Radionuclide Determination In Surface Water Samples By Inductively Coupled Plasma With Sector Field Mass Spectrometry (ICP-SFMS)

The determination of naturally occurring radionuclides in the environment by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of high resolution (ICP-SFMS) has gained recognition over the last fifteen years, relative to the radiometric techniques, as the result of improvement in instrumental performance, sample introduction equipment and sample preparation. With the increase in instrumental sensitivity, it is now possible to measure ultratrace levels of many radioisotopes.The aim of this work was to determined the natural radionuclides (232Th, 234U, 235U and 238U) in surface water using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Sector Field Mass Spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). The samples were sampling from Lerma river, State of Mexico at february to april 2015. The process of treatment of sample consisted in perform an acid digestion according to the 3015A USEPA method followed of the direct measurement in ICP-SFMS. Results obtained were: a) identify the presence of 232Th, 234U, 235U and 238U isotopes in water, b) isotopic ratios were for 234U/238U=1.133 ± 0.016. ICP-SFMS has gained popularity in the field of radiochemistry, particularly as a method of detection for long lived-actinides

Source identification for mobile devices, based on wavelet transforms combined with sensor imperfections

One of the most relevant applications of digital image forensics is to accurately identify the device used for taking a given set of images, a problem called source identification. This paper studies recent developments in the field and proposes the mixture of two techniques (Sensor Imperfections and Wavelet Transforms) to get better source identification of images generated with mobile devices. Our results show that Sensor Imperfections and Wavelet Transforms can jointly serve as good forensic features to help trace the source camera of images produced by mobile phones. Furthermore, the model proposed here can also determine with high precision both the brand and model of the device

Crystal structure of SmeT bound to the biocide triclosan

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Pesquisa participativa em melhoramento de mandioca: uma experiência no Semi-Árido do Nordeste do Brasil.

Este trabalho teve por objetivos provar conjuntamente com agricultores, extensionistas e pesquisadores uma metodologia complementar, denominada de pesquisa participativa em melhoramento de mandioca, que aplicada a clones em etapas avançadas de avaliação, incremente a possibilidade de serem adotados pelos produtores, bem como estabelecer uma retroalimentação entre estes segmentos que permita identificar os principais critérios de seleção utilizados pelos produtores do semi-árido para a adoção de novas cultivares de mandioca. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em quatro locais do semi-árido dos Estados da Bahia (Itaberaba), Pernambuco (Petrolina e Araripina) e Ceara (Quixadá), em parceria com a EBDA,IPA e EPACE. Iniciou-se com um diagnostico, seguido do planejamento e implantação das provas participativas, avaliação e retro informação. Foram estabelecidas dezessete provas participativas, nos anos de 1993/94, com nove clones selecionados para as condições semi-áridas. Como resultados principais traçou-se o perfil de uma variedade ideal para o semi-árido, baseado nos critérios de seleção estabelecidos pelos produtores dessa região, formou-se um glossário sobre a terminologia agrícola local do produtor de mandioca e adaptou-se um livro de campo gerado no CIAT, as características consideradas importantes pelos produtores de mandioca do semi-árido.bitstream/item/81301/1/Pesquisa-Participativa-Wania-Fukuda-Documentos-73-1997.pd

Prediction of adverse perinatal outcome by fetal biometry: comparison of customized and populationâ based standards

ObjectiveTo compare the predictive performance of estimated fetal weight (EFW) percentiles, according to eight growth standards, to detect fetuses at risk for adverse perinatal outcome.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of 3437 Africanâ American women. Populationâ based (Hadlock, INTERGROWTHâ 21st, World Health Organization (WHO), Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF)), ethnicityâ specific (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)), customized (Gestationâ Related Optimal Weight (GROW)) and Africanâ American customized (Perinatology Research Branch (PRB)/NICHD) growth standards were used to calculate EFW percentiles from the last available scan prior to delivery. Prediction performance indices and relative risk (RR) were calculated for EFW â 90th percentiles, according to each standard, for individual and composite adverse perinatal outcomes. Sensitivity at a fixed (10%) falseâ positive rate (FPR) and partial (FPR â 90th percentile were also at risk for any adverse perinatal outcome according to the INTERGROWTHâ 21st (RRâ =â 1.4; 95%â CI, 1.0â 1.9) and Hadlock (RRâ =â 1.7; 95%â CI, 1.1â 2.6) standards, many times fewer cases (2â 5â fold lower sensitivity) were detected by using EFW >â 90th percentile, rather than EFW â 90th percentile were at increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes according to all or some of the eight growth standards, respectively. The RR of a composite adverse perinatal outcome in pregnancies with EFW <â 10th percentile was higher for the mostâ stringent (NICHD) compared with the leastâ stringent (FMF) standard. The results of the complementary analysis of AUC suggest slightly improved detection of adverse perinatal outcome by more recent populationâ based (INTERGROWTHâ 21st) and customized (PRB/NICHD) standards compared with the Hadlock and FMF standards. Published 2019. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153734/1/uog20299.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153734/2/uog20299_am.pd

