EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TRAININGS CONDUCTED BY THE BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAM

This research study was designed to assess the effectiveness of the trainings conducted to 320 trainees by the BEED Program, College of Teacher Education, University of Northern Philippines, School Year 2013 - A survey questionnaire adopted from the study of Contaoi (2003) and Buemio (2004) was used for data collection. Descriptive method was used to gather and analyze data regarding the organizers’ administrative capability, extent of implementation of the training, and the level of output of the trainees. Mean and Pearson Product  Moment of Correlation were used. The study exposed that the administrative capability of the organizers, implementation of the training and the level of output is Very High. The trainings cultivated the socio-cultural  orientation, intellectual capability and personality of the respondents. As a whole, there is a significant relationship between the implementation of the trainings of the BEED program and the administrative capability  as well as between the implementation of the trainings and the level of program outputs. It was found that the level of program outputs was influenced by the administrative capability of the BEEd Program.Based from this findings, some recommendations  were given with great implication on the continuous conduct of training

Challenges in STEM Learning: A Case of Filipino High School Students

STEM education faces monumental challenges which are aggravated by the Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0 and the current COVID-19 global contagion. These challenges also affect how students learn in the STEM discipline in the senior high school. This qualitative study employed a case research design which sought to investigate nature of the challenges in STEM learning among senior high school students in the Philippines. Semi-structured interview guide was used in gathering the qualitative data from the 20 STEM learners in a government-run secondary school in Zambales, Philippines. Findings showed that the students encountered challenges in the STEM program. Ten themes emerged based on the students’ responses. These challenges encountered by the students revolved around three categories – course-related challenges, individual challenges and socio-cultural challenges. The study recommends that schools offering STEM academic strands may reframe and rethink their processes, practices and policies to address the students’ challenges in STEM learning. Policy recommendations are also discussed in the paper to equip the students towards the demands of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and in the post-pandemic world

Brain computer tomography in critically ill patients -- a prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Brain computer tomography (brain CT) is an important imaging tool in patients with intracranial disorders. In ICU patients, a brain CT implies an intrahospital transport which has inherent risks. The proceeds and consequences of a brain CT in a critically ill patient should outweigh these risks. The aim of this study was to critically evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of brain CT in ICU patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In a prospective observational study data were collected during one year on the reasons to request a brain CT, expected abnormalities, abnormalities found by the radiologist and consequences for treatment. An “expected abnormality” was any finding that had been predicted by the physician requesting the brain CT. A brain CT was “diagnostically positive”, if the abnormality found was new or if an already known abnormality was increased. It was “diagnostically negative” if an already known abnormality was unchanged or if an expected abnormality was not found. The treatment consequences of the brain CT, were registered as “treatment as planned”, “treatment changed, not as planned”, “treatment unchanged”.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data of 225 brain CT in 175 patients were analyzed. In 115 (51%) brain CT the abnormalities found were new or increased known abnormalities. 115 (51%) brain CT were found to be diagnostically positive. In the medical group 29 (39%) of brain CT were positive, in the surgical group 86 (57%), <it>p</it> 0.01. After a positive brain CT, in which the expected abnormalities were found, treatment was changed as planned in 33%, and in 19% treatment was changed otherwise than planned.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of this study show that the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of brain CT in critically ill patients is moderate. The development of guidelines regarding the decision rules for performing a brain CT in ICU patients is needed.</p

Head CT is of limited diagnostic value in critically ill patients who remain unresponsive after discontinuation of sedation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prolonged sedation is common in mechanically ventilated patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to determine the diagnostic value of head computed tomography (CT) in mechanically ventilated patients who remain unresponsive after discontinuation of sedation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective review of adult (age >18 years of age) patients consecutively admitted to the medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care medical center. Patients requiring mechanical ventilation for management of respiratory failure for longer than 72 hours were included in the study group. A group that did not have difficulty with awakening was included as a control.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median time after sedation was discontinued until a head CT was performed was 2 days (interquartile range 1.375–2 days). Majority (80%) of patients underwent head CT evaluation within the first 48 hours after discontinuation of sedation. Head CT was non-diagnostic in all but one patient who had a small subarachnoid hemorrhage. Twenty-five patients (60%) had a normal head CT. Head CT findings did not alter the management of any of the patients. The control group was similar to the experimental group with respect to demographics, etiology of respiratory failure and type of sedation used. However, while 37% of subjects in the control group had daily interruption of sedation, only 19% in the patient group had daily interruption of sedation (p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In patients on mechanical ventilation for at least 72 hours and who remain unresponsive after sedative discontinuation and with a non-focal neurologic examination, head CT is performed early and is of very limited diagnostic utility. Routine use of daily interruption of sedation is used in a minority of patients outside of a clinical trial setting though it may decrease the frequency of unresponsiveness from prolonged sedation and the need for head CT in patients mechanically ventilated for a prolonged period.</p

