A review of Ghana’s food system and its implications on sustainability and the development of national food-based dietary guidelines

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) provide culturally-appropriate and actionable recommendations based on which populations can make healthy food choices. Food systems sustainability, from production to consumption, and disposal of food and foodrelated items, should be a critical consideration for developing such guidelines. This rapid review assesses Ghana's food systems to determine the level of sustainability to inform the FBDG recommendations. Peer-reviewed articles, documents and reports of relevance to Ghana were included in this rapid review. A hundred and eight papers, answering different questions on food system sustainability were reviewed. Bread, cereals, fish and indigenous vegetables are the most frequently consumed food groups. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages are the most consumed imported foods. In rural areas, 53% of dietary protein comes from plant sources. Fish is the main the source of animal protein for most Ghanaian households. There is intensive exploitation of marine and fresh water resources. Most livestock are raised by smallholder farmers using freerange system. Poultry is frequently kept on deep litter system and only a few are largescale. Crop production for household consumption and small-scale animal rearing are predominant, especially in Northern Ghana. By weight, fruits and vegetables are the least cultivated and consumed crops at the household level. Wood is the commonest source of fuel for cooking, especially in rural areas. Single use plastic is the most used and preferred material for food packaging. Indiscriminate and poor management of waste and pesticide misuse is commonly reported. The findings suggest the need for promoting production diversification, use of clean fuel and reusable food packaging as part of FBDGs to enhance sustainability of Ghana’s food systems.&nbsp

A review of Ghana’s food system and its implications on sustainability and the development of national food-based dietary guidelines

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) provide culturally-appropriate and actionable recommendations based on which populations can make healthy food choices. Food systems sustainability, from production to consumption, and disposal of food and foodrelated items, should be a critical consideration for developing such guidelines. This rapid review assesses Ghana's food systems to determine the level of sustainability to inform the FBDG recommendations. Peer-reviewed articles, documents and reports of relevance to Ghana were included in this rapid review. A hundred and eight papers, answering different questions on food system sustainability were reviewed. Bread, cereals, fish and indigenous vegetables are the most frequently consumed food groups. Sugar-Sweetened Beverages are the most consumed imported foods. In rural areas, 53% of dietary protein comes from plant sources. Fish is the main the source of animal protein for most Ghanaian households. There is intensive exploitation of marine and fresh water resources. Most livestock are raised by smallholder farmers using freerange system. Poultry is frequently kept on deep litter system and only a few are largescale. Crop production for household consumption and small-scale animal rearing are predominant, especially in Northern Ghana. By weight, fruits and vegetables are the least cultivated and consumed crops at the household level. Wood is the commonest source of fuel for cooking, especially in rural areas. Single use plastic is the most used and preferred material for food packaging. Indiscriminate and poor management of waste and pesticide misuse is commonly reported. The findings suggest the need for promoting production diversification, use of clean fuel and reusable food packaging as part of FBDGs to enhance sustainability of Ghana’s food systems

Review of Ghana’s food environment: Drivers of availability, barriers to healthy food access, and impact of interventions and policies

Food environments exert a significant effect on population dietary choices and health outcomes. Policies that influence the food environment, can have a significant impact on individual and population dietary choices. This rapid review assessed the nature and interaction within the Ghanaian food environment, and the impact that existing school, workplace, and national food policies have on dietary intake and nutritional outcomes. Online databases and university repositories were searched for relevant articles and documents. A total of forty articles and documents were included in the review. Majority of the reviewed papers (85%) used a cross-sectional design. The findings show that traditional outlets (open markets) constitute the main food source among the Ghanaian populace, while convenience stores serve as an important source of processed foods. Prepared local foods are often consumed outside the home and are mainly sourced from street food vendors. Street foods are perceived as less expensive, convenient, and delicious. The food environment was found to influence dietary acquisition, intake, and nutritional outcomes. Although most nutrients provided by the School Feeding Programme (SFP) are below recommended intake standards, the SFP contributes positively to improved diets and nutrition status of school-age children. Children attending SFP-implementing schools experience higher intakes of protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, folate, and have higher haemoglobin, and lower prevalence of stunting, underweight, and thinness than children in non-SFP implementing schools. Availability of a private room for breastfeeding mothers improved breastfeeding frequency. Ghana’s fatty meat restriction policy has reduced the availability and sale of fatty meat on the Ghanaian market. Reported drivers and barriers to healthy foods consumption include socio-economic factors, media information, food storage facilities, cultural perception, fruit seasonality, knowledge on the nutrient value of fruits and vegetables, safety profile of fruits and vegetables, and contribution of household production to dietary intake. In conclusion, the food environment review reveals the drivers of availability, barriers to healthy food access, and impact of interventions and policies on the Ghanaian food environment.&nbsp

Structures of apo IRF-3 and IRF-7 DNA binding domains: effect of loop L1 on DNA binding

Interferon regulatory factors IRF-3 and IRF-7 are transcription factors essential in the activation of interferon-β (IFN-β) gene in response to viral infections. Although, both proteins recognize the same consensus IRF binding site AANNGAAA, they have distinct DNA binding preferences for sites in vivo. The X-ray structures of IRF-3 and IRF-7 DNA binding domains (DBDs) bound to IFN-β promoter elements revealed flexibility in the loops (L1–L3) and the residues that make contacts with the target sequence. To characterize the conformational changes that occur on DNA binding and how they differ between IRF family members, we have solved the X-ray structures of IRF-3 and IRF-7 DBDs in the absence of DNA. We found that loop L1, carrying the conserved histidine that interacts with the DNA minor groove, is disordered in apo IRF-3 but is ordered in apo IRF-7. This is reflected in differences in DNA binding affinities when the conserved histidine in loop L1 is mutated to alanine in the two proteins. The stability of loop L1 in IRF-7 derives from a unique combination of hydrophobic residues that pack against the protein core. Together, our data show that differences in flexibility of loop L1 are an important determinant of differential IRF-DNA binding

