Global Average Value Research Articles

Variations of crustal thickness and average Vp/Vs ratio beneath the Shanxi Rift, North China, from receiver functions

The Shanxi Rift located in the central part of the North China Craton (NCC) as a boundary between the Ordos block and the Huabei basin. The Shanxi graben system is a Cenozoic rift and originated from back-arc spreading related to westward subduction of the western Pacific and far field effects caused by northward subduction of the Indian plate. It has also had strong earthquake activity in China since the Quaternary. To investigate the tectonic evolution and tectonic setting of strong earthquakes in the Shanxi Rift, we apply the receiver function H-kappa stacking method to determine the crustal thickness and average Vp/Vs ratio in the area. The results show that the thickness of the crust increases from approximately 30 km in the Huabei basin to approximately 47 km in the Yinshan Mountains with a close correlation between the Moho depth and topography. The Yuncheng, Linfen and Taiyuan grabens have varying degrees of crustal thinning. The crustal average Vp/Vs ratio in the Shanxi Rift has significant heterogeneity; the high Vp/Vs ratio (~ 1.85) are found in the Datong and Yuncheng grabens, and Vp/Vs ratio of the Taiyuan and Linfen grabens is approximately 1.75 which close to the global average value ~ 1.782. Combining the observations in this study with previous research, we suggest that the grabens in the Shanxi Rift experienced extensional deformation from south to north and that the possibility of strong earthquakes in the central part of the Shanxi seismic belt is greater than that on the northern and southern sides.

Life cycle assessment of clean ammonia synthesis from thermo-catalytic solar cracking of liquefied natural gas

Ammonia is considered a sustainable energy storage medium with zero carbon content. In this work, thermal catalytic cracking of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at elevated temperatures employing concentrated solar tower is considered to produce clean hydrogen (CO2-free) and studied in terms of life cycle emissions. The generated hydrogen is utilized for clean ammonia synthesis in a Haber-Bosch reactor. The proposed system is initially assessed from a thermodynamic perspective, considering energy and exergy analyses emphasizing optimization of operating conditions. Then, the proposed system's life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to analyze ammonia synthesis's environmental impacts. The aggregate environmental impact of the proposed system is quantified and compared with conventional production processes. Through the utilization of solar energy resources, ammonia production can be attained, avoiding high harmful emissions. The LCA study is carried out in GaBi software, and the selected impact assessment methodology is ReCiPe. The impact categories studied in this work are global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification, human toxicity, and particulate matter formation potential. Considering 30 years of use phase and allocation, the predicted GWP is approximately 0.616 kg CO2 (eq.)/kg NH3, showing the potential to reduce up to 69.2% of the GWP compared to the global average value. Concerning human toxicity and fine particulate matter formation impact categories, the system produces about 3.32E-2 kg 1,4-DB (eq.) and 5.96E-4 kg PM2.5 (eq.), respectively, per kg NH3. The results are further analyzed by dominance, break-even, and variation analyses in detail.

Genome-wide estimation of recombination, mutation and positive selection enlightens diversification drivers of Mycobacterium bovis

Genome sequencing has reinvigorated the infectious disease research field, shedding light on disease epidemiology, pathogenesis, host–pathogen interactions and also evolutionary processes exerted upon pathogens. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), enclosing M. bovis as one of its animal-adapted members causing tuberculosis (TB) in terrestrial mammals, is a paradigmatic model of bacterial evolution. As other MTBC members, M. bovis is postulated as a strictly clonal, slowly evolving pathogen, with apparently no signs of recombination or horizontal gene transfer. In this work, we applied comparative genomics to a whole genome sequence (WGS) dataset composed by 70 M. bovis from different lineages (European and African) to gain insights into the evolutionary forces that shape genetic diversification in M. bovis. Three distinct approaches were used to estimate signs of recombination. Globally, a small number of recombinant events was identified and confirmed by two independent methods with solid support. Still, recombination reveals a weaker effect on M. bovis diversity compared with mutation (overall r/m = 0.037). The differential r/m average values obtained across the clonal complexes of M. bovis in our dataset are consistent with the general notion that the extent of recombination may vary widely among lineages assigned to the same taxonomical species. Based on this work, recombination in M. bovis cannot be excluded and should thus be a topic of further effort in future comparative genomics studies for which WGS of large datasets from different epidemiological scenarios across the world is crucial. A smaller M. bovis dataset (n = 42) from a multi-host TB endemic scenario was then subjected to additional analyses, with the identification of more than 1,800 sites wherein at least one strain showed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The majority (87.1%) was located in coding regions, with the global ratio of non-synonymous upon synonymous alterations (dN/dS) exceeding 1.5, suggesting that positive selection is an important evolutionary force exerted upon M. bovis. A higher percentage of SNPs was detected in genes enriched into “lipid metabolism”, “cell wall and cell processes” and “intermediary metabolism and respiration” functional categories, revealing their underlying importance in M. bovis biology and evolution. A closer look on genes prone to horizontal gene transfer in the MTBC ancestor and included in the 3R (DNA repair, replication and recombination) system revealed a global average negative value for Taijima’s D neutrality test, suggesting that past selective sweeps and population expansion after a recent bottleneck remain as major evolutionary drivers of the obligatory pathogen M. bovis in its struggle with the host.

