University of the Philippines Open University

<p class="Style2">Rapid advances in information and communications technology in the digital age have brought about significant changes in the practice of distance education (DE) worldwide. DE practitioners in the Philippines’ open university have coined the term ‘open and distance e-learning’ (ODeL) to refer to the new forms of DE, which are characterised by the convergence of an open learning philosophy, DE pedagogies, and e-learning technologies. This paper discusses the issues and challenges that ODeL poses for the Philippines’ open university from the point of view of the institution’s leading ODeL practitioners. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy development and administrative changes required to support innovative teaching practice across the institution. The findings and conclusions are relevant for other institutions in the same stage of ODeL development.</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /></span></p>

Competition for coastal land use and overexploitation have reduced or degraded mangrove coverage throughout much of their distribution, especially in South-east Asia. Timber production was the initial motivation for early mangrove reforestation projects. More recently, benefits from protection against erosion and extreme weather events and direct improvements in livelihoods and food security are perceived as justifications for such restoration efforts. This study examines the socioeconomic impacts of a community-led reforestation project in the Philippines through a survey of the local fishers. Revenues from mangrove fisheries, tourism and timber result in an annual benefit to the community of US$ 315 ha −1 yr −1 . This figure is likely to be considerably more if the contribution of the mangrove to the coastal catch of mangrove-associated species is included. This estimate only includes direct benefits to the community from mangroves, and not intangible benefits such as coastal protection, which paradoxically is perceived by the community as one of the most important functions. More than 90% of all fishers, regardless of where they fished, thought the mangrove provided protection from storms and typhoons and acted as a nursery site and should be protected. Those fishing only in the mangrove perceived more benefits from the mangrove and were prepared to pay more to protect it than those fishing outside. This study concludes that replanting mangroves can have a significant economic impact on the lives of coastal communities. Acknowledgement of the value of replanted mangroves compared with other coastal activities and the benefits they bring to the more economically-vulnerable coastal dwellers should support better informed policy and decision-making with regard to coastal habitat restoration.

BACKGROUND: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is characterized by much diversity in terms of geography, society, economic development, and health outcomes. The health systems as well as healthcare structure and provisions vary considerably. Consequently, the progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in these countries also varies. This paper aims to describe the progress toward UHC in the ASEAN countries and discuss how regional integration could influence UHC. DESIGN: Data reported in this paper were obtained from published literature, reports, and gray literature available in the ASEAN countries. We used both online and manual search methods to gather the information and 'snowball' further data. RESULTS: We found that, in general, ASEAN countries have made good progress toward UHC, partly due to relatively sustained political commitments to endorse UHC in these countries. However, all the countries in ASEAN are facing several common barriers to achieving UHC, namely 1) financial constraints, including low levels of overall and government spending on health; 2) supply side constraints, including inadequate numbers and densities of health workers; and 3) the ongoing epidemiological transition at different stages characterized by increasing burdens of non-communicable diseases, persisting infectious diseases, and reemergence of potentially pandemic infectious diseases. The ASEAN Economic Community's (AEC) goal of regional economic integration and a single market by 2015 presents both opportunities and challenges for UHC. Healthcare services have become more available but health and healthcare inequities will likely worsen as better-off citizens of member states might receive more benefits from the liberalization of trade policy in health, either via regional outmigration of health workers or intra-country health worker movement toward private hospitals, which tend to be located in urban areas. For ASEAN countries, UHC should be explicitly considered to mitigate deleterious effects of economic integration. Political commitments to safeguard health budgets and increase health spending will be necessary given liberalization's risks to health equity as well as migration and population aging which will increase demand on health systems. There is potential to organize select health services regionally to improve further efficiency. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that ASEAN has significant potential to become a force for better health in the region. We hope that all ASEAN citizens can enjoy higher health and safety standards, comprehensive social protection, and improved health status. We believe economic and other integration efforts can further these aspirations.

