YouTube - How to Power a TV using a AAA battery
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Turning Trash Into Power -- Biological Engineers Generate Natural Gas with Bacteria
Turning Trash Into Power -- Biological Engineers Generate Natural Gas with Bacteria:
October 1, 2006 — A new kind of waste digester uses two different strains of bacteria in different tanks. This would normally take place in the same environment, but microbiologists have now separated it into two stages that increases natural-gas production. The technology increases efficiency and can turn three tons of food scraps into enough energy to power 25 homes for a day.
October 1, 2006 — A new kind of waste digester uses two different strains of bacteria in different tanks. This would normally take place in the same environment, but microbiologists have now separated it into two stages that increases natural-gas production. The technology increases efficiency and can turn three tons of food scraps into enough energy to power 25 homes for a day.
DAVIS, Calif. -- There's a new twist on the old adage, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Now that trash may be another man's power. Researchers in California are turning garbage into bio-gas that may one day provide the electricity in your home.
Trash could soon be powering your home. A new digester can transform it into energy. It uses two strains of bacteria to convert waste into bio-gas. Most digesters store both bacteria in the same tank, which makes the process unpredictable and slow. But not this digester.
"Zhang's process takes the two bacteria and separates them into two separate environments," Dave Konwinski, the director of OnSite Power Systems in Davis, Calif., tells DBIS.
This new and improved digester is the brain child of Biological Engineer Ruihong Zhang. She and her students at UC Davis first built its prototype in the lab. She's thrilled her new technology is being put to use in the real world.
"It's a new technology ... So it's like a child grow into adult," she says.
The digester will turn three tons of food scraps into energy for 25 houses a day. But it's not just for homes. The digester could be especially useful to fuel processing plants. It s scheduled to be up and running this fall. OnSite Power Systems plans to market it in several states in the next couple of years, including California, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
"We can actually scale a digester to fit their current operations, fill it right at their operations, take the waste stream into the digester, and the energy right back into the plant," Konwinski says. "It will make a substantial dent in our current energy requirement for petroleum."
It's a win-win-win situation for the environment, industry and consumers.
BACKGROUND: Environmental engineers at the University of California, Davis, are building a full-scale anaerobic digester that can convert any type of solid organic waste into electricity -- even leftovers from restaurants. The system is part of the $100,000 Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD pilot project), but an even larger digester system is being put into place in San Francisco.
HOW IT WORKS: In the process, food waste is collected from restaurants and institutions and then fed to bacteria that thrive in low-oxygen environments. It's called anaerobic digestion, a naturally occurring process of decomposition. One type of bacteria turns carbohydrates into simple sugars, amino acids and fatty acids. A second group of bacteria eats those compounds and turns them into hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide, and acetic acid -- the primary component of vinegar. Then a third group of bacteria takes those broken-down compounds and turns them into methane and carbon dioxide. Between 60 and 80 percent becomes methane. The methane can be used as fuel for an internal combustion engine that provides electricity.
TYPES OF DIGESTION: Anaerobic digestion is not the same thing as human digestion, since the type of bacteria that produce methane don't live in the human digestive tract. Industrial anaerobic digesters can also harness this natural process to treat waste, provide heat, and increase nutrients in soil. They are most commonly used for sewage treatment and for managing animal waste.
BENEFITS: The goal of SMUD is to obtain 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and biodegradable matter by 2011. Currently SMUD derives 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, of which biomass accounts for 2.5 percent. The UC-Davis digester would keep food and other biodegradable waste out of landfills; food leftovers account for 18 percent of a landfill's contents. One tone of leftover food can produce enough fuel to power 18 homes for one day.
WHAT ARE EXTREMOPHILES? An extremophile is any microbe that thrives in extreme conditions, such as temperature (extreme heat or cold), pressure, salinity, low oxygen environments, or high concentrations of hostile chemicals. Most extremophiles belong to a class known as archaeobacteria, but certain species of worm, crustacean and krill can also be considered extremophiles.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Outsider Ron Paul finds support for Fed audit | Politics | Reuters
Outsider Ron Paul finds support for Fed audit | Politics | Reuters: "By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After decades of pushing long-shot causes like abolishing the income tax and reinstating the gold standard, Republican Representative Ron Paul finds himself in an unaccustomed spot: on the cusp of legislative victory.
A majority of the libertarian-leaning Texan's colleagues in the House of Representatives support his proposal to increase congressional scrutiny of the Federal Reserve, and the measure could be included in a broader banking overhaul this fall.
But don't expect the House to take up Paul's other pet causes, such as pulling out of the United Nations.
Experts say the success of his Federal Reserve Scrutiny Act reflects rising unease with the central bank's dramatic actions over the past year, rather than any increased influence stemming from Paul's quixotic 2008 presidential bid.
'He's finally found the right moment,' said Sarah Binder of the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution.
Paul's spokeswoman Rachel Mills agrees: 'His bill happens to be in the right place at the right time.'
The former obstetrician has pursued unpopular causes in a political career that has earned him the nickname 'Dr. No.'
He's proposed abolishing an alphabet soup of government agencies and repealing federal drug laws. He has called for withdrawing from trade pacts and military alliances like NATO and pulling U.S. troops back from overseas bases.
He was the only member to vote against awarding congressional medals to Pope John Paul II and civil rights leader Rosa Parks. He has defied his party by opposing the Iraq war and speaking out against a proposed ban on gay marriage.
Paul's 2008 presidential bid attracted a grass-roots following that hired blimps and swamped Web message boards.
Many have continued their activism this year -- visitors to RonPaul.com can enjoy songs like 'Audit the Fed' written and performed by supporters. His latest book, 'End the Fed,' is ranked #22 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.
UNEXPECTED CLOUT
As a renegade member of a political party that controls neither house of Congress, Paul would seem to have little legislative clout. None of the 57 bills he's introduced this year have attracted more than 12 co-sponsors.
The exception is his Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which would allow congressional investigators greater access to the Federal Reserve's records. All 178 House Republicans and 104 Democrats have signed on.
The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Democratic Representative Barney Frank, plans to work with Paul to include a Fed audit in broader legislation to revamp financial regulation that could come up for a vote in October. Continued..."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After decades of pushing long-shot causes like abolishing the income tax and reinstating the gold standard, Republican Representative Ron Paul finds himself in an unaccustomed spot: on the cusp of legislative victory.
A majority of the libertarian-leaning Texan's colleagues in the House of Representatives support his proposal to increase congressional scrutiny of the Federal Reserve, and the measure could be included in a broader banking overhaul this fall.
But don't expect the House to take up Paul's other pet causes, such as pulling out of the United Nations.
Experts say the success of his Federal Reserve Scrutiny Act reflects rising unease with the central bank's dramatic actions over the past year, rather than any increased influence stemming from Paul's quixotic 2008 presidential bid.
'He's finally found the right moment,' said Sarah Binder of the liberal-leaning Brookings Institution.
Paul's spokeswoman Rachel Mills agrees: 'His bill happens to be in the right place at the right time.'
The former obstetrician has pursued unpopular causes in a political career that has earned him the nickname 'Dr. No.'
He's proposed abolishing an alphabet soup of government agencies and repealing federal drug laws. He has called for withdrawing from trade pacts and military alliances like NATO and pulling U.S. troops back from overseas bases.
He was the only member to vote against awarding congressional medals to Pope John Paul II and civil rights leader Rosa Parks. He has defied his party by opposing the Iraq war and speaking out against a proposed ban on gay marriage.
Paul's 2008 presidential bid attracted a grass-roots following that hired blimps and swamped Web message boards.
Many have continued their activism this year -- visitors to RonPaul.com can enjoy songs like 'Audit the Fed' written and performed by supporters. His latest book, 'End the Fed,' is ranked #22 on Amazon.com's bestseller list.
UNEXPECTED CLOUT
As a renegade member of a political party that controls neither house of Congress, Paul would seem to have little legislative clout. None of the 57 bills he's introduced this year have attracted more than 12 co-sponsors.
The exception is his Federal Reserve Transparency Act, which would allow congressional investigators greater access to the Federal Reserve's records. All 178 House Republicans and 104 Democrats have signed on.
The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Democratic Representative Barney Frank, plans to work with Paul to include a Fed audit in broader legislation to revamp financial regulation that could come up for a vote in October. Continued..."
Lessons of the Financial Crisis - Council on Foreign Relations
Lessons of the Financial Crisis - Council on Foreign Relations: "Order this Publication
* DOWNLOAD THE FULL TEXT OF THE REPORT HERE (1.6 MB PDF)
Overview
A new report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Lessons of the Financial Crisis, calls for major economic reforms, both to avoid fueling excessive corporate and individual borrowing in the future and to make the financial system much more resilient in the face of falling asset prices. 'The crisis offers a sobering lesson about the dangers of policies that fuel the rapid buildup of debt across the economy,' says the report. 'Excessive leverage in the economy needs to be prevented because credit does not return to normal once asset prices stop rising and start falling. It becomes dangerously scarce.'
Although many are arguing that the crisis is a direct result of lax regulation, 'U.S. monetary policy, taxation policy, and home ownership promotion policy were so conducive to credit expansion that the idea, understandably popular in Washington and Brussels, that preventing future such crises can be accomplished simply by waking up regulators ‘asleep at the switch' is dangerously simplistic,' says Benn Steil, senior fellow and director of international economics at CFR. 'The United States in particular, given that it effectively sets monetary and credit conditions for a significant portion of the global economy, needs to put in place policies that can better discourage, recognize, and curtail a credit boom, and ensure that systemically important financial institutions can withstand its unwinding.' Steil lays out specific recommendations for reforming the international financial architecture, bank capital standards, borrower screening and monitoring, corporate and individual taxation regimes, over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets infrastructure, corporate governance, and monetary policy.
The report's recommendations include the following:
* Corporation finance: 'U.S. corporations face an astounding 42 percentage-point effective tax rate penalty for equity-financed investments. ...It is imperative that this disparity be addressed as part of wider efforts to make the tax system less distortionary in its effects on economic activity generally.'
* Mortgage finance: '[M]ortgage interest deductibility...does nothing to assist low-income families, as few of them pay federal income tax. ...It should, together with home equity loan interest deductibility, be dramatically scaled down once the housing market has revived.'
* Capital standards: 'Capital requirements should be made countercyclical, rather than procyclical, by raising them in line with growth in a bank's assets--that is, banks should be obliged to build up their capital faster when credit is expanding.'
* Credit ratings agencies (CRAs): 'The second flaw in the [bank capital] regime is the role of officially sanctioned credit ratings agencies in assigning the risk ratings that determine capital requirements. ...But other, sounder metrics are available for this purpose; for example, the size of the asset's yield spread over Treasurys. CRAs...are rife with conflicts of interest that cannot be regulated away...and should not have any formal role in the regulatory process.'
* OTC markets infrastructure: '[T]he over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets, particularly credit default swaps...involve no central clearinghouse to track exposures, net trades, novate trades, collect margin, and absorb default risk. The result was an unmonitored and unchecked build-up of exposures that threatened to bring down other significant market participants, and ultimately forced the U.S. government to bail out AIG at massive, and still growing, cost. ...U.S. and European regulators (whose institutions account for the vast bulk of OTC trading) should therefore oblige regulated central clearing, whether trading is on- or off-exchange, once volume barriers in a given contract are breached.'
* International financial architecture: '[One] option is for countries, particularly smaller ones, to self-insure against currency crises by replacing their national currencies with one of the two globally accepted means of international payment, the dollar or the euro. ...Countries that are dollarized...and euroized have in the current crisis been spared the devastation of mass capital flight. Countries on the periphery of the eurozone...have suffered far more from the global financial upheaval than their euroized neighbors.'"
* DOWNLOAD THE FULL TEXT OF THE REPORT HERE (1.6 MB PDF)
Overview
A new report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Lessons of the Financial Crisis, calls for major economic reforms, both to avoid fueling excessive corporate and individual borrowing in the future and to make the financial system much more resilient in the face of falling asset prices. 'The crisis offers a sobering lesson about the dangers of policies that fuel the rapid buildup of debt across the economy,' says the report. 'Excessive leverage in the economy needs to be prevented because credit does not return to normal once asset prices stop rising and start falling. It becomes dangerously scarce.'
Although many are arguing that the crisis is a direct result of lax regulation, 'U.S. monetary policy, taxation policy, and home ownership promotion policy were so conducive to credit expansion that the idea, understandably popular in Washington and Brussels, that preventing future such crises can be accomplished simply by waking up regulators ‘asleep at the switch' is dangerously simplistic,' says Benn Steil, senior fellow and director of international economics at CFR. 'The United States in particular, given that it effectively sets monetary and credit conditions for a significant portion of the global economy, needs to put in place policies that can better discourage, recognize, and curtail a credit boom, and ensure that systemically important financial institutions can withstand its unwinding.' Steil lays out specific recommendations for reforming the international financial architecture, bank capital standards, borrower screening and monitoring, corporate and individual taxation regimes, over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets infrastructure, corporate governance, and monetary policy.
The report's recommendations include the following:
* Corporation finance: 'U.S. corporations face an astounding 42 percentage-point effective tax rate penalty for equity-financed investments. ...It is imperative that this disparity be addressed as part of wider efforts to make the tax system less distortionary in its effects on economic activity generally.'
* Mortgage finance: '[M]ortgage interest deductibility...does nothing to assist low-income families, as few of them pay federal income tax. ...It should, together with home equity loan interest deductibility, be dramatically scaled down once the housing market has revived.'
* Capital standards: 'Capital requirements should be made countercyclical, rather than procyclical, by raising them in line with growth in a bank's assets--that is, banks should be obliged to build up their capital faster when credit is expanding.'
* Credit ratings agencies (CRAs): 'The second flaw in the [bank capital] regime is the role of officially sanctioned credit ratings agencies in assigning the risk ratings that determine capital requirements. ...But other, sounder metrics are available for this purpose; for example, the size of the asset's yield spread over Treasurys. CRAs...are rife with conflicts of interest that cannot be regulated away...and should not have any formal role in the regulatory process.'
* OTC markets infrastructure: '[T]he over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives markets, particularly credit default swaps...involve no central clearinghouse to track exposures, net trades, novate trades, collect margin, and absorb default risk. The result was an unmonitored and unchecked build-up of exposures that threatened to bring down other significant market participants, and ultimately forced the U.S. government to bail out AIG at massive, and still growing, cost. ...U.S. and European regulators (whose institutions account for the vast bulk of OTC trading) should therefore oblige regulated central clearing, whether trading is on- or off-exchange, once volume barriers in a given contract are breached.'
* International financial architecture: '[One] option is for countries, particularly smaller ones, to self-insure against currency crises by replacing their national currencies with one of the two globally accepted means of international payment, the dollar or the euro. ...Countries that are dollarized...and euroized have in the current crisis been spared the devastation of mass capital flight. Countries on the periphery of the eurozone...have suffered far more from the global financial upheaval than their euroized neighbors.'"
Press Release: IMF Executive Board Backs US$250 Billion SDR Allocation to Boost Global Liquidity
Press Release: IMF Executive Board Backs US$250 Billion SDR Allocation to Boost Global Liquidity: "Press Release No. 09/264
July 20, 2009
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed an allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) equivalent to US$250 billion to provide liquidity to the global economic system by supplementing the Fund’s 186 member countries’ foreign exchange reserves. The equivalent of nearly US$100 billion of the new allocation will go to emerging markets and developing countries, of which low-income countries will receive over US$18 billion. The proposal will now be submitted to the IMF’s Board of Governors for final approval.
“The SDR allocation is a key part of the Fund’s response to the global crisis, offering significant support to its members in these difficult times,” IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.
The SDR allocation was requested as part of a US$1.1 trillion plan agreed at the G-20 summit in London in April and endorsed by the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) to tackle the global financial and economic crisis by restoring credit, growth and jobs in the world economy. If approved by the Board of Governors with an 85 percent majority of the total voting power in a vote scheduled to close on August 7, the SDR allocation will be in effect on August 28.
'The allocation is a prime example of a cooperative monetary response to the global financial crisis,' the Managing Director underscored.
The SDR allocation will be made to IMF members that are participants in the Special Drawing Rights Department (currently all members) in proportion to their existing quotas in the Fund, which are based broadly on their relative size in the global economy. The operation will increase each country’s allocation of SDRs by approximately 74 percent of its quota, and Fund members’ total allocation to an amount equivalent to about $283 billion, from about $33 billion (SDR 21.4 billion).
SDRs allocated to members will count toward their reserve assets, acting as a low cost liquidity buffer for low-income countries and emerging markets and reducing the need for excessive self-insurance. Some members may choose to sell part or all of their allocation to other members in exchange for hard currency--for example, to meet balance of payments needs--while other members may choose to buy more SDRs as a means of reallocating their reserves. In supporting the allocation proposal, the Executive Board stressed that it should not weaken the pursuit of prudent macroeconomic policies, and should not substitute for a Fund-supported program or postpone needed policy adjustments."
July 20, 2009
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed an allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) equivalent to US$250 billion to provide liquidity to the global economic system by supplementing the Fund’s 186 member countries’ foreign exchange reserves. The equivalent of nearly US$100 billion of the new allocation will go to emerging markets and developing countries, of which low-income countries will receive over US$18 billion. The proposal will now be submitted to the IMF’s Board of Governors for final approval.
“The SDR allocation is a key part of the Fund’s response to the global crisis, offering significant support to its members in these difficult times,” IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.
The SDR allocation was requested as part of a US$1.1 trillion plan agreed at the G-20 summit in London in April and endorsed by the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) to tackle the global financial and economic crisis by restoring credit, growth and jobs in the world economy. If approved by the Board of Governors with an 85 percent majority of the total voting power in a vote scheduled to close on August 7, the SDR allocation will be in effect on August 28.
'The allocation is a prime example of a cooperative monetary response to the global financial crisis,' the Managing Director underscored.
