Assessment of hydrochemical processes, isotopic characterization (δ18O, δ2H and 3H) and relevant usability characteristics of the groundwaters in Manavgat basin (Antalya, Turkey)

The effect of different recharge sources on the chemical evolution of an urban aquifer, Behbahan plain, southwest of Iran, has been studied using hydrogeochemistry and stable isotopes (18O and 2H). Groundwater samples were collected from 40 water wells in June 2017 and April 2018 as the dry and wet periods, respectively. The water samples were analyzed for the determination of major ions, nitrate, fluoride, and bromide for both periods and stable isotopes concentrations only for the dry period. The hydrochemical maps was investigated to determine anomalous groundwater zones associated with urban sources of groundwater pollution. Characteristic bivariate composition diagrams and cluster analysis (CA) method were employed to identify the hydrochemical processes and to evaluate the recharge sources. Two major water types Ca-SO4 and Ca(Na)-SO4(Cl) were present in the Behbahan groundwater plain. The dominant hydrogeochemaical processes in the aquifer were the dissolution of gypsum and somewhat halite, dedolomitization, scant normal and reverse cation exchange, and mixing. The main sources of the nitrate pollution of groundwater were leaching of organic manure applied to cultivated areas as well as wastewater of Behbahan City. Five distinct recharge sources were recognized for the Behbahan aquifers based on the characteristics of 2H and 18O isotopes.

Self-organizing map improves understanding on the hydrochemical processes in aquifer systems

Environmental factors (e.g., temperature and pH) shaping the distribution of microbial communities in hot springs have been extensively studied, whereas how hydrochemical formation mechanisms and hydrological circulation processes affect microbial community composition is not comprehensively elucidated. In the present study, hydrochemical, isotopic, and high‐throughput sequencing methods were employed to investigate hydrochemical characteristics and evolution of springwater as well as their underlying roles in shaping the microbial community in multiple acidic and alkaline hot springs in southwestern Yunnan, China. Distinct hydrochemical (e.g., pH, temperature, sulfate, SiO2, and trace metals) and isotopic (δ2H and δ18O) characteristics revealed the recharge sources and circulation processes of springwater were different in alkaline, high‐temperature and acidic, moderate‐temperature hot springs. Two acidic, moderate‐temperature springs (43°C–55°C), characterized by high sulfate, showed shallow circulation depths and were potentially heated by upwelling hot, high H2S abundance gases, and sulfur oxidation might be one of the main underlying hydrochemical processes. Seven alkaline, high‐temperature springs (>70°C), in contrast, which originated from a different recharge source as indicated by the lighter isotopic compositions (δ2H and δ18O), showed characteristics of deeper circulation. Hydrogenobacter sp. is the most abundant microorganism in alkaline, high‐temperature springs, whereas acidic, moderate‐temperature springs are mainly composed of Chlorobiaceae, Thiomonas sp., Halothiobacillus sp., Sulfurihydrogenibium sp., and Hydrogenobaculum sp. which have been reported to possess the potentials to cycle sulfur. The hydrochemical constraints on shaping microbial communities may help us better understand biogeochemical cycles across a range of temperatures in acidic and alkaline springs.

ABSTRACT: The Hainan region has developed faults, widely distributed hot springs, and abundant geothermal resources. By analyzing the isotopic and hydrochemical characteristics of 28 groups of geothermal water in Hainan Island, a genesis model of a mid-low temperature convective geothermal system in uplifted mountainous areas was established, revealing the hydrochemical processes and genesis of groundwater. The types of geothermal water are mainly Cl-Na and HCO3-Na. Based on 2H and 18O analysis, the geothermal water comes from atmospheric precipitation recharge in mountainous areas, with an elevation of 200-1250m. Using a SiO2 geothermal thermometer, the reservoir temperature of Hainan Lanyang, Guanxin, and Qixianling springs is calculated to be above 140°C, and the groundwater circulation depth is 4-5km. Based on the geothermal geological characteristics, atmospheric precipitation infiltrates into the central and southern Hainan Island, absorbing the rock heat around the deep Mesozoic granite reservoir, forming geothermal fluid, rising along the east-west and northeast deep fault, partially mixed with seawater in the shallow part, and discharged out of the surface at weak cover layers to form hot springs.