Index of the Cycle of Money - The Case of Greece

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to apply the theory of cycle of money in the case of Greece. Prior works have determined the economic characteristics of the case of Latvia, Serbia, and Bulgaria, according to the concept of the theory of cycle of money. The index of the cycle of money suggests how an economic system should counteract a monetary and fiscal crisis and studies how well-structured is Greece’s economy. The estimations of the index of the cycle of money of Greece are compared with the global average index of the cycle of money. The results reveal that Greece is above the average global value. Then, Greece’s results reveal that it is a well-structured economy and can face an economic crisis. The current work is important as represents the strength of Greece’s economy with emphasis to the period of 2012 - 2017, of financial and economic crisis. The theory of the cycle of money covers the gap that exists for the structure and functionality of the economy, which formed on the derivative of GDP, giving the cycle of money. Moreover, it is the only theory that enhances the economy, without any negative effect of the fiscal or the monetary policy, as uses the same amount of money of an economy appropriately.

Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon and Freeze‐Thaw Cycles Drive Seasonal Changes in Soil Microbial Quotient Along a Steep Altitudinal Gradient

AbstractUnderstanding seasonal changes in soil microbial quotient (qMB, i.e., the MBC‐to‐SOC ratio) along altitudinal gradients and their dominant drivers is essential for determining the effects of environmental changes on the soil organic carbon pool. A 3‐year in situ soil core incubation experiment was thus conducted in a dry valley shrub, a valley‐mountain ecotone forest, a subalpine coniferous forest, an alpine coniferous forest, and an alpine meadow across a 2,431‐m altitudinal gradient on eastern the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau. Soil qMB in the soil organic layer (OL) and mineral soil layer (ML) was measured at five critical periods. The average soil qMB was significantly higher in the alpine meadow than at other sites, with no significant difference among the other sites. The average soil qMB in this region was less than the global average value (1.2%), indicating that the soil organic carbon pool of the local ecosystem has higher stability and a lower mineralization potential than that of the other ecosystems globally. Seasonal variations in soil qMB differed along the altitudinal gradient. Significant increases in soil qMB during the 3‐year incubation were mainly observed in the OL at higher altitudes, implying increased sensitivity of the soil organic carbon pool to environmental changes. Microbial biomass carbon and soil freeze‐thaw cycles were critical factors determining the altitudinal pattern and seasonal changes in soil qMB. Soil microbial biomass and freeze‐thaw regime changes under global climate change scenarios will alter the balance between SOC microbial assimilation and maintenance respiration demands, affecting soil carbon biogeochemical cycling in mountainous ecosystems.

A three-way multivariate data analysis: comparison of EU countries’ COVID-19 incidence trajectories from May 2020 to February 2021

