of high temperature effects on mortality have focused on urban settings, while heat-related health risks in rural areas remain underexplored. To date there has been no meta-analysis of epidemiologic literature concerning heat-related mortality in rural settings. This study aims to systematically review the current literature for assessing heat-related mortality risk among rural populations. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify articles published up to April 2018. Key selection criteria included study location, health endpoints, and study design. Fourteen studies conducted in rural areas in seven countries on four continents met the selection criteria, and eleven were included in the meta-analysis. Using the random effects model, the pooled estimates of relative risks (RRs) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were 1.030 (95% CI: 1.013, 1.048) and 1.111 (95% CI: 1.045, 1.181) per 1 °C increase in daily mean temperature, respectively. We found excess risks in rural settings not to be smaller than risks in urban settings. Our results suggest that rural populations, like urban populations, are also vulnerable to heat-related mortality. Further evaluation of heat-related mortality among rural populations is warranted to develop public health interventions in rural communities.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1595: Does SuperPark Make Children Less Sedentary? How Visiting a Commercial Indoor Activity Park Affects 7 to 12 Years Old Children’s Daily Sitting and Physical Activity Time International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081595 Authors: Arto J. Pesola Martti Melin Anssi Vanhala Ying Gao Taija Finni Commercial indoor activity parks provide children with a variety of entertaining physical activities. This study examined whether visiting SuperPark affects total daily sitting and physical activity time. The participants (8 girls and 7 boys, aged 10.3 ± 1.9 years, height 144.5 ± 11.8 cm, body mass index (BMI) 19.3 ± 3.0 kg/m2) wore a thigh-worn accelerometer during a normal week and were provided free tickets to visit SuperPark on at least one day. On average, the children spent 3.3 ± 1.2 h in SuperPark. During the visits the children had 0.9 h less sitting (0.7 ± 0.3 h, p = 0.000) and 0.9 h more moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; 1.4 ± 0.6 h, p = 0.002) as compared to the reference periods on days without a SuperPark visit (1.6 ± 0.3 h sitting and 0.5 ± 0.4 h MVPA). During the days when visiting SuperPark, sitting time decreased 1.0 h (5.8 ± 0.9 h, p = 0.008) and MVPA increased 0.8 h (3.0 ± 1.0 h, p = 0.017) as compared to the reference days (6.8 ± 1.1 h sitting and 2.2 ± 0.8 h MVPA). The effects were more pronounced during weekdays than weekends. The children spent more than three hours in SuperPark on one visit, of which almost a half was MVPA. During the whole day, one hour of sitting was replaced with MVPA, suggesting that visiting SuperPark has the potential to improve health. Whether children continue visiting SuperPark and gain health benefits merits investigation.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 300: A Comparative Study of Three Non-Geostatistical Methods for Optimising Digital Elevation Model Interpolation ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7080300 Authors: Serajis Salekin Jack H. Burgess Justin Morgenroth Euan G. Mason Dean F. Meason It is common to generate digital elevation models (DEMs) from aerial laser scanning (ALS) data. However, cost and lack of knowledge may preclude its use. In contrast, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) are seldom used to collect and generate DEMs. These receivers have the potential to be considered as data sources for DEM interpolation, as they can be inexpensive, easy to use, and mobile. The data interpolation method and spatial resolution from this method needs to be optimised to create accurate DEMs. Moreover, the density of GNSS data is likely to affect DEM accuracy. This study investigates three different deterministic approaches, in combination with spatial resolution and data thinning, to determine their combined effects on DEM accuracy. Digital elevation models were interpolated, with resolutions ranging from 0.5 m to 10 m using natural neighbour (NaN), topo to raster (ANUDEM), and inverse distance weighted (IDW) methods. The GNSS data were thinned by 25% (0.389 points m−2), 50% (0.259 points m−2), and 75% (0.129 points m−2) and resulting DEMs were contrast against a DEM interpolated from unthinned data (0.519 points m−2). Digital elevation model accuracy was measured by root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE). It was found that the highest resolution, 0.5 m, produced the lowest errors in resulting DEMs (RMSE = 0.428 m, MAE = 0.274 m). The ANUDEM method yielded the greatest DEM accuracy from a quantitative perspective (RMSE = 0.305 m and MAE = 0.197 m); however, NaN produced a more visually appealing surface. In all the assessments, IDW showed the lowest accuracy. Thinning the input data by 25% and even 50% had relatively little impact on DEM quality; however, accuracy decreased markedly at 75% thinning (0.129 points m−2). This study showed that, in a time where ALS is commonly used to generate DEMs, GNSS-surveyed data can be used to create accurate DEMs. This study confirmed the need for optimization to choose the appropriate interpolation method and spatial resolution in order to produce a reliable DEM.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1593: Modeling Land Use Changes and their Impacts on Non-Point Source Pollution in a Southeast China Coastal Watershed International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081593 Authors: Xin Zhang Lin Zhou Yuqi Liu Changes in landscape patterns in a river basin play a crucial role in the change on load of non-point source pollution. The spatial distribution of various land use types affects the transmission of non-point source pollutants on the basis of source-sink theory in landscape ecology. Jiulong River basin in southeast of China was selected as the study area in this paper. Aiming to analyze the correlation between changing landscape patterns and load of non-point source pollution in this area, traditional landscape metrics and the improved location-weighted landscape contrast index based on the minimum hydrological response unit (HRULCI) were applied in this study, in combination with remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technique. The results of the landscape metrics showed the enhanced fragmentation extent and the decreasing polymerization degree of the overall landscape in the watershed. High values of HRULCI were concentrated in cultivated land, while low HRULCI values mostly appeared in forestland, indicating that cultivated land substantially enhanced non-point source pollution, while forestland inhibited the pollution process.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1186: Application of Multi-Sensor Satellite Data for Exploration of Zn–Pb Sulfide Mineralization in the Franklinian Basin, North Greenland Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081186 Authors: Amin Beiranvand Pour Tae-Yoon S. Park Yongcheol Park Jong Kuk Hong Basem Zoheir Biswajeet Pradhan Iman Ayoobi Mazlan Hashim Geological mapping and mineral exploration programs in the High Arctic have been naturally hindered by its remoteness and hostile climate conditions. The Franklinian Basin in North Greenland has a unique potential for exploration of world-class zinc deposits. In this research, multi-sensor remote sensing satellite data (e.g., Landsat-8, Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)) were used for exploring zinc in the trough sequences and shelf-platform carbonate of the Franklinian Basin. A series of robust image processing algorithms was implemented for detecting spatial distribution of pixels/sub-pixels related to key alteration mineral assemblages and structural features that may represent potential undiscovered Zn–Pb deposits. Fusion of Directed Principal Component Analysis (DPCA) and Independent Component Analysis (ICA) was applied to some selected Landsat-8 mineral indices for mapping gossan, clay-rich zones and dolomitization. Major lineaments, intersections, curvilinear structures and sedimentary formations were traced by the application of Feature-oriented Principal Components Selection (FPCS) to cross-polarized backscatter PALSAR ratio images. Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering (MTMF) algorithm was applied to ASTER VNIR/SWIR bands for sub-pixel detection and classification of hematite, goethite, jarosite, alunite, gypsum, chalcedony, kaolinite, muscovite, chlorite, epidote, calcite and dolomite in the prospective targets. Using the remote sensing data and approaches, several high potential zones characterized by distinct alteration mineral assemblages and structural fabrics were identified that could represent undiscovered Zn–Pb sulfide deposits in the study area. This research establishes a straightforward/cost-effective multi-sensor satellite-based remote sensing approach for reconnaissance stages of mineral exploration in hardly accessible parts of the High Arctic environments.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1184: An Evaluation of Forest Health Insect and Disease Survey Data and Satellite-Based Remote Sensing Forest Change Detection Methods: Case Studies in the United States Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081184 Authors: Ian W. Housman Robert A. Chastain Mark V. Finco The Operational Remote Sensing (ORS) program leverages Landsat and MODIS data to detect forest disturbances across the conterminous United States (CONUS). The ORS program was initiated in 2014 as a collaboration between the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service Geospatial Technology and Applications Center (GTAC) and the Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team (FHAAST). The goal of the ORS program is to supplement the Insect and Disease Survey (IDS) and MODIS Real-Time Forest Disturbance (RTFD) programs with imagery-derived forest disturbance data that can be used to augment traditional IDS data. We developed three algorithms and produced ORS forest change products using both Landsat and MODIS data. These were assessed over Southern New England and the Rio Grande National Forest. Reference data were acquired using TimeSync to conduct an independent accuracy assessment of IDS, RTFD, and ORS products. Overall accuracy for all products ranged from 71.63% to 92.55% in the Southern New England study area and 63.48% to 79.13% in the Rio Grande National Forest study area. While the accuracies attained from the assessed products are somewhat low, these results are similar to comparable studies. Although many ORS products met or exceeded the overall accuracy of IDS and RTFD products, the differences were largely statistically insignificant at the 95% confidence interval. This demonstrates the current implementation of ORS is sufficient to provide data to augment IDS data.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1605: An Analysis of Reported Dangerous Incidents, Exposures, and Near Misses amongst Army Soldiers International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081605 Authors: Ben Schram Robin Orr Timothy Rigby Rodney Pope Occupational health and safety incidents occurring in the military context are of great concern to personnel and commanders. Incidents such as “dangerous incidents”, “exposures”, and “near misses” (as distinct from injuries, illnesses, and fatalities) indicate serious health and safety risks faced by military personnel, even if they do not cause immediate harm. These risks may give rise to harm in the future, if not adequately addressed, and in some cases the incidents may cause latent harm. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the rates and patterns of incidents of these types reported by full time (ARA) and part time (ARES) Australian Army personnel. A retrospective cohort study was performed using self-reported incident data from the Workplace Health, Safety, Compensation and Reporting (WHSCAR) database over a two-year period. Data were analysed descriptively. Of 3791 such incidents, 3636 (96 percent) occurred in ARA and 155 (4 percent) in ARES personnel, somewhat consistent with the proportions of total army person-years served in each (ARA 93 percent; ARES 7 percent). In ARA, 84 percent of these incident types were exposures, 14 percent near misses, and 2 percent dangerous incidents. In ARES, 55 percent of incidents were exposures, 38 percent near misses, and 7 percent dangerous incidents. Soldiers at the rank of ‘private’ experienced the highest rates of these incident types, in both ARA and ARES. Driving gave rise to more near misses than any other activity, in both populations. Exposures to chemicals and sounds were more common in the ARA than ARES. The ARES reported higher proportions of vehicle near misses and multiple mechanism dangerous incidents than the ARA. The findings of this study can usefully inform development of risk mitigation strategies for dangerous incidents, exposures, and near misses in army personnel.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1604: Chronic Disease, Disability, Psychological Distress and Suicide Ideation among Rural Elderly: Results from a Population Survey in Shandong International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081604 Authors: Jing Zhu Lingzhong Xu Long Sun Jiajia Li Wenzhe Qin Gan Ding Qian Wang Jiao Zhang Su Xie Zihang Yu Objective: Suicide is a major public health and social problem in contemporary societies. Previous studies showed that the older the seniors were, the more likely it was that they would experience disability, chronic disease, or both. The objective of this study was to examine the joint effects of chronic disease and physical disability on suicide ideation while controlling for psychological distress among the rural elderly living in Shandong Province, China. Method: A total of 5514 rural elderly individuals (60+) living in Shandong Province, China were included in this study. Suicidal ideation was assessed by using questions from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS). Multiple logistic analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with suicide ideation. A path analysis was conducted to test the direct and indirect effects of chronic disease and of activity of daily living (ADL) limitation on suicide ideation while controlling for psychological distress. Results: The prevalence of suicide ideation among the rural elderly in Shandong, China was 11.0%. Psychological distress had the strongest direct (β = 0.392) and total effect (β = 0.392), chronic disease (β = −0.034; β = −0.063) had both direct and indirect impacts, and ADL (β = 0.091) had indirect impacts on suicide ideation. Psychological distress was a mediator between chronic disease, ADL limitation, and suicide ideation. Conclusions: Psychological distress was the greatest influencing factor of suicide ideation among the rural elderly, followed by chronic disease and disability. Effective intervention measures should be taken to facilitate the early detection of psychological distress in clinical practice among the rural elderly.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1601: Risk of Appendicitis among Children with Different Piped Water Supply: A Nationwide Population-Based Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081601 Authors: Hao-Ming Li Shi-Zuo Liu Ying-Kai Huang Yuan-Chih Su Chia-Hung Kao Appendicitis is a common surgical condition for children. However, environmental effects, such as piped water supply, on pediatric appendicitis risk remain unclear. This longitudinal, nationwide, cohort study aimed to compare the risk of appendicitis among children with different levels of piped water supply. Using data from Taiwan Water Resource Agency and National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 119,128 children born in 1996–2010 from areas of the lowest piped water supply (prevalence 51.21% to 63.06%) as the study cohort; additional 119,128 children of the same period in areas of the highest piped water supply (prevalence 98.97% to 99.63%) were selected as the controls. Both cohorts were propensity-score matched by baseline variables. We calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of appendicitis in the study cohort compared to the controls by Cox proportional hazards regression. The study cohort had a raised overall incidence rates of appendicitis compared to the control cohort (12.8 vs. 8.7 per 10,000 person-years). After covariate adjustment, the risk of appendicitis was significantly increased in the study cohort (adjusted HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.58, p < 0.001). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses showed consistent results that children with low piped water supply had a higher risk of appendicitis than those with high piped water supply. This study demonstrated that children with low piped water supply were at an increased risk of appendicitis. Enhancement of piped water availability in areas lacking adequate, secure, and sanitized water supply may protect children against appendicitis.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1600: Alternative Risk Assessment for Dangerous Chemicals in South Korea Regulation: Comparing Three Modeling Programs International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081600 Authors: Hyo Eun Lee Jong-Ryeul Sohn Sang-Hoon Byeon Seok J. Yoon Kyong Whan Moon Unlike other countries, the Korean chemical industry does not clearly distinguish between industrial sites and residential areas. The 2012 Gumi Hydrogen Fluoride Accident revealed that chemical accidents could cause damage to nearby residents. Accordingly, the Chemicals Control Act was enacted in 2015, which requested industrial sites using chemicals to perform a risk assessment for all chemical facilities and to distribute the results to the local residents and governments. Industrial businesses had the responsibility of warning the local residents. In this study, two programs (Areal Location of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA), Process Hazard Analysis Software Tool (PHAST)) were compared with Korea Off-site Risk Assessment Supporting Tool (KORA), which is the current representative risk assessment program used in Korea Chemicals Control Act. The five chemical substances (nitric acid, hydrogen chloride, ammonia, sulfuric acid, and formaldehyde) most commonly involved in chemical accidents were selected. The range of influence of ERPG-2 (Emergency Response Planning Guideline) on chemical accidents was modeled and the results compared. ALOHA was found to be the most suitable program for the determination of toxicity for nitrate acid and ammonia, KORA for hydrogen chloride and sulfuric acid, and PHAST for formaldehyde. To maximize the safety of many local residents and to prepare for chemical accidents, risk assessments should be conducted using a variety of risk assessment programs, and the worst-case damage radius should be determined.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1611: Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Peri-Implant Soft Tissues around Machined and Direct Metal Laser Sintered (DMLS) Healing Abutments in Humans International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081611 Authors: Carlo Mangano Francesco Guido Mangano Jamil Awad Shibli Leandro Amadeu Roth Gianmaria d’ Addazio Adriano Piattelli Giovanna Iezzi Background: Direct metal laser Sintering (DMLS) is an additive manufacturing technique that allows fabrication of dental implants and related components with a highly porous surface. To date, no human studies have investigated the soft tissue adhesion and presence of inflammatory infiltrate with porous DMLS healing abutments (HAs), nor have they compared these with the classic machined ones. Purpose: To evaluate the degree of cell adhesion (integrin expression) and the quantity/quality of inflammatory infiltrate, on HAs with different surfaces; full DMLS, full machined, and hybrid (half DMLS and half machined). Methods: Fifty implant patients were randomly assigned to receive one of these different Has: T1, full DMLS (11 subjects); T2, machined in the upper portion and DMLS in the lower one (10 subjects); T3, DMLS in the upper portion and machined in the lower one (19 subjects); T4, full machined (10 patients). Thirty days after placement, circular sections of soft tissues around HAs were retrieved for immunohistochemical evaluation. Results: With regard to the adhesion molecules, the samples showed different intensity of integrin expression, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between T1 and the other groups. All the samples were positive for the different clusters related to the inflammatory infiltrate (T lymphocytes, CD3; B lymphocytes, CD20; and macrophages, CD68), but a lower infiltrate was found in T1, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) among the groups. Conclusions: The HA surface seems to influence the degree of cell adhesion and the inflammatory infiltrate of the surrounding soft tissues.