Practice-based learning is the key objective of postgraduate education. COVID-19 has revealed that medical institutions may need to adopt adaptive strategies to guide their students. The aim of this study is to describe the perception of Philippine medical clerks towards their surgical preparedness with an Enriched Virtual Mode (EVM)-Hybrid Learning during the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 176 fourth-year students using a 21-item 4-point-Likert questionnaire. Descriptive analysis showed that students sustained a strong enthusiasm for surgery (composite mean = 2.83 ± 0.62), with the highest ratings given to skill-oriented subjects, such as practical minors (3.05 ± 0.82) and clinical surgery (3.03 ± 0.78). Preparedness was similarly high (3.17 ± 0.46): practice was regarded as essential (3.50 ± 0.68) and operating-room exposure useful (3.22 ± 0.68), though time for hands-on practice was adequate (2.84 ± 0.74). Preference scores revealed a desire for richer tactile experience (3.36 ± 0.37), with scrubbing, suturing and live surgery observation receiving most support (>3.50). Overall satisfaction reached a moderate-to-high level (2.99 ± 0.48) but lagged behind interest and preparedness, indicating that limited physical immersion tempered fuller contentment. These suggest that while a blended curriculum can preserve enthusiasm and sense of readiness, emphasis on protected skills laboratories and increased exposure to the operating room may be needed to translate conceptual competence into experiential fulfillment.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult: 19-24 Yrs Old ; Cross-sectional Studies ; Education ; Curriculum ; Perception ; Observation ; Schools, Medical ; Personal Satisfaction ; Learning ; Mental Competency ; Laboratories ; Pandemics

Objective To investigate the role and molecular mechanism of exosomal miR-224-5p in colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods The miR-224-5p expression in CRC patient tissues and cell-derived exosomes was measured by laser capture microdissection and qRT-PCR, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to determine the target gene of miR-224-5p. The protein expressions of p53 and unc-51 like kinase 2 (ULK2) in CRC cells were detected by western blot. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and apoptosis. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK8 and EdU assay.Results The miR-224-5p expression was upregulated in CRC tissues and increased progressively with the rise of CRC stage. CRC cells secreted extracellular miR-224-5p mainly in an exosome-dependent manner, and then miR-224-5p could be transferred to surrounding tumor cells to regulate cell proliferation in the form of autocrine or paracrine. Moreover, ULK2 was characterized as a direct target of miR-224-5p and was downregulated in CRC tissues. Interestingly, ULK2 inhibited CRC cell proliferation in a p53-dependent manner. Furthermore, exosome-derived miR-224-5p partially reversed the proliferation regulation of ULK2 on CRC cells.Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that exosome-transmitted miR-224-5p promotes p53-dependent cell proliferation by targeting ULK2 in CRC, which may offer promising targets for CRC prevention and therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety, effectiveness and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) parameters of A1chieve study participants in the Philippine cohort, who were treated with BIAsp 30.
METHODOLOGY: A1chieve is a non-interventional, six-month, observational study of 66,726 people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including both insulin users and non-insulin users, started on insulin detemir, insulin aspart, or BIAsp 30 in 28 countries across four continents. The present study evaluates the safety, effectiveness and HRQoL in 1,252 subjects from the Philippine cohort of the A1chieve study who were treated with BIAsp 30.
RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age, duration of diabetes and mean BMI were found to be 55.5±11.7 years, 7.2 ± 5.6 years and 25.4 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of subjects were insulin naïve and 22% were prior insulin users. At baseline, glycemic control was poor (HbA1c = 9.9%) in the entire cohort. Overall there was a 2.7% reduction in mean HbA1c and 44.2% subjects achieved the HbA1c target of <7.0%, after 24 weeks of therapy with BIAsp 30. There were significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure after 24 weeks of therapy with BIAsp 30. There was no increase in the incidence of hypoglycemia among insulin-naïve subjects, while there was a marked reduction in hypoglycemia (4.93 to 2.53 events/person-year) among prior insulin users at 24 weeks.
CONCLUSION: BIAsp 30 is safe and efficacious for initiating and intensifying insulin therapy for Filipino T2DM patients.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Insulin Aspart ; Insulin ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Cholesterol, Ldl ; Triglycerides ; Insulin, Isophane