Carl Abelardo T. Antonio and Emerito Jose Faraon
Department of Health Policy and Administration
College of Public Health
UP Manila
Smoking Prevalence and Attributable Disease Burden in 195 Countries and Territories, 1990–2015: A Systematic Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. The Lancet, 389 (10082): 1885-1906, 13–19 May 2017.
Catchy title of research: Nearly 1 billion people still smoke daily
Figure 1. Age-standardised prevalence of daily smoking for men (A) and women (B), in 2015
ATG=Antigua and Barbuda. VCT=Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. LCA=Saint Lucia. TTO=Trinidad and Tobago. TLS=Timor-Leste. FSM=Federated States of Micronesia.
Despite strong declines in the rate of tobacco smoking over the past 25 years, one out of every four men still smoke daily, as do one out of every 20 women.
The prevalence of daily smoking declined on a global scale – decreasing by 28% for men and 34% for women between 1990 and 2015.
But while the rate of smoking has fallen over the past few decades, the number of daily smokers globally continues to rise year-over-year due to population growth. As of 2015, there were 933 million daily smokers. The three countries with the most male daily smokers in 2015 accounted for over half of all men who smoked daily worldwide. Countries with the most male daily smokers in 2015 were China with 254 million, India with 91 million, and Indonesia with 50 million.
The three countries with the highest number of female daily smokers in 2015 accounted for just over 25% of all female daily smokers worldwide. Countries with the most female daily smokers in 2015 were the Unites States with 17 million, followed by China with 14 million, and India with 13.5 million. These results suggest that the tobacco smoking epidemic is less geographically concentrated for women than for men, with implications that global efforts may need to be different to reach male smokers compared to female smokers.
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014067361730819X
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 47.831
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Carl Abelardo T. Antonio and Emerito Jose Faraon
Department of Health Policy and Administration
College of Public Health
UP Manila
Child and Adolescent Health From 1990 to 2015 Findings From the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2015 Study. JAMA Pediatrics, 171 (6): 573-592, June 2017.
Catchy title of research: Global decline in deaths among children, adolescents but progress uneven
Ranking of the Top 25 Global Causes of Death in 2015 by 5 Socio-demographic Index (SDI) Quintiles and 21 Regions in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) Ranking of causes of death in females and males. Global causes, SDI quintiles, and GBD regions appear in columns, sorted in order of decreasing SDI status. The causes are sorted according to their ranking at the global level. The color coding indicates the relative ranking of each cause, with red the highest and green the lowest. The numbers appearing in each column indicate the geography-specific ranking of that cause in 2015. Blanks indicate causes that were not contracted in that geographical area. HIV indicates human immunodeficiency virus.
Leading Level 3 Causes of Global Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study This figure shows the rankings for the top 25 causes of global disability-adjusted life years among children and adolescents 19 years or younger at the global level in 1990, 2005, and 2015. Lines connecting the boxes illustrate changes in ranking. Any cause that appears in the top 25 in any year is listed, along with its ranking during each year. Group I causes (infectious, neonatal, nutritional, and maternal) are shown in gray, noncommunicable diseases in red, and injuries in green. Changes in total DALYs are in the first column next to 2005, followed by changes in all-ages rates of DALYs, and age-standardized rates of DALYs. Statistically significant differences appear in bold. HIV indicates human immunodeficiency virus, and STI, sexually transmitted infection.
