Instructional Supervision and Performance Evaluation: A Correlation of Factors

The study aimed to determine the correlation between instructional supervision and performance evaluation in the Public Elementary Schools of Bayawan City Division. The survey was descriptive and correlational in nature. It utilized the percentage, mean, weighted mean, and spearman rank correlation coefficient. The study found out that the extent of implementation of instructional supervision as perceived by the experienced teachers was “very high” in terms of the following aspects:(a) concept and purpose of instructional supervision; (b) planning and preparations for instructional supervision; and (c) organization and implementation of instructional supervision; (d) dialogue and discussion in post-instructional supervision; and (e) satisfaction with and evaluation of instructional supervision. Likewise, the extent of implementation of instructional supervision as perceived by the novice teachers was also “very high” based on how they rated their instructional supervisors in terms of the first three areas. In addition, a moderate relationship was found to exist between the teachers’ job performance evaluation and the extent of implementation of instructional supervision in the following aspects: (a) concept and purpose of instructional supervision; (b) planning and preparations for instructional supervision; and (c) satisfaction with and evaluation of instructional supervision

Factors on Memory Retention: Effect to Students’ Academic Performance

This paper examined the factors contributory to memory retention affecting the academic performance in Mathematics of Grade 7 students of Kalumboyan High School, Bayawan City Division for SY 2019–2020. The study made use of the descriptive-correlational research design. The questionnaire covered five areas: motivational practices and experiences, goal setting and accomplishments, personalized learning, teaching strategies and learning activities, and educational resources and learning devices. The respondents of the study were the 160 Grade 7 students. The study utilized percentage, mean, weighted mean, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The salient findings revealed that the extent of students’ perception on factors contributory to memory retention were “high” in terms of motivational practices and experiences, goal setting and accomplishments, and personalized learning, while they perceived the use of teaching strategies and learning activities and the utilization of educational resources and learning devices to be “very high”. Moreover, the overall academic performance rating of the students in Mathematics is at a fairly satisfactory level. Also, it can be concluded that the extent to which students perceived the factors contributory to memory retention is “very high” and has a moderate and significant relationship to their academic performance in mathematics

Employing Symmetry Features for Automatic Misalignment Correction in Neuroimages

A novel method to automatically compute the symmetry plane and to correct the 3D orientation of neuro-images is presented. In acquisition of neuroimaging scans, the lack of perfect alignment of a patient's head makes it challenging to evaluate brain images. By deploying a shape-based criterion, the symmetry plane is defined as a plane that best matches external surface points on one side of the head, with their counterparts on the other side. In our method, the head volume is represented as a re-parameterized surface point cloud, where each location is parameterized by its elevation (latitude), azimuth (longitude), and radius. The search for the best matching surfaces is implemented in a multi-resolution paradigm, and the computation time is significantly decreased. The algorithm was quantitatively evaluated using in both simulated data and in real T1, T2, Flair magnetic resonance patient images. This algorithm is found to be fast (< 10s per MR volume), robust and accurate (< .6 degree of Mean Angular Error), invariant to the acquisition noise, slice thickness, bias field, and pathological asymmetries

Automatic Misalignment Correction in Neuroimages Using Surface Symmetry Priors

Many brain imaging procedures require the careful alignment of different sets of images obtained in the same individual. The available automatic methods for brain alignment are susceptible to improvement. This paper discusses briefly a new automatic method to reinstall the tilted orientation of head images, using surface symmetry as a prior

Symmetry Identification Using Partial Surface Matching and Tilt Correction in 3D Brain Images

We propose a novel method to automatically compute the symmetry plane and correct the 3D orientation of patient brain images. Many images of the brain are clinically unreadable because of the misalignment of the patient's head in the scanner. We proposed an algorithm that represents the brain volume as a re-parameterized surface point cloud where each location has been parameterized by its elevation (latitude), azimuth (longitude) and radius. The removal of the interior contents of the brain makes this approach perform robustly in the presence of the brain pathologies, e.g. tumor, stroke and bleed. Thus, we decompose the symmetry plane computation problem into a surface matching routine. The search for the best matching surface is implemented in a multi-resolution paradigm so as to decrease computational time considerably. Spatial affine transform then is performed to rotate the 3D brain images and align them within the coordinate system of the scanner. The corrected brain volume is re-sliced such that each planar image represents the brain at the same axial level

Interactive effects of vascular risk burden and advanced age on cerebral blood flow.

