Facile Synthesis and Characterization of New 2,3-Disubstituted Benzimidazole Derivatives

Benzimidazoles are known to represent a class of medicinally important compounds which are extensively used as antibacterial agents. Hence, a series of five 2-substitutedbenzimidazole precursors (1a-e) were synthesized via [4 + 1] condensation and imino compound (1f) by simple condensation in the presence of Conc. HCl as catalyst. Synthetic modification of N-1 position was achieved in order to obtain new 5-chloro-2,4-dinitrophenyl bearing 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole 2a-e and 2f, and 3-chlorobenzyl bearing 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole 3a-e and 3f in good to excellent yields using a facile approach. The chemical structures of all synthesized compounds were confirmed using spectroscopic means such as UV-visible, IR, Mass spectra, 1H and 13C NMR as well as C, H, N elemental analytical data

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Study of Naphtholic and Phenolic Azo Dyes

Azo dyes are extremely important in variety of industries for variety of technical purposes. Hence, a series of naphtholic azo dyes 1-9 were synthesized via diazotization of substituted aniline derivatives followed by azo coupling with 2-naphthol. In similar manner, diazotization followed by azo coupling with phenol afforded phenolic azo dyes 10-17 in excellent yields. The chemical structures of all synthesized compounds were confirmed using analytical data and spectroscopic technique which include Uv-visible, IR, Mass spectra, 1H- and 13C-NMR

Docetaxel-based chemotherapy in the treatment of gastric cancer

Docetaxel-based chemotherapy appears to have considerable promise in advanced gastric cancer. In phase II studies of single agent docetaxel, response rates (RRs) of 17% to 24% have been achieved in previously untreated patients. Importantly, RRs of 20% to 22% are seen in second-line treatment. Work by a Swiss and Italian collaborative group has shown that the combination of docetaxel 85 mg/m2 with cisplatin 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks is quite active, achieving an RR of 55% and median survival of 9 months. Hematotoxicity was the main adverse event but was manageable. In other respects the docetaxel/cisplatin doublet (TC) was relatively well tolerated. The same group demonstrated that continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 300 mg/m2 can be given on 2 weeks out of 3 to patients receiving TC. The addition of 5-FU, by this schedule, to TC (TCF) does not increase hematological toxicity, and does not compromise the tolerability of TC. An overall RR of 55% has been reported with TCF. A randomized phase II comparison of TC or TCF versus an ECF (epirubicin/cisplatin/5-FU) control arm is ongoing and should lead to a randomized phase III trial comparing TC or TCF with ECF. In an already completed international randomized phase II comparison of TC versus TCF (TAX-325), the three-drug combination proved significantly more active (RR 54% versus 32% with TC, among patients treated per protocol). Time to progression was also longer for TCF. Gastrointestinal (but not hematological) toxicity was less with TC. TCF was chosen for ongoing phase III comparison against a control 5-FU/cisplatin arm. It is possible that data from these randomized studies will confirm the value of docetaxel-based chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer and that docetaxel combinations will also be effective in the multidisciplinary efforts to cure earlier stage cance

Declining job security level and workers’ perfomance in selected banks, South Western Nigeria

