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The purpose of this study was to determine the financial experiences of pre-service teachers in handling finances. The study used a qualitative design and focused on fourth-year BEED students at Holy Trinity College in General Santos City, Philippines. Ten participants were chosen by random sampling, and data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide. The data were then analyzed thematically. The study emphasized that pre-service teachers experiences in handling their finances are categorized into three major themes: Adjusted Habits, Proper Budgeting, and Part-Time Jobs. Pre-service teachers prepared for the future by prioritizing essentials and changing their habits. Pre-service teachers are generally known for their frugality and good financial management because it means overcoming the need to purchase the things you like, maintaining financial self-discipline can be difficult. Due to a lack of resources, teachers must be more imaginative and innovative in order to provide students with helpful instructional resources and alternative methods for delivering lessons that are effective. According to the recommendations, pre-service teachers have to get guidance and assistance with money management. Additionally, by training future pre-teachers and sharing their own experiences, experienced teachers should help pre-service and future educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum threatens global malaria elimination efforts. To contain and then eliminate artemisinin resistance in Eastern Myanmar a network of community-based malaria posts was instituted and targeted mass drug administration (MDA) with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (three rounds at monthly intervals) was conducted. The prevalence of artemisinin resistance during the elimination campaign (2013–2019) was characterized. Methods: Throughout the six-year campaign Plasmodium falciparum positive blood samples from symptomatic patients and from cross-sectional surveys were genotyped for mutations in kelch-13—a molecular marker of artemisinin resistance. Result: The program resulted in near elimination of falciparum malaria. Of 5162 P. falciparum positive blood samples genotyped, 3281 (63.6%) had K13 mutations. The prevalence of K13 mutations was 73.9% in 2013 and 64.4% in 2019. Overall, there was a small but significant decline in the proportion of K13 mutants (p < 0.001). In the MDA villages there was no significant change in the K13 proportions before and after MDA. The distribution of different K13 mutations changed substantially; F446I and P441L mutations increased in both MDA and non-MDA villages, while most other K13 mutations decreased. The proportion of C580Y mutations fell from 9.2% (43/467) before MDA to 2.3% (19/813) after MDA (p < 0.001). Similar changes occurred in the 487 villages where MDA was not conducted. Conclusion: The malaria elimination program in Kayin state, eastern Myanmar, led to a substantial reduction in falciparum malaria. Despite the intense use of artemisinin-based combination therapies, both in treatment and MDA, this did not select for artemisinin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) become refractory to repeated sessions of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The aim of this study was to identify predictors associated with overall survival and refractoriness following repetitive TACE of HCC among patients in Southeast Asia. Methods The clinical and laboratory characteristics and radiologic response of 39 patients treated with conventional TACE (range 2 to 5) with mitomycin from January 2012 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were mostly male with a median age of 59 years and belonged to the BCLC B stage with a median tumor size of 7.5 cm. Results The median overall survival was 23.2 months and the overall mortality at 5 years was 36%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Child–Pugh (CP) score (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.47, p = 0.044), AST (HR = 7.6, p = 0.021), tumor size (HR = 5.47, p = 0.033), progressive disease on Choi criteria (HR = 5.47, confidence interval [CI] 1.15–25.99, p = 0.033), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (HR = 1.25, p = 0.049), and nodular enhancement on follow-up computed tomography (CT; HR = 1.98, p = 0.034) were independent risk factors for poor survival. ALT (p = 0.005), enhancement (p = 0.003), CP score (p = 0.010), and progressive disease on Choi criteria (p = 0.022) were predictive of TACE refractoriness/failure. Conclusion Elevated liver enzymes, CP score, and progressive disease on Choi criteria accurately predict TACE refractoriness and failure, allowing early identification of patients who might benefit from other therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberbullying has long been a concern of youth advocates which number around increased mainly due to too much spending on the social media platform. Recently, it has dominated the headlines as a major current-day adolescent challenge. This paper examined the perceptions of cyberbullied student-victims in cyberbullying and their life satisfaction. A descriptive survey research design was utilized in this study using the two modified survey questionnaires from Olweus and Huebuer et al. Results revealed that 70% of cyberbullied student-victims experienced bullying on Facebook/messenger. It also showed that the majority of them (58%) that their friends were their trusted persons to talk about their cyberbullying experiences. In conclusion, student-victims have negative experiences in cyberbullying which it gives an impact that they were equally satisfied and dissatisfied with their life but mostly satisfied with their residency due to their family who made them feel safe and loved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently published study by Ma et al. (Ma J, Dou K, Liu R, Liao Y, Yuan