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He didn’t choose Physics—Physics chose him, or more precisely, his mother did. When a DOST-SEI scholarship offered the highest allowance for the course, she told him, “Take Physics. It has the biggest allowance.” That single, practical decision set Dr. Rolando T. Candidato Jr. on a lifelong path of discovery and innovation.
Known to his family as Jun-jun, and to friends and colleagues simply as Tano, he grew from a curious boy in Iligan City into one of the country’s promising physicists—an Outstanding Young Scientist recognized for advancing plasma spray technology in the Philippines. His journey from humble beginnings to scientific excellence is a story of perseverance, purpose, and the power of saying yes to unexpected opportunities.
Humble Beginnings of a Scientist
Dr. Rolando T. Candidato Jr., who hails from Ubaldo D. Laya in Iligan City, spent his formative years surrounded by a vibrant and close-knit community. He attended Ubaldo D. Laya Memorial School, where he consistently excelled in his studies and graduated as class valedictorian in 1999.
His mother ran a small sari-sari store—open some days, closed on others—while his father, a military man, was often away on duty. With three other siblings close in age, expenses like school fees and daily allowances were a challenge, so Dr. Candidato learned early on to find ways to earn. As a young boy, he cleaned a neighbor’s house, washed cars, and even helped transport goods from nearby towns. He often played billiards in their neighborhood, and sometimes older players would pay him to compete on their behalf. Winning a game meant extra money—enough to buy small things or help his mother. These early experiences taught him the value of resourcefulness and determination.
Despite these responsibilities, Dr. Candidato remained active in school and the community. He joined sports and journalism contests, played baseball, sepak takraw, and basketball, and developed lasting friendships across neighboring barangays. His exposure to different social environments—both stable and struggling—helped him understand people from all walks of life and sharpened his sense of adaptability.
He also grew up aware of the challenges in his surroundings, including the prevalence of vices like gambling and drugs. Yet, guided by his father’s discipline and his own sense of purpose, Dr. Candidato avoided such influences. He preferred to spend his energy into studies, sports, and side hustles to save for his allowance.
Discovering a Passion for Science
In high school, Dr. Candidato’s love for sports continued. He spent entire weekends playing basketball with friends, starting early in the morning and ending at late night. His competitiveness, first shaped in the neighborhood courts, soon carried over to academics. Though he began high school in the fourth section, by his second year he had moved up to the first section and became an honor student.
Initially, he preferred history and politics over the sciences. But in his third year, a teacher changed everything—his physics teacher, Mr. Dennis Laput. Strict yet brilliant, Mr. Laput could answer every question and explain how forces, motion, and energy governed the world. Dr. Candidato was captivated. Physics, he realized, could explain almost everything.
Through his childhood experiences, Dr. Candidato cultivated qualities that would later shape his journey as a scientist—curiosity, perseverance, and resilience. His early life taught him not just how to survive, but how to observe, analyze, and learn from the world around him—a foundation that would guide his scientific path in the years to come.
A Turning Point: From Restless Student to Aspiring Physicist
By his fourth year in high school, Dr. Candidato began to lose focus after years of diligence. Having spent nearly a decade striving for top grades, he felt burned out. Still, despite his absences, he managed to stay within the top fifteen of his class.
When graduation came, life took an unexpected turn—his younger brother fell ill with dengue hemorrhagic fever, straining the family’s limited finances. In the midst of these challenges, Dr. Candidato took the DOST-SEI scholarship examination—a test he would later describe as the hardest he had ever taken.
When results came out, he passed both the DOST scholarship and the entrance exam for the Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT). He was ready to enroll in Accountancy when his mother intervened:
“Choose the course with the highest allowance,” she said. “Take Physics.”
Reluctant but obedient, Dr. Candidato followed her advice—unaware that this choice would define his life’s direction.
Finding His Place in Physics
When he entered MSU-IIT in 2003, Physics was unfamiliar territory. But his DOST scholarship gave him purpose—and an allowance of ₱3,450 a month gave him independence. He joined the Summer Orientation and Enrichment Program for DOST-SEI scholars, where he met lifelong friends and gained the confidence to thrive in college.
