SLOPE ANALYSIS OF CLOT-ADJUSTED SSI-FY4A DATA FOR SOLAR PV POWER POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Utilization rate of energy from solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has surged considerably with the increase in global demand for sustainable energy solutions.The angle at which panels are positioned relative to the horizontal plane must be aligned with the sun's incoming radiation to achieve optimum power production. Unfortunately, this ideal alignment is not always feasible, particularly for panels lacking tracking systems. Therefore, determining the best tilt angle becomes a key factor that significantly influences the effectiveness of solar PV systems, considering various influencing factors. The study aims to establish the relationship between different slopes and solar PV performance and to assess the impact of this on energy generation efficiency for specific locations across Luzon and Mindanao. The study focuses on determining the optimal tilt for specific locations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Sites including Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao were selected as representative areas for each respective island group for being the most populous cities in their respective geographical island groups. Theoretical solar energy obtained from SSI was CLOT-adjusted and incorporated with dust and temperature effects to determine the maximum solar energy resource potential within the study area. Results show that the highest solar PV potential was determined at 5°–10° tilt angle for both Metro Manila and Davao followed by 10–20° and 20–30° tilt angle with an average of 86.42 W solar PV potential (PPV). For Cebu, the highest solar PV potential was determined at 20° to 30° tilt angle with the value of 95.99 W solar PV potential (PPV). The lowest PPV was found on installations with tilt > 30° in all the study areas at an average of 65.02 W. This suggests that to maximize solar PV output in different regions, installations should be tilted according to the optimal tilt angle specific to that region. The latitude differences across the country significantly impact which tilt angle is most effective, as they influence the amount of sunlight received in each area. To improve the accuracy of future studies, it is recommended to increase the number of data points per slope interval. While the differences observed in this study were small, having more data points can enhance the precision of average values obtained from formulas

Directed Evolution Generates a Novel Oncolytic Virus for the Treatment of Colon Cancer

Background Viral-mediated oncolysis is a novel cancer therapeutic approach with the potential to be more effective and less toxic than current therapies due to the agents selective growth and amplification in tumor cells. To date, these agents have been highly safe in patients but have generally fallen short of their expected therapeutic value as monotherapies. Consequently, new approaches to generating highly potent oncolytic viruses are needed. To address this need, we developed a new method that we term “Directed Evolution” for creating highly potent oncolytic viruses. Methodology/Principal Findings Taking the “Directed Evolution” approach, viral diversity was increased by pooling an array of serotypes, then passaging the pools under conditions that invite recombination between serotypes. These highly diverse viral pools were then placed under stringent directed selection to generate and identify highly potent agents. ColoAd1, a complex Ad3/Ad11p chimeric virus, was the initial oncolytic virus derived by this novel methodology. ColoAd1, the first described non-Ad5-based oncolytic Ad, is 2–3 logs more potent and selective than the parent serotypes or the most clinically advanced oncolytic Ad, ONYX-015, in vitro. ColoAd1's efficacy was further tested in vivo in a colon cancer liver metastasis xenograft model following intravenous injection and its ex vivo selectivity was demonstrated on surgically-derived human colorectal tumor tissues. Lastly, we demonstrated the ability to arm ColoAd1 with an exogenous gene establishing the potential to impact the treatment of cancer on multiple levels from a single agent. Conclusions/Significance Using the “Directed Evolution” methodology, we have generated ColoAd1, a novel chimeric oncolytic virus. In vitro, this virus demonstrated a >2 log increase in both potency and selectivity when compared to ONYX-015 on colon cancer cells. These results were further supported by in vivo and ex vivo studies. Furthermore, these results have validated this methodology as a new general approach for deriving clinically-relevant, highly potent anti-cancer virotherapies

COMMODIFICATION

Commodification is a challenge that deals not only with the payment for health care but also with the price of the human body. Commodification is somewhat a new concern in bioethics since money and markets have been traditionally ruled out of medicine in order to favor an extra-patrimonial approach to healing the ill. In the last 60 years, the amazing surge of medical technologies has further forged the relationship of health care with money, contributing to an ever-growing market of medical insurance. The need for new goods (mainly biotechnologies and insurance) in health care has clearly begun its commodification. The current commodification of health care is described as a social involution based on individual egoism and is deplored for its lack of social solidarity. Certainly, the market is an unequal factor for welfare distribution – the amount of money we hold is never the same among us nor even the same as time goes by. The commodification of medical care is backed by a neo-utilitarian/libertarian ethics that considers any issue to be seen not only as an individual situation but as a possibility to help all people live better, thanks to the market

OvAd1, a novel, potent, and selective chimeric oncolytic virus developed for ovarian cancer by 3D-directed evolution

Effective therapeutics for ovarian cancer continue to be urgently needed, particularly for chemotherapy-resistant cases. Here we present both a 3D-Matrigel culture-based expansion of our directed evolution method for generation of oncolytic virotherapies and two promising ovarian-cancer targeted oncolytic viruses, OvAd1 and OvAd2. OvAd1 was developed using Matrigel cell cultures, whereas OvAd2 was developed in parallel using traditional monolayer tissue culture methods. Both viruses are potent against a panel of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines and are attenuated on normal cells in vitro, resulting in therapeutic windows of ∼200-fold. We observed two benefits of the use of Matrigel-based cultures for directed evolution of these oncolytics: (1) use of Matrigel generated a bioselected pool that was more strongly attenuated on normal cells while retaining its potency against ovarian cancer cells, and (2) in an ovarian carcinomatosis model, the Matrigel-derived virus OvAd1 suppressed all tumor growth while the non-Matrigel-derived virus was 50% effective. Neither virus stimulated formation of peritoneal adhesions as seen for Ad5-based therapies. Consequently, these viruses are novel candidates for development as new effective treatments for aggressive ovarian cancer

OvAd1, a novel, potent, and selective chimeric oncolytic virus developed for ovarian cancer by 3D-directed evolution

Effective therapeutics for ovarian cancer continue to be urgently needed, particularly for chemotherapy-resistant cases. Here we present both a 3D-Matrigel culture-based expansion of our directed evolution method for generation of oncolytic virotherapies and two promising ovarian-cancer targeted oncolytic viruses, OvAd1 and OvAd2. OvAd1 was developed using Matrigel cell cultures, whereas OvAd2 was developed in parallel using traditional monolayer tissue culture methods. Both viruses are potent against a panel of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines and are attenuated on normal cells in vitro, resulting in therapeutic windows of ∼200-fold. We observed two benefits of the use of Matrigel-based cultures for directed evolution of these oncolytics: (1) use of Matrigel generated a bioselected pool that was more strongly attenuated on normal cells while retaining its potency against ovarian cancer cells, and (2) in an ovarian carcinomatosis model, the Matrigel-derived virus OvAd1 suppressed all tumor growth while the non-Matrigel-derived virus was 50% effective. Neither virus stimulated formation of peritoneal adhesions as seen for Ad5-based therapies. Consequently, these viruses are novel candidates for development as new effective treatments for aggressive ovarian cancer