UPV External Publications
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Item Development of a Facile and Convenient Method for Sugar Determination in Low Moisture Confectioneries and Honeys Using Fourier Transform Infrared Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy and ChemometricsSetijadi, Catherine H.; Felix, Jonathan N.; Ellis, Helena C.; Alumbro, Jihan Santanina S.; Bello, Ghalib; Dumancas, Gerard G. (Informa UK Limited, 2020-01-10)A method using Fourier transform infrared with attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy and partial least squares (PLS) chemometric analysis to simultaneously quantify the mass percent concentrations of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, commonly found in honey and low moisture confectionery food products, was developed. A three-component full factorial design was generated as a training set (n = 64) to predict the sugar concentrations in a Box-Behnken testing set (n = 16). Analysis of the entire spectral region from 649.99 to 3996.38 cm−1 using Savitzky–Golay signal processing technique and PLS algorithm garnered optimal errors of prediction and better linearity between predicted and measured concentrations in the test set compared to analysis using a specific spectral region from 800 to 1500 cm−1 and using a wide array of signal processing techniques (first derivative, second derivative, moving average, binning, and standard normal variate). The model further detected these sugar concentrations in 3 standard honeys, 12 commercial honey samples, 8 honey adulterants, 13 low moisture confectionery food samples, and 15 unknown honey samples from Louisiana apiaries. Applying principal component and clustering analysis also enabled the discrimination of these honey samples based on their fructose:glucose ratios. Thus, the developed method represents a potentially novel, simple, accurate, nondestructive, and rapid means of quantifying concentrations of glucose, fructose, and sucrose in honey and low-moisture confectioneries in 1–2 minutes.Item Effects of light quality and temperature on the photosynthesis and pigment content of a subtidal edible red alga Meristotheca papulosa (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales) from JapanBorlongan, Iris Ann; Suzuki, Sayuri; Nishihara, Gregory N.; Kozono, Jumpei; Terada, Ryuta (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020-02-11)This study investigated the effects of different light spectral qualities and temperature on the photosynthesis and pigment content of a subtidal edible red alga, Meristotheca papulosa. Photosynthesis–irradiance (P–E) experiments were carried out under red (660 nm), blue (450 nm), green (525 nm, light-emitting diodes), and white light (visible light, metal halide lamp), and at 12, 20, and 28 °C, respectively. Maximum net photosynthetic rates (NPmax) were highest under green light. Other P–E parameter estimates were similar among algae under red, blue, and green light, including their lower initial slope (α) and higher saturation irradiances (Ek) as compared to those under white light. Additionally, NPmax and Ek under white light were highest at 28 °C, and lowest at 12 °C, with characteristic photoinhibition at irradiances greater than 150 μmol photons m−2 s−1. Photosynthesis–temperature (P–T) experiment revealed that the maximum gross photosynthetic rate (GPmax) occurred at 22.1 °C, which was within the optimal temperature range of Fv/Fm (21.5–23.6 °C). Exposures to the different light qualities at 100 μmol photons m−2 s−1 for 7 days showed increased phycoerythrin (PE) concentration of algae under blue and green light, while chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin (PC) showed little variation in all light qualities. Therefore, considering future management prospects for M. papulosa mariculture, we suggest that green light could be utilized to enhance photosynthesis. Furthermore, if the aim is to achieve high PE content for an improved reddish-color fresh product, exposure to blue or green light could be a good alternative.Item Centering social reproduction during crisis: Women’s experiences of food insecurity in Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemicDavies, Sara E.; Eslick, Belinda; Calsado, Darlene Joy D.; Juanico, Claire Samantha; Oo, Zin Mar; Roberts, Robin E.; Yadanar; Woyengu, Naomi (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024)Studies examining the gendered impacts of COVID-19 have shown that women have been disproportionately impacted by the socio-economic effects of the pandemic across multiple areas, including economic and food security. We sought to understand how the impacts of the pandemic on women’s food security in the Indo-Pacific region were influenced by women’s roles in performing the bulk of unpaid work and care involved in social reproduction. We interviewed 183 female farmers and vendors (market stallholders) in Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. We found that across all three countries examined, women described an impact on their food security as well as their labour, processes of reproduction, and private household dynamics. Women’s household food security was impacted because of decreased income, increased business costs, rising food costs, and additional household costs. Further, our findings show that because it was typically women’s responsibility to manage household food security, women were anticipating food shortages and engaging in risks to mitigate against food insecurity. These findings demonstrate the urgent need to introduce national and international crisis response measures that differentiate the gendered social and economic impacts of crises that centers, rather than marginalizes, social reproduction in analyses.Item Unveiling novel Neocosmospora species from Thai mangroves