Poverty Mapping in the Dian-Gui-Qian Contiguous Extremely Poor Area of Southwest China Based on Multi-Source Geospatial Data

Accurate information on the spatial distribution of poverty is of great significance to the formulation and implementation of the government’s targeted poverty alleviation policy. Traditional poverty mapping is mainly based on household survey data and statistical data, which cannot describe the spatial distribution of poverty well. This paper presents a study of mapping the integrated poverty index (IPI) in the Dian-Gui-Qian contiguous extremely poor area of southwest China. Based on multiple independent spatial variables extracted from NPP/VIIRS nighttime light (NTL) remote sensing data, digital elevation model (DEM), land cover information, open street map, and city accessibility data, eight algorithms were employed and compared to determine the optimal model for IPI estimation. Among these machine learning algorithms, traditional multiple linear regression had the lowest accuracy compared with the other seven machine learning algorithms and XGBoost showed the best performance. Feature selection was performed to reduce overfitting and five variables were finally selected. The final developed XGBoost model achieved an MAE of 0.0454 and an R2 of 0.68. The IPI map derived from the developed XGBoost model characterized the spatial pattern of poverty in the Dian-Gui-Qian contiguous extremely poor area well, which provided a good reference for the poverty alleviation work and public resources allocation in the study area. This study can also serve as a template for poverty mapping in other areas using remote sensing data.

Effect of narrow pulse width laser cleaning on corrosion resistance of A5083-H111 aluminum alloy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to promote the corrosion resistance of the 5083-111H aluminum alloy by laser cleaning. Design/methodology/approach Laser with 2 ns pulse width was adopted in this project and the corrosion resistance of cleaned samples was tested by copper-accelerated salt spray (CASS). The surface morphology, elemental composition and distribution were then characterized by SEM. Moreover, surface morphology, elemental composition and distribution were also tested. Findings Results suggested a higher corrosion resistance was successfully obtained by laser cleaning. Compared with samples cleaned by 2000 grit sandpaper, mechanical cleaning resulted in a 53% larger height difference between the peak and valley. The content of the oxygen is 8.85% on the surface cleaned mechanically and the distribution is dependent on the distribution of aluminum whereas that of the laser cleaning sample is 24.41% and the distribution existed even in the Al-poor area. Originality/value In this project, the 2-ns laser cleaning was proved to have the capability to remove the oxide layer on the aluminum alloy surface while retaining an excellent corrosion resistance and smooth surface. Meanwhile, a thorough elemental distribution and smaller grain size lead to a smaller difference in elemental concentration. This retards the diffusion of oxygen into the substrate and hence increases the corrosion resistance of the surface.

Association between early recurrences of atrial tachyarrhythmias and long-term outcomes in patients after repeat atrial fibrillation ablation

Purpose Early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ER) is predictive of late recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (LR) after first-time atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, but the association in patients undergoing repeat AF ablation is unknown. We aim to determine the incidence and prognostic significance of ER after repeat ablation. Methods A total of 259 consecutive patients (mean age 64 years, 75.3% male) undergoing repeat AF ablation with complete follow-up data were included at a single institution from 2010 to 2015. ER and LR were defined as atrial tachyarrhythmia (AF, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia) > 30 s within the 3-month blanking period (BP) and after the 3-month BP, respectively. Results ER occurred in 79/259 (30.5%), and LR occurred in 138/259 (53%) at a median follow-up of 1221 (IQR: 523–1712) days. Four-year freedom from LR was 22% and 56% in patients with and without ER, respectively (p < 0.001). After multivariate adjustment, ER was strongly associated with LR, cardioversion post BP, and repeat ablation, but not associated with hospitalization. Compared to those with no ER, there was a higher risk of LR when ER occurred within the first month of the BP [month 1: hazard ratio (HR) 2.32, confidence interval (CI) 1.57–3.74, p < 0.001; month 2: HR 2.01, CI 1.13–3.83, p = 0.02; month 3: HR 1.46, CI 0.5–3.36, p = 0.37], however the prediction of LR based on timing within the BP was poor (area under curve 0.64). Conclusion Following repeat AF ablation, ER is strongly associated with LR, cardioversion post BP, and repeat ablation.