Expected Association Between Rates of Years of Life Lost (YLL) and Years Lived With Disability (YLD) Rates With Socio-demographic Index (SDI) for 21 Level 2 Causes in the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD)
A, Expected association between rates of YLL and YLD with SDI for the 21 GBD level 2 causes in children and adolescents 19 years or younger, both sexes, 1990-2015. Each geography is assigned an SDI value for each year, and nonlinear spline regressions are used to find the average relationship between SDI and cause-specific burden rates. B, Expected association between rates of YLL and YLD and SDI for the 21 GBD level 2 causes as a proportion of total rates of YLL and YLD in children and adolescents 19 years or younger, both sexes, 1990-2015. Each geographical area is assigned an SDI value for each year, and nonlinear spline regressions are used to find the mean association between SDI and cause-specific rates of disease burden. HIV indicates human immunodeficiency virus.[/caption]Deaths among children and adolescents decreased worldwide from nearly 14.2 million deaths in 1990 to just over 7.2 million deaths in 2015 but this global progress has been uneven. Included among the most common causes of death globally were neonatal preterm birth complications, lower respiratory tract infections, diarrheal diseases, congenital anomalies, malaria, neonatal sepsis, meningitis, and HIV/AIDS, according to the report. Countries with lower SDIs had a greater share of the burden of death in 2015 compared with 1990, while the most deaths among children and adolescents occurred in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The report speculates one reason for growing inequality of disease among children and adolescents may be that geographical areas with the lowest SDIs have historically not received significant development assistance for health. (from the official press release)
Link to the article: http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2613463
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 10.251
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Eric Julian D. Manalastas and Beatriz A. Torre
Department of Psychology
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
UP Diliman
Homonegativity in Southeast Asia: Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Asia-Pacific Social Science Review, 17 (1): 25-33, June 2017.
Catchy title of research: Malaysians, Indonesians most homophobic in Southeast Asia
Lesbians and gay men face the strongest homophobic prejudice in Malaysia and Indonesia within Southeast Asia, based on data from six countries in the region.
Findings from the World Values Survey indicate that many Southeast Asians reject lesbians or gay men as neighbors, with the strongest homophobic attitudes to be found in Indonesia (66%) and Malaysia (59%). Other countries like Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines had more LGBT-friendly attitudes.
Unlike previous studies that focus on biased samples, this study provides evidence for the levels of social acceptance of homosexuality in Southeast Asia using nationally representative data.
Link to the article: https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=11507
Impact Factor: Not yet available
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Gerry M. Lanuza
Department of Sociology
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy
UP Diliman
Making and Selling the “Rock Star Pope”: The Celebritization of Pope Francis during His Five-Day Visit to the Philippines. Humanities Diliman, 14 (1): 1-45, January-June 2017.
Figure 1. A picture showing the installation of Pope Benedict in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013. From: http://petapixel.com/2013/03/14/a-starry-sea-of-cameras-at-the-unveiling-of-pope-francis/.
This paper is an attempt to provide an analysis of the celebritization and celebrification of Pope Francis when he visited the Philippines from January 15 to 19, 2015. Celebritization is a social process of creating a rock star or an icon out of an ordinary person through the mediation of mass media. Employing the analytic concept of “culture industry” developed by the members of the Frankfurt School, and combining it with the current analyses in existing celebrity study under late capitalism, this paper will show how the local giant media corporations, namely, GMA and ABS-CBN, staged a grand “media event” that nationally mediatized and publicly magnified the celebrity status of the so-called “rock star Pope.” Culture industry is the manufacturing of a symbolic icon for mass consumption. The current study contributes to the growing literature on celebrity study by focusing on the popular and charismatic religious leader of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. Toward the end of this paper, consistent with the critical slant of the Frankfurt School’s [a Marxist tradition] critique of mass deception, it is argued that the celebrity culture that created the “spectacle” of Pope Francis must be distinguished from his prophetic message. And this must be explored in future studies.
Link to the article: http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/humanitiesdiliman
Impact Factor: Not yet available
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Daniel Edison M. Husana
Institute of Biological Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Diliman
Stable Carbon Isotope Compositions of Foot Tissue, Conchiolin Opercula, and Organic Matrix within the Shells of Two Marine Gastropods from a Seagrass Meadow in the Philippines. Geochemical Journal, 51: 241-250, 2017.
Live coloration of Cernina fluctuata (Sowerby, 1825).
Seagrass bed in Cuyo Island, Palawan, the Philippines.
