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The Parker-Oldenburg method, as a classical frequency-domain algorithm, has been widely used in Moho topographic inversion. The method has two indispensable hyperparameters, which are the Moho density contrast and the average Moho depth. Accurate hyperparameters are important prerequisites for inversion of fine Moho topography. However, limited by the nonlinear terms, the hyperparameters estimated by previous methods have obvious deviations. For this reason, this paper proposes a new method to improve the existing ParkerOldenburg method by taking advantage of the invasive weed optimization algorithm in estimating hyperparameters. The synthetic test results of the new method show that, compared with the trial and error method and the linear regression method, the new method estimates the hyperparameters more accurately, and the computational efficiency performs excellently, which lays the foundation for the inversion of more accurate Moho topography. In practice, the method is applied to the Moho topographic inversion in the South China Sea. With the constraints of available seismic data, the crust-mantle density contrast and the average Moho depth in the South China Sea are determined to be 0.535 g/cm3 and 21.63 km, respectively, and the Moho topography of the South China Sea is inverted based on this. The results of the Moho topography show that the Moho depth in the study area ranges from 5.7 km to 32.3 km, with more obvious undulations. Among them, the shallowest part of the Moho topography is mainly located in the southern part of the Southwestern sub-basin and the southern part of the Manila Trench, with a depth of about 6 km. Compared with the CRUST 1.0 model and the model calculated by the improved Bott's method, the RMS between the Moho model and the seismic point difference in this paper is smaller, which proves that the method in this paper has some advantages in Moho topographic inversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy has been promoted as a solution to plastic pollution, but cities and communities bear the brunt of plastic pollution. The Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) is a systems method of collaborative and open data collection for communities to use for decision‐ and policy‐making. The CAP has been utilized in 51 cities in 14 countries and is illustrated here in Metro Manila. Results include identifying manufacturing and parent companies to bring to the table; documenting most (77%) products are in single‐use multi‐layer film packaging; a small, but growing formal refill and reuse system; 10% of to‐go food containers composed of paper‐based alternatives, and a snap‐shot leakage concentration of plastics to the environment that is 1.8%–2.7% of current waste generation. Community narratives emerged from a collaborative workshop and are threaded throughout opportunities identified by the CAP process to inform circularity, future actions, and policy, as a scalable way to create systems change for plastic pollution from the ground up. Plain Language Summary: The Circularity Assessment Protocol, or CAP, is a collaborative framework for communities to collect data on circular materials management, like plastic packaging or food waste. This framework is illustrated for plastic packaging with a local non‐governmental partner in Manila, Philippines. From this framework, local community members help to define opportunities to reduce plastic pollution. Key Points: A Circularity Assessment Protocol framework for cities was developed and applied to Metro ManilaA local trained community partner collected data working with researchers; community members identified opportunities to optimize circularityThis localized framework provides community‐level opportunities to change, and over multiple cities can create a larger systems change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of a Research Ethics Committee (REC) is a significant step to ensure the standard procedures in ethics review process that protect human participants. However, in instances when RECs are not yet established, surrogate activities are practiced by some institutions. The objective of this study was to identify prevailing research ethical practices of research directors and faculty researchers in the absence of a research ethics committee in their respective academic institutions. Specifically, it aimed to explore the participants' 1) experiences in research subject protection and 2) challenges when there is no existing REC in the institution. Participants were selected from universities in Manila City whose institutions did not have RECs at the time of the conduct of this study. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used as approaches for data collection. The authors used NVivo to organize data from the transcribed audio-recorded interviews and were analyzed utilizing a basic interpretive qualitative approach. Based on the results, surrogate practices of participants involved (1) providing "informed consent forms" to target participants and the (2) roles of different personalities in the evaluation/conduct of the research paper. Implications of this study and recommendations were likewise discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital marketing is inevitably becoming popular in the marketing realm. Leveraging digital marketing strategies has been instrumental in fostering communication and engagement between brands and customers. However, a limited number of research explores the influence of these emerging trends on the purchase intentions of customers in the fast food chain industry. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to examine the influence of digital marketing strategies on customers' purchase intention and to identify the most effective digital marketing strategy for crafting compelling content and disseminating marketing messages to achieve the intended marketing goal. This study employed a correlational quantitative research approach with a convenient selection of participants, utilizing a modified survey questionnaire as the principal means of data collection. The sample consisted of One Hundred Ninety-eight (198) actual customers of selected fast-food restaurants in España Boulevard, Manila. The data retrieved from the survey questionnaire was analyzed and interpreted using a Five-point Likert scale designed for measuring interval data. The findings of this research revealed that utilizing social media marketing, webinar platforms, mobile applications, and e-commerce significantly influences customer's purchase intention. Furthermore, it came to light that there is a highly statistically significant relationship between digital marketing strategies, namely, social media marketing (r=0.864, p=0.027), brand exposure through webinar platforms (r=0.802, p=0.055), mobile applications and e-commerce (r=0.854, p=0.031) on customer's purchase intention of selected fast-food restaurants, and a positive strong correlation between affiliate marketing (r=0.759, p=0.080) and the latter. In addition, the results revealed that there is a positive moderate correlation between content marketing (r=0.548, p=0.260), and email marketing (r=0.575, p=0.232) on customer's purchase intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban gardens have emerged at the cracks and edges of the densely built environment of Metro Manila, taking on a variety of forms that cultivate a sense of habitability amid harsh urban conditions. The empirical diversity in the spaces, practices and trajectories of urban gardens in the city, however, often exceeds their usual framings either as state‐sponsored projects from above that seek to transform individual dispositions, or as grassroots initiatives from below that result from conscious