In this study, hydrochemical and isotope investigations were conducted in the Yanqi Basin to determine the chemical composition, and to gain insight into the groundwater recharge process in the Yanqi Basin. It mainly used hydrochemistry, environmental isotopes, and a series of comprehensive data interpretation, e.g., statistics, ionic ratios, and Piper diagram to obtain a better understanding of the functioning of the system. The following hydrochemical processes were identified as the main factors controlling the water quality of the groundwater system: weathering of silicate minerals, dissolution, ion exchange, and to a lesser extent, evaporation, which seemed to be more pronounced down gradient of the flow system. As groundwater flows from the recharge to discharge areas, chemical patterns evolve in the order of Ca2+–HCO3 −, Ca2+/Mg2+–HCO3 − to Ca2+–Mg2+–Cl−–SO4 2−, Na+–K+–Cl−–SO4 2− and Na+–Cl− according to lithology. The environmental isotope (δ 18O, δ 2H, 3H) measurements further revealed that precipitation was the main recharge source for the groundwater system; some local values indicated high levels of evaporation. Tritium and CFC analysis were used to estimate the ages of the different groundwater; the tritium values of the groundwater samples varied from 2.82 to 29.7 TU. The age of the groundwater at depths of <120 m is about 30–50 years. CFC values obtained for six samples to determine groundwater age; the age of the groundwater is about 20–50 years.

The present paper studies the hydrochemical processes and the isotopic characteristics of the main aquifers, the Kuwait Group and Dammam aquifers in the State of Kuwait. The water chemical types are dominantly NaCl and Na2SO4 in the Kuwait Group aquifer and Na2SO4, CaSO4, and NaCl in the Dammam Limestone aquifer. The groundwater of the Kuwait Group aquifer is supersaturated with respect to quartz and calcite, and near saturation with respect to aragonite, but under-saturated with respect to anhydrite, dolomite, gypsum, and halite. While the groundwater of the Dammam aquifer is strongly under-saturated with respect to anhydrite, halite, and gypsum and is supersaturated with respect to quartz, dolomite, aragonite, and calcite. The saturation indices of the calcite and dolomite are increased in the direction of flow from southwest toward north-northeast. Al-Rawdhatain and Umm Al-Aish groundwater samples lie near the meteoric water line. They represent the effect of recharge by rainfall during pluvial period. The brackish palaeo-groundwater of the Dammam aquifer has low values of δ18O (−4.5 per mil) and δD (−35 per mil), which reveal that these waters are related to the palaeo-water from the cool wet period in the eastern Arabia 11,000 to 60,000 years B.P. The investigated brackish groundwater samples showed that the deuterium excess values are much lower than that of the Mediterranean areas. This may suggest that the evaporation was a prevailing process before the infiltration to the aquifers.

ABSTRACTFor evaluating the status of surface water in agricultural oases of the Tianshan Mountains and discussing the influences of human activities and geographical factors on hydrochemical process, we conducted hydrochemical investigations of surface water in two major agricultural oases: Manas and Yili. The δ2H and δ18O of surface water in Manas Oasis ranged from −75.4‰ to − 46.2‰ and −11.6‰ to − 5.5‰, respectively, and from −86.4‰ to − 71.8‰ and −12.5‰ to − 10.7‰ in Yili Oasis. Because rivers are mainly supplied by meltwater from ice and snow, the deuterium excess parameter is mostly positive in the oasis surface waters supplied by these rivers. Ca2+-Mg2+- is the major hydrochemical facies type in Yili and Manas oases. Surface waters of both regions are slightly saturated with carbonate minerals and undersaturated with respect to evaporite minerals, suggesting that the minerals present in the water are mainly produced by calcite and dolomite weathering. Total dissolved solids (TDS) in Manas Oasis are higher than those in Yili Oasis. The δ2H and δ18O of surface water samples in Manas Oasis are isotopically enriched, which indicates that the evaporation effect on Manas is stronger than on Yili. The relatively high salinity in Manas is also associated with local contamination by soil leaching. Agricultural activities are important to the quality of surface water. If such activity is not controlled, water salinization will be increased. Clarification of the hydrological status of these oases and their factors will be used for water management and protection of agricultural oases.