Gastropods (Mollusca) have exploited a wide variety of food resources over the course of their evolutionary history. This study evaluated the food sources of two marine gastropod species, Polinices mammilla (family Naticidae) and Cernina fluctuata (family Ampullinidae) collected from a lower tidal flat in Cuyo Island, the Philippines using stable isotope analysis method. Naticidae is a well-known family of predatory gastropods that prey upon mollusks by drilling their shells. Naticids and their predatory drill holes have long fossil records that can be traced back to the mid-Mesozoic era, and evolutionary studies have extensively discussed their predator-prey interactions. However diets are often difficult to infer from the preserved hard components of fossilized gastropods. Studies of predatory traces, such as drill holes on prey shells, provide indirect evidence for the diets of predatory gastropods but also difficult to show a definite relationship between the drillers and drill holes. On the other hand, analyses of the phylogenetic affinities of the target animals with their nearest living relatives provide indirect evidence about their diet, but their affinities with living relatives decrease with time following extinction. Upon analyses of the foot tissue, conchiolin opercula, and the shell organic matrix from the extant marine gastropods, this study confirmed that the herbivorous C. fluctuata consumes autotrophs such as macrobenthic marine plants and algae whereas P. mammilla may derive carbon from epiphytes and phytoplankton via their bivalve prey.
Link to the article: https://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/GJ/abstract/5103/51030241.html
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 0.991
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Arthur L. Fajardo
Institute of Agricultural Engineering
College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology
UP Los Baños
Puddling Performance of Different Tilling Wheel Designs of the Float-Assisted Tiller in a Laboratory Soil Bin Set-Up. Philippine Agricultural Scientist, 100 (2): 143-149, June 2017.
The three tilling wheel designs used in the study.
The float-assisted tiller is popular equipment used for puddling paddy fields in the Philippines. The main advantage of using this tiller is lower cost per hectare compared to traditional plowing and harrowing. Different designs of float-assisted tiller have been developed and are available in the market. However, only a few studies have been published regarding float-assisted tiller design modifications and corresponding performance evaluation.
The study aimed to determine and compare the puddling performance of three designs (coded as TW1, TW2 and TW3) of tilling wheel for float-assisted tiller. The tilling wheels were operated at different shaft speeds (200, 250 and 300 rpm). The experiments were done using a single tilling wheel in a laboratory set up using Maahas clay. Performance index was used as a measure of puddling performance.
Performance index was affected by the tilling wheel design, shaft speed, number of passes and the combination of number of passes and shaft speed. Performance index was not significant between TW1 and TW2 but significant between shaft speeds and number of passes. Performance index was relatively higher with TW3 on the 1st pass for all shaft speeds.
The best design of tilling wheel among the three tilling wheel designs is TW3 based on obtained performance index. It is recommended to verify results under actual field condition.
Link to the article:
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 0.248
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Andrian P. Gajigan and Cecilia Conaco
Marine Science Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman
Resilience of the Prokaryotic Microbial Community of Acropora digitifera to Elevated Temperature. MicrobiologyOpen, 6 (4): e00478, 11 pages, August 2017.
Principal component analysis reveals that tissue, mucus, and seawater samples can be distinguished by their microbial community composition based on 16S rRNA phylotypes (mucus 27°C, MC; mucus 32°C, MT; tissue 27°C, TC; tissue 32°C, TT; seawater 27°C, WC; seawater 32°C, WT). Numbers indicate the colony source for mucus and tissues samples. The percent of total variation explained by each component is shown in parentheses.
Bacterial community composition of coral tissue, mucus, and seawater. Relative abundance of bacterial taxa classified to order level and corrected for copy number. The dendrogram is based on the Yue & Clayton measure of dissimilarity.