collective resistance or encroachment. Framing gardens as a locus to understand city‐making amid massive urbanisation, this paper aims to provide a different account of urban gardens by focusing on how they emerge from a certain edginess, characterised by a coming together of various actions, aspirations and relations, and by a mode of practice marked by a distinctive temporality and peripheral logic. Using particular accounts of gardening from across Metro Manila, the paper demonstrates the edginess of urban gardens in terms of four articulations: as interstitial, provisional, transversal and experimental. Making a garden work and maintaining its place in the city entail consolidating relationships between various urban elements that carve spaces of manoeuvre, produce diverse eventualities, and map onto the indeterminate politics of the maybe. Framing gardens as a locus to understand city‐making amid massive urbanization, this paper aims to provide a different account of urban gardens by focusing on how they emerge from a certain edginess, characterized by a coming together of various actions, aspirations and relations, and by a mode of practice marked by a distinctive temporality and peripheral logic. Using particular accounts of gardening from across Metro Manila, the paper demonstrates the edginess of urban gardens in terms of four articulations: as interstitial, provisional, transversal and experimental. Making a garden work and maintaining its place in the city entail consolidating relationships between various urban elements that carve spaces of maneuver, produce diverse eventualities, and map onto the indeterminate politics of the maybe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes Agi poetry and utilizes the Panayanon concept of power called gahum as its critical framework. Philippine gay literature unfurled after the publication of Ladlad: An Anthology of Philippine Gay Writing (1994) and continues to reach higher grounds. However, gay criticism has been too focused on the discourse of the Manila bakla and not much has been said about indigenous models of queerness in the regions. As agi is an indigenous articulation of homosexuality in Panay in Central Philippines, this paper traces the connection of the agi's attendant performance (kaagian) with the indigenous tradition of babaylanism. By investigating the strong presence of babaylanic imagery in agi poetry, this study attempts to unravel the connection of kaagian with a precolonial form of power called gahum, which is deeply attuned to the animist spatiality of Panay. The babaylan is a shaman, culture bearer, and political leader that embodies physical and spiritual gahum that go beyond the human realm. By exploring the interconnected concepts of kaagian, gahum, and babaylanism, this critical study reveals that agi writers champion the image of the babaylan to subvert colonial-imposed hegemonies and decolonize the agi identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to offer a unified economic interpretation of the existing evidence on the Manila Galleon. It intends to be an introduction to the Manila Galleon for economists curious about long-term patterns in global trade, but who are not experts on economic history. Design/methodology/approach: The paper jointly presents quantitative and qualitative data to analyze in a critical way the existing work on the Manila Galleon. It proposes a conceptual model from the world-systems approach to reflect on the impact of this trade route. Evidence from two case studies, New Granada and Korea, accompany the model. Findings: The paper finds that the Manila Galleon was only possible because of the temporary coincidence of a quite singular set of international circumstances and favorable local market conditions. The paper also finds that, despite its large effects on the global integration of silver markets, the Manila Galleon was a profoundly asymmetric activity that brought minor consequences to most of the world. Research limitations/implications: This paper shows the importance of additional studies providing systematic quantitative evidence on the Manila Galleon. The long tradition of an archival collection developed by historians offers a huge potential to this line of research. In addition, studies in regions different from Mexico, the Philippines, Spain and China would contribute to a better understanding of the Manila Galleon's global consequences. Practical implications: This paper provides a series of reflections useful to think about the future challenges of global trade. These challenges require understanding the transformations that will come from profound technological change, massive reconfigurations of the geopolitical order and transitions in the long-term cycles of commodities. Because of their rare occurrence, these are forces hardly visible in recent history, making it necessary for the existence of long-term points of reference such as the Manila Galleon. Originality/value: This paper brings together widespread evidence on the Manila Galleon and provides a unified interpretation of it. This opens the door for audiences who are not experts on the economic history of the period to discuss the topic, allowing them to reflect on its lessons for the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed retreat, a key strategy in climate change adaptation for areas with high hazard exposure, raises concerns due to its disruptive nature, vulnerability issues and overall risk in the new location. On-site resettlement or near-site retreat are seen as more appropriate and effective compared to a relocation far from the former place of living, however, these conclusions often refer to only a very limited set of empirical case studies or do not sufficiently consider different context conditions and phases in relocation. Against this background, this paper examines the conditions and factors contributing to community resilience of different resettlement projects in Metro-Manila. In this urban agglomeration reside an estimated 500,000 informal households, with more than 100,000 occupying high-risk areas. In light of the already realized and anticipated climate change effects, this precarious living situation exposes families, already socio-economically vulnerable, to an increased risk of flooding. The response of the Philippine government to the vexing problem of informal dwellers has been large-scale relocation from coasts, rivers, and creeks to state-owned sites at urban fringes. Whereas only very few resettlement projects could be realized as In-City projects close to the original living space. The study employs a sequential mixed-method approach, integrating a large-scale quantitative household survey and focus group discussions (FGDs) for a robust comparison of resettlement types. Further, it reveals community-defined enabling conditions for managed retreat as climate change adaptation strategy. Results indicate minor variations of well-being conditions between In-City and Off-City resettlement, challenging the expected impact of a more urban setting on resilience. Instead, essential prerequisites for resettlement involve reduced hazard exposure, secure tenure and safety from crime. Beyond these essential conditions, social cohesion and institutional support systems emerge as significant influencers for the successful establishment of well-functioning new settlements. With this findings, the study contributes to the expanding body of literature on managed retreat, offering a comprehensive evaluation based on extensive datasets and providing entry points for the improvement of retreat as a climate change adaptation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemics were not a novelty to the world, and the occurrence of such had affected many people, and students were among the