Higher Index Values Research Articles

Risk factors of disease severity and mechanical ventilation requirement in childhood Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Background. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the severity of the disease, the need for mechanical ventilation (MV) and poor prognosis in the early stages of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Methods. Data of children who met GBS diagnostic criteria were evaluated retrospectively. The sample was divided into three binary subgroups according to severe GBS (Hughes Functional Grading Scale [HFGS] ≥ 4 at admission), mechanical ventilation (MV) requirement, and poor prognosis (inability to walk independently, HFGS ≥ 3 after six months). Various clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological parameters were compared between these subgroups. Results. The mean age of 63 children with GBS was 91.55±49.09 months. 13 (20.6%) patients required MV and 4 (6.3%) patients died. Associated risk factors for the need for MV in severe GBS were found to be autonomic dysfunction, bulbar palsy, sensory impairment, lowest total Medical Research Council (MRC) scale for muscle strength score at admission, high modified Erasmus GBS respiratory failure score (mEGRIS), high neutrophil-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) and high systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) values (p<0.001, p=0.003, p=0.033, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.037 and p=0.042, respectively). The lowest total MRC scale for muscle strength score at admission was a significant indicator of poor prognosis (p<0.001). Conclusions. Autonomic dysfunction, bulbar palsy, sensory impairment, lowest total MRC scale for muscle strength score at admission, high mEGRIS score, high NLR and SII values are potential risk factors for the need for MV in children with severe GBS. The lowest total MRC scale for muscle strength score at admission was associated with poor prognosis.

Performance Analysis and Characterization of Natural Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) of Titanium Oxide (TiO2) Thin Film

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) thin films of titanium oxide (TiO2) sensitized with the dyes of the almond and copper leaves extracted using ethanol and water (AE, AW, CE and CW) each, have been successfully deposited on FTO conductive glass substrate using the Dr Blading method. The deposited TiO2-DSSC thin films were subjected to UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and I-V characteristics analysis to determine their optical, structural, morphological properties and solar cell parameters respectively. The results of the analysis showed that copper leaves dye-sensitized films (CE and CW) has absorbance is in the range of 0.45 to 0.9 and 0.25 to 0.45 respectively within the visible (VIS) regions. The absorbance of the films sensitized with almond leaves dye is lower in the range of 0.15 - 0.25 for AE and 0.04 – 0.09 for AW within the region. The percentage transmittance of the films was found to be in the range of 82.5% – 90% for the film AW, 35% – 55% for CW while the film AE has the lowest value of the order 12.5% - 35% within the VIS region. The reflectance percent of the films were generally low with the film CE having the highest value in the range of 27%-43%, CW in the range 17.5% - 26%, AE in the range 10% - 15%, while the film AW has values in the range 2.5% - 5.5% within the VIS region. All the deposited DSSCs films have high refractive index values throughout the VIS region. The bandgap energy values obtained for the films are 2.5 eV for film CE, 2.6 eV for CW, and 2.4 eV for the films AE and AW each. These are in the range of wide bandgap energies and are favourable for application in the device that required high temperature and fabrication of blue LEDs. The results of the structural analysis on the deposited thin films showed that both the films exhibited crystalline structure with crystallite sizes of 24.55 nm for CE, 27.68 nm for CW, 22.27 for AE and 36.30 for AW films. The films have low cell conversion efficiency but still within the margin of error for most DSSCs materials.

