Neutrophils in malaria: A double-edged sword role

Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human peripheral blood. They form the first line of defense against invading foreign pathogens and might play a crucial role in malaria. According to World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is a globally significant disease caused by protozoan parasites from the Plasmodium genus, and it’s responsible for 627,000 deaths in 2020. Neutrophils participate in the defense response against the malaria parasite via phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Neutrophils might also be involved in the pathogenesis of malaria by the release of toxic granules and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Intriguingly, malaria parasites inhibit the anti-microbial function of neutrophils, thus making malaria patients more susceptible to secondary opportunistic Salmonella infections. In this review, we will provide a summary of the role of neutrophils during malaria infection, some contradicting mouse model neutrophil data and neutrophil-related mechanisms involved in malaria patients’ susceptibility to bacterial infection

Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients and Convolutional Neural Network for Genre Classification of Indigenous Nigerian Music

Music genre classification is a field of study within the broader domain of Music Information Retrieval (MIR) that is still an open problem. This study aims at classifying music by Nigerian artists into respective genres using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and audio features extracted from the songs. To achieve this, a dataset of 524 Nigerian songs was collected from different genres. Each downloaded music file was converted from standard MP3 to WAV format and then trimmed to 30 seconds. The Librosa sc library was used for the analysis, visualization and further pre-processing of the music file which includes converting the audio signals to Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs). The MFCCs were obtained by taking performing a Discrete Cosine Transform on the logarithm of the Mel-scale filtered power spectrum of the audio signals. CNN architecture with multiple convolutional and pooling layers was used to learn the relevant features and classify the genres. Six models were trained using a categorical cross-entropy loss function with different learning rates and optimizers. Performance of the models was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The models returned varying results from the classification experiments but model 3 which was trained with an Adagrad optimizer and learning rate of 0.01 had accuracy and recall of 75.1% and 84%, respectively. The results from the study demonstrated the effectiveness of MFCC and CNNs in music genre classification particularly with indigenous Nigerian artists

Control of wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in post harvest honey comb

An experiment was carried out in the laboratory to control the infestation of larger wax moth, Galleria mellonella, after honey extraction. Different quantities of salt in water and hermetic storage were used as methods of controlling the larvae. A treatment containing Aluminium phosphide tablet was incorporated as a chemical method of control and the treated honeycomb samples were stored for two month. Of all the treatments used, the hermetic storage and Aluminium phosphide had the best result in that the comb retained their freshness post two months storage. The number of emerged moth in opened untreated control (61.00) was higher than other treatments but significantly higher than the number of emerged moth observed in salt- treated comb in opened containers. Wax and slum gum weight were not significantly affected by the treatments. Hermetic storage is therefore recommended as a better method of controlling wax moth in honeycomb after the extraction of honey than Aluminium phosphide, due to the possibility of residue of Aluminium phosphide in the treated honeycomb. Key words: Honeycomb, Galleria mellonella, salt, hermetic storage, Aluminium phosphide, bee wax, wax moth contro

Primary stroke prevention worldwide: translating evidence into action

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide and its burden is increasing rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries, many of which are unable to face the challenges it imposes. In this Health Policy paper on primary stroke prevention, we provide an overview of the current situation regarding primary prevention services, estimate the cost of stroke and stroke prevention, and identify deficiencies in existing guidelines and gaps in primary prevention. We also offer a set of pragmatic solutions for implementation of primary stroke prevention, with an emphasis on the role of governments and population-wide strategies, including task-shifting and sharing and health system re-engineering. Implementation of primary stroke prevention involves patients, health professionals, funders, policy makers, implementation partners, and the entire population along the life course

