Social media platforms and its applications in natural disaster and crisis events – the case of Bosnia & Herzegovina

Social media platforms are providing opportunities for people to easily engage in warning and informing others in response to natural disaster and crisis events. They are considered more effective and faster to spread among people than traditional media do, and as such make them very important for governments’ civil protection authorities to consider using social media in a framework that will help people to better prepare and response to threats. The importance of this study is that it brings attention to the case of crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it enriches the literature with current status and trends of effective using of SM to early prepare for and mitigate the consequences of disaster impact. This paper discusses some of the major challenges identified during the May 2014 flood in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the public use of social media that enabled the exploitation of new opportunities for facing flood threats and mitigate its effects. Keywords: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Flood Crisis, Flood Challenges, Natural Disaster, Social Medi

Investigating Social Media Management, Adoption and Challenges - The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Social media and innovative Web Services and solutions are offering new possibilities for innovative use in different aspects our lives. Being apart from getting involved in using social media would add more challenges to our daily activities, as we are becoming more reliable on their use. Social media platforms are offering its users new means of communications, where users who post, share and comment on online published information have the potential of reaching a large mass of people in a very short time when compared with traditional use of media. Such use of social media platforms makes it very useful and important to be adequately consider as means for better preparing and responding to a critical event and may offer many benefits in terms of protection and rescue for agencies dealing with civil protection, as they provide wider opportunities for people to engage in warning and informing others in a response to crisis events. This study is part of a wider research conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it will focus on discussing the current views of governmental officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to the use of social media in the field of protection and rescue activities. The findings are presented in order to pinpoint challenges that will be used as a roadmap for any future solutions in this regard. Keywords: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Flood Crisis, Situation Awareness, Natural Disaster, Social Media, Civil protection

Identification of beneficial Lebanese Trichoderma spp. wheat endophytes

International audienceWheat is one of the most important crops in the world. Its production can be influenced by a diversity of beneficial and pathogenic rhizospheric microbes, including fungi. Amongst them, beneficial Trichoderma spp. can be used as alternatives to chemical fertilizers, as they are cheaper and harmless to the environment. Our study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize Trichoderma spp. from Lebanon associated to wheat. Two Trichoderma strains belonging to T. afroharzianum, and T. guizhouense species, were isolated and found to be endophytes enhancing root growth and producing 2 IAA. Inoculation also improved seedling development, and boosted general production. These Trichoderma spp. have thus the capacity to be used as organic fertilizers for wheat

DataSheet_1_Identification of beneficial Lebanese Trichoderma spp. wheat endophytes.pdf

Wheat is one of the most important crops in the world. Its production can be influenced by a diversity of beneficial and pathogenic rhizospheric microbes, including fungi. Amongst them, beneficial Trichoderma spp. can be used as alternatives to chemical fertilizers, as they are cheap and harmless to the environment. Our study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterize Trichoderma spp. from Lebanon associated with wheat. Two Trichoderma strains belonging to T. afroharzianum, and T. guizhouense species, were isolated and found to be endophytes, enhancing root growth and producing Indole-3-acetic acid. Inoculation also improved seedling development, and increased plant growth and yield. Furthermore, the two strains inhibit Fusarium growth in vitro. These Trichoderma spp. have thus the capacity to be used as organic fertilizers for wheat.</p

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

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

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: 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. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research