Synthesis and Spectroscopic Study of Naphtholic and Phenolic Azo Dyes

Azo dyes are extremely important in variety of industries for variety of technical purposes. Hence, a series of naphtholic azo dyes 1-9 were synthesized via diazotization of substituted aniline derivatives followed by azo coupling with 2-naphthol. In similar manner, diazotization followed by azo coupling with phenol afforded phenolic azo dyes 10-17 in excellent yields. The chemical structures of all synthesized compounds were confirmed using analytical data and spectroscopic technique which include Uv-visible, IR, Mass spectra, 1H- and 13C-NMR

STABILITY OF BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCED BY PSEUDOMONAS TAENENSIS

Biosurfactants are one of the microbial bioproducts that are naturally synthesized and are applicable for many industrial purposes. In this study, antibacterial, stability and antibiotic susceptibility of biosurfactant was evaluated. Biosurfactants produced from different substrates (groundnut cake, cassava flour waste, pome, cooking oil, engine oil, cassava waste water, molasses, cassava peel, potato) by Pseudomonas taenensis were evaluated for antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method. Antibiotics susceptibility of Pseudomonas taenensis was carried out using different antibiotics (augmentin, ofloxacin, tetracyclin and ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, pefloxacin, amoxylin, ceftriazone, nitrofuranton and gentamycin). The stability of the biosurfactant was evaluated by adjusting the biosurfactant to: pH (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12) using 1M NaOH and 1M HCl, temperature (4, 30, 37, 55, 75 and 100 °C) and NaCl (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %). Results showed that only biosurfactant produced using cassava waste water as substrate was sensitive to Escherichia coli while biosurfactant produced using cassava flour waste, pome and molasses were sensitive to Staphylococcus aureus. Biosurfactant-producing isolate (Pseudomonas taenensis) was sensitive to four antibiotics (augmentin, ofloxacin, tetracyclin and ciprofloxacin) and resistant to six antibiotics (cotrimoxazole, pefloxacin, amoxylin, ceftriazone, nitrofuranton and gentamycin). Biosurfactant was stable over all the wide ranges of pH, temperature and sodium chloride concentrations investigated. This study therefore revealed that biosurfactant have good stability, thus, could survive environmental stress; Not all biosurfactant and biosurfactant producers have antimicrobial and antibiotic property.   &nbsp

Prostate cancer disparities in Black men of African descent: a comparative literature review of prostate cancer burden among Black men in the United States, Caribbean, United Kingdom, and West Africa

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>African American men have the highest prostate cancer morbidity and mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the US. Although the overall incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer has been declining in White men since 1991, the decline in African American men lags behind White men. Of particular concern is the growing literature on the disproportionate burden of prostate cancer among other Black men of West African ancestry in the Caribbean Islands, United Kingdom and West Africa. This higher incidence of prostate cancer observed in populations of African descent may be attributed to the fact that these populations share ancestral genetic factors. To better understand the burden of prostate cancer among men of West African Ancestry, we conducted a review of the literature on prostate cancer incidence, prevalence, and mortality in the countries connected by the Transatlantic Slave Trade.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Several published studies indicate high prostate cancer burden in Nigeria and Ghana. There was no published literature for the countries Benin, Gambia and Senegal that met our review criteria. Prostate cancer morbidity and/or mortality data from the Caribbean Islands and the United Kingdom also provided comparable or worse prostate cancer burden to that of US Blacks.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The growing literature on the disproportionate burden of prostate cancer among other Black men of West African ancestry follows the path of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. To better understand and address the global prostate cancer disparities seen in Black men of West African ancestry, future studies should explore the genetic and environmental risk factors for prostate cancer among this group.</p

