Investment Performance in Local Government Units: An Analysis of Local Economic Enterprises in the 1st District of Rizal

Local Economic Enterprises are government entities created through fiscal autonomy to generate revenues and become self-reliant. This paper attempts to establish linkages between local public investments performance through Local Economic Enterprises (LEEs) in achieving immediate outcomes indicating socio-economic development. Likewise, the study tested if there is significant associations between the presence of LEEs and three (3) indicators of socio-economic development; job creation, revenue generation and business proliferation. Using mixed-methods and archival data, the study was able to arrive at significant findings. Based on the results of the study, job creation, revenue generation and business proliferation are the immediate outcomes of LEEs. The second major finding was that there is significant association between the LEEs and the three (3) indicators. However, it was found that there was a low correlation between LEEs effectiveness and sustainability as local investments for socio-economic development

ASEAN Way: desafíos, problemas y oportunidades durante la COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic brought tremendous change to everyone's lifestyle as well as the social, political, and economic landscape. This novel global health crisis has challenged every state's healthcare system regardless of being a highly developed, newly developed, or developing economy. The southeast Asian region has been one of the heavily hit regions in the world because of its proximity to China, where the virus originated and the vulnerability of their lesser developed healthcare systems. However, despite these challenges to public health governance, these South East Asian countries were able to come up with innovative, inclusive, and effective public health policies, programs, and strategies to address the pandemic. Using the Global Health Governance theory, the study looked into four (4) thematic areas: Actions of the Government, Actions of the Private Sector, Criticisms of the People, and the Effects on the Economy to further gauge the landscape of the effects of the pandemic to the region. The researcher concluded from these responses to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and their continuing efforts to balance public health and socio-economic development agenda. Keywords: ASEAN; COVID-19 Pandemic; Health Governance; Public Health Governance.La COVID-19 trajo cambios tremendos en el estilo de vida de todos, así como en el panorama social, político y económico. Esta nueva crisis de salud global ha desafiado el sistema de salud de todos los estados, independientemente de que sean economías altamente desarrolladas, recientemente desarrolladas o en desarrollo. La región del sudeste asiático ha sido una de las regiones más afectadas del mundo debido a su proximidad a China, donde se originó el virus y la vulnerabilidad de sus sistemas de salud menos desarrollados. Sin embargo, a pesar de estos desafíos para la gobernanza de la salud pública, estos países del sudeste asiático pudieron idear políticas, programas y estrategias de salud pública innovadores, inclusivos y efectivos para abordar la pandemia. Usando la teoría de la Gobernanza de la Salud Global, el estudio analizó cuatro (4) áreas temáticas: Acciones del Gobierno, Acciones del Sector Privado, Críticas de la Gente y los Efectos en la Economía para evaluar aún más el panorama de los efectos de la pandemia a la región. Se concluyó que desde países en desarrollo hasta países avanzados, no se puede negar que COVID-19 ha afectado a personas de todo el mundo de una forma u otra. Dejó (y sigue dejando) impactos en los sectores de un país, desde su economía hasta los ajustes educativos. Palabras clave: TASEAN; COVID-19; Gobernanza en Salud; Gobernanza de la Salud Pública

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Waste as Partial Aggregate and Reinforcement in Reinforced Concrete: A Review

Plastic disposal is now a significant problem for the sustainability of the environment. And, viewing the engineering properties of plastics (e.g., lightweight, flexible, strong, moisture-resistant, and cheap) opens the possibility of using them as a structural material. Over the decade, many researchers have studied using plastics as a replacement for natural aggregates in concrete or as an additive. Besides, past experimental results have shown that adding plastic waste in concrete will alter the concrete's mechanical and durability properties. However, such concrete can still fulfill engineering properties and be used in other structures with low strength requirements. This research intends to try other possibilities of using plastic waste as partial aggregate and reinforcement in reinforced concrete. Therefore, it is proposed that researchers look into the effects of plastic particles in concrete on the environment and their durability over time due to its deterioration. It recommends surface treatment of plastics waste using appropriate chemicals

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Waste as Partial Aggregate and Reinforcement in Reinforced Concrete: A Review

Plastic disposal is now a significant problem for the sustainability of the environment. And, viewing the engineering properties of plastics (e.g., lightweight, flexible, strong, moisture-resistant, and cheap) opens the possibility of using them as a structural material. Over the decade, many researchers have studied using plastics as a replacement for natural aggregates in concrete or as an additive. Besides, past experimental results have shown that adding plastic waste in concrete will alter the concrete's mechanical and durability properties. However, such concrete can still fulfill engineering properties and be used in other structures with low strength requirements. This research intends to try other possibilities of using plastic waste as partial aggregate and reinforcement in reinforced concrete. Therefore, it is proposed that researchers look into the effects of plastic particles in concrete on the environment and their durability over time due to its deterioration. It recommends surface treatment of plastics waste using appropriate chemicals

Systematic Multi-Domain Alzheimer's Risk Reduction Trial (SMARRT): Study Protocol.

This article describes the protocol for the Systematic Multi-domain Alzheimer's Risk Reduction Trial (SMARRT), a single-blind randomized pilot trial to test a personalized, pragmatic, multi-domain Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk reduction intervention in a US integrated healthcare delivery system. Study participants will be 200 higher-risk older adults (age 70-89 years with subjective cognitive complaints, low normal performance on cognitive screen, and ≥ two modifiable risk factors targeted by our intervention) who will be recruited from selected primary care clinics of Kaiser Permanente Washington, oversampling people with non-white race or Hispanic ethnicity. Study participants will be randomly assigned to a two-year Alzheimer's risk reduction intervention (SMARRT) or a Health Education (HE) control. Randomization will be stratified by clinic, race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white versus non-white or Hispanic), and age (70-79, 80-89). Participants randomized to the SMARRT group will work with a behavioral coach and nurse to develop a personalized plan related to their risk factors (poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes with evidence of hyper or hypoglycemia, depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, contraindicated medications, physical inactivity, low cognitive stimulation, social isolation, poor diet, smoking). Participants in the HE control group will be mailed general health education information about these risk factors for AD. The primary outcome is two-year cognitive change on a cognitive test composite score. Secondary outcomes include: 1) improvement in targeted risk factors, 2) individual cognitive domain composite scores, 3) physical performance, 4) functional ability, 5) quality of life, and 6) incidence of mild cognitive impairment, AD, and dementia. Primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed in both groups at baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) enhances and soluble interleukin-4 receptor (sIL-4R) inhibits histamine release from peripheral blood basophils and mast cells in vitro and in vivo

The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of interleukin-4 (IL-4) on allergen and anti-IgE mediated histamine release from basophils and human skin mast cells and to assess whether soluble recombinant interleukin-4 receptor (sIL4R) can inhibit these effects. Anti-IgE stimulated histamine release from peripheral blood basophils and mast cells of atopic donors was enhanced after preincubation with IL-4, whereas after preincubation with sIL-4R it was inhibited. These effects were even more pronounced when samples were stimulated with a clinically relevant allergen. In IL-4 preincubated skin mast cells, there was a similar enhancement of anti-IgE stimulated histamine release, which could again be inhibited by sIL-4R. The effects of IL-4 and sIL4R were dose- and time-dependent. Mice sensitized to ovalbumin and treated with soluble recombinant murine sIL-4R showed significantly reduced immediate-type cutaneous hypersensitivity responses compared with untreated mice. These in vivo effects were IgE independent, since there were no significant differences in total and allergen specific IgE/IgG1 antibody titres between treated and untreated mice. This indicates that IL4 exerts priming effects on histamine release by effector cells of the allergic response and that these effects are potently antagonized by soluble IL-4R both in vitro and in vivo

Algebraic Properties of Qualitative Spatio-Temporal Calculi

Qualitative spatial and temporal reasoning is based on so-called qualitative calculi. Algebraic properties of these calculi have several implications on reasoning algorithms. But what exactly is a qualitative calculus? And to which extent do the qualitative calculi proposed meet these demands? The literature provides various answers to the first question but only few facts about the second. In this paper we identify the minimal requirements to binary spatio-temporal calculi and we discuss the relevance of the according axioms for representation and reasoning. We also analyze existing qualitative calculi and provide a classification involving different notions of a relation algebra.Comment: COSIT 2013 paper including supplementary materia

Preliminary Investigation of Possible Biochar Use as Carbon Source in Polyacrylonitrile Electrospun Fiber Production

Electrospinning with consequent thermal treatment consists in a carbon fiber production method that spins a polymer solution to create fibers with diameters around a few hundred nanome-ters. The thermal treatments are used for the cyclization and then carbonization of the material at 1700◦C for one hour. The unique structure of micro-and nano-carbon fibers makes them a promis-ing material for various applications ranging from future battery designs to filtration. This work investigated the possibility of using milled gasification biochar, derived from a 20 kW fixed-bed gasifier fueled with vine pruning pellets, as an addictive in the preparation of electrospinning solu-tions. This study outlined that solvent cleaning and the consequent wet-milling and 32 µm sifting are fundamental passages for biochar preparation. Four different polyacrylonitrile-biochar shares were tested ranging from pure polymer to 50–50% solutions. The resulting fibers were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray and infrared spectroscopy. Results from the morphological analysis showed that biochar grains dispersed themselves well among the fiber mat in all the proposed shares. All the tested solutions, once carbonized, exceeded 97%wt. of carbon content. At higher carbonization temperatures, the inorganic compounds naturally showing in biochar such as potassium and calcium disappeared, resulting in an almost carbon-pure fiber matrix with biochar grains in between