Introduction: About a year and a half after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost the entire planet has been affected by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and its variants, with serious public health consequences and other repercussions not yet thoroughly evaluated or foreseen in terms of economic, financial and social disruption throughout communities. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to understand the geography of the evolution of successive pandemic waves. Particularly in European countries, where, in recent decades, more advanced models for cohesion and competitiveness of a whole with more than 400 million inhabitants have been achieved, with ambitious challenges for horizon 2030 regarding this vast territory’s economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Objective: The main objective of this research is to describe the multivariate trajectories of COVID-19 incidence, mortality, hospital admissions, ICU admissions and testing, over three successive waves, covering all European Union (EU) countries with more than two million inhabitants, over 14-days periods before May 4 2020, until February 22 2021. Methods: This research includes 22 European countries representing about 98.8% of the EU population, described by six epidemiological variables over 43 time periods from the ECDC database: the 14-day notification rate Biometrics & Biostatistics International Journal Research Article Open Access of new cases reported for 100,000 inhabitants; the 14-day notification rate of reported deaths per one million inhabitants; the mean and the rate for 100,000 population of hospital occupancy and ICU occupancy; the testing rate per 100,000 population; and the 14-days percentage of test positivity An exploratory data analysis of each epidemiological variable identified a typology of countries profiles evolution. Multivariate exploratory statistical methods, namely a 3-way data analysis (double principal components and rank principal components analyses), were applied with software R version 4.1.0. Results: The multivariate evolution profile of the COVID-19 pandemic in the EU over the studied period highlighted 3 phases: the first phase over 24 time periods, with a relatively low COVID-19 incidence, hitting only part of EU countries; a second phase at the beginning of the second wave, when COVID-19 spread to most countries, with a higher impact on national health systems; lastly, a third phase coincident with the peak of the second wave and the onset of the third wave, a particularly reactive phase from the public authorities, with intensified testing of the population. These results are clear from the principal component analysis of the centres of gravity of the 43 time periods (interstructure). The multivariate statistical analysis of the global dataset of all countries over the 43 time periods additionally provides the main factorial representation of the trajectories of COVID-19 for each country in direct comparison with the global average ranked values reached by the six epidemiological variables over the whole period under study (intrastructure). These trajectories make it possible to identify different country profiles throughout the successive pandemic waves and counter-cyclical behaviours, partly explained by the insufficient harmonisation of public policies to tackle the pandemic within the EU.

Identifying the dominant climate-driven uncertainties in modeling gross primary productivity

Accurate simulation of gross primary productivity (GPP) is essential for estimating the global carbon budget. However, GPP modeling is subject to various sources of uncertainties, among which the impacts of biases in climate forcing data have not been well quantified. Here, using a well-validated vegetation model, we compare site-level simulations using either ground-based meteorology or assimilated reanalyses to identify climate-driven uncertainties in the predicted GPP at 91 FLUXNET sites. Simulations yield the lowest root mean square errors (RMSE) in GPP relative to observations when all site-level meteorology and CO2 concentrations are used. Sensitivity tests conducted with Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis (MERRA) reanalyses increase GPP RMSE by 30%. Replacement of site-level CO2 with global annual average values provides limited contributions to these changes. In contrast, GPP uncertainties increase almost linearly with the biases in meteorology. Among all factors, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), especially diffuse PAR, plays dominant roles in modulating GPP uncertainties. Simulations using all MERRA forcings but with site-level diffuse PAR help reduce over 50% of the climate-driven biases in GPP. Our study reveals that biases in meteorological forcings, especially the variabilities at diurnal to seasonal time scales, can induce significant uncertainties in the simulated GPP at FLUXET sites. We suggest cautions in simulating global GPP using climate reanalyses for dynamic global vegetation models and urgent improvements in climatic variability in reanalyses data, especially for diffuse radiation.

The competing effects of terrestrial evapotranspiration and raindrop re-evaporation on the deuterium excess of continental precipitation

The deuterium excess (d-excess) of precipitation, which tracks kinetic fractionations during water phase changes, has been used to trace the regions and conditions of oceanic moisture sources, in particular from polar ice-core records. Still, many observations suggest that precipitation d-excess varies significantly across terrestrial environments, both above and below the global average value 10. These variations are often interpreted to reflect either moisture recycling via terrestrial evapotranspiration or sub-cloud raindrop re-evaporation, respectively. Despite being frequently mentioned in literature, however, little work has been carried out to quantify these two competing effects on the widespread variations of d-excess. Here, we use a one-dimensional model of water vapor transport to interrogate the relative controls on d-excess of continental precipitation. We show that when the water vapor gradient is coupled with decreasing temperature, d-excess increases with net rainout and δ18O depletion along the model transect, while the magnitude of increase is controlled by the water balance, evaporation/transpiration ratio, and transport type. Raindrop re-evaporation functions as an additional flux of recycled moisture and further increases the d-excess downwind. Alternatively, when the water vapor gradient is coupled with decreasing relative humidity, d-excess may decrease along the model transect wherein upwind evapotranspiration is overwhelmed by local raindrop re-evaporation effects. This local effect becomes even stronger under a regime of turbulent eddy transport with high transpiration fractions, resulting in a pronounced decrease of d-excess without notable changes in δ18O. Finally, we demonstrate that model processes capture the isotopic variations in precipitation across the altitudinal gradient of the Andes as well as the South American low-level jet zone. Broadly, this study presents a novel framework for understanding the dynamical controls of precipitation d-excess and for linking spatial isotopic variations with ecohydrological fluxes and processes in both modern and paleo-environments.

