Geochemistry of metavolcanics and granitic intrusive from western margin of northern afar depression, Dallol, Northern Ethiopia

The western margin of northern Afar Depression constitutes various rock units of Neoproterozoic basement complex. Major oxide data of metavolcanic and granitoid rock samples from basement complex indicate significant variation in the concentration of major oxides (e.g. Fe2O3, TiO2, CaO, MgO). Metavolcanic rocks of Dallol demonstrate heterogeneous nature of magma source. The mafic metavolcanics indicate two distinct groups, (i) CaO-enriched and (ii) tholeiitic composition. Another group of magmatic series, the felsic metavolcanic group, shows a co-genetic relationship with the tholeiitic metavolcanics. Granitoids on the other hand have a wider range of SiO2 (61.5 – 76.65 wt %) and are peraluminous to metaluminous in nature.Keywords: Geochemistry, Metavolcanics, Granitioids, Dallol, Northern Afar Depression, Ethiopia

MESUAFERRIN A-BIOACTIVE FLAVONOID ISOLATED FROM THE BARK OF MESUA FERREA L. AGAINST PHOSPHOLIPASE A2, CYCLOOXYGENASE AND LIPOXYGENASE: AN IN VITRO, IN VIVO AND IN SILICO APPROACH

Objective: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of isolated bioactive flavonoid Mesuaferrin-A from the bark of Mesuaferrea L. by in vitro, in vivo and in silico approach.Methods: To evaluate the effect of isolated bioactive flavonoid Mesuaferrin-A on arachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes (PLA2, COX-2 and 5-LOX) using in vitro methods, followed by carrageenan-induced paw edema model by in vivo and to determine the binding orientation and interactions of Mesuaferrin-A onarachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes (PLA2, COX-2 and 5-LOX) crystal proteins using molecular docking (in silico) studies.Results: Mesuaferrin-A exhibited a dose-dependent significant 5-LOX inhibitory and considerable COX-2 inhibitory activity by in vitro, The inhibitory activities of 5-LOX and COX-2 at 100µg/ml were found to be 78.67%, 81.03% with IC50 values of 45.22µg/ml and 35.74µg/ml respectively. Whereas Mesuaferrin-A showed less PLA2 inhibitory activity. Mesuaferrin-A showed 68.34% inhibitory activity at 400 mg/kg body weight at the late phase of carrageenan-induced paw edema, and In silico studies demonstrated that Mesuaferrin-A strongly binds with 5-LOX and COX-2, these strong binding affinity of Mesuaferrin-A on active site amino acids of 5-LOX and COX-2 may be responsible for inhibition of enzyme activity. Mesuaferrin-A showeda comparable 5-LOX and COX-2 inhibition activity with (positive control).Conclusion: It was concluded that Mesuaferrin-A act as 5-LOX and COX dual inhibitor, from the results it was suggests that Mesuaferrin-A, may be an effective preventive and therapeutic approach for patients with inflammatory-related diseases

Post-production Losses in Iodine Concentration of Salt Hamper the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders: A Case Study in Northern Ethiopia

Iodine is essential for good function of the thyroid, and its deficiency is of public-health importance in Ethiopia. Iodization of salt is an effective and sustainable strategy to prevent and control iodine deficiency in large populations. The effectiveness of salt-iodization programmes depends on the conservation of iodine concentration in salt at various stages of the supply-chain. The overall objective of the study was to assess the loss of iodine in salt from production to consumption and to estimate the proportion of adults, especially pregnant women, at risk of dietary iodine insufficiency. A cross-sectional study was conducted during February-April 2007 in northern Ethiopia. Iodine concentrations of salt samples from producers (n=41), retailers (n=7), and consumers (n=32) were determined using iodiometric titration. A risk assessment was conducted for dietary iodine insufficiency among adults, including pregnant women, using a semi-probabilistic approach. The concentration of iodine in the sampled salts decreased by 57% from the production site to the consumers. The assessment of exposure showed that adults in 63% (n=20) of the households, including 90% (n=29) with pregnant women, were at risk of insufficient iodine intake. A monitoring and evaluation system needs to be established to ensure adequate supply of iodine along the distribution chain. Special attention is needed for the retailers and consumers. At these levels, dissemination of information regarding proper storage and handling of iodized salt is necessary to address the reported loss of iodine from salt

1,1,2,2-Tetra­kis(1,3-benzoxazol-2-yl)ethene

The title compound, C30H16N4O4, reveals crystallographic and mol­ecular symmetry and accordingly the asymmetric unit comprises one half-mol­ecule. The dihedral angle between the planes of the two geminal benzoxazole rings is 74.39 (5)°. The packing features weak C—H⋯N and π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.652 (1) Å]

Waste-waste treatment technology and environmental management using sawdust bio-mixture

AbstractThe industrial wastewater (WW) of potato-chips factory is characterized by its high biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD), in addition to a medium content of oil & grease (O&G), total dissolved slats (TDS) and total suspended solids (TSS). A new technique for wastewater treatment has been applied using bio-mixture of selected strains of Aspergillus terreus or Rhizopus sexualis in addition to the natural flora of sawdust (SD-BIOMIX) in the form of mobile micro-carrier in activated sludge system. Different kinds of composted sawdust were used as a microbial carrier, support and source of nutrients and enzymes to enhance the wastewater treatment process; in order to improve the quality of treated wastewater and resulting sludge. The parameters of treated wastewater in terms of BOD, COD, O&G, TDS and TSS were greatly improved by 85.0, 79.0, 82.7, 74.6 and 87.7% respectively, in relation to the retention time and kind of tested materials. The 14 days microbial–treated (composted) sawdust by A. terreus, or R. sexualis as (SD-BIOMIX) exhibited the highest enzymes contents and was the most efficient materials for the wastewater treatment process in comparison with commercial biomixture products e.g. C157 and EM solution. Furthermore, the retention time of the treatment process could be reduced to 4 hr only. Finally, the resulting sludge(s) of (SD-BIOMIX) was easy to separate (in 5–10 min.) from wastewater. The sludge, according the chemical analysis, can be safely used in agriculture as an organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. In addition, different kinds of resulting sludge have been tested as biosorbents and exhibited high ability to remove chromium (89.1 – 99.3%), nickel (84.3 – 98.0%) and zinc (85.6 – 97.7%) from the heavy industrial wastewater. Data indicated the possibility of magnifying the introduced (SD-BIOMIX) as a new technique for the treatment of wastewater and as new trend for wastes management and pollution prevention and could be applied in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as one of advanced biotechnology to solve many of environmental problems in KSA

Low and Medium Calorific Value Gasification Gas Combustion in IC Engines

Higher hydrogen to carbon ratio of gasification gases produced from solid fuels has been utilized in internal combustion engines (ICE) since long ago. Advancements in the conversion technologies and the abundant availability of solid fuels added with advancements in the technology of gas engines and their fuelling system have renewed the interest and are believed to be transition fuels from carbon based to hydrogen based. Over the past 30 years, there were many trials to bring back the gasification gas technology in ICE. This study is mainly focused on the investigation of technical challenges with lower and medium calorific value gasification gases in IC engines The range of operation of these fuels is found to be influenced by available injection duration and injector pulse width in direct-injection spark-ignition engines. The lower calorific value of these gases also make them less competitive to CNG and H2 in the dual fueling in CI engine even though they have better advantage in the emissions. Furthermore, red glow color deposit was spotted on the surface of the combustion chamber after short running on all fuels that was resulted from decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl (Fe(CO)5) contaminants