Nutrient Content, Functional Properties and Acceptability of Rock Buns Formulated From Freeze-Dried Detroit Dark Red Beetroot Pomace Flour.

Beetroot pomace is an underutilised food by-product obtained from the processing of beetroots. However, its rich source of nutrients makes it a potential ingredient for utilisation in rock bun development. The aim of the study was to investigate the nutrient composition and functional properties of freeze-dried beetroot pomace and wheat composite flours, as well as the sensory acceptability of rock buns formulated from these flours.

Sex Differences in Prehospital Stroke Medicine (SESAME): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Several studies have evaluated sex discrepancies in the prehospital management of patients with acute stroke. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to summarize reported knowledge about sex differences in dispatch center and emergency medical service management. It proposes a roadmap of questions and the next necessary steps to ensure equitable prehospital stroke care.

Tenofovir diphosphate concentrations in dried blood spots predict future HIV suppression but not virologic failure in adolescents with HIV.

We investigated whether tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) concentration in dried blood spot (DBS) predicted future virologic outcome. Of 52 adolescents with HIV, 46% had virologic suppression, and 44% had virologic failure. TFV-DP concentration in DBS was associated with virologic suppression but not virologic failure.

Evaluating knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding vitamin D in pregnant and postnatal Ghanaian women: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maternal and foetal health during pregnancy and lactation. However, its deficiency remains prevalent among pregnant and post-natal women globally, potentially leading to adverse health outcomes. We assessed and compared the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding vitamin D among pregnant and postnatal women in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Evaluating the efficacy of dilute povidone-iodine versus normal saline for preventing surgical site infections following appendectomy: a prospective observational study in Ghanaian tertiary hospital.

Background: and Aims: Surgical site infection (SSI) remains a common postoperative complication for patients with acute appendicitis. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of dilute povidone-iodine and normal saline in preventing post-appendectomy surgical site infections.

Methods: The study included 224 consecutive patients who underwent open appendectomy for acute appendicitis between October 2020 and December 2021 at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

COVID-19 and Healthcare Workers Burnt out: A Qualitative Study of Burnout Experiences of Healthcare workers in a Secondary Hospital in Ghana.

Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged between 2019 and 2021, and had a profound and far-reaching impact across all sectors of society, significantly altering daily life and working conditions especially for frontline health professionals. This study explored the burnout context that occurred among health workers, predominantly nurses during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in a secondary hospital facility in Ghana.

Design: Descriptive phenomenological design.

Total Round Cell Concentration in Semen and Its Association With Sperm DNA Fragmentation Index Among Ghanaian Males in Kumasi.

Male infertility affects millions worldwide, yet its underlying causes remain incompletely understood. Total round cell concentration (TRCC) in semen, particularly leukocytospermia, has been suggested as a biomarker of impaired sperm function. However, its relationship with sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) remains unclear, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where research is scarce.

Feature representation in analysing childhood vaccination defaulter risk predictors: A scoping review of studies in low-resource settings.

Childhood vaccination saves millions of lives yearly, yet over a million children in low-and middle-income countries die from vaccine-preventable diseases each year. Predicting childhood vaccination defaulter risk with analytical models requires understanding how to represent different individual demographics, community structures, and environmental factors that feed input data. This review explores features for analysing childhood vaccination defaulter risk in low-resource settings with a focus on feature encoding, engineering and representation.

A Giant Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm in a Young Male With Eisenmenger Syndrome.

This case highlights a giant pulmonary artery aneurysm with a diameter of 107.7 mm, which is so far one of the most massive pulmonary aneurysms detected in a young person. Management may be extremely challenging in a resource-poor setting where surgical interventions are not readily available.

Unlocking the African bioeconomy and strengthening biodiversity conservation through genomics and bioinformatics.

The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) is a Pan-African initiative aimed at improving food systems and biodiversity conservation through genomics while ensuring equitable data sharing and benefits. The Open Institute is the knowledge exchange platform of the AfricaBP, which aims to bridge local knowledge gaps in biodiversity genomics and bioinformatics and enable infrastructural developments. In 2024, the AfricaBP Open Institute advanced this mission by organizing 31 workshops that attracted more than 3500 registered attendees across 50 African countries, provided training to 401 African researchers in genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, sample collections and biobanking, and ethical considerations, across all five African geographical regions involving 40 African and non-African organizations.

Are corneal nerve and dendritic cell parameters assessed via corneal confocal microscopy good markers for multiple sclerosis? - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The current study evaluated corneal nerve and dendritic cell changes in multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to healthy controls.

Methods: The study was registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024606762) and adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched.

Image dataset of Taro Leaf Blight disease collected from the West African Sub-Region.

This dataset encompasses an extensive collection of 18,248 high-resolution JPEG images, documenting various stages of Taro Leaf Blight (TLB) infection in Taro plants across West Africa. TLB, primarily caused by the pathogen Phytophthora colocasiae, manifests through necrotic leaf spots, white sporangia bands, and orange droplets, severely impacting the agricultural output and economic stability of smallholder farmers in the region. The images represent a range of infection stages-early, mid, late, and healthy conditions-captured during the dry and early rainy seasons in Nigeria and Ghana using smartphones equipped with high-resolution cameras.