Though he struggled in his first years, he persisted. His classmates shared notes and encouragement; his professors challenged him. He played basketball on the side, served as Sports Committee Co-chairperson in the College of Science and Mathematics, and became known by his nickname, Tano—a name derived from his middle initial, Rolando Tano Candidato Jr.—that would later carry into his professional life.
Physics demanded discipline, and Dr. Candidato learned it the hard way. One professor, Dr. Joselito Uy, became a turning point. Known for his brilliance and strictness, Dr. Uy’s approach in Linear Algebra nearly caused Dr. Candidato to fail, but his persistence and determination not only earned him a passing grade, it became one of his most formative experiences under a truly remarkable teacher.
By his senior year, he had found his footing in the program. He finished his BS Physics in 2007, then immediately pursued a DOST-SEI graduate studies’ scholarship. Under the mentorship of Dr. Reynaldo M. Vequizo, he explored the properties of zinc sulfide and its transformation into zinc oxide—his first real step into materials science.
His master’s thesis in Physics later won First Place in the DOST-PCASTRD (now PCIEERD) Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Competition, besting entries from top universities in the country.
Forging a Path in Research
Encouraged by his mentors, Dr. Candidato chose academia over industry. He began teaching at MSU-IIT in 2009 and found fulfillment in mentoring young and future physicists. His curiosity led him deeper into materials research and, later, to plasma spray technology—a field that would define his scientific career.
By 2014, a collaboration between MSU-IIT and the University of Limoges in France opened the door for him to pursue a doctorate degree on bioactive and bioceramic materials. Moving abroad was challenging, but he thrived. His research on zinc-doped hydroxyapatite coatings for biomedical implants—adding antibacterial properties through plasma spraying—was groundbreaking.
After earning his doctorate degree in 2017, he chose to return home, determined to bring his knowledge back to the Philippines. He helped establish research collaborations, co-founded the Nano Society of the Philippines, and worked to integrate plasma spray technology into local innovation systems.
His expertise later led to a collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing in Medicine Laboratory at Zamboanga City Medical Center, where he applied plasma spraying to 3D-printed PEEK (polyether ether ketone) as mandibular implants. Through this process, he coated PEEK with bioactive materials, allowing them to be safely fitted into the human body without being rejected as foreign objects.
In 2025, his dedication was recognized when he was named one of the Outstanding Young Scientists (OYS) by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL)—a distinction that affirmed his years of hard work, leadership, and mentorship.
Grounded in Family, Driven by Purpose
Outside of work, Dr. Candidato remains deeply family-oriented. His mornings begin early—preparing breakfast, driving his wife to work and his children to school, and fetching them afterward. He proudly takes on the roles of cook, driver, and market-goer, setting aside what he calls a “holy hours” for his family each day.
In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, especially basketball and volleyball, and encouraging his youngest child to stay active in sports, like swimming, badminton and basketball. He also keeps a close eye on politics and social issues, believing that governance and science are deeply interconnected.
“If we have sound policies, we can achieve scientific progress—and scientific progress, in turn, inspires better policymaking,” he explains. “Innovation begins when governance values knowledge.”
Message to the Youth
“To the young minds out there,” Dr. Candidato urges, “pursue a career in science and engineering. We need more innovators like you to advance scientific progress—for our country, for humankind, and for the environment.”
He reminds aspiring scientists that research must serve both people and the planet. “Protect our Earth through science. Choose a path that benefits not just ourselves, but the generations to come. And in particular,” he adds with a smile, “I encourage you to explore Physics—join us.”
