Assessing groundwater quality dynamics in Madhya Pradesh: Chemical contaminants and their temporal patterns.

Groundwater is essential for maintaining ecosystem health and overall well-being as a pivotal resource for plants and animals. The increasing public consciousness of the deterioration of groundwater quality has emphasized the significance of undertaking extended evaluations of groundwater water quality, particularly in regions undergoing substantial hydrological alterations. This study primarily aims to investigate the spatio-temporal variations in groundwater quality and evaluate its suitability for potable purposes in the region of Madhya Pradesh. The study combines the Mann-Kendall (MK) test and Sen's Slope (SS) to analyze the changes in groundwater quality of all 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh, India, utilizing 12 water quality indices using MATLAB. Data was sourced from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in India from the year 2001-2021. The data was then tested for homogeneity at all 1154 sampling stations using the software XLSTAT. Piper plot clustering characterized the state's groundwater as bicarbonate-calcium-magnesium (HCO3--Ca2+-Mg2+) type. The study found that the groundwater in the area is heavily impacted by high levels of nitrate and hardness, which is caused by an increase in multivalent cations. The water was classified as ranging from hard to extremely hard, and approximately 25.49% of the state's groundwater has nitrate levels that exceed the acceptable limits. The MK test showed a significant increasing correlation in trends for parameters such as nitrate, sulfate, fluoride, chloride, bicarbonate, total hardness, and electrical conductivity. It also showed a significant decreasing correlation for calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. These results were observed at a confidence level of 95%. The analysis of trends has shown that human-related factors have a considerable effect on the characteristics of groundwater quality. It is therefore recommended that such human-related factors be taken into consideration when developing policies for managing groundwater resources. Consequently, these policies should emphasize the strict enforcement of rules and standards that limit the overuse of fertilizers, ensure the appropriate disposal of municipal solid and liquid wastes, and regulate industrial pollutants.

Evaluation of the Cytonucleomorphometric Parameters for Cases Diagnosed as Squamous Cell Abnormality on Conventional Cervico-Vaginal Pap Smears.

Background and Aim: The natural history of cervical cancer is unique that it is preceded by a precancerous condition for a long time. Morphometry as a tool can be used in early and accurate diagnosis of these precancerous and cancerous lesions. The present study aims at assessing the utility of cellular and nuclear morphometry in differentiating squamous cell abnormality from benign conditions and also differentiating the categories of squamous cell abnormalities. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight diagnosed cases of squamous epithelial cell abnormality, that is, 10 cases each of atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASC-US), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high-grade SIL (HSIL), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and eight cases of ASC-H (ASC cannot exclude HSIL), were made the sample population and compared with a control population of 10 cases of negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM). Parameters like nuclear area (NA), nuclear perimeter (NP), nuclear diameter (ND), nuclear compactness (NC), cellular area (CA), cellular diameter (CD), cellular perimeter (CP), and nucleocytoplasmic (N/C) ratio were used. Results: There was a significant difference in the six groups of squamous cell abnormality based on NA, NP, ND, CA, CP, and CD (P < 0.05) using one-way analysis of variance. Nuclear morphometry parameters like NA, NP, and ND were found to be the maximum for HSIL, followed by LSIL, ASC-H, ASC-US, SCC, and NILM groups in decreasing order. The mean CA, CP, and CD were found to be the maximum for NILM, followed by LSIL, ASC-US, HSIL, ASC-H, and SCC in decreasing order. On post hoc analysis, the lesions can be divided into three groups: NILM/normal; ASC-US and LSIL; and ASC-H, HSIL, and SCC, based on N/C ratio. Conclusion: In cervical lesions, holistic parameter of cytonucleomorphometry should be taken rather than taking nuclear morphometry only. N/C ratio is a highly statistically significant parameter that can differentiate between low-grade lesions and high-grade lesions.