Sterilizing Immunity against COVID-19: Developing Helper T cells I and II activating vaccines is imperative.

Six months after the publication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequence, a record number of vaccine candidates were listed, and quite a number of them have since been approved for emergency use against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This unprecedented pharmaceutical feat did not only show commitment, creativity and collaboration of the scientific community, but also provided a swift solution that prevented global healthcare system breakdown. Notwithstanding, the available data show that most of the approved COVID-19 vaccines protect only a proportion of recipients against severe disease but do not prevent clinical manifestation of COVID-19.

A revised action spectrum for vitamin D synthesis by suberythemal UV radiation exposure in humans in vivo.

Action spectra are important biological weighting functions for risk/benefit analyses of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UVR) exposure. One important human benefit of exposure to terrestrial solar UVB radiation (∼295 to 315 nm) is the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D that is initiated by the photoconversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D An action spectrum for this process that is followed by other nonphotochemical steps to achieve biologically active vitamin D has been established from ex vivo data and is widely used, although its validity has been questioned. We tested this action spectrum in vivo by full- or partial-body suberythemal irradiation of 75 healthy young volunteers with five different polychromatic UVR spectra on five serial occasions.

Immunological, haematological, and clinical attributes of rural and urban malaria: a case-control study in Ghana.

To compare clinical presentations, haematological and immunological parameters in urban and rural malaria patients. Clinically suspected malaria patients, resident in either rural or urban communities, were selected from seven health facilities in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. For each suspected malaria patient, parasites were detected microscopically and quantified subsequently.

The Use of Screening Algorithm to Defer Blood Donors with Subclinical Malaria.

infection in blood donors is common in malaria endemic countries, including Ghana. To date, there are no established exclusion criteria to defer a donor carrying malaria parasites. Therefore, based on significant independent variables identified in this study, donor malaria screening algorithm was developed to be used by blood banks to screen blood donors for subclinical malaria.

Experiences of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology in Ghana: A qualitative analysis of their experiences.

Objective: The study aimed to explore the experiences of women undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technologies namely; Invitro Fertilization and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection at the Finney Hospital and Fertility Centre, New Bortianor, Ghana.

Method: A qualitative research design was employed to analyse and describe the experiences of the women seeking Assisted Reproductive Technologies. A total of 32 women were invited to take part in the interview, 15 of them accepted the invitation.

API Content and Blend Uniformity Using Quantum Cascade Laser Spectroscopy Coupled with Multivariate Analysis.

The process analytical technology (PAT) initiative proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests innovative methods to better understand pharmaceutical processes. The development of analytical methods that quantify active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in powders and tablets is fundamental to monitoring and controlling a drug product's quality. Analytical methods based on vibrational spectroscopy do not require sample preparation and can be implemented during in-line manufacturing to maintain quality at each stage of operations.

Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis B and C Virus Infections: A Five-Year Retrospective Study among Blood Donors in Saboba District in the Northern Region of Ghana.

Methods: A five-year hospital-based retrospective study was carried out among 8605 blood donors comprising 8517 males and 88 females using data on blood donors from Saboba Assemblies of God Hospital located in the Saboba District in the Northern Region of Ghana from 2013 to 2017. Blood bank records on HBV and HCV potential blood donors who visited the hospital to donate blood were retrieved. Donor demographic details, i.

Helicobacter Pylori Variants with ABC-Type Tyrosine Phosphorylation Motif in Gastric Biopsies of Ghanaian Patients.

Background: pathogenicity and disease severity are determined by the tyrosine phosphorylation motifs of CagA protein. This study is aimed at detecting the presence of . and identifying the CagA tyrosine phosphorylation motifs in Ghanaian patients.

Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in blood stained sputum samples using GeneXpert PCR assay.

This study investigated the possibility of detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in blood-stained sputa with GeneXpert assay (Xpert MTB/Rif G4 v.5) using appropriate blood lysing (distilled water and distilled water/carbon tetrachloride) and protein denaturing (guanidinium chloride and heat) agents. Blood free sputa were collected from individuals infected with MTB.

Fungal diversity of "solom" a Ghanaian traditional beverage of millet ().

The association of cereals with fungi cannot be disregarded as their manifestation in our foods poses serious health risks. The aim of this study was to investigate the mycofloral (fungal) and chemical (pH) qualities of the "solom" (beverage of millet) available for consumption from their respective sales points in Ho. "Solom" a cereal beverage of millet was sampled from ten (10) different locations in the Ho Municipality of Ghana and evaluated for their pH, fungal counts, and species diversity.

Elevated IL-12, TNF-, and TNF-/IL-10 Ratios in Stored -Infected Whole Blood: Implications for Safe Haemotransfusion.

Although infections in blood donors have been reported, the impact of parasitaemia on cytokine levels in stored whole blood has not been explored. This study evaluated the effect of parasitaemia on circulating cytokines and their relationship with haematological parameters in banked blood. In this case-control study, two groups of donor whole blood were recruited: -infected donors (parasitaemia: 515-1877 parasites/L) and noninfected blood donors (control).

