Management and decision support system for smallholder tree plantation developers

This paper reports experiences and inferences in the development of a decision support system (DSS) for smallholder tree plantation development in Regions 2, 10, and 13 in the Philippines. It was found out that farmers in these regions are not practicing intensive plantation management. Silvicultural practices and cultural management including weeding, fertilization, pruning and thinning, if practiced, are done arbitrarily. Choice of species is mainly based on seed availability, and time for harvest is selected based on gut feeling and more often dictated by the need to convert crops to liquid assets. Although the farmers claimed they are realizing positive returns from investment, analysis showed that the production from plantations can be increased. A DSS is being developed to show these realities to the farmers and to allow them to evaluate options to increase production. The main component of the system is a database on silvicultural regimes and management requirements of mahogany, mangium and yemane in plantations. Data were gathered from reported results of previous studies. The DSS also has a database of the various policies affecting the decisions that farmers take. The other component of the system is a dynamic growth model that simulates plantation performance. With the databases and the dynamic models put together in a DSS, a decision-support tool is developed that allows the developers to conduct a trial and error or ‘what if’ analysis on a proposed or existing plantation, prior to implementation of an activity or treatment. The DSS is being developed to assist smallholder tree plantation developers in making technical and business decisions, from choice of species to conduct of cultural management activities to final harvest to transport of raw materials

DEVELOPMENT OF NIPA (Nypa fruticans) SAP CLOSED COLLECTION VESSEL

The ultimate goal of the present study was to develop a secure, safe, and hygienic nipa sap collection system for bioethanol production, with the aim of preserving its physico-chemical properties such as physical appearance, pH and sugar brix by reducing the rate of fermentation while attached to the peduncle. The developed collection system was evaluated in terms of the physical and chemical properties of nipa sap collected and ethanol yield in comparison to the traditional and existing collection system used by the nipa community which utilizes bamboo shingle as their collector. Physical appearance of the sap collected using the designed collection system had no foreign materials after harvesting while the traditional collection system had shown traces of insect infestation. The sap that was produced for both of the designed and traditional collection system was milky-white and yellowish-white in color respectively. There was a significant difference in terms of pH concentration of the sap collected using the designed collection system compared to the sap collected using the traditional system overtime. Sugar brix of nipa sap collected using designed collection system is significantly higher than the sap collected using traditional system. A total ethanol yield of 32.25% and 75.54% was obtained for the designed and traditional collection system respectively. Cost Analysis revealed that the designed collection system was found to be cheaper (PhP 11.93) than the traditional collection system (PhP. 20.00). The developed closed collection system can preserved the chemical properties of the nipa sap and could prevent acceleration of fermentation and the deterioration of its potential to yield more ethanol

Diversity and Employees’ Challenges in the Workplace: The Case in Selected Resorts in Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines

With present issues pertaining to discrimination and underrepresentation, the growing demand towards equality and equity in society as reflected in legislative bills being filed, street demonstrations, and organized programs, and the number of studies that confirms higher productiveness of diverse workplaces, employers are expected to evaluate prospective employees\u27 socio-demographic profiles aside from knowledge, skills, and personality. This has led to this study that aims to develop a conclusion if the workplace in the tourism industry, resort establishments in Calamba City, Laguna, embraces diversity, as well as to know the challenges that employees experience in working with colleagues who have different demographic profiles, if any. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with employees working in the front of the house of two selected resorts, while data were analyzed using a quantitative and qualitative research design, whereas frequency and percentage were computed, and thematic analysis was performed. Results showed that firms still have their recruitment preferences or biases; one firm prefers hiring older staff while the other prefers younger ones. The LGBT community, on the other hand, has been found to be underrepresented. Moreover, the assessed establishments also favor people with less experience and less formal education, particularly for entry-level positions. Data presented also showed challenges faced by employees working with their colleagues, particularly with the opposite gender, those with lower and higher educational attainment, with different religion, and those younger and older. Findings provide low organizational diversity, therefore, serve as an indication of the need for programs that would promote inclusiveness in society. This study explored a problem in the field of social science that seems to have been ignored or least prioritized in the Philippines over the years. This study is a few of the available literature that provides a picture of poor diversity in society, particularly in workplaces that leads to operational dilemmas

Convening for a Thriving Future: Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Asian American Community

On October 1, 2022, Portland State University (PSU) held the Convening for a Thriving Future for Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Asian American (PIAA) Communities at the university’s Native American Student Community Center (NASCC). This event was part of a series of BIPOC-centered and -led community convenings by PSU’s Global Diversity & Inclusion as one of our action items in the Time to Act Plan for Equity & Racial Justice. PSU contracted with Roxanna Bautista of Rise Up Solutions to support the planning, development, and coordination of this convening, in addition to providing facilitation and contributing to this convening report. In addition, PSU partnered with PIAA communitybased organizations to hold this convening. Those community partners were: API Forward, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition (OPIC), Filipino Bayanihan Center, and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO)-Pacific Islander Asian Family Center. The convening was organized into morning and afternoon sessions and breakfast and lunch were provided by Asian owned businesses, Phat Cart and Khao Niew Lao Street Food. The morning sessions consisted of remarks and presentations on data and PSU history from PSU leadership and Global Diversity & Inclusion. After these presentations, the next session featured a panel of PIAA community-based organizations and leaders who responded to discussion prompts, including what they would say a thriving future looks like for PIAA communities. After lunch, the afternoon sessions were composed of four breakout groups, where facilitators guided the discussion through various prompts. The convening wrapped up with report backs from those breakout groups and completion of evaluations. Related Materials: Five affinity-based convenings: Latiné Futures Convening Convening on the Future of Black Thriving & Joy Convening for a Thriving Future for Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and Asian American Communities (PIAA) Convening for a Prosperous Future for Middle East, North African and South Asian Community (MENASA) Native Leaders Roundtable Time to Act Events:The Future and Thriving of BIPOC Communities: A Time to Act Macroconvening(Affinity groups met in-person November 2022)Time 2 Act: Continuing Action for a Just and Equitable PSU(Video - Winter Symposium 2021) Time to Act: Envisioning and Creating a Just and Equitable PSU(Video - Virtual Equity Summit, October 30, 2020) Equity Plan: Time to Act: Plan for Equity & Racial Justice 2021 - 2024 (PDF - Report, 2021