Regional simulation of fall and spring soil moisture in Alberta

The recurrence of agricultural drought on the prairies has increased the demand for soil moisture information by farmers, regional planners and supporting sectors of agriculture. In response, estimation of regional soil moisture by soil survey is conducted despite its being resource intensive and having limited resolution in time and space. Models that estimate soil moisture on a regional scale would contribute to the evaluation of regional water deficits and overcome problems related to conducting field surveys. This study uses a modified version of the versatile soil moisture budget to estimate available soil moisture within the root zone on a regional scale. The spatial pattern of modelled soil moisture in the fall was similar to that mapped by soil survey. Of the 145 grid points compared, agreement between modelled and field survey was 60% or higher in 5 out of 8 yr. However, too few years of data were available for a reliable assessment of model performance in the spring. The simulated soil moisture was sensitive, and directly related to the value used for available water capacity (AWC). Accurate values of AWC are necessary for accurate simulation of regional soil moisture. Key words: Soil moisture, modelling, water capacity, regional estimates, Canadian prairies </jats:p

Effects of tobacco smoking on pulmonary function indices among undergraduate students

Background: Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for chronic respiratory disorders. The tobacco epidemic is driven by adolescents and young adults. Tobacco-related morbidity rises with increasing years of smoking, and the increasing number of young smokers may have considerable future public health implications.Objective: This study investigated the effect of tobacco smoking on pulmonary function indices among undergraduate students. Methods: This is a cross sectional study involving 104 male undergraduate students between 18 and 30 years of age. They were recruited by snowball sampling and were grouped based on their smoking status (current smoker 52: non-smoker 52). Participants with signs of respiratory disease, thoracic spine deformity, or contraindication to spirometry were excluded from the study. Participants’ forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), both in litres, and forced expiratory ratio (FER) in percentage were assessed using standard protocols. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, independent t-test and chi-square test with alpha level set at 0.05.Results: The two groups were not significantly different in age, height and body mass index (BMI). Smokers had significantly reduced FVC (3.42±0.42 vs 3.87±0.4 litres) p=0.03; FEV1 (2.39±0.37 vs 3.22±0.38 litres) p=0.001 and FER (%) (70.7±7.58vs82.3±4.05) p=0.01. Among the smokers, a relationship was observed between years and numbers of cigarettes smoked and lung function. The proportion of participants with FER below the age-matched reference was significantly higher among smokers than non-smokers (40.4%vs6.7%) at p=0.021. Conclusion: Smoking reduced pulmonary function among undergraduate students. This may have important public health implications since continued smoking may accelerate lung function deterioration and consequently increase the future risk of developing lung disease. </jats:p

STABILITY OF BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCED BY PSEUDOMONAS TAENENSIS

Biosurfactants are one of the microbial bioproducts that are naturally synthesized and are applicable for many industrial purposes. In this study, antibacterial, stability and antibiotic susceptibility of biosurfactant was evaluated. Biosurfactants produced from different substrates (groundnut cake, cassava flour waste, pome, cooking oil, engine oil, cassava waste water, molasses, cassava peel, potato) by Pseudomonas taenensis were evaluated for antibacterial activity using agar well diffusion method. Antibiotics susceptibility of Pseudomonas taenensis was carried out using different antibiotics (augmentin, ofloxacin, tetracyclin and ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, pefloxacin, amoxylin, ceftriazone, nitrofuranton and gentamycin). The stability of the biosurfactant was evaluated by adjusting the biosurfactant to: pH (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12) using 1M NaOH and 1M HCl, temperature (4, 30, 37, 55, 75 and 100 °C) and NaCl (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %). Results showed that only biosurfactant produced using cassava waste water as substrate was sensitive to Escherichia coli while biosurfactant produced using cassava flour waste, pome and molasses were sensitive to Staphylococcus aureus. Biosurfactant-producing isolate (Pseudomonas taenensis) was sensitive to four antibiotics (augmentin, ofloxacin, tetracyclin and ciprofloxacin) and resistant to six antibiotics (cotrimoxazole, pefloxacin, amoxylin, ceftriazone, nitrofuranton and gentamycin). Biosurfactant was stable over all the wide ranges of pH, temperature and sodium chloride concentrations investigated. This study therefore revealed that biosurfactant have good stability, thus, could survive environmental stress; Not all biosurfactant and biosurfactant producers have antimicrobial and antibiotic property.&#x0D;  &#x0D;  </jats:p

