Evaluation of Roholtiella sp. Extract on Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Yield and Quality in a Hydroponic Greenhouse System

This study was carried out to investigate the impacts of cyanobacteria (Roholtiella sp.) high-value product extract (HVPE) and water resuspended biomass WRB treatments on bell pepper production using the hydroponic system under greenhouse conditions. Six cyanobacteria treatments (6 ml L−1, 4 ml L−1, and 2 ml L−1 – HVPE, 6 ml L−1, 4 ml L−1, and 2 ml L−1 – WRB, and TR0 as control) were evaluated using the foliar application method. The results showed that foliar application of HVPE with treatments of 2 ml L−1, 4 ml L−1, and 6 ml L−1 produced significantly higher values of physical growth parameters of bell pepper (BP) plants (shoot length, the number of leaves, plant leaf length, plant leaf width, and the diameter of the shoot), SPAD index, yield components (the fruit length, fruit width, the number of fruit per plant, and fresh weight per fruit), biochemical composition [ascorbic acid, phenolic acid, and total soluble solids (TSS)], and the total yield compared to the control group TR0. Also, significant higher values of growth parameters (shoot length, the number of leaves, plant leaf length, plant leaf width, the diameter of the shoot), SPAD index, yield components (the fruit length, fruit width, the number of fruits per plant, and fresh weight per fruit), biochemical composition [ascorbic acid, phenolic acid, and total soluble solids (TSS)], and the total yield were obtained with foliar spraying WRB at 2 ml L−1, 4 ml L−1, and 6 ml L−1 compared to the control group TR0. Consequently, the treated bell pepper with Roholtiella sp. HVPE and WRB were more efficient in enhancing production and chemical constituents compared with the control group.This study was funded by the Graduate Student Grant (QUST-1-CAS-2020-10) provided by Qatar University, the NPRP8 project, and Qatar University IDC funds of RB-H

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication

A Case Study of Qatar: Health Risk Assessment associated with Bisphenol A

This study is aimed at evaluating exposure to bisphenol A in drinkable water. Much studies have not been conducted on Bisphenol A in the drinkable water globally, in Arabian Gulf and particularly in Qatar. This assessment studies the probable risks associated with exposure of children as well as adults to bisphenol A in drinkable water around Doha. The risk assessment was conducted based on the water analyses collected over the two seasons (winter and summer) as well as most recent bisphenol A toxicity data published by the Environmental Protection Agency, USA (US EPA). It was found that the concentration levels of bisphenol A (0.0002205mg/kg b.w./day, 0.0001515mg/kg b.w./day) in both seasons fell below acceptable levels (0.05mg/kg b.w./day). Statistical analysis established that there is no variation in the concentration levels during summer and winter. The calculated health risk assessment measured in terms of hazard quotient or hazard ratio and hazard index were less than one (summer 6.18E-02 < 1, winter 14.24E-02 < 1). Hence, non-carcinogenic health risk was found to be within the safety limit for bisphenol

Development of Biofertilizer from Local Qatari Cyanobacteria Strains for Enhancement of Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Growth, Yield, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance under Hydroponic System

The beneficial cyanobacteria strain (blue-green algae) Roholtiella sp. QUCCCM97 has been found to be the origin of an eco-friendly and environmentally safe biofertilizer whose extract and biomass were used to increase the productivity of bell pepper (Capsicum annunm L.) in hydroponics. From the collection of hundreds of Qatari cyanobacteria strains, three strains QUCCCM97, 99, and 112 were characterized and classified according to morphological and molecular identification. Then, a preliminary investigation showed that the three strains were effective growth promoters to bell pepper seedlings with QUCCCM97 being the most efficient. Consequently, a scale-up experiment (large scale/mini commercial scale) was conducted to further study the effect of its extract and water re-suspended biomass as biofertilizers through foliar application under a hydroponic system. Besides, the extract was also investigated to treat salinity stress on bell pepper seedlings at different concentrations via a foliar application under a soilless technique. Summarily, QUCCCM97 was found to significantly increase the vegetative parameters, biochemical/nutritional constituent, and crop yield with respect to conventional fertilization alone. Also, QUCCCM97 significantly mitigated the effect of salinity at different concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM) on vegetative growth parameters and biochemical constituents. Based on our findings, we assume tentatively that the QUCCCM97 strain could be a novel species as no prior identification is found in the GenBank