The coral is a holobiont formed by the close interaction between the coral animal and a diverse community of microorganisms, including dinoflagellates, bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. The prokaryotic symbionts of corals are important for host fitness but are also highly sensitive to changes in the environment. In this study, we used 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing to examine the response of the microbial community associated with the coral, Acropora digitifera, to elevated temperature. Remarkably, the overall microbial community structure of A. digitifera remained stable for 10 days of continuous exptosure at 32°C compared to corals maintained at 27°C. However, the elevated temperature regime resulted in slight change in the population of certain bacteria, some of which have been associated with diseased and stressed corals. Thus, while the A. digitifera bacterial community structure appears resilient to higher temperature, prolonged exposure and intensified stress results in changes in the abundance of specific microbial community members that may affect the overall metabolic state and health of the coral holobiont.
Link to the article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mbo3.478/full
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 6.086
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Carla B. Dimalanta and Edanjarlo J. Marquez*
National Institute of Geological Sciences
College of Science
UP Diliman
Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics*
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila
Stratigraphic Units Overlying the Zambales Ophiolite Complex (ZOC) in Luzon, (Philippines): Tectonostratigraphic Significance and Regional Implications. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 142: 20-31, July 2017.
Outcrop photos of the sedimentary units overlying the Acoje and Coto Blocks in the northern Zambales Range – (A) Cabaluan Formation as observed near the Cabaluan River; (B) chert blocks within the Cabaluan Formation; (C) Candelaria Limestone seen near the Acoje Road; and (D) Sta. Cruz Formation exposed in Lucapon. Photomicrographs (E and F) of the sandstone of the Cabaluan Formation dominantly made up of lithic fragments (serpentinized peridotite); and photomicrographs of the Sta. Cruz Formation sandstone (G and H) with little or no ophiolitic components.
Poorly to moderately preserved radiolarians extracted from the chert olistoliths hosted by the Cabaluan Formation. The faunas are dominated by multi-segmented nassellarian genera (e.g., 1 – Pseudodictyomitra sp.; 2 – Holocryptocaniumbarbui; 3 – Xitus sp.; 4 – Archeodictyomitra sp.; 7 – Pseudoeucyrtis sp.) and are associated with Triactoma (13) and Tetraditryma (14). Other radiolarian tests (5, 6, 8–12, 15, 16) have lost details of their ornamentations due to recrystallization. Age estimate is from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous.
Ophiolites are fossil oceanic lithosphere that were uplifted and emplaced along continental margins. The basement of the Philippines is composed mainly of ophiolites and ophiolitic complexes. The Zambales Ophiolite is complete ophhiolite sequence exposed in wester Luzon. Previous age datings from geochronologic studies from diabase, ganodiorite, late-stage intrusive bodies and paleontological dating using foraminifera all agreed to an Eocene age for the Zambales Ophiolite Complex. However, new age dating from siliceous nannofossils reveal an older age which is Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. The nannofossil assemblage extracted from the cherts of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex is also similar to the asemblage from Ilocos. The new age is also comparable to other ophiolites along the western margin of the Philippines which includes Mindoro, Romblon and Antique. Previous studies focus on the well-established Mesozoic belt along the eastern margin. New data and comparison with the neighboring ophiolites suggest the existence of a continuous Mesozoic belt from central to northern portion of western Philippines.
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136791201630181X
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.335
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Phyllis Anne P. Paclibre, Alyzza Marie B. Calayag, Pauline Dianne M. Santos and Windell L. Rivera
Institute of Biology and Natural Sciences Research Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman
Molecular Characterization of Salmonella enterica Isolated from Raw and Processed Meats from Selected Wet Markets in Metro Manila, Philippines. Philippine Agricultural Scientist, 100 Special Issue: s55-s62, July 2017.
Salmonella enterica is a foodborne pathogen that causes a number of diarrheal cases and outbreaks worldwide. Predicted increase in consumption of meat products for the next 10 years increases the potential for exposure to the bacterium. This study characterized 260 S. enterica isolates from meats collected in three selected wet markets in Metro Manila, Philippines using genetic markers. Majority of the isolates were classified as serogroup O:3,10 (37.1%). It is found that 26.15% of the Salmonella isolates harbor spvC gene, which may cause higher severity of disease compared isolates without the gene. The results indicate that S. enterica strains of probably higher virulence, and economic and clinical importance are present in meat products sold in wet markets, thus, supporting the need for proper meat handing in market and food preparation practices.
