Month: April 2024

Hydrochemical Characterization of Ground and Surface Water for Irrigation Application in Nigeria: A Review of Progress

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Abstract

Irrigation is a very important practice that helps to ensure all-year-round food security, which is one of the Sustainable Development Goals targets. However, irrigation development in Nigeria has not been fully harnessed despite the huge investment allocated to it. Nigeria has a good quality water-stressed environment where surface and groundwater serve as the main sources of water for several purposes. This has put the water under serious anthropogenic pressure from unconscious and uninformed citizens. This review was aimed at assessing the baseline hydrochemical characteristics of surface and groundwater in different zones of Nigeria with respect to the hydrchmical facies, water type and dominant cations and anions. Understanding the flow patterns, origins, and chemical histories of ground-water masses can be accomplished with the help of hydrochemical facies interpretations. In a bid to achieve this aim, over fifty two articles that reported hydrochemical studies on surface and groundwater in Nigeria were examined. The articles were divided into groundwater articles, surface water articles, and articles that considered both together. The common water types observed in the different regions of Nigeria were: Northwestern Nigeria (Na–HCO3−–Cl, Ca–Mg–HCO3−–Cl, Na–Ca–Cl, Ca–Mg–HCO3− and Ca–Mg–SO42−–Cl). Southern part (Ca–Mg, HCO3−–CO32−, Na–HCO3, NaHCO3−–Cl, Ca2+–Mg2+–Cl−–SO42−, Na–Cl, Ca–Na–HCO3−–Cl and Na+–K+–Cl−–SO42−) with Ca–Mg–CO32−–HCO3− and Na+–K+–Cl−–SO42− water facies as the dominant hydrochemical facies. The northeastern part had Ca–HCO3−, Na–HCO3−, Ca–Mg–HCO3− and Ca–Mg–SO42−–Cl facies predominantly. Southwest recorded the largest number of hydrochemical facies with Na–(K)–HCO3−, (Cl + SO42− + HCO3−) + (Cl + SO42−), Na+–SO42− type (according to Base Exchange Indices), while meteoric genesis indices (showing the various water types and percolation depth) indicated deep meteoric water percolation type. Besides, the primary hydrochemical facies were found to be Na(K)–HCO3− (minor) and Ca(Mg)–HCO3− (dominant) water types, which could be associated with mineral dissolution in the different rock units, according to the overall hydrochemical profiles. Two major water facies (the Mixed Ca–HCO3− and Ca–Mg–Cl) were revealed by the Piper diagram, while samples in the region were primarily influenced by precipitation as a minor influencer and rock weathering/mineral deposition as a major influencer from the Gibbs’ plot perspective. The hydrochemical facies of the south-south (SS) and north-central (NC) regions were not available due to insufficient articles from the regions. Despite the large number of articles reviewed, there was no comprehensive water quality analysis from each article. We therefore hope that this review will stimulate further research in SS and NC. By implication, this review has shown that in respect of water-types, ground and surface water in Nigeria is of good quality for irrigation application, but we must put on notice that water quality changes with time and location.

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Break out against the tide: using ambidextrous networks and dynamic absorptive capacity to create greater value

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Abstract

Competitive advantage of an enterprise stems from its unique value. The purpose of this study is to explore firms on how to utilize ambidextrous networks and dynamic absorption capacity to meet customer needs and create maximum value for the enterprise. This study uses a structural equation model to examine 597 high-tech enterprises in China, these results indicate that ambidextrous networks positively affect value creation. Furthermore, dynamic absorptive capacity and exploratory innovation mediate the relationship between ambidextrous networks and value creation; and resource bricolage interferes with dynamic absorptive capacity and exploratory innovation. The research value of this study provides suggestions for high-tech enterprises facing fierce competition: fully utilizing ambidextrous network resources and piecing together existing idle resources, thereby expanding their use, resolving the contradiction between exploration and innovation, and expanding the network, dynamic absorptive capacity, and value-created theories.

