Spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of invasive and native mosquitoes in a large Mediterranean city.

Mosquitoes, including invasive species like the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, alongside native species Culex pipiens s.l., pose a significant nuisance to humans and serve as vectors for mosquito-borne diseases in urban areas. Understanding the impact of water infrastructure characteristics, climatic conditions, and management strategies on mosquito occurrence and effectiveness of control measures to assess their implications on mosquito occurrence is crucial for effective vector control. In this study, we examined data collected during the local vector control program in Barcelona, Spain, focusing on 234,225 visits to 31,334 different sewers, as well as 1817 visits to 152 fountains between 2015 and 2019. We investigated both the colonization and recolonization processes of mosquito larvae within these water infrastructures. Our findings revealed higher larval presence in sandbox-sewers compared to siphonic or direct sewers, and the presence of vegetation and the use of naturalized water positively influenced larval occurrence in fountains. The application of larvicidal treatment significantly reduced larvae presence; however, recolonization rates were negatively affected by the time elapsed since treatment. Climatic conditions played a critical role in the colonization and recolonization of sewers and urban fountains, with mosquito occurrence exhibiting non-linear patterns and, generally, increasing at intermediate temperatures and accumulated rainfall levels. This study emphasizes the importance of considering sewers and fountains characteristics and climatic conditions when implementing vector control programs to optimize resources and effectively reduce mosquito populations.

TL glow curve and kinetic analysis of Na2SiO3:Pr3+ under beta radiation effect.

Ionizing radiation dosimetry with thermoluminescence (TL) materials based on silicon or glass can be interesting in its potential use in radiation monitoring as the solution to the constant looking of development of new radiation detectors. In this work, TL characteristics of sodium silicate exposed to beta radiation effects were studied. TL response beta irradiated exhibited a glow curve with two peaks centered at 398 K and 473 K. Samples showed linearity from 0.55 to 13.2 Gy. TL readings after 10 times showed a repeatability with an error of less than 1%. Remain information showed significant losses during the first 24 h, but its information was almost constant after 72 h of storage. The Tmax-Tstop method exhibited three peaks which were mathematically analyzed with a general order deconvolution finding kinetic orders close to the second order for the first peak, meanwhile the kinetic order for the second peak and third peak are close to second order. Finally, the VHR method showed anomalous TL glow curve behavior with an increasing intensity TL as the heating rate increased.

Thermoluminescent studies of GdAlO3 powders.

The increasing use of thermoluminescence (TL) materials as radiation detectors with application in different areas of ionizing radiation has motivated research on new materials with adequate luminescent characteristics. In this work, experimental results gadolinium aluminate (GdAlO3) analyzed by thermoluminescent phenomenon under beta irradiation effect are studied. To prepare GdAlO3 powders the coprecipitation method was used. TL glow curve and other luminescent characteristics were analyzed using an automatic Lexsig Smart TL/OSL luminescent reader. TL glow curve showed four peaks with three prominent and well-defined peaks centered at 140, 230, and 270 °C. TL response as a function of beta radiation dose was linearity in the range from 1.1 up to 44 Gy. Kinetic parameters such as activation energy (E), frequency factor (s), and order of kinetics after the deconvolution of the TL glow curve were also determined using Chen's peak shape method. Experimental results show GdAlO3 as a potential luminescent host material for TL studies.

Thermally coupled energy levels of Eu 3+ within the BaHfO3 matrix, excited with UV radiation.

The present work reports the study of the thermally coupled energy levels of the trivalent europium ion in the barium hafnate matrix, in the temperature range of 289.7-323.8 K, through the application of ultraviolet radiation. Barium hafnate doped with 1, 3, and 5 atomic % trivalent europium ion was synthesized by the hydrothermal route, using chlorides as precursor elements. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the material crystallized in the perovskite cubic phase of barium hafnate, according to diffraction card file number #24-0102. Using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, it was observed that the obtained crystals have an average size of 10 nm. From the photoluminescent analysis at room temperature, it was found that the sample doped with 3.0% atomic of trivalent europium displayed with the highest luminescent emission, while the photoluminescent analysis as a function of temperature showed that the bands associated with the 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 1,2,3,4) transitions have a strong dependence on temperature in the physical range.

Determinants of the current and future distribution of the West Nile virus mosquito vector Culex pipiens in Spain.