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1614: Effects of Bisphenol A and 4-tert-Octylphenol on Embryo Implantation Failure in Mouse International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081614 Authors: Dinh Nam Tran Eui-Man Jung Changhwan Ahn Jae-Hwan Lee Yeong-Min Yoo Eui-Bae Jeung Miscarriage due to blastocyst implantation failure occurs in up to two-thirds of all human miscarriage cases. Calcium ion has been shown to be involved in many cellular signal transduction pathways as well as in the regulation of cell adhesion, which is necessary for the embryo implantation process. Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDs) during early gestation results in disruption of intrauterine implantation and uterine reception, leading to implantation failure. In this study, ovarian estrogen (E2), bisphenol A (BPA), or 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), with or without ICI 182,780 (ICI) were injected subcutaneously from gestation day 1 to gestation day 3 post-coitus. The expression levels of the calcium transport genes were assessed in maternal uteri and implantation sites. The number of implantation sites was significantly low in the OP group, and implantation sites were absent in the E2, ICI and EDs + ICI groups. There were different calcium transient transport channel expression levels in uterus and implantation site samples. The levels of TRPV5 and TRPV6 gene expression were significantly increased by EDs with/without ICI treatment in utero. Meanwhile, TRPV5 and TRPV6 gene expression were significantly lower in implantation sites samples. NCX1 and PMCA1 mRNA levels were significantly decreased by OP and BPA in the implantation site samples. Compared to vehicle treatment in the uterus, both the MUC1 mRNA and protein levels were markedly high in all but the BPA group. Taken together, these results suggest that both BPA and OP can impair embryo implantation through alteration of calcium transport gene expressions and by affecting uterine receptivity.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1609: A Comparison of Dependence across Different Types of Nicotine Containing Products and Coffee International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081609 Authors: Karl Fagerstrom Introduction: Few studies have compared the dependence to different tobacco and nicotine products. Even less is known about how it relates to dependence on other common drugs, e.g., caffeine. In this study degree of dependence was compared between snus, cigarettes, nicotine replacement (NR), electronic cigarettes and coffee. Methods: A random sample of Swedish citizens belonging to an internet panel were contacted from September to October 2017. The responders were asked among other related things about their use of snus, NR, traditional cigarette or e-cigarette use and coffee consumption. The indicators of dependence used were: (A) the Heavy Smoking Index, (B) The proportions that used within 30 min after raising in the morning, (C) rating the first use in the morning as the most important and (D) Stating that it would be very hard to give up entirely. Results: Significantly fewer coffee drinkers started use within 30 min of awakening compared with all other products. The first use of the day was found to be more important for snus users compared with other products. On HSI there was no difference between snus and cigarettes. Snus and cigarettes were rated as being more difficult to give up than NR and coffee. Conclusion: Dependence to traditional cigarettes and snus seem to be relatively similar while NR was rated lower and coffee lowest. Since the prevalence of caffeine use in all forms is so much more prevalent than nicotine there might be more persons in the society heavily dependent on caffeine. Implication: Tobacco products are likely more dependence forming than NR products and coffee although there might be more people dependent on caffeine. The addiction to coffee or caffeine is seldom discussed in the society probably because of the little or no harm it causes. Funding: The Snus Commission in Sweden (snuskommissionen) funded the data collection. No funding used for the analysis and writing of manuscript.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1613: Sexual Violence against Women in Germany: Prevalence and Risk Markers International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081613 Authors: Deborah F. Hellmann Max W. Kinninger Sören Kliem Previous research has repeatedly shown that gender-based violence affects a considerable proportion of women in any given population. Apart from providing current estimates of the prevalence of sexual violence against women in Germany, we identified specific risk markers applying an advanced statistical method. We analyzed data from a survey of N = 4450 women representative of the German population, conducted by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony in 2011. Lifetime prevalence for experiencing sexual violence was 5.4% for women aged 21−40 years (five-year prevalence: 2.5%). Non-parametric conditional inference tree (C-Tree) analyses revealed that physical and sexual abuse during childhood as well as being divorced, separated, or widowed was the most informative constellation of risk markers, increasing the five-year prevalence rate of experienced sexual violence victimizations up to 17.0%. Furthermore, knowing about the official penalization of marital rape was related to a lower victimization risk for women without a history of parental violence. Possible explanations for these findings as well as implications for future research are critically discussed.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1612: Legionellosis Associated with Recreational Waters: A Systematic Review of Cases and Outbreaks in Swimming Pools, Spa Pools, and Similar Environments International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081612 Authors: Erica Leoni Federica Catalani Sofia Marini Laura Dallolio Legionella spp. is widespread in many natural and artificial water systems, such as hot water distribution networks, cooling towers, and spas. A particular risk factor has been identified in the use of whirlpools and hot tubs in spa facilities and public baths. However, there has been no systematic synthesis of the published literature reporting legionellosis cases or outbreaks related to swimming/spa pools or similar environments used for recreational purposes (hot springs, hot tubs, whirlpools, natural spas). This study presents the results of a systematic review of the literature on cases and outbreaks associated with these environments. Data were extracted from 47 articles, including 42 events (17 sporadic cases and 25 outbreaks) and 1079 cases, 57.5% of which were diagnosed as Pontiac fever, without any deaths, and 42.5% were of Legionnaires’ disease, with a fatality rate of 6.3%. The results are presented in relation to the distribution of Legionella species involved in the events, clinical manifestations and diagnosis, predisposing conditions in the patients, favourable environmental factors, and quality of the epidemiological investigation, as well as in relation to the different types of recreational water sources involved. Based on the epidemiological and microbiological criteria, the strength of evidence linking a case/outbreak of legionellosis with a recreational water system was classified as strong, probable, and possible; in more than half of the events the resulting association was strong.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1196: Evaluating the Best Spectral Indices for the Detection of Burn Scars at Several Post-Fire Dates in a Mountainous Region of Northwest Yunnan, China Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081196 Authors: Davide Fornacca Guopeng Ren Wen Xiao Remote mountainous regions are among the Earth’s last remaining wild spots, hosting rare ecosystems and rich biodiversity. Because of access difficulties and low population density, baseline information about natural and human-induced disturbances in these regions is often limited or nonexistent. Landsat time series offer invaluable opportunities to reconstruct past land cover changes. However, the applicability of this approach strongly depends on the availability of good quality, cloud-free images, acquired at a regular time interval, which in mountainous regions are often difficult to find. The present study analyzed burn scar detection capabilities of 11 widely used spectral indices (SI) at 1 to 5 years after fire events in four dominant vegetation groups in a mountainous region of northwest Yunnan, China. To evaluate their performances, we used M-statistic as a burned-unburned class separability index, and we adapted an existing metric to quantify the SI residual burn signal at post-fire dates compared to the maximum severity recorded soon after the fire. Our results show that Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) are always among the three best performers for the detection of burn scars starting 1 year after fire but not for the immediate post-fire assessment, where the Mid Infrared Burn Index, Burn Area Index, and Tasseled Cap Greenness were superior. Brightness and Wetness peculiar patterns revealed long-term effects of fire in vegetated land, suggesting their potential integration to assist other SI in burned area detection several years after the fire event. However, in general, class separability of most of the SI was poor after one growing season, due to the seasonal rains and the relatively fast regrowth rate of shrubs and grasses, confirming the difficulty of assessment in mountainous ecosystems. Our findings are meaningful for the selection of a suitable SI to integrate in burned area detection workflows, according to vegetation type and time lag between image acquisitions.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1192: Automating Parameter Learning for Classifying Terrestrial LiDAR Point Cloud Using 2D Land Cover Maps Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081192 Authors: Chen-Chieh Feng Zhou Guo The automating classification of point clouds capturing urban scenes is critical for supporting applications that demand three-dimensional (3D) models. Achieving this goal, however, is met with challenges because of the varying densities of the point clouds and the complexity of the 3D data. In order to increase the level of automation in the point cloud classification, this study proposes a segment-based parameter learning method that incorporates a two-dimensional (2D) land cover map, in which a strategy of fusing the 2D land cover map and the 3D points is first adopted to create labelled samples, and a formalized procedure is then implemented to automatically learn the following parameters of point cloud classification: the optimal scale of the neighborhood for segmentation, optimal feature set, and the training classifier. It comprises four main steps, namely: (1) point cloud segmentation; (2) sample selection; (3) optimal feature set selection; and (4) point cloud classification. Three datasets containing the point cloud data were used in this study to validate the efficiency of the proposed method. The first two datasets cover two areas of the National University of Singapore (NUS) campus while the third dataset is a widely used benchmark point cloud dataset of Oakland, Pennsylvania. The classification parameters were learned from the first dataset consisting of a terrestrial laser-scanning data and a 2D land cover map, and were subsequently used to classify both of the NUS datasets. The evaluation of the classification results showed overall accuracies of 94.07% and 91.13%, respectively, indicating that the transition of the knowledge learned from one dataset to another was satisfactory. The classification of the Oakland dataset achieved an overall accuracy of 97.08%, which further verified the transferability of the proposed approach. An experiment of the point-based classification was also conducted on the first dataset and the result was compared to that of the segment-based classification. The evaluation revealed that the overall accuracy of the segment-based classification is indeed higher than that of the point-based classification, demonstrating the advantage of the segment-based approaches.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1197: Quantifying Drought Propagation from Soil Moisture to Vegetation Dynamics Using a Newly Developed Ecohydrological Land Reanalysis Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081197 Authors: Yohei Sawada Despite the importance of the interaction between soil moisture and vegetation dynamics to understand the complex nature of drought, few land reanalyses explicitly simulate vegetation growth and senescence. In this study, I provide a new land reanalysis which explicitly simulates the interaction between sub-surface soil moisture and vegetation dynamics by the sequential assimilation of satellite microwave brightness temperature observations into a land surface model (LSM). Assimilating satellite microwave brightness temperature observations improves the skill of a LSM to simultaneously simulate soil moisture and the seasonal cycle of leaf area index (LAI). By analyzing soil moisture and LAI simulated by this new land reanalysis, I identify the drought events which significantly damage LAI on the climatological day-of-year of the LAI’s seasonal peak and quantify drought propagation from soil moisture to LAI in the global snow-free region. On average, soil moisture in the shallow soil layers (0–0.45 m) quickly recovers from the drought condition before the climatological day-of-year of the LAI’s seasonal peak while soil moisture in the deeper soil layer (1.05–2.05 m) and LAI recover from the drought condition approximately 100 days after the climatological day-of-year of the LAI’s seasonal peak.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 77: Review of the Hygrophilous Weevils in Israel (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030077 Authors: Ariel-Leib-Leonid Friedman Forty-one species in 20 genera of hygrophilous weevils belonging to Brentidae and Curculionidae, associated with inland aquatic habitats, have been recorded recently from Israel, eight of them for the first time. Thirty-four species are extant, while five species have probably become extinct recently, and two are fossil species, known from Late Cretaceous deposits. Sixteen species are either aquatic or semi-aquatic, while the rest occur only or predominantly on riparian vegetation. Distributional and biological data for most of the species are provided. A key to all hygrophilous weevil taxa and illustrations for most of the species are provided.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1202: Potential of Photochemical Reflectance Index for Indicating Photochemistry and Light Use Efficiency in Leaves of European Beech and Norway Spruce Trees Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081202 Authors: Daniel Kováč Petra Veselovská Karel Klem Kristýna Večeřová Alexander Ač Josep Peñuelas Otmar Urban Hyperspectral reflectance is becoming more frequently used for measuring the functions and productivity of ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the potential of the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) for evaluating physiological status of plants. This is needed because the reasons for variation in PRI and its relationships to physiological traits remain poorly understood. We examined the relationships between PRI and photosynthetic parameters in evergreen Norway spruce and deciduous European beech grown in controlled conditions during several consecutive periods of 10–12 days between which the irradiance and air temperature were changed stepwise. These regime changes induced significant changes in foliar biochemistry and physiology. The responses of PRI corresponded particularly to alterations in the actual quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry (ΦPSII). Acclimation responses of both species led to loss of PRI sensitivity to light use efficiency (LUE). The procedure of measuring PRI at multiple irradiance-temperature conditions has been designed also for testing accuracy of ΔPRI in estimating LUE. A correction mechanism of subtracting daily measured PRI from early morning PRI has been performed to account for differences in photosynthetic pigments between irradiance-temperature regimes. Introducing ΔPRI, which provided a better estimate of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) compared to PRI, also improved the accuracy of LUE estimation. Furthermore, ΔPRI was able to detect the effect of drought, which is poorly observable from PRI.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1200: Mapping up-to-Date Paddy Rice Extent at 10 M Resolution in China through the Integration of Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar Images Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081200 Authors: Xin Zhang Bingfang Wu Guillermo E. Ponce-Campos Miao Zhang Sheng Chang Fuyou Tian Rice is a staple food in East Asia and Southeast Asia—an area that accounts for more than half of the world’s population, and 11% of its cultivated land. Studies on rice monitoring can provide direct or indirect information on food security, and water source management. Remote sensing has proven to be the most effective method for the large-scale monitoring of croplands, by using temporary and spectral information. The Google Earth Engine (GEE) is a cloud-based platform providing access to high-performance computing resources for processing extremely large geospatial datasets. In this study, by leveraging the computational power of GEE and a large pool of satellite and other geophysical data (e.g., forest and water extent maps, with high accuracy at 30 m), we generated the first up-to-date rice extent map with crop intensity, at 10 m resolution in the three provinces with the highest rice production in China (the Heilongjiang, Hunan and Guangxi provinces). Optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data were monthly and metric composited to ensure a sufficient amount of up-to-date data without cloud interference. To remove the common confounding noise in the pixel-based classification results at medium to high resolution, we integrated the pixel-based classification (using a random forest classifier) result with the object-based segmentation (using a simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) method). This integration resulted in the rice planted area data that most closely resembled official statistics. The overall accuracy was approximately 90%, which was validated by ground crop field points. The F scores reached 87.78% in the Heilongjiang Province for monocropped rice, 89.97% and 80.00% in the Hunan Province for mono- and double-cropped rice, respectively, and 88.24% in the Guangxi Province for double-cropped rice.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 79: Effect of Climatic Conditions and Land Cover on Genetic Structure and Diversity of Eunica tatila (Lepidoptera) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030079 Authors: Laura Elena Cavanzón-Medrano Salima Machkour-M’Rabet Landy Rubí Chablé-Iuit Carmen Pozo Yann Hénaut Luc Legal Fragmentation is the third cause of the biodiversity declination. Population genetic studies using Lepidoptera as the model species in the context of loss of habitat are scarce, particularly for tropical areas. We chose a widespread butterfly from Mexico as the model species to explore how changes of habitat characteristics (undisturbed forest, anthropogenic disturbances, and coastal areas), and climatic conditions affect genetic diversity and population structure. The Nymphalidae Eunica tatila is a common species in the Yucatan Peninsula considered to be a bio-indicator of undisturbed tropical forest, with migratory potential and a possible sex-biased dispersal. We genotyped 323 individuals collected in eight undisturbed areas, using four Inter Simple Sequence Repeats primers. Results show a high genetic diversity and no population structure. Temperature and shrub density present a positive and significant relationship with polymorphism values. Furthermore, our results show the positive effect of surrounding forest habitat on genetic diversity, confirming that E. tatila is a bio-indicator of undisturbed tropical forest. We found evidence of sex-biased dispersal. This paper represents one of the few studies on population genetics of tropical butterfly in a fragmented landscape and is, therefore, an important step in understanding the impact of habitat fragmentation on the risk of a butterflies’ decline.