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This study investigated the utilization of example-conclusion map (ECM), a tool in teaching simple interest to senior high school in a university in the Philippines. With the purpose of presenting the topic in a more relevant way to learners under the Accountancy and Business Management strand, the researchers engaged in a lesson study. The following issues emerged: i) Contextualizing ECM links the topic to real life problems; and ii) Strategizing with ECM provides opportunities to engage in deep and meaningful thinking given an otherwise technical/mechanical topic. Students were able to deduce conclusions and create their own examples. The learners were given the opportunities to discover the formula and establish how simple interest is computed through the collaboration. Through the facilitation of the teacher using ECM as a pedagogy, substantive conversations and clear understanding of the topic were evident. Contextualized examples in teaching simple interest still needed to be improved. It is concluded that teaching simple interest through ECM is effective. It also facilitates a transformative topic that will not just underpin concepts on computations and algorithms, but utilize critical thinking skills to analyze profound issues the community deals with like issues on social justice, loaning, and investing.

This study examined the common language used for texting between first- and second-year English language studies majors at a state university in the northern Philippines, as well as their writing skills. The methodology of total enumeration sampling was utilized to ascertain the study participants. The findings demonstrated that "Shortenings and Abbreviations" is the most often used texting language among the seven commonly used texting languages among the respondents. The results also revealed that the respondents' written performance had a relatively low level of writing competence, "Developing," which can be linked to their usage of acronyms and shorthands. These imply that the idea that textese, or texting language, is destroying language and influencing the language performance of the students has been proven and confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between flavonoid-rich diets and improved cardiovascular prognosis. Cocoa contains large amounts of flavonoids, in particular flavanols (mostly catechins and epicatechins). Flavonoids possess pleiotropic properties that may confer protective effects to tissues during injury. We examined the ability of epicatechin to reduce short-and long-term ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) myocardial injury. Epicatechin (1 mg*[kg.sup.-1]*[day.sup.-1]) pretreatment (Tx) was administered daily via oral gavage to male rats for 2 or 10 days. Controls received water. Ischemia was induced via a 45-min coronary occlusion. Reperfusion was allowed until 48 h or 3 wk while Tx continued. We measured infarct (MI) size (%), hemodynamics, myeloperoxidase activity, tissue oxidative stress, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity in 48-h groups. Cardiac morphometry was also evaluated in 3-wk groups. With 2 days of Tx, no reductions in MI size occurred. After 10 days, a significant ~50% reduction in MI size occurred. Epicatechin rats demonstrated no significant changes in hemodynamics. Tissue oxidative stress was reduced significantly in the epicatechin group vs. controls. MMP-9 activity demonstrated limited increases in the infarct region with epicatechin. By 3 wk, a significant 32% reduction in infarct size was observed with Tx, accompanied with sustained hemodynamics and preserved chamber morphometry. In conclusion, epicatechin Tx confers cardioprotection in the setting of I/R injury. The effects are independent of changes in hemodynamics, are sustained over time, and are accompanied by reduced levels of indicators of tissue injury. Results warrant the evaluation of cocoa flavanols as possible therapeutic agents to limit ischemic injury. myocardial infarction; catechin; epigallocatechin; cocoa; chocolate

Abstract Background The region situated where the borders of Mexico, Texas and New Mexico meet is known as 'Paso del Norte'. The Paso del Norte Collaborative was formed to study the seroprevalence of select pathogens and associated risk behaviors among injection drug users (IDUs) in the region. Methods Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used: 459 IDU participants included 204 from Mexico; 155 from Texas; and 100 from New Mexico. Each of the three sites used a standardized questionnaire that was verbally administered and testing was performed for select bloodborne infections. Results Participants were mostly male (87.4%) and Hispanic/Latino (84.7%) whose median age was 38. In Mexico, Texas and New Mexico, respectively: hepatitis B virus (HBV) was seen in 88.3%, 48.6% and 59.6% of participants; hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 98.7%, 76.4% and 80.0%; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 2.1%, 10.0% and 1.0%; and syphilis in 4.0%, 9.9% and 3.0%. Heroin was the drug injected most often. More IDUs in New Mexico were aware of and used needle exchange programs compared with Texas and Mexico. Conclusion There was mixed success using RDS: it was more successfully applied after establishing good working relationships with IDU populations. Study findings included similarities and distinctions between the three sites that will be used to inform prevention interventions.

