Design, Synthesis, Antimicrobial Properties, and Molecular Docking of Novel Furan-Derived Chalcones and Their 3,5-Diaryl-∆2-pyrazoline Derivatives.

The present work focuses on the synthesis and preliminary structure activity relationships (SARs) of furan-derived chalcones and their corresponding ∆2-pyrazoline derivatives as antimicrobial agents. Eight novel chalcone derivatives and eight ∆2-pyrazoline compounds were synthesized in moderate to good isolated yields. The target compounds were evaluated as antimicrobial agents against two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), and fungi (Candida albicans) species. Based on the SARs, chalcones 2a and 2h showed inhibition activity on all tested microbial species, while ∆2-pyrazoline 3d was found to be selective for some microbial species. The most potent compounds (2a, 2h, and 3d) were docked into glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase (GlcN-6-P), the molecular target enzyme for antimicrobial agents, utilizing the Autodock 4.2 program, in order to study their virtual affinity and binding mode with the target enzyme. The selected potent compounds were found to bind to the active site of the enzyme probably in a similar way to that of the substrate as suggested by the docking study. In summary, the newly developed furan-derived chalcones and their ∆2-pyrazoline derivatives could serve as potent leads toward the development of novel antimicrobial agents.

Centering equity: Addressing structural and social determinants of health to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

Despite decades of investment and improvements in infant health in the United States, efforts to ensure the health and well-being of birthing people, especially those from racialized and minoritized communities, have been underfunded and neglected. As a result, many birthing people do not have access to the quality care they deserve and suffer disproportionately from adverse health outcomes such as severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality. Through a Reproductive Justice lens, this paper will discuss structural causes for maternal health disparities as well as some of the structural solutions necessary to support the correction of centuries of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, and other minoritized identities.

Reimagining Perinatal Mental Health: An Expansive Vision For Structural Change.

Diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or other mental illness capture just one aspect of the psychosocial elements of the perinatal period. Perinatal loss; trauma; unstable, unsafe, or inhumane work environments; structural racism and gendered oppression in health care and society; and the lack of a social safety net threaten the overall well-being of birthing people, their families, and communities. Developing relevant policies for perinatal mental health thus requires attending to the intersecting effects of racism, poverty, lack of child care, inadequate postpartum support, and other structural violence on health. To fully understand and address this issue, we use a human rights framework to articulate how and why policy makers must take progressive action toward this goal. This commentary, written by an interdisciplinary and intergenerational team, employs personal and professional expertise to disrupt underlying assumptions about psychosocial aspects of the perinatal experience and reimagines a new way forward to facilitate well-being in the perinatal period.

Survey of new Mexico school health professionals regarding preparedness to support sexual minority students.

BACKGROUND: For schools to be safe and supportive for students, school health professionals should be aware of the particular challenges lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) students face, especially the risk for discrimination, violent victimization, and depression in the school setting. We assessed school health professionals' preparedness to address needs of LGBTQ students. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected during a New Mexico school health conference. This analysis focused on the preparedness of 183 school nurses, counselors, and social workers to address needs of LGBTQ students. Data were analyzed by using chi-square tests, other non-parametric tests, and logistic regression. RESULTS: Social workers (84.6%) and counselors (81.5%) were more likely than school nurses (55.8%) to report moderate or high knowledge of LGBTQ youth health risks, including suicide and depression (p < .001). Approximately half of school counselors and social workers reported no or low knowledge of LGBTQ community-based organizations or knowledge of counselors experienced with LGBTQ concerns. CONCLUSION: School health professionals in New Mexico do not appear prepared to address needs of LGBTQ students. Schools should consider integrating specific content about LGBTQ health risks and health disparities in trainings regarding bullying, violence, cultural competency, and suicide prevention.

Electrochemical determination of some antidiabetic drugs for type 2 diabetic patients.

Quantitative determination of rosiglitazone, pioglitazone, glimepiride and glyburide as antidiabetic drugs for type 2 diabetic patients was performed conveniently and economically using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Carbon paste (CPE) and glassy carbon (GCE) electrodes were successfully used as sensors for these drugs in Briton-Robinson (B-R) as buffer solution. The preparation of CPE and the GCE as ion selective electrodes is based on the construction of 10% standard drug ion pair with reineckate or tungstophosphate imbedded as electroactive material. Working standards were freshly prepared just before the assay by dilution from a 10(-2)mol L(-1) drug stock solution. At a scan rate of 100 mV s(-1) the cyclic voltammograms showed a well defined anodic peak with high selectivity. The DVP gave a reproducible well defined diffusion controlled peak for each drug at a scan rate of 10 mV s(-1). The oxidation peaks were used to determine the tested drug concentrations. The quantitative determination of the four drugs in their pharmaceutical preparations by the proposed electrochemical technique was found to be identical with the values obtained by the standard HPLC method. A mean % recovery of 100+/-1 was obtained and the % relative standard deviation was 1.62 indicating the high precision of the method and the confidence in its repeatability. The proposed electroanalytical technique using either the CPE or the GCE is economic, selective and can be applied for both the qualitative and quantitative determination of the drugs in their pharmaceutical preparations, without special drug separation.

Carbon paste- and PVC membrane electrodes as sensitive sensors for the determination of antidiabetic drugs for type 2 diabetic patients.

Carbon paste- and polyvinyl chloride membrane electrodes are simple, precise, rapid and selective sensors for the determination of antidiabetic drugs for type 2 diabetic patients. These electrodes were successfully used for the potentiometric determination of rosiglitazone, pioglitazone, glimepiride and glyburide in their standard forms and also as pharmaceutical preparations. The preparation of these ion-selective electrodes for the potentiometric determination of the drug is based on the construction of a 10% standard drug-ion pair with reineckate or tungstophosphate imbedded as an electro-active material in the carbon paste or in the polyvinyl chloride membrane. The prepared ion-selective electrodes showed a Nernstian response with a limit of detection amounting to 10(-6) M in a pH range of 3 to 5. A good selectivity coefficient and long term stability could be achieved. The developed potentiometric method based on the CPE and PVC sensors is economic and less time consuming compared to the conventionally used high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC, methods.

Sociocultural correlates of HIV/AIDS-related stigma in rural Jamaica.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND; AIDS-related stigma is one of the biggest obstacles in the fight to prevent HIV transmission. Since stigma deters people from seeking treatment or getting tested for HIV, determining the factors that underpin AIDS-related stigmatization may be key to finding new ways to improve care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and to reduce new infections. SETTING: The town of Lucea and surrounding communities in the parish of Hanover, Jamaica. METHOD: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 195 individuals from health centers and households in Hanover. RESULTS: Of the 195 respondents, 28 percent felt the names of HIV-positive people should be public information. We found three constructs (avoidant behavior, social contact stigma, and blame stigma) that underpin stigmatization of PLWHA. The factors that influence avoidance behavior were education and being married. The factors associated with social contact stigma were being married and having no acquaintance with PLWHA. The factor that influenced blame stigma was not owning a home. CONCLUSION: Public health campaigns to reduce stigmatization must address individuals on the basis of their socio-demographic characteristics. A critical appraisal of current anti-stigma measures is warranted, and appropriate anti-stigma interventions are needed. Interventions with community members should address the social context of stigma, particularly the arenas of community norms, through education, information, and legislative measures to promote interaction with, and positive attitudes toward, PLWHA.