The influence of the information and communication technologies (ICTs) in open and distance learning (ODL) in a developing country, the Philippines, is critically evaluated in this paper. Specifically, this paper examines how ICTs have influenced or shaped the development of ODL in this country. Also examined are the different stages or generations of distance education (DE) in the Philippines, which are characterized mainly by the dominant technology used for the delivery of instructional content and student support services. The different ICTs being used in ODL and their specific applications to the various facets of this mode of delivery are also described. Also included is an examination on how quality of education is ensured in a technology-driven system of teaching and learning, which includes, among others, the employment of the ‘quality circle approach’ in the development of courses and learning packages, and the provision of appropriate technologies to perform academic processes and achieve institutional goals. Experiences of the various universities in the Philippines are also cited in this paper. Lessons have been drawn from the ODL experience to guide educators from other developing countries.

This article provides results on the net benefits generated from the natural resources in the Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT) in the Philippines. The BMT spans over 112,000 ha and its coastal ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and provide economic opportunities to the coastal communities. With a 10 % discount rate, the accumulated total net benefits for the BMT resources over a 10-year period is US$11.54 million. Tourism This study was supported by a grant from the Bohol Marine Triangle Project of the Foundation for the Philippine Environment supported by the United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility to the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, Inc. The Local Government Units of the Municipalities of Baclayon, Dauis and Panglao, as well as the Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations are gratefully acknowledged for their support in the conduct of the study. Provincial Offices of Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bohol Environment Management Office and the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics are acknowledged for the data provided. Much appreciation is extended to all the participants of the stakeholder consultation workshops for their valuable inputs. We thank Rafael Martinez for preparing the maps. Address correspondence to Giselle PB. Samonte-Tan, Affiliate Faculty, Faculty of Management

INTRODUCTION: Open defecation is ongoing in Nepal despite the rise in efforts for increasing latrine coverage and its use. Understanding the reasons for open defecation would complement the ongoing efforts to achieve the 'open defecation free' status in Nepal. This study aimed at exploring different motivations of people who practice open defecation in a village in Nepal. METHODS: This study was conducted among the people from the Hattimudha village in Morang district of eastern Nepal, who practiced open defecation. Maximum variation sampling method was used to recruit participants for 20 in-depth interviews and 2 focus group discussions. We adopted a content analysis approach to analyze the data. RESULTS: We categorized different reasons for open defecation as motivation by choice and motivation by compulsion. Open defecation by choice as is expressed as a medium for socializing, a habit and an enjoyable outdoor activity that complies with spiritual and religious norms. Open defecation by compulsion include reasons such as not having a latrine at home or having an alternative use for the latrine structures. Despite having a private latrine at home or access to a public latrine, people were compelled to practice open defecation due to constraints of norms restricting latrine use and hygiene issues in general. For women the issues with privacy and issues refraining women to use the same latrine as men compelled women to look for open defecation places. CONCLUSION: Open defecation is either a voluntary choice or a compulsion. This choice is closely linked with personal preferences, cultural and traditional norms with special concerns for privacy for women and girls in different communities. The ongoing campaigns to promote latrine construction and its use needs to carefully consider these factors in order to reduce the open defecation practices and increase the use of sanitary latrines.