Link to the article:
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 0.248
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Alonzo A. Gabriel and Gladys Gaile F. Marquez
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
College of Home Economics
UP Diliman
Inactivation Behaviors of Selected Bacteria in Ultraviolet-C-Treated Human Breast Milk. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 41: 216-223, June 2017.
Fig. 1. Optical characteristics of test breast milk and UV-C lamp. (a.) Absorbance curve used in the determination of the absorption coefficient (ε). (b.) Emission spectra of the 15 W UV-C lamp source.
Due to the destructive effect of pasteurization in human breast milk properties, exploration on non- thermal methods emerged in order to preserve the bioactive components in milk. One novel method is the use of ultraviolet-C irradiation in inactivating bacteria in milk. This method posed a potential as it does not destroy the bioactive components of the milk.
Link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466856416306270
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.573
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Alonzo A. Gabriel, Desiree D. Vera, Olga Monina Y. Lazo, Vallerie B. Azarcon, Cleomelle G. De Ocampo, Jovelyn C. Marasigan and Gloria T. Sandel
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
College of Home Economics
UP Diliman
Ultraviolet-C Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella enterica in Liquid Egg White. Food Control, 73 (Part B): 1303-1309, March 2017.
Fig. 1. Emission spectra of the 15 W UV-C lamp source showing predominant emission wavelength at 254 nm.
Because of the undesirable changes in liquid egg whites when pasteurized, researchers are now focusing on developing alternative, non-thermal, non-destructive methods to address microbial contamination. One method being seen as a potential non-thermal processing is the use ultraviolet-c
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713516306065
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 3.496
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Romnick S. Baliton*, Leila D. Landicho**, Rowena E. Cabahug**, Roselyn F. Paelmo***, Reynaldo A. Comia**, Roberto G. Visco* and Arnold Karl SA. Castillo**
*Institute of Renewable Natural Resources
**Institute of Agroforestry
***College of Forestry and Natural Resources
Institute of Crop Science
College of Agriculture and Food Science
UP Los Baños
Ecological Services of Agroforestry Landscapes in Selected Watershed Areas in the Philippines and Indonesia. Journal of Biotropia, 24 (1): 71-83, 2017.
Left photo: photo: Project team conducts biodiversity assessment Molawin – Dampalit SubWatershed, MMFR
Right photo: Project team conducts biodiversity assessment in Way Betung Watershed, Indonesia
This article highlights the results of the study which assessed the ecological contributions of agroforestry landscapes in Molawin-Dampalit Sub-Watershed in the Philippines, and in Way Betung Watershed in Indonesia. Specifically, the assessment centered on the biodiversity assessment and carbon stock assessment of the different agroforestry systems in two watersheds, as well as the socioeconomic assessment of the upland farmers within the said landscapes. A total of 106 farmers in the Molawin-Dampalit Sub-Watershed and 261 farmers in Way Betung Watershed were interviewed, while about 27 and 14 agroforstry plots were considered for biodiversity and carbon stock assessment, respectively. Research results indicated that the total carbon found among the crop components was 52.32 MgC/ha in Molawin Dampalit siub-Watershed and 244.26 MgC/ha in Way Betung Watershed, which suggest a high carbon sequestration potential of woody perennials and understorey crops in an agroforestry system. The farmlots being cultivated by the smallholder farmers were found to contribute to biodiversity conservation have a moderate biodiversity index of 2.59 and 2.53, respectively. These findings suggest that agroforestry should always be an integral part of all initiatives toward ecological restoration with the smallholder farmers as potential partners.
Link to the article:
Impact Factor: Not yet available
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Eugene B. Caldona and Bryan B. Pajarito
Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
UP Diliman
Superhydrophobic Rubber-Modified Polybenzoxazine/SiO2 Nanocomposite Coating with Anticorrosion, Anti-Ice, and Superoleophilicity Properties. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, 56 (6): 1485–1497, 2017.
