Situational assessment and epidemiology of HIV, HBV and HCV among people who use and inject drugs in Ghana.

Introduction: People who inject drugs (PWID) and people who use drugs (PWUD) are an important population group that remain under-served in Ghana. Though PWID and PWUD are among the key populations most-at-risk to acquire sexually transmitted or blood-borne diseases, they are among those with the least access to human immunodeficiency (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses' prevention, care and treatment services in Ghana due to lack of data on them. We provide a rapid assessment of the PWUD and PWID situation in Ghana.

The relevance of EKC hypothesis in energy intensity real-output trade-off for sustainable environment in EU-27.

Considering the prevailing wave of global warming and other environmental challenges, which can be attributed to increasing environmental pollution as a result of economic activity, thus, it is essential to understand the effect of economic progress on the environment. More importantly, this endeavor is especially suited for the European Union (EU) member states, which account for a sizable portion of the world economy. However, by considering the open border or trade policy approach of the bloc, this study applies a battery of econometrics analysis that consists of mean group, augmented mean group, common correlated effect mean group estimators, and Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality analysis for direction of causality.

Ghanaian media coverage of violence against women and girls: implications for health promotion.

Background: Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is an important public health issue. Framing studies indicate that how the news media cover public health issues is critical for designing effective health promotion interventions. Notwithstanding this, there is little research particularly in low-and middle-income country context examining how the news media frame VAWG.

Improvement in Quality Metrics Outcomes and Patient and Family Satisfaction in a Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit after Creation of a Dedicated Neurocritical Care Team.

Introduction: Dedicated neurointensivists have been shown to improve outcome measurements in the neurosciences intensive care unit (NSICU). Quality outcome data in relation to patient and family satisfaction is lacking. This study evaluated the impact of newly appointed neurointensivists and creation of a neurocritical care team on quality outcome measures including patient satisfaction in a NSICU.

Failure of the Platelet Function Assay (PFA)-100 to detect antiplatelet agents.

Background: Antiplatelet therapy is a complicating factor in patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), as well as those with hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). Platelet Function Assay (PFA)-100 is a coagulation device that can detect platelet dysfunction caused by aspirin and adenosine diphosphate inhibition. Our retrospective study reviewed the effectiveness of PFA-100 in detecting platelet dysfunction caused by aspirin and clopidogrel and determined its clinical importance.

Nucleosome dynamics: HMGB1 relaxes canonical nucleosome structure to facilitate estrogen receptor binding.

High mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) interacts with DNA and chromatin to influence the regulation of transcription, DNA repair and recombination. We show that HMGB1 alters the structure and stability of the canonical nucleosome (N) in a nonenzymatic, ATP-independent manner. Although estrogen receptor (ER) does not bind to its consensus estrogen response element within a nucleosome, HMGB1 restructures the nucleosome to facilitate strong ER binding.

Incidence of cerebrospinal fluid leak following petrosectomy and analysis of avoidance techniques.

A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak following skull base surgery can lead to meningitis, impaired wound healing, and often requires re-operation and/or CSF diversion. Thirty-two patients underwent a presigmoid, transpetrosal approach to skull base aneurysms and tumors. A vascularized temporalis muscle flap was utilized during the closure of the initial skull base reconstruction in 18 of the 32 patients.

Frontiers in the surgical treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Despite the continued refinement of medical and surgical therapies, the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains challenging. Current treatment strategies are largely focused on managing the motor symptoms of the disease, either by dopamine-based medications or, in advanced stages, by the application of deep brain stimulation to more stably alter the function of the basal ganglia. Important advances have been made in the last decade, but unfortunately a number of the motor symptoms of late-stage PD remain poorly treated, and while currently available therapies address the symptoms of the disease, they fail to alter the course of the disease itself.