Ecological and faunistic characteristics of taxoсenes of Collembola in the agrocenoses of Zhovkivsky (Lviv District

As a result of the conducted research, a total of 43 species of collembola were found, which belong to 29 genera and 10 families. In the course of longer and larger-scale research in agrocenoses, it is possible to detect significantly more species (according to literature data, no less than 70). The studied coenotic fauna (αb-diversity) includes from 5 to 21 species of collembola (on average 13.9). One soil sample (αa-diversity) contains from 1 to 8 species of Collembola (on average 2.1). The highest capacity of the medium for collembola at the level of αa-diversity is characteristic of wheat agrocenosis, and the smallest – of potato. The βa-diversity index of collembola (differentiating diversity) of the studied agrocenoses is 3.5 times higher than in natural biotopes of the broad-leaved forest zone, which is associated with a greater contrast of edaphic conditions of the arable environment. The noted high values of the βa-diversity index in agrocenoses are associated with relatively small values of the so-called point αa-diversity. A noticeable decrease in the ecological capacity of the environment for collembola at the level of αa-diversity in the studied agrocenoses is due to the contrast of physical and chemical conditions in specific edaphotopes, the weak edifying effect of the cultivated crop, as well as the implementation of agrotechnical measures. The analysis of the βα-diversity index shows that the greatest unevenness of intracenotic conditions for collembola was found in agrocenoses of wheat (βα-diversity = 5.9), the average in potatoes (5.3), and the smallest in rapeseed (4.7, respectively). The indicator of the average population of collembola in the studied types of agrocenoses varies in a 30-fold interval of values. It has the highest average value in wheat agrocenosis and the lowest value in potato. However, in comparison with natural forest and meadow coenoses, the maximum indicator of the number of pintails in the studied agrocenoses is about an order of magnitude lower. The obtained data on the share of families in the studied coenotic fauna generally agree with the literature data that are known for the natural coenoses of western Ukraine.

Hydrophysical Characteristics of Lake Manzherok after Dredging

Data on seasonal and long-term dynamics of hydrophysical characteristics in the water area of Lake Manzheroksky (Altai Republic) after dredging in 2017–2018 are presented. The expedition studies were conducted during the ice age in April 2021, as well as the summer warming of the lake in July 2021 and 2023. The spectral index of light attenuation in the range of 400–800 nm, the relative transparency of water over a white disk, the velocity of water movement in surface and bottom horizons, as well as temperature stratification are studied. It was found that the discovered bottom groundwater sources contributed to the erosion and dissolution of the not completely removed silt layer, which determined high values of the spectral index of light attenuation and low relative transparency of the water. The research results in July 2023 showed significant changes in hydrophysical characteristics compared to 2021, indicating an improvement in the ecological condition of the lake in a long-term aspect for the period from 2018 to 2023.A comparison of spring and summer data on the dynamics of the spectral index of light attenuation at different depths for Lake Manzheroksky with other freshwater low-flow lakes showed that this hydro-optical parameter for the studied lake is maximum during the ice age, while for other lakes its minimum is noted in this phase of the annual limnic cycle.

Concurrent heat stress and air pollution episodes by considering future projection of climate change

The simultaneous effect of heat stress and air pollutants such as ozone can cause many health issues in cities. The situation exacerbates in the context of climate change and temperature rise. Furthermore, ground-level ozone, worsened by climate change, needs investigation for effective management. Therefore, this study projects heat stress and ozone levels in two Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) climate scenarios, SSP245 and SSP585. Results indicate heightened heat stress with increased ozone levels, especially in severe climate scenarios like SSP585. Besides, the study shows that in the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, the seasonal shift of high Heat Index (HI) values as well as high ozone concentrations is happening toward the previous months of June-July-August (JJA). High values in the HI classification and the Maximum Daily 8-hour average (MDA8) ozone happen sooner in the March-April-May (MAM) months than the expected JJA months. Furthermore, in the SSP585 scenario, the HI classification above 105 (very hot equal to danger category) is 10% high in all months in comparison to the SSP245 scenario. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the interactions between heat stress and ozone pollution for implementing effective adaptation and mitigation measures.

A Comparative Analysis of Satellite-Derived CO Retrievals During the 2020 Wildfires in North America.

