Adaptation of coastal communities in the Philippines to the impacts climate change

The Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation (Quedancor) of the Philippine Department of Agriculture has the critical responsibility of providing and improving credit assistance to fishers, it also has the task of helping its beneficiaries meet the repayment obligations of their loans. One reason for defaults can be attributed to the devastating impact of natural calamities. Schemes in place are still insufficient to help safeguard lending programs and operations from non-repayment of loans due to production losses and damages to personal properties.(PDF contains 5 pages) Natural calamities include the uncertainties and vagaries of weather and climate that bring about typhoons, floods, and drought; earthquakes; volcanic eruption as well as pests and diseases that affect the productivity of fisheries. When natural calamities occur, small fishers are unable to pay their loans from Quedancor, moreover they have difficulty renewing their loan applications from Quedancor or accessing credit from other sources. Failure to access credit could disable them to continue venture on fishing activities and could eventually jeopardize the welfare of their entire household. The inability of creditors to pay their loans and meet their obligations also impair, to a large extent, the financial operation and viability of the lending institutions. Risk management schemes currently employed include price stabilization measures, targeted relief` to typhoons and drought victims, and crop insurance systems, to name a few. Some of these schemes are becoming very expensive to implement. Moreover, they fail to enable fishers regain sufficient resources so that they may continue production.

Sistema de informação: uma proposição para o Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora-MG

Esse trabalho aborda a elaboração de requisitos dos usuários como parte da adequação do sistema de informação-SISTEMA DE INFORMAÇÃO DE GESTÃO ACADÊMICA-Administrativo- SIGA-Adm, proposto para o Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora. SIGA-Adm está em utilização, desde 2007, na Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora. No entanto, para a efetiva aplicabilidade no âmbito do Hospital Universitário, torna-se necessário uma investigação acerca dos processos de trabalho, dentro do HU e uma ação de melhoria desses processos, a fim de evitar a incorporação de um sistema de informação que não corresponda a realidade apresentada. A elaboração dos requisitos dos usuários para a adequação visa a ser um instrumento de intermediação para discussão acerca da elaboração do SIGA-Adm para o HU/UFJF. Os requisitos apresentados originaram-se no processo de gerenciamento de materiais, como resultado da utilização da Metodologia de Análise e Melhoria de Processos-MAMP, aplicada na cadeia de suprimentos do Hospital Universitário, no período de 2004 a 2005. O acompanhamento do gerenciamento de materiais é uma estratégia utilizada pela Rede Sentinela para o desenvolvimento de ações de pós-comercialização de produtos para a saúde tais como: investigação de uso, registro de produtos, retirada de produto do mercado e etc... O Hospital Universitário da UFJF é integrante da Rede Brasileira de Hospitais Sentinela, implementada pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, desde 2001. As ações Pós-Comercialização de Produtos para a Saúde, em Tecnovigilância, são compartilhadas pela ANVISA e pelos integrantes da Rede Sentinela, através de informações relativas a queixas técnicas e/ou eventos adversos que possam causar algum dano à população. A pesquisa indica a possibilidade do SIGA-Adm armazenar informações sobre os produtos que permitam o rastreamento em condições normais e/ou anormais de uso pela instituição, contribuindo para o exercício em Tecnovigilância. Além disso, espera-se que construção do SIGA-Adm/HU-UFJF permita integrar os sistemas existentes no HU.

Small-scale aquaculture for rural livelihoods: Proceedings of the Symposium on Small-scale aquaculture for increasing resilience of Rural Livelihoods in Nepal. 5-6 Feb 2009. Kathmandu, Nepal

Over the years, aquaculture has developed as one of the fastest growing food production sectors in Nepal. However, local fish supplies have been extremely inadequate to meet the ever increasing demand in the country. Nepal imports substantial quantities of fish and fish products from India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and elsewhere. Integration of pond aquaculture in existing crop-livestock-based farming system is believed to be effective in increasing local fish supply and diversifying livelihood options of a large number of small-holder farmers in southern plains (terai) and mid-hill valleys, thereby also increasing resilience of rural livelihoods. There is growing appreciation of the role of small-scale aquaculture in household food and nutrition security, income generation, and empowerment of women and marginalized communities. This book includes a total of 25 papers presented at the ‘Symposium on Small-scale Aquaculture for Increasing Resilience of Rural Livelihoods in Nepal’, held in Kathmandu on 5-6 February 2009. The papers cover technological, social, economic and environmental aspects of small-scale aquaculture development emerged from research and development initiatives of governmental, non-governmental and international research organizations in recent decad

