Search

The implementation of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems in integrative water research and management is gaining prominence in the realm of academia, particularly in four countries with a shared, albeit different, history of British colonialism: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. While integrative water research in particular is gaining popularity, currently there is a gap in our understanding regarding where, when, why, how, and for whom this type of research has been successful. A systematic review method was used to identify peer-reviewed literature from each of the four countries and to understand where and when integrative water research projects were taking place. Then, we used a realist review method to synthesize and analyze the included peer-reviewed literature to determine why, how, and for whom this type of research has been successful, or not. Our systematic literature search provided 669 peer-reviewed articles from across the four countries, of which 97 met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Our findings indicate that the total number of integrative water research projects has been increasing since 2009, though these projects are largely concentrated within the realm of social science and conducted by non-Indigenous authors. Recognition of the value of Indigenous knowledge systems, coupled with an understanding that the use of Western knowledge systems alone has not remedied the disparity in access to safe water sources in Indigenous communities, has led researchers to recommend collaborative partnerships and governance structures as a potential pathway to effective integrative water research. Our research was conducted to enhance contemporary understanding of the strengths of implementing Indigenous and Western knowledge systems and to encourage readers to continue working towards a common goal of reconciliation and equality in all partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water-borne Gram-negative bacterium Legionella pneumophila ( Lp) is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease. Lp is typically transmitted to humans from water systems, where it grows inside amoebae. Survival of Lp in water is central to its transmission to humans. A transcriptomic study previously identified many genes induced by Lp in water. One such gene, lpg2524, encodes a putative LuxR family transcriptional regulator. It was hypothesized that this gene could be involved in the survival of Lp in water. Deletion of lpg2524 does not affect the growth of Lp in rich medium, in the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, or in human macrophage-like THP-1 cells, showing that Lpg2524 is not required for growth in vitro and in vivo. Nevertheless, deletion of lpg2524 results in a faster colony-forming unit (CFU) reduction in an artificial freshwater medium, Fraquil, indicating that Lpg2524 is important for Lp to survive in water. Overexpression of Lpg2524 also results in a survival defect, suggesting that a precise level of this transcriptional regulator is essential for its function. However, our result shows that Lpg2524 is dispensable for survival in water when Lp is at a high cell density (109 CFU/mL), suggesting that its regulon is regulated by another regulator activated at high cell density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the chemical modifications of open-cage fullerene C60 derivatives encapsulating a small molecule such as H2 and H2O. In these reactions, the entrapped molecules can be used as a probe for monitoring the reactions. The solubilizing group (methoxyethyl group) was successfully introduced on the bis(hemiketal) moiety in the open-cage C60 derivative. Further specific reactions were also investigated for 2-methoxyethoxymethyl (MEM)-substituted C60 derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geotechnical Journal is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new methodology for determination of sulfonamides (sulfaquinoxaline, sulfathiazole, and sulfadimethoxine) in water samples was developed by coupling an automated multi-pumping flow system (MPFS) with a liquid waveguide capillary cell (LWCC; pathlength, 100 cm) and a spectrophotometric detector. The method is based on the reaction between sulfonamides and p-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde ( p-DAC) in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in dilute acid medium (hydrochloric acid), with measurement of the reaction products at 565 nm. Experimental design methodology was used to optimize the analytical conditions. The linear range obtained was 10.0-130.0 μg/L, and detection and quantification limits were 3.1 and 10.1 μg/L, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of sulfonamides in water samples. By coupling the MPFS with the LWCC, the sensitivity was enhanced, reagent consumption was low, and waste generation was minimized. The results obtained with the MPFS method were confirmed by LC-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

