A prospective, longitudinal, comparative analysis of the World Health Organization / International Committee of the Red Cross Basic Emergency Care Course on emergency medicine knowledge and confidence among recent medical school graduates.

Background: The Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM) to train frontline providers in low-resource settings. This study aims to evaluate long-term retention and maintenance of emergency care knowledge and confidence among University of Nairobi School of Medicine graduates after completing the BEC course.

Methods: This longitudinal, prospective, comparative study was conducted with recent graduates of the University of Nairobi School of Medicine from October 2021 to May 2023.

Application of back propagation neural network in complex diagnostics and forecasting loss of life of cellulose paper insulation in oil-immersed transformers.

Oil-immersed transformers are expensive equipment in the electrical system, and their failure would lead to widespread blackouts and catastrophic economic losses. In this work, an elaborate diagnostic approach is proposed to evaluate twenty-six different transformers in-service to determine their operative status as per the IEC 60599:2022 standard and CIGRE brochure. The approach integrates dissolved gas analysis (DGA), transformer oil integrity analysis, visual inspections, and two Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) algorithms to predict the loss of life (LOL) of the transformers through condition monitoring of the cellulose paper.

Discernment of transformer oil stray gassing anomalies using machine learning classification techniques.

This work examines the application of machine learning (ML) algorithms to evaluate dissolved gas analysis (DGA) data to quickly identify incipient faults in oil-immersed transformers (OITs). Transformers are pivotal equipment in the transmission and distribution of electrical power. The failure of a particular unit during service may interrupt a massive number of consumers and disrupt commercial activities in that area.

An Outlook on Harnessing Technological Innovative Competence in Sustainably Transforming African Agriculture.

Agricultural value chains worldwide provide essential support to livelihoods, ecosystem services, and the growing bioeconomy. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic slowed down or reversed decades of agricultural growth and exposed the vulnerabilities of farmers and the food insecure in Africa, thus reiterating the need to build resilience, agility, and adaptability for a sustainable agriculture. Existing social, political, environmental, and economic challenges demonstrate that a path to faster sustainable growth is increased productivity through improved input quality, of which technical inputs are a part.

Evaluation of the World Health Organization-International Committee of the Red Cross Basic Emergency Care course for senior medical students.

Background: The Basic Emergency Care: Approach to the acutely ill and injured course was developed to train health care providers to recognize, stabilize, and treat critically ill patients in resource-limited settings. This study evaluates the Basic Emergency Care course as a tool for improving the emergency medicine knowledge and skills of medical students in a lower-middle income country.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted with senior medical students at the University of Nairobi School of Medicine in October 2021.

Evaluation of sampling frequency impact on the accuracy of water quality status as determined considering different water quality monitoring objectives.

Water quality sampling is a key element in tracking water quality monitoring objectives. However, frequencies adapted by different agencies might not be sufficient to provide an accurate indication of water quality status. In this study, data from low- and high-resolution water quality datasets were analyzed to determine the extent to which monitoring objectives could be achieved with different sampling frequencies, with a view to providing recommendations and best practices for water quality monitoring frequency in places with limited resources with which to implement a high-frequency monitoring plan.

Strain-Specific Biostimulant Effects of and Green Microalgae on .

Microalgae have been identified to produce a plethora of bioactive compounds exerting growth stimulating effects on plants. The objective of this study was to investigate the plant-growth-promoting effects of three selected strains of eukaryotic green microalgae. The biostimulatory effects of two species (MACC-360 and MACC-38) and a strain (cc124) were investigated in a model plant grown under controlled greenhouse conditions.

nab-Paclitaxel and cisplatin followed by cisplatin and radiation (Arm 1) and nab-paclitaxel followed by cetuximab and radiation (Arm 2) for locally advanced head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma: a multicenter, non-randomized phase 2 trial.

In locally advanced head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC), clinical complete response (cCR) at the primary site, assessed by clinical examination, after induction chemotherapy predicts for a low relapse risk after subsequent chemoradiotherapy. Prior studies showed a cCR rate of 77% with induction nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel given with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (APF). The primary aims of this non-randomized phase 2 trial were to determine the cCR rate after induction nab-paclitaxel and cisplatin (Arm 1) and after nab-paclitaxel monotherapy (Arm 2).

Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel with cetuximab and carboplatin as first-line therapy for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer: A single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 trial.

Objectives: Macropinocytosis promotes internalization of albumin into cells to serve as a nutrient supply and is constitutively driven by signaling pathways frequently hyperactivated in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this way, drugs bound to albumin may selectively target HNSCC. nab-paclitaxel is a nanoparticle albumin-bound formulation of paclitaxel that improves drug delivery into tumor compared to paclitaxel.

Application of the theory of planned behavior to predict smoking intentions: cross-cultural comparison of Kenyan and American young adults.

Despite well-established research on the applications of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the American culture, TPB has not been fully tested in the Kenyan culture. This study compared the applications of TPB in predicting smoking intentions (i.e.

Development of phosphorus sorption capacity-based environmental indices for tile-drained systems.

The persistent environmental relevance of phosphorus (P) and P sorption capacity (PSC) on P loss to surface waters has led to proposals for its inclusion in soil fertility and environmental management programs. As fertility and environmental management decisions are made on a routine basis, the use of laborious P sorption isotherms to quantify PSC is not feasible. Alternatively, pedotransfer functions (pedoTFs) estimate PSC from routinely assessed soil chemical properties.

