While microalgae are considered to be great alternative food due to their nutritional composition and imparted benefits, there is an evident lack of available microalgae-containing products in the market. To better understand their application as food in the Philippines, the study determined the Filipino consumers’ knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) towards the use of microalgae as food in the Philippines. A survey questionnaire was administered among 400 Filipino respondents composed of both male and female, aged 18-59 yrs old. Results showed that respondents had average knowledge about microalgae with mean scores being significantly different (p<0.05) among various age groups, educational attainment, and household income. Majority of respondents strongly agreed that microalgae is innovative and interesting but the lack of available information about it deters consumers to be informed further. Factor analysis revealed that attitudes toward microalgae are influenced by perceived benefits, expected sensory quality of food, and food product information. Overall, the study showed that microalgae is positively perceived by Filipino consumers despite the lack of information available to the general public and that there is interest in these innovative products. Findings from this study could be used by government agencies and food manufacturing companies as a basis for the need of proper risk assessment and risk communication to inform consumers about the benefits of microalgae as food.

Despite advancements in clothing solutions, health risks and stresses faced by bedridden patients and their caregivers persist. Therefore, understanding their needs is crucial. This study aimed to analyze the clothing-related needs of selected adult bedridden patients in Metro Manila. Specifically, the study investigated their daily activities and clothing-related challenges, clothing solutions utilized by their caregiver, and the patient’s level of satisfaction with the solutions in terms of Functional, Expressive, Aesthetic, and Accessibility considerations. Four patients were conveniently selected as cases for the study. The data collected were from their caregiver’s perspective and were thematically analyzed. Aside from basic activities like eating and dressing, the patients’ other daily activities depended on their medical treatments, ability to go outside, and their caregivers’ choices. Moreover, most of their challenges were under Functional considerations, like difficulty in dressing due to the garment’s fit and type of closure. Their clothing solutions were necessity- driven and prioritized comfort, ease of wear, and protection. According to the caregivers, the patients gave the most importance to Functional considerations and the least to Aesthetic considerations. Although their satisfaction levels were favorable overall, they were dissatisfied with some specific attributes under the four considerations. For example, under Aesthetic, one was dissatisfied with the style, color, and attractiveness of their hospital gown. Clothing solutions with features that cater to their specific needs, like garments that accommodate medical devices and stylish hospital gowns, would be beneficial to the patients. It is recommended that future studies take into account both the caregiver and patient perspectives to gain a comprehensive understanding of the patient’s situation.

This study investigated the trace elements found in Philippine bee honey from various geographic origins using a Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer. Fifty-nine authenticated honey samples were collected from regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 8, 11, CAR, and NCR. These samples included honey from Apis breviligula, Apis cerana, Apis dorsata, Apis mellifera, and Tetragonula biroi. Pearson’s Correlation was used to identify relationships between trace element concentrations and particulate matter (PM10) concentration, forest cover, and urban population density in the different regions. Correlational analysis revealed a significant positive association between tungsten concentration in honey and urbanization as well as PM10 with p-values of 0.00022 and 0.00307 respectively. Furthermore, forest cover positively correlated with platinum and aluminum content with p-values of 0.04396 and 0.02593. A comparison of means was also conducted after dividing the regions into areas of high and low degrees of anthropogenic influence. Areas with an urbanization level higher than the national average showed significantly higher concentrations of sulfur and zinc with p-values of 0.020812 and 0.003896 respectively; while higher forest cover showed positive correlation with aluminum and negative correlations with chlorine, potassium, rhodium, and palladium with p-values of 0.030943, 0.0452, 0.048327, 0.04372, 0.024714; however, no significant differences were found between PM10 concentrations. Adjacent regions displayed consistent trace elements, with few significant disparities found in comparative analyses. While the findings suggest anthropogenic influences on honey contamination, limited data on hive proximity to pollution sources and small, regionally skewed sample sizes preclude definitive conclusions. Future research should employ targeting sampling strategies to better ascertain the effects of human-induced contaminants on bee honey.

The study employed Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in establishing predictive models for the individual and interactive effects of different combinations of product and process parameters specifically, initial ascorbic acid (AA) content, pH, heating temperature, and heating time on the residual ascorbic acid (rAA) content and ascorbic acid percent change (%AAr) of simulated fruit juice (SFJ) systems. The effects of temperature, time, soluble solids (SS) and dilution rate on the Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) color parameters on heated Navel orange juice were also characterized through predictive models using RSM. Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) of experiment were used to generate the combinations needed to prepare the SFJs and Navel orange juice samples. Only the individual linear effects of temperature, time, and initial AA content significantly (P<0.05) influenced the rAA and %AAr while only the individual quadratic effects of temperature and initial AA content significantly influenced the %AAr in the heated SFJs. For the heated Navel orange juice, the linear effects of dilution significantly influenced all the CIE color parameters. Only the b* and Δb* values were significantly affected by the linear effects of SS. The interactive effects of SS and dilution significantly affected the L* and ΔL* values. Individual quadratic effects of temperature and time significantly influenced all CIE color parameters while only the L* and ΔL*, b* and Δb*, C* and ΔC*, and ΔE* were significantly influenced by the individual quadratic effects of SS and dilution rate. Validating systems for the rAA and %AAr predictive models were all within the acceptable accuracy range (1.00 – 1.60). On the other hand, validation of the models for CIE color parameters showed that 48 out of 80 (60%) systems were within the acceptable accuracy range. Results of the study may be used in designing heat process schedules for preservation and optimization of desired product quality.

Adequate access to clothing and footwear is one of the concerns transgender women face as one of the most marginalized sectors in society. This study analyzed the needs of transgender women in buying footwear using The Functional, Expressive and Aesthetic Model (Lamb & Kallal, 1992) as applied in product development (Bye & Hakala, 2005; Black & Stokes, 2012). Data was collected using an online questionnaire from 114 self-identified transgender women. The parameters for functional need considerations were type of footwear, size, fit and comfortability, quality and wearability. For expressive needs, the considerations identified were femininity, masculinity, help in transition, and help to pass. Meanwhile, personal style and attractive appearance were identified as aesthetic need considerations. Results show that respondents buy all types of footwear subjects of the study with considerations on functional, expressive, and aesthetic factors. However, masculinity was only considered in buying walking shoes, high heels, thongs, slippers, backless slippers, court shoes, mules and sandals. Moreover, availability, sizing, fit and comfortability, quality, femininity, congruence to one’s style, and attractiveness were identified as concerns in buying footwear across all footwear types. While majority (61.4%) of the respondents agreed that there is a need for a transgender women’s footwear brand, it was more of a size concern, and not gender. This study provided recommendations useful in doing a Phase 2 of the study focused on functional concerns as these presented limitations to expressive and aesthetic considerations.