Public pharmaceutical expenditure: identification of spatial effects

The aim of the present study is to analyse the spatio-temporal dynamics underlying Spanish pharmaceutical expenditure increases. We suggest alternative ways to resolve the problem of identifying exogenous and endogenous spatial spillover in a seemingly unrelated regression framework, while parametric instability is captured using linear time trends in the coefficients. The results highlight the need of considering these dynamic aspects in the pharmaceutical expenditure analysis.     

Oil-bearing inclusions in vein quartz and calcite and,bitumens in veins: Testament to multiple phases of hydrocarbon migration in the Barrandian basin (lower Palaeozoic), Czech Republic

The petroleum charge history of the Barrandian basin was investigated by analysing quartz and calcite and organic phases that occur in veins and fractures cutting dolerite sills within the Liteň Formation (Silurian). The geochemical characteristics of fluid inclusions trapped in vein quartz and calcite, vein bitumens and adjacent potential source rocks when combined with burial and thermal history data reflect the presence of at least three separate hydrocarbon charge episodes. Solid highly reflecting (R_max = 0.92–1.49%) bitumen provides information on the first and oldest episode of oil migration. The precursor oil was probably derived relatively early during diagenesis from nearby organic-rich sediments and was subsequently thermally altered to form the solid bitumen.     

Spectral Characteristics of the He <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">i</Emphasis> D<Subscript>3</Subscript> Line in a Quiescent Prominence Observed by THEMIS

We analyze the observations of a quiescent prominence acquired by the Téléscope Heliographique pour l’Étude du Magnetisme et des Instabilités Solaires (THEMIS) in the He?i 5876 Å (He?i D₃) multiplet aiming to measure the spectral characteristics of the He?i D₃ profiles and to find for them an adequate fitting model. The component characteristics of the He?i D₃ Stokes I profiles are measured by the fitting system by approximating them with a double Gaussian. This model yields an He?i D₃ component peak intensity ratio of \(5.5\pm0.4\), which differs from the value of 8 expected in the optically thin limit. Most of the measured Doppler velocities lie in the interval ±?5 km?s^?1, with a standard deviation of ±?1.7 km?s^?1 around the peak value of 0.4 km?s^?1. The wide distribution of the full-width at half maximum has two maxima at 0.25 Å and 0.30 Å for the He?i D₃ blue component and two maxima at 0.22 Å and 0.31 Å for the red component. The width ratio of the components is \(1.04\pm0.18\). We show that the double-Gaussian model systematically underestimates the blue wing intensities. To solve this problem, we invoke a two-temperature multi-Gaussian model, consisting of two double-Gaussians, which provides a better representation of He?i D₃ that is free of the wing intensity deficit. This model suggests temperatures of 11.5 kK and 91 kK, respectively, for the cool and the hot component of the target prominence. The cool and hot components of a typical He?i D₃ profile have component peak intensity ratios of 6.6 and 8, implying a prominence geometrical width of 17 Mm and an optical thickness of 0.3 for the cool component, while the optical thickness of the hot component is negligible. These prominence parameters seem to be realistic, suggesting the physical adequacy of the multi-Gaussian model with important implications for interpreting He?i D₃ spectropolarimetry by current inversion codes.     

The influence of bend amplitude and planform morphology on flow and sedimentation in submarine channels

