Whole exome-seq and RNA-seq data reveal unique neoantigen profiles in Kenyan breast cancer patients.

Background: The immune response against tumors relies on distinguishing between self and non-self, the basis of cancer immunotherapy. Neoantigens from somatic mutations are central to many immunotherapeutic strategies and understanding their landscape in breast cancer is crucial for targeted interventions. We aimed to profile neoantigens in Kenyan breast cancer patients using genomic DNA and total RNA from paired tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples of 23 patients.

Modelling and Numerical Evaluation of Photovoltaic Parameters of a Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cell Based on Methylammonium Tin Iodide.

Designing a high-performance solar cell structure requires the understanding of material innovation, device engineering, charge behavior, operation characteristics and efficient photoconversion of light to generate electricity. This study offers a detailed numerical evaluation of the device physics in a highly efficient methylammonium-based perovskite solar cell (PSC) of the configuration, FTO/WO/CH₃NH₃SnI₃/GO/Fe. Utilizing the SCAPS-1D device simulator, an impressive open-circuit voltage (V) of 1.

Novel peptide and hyaluronic acid coated biomimetic liposomes for targeting bacterial infections and sepsis.

Sepsis is a life-threatening syndrome resulting from an imbalanced immune response to severe infections. Despite advances in nanomedicines, effective treatments for sepsis are still lacking. Herein, vancomycin free base (VCM)-loaded dual functionalized biomimetic liposomes based on a novel TLR4-targeting peptide (P3) and hyaluronic acid (HA) (HA-P3-Lipo) were developed to enhance sepsis therapy.

Subjects' Sociodemographics Influence the Transmission Patterns of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Pathotypes among Children under 5 Years in Nakuru County.

Background: Diarrheagenic Escherichiacoli (DEC) infections constitute the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, little has so far been done to properly reveal the pathogenic endowments of DEC in these populations.

Aims And Objectives: We evaluated 4 DEC strains among children under 5 years.

Hot beverage consumption in the African Esophageal Cancer Corridor: A community-based thermal exposure measurement study across the lifespan.

"Very hot beverage" (>65°C) consumption is an IARC probable carcinogen and may contribute to the African esophageal cancer burden. We conducted community cross-sectional exposure studies of hot beverage consumption in Kenya and Malawi during 2018-2019, aiming to: (i) implement a detailed measurement protocol incorporating three measurements of sip temperature and volume so as to predict each sip's intra-esophageal liquid temperature (IELT); (ii) examine variations by seasonality, drinking venue and age, including children. 246 participants were included, of whom 236 had drink measurements (52 children and 183 adults).

Clinical Course and Factors Associated With Hospital Admission and Mortality among Sars-Cov 2 Patients within Nairobi Metropolitan Area.

This study aims to investigate the clinical course and factors associated with hospital admission and mortality among SARS-CoV-2 patients within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. The study utilizes a multicenter retrospective cohort design, collecting clinical characteristics and laboratory parameters of hospitalized patients from March 2020 to May 2022. Data analysis includes percentages, frequencies, chi-square tests, Kaplan-Meier analysis, pairwise comparisons, and multivariate regression models.

Understanding the role of early life stress and schizophrenia on anxiety and depressive like outcomes: An experimental study.

Background: Adverse experiences due to early life stress (ELS) or parental psychopathology such as schizophrenia (SZ) have a significant implication on individual susceptibility to psychiatric disorders in the future. However, it is not fully understood how ELS affects social-associated behaviors as well as the developing prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ELS and ketamine induced schizophrenia like symptoms (KSZ) on anhedonia, social behavior and anxiety-like behavior.

Case Report: Profound Anemia in a 2-Year-Old Boy Associated with a Leech in the Oropharynx.

A 2-year-old boy presented to Kapsowar Mission Hospital in Kenya with a history of general tiredness associated with mild, unilateral epistaxis and one episode of hematemesis. On admission, he had a hemoglobin value of 3.5 g/dL, with a white cell count of 20.

Ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of the genus : a review.

Although medicinal plants have been used by ethnic communities since ancient times to prevent and treat various diseases, only a few have been scientifically documented. Therefore, due to their rare availability and lack of comprehensive scientific information, we reviewed the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of plants within the genus . To do this, we used specific search terms and phrases to retrieve relevant information from online sources published in English from 2000 to July 2023.

Management and health-related quality of life among patients with prostate cancer in a Kenyan tertiary health facility.

Introduction: Advances made in the screening, diagnosis and management of prostate cancer have improved the survival rates of the patients. However, many of these treatments including surgery, radiotherapy, and pharmacotherapy, have an impact on the subsequent health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of these patients. Since it is an important prognostic factor of survival, failure to evaluate the HRQoL and its predictors in these patients typically results in long-term deficits in their overall well-being, that is, their physical, social, emotional, and mental health.

Overdue Assignment: A Case Study on Academic Writing Development for Postgraduate Health Professional Trainees in Kenya.

Objectives: Though essential for research capacity building, development of authorial identity for thesis projects and publications has been overlooked in African postgraduate residency programs. This study aims to explore authorial identity among postgraduate health professional trainees at two universities in Kenya. It also evaluated the effect of Age of Acquisition of English on confidence in writing.

Carbapenem-resistant infections: Antimicrobial resistance patterns and risk factors for acquisition in a Kenyan intensive care unit.

