by admin | Feb 3, 2016 | National News
Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, present in yogurt and other dairy products, are well-known medical foods used as probiotics, or “friendly bacteria”, to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Flow cytometry, a cell-counting method for assessing the quality of cultures by determining the proportion of active cells, has met with a degree of skepticism. Now, a new ISO standard rubber-stamps the validity of this method, speeding up quality control and facilitating trade.
A recently published International Standard, ISO 19344 (IDF 232), provides a method for the quantification of lactic acid bacteria by flow cytometry in fermented products, starter cultures and probiotics used in dairy products. This publication is the result of the joint work of ISO and the International Dairy Federation (IDF).
Quantification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is important in assessing the quality of starter cultures, probiotics and fermented milk products. Examination of LAB in these products can be carried out following different methods, with plate count techniques being the most traditional and widely used. Newer techniques include flow cytometry, which is able to determine the proportion of active cells and/or total units.
Dr. Sandra Casani, IDF/ISO Project Leader, says: “Advantages of the use of flow cytometry include low variation, reduction of testing time, differentiation between active and total cells and the possibility of high-throughput analysis. Furthermore, quantification of the fraction of active cells per total cells is a key feature of flow cytometry. This is of special relevance for certain applications, such as optimization of production processes and stability assessment during shelf life.”
This ISO/IDF project relied on the participation of producers and users of LAB as well as experts and users of flow cytometry from both industry and academia. This reflects the need and support for such a standard, which is crucial for obtaining general acceptance by the industry and for getting the recognition of this methodology by regulatory bodies.
Harrie van den Bijgaart, Chair of the ISO technical committee on milk and milk products (ISO/TC 34/SC 5) and Chair of the IDF Methods Standards Steering Group, explains: “Joint standards such as this one are important to avoid duplication of work and ensure optimal and harmonized procedures in analysis and sampling of milk and milk products around the globe. They also provide safeguards to the equivalence of testing results, whereas the availability of these well-respected joint standards also limits the required in-house validation efforts of the instrument users. The collaboration between IDF and ISO is key in achieving this.”
An international collaborative study of ISO 19344 (IDF 232) was conducted to determine precision figures, which validated that the method is fit for purpose.
The standard is available from any national ISO member or from the ISO Store.
The Philippines is a member to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) through the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Philippine Standards as the country’s National Standards Body.
For more information on the ISO/IEC 27000 series, visit http://www.iso.org/ For more information on the services of the DTI, log-on to http://www.dti.gov.ph
by admin | Jan 30, 2016 | Headlines, Tech Talk
Ideaspace Foundation held its first Competition Roadshow for the year 2016 in Bohol at Tambahayan Cafe, Palma Street, Tagbilaran City on January 29, 2016. Ideaspace Executive Director Diane Eustaquio and Technical Assistant for Startup Services Brenda Valerio facilitated the event.
The participants included local technology and startup advocates, freelancers, members of the Google Educators Group, students, the Fab Lab team and IT professionals from around Bohol. There was also a participant all the way from Siquijor.
Ms. Lai Biliran, Bohol ICT Council Chairperson and Ms. Nanette Arbon, DTI-Bohol Provincial Director were also present and showed their support for the tech community in the province.
A participant asked, “What should they expect from the program?” Eustaquio answered that they should expect to go through a very tough period in a pressure cooker environment.
“It is important to be ready to face the challenges of the life of an entreprenuer. It is not easy. IdeaSpace is there to help with the very difficult period of starting a business, but we will not be around all the time. It’s a life changing event.”, she added.
Ideaspace Foundation is looking for teams with synergy, proven track record, and the stamina to bring their startup idea to market. The roadshow allowed the participants to ask more about the details of startup competition and how to increase their chances of being selected into the acceleration phase.
Those accepted will have access to up to P1 million funding which will include up to P500,000 in cash, while non-cash benefits such as housing, transportation, incorporation, office space, communication, software support, trainings and classes, as well as mentoring from executives of companies under First Pacific. Their team must have at least two members in Manila full time for 4.5 months. They will also take classes at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).
Starting 2016, Ideaspace adopted a new structure in which the foundation will no longer have equity in the startups that go into the incubation stage.
The participants of the Ideaspace Competition Roadshow in Bohol.
by admin | Jan 30, 2016 | Headlines, Tech Talk
Report by: Ben Skelton
Students and volunteer speakers Ben, Roy, Nelson and Dalareich
Bohol ICT Council volunteers were in action again this week. This time at Holy Name University as part of the Rural Impact Sourcing initiative. An afternoon of presentation and Q&A was held to spread awareness of online job opportunities, now ripe for the taking by students and new graduates.
The show was led by tech entrepreneurs Jay Paul Aying and Ben Skelton. They expounded the variety of opportunities available.
Writers, educators, engineers, artists, virtual assistants and programmers are among those in demand for online work. The earning potential is attractive, for instance those teaching English to Japanese students via video chat are commonly receiving 750PHP per day part time.
The BICTC Team gave a practical how-to explaining where to go to find work online, how to make the difficult first steps and the kind of mindset to adopt to achieve success. Genesis Reonico of onlinejobsuniversity.com supplied expert up to date material for inclusion in the presentation.
Nelson Buena gave an account of his real world experience of online work in web design and social media management. His testimonial was invaluable proof to the audience that it can be done here, and done by someone who began from their position not long ago.
To bring the afternoon to an end local business heroes Roy Bayonas and Dalareich Polot recounted their trials and paths to eventual success. Developing electronics and chocolate products respectively, they both broke the news that their operations are expected to grow rapidly in 2016.
