Philippine Science High School System

Mangrove ecosystems, located in the land-sea interface, host a diverse array of fungi. In this paper, we introduce a novel genus, three novel species and one new record of fungi collected from mangrove environments in Pranburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand. We establish Pseudomelanconiella as a new genus in Melanconiellaceae, to accommodate Pseudomelanconiella mangrovei, a saprobe from submerged decomposing wood of Avicennia marina. Phylogenetic analysis indicates its close relation with Septomelanconiella, but they differ in the morphology of the conidia. Additionally, our analysis of Melanconiellaceae led to the reclassification of Melanconiella loropetali to Sinodiscula loropetali and synonymizing Sinodiscula camellicola and Melanconiella camelliae. This paper also introduces two other novel species: Peroneutypa hibisci, a saprobe found on Hibiscus tiliaceus and Pseudochaetosphaeronema bruguierae from Bruguiera cylindrica, the first species in this genus reported as a mangrove fungus. A new record of Rimora mangrovei from Ceriops tagal is also reported. These discoveries emphasize the rich fungal diversity in mangrove ecosystems supporting further exploration of this unique environment.

Kanzawa spider mites Tetranychus kanzawai, are among the most widespread and serious pests that infest economically important crops such as cassava. It is important to screen the toxicity of the available agrochemicals with acaricidal effects because chemical control remains an integral part in the management of these pests. This study presents the results of laboratory-based experiments that examined how T. kanzawai responded to six acaricides, namely abamectin, emamectin benzoate, fenpyroximate, hexythiazox, spirotetramat, and chlorfenapyr through leaf disk assay. Diluted concentrations of each of the six acaricides were prepared at 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000mg of active ingredient per liter of solution. The study revealed that among the six registered acaricides in the Philippines, fenpyroximate has the most potent toxic effects on the mites’ eggs, but it shows lower toxicity towards the adults. Conversely, hexythiazox exhibits high toxicity to adults but, based on a previous study, does not surpass the toxicity of the biorational alternatives abamectin and emamectin benzoate. The results of this study contribute to greater evidence that some acaricides are ineffective against T. kanzawai. The study revealed that hexythiazox and fenpyroximate can alternatively be used in managing T. kanzawai. Considering cassava’s importance as a vital root crop, educating farmers on the responsible use of these acaricides is vital for the effective management of T. kanzawai, thereby ensuring cassava crop yield preservation and food security. These efforts can contribute to the development of targeted and sustainable pest management strategies for T. kanzawai in cassava cultivation.

Ranging behavior is central to primate ecology and conservation, as it reflects species requirements and responses to habitat alterations, informing status assessments and management strategies. Our understanding of ranging patterns in small, nocturnal primates such as tarsiers is limited, especially for Philippine tarsiers (Carlito syrichta; formerly Tarsius syrichta). We radio-tracked ten Philippine tarsiers inhabiting a small forest fragment in Mindanao and estimated their minimum home ranges during March and October 2017, while intermittently assessing their sleeping site locations and minimum sleeping areas, or the smallest area bounding all their sleeping sites, between December 2016 and February 2018. We found that home ranges were generally larger for adult males than adult females. We observed extensive range overlaps among the tarsiers, even between adult males, and especially among individuals of the same group, who shared sleeping sites. We determined site fidelity among the tarsiers based on their repeated use of sleeping sites, their non-random paths, and the short-term stability of their ranges. We found that minimum sleeping areas of adult males resembled their core areas, based on 50% kernel density estimates, in terms of size and exclusivity. The extensive range overlaps of the Philippine tarsiers, along with the high number of distinct and repeatedly used sleeping sites, hint at their capacity to exhibit adaptive behaviors in response to habitat fragmentation. Increased research effort is needed to understand the drivers of such patterns across different habitats. We recommend the use of the minimum sleeping area as a method to facilitate monitoring of nocturnal primates.