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 311: Processing BIM and GIS Models in Practice: Experiences and Recommendations from a GeoBIM Project in The Netherlands ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7080311 Authors: Ken Arroyo Ohori Abdoulaye Diakité Thomas Krijnen Hugo Ledoux Jantien Stoter It is widely acknowledged that the integration of BIM and GIS data is a crucial step forward for future 3D city modelling, but most of the research conducted so far has covered only the high-level and semantic aspects of GIS-BIM integration. This paper presents the results of the GeoBIM project, which tackled three integration problems focussing instead on aspects involving geometry processing: (i) the automated processing of complex architectural IFC models; (ii) the integration of existing GIS subsoil data in BIM; and (iii) the georeferencing of BIM models for their use in GIS software. All the problems have been studied using real world models and existing datasets made and used by practitioners in The Netherlands. For each problem, this paper exposes in detail the issues faced, proposed solutions, and recommendations for a more successful integration.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1639: Sexual Function of Postmenopausal Women Addicted to Alcohol International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081639 Authors: Anna Jenczura Mariola Czajkowska Agnieszka Skrzypulec-Frankel Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta Agnieszka Drosdzol-Cop Introduction: Alcoholism impairs female sexual functions (decreased sex drive, reduced vaginal fluid, difficulty to experience orgasm). Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of perimenopausal period and sexual life of female alcoholics. Methods: 97 women at the age of 40–60 years were qualified with a diagnosed history of alcoholism (studied group). For the control group, 92 women at the age of 40–60 without a history of alcoholism were qualified. Questionnaires assessing female sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index—FSFI), the severity of perimenopausal symptoms (Menopause Rating Scale—MRS) and the degree of alcohol addiction (Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test—MAST) were obtained from each participant. Main outcome measures: To assess the sexual function of perimenopausal women addicted to alcohol. Results: The studied and control groups were significantly different (p = 0.00) in terms of severity of menopausal symptoms (MRS). The research showed lower quality of sexual life (FSFI) of women from the studied group. Conclusions: Population of women with diagnosed alcohol dependence enter the menopausal stage at the similar age as the population of female non-drinkers. The time of alcohol abuse is an important factor having an impact on both the course of menopause and the dynamics of the perimenopause period, leading to symptom escalation. The population of female alcoholics shows a decrease in sexual activity and the prevalence of sexual disorders.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1634: Changing the Approach to Anticoagulant Therapy in Older Patients with Multimorbidity Using a Precision Medicine Approach International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081634 Authors: Angela Koverech Valeriano Soldati Vittoria Polidori Leda Marina Pomes Luana Lionetto Matilde Capi Andrea Negro Maurizio Simmaco Paolo Martelletti The ageing of the world population has resulted in an increase in the number of older patients with multimorbid conditions receiving multiple therapies. This emerging clinical scenario poses new challenges, which are mostly related to the increased incidence of adverse effects. This translates into poor clinical care, reduced cost-effectiveness of drug therapies, and social isolation of multimorbid patients due to reduced autonomy. A strategy to address these emerging challenges could involve the personalization of therapies based on the clinical, molecular, and genetic characterization of multimorbid patients. Anticoagulation therapy is a feasible model to implement personalized medicine since it generally involves older multimorbid patients receiving multiple drugs. In this study, in patients with atrial fibrillation, the use of the new generation of anticoagulation therapy, i.e., direct oral anti-coagulants (DOACs), is based on a preliminary assessment of the molecular targets of DOACS and any possible drug–drug interactions. Then, the genetic polymorphism of enzymes metabolizing DOACs is studied. After DOAC prescription, its circulating levels are measured. Clinical data are being collected to assess whether this personalized approach improves the safety and efficacy profiles of anticoagulation therapy using DOACs, thereby reducing the costs of healthcare for ageing multimorbid patients.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1648: Transcriptomic Profiles in Zebrafish Liver Permit the Discrimination of Surface Water with Pollution Gradient and Different Discharges International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081648 Authors: Zhou Zhang Wei Liu Yuanyuan Qu Xie Quan Ping Zeng Mengchang He Yanmei Zhou Ruixia Liu The present study aims to evaluate the potential of transcriptomic profiles in evaluating the impacts of complex mixtures of pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations on aquatic vertebrates. The changes in gene expression were determined using microarray in the liver of male zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to surface water collected from selected locations on the Hun River, China. The numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in each treatment ranged from 728 to 3292, which were positively correlated with chemical oxygen demand (COD). Predominant transcriptomic responses included peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling and steroid biosynthesis. Key pathways in immune system were also affected. Notably, two human diseases related pathways, insulin resistance and Salmonella infection were enriched. Clustering analysis and principle component analysis with DEGs differentiated the upstream and downstream site of Shenyang City, and the mainstream and the tributary sites near the junction. Comparison the gene expression profiles of zebrafish exposed to river surface water with those to individual chemicals found higher similarity of the river water with estradiol than several other organic pollutants and metals. Results suggested that the transcriptomic profiles of zebrafish is promising in differentiating surface water with pollution gradient and different discharges and in providing valuable information to support discharge management.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1650: Pesticides Are an Occupational and Public Health Issue International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081650 Authors: Hans-Peter Hutter Hanns Moshammer n/a

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1211: Evaluating Metal Effects on the Reflectance Spectra of Plant Leaves during Different Seasons in Post-Mining Areas, China Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081211 Authors: Chao Zhou Shengbo Chen Yuanzhi Zhang Jianhua Zhao Derui Song Dawei Liu This study examined the relationship between the leaf reflectance of different seasons and the concentration of heavy metal elements in leaves, such as Co, Cu, Mo, and Ni in a post-mining area. The reflectance spectra and leaf samples of three typical plants were measured and collected in a whole growth cycle (June, July, August, and September). The Red Edge Position (REP), Readjustment Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (RE-NDVI), and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) were extracted and used to explore its relation with the heavy metals concentrations in leaves between different seasons. The results show that all three Vegetation Indices (VIs) were insensitive indicators for monitoring the metal effects of vegetation in different seasons, which showed similar trends. Based on this, the Continuum Removal Indices (CRIs) were proposed from the continuum removed approach and extended for detecting the effects of heavy metal pollution over a full growth cycle. The relationship between the metal concentrations and CRIs of different plants was respectively analyzed by Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression (SMLR) and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR). It is found that a significant correlation exists between the band depth and the concentration of Cu and Ni based on the White birch data sets using the PLSR, resulting in a small deviation from the established relationships. Compared with VIs, the approach of coupling CRIs and multiple regressions was effective for improving the estimation accuracy. The presented study provides a detection model of leaf heavy metals that can be adapted to different growing cycles, even an arbitrary growing cycle.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1641: Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Pesticide Exposure in Male Coffee Farmworkers of the Jarabacoa Region, Dominican Republic International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081641 Authors: Hans-Peter Hutter Abdul Wali Khan Kathrin Lemmerer Peter Wallner Michael Kundi Hanns Moshammer Intensive agrochemical use in coffee production in the Global South has been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of pesticide exposure in male farmworkers in the Dominican Republic comparing conventional farming using pesticides to organic farming. Furthermore, feasibility of the buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMCA) for field studies under difficult local conditions was tested. In a cross-sectional field study, pesticide exposed (sprayers) and non-exposed male workers on coffee plantations were interviewed about exposure history, and pesticide application practices. Buccal cells were sampled, and BMCA was applied to assess potential effects on cell integrity. In total, 38 pesticide-exposed and 33 non-exposed workers participated. Eighty-four and 87%, respectively, of the pesticide-exposed respondents did not use masks or gloves at all. All biomarkers from the BMCA were significantly more frequent among exposed workers—odds ratio for micronucleated cells: 3.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.3–7.4) or karyolysis: 1.3 (1.1–1.5). Buccal cells as sensitive markers of toxic oral or respiratory exposures proved feasible for challenging field studies. Our findings indicate that the impact of pesticide use is not restricted to acute effects on health and wellbeing, but also points to long-term health risks. Therefore, occupational safety measures including training and protective clothing are needed, as well as encouragement towards minimal application of pesticides and more widespread use of organic farming.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1644: Recommendations for Improving the Quality of Rare Disease Registries International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081644 Authors: Yllka Kodra Jérôme Weinbach Manuel Posada-de-la-Paz Alessio Coi S. Lydie Lemonnier David van Enckevort Marco Roos Annika Jacobsen Ronald Cornet S. Faisal Ahmed Virginie Bros-Facer Veronica Popa Marieke Van Meel Daniel Renault Rainald von Gizycki Michele Santoro Paul Landais Paola Torreri Claudio Carta Deborah Mascalzoni Sabina Gainotti Estrella Lopez Anna Ambrosini Heimo Müller Robert Reis Fabrizio Bianchi Yaffa R. Rubinstein Hanns Lochmüller Domenica Taruscio Rare diseases (RD) patient registries are powerful instruments that help develop clinical research, facilitate the planning of appropriate clinical trials, improve patient care, and support healthcare management. They constitute a key information system that supports the activities of European Reference Networks (ERNs) on rare diseases. A rapid proliferation of RD registries has occurred during the last years and there is a need to develop guidance for the minimum requirements, recommendations and standards necessary to maintain a high-quality registry. In response to these heterogeneities, in the framework of RD-Connect, a European platform connecting databases, registries, biobanks and clinical bioinformatics for rare disease research, we report on a list of recommendations, developed by a group of experts, including members of patient organizations, to be used as a framework for improving the quality of RD registries. This list includes aspects of governance, Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data and information, infrastructure, documentation, training, and quality audit. The list is intended to be used by established as well as new RD registries. Further work includes the development of a toolkit to enable continuous assessment and improvement of their organizational and data quality.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1234: HOMPC: A Local Feature Descriptor Based on the Combination of Magnitude and Phase Congruency Information for Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing Images Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081234 Authors: Zhitao Fu Qianqing Qin Bin Luo Hong Sun Chun Wu Local region description of multi-sensor images remains a challenging task in remote sensing image analysis and applications due to the non-linear radiation variations between images. This paper presents a novel descriptor based on the combination of the magnitude and phase congruency information of local regions to capture the common features of images with non-linear radiation changes. We first propose oriented phase congruency maps (PCMs) and oriented magnitude binary maps (MBMs) using the multi-oriented phase congruency and magnitude information of log-Gabor filters. The two feature vectors are then quickly constructed based on the convolved PCMs and MBMs. Finally, a dense descriptor named the histograms of oriented magnitude and phase congruency (HOMPC) is developed by combining the histograms of oriented phase congruency (HPC) and the histograms of oriented magnitude (HOM) to capture the structure and shape properties of local regions. HOMPC was evaluated with three datasets composed of multi-sensor remote sensing images obtained from unmanned ground vehicle, unmanned aerial vehicle, and satellite platforms. The descriptor performance was evaluated by recall, precision, F1-measure, and area under the precision-recall curve. The experimental results showed the advantages of the HOM and HPC combination and confirmed that HOMPC is far superior to the current state-of-the-art local feature descriptors.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1236: Progressive Degradation of an Ice Rumple in the Thwaites Ice Shelf, Antarctica, as Observed from High-Resolution Digital Elevation Models Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081236 Authors: Seung Hee Kim Duk-jin Kim Hyun-Cheol Kim Ice rumples are locally-grounded features of flowing ice shelves, elevated tens of meters above the surrounding surface. These features may significantly impact the dynamics of ice-shelf grounding lines, which are strongly related to shelf stability. In this study, we used TanDEM-X data to construct high-resolution DEMs of the Thwaites ice shelf in West Antarctica from 2011 to 2013. We also generated surface deformation maps which allowed us to detect and monitor the elevation changes of an ice rumple that appeared sometime between the observations of a grounding line of the Thwaites glacier using Double-Differential Interferometric SAR (DDInSAR) in 1996 and 2011. The observed degradation of the ice rumple during 2011–2013 may be related to a loss of contact with the underlying bathymetry caused by the thinning of the ice shelf. We subsequently used a viscoelastic deformation model with a finite spherical pressure source to reproduce the surface expression of the ice rumple. Global optimization allowed us to fit the model to the observed deformation map, producing reasonable estimates of the ice thickness at the center of the pressure source. Our conclusion is that combining the use of multiple high-resolution DEMs and the simple viscoelastic deformation model is feasible for observing and understanding the transient nature of small ice rumples, with implications for monitoring ice shelf stability.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1232: Assessing Coastal SMAP Surface Salinity Accuracy and Its Application to Monitoring Gulf of Maine Circulation Dynamics Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081232 Authors: Semyon A. Grodsky Douglas Vandemark Hui Feng Monitoring the cold and productive waters of the Gulf of Maine and their interactions with the nearby northwestern (NW) Atlantic shelf is important but challenging. Although remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST), ocean color, and sea level have become routine, much of the water exchange physics is reflected in salinity fields. The recent invention of satellite salinity sensors, including the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radiometer, opens new prospects in regional shelf studies. However, local sea surface salinity (SSS) retrieval is challenging due to both cold SST limiting salinity sensor sensitivity and proximity to land. For the NW Atlantic, our analysis shows that SMAP SSS is subject to an SST-dependent bias that is negative and amplifies in winter and early spring due to the SST-related drop in SMAP sensor sensitivity. On top of that, SMAP SSS is subject to a land contamination bias. The latter bias becomes noticeable and negative when the antenna land contamination factor (LC) exceeds 0.2%, and attains maximum negative values at LC = 0.4%. Coastward of LC = 0.5%, a significant positive land contamination bias in absolute SMAP SSS is evident. SST and land contamination bias components are seasonally dependent due to seasonal changes in SST/winds and terrestrial microwave properties. Fortunately, it is shown that SSS anomalies computed relative to a satellite SSS climatology can effectively remove such seasonal biases along with the real seasonal cycle. SMAP monthly SSS anomalies have sufficient accuracy and applicability to extend nearer to the coasts. They are used to examine the Gulf of Maine water inflow, which displayed important water intrusions in between Georges Banks and Nova Scotia in the winters of 2016/17 and 2017/18. Water intrusion patterns observed by SMAP are generally consistent with independent measurements from the European Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. Circulation dynamics related to the 2016/2017 period and enhanced wind-driven Scotian Shelf transport into the Gulf of Maine are discussed.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1230: Assisting Flood Disaster Response with Earth Observation Data and Products: A Critical Assessment Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081230 Authors: Guy J-P. Schumann G. Robert Brakenridge Albert J. Kettner Rashid Kashif Emily Niebuhr Floods are among the top-ranking natural disasters in terms of annual cost in insured and uninsured losses. Since high-impact events often cover spatial scales that are beyond traditional regional monitoring operations, remote sensing, in particular from satellites, presents an attractive approach. Since the 1970s, there have been many studies in the scientific literature about mapping and monitoring of floods using data from various sensors onboard different satellites. The field has now matured and hence there is a general consensus among space agencies, numerous organizations, scientists, and end-users to strengthen the support that satellite missions can offer, particularly in assisting flood disaster response activities. This has stimulated more research in this area, and significant progress has been achieved in recent years in fostering our understanding of the ways in which remote sensing can support flood monitoring and assist emergency response activities. This paper reviews the products and services that currently exist to deliver actionable information about an ongoing flood disaster to emergency response operations. It also critically discusses requirements, challenges and perspectives for improving operational assistance during flood disaster using satellite remote sensing products.