Prominence-cavity regions observed using SWAP 174A filtergrams and simultaneous eclipse flash spectra

Images from the SWAP (Proba 2 mission) taken at 174A in the Fe IX/X lines are compared to simultaneous slitless flash spectra taken during the last solar total eclipse of July, 11th 2010. Many faint low excitation emission lines together with the HeI and HeII Paschen Alpha chromospheric lines are recorded on eclipse spectra where regions of limb prominences are obtained with space-borne imagers. We consider a deep flash spectrum obtained by summing 80 individual spectra to show the intensity modulations of the continuum. Intensity depressions are observed around the prominences in both eclipse and SWAP images. The prominence cavities are interpreted as a relative depression of plasma density, produced inside the corona surrounding the prominences. Photometric measurements are shown at different scales and different, spectrally narrow, intervals for both the prominences and the coronal background.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, accepted to publish in Sol. Phy

Disabling musculoskeletal pain in working populations: Is it the job, the person, or the culture?

To compare the prevalence of disabling low back pain (DLBP) and disabling wrist/hand pain (DWHP) among groups of workers carrying out similar physical activities in different cultural environments, and to explore explanations for observed differences, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in 18 countries. Standardised questionnaires were used to ascertain pain that interfered with everyday activities and exposure to possible risk factors in 12,426 participants from 47 occupational groups (mostly nurses and office workers). Associations with risk factors were assessed by Poisson regression. The 1-month prevalence of DLBP in nurses varied from 9.6% to 42.6%, and that of DWHP in office workers from 2.2% to 31.6%. Rates of disabling pain at the 2 anatomical sites covaried (r = 0.76), but DLBP tended to be relatively more common in nurses and DWHP in office workers. Established risk factors such as occupational physical activities, psychosocial aspects of work, and tendency to somatise were confirmed, and associations were found also with adverse health beliefs and group awareness of people outside work with musculoskeletal pain. However, after allowance for these risk factors, an up-to 8-fold difference in prevalence remained. Systems of compensation for work-related illness and financial support for health-related incapacity for work appeared to have little influence on the occurrence of symptoms. Our findings indicate large international variation in the prevalence of disabling forearm and back pain among occupational groups carrying out similar tasks, which is only partially explained by the personal and socioeconomic risk factors that were analysed