Showing papers by "University of the Philippines published in 2002"

Basement Geochemistry and Geochronology of Central Malaita, Solomon Islands, with Implications for the Origin and Evolution of the Ontong Java Plateau

Abstract: Sections of Ontong Java Plateau basalt basement in central Malaita genesis; eruptive stratigraphy (Solomon Islands) are 0·5–3·5 km thick and resemble a much-expanded version of that recovered at Ocean Drilling Program Site 807. 40 Ar– 39 Ar ages (121–125 Ma) are identical to those for Site 807, southern Malaita, Ramos Island, parts of the island of Santa Isabel, and Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 289; the >90 Ma INTRODUCTION eruptive episode seen in Santa Isabel, San Cristobal, and at drill The Solomon islands of Malaita, Ramos, Ulawa, the sites 803 and 288 is not represented. The central Malaitan basalts northeastern part of Santa Isabel, and probably part of provide further evidence of two distinct ocean-island-like mantle San Cristobal (a.k.a. Makira) form the obducted and sources, and the combined data preclude a significant contribution uplifted southwestern margin of the world's largest vol-from normal ocean-ridge-type mantle. As at Site 807, two geo-canic oceanic plateau, the 5 × 10 7 km 3 Ontong Java chemically distinct stratigraphic groups are present, Re-eclogite-bearing plume-head may account for the geochemical char-connaissance studies show that the Cretaceous igneous acteristics, but the observed stratigraphic succession requires special basement of these islands is almost indistinguishable in conditions for the latter model. A number of first-order features of age from, and closely similar in composition to, that the Ontong Java Plateau do not obviously fit the predictions of any drilled at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 807 and plume-head model: for example, at least two important, geochemically 803 and Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 289 on similar eruptive episodes >30 my apart, the lack of an obvious the northern and north–central plateau (Mahoney et al., plume-tail trace, and lack of evidence for emergence or Recently, we sampled accessible portions of uplift.

Characterization and adaptive filtering of motion artifacts in pulse oximetry using accelerometers

Abstract: Noise, in the form of motion artifact, often leads to false information and acts as a limiting factor in the analysis of pulse oximetric signals. We propose an adaptive filter for filtering motion artifacts from pulse oximetry signals, with accelerometer signals as noise references. We study two adaptive filtering schemes: (1) single-axis and (2) dual-axes stress tests; and apply both the LMS and RLS algorithms to each scheme to compare their effectiveness. Results show that a single-axis adaptive filter employing the RLS algorithm (N=32 and /spl lambda/=0.9999) is adequate to minimize motion artifact.

