The Society for the Advancement of Science in Africa (SASA) continues with its mission to advance science, improve health, and promote economic and social development on the African continent. It ...serves to push for continent-wide African innovation and new frontiers of scientific research. Its fifth annual conference was held jointly with the University of Rwanda under the theme "Translational Science and Biotechnology Advances in Africa".This volume provides a selection of papers presented at the conference, encompassing diverse fields including biomedical sciences, health research, agricultural and soil sciences, advances in minimal invasive surgery, disease surveillance, pharmaceutical sciences, and genetics and genomics. The diversity of participants and spirited presentations covering over a dozen fields and sub-fields is indeed a true reflection of the tangible advancement of science in Africa.
While many African countries lag behind the rest of the industrialised world in scientific and medical research and development, the situation is progressively improving. This is why the Society for ...the Advancement of Science in Africa was established, to contribute to economic advancement and sustainability through science research, education and innovation.This book provides a selection of papers from the Advancement of Science in Africa's fourth annual conference. The conference was held under the overarching theme of 'science, technology and innovation in Africa', with several important sub-themes, including, but not limited to, improving health research and disease surveillance education; collaborating in research responding to epidemic diseases with high mortality in Africa; and promoting women's interest in science careers. The collection illustrates how, although the chapter contributors come from various countries and universities, representing their own academic research, they all share a common interest in advancing science, technology and innovation in Africa.
For various economic and political reasons, many African countries lag behind the rest of the industrialised world in scientific and medical research and development. However, the presence of ...intellectual islands scattered across the continent gives hope that this is only a transient situation on the cusp of undergoing a profound and beneficial change. For this reason, the Society for the Advancement of Science in Africa was established to catalyse and contribute to this needed evolution. Its mission is to contribute to Africa's economic advancement and sustainability through science research, education and innovation. This book provides a selection of papers from the Advancement of Science in Africa's third annual conference. The conference was held under the overarching theme of 'science research and education in Africa', with several important sub-themes, including but not limited to: improving health research and disease surveillance education; epidemic diseases with high mortality; promoting women's interest in science careers; fostering youth development with science education. The collection illustrates how although the chapter contributors come from various countries and universities, representing their own academic research, they all share a common interest in advancing science research and education in Africa.
This volume represents research done at various levels of collaboration, including international, continent-wide, regional and national, in the fields of medical sciences, public health, science ...policy, science education, agriculture and economic aspects of science.Specific areas covered here include the manufacture of vaccines in Africa, preventing oral cancer in Nigeria, and decreasing the disparity of childhood cancer globally. Contributions also discuss the prevention of HIV/AIDS and cancer in sub-Sahara Africa, early diagnosis of sarcoidosis, tertiary care of children and teens with type 1 diabetes in Africa, detecting obesity as a maternal perinatal and neonatal risk factor, and improving sanitation and health practices.
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Previously, we assessed PAE in brain tissue from mouse models, however whether these changes are present in humans ...remains unknown.
In this report, we show some identical changes in DNA methylation in the buccal swabs of six children with FASD using the 450K array.
The changes occur in genes related to protocadherins, glutamatergic synapses, and hippo signaling. The results were found to be similar in another heterogeneous replication group of six FASD children.
The replicated results suggest that children born with FASD have unique DNA methylation defects that can be influenced by sex and medication exposure. Ultimately, with future clinical development, assessment of DNA methylation from buccal swabs can provide a novel strategy for the diagnosis of FASD.
Abstract Rodent models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) have revealed that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) results in differential DNA cytosine methylation in the developing brain. The ...resulting genome-wide methylation changes are enriched in genes with neurodevelopmental functions. The profile of differential methylation is dynamic and present in some form for life. The methylation changes are transmitted across subsequent mitotic divisions, where they are maintained and further modified over time. More recent follow up has identified a profile of the differential methylation in the buccal swabs of young children born with FASD. While distinct from the profile observed in brain tissue from rodent models, there are similarities. These include changes in genes belonging to a number of neurodevelopmental and behavioral pathways. Specifically, there is increased methylation at the clustered protocadherin genes and deregulation of genomically imprinted genes, even though no single gene is affected in all patients studied to date. These novel results suggest further development of a methylation based strategy could enable early and accurate diagnostics and therapeutics, which have remained a challenge in FASD research. There are two aspects of this challenge that must be addressed in the immediate future: First, the long-term differential methylomics observed in rodent models must be functionally confirmed. Second, the similarities in differential methylation must be further established in humans at a methylomic level and overcome a number of technical limitations. While a cure for FASD is challenging, there is an opportunity for the development of early diagnostics and attenuations towards a higher quality of life.
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