vulnerable populations who were affected. For this reason, research on the coping strategies of students was conducted. This paper was the result of an in-depth assessment of the coping strategies, specifically between the problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies, of selected allied health students from Perpetual Help College of Manila's four different Allied Health College Departments in their Related Learning Experiences (RLE) class in the Skills Laboratory during virtual classroom setup. Specifically, 100 respondents were selected through a random sampling technique, following the criteria that: 1.) the respondents must be willing to participate in the study, 2.) be currently enrolled in Perpetual Help College of Manila, and 3.) be a second, third, or fourth-year allied health student. It was found that these two coping strategies were sometimes used in the virtual classroom setup for RLE classes, and it was concluded that they have a significant relationship with the students' Related Learning Experiences (RLE) classes in their Skills Laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barriers to exchange of goods and ideas have shrunk because of technology. Mobility is one of the greatest contributions of industrialization and urbanization. This has also changed the lifestyle of millions of people. The vision of seamless travel has been a byword in regional and urban planning. Providing intermodal facilities has become the top priority of the private and public sector. The concept of door to door, from home to work to places of recreation and other social activities should provide accurate, safe and comfortable travel for commuters. This concept is directed in long distance travel. However, the concept of door to door journey for commuters in the City of Manila specifically in the District of Sta. Mesa took a different epithet. The Polytechnic University of the Philippines was used as a model on how people would literally go out of a building and hop on a tricycle to go to another destination even when the distance is less than a kilometer. The paper investigates on the choices of the commuters specifically of the students, faculty, and staff of this university. It looks into how this phenomenon affects the carrying capacity of the road and explores complimentary and supplementary existence of this transport phenomena of door to door culture of the pedestrian in this case, the PUP community and the constituents of the District of Sta. Mesa, Manila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twitter is a popular digital space for circulating amateur gay porn and sexual narratives of gay men. These two-minute porn videos command thousands of views, and their anonymous owners boast thousands of followers. This paper investigates how attention economies work within a neoliberal framework in porn economies in Manila and Hong Kong. Using interviews and case studies, this paper argues that the conditions created by Twitter foster a particular kind of attention economy where users are expected to be creative and entrepreneurial in curating their profiles and presenting their pornographic content. This research argues that it is within these neoliberal spaces that gay men find the freedom to socialize, build communities, and inventively present themselves. The paper ends by offering insights into how we can think about the utility of pornography and sexualized self-presentation in queer sexual politics in the Asian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women have experienced sexism even once in their lives which can affect them negatively. Considering this, women may manifest it subconsciously, not being aware that they are already perpetuating this kind of beliefs and attitudes. Besides, the idea of women hating other women and themselves are understudied in a local context which also became the drive of the researchers to study and further understand this topic. This paper aims to explore the relationship between internalized misogyny and experiences with ambivalent sexism among 229 qualified female engineering students enrolled in Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, ranging from ages 19 to 23 years old. This quantitative study used a descriptive correlational design to assess the relationship between variables. Internalized Misogyny Scale (IMS) and Experiences with Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (EASI) were also utilized to measure the variables in the study. Participants were chosen using the purposive sampling technique, however only 229 students were qualified. Results showed that female engineering students showed moderate levels of internalized misogyny in terms of distrust of women, devaluing women, and valuing men over women. The participants also revealed that they encounter benevolent sexism more frequent than hostile sexism. Number of female engineering students who experienced ambivalent sexism often to very frequently were identified: 175 for protective paternalism, 197 for complementary gender differentiation, and 100 for hostile sexism. In data analysis, the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (RHO) was used to examine the relationship between variables. The results indicated that the domains of internalized misogyny showed a positively strong correlation with experienced ambivalent sexism, except the domain of valuing men over women having positively moderate correlation with complementary gender differentiation. Moreover, each domain of internalized misogyny has a significant relationship with the experiences with ambivalent sexism among the respondents (p = 0.000 < 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: China has the largest production yield of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in the world. Most of the clam seeds for aquaculture are mainly derived from artificial breeding in southern China, likely resulting in the loss of genetic variation and inbreeding depression. In this paper, we investigate the genetic diversity and differentiation of R. philippinarum populations. The present results not only provide the scientific basis for the phylogenetic relationship of clam resources, but also lay the foundation for natural population conservation and genetic improvement of R. philippinarum. China has the largest production yield of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in the world. Most of the clam seeds for aquaculture are mainly derived from artificial breeding in southern China, likely resulting in the loss of genetic variation and inbreeding depression. To understand the genetic and haplotype diversity of R. philippinarum, 14 clam populations sampled from different regions of China were analyzed by three molecular markers, including COI, 16SrRNA and ITS. Based on the results of the COI and ITS genes, the 14 populations showed a moderate to high level of genetic diversity, with an average haplotype diversity of 0.9242 and nucleotide diversity of 0.05248. AMOVA showed that there was significant genetic differentiation among all populations (mean FST of the total population was 0.4534). Pairwise FST analysis showed that genetic differentiation reached significant levels between Laizhou and other populations. Two Laizhou populations showed great divergence from other populations, forming an independent branch in the phylogenetic tree. The shared haplotypes Hap_2 and Hap_4 of COI appeared most frequently in most clam populations. In contrast, 16SrRNA analysis of the clam populations revealed the dominated haplotype Hap_2, accounting for 70% of the total number of individuals. The haplotype diversity of the Laizhou population (Laizhou shell-wide (KK) and Laizhou dock (LZMT)) was relatively higher than other populations, showing multiple unique haplotypes (e.g., Hap_40, Hap_41 