Objectives: Nasal reconstruction is limited by the availability of autologous cartilage. The aim is to investigate an adhesive biomaterial for tissue engineering of nasal cartilage by evaluating mechanical properties of hydrogels made of fibrin crosslinked with genipin as compared to native tissue. Methods: Hydrogels of fibrin, fibrin-genipin, and fibrin-genipin with extracellular matrix (ECM) particles were created and evaluated with mechanical testing to determine compression, tensile, and shear properties. Rabbit nasal septal cartilage was harvested and tested in these modalities for comparison. Transmission electron microscopy characterized hydrogel structure. Results: Fibrin-genipin gels had higher compressive, tensile, and shear moduli compared to fibrin alone or fibrin-genipin with ECM. However, all hydrogel formulations had lower moduli than the rabbit nasal septal cartilage. Electron microscopy showed genipin crosslinking increased structural density of the hydrogel and that cartilage ECM created larger structural features with lower crosslinking density. Conclusion: The addition of genipin significantly improved mechanical properties of fibrin hydrogels by increasing the compressive, tensile, and shear moduli. The addition of cartilage ECM, which can add native structure and composition, resulted in decreased moduli values. Fibrin-genipin is a bioactive and biomechanically stable hydrogel that may offer promise as a scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering in nasal reconstruction, yet further augmentation is required to match material properties of native nasal cartilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, a tissue depletion study of moxidectin (MOX) in lambs is not available. Thus, considering that lamb meat is of great commercial interest in the world, the aim of the present study was to determine the residue levels of MOX in lamb target-tissues (muscle, liver, kidney and fat) and subsequently calculate the MOX withdrawal period. For this purpose, the target-tissues were analysed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Method validation was performed based on Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and VICH GL49. To quantify the analyte, matrix-matched analytical curves were constructed with spiked blank tissues. The limits of detection and quantitation were 1.5 and 5 ng g−1, respectively, for all matrices. The linearity, decision limit, detection capability accuracy and inter- and intra-day precision of the method are reported. The lambs were treated with a single subcutaneous dose of 0.2 mg MOX kg−1 body weight and were slaughtered in accordance with accepted animal care protocols. Samples of target-tissues were collected on 2, 4, 7, 14, 28 and 42 days after MOX administration. During the whole study, the highest drug residue level occurred in the fat. For the other target-tissues (muscle, liver and kidney), MOX concentrations were below the maximum residue limit (MRL). Considering the MRL value of 500 µg kg−1 for MOX residues in sheep fat, our results in lambs allowed the estimation of a MOX withdrawal period of 31 days. This indicates that the withdrawal period established for MOX in adult sheep (28 days) does not apply for lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

γδ T lymphocytes maintain skin homeostasis by balancing keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation with the destruction of infected or malignant cells. An imbalance in skin-resident T cell function can aggravate skin-related autoimmune diseases, impede tumor eradication, or disrupt proper wound healing. Much of the published work on human skin T cells attributes T cell function in the skin to αβ T cells, while γδ T cells are an often overlooked participant. This review details the roles played by both αβ and γδ T cells in healthy human skin and then focuses on their roles in skin diseases, such as psoriasis and alopecia areata. Understanding the contribution of skin-resident and skin-infiltrating T cell populations and cross-talk with other immune cells is leading to the development of novel therapeutics for patients. However, there is still much to be learned in order to effectively modulate T cell function and maintain healthy skin homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annulus fibrosus (AF) defects from intervertebral disk (IVD) herniation and degeneration are commonly associated with back pain. Genipin-crosslinked fibrin hydrogel (FibGen) is an injectable, space-filling AF sealant that was optimized to match AF shear properties and partially restored IVD biomechanics. This study aimed to enhance mechanical behaviors of FibGen to more closely match AF compressive, tensile, and shear properties by adjusting genipin crosslink density and by creating a composite formulation by adding Poly(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PDLGA). This study also evaluated effects of thrombin