BACKGROUND: Responses of subnational government units are crucial in the containment of the spread of pathogens in a country. To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine national government through its Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases outlined different quarantine measures wherein each level has a corresponding degree of rigidity from keeping only the essential businesses open to allowing all establishments to operate at a certain capacity. Other measures also involve prohibiting individuals at a certain age bracket from going outside of their homes. The local government units (LGUs)-municipalities and provinces-can adopt any of these measures depending on the extent of the pandemic in their locality. The purpose is to keep the number of infections and mortality at bay while minimizing the economic impact of the pandemic. Some LGUs have demonstrated a remarkable response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to identify notable non-pharmaceutical interventions of these outlying LGUs in the country using quantitative methods. METHODS: , where x∈X and y∈Y. If a data pair (x,y) exceeds, by two standard deviations, the mean of the Euclidean metric values between the sets X and Y, the pair is assumed to be a 'good' outlier. RESULTS: Our results showed that cluster of cities and provinces in Central Luzon (Region III), CALABARZON (Region IV-A), the National Capital Region (NCR), and Central Visayas (Region VII) are the 'good' outliers with respect to factors such as working population, population density, ICU beds, doctors on quarantine, number of frontliners and gross regional domestic product. Among metropolitan cities, Davao was a 'good' outlier with respect to demographic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Strict border control, early implementation of lockdowns, establishment of quarantine facilities, effective communication to the public, and monitoring efforts were the defining factors that helped these LGUs curtail the harm that was brought by the pandemic. If these policies are to be standardized, it would help any country's preparedness for future health emergencies.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged Africa, a large percentage of Africans were already affected by poverty and food insecurity. The pandemic wreaked havoc on their already unfavorable situation. The direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 included but not limited to illness and deaths of food systems' workers, interruption of food supply chains, unemployment, depreciation of currency value, and disruption of social protection programs. COVID-19 will lead to further economic fallout. Thus, the situation needs careful observation and timely intervention to safeguard the vulnerable African communities. Although Africa has sought ways to lessen the dire impact of the pandemic on food security, short-term solutions should include and enhance social and economic relief initiatives such as monetary intervention and social safety net. Considering a balance between health benefits of COVID-19 restrictions and their economic implications, the African countries, at the regional level, must preserve open and efficient social protection programs and cross-border supply and distribution networks for agricultural inputs. Africa's medium- and long-term strategies for improving food security should include improving and diversifying its agricultural productivity and production of key food commodities. This will reduce Africa's dependence on importation of these key commodities, and will help the continent address underlying economic vulnerabilities and better manage food, pandemic, and/or health-related crises affecting food security in the long term.

The Internet of Things (IoT), considered an intriguing technology with substantial potential for tackling many societal concerns, has been developing into a significant component of the future. The foundation of IoT is the capacity to manipulate and track material objects over the Internet. The IoT network infrastructure is more vulnerable to attackers/hackers as additional features are accessible online. The complexity of cyberattacks has grown to pose a bigger threat to public and private sector organizations. They undermine Internet businesses, tarnish company branding, and restrict access to data and amenities. Enterprises and academics are contemplating using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) for cyberattack avoidance because ML and DL show immense potential in several domains. Several DL teachings are implemented to extract various patterns from many annotated datasets. DL can be a helpful tool for detecting cyberattacks. Early network data segregation and detection thus become more essential than ever for mitigating cyberattacks. Numerous deep-learning model variants, including deep neural networks (DNNs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), and recurrent neural networks (RNNs), are implemented in the study to detect cyberattacks on an assortment of network traffic streams. The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity's CICDIoT2023 dataset is utilized to test the efficacy of the proposed approach. The proposed method includes data preprocessing, robust scalar and label encoding techniques for categorical variables, and model prediction using deep learning models. The experimental results demonstrate that the RNN model achieved the highest accuracy of 96.56%. The test results indicate that the proposed approach is efficient compared to other methods for identifying cyberattacks in a realistic IoT environment.

The increasing popularity of mobile phones has led to an abundance of online reviews, making it challenging for consumers to make well-informed purchasing decisions. This study proposes a novel recommendation system-based mobile phone rating classification approach using federated learning and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) features. We created a novel dataset by scraping over 13,000 mobile phone reviews from Flipkart’s website. The proposed approach involves the development of a federated deep neural network (FDNN) to classify the newly created Flipkart dataset. This approach includes data cleaning, balancing, TF-IDF feature extraction, and prediction using federated learning. We employ two clients and one server and conduct three rounds of experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach achieved an accuracy of 96.68% on the aggregated server side while maintaining the security of customer data on their local devices. The proposed approach has the potential to assist consumers in making well-informed purchasing decisions and can be extended to other e-commerce platforms with large datasets of online reviews.

