Malaria among febrile patients suspected of Yellow fever during an outbreak in Ghana.

Between October 2021 and February 2022, there was an outbreak of Yellow fever that spread within several districts in the northern part of Ghana. Febrile illnesses such as Yellow fever are often misdiagnosed as malaria and vice versa, which delays appropriate management and treatment. Hence, the true burden of Yellow fever and malaria are mostly underestimated.

Heavy metal contamination from fuel station run-off and carwash wastewater: An assessment of ecological risk and experimental treatment.

Fuel station run-off (FSR) and carwash wastewater (CWW) are potential sources of heavy metals contamination in surface waters. High levels of heavy metals can have dire consequences on the ecosystem in receiving waterbodies. Ghanaians demand (and supply) of fuel and vehicle cleaning services has increased sharply with population and economic growth and the trend will continue.

Dynamics of agricultural extension delivery services to rice farmers in Ghana.

The delivery of agricultural extension services has evolved over the years, responding to changes in the agricultural landscape. The study aimed to assess these dynamics in Juaben Municipality, Ghana. Using a sample of 255 rice farmers selected using the multistage sampling technique, descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.

Influence of solids and hydraulic retention times on microbial diversity and removal of estrogens and nonylphenols in a pilot-scale activated sludge plant.

The removal of EDCs in activated sludge processes can be enhanced by increasing solid and hydraulic retention times (SRT and HRT); it has been suggested that the improvement in removal is due to changes in microbial community structure (MCS). Though the influence of SRT and HRT on chemical removal and MCS has been studied in isolation, their synergistic impact on MCS and the removal of estrogens and nonylphenols in activated sludge remains unknown. Hence, we investigated how both parameters influence MCS in activated sludge processes and their ulterior effect on EDC removal.

Perspectives of Community Partners Involved in an Academic Training to Address Clinicians' Implicit Bias.

Background: Community-academic partnerships are increasingly used in interventions to address health care disparities. Little is known about motivations and perceptions of participating community members.

Objectives: To elicit community members' perspectives of involvement in a community-academic partnership to address implicit bias in health care.

Factors associated with culture proven neonatal sepsis in the Ho municipality 2016.

Introduction: Neonatal Sepsis (NNS) is a public health problem which causes death or disability unless appropriate antibiotic treatment is given promptly. Globally, sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates despite recent progress in health care delivery. We assessed the factors associated with culture proven sepsis among neonates in the Ho Municipality, Ghana.

Layer-by-layer nanoparticles for novel delivery of cisplatin and PARP inhibitors for platinum-based drug resistance therapy in ovarian cancer.

Advanced staged high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the leading cause of gynecological cancer death in the developed world, with 5-year survival rates of only 25-30% due to late-stage diagnosis and the shortcomings of platinum-based therapies. A Phase I clinical trial of a combination of free cisplatin and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) showed therapeutic benefit for HGSOC. In this study, we address the challenge of resistance to platinum-based therapy by developing a targeted delivery approach.

The effect of cisplatin on the nanoscale structure of aqueous PEO-PPO-PEO micelles of varying hydrophilicity observed using SAXS.

Aqueous solutions of polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide (PEO-PPO-PEO) copolymers form micelles and cubic lattices as their temperature is raised. The presence of added solutes within the dispersions can also affect the kinetics of structure formation. Here, we investigate the structures formed in the amphiphiles P104, P105, and F108 solutions at 31% mass per v both neat and co-formulated with the drug cisplatin (0.

Genotypic and Phenotypic Variables Affect Meiotic Cell Cycle Progression, Tumor Ploidy, and Cancer-Associated Mortality in a -Mutant Zebrafish Model.

Successful cell replication requires both cell cycle completion and accurate chromosomal segregation. The tumor suppressor BRCA2 is positioned to influence both of these outcomes, and thereby influence genomic integrity, during meiotic and mitotic cell cycles. Accordingly, mutations in induce chromosomal abnormalities and disrupt cell cycle progression in both germ cells and somatic cells.

Size-controlled synthesis of polymerized DNA nanoparticles for targeted anticancer drug delivery.

We synthesized size-tunable polymerized DNA nanoparticles (PDNs) for cancer-targeted drug delivery via sequential processes of rolling circle amplification, condensation, and layer-by-layer assembly. The PDNs selectively delivered anti-sense oligonucleotides to target cancer cells and exhibited size-dependent gene regulation efficacy.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treated with romiplostim in routine clinical practice: retrospective study from the United Kingdom ITP Registry.

Background: Romiplostim is a thrombopoietin-mimetic peptibody for adult refractory chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). We aimed to describe ITP patients receiving romiplostim, platelet counts and romiplostim usage in UK clinical practice.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients in the UKITP Registry who received romiplostim between October 2009 and January 2015, including data up to 6 months before romiplostim initiation through follow-up.

Public awareness and perception of Ghana's restrictive policy on fatty meat, as well as preference and consumption of meat products among Ghanaian adults living in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Background: The nutrition transition, currently observed across the world is driven by trade liberalization, urbanization and more sedentary lifestyles. Ghana implemented a restrictive policy to limit the availability and access to fatty meat in the 1990s. This paper sought to determine public awareness and perception of the policy's enforcement and impact, as well as the general attitude towards fatty meat, preference and consumption of meat types.

Discovery of 5-substituent-N-arylbenzamide derivatives as potent, selective and orally bioavailable LRRK2 inhibitors.

Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) has been suggested as a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease. Herein we report the discovery of 5-substituent-N-arylbenzamide derivatives as novel LRRK2 inhibitors. Extensive SAR study led to the discovery of compounds 8e, which demonstrated potent LRRK2 inhibition activity, high selectivity across the kinome, good brain exposure, and high oral bioavailability.

mTORC1 signalling mediates PI3K-dependent large lipid droplet accumulation in ovarian nurse cells.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor signalling (IIS), which is primarily mediated by the PI3-kinase (PI3K)/PTEN/Akt kinase signalling cassette, is a highly evolutionarily conserved pathway involved in co-ordinating growth, development, ageing and nutrient homeostasis with dietary intake. It controls transcriptional regulators, in addition to promoting signalling by mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1), which stimulates biosynthesis of proteins and other macromolecules, and drives organismal growth. Previous studies in nutrient-storing germline nurse cells of the ovary showed that a cytoplasmic pool of activated phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) controlled by , an antagonist of IIS, cell-autonomously regulates accumulation of large lipid droplets in these cells at late stages of oogenesis.

Ligand-decorated click polypeptide derived nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery applications.

A ligand decorated, synthetic polypeptide block copolymer platform with environment-responsive capabilities was designed. We evaluated the potential of this system to function as a polymersome for targeted-delivery of a systemic chemotherapy to tumors. Our system employed click chemistry to provide a pH-responsive polypeptide block that drives nanoparticle assembly, and a ligand (folic acid) conjugated PEG block that targets folate-receptor over-expressing cancer cells.

Post-Traumatic Stress, Trauma-Informed Care, and Compassion Fatigue in Psychiatric Hospital Staff: A Correlational Study.

Assault of staff in psychiatric hospitals is a frequent occurrence, and studies indicate that hospital staff are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We performed a correlational study with a convenience sample of 172 staff in a psychiatric hospital and compared the rate of traumatic events (TEs), resilience, confidence, and compassion fatigue to PTSD symptoms (PTSS). Regression analyses identified two variables that were unique predictors of PTSS: (1) trauma-informed care (TIC) meeting attendance and (2) burnout symptoms.

Fine-Tuning of PI3K/AKT Signalling by the Tumour Suppressor PTEN Is Required for Maintenance of Flight Muscle Function and Mitochondrial Integrity in Ageing Adult Drosophila melanogaster.

Insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling (IIS), acting primarily through the PI3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT kinase signalling cassette, plays key evolutionarily conserved regulatory roles in nutrient homeostasis, growth, ageing and longevity. The dysfunction of this pathway has been linked to several age-related human diseases including cancer, Type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. However, it remains unclear whether minor defects in IIS can independently induce the age-dependent functional decline in cells that accompany some of these diseases or whether IIS alters the sensitivity to other aberrant signalling.

Simultaneous delivery of cytotoxic and biologic therapeutics using nanophotoactivatable liposomes enhances treatment efficacy in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer.

A lack of intracellular delivery systems has limited the use of biologics such as monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that abrogate molecular signaling pathways activated to promote escape from cancer treatment. We hypothesized that intracellular co-delivery of the photocytotoxic chromophore benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid A (BPD) and the anti-VEGF mAb bevacizumab in a nanophotoactivatable liposome (nanoPAL) might enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with suppression of VEGF-mediated signaling pathways. As a proof-of-concept we found that nanoPAL-PDT induced enhanced extra- and intracellular bevacizumab delivery and enhanced acute cytotoxicity in vitro.

A Ligand-Based Drug Design. Discovery of 4-Trifluoromethyl-7,8-pyranocoumarin as a Selective Inhibitor of Human Cytochrome P450 1A2.

In humans, cytochrome P450 1A2 is the major enzyme metabolizing environmental arylamines or heterocyclic amines into carcinogens. Since evidence shows that planar triangle-shaped molecules are capable of selectively inhibiting P450 1A2, 16 triangular flavone, and coumarin derivatives were designed and synthesized for these studies. Among these compounds, 7,8-furanoflavone time-dependently inhibits P450 1A2 with a K(I) value of 0.

Removal of steroid estrogens from municipal wastewater in a pilot scale expanded granular sludge blanket reactor and anaerobic membrane bioreactor.

Anaerobic treatment of municipal wastewater offers the prospect of a new paradigm by reducing aeration costs and minimizing sludge production. It has been successfully applied in warm climates, but does not always achieve the desired outcomes in temperate climates at the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) values of municipal crude wastewater. Recently the concept of 'fortification' has been proposed to increase organic strength and has been demonstrated at the laboratory and pilot scale treating municipal wastewater at temperatures of 10-17°C.

Ethynylflavones, highly potent, and selective inhibitors of cytochrome P450 1A1.

The flavone backbone is a well-known pharmacophore present in a number of substrates and inhibitors of various P450 enzymes. In order to find highly potent and novel P450 family I enzyme inhibitors, an acetylene group was incorporated into six different positions of flavone. The introduction of an acetylene group at certain locations of the flavone backbone lead to time-dependent inhibitors of P450 1A1.

Development, implementation and outcome of standards to restrict fatty meat in the food supply and prevent NCDs: learning from an innovative trade/food policy in Ghana.

Background: Diet-related noncommunicable diseases represent a major global public health challenge, and require a multisectoral policy response. However, the use of trade policy in this context has met with varied success in the face of strong global trade liberalization agendas. The Government of Ghana has implemented an innovative food standards policy to limit the amount of fat in meat and meat cuts, in response to rising imports of low quality fatty meat cuts.