Quantifying groundwater carbon dioxide and methane fluxes to an urban freshwater lake using radon measurements

Freshwater lakes can play a significant role in greenhouse gas budgets as they can be sources or sinks of carbon to the atmosphere. However, there is limited information on groundwater discharge being a source of carbon to freshwater lakes. Here, we measure CO2 and CH4 in the largest urban freshwater lake in the metropolitan area of Sydney (Australia) and quantify groundwater discharge rates into the lake using radon (222Rn, a natural groundwater tracer). We also assess the spatial variability of radon, CO2 and CH4 in the lake, in addition to surface water and groundwater nutrient and carbon concentrations. Results revealed that the lake system was a source of CO2 and CH4 to the atmosphere with fluxes of 113 ± 81 and 0.3 ± 0.1 mmol/m2/d, respectively. These calculated CO2 fluxes were larger than commonly observed lake fluxes and the global average flux from lakes. However, CH4 fluxes were lower than the average global value. Based on the radon mass balance model, groundwater discharge to the lake was 16 ± 10 cm/d, which resulted in groundwater-derived CO2 and CH4 fluxes contributing 25 and 13% to the overall greenhouse gas emissions from the lake, respectively. Radon, CO2 and CH4 maps showed similar spatial distribution trends in the lake and a strong relationship between radon, NO3 and NH4 suggested groundwater flow was also a driver of nitrogen into the lake from the western side of the lake, following the general regional groundwater flow. This work provides insights into groundwater and greenhouse gas dynamics in Sydney's largest urban freshwater lake with two implications for carbon budgets: to incorporate urban lakes in global carbon budgets and to account for, the often ignored, groundwater discharge as a source of carbon to lakes.

Modelling sea-level fingerprints of glaciated regions with low mantle viscosity

Abstract. Global patterns of sea-level change – often termed “sea-level fingerprints” – associated with future changes in ice/water mass re-distribution are a key component in generating regional sea-level projections. Calculation of these fingerprints is commonly based on the assumption that the isostatic response of the Earth is dominantly elastic on century timescales. While this assumption is accurate for regions underlain by mantle material with viscosity close to that of global average estimates, recent work focusing on the West Antarctic region has shown that this assumption can lead to significant error where the viscosity is significantly lower than typical global average values. Here, we test this assumption for fingerprints associated with glaciers and ice caps. We compare output from a (1D) elastic Earth model to that of a 3D viscoelastic model that includes low-viscosity mantle in three glaciated regions: Alaska, southwestern Canada, and the southern Andes (Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) regions 1, 2, and 17, respectively). This comparison indicates that the error incurred by ignoring the non-elastic response is of the order of 1 mm in most areas (or about 1 % of the barystatic signal) over the 21st century with values reaching the centimetre level in glaciated regions. However, in glaciated regions underlain by low-viscosity mantle, the non-elastic deformation can result in relative sea-level changes with magnitudes of up to several tens of centimetres (or several times the barystatic value). The magnitude and spatial pattern of this non-elastic signal is sensitive to variations in both the projected ice history and regional viscosity structure, indicating the need for loading models with high spatial resolution and improved constraints on regional Earth viscosity structure to accurately simulate sea-level fingerprints in these regions. The anomalously low mantle viscosity in these regions also amplifies the glacial isostatic adjustment signal associated with glacier changes during the 20th century, causing it to be an important (and even dominant) contributor to the modelled relative sea-level changes over the 21st century.

