Genomic characterization and identification of multiple drug resistance genes in clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii through whole genome sequencing.

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is a notorious nosocomial pathogen universally in healthcare settings. Its natural competent characteristics for genetic recombination are responsible for acquired antibiotic resistance and render it untreatable through commonly used antibiotics. Hence, characterizing the A.

Species diversity and functional trait-based approaches in ecological assessment utilizing free-living marine nematodes in Jiaozhou Bay, China.

The present study evaluated the potential application of free-living marine nematode assemblages as indicators in assessing environmental condition of Jiaozhou Bay (JB), China. Shannon-Wiener diversity (H'), functional trait indices (Index of Trophic Diversity, ITD and Maturity Index, MI) were utilized to rank the benthic habitat quality of the sampled stations. Most of the nematode genera/species belonged to c-p (colonizer-persister) class 2, indicating dominance of opportunistic nematodes and suggesting organic enrichment in the bay.

A comprehensive review of urban microplastic pollution sources, environment and human health impacts, and regulatory efforts.

Microplastic (MP) pollution in urban environments is a pervasive and complex problem with significant environmental and human health implications. Although studies have been conducted on MP pollution in urban environments, there are still research gaps in understanding the exact sources, regulation, and impact of urban MP on the environment and public health. Therefore, the goal of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the complex pathways, harmful effects, and regulatory efforts of urban MP pollution.

Applications of charcoal, activated charcoal, and biochar in aquaculture - A review.

Environmental pollution and poor feed quality pose potential threats to aquatic organisms and human health, representing challenges for the aquaculture industry. In light of the rising demand for aquatic organisms, there is an urgent need to improve aquacultural production and protect the products from contamination. Char, a carbonaceous material derived through pyrolysis of organic carbon-rich biomass, has proven advantages in soil, air, and water remediation.

Antibiotic Resistance Mediated by in Kuwait Marine Environment as Revealed through Genomic Analysis.

Antibiotic-resistance gene elements (ARGEs) such as antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), integrons, and plasmids are key to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in marine environments. Kuwait's marine area is vulnerable to sewage contaminants introduced by numerous storm outlets and indiscriminate waste disposal near recreational beaches. Therefore, it has become a significant public health issue and warrants immediate investigation.

Data on SSR markers and SNPs filtered from transcriptome of .

Calanoid copepod populations are being severely affected due to the effects of ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming (OW). These marine organisms are the most abundant primary consumers contributing significantly in the marine food web. Any effect on the abundance and diversity of copepods due to climate change is likely to have serious implications on the marine ecosystem functioning.

The Reproductive Capacities of the Calanoid Copepods and under Different pH and Temperature Conditions.

The increasing atmospheric CO concentrations and warming of marine waters have encouraged experiments on multi-stressor interactions in marine organisms. We conducted a multigenerational experiment to assess reproductive capacities regarding egg production in calanoid copepods and under different pH and temperature conditions. The experimental set-up allowed assessing the tandem effect of warming and acidification on the number of eggs produced by healthy copepod pairs under two pH conditions of 8.

Trace metal and TBT pollution in the Gulf and Oman: spatial variation and hot spots.

This review assesses trace metal concentrations in nearshore and offshore bottom sediments in the Arabian Gulf and Oman focusing particularly on targeted monitoring studies of point sources of contamination near industrial zones (sometimes with ports) and desalination and power plants (often co-located). Concerns have been raised about harmful impacts from accumulation of metals in the semi-enclosed Gulf. The sediment trace metal contaminants of the greatest concern are highlighted with maximum levels of toxic trace metals such as As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, Zn, and TBT recorded near port and ship repair yards/dry docks as well as industrial and power/desalination plant discharge outfalls.

Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Aerosols: Baseline from Kuwait.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest threats to human health worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) has launched the "One-Health" approach, which encourages assessment of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) within environments shared by human-animals-plants-microbes to constrain and alleviate the development of AMR. Aerosols as a medium to disseminate ARGs, have received minimal attention.

Microplastics (MPs) in marine food chains: Is it a food safety issue?

The enormous usage of plastic over the last seven decades has resulted in a massive quantity of plastic waste, much of it eventually breaking down into microplastic (MP) and nano plastic (NP). The MPs and NPs are regarded as emerging pollutants of serious concern. Both MPs and NPs can have a primary or secondary origin.

Metagenomes from Coastal Sediments of Kuwait: Insights into the Microbiome, Metabolic Functions and Resistome.

Coastal sediments in the proximity of wastewater and emergency outfalls are often sinks of pharmaceutical compounds and other organic and inorganic contaminants that are likely to affect the microbial community. The metabolites of these contaminants affect microbial diversity and their metabolic processes, resulting in undesirable effects on ecosystem functioning, thus necessitating the need to understand their composition and functions. In the present investigation, we studied the metagenomes of 12 coastal surface sediments through whole genome shot-gun sequencing.

Ocean Acidification-Mediated Food Chain Transfer of Polonium between Primary Producers and Consumers.

