Correlates of genital Chlamydial trachomatis infection in a cohort of infertile women in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Genital Chlamydial trachomatis infection, though often asymptomatic, is an established indirect causative agent of female infertility via its activities on the tubal physiology. Many risk factors are postulated for its acquisition and the main thrust of this study was to establish the organisms’ correlates among infertile women attending gynaecologic clinic in Ibadan.Methods: A systematic sampling technique was used on each selected day to recruit women who met the inclusion criteria into the study using a sampling frame of 2. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to obtain attributes considered as risk factors for acquiring genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection from 150 consenting infertile women between January and November 2015. These attributes included sexual history, social status, alcohol intake and past history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Blood samples and endocervical swabs were subsequently taken for detection of C. trachomatis infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 34.1±5.6 years and 7.30% were positive for C. trachomatis. Chlamydia trachomatis infection was significantly associated with past history of gonorrhoea, history of multiple sexual partners, husband that has other sexual partners and lifetime sexual partners greater than one.Conclusions: The prevalence of asymptomatic C. trachomatis among infertile women indicated the pathogen as a potential aetiologic agent of female infertility and supported the asymptomatic nature of the infection. The risk factors found to be associated with the organisms’ infection lend out further support to the sexual transmissibility of C. trachomatis

Catalyst-Free Expeditious Synthesis Of 2-(4-TERT-BUTYLPHENYL)-3-Sustituted Quinazolin-4(3H)-One Derivatives

Quinazoline and quinazolinone derivatives are well-known bioactive heterocycles owing to their therapeutic diversity and extensive medicinal application in drug design and pharmaceutics. A series of 2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-3-substituted quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives, 2a-q was herein synthesized from benzoylational conversion of anthranilic acid to 2-(4-tertbutylphenyl)-4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one, 1 which was the first precursor which was subsequently transformed to the targeted 2,3-disubstituted quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives, 2a-q by reacting with some cheap and readily accessible amino-containing moieties via an ameliorable pathway. The catalyst-free synthesis was successfully achieved by careful reaction optimization study using solvent choice and reaction temperature variability as key parameters. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR, UV, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and DEPT-135 as well as analytical data. The data obtained were consistent with the proposed structures of the compounds. This targeted quinazoline motifs might pave way for new bioactive template from future drug development

Examining the Political Influences on School Governance in South Africa: A Case Study of the Zululand District

This research examines the impact of political party affiliations and interference on school management in the Zululand District of South Africa. Using an interpretive research approach and qualitative methods, including an extensive review of existing literature and data collection through interviews, the study conducts semi-structured interviews with 21 individuals from three public primary schools. It also explores the influence of political factors on School Governing Bodies (SGBs), including their involvement in party politics and the challenges they face in enhancing their capacities. The findings confirm significant political interference in school governance, particularly in rural areas where political affiliations influence decision-making. SGBs often align themselves with political parties, leading to governance inefficiencies and conflicts among parent governors. Through the lens of participatory democratic theory, the study reveals governance capture in rural schools, with discriminatory practices and corruption arising as consequences of political intervention. The recommendations call for empowering SGBs to navigate political pressures through policy reforms, ensuring autonomy for parent governors, and reassessing the permissible extent of political influence within the governance framework. Additionally, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is urged to address socioeconomic factors exacerbating corruption and to uphold integrity within school governance structures. By addressing the influence of politics and enhancing transparency, the DBE can cultivate a more equitable and effective educational environment for rural South African students

Diarrhetic shellfish toxin monitoring in commercial wild harvest bivalve shellfish in new south wales, Australia

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. An end-product market survey on biotoxins in commercial wild harvest shellfish (Plebidonax deltoides, Katelysia spp., Anadara granosa, Notocallista kingii) during three harvest seasons (2015–2017) from the coast of New South Wales, Australia found 99.38% of samples were within regulatory limits. Diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) were present in 34.27% of 321 samples but only in pipis (P. deltoides), with two samples above the regulatory limit. Comparison of these market survey data to samples (phytoplankton in water and biotoxins in shellfish tissue) collected during the same period at wild harvest beaches demonstrated that, while elevated concentrations of Dinophysis were detected, a lag in detecting bloom events on two occasions meant that wild harvest shellfish with DSTs above the regulatory limit entered the marketplace. Concurrently, data (phytoplankton and biotoxin) from Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) harvest areas in estuaries adjacent to wild harvest beaches impacted by DSTs frequently showed elevated Dinophysis concentrations, but DSTs were not detected in oyster samples. These results highlighted a need for distinct management strategies for different shellfish species, particularly during Dinophysis bloom events. DSTs above the regulatory limit in pipis sampled from the marketplace suggested there is merit in looking at options to strengthen the current wild harvest biotoxin management strategies

Periodontal disease and risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease in U.S. male physicians

