Water fragmentation by bare and dressed light ions with MeV energies: Fragment-ion-energy and time-of-flight distributions

The energy and time-of-flight distributions of water ionic fragments produced by impact of fast atoms and bare and dressed ions; namely, H+, Li0-3+, C1+, and C2+ are reported in this work. Fragment species as a function of emission energy and time-of-flight were recorded by using an electrostatic spectrometer and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, respectively. An improved Coulomb explosion model coupled to a classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) simulation gave the energy centroids of the fragments for the dissociation channels resulting from the removal of two to five electrons from the water molecule. For the energy distribution ranging up to 50 eV, both the experiment and model reveal an isotropic production of multiple charged oxygen ions, as well as hydrogen ions. From the ion energy distribution, relative yields of the dissociation resulting from multiple ionization were obtained as a function of the charge state, as well as for several projectile energies. Multiple-ionization yields with charge state up to 4+, were extracted from the measurements of the time-of-flight spectra, focused on the production of single and multiple charged oxygen ions. The measurements were compared to ion-water collision experiments investigated at the keV energy range available in the literature, revealing differences and similarities in the fragment-ion energy distribution.Fil: Wolff, W.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Luna, H.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Schuch, R.. Alba Nova University Center; SueciaFil: Cariatore, Nelson Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Física del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Física. Instituto de Física del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Otranto, Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Física del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Física. Instituto de Física del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Turco, Federico. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Fregenal, Daniel Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Bernardi, Guillermo Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Suárez, S.. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentin

Heavy metal pollution in drinking water - a global risk for human health: A review

Water resources in the world have been profoundly influenced over the last years by human activities, whereby the world is currently facing critical water supply and drinking water quality problems. In many parts of the world heavy metal (HM) concentrations in drinking water are higher than some international guideline values. Discussing about the HM pollution in drinking water, the incorporation of them into the food chain, and their implications as a global risk for the human health, are the objectives of this review. It is known that there are million people with chronic HM poisoning which has become a worldwide public health issue, while 1.6 million children die each year from diseases for which contaminated drinking water is a leading cause. There is also evidence of HM in drinking water that are responsible for causing adverse effect on human health through food chain contamination. A global effort to offering affordable and healthy drinking water most to be launched throughout the world, while various laws and regulations to protect and improve the utilization of drinking water resources should be updated or created throughout the world, including the low income countries; otherwise, the problem of HM-polluted drinking water will be growing because demand for drinking water is still growing such as this problem will become even more pressing in the future. Finally, notwithstanding, additional researches are necessaries about the correlation between HM concentration in drinking water and human diseases, while the development of robust, cheap and sustainable technologies to improve the drinking water quality is necessary.Key words: Groundwater, aquifer, water quality, water pollution, microorganism, water supply, microbial communities, food chain, disease

Evidence for the photospheric excitation of incompressible chromospheric waves

Observing the excitation mechanisms of incompressible transverse waves is vital for determining how energy propagates through the lower solar atmosphere. We aim to show the connection between convectively driven photospheric flows and incompressible chromospheric waves. The observations presented here show the propagation of incompressible motion through the quiet lower solar atmosphere, from the photosphere to the chromosphere. We determine photospheric flow vectors to search for signatures of vortex motion and compare results to photospheric flows present in convective simulations. Further, we search for the chromospheric response to vortex motions. Evidence is presented that suggests incompressible waves can be excited by the vortex motions of a strong magnetic flux concentration in the photosphere. A chromospheric counterpart to the photospheric vortex motion is also observed, presenting itself as a quasi-periodic torsional motion. Fine-scale, fibril structures that emanate from the chromospheric counterpart support transverse waves that are driven by the observed torsional motion. A new technique for obtaining details of transverse waves from time-distance diagrams is presented and the properties of transverse waves (e.g., amplitudes and periods) excited by the chromospheric torsional motion are measured

Gender differences in adaptation to heat in Spain (1983-2018)