Z, Xie A. Front Aging Neurosci 14: 898149, 2022) investigated the 5-year longitudinal association between sleep disorders and depression in early and prodromal Parkinson’s disease (PD). Not surprisingly, sleep disorders were associated with higher depression scores among patients with PD but, interestingly, autonomic dysfunction was revealed as a mediator between the two. This mini-review highlights these findings with an emphasis on the proposed benefit of autonomic dysfunction regulation and early intervention in prodromal PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The collection and utilization of surveillance data is essential in monitoring progress towards achieving malaria elimination, in the timely response to increases in malaria case numbers and in the assessment of programme functioning. This paper describes the surveillance activities used by the malaria elimination task force (METF) programme which operates in eastern Myanmar, and provides an analysis of data collected from weekly surveillance, case investigations, and monitoring and evaluation of programme performance. Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted using data collected from a network of 1250 malaria posts operational between 2014 and 2021. To investigate changes in data completeness, malaria post performance, malaria case numbers, and the demographic details of malaria cases, summary statistics were used to compare data collected over space and time. Results: In the first 3 years of the METF programme, improvements in data transmission routes resulted in a 18.9% reduction in late reporting, allowing for near real-time analysis of data collected at the malaria posts. In 2020, travel restrictions were in place across Karen State in response to COVID-19, and from February 2021 the military coup in Myanmar resulted in widescale population displacement. However, over that period there has been no decline in malaria post attendance, and the majority of consultations continue to occur within 48 h of fever onset. Case investigations found that 43.8% of cases travelled away from their resident village in the 3 weeks prior to diagnosis and 36.3% reported never using a bed net whilst sleeping in their resident village, which increased to 72.2% when sleeping away from their resident village. Malaria post assessments performed in 82.3% of the METF malaria posts found malaria posts generally performed to a high standard. Conclusions: Surveillance data collected by the METF programme demonstrate that despite significant changes in the context in which the programme operates, malaria posts have remained accessible and continue to provide early diagnosis and treatment contributing to an 89.3% decrease in Plasmodium falciparum incidence between 2014 and 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Providing at-risk communities with uninterrupted access to early diagnosis and treatment is a key component in reducing malaria transmission and achieving elimination. As programmes approach malaria elimination targets it is critical that each case is tested and treated early, which may present a challenge when the burden of malaria is reduced. In this paper we investigate whether malaria testing rates decline over time and assess the impacts of integrating malaria and non-malaria services on testing rates in the malaria elimination task force (METF) programme in the Kayin state of Myanmar.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using weekly collected data on testing rates from a network of more than 1200 malaria posts during the period from 2014 to 2020. To determine whether monthly testing rates changed over the years of programme operations, and whether integrating malaria and non-malaria services impacted these testing rates, we fitted negative binomial mixed-effects regression models to aggregate monthly data, accounting for malaria seasonal variation.Results: In the first year of malaria post operation, testing rates declined, correlating with a decline in attendance by people from outside the malaria post catchment area, but then remained fairly constant (the Rate Ratio (RR) for 2nd versus 1st year open ranged from 0.68 to 0.84 across the four townships included in the analysis, the RR for 3rd to 6th year versus 1st year open were similar, ranging from 0.59-0.78). The implementation of a training programme, which was intended to expand the role of the malaria post workers, had minimal impact on testing rates up to 24 months after training was delivered (RR for integrated versus malaria-only services ranged from 1.00 to 1.07 across METF townships).Conclusion: Despite the decline in malaria incidence from 2014 to 2020, there has been no decline in the malaria testing rate in the METF programme after the establishment of the complete malaria post network in 2016. While the integration of malaria posts with other health services provides benefits to the population, our evaluation questions the necessity of integrated services in maintaining malaria testing rates in areas approaching elimination of malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide variety of electrophilic derivatives of itaconate, the Kreb's cycle-derived metabolite, are immunomodulatory, yet these derivatives have overlapping and sometimes contradictory activities. Therefore, we generated a genetic system to interrogate the immunomodulatory functions of endogenously produced itaconate in human macrophages. Endogenous itaconate is driven by multiple innate signals restraining inflammatory cytokine production. Endogenous itaconate directly targets cysteine 13 in IRAK4 (disrupting IRAK4 autophosphorylation and activation), drives the degradation of nuclear factor κB, and modulates global ubiquitination patterns. As a result, cells unable to make itaconate overproduce inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β in response to these innate activators. In contrast, the production of interferon (IFN)β, downstream