Materials and devices toward three-dimensional integration

It has been shown that the apparent benefits of a two-layer stacked SOI system, i.e. packing density and speed improvements, are less than could be expected in the context of a VLSI requirement [1]. In this project the stacked SOI system has been identified as having major application in the realization of integrated, mixed technology systems. Zone-melting-recrystallization (ZMR) with lasers and electron beams have been used to produce device quality SOI material and a small test-bed circuit has been designed as a demonstration of the feasibility of this approach. © 1988.

Agri-aqua farming in Thailand

Integrated agriculture-aquaculture systems have been in existence in Thailand for centuries. This country has the most varied integrated farming operations in southeast Asia; pig, cattle, buffalo, chicken, duck, vegetable, aquatic plant, rice and orchard in combination with fish are practices. The systems most preferred by subsistence farmers are rice-fish, duck-fish and chicken-fish culture. A brief outline is given of these 3 systems.

Ecological limits of high-density milkfish farming

In the Philippines at present, milkfish farming in ponds includes a wide range of intensities, systems and practices. To make aquaculture possible, ecosystems are used as sources of energy and resources and as sinks for wastes. The growth of aquaculture is limited by the life-support functions of the ecosystem, and sustainability depends on matching the farming techniques with the processes and functions of the ecosystems, for example, by recycling some degraded resources. The fish farm has many interactions with the external environment. Serious environmental problems may be avoided if high-intensity farms are properly planned in the first place, at the farm level and at the level of the coastal zone where it can be integrated with other uses by other sectors. It is believed that the key to immediate success in the mass production of milkfish for local consumption and for export of value-added forms may be in semi-intensive farming at target yields of 3 tons per ha per year, double the current national average. Intensive milkfish farming will be limited by environmental, resource and market constraints. Integrated intensive farming systems are the appropriate long-term response to the triple needs of the next century: more food, more income, and more jobs for more people, all from less land, less resources, and less non-renewable energy.

Fisheries Research Institute (FIRI) Annual Report 1994

This is the first annual report of Fisheries Research Institute (FlRl) under the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). NARO was formed by a statute of the government of Uganda in 1992 and became fully operational in 1994. NARO is charged with coordinating and managing national agricultural research in crop. livestock. forestry and fisheries. FIRI is one of the research institutes of NARO. It is charged with generating information and technology to facilitate increased and, sustainable utilization of aquatic resources.

Unified modelling in support of organization design and change

The aim of this research is to provide a unified modelling-based method to help with the evaluation of organization design and change decisions. Relevant literature regarding model-driven organization design and change is described. This helps identify the requirements for a new modelling methodology. Such a methodology is developed and described. The three phases of the developed method include the following. First, the use of CIMOSA-based multi-perspective enterprise modelling to understand and capture the most enduring characteristics of process-oriented organizations and externalize various types of requirement knowledge about any target organization. Second, the use of causal loop diagrams to identify dynamic causal impacts and effects related to the issues and constraints on the organization under study. Third, the use of simulation modelling to quantify the effects of each issue in terms of organizational performance. The design and case study application of a unified modelling method based on CIMOSA (computer integrated manufacturing open systems architecture) enterprise modelling, causal loop diagrams, and simulation modelling, is explored to illustrate its potential to support systematic organization design and change. Further application of the proposed methodology in various company and industry sectors, especially in manufacturing sectors, would be helpful to illustrate complementary uses and relative benefits and drawbacks of the methodology in different types of organization. The proposed unified modelling-based method provides a systematic way of enabling key aspects of organization design and change. The case company, its relevant data, and developed models help to explore and validate the proposed method. The application of CIMOSA-based unified modelling method and integrated application of these three modelling techniques within a single solution space constitutes an advance on previous best practice. Also, the purpose and application domain of the proposed method offers an addition to knowledge. © IMechE 2009.