Abstract Background Betalains, which are red‐purple and yellow pigments, are ideal alternatives to synthetic colorants as they possess strong coloring potential and excellent health‐contributing properties. However, the instability of betalains toward normal storage and biological conditions, in addition to the limited number of betalain sources, impedes their food application and diminishes their bioactivities. This study aimed to evaluate the health‐promoting bioactivities of betalains from red dragon fruit ( Hylocereus polyrhizus (Weber) Britton and Rose) peels as affected by encapsulation in maltodextrin–gum Arabic and maltodextrin–pectin matrices. Results Encapsulation in maltodextrin–gum Arabic and maltodextrin–pectin matrices afforded dry betalain powders after lyophilization. Optical microscopy imaging showed that the betalain powders consisted of matrix‐type and shard‐like microparticles. ABTS antioxidant assay revealed that maltodextrin–gum Arabic–betalain ( MGB ) and maltodextrin–pectin–betalain ( MPB ) microparticles possessed higher antioxidant capacities (195.39 ± 8.63 and 201.76 ± 4.06 µmol Trolox g −1 microparticles respectively) than the non‐encapsulated betalain extract (151.07 ± 2.57 µmol Trolox g −1 extract). Duck embryo chorioallantoic membrane ( CAM ) vascular irritation assay showed that the anti‐inflammatory activity of encapsulated betalains was five‐ to six‐fold higher than that of non‐encapsulated betalains ( P ≤ 0.05). Antiangiogenic activity, as evaluated by duck embryo CAM assay, was enhanced two‐ to four‐fold by carbohydrate encapsulation. Glutathione S ‐transferase ( GST )‐inducing activity of betalains was likewise improved four‐ to five‐fold. Conclusion The study showed that the antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antiangiogenic and GST ‐inducing activities of betalains from red dragon fruit peels were enhanced through carbohydrate encapsulation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified to cause acute respiratory disease in humans. An outbreak of this disease has been reported in mainland China with the city of Wuhan as the recognized epicenter. The disease has also been exported to other countries, including the Philippines, but the level of spread is still under control (as of 08 February 2020). To describe and predict the dynamics of the disease, several preliminary mathematical models are formulated by various international study groups. Here, the insights that can be drawn from these models are discussed, especially as inputs for designing strategies to control the epidemics. Proposed model-based strategies on how to prevent the spread of the disease in local setting, such as during social gatherings, are also presented. The model shows that the exposure time is a significant factor in spreading the disease. As crowd density increases, the higher the chance an infected person could infect other people. The attendees of the social gathering should have effective protection or preventive measures (e.g., administrative and engineering controls) to minimize further disease transmission.

Purpose Quality assurance (QA) in open and distance learning (ODL) has always become universal concerns of stakeholders. The quality of ODL has been confronted with challenges in terms of the diversity of inputs, processes, the complex supply chain management of ODL and recent paradigm shift into online learning. Assuring the quality of ODL are daunting tasks at individual, institution and system levels. Completed before the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, this study aims to better understand the implementation of QA system in three Asian open universities (OUs), namely University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), Universitas Terbuka (UT), Indonesia and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative method was employed involving analysis of documents of the three Asian OUs and focus group discussions and interviews with management and staff. Data collected were then analyzed to draw conclusions and possible recommendations. Findings Findings of this study presented good practices, challenges and rooms for improvement of the QA system in the three Asian OUs. Focusing on students and stakeholders in their QA effort, this study has revealed that quality begins with inner self and is multidimensional. QA is principally viewed as continuous improvement, as mechanism and assessment and as effort at exceeding expectations of students and stakeholders. The recent challenge for QA is to embrace a delicate process of ODL transformation into online digital system. The recent COVID-19 outbreak has further implications and challenged QA implementation in ODL in higher education into the next level of complexity. Practical implications This study revealed the diversities in how OUs met the societal needs of their respective stakeholders and addressed the challenges ahead for QA in ODL. Originality/value These findings were expected to enhance the understanding of the theory and practice of QA in ODL and to contribute to quality improvement of ODL programs.