concentration and injection technique on gelation kinetics and adhesive strength. Increasing FibGen genipin concentration from 1 to 36 kg/mL significantly increased adhesive strength (~5 to 35 kPa), shear moduli (~10 to 110 kPa), and compressive moduli (~25 to 150 kPa) with concentration-dependent effects, and spanning native AF properties. Adding PDLGA to FibGen altered the material microstructure on electron microscopy and nearly tripled adhesive strength, but did not increase tensile moduli, which remained nearly 5× below native AF, and had a small increase in shear moduli and significantly decreased compressive moduli. Increased thrombin concentration decreased gelation rate to<5 kin and injection methods providing a structural FibGen cap increased pushout strength by ~40%. We conclude that FibGen is highly modifiable with tunable mechanical properties that can be formulated to be compatible with human AF compressive and shear properties and gelation kinetics and injection techniques compatible with clinical discectomy procedures. However, further innovations, perhaps with more efficient fiber reinforcement, will be required to enable FibGen to match AF tensile properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of oncogenic mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) enzymes has highlighted the delicate interplay of metabolism, cellular signaling, and transcriptional regulation that was off-focus for some time in the genomic era. Although IDH inhibitors are being evaluated for clinical efficacy, an in-depth understanding of disease pathogenesis linked to IDH mutations is required to develop rational combination treatments and to be evaluated in the clinic. To gain such an understanding, several questions need to be addressed: Why do IDH mutations occur selectively in subsets of a disease entity although they are found to be present in a very heterogeneous set of unrelated tumors? Why are 2-hydroxyglutarate-producing tumors specifically selected for the R -enantiomer and not for the S -enantiomer? Are the changes in 2-hydroxyglutarate-induced DNA methylation primary or secondary alterations in tumorigenesis? What are the roles of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and its prolyl 4-hydroxylases in IDH-mutant tumors? Here, we address these questions and discuss the consequences for basic and clinical research related to IDH-mutant tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista da Faculdade de Odontologia is the property of UFRGS-Faculdade de Odontologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The local route of stem cell administration utilized presently in clinical trials for stress incontinence may not take full advantage of the capabilities of these cells. The goal of this study was to evaluate if intravenously injected mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) home to pelvic organs after simulated childbirth injury in a rat model. Female rats underwent either vaginal distension (VD) or sham VD. All rats received 2 million GFP-labeled MSCs intravenously 1 hour after injury. Four or 10 days later pelvic organs and muscles were imaged for visualization of GFP-positive cells. Significantly more MSCs home to the urethra, vagina, rectum, and levator animuscle 4 days after VD than after sham VD. MSCs were present 10 days after injection but GFP intensity had decreased. This study provides basic science evidence that intravenous administration ofMSCs could provide an effective route for cell-based therapy to facilitate repair after injury and treat stress incontinence [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant number of women experience stress urinary incontinence (SUI), which greatly affects their quality of life. Recent research investigating utilization of stem cells and their derivatives for the prevention and treatment of SUI has been performed to test the effect of cell source and method of administration in several animal models of SUI. The type of stem cell, timing of optimal dose or doses after injury, mechanism of action of stem cells, and route of administration must be investigated both preclinically and clinically before stem cell therapy becomes a possible treatment for SUI, although the future of this therapy looks promising. This article reviews the progress in stem cell research for incontinence and describes areas of future work as suggested by research in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article summarizes the case of the U.S. versus Ruiz-Gaxiola wherein the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the government could not treat a defendant involuntarily for the purpose of giving the defendant competent to stand trial. It presents facts and procedural history of the case. It mentions the case of Sell versus the U.S. wherein the Supreme Court made a test to determine when it is allowed to administer antipsychotic treatment against a person's will.