不同培肥措施下种植制度及撂荒对土壤微生物量碳氮的影响

以黄土高原南部半湿润易旱区已进行17年的田间定位试验为研究对象,研究了不同培肥措施(不施肥、施用氮磷钾及氮磷钾与有机肥配合施用)下两种种植制度(一年1熟及一年两熟)和撂荒对土壤微生物量碳、氮(SMBC、SMBN)及可溶性有机碳、氮(SOC、SON)等含量的影响。结果表明,与一年1熟的小麦-休闲种植制度相比,一年两熟小麦-玉米轮作提高了0~10cm土层SMBC、SMBN、有机碳(TOC)、全氮(TN)和土壤SOC、SON的含量,而对10~20cm土层上述测定指标影响不大。与不施肥(CK)或单施化肥处理(NPK)下小麦-休闲和小麦-玉米轮作方式相比,撂荒处理显著提高了0~10cm土层各测定指标的含量。不同培肥措施相比,氮磷钾配施有机肥显著提高了0~10cm、10~20cm土层SMBC、SMBN含量;NPK处理0~10cm土层SMBN含量显著增加,10~20cm土层SMBN和0~10cm、10~20cm土层SMBC含量增加但未达显著水平。不同培肥措施和种植制度对SMBC/TOC和SMBN/TN的比例无明显影响。

Behavioural responses by yaks in different physiological states (lactating, dry or replacement heifers), when grazing natural pasture in the spring (dry and germinating) season on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

Using heterogeneous vegetation in alpine grassland through grazing is a necessary component of deintensification of livestock systems and conservation of natural environments. However, better understanding of the dynamics of animal feeding behaviour would improve pasture and livestock grazing managements, particularly in the early part of the spring season when forage is scarce. The changes in behaviour may improve the use of poor pastures. Then, enhancing management practices may conserve pasture and improve animal productivity. Grazing behaviour over 24 In periods by yaks in different physiological states (lactating, dry and replacement heifers) was recorded in the early, dry and later, germinating period of the spring season. Under conditions of inadequate forage, the physiological state of yaks was not the primary factor affecting their grazing and ruminating behaviour. Forage and sward state affected yaks' grazing and ruminating behaviour to a greater extent. Generally, yaks had higher intake and spent more time grazing and ruminating during the later part of the spring season, following germination of forage, than during the earlier dry part of the season. However, the live weight of yaks was less during pasture germination than during the early dry part of the season because the herbage mass is low, and the yaks have to expend much energy to seek feed at this particular time. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Error recovery in cyberphysical digital microfluidic biochips

Droplet-based digital microfluidics technology has now come of age, and software-controlled biochips for healthcare applications are starting to emerge. However, today's digital microfluidic biochips suffer from the drawback that there is no feedback to the control software from the underlying hardware platform. Due to the lack of precision inherent in biochemical experiments, errors are likely during droplet manipulation; error recovery based on the repetition of experiments leads to wastage of expensive reagents and hard-to-prepare samples. By exploiting recent advances in the integration of optical detectors (sensors) into a digital microfluidics biochip, we present a physical-aware system reconfiguration technique that uses sensor data at intermediate checkpoints to dynamically reconfigure the biochip. A cyberphysical resynthesis technique is used to recompute electrode-actuation sequences, thereby deriving new schedules, module placement, and droplet routing pathways, with minimum impact on the time-to-response. © 2012 IEEE.

Predictive reliability, prognostics and risk assessment for power modules

This paper describes a framework that is being developed for the prediction and analysis of electronics power module reliability both for qualification testing and in-service lifetime prediction. Physics of failure (PoF) reliability methodology using multi-physics high-fidelity and reduced order computer modelling, as well as numerical optimization techniques, are integrated in a dedicated computer modelling environment to meet the needs of the power module designers and manufacturers as well as end-users for both design and maintenance purposes. An example of lifetime prediction for a power module solder interconnect structure is described. Another example is the lifetime prediction of a power module for a railway traction control application. Also in the paper a combined physics of failure and data trending prognostic methodology for the health monitoring of power modules is discussed.