bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Groundwater pollution and human health risk based on Monte Carlo simulation in a typical mining area in Northern Anhui Province, China
Authors: Qiu Huili , Gui Herong , Fang Pei , Li Guangping 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe main objective of this study was to evaluate eight kinds of trace element pollutants in groundwater from a typical coal mine area, and carry out a corresponding health risk assessment for the local populace. To do this, 34 shallow groundwater (SG) samples and 18 mid-layer groundwater (MG) samples were collected from the Sulin mining area. To minimize the uncertainties in the health risk assessment, this paper relied on Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analysis. The results revealed that Sr and Mn contents exceeded their corresponding WHO (Guidelines for drinking water quality, 4th edn. Geneva, 2011) guidelines and Chinese groundwater standards (GB/T14848–2017), while the other analyzed trace elements remain below those threshold values. The calculated hazard quotient and hazard index values for adults from ingestion exposure to SG and MG were well below the threshold limit of 1. Probabilistic simulations further show that the total cancer risk value above the limit of 1 × 10−6 is 0% for SG and 29.39% for MG. Sensitivity analysis identified the Sr and Cr contents as the most relevant element variables affecting the probabilistic non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk values in the model, respectively.
Poverty as a Political Choice: a Comparative Analysis of Reports of the UN Rapporteur’s Visits to the UK and Spain
Authors: Cummins Ian , Gómez-Ciriano Emilio José 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis paper presents a comparative analysis of two reports by the UN Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, one for Spain and one for the UK. In both countries, austerity policies were introduced following the banking crisis of 2008. The UN Rapporteur reports highlight the damage that was done by welfare retrenchment. In particular, the reports document the impact of austerity on the most vulnerable individuals and communities. The paper uses Somers' (2008) conceptual model of citizenship as the basis for a comparative analysis of two reports. Somers' (2008) model of citizenship is a triadic one which sees the state, market and civil society as competing elements. Each one can serve to regulate and limit the influence or excesses of the other two. Somers argues that neoliberalism has seen the dominance of the market at the expense of the role of the state and the institutions of civil society. Austerity policies saw the market dominating. Having examined the context of the two reports and their conclusions, the paper discussed the implications for individual social workers’ practice and the role of social work as a profession in tackling poverty and marginalisation.
Effects of oil palm and human presence on activity patterns of terrestrial mammals in the Colombian Llanos
Authors: Pardo Lain E. , Edwards William , Campbell Mason J. , Gómez-Valencia Bibiana , Clements Gopalasamy Reuben , Laurance William F. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe ability of animals to adjust their behaviour can influence how they respond to environmental changes and human presence. We quantified activity patterns of terrestrial mammals in oil palm plantations and native riparian forest in Colombia to determine if species exhibited behavioural changes depending on the type of habitat and the presence of humans. Despite the large sampling effort (12,403 camera-days), we were only able to examine the activity patterns of ten species in riparian forests and seven species in oil palm plantations, with four species (capybara, giant anteater, lesser anteater and common opossum) being represented by enough records (i.e.n > 20) in both oil palm and forest to allow robust comparisons. Only capybaras showed an apparent change in activity patterns between oil palm plantations and riparian forests, shifting from being crepuscular in forest to predominantly nocturnal inside oil palm plantations. Further, capybaras, giant anteaters and white-tailed deer appeared to modify their activities to avoid human presence inside oil palm plantations by increasing nocturnality (temporal overlap$$\widehat{\Delta }$$Δ^ranged from 0.13 to 0.36), whereas jaguarundi had high overlap with human activities [$$\widehat{\Delta }$$Δ^=0.85 (0.61–0.90)]. Species pair-wise analysis within oil palm revealed evidence for temporal segregation between species occupying the same trophic position (e.g. foxes and jaguarundi), whereas some predators and their prey (e.g. ocelots and armadillos) had high overlaps in temporal activity patterns as might be expected. Our findings shed light on the potential behavioural adaptation of mammals to anthropogenic landscapes, a feature not captured in traditional studies that focus on measures such as species richness or abundance.
Comparison of metrics used to track central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) across a regional network
Authors: Advani Sonali D. , Smith Becky A. , Seidelman Jessica , Turner Nicholas , Anderson Deverick J. , Lewis Sarah S. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe paradoxical relationship between standardized infection ratio and standardized utilization ratio for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in contrast to central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), in addition to CAUTI definition challenges, incentivizes hospitals to focus their prevention efforts on urine culture stewardship rather than catheter avoidance and care.
Learning two syntactic constructions simultaneously: a case of overshadowing
Authors: HOU XIAOMING 
Published: July 2021

AbstractOvershadowing refers to the reduced learning or expression of the association between a weaker cue and an outcome in the presence of another stronger cue. The present study broadens the scope of investigation in second language acquisition (SLA), which has mainly focused on inflectional morphology, by extending it to learning two Chinese syntactic constructions, namely the Ba-construction and its SVO counterpart. Thirty L2 Chinese learners were first exposed to the target constructions via watching videos, and were then tested for comprehension and production. The results were three-fold: first and foremost, they yielded evidence of syntactic overshadowing of the Ba-construction by its SVO counterpart, resulting in the reduction of the quantity and quality of the Ba production; second, since the form–meaning mapping was successful for both the Ba and SVO construction, the syntactic overshadowing is more likely to be an expression deficit; and third, the pre-knowledge of verbs further confined the use of the Ba-construction, suggesting a moderating role of word entrenchment in L2 syntactic learning. These findings not only deepen our understanding of overshadowing at the syntactic level, but also offer a fresh perspective for addressing the challenges of L2 learning of the Chinese Ba-construction.
Declining yet persistent use of traditional contraceptive methods in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Bertrand Jane T. , Ross John , Glover Annie L. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractTraditional contraceptive methods are used by 55 million women in developing countries. This study analysed over 80 national surveys to compare traditional with modern method users, by type, region, socio-demographic characteristics, strength of family planning programmes and discontinuation rates. The advance of modern methods has greatly reduced the share held by traditional methods, but the actual prevalence of their use has declined little. Young, sexually active unmarried women use traditional contraception much more than their married counterparts. Discontinuation rates are somewhat lower for traditional methods than for the resupply methods of the pill, injectable and condom; among users of all of these methods, more than a quarter stop use in the first year to switch to alternative methods. Traditional method use is firmly entrenched in many countries, as the initial method tried, a bridge method to modern contraception and even the primary method where other methods are not easily available.
Shadow Banking in a Crisis: Evidence from Fintech During COVID-19
Authors: Bao Zhengyang , Huang Difang 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWe analyze lending by traditional as well as fintech lenders during COVID-19. Comparing samples of fintech and bank loan records across the outbreak, we find that fintech companies are more likely to expand credit access to new and financially constrained borrowers after the start of the pandemic. However, this increased credit provision may not be sustainable; the delinquency rate of fintech loans triples after the outbreak, but there is no significant change in the delinquency of bank loans. Borrowers holding both loan types prioritize the payment of bank loans. These results shed light on the benefits provided by shadow banking in a crisis and hint at the potential fragility of such institutions when delinquency rates spike.
A Reconstruction Algorithm for Temporally Aliased Seismic Signals Recorded by the InSight Mars Lander
Authors: Sollberger David , Schmelzbach Cedric , Andersson Fredrik , Robertsson Johan O. A. , Brinkman Nienke , Kedar Sharon , Banerdt William B. , Clinton John , van Driel Martin , Garcia Raphael , Giardini Domenico , Grott Matthias , Haag Thomas , Hudson Troy L. , Lognonné Philippe , Pierick Jan ten , Pike William , Spohn Tilman , Stähler Simon C. , Zweifel Peter 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn December 2018, the NASA InSight lander successfully placed a seismometer on the surface of Mars. Alongside, a hammering device was deployed at the landing site that penetrated into the ground to attempt the first measurements of the planetary heat flow of Mars. The hammering of the heat probe generated repeated seismic signals that were registered by the seismometer and can potentially be used to image the shallow subsurface just below the lander. However, the broad frequency content of the seismic signals generated by the hammering extends beyond the Nyquist frequency governed by the seismometer's sampling rate of 100 samples per second. Here, we propose an algorithm to reconstruct the seismic signals beyond the classical sampling limits. We exploit the structure in the data due to thousands of repeated, only gradually varying hammering signals as the heat probe slowly penetrates into the ground. In addition, we make use of the fact that repeated hammering signals are sub‐sampled differently due to the unsynchronized timing between the hammer strikes and the seismometer recordings. This allows us to reconstruct signals beyond the classical Nyquist frequency limit by enforcing a sparsity constraint on the signal in a modified Radon transform domain. In addition, the proposed method reduces uncorrelated noise in the recorded data. Using both synthetic data and actual data recorded on Mars, we show how the proposed algorithm can be used to reconstruct the high‐frequency hammering signal at very high resolution.