Quality of stroke guidelines in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify gaps in national stroke guidelines that could be bridged to enhance the quality of stroke care services in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: We systematically searched medical databases and websites of medical societies and contacted international organizations. Country-specific guidelines on care and control of stroke in any language published from 2010 to 2020 were eligible for inclusion. We reviewed each included guideline for coverage of four key components of stroke services (surveillance, prevention, acute care and rehabilitation). We also assessed compliance with the eight Institute of Medicine standards for clinical practice guidelines, the ease of implementation of guidelines and plans for dissemination to target audiences. FINDINGS: We reviewed 108 eligible guidelines from 47 countries, including four low-income, 24 middle-income and 19 high-income countries. Globally, fewer of the guidelines covered primary stroke prevention compared with other components of care, with none recommending surveillance. Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries fell short of the required standards for guideline development; breadth of target audience; coverage of the four components of stroke services; and adaptation to socioeconomic context. Fewer low- and middle-income country guidelines demonstrated transparency than those from high-income countries. Less than a quarter of guidelines encompassed detailed implementation plans and socioeconomic considerations. CONCLUSION: Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries need to be developed in conjunction with a wider category of health-care providers and stakeholders, with a full spectrum of translatable, context-appropriate interventions

The effect of multiple adverse childhood experiences on health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background A growing body of research identifies the harmful effects that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs; occurring during childhood or adolescence; eg, child maltreatment or exposure to domestic violence) have on health throughout life. Studies have quantified such effects for individual ACEs. However, ACEs frequently co-occur and no synthesis of findings from studies measuring the effect of multiple ACE types has been done. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched five electronic databases for cross-sectional, case-control, or cohort studies published up to May 6, 2016, reporting risks of health outcomes, consisting of substance use, sexual health, mental health, weight and physical exercise, violence, and physical health status and conditions, associated with multiple ACEs. We selected articles that presented risk estimates for individuals with at least four ACEs compared with those with none for outcomes with sufficient data for meta-analysis (at least four populations). Included studies also focused on adults aged at least 18 years with a sample size of at least 100. We excluded studies based on high-risk or clinical populations. We extracted data from published reports. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs) using a random-effects model. Findings Of 11 621 references identified by the search, 37 included studies provided risk estimates for 23 outcomes, with a total of 253 719 participants. Individuals with at least four ACEs were at increased risk of all health outcomes compared with individuals with no ACEs. Associations were weak or modest for physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, and diabetes (ORs of less than two); moderate for smoking, heavy alcohol use, poor self-rated health, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease (ORs of two to three), strong for sexual risk taking, mental ill health, and problematic alcohol use (ORs of more than three to six), and strongest for problematic drug use and interpersonal and self-directed violence (ORs of more than seven). We identified considerable heterogeneity (I 2 of > 75%) between estimates for almost half of the outcomes. Interpretation To have multiple ACEs is a major risk factor for many health conditions. The outcomes most strongly associated with multiple ACEs represent ACE risks for the next generation (eg, violence, mental illness, and substance use). To sustain improvements in public health requires a shift in focus to include prevention of ACEs, resilience building, and ACE-informed service provision. The Sustainable Development Goals provide a global platform to reduce ACEs and their life-course effect on health. Funding Public Health Wales. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licens

Cereal production in Africa: the threat of certain pests and weeds in a changing climate—a review

Abstract Cereals are the most cultivated and traded crops for food, feed, and industrial uses worldwide. Among other producing regions, Africa hosts 27% of the world's total cereal production. Like other staple crops, the production of cereals such as maize, rice, wheat, millet and sorghum in Sub-Saharan Africa is threatened by herbivorous pests and weeds leading to significant losses. The fall armyworm insect (Spodoptera frugiperda) reduces maize production by 21–53%, while the stem borers (Busseola fusca) account for 82% of all maize losses in Kenya. About 50% of yield loss in maize has been attributed to Imperata cylindrica infestations in Nigeria if not controlled. Parasitic weeds such as Striga spp. infest over 64% of cereal-cultivated lands in Africa resulting in yield losses of up to 10–100% loss. Granivorous birds such as Quelea spp. are responsible for an average of 15–20% cereal production damage in semi-arid zones of Africa. Rodents such as the multimammate rat also pose a threat causing 48% yield losses on maize fields across Sub-Saharan Africa. With a changing climate resulting in drought and flooding, the threat of these cereal pests is likely to intensify. Hence, this review presents an elaborate overview of current pathogens whose threat to cereal production in Africa might increase due to changing climatic conditions