“Beyond the Source of Bioenergy”: Microalgae in Modern Agriculture as a Biostimulant, Biofertilizer, and Anti-Abiotic Stress

Microalgae are photoautotrophic organisms with high commercial potential. Extracts from microalgae are extensively used in crop cultivation, mainly because they possess growth-promoting properties, coupled with their enhancing impacts on the crop’s ability to withstand abiotic stresses viz. extreme temperatures, drought, salinity, and mineral deficiency. The chemical composition of microalgae extract includes carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, micronutrients, macronutrients, and phytohormones (auxins, cytokinins, ethylene, abscisic acid, and gibberellins). This review aims to provide an update on the trending facts for a better understanding of growing microalgae, the production of biomass, the processing of microalgae extracts, summarizing bioactive compounds, and the chemical constituent of microalgae extracts. Furthermore, we review the supporting literature on the application of microalgae extracts as biostimulants and biofertilizers to enhance crop productivity and control abiotic stresses in crop cultivation.This work was funded by the Graduate Student Grant (QUST-1-CAS-2020-10) provided by Qatar University. Funds were provided by grant NPRP8-1087-1-207 provided by Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation). Open Access funding provided by Qatar University IDC for R.B.H

Application of Cyanobacteria ( sp.) Liquid Extract for the Alleviation of Salt Stress in Bell Pepper ( L.) Plants Grown in a Soilless System.

Salinity is one of the abiotic stresses that affect crop growth and productivity in arid and semi-arid regions. Unfortunately, there are few known methods to mitigate the deleterious impacts of salt stress on the development and yield of vegetable crops. Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are endowed with the potential to curb the negative impacts of salt stress as they are characterized by biostimulant properties. The present work aimed to investigate the effects of sp. as a foliar extract on the growth characteristics, physiological and biochemical responses of bell pepper ( L.) plants under varying levels of salinity conditions. A soilless water experiment was carried out in a greenhouse where bell pepper seedlings were grown under five salt concentrations (0, 50, 200, 150, and 200 mM of NaCl). Growth characteristics, pigments content, relative water content, and antioxidant activity (CAT) were determined. Our results showed that growth parameters, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll a & b concentrations under salinity conditions were negatively affected at the highest concentration (200 mM). Interestingly, the application of sp. foliar extract enhanced the plant growth characteristics as shoot length increased by 17.014%, fresh weight by 39.15%, dry and weight by 31.02%, at various salt treatments. Moreover, chlorophyll a and b increased significantly compared with seedlings sprayed with water. Similarly, RWC exhibited a significant increase (92.05%) compared with plants sprayed with water. In addition, antioxidants activities and accumulation of proline were improved in sp. extract foliar sprayed seedlings compared to the plants foliar sprayed with water. Conclusively, at the expiration of our study, the sp. extract-treated plants were found to be more efficient in mitigating the deleterious effects caused by the salinity conditions which is an indication of an enhancement potential of tolerating salt-stressed plants when compared to the control group

Evaluation of Nitrogen and Water Management Strategies to Optimize Yield in Open Field Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Production

Countries in arid climates, such as Qatar, require efficient water-saving strategies and nitrogen treatment for vegetable production. Vegetable importation constituted approximately USD 352 million of Qatar’s 2019 GDP; hence, enhancing local production is essential. This study investigated the effect of varying nitrogen and water levels on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit yield. Various water management strategies were also evaluated. A split plot design was employed with two water levels (W1: 50% deficit irrigation, W2: 100% full irrigation) and three nitrogen levels (N1: 50 kg N ha−1, N2: 70 kg N ha−1, N3: 100 kg N ha−1) to examine cucumber yield and physiological response. Our findings revealed that using minimal drip irrigation and reducing nitrogen levels significantly enhanced the growth, SPAD index, fruit characteristics, and yield components of cucumber. Drip irrigation had a greater influence on cucumber production than nitrogen levels. Shoot height increased by 4% from W2N1 (T1) to W1N3 (T6) and 4.93% from W2N2 (T2) to W1N2 (T5). Fruit length and width increased by 10.63% and 13.41% from T2 and T1 to T5, respectively. The highest total yield occurred at T5, followed by T6, T2, W2N3 (T3), W1N1 (T4), and T1 at 34.5, 29.1, 27.6, 25.8, 25.2, and 20.4 t/ha, respectively. The optimal combination comprised 50% deficit irrigation (W1) and 70 kg N ha−1 (N2) nitrogen. These results suggest the importance of optimizing drip irrigation for achieving maximum cucumber fruit yield in arid climates

