Potential distribution of fall armyworm in Africa and beyond, considering climate change and irrigation patterns

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW), first invaded Africa in 2016 and has since become established in many areas across the continent where it poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security. We re-parameterized the existing CLIMEX model to assess the FAW global invasion threat, emphasizing the risk of transient and permanent population establishment in Africa under current and projected future climates, considering irrigation patterns. FAW can establish itself in almost all countries in eastern and central Africa and a large part of western Africa under the current climate. Climatic barriers, such as heat and dry stresses, may limit the spread of FAW to North and South Africa. Future projections suggest that FAW invasive range will retract from both northern and southern regions towards the equator. However, a large area in eastern and central Africa is projected to have an optimal climate for FAW persistence. These areas will serve as FAW ‘hotspots’ from where it may migrate to the north and south during favorable seasons and then pose an economic threat. Our projections can be used to identify countries at risk for permanent and transient FAW-population establishment and inform timely integrated pest management interventions under present and future climate in Africa.

A comprehensive analysis of selected medicines collected from private drug outlets of Dhaka city, Bangladesh in a simple random survey

Comprehensive data are needed to prevent substandard and falsified (SF) medicines as they pose a major risk to human health. To assess the quality of selected medicines, samples were collected from random private drug outlets of Dhaka North and South City Corporation, Bangladesh. Sample analysis included visual observation of the packaging, authenticity of the samples, legitimacy and registration verification of the manufacturer, physicochemical analysis, and price. Chemical analysis of the samples was performed using a portable Raman spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography according to the pharmacopoeia. Several discrepancies were noted in the visual observation of samples. Among the 189 collected samples of esomeprazole (ESM), cefixime (CFIX), and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (CVA-AMPC), 21.2% were confirmed to be authentic, 91.3% manufacturers were confirmed legitimate, and 2.1% of all samples were unregistered. Chemical analysis of the samples revealed that 9.5% (95% CI 5.7–14.6) of samples were SFs. Falsified samples and quality variation in the same generic branded samples were both detected by Raman spectroscopic analysis. Overall, sample prices were satisfactory relative to the international reference price. This study documents the availability of poor-quality medicines, demonstrating the need for immediate attention by the national medicine regulatory authority.

Assessing Spatiotemporal Built-up Dynamics in Chiang Mai City, Thailand using Entropy approach

The rates of urban dynamics affecting by industrialization, urban agglomeration, and large-scale migration turn its behaviour from monocentric to polycentric metropolitan resulting in unprecedented urban growth. Therefore, the present study incorporated an entropy-based approach to measure the degree of compactness and dispersiveness of urban development in Chiang Mai City. The Object-based machine learning was deployed for the image classifications with an overall accuracy above the minimum requirements (i.e., 90%) and kappa statistic of agreement above 0.85. The study reveals that Chiang Mai city has undergone urban development outskirts from the urban centre (CBD) and north and south-west direction from the CBD. A considerable increase in urban demographic and physical urban patches was observed in last 1998 to 2018. The research emphasized the significant role of Shannon Entropy to analyze the built-up growth supplemented by Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) in respective zones and geographical directions.

Updated GOES-13 Heliosat-2 Method for Global Horizontal Irradiation in the Americas

Increasing the utilization of renewable energy is at the center of most sustainability policies. Solar energy is the most abundant resource of this type on Earth, and optimizing its use requires the optimal estimation of surface solar irradiation. Heliosat-2 is one of the most popular methods of global horizontal irradiation (GHI) estimation. Originally developed for the Meteosat satellite, Heliosat-2 has been modified in previous work to deal with GOES-13 data and named here GOES_H2. This model has been validated through the computation of indicators and irradiation maps for the Guiana Shield. This article proposes an improved version of GOES_H2, which has been combined with a radiative transfer parameterization (RTP) and the McClear clear-sky model (MC). This new version, hereafter designated RTP_MC_GOES_H2, was tested on eight stations from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network, located in North and South America, and covered by GOES-13. RTP_MC_GOES_H2 improves the hourly GHI estimates independently of the type of sky. This improvement is independent of the climate, no matter the station, the RTP_MC_GOES_H2 gives better results of MBE and RMSE than the original GOES_H2 method. Indeed, the MBE and RMSE values, respectively, change from −11.93% to −2.42% and 23.24% to 18.24% for North America and from −4.35% to 1.79% and 19.97% to 17.37 for South America. Moreover, the flexibility of the method may allow to improve results in the presence of snow cover and rainy/variable weather. Furthermore, RTP_MC_GOES_H2 results outperform or equalize those of other operational models.

Light People: Professor Byoungho Lee

EditorialMajor developments were made recently in both VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) technologies, which became the focus of attention. In recent years, MR (mixed reality) technology has also emerged, and optical components play an irreplaceable role in these technologies.Professor Byoungho Lee, who graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and currently works at Seoul National University in South Korea, has been committed to the development of optical components used in VR and AR technologies. As a pioneer of optical electronics in Korea, he is involved in various well-known academic organizations in the optical field, such as the Optica, SPIE, and IEEE, as well as serving as the president of the Optical Society of Korea, leading the direction of the development of optical industry in Korea. As the ambassador of China-Korea Optoelectronics Exchange, Prof. Lee has also played an active role in Chinese optical events and activities. Over the years, he and the Journal Light: Science & Applications (LIGHT) have made progress together and have both made their names in the vast field of optoelectronics.So where did the story between Prof. Lee and the LIGHT journal begin? And what kind of link does the professor have with Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP)? How did he become a pioneer in optoelectronics technology? These are the questions we are eager to ask Prof. Byoungho Lee.The future cannot be predicted, but it can be invented, said Dennis Gabor who had invented holography. The pace of human technological advancements has never stopped. Who is to say that we cannot take a virtual tour of the Palace Museum or explore the north and south poles in the future? Scientists like Prof. Lee are working hard to use technology to provide mankind with an intelligent lifestyle, and lead a new technological trend. I am sure we are all looking forward to it.

Development Education in the Age of COVID-19 and Climate Change

Development education (DE) is a radical learning pedagogy that combines analysis, discussion, and action to engage the learner in active citizenship toward positive social change. This chapter discusses the contribution that DE and other related ‘educations' can make to mitigating the climate crisis and addressing the growing levels of poverty and inequality in the global North and South. Central to this discussion is the neoliberal economic model that has driven ‘development' since the 1970s and placed the needs of the market above the social needs of citizens. This has become particularly apparent during the coronavirus pandemic which has overwhelmed the health services of countries across the world. The chapter argues for a more sustainable form of development based on de-growth and a Green New Deal.