of LPS, requires the production of itaconate. These data demonstrate that itaconate is a critical arbiter of inflammatory cytokine production downstream of multiple innate signaling pathways, laying the groundwork for the development of itaconate mimetics for the treatment of autoimmunity. [Display omitted] • Itaconate mimetics do not reliably inform the role of endogenous itaconate • Endogenous itaconate negatively regulates innate-driven inflammation • Itaconate is a weak activator of NRF2 when compared to mimetics • Endogenous itaconate regulates global ubiquitination in macrophages Bourner et al. demonstrate that multiple innate danger signals drive the production of the metabolite itaconate. They demonstrate that endogenously produced itaconate negatively regulates multiple nodes of inflammation in human macrophages. They conclude that the immunomodulatory activity of known electrophiles probably results from their ability to mimic endogenously produced itaconate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) is a form of non-invasive neuromodulation which is delivered in an intermittent (iTBS) or continuous (cTBS) manner. Although 600 pulses is the most common dose, the goal of these experiments was to evaluate the effect of higher per-dose pulse numbers on cortical excitability. Sixty individuals were recruited for 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, participants received 600, 1200, 1800, or sham (600) iTBS (4 visits, counterbalanced, left motor cortex, 80% active threshold). In Experiment 2, participants received 600, 1200, 1800, 3600, or sham (600) cTBS (5 visits, counterbalanced). Motor evoked potentials (MEP) were measured in 10-min increments for 60 min. For iTBS, there was a significant interaction between dose and time (F = 3.8296, p = 0.01), driven by iTBS (1200) which decreased excitability for up to 50 min (t = 3.1267, p = 0.001). For cTBS, there was no overall interaction between dose and time (F = 1.1513, p = 0.33). Relative to sham, cTBS (3600) increased excitability for up to 60 min (t = 2.0880, p = 0.04). There were no other significant effects of dose relative to sham in either experiment. Secondary analyses revealed high within and between subject variability. These results suggest that iTBS (1200) and cTBS (3600) are, respectively, the most effective doses for decreasing and increasing cortical excitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Many studies correlate lower health literacy with poorer health outcomes and inferior provider-patient communication. Little is known about how impaired health literacy among women receiving prenatal care at inner city public hospitals may impact reproductive health behaviors and outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess health literacy among postpartum women receiving care at a public tertiary care center and to explore the association of impaired health literacy with prenatal care attendance and postpartum outcomes. Methods: Written consent was obtained before completing the 7-item REALM-SF study tool to assess health literacy. A score of zero to three indicated low health literacy, four to six moderately low health literacy, and seven adequate health literacy. Patients completed a 25-item demographic questionnaire, and medical outcomes were obtained via this questionnaire and chart review. Descriptive statistics were generated, and bivariate and multivariate analyses evaluated the association between REALM-SF score and study outcomes. Results: We recruited 300 adult English-speaking postpartum women and 293 were included in the final analysis. The majority of participants (53.9%) experienced impaired health literacy (score zero to six). Most respondents completed high school or higher education (77.1%), 17.8% had no prenatal care, and 83.6% reported that this pregnancy was unplanned. After adjusting for age, race, and education, women in the lowest health literacy group were less likely to indicate a plan to exclusively breastfeed (aRR = 0.54, p = 0.03). Conclusions for Practice: Impaired health literacy affects a majority of our patients and is associated with reproductive health outcomes, including exclusive breastfeeding. Health care providers should attempt to overcome differences in health literacy through strong breastfeeding promotion. Verbal and written patient education materials should be tailored to the needs of patients with impaired health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a new, open‐source MR‐compatible device capable of assessing unipedal and bipedal lower extremity movement with minimal head motion and high test–retest reliability. To evaluate the prototype, 20 healthy adults participated in two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visits, separated by 2–6 months, in which they performed a visually guided dorsiflexion/plantar flexion task with their left foot, right foot, and alternating feet. Dependent measures included: evoked blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) signal in the motor network, head movement associated with dorsiflexion/plantar flexion, the test–retest reliability of these measurements. Left and right unipedal movement led to a significant increase in BOLD signal compared to rest in the medial portion of the right and left primary motor cortex (respectively), and the ipsilateral cerebellum (FWE corrected, p <.001). Average head motion was 0.10 ± 0.02 mm. The test–retest reliability was high for the functional MRI data (intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs]: >0.75) and the angular displacement of the ankle joint (ICC: 0.842). This bipedal device can robustly isolate activity in the motor network during alternating plantarflexion and dorsiflexion with minimal head movement, while providing high test–retest reliability. Ultimately, these data and open‐source building instructions will provide a new, economical tool for investigators interested in evaluating brain function