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Outcomes-based teaching and learning (OBTL) has emerged as one of the useful pedagogical approaches and is widely adopted in countries such as Hong Kong and the Philippines. However, it has been observed that many classroom teachers struggle in faithfully implementing it because of the lack of a tool that would provide rich feedback regarding its implementation. Hence, the current study sought to develop and validate an instrument that will assess in-service teachers' implementation of OBTL in the classroom. This paper describes the assessment instrument development process and results from 903 university students. Results provided strong empirical support for the six OBTL domains (i.e., learning process, instructional strategies, assessment, learning environment, classroom management, and teacher qualities). The items indicated in the assessment instrument were grounded in previous literature about OBTL, with each domain strongly correlating with each other. Implications for classroom practise and future studies are discussed.

Graduates' employability indicates the excellent education and relevant preparation they obtained from their respective degrees. Tracer studies have enabled higher education institutions to profile their graduates while also reflecting on the quality of education they provide. With the foregoing, a tracer study determined the demographic and academic profile of QCU graduates from 2009 to 2020 in Quezon City University Philippines. It also ascertained the advanced studies they attended after college, their employment data, the relevance of college preparation with their current employment, difficulties they encountered while securing employment and in their present job, and recommendations to strengthen the Quezon City University offered programs. The study utilized a descriptive survey research design to 1320 random samples chosen based on availability. Results showed that graduates graduates have employed within six months. Problem solving, self-management and working were relevant attributes among graduates. Furthermore, graduates' employability was found to be positively correlated and highly significant to analytical thinking, critical thinking, complex problem solving, technology literacy, cognitive flexibility, persuasiveness, social and emotional quotient. Moreover, employability predictors at 69.1% of variance are gender, year of graduation, program taken, professional examination passed and highest educational attainment. For an extensive generalizability on employability follow up tracer study per program is highly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data monitoring and surveillance systems are the cornerstone for governance and regulation, planning, and policy development for chronic disease care. Our study aims to evaluate health systems capacity for data monitoring and surveillance for kidney care., Methods: We leveraged data from the third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA), an international survey of stakeholders (clinicians, policymakers and patient advocates) from 167 countries conducted between July and September 2022. ISN-GKHA contains data on availability and types of kidney registries, the spectrum of their coverage, as well as data on national policies for kidney disease identification., Results: Overall, 167 countries responded to the survey, representing 97.4% of the global population. Information systems in forms of registries for dialysis care were available in 63% (n = 102/162) of countries, followed by kidney transplant registries (58%; n = 94/162), and registries for non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (19%; n = 31/162) and acute kidney injury (9%; n = 14/162). Participation in dialysis registries was mandatory in 57% (n = 58) of countries; however, in more than half of countries in Africa (58%; n = 7), Eastern and Central Europe (67%; n = 10), and South Asia (100%; n = 2), participation was voluntary. The least-reported performance measures in dialysis registries were hospitalization (36%; n = 37) and quality of life (24%; n = 24)., Conclusions: The variability of health information systems and early identification systems for kidney disease across countries and world regions warrants a global framework for prioritizing the development of these systems., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the ERA.)

Background: Worldwide, most people requiring kidney replacement therapy receive haemodialysis (HD) three times per week. Greater HD time and/or frequency may improve survival, but implementation requires understanding potential benefits across the range of patients., Methods: Using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, we assessed whether quotidian HD (defined as >3 sessions/week and/or >5 h/session) was associated with reduced mortality in adult patients. The primary outcome of all-cause mortality was analysed by a time-varying Cox proportional hazards model with quotidian HD as the exposure of interest., Results: Of 24 138 people who received HD between 2011 and 2019, 2632 (10.9%) received quotidian HD at some stage. These patients were younger, more likely male and more likely to receive HD at home. Overall, quotidian versus standard HD was associated with a decreased risk for all-cause mortality {crude hazard ratio [HR] 0.50 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45-0.56]}, but an interaction between quotidian HD and age was identified ( P  = .005). Stratified by age groups and splitting follow-up time where proportional hazards were violated, the corresponding HR compared with standard HD was 2.43 (95% CI 1.56-3.79) for people >75 years of age in the first year of quotidian HD, 1.52 (95% CI 0.89-2.58) for 1-3 years and 0.95 (95% CI 0.51-1.78) for ≥3 years. There was no significant survival advantage in younger people., Conclusions: Although quotidian HD conferred survival benefit in crude analyses, people ≥75 years of age had greater mortality with quotidian HD than standard HD. The mortality benefit in younger people was attenuated when adjusted for known confounders., Competing Interests: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the ERA.)

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) region of Oceania and South East Asia (OSEA) is a mix of high- and low-income countries, with diversity in population demographics and densities. Three iterations of the ISN-Global Kidney Health Atlas (GKHA) have been conducted, aiming to deliver in-depth assessments of global kidney care across the spectrum from early detection of CKD to treatment of kidney failure. This paper reports the findings of the latest ISN-GKHA in relation to kidney-care capacity in the OSEA region. Among the 30 countries and territories in OSEA, 19 (63%) participated in the ISN-GKHA, representing over 97% of the region's population. The overall prevalence of treated kidney failure in the OSEA region was 1203 per million population (pmp), 45% higher than the global median of 823 pmp. In contrast, kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in the OSEA region was less available than the global median (chronic hemodialysis, 89% OSEA region vs. 98% globally; peritoneal dialysis, 72% vs. 79%; kidney transplantation, 61% vs. 70%). Only 56% of countries could provide access to dialysis to at least half of people with incident kidney failure, lower than the global median of 74% of countries with available dialysis services. Inequalities in access to KRT were present across the OSEA region, with widespread availability and low out-of-pocket costs in high-income countries and limited availability, often coupled with large out-of-pocket costs, in middle- and low-income countries. Workforce limitations were observed across the OSEA region, especially in lower-middle-income countries. Extensive collaborative work within the OSEA region and globally will help close the noted gaps in kidney-care provision., (© 2024 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Two studies using broiler chicks and one using adult White Leghorn roosters were conducted to determine the influence of stachyose and raffinose (alpha-galactosides of sucrose) present in soybean meal (SBM) on the nutritional value of the meal. In Experiment 1, the addition of four levels (0, .05, .10, or .20 g/kg) of alpha-galactosidase with and without 1 g/kg of invertase to a corn-SBM diet had no effect on weight gain, feed efficiency, protein digestibility, or the digestible energy value of the feed when fed to broiler chicks. However, both enzymes decreased (P < .001) dietary AMEn. In Experiment 2, ethanol extraction and incubation of SBM with alpha-galactosidase decreased the concentrations of the alpha-galactosides of sucrose in SBM from 6.59 to .81 and 1.43%, respectively. However, when broiler chicks were fed semi-purified diets containing SBM, ethanol-extracted SBM, water-incubated SBM, or water plus alpha-galactosidase-incubated SBM, no improvements in weight gain, feed efficiency, or apparent protein digestibility were observed. There was also no improvement in TMEn when the above meals were precision fed to adult White Leghorn roosters (Experiment 3). These results indicate that the removal of up to approximately 90% of the alpha-galactosides of sucrose has no beneficial effect on the nutritional value of SBM for chickens.

The acquisition and divestiture of organizational business units demonstrate management's strategy in response to an evolving marketplace. From a strategic perspective, the most significant danger to a corporation is not having the "right" portfolio of businesses or products to respond to the marketplace. This article describes a conceptual model that a multihospital system executive might use to determine the growth and diversification of the organization's portfolio of businesses. The model involves the application of market, financial, and microeconomic theories in a logical sequence to assist management in making business acquisition and divestiture decisions.