In September 2020, the Western United States experienced anomalously severe wildfires that resulted in carbon monoxide (CO) emissions almost three times the 2001-2019 average. In this study, we investigate the influence of wildfires on atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO) variability through a comparative analysis of observations from the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT), the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), and the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). Our focus is on the North American domain, aiming to understand the differences among these products. In general, all instruments show excellent agreement under typical atmospheric CO conditions. However, notable discrepancies were observed in the CO data from the three sensors, particularly in regions with elevated CO total column (TC) values. IASI and TROPOMI consistently showed higher CO values over the western U.S. compared to MOPITT. During the fire episodes, we found that the IASI retrievals suggested higher CO abundances near the surface than the MOPITT thermal infrared retrievals that are probably the result of the differences in the covariance matrices used in IASI and MOPITT retrievals. We also found that the high IASI and TROPOMI CO observations over the western U.S. coincided with high values of the TROPOMI aerosol index (AI), suggesting the presence of absorbing aerosols. The analysis exhibited better agreement between TROPOMI and MOPITT CO TC when the AI values were low. Our results suggest that appropriate quality filtering should be employed when analyzing pollution events with these data. In particular, utilizing the AI for quality filtering may be useful when analyzing extreme pollution events with these satellite products.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The agricultural and allied sectors of many countries have experienced the impacts of climate change in one way or the other. This study highlights the impacts of climate change on agriculture, water resources, health, and economy of sub-Sahara African countries. The study reveals its significant threats to gross domestic product (GDP) and economic sustainability at the national level, and livelihoods, food security, and well-being of citizens at individual level. The study explored research reports on adaptation, mitigation, and integrated approaches to solving climate change issues. Meta AI was found useful in generating data for the study. Though climate change is a global issue, impacts on the countries of the global north are quite different from those of the global south, with impacts being more severe in sub-Sahara Africa. GDP, GDP/capital, contribution of agriculture to GDP, and water availability will decline while numbers of people living below poverty line, people displaced and occasions of deceases will increase due to climate change. Policy and practice interventions with consideration for local factors are recommended to enhance adaptation capacity, promote sustainable development, and support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. This study provides policy insight to the growing discussions on climate change issues globally, especially as it focuses on how its impacts alter the economic situations and daily expectations of the already indigent farmers in the countries of the global south. These countries contribute very little to causation of climate change, yet are at the receiving end of the impacts with extremely high Climate Change Vulnerability Index values recorded.

Diversity of Rhizospheric Bacterial Community from Kaolin Mining Site and Their Potential as Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria

Tailing from mining activities affects soil fertility resulting in poor soil conditions that are challenging for plants to grow. Plants can interact with rhizosphere bacteria to enhance their growth in harsh environments. Rhizospheric bacteria possess numerous mechanisms that promote plant growth and induced resistance to various abiotic stress. This study aims to determine the diversity of rhizobacteria and their potential as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) agents. Bacterial communities from rhizosphere soil samples from kaolin mining sites in Perawas, Tanjung Pandan district, Belitung Regency, Bangka Belitung Island, Indonesia were analyzed using Next Generation Sequencing based on the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, while culturable bacteria were isolated from samples and screened for PGP activity. The results showed that the rhizosphere bacterial community was mostly dominated by Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteria, and Verrumicrobiota. There were 15 bacteria isolated from the sample and RKB-5 bacterial isolate had the potential to be PGP agent. The RKB-5 bacterial isolate was identified as Burkholderia cenocepacia based on its 16S rRNA sequence. The bacterial isolate produced IAA, utilized ACC, dissolved phosphate up to 209,5 mg/L, and formed a high potassium solubilizer index value of 5.00. Therefore, the B. cenocepacia RKB-5 has potential application as the PGPR to support plants growth by obtaining nutrients in ex-mining lands with poor soil conditions.

The Impact of Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) Index on Future Cardio and Cerebrovascular Events in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome, During 3 Years of Follow-Up.

