Salt stress is recognized to negatively influence the fundamental processes in plants regarding growth and yield. The sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is considered an important industrial crop because of the good quality of oil it produces that can be used for cooking purposes. The exogenous application of potassium (K) has been reported to enhance abiotic resistance and increase yield in crops. Here, we explored the impact of foliar-applied K at 500 ppm on the physiological and biochemical traits, antioxidant activities, and growth attributes of sunflower grown under salt stress (140 mM NaCl). The findings indicated that salinity stress adversely affected photosynthesis and various gas exchange characteristics. Foliar applied K markedly improved the stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, water use efficiency, CO2 assimilation rate, total soluble proteins, chlorophyll pigments, and upregulated antioxidant system, which are responsible for the healthy growth of sunflower hybrids grown under salinity stress. The shoot and root lengths, plant fresh and dry weights, and achene weight were significantly increased by K application. Overall, foliar applied K significantly improved all of the aforementioned attributes and can attenuate the deleterious influences of salinity stress in sunflower.
Background: This report describes our experience with 15 consecutive emergency cervical cerclages performed at Al Yamamah Hospital. Patients and Methods : Between February 1994 and February 1997. 15 women with singleton pregnancies between 18 and 26 weeks' gestation, with a cervical dilatation between 3 and 10 cm and with membrane prolapse, underwent emergency cerclage after excluding labor, placental abruption and intrauterine infection. The membranes were replaced using the technique of overfilling the urinary bladder and then performing McDonald's cerclage. All the patients received prophylactic antibiotics and tocolytics. Results: Of the 15 pregnancies, two aborted and 13 ended in live births. Nine of the live births survived, giving a survival rate of 60%. The mean extension of pregnancy in the survivors was 11.5 weeks (range 7.6-15.2 weeks), and the gestational age at delivery ranged from 30-38+ weeks. In six of the patients, suture failed to prolong the pregnancy long enough to produce a "take-home baby." All the failures were due to subclinical intrauterine infection. There was no maternal morbidity. Conclusion: Emergency cerclage should be considered as a management option in women with painless cervical dilatation and membrane prolapse in the midtrimester.
In Malawi, HIV and malnutrition are two of the most common causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. This qualitative study based in Nutrition Rehabilitation Units (NRU) in HIV-endemic Malawi explores caregiver's (staff and family) perspectives on quality of care for severely malnourished children. Three carer focus groups and 30 carer and staff in-depth interviews were conducted in two NRUs. The interviews and data analysis used a grounded theory approach, using both male and female Malawian researchers. Trustworthiness was enhanced through the researchers' prolonged engagement with the study setting and participants. The use of multiple methods - interviews, focus groups and observation - allowed for triangulation of the data. Data was then cross-referenced between staff and family caregiver reports. The analysis generated five themes. 'We have different blood' referring to staff attitudes and underperformance, 'What wrong did I do to God?' referring to stigma and chronic illness, 'My other children back home' referring to the carer's multiple responsibilities and challenges, 'Always in short supply' referring to resources available in the NRU (milk, medicine, space, hygiene) and 'you are always lagging behind' referring to the need for change and participants recommendations. Quality of care is a complex issue, bound by resources and capacity, influenced by stigma and hierarchy and limited by caregivers' conflicting responsibilities. Valuing and involving caregivers is essential in improving quality of care. Care should be patient and family centred and HIV services should be integrated into malnutrition care at the hospital and community level.
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