Implementation of Alternative Delivery Mode Learning Resources Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: Basis for Intervention Program

This study aimed to assess the implementation of the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Learning Resources as a basis for an intervention program amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employed a descriptive survey research design. Using a universal sampling technique, a total of 30 Learning Resource Coordinators in a selected school division in Central Luzon, Philippines participated in the survey and data gathering. The researchers also used an adapted research instrument to gather essential information for the study. With the help Microsoft Excel, the researchers tabulated and organized the data. Afterwards, the gathered data underwent descriptive statistical analysis using frequency and percentage. The study found that the ADM Learning Resources developed by teachers exceeded DepEd's total number of Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs). For the total number of learners who preferred modular printed learning modality, it reached 67.89%. There were 100% ADM Learning Resources provided to learners in all grade levels for the status of printed learning resources. Based on the earlier results, the researcher provided some essential recommendations, particularly an intervention program for this study.

Experiences in the Application of Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Learning Resources during the Pandemic Period

This study reflected the experiences and perspectives of Learning Resource Coordinators during the COVID-19 pandemic in the application of the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Learning Resources in the Schools Division Office, Central Luzon, Philippines. The study employed a narrative-inquiry approach to gather pertinent experiences from a group of participants. The participants were 10 Learning Resource Coordinators selected using a cluster sampling technique. The proponent used a research-made questionnaire to gather data. From the narratives of the informants, the proponent developed a unique thematic analysis. Based on the thematic analysis of the narrative inquiry, the informants revealed different perspectives and experiences, which state the different challenges met and the practical solutions in the delivery and correcting errors in the ADM Learning Resources. Based on the aforementioned findings, the proponent of this research provided some essential recommendations, in particular, an intervention program for this particular subject matter for learning resource coordinators and other significant key players of the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) implementors.

Novel Nanoproniosomal Vesicular carriers for the effective and efficient Drug Delivery: Fundamentals, Recent Advancements and Applications

Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that has brought the upheaval reforms in the domain of pharmaceutical sciences including the development of nanovesicular drug delivery carriers such as proniosomes, niosomes, liposomes, ethosomes, etc. Among them, proniosomes become superior and they surmount the problems of other vesicular carriers. Proniosomes are nano-sized vesicular structures of dry, free-flowing powder (or) gel with encapsulation of drugs in the vesicle that produce multilamellar niosomal dispersion after hydration and they possess the capacity to enhance solubility, permeability and bioavailability of diverse drugs. Proniosomes are suitable to deliver the drugs efficiently through transdermal route to accomplish controlled release action, increased therapeutic effectiveness to various diseases and upon application to the skin, the proniosmes are modified into niosomes in situ by hydration of water from the skin. This study aims to discuss different aspects of proniosomes such as merits, mechanism, types, components, preparation, characterization, drug release, market scenario, future trends and to explore proniosomes for various pharmaceutical applications in drug delivery via different routes, such as topical, transdermal, oral, parenteral, ocular, vaginal, nebulizer and intranasal routes. These proniosomes-derived niosomes are better and may offer an excellent, inexpensive alternative delivery, much more beneficial than other vesicular and conventional dosage forms.

PERANCANGAN SISTEM INFORMASI BERBASIS E-BANKING

Elektronik banking (e-banking) adalah layanan yang memungkinkan nasabah bank untuk memperoleh informasi, melakukan komunikasi, dan melakukan transaksi perbankan melalui alternative delivery channel media elektronik seperti Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), phone banking, electronic fundtransfer (EFT), electronic data capture (EDC)/point of sales (POS), internet banking, dan mobile banking.Bagi bank, e-banking pendapatan berbasis komisi (fee based income) dan mengurangi biaya operasional apabila dibandingkan dengan pelayanan tranksaksi melalui kantor cabang yang relatif besar untuk membayar karyawan, sewa gedung, pengamana, listrik dan lainnya.Bagi otoritas, perkembangan teknologi e-banking mendorong mewujudkan masyarakat less cash society. Less cash society adalah gaya hidup denganmenggunakan media transaksi atau uang elektronik dalam bertransaksi sehingga tidak perlu membawa uang fisik. Less cash society selain dapat meningkatkan sistem pembayaran yang cepat, aman, dan efesien, untuk mempercepat perputaran aktivitas ekonomi dan stabilitas sistem keuangan, juga dapat mencegah tindak pidana criminal maupun tindak pidana pencucian uang. Sehingga menimbulkan feedback baik kepada bank dan otoritas dari penggunaan e-banking yang di nikmati oleh masyarakat dalam kebutuhan bertransaksi.

Developing a Stabilizing Formulation of a Live Chimeric Dengue Virus Vaccine Dry Coated on a High-Density Microarray Patch

Alternative delivery systems such as the high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) are being widely explored due to the variety of benefits they offer over traditional vaccine delivery methods. As vaccines are dry coated onto the HD-MAP, there is a need to ensure the stability of the vaccine in a solid state upon dry down. Other challenges faced are the structural stability during storage as a dried vaccine and during reconstitution upon application into the skin. Using a novel live chimeric virus vaccine candidate, BinJ/DENV2-prME, we explored a panel of pharmaceutical excipients to mitigate vaccine loss during the drying and storage process. This screening identified human serum albumin (HSA) as the lead stabilizing excipient. When bDENV2-coated HD-MAPs were stored at 4 °C for a month, we found complete retention of vaccine potency as assessed by the generation of potent virus-neutralizing antibody responses in mice. We also demonstrated that HD-MAP wear time did not influence vaccine deposition into the skin or the corresponding immunological outcomes. The final candidate formulation with HSA maintained ~100% percentage recovery after 6 months of storage at 4 °C.

Sometimes the Hard Part Is Not Solving the Problem; It Is Finding a Way To Deliver the Solution

LiquidPower Specialty Products Inc. (LSPI) said it can increase the flow capacity of subsea flowlines from wells to platforms by up to 35%. Based on the company’s long history in that business, that sounds doable. The hard part is convincing users that it can dependably deliver the chemical to the offshore wells where it is needed. The delivery barrier has made subsea production lines one of the few oil pipeline markets not served by LSPI, whose history dates to 1979 when it began selling an additive, a drag-reducing agent (DRA), that dramatically increased pipeline flows. The polymer was invented by scientists at what was then Conoco, in the early 1970s. Among the inventors was Yung Lee, who is still with the company which is now owned by Berkshire Hathaway. The chemical able to increase oil flows by 80% proved popular, and its use spread around the world. Now, the maker of a product used in 80% of US oil pipelines is looking for new markets. Lines running from offshore wells to platforms look like an attractive growth market, as oil companies focus on finding oil near existing platforms where the risks and costs are low. “It is going to be substantial. It is not huge like pipelines. Still, more and more people are going to discover oil-bearing formations away from platforms,” said Lee, engineering and technical services director for LSPI. The short explanation for how LSPI’s DRA works is that the long molecular chains of the ultrahigh-weight polymer in a pipeline reduce turbulence. That allows more oil to flow through a pipe and reduces the pressure needed to do so. There are offshore markets for DRA, where it is used in large lines delivering oil to shore and in multiphase lines connecting platforms. Pipelines from subsea wells to platforms are not on the list because LSPI has been unable to find a way to deliver DRA to those remote locations. The obvious way to do so would seem to be to pump the relatively small amount of chemical needed each day through an umbilical. For more than 15 years, LSPI tried to develop a DRA molecule that would flow dependably through the narrow tube in an umbilical. The problem was “DRAs contain solid particles [polymer] that will coat the internal wall and eventually plug the umbilical,” according to a recent Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) paper describing the prolonged search (OTC 31054). That problem created an opportunity for Safe Marine Transfer, which was looking for customers needing an alternative delivery method, said Art Schroeder, CEO of the Houston company. Inside the Box Three years ago, at the OTC, LSPI met the founders of Safe Marine, who convinced them to consider delivering DRA in a box. The box intentionally looks like a cargo container. Its dimensions— 40×8×8.5 ft—make it possible to load the box on a truck and move it to a dock on its way offshore. Inside is a large, tough bladder designed to hold 200 bbl of fluid. The container allows water to enter, equalizing the pressure so the frame can stand up to extreme deepwater pressure.

Increased Potential of Bone Formation with the Intravenous Injection of a Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein Minicircle DNA Vector

Osteoporosis is commonly treated via the long-term usage of anti-osteoporotic agents; however, poor drug compliance and undesirable side effects limit their treatment efficacy. The parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is essential for normal bone formation and remodeling; thus, may be used as an anti-osteoporotic agent. Here, we developed a platform for the delivery of a single peptide composed of two regions of the PTHrP protein (1–34 and 107–139); mcPTHrP 1–34+107–139 using a minicircle vector. We also transfected mcPTHrP 1–34+107–139 into human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and generated Thru 1–34+107–139-producing engineered MSCs (eMSCs) as an alternative delivery system. Osteoporosis was induced in 12-week-old C57BL/6 female mice via ovariectomy. The ovariectomized (OVX) mice were then treated with the two systems; (1) mcPTHrP 1–34+107–139 was intravenously administered three times (once per week); (2) eMSCs were intraperitoneally administered twice (on weeks four and six). Compared with the control OVX mice, the mcPTHrP 1–34+107–139-treated group showed better trabecular bone structure quality, increased bone formation, and decreased bone resorption. Similar results were observed in the eMSCs-treated OVX mice. Altogether, these results provide experimental evidence to support the potential of delivering PTHrP 1–34+107–139 using the minicircle technology for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Two-pronged anti-tumor therapy by a new polymer-paclitaxel conjugate micelle with an anti-multidrug resistance effect

Cancerous tumors are still a major disease that threatens human life, with tumor multidrug resistance (MDR) being one of the main reasons for the failure of chemotherapy. Here, a reduction-sensitive polymer prodrug micelle, mPEG-DCA-SS-PTX (PDSP), was manufactured with a new polymer inhibitor of drug-resistance as a carrier to overcome MDR and improve the anti-tumor effect of paclitaxel (PTX). The PDSP micelles display good stability, double-responsive drug release, and excellent biocompatibility. The PDSP micelles reduced the cytotoxicity of PTX to normal HL-7702 cells, and enhanced that to SMMC-7721 and MCF-7 cells in vitro. Improved sensitivity of A549/ADR to PDSP was also observed in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo experiments show reduced systemic toxicity and enhanced therapeutic efficacy of DOX to H22 subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice. This work proves the reduction sensitive polymer prodrug micelles carried by the new polymer inhibitor can be used as an alternative delivery system to target tumors and reverse MDR for paclitaxel and other tumor-resistant drugs.