and Hap_42). These findings of genetic and haplotype diversity of clam populations provide guiding information for genetic resource conservation and genetic improvement of the commercially important R. philippinarum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a series of refusals to admit Indian immigrants into North America in the early twentieth century and the resulting protest movements in Canada, the US mainland and the Philippines. By examining these events, the study aims to enhance our comprehension of Indian immigrants' agency in shaping their interregional mobility and connectivity. Indians repeatedly faced de facto exclusion from these places, but they devised strategies to facilitate migration, and in response, Canadian and US authorities tightened control, leading to further resistance. Throughout these cycles of restriction and resistance, Indian migrants combined the knowledge and experiences acquired in Manila and North America, countering immigration policies and strengthening interregional connectivity. Understanding the interregional connectivity among Indian immigrants is key to understanding why Indians from different regions were actively involved in the anti-British Ghadar movement and the Komagata Maru incident. This paper focuses on the agency of Indians in Manila and examines the reasons behind their engagement in these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second Congress of the Asia-Pacific Laryngology Association (APLA) was held in Manila, Philippines, from December 1-3, 2022. The conference, themed "V.A.S.T. Experience in the Asia-Pacific," was organized by the Philippine Academy of Laryngobronchoesophagology and Phoniatrics (PALP) and drew over 1300 local and 50 foreign delegates. Renowned experts from around the world discussed various laryngeal issues and advancements in the field. The event also featured a paper presentation contest, a poster competition, and an international laryngology quiz. Plans are already underway for the third APLA Congress in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2023. [Extracted from the article]

Opium was one of the issues that had to be resolved by the Americans upon their colonization of the Philippines. The debate on the potentialities of opium dates back to the Spanish colonial period, when the colonial government framed the opium issue as both economic and moral in nature. In the end, the economic potentialities of opium outweighed its moral repercussions because the Spanish colonial government allowed its regulated use among the Chinese. In contrast, the American officials in Manila crafted a progressive prohibitionist policy based on the recommendation of the investigative Opium Committee in 1905. In terms of opium in the Philippines, the majority of research has focused on the American policies on opium and their international consequences. This study focuses on the aftermath and challenges of the American prohibitionist policy from 1910 to 1935, particularly as they related to smuggling. Using archival documents such as annual reports from the governor-general of the Philippines and other government records, the paper aims to demonstrate how and in what ways opium was smuggled in the Philippines and to analyze the various motivations, reasons, and methods used by smugglers. Furthermore, the paper explores the involvement of the Chinese in various notable opium-related cases in the Philippines. I also argue that an increase in the smuggling of opium was an unwanted aftermath of the American prohibitionist policy. The present study hopes to contribute to the growing body of literature on narcotics, drug policies, and empire building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is about Catholicism in the Philippines, highlighting the events and objects of the popular devotion to the Black Christ Nazarene of Manila, popularly known as Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno of Quiapo or NPJN. What are the motivations of the devotees? How have the religious practices changed over time in Quiapo? This study also calls for more scholarly attention to the historical and religious connection between the Philippines and Mexico, so that through them we can better understand how Filipinos reimagined Baroque Catholicism. In addition to commercial goods, the Manila Galleon facilitated the first transpacific people-to-people exchange along with their ideas, and the transmission and transplantation of Catholicism to the Philippines. This study is both historical and ethnographic, using sources from the archives and research materials collected in the Philippines, Mexico, and Spain. Although the devotion to NPJN is central to the arguments of this paper, the discussion takes a broader consideration of Quiapo, a district of Manila as a shared space for performing the sacred vow or PSV, popularly known as panata. This analytical step is consistent with the main argument of this study, that consideration of the PSV particular to Jesus Christ is crucial to understanding the historical and religious connections and how popular Catholicism has changed in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While family planning (FP) programs have the capacity to empower women, support gender equality, and reduce poverty, male involvement is an influential factor for the uptake of FP that has been lacking. In the past decade, there have been more progressive FP policies and growing attention on male involvement in FP in the Philippines, providing an opportunity to develop evidence-based interventions to better integrate men into FP services by approaching care delivery from a family-focused perspective. This paper sought to understand the current role of men in FP services and explore how to strengthen facilitators and overcome barriers to optimize men's involvement in FP in the Philippines. Using the Ecological Model for Health Promotion, this qualitative study used convenience sampling to collect data through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions at all levels of the ecosystem. All data were collected in the Albay area, with the exception of some policy data collected in Manila. Qualitative analysis was guided by content analysis. The final sample included 66 participants across the ecosystem. Two primary themes emerged: (1) Resources and health care systems structure impact on male involvement in FP and (2) Education and training that support male involvement in FP. The findings of our qualitative study suggest that while men in the Philippines and their ecosystems support men's FP involvement, the inconsistent health care systems and protocols are not yet reaching men with information and education they need to help them make informed FP decisions with their female partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper used correlational analysis to identify the influence of Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) in precipitation and temperature of the Philippines, representing the area in Manila, Cebu, and Davao from the year 1982 to 2019. The precipitation and temperature data were obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), while the TSI data were downloaded from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) daily database. The research found that there is a significant correlation between TSI and precipitation in the three major areas. Interestingly, there is a low negative correlation between TSI and temperature in Davao and a low significant correlation in Cebu. On the other hand, there is no significant correlation between TSI and temperature in Manila. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explored the reading perceptions, needs, and practices of parents from an urban poor community in Manila, Philippines. 