No abstract

Assessing the quality of groundwater is important to ensure sustainable safe use of these resources. However, describing the overall water quality condition is difficult due to the spatial variability of multiple contaminants and the wide range of indicators (chemical, physical and biological) that could be measured. This contribution proposes a GIS-based groundwater quality index (GQI) which synthesizes different available water quality data (e.g., Cl − , Na + , Ca 2+ ) by indexing them numerically relative to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Also, introduces an objective procedure to select the optimum parameters to compute the GQI, incorporates the aspect of temporal variation to address the degree of water use sustainability and tests the sensitivity of the proposed model.The GQI indicated that the groundwater quality in the Nasuno basin, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is generally high (GQI >90). It has also displayed the natural (depth to groundwater table, geomorphologic structures) and/or anthropogenic (land-use and population density) controls over the spatial variability of groundwater quality in the basin. Temporally, groundwater quality is more variable in the upper and lower parts of the basin (variation, V, 15-30%) compared to the middle part (V, <15%) probably attributed to the seasonality of precipitation and irrigation of rice. In the lower southeastern part of the Nasuno basin and the vicinity of the Naka and Houki rivers the sustainable use of groundwater is constrained by the relatively low and variable groundwater quality. The model sensitivity analysis indicated that parameters which reflect relatively lower water quality (high mean rank value) and those of significant spatial variability imply larger impacts on the GQI and must be carefully and accurately mapped. Optimum index factor technique allows the selection of the best combination of parameters dictating the variability of groundwater quality and enables an objective and fair representation of the overall groundwater quality.

The human body represents a striking example of ciliary diversification. Extending from the surface of most cells, cilia accomplish an astonishingly diverse set of tasks. Predictably, mutations in ciliary genes cause a wide range of human diseases such as male infertility or blindness. In C. elegans sensory cilia, this functional diversity appears to be traceable to the differential regulation of the kinesin-2-powered intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery. Here, we reconstituted the first functional, multi-component IFT complex that is deployed in the sensory cilia of C. elegans. Our bottom-up approach revealed the molecular basis of specific motor recruitment to the IFT trains. We identified the key component that incorporates homodimeric kinesin-2 into its physiologically relevant context which in turn allosterically activates the motor for efficient transport. These results lay the groundwork for a molecular delineation of IFT regulation that eluded understanding since its ground-breaking discovery more than two decades ago.

The present study was carried out to assess the groundwater quality for drinking purposes in the Quaternary Unconsolidated Sedimentary Basin of the North Chengdu Plain, China. Six groups of water samples (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6) are selected in the study area. These samples were analyzed for 19 different physicochemical water quality parameters to assess groundwater quality. The physicochemical parameters of groundwater were compared with China's Quality Standards for Groundwater (GB/T14848-93). Interpretation of physicochemical data revealed that groundwater in the basin was slightly alkaline. Total hardness and total dissolved solid values show that the investigated water is classified as very hard and fresh water, respectively. The sustainability of groundwater for drinking purposes was assessed based on the fuzzy mathematics evaluation (FME) method. The results of the assessment were classified into five groups based on their relative suitability for portable use (grade I = most suitable to grade V = least suitable), according to (GB/T 14848-93). The assessment results reveal that the quality of groundwater in most of the wells was class I, II and III and suitable for drinking purposes, but well (S2) has been found to be in class V, which is classified as very poor and cannot be used for drinking. Also, the FME method was compared with the comprehensive evaluation method. The FME method was found to be more comprehensive and reasonable to assess groundwater quality. This study can provide an important frame of reference for decision making on improving groundwater quality in the study area and nearby surrounding.

Groundwater is a major water resource in the North Chengdu Plain, China. The research objective is to determine the quality and suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes within the vicinity of a shallow, unconsolidated aquifer of Quaternary age. In this study, a detailed investigation was conducted to define the hydrochemical characteristics that control the quality of groundwater, based on traditional methods. Considering the uncertainties linked with water resources and the environmental complications, the fuzzy logic method was used in the determination of groundwater quality for more precise findings that support decision-making. To achieve such an objective, sixteen water quality guidelines were used to determine groundwater quality status in six selected wells. The results showed that the groundwater is neutral, very hard, and fresh in nature. Dominating cations and anions are in the order of Ca 2 + > Na + > Mg 2 + > K + and HCO 3 - > SO 4 2 - > Cl - . The Piper trilinear diagram demonstrates that the hydrochemical facies of groundwater are mostly of Ca-HCO 3 type. Statistical analysis denotes a positive correlation between most of the chemical parameters. The study took the results of the fuzzy logic evaluation method into consideration, to classify the samples into five groups according to the Chinese groundwater quality standard (GB/T 14848-93) for their suitability for domestic use. The results demonstrated that the quality of the groundwater samples is within grade II and III, and is suitable for drinking purposes. The comprehensive evaluation of groundwater quality is critical to aid sensitive policy decisions, and the proposed approach can guarantee reliable findings to that effect. The results of this study would also be helpful to future researches related to groundwater quality assessment.