G-Protein coupled receptor signalling in pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiovascular cells: Implications for disease modelling

Human pluripotent stem cell derivatives show promise as an in vitro platform to study a range of human cardiovascular diseases. A better understanding of the biology of stem cells and their cardiovascular derivatives will help to understand the strengths and limitations of this new model system. G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are key regulators of stem cell maintenance and differentiation and have an important role in cardiovascular cell signaling. In this review, we will therefore describe the state of knowledge concerning the regulatory role of GPCRs in both the generation and function of pluripotent stem cell derived-cardiomyocytes, -endothelial, and -vascular smooth muscle cells. We will consider how far the in vitro disease models recapitulate authentic GPCR signaling and provide a useful basis for discovery of disease mechanisms or design of therapeutic strategies

Mainstreaming Early Grade Reading Instruction in Early Childhood Teacher Education

This paper provides insights on how Early Grade Reading Instruction Curriculum (EGRIC) catalyzed a pedagogical shift and, consequently, began transforming early childhood teacher education in Kenya through reading instruction. EGRIC, themed: All Teachers Teaching Reading All Children Reading, was sponsored by USAID’s All Children Reading: Grand Challenge for Development and implemented by the University of Nairobi from September 2012 to September 2014. EGRIC developed the capacity of 315 purposively selected UoN pre-service teachers enrolled in Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Education and 170 in-service teachers to provide reading instruction, assessment and remediation in theearly grades (K-3rd grade). The ultimate goal was to infuse EGRIC into UoN’s B. Ed (ECE) program. Data were collected using mixed-method research approaches and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. EGRIC workshops and school follow-ups became an odyssey where teachers re-discovered the true meaning of reading instruction. Consequently, 298 teachers were certified as reading teachers at project close-out. Over 17, 800 children’s reading skills were impacted; of these, 298 children at-risk of reading failure received weekly one-on-one tutoring and registered improvements in their reading skills and motivation for reading.There is need to open up and/or extend space(s) to foster technical leadership,knowledge sharing, and evidence building around issues of early grade reading instruction and assessment; improving effectiveness, sustainability, and scaling up of early grade reading interventions. The broader goal should be to build capacity of stakeholders to apply evidence-informed practices to increase impact, scale, and sustainability of reading interventions in Kenya and beyond

Promoting Effective Community Participation in Land Use Planning and Management of Wildlife Conservation Areas

The major threat facing conservation of wildlife within and outside protected areas presently is the continuous loss of wildlife corridors and dispersal areas. This is as a result of increase in human settlements and the introduction of land uses which conflict with conservation activities in areas that were once not settled or had minimal human population. This study sought to unveil how sound wildlife conservation and co-existence between humans and wildlife can be promoted with a view of making local communities conserve and benefit from wildlife resources in and out of protected areas. Key issues addressed in the study included resource use conflicts as well as problems that constrain effective community participation. Study findings indicated that wildlife corridors have been invaded by the local community due to population pressure and the search for alternative livelihoods thereby promoting conflicts. There is also minimal involvement of communities in the planning and management of Meru National park, dispersal areas and wildlife corridors. It was further established that lack of direct benefits from conservation hindered active community participation. The study has provided an integrated conservation model and use of zoning as a land use planning approaches to spatial conflict resolution. Intensifying environmental education and multiple resource use approaches such as ecotourism where communities can access the benefits for protecting wildlife and their habitats to meet their needs should also be enhanced. Keywords: Community; Participation; Dispersal Areas; Land Use; Plannin

Antinociceptive potentiation of pethidine (demerol) by clomipramine in the late phase of formalin test in mice

