University of the Philippines

About: University of the Philippines is a education organization based out in Quezon City, Philippines. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 4589 authors who have published 4437 publications receiving 114846 citations. The organization is also known as: UP.

Conus peptides targeted to specific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes.

Abstract: The venoms of predatory cone snails represent a rich combinatorial-like library of evolutionarily selected, neuropharmacologically active peptides. A major fraction of the venom components are conotoxins--small, disulfide-rich peptides that potently and specifically target components of the neuromuscular system, particularly ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels. This review focuses on Conus peptides, which act at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These nicotinic antagonist peptides from Conus are broadly divided into two groups: those that act at the neuromuscular junction and those that act at subtypes of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The latter include peptides specific for the alpha 7, alpha 3 beta 2, and alpha 3 beta 4 nicotinic receptor subtypes. The degree of specificity exhibited by these peptides is remarkable, particularly given their relatively small size. As a group the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-targeted Conus peptides represent an increasingly well-defined set of tools for probing the structure, function, and physiological role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

Estimation under purposive sampling

Abstract: Purposive sampling is described as a random selection of sampling units within the segment of the population with the most information on the characteristic of interest. Nonparametric bootstrap is proposed in estimating location parameters and the corresponding variances. An estimate of bias and a measure of variance of the point estimate are computed using the Monte Carlo method. The bootstrap estimator of the population mean is efficient and consistent in the homogeneous, heterogeneous, and two-segment populations simulated. The design-unbiased approximation of the standard error estimate differs substantially from the bootstrap estimate in severely heterogeneous and positively skewed populations.

The epidemiology of osteoarthritis in Asia.

Abstract: Worldwide, osteoarthritis (OA) is estimated to be the fourth leading cause of disability. Most of this disability burden is attributable to the involvement of the hips or the knees. OA is strongly associated with ageing and the Asian region is ageing rapidly. Further, OA has been associated with heavy physical occupational activity, a required livelihood for many people living in rural communities in developing countries. Unfortunately, joint replacement surgery, an effective intervention for people with severe OA involving the hips or knees, is inaccessible to most people in these regions. On the other hand, obesity, another major risk factor, may be less prevalent, although it is on the increase. Determining region-specific OA prevalence and risk factor profiles will provide important information for planning future cost-effective preventive strategies and health care services. An update of what is currently known about the prevalence of hip and knee OA from population-based studies conducted in the Asian region is presented in this review. Many of the recent studies have conducted comparisons between urban and rural areas and poor and affluent communities. The results of Asian-based studies evaluating risk factors from population-based cohorts or case–control studies, and the current evidence on OA morbidity burden in Asia is also outlined.