Background: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a new alternative insulin resistance (IR) biomarker. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the TyG index can have a prognostic value in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Moreover, we wanted to compare the TyG index with HOMA index. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 115 consecutive subjects, 81 males and 34 females, referred for ACS to our Unit of Cardiovascular Care of Policlinico Paolo Giaccone, Palermo. The subjects were divided into tertiles according to TyG index values and we performed a 3-year follow-up study. We considered as an end point new cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCEs) during follow-up. Results: We found a significant statistical correlation between the HOMA index and the TyG index (p = 0.001). Patients with elevated TyG index have a higher incidence of MACCE at a 3-year follow-up. In our study the TyG index was an independent predictor of MACCEs (95% CI 1.8158 to 16.8068; P 0.0026) and the optimal TyG index cut-off for predicting MACCEs was 4.92 (sensitivity 76.56% and specificity 72.55%). Conclusions: The TyG index seems to significantly have an important prognostic role in patients with ACS and high values of TyG index are superior to HOMA-IR in predicting MACCEs.

Relação entre estresse oxidativo e COVID-19: uma breve revisão sistemática

OBJECTIVE: Analyse the possible relationship between Oxidative Stress (OS) and the pathogenesis of COVID-19. METHODS: This brief systematic literature review was conducted based on the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). The search resulted in the selection of 10 papers that met the research theme and were published between January 2020 and March 2021. RESULTS: The results revealed that in the course of the disease, there is a decrease in thiol levels and an increase in disulfide and EO, with a probable depletion of antioxidant elements. They found that the accumulation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), added to the damage to albumin, were related to a worse prognosis and that neutrophils may be responsible for the increased level of oxidative stress associated with the worsening of the clinical condition. In addition, cells transfected with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein showed around three times the concentration of ROS compared to non-transfected control cells. As for serum O2- levels, they were significantly elevated in critically ill patients, constituting a probable predictor of disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, from the findings of this study, it is possible to infer that both patients with severe and moderate forms of COVID-19 have high EO index values. However, further studies need to be carried out to confirm these preliminary results.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BASED ON SOIL LOSS, DEFORESTATION IN PERMANENT PRESERVATION AREAS, AND WATER QUALITY APPLIED IN THE ITACAIÚNAS WATERSHED, EASTERN AMAZON.

To understand how various environmental pressures may threaten the Amazon territory, specifically its hydrographic basins, it is crucial to guide key management actions such as soil conservation, environmental preservation, and forest restoration. This paper, based on a detailed study conducted in the Itacaiúnas River Watershed (IRW) located in the Carajás mining province—one of the most significant metallogenetic provinces globally and within the Arc of Deforestation in the Amazon—proposes a new index to assess environmental threats or vulnerabilities. The index evaluates soil loss, deforestation in permanent preservation areas, and water quality—key environmental issues in watershed management. Using geoprocessing and remote sensing techniques, we applied the index across the entire catchment area and at the beginning of the drainage network (a proxy for river springs). Our findings reveal that: i) 68% of unit catchments (32% of headwaters) exhibit “High” or “Very High” soil loss vulnerability; ii) 69% of unit catchments (32% of headwaters) have more than 20% of their permanent preservation areas deforested, representing the primary threat among the three criteria to the basin; iii) Only 4.7% of unit catchments (2% of headwaters) present any chemical risk related to water consumption. The combined criteria (simple arithmetic mean of normalized values) indicate that the east-central and southern parts of the watershed have higher index values, necessitating greater attention to soil conservation. In contrast, the center-western area of the basin, characterized by conservation units and indigenous land, showed low index values but remains at risk primarily due to soil loss if environmental preservation actions are not maintained.

Effect of in vitro Digestion on the Bioaccessibility of Polyphenols and Potential Prebiotic Properties of Potato Peel.