Polio is a deadly viral disease that has been paralyzing many children in Afghanistan. Despite fundamental efforts, primarily vaccination, to reduce the number of cases in Afghanistan, there are still many children who are deprived of the vaccine every year. Afghanistan is one of the two remaining countries endemic for polio, and the country has undergone various challenges that have hampered the eradication of this disease. The underlying challenges include inaccessibility of unsecured areas, illiteracy, refusal, and, most recently, COVID-19. The country is in the midst of a battle against COVID-19, and polio has almost entirely been neglected. Sadly, polio cases are increasing in the country, particularly in polio-free provinces. After an initial lockdown, many businesses have been allowed to resume, but the mass polio vaccination campaign has not restarted. New cases of polio will surge if endemic regions remain unvaccinated or inaccessible. To curb the further spread of polio, Afghanistan needs to resume nationwide house-to-house vaccination as restrictions due to COVID-19 are loosened.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has put an additional strain on Afghanistan's weak healthcare system. Prior to the pandemic, the government and its allies had already problems in providing high quality health services for the people in Afghanistan because of inadequate facilities, insecurities, and ongoing conflicts. This year, COVID-19 exacerbated the situation and overwhelmed the healthcare system even further. As predicted, an influx of migrants suspected of having COVID-19 contributed to community transmission and led to an increase of cases across the country. A series of deadly attacks on civilians and healthcare workers in the country poses an additional burden, and severely weakens healthcare structures in times where health services are indispensable. These circumstances make evident that the international community needs to provide more support for Afghanistan's healthcare system and pass the United Nations resolution for a ceasefire in the country.

Abstract BACKGROUND Quercetin is a phenolic compound occurring in many food plants and agricultural crops. It is reported to possess various health‐promoting properties. However, the poor bioavailability of quercetin, due to its low aqueous solubility and its degradation during digestion, limits its nutraceutical applications. This study aimed to encapsulate quercetin in nanoliposomes using rice‐bran phospholipids for its efficient delivery and controlled release, the protection of its structural stability, and enhancement of its bioactivity. RESULTS Nanoliposomal encapsulation of quercetin by thin film‐sonication method yielded spherical nanoparticles (157.33 ± 23.78 nm) with high encapsulation efficiency (84.92 ± 0.78%). Storage stability studies showed that nanoliposomal quercetin was stable at 4 °C and 27 °C for 6 and 5 months, respectively, as indicated by unchanged antioxidant activity and quercetin retention. Nanoliposomal quercetin showed a slow, limited release pattern in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), and an initial burst release followed by a slow constant releasing pattern in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). A 1004‐fold increase in 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging activity was observed in quercetin nanoliposomes (SC 50 = 4.04 ± 0.01 ppm) compared to non‐encapsulated quercetin (SC 50 = 4053.03 ± 5.61 ppm). Similarly, the anti‐angiogenic activity of quercetin, as evaluated by duck embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, was enhanced twofold to fivefold by nanoliposomal encapsulation. CONCLUSION This study showed that nanoliposomal encapsulation in rice‐bran phospholipids enhanced the radical‐scavenging and anti‐angiogenic activities of quercetin. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that nanoliposomes can serve as efficient oral delivery system for quercetin. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that has affected all African countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Formidable challenges limit precautionary measures which were instituted by the government to curb the pandemic. Insufficient COVID-19 testing laboratories, limited medical and personal protective equipment, and an inadequate number of health workers leave the country ill-equipped in the fight against the pandemic. Lack of assistance from the government to those who lost their jobs due to lockdown forced these individuals to go outside to find provisions, thus increasing the spread of the virus. Moreover, the fragile healthcare system is overburdened by civil conflicts and other epidemics and endemics amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The conflicts have led to thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displacements and deprived many people of basic health services. The 11th outbreak of Ebola has been increasing at an alarming pace, and it is expected to soar because of a shortfall of funds and insufficient numbers of health workers. The DRC with the cooperation of regional powers needs to address these challenges in a manner similar to that used in the previous Ebola epidemics. Moreover, the government should have a balance in shifting the available resources between COVID-19 and other diseases. Until a vaccine is available, the DRC needs to be prudent when lifting restrictions to prevent explosion of new cases.