Characteristics of Negative Cloud‐To‐Ground Flashes Observed in the Brazilian Amazon Region
Authors: Leal Adonis F. R. , Matos Wendler L. N. , Ferreira Eduardo R. , Ferreira Gabriel A. V. S. , Lopes Marcio N. G. , Rocha Brigida 
Published: July 2021

AbstractFeatures of negative cloud‐to‐ground (CG) flashes in the eastern Amazon region of Brazil, near the equator line, were analyzed from their wideband (160 Hz–10 MHz) electric field records acquired at the UFPA‐Lightning Research Laboratory in Belem, Para, Brazil in the rainy season of 2020. Records of CG flashes were synchronized in time with the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) data. We found that the GLM relative detection efficiency for negative CG flashes in the region of study is 78.5%. For a subset of 613 flashes that were detected by the GLM, we segregate the events into three categories (close‐, intermediate‐ and distant‐range) according to the GLM reported locations. Flash multiplicity, interstroke time interval, flash duration, leader duration, preliminary‐breakdown (PB) pulse train duration, PB to first return‐stroke (RS) time interval, and the ratio of PB to first RS are determined for 781 negative CG flashes containing 2,383 strokes. The results were compared with previous results obtained in different parts of the globe with an emphasis on studies performed in similar regions such as in the tropics. For all flashes, the average number of strokes per flash is 3.1 and the percentage of single‐stroke flash is 30%. The geometric mean of interstroke intervals, flash duration, PB to first RS time interval, and PB pulse train duration are 63, 186, 10, and 1.5 ms, respectively.
Robust Meteorological Drought Prediction Using Antecedent SST Fluctuations and Machine Learning
Authors: Li Jun , Wang Zhaoli , Wu Xushu , Xu Chong‐Yu , Guo Shenglian , Chen Xiaohong , Zhang Zhenxing 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWhile reliable drought prediction is fundamental for drought mitigation and water resources management, it is still a challenge to develop robust drought prediction models due to complex local hydro‐climatic conditions and various predictors. Sea surface temperature (SST) is considered as the fundamental predictor to develop drought prediction models. However, traditional models usually extract SST signals from one or several specific sea zones within a given time span, which limits full use of SST signals for drought prediction. Here, we introduce a new meteorological drought prediction approach by using the antecedent SST fluctuation pattern (ASFP) and machine learning techniques (e.g., support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), and extreme learning machine (ELM)). Three models (i.e., ASFP‐SVR, ASFP‐ELM, and ASFP‐RF) are developed for ensemble, probability, and deterministic drought predictions. The Colorado, Danube, Orange, and Pearl River basins with frequent droughts over different continents are selected, as the cases, where standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) are predicted at the 1° × 1° resolution with 1‐ and 3‐month lead times. Results show that the ASFP‐ELM model can effectively predict space‐time evolutions of drought events with satisfactory skills, outperforming the ASFP‐SVR and ASFP‐RF models. Our study has potential to provide a reliable tool for drought prediction, which further supports the development of drought early warning systems.
Glaciers and Nutrients in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago Marine System
Authors: Bhatia Maya P. , Waterman Stephanie , Burgess David O. , Williams Patrick L. , Bundy Randelle M. , Mellett Travis , Roberts Megan , Bertrand Erin M. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA) is vulnerable to climate warming, and with over 300 tidewater glaciers, is a hotspot for enhanced glacial retreat and meltwater runoff to the ocean. In contrast to Greenlandic and Antarctic systems, CAA glaciers and their impact on the marine environment remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigate how CAA glaciers impact nutrient delivery to surface waters. We compare water column properties in the nearshore coastal zone along a continuum of locations, spanning those with glaciers (glacierized) to those without (non‐glacierized), in Jones Sound, eastern CAA. We find that surface waters of glacierized regions contain significantly more macronutrients (nitrogen, silica, phosphorus) and micronutrients (iron, manganese) than their non‐glacierized counterparts. Water column structure and chemical composition suggest that macronutrient enrichments are a result of upwelling induced by rising submarine discharge plumes, while micronutrient enrichments are delivered directly by glacial discharge. Generally, the strength of upwelling and associated macronutrient delivery scales with the subglacial meltwater discharge. Glacier‐driven delivery of the limiting macronutrient, nitrate, is of particular importance for local productivity, while metal delivery may have consequences for regional micronutrient cycling given Jones Sound's important role in modifying water masses flowing into the North Atlantic. Finally, we use the natural variability in glacier characteristics observed in Jones Sound to consider, how nutrient delivery may be affected as glaciers retreat. The impacts of melting glaciers on marine ecosystems through both these mechanisms will likely be amplified with increased meltwater fluxes in the short term, but eventually muted as CAA ice masses diminish.