Chelation therapy for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Abstract: Background Chelation therapy is promoted and practiced around the world as a form of alternative medicine in the treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease It has been suggested as a safe, relatively inexpensive, non-surgical method of restoring blood flow in atherosclerotic vessels However, there is currently limited high-quality, adequately-powered research informing evidence-based medicine on the topic, specifically regarding clinical outcomes Due to this limited evidence, the benefit of chelation therapy remains controversial at present This is an update of a review first published in 2002 Objectives To assess the effects of ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) chelation therapy versus placebo or no treatment on clinical outcomes among people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease Search methods For this update, the Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist searched the Cochrane Vascular Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrialsgov trials register to 6 August 2019 We searched the bibliographies of the studies retrieved by the literature searches for further trials Selection criteria We included studies if they were randomised controlled trials of EDTA chelation therapy versus placebo or no treatment in participants with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease The main outcome measures we considered include all-cause or cause-specific mortality, non-fatal cardiovascular events, direct or indirect measurement of disease severity, and subjective measures of improvement or adverse events Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using standard Cochrane procedures A third author considered any unresolved issues, and we discussed any discrepancies until a consensus was reached We contacted study authors for additional information Main results We included five studies with a total of 1993 randomised participants Three studies enrolled participants with peripheral vascular disease and two studies included participants with coronary artery disease, one of which specifically recruited people who had had a myocardial infarction The number of participants in each study varied widely (from 10 to 1708 participants), but all studies compared EDTA chelation to a placebo Risk of bias for the included studies was generally moderate to low, but one study had high risk of bias because the study investigators broke their randomisation code halfway through the study and rolled the placebo participants over to active treatment Certainty of the evidence, as assessed by GRADE, was generally low to very low, which was mostly due to a paucity of data in each outcome's meta-analysis This limited our ability to draw any strong conclusions We also had concerns about one study's risk of bias regarding blinding and outcome assessment that may have biased the results Two studies with coronary artery disease participants reported no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality between chelation therapy and placebo (risk ratio (RR) 097, 95% CI 073 to 128; 1792 participants; low-certainty) One study with coronary artery disease participants reported no evidence of a difference in coronary heart disease deaths between chelation therapy and placebo (RR 102, 95% CI 070 to 148; 1708 participants; very low-certainty) Two studies with coronary artery disease participants reported no evidence of a difference in myocardial infarction (RR 081, 95% CI 057 to 114; 1792 participants; moderate-certainty), angina (RR 095, 95% CI 055 to 167; 1792 participants; very low-certainty), and coronary revascularisation (RR 046, 95% CI 007 to 325; 1792 participants) Two studies (one with coronary artery disease participants and one with peripheral vascular disease participants) reported no evidence of a difference in stroke (RR 088, 95% CI 040 to 192; 1867 participants; low-certainty) Ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI; also known as ankle brachial index) was measured in three studies, all including participants with peripheral vascular disease; two studies found no evidence of a difference in the treatment groups after three months after treatment (mean difference (MD) 002, 95% CI -003 to 006; 181 participants; low-certainty) A third study reported an improvement in ABPI in the EDTA chelation group, but this study was at high risk of bias Meta-analysis of maximum and pain-free walking distances three months after treatment included participants with peripheral vascular disease and showed no evidence of a difference between the treatment groups (MD -3146, 95% CI -8763 to 2471; 165 participants; 2 studies; low-certainty) Quality of life outcomes were reported by two studies that included participants with coronary artery disease, but we were unable to pool the data due to different methods of reporting and varied criteria However, there did not appear to be any major differences between the treatment groups None of the included studies reported on vascular deaths Overall, there was no evidence of major or minor adverse events associated with EDTA chelation treatment Authors' conclusions There is currently insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of chelation therapy in improving clinical outcomes of people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease More high-quality, randomised controlled trials are needed that assess the effects of chelation therapy on longevity and quality of life among people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Diagnosis of Human Leptospirosis by Monoclonal Antibody-Based Antigen Detection in Urine

Abstract: Hybridomas secreting specific monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to all members of the genus Leptospira (clone LF9) and those that are specific only to the pathogenic species (clones LD5 and LE1) were produced. MAb LF9, which was immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), reacted to a 38-kDa component of the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-separated whole-cell lysates of all Leptospira spp., while MAb LD5 and MAb LE1, which were IgG1 and IgG2a, respectively, reacted to the 35- to 36-kDa components of all serogroups of the pathogenic species of Leptospira. The MAb LD5 was used in a dot blot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) for detecting Leptospira antigen in urine samples serially collected from two groups of patients diagnosed with leptospirosis, i.e., 36 clinically diagnosed patients and 25 Leptospira culture confirmed patients. Their serum samples were tested serologically by IgM Dipstick assay, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and/or microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Urine samples of 26 patients diagnosed with other illnesses and 120 healthy individuals served as controls. For the first group of patients, who had been ill for an average of 3.4 days before hospitalization, the IgM Dipstick test, IFA, and MAT were positive for 69.4, 70.0, and 85.7% of patients, while the Leptospira antigenuria tested by the MAb-based dot-ELISA was positive for 75.0, 88.9, 97.2, 97.2, and 100% of patients on days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 of hospitalization, respectively. All but 1 of 11 patients whose serum samples collected on the first day of hospitalization were IgM seronegative, were positive by urine antigen test on day 1. This is strong evidence that detection of antigen in urine can provide diagnostic information that could be useful in directing early therapeutic intervention. The MAT was positive in 10 of 12 patients (83.3%) of the 25 culture-positive Leptospira patients who had been ill for an average of 5.04 days before hospitalization, and the Leptospira antigen was found in 64.0, 84.0, 96.0, 100, 100, 100, and 100% of the patients' urine samples collected on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of hospitalization, respectively. Leptospira antigenuria was found in 3 of the 26 patients diagnosed with other illnesses and 1 of the 120 healthy controls. The reasons for this positivity are discussed. The detection of antigen in urine by the monoclonal antibody-based dot-ELISA has high potential for rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnosis of leptospirosis at a low cost.

