Vitamin A status and ocular lesions in some rural Nigerians with onchocerciasis

The vitamin A and ocular lesions in 98 rural Nigerians who excreted microfilariae in their skin tissues and had at least one clinical manifestation of onchocerciasis were investigated. The highest prevalence rate of 18 (69.2%) occurred among adult males with leopard skin. The overall mean vitamin status of (20.3 ± 2.6 ìg/dl) was comparatively lower ( 2 = 41.0; p>0.05) than the control inhabitants (76.2.3 ± 3.8 ìg/dl). The mean vitamin status was higher among the infected children (22.7 ± 0.5 ìg/dl) than their adult counterparts (17.9 ± 6.1 ìg/dl). Also the mean vitamin A status of their infected children (22.7 ± 5.0 ìg/dl) was lower ( 2 = 31.1; p> 0.05) than their control subjects (73.5 ± 2.1 ìg/dl). The vitamin A status of the infected adults (17.9 ± 6.1 ìg/dl) was lower ( 2 = 47.2; p>0.05) than their control counterparts (78.9 ± 4.1ìg/dl). The mean microfilarial load of the different age groups of the infected volunteers showed negative correlation with the mean vitamin A status (r = -0.93). In all, five different ocular lesions namely cataract, optic atrophy, chroroidoretinitis, iriodocyclitis and sclerosing keratitis were reported. Visual impairment was absent and the ocular lesions were low among the children as they had only optic atrophy and sclerosing keratitis among the five different lesions encountered

Treatment related morbidity in differentiated thyroid cancer-a survey of clinicians.

Background: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) has excellent long term survival in most patients. Long-term treatment related morbidity is therefore important, but may not be well characterised. The aim of this study was to conduct an electronic survey of clinicians involved in the care of patients with DTC to determine their views on treatment related morbidity. Methods: A nine item questionnaire was developed, piloted locally and sent by email to members of three United Kingdom (UK) medical organisations (Thyroid Cancer Forum, British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons, British Thyroid Association). Results: 125 responses were received. Less than 5% of respondents had a formal protocol to detect morbidity associated with TSH suppression. Over 50% agreed that morbidity from TSH suppression is not well defined. The majority of responders also agreed that the long-term morbidity of hypocalcaemia, significant voice change and TSH suppression in DTC are not well characterised. Physicians perceived treatment related morbidity to be a bigger problem than surgeons (P = 0.019). Conclusion: Clinicians treating thyroid cancer agree that long-term treatment related morbidity from DTC is not well characterised. A study of the prevalence and severity of treatment related morbidity and its impact on health of patients with DTC is warranted

Carbon Emissions, Agricultural Output and Life Expectancy in West Africa

Carbon emissions are basically gaseous substances that are generated from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, into the atmosphere, and these emissions affect agricultural output and human health. The rising level of carbon emissions into the atmosphere has become a problem worldwide. Thus, this study examined the effect of carbon emissions on agricultural output and life expectancy in West Africa using data that spanned the period between 2000 and 2018. The study employed the two stage least squares econometric technique. The findings from the study revealed that a 1% increase in carbon emissions bring about a 3.818% reduction in agricultural output, that is, carbon emissions adversely affect agricultural output in West Africa. Also, a 1% increase in carbon emissions bring about a 0.123% increase in life expectancy, that is, carbon emissions boost life expectancy in West Africa. Therefore, this study recommends that the governments of the West African countries should formulate environmental policies that will help mitigate the adverse impact of carbon dioxide emissions on the agricultural sector, and also improve on healthcare delivery in the hospitals so as to reduce the mortality rate, this will help increase life expectancy in West Africa

Conjugation of Organoruthenium(II) 3-(1H-Benzimidazol-2-yl)pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines and Indolo[3,2-d]benzazepines to Recombinant Human Serum Albumin: a Strategy To Enhance Cytotoxicity in Cancer Cells