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Research:
Article title: Stability analysis of the Navier–Stokes velocity tracking problem with bang-bang controls
Author/s: Alberto Domínguez Corella, Nicolai Jork, Šárka Nečasová & John Sebastian H. Simon
Publication title: Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications 201(2), 2024
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: On a Nonlocal Two-Phase Flow with Convective Heat Transfer
Author/s: Šárka Nečasová & John Sebastian H. Simon
Publication title: Journal of Nonlinear Science 34(4), 2024
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Long‐time behavior of shape design solutions for the Navier–Stokes equations
Author/s: John Sebastian H. Simon
Publication title: ZAMM Journal of applied mathematics and mechanics: Zeitschrift für angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik 103(2), 2022
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: A shape design problem for the Navier–Stokes flow with a convective boundary condition
Author/s: J. S. H Simon & Hirofumi Notsu
Publication title: Computational and Applied Mathematics 41(4), 2022
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/4ypzmptd
Article title: A shape optimization problem constrained with the Stokes equations to address maximization of vortices
Author/s: John Sebastian Simon and Hirofumi Notsu
Publication title: Evolution Equations and Control Theory 11(6), 2022
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: A convective boundary condition for the Navier–Stokes equations
Author/s: John Sebastian H. Simon and Hirofumi Notsu
Publication title: Applied Mathematics Letters 128(2):107876, 2021
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Optimal Control for the Navier–Stokes Equation with Time Delay in the Convection: Analysis and Finite Element Approximations
Author/s: Gilbert Peralta & John Sebastian Simon
Publication title: Journal of Mathematical Fluid Mechanics 23(3), 2021
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Optimal Control on a Discrete Time Model for Tuberculosis
Author/s: John Sebastian Simon and Rodolfo Po III
Publication title: Thai Journal of Mathematics 17(1):193-204, 2019
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/3fwnexa6
Article title: Optimal control for a predator-prey model with disease in the prey population
Author/s: Simon, J. S. H. and Rabago, J. F. T.
Publication title: Malaysian Journal of Mathematical Sciences 12(2):269-285, 2018
Full text available upon request to the author/s
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Research:
Article title: Genomic perspectives on human dispersals during the Holocene
Author/s: Mark Stoneking, Leonardo Arias, Dang Liu, Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez
Publication title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120(4):e2209475119, 2023
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/cdmb6cxt
Article title: Ethical challenges in genetic research among Philippine Indigenous Peoples: Insights from fieldwork in Zamboanga and the Sulu Archipelago
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, John Meldwin D. Cuales, Michael James B. Herrera, Louward Allen M. Zubiri, Richard N. Muallil, Altan I. Ishmael, Edlyn B. Jimenez, Mark Stoneking, Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Frontier in Genetics 13, 2022
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/3tjhw3dr
Article title: An Integrated System for Forensic DNA Testing of Sexual Assault Cases in the Philippines
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, Rita P. Laude, Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Forensic Science International Synergy 3(S1):100133, 2021
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/2pwtb422
Article title: Machine learning approach to single nucleotide polymorphism-based asthma prediction
Author/s: Joverlyn Gaudillo, Jae Joseph Russell Rodriguez, Allen Nazareno, Lei Rigi Baltazar, Julianne Vilela, Rommel Bulalacao, Mario Domingo, Jason Albia
Publication title: PLOS One 14(12):e0225574, 2019
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/yrthabya
Article title: Data on likelihood ratios of two-person DNA mixtures interpreted using semi- and fully continuous systems
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, Jo-Anne Bright, Jazelyn M. Salvador, Rita P. Laude, Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Data in Brief 26, 2019:104455
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/2s3vh7j4
Article title: Filipino DNA Variation at 36 Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) Marker Units
Author/s: Jazelyn M. Salvador, Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, Lindsay Clare D.L. Carandang, Altair B. Agmata, Maria Lourdes D. Honrado, Frederick C. Delfin, and Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Philippine Journal of Science 148(S1):43-42, 2019
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/ussdffk9
Article title: Probabilistic approaches to interpreting two-person DNA mixtures from post-coital specimens
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, Jo-Anne Bright, Jazelyn M. Salvador, Rita P. Laude, Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Forensic Science International 300:157-163, 2019
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: Integrating presumptive and confirmatory semen tests into DNA profiling of sexual assault evidence: a Philippine example
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, Gayvelline C. Calacal, Rita P. Laude and Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences 9(45):1-11, 2019
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/4yjxdsnr
Article title: Non-differential DNA extraction of post-coital samples submitted as evidence for investigating sexual assault cases in the Philippines
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez, Gayvelline C. Calacal, Rita P. Laude, Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Philippine Science Letters 10(01), 2017
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/3n8npz9e
Article title: Allele frequencies of 23 Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat Loci in the Philippine Population
Author/s: Jae Joseph Russell Beltran Rodriguez, Jazelyn M. Salvador, Gayvelline C. Calacal, Rita P. Laude, Maria Corazon A. De Ungria
Publication title: Legal Medicine 17(4):295-297, 2015
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/3fy3v95w
Article title: A global analysis of Y-chromosomal haplotype diversity for 23 STR loci
Author/s: Joseph Purps, et al.
