Large-scale genetic characterization of Parkinson's disease in the African and African admixed populations.

Elucidating the genetic contributions to Parkinson's disease (PD) etiology across diverse ancestries is a critical priority for the development of targeted therapies in a global context. We conducted the largest sequencing characterization of potentially disease-causing, protein-altering and splicing mutations in 710 cases and 11,827 controls from genetically predicted African or African admixed ancestries. We explored copy number variants (CNVs) and runs of homozygosity (ROHs) in prioritized early onset and familial cases.

Rational Design and Optimization of a Potent IDO1 Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC).

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a potently immunosuppressive protein that inhibits antitumor immunity through both tryptophan metabolism and non-enzymatic functions. Pharmacological therapies targeting IDO1 enzyme activity have generally failed to improve the overall survival of patients with cancer. Developing new therapeutic agents that are capable of neutralizing both enzyme-and non-enzyme-derived immunosuppressive IDO1 effects is therefore of high interest.

African ancestry neurodegeneration risk variant disrupts an intronic branchpoint in .

Recently, a novel African ancestry specific Parkinson's disease (PD) risk signal was identified at the gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (). This variant (rs3115534-G) is carried by ~50% of West African PD cases and imparts a dose-dependent increase in risk for disease. The risk variant has varied frequencies across African ancestry groups, but is almost absent in European and Asian ancestry populations.

Left ventricular hypertrophy in young hypertensives: the possible crosstalk of mTOR and angiotensin-II -a case-control study.

Background: Hypertension is a major cause of cardiac dysfunction. The earliest manifestation is left ventricular remodeling/hypertrophy. The occurrence of adverse cardiac remodeling and outcomes occurs irrespective of age in blacks.

An optimized support vector machine for lung cancer classification system.

Introduction: Lung cancer is one of the main causes of the rising death rate among the expanding population. For patients with lung cancer to have a higher chance of survival and fewer deaths, early categorization is essential. The goal of thisresearch is to enhance machine learning to increase the precision and quality of lung cancer classification.

The Development, Delivery, Content, and Impact of Nutrition Education in Prisons: A Systematic Review.

People in prison are at an increased risk of long-term conditions that have been associated with poor nutrition intake, low levels of physical activity, and obesity. We aim to identify the necessary components of nutrition education to impact the health and health behaviors of people in prison. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines informed the structure of this article.

A descriptive summary of the WHO availability assessments of medical abortion medicines in eight African countries.

Background: The use of medical abortion using either a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone has contributed to increased safety and decreased mortality and morbidity. The availability of quality medical abortion medicines is an essential component in the provision of quality abortion care. Understanding the factors that influence the availability of medical abortion medicines is important to help in-country policymakers, program planners, and providers improve availability and use of medical abortion.

How Does the Pre-Registration Midwifery Programme Prepare the Newly Qualified Midwives for Their Post-Registration Perinatal Mental Health Role? A Mixed Methods Study.

Objective: In the United Kingdom (UK) and most countries worldwide, midwives are professionally required to undertake an initial perinatal mental health (PMH) risk assessment at every maternity contact. However, studies have found that midwives feel that they are not well-equipped to provide effective care for women with PMH needs. This study explores how the newly qualified midwives (NQMs) are prepared through pre-registration midwifery education and placements to have sufficient confidence in their , , , (KASH) for their post-registration PMH role.

African ancestry neurodegeneration risk variant disrupts an intronic branchpoint in GBA1.

Recently, an African ancestry-specific Parkinson disease (PD) risk signal was identified at the gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (GBA1). This variant ( rs3115534 -G) is carried by ~50% of West African PD cases and imparts a dose-dependent increase in risk for disease. The risk variant has varied frequencies across African ancestry groups but is almost absent in European and Asian ancestry populations.

Factors Influencing the Care and Management of Diabetic Foot Ulcers: A Scoping Review.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to explore the experiences of patients' and healthcare practitioners on the factors that influence the care and management of diabetes-related foot ulcers (DFUs).

Methods: Levac et al's 6-stage framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews, guided the review. The SPIDER tool was used to define key elements of the review question.