Changes in environmental conditions, whether related or not to human activities, are continuously modifying the geographic distribution of vectors, which in turn affects the dynamics and distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases. Determining the main ecological drivers of vector distribution and how predicted changes in these drivers may alter their future distributions is therefore of major importance. However, the drivers of vector populations are largely specific to each vector species and region. Here, we identify the most important human-activity-related and bioclimatic predictors affecting the current distribution and habitat suitability of the mosquito Culex pipiens and potential future changes in its distribution in Spain. We determined the niche of occurrence (NOO) of the species, which considers only those areas lying within the range of suitable environmental conditions using presence data. Although almost ubiquitous, the distribution of Cx. pipiens is mostly explained by elevation and the degree of urbanization but also, to a lesser extent, by mean temperatures during the wettest season and temperature seasonality. The combination of these predictors highlights the existence of a heterogeneous pattern of habitat suitability, with most suitable areas located in the southern and northeastern coastal areas of Spain, and unsuitable areas located at higher altitude and in colder regions. Future climatic predictions indicate a net decrease in distribution of up to 29.55%, probably due to warming and greater temperature oscillations. Despite these predicted changes in vector distribution, their effects on the incidence of infectious diseases are, however, difficult to forecast since different processes such as local adaptation to temperature, vector-pathogen interactions, and human-derived changes in landscape may play important roles in shaping the future dynamics of pathogen transmission.

Measurement of percentage dose at the surface for a 6 MV photon beam.

AIM: To evaluate if a radiochromic film (RF) Gafchromic EBT3 is suitable for surface dose measurements of radiotherapy treatments performed with a 6 MV linear accelerator. Two aspects of RF were analyzed, beam energy dependence and surface dose determination. BACKGROUND: The measurements done at the surface or near the radiation source are done without charged electronic equilibrium and also have contribution of electron contamination. The detectors used for these measurements should not alter the dose to the target. To counteract these dosimetric problems it is proposed to do the measurements with radiochromic films which are thin detectors and have tissue equivalent properties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The measurements were done using a Novalis linear accelerator (LINAC) with nominal energy of 6 MV. To determine the surface dose, the total scatter factors (TSF) of three different field sizes were measured in a water phantom at 5 cm depth. Energy dependence of EBT3 was studied at three different depths, using a solid water phantom. The surface measurements were done with the RF for the same field sizes of the TSF measurements. The value of the percentage depth dose was calculated normalizing the doses measured in the RF with the LINAC output, at 5 cm depth, and the TSF. RESULTS: The radiochromic films showed almost energy independence, the differences between the curves are 1.7% and 1.8% for the 1.5 cm and 10 cm depth, respectively. The percentage depth doses values at the surface measured for the 10 cm × 10 cm, 5 cm × 5 cm and 1 cm × 1 cm were 26.1 ± 1.3%, 21.3 ± 2.4% and 20.2 ± 2.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The RF-EBT3 seems to be a detector suitable for measurements of the dose at the surface. This suggests that RF-EBT3 films might be good candidates as detectors for in vivo dosimetry.

Luminescent behavior of Eu3+ doped BaHfO3 perovskite ceramic under UV radiation.

In this paper, luminescent properties of Europium trivalent ion in the matrix with unbalanced charge of barium hafnate under UV radiation, with special emphasis on the 5D0 → 7F0 transition are reported. The synthesis was conducted by the hydrothermal route at 200 °C with a reaction time of 90 min using chlorides as raw materials. In order to determinate the luminescent quenching concentration, the samples were doped with different amounts of Europium trivalent ions being the sample doped with 1 and 3% at of Eu3+ which shows the highest luminescent emission. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the material crystallize in the cubic perovskite structure with space group Pm-3m. The Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) shows there are not elements other those that Ba, Hf, O and Eu in the synthesized material. Photoluminescent emission spectra show peaks of emission associated with the 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 0,1,2,3,4) transitions, characteristics of europium ion. The 5D0 → 7F0 transition centered at 580 nm showed an unusual great intensity when it was excited with the wavelength associated with the charge transfer band (272 nm). Finally the decay time was measured in the 5D0 → 7FJ (J = 0,1,2,3,4) transitions using the sample doped with Eu3+ (3% at).

OSL dosimeters for dental panoramic radiography.