as potent biocontrol agents against Colletotrichum speciesKlomchit, Anthikan; Calabon, Mark S; Worabandit, Sompradtana; Weaver, Jack A; Karima, Elfina M; Alberti, Fabrizio; Greco, Claudio; Mahanil, Siraprapa (Oxford University Press, 2024)Aims: Neocosmospora species are saprobes, endophytes, and pathogens belonging to the family Nectriaceae. This study aims to investigate the taxonomy, biosynthetic potential, and application of three newly isolated Neocosmospora species from mangrove habitats in the southern part of Thailand using phylogeny, bioactivity screening, genome sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. Methods and results: Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and a multi-locus phylogenetic tree with large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (ef1-α), and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) regions showing the placement of three fungal strains, MFLUCC 17-0253, MFLUCC 17-0257, and MFLUCC 17-0259 clustered within the Neocosmospora clade with strong statistical support. Fungal crude extracts of the new species N. mangrovei MFLUCC 17-0253 exhibited strong antifungal activity to control Colletotrichum truncatum CG-0064, while N. ferruginea MFLUCC 17-0259 exhibited only moderate antifungal activity toward C. acutatum CC-0036. Thus, N. mangrovei MFLUCC 17-0253 was sequenced by Oxford nanopore technology. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that 49.17 Mb genome of this fungus harbors 41 potential biosynthetic gene clusters. Conclusion: Two fungal isolates of Neocosmospora and a new species of N. mangrovei were reported in this study. These fungal strains showed activity against pathogenic fungi causing anthracnose in chili. In addition, full genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of N. mangrovei MFLUCC 17-0253 were obtained. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International.Item The Philippine indigenous outrigger boat: Scaling up, performance and safetyAguilar, Glenn D. (Marine Technology Society, 2006)The traditional indigenous double outrigger crafts, called banca boats, of the philipppines vary in size from the very small 4 meter single crew paddle boats to large 50 meter fishing vessels and passenger ferry boats. Regardless of size, the same construction techniques are used by native boat builders with wood as the main building material. Many hull forms, particularly economically important fishing boats, have been scaled up, resulting in problems related to the availability of wood for construction, safety at sea, and, performance, Model, experiments on craft performance show the hydrodynamic characteristics of the double outrigger form and describe characteristics important for design, construction, and operation of the crafts. The presence of outriggers has a definite effect on the heave, pitch, and roll motion of the craft as compared to the hull without an outrigger. Data analyses of maritime incident reports show a high percentage of capsizing by these motorized banca boats, highlighting the need for some regulation of their design and construction. Other concerns related to fisheries as being the main area of use of these boats are further discussed.Item Transmittance Properties of Healthy and Infected Coffee Robusta Leaves with Coffee Leaf Miner (CLM) Pestsbulan, Jejomar; Cadondon, Jumar; Lesidan, James Roy; Vallar, Edgar; Galvez, Maria Cecilia (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023)Coffee Robusta (Coffea canephora) increased its total production by 73.5% during the first quarter of 2023. In this study, twenty (20) samples each of healthy and infected coffee leaves were measured for their transmittance properties in the UV-Vis and NIR regions. Coffee Leaf Miner (CLM)-infected leaves were identified based on translucent patches on the plant foliage. The results showed that a healthy coffee leaf has a mean transmittance of 41.53 µW for the NIR region, while for the infected leaves, the mean transmittance is 47.06 µW. Healthy coffee Robusta leaves showed significant differences in their transmittance properties compared to infected coffee Robusta leaves in the UV (r = −0.15, p = 0.021, F = 5.8, t = −0.286), visible (r = −0.15, p = 0.018, F = 6.11, t = −2.88), and NIR (r = −0.14, p = 0.027, F = 5.28, t = −2.99) regions. A CLM index was introduced based on the intensity ratio of green and red wavelengths. I535/575 showed positive correlation with the estimated chlorophyll-a concentration for healthy (r = 0.94, p = 0.227) and infected (r = 0.56, p = 0.622) leaves. This method leads to the development of portable sensors for the early detection of CLM pests in plants. © 2023 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Item Understanding biosecurity: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of seaweed farmers in the PhilippinesMateo, Jonalyn P.; Campbell, Iona; Cottier-Cook, Elizabeth J.; Luhan, Maria Rovilla J.; Ferriols, Victor Marco Emmanuel N.; Hurtado, Anicia Q. (Springer, 2021)Farmers are one of the most important components of any plant-based cultivation industry. The Philippines is one of the world’s major producers of red carrageenophyte algae and has tens of thousands of farmers involved in this industry. The production of algae such as Kappaphycus and Eucheuma increased significantly from the early 1970s, when the industry was established, before declining from the mid-2000s, due to a number of reasons, including disease and epiphyte outbreaks. The introduction of biosecurity measures has been one approach used to tackle this decline. Biosecurity-related knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of the seaweed farmers were assessed in the four highest seaweed producing regions in the Philippines: (1) Tawi-Tawi, (2) Palawan, (3) Zamboanga and (4) Bohol. Analyses showed