Design, synthesis, in vitro and in vivo trypanosomaticidal efficacy of novel 5-nitroindolylazines.

Leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis rank among lethal vector-borne parasitic diseases that are endemic in tropical and sub-tropical countries. There are currently no preventive vaccines against them, and once diagnosed, a handful of less effective drugs clinically accessible are the only therapeutic options offered to treat these ailments. And although curable, the eradication and elimination of these diseases are hampered by the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of the causal pathogens.

Exploration of ethylene glycol linked nitrofurantoin derivatives against Leishmania: Synthesis and in vitro activity.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by the Leishmania parasite. It is estimated that there are more than 350 million people at risk of infection annually. Current treatments that are in clinical use are expensive, have toxic side effects, and are facing parasitic resistance.

New fused pyrroles with rA1/A2A antagonistic activity as potential therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders.

In a pilot study, eleven pyrrolopyridine and pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives (specifically, 7-azaindole and 7-deazapurine derivatives) were synthesised by Suzuki cross-coupling reactions and evaluated via radioligand binding assays as potential adenosine receptor (AR) antagonists in order to further investigate the structure-activity relationships of these compounds. 6-Chloro-4-phenyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine, with a 7-azaindole scaffold, was identified as a selective A AR antagonist with a rAK value of 0.16 µM, and interestingly, the addition of a N-atom to the aforementioned fused heterocyclic ring system, creating corresponding 7-deazapurines, led to a dual A/A AR ligand (2-chloro-4-phenyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine: rAK: 0.

Reeling them in: taxonomy of marine annelids used as bait by anglers in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Background: Common names are frequently used inconsistently for marine annelid species used as bait in the peer-reviewed literature, field guides and legislative material. The taxonomy of many such species based on morphology only also ignores cryptic divergences not yet detected. Such inconsistencies hamper effective management of marine annelids, especially as fishing for recreation and subsistence is increasing.

Performance of a NiFeO@Co Core-Shell Fischer-Tropsch Catalyst: Effect of Low Temperature Reduction.

In situ TEM gas-cell imaging and spectroscopy with in situ XRD have been applied to reveal morphological changes in NiFeO@CoO core-shell nanoparticles in hydrogen. The core-shell structure is retained upon reduction under mild conditions (180 °C for 1 h), resulting in a partially reduced shell. The core-shell structure was retained after exposing these reduced NiFeO@CoO core-shell nanoparticles to Fischer-Tropsch conditions at 230 °C and 20 bar.

2-Benzylidene-1-Indanone Analogues as Dual Adenosine A1/A2a Receptor Antagonists for the Potential Treatment of Neurological Conditions.

Previous studies explored 2-benzylidine-1-tetralone derivatives as innovative adenosine A and A receptor antagonists for alternative non-dopaminergic treatment of Parkinson's disease. This study's aim is to investigate structurally related 2-benzylidene-1-indanones with substitutions on ring A and B as novel, potent and selective adenosine A and A receptor blockers. 2-Benzylidene-1-indanone derivatives were synthesised via acid catalysed aldol condensation reactions and evaluated via radioligand binding assays to ascertain structure activity relationships to govern A and A AR affinity.

Tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes and practices of patients at primary health care facilities in a South African metropolitan: research towards improved health education.

Background: Health education is important to empower patients and encourage their contribution towards tuberculosis (TB) control. In South Africa, health education activities are integrated into services provided at the primary health care (PHC) level. This study was conducted in a high TB burden metropolitan area in South Africa.

Unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes with a focus on HIV co-infected cases: a cross-sectional retrospective record review in a high-burdened province of South Africa.

Background: South Africa did not meet the MDG targets to reduce TB prevalence and mortality by 50% by 2015, and the TB cure rate remains below the WHO target of 85%. TB incidence in the country is largely fuelled by the HIV epidemic, and co-infected patients are more likely to have unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes. This paper analyses the demographic and clinical characteristics of new TB patients with unsuccessful treatment outcomes, as well as factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes for HIV co-infected patients.

Risk factors for mortality in TB patients: a 10-year electronic record review in a South African province.

Background: Since 1990, reduction of tuberculosis (TB) mortality has been lower in South Africa than in other high-burden countries in Africa. This research investigated the influence of routinely captured demographic and clinical or programme variables on death in TB patients in the Free State Province.

Methods: A retrospective review of case information captured in the Electronic TB register (ETR.

Factors associated with good TB infection control practices among primary healthcare workers in the Free State Province, South Africa.

Background: Despite the availability of TB infection control guidelines, and good levels of healthcare worker knowledge about infection control, often these measures are not well implemented. This study sought to determine the factors associated with healthcare workers' good TB infection control practices in primary health care facilities in the Free State Province, South Africa.

Methods: A cross-sectional self-administered survey among nurses (n = 202) and facility-based community healthcare workers (n = 34) as well as facility observations were undertaken at all 41 primary health care facilities in a selected district of the Free State Province.

South Africa's protracted struggle for equal distribution and equitable access - still not there.

The purpose of this contribution is to analyse and explain the South African HRH case, its historical evolution, and post-apartheid reform initiatives aimed at addressing deficiencies and shortfalls. HRH in South Africa not only mirrors the nature and diversity of challenges globally, but also the strategies pursued by countries to address these challenges. Although South Africa has strongly developed health professions, large numbers of professional and mid-level workers, and also well-established training institutions, it is experiencing serious workforce shortages and access constraints.