The SDR allocation will be made to IMF members that are participants in the Special Drawing Rights Department (currently all members) in proportion to their existing quotas in the Fund, which are based broadly on their relative size in the global economy. The operation will increase each country’s allocation of SDRs by approximately 74 percent of its quota, and Fund members’ total allocation to an amount equivalent to about $283 billion, from about $33 billion (SDR 21.4 billion).
SDRs allocated to members will count toward their reserve assets, acting as a low cost liquidity buffer for low-income countries and emerging markets and reducing the need for excessive self-insurance. Some members may choose to sell part or all of their allocation to other members in exchange for hard currency--for example, to meet balance of payments needs--while other members may choose to buy more SDRs as a means of reallocating their reserves. In supporting the allocation proposal, the Executive Board stressed that it should not weaken the pursuit of prudent macroeconomic policies, and should not substitute for a Fund-supported program or postpone needed policy adjustments."
Factsheet -- Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
Factsheet -- Special Drawing Rights (SDRs):
The role of the SDR
The SDR was created by the IMF in 1969 to support the Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate system. A country participating in this system needed official reserves—government or central bank holdings of gold and widely accepted foreign currencies—that could be used to purchase the domestic currency in foreign exchange markets, as required to maintain its exchange rate. But the international supply of two key reserve assets—gold and the U.S. dollar—proved inadequate for supporting the expansion of world trade and financial development that was taking place. Therefore, the international community decided to create a new international reserve asset under the auspices of the IMF.
However, only a few years later, the Bretton Woods system collapsed and the major currencies shifted to a floating exchange rate regime. In addition, the growth in international capital markets facilitated borrowing by creditworthy governments. Both of these developments lessened the need for SDRs.
The SDR is neither a currency, nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. Holders of SDRs can obtain these currencies in exchange for their SDRs in two ways: first, through the arrangement of voluntary exchanges between members; and second, by the IMF designating members with strong external positions to purchase SDRs from members with weak external positions. In addition to its role as a supplementary reserve asset, the SDR, serves as the unit of account of the IMF and some other international organizations.
Basket of currencies determines the value of the SDR
The value of the SDR was initially defined as equivalent to 0.888671 grams of fine gold—which, at the time, was also equivalent to one U.S. dollar. After the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1973, however, the SDR was redefined as a basket of currencies, today consisting of the euro, Japanese yen, pound sterling, and U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar-value of the SDR is posted daily on the IMF’s website. It is calculated as the sum of specific amounts of the four currencies valued in U.S. dollars, on the basis of exchange rates quoted at noon each day in the London market.
The basket composition is reviewed every five years by the Executive Board to ensure that it reflects the relative importance of currencies in the world’s trading and financial systems. In the most recent review (in November 2005), the weights of the currencies in the SDR basket were revised based on the value of the exports of goods and services and the amount of reserves denominated in the respective currencies which were held by other members of the IMF. These changes became effective on January 1, 2006. The next review will take place in late 2010.
The SDR interest rate
The SDR interest rate provides the basis for calculating the interest charged to members on regular (non-concessional) IMF loans, the interest paid and charged to members on their SDR holdings, and the interest paid to members on a portion of their quota subscriptions. The SDR interest rate is determined weekly and is based on a weighted average of representative interest rates on short-term debt in the money markets of the SDR basket currencies.
SDR allocations to IMF members
Under its Articles of Agreement, the IMF may allocate SDRs to members in proportion to their IMF quotas. Such an allocation provides each member with a costless asset. However, if a member’s SDR holdings rise above its allocation, it earns interest on the excess; conversely, if it holds fewer SDRs than allocated, it pays interest on the shortfall.
There are two kinds of allocations:
General allocations of SDRs. General allocations have to be based on a long-term global need to supplement existing reserve assets. Decisions to allocate SDRs have been made three times. The first allocation was for a total amount of SDR 9.3 billion, distributed in 1970-72 in yearly installments. The second allocation, for SDR 12.1 billion, was distributed in 1979–81 in yearly installments.
The third general allocation was approved on August 7, 2009 for an amount of SDR 161.2 billion and will take place on August 28, 2009. The allocation would mean a simultaneous increase in eligible members’ SDR holdings and in their cumulative SDR allocation by about 74.13 percent of their quota.
Special allocations of SDRs. A proposal for a special one-time allocation of SDRs was approved by the IMF’s Board of Governors in September 1997 through the proposed Fourth Amendment of the Articles of Agreement. Its intent is to enable all members of the IMF to participate in the SDR system on an equitable basis and correct for the fact that countries that joined the Fund after 1981—more than one-fifth of the current IMF membership—have never received an SDR allocation. This allocation would increase members' cumulative SDR allocations by SDR 21.5 billion using a common benchmark ratio as described in the amendment.
The Fourth Amendment became effective for all members on August 10, 2009 when the Fund certified that at least three-fifths of the IMF membership (112 members) with 85 percent of the total voting power accepted it. On August 5, 2009, the United States joined 133 other members in supporting the Amendment. The special allocation will be implemented on September 9, 2009.
Buying and selling SDRs
IMF members often need to buy SDRs to discharge obligations to the IMF, or they may wish to sell SDRs in order to adjust the composition of their reserves. The IMF acts as a broker between members and prescribed holders to ensure that SDRs can be exchanged for freely usable currencies. For more than two decades, the SDR market has functioned through voluntary trading arrangements. Under these arrangements a number of members and one prescribed holder have volunteered to buy or sell SDRs within limits defined by the arrangement. In view of the expected increase in the volume of transactions following the 2009 SDR allocations, the number and size of the voluntary arrangements is being expanded to ensure continued liquidity of the voluntary SDR market.
In the event that there is insufficient capacity under the voluntary trading arrangements, the Fund can activate the designation mechanism. Under this mechanism, members with sufficiently strong external positions are designated by the Fund to buy SDRs with freely usable currencies up to certain amounts from members with weak external positions. This arrangement serves as a backstop to guarantee the liquidity and the reserve asset character of the SDR."
The role of the SDR
The SDR was created by the IMF in 1969 to support the Bretton Woods fixed exchange rate system. A country participating in this system needed official reserves—government or central bank holdings of gold and widely accepted foreign currencies—that could be used to purchase the domestic currency in foreign exchange markets, as required to maintain its exchange rate. But the international supply of two key reserve assets—gold and the U.S. dollar—proved inadequate for supporting the expansion of world trade and financial development that was taking place. Therefore, the international community decided to create a new international reserve asset under the auspices of the IMF.
However, only a few years later, the Bretton Woods system collapsed and the major currencies shifted to a floating exchange rate regime. In addition, the growth in international capital markets facilitated borrowing by creditworthy governments. Both of these developments lessened the need for SDRs.
The SDR is neither a currency, nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. Holders of SDRs can obtain these currencies in exchange for their SDRs in two ways: first, through the arrangement of voluntary exchanges between members; and second, by the IMF designating members with strong external positions to purchase SDRs from members with weak external positions. In addition to its role as a supplementary reserve asset, the SDR, serves as the unit of account of the IMF and some other international organizations.
Basket of currencies determines the value of the SDR
The value of the SDR was initially defined as equivalent to 0.888671 grams of fine gold—which, at the time, was also equivalent to one U.S. dollar. After the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1973, however, the SDR was redefined as a basket of currencies, today consisting of the euro, Japanese yen, pound sterling, and U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar-value of the SDR is posted daily on the IMF’s website. It is calculated as the sum of specific amounts of the four currencies valued in U.S. dollars, on the basis of exchange rates quoted at noon each day in the London market.
The basket composition is reviewed every five years by the Executive Board to ensure that it reflects the relative importance of currencies in the world’s trading and financial systems. In the most recent review (in November 2005), the weights of the currencies in the SDR basket were revised based on the value of the exports of goods and services and the amount of reserves denominated in the respective currencies which were held by other members of the IMF. These changes became effective on January 1, 2006. The next review will take place in late 2010.
The SDR interest rate
The SDR interest rate provides the basis for calculating the interest charged to members on regular (non-concessional) IMF loans, the interest paid and charged to members on their SDR holdings, and the interest paid to members on a portion of their quota subscriptions. The SDR interest rate is determined weekly and is based on a weighted average of representative interest rates on short-term debt in the money markets of the SDR basket currencies.
SDR allocations to IMF members
Under its Articles of Agreement, the IMF may allocate SDRs to members in proportion to their IMF quotas. Such an allocation provides each member with a costless asset. However, if a member’s SDR holdings rise above its allocation, it earns interest on the excess; conversely, if it holds fewer SDRs than allocated, it pays interest on the shortfall.
There are two kinds of allocations:
General allocations of SDRs. General allocations have to be based on a long-term global need to supplement existing reserve assets. Decisions to allocate SDRs have been made three times. The first allocation was for a total amount of SDR 9.3 billion, distributed in 1970-72 in yearly installments. The second allocation, for SDR 12.1 billion, was distributed in 1979–81 in yearly installments.
The third general allocation was approved on August 7, 2009 for an amount of SDR 161.2 billion and will take place on August 28, 2009. The allocation would mean a simultaneous increase in eligible members’ SDR holdings and in their cumulative SDR allocation by about 74.13 percent of their quota.