Efficacy of Artemether-Lumefantrine on various and genes isolated in Ghana.

Introduction: Artemether-Lumefantrine (A-L) remains the drug of choice for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Ghana. However, the pharmaco-activity of A-L has not been assessed on various and genes. Therefore, this study sought to determine the therapeutic efficacy of A-L on parasites isolated from Ghana.

Male predisposition to severe COVID-19: Review of evidence and potential therapeutic prospects.

The severe form of COVID-19 has significant sex disparities, with high fatalities commonly reported among males than females. The incidence of COVID-19 has also been higher in males compared with their female counterparts. This trend could be attributed to a better responsive and robust immune system in females.

Repeated sampling improved the sensitivity of malaria microscopy in children under six years.

Objective: Microscopy remains the gold standard for identification of malaria parasites. However, the sensitivity of malaria microscopy is low. This study evaluated the impact of repeated sampling up to 12 h in 177 children < 6 years with suspected malaria.

Community-based active tuberculosis case finding using a symptom-based screening tool in the Volta Region, Ghana.

Background: Early tuberculosis case detection is important for early commencement of treatment to improve treatment outcomes and also to prevent community spread of the disease. However, there is a paucity of data in Ghana on the efficiency of the symptom-based screening tool (SBS tool) to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the communities. Therefore, this study assessed the usefulness of the SBS tool for community-based active case finding in the Volta Region of Ghana.

Enteroparasitism in Hard-to-Reach Community Dwellers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ga West Municipality in Ghana.

Ga West Municipality in Ghana is predominantly rural with about forty-eight hard-to-reach communities. Several infectious diseases such as Buruli ulcer, tuberculosis, yaws, schistosomiasis, and malaria are prevalent in the municipality. However, the prevalence and characteristics of enteroparasites in the municipality are unknown.

Evaluating the potential of using urine and saliva specimens for malaria diagnosis in suspected patients in Ghana.

Background: This study aimed at detecting PfHRP2 and pLDH malaria antigens in urine and salivary specimens of suspected malaria patients using RDT kits, and identifying factors influencing the detection of these antigens.

Methods: Malaria rapid test kit (SD Bioline RDT kit) was used to detect malaria antigens, PfHRP2 and pLDH, in blood, urine and saliva samples received from patients suspected of malaria. Subsequently, malaria parasitaemia was determined.

Characterization of putative drug resistant biomarkers in Plasmodium falciparum isolated from Ghanaian blood donors.

Background: Plasmodium falciparum parasites, which could harbour anti-malaria drug resistance genes, are commonly detected in blood donors in malaria-endemic areas. Notwithstanding, anti-malaria drug resistant biomarkers have not been characterized in blood donors with asymptomatic P. falciparum infection.

Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 diversity in Ghana.

Background: In the absence of microscopy, Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins 2 (PfHRP2)-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are recommended for the diagnosis of falciparum malaria, particularly in endemic regions. However, genetic variability of the pfhrp2 gene threatens the usefulness of the test due to its impact on RDT sensitivity. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of pfhrp2 in malaria cases among children in Ghana.

Treg regulation of the epithelial stem cell lineage.

Tissue repair and maintenance in adult organisms is dependent on the interactions between stem cells (SCs) and constituent cells of their microenvironment, or niche. Accumulating evidence suggests that immune cells, specifically Foxp3 CD4 Regulatory T cells (Tregs), play an important role as a regulator of the SC niche. Undisputedly, Tregs are the major immunosuppressive lineage of the CD4 T cell compartment, and reside within numerous secondary lymphoid organs, where they exert their functions.

Tissue regulatory T cells.

Foxp3  CD4 regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an immune cell lineage endowed with immunosuppressive functionality in a wide array of contexts, including both anti-pathogenic and anti-self responses. In the past decades, our understanding of the functional diversity of circulating or lymphoid Tregs has grown exponentially. Only recently, the importance of Tregs residing within non-lymphoid tissues, such as visceral adipose tissue, muscle, skin and intestine, has been recognized.

Addition of Sialic Acid to Insulin Confers Superior Physical Properties and Bioequivalence.

Native insulin is susceptible to biophysical aggregation and fibril formation, promoted by manual agitation and elevated temperatures. The safety of the drug and its application to alternative forms of administration could be enhanced through the identification of chemical modifications that strengthen its physical stability without compromising its biological properties. Complex polysialic acids (PSAs) exist naturally and provide a means to enhance the physical properties of peptide therapeutics.

Ethnopharmacological evaluation of schistosomicidal and cercaricidal activities of some selected medicinal plants from Ghana.

Background: The adulticidal and cercaricidal activities of five Ghanaian medicinal plants, namely, , , , and against were evaluated in this study. Six weeks old ICR mice ( = 25) were percutaneously infected with . cercariae.