17O solid-state NMR studies of waters of hydration in crystalline solids are presented. The 17O quadrupolar coupling and chemical shift (CS) tensors, and their relative orientations, are measured experimentally at room temperature for α-oxalic acid dihydrate, barium chlorate monohydrate, lithium sulfate monohydrate, potassium oxalate monohydrate, and sodium perchlorate monohydrate. The 17O quadrupolar coupling constants ( CQ) range from 6.6 to 7.35 MHz and the isotropic chemical shifts range from -17 to 19.7 ppm. The oxygen CS tensor spans vary from 25 to 78 ppm. These represent the first complete CS and electric field gradient tensor measurements for water coordinated to metals in the solid state. Gauge-including projector-augmented wave density functional theory calculations overestimate the values of CQ, likely due to librational dynamics of the water molecules. Computed CS tensors only qualitatively match the experimental data. The lack of strong correlations between the experimental and computed data, and between these data and any single structural feature, is attributed to motion of the water molecules and to the relatively small overall range in the NMR parameters relative to their measurement precision. Nevertheless, the isotropic chemical shift, quadrupolar coupling constant, and CS tensor span clearly differentiate between the samples studied and establish a 'fingerprint' 17O spectral region for water coordinated to metals in solids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the enrichment ability of exfoliated graphene nanosheets for determination of trace cadmium in water and vegetable samples with flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Various experimental parameters that could affect the extraction efficiency have been investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factor of the method for the target analyte was 100. A liner response was achieved in the concentration range of 0.3-28.8 ng mL−1. The detection limit and precision of the method were 0.2 ng mL−1 and 0.8%, respectively. The proposed method was applied to determine the cadmium in water, onion, and tomato samples and recoveries of target analyte were in the range 97.6%-98.5%. All of these experimental results indicated that this new procedure could be applied for the determination of trace cadmium in real samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonated calixarenes have long been used as effective binders of ammonium ions in aqueous solution. Recently, the utility of sulfonated calix[4]arenes and calix[6]arenes as specific agents for binding biologically important ammonium ions, and especially post-translationally methylated amino acids, peptides, and proteins, has suggested that they might have important roles to play in the control and understanding of biological pathways. We report here binding data in various buffer systems that attempt to shed light on the roles of buffer and salt in the recognition processes of these hosts. We also report studies on trimethyllysine binding that explore the effects of near physiological salt concentrations and temperatures. These studies provide an understanding of disparate data on these systems and also demonstrate the ability of a sulfonated calixarene to bind trimethyllysine strongly under aqueous conditions that closely replicate the salt concentrations, pH, and temperature of the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged strenuous exercise is commonly reported to depress oral-respiratory immune status and increase the incidence of upper respiratory symptoms. This novel investigation aimed to determine the salivary antimicrobial responses and hydration status of ultraendurance runners ( n = 23) during a 230-km multistage ultramarathon conducted in hot ambient conditions (32-40 °C). Body mass was measured and unstimulated saliva and venous blood samples were taken before and after each stage of the ultramarathon. Ad libitum fluid intake was permitted throughout each race day. Upper respiratory symptoms were monitored during and until 4 weeks after race completion. Samples were analyzed for salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA), lysozyme, α-amylase, and cortisol, as well as for plasma and saliva osmolality. Mean exercise-induced body mass loss over the 5 stages ranged from 1.3% to 2.4%. Overall mean pre- and post-stage plasma osmolality measurements in the ultraendurance runners were 279 ± 14 mOsmol·kg−1 and 293 ± 15 mOsmol·kg−1, respectively. Decreases in saliva flow rate (overall change 22%) and post-stage increases in saliva osmolality (36%) were observed in the ultraendurance runners during the ultramarathon. Reduced salivary IgA (32%) ( p < 0.001 vs. pre-stage salivary IgA), enhanced salivary α-amylase (187%) ( p < 0.001 vs. pre-stage salivary α-amylase), and no change in salivary lysozyme secretion rates were observed in the ultraendurance runners throughout the ultramarathon. Only 1 ultraendurance runner reported upper respiratory symptoms during and 1 month after competition. Observed depressions in salivary IgA secretion rates were offset by favourable increases in salivary α-amylase and unchanged lysozyme responses in the majority of runners during the competition. Ensuring euhydration throughout a multistage ultramarathon competition in the heat may play a role in protecting the upper respiratory tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen distributed in the environment. Reference isolation methods include an enrichment step. We compared 2 protocols: one based on enrichment and the other on direct plating, with respect to the efficiency of isolation of L. monocytogenes from surface water samples. From March to May 2006, 126 surface water samples were collected biweekly from 24 discrete sampling sites located in the South Nation River basin (Ontario). Presumptive Listeria spp. were isolated using the 2 methods, and L. monocytogenes isolates were confirmed based on colony morphology and amplification of 3 pathogenicity genes: iap, inlA, and hlyA. Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 31 water samples using the enrichment approach and in 27 using the direct-plating approach, with only 13 samples positive using both approaches. No correlation was observed between the ability of the enrichment procedure to fail in the detection of the pathogenic bacterium and the abundance of several indicator bacteria. The proportion of samples carrying isolates from serovar groups 1/2a, 3a; 1/2b, 3b, 7; 4b, 4d, 4e; and Listeria spp. was significantly different between the 2 approaches. This data indicate that a direct-plating approach would be suitable for the detection of L. monocytogenes in water samples, but that enrichment and direct-plating protocols both have specific biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which aims to determine the impacts of drinking water supplementation with trytophan and vitamin B6 or feeding hydrogenated fat (HF) in an effort to reduce hunger-induced drinking pre-slaughter in pigs. It reveals that HF supplementation did not influence behaviour in lairage and water intake at anytime over the pre-slaughter fasting period. It mentions the effects of fasting on body energy reserves and the improvement of carcass yield

The present study tests the hypothesis that skin on the plantar surface of the foot absorbs oxygen (O2) when immersed in water that has a high dissolved O2 content. Healthy male and female subjects (24.2 ± 1.4 years) soaked each foot in tap water (1.7 ± 0.1 mg O2·L-1; 30.7 ± 0.3 °C) or O2-infused water (50.2 ± 1.7 mg O2·L-1; 32.1 ± 0.5 °C) for up to 30 min in 50 different experiments. Transcutaneous oximetry and near infrared spectroscopy were used to evaluate changes in skin PO2, oxygenated haemoglobin, and cytochrome oxidase aa3 that resulted from treatment. Compared with the tap water condition, tissue oxygenation index was 3.5% ± 1.3% higher in feet treated for 30 min with O2-infused water. This effect persisted after treatment, as skin PO2 was higher in feet treated with O2-infused water at 2 min (237 ± 9 vs. 112 ± 5 mm HG) and 15 min (131 ± 1 vs. 87 ± 4 mm HG) post-treatment. When blood flow to the foot was occluded for 5 min, feet resting in O2-infused water maintained a 3-fold higher O2 consumption rate than feet treated with tap water (9.1 ± 1.4 vs. 3.0 ± 1.0 µL·100 g-1·min-1). We estimate that skin absorbs 4.5 mL of O2·m-2·min-1 from O2-infused water. Thus, skin absorbs appreciable amounts of O2 from O2-infused water. This finding may prove useful and assist development of treatments targeting skin diseases with ischemic origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A green and simple procedure for the thiocynation of aromatic and heteroaromatic rings in the presence of a catalytic amount of citric acid in water are described. The reactions proceed in high yields, with short reaction times and under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasion-driven diversity reduction is often attributed to decreased resource availability, but this has rarely been examined. We tested whether the invasion of native grassland by the introduced grass, Bromus inermis, was associated with reduced diversity, increased standing crop (including roots), and decreased resource availability. Diversity and evenness were significantly lower in invaded stands, but richness was not significantly different. Both shoot and root mass were significantly greater in B. inermis stands, suggesting that resource demand should be higher. Light penetration and soil moisture were significantly lower beneath B. inermis. In contrast, most nutrients (including available N) did not vary between vegetation types. Some nutrients (P, K, Ca, and Mn) were significantly more abundant beneath B. inermis, possibly reflecting the invader's tendency to invade lower landscape positions. Overall, the results are consistent with invasion-driven diversity reduction being caused by increased resource demand and decreased availability of light and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct bromination and iodination of various aromatic compounds with NaBr and NaI using oxone (2KHSO5·KHSO4·K2SO4) in water was accomplished successfully in high-to-excellent yields. The main benefit of this protocol is the performance of the reactions in water in the presence of a harmless oxidant without the use of any organic co-solvents. Using NaBr and NaI as the safe sources of halogens is another advantage of the protocol. This method is easily applicable to the large-scale operations. We have also applied this method successfully for the iodocyclization of an unsaturated alcohol and an unsaturated carboxylic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water promotes hydrothiolation of unactivated alkynes efficiently without any catalyst or additive. The reaction at room temperature furnishes vinyl sulfides with high regioselectivity via anti-Markovnikov addition. The terminal alkynes provide dithiolanes at 80 °C by bis-addition. The reactions are very clean and high yielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enhanced enrichment using the Portable Microbe Enrichment Unit (PMEU) with the microaerobic bubbling of broths was applied for the detection of thermotolerant Campylobacter species from water. This PMEU enrichment was compared with the conventional static enrichment of the international standard ISO 17995:2005. In addition, Campylobacter detection after enrichment using a real-time