The Kematu Au‐Ag epithermal deposit at Tboli area, Province of South Cotabato, Mindanao, Philippines, contains an inferred mineral resource of 3.8 million tonnes, at 8.7 g/t Au and 27 g/t Ag in 2012. The deposit is spatially and genetically linked to the volcanism related to the Parker Volcanic Complex of Pliocene to Holocene age. Local extension of the northwest‐trending splays of the faults in the Tboli area are associated with epithermal mineralization, including the Kematu Au‐Ag deposit. The study aimed to provide a detailed description of the characteristics and physicochemical processes involved in the formation of the Kematu Au‐Ag deposit on the basis of field occurrence, mineralogy, ore composition, mineral chemistry, and sulfur isotope data. The deposit is characterized by Au‐Ag bearing quartz‐adularia‐clay‐sulfide veins hosted in argillic‐altered andesite porphyry and coarse tuff of the Parker Volcanic Complex. The mineralization in the Kematu deposit is in the form of veins as well as open space fill and dissemination. Based on the observation of the ore bodies and petrographic analysis, three paragenetic stages with different vein characteristics have been identified. Stage 1 is dominantly quartz, adularia, and clay mineral veins, with electrum, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite‐tennantite, and galena. Stage 2 is coarse‐grained sulfide‐quartz‐adularia veins and in‐fill of vugs, consisting of sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, tetrahedrite‐tennantite, and electrum. Stage 3 is massive calcite veins, with minor amounts of electrum, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. The alteration mineral assemblage of the host rocks is chlorite‐illite‐adularia, indicative of neutral pH conditions. The FeS content of the Fe‐poor sphalerite in the stage 2 ranges from 0.03 to 1.07 mol%. Sulfur isotope compositions (δ ³⁴ S CDT ) of sulfides in all the stages range from 0.1‰ to 1.9‰ for pyrite, and −5.3‰ to 0.5‰ for galena, sphalerite, and chalcopyrite, where those in the stage 2 tend to have relatively lower values compared to those in the stages 1 and 3. The relatively narrow and close to zero δ ³⁴ S CDT values suggest that the sulfur was mainly derived from a magma. The mineral assemblages of the stages 1, 2, and 3, and the sulfur fugacity (log f S 2 = −12.5 to −8.8) and temperature (200–280°C) of ore formation based on the FeS mol%, electrum composition (at.%), and alteration mineral assemblage suggest that the Kematu deposit is of intermediate sulfidation type.

Educational board games are a promising tool for implementing game-based learning to improve the teaching-learning process. However, the absence of comprehensive scholarly guidance on designing educational board games impedes the effective implementation of game-based learning in classrooms. The sparsely available studies on game design frameworks often confine themselves to the design of the educational game itself, without including guidelines for the classroom integration of such games within the design framework. Additionally, the literature often neglects that teachers, burdened by limited time and excessive workload, are often the sole participants in the game design process. To address these gaps, we introduce a practical framework for educators to design and seamlessly integrate educational board games in their classrooms. Our approach prioritizes minimizing additional teacher workload while using game-based learning to foster student-led problem-solving sessions and game revision. Drawing from game design principles and existing literature on game-based learning, we propose a comprehensive framework that guides educators through the design and implementation of educational board games tailored for conducting problem-solving sessions. The framework is validated and refined using qualitative analysis of teacher and student feedback after its seamless integration into the regular mathematics instruction and curriculum of a Philippine K-12 high school. Results indicate positive student experiences and highlight the framework’s efficacy in promoting student engagement, learning outcomes, and teacher convenience. Thematic analysis of student feedback highlights key design preferences and game features that enhance student experiences in GBL sessions. The study contributes to the advancement of GBL methodologies by offering practical guidelines for independent use by educators and promoting exchanges between teacher colleagues. Overall, the proposed framework offers a systematic and feasible approach to designing and implementing educational board games, fostering effective learning experiences in diverse educational contexts.