A nanocomposite coating composed of rubber-modified PBZ and SiO2 nanoparticles that is able to demonstrate both superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity properties was fabricated. Based on the results obtained via electrochemical measurements in a chloride solution, the coating showed excellent protection property against corrosion attack even after prolonged exposure. Results also showed that the coating is able to resist cold weather conditions that when exposed outside during a snowfall, it prevents snow from accumulating on its surface. Remarkably promising results were also obtained, as the coating indeed was able to separate the two liquids by allowing oil to penetrate through the membrane while the water was seized on top.
Link to the article: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.iecr.6b04382
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.843
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Eugene B. Caldona and Bryan B. Pajarito
Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
UP Diliman
A Review on Rubber-Enhanced Polymeric Materials. Polymer Reviews, 57 (2): 311-338, 2017.
This review focused on the past and recent developments in polymer matrix-based materials with rubber as the main key modification. It was then seen that a rubber-modified material offers better balance of properties and thus, can be regarded a commercially successful product. Specifically, rubber-modified PNCs provide a number of benefits over that of the rubber-modified polymers and the conventional unmodified PNCs. Primary benefits include balance in tensile strength and modulus, increase in wear resistance, and most importantly improved impact strength and fracture toughness.
Link to the article: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15583724.2016.1247102
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 6.459
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Eugene B. Caldona and Bryan B. Pajarito
Department of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering
UP Diliman
Novel Anti-Corrosion Coatings from Rubber-Modified Polybenzoxazine-Based Polyaniline Composites. Applied Surface Science, 422: 162-171, 15 November 2017.
In this study, efforts are made to fabricate a rubber-modified polybenzoxazine (PBZ) composite coating containing PANI as an additive for anti-corrosion application. It was demonstrated that the coatings with different PANI loadings were shown to be more effective in providing corrosion protection than the neat PBZ/rubber coating. It was found that a low concentration of the PANI ES is needed to tune the anti-corrosion property of the coating to its optimum performance. Moreover, the resultant toughness combined with the low water absorption of PBZ makes PBZ/rubber as a potential matrix for PANI.
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433217313958
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 3.387
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Peter James B. Abad*,**, Cora A. Anonuevo**, Lorna R. Abad* and Carmencita D. Padilla*, ***
*Department of Pediatrics
College of Medicine
**College of Nursing
***Institute of Human Genetics
National Institutes of Health
UP Manila
Communication about Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Perspective of Filipino Families. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 26 (4): 763–775, August 2017.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), like other genetic conditions, is a relational disease from both the biological and psychosocial perspectives since the diagnosis gives rise to a variety of health, reproductive, and psychosocial implications. It is in these contexts that family communication of genetic information is important to study. Hence, this research aimed to explore genetic information communication in Filipino families affected with CAH. Using a qualitative descriptive design, families with a child affected with CAH were recruited through the CAH parent support group and were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews explored flow and content of genetic information communicated, the meanings the families attach to the communicated information, and the motivating and hindering factors in communication. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings. A total of five families participated, which included 11 individuals. Findings revealed that the diagnosis of CAH is not kept secret and it is openly shared with the family. The decision to communicate is influenced by several factors including the family’s desire to seek further information about their family history. Initially, the focus of the communicated information is on the health implications and while communication about genetics occurs, this is almost always confined to the immediate family. The mother and grandmother serve as primary communicators in the family. The families have limited understanding of CAH especially its genetic implications including recurrence risk and carrier status. The findings can guide genetic counselors in supporting families in communicating information about CAH with the rest of the family.
Link to the article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10897-016-0043-x
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 1.938
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Charita S. Kwan
Natural Sciences Research Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman
“Release of Additives and Monomers from Plastic Waste” in The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry – Hazardous Chemicals Associated with Plastics in the Environment. H. Takada and H. K. Karapanagioti (editors). Switzerland: Springer, 2017.
