Statistical analysis of the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater in hard and sedimentary aquifers system of Gadilam River Basin, South India

The study of groundwater hydrogeochemistry of hard and sedimentary aquifers system in Gadilam river basin has resulted in a large number of geochemical dataset. Groundwater samples were collected at 41 sites over spread of 1380 km2 study area and analysed for major ions. The large number of data can lead to difficulties in the integration, interpretation and representation of the results. Application of statistical analysis of the data helps us to unravel the hidden relationship between ions. Correlation analyses and factor analyses were applied to classify the groundwater samples, and to identify geochemical processes controlling groundwater geochemistry. The correlation analysis helps in the determination of the spinal and the seasonal species (ions). Calcium (Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl), Bicarbonate HCO3 and Sulphate SO24 were determined as spinal species and Potassium (K+), Phosphate PO4 and Silica (H4SiO4) as the seasonal species. Factor analysis shows that dissolution and leaching of secondary salts, weathering and anthropogenic impacts are the dominant controlling factors in the study area. Though several factors were extracted for different seasons to identify the dominant hydrogeochemical regime of the study area, first three dominant factors were spatially distributed by their factor scores. This spatial representation of the factor scores show that part of the region is hydrogeochemically active

Benchmark datasets for 3D MALDI- and DESI-imaging mass spectrometry

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) imaging mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical chemistry technique for the 3D molecular analysis of a tissue specimen, entire organ, or microbial colonies on an agar plate. 3D-imaging MS has unique advantages over existing 3D imaging techniques, offers novel perspectives for understanding the spatial organization of biological processes, and has growing potential to be introduced into routine use in both biology and medicine. Owing to the sheer quantity of data generated, the visualization, analysis, and interpretation of 3D imaging MS data remain a significant challenge. Bioinformatics research in this field is hampered by the lack of publicly available benchmark datasets needed to evaluate and compare algorithms. FINDINGS: High-quality 3D imaging MS datasets from different biological systems at several labs were acquired, supplied with overview images and scripts demonstrating how to read them, and deposited into MetaboLights, an open repository for metabolomics data. 3D imaging MS data were collected from five samples using two types of 3D imaging MS. 3D matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging (MALDI) MS data were collected from murine pancreas, murine kidney, human oral squamous cell carcinoma, and interacting microbial colonies cultured in Petri dishes. 3D desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging MS data were collected from a human colorectal adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: With the aim to stimulate computational research in the field of computational 3D imaging MS, selected high-quality 3D imaging MS datasets are provided that could be used by algorithm developers as benchmark datasets

Traditional healers' perception on scabies causation and management in Ghana

Introduction: Scabies is an underdiagnosed skin infestation caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei mite. The infection causes severe itching and a skin rash but can be effectively treated using topical or systemic drugs. Scabies outbreaks are commonly reported in resource‐poor countries, including Ghana. Traditional healers play an important role in primary care in rural areas. The role of these traditional healers in the management of scabies has so far not been explored. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the perceptions of traditional healers regarding the causation and management of scabies. Methods: A phenomenological qualitative approach was employed. Traditional healers in the Asante Akim North and Central districts in Ghana were approached with an interview request. Using a semi‐structured interview protocol, 15 traditional healers were interviewed. The results were coded and analysed, after which seven themes were extrapolated. Results: Scabies infections were frequently reported by traditional healers. Itching and skin rash were unanimously regarded as the major symptoms of scabies. The majority acknowledged the infectious nature of scabies, but no participant reported the causative organism. A dichotomous disease classification was noted, consisting of ‘natural’ and ‘spiritual’ variants each with a unique disease profile and management requirements, as reported by the traditional healers. All but two traditional healers reported to treat scabies using almost exclusively herbs and spiritual rituals. Conclusion: The majority of traditional healers were open to collaboration with allopathic healthcare providers. Collaboration could broaden the primary care network in rural areas, but mistrust and lack of transparency form potential barriers to collaboration. We, therefore, emphasise the need for additional efforts to investigate strategies for future collaboration

‘The medicine is not for sale’: Practices of traditional healers in snakebite envenoming in Ghana