Despite widespread concerns about contraceptive side effects among contraceptive users, few studies explore the specific side effects women are told about during contraceptive counseling. It is thus unclear whether women receive appropriate and sufficient information on side effects they may experience. The objective of this study is to describe which specific side effects of hormonal contraception or copper IUD users are counseled on and identify relevant user characteristics associated with receipt of counseling, using nationally representative cross-sectional data from Ethiopia. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of women between October and December 2019. Analyses were restricted to 2,039 current users of hormonal contraception (implant, injectable, pill, or emergency contraception) or the copper IUD. Descriptive analyses identified the types and number of side effects, across all methods and by the injectable, implant, and pill. Multinomial regression identified factors associated with receipt of counseling on bleeding changes only, non-bleeding changes only, or both, relative to no counseling on side effects, adjusting for method type, source, and socio-economic characteristics. Less than 10% of users were told of at least one bleeding and non-bleeding side effect. Relative to implant users, injectable and other method users were less likely to be told about bleeding changes only (aRRR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.93 and aRRR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16-0.61, respectively) and users of other methods were less likely to be told about both a bleeding and non-bleeding change (aRRR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.19-0.93). Users who received their method from a non-public source were less likely to receive counseling on any kind of side effect and nulliparous women were less likely to be told about both kinds of side effects. There is need to improve counseling on the method specific side effects on which women are counseled, particularly in the private sector.

To facilitate user-centered software engineering, developers need an easy to grasp understanding of the user. The use of personas helps to keep specific user needs in mind during the design process. Technology acceptance is of particular interest for the design of innovative applications previously unknown to potential users. Therefore, our research focuses on defining a typology of relevant user characteristics with respect to technology acceptance and transferring those findings to the description of personas. The presented work focuses on the statistical relationship between technology acceptance and personality. We apply sub-group discovery as a statistical tool. Based on the statistically derived subgroups and patterns we define the mentioned personas to help developers to understand different forms of technology acceptance. By integrating the specifically defined personas into existing methods in the field of software engineering the feasibility of the presented approach is demonstrated.

Objectives This study aimed to develop a prototype of a mobile application to support the improvement of learning strategies for college students based on their learning styles. Methods With reference to a literature review of learning strategies and styles, strategies were extracted to inform the design of a mobile application aimed at supporting the use of learning strategies based on learning styles. Experts validated the extracted strategies, and the prototype was initially developed accordingly. A usability test was performed with students from University A, and based on the test results, the initial prototype was revised until an evolved version was finalized and presented. Results The strategies were extracted and divided into groups considering such factors as the characteristics of college student users, the connection between learning strategies and academic performance, and the characteristics of mobile applications, respectively. Expert validation of the design strategies indicated that both CVI and IRA were 1.00, securing validity and reliability. The mobile app prototype developed based on the extracted strategies featured menus such as learning style diagnosis, learning strategy recommendation, learning strategy application, learning management, sharing for collaborative learning, and gamification for facilitating learning. The usability test results for the prototype showed that the mean values for all items were 4.25 or higher, signifying positive results. Conclusions The significance of the mobile app prototype presented in this paper lies in its consideration of users’ learning styles, which are among the relevant user characteristics, to recommend appropriate learning strategies and support users as they apply those learning strategies in reality. The study results indicate that utilizing learning styles and gamification could positively influence college students by motivating them to enhance their understanding of learning strategies while also improving their ability to utilize those learning strategies.

