A manifesto for a globally diverse, equitable, and inclusive open science.

The field of psychology has rapidly transformed its open science practices in recent years. Yet there has been limited progress in integrating principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. In this Perspective, we raise the spectre of Questionable Generalisability Practices and the issue of MASKing (Making Assumptions based on Skewed Knowledge), calling for more responsible practices in generalising study findings and co-authorship to promote global equity in knowledge production.

Hyaluronic acid-silybin conjugate for the preparation of multifunctional, biomimetic, vancomycin-loaded self-assembled polymersomes against bacterial sepsis.

Sepsis, a life-threatening disruption, remains a significant global healthcare challenge that urgently needs novel strategies to improve management. This study aimed to develop multifunctional vancomycin-loaded polymersomes (VCM-HA-SIL-Ps) using a novel hyaluronic acid-silybin (HA-SIL) conjugate to target the TLR inflammatory pathway and enhance VCM's efficacy against bacterial sepsis. HA-SIL was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and H NMR.

Assessment of Treatment Outcomes and Associated Factors Among Pediatric Patients With Burkitt Lymphoma at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Background: In developing countries, the treatment outcomes of Burkitt lymphoma are poor due to the poorly equipped healthcare systems. In addition, there is limited comprehensive data within the African continent, including Kenya, about the outcomes of treatment for this cancer.

Aims: To assess treatment outcomes and variables associated with an increased risk of death from disease progression or treatment-related toxicities among Burkitt lymphoma pediatric patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Multifunctional Dual Enzyme-Responsive Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Targeting and Enhancing the Treatment of Bacterial Infections.

Bacterial infections pose an increasingly worrisome threat to the health of humankind, with antibiotic resistance contributing significantly to this burden. With current conventional antibiotics perpetuating the problem, and a paucity in developing antibiotics, drug delivery systems incorporating nanotechnology appear promising. As such, a dual enzyme-responsive multifunctional nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) incorporating farnesol (FAN) and triglycerol monostearate (TGMS), was conceptualized for the codelivery of vancomycin (VCM) and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) to enhance the antibacterial activity of VCM.

Pharmacogenomics revolutionizing cardiovascular therapeutics: A narrative review.

Background And Aim: Among the cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), heart failure, hypertension, and myocardial infarction are associated with the greatest number of disability-adjusted life years due to lifestyle changes and the failure of therapeutic approaches, especially the one-size-fits-all interventions. As a result, there has been advances in defining genetic variants responsible for different responses to cardiovascular drugs such as antiplatelets, anticoagulants, statins, and beta-blockers, which has led to their usage in guiding treatment plans. This study comprehensively reviews the current state-of-the-art potential of pharmacogenomics in dramatically altering CVD treatment.

Ethical and epistemic costs of a lack of geographical and cultural diversity in developmental science.

Increasing geographical and cultural diversity in research participation has been a key priority for psychological researchers. In this article, we track changes in participant diversity in developmental science over the past decade. These analyses reveal surprisingly modest shifts in global diversity of research participants over time, calling into question the generalizability of our empirical foundation.

Assessment of chemotherapy-related adverse drug reactions among multiple myeloma patients at Kenyatta national hospital.

Background: Despite treatment modalities for multiple myeloma can cause adverse drug reactions (ADRs), data are scarce about the types, severity and preventability of chemotherapy-related ADRs in Kenya. This study aimed to assess the chemotherapy-related ADRs among multiple myeloma patients at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Methods: A one-arm retrospective cohort study was carried out among all eligible adult patients with a documented diagnosis of multiple myeloma between 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2023.

Disease-Inspired Design of Biomimetic Tannic Acid-Based Hybrid Nanocarriers for Enhancing the Treatment of Bacterial-Induced Sepsis.

This study explored the development of novel biomimetic tannic acid-based hybrid nanocarriers (HNs) for targeted delivery of ciprofloxacin (CIP-loaded TAH-NPs) against bacterial-induced sepsis. The prepared CIP-loaded TAH-NPs exhibited appropriate physicochemical characteristics and demonstrated biocompatibility and nonhemolytic properties. Computational simulations and microscale thermophoresis studies validated the strong binding affinity of tannic acid (TA) and its nanoformulation to human Toll-like receptor 4, surpassing that of the natural substrate lipopolysaccharide (LPS), suggesting a potential competitive inhibition against LPS-induced inflammatory responses.

Biosynthesized and chemically synthesized Ag/TiO nanocomposites: Effect of reaction parameters on synthesis using watermelon rind extract and comparative analysis.

This work synthesized Ag/TiO nanocomposite via an aqueous reduction method using a green and chemical reducing agent. (watermelon) rind extract (WMRE) and sodium borohydride (NaBH) were used as the reducing agents during green synthesis and chemical synthesis, respectively. During green synthesis, a pH of 12, a reaction time of 45 min, and an operating temperature of 100 °C yielded the best visible light activity.

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.

Therapeutic and non-therapeutic practices in the child justice system in Kenya: A therapeutic jurisprudence perspective.