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1228: Generic and Automatic Markov Random Field-Based Registration for Multimodal Remote Sensing Image Using Grayscale and Gradient Information Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081228 Authors: Li Yan Ziqi Wang Yi Liu Zhiyun Ye The automatic image registration serves as a technical prerequisite for multimodal remote sensing image fusion. Meanwhile, it is also the technical basis for change detection, image stitching and target recognition. The demands of subpixel level registration accuracy can be rarely satisfied with a multimodal image registration method based on feature matching. In light of this, we propose a Generic and automatic Markov Random Field (MRF)-based registration framework of multimodal image using grayscale and gradient information. The proposed approach performs non-rigid registration and formulates an MRF model while grayscale and gradient statistical information of a multimodal image is employed for the evaluation of similarity while the spatial weighting function is optimized simultaneously. Besides, the value space is discretized to improve the convergence speed. The developed automatic approach was validated both qualitatively and quantitatively, demonstrating its potential for a variety of multimodal remote sensing datasets and scenes. As for the registration accuracy, the average target registration error of the proposed framework is less than 1 pixel, while the maximum displacement error is less than 1 pixel. Compared with the polynomial model registration based on manual selection, the registration accuracy has been significantly improved. In the meantime, the proposed approach had the partial applicability for the multimodal image registration of large deformation scenes. It is also proved that the proposed registration framework using grayscale and gradient information outperforms the MRF-based registration using only grayscale information and only gradient information while the proposed registration framework using Gaussian function as spatial weighting function is superior to that using distance inverse weight method.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1662: Cost and Threshold Analysis of the FinishIt Campaign to Prevent Youth Smoking in the United States International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081662 Authors: Brian W. Weir Jennifer Cantrell David R. Holtgrave Marisa S. Greenberg Ryan D. Kennedy Jessica M. Rath Elizabeth C. Hair Donna Vallone In 2014, Truth Initiative launched the national FinishIt campaign to prevent smoking initiation among youth and young adults. The significant changes in the communications landscape requires further analysis to determine resource requirements for public education campaigns relative to their impact. This analysis estimates the cost of the FinishIt campaign based on data from expenditure records and uses published estimates of the lifetime treatment costs and quality-adjusted life years associated with smoking. The total cost of the FinishIt campaign for 2014–2016 was $162 million. Under assumptions associated with the pessimistic base-case (no medical care costs saved through prevention), 917 smoking careers would need to be averted for the campaign to be cost-effective. Assuming smoking leads to increased medical care costs, 7186 smoking careers would need to be averted for the campaign to be cost-saving. Given these thresholds (917 and 7186) and the estimate of the impact of the previous truth campaign, the investments in the Truth Initiative’s FinishIt campaign are likely warranted for preventing smoking careers among youth and young adults.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1664: Predicting the Time Spent Playing Computer and Mobile Games among Medical Undergraduate Students Using Interpersonal Relations and Social Cognitive Theory: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Chongqing, China International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081664 Authors: Li Chen Ruiyi Liu Huan Zeng Xianglong Xu Rui Zhu Manoj Sharma Yong Zhao Background: Computer and mobile games are widely used among undergraduate students worldwide, especially in China. Our objective was to predict the time spent playing computer and mobile games based on interpersonal relations and social cognitive theory constructs (i.e., expectation, self-efficacy, and self-control). Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted in two medical universities using a sample of 1557 undergraduate students recruited by cluster sampling. The five-point Likert questionnaire was jointly developed by researchers from Chongqing Medical University and Jackson State University. Results: Approximately 30% and 70% of the students played computer and mobile games, respectively. The daily times spent by participants on computer games were 25.61 ± 73.60 min (weekdays) and 49.96 ± 128.60 min (weekends), and 66.07 ± 154.65 min (weekdays) and 91.82 ± 172.94 min (weekends) on mobile games. Students with high scores of interpersonal relations but low scores of self-efficacy spent prolonged time playing computer games on weekdays and weekends (p < 0.05 for all). Students with low scores of expectation spent prolonged time playing computer games on weekdays (p < 0.05). Students with high scores of interpersonal relations but low scores of self-efficacy and self-control spent prolonged time playing mobile games on weekdays and weekends (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: The prevalence and duration of playing mobile games were higher than those of playing computer games among medical undergraduate students in Chongqing, China. This study determined the interpersonal relations, self-efficacy, self-control, and expectation of the students at the time of playing computer and mobile games. Future studies may consider studying the interaction among game-related behaviours, environments, and personality characteristics.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1242: Ocean Wave Measurement Using Short-Range K-Band Narrow Beam Continuous Wave Radar Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081242 Authors: Jian Cui Ralf Bachmayer Brad deYoung Weimin Huang We describe a technique to measure ocean wave period, height and direction. The technique is based on the characteristics of transmission and backscattering of short-range K-band narrow beam continuous wave radar at the sea surface. The short-range K-band radar transmits and receives continuous signals close to the sea surface at a low-grazing angle. By sensing the motions of a dominant facet at the sea surface that strongly scatters signals back and is located directly in front of the radar, the wave orbital velocity can be measured from the Doppler shift of the received radar signal. The period, height and direction of ocean wave are determined from the relationships among wave orbital velocity, ocean wave characteristics and the Doppler shift. Numerical simulations were performed to validate that the dominant facet exists and ocean waves are measured by sensing its motion. Validation experiments were conducted in a wave tank to verify the feasibility of the proposed ocean wave measurement method. The results of simulations and experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the short-range K-band narrow beam continuous wave radar for the measurement of ocean waves.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1241: Troposphere Water Vapour Tomography: A Horizontal Parameterised Approach Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081241 Authors: Qingzhi Zhao Yibin Yao Wanqiang Yao Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) troposphere tomography has become one of the most cost-effective means to obtain three-dimensional (3-d) image of the tropospheric water vapour field. Traditional methods divide the tomography area into a number of 3-d voxels and assume that the water vapour density at any voxel is a constant during the given period. However, such behaviour breaks the spatial continuity of water vapour density in a horizontal direction and the number of unknown parameters needing to be estimated is very large. This is the focus of the paper, which tries to reconstruct the water vapor field using the tomographic technique without imposing empirical horizontal and vertical constraints. The proposed approach introduces the layered functional model in each layer vertically and only an a priori constraint is imposed for the water vapor information at the location of the radiosonde station. The elevation angle mask of 30° is determined according to the distribution of intersections between the satellite rays and different layers, which avoids the impact of ray bending and the error in slant water vapor (SWV) at low elevation angles on the tomographic result. Additionally, an optimal weighting strategy is applied to the established tomographic model to obtain a reasonable result. The tomographic experiment is performed using Global Positioning System (GPS) data of 12 receivers derived from the Satellite Positioning Reference Station Network (SatRef) in Hong Kong. The quality of the established tomographic model is validated under different weather conditions and compared with the conventional tomography method using 31-day data, respectively. The numerical result shows that the proposed method is applicable and superior to the traditional one. Comparisons of integrated water vapour (IWV) of the proposed method with that derived from radiosonde and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim data show that the root mean square (RMS)/Bias of their differences are 3.2/−0.8 mm and 3.3/−1.7 mm, respectively, while the values of traditional method are 5.1/−3.9 mm and 6.3/−5.9 mm, respectively. Furthermore, the water vapour density profiles are also compared with radiosonde and ECMWF data, and the values of RMS/Bias error for the proposed method are 0.88/0.06 g/m3 and 0.92/−0.08 g/m3, respectively, while the values of the traditional method are 1.33/0.38 g/m3 and 1.59/0.40 g/m3, respectively.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1237: Detection of Methane Plumes Using Airborne Midwave Infrared (3–5 µm) Hyperspectral Data Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081237 Authors: Rebecca Del’ Papa Moreira Scafutto Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho Methane (CH4) display spectral features in several regions of the infrared range (0.75–14 µm), which can be used for the remote mapping of emission sources through the detection of CH4 plumes from natural seeps and leaks. Applications of hyperspectral remote sensing techniques for the detection of CH4 in the near and shortwave infrared (NIR-SWIR: 0.75–3 µm) and longwave infrared (LWIR: 7–14 µm) have been demonstrated in the literature with multiple sensors and scenarios. However, the acquisition and processing of hyperspectral data in the midwave infrared (MWIR: 3–5 µm) for this application is rather scarce. Here, a controlled field experiment was used to evaluate the potential for CH4 plume detection in the MWIR based on hyperspectral data acquired with the SEBASS airborne sensor. For comparison purposes, LWIR data were also acquired simultaneously with the same instrument. The experiment included surface and undersurface emission sources (ground stations), with flow rates ranging between 0.6–40 m3/h. The data collected in both ranges were sequentially processed using the same methodology. The CH4 plume was detected, variably, in both datasets. The gas plume was detected in all LWIR images acquired over nine gas leakage stations. In the MWIR range, the plume was detected in only four stations, wherein 18 m3/h was the lowest flux sensed. We demonstrate that the interference of target reflectance, the low contrast between plume and background and a low signal of the CH4 feature in the MWIR at ambient conditions possibly explain the inferior results observed for this range when compared to LWIR. Furthermore, we show that the acquisition time and weather conditions, including specific limits of temperature, humidity, and wind speed, proved critical for plume detection using daytime MWIR hyperspectral data.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 1238: Refining Land Cover Classification Maps Based on Dual-Adaptive Majority Voting Strategy for Very High Resolution Remote Sensing Images Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10081238 Authors: Guoqing Cui Zhiyong Lv Guangfei Li Jón Atli Benediktsson Yudong Lu Land cover classification that uses very high resolution (VHR) remote sensing images is a topic of considerable interest. Although many classification methods have been developed, the accuracy and usability of classification systems can still be improved. In this paper, a novel post-processing approach based on a dual-adaptive majority voting strategy (D-AMVS) is proposed to improve the performance of initial classification maps. D-AMVS defines a strategy for refining each label of a classified map that is obtained by different classification methods from the same original image, and fusing the different refined classification maps to generate a final classification result. The proposed D-AMVS contains three main blocks. (1) An adaptive region is generated by gradually extending the region around a central pixel based on two predefined parameters (T1 and T2) to utilize the spatial feature of ground targets in a VHR image. (2) For each classified map, the label of the central pixel is refined according to the majority voting rule within the adaptive region. This is defined as adaptive majority voting. Each initial classified map is refined in this manner pixel by pixel. (3) Finally, the refined classified maps are used to generate a final classification map, and the label of the central pixel in the final classification map is determined by applying AMV again. Each entire classified map is scanned and refined pixel by pixel based on the proposed D-AMVS. The accuracies of the proposed D-AMVS approach are investigated with two remote sensing images with high spatial resolutions of 1.0 m and 1.3 m. Compared with the classical majority voting method and a relatively new post-processing method called the general post-classification framework, the proposed D-AMVS can achieve a land cover classification map with less noise and higher classification accuracies.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 84: A Review of Philenis Champion, 1906 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), with Descriptions of New Species from Central and South America Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030084 Authors: Henry Hespenheide A brief review of the history of the taxonomic treatment of the genus Philenis Champion is presented and characters are discussed. Philenisflavipes Champion and P.fuscofemorata Champion, and 11 new species are described, including the first records from South America: P.anzaldoinewspecies (Costa Rica, Panamá), P.costaricensisnew species (Costa Rica), P.laselvaensisnew species (Costa Rica), P.auritibiaenew species (Costa Rica), P.brunneanew species (Costa Rica, Panamá), P.muscamimeticanewspecies (Panamá), P.chiriquiensisnew species (Panamá), P.guyanensisnew species (French Guiana), P.ferrugineanew species (Ecuador), P.howdeninew species (Ecuador), and P.kuschelinewspecies (Colombia, Ecuador). A key is provided to separate the species, and an unusual type of “multifurcate” scale is reported for some species. Two species have been associated with plants of the family Araceae. Most collections of this genus by the Arthropods of La Selva (ALAS) biodiversity project in Costa Rica were made by passive trapping methods during the dry season and at lower to middle elevations along an altitudinal transect on the slopes of Volcan Barva. The coloration of some species in the genus is hypothesized to mimic social Hymenoptera or flies.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1688: EcoHealth and the Determinants of Health: Perspectives of a Small Subset of Canadian Academics in the EcoHealth Community International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081688 Authors: Aryn Lisitza Gregor Wolbring EcoHealth is an emerging field that examines the complex relationships among humans, animals, and the environment, and how these relationships affect the health of each of these domains. The different types of determinants of health greatly influence human health and well-being. Therefore, EcoHealth’s ability to improve human, animal, and environmental health and well-being is, in part, influenced by its ability to acknowledge and integrate the determinants of health. However, our previous research demonstrates that the academic EcoHealth literature had a low, uneven engagement with the determinants of health. Accordingly, to make sense of this gap, our research aim is to better understand the views of a small subset of the Canadian EcoHealth community about EcoHealth and the determinants of health relative to EcoHealth. We used a qualitative research design involving seven semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Our findings suggest a tension across themes and a lack of conceptual engagement with the determinants of health. As we consider a future with rapid, unsustainable changes, we expect the identification and integration of the different types of determinants of health within EcoHealth to be imperative for EcoHealth to attain its goal of improving the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environment.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1693: An Exploration of Psychosocial Pathways of Parks’ Effects on Health: A Qualitative Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081693 Authors: Ewelina M. Swierad Terry T. K. Huang Urban green space has been positively associated with psychological and physical health. However, the linkage between exposure to parks and health outcomes remains unclear. The current study examined the meanings that people assign to city parks, as a way to understand the pathways by which parks exert their effects on health. We conducted qualitative interviews with twenty culturally diverse residents in New York City. Thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data. Results showed that all themes identified were related to parks fulfilling a basic human need for connection to (1) family, loved ones, and friends; (2) community and neighborhood; (3) self; and (4) nature. Based on these data, we proposed a human-centered framework for future research and interventions aimed at catalyzing parks as a vehicle to improve health and wellbeing. A human-centered approach emphasizes targeting the deep-seated needs and values of those we seek to engage and for whom health promotion and disease prevention efforts are designed. Our study shows that park transformations need to incorporate careful considerations of the human need for connection on multiple levels, so that park usage and its consequent health benefits may be optimized.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1691: Evolution of Landscape Ecological Risk at the Optimal Scale: A Case Study of the Open Coastal Wetlands in Jiangsu, China International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081691 Authors: Yongchao Liu Yongxue Liu Jialin Li Wanyun Lu Xianglin Wei Chao Sun Detailed analysis of the evolution characteristics of landscape ecological risk is crucial for coastal sustainable management and for understanding the potential environmental impacts of a man-made landform landscapes (MMLL). As a typical open coastal wetland, large-scale human activities (e.g., tidal reclamation, fishery activities, wind farm construction, and port construction) have substantially affected the evolution of the coastal ecological environment. Previous landscape ecological risk assessment studies have documented the effectiveness of assessing the quality of ecological environment processes. However, these studies have either focused on the noncoastal zone, or they have not considered the evolution of the spatial characteristics and ecological risk evolution of the landscape at an optimal scale. Here, we present a landscape ecological risk pattern (LERP) evolution model, based on two successive steps: first, we constructed an optimal scale method with an appropriate extent and grain using multi–temporal Landsat TM/OLI images acquired in the years 2000, 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2017, and then we calculated landscape ecological risk indices. Based on this model, the entire process of the spatiotemporal evolution of ecological risk patterns of the open coastal wetlands in Jiangsu, China, was determined. The principal findings are as follows: (1) The main landscape types in the study area are tidal flats and farmland, and the main features of the landscape evolution are a significant increase in aquafarming and a substantial decrease in the tidal flat area, while the landscape heterogeneity increased; (2) In the past 20 years, the areas of low and relatively low ecological risk in the study region were greatly reduced, while the areas of medium, relatively high, and high ecological risk greatly increased; the areas of high-grade ecological risk areas are mainly around Dongtai and Dafeng; (3) The area of ecological risk from low-grade to high-grade occupied 71.75% of the study area during 2000–2017. During the previous periods (2000–2004 and 2004–2008), the areas of low-grade ecological risk were transformed to areas of middle-grade ecological risk area, while during the later periods (2008–2013 and 2013–2017) there was a substantial increase in the proportion of areas of high-grade ecological risk. Our results complement the official database of coastal landscape planning, and provide important information for assessing the potential effects of MMLL processes on coastal environments.