Diversification and recurrent adaptation of the synaptonemal complex in Drosophila.

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a protein-rich structure essential for meiotic recombination and faithful chromosome segregation. Acting like a zipper to paired homologous chromosomes during early prophase I, the complex is a symmetrical structure where central elements are connected on two sides by the transverse filaments to the chromatin-anchoring lateral elements. Despite being found in most major eukaryotic taxa implying a deeply conserved evolutionary origin, several components of the complex exhibit unusually high rates of sequence turnover.

Phenotypic and Allelic Frequencies of ABO and Rh(D) Blood Antigens in Ghana: A Systematic Review.

Background: ABO and Rh blood group systems are the most significant blood group systems recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion and are widely used for clinical and anthropological purposes. This systematic review determined the distribution and allelic frequency of ABO and Rh(D) antigens in Ghana.

Methods: Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, up to February 20, 2024, and included studies published from 2000 to 2024 in all regions of Ghana.

Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines mediate the progression of severe anemia in malaria-infected children: A prospective study.

Background: Severe Plasmodium falciparum malarial anemia is still the principal cause of death in children in underdeveloped countries. An imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines is associated with malaria progression. This study evaluated circulating levels of selected inflammatory cytokines among malaria-infected children in Ghana.

Self-reported high-risk behavior among first-time and repeat replacement blood donors; a four-year retrospective study of patterns.

Background: There is no replacement for blood, and patients requiring transfusion depend on human donors, most of whom are family donors. Family donors may deny engagement in high-risk activities, which threaten the safety of donated blood. This study determined frequency of self-reported high-risk behaviors among replacement donors.

Patient socio-demographics and clinical factors associated with malaria mortality: a case control study in the northern region of Ghana.

Background: Ghana is a malaria-endemic country with the entire population at risk. The Northern region of the country recorded the highest malaria case fatality rate (CFR) for two consecutive years: 1.11% in 2013 and 1.

Grandiose narcissism, unfounded beliefs, and behavioral reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A theoretical perspective on grandiose narcissism suggests four forms of it (sanctity, admiration, heroism, rivalry) and states that these forms conduce to different ways of thinking and acting. Guided by this perspective, we examined in a multinational and multicultural study (61 countries; N = 15,039) how narcissism forms are linked to cognitions and behaviors prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As expected, differences in cognitions and behaviors across narcissism forms emerged.

Molecular characterization of HAMP rs10421768 gene and phenotypic expression of hepcidin; a case-control study among sickle cell anaemia patients in Ghana.

Background: The sporadic nature of blood transfusion therapy coupled with the alteration of HAMP genes may exacerbate the risk of iron burden in sickle cell anaemia (SCA) patients. The study determined the polymorphic distribution of the HAMP promoter gene rs10421768 and hepcidin levels in SCA patients.

Method: Sixty participants aged ≥12years [45 SCA patients and 15 controls (HbA)] were recruited from 15th March, 2023 to 20th July, 2023 for a case-control study at Methodist Hospital Wenchi, Ghana.

Generalization of Odd Ramos-Louzada generated family of distributions: Properties, characterizations, and applications to diabetes and cancer survival datasets.

Probability distributions offer the best description of survival data and as a result, various lifetime models have been proposed. However, some of these survival datasets are not followed or sufficiently fitted by the existing proposed probability distributions. This paper presents a novel Kumaraswamy Odd Ramos-Louzada-G (KumORL-G) family of distributions together with its statistical features, including the quantile function, moments, probability-weighted moments, order statistics, and entropy measures.

Complete Blood Count Reference Intervals for Children Aged Less Than 1 to 12 Years in the Northern Region of Ghana.

Reliable laboratory diagnostic results are key for evaluating and improving children's health. To interpret these results, child-specific reference intervals (RIs), which account for constant biological changes and physiological development with sex and age, are required, as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). This study presents age- and sex-specific reference intervals for complete blood count (CBC) parameters in children (<1-12 years old) in the Northern Region of Ghana.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among People Living with HIV: Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study aims to estimate the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among people living with HIV (PLWHA). A search for observational studies was conducted in five databases and preprinted literature. Summary estimates were pooled using a random effects model and meta-regression.

Self-reported sexually transmitted infections among men and women in Papua New Guinea: A cross-sectional study.

Background And Aims: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a considerable concern for global healthcare systems. We examined the prevalence and correlates of self-reported STIs (SR-STIs) among men and women in Papua New Guinea.

Methods: A total of 7,195 women and 4,069 men from Papua New Guinea who participated in the 2016-2018 Demographic and Health Survey were included in this study.

Investigation of serum level relationship of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines with vitamin D among healthy Ghanaian population.

Background: The interplay between vitamin D status and inflammatory cytokines in a supposedly sufficient sunshine environment has not well been evaluated. The study sought to determine their association.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 500 healthy adult blood donors from some selected hospitals in Ghana enrolled from June to November 2016.