Potato peel is a byproduct of the potato processing industry and a potential source of functional ingredients such as dietary fiber, polyphenols, and prebiotics. However, the bioaccessibility of polyphenols and antioxidants during in vitro digestion as well as prebiotic potential after in vitro digestion of potato peel flour has not been reported. The study was designed to assess the bioaccessibility of polyphenols and the prebiotic potential of potato peel flour. In this study, the changes in polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity during different phases of in vitro digestion, including salivary, gastric and intestinal phases were studied. Additionally, an investigation was conducted to evaluate the prebiotic properties of potato peel flour by in vitro fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus. The findings revealed a significant increase in the recovery index for total phenolic content during both gastric (106.90%) and intestinal (102.71%) digestive phases. Furthermore, polyphenols in potato peel flour exhibited high residual intestinal digestibility index values (>90%). The antioxidant capacity increased by >50% during various phases of in vitro digestion. Regarding prebiotic properties, potato peel flour significantly increased L. acidophilus counts and promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids, specifically propionate and butyrate. This study suggests that potato peel flour has the potential to serve as a functional ingredient or nutraceutical that can enhance health and may help in reducing environmental problems.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly of the mangrove climber species Dalbergia candenatensis

Consisting of trees, climbers and herbs exclusively in the intertidal environments, mangrove forest is one of the most extreme and vulnerable ecosystems of our planet and has long been of great interest for biologists and ecologists. Here, we first assembled the chromosome-scale genome of a climber mangrove plant, Dalbergia candenatensis. The assembled genome size is approximately 474.55 Mb, with a scaffold N50 of 48.1 Mb, a complete BUSCO score of 98.4%, and a high LTR Assembly Index value of 21. The genome contained 283.46 Mb (59.74%) repetitive sequences, and 29,554 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 87.54% were functionally annotated in five databases. The high-quality genome assembly and annotation presented herein provide a valuable genomic resource that will expedite genomic and evolutionary studies of mangrove plants and facilitate the elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying the salt- and water-logging-tolerance of mangrove plants.

Temporal muscle thickness is not a prognostic predictor in patients with high-grade glioma, an experience at two centers in China.

Temporal muscle thickness (TMT) serves as an indicator of sarcopenia and holds predictive value for various cancers. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of TMT for high-grade glioma patients. A retrospective review of 172 high-grade glioma patients from January 2015 to December 2022 was conducted. TMT value was measured based on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance images before surgery. Pearson analysis was used to evaluate potential correlations. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate overall survival for high-grade glioma patients. In our study, the cutoff value of TMT was determined as 7.4 mm. TMT value was not a significant prognostic predictor for high-grade glioma patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.151, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9299-1.424, p = 0.196). World Health Organization (WHO) VI and high body mass index (BMI) value were significantly associated with poorer survival outcomes (HR: 2.6689, 95% CI: 1.5729-4.528, p < 0.001; HR: 1.120, 95% CI: 1.0356-1.211, p = 0.005). TMT did not show a significant association with other factors (p > 0.05). Notably, age demonstrated a significant difference between the thicker and thinner groups (p = 0.019). Our study revealed that WHO grade and BMI demonstrated significant prognostic value for survival outcomes. Consequently, TMT does not appear to be a significant or applicable predictor in patients with high WHO grades.

Highly oriented as-grown beta-phase bismuth oxide for optical MEMS

Reactive sputtering of bismuth has been used to form highly oriented beta-phase Bi2O3 thin films at 120 °C. Notably, the films consist of nearly vertical ~ 50 nm diameter nano-filaments of highly aligned β phase pure bismuth oxide. The optical characteristics of the films include a direct optical bandgap of 3.95 eV at 300 K and nearly negligible optical absorption in the wavelength range from 500 to 3000 nm. Nanoindentation experiments show that the mechanical characteristics of the films include reduced modulus and hardness values of 90 and 4.5 GPa, respectively. As fabricated, the films exhibit tensile stress which in combination with a relatively high refractive index value in the range of 2.4–2.5 makes the realized Bi2O3 films structurally and optically suitable for fabrication of optical microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices with applications in the visible to mid-infrared wavelength region, such as MEMS-based Fabry–Pérot microspectrometers, which is demonstrated through simulations.Graphical