Crop response to topsoil replacement depth and organic amendment on abandoned natural gas wellsites

The reclamation success of abandoned wellsites in agricultural areas depends on their capacity to sustain levels of biomass production similar to those which existed prior to soil disturbance. We examined the effect of four (0, 50, 100 and 150%) topsoil replacement depths (TRD) and five amendment treatments [compost, manure, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw, check) in the reclamation of three wellsites in south-central Alberta. The largest incremental effect of TRD on spring wheat response in the 4 yr (1997-2000) study occurred between the 0 and 50% treatments. Increasing TRD from 100 to 150% had little impact on crop response. Of the 20 treatments (four TRD × five amendments), the reclamation capacity of the 100% TRD-compost treatment ranked highest, being 19% higher than the baseline treatment (100% TRD-check). The lowest-ranking treatment overall , was the 0% TRD-straw treatment, which yielded 64% of the baseline treatment. Crop yield responses to organic amendments were larger when the recipient soil was lower in organic matter. Positive responses to one-time applications of organic amendments in the short-term (4 yr), advocate their use in soil reclamation of abandoned wellsites, despite a lingering question about the longevity of their beneficial effects. Key words: Soil reclamation, topsoil, organic amendments, natural gas wellsite </jats:p

Energy and nutrient digestibility in a hulless low-phytate phosphorus barley fed to finishing pigs

Six-ileal cannulated finishing barrows were used to determine energy and nutrient digestibility in a sample of a hulless low-phytate (LP) barley cultivar. A sample of regular hulled (RH) barley was also included for comparison. Two diets containing 96.5% of either LP or RH barley, 2.5% trace minerals and vitamins and 1% indigestible marker (Celite) were fed in a two-period change-over design. Each experimental period lasted 9 d; a 5-d acclimatization period followed by 2 d of fecal and 2 d of ileal digesta collection. Standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) was calculated using published values for ileal endogenous AA losses from our laboratory. Total phosphorus (as is) was similar in LP and RH; however, LP had lower phytate phosphorus (0.6 vs. 2.3, g kg-1) than RH. Apparent digestibility of phosphorus was higher (P &lt; 0.01) for LP barley than RH at both ileal (45 vs. 24%) and faecal (55 vs. 32%) levels. Compared with RH, LP had higher (P &lt; 0.05) DE and SID contents of all indispensable AA except Phe. In summary, a hulless low-phytate barley sample fed to finishing pigs had higher digestible phosphorus, energy and AA contents than regular hulled barley, indicating that use of hulless low-phytate barley in swine diets may have ecological benefit.Key words: Barley, low-phytate barley, nutrient digestibility, phytate P, pigs </jats:p

Soil responses to topsoil replacement depth and organic amendments in wellsite reclamation

Changes in soil properties reflect the success or failure of reclamation practices on abandoned wellsites. We examined the effect on soil properties of four (0, 50, 100 and 150%) topsoil replacement depths (TRD) and five amendment treatments [compost, manure, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) hay, check] aimed at reclaiming three wellsites (Strathmore, Hesketh and Rosedale) in southcentral Alberta. TRD treatment differences were consistent across all wellsites, with 30 to 32% higher soil organic carbon (SOC) on the 150% TRD compared to the 0% TRD. Initially, the alfalfa treatment showed higher levels of nitrate-nitrogen (e.g., 26 mg kg-1 vs. 3 to 7 mg kg-1 for the other amendment treatments in the 15- to 30-cm depth at Strathmore in fall 1998), which was related to its rapid breakdown and mineralization of organic N. After 40 mo (June 1997-October 2000), the average amounts (n = 3 wellsites) of added C conserved near the soil surface were: compost (65 ±10% SE) &gt; manure (45 ±16% SE) &gt; alfalfa (28 ±11% SE) &gt; straw (23 ± 6% SE). Our results show that organic amendments play an important role in improving soil properties related to long-term productivity of reclaimed wellsites, especially where topsoil is scarce or absent. Key words: Wellsite reclamation, topsoil depth, organic amendments, soil quality </jats:p