The aim of the present work is to determine dosimetric characteristics of commercial optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) to estimate equivalent dose in the patient undergoing panoramic radiography procedure. Digital panoramic unit "Instrumentarium OP200D" was used. OSL dosimeters were optically bleached before any exposure procedure. InLight™ OSL nanodosimeters were placed on the thyroid surface between the head and neck. The exposure parameters for all measurements was standard value consisted in 66 kV, 5 mA, and 14.1 s. Standard size field of view (FOV) scanning mode was used. Dosimeters were calibrated for the air kerma. Reported male adult equivalent doses from 21 to 45 µSv for each scanning for standard size field of view (FOV). Meanwhile reported female adult equivalent doses from 28 to 75 µSv for standard size field of view (FOV) considering all heights. The lowest equivalent dose (21 µSv) was observed in the male thyroid gland surface (S) position for medium height. The highest equivalent dose (75 µSv) was for female small height in the right parotid surface (R) position. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that OSL dosimeters are appropriate in vivo dosimetry system for dental panoramic dose measurements.

Optically and thermally stimulated luminescence characteristics of LaAlO3:Pr3+ beta irradiated.

This paper reports on an investigation into the thermally stimulated luminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) characteristics of novel luminescent phosphor. A new Pr3+-doped, lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3)-based luminescent phosphor is developed. Samples of LaAlO3:Pr3+ were irradiated to beta doses, in air, from 0.1Gy up to 50Gy and then were analyzed using both TL and continuous wavelength OSL (CW-OSL) techniques to determine their luminescent characteristics. This phosphor shows a TL glow curve, after its irradiation to beta radiation, with two TL peaks: one located around 160°C and a second at 300°C. CW-OSL response presented a fast decay into the first 20s of blue light stimulation. TL and CW-OSL response as a function of beta radiation dose were linear in the studied dose range. The high sensitivity of the CW-OSL and TL response will make this phosphor suitable for beta radiation detection. Finally, the kinetic parameters of activation energy, frequency factor and kinetic order were analyzed in the TL response using computerized glow curve deconvolution based on general order kinetic model.

Synthesis and thermoluminescence of LaAlO3:Pr3+ to UVC radiation dosimetry.

Thermoluminescent (TL) response of trivalent praseodymium ion doped lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3:Pr3+) obtained by Pechini method and Spray Dryer was studied. TL response of LaAlO3:Pr3+ powders submitted at 1600°C exhibited one peak centered at 157°C. Sensitivity of LaAlO3:Pr3+ was improved in around 90 times compared with undoped LaAlO3. TL response as a function of wavelength showed a maximum in 230nm. Dosimetric characteristics of LaAlO3:Pr3+ under UVR radiation effects were analyzed. Evaluation of activation energy was obtained by Glow Fit v.1.3 software. Experimental results about thermoluminescent characteristics of LaAlO3:Pr3+ suggest as good candidate to be employed as a complementary thermoluminescent device with other TL phosphors as aluminum oxide.

Diagnostic radiology dosimetry: Status and trends.

Since 1970s the expression of protection standards shifted from a dose -to a risk-based approach, with dose limits established to yield risks to medical radiation workers. Worldwide interest in patient dose measurement was stimulated by the publication of Patient Dose Reduction in Diagnostic Radiology by the UK National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). This has resulted in the development of new dosimetric measuring instruments, techniques and terminologies which present challenges to those working in the clinic al environment and those supporting them in calibration facilities. In this sense, thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) has been actively developed in the past last 3 decades thanks to their successful applications in diagnostic radiology. The present work analyzes current status and future trends of diagnostic radiology dosimetry using thermoluminescence phenomena.

Thermoluminescent characteristics of LiF:Mg, Cu, P and CaSO4:Dy for low dose measurement.

Thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics for LiF:Mg, Cu, P, and CaSO4:Dy under the homogeneous field of X-ray beams of diagnostic irradiation and its verification using thermoluminescence dosimetry are presented. The irradiation were performed utilizing a conventional X-ray equipment installed at the Hospital Juárez Norte of México. Different thermoluminescence characteristics of two material were studied, such as batch homogeneity, glow curve, linearity, detection threshold, reproducibility, relative sensitivity and fading. Materials were calibrated in terms of absorbed dose to the standard calibration distance and they were positioned in a generic phantom. The dose analysis, verification and comparison with the measurements obtained by the TLD-100 were performed. Results indicate that the dosimetric peak appears at 202°C and 277.5°C for LiF:Mg, Cu, P and CaSO4:Dy, respectively. TL response as a function of X-ray dose showed a linearity behavior in the very low dose range for all materials. However, the TLD-100 is not accurate for measurements below 4mGy. CaSO4:Dy is 80% more sensitive than TLD-100 and it show the lowest detection threshold, whereas LiF:Mg, Cu, P is 60% more sensitive than TLD-100. All materials showed very good repeatability. Fading for a period of one month at room temperature showed low fading LiF:Mg, Cu, P, medium and high for TLD-100 and CaSO4:Dy. The results suggest that CaSO4:Dy and LiF:Mg, Cu, P are suitable for measurements at low doses used in radiodiagnostic.