Five organoruthenium complexes [RuCl(η6-arene)(L)]Cl with a modified arene ligand, namely, 4-formylphenoxyacetyl-η6-benzylamide, and L = 3-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines or indolo[3,2-d]benzazepines were synthesized and conjugated to recombinant human serum albumin in order to improve their drug targeting and delivery to cancer cells, and a marked increase in cytotoxicity was observed

Naphthalimide-tagged ruthenium-arene anticancer complexes: combining coordination with intercalation

Ruthenium(II) arene compounds have been modified with the naphthalimide group, tethered via the arene ligand, i.e. {dichloro[eta(6)-N-(phenylalkyl)(4-dimethylamino)-1,8-naphthalimide](pta)ruthenium(II)} (alkyl = methyl, ethyl, propyl, pta = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1]-decane), or via an imidazole group, i.e. {dichloro(eta(6)-arene)-(N-[3-(imidazol-1-yl)propyl]-1,8-naphthalimide)ruthenium(II)} (II)} (arene = p-cymene, toluene). All the compounds are reasonably cytotoxic (ca. 2-49 mu M) toward cancer cells, and the arene-linked compounds also display selectivity in that they are less cytotoxic toward model healthy cells. Mechanistic studies show that the ruthenium center does not readily react with DNA but preferentially binds to proteins. In contrast, the naphthalimide group is a strong DNA intercalator, and combined, the complexes might be expected to simultaneously cross-link DNA and proteins

Anticancer activity of osmium metalla-rectangles

A series of cationic metalla-rectangles of the general formula [(p-cymene)4Os4(OO.intrsec.OO)2(N.intrsec.N)2]4+ have been obtained in methanol from the dinuclear arene osmium precursors [(p-cymene)2Os2(OO.intrsec.OO)2Cl2] (OO.intrsec.OO = 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinonato (dhbq), 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinonato (dcbq)) by reaction with bipyridine linkers (N.intrsec.N = 4,4'-bipyridine, 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene) in the presence of AgCF3SO3. All complexes were isolated as triflate salts and characterized by NMR, IR and UV-visible spectroscopy. The cytotoxicities of the dinuclear and tetranuclear osmium complexes were established using ovarian A2780 cancer cell lines. The most active metalla-rectangle, [(p-cymene)4Os4(dhbq)2(4,4'-bipyridine)2]4+, shows an IC50 value of 5.7 μM (comparable to cisplatin) against A2780 cancer cells and 7.5 μM against the cisplatin resistant A2780cisR cells

Anticancer activity of new organo-ruthenium, rhodium and iridium complexes containing the 2-(pyridine-2-yl)thiazole N,N-chelating ligand

The dinuclear dichloro complexes [(η6-arene)2Ru2(μ-Cl)2Cl2] and [(η5-C5Me5)2M2(μ-Cl)2Cl2] react with 2-(pyridine-2-yl)thiazole (pyTz) to afford the cationic complexes [(η6-arene)Ru(pyTz)Cl]+ (arene = C6H6 (1), p-iPrC6H4Me (2) or C6Me6 (3)) and [(η5-C5Me5)M(pyTz)Cl]+ (M = Rh (4) or Ir (5)), isolated as the chloride salts. The reaction of 2 and 3 with SnCl2 leads to the dinuclear heterometallic trichlorostannyl derivs. [(η6-p-iPrC6H4Me)Ru(pyTz)(SnCl3)]+ (6) and [(η6-C6Me6)Ru(pyTz)(SnCl3)]+ (7), resp., also isolated as the chloride salts. The mol. structures of 4, 5 and 7 have been established by single-crystal X-ray structure analyses of the corresponding hexafluorophosphate salts. The in vitro anticancer activities of the metal complexes on human ovarian cancer cell lines A2780 and A2780cisR (cisplatin-resistant), as well as their interactions with plasmid DNA and the model protein ubiquitin, have been investigated