Influence of plasma kinetic energy during the pulsed laser deposition of borophene films on silicon (100).

Developing borophene films with good structural stability on non-metallic substrates to maximize their potential in photosensitivity, gas detection, photothermia, energy storage, and deformation detection, among others has been challenging in recent years. Herein, we succeeded in the pulsed laser deposition of multilayered borophene films on Si (100) with ß12 or χ3 bonding by tuning the mean kinetic energy in the plasma during the deposition process. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies confirm ß12 and χ3 bonding in the films. Borophene films with ß12 bonding were obtained by tuning a high mean kinetic energy in the plasma, while borophene with χ3 bonding required a relatively low mean kinetic energy. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrographs revealed a granular and directional growth of the multilayered borophene films following the linear atomic terraces from the (100) silicon substrate. AFM nanofriction was used to access the borophene surfaces and to reveal the pull-off force and friction coefficient of the films where the surface oxide showed a significant contribution. To summarize, we show that it is possible to deposit multilayered borophene thin films with different bondings by tuning the mean kinetic energy during pulsed laser deposition. The characterization of the plasma during borophene deposition accompanies our findings, providing support for the changes in kinetic energy.

A quadratic time-dependent quantum harmonic oscillator.

We present a Lie algebraic approach to a Hamiltonian class covering driven, parametric quantum harmonic oscillators where the parameter set-mass, frequency, driving strength, and parametric pumping-is time-dependent. Our unitary-transformation-based approach provides a solution to our general quadratic time-dependent quantum harmonic model. As an example, we show an analytic solution to the periodically driven quantum harmonic oscillator without the rotating wave approximation; it works for any given detuning and coupling strength regime. For the sake of validation, we provide an analytic solution to the historical Caldirola-Kanai quantum harmonic oscillator and show that there exists a unitary transformation within our framework that takes a generalized version of it onto the Paul trap Hamiltonian. In addition, we show how our approach provides the dynamics of generalized models whose Schrödinger equation becomes numerically unstable in the laboratory frame.

Brote de dermatofitosis en región de cabeza y cuello asociadas al rasurado en peluquerías: estudio descriptivo multicéntrico de una serie de casos / Outbreak of Dermatophyte Infections on the Head and Neck Related to Shave Haircuts: Description of a Multicenter Case Series

Introducción Desde 2021 se ha detectado un aumento de casos de tiñas del cuero cabelludo en adolescentes que se cortan el pelo mediante rasurado o degradado. Pacientes y métodos Estudio observacional retrospectivo multicéntrico de casos de dermatofitosis del polo cefálico con el antecedente de haber sido contraídas tras el rasurado frecuente en peluquería. Se realizó una llamada a dermatólogos de la Academia Española de Dermatología y Venereología (AEDV) para que aportaran casos observados entre enero de 2021 y diciembre de 2022. Se incluyeron pacientes con confirmación microbiológica mediante cultivo o examen directo con KOH. Resultados Se recogieron 107 casos, siendo 106 pacientes varones. Se observaron 78 formas no inflamatorias frente a 29 inflamatorias. El hongo aislado con mayor frecuencia fue Trichophyton tonsurans (75,7% de los casos). Las lesiones aparecieron predominantemente en la nuca y en el área temporal. Conclusiones La distribución por sexo, edad y localización lesional parece apuntar a que una nueva tendencia social, en la que adolescentes varones acuden asiduamente a peluquerías para el afeitado de las zonas occipital y temporal, sería la causante de esta agrupación de casos de tiña del cuero cabelludo. El microorganismo más frecuente en nuestro estudio (T.tonsurans) coincide con el más prevalente en nuestro medio. Con el presente estudio se evidencia un acúmulo de casos susceptible de ser tenido en cuenta por organismos competentes de salud pública, a los cuales corresponde velar por el cumplimiento de las normas de desinfección del material empleado para el rasurado (AU)

