Glenn L. Sia Su
Department of Biology
College of Arts & Sciences
UP Manila
Hair lead bio-monitoring among school children in the province of Cavite, Philippines. American Journal of Environmental Sciences, 8 (6): 642-647, 2012.
Airborne lead is one of the pressing environmental problems causing neuropsychological impairments to people who are exposed to it. In assessing people’s exposure to airborne lead, bio-monitoring techniques has been used as an indicator of chemical exposure. This study aims to determine the hair lead concentrations of the school children and compare the hair lead concentrations of the school children living and studying in the urban and rural areas of the province of Cavite. Consenting public and private school children were involved in the study. Hair strands were obtained from each student and analyzed for lead concentrations. Results showed that the school children residing in the urban areas had higher hair lead concentrations compared with those residing in the rural areas. Hair lead concentrations of school children living in urban and rural areas and those studying in private and public schools were found to be significantly different. Findings indicate that school children are exposed to airborne lead.
Daryl Q. Granario and Agnes T. Paras
Institute of Mathematics
College of Science
UP Diliman
The ϕS polar decomposition. Linear Algebra Applications, 438 (1): 609-620, January 2013.
The ϕS orthogonal and ϕS symmetric matrices are matrices that satisfy certain conditions under a function which we call ϕS . These matrices are generalizations of known classes of matrices and appear in engineering, physics and other sciences. In this paper, we determine which matrices can be written as a product of these two matrices. A matrix that satisfies this condition is said to have a ϕS polar decomposition. We give properties and completely characterize the matrices with ϕS polar decomposition.
Link to the article: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002437951200585X
Impact Factor: 0.974
Viginia C. Cuevas and Agham C. Cuevas
Institute of Biological Sciences
College of Arts and Science
UP Los Baños
Trichoderma Inoculant as Disease Biocontrol Agent for High Value Crops: Potential Financial Impact. Philippine Journal of Crop Science, 37 (3):64-7, 2012.
Vegetable farmers in Benguet found out thatTrichoderma microbial inoculant can effectively control diseases of head cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, potato, celery, carrot and cut flower – chrysanthemum, increasing their profit. They mixed the Trichodermapowder in water and sprayed the mixture in seed bed or in the field and recorded increased yield dueto minimal disease incidence, much faster and better growth of crops despite 50% reduction in use of fertilizers. Their profits increased proportionally with the number of times they sprayedtheir crops with the inoculant. Weekly spraying in the field forthree weeks while the crops were at seedling stage gave the best results.
Link to the article: http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20133024413.html;jsessionid=8EE16FF60E772078E71E2B5D2A7D6F43
Impact Factor:
Windell L. Rivera
Institute of Biology
College of Science
UP Diliman
Molecular characterization of Trypanosoma evansi isolates from water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in the Philippines. Acta Parasitologica. 58 (1): 6-12, 2013.
The present study specifically aimed to assess the disease prevalence and to investigate variability among Philippine T. evansi isolates from water buffaloes. As reported previously, importation of animals from countries where surra outbreaks were accounted lead to the transmission of the disease in Philippines. Introduction of the disease subsequently resulted to severe outbreaks in several provinces which caused thousands of deaths in affected animals, hence affecting country’s livestock industry. The data obtained from the present study showed that Philippine T. evansi isolates are separated into 2 groups only, one of which is further divided into 2 subgroups. Despite the clear demonstration of intraspecific diversity within the species, it is obvious that ESAG6 represent a better molecular marker to assess variability in Philippine isolates. Still, data obtained can be used for epidemiological studies such as the investigations on pathogenesis, host range, geographic distribution, and virulence pattern of T. evansi in addition to subtyping which can subsequently provide useful information for disease prevention and management in the country.
Link to the article: http://link.springer.com/article/10.2478/s11686-013-0110-5
Impact Factor: 0.789
Rowena T. Baconguis, Linda M. Peñalba and Merlyne M. Paunlagui
College of Public Affairs and Development
UP Los Baños
Mapping the Innovation System of Biofertilizers: Constraints and Prospects to Enhance Diffusion. American-Eurasian Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, 12 (9): 1185-1195, 2012.
Currently, there is a dearth on adoption studies in biofertilizers. Given the environmental and economic benefits of these products, there is a need to understand low farmer uptake of these bioinnovation. Results of the study show that farmer’s lack of awareness on the efficacy of bio-fertilizers, compared to their tried and tested inorganic fertilizer, lack of knowledge and skills about its correct application, the limited capacity of the entrepreneurs to mount massive marketing and their inability to compete with the well established inorganic fertilizer industry and the government’s unclear market support to these innovations were some factors that constrained sustained adoption and diffusion. Recommendations to improve the innovations capacity to diffuse include enhancing the government’s distribution system.
Link to the article: http://www.idosi.org/aejaes/jaes12(9)12/11.pdf
Impact Factor: Not yet available