Phytoplankton and zooplankton are key marine components that play an important role in metal distribution through a food web transfer. An increased phytoplankton concentration as a result of ocean acidification and warming are well-established, along with the fact that phytoplankton biomagnify 210Po by 3−4 orders of magnitude compared to the seawater concentration. This experimental study is carried out to better understand the transfer of polonium between primary producers and consumers.

Bacterial and fungal communities in indoor aerosols from two Kuwaiti hospitals.

The airborne transmission of COVID-19 has drawn immense attention to bioaerosols. The topic is highly relevant in the indoor hospital environment where vulnerable patients are treated and healthcare workers are exposed to various pathogenic and non-pathogenic microbes. Knowledge of the microbial communities in such settings will enable precautionary measures to prevent any hospital-mediated outbreak and better assess occupational exposure of the healthcare workers.

A Preliminary Assessment of Size-Fractionated Microplastics in Indoor Aerosol-Kuwait's Baseline.

The omnipresence of microplastic (MP) in various environmental samples, including aerosols, has raised public health concerns; however, there is presently very limited information on MPs in indoor aerosol. This paper presents a unique dataset where smaller MPs have been sampled using a six-stage cascade impactor from indoor environments in Kuwait. The MP concentration in the indoor air varied between 3.

Micro-Nano Plastic in the Aquatic Environment: Methodological Problems and Challenges.

Microplastic research has become a buzz word. It is seen as one of the most pressing issues of Anthropocene contamination. There is certainly no doubt about the ubiquitous presence of microplastic (MP) in almost all environmental matrices.

SARS-CoV-2 in hospital air as revealed by comprehensive respiratory viral panel sequencing.

Background: Nosocomially acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has become the most significant pandemic of our lifetime. Though its transmission was essentially attributed to droplets from an infected person, with recent advancements in knowledge, aerosol transmission seems to be a viable pathway, as well. Because of the lower biological load in ambient aerosol, detection of SARS-CoV-2 is challenging.

Temporal trend of polychlorinated biphenyls contamination in the northwestern Arabian Gulf - Evidence from sediment records.

This study provides an insight into the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) inventories in the sediments of the northwestern Arabian/Persian Gulf. PCBs can be used as chemical markers that correlate with historical events in the region, to estimate the sedimentation rates in the northern Gulf, and to determine the sources of pollutants in the study area. The concentrations of PCBs were generally patchy in sediments.

Enhanced Polonium Concentrations in Aerosols from the Gulf Oil Producing Region and the Role of Microorganisms.

This study provides the first data set of Po and Pb activity concentrations in the organic and inorganic components of several particle size classes of aerosols collected at two sampling stations in Kuwait. The Po concentrations in the aerosols (Bq/g) were similar in all of the particle size classes, but as most (91%) of the aerosol load was made of fine fraction particles of PM , most of the Po activity was carried by this aerosol fraction. At the two sampling stations, the Po/Pb activity concentration ratios in the aerosols were similar, stable around the year, and averaged 1.

Baseline concentrations of pharmaceuticals in Kuwait's coastal marine environment.

This study was carried out to provide baseline information on the concentrations of pharmaceuticals in Kuwait's coastal waters. Samples were collected over four sampling campaigns from various outfalls that occasionally discharged water into the marine environment and analyzed for a range of pharmaceuticals including analgesic/anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, anticoagulant, antidiabetic, antihelmintics, antihypertensives, antiplatelet agent, asthma medication, β-blocking agent, calcium channel blocker, diuretic, histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonist, lipid regulators/cholesterol-lowering, prostatic hyperplasia, psychiatric drug, sedation and muscle relaxant, synthetic glucocorticoid, tranquilizer and x-ray contrast media. The levels varied between the detection limits of the method and a maximum of 28,183 ng/L for analgesics/anti-inflammatories.

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in sediments from the Gulf and Omani waters: Status and review.

This review presents the spatio-temporal distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons including total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), total organic carbon (TOC), total aliphatics, unresolved complex mixture (UCM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and total aromatic hydrocarbons in marine sediments of the Gulf (Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman). The TPH ranged between 0.134 and 48,018 μg g dw where 10-15 μg g dw was considered as a background concentration.

Ciguatera in the Indian Ocean with Special Insights on the Arabian Sea and Adjacent Gulf and Seas: A Review.

The dinoflagellates of the genus are found in almost all oceans and seas between the coordinates 35° N and 35° S. and are producers of ciguatoxins (CTXs), which are known to cause foodborne disease associated with contaminated seafood. The occurrence and effects of CTXs are well described in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

Depositional time trends of phosphorous accumulation in a dated sediment core from the northwestern Arabian Gulf: Can phosphorous be used to support Pb chronologies in coastal aquatic sediments?

The use of Pb dating for the reconstruction of contaminant profiles in undisturbed sediments is the most widely acceptable technique historically. Due to the uncertainties associated with the technique, dating of sediments have often been supported by ancillary evidence such as an alternative historical marker in the catchment that is preserved in the sedimentary records. The most widely used verification marker is Cs, which is attributed to global fallout from past nuclear weapons testing, and the Chernobyl accident.