The study assessed bank workers’ level of job security and also investigated the relationship between job security level and job performance among employees of the banks. The study adopted cross-sectional research design where primary and secondary data were sourced. Primary data were obtained through both quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection while Secondary data were extracted from Annual Reports of the selected Banks. The sample consisted of 210 bank workers selected for questionnaire administration and 15 workers for In-depth Interviews (IDIs) especially those that have been working with the bank for the past three years. These comprised both permanent and contract workers. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The result showed that majority (58.7%) considered the level of their job security to be low while (41.3%) considered the level of their job security as high across the selected banks. However, bank by bank evaluations of low level of job security did not show any major differences as Stanbic-IBTC Bank reported (51.4%), Wema Bank (70%), and First Bank (51.4%). The findings also showed that workers, regardless of their perception and feelings of job loss reported increase in their performance. Hence, there existed no significant relationship between job security level and performance (χ2 = 0.75; p> 0.05). The paper concluded that declining job security level is inevitable in the banking industry because of reforms in the Nigeria banking sector. However, this did not lower workers’ performance, otherwise performance were enhanced. It then recommended the need for Nigerian banks to employ the required number of workers they are capable of providing for and put an enabling environment for workers to perform.Key Words: Job Security Level, Workers’ Performance, Bank Reforms, Bank Categorization.RésuméL’étude a évalué le niveau de sécurité d’emploi des employés de banque de et également examiné la relation entre le niveau de sécurité d’emploi et le rendement au travail des employés des banques . L’étude a adopté la conception de la recherche transversale où les données primaires et secondaires ont été puisées . Les données primaires ont été obtenues par les deux techniques quantitatives et qualitatives de collecte de données tandis que les données secondaires ont été extraites des rapports annuels des banques sélectionnées . L’échantillon se composait de 210 employés de banque sélectionnés pour l’administration du questionnaire et 15 travailleurs pour des entrevues en profondeur ( IDIS ), en particulier ceux qui ont travaillé avec la banque pour les trois dernières années . Ces travailleurs permanents et contractuels compris . Données quantitatives ont été analysées à l’aide de statistiques descriptives et inférentielles alors que les données qualitatives ont été analysées par analyse de contenu. Le résultat a montré que la majorité ( 58,7% ) a examiné le niveau de sécurité de leur emploi devrait être faible alors que ( 41,3% ) considère le niveau de leur sécurité d’emploi élevé dans les banques sélectionnées . Cependant , la banque d’évaluations bancaires de faible niveau de sécurité d’emploi n’a pas montré de différences majeures que Stanbic - IBTC Banque rapportés ( 51,4 % ) , Wema Bank ( 70 % ) , et First Bank ( 51,4 % ) . Les résultats montrent également que les travailleurs , indépendamment de leur perception et le sentiment de perte d’emploi signalé augmentation de leur performance. Par conséquent, il n’existait pas de relation significative entre le niveau et la performance de la sécurité d’emploi ( χ2 = 0,75 , p > 0,05 ) . Le document conclut que la baisse de niveau de sécurité de l’emploi est inévitable dans le secteur bancaire en raison des réformes dans le secteur bancaire au Nigeria . Cependant , ce fait le rendement des travailleurs non inférieurs , sinon les performances ont été améliorées . Il a ensuite recommandé la nécessité pour les banques nigérianes à employer le nombre de travailleurs qu’ils sont capables de prévoir et mettre un environnement favorable pour les travailleurs à effectuer.Mots clés: emploi niveau de sécurité , la performance des travailleurs, réformes de la Banque , la Banque catégorisation

Complex-Induced Proximity Effect in Lithiation: Unveiling Recent Potentials in Organic Synthesis of Biologically Relevant Heterocyclic Compounds

Reactions that convert carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds into carbon–carbon (C–C) or carbon–heteroatom (C–Y) bonds are attractive tools for organic chemists, potentially expediting the synthesis of target molecules via functional group interconversion. More explorative studies have shown Complex Induced Proximity Effect (CIPE) to be a solutionprovider for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. This might act as excellent pathfinders to new drugs for combating microorganisms’ resistance challenges to old existing drug. So, a constant review into CIPE and lithiation chemistry is crucial because they offer excellent pathways to new heterocyclic compounds which are essential agents in drug design and discovery

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

Solitary colonic neurofibroma in an African child

Neurofibromas are a group of heterogeneous neurocutaneous disorders. They are benign neoplasms consisting of neural and connective tissue components affecting any organ system. Gastrointestinal involvement in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are rare and are late manifestations of the disease, but in exceptional cases they can be the initial sign of neurofibromatosis in patients who have no external stigmata that arouse suspicion. Neurofibromatosis of the colon as a part of the NF1 is rare. Isolated colonic neurofibromatosis without other features suggestive of NF1 is rarely encountered in clinical practice. We report the case of a 12-year-old boy with an isolated colonic neurofibromatosis presenting with a right hypochondrial mass with no external features of NF1. We report this case as its presentation in children may give a diagnostic dilemma and the probability of malignant digestive disease associated with NF1 should be kept in mind, regardless of the age of the patient.Keywords: children, colonic, neurofibroma, rare, solitar