Special allocations of SDRs. A proposal for a special one-time allocation of SDRs was approved by the IMF’s Board of Governors in September 1997 through the proposed Fourth Amendment of the Articles of Agreement. Its intent is to enable all members of the IMF to participate in the SDR system on an equitable basis and correct for the fact that countries that joined the Fund after 1981—more than one-fifth of the current IMF membership—have never received an SDR allocation. This allocation would increase members' cumulative SDR allocations by SDR 21.5 billion using a common benchmark ratio as described in the amendment.
The Fourth Amendment became effective for all members on August 10, 2009 when the Fund certified that at least three-fifths of the IMF membership (112 members) with 85 percent of the total voting power accepted it. On August 5, 2009, the United States joined 133 other members in supporting the Amendment. The special allocation will be implemented on September 9, 2009.
Buying and selling SDRs
IMF members often need to buy SDRs to discharge obligations to the IMF, or they may wish to sell SDRs in order to adjust the composition of their reserves. The IMF acts as a broker between members and prescribed holders to ensure that SDRs can be exchanged for freely usable currencies. For more than two decades, the SDR market has functioned through voluntary trading arrangements. Under these arrangements a number of members and one prescribed holder have volunteered to buy or sell SDRs within limits defined by the arrangement. In view of the expected increase in the volume of transactions following the 2009 SDR allocations, the number and size of the voluntary arrangements is being expanded to ensure continued liquidity of the voluntary SDR market.
In the event that there is insufficient capacity under the voluntary trading arrangements, the Fund can activate the designation mechanism. Under this mechanism, members with sufficiently strong external positions are designated by the Fund to buy SDRs with freely usable currencies up to certain amounts from members with weak external positions. This arrangement serves as a backstop to guarantee the liquidity and the reserve asset character of the SDR."
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Understanding Microgravity | Astrogenetix
Understanding Microgravity | Astrogenetix: "'Gravity' refers to the force exerted by the Earth on objects in its vicinity; standing on the surface of the earth an object behaves within the environment of this force. Conversely, a “microgravity” or “micro-g” environment is one in which gravity has a minuscule effect on a mass and represents a material reduction in the gravitational forces under which objects behave on Earth.
The myth that a satellite remains in orbit because it operates far enough from Earth’s gravitational pull is untrue. Gravity still exists in orbit. A satellite stays suspended because its location and speed work together to create a centrifugal equilibrium that counteracts Earth’s gravitational pull. A state of microgravity is achieved because the object in orbit is in a constant state of free fall. In this environment objects are not subject to sedimentation, gravity-drive convection or hydrostatic pressure. For particular projects these and other micro-g conditions create research settings far superior to those we can establish on Earth.
The first micro-g experiments took place on the Apollo spacecraft in 1957 when the first men went into space. Since then scientists have conducted thousands of experiments that have helped build our understanding of microgravity and the benefits of conducting research within its environments."
The myth that a satellite remains in orbit because it operates far enough from Earth’s gravitational pull is untrue. Gravity still exists in orbit. A satellite stays suspended because its location and speed work together to create a centrifugal equilibrium that counteracts Earth’s gravitational pull. A state of microgravity is achieved because the object in orbit is in a constant state of free fall. In this environment objects are not subject to sedimentation, gravity-drive convection or hydrostatic pressure. For particular projects these and other micro-g conditions create research settings far superior to those we can establish on Earth.
The first micro-g experiments took place on the Apollo spacecraft in 1957 when the first men went into space. Since then scientists have conducted thousands of experiments that have helped build our understanding of microgravity and the benefits of conducting research within its environments."
Services | Astrogenetix
Services | Astrogenetix:
Astrogenetix is uniquely positioned to offer our Microgravity Processing (MGP) services on a contract research basis. We are the only entity capable of providing not only access to a microgravity environment, but also the skills, resources and experience to provide end-to-end mission assurance for an experimental protocol. Many pharmaceutical industry development programs are being delayed or have failed due to a lack of appropriate research and development tools; Astrogenetix is equipped to step in and help facilitate these programs. Working in the rigorous NASA environment for more than 25 years, our team has participated in many missions with a large set of government, academic and commercial customers. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to outsource research and development projects in the pre-clinical and clinical phases should contact us to find out more about how we can help facilitate to-market processes more quickly and affordably.
Astrogenetix offers three types of services:
* Biomarker Discovery (target discovery, lead compound development, etc.)
* Preclinical Studies (in-vitro experimentation in microgravity)
* Microgravity Processing"
Astrogenetix is uniquely positioned to offer our Microgravity Processing (MGP) services on a contract research basis. We are the only entity capable of providing not only access to a microgravity environment, but also the skills, resources and experience to provide end-to-end mission assurance for an experimental protocol. Many pharmaceutical industry development programs are being delayed or have failed due to a lack of appropriate research and development tools; Astrogenetix is equipped to step in and help facilitate these programs. Working in the rigorous NASA environment for more than 25 years, our team has participated in many missions with a large set of government, academic and commercial customers. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to outsource research and development projects in the pre-clinical and clinical phases should contact us to find out more about how we can help facilitate to-market processes more quickly and affordably.
Astrogenetix offers three types of services:
* Biomarker Discovery (target discovery, lead compound development, etc.)
* Preclinical Studies (in-vitro experimentation in microgravity)
* Microgravity Processing"
About Us | Astrogenetix
About Us | Astrogenetix:
Astrogenetix, Inc. was formed by Astrotech Corporation to commercialize biotechnology products processed in the unique environment of microgravity. Through expertise gained by sending more than 1,500 NASA science experiments into space, Astrogenetix is exclusively positioned to help commercialize products derived from microgravity discoveries. We offer a turn-key platform for pre-flight sample preparation, flight hardware, mission planning and operations, crew training and certification processes needed within the highly regulated and complex environment of manned space flight. Astrogenetix is one of the first commercial entities to hold a Space Act Agreement with NASA for use of the International Space Station (ISS), a designated U.S. National Laboratory, for research, development and industrial processing purposes. This agreement, along with our relationship with various universities and government agencies and departments, gives us the ability to process valuable products in space to be commercialized on Earth."
Astrogenetix, Inc. was formed by Astrotech Corporation to commercialize biotechnology products processed in the unique environment of microgravity. Through expertise gained by sending more than 1,500 NASA science experiments into space, Astrogenetix is exclusively positioned to help commercialize products derived from microgravity discoveries. We offer a turn-key platform for pre-flight sample preparation, flight hardware, mission planning and operations, crew training and certification processes needed within the highly regulated and complex environment of manned space flight. Astrogenetix is one of the first commercial entities to hold a Space Act Agreement with NASA for use of the International Space Station (ISS), a designated U.S. National Laboratory, for research, development and industrial processing purposes. This agreement, along with our relationship with various universities and government agencies and departments, gives us the ability to process valuable products in space to be commercialized on Earth."
BBC - Spaceman
BBC - Spaceman: "Bugs, 'pineapple cans' and a commercially savvy ISS
Jonathan Amos | 12:40 UK time, Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Comments (0)
Bugs are battling worms in space right now, and the outcome could have profound implications for our health here on Earth.
MRSA bacteriaThis isn't the plot of some sci-fi movie but the description of a fascinating scientific experiment taken up to the International Space Station (ISS) by the shuttle this past fortnight.
Discovery astronauts have been running an investigation which could one day lead to a vaccine for MRSA, or some other novel approach to combating a bug that has come to blight modern hospitals worldwide.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus results in hundreds of thousands of infections every year, delaying the recovery of some patients and hastening the deaths of others.
Its refusal to budge in the face of some of our best antibiotics has sent scientists scurrying for new solutions. Space may have the answer.
You needn't worry that the astronauts on the station will have been infected. The experiment they took up was in a tightly sealed container about the size of a pineapple can.
Astronaut cranks the canInside this vessel are a series of eight tubes divided into compartments. In some compartments are armies of Caenorhabditis elegans - the tiny roundworms so loved by laboratory scientists because their biology on a very simple level resembles our own.
In others are different types of MRSA bacteria. These have been modified at a genetic level to try to reduce their virulence - to remove their ability to infect a host.
The astronaut simply takes the can in hand and cranks a handle, at which point the tubes' contents are mixed, and the C. elegans and the MRSA go at each other hell-for-leather.
The worms eat the bacteria and the bacteria fight back.
Now, something really odd happens in the weightless conditions experienced in orbit. Bacteria can multiply rapidly and their ability to cause disease can become greatly amplified. The bad become worse.
C. elegans wormsQuite why this happens is still a bit of a mystery. What it means, though, is that few worms will be expected to survive unless their particular MRSA foe has been severely weakened by the modification process.
In other words, find the worms that are flourishing and you may have identified a 'flavour' of bacterium which looks just like a virulent form but doesn't actually cause disease.
And that's the basis for a vaccine - something which will provoke a sustained immune response without inducing an illness.
The pineapple can - or assay, to give it its correct term - has already delivered some smart results for salmonella.
Astronaut studies have identified two genes in the infamous food-borne bacterium which, if you delete them, will cause the bug's virulence to go away.
An application will soon be filed with the US Federal Drug Administration to start initial clinical trials on a salmonella vaccine.
Inside the ISS Columbus labAll this work is being led by a company operating out of Austin, Texas, called Astrogenetix.
The US space agency (Nasa) has guaranteed the firm experiment opportunities on all the remaining shuttle flights to the ISS.
It's a facility that's priceless, Dr Jeanne Becker, the company's chief science officer, told me:
'In order for us to do any of this has required iterative opportunities for science - to be able to ask a question, do the flight, get an answer, and then go forward with the next series of investigations.
'This is all about using space for product development; this is what ISS was built for. We really feel that ISS is a platform for new discovery.'
Astrogenetix is something of a rarity - a commercial venture that has sought to exploit the space station to advance new applications.
That so few others have come forward in the same way has something to do with the difficulties the ISS has gone through in its construction phase. Utilisation has taken a backseat.
But it probably also now has something to do with the uncertainty over the station's continued existence.
It's a truism in business that companies need confidence to invest; and currently there are considerable risks in getting involved in a project that may not be flying beyond the first few months of 2016 if no mission extension is granted.
The review President Barack Obama has called to look at the future of Nasa's human spaceflight programme will have far-reaching consequences beyond just identifying a spaceship to replace the shuttle.
It will also decide whether some of the original goals set out for the space station are ever to be fully realised."
Jonathan Amos | 12:40 UK time, Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Comments (0)
Bugs are battling worms in space right now, and the outcome could have profound implications for our health here on Earth.
MRSA bacteriaThis isn't the plot of some sci-fi movie but the description of a fascinating scientific experiment taken up to the International Space Station (ISS) by the shuttle this past fortnight.
Discovery astronauts have been running an investigation which could one day lead to a vaccine for MRSA, or some other novel approach to combating a bug that has come to blight modern hospitals worldwide.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus results in hundreds of thousands of infections every year, delaying the recovery of some patients and hastening the deaths of others.
Its refusal to budge in the face of some of our best antibiotics has sent scientists scurrying for new solutions. Space may have the answer.
You needn't worry that the astronauts on the station will have been infected. The experiment they took up was in a tightly sealed container about the size of a pineapple can.
Astronaut cranks the canInside this vessel are a series of eight tubes divided into compartments. In some compartments are armies of Caenorhabditis elegans - the tiny roundworms so loved by laboratory scientists because their biology on a very simple level resembles our own.
In others are different types of MRSA bacteria. These have been modified at a genetic level to try to reduce their virulence - to remove their ability to infect a host.
The astronaut simply takes the can in hand and cranks a handle, at which point the tubes' contents are mixed, and the C. elegans and the MRSA go at each other hell-for-leather.
The worms eat the bacteria and the bacteria fight back.
Now, something really odd happens in the weightless conditions experienced in orbit. Bacteria can multiply rapidly and their ability to cause disease can become greatly amplified. The bad become worse.
C. elegans wormsQuite why this happens is still a bit of a mystery. What it means, though, is that few worms will be expected to survive unless their particular MRSA foe has been severely weakened by the modification process.
In other words, find the worms that are flourishing and you may have identified a 'flavour' of bacterium which looks just like a virulent form but doesn't actually cause disease.
And that's the basis for a vaccine - something which will provoke a sustained immune response without inducing an illness.
The pineapple can - or assay, to give it its correct term - has already delivered some smart results for salmonella.
Astronaut studies have identified two genes in the infamous food-borne bacterium which, if you delete them, will cause the bug's virulence to go away.
An application will soon be filed with the US Federal Drug Administration to start initial clinical trials on a salmonella vaccine.
Inside the ISS Columbus labAll this work is being led by a company operating out of Austin, Texas, called Astrogenetix.
The US space agency (Nasa) has guaranteed the firm experiment opportunities on all the remaining shuttle flights to the ISS.
It's a facility that's priceless, Dr Jeanne Becker, the company's chief science officer, told me:
'In order for us to do any of this has required iterative opportunities for science - to be able to ask a question, do the flight, get an answer, and then go forward with the next series of investigations.
'This is all about using space for product development; this is what ISS was built for. We really feel that ISS is a platform for new discovery.'
Astrogenetix is something of a rarity - a commercial venture that has sought to exploit the space station to advance new applications.
That so few others have come forward in the same way has something to do with the difficulties the ISS has gone through in its construction phase. Utilisation has taken a backseat.
But it probably also now has something to do with the uncertainty over the station's continued existence.
It's a truism in business that companies need confidence to invest; and currently there are considerable risks in getting involved in a project that may not be flying beyond the first few months of 2016 if no mission extension is granted.
The review President Barack Obama has called to look at the future of Nasa's human spaceflight programme will have far-reaching consequences beyond just identifying a spaceship to replace the shuttle.
It will also decide whether some of the original goals set out for the space station are ever to be fully realised."
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click | The drive for the future
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Click | The drive for the future: "By Ian Hardy
Reporter, BBC Click
Name almost any Californian big time tech company - such as Google, Yahoo or Sun - and the chances are good that its roots are in Stanford University in Silicon Valley.
A driverless car
The cars have no human driver and no remote control system - everything from sensors to navigation is handled by an on board computer
Every year Stanford admits about 15,000 students - just over half are post graduate - and some of the brightest minds in the world.
A few will become household names in a decade or less. And it all comes down to the professors who challenge, push, question and encourage new ideas.
For all its cutting edge technology, Stanford University is also steeped in history.
It opened in 1891 and the grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted - the same man who planned New York's Central Park.
But despite that long history, many of the academics and researchers at the University have their eyes set firmly on the future."
Reporter, BBC Click
Name almost any Californian big time tech company - such as Google, Yahoo or Sun - and the chances are good that its roots are in Stanford University in Silicon Valley.
A driverless car
The cars have no human driver and no remote control system - everything from sensors to navigation is handled by an on board computer
Every year Stanford admits about 15,000 students - just over half are post graduate - and some of the brightest minds in the world.
A few will become household names in a decade or less. And it all comes down to the professors who challenge, push, question and encourage new ideas.
For all its cutting edge technology, Stanford University is also steeped in history.
It opened in 1891 and the grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted - the same man who planned New York's Central Park.
But despite that long history, many of the academics and researchers at the University have their eyes set firmly on the future."
Monday, September 07, 2009
Biorhythms for Anonymous
Biorhythms
Our biorhythm charts depict a range of days centered on the target day. The numbers -14, -7, +7, and +14 across the top mark dates ranging from the past to the future. The numbers from +100% (maximum) to -100% (minimum) indicate where the rhythms are on a particular day. In general, a rhythm at 0% is thought to have no real impact on your life, whereas a rhythm at +100% (a high) would give you an edge in that area, and a rhythm at -100% (a low) would make life more difficult in that area. There is no particular meaning to a day on which your rhythms are all high or all low, except the obvious benefits or hindrances that these rare extremes are thought to have on your life.
The three primary biorhythm cycles are:
Emotional: This cycle tracks the stability and positive energy of your psyche and outlook on life, as well as your capacity to empathize with and build rapport with other people.
Intellectual: This cycle tracks your verbal, mathematical, symbolic, and creative abilities, as well as your capacity to apply reason and analysis to the world around you.
Physical: This cycle tracks your strength, health, and raw physical vitality.
The three secondary cycles that derive from the primaries are:
Mastery: This is the composite of the Intellectual and Physical cycles. Mastery encompasses your ability to succeed at tasks and to obtain what you desire. This cycle also tracks athletic ability and the focus required to learn physical skills.
Passion: This is the composite of the Physical and Emotional cycles. Passion encompasses your motivation to act, and the drive that allows you to continue a difficult pursuit. This cycle also tracks sexuality in its purest form.
Wisdom: This is the composite of the Emotional and Intellectual cycles. Wisdom encompasses your understanding of the world, your role in it, and the things that are truly important to your life. This cycle also tracks the presence of mind that you need to make crucial decisions."
Our biorhythm charts depict a range of days centered on the target day. The numbers -14, -7, +7, and +14 across the top mark dates ranging from the past to the future. The numbers from +100% (maximum) to -100% (minimum) indicate where the rhythms are on a particular day. In general, a rhythm at 0% is thought to have no real impact on your life, whereas a rhythm at +100% (a high) would give you an edge in that area, and a rhythm at -100% (a low) would make life more difficult in that area. There is no particular meaning to a day on which your rhythms are all high or all low, except the obvious benefits or hindrances that these rare extremes are thought to have on your life.
The three primary biorhythm cycles are:
Emotional: This cycle tracks the stability and positive energy of your psyche and outlook on life, as well as your capacity to empathize with and build rapport with other people.
Intellectual: This cycle tracks your verbal, mathematical, symbolic, and creative abilities, as well as your capacity to apply reason and analysis to the world around you.
Physical: This cycle tracks your strength, health, and raw physical vitality.
The three secondary cycles that derive from the primaries are:
Mastery: This is the composite of the Intellectual and Physical cycles. Mastery encompasses your ability to succeed at tasks and to obtain what you desire. This cycle also tracks athletic ability and the focus required to learn physical skills.
Passion: This is the composite of the Physical and Emotional cycles. Passion encompasses your motivation to act, and the drive that allows you to continue a difficult pursuit. This cycle also tracks sexuality in its purest form.
Wisdom: This is the composite of the Emotional and Intellectual cycles. Wisdom encompasses your understanding of the world, your role in it, and the things that are truly important to your life. This cycle also tracks the presence of mind that you need to make crucial decisions."
US firm to invest $50 billion in RP project | The Philippine Star >> News >> Business
US firm to invest $50 billion in RP project | The Philippine Star News; Business:
MANILA, Philippines - US-based Swiss Global Connect USA will invest $50 billion to develop priority projects in tourism, real estate development, infrastructure, agricultural research, indigenous power supply and mineral enhancements in Zambales.
Zambales Governor Amor Deloso has signed in behalf of the provincial government a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Swiss Global Connect USA in partnership with AIPAC Philippines Management Corp.
“An initial $50 billion will be earmarked over a 10-year period to fund the province’s development projects in tourism that include the San Salvador Island, Masinloc Resort Complex, Mt. Tapulao Palauig Tourism Complex and the Zambales Fantasy Island in Subic,” Deloso said.
Deloso noted that the projects will also cover the contruction of a toll bypass expressway linking Tarlac and Zambales and providing access to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). It will also include the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Iba Airstrip for domestic flights.
“A 620-hectare real estate development in the town of Subic will transformed into a financial district, educational and learning center, with executive housing, parks, hotels, convention center and state of the art hospital,” Deloso said."
MANILA, Philippines - US-based Swiss Global Connect USA will invest $50 billion to develop priority projects in tourism, real estate development, infrastructure, agricultural research, indigenous power supply and mineral enhancements in Zambales.
Zambales Governor Amor Deloso has signed in behalf of the provincial government a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Swiss Global Connect USA in partnership with AIPAC Philippines Management Corp.
“An initial $50 billion will be earmarked over a 10-year period to fund the province’s development projects in tourism that include the San Salvador Island, Masinloc Resort Complex, Mt. Tapulao Palauig Tourism Complex and the Zambales Fantasy Island in Subic,” Deloso said.
Deloso noted that the projects will also cover the contruction of a toll bypass expressway linking Tarlac and Zambales and providing access to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). It will also include the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Iba Airstrip for domestic flights.
“A 620-hectare real estate development in the town of Subic will transformed into a financial district, educational and learning center, with executive housing, parks, hotels, convention center and state of the art hospital,” Deloso said."
BusinessWorld Online: US firm to bankroll tourism, infrastructure projects in Zambales
BusinessWorld Online: US firm to bankroll tourism, infrastructure projects in Zambales:
IBA, ZAMBALES — California-based financing firm Swiss Global Connect USA has committed to a $50-billion investment package to bankroll the province’s priority projects in tourism, mining and property developments.
Zambales Governor Amor D. Deloso made the announcement shortly after signing a memorandum of agreement Thursday with Swiss Global Connect USA through local partner AIPAC Philippines Management Corp., represented by its president Rubina Zahid.
Mr. Deloso said the agreement was in accordance with the built, operate and transfer (BOT) and the built, operate and own (BOO) programs of the government.
In an interview, Mr. Deloso said the provincial government has outlined a 10-year infrastructure development program.
Priority projects cover tourism and real estate development, infrastructure, agricultural research, indigenous power supply, and mineral enhancements and exploration.
Ms. Zahid cited Zambales’ 'natural beauty and topography,' adding that the projects would generate more direct investments through the 'foreign investment multiplier effect.'
Based on an unsolicited proposal unanimously approved by the Provincial Board in July, an initial $50 billion will be earmarked over a 10-year period to fund the province’s development projects in tourism, including San Salvador Island, the Masinloc Resort Complex, Mt. Tapulao resort, Palauig Tourism Complex, and the Zambales Fantasy Island in Subic town.
In infrastructure, projects include a by-pass expressway linking Tarlac and Zambales via the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Iba Airstrip into a domestic airport.
The firm is planning a 620-hectare real estate development in the town of Subic, aiming to transform the area into a financial district and an educational and learning center, with executive housing, parks, hotels, a convention center and a hospital.
There will also be an agricultural research center in a possible tie-up with the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial State University.
Zambales will also allocate at least 64 hectares of shoreline area for the construction of a facility converting magnesium energy into an alternative power supply.
The venture will also go into mineral exploration and the dredging of the Macolcol, Maloma and Bucao rivers to prevent flooding. — Rey Garcia"
IBA, ZAMBALES — California-based financing firm Swiss Global Connect USA has committed to a $50-billion investment package to bankroll the province’s priority projects in tourism, mining and property developments.
Zambales Governor Amor D. Deloso made the announcement shortly after signing a memorandum of agreement Thursday with Swiss Global Connect USA through local partner AIPAC Philippines Management Corp., represented by its president Rubina Zahid.
Mr. Deloso said the agreement was in accordance with the built, operate and transfer (BOT) and the built, operate and own (BOO) programs of the government.
In an interview, Mr. Deloso said the provincial government has outlined a 10-year infrastructure development program.
Priority projects cover tourism and real estate development, infrastructure, agricultural research, indigenous power supply, and mineral enhancements and exploration.
Ms. Zahid cited Zambales’ 'natural beauty and topography,' adding that the projects would generate more direct investments through the 'foreign investment multiplier effect.'
Based on an unsolicited proposal unanimously approved by the Provincial Board in July, an initial $50 billion will be earmarked over a 10-year period to fund the province’s development projects in tourism, including San Salvador Island, the Masinloc Resort Complex, Mt. Tapulao resort, Palauig Tourism Complex, and the Zambales Fantasy Island in Subic town.
In infrastructure, projects include a by-pass expressway linking Tarlac and Zambales via the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Iba Airstrip into a domestic airport.
The firm is planning a 620-hectare real estate development in the town of Subic, aiming to transform the area into a financial district and an educational and learning center, with executive housing, parks, hotels, a convention center and a hospital.
There will also be an agricultural research center in a possible tie-up with the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial State University.
Zambales will also allocate at least 64 hectares of shoreline area for the construction of a facility converting magnesium energy into an alternative power supply.
The venture will also go into mineral exploration and the dredging of the Macolcol, Maloma and Bucao rivers to prevent flooding. — Rey Garcia"
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Should Google be the world's librarian?
BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | Should Google be the world's librarian?: "Google is in the middle of a project to digitise the world's books to create a vast online library. Do think it is a good idea?
The US Department of Justice has begun an investigation into the Google Books Programme. If permission is given to go ahead, Google will be able to digitise old and new books without fear of prosecution for copyright infringement.
In return Google would create a Book Rights Registry where authors and publishers could register works and be compensated.
Critics say such a library controlled by a single company and small group of publishers would inevitably lead to higher prices and subpar services."
The US Department of Justice has begun an investigation into the Google Books Programme. If permission is given to go ahead, Google will be able to digitise old and new books without fear of prosecution for copyright infringement.
In return Google would create a Book Rights Registry where authors and publishers could register works and be compensated.
Critics say such a library controlled by a single company and small group of publishers would inevitably lead to higher prices and subpar services."
