Terahertz Emission of Gallium Arsenide on Textured p-type Silicon (100) Substrates Grown via Molecular Beam Epitaxy

This study presents the terahertz (THz) emission of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) on surface textured p-type Silicon (p- Si) (100) substrates. Surface texturing was achieved by anisotropic wet chemical etching using 5% wt Potassium Hydroxide (KOH): Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) (50:1) solution for 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Reflectivity measurements for the textured p-Si(100) substrates indicated that the overall texturing increases with longer etching times. Raman spectroscopy of the post-growth samples confirmed GaAs growth. The THz emission intensities were the same order of magnitude. The GaAs grown on p-Si(100) textured for 60 minutes exhibited the most intense THz emission attributed to the increased absorption from a larger surface-to-volume ratio due to surface texturing. All GaAs on textured p-Si(100) samples had frequency bandwidth of ~2.5 THz

Analysing the performance of smallholder cabbage farmers in the southern Philippines

The leading producers of cabbage in southern Philippines are Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao and Davao del Sur in Southern Mindanao. With declining farm-gate prices along with increasing production costs, farmers’ profits are falling. This study examined the productivity, technical efficiency and profitability of farmers situated in these areas. Wholesalers, followed by the farmers, gain the highest net margin among the three actors in the chain considered. Net earnings of the farmers are primarily affected by the two classifications of cabbage—‘good’ or ‘reject’—with the former contributing more to profit. Rejects constitute about 20% of the total production of Bukidnon and 15% of the total production of Davao del Sur farmers. This poor quality produce is associated with limited training in cabbage production and postharvest practices, poor road condition and poor storage facilities. Training could improve farmers’ incomes by 22,026 pesos per cropping season. Productive farmers are described as those who are relatively older and have a higher education level. Among the inputs considered, increasing land area is the primary factor for increasing production. On the other hand, efficient farms are those that are relatively large, at least 1 ha, with older and more experienced farmers located in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur. Quantity of seeds and total cost negatively contribute to the total farm profit, while land area, price of good classification cabbage and total yield are positively contributing to farm profit. Thus, helping farmers generate more profit is not a straightforward approach. It needs an enabling environment such as training and infrastructure. It also takes time, as suggested by age, education and experience variables. Lastly, it takes additional land resources to further increase farmer’s productivity, efficiency and farm profit

Beyond men and women : a critical perspective on gender and disaster

Consideration of gender in the disaster sphere has centred almost exclusively on the vulnerability and capacities of women. This trend stems from a polarised Western understanding of gender as a binary concept of man-woman. Such an approach also mirrors the dominant framing of disasters and disaster risk reduction (DRR), emphasising Western standards and practices to the detriment of local, non-Western identities and experiences. This paper argues that the man-woman dichotomy is an insufficient construct with which to address the gendered dimensions of a disaster as it fails to capture the realities of diverse gender minorities in non-Western contexts. The paper presents case studies from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Samoa, where gender minorities display specific patterns of vulnerability associated with their marginal positions in society, yet, importantly, also possess a wide array of endogenous capacities. Recognition of these differences, needs, skills, and unique resources is essential to moving towards inclusive and gender-sensitive DRR

Net Margins Analysis of Selected Fruits and Vegetables in Southern Mindanao, Philippines

Agriculture is the driving force behind Mindanao’s economy. It plays a major role in the economics of development since a continuous level of farm production can be one of the wellsprings of commercial and technological growth. However, developments in the agrisector can be hampered by productivity constraints as producers aim to play a role in high value chains and other emerging markets. Net margins analysis is used in this research to assess the performance of value chains and their implications in terms of public and private strategies. The analyses reveal the following: (1) Inadequate knowledge on farm techniques leads to higher cost and lower productivity; (2) Poor road conditions and the lack of farm to market roads lead to high wastage rates and lower profitability; (3) Low volume of transaction and poor market regulations lead to higher cost and lower profit; and (4) Farmers’ individualistic behavior worsens the aforementioned problems since producers and wholesalers operating at a smaller scale show lower benefits received in terms of net margin shares. To enhance performance and productivity of small farmers in the chain, it is important to address the issues on soil and disease management, access to credit, support systems in terms of production and marketing, infrastructure and post harvest technology

