Intellectual Property Protection in Philippine Agriculture: a Developmental Perspective

This paper is premised on the debate on whether intellectual property protection furthers economic development in developing countries. One view is that more is better, arguing that intellectual property rights trigger research and technological advancement. The other view is that more means not better, but worse. Advocates of this view claim that developing countries, being second comers in a world where developed countries got a head start in development are confronted with rules imposed by the first comers , intellectual property rules included, which are of course, designed by the latter to serve their interests This note suggests two general approaches so that intellectual property protection could best serve Philippine developmental objectives. One is reducing compliance with the TRIPS to the barest minimum possible. Another is the formulation and implementation of laws and policies that would strengthen farmers\u27 rights

Untaxing Taxes: An Attempt to Compare Philippine and US Laws on Tax-Free Corporate Reorganizations

In comparing tax-free corporate reorganizations between Philippine and US law, the author wishes to learn how the US legal system would approach similar tax situations in the Philippines so he could apply it in the practice of law. Labyrinthine as they may be, US tax rules are so well-developed that they are excellent subjects for a comparative study. This paper validates the fact that Philippine and US tax laws on tax-free corporate exchanges have a lot in common. It also shows that in a lot of areas where Philippine law is silent, US tax laws have already devoted extensive treatment to such areas (i.e. spin-offs, triangular reorganizations, etc.). With respect to these areas, the issue is whether the principles developed therein are applicable to the Philippines. In his book De l\u27esprit des lois ( Spirit of the Laws ) , Montesquieu, the famous French political thinker, postulated that what makes a law effective is its spirit, referring to the correct fit thereof to the conditions of the locality in which it would be applied. Communing with such spirit is thus seen as the goal of any law. Viewed in this light, determining the spirit of the aforementioned areas of law is the next logical issue. That could be very taxing but is definitely challenging

Untaxing Taxes: An Attempt to Compare Philippine and US Laws on Tax-Free Corporate Reorganizations

In comparing tax-free corporate reorganizations between Philippine and US law, the author wishes to learn how the US legal system would approach similar tax situations in the Philippines so he could apply it in the practice of law. Labyrinthine as they may be, US tax rules are so well-developed that they are excellent subjects for a comparative study. This paper validates the fact that Philippine and US tax laws on tax-free corporate exchanges have a lot in common. It also shows that in a lot of areas where Philippine law is silent, US tax laws have already devoted extensive treatment to such areas (i.e. spin-offs, triangular reorganizations, etc.). With respect to these areas, the issue is whether the principles developed therein are applicable to the Philippines. In his book De l\u27esprit des lois ( Spirit of the Laws ) , Montesquieu, the famous French political thinker, postulated that what makes a law effective is its spirit, referring to the correct fit thereof to the conditions of the locality in which it would be applied. Communing with such spirit is thus seen as the goal of any law. Viewed in this light, determining the spirit of the aforementioned areas of law is the next logical issue. That could be very taxing but is definitely challenging

Nutritional Status and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices among Buhid Mangyan Tribe, Occidental Mindoro Philippines

Nutritionally adequate and safe complementary feeding starting from the age of 6 months up to 59 months is one of the effective intervention to reduce infant and child morbidity and malnutrition. This study aims to determine the nutritional status of children ages 6-59 months and their caregiver’s infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices of the Buhid community in Rizal, Occidental Mindoro. The design used in this study was a descriptive cross-sectional carried out between December 2016-February 2017. A survey questionnaire was utilized as an instrument in this study. It includes an anthropometric survey of 6-59 months old and infant and young child feeding practices using WHO and UNICEF IYCF indicators. Vaccination, vitamin A supplementation and deworming coverage were also measured. Findings revealed a prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) at a critical level. There is a low but significant prevalence of stunting and underweight among children. There is a good infant and young feeding practice in the community except for the minimum acceptable diet during complementary feeding. Lastly, there is low BCG and measles vaccination coverage in the community that could be a threat to the impending disease outbreak

A common function for mRNA 5\u27 and 3\u27 ends in translation initiation in yeast

The mRNA poly(A) tail and its associated poly(A) binding protein (Pab1p) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes. The function of the poly(A) tail is to stabilize mRNA and to stimulate its translation. The development of a poly(A)- and cap-dependent yeast in vitro translation system has allowed us to understand how poly(A) stimulates translation. We find that Pab1p but not the cap binding protein eIF-4E is required for poly(A) tail-dependent translation, and that the Pab1p-poly(A) tail complex functions to recruit the 40S ribosomal subunit to the mRNA. These data introduce a new step into the pathway of translation initiation and merge the translational functions of the two ends of mRNA

Reaction Mechanisms for Long-Life Rechargeable Zn/MnO 2 Batteries

Rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are very promising for large-scale grid energy storage applications owing to their low cost, environmentally benign constituents, excellent safety, and relatively high energy density. Their usage, however, is largely hampered by the fast capacity fade. The complexity of the reactions has resulted in long-standing ambiguities of the chemical pathways of Zn/MnO 2 system. In this study, we find that both H + /Zn 2+ intercalation and conversion reactions occur at different voltages and that the rapid capacity fading can clearly be ascribed to the rate-limiting and irreversible conversion reactions at a lower voltage. By limiting the irreversible conversion reactions at â1.26 V, we successfully demonstrate ultrahigh power and long life that are superior to most of the reported ZIBs or even some lithium-ion batteries