Introduction Since 2021, an increase in cases of tinea capitis has been detected in adolescents who shave their hair with fade haircut. Patients and methods Multicenter retrospective observational study of cases of cephalic pole dermatophytosis with a history of having been acquired after frequent shaving in hairdressing. A call was made to dermatologists from the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) to provide cases observed between January 2021 and December 2022. Patients with microbiological confirmation by culture or direct examination with KOH were included. Results 107 cases were collected, 106 of which were male. 78 non-inflammatory forms were observed, compared to 29 inflammatory. The most frequently isolated fungus was Trichophyton tonsurans (75.7% of cases). The lesions appeared predominantly on the nape of the neck and temporal area. Conclusions The distribution by sex, age and lesional location seems to indicate that a new social trend, in which male adolescents regularly go to hairdressers to shave the occipital and temporal areas, would be the cause of this grouping of cases of ringworm of the scalp. The most frequent microorganism in our study (T.tonsurans) coincides with the most prevalent in our environment. This study shows an accumulation of cases that can be taken into account by competent Public Health agencies, which are responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules of disinfection of the material used for shaving (AU)

[Translated article] Outbreak of Dermatophyte Infections on the Head and Neck Related to Shave Haircuts: Description of a Multicenter Case Series / Brote de dermatofitosis en región de cabeza y cuello asociadas al rasurado en peluquerías: estudio descriptivo multicéntrico de una serie de casos

Introduction Since 2021, an increase in cases of tinea capitis has been detected in adolescents who shave their hair with fade haircut. Patients and methods Multicenter retrospective observational study of cases of cephalic pole dermatophytosis with a history of having been acquired after frequent shaving in hairdressing. A call was made to dermatologists from the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) to provide cases observed between January 2021 and December 2022. Patients with microbiological confirmation by culture or direct examination with KOH were included. Results 107 cases were collected, 106 of which were male. 78 non-inflammatory forms were observed, compared to 29 inflammatory. The most frequently isolated fungus was Trichophyton tonsurans (75.7% of cases). The lesions appeared predominantly on the nape of the neck and temporal area. Conclusions The distribution by sex, age and lesional location seems to indicate that a new social trend, in which male adolescents regularly go to hairdressers to shave the occipital and temporal areas, would be the cause of this grouping of cases of ringworm of the scalp. The most frequent microorganism in our study (T.tonsurans) coincides with the most prevalent in our environment. This study shows an accumulation of cases that can be taken into account by competent Public Health agencies, which are responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules of disinfection of the material used for shaving (AU)

Introducción Desde 2021 se ha detectado un aumento de casos de tiñas del cuero cabelludo en adolescentes que se cortan el pelo mediante rasurado o degradado. Pacientes y métodos Estudio observacional retrospectivo multicéntrico de casos de dermatofitosis del polo cefálico con el antecedente de haber sido contraídas tras el rasurado frecuente en peluquería. Se realizó una llamada a dermatólogos de la Academia Española de Dermatología y Venereología (AEDV) para que aportaran casos observados entre enero de 2021 y diciembre de 2022. Se incluyeron pacientes con confirmación microbiológica mediante cultivo o examen directo con KOH. Resultados Se recogieron 107 casos, siendo 106 pacientes varones. Se observaron 78 formas no inflamatorias frente a 29 inflamatorias. El hongo aislado con mayor frecuencia fue Trichophyton tonsurans (75,7% de los casos). Las lesiones aparecieron predominantemente en la nuca y en el área temporal. Conclusiones La distribución por sexo, edad y localización lesional parece apuntar a que una nueva tendencia social, en la que adolescentes varones acuden asiduamente a peluquerías para el afeitado de las zonas occipital y temporal, sería la causante de esta agrupación de casos de tiña del cuero cabelludo. El microorganismo más frecuente en nuestro estudio (T.tonsurans) coincide con el más prevalente en nuestro medio. Con el presente estudio se evidencia un acúmulo de casos susceptible de ser tenido en cuenta por organismos competentes de salud pública, a los cuales corresponde velar por el cumplimiento de las normas de desinfección del material empleado para el rasurado (AU)

Bi2Te3 Thin Films Deposited by the Combination of Bi and Te Plasmas in a PLD Process.

Bismuth telluride thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition by implementing a novel method that combines both Te and Bi plasmas resulting from the laser ablation of individual Bi and Te targets. Furthermore, the mean kinetic ion energy and density of the plasmas, as estimated by TOF curves obtained from Langmuir probe measurements, were used as control parameters for the deposition process. The obtained thin films exhibit a metallic mirror-like appearance and present good adhesion to the substrate. Morphology of the thin films was observed by SEM, yielding smooth surfaces where particulates were also observed (splashing). Chemical composition analysis obtained by EDS showed that apparently the films have a Te-rich composition (ratio of Te/Bi of 3); however, Te excess arises from the splashing as revealed by the structural characterization (XRD and Raman spectroscopy). The XRD pattern indicated that depositions have the rhombohedral (D3d5 (R3¯m)) structure of Bi2Te3. Likewise, Raman spectra exhibited the presence of signals that correspond to Eg2, A1u2 and A1g2(LO) vibrational modes of the same rhombohedral phase of Bi2Te3. Additionally, oxidation states, analyzed by XPS, resulted in signals associated to Bi3+ and Te2- that correspond to the Bi2Te3 compound. Finally, surface topology and thickness profiles were obtained from AFM measurements, confirming a combination of a smooth surface with particulates on top of it and a film thickness of 400 nm.