Lipid accumulation in the heart is associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of heart failure seen in this patient population. Stored triglycerides are synthesized by the enzyme diacylglycerol acyl transferase (DGAT). We hypothesized that forced expression of DGAT1 in the cardiac myocyte would result in increased lipid accumulation and heart dysfunction. A cardiac myocyte-selective DGAT1 transgenic mouse was created and demonstrated increased lipid accumulation in the absence of hyperglycemia, plasma dyslipidemia or differences in body weight. Over time, expression of DGAT1 in the heart resulted in the development of a significant cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography revealed diastolic dysfunction with increased early mitral inflow velocity to late mitral inflow velocity ratio and decreased deceleration time, suggesting a restrictive pattern in the transgenic mice. Moderate systolic dysfunction was also seen at 52 weeks. Histological analysis showed increased cardiac fibrosis and increased expression of procollagen type 1A, matrix metalloproteinase 2, and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 2 in the transgenic mice. Mitochondrial biogenesis was reduced in the transgenic hearts, as was expression of cytochrome c oxidase 1 and cytochrome c. Expression of key transcription factors important in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis were reduced. These findings suggest that triglyceride accumulation, in the absence of systemic metabolic derangement, results in cardiac dysfunction and decreased mitochondrial biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ciência Florestal (01039954) is the property of Ciencia Florestal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Human populations are structured by social networks, in which individuals tend to form relationships based on shared attributes. Certain attributes that are ambiguous, stigmatized or illegal can create a ÔhiddenÕ population, socalled because its members are difficult to identify. Many hidden populations are also at an elevated risk of exposure to infectious diseases. Consequently, public health agencies are presently adopting modern survey techniques that traverse social networks in hidden populations by soliciting individuals to recruit their peers, e.g., respondent-driven sampling (RDS). The concomitant accumulation of network-based epidemiological data, however, is rapidly outpacing the development of computational methods for analysis. Moreover, current analytical models rely on unrealistic assumptions, e.g., that the traversal of social networks can be modeled by a Markov chain rather than a branching process. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we develop a new methodology based on stochastic context-free grammars (SCFGs), which are well-suited to modeling tree-like structure of the RDS recruitment process. We apply this methodology to an RDS case study of injection drug users (IDUs) in Tijuana, México, a hidden population at high risk of blood-borne and sexually-transmitted infections (i.e., HIV, hepatitis C virus, syphilis). Survey data were encoded as text strings that were parsed using our custom implementation of the inside-outside algorithm in a publicly-available software package (HyPhy), which uses either expectation maximization or direct optimization methods and permits constraints on model parameters for hypothesis testing. We identified significant latent variability in the recruitment process that violates assumptions of Markov chain-based methods for RDS analysis: firstly, IDUs tended to emulate the recruitment behavior of their own recruiter; and secondly, the recruitment of like peers (homophily) was dependent on the number of recruits. Conclusions: SCFGs provide a rich probabilistic language that can articulate complex latent structure in survey data derived from the traversal of social networks. Such structure that has no representation in Markov chain-based models can interfere with the estimation of the composition of hidden populations if left unaccounted for, raising critical implications for the prevention and control of infectious disease epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent North American data document increased prescription opioid (PO) misuse in general and street-drug-user populations. One aspect of this phenomenon – as distinct from illicit drug use – appears to be sourcing , since POs may be obtained through various forms of diversion from the medical system and other sources. However, the overall function of street-drug markets for POs remains unclear. Regular street users of POs in Toronto ( N = 43) and Victoria ( N = 39) were recruited by community-based methods and completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire exploring features of PO sourcing from street-drug markets. Respondents were PO- and non-opioid poly-drug users, with few holding their own prescription for POs. Regular sources for POs were more common in Toronto. Sizeable proportions of respondents in both sites reported exchanging and selling illicit drugs, involving both PO and non-PO drugs in Toronto, yet mainly restricted to the latter in Victoria. Respondents suggested a possible demarcation line between street market sources for POs and street market sources for illicit drugs. The availability of, demand for, and prices for PO-drugs was observed to have increased in recent years. Street-drug markets appear to be one key source feeding increasing levels of PO use among street users. Our data suggest that there may be distinct market patterns for POs, findings which are important for developing interventions and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims. Recent data suggest increasing prescription opioid and decreasing heroin use among street drug users, yet little is known on possible differential use characteristics and outcomes associated with these drugs. [While we recognise that, correctly, these populations would need to be labelled as opioid 'abusers' or 'non-medical users', we rely on the simpler terms 'use' and 'users' for the population under study within the wider context of them being engaged overall in illicit opioid use activities.] This study compared drug use, health, and socio-economic characteristics between heroin (H)-only, prescription opioid (PO)-only and mixed heroin and prescription (PO&H) users in a Canadian multi-site cohort of illicit opioid and other drug users (OPICAN). Design and Methods. Data from the