resulting from lower extremity movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) was created by three Black women, two of whom identify as queer, mainstream representations of the movement often erase the founders' identities. This project works to counter the consistent and sustained erasure of Black (queer) women in the origin stories of social movements as well as in the larger cultural consciousness. We begin by locating the founders of BLM in a genealogy of (queer) Black women intellectuals who have repeatedly articulated the importance of analysis that acknowledges oppressions as multiple and interlocking. Then, using what we call a queer Black feminist critical lens, we analyze three drama television shows. Our analysis of episodes from Scandal and Orange is the New Black demonstrates how popular television dramas with majority-White audiences create a gender- and sexuality-neutral backstory for BLM, obscuring the movement's innate queerness and original intentions around intersectionality. By contrast, Queen Sugar, a series on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) which has a much smaller and more diverse audience, acknowledges BLM's queer history and offers a more complex view of the movement as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A method was developed to analyze St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) herb and preparations using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES) to determine the quantity of 11 elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Sr and Zn). Methods: This study includes the evaluation of digestion acids and calibration methods, as well as instrumental parameters such as choice of nebulizer and emission wavelength. Key findings: Two nebulizers (Conikal and SeaSpray) performed similarly for most elements, and two optimum wavelengths were determined for each element. Five acids were evaluated for the digestion of the Polish Certified Reference Material Tea Leaves (INCT‐TL‐1), while three were taken forward to use for the different St John's wort formulations (i.e. herb, capsule and tablet). A simple protocol using 5 ml HNO3 was sufficient in most cases; however, variability was observed for elements often bound in silicates (e.g. Al, Fe and Zn). An external weighted calibration was also found to be preferential over unweighted, and the use of standard addition affected some concentration values up to 20%. Conclusions: Therefore, this paper presents the development and optimized method parameters to be used with ICP‐OES that will allow the analysis of 11 key elements present in St John's wort herb and preparations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the safety, efficacy, and role of efinaconazole and tavaborole in the treatment of onychomycosis. Summary: Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, and nondermatophyte fungi. Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO) accounts for the majority of the cases. These infections cause structural damage to the nail which makes treatment difficult. Both oral and topical agents exist for the treatment of onychomycosis. Oral medications have generally been more effective, yet adverse effects and drug interactions limit their use in some patients. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved agents in the United States for oral therapies include terbinafine, itraconazole, and griseofulvin. The only topical product available up to recently was ciclopirox. Conclusion: This article will review efinaconazole and tavaborole, 2 new topical antifungal agents released in 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents criticism on the film "Chi-Raq" directed by Spike Lee. Topics discussed include estimated number of murders in Chicago between 2001 and 2015, according to the film, controversy over the term "Chiraq" in Chicago, and themes covered in the film which includes the issue of violence in black communities.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic inflammatory disorders affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that encompass Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In these disease states, epithelial damage of the intestinal mucosa is evident due to increased lymphocyte trafficking to the area, which affects the normal intestinal barrier function. Currently available pharmacotherapy can be limited in terms of efficacy and associated toxicities. Newer agents have emerged, including the monoclonal antibody natalizumab, which antagonizes integrin, an important component within the inflammation cascade. Natalizumab works by modulating both the GI and brain biologic responses and as a result there is risk of the opportunistic infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), putting patients at risk for severe disability and death. Vedolizumab, another integrin inhibitor, is selective for modulating the gut biologic response but not the brain, consequently decreasing the risk for PML. To generate information regarding the role of vedolizumab in the treatment of IBD, a literature search was conducted, yielding 7 phase I to III clinical trials. This article serves as a summary of efficacy, safety, and other relevant information from clinical studies to explore the role of vedolizumab in the treatment of CD and UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Amoebiasis is a common cause of non-specific colitis in the Philippines. The prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection with colitis is unknown. Empiric use of metronidazole for colitis treatment is widely practiced. We investigated the association of C. difficile or Entamoeba histolytica infection with endoscopically/histopathologically proven colitis among adults in the Philippines. Two hundred and ten patients undergoing colonoscopy were enrolled. Demographic and clinical data were reviewed. Stool specimens were assayed for C. difficile and E. histolytica by ELISA. Microscopy