Optimizing Moxifloxacin Dose in MDR-TB Participants with or without Efavirenz Coadministration Using Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling.

Moxifloxacin is included in some treatment regimens for drug-sensitive tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Aiming to optimize dosing, we described moxifloxacin pharmacokinetic and MIC distribution in participants with MDR-TB. Participants enrolled at two TB hospitals in South Africa underwent intensive pharmacokinetic sampling approximately 1 to 6 weeks after treatment initiation. Plasma drug concentrations and clinical data were analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling with simulations to evaluate doses for different scenarios. We enrolled 131 participants (54 females), with median age of 35.7 (interquartile range, 28.5 to 43.5) years, median weight of 47 (42.0 to 54.0) kg, and median fat-free mass of 40.1 (32.3 to 44.7) kg; 79 were HIV positive, 29 of whom were on efavirenz-based antiretroviral therapy. Moxifloxacin pharmacokinetics were described with a 2-compartment model, transit absorption, and elimination via a liver compartment. We included allometry based on fat-free mass to estimate disposition parameters. We estimated an oral clearance for a typical patient to be 17.6 L/h. Participants treated with efavirenz had increased clearance, resulting in a 44% reduction in moxifloxacin exposure. Simulations predicted that, even at a median MIC of 0.25 (0.06 to 16) mg/L, the standard daily dose of 400 mg has a low probability of attaining the ratio of the area under the unbound concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h to the MIC (fAUC0-24)/MIC target of >53, particularly in heavier participants. The high-dose WHO regimen (600 to 800 mg) yielded higher, more balanced exposures across the weight ranges, with better target attainment. When coadministered with efavirenz, moxifloxacin doses of up to 1,000 mg are needed to match these exposures. The safety of higher moxifloxacin doses in clinical settings should be confirmed.

Outbreak of Dermatophyte Infections on the Head and Neck Related to Shave Haircuts: Description of a Multicenter Case Series. / Brote de dermatofitosis en región de cabeza y cuello asociadas al rasurado en peluquerías: estudio descriptivo multicéntrico de una serie de casos.

INTRODUCTION: Since 2021, an increase in cases of tinea capitis has been detected in adolescents who shave their hair with fade haircut. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multicenter retrospective observational study of cases of cephalic pole dermatophytosis with a history of having been acquired after frequent shaving in hairdressing. A call was made to dermatologists from the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) to provide cases observed between January 2021 and December 2022. Patients with microbiological confirmation by culture or direct examination with KOH were included. RESULTS: 107 cases were collected, 106 of which were male. 78 non-inflammatory forms were observed, compared to 29 inflammatory. The most frequently isolated fungus was Trichophyton tonsurans (75.7% of cases). The lesions appeared predominantly on the nape of the neck and temporal area. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution by sex, age and lesional location seems to indicate that a new social trend, in which male adolescents regularly go to hairdressers to shave the occipital and temporal areas, would be the cause of this grouping of cases of ringworm of the scalp. The most frequent microorganism in our study (T.tonsurans) coincides with the most prevalent in our environment. This study shows an accumulation of cases that can be taken into account by competent Public Health agencies, which are responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules of disinfection of the material used for shaving.