Publication title: Forensic Science International Genetics, 2014
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/3zym65h3
Article title: Genetic Diversity Based on Protein/Isozyme Analysis Among Populations of Beef Cattle (Bos indicus) From Selected Agroecological Zones in the Philippines
Author/s: Rita P. Laude, Genevieve B. Aquino, Rosalina N. Tandang, Marianito M. Doydora, Mary Ann J. Santos, Joyce A. Austria, Monique D. Barile, Jae Joseph Russell B. Rodriguez and Cesar C. Sevilla
Publication title: The Philippine Agricultural Scientist 89(3):217-226, 2006
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/2s3aw9w7
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Research:
Article title: Wave Transmission by Rectangular Submerged Breakwaters
Author/s: Ikha Magdalena, Muh Fahdel Atras, Leo Sembiring, M.A. Nugroho, Roi Solomon B. Labay, Marian P. Roque
Publication title: Computation 8(2):56, 2020
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/bp58e2jy
Article title: Analytical and numerical solution for wave reflection from a porous wave absorber
Author/s: Ikha Magdalena and Marian P. Roque
Publication title: Journal of Physics Conference Series 974(1):012042, 2018
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/5w9zxefd
Article title: On the solvability of a class of a quasilinear elliptic partial differential equation
Author/s: R.J. Beltran, Bituin Cabarrubias, Marian Roque
Publication title: Philippine Journal of Science 146(2):137-143, 2017
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: Sectional curvatures of nearly quasi-Einstein manifolds
Author/s: Shyamal Kumar Hui, Richard S. Lemence, Marian P. Roque
Publication title: International Journal of Mathematical Analysis 7(57):2833-2844, 2013
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/49hrca6h
Article title: Admissible Perturbations of Differential Expressions with Exponentially Decaying Coefficients Preserving the Nullities
Author/s: Juancho Collera and Marian P. Roque
Publication title: International Journal of Mathematical Analysis 7(57):2803-2810, 2013
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: On the Unique Solvability of Certain Nonlinear Singular Partial Differential Equations
Author/s: Jose Ernie C. Lope, Marian P. Roque, Hidetoshi Tahara
Publication title: Zeitschrift Analysis und Ihre Anwendungen 31(3), 2012
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: Some Remarks On Manifolds With Vanishing Bochner Tensor
Author/s: Eileen May G. Cariaga, Richard S. Lemence, and Marian P. Roque
Publication title: The Journal of Mathematics and Computer Science 2(4):631-638, 2011
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/mwwn3rpv
Article title: On Some Geometric Properties Of The Sphere Sn
Author/s: Richard S. Lemence, Dennis T. Leyson, Marian P. Roque
Publication title: The Journal of Mathematics and Computer Science 2(4): 607-618, 2011
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: On the deficiency index of even order symmetric differential expressions with essential spectrum
Author/s: Marian P. Roque and Bernd Schultze
Publication title: Mathematics Nachrichten 284(5-6):790-796, 2011
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: Non-limit-point differential expressions with essential spectrum
Author/s: Marian P. Roque and Bernd Schultze
Publication title: Taiwanese Journal of Mathematics 13(3), 2009
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
Article title: Approximate fixed points on almost convex sets
Author/s: Jose Ernie Lope, R.M. Rey, Marian P. Roque, Sy
Publication title: Tamkang Journal of Mathematics 35(3), 2004
Full text available upon request to the author/s.
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Research:
Article title: Re-thinking Governance in Tourism: Harnessing Tourism’s post-COVID-19 Economic Potential
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera, Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez, Fernando Martin Y. Roxas
Publication title: Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism 25(2):1-27, 2022
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Probing the Viability of Scopus-Indexed Journal Quantity as Alternative Metric for Knowledge Capital: Evidence From Selected ASEAN+3 Economies
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera, Sunyoung Won, Tereso S. Tullao, Jr.
