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There is evidence for the direct association between body composition, the magnitude of the systemic inflammatory response, and outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. Patients with a primary operable disease with and without follow-up CT scans were examined in this study. CT scans were used to define the presence and changes in subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle mass, and skeletal muscle density (SMD). In total, 804 patients had follow-up scans and 83 patients did not. Furthermore, 783 (97%) patients with follow-up scans and 60 (72%) patients without follow-up scans were alive at 1 year. Patients with follow-up scans were younger (p < 0.001), had a lower American Society of Anaesthesiology Grade (p < 0.01), underwent a laparoscopic surgery (p < 0.05), had a higher BMI (p < 0.05), a higher skeletal muscle index (SMI) (p < 0.01), a higher SMD (p < 0.01), and a better 1-year survival (p < 0.001). Overall only 20% of the patients showed changes in their SMI (n = 161) and an even lower percentage of patients showed relative changes of 10% (n = 82) or more. In conclusion, over the period of ~12 months, a low–skeletal muscle mass was associated with a systemic inflammatory response and was largely maintained following surgical resection.

Abstract Introduction Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in developed countries. There is evidence supporting a disproportionate loss of skeletal muscle as an independent prognostic factor. The importance of the systemic inflammatory response as a unifying mechanism for specific loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with cancer is increasingly recognized. The aim of the present study was to delineate the relationship between the systemic inflammatory response, skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), and overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Materials and methods The study included 650 patients with primary operable colorectal cancer. Computed tomography scans were used to define the presence of visceral obesity, sarcopenia (low SMI), and myosteatosis (low SMD). Tumour and patient characteristics were recorded. Survival analysis was carried out using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results A total of 650 patients (354 men and 296 women) were included. The majority of patients were over 65 years of age (64%) and overweight or obese (68%). On univariate survival analysis, age, ASA, TNM stage, modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), body mass index, subcutaneous fat index, visceral obesity, SMI, and SMD were significantly associated with overall survival (all P

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Christ-centered pedagogy that integrates values, scriptural texts, and contemporary societal realities across disciplines in the teaching-learning process enables students to use their practical knowledge and abilities in a variety of settings. This study sought to gain a deep understanding of the college teachers' experiences in incorporating the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) learning pedagogy into instruction at a private Catholic institution in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. The transcendental phenomenological research design was utilized. A purposeful sampling of six college teachers was employed for the conduct of an in-depth interview following Seidman's guide. Moustakas' Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method was likewise used to analyze the participants' experiences. Findings reveal that RVM pedagogy for college teachers means that teaching as a vocation and the tradeoffs of good teaching are byproducts of environmental influence and ecological perspectives on teaching. The essence, therefore, of the RVM pedagogy manifested the college teachers' dynamism to teach the learning outcomes of the subject in real-life situations. It is a powerful tool for the personal and collective progress of students gearing towards a transformative, quality Ignacian Marian education. The study points to the need for further empirical investigation using the quantitative research design to increase the generalizability of the findings covering the RVM schools throughout the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights Graphene (nano) platelets (GPs) are cost‐effective and possess high structural integrity, but their limited surface functional groups hinder their compatibility with polymers. In this study, an eco‐friendly, water‐based mechanochemical approach was developed to modify GPs with polyacrylamide (PAM), creating PAM graphene platelets (PAM‐GPs) with a grafting ratio of approximately 15%. The platelet was measured to be a few nanometers in thickness, and the grafted PAM provides abundant functional groups, including amide groups, which enhance compatibility with polymers. A typical polymer, bisphenol‐A epoxy, was compounded with PAM‐GPs, resulting in a high degree of exfoliation and dispersion of PAM‐GPs within the matrix. The resulting epoxy/PAM‐GP composites exhibited significantly improved mechanical properties, including an 18% increase in Young's modulus and a substantial enhancement in fracture toughness, with a 71% increase at a low filler fraction of 0.5 wt%. These improvements are attributed to the effective interfacial interaction between the PAM‐GPs and the epoxy matrix, facilitated by the grafted functional groups. This study highlights the potential of PAM‐GPs as toughening fillers for epoxy composites, emphasizing their applicability in enhancing the durability and performance of structural components in industrial applications. Polyacrylamide (PAM)‐modified graphene platelets by a water‐based approach. A strong interface promoted exfoliation and dispersion of platelets. PAM‐modified platelets improved epoxy modulus and toughness. Fractographic analysis unveils toughening mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aspiration of finding out what schools can do to improve instruction, curriculum, facilities, and support to improve academic programs related to entrepreneurship, this study aims to develop a causal model of entrepreneurial propensity of students in selected colleges and universities in Cagayan de Oro City, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. This study is anchored on the assumption that school factors, personality, intention and motivation may influence entrepreneurial propensity of students. Four-hundred ninety-eight (498) 4th year business-related students were respondents of this study. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), a best fit model for entrepreneurial propensity was found. The model proposed that entrepreneurial propensity is best predicted by intention, school factors, and motivation - which indicates that regardless of personality, students are likely to choose entrepreneurship as a career path in the future when significant others such as family or colleagues approved of that choice and if they have a strong belief that they have control of the situation. The mediating effect of school factors and intention vary positively, which was found to enhance the effect of the respondent's motivation on entrepreneurial propensity. The higher the motivation, the higher the students' propensity to become an entrepreneur. Results point to the strong influence of education, particularly curriculum and school support in developing student's entrepreneurial propensity. With the right combination of curriculum and facilities & support, especially when the academe is geared towards integrating both factors to entrepreneurship as part of their student development, enhances the effect of motivation and entrepreneurial propensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in developed countries. There is evidence supporting a disproportionate loss of skeletal muscle as an independent prognostic factor. The importance of the systemic inflammatory response as a unifying mechanism for specific loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with cancer is increasingly recognized. The aim of the present study was to delineate the relationship between the systemic inflammatory response, skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), and overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Materials and methods: The study included 650 patients with primary operable colorectal cancer. Computed tomography scans were used to define the presence of visceral obesity, sarcopenia (low SMI), and myosteatosis (low SMD). Tumour and patient characteristics were recorded. Survival analysis was carried out using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results: A total of 650 patients (354 men and 296 women) were included. The majority of patients were over 65 years of age (64%) and overweight or obese (68%). On univariate survival analysis, age, ASA, TNM stage, modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), body mass index, subcutaneous fat index, visceral obesity, SMI, and SMD were significantly associated with overall survival (all P < 0.05). A low SMI and SMD were significantly associated with an elevated mGPS (<0.05). On multivariate analysis, SMI (Martin) [hazard ratio (HR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–2.18, P = 0.031], SMD (Xiao) (HR 1.42, 95% CI 0.98–2.05, P = 0.061), and mGPS (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.15–1.79, P = 0.001) were independently associated with overall survival. SMD but not SMI was significantly associated with ASA (P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study delineates the relationship between the loss of quantity and quality of skeletal muscle mass, the systemic inflammatory response, and survival in patients with operable colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]