5 research outputs found
Unfolding a Unique Tongue: A Morphological Formation of Swardspeak in a State University
No full textSwardspeak is a unique language with distinct linguistic characteristics. This study examined the morphological formation processes of swardspeak or gay lingo, utilized in a state university. Using qualitative research, specifically discourse analysis, the morphological formation of the swardspeak used by gays at Quirino State University was investigated. The study included 80 participants who were identified as gay guys and enrolled from the three campuses, along with two gay interraters and a language teacher who assisted with data processing. The study gathered the participants' gay lingo, which served as data to examine its morphological formation processes. The findings revealed that key rules are employed in each morphological formation process, such as acronym, blending, borrowing, clipping, clipping with affixation, coinage, compounding, derivation or affixation, association, and substitution. Recognizing the specific morphological rules and incorporating various languages into their swardspeak increases the sense of belonging and shared identity among gay individuals at Quirino State University
When Writing Gets Rough: Writing Assistance Towards the Transformation of Educational Landscape
No full textWriting is one of the skills that has been harmed throughout these tough times of pandemics since students have been unable to strengthen their writing skills. The purpose of this study was to see how well BTLEd students could write the various elements of an argumentative essay in the (Pre-Test) and (Post-Test) phases. The pre-test and post-test essay scores of the 65 BTLEd students were analyzed using a mixed-method technique. The students\u27 degree of competence in writing the various elements of the argumentative essay in their pre-test was described as progressively competent, according to the findings. However, the students\u27 post-test performance improved after they completed their virtual writing intervention. Furthermore, it was noted that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test performance of the respondents. Students\u27 competency in writing must be continuously monitored and evaluated in order to improve their skills in writing argumentative essays
Teaching in Tumultuous Times: Unraveling Teachers’ Experiences amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textTeachers are the most significant assets in any educational institution. They serve as an avenue for conveying knowledge, skills, and values to students. They play a vital role in reforming and strengthening the education system of any country. However, education in the new normal requires numerous adaptations, as teachers were unprepared when the pandemic struck. This qualitative study sought to discover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) from teachers' lived experiences in teaching during the pandemic. A total of 28 participants were involved, who had first-hand experiences of teaching tertiary level in the new normal in a university. The qualitative phenomenological research design was used in this study. Thus, teaching in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic provided teachers’ deficiencies in some course delivery; however, they worked diligently to transform and demonstrate resilience in teaching in the new normal amidst pandemics, converting them into strengths and opportunities. On the other hand, instructors' and professors’ strengths should be recognized, and professional development opportunities should be provided to help them become more competent educators
Gauromaia (Gauromaia) ruffordi Medina & Cabras & Ruzzier 2022, sp. nov.
No full textGauromaia (Gauromaia) ruffordi sp. nov. (Figs 2 A–G) Type specimen. Holotype: male, PHILIPPINES, Davao region, Davao City, Catigan Toril, 7°00’28.62 N; 124°55’17.99 E, 12-14. VII. 2019, M.N.D. Medina leg. (MMCP) to be deposited at PNM. Description. Measurements (in mm): body length: 14.2; IE 1.5; TD 0.4; EL 7.3; EW 4.0; mCG 0.5; PL 2.0; PW 3.2; Proportions: IE/TD 3.75; PW/PL 1.6; EL/EW 1.8. Body subrectangular, subparallel, black colored with strong blue-green metallic shine, elytra metallic green with a metallic purple transverse band on the ¾ of their length. Male. Head metallic green dorsally, with metallic blue frons; coarsely punctate at the base and near the eyes, finely punctate at the frons, piliferous; epistoma moderately depressed, finely punctate, piliferous; mEG weakly notched; labrum black, elliptical, entirely flattened, finely punctate, piliferous, with slightly concave apex which is covered with golden setae; epistomal suture obsolete, evenly arcuate; genae moderately convex, finely punctate, piliferous; frons flat, finely punctate, piligerous; inner ocular sulci shallow, extends one half the diameter of an eye; eyes light brown, moderate in size, transverse in lateral view; tempora weakly convex, not produced. Neck densely microsculptured ventrally; antennae short, reaching approximately apical third of pronotum; 7 th- 10 th antennomeres moderately dilated and forming a weak club; 1 st and 3 rd antennomeres 3.5 times as long as wide, individually; 2 nd as long as wide; 4 th 3.0 times as long as wide; 5 th twice as long as wide; 7 th- 10 th a little wider than long, individually; 7 th- 11 th moderately covered with golden setae; 11 th antennomere linguiform, as long as wide. Ultimate maxillary palpomere moderately securiform. Mentum trapezoidal, convex, bearing a fringe of long setae in anterior corners. Mandible black, glabrous. Base of the head lined with golden setae. Pronotum 1.6 times as wide as long, metallic green with coppery green luster, subquadrate, widest at the middle, finely punctate, piliferous; disc slightly convex, steeply descendent laterally, smooth along lateral margins; anterior margin almost straight; basal margin weakly sinuate, pronotal margin thick, black, glabrous; anterior corners obtusely rounded, posterior corners obtusely angulate, pointed. Scutellum triangular, flat, glabrous, of the same color of the pronotum. Elytra metallic green, with strong metallic purple transverse band on the ¾ of the elytral length; elytra distinctly convex in lateral view, widest behind middle in dorsal view; striae with very fine punctures; these punctures gradually become finer towards apical declivity; intervals almost flat, finely and sparsely punctate at the first basal half of the elytra, becoming weaker and almost invisible towards the apex; humeral calli gently humped, steep descendent towards elytral