A study of differential microRNA expression profile in migraine: the microMIG exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have described potential microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers associated with migraine, but studies are scarcely reproducible primarily due to the heterogeneous variability of participants. Increasing evidence shows that disease-related intrinsic factors together with lifestyle (environmental factors), influence epigenetic mechanisms and in turn, diseases. Hence, the main objective of this exploratory study was to find differentially expressed miRNAs (DE miRNA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with migraine compared to healthy controls in a well-controlled homogeneous cohort of non-menopausal women. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with migraine according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) and healthy controls without familial history of headache disorders were recruited. All participants completed a very thorough questionnaire and structured-interview in order to control for environmental factors. RNA was extracted from PBMC and a microarray system (GeneChip miRNA 4.1 Array chip, Affymetrix) was used to determine the miRNA profiles between study groups. Principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis were performed to study samples distribution and random forest (RF) algorithms were computed for the classification task. To evaluate the stability of the results and the prediction error rate, a bootstrap (.632 + rule) was run through all the procedure. Finally, a functional enrichment analysis of selected targets was computed through protein-protein interaction networks. RESULTS: After RF classification, three DE miRNA distinguished study groups in a very homogeneous female cohort, controlled by factors such as demographics (age and BMI), life-habits (physical activity, caffeine and alcohol consumptions), comorbidities and clinical features associated to the disease: miR-342-3p, miR-532-3p and miR-758-5p. Sixty-eight target genes were predicted which were linked mainly to enriched ion channels and signaling pathways, neurotransmitter and hormone homeostasis, infectious diseases and circadian entrainment. CONCLUSIONS: A 3-miRNA (miR-342-3p, miR-532-3p and miR-758-5p) novel signature has been found differentially expressed between controls and patients with migraine. Enrichment analysis showed that these pathways are closely associated with known migraine pathophysiology, which could lead to the first reliable epigenetic biomarker set. Further studies should be performed to validate these findings in a larger and more heterogeneous sample.

Análisis de la efectividad de la rehabilitación cardíaca en España: una revisión sistemática exploratoria / Analysis of the status of cardiac rehabilitation in Spain: an exploratory systematic review

Se sabe poco sobre las características de los programas de rehabilitación cardíaca implantados en la actualidad en España, por lo que el objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la efectividad de la rehabilitación cardíaca en pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica en España, mediante una revisión sistemática exploratoria de la literatura científica en distintas bases de datos desde 2010 hasta 2018. Se incluyeron 35 artículos cuyo objetivo era medir la efectividad de los programas de rehabilitación cardíaca desde distintas perspectivas. Participaron más del doble de hombres que de mujeres y solo el 8,6% fueron ensayos clínicos. Se observaron mejoras en relación con la mortalidad y las variables fisiológicas y de calidad de vida de los pacientes, pero con resultados dispares en morbilidad, estados de ánimo, mantenimiento de hábitos saludables a largo plazo y rentabilidad de los programas.

Little is known about the characteristics of the cardiac rehabilitation programs currently implemented in Spain, the aim was therefore to know more about the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with ischemic heart disease in Spain, through an exploratory systematic review of the scientific literature on cardiac rehabilitation carried out in different databases from 2010 to 2018. We reviewed 35 articles whose objective was to measure the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programs from different perspectives. More than twice as many men as women participated and only 8.6% were clinical trials. The studies showed improvements in relation to mortality and physiological and quality of life variables, but with discrepant results in morbidity, moods, maintenance of long-term healthy habits and profitability of the programs.

Tree growth response to drought partially explains regional-scale growth and mortality patterns in Iberian forests.

Tree-ring data has been widely used to inform about tree growth responses to drought at the individual scale, but less is known about how tree growth sensitivity to drought scales up driving changes in forest dynamics. Here, we related tree-ring growth chronologies and stand-level forest changes in basal area from two independent data sets to test if tree-ring responses to drought match stand forest dynamics (stand basal area growth, ingrowth, and mortality). We assessed if tree growth and changes in forest basal area covary as a function of spatial scale and tree taxa (gymnosperm or angiosperm). To this end, we compared a tree-ring network with stand data from the Spanish National Forest Inventory. We focused on the cumulative impact of drought on tree growth and demography in the period 1981-2005. Drought years were identified by the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, and their impacts on tree growth by quantifying tree-ring width reductions. We hypothesized that forests with greater drought impacts on tree growth will also show reduced stand basal area growth and ingrowth and enhanced mortality. This is expected to occur in forests dominated by gymnosperms on drought-prone regions. Cumulative growth reductions during dry years were higher in forests dominated by gymnosperms and presented a greater magnitude and spatial autocorrelation than for angiosperms. Cumulative drought-induced tree growth reductions and changes in forest basal area were related, but initial stand density and basal area were the main factors driving changes in basal area. In drought-prone gymnosperm forests, we observed that sites with greater growth reductions had lower stand basal area growth and greater mortality. Consequently, stand basal area, forest growth, and ingrowth in regions with large drought impacts was significantly lower than in regions less impacted by drought. Tree growth sensitivity to drought can be used as a predictor of gymnosperm demographic rates in terms of stand basal area growth and ingrowth at regional scales, but further studies may try to disentangle how initial stand density modulates such relationships. Drought-induced growth reductions and their cumulative impacts have strong potential to be used as early-warning indicators of regional forest vulnerability.