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Concepcion P. Ponce
Department of Chemistry
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Visayas
Cation Binding Properties of an Anionic Gemini Surfactant Monolayer. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 522: 536-543, 5 June 2017.
Catchy title of research: Gemini surfactant expands on calcium ion binding
Structure and sodium binding property of the anionic gemini surfactant
A gemini surfactant or a surface-active compound with two water loving head groups was synthesized and its properties determined. Results show that binding of the gemini surfactant to calcium ions is peculiar as it leads to expansion of the molecular layer instead of contraction as expected for a stronger interaction. Interpretation of this observation has been made complicated by the formation of aggregates. Nevertheless, the implications are significant as this study points to a way of controlling the formation of thin films of the gemini surfactants. This can be useful in thin film coating formulations.
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927775717302996
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.714
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Alvin Karlo G. Tapia
Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Los Baños
Conducting Properties of Polyaniline in the THz Region: Investigations of Various Processing Conditions. Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, 38 (7): 885–895, July 2017.
Many emerging materials like conducting polymers are being developed for sensing, energy storage and electromagnetic shielding among others. The development of these materials in the THz region require careful study on the mechanisms of the motion of charges for specific applications. In addition, the processing of these materials affect the conductivities. This has significant role when these materials are utilized in the low-frequency region including the THz region. The study introduced the response of the Polyaniline, a conducting polymer, from doping, annealing, compression pressure and composition. The results suggest the sensitivity of THz radiation to prove charge carrier dynamics.
Link to the article: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10762-017-0363-4
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 2.54
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Cherry L. Ringor, Jancel Carlo B. Villanueva and Alexis Karla Garcia
Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology
College of Science
UP Diliman
Multiwalled Carbon Nanofibers and Nanocapsules Synthesized from Plant Oil via Atmospheric CVD Process. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 17 (5): 3543-3550, May 2017.
Carbon nanofibers and nanocapsules are microscopic materials (less than a tenth of human’s hair diameter) composed primarily of carbon. They have potential applications from environmental to energy conversion, storage and devices, biotechnology and biomedicine, micro- electronic engineering, and other emerging uses in various fields (e.g., quantum computing, cosmetics, food and agriculture). This emphasizes the need to produce with minimal carbon footprint to meet the demands of a rapidly growing market. The greatest challenge would be to synthesize carbon nanomaterials in ways that are economically viable and at the same time environmentally sustainable since carbon nanomaterials are commonly produced using graphite and other hydrocarbon as starting materials. This can be addressed by using locally abundant and sustainable raw sources such as Calophyllum inophyllum (local name Bita-og / Bita-oy) trees. These plants grow well in marginal lands areas and do not compete with food production. They are also locally widespread and can be cultivated to a wide-range of environment, even in degraded soil and mine tailing areas. At present, this renewable resource is locally underutilized in terms of high-end by-product development. Our study highlights the development of high value products (i.e., carbon nanofibers and nanocapsules) from C. inophyllum oil. Aside from using naturally-occurring hydrocarbon precursors, the method applied in this study does not employ metal and chemical catalysts, minimizing conceivable environmental and human health risks as well as the total production costs.
Link to the article: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/asp/jnn/2017/00000017/00000005/art00123
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 1.483
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Edison Jay A. Pagoso and Windell L. Rivera
Institute of Biology and Natural Sciences Research Institute
College of Science
UP Diliman
Cryptosporidium Species from Common Edible Bivalves in Manila Bay, Philippines. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 119 (1): 31-39, 15 June 2017.
Photomicrographs of Cryptosporidium oocysts under (A) phase contrast microscope and (B) fluorescence microscope.
