Program Areas Research Articles

STUDENT PRACTICUM PROGRAM: THE WORK EXPERIENCES OF TOURISM ALUMNI IN DLSU-D

An internship or Student Practicum is a program offered in universities that gives students an opportunity to experience the professional environment of their chosen fields. The researchers identified the demographic profile, benefits, and satisfactory levels of alumni in De La Salle University-Dasmariñas under the Tourism Management Department who underwent their practicum abroad. To fill in the gaps, this research study investigated the program's areas for improvement and the issues the respondents ran into throughout their practicum. This will provide the DLSU-D institution with a framework for how to manage students who will participate in practicum programs. The research design used in this study is a descriptive survey because this research design combines quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive statistics such as means and standard deviation were used to determine the satisfaction level in the Practicum Program. The survey conducted by the researchers found that the practicum program has advantages for employability, knowledge, and skill development, the respondents were generally happy with the practicum program's learning outcomes and working conditions, and the respondents said there were several issues with the practicum program. The perceived problems were not significant enough to negatively impact their overall experience with the program.

Contribution of the Amazon protected areas program to forest conservation

Established in 2002, the Amazon Protected Areas Program (ARPA) supports 120 Conservation Units (CUs) in the Brazilian Amazon, covering 62 Mha. Here, we quantified the impact of ARPA support on reducing deforestation and CO2 emissions between 2008 and 2020. We started by examining critical methodological choices, often brushed over in the impact evaluation studies on protected areas (PAs). We then applied a covariate balancing method to control for variation in covariates so as to compare differences in deforestation between Strictly Protected (SP) and Sustainable Use (SU) CUs with and without ARPA support as well as to assess the influence of ARPA investment mechanism on the differential reductions. Next, we estimated total reductions in deforestation and CO2 emissions by using the Adjusted Odds Ratio. We found that ARPA support accounts for additional deforestation reductions of 9 % in SP CUs and 39 % in SU CUs in relation to non-supported CUs. The effects of ARPA investment mechanism were statistically significant for both categories of CUs. CUs plus Indigenous Lands (i.e., PAs) reduced by 21 % (2.0 ± 0.3 Mha) Amazon deforestation between 2008 and 2020. Of this total, ARPA CUs accounts for 264 ± 25 thousand ha, the equivalent of 104 ± 10 Mtons of CO2 emissions. If deforestation continues unabated, PAs will become the last citadels of the Amazon. However, protecting the Amazon only with PAs does not suffice. Additional investments in a comprehensive conservation policy mix are needed along with a monitoring and evaluation strategy to provide evidence on what works for effective and socially equitable forest conservation.

An Analysis of Underrepresented in Medicine Away Rotation Scholarships in Surgical Specialties.

Underrepresented in medicine (UIM) visiting student clerkship scholarships provide an opportunity for supporting diversity. Although these scholarships have become a popular initiative to recruit diverse surgical applicants, they have not been thoroughly analyzed regarding which programs offer scholarships and the characteristics of the scholarships. UIM scholarship opportunity disparities may exist depending on location, funding, reputation, and program size among different specialties. To describe the characteristics and prevalence of UIM visiting student scholarships by examining institutional and program websites for the surgical specialties. Using the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Accreditation Data System for 2021, residency training and diversity websites were identified and evaluated for the availability of UIM visiting student scholarships in July 2021. Eight surgical specialties were examined. Scholarships were categorized by how UIM was defined, the funding amount provided, and scholarship application requirements. We analyzed the association of the program's National Institutes of Health funding, size, type, region, reputation, and population density of the program's area via Doximity on scholarship availability using chi-square and multivariate analysis. Of the 1058 analyzed programs, 314 (29.7%) had a UIM visiting student scholarship. There were 4 different definitions of UIM used among the analyzed programs. The average scholarship amount offered was $1,852.25 ($500-$4,000). Depending on the specialty, different variables were associated with whether a program had a UIM scholarship. Currently, UIM scholarship offerings were variable between programs and surgical specialties.

The Convoluted Tubules of the Nephron Must Be Considered Elliptical, and Not Circular, in Stereological Studies of the Kidney

Introduction: The diameter and area of the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) and the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) are of the main parameters analyzed in stereological studies of the kidney. However, there is no consensus about if the PCT and DCT should be considered circular or elliptical in shape. Objective: To analyze if there are significant differences in the diameter and area of the PCT and DCT, depending on whether they are considered circular or elliptical. Methods: Paraffin-embedded sections of kidneys from CD1 mice were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined using a light microscope. Images were captured using a camera linked to image analysis software. A short diameter (d) and a long diameter (D) were measured in both PCT and DCT. A small circular area (SCA), a large circular area (LCA), and an elliptical area (EA) were calculated with mathematical formulas that incorporate d and D values, while a program area (PA) was provided by the software. Results: There was a significant difference between d and D in both PCT (F = 1.354, Sig = 0.000) and DCT (F = 4.989, Sig = 0.000). Also, there were significant differences in the tubular areas in both PCT (F = 34.843, Sig = 0.000) and DCT (F = 22.390, Sig = 0.000); circular areas were different from elliptical areas (SCA and LCA vs. EA and PA). Conclusion: The convoluted tubules of the nephron must not be considered circular, but rather elliptical; care should be taken every time the tubules are analyzed in stereological studies of the kidney, especially when evaluating their diameters and areas.