The Impact of the Work Environment on Condom Use among Female Bar Workers in the Philippines

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to examine how condom use is affected by specific aspects of the work environment: (1) social-structural and environmental influences and constraints, (2) mandatory condom use policy, and (3) the level of social influence and reinforcement between manager and employee. A total of 1,340 bar workers and 308 nonestablishment freelance workers comprise the study group. In establishments where a condom use policy exists, female bar workers were 2.6 times more likely to consistently use condoms during sexual intercourse compared with establishments that do not have such a policy in place. The results suggest a need for the development of comprehensive educational policies in all entertainment establishments, including regular meetings with employees, reinforcing attendance at the Social Hygiene Clinic, promoting AIDS awareness, making condoms available in the workplace, and mandating 100% condom use behavior among all employees.

Chemical and gelling profile of ice-ice infected carrageenan from Kappaphycus striatum (Schmitz) Doty “sacol” strain (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales, Rhodophyta)

Abstract: The occurrence of ice-ice disease in farmedKappaphycus spp. has tremendous implication on thecarrageenan industry in the Philippines. To elucidate the effect of thisdiseaseon the carrageenan quality, the chemical profile of carrageenan extracted fromhealthy and diseased Kappaphycus striatum“sacol” strain, was investigated using 13C and1H NMR, FT-IR and GPC methods of analysis. The native carrageenanextracts were composed predominantly of kappa carrageenan with trace amounts ofiota and 6-O-methylated carrageenan. Structural evidence indicatesdepolymerization of carrageenan from the ice-ice infectedportion of the thallus (whitish and soft part) lowered levels of iota andmethylconstituents. This finding was correlated to its low number average molecularweight (30 kDa) value. Accordingly, appreciable decreases incarrageenan yield, gel strength and viscosity and increase in syneresis indexwere noted. On the other hand, archetype quality of kappa-carrageenan wasobserved from both healthy and uninfected portion of the diseased thalli.

Transgenic crops, biotechnology and ownership rights: what scientists need to know

Abstract: Summary Ownership of intellectual and tangible property (IP/TP) rights in agricultural biotechnology (ag-biotech) and transgenic plants has become critically important. For scientists in all institutions, whether industrialized or developing country, public or private sector, an understanding of IP/TP rights is fundamental in both research and development. Transgenic plants and ag-biotech products embody numerous components and processes, each of which may have IP/TP rights attached. To identify these rights, a transgenic plant or ag-biotech product must be dissected into its essential components and processes, with each ‘piece’ analysed under the IP/TP ‘microscope’. This product deconstruction is an integral step in product clearance (PC) analysis leading to freedom to operate (FTO). To facilitate a PC analysis, the following points are important: (1) knowing what one has and where it’s from, (2) organizing material transfer agreements and licences, (3) researching scientific and patent databases and relevant literature, (4) instituting a laboratory notebook policy, (5) keeping track of ownership of germplasm and plant genetic resources, and (6) promoting ongoing IP/TP management, awareness and training. However, a FTO opinion does not solve the IP/TP issues of releasing a transgenic plant or ag-biotech product; rather, it is a management tool for assessing the risks of litigation. When transferring transgenic plants or ag-biotech to developing nations, scientists from industrialized countries have the heightened responsibility of verifying that IP/TP issues are fully addressed and documented. Successful technology transfer goes beyond research, development and licensing; it is an holistic package leading to long-term partnerships in international development. Managing IP/TP requires capacity-building in scientists and technology transfer offices, in both industrialized and developing countries.

