Publications by authors named "B K Jennings"

Endometriosis is a prevalent chronic gynaecological disorder, but its cause is still unclear, and both genetic and environmental factors may contribute disease aetiology. Prominent amongst the latter is vitamin D which can be obtained either by the action of sunlight on skin or from dietary sources. Serum levels of the main circulating form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxvitamin D (25(OH)D), have been reported to be inversely correlated with endometriosis, suggesting that vitamin D-deficiency may be a risk factor for the disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite strong commitments to improving children's well-being, nearly a third of Ghanaian children aged 36-59 months are not developmentally on track, with additional challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Improvements in children's health and well-being rely on effective intersectoral policies, however, not enough is known about how to achieve this in practice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We report on a case study of participatory intersectoral policymaking for child health in Ghana in 2021, feeding into the national Early Childhood Care and Development Policy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In vertebrates, newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes traffick to lysosomes through the mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) pathway. The Golgi membrane protein TMEM251 was recently discovered to regulate lysosome biogenesis by controlling the level of GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase (GNPT). However, its precise function remained unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aims to identify factors associated with cholesteatoma, a type of middle ear disease, in a large UK cohort, highlighting established risk factors like male sex and chronic ear infections, as well as less-clear associations like deprivation and smoking.
  • Researchers compared 1140 cholesteatoma cases with 4551 non-cholesteatoma cases and nearly half a million healthy controls, using logistic regression to analyze demographic factors such as age, sex, and deprivation.
  • The findings indicate significant associations between cholesteatoma and factors like male sex (33% higher odds), older age, and deprivation, while showing overlaps with other inflammatory ear conditions and suggesting that both common and distinct factors influence cholesteatoma development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Health professions learners are taught by full-time university faculty and by clinicians who teach alongside their clinical practice. This distributed healthcare education model ensures high-quality education but is at risk due to high learner demand, shortage of educators, and economic pressures. Understanding what factors influence clinical educators' motivation to teach may contribute to the model's sustainability and educator retention.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF