Evaluation of Different LiDAR Technologies for the Documentation of Forgotten Cultural Heritage under Forest Environments.

In the present work, three LiDAR technologies (Faro Focus 3D X130-Terrestrial Laser Scanner, TLS-, Kaarta Stencil 2-16-Mobile mapping system, MMS-, and DJI Zenmuse L1-Airborne LiDAR sensor, ALS-) have been tested and compared in order to assess the performances in surveying built heritage in vegetated areas. Each of the mentioned devices has their limits of usability, and different methods to capture and generate 3D point clouds need to be applied. In addition, it has been necessary to apply a methodology to be able to position all the point clouds in the same reference system.

Land Cover Classification from Very High-Resolution UAS Data for Flood Risk Mapping.

Monitoring the world's areas that are more vulnerable to natural hazards has become crucial worldwide. In order to reduce disaster risk, effective tools and relevant land cover (LC) data are needed. This work aimed to generate a high-resolution LC map of flood-prone rural villages in southwest Niger using multispectral drone imagery.

Towards a Combined Use of Geophysics and Remote Sensing Techniques for the Characterization of a Singular Building: "El Torreón" (the Tower) at Ulaca (Solosancho, Ávila, Spain).

This research focuses on the study of the ruins of a large building known as "El Torreón" (the Tower), belonging to the Ulaca (Solosancho, Province of Ávila, Spain). Different remote sensing and geophysical approaches have been used to fulfil this objective, providing a better understanding of the building's functionality in this town, which belongs to the Late Iron Age (ca. 300-50 BCE).

Loosely Coupled GNSS and UWB with INS Integration for Indoor/Outdoor Pedestrian Navigation.

The growth of location-based services (LBS) has increased rapidly in last years, mainly due to the possibility to exploit low-cost sensors installed in portable devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This work aims to show a low-cost multi-sensor platform developed by the authors in which an ultra-wideband (UWB) indoor positioning system is added to a classical global navigation satellite systems-inertial navigation system (GNSS-INS) integration, in order to acquire different synchronized data for further data fusion analysis in order to exploit seamless positioning. The data fusion is based on an extended Kalman filter (EKF) and on a geo-fencing approach which allows the navigation solution to be provided continuously.

PhenoMeNal: processing and analysis of metabolomics data in the cloud.

Background: Metabolomics is the comprehensive study of a multitude of small molecules to gain insight into an organism's metabolism. The research field is dynamic and expanding with applications across biomedical, biotechnological, and many other applied biological domains. Its computationally intensive nature has driven requirements for open data formats, data repositories, and data analysis tools.

Rheumatoid arthritis patient antibodies highly recognize IL-2 in the immune response pathway involving IRF5 and EBV antigens.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by a progressive joint damage due to largely unknown environmental factors acting in concert with risk alleles conferring genetic susceptibility. A major role has been attributed to viral infections that include past contacts with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and, more recently, to non-protein coding sequences of human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) integrated in the human genome. Molecular mimicry between viral and self proteins is supposed to cause the loss of immune tolerance in predisposed hosts.

Interferon regulatory factor 5 is a potential target of autoimmune response triggered by Epstein-barr virus and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in rheumatoid arthritis: investigating a mechanism of molecular mimicry.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease characterised by a pro-inflammatory cytokines linked erosive joint damage and by humoral and cellular response against a broad range of self-peptides. Molecular mimicry between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) and host peptides has long been regarded as an RA pathogenetic mechanism.

wft4galaxy: a workflow testing tool for galaxy.

Motivation: Workflow managers for scientific analysis provide a high-level programming platform facilitating standardization, automation, collaboration and access to sophisticated computing resources. The Galaxy workflow manager provides a prime example of this type of platform. As compositions of simpler tools, workflows effectively comprise specialized computer programs implementing often very complex analysis procedures.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine and arterial stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A case-control study.

Objective: To investigate whether levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), as a measure of endothelial dysfunction, are higher in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with healthy control subjects. The relationships between ADMA and surrogate measures of arterial stiffness were evaluated.

Methods: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy control subjects were recruited.

Global microRNA profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with Behçet's disease.

Objectives: To explore the post-transcriptional regulation of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) transcriptome by microRNAs in Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods: Using TaqMan Low Density Array-based microRNAs expression profiling, the expression of 750 mature human microRNAs in PBMCs from 5 BD patients and 3 healthy controls (HC) was compared. The expression of deregulated microRNAs was then validated by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), in 42 BD patients and 8 HC.

Hallux metatarsophalangeal arthroscopy: indications and techniques.

With mounting attention focused on decreasing postsurgical pain and dysfunction, emphasis has been placed on approaching disorders using minimally invasive techniques. Surgical procedures of the hallux, such as hallux valgus correction, have earned the reputation for high postsurgical pain and prolonged recovery. Arthroscopic hallux procedures have the advantages of minimizing pain, swelling, and disability.

Ultrasound in systemic sclerosis. A multi-target approach from joint to lung.

Ultrasound (US) is a cost-effective, noninvasive, accessible imaging modality that clinicians use at the point of care to assess disease activity and therapeutic efficacy in different rheumatic conditions. However, its utility has been prevalently demonstrated in the field of chronic arthritides. Only in the last few years there was an interest to explore the potential of US beyond the musculoskeletal area.

Antiphospholipid syndrome nephropathy (APSN) in patients with lupus nephritis: a retrospective clinical and renal pathology study.

Data about clinical-laboratory features and outcome of antiphospholipid syndrome nephropathy (APSN) in the course of lupus nephritis (LN) are scarce. To determine prevalence, clinical correlations and outcome of APSN in patients with LN, retrospective analysis of renal specimens and review of medical records from 48 LN patients were performed. APSN was found in 12/48 (25 %) of LN.