Psychotropic drugs and the risk of fractures in old age: a prospective population-based study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is evidence that the use of any psychotropic and the concomitant use of two or more benzodiazepines are related to an increased risk of fractures in old age. However, also controversial results exist. The aim was to describe associations between the use of a psychotropic drug, or the concomitant use of two or more of these drugs and the risk of fractures in a population aged 65 years or over.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study was a part of a prospective longitudinal population-based study carried out in the municipality of Lieto, South-Western Finland. The objective was to describe gender-specific associations between the use of one psychotropic drug [benzodiazepine (BZD), antipsychotic (AP) or antidepressant (AD)] or the concomitant use of two or more psychotropic drugs and the risk of fractures in a population 65 years or over. Subjects were participants in the first wave of the Lieto study in 1990-1991, and they were followed up until the end of 1996. Information about fractures confirmed with radiology reports in 1,177 subjects (482 men and 695 women) during the follow-up was collected from medical records. Two follow-up periods (three and six years) were used, and previously found risk factors of fractures were adjusted as confounding factors separately for men and women. The Poisson regression model was used in the analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The concomitant use of two or more BZDs and the concomitant use of two or more APs were related to an increased risk of fractures during both follow-up periods after adjusting for confounding factors in men. No similar associations were found in women.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The concomitant use of several BZDs and that of several APs are associated with an increase in the risk of fractures in older men. Our findings show only risk relations. We cannot draw the conclusion that these drug combinations are causes of fractures.</p

Secondary mutations as a mechanism of cisplatin resistance in BRCA2-mutated cancers

Ovarian carcinomas with mutations in the tumour suppressor BRCA2 are particularly sensitive to platinum compounds. However, such carcinomas ultimately develop cisplatin resistance. The mechanism of that resistance is largely unknown. Here we show that acquired resistance to cisplatin can be mediated by secondary intragenic mutations in BRCA2 that restore the wild-type BRCA2 reading frame. First, in a cisplatin-resistant BRCA2-mutated breast-cancer cell line, HCC1428, a secondary genetic change in BRCA2 rescued BRCA2 function. Second, cisplatin selection of a BRCA2-mutated pancreatic cancer cell line, Capan-1 (refs 3, 4), led to five different secondary mutations that restored the wild-type BRCA2 reading frame. All clones with secondary mutations were resistant both to cisplatin and to a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor (AG14361). Finally, we evaluated recurrent cancers from patients whose primary BRCA2-mutated ovarian carcinomas were treated with cisplatin. The recurrent tumour that acquired cisplatin resistance had undergone reversion of its BRCA2 mutation. Our results suggest that secondary mutations that restore the wild-type BRCA2 reading frame may be a major clinical mediator of acquired resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy

Visualization and Identification of IL-7 Producing Cells in Reporter Mice

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is required for lymphocyte development and homeostasis although the actual sites of IL-7 production have never been clearly identified. We produced a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse expressing ECFP in the Il7 locus. The construct lacked a signal peptide and ECFP (enhanced cyan fluorescent protein ) accumulated inside IL-7-producing stromal cells in thoracic thymus, cervical thymus and bone marrow. In thymus, an extensive reticular network of IL-7-containing processes extended from cortical and medullary epithelial cells, closely contacting thymocytes. Central memory CD8 T cells, which require IL-7 and home to bone marrow, physically associated with IL-7-producing cells as we demonstrate by intravital imaging

Visualization and Identification of IL-7 Producing Cells in Reporter Mice

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is required for lymphocyte development and homeostasis although the actual sites of IL-7 production have never been clearly identified. We produced a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse expressing ECFP in the Il7 locus. The construct lacked a signal peptide and ECFP (enhanced cyan fluorescent protein ) accumulated inside IL-7-producing stromal cells in thoracic thymus, cervical thymus and bone marrow. In thymus, an extensive reticular network of IL-7-containing processes extended from cortical and medullary epithelial cells, closely contacting thymocytes. Central memory CD8 T cells, which require IL-7 and home to bone marrow, physically associated with IL-7-producing cells as we demonstrate by intravital imaging

Brazilian practice guidelines for stroke rehabilitation: Part II

The Brazilian Practice Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation – Part II, developed by the Scientific Department of Neurological Rehabilitation of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology (Academia Brasileira de Neurologia, in Portuguese), focuses on specific rehabilitation techniques to aid recovery from impairment and disability after stroke. As in Part I, Part II is also based on recently available evidence from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and other guidelines. Part II covers disorders of communication, dysphagia, postural control and balance, ataxias, spasticity, upper limb rehabilitation, gait, cognition, unilateral spatial neglect, sensory impairments, home rehabilitation, medication adherence, palliative care, cerebrovascular events related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the future of stroke rehabilitation, and stroke websites to support patients and caregivers. Our goal is to provide health professionals with more recent knowledge and recommendations for better rehabilitation care after stroke