To learn about future events find ‘Bohol ICT Council’ on Facebook and click like.
by admin | Jan 30, 2016 | National News, Tech Talk
IdeaSpace Foundation (IdeaSpace), the leading early-stage technology incubator and accelerator in the Philippines, announced the opening of its annual startup competition for 2016, which will begin accepting early-stage startup ideas beginning January 21.
Now on its fourth year, the IdeaSpace startup competition will also have a new structure which will focus on providing equity-free funding and support to competition winners so founders can pursue their innovative ideas.
“Ever since IdeaSpace was founded, we have declared our belief that Filipino entrepreneurs can turn their innovative startup ideas into reality and make it big on the world stage as long as there is an ecosystem to support them,” said Diane Eustaquio, Executive Director at IdeaSpace.
“With this new equity-free funding structure, IdeaSpace strengthens its commitment to the local startup ecosystem to bring out the most socially relevant innovations that can help solve pressing problems of the world, particularly in emerging economies such as the Philippines,” she added.
Ideas from across the country, region
Interested groups and individuals can now log on to apply.ideaspacefoundation.org to fill up the form and submit their startup ideas for evaluation until March 18, 2016. Submissions from around the Philippines, as well as in the Southeast Asian region, are welcome.
The top twenty ideas from this pool will be screened by an esteemed panel of judges, and the top 20 early-stage startups that will enter incubation will be announced by July 5, 2016. At least ten of these startups, meanwhile, will enter the acceleration phase beginning August 1, 2016.
Those who enter the acceleration phase will have access to up to P1 million funding which will include up to P500,000 in cash, while non-cash benefits such as housing, transportation, incorporation, office space, communication, software support, trainings and classes, as well as mentoring from executives of companies under First Pacific.
New structure
Unlike previous years, IdeaSpace will no longer have an equity in each of the startups that will undergo its incubation and acceleration process.
Eustaquio said this will allow startup founders and IdeaSpace to collaborate and focus fully on bringing these early-stage ideas to reality, and to ensure that each idea has a clear and achievable runway toward commercial viability.
As one of the formidable technology incubators and accelerators in the country, IdeaSpace has helped give birth to about 38 startups over the last four years as part of its half a billion-peso funding that was instituted in 2012.
Some of the program’s most notable alumni include: SALt, a startup that has developed an innovative saltwater lamp and was featured during the recent APEC Summit 2015 in Manila; PinoyTravel, a startup which helps solve provincial bus reservation woes of commuters; Mobkard, which helps consumers save on purchases through discounts and promos; and Tactiles, which developed an educational toy that helps children learn electronics while playing, among many others.
IdeaSpace is supported by the following companies: First Pacific, First Pacific Leadership Academy, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, MPIC hospital group, PLDT, Meralco, Smart Communications, Inc., Digitel Mobile Philippines and its mobile brand Sun Cellular, SPI Global, ePLDT, Indofood, Philex Mining, Maynilad, MediaQuest, and TV5. To know more about IdeaSpace, visit www.ideaspacefoundation.org.
by admin | Jan 30, 2016 | Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
TAGBILARAN CITY, January 30, (PIA)—Total crime volume in 2005 increased by 17% or 1314 cases over 2013 which only had 7904 over this years 9218, crime data from Camp Dagohoy showed.
Of the increase however, traffic related incidents swallowed a huge pie, accounting for 30% of the increase.
Interestingly, index crimes like theft and robbery, which get occasionally reported in radio reports, earned lower cases in 2015, with 26 theft cases lass in 2015 and 127 robbery cases less than in 2015.
Murder also is 2 cases less in 2015 than the previous year while homicide in 2015 is 9 cases less than last years 2014, the same data reported at the Provincial Peace and Order Council Meeting last January 28 bared.
The increase in index crimes however were noted in physical injuries which had 136 cases more last year, car-napping with 22 cases more, rape had 13 cases over 2014 and cattle rustling showed 11 cases past last 2014.
In the non-index crime tally, Camp Dagohoy crime statisticians noted 1296 cases more in 2015 over the previous year; this amounts to 30% increase in total non index crime volume.
Special laws violations in 2015 reached 94 cases more or 1724 cases in 2015 as against 1630 in 2014, and other non-index crimes surpassed 2014’s tally with 1615, or 504 case over the 1111 cases logged in 2014.
Almost half of the non-index crime volume however were incidents that involve traffic in its forms: driving under the influence of liquor, reckless driving, over-speeding and similar violations.
Traffic related incidents reached 2212 in 2015, or 618 cases over 2014 which only had 1514, the same report showed.
Data from police headquarters’ Provincial Intelligence and Detection Management Bureau bared that traffic related incidents alone in 2015 reached 698 cases more.
Physical injury which are caused by traffic surged 407 cases more at 1502 over 1095 in 2015, damage to property due to traffic incidents also revved to 256 more in 2015 at 614 over 358 in the previous year while traffic related incidents resulting to homicide claimed 35 lives more, with 96 reported cases over 61 in 2014.
To show dramatic emphasis, Camp Dagohoy said of the total crime volume in 2015 which reached 9218, 2212 or a good 24% of the crime cases were involving traffic.
Homicide for example, of the 131 total cases, a good 96 or 73% of the cases involved traffic while 35 deaths did not.
Of the physical injuries tallied, 64% of the cases or 1502 of the 2327 cases logged involved traffic, according to Camp Dagohoy. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