Polycystin-2 takes different routes to the somatic and ciliary plasma membrane

Polycystin-2 goes through the Golgi apparatus when going to the plasma membrane, but bypasses it en route to the ciliary membrane

The ciliopathy gene cc2d2a controls zebrafish photoreceptor outer segment development through a role in Rab8-dependent vesicle trafficking

Ciliopathies are a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous group of human developmental disorders whose root cause is the absence or dysfunction of primary cilia. Joubert syndrome is characterized by a distinctive hindbrain malformation variably associated with retinal dystrophy and cystic kidney disease. Mutations in CC2D2A are found in ∼10% of patients with Joubert syndrome. Here we describe the retinal phenotype of cc2d2a mutant zebrafish consisting of disorganized rod and cone photoreceptor outer segments resulting in abnormal visual function as measured by electroretinogram. Our analysis reveals trafficking defects in mutant photoreceptors affecting transmembrane outer segment proteins (opsins) and striking accumulation of vesicles, suggesting a role for Cc2d2a in vesicle trafficking and fusion. This is further supported by mislocalization of Rab8, a key regulator of opsin carrier vesicle trafficking, in cc2d2a mutant photoreceptors and by enhancement of the cc2d2a retinal and kidney phenotypes with partial knockdown of rab8. We demonstrate that Cc2d2a localizes to the connecting cilium in photoreceptors and to the transition zone in other ciliated cell types and that cilia are present in these cells in cc2d2a mutants, arguing against a primary function for Cc2d2a in ciliogenesis. Our data support a model where Cc2d2a, localized at the photoreceptor connecting cilium/transition zone, facilitates protein transport through a role in Rab8-dependent vesicle trafficking and fusion

The Exocyst Protein Sec10 Interacts with Polycystin-2 and Knockdown Causes PKD-Phenotypes

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by formation of renal cysts that destroy the kidney. Mutations in PKD1 and PKD2, encoding polycystins-1 and -2, cause ADPKD. Polycystins are thought to function in primary cilia, but it is not well understood how these and other proteins are targeted to cilia. Here, we provide the first genetic and biochemical link between polycystins and the exocyst, a highly-conserved eight-protein membrane trafficking complex. We show that knockdown of exocyst component Sec10 yields cellular phenotypes associated with ADPKD, including loss of flow-generated calcium increases, hyperproliferation, and abnormal activation of MAPK. Sec10 knockdown in zebrafish phenocopies many aspects of polycystin-2 knockdown—including curly tail up, left-right patterning defects, glomerular expansion, and MAPK activation—suggesting that the exocyst is required for pkd2 function in vivo. We observe a synergistic genetic interaction between zebrafish sec10 and pkd2 for many of these cilia-related phenotypes. Importantly, we demonstrate a biochemical interaction between Sec10 and the ciliary proteins polycystin-2, IFT88, and IFT20 and co-localization of the exocyst and polycystin-2 at the primary cilium. Our work supports a model in which the exocyst is required for the ciliary localization of polycystin-2, thus allowing for polycystin-2 function in cellular processes

Global histone modification fingerprinting in human cells using epigenetic reverse phase protein array

The balance between acetylation and deacetylation of histone proteins plays a critical role in the regulation of genomic functions. Aberrations in global levels of histone modifications are linked to carcinogenesis and are currently the focus of intense scrutiny and translational research investments to develop new therapies, which can modify complex disease pathophysiology through epigenetic control. However, despite significant progress in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of epigenetic machinery in various genomic contexts and cell types, the links between epigenetic modifications and cellular phenotypes are far from being clear. For example, enzymes controlling histone modifications utilize key cellular metabolites associated with intra- and extracellular feedback loops, adding a further layer of complexity to this process. Meanwhile, it has become increasingly evident that new assay technologies which provide robust and precise measurement of global histone modifications are required, for at least two pressing reasons: firstly, many approved drugs are known to influence histone modifications and new cancer therapies are increasingly being developed towards targeting histone deacetylases (HDACs) and other epigenetic readers and writers. Therefore, robust assays for fingerprinting the global effects of such drugs on preclinical cell, organoid and in vivo models is required; and secondly, robust histone-fingerprinting assays applicable to patient samples may afford the development of next-generation diagnostic and prognostic tools. In our study, we have used a panel of monoclonal antibodies to determine the relative changes in the global abundance of post-translational modifications on histones purified from cancer cell lines treated with HDAC inhibitors using a novel technique, called epigenetic reverse phase protein array. We observed a robust increase in acetylation levels within 2–24 h after inhibition of HDACs in different cancer cell lines. Moreover, when these cells were treated with N-acetylated amino acids in addition to HDACs, we detected a further increase in histone acetylation, demonstrating that these molecules could be utilized as donors of the acetyl moiety for protein acetylation. Consequently, this study not only offers a novel assay for diagnostics and drug screening but also warrants further research of the novel class of inexpensive, non-toxic natural compounds that could potentiate the effects of HDAC inhibitors and is therefore of interest for cancer therapeutics