Neoplasias en trabajadores expuestos a radiación cósmica: una revisión sistemática / Neoplasms in workers exposed to cosmic radiation: a systematic review

Introducción: La radiación cósmica, como tipo de radiación ionizante, se asocia con la inducción de cáncer en las personas expuestas. Dado que el nivel de exposición está relacionado con la altitud, los trabajadores expuestos a mayor radiación cósmica (pilotos de aerolínea, auxiliares de vuelo, astronautas) podrían estar expuestos a mayor riesgo de neoplasias. Objetivo: Identificar el riesgo de neoplasias en trabajadores expuestos a radiación cósmica. Método: Revisión sistemática de la literatura científica recogida en diferentes bases de datos hasta noviembre de 2021. Los términos utilizados como descriptores fueron: “Neoplasms”, “Occupational Exposure” y “Cosmic Radiation”. La búsqueda se completó con otros términos en texto libre y no se emplearon filtros (límites). Se incluyeron artículos originales de estudios observacionales y revisiones sistemáticas, cuya calidad fue evaluada a través de las guías STROBE y AMSTAR-2, respectivamente. Resultados: Se recuperaron 597 referencias, de las que se pudieron obtener a texto completo 10 artículos tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión y exclusión. En algunos de ellos se describe un aumento de riesgo de cáncer en trabajadores expuestos a la radiación cósmica, especialmente a cáncer de piel y a cáncer de mama, mientras que en otros no se evidenció una relación significativa entre la exposición a la radiación cósmica y el desarrollo de neoplasias. Conclusiones: No existe evidencia suficiente que demuestre el riesgo de neoplasias entre pilotos, auxiliares de vuelo y astronautas, por estar expuestos a la radiación cósmica (AU)

Introduction: Cosmic radiation, as a type of ionizing radiation, is associated with the induction of cancer in exposed people. Since the level of exposure is related to altitude, workers exposed to higher cosmic radiation (airline pilots, cabin crew, astronauts) could be exposed to a higher risk of neoplasms. Objective: To identify the risk of neoplasms in workers exposed to cosmic radiation. Method: Systematic review of scientific literature retrieved from different databases until November 2021. The terms used as descriptors were: “Neoplasms”, “Occupational Exposure” and “Cosmic Radiation”. The search was completed with other free-text terms and no filters (limits) were used. Original articles of observational studies and systematic reviews were included, whose quality was evaluated through the STROBE and AMSTAR-2 guidelines, respectively. Results: 597 references were retrieved. From these, 10 articles could be obtained in full text after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Some of them describe an increased risk of cancer in workers exposed to cosmic radiation, especially skin cancer and breast cancer, while others did not show a significant relationship between exposure to cosmic radiation and the development of neoplasms. Conclusions: There is not enough evidence to demonstrate the risk of neoplasms among pilots, flight attendants and astronauts, due to being exposed to cosmic radiation (AU)

[Analysis of the status of cardiac rehabilitation in Spain: an exploratory review].

Little is known about the characteristics of the cardiac rehabilitation programs currently implemented in Spain, the aim was therefore to know more about the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with ischemic heart disease in Spain, through an exploratory systematic review of the scientific literature on cardiac rehabilitation carried out in different databases from 2010 to 2018. We reviewed 35 articles whose objective was to measure the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation programs from different perspectives. More than twice as many men as women participated and only 8.6% were clinical trials. The studies showed improvements in relation to mortality and physiological and quality of life variables, but with discrepant results in morbidity, moods, maintenance long-term healthy habits and profitability of the programs.

