Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever among the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedaries) in Central Sudan.

Background: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral zoonotic disease caused by Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a member of the genus Nairovirus in the family Bunyaviridae. CCHF is typically asymptomatic in animals but can be highly fatal in humans approaching case fatality rate of approximately 30%. In the present investigation, a cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of CCHF and to identify the potential risk factors associated with CCHFV seropositivity among the one-humped camel (Camelus dromedaries) in Central Sudan.

High rate of uterine rupture in a conflict setting of Hajjah, Yemen.

A descriptive study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology and the outcome of uterine rupture at Hajjah Hospital, Yemen, during September 2014-August 2016. There were 110 cases of ruptured uterus and 3457 deliveries (31.8 per 1000 delivery).

Pregnant women carrying female fetuses are at higher risk of placental malaria infection.

Background: The pathophysiology of the placental malaria is not fully understood. If there is a fetal sex-specific susceptibility to malaria infection, this might add to the previous knowledge on the immunology, endocrinology and pathophysiology of placental malaria infections.

Aims: This study was conducted to assess whether the sex of the fetus was associated with placental malaria infections.

Rubella, herpes simplex virus type 2 and preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia is a major health problem. Although, the pathophysiology of preeclampsia is not fully understood, there are recent studies on association between infections and preeclampsia.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between maternal seropositivity of rubella, Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and preeclampsia.

Higher Rate of Iron Deficiency in Obese Pregnant Sudanese Women.

Aim: To assess the association between obesity and iron deficiency (ID).

Material And Methods: Pregnant women were recruited from Saad Abualila Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, during January-April 2015. Medical history (age, parity, gestational age) was gathered using questionnaire.

High level of hemoglobin, white blood cells and obesity among Sudanese women in early pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.

Aim: To investigate the association between obesity and anemia/hemoglobin levels.

Material & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Khartoum, Sudan. Obstetric data were collected from 388 pregnant women at mean (standard deviation) of 10.

genotypes in matched peripheral, placental and umbilical cord blood in an area characterised by unstable malaria transmission in eastern Sudan.

Background: There are few published studies on genotypes in peripheral, placental and umbilical cord blood in areas characterised by unstable malaria transmission.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate genotypes in matched peripheral, placental and umbilical cord blood in eastern Sudan. Thick blood smears and merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and 2 (MSP2) genes as polymorphic markers in polymerase chain reactions were investigated in 3 kinds of samples of 153 pregnant women at delivery.

Maternal serum anti-Müllerian hormone in Sudanese women with preeclampsia.

Objectives: A case-control study was conducted at Omdurman Maternity Tertiary Hospital, Sudan, during the period from May to August 2014 to investigate AMH level in women with preeclampsia compared to healthy controls. The cases were women with preeclampsia and healthy pregnant women were the controls. The obstetrics and medical history was gathered using a questionnaire.

O Blood Group as a Risk Factor for IgG Seropositivity Among Pregnant Sudanese Women.

The objective was to investigate the prevalence and the association between blood groups and IgG seropositivity among pregnant Sudanese women. A cross-sectional survey was carried-out at Saad Abul Ela Maternity Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan during the period of July 2014 through December 2015. Questionnaires covering socio-demographic and obstetrics information were administered.

Pharmacokinetics of Sulfadoxine and Pyrimethamine for Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria During Pregnancy and After Delivery.

Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine is recommended for intermittent preventative treatment of malaria during pregnancy. Data from 98 women during pregnancy and 77 after delivery in four African countries were analyzed using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling to characterize the effects of pregnancy, postpartum duration, and other covariates such as body weight and hematocrit on sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine pharmacokinetic properties. During pregnancy, clearance increased 3-fold for sulfadoxine but decreased by 18% for pyrimethamine.

Human infectious diseases and risk of preeclampsia: an updated review of the literature.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the major causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In recent years, a growing body of literatures suggests that infections by bacteria, viruses, and parasites and their related inflammations play an important role in the pathogenesis of PE.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Google scholar, and Cochrane databases using the following search words: "infection and preeclampsia," "bacterial infection and preeclampsia," "viral infection and preeclampsia" and "parasitic infection and preeclampsia.

The effect of interpregnancy interval on obesity/overweight among women in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Objective: To determine the effect of interpregnancy interval (IPI) on obesity/overweight among pregnant Sudanese women in early pregnancy.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Saad Abu-Alela Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, from January to December 2015. Women with a singleton pregnancy and at least one previous pregnancy were enrolled in the first trimester.

No Association between 25 (OH) Vitamin D Level And Hypothyroidism among Females.

Aim: The aim was to investigate serum vitamin D (25-OH) level among females with hypothyroidism.

