Groundwater is a reliable source of fresh water for domestic and agricultural water users. It supports subsurface ecosystem by balancing the geo-biological and bio-geochemical processes at micro- and ...macro-scales of the ecosystem. Overexploitation, anthropogenic activities and improper agricultural practices have contributed to the pollution of groundwater sources all around the globe. The water quality index (WQI) is the most extensively used indicator which transforms the water quality information derived from several parameters into a single value/rating to categorize and provide a general perception of water quality standard. Groundwater quality analysis and mapping via geographical information system (GIS) proves to be beneficial in identifying the locations where the groundwater quality is deteriorating. In the current study, the WQI of groundwater was determined for the samples collected from open and tube wells located within the Udupi district of Karnataka state, India. The groundwater quality parameters such as pH, hardness, calcium, chlorides, nitrates, iron, fluoride, sulfates, manganese, sodium, magnesium, potassium, turbidity, and phosphate were analyzed for water samples collected from 112 randomly chosen open/tube wells in order to determine the WQI. Interpolation approaches such as inverse distance weighting (IDW) and kriging were adopted in the GIS environment to quantify the spatial variability of groundwater quality over the entire geographical area. The groundwater quality maps were generated using the best fit models. The results portray that, the accuracy of interpolation using IDW and kriging methods was dependent on the measures of central tendency and variability of water quality data of different parameters. The kriging interpolation was much accurate for most of the groundwater quality parameters compared to IDW maps. The WQI maps, perhaps signposted the poor quality of groundwater quality in about 1.88% of the geographical area of Udupi district. Further, about 21.69% of the area was affected by poor quality of groundwater where suitable strategies for replenishment of groundwater resources should be taken up by the concerned authorities. The spatial distribution maps of groundwater quality aid to locate vulnerable places where immediate action is required.
Highlights
Water quality index mapping clearly depicts the critical areas that need policy measures for the groundwater sustainability.
Current study acts as a decision support system for taking up water quality management activities for groundwater remediation in the study area.
Geostatistical methods prove to be ideal for the evaluation of spatial groundwater quality assessment and distribution.
STATISTICS IN PRACTICE A practical exploration of alternative approaches to analyzing water-related environmental issues Written by an experienced environmentalist and recognized expert in the field, ...this text is designed to help water resource managers and scientists to formulate, implement, and interpret more effective methods of water quality management. After presenting the basic foundation for using statistical methods in water resource management, including the use of appropriate hypothesis test procedures and some rapid calculation procedures, the author offers a range of practical problems and solutions on environmental topics that often arise, but are not generally covered. These include: * Formulating water quality standards * Determining compliance with standards * MPNs and microbiology * Water-related, human health risk modeling * Trends, impacts, concordance, and detection limits In order to promote awareness of alternative approaches to analyzing data, both frequentist and Bayesian, statistical methods are contrasted in terms of their applicability to various environmental issues. Each chapter ends with a number of set problems for which full answers are provided. The book also encourages discussion between technical staff and management before embarking on statistical studies.
Good data quality is crucial for any data-driven system’s effective and safe operation. For critical safety systems, the significance of data quality is even higher since incorrect or low-quality ...data may cause fatal faults. However, there are challenges in identifying and managing data quality. In particular, there is no accepted process to define and continuously test data quality concerning what is necessary for operating the system. This lack is problematic because even safety-critical systems become increasingly dependent on data. Here, we propose a Candidate Framework for Data Quality Assessment and Maintenance (CaFDaQAM) to systematically manage data quality and related requirements based on design science research. The framework is constructed based on an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) case study. The study is based on empirical data from a literature review, focus groups, and design workshops. The proposed framework consists of four components: a
Data Quality Workflow
, a
List of Data Quality Challenges
, a
List of Data Quality Attributes
, and
Solution Candidates
. Together, the components act as tools for data quality assessment and maintenance. The candidate framework and its components were validated in a focus group.
Deep learning methods for image quality assessment (IQA) are limited due to the small size of existing datasets. Extensive datasets require substantial resources both for generating publishable ...content and annotating it accurately. We present a systematic and scalable approach to creating KonIQ-10k, the largest IQA dataset to date, consisting of 10,073 quality scored images. It is the first in-the-wild database aiming for ecological validity, concerning the authenticity of distortions, the diversity of content, and quality-related indicators. Through the use of crowdsourcing, we obtained 1.2 million reliable quality ratings from 1,459 crowd workers, paving the way for more general IQA models. We propose a novel, deep learning model (KonCept512), to show an excellent generalization beyond the test set (0.921 SROCC), to the current state-of-the-art database LIVE-in-the-Wild (0.825 SROCC). The model derives its core performance from the InceptionResNet architecture, being trained at a higher resolution than previous models (512 × 384 ). Correlation analysis shows that KonCept512 performs similar to having 9 subjective scores for each test image.
Summary High consumption of processed red meat can cause health issues. Therefore, production of high-quality meat-free food alternatives is necessary. The main objective of this study was to use ...hydrocolloids including kappa-carrageenan, konjac mannan and xanthan gum at 0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.0 and 1.5% w/w to improve the quality of meat-free sausages formulated by soy protein isolated, texturised soy protein, corn starch, vegetable oil and spices. With the addition of the tested hydrocolloids, the lightness of the sausages improved. kappa-Carrageenan and konjac mannan significantly improved the water-holding capacity and texture and reduced the cooking loss of the samples, while xanthan gum showed no considerable effect on these parameters. Konjac mannan and kappa-carrageenan (up to 0.6%) improved the general acceptability of the sausages, while inclusion of xanthan gum made no significant difference. Unlike xanthan gum, kappa-carrageenan followed by konjac mannan was highly successful in improving the overall quality of meat-free sausages.