Efficacy and safety of topical finasteride spray solution for male androgenetic alopecia: a phase III, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral finasteride is a well-established treatment for men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), but long-term therapy is not always acceptable to patients. A topical finasteride formulation has been developed to minimize systemic exposure by acting specifically on hair follicles. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical finasteride compared with placebo, and to analyse systemic exposure and overall benefit compared with oral finasteride. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, double dummy, parallel-group, 24-week study was conducted in adult male outpatients with AGA at 45 sites in Europe. Efficacy and safety were evaluated. Finasteride, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations were measured. RESULTS: Of 458 randomized patients, 323 completed the study and 446 were evaluated for safety. Change from baseline in target area hair count (TAHC) at week 24 (primary efficacy endpoint) was significantly greater with topical finasteride than placebo (adjusted mean change 20.2 vs. 6.7 hairs; P < 0.001), and numerically similar between topical and oral finasteride. Statistically significant differences favouring topical finasteride over placebo were observed for change from baseline in TAHC at week 12 and investigator-assessed change from baseline in patient hair growth/loss at week 24. Incidence and type of adverse events, and cause of discontinuation, did not differ meaningfully between topical finasteride and placebo. No serious adverse events were treatment related. As maximum plasma finasteride concentrations were >100 times lower, and reduction from baseline in mean serum DHT concentration was lower (34.5 vs. 55.6%), with topical vs. oral finasteride, there is less likelihood of systemic adverse reactions of a sexual nature related to a decrease in DHT with topical finasteride. CONCLUSION: Topical finasteride significantly improves hair count compared to placebo and is well tolerated. Its effect is similar to that of oral finasteride, but with markedly lower systemic exposure and less impact on serum DHT concentrations.

Stable body size of Alpine ungulates.

In many species, decreasing body size has been associated with increasing temperatures. Although climate-induced phenotypic shifts, and evolutionary impacts, can affect the structure and functioning of marine and terrestrial ecosystems through biological and metabolic rules, evidence for shrinking body size is often challenged by (i) relatively short intervals of observation, (ii) a limited number of individuals, and (iii) confinement to small and isolated populations. To overcome these issues and provide important multi-species, long-term information for conservation managers and scientists, we compiled and analysed 222 961 measurements of eviscerated body weight, 170 729 measurements of hind foot length and 145 980 measurements of lower jaw length, in the four most abundant Alpine ungulate species: ibex (Capra ibex), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Regardless of age, sex and phylogeny, the body mass and size of these sympatric animals, from the eastern Swiss Alps, remained stable between 1991 and 2013. Neither global warming nor local hunting influenced the fitness of the wild ungulates studied at a detectable level. However, we cannot rule out possible counteracting effects of enhanced nutritional resources associated with longer and warmer growing seasons, as well as the animals' ability to migrate along extensive elevational gradients in the highly diversified alpine landscape of this study.

SciFi detector and associated method for real-time determination of profile and output factor for small fields in stereotactic radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: For determining small-field profile and output factor during stereotactic radiotherapy quality assurance (QA) procedures, we propose a novel system based on the scintillating fiber (SciFi) detector with output image acquisition and processing to allow real-time monitoring of profile and output factor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The employed detector is a SciFi detector made of tissue-equivalent scintillating plastic fibers arranged in 6-layer fiber ribbons with a fiber pitch of 275 µm in each layer. The scintillating signal at the detector output is acquired by a sCMOS (scientific complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera and represents the projected field profile along the fibers axis. An iterative reconstruction method of the field from its projected profile based on a priori knowledge of some features of the radiation field defined by the stereotactic cones is suggested. The detector with implemented data processing has been tested in clinical conditions, for determining beam profiles and output factors, using cone collimators of different sizes from 4 to 15 mm diameter. The detector under test was placed at 1.4 cm depth and 98.6 cm source to surface distance (SSD) in a water-equivalent phantom and irradiated by a 6 MV photon beam. RESULTS: The reconstructed field profiles obtained from the detector are coherent with data from EBT3 radiochromic films, with differences within ±0.32 mm for both the FWHM and the penumbra region. For real-time determination of the field output factor, the measured data are also in good agreement with data independently determined by the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) based on radiochromic films and thermoluminescent 1 × 1 mm2 micro-cubes dosimeters (TLD). The differences are within ±1.6% for all the tested cone sizes. CONCLUSIONS: We propose and have tested a SciFi plastic scintillating detector with an optimized signal processing method to characterize small fields defined by cone collimators. It allows the determination of key field parameters such as full width at half maximum (FWHM) and field output factors. The results are consistent with those independently measured using TLD and radiochromic films. As the SciFi detector does not require a correction factor, it is in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) TRS-483 recommendations, and can be suitable for online QA of small radiation fields used in photon beam radiotherapy, and is compatible with MRI-LINAC.