Bayesian state-space modelling of stock markets in G7 countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This work examines the impact of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the stock market of Group of Seven (G7) countries during the first wave of COVID-19 using daily data from March, 1st of 2020 to December, 31st of 2020. Focussing on such period, a Bayesian Structural Time Series Model (BSTSM) was used to capture the effects of first wave of COVID-19 on the stock market performance of these G7 countries by employing a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. We considered an Autoregressive (AR) model with time-varying parameters and a local linear trend model to know if the stock price of these countries during the period of the first wave of COVID-19 is changing over time.

Leptin, adiponectin, biochemicals, metabolic hormones and performance characteristics of broiler administered with spices essential oil.

A study was conducted to evaluate adipokines, metabolic hormones and serum biochemicals of broiler chicken administered with essential oils (EO) of turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and garlic. EO of the four spices were extracted by steam distillation using standard procedures. The EO were administered to 200 one- day-old unsexed broiler birds randomly allotted to five treatment groups (each of the four spices EO plus a control group) replicated 10 times in a completely randomized design.

Effect of L. leaf flavonoid-rich extract on Nrf-2 and HO-1 pathways in liver damage of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

This study investigated the effects of flavonoid-rich extract from L. (Malvaceae) leaves on liver damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by evaluating various biochemical parameters, including the molecular gene expressions of Nrf-2 and HO-1 as well as histological parameters. The extract was found to significantly reduce liver damage, as evidenced by lower levels of fragmented DNA and protein carbonyl concentrations.

Origin of anisotropic thermal transport in CsPbBr.

We reveal the specific structural and bonding features that result in anisotropic thermal transport for CsPbBr by directional single-crystal measurements and elucidate the bases for the low Debye temperature and speed of sound. This work enhances the research on perovskites and reveals the structural features governing the thermal properties.

HIF1α-regulated glycolysis promotes activation-induced cell death and IFN-γ induction in hypoxic T cells.

Hypoxia is a common feature in various pathophysiological contexts, including tumor microenvironment, and IFN-γ is instrumental for anti-tumor immunity. HIF1α has long been known as a primary regulator of cellular adaptive responses to hypoxia, but its role in IFN-γ induction in hypoxic T cells is unknown. Here, we show that the HIF1α-glycolysis axis controls IFN-γ induction in both human and mouse T cells, activated under hypoxia.

Network Pharmacology, Molecular Dynamics and In Vitro Assessments of Indigenous Herbal Formulations for Alzheimer's Therapy.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-associated neurodegenerative condition marked by amyloid plaques, synaptic dysfunction, and neuronal loss. Besides conventional medical care, herbal therapies, both raw and refined, have attracted researchers for their potential therapeutic effects. As a proof-of-concept, our study combined HPLC-DAD analysis of bioactive constituents, network pharmacology, molecular dynamics (MD), molecular docking, post-MD analysis, and experimental verification to investigate the mechanisms of crude drug formulations as a therapeutic strategy for AD.

Beta vulgaris L. beetroot protects against iron-induced liver injury by restoring antioxidant pathways and regulating cellular functions.

Beta vulgaris L. is a root vegetable that is consumed mainly as a food additive. This study aimed to describe the protective effect of B.

A systematic analysis of neurologic manifestations of Long COVID in Nigeria.

Long COVID, also called post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) affects millions of people in the world. The neurologic manifestations of PASC (Neuro-PASC) are among the most debilitating but they are largely unreported in Africa. We sought to compare the demographics, symptoms and cognitive profile of post-hospitalization Neuro-PASC (PNP) and non-hospitalized Neuro-PASC (NNP) patients in Nigeria.

Energy metabolism and spermatogenesis.

Infertility has become a significant health burden around the globe as it is believed that 15 % of married couples struggle with infertility, with half of the problem accrued to the male. The issue of male infertility could be traced to insufficient or absence of spermatozoa. Glucose metabolism is essential for continued spermatogenesis and for the reproductive potential of sperm cells.

Neuroprotective effect of Alkaloid-rich leaf extracts in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Background: Studies suggest that medicinal plant extracts can help reduce the neuron degeneration associated with diabetes. In this study, the neuroprotective effect of the alkaloid-rich extract from the leaves of was assessed in rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ).

Methods: alkaloid-rich analysis was carried out via a known procedure.