Biogeochemical Cycling of Colloidal Trace Metals in the Arctic Cryosphere
Authors: Jensen Laramie T. , Lanning Nathan T. , Marsay Chris M. , Buck Clifton S. , Aguilar‐Islas Ana M. , Rember Robert , Landing William M. , Sherrell Robert M. , Fitzsimmons Jessica N. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe surface waters of the Arctic Ocean include an important inventory of freshwater from rivers, sea ice melt, and glacial meltwaters. While some freshwaters are mixed directly into the surface ocean, cryospheric reservoirs, such as snow, sea ice, and melt ponds act as incubators for trace metals, as well as potential sources to the surface ocean upon melting. The availability and reactivity of these metals depends on their speciation, which may vary across each pool or undergo transformation upon mixing. We present here baseline measurements of colloidal (∼0.003–0.200 μm) iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and manganese (Mn) in snow, sea ice, melt ponds, and the underlying seawater. We consider both the total concentration of colloidal metals ([cMe]) in each cryospheric reservoir and the contribution of cMe to the overall dissolved metal phase (%cMe). Notably, snow contained higher (cMe) as well as higher %cMe relative to seawater for metals such as Fe and Zn across most stations. Stations close to the North Pole had relatively high aerosol deposition, imparting high (cFe) and (cZn), as well as high %cFe, %cZn, %cMn, and %cCd (>80%). In contrast, surface seawater concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, and Ni were dominated by the soluble phase (<0.003 μm), suggesting little impact of cMe from the melting cryosphere, or rapid aggregation/disaggregation dynamics within surface waters leading to the loss of cMe. This has important implications for how trace metal biogeochemistry speciation and thus fluxes may change in a future ice‐free Arctic Ocean.
Mean Dynamics and Elevation‐Contributing Area Covariance in Landscape Evolution Models
Authors: Hooshyar Milad , Porporato Amilcare 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe temporal dynamics of the land surface are commonly modeled by so‐called landscape evolution models, consisting of coupled partial differential equations accounting for the balance of sediment and water. An average sediment budget equation for a landscape evolution model in detachment‐limited condition is derived in terms of curvature‐dependent and curvature‐independent components. This highlights the role of plane curvature and spatial distribution of surface divergence/convergence on the average erosion rate. Performing a Reynolds‐type averaging of the original equations leads to a decomposition of the erosion into an unchannelized erosion sink and a channelization sediment flux. The latter is the derivative of a potential (referred to as “channelization sediment potential”) that arises from the negative correlation of elevation and specific drainage area and closely resembles, in both form and behavior, the Reynolds stress in fluid turbulence. The negative elevation‐area covariance emerges as a statistical signature of surface channelization. Building on analogies between landscape channelization and fluid turbulence, these theoretical results may provide a path to estimate model parameters from observations and offer useful benchmarks for numerical simulations in the channelized regime.
Long-term activity of tandem CD19/CD20 CAR therapy in refractory/relapsed B-cell lymphoma: a single-arm, phase 1–2 trial
Authors: Zhang Yajing , Wang Yao , Liu Yang , Tong Chuan , Wang Chunmeng , Guo Yelei , Ti Dongdong , Yang Qingming , Qiao Shen , Wu Zhiqiang , Han Weidong 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIncreasing the remission rate and reducing the recurrence rate can improve the clinical efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in recurrent/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/rNHL). In this open-label, single-arm phase I/II trial, 87 patients with r/rNHL, including 58 patients with aggressive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and 24 with high tumour burden, received an infusion at doses of 0.5 × 106–8 × 106 TanCAR7 T cells per kilogram of body weight after conditioning chemotherapy. The best overall response rate was 78% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68–86); response rates were consistent across prognostic subgroups. The median follow-up was 27.7 months. The median progression-free survival was 27.6 months (95% CI, 11 to not reached). Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 61 patients (70%) with 60% of cases being grade 1 or 2 and 10% being grade 3 or greater. Grade 3 CAR T cell-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES) occurred in 2 patients (2%). Two patients died from treatment-associated severe pulmonary infection, and one died from CRS-related pulmonary injury between 1 and 3 months post infusion. Long-term remissions were observed following the use of TanCAR7 T cells in r/rNHL with a safety profile that included CRS but few cases of CRES.
Tumour heterogeneity and evolutionary dynamics in colorectal cancer
Authors: Chan Dedrick Kok Hong , Buczacki Simon James Alexander 
Published: July 2021

AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) has a global burden of disease. Our current understanding of CRC has progressed from initial discoveries which focused on the stepwise accumulation of key driver mutations, as encapsulated in the Vogelstein model, to one in which marked heterogeneity leads to a complex interplay between clonal populations. Current evidence suggests that an initial explosion, or “Big Bang”, of genetic diversity is followed by a period of neutral dynamics. A thorough understanding of this interplay between clonal populations during neutral evolution gives insights into the roles in which driver genes may participate in the progress from normal colonic epithelium to adenoma and carcinoma. Recent advances have focused not only on genetics, transcriptomics, and proteomics but have also investigated the ecological and evolutionary processes which transform normal cells into cancer. This review first describes the role which driver mutations play in the Vogelstein model and subsequently demonstrates the evidence which supports a more complex model. This article also aims to underscore the significance of tumour heterogeneity and diverse clonal populations in cancer progression.