Perceived neighborhood social cohesion and functional disability among older adults: The moderating roles of sex, physical activity, and multi-morbidity.

Though the Ghanaian social structure is largely communal in several of its social life and social spaces, the extent to which cohesive neighbourhood affects functional ability of older persons and the moderating factors of the relationship, are unknown in Ghana. This study examines the moderating roles of sex, multimorbidity, and physical activity on the association between neighbourhood social cohesion and functional disability among older people in Ghana. A cross-sectional study of 4,446 people-50 years and older-from WHO's Study on global AGEing and adult health Ghana Wave 2 was employed.

Attitude and preventive practices of pressure ulcers among orthopedic nurses in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Background: Pressure ulcers (PUs), which affect millions of people worldwide, are among the five most prevalent hospitalized cases causing adverse impairment. Nevertheless, pressure ulcers are largely preventable, and their management depends on their severity. The authors, therefore, explored the attitude and preventive practices of pressure ulcers among orthopedic nurses in a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Predicting and Interpreting Protein Developability Via Transfer of Convolutional Sequence Representation.

Engineered proteins have emerged as novel diagnostics, therapeutics, and catalysts. Often, poor protein developability─quantified by expression, solubility, and stability─hinders utility. The ability to predict protein developability from amino acid sequence would reduce the experimental burden when selecting candidates.

Plasma levels of fibrinolytic and coagulation biomarkers in HIV-infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral therapy: A case-control study in a Northern Ghanaian population.

Background And Aim: Impaired coagulation and fibrinolysis have been implicated in thromboembolism in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. This study evaluated the plasma levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and coagulation biomarkers in HIV-infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Methods: This matched case-control study from March to December, 2020 comprised 76 participants: 38 HIV-positive individuals on HAART and 38 apparently healthy HIV-negative individuals as controls.

Effects of COVID-19 disease on PAI-1 antigen and haematological parameters during disease management: A prospective cross-sectional study in a regional Hospital in Ghana.

Background: Individuals with COVID-19 experience thrombotic events probably due to the associated hypofibrinolysis resulting from the upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen. This study evaluated plasma PAI-1 antigen levels and haematological parameters before treatment and after recovery from severe COVID-19 in Ghana.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Sunyani Regional Hospital, and recruited 51 patients who had RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2.

Female students' perspectives on cervical cancer screening inclusion in pre-admission university requirements in Ghana.

Cervical cancer is a huge contributor to cancer-related deaths and the commonest gynecological cancerous growth among women globally. Nevertheless, evidence suggests that cervical cancer incidence and mortality could be reduced through early diagnosis. Regardless of the accessibility of cervical cancer screening in Ghana, low reports of cervical screening had been recorded among female students and women in Ghana.

Acceptance of HPV vaccination in boys among mothers from selected churches in Accra, Ghana.

Background: Almost all cases of cervical and anal cancer have been linked to the human papillomavirus (HPV). However, in addition to women who develop HPV-related cervical cancer, both men and women can also develop cancers of the anus, oral cavity, and oropharynx that are attributed to HPV. However, literature on HPV vaccination among boys globally, in Africa, and most especially in Ghana is scarce.

Serum anti-erythropoietin antibodies among pregnant women with Plasmodium falciparum malaria and anaemia: A case-control study in northern Ghana.

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is common in underdeveloped countries, and malaria remains the predominant cause of the condition in Ghana. Anti-erythropoietin (anti-EPO) antibody production may be implicated in the pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria-related anaemia in pregnancy. This study ascertained the prevalence of anti-EPO antibody production and evaluated the antibodies' relationship with Plasmodium falciparum malaria and malaria-related anaemia in pregnancy.

Abuse and humiliation in the delivery room: Prevalence and associated factors of obstetric violence in Ghana.

Background: Abuse and mistreatment of women during childbirth is a major barrier to facility-based delivery, putting women at risk of avoidable complications, trauma and negative health outcomes including death. We study the prevalence of obstetric violence (OV) and its associated factors in the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana.

Methodology: A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight public health facilities from September to December 2021.

Sex-moderated relationship between the 2D:4D ratio and circulating hormones in an adult Ghanaian population.

The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is the putative marker of prenatal hormone exposure. The 2D:4D ratio or the right-left difference (Dr-l) are said to be negative and positive correlates, respectively, of circulating testosterone and estrogen in both adult males and females. However, previous studies on the subject have reported mixed results.

Seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of hepatitis B and C among family replacement blood donors; a 7-year retrospective study at Sunyani Municipal Hospital, Ghana.

Hepatitis B and C cause chronic infections which develop into liver-related sequelae, like cirrhosis and liver carcinoma. This study determined the seroprevalence, trends, and risk factors of HBV and HCV among family replacement donors. A retrospective review of primary data on blood donors screened between January 2015 and December 2021 was conducted at Sunyani Municipal Hospital.