Foliar application of chitosan zinc oxide nanoparticles on wheat productivity and water use efficiency under deficit irrigation water

The effectiveness of chitosan zinc oxide nanoparticles (CS-ZnO-NPs) on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L., Sakha-93), zinc content and water use efficiency (WUE) under water stress were investigated. A pot experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design by foliar application of CS-ZnO-NPs. Wheat plants were sprayed four times at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days after sowing. The treatments were: control (treated with distilled water), 50, 100 and 150 ppm of CS-ZnO-NPs under 100, 80 and 60% of field capacity. Water shortage has a negative effect on growth parameters and productivity of wheat plants. While the foliar application of 150 ppm CS-ZnO-NPs significantly increased (P≤0.05) NPK content, growth parameters which in turn led to increase the productivity. The highest values of wheat yield were: 4990.55, 4453.50 and 4350.50 kg/ha under 100 80 and 60% of irrigation water, respectively at 150 ppm CS-ZnO-NPs. The highest values of N, P and K content in wheat grain were 1.95, 0.43 and 1.66, respectively at 100% FC under150 ppm CS-ZnO-NPs compared to control. Zn content in wheat grain significantly increased (P≤0.05) by application of CS-ZnO NPs. The interaction of supplementary irrigation water and CS-ZnO-NPs treatments gave clear variation in water use efficiency. The highest relative increase of WUE (23.03%) was at the highest rate of CS-ZnO-NPs (150 ppm). Overall, the data suggested that the foliar application of CS-ZnO-NPs can be an efficient strategy for improving wheat yield, water use efficiency under deficit water and one of the solutions for Zn deficiency in wheat grains

Preparation of Some Eco-friendly Corrosion Inhibitors Having Antibacterial Activity from Sea Food Waste

Chitosan is one of the important biopolymers and it is extracted from exoskeletons of crustaceans in sea food waste. It is a suitable eco-friendly carbon steel corrosion inhibitor in acid media; the deacetylation degree of prepared chitosan is more than 85.16 %, and the molecular weight average is 109 kDa. Chitosan was modified to 2-N,N-diethylbenzene ammonium chloride N-oxoethyl chitosan (compound I), and 12-ammonium chloride N-oxododecan chitosan (compound II) as soluble water derivatives. The corrosion inhibition efficiency for carbon steel of compound (I) in 1 M HCl at varying temperature is higher than for chitosan and compound (II). However, the antibacterial activity of chitosan for Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans is higher than for its derivatives, and the minimum inhibition concentration and minimum bacterial concentration of chitosan and its derivatives were carried out with the same strain

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

The synergistic effect of biochar and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)/poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacarylate)/chitosan) hydrogels on saline soil properties and carrot productivity

Abstract Background Soil salinity is one of the most important factors limiting crop production. Furthermore, with the increasing population and saline soil worldwide there is no choice but to utilize saline soil to increase the agricultural regions. Therefore, to improve carrot productivity under saline conditions, it is necessary to provide good management such as applying hydrogels and biochar for improving soil properties. Methodology Hydrogels (PEtOx-HEMA-CS) were synthesized from poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA as crosslinker) and chitosan (CS) via exposure those to gamma irradiation dose; 30 kGy of dose rate 0.9 kGy/h and obtained three types of hydrogels according to concentration of chitosan used. The PEtOx-HEMA-CS hydrogels were enhanced water holding capacity for agriculture purposes. The chemical structures of obtained hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, XRD and SEM. The swelling (%) and gelation (%) were determined. Biochar (BC) as an active substance was physically mixed with those hydrogels at various ratios (0/100, 0.5/99.5, 1/99 and 100/0 (g/g) biochar/hydrogels). BC, PEtOx-HEMA-CS and the mixture of PEtOx-HEMA-CS-BC were mixed with saline soil at ratio 0.05% and 0.1% w/w of obtained materials/soil. A pot experiment was conducted to mitigate the salinity hazards on carrot productivity using biochar with and without hydrogels. Mean maximum temperature, minimum temperature, precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed from September to December in the studied region are 28.66 ℃, 15.76 ℃, 0.01 mm, 58.81%, 5.94 km/h, respectively. Findings The obtained data referred that there is a significant decrease in soil salinity and exchangeable sodium percentage and increase in organic matter, cation exchange capacity, field capacity, permanent wilting point and available water especially at (PEtOx-HEMA-CS5)0.1-BC1. The highest increment percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium were 36.36%, 70% and 72%, respectively. In addition, the relative increase of carrot productivity was 49.63% at the highest rates of biochar and hydrogels. However, the highest value of water use efficiency was observed at the mixture of biochar and hydrogels at (PEtOx-HEMA-CS5)0.1-BC1. Conclusions Finally, applying biochar combined with (PEtOx-HEMA-CS5) could be recommended as a good approach to improve carrot productivity and water use efficiency under saline soil conditions. Graphical Abstrac

Test-based De-isolation in COVID-19 Immunocompromised patients: Ct value versus SARS-CoV-2 viral cultures

Background Immunocompromised patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have prolonged infectious viral shedding for more than 20 days. A test-based approach is suggested for de-isolation of these patients. Methods The strategy was evaluated by comparing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load (cycle threshold (Ct) values) and viral culture at the time of hospital discharge in a series of 13 COVID-19 patients: six immunocompetent and seven immunocompromised (five solid organ transplant patients, one lymphoma patient, and one hepatocellular carcinoma patient). Results Three of the 13 (23%) patients had positive viral cultures: one patient with lymphoma (on day 16) and two immunocompetent patients (on day 7 and day 11). Eighty percent of the patients had negative viral cultures and had a mean Ct value of 20.5. None of the solid organ transplant recipients had positive viral cultures. Conclusions The mean Ct value for negative viral cultures was 20.5 in this case series of immunocompromised patients. Unlike those with hematological malignancies, none of the solid organ transplant patients had positive viral cultures. Adopting the test-based approach for all immunocompromised patients may lead to prolonged quarantine. Large-scale studies in disease-specific populations are needed to determine whether a test-based approach versus a symptom-based approach or a combination is applicable for the de-isolation of various immunocompromised patients

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

Background: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit