Operation of unified financial assistance system for tertiary education in selected private institutions in Santiago city, Isabela

This study examines the implementation of the tertiary education subsidy as mandated by Republic Act No. 10931. A descriptive-comparative research design was used for the investigation. It polled 347 student-grantees chosen purposefully from Northeastern College and the University of La Salette, Inc., sampled using the proportional stratification technique. The respondents believed that the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) should be implemented in order to encourage student perseverance, academic achievement, and administrative capacity. Regarding financial ability, the respondents overwhelmingly concurred that the subsidy reduced their financial stress while attending school, helped them pay their tuition on time, and helped them purchase supplies for their studies. The respondents also concurred that TES provided advantages such developing responsibility and money management skills, aiding in the understanding of the worth of money, and providing motivation to spend prudently. Regardless of their profiles, all of the respondents generally agreed on how well the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) had been implemented. When categorized according to their profiles, certain specific indications were found to be considerably different. Finally, the respondents felt that the late delivery of essential money and severe deadlines for the criteria were the most frequently encountered issues in the implementation of TES

Prepaid Managed Health Care: The Emergence of Health Maintenance Organizations as Alternative Financing Schemes in the Philippines

Viewed as an opportunity to critically investigate the mode of U.S. health care financing that has been slowly taking root in the Philippine soil, this research study identifies and characterizes the various HMOs operating within the greater Metro Manila area. It also describes the environment and the nature of these organizations the advantages of HMOs and the processes through which they finance and deliver health care services to their member. It also establishes areas of policy intervention through which the Philippine government can more clearly signal to HMOs their appropriate role in the country’ quest for a national health care financing policy.health sector, health maintenance organizations, health care financing, health management

Solar Neutrinos Before and After KamLAND

We use the recently reported KamLAND measurements on oscillations of reactor anti-neutrinos, together with the data of previously reported solar neutrino experiments, to show that: (1) the total 8B neutrino flux emitted by the Sun is 1.00(1.0 \pm 0.06) of the standard solar model (BP00) predicted flux, (2) the KamLAND measurements reduce the area of the globally allowed oscillation regions that must be explored in model fitting by six orders of magnitude in the Delta m^2-tan^2 theta plane, (3) LMA is now the unique oscillation solution to a CL of 4.7sigma, (4) maximal mixing is disfavored at 3.1 sigma, (5) active-sterile admixtures are constrained to sin^2 eta<0.13 at 1 sigma, (6) the observed ^8B flux that is in the form of sterile neutrinos is 0.00^{+0.09}_{-0.00} (1 sigma), of the standard solar model (BP00) predicted flux, and (7) non-standard solar models that were invented to completely avoid solar neutrino oscillations are excluded by KamLAND plus solar at 7.9 sigma . We also refine quantitative predictions for future 7Be and p-p solar neutrino experiments.Comment: Published version, includes editorial improvement

Bisabolane type sesquiterpenes from a marine Didiscus sponge

Two bisabolane type sesquiterpene phenols, (+)-curcuphenol (1) and (+)-curcudiol (2), were isolated from a Philippine marine sponge, Didiscus sp., in addition to b -sitosterol (3) and phenethylamine (4). The structures of the metabolites were established on the basis of spectral evidence (1D- and 2D NMR, [a]D, EIMS). (+)-Curcuphenol (1) showed cytotoxicity, which is indicative of a p53 independent mechanism

Obesity & Hypertension are Determinants of Poor Hemodynamic Control during Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Review

Background: Proper blood pressure control during surgical procedures such as total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is considered critical to good outcome. There is poor understanding of the pre-operative risk factors for poor intra-operative hemodynamic control. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for poor hemodynamic control during TJA. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of 118 patients receiving TJA in the Dominican Republic. We collected patient demographic and comorbidity data. We developed an a priori definition for poor hemodynamic control: 1) Mean arterial pressure (MAP) 135% of preoperative MAP. We performed bivariate and multivariate analyses to identify risk factors for poor hemodynamic control during TJA. Results: Hypertension was relatively common in our study population (76 of 118 patients). Average preoperative mean arterial pressure was 109.0 (corresponding to an average SBP of 149 and DBP of 89). Forty-nine (41.5%) patients had intraoperative blood pressure readings consistent with poor hemodynamic control. Based on multi-variable analysis preoperative hypertension of any type (RR 2.9; 95% CI 1.3-6.3) and an increase in BMI (RR 1.2 per 5 unit increase; 95% CI 1.0-1.5) were significant risk factors for poor hemodynamic control. Conclusions: Preoperative hypertension and being overweight/obese increase the likelihood of poor blood pressure control during TJA. Hypertensive and/or obese patients warrant further attention and medical optimization prior to TJA. More work is required to elucidate the relationship between these risk factors and overall outcome

Cytotoxic bromoindole derivatives and terpenes from the Philippine marine sponge Smenospongia sp.

A detailed chemical analysis of a Philippine marine sponge Smenospongia sp. has been performed. This study yielded four new metabolites, 5-bromo-l-tryptophan (1), 5-bromoabrine (2), 5,6-dibromoabrine (3) and 5-bromoindole-3-acetic acid (4). The pyrroloiminoquinone alkaloid, makaluvamine O (5) as well as 5,6-dibromotryptamine (6), aureol (7) and furospinulosin 1 (8) were also isolated. Although 1 and 4 have been synthesized previously, this is the first report on the isolation of these compounds from a natural source. The furanosesterterpene furospinulosin 1 (8) was obtained for the first time from the genus Smenospongia. The structures of all compounds were established by spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR, MS, [α]D). The cytotoxic potential of 1Ð8 was evaluated in a panel of isogenic HCT-116 human colon tumor cell lines