most recent (2005) multi-component assessment of the H-only (n = 94), PO-only (n = 304) and PO&H (n = 86) cohort sub-samples were analysed. Based on bivariate analyses of variables of interest, a multinomial logistic regression analysis (MLRA) model was computed, comparing PO-only and PO&H groups to the H-only reference group, respectively. Results. H-only users were found in two of the seven study sites. Based on the MLRA, PO-only and PO&H users, compared to H-only users, were more likely to: be older, use benzodiazepines and cocaine, use drop-in shelters and less likely to use walk-in clinics. PO-only users were also more likely to: be white; receive legal income; use drugs by non-injection; have physical health problems; and use private physician services. Discussion and Conclusions. Our study underscores the increasing prevalence of PO compared to heroin use in the study population. Differences between PO-only and H-only users were more pronounced than differences between PO-only and PO&H users. PO-only use may be associated with lowered health risks and social burdens, yet concerns regarding polysubstance use and drug sourcing arise. Challenges for targeted interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between flavonoid-rich diets and improved cardiovascular prognosis. Cocoa contains large amounts of flavonoids, in particular fiavanols (mostly catechins and epicatechins). Havonoids possess pleiotropic properties that may confer protective effects to tissues during injury. We examined the ability of epicatechin to reduce short-and long-term ischemia-reperfusion (1/R) myocardial injury. Epicatechin (1 mg kg' day `) pretreatment (Tx) was administered daily via oral gavage to male rats for 2 or 10 days. Controls received water. Ischemia was induced via a 45-mm coronary occlusion. Reperfu- sion was allowed until 48 h or 3 wk while Tx continued. We measured infarct (MI) size (%), hemodynamics, myeloperoxidase activity, tissue oxidative stress, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity in 48-h groups. Cardiac morphometry was also evaluated in 3-wk groups. With 2 days of Tx, no reductions in MI size occurred. After 10 days, a significant --50% reduction in MI size occurred. Epicatechin rats dem- onstrated no significant changes in hemodynamics. Tissue oxida- tive stress was reduced significantly in the epicatechin group vs. controls. MMP-9 activity demonstrated limited increases in the infarct region with epicatechin. By 3 wk, a significant 32% reduc- tion in infarct size was observed with Tx, accompanied with sustained hemodynamics and preserved chamber morphometry. In conclusion, epicatechin Tx confers cardioprotection in the setting of hR injury. The effects are independent of changes in hemody- namics, are sustained over time, and areaccompanied by reduced levels of indicators of tissue injury. Results warrant the evaluation of cocoa flavanols as possible therapeutic agents to limit ischemic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims: Despite increasing HIV prevalence in cities along the Mexico--US border, HIV testing among high-risk populations remains low. We sought to identify barriers associated with HIV testing among injection drug users (IDUs) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, the two largest Mexican border cities located across from San Diego, California and El Paso, Texas, respectively.Design and Methods: In 2005, 222 IDUs in Tijuana and 205 IDUs in Ciudad Juarez were recruited by respondent-driven sampling and administered a questionnaire to collect socio-demographic, behavioural and HIV testing history data. Blood samples were provided for serological testing of HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis.Results: Only 38% and 30% of respondents in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, respectively, had ever had an HIV test. The factors independently associated with never having been tested for HIV differed between the two sites, except for lack of knowledge on HIV transmission, which was independently associated in both locales. Importantly, 65% of those who had never been tested for HIV in both cities experienced at least one missed opportunity for voluntary testing, including medical visits, drug treatment and spending time in jail.Discussion and Conclusions: Among this high-risk IDU population we found HIV testing to be low, with voluntary testing in public and private settings utilised inadequately. These findings underscore the need to expand voluntary HIV education and testing and to integrate it into services and locales frequented by IDUs in these Mexico--US border cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Salud Pública de México is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: To summarize key characteristics and consequences of illicit opioid use from the literature and to present corresponding data from a multisite sample of illicit opioid users in 5 Canadian cities (OPICAN study).Method: We undertook an overview of recent literature from North America, Australia, and Europe. We obtained data from the multicity OPICAN cohort study, which consisted of an interviewer-administered questionnaire, a standardized mental health instrument (the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form for depression), and saliva-antibody tests for infectious disease (that is, HIV and hepatitis C virus). The baseline sample (n=679) was collected in 2002.Results: Illicit opioid use in Canada and elsewhere is becoming increasingly heterogeneous in terms of opioid drugs used, with heroin playing an increasingly minor role; further, it predominantly occurs in a context of polydrug use (for example, cocaine-crack or benzodiazepines). Large proportions of illicit opioid users have physical and (or) mental health comorbidities, including infectious disease and (or) depression, and therefore require integrated interventions. Finally, morbidity risks among illicit opioid users are often predicted by social marginalization factors, for example, housing status or involvement inConclusions: Given the epidemiologic profile and high disease burden associated with contemporary forms of illicit opioid use, more effective treatment approaches are urgently needed in Canada and elsewhere. Specifically, treatment must adjust to the extensive polysubstance use realities, yet it must also more effectively address the complex physical and (or) mental health comorbidities presented by this high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]