We present a series of experiments that investigate the morphology of sediment deposits within sinuous submarine channels of different sinuosity (S = 1.14–1.94) and planform (symmetric and asymmetric bends), generated by bedload-dominated turbidity current flows. Flows were generated by releasing dense saline gravity currents over a mobile sediment bed through pre-formed sinuous channels. Flows had a basal-outwards helicity and produced a characteristic bed morphology with point bars downstream of the bend apex at the inside of bends and scour at the outside of bends. An increasing loss of fluid through overspill with increasing channel sinuosity results in a decreasing magnitude of cross-stream velocity downstream, a decreasing amount of erosion and deposition, and decreasing transverse slopes of in-channel deposits. Basal fluid from within the channel is transported over the outer-levee at bends, implying that proximal outer-bend levee deposits will have similar sediment composition to that within the channel. More deposition of coarse material might be expected on levees and in overbank regions close to higher amplitude bends. No simple relationship was observed between superelevation and sinuosity, probably due to changes in the relative influences of downstream velocity and bend curvature on centrifugal force and inertial run-up. In the channel with the tightest initial bend curvature, overspill fluid from Bend 1 re-entered the channel at Bend 2, dominating flow characteristics and disrupting the basal-outwards helicity observed in the other channels. Higher sinuosity channels and those with shallow regional and levee slopes are thus more likely to have a higher proportion of anomalous flow and sedimentation patterns due to the influence of overspill fluid re-entry into the channel. The results of this investigation are combined with published observations to enable the synthesis of a new model for sedimentation in sinuous submarine channels.     

Late Cenozoic brittle deformation in the Southern Patagonian Andes: Record of plate coupling/decoupling during variable subduction?

The Andes of southern Patagonia experienced a Miocene shift towards faster and higher angle subduction followed by the approach and collision of the Chile oceanic ridge. We present a kinematic study characterizing palaeostress fields computed from brittle tectonics to better constrain upper crustal deformation during this complex scenario. Although previous studies already suggested variable kinematics, it is striking that in a long‐lasting subduction environment, the computed palaeostress tensors are mostly strike‐slip (55%), while 35% are extensional, and only 10% compressive which are concentrated along a main frontal thrust. Cross‐cutting relationships and synsedimentary deformation indicate that a long‐lived strike‐slip regime was punctuated by a lower Miocene extensional event in the foreland before the main compressional event. The results are discussed in contrasting geodynamic models of plate coupling/decoupling versus direction and rate of convergence of the subducting plate, to explain the main mechanisms that control back‐arc deformation.     

Complementary use of dating and hydrochemical tools to assess mixing processes involving centenarian groundwater in a geologically complex alpine karst aquifer

Environmental dating tracers (³H, ³He, ⁴He, CFC-12, CFC-11, and SF₆) and the natural spring response (hydrochemistry, water temperature, and hydrodynamics) were jointly used to assess mixing processes and to characterize groundwater flow in a relatively small carbonate aquifer with complex geology in southern Spain. Results evidence a marked karst behaviour of some temporary outlets, with sharp and rapid responses to precipitation events, while some perennial springs show buffer and delayed variations with respect to recharge periods. The general geochemical evolution shows a pattern, from higher to lower altitudes, in which mineralization and the Mg/Ca ratio rise, evidencing longer water–rock interaction. The large SF₆ concentrations in groundwater suggest terrigenic production, whereas CFC-11 values are affected by sorption or degradation. The groundwater age in the perennial springs—as deduced from CFC-12 and ³H/³He—points to mean residence times of several decades, although the large amount of radiogenic ⁴He in samples indicate a contribution of old groundwater (free of ³H and CFC-12). Lumped parameter models and shape-free models were created based on ³H, tritiogenic ³He, CFC-12, and radiogenic ⁴He data in order to interpret the age distribution of the samples. Results evidence the existence of two mixing components, with an old fraction ranging between 160 and 220 years in age. The correlation of physicochemical parameters with some dating parameters, derived from the mixing models, serves to explain the hydrogeochemical processes occurring within the system. Altogether, long residence times are shown to be possible in small alpine systems with a clearly karst behaviour if the geological setting features highly tectonized media including units with diverse hydrogeological characteristics. These findings highlight the importance of applying different approaches, including groundwater dating techniques, when studying such groundwater flow regimes.     

Development and validation of a storm surge forecasting/hindcasting modelling system for the extensive Río de la Plata Estuary and its adjacent Continental Shelf

Natural Hazards - The Río de la Plata (RdP) Estuary is affected by significant surges several times per year. This phenomenon has historically caused catastrophic water-level enlargements of...     