In Spain the average temperature has increased by 1.7 °C since pre-industrial times. There has been an increase in heat waves both in terms of frequency and intensity, with a clear impact in terms of population health. The effect of heat waves on daily mortality presents important territorial differences. Gender also affects these impacts, as a determinant that conditions social inequalities in health. There is evidence that women may be more susceptible to extreme heat than men, although there are relatively few studies that analyze differences in the vulnerability and adaptation to heat by sex. This could be related to physiological causes. On the other hand, one of the indicators used to measure vulnerability to heat in a population and its adaptation is the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) and its temporal evolution. The aim of this study was to analyze the values of MMT in men and women and its temporal evolution during the 1983-2018 period in Spain's provinces. An ecological, longitudinal retrospective study was carried out of time series data, based on maximum daily temperature and daily mortality data corresponding to the study period. Using cubic and quadratic fits between daily mortality rates and the temperature, the minimum values of these functions were determined, which allowed for determining MMT values. Furthermore, we used an improved methodology that provided for the estimation of missing MMT values when polynomial fits were inexistent. This analysis was carried out for each year. Later, based on the annual values of MMT, a linear fit was carried out to determine the rate of evolution of MMT for men and for women at the province level. Average MMT for all of Spain's provinces was 29.4 °C in the case of men and 28.7 °C in the case of women. The MMT for men was greater than that of women in 86 percent of the total provinces analyzed, which indicates greater vulnerability among women. In terms of the rate of variation in MMT during the period analyzed, that of men was 0.39 °C/decade, compared to 0.53 °C/decade for women, indicating greater adaptation to heat among women, compared to men. The differences found between men and women were statistically significant. At the province level, the results show great heterogeneity. Studies carried out at the local level are needed to provide knowledge about those factors that can explain these differences at the province level, and to allow for incorporating a gender perspective in the implementation of measures for adaptation to high temperatures.The authors wish to thank the funding provided by the ENPY 304/20, ENPY 376/18 and ENPY 107/18 projects of the Carlos III Health Institute III (ISCIII). They also wish to thank the UNED for funding this publication in open access.S

Gender differences in adaptation to heat in Spain (1983–2018)

In Spain the average temperature has increased by 1.7 °C since pre-industrial times. There has been an increase in heat waves both in terms of frequency and intensity, with a clear impact in terms of population health. The effect of heat waves on daily mortality presents important territorial differences. Gender also affects these impacts, as a determinant that conditions social inequalities in health. There is evidence that women may be more susceptible to extreme heat than men, although there are relatively few studies that analyze differences in the vulnerability and adaptation to heat by sex. This could be related to physiological causes. On the other hand, one of the indicators used to measure vulnerability to heat in a population and its adaptation is the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) and its temporal evolution.The authors wish to thank the funding provided by the ENPY 304/20, ENPY 376/18 and ENPY 107/18 projects of the Carlos III Health Institute III (ISCIII)

Incidence and mortality rates of selected infection-related cancers in Puerto Rico and in the United States

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In 2002, 17.8% of the global cancer burden was attributable to infections. This study assessed the age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of stomach, liver, and cervical cancer in Puerto Rico (PR) for the period 1992-2003 and compared them to those of Hispanics (USH), non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), and non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) in the United States (US).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Age-standardized rates [ASR(World)] were calculated based on cancer incidence and mortality data from the PR Cancer Central Registry and SEER, using the direct method and the world population as the standard. Annual percent changes (APC) were calculated using the Poisson regression model from 1992-2003.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence and mortality rates from stomach, liver and cervical cancer were lower in NHW than PR; with the exception of mortality from cervical cancer which was similar in both populations. Meanwhile, the incidence rates of stomach, liver and cervical cancers were similar between NHB and PR; except for NHB women who had a lower incidence rate of liver cancer than women in PR. NHB had a lower mortality from liver cancer than persons in PR, and similar mortality from stomach cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The burden of liver, stomach, and cervical cancer in PR compares to that of USH and NHB and continues to be a public health priority. Public health efforts are necessary to further decrease the burden of cancers associated to infections in these groups, the largest minority population groups in the US. Future studies need to identify factors that may prevent infections with cancer-related agents in these populations. Strategies to increase the use of preventive strategies, such as vaccination and screening, among minority populations should also be developed.</p

Contemporary management of primary parapharyngeal space tumors

The parapharyngeal space is a complex anatomical area. Primary parapharyngeal tumors are rare tumors and 80% of them are benign. A variety of tumor types can develop in this location; most common are salivary gland neoplasm and neurogenic tumors. The management of these tumors has improved greatly owing to the developments in imaging techniques, surgery, and radiotherapy. Most tumors can be removed with a low rate of complications and recurrence. The transcervical approach is the most frequently used. In some cases, minimally invasive approaches may be used alone or in combination with a limited transcervical route, allowing large tumors to be removed by reducing morbidity of expanded approaches. An adequate knowledge of the anatomy and a careful surgical plan is essential to tailor management according to the patient and the tumor. The purpose of the present review was to update current aspects of knowledge related to this more challenging area of tumor occurrence.Peer reviewe

Search for top squark pair production in pp collisions at root s=13 TeV using single lepton events

Peer reviewe

Search for narrow resonances in dilepton mass spectra in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV and combination with 8 TeV data

Peer reviewe