Amyloid-beta aggregation implicates multiple pathways in Alzheimer's disease: Understanding the mechanisms.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by tau pathology and accumulations of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) along with amyloid-beta (Aß). It has been associated with neuronal damage, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive deficits. The current review explained the molecular mechanisms behind the implications of Aß aggregation in AD via multiple events. Beta (ß) and gamma (γ) secretases hydrolyzed amyloid precursor protein (APP) to produce Aß, which then clumps together to form Aß fibrils. The fibrils increase oxidative stress, inflammatory cascade, and caspase activation to cause hyperphosphorylation of tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which ultimately lead to neuronal damage. Acetylcholine (Ach) degradation is accelerated by upstream regulation of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme, which leads to a deficiency in neurotransmitters and cognitive impairment. There are presently no efficient or disease-modifying medications for AD. It is necessary to advance AD research to suggest novel compounds for treatment and prevention. Prospectively, it might be reasonable to conduct clinical trials with unclean medicines that have a range of effects, including anti-amyloid and anti-tau, neurotransmitter modulation, anti-neuroinflammatory, neuroprotective, and cognitive enhancement.

Determining Inaccurate Coordinates in Electronic Data Collection for Surveillance and Immunization Supportive Supervision: A Case Study of Nigeria EPI Supportive Supervision Module.

The mobile phone global positioning system (GPS) is used to reconnaissance a mobile phone user's location, e.g., at work, home, shops, etc. Such information can be used to feed data gathering expeditions, the actual position of the interviewer/surveyor using the mobile phone inert settings of location mode via GPS, WIFI, and Mobile networks. Mobile devices are becoming progressively erudite and now integrate diverse and robust sensors. The new generation of smartphones is multi-laden with sensors, including GPS sensors. The study describes and evaluates a data-gathering process used by the World Health Organization (WHO-Nigeria, EPI Program) that uses phone-based in-built GPS sensors to identify the position of users while they undergo supportive supervision. This form of spatial data is collected intrinsically using the Open Data Kit (ODK) GPS interface, which interlaces with the mobile phone GPS sensor to fetch the geo-coordinates during the process. It represents a step in building a methodology of matching places on the map with the geo-coordinates received from the mobile phones to investigate deviation patterns by devices and location mode. The empirical results can help us to understand the variation in geospatial data collation across devices and highlight critical criteria for choosing mobile phones for mobile surveys and data campaigns. This study reviewed the existing data gathered inadvertently from 10 brands of smartphones over 1 year of using the mobile data collection with over 80,000 field visits to predict the deviation pattern for spatial data acquisition via mobile phones by different brands.

Neural stem cell research in Africa: current realities and future prospects.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are immature progenitor cells that are found in developing and adult brains that have the potential of dividing actively and renewing themselves, with a complex form of gene expression. The generation of new brain cells in adult individuals was initially considered impossible, however, the landmark discovery of human neural stem cells in the hippocampus has been followed by further discoveries in other discreet regions of the brain. Investigation into the current state in Africa of the research and use of NSCs shows relatively limited activities on the continent. Information on the African application of NSCs for modelling disease mechanisms, drug discovery, and therapeutics is still limited. The International Brain Research Organization (IBRO)-African Regional Committee (ARC), with support from the Company of Biologists, and the Movement Disorder Society, sponsored the first African Basic School on NSC in Ibadan, Nigeria, with the vision of bringing together young neuroscientists and physicians across different fields in neuroscience to learn from leaders who have applied NSCs in stem cell research, the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, neuroanatomy, and neurotherapeutics. Twenty early-career researchers in academic institutions at junior and senior faculty cadres were selected from South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria. The students and organizer of the school, who wrote this review on the state of NSCs research in Africa, recommended the following: (1) other African countries can take a cue from South Africa and Nigeria in probing the phenomena of adult neurogenesis in unique animal species on the continent; (2) Africa should leverage the expertise and facilities of South African scientists and international collaborators in scaling up NSC research into these unique species and (3) Centers of Excellence should be established on the continent to serve as research hubs for training postgraduate students, and facilities for African scientists who trained overseas on NSCs.