Low p Phosphido-Boranes Capture Carbon Dioxide with Exceptional Strength: DFT Predictions Followed by Experimental Validation.

We have developed a class of phosphido-boranes (BoPh's) with formula X[RPBH] that bind CO with exceptional strength (Δ = -8.2 to -24.0 kcal/mol) at ambient conditions.

Salt production and iodization practices among artisanal salt producers in selected districts within the Greater Accra and Central Regions of Ghana.

Background: This study was conducted to assess salt production and iodization practices by artisanal salt producers located at six districts across Greater Accra and Central regions.

Methods: One Hundred and Sixty-Six (166) salt miners in Greater Accra and Central Regions were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and their production sites inspected for salt iodization practices.

Results: The study revealed that salt iodization is not practiced among majority (69.

Monodispersed AgNPs Synthesized from the Nanofactories of (Cocoa) Leaves and Pod Husk and Their Antimicrobial Activity.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been synthesized from the more chemically rich and diverse cocoa pod; the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from cocoa leaves, which are less rich and have low diversity in bioactive molecules, is yet to be achieved. In this work, AgNPs produced using the extracts of the cocoa leaf (CL) and cocoa pods (CP) have been investigated and their antimicrobial activity against was evaluated. UV-visible absorption spectroscopy was used to examine the reduction of silver ions in solution and the surface plasmon resonance of AgNPs.

Effect of intensive and standard blood pressure control on cardiovascular outcomes based on body mass index: sub-analysis of the sprint trial.

The present study is a sub-analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) that aimed to evaluate the role of intensive vs. standard hypertensive treatment on cardiovascular outcomes according to the body mass indices of trial participants. SPRINT participants were categorized according to their baseline BMI values into normal (BMI ≥ 18.

Utility of QuantiFERON tuberculosis gold-in-tube test for detecting latent tuberculosis infection among close household contacts of confirmed tuberculosis patients in Accra, Ghana.

Objective/background: Introduction of the interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assays with their higher sensitivity and specificity over the traditional tuberculin skin test has improved testing for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). None of the IFN-γ release assays has ever been used to screen for LTBI in Ghana. This study set out to determine the utility of the QuantiFERON TB Gold-in-Tube (QFT-GIT) test for the diagnosis of LTBI among close household contacts of newly diagnosed sputum smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) patents in Accra, Ghana, and the associated risk factors for a positive QFT-GIT test.

Utilization of Savannah Harbor river sediment as the primary raw material in production of fired brick.

A laboratory-scale study was conducted to assess the feasibility of the production of fired bricks from sediments dredged from the Savannah Harbor (Savannah, GA, USA). The dredged sediment was used as the sole raw material, or as a 50% replacement for natural brick-making clay. Sediment bricks were prepared using the stiff mud extrusion process from raw mixes consisted of 100% dredged sediment, or 50% dredged sediment and 50% brick clay.

A novel longitudinal geriatric medical student experience: using teaching objective structured clinical examinations.

It has previously been shown that medical students perform poorly when assessing older adults with recurrent falls. To address this and teach students about other geriatric syndromes, a standardized patient, played by one of nine actresses, aging during the course of an afternoon, was developed. The patient is first aged 75 with falls, then 80 with memory problems, then 82 with an acute confusional state.

The transfer of 15N from urea to lysine in the human infant.

To explore the nutritional significance of urea hydrolysis for human subjects, male infants being treated for severe undernutrition were given oral doses of 10 mg [15N15N]urea every 3 h for 36 h, on admission, during rapid growth and after repletion with either moderate or generous intakes of protein. Urea hydrolysis was calculated from the 15N enrichment of urinary urea, and where possible, lysine, alanine, glycine and histidine were isolated from urine by preparative ion-exchange chromatography for measurement of 15N enrichment. Sufficient N was obtained for 15N enrichment of lysine to be measured on fifteen occasions from six children.

Molecular cloning and ethylene-inducible expression of Chib1 chitinase from soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.).

A soybean seed-specific PR-8 chitinase, named Chib2, has a markedly extended C-terminal segment compared to other plant Chib1 homologues of the PR-8 chitinase family known to date. To further characterize the molecular structure and the expression pattern of this chitinase family, we cloned two typical Chib1-similar cDNAs (Chib1-1 and Chib1-2) from soybeans by PCR-cloning techniques. The deduced primary sequence of Chib1-1 chitinase is composed of a signal peptide segment (26 amino acid residues) and a mature 273 amino acid sequence (calculated molecular mass 28,794, calculated pI 3.

A class III acidic endochitinase is specifically expressed in the developing seeds of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.).

A soybean chitinase which has an apparent molecular mass of 28 kDa by SDS-PAGE, and has chitinase specific activity of 133 units per mg protein at pH 5.2 and an apparent pI of 5.7, was purified from mature dry seeds.

A rapid purification method for soybean Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor using hydrophobic-interaction chromatography.

A protein fraction was isolated from defatted soybean flour by extraction at acid pH, 40% ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, and gel filtration chromatography. SDS-PAGE, under reducing conditions, confirmed it as a homogeneous preparation. This conclusion was consistent with N-terminal amino acid sequence data (20 cycles) which showed a major sequence identical to those reported for soybean Bowman-Birk-type protease inhibitor (BBI), and also indicated a minimum 95% purity based on recoveries of PTH-amino acid residues.