was performed. The mean age of the patients was 53 y (range: 19–88 y) and 53% were male. Colitis was diagnosed in 39 of 205 patients. Clostridium difficile, E. histolytica and parasites were seen in 17 (43.6%), 10 (25.6%) and 11 (28.2%), respectively, of patients with colitis compared with 36 (21.7%; p=0.005), 13 (7.8%; p=0.001) and 56 (33.7%; p=0.51), respectively, of those without colitis. Diarrhoea and antibiotic intake history were significantly more common among patients with colitis than those without (43.6% and 20.5% vs 18.1% and 5.4%; p=0.001 and p=0.006, respectively). The mean duration of diarrhoea was 2.53 d shorter among patients with colitis. The most frequent antibiotics taken were fluoroquinolones and metronidazole (50% and 40% of antibiotic courses, respectively, in patients with colitis). This study suggests that C. difficile infection is common and might be overlooked in settings where amoebiasis and intestinal parasitism are endemic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This research note documents a recent experience conducted in the Philippines and that consisted in using participatory mapping to raise disaster risk awareness among the youth. Maps are cheap, easy to reproduce and help in materializing hazard, vulnerability and risk, and thus allow the youth to concretely appraise disaster risk in their immediate environment. This is particularly important among marginalized communities. The next step is hence to scale up the activity to the level of disaster risk reduction within schools and colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical activation of macrophages (M(LPS+IFNγ)) elicits the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), generating large amounts of NO and inhibiting mitochondrial respiration. Upregulation of glycolysis and a disrupted tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle underpin this switch to a pro-inflammatory phenotype. We show that the NOS cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH 4) modulates IL-1β production and key aspects of metabolic remodeling in activated murine macrophages via NO production. Using two complementary genetic models, we reveal that NO modulates levels of the essential TCA cycle metabolites citrate and succinate, as well as the inflammatory mediator itaconate. Furthermore, NO regulates macrophage respiratory function via changes in the abundance of critical N-module subunits in Complex I. However, NO-deficient cells can still upregulate glycolysis despite changes in the abundance of glycolytic intermediates and proteins involved in glucose metabolism. Our findings reveal a fundamental role for iNOS-derived NO in regulating metabolic remodeling and cytokine production in the pro-inflammatory macrophage. • NO orchestrates metabolic remodeling in macrophages responding to LPS+IFNγ • NO regulates itaconate metabolism in two models of infection and inflammation • NO determines Complex I subunit abundance in inflammatory macrophages • Glycolysis is increased in activated NO-deficient cells despite metabolic changes Metabolic remodeling underpins inflammatory macrophage activation, but the modulatory mechanisms are still being elucidated. Bailey et al. show that NO regulates specific changes in the abundance of TCA cycle metabolites, itaconate, and catalytic subunits of Complex I in the respiratory chain in inflammatory murine macrophages both in vitro and in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving access to early diagnosis and treatment (EDT) has increasingly proven to be a major contributor to decreasing malaria incidence in low-transmission settings. The Malaria Elimination Task Force (METF) has deployed malaria posts set up in Eastern Myanmar, providing free uninterrupted community-based access to EDT in more than 1200 villages. Ensuring high quality services are provided by these malaria posts is essential to reaching elimination targets. The present study aimed to determine the functionality of the malaria posts in the METF programme. Methods: This report analysed routinely collected data (weekly reports, individual consultation, diagnostic test quality control) and data collected specifically during monitoring and evaluation visits using descriptive statistics and univariate logistic regression. The presence of major dysfunctions (stock-outs and reported closing; likely to impair the ability of the population to access EDT) or minor dysfunctions (no formal METF training, lack of regular salary, forms and manual not on-site, and low frequency of supervisor visits) and the ability to anticipate dysfunctions through analysis of weekly reports were assessed. Results: A total of 65% of malaria posts had no major dysfunction identified during monitoring and evaluation visits, while 86% of malaria posts were fully stocked with tests and medicines used for treatment. Diagnosis was correctly conducted with few false positives and rare mis-speciation of results. Malaria post worker knowledge of malaria treatments showed few gaps, mostly in the treatment of more complex presentations. Malaria posts were well utilized in the population, with 94% of consultations occurring within the first 3 days of fever. In the regression analysis, reported stock-outs and delayed weekly reports were associated with observed major and minor dysfunctions in monitoring and evaluation visits, emphasizing the need to reinforce support to malaria post supervisors, who were responsible for the local logistics of supply and data transmission and day-to-day supervision. Conclusion: The malaria posts operating under the METF programme perform to a high standard, with the majority offering uninterrupted access to diagnosis and treatment, and high service uptake in the villages serviced by the programme. However, programme operations can be strengthened by increasing malaria post supervisor visits and re-training malaria post workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]