An e-learning system able to adapt to different learning characteristics of users may improve their performance and increase their learning outcome, as suggested by the research. However, the development of adaptive systems addresses major research questions, identifying and appraising relevant user characteristics as the starting point. Conducted empirical study reveals statistically significant correlations of user intelligence, experience and motivation with her/his learning outcome in an e-learning environment. This contribution adds usefully to the body of knowledge on individual differences and will be considered in an estimation of possible benefits from system adaptive behavior.

BackgroundMental health difficulties are increasing among Canadian postsecondary students, and many face barriers to accessing mental health care. Mobile health smartphone apps for mental health reduce common barriers to care and improve student mental health outcomes. However, students’ engagement and use of mental health apps is low. Evaluating the usability and quality of mental health apps is essential not only for user engagement but also for safety and overall utility. Few mental health apps have undergone usability and quality evaluations, especially with measures explicitly designed for these apps. The JoyPop app is a resilience-building mental health app with evidence supporting its effectiveness for student mental health. It has yet to be evaluated using standardized measures of mental health app usability and quality, and the influence of usability and quality on use is unknown.ObjectiveWe evaluated the usability and quality of the JoyPop app and the predictive importance of usability and quality, compared to other relevant user characteristics, in predicting intentions to use the app in the future (usage intentions).MethodsParticipants (N=183) completed preapp measures assessing demographics and personality traits, then used the app for 1 week, and then completed postapp measures assessing the usability, quality, and use of the JoyPop app. Usability (overall; and subscales: ease of use, interface and satisfaction, and usefulness) and quality (objective, subjective, and perceived impact) were assessed with descriptive statistics. Multiple regression analyses tested the predictive importance of usability and quality on usage intentions after controlling for other user characteristics.ResultsParticipants rated the JoyPop app’s overall usability as “very good” (mean 5.63, SD 0.85). Participants rated the JoyPop app’s overall objective quality as “excellent” (mean 4.06, SD 0.54). Subjective quality ratings were good, with many participants (135/183, 73.8%) indicating they would recommend the app to others. Participants rated the app as having a moderate and helpful impact on their mental health and coping skills (mean 3.48, SD 0.88). In each regression model, usability (β=.56, P<.001) and quality (β=.52, P<.001) were the strongest predictors and predicted usage intentions over and above other user characteristics.ConclusionsResults align with prior research evaluating the JoyPop app and maintain that it is an engaging and high-quality mental health app that can support students. Findings provide important insight into the optimal design of mental health apps for students and inform adaptations to future iterations of the JoyPop app.

RESUMO:Ofertar água em quantidade e qualidade necessárias no semiárido brasileiro é um desafio longe de ser superado, ainda mais quando se trata de comunidades rurais difusas.Conhecer usos, demandas e fontes de água é vital para melhor gerenciamento em cenário de escassez hídrica.As aluviões são uma alternativa considerável na perspectiva de melhor convivência com esta realidade.Para o trecho no Alto Rio Capibaribe, identificou-se as características de uso, as demandas e os tipos de mananciais hídricos mais relevantes em comunidades rurais no semiárido.Também se avaliou a disponibilidade hídrica da aluvião na área.Obteve-se a granulometria, os parâmetros de condutividade hidráulica e porosidade e a estimativa dos recursos exploráveis.A população usa água de diferentes fontes de forma combinada.A água das cisternas é usada quase que exclusivamente nas atividades domésticas mais nobres, enquanto a armazenada na aluvião é usada prioritariamente nas menos nobres e na agricultura familiar e criação animal.De maneira geral, a limitação de acesso a água determina quais atividades produtivas podem ser realizadas.Os sedimentos que compõem a aluvião foram classificados como areias de médias a grossas.O potencial

PROTOCOL: Family Behavior Therapy (FBT) for young people in treatment for non‐opioid drug use

Meaningfulness of landmark pictograms reduces visual salience and recognition performance