Human Metapneumovirus Infections during COVID-19 Pandemic, Spain

We describe an unusual outbreak of respiratory infections caused by human metapneumovirus in children during the sixth wave of COVID-19 in Spain, associated with the Omicron variant. Patients in this outbreak were older than usual and showed more hypoxia and pneumonia, longer length of stay, and greater need for intensive care.This study was partially funded by FIS (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias-Spanish Health Research Fund), grant nos. PI06/0532, PI09/0246, PI12/0129, PI18CIII/00009, PI21CIII/00019, and PI21/00377.S

First joint observations of space weather events over Mexico

Abstract. The Mexican Space Weather Service (SCiESMEX in Spanish) and National Space Weather Laboratory (LANCE in Spanish) were organized in 2014 and in 2016, respectively, to provide space weather monitoring and alerts, as well as scientific research in Mexico. In this work, we presenttheresultsofthefirstjointobservationsoftwoevents (22 June and 29 September 2015) with our local network of instruments and their related products. This network includes the MEXART radio telescope (solar flare and radio burst), the Compact Astronomical Low-frequency, Low-cost Instrument for Spectroscopy in Transportable Observatories (CALLISTO)attheMEXARTstation(solarradioburst),the Mexico City Cosmic Ray Observatory (cosmic ray fluxes), GPS receiver networks (ionospheric disturbances), and the Teoloyucan Geomagnetic Observatory (geomagnetic field). The observations show that we detected significant space weather effects over the Mexican territory: geomagnetic and ionospheric disturbances (22 June 2015), variations in cosmicrayfluxes,andalsoradiocommunications’interferences (29September2015).Theeffectsoftheseperturbationswere registered,forthefirsttime,usingspaceweatherproductsby SCiESMEX:totalelectroncontent(TEC)maps,regionalgeomagneticindexKmex,radiospectrographsoflowfrequency, and cosmic ray fluxes. These results prove the importance of monitoring space weather phenomena in the region and the need to strengthening the instrumentation network

An efficient triose phosphate synthesis and distribution in wheat provides tolerance to higher field temperature

High temperatures in the field hinder bread wheat high yield production, mainly because of the adverse effects of heat over photosynthesis. The Yaqui Valley, the main wheat producer region in Mexico, is a zone prone to have temperatures over 30 °C. The aim of this work was to test the flag leaf photosynthetic performance in ten bread wheat genotypes grown under high temperatures in the field. The study took place during two seasons (2019-2020 and 2020-2021). In each season, control seeds were sown in December, while heat-stressed were sown in late January to subject wheat to heat stress (HS) during the grain filling stage. HS reduced Grain yield from 20 to 58 % in the first season. HS did not reduce chlorophyll content and light-dependent reactions were unaffected in any of the tested genotypes. Rubisco, chloroplast fructose 1,6-biphosphatase (FBPase), and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Rubisco activity did not decrease under HS in any of the genotypes. FBPase activity was reduced by HS indicating that triose phosphate flux to starch synthesis was reduced, while SPS was not affected, and thus, sucrose synthesis was maintained. HS reduced aerial biomass in the ten chosen genotypes. Genotypes SOKWB.1, SOKWB.3, and BORLAUG100 maintained their yield under HS, pointing to a potential success in their introduction in this region for breeding heat-tolerant bread wheat

Improving EEG-Based Motor Imagery Classification for Real-Time Applications Using the QSA Method

We present an improvement to the quaternion-based signal analysis (QSA) technique to extract electroencephalography (EEG) signal features with a view to developing real-time applications, particularly in motor imagery (IM) cognitive processes. The proposed methodology (iQSA, improved QSA) extracts features such as the average, variance, homogeneity, and contrast of EEG signals related to motor imagery in a more efficient manner (i.e., by reducing the number of samples needed to classify the signal and improving the classification percentage) compared to the original QSA technique. Specifically, we can sample the signal in variable time periods (from 0.5 s to 3 s, in half-a-second intervals) to determine the relationship between the number of samples and their effectiveness in classifying signals. In addition, to strengthen the classification process a number of boosting-technique-based decision trees were implemented. The results show an 82.30% accuracy rate for 0.5 s samples and 73.16% for 3 s samples. This is a significant improvement compared to the original QSA technique that offered results from 33.31% to 40.82% without sampling window and from 33.44% to 41.07% with sampling window, respectively. We can thus conclude that iQSA is better suited to develop real-time applications

First observations of oblique ionospheric sounding chirp signal in Mexico

The results of the first experiment of oblique ionospheric sounding (OIS) chirp signal reception in Mexico are reported. Maximal and Lowest Observed Frequencies variations were studied under the quiet Space Weather conditions. The diurnal ionospheric variations by OIS signal confirm the results based on GNSS data in the Mexican region. The best HF radio propagation conditions along the considered path are during morning and daytime hours. The multi-hop propagation is frequent. The interlayer propagation modes are present at nighttime