Materials And Methods: A case-control study (58 in each arm) was conducted in Arar Central Hospital, Kingdom Saudi Arabia. The cases were females with hypothyroidism, and healthy females were controls.

CNTNAP2 is a direct FoxP2 target in vitro and in vivo in zebra finches: complex regulation by age and activity.

Mutations of FOXP2 are associated with altered brain structure, including the striatal part of the basal ganglia, and cause a severe speech and language disorder. Songbirds serve as a tractable neurobiological model for speech and language research. Experimental downregulation of FoxP2 in zebra finch Area X, a nucleus of the striatal song control circuitry, affects synaptic transmission and spine densities.

Thyroid function/antibodies in sudanese women with polycystic ovarian disease.

Objective: To evaluate thyroid function and hormonal profile in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: A case-control study was conducted at Saad Abualila Center, Khartoum, Sudan. The cases were women with confirmed PCOS based on Rotterdam criteria.

Suppression of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 expression by promoter hypermethylation in ER-positive breast cancer.

Kynurenine formation by tryptophan-catabolic indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) plays a key role in tumor immune evasion and inhibition of IDO1 is efficacious in preclinical models of breast cancer. As the response of breast cancer to immune checkpoint inhibitors may be limited, a better understanding of the expression of additional targetable immunomodulatory pathways is of importance. We therefore investigated the regulation of IDO1 expression in different breast cancer subtypes.

Serum Level of Zinc and Copper in Sudanese Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

The study aimed to evaluate the serum level of zinc and copper in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). A case-control study was conducted at Saad Abualila infertility center (Khartoum, Sudan). The cases were women who had a PCOS based on Rotterdam criteria.

Synovial Fibroblasts Selectively Suppress Th1 Cell Responses through IDO1-Mediated Tryptophan Catabolism.

The development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to functional changes in synovial fibroblasts (SF) and local infiltration of T lymphocytes. Fibroblasts possess the capacity to suppress T cell responses, although the molecular mechanisms of this suppression remain incompletely understood. In this study, we aimed to define the mechanisms by which noninflammatory SF modulate Th cell responses and to determine the immunosuppressive efficacy of RASF.

Trimester Pattern of Change and Reference Ranges of Hematological Profile Among Sudanese Women with Normal Pregnancy.

Trimester specific reference ranges of hematological indices were described in several populations; however, comparable reports among Sudanese women with normal pregnancy are lacking. To evaluate trimester pattern of change and reference ranges of hematological profile among Sudanese women with normal pregnancy, we followed 143 women with singleton gestation since early pregnancy until the third trimester in Saad Abu-Alela Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan, during the period of January-December 2015. Obstetrics and medical history was gathered using questionnaire and hematological profile was investigated using hemo-analyser.

The stress kinase GCN2 does not mediate suppression of antitumor T cell responses by tryptophan catabolism in experimental melanomas.

Tryptophan metabolism is a key process that shapes the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The two rate-limiting enzymes that mediate tryptophan depletion, indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), have moved into the focus of research and inhibitors targeting IDO and TDO have entered clinical trials. Local tryptophan depletion is generally viewed as the crucial immunosuppressive mechanism.

The control of translational accuracy is a determinant of healthy ageing in yeast.

Life requires the maintenance of molecular function in the face of stochastic processes that tend to adversely affect macromolecular integrity. This is particularly relevant during ageing, as many cellular functions decline with age, including growth, mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. Protein synthesis must deliver functional proteins at all times, implying that the effects of protein synthesis errors like amino acid misincorporation and stop-codon read-through must be minimized during ageing.

Microbial communities in pyrene amended soil-compost mixture and fertilized soil.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are distributed ubiquitously in the environment and form metabolites toxic to most organisms. Organic amendment of PAH contaminated soil with compost and farmyard manure has proven to be efficient for PAH bioremediation mediated by native microorganisms, even though information on the identity of PAH degraders in organic-amended soil is still scarce. Here we provide molecular insight into the bacterial communities in soil amended with compost or farmyard manure for which the degradation mass balances of C-labeled pyrene have been recently published and assess the relevant bacterial genera capable of degrading pyrene as a model PAH.

O Blood Group as Risk Factor for Preeclampsia among Sudanese Women.

Aim: To investigate blood groups and the other possible risk factors for preeclampsia among Sudanese women.

Material And Methods: A case - control study was conducted at Saad Abualila Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan during the period of July 2013 through December 2014. The cases were women with preeclampsia and healthy pregnant women were the controls.

Platelet count and platelet indices in women with preeclampsia.

Background: Although the exact pathophysiology of preeclampsia is not completely understood, the utility of different platelets indices can be utilized to predict preeclampsia.

Objective: To compare platelet indices, namely platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and PC to MPV ratio in women with preeclampsia compared with healthy controls.

Setting: Qassim Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.