A qualitative exploration of resilience in pre-adolescent AIDS orphans living in a residential care facility.

This article presents the findings of a study among a small group of South African AIDS orphans living in a residential care facility, Lebone Land. The research was conducted between June and September 2006. A qualitative, exploratory study consisting of in-depth, semistructured interviews with eight children and seven key informants aimed to identify and investigate developmental assets operating in the children's lives to help them cope amid exposure to adversities.

Predictors of uptake of human immunodeficiency virus testing by tuberculosis patients in Free State Province, South Africa.

Setting: Two districts of the Free State Province in South Africa.

Objective: To determine the predictors of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test uptake by tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 600 TB patients in 61 primary health care facilities.

The National Strategic Plan of South Africa: what are the prospects of success after the repeated failure of previous AIDS policy?

Hitherto, the story of HIV/AIDS in South Africa is, to a large extent, one of lost opportunities. Whereas the country has one of the worst epidemics in the world, consecutive national AIDS strategies have been repeatedly marked by failure over almost three decades. Understandably, South Africa's most recent HIV/AIDS policy, the HIV & AIDS and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa, 2007-2011 (NSP), has been greeted with general acclaim.

Palladium(II) complexes of new bulky bidentate phosphanes: active and highly regioselective catalysts for the hydroxycarbonylation of styrene.

The synthesis of four new bulky bidentate phosphines that possess both tert-butyl and trifluoromethylphenyl substituents is described. Symmetric ligands were readily obtained by alkylation of phosphidoboranes of the type Li[P(BH(3))(tBu)(Ar)] with dihaloalkanes. Non-symmetric ligands were prepared from a new stable precursor, tBu(2)P(BH(3))(CH(2))(3)Br, that should prove useful for other ligand syntheses.

Slow to share: social capital and its role in public HIV disclosure among public sector ART patients in the Free State province of South Africa.

HIV serostatus disclosure to community members has been shown to have potential public and personal health benefits. This study examined the impact of bonding and bridging social capital (i.e.

Rationing access to public-sector antiretroviral treatment during scale-up in South Africa: implications for equity.

As with other large-scale antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes initiated in developing countries, rationing of ART in South Africa was inevitable in the face of limited human and infrastructural resources. This paper discusses rationing of ART and its implications for equity in South Africa, with a particular emphasis on the national programme in the Free State Province. We examine both the explicit and implicit dimensions of ART rationing, while considering the content of policy, programme design and implementation processes.

Palladium complexes of new bulky fluorinated diphosphines give particularly active and regioselective catalysts for hydroxycarbonylation of styrene.

Some new bulky fluorinated diphosphines have been prepared and converted to palladium dichloride complexes that have been found to give increased regioselectivity and activity over other Pd-diphosphine systems when used as catalysts for hydroxycarbonylation of styrene.

Short-term physical and emotional health outcomes of public sector ART in the Free State province of South Africa.

Introduction: In order to assess the health outcomes of the South African public sector antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme, it is important to gain a better understanding of the complex relationship between ART and the multidimensional construct quality of life (QoL). Because of the gap between supply and demand, equity issues arise concerning the provisioning of ART.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to examine how and to what extent public sector ART is related to the physical and emotional health of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Assessment of the efficacy and safety of intravenous conivaptan in euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia.

Background: Most cases of hyponatremia--serum sodium concentration ([Na+]) < 135 mEq/l (< 135 mM)--are associated with an elevated plasma arginine vasopressin level. This study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous conivaptan (YM087), a vasopressin V1A/V2-receptor antagonist, in treating euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia.

Methods: Eighty-four hospitalized patients with euvolemic or hypervolemic hyponatremia (serum [Na+] 115 to < 130 mEq/l) were randomly assigned to receive intravenous placebo or conivaptan administered as a 30-min, 20-mg loading dose followed by a 96-hour infusion of either 40 or 80 mg/day.

SANTA vs. public tuberculosis hospitals: the patient experience in the Free State, 2001/2002.

This paper reflects on the appropriateness of the decision to close down a non-governmental organisation (NGO), state-aided tuberculosis (TB) hospital in the Free State in 2003. Henceforth hospitalisation of TB patients would take place at public district hospitals. A survey conducted late-2001/early-2002 revealed a more positive patient experience of hospitalisation for TB in public hospitals than in the NGO hospital.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel cobalt carbonyl N-heterocyclic carbene salt. Crystal structure of [Co(CO)(3)(IMes)(2)](+)[Co(CO)(4)](-).

The disproportionation of dicobalt octacarbonyl induced by the free carbene 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) and the X-ray characterization of the cyclohexane solvate of the resulting cobalt carbonyl N-heterocyclic carbene salt, [Co(CO)3(IMes)2]+[Co(CO)4]-.1/4C6H12, is reported. The crystal structure represents the first example of a [Co(CO)3(L)2][Co(CO)4] disproportionate salt reported to date.

Assessment of the implementation of the primary health care package at selected sites in South Africa.

A major objective of public health policy in South Africa is to develop a district-based health service focused on the delivery of primary health care. The primary health care package has been developed to promote the delivery of a number of services at the primary level. This paper assesses the implementation of the package in eight historically disadvantaged urban renewal nodes singled out for accelerated development through the government's urban renewal strategy.