<p style="text-align: justify;">The study aimed to determine the perceptions of three groups of raters comprising of supervisors, couples of reproductive ages/clients/patients, and alumnae on the return service obligation [RSO] rendered by graduates from Region 08 in the University of the Philippines Manila-School of Health Sciences [UPM-SHS], Main Campus, Leyte. A descriptive analytical design utilizing six sets of pilot-tested questionnaires with Five- Point Likert Scale was employed. The respondents were chosen through a pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria; while the raters were selected using the distribution free, non probability purposive sampling [Downie and Heath, 1984; Talbot, 1995; Gay, 2003]. Kruskall-Wallis Analysis of Variance [Gay, 2003] revealed that among the RMs, significant difference in Community Organization and Community Development [COCD] [KW-computed value=6.709 with p-value= 0.035] and Manager of Barangay Health Station [KW-computed value=10.478 with p value=0.005] at 0.05 level of significance; rejecting therefore the null hypothesis of no significant difference on the two functional areas. Among the RM-RNs, two of six indicators showed to be significant at 0.05 level of significance, that is, COCD [KW-computed value=8.573 obtained p-value=0.014]; and Manager and Supervisor [KW-computed value=6.804 with obtained p-value=0.033]; rejecting the null hypothesis of no significant difference. The results were descriptive of the respondents and a validation study is highly recommended using a larger population to achieve generalizability.p>
Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Pilots ; Philippines ; Employment ; Surveys And Questionnaires ; Family Characteristics ; Schools ; Social Planning ; Analysis Of Variance ; Sexual Minorities

Influenza A(H1N1)2009 strain caused pandemics worlwide has been introduced in October 2009 into Mongolia and replaced by influenza B virus in February 2010 and A(H3N2) virus in October 2010. A new variant of pandemic A(H1N1) virus has been revealed in Mongolia in January 2011 and has been in a short circulation causing a minor epidemics. All 8 segments of a representative strain of this virus have been sequenced fully and deposited into GenBank. The study is continuing.

Cerebral ependymal cyst is a rare benign neuroepithelial cyst. We report a case of cerebral ependymal cyst in a 62-year-old lady who presented with status epilepticus. She gave history of progressive right occipital headache over a year. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain showed a large occipital cyst. She underwent a right craniotomy, deroofing of the cyst and insertion of Ommaya catheter. The clinicopathological aspects of the cyst are discussed.

Objective: Molluscs are highly delicious seafood and they are also very good source for biomedically imported products. Among the molluscs some have pronounced pharmacological activities or other properties which are useful in biomedical area. Methods: In the present study GAGs was isolated from the bivalve such as Donax incarnates. Results: The isolated GAGs were quantified in crude samples and they were estimated as 6.84 gm/kg crude GAGs in Donax incarnates. The bivalve showed the anticoagulant activity of the crude samples 124.53 USP units/mg in Donax incarnates. FTIR analysis reveals the presence of anticoagulant substance signals at different ranges. Conclusions: The determined in this research show that gastropod Donax incarnates tissue is value medicinal due to high quality of anticoagulant compounds.

This paper provides accurate figures and detailed analysis of the causes of perinatal mortality in the main referral hospital in Vanuatu in 1992, and discusses possible improvements in management. The perinatal mortality rate for the Vila Central Hospital area was 30.4 per 1000 births (with a stillbirth rate of 14 per 1000). These figures include mothers who presented for the first time in labour without any antenatal care, and cases of very low birthweight (less than 1 kg). These results were achieved with very low intervention rates. The commonest cause of death in Vanuatu was birth asphyxia, with prematurity, unexplained stillbirth and major congenital abnormality as the other main causes. Even though there is still scope for improvement, especially in the prevention of birth asphyxia, the perinatal mortality rate in Vanuatu compares favourably with that in other developing countries. Increased family planning uptake will be expected to lead to a reduction in perinatal mortality.
Asphyxia Neonatorum ; Cause of Death ; Family Planning Services ; Humans ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Vanuatu - epidemiology