Potential Breakthrough Cancer Treatment Now Available From Vascular Designs | Reuters
Potential Breakthrough Cancer Treatment Now Available From Vascular Designs | Reuters: "The Company Announces FDA 510(k) Marketing Clearance for IsoFlow(TM) Infusion Catheter, Making Possible the Direct Delivery of Chemotherapy to Cancerous Tumors SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Vascular Designs, a medical device company, today announced that its IsoFlow(TM) infusion catheter has secured 510(k) marketing clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the direct delivery of medications into highly targeted areas. An important application of IsoFlow may be in the treatment of cancer. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090902/SF69552) The IsoFlow Infusion catheter enables sideways perfusion, which allows physicians to precisely target and isolate areas within the body where the infused drugs are delivered. With IsoFlow's unique design, medications can be delivered into areas that could not previously be treated directly, for instance, a cancerous tumor. According to numerous studies, this approach lets physicians increase drug concentrations at targeted sites while reducing systemic exposure, thereby improving efficacy and patient outcomes when treating illnesses such as cancer with chemotherapy.* 'In select clinical situations, the benefits of delivering a local endovascular drug dose without systemic exposure can reduce complications, improve results, and benefit patients,' said Dr. Michael Dake, former chief of interventional radiology and current professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine. 'The IsoFlow catheter facilitates the use of regional infusion therapies, especially in cases of challenging arterial anatomy where it helps achieve these promises of targeted delivery. IsoFlow is a valuable addition to our treatment arsenal.' IsoFlow is a dual balloon catheter designed to isolate a specific treatment region within the body from blood flow. It allows the infusion of fluids into the region and the perfusion of blood past the region to keep the blood flow intact during treatment. One of the many unique features of the IsoFlow infusion catheter is the ability to deliver medications sideways while using pressure to push the medication into the targeted area. The IsoFlow catheter is inserted over a guide wire for precise positioning within a patient's body. Once in place, medication is infused and isolated when both of the catheter's balloons are simultaneously inflated using fluid via a single inflation lumen. To view an animation detailing this process, please visit www.vasculardesigns.com. 'We are thrilled to receive FDA 510(k) marketing clearance after working on the IsoFlow catheter for more than seven years,' said Robert Goldman, CEO and founder of Vascular Designs. 'But what is most important is that individuals battling life-threatening illnesses will have a breakthrough treatment option to pursue with highly targeted drug delivery.' 'IsoFlow could have a huge impact on the way many of today's deadliest illnesses such as cancer are treated. This method of local delivery may cause tumors that were previously unresponsive to systemic chemotherapy to respond. Additionally, the IsoFlow catheter may be able to provide treatment for a number of other medical conditions for which local delivery would be an ideal option,' continued Goldman. 'The potential applications of IsoFlow are exciting. We are looking forward to seeing how physicians will leverage this breakthrough catheter medical device into practice and the impact that it will surely make on the prognosis of so many patients.' The IsoFlow infusion catheter is now available. For more information on Vascular Designs or to purchase IsoFlow, please visit www.vasculardesigns.com or call (408) 484-9010. About Vascular Designs Vascular Designs, Inc. is a medical device company located in San Jose, California. Founder Robert Goldman developed the idea behind Vascular Designs and its innovative IsoFlow(TM) infusion catheter. His personal experience of watching loved ones suffer from and succumb to cancer had a profound influence on the creation of IsoFlow. Vascular Designs has received FDA 510(k) marketing clearance for IsoFlow, which enables the direct delivery of medications into targeted areas. An important application for the IsoFlow catheter may be in the treatment of cancer. IsoFlow enables sideways perfusion, which allows physicians to precisely target and isolate areas within the body where the infused drugs are delivered. With the IsoFlow catheter's unique design, medications can be pushed into areas that could not previously be treated directly. According to numerous studies, this type of approach to delivery can increase drug concentrations at targeted sites while reducing systemic exposure, potentially improving treatment outcomes. For more information on Vascular Designs or to purchase IsoFlow, please visit www.vasculardesigns.com or call (408) 484-9010. * Chrysos, E., et al. Treatment of Unrescectable Malignant Abdominal, Pelvic and Thoracic Tumors Using Abdominal Pelvic and Thoracic Stop-flow Chemotherapy. Anticancer Research, Sept.-Oct. 2001. 21(5):3669-3675. Collins, J.M., Pharmacologic Rationale for Regional Drug Delivery. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol. 2, 498-504. 1984. Lygidakis, N.J., Sgourakis, G. and Aphinives, P. Upper Abdominal Stop-flow Perfusion as a Neo and Adjuvant Hypoxic Regional Chemotherapy for Resectable Gastric Carcinoma: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial. Hepatogastroenterology, May-Jun. 1999. 46(27): 2035-2038. Miotto, D., et al. Hypoxic Antiblastic Stop-flow Perfusion: Clinical Outcome and Pharmacokinetic Findings. Journal of Chemotherapy, Nov. 16, 2004. Suppl. 5: 44-47. Pilati, P., et al. Stop-flow Technique for Loco-regional Delivery of Antiblastic Agents: Literature Review and Personal Experience. European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Aug. 28, 2002. 544-553. Media Contact: The Hoffman Agency (408) 975-3002 isoflow@hoffman.com Sales Contact: Vascular Designs (408) 484-9010 http://www.vasculardesigns.com/V2/contact.html SOURCE Vascular Designs, Inc. Media, The Hoffman Agency, +1-408-975-3002, isoflow@hoffman.com, for Vascular Designs; or Sales, Vascular Designs, +1-408-484-9010"
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Ayala Land, NHA to build Quezon City business district | ABS-CBN News Online Beta
Ayala Land, NHA to build Quezon City business district | ABS-CBN News Online Beta: MANILA - Real estate giant Ayala Land Inc. and state-owned National Housing Authority (NHA) have entered into a joint venture deal to develop the 29.1-hectare North Triangle Property in Quezon City into a central business district.
The joint venture marks the conclusion of a public bidding for the project that began on October 3, 2008, Ayala Land said in a statement.
Based on the proposal that Ayala Land submitted to the government, the North Triangle Property will be developed as the Philippines' first transit-oriented mixed-use business district that is well-planned, integrated and environmentally balanced.
The project is estimated to cost P22 billion, inclusive of future development costs and current value of the property, which Ayala Land and NHA will contribute as their respective equity share in the joint venture. The parties expect to start construction in 2 years.
Aside from generating fresh jobs and revenues for the government, the new development will help the NHA in achieving its mandate of transforming non-performing assets into income-generating ones, and providing housing for informal settlers. The NHA is set to relocate thousands of families presently occupying the property.
'Ayala Land's track record, strong branding, and ability to attract top locators will ensure that the development will achieve its highest potential value,' the company said.
In the development and management of business districts, Ayala Land's signature projects include the master-planned Makati business center, Bonifacio Global City, Cebu Business Park, and Madrigal Business Park in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
as of 08/28/2009 1:51 PM"
The joint venture marks the conclusion of a public bidding for the project that began on October 3, 2008, Ayala Land said in a statement.
Based on the proposal that Ayala Land submitted to the government, the North Triangle Property will be developed as the Philippines' first transit-oriented mixed-use business district that is well-planned, integrated and environmentally balanced.
The project is estimated to cost P22 billion, inclusive of future development costs and current value of the property, which Ayala Land and NHA will contribute as their respective equity share in the joint venture. The parties expect to start construction in 2 years.
Aside from generating fresh jobs and revenues for the government, the new development will help the NHA in achieving its mandate of transforming non-performing assets into income-generating ones, and providing housing for informal settlers. The NHA is set to relocate thousands of families presently occupying the property.
'Ayala Land's track record, strong branding, and ability to attract top locators will ensure that the development will achieve its highest potential value,' the company said.
In the development and management of business districts, Ayala Land's signature projects include the master-planned Makati business center, Bonifacio Global City, Cebu Business Park, and Madrigal Business Park in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
as of 08/28/2009 1:51 PM"
BusinessWorld Online: Ayala Land looks north for strategic expansion
BusinessWorld Online: Ayala Land looks north for strategic expansion:
AYALA LAND, INC. (ALI) has set its sights on the north, citing a shift in economic activity brought about by newly completed infrastructure projects in the area.
Company President Antonio T. Aquino, in an interview, said the strategy was to take advantage of the completion of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), and talks of making Clark International Airport the country’s main gateway.
'I think there [will be] some kind of shift in the gravity going toward the north this time. As time goes by, we think Clark will become an important airport [which] means that the economic activity in the area will be better,' Mr. Aquino said.
The company, which traditionally focused on areas in the south of Metro Manila such as Makati, Fort Bonifacio, Alabang and Laguna province, sees the infrastructure developments as magnifying 'the trading activities in the area by bringing provinces closer to one another.'
This is our free preview of this article.
To enjoy reading the story in full, please log in to Codex. Or, if you are not yet a subscriber, please subscribe now to get complete access to Philippine business news daily from BusinessWorld."
AYALA LAND, INC. (ALI) has set its sights on the north, citing a shift in economic activity brought about by newly completed infrastructure projects in the area.
Company President Antonio T. Aquino, in an interview, said the strategy was to take advantage of the completion of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), and talks of making Clark International Airport the country’s main gateway.
'I think there [will be] some kind of shift in the gravity going toward the north this time. As time goes by, we think Clark will become an important airport [which] means that the economic activity in the area will be better,' Mr. Aquino said.
The company, which traditionally focused on areas in the south of Metro Manila such as Makati, Fort Bonifacio, Alabang and Laguna province, sees the infrastructure developments as magnifying 'the trading activities in the area by bringing provinces closer to one another.'
This is our free preview of this article.
To enjoy reading the story in full, please log in to Codex. Or, if you are not yet a subscriber, please subscribe now to get complete access to Philippine business news daily from BusinessWorld."
Ayala Land focuses on Quezon City development
Ayala Land focuses on Quezon City development:
Written by Miguel R. Camus / Reporter
Sunday, 30 August 2009 20:33
AFTER failing its bid to acquire the North Bonifacio property being auctioned off by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is once again hinging its fortunes on northern Metro Manila, in particular the country’s most populous urban area, Quezon City.
This is in line with the company’s strategy to identify and possibly acquire or co-develop large tracts of land said ALI chief finance officer Jamie E. Ysmael in an earlier interview.
In a statement on Friday, ALI announced a joint-venture agreement with the National Housing Authority (NHA) to develop the 29.1-hectare North Triangle property adjacent to the Ayala-owned TriNoma shopping mall, which opened in 2007. NHA’s equity in the deal will be the P6.4-billion property.
ALI will spend an estimated P15 billion to develop the project seen as part of a new central business district in Quezon City. The firm expects to begin development within the next two years.
The new project is also being positioned as the country’s first transit-oriented mixed-use business district that will be a new center of commercial activity in the capital.
