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In this time series animation, vegetation appears red and the bare soil of fallow fields or sparsely vegetated grasslands appear white to green. The blue-gray X near the center of...
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A water-rich polka dot pattern takes over the traditional rectangular patchwork of fields in this time series animation of 40 years of Landsat images. In the dry Texas panhandle near the town of Dalhart, this transformation is due to center-pivot irrigation, a farming method that improves water distribution to fields. It was invented by farmer Frank Zybach in 1949.
Center-pivot irrigation works by pumping water from the center of the field through a long pipe that rotates above growing crops like the hand of a clock. Evenly spaced sprinklers along the pipe deliver water with minimal loss to evaporation. Farmers like center-pivot irrigation because it works with a variety of soil types and it can be used on slopes where other gravity-driven forms of irrigation cannot.
As it caught on in the United States and abroad, it revolutionized agriculture since the system can be adapted to a wide variety of terrains and is more efficient with water and labor than other forms of irrigation. Together, all types of irrigation water 20 percent of cultivated fields worldwide, and those fields produce about 40 percent of the global food supply.
In this time series animation, vegetation appears red and the bare soil of fallow fields or sparsely vegetated grasslands appear white to green. The blue-gray X near the center of the images marks the town of Dalhart.
This series uses data from four Landsat satellites. Shown in this false color composite is light reflected from the near-infrared, red, and green regions of the electromagnetic spectrum (bands 4, 2, and 1 from the Multispectral Scanner Systems (MSS) aboard Landsat 1, 2, and 4, and bands 4, 3, and 2 from the Thematic Mapper (TM) aboard Landsat 5).
The Landsat satellites have provided scientific data on Earth's land surfaces for the past 40 years: Landsat 1 from 1972 to 1978; Landsat 2 from 1975 to 1982; Landsat 3 from 1978 to 1983; Landsat 4 from 1982 to 1993; and Landsat 5 for a record-breaking 28 years from 1984 to what was likely its last data downlink in 2011.
Currently, Landsat 7, launched in 1999 is still providing data. The data from Landsat satellites has been instrumental in increasing our understanding of forest health, storm damage, agricultural trends, urban growth, and many other ongoing changes to our land.
NASA and the U.S. Department of the Interior through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) jointly manage Landsat, and the USGS preserves a 40-year archive of Landsat images that is freely available data over the Internet.
The next Landsat satellite, now known as the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) and later to be called Landsat 8, is scheduled for launch in January 2013.
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Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues have found that adolescents newly diagnosed with cancer have strong concerns about their ability to have children as cancer survivors. They also found that standard health-related quality-of-life survey tools used to elicit answers from teens with cancer did not accurately reflect these concerns. Parents, who often answer survey questions as proxies, often inaccurately relayed their child's reproductive concerns.
The study, carried out by Moffitt researchers and colleagues from the University of South Florida, the University ...
At Moffitt Cancer Center, patients with stage III and IV unresectable melanoma are now routinely genetically profiled for several gene mutations, including the BRAF gene, a known driver oncogene for melanoma. Research has shown that mutations in the BRAF gene determine sensitivity or resistance to a class of drugs that are BRAF inhibitors.
"We have found that a large number of patients with melanoma who have the BRAF gene mutation quickly develop resistance to drugs that are BRAF inhibitors," said Jeffrey S. Weber, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Donald A. Adam Comprehensive ...
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have placed new emphasis on gathering data on cancer patient quality of life during both treatment and survivorship. Their focus is on gathering and using that data to develop interventions to improve the quality of life for patients in treatment and for cancer survivors.
Much of the quality of life and survivorship research is carried out by researchers in Moffitt's Department of Health Outcomes & Behavior.
"Among the several research goals of the Department of Health Outcomes & Behaviors is the evaluation and improvement of quality ...
A new study from researchers at the Bangkok Breast Center shows significant improvement in the detection of breast cancer in Asian women using automated breast volume sonography (ABVS) as compared to hand-held ultrasound (HHUS).
In their study on 504 findings in 212 patients at the Bangkok Breast Center, researchers found that ABVS agreed with HHUS in detecting 15 suspicious lesions, uncovered 12 additional suspicious lesions, and excluded 3 suspicious lesions in these cases. A coordinating five-year retrospective study on 26,741 mammograms with ultrasound also revealed ...
As skiing and snowboarding continue to be the most popular winter sports, they also carry a significant risk of injury. One new exhibit will show how radiologists can meet these injuries head on with proper patient management and the latest imaging techniques.
"It is important for radiologists to understand these injuries patterns," said Dr. Hillary Boortz, lead author for this exhibit. "When a patient presents with the appropriate history, the radiologist can properly protocol the study and alter their search algorithms to assure that an injury isn't overlooked." She ...
As more patients are referred to tertiary care center with previous images, a new study from researchers at the Westchester Medical Center shows how radiologists are tackling the challenges of interpreting outside studies and reviewing discordance opinions.
"Outside studies were becoming a problem in our institution," said Dr. Zvi Lefkovitz, co-lead for this study. "We were receiving a lot of disjointed, fly-by-night examinations, and we had no formalized policy for reviewing these exams." Lefkovitz and his team began a comprehensive process of overhauling their procedures, ...
Shoulder injuries are among the most frequently encountered musculoskeletal injuries treated in emergency departments. One new study shows how radiologists can more effectively identify these injuries and improve patient outcomes.
"The severity of shoulder injuries are often underestimated," said Dr. Scott Sheehan, lead author for the study. "Subtle injuries can have significant consequences if not recognized and treated promptly." Sheehan and his co-authors began studying the effects of traumatic shoulder injuries after one of his radiology mentors suffered a shoulder ...
A new study from UCLA shows how magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are equivalent in delineating anatomy in living renal donors.
In a study that examined 30 patients and 60 kidneys, both modalities were "excellent" in detecting the number of renal arteries and veins. Dr. Mittul Gulati, lead author for the study noted, "either MRA or CTA are great tools for helping surgeons remove kidneys safely, identifying donor and recipient veins and vessels, and identifying incidental findings."
The results could potentially reduce radiation ...
With the increase of obesity in the last 50 years, bariatric surgeries are becoming a common solution for tackling this epidemic. A new exhibit shows how radiologists play a key role in ensuring the success of these procedures.
"Although complications are generally rare with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and gastric banding procedures, it's critical for radiologists to be familiar with both the normal presentations and possible complications for these surgeries," said Dr. Mariam Moshiri, lead author for this presentation.
Dr. Moshiri and her co-authors at the University ...
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This is Fahd A. Ahmad, M.D. of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
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BOSTON – More than 1 million youths ages 15-24 have sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhea. Many others, however, are unaware they are infected because they have not been tested.
Technology can change that, according to preliminary data from a study to be presented Saturday, April 28, at the Pediatric ...