Assessment of socioeconomic and health vulnerability among urban slum dwellers in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundBangladesh is rapidly urbanizing and approximately half of its urban population resides in deprived slums with limited access to basic needs. However, there is a dearth of information on vulnerability levels among slum dwellers. We aimed to assess the level of vulnerability within and between slums via various socioeconomic and health indicators.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 810 randomly selected households was conducted in two purposively selected slums, Korail and Shyampur, in Dhaka from November to December 2021. Data was collected on various indicators, including demographics, education, employment, access to utility, and healthcare services. Principal component factor analysis was employed to identify the key indicators to construct the socioeconomic and health vulnerability index for the urban slums of Bangladesh (SEHVI-BD). Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Bartlett’s test, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient test were used to assess indicators’ suitability. The selected indicators were used to generate an index on a scale of 100, with a higher index value indicating a higher level of vulnerability. The estimated scores were used to categorize the vulnerability status into three levels: mild, moderate, and severe vulnerability. The Mann-Whitney-U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were applied between the generated index and other socioeconomic variables to validate the relationship.ResultsA total of 27 socioeconomic and health indicators were identified that explained 60% of the variance. The indicators were then grouped into six domains on the basis of their relevance. The prevalence of severe vulnerability in the Korail slum was approximately 9% and moderate vulnerability was 30% whereas these values were approximately 58% and 37%, respectively, in the Shyampur slum. The difference in the vulnerability level between the two slums was also evident across the domains. Households in the poorest wealth quintile, with lower education levels of household heads, and having irregular income experienced higher levels of vulnerability.ConclusionsThe SEHVI-BD offers a critical tool for policymakers to identify and address vulnerabilities, facilitating more targeted public health interventions in urban Bangladesh and similar low-income settings. This study further emphasizes the importance of integrating comprehensive vulnerability assessments into public health policies to reduce inequalities and improve well-being, especially for the urban marginalized slum population.

A deep eutectic solvent with a lignin stabilization and functionalization for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment

This study synthesized a functional deep eutectic solvent (DES) using betaine and glyoxylic acid (GA) for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment. The Betaine/GA DES pretreatment resulted a high delignification efficiency of 81.89% and xylan removal of 83.25% while preserving most of cellulose. During pretreatment, lignin was stabilized by GA, preventing its condensation and introducing carboxyl groups onto its molecular backbone. The GA stabilized lignin (GASL), with a high β-O-4 linkage content of 62.92%, was depolymerized for phenolic monomer production with a bio-oil yield of 55.40%. Additionally, the functional lignin was used as a surfactant for GASL-based O/W emulsion (GA-O/W emulsion) preparation. With 0.5% of lignin addition and an optimal O/W ratio of 6:4, the resulting GA-O/W emulsion exhibited a high cream index value of 100% and excellent storage stability without any phase transition or emulsion aggregation. When using the lignin to prepare curcumin-encapsulated microcapsules, a cumulative curcumin remaining of 74.19% under UV radiation and an extraordinary encapsulation efficiency of 62.86% were achieved. Furthermore, this DES pretreatment promoted enzymatic saccharification of the pretreated cellulose substrate, resulting in a glucose yield of 91.49%. After adding 15 wt% of the fibers in soft wood pulp for papermaking, the tear index, ring crush strength index, and tensile index of the produced paper-sheets reached 112.04%, 98.58%, and 83.55% of those of the pure softwood pulp papers, respectively.

Quantifying Solar Radiation Over Northern India and Validating with Cropwat for Agricultural and Renewable Energy Applications

Precise computation of global solar energy is crucial for many fields of investigation such as renewable energy, meteorology, and agriculture especially crop water requirement and irrigation requirement. This paper presents the quantification of solar radiation using weather data during the years from 2020-21. The results obtained were validated with the solar radiation estimated with the help of CROPWAT during the year. Statistical and visual approaches were adopted to validate the quantified results. Analysis revealed the high degree of similarity between simulated and CROPWAT determined daily solar radiation during the year 2020-21 over the study area. Very high values of Willmot index of agreement (1.0), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (0.999), and Pearson correlation coefficient (0.998), and low values of mean absolute error (0.138), mean bias error (-0.024), and root mean square error (0.182) between them was observed during the year 2020-21 in the area. The minimum solar radiation reaching over the region were observed to be around 5.71 MJ/m2/day during winter season (January) with a normal value of 13.50 MJ/m2/day, while the maximum value of 24.5 MJ/m2/day was observed during the summer season (June) with a normal value of 24.13 MJ/m2/day over the region. The use of these data for further study is recommended as it is worthful quantification over the region.

Groundwater quality assessment for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Ayad river basin, Udaipur (India)

Globally, about 5.25 billion people depend on groundwater for their water needs. However, groundwater quality significantly impacts human health and agriculture, influenced by factors such as land use, waste seepage, soil properties, and geological settings. In Rajasthan, the primary groundwater quality issues involve fluoride, nitrate, chloride, and calcium. This study addresses the gap in the understanding of the spatial and temporal variations of these contaminants and how the variations are linked to geology and land use. The basis for the analysis is data spanning 2000 to 2021from the Ground Water Department (GWD), the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), and citizen science data from 2022 to 2023, focusing on the Ayad River Basin. The research aims to evaluate groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation by assessing physico-chemical parameters and using the Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI) method to calculate the Groundwater Quality Index (GWQI) from 2000 to 2023. The findings suggest a decreasing GWQI trend from west to east in the basin, with good groundwater quality (GWQI below 50) in the southern regions near the cities Umarda, Ramgiri, Undri, and Hariyab. The highest index values were near Bhoyana, Khemli, and Sisarma. The results of the salinity hazard test showed that salinity is a major issue in the eastern part of the basin. Though the groundwater is notably hard, a comprehensive analysis of various parameters nevertheless suggested its suitability for irrigation purposes. These results provide new insights in the quality of the groundwater resources in the Ayad River basin and valuable insights for policymakers and for decision-makers to develop strategies to preserve the groundwater quality.

An application of the remote sensing derived indices for drought monitoring in a dry zone district, in tropical island

Recent research has shown that droughts have intensified in South Asia over the past two decades. As a natural disaster, this has severely impacted people’s livelihoods, especially in the dry zones of Sri Lanka. Thus, to ensure human well-being, security of water resources, and ecosystem health, it is essential to minimize the impacts of droughts using reliable information. Remote sensing (RS) data and techniques help bridge the gap by enabling the analysis of drought phenomena through a diverse array of indices developed in the fields. However, until now, there has been a lack of systematic monitoring and reliable data for accurately characterizing droughts in the study area. As the first comprehensive analysis, we tried to evaluate the spatial–temporal dynamics of drought conditions in two Divisional Secretariat Divisions of the Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka using eight standardized remote sensing-derived indices over a decade (2013–2023) including the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). SPI values indicated that the region has experienced notably below-average precipitation. According to SPI results, a significant portion of the Medawchchiya area experienced arid conditions in 2023. All other indices proved that 2018 was the driest year and 2013 was the wettest year among the three time points, as reflected by their low and high index values. However, according to NVSMI and LST, the wettest year is 2023, with only 1.78 % of areas experiencing severe drought and a maximum LST of 31.4 °C. LULC change detection revealed that 14.3 % of agricultural lands and 5.1 % of forest areas were converted into barren lands over a decade. Overall, this conversion may be another leading factor contributing to increased LST and dryness in the area during the concerned period while increasing the mean LST of barren land by around 4.7 °C per decade. Land surface-related and vegetation-related indices, such as NDWI, NDMI, LST, and NDVI, exhibited a more pronounced impact on short-term drought occurrences. The findings revealed that average precipitation coincides with short-term drought episodes in the area, with 2018 standing out as having the least rainfall and the driest year. The study’s findings may provide additional insights for planning authorities, supporting environmental protection and enhancing agricultural production by mitigating droughts’ impacts through short- and long-term strategies. Although, the study focused on a small area, a similar approach could be extended to other areas by incorporating advanced machine learning techniques and additional drought indices in the future.