margins; epipleura metallic purple, glabrous, evenly flat until third ventrite, the rest weakly oblique, reaching the anterior third of 5 th abdominal ventrite. Prothoracic hypomera slightly depressed, piliferous with fine microsculpture. Prosternum with fine punctations; prosternal process (Fig. 2D) lanceolate, curved inwards behind coxae, depressed from the base to behind apex. Mesoventral ridge strongly oblique forwards, slightly raised. Abdomen finely punctate, metallic green at the lateral terminals; ventrite I-III finely punctate with microsculpture pronounced near the anterior margin; ventrite IV-V impunctate, devoid of microsculpture. Genitalia (Fig. 2 E-G): phallobase 1.3 times as long as paramera, subellipsoidal in dorsal view, curved at basal third in lateral view; paramera fused, leaf-shaped in dorsal view, pointed at apex, in lateral view, gently curved from the base toward the apex Legs metallic green, short. Femora metallic blue with metallic green luster, finely punctate, sparsely piliferous, dilated at apical third. Tibiae slightly curved, anterior terminal of pro- and posterior terminals of meso- and metatibiae bearing golden setae. Pads of (pro-, meso-, metatarsi) tarsi covered with golden setae; claws simple and glabrous. Etymology. The specific epithet is dedicated to Mr. Josh Rufford Medina, son of the first author. Diagnosis. The new species, Gauromaia ruffordi sp. nov., is similar to G. bella Pic, with which it shares a similar chromatic pattern (purple-blue transverse band on the apical third of the elytra) and body profile. The two species can be separated by the base of the color pattern of the elytra: green-purple elytra with a marked purple transverse band on the ¾ of the elytral length in G. ruffordi; elytra mostly purple, humeri greenish, with the transverse band occupying all the apical third of the elytra, band golden-purple and delimited by iridescent blue, green and gold colors in G. bella. Furthermore, the lateral sides of the pronotum in G. ruffordi sp. nov., in dorsal view, are gently but continuously curved from the posterior to the anterior angles of the pronotum; in G. bella the margins of the pronotum are almost subparallel-sided in the basal half and more abruptly curved in the apical half.Published as part of Medina, Milton Norman, Cabras, Analyn & Ruzzier, Enrico, 2022, The Tenebrionidae Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) of the Philippines Part 2. Two new species of the genus Gauromaia Pascoe, 1866 (Cnodalonini) from Mindanao Island, pp. 278-284 in Zootaxa 5178 (3) on pages 280-281, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5178.3.6, http://zenodo.org/record/702629
Efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of a booster regimen of Ad26.COV2.S vaccine against COVID-19 (ENSEMBLE2) : results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial
No full textBackground Despite the availability of effective vaccines against COVID-19, booster vaccinations are needed to maintain vaccine-induced protection against variant strains and breakthrough infections. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine (Janssen) as primary vaccination plus a booster dose.
Methods ENSEMBLE2 is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial including crossover vaccination after emergency authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines. Adults aged at least 18 years without previous COVID-19 vaccination at public and private medical practices and hospitals in Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the USA were randomly assigned 1:1 via a computer algorithm to receive intramuscularly administered Ad26.COV2.S as a primary dose plus a booster dose at 2 months or two placebo injections 2 months apart. The primary endpoint was vaccine efficacy against the first occurrence of molecularly confirmed moderate to severe-critical COVID-19 with onset at least 14 days after booster vaccination, which was assessed in participants who received two doses of vaccine or placebo, were negative for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR at baseline and on serology at baseline and day 71, had no major protocol deviations, and were at risk of COVID-19 (ie, had no PCR-positive result or discontinued the study before day 71). Safety was assessed in all participants; reactogenicity, in terms of solicited local and systemic adverse events, was assessed as a secondary endpoint in a safety subset (approximately 6000 randomly selected participants). The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04614948, and is ongoing.
Findings Enrolment began on Nov 16, 2020, and the primary analysis data cutoff was June 25, 2021. From 34 571 participants screened, the double-blind phase enrolled 31 300 participants, 14 492 of whom received two doses (7484 in the Ad26.COV2.S group and 7008 in the placebo group) and 11 639 of whom were eligible for inclusion in the assessment of the primary endpoint (6024 in the Ad26.COV2.S group and 5615 in the placebo group). The median (IQR) follow-up post-booster vaccination was 36 center dot 0 (15 center dot 0-62 center dot 0) days. Vaccine efficacy was 75 center dot 2% (adjusted 95% CI 54 center dot 6-87 center dot 3) against moderate to severe-critical COVID-19 (14 cases in the Ad26.COV2.S group and 52 cases in the placebo group). Most cases were due to the variants alpha (B.1.1.7) and mu (B.1.621); endpoints for the primary analysis accrued from Nov 16, 2020, to June 25, 2021, before the global dominance of delta (B.1.617.2) or omicron (B.1.1.529). The booster vaccine exhibited an acceptable safety profile. The overall frequencies of solicited local and systemic adverse events (evaluated in the safety subset, n=6067) were higher among vaccine recipients than placebo recipients after the primary and booster doses. The frequency of solicited adverse events in the Ad26.COV2.S group were similar following the primary and booster vaccinations (local adverse events, 1676 [55 center dot 6%] of 3015 vs 896 [57 center dot 5%] of 1559, respectively; systemic adverse events, 1764 [58 center dot 5%] of 3015 vs 821 [52 center dot 7%] of 1559, respectively). Solicited adverse events were transient and mostly grade 1-2 in severity.
Interpretation A homologous Ad26.COV2.S booster administered 2 months after primary single-dose vaccination in adults had an acceptable safety profile and was efficacious against moderate to severe-critical COVID-19. Studies assessing efficacy against newer variants and with longer follow-up are needed. Funding Janssen Research & Development.
Copyright (c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd
