The HADES RV Programme with HARPS-N@TNG IV. Time resolved analysis of the Ca ii H&K and H{\alpha} chromospheric emission of low-activity early-type M dwarfs

M dwarfs are prime targets for planet search programs, particularly of those focused on the detection and characterization of rocky planets in the habitable zone. Understanding their magnetic activity is important because it affects our ability to detect small planets, and it plays a key role in the characterization of the stellar environment. We analyze observations of the Ca II H&K and H{\alpha} lines as diagnostics of chromospheric activity for low-activity early-type M dwarfs. We analyze the time series of spectra of 71 early-type M dwarfs collected for the HADES project for planet search purposes. The HARPS-N spectra provide simultaneously the H&K doublet and the H{\alpha} line. We develop a reduction scheme able to correct the HARPS-N spectra for instrumental and atmospheric effects, and to provide flux-calibrated spectra in units of flux at the stellar surface. The H&K and H{\alpha} fluxes are compared with each other, and their variability is analyzed. We find that the H and K flux excesses are strongly correlated with each other, while the H{\alpha} flux excess is generally less correlated with the H&K doublet. We also find that H{\alpha} emission does not increase monotonically with the H&K line flux, showing some absorption before being filled in by chromospheric emission when H&K activity increases. Analyzing the time variability of the emission fluxes, we derive a tentative estimate of the rotation period (of the order of a few tens of days) for some of the program stars, and the typical lifetime of chromospheric active regions (a few stellar rotations). Our results are in good agreement with previous studies. In particular, we find evidence that the chromospheres of early-type M dwarfs could be characterized by different filaments coverage, affecting the formation mechanism of the H{\alpha} line. We also show that chromospheric structure is likely related to spectral type

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

Dietary Fat Patterns and Outcomes in Acute Pancreatitis in Spain

Background/Objective: Evidence from basic and clinical studies suggests that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) might be relevant mediators of the development of complications in acute pancreatitis (AP). Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes in patients with AP from regions in Spain with different patterns of dietary fat intake. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed with data from 1,655 patients with AP from a Spanish prospective cohort study and regional nutritional data from a Spanish cross-sectional study. Nutritional data considered in the study concern the total lipid consumption, detailing total saturated fatty acids, UFAs and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) consumption derived from regional data and not from the patient prospective cohort. Two multivariable analysis models were used: (1) a model with the Charlson comorbidity index, sex, alcoholic etiology, and recurrent AP; (2) a model that included these variables plus obesity. Results: In multivariable analysis, patients from regions with high UFA intake had a significantly increased frequency of local complications, persistent organ failure (POF), mortality, and moderate-to-severe disease in the model without obesity and a higher frequency of POF in the model with obesity. Patients from regions with high MUFA intake had significantly more local complications and moderate-to-severe disease; this significance remained for moderate-to-severe disease when obesity was added to the model. Conclusions: Differences in dietary fat patterns could be associated with different outcomes in AP, and dietary fat patterns may be a pre-morbid factor that determines the severity of AP. UFAs, and particulary MUFAs, may influence the pathogenesis of the severity of AP

Refractive results after topography-guided anterior lamellar keratoplasty with excimer laser in keratoconus grade III

Objetivo: determinar los resultados refractivos y funcionales en operados de queratoplastia lamelar anterior superficial asistida con láser excimer topográfico en queratocono grado III. Materiales y métodos: estudio experimental, abierto, no controlado, longitudinal  y prospectivo, en 35 ojos de 31 pacientes con edad promedio de 35,3 años, seguimiento entre 12 y 51 meses, operados en la Clínica Internacional de Retinosis Pigmentaria “Camilo Cienfuegos”, entre enero de 2006 y diciembre del 2010. Resultados: la agudeza visual sin corrección mejoró de 0,04 a 0,39 y la agudeza visual con corrección de 0,28 a 0,78; el equivalente esférico se redujo de -13,02 a -1,69; la esfera y el cilindro disminuyeron de -10,13D ± 4,73 a -0,44D ± 3,22 y de -5,67D ± 2,32 a -2,52D ± 1,38, respectivamente. La queratometría disminuyó de 56,8D y 51,53D a 45,02 y 42,02 en el posoperatorio. La densidad celular preoperatoria fue de 2313,81 cel/mm2 ± 322,10; varió a 2170 cel/mm2 ± 294,92 en el posoperatorio. El lecho residual estromal fue de 153,22 μ. Discusión: en correlación con la literatura, el queratocono se presenta en la adolescencia y la juventud y conduce al trasplante de córnea con más frecuencia en estas etapas de la vida. La queratometría promedio posoperatoria fue inferior a la reportada por otros investigadores que realizaron estudios con semejante técnica quirúrgica. Conclusiones: la queratoplastia lamelar anterior superficial con láser excimer, puede ser considerada como indicación primaria de tratamiento en el queratocono grado III (MÉD.UIS. 2012;25(3):195-202)Objective: determine refractive and functional results in patients with keratoconus grade III underwent to topography-guided anterior lamellar keratoplasty assisted with excimer laser. Materials and Methods: uncontrolled experimental study, longitudinal and prospective, in 35 eyes of 31 patients with an average age of 35.3 years old, followed between 12 and 51 moths; operated at “Camilo Cienfuegos” International Center of Retinitis Pigmentosa, between January 2006 and December 2010. Results: the uncorrected visual acuity improved from 0.04 to 0.39 and the best corrected visual acuity improved from 0.28 to 0.78; the spherical equivalent was reduced from -13.02 to -1.69D. The sphere and cylinder decreased from -10.13D ± 4.73 to -0.44D ± 3.22 and from -5.67D ± 2.32 to -2.52 ±1.38, respectively. The average of the keratometry decreased from 56.8D and 51.53D to 45.02 and 42.02 in the post-surgery. The cellular density pre-surgery changed from 2313.81 cel/mm2 ± 322.10 to 2170 cel/mm2 ± 294.92 in postoperative. The residual stromal bed was 153.22 μ. Discussion: in correlation with the literature, the keratoconus appears in the adolescence and youth, leading to the corneal transplantation more often in these life stages. The average postsurgical keratometry was inferior to the reported by others investigators who practiced procedures with similar surgical technique. Conclusions: superficial anterior lamellar keratoplasty, assisted with excimer laser, can be considered as primary indication of treatment in keratoconus grade III (MÉD.UIS. 2012;25(3):195-202). &nbsp

The second flight of the SUNRISE balloon-borne solar observatory: overview of instrument updates, the flight, the data and first results

The SUNRISE balloon-borne solar observatory, consisting of a 1~m aperture telescope that provided a stabilized image to a UV filter imager and an imaging vector polarimeter, carried out its second science flight in June 2013. It provided observations of parts of active regions at high spatial resolution, including the first high-resolution images in the Mg~{\sc ii}~k line. The obtained data are of very high quality, with the best UV images reaching the diffraction limit of the telescope at 3000~\AA\ after Multi-Frame Blind Deconvolution reconstruction accounting for phase-diversity information. Here a brief update is given of the instruments and the data reduction techniques, which includes an inversion of the polarimetric data. Mainly those aspects that evolved compared with the first flight are described. A tabular overview of the observations is given. In addition, an example time series of a part of the emerging active region NOAA AR~11768 observed relatively close to disk centre is described and discussed in some detail. The observations cover the pores in the trailing polarity of the active region, as well as the polarity inversion line where flux emergence was ongoing and a small flare-like brightening occurred in the course of the time series. The pores are found to contain magnetic field strengths ranging up to 2500~G and, while large pores are clearly darker and cooler than the quiet Sun in all layers of the photosphere, the temperature and brightness of small pores approach or even exceed those of the quiet Sun in the upper photosphere.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) for the Sunrise balloon-borne solar observatory

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) is a spectropolarimeter built by four institutions in Spain that flew on board the Sunrise balloon-borne telesocope in June 2009 for almost six days over the Arctic Circle. As a polarimeter IMaX uses fast polarization modulation (based on the use of two liquid crystal retarders), real-time image accumulation, and dual beam polarimetry to reach polarization sensitivities of 0.1%. As a spectrograph, the instrument uses a LiNbO3 etalon in double pass and a narrow band pre-filter to achieve a spectral resolution of 85 mAA. IMaX uses the high Zeeman sensitive line of Fe I at 5250.2 AA and observes all four Stokes parameters at various points inside the spectral line. This allows vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and intensity frames to be produced that, after reconstruction, reach spatial resolutions in the 0.15-0.18 arcsec range over a 50x50 arcsec FOV. Time cadences vary between ten and 33 seconds, although the shortest one only includes longitudinal polarimetry. The spectral line is sampled in various ways depending on the applied observing mode, from just two points inside the line to 11 of them. All observing modes include one extra wavelength point in the nearby continuum. Gauss equivalent sensitivities are four Gauss for longitudinal fields and 80 Gauss for transverse fields per wavelength sample. The LOS velocities are estimated with statistical errors of the order of 5-40 m/s. The design, calibration and integration phases of the instrument, together with the implemented data reduction scheme are described in some detail.Comment: 17 figure

Genetic and Phenotypic Characterization of the Etiological Agent of Canine Orchiepididymitis Smooth Brucella sp. BCCN84.3

Members of the genus Brucella cluster in two phylogenetic groups: classical and non-classical species. The former group is composed of Brucella species that cause disease in mammals, including humans. A Brucella species, labeled as Brucella sp. BCCN84.3, was isolated from the testes of a Saint Bernard dog suffering orchiepididymitis, in Costa Rica. Following standard microbiological methods, the bacterium was first defined as "Brucella melitensis biovar 2." Further molecular typing, identified the strain as an atypical "Brucella suis." Distinctive Brucella sp. BCCN84.3 markers, absent in other Brucella species and strains, were revealed by fatty acid methyl ester analysis, high resolution melting PCR and omp25 and omp2a/omp2b gene diversity. Analysis of multiple loci variable number of tandem repeats and whole genome sequencing demonstrated that this isolate was different from the currently described Brucella species. The smooth Brucella sp. BCCN84.3 clusters together with the classical Brucella Glade and displays all the genes required for virulence. Brucella sp. BCCN84.3 is a species nova taxonomical entity displaying pathogenicity; therefore, relevant for differential diagnoses in the context of brucellosis. Considering the debate on the Brucella species concept, there is a need to describe the extant taxonomical entities of these pathogens in order to understand the dispersion and evolution