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1689: Predicting Condom Use among Undergraduate Students Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Coquimbo, Chile, 2016 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081689 Authors: Patricio Ramírez-Correa Muriel Ramírez-Santana Background: Sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy in adolescents are acknowledged public health problems in many countries. Although it is known that the proper use of condoms allows avoiding these health problems, their use in Chile is still limited, for unknown reasons. Objective: Based on planned behavioural theory, the aim was to validate a behaviour model regarding condom use by measuring the influence of the variables that predict this use among Chilean university students. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in October 2016 among 151 Chilean university students belonging to the health and engineering areas. The information was collected through a self-administered survey. The sample was divided into two groups: stable and not stable relationships. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used for the analysis. Results: It was possible to explain the condom use of the students by 57%. The attitude was the main variable related to the intention of using condoms, together with the perceived behavioural control. Additionally, there are statistically significant differences in the variables that predict condom use among students with stable relations compared to those without a stable relationship. Conclusions: The planned behavioural theory is useful for predicting condom use behaviour when students have a stable partner.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1687: A Framework of Industrialized Building Assessment in China Based on the Structural Equation Model International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15081687 Authors: Lei Jiang Zhongfu Li Long Li Tiankun Li Yunli Gao Compared with the conventional building, the industrialized building (IB) promotes the sustainable development of the construction industry, which will become a growth trend in the future. Nevertheless, the progress of industrialized building is intimately affected through the scientific evaluating mechanism, which still requires more research. Thus, this study establishes a conceptual framework of industrialized building assessment (IBA), which is validated through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The impact between efficiency and the other five dimensions are studied by the structural equations model (SEM). The findings indicated that the conceptual framework is valid, and the efficiency has a positive impact on economic factors, livability, safety, environmental factors, and social benefits. Consequently, the improvement of efficiency has turned out to be the primary issue for improving the growth of the industrialized building. This research explores the basic framework of industrialized building assessment and provides a basis to establish a comprehensive and precise industrial building evaluation mechanism in the near future.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1232: Prevalence of Smoking among Men in Ethiopia and Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061232 Authors: Shangfeng Tang Ghose Bishwajit Tegene Regassa Luba Sanni Yaya While tobacco use remains the largest single cause of premature death in the industrialized countries, low-and-middle income countries are also experiencing a rising burden of the tobacco epidemic and are making various programmatic efforts to tackle the issue. Evidence-based policy making is critical to the long-term success of tobacco intervention programs and is reliant on regular monitoring of the trends and prevalence rates of tobacco use though population-based surveys, which are sparse for countries in eastern Africa. Therefore, in the present study we aimed to (1) estimate the trends in the prevalence of self-reported smoking status; and (2) explore the sociodemographic factors associated with smoking among adult men in Ethiopia and Kenya. Methods: Subjects were 26,919 adult men aged between 15 and 59 years from Ethiopia and Kenya. Nationally representative cross-sectional data on self-reported smoking and relevant sociodemographic indicators were collected from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in these two countries. Data analysis was performed by descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable methods. Results: In Ethiopia, the prevalence rate of smoking increased from 8.5% in 2005 to 11.7% in 2011. While in Kenya, the rate declined albeit slowly from 22.9% in 2003 to 18.8% in 2008–2009 and 17% in 2014. The prevalence was significantly different in urban and rural areas. In majority of the surveys, prevalence of smoking was highest in the age group of 25–34 years. The prevalence of smoking varied widely across several socioeconomic characteristics. Conclusions: The findings indicate a high rate of smoking among men especially in urban areas, and call for policy actions to address the socioeconomic factors as a part of the policy to strengthen tobacco-control efforts.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1166: Effect of Intermittent Energy Restriction on Flow Mediated Dilatation, a Measure of Endothelial Function: A Short Report International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061166 Authors: Michelle L. Headland Peter M. Clifton Jennifer B. Keogh Intermittent energy restriction is a popular alternative to daily energy restriction for weight loss; however, it is unknown if endothelial function, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is altered by periods of severe energy restriction. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of two consecutive very low energy intake days, which is the core component of the 5:2 intermittent energy restriction diet strategy, on endothelial function compared to consecutive ad libitum eating days. The secondary objective was to explore the effects of these dietary conditions on fasting glucose concentrations. This was a 4-week randomized, single-blinded, crossover study of 35 participants. Participants consumed a very low energy diet (500 calories for women, 600 calories for men) on two consecutive days per week and 5 days of habitual eating. In weeks 3 and 4 of the trial, participants had measurements of flow mediated dilatation (FMD) and blood samples taken following either 2 habitual eating days or 2 energy restricted days in a randomized order. FMD values were not different after the two eating states (8.6% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.7). All other outcome variables were unchanged. Endothelial function, as measured by flow mediated dilatation, was not altered by two consecutive very low energy intake days. Further investigations assessing the impact in specific population groups as well as different testing conditions would be beneficial.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1225: Effect of Time and Mixing in Thermal Pretreatment on Faecal Indicator Bacteria Inactivation International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061225 Authors: Fubin Yin Hongmin Dong Bin Shang Wanqin Zhang Faecal indicator bacteria of faecal coliform, Salmonella spp., and faecal Streptococcus are present at high levels in faecal sludge and affect human health. Mesophilic anaerobic digestion cannot reduce faecal indicator bacteria to meet the standards for biosolids; therefore, the thermal pretreatment of faecal sludge is essential. The main objectives of this research were to evaluate the effect of thermal (70 °C) pretreatment time (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 min) and mixing velocity gradient (no mixing, 133, 191, and 238 s−1) on faecal indicator bacteria inactivation and determine the kinetics of the inactivation. The results showed that mixing has a more positive effect on pretreatment; thermal pretreatment with mixing was able to completely inactivate faecal indicator bacteria within 80 min, and inactivation followed first-order kinetics. In addition, under optimal mixing at a velocity gradient 191 s−1, the thermal pretreatment with mixing had a positive effect on the sludge solubilisation. Soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD, 71,430 mg L−1) and soluble protein (7.96 g L−1) were higher than the values obtained with thermal pretreatment without mixing, which were a SCOD value of 63,600 mg L−1 and soluble protein of 6.78 g L−1.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 929: Intercomparison and Validation of SAR-Based Ice Velocity Measurement Techniques within the Greenland Ice Sheet CCI Project Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060929 Authors: John Peter Merryman Boncori Morten Langer Andersen Jørgen Dall Anders Kusk Martijn Kamstra Signe Bech Andersen Noa Bechor Suzanne Bevan Christian Bignami Noel Gourmelen Ian Joughin Hyung-Sup Jung Adrian Luckman Jeremie Mouginot Julia Neelmeijer Eric Rignot Kilian Scharrer Thomas Nagler Bernd Scheuchl Tazio Strozzi Ice velocity is one of the products associated with the Ice Sheets Essential Climate Variable. This paper describes the intercomparison and validation of ice-velocity measurements carried out by several international research groups within the European Space Agency Greenland Ice Sheet Climate Change Initiative project, based on space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. The goal of this activity was to survey the best SAR-based measurement and error characterization approaches currently in practice. To this end, four experiments were carried out, related to different processing techniques and scenarios, namely differential SAR interferometry, multi aperture SAR interferometry and offset-tracking of incoherent as well as of partially-coherent data. For each task, participants were provided with common datasets covering areas located on the Greenland ice-sheet margin and asked to provide mean velocity maps, quality characterization and a description of processing algorithms and parameters. The results were then intercompared and validated against GPS data, revealing in several cases significant differences in terms of coverage and accuracy. The algorithmic steps and parameters influencing the coverage, accuracy and spatial resolution of the measurements are discussed in detail for each technique, as well as the consistency between quality parameters and validation results. This allows several recommendations to be formulated, in particular concerning procedures which can reduce the impact of analyst decisions, and which are often found to be the cause of sub-optimal algorithm performance.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 926: Comparison of SNAP-Derived Sentinel-2A L2A Product to ESA Product over Europe Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060926 Authors: Najib Djamai Richard Fernandes Sentinel-2 is a constellation of two satellites launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), respectively on 23 June 2015 and 7 March 2017, to map geophysical parameters over land surfaces. ESA provides Level 2 bottom-of-atmosphere reflectance (BOA) products (ESA-L2A) for Europe, with plans for operational global coverage, as well as the Sen2Cor (S2C) offline processor. In this study, aerosol optical thickness (AOT), precipitable water vapour (WVP) and surface reflectance from ESA-L2A products are compared with S2C output when using identical input Level 1 radiance products. Additionally, AOT and WVP are validated against reference measurement. As ESA and S2C share the same input and atmospheric correction algorithm, it was hypothesized that they should show identical validation performance and that differences between products should be negligible in comparison to the uncertainty of retrieved geophysical parameters due to radiometric uncertainty alone. Validation and intercomparison was performed for five clear-sky growing season dates for each of three ESA-L2A tiles selected to span a range of vegetation and topography as well as to be close to the AERONET measurement site. Validation of S2C (ESA) products using AERONET site measurements indicated an overall root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.06 (0.07) and a bias of 0.05 (0.09) for AOT and 0.20 cm (0.22 cm) and the bias was −0.02 cm (−0.10 cm) for WVP. Intercomparison of S2C-L2A and ESA-L2A showed an overall agreement higher than 99% for scene classification (SCL) maps and negligible differences for WVP (RMSE under 0.09 and R2 above 0.99). Larger disagreement was observed for aerosol optical thickness (AOT) (RMSE up to 0.04 and R2 as low as 0.14). For BOA reflectance, disagreement between products depends on vegetation cover density, topography slope and spectral band. The largest differences were observed for red-edge and infrared bands in mountainous vegetated areas (RMSE up to 4.9% reflectance and R2 as low as 0.53). These differences are of similar magnitude to the radiometric calibration requirements for the Sentinel 2 imager. The differences had minimal impact of commonly used vegetation indices (NDVI, NDWI, EVI), but application of the Sentinel Level 2 biophysical processor generally resulted in proportional differences in most derived vegetation parameters. It is recommended that the consistency of ESA and S2C products should be improved by the developers of the ESA and S2C processors.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 46: Microbial Diversity: The Gap between the Estimated and the Known Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10020046 Authors: Luciana Cristina Vitorino Layara Alexandre Bessa The ecological and biotechnological services that microorganisms provide to the planet and human society highlight the need to understand and preserve microbial diversity, which is widely distributed, challenging the severity of certain environments. Cataloging this diversity has also challenged the methods that are currently used to isolate and grow microorganisms, because most of the microbiota that are present in environmental samples have been described as unculturable. Factors such as geographic isolation and host preference also hinder the assessment of microbial diversity. However, prejudiced historical practices, including the prioritization of some species of microorganisms merely because they cause diseases, have long shifted research on fungi and bacteria towards medically relevant microorganisms. Thus, most microorganisms that inhabit the planet are still unknown, as is the potential of these species. Current estimates allow us to predict that the diversity of microorganisms that are present in the various terrestrial ecosystems is enormous. However, understanding this diversity is a challenge for the future of microbial ecology research.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1257: Impacts of Water Stress on Forest Recovery and Its Interaction with Canopy Height International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061257 Authors: Peipei Xu Tao Zhou Chuixiang Yi Hui Luo Xiang Zhao Wei Fang Shan Gao Xia Liu Global climate change is leading to an increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of drought events, which can affect the functioning of forest ecosystems. Because human activities such as afforestation and forest attributes such as canopy height may exhibit considerable spatial differences, such differences may alter the recovery paths of drought-impacted forests. To accurately assess how climate affects forest recovery, a quantitative evaluation on the effects of forest attributes and their possible interaction with the intensity of water stress is required. Here, forest recovery following extreme drought events was analyzed for Yunnan Province, southwest China. The variation in the recovery of forests with different water availability and canopy heights was quantitatively assessed at the regional scale by using canopy height data based on light detection and ranging (LiDAR) measurements, enhanced vegetation index data, and standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) data. Our results indicated that forest recovery was affected by water availability and canopy height. Based on the enhanced vegetation index measures, shorter trees were more likely to recover than taller ones after drought. Further analyses demonstrated that the effect of canopy height on recovery rates after drought also depends on water availability—the effect of canopy height on recovery diminished as water availability increased after drought. Additional analyses revealed that when the water availability exceeded a threshold (SPEI > 0.85), no significant difference in the recovery was found between short and tall trees (p > 0.05). In the context of global climate change, future climate scenarios of RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 showed more frequent water stress in Yunnan by the end of the 21st century. In summary, our results indicated that canopy height casts an important influence on forest recovery and tall trees have greater vulnerability and risk to dieback and mortality from drought. These results may have broad implications for policies and practices of forest management.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1255: Cost and Affordability of Diets Modelled on Current Eating Patterns and on Dietary Guidelines, for New Zealand Total Population, Māori and Pacific Households International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061255 Authors: Sally Mackay Tina Buch Stefanie Vandevijvere Rawinia Goodwin Erina Korohina Mafi Funaki-Tahifote Amanda Lee Boyd Swinburn The affordability of diets modelled on the current (less healthy) diet compared to a healthy diet based on Dietary Guidelines was calculated for population groups in New Zealand. Diets using common foods were developed for a household of four for the total population, Māori and Pacific groups. Māori and Pacific nutrition expert panels ensured the diets were appropriate. Each current (less healthy) diet was based on eating patterns identified from national nutrition surveys. Food prices were collected from retail outlets. Only the current diets contained alcohol, takeaways and discretionary foods. The modelled healthy diet was cheaper than the current diet for the total population (3.5% difference) and Pacific households (4.5% difference) and similar in cost for Māori households (0.57% difference). When the diets were equivalent in energy, the healthy diet was more expensive than the current diet for all population groups (by 8.5% to 15.6%). For households on the minimum wage, the diets required 27% to 34% of household income, and if receiving income support, required 41–52% of household income. Expert panels were invaluable in guiding the process for specific populations. Both the modelled healthy and current diets are unaffordable for some households as a considerable portion of income was required to purchase either diet. Policies are required to improve food security by lowering the cost of healthy food or improving household income.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1253: Reducing Food Poverty and Vulnerability among the Rural Elderly with Chronic Diseases: The Role of the New Rural Pension Scheme in China International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061253 Authors: Zhaohua Zhang Yuxi Luo Derrick Robinson Vulnerability to food poverty is the probability of an individual falling below the food poverty line in the near future, which provides a forward-looking welfare analysis. Applying a nationally representative survey dataset, this study investigates the role of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) in reducing food poverty and vulnerability among the rural elderly with chronic diseases. By designing province-specific food poverty lines to account for variations in the elderly’s needs, as well as the prices across provinces using a least-cost linear programming approach, the food poverty incidences among the elderly with chronic diseases are calculated. Applying a three-stage feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) procedure, the vulnerability to food poverty is estimated. Our results show that food poverty incidence and vulnerability of the elderly with chronic diseases in rural China is 41.9% and 35% respectively, which is 8% and 6% higher, respectively, than the elderly that are in good health. To address the potential endogeneity of pension payment, a fuzzy regression discontinuity (RD) regression is employed to investigate the effects of pension income on food poverty and vulnerability for different population groups. We found that pension income decreases the probability of being food poor and the vulnerability to food poverty among the elderly with chronic diseases by 12.9% and 16.8% respectively, while it has no significant effect on the elderly in good health.