This research article presents an enhanced YOLOv8 model with an additional feature extraction layer integrated into the traditional YOLOv8 architecture to improve fault detection performance in smart additive manufacturing, specifically for FDM 3D printers. Hyperparameter optimization techniques are employed to ensure the model is trained with optimal input and batch size configurations. The findings demonstrate that the additional module successfully enhances the model’s performance in detecting faults during the FDM 3D printing process. The best results are achieved using the YOLOv8s model with an image input size of 640 and a batch size of 16, achieving a mAP <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><i>val</i></sub> (50-95) of 89.7%. Despite the increased complexity from additional layers, there is a favorable trade-off between performance and complexity. Furthermore, a testbed implementation is conducted to validate the model’s performance in a real-world setting, showing that the fault detection latency remains insignificant even with multiple Raspberry Pi clients. Overall, this research provides insights into improving fault detection in smart additive manufacturing and highlights the effectiveness of the proposed YOLOv8 model with additional extraction layers.

Abstract Aims and Objectives To determine the effectiveness of a community‐based health programme grounded on the PRECEDE‐PROCEED model, on the knowledge, adherence and blood pressure control of community‐dwelling adults with hypertension. Background Hypertension has consistently been a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in different countries and has continuously increased in prevalence. Albeit manageable with lifestyle modification and anti‐hypertensive medications, adequate knowledge and poor adherence to these treatment regimens are issues that have led to poor blood pressure control. Design Quasi‐experimental, one‐group pretest–post‐test design. Methods The PRECEDE‐PROCEED model was used to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the community‐based health programme. From August to October 2017, a total of 50 community‐dwelling adults with hypertension participated in the programme which included blood pressure monitoring, targeted health educations, motivational interviews, individualised lifestyle modification plans and house‐to‐house visits. Knowledge, adherence and blood pressure were assessed at the start and at the end of the 2‐month programme. Gathered data were analysed using descriptive statistics and RM‐MANOVA. The TREND checklist was followed in reporting this study (See Appendix S1). Results After 2 months, the mean adherence, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure significantly improved, attributing more than 25% of the change. Although knowledge scores were significantly higher after the programme, it only accounted 9% of the improvement. Conclusion This study provides evidence on the effectiveness of a community‐based health programme grounded on the PRECEDE‐PROCEED model on the knowledge, adherence and blood pressure control of community‐dwelling adults with hypertension. Relevance to Clinical Practice The community‐based health programme is beneficial to community‐dwelling adults with hypertension in promoting knowledge and adherence to treatment regimen and improving BP control. This study also provides a framework for developing new or enhancing existing programmes on hypertension in the Philippines.

The cell phone, now the most widely used medium in Asia, has major educational implications. Most users, however, do not realize the cell phone's potential for education, nor even for the communication functions for which it was originally designed. Most educators still see the computer and the cell phone as unrelated devices, and the tiny cell phone more as a personal accessory, especially for young people. With falling prices and increasing functionality, however, it is virtually certain that not too far in the future all of the world's students will have a cell phone. This is sufficient reason and motivation for educators to explore the possibility of making the cell phone an important tool in the educational systems of developed and developing countries. This article describes the experience of two major projects that are studying the potential of cell phone and short message service (SMS) techniques for formal and nonformal education in the Philippines and Mongolia. The studies have yielded positive reactions from students and trainees about the potential of these techniques, and are suggesting design and logistical principles for use in educational cell phone implementation.