Waterborne protozoan outbreaks: An update on the global, regional, and national prevalence from 2017 to 2020 and sources of contamination

2022 ◽  
Vol 806 ◽  
pp. 150562
Author(s):  
Jun-Yang Ma ◽  
Man-Yao Li ◽  
Ze-Zheng Qi ◽  
Ming Fu ◽  
Tian-Feng Sun ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Marylyn Bennett-Lilley ◽  
Thomas T.H. Fu ◽  
David D. Yin ◽  
R. Allen Bowling

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) tungsten metallization is used to increase VLSI device performance due to its low resistivity, and improved reliability over other metallization schemes. Because of its conformal nature as a blanket film, CVD-W has been adapted to multiple levels of metal which increases circuit density. It has been used to fabricate 16 MBIT DRAM technology in a manufacturing environment, and is the metallization for 64 MBIT DRAM technology currently under development. In this work, we investigate some sources of contamination. One possible source of contamination is impurities in the feed tungsten hexafluoride (WF6) gas. Another is particle generation from the various reactor components. Another generation source is homogeneous particle generation of particles from the WF6 gas itself. The purpose of this work is to investigate and analyze CVD-W process-generated particles, and establish a particle characterization methodology.


Author(s):  
Victor K. F. Chia ◽  
Hugh E. Gotts ◽  
Fuhe Li ◽  
Mark Camenzind

Abstract Semiconductor devices are sensitive to contamination that can cause product defects and product rejects. There are many possible types and sources of contamination. Root cause resolution of the contamination source can improve yield. The purpose of contamination troubleshooting is to identify and eliminate major yield limiters. This requires the use of a variety of analytical techniques[1]. Most important, it requires an understanding of the principle of contamination troubleshooting and general knowledge of analytical tests. This paper describes a contamination troubleshooting approach with case studies as examples of its application.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2152
Author(s):  
Konrad Wojnarowski ◽  
Paweł Podobiński ◽  
Paulina Cholewińska ◽  
Jakub Smoliński ◽  
Karolina Dorobisz

Nowadays, there is a growing interest in environmental pollution; however, knowledge about this aspect is growing at an insufficient pace. There are many potential sources of environmental contamination, including sex hormones—especially estrogens. The analyzed literature shows that estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), estriol (E3), and synthetic ethinyloestradiol (EE2) are the most significant in terms of environmental impact. Potential sources of contamination are, among others, livestock farms, slaughterhouses, and large urban agglomerations. Estrogens occurring in the environment can negatively affect the organisms, such as animals, through phenomena such as feminization, dysregulation of natural processes related to reproduction, lowering the physiological condition of the organisms, disturbances in the regulation of both proapoptotic and anti-apoptotic processes, and even the occurrence of neoplastic processes thus drastically decreasing animal welfare. Unfortunately, the amount of research conducted on the negative consequences of their impact on animal organisms is many times smaller than that of humans, despite the great richness and diversity of the fauna. Therefore, there is a need for further research to help fill the gaps in our knowledge.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110201
Author(s):  
Marilyn Clark ◽  
Jamie Bonnici ◽  
Andrew Azzopardi

Loneliness has been examined by an increasing number of scholars, being implicated in numerous detrimental outcomes for mental and physical health. However, most loneliness prevalence studies have focused on particular age groups, thus overlooking how loneliness differs across the lifespan. This study assessed loneliness prevalence in a nationally representative sample ( n = 1,009) of the Maltese population aged 11 years and above using the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, while also identifying associations between loneliness and sociodemographic factors. Results demonstrate that 43.5% of the Maltese population experiences some form of loneliness. The association between loneliness and age demonstrates a nonlinear relationship, with elevated loneliness rates among adolescents, which decrease slightly in early adulthood, before slowly increasing from age 35 onward. Loneliness is also significantly associated with education level, employment status, household composition, mortgage payment status, perception of income, presence of a disability, active citizenship, as well as self-rated physical health, coping ability, and subjective wellbeing. These findings indicate that loneliness is experienced in significant rates across the lifespan, and intervention efforts should be targeted toward individuals of all ages.


2021 ◽  
pp. 073346482110236
Author(s):  
Regina A. Shih ◽  
Esther M. Friedman ◽  
Emily K. Chen ◽  
Grace C. Whiting

Objectives To estimate the national prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of gray market utilization, consisting of paid providers who are unrelated to the recipient, not working for a regulated agency, and potentially unscreened and untrained, for aging and dementia-related long-term care. Methods We surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,037 American Life Panel respondents aged 18 years and older. Results Nearly a third of Americans who arranged paid care sought gray market care for persons with dementia, and most (65%) combined it with unpaid care. Respondents who arranged gray market care had 66% lower odds of currently working, and those living in rural areas had an almost 5-times higher odds of arranging dementia gray market care. Discussion Gray market care represents a substantial proportion of paid, long-term care for older adults and may fill gaps in access to care.


2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (3) ◽  
pp. 4107-4120
Author(s):  
J Bentley ◽  
C G Tinney ◽  
S Sharma ◽  
D Wright

ABSTRACT We present criteria for the selection of M-dwarfs down to G < 14.5 using all-sky survey data, with a view to identifying potential M-dwarfs, to be confirmed spectroscopically by the FunnelWeb survey. Two sets of criteria were developed. The first, based on absolute magnitude in the Gaia G passband, with MG > 7.7, selects 76,392 stars, with 81.0 per cent expected to be M-dwarfs at a completeness of >97 per cent. The second is based on colour and uses Gaia, WISE, and 2MASS all-sky photometry. This criteria identifies 94,479 candidate M-dwarfs, of which between 29.4 per cent and 47.3 per cent are expected to be true M-dwarfs, and which contains 99.6 per cent of expected M-dwarfs. Both criteria were developed using synthetic galaxy model predictions, and a previously spectroscopically classified set of M- and K-dwarfs, to evaluate both M-dwarf completeness and false-positive detections (i.e. the non-M-dwarf contamination rate). Both criteria used in combination demonstrate how each excludes different sources of contamination. We therefore developed a final set of criteria that combines absolute magnitude and colour selection to identify 74,091 stars. All these sets of criteria select numbers of objects feasible for confirmation via massively multiplexed spectroscopic surveys like FunnelWeb.


2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalila Moualek ◽  
Lamia Ali Pacha ◽  
Samira Abrouk ◽  
Mohamed Islam Kediha ◽  
Sonia Nouioua ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Regina Ama Banu ◽  
Jorge Matheu Alvarez ◽  
Anthony J. Reid ◽  
Wendemagegn Enbiale ◽  
Appiah-Korang Labi ◽  
...  

Infections by Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-Ec) are on the increase in Ghana, but the level of environmental contamination with this organism, which may contribute to growing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), is unknown. Using the WHO OneHealth Tricycle Protocol, we investigated the contamination of E. coli (Ec) and ESBL-Ec in two rivers in Ghana (Odaw in Accra and Okurudu in Kasoa) that receive effluents from human and animal wastewater hotspots over a 12-month period. Concentrations of Ec, ESBL-Ec and percent ESBL-Ec/Ec were determined per 100 mL sample. Of 96 samples, 94 (98%) were positive for ESBL-Ec. concentrations per 100 mL (MCs100) of ESBL-Ec and %ESBL-Ec from both rivers were 4.2 × 104 (IQR, 3.1 × 103–2.3 × 105) and 2.79 (IQR, 0.96–6.03), respectively. MCs100 were significantly lower in upstream waters: 1.8 × 104 (IQR, 9.0 × 103–3.9 × 104) as compared to downstream waters: 1.9 × 106 (IQR, 3.7 × 105–5.4 × 106). Both human and animal wastewater effluents contributed to the increased contamination downstream. This study revealed high levels of ESBL-Ec in rivers flowing through two cities in Ghana. There is a need to manage the sources of contamination as they may contribute to the acquisition and spread of ESBL-Ec in humans and animals, thereby contributing to AMR.


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