AbstractOBJECTIVESWe sought to prospectively assess whether self-reported periodontal disease is associated with subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease in a large population of male physicians.BACKGROUNDPeriodontal disease, the result of a complex interplay of bacterial infection and chronic inflammation, has been suggested to be a predictor of cardiovascular disease.METHODSPhysicians’ Health Study I was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of aspirin and beta-carotene in 22,071 U.S. male physicians. A total of 22,037 physicians provided self-reports of presence or absence of periodontal disease at study entry and were included in this analysis.RESULTSA total of 2,653 physicians reported a personal history of periodontal disease at baseline. During an average of 12.3 years of follow-up, there were 797 nonfatal myocardial infarctions, 631 nonfatal strokes and 614 cardiovascular deaths. Thus, for each end point, the study had >90% power to detect a clinically important increased risk of 50%. In Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for age and treatment assignment, physicians who reported periodontal disease at baseline had slightly elevated, but statistically nonsignificant, relative risks (RR) of nonfatal myocardial infarction, (RR, 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92 to 1.36), nonfatal stroke (RR, 1.10; CI, 0.88 to 1.37) and cardiovascular death (RR, 1.20; CI, 0.97 to 1.49). Relative risk for a combined end point of all important cardiovascular events (first occurrence of nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke or cardiovascular death) was 1.13 (CI, 0.99 to 1.28). After adjustment for other cardiovascular risk factors, RRs were all attenuated and nonsignificant.CONCLUSIONSThese prospective data suggest that self-reported periodontal disease is not an independent predictor of subsequent cardiovascular disease in middle-aged to elderly men

A Comparative Analysis of Methods (LC-MS/MS, LC-MS and Rapid Test Kits) for the Determination of Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins in Oysters, Mussels and Pipis

Rapid methods for the detection of biotoxins in shellfish can assist the seafood industry and safeguard public health. Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins (DSTs) are produced by species of the dinoflagellate genus Dinophysis, yet the comparative efficacy of their detection methods has not been systematically determined. Here, we examined DSTs in spiked and naturally contaminated shellfish–Sydney Rock Oysters (Saccostrea glomerata), Pacific Oysters (Magallana gigas/Crassostrea gigas), Blue Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and Pipis (Plebidonax deltoides/Donax deltoides), using LC-MS/MS and LC-MS in 4 laboratories, and 5 rapid test kits (quantitative Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Protein Phosphatase Inhibition Assay (PP2A), and qualitative Lateral Flow Assay (LFA)). We found all toxins in all species could be recovered by all laboratories using LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography—tandem Mass Spectrometry) and LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography—Mass Spectrometry); however, DST recovery at low and mid-level concentrations (0.86 mg/kg) was higher (60–262%). While no clear differences were observed between shellfish, all kits delivered an unacceptably high level (25–100%) of falsely compliant results for spiked samples. The LFA and the PP2A kits performed satisfactorily for naturally contaminated pipis (0%, 5% falsely compliant, respectively). There were correlations between spiked DSTs and quantitative methods was highest for LC-MS (r2 = 0.86) and the PP2A kit (r2 = 0.72). Overall, our results do not support the use of any DST rapid test kit as a stand-alone quality assurance measure at this tim

Characterization, Proximate Composition and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Seed Oil of Bauhinia tomentosa

Background: This study was carried out to investigate proximate composition, phytochemical profile and antimicrobial activity of the spectroscopically characterized seed oil of Bauhinia tomentosa . Materials and method: The characterization was carried out using FT-IR, mass spectra, 1H- and 13C-NMR. Results: The results from the proximate analysis showed the presence of crude protein 30.36±0.98%, crude fibre 26.00±0.69%, carbohydrate 25.32±0.57%, moisture content 12.04±0.39%, ash content 4.00±0.15% and fat content 2.28±0.09%. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes, cardiac glycosides, sterols, anthraquinones and tannins in varying degrees. The mineral determination showed that the seed oil contained iron (3.10±0.01 mg kgG1), manganese (0.38±0.01 mg kgG1), while cadmium (0.0 mg kgG1), lead (0.0 mg kgG1) and nickel (0.0 mg kgG1) were not detected. The extracted seed oil was investigated for antimicrobial efficiency against four bacterial isolates and two fungal, wherein gentamicin and clotrimazole were the clinical standard antibiotic and antifungal agents, respectively. Conclusion: The antimicrobial activity result revealed the sample to be bioactive and of great pharmaceutical potential with MIC value of 6.25 and <3.625 mg mLG1 against Escherichia coli and Candida albican, respectively. Due to high nutritional values and broad antimicrobial properties, the seed oil of Bauhinia tomentosa has nutraceutical potentials, which might pave way for its use as an alternative nutrient source for mankind or for industrial purpose

N′-(4-Fluoro­benzyl­idene)-2-(4-fluoro­phen­yl)acetohydrazide

In the title compound, C15H12F2N2O, the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings is 48.73 (8)°. The hydrazine group is twisted slightly, with a C—N—N—C torsion angle of 172.48 (12)°. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected by strong N—H⋯O and weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming supra­molecular chains along the c axis. The structure is consolidated by π–π [centroid–centroid separation = 3.6579 (10) Å] and C—H⋯π inter­actions