In Vanuatu malaria is a major killer, especially of young children. As most deaths occur outside the hospital it is very important to have simple, clear guidelines on the management of patients with suspected malaria for the primary health care workers who treat the majority of cases. Despite the encouragement of early treatment, malaria was the major cause of death in children after the neonatal period in 1988. During 1989 and 1990 the treatment of malaria in Vanuatu was reviewed with the aim of trying to reduce the morbidity and mortality from the disease. New guidelines were included in the Vanuatu Health Workers' Manual, issued to all nurses, nurse practitioners and doctors in 1991. The major changes were the introduction of immediate slide microscopy, the use of a combination of chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine for Plasmodium falciparum malaria and for children under 5 years and pregnant women, the discontinuation of single-dose primaquine (previously given as a gametocytocidal agent), and the use of a loading dose of quinine. The constraints of the previous guidelines, the rationale for the changes and the expected improvements resulting from using the new treatments are discussed.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antimalarials - administration & ; dosage ; Child, Preschool ; Chloroquine - administration & ; dosage ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

A review of cases of ectopic pregnancy operated upon at Vila Central Hospital during 1992 with an analysis of clinical presenting features and diagnostic factors is presented. Comparison is made between hospital, regional and national figures and possible explanations for the differences are given. Recommendations are made to ensure that ectopic pregnancy is always at the forefront of differential diagnosis in women presenting with abdominal pain.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hospitals, District - statistics & ; numerical data ; Hospitals, District - trends ; Medical Audit ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - complications ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic - surgery ; Referral and Consultation - statistics & ; numerical data ; Vanuatu

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are enzymes known to metabolize a wide variety of compounds including insecticides. Their overexpression leading to enhanced insecticide detoxification could result in insecticide resistance in insects. The increased mRNA expression of two P450 genes, CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3, has been previously observed in laboratory-selected deltamethrin-resistant Anopheles minimus, a major malaria vector in Southeast Asia, suggesting their role in detoxification of pyrethroids. In this study CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3 were expressed in insect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells via baculovirusdirected expression system. Insecticide detoxification capabilities of Sf9 cells with and without expression of CYP6P7 or CYP6AA3 were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2- yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays. The results revealed that CYP6P7- or CYP6AA3-expressing cells showed significantly higher cytoprotective capability than parental Sf9 cells against cytotoxicity of pyrethroids including permethrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin. Such cytoprotective effect was not observed for bioallethrin (pyrethroid), chlorpyrifos (organophosphate) and propoxur (carbamate). Moreover, expression of CYP6AA3, but not CYP6P7, could protect cells against λ-cyhalothrin cytotoxicity. In MTT assays upon co-incubation with piperonyl butoxide (P450 inhibitor), cytoprotective ability of CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3 against deltamethrin was diminished, implying that pyrethroid detoxification was due to activities of P450 enzymes. Insecticide detoxification capabilities of CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3 observed from MTT assays were correlated to their pyrethroid metabolizing activities observed from in vitro reconstitution enzymatic assays. Thus MTT assays using cells expressing P450 enzymes of interest could be primarily used to determine detoxification activities of enzymes against cytotoxic insecticides.

<p style="text-align: justify;">BACKGROUND: Preterm birth is a major public health problem and cervical length measurement using transvaginal ultrasound is the gold standard for predicting its occurrence. However, its cost and the limited availability of equipment and trained sonologists has limited its use only for screening for high risk patients and those with history of preterm birth. Those patients without risk factors are not recommended for routine screening although they constitute the majority of spontaneous preterm deliveries. The newly marked cervicometer, Cervilenz©, an easy-to-use and cheaper device, has been found to be comparable to transvaginal ultrasound in predicting preterm birth and may be used to universally screen all patients regardless of their risk status,however, at present, it is only available in the United Sates.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine if an improvised cervicometer such as the insertion tube of an intrauterine device can also be used as a screening tool for predicting spontaneous preterm birth in uncomplicated pregnancies.
METHODS: The cervical length of 126 patients at 14 to < 37 weeks age of gestation were measured and patients were followed up until delivery.
RESULTS: It was found that those with short cervical length of < 25mm were not an increased risk of preterm birth (p-value > 0.05 at Cl 95%). The negative predictive value was found to be 100%, 95%, 88% at <32, <34, and Cervilenz© studies.
CONCLUSION: An improvised cervicometer such as the insertion tube of an intrauterine device can be used as a screening tool for predicting spontaneous preterm birth in uncomplicated pregnancies.p>
Human ; Female ; Cervix Uteri ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth ; Patients