Isotopic heterogeneity in U.S. Urban water supply systems reflects climatic, environmental, and sociodemographic factors: Implications for forensic identification.

The forensic application of stable oxygen isotope data from human tissues depends on naturally occurring isotopic variation in drinking water across geographic areas. One factor which complicates interpretation of forensic data is local variability: if a wide range of drinking water values is in a small geographic region it may be difficult to identify or rule out that region as a location of origin. We examine data from community collection programs documenting tap water isotope variation within 30 cities\developed areas throughout the United States.

Experimental Assessment of Corrosion Properties for Materials Intended for Heavy Crude Processing.

Heavy crude oil processing presents significant challenges owing to its complex composition and requirement for processing conditions, which increase the process safety risk in crude processing units, such as fixed equipment, for instance pressure vessels and pipes. The aim of this work is to evaluate the influence of heavy crude oils named A and B and the effect of sulfur-rich compounds and organic acids on the performance at high temperatures of three metallic alloys (5Cr-1/2Mo/ASTM A335GP5, X6CrNiMoTi17122/AISI-SAE 316Ti and Ni66.5Cu31.

Associations Among Racial Discrimination, Perceived Stress, and Birth Satisfaction in Black Women in the Postpartum Period.

Objective: To examine associations among experiences of racial discrimination, perceived stress, and birth satisfaction and to test if perceived stress mediates the relationship between racial discrimination and birth satisfaction among Black women in the postpartum period.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from the Biosocial Impact on Black Births study.

Setting: A postpartum unit of a large hospital in Central Florida.

A Systematic Evaluation for Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Non-institutionalized Elderly Patients with Home Care-based in the Community.

Oropharyngeal Dysphagia (OD) increases the risk of hospitalization and the use of health services; however, it is often detected and studied in institutionalized patients with limited attention given to the community. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of OD and its associated factors after conducting a program consisting of a systematic assessment of OD for in patients living independently in their dwellings and requiring home-based care. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving a systematic assessment of disabled and elderly patients enrolled in a home-based primary care program at three urban centers (Barcelona, Spain).

Experimental evidence of a Neotropical pest insect moderately tolerant to complete freezing.

Due to climate change, many regions are experiencing progressively milder winters. Consequently, pest insects from warm regions, particularly those with some tolerance to low temperatures, could expand their geographic range into these traditionally colder regions. The palm borer moth (Paysandisia archon) is a Neotropical insect that in recent decades has reached Europe and Asia as one of the worst pests of palm trees.