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.

Cenozoic dynamics of shallow-marine biodiversity in the Western Pacific

Abstract: Aim Cenozoic dynamics of large-scale species diversity patterns remain poorly understood, especially for the Western Pacific, in part, because of the paucity of well-dated fossil records from the tropics. This article aims to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of species diversity in the Western Pacific through the Cenozoic, focusing on the tropical Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA) biodiversity hotspot. Location Tropical and north-western Pacific Ocean. Methods We analysed well-preserved fossil ostracodes from the tropical Western Pacific and combined their diversity data with other published data from the region to reconstruct Cenozoic dynamics of species diversity in the tropical and north-western Pacific Ocean. We fitted generalized additive models to test for differences in richness over time and across geographical regions while accounting for sample-size variation among samples. Results Low-, mid- and high-latitude regions all show a similar diversity trajectory: diversity is low in the Eocene and Oligocene, increases from the Early Miocene to the Plio-Pleistocene but then declines to the present day. Present-day high biodiversity in these regions was established during the Pliocene with a remarkable diversity increase at that time. Latitudinal diversity patterns are relatively flat and never show a simple decline from the tropics to higher latitudes. Main conclusions Western Pacific Cenozoic ostracodes exhibit a spatiotemporal pattern of species diversity that is inconsistent with the commonly reported and persistent pattern of declining diversity from the tropics to the extratropics. While this inconsistency could be interpreted as evidence that ostracodes are a contrarian clade, Atlantic ostracodes display a standard latitudinal species diversity gradient. Contrasting patterns between oceans suggest an important role for regional factors (e.g. plate tectonics and temporal geomorphological dynamics) in shaping the biodiversity of the Western Pacific.

What Dimensions of Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Matter for Nutrition-Related Practices and Outcomes in Ghana?

Abstract: Policy interventions that improve women’s status and reduce gender inequalities are expected to contribute to the well-being of not only the women themselves but also their children. Because women have the responsibility of caring for children and preparing food for the household in many societies, they play a critical role in efforts to sustainably improve children’s nutritional status. This paper investigates linkages between women’s empowerment in agriculture and the nutritional status of women and children using 2012 baseline data from the Feed the Future population-based survey in Ghana. The sample consists of 3,344 children and 3,640 women and is statistically representative of the northernmost regions of Ghana where the Feed the Future programs are operating. Using a new survey-based index, the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index, which directly measures women’s empowerment, inclusion, and agency in the agriculture sector, we conduct individual-level analyses of nutrition practices and outcomes including infant and young child feeding practices; dietary diversity for women and children; children’s height-for-age, weight-for-height, and weight-for-age z-scores; and women’s body mass index. Results suggest that women’s empowerment is more strongly associated with infant and young child feeding practices and only weakly associated with child nutrition status. Similarly, we find that women’s empowerment in credit decisions is positively and significantly correlated with women’s dietary diversity, but not body mass index. This suggests that improved nutritional status is not necessarily correlated with being empowered in all the domains of empowerment and that different domains may have different impacts on nutrition, consistent with other findings in the empowerment literature.

Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis in the Philippines: Health Status of Patients Having Received Purified Equine F(ab')2 Fragment Rabies Immunoglobulin (Favirab)

Abstract: Background Recommended treatment for severe rabies exposure in unvaccinated individuals includes wound cleaning, administration of rabies immunoglobulins (RIG), and rabies vaccination. We conducted a survey of rabies treatment outcomes in the Philippines.

Antimutagens from Momordica charantia.

Abstract: The antimutagenic principle of the green fruits of Momordica charantia was shown by the micronucleus test to be an intractable mixture of novel acylglucosylsterols. The antimutagens were extracted from the green fruits with ethanol and isolated from the bioactive petroleum ether and carbon tetrachloride extracts by repeated and sequential flash column chromatography. The major component of the mixture is 3-O-[6'-O-palmitoyl-beta-D-glucosyl-stigmasta-5,25(27)-dien and the minor component is the stearyl derivative (Guevara, 1989). At a dosage range in mice of 50-12.5 micrograms extract/g, the mixture reduced by about 80% the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes induced by the well-known mutagen mitomycin C. Structure-activity correlation studies suggested that the antimutagenic activity may reside in the peculiar lipid-like structure of the acylglucosylsterols. Ingestion of these compounds may result in their absorption in the plasma membrane lipid bilayer which could adversely affect the membrane permeability towards mitomycin C and disrupt the cellular activity of the latter.

In Vitro Studies To Explain High Renal Allograft Survival In Iga Nephropathy Patients

Abstract: The pretransplant sera of 27 IgA nephropathy (N) kidney transplant patients were investigated for antibodies to the HLA molecule, together with 104 sera from non-IgA N patients and 60 controls IgA antibodies to HLA were found in 61% of IgA N patients and 2% of non-IgA N patients IgA N patients with IgA antibodies to HLA had a 100% 2-year cadaver donor graft survival rate compared with 70% in those without IgA antibodies Patients with IgG antibodies to HLA without accompanying IgA antibodies had the worst graft survival rates We propose that IgA anti-HLA contributes to the high kidney graft survival in IgA N patients by blocking IgG antibodies or inhibiting cellular immune response