The considerable difference between the reported number of actual and estimated viral hepatitis cases in the Philippines can be attributed to the lack of reliable data. Since viral hepatitis is endemic in the country, efficient disease control depends on access to quality data. The rapid adoption of electronic medical records in different facilities in the country offers opportunities for access to such data but raises concerns about its standardization for analysis. This study presents the steps taken toward the adoption of a standardized data dictionary for viral hepatitis, referencing existing international terminology standards. A series of workshops were conducted to gain consensus among subject matter experts such as epidemiologists, hepatologists and informaticists. These workshops provided context to the different stakeholders through a shared understanding of viral hepatitis care processes and transforming these into computable representations. Using Department of Health-approved paper forms for viral hepatitis surveillance, a multidisciplinary team mapped the 125 unique data elements to various international standard code sets. The output was a draft Philippine Viral Hepatitis Data Dictionary—a prerequisite for the semantic interoperability of data from different electronic medical records.

Sleep and sleep-related behaviors are integral components of primate behavior and ecology that are linked to various habitat-specific factors and often are modified in response to environmental fluctuations and threats. Despite the growing literature on primates, information on sleep-related behaviors of tarsiers remains sparse, especially for Philippine tarsiers, where our current understanding is hampered by the paucity of studies on wild populations. We radio-tracked eight Philippine tarsiers inhabiting a protected forest fragment between December 2016 and February 2018 to assess their sleeping site selection, sleep-related positional behavior, and social system. From 266 instantaneous sampling bouts, where each tarsier was observed a maximum of once per day, we found that the tarsiers frequently used trees with thickets of lianas and at least 15 plant species as sleeping sites. They slept from ground level to above 8 m, with most sightings at 3 to 6 m, and recurrent detections above 8 m, and preferred a flexed resting posture, on angled or horizontal, small-sized lianas or branches. Although frequently solitary, they also slept in pairs and in small groups of up to four individuals. We inferred polygyny based on observations of one adult male who associated and huddled with two nonassociated adult females, and direct male care through huddling and accompaniment. Our study revealed increased height use and gregariousness not previously described for Philippine tarsiers, shedding light on potential flexible behaviors by nocturnal primates in fragmented landscapes. Sleep-related behaviors present another avenue of research that has important implications on their conservation.

The study examined university students’ acceptance of a Learning Management System (LMS) during the emergency transition to online distance learning (ODL) brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 408 university students and employed a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design and Structural Equation Model (SEM) to investigate the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and several external variables, specifically social influence (SI), system characteristics (SC), individual differences (ID), facilitating conditions (FC), and academic performance. Results of SEM revealed that FC, SI, and SC are significant factors in LMS acceptance, with SC having the strongest influence on perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU). A significant path coefficient was also observed for actual use (AU) on academic performance. LMS analytics revealed the utility of discussion and assignment features of the LMS are greater over quizzes in ODL. Most students described LMS features as generally effective, particularly the use of modules, announcements, and assignments, and the provision of course materials as the best teaching practice. The quality of the Internet connectivity was determined as a major challenge affecting students’ ODL experience.

This study aimed to optimize the methods for sampling and analyzing methylmercury (MeHg) concentrated within diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and its application to different water bodies. We explored the elution solution for MeHg, comprised of 1.13 mM thiourea and 0.1M HCl, optimizing its volume to 50 mL. In addition, we found that it is necessary to analyze the entire extraction solution after adjusting its pH, to ensure completion of the ethylation reaction. The DGT samplers were deployed in two distinct aquatic environments (i.e., Okjeong Lake and Nakdong River) for up to 6 weeks, and this study demonstrated to predict the time-weighted average concentration with a diffusion coefficient of 7.65 × 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹ for MeHg in the diffusive gel. To assess the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) effects, the DGT samplers with different agarose diffusive gel thickness were deployed. The mass of MeHg accumulated in the DGT resin at a given time decreased with increasing diffusive gel thickness, because of creating longer diffusion pathways within thicker gels. The labile MeHg concentration estimated by the DGT in Okjeong Lake and Nakdong River are found in the range of 61–111 and 55–105 pg L⁻¹, respectively, which were found to be similar to the grab sampling data. Additionally, this study evaluated depth-dependent MeHg in Okjeong Lake. The vertical profile results showed that the concentration of MeHg at the depth of 2.3 and 15.7 m are about 1.5 and 4.6 times of the DGT installed at 0.3 m of the surface layer, respectively, suggesting potential mercury methylation in deep waters. These findings have practical implications for predicting bioavailability, assessing risks, and formulating strategies for water body management and contamination remediation.

