Journal articles on the topic 'Gabon – Capitale'

Cet article discutera deux tomes de la bande dessinée francophone La vie de Pahé écrits par Pahé, un nom de plume pour l’auteur et dessinateur gabonais Patrick Essono Nkouna. Dans son oeuvre autobiographique, Pahé lie le visuel au narratif pour raconter son histoire personnelle dans le contexte de l’Afrique francophone. Cet article répondra aux questions suivantes : comment est-ce que Pahé mêle son histoire avec celle de l’Afrique postcoloniale? Comment est-ce qu’il raconte le traitement des immigrés noirs africains en France par les autorités françaises? Comment est-ce que son style rhétorique, comme narrateur et commentateur de son texte, et son utilisation du médium de la bande dessinée accentue son récit personnel ainsi que l’histoire de l’Afrique postcoloniale? Pour examiner ces questions, cet article analysera le récit non-linéaire et non-chronologique de Pahé en soulignant son utilisation du texte et de l’image dans sa critique de l’Afrique et de la France. Pahé caricature les chefs d’états tyranniques et la corruption des gouvernements africains; passe en revue les différences culturelles entre la France et les pays africains, surtout le système scolaire dans les deux pays; jette un œil critique sur les particularités de la culture française; et condamne le traitement des immigrés noirs africains par les autorités françaises. La page finale de La vie de Pahé atteint des proportions mondiales. Dans une seule case qui couvre la page entière de l’album, on voit les visages moroses des Gabonais dans une place à Libreville, la capitale du Gabon. Tandis que la bulle annonce la mort de sa sœur bien-aimée, Florence, le récitatif indique : “Libreville, le 10 septembre, 2001… C’est ce jour-là que pour moi, le monde s’effondra!!!” Ce dessin prémonitoire qui fait état d’une tragédie personnelle dans la vie de l’auteur Pahé, annonce aussi les événements du lendemain, le 11 septembre, 2001, un jour historique qui a eu des répercussions mondiales.

This article analyzes the political-fiscal cycle in Gabon. In Africa, it seems that the analysis of the politico-fiscal cycle has not attracted much interest. This is particularly the case in Gabon, a small country of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (EMCCA). Unlike approaches based on the estimation of a single model linking the electoral cycle and a dimension of the state budget, we estimate four models each incorporating a different dimension of the state budget, namely: capital expenditures, total expenditures and the budget deficit. The estimation of a VAR Model (2) and three Error Correction Vector Models (ECVM) confirms the existence of an "opportunistic" politico-budgetary cycle in Gabon.

The objective of this article is to analyze the effects of procyclical variations of the capital requirements for risk coverage on financial stability in the CEMAC[1]. In order to achieve this objective, we have specified and estimated a panel VAR model using the structural factorization method on quarterly Central Bank data over the period 2006-2017. Firstly, the results show that procyclical capital adjustments in the CEMAC region lead to short-term financial instability through the contraction of credit to the private sector. Secondly, despite the low level of financial development, the effects maintained by the adjustment of monetary policy instruments in the short term remain significant on price stability. Finally, in the long term, the procyclicality of regulatory capital makes it possible to revive economic activity and guarantee financial stability. These results lead us to recommend the adoption of a more discretionary monetary policy so as to make more procyclical the capital requirement. [1] Economic Community of Central African States comprising Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Background. Studying malaria parasites cross resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (cotrimoxazole, CTX) is necessary in areas coendemic for malaria and HIV. Polymorphism and frequency of drug resistance molecular markers, Pfdhfr and Pfdhps genes have been assessed in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from HIV-infected adults, in Gabon. Materiel and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three HIV care and treatment centers, at Libreville, the capital city of Gabon and at Oyem and Koulamoutou, two rural cities between March 2015 and June 2016. P. falciparum-infected HIV adults were selected. Analysis of Pfdhfr and Pfdhps genes was performed using high resolution melting (HRM) technique. Results. Pfdhps A581G mutation was found in 23.5% (8/34) of the isolates. Triple Pfdhfr mutation (51I-59R-108N) was predominant (29.4%; n=10) while 17.6% (n=6) of the isolates carried a quadruple mutation (Pfdhfr 51I-59R-108N + Pfdhps 437G; Pfdhfr 51I-108N + Pfdhps 437G-Pfdhps581G; Pfdhfr 51I-59R-108N + Pfdhps 581G). Highly resistant genotype was detected in around 10% (n=3) of the isolates. The quintuple mutation (triple Pfdhfr 51I-59R-108N and double Pfdhps437-581) was only found in isolates from two patients who did not use CTX. The most frequent haplotypes were those with a single mutation (NCNIAKA) (36%) and a quadruple mutation (NCIIGKG, NRIIGKA, and NRIIAKG). Mixed unknown genotypes were found at codon 164 in three isolates. Mixed genotypes were more frequent at codons 51 (23.5%; n=8) and 59 (20.5%; n=7) (p<0.01). Conclusion. Pfdhps A581G mutation as well as new combination of quintuple mutations is found for the first time in isolates from HIV-infected patients in Gabon in comparison to a previous study. The detection of these genotypes at a nonnegligible frequency underlines the need of a regular surveillance of antifolates drug resistance.

Following the observed increase of malaria prevalence among older children in Gabon, a descriptive observational study was carried out in 2012 to determine the prevalence of malaria in adults presenting with fever in two health centres of Libreville, the capital city of Gabon. Thick- and thin-blood smears for malaria diagnosis were performed in febrile individuals aged more than 15 years old. Age, use of bed nets, previous antimalarial drug treatment, clinical symptoms, chest radiography results, and available haemoglobin data were also recorded. Among the 304 patients screened, the global malaria frequency was of 42.1%(n=128/34).Plasmodium (P). falciparumwas the only species identified. The proportion of patients with a clinical malaria requiring parenteral treatment was 38.5%, whereas 47.5% of outpatients had uncomplicated malaria. According to WHO classification, 14 (19.7%) infected patients had severe malaria; neurological and respiratory symptoms tended to be more frequent in case ofP. falciparuminfection. Anaemia was found in 51.5% adults and none had severe anaemia. Almost half of adults consulting for fever in two health centres of the urban city of Libreville have malaria. The use of insecticide-treated bed nets, the screening, and the treatment of individuals withP. falciparummicroscopic and submicroscopic asymptomatic infection or clinical malaria should be emphasized to reduce the transmission.

The study examines the impact of oil revenue on the growth of the manufacturing sector in Africa’s oil-exporting countries. It focuses on six major net oil-exporters in Africa, namely: Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan, Gabon, Cameroon and Egypt. Both static and dynamic panel data techniques are used to explore the effects of oil on the manufacturing sector of the countries between 1970 and 2010. The findings of the study show that the six countries do not exhibit significant country-specific effects, and the existence of Dutch disease is confirmed. The negative relationship between oil and manufacturing sector growth, which might be regarded as a symptom of the presence of Dutch disease, is significant in the panel dynamic model while it is not in the static model. The study also reveals that there is a dearth of capital formation in the six countries’ manufacturing sectors. It is further shown that the more capital-intensive the manufacturing sector is, the less the negative effect of the oil sector’s dominance. It is recommended that these countries should restructure their oil sector in such a way that proceeds from oil are largely utilised for more investment in the manufacturing sector.

<p class="Pa5"><strong>Objectives: </strong>Many researchers continue to believe that urbanization is a major contributor to diabetes. We seek to demon­strate that the social status associated with urbanization has an impact on the preva­lence of diabetes in Libreville, Gabon in sub-Saharan Africa.</p><p class="Pa5"><strong>Methods: </strong>Our study was conducted in Li­breville, the capital of Gabon; the city has a population of 397,000. Our study analyzed data from the registries of patients hospital­ized in 2013 in the main diabetes center in Libreville.</p><p class="Pa5"><strong>Result: </strong>The results revealed that, for 2013, 798 patients were hospitalized with diabetes at a prevalence of .2%. We found differences (<em>P</em>&lt;.05) between women (423) and men (375). Mean age for women was 52.02 years and 48.88 years for men. The number of existing cases hospitalized was significantly more than new cases. All levels of society were represented in our study: students (42); military (36); administratives (99); technicians (180); unemployed (295); and retired (146). The results showed that the unemployed (36%), particularly women (29.40%) are most affected by diabetes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results show the impact of social status on the increase of diabetes in Libreville. We found that urbanization, associated with insecurity especially in women, had an effect on the prevalence of diabetes in Libreville. These results indicate that, apart from the non-modifiable fac­tors (age, race, ethnicity), insecurity is a modifiable factor that should be taken into account. <em>Ethn Dis. </em>2015;25(4):459-462; doi:10.18865/ed.25.4.459</p>

AbstractUnderstanding the role that protected areas play in the livelihood security of local communities is essential to ensure that local people are not left shouldering the costs of what is a public good, and to help maintain robust local and national constituencies for biodiversity conservation. To provide baseline data for a longitudinal study on the effects of newly established national parks on human livelihoods in Gabon we conducted a cross-sectional study that compared livelihood indicators between communities that do, and do not, use natural resources within protected areas. We interviewed 2,035 households in 117 villages at four sites, recording income, consumption, education, health indicators and social capital, and village characteristics such as distance to markets, distance to park boundaries, and land cover within a 5-km radius. Our results indicated that closed rainforest coverage was greater around park than control villages and that this difference was associated with a greater reliance of park households on forest resources. However, we found no systematic differences in most livelihood measures between park and control households. Instead, the relationship between household livelihood measures and proximity to parks varied in idiosyncratic ways between sites, suggesting that determinants of human welfare are highly localized and cannot be generalized to larger spatial scales.

The paper examines the abandonment of an established style of writing called gabun ‘elegant writing’ and the emergence of a new style termed genbun itchi ‘unity of spoken and written language’ in nineteenth century Japan, focusing on a language ideological debate that occurred in 1889 in a journal called Bun. The stylistic reform of written Japanese was one of the most contested reforms during Japan’s modernisation and it is the aim of the present study to provide a close-up inspection of social struggles and redistribution of power that accompanied the Japanese modernisation and the appearance of a modern Japanese voice. The emergence of genbun itchi writing presupposed that notions of cultural capital needed to be altered and newly distributed which coincided with a redefinition of who could be seen as an expert and authority on language. Therefore the present paper focused on language ideological notions and power issues behind the debate between proponents and opponents of genbun itchi writing.

The 10th BRICS Academic Forum, consisting of scholars, think tanks and non-governmental organizations from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, took place in Johannesburg, South Africa on 28–31 May 2018. The event was hosted jointly by the BRICS Think Tank Council (BTTC) and the South African BRICS Think Tank (SABTT) with the support of the South African government and the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) as the SABTT custodian and coordinator. Under South Africa’s direction as chair of BRICS, participation at the Academic Forum was extended to other African countries as part of the Africa Outreach Initiative: Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Gabon, Namibia, Uganda, Togo, Rwanda and Senegal accepted invitations. Participants commended the efforts made by China during its turn as chair of BRICS to promote BRICS cooperation and suggested working together to strengthen the three-wheel-driven areas of economy, peace and security, and people-to-people exchanges. For the final four days of May, Johannesburg became a vibrant intellectual capital offering for the Academic Forum participants much debate and discussion, plenary sessions and side events all united under the theme “Envisioning Inclusive Development Through a Socially Responsive Economy.” The 2018 Academic Forum focused on the topics most important for the BRICS group ranging from peace and security, energy, gender relations and health to regional integration. The Forum was a complete success with broad consensus and submitted a list of recommendations for the consideration of the leaders of BRICS.

Randomized trials have shown that voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) significantly reduces HIV acquisition risk in men. We sought to identify subpopulations of Botswanan men with high levels of VMMC uptake by comparing an observational cohort of men presenting for circumcision services at two high-volume clinics in Botswana's capital city, Gabo-rone, with a matched, population-based random sample of uncircumcised men. Among these high uptake VMMC subpopulations, we then examined the immediate factors that play a role in men's decision to seek VMMC services. As compared to their population-based controls, men choosing to undergo circumcision were more likely to be ages 24–34, more highly educated, to have a religious affiliation, and in a serious relationship. Our results suggest that married men and highly educated men were more likely to pursue circumcision for personal hygiene reasons. These findings have direct implications for targeted demand creation and mobilization activities to increase VMMC uptake in Botswana.

This research attempts to analyze the phenomenon of early marriage in traditional Roma communities in Transylvania, Central Romania, and its impact on the education of Roma children. The methodology of this paper is a reflection of a field work conducted in the region of Transylvania, Romania and mainly the city of Târgu Mureş (Τírgu Mureş) the period February-July 2012, following several meetings and interviews with policy makers, representatives from local authorities, civil society, academics, political parties and representatives of traditional Roma communities and local schools. The organization that hosted me and facilitated me in my fieldwork is the NGO Liga Proeuropa and its President Smaranda Enache and her team. This work is a result of my personal interaction with some of the local communities in the region (Tírgu Mureş, Sighişoara, Alba Iulia, Brasov, Sibiu) as well as the capital Bucharest which I had the opportunity to visit at that period of time. The project was funded by a small European grant (Leonardo da Vinci). The town of Tirgu Mureş is where I was based, since the largest number of traditional Gabor Roma who still apply early marriages can be found there.

This article focuses on an important cultural aspect of secularization in the French revolutionary period: the circulation of sceptical free-thinking outside the circles of the cultivated few; that is, the democratization of critical knowledge through translations and migrations of texts toward historically new audiences. Examples are given to show what an important political stake this was, even after Bonaparte's Concordat, for many French revolutionary intellectuals, including women writers like Marie-Armande Gacon-Dufour. The article's perspective is transnational: I argue that cultural tradition had always been typically cosmopolitan. And, though the most visible political outcomes of the Revolution were nationalisms, what is more interesting to us today is its cosmopolitan legacy, in its broadest, inter-cultural sense: the way revolutionary culture and authors crossed not only national boundaries, but social and gender barriers as well. The main example here is a case study on the multiple versions of a radical text which appeared in English, French and Italian over at least three generations, from the 1740s to the 1820s. In Italy, a local anti-religious, materialist current emerged publicly for the first time at the end of the eighteenth century, thanks to the partial freedom of expression of the Cisalpine Republic, which gave rise to a series of publishing projects, including both original works and translations. Tracing the story of the translations of Peter Annet's History and Character of Saint Paul Examined, before and after the 1790s, allows us to contextualize the Italian version, based on d'Holbach's French adaptation of the text. The annotated work of a translator calling himself ‘citizen of the world’, it was published in 1798 in Milan, the capital of the Cisalpine Republic, with the eloquent heading ‘Democracy or Death’.

In Africa, the natural history of SCD is often assumed to be same to the African Diaspora in the US, Jamaica, Europe or Latin America. Yet the environment can be different, including different pathogen exposure, such as malaria. To help better understand this, over 2000 references were identified using the names of all current or past names of African continent countries and the truncated word sickl$, followed by secondary nested and cross reference searches. Six cases series describing causes of death were identified, representing 182 children (Ndugwa, 1973, Athale, 1994, Koko, 1998, Diagne, 2000, Rahimy, 2003, Van-Dunem, 2007). Gender was reported in 172, 73 were female (42%). Age was reported in 118, 52 were < 5 years (44%). Four studies described some impediment to care or arrival for care in extremis in1/4 to over ½ of patients that died. In Uganda, 9/12 (75%) patient died at home. In Gabon 6/23 (26%) patients died within 4 hours of reaching the hospital and 11/23 (48%) within 24 hours. In Benin 2/10 (20%) died of splenic sequestration diagnosed at home; 38/64 (53%) of patients in Mozambique that died, lived outside of the capital. Causes of death were identified in 146 individuals. These included: fever/sepsis: n=59 (40%), including meningitis: n=15 (10%) and pyelonephritis: n=2 (1%); acute anemia: n=43 (29%), including spleen sequestration: n=28 (19%) and aplastic anemia: n=8 (5%); pain: n=22 (15%); acute chest syndrome/pneumonia: n=18 (12%); CNS: n=8 (5%), including stroke: n=4 (3%), seizure/ coma: n=5 (3%); liver disease: n=5 (3%) including hepatitis: n=3 (2%); Other: n=19 (13%) including wasting/ malnutrition: n=7 (5%), heart failure/cardiomyopathy: n=4 (3%), diarrhea and vomiting: n=3 (2%), transfusion reaction: n=2 (1%). Infectious pathogens were identified in 26, including malaria: n=10 (38%), S. pneumoniae: n=3 (12%), Salmonella: n=2 (8%), H. influenza, Klebsiella and Citrobacter: n=1 (4%) each; viral agents were reported in n=8 (31%) including HBV: n=5 (19%), HIV: n=3 (12%). Reported general population hemoglobinopathy surveys after birth revealed the following Relative Risk (RR) of observing individuals with hemoglobin SS compared to Hardy Weinberg expected frequencies (some age cohorts overlap; Tanzania '56, Benin '09, Burkina Faso '70, Central African Republic'75, Gabon'65/'80, Gambia'56, Ghana '56/‘57/'00/'10, Kenya '04/'10, Malawi '72/'00/'04, Mozambique '86, Nigeria '56/'70/'79/'81/'84/'05, Senegal '69, Sierra Leone '56). Age 0-1 years, total n=2112 observed n=22 (1.0%), expected n=16.5 (0.8%), RR=1.3 (95% CI=0.7,2.5), p=0.441. Age 0-6 years, total n=4078; observed n=39 (1.0%); expected n=40.6 (1.0%); RR=1.0 (95% CI=0.6,1.5), p=0.925. Age 5-19 years, total n=1880; observed n= 5 (0.3%); expected n= 24.8 (1.3%); RR=0.2 (95% CI=0.1,0.5); p<0.001. Adults, total n=12814; observed n= 20 (0.2%); expected n= 118.9 (0.9%); RR=0.2 (95% CI=0.1,0.3), p<0.001. Pregnant, total n=5815; observed n= 19 (0.3%); expected n= 78.5 (1.3%), RR=0.2 (95% CI=0.1,0.4), p<0.001. Cohorts of children with SCD are indicated in the table. In summary, access to care, as well as acute anemias are a frequent cause of mortality. Along with viral pathogens and transfusion related deaths this indicates the importance of a safe blood supply. By adulthood, the observed frequency of individuals with SCD is only 1/5 of expected. However, reported clinic cohorts suggest similar if not better survival than in the general population, possibly due to lost to follow up, but also malaria/bacterial infection prevention and nutritional support. Careful prospective studies are needed.TableCohorts of children in Africa with Sickle Cell AnemiaCountryAge median years, (range)Death/TotalnFollow up yearsPatient-yearsDeaths/100 patient-yearsU5M/100 child-yrs♦Uganda, 735 -9, (0-20)12/6282--2.7Senegal, ‘008 (0-22)11/323710331.12.2Senegal, 03330/55612--2.2Benin,032.910/2361.5-6.59831.02.4Kenya,096 (0-13)2/1241.21181.72.7♦: Under five year old mortality 2009 (source: Unicef), divided by 5Prophylactic interventions: Uganda: chloroquine; Senegal: chloroquine (wet season), nets, penicillin prophylaxis <5 yrs, folic acid, parasite treatment & iron supplement as needed; Benin: chloroquine, nets, penicillin prophylaxis, antibiotics for fever, folic acid, nutritional support; Kenya; Proguanil, folic acid, nutritional support, parasite treatment & iron supplement as needed. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The development of infrastructure is one of the pillars of the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan (PSGE). Implemented as of 2012, the PSGE has been establishing priority strategic guidelines to transform Gabon into an emerging economy by 2025. Its primary aims are to ensure and expedite the country’s sustainable development and growth by focusing on potential growth sectors. Public investment grew continuously from 2009 to 2013, when it peaked at 15.2 percent of GDP; it averaged 5.7 percent growth from 1990 to 2018. At the same time, private investment declined, as did growth and public capital stock. These outcomes indicate that public investment in Gabon does not drive growth and that investment expenditure does not automatically translate into actual accumulation of assets, which raises questions about the efficiency of those outlays.

The article is devoted to the study and presentation of the potential of foreign direct investment in Gabon. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an international capital movement created to create, develop or support a foreign subsidiary, as well as to exercise control over the management of a foreign enterprise. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the driving element of multinationalization of companies, the creation of subsidiaries abroad or other financial relations. Reducing investment costs (exploitation of expensive natural resources, even impossible for transportation, using cheaper labor, optimizing taxation) and conquering new markets that are difficult to cover only through exports, are the main reasons for foreign direct investment. Foreign direct investment has risen sharply since the mid-1980s (more than 10.6%) and is one of the main factors contributing to the globalization of the economy. Thus, Gabon remains a potential foreign direct investment market due to the wealth and diversity of its economy. This diversity of the Gabonese economy groups all sectors of economic activity, such as transport, services, tourism, construction, telecommunications, oil and gas, and others. Today, we can say that in Gabon all the conditions for a vision of business and a favorable investment climate are created.

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) Diptera: Tephritidae Polyphagous, particularly damaging to fruit crops and coffee (Coffea spp.). Information is given on the geographical distribution in EUROPE, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Corsica, Mainland France, Germany, Greece, Crete, Mainland Greece, Hungary, Italy, Mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Mainland Portugal, Russia, Southern Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Mainland Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Ukraine, Yugoslavia (Fed. Rep.), ASIA, Cyprus, India, Bihar, Israel, Jordan, Korea Republic, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, AFRICA, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, NORTH AMERICA, Mexico, USA, California, Florida, Hawaii, Texas, CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEAN, Belize, Bermuda, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, SOUTH AMERICA, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahia, Espirito Santo, Goias, Minas Gerais, Para, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro, Rondonia, Sao Paulo, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, OCEANIA, Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, New Zealand.

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Diptera: Tephritidae. Hosts: polyphagous. Information is given on the geographical distribution in Europe (Albania, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Corsica, Mainland France, Greece, Crete, Mainland Greece, Italy, Mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Mainland Portugal, Romania, Russia, Southern Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Mainland Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine), Asia (China, Hubei, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen), Africa (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), North America (Mexico, USA, California, Florida, Hawaii), Central America and Caribbean (Bermuda, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico), South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Alagoas, Amapa, Bahia, Ceara, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Tocantins, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela), Oceania (Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia).

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Diptera: Tephritidae. Hosts: polyphagous. Information is given on the geographical distribution in Europe (Albania, Austria, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Corsica, Mainland France, Greece, Crete, Mainland Greece, Italy, Mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Mainland Portugal, Romania, Russia, Southern Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Mainland Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine), Asia (Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen), Africa (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Saint Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), North America (Mexico, USA, California, Florida, Hawaii), Central America & Caribbean (Bermuda, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico), South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Alagoas, Amapa, Bahia, Ceara, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Tocantins, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela), Oceania (Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia).

Abstract A new distribution map is provided for Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Diptera: Tephritidae. Hosts: polyphagous. Information is given on the geographical distribution in Europe (Albania, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Corsica, Mainland France, Greece, Crete, Mainland Greece, Italy, Mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Montenegro, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Mainland Portugal, Romania, Russia, Southern Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Mainland Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine), Asia (China, Hubei, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Yemen), Africa (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo, Congo Democratic Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe), North America (Mexico, USA, California, Florida, Hawaii), Central America & Caribbean (Bermuda, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico), South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Alagoas, Amapa, Bahia, Ceara, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Tocantins, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela), Oceania (Australia, New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia).

This study examines the elements and processes that defined the development of the wood commercialization industry in Continental Guinea between 1926 and 1936. During this per iod an influx of Spanish capital resulted in the establishment of a limited number of companies that controlled the logging business in this Spanish colony. The implementation of a forest concession system reorganized the colony according to a logic of production involving the progressive accumulation of technical capital and the concentration of the native workforce. The intensification and mechanization of production as well as the expansion of the exploited forest surface consolidated the export profile of Continental Guinea, making wood the most important export product of the colony. Thus, the incor poration of the Spanish okoume to Northern European commercial circuits broke the monopoly that exports from the French colony of Gabon had until then.

ABSTRACTPenelitian dilakukan pada CV Tirta Buana dengan cakupan wilayah survei untuk mendapatkan data-data pemasaran meliputi Kabupaten Bandung Barat, Kota Cimahi, Kota Bandung dan Kabupaten Bandung. Hasil penelitian: 1)Optimalisasi pemanfaatan sumber daya air berdasarkan kapasitas terpasang dengan mengembangkan bisnis air minum dalam kemasan galon sangat layak direalisasikan khususnya berdasarkan kajian aspek keuangan yang meliputi Payback Period=10 bulan dari batas maksimum 45 bulan, NPV=500.171.287, PI=1,78 dan IRR>90%. Optimalisasi juga sangat tepat dilakukan karena dapat meningkatkan nilai ekonomis sumber daya air. Hal tersebut ditunjukkan oleh nilai ekonomis air dari Rp0.76,- per liter (bisnis air bersih perumahan) menjadi Rp118,- per liter. 2)Bisnis air minum dalam kemasan galon dapat meningkatkan kinerja keuangan CV Tirta Buana secara signifikan, hal ini dapat dilihat dari peningkatan current ratio, peningkatan cash ratio, penurunan total debt to equity ratio, penurunan total debt to total capital assets, peningkatan rate of return on investment, peningkatan rate of return on net worth, dan peningkatan total assets turnover.

Abstract Background There is little information on the social perception of malaria and the use of preventative measures in Gabon, especially in rural areas. Adequate knowledge of malaria prevention and control can help in reducing the burden of malaria among vulnerable groups, particularly pregnant women and children under 5 years old living in malaria-endemic settings. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of malaria and the knowledge and attitude towards this disease in households in Nyanga Province. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess malaria knowledge, prevention practices and prevalence of the malaria infection in five departments of Nyanga Province. Plasmodial infection was diagnosed in children ≤ 5 years of age and women aged 15-49 years using rapid diagnostic tests. A questionnaire was administered randomly to women aged 15–49 years and to the parents or guardians of children aged ≤ 5 years in 535 households during a 2-week period in March 2018. Overall, the respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge of malaria, malaria prevention practices and malaria prevalence were evaluated and compared across the five departments. Results Data from a total of 1,307 participants were included in this study, including 631 women of childbearing age (61 of them pregnant) and 676 children. Practically the entire (97.7%) interviewed population had heard about malaria and attributed the cause of malaria to a mosquito bite (95.7%). This survey revealed that the reported rate of reported bed-net use was 73.3%. The study observed an average malaria parasite prevalence of 13.9%. All departmental capitals of Nyanga Province had a significant level of malaria infection except for Mayumba where no plasmodial infection was found. Conclusion High malaria prevalence is found in the departmental capital cities of Nyanga Province. This study reveals that respondents have a high knowledge of the malaria symptoms, its mode of transmission and preventive measures. Despite this high level of knowledge of the disease and its preventive measures, the incidence of malaria remains relatively high in this rural community highlighting the need for other types of interventions.

The mobile phone found its way to the Philippines when the first generation of Global Systems for Mobile Communication or GSM handsets was introduced in the country in 1994. This GSM protocol eventually developed to introduce a faster and more efficient means of storing, manipulating, and transmitting data by allowing data to be translated into a series of ones and zeroes. Digital technology furthered the mobile phone’s potentials from being a mere “talking device on the move” (Leung and Wei 316) to a more dynamic participant in the new information age. The capacity to merge all forms of binary data enabled mobile phones to allow convergent services such as chatting, voice-mail, news updates, e-mailing, Internet browsing, and even the dissemination of image and audio files. Apart from the allure of the possibilities of digital communication, the mobile phone was also welcomed in the Philippines because of its convenience; it provided the country, especially the rural areas where telephones are unavailable or inaccessible, with a modern means of communication. A survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) in 2001 reveals the extent of the dissemination of this technology in the Philippines: “Out of the 15 million households in the Philippines, an estimated 2.5 million have a cellular phone, of which 2.3 million have text-messaging capacity. For the entire nation, text-messaging is available to 15% of all households in general, but it is available to 53% of ABC households in particular. Of the 2.3 million text-capable households in the nation, 800 thousand are in Metro Manila.” Of the 80 million Filipinos, there are now 22 million mobile phone owners in the country compared to only 6.7 million subscribed landlines (Lallana 1). Of the various digital applications of the mobile phone, text messaging is still considered to be the most exploited service in the Philippines. A voice call placed through the mobile phone would typically cost around six to seven pesos per minute while a text message costs a peso per message. Corollary, a typical Filipino now sends an average of ten messages every day, contributing to a daily traffic of over 300 million text messages (Pertierra 58). This has led to the popular notion of the Philippines as the “texting capital of the world” (Pertierra et al. 88). In Text-ing Selves, a study that examines the use of mobile phones in the country, Pertierra and other researchers argue that texting has made it possible to create new unsurveilled and unconventional human relationships. In one case cited in the book, for example, a male and a female texter met after an accidental exchange of text messages. Although initially they were very reserved and guarded, familiarity between the two was fostered greatly because the medium allowed for an anonymous and uncommitted communication. Eventually, they met and shortly after that, got engaged. A second instance involved a person who exchanged phone numbers with his friends to pursue strangers and win new friends by texting. He engaged in virtual or text-based “affairs” with women, which would later on result to actual physical sex. Another case examined was that of an 18-year old bisexual who met “textmates” by participating in interactive Text TV chatrooms. Although he eventually met up with individuals to have sex, he professed to use the Text TV mainly to create these virtual relationships with persons of the same sex. (Pertierra et al. 64-89) It is because of the considerable popularity of the medium and the possible repercussions of such curious relationships and interpersonal communication patterns that the phenomenon of mobile phone use, particularly that of texting, in the Philippines is worthy of systematic scrutiny. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the relational context being created through this wireless messaging system. An exploratory study, this research examines the contributions of the texting technology that allowed development of romantic relationships among its users. Ultimately, this paper aims to identify what makes texting a novel romantic device in the Philippines. The framework in the understanding of relationship development through texting incorporates Malcolm Parks’ theory of relationship life cycle and network (352). In his proposal, interpersonal relationships of all types are usually conceptualized as developing from the impersonal to the personal along a series of relatively specific dimensions: increases in interdependence, in the variety and intimacy of interaction, in interpersonal predictability and understanding, in the change toward more personalized ways of communicating and coordinating, in commitment, and in the convergence of the participants’ social networks. According to Parks (359-68), relationships move within the constructive character of communication that involves the interaction of the structure and content of communication between the participants. Thus, the researcher would like to identify the relationship between these seven factors of relationship development and the texting technology. This research identified the attributes of the texting technology along the seven dimensions of Park’s theory of relational development. Qualitative data was obtained and explored in the light of the concepts presented in the related literature, particularly the theoretical discourses of Paul Levinson and Raul Pertierra et al. A total of 43 respondents, 21 males and 22 females, were selected through purposive sampling to derive exploratory data through the in-depth interview method. Texting and Interdependence Unwritten Rule of Texting Respondents revealed that their relationships developed with their respective partners because texting made them more dependent on each other. “It became a habit” (Emmy). Partners texted each other as often as they could, until they have established themselves as regular textmates. One respondent’s day would also be influenced by his partner’s text message: “Kapag hindi siya nakakapagtext, nami-miss ko siya (If she doesn’t text, I miss her). Her simple ‘good morning’s’ can really help me start my day right.” At this level of the relationship, texters always had the compulsion to keep the communication constantly moving. One respondent attributed this to the “unwritten rule of texting.” Clara elaborated: You know there’s this unwritten rule in texing: once a person has texted you, you have to reply. If you don’t reply, the person will automatically think you ignored him or her on purpose. So you have to reply no matter what. Even when you really have nothing to say, you’re forced to come up with something or give your opinion just to keep the conversation going. Immediacy and Accessibility Some respondents exhibited interdependence by “reporting” or informing each other of the happenings in their individual lives. Arnel shared: Ang ilang pinakanatulong sa amin ng texting ay to inform each other kung saan na kami at kung anong pinagkakaabalahan namin at a specific time, especially kung hindi kami magkasama. (One of the greatest aid of texting in our relationship is that it enables us to inform each other about where we are and what we are doing at a specific time, especially if we are not together). He also added that texting allows them to organize their schedules as well as to logistically set meeting times or inform the other of one’s tardiness. Texting also allowed for the individuals in the relationship to influence each other’s thoughts, behaviors, and actions. “Kapag nagkukuwento siya kung anong nangyari sa kaniya tapos tingin ko mali, pinagsasabihan ko siya (If she tells me stories about what happened to her and then I see that there’s something wrong with it, I admonish her)” (Jesus). Jack summarized how the texting technology facilitated these indicators of interdependence between romantic partners: There’s a feeling of security that having a cellphone gives to a certain person, because you know that, more often than not, you can and will be reached by anyone, anywhere, anytime, and vice versa. So when I need comfort, or someone to listen, or I need to vent, or I need my boyfriend’s opinion, or I need his help in making a decision, it’s really relieving to know that he’s just a text or phone call away. These responses from the participants in a texting romantic relationship confirm Paul Levinson’s arguments of the mobile phone’s feature of accessibility. In the book Cellphone: The Story of the World’s Most Mobile Medium and How it has Transformed Everything! he mentions that the mobile phone technology, particularly texting, permits users to make instant, immediate