PCR detection was compared with colony counts. The tests with stressed Campylobacter jejuni cells in drinking water indicated that the PMEU enrichment yielded a significantly higher number of Campylobacter cells in the Bolton broth compared with the conventional static incubation. Application of the real-time PCR technique shortened the Campylobacter detection time. This combination of method modifications can be used for Campylobacter detection from water and adds methodological repertoire for the rapid survey and management of waterborne outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various indolyl nitroalkanes were prepared by the reaction of indoles with nitroolefins in the presence of β-cyclodextrin in water under neutral conditions. β-Cyclodextrin can be recovered and re-used several times without loss of activity.Key words: β-cyclodextrin, nitroolefins, indoles, neutral conditions, water. On a préparé divers nitroalcanes d’indolyle par réaction d’indoles avec des nitrooléfines, en présence de cyclodextrine, dans des conditions aqueuses neutres. On peut récupérer la β-cyclodextrine et la réutiliser un certain nombre de fois sans perte d’activité.Mots-clés : β-cyclodextrine, nitrooléfines, indoles, conditions neutres, eau.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dipyrimidine-fused pyridine derivatives were synthesized using 1,3-diketone, aldehyde, different ammonium salts, and water, as the solvent. Aromatization was observed when ammonium nitrate was used as the source of nitrogen, and thus, dipyrimidine-fused pyridine derivatives were synthesized in one-pot synthetic procedure. This environmentally benign procedure leads to high yield of products (80%–90%) in a single step, with greater purity using water as the solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional (3-D) computational fluid dynamic model that predicts the performance of a full-scale medium-pressure lamp ultraviolet (UV) reactor for disinfection of drinking water is described. The model integrates velocity field, fluence rate distribution, and particle trajectory calculations with a microorganism inactivation kinetic model to arrive at predictions of reduction equivalent dose and microorganism inactivation for MS2 coliphage. A rational approach to determining an appropriate number of fluid particles that would generate the required computational precision is presented. Predictions of inactivation and equivalent dose were found to be sensitive to computational mesh geometry (hexahedral versus tetrahedral) but were less sensitive to the value of the Lagrangian empirical constant used in the random walk model and to choice of turbulence model (κ – ε versus Reynolds stress). Non-steady-state (dynamic) simulations produced results that were similar to those of steady-state simulations. Utility of the model for evaluating different lamp operating modes and alternative physical arrangements of the baffles and lamps was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reactions of different dithiocarbamate anions with epoxides were investigated in water. With this method, β-hydroxy dithiocarbamate derivatives were synthesized in high yields. The reaction was also carried out in DMF in the presence of lithium perchlorate with a simple work-up procedure, and the results are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions by Tamrix gallica leaves has been investigated. The effect of several factors on the removal has been studied, including metal ions concentration, Tamrix leaves concentration, pH, presence of competing ions, agitation, crushing, and drying. Removal of cadmium by Tamrix leaves was found to be dependant on pH and the maximum removal of cadmium by Tamrix leaves was found at pH 5. The cadmium removal by Tamrix leaves has been found to depend on both the concentration of leaves and the concentration of cadmium in solution. The presence of foreign ions along with cadmium ions in water reduce the removal of cadmium in the order Cu > Pb > Ni > Na > K. Applicability of the Freundlich adsorption isotherm has been examined and the parameters of this isotherm have been calculated. The order of reaction between cadmium ions and Tamrix gallica leaves with respect to cadmium has been found to be first order and a mechanism based on adsorption of cadmium on leaves has been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was previously reported that diols dissolved in water (pH 8, EPPS buffer) react with benzoyl methyl phosphate (BMP) in the presence of lanthanide ions to form monobenzoyl esters. We have investigated the possibility of extending this process to include formation of esters of monosaccharides in water from lanthanide-catlayzed reactions with BMP. The combination of methyl-α-D-glucopyranoside and BMP in the presence of lanthanum trichloride gave selective monoacylation of the 2- and 6-hydroxyl groups in a ratio of 2:1. The likely mechanism involves preferential bisbidentate coordination of BMP and the diol to lanthanide ion (which explains how an ester forms when water is in enormous excess) followed by base-catalyzed intramolecular acyl transfer. The method should be generally applicable where a selective acylation reaction in water as solvent is desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new method to seamlessly calculate thermal conductivity for various soil conditions, from loose to compact, organic to mineral, fine to coarse textured, frozen to unfrozen, and dry to wet. The soil is considered as a multi-phase