Finding suitable installation sites for renewable energy technologies requires careful planning and consideration of multiple factors and not just relying on the location’s energy potential. This research work presents a suitability analysis of solar PV farm installation using GIS and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Simara Island, Province of Romblon, Philippines. The study gathered key important details of the island from various sources and then categorized them in terms of climatology, location, environment, meteorology, and disaster susceptibility. Meanwhile, a pairwise comparison was obtained after a panel of experts ranked the above-mentioned parameters. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using AHP were then applied to generate new sets of suitability maps, which were combined through weighted overlay analysis using QGIS to produce the necessary solar PV suitability map. The map reveals the spatial distribution of suitable solar PV farm installation sites, including highly suitable, suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable, and unsuitable locations. Results show that most of the island is suitable for solar PV farm installation at 42.81%, while 39.73% accounting for highly suitable locations. Moderately suitable and marginally suitable sites account for 8.76% and 1.07%, respectively, and 7.63% is deemed unsuitable. This study successfully identifies suitable locations for solar PV farm installations on Simara Island, demonstrating the effectiveness of the GIS and AHP combined methodology. This approach holds great potential for guiding RE planning and development in similar island regions in the Philippines.

External beam radiotherapy is a crucial method in treating cancer as it requires a high level of accuracy in patient positioning. Hence, commercial thermoplastic masks have a significant role during radiotherapy treatment as it is an efficient way of accurately positioning the patient without risking their safety and comfort. However, these commercial masks are expensive due to the use of costly compounds and additives, and several studies have concluded that commercial masks can significantly increase the surface dose. This study examined the effects of various thermoplastic reinforced composites for an alternative economic mask in terms of depth-dose distribution through Monte Carlo simulations in GEANT4 Application for Tomographic Emission (GATE). The simulations were varied by incident beams and their energies, material composition of the phantom, and varying thermoplastic reinforced composites. In general, the results indicated that PCL/PLA (polycaprolactone/polylactic acid), PLA/PU (polylactic acid/polyurethane), PCL/RH (polycaprolactone/rice husk), LDPE/PALF (low-density polyethylene/pineapple leaf fiber), and PP/PALF (polypropylene/pineapple leaf fiber) composites showed relatively accurate dose delivery in the target volume, which the slight difference will accumulate the 5% marginal error in treatment planning systems.

This study determined the science high school students' perceptions on the aspects of climate change. It involved randomly selected 122 science high school students who took the researcher-made multiple choice climate change test. In each item, the students circled their choice, provided brief explanation about their answer, and determined the source of information about the concept. The answers were coded to determine the students' climate change perceptions. The results showed that the students hold more correct perceptions on the basic concepts and causes of climate change but they have more lack of perceptions on the effects, mitigations and adaptations. Furthermore, the students had alternative perceptions and they had poor knowledge and comprehension on the aspects of climate change. Significant differences were found on the correct perceptions of male and female students on climate change mitigations. Similarly, significant differences were observed in the correct and alternative perceptions of first and second year students on the basic concepts of climate change. Information from the media and from home/community was related to the lack of perception and alternative perceptions on climate change basic concepts, effects, and mitigations.