Status of aquatic animal health in the Philippines

The national aquatic animal disease surveillance and reporting system is implemented by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in coordination with other recognized laboratories. It covers the OIE/NACA listed diseases particularly those that cause major problems in aquaculture. The fisheries laboratories continuously enhance their capabilities to support the surveillance activities, controls on transboundary movement of aquatic animals, and provide services to the fish farmers. Programs are implemented to strengthen the aquatic animal health services in the country. Promotion of Good Aquaculture Practice and implementation of biosecurity measures are being done to prevent disease occurrences. Collaboration with other institutions on aquatic animal health programs are also established. The paper provides the information on the country’s status on aquatic animal health management

Biosynthetic Gene Cluster for the Cladoniamides, Bis-Indoles with a Rearranged Scaffold

The cladoniamides are bis-indole alkaloids isolated from Streptomyces uncialis, a lichen-associated actinomycete strain. The cladoniamides have an unusual, indenotryptoline structure rarely observed among bis-indole alkaloids. I report here the isolation, sequencing, and annotation of the cladoniamide biosynthetic gene cluster and compare it to the recently published gene cluster for BE-54017, a closely related indenotryptoline natural product. The cladoniamide gene cluster differs from the BE-54017 gene cluster in gene organization and in the absence of one N-methyltransferase gene but otherwise contains close homologs to all genes in the BE-54017 cluster. Both gene clusters encode enzymes needed for the construction of an indolocarbazole core, as well as flavin-dependent enzymes putatively involved in generating the indenotryptoline scaffold from an indolocarbazole. These two bis-indolic gene clusters exemplify the diversity of biosynthetic routes that begin from the oxidative dimerization of two molecules of l-tryptophan, highlight enzymes for further study, and provide new opportunities for combinatorial engineering

Possible Social Deficit Improvement in the Autistic

Progressive alignment techniques can be utilized with clinically-diagnosed autistic childrento improve their social cognition, or, more specifically, their ability to recognize differentfacial expressions according to the associated feeling/emotion. Progressive alignmenttechniques (that involve comparison and categorization processes) have been shown tolead to changes in children’s representations of relational structure, allowing for them tomore easily identify more abstract features. In general, intensive, long-term, appliedbehavior treatment has already been shown to improve the cognitive, language, adaptive,and academic skills of children with autism. Further, other research has proven that theamygdala is also involved in the process of behavior reinforcement through rewards (orpositive reinforcement). This literature review, more specifically, aims to both A) supportthe idea that there is a positive correlation between progressive alignment methods andmildly autistic children with social deficits and B) demonstrate specific, potentialexperimental methods to support such a relationshi

Possible Social Deficit Improvement in the Autistic

Progressive alignment techniques can be utilized with clinically-diagnosed autistic childrento improve their social cognition, or, more specifically, their ability to recognize differentfacial expressions according to the associated feeling/emotion. Progressive alignmenttechniques (that involve comparison and categorization processes) have been shown tolead to changes in children’s representations of relational structure, allowing for them tomore easily identify more abstract features. In general, intensive, long-term, appliedbehavior treatment has already been shown to improve the cognitive, language, adaptive,and academic skills of children with autism. Further, other research has proven that theamygdala is also involved in the process of behavior reinforcement through rewards (orpositive reinforcement). This literature review, more specifically, aims to both A) supportthe idea that there is a positive correlation between progressive alignment methods andmildly autistic children with social deficits and B) demonstrate specific, potentialexperimental methods to support such a relationshi

Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The abstract is included in the article