Palaeoenvironmental implications of ferruginous deposits related to a Middle–Upper Jurassic discontinuity (Prebetic Zone,Betic Cordillera,Southern Spain)

The Middle–Upper Jurassic boundary in the westernmost Tethyan basins is marked by a discontinuity. A thin iron crust with ferruginous ooids and pisoids and an overlying ferruginous oolitic limestone lithofacies occur in a genetic relationship to this discontinuity with a reduced thickness (< 50 cm) and very local distribution in the Prebetic Zone (Betic Cordillera).The ferruginous coated grains are subdivided into two types. Type A ooids are characterised by thin, regular lamination in concentric layers enclosing a nucleus; they are dominant in the top of the iron crust (100% of the ferruginous ooids) and in the ferruginous oolitic limestone (82%). Type B ooids typically have thick, irregular lamination in a few discontinuous concentric layers enclosing a variable nucleus including bioclasts and foraminifera; they are exclusive to the ferruginous oolitic limestone (18% of the ferruginous ooids). The bulk chemical composition varies between 80% Fe₂O₃ by weight in the iron crust and 67% by weight in the coated grains. In the ferruginous ooids, the contents in SiO₂ (5.4%), Al₂O₃ (6.5%), P₂O₅ (3.6%), and CaO (4.7%) are higher than in the crust. Trace elements (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, Y, Mo, and Pb) in both the crust and ooids show enriched values compared with the bulk composition of the upper continental crust. The mineral composition of the iron crust and ooids is primarily goethite, with small amounts of Al-hydroxide (bohemite) and apatite, whereas hematite is identified only in the iron crust.The Type A ooids are interpreted as having an origin related to the iron crust. Since there is no evidence to support a marine genesis for the iron crust, the possibility of a subaerial origin is presented here. The crust has characteristics (chemical and mineralogical composition) similar to those of ferruginous pisolitic plinthite (highly weathered redoximorphic soil), and goethite shows an Al-substitution range (5–10 mol%) that indicates pedogenic conditions. Soil processes under periodic hydrous conditions are suggested; groundwater soils with hydrous conditions are congruent with the formation of the Type A ferruginous ooids and pisoids. In this situation, a coastal plain with periodically flooded soils would be the likeliest scenario. Callovian shallow carbonate shelf was possibly emerged and weathered, followed by marine sedimentation during the Middle Oxfordian, associated with major flooding of the Prebetic shelf and the erosion of ferruginous pisolitic plinthite. The first marine deposit was ferruginous oolitic limestones. Fragments of iron crust and Type A ferruginous ooids were reworked and incorporated into the marine sediments. A second phase of ferruginous ooids (Type B) with clear marine features developed, benefiting from iron-rich microenvironments due to the redistribution from iron crust fragments and Type A ferruginous ooids.     

Total 3D‐viewshed Map: Quantifying the Visible Volume in Digital Elevation Models

The 3D perception of the human eye is more impressive in irregular land surfaces than in flat land surfaces. The quantification of this perception would be very useful in many applications. This article presents the first approach to determining the visible volume, which we call the 3D‐viewshed, in each and all the points of a DEM (Digital Elevation Model). Most previous visibility algorithms in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are based on the concept of a 2D‐viewshed, which determines the number of points that can be seen from an observer in a DEM. Extending such a 2D‐viewshed to 3D space, then to all the DEM‐points, is too expensive computationally since the viewshed computation per se is costly. In this work, we propose the first approach to compute a new visibility metric that quantifies the visible volume from every point of a DEM. In particular, we developed an efficient algorithm with a high data and calculation re‐utilization. This article presents the first total‐3D‐viewshed maps together with validation results and comparative analysis. Using our highly scalable parallel algorithm to compute the total‐3D‐viewshed of a DEM with 4 million points on a Xeon Processor E5‐2698 takes only 1.3 minutes.     

Petrological,geochemical, isotopic,and geochronological constraints for the Late Devonian–Early Carboniferous magmatism in SW Gondwana (27–32°LS): an example of geodynamic switching

International Journal of Earth Sciences - We report a study integrating 13 new U–Pb LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon ages and Hf-isotope data from dated magmatic zircons together with complete...