Objectives: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) (AB), especially carbapenem-resistant (CR) strains, presents a significant challenge in intensive care units (ICUs) but surveillance data in many resource-constrained countries is inadequate. Here, we determined the prevalence of MDRAB and risk factors for infection and mortality in ICU-admitted patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study among 132 consecutive patients between July 2019 and July 2020, with infected patients followed for 30 days from sample collection to ICU discharge/death.

regulates the health of people living with HIV in developing countries: a systematic review.

If left untreated, HIV has the potential to increase morbidity and mortality rates to 14 times higher than that of HIV and AIDS-free persons of the same sex and age group. Currently, treatment of HIV is by use of ART, which has proved to prolong the lives of people living with HIV (PLWHIV). In addition to ART, HIV patients opt to also use traditional medicines.

Inflammation-responsive drug delivery nanosystems for treatment of bacterial-induced sepsis.

Sepsis, a complication of dysregulated host immune systemic response to an infection, is life threatening and causes multiple organ injuries. Sepsis is recognized by WHO as a big contributor to global morbidity and mortality. The heterogeneity in sepsis pathophysiology, antimicrobial resistance threat, the slowdown in the development of antimicrobials, and limitations of conventional dosage forms jeopardize the treatment of sepsis.

Future prospects in mRNA vaccine development.

The recent advancements in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine development have vastly enhanced their use as alternatives to conventional vaccines in the prevention of various infectious diseases and treatment of several types of cancers. This is mainly due to their remarkable ability to stimulate specific immune responses with minimal clinical side effects. This review gives a detailed overview of mRNA vaccines currently in use or at various stages of development, the recent advancements in mRNA vaccine development, and the challenges encountered in their development.

Fluoride-induced apoptosis in non-skeletal tissues of experimental animals: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Different studies have suggested that fluoride can induce apoptosis in non-skeletal tissues, however, evidence from these experimental studies is still controversial. This meta-analysis aims to clarify the mechanism of fluoride-induced apoptosis in non-skeletal tissues of experimental animals. Primary studies which measured apoptosis were identified through exhaustive database searching in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and references of included studies.

Benzo[]naphtho[2,1-]furans and 2-Phenylnaphthalenes from .

Three new benzo[]naphtho[2,1-]furans, usambarins A-C (-), five new 2-phenylnaphthalenes, usambarins D-H (-), a new flavan (), and a new phenyl-1-benzoxepin () as well as two known compounds ( and ) were isolated from the extract of the stem and roots of (Moraceae). The structures were deduced using NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses, and those of compounds and were confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Usambarin D () demonstrated moderate antibacterial activity (MIC 9.

Survey on public awareness, attitudes and self-protective behavior adoption in different periods of COVID-19.

Introduction: The outbreak and spread of the pandemics have been an issue of critical concern globally, posing a significant threat to the health sector globally. This study aimed to examine the basic knowledge and attitudes toward the recommended protective measures at different times, respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide recommendations for developing targeted strategies and measures for preventing and controlling public health emergencies.

Methods: The study used self-filled questionnaires to examine the public's knowledge, attitudes, and practices on COVID-19 at two different period, from 20 to 31 March 2020 (the beginning period) and 22-27 April 2022 (the regular epidemic prevention and control period).

Acetylsalicylic Acid-Primus Inter Pares in Pharmacology.

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) is one of the first drugs to be obtained by synthesis while being the most used. It has experienced the longest lasting commercial success and is considered the most popular drug of the modern era. ASA, originally used as an anti-inflammatory medication, nowadays is predominantly used as an antiplatelet agent for prophylaxis in cardiac patients.

Genome-wide DNA methylation in an animal model and human studies of schizophrenia: a protocol for a meta-analysis.

Introduction And Objective: Neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia are heterogeneous in that they occur because of the interaction of factors. These factors include but are not limited to genetic, epigenetic, neurobiological and environmental factors. Methylation of DNA, like other erpigenetic modifications, is risk factors for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Management of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in resource limited settings: The Kenyan Experience.

Background Since the onset of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there have been growing concerns regarding multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This study aims to describe the clinico-epidemiological profile and challenges in management of MIS-C in low-middle income countries by highlighting the Kenyan experience. Methods A retrospective study at the Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, Avenue Hospital Kisumu and Kapsabet County Referral Hospital was undertaken to identify cases of MIS-C.

Risk aversion, marketing outlets, and biological control practice adoption: insight from pear farmers in China.

Biological control (BC) is an important component of green control techniques, and its adoption in the production of fresh produce holds economic and ecological importance as an alternative to chemical pesticides, yet its current adoption rate is not high. To clarify the issue, this study analyzes the factors that influence growers' adoption of BC practices in China's orchard systems. We focus on how marketing outlets and risk attitudes affect farmers' adoption of BC practices.

A new β-hydroxydihydrochalcone from Tephrosia uniflora, and the revision of three β-hydroxydihydrochalcones to flavanones.

The CHCl/MeOH (1:1) extract of the stems of Tephrosia uniflora yielded the new β-hydroxydihydrochalcone (S)-elatadihydrochalcone-2'-methyl ether (1) along with the three known compounds elongatin (2), (S)-elatadihydrochalcone (3), and tephrosin (4). The structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric data analyses. Elongatin (2) showed moderate antibacterial activity (EC of 25.

Towards a unified approach for multiple myeloma care in Kenya - proceedings of the Inaugural Multiple Myeloma Congress.

The rising burden of multiple myeloma in Kenya has not been met by a commensurate effort for control. Patients and practitioners struggle with unavailability and unaffordability of diagnostics, drugs and stem cell transplant leading to presentation at advanced stages and under-treatment with increased morbidities and mortality. A concerted effort among stakeholders is urgently needed to develop strategies for myeloma control.