Vascular risk factors and cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduction have been linked to increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD); however the possible moderating effects of age and vascular risk burden on CBF in late life remain understudied. We examined the relationships among elevated vascular risk burden, age, CBF, and cognition. Seventy-one non-demented older adults completed an arterial spin labeling MR scan, neuropsychological assessment, and medical history interview. Relationships among vascular risk burden, age, and CBF were examined in a priori regions of interest (ROIs) previously implicated in aging and AD. Interaction effects indicated that, among older adults with elevated vascular risk burden (i.e., multiple vascular risk factors), advancing age was significantly associated with reduced cortical CBF whereas there was no such relationship for those with low vascular risk burden (i.e., no or one vascular risk factor). This pattern was observed in cortical ROIs including medial temporal (hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, uncus), inferior parietal (supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus), and frontal (anterior cingulate, middle frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus) cortices. Furthermore, among those with elevated vascular risk, reduced CBF was associated with poorer cognitive performance. Such findings suggest that older adults with elevated vascular risk burden may be particularly vulnerable to cognitive change as a function of CBF reductions. Findings support the use of CBF as a potential biomarker in preclinical AD and suggest that vascular risk burden and regionally-specific CBF changes may contribute to differential age-related cognitive declines

Asymmetry Analysis in Rodent Cerebral Ischemia Models

Rationale and Objectives: An automated method for identification and segmentation of acute/subacute ischemic stroke, using the inherent bi-fold symmetry in brain images, is presented. An accurate and automated method for localization of acute ischemic stroke could provide physicians with a mechanism for early detection and potentially faster delivery of effective stroke therapy. Materials and Methods: Segmentation of ischemic stroke was performed on magnetic resonance (MR) images of subacute rodent cerebral ischemia. Eight adult male Wistar rats weighing 225–300 g were anesthetized with halothane in a mix of 70% nitrous oxide/30% oxygen. Animal core temperature was maintained at 37°C during the entire surgical procedure, including occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and the 90-minute post-reperfusion period. To confirm cerebral ischemia, transcranial measurements of cerebral blood flow were performed with laser-Doppler flowmetry, using 15-mm flexible fiberoptic Doppler probes attached to the skull over the MCA territory. Animal MR scans were performed at 1.5 T using a knee coil. Three experts performed manual tracing of the stroke regions for each rat, using the histologic-stained slices to guide delineation of stroke regions. A strict tracing protocol was followed that included multiple (three) tracings of each stroke region. The volumetric MR image data were processed for each rat by computing the axis of symmetry and extracting statistical dissimilarities. A nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test operating on paired windows in opposing hemispheres identified seeds in the pixels exhibiting statistically significant bi-fold mirror asymmetry. Two brain reference maps were used for analysis: an absolute difference map (ADM) and a statistical difference map (SDM). Although an ADM simply displays the absolute difference by subtracting one brain hemisphere from its reflection, SDM highlights regions by labeling pixels exhibiting statistically significant asymmetry. Results: To assess the accuracy of the proposed segmentation method, the surrogate ground truth (the stroke tracing data) was compared to the results of our proposed automated segmentation algorithm. Three accuracy segmentation metrics were utilized: true-positive volume fraction (TPVF), false-positive volume fraction (FPVF), and false-negative volume fraction (FNVF). The mean value of the TPVF for our segmentation method was 0.8877; 95% CI 0.7254 to 1.0500; the mean FPVF was 0.3370, 95% CI –0.0893 to 0.7633; the mean FNVF was 0.1122, 95% CI –0.0502 to 0.2747. Conclusions: Unlike most segmentation methods that require some degree of manual intervention, our segmentation algorithm is fully automated and highly accurate in identifying regions of brain asymmetry. This approach is attractive for numerous neurologic applications where the operator's intervention should be minimal or null

Status quo and sector readiness for (bio)plastic food and beverage packaging in the 4IR

Single-use plastics emanating from the food and beverage industry are polluting the environment, and there is increasing public pressure to find ‘green’ solutions to plastic pollution. The introduction of more bio-based and biodegradable plastics (possibly manufactured by disruptive technologies), increased plastic recycling, and enhanced degradation of plastics (micro, meso, and macro) in the environment can holisticallycontribute to solving the problem for future generations. In order to inform future research, it is imperative that robust background data and information are available. This review provides details about the volumes and categories of food and beverage packaging manufactured and recycled, and available data (qualitative and quantitative) on environmental plastic pollution in South Africa, and to a lesser extent, in Europe andglobally. In addition, current and future trends and technologies for recycling, enhanced degradation, and manufacturing of plastics are discussed, with an emphasis on the manufacture of bioplastics. Significance:&nbsp;Plastic pollution needs to be tackled through a holistic combination of reduced use, enhanced recycling efforts, public education about littering, replacement of selected conventional plastics by degradable alternatives, and enhanced degradation of plastics in the environment

Post-carotid endarterectomy neurocognitive decline is associated with cerebral blood flow asymmetry on post-operative magnetic resonance perfusion brain scans

Objective: Up to 25% of patients experience subtle declines in post-operative neurocognitive function following, otherwise uncomplicated, carotid endarterectomy (CEA). We sought to determine if post-CEA neurocognitive deficits are associated with cerebral blood flow (CBF) abnormalities on post-operative MR perfusion brain scans. Methods: We enrolled 22 CEA patients to undergo a battery of neuropsychometric tests pre-operatively and on post-operative day 1 (POD 1). Neurocognitive dysfunction was defined as a two standard deviation decline in performance in comparison to a similarly aged control group of lumbar laminectomy patients. All patients received MR perfusion brain scans on POD 1 that were analysed for asymmetries in CBF distribution. One patient experienced a transient ischemic attack within 24 hours before the procedure and was excluded from our analysis. Results: Twenty-nine percent of CEA patients demonstrated neurocognitive dysfunction on POD 1. One hundred percent of those patients with cognitive deficits demonstrated CBF asymmetry, in contrast to only 27% of those patients without cognitive impairment. Post-CEA cognitive dysfunction was significantly associated with CBF abnormalities (RR=3.75, 95% CI: 1.62-8.67, p=0.004). Conclusion: Post-CEA neurocognitive dysfunction is significantly associated with post-operative CBF asymmetry. These results support the hypothesis that post-CEA cognitive impairment is caused by cerebral hemodynamic changes. Further work exploring the relationship between CBF and post-CEA cognitive dysfunction is needed

Toward Objective Quantification of Perfusion-weighted Computed Tomography in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Quantification of Symmetry and Automated Delineation of Vascular Territories

Rationale and Objectives: Perfusion-weighted computed tomography (CTP) is a relatively recent innovation that estimates a value for cerebral blood flow (CBF) using a series of axial head CT images tracking the time course of a signal from an intravenous contrast bolus. Materials and Methods: CTP images were obtained using a standard imaging protocol and were analyzed using commercially available software. A novel computer-based method was used for objective quantification of side-to-side asymmetries of CBF values calculated from CTP images. Results: Our method corrects for the inherent variability of the CTP methodology seen in the subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) patient population to potentially aid in the diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm (CVS). This method analyzes and quantifies side-to-side asymmetry of CBF and presents relative differences in a construct termed a Relative Difference Map (RDM). To further automate this process, we have developed a unique methodology that enables a computer to delineate vascular territories within a brain image, regardless of the size and shape of the brain. Conclusions: While both the quantification of image symmetry using RDMs and the automated assignment of vascular territories were initially designed for the analysis of CTP images, it is likely that they will be useful in a variety of applications