Manila Bay is where edible bivalves are cultured and propagated in the Philippines. According to studies, these bivalves might harbour microorganisms that may cause diseases to humans. One of these microorganisms is Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite. Cryptosporidium is one of the major causes of gastrointestinal disease in the world. In this study, Cryptosporidium from four species of edible bivalves were obtained using a combination of sucrose flotation and immunomagnetic separation. These oocysts were detected using direct fluorescent antibody test. Cryptosporidium oocysts (term used for its infective stage) were found in 67 out of 144 samples collected. By analysing the DNA sequence of these parasites, using the 18S rRNA gene, it was found that their species are C. parvum and C. hominis (major causes of human cryptosporidiosis) and C. meleagridis (causes disease in birds). Analysis of another gene, which is the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene further confirmed the genotypes of the Cryptosporidium isolates. This study is the first to provide baseline information on Cryptosporidium contamination of Manila Bay where bivalves are commonly cultured.
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X17302114
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 3.146
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Margarita Debuque-Gonzales and Maria Socorro Gochoco-Bautista
School of Economics
UP Diliman
Financial Conditions Indexes and Monetary Policy in Asia. Asian Economic Papers, 16 (2): 83-117, Summer 2017.
This paper constructs quarterly financial conditions indexes (FCIs) for eight Asian economies—namely, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand—using a common factor methodology based on Hatzius et al. (2010). A wide array of financial data is included in the indexes based on identified monetary transmission channels in the literature. Bank-related indicators, various measures of financial stress and risk, and credit surveys, where available, are incorporated to fully reflect the state of the financing environment. The FCIs for Asia successfully capture important episodes in each economy’s financial history, but only the indexes of financially advanced economies Japan and Singapore have sufficient forecasting power to predict output growth and inflation. High co-movement of Asian FCIs suggests highly similar monetary policies in the region that are strongly linked with monetary policy in the United States.
Link to the article: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/ASEP_a_00522
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 0.535
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Eduardo C. Cuansing
Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
UP Los Baños
Attenuation and Amplification of the Transient Current in Nanojunctions with Time-Varying Gate Potentials. International Journal of Modern Physics B,31 (14):1750105, 15 pages, 10 June 2017.
Tremendous and relentless advances in the miniaturization of electronic gadgets will eventually lead to the direct manipulation of atoms and molecules for use as components in tiny but powerful devices. My theoretical work on determining how the current in nanojunctions responds to dynamic external input anticipates the eventuality of such molecular devices. Consider, for example, the ubiquitous transistor. It is the core component in electronic devices and it allows us to operate the bits and bytes flowing across a processor to process information. At the moment, processors like the Intel Xeon Broadwell-E5 contain 7.2 billion transistors in a 456 mm 2 area. Fitting in so many transistors in a very tiny area necessitates the use of nanometer-scale technology where dimensions contain only a few molecules. Extrapolating this miniaturization further to single-molecule levels, my work considers a nanotransistor in a source-channel- drain configuration wherein the one-site channel represents a molecule that is sandwiched between two contacts. A gate exerts a time-varying gate potential to the site in the channel. I use nonequilibrium Green’s functions to calculate how the current would flow and found that whenever the gate exerts a sudden change in the gate potential, the response of the device is not instantaneous but takes a response time interval wherein the current would slowly rise, overshoot, oscillates, and then eventually settle down to a steady value. The work gives us a general idea on how a nanotransistor responds to dynamic external effects such as a time-varying gate potential.
Link to the article: http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0217979217501053
Impact Factor: (2016/2017) 0.736
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Nelson R. Villarante
Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics
College of Arts and Science
UP Manila
Batch Adsorption Study and Kinetic Profile of Cr(VI) Using Lumbang (Aleurites moluccana)-Derived Activated Carbon-Chitosan Composite Crosslinked with Epichlorohydrin. Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 33 (3): 1111-1119, 2017.
Link to the article: http://www.orientjchem.org/vol33no3/batch-adsorption-study-and-kinetic-profile-of-crvi-using-lumbang-aleurites-moluccana-derived-activated-carbon-chitosan-composite-crosslinked-with-epichlorohydrin/
Impact Factor: Not yet available
