Probing Students’ Self-Efficacy, Creativity and Performance in Biology through Metacognitive Blogging

The purpose of this study was to investigate, in two different fourth year high school biology classes, the impact that using a metacognitive blogging teaching approach had on students' overall performance in the subject of biology, as well as their sense of self-efficacy and their creative potential. The research design that was utilized was a two-group, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Both metacognitive and traditional teaching strategies were utilized during the course of the study. The purpose of the path analysis was to determine how the various teaching strategies impacted the students' sense of self-efficacy, creativity, and overall performance in Biology. According to the findings of the research, the teaching method has the most significant impact on biology performance, while self-efficacy also has a significant impact on biology performance. The study also found that creativity has a significant connection to the teaching method, but that creativity only has an indirect impact on biology performance. The relationship between creative ability and self-efficacy is not particularly strong. According to the results of the research, using a metacognitive blogging teaching style is a successful method for boosting students' performance in Biology as well as their creative output. As a consequence of conducting a route analysis, the emergent framework for teaching biology through the use of metacognitive blogging reveals these links. For the purpose of improving learners' metacognition, it could be beneficial to conduct additional research on the usage of blogs as a metacognitive tool. In addition, researchers might look at other factors that, if improved, might result in higher levels of self-efficacy, creativity, and academic performance among students studying Biology

Development and acceptability of mead wine with banana fruit flavor

The study discusses the development and acceptability of mead wine with banana fruit flavor. Banana, a brilliantly sweet natural product with firm and rich tissue is available for harvest all year round. It is comprised mainly of sugar and fiber, which makes it a source of fiber. In this study, the researcher used banana fruit as its flavor since cultivation and plantation of the said fruit in the locale of the study is plentiful. An experimental approach was utilized in this investigation, with fifty individuals assessing the mead wine with banana fruit flavor in terms of appearance, aroma, flavor and texture. The research used various statistical treatments, such as mean and T-test, in evaluating the obtained data. It was found that the mead wine with banana fruit flavor had an alcohol content of 12%. Furthermore, the respondents extremely liked the mead wine with banana fruit flavor because of its appearance and aroma, which obtained the highest appraisal from the respondents based on their sensory evaluation. The study uncovered that mead wine with banana fruit flavor has the potential to be utilized as an ingredient for wine production. Moreover, amid the appraisal of the respondents, the aroma, flavor, appearance and texture of the produced mead wine with banana fruit flavor were essentially influenced. Generally, the taster respondents extremely liked the mead wine with banana fruit flavor. Therefore, it is a highly appropriate product in the community in generating enterprise which could be a potential source of income

Fish Performance, Nutrient Digestibilities, and Hepatic and Intestinal Morphologies in Grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus Fed Fermented Copra Meal

Protein enhanced copra meal (PECM®) is an alternative, cheap, and sustainable source of plant protein for the aquafeed industry, albeit its use on carnivorous fish species has been very limited. A 70-day feeding trial using grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus (initial mean body weight of 1.86 ± 0.19 g) tested fermented copra meal as feed ingredient. Six isonitrogenous (crude protein of 45%) and iso-lipidic (crude fat of 11%) diets consisted of PECM®: a control diet at 0% soybean meal replacement (C); four diets replacing soybean meal at 25% (FC25), 50% (FC50), 75% (FC75), 100% (FC100) – all with methionine and lysine supplementation; and 100% soybean replacement without methionine and lysine supplementation (FCW100). Growth and feed performance were not significantly (P \u3e 0.05) affected by PECM® replacement of soybean meal up to 100%, even without methionine and lysine supplementation. Chemical body composition was likewise not significantly (P \u3e 0.05) altered. PECM® when used as a grouper feed ingredient has protein, lipid, carbohydrate and dry matter digestibilities of 89.28%, 78.63%, 82.57%, and 48%, respectively. Hepatic and intestinal morphologies displayed no apparent pathological changes. PECM® can be efficiently utilized by grouper and can replace soybean meal up to 100% (16% in diet) for normal fish performance and digestive organ functions

Hydrolyzed Tuna Meat By-Product Supplement for Juvenile Red Sea Bream, Pagrus major, and its Effect on Growth, Enzyme Activity, Plasma Parameters, and Apparent Nutrient Digestibility

A growth experiment was conducted on juvenile red sea bream, Pagrus major to investigate the effect of the inclusion in fish diets, of tuna meat by-product hydrolysate which was processed through enzymatic hydrolysis using a commercially available enzyme, derived from Bacillus subtilis. Six experimental diets were formulated in the experiment. Three diets contained 50, 150 and 250 g/kg of TPM-H (tuna meat by-product hydrolysate), and two diets with the unprocessed TPM (tuna meat by-product) at an inclusion level of 50 and 250 g/kg. A control diet was formulated without any addition of the test ingredients. Treatment diets were fed ad libitum to juvenile fish with an initial average body weight of 0.81 ±0.13 g for 56 days. Results of the feeding trial suggest that the inclusion of TPM-H at 250 g/kg in fish diets improved body weight gain rate (3271.58%), feed intake (24.55 g/fish/56 days) and feed conversion efficiency (1.12) of the fish. Apparent nutrient digestibility of hydrolyzed tuna meat by-product improved compared to the unhydrolyzed ingredient. These results suggest that TPM processed as hydrolysates can be efficiently utilized by fish

Siting marine protected areas based on habitat quality and extent provides the greatest benefit to spatially structured metapopulations

