Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are increasingly utilized across diverse fields such as agriculture, environmental analysis, and engineering due to their ability to capture high-quality multispectral imagery. To ensure the accuracy of these images, radiometric calibration of onboard multispectral cameras is essential. This study aimed to develop and calibrate a low-cost Lambertian surface using barium sulfate (BaSO4) for radiometric calibration of UAV-mounted multispectral cameras. A stainless steel mold was designed to compact BaSO4, and the resulting surface was calibrated using an ASD FieldSpec HandHeld UV/NIR spectroradiometer and a Spectralon plate as the reference standard. Results showed a strong correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.9988) between the BaSO4 surface and the Spectralon plate, confirming that the BaSO4-based surface is a cost-effective alternative for producing diffuse Lambertian surfaces with performance comparable to the standard.
The Houston toad (Bufo [=Anaxyrus] houstonensis) is an endangered amphibian species that occupies a small range in Texas, USA. Despite recent increases in juvenile detections, obtaining data is limited by a narrow temporal window of juvenile emergence. This necessitates the rapid collection of ecological data. Because of this, we seek to test the quality of image-based measurements as an alternative to assessing the body condition of Houston toads. We used caliper- and image-based measurements of wild-caught adult toads and captive-bred juveniles, while recording handling time for each method with the juveniles. We compared scaled mass indices (SMI) and residuals from ordinary least squares regressions (OLS) between methods and life stages. Handling time of juvenile toads was significantly lower (p < 0.0001) for the image-based trial than the caliper-based trial. While SMI values violated key assumptions for a valid Condition index (CI), OLS condition index values did not. OLS condition values from the image-based trial were also not statistically significantly different to those from the caliper-based trial. These observations suggest that our image-based measurement technique is a valuable alternative to gaining morphometric data, and that applying this data to an OLS residual index is a more appropriate approach to monitoring individual- and population-level health in Houston toads.
Although performing lung biopsies on hospitalized patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) has risk, initial studies have shown transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) may be safely performed in this patient group. Data evaluating the value of this intervention in establishing a diagnosis and impacting management is lacking. We present a comparison of TBLC for inpatients and outpatients and provide data on the impact on medical therapy initiation and wait times from consultation to biopsy and treatment. Demographic data, pulmonary function values, chest imaging patterns, procedural information, diagnosis, and medical therapy changes, defined as medication initiation, adjustment, or cessation guided by TBLC results, were recorded from enrolled patients with newly identified ILD. Changes in medical therapy were the primary outcome. Time from consultation to biopsy and treatment was the secondary outcome. Fifty-four (54) patients (40 outpatient, 14 inpatient) were included. Inpatients underwent biopsy 2.5 ± 4.4 days after consultation compared to 15.5 ± 16.1 days for outpatients (p < 0.001). Medical therapy changes occurred 10.3 ± 7.9 days after biopsy for inpatients compared to 34.6 ± 37.0 days for outpatients (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in medical therapy changes between the groups (p = 0.45). Our initial study suggests that performing TBLC on inpatients with newly identified ILD decreases wait times to treatment initiation and diagnosis. Efforts to understand the impact of a decreased wait time on ILD prognosis, including the development of progressive disease or fibrosis, symptom evolution, and quality of life, require further evaluation.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the fermentation dynamics of two wild hydrolytic microorganisms and their effect on the flow behavior of a culture medium formulated with Opuntia ficus-indica cladode flour. Identified Acinetobacter pitti and Bacillus subtilis presented maximum values of specific hydrolytic activity (SHA) at 24 h of growth (0.21 ± 0.05 and 0.22 ± 0.01 IU, respectively). The apparent viscosity of cladode flour medium (CFM) measured by applying shear rates (66.7 s−1–0.003 s−1) in suspensions (20%) showed a significant decrease (60%) as a function of bacterial growth progressed. After fermentation, the CFM exhibited pseudoplastic (shear-thinning) behavior, which was linked to the enzymatic degradation of polysaccharides. The use of crude extracellular enzyme extracts from these wild bacteria effectively reduced medium viscosity by breaking down the plant matrix. These findings highlight the hydrolytic potential of native strains in modifying the rheological properties of cactus-based culture media, offering a low-cost alternative for biomass pretreatment and valorization in future biotechnological applications.
Spherical calcium carbonate particles were prepared with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as an addition agent by using a double decomposition reaction. We studied the effects of the additional amount of CMC on the morphology and crystal forms of calcium carbonate. The morphology and size of the product were characterized by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). We found that with the continuous increase of the additional amount of CMC, the number of prepared spherical calcium carbonate particles gradually increases. When the additional amount of CMC is 50% of the mass of calcium carbonate generated by the reaction, all calcium carbonate becomes micron-scale spherical calcium carbonate particles. The method can be used for the preparation of spherical calcium carbonate. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to test the crystal form of calcium carbonate prepared by adding different qualities of CMC. It has been found that both calcite type and vaterite type calcium carbonate exist, but with the increase of the additional amount of CMC, the number of fingerprint peaks and amplitude deviated from the baseline increased gradually. These results show that the proportion of amorphous calcium carbonate is significantly increased as the additional amount of CMC increases. The study provides a reference for exploring the preparation conditions of calcium carbonate microcapsules and the mechanism of crystal form transformation.