Differential Impacts of Flood Hazards Among the Street Children, the Urban Poor and Residents of Wealthy Neighborhoods in Metro Manila, Philippines

Abstract: This paper presents thedifferential impacts of flood hazards amongstreet children, the urban poor andresidents of wealthy neighborhoods in MetroManila, Philippines. It argues that beingpoor is not the only reason why certainsectors are more vulnerable to floods orany environmental hazards – spatialisolation and lack of participation indecision making intensify their presentand future vulnerability, as well. Archival research, interviews, focusedgroup discussion, participant observationand surveys of populations at risk areemployed to delineate the flood experiencesand coping strategies of street childrenand residents of poor urban settlements andwealthy neighborhoods in Metro Manila atthe household and community levels. Theconcept of entitlement, the ContextualHazards Model, and the Access Model areused in the data analysis andinterpretation. Several policyrecommendations on hazard management anddisaster mitigation are identified toreduce flood losses in Metro Manila.

Genetic diversity in the parental lines and heterosis of the tropical rice hybrids

Abstract: Genetic diversity within and between the maintainer (B) and restorer (R) lines used in hybrid breeding programs of the Philippine was investigated with information from analysis of pedigree record, quantitative traits and SSR assays. Mean coefficients of coancestry were calculated as 0.11 within R lines, 0.27 within B lines, and 0.04 between R and B lines, indicating greater diversity among R lines than among B lines, and the significant divergence between B and R lines. These results are consistent with those obtained from quantitative trait analysis and SSR marker assays. Relative gene diversity for 37 random SSR markers averaged 0.20 within B lines,0.28 within R lines, and 0.52 between two groups of lines. There were no consistent associations among various genetic diversity measures. Random sets of SSR marker and pedigree based diversity measures had no significant correlation with mid-parent heterosis for grain yield and biomass, indicating that prediction of heterosis for complex traits based on these two genetic diversity estimates is difficult.

Transfers from older parents to their adult children in Taiwan and the Philippines.

Abstract: This study examines the extent to which older parents provide material resources and services to their children in the Philippines and Taiwan, and the influence of coresidence on reported transfers between parents and their adult children. The data used in the analyses are from two nationally representative household surveys of persons aged 60 and older in the Philippines and Taiwan. Results show that almost half of older parents in the Philippines provide resources to non-coresident children and only 4 percent of older Taiwanese parents currently make such transfers. When transfers with coresident children are included, older parents show much greater involvement in family support: 69 and 14 percent of older parents in the Philippines and Taiwan, respectively, say they make transfers to children. The difference between the two measures diminishes with age, however, as overall levels of giving decline. Results from multivariate models show that while both measures are associated in similar ways with key factors such as age, health, gender, and economic resources, the association between living arrangements and intergenerational transfers varies across measures. These results suggest that older adults' in these countries tend to exhibit a preference for transfers to the children with whom they live, and that coresidence with grandchildren may be an indirect transfer of services to non-coresident adult children.

Pregnancy outcomes among farming households of Nueva Ecija with conventional pesticide use versus integrated pest management.

Abstract: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to compare pregnancy outcomes in farming households that used pesticides conventionally with those that practiced integrated pest management (IPM) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, in the period 1998-1999. Conventional pesticide users (CPUs) were defined as pesticide appliers who used pesticides routinely and regularly, whereas users of IPM were those who used pesticides as necessary, and on economically injured crop areas only. The data sets were subjected to the chi-square test of association, Fisher's exact probability test, and logistic regression analysis. At a significance level at 0.05, spontaneous abortion occurred significantly more often among the 345 CPU households than among the 331 IPM households (adjusted risk ratio 6.17). Likewise, birth defects were significantly more common in the CPU group (adjusted risk ratio 4.56). Thus, people of reproductive age who plan to have children should avoid any use of pesticides.

The welfare and political economy dimensions of private vs state enterprise.

Abstract: We revisit the theoretical debate concerning the merits of privatization by decomposing the welfare effect of transferring an enterprise from public to private ownership. A range of effects is considered including overproduction, subsidy valuation, redistribution, ownership and regulatory effects. The potential gains/losses from privatization are examined by considering the initial conditions facing enterprises under public ownership (whether technically and/or economically efficient) and a range of post-privatization market structures (whether monopoly, oligopoly or Walrasian).