“ALI’s vision for the property is consistent with the mandate of the Urban Triangle Development Commission to rationalize and speed up the development of the East and North Triangles of Quezon City into well-planned, integrated and environmentally balanced, mixed-use communities,” the company said.
ALI added the joint venture represents the conclusion of a public bidding process conducted by the NHA which began on October 3, 2008. Before this, Megaworld Corp. was interested in the property but the Andrew Tan-led firm failed to submit the necessary requirements resulting in failed bid, said an NHA official.
The move is also seen to boost the revenue of NHA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC), which currently takes a large chunk of subsidies.
For July, the NHA was a top recipient, taking over a fourth of the P3.5-billion subsidy handed out to GOCCs that month. The funds to be raised in the course of the joint venture will go to the NHA’s social housing program, the agency said.
This will also include costs to relocate some of 8,900 settlers living in North Triangle property.
Another Quezon City development by ALI is the 37-hectare University of the Philippines-AyalaLand TechnoHub. Located along Commonwealth Avenue , the park is under a 25-year lease agreement with the state university.
ALI was one of several large developers identified by the BCDA as eligible to challenge Megaworld to develop the 8.38-hectare North Bonifacio property.
The firm, however, was unable to submit all technical and financial proposals before the deadline set earlier this month. As such, the Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp. was the only firm to make the offer at P3.15 billion, topping Megaworld’s P2.78-billion bid. Megaworld had until Friday to match this amount."
Written by Miguel R. Camus / Reporter
Sunday, 30 August 2009 20:33
AFTER failing its bid to acquire the North Bonifacio property being auctioned off by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is once again hinging its fortunes on northern Metro Manila, in particular the country’s most populous urban area, Quezon City.
This is in line with the company’s strategy to identify and possibly acquire or co-develop large tracts of land said ALI chief finance officer Jamie E. Ysmael in an earlier interview.
In a statement on Friday, ALI announced a joint-venture agreement with the National Housing Authority (NHA) to develop the 29.1-hectare North Triangle property adjacent to the Ayala-owned TriNoma shopping mall, which opened in 2007. NHA’s equity in the deal will be the P6.4-billion property.
ALI will spend an estimated P15 billion to develop the project seen as part of a new central business district in Quezon City. The firm expects to begin development within the next two years.
The new project is also being positioned as the country’s first transit-oriented mixed-use business district that will be a new center of commercial activity in the capital.
“ALI’s vision for the property is consistent with the mandate of the Urban Triangle Development Commission to rationalize and speed up the development of the East and North Triangles of Quezon City into well-planned, integrated and environmentally balanced, mixed-use communities,” the company said.
ALI added the joint venture represents the conclusion of a public bidding process conducted by the NHA which began on October 3, 2008. Before this, Megaworld Corp. was interested in the property but the Andrew Tan-led firm failed to submit the necessary requirements resulting in failed bid, said an NHA official.
The move is also seen to boost the revenue of NHA, a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC), which currently takes a large chunk of subsidies.
For July, the NHA was a top recipient, taking over a fourth of the P3.5-billion subsidy handed out to GOCCs that month. The funds to be raised in the course of the joint venture will go to the NHA’s social housing program, the agency said.
This will also include costs to relocate some of 8,900 settlers living in North Triangle property.
Another Quezon City development by ALI is the 37-hectare University of the Philippines-AyalaLand TechnoHub. Located along Commonwealth Avenue , the park is under a 25-year lease agreement with the state university.
ALI was one of several large developers identified by the BCDA as eligible to challenge Megaworld to develop the 8.38-hectare North Bonifacio property.
The firm, however, was unable to submit all technical and financial proposals before the deadline set earlier this month. As such, the Gokongwei-led Robinsons Land Corp. was the only firm to make the offer at P3.15 billion, topping Megaworld’s P2.78-billion bid. Megaworld had until Friday to match this amount."
Microfinance firm issues P500-million notes | The Philippine Star >> News >> Business
Microfinance firm issues P500-million notes | The Philippine Star; Business: "By Ted P. Torres (The Philippine Star) Updated September 02, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - CARD Inc., one of the country’s most successful microfinance institutions (MFI), has successfully issued P500 million worth of corporate notes in a deal that involved six major financial institutions.
The five-year, fixed-rate funding facility carries an interest rate of eight to 8.3 percent.
Internationally-acclaimed Grameen Foundation acted as CARD’s adviser and guarantor for its earlier credit-raising efforts.
The debt issue involved three financial units of the SM Group of Companies - Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO), BDO Private Bank Inc. and BDO Leasing and Finance Inc. – along with Security Banking Corp., Allied Banking Corp. and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC).
Lead arranger of the issue was SB Capital Investment Corp., the investment arm of Security Bank.
SB Capital director Manuel C. San Diego said the groundbreaking debt issue was oversubscribed, and that more banks wanted to join the pool.
“We had to limit the players as too many lenders would dilute it into small amounts,” he said.
He said this shows the huge potential the landmark deal would attract other MFIs to undertake similar fund-raising exercises, adding that the transaction proved that the MFI sector is a viable market.
“It is a not a philanthropic activity, it is a viable commercial transaction,” he said.
CARD director for fund resources management Mary Jane A. Parreras said the amount raised would fund the company’s medium-term expansion plans, including branch expansion in the Visayas region and the full computerization of its operations.
Parreras revealed that CARD has an outstanding loan portfolio of P1.8 billion and total resources of P2 billion. It already has P697 million in loan distribution in the first semester of 2009.
CARD currently has 449,043 borrowers, all of which are women, with a loan default rate at just under two percent. It is allied with CARD Bank, a 30-branch rural bank, and the Rural Bank of Sto. Tomas (Batangas), both of which are involved in micro-lending.
Due to the successful launch, Parreras said they are already looking into the possibility of issuing another tranche of about the same amount.
Meanwhile, Grameen Foundation said they have been approached by a number of MFIs for possible guarantee or direct loans.
The Washington-based foundation has a $60 million global facility for microfinance. Of that, approximately $7 million has been allocated for the Philippines in the form of guarantees and direct loans.
Over the past years, more and more commercial banks are getting involved in microfinance either through wholesale lending, direct lending or acquisition of MFIs."
MANILA, Philippines - CARD Inc., one of the country’s most successful microfinance institutions (MFI), has successfully issued P500 million worth of corporate notes in a deal that involved six major financial institutions.
The five-year, fixed-rate funding facility carries an interest rate of eight to 8.3 percent.
Internationally-acclaimed Grameen Foundation acted as CARD’s adviser and guarantor for its earlier credit-raising efforts.
The debt issue involved three financial units of the SM Group of Companies - Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO), BDO Private Bank Inc. and BDO Leasing and Finance Inc. – along with Security Banking Corp., Allied Banking Corp. and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC).
Lead arranger of the issue was SB Capital Investment Corp., the investment arm of Security Bank.
SB Capital director Manuel C. San Diego said the groundbreaking debt issue was oversubscribed, and that more banks wanted to join the pool.
“We had to limit the players as too many lenders would dilute it into small amounts,” he said.
He said this shows the huge potential the landmark deal would attract other MFIs to undertake similar fund-raising exercises, adding that the transaction proved that the MFI sector is a viable market.
“It is a not a philanthropic activity, it is a viable commercial transaction,” he said.
CARD director for fund resources management Mary Jane A. Parreras said the amount raised would fund the company’s medium-term expansion plans, including branch expansion in the Visayas region and the full computerization of its operations.
Parreras revealed that CARD has an outstanding loan portfolio of P1.8 billion and total resources of P2 billion. It already has P697 million in loan distribution in the first semester of 2009.
CARD currently has 449,043 borrowers, all of which are women, with a loan default rate at just under two percent. It is allied with CARD Bank, a 30-branch rural bank, and the Rural Bank of Sto. Tomas (Batangas), both of which are involved in micro-lending.
Due to the successful launch, Parreras said they are already looking into the possibility of issuing another tranche of about the same amount.
Meanwhile, Grameen Foundation said they have been approached by a number of MFIs for possible guarantee or direct loans.
The Washington-based foundation has a $60 million global facility for microfinance. Of that, approximately $7 million has been allocated for the Philippines in the form of guarantees and direct loans.
Over the past years, more and more commercial banks are getting involved in microfinance either through wholesale lending, direct lending or acquisition of MFIs."
Culture and Management of Scylla Species (CAMS)
Culture and Management of Scylla Species (CAMS): "Work Package 5: Fisheries and Population Dynamics
PHILIPPINES
Objective: To make a baseline assessment of mud crab fisheries in selected mangrove areas (Naisud-Bugtong Bato, Ibajay, Aklan) and to monitor and compare recruitment and yields of mud crabs in established (Ibajay, Aklan) and replanted areas (New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan)"
PHILIPPINES
Objective: To make a baseline assessment of mud crab fisheries in selected mangrove areas (Naisud-Bugtong Bato, Ibajay, Aklan) and to monitor and compare recruitment and yields of mud crabs in established (Ibajay, Aklan) and replanted areas (New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan)"
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