Sustained effect of health insurance and facility quality improvement on blood pressure in adults with hypertension in Nigeria: A population-based study

BackgroundHypertension is a leading risk factor for death in sub-Saharan Africa. Quality treatment is often not available nor affordable. We assessed the effect of a voluntary health insurance program, including quality improvement of healthcare facilities, on blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive adults in rural Nigeria. MethodsWe compared changes in outcomes from baseline (2009) to midline (2011) and endline (2013) between non-pregnant hypertensive adults in the insurance program area (PA) and a control area (CA), through household surveys. The primary outcome was the difference between the PA and CA in change in BP, using difference-in-differences analysis. ResultsOf 1500 eligible households, 1450 (96.7%) participated, including 559 (20.8%) hypertensive individuals, of which 332 (59.4%) had follow-up data. Insurance coverage increased from 0% at baseline to 41.8% at endline in the PA and remained under 1% in the CA. The PA showed a 4.97mm Hg (95% CI: −0.76 to +10.71mm Hg) greater decrease in systolic BP and a 1.81mm Hg (−1.06 to +4.68mm Hg) greater decrease in diastolic BP from baseline to endline compared to the CA. Respondents with stage 2 hypertension showed an 11.43mm Hg (95% CI: 1.62 to 21.23mm Hg) greater reduction in systolic BP and 3.15mm Hg (−1.22 to +7.53mm Hg) greater reduction in diastolic BP in the PA compared to the CA. Attrition did not affect the results. ConclusionAccess to improved quality healthcare through an insurance program in rural Nigeria was associated with a significant longer-term reduction in systolic BP in subjects with moderate or severe hypertension.

A crescente escolarização do agente comunitário de saúde: uma indução do processo de trabalho?

O agente comunitário de saúde (ACS) é um dos atores profissionais que compõem as equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF), sendo sua atuação considerada fundamental para a ampliação e consolidação dessa estratégia. Desde as primeiras experiências locais com ACS em fins dos anos 1970, seu perfil sociodemográfico vem apresentando mudanças. Este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar e discutir o aspecto da escolaridade e da capacitação dos ACS que atuam na Área Programática (AP) 5.2 do município do Rio de Janeiro, articulando trabalho e educação e entendendo o trabalho como um princípio emancipatório. Este estudo foi formulado com base na ideia de triangulação metodológica, aqui alcançada a partir da formulação original de Denzin. Os dados sobre a escolaridade dos ACS foram obtidos mediante questionário autoaplicável individual, respondidos por 301 ACS dos 12 módulos de ESF e seis módulos da Estratégia de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (EACS) da AP 5.2. A apresentação e a discussão dos dados mostram mudanças no perfil de escolaridade desse trabalhador, concluindo-se que o ACS é um trabalhador que busca alternativas de escolarização e formação profissional. Defende-se a ampliação da escolaridade e o ensino técnico como processo para a consolidação do Sistema Único de Saúde.

Creating Social Justice in Early Childhood Education: A Case Study in Equity and Context

This case study presents a picture of an Early Childhood Education program at a large, research university located in the southwestern United States. This program was selected as it is known for its dedication to social justice issues. The study examines how such issues are purposefully woven into the program and cast against a framework for preparing socially-just pre-service educational administrators. This framework is made up of four essential components: (a) selection of students, (b) critical consciousness in teaching and learning, (c) proactive systems of support and inclusive structures, and (d) induction/praxis. Introduced as well is the context for the program at the university. Findings indicate that the program should (a) carefully examine whether students have a predisposition towards social justice before they actually enter the program, (b) create a critical consciousness involves introducing students to the language of critique and the language of possibility, (c) intentionally hire faculty who are committed to social justice is essential, and (d) purposefully structure the program so that students are exposed to a very broad concept of community. Although pockets of resistance were uncovered in both the larger department and the college in which the program resides, the program itself remains solidly committed to social justice. Staying connected to scholarship, to the children, to context, and to social justice remains essential to the goals of this program, and recognizing the program's areas for improvement is vital to the language of critique that the program uses. Recommendations include: (a) regularly revisiting social justice issues as they exist and emerge, (b) investigating the induction and praxis of new teachers, and (c) mentoring new graduates so that the experience is meaningful and infused with social justice.

Voices of experience: Renewing higher education with alumni studies

Abstract This paper presents an alumni research study as a model for assessing how well higher education prepares graduates for changing professional and labour market realities. Results revealed that, while alumni valued the innovative curriculum, they recommended increased focus on functional skills; more balance between team work and individual work; and expansion of the programme's area of specialisation. Policy recommendations advocated strengthening the emphasis on functional skills; intensifying the rigour of technical and financial courses; linking the faculty as mentors to students for career development; and expanding the school's reputation for excellence in finance as well as in entrepreneurship.

Coordinating a Community Study of Environmental Health

FOUR URBAN areas in the United States, Fort Wayne, Ind., Omaha, Nebr., Lake County, Ill., and Springfield, Mo., conducted environmental health surveys during 1962-63 with a view to community planning. An environmental health study may be definied as a comprehensive analysis of all the health-related services and facilities in an area with an evaluation of pertinent local ordinances and enforcement procedures. It culminates in a report identifying any deficiencies in facilities or quality of services offered and recommends corrective measures, including physical changes in the metropolitan area. Such a survey is an essential element in a city's master plan. The health programs which have been considered in environmental health surveys have been concerned mainly with the external and physical aspects of an urban environment. Milk and food sanitation, housing, water supply, water pollution, air pollution, waste disposal, radiation sources, and public nuisances have been the most significant areas of environmental health interest which have been analyzed. The basic intention of such analysis is to apply principles of preventive medicine to environmental sanitation. Conditions surveyed in a study are considered not only with regard to their immediate solution but also to their long-range effects. By calling attention to benign conditions which have a potential malignancy, it may be possible to plan the expansion of an area's programs so as to prevent future distress.