Research Capacity Training on Environmental Health and Noncommunicable Diseases in the Country of Georgia: Challenges and Lessons Learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 presented challenges for global health research training programs. The Clean Air Research and Education (CARE) program, which aims to enhance research capacity related to noncommunicable diseases and environmental health in the country of Georgia, was launched in 2020-as the COVID-19 pandemic began. At its foundation is mentorship and mentored research, alongside formal didactic training, informal training/meetings, and other supports.

The association between caffeine intake and testosterone: NHANES 2013-2014.

Background: Caffeine is one of the most commonly used psychoactive drugs in the world, and provides many health benefits including alertness, improved memory, and reducing inflammation. Despite these benefits, caffeine has been implicated in a number of adverse health outcomes possibly due to effects within the endocrine system, effects that may contribute to impaired reproductive function and low testosterone in men. Previous studies have investigated associations between caffeine consumption and testosterone levels in men, although the quantity and generalizability of these studies is lacking, and the results between studies are conflicting and inconclusive.

Long-term exposure to nitrogen dioxide and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Ambient air pollution is among the greatest environmental risks to human health. However, little is known about the health effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO), a traffic-related air pollutant. Herein, we aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the long-term effects of NO on mortality.

The Role of Nutrition and Inflammation on Cognition in a High-Risk Group for Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease. Treatments are necessary to target people at high risk for AD. Inflammation, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF), appears to be an important marker associated with the development of AD pathophysiology.

Alteration to Dopaminergic Synapses Following Exposure to Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS), in Vitro and in Vivo.

Our understanding of the contribution exposure to environmental toxicants has on neurological disease continues to evolve. Of these, Parkinson's disease (PD) has been shown to have a strong environmental component to its etiopathogenesis. However, work is still needed to identify and characterize environmental chemicals that could alter the expression and function of the nigrostriatal dopamine system.