Connectivity and its role in the persistence and sustainability of marine metapopulations are attracting increased attention from the scientific community and coastal resource managers. Whether protection should prioritize the connectivity structure or demographic characteristics of a given patch is still unclear. We design a three-stage population model to analyze the relative importance of sources, sinks, quality and extent of juvenile and adult habitat, and node centralities (eigenvector, degree, closeness, and betweenness) as a basis for prioritizing sites. We use a logistic-type stage-structured model to describe the local dynamics of a population with a sessile adult stage and network models to elucidate propagule-exchange dynamics. Our results show that the coupled states of habitat extent and quality, which determine population carrying capacity, are good criteria for protection strategy. Protecting sites on the basis of sources, sinks, or other centrality measures of connectivity becomes optimal only in limited situations, that is, when larval production is not dependent on the adult population. Our findings are robust to a diverse set of larval pathway structures and levels of larval retention, which indicates that the network topology may not be as important as carrying capacity in determining the fate of the metapopulation. Protecting extensive, good quality habitat can help achieve both conservation and fisheries objectives

Ensuring Aquatic Food Security in the Philippines

The human population of the Philippines is expected to reach 158 million by the year 2050, or an increase of 37% relative to 2022. This implies increased demand for aquatic food (or “fish” hereafter). This begs the question of whether the Philippines can meet the expected increase in fish demand. We estimate that even if the Philippines can maintain its current fish production, the Philippines will still require 1.67 million metric tons more fish per year by 2050 to at least maintain its current per capita fish consumption of 34.27 kg per year. Continued mismanagement of inland and marine fisheries will further widen the gap in fish supply. However, we argue that simultaneously rebuilding overfished fisheries, restoring degraded habitats crucial to supporting productive fisheries, addressing current threats to fisheries sustainability, and expanding sustainable marine aquaculture (or mariculture) have the potential to meet future fish demand in the Philippines. Sustainably expanding mariculture requires careful siting and management of mariculture development areas so that mariculture can improve food security without disenfranchising and marginalizing local coastal communities

Effectiveness of a parenting programme to reduce violence in a cash transfer system in the Philippines: RCT with follow-up

Background Parenting interventions and conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes are promising strategies to reduce the risk of violence against children, but evidence of the effectiveness of combining such programmes is lacking for families in low- and middle-income countries with children over two years of age. This study examined the effectiveness of a locally adapted parenting programme delivered as part of a government CCT system to low-income families with children aged two to six years in Metro Manila, Philippines. Methods Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a 12-session group-based parenting programme or treatment-as-usual services (N = 120). Participation in either service was required among the conditions for receiving cash grants. Baseline assessments were conducted in July 2017 with one-month post-intervention assessments in January-February 2018 and 12-month follow-up in January-February 2019. All assessments were parent-report (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03205449). Findings One-month post-intervention assessments indicated moderate intervention effects for primary outcomes of reduced overall child maltreatment (d = -0.50 [-0.86, -0.13]), emotional abuse (d = -0.59 [-0.95; -0.22]), physical abuse (IRR = 0.51 [0.27; 0.74]), and neglect (IRR = 0.52 [0.18; 0.85]). There were also significant effects for reduced dysfunctional parenting, child behaviour problems, and intimate partner violence, and increased parental efficacy and positive parenting. Reduced overall maltreatment, emotional abuse, and neglect effects were sustained at one-year follow-up. Interpretation Findings suggest that a culturally adapted parenting intervention delivered as part of a CCT programme may be effective in sustaining reductions in violence against children in low- and middle-income countries. Funding This research was supported by UBS Optimus Foundation and UNICEF Philippines, and by the Complexity and Relationships in Health Improvement Programmes of the Medical Research Council MRC UK and Chief Scientist Office (Grant: MC_UU_00022/1 and CSO SPHSU16, MC_UU_00022/3 and CSO SPHSU18)

Effectiveness of a Parenting Programme to Reduce Violence in a Cash Transfer System in the Philippines: RCT With Follow-up

Background Parenting interventions and conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes are promising strategies to reduce the risk of violence against children, but evidence of the effectiveness of combining such programmes is lacking for families in low- and middle-income countries with children over two years of age. This study examined the effectiveness of a locally adapted parenting programme delivered as part of a government CCT system to low-income families with children aged two to six years in Metro Manila, Philippines. Methods Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a 12-session group-based parenting programme or treatment-as-usual services (N= 120). Participation in either service was required among the conditions for receiving cash grants. Baseline assessments were conducted in July 2017 with one-month post-intervention assessments in January-February 2018 and 12-month follow-up in January-February 2019. All assessments were parent-report (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03205449). Findings One-month post-intervention assessments indicated moderate intervention effects for primary outcomes of reduced overall child maltreatment (d = -0.50 [-0.86, -0.13]), emotional abuse (d= -0.59 [-0.95; -0.22]), physical abuse (IRR = 0.51 [0.27; 0.74]), and neglect (IRR = 0.52 [0.18; 0.85]). There were also significant effects for reduced dysfunctional parenting, child behaviour problems, and intimate partner violence, and increased parental efficacy and positive parenting. Reduced overall maltreatment, emotional abuse, and neglect effects were sustained at one-year follow-up. Interpretation Findings suggest that a culturally adapted parenting intervention delivered as part of a CCT programme may be effective in sustaining reductions in violence against children in low- and middle-income countries. Funding This research was supported by UBS Optimus Foundation and UNICEF Philippines, and by the Complexity and Relationships in Health Improvement Programmes of the Medical Research Council MRC UK and Chief Scientist Office (Grant: MC_UU_00022/1 and CSO SPHSU16, MC_UU_00022/3 and CSO SPHSU18)