Monitoring urban growth and land use land cover change in Al Ain, UAE using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Urbanization and industrialization cause a serious land degradation problem, including an increased pressure on natural resources such as deforestation, rise in temperature and management of water resources. The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects of urbanization are widely acknowledged. Increase of impervious surface is a surrogate measure of urbanization and their effects on local hydrology is well reported in literature. This study investigates the spatial-temporal dynamics of land use and land cover changes in Al Ain, UAE, from 2006 to 2016. The Landsat images of two different periods, i.e., Landsat ETM of 2006 and Landsat 8 for 2016 were acquired from earth explorer site. Semi-supervised known as the hybrid classification method was used for image classification. The change detection was carried out through post-classification techniques. The study area was categorized into five major classes. These are agriculture, gardens, urban, sandy areas and mixed urban/sandy areas. It was observed that agricultural and urban land increases from 42,560 ha to 45,950 ha (8%) and 8150 ha to 9105 ha (12%), respectively. Consequently, the natural sandy area was reduced. It was also found that the urban area was expanded dramatically in the west and southwest directions. The outcomes of this study would help concerning authorities for a sustainable land and water resources management in the Al Ain region

Informatics, Logistics and Governance in Water Treatment Processes

Increasing demands of water for diverse uses of domestic, agricultural, and industrial consumption, both in quantity and quality, pose tremendous pressure on the need of well articulated management approaches. Such approaches are expected to address several challenges such as limited supplies, deteriorated quality of available and produced water, conflicting interests of public stakeholders and groups, adverse environmental and ecological impacts, climate changes, etc. Large number of these approaches exist and still evolve and develop for different purpose including data management, operation and governance, conjunctive management of water and energy, asset management, and intelligent systems in water treatment process

Potable water saving by reusing greywater in the Al Ain City

Fresh water scarcity in arid regions is well acknowledged. Sources of urban water in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are groundwater, desalinated water and treated wastewater. In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (EAD), about three-quarters of the costly desalinated water supplies are used for irrigation to amenity plantations and for home gardening (Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, 2009). The per capita water consumption in EAD ranges between 170 and 200 lpcd in flats and between 270 and 1,760 lpcd in villas. The amenity (park, gardens and recreation areas) irrigation has been increasing in the region with the rapid growth of its urban development. Currently about 98% of wastewater generated from households in EAD is centrally collected through an efficient sewerage networks and then treated for reuse in the irrigation to roadside plantations and public places. In current practice, treated sewage effluent is not conveyed for domestic gardening and toilet flushing purposes. This is because of necessity of dual reticulation system that will increase the marginal cost of water supply significantly. Greywater collected from shower, ablution, washing machine, bathroom sink and other household activities (except from toilet and kitchen source) are generally less contaminated than that of municipal wastewater and can be reused for non-potable consumptions (Mourad et al., 2011; Friedler and Hadari, 2006)

An experimental study of greywater irrigated green roof systems in an arid climate

Green roofs provide multi-functional benefits to the built environment. They minimize urban heat island effects, enhance biodiversity, reduce carbon footprints, provide hydraulic benefits to urban runoff, and improve overall environmental sustainability. However, their application is limited or rare in arid climates. On the other hand, greywater is becoming a popular alternative water resource in water-scarce regions. A greywater-fed green roof system was developed and studied in the city of Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The effluent (treated greywater) from the green roofs can be used to irrigate amenity plantations. Two intensive and two extensive green roof prototypes were constructed, planted with reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and irrigated with greywater. The greywater influents and the green roof effluents were monitored for changes in greywater quality. The study showed that the intensive system performed well, which is attributable to the greater depth of soil media. Treated greywater effluent from the green roofs met the local standards for recycled wastewater-based irrigation for a number of parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, and total dissolved solids), but exceeded the maximum allowable limits for turbidity, COD, and sodium ions (Na+), which may be because of the short retention time of the experiment. Both the intensive and the extensive systems were inefficient in reducing the total bacterial count of the greywater

Frequency and pattern of gynecological problems of adolescent girls attending outpatient department, department of obstetrics and gynecology, Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh

Background: Adolescent is a stage of development tangent, like a bridge of childhood and adulthood. It is the healthiest age group of our society which is almost 20% of our total population. World health organization (WHO) defines adolescents are in the 10-19 year in age group. One of the major physiological changes that take place in adolescent girls is the onset of menarche, which is often associated with problems of irregular menstruation, excessive bleeding and dysmenorrhea.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 668 female adolescent aged 10-19 years irrespective of their marital status visiting the OPD of obstetrics and gynecology department of BSMMU. All data was analyzed using SPSS program version 22.0.Results: Results were expressed in frequencies or percentages. Of the 668 adolescent girls, 418 (62.6%) had different type of menstrual disorder. Of these 418 cases about 127 (30.38%) of them were a case of puberty menorrhagia, 109 (26.07%) cases were oligomenorrhoea and 91 (21.77%) were amenorrhea. Other presentations were pre-vaginal discharge, vulval itching, lower abdominal pain, dysuria, feeling lump in lower abdomen, mastalgia, feeling lump in the breast, discharge from breast, acne, hirsutism.Conclusions: This study shows more than half of adolescent girls are having menstrual disorder. Adolescent gynecology needs increased awareness and greater attention to improve the quality of their life. Setting up a separate adolescent clinic is necessary for efficient management of adolescent problem