Effect of correction methods of radiochromic EBT2 films on the accuracy of IMRT QA.

Radiochromic films are dosimeters with more favorable characteristics than other two-dimensional (2D) radiation detectors. Transmission film scanners using a linear charge-coupled device (CCD) array have a drawback of variation in response along the detector array, which may result in a nonuniform transmission of signal over the scanned image. This study uses 2D gamma index analysis to compare two methods for correcting the nonuniform response of EBT2: the first method was based on the new red:blue method proposed by the manufacturer (to compensate for small nonuniformities in the film coating) and the second method, proposed by Menegotti et al. (2008), was based on dose-dependent matrix correction factors. The gamma index analysis shows that both the methods are comparably accurate for all the criteria values used for evaluation (1 mm/1%, 2 mm/2%, 3 mm/3%). Centers around the world use both the methods to correct EBT2 local heterogeneities, but it is important to note that the former method has several advantages such as less time consumption and easy implementation.

Thermoluminescent dosimeters for low dose X-ray measurements.

The response of TLD-100, CaSO4:Dy and LiF:Mg,Cu,P for a range of X-ray low dose was measured. For calibration, the TLDs were arranged at the center of the X-ray field. The dose output of the X-ray machine was determined using an ACCU-Gold. All dosimeters were exposed at the available air kerma values of 14.69 mGy within a field 10×10 cm(2) at 80 cm of SSD. Results of LiF:Mg,Cu,P X-ray irradiated showed 4.8 times higher sensitivity than TLD-100. Meanwhile, TL response of CaSO4:Dy exposed at the same dose was 5.6 time higher than TLD-100. Experimental results show for low dose X-ray measurements a better linearity for LiF:Mg,Cu,P compared with that of TLD-100. CaSO4:Dy showed a linearity from 0.1 to 60 mGy.

Thermal effect on thermoluminescence response of hydroxyapatite.

This paper presents the experimental results of the thermoluminescence (TL) induced by gamma radiation in synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) obtained by the precipitation method, using Ca(NO3)2·4H2O and (NH4)2HPO4 and calcined at different temperatures. The structural and morphological characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. TL response as a function of gamma radiation dose was in a wide range, where intensity was enhanced in the sample annealed at 900°C, which tricalcium diphosphate (TCP) phase appear. Fading of the TL was also studied.

Effect of dosimeter type for commissioning small photon beams on calculated dose distribution in stereotactic radiosurgery.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of the detector used to commission small photon beams on the calculated dose distribution in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). METHODS: In this study, six types of detectors were used to characterize small photon beams: three diodes [a silicon stereotactic field diode SFD, a silicon diode SRS, and a silicon diode E], an ionization chamber CC01, and two types of radiochromic film models EBT and EBT2. These detectors were used to characterize circular collimated beams that were generated by a Novalis linear accelerator. This study was conducted in two parts. First, the following dosimetric data, which are of particular interest in SRS, were compared for the different detectors: the total scatter factor (TSF), the tissue phantom ratios (TPRs), and the off-axis ratios (OARs). Second, the commissioned data sets were incorporated into the treatment planning system (TPS) to compare the calculated dose distributions and the dose volume histograms (DVHs) that were obtained using the different detectors. RESULTS: The TSFs data measured by all of the detectors were in good agreement with each other within the respective statistical uncertainties: two exceptions, where the data were systematically below those obtained for the other detectors, were the CC01 results for all of the circular collimators and the EBT2 film results for circular collimators with diameters below 10.0 mm. The OAR results obtained for all of the detectors were in excellent agreement for all of the circular collimators. This observation was supported by the gamma-index test. The largest difference in the TPR data was found for the 4.0 mm circular collimator, followed by the 10.0 and 20.0 mm circular collimators. The results for the calculated dose distributions showed that all of the detectors passed the gamma-index test at 100% for the 3 mm/3% criteria. The aforementioned observation was true regardless of the size of the calculation grid for all of the circular collimators. Finally, the dose volume histogram results were independent of the size of the calculation grid used. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that all of the studied detectors produced similar commissioned data sets for the TPS dose calculations. However, this result only validated the dose distribution calculation in the TPS and could not be used to assess the dose delivery to the target in which the TFS data were used to calculate the monitor units (the TFS data were not used in the TPS dose distribution calculation). Therefore, this study could not be used to determine the most accurate detector commissioning data set; however, all of the detectors exhibited superior performance for the relative dosimetry of small photon beams.