Comparative assessment of hydrochemical characterization and groundwater quality for irrigation in an autochthonous karst aquifer with the support of GIS: case study of Altinova, Turkey

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Abstract

This study aims to present a comparative assessment of hydrochemical characterization and groundwater quality in karst aquifers with the support of GIS which is essential to correlate the source of water with climate and geology, and to evaluate suitability of water for various uses. The study area is the Altinova region in Turkey where intensive agricultural activities prevail and travertine covers 85% of the study area. A total of 25 groundwater wells were monitored by seasonal field measurements and extensive water quality analyses for a period of one year to establish correlation between groundwater quality, its source, regional climate, and geology. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to assess the groundwater's suitability for irrigation based on electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage, magnesium hazard, permeability index, residual sodium bicarbonate, Kelly’s ratio, and an irrigation water quality (IWQ) index. This multi-parameter evaluation was further integrated with geospatial analysis using ArcGIS, providing a detailed spatial understanding of hydrochemical variations across the area. Major cations and anions dominance were identified as Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ and HCO3− > Cl− > SO42−, respectively. Spatial mapping identified high concentrations of Ca2+, TDS, TH, and SO42− in non-karstic areas, occasionally exceeding WHO guidelines. Nitrate concentrations displayed varied spatial distribution. The SAR values generally matched C2-S1 and C3-S1 classes, suggesting medium to high salinity risks and low sodium presence. Based on the IWQ index and observed correlations with total dissolved solids, the groundwater in Altinova’s karstic aquifer is considered suitable for irrigation, with salinization largely due to ionic interactions and geology. The presented comparative assessment provides a holistic approach for understanding hydrochemical characteristics of karst aquifers, and analyzing the impacts of natural factors and anthropogenic pollution sources on groundwater quality.

Tiny polyp detection from endoscopic video frames using vision transformers

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Abstract

Deep learning techniques can be effective in helping doctors diagnose gastrointestinal polyps. Currently, processing video frame sequences containing a large amount of spurious noise in polyp detection suffers from elevated recall and mean average precision. Moreover, the mean average precision is also low when the polyp target in the video frame has large-scale variability. Therefore, we propose a tiny polyp detection from endoscopic video frames using Vision Transformers, named TPolyp. The proposed method uses a cross-stage Swin Transformer as a multi-scale feature extractor to extract deep feature representations of data samples, improves the bidirectional sampling feature pyramid, and integrates the prediction heads of multiple channel self-attention mechanisms. This approach focuses more on the feature information of the tiny object detection task than convolutional neural networks and retains relatively deeper semantic information. It additionally improves feature expression and discriminability without increasing the computational complexity. Experimental results show that TPolyp improves detection accuracy by 7%, recall by 7.3%, and average accuracy by 7.5% compared to the YOLOv5 model, and has better tiny object detection in scenarios with blurry artifacts.

Policy insights for wind energy from a choice experiment stated preference efficient design in Apulia region (Italy)

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Abstract

The present work argues that wind energy is either a positive or negative determinant against the risks associated with its use, and aims at: evaluating the incidence of energy risks on the perception of wind energy; analysing the trade-offs between a wind farm installation, land conservation and energy risks; suggesting adequate policy indications for the efficiency of future energy markets. The study compares the results from logit models, which estimate the distribution of the utility coefficients with a Choice Experiment approach using a stated preference efficient design and honesty priming techniques to overcome the hypothetical bias. Main findings indicate a positive attitude for the proposed wind energy scenarios in terms of Aesthetical impact, CO2 and Bill savings, and Costs, as well as more densely distributed wind farms producing more energy. Installation and maintenance costs and the rate of avian collisions are considered acceptable. From the main findings, useful policy insights assess the efficiency of wind farms projects to reduce costs and energy prices. Simplification of bureaucracy, direct economic benefits for local communities, citizens’ participation, and dissemination of information are key practices for future developments of wind energy markets.

