Teachers’ Competence During Interim Synchronous Teaching Method as Part of the Blended Learning

This article presents the competency of teachers implementing a synchronous teaching during the NCR+ Enhanced Community Quarantine. Teachers were quite unready of the shift from modular print to blended learning where virtual intervention and remediation taking place since early March 2021 encompassing third quarter forward. Using the excerpted ISTE standards for educators (permitted use), teachers’ competencies in designing learning content, facilitating learning, and analyzing learning were gauged without compromising the Most Essential Learning Competencies. Results show that teachers ‘competencies in three factors are high. Thus, the sudden shift of teaching and learning modality does not affect the commitment and performance of teachers

Professional Profile and Performance of Kindergarten Teachers in Public Schools: Inputs for a Proposed Training Program

This study was conducted to identify the inclination of professional profile and performance of public kindergarten teachers. Using descriptive evaluative and correlational design, a survey was administered to the seventy -five (75) kindergarten teachers in the eighteen (18) schools of two (2) districts of Marilao for the School Year 2018 -2019. The researcher found out that majority of the respondents were on the entry-level, married, 1-5 years in teaching major in Early Childhood Education. Furthermore, it was revealed that most of the kindergarten teachers were trained particularly on the experiential training st yle aligned with information communication and technology skills. The study also revealed that there was a reasonable percentage (10.7%) of teachers who did not participate to any community involvement activity, and 81.3 percent were not members of any professional-lead organizations. Moreover, the study revealed that the length of service, status, specialization, trainings, involvement, position and skills were not statistically related to performance based on the Individual Performance Commitment and Review Form (IPCRF) data. Lastly, the study revealed that most teachers had no awards or recognitions received. This implies that teaching position can be linked to, basically, the required points derived from the awards/recognition. Thus, 51 of 75 surveyed teachers are trapped on the proficient career stage of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers. The study recommended that Kindergarten Teachers pursue post-graduate education and that they should attend other form of trainings on teaching strategies. Furthermore, it is recommended that the Department of Education (DepEd) address the gaps between the professional profile of the Kindergarten Teachers in the districts and their performance in the schools

The effect of saline irrigation water on the yield of pepper: experimental and modelling study

The present study investigates the impact of using saline water on pepper crop yield and the application of a numerical model in predicting soil moisture and relative yield under saline irrigation conditions. In the greenhouse experimental study conducted in Antalya, Turkey, the effects of different irrigation regimes with salinity treatments using a drip irrigation system were investigated for two pepper varieties. The irrigation regimes consisted of four irrigation treatments with four salinity levels in two cropping seasons—spring 2011 and autumn 2011. The numerical model SALTMED was used and calibrated using measured soil moisture of a control experiment run during spring 2011. After the calibration, the model was validated using other experimental treatments during spring 2011 and all the experimental treatments in autumn 2011, with appropriate salinity stress parameter π50 values which are calibrated versus the highest salinity treatments in the spring 2011 and autumn 2011 experiments. The predicted results show the ability of the model to reproduce the measured soil moisture at three soil layers 0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm. The predicted relative yield results are in good agreement with measured data. Although the numerical model SALTMED has been used in several studies in the past, this is the first study that illustrates the potential capacity of the model for use in managing greenhouse production

S-allylmercaptocysteine scavenges hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen in vitro and attenuates gentamicin-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and renal damage in vivo

BACKGROUND: Oxidative and nitrosative stress have been involved in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this work was to study the effect of S-allylmercaptocysteine, a garlic derived compound, on gentamicin-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and nephrotoxicity. In addition, the in vitro reactive oxygen species scavenging properties of S-allylmercaptocysteine were studied. RESULTS: S-allylmercaptocysteine was able to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen in vitro. In rats treated with gentamicin (70 mg/Kg body weight, subcutaneously, every 12 h, for 4 days), renal oxidative stress was made evident by the increase in protein carbonyl content and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, and the nitrosative stress was made evident by the increase in 3-nitrotyrosine. In addition, gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity was evident by the: (1) decrease in creatinine clearance and in activity of circulating glutathione peroxidase, and (2) increase in urinary excretion of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and (3) necrosis of proximal tubular cells. Gentamicin-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress and nephrotoxicity were attenuated by S-allylmercaptocysteine treatment (100 mg/Kg body weight, intragastrically, 24 h before the first dose of gentamicin and 50 mg/Kg body weight, intragastrically, every 12 h, for 4 days along gentamicin-treatment). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, S-allylmercaptocysteine is able to scavenge hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen in vitro and to ameliorate the gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative and nitrosative stress in vivo