Total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration over Lake Superior and Lake Michigan

Mercury-contaminated fish are a serious problem in the Great Lakes basin, because mercury is a potent neurotoxin that poses a danger to both humans and wildlife. Lake Superior lake trout and walleye have the highest mercury concentrations of the five Great Lakes. Because the atmosphere is the major source of mercury to the Great Lakes, information on the over-water mercury concentration is essential to model the mercury biogeochemical cycle. For the first time in the peer-reviewed literature, this paper presents total gaseous mercury (TGM) measurements made over Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The Lake Superior aircraft measurements were made at an altitude of 300 m, and the Lake Michigan aircraft measurements at a variable altitude of 30–300 m. The over-water Lake Superior TGM of 1.02 ± 0.34 ng/m3 is much lower than the TGM from nine stations in the Canadian Atmospheric Mercury Measurement Network (CAMNet) and six stations in the Atmospheric Mercury Network (AMNet). The land-based TGM concentrations average range from 1.25 to 1.75 ng/m3 which are in good agreement with current global average values of 1.3–1.6 ng/m3. The over-water Lake Michigan TGM is 1.65 ± 0.61 ng/m3. We also present Lake Superior over-water measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOC), ozone (O3), nitrogen oxide (NOy), and particulate matter. Elemental carbon (EC) is a tracer for mercury because mercury is released during the combustion of coal. EC is significantly correlated with TGM over both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. TGM over Lake Michigan is also significantly correlated with organic carbon, sulfate, nitrate and ammonium.

Occurrence and probable source of chromium enrichment in Permian coals, South Africa

AbstractThe trace element data pool for South African coals is limited. However, certain elements are reported as occurring in considerably higher concentrations than global average values. These elements include chromium (Cr), as well as manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), and molybdenum (Mo), with Cr showing the most consistent enrichment. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Cr in South African coals sampled from five coalfields, and to assess the possible source of Cr. A total of 21 run-of-mine (ROM) coal samples from the Waterberg, Soutpansberg, Witbank, Highveld, and the Nongoma Coalfields were obtained from active mines. Coal characterization, mineralogy, and geochemical data were compiled. The Cr values for the Waterberg (23 to 28 ppm), Soutpansberg (4.7 to 43 ppm), Witbank (24 to 37 ppm), and Highveld (33 to 37 ppm) coal samples are higher than those for the Nongoma coals (1.2 to 2.5 ppm), and, in nearly every case, higher than the Clarke value for hard coals (17 ppm). Correlation coefficients, density fractionation, and selective leaching were used to infer (indirect) modes of occurrence. A dominant silicate (clay) affinity was determined with Cr, as well as an organic affinity in the ROM samples. The Nongoma coals, with illite and no kaolinite, have extremely low Cr values. The other samples are enriched in kaolinite and also have a high Cr content. Chromium values as high as 67 ppm were reported for 1.4 RD float fraction samples, indicating a positive correlation with organic matter. A Cr - silicate association was observed following selective leaching. These results imply multiple modes of occurrence of Cr in the South African samples, in agreement with studies conducted globally. Chromium in the South African coals could have originated from the Bushveld Complex (approximately two billion years old), the largest Cr reserve in South Africa, which predates coal formation (approximately 299 to 252 million years ago) and is proximal to the coalfields. The Cr, seemingly not associated with chromite, may have been redistributed in the peat swamps during peat deposition, accumulating in the sediments and organic material. The Nongoma Coalfield is the farthest distance from the possible Bushveld Complex Cr source, and these samples are depleted in Cr.

Index of the Cycle of Money – the Case of Bulgaria

This paper seeks to make clear how the concept of the cycle of money works in an actual case scenario like this of the economic system of Bulgaria. The index of the cycle of money suggests how an economic system ought to counteract a monetary crisis and examines how well-structured a country’s economy is. The estimations of the index of the cycle of money of Bulgaria are compared with the global average index of the cycle of money. The estimations reveal that Bulgaria is close to the average global value. Bulgaria’s results show that it is a well-structured economy and can face an economic crisis. The applied methodology stands on the analysis of the theory, mathematical, statistical, and econometrical results. The current work is important as it represents the strength of Bulgaria’s economy to a potential crisis. The results could be achieved by the application of the theory of the cycle of money to a country’s economy. Prior real case scenario conclusions are from Latvia.

Effects of Grazing on the Grassland Vegetation Community Characteristics in Inner Mongolia

The continuous increase of livestock production in Inner Mongolia has caused severe degradation of the grassland ecosystems in recent years. Previous grazing experiments have shown a wide range of vegetation responses between the biome types on a global scale, but there is still a lack of sufficient studies to discern the relative responses of a given biome type. We conducted a meta-analysis of vegetation coverage (VC), plant density (PD), total biomass (TB), above-ground biomass (AGB), under-ground biomass (UGB) and Shannon–Weaver Index (SI) in different grassland types in Inner Mongolia obtained under conditions of different grazing intensities and durations. The results showed that grazing decreased VC, TB, AGB, UGB, and PD significantly. Compared to the global and national average values, the negative effects of grazing to steppe biomass in Inner Mongolia were higher than that on the global scale, while less pronounced than that in China. TB of the meadow steppe in Inner Mongolia increased by 40% under moderate grazing intensity and duration because of compensatory growth. SI of the desert and meadow steppe showed negative linear relationships with the grazing intensity in Inner Mongolia. The percentage changes in AGB, PD, and SI to grazing showed quadratic relationships with the mean annual temperature of the experimental year. With increasing mean annual precipitation, the negative effects of grazing on UGB and SI first decreased and then increased, with that of VC and grazing showing a cubic relationship.

Index of the Cycle of Money: The Case of Serbia

This paper sought to make clear how the concept of the cycle of money works in an actual case scenario like this of the economic system of Serbia. The index of the cycle of money suggests how an economic system ought to counteract an economic crisis and studies how well-structured is a country’s economy. The estimations of the index of the cycle of money of Serbia are compared with the global average index of the cycle of money. The estimations reveal that Serbia belongs to medium rate according to the average global value. Serbia results reveal that it is a fine structured economy and can face an economic crisis, with a moderate dynamic. The applied methodology based on the analysis of theory, mathematical, statistical, and econometrical results. Moreover, this is first published work for Serbia according to this theory and is part of a project that examines the cycle of money of multiple countries.

Estimation of Radionuclide (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in Soil Granite Rock Mountains Phangan District, Surat Thani Province

The objective of this study were to analyze the specific activity of the natural radioactive nuclide of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K and to calculate the Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the Internal hazard index (Hin), the External hazard index (Hex), the Gamma-absorbed dose rate (D) and the Annual external effective dose rate (E) in the 20 soil samples from Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province by using gamma-ray spectrometer with a high purity germanium detector (HPGe). The results show that the specific activity of radioactive nuclides in many samples were higher than Thailand and the global average values. In addition, the Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the Internal hazard index (Hin), the external hazard index (Hex) and the gamma-absorbed dose rate (D) were higher than the UNSCEAR criterion (2000). The present study found that the radioactivity may affect the health of people living in that area.

Natural and fallout radioactivity mapping of Kakrapar Gujarat site, India

This study presents the activity and outdoor gamma absorbed dose rates (terrestrial and cosmic) due to the naturally occurring (226Ra, 232Th, and 40K) and anthropogenic (137Cs) radionuclides around Kakrapar Gujarat site. The activity level (Bq/kg) in the soil ranged 5.7–48.4 for 226Ra, 9.7–28.0 for 232Th, 83.9–585.7 for 40K, and 0.2–4.6 for 137Cs, respectively. The mean concentration levels measured in Kakrapar soil from the naturally occurring radioisotopes are lower than the corresponding global average values. 137Cs activity in the soil is comparable with the preoperational period. The total effective dose rates in air outdoors ranged 17.2–78.1 μSv/y with the mean value of 32.8 μSv/y. The mean value of absorbed dose rate due to cosmic components was 37.5 nGy/h which is comparable to the worldwide reported values.

Value-based decision-making for orphan drugs with multiple criteria decision analysis: burosumab for the treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia

Objective Burosumab is an orphan medicinal product (OMP) approved in Europe for the treatment of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH). The aim of this study was to assess the value of burosumab versus conventional therapy for the treatment of paediatric XLH, through a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework for health technology assessment (HTA) of OMPs in Portugal. Methods The MCDA framework considered 14 criteria related to disease burden, therapeutic value and economic burden. A multidisciplinary panel of national stakeholders participated in a two-phase exercise. In the first phase, relative weights and part-worth utilities for the criteria and their levels were elicited and a reimbursement likelihood function was calibrated through adaptive conjoint analysis. In the second phase, burosumab and conventional therapy were assessed against the criteria, providing a global value score (0-100) and reimbursement likelihood (0–100%) for both. Results Of the 14 criteria, disease burden, therapeutic value and economic burden criteria represented 27.29%, 57.17% and 15.53% of the total weight in the decision, respectively. All disease burden and some therapeutic value criteria, typically not included in traditional HTA, represented 47.88% of the total weight. Burosumab was unanimously considered superior to conventional therapy, with an average (range) global value score of 84.96 (82.48–86.54) against 48.06 (43.37–57.68), and reimbursement likelihood of 97.50% (96.78%–98.32%) against 43.66% (31.48%–68.73%), respectively. Conclusions MCDA represents a powerful tool in HTA decision-making for OMPs. The results of this MCDA acknowledge burosumab as a disease-modifying drug, deemed superior to conventional therapy for the treatment of paediatric XLH.