274 parents of K-1 pupils were surveyed to determine their reading perceptions, needs, and practices. The results revealed that the respondents believed that reading is important for their children's social development, and that they are aware that reading starts at home. However, their needs and practices contradicted their perceptions because reading seemed to be not their priority probably due to the limited access and budget for reading materials. This poses a challenge to the educative sector of the community including the teachers who are considered to be backbones of literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is one of the most commercially important bivalves along the coast of China. The increasing expanding of clam culture may result in some serious problems. In this paper, we investigated the genetic diversity and differentiation of R. philippinarum populations and tested the hypothesis that clam population differentiation is influenced by the southern breeding and northern culture. The present findings will provide useful information for natural resource conservation and genetic breeding of the Manila clam in China. The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is one of the most commercially important bivalves along the coast of China. With the continuous expansion of clam farming scale, it may lead to some serious problems, including loss of genetic variation, inbreeding depression, and reduced effective population size (Ne). In the present study, eleven microsatellite markers were used to investigate the genetic diversity and differentiation among 13 clam populations along the coast of China. As a result, 150 alleles were detected according to the genotyping results of eleven microsatellite loci. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) was estimated to be ranging from 0.437 to 0.678, while the expected heterozygosity (He) was calculated to be varying from 0.587 to 0.700. Fst values between populations ranged from 0.0046-0.1983. In particular, the Laizhou population had the highest genetic variability, which was significantly different from the others (all Fst values > 0.1). For all the clam populations, there was no significant linear regression between genetic and geographic distance, indicating that these populations do not follow a pattern of isolation by distance (IBD). Genetic structure was estimated according to NJ, principal coordinates (PCoA), and structure-based clustering. Estimates of effective population size range from dozens to thousands among different populations, based on linkage-disequilibrium and molecular coancestry methods. The results reveal the genetic diversity of clams and verify the hypothesis that clam population differentiation may be influenced by the mode of southern breeding and northern culture, providing guiding information for natural resource conservation and genetic breeding of clams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to 1) explore how retired academics experienced work-to-retirement transition and 2) offer insights that can be applied in addressing its potential opportunities and challenges. Toward this end, we conducted face-to-face interviews with retirees (n=7) from a comprehensive private university in Manila, Philippines. The descriptive phenomenological method surfaced a general psychological meaning structure depicting the participants' collective work experiences to retirement transition. Moreover, it identified three distinct but interrelated elements of the retirement phenomenon: moving on, passing time, and coming on stage. This paper contributes and supports accumulated empirical knowledge on the work-to-retirement transition that can be helpful for individuals preparing for or transitioning into retirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the Lannang Corpus (LanCorp), a public 375,000-word collection of raw and transcribed recordings of Lannang languages spoken in metropolitan Manila, which have been annotated with part-of-speech tags and linked to 40 types of sociolinguistic metadata. It begins by providing an overview of the LanCorp (e.g. design, formats, accessibility). Then, it goes on to show various examples of how the corpus can be used for variationist sociolinguistic research, using Lánnang-uè data as a case study. The findings from the exploratory studies indicate that Lannang languages are influenced by sociolinguistic factors, demonstrating the intricate nature of the Sino-Philippine sociolinguistic ecology. Due to its large size, sociolinguistic metadata, and various formats, LanCorp can be used to study Lannang languages in general and how they are used by specific social groups. It enables scholars to investigate multilingual interactions in a wide range of sociolinguistic factors, furthering the field of Sino-Philippine (socio)linguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at examining the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident from the lens of forensic linguistics that looks into crime management. The incident happened on August 23, 2010 in Manila, Philippines when a tourist bus loaded with 20 Hong Kong nationals was hijacked by a disgruntled former officer of the Philippine National Police by the name of Rolando Mendoza. Employing the DIAMOND model of Grubb et al. (2020), FBI's Behavioral Change Stairway Model (BCSM), and Hammer's (2007) S.A.F.E. model, the study analyzed the stages in the negotiation process employed by the negotiators, the relationship-building process and the communicative dynamics of the hostage-taking incident. Findings revealed that the stages of negotiation in the DIAMOND model were not all carried out. Following the BCSM model, the negotiators were not able to build empathy with the hostage-taker. Communicative dynamics as reflected in the S.A.F.E. model was not likewise successful as pertinent information was not transmitted with maximum effectiveness. The poor handling of the incident and the failure of the negotiation led to the eventual death of innocent people, including the hostage-taker himself and the issuance by the Hong Kong government of a 'black' travel alert for the Philippines. It is hoped that with this study, a more effective and efficient way of managing crime incidents in the country can be carried out to avoid further disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies and statistical reports presented by anti-drug agencies in the Philippines suggest that illicit drug use in the Philippines had been increasing substantially. This study aims to analyse the locations of drug-related incidents in Manila City in October 2017 through the analysis of spatial point patterns. The point pattern for drug-related crimes was then tested for spatial dependence with specific establishments in Manila City such as schools, churches, and police stations. Notable results presented in this paper are: (i) the imposition of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to handle all drug-related crimes had significantly decreased the number of reported drug crimes, (ii) drug-related crimes were clustered on residential areas, (iii) drug-related crimes were inclined to happen far from colleges and universities, and (iv) drug-related crimes happened more frequently near public high schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper narrates a history of the August 2, 1968 Luzon earthquake that severely hit the capital city of Manila in the Philippines. The central site of this earthquake disaster was the collapse of a premiere, high-rise residential building in downtown Manila, the Ruby Tower Apartments. This tragedy reflects the projection of nationalism in terms of collective disaster response, and the Philippines' complicated dealings with a specific segment of the population. The Ruby Tower tragedy was an emblematic