system, containing air, water (liquid, ice), and particles finer (organic matter, minerals) and coarser (gravel) than 2 mm. The new method extends the general portability of the earlier Johansen (1975) method, and this generalization was fine-tuned empirically with data from soil, gravel, and peat drawn from recent and older literature, for frozen and unfrozen conditions from –30 to 30 °C, and for variable moisture and bulk density conditions from dry to saturated. Scatter plots between measured conductivity and best-fitted calculations consistently followed a straight 1:1 correspondence, with R2 values generally above 0.90. The new method was then used to re-interpret thermal conductivity data involving wettable and non-wettable soils, in situ field measurements, and snow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic system composed of [Ir(COD)Cl]2, 2,2′-biquinoline-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid dipotassium salt (BQC), and sodium carbonate is highly efficient for the selective oxidation of benzylic, 1-heteroaromatic, aliphatic, and allylic secondary alcohols using catalyst:substrate ratios ranging from 0.4% to 2.5%. Sterically hindered allylic alcohols undergo selectively good conversions to the corresponding enones, while unhindered ones are completely isomerized to saturated ketones. Mercury tests indicate that the catalytic process is likely homogeneous. The mechanism proposed for this Oppenauer-type oxidation including the isomerization process is based on iridium-alkoxide species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the cobalt mediated Pauson–Khand (PK) reaction in water. In the presence of detergents and surfactants, Co2(CO)8 and Co4(CO)12 are effective under aqueous-phase, thermal PK reactions. In a water–Triton®X-100 medium, Co4(CO)12 is catalytically active. Further, dicobalthexacarbonyl complexes of alkynes and enynes undergo effective cyclization under thermal (70 °C) and NMO-promoted conditions. The oxidative nature of the latter conditions inhibits the reductive PK reaction. In all protocols, moderate to excellent yields of the cycloadducts are obtained. Substrates that are prone to hydrolysis, such as acetals, highly activated carboxylic acid derivatives, and those bearing propargylic heteroatom groups are tolerated under appropriate conditions. Finally, the more challenging intermolecular cycloadditions can also be easily achieved under aqueous conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details the role of infrastructure in promoting sustainability at the neighbourhood scale. A sustainable neighbourhood design process is outlined and the importance of adopting a systems perspective and considering infrastructure interconnections is emphasized. The performance of local infrastructure systems (e.g., buildings and local transportation network) is influenced by interactions with the greater urban region and with other local infrastructure. Through a broad review of the literature on transportation, water, building, and urban forestry systems, this paper identifies many of these extra- and inter-neighbourhood interactions. The paper concludes that it is difficult to achieve neighbourhood sustainability objectives without infrastructure systems at the urban scale that support these micro-scale goals. Furthermore, interactions between local infrastructure systems can have a positive or negative impact on infrastructure performance and environmental impacts. Careful consideration of these relationships during neighbourhood design could yield significant improvements in infrastructure resource efficiency as well as reductions in pollutant emissions and overall costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient protocol, which is inexpensive, convenient, clean, and facile, for oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl compounds has been developed using sodium hypochlorite in the presence of β-cyclodextrin with water as solvent. A series of alcohols were oxidized at room temperature in excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria belonging to the genus Aeromonas are indigenous to aquatic environments. Once regarded as unimportant human pathogens, reports of opportunistic infections caused by these organisms have appeared increasingly in the medical literature. To estimate the potential for human infection by Aeromonas where limited water resources are being used intensively, we studied the spatial and temporal variation and incidence of antimicrobial resistance among environmental isolates of Aeromonas from two urban playa lakes in Lubbock, Texas. Aeromonas population densities varied seasonally, with the highest densities occurring from mid-April to late October. The greatest range of densities was 100-fold, from 2.50 to 255.17 colony-forming units per 0.1 mL of water sample. Densities also varied with water depth, although the variation did not display a consistent pattern. One hundred fifty-one Aeromonas isolates were divided into 10 species or subspecies groups by using the BIOLOG identification system. Nine isolates displayed resistance to co-trimoxazole, tetracycline, and cefuroxime, and none was resistant to more than one of these antimicrobial agents. In summary, the results of this study showed that the densities of Aeromonas peak in the late spring and again in late summer, times when human activity around the playa lakes is also high. Thus, we infer that human exposure to these potential pathogens varies seasonally. Compared to