Background: Pethidine, an opioid analgesic is used for pain management. Clomipramine a tricyclic antidepressant primarily used for mood management is also used to treat pain. The objective of this study was to investigate the potentiation of the analgesic effects of sub-threshold dose of pethidine by a tricyclic antidepressant, clomipramine. Methods: The antinociceptive activities of clomipramine and pethidine alone and in combination were investigated in Swiss albino mice using the formalin test. Normal saline was employed as the control. Ten animals were used in each experiment. Results: Pethidine 5mg / kg failed to cause any significant effect while the 6.25, 7.5, 8.75 and 10.0mg /kg showed highly significant antinociceptive effect (p< 0.01) compared to the controls in the late phase of formalin test. Clomipramine 0.5 mg / kg did not show any significant effect while 0.75 mg / kg caused a significant effect (p< 0.05) while 1.00 and 1.25mg /kg caused a very highly significant antinociceptive effect (p< 0.001) in the late phase of formalin test compared to the vehicle treated animals. The combination of pethidine 5mg / kg and clomipramine 0.75mg / kg caused a highly significant antinociceptive effect (P<0.01) in the late phase of formalin test. Conclusion: This study demonstrates a marked reduction in the time spent in pain behaviour produced by the combination of low dose pethidine and clomipramine in the late phase of formalin test. The findings demonstrate the potentiation of a narcotic analgesic by a tricyclic antidepressant. Pan African Medical Journal 2012 12:2

Persistence in systems with conserved order parameter

We consider the low-temperature coarsening dynamics of a one-dimensional Ising ferromagnet with conserved Kawasaki-like dynamics in the domain representation. Domains diffuse with size-dependent diffusion constant, $D(l) \propto l^\gamma$ with $\gamma = -1$. We generalize this model to arbitrary $\gamma$, and derive an expression for the domain density, $N(t) \sim t^{-\phi}$ with $\phi=1/(2-\gamma)$, using a scaling argument. We also investigate numerically the persistence exponent $\theta$ characterizing the power-law decay of the number, $N_p(t)$, of persistent (unflipped) spins at time $t$, and find $N_{p}(t)\sim t^{-\theta}$ where $\theta$ depends on $\gamma$. We show how the results for $\phi$ and $\theta$ are related to similar calculations in diffusion-limited cluster-cluster aggregation (DLCA) where clusters with size-dependent diffusion constant diffuse through an immobile `empty' phase and aggregate irreversibly on impact. Simulations show that, while $\phi$ is the same in both models, $\theta$ is different except for $\gamma=0$. We also investigate models that interpolate between symmetric domain diffusion and DLCA.Comment: 9 pages, minor revision

Pengaruh Pasteurisasi terhadap Kualitas Jus Jeruk Pacitan

Jeruk Pacitan adalah salah satu hasil perkebunan asli Indonesia dan menjadi hasil unggulan daerah Pacitan. Jeruk Pacitan mempunyai rasa yang manis, kandungan air yang banyak, dan memiliki kandungan vitamin C yang tinggi sehingga dapat dikonsumsi oleh masyarakat terutama anak– anak. Jeruk dapat dikonsumsi dalam bentuk jus. Pada pembuatan jus jeruk dalam kemasan terlebih dahulu dilakukan pasteurisasi sebelum dikemas untuk mematikan mikroba dan menginaktifkan enzim–enzim yang menyebabkan reaksi pencoklatan. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu mempelajari pengaruh suhu dan waktu pemanasan pada proses pasteurisasi jus jeruk Pacitan serta menentukan kondisi terbaik agar didapatkan jus jeruk dengan jumlah mikroba sesuai SNI

Incidence and clinical characteristics of group A rotavirus infections among children admitted to hospital in Kilifi, Kenya