A Rare Case of Sinonasal Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma Presented With Clinically Stage IV Disease.

Sinonasal lymphoepithelial carcinoma (SLEC) is an extremely rare malignancy. We present a case of SLEC in a 77-year-old man who presented with nasal congestion and persistent sinusitis. Imaging revealed a large right nasal mass involving right paranasal sinuses along with bulky bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy.

Implementation of a standardized approach to borderline resectable pancreatic cancer in a multisite community oncology program.

Background: Treatment paradigms for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer are evolving with increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Variations in the definition of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer and neoadjuvant approaches have made standardizing care for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer difficult. We report an effort to standardize management of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer throughout Sanford Health, a large community oncology network.

Safety and Efficacy of Pembrolizumab With Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Phase IB Study.

Purpose: Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks interaction between programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) and its ligands (PD-L1, PD-L2). Although pembrolizumab is approved for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), its role in the management of locally advanced (LA) disease is not defined. We report a phase IB study evaluating the safety and efficacy of adding pembrolizumab to cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with LA HNSCC.

Salinity Stress Responses and Adaptation Mechanisms in Eukaryotic Green Microalgae.

High salinity is a challenging environmental stress for organisms to overcome. Unicellular photosynthetic microalgae are especially vulnerable as they have to grapple not only with ionic imbalance and osmotic stress but also with the generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) interfering with photosynthesis. This review attempts to compare and contrast mechanisms that algae, particularly the eukaryotic microalgae, exhibit in order to immediately respond to harsh conditions caused by high salinity.

Assessment of hydrology and nutrient losses in a changing climate in a subsurface-drained watershed.

Studies assessing the impact of subsurface drains on hydrology and nutrient yield in a changing climate are limited, specifically for Western Lake Erie Basin. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of changing climate on hydro-climatology and nutrient loadings in agricultural subsurface-drained areas on a watershed in northeastern Indiana. The study was conducted using a hydrologic model - the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) - under two different greenhouse gas emission scenarios (RCP 4.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of green infrastructure on hydrology and water quality in a combined sewer overflow community.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of green infrastructure (GI) practices on improving site hydrology and water quality and their associated cost could provide valuable information for decision makers when creating development/re-development strategies. In this study, a watershed scale rainfall-runoff model (the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Analysis - Low Impact Development model, the L-THIA-LID 2.1 model) was enhanced to improve its simulation of urban water management practices including GI practices.

Delivering Precision Oncology in a Community Cancer Program: Results From a Prospective Observational Study.

Introduction: Precision oncology (PO) is a growing treatment approach in the era of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and matched therapies. Effective delivery of PO in the community has not been extensively studied. Our program developed a virtual molecular tumor board (MTB) strategy to help guide PO care.

Evaluation of constraints to water quality improvements in the Western Lake Erie Basin.

Severe environmental and health impacts have been experienced in the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) because of eutrophication and associated proliferation of harmful algae blooms. Efforts to improve water quality within the WLEB have been on-going for several decades. However, water quality improvements in the basin have not been realized as anticipated.

Evaluation of bioenergy crop growth and the impacts of bioenergy crops on streamflow, tile drain flow and nutrient losses in an extensively tile-drained watershed using SWAT.

Large quantities of biofuel production are expected from bioenergy crops at a national scale to meet US biofuel goals. It is important to study biomass production of bioenergy crops and the impacts of these crops on water quantity and quality to identify environment-friendly and productive biofeedstock systems. SWAT2012 with a new tile drainage routine and improved perennial grass and tree growth simulation was used to model long-term annual biomass yields, streamflow, tile flow, sediment load, and nutrient losses under various bioenergy scenarios in an extensively agricultural watershed in the Midwestern US.

A review on effectiveness of best management practices in improving hydrology and water quality: Needs and opportunities.

Best management practices (BMPs) have been widely used to address hydrology and water quality issues in both agricultural and urban areas. Increasing numbers of BMPs have been studied in research projects and implemented in watershed management projects, but a gap remains in quantifying their effectiveness through time. In this paper, we review the current knowledge about BMP efficiencies, which indicates that most empirical studies have focused on short-term efficiencies, while few have explored long-term efficiencies.

Effects of cadmium-resistant fungi Aspergillus aculeatus on metabolic profiles of bermudagrass [Cynodondactylon (L.)Pers.] under Cd stress.

Plants' tolerance to heavy metal stress may be induced by the exploitation of microbes. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of cadmium (Cd)-resistant fungus, Aspergillus aculeatus, on tolerance to Cd and alteration of metabolites in bermudagrass under Cd stress, and identify the predominant metabolites associated with Cd tolerance. Two genotypes of bermudagrass with contrasting Cd tolerance (Cd-sensitive 'WB92' and Cd-tolerant 'WB242') were exposed to 0, 50, 150 and 250 mg kg Cd for 21 days.

Photosynthesis, antioxidant system and gene expression of bermudagrass in response to low temperature and salt stress.

There is widespread distribution of salinized lands in northern China. Harnessing such land is essential to environmental health. Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.

Comparative photosynthetic and metabolic analyses reveal mechanism of improved cold stress tolerance in bermudagrass by exogenous melatonin.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) has been reported to participate in plant development and abiotic stress responses. The main objective of this study was to investigate the role of melatonin in the cold-sensitive (S) and the cold-tolerant (T) bermudagrass genotypes' response to cold stress. The genotypes were treated with 100 μM melatonin and exposed to 4 °C temperature for 3 days.