that seaweed farmers from Tawi-Tawi had relatively higher KAP mean scores than the other three sites. Palawan and Bohol farmers, however, scored lower on their knowledge, higher on their attitude and highest on their practices compared with the other areas. Farmers from Zamboanga scored the lowest in both their attitude and practice mean scores, although their knowledge score was one of the highest. This is the first KAP assessment applied to the seaweed farming industry globally and the results, in which the farmers’ biosecurity-related knowledge and practices, which scored “Fair” (50–75%) across all the regions, and their attitudes, which scored predominantly “Good” (> 75%) suggest that there is potential to raise the score for biosecurity practices. This assessment highlights how biosecurity challenges are currently addressed by seaweed farmers in the Philippines and suggests how the KAP survey could be used as a tool by policymakers and scientists to address gaps in biosecurity management practices.Item Zein nanoencapsulation enhances the antifungal activity of thymol for postharvest decay control in bananasPunelas–Villanueva, Dana C.; Almeda, Ronaniel A.; Chua, Mari Sherlin S.; Tabor, Rico F.; Vidallon, Mark Louis P.; Rodriguez, Evelyn B. (Springer, 2024)The current work describes a nanoparticle system-based approach to enhance the antifungal activity of thymol, a ubiquitous natural antifungal phenolic compound, in postharvest control against banana anthracnose. Thymol was encapsulated within the amphiphilic protein zein by high-shear emulsification, yielding highly dispersible thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles with a high encapsulation efficiency (70%). These particles have an average diameter of 300 nm with spherical morphology, smooth interface, and matrix-type internal structure, as supported by comprehensive structural characterization (dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy). Based on a 40-d storage stability test, thymol was effectively retained within the nanoparticles at 4 °C and ambient room temperature (99% and 97% retention, respectively), despite thymol’s instability and volatility. Antifungal activity assessment against Colletotrichum musae, one of the predominant pathogens that cause banana anthracnose, showed a 200- to 300-fold improvement in the in vitro antifungal activity of thymol. Moreover, the application of thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles as a spray component for banana postharvest treatment demonstrated the efficacy of thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles in preventing and delaying the formation of initial symptoms of banana anthracnose. This appears to arise from the thymol-loaded zein nanoparticles depositing as a film on the banana epidermis, as revealed by atomic force microscopy. Overall, this nanoparticle system offers a new avenue for the design of effective antifungal materials with potential applications in combatting postharvest diseases. Graphical abstract: (Figure presented.)Item Characterization of porcine skin using a portable time-domain optical coherence tomography systemGalvez, Maria Cecilia; Cadondon, Jumar; Mandia, Paulito; Macalalad, Ernest; Vallar, Edgar; Shiina, Tatsuo (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023)Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging tool used to visualize the cross-section of a sample. Additionally, this device can measure the sample’s physical properties. This experiment used a portable version to measure the epidermal thickness and dermal extinction coefficient of porcine skin obtained from different anatomical sites. The thinnest epidermis was found to be from the ear region, while the thickest is from the leg. Meanwhile, the lowest dermal extinction coefficient was from the ear, while the highest was from the belly. These measured properties can be used as aids for diagnosing various skin conditions in humans and animals.Item Building leaders for the UN Ocean Science Decade: A guide to supporting early career women researchers within academic marine research institutionsShellock, R.J.; Cvitanovic, C.; McKinnon, M.C.; Mackay, M.; van Putten, I.E.; Blythe, J.; Kelly, R.; Tuohy, P.; Maltby, K.M.; Mynott, S.; Simmonds, N.; Bailey, M.; Begossi, A.; Crona, B.; Fakoya, K.A.; Ferreira, B.P.; Ferrer, A.J.G.; Frangoudes, K.; Gobin, J.; Goh, H.C.; Haapasaari, P.; Hardesty, B.D.; Häussermann, V.; Hoareau, K.; Hornidge, A.-K.; Isaacs, M.; Kraan, M.; Li, Y.; Liu, M.; Lopes, P.F.M.; Mlakar, M.; Morrison, T.H.; Oxenford, H.A.; Pecl, G.; Penca, J.; Robinson, C.; Selim, S.A.; Skern-Mauritzen, M.; Soejima, K.; Soto, D.; Spalding, A.K.; Vadrot, A.; Vaidianu, N.; Webber, M.; Wisz, M.S. (Oxford University Press, 2023)Diverse and inclusive marine research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century, as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Despite increasing efforts to diversify ocean science, women continue to face barriers at various stages of their career, which inhibits their progression to leadership within academic institutions. In this perspective, we draw on the collective experiences of thirty-four global women leaders, bolstered by a narrative review, to identify practical strategies and actions that will help empower early career women researchers to become the leaders of tomorrow. We propose five strategies: (i) create a more inclusive culture, (ii) ensure early and equitable career development opportunities for women ECRs, (iii) ensure equitable access to funding for women ECRs, (iv) offer mentoring opportunities and, (v) create flexible, family-friendly environments. Transformational, meaningful, and lasting change will only be achieved through commitment and collaborative action across various scales and by multiple stakeholders.