Background Rotavirus, predominantly of group A, is a major cause of severe diarrhoea worldwide, with the greatest burden falling on young children living in less-developed countries. Vaccines directed against this virus have shown promise in recent trials, and are undergoing effectiveness evaluation in sub-Saharan Africa. In this region limited childhood data are available on the incidence and clinical characteristics of severe group A rotavirus disease. Advocacy for vaccine intervention and interpretation of effectiveness following implementation will benefit from accurate base-line estimates of the incidence and severity of rotavirus paediatric admissions in relevant populations. The study objective was to accurately define the incidence and severity of group A rotavirus disease in a resource-poor setting necessary to make informed decisions on the need for vaccine prevention. Methods and Findings Between 2002 and 2004 we conducted prospective surveillance for group A rotavirus infection at Kilifi District Hospital in coastal Kenya. Children < 13 y of age were eligible as "cases" if admitted with diarrhoea, and "controls" if admitted without diarrhoea. We calculated the incidence of hospital admission with group A rotavirus using data from a demographic surveillance study of 220,000 people in Kilifi District. Of 15,347 childhood admissions 3,296 (22%) had diarrhoea, 2,039 were tested for group A rotavirus antigen and, of these, 588 (29%) were positive. 372 (63%) rotavirus-positive cases were infants. Of 620 controls 19 (3.1%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9–4.7) were rotavirus positive. The annual incidence (per 100,000 children) of rotavirus-positive admissions was 1,431 (95% CI 1,275–1,600) in infants and 478 (437–521) in under-5-y-olds, and highest proximal to the hospital. Compared to children with rotavirus-negative diarrhoea, rotavirus-positive cases were less likely to have coexisting illnesses and more likely to have acidosis (46% versus 17%) and severe electrolyte imbalance except hyponatraemia. In-hospital case fatality was 2% among rotavirus-positive and 9% among rotavirus-negative children. Conclusions In Kilifi > 2% of children are admitted to hospital with group A rotavirus diarrhoea in the first 5 y of life. This translates into over 28,000 vaccine-preventable hospitalisations per year across Kenya, and is likely to be a considerable underestimate. Group A rotavirus diarrhoea is associated with acute life-threatening metabolic derangement in otherwise healthy children. Although mortality is low in this clinical research setting this may not be generally true in African hospitals lacking rapid and appropriate management

Clinical-pathological presentation, treatment and outcomes of ovarian cancer cases at moi teaching and referral hospital (mtrh), eldoret

Introduction: Ovarian cancer is the third most frequent cause of death amongst gynecological cancers both locally and globally. It presents with vague nonspecific symptoms and is histologically heterogeneous. Ovarian cancer management is primarily surgical followed by adjuvant chemotherapy depending on the histological type and the surgical stage. Objectives: To determine the clinical-pathological presentation, treatment and outcomes of ovarian cancer patients at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), Eldoret. Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of ovarian cancer patients managed between January 2010 and August 2017 at MTRH. Data were analyzed using STATA version 15. Survival trends were generated using Kaplan Meier method. Results: A total of 124 medical charts of patients with ovarian cancer were retrieved, 29 had incomplete data and were excluded, and 95 were evaluable and included in this review. Over half, (63%) presented in stage 3 and 4 though there was no significant association between histology and stage of disease [X2(6) =4.72, p=0.58]. The median age at diagnosis was 47 years with 55-80 years being the modal age group (36%). Majority (57%) were married and 83.9% were unemployed. Only 66% had documented histopathology, with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) being most common (70%), [serous (50%) and mucinous (11.4%)]. Sex cord stromal tumors 11%. Germ cell tumors amounted to 11% (dygerminomas 50%and Yolk sac tumors (25%) Bivariate analysis revealed significant association only between histology and parity [X2 (6) = 28.8, p\u3c0.001]. Those reviewed contributed a total of 138.2 person-years to the study and 11(12%) died, giving a diseasespecific mortality rate of 79.6 per 1,000 person years (95% CI: 44.1-143.8). Mortality was highest among those with epithelial histology 109 (95% CI: 48.8-241.9) per 1,000 person years and those who had neoadjuvant chemotherapy then surgery as a treatment option, 373.1 (95% CI: 93.3-1491.8) per 1,000 person years. Those who underwent upfront surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and sex cord stromal cancer had higher survival probability. Conclusion: Ovarian cancer at MTRH is diagnosed at advanced stages III and IV of disease and has a lower median age at presentation. EOC is the commonest histological type and serous subtype is the most lethal. Mortality was highest among those with EOC and those who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Granulosa cell tumor is the only sex cord stromal type reported in our setting and it exhibited a higher survival probability. Germ cell tumors were mainly found in nulliparous women