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.

Typhoon Haiyan's sedimentary record in coastal environments of the Philippines and its palaeotempestological implications

Abstract: . On 8 November 2013, category 5 Supertyphoon Haiyan made landfall on the Philippines. During a post-typhoon survey in February 2014, Haiyan-related sand deposition and morphological changes were documented at four severely affected sites with different exposure to the typhoon track and different geological and geomorphological settings. Onshore sand sheets reaching 100–250 m inland are restricted to coastal areas with significant inundation due to amplification of surge levels in embayments or due to accompanying long-wave phenomena at the most exposed coastlines of Leyte and Samar. However, localized washover fans with a storm-typical laminated stratigraphy occurred even along coasts with limited inundation due to waves overtopping or breaching coastal barriers. On a recent reef platform off Negros in the Visayan Sea, storm waves entrained coral rubble from the reef slope and formed an intertidal coral ridge several hundreds of metres long when breaking at the reef edge. As these sediments and landforms were generated by one of the strongest storms ever recorded, they not only provide a recent reference for typhoon signatures that can be used for palaeotempestological and palaeotsunami studies in the region but might also increase the general spectrum of possible cyclone deposits. Although a rather atypical example for storm deposition due to the influence of infra-gravity waves, it nevertheless provides a valuable reference for an extreme case that should be considered when discriminating between storm and tsunami deposits in general. Even for sites with low topography and high inundation levels during Supertyphoon Haiyan, the landward extent of the documented sand sheets seems significantly smaller than typical sand sheets of large tsunamis. This criterion may potentially be used to distinguish both types of events.

Efficacy and Safety of Raloxifene 60 Milligrams/Day in Postmenopausal Asian Women

Abstract: In healthy Caucasian postmenopausal women, raloxifene increases bone mineral density (BMD), decreases biochemical markers of bone turnover, and lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, without effects on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. This randomized, double-blind study examines the effects of raloxifene 60 mg/d (n = 483) or placebo (n = 485) in healthy postmenopausal Asian women (mean age 57 yr) from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Serum osteocalcin, serum N-telopeptide, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Lumbar spine BMD was measured at baseline and 1 yr in 309 women from 4 countries. Clinical adverse events were recorded at each interim visit. At 6 months, raloxifene 60 mg/d significantly decreased osteocalcin, N-telopeptide, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol by medians of 15.9%, 14.6%, 5.3%, and 7.7%, respectively, from placebo. Changes in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were similar between raloxifene and placebo. Raloxifene 60 mg/d increased mean lumbar spine BMD (1.9%) from placebo at 1 yr (P = 0.0003). The incidences of hot flashes (placebo 3.5%, raloxifene 5.6%, P = 0.12), and leg cramps (placebo 2.7%, raloxifene 4.3%, P = 0.16) were not different between groups. No case of venous thromboembolism was reported. The effects of raloxifene 60 mg/d on bone turnover, BMD, and serum lipids in healthy postmenopausal Asian women were similar to that previously reported in Caucasian women.

Impacts of bt maize on smallholder income in the Philippines

Abstract: Introduction Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) maize is the first genetically modified crop to be introduced to Philippine farmers. Since its commercialization in 2003, there has been sustained public concern over its benefits for smallholder producers. Research about the economic impacts of Bt maize adoption among smallholder farmers in the Philippines has been conducted in an effort to address this concern and is now accumulating in the published literature. In analyzing economic impacts of an agricultural technology, it is always the case that benefits streams vary over time and vary among farmers, so that a single cross-section of data provides only one snapshot in time. In addition, some of the initial results of research implemented in the Philippines were inconclusive due to potential bias associated with methods employed. Such limitations are not confined to research in the Philippines; they are shared by many of the analyses generated during the first decade of use of biotech crops in developing countries. As described in the introductory article in this issue, measuring the economic impact of biotech crops in developing countries poses particular challenges, especially when adoption is still in the initial stages. These include the difficulty in establishing an appropriate counterfactual, placement bias associated with targeting of particular regions of the country by the seed industry and the likelihood that better-endowed farmers adopt first, which can bias the estimated benefits of the technology. In 2004, in an ex ante approach applied with mixedinteger programming and data drawn from farmers purposively selected to represent ‘typical’ conditions, Cabanilla (2004) estimated the potential impact of Bt maize on farms. Initial ex post studies focused on partial budget analyses as a rough indicator of profitability (Gonzales, 2005). Yorobe and Quicoy (2006) published an ex post analysis based on 107 Bt and 363 non-Bt growers in four provinces of the country (Bukidnon, Camarines Sur, Isabela, and South Cotabato). The authors concluded that per-unit yields and incomes were higher among Bt growers, and insecticide expenditures were lower. Major determinants of adoption were risk perceptions, education, training, and use of hired labor. Yorobe and Quicoy (2006, p. 266) found that “increasing the probability of adoption by 10% increased net farm income by 4.1%,” an adoption elasticity that was “higher than those observed in developed countries.” Mutuc, Rejesus, and Yorobe (2011) found that Bt maize in the Philippines significantly reduced yield losses from pests—especially in poor weather conditions—and that the value of insecticide use is diminished when Bt maize is grown. Thus, Bt maize seed substitutes for insecticide use. These authors not only tested for endogeneity of pesticide use but also potential selectivity bias of adoption in their damage-abatement model, applying both a control function approach and a Heckman-type technique previously employed by Shankar Jose M. Yorobe, Jr. University of the Philippines-Los Baños

The Effect of Tropical Cyclones on Southwest Monsoon Rainfall in the Philippines

Abstract: Intense southwest monsoon (SWM) rainfall events causing massive landslides and flash floods along the western sections of the Philippines were studied. These rainfall events, are not directly coming from the tropical cyclones (TCs) for they are situated far north to northeast of Luzon Island. The heavy rainfall is hypothesized as caused by the interaction of strong westerlies with the mountain ranges along the west coast of Luzon that produces strong vertical motion and consequently generates heavy rainfall. Four of heavy SWM rainfall cases were examined to determine how the presence and position of tropical cyclones in the Philippine vicinity affect these SWM rainfall events; three cases with TC of varying positions within the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) and the fourth case without TC. Using a spatial Fourier decomposition approach, the total streamfunction is decomposed into two flow regimes: monsoon basic flow (Waves 0-1) and tropical cyclone perturbation flow (Waves 2-23) over a domain of (20°E-140°W, 5°S-35°N). The purpose of this flow decomposition is to determine the latter’s effect on or contribution to the monsoon activity. The analysis utilized the NCEP Final (FNL) data with 1° long. × 1° lat. resolution. Results show that the tropical cyclones over the Pacific Ocean located northeast of Luzon generate strong southwesterly winds over the west coast of Luzon. These in addition to the southwesterlies from the basic flow strengthened the southwest winds that interact with the high Cordillera Mountain ranges