Purpose In this study, the effectiveness of in situ sediment capping was investigated as a remediation option for total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in the Hyeongsan River estuary, South Korea. Materials and methods A small plot study was conducted by capping four different sites with different capping materials (HS1 with zeolite, HS2 with activated carbon (AC)/zeolite, HS3 with AC/sand, and HS4 with zeolite/sand), and one uncapped site (HS5) was used as a control. The capping effectiveness was evaluated ex situ by collecting sediment cores after 2 months, 1 year, and 2 years of cap residence. Results and discussions Capping in HS1, HS2, and HS3 reduced > 90% of the THg sediment after 2 months and > 83% of the MeHg after 1 year. HS4 reported a relatively low reduction (56% for THg and 83% for MeHg). In pore water, after 2 months, HS1, HS3, and HS4 led to higher reductions (93–95% for THg and 34–41% for MeHg) than HS2 (77% for THg and 20% for MeHg). The capping effectiveness declined after 1 year and 2 years, presumably because of the redistribution of contaminated sediments onto the small capped demonstration area. Despite reduced effectiveness over time, the capped sites reported lower concentrations of THg and MeHg compared to the uncapped site, which may be attributed to the combined effects of the treatment and natural attenuation. Conclusions Overall, the results imply that AC and zeolite as active sorbents and sand as passive caps can be potential mercury remediation options for contaminated sediments.

The exceptional and specific reactivity of mercury ions (Hg²⁺) toward plasmonic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in aqueous media has motivated the need to develop innovative, low-cost, portable, and robust sensors to help address the detrimental effects of heavy metal contamination particularly in rural communities. In this paper, we present the plasmonic and colorimetric sensing of Hg²⁺ using a paper-based sensing material derived from thiamine-functionalized (ThAgNPs) that were immobilized on a commercial filter paper. Plasmonic AgNPs with a surface plasmon resonance peak at 420 nm and a size of about 21.3 nm were synthesized by a chemical reduction technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the characteristic functional groups of thiamine in the spectra of AgNPs, thereby confirming the functionalization of AgNPs. The successful integration of ThAgNPs onto the Whatman filter paper (WFP) matrix was confirmed by the UV-Vis and SEM-EDX results. An evident color change from yellowish to white was manifested by the fabricated WFP-ThAgNP sensor in the presence of Hg²⁺ with an appreciable detection of up to 0.5 µM using the naked eye. The colorimetric response of the sensor was also found to be selective towards Hg²⁺ after testing with different metal ions. Moreover, the response was consistent for tap, and creek water samples spiked with Hg²⁺. The results of this work provide a promising baseline technology for the development of an affordable, fast, portable, and reliable sensor that can be used for on-site detection and monitoring of Hg²⁺ levels in the water.

S-impregnation of biochar through elemental S streaming is known to increase its sorption performance against Hg and methyl mercury (MeHg). However, the effects of %S-loading on biochar’s mechanism and sorption capacities for MeHg, and its consequent impact when used as an amendment material for Hg-contaminated sediments, are poorly understood, and thus, were investigated in this work. Our results showed that a minimum sulfur loading of 1% was the most effective in reducing MeHg levels in sediments. At higher %S-loading (3%–20%), the reduction in surface area, pore blockage due to unreacted sulfur particles, and presence of poorly bound sulfur species resulted in lowered effectiveness for MeHg control. Increasing S-functionalization during impregnation shifted the sorption process of MeHg from Hg-O to Hg-S in S-impregnated biochar (BCS). Our 60-day slurry experiment showed a significant reduction in pore water THg (40%–70%) and MeHg (30%–55%), as well as sediment MeHg (50%–60%) in biochar-amended sediments. The reduction in the bioavailable Hg resulted in lowered Hg methylation, as supported by the suppression of both the Fe- and SO4²⁻-reduction activities in the amended sediments. The microbial community structure in BCS-amended sediments showed a shift towards sulfur-consuming, iron-reducing, thiosulfate-oxidizing, and sulfate-reducing bacterial populations. At the genus level, the overall relative abundance of principal Hg methylators was also lower in the BCS treatment than in the unamended sediments. This study highlights the application of BCS as a promising strategy for remediation of Hg-contaminated sediments.