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 870: Low-Frequency Sea Surface Radar Doppler Echo Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060870 Authors: Yury Yu. Yurovsky Vladimir N. Kudryavtsev Semyon A. Grodsky Bertrand Chapron The sea surface normalized radar backscatter cross-section (NRCS) and Doppler velocity (DV) exhibit energy at low frequencies (LF) below the surface wave peak. These NRCS and DV variations are coherent and thus may produce a bias in the DV averaged over large footprints, which is important for interpretation of Doppler scatterometer measurements. To understand the origin of LF variations, the platform-borne Ka-band radar measurements with well-pronounced LF variations at frequencies below wave peak (0.19 Hz) are analyzed. These data show that the LF NRCS is coherent with wind speed at 21 m height while the LF DV is not. The NRCS-wind correlation is significant only at frequencies below 0.01 Hz indicating either differences between near-surface wind (affecting radar signal) and 21-m height wind (actually measured) or contributions of other mechanisms of LF radar signal variations. It is shown that non-linearity in NRCS-wave slope Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and inherent averaging within radar footprint account for NRCS and DV LF variance, with the exception of VV NRCS for which almost half of the LF variance is unexplainable by these mechanisms and perhaps attributable to wind fluctuations. Although the distribution of radar DV is quasi-Gaussian, suggesting virtually little impact of non-linearity, the LF DV variations arise due to footprint averaging of correlated local DV and non-linear NRCS. Numerical simulations demonstrate that MTF non-linearity weakly affects traditional linear MTF estimate (less than 10% for typical MTF magnitudes less than 20). Thus the linear MTF is a good approximation to evaluate the DV averaged over large footprints typical of satellite observations.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 869: The Potential and Challenges of Using Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Sea Surface Salinity to Monitor Arctic Ocean Freshwater Changes Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060869 Authors: Wenqing Tang Simon Yueh Daqing Yang Alexander Fore Akiko Hayashi Tong Lee Severine Fournier Benjamin Holt Sea surface salinity (SSS) links various components of the Arctic freshwater system. SSS responds to freshwater inputs from river discharge, sea ice change, precipitation and evaporation, and oceanic transport through the open straits of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. However, in situ SSS data in the Arctic Ocean are very sparse and insufficient to depict the large-scale variability to address the critical question of how climate variability and change affect the Arctic Ocean freshwater. The L-band microwave radiometer on board the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission has been providing SSS measurements since April 2015, at approximately 60 km resolution with Arctic Ocean coverage in 1–2 days. With improved land/ice correction, the SMAP SSS algorithm that was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is able to retrieve SSS in ice-free regions 35 km of the coast. SMAP observes a large-scale contrast in salinity between the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Arctic Ocean, while retrievals within the Arctic Circle vary over time, depending on the sea ice coverage and river runoff. We assess the accuracy of SMAP SSS through comparative analysis with in situ salinity data collected by Argo floats, ships, gliders, and in field campaigns. Results derived from nearly 20,000 pairs of SMAP and in situ data North of 50°N collocated within a 12.5-km radius and daily time window indicate a Root Mean Square Difference (RMSD) less than ~1 psu with a correlation coefficient of 0.82 and a near unity regression slope over the entire range of salinity. In contrast, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) has a smaller RMSD with Argo. However, there are clear systematic biases in the HYCOM for salinity in the range of 25–30 psu, leading to a regression slope of about 0.5. In the region North of 65°N, the number of collocated samples drops more than 70%, resulting in an RMSD of about 1.2 psu. SMAP SSS in the Kara Sea shows a consistent response to discharge anomalies from the Ob’ and Yenisei rivers between 2015 and 2016, providing an assessment of runoff impact in a region where no in situ salinity data are available for validation. The Kara Sea SSS anomaly observed by SMAP is missing in the HYCOM SSS, which assimilates climatological runoffs without interannual changes. We explored the feasibility of using SMAP SSS to monitor the sea surface salinity variability at the major Arctic Ocean gateways. Results show that although the SMAP SSS is limited to about 1 psu accuracy, many large salinity changes are observable. This may lead to the potential application of satellite SSS in the Arctic monitoring system as a proxy of the upper ocean layer freshwater exchanges with subarctic oceans.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 934: Concentric Circle Pooling in Deep Convolutional Networks for Remote Sensing Scene Classification Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060934 Authors: Kunlun Qi Qingfeng Guan Chao Yang Feifei Peng Shengyu Shen Huayi Wu Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been increasingly used in remote sensing scene classification/recognition. The conventional CNNs are sensitive to the rotation of the image scene, which will inevitably result in the misclassification of remote sensing scene images that belong to the same category. In this work, we equip the networks with a new pooling strategy, “concentric circle pooling”, to alleviate the above problem. The new network structure, called CCP-net can generate a concentric circle-based spatial-rotation-invariant representation of an image, hence improving the classification accuracy. The square kernel is adopted to approximate the circle kernels in concentric circle pooling, which is much more efficient and suitable for CNNs to propagate gradients. We implement the training of the proposed network structure with standard back-propagation, thus CCP-net is an end-to-end trainable CNNs. With these advantages, CCP-net should in general improve CNN-based remote sensing scene classification methods. Experiments using two publicly available remote sensing scene datasets demonstrate that using CCP-net can achieve competitive classification results compared with the state-of-art methods.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1262: Research on the Relationship between Water Diversion and Water Quality of Xuanwu Lake, China International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061262 Authors: Weiwei Song Qing Xu Xingqian Fu Peng Zhang Yong Pang Dahao Song Water diversion is often used to improve water quality to reach the standard of China in the short term. However, this large amount of water diversion can not only improve the water quality, but also lead to a decline in the water quality (total phosphorus, total nitrogen) of Xuanwu Lake. Through theoretical analysis, the relationship between water quality and water diversion is established. We also found that the multiplication of the pollutant degradation coefficient (K) and the water residence time (T) is a constant (N), K⋅T=N. The water quality changed better at first, with the increase of inflow discharge, and then became worse, and the optimal water quality inflow discharge is 180,000 m3/day. By constructing two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality models, the optimal diversion water plan is calculated. Through model calculations, it can be seen that reducing the inflow discharge makes the water residence time longer (15.3 days changed to 23.8 days). Thereby, increasing the degradation of pollutants, and thus improving water quality. Compared with other wind directions, the southwest wind makes the water quality of Xuanwu Lake the most uniform. The concentration of water quality first became smaller and then became larger, as the wind speed increased, and eventually became constant. Implementing these results for water quality improvement in small and medium lakes will significantly reduce the cost of water diversion.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 218: A Spatiotemporal Multi-View-Based Learning Method for Short-Term Traffic Forecasting ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7060218 Authors: Shifen Cheng Feng Lu Peng Peng Sheng Wu Short-term traffic forecasting plays an important part in intelligent transportation systems. Spatiotemporal k-nearest neighbor models (ST-KNNs) have been widely adopted for short-term traffic forecasting in which spatiotemporal matrices are constructed to describe traffic conditions. The performance of the models is closely related to the spatial dependencies, the temporal dependencies, and the interaction of spatiotemporal dependencies. However, these models use distance functions and correlation coefficients to identify spatial neighbors and measure the temporal interaction by only considering the temporal closeness of traffic, which result in existing ST-KNNs that cannot fully reflect the essential features of road traffic. This study proposes an improved spatiotemporal k-nearest neighbor model for short-term traffic forecasting by utilizing a multi-view learning algorithm named MVL-STKNN that fully considers the spatiotemporal dependencies of traffic data. First, the spatial neighbors for each road segment are automatically determined using cross-correlation under different temporal dependencies. Three spatiotemporal views are built on the constructed spatiotemporal closeness, periodic, and trend matrices to represent spatially heterogeneous traffic states. Second, a spatiotemporal weighting matrix is introduced into the ST-KNN model to recognize similar traffic patterns in the three spatiotemporal views. Finally, the results of traffic pattern recognition under these three spatiotemporal views are aggregated by using a neural network algorithm to describe the interaction of spatiotemporal dependencies. Extensive experiments were conducted using real vehicular-speed datasets collected on city roads and expressways. In comparison with baseline methods, the results show that the MVL-STKNN model greatly improves short-term traffic forecasting by lowering the mean absolute percentage error between 28.24% and 46.86% for the city road dataset and, between 53.80% and 90.29%, for the expressway dataset. The results suggest that multi-view learning merits further attention for traffic-related data mining under such a dynamic and data-intensive environment, which owes to its comprehensive consideration of spatial correlation and heterogeneity as well as temporal fluctuation and regularity in road traffic.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 217: Deep Belief Networks Based Toponym Recognition for Chinese Text ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7060217 Authors: Shu Wang Xueying Zhang Peng Ye Mi Du In Geographical Information Systems, geo-coding is used for the task of mapping from implicitly geo-referenced data to explicitly geo-referenced coordinates. At present, an enormous amount of implicitly geo-referenced information is hidden in unstructured text, e.g., Wikipedia, social data and news. Toponym recognition is the foundation of mining this useful geo-referenced information by identifying words as toponyms in text. In this paper, we propose an adapted toponym recognition approach based on deep belief network (DBN) by exploring two key issues: word representation and model interpretation. A Skip-Gram model is used in the word representation process to represent words with contextual information that are ignored by current word representation models. We then determine the core hyper-parameters of the DBN model by illustrating the relationship between the performance and the hyper-parameters, e.g., vector dimensionality, DBN structures and probability thresholds. The experiments evaluate the performance of the Skip-Gram model implemented by the Word2Vec open-source tool, determine stable hyper-parameters and compare our approach with a conditional random field (CRF) based approach. The experimental results show that the DBN model outperforms the CRF model with smaller corpus. When the corpus size is large enough, their statistical metrics become approaching. However, their recognition results express differences and complementarity on different kinds of toponyms. More importantly, combining their results can directly improve the performance of toponym recognition relative to their individual performances. It seems that the scale of the corpus has an obvious effect on the performance of toponym recognition. Generally, there is no adequate tagged corpus on specific toponym recognition tasks, especially in the era of Big Data. In conclusion, we believe that the DBN-based approach is a promising and powerful method to extract geo-referenced information from text in the future.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 961: Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of EVI and Its Response to Climatic Factors in Recent 16 years Based on Grey Relational Analysis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060961 Authors: Dong He Guihua Yi Tingbin Zhang Jiaqing Miao Jingji Li Xiaojuan Bie The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR) is a major source of rivers, catchment areas, and ecological barriers in the northeast of China, related to the nation’s ecological security and improvement of the ecological environment. Therefore, studying the response of vegetation to climate change has become an important part of current global change research. Since existing studies lack detailed descriptions of the response of vegetation to different climatic factors using the method of grey correlation analysis based on pixel, the temporal and spatial patterns and trends of enhanced vegetation index (EVI) are analyzed in the growing season in IMAR from 2000 to 2015 based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) EVI data. Combined with the data of air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation in the study area, the grey relational analysis (GRA) method is used to study the time lag of EVI to climate change, and the study area is finally zoned into different parts according to the driving climatic factors for EVI on the basis of lag analysis. The driving zones quantitatively show the characteristics of temporal and spatial differences in response to different climatic factors for EVI. The results show that: (1) The value of EVI generally features in spatial distribution, increasing from the west to the east and the south to the north. The rate of change is 0.22/10°E from the west to the east, 0.28/10°N from the south to the north; (2) During 2000–2015, the EVI in IMAR showed a slightly upward trend with a growth rate of 0.021/10a. Among them, the areas with slight and significant improvement accounted for 21.1% and 7.5% of the total area respectively, ones with slight and significant degradation being 24.6% and 4.3%; (3) The time lag analysis of climatic factors for EVI indicates that vegetation growth in the study area lags behind air temperature by 1–2 months, relative humidity by 1–2 months, and precipitation by one month respectively; (4) During the growing season, the EVI of precipitation driving zone (21.8%) in IMAR is much larger than that in the air temperature driving zone (8%) and the relative humidity driving zone (11.6%). The growth of vegetation in IMAR generally has the closest relationship with precipitation. The growth of vegetation does not depend on the change of a single climatic factor. Instead, it is the result of the combined action of multiple climatic factors and human activities.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 959: The Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) Based on Bi-Parabolic NDVI-Ts Space and Gradient-Based Structural Similarity (GSSIM) for Long-Term Drought Assessment Across Shaanxi Province, China (2000–2016) Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060959 Authors: Ying Liu Hui Yue Traditional NDVI-Ts space is triangular or trapezoidal, but Liu et al. (2015) discovered that the NDVI-Ts space was bi-parabolic when the study area was covered with low biomass vegetation. Moreover, the numerical value of the indicator was considered in most of the study when the drought conditions in the space domain were evaluated. In addition, quantitatively assessing the spatial-temporal changes of the drought was not enough. In this study, first, we used MODIS NDVI and Ts data to reexamine if the NDVI-Ts space with “time” and a single pixel domain is bi-parabolic in the Shaanxi province of China, which is vegetated with low biomass to high biomass. This is compared with the triangular NDVI-Ts space and one of the well-known drought indexes called the temperature-vegetation index (TVX). The results demonstrated that dry and wet edges exhibited a parabolic shape again in scatter plots of Ts and NDVI in the Shaanxi province, which was linear in the triangular NDVI-Ts space. The Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDIc) was obtained from bi-parabolic NDVI-Ts andTVDIt was obtained from the triangular NDVI-Ts space and TVX were compared with 10-cm depth relative soil moisture. By estimating the 10-cm depth soil moisture, TVDIc was better than TVDIt, which were all apparently better than TVX. Second, combined with MODIS data, the drought conditions of the study area were assessed by TVDIc between 2000 to 2016. Spatially, the drought in the Shaanxi Province between 2000 to 2016 were mainly distributed in the northwest, North Shaanxi, and the North and East Guanzhong plain. The drought area of the Shaanxi province accounted for 31.95% in 2000 and 27.65% in 2016, respectively. Third, we quantitatively evaluated the variation of the drought status by using Gradient-based Structural Similarity (GSSIM) methods. The area of the drought conditions significantly changed and moderately changed at 5.34% and 40.22%, respectively, between 2000 and 2016. Finally, the possible reasons for drought change were discussed. The change of precipitation, temperature, irrigation, destruction or betterment of vegetation, and the enlargement of opening mining, etc., can lead to the variations of drought.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 963: A Seismic Capacity Evaluation Approach for Architectural Heritage Using Finite Element Analysis of Three-Dimensional Model: A Case Study of the Limestone Hall in the Ming Dynasty Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060963 Authors: Siliang Chen Shaohua Wang Chen Li Qingwu Hu Hongjun Yang A lot of architectural heritage in China are urgently in need to carry out seismic assessment for further conservation. In this paper, a seismic capacity evaluation approach for architectural heritage using finite element analysis with precision three-dimensional data was proposed. The Limestone Hall of Shaanxi Province was taken as an example. First, low attitude unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry and a close-range photogrammetry camera were used to collect multiple view images to obtain the precision three-dimensional current model of the Limestone. Second, the dimensions of internal structures of Limestone Hall are obtained by means of structural analysis; re-establishing the ideal model of Limestone Hall based on the modeling software. Third, a finite element analysis was conducted to find out the natural frequency and seismic stress in various conditions with the 3D model using ANSYS software. Finally, the seismic capacity analysis results were comprehensively evaluated for the risk assessment and simulation. The results showed that for architectural heritage with a multilayer structure, utilizing photogrammetric surveying and mapping, 3D software modeling, finite element software simulation, and seismic evaluation for simulation was feasible where the precision of the modeling and parameters determine the accuracy of the simulation. The precise degree of the three-dimensional model, the accurate degree of parameter measurement and estimation, the setting of component attributes in the finite element model and the strategy of finite element analysis have an important effect on the result of seismic assessment. The main body structure of the Limestone Hall could resist an VII-degree earthquake at most, and the ridge of the second floor could not resist a V-degree earthquake due to unsupported conditions. The maximum deformation of the Limestone Hall during the earthquake occurred in the tabia layer below the second roof.