Photo-, cathodo- and thermoluminescent properties of dysprosium-doped HfO2 films deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis.

In this work, the photoluminescent (PL), cathodoluminescent (CL) and thermoluminescent (TL) properties of hafnium oxide films doped with trivalent dysprosium ions are reported. The films were deposited on glass substrates at temperatures ranging from 300 to 600°C, using chlorides as precursor reagents. The surface morphology of films showed a veins shaped microstructure at low deposition temperatures, while at higher temperatures the formation of spherical particles was observed on the surface. X-ray diffraction showed the presence of HfO2 monoclinic phase in the films deposited at temperatures greater than 400°C. The PL and CL spectra of the doped films showed the highest emission band centered at 575nm corresponding to the transitions (4)F9/2→(6)H13/2, which is a characteristic transition of Dy(3+) ion. The greatest emission intensities were observed in samples doped with 1 atomic percent (at%) of DyCl3 in the precursor solution. Regarding the TL behavior, the glow curve of HfO2:Dy(+3) films exhibited spectrum with one broad band centered at about 150°C. The highest intensity TL response was observed on the films deposited at 500°C.

Thermoluminescent characterization of HfO2:Tb3+ synthesized by hydrothermal route.

Thermo and photoluminescent properties of nanoparticles (NPs) of hafnium oxide (HfO2), both intrinsic and doped with terbium (Tb(3+)) are reported. The NPs of HfO2 were synthesized by hydrothermal route, using hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4) and terbium chloride hexahydrated (TbCl3∙6H2O) as precursors and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to adjust the pH. Deionized water was used as solvent in all cases. The synthesis was carried out at different dopant concentrations from 0 to 20 at% of terbium with respect to the amount of hafnium in the precursor solution. The temperature of hydrothermal treatment was 200 °C and 80 min of reaction time. X-ray diffraction results show that at terbium concentrations higher than 15 at% the HfO2 nanoparticles have a crystalline structure corresponding to the tetragonal phase. Thermoluminescent (TL) characterization was performed after 5 min irradiation of the samples with ultraviolet light of 200 nm wavelength. The highest TL emission was observed on samples with 7 at% of Tb, with the TL peak centered at 128 °C. Thermoluminescence analysis shows behavior associated with second-order kinetics with activation energy of 0.49 eV. Photoluminescent spectrum present the characteristics (5)D4→(7)FJ (J=3-6) terbium ion electronic transitions lines centered on 489 nm, 543 nm, 584 nm and 622 nm.

Semiconductor diode characterization for total skin electron irradiation.

In this paper, a semiconductor diode characterization was performed. The diode characterization was completed using an electron beam with 4 MeV of energy. The semiconductor diode calibration used irradiation with an electron beam in an ion chamber. "In vivo" dosimetry was also conducted. The dosimetry results revealed that the semiconductor diode was a good candidate for use in the total skin electron therapy (TSET) treatment control.

Electron absorbed dose measurements in LINACs by thermoluminescent dosimeters.

In this work, electron absorbed doses measurements in radiation therapy (RT) were obtained. Radiation measurements were made using thermoluminescent dosimeters of calcium sulfate doped with dysprosium (CaSO4:Dy) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2). TL response calibration was obtained by irradiating TLDs and a Farmer cylindrical ionization chamber PTW 30013 at the same time. Each TL material showed a typical glow curve according to each material. Both calcium sulfate doped with dysprosium and zirconium oxide exhibited better light intensity to high energy electron beam compared with lithium fluoride. TL response as a function of absorbed dose was analyzed. TL response as a function of high energy electron beam was also studied.