Mobile Phone Use and Travel Behaviour of Adult Residents of Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria

This study examined the influence of mobile phone use on the frequency of trips which Ile-Ife residents made on social activities. The study covered eleven electoral wards of the urban Ile-Ife. Purposive sampling method was used to select a sample size of 330 working adults who were mobile phones users and between aged 35 years and 50 years. Moreover, to obtain the qualitative data, purposive sampling method was adopted to obtain a total sample size of 22 for in-depth interviews. Contents analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the qualitative data and the quantitative data respectively. This study found an increase in frequency of trips made on visitation to friend and relatives, business/work, religion purposes while mobile phone use did not influence the frequency of trips made on recreational purposes and ceremonies. This study concluded that mobile phone use influenced the frequency of some trips which the adults in Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria made on social activities. Keywords: mobile phone, travel behaviour, social activities

Cu(II) and Fe(III) complexes of sulphadoxine mixed with pyramethamine: Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial and toxicology study

Two new mixed ligands metal complexes of sulphadoxine and pyramethamine were prepared by using CuCl2.6H2O and FeCl3.6H2O. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, melting point determination, molar conductivity, metal content analysis (AAS), IR, magnetic susceptibility measurements and UV-Visible spectroscopy. Based on the analytical and spectroscopic data, the complexes were proposed to have the formulae [M1L1L2(Cl)2] and [M2L1L2(Cl)3] (where M1 = Cu(II), M2 = Fe(III)), L1 = sulphadoxine, L2 = pyramethamine). The spectroscopic data proposed L1 to be a monodentate ligand and coordinated through N atom of the NH2 group in both complexes. Also, L2 was proposed to be tridentate ligand and coordinated through N atom of the NH2 groups and through N atom of imine group. However, [M1L1L2(Cl)2] and [M2L1L2(Cl)3] were proposed to possess distorted octahedral geometry. Conductivity measurement values supported the non-electrolytic nature of the complexes. The complexes have been tested in vitro against a number of pathogenic bacteria [g(+) Escherichia coli, g(+) Proteus species, g(+) Pseudomonas aeruginosa and g(+) Salmonella typhi] by using disc diffusion method. Obtained results indicated that the metal complexes exhibited better antibacterial activities as compared to the ligands. Toxicology tests against some tissues of albino rat (Rattus novergicuss) revealed toxicity of the complexes in the kidney as compared to the parent drugs. [M1L1L2(Cl)2] was found to be toxic to the sera, livers and kidneys of the rats used, while [M2L1L2(Cl)3] was found to be non-toxic to the sera, livers and kidneys of the rats as their alkaline phosphatase (ALP) values showed non-significant difference to the control value

Fe(III) and Co(II) complexes of mixed antibiotics: synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial potential and their effect on alkaline phosphatase activities of selected rat tissues

Two new mixed ligand metal complexes of Fe(III) and Co(II) chloride hexahydrate salts were prepared using standard methods. Ampicillin trihydrate and oxytetracycline hydrochloride antibiotics were used as ligands. Chemical analysis including conductivity measurements, molecular weight determination and spectroscopic studies were used to propose the geometry and mode of binding of the ligands to metal ions. Both ligands were proposed to coordinate to metal ions in ratio 1:1:1 in the complexes. Each of the ligands acted as terdentate ligand. Inhibition properties as well as toxicity effect of administration of the metal complexes at the dose of 3.33 mg/kg body weight thrice daily for 5 days on the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities on rat kidney, liver and serum were evaluated. The inhibitory properties of the complexes were found to be significantly different (P<0.05) at the concentration of 1%(w/v) as compared to each of the ligands. The complexes were found to significantly increase (P0.05) in ALP from liver and kidney sera. The results indicated that more potent compounds with better physical properties and enhanced antimicrobial activities upon complexation have been prepared