A scorecard for assessing functionality of community health unit in Kenya.

Introduction: In 2005, Kenya's Ministry of Health (MOH) in its quest to improve health outcomes developed the Community Health Strategy (CHS) as a key approach. The MOH and partners grappled with the challenge of managing the functionality of the Community Health Units (CHUs). Amref Health Africa in Kenya developed a replicable CHUs Functionality Scorecard for measuring and managing the functionality of CHUs.

Hybrid biological, electron beam and zero-valent nano iron treatment of recalcitrant metalworking fluids.

Hybrid approaches for the remediation and detoxification of toxic recalcitrant industrial wastewater were investigated. The focus was waste metalworking fluid, which was selected as a representative model of other waste streams that are toxic, recalcitrant and that require more sustainable routes of safe disposal. The hybrid approaches included biodegradation, electron beam irradiation and zero-valent nano iron advanced oxidation processes that were employed individually and in sequence employing a factorial design.

Aqueous graphene dispersions-optical properties and stimuli-responsive phase transfer.

We demonstrate essentially complete exfoliation of graphene aggregates in water at concentrations up to 5% by weight (166-fold greater than previous high concentration report) using recently developed triblock copolymers and copolymeric nanolatexes based on a reactive ionic liquid acrylate surfactant. We demonstrate that the visible absorption coefficient in aqueous dispersion, 48.9 ± 1.

Consumption of dried apple peel powder increases joint function and range of motion.

The goal for this study was to evaluate the effects of consumption of dried apple peel powder (DAPP) on joint function and range of motion (ROM). Additional in vitro and clinical testing was performed to suggest specific mechanisms of action. An open-label clinical pilot study involved 12 healthy people with moderate loss of joint ROM and associated chronic pain.

Resolving the mechanism of bacterial inhibition by plant secondary metabolites employing a combination of whole-cell biosensors.

Tightening regulations regarding the use of biocides have stimulated interest in investigating alternatives to current antimicrobial strategies. Plant essential oils and their constituent compounds are promising candidates as novel antimicrobial agents because of their excellent ability in killing microbes while being non-toxic to humans at antimicrobially-active concentrations. Allyl isothiocyanate (AIT), carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde (CNAD), citral, and thymol were investigated for their antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus.