Environmental Legislation and Action in Polity, Economy and Culture for Climate Change Adaptation: A Case Study of Misamis Oriental Province, the Philippines

Climate change (CC) caused concern when the rains no longer came with clockwork regularity, when the heat became oppressive and the effects of <i>El Niňo</i> and <i>La Niňa</i> became vicious. In accordance with international treaties, notably the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, the Philippine national government enacted landmark legislation, such as the Philippine Clean Air Act in 1999, the Solid Waste Management Act in 2000, the Biofuels Act in 2007 and the Renewable Energy Law in 2008. It formulated the Philippine Climate Change Response Framework (CCRF), which highlighted the need for the effective governance of CC response, proaction of stakeholders, lifestyle change and action within international communities (Presidential Task Force on Climate Change, 2007). It created a Climate Change Commission to coordinate, monitor and evaluate CC-related programmes and action plans of the government (Loft and Kenny, 2012). Subsequently, it launched the CC academy for education in disaster-risk reduction and management

Reappraising metalloproteinases in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: destruction or repair?

Metalloproteinases such as the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and disintegrin-metalloproteinases with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTSs) have been implicated in the pathological destruction of joint tissues in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. These enzymes degrade extracellular matrix macromolecules and modulate factors governing cell behavior. They may also be involved in tissue repair, but become a part of the destructive disease process due to overexpression. Studies investigating the roles of metalloproteinases have thrown light on the failure of the early clinical trials of MMP inhibitors as therapeutic agents in arthritic diseases. It is now clear that a more accurate knowledge of the enzymes in the different cells and their precise roles in the disease process is required for these approaches to be successful. The next generations of metalloproteinase inhibitors should have added specificity, gained from an understanding not only of the catalytic domain structures but the role of extracatalytic motifs in substrate binding, or by the generation of engineered tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. Inhibition of the enzymes by modulating gene expression or preventing protein activation could also be considered. Work on the development of effective biomarkers is also essential before an effective evaluation of the new generations of specific inhibitors can be made