Genome Organization of an Infectious Clone of Tomato Leaf Curl Virus (Philippines), a New Monopartite Begomovirus*

Abstract: Complete nucleotide sequence of infectious cloned DNA of Tomato leaf curl virus from Philippines (ToLCV-Ph) was determined. The single circular DNA molecule comprises 2755 nucleotides. ToLCV-Ph DNA contains six open reading frames (ORFs) each capable of encoding proteins with a molecular weight greater than 10 kDa. A partial dimeric ToLCV-Ph DNA clone was constructed in a binary vector and used to agroinoculate tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Zuikou 102). Typical leaf curl symptoms were observed, showing that the single DNA component is sufficient for infectivity. In total nucleotide sequence comparisons with other geminiviruses, ToLCV-Ph was most closely related to Ageratum yellow vein virus (AYVV) (79% identity), ToLCV-Laos (78%), Soyabean crinkle leaf virus-Thailand (78%) and ToLCV-Taiwan (77%). The significant but relatively low sequence identity in the genomic DNA between ToLCV-Ph and other geminiviruses suggests that it is a distinct geminivirus in the genus Begomovirus.

Fungal population, aflatoxin and free fatty acid contents of peanuts packed in different bag types

Abstract: Shelled peanuts of Gajah var. with initial moisture content of 7% were stored at 11 kg/bag in four bag types namely: jute bag, polypropylene bag, jute bag doubled with thin polyethylene (PE), and jute bag doubled with thick PE. Storage was done for six months under warehouse conditions with monitoring of relative humidity and temperature. Samples taken at the beginning of storage and every month thereafter were analyzed for moisture content, fungal population, aflatoxin and free fatty acid contents. Statistical analyses showed that moisture content, fungal population, and free fatty acid contents were significantly higher in jute and polypropylene bags than in PE-dou,bled jute bags. No significant differences were obtained in aflatoxin contents among bag types but at the end of six months storage, toxin level in jute bag exceeded the 30 ppb limit. Polypropylene had second highest toxin level at 23 ppb. The PE-doubled bags had 17 and 19 ppb total aflatoxins for thin and thick films, respectively. The results indicated that the immediate packaging of dried shelled peanuts at safe moisture level in plastic films with water vapor transmission rated of 1 g/m2 /24 hr or lower is recommended. This packaging will delay critical increases in moisture content, fungal population, aflatoxin and free fatty acid contents of peanut kernels at ambient storage conditions. Keywords: Peanuts / bag types / fungal population / aflatoxin content / free fatty acid content.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Portunus pelagicus (Crustacea: Portunidae)

Abstract: Seven dinucleotide and one tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized, using routine protocols, from the blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus. These loci will be useful for investigating the population structure of this broadly distributed and economically important portunid. In particular, all eight loci were polymorphic in P. pelagicus collected from throughout Australia. In addition, the genotype frequencies at each locus in each population sample were usually not significantly different from those expected under Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium conditions. Six of the eight loci also showed moderate to high levels of polymorphism in an undescribed species of Portunus from northern Australia.

The treatment of open tibial fractures and of tibial non-union with a novel external fixator

Abstract: We report the results of external fixation in 29 patients treated for tibial fractures and tibial non-union using a novel multi axial external fixator (MAXX) followed prospectively until bony union. The results of treatment were classified according to the Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov (ASAMI). Overall, 13 patients had excellent bone results; 13 had good bone results; two had fair bone results, and 1 patient had poor bone results. Regarding functional results, 21 patients had excellent results; 6 obtained good results; none had fair results, and two had poor results. Acute patients did better functionally than chronic patients. This fixator is safe and versatile, although the indications for its use are very specific.