Identifying genomic surveillance gaps in Africa for the global public health response to West Nile virus: a systematic review.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a priority pathogen that poses a high risk for public health emergencies of global concern. Although WNV is endemic to Africa, only few (n=63) whole genomic sequences are available from the continent. In this Review, we examined the status of the molecular testing and genomic sequencing of WNV across Africa and mapped its global spatiotemporal spread.

Clinical epidemiology of Buruli ulcer disease in Ghana, 2006-2024.

Background: Buruli ulcer (BU), a Neglected Tropical Disease, is common in West Africa and imposes a significant burden on health systems. Examining epidemiologic data is important to guide health systems planning to facilitate BU control activities in endemic countries.

Objectives: We aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the clinical epidemiology of a large cohort of PCR-confirmed cases in districts in the middle belt of Ghana over an 18-year period.

Development and application of an LC-MS/MS method for quantification of fosmidomycin in human and rat plasma.

Background: Malaria still poses a significant burden on global health, with millions of cases reported annually and rising resistance to current treatments, emphasizing the need for new therapeutic strategies. Fosmidomycin, initially recognized for its antibacterial properties, has emerged as a promising candidate in the fight against malaria.

Methods: In this study, a sensitive and robust LC-MS/MS method for quantifying fosmidomycin in human and rat plasma was developed and validated.

Exploring the Current Situation and Developing Strategies for Behavior Change to Improve Antibiotic Use in West Africa: Protocol for a Multidisciplinary Interventional Research Project.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized as a global concern, with particularly severe consequences in low- and middle-income countries. Although it may occur naturally, it is also an anthropogenic problem linked to the irrational use of antibiotics in humans and animal husbandry and the use of pesticides in plant agriculture. Generally, data on AMR and evidence of effective and feasible multifaceted interventions are limited in many African countries.

Synergistic effects of micro- and macro-sized palm kernel shell fillers on the tensile properties of HDPE composites.

In this study, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites reinforced with palm kernel shell (PKS) fillers with mixed particle sizes were prepared using melt-extrusion compounding. A 5-ton hydraulic hot-press machine was employed to fabricate samples for tensile testing, with a focus on understanding the influence of varying filler sizes on the mechanical properties of the HDPE/PKS composite. The 30 wt% PKS composites demonstrated an elastic modulus (E) of 1.

Experiences of Ghanaian frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare leadership recommendations.

Understanding the experiences of frontline healthcare workers across different national and resource contexts is important for learning how to best support these providers to optimize their services during extended health emergencies. Using qualitative methods, we conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with frontline nurses and community healthcare workers to understand their working conditions, challenges, and supports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ghana was selected as a leader in healthcare reform among African nations.

Immunohistochemical profiling of Bcl-2 and EGFR proteins in cervical carcinoma at a tertiary hospital in Ghana.

Background: Using Immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess the expression of EGFR and Bcl-2, and their correlations with clinicopathological features in a cohort of cervical cancer cases.

Methodology: A retrospective and descriptive study in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Kumasi, Ghana. Patients were women diagnosed with cervical cancer at KATH from January 2015 to December 2016.

AIDS virus.

HIV affects both the central and peripheral nervous systems, resulting in a wide range of neurological complications due to direct viral effects, chronic inflammation, opportunistic infections, and adverse effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART), collectively referred to as neuroAIDS. In children, the underdeveloped blood-brain barrier heightens the vulnerability of the brain to neuroAIDS, impacting cognitive and motor development. Even HIV-exposed, uninfected children exhibit neurodevelopmental delays.

Determinants of Cognitive Performance Among Ghanaian Hypertensive Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Cognitive decline is one of the most deleterious consequences of hypertension. Hypertension is rife in sub-Saharan Africa, where control of blood pressure is abysmally poor.

Objective: This study is aimed at assessing the determinants of cognitive performance among Ghanaian hypertensive patients.

Children with intellectual disability: fathers' self-reported involvement in rehabilitation in the United Arab Emirates.

Background: Community-based rehabilitation has been advocated as an effective way to promote the participation of children with disabilities, such as those with intellectual disabilities (ID), in services located within their communities. While children with ID have reduced cognitive, social and physical abilities, the extent of involvement of fathers in their parenting is unresearched in countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Objective: The current study presents an exploration of the involvement of fathers of children with ID in their upbringing.

Overcoming Vaccine Inequities and Research Gaps in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities Identified During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Before the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the African region already faced a substantial communicable disease burden and a rising prevalence of noncommunicable and chronic conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored critical vulnerabilities within the health systems in African countries and highlighted the urgent need for self-sufficiency to increase resilience in vaccine manufacturing and clinical trial capacity. In response, substantial efforts are underway to develop vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities across the continent.

Abnormal Chest X-Ray Findings of Patients With Confirmed Tuberculosis in Ghana.

Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health issue despite being treatable and preventable. Early diagnosis and effective treatment are crucial for reducing TB transmission, in line with global control strategies. Chest X-rays, widely accessible and rapid, are key imaging tools for diagnosing TB.

Transition Readiness of Pediatric Sickle Cell Patients to Adult Clinic in a Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Successfully navigating the transition process has received little attention, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the transition readiness of pediatric sickle cell disease (SCD) patients in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi-Ghana. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a purposive sampling technique to recruit adolescents who were scheduled to be transitioned from the Pediatric to the Adult SCD Clinic at KATH.