and direct delivery of messages. He further explains that texting can be a romancing tool because before there was the mobile phone, people placing call through the telephone had to make sure that the persons they are asking out on a date are at home when the phone rings (Levinson 97). Texting and Depth: Privacy and Levinson’s Silence Texting also facilitated an efficient exchange of a variety of important, intimate, and personal topics and feelings for most of the respondents. A number of respondents even confessed that they could go as intimate as exchanging sexual messages with their partners. One respondent revealed that he could text his partner anything “kahit nga text sex pwede rin eh (even ‘sex text’ is allowed).” But mostly, the text exchanges consisted of intimate romantic feelings that one could not manage to say in person. Richard shared: “For example, through text we can say ‘I love you’ to each other. Aside from that, nasasabi ko rin yung mga problems na hindi ko masabi ng harapan (I could tell her about my problems that I could not say face-to-face).” Arnel, a homosexual, attributed this ease of transmitting intimate and personal topics and feelings to the texting technology’s unique feature of privacy. “Kasi wari bang nakakalikha ng pribadong espasyo yung screen ng phone mo na kahit na magkalayo kayo” (Because the mobile phone screen is able to create a private space that even if you are far from each other) physically, the virtual space created by that technology is apparent. Because no one can hear you say those things or no one else can read [them], assuming na hindi pinabasa sa ibang tao o hindi nakita (that it is not allowed to be read or seen by others) (Arnel). Arnel’s discussion of the private space that allows for intimate exchanges links up with Paul Levinson’s silence as one of the biggest benefit of the texting technology. Texting permits receivers to view their messages in private as opposed to having others in the environment hear and know about their particular communication or simply even just the fact that they are communicating (Levinson 112-14). Anonymity RJ would associate this capability to swap intimate information between partners to texting’s provision for anonymity. In texting, there is the element of anonymity, thus, you can feel more comfortable with sharing more intimate messages. As opposed to a face-to-face conversation wherein you would tend to hold back some feelings or thoughts because of fear of outright rejection. Personally, I consider that factor as a very important element in the development of our relationship. Because I am not really the aggressive-frank type of guy, I tend to hold back in telling her intimate things face to face. The feature of anonymity that the respondents mentioned seems to refer to one characteristic that Pertierra, et al. (91) outlined in their book. They wrote that communication through texting has also efficiently incorporated meaning, intention, and expressions allowing texters to say what is normally unsayable in face-to-face contexts. This clearly points to the comfort that the respondents identified when they’d share about intimate details like their exes and other information that a typical “non-aggressive-frank guy, who fears outright rejection,” would. Autonomy Perhaps an additional feature that might be closely related to privacy and anonymity is the autonomous nature of the texting technology. Homosexuals like Jetrin took advantage of this feature to facilitate unconventional same-sex affairs: “Unlike pagers, mobile phones are not monitored, therefore I can pretty much say what I want to the other person. I get to express myself more clearly and intimate[ly]”. Because of this absence of censorship, texters can confidently say “’I love you’ or ‘I want to throw you against the wall and make you feel like a cheap whore’ (Jetrin)” without having to concern themselves about a third-party processing their messages. Texting and Breadth Expressing Real and Virtual Emotions Because of these various constraints, respondents started to locate other avenues to communicate with their partners. Thus, the breadth of the relationship increased. Other means of communication that the respondents mentioned are face-to-face encounters, voice phone calls (either landline or mobile phone), e-mail, chat (YM, ICQ, Web cam, etc.), and even snail mail. However way they decided to extend their communication beyond texting, almost all of them declared that it is still texting that instigated this movement to another medium. One respondent said “Of course text ang taga-initiate (initiates) and then more ways [follow] after.” Although texting employs a dualistic nature of beneficial anonymity and uncertainty between exchanging partners, a number of respondents still express optimism about the texting technology’s capacity to bridge the gap between expressing real and virtual emotions. Some claimed that “even [in] text [there is] personality; smiling face, exclamation points, feelings are still communicated.” RG also expressed that “yung mga smileys nakakatulong sa pag-express ng emotions (smileys help in expressing emotions).” Jake added that “qualities like the smiley faces and sad faces you can make using the punctuation marks, etc. can really add warmth and depth to text messages.” Texting and Commitment Regularity Since most of the couples in a romantic relationship did not have the luxury of time to meet up in person or talk over the phone regularly, the frequency of texting became a distinct indication about their commitment to their relationships. “To commit is to be there for the person, 24/7. Texting helps in achieving that despite of the barriers in time and distance” (Von). Didith showed the other end of this phenomenon: “When he texted less and less in the course of the relationship, it made me doubt about … his commitment.” This regularity of texting also provided for strengthening the bond and connection between partners that ultimately “As we share more and more of our lives with each other, more trust develops…and the more trust you instill in each other, the more you expect the relationship to be stronger and more lasting” (Jack). Convenience and Affordability Some respondents pointed out texting’s convenient nature of linking partners who are rather separated by physical and geographical limits. Richard used texting to contact his partner “kasi malayo kami sa isa’t-isa, lalo na kapag umuuwi siya sa Bulacan. Texting ang pinakamadali, cheapest, and convenient way para makapag-communicate kami (because we are far from each other, especially if she goes home to Bulacan. Texting is the fastest, cheapest, and convenient way for us to communicate).” This “presence” that strengthens the commitment between partners, as suggested by most of the respondents, indicates the capacity of the mobile phone to transform into an extension of the human body and connect partners intimately. Texting, Predictability and Understanding Redundancy Some of the respondents agreed that it is the regularity of texting that enabled them to become more capable of understanding and predicting their partner’s feelings and behaviors. Tina articulated this: “Probably due to redundancy, one can predict how the other will react to certain statements.” Jake also expressed the same suggestion: Texting in our relationship has become a routine, actually. Texting has become like talking for us. And the more we text/talk, the more we get to know each other. Nagiging sanay na kami sa ugali at pag-iisip ng isa’t-isa (We become used to each other’s attitudes and thinking). So it’s inevitable for us to be able to predict one another’s reactions and thoughts to certain topics. Because we get to a point wherein we feel like we know each other so well, that when we are able to correctly predict a feeling or behavior, we find it amusing. In the end, the regularity of the interaction brought about learning. “I’ve learned much of her from texting. I knew that she becomes disappointed with certain things or she really appreciates it when I do certain things. It became easier for me to learn about her thoughts, feelings, etc.” (RJ) Managing of Contextual Cues A lot of the respondents mentioned that their understanding and predictability of their partners was also heightened by the context of the construction of the messages that were being transmitted. “If there are smiley faces, then we’re okay. No cute expressions mean we’re in a serious mode” (Didith). “Either an added word, a missing word, or a word out of place in the message gives me the clue” (Jake). The textual structure and signs became instrumental into the translation of how to perceive another’s feelings or reactions. “For example, pag normal, sweet words yung nasa text, may mga ‘I love you,’ mga ganon. Pero kung galit siya, may iba. Minsan ‘Oo’ lang yung sagot. Kaya mas nakikilala ko pa siya through text (For example, on a normal circumstance, her text would contain sweet words like ‘I love you.’ But if she’s mad, it’s different. At times, she would just reply with a mere ‘yes.’ That’s why I get to know her more through text)” (Richard). Texting and Communicative Change Own Private World Texting allowed respondents to create special languages that they used to interact with their own partners. It is an inherent characteristic of texting that limits messages up to 360 characters only, and it becomes almost a requirement to really adapt a rather abbreviated way of writing when one has to send a message. In this study however, it was found that the languages that respondents created were not the usual languages that the general public would use or understand in texting – it even went beyond the usual use of the popular smileys. Respondents revealed that they created codes that only they and their respective partners understood in their “own private world” (Jackie, Emma). “How I text him is different from how I text other people so I don’t think other people would understand what I’m telling him, and why the manner is so if they read our messages” (Anika). Leana shared an example: My partner and I have created special nicknames and shortcuts that only the two of us know and understand. Kunyari (For example), we have our own way of saying ‘I love you’ or ‘I miss you.’ To send a kiss… we use a set of characters different from the usual. Basta secret na namin ‘yon (It is our secret). Fun Majority of the respondents identified communicative code change as the most exciting and fun part in texting. “It is one of the best things about relating with someone through texting. It is one of the most fun things to do” (Mario). And the amusement that this interaction caused was not only limited in the virtual environment and the textual context. “It is one of the fun things about our texting and it even carries over when we are together personally” (Justin). “Since words are what we have, we play with them and try to be creative. Para masaya, exciting (So that it is fun and exciting)” (Charm). Incidentally, this sense of fun and excitement is also one of the attributes that Pertierra and his co-authors mentioned in their book Txt-ing Selves (Pertierra et al. 140): “Many see texting as an opportunity for fun.” Texting and Network Convergence Texting also made network convergence possible among partners, and their respective social circles, in a romantic relationship. Because the respondents engaged in non-stop texting, their friends and family started to notice their change in behavior. “People become curious… They want to know the person I text with every minute of every day… I guess people can tell when a person’s in love, even when it has only developed through texting” (Clara). Jake shared a very likely scenario: “If you get text messages when you’re with your friends/family and you laugh at the message you receive, or just react to whatever you receive, you’d have to make kwento (tell) who you’re texting to make sense of your reactions.” Others though, readily announced their relationships to everyone: “I’ll text my friends first na ‘Uy, may bago ako.’ (I will text my friends first that: ‘Hey, I have a new girlfriend.’)” (Richard). But sometimes, texters also introduced their partners to people outside their friends and family circles. “Sometimes, it even goes beyond personal. Example, if my ‘new partner’ who has never met any of my friends and family need help with something (business, academic, etc.) then I introduce him to someone from my circle who can be of help to him” (Jetrin). Network convergence could also take place through and within the medium itself. Respondents revealed that their family and friends actually interact with each other through texting without necessarily having the opportunity to meet in person. Pauline shared: “Ate (My older sister)… used to send text messages to him before to ask where I am. And my mom stole his number from my phone ‘just in case’.” Didith and her boyfriend also experienced having their friends involved in the dynamics of their relationship: “During our first major quarrel, he texted and called my friend to ask what I was mad about. Likewise, when we have a minor spat, I call his friend to vent or ask about him.” Conclusion This study establishes the texting technology’s capacity as a romancing gadget. As the interview participants pointed out, because of the technology’s capacity to allow users to create their own world capable of expressing real and virtual emotions, and managing contextual cues, texters were able to increase their dependence and understanding of one another. It also allowed for partners to exchange more personal and intimate information through an instant and private delivery of messages. The facilitation of communicative change made their relationship more exciting and that the texting medium itself became the message of commitment to their relationship. Finally, texting also led the partners to introduce one another to their families and friends either through the texting environment or face-to-face. Ultimately, texting became their means to achieving intimacy and romance. Texting offered a modern communication medium for carrying out traditional gender roles in pursuing romance for the heterosexual majority of the respondents. However, the messaging tool also empowered the homosexuals and bisexuals involved in the study. The highly private and autonomous textual environment enabled them to explore new and unorthodox romantic and even sexual relations. Moreover, texting may be considered as a venue for “technological foreplay” (Nadarajan). Almost all of those who have used texting to sustain their intimacy indicated the choice to expand to other modes of communication. Although relationships set in a purely virtual environment actually exist, the findings that these relationships rarely stay virtual point to the idea that the virtual setting of texting becomes simply just another place where partners get to exercise their romance for each other, only to be further “consummated” perhaps by a face-to-face contact. Data gathering for this research revealed a noteworthy number of respondents who engage in a purely virtual textual relationship. A further investigation of this occurrence will be able to highlight the capacity of texting as a relationship gadget. Long distance relationships sustained by this technology also provide a good ground for the exploration of the text messaging’s potentials as communication tool. References Lallana, Emmanuel. SMS, Business, and Government in the Philippines. Manila: Department of Science and Technology, 2004. Leung, Louis, and Ran Wei. “More than Just Talk on the Move: Uses and Gratifications of the Cellular Phone.” Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly 77 (2000): 308-320. Levinson, Paul. Cellphone: The Story of the World’s Most Mobile Medium and How It Has Transformed Everything! New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004. Mangahas, Malou. “For the Little History of EDSA-2.” Social Weather Station 26 Jan. 2001. 31 Jan. 2005 http://www.sws.org.ph/>. Nadarajan, Gunalan. Personal communication with the author. 2004. Parks, Malcolm. “Communication Networks and Relationship Life Cycles.” Handbook of Personal Relationships: Theory, Research, and Interventions. 2nd ed. Ed. Steve Duck. London: John Wiley, 1997. 351-72. Pertierra, Raul. Transforming Technologies: Altered Selves – Mobile Phone and Internet Use in the Philippines. Manila: De La Salle UP, 2006. Pertierra, Raul, et al. Text-ing Selves: Cellphones and Philippine Modernity. Manila: De La Salle UP, 2002. Solis, Randy Jay. “Mobile Romance: An Exploration of the Development of Romantic Relationships through Texting.” Asia Culture Forum, Gwangju, South Korea: 29 Oct. 2006. Citation reference for this article MLA Style Solis, Randy Jay C. "Texting Love: An Exploration of Text Messaging as a Medium for Romance in the Philippines." M/C Journal 10.1 (2007). echo date('d M. Y'); ?> <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0703/05-solis.php>. APA Style Solis, R. (Mar. 2007) "Texting Love: An Exploration of Text Messaging as a Medium for Romance in the Philippines," M/C Journal, 10(1). Retrieved echo date('d M. Y'); ?> from <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0703/05-solis.php>.