Dynamic-range enhancement of an optimized 1-bit A/D converter

Abstract: A technique is demonstrated for extending the dynamic range of 1-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that sample at the maximum rate using a sinusoid reference r(t)=A/sub r/ cos(2/spl pi/f/sub r/t). The ADC has a detection limit B=/spl pi/A/sub r//spl delta///spl utri/, where 2/spl delta//sub s/ is the base-clock period, and /spl utri/=sampling interval=1/2f/sub r//spl ges/2/spl delta/. Optimal sampling is achieved at /spl utri/=2/spl delta/, but with large quantization errors found in the sampled representation of the input signal s(t). Dithering with noise n/sub /spl sigma//(t) of appropriate variance /spl sigma//sup 2/ is utilized to measure a subthreshold s(t) where |s(t)|

Surgical pathology of colorectal cancer in Filipinos: implications for clinical practice.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: A number of studies published in the Philippine literature have demonstrated certain peculiar clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer among Filipinos. This study presents the latest data and analyzes their implications for clinical practice. STUDY DESIGN: The pathology reports of all patients who underwent operation for colorectal cancer at the Philippine General Hospital over a period of 7 years were reviewed. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred seventy-seven patients were included. The male to female ratio was almost 1:1. The majority of patients were in the sixth and seventh decades of life, with a mean age of 55.3 years. Patients 40 years of age and younger made up 17% of the total. The site of cancer in order of frequency was rectum (49.8%), left colon (27.9%), and right colon (21.4%). Cancers of the right colon were more common in women, and rectal cancers were more frequent in men. Seventy-six percent of the tumors were well to moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas, and 6.7% were poorly differentiated. Mucinous and signet ring carcinomas were found in 11% and 1% of cases, respectively. Forty-four percent of patients had localized disease at the time of operation, 54% had regional disease, and 2% had disseminated disease. Associated predisposing conditions noted were polyps (4.7%), schistosomiasis (3%), and tuberculosis (1.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer in Filipinos exhibits a number of unique clinicopathologic features, such as a higher proportion of early age of onset tumors, more advanced stage at presentation, an association with chronic granulomatous diseases, and relatively rare occurrence with polyps. This might suggest the possibility of a different pathway for tumor development of colorectal cancer in this population of patients. Also, current screening guidelines advocated for the Western population might not be appropriate for Filipinos.

Accurate forecasting of the undecided population in a public opinion poll

Abstract: The problem of pollsters is addressed which is to forecast accurately the final answers of the undecided respondents to the primary question in a public opinion poll. The task is viewed as a pattern-recognition problem of correlating the answers of the respondents to the peripheral questions in the survey with their primary answers. The underlying pattern is determined with a supervised artificial neural network that is trained using the peripheral answers of the decided respondents whose primary answers are also known. With peripheral answers as inputs, the trained network outputs the most probable primary response of an undecided respondent. For a poll conducted to determine the approval rating of the (former) Philippine president, J. E. Estrada in December 1999 and March 2000, the trained network predicted with a 95% success rate the direct responses of a test population that consists of 24.57% of the decided population who were excluded in the network training set. For the undecided population (22.67% of December respondents; 23.67% of March respondents), the network predicted a final response distribution that is consistent with the approval/disapproval ratio of the decided population. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fuzzy logic-based optimization for redundant manipulators

Abstract: Redundant manipulators have more degrees of freedom (DOF) than the DOF of the task space. This implies that the number of joint position variables is greater than the number of variables specifying the task. The problem of solving the kinematic equations for the joint variables is underspecified unless additional equations/constraints are introduced to obtain a well-posed problem. A dynamic level redundancy resolution is proposed. The joint space model is transformed to a reduced-order model in the pseudovelocity space. The elements of the foregoing transformation matrix indirectly determine the contribution of each joint to the total motion. These elements are selected using two fuzzy logic-based methods so as to minimize the instantaneous manipulator power: (1) in the velocity method, a nullspace vector in the velocity relationship between the two spaces is determined by imposing a constraint on the continuity of the joint velocities at the time instant when the elements of the transformation matrix experience a discontinuity and (2) in the torque method, an alternative approach introduced to reduce the computational complexity, the changes in the transformation matrix are made continuous with respect to time by the appropriate choice of a nullspace vector in the joint torque expression. Simulations are given.