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination levels in river sediments and their risk to human health in urban areas: A case study in the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin, Argentina

Anthropogenic contamination of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in riverbed sediments of the Pampean area (Matanza-Riachuelo Basin, MRB), Argentina, was evaluated using various indices: Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), Contamination Factor (Cf), Metal Pollution Index (MPI), Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Contamination Degree (Cdeg). A database based on previous samplings of heavy metal concentrations at different sites in the Upper, Middle and Lower MRB was used. The Igeo and Cf values are calculated using selected local background (Pristine Pampean loess, LZB), and global average shale values (ASTW). Paired Igeo and Cf results with LZB and ASTW fall in dissimilar classes, especially in respect of Cd. In turn, MPI, PLI and Cdeg show similar results, as they do not have the same degree of confidence as Igeo and Cf. The Upper Basin, mainly rural, shows the following profile of sediment contamination: Cd > Ni > Cu ≫ Pb > Zn > Cr. The Middle Basin, which is at the periphery of a very industrialised and urban area, displays the following contamination profile for both Igeo and Cf: Cu > Pb > Zn > Ni > Cd > Cr. Conversely, in the Lower Basin, where land-use is urban/industrial, the levels of metal contamination are higher and appear in this order: Cr > Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni > Cd. Cadmium, Cu, Ni and Zn have shown no significant oral and/or dermal HQ nor carcinogenic risk but the potential risk posed by Cr and Pb must be taken into account. Maximum and mean values of Cr total carcinogenic risk (TCR) as well as Ni TCR also point to a health risk to children in the Lower Basin Area. All the data analysed confirm that industrial and urban growth without land-use planning, and a poor environmental legislation until the beginning of the 21st century, have not provided the necessary framework for sustainable development in the MRB.

Chemical and boron isotopic compositions of tourmaline at the Dachang Sn-polymetallic ore district in South China: Constraints on the origin and evolution of hydrothermal fluids

The Dachang Sn-polymetallic ore district in South China is the second largest tin district in the world with a tin reserve of over one million tonnes. Zn-Cu skarn and stratiform, massive, and vein Sn-Pb-Zn ores are all present in this district. This has led to a debate as to whether the Sn orebodies were formed by Cretaceous magmatic-hydrothermal replacement or Devonian submarine exhalative-hydrothermal sedimentation. Here, we present a systematic investigation of the major, trace element, and boron isotopic compositions of different types of tourmaline in the Dachang ore district. Tourmaline disseminated in the Longxianggai granite and pegmatite veins belongs to the schorl series and has high contents of Li, Zn, and Ga. The δ11B value of primary magma of the Longxianggai granite is estimated to be about −13‰, close to the global average δ11B value (−11‰) for S-type granites. Tourmaline from quartz-tourmaline veins in the Longxianggai granite has similar chemical composition to the magmatic tourmaline and likely formed from hydrothermal fluids exsolved from the evolved granitic melt. The δ11B value of the initial hydrothermal fluids is also calculated to be about −13‰. Tourmalines from the skarn and sulfide ores in the Lamo deposit have higher Mg/(Mg+Fe) and lower Na/(Na+Ca) ratios and higher contents of Be, Ge, Sr, and Sn than magmatic tourmaline. These patterns likely reflect input of elements derived from the host Devonian limestone. The δ11B values of the hydrothermal fluids are estimated to be between −13 and −10‰, suggesting evolved magmatic-hydrothermal fluids related to the Longxianggai granite. Tourmalines from the stratiform and vein ores in the Changpo-Tongkeng deposit are extremely Mg-rich and mostly belong to the dravite series. They have high contents of Sc, V, Cr, Sr, and Sn and show positive Eu anomalies. The δ11B values of these B- and Sn-rich fluids are estimated to be between −15 and −10‰, suggesting that the fluids also have a magmatic-hydrothermal origin. These fluids are most likely derived from the same granitic magma source, but may have interacted with the Devonian volcanic rocks.