Movement Analysis of Philippine Folk Dance Itik-itik

The purpose of the study was to describe and analyze the dance movements of the Philippine folk dance Itik-itik. The researchers adopted the movement analysis method similar to that of Mackenzie that involves the (1) description of the actual movements which occur at the joints involved; (2) the plane in which the movement occurs; and (3) the muscles producing the movement (agonist & antagonist). In addition, similar to the study of Martin and Miller, the researchers also had done a mechanical analysis on the lever type involved in the execution of the dance movement in terms of force, axis, and resistance. Results revealed that the prominent dance steps in the Philippine local dance Itik-itik are the (1) running, (2) cross step, slide close, slide close step, (3) heel, close-ball, close arm, (4) step, slide-close, slide, (5) arms extension/flexion, and (6) flapping of the arms. The joints involved are the shoulder and hip muscle which are ball and socket type of joints; and elbow, knee and ankle which are hinge joints. The major muscles involved in the dance for the lower body include the quadriceps, hamstring muscle group, adductor muscle group, calves and gluts. While for the upper body muscles involved are the pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, deltoid, trapezius, biceps, and triceps muscles. The type of lever used in performing the dance comprise majority of 1st class and 3rd class levers. By knowing the muscles involved in the dance the dance teacher may be able to devise activities to gradually prepare the prime mover muscles before the actual execution for injury prevention. Thus, the movements in the dance may improve the health and skill related fitness of the performers

Does the Potential for Chaos Constrain the Embryonic Cell-Cycle Oscillator?

Although many of the core components of the embryonic cell-cycle network have been elucidated, the question of how embryos achieve robust, synchronous cellular divisions post-fertilization remains unexplored. What are the different schemes that could be implemented by the embryo to achieve synchronization? By extending a cell-cycle model previously developed for embryos of the frog Xenopus laevis to include the spatial dimensions of the embryo, we establish a novel role for the rapid, fertilization-initiated calcium wave that triggers cell-cycle oscillations. Specifically, in our simulations a fast calcium wave results in synchronized cell cycles, while a slow wave results in full-blown spatio-temporal chaos. We show that such chaos would ultimately lead to an unpredictable patchwork of cell divisions across the embryo. Given this potential for chaos, our results indicate a novel design principle whereby the fast calcium-wave trigger following embryo fertilization synchronizes cell divisions

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Ang iligal na paghahanap-buhay sa bansang Hapon: Kaso ng anim na Pilipinang taga-aliw

Ang nagpapalalang mga sitwasyon sa paggawa ng mga kababaihang Pilipinang namamasukan sa bansang Hapon ay nagbunsod sa manunulat na ipagpatuloy ang pagsubok sa pag-aaral na ito. Ang interes ay nagmula rin sa napakaraming mga nakakasalamuhang taga-aliw ng mananaliksik sa dating pinapasukang opisina na nagpapahayag ng kanilang mga naranasan sa bansang Hapon. Habang lumalaon paparami ng paparami ang naitutulak sa ganitong hanap-buhay lalo na nga ang pagiging iligal, hangang sa napapabalita ang mga peligrong kinasasadlakan na kung saan ang iba ay pinagsasamantalahan, inaabuso at pinapatay. Ang pag-aaral ng kaso ng anim na Pilipinong taga-aliw sa bansang Hapon ay isinasagawa sa paggamit ng kuwento ng buhay at ang content analysis bilang paraan sa pagsusuri ng mga kinalabasan. Ang pagkolekta ng datos ay pinasimulan sa pamamagitan ng unstructured intrerview guide at ng malawakang obserbasyon sa loob ng pamilya at ng pamayanan. Ang gabay sa pagtatanong ay binubuo ng dalawang magkaibang talahanay ng mga katanungan. Isa ay para sa mga pangunahing kalahok at ang ikalawa ay para sa dalawang taong malapit sa kalahok