Final report to RVO : institutional mapping & needs assessment of Ethiopia’s public seed sector services

In its attempt to transform agriculture, the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) focuses on increasing agricultural productivity, ensuring food and nutrition security, while promoting exports and import substitution in a sustainable manner. The Netherlands and Ethiopia collaborate to achieve, a.o. by a joint approach to transforming the Ethiopian seed sector. This project provides the basic analysis and recommendations for future activities to establish an efficient, well-regulated and dynamic seed sector that meets quality standards, adapts to climate change and market conditions, has transparent and inclusive governance and maintains biodiversity. The study focuses particularly on the needs of federal and regional seed authorities in terms of technical know-how, institutional capacity and mandates, skills, knowledge and resources

Past and present forestry support programs in the Philippines, and lessons for the future

A variety of government programs have been implemented to support smallholder forestry for production and conservation purposes in the Philippines. This paper briefly outlines the arrangements of the past and current programs, notes how they have evolved over time, and provides some comments on their performance. Over about 30 years, as weaknesses have been identified in programs, the program designs have been modified. For most of this time, there has been an increasing emphasis on community involvement as distinct from industrial or individual farmer forestry. However, some of the intractable constraints on community planting have led to recent interest in individual property rights

Combined preoperative onyx embolization and protective internal carotid artery covered stent placement for treatment of glomus vagale tumor: review of literature and illustrative case

Objective: Surgical resection of complex glomus vagale tumors can be complicated by extensive blood loss and might require surgical sacrifice of an encased internal carotid artery. Methods: A young patient presented with mass effect from glomus valage tumor. Computerized tomorgraphy angiography showed an encased internal carotid artery. Cerebral angiography demonstrated a highly vascular tumor. A literature review was performed for endovascular treatment options for neck tumors. Results: Staged preoperative embolization of feeder arteries via internal maxillary artery, and thyrocervical trunk with Onyx was performed. A covered stent was implanted in the cervical internal carotid artery to the common carotid artery; this resulted in complete devascularization of the tumor with exclusion of external carotid artery from the circulation. This is followed by surgical resection of the tumor. Conclusion: Preoperative embolization with Onyx decreased the amount of blood loss intra-operatively. The implantation of a covered stent in the cervical internal carotid artery through the common carotid artery contributed for further devasculatization of the tumor bed, as well as provided a lumen continuity in case iatrogenic carotid injury is encountered intra-operativel

Air pollution studies in Metromanila and catalysis technology towards clean air Philippines

Considerable air quality and emission data gathered in Metropolitan Manila (MM) led to the development of automobile exhaust treatment catalysts as well as their continued improvement. Findings of a 5-year (1993-1998) collaborative work on the development of base metal oxide catalysts for automobile exhaust are summarized here. One study in 1991 reveals an average 16% increase in the number of motor vehicles in MM where 16% are new and the rest are old ones. Another study in 1992 shows the CO and hydrocarbon emission levels from different types of motor vehicles in MM as a function of the age of the vehicle, type of fuel, and the operating condition. Reports of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other related studies also provided data showing the quality of air in MM. Currently, there are several requirements to further improve the catalyst performance towards the reduction of NOx and to develop catalyst-sorbent for simultaneous NOx-SOx removal. This is so because of the present condition of rain acidification that is found in certain places in MM. These air quality and emission data are needed not only to establish practical emission standards for motor vehicles and the stationary industries and power plants but also in the development of technologies for air pollution control and other clean technologies for cleaner air in the country