Complexity in Spanish optical fiber and SDH transport networks

Complex networks are important instances of technology-related complex systems. In this work we apply tools from complexity science to characterise two Telefónica España transport network systems: the optical fiber network and the SDH transport network. We compare both cases and derive its most important properties. Remarkably, our results show that in both cases several features of heterogeneous, hierarchical complex networks arise

A Comparative Study of Benchtop and Portable NIR and Raman Spectroscopic Methods for the Quantitative Determination of Curcuminoids in Turmeric Powder

Turmeric consumption is continually increasing worldwide. Curcuminoids are major active constituents in turmeric and are associated with numerous health benefits. A combination of spectroscopic methods and chemometrics shows the suitability of turmeric for food quality control due to advantages such as speed, versatility, portability, and no need for sample preparation. Five calibration models to quantify curcuminoids in turmeric were proposed using benchtop and portable devices. The most remarkable results showed that Raman and NIR calibration models present an excellent performance reporting RMSEP of 0.44% w/w and 0.41% w/w, respectively. In addition, the five proposed methods (FT-IR, Raman, and NIR) were compared in terms of precision and accuracy. The results showed that benchtop and portable methods were in good agreement and that there are no significant differences between them. This study aims to foster the use of portable devices for food quality control in situ by demonstrating their suitability for the purpose

Volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere of Mexico City

The Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) is one of the most polluted megacities in North America. Therefore, it is an excellent benchmark city to understand atmospheric chemistry and to implement pilot countermeasures. Air quality in the MCMA is not within acceptable levels, mainly due to high ground levels of ozone (O3). Tropospheric O3 is a secondary pollutant formed from the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of nitrogen oxides and sunlight. To gain a better understanding of O3 formation in megacities, evaluate the effectiveness of already-implemented countermeasures, and identify new cost-effective alternatives to reduce tropospheric O3 concentrations, researchers and environmental authorities require updated concentrations for a broader range of VOCs. Moreover, in an effort to protect human health and the environment, it is important to understand which VOCs exceed reference safe values or most contribute to O3 formation, as well as to identify the most probable emission sources of those VOCs. In this work, 64 VOCs, including 36 toxic VOCs, were measured at four sites in the MCMA during 2011-2012. VOCs related to liquefied petroleum gas leakages exhibited the highest concentrations. Toxic VOCs with the highest average concentrations were acetone and ethanol. The toxic VOC benzene represented the highest risk to Mexican citizens, and toluene contributed the most to O3 formation. Correlation analysis indicated that the measured VOCs come from vehicular emissions and solvent-related industrial sources. VOC measurements revealed that compounds related to liquefied petroleum gas leakages are the most abundant, the toxic VOC benzene represents the highest risk to citizens, and toluene is the greatest VOC contributor to O3 formation in Mexico City. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.Japan Science and Technology Agency, Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development, Japan International Cooperation Agency1,3 butadiene, 106-99-0, 25339-57-5; 1,4 dichlorobenzene, 106-46-7; acetone, 67-64-1; alcohol, 64-17-5; benzene, 71-43-2; ethylbenzene, 100-41-4; gasoline, 86290-81-5; methyl chloride, 74-87-3; ozone, 10028-15-6; propane, 74-98-6; styrene, 100-42-5; toluene, 108-88-3; xylene, 1330-20-

Reconstruction of events recorded with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Cosmic rays arriving at Earth collide with the upper parts of the atmosphere, thereby inducing extensive air showers. When secondary particles from the cascade arrive at the ground, they are measured by surface detector arrays. We describe the methods applied to the measurements of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory to reconstruct events with zenith angles less than 60o using the timing and signal information recorded using the water-Cherenkov detector stations. In addition, we assess the accuracy of these methods in reconstructing the arrival directions of the primary cosmic ray particles and the sizes of the induced showers

First Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Telescope results. I. The shadow of the supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way

Galaxie

First Sagittarius A* event horizon telescope results. II. EHT and multiwavelength observations, data processing, and calibration

Instrumentatio

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

BACKGROUND: Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. METHODS: The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950. FINDINGS: Globally, 18·7% (95% uncertainty interval 18·4–19·0) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58·8% (58·2–59·3) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the global level, between 1950 and 2017, life expectancy increased from 48·1 years (46·5–49·6) to 70·5 years (70·1–70·8) for men and from 52·9 years (51·7–54·0) to 75·6 years (75·3–75·9) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in life expectancy at birth in 2017, which ranges from 49·1 years (46·5–51·7) for men in the Central African Republic to 87·6 years (86·9–88·1) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5 mortality dropped from 216·0 deaths (196·3–238·1) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38·9 deaths (35·6–42·83) per 1000 livebirths in 2017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5·4 million (5·2–5·6) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in 2017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing mortality rates in several countries. The gap between male and female life expectancy between 1950 and 2017, while relatively stable at the global level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed mortality rates compared with those expected on the basis of development. INTERPRETATION: This analysis of age-sex-specific mortality shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population mortality across countries. The findings of this study highlight global successes, such as the large decline in under-5 mortality, which reflects significant local, national, and global commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to mortality patterns that are a cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to a lesser extent, women, whose mortality rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this study, and in some cases are increasing

Removal of As(V) in the presence of Cr(VI) in contaminated water from the Bajio region of Mexico using ferrihydrite-functionalized graphene oxide (GOFH): A case study

The presence of heavy metals such as arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) can be considered one of the most toxic heavy metals. This study aims to develop and evaluate a graphene oxide (GO) based material functionalized with ferrihydrite for the removal of As(V) in the presence of Cr(VI). The adsorbent ferrihydrite-functionalized graphene oxide (GOFH) was characterized by SEM, FTIR, XRD, XPS, surface charge, BET and TGA. Individual adsorption capacities for As(V) and Cr(VI) were 160 and 66 mg g−1 respectively at pH 4 and 298 K, fitting the Langmuir model. In binary systems, GOFH adsorbed As(V) with an adsorption capacity of 137 mg g−1 in the presence of 20 mg L−1 Cr(VI) at room temperature. Thermodynamic analysis revealed an exothermic and spontaneous process. Additionally, GOFH effectively removed several coexisting anions from groundwater, including SO42−, CO32− and Cl−. This work evidences the potential of GOFH for competitive adsorption of priority pollutants from complex matrices. The GOFH material represents a technically and economically viable technology for application in groundwater decontamination, as it requires inexpensive precursors and ambient conditions during synthesis and operation