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1266: Vibrio Species in Wastewater Final Effluents and Receiving Watershed in South Africa: Implications for Public Health International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061266 Authors: Allisen N. Okeyo Nolonwabo Nontongana Taiwo O. Fadare Anthony I. Okoh Wastewater treatment facilities in South Africa are obliged to make provision for wastewater effluent quality management, with the aim of securing the integrity of the surrounding watersheds and environments. The Department of Water Affairs has documented regulatory parameters that have, over the years, served as a guideline for quality monitoring/management purposes. However, these guidelines have not been regularly updated and this may have contributed to some of the water quality anomalies. Studies have shown that promoting the monitoring of the current routinely monitored parameters (both microbial and physicochemical) may not be sufficient. Organisms causing illnesses or even outbreaks, such as Vibrio pathogens with their characteristic environmental resilience, are not included in the guidelines. In South Africa, studies that have been conducted on the occurrence of Vibrio pathogens in domestic and wastewater effluent have made it apparent that these pathogens should also be monitored. The importance of effective wastewater management as one of the key aspects towards protecting surrounding environments and receiving watersheds, as well as protecting public health, is highlighted in this review. Emphasis on the significance of the Vibrio pathogen in wastewater is a particular focus.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1271: The Impact of Road Construction on Subjective Well-Being in Communities in Madre de Dios, Peru International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061271 Authors: Amy R. Riley-Powell Gwenyth O. Lee Nehal S. Naik Kelly E. Jensen Christina O’Neal Gabriela Salmón-Mulanovich Stella M. Hartinger Daniel G. Bausch Valerie A. Paz-Soldan The interoceanic highway (IOH) in Madre de Dios, Peru has driven dramatic change in the Peruvian Amazon basin. We conducted a mixed methods study to examine the impact of these changes on the subjective well-being (SWB) of four communities on the IOH. Themes that emerged qualitatively included changing health threats, environmental degradation, and the impact of increased migration. To achieve a higher level of SWB, respondents emphasized the need for higher incomes, opportunities to learn new skills, and a better education for their children. Potential threats to SWB included marital problems and poorer health. Quantitative analyses suggested that social support and a sense of security impacted reported SWB scores based on life satisfaction, and the impact of income on life satisfaction was mediated by food security. Although long-term residents felt that specific determinants of SWB had both increased (food variety, transport and access to work) and decreased (access to natural resources and hunting), the majority reported that their lives had improved overall. Health had been affected by the IOH in both negative ways (increased dengue and road accidents) and positive ways (improved access to health services). Our results suggest that the rapidly-changing communities near the IOH link well-being to health, income, community, and the environment.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1265: Comparison of Wearable Trackers’ Ability to Estimate Sleep International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061265 Authors: Jung-Min Lee Wonwoo Byun Alyssa Keill Danae Dinkel Yaewon Seo Tracking physical activity and sleep patterns using wearable trackers has become a current trend. However, little information exists about the comparability of wearable trackers measuring sleep. This study examined the comparability of wearable trackers for estimating sleep measurement with a sleep diary (SD) for three full nights. A convenience sample of 78 adults were recruited in this research with a mean age of 27.6 ± 11.0 years. Comparisons between wearable trackers and sleep outcomes were analyzed using the mean absolute percentage errors, Pearson correlations, Bland–Altman Plots, and equivalent testing. Trackers that showed the greatest equivalence with the SD for total sleep time were the Jawbone UP3 and Fitbit Charge Heart Rate (effect size = 0.09 and 0.23, respectively). The greatest equivalence with the SD for time in bed was seen with the SenseWear Armband, Garmin Vivosmart, and Jawbone UP3 (effect size = 0.09, 0.16, and 0.07, respectively). Some of the wearable trackers resulted in closer approximations to self-reported sleep outcomes than a previously sleep research-grade device, these trackers offer a lower-cost alternative to tracking sleep in healthy populations.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1268: Moving towards a Comprehensive Approach for Health Literacy Interventions: The Development of a Health Literacy Intervention Model International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061268 Authors: Bas Geboers Sijmen A. Reijneveld Jaap A. R. Koot Andrea F. de Winter Low health literacy (HL) is associated with many negative health outcomes, and is a major challenge in public health and healthcare. Interventions to improve outcomes associated with HL are needed. In this paper, we aim to develop a comprehensive HL intervention model. We used a multimethod approach, consisting of (1) a literature review of articles listed in MEDLINE, presenting HL intervention models, (2) online consultation of international HL experts, and (3) two consensus meetings with members (n = 36 and 27) of a consortium studying HL among older adults (50+) in Europe. In our literature review, we identified twenty-two HL models, only a few of which focused explicitly on interventions. Sixty-eight health literacy experts took part in the online survey. The results from all three methods came together in a comprehensive HL intervention model. This model conceptualized interventions as potentially targeting five factors affecting HL outcomes: (1) individuals’ personal characteristics, (2) individuals’ social context, (3) communication between individuals and health professionals, (4) health professionals’ HL capacities, and (5) health systems. Our model is the first comprehensive HL model focused specifically on interventions. The model can support the further development of HL interventions to improve the health outcomes of people with low HL.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 222: A Citizen Science Approach for Collecting Toponyms ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7060222 Authors: Aji Putra Perdana Frank O. Ostermann The emerging trends and technologies of surveying and mapping potentially enable local experts to contribute and share their local geographical knowledge of place names (toponyms). We can see the increasing numbers of toponyms in digital platforms, such as OpenStreetMap, Facebook Place Editor, Swarm Foursquare, and Google Local Guide. On the other hand, government agencies keep working to produce concise and complete gazetteers. Crowdsourced geographic information and citizen science approaches offer a new paradigm of toponym collection. This paper addresses issues in the advancing toponym practice. First, we systematically examined the current state of toponym collection and handling practice by multiple stakeholders, and we identified a recurring set of problems. Secondly, we developed a citizen science approach, based on a crowdsourcing level of participation, to collect toponyms. Thirdly, we examined the implementation in the context of an Indonesian case study. The results show that public participation in toponym collection is an approach with the potential to solve problems in toponym handling, such as limited human resources, accessibility, and completeness of toponym information. The lessons learnt include the knowledge that the success of this approach depends on the willingness of the government to advance their workflow, the degree of collaboration between stakeholders, and the presence of a communicative approach in introducing and sharing toponym guidelines with the community.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1275: Screen Time, Physical Activity and Self-Esteem in Children: The Ulm Birth Cohort Study International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061275 Authors: Stefanie Braig Jon Genuneit Viola Walter Stephanie Brandt Martin Wabitsch Lutz Goldbeck Hermann Brenner Dietrich Rothenbacher Screen time is a central activity of children’s daily life and jeopardizes mental health. However, results appear inconclusive and are often based on small cross-sectional studies. We aimed to investigate the temporal sequence of the association between screen time and self-esteem taking into account further indirect effects through family or friendship relationship. In our population-based birth cohort study (baseline November 2000–November 2001, Ulm, Germany), these relationships were explored in n = 519 11- and 13-year-old children and their parents who both provided information on children’s screen time: time spent watching television or videos (TV), time spent on computers, video game consoles, mobile devices, or cell phones; so called “other screen time”, and children’s self-esteem (KINDL-R). Time watching TV (self-reported) at age 11 was negatively associated with girls’ self-esteem at the same age but positively with an increase of self-esteem between age 11 and 13. However, the latter association was restricted to low to moderate TV viewers. In boys, a higher increase of other screen time between age 11 and age 13 was associated with lower self-reported self-esteem at age 13. Additionally, friendship relationship mediated the association between watching TV and self-esteem in girls. For parental reports similar associations were observed. These findings indicate that time sequence and potential mediators need further investigation in cohort studies with multiple assessments of screen time and self-esteem.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1288: Differences in the Perception of Social Support Among Rural Area Seniors—A Cross-Sectional Survey of Polish Population International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061288 Authors: Paweł Chruściel Teresa Kulik Klaudia Jakubowska Dorota Nalepa Introduction and objective: Social support constitutes an important determinant of an elderly person’s health and of functioning in his or her living environment. It depends on available support networks and the type of help received. Measurement of social support should encompass both its structure and the functions it fulfills, which enables detailed assessment of the phenomenon. The aim of the study was to compare the perception of social support among rural area seniors provided with institutional care with those living in a home setting. Material and method: Using the diagnostic survey method and the technique of the distribution of a direct questionnaire, 364 respondents from rural areas were examined: those living in an institutional environment (n = 190) and those living in their home (natural) environment (n = 174). The respondents were selected on the basis of a combined sampling method: proportionate, stratified, and systematic. Variables were measured with the following questionnaires: Courage Social Network Index (CSNI) and Social Support Scale (SSS). Results: The living environment has been proved to differentiate average values of support both in the structural and functional dimensions in a statistically significant way (p < 0.001). An untypical phenomenon was higher average values pertaining to emotional bonds, frequency of direct contacts, and help received in the group of respondents living in an institutional environment. Conclusions: The living environment and demographic variables affect the perception of social support among elderly people. Full-time institutional care of a senior citizen leads to the deterioration of social support; therefore, keeping an elderly person in a home environment should be one of the primary goals of the senior policy.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1287: Trends and Knowledge Gaps in the Study of Nature-Based Participation by Latinos in the United States International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15061287 Authors: Pooja S. Tandon Lauren M. Kuehne Julian D. Olden Mounting evidence supports health and well-being benefits associated with nature experiences, while also highlighting race- and class-based inequalities in access and exposure. We synthesized the literature on nature contact by Latinos in the United States to assess the state of knowledge and strategically identify research needs to improve outcomes and reduce health disparities for this rapidly growing ethnic group. Our systematic review revealed 108 articles with a notable increase in number of papers over the past 3 decades. We noted that the body of research is focused on certain demographic targets (adults in urban areas) with a relative dearth of knowledge for others (children, seniors, and rural areas). Our analysis also revealed strong compartmentalizing of studies into research “clusters” based on nonoverlapping topics and types of outcomes that are measured. Although one-third of studies explored health outcomes, these studies rarely examined other outcomes or research topics. Moreover, less than 7% of studies reported on interventions. Given the potential for nature contact to enhance health and well-being, there is substantial need for multidisciplinary research that explores interactions between social, cultural, and economic factors, and how those ultimately relate to nature contact and outcomes for Latinos in the United States.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 975: A Hybrid Analytic Network Process and Artificial Neural Network (ANP-ANN) Model for Urban Earthquake Vulnerability Assessment Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060975 Authors: Mohsen Alizadeh Ibrahim Ngah Mazlan Hashim Biswajeet Pradhan Amin Beiranvand Pour Vulnerability assessment is one of the prerequisites for risk analysis in disaster management. Vulnerability to earthquakes, especially in urban areas, has increased over the years due to the presence of complex urban structures and rapid development. Urban vulnerability is a result of human behavior which describes the extent of susceptibility or resilience of social, economic, and physical assets to natural disasters. The main aim of this paper is to develop a new hybrid framework using Analytic Network Process (ANP) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models for constructing a composite social, economic, environmental, and physical vulnerability index. This index was then applied to Tabriz City, which is a seismic-prone province in the northwestern part of Iran with recurring devastating earthquakes and consequent heavy casualties and damages. A Geographical Information Systems (GIS) analysis was used to identify and evaluate quantitative vulnerability indicators for generating an earthquake vulnerability map. The classified and standardized indicators were subsequently weighed and ranked using an ANP model to construct the training database. Then, standardized maps coupled with the training site maps were presented as input to a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural network for producing an Earthquake Vulnerability Map (EVM). Finally, an EVM was produced for Tabriz City and the level of vulnerability in various zones was obtained. South and southeast regions of Tabriz City indicate low to moderate vulnerability, while some zones of the northeastern tract are under critical vulnerability conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the vulnerability of Tabriz City on population during an earthquake was included in this analysis for risk estimation. A comparison of the result produced by EVM and the Population Vulnerability (PV) of Tabriz City corroborated the validity of the results obtained by ANP-ANN. The findings of this paper are useful for decision-makers and government authorities to obtain a better knowledge of a city’s vulnerability dimensions, and to adopt preparedness strategies in the future for Tabriz City. The developed hybrid framework of ANP and ANN Models can easily be replicated and applied to other urban regions around the world for sustainability and environmental management.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 232: A RSSI/PDR-Based Probabilistic Position Selection Algorithm with NLOS Identification for Indoor Localisation ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7060232 Authors: Ke Han Huashuai Xing Zhongliang Deng Yichen Du In recent years, location-based services have been receiving increasing attention because of their great development prospects. Researchers from all over the world have proposed many solutions for indoor positioning over the past several years. However, owing to the dynamic and complex nature of indoor environments, accurately and efficiently localising targets in indoor environments remains a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a novel indoor positioning algorithm based on the received signal strength indication and pedestrian dead reckoning. In order to enhance the accuracy and reliability of our proposed probabilistic position selection algorithm in mixed line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments, a low-complexity identification approach is proposed to identify the change in the channel situation between NLOS and LOS. Numerical experiment results indicate that our proposed algorithm has a higher accuracy and is less impacted by NLOS errors than other conventional methods in mixed LOS and NLOS indoor environments.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 229: Automated Orthorectification of VHR Satellite Images by SIFT-Based RPC Refinement ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7060229 Authors: Hakan Kartal Ugur Alganci Elif Sertel Raw remotely sensed images contain geometric distortions and cannot be used directly for map-based applications, accurate locational information extraction or geospatial data integration. A geometric correction process must be conducted to minimize the errors related to distortions and achieve the desired location accuracy before further analysis. A considerable number of images might be needed when working over large areas or in temporal domains in which manual geometric correction requires more labor and time. To overcome these problems, new algorithms have been developed to make the geometric correction process autonomous. The Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) algorithm is an image matching algorithm used in remote sensing applications that has received attention in recent years. In this study, the effects of the incidence angle, surface topography and land cover (LC) characteristics on SIFT-based automated orthorectification were investigated at three different study sites with different topographic conditions and LC characteristics using Pleiades very high resolution (VHR) images acquired at different incidence angles. The results showed that the location accuracy of the orthorectified images increased with lower incidence angle images. More importantly, the topographic characteristics had no observable impacts on the location accuracy of SIFT-based automated orthorectification, and the results showed that Ground Control Points (GCPs) are mainly concentrated in the “Forest” and “Semi Natural Area” LC classes. A multi-thread code was designed to reduce the automated processing time, and the results showed that the process performed 7 to 16 times faster using an automated approach. Analyses performed on various spectral modes of multispectral data showed that the arithmetic data derived from pan-sharpened multispectral images can be used in automated SIFT-based RPC orthorectification.

