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.

Photoperiod response and earliness of S. tuberosum ssp. andigena after six cycles of recurrent selection for adaptation to long days

Abstract: Between 1963 and 1976 a population of South American Andigena potatoes was subjected to six cycles of recurrent selection at Ithaca, N.Y. for adaptation to North Temperate conditions. This research was undertaken to measure the changes in adaptation and earliness that have taken place in the process of selection. Field experiments with different harvest dates and a controlled daylength experiment in the greenhouse in Ithaca showed: 1) an increase in percent tuberization, tuber weight and size, and harvest index; 2) no change in total fresh weight (haulm + tuber); and 3) a decrease in fresh weight of haulm. Greatest differences among cycles of selection were observed at the early harvest date. Tuberization on cuttings was well correlated with other measures of maturity. Cycles three and four, which were started from open-pollinated seed, tended to “revert” to the form of the original population in terms of late maturity (or low tuberization and yield at the early harvest date) and low harvest index. These results are interpreted as a gain in photoperiod adaptation and earliness with possible effects of mating system and selection pressure on the rate of progress.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi of the Philippines: a preliminary survey and notes on the geographic biodiversity of the Sclerodermatales

Abstract: Basidiomata of putative ectomycorrhizal fungi have been collected from under pine or dipterocarp stands in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Over 100 collections are reported. Among the material, 75 taxa have been recognised and assigned to known genera or at least placed close to already documented European, Japanese or North American taxa. Formal identifications for 46 species are given along with comments on previous collections from South-East Asia. Species collected from under the native Pinus kesiya resemble the communities found under three-needled pines in North America and the West Himalayas, whereas those from dipterocarp forests were similar to communities found in Malaysia and Japan. Members of the Sclerodermatales were particularly common and are probably the pioneer colonizers of young seedlings in these ecosystems.

Comparison of some live organisms and artificial diet as feed for Asian catfish Clarias macrocephalus (Günther) larvae

Abstract: Summary Experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of five live organisms (Artemia, Brachionus calyciflorus, Chironomus plumosus, Moina macrocopa and Tubifex sp.) and an artificial diet (40% protein) in the larval rearing of Asian catfish Clarias macrocephalus. The larvae were fed three times daily starting at the onset of exogenous feeding. Results showed that the catfish larvae utilized the live organisms more efficiently than the artificial diet. The Tubifex-fed larvae consistently showed the highest growth rate. In trial 1, length increment (64.9 mm), weight gain (3192 mg) and specific growth rate (13.1%) after 8 weeks of feeding were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in catfish larvae given Tubifex than those in all other treatments. In trial 2, length increment after 4 weeks of feeding was highest in larvae fed Tubifex (22.9 mm) although it did not significantly differ from that of larvae given Moina (21.0 mm). However, weight gain of larvae fed Tubifex (253.0 mg) was significantly higher than that of larvae fed Moina (171.6 mg). The specific growth rate was highest for larvae fed Tubifex (15.0%) followed by larvae fed Artemia (14.5%), Moina (14.4%) and Chironomus (12.0%). Survival rates of the catfish larvae ranged from 9 to 39% after 8 weeks in trial 1 and from 26 to 83% after 4 weeks in trial 2. The present results suggest that Tubifex is an excellent food and a potential substitute for Artemia in the rearing of catfish larvae.

Autoimmune causes of recurrent pregnancy loss.

Abstract: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is the loss of 3 or more spontaneous and consecutive pregnancies. There are many causes, such as genetic, anatomic, hormonal, medical and immunologic causes. Two theories, the alloimmune and the autoimmune theories, explain the immunologic cause. The Antiphospholipid Antibody (APA) Syndrome is considered as the autoimmune cause of RPL. It involves two antibodies, Lupus anticoagulant (LAC) and the anti-cardiolipin antibody (ACA). The rate of LAC is 7% and of ACA is 15%, among pregnant women. These two antibodies are believed to cause thrombosis in the maternal circulation, leading to the events that lead to the fetal losses. Women with these antibodies, along with other factors, are believed to be at high risk for RPL. The diagnostic criteria for the APA syndrome include elevated LAC or ACA serum levels and clinical findings of thrombosis, thrombocytopenia and RPL. Presently, the medical treatment of the APA syndrome includes heparin, low-dose aspirin, and immunoglobulins. There must also be an active attempt to search for other causes of RPL among patients with APA syndrome, such as anatomic, endocrinologic, anatomic and medical problems. Management of RPL should also include extensive counseling for the patient and her family.