Child justice systems are specialized jurisdictions set up for the purpose of providing justice related services to children. In an effort to resolve many of the systemic injustices expereinced by justice involved children, Kenya recently legislated the Children Act 2022. This new law is viewed as a paradigm shift from previous children acts as it incorporates constitutional provisions, UN conventions, minimum rules and other international protocols that Kenya is a state party to.

Progress in experimental models to investigate the in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic activity of drugs.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the world's most prevalent and complex metabolic disorders, and it is a rapidly growing global public health issue. It is characterized by hyperglycemia, a condition involving a high blood glucose level brought on by deficiencies in insulin secretion, decreased activity of insulin, or both. Prolonged effects of diabetes include cardiovascular problems, retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, and vascular alterations in both macro- and micro-blood vessels.

Drug therapy problems among paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Introduction: Several studies reported that drug therapy problems (DTPs) were prevalent in cancer patients. These DTPs are still interfering with the desired treatment outcomes in patients with cancer. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, types and predictors of DTPs among paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patients at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Comparing labour induction outcomes using misoprostol and dinoprostone in term pregnancies: A retrospective study at Kiambu Level 5 Hospital between 2018 and 2020.

Background: The Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) was introduced in Kenya in 2016 and implemented at Kiambu Level 5 Hospital (KL5H) three years later in 2019. During a routine MPDSR meeting at KL5H, committee members identified a possible link between the off-label use of 200mcg misoprostol tablets divided eight times to achieve the necessary dose for labour induction (25mcg) and maternal deaths. Following this, an administrative decision was made to switch from misoprostol to dinoprostone for the induction of labour in June of 2019.

Engineering dynamic covalent bond-based nanosystems for delivery of antimicrobials against bacterial infections.

Nanodrug delivery systems (NDDS) continue to be explored as novel strategies enhance therapy outcomes and combat microbial resistance. The need for the formulation of smart drug delivery systems for targeting infection sites calls for the engineering of responsive chemical designs such as dynamic covalent bonds (DCBs). Stimuli response due to DCBs incorporated into nanosystems are emerging as an alternative way to target infection sites, thus enhancing the delivery of antibacterial agents.

A Multi-pronged Approach to Addressing Global Poxviruses Vaccine Inequity: A Case of Monkeypox.

Monkeypox has been endemic in Congo and Nigeria for at least five decades. Since early May 2022, there have been numerous unprecedented outbreaks throughout the world in places without any previously reported cases. While a majority of the diagnosed cases have been within Europe and the Americas, several cases have occurred in non-endemic African countries.

Applications of peptides in nanosystems for diagnosing and managing bacterial sepsis.

Sepsis represents a critical medical condition stemming from an imbalanced host immune response to infections, which is linked to a significant burden of disease. Despite substantial efforts in laboratory and clinical research, sepsis remains a prominent contributor to mortality worldwide. Nanotechnology presents innovative opportunities for the advancement of sepsis diagnosis and treatment.

Health-related quality of life among patients with esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Background: Despite the advancement of modern treatment approaches, several studies indicated a diminished health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. However, there is insufficient data about the HRQoL of gastrointestinal cancer patients in Kenya.

Aims: The study aimed to investigate HRQoL and its determinants in gastrointestinal cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Anger and disgust shape judgments of social sanctions across cultures, especially in high individual autonomy societies.

When someone violates a social norm, others may think that some sanction would be appropriate. We examine how the experience of emotions like anger and disgust relate to the judged appropriateness of sanctions, in a pre-registered analysis of data from a large-scale study in 56 societies. Across the world, we find that individuals who experience anger and disgust over a norm violation are more likely to endorse confrontation, ostracism and, to a smaller extent, gossip.

Changes in social norms during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic across 43 countries.

The emergence of COVID-19 dramatically changed social behavior across societies and contexts. Here we study whether social norms also changed. Specifically, we study this question for cultural tightness (the degree to which societies generally have strong norms), specific social norms (e.

Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of epilepsy: Unraveling the molecular mechanisms: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Epilepsy is characterized by having two or more unprovoked seizures. Understanding the pathogenesis of epilepsy, requires deep investigation into the molecular mechanisms. This helps develop diagnostic techniques, treatments, and pharmacotherapy.

An assessment of survival outcomes among ovarian cancer patients at the National and Referral Hospital in Kenya.

Background: Ovarian cancer has been shown to have poor survival outcomes attributed to late presentation. In Kenya, information on the survival outcomes of ovarian cancer patients is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the survival outcomes among patients with ovarian cancer treated at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Multi-functional pH-responsive and biomimetic chitosan-based nanoplexes for targeted delivery of ciprofloxacin against bacterial sepsis.

Bacterial sepsis is a mortal syndromic disease characterized by a complex pathophysiology that hinders effective targeted therapy. This study aimed to develop multifunctional, biomimetic and pH-responsive ciprofloxacin-loaded chitosan (CS)/sodium deoxycholic acid (SDC) nanoplexes (CS/SDC) nanoplexes with the ability to target and modulate the TLR4 pathway, activated during sepsis. The formulated nanoplexes were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties, in silico and in vitro potential biological activities.