Identification of genetic risk loci and causal insights associated with Parkinson’s disease in African and African admixed populations: a genome-wide association study

An understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying diseases in ancestrally diverse populations is an important step towards development of targeted treatments. Research in African and African admixed populations can enable mapping of complex traits, because of their genetic diversity, extensive population substructure, and distinct linkage disequilibrium patterns. We aimed to do a comprehensive genome-wide assessment in African and African admixed individuals to better understand the genetic architecture of Parkinson\u27s disease in these underserved populations. Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in people of African and African admixed ancestry with and without Parkinson\u27s disease. Individuals were included from several cohorts that were available as a part of the Global Parkinson\u27s Genetics Program, the International Parkinson\u27s Disease Genomics Consortium Africa, and 23andMe. A diagnosis of Parkinson\u27s disease was confirmed clinically by a movement disorder specialist for every individual in each cohort, except for 23andMe, in which it was self-reported based on clinical diagnosis. We characterised ancestry-specific risk, differential haplotype structure and admixture, coding and structural genetic variation, and enzymatic activity. Findings: We included 197 918 individuals (1488 cases and 196 430 controls) in our genome-wide analysis. We identified a novel common risk factor for Parkinson\u27s disease (overall meta-analysis odds ratio for risk of Parkinson\u27s disease 1·58 [95% CI 1·37–1·80], p=2·397 × 10−14) and age at onset at the GBA1 locus, rs3115534-G (age at onset β=–2·00 [SE=0·57], p=0·0005, for African ancestry; and β=–4·15 [0·58], p=0·015, for African admixed ancestry), which was rare in non-African or non-African admixed populations. Downstream short-read and long-read whole-genome sequencing analyses did not reveal any coding or structural variant underlying the GWAS signal. The identified signal seems to be associated with decreased glucocerebrosidase activity. Interpretation Our study identified a novel genetic risk factor in GBA1 in people of African ancestry, which has not been seen in European populations, and it could be a major mechanistic basis of Parkinson\u27s disease in African populations. This population-specific variant exerts substantial risk on Parkinson\u27s disease as compared with common variation identified through GWAS and it was found to be present in 39% of the cases assessed in this study. This finding highlights the importance of understanding ancestry-specific genetic risk in complex diseases, a particularly crucial point as the Parkinson\u27s disease field moves towards targeted treatments in clinical trials. The distinctive genetics of African populations highlights the need for equitable inclusion of ancestrally diverse groups in future trials, which will be a valuable step towards gaining insights into novel genetic determinants underlying the causes of Parkinson\u27s disease. This finding opens new avenues towards RNA-based and other therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing lifetime risk of Parkinson\u27s disease. Funding: The Global Parkinson\u27s Genetics Program, which is funded by the Aligning Science Across Parkinson\u27s initiative, and The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson\u27s Research

Revisiting the issue of access to medicines in Africa: Challenges and recommendations

Abstract Background Access to safe, effective, affordable, and quality medicines is an essential component of the right to health and is also one of the targets in the global development agenda. In this review article, we extensively discuss the challenges and issues surrounding access to medicines in the African region as well as provides recommendations for ensuring medicines security on the continent. Methods We conducted narrative review with the use of data reported in published literature, reports, and grey literature available in African countries on topics pertaining access to medicines. The authors also snowballed further data to gather information for this review and narrative synthesis was conducted. Results Africa faces a double burden of infectious and non‐communicable diseases and the need for effective universal access to medicines cannot be deemphasized. However, access to medicines on the continent is not without issues and challenges. Some of which are the high burden of infectious diseases and non‐infectious diseases, limited pharmaceutical industries and high costs of raw materials, overdependence on countries abroad for medicines, poor supply chain systems, lack of government investment in the pharmaceutical sector, unfavourable manufacturing conditions, limited health workforce, lack of sustainable health financing mechanisms, lack of infrastructures and technical know‐how, low investment on research and development, and circulation of fake and counterfeit medicines among others. Conclusion This review reifies that access to medicines in Africa faces numerous challenges and it emphasizes the urgent need to address these issues as the continent geared towards strengthening its health systems for universal health coverage