representation of the country's disaster response capacities and Filipino society's perception and treatment of the Chinese and Filipino Chinese residents in Manila. Using newspapers, magazine articles, and scientific reports about the earthquake, this study aims to present a microhistory of a cultural minority in Manila, specifically on how the sordid story of earthquake disaster survival projects a poignant picture of ethnic dynamics and disaster politics in the country in the 1960s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the seventeenth century crisis, China witnessed the decline and fall of the Ming dynasty. Scholars have long discussed the role of silver in the Ming crisis, but less attention has been paid to the effects of the production and circulation of silk. This paper examines both internal and external factors that contributed to the decline of Chinese sericulture and silk production, as well as consequent damages to the economy and social relations. Converging environmental and economic factors within major silk-producing regions, as well as a number of incidents that affected the Pacific trade of silk, exacerbated the problems of the late Ming. This paper applies the Law of Supplies and Demands to analyse interconnections between China, Manila, and New Spain. An understanding of the silk industry is essential to explain significant economic connections both within Ming China and between China and the outside world during the seventeenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper proposes a Traffic Incident Prediction and Classification System using Naïve Bayes Algorithm (TIPCS) to proactively predict and classify traffic incidents, which can lead to improved incident management and traffic flow. The system utilizes real-time traffic data, including location, date and time, and Traffic incident prediction is the task of using historical and real-time data to forecast the occurrence of traffic incidents, such as accidents, congestion, or road closures, in the future. The system aims to determine whether an incident is likely to occur or not and to classify it accordingly. The system is trained on historical incident data and is continuously updated with new data to improve its accuracy over time. The Naïve Bayes Algorithm is used for incident prediction and forecast, by utilizing this algorithm, TIPCS can accurately predict and classify incidents at 70.03% accuracy. The proposed study has the potential to significantly improve incident management and traffic flow, ultimately benefiting both transportation officials and road users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Manila trench in the South China Sea (SCS) is identified as being most susceptible to the future major earthquakes. Once a submarine earthquake occurs, the coastal areas and ocean engineering projects around SCS will be affected. Based on the Sanya new airport project, this paper presents an analysis of tsunami impacts to the project region. A series of numerical simulations of tsunami are carried out and compared under different magnitudes of earthquakes. An extreme tsunami induced by a giant earthquake of M9.3 is simulated and analyzed in detail. The tsunami propagation scenarios and surface elevation in the region are presented. The inundation map and flow velocity distribution are analyzed. The impacts of this human project to the coasts are discussed by comparing tsunami wave height with and without the artificial island. According to the numerical results and relevant analysis, the giant tsunami will have great impacts to the artificial island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Linguistic Landscape: An International Journal (LL) is the property of John Benjamins Publishing Co. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

For the Sama-Bajau and Sama Banguingui women living in Manila, the traditional dance pansak (or igal) is a vital dimension of life. This paper focuses on Radzmina Tanjili, a Sama-Banguingui from Zamboanga, well-known in her barangay1 for her dancing. Her life as a dancer is filled with performance opportunities and cultural exchanges for her and the group of Sama-Bajau women and children who belong to the same NGO she volunteers for. She and the group perform for government, non-government organizations, and academic institutions. Apart from this, she also continues to dance pansak in its traditional improvised form at wedding ceremonies around Luzon. Underlying such creative and cultural pursuits, however, are the difficult realities she faces as a Muslim woman without a stable source of income living in a predominantly Catholic Christian city. This article takes a critical approach to dance studies and an engaged and collaborative approach in ethnography, which resulted in a creative project. It explores how to best articulate what it means for an indigenous Muslim minority group to be dancing their traditional dances in the predominantly Catholic and Tagalog-speaking city of Manila. The critical and engaged lenses are necessary to foreground the agency of the Sama Banguingui in their dancing, but at the same time draws attention to the complex position that they occupy and the realities they face as marginalized women belonging to the urban poor population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions consider research as one of their trifocal functions. With the change in the educational landscape, Philippine universities have found a way to address this demand. One move is to create research centers that help develop a research culture among the faculty. Those interested in research apply for research units to reduce their teaching load. It is then expected that faculty researchers can balance their time between teaching and research. To hold them accountable for their deliverables by the end of the academic year, they get into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which they and the research center directors sign before the beginning of the academic year. This paper examines the legal value of the contract signed by the researchers and the directors of four research centers in one comprehensive university in Manila, as well as the provisions observed and not observed in the contract. Findings revealed that the contract signed is valid since it contains the following requisites: a.) cause, b.) object, and c.) consent. These requisites are found in the three moves identified. With regard to the linguistic features, only two out of the nine were found, based on the framework of Crandall and Charrow (1990). These were: a.) overly complex sentences and b.) negation. Violations of some provisions were found to be committed by faculty researchers, and while sanctions are stipulated in the agreement for non-compliance, not all are being implemented. Gaps were likewise noted in the preparation of the MOA. It is recommended that the provisions in the contract be reviewed and checked against the provisions and guidelines in research revised by the Office for Research. A review of the research management strategies of the university is likewise recommended. Finally, as a contract, the MOA may still be further improved by addressing the gaps in the content so that effectiveness can be attained to avoid future litigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialists and practitioners in many fields acknowledge the importance of the consumption of natural resources as a development factor. However, studies have also shown that many other development forms have caused severe depletion of natural resources and degradation of the environment. This study posits the need for responsible, conservative, and sustainable actions related to conservation behavior. Specifically, this study aims to describe environmental knowledge and attitude toward conservation behavior as predictors of conservation behavior among university students. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive correlational research design utilizing an online survey among 303 university students. Various statistical analyses were done, which include ANOVA, regression, and moderation analysis. Results indicate a significant positive association between environmental knowledge and conservation behavior. The results also suggest that attitudes toward conservation behavior positively moderate or enhance the relationship between environmental knowledge and conservation behavior. Implications and discussions about the enhancing role of attitudes in conservation behavior are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined the effectiveness of e-learning in flexible learning and its impact on students' academic performance in selected public elementary schools in Manila for the 2021-2022 school year. It found that most teachers were aged 31-40, female, married, held a bachelor's degree, and had less than ten years of teaching experience. Elearning was found to be highly effective in lesson delivery, participation, and discourse but moderately effective in virtual learning and critical analysis. Students' academic performance was outstanding in video conferencing/teleconferencing and very satisfactory in other areas like science investigation, weather reporting, discussion boards, and science journals/news. A significant relationship was identified between e-learning effectiveness and students' academic performance (Pearson-r = 0.84). Teachers faced challenges such as excessive paperwork, expensive professional development, and schedule conflicts. Recommended solutions include reducing paperwork, providing free training, enhancing support from school heads, promoting parent involvement, and securing electronic gadgets for students. Overall, teachers were effective in using e-learning for flexible learning, positively impacting students' academic performance, though addressing these challenges is essential for further improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The principal aim of the research was to develop Interactive Mobile Learning Modules (IMLM) as an approach to innovative teaching practices in online distance education. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed educational action research, using a quasi-experimental design catering to ninth-grade students (N = 104) attending a public high school in Manila. Findings: Our research indicates that IMLM has a positive effect on student engagement. It provides students with a convenient, easily accessible, and engaging means of understanding Genetics concepts. The execution of this initiative has facilitated the emergence of novel ideas, heightened the ease of use, and advanced more equitable opportunities within the education domain. Thus, IMLM's utilization has resulted in a favorable shift in conceptual understanding. It has been found to support learners' concept test performance, as evidenced by score gains and statistically significant improvement in understanding. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited with the development and utilization of mlearning strategy to accommodate learners in the public school system in a developing country. Practical implications: The study addresses ongoing strategy and discussion to enrich online learning through the mlearning strategy. Social implications: The study accommodates inclusivity and equitable learning through personalize mlearning strategy. Originality/value: The study is novel because it utilize mlearning as innovative approach to teaching genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the factors that led to road crash incidents in Metro Manila, focusing on human behavior, public awareness and attitudes, road infrastructure and Mdesign, technological interventions, and the implementation of enforcement measures. The findings indicated that human error was the primary cause of road crashes, with speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, distracted driving, failure to adhere to traffic rules, and aggressive driving behaviors identified as significant factors. We also found that road infrastructure and design, public awareness and attitudes, technological interventions, and enforcement measures significantly contribute to road crash incidents. The study further explored the challenges encountered by the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group in reducing road crash incidents. The study identified significant challenges in human behavior, public awareness, road infrastructure and design, technological interventions, and enforcement measures and found strong positive relationships between these factors and road crash incidents. We deemed it crucial to address these challenges to impact road safety and reduce accidents significantly. The research highlighted the importance of addressing human behavior, public awareness, road infrastructure and design, technological interventions, and enforcement measures to enhance road safety and reduce road crash incidents in Metro Manila. By focusing on these factors and addressing the identified challenges, the PNP Highway Patrol Group could implement enhanced interventions and promote a safer transportation environment for all road users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite being acknowledged as an air pollutant, heavy metal contaminants in the atmosphere are not yet well studied in the Philippines. This study aims to assess the particulate matter, as well as mercury and lead concentration, in Metro Manila's ambient atmosphere. A one-hour sampling period was used to collect data at seven sampling stations using a respirable dust sampler with a flow rate of 1.4 m³/min. The mercury concentration was determined using cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy, whereas lead concentrations were measured using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Taguig had the highest level of total suspended particulates (TSP) at 524.07 µg/NCM, followed by Caloocan (459.92 µg/NCM) and Quezon City (434.50 µg/ NCM). Parañaque reported moderate particulate levels -- recorded at 298.95, 291.69, and 347.36 µg/NCM, respectively. Valenzuela had the lowest TSP level at 263.85 µg/NCM. Results show that mercury concentrations were highest in the City of Manila with 0.09 µg/m³, followed by Valenzuela City with 0.009 µg/m³, against the lowest concentration in Taguig City and Quezon City with 0.001 µg/m³. However, based on the legal airborne permissible exposure from the Philippine Occupational Safety and Health Standards, the mercury concentration in the seven cities of Metro Manila did not exceed its 0.5 mg/m³ (50 µg/m³) limit. Furthermore, results revealed that atmospheric lead concentration in Metro Manila existed only in trace amounts (≤ limit of detection). The high concentration of mercury in the City of Manila could be attributed to its high population density combined with massive industrial, commercial, and transport activities. Monitoring the concentration of heavy metals in the atmosphere is critical for the development of effective strategies for reducing the negative impacts of these global pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematics has long been associated with complexity in an increased stress anxiety levels in academic settings. This study investigates the stress anxiety towards mathematical formulas in math subjects among students at Technological University of the Philippines – Manila. This is a qualitative study anchored by cross sectional research in understanding stress anxiety of engineering students. A purposive and snowballing sampling were employed in choosing the fifteen (15) respondents of this research