Description: Diversity, Vol. 10, Pages 49: Distributional Patterns and Ecological Determinants of Bat Occurrence Inside Caves: A Broad Scale Meta-Analysis Diversity doi: 10.3390/d10030049 Authors: Hernani Fernandes Magalhães de Oliveira Monik Oprea Raphael Igor Dias Caves are important bat roosts worldwide that are used as shelters, maternity roosts, and to help in thermoregulation. Bat abundances, species richness, and association patterns inside caves can be affected by large-scale environmental variation. However, few studies have analyzed the effect of latitudinal and altitudinal variations on these patterns. Here, we conducted a large literature review about cave occupation by bats in Brazil. We investigated the effects of elevation and latitude on bat richness and abundance, the effect of Brazilian biomes on bats’ abundance and richness, the dependence between feeding guilds and biomes, and the effects of the number of studies conducted and the number of caves per region on bat species richness. A total of 72 studies with 9666 bats from 72 species were registered in 247 caves. We found that species richness increases toward the equator and reaches its limit at low and intermediate altitudes. Reported richness was influenced by the number of studies conducted in each region. Both latitude and elevation explained the variation in abundance and were significantly affected by biome type. The latitudinal and elevational gradient for species’ richness and abundance may be explained by the creation of stable thermal conditions in roosts at high elevations and low latitudes.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1301: Changes of Ecosystem Service Value in a Coastal Zone of Zhejiang Province, China, during Rapid Urbanization International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071301 Authors: Luodan Cao Jialin Li Mengyao Ye Ruiliang Pu Yongchao Liu Qiandong Guo Baixiang Feng Xiayun Song Gains and losses in ecosystem service values (ESV) in coastal zones in Zhejiang Province during rapid urbanization were analyzed in terms of land-use changes. Decision-making on coastal development based on ESV estimation is significant for the sustainable utilization of coastal resource. In this study, coastal land-use changes in Zhejiang Province during rapid urbanization were discussed based on remote-sensing derived land-use maps created in the years 1990, 2000 and 2010. The ESV changes in coastal zones in Zhejiang Province from 1990 to 2010 were estimated by using the established ESV estimation model. The analysis results demonstrate the following: (1) with the continuous acceleration of urbanization, land-use types in coastal zones in Zhejiang Province changed significantly from 1990 to 2010, demonstrated by considerable growth of urban construction land and reduction of forest land and farmland; (2) in the study period, the total ESV in coastal zones in Zhejiang Province continuously decreased in value from RMB 35.278 billion to 29.964 billion, a reduction of 15.06%; (3) in terms of the spatial distribution of ESV, the ESVs in coastal zones in Zhejiang Province were generally converted from a higher ESV to a lower ESV; (4) estimates of ESV for the three years 1990, 2000 and 2010 appear to be relatively stable; and (5) land-use intensity in coastal zones in Zhejiang Province continuously increased during the 20 years. The spatial distribution of land-use intensity was consistent with that of the ESV change rate. Disordered land-use changes from forestland and farmland to urban construction land was a major cause of ESV loss.

Description: Remote Sensing, Vol. 10, Pages 976: Physical Retrieval of Land Surface Emissivity Spectra from Hyper-Spectral Infrared Observations and Validation with In Situ Measurements Remote Sensing doi: 10.3390/rs10060976 Authors: Guido Masiello Carmine Serio Sara Venafra Giuliano Liuzzi Laurent Poutier Frank-M. Göttsche A fully physical retrieval scheme for land surface emissivity spectra is presented, which applies to high spectral resolution infrared observations from satellite sensors. The surface emissivity spectrum is represented with a suitably truncated Principal Component Analysis (PCA) transform and PCA scores are simultaneously retrieved with surface temperature and atmospheric parameters. The retrieval methodology has been developed within the general framework of Optimal Estimation and, in this context, is the first physical scheme based on a PCA representation of the emissivity spectrum. The scheme has been applied to IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer) and the retrieved emissivities have been validated with in situ observations acquired during a field experiment carried out in 2017 at Gobabeb (Namib desert) validation station. It has been found that the retrieved emissivity spectra are independent of background information and in good agreement with in situ observations.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1311: Sexual Health Help-Seeking Behavior among Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia living in High Income Countries: A Systematic Review International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071311 Authors: Donna Angelina Rade Gemma Crawford Roanna Lobo Corie Gray Graham Brown The number of migrants has increased globally. This phenomenon has contributed to increasing health problems amongst migrants in high-income countries, including vulnerability for HIV acquisition and other sexual health issues. Adaptation processes in destination countries can present difficulties for migrants to seek help from and gain access to health services. This study examined migrants’ from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South East Asia (SEA) sexual health help-seeking behavior in high-income countries with universal health coverage. The systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO. Several databases were searched from 2000 to 2017. Of 2824 studies, 15 met the inclusion criteria. These consisted of 12 qualitative and three quantitative studies conducted in Australia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland, and Sweden. Migrants experienced a range of difficulties accessing health services, specifically those related to sexual health, in high-income countries. Few studies described sources of sexual health help-seeking or facilitators to help-seeking. Barriers to access were numerous, including: stigma, direct and indirect costs, difficulty navigating health systems in destination countries and lack of cultural competency within health services. More culturally secure health services, increased health service literacy and policy support to mitigate costs, will improve health service access for migrants from SSA and SEA. Addressing the structural drivers for stigma and discrimination remains an ongoing and critical challenge.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1310: Integrating Refined Kano Model and QFD for Service Quality Improvement in Healthy Fast-Food Chain Restaurants International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071310 Authors: Kai-Jung Chen Tsu-Ming Yeh Fan-Yun Pai Der-Fa Chen People are paying greater attention to health. To maintain a good health status and obtain food fast, customers may go to healthy fast-food chain restaurants such as Subway more often than before in China and Taiwan. Healthy fast-food chain restaurants come with a healthy spin, seeking to differentiate themselves from other fast-food restaurants. This paper combined the refined Kano model and the quality function deployment (QFD) method. The refined Kano model was used to understand how customers perceive service attributes developed based on DINESERV measurements. QFD was employed to describe the relationships among the critical service attributes and corresponding improvements as well as to identify the priority for these improvements. The analysis results revealed that providing limited offers (due to periods, seasons, and regions) should be at the top of their improvement list, followed by staff suggestions for ingredients, and a temperature display to enhance the image of fresh ingredients. Other improvement actions include providing regular launches of new flavors/products, designing new and attractive slogans, and providing restaurant apps.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1313: Weather and Suicide: A Decade Analysis in the Five Largest Capital Cities of Colombia International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071313 Authors: Julián Fernández-Niño Víctor Flórez-García Claudia Astudillo-García Laura Rodríguez-Villamizar Historically, seasonal variations in suicide rates were thought to be associated with changes in weather. Most of this evidence however, is based on studies that were conducted in developed countries that are located outside the tropics. As such, it is necessary to examine this association in developing countries, such as Colombia, which do not experience marked seasons. In addition, it is important to adjust for the effect of holidays when analyzing this association as they have been reported to be a relevant confounding factor. Our objective was to estimate the association between daily suicide incidence among men and women in five major Colombian cities (Bogotá, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga) and daily temperature and rainfall. For this purpose, we conducted a multi-city, multi-temporal ecological study from 2005 to 2015, using data from the suicide mortality registries (provided by the National Administrative Department of Statistics). Daily measurements of the two weather variables were obtained from the official historical registry of the meteorological station at each city airport. We used these data to estimate conditional Poisson models for daily suicide counts, stratifying by sex and adjusting for holidays. Although we found that none of the weather variable estimators could reject the null hypothesis, we uncovered an association between suicide incidence and long weekends in the total suicide model (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR): 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–1.23). We found no evidence of association between weather variables and suicide in Colombia. Our study is based on daily observations and it provides evidence of absence of this association in a tropical country that does not experience marked seasons.

Description: IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1308: A Method for Developing Rapid Screening Values for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Water and Results of Initial Application for 119 APIs International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071308 Authors: Ashley Suchomel Helen Goeden Julia Dady Americans fill upward of four billion prescriptions for pharmaceuticals each year, and many of those pharmaceuticals eventually make their way into the environment. Hundreds of different active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are detected in ambient waters and source water used for drinking water in the U.S. Very few of these drugs have health-based guidance values that suggest a safe level for individuals exposed in the ambient environment through drinking water. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has developed a novel method to derive screening-level human health guidance values for APIs. This method was designed for rapid evaluation and relies on Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug labels and limited additional public data resources for necessary information. MDH developed an analytical framework using traditional and novel uncertainty and adjustment factors specific to the information available for APIs. This framework, along with an estimated lowest therapeutic dose (LTD), was used to derive screening reference dose (sRfD) values. Water screening values (WSV) were then derived using the sRfD, a relative source contribution factor (RSC), and a water intake rate for infants to represent a highly exposed population. MDH used this new method to derive water screening values for 119 APIs that are commonly prescribed and/or commonly monitored in Minnesota waters, including antibiotics, antidepressants, steroids, and other classes of drugs. The derived WSVs can be used to provide context to environmental detections, prioritize APIs for further health-based guidance development, prioritize APIs for future environmental monitoring studies, and inform the development or refinement of analytical methods.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 244: Shaking Maps Based on Cumulative Absolute Velocity and Arias Intensity: The Cases of the Two Strongest Earthquakes of the 2016–2017 Central Italy Seismic Sequence ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7070244 Authors: Antonio Costanzo By referring to the two strongest earthquakes of the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequence, this paper presents a procedure to make shaking maps through empirical relationships between macroseismic intensity and ground-motion parameters. Hundreds of waveforms were processed to obtain instrumental ground-motion features which could be correlated with the potential damage intensities. To take into account peak value, frequency, duration, and energy content, which all contribute to damage, cumulative absolute velocity and Arias intensity were used to quantify the features of the ground motion. Once these parameters had been calculated at the recording sites, they were interpolated through geostatistical techniques on the whole struck area. Finally, empirical relationships were used for mapping intensities, i.e., potential effects on the built environment. The results referred to both earthquake scenarios that were analyzed and were also used for assessing the influence of the spatial coverage of the instrumental network. In fact, after the first events, the Italian seismic network was subjected to the addition and thickening of sensors in the epicentral area, especially. The results obtained by models only dependent on ground-motion parameters or even on the epicentral distance were compared with the official ShakeMaps and the observed intensities for assessing their reliability. Finally, some suggestions are proposed to improve the procedure that could be used for rapidly assessing ground shaking and mapping damage potential producing useful information for non-expert audience.

Description: IJGI, Vol. 7, Pages 242: Seamless Upscaling of the Field-Measured Grassland Aboveground Biomass Based on Gaussian Process Regression and Gap-Filled Landsat 8 OLI Reflectance ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information doi: 10.3390/ijgi7070242 Authors: Gaofei Yin Ainong Li Chaoyang Wu Jiyan Wang Qiaoyun Xie Zhengjian Zhang Xi Nan Huaan Jin Jinhu Bian Guangbin Lei The spatially explicit aboveground biomass (AGB) generated through upscaling field measurements is critical for carbon cycle simulation and optimized management of grasslands. However, the spatial gaps that exist in the optical remote sensing data, underutilization of the multispectral data cube and unavailability of uncertainty information hinder the generation of seamless and accurate AGB maps. This study proposes a novel framework to address the above challenges. The proposed framework filled the spatial gaps in the remote sensing data via the consistent adjustment of the climatology to actual observations (CACAO) method. Gaussian process regression (GPR) was used to fully exploit the multispectral data cube and generated the pixelwise uncertainty concurrent with the AGB estimation. A case study in a 100 km × 100 km area located in the Zoige Plateau, China was used to evaluate this framework. The results show that the CACAO method can fill almost all of the gaps, accounting for 93.1% of the study area, with satisfactory accuracy. The generated AGB map from the GPR was characterized by a relatively high accuracy (R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 48.13 g/m2) compared to vegetation index-derived ones, and was accompanied by a corresponding uncertainty map that provides a new source of information on the credibility of each pixel. This study demonstrates the potential of the joint use of gap-filling and machine-learning methods to generate spatially explicit AGB.