Enhancement in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum l.) plants with application of roholtiella sp. (nostocales) under soilless cultivation

Cyanobacteria are found to be renewable and sustainable additives for growth improvement in crops. Extracts and biomass of three nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria namely, Roholtiella sp. (QUCCCM97), Nostoc ellipsosporum (QUCCCM99), and Desmonostoc danxiaense (QUCCCM112) isolated from Qatar desert environment were tested for their ability to enhance the growth of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seedlings. Soilless cultivation experiments were carried out by applying the biomass and the aqueous extract of the three cyanobacteria separately. Seedlings were transplanted to Hoagland’s solution under regulated conditions. In total, 2, 4, and 6 mL L−1 of the three microalgae extract as well as 1 and 2 mg L−1 of the three microalgae biomasses (as biofertilizer) were added to the Hoagland solution. An assessment of seedling growth parameters such as shoot length, root length, fresh weight, dry weight, spad index, number of leaves per plant, and growth rate was performed. However, among the different doses and concentrations of investigated QUCCCM97, 99, and 112, our findings revealed that shoot length (cm), root length (cm), fresh weight (g), the number of leaves per plant, and growth rate were positively affected and significantly increased at maximum dose/concentration compared to control plants. With QUCCCM97, shoot length, root length, fresh weight, the number of leaves, and the growth rate increased by 17.5%, 40.3%, 26.0%, 21.6%, and 22.8%, respectively, compared to the control. Additionally, with QUCCCM99, the same parameters increased by 12.3%, 25.3%, 15.1%, 9.3%, 51.8%, respectively. While in presence of QUCCCM112, they increased by 8.7%, 30.1%, 15.6%, 5.4%, 48.6%, respectively. Our results demonstrated that extracts and biomass of cyanobacteria strains investigated here, and particularly Roholtiella sp. (Nostocales), have an enhancement potential of the seedling growth and could be used in modern agriculture to enhance productivity under the soilless system and ensure sustainability.This work was funded by the Graduate Student Grant (QUST-1-CAS-2020-10) provided by Qatar University. Additionally, all cyanobacteria cultures, biomass production and HVP extraction were covered by the grant NPRP8-1087-1-207 provided by Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation). Open Access provided by Qatar University IDC funds of R.B.-H. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in children : an international, multicentre, prospective cohort study

Introduction Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, there is a lack of data available about SSI in children worldwide, especially from low-income and middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of SSI in children and associations between SSI and morbidity across human development settings. Methods A multicentre, international, prospective, validated cohort study of children aged under 16 years undergoing clean-contaminated, contaminated or dirty gastrointestinal surgery. Any hospital in the world providing paediatric surgery was eligible to contribute data between January and July 2016. The primary outcome was the incidence of SSI by 30 days. Relationships between explanatory variables and SSI were examined using multilevel logistic regression. Countries were stratified into high development, middle development and low development groups using the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). Results Of 1159 children across 181 hospitals in 51 countries, 523 (45 center dot 1%) children were from high HDI, 397 (34 center dot 2%) from middle HDI and 239 (20 center dot 6%) from low HDI countries. The 30-day SSI rate was 6.3% (33/523) in high HDI, 12 center dot 8% (51/397) in middle HDI and 24 center dot 7% (59/239) in low HDI countries. SSI was associated with higher incidence of 30-day mortality, intervention, organ-space infection and other HAIs, with the highest rates seen in low HDI countries. Median length of stay in patients who had an SSI was longer (7.0 days), compared with 3.0 days in patients who did not have an SSI. Use of laparoscopy was associated with significantly lower SSI rates, even after accounting for HDI. Conclusion The odds of SSI in children is nearly four times greater in low HDI compared with high HDI countries. Policies to reduce SSI should be prioritised as part of the wider global agenda.Peer reviewe