The University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP; Filipino: Pamantasan ng Agham at Teknolohiya ng Dakong Timog ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines established on August 16, 2016, by virtue of Republic Act 10919 through the amalgamation of the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Cagayan de Oro City and the Misamis Oriental State College of Agriculture and Technology (MOSCAT) in Claveria, Misamis Oriental. Both campuses are located in Northern Mindanao, considered the Gateway to Mindanao, which offers a strategic locational advantage for the institution to train and develop students from all the other regions of Mindanao.It has maintained its Level IV Status as State University (Highest Distinction) as adjudged by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and continues to be one of the 19 leading state universities in the Philippines.The university has a 7.3-hectare (18-acre) major campus in Cagayan de Oro. Its other major campus in Claveria has 101.37 hectares (250.5 acres) of rich agricultural land. USTP's main campus is at the institution's 295.14-hectare (729.3-acre) property in Alubijid, Misamis Oriental. The university also has satellite campuses in Jasaan, Villanueva, and Balubal (Cagayan de Oro), all in Misamis Oriental, and in Panaon and Oroquieta in Misamis Occidental.
Abstract The widespread occurrence of Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in freshwater bodies has intensified concerns regarding its impact on drinking water quality and human health. This study developed a magnesium oxide (MgO)-modified rice husk biochar composite as an adsorbent for removing MC-LR from aqueous matrices. The composite was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. A Central Composite Design (CCD) under Response Surface Methodology was employed in Design-Expert 13.0 to optimize operational parameters. Characterization results confirmed that MgO modification enhanced the porous structure, yielding a hierarchical micro–mesoporous system with a specific surface area of 223.11 m²/g, indicating a substantial number of active adsorption sites. The highest removal efficiency (80.93%) was achieved at an initial MC-LR concentration of 25 ppb, an adsorbent dose of 20 mg, and a contact time of 60 min. The quadratic model demonstrated strong predictive capability (R² = 0.9559), explaining 95.59% of the variability in removal efficiency. Adsorption performance was influenced by the interaction among concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time. Increased dosage enhanced removal due to greater availability of binding sites, whereas higher toxin concentrations led to site saturation and a plateau in efficiency. Overall, the MgO-modified biochar composite exhibited promising potential as an effective and sustainable adsorbent for MC-LR removal in water treatment applications.
Aniline yellow dye (AYD) is a toxic azo compound whose persistence in aquatic environments poses significant ecological and carcinogenic risks to human health, underscoring the need for treatment methods that are both efficient and environmentally sustainable. This study evaluates the adsorption performance of activated carbon derived from rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed shells, an agricultural byproduct whose conversion into an adsorbent represents a circular-economy approach that transforms waste into value-added resources for wastewater remediation. The adsorbent was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to identify functional groups that contribute to AYD binding, and the optimization of operating variables, such as initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time, was carried out using the Central Composite Design within the Response Surface Methodology framework. The optimum conditions obtained from the model were an initial dye concentration of 30.4 mg/L, an adsorbent dose of 1.05 g, and a contact time of 45 min, which produced a removal efficiency of 96.46 ± 0.78
Biochar has emerged as a promising adsorbent in water purification due to its porous structure. Numerous studies have used biochar as an adsorbent for various contaminants due to its low cost and effectiveness. Some studies have modified biochar to create a biochar-based composite, making it a more effective adsorbent. However, relevant studies on the removal of cyanotoxins using biochar are very limited. Current methods employ chemical removal of cyanotoxins from water, such as chlorination, ozonation, advanced oxidation processes, and UV irradiation. This paper reviews recent advances in research on the adsorption of cyanotoxins using biochar composites. Its goal is to provide comprehensive information on the preparation of biochar composites, treatment mechanisms, and the effects of key factors on the removal of cyanotoxins from real natural water sources. It is expected that the information gathered and discussed in this review can provide a useful, novel reference and guide for future pilot-scale applications.
The genus Uncaria (Rubiaceae) presents persistent taxonomic challenges due to its high morphological plasticity and the frequent collection of vegetative specimens in tropical forest ecosystems. In the Philippine archipelago, the biological identity of several Uncaria species remains obscured by vernacular nomenclature and a deficiency in integrated molecular and chemical data. This study presents an integrative characterization of Uncaria lanosa Wall. from Mindanao, Philippines, utilizing a framework that combines nrITS-based molecular phylogeny with high-resolution untargeted metabolomics via UPLC-QTOF-MS. Phylogenetic reconstruction using Maximum Parsimony successfully resolved the taxonomic identity of the specimen, placing it within a robust clade of Asian Uncaria and clarifying the ambiguity surrounding regional "Kawilaw" specimens. Untargeted metabolomic profiling and GNPS-based molecular networking revealed a sophisticated chemical landscape dominated by oxindole alkaloids which is characteristic of Uncaria species. Functional biological assays provided insights into potential activity of the plant’s phytochemicals, demonstrating dose-dependent inhibition of protein denaturation and moderate antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These findings provide a definitive molecular and chemical fingerprint for U. lanosa, contributing to the systematic documentation of the Philippine Rubiaceae and highlighting the efficacy of integrated strategies in tropical plant discovery, chemodiversity and functional characterization.