Forecasting the number of incidences of medical cases is important in planning institutional health program strategies to draft intervention and allocate resources. The utilization of advancements in computing and the use of massive health data create possibilities for the generation of tools in a recommender system. This study focused on medical cases forecasting using exponential smoothing model for the development of resource allocation recommender system. Different data pre-processing techniques were used such as imputation and data cleaning in the historical dataset. To determine which set of alpha values can be considered and be used in the development of online resource allocation recommender system for Mabalacat City Health Unit, the mean absolute percent error and mean absolute deviation were used. Exponential smoothing with an alpha value of 0.9 and 0.3 have high forecasted values than that of Exponential smoothing using 0.1, 0.5 and 0.7 respectively.

Certain characteristics defining fluvial geomorphology have been linked with a wide range of ecological events that generate effects on the vital components of river systems. The Binahaan River in Leyte, Philippines, is important for irrigation and potable water distribution but little research has been conducted about its features. Our objective was to generate baseline data on the river by developing a model showing the geomorphic typologies of its 4.5 km portion. Using Rosgen's classification, we identified 12 typologies with the following key parameters: entrenchment ratio, width-to-depth ratio, sinuosity, slope, and channel material. Typology B5c-denoting moderate values for sinuosity and the entrenchment and width-to-depth ratios, and low slope range with sand as channel material-dominated the stretch. Data show that while some parts of the river are covered with silt/clay, sand occupied 57% of the identified typologies. Furthermore, many parts of the stretch were moderately entrenched and had high width-to-depth ratios. Sand mining generally disturbed the river and caused lower recovery potential for affected areas than the rest of the stretch. The identified typologies of the Binahaan River will be significant components for future research focusing on biodiversity and its relationship with the river's geomorphology.

Activated carbon (AC) amendment is considered as one of the alternatives for managing and remediating mercury (Hg) contaminated sediments because of its high sorptive capacity and potential to immobilize the contaminant. For this study, the underlying mechanisms that control the reduction of Hg bioavailability in AC-amended estuarine sediments were investigated in box microcosm set-ups with 28-day Asian clam bioassay experiments. The application of diffusive gradients in thin film technique (DGT) revealed that the total mercury and methylmercury levels in sediment pore water decreased by 60%–75% in 1%–3% AC-amended sediments. This decrease subsequently led to a linear reduction in the Hg body burden in Asian clams, even at 1% sorbent mixing. These observations implied that AC amendment reduced the net flux of Hg into the pore water and overlying water, resulting in reduced Hg bioaccumulation in benthic organisms. The addition of AC to sediment also led to reduced dissolved organic carbon and several biogeochemical indicators (HS⁻, Mn, and Fe) in the pore water. Furthermore, the 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis revealed noticeable alterations in the microbial communities after AC amendment. The predominant phylum was Firmicutes in control sediment, Bacteroidetes in 1% AC-amended sediment, and Proteobacteria in both 2% and 3% AC-amended sediment samples. The genera-level analysis showed that the relative abundance of the Hg-methylators decreased as the level of AC amendment increased. These observations suggested that AC amendment decreased Hg bioavailability not only by physicochemical sorption but also by changing geochemical species and shifting the microbial community composition.

Anderson (J Sci Teach Educ 13(1):1–12, 2002) raised several questions about inquiry in terms of meaning, emphasis, approach, teaching, and learning among others. However, the question on barriers in initiation and implementation offers few answers in literature. Likewise, despite several attempts to explicate scientific inquiry, few studies delve on the process of scientific inquiry as a practice. It is observed that different schools have different approaches as a practice on how scientific inquiry is implemented. This chapter presents the practice of scientific inquiry at Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus. Likewise, the chapter highlights the entire curriculum for programs where scientific inquiry can be practiced. However, this chapter tackles only the implementation of its Science Internship and Science Research programs. It presents the barriers to its implementation and how these barriers were addressed. Examples of successful practices are presented as type study which led to students to publish their paper to peer-reviewed journals. The chapter concludes with insights and lessons on how scientific inquiry can be successfully practiced in classrooms all over the world. Lastly, an implication of school’s practice on scientific inquiry, science education, inquiry learning and teaching is also presented.