other published studies, the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant Aeromonas is relatively low in urban playa lakes in Lubbock, Texas. Nevertheless, resistant organisms were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental engineering is one of the most complex and fastest-growing disciplines in engineering. The scope of the field includes issues from public health protection to aesthetics, and from the impact on business development to the development of legislation, standards, regulations, and guidelines, to their enforcement and environmental protection. The issues include contaminants in gases, liquids, and solids and the phase transfers of the contaminants. The sub-specialties of environmental engineering address all these areas including the treatment of water, liquid waste, solid waste, and gaseous materials, protection of the environment through proactive measures, and the development of effective regulations. Environmental engineers have the necessary skills to address these issues and improve the quality of life of humans and other living things in an effective, sustainable, and economical manner. This paper outlines the evolvement of environmental engineering and identifies many of the exciting new directions of environmental engineering profession. Key words: environmental engineering, quality of life, future directions, water, wastewater, air quality, solid wastes, site remediation.Le génie de l’environnement est une des disciplines de l’ingénierie qui est des plus complexe et qui, des génies, croît le plus rapidement. Létendue de ce domaine inclut des sujets qui vont de la protection de la santé publique à l’esthétique, et de l’impact sur le développement d’affaires au développement de législations, normes, règlements et guides et leur mise en vigueur, et à la protection environnementale. Les sujets incluent des contaminants gazeux, liquides et solides, et le transfert de phase des contaminants. Les spécialités du génie de l’environnement abordent tous les domaines incluant le traitement de l’eau, les déchets liquides, les déchets solides et matériaux gazeux, la protection de l’environnement par le biais de mesures pro-actives et le développement de règlements efficaces. Les ingénieurs de l’environnement ont les compétences nécessaires pour aborder ces sujets et améliorer la qualité de vie des êtres humains et autres espèces vivantes d’une façon efficace, durable et économique. Cet article souligne l’évolution du génie de l’environnement et identifie plusieurs des nouvelles directions excitantes de la profession du génie de l’environnement.Mots clés : génie de l’environnement, qualité de vie, directions futures, eau, eau usée, qualité de l’air, déchets solides, réhabilitation de sites.[Traduit par la rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the weeks following the Kocaeli earthquake small teams of Canadian researchers had the opportunity to visit the heavily damaged regions, primarily the provinces of Koecali (Izmit) and Sakarya (Adapazari). Amongst other observations, information was gathered on the performance during the earthquake of regional lifelines. The visits by the team members were staggered between August and October, which provided the opportunity to observe the recovery and reinstatement of the systems in the short term. Performance during and post-earthquake of regional lifelines are reported in this paper. Comments are made on the state of preparedness with some suggestions for enhanced preparedness in Canada.Key words: Turkey earthquake, highway, hospital, railway, water, search and rescue, communications.Dans les semaines suivant le séisme de Kocaeli, de petites équipes de chercheurs canadiens ont eu l'occasion de visiter des régions lourdement endommagées, notamment les provinces de Koecali (Izmit) et Sakarya (Adapazari). Parmi d'autres observations, de l'information a été rassemblée sur la performance des équipements régionaux de services essentiels à la vie durant le tremblement de terre. Les visites des membres des différentes équipes ont été échelonnées du mois d'août au mois d'octobre, ce qui a donné l'occasion d'observer le rétablissement et la réintégration des systèmes à court terme. La performance durant et après le séisme des équipements régionaux de services essentiels à la vie est rapportée dans cet article. Des commentaires sont faits sur l'état de préparation avec quelques suggestions pour un état de préparation amélioré au Canada.Mots clés : séisme de la Turquie, autoroute, hôpital, chemin de fer, eau, recherche et secours, communications.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable values for the thermodynamic functions associated with the solvation of a water molecule in its own liquid phase and in cyclohexane, at 25°C, are obtained using experimental data from different investigations. They are successfully rationalized by means of a general theory of solvation. The standard Gibbs energy change is given by the balance of two contrasting terms: the work to create a cavity in the solvent suitable to host the water molecule; and the work to turn on the water-solvent interactions. It proves that the work of cavity creation is largely overwhelmed by the formation of two H-bonds in liquid water, whereas it is almost exactly counterbalanced by the establishment of van der Waals interactions in liquid cyclohexane.Key words: water, cavity creation, H-bonds, van der Waals interactions.En se basant sur des données expérimentales obtenues au cours d'études diverses, on a déterminé des valeurs fiables pour les fonctions thermodynamiques associées à la solvatation d'une molécule d'eau dans sa propre phase liquide ainsi que dans le cyclohexane, à 25°C. On peut les rationaliser facilement à l'aide d'une théorie générale de solvatation. Le changement d'énergie standard de Gibbs est donné par l'équilibre entre deux termes en opposition: le travail nécessaire pour créer une cavité dans le solvant approprié pour servir d'hôte à la molécule d'eau et le travail pour déclencher les interactions eau-solvant. Ce changement démontre que le travail de création de la cavité est très assujetti à la formation de deux liaisons hydrogènes dans l'eau liquide alors que, dans le cyclohexane liquide, elle est pratiquement exactement contrebalancée par la création d'interactions de van der Waals.Mots clés : eau, création d'une cavité, liaisons hydrogènes, interactions de van der Waals.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental engineering is one of the most complex and fastest-growing disciplines in engineering. The scope of the field includes issues from public health protection to aesthetics, and from the impact on business development to the development of legislation, standards, regulations, and guidelines, to their enforcement and environmental protection. The issues include contaminants in gases, liquids, and solids and the phase transfers of the contaminants. The sub-specialties of environmental engineering address all these areas including the treatment of water, liquid waste, solid waste, and gaseous materials, protection of the environment through proactive measures, and the development of effective regulations. Environmental engineers have the necessary skills to address these issues and improve the quality of life of humans and other living things in an effective, sustainable, and economical manner. This paper outlines the evolvement of environmental engineering and identifies many of the exciting new directions of environmental engineering profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from diarrheic people, river water (Oldman River watershed), wastewater, and drinking water over a 1-year period in southwestern Alberta (2008-2009). High rates of campylobacteriosis were observed during the study period (≥115 cases/100 K). Infections occurred throughout the year, with peaks in late summer and early autumn. Most infections occurred in people living in Lethbridge. Campylobacter jejuni was not isolated from municipal drinking water. In contrast, the bacterium was isolated from untreated and treated wastewater and river water (all sites). There were no correlations between C. jejuni recovery/detection from water and river flow rates, water turbidity, or fecal coliforms. Campylobacter jejuni recovery from water did not correspond to the peak periods of campylobacteriosis. The bacterium was most commonly isolated downstream of wastewater outfalls; waterfowl congregated at these sites, particularly during the winter months. A comparison of C. jejuni isolates from people and water revealed that most subtypes in water did not correspond to subtypes recovered from diarrheic people and were linked to waterfowl and other non-human animal sources. We conclude that waterborne C. jejuni did not contribute significantly to the high rates of campylobacteriosis observed in diarrheic people during the study period.

A neutral and efficient one-pot three-component aqueous-phase synthesis is developed for various spirooxindole derivatives from isatin, malononitrile, and 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds in high yields by supramolecular catalysis involving β-cyclodextrin. The β-cyclodextrin can be recovered and reused a number of times without any loss of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally stable and disinfectant-resistant oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. shed in the feces of infected humans and animals frequently contaminate water resources and are subsequently spread via potable and recreational waters. The current monoclonal-antibody-based methods for detecting them in water are slow, labor-intensive, and demand skills to interpret the results. We have developed DNA-aptamer-based aptasensors, coupled with magnetic beads, to detect and identify the oocysts of C. parvum for monitoring recreational and drinking water sources. A sensitive and specific electrochemical aptasensor (3'-biotinylated R4-6 aptamer) was used as a secondary ligand to bind the streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. This was incorporated into a probe using gold nanoparticle modified screen-printed carbon electrodes. Square wave voltammetry allowed for specific recognition of C. parvum oocysts. The aptamer-coated probes had an oocyst detection limit of 50. It did not bind to the cysts of Giardia duodenalis , another common waterborne pathogen, thus indicating its high specificity for the target pathogen. The system could successfully detect C. parvum oocysts in spiked samples of the raw lake and river waters. Therefore, the combined use of the aptasensor and magnetic beads has the potential to monitor water quality for C. parvum oocysts in field samples without relying on monoclonal antibodies and skill-demanding microscopy.

Organocatalytic asymmetric direct aldol reactions in brine with high diastereo- and enantioselectivities, using a readily available bifunctional amide catalyst, were developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]