Satur P. Apoyon's "Anak sa Wakwak"

 In A Dictionary of Cebuano Visayan (1972), John U. Wolff defined wakwak as “bird which comes out at night, so called from its call. Its call signifies the presence of a vampire (unglo) or in some beliefs, it is a form the vampire takes himself.” The supernatural wakwak is prevalent in Philippine folklore, and even today, many people in the rural areas still believe in its existence. In Satur P. Apoyon’s “Anak sa Wakwak,” the wakwak maintains a firm grip in the imagination of the rural folk. Set in this milieu, a young boy comes of age and confronts his desire for the daughter of an alleged wakwak. Originally published in Bisaya Magasin in 2002, the short story was finally collected in a slim volume entitled Ang Gakit ni Noebong ug Ubang mga Sugilanon (Noebong’s Raft and Other Stories) in 2008, published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The journal would like to thank the estate of Satur Apoyon for permission to publish the original story together with the English translation

The Influence of School Ability Measures on Accounting Competencies: A Path Analysis

This study aimed to assess the level of school ability measures and accounting competencies of fourth year BS in Accounting Technology students of UM Digos College. It also investigates which of the two school ability measures such as verbal and non-verbal significantly influence to accounting competencies. Quantitative correlational research was used, and primary data were gathered through the use of Accounting Competency Test questionnaire distributed to 32 fourth year BSAT students for the school year 2015-2016 who had took the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test at UMDC Guidance and Testing Center. Frequency and relative frequency, mean, statistical correlation, and multivariate regression analysis were used as statistical method to address the problem in the study. The findings revealed that the fourth year respondents are overall low in terms of school ability with a below average of verbal ability while average in terms of non-verbal ability. They were also found to be competent enough in accounting. Results also showed that among the school ability measures, only verbal ability has significant influence on accounting competencies. Furthermore, the two dimensions such as verbal comprehension and reasoning were significant predictors. On the other hand, the non-verbal ability, in terms of figurative reasoning and quantitative reasoning, is a non-significant predictor of accounting competencies

An untargeted multi-technique metabolomics approach to studying intracellular metabolites of HepG2 cells exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>cell systems together with omics methods represent promising alternatives to conventional animal models for toxicity testing. Transcriptomic and proteomic approaches have been widely applied <it>in vitro </it>but relatively few studies have used metabolomics. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to develop an untargeted methodology for performing reproducible metabolomics on <it>in vitro </it>systems. The human liver cell line HepG2, and the well-known hepatotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogen 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), were used as the <it>in vitro </it>model system and model toxicant, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study focused on the analysis of intracellular metabolites using NMR, LC-MS and GC-MS, with emphasis on the reproducibility and repeatability of the data. State of the art pre-processing and alignment tools and multivariate statistics were used to detect significantly altered levels of metabolites after exposing HepG2 cells to TCDD. Several metabolites identified using databases, literature and LC-nanomate-Orbitrap analysis were affected by the treatment. The observed changes in metabolite levels are discussed in relation to the reported effects of TCDD.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Untargeted profiling of the polar and apolar metabolites of <it>in vitro </it>cultured HepG2 cells is a valid approach to studying the effects of TCDD on the cell metabolome. The approach described in this research demonstrates that highly reproducible experiments and correct normalization of the datasets are essential for obtaining reliable results. The effects of TCDD on HepG2 cells reported herein are in agreement with previous studies and serve to validate the procedures used in the present work.</p

Use of ovary culture techniques in reproductive toxicology

Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Acknowledgements The author's studies in this field are supported by MRC grants G1002118 (NS and RAA) and G110357 (RAA), MR/L010011/1 (PAF), the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement no. 212885 (PAF) and the Wellcome Trust (080388 to PAF). AS was funded by a BBSRC CASE Studentship co-funded by AstraZeneca.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Difficulties experienced in areas of occupation of adults aged 40-70 with rheumatoid arthritis residing in Rosario, Cavite

The researchers used a quantitative descriptive approach and the numerical data collected were used to describe the difficulties experienced by adults in areas of occupation excluding education. The population of the study are subjects with rheumatoid arthritis residing in Rosario, Cavite, between the ages of 40-70. The method of non-probability sampling, specifically purposive sampling. The researchers were able to administer the survey questionnaire to 35 respondents that were recommended by the Municipal Health Office of Rosario, Cavite. With the use of survey questionnaire adapted from preexisting questionnaires and the Areas of Occupation under Occupational Therapy Practice Framework 3rd edition, the researchers were able to determine how to subjects respond to their occupations. Data was analyzed through frequency and percentage. The researchers have found that the women are commonly affected by the condition. The most affected area of occupation is rest and sleep with most of the adults saying that they have some difficulties in performing this occupation. However, adults also experience much difficulty in activities that are work related, due to the occurrence of the symptoms such as pain and fatigue. Other significant findings of the research is affected participation in leisure activity that some adults find difficulty or unable to do due to rheumatoid arthritis

Live, Love, and Suffer: The Lived Experiences of Trans Women Parents with Children in Cebu

Parenthood entails daunting responsibilities, even more so if parents are of a different gender spectrum such as trans women. Against a rigid heteronormative society, this phenomenological study explored the challenges and the struggles, as well as the coping mechanisms, of the trans-women parents in Metro Cebu, Philippines. Through Husserlian’s descriptive phenomenology, five participants were chosen through snowball sampling to share their experiences through in-depth interviews in 2023. Utilizing Colaizzi’s method of data analysis, the study revealed seven (7) recurring themes: (1) Financial Instability; (2) Societal Acceptance; (3) Shifting Family Dynamics; (4) Lack of Legal Government Protection; (5) Employment Possibilities; (6) Perseverance; and (7) Communication. These findings provided insights into the lives of trans-women parents in the Philippines and offered recommendations for policies that could help address the issues faced by this sub-group of parents. Moreover, this study served as a contribution to the literature on non-heteronormative families through the lived experiences of trans-women parents in a heteronormative society like the Philippines

Acute and Chronic Effects of Oral Genistein Administration in Neonatal Mice1

Soy-based infant formulas are widely used in the United States and some other countries. These formulas contain high levels of the estrogenic isoflavone genistein, leading to concern that neonatal genistein exposure could cause acute and/or long-term adverse effects on reproductive and other organs. However, previous work to assess genistein effects in rodent models has not typically replicated the route of delivery and/or serum genistein concentrations reported for soy formula-fed human infants. Our objective was to develop a mouse model that more closely mimics the oral genistein exposure and total serum genistein concentrations observed in soy formula-fed infants. Mouse pups were dosed orally with genistein in a soy formula-corn oil emulsion from Postnatal Day (PND) 1 to PND 5, then effects on reproductive and nonreproductive organs were assessed after dosing and during subsequent development. Neonatal treatment resulted in changes both at the completion of dosing (PND 5) and in adult animals. At PND 5, neonatal genistein treatment caused increased relative uterine weight and down-regulation of progesterone receptor in uterine epithelia. Estrogenic effects of genistein were also seen in the neonatal ovary and thymus, which had an increase in the incidence of multioocyte follicles (MOFs) and a decrease in thymic weight relative to body weight, respectively. The increased incidence of MOFs persisted into adulthood for neonatally treated genistein females, and estrous cycle abnormalities were seen at 6 mo of age despite normal fertility in these mice. The immediate and long-term effects in this neonatal animal model raise concerns that high serum concentrations of genistein are estrogenic and could potentially impact the development of human infants fed soy formula