Some naturally occurring radionuclides (NORM) in a river affected by acid mining drainages.

The mining activities performed in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (south of Spain) have generated since long-time acid mining drainage (AMD) inputs to the Odiel River and its tributaries. These inputs are continuing nowadays, with origin mostly in the abandoned mines that cover the area, provoking a steady-state situation where the river waters present very low pH and very high concentrations of different heavy metals. In this work, the behavior of several natural radionuclides (210Po, Th- and U-isotopes) in water and sediment samples collected in the Odiel River and its tributaries have been analyzed and their levels determined looking for assessing the radiological environmental impact of the AMD.

Maxillary osteotomy complications in piezoelectric surgery compared to conventional surgical techniques: a systematic review.

A systematic review was conducted to investigate the available evidence on maxillary complications related to piezoelectric and conventional surgery. Seven databases were searched. A total of 996 maxillary osteotomies were analysed, 864 performed with conventional tools and 132 with a piezoelectric device. One hundred and fifty-six complication events were reported. The complications, in descending order of overall prevalence, were as follows: neurosensory disturbance (64.7%), haemorrhage (8.3%), oroantral communication (7.7%), soft tissue injury (7.7%), tooth injury (5.1%), infection (3.2%), osteonecrosis (1.9%), and permanent nerve injury (1.3%). Among the complications, the results showed the highest prevalence for neurosensory disturbance, and haemorrhage was the most reported complication and the second most prevalent complication. A three-fold meta-analysis was performed. Using GRADEpro, the level of evidence was determined for each complication. The current low level of evidence suggests that piezoelectric bone surgery reduces critical and important complications during maxillary osteotomy procedures, such as neurosensory disturbance, haemorrhage, oroantral communication, tooth injury, and permanent nerve injury. However, an effective comparison between the two techniques was difficult to perform with the current available literature. Due to the small sample sizes in the piezoelectric surgery studies, caution should be exercised when considering almost non-existent reported complications.

Meteoric 10Be in aerosol filters in the city of Seville.

Cosmogenic radionuclides in the one-million-year half-life range, like 10Be, find application fields in several Sciences. They are powerful tools in Geology and Geochronology, as they are very important tracers on the Earth, being utilized as chronometer. Meteoric 10Be (T1/2 = 1.39 × 106 y) associated to aerosols can be used as a tracer of atmospheric processes and specifically as indicators of the cosmogenic interactions in lower Stratosphere, upper Troposphere, the air exchange between both and deposition processes on the Earth surface. The applications of 10Be are even more relevant when combined with other radionuclides such as 26Al. In order to provide new data about concentration 10Be in this type of samples, the first atmospheric air filters in Spain have been analysed. Values around 104 at/m3 (atoms per cubic meter of air) for 10Be have been obtained. Due to the location and the features of the sampling site (urban area, at sea level and mid latitude), a new radiochemical procedure was designed and developed in our laboratory for the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) measurement of 10Be in this kind of samples. The samples were measured in SARA, the 1 MV AMS system at Centro Nacional de Aceleradores (CNA).

Author Correction: Tree rings reveal globally coherent signature of cosmogenic radiocarbon events in 774 and 993 CE.

The original version of this Article contained an error in the Data Availability section, which incorrectly read 'All data will be freely available via https://www.ams.ethz.ch/research.html .' The correct version states ' http://www.ams.ethz.ch/research/published-data.html ' in place of ' https://www.ams.ethz.ch/research.html '. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Tree rings reveal globally coherent signature of cosmogenic radiocarbon events in 774 and 993 CE.

Though tree-ring chronologies are annually resolved, their dating has never been independently validated at the global scale. Moreover, it is unknown if atmospheric radiocarbon enrichment events of cosmogenic origin leave spatiotemporally consistent fingerprints. Here we measure the 14C content in 484 individual tree rings formed in the periods 770-780 and 990-1000 CE. Distinct 14C excursions starting in the boreal summer of 774 and the boreal spring of 993 ensure the precise dating of 44 tree-ring records from five continents. We also identify a meridional decline of 11-year mean atmospheric radiocarbon concentrations across both hemispheres. Corroborated by historical eye-witness accounts of red auroras, our results suggest a global exposure to strong solar proton radiation. To improve understanding of the return frequency and intensity of past cosmic events, which is particularly important for assessing the potential threat of space weather on our society, further annually resolved 14C measurements are needed.