Publication title: Asia-Pacific Social Science Review 21(3), 2021
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Bootstrapping tourism post-COVID-19: A systems thinking approach
Author/s: Fernando Martin Y. Roxas, John Paolo R. Rivera, and Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez
Publication title: Tourism and Hospitality Research 22(2):146735842110388, 2021
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Mapping stakeholders’ roles in governing sustainable tourism destinations
Author/s: Fernando Martin Y. Roxas, John Paolo R. Rivera, Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez
Publication title: Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 45:387-398
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Diffusing Social Innovations in Philippine Apitourism
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera, Lailani L. Alcantara, Anahata Harikumar
Publication title: Asia-Pacific Social Science Review 20(3), 2020
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Creating local sustainability indicators towards evidence-based policymaking for tourism in developing economies: Evidence from the Philippines
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera, Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez, Alejandro Christian D. Soler
Publication title: Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism 22(3):1-30, September 2020
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: Investigating the link between remittances and inflation: evidence from the Philippines
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera and Tereso S. Tullao
Publication title: South East Asia Research 28(5):1-26, August 2020
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Article title: Estimating Gini Coefficient and FGT Indices in the Philippines Using the Family Income and Expenditure Survey
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera
Publication title: Journal of Poverty 24(1):1-23, 2020
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Article title: Locating Potential Leverage Points In A Systems Thinking Causal Loop Diagram Toward Policy Intervention
Author/s: Fernando Martin Y. Roxas, John Paolo R. Rivera, Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez
Publication title: The Journal of General Evolution 75(3):1-23, 2019
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Article title: A Review of Theoretical Perspectives on CSR Among Family Enterprises
Author/s: Lolita Shaila P. Safaee Chalkasra, John Paolo R. Rivera, and Dynah Avigail T. Basuil
Publication title: The Journal of Business Perspective 23(4):097226291986096, 2019
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Article title: Framework for creating sustainable tourism using systems thinking
Author/s: Fernando Martin Y. Roxas, John Paolo R. Rivera, Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez
Publication title: Current Issues in Tourism 23(3):1-17, 2019
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Article title: A framework toward sustainable ecotourism value chain in the Philippines
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera and Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez
Publication title: Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 2018
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Article title: A Community-Based Tourism Approach in Advancing the Sustainability of the Amphawa Chaipattananurak Conservation Project
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera and Pajaree Gam Ackaradejruangsri
Publication title: Asia-Pacific Social Science Review 16(3), 2017
Full text available upon request to the author/s
Article title: The Effect of Credit Risk and Capital Adequacy on the Profitability of Rural Banks in the Philippines
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera and Rufo R. Mendoza
Publication title: Annals of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University - Economics 64(1):83-96, 2017
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Article title: Pagsusuri sa lagay ng distribusyon ng kita sa mga rehiyon ng Filipinas gamit ang Sarbey ng Kita at Pag-gasta ng Pamahayan
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera and Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez
Publication title: Malay 29(1):97-109, 2016
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Article title: Is it Really the Thought that Counts? The Deadweight Loss of Gift-Giving
Author/s: Charlyn Janna H. Francisco, Beatrice Regina S. Lagdameo, Rosanina A. Sayoc, John Paolo R. Rivera
Publication title: Asia-Pacific Social Science Review 15(1):116-124, 2015
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Article title: A repeated cross-section and pseudo panel analysis of alleviating poverty in developing economies: The Philippine case
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera
Publication title: Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research 16(1):235-257, 2015
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Article title: The role of stationarity in business and economic research
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera
Publication title: Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research 16(3):173-186, 2015
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Article title: An approximation of the internal rate of return of investment in selected undergraduate degree programs
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera
Publication title: DLSU Business & Economics Review 23(2):88-114, 2014
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Article title: Exploring data mining and gamification as tools for poverty analysis and policy formulation: A methodological framework
Author/s: John Paolo R. Rivera, Remedios de Dios Bulos, Neriza M. Delfino
Publication title: Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research 15(3):25-37, 2014
Full text available upon request to the author/s