Characteristics of Coastal Farmers in Kulon Progo Regency

The study explored the characteristics of coastal farmers in Kulon Progo Regency. It emphasized the issues of the socio-economical arrangements of farmers in marginal and resource-poor area and the access of farmers to productive capital. The research will contribute to development practitioners and policymakers in prescribing the context-specific policies and programs. In doing so, the research aimed at exploring the characteristics of coastal farmers in aspects like age, educational level, farming experiences and monthly income, as well as uncover their access to productive capital. The data came from a survey carried out using a questionnaire-based field interview, which adopted and used a simple random sampling method to select 60 respondents. The result of this research showed that the average age of coastal farmers is 43.2 years. In majority, farmers went to school for 10-12 years or were graduated from high school. Besides, 86.53% of the farmers had more than 10-year experience, which indicated that farming in coastal areas was profitable. The average monthly income of coastal farmers was 6 million rupiahs during peak season. Chili, the most profitable crop, contributed as the primary source of income, mostly when the selling price was high. Access to land, livestock, transportation (motorbike), extension services, internet and informal institution were considered high and very high, while access to four-wheeled transportation, credit and formal institution (farmers’ group) were medium and low.

Addressing the Challenges of Containing Covid-19 Spread in a Rural, Poor Area in India: A Case Study

The rapid spread of COVID-19 in 2020 has illustrated how transmissible, virulent, and unpredictable this novel coronavirus is. As of mid-December 2020, over 73.6 million cases have been recorded, with 1.64 million deaths attributed to the disease. This most probably is an underestimate given that testing has been spotty and that an unknown number of asymptomatic individuals are not counted in the statistics. Also, the difference between reported confirmed cases and deaths varies by country, with Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) bearing the highest burden [1].

Measuring the Financial Literacy of Farmers Food Crops in the Poor Area of Madura, Indonesia

An effort to encourage increased food productivity is directly proportional to the limited access of farmers on capital financing resources. The purpose of the research is to describe the financial literacy rate of farmers in Madura. The data analysis method uses a descriptive (qualitative) analysis and a different test (T-Test) with IBM SPSS. 23 Software support. The results of the research obtained that food farmers in Sampang and Bangkalan districts have a relatively moderate financial knowledge with all its limitations. Their understanding is sufficient about the knowledge principle of bank interest calculation, the time value of money, the general rules of the bank, the definition of inflation, risk and profit received. However, financial behavior and attitudes are categorized less. The difference of the principal of Madura food farmers in both research areas namely Sampang Regency and Bangkalan District is located on the component of the Financial Knowledge Index.

Interferon Gamma Release Assay After BCG Vaccination Among Newborns and Family Members Living in an Overcrowded Area in Jakarta, Indonesia

IntroductionActive tuberculosis (TB) patient is a potential source of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in an overcrowded and poor area. Family members living in the same house may have been infected or latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) may develop. The aim of the study was to explore LTBI among newborns and their family members living in an overcrowded area in Jakarta, Indonesia. MethodsA prospective analytical study was conducted among newborns from October 2016 to March 2017. Interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) was examined before BCG vaccination and after 12 weeks. In parallel, TB active case finding was performed among family members of the newborns.ResultsOf 135 newborns, only 117 (86.7%) came for BCG vaccination. Of 346 family members screened, 8 (2.3%) were detected as untreated active pulmonary TB, confirmed by positive sputum and/or MTB culture. Family members living in the same house with active TB individuals (p=0.011, OR 2.69) as well as being males (p = 0.025; OR 1.68) had a significant higher risk of having a positive IGRA. ConclusionsUntreated pulmonary TB infection in overcrowded areas infects the surrounding neighbors, resulting in latent TB infection. An active program for detecting pulmonary TB cases and preventive measures need to be taken seriously to contain the potential spreading of the infection.

Microstructure and fracture behaviour of composite structured Ti( C , N ) based cermets

Microstructure and fracture behavior of composite structured Ti(C,N) based cermets were investigated, and compared to that of conventional Ti(C,N)-based cermets. Composite structure of the Ti(C,N) based cermets consists of cobalt enriched area,cobalt poor area and coarse granule. The fracture toughness of composite structured Ti(C,N) based cermets have higher than that of conventional Ti(C,N)-based cermets. The fracture morphology of the cermets were clearly observed, suggesting the effective load transfer between cobalt enriched area and cobalt poor area. Load transfer toughening mechanisms of composite structured Ti(C,N) based cermets can be deduced in this paper.