Efficacy of twice-daily amoxycillin/clavulanate in lower respiratory tract infections

In this double-blind, double-dummy study, 324 patients with clinical evidence of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis were randomly assigned to receive 10 days' treatment with either amoxycillin/clavulanate 875/125 mg twice daily or amoxycillin/clavulanate 500/125 mg three times daily. At the end of therapy, clinical success rates were 92.4% for the twice daily regimen and 94.2% for the three times daily regimen. There was no statistically significant difference between treatments (p=0.647) and the 95% confidence interval around the treatment difference indicated that the two treatments were equivalent. Treatment equivalence was also confirmed at follow-up, four weeks after the end of treatment. Both regimens were well tolerated. In conclusion, amoxycillin/clavulanate 875/125 mg twice dal ly is as effective as amoxycillin/clavulanate 500/125 mg three times daily for the treatment of community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections and could improve patient compliance.Philippine Gen Hosp, Dept Med, Manila, PhilippinesICIC, Inst Costarricense Invest Clin, San Jose, Costa RicaHotel Dieu, France Hosp, Beirut, LebanonKEM Hosp, Bombay, Maharashtra, IndiaDr Sutomo Gen Hosp, Surabaya, IndonesiaHosp Gen Durango, Durango, MexicoNatl Inst Resp Dis, Mexico City, DF, MexicoKing Edward Med Coll, Lahore, PakistanMayo Hosp, Lahore, PakistanEscola Paulista Med, BR-04023 Sao Paulo, BrazilPramongkutklao Hosp, Bangkok, ThailandFMUSP, Sao Paulo, BrazilEscola Paulista Med, BR-04023 Sao Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Response and resilience of Asian agrifood systems to COVID-19: an assessment across twenty-five countries and four regional farming and food systems

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting health and economies across the world, although the nature of direct and indirect effects on Asian agrifood systems and food security has not yet been well understood. Objectives: This paper assesses the initial responses of major farming and food systems to COVID-19 in 25 Asian countries, and considers the implications for resilience, food and nutrition security and recovery policies by the governments. Methods: A conceptual systems model was specified including key pathways linking the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 to the resilience and performance of the four principal Asian farming and food systems, viz, lowland rice based; irrigated wheat based; hill mixed; and dryland mixed systems. Based on this framework, a systematic survey of 2504 key informants (4% policy makers, 6% researchers or University staff, 6% extension workers, 65% farmers, and 19% others) in 20 Asian countries was conducted and the results assessed and analysed. Results and conclusion: The principal Asian farming and food systems were moderately resilient to COVID-19, reinforced by government policies in many countries that prioritized food availability and affordability. Rural livelihoods and food security were affected primarily because of disruptions to local labour markets (especially for off-farm work), farm produce markets (notably for perishable foods) and input supply chains (i.e., seeds and fertilisers). The overall effects on system performance were most severe in the irrigated wheat based system and least severe in the hill mixed system, associated in the latter case with greater resilience and diversification and less dependence on external inputs and long market chains. Farming and food systems' resilience and sustain-ability are critical considerations for recovery policies and programmes, especially in relation to economic performance that initially recovered more slowly than productivity, natural resources status and social capital. Overall, the resilience of Asian farming and food systems was strong because of inherent systems characteristics reinforced by public policies that prioritized staple food production and distribution as well as complementary welfare programmes. With the substantial risks to plant- and animal-sourced food supplies from future zoonoses and the institutional vulnerabilities revealed by COVID-19, efforts to improve resilience should be central to recovery programmes. Significance: This study was the first Asia-wide systems assessment of the effects of COVID-19 on agriculture and food systems, differentiating the effects of the pandemic across the four principal regional farming and food systems in the region