Improving the heart team:An interdisciplinary team and integrated practice unit

Heart Team emerged as an important tool in the cardiovascular care,improving the efficiency of decision-making process.In addition to the benefits in patient care,it symbolizes a new culture and mindset.However,beyond the clinical condition,in low/middle-income countries other concerns arise regarding patient's background and these demands are,usually,as challenging as the medical treatment.New models have been proposed face these demands and to assure a holistic care by Integrated Practice Units.Optimization and reorganization of already existing resources and promotion of interdisciplinary and holistic care may be an effective manner to improve outcomes despite socioeconomic barriers.

Enhancing Proficiency in Quadratic Equations and Functions Through the MILAPlus Strategy

This study investigates the efficacy of the Mathematics Independent Learning Activity Practice and Play Unite Scheme(MILAPlus)as an instructional strategy to improve the proficiency levels of Grade 9 students in quadratic equations and functions through a study carried out at Quezon National High School.The research involved 116 Grade 9 students and utilized a quantitative approach,incorporating both pre-assessment and post-assessment measures.The research utilizes a quasi-experimental design,examining the academic performance of students before and after the introduction of MILAPlus.The pre-assessment establishes a baseline,and the subsequent post-assessment measures the impact of the instructional strategy.Statistical analyses,including t-tests,assess the significance of differences in mean scores and mean percentage scores,providing quantitative insights into the effectiveness of MILAPlus.Findings from the study revealed a statistically significant improvement in both mean scores and mean percentage scores after the utilization of MILAPlus,indicating enhanced proficiency in quadratic equations and functions.The Mean Proficiency Scores(MPS)also showed a substantial increase,demonstrating a marked improvement in overall proficiency levels among Grade 9 students.In light of the results,recommendations were given including the continued utilization of MILAPlus as an instructional strategy and aligning its development with prescribed learning competencies.Emphasizing the consistent adherence to policies and guidelines for MILAPlus implementation is suggested for sustaining positive effects on students’long-term performance in mathematics.This research contributes valuable insights into the practical application and effectiveness of MILAPlus within the context of Grade 9 mathematics education at Quezon National High School.

Optimal operation of energy at hydrothermal power plants by simultaneous minimization of pollution and costs using improved ABC algorithm

The aim of this paper is simultaneous mini- mization of hydrothermal units to reach the best solution by employing an improved artificial bee colony （ABC） algorithm in a multi-objective function consisting of economic dispatch （ED） considering the valve-point effect and pollution function in power systems in view of the hot water of the hydro system. In this type of optimization problem, all practical constraints of units were taken into account as much as possible in order to comply with the reality. These constraints include the maximum and minimum output power of units, the constraints caused by the balance between supply and demand, the impact of pollution, water balance, uneven production curve con- sidering the valve-point effect and system losses. The proposed algorithm is applied on the studied system, and the obtained results indifferent operating conditions are analyzed. To investigate in various operating conditions, different load profiles in 12 h are taken into account. The obtained results are compared with those of the other methods including the genetfc algorithm （GA）, the Basu technique, and the improved genetic algorithm. Fast convergence is one of this improved algorithm features.