Water quality evaluation is fundamental for water resources management. Water quality index (WQI) is an accurate and easily understandable method for assessing water quality for different purposes. ...In this study, the Iraqi water quality index (Iraq WQI) was constructed to be used to evaluate the Iraqi rivers for drinking. For this purpose, some statistical techniques, experts’ advice, literature reviews, and authors’ experience were used. First, the principal component analysis (PCA) method and the modified Delphi method were used to select the most influential water quality parameters and their relative weights. Second, the quality curves of selected parameters were drawn to calculate the WQI scores basing on the water quality standards. Of twenty-seven parameters, six parameters were chosen to be within the index depending on their effect on water quality in order to reflect the specific characteristics of the Iraqi waters. The Iraq WQI was applied to the Tigris River within Baghdad as a case study and for some sites on other Iraqi rivers, and gave acceptable results. Results revealed that the statistical techniques used in this paper can be applied in all Iraqi rivers considering their specific characteristics. Based on the reliability of the Iraq WQI, there is no longer a need to use Indices designed for water for other countries.
Objective
To study the relationships between the different domains of quality of primary health care for the evaluation of health system performance and for informing policy decision making.
Data ...Sources
A total of 137 quality indicators collected from 7,607 English practices between 2011 and 2012.
Study Design
Cross‐sectional study at the practice level. Indicators were allocated to subdomains of processes of care (“quality assurance,” “education and training,” “medicine management,” “access,” “clinical management,” and “patient‐centered care”), health outcomes (“intermediate outcomes” and “patient‐reported health status”), and patient satisfaction. The relationships between the subdomains were hypothesized in a conceptual model and subsequently tested using structural equation modeling.
Principal Findings
The model supported two independent paths. In the first path, “access” was associated with “patient‐centered care” (β = 0.63), which in turn was strongly associated with “patient satisfaction” (β = 0.88). In the second path, “education and training” was associated with “clinical management” (β = 0.32), which in turn was associated with “intermediate outcomes” (β = 0.69). “Patient‐reported health status” was weakly associated with “patient‐centered care” (β = −0.05) and “patient satisfaction” (β = 0.09), and not associated with “clinical management” or “intermediate outcomes.”
Conclusions
This is the first empirical model to simultaneously provide evidence on the independence of intermediate health care outcomes, patient satisfaction, and health status. The explanatory paths via technical quality clinical management and patient centeredness offer specific opportunities for the development of quality improvement initiatives.
Water plays a critical role in securing the mine production and domestic consumption in mining areas. This research was carried out to assess the water quality status and to identify the ...hydrochemical processes contributing to the dissolved constituents of the water in the Guohua phosphorite mine, Guizhou Province, China. Multivariate statistical techniques and correlation analysis were employed to gain a better understanding of the hydrogeochemical processes, and water quality for domestic and irrigation purposes was also assessed. The results indicate that groundwater and surface water quality in the phosphorite mine area is currently excellent with low concentrations of major ions, salinity, and trace metals. Whereas,
E. coli
is excessive in groundwater and surface water, and treatment is required before the water is used for drinking purpose. Groundwater and surface water are, however, suitable for agricultural purposes. The major ions are Ca
2+
, Mg
2+
, and HCO
3
−
, and all water samples are predominantly of the HCO
3
–Ca·Mg type. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicates that the water chemistry in the mining area is regulated by natural processes that are controlled by the different geological formations and different hydrogeological settings. Carbonate dissolution/precipitation is the key factor controlling the concentrations of Ca
2+
, Mg
2+
, and HCO
3
–
. Pyrite oxidation is an important factor influencing the concentration of SO
4
2–
, whereas evaporation is a minor factor regulating the water chemistry in the mining area. The study results are beneficial for sustainable water quality management in the mining area, and they will also interest mine hydrogeologists and practitioners of the world as a reference for relevant studies in other regions.
Despite increasing interest in research on how to translate knowledge into practice and improve healthcare, the accumulation of scientific knowledge in this field is slow. Few substantial new ...insights have become available in the last decade.
Various problems hinder development in this field. There is a frequent misfit between problems and approaches to implementation, resulting in the use of implementation strategies that do not match with the targeted problems. The proliferation of concepts, theories and frameworks for knowledge transfer - many of which are untested - has not advanced the field. Stakeholder involvement is regarded as crucial for successful knowledge implementation, but many approaches are poorly specified and unvalidated. Despite the apparent decreased appreciation of rigorous designs for effect evaluation, such as randomized trials, these should remain within the portfolio of implementation research. Outcome measures for knowledge implementation tend to be crude, but it is important to integrate patient preferences and the increased precision of knowledge.
We suggest that the research enterprise be redesigned in several ways to address these problems and enhance scientific progress in the interests of patients and populations. It is crucially important to establish substantial programmes of research on implementation and improvement in healthcare, and better recognize the societal and practical benefits of research.
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