Colorectal cancer health services research study protocol: the CCR-CARESS observational prospective cohort project

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancers are one of the most common forms of malignancy worldwide. But two significant areas of research less studied deserve attention: health services use and development of patient stratification risk tools for these patients. METHODS:DESIGN: a prospective multicenter cohort study with a follow up period of up to 5 years after surgical intervention. Participant centers: 22 hospitals representing six autonomous communities of Spain. Participants/Study population: Patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer that have undergone surgical intervention and have consented to participate in the study between June 2010 and December 2012. Variables collected include pre-intervention background, sociodemographic parameters, hospital admission records, biological and clinical parameters, treatment information, and outcomes up to 5 years after surgical intervention. Patients completed the following questionnaires prior to surgery and in the follow up period: EuroQol-5D, EORTC QLQ-C30 (The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire) and QLQ-CR29 (module for colorectal cancer), the Duke Functional Social Support Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Barthel Index. The main endpoints of the study are mortality, tumor recurrence, major complications, readmissions, and changes in health-related quality of life at 30 days and at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years after surgical intervention. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: In relation to the different endpoints, predictive models will be used by means of multivariate logistic models, Cox or linear mixed-effects regression models. Simulation models for the prediction of discrete events in the long term will also be used, and an economic evaluation of different treatment strategies will be performed through the use of generalized linear models. DISCUSSION: The identification of potential risk factors for adverse events may help clinicians in the clinical decision making process. Also, the follow up by 5 years of this large cohort of patients may provide useful information to answer different health services research questions

Characterization of Distinct Populations of Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblasts from Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Reveals a Role for ST8SIA2 in Cancer Cell Invasion.

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundant stromal cells in tumor microenvironment that are critically involved in cancer progression. Contrasting reports have shown that CAFs can have either pro- or antitumorigenic roles, indicating that CAFs are functionally heterogeneous. Therefore, to precisely target the cancer-promoting CAF subsets, it is necessary to identify specific markers to define these subpopulations and understand their functions. We characterized two CAFs subsets from 28 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient tumors that were scored and classified based on desmoplasia [mainly characterized by proliferating CAFs; high desmoplastic CAFs (HD-CAF; n = 15) and low desmoplastic CAFs (LD-CAF; n = 13)], which is an independent prognostic factor. Here, for the first time, we demonstrate that HD-CAFs and LD-CAFs show different tumor-promoting abilities. HD-CAFs showed higher rate of collagen matrix remodeling, invasion, and tumor growth compared to LD-CAFs. Transcriptomic analysis identified 13 genes that were differentially significant (fold ≥1.5; adjusted P value < .1) between HD-CAFs and LD-CAFs. The top upregulated differentially expressed gene, ST8SIA2 (11.3 fold; adjusted P value = .02), enhanced NSCLC tumor cell invasion in 3D culture compared to control when it was overexpressed in CAFs, suggesting an important role of ST8SIA2 in cancer cell invasion. We confirmed the protumorigenic role of ST8SIA2, showing that ST8SIA2 was significantly associated with the risk of relapse in three independent NSCLC clinical datasets. In summary, our studies show that functional heterogeneity in CAF plays key role in promoting cancer cell invasion in NSCLC

Cerebral gene expression in response to single or combined gestational exposure to methylmercury and selenium through the maternal diet

Controversy remains regarding the safety of consuming certain types of seafood, particularly during pregnancy. While seafood is rich in vital nutrients, it may also be an important source of environmental contaminants such as methylmercury (MeHg). Selenium (Se) is one essential element present in seafood, hypothesised to ameliorate MeHg toxicity. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the impact of Se on MeHg-induced cerebral gene expression in a mammalian model. Microarray analysis was performed on brain tissue from 15-day-old mice that had been exposed to MeHg throughout development via the maternal diet. The results from the microarray analysis were validated using qPCR. The exposure groups included: MeHg alone (2.6 mg kg−1), Se alone (1.3 mg kg−1), and MeHg + Se. MeHg was presented in a cysteinate form, and Se as Se–methionine, one of the elemental species occurring naturally in seafood. Eight genes responded to Se exposure alone, five were specific to MeHg, and 63 were regulated under the concurrent exposure of MeHg and Se. Significantly enriched functional classes relating to the immune system and cell adhesion were identified, highlighting potential ameliorating mechanisms of Se on MeHg toxicity. Key developmental genes, such as Wnt3 and Sparcl1, were also identified as putative ameliorative targets. This study, utilising environmentally realistic forms of toxicants, delivered through the natural route of exposure, in association with the power of transcriptomics, highlights significant novel information regarding putative pathways of selenium and MeHg interaction in the mammalian brain

Grupo español de cirugía torácica asistida por videoimagen: método, auditoría y resultados iniciales de una cohorte nacional prospectiva de pacientes tratados con resecciones anatómicas del pulmón

Introduction: our study sought to know the current implementation of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for anatomical lung resections in Spain. We present our initial results and describe the auditing systems developed by the Spanish VATS Group (GEVATS). Methods: we conducted a prospective multicentre cohort study that included patients receiving anatomical lung resections between 12/20/2016 and 03/20/2018. The main quality controls consisted of determining the recruitment rate of each centre and the accuracy of the perioperative data collected based on six key variables. The implications of a low recruitment rate were analysed for '90-day mortality' and 'Grade IIIb-V complications'. Results: the series was composed of 3533 cases (1917 VATS; 54.3%) across 33 departments. The centres' median recruitment rate was 99% (25-75th:76-100%), with an overall recruitment rate of 83% and a data accuracy of 98%. We were unable to demonstrate a significant association between the recruitment rate and the risk of morbidity/mortality, but a trend was found in the unadjusted analysis for those centres with recruitment rates lower than 80% (centres with 95-100% rates as reference): grade IIIb-V OR=0.61 (p=0.081), 90-day mortality OR=0.46 (p=0.051). Conclusions: more than half of the anatomical lung resections in Spain are performed via VATS. According to our results, the centre's recruitment rate and its potential implications due to selection bias, should deserve further attention by the main voluntary multicentre studies of our speciality. The high representativeness as well as the reliability of the GEVATS data constitute a fundamental point of departure for this nationwide cohort

Mini-Grids for the Sustainable Electrification of Rural Areas in Sub-Saharan Africa: Assessing the Potential of KeyMaker Models

Solar hybrid mini-grid systems possess the potential to substantially support electrification in sub-Saharan Africa. While their technical reliability has been proven, their financial viability is achieved only by heavy subsidization as of now. Due to the growing importance of results-based financing, we ask whether newly developed business models leveraging on the value added of electricity supply in rural areas (such as the KeyMaker Model) bare the potential to substantially reduce amount of grants required to finance the initial capital investment and thus contribute to a sustainable form of development. The principle of the KeyMaker Model is based on utilizing the locally supplied mini-grid electricity to establish a local agro-processing project, the revenues of which are an additional income stream for the mini-grid operator, while the project creates an end-market for the local farmers to sell their produce. We have developed two scenarios (without and with KeyMaker Model) for four rural villages in Nigeria as a case study to scientifically assess the potential of KeyMaker Models. We simulated and optimized the mini-grid systems using the software tool HOMER. We then assessed their financial viability. Our analysis demonstrates grant finance requirements ranging from 82% to 99% of the total investment for the base-case mini-grid projects without consideration of the KeyMaker Model. We find that a well-selected KeyMaker Model such as cocoa bean processing reduced the grant requirement by 68 percentage points, while processes based on maize, palm oil and cassava processing achieved reductions of 36, 26 and 8 percentage points, respectively. Hence, we conclude that the value added by the introduction of new local business models bares the potential to reduce grant requirements for the socially and economically necessary electrification across the Global South

Improving Bus Service with Dynamic Holding Control: from Theory to Practice

Service unreliability is widely recognized as one of the main deterrents for travelers to use buses as their primary mode of transportation. Bus systems are exposed to an adverse feedback loop that generates a tendency for buses to fall out of sync. This tendency can be counteracted by the application of control strategies that regulate the motion of the buses. Even though this is well known among transit operators and research has been devoted to solve this issue, in practice most bus systems rely on static control methods that ignore the real conditions of the system. Unfortunately, such an approach slows buses down excessively and it cannot compensate for severe disruptions.This research proposes a control method that applies dynamic holding based on real-time conditions, in order to synchronize the buses' motion and improve their service reliability without imposing an excessive burden on their speed. A formulation that improves and simplifies existing dynamic holding control strategies for isolated bus lines is developed. Stability conditions both for headway and schedule deviations are then derived, and the theoretical results are validated with a simulation case study. The improved formulation is then extended to corridors where multiple bus lines overlap, reproducing the stability results found in the single line scenario. A framework for a real application entailing a distributed system of on-board devices is also presented. The control performance is then validated, now using a real-world case study. Finally, the robustness of this control framework is assessed considering the effects of possible device failures. In particular, the effects of GPS malfunctions on the on-board devices are studied analytically, revealing the resilience of the proposed control strategy