Greywater quality changes in laboratory scale vegetative biofiltration prototypes

Greywater recycling and reuse is becoming a popular choice in many water-scarce regions. Greywater is the largest component of domestic indoor wastewater. However, in many arid regions, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this unconventional resource is under-utilized. Although, traditionally, a biofiltration system operates using stormwater, findings have shown that the operation of biofiltration systems in arid regions can be successful using greywater. This research endeavors to assess how the quality of the effluent from a biofiltration system changes with different vegetation, both native and introduced to the arid region (UAE). The prototype biofilters, planted with twelve ornamental plant species, were irrigated daily with an equal amount of synthetic greywater and the water quality parameters were monitored on a weekly basis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed in order to statistically evaluate the consistency of results between the three replicates of each of the twelve species and, subsequently, the variation of treatment effectiveness among the twelve species with respect to eight water quality parameters. Most of the plants show a high degree of consistency between replicates; however, significant differences were observed across the selected plant species. The species Ficus nitida and Canna indica performed well in reducing pH. Except in the earlier stages of the experiment, all the systems were found to reduce turbidity by almost 100%. Overall, it was observed that Ficus nitida, Canna indica and Pennisetum setaceum performed well to improve greywater quality in the biofiltration columns

Current and prospective strategies in the varietal improvement of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) specially Heterosis breeding

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is an herbaceous crop and plays an important role as common spices and vegetables. Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is one of the most cost-effective and agricultural vegetables in the world. The most significant characteristics of peppers, as spices and in various pharmacological uses, are pungency and oleoresin (color). Cabsicum annuum L. is widely used as a medicinal herb and in the Mediterranean diet (at the present, C. annuum var. acuminatum Fingerh. and Capsicum frutescens L. are considered synonyms of C. annuum L.). Capsicum annuum includes a wide range of carotenoids including capsanthin, capsorubin, beta-carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, fanthophyl, and xanthophyll, and capsaicinoid. However, it remains limited in production due to the lack of development in varieties especially under severe climatic circumstances such as drought, high temperature, or salt. Some reports were provided through distinct traditional approaches for genetic improvement. A combination of traditional and molecular breeding, especially breeding for heterosis, might be a good option for developing a novel genotype for ecologically adversely affected niche adaption. This review summarizes the current chilli breeding approaches with their drawbacks and highlights some recent classical efforts for the improvement of the crop. This would be the milestone for the breeders in the planning of a successful chilli breeding program to combat the adverse ecological condition. Thus, the information gathered in this article might be considered as the cornerstone of Chilli breeders at their ongoing and sustainable future programs as well

Dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and the serum enzymes for liver function tests in the individuals exposed to arsenic: a cross sectional study in Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chronic arsenic exposure has been shown to cause liver damage. However, serum hepatic enzyme activity as recognized on liver function tests (LFTs) showing a dose-response relationship with arsenic exposure has not yet been clearly documented. The aim of our study was to investigate the dose-response relationship between arsenic exposure and major serum enzyme marker activity associated with LFTs in the population living in arsenic-endemic areas in Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 200 residents living in arsenic-endemic areas in Bangladesh were selected as study subjects. Arsenic concentrations in the drinking water, hair and nails were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The study subjects were stratified into quartile groups as follows, based on concentrations of arsenic in the drinking water, as well as in subjects' hair and nails: lowest, low, medium and high. The serum hepatic enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were then assayed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Arsenic concentrations in the subjects' hair and nails were positively correlated with arsenic levels in the drinking water. As regards the exposure-response relationship with arsenic in the drinking water, the respective activities of ALP, AST and ALT were found to be significantly increased in the high-exposure groups compared to the lowest-exposure groups before and after adjustments were made for different covariates. With internal exposure markers (arsenic in hair and nails), the ALP, AST and ALT activity profiles assumed a similar shape of dose-response relationship, with very few differences seen in the higher groups compared to the lowest group, most likely due to the temporalities of exposure metrics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrated that arsenic concentrations in the drinking water were strongly correlated with arsenic concentrations in the subjects' hair and nails. Further, this study revealed a novel exposure- and dose- response relationship between arsenic exposure metrics and serum hepatic enzyme activity. Elevated serum hepatic enzyme activities in the higher exposure gradients provided new insights into arsenic-induced liver toxicity that might be helpful for the early prognosis of arsenic-induced liver diseases.</p

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