Policy insights for wind energy from a choice experiment stated preference efficient design in Apulia region (Italy)

Latest Results

Abstract

The present work argues that wind energy is either a positive or negative determinant against the risks associated with its use, and aims at: evaluating the incidence of energy risks on the perception of wind energy; analysing the trade-offs between a wind farm installation, land conservation and energy risks; suggesting adequate policy indications for the efficiency of future energy markets. The study compares the results from logit models, which estimate the distribution of the utility coefficients with a Choice Experiment approach using a stated preference efficient design and honesty priming techniques to overcome the hypothetical bias. Main findings indicate a positive attitude for the proposed wind energy scenarios in terms of Aesthetical impact, CO2 and Bill savings, and Costs, as well as more densely distributed wind farms producing more energy. Installation and maintenance costs and the rate of avian collisions are considered acceptable. From the main findings, useful policy insights assess the efficiency of wind farms projects to reduce costs and energy prices. Simplification of bureaucracy, direct economic benefits for local communities, citizens’ participation, and dissemination of information are key practices for future developments of wind energy markets.

Discrimination of geographical origin of Korean and Chinese red pepper paste via inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry

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Abstract

Background

Red pepper paste is a common ingredient used in food in Korea. The discrimination of the geographical origin of agricultural products is important to protect the agricultural industry and customers from the misinformation regarding the product origin. Several studies have attempted to identify the geographical origin of red pepper based on its characteristic features using diverse methods, such as inorganic elemental analysis. However, similar studies on red pepper pastes have not been conducted thus far.

Results

In, this study, we established methods based on inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for determining inorganic elements in red pepper pastes. The limit of detection (LOD) of ICP-AES was in the range of 0.006–0.531 mg∙kg−1 and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.017–1.593 mg∙kg−1. In addition, LOD and LOQ ranges for ICP-MS were 0.001–1.553, and 0.002–5.176 μg∙kg−1, respectively. The concentrations of Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Ga, As, Sr, Zr, Mo, Pd, Cd, Sn, Sb, Ce, Pt, Pb, and U were high in the Korean red pepper paste. All the employed discrimination models could clearly distinguish between Korean and Chinese red pepper pastes. In particular, among the four different models, CDA showed the most accurate ability to discriminate the geological origin of Korean and Chinese red pepper paste compared to that achieved using the other models with 100% accuracy.

Conclusions

Based on, the findings of this study, the use of ICP-AES and ICP-MS analyses for discriminating the inorganic elements in food products in combination with the aforementioned statistical analysis models could help the mitigation of issues associated with the misinformation of the geographical origin of agricultural products, aiding customer protection.

Graphical Abstract

Bibliometric analysis of ChatGPT in medicine

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Abstract

Introduction

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) chat programs has opened two distinct paths, one enhancing interaction and another potentially replacing personal understanding. Ethical and legal concerns arise due to the rapid development of these programs. This paper investigates academic discussions on AI in medicine, analyzing the context, frequency, and reasons behind these conversations.

Methods

The study collected data from the Web of Science database on articles containing the keyword “ChatGPT” published from January to September 2023, resulting in 786 medically related journal articles. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed articles in English related to medicine.

Results

The United States led in publications (38.1%), followed by India (15.5%) and China (7.0%). Keywords such as “patient” (16.7%), “research” (12%), and “performance” (10.6%) were prevalent. The Cureus Journal of Medical Science (11.8%) had the most publications, followed by the Annals of Biomedical Engineering (8.3%). August 2023 had the highest number of publications (29.3%), with significant growth between February to March and April to May. Medical General Internal (21.0%) was the most common category, followed by Surgery (15.4%) and Radiology (7.9%).

Discussion

The prominence of India in ChatGPT research, despite lower research funding, indicates the platform’s popularity and highlights the importance of monitoring its use for potential medical misinformation. China’s interest in ChatGPT research suggests a focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI applications, despite public bans on the platform. Cureus’ success in publishing ChatGPT articles can be attributed to its open-access, rapid publication model. The study identifies research trends in plastic surgery, radiology, and obstetric gynecology, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and reliability assessments in the application of ChatGPT in medical practice.

Conclusion

ChatGPT’s presence in medical literature is growing rapidly across various specialties, but concerns related to safety, privacy, and accuracy persist. More research is needed to assess its suitability for patient care and implications for non-medical use. Skepticism and thorough review of research are essential, as current studies may face retraction as more information emerges.