from the College of Engineering. The study revealed four (4) overreaching themes and twelve (12) sub themes as regards to stress anxiety of engineering students towards mathematical formula. The higher the level of stress anxiety in mathematical formula the higher risk of not performing well of the student in the class. This would not only affect the cognitive level but also emotional factors in students learning. It is recommended in the study to put more emphasis on the holistic development of the students. Further, it is also recommended for teachers to use innovative strategies that would enhance the retention and excitement of the student in learning mathematical formulas. Lastly, time management as regards learning habits should be applied by students to give a plausible learning experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries such as the Philippines have an increasing urbanization rate, resulting in both the positive and negative effects of socioeconomic growth, including environmental degradation. Thus, the emergence of research on the ecological interactions in urban ecosystems has been given more attention throughout the years. This systematic review gathered relevant studies from research platforms such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar to assess the trends in urban ecology research based on publication date, study area, number of citations, methods employed, and most used keywords. 105 were recorded from 1982 to 2023, with 2022 having the most published studies. Most studies were conducted in Metropolitan Manila, Luzon Island, a region with high population density and economic activity. Employing survey questionnaires (21.4%), GIS and remote sensing techniques (16.8%), and biodiversity assessments (18.3%) were the methods that were mainly used in the studies recorded. The thematic analysis has subdivided the studies into urban landscape, urban systems, bio-ecological, and human ecology-based approaches in the context of the Philippines. Science-based solutions integrated each fundamental disciplines of urban ecology in studying Philippine cities can address the gaps exhibited. Although the country's scientific knowledge in urban ecology has evolved, this comprehensive review exposes the knowledge gaps in a temporal manner, especially in further studying Visayas and Mindanao islands and smaller peri-urban areas. Expanding to multidisciplinary approaches is recommended for more thorough understanding of Philippine urban ecology, which will help in decision-making toward a more sustainable future for Philippine cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Manila, like many regions in the global south, the steady march towards urbanisation has generated an intensive urban landscape of high-rise buildings and large patterns of unplanned and often illegal settlements. Although the Philippine government has formulated several programmes to control the irregular growth of its territory, none of these initiatives has fully addressed the challenge of urban informality. This article examines the initial outcomes of a long-term research plan focused on the development of an upgrading strategy for the informal community of BaSECo in Manila. It describes the preliminary stages of the socio-spatial analysis of the district as well as the participatory process, carried out through a series of studies and fieldwork activities that involved students, NGOs and the community itself. The results of this work suggest that 'action research' can become a critical tool for experimenting with alternative strategies in the revitalisation of informal settlements. At the same time, this study highlights the importance of using on-site academic activities to develop an integrated approach that blends architectural education and research with raising students' awareness of the socially responsible application of architecture and urban design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of optical and SAR datasets through ensemble machine learning models shows promising results in urban remote sensing applications. The integration of multi-sensor datasets enhances the accuracy of information extraction. This research presents a comparison of two ensemble machine learning classifiers (random forest and extreme gradient boost (XGBoost)) classifiers using an integration of optical and SAR features and simple layer stacking (SLS) techniques. Therefore, Sentinel-1 (SAR) and Landsat 8 (optical) datasets were used with SAR textures and enhanced modified indices to extract features for the year 2023. The classification process utilized two machine learning algorithms, random forest and XGBoost, for urban impervious surface extraction. The study focused on three significant East Asian cities with diverse urban dynamics: Jakarta, Manila, and Seoul. This research proposed a novel index called the Normalized Blue Water Index (NBWI), which distinguishes water from other features and was utilized as an optical feature. Results showed an overall accuracy of 81% for UIS classification using XGBoost and 77% with RF while classifying land use land cover into four major classes (water, vegetation, bare soil, and urban impervious). However, the proposed framework with the XGBoost classifier outperformed the RF algorithm and Dynamic World (DW) data product and comparatively showed higher classification accuracy. Still, all three results show poor separability with bare soil class compared to ground truth data. XGBoost outperformed random forest and Dynamic World in classification accuracy, highlighting its potential use in urban remote sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opening of the South China Sea (SCS) was triggered by the breakup of south-eastern Eurasia and the southward drifting of the Palawan-Reed Bank microcontinent, as various prior studies have suggested. The young, moderately magmatic, rifted northern margin of the SCS is vital for investigating the relationship among magmatism, rheology, and structural evolution. This paper integrates satellite gravity anomaly, elevation/bathymetry, geoid, and seismic velocities to investigate continental breakup, magmatism, and rifting beneath the South China Sea. Source depths of 146, 31.5, and 8 km derived from the spectrum of Bouguer gravity anomalies suggest the average depths of the lithospheric base, continental, and oceanic crustal bases, respectively. Correspondingly, gravity Moho ranges from 8 km beneath the rifting center of SCS to 42 km in the Indo-China block. It is worth mentioning that the isostatic Moho from the Airy and flexural models were highly correlated with gravity Moho with correlation coefficients of ∼1. From the ratio between geoid and topography and our estimate of the vertical tectonic stress, the seamounts and reefs (Shuangfeng Basin: SB, Reed Bank: RB, Macclesfield Bank: MB) have a deep compensation depth. In contrast, the other parts (Manila Trench: MT, Phu Khan Basin: PK, East Sub Basin: ESB) have a smaller depth of compensation. 2D gravity modelling suggests the crustal thinning of the oceanic basin, and the thickening of the continental boundary implies the opening of the SCS, which is connected and happened at the same time as the northern subduction of the proto-SCS. The Gravity modelling also suggests a large rifting event within the lithosphere that favors mantle upwelling. [Display omitted] • Crustal structure and isostatic nature of the South China Sea are examined. • The compensation depth under Seamounts/reefs is deeper than the other parts of the South China Sea. • 2D gravity modelling suggests large lithosphere rifting events that favor mantle upwelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Diversitas Journal is the property of Diversitas Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)