Flight-testing of the self-repairing flight control system using the F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control flight research facility

Flight tests conducted with the self-repairing flight control system (SRFCS) installed on the NASA F-15 highly integrated digital electronic control aircraft are described. The development leading to the current SRFCS configuration is highlighted. Key objectives of the program are outlined: (1) to flight-evaluate a control reconfiguration strategy with three types of control surface failure; (2) to evaluate a cockpit display that will inform the pilot of the maneuvering capacity of the damage aircraft; and (3) to flight-evaluate the onboard expert system maintenance diagnostics process using representative faults set to occur only under maneuvering conditions. Preliminary flight results addressing the operation of the overall system, as well as the individual technologies, are included

Vegetable Purchase Patterns of Consumers in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

The goal to increase farm productivity, attain food security and safety, and alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers has urged government and nongovernment organizations in the Philippines to develop and promote organic and safe vegetables. While these products are healthier and safer, previous studies have proven that these are more expensive than their conventional counterparts. A mall intercept using a structured questionnaire was conducted to survey 240 respondents in Davao City and 110 respondents in Cagayan de Oro City (CDO) in Southern Philippines. This is a qualitative research that aims to provide information about the current vegetable purchase patterns of consumers in both study areas and to identify its implications and opportunities for organic and safe vegetable producers. Results show that more than 50% of the respondents in both cities purchase vegetables in wet markets and supermarkets on a weekly basis. In terms of expenditure on vegetables, 85% of the respondents in CDO and 74% of the respondents in Davao City have expenditure on vegetables of at most PhP500 per week. The majority of consumers in both cities buy vegetables mostly from wet markets because vegetables are sold at a lower price, are fresher, and there is wider product assortment. Consumers in Davao City and CDO buy vegetables from supermarkets because of convenience and cleanliness, respectively. They purchase mostly tomatoes, eggplants, and cabbages. Based on previous studies, these vegetable purchase patterns of consumers have not changed for over ten years. Thus, this challenges organic and safe vegetable producers, as well as other vegetable industry stakeholders, to produce cheap but high-quality vegetables

Exploring Opportunities for Food Service Marketing in Condominiums: A Conjoint Analysis Approach

Davao City, one of the fastest growing economies in the Philippines, has seen an increase in the development and demand for condominiums in recent years. Current trends in other major cities worldwide include the integration of food service and food distribution channels within condominium projects. This study explores the potential for food marketing within condominiums using conjoint analysis, cluster analysis, and logistic regression. The study gathered 200 responses for a survey encompassing socio-demographic profiles, consumer preferences, as well as 18 plan cards (unique condominium attribute combinations) that respondents were tasked to rate from 1 to 10. Results show that most potential condominium buyers are career-driven people within the age range of 20–40 who have relatively high monthly incomes. Of the 200 respondents, 90.50% preferred condominiums with in-house food services. The conjoint process shows that there is a positive relationship between a condominium’s marketability and presence of in-house food services (9.344%). However, it should be noted that primary attributes like furnishing level score higher importance values (26.035%). Cluster analysis reveals two distinct consumer groups: the “Unit-Focused” cluster that focuses largely on unit-specific attributes and the “Meticulous” cluster that pay relatively more attention to secondary attributes like integrated food services. A binary Logit analysis shows that respondents who are married, have relatively large households, and eat out because of better food quality are more likely to be “Meticulous” buyers, and these buyers pay more attention to a condominium’s in-house food channels and other amenities. Condominium developers and the food service sector may capitalize on this opportunity, but food-integrated condominium offerings should be tailored to married food-cautious buyers and those that live highly urban lifestyles

Willingness to Pay for Certified Safe Vegetables Among Consumers in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Nowadays, consumers are becoming more health conscious. The demand for vegetables that are “certified safe” is expected to increase in proportion to the products with “certified safe” labels. Hence, the development of such products may improve the economic condition of smallholder farmers who will adopt safe vegetable production. In this study, we explored the various factors that may significantly affect consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for certified safe vegetables in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, using the Tobit model. The factors considered were socio-demographic details, purchase patterns for the supermarket and wet market, attitudinal factors, and food safety concerns. A mall intercept survey of 110 respondents buying vegetables from the grocery was conducted. The study focused on the following vegetables: tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper, bitter gourd, and cabbage. Results showed that respondents are moderately concerned regarding the preharvest and postharvest production practices, while they are extremely concerned with retail-related attributes. Appearance, type of market outlet, and label were found to be the main determinants of the respondents’ perceptions on whether the vegetables they purchase are safe or not. Majority agree that unsafe vegetables could cause immediate health problems and strongly agree that it could cause long-term health problems. In measuring the consumers’ WTP, majority of the respondents were willing to pay more, by as much as 14% higher, for vegetables that are “certified safe.” In conclusion, the demand for certified safe vegetables is reflected in the respondents’ positive perceptions on the quality, environmental advantages, and benefits of consuming certified safe vegetables manifested by higher WTP

Food Safety Concerns of Vegetable Consumers in Davao City, Philippines

Food safety has become a growing concern among vegetable consumers. Studies have shown changes in the purchasing pattern of consumers due to food safety concerns. In developed countries, food quality and safety have become increasingly important attributes being considered due to food-borne diseases. In this paper, we determined the consumers’ level of food safety concern at various stages along the vegetable value chain and analyzed how it affects their purchase patterns. We conducted a mall intercept survey among 240 respondents at two supermarkets in Davao City, Philippines, using a structured questionnaire and organized focus group discussions (FGDs) to triangulate our findings. Slovin’s formula was used to determine the sample size. Results showed that most of the consumers were extremely concerned with the amount of chemicals used in vegetable production, cleanliness of storage conditions, retail and entire market outlet, disposal of waste vegetables, quality of vegetables used in presliced packs, and quality of water used in washing vegetables. Ironically, despite their high level of concern on food safety, particularly on chemical residues, most of the respondents always purchase conventional vegetables and never purchase certified organic vegetables. This can be attributed to the wide price difference of certified organic and conventional vegetables. Based on FGD results, consumers emphasized the importance of certification as an assurance of safety. However, consumers demand that food quality and safety assurance should be delivered at a reasonable price. The challenge for stakeholders in the vegetable supply chains is to reduce the cost of certification while ensuring food safety and traceability along the chain

Willingness to Pay for Certified Safe Vegetables in Davao City, Philippines

Safe vegetable production is being practiced in the Philippines to address food safety concerns on vegetables. In this study, we assessed the viability of producing and marketing certified safe vegetables in Davao City by estimating consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for certified safe vegetables and analyzing the factors affecting it. The determinants of the consumer decision whether to purchase certified safe vegetables and WTP for certified safe vegetables were analyzed using logistic and Tobit regression, respectively. We found that most consumers in Davao City are willing to purchase (ranging from 82% to 91%) certified safe vegetables. The factors that significantly affect the likelihood of a consumer to purchase certified safe vegetables at the wet market are civil status, educational attainment, and frequency of purchase and the factors that significantly affect the likelihood of a consumer to purchase certified safe vegetables at the supermarket are gender and vegetable expense. On the average, Davao City consumers are willing to pay an additional PhP6.00/kg and PhP5.50/kg on top of the regular retail price for certified safe vegetables sold at the wet market and supermarket, respectively. These findings imply that there is a market for certified safe vegetables in Davao City as indicated by the consumers’ willingness to purchase and willingness to pay. However, it should be noted that these consumers are willing to pay only a small premium above regular retail prices. Vegetable farmers and marketers can capitalize on this opportunity, but the cost of producing and marketing certified safe vegetables must not exceed its potential benefits

Feasibility Assessment of Direct Marketing Strategies: The Case of Vegetable Farmer Clusters in Marilog, Davao City, Philippines

In the Philippines, majority of the vegetable farmers are categorized as small and are often disconnected from markets, which lessen their opportunities to sell at a profit. This study focused on the feasibility assessment of direct marketing strategies, specifically the farmers’ market and direct sales to institutional users. A random survey was conducted on 110 residents of the first district of Davao City where consumers’ willingness to shop at farmers’ markets was analyzed using Probit regression. On the other hand, case study analyses were conducted to assess the farmers’ market event in a university and the direct sales strategy to institutional user, the food service provider of a government agency. Costs and benefits of each direct marketing channel were also determined. The farmer groups PAFA and SAFE are the producers and sellers of vegetables for this research. The study revealed that majority of the respondents are willing to participate in a farmers’ market if one exists and they perceived it as a source of fresh yet affordable vegetables. Moreover, most of them believed that participating in a farmers’ market is a form of social responsibility. The institutional buyer mainly benefited through significant reduction in marketing costs. Alternatively, the farmers perceived direct marketing as opportunities for learning and maximizing economic gains through diversifying its market portfolio and securing a market for their produce. The results of the study indicate the feasibility of direct marketing strategies to be carried out by the vegetable farmer clusters, which are PAFA and SAFE

On the benefits of the tryptophan metabolite 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid in Caenorhabditis elegans and mouse aging.

Tryptophan metabolism through the kynurenine pathway influences molecular processes critical to healthy aging including immune signaling, redox homeostasis, and energy production. Aberrant kynurenine metabolism occurs during normal aging and is implicated in many age-associated pathologies including chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, and cancer. We and others previously identified three kynurenine pathway genes-tdo-2, kynu-1, and acsd-1-for which decreasing expression extends lifespan in invertebrates. Here we report that knockdown of haao-1, a fourth gene encoding the enzyme 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3HAA) dioxygenase (HAAO), extends lifespan by ~30% and delays age-associated health decline in Caenorhabditis elegans. Lifespan extension is mediated by increased physiological levels of the HAAO substrate 3HAA. 3HAA increases oxidative stress resistance and activates the Nrf2/SKN-1 oxidative stress response. In pilot studies, female Haao knockout mice or aging wild type male mice fed 3HAA supplemented diet were also long-lived. HAAO and 3HAA represent potential therapeutic targets for aging and age-associated disease

Healthcare quality improvement and ‘work engagement’; concluding results from a national, longitudinal, cross-sectional study of the ‘Productive Ward-Releasing Time to Care’ programme

Concerns about patient safety and reducing harm have led to a particular focus on initiatives that improve healthcare quality. However Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives have in the past typically faltered because they fail to fully engage healthcare professionals, resulting in apathy and resistance amongst this group of key stakeholders. Productive Ward: Releasing Time to Care (PW) is a ward-based QI programme created to help ward-based teams redesign and streamline the way that they work; leaving more time to care for patients. PW is designed to engage and empower ward-based teams to improve the safety, quality and delivery of care