Background Snakebite envenoming is a medical emergency which is common in many tropical lower-and middle-income countries. Traditional healers are frequently consulted as primary care-givers for snakebite victims in distress. Traditional healers therefore present a valuable source of information about how snakebite is perceived and handled at the community level, an understanding of which is critical to improve and extend snakebite-related healthcare. Method The study was approached from the interpretive paradigm with phenomenology as a meth-odology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 traditional healers who treat snakebite patients in two rural settings in Ghana. From the Ashanti and Upper West regions respectively, 11 and 8 healers were purposively sampled. Interview data was coded, col-lated and analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti 8 software. Demographic statistics were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Findings Snakebite was reportedly a frequent occurrence, perceived as dangerous and often deadly by healers. Healers felt optimistic in establishing a diagnosis of snakebite using a multitude of methods, ranging from herbal applications to spiritual consultations. They were equally confident about their therapies; encompassing the administration of plant and animal-based concoctions and manipulations of bite wounds. Traditional healers were consulted for both physical and spiritual manifestations of snakebite or after insufficient pain control and lack of antivenom at hospitals; referrals by healers to hospitals were primarily done to receive anti-venom and care for wound complications. Most healers welcomed opportunities to engage more productively with hospitals and clinical staff. Conclusions The fact that traditional healers did sometimes refer victims to hospitals indicates that improvement of antivenom stocks, pain management and wound care can potentially improve health seeking at hospitals. Our results emphasize the need to explore future ave-nues for communication and collaboration with traditional healers to improve health seeking behaviour and the delivery of much-needed healthcare to snakebite victims

Mixing and chemical ozone loss during and after the Antarctic polar vortex major warming in September 2002

The 3D version of the Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLAMS) is used to study the transport of CH4 and 03 in the Antarctic stratosphere between I September and 30 November 2002, that is, over the time period when unprecedented major stratospheric warming in late September split the polar vortex into two parts. The isentropic and cross-isentropic velocities in CLAMS are derived from ECMWF winds and heating/cooling rates calculated with a radiation module. The irreversible part of transport, that is, mixing, is driven by the local horizontal strain and vertical shear rates with mixing parameters deduced from in situ observations.The CH4 distribution after the vortex split shows a completely different behavior above and below 600 K. Above this potential temperature level, until the beginning of November, a significant part of vortex air is transported into the midlatitudes up to 40 degrees S. The lifetime of the vortex remnants formed after the vortex split decreases with the altitude with values of about 3 and 6 weeks at 900 and 700 K, respectively.Despite this enormous dynamical disturbance of the vortex, the intact part between 400 and 600 K that "survived" the major warming was strongly isolated from the extravortex air until the end of November. According to CLAMS simulations, the air masses within this part of the vortex did not experience any significant dilution with the midlatitude air.By transporting ozone in CLAMS as a passive tracer, the chemical ozone loss was estimated from the difference between the observed [Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement III (POAM 111) and Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE)] and simulated ozone profiles. Starting from I September, up to 2.0 ppmv O-3 around 480 K and about 70 Dobson units between 450 and 550 K were destroyed until the vortex was split. After the major warming, no additional ozone loss can be derived, but in the intact vortex part between 450 and 550 K, the accumulated ozone loss was "frozen in" until the end of November

Migrational Behavior and Seaward Movement of Wild Subyearling Fall Chinook Salmon in the Snake River

Flow augmentation increases flow and decreases temperature in reservoirs in the lower Snake River during the seaward migration of wild subyearling fall chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. A study of the migrational behavior and seaward movement of wild subyearling fall chinook salmon in the Snake River was necessary to help understand the efficacy of flow augmentation. We studied fall chinook salmon in the Snake River during 1992-2001. After analyzing mark-recapture data, we deduced that fall chinook salmon passed through at least four migrational phases, including (1) discontinuous downstream dispersal along the shorelines of the free-flowing river, (2) abrupt and mostly continuous downstream dispersal offshore in the free-flowing river, (3) passive, discontinuous downstream dispersal offshore in the first reservoir encountered en route to the sea, and (4) active and mostly continuous seaward migration. We used ordinary-least-squares multiple regression to test the effects of flow (m3/s), temperature (°C), and three other factors on the rate of seaward movement (km/d) from initial tagging in the free-flowing river to the first dam encountered en route to the sea (period 1) and from passage at this first dam to passage at the next dam downstream (period 2). We found that flow and temperature influenced the rate of seaward movement during period 1 (N = 2,808; flow model R2 = 0.65, P \u3c 0.0001; temperature model R2 = 0.726, P \u3c 0.0001). We failed to find evidence for flow and temperature effects on the rate of seaward movement during period 2, possibly because of limitations on our study. We conclude that flow augmentation increases the rate of seaward movement of fall chinook salmon during period 1, provided that augmentation occurs when the fish have moved offshore in the free-flowing river and are behaviorally disposed to being displaced downstream. The cooling effect of summer flow augmentation likely prevents fish that successfully smolted during period 1 from reverting to parr during period 2, but research is needed to confirm this hypothesis