The compensatory effect of glutathione on alleviating salinity–induced modulations in growth and biochemical traits in maize irrigated with diluted seawater

Salinity stress has recently received much attention as an object worthy of research and interest. It is a great challenge for the future global agricultural production that aspires to a large-scale conversion of raw seawater to irrigation use. Our study aims to investigate the antioxidant and free radical scavenging effect of glutathione (GSH) that would enhance maize tolerance to the destructive effect of salinity. A greenhouse trail was conducted in this context during the summer season of 2015 using two salinity (Mediterranean seawater: 3000 and 6000 ppm) and GSH (100 and 200 pm) levels. Tap water was used as a control. Individually, saline water acted in a distinctly different manner than GSH. Irrigation with diluted seawater caused morphological alterations consistent with chemical imbalance. The weight, stem diameter and longitudinal growth of maize were substantially reduced, while enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant components were positively enhanced. Amino acid composition was significantly higher only among plants received low salt concentration (3000 ppm). Glutathione application alone had a strong impact in promoting maize growth. However, lower response was noted at the level of antioxidant-related substances and amino acids content in comparison with salinity treatments. In stressed plants, glutathione mitigated the detrimental effects imposed by salinity, both at the morphological and biochemical levels. Concurrently, the alleviative effect increased as GSH concentration increased. In view of the results obtained irrigation maize with diluted seawater is possible, yet the cumulative adverse effects of salt on land safety should be considered. Our results suggest that using GSH enhances maize tolerance to salinity, and promotes plant recovery from the stress

Eco-genetic study on water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, the world's most invasive aquatic plant

Water hyacinth is a complicated, multifaceted problem disturbs all interested and concerned entities in aquatic weed management. Water hyacinth, which is the world's most aggressive and destructive aquatic freshwater species, extends over vast areas of the world creating serious ecological and cultural problems. So far, water quality does not represent a dilemma against water hyacinth growth. The objective of the current work is to study the potential genetic differences between water hyacinth populations growing under different aquatic ecosystems in Egypt. Water and plant samples were collected from three different sites namely irrigation water, drainage water and sewage water at Al-Buhayrah Governorate, Damanhour District. The physicochemical properties and heavy metal content of selected waters were estimated. Heavy metals in roots and shoots coupled with the patterns of genetic structure within each type were also evaluated. Poor quality of sewage water was prominent with relatively small concentrations of trace elements. Plants from the different regions absorbed and accumulated heavy metals to varying degrees. Relatively high concentrations were estimated in sewage water plants if compared with the plants of the other sources. Root and shoot tissues of the same plant also exhibited various degrees of heavy metal accumulation. Overall, roots showed a high affinity for the different elements, an exception is Zn. The genetic variation between plants was expected. DNA analysis of the plants using ISSR–PCR technique showed different genetic regions with an increasing number of molecular markers in sewage water plants. This fact surely indicates that water hyacinth has an innate ability to tolerate harsh growth conditions with high genetic potential which enables it to live sustainably

Chemicals with a natural reference for controlling water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms

Life cannot exist without water. Appropriate management of water, from the water’s source to its utilization, is necessary to sustain life. Aquatic weeds pose a serious threat to aquatic environments and related eco-environments. Short- and long-term planning to control aquatic weeds is extremely important. Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, is one of the world’s worst pests with a bad reputation as an invasive weed. In this study we are seeking the possibility of using certain chemicals with a natural background, for controlling water hyacinth since there is a delicate balance that needs to be taken into account when using herbicides in water. Five compounds, namely: acetic acid, citric acid, formic acid, and propionic acid, in three concentrations (10, 15, and 20%) were applied (i.e. as a foliar application under wire-house conditions) and compared with the use of the herbicide glyphosate (1.8 kg ∙ ha−1). All of the five compounds performed well in the control of the water hyacinth. As expected, the efficacy increased as the concentration was increased from 10 to 20%. With formic and propionic acids, the plants died earlier than when the other acids or the herbicide glyphosate, were used. Acetic acid came after formic and propionic acids in terms of efficacy. Citric acid ranked last. Formic acid/propionic acid mixtures showed superior activity in suppressing water hyacinth growth especially at the rate of (8 : 2) at the different examined concentrations (3 or 5 or 10%) compared to the formic acid/acetic acid mixtures. Using the formic acid/propionic acid mixture (8 : 2; at 3%) in the open field, provided good control and confirmed the viability of these chemicals in the effective control of water hyacinth. Eventually, these chemical treatments could be used on water for controlling water hyacinth. In the future, these chemicals could probably replace the traditional herbicides widely used in this regard. These chemicals are perceived as environmentally benign for their rapid degradation to carbon dioxide and water. For maximum efficiency thorough coverage especially in bright sunlight is essential

Implication of Crop Row Orientation and Row Spacing for Controlling Weeds and Increasing Yield in Wheat

Abstract: To obtain maximum crop yield, agricultural practices must be considered. Two crop row orientations [north-south (N-S) and east-west (E-W)] and row spacings (10 and 20 cm) were tested in this regard under two weed control treatments (unweeded and hand pulling twice at 30 and 45 days after sowing) to study their effects on growth and yield in wheat as well as on associated weeds in the newly reclaimed soil in Egypt. The study was conducted in two successive seasons (2009/10-2010/11) at the Experimental Station of the National Research Centre, El Nubaria district, El-Behera Governorate. Split-split plot design was employed in this regard with four replications each treatment. Good activity was recorded for the whole treatments, either in increasing crop growth, yield, yield components or controlling associated weeds. The best results obtained in this regard were for the treatment (E-W crop row direction + 20 cm row spacing + hand weeding twice). Compared to control, the data recorded 43.9 % increase in crop growth (on the basis of dry matter weight) and 21.3 % in crop yield. Remarkable inhibition was also obtained on associated weeds (48.5 %) under this treatment. From that all, we can conclude the effectiveness of row direction and row spacing in increasing crop yield and controlling associated weeds in wheat which in terms of saving environment and our nourishment as well as reducing agricultural costs are highly valuable

The surgical safety checklist and patient outcomes after surgery: a prospective observational cohort study, systematic review and meta-analysis

© 2017 British Journal of Anaesthesia Background: The surgical safety checklist is widely used to improve the quality of perioperative care. However, clinicians continue to debate the clinical effectiveness of this tool. Methods: Prospective analysis of data from the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), an international observational study of elective in-patient surgery, accompanied by a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature. The exposure was surgical safety checklist use. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality and the secondary outcome was postoperative complications. In the ISOS cohort, a multivariable multi-level generalized linear model was used to test associations. To further contextualise these findings, we included the results from the ISOS cohort in a meta-analysis. Results are reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results: We included 44 814 patients from 497 hospitals in 27 countries in the ISOS analysis. There were 40 245 (89.8%) patients exposed to the checklist, whilst 7508 (16.8%) sustained ≥1 postoperative complications and 207 (0.5%) died before hospital discharge. Checklist exposure was associated with reduced mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.49 (0.32–0.77); P\u3c0.01], but no difference in complication rates [OR 1.02 (0.88–1.19); P=0.75]. In a systematic review, we screened 3732 records and identified 11 eligible studies of 453 292 patients including the ISOS cohort. Checklist exposure was associated with both reduced postoperative mortality [OR 0.75 (0.62–0.92); P\u3c0.01; I2=87%] and reduced complication rates [OR 0.73 (0.61–0.88); P\u3c0.01; I2=89%). Conclusions: Patients exposed to a surgical safety checklist experience better postoperative outcomes, but this could simply reflect wider quality of care in hospitals where checklist use is routine

Critical care admission following elective surgery was not associated with survival benefit: prospective analysis of data from 27 countries

This was an investigator initiated study funded by Nestle Health Sciences through an unrestricted research grant, and by a National Institute for Health Research (UK) Professorship held by RP. The study was sponsored by Queen Mary University of London

Prospective observational cohort study on grading the severity of postoperative complications in global surgery research

Background The Clavien–Dindo classification is perhaps the most widely used approach for reporting postoperative complications in clinical trials. This system classifies complication severity by the treatment provided. However, it is unclear whether the Clavien–Dindo system can be used internationally in studies across differing healthcare systems in high- (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods This was a secondary analysis of the International Surgical Outcomes Study (ISOS), a prospective observational cohort study of elective surgery in adults. Data collection occurred over a 7-day period. Severity of complications was graded using Clavien–Dindo and the simpler ISOS grading (mild, moderate or severe, based on guided investigator judgement). Severity grading was compared using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Data are presented as frequencies and ICC values (with 95 per cent c.i.). The analysis was stratified by income status of the country, comparing HICs with LMICs. Results A total of 44 814 patients were recruited from 474 hospitals in 27 countries (19 HICs and 8 LMICs). Some 7508 patients (16·8 per cent) experienced at least one postoperative complication, equivalent to 11 664 complications in total. Using the ISOS classification, 5504 of 11 664 complications (47·2 per cent) were graded as mild, 4244 (36·4 per cent) as moderate and 1916 (16·4 per cent) as severe. Using Clavien–Dindo, 6781 of 11 664 complications (58·1 per cent) were graded as I or II, 1740 (14·9 per cent) as III, 2408 (20·6 per cent) as IV and 735 (6·3 per cent) as V. Agreement between classification systems was poor overall (ICC 0·41, 95 per cent c.i. 0·20 to 0·55), and in LMICs (ICC 0·23, 0·05 to